wheel AUDI A3 2012 Owner´s Manual

176 Trailer towing
Always app ly bra kes early . When driving
downhill, shift into lower gear to use the en­
g ine braking effect to slow down the vehicle.
Use of the brakes alone can cause them to
overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge ¢ page 11
must be observed carefully. If the needle
moves close to the upper end of the scale, re­
duce speed immed iate ly and/or switch
off the
a ir cond itioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light in
the instrument cluster starts flashing
J_, pull
off the road, stop and let the engine idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build-up.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing veh icle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone r ide in your car
who is not prope rly wear ing the restra ints
provided by Aud i.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your veh icle handles different ly when towing
-
a trailer because of the addit io nal weight and
weight distribution . Safety, performance and
economy w ill greatly depend on how carefu lly
you load your trai ler and ope rate your rig .
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turn ing, stopp ing and back ing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have comp letely become fam iliar w ith the way
your ve hicle-trai ler comb ination behaves and
responds .
Backing up is d iff icu lt and requires practice .
Backing up with a tra ile r genera lly requ ires
steer ing act ion opposite of tha t when backing
up your veh icle without a trailer .
Ma intain a g reater distance between your ve­
h icle and the one in fro nt of you. You will need
mo re room to stop. To compensate for the trailer, yo
u will need a
larger than normal turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot ac ­
ce le rate as fas t as you no rma lly would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure yo u have
enough room to pass . After passing, a llow
plenty of room for your trailer before chang ­
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts , sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break -in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, yo ur Audi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load ¢
page 2 59.
Parking on a slope
Do not park with a trailer on a slope . If it can­
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol­
lowing:
When parking:
.,. App ly the foot brake.
.. Have someone p lace cho cks under both the
veh icle and the trailer wheels.
.. With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes unti l wheel b locks absorb th e load.
.. Turn the whee ls towards the cu rb.
.. App ly the parking brake.
.. Place an automat ic transm ission in
P, re­
spectively a manual transmission in first or
reverse gear .
When restarting after p ark ing:
.. Start the engine.
.. Shift transm ission into gear .
.. Release the parking brake and slowly pull
out and away from the wheel blocks.
.,. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
b locks .
Ill-

@ Tips
If you move the selector lever of the auto­
mat ic transm ission to
P before applying
the parking brake and before blocking the
wheels, you may have to use more force later to move the lever out of the
P pos i­
tion .
Trailer towin g 177
•
•

178 Cleaning and protection
Cleaning and
protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value .
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes, corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after purchase . Regular and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
Furth erm ore, goo d car e m ay b e a cond iti on
for substantiat ing a warrant y claim shou ld
c orrosion dam age or paint d efe ct s occ ur.
Your author ized Audi dealer has a variety of
d ed ica ted vehicl e-ca re product s and can ad ­
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i­
or and inte rior of your vehicle .
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially ava ilable clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor­
r ectly .
A WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed a ll caut ion labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product . Follow the di­
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted.
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail pol ish remover or other volati le
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ignit ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, etc. without pro­
tecting your hands and arms. You may
c u t yourself on sharp-edged metal parts . -
Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 163 , General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle .
@ For the sake of the environment
Select only environ mentally friendly clean­
i ng products. Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the househo ld
waste .
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental in ­
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing .
How often this is required depends on:
- How much the vehicle is used
- Where the veh icle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental i nfl uences
The longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
r oad and industrial gr ime, tar, soot, road salt
and other mater ials remain on the veh icle
body, the mo re lasting their destructive ef­
fects w ill be .
High temperatures , as from expos ure to in­
tense sun light, intensify the corrosive effect
part icularly when hum idity is high as well.
Under certa in circumstances,
we ekly washing
may be necessary. Unde r other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade­
quate.
After the winter, the unders ide of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferably in a professional car wash .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other info rma tion
c::> page 178 .

