Hey Guys, I'm new here and trying to follow the rules here so If I am doing something wrong I sincerely apologize. Two days ago I bought my first audi at audi of brooklyn. It is a silver 2008 A6 3.2 Quattro. Can't say it was the greatest car buying experience ever but very excited to finally own one. I took it to L&M foreign cars (HIGHLY RECOMMEND) before buying it to get it looked at. It had some minor issues (rear brake pads/rotors and Front control arm is starting to peel) but otherwise in great condition. However today my tire pressure monitor was going off when I was starting it. I checked the tire pressure and it seemed to be about right but I did notice that tires were continental 245/40R18/93V and in the owners manual it recommended 97 Y/H or 99H. These are brand new tires so I would rather not replace them if I didn't have to, but if this is gonna damage the car than I don't want to keep using them. So If any of y'all know or could tell me its okay or not I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks
Harrison

 

I'm pretty sure the letters designate the speed rating of the tire. You can probably google them - I'm too lazy. Your car is electronically governed to 133 mph so you don't need a tire with a higher speed rating. I doubt you can sustain much over 120 driving around Brooklyn anyway. Conti's are oem tires for the Audis, as our Pirellis on the older models such as mine.

 

I appreciate you taking the time to reply. I'm not as worried about the speed rating as I am the load rating. I just don't want my tire to blow out on me. I looked up the curb weight of the car and it is about 4033 lbs and a 93 rating can hold 1433 a tire so it can hold the weight and then some. But Audi recommends 97's which holds 1609 a tire. That's a decent size difference, but I didn't know if t was a big deal

 

The rating in question is the load that the tire is capable of carrying safely. "93" load rating is 1433 lbs/tire at max inflation pressure, while "97" is 1609 lbs/tire at max inflation. The letters are for the speed rating ("H"=130 mph, "W"=168 mph, "Y"=186 mph sustained driving speed; clearly any are good for USA driving). I also have a 2008 A6 3.2 and did the math: the "93" load rating is very marginal. If you (1) don't ever load the car fully, and (2) never let the tire pressure below the maximum load rated, and (3) never cruise at freeway max speeds for long periods then maybe the "93" are ok. Audi only recommends the "97" load rating for obvious reasons. For more info:
Tire Tech Information - How to Read Speed Rating, Load Index & Service Descriptions

 

Don't forget that these load ratings are at max inflation pressures (;typically 50 psi). You must debate this for the pressure you are running. The "93" can quickly become marginal for our cars