CD Note
You should remove debris (such as insects)
from the headlight lenses on a regular ba­sis, for example when refueling your vehi­
cle. Never clean the headlights with a dry
cloth or sponge . Use a wet cloth or
sponge.
It is best to use soapy water .
Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almos t any
modern automatic car wash .
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle
can normally be washed without problems in
an automatic car wash . However, the effect on
the paint depends to a large extent on the de­
sign of the facility, the filtering of the wash
water , the type of wash and care material , etc .
If the paint has a dull appearance after going
through the car wash or is scratched, bring
this to the attention of the operator immedi­
ately. If necessary, use a different car wash.
Before going through a car wash, be sure to
take the usual precautions such as closing the
windows and panoramic sliding sunroof*. Re­ move antenna if applicable.
If you have installed additional accessories on
the vehicle -such as spoilers, roof rack, etc. -
it is best to ask the car wash operator if these
should be removed.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
¢ page 178.
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi­
cle by hand.
11-Before you start washing, make sure you
have read and understood the WARNINGS
¢ A in General information on page 178.
11-First soak all dried dirt until it is soft, then
rinse it off .
11-As you clean your vehicle, s tart with the
roof and work your way down to the bottom,
Cleaning and protection 179
using a sponge, a sponge glove or a clean
brush.
"" Rinse the sponge or the sponge glove often,
flushing it clean each time.
11-Use special car shampoo only for very per­
sistent dirt .
11-Rinse the car thoroughly with water .
11-Use a chamois leather to gently wipe the ex-
terior dry.
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the
wheels, door sills and other regions exposed
to road dirt. In this way, you will not scratch
the paint with coarse particles imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the car.
A WARNING
= -
-Do not clean the underside of the chas-
sis, fenders, wheel covers , or other hard
to reach parts without protecting your hands and arms . You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 178.
CD Note
- Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surface of the vehicle is dry. Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, since this
could scratch your vehicle's paint or win­
dows.
- Never wash your car in bright sunlight.
Drops of water act as magnifying lenses
and may damage your paint .
- When you wash your car in the winter: if
you rinse your vehicle with a hose, be
careful not to aim the stream of water
directly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings -they can freeze shut.
- Never use sponges designed to remove
insects, or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products. They can damage
your paint finish.
- Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean
the headlights. Only use wet cloths or
sponges to prevent scratches. It is best
to use soapy water. •
•

182 Cleaning and protection
• Wipe the windows dry with a clean piece of
cloth or kitchen paper towel.
The best way to remove snow from w indows
and mir rors is to use a brush. Use a non -abra­
sive
pla stic ice scraper -better still, a spray
deicer -to remove
ic e from windows and mir­
rors.
The windows must not be cleaned with insect remover or wax since these can interfere with
the function of the windshield wiper blades (chatter).
O il, grease or silicone residue can be removed
with
glass cle aner or silicone remo ver. How­
ever, wax residue req uires the use of a specia l­
ly form ulated solvent. P lease contact your au­
thor ized Audi dealer for adv ice on safe prod­
ucts for wax removal.
Windows sho uld a lso be cleaned on the inside
at regular interva ls.
Never dry windows with the same chamois
that you use to dry painted s urfaces. Wax resi­
due on the chamois can impair vision thro ugh
the windows.
A WARNING
- The windshie ld m ust not be treated with
water-repellent materials. They can i n­
c rease glare under poor visib ility condi­
t ions such as wetness, darkness, o r whe n
the sun is low on the hori zon. In addi­
t io n, they ca n cause the wi ndshield wip ­
ers to chatter .
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
othe r inform ation
Qpage 178.
0 Note
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
s now and ice from windows a nd mirrors.
This cou ld cause the g lass to c ra ck .
- To prevent damage to the wi res of the
r ear defogger, do not place any adhesive
sticke rs o n the inside of t he rear w indow
ove r the wires.
- To he lp prevent d irt from s cratch ing the
window, always scrape i n a forwar d di- rec
tion -pushing the sc raper away from
you -never bac k and fort h.
Steel wheels
Applies to vehicles: with steel wheels (e .g. if refitted with
winter tires)
The wheels also have to be cleaned.
• Always include the hub caps and wheel rims
when wash ing your vehicle to remove road
dirt, sa lt sprays and brake dust .
If necessary, use a commercial whee l cleaner
to remove accumulated brake dust.
The wheel rims are easier to keep clean i f they
are regularly coated with liq uid wax.
Paint scra tches shou ld be touched up as soon
as possib le to prevent corrosion
¢ page 181,
Touch-up paint.
A WARNING .....__
- Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
brak ing eff ic iency-
q page 163, General
information . Test the brakes ca refully af­
ter each vehicle wash .
- Always read a nd heed a ll WARNINGS and
the information
q page 178.
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Applies to vehicles : with Cast alloy wheels
-
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
• Wash the w heels with a sponge or hose
brush every other week .
• For deep cleaning afterwards, use on ly a
ded icated acid-free cast alloy wheel cleaner.
• Rub a coat of
liquid wa x onto the rims every
three month. Be sure to reach and treat all
parts of the rim .
To preserve the decorative appearance of the cast alloy w heels, some special care is neces ­
sary. In addition to road dirt and salt, brake dust is also co rrosive . If left on fo r too long,
brake d ust can cause pitting.
U se only spec ial
acid -free cleaners formulated
fo r alloy r ims . Safe products are ava ilab le at ..,_

your authorized Audi dealer. Never leave the cleaner on the rims longer than specified on
the label. If not rinsed
off promptly, the acid
contained in some cleaners can attack the
threads on the wheel bolts.
Never use abrasive or meta l polishing clean­
ing agents.
If the protective coat ing has been
chipped, e.g. by kicked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as possible.
A WARNING
-Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency~
page 163, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information¢
page 178.
Body cavity sealing
-
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked.
All body cavities which could be affected by
corrosion have been thoroughly protected at
the factory.
This sea ling does not require any inspection or
addit ional treatment. If any wax should seep
out of the cavity when the ambient tempera­
ture is high, it can be removed with a plast ic
scrape r and a suitab le solvent .
A WARNING
Solvents can be dangerous.
- Benzine is flammable and toxic. If you
use benzine for removing the wax, keep
spar ks, flame and lighted cigarettes
aw ay. Never dump benzine on the
ground, in to open streams or down sew ­
age drains.
- B e sure to observe all safety and env iro n­
menta l regulations . Follow all instruc ­
tions on t he container .
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other informa tion¢
page 178 .
Cleaning and protec tion 183
Chassis
Hove the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Aud i is also thor­
oughly protected against corrosio n.
Any damage to the undercoating ca used by
road hazards should be repaired prompt ly.
A WARNING
Too much undercoating in the wrong p la­
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproof ing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields. While driving, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overhea t and cause a fire.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other info rmation
¢ page 178.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and o ther co rrosive materials w ill
damage the material in the exhaus t tail pipes
i f they are not cleaned regular ly . Do not clean
the tail pipes with whee l cleaner, pa int polish,
c h rome polish or other abrasive clea ners .
Clean the tail pipes with car care products
that are suitable for stainless steel.
Your authorized Audi dea ler can provide clean­
ing products that have been tested and ap­
proved for your vehicle.
Care of interior
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and deposits from a luminum sur faces.
Chrome care products and a lkaline cleaners
will attack a luminum surfaces and can dam­
age them over time.
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 178.
•
•

188 Cleaning and protection
Otherwise, the windshield wiper system
could unintentionally be switched on,
possibly causing personal injury from the
moving wiper linkage.
- Never reach into the area around or
touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary fan
is temperature controlled and can switch
on suddenly- even when the ignition is
off.
- Do not wash, wax or dry the engine with the engine running . Moving or hot parts
could injure you .
- Do not clean the underside of the chas­
sis, fenders, wheel covers, or other hard
to reach parts without protecting your
hands and arms. You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
~ page 178.

212 Tire s and wheel s
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle . Tires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle, particularly considering the compara­
tive ly small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that a ll-impo rtant contact between
you, your vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry mo re weight than they can safe ly han­
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
reg ularly inspecting t ires for damage includ­
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and ove rall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in­
cluding tread separation and blowouts.
Avoiding damage I f you have to drive over a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very s low ly and as close as possi ­
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chem ica ls includ ing gre ase, o il,
gasoline and b rake fluid off the ti res .
Inspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedded in the treads.
Storing tires Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . Th is ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re­
install t hem.
When removed, the whee ls or t ires should be
stored in a cool, d ry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical pos ition if they are not
mounted on rims, in a horizontal pos it ion if
they are mounted on rims. New tire
s
New t ires have to be broken in¢&,. .
T he tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord­
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
pa tte rn .
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and r ims is ofte n not readily
vis ible . If you notice unusual v ibrat ion or the
vehicle p ulls to one side, th is may ind icate
t h at one of the t ires has been damaged . Th e
t ir es m ust be checked immed iate ly by an au ­
tho rized Aud i dea le r or q uali fied wor ks hop.
Unidirectional t ires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sid ewa ll, that po int in the direc­
t ion the t ire is desig ned to rotate. You mus t
f ol low the specified d irection of rotation . This
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characterist ics regarding grip,
road no ise, wear and hyd rop laning resistance.
For more information ¢
page 241.
A WARNING
-New tires or tires that are old, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
be broken in . To reduce the risk of losing
control, a co llision and ser ious personal
in jur ies, d rive w ith special ca re fo r the
fi rst 350 m iles (560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
le ad to loss of control, sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de­
fl ation, c rashes and seriou s personal in­
juries . Have wo rn or damaged t ires re­
p laced immediate ly .
- T ires age even if they are not being used
an d can fai l sudden ly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith specia l care and at low
speed.

-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined weight (in excess of
those standard items wh ich may be rep laced)
of automa tic tra nsmission, power steering,
power br akes, power w indows, power sea ts,
radio, and heater, to the ex tent that these
items are avai lab le as factory -installed equip ­
ment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio
means the rat io of the height to the w idt h of
the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower in ­
d icate a low sidewall fo r improved s teer ing re ­
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement.
Bead
means the pa rt of the t ire t hat is made o f
s teel wires, wrapped o r rein force d by ply cor ds
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Cold tire infl ation pressure
means t he tire pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer for a t ire of a designated
size that has not been dr iven for more than a
couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire pressure
i s measu red or adjusted.
Tire s an d wheel s 213
-If you notice un usua l vibration or if the
veh icle pulls to one side when driv ing, a l­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
Curb weight
mea ns the we ight of a motor ve hicle w it h
standard equipment in cl ud ing t he maximum
capa city of fuel, o il, and coolant, ai r cond i­
tion ing a nd addi tional weig ht o f optiona l
equipment .
Extra load tire
means a t ire designed to operate at higher
loads and at highe r inflat ion p ressu res tha n
th e co rresponding standard tire. Extra load
tir es my be i dent ified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA
L O AD", or "R F" on t he sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
mea ns the load-carry ing capac ity of a s ingle
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in­
te rfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( "GVWR ")
means the maximum total loaded we ight of
the ve hicle.
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs.
Load rating (code )
means the maximum load tha t a t ire is rated
to carry for a given inflation press ure. Yo u
may not find this information on all tires be­
ca use it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
me ans the load r ating for a tire at the maxi­
mum pe rm issi ble inf lat ion pressure for that
ti re . •
•
...

214 Tires and wheels
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressu re
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation p ressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter means the overa ll diameter of an inf lated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ­
ing e levations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the comb ined weight of those installed
regular production options weighing over 5
lbs . (2 .3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, r ide leve lers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and specia l trim .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tir e in which the p ly cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread . Recommended inflation pressure
see
~
page 213, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire designed to operate at higher
loads and at higher inflation pressures than
the corresponding standard tire . Re inforced
t ir es my be identified as "XL", "xl", "EX TRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a t ire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal d iameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you w ill have to
purchase new tires to match the new r im di­
ameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
t read and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is designed to
be driven for extended periods of time. The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
~ page 224 . You may
not find this information on all tires because
it is not requ ired by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applica­
ble, is molded on the tire sidewall and indi­
cates the max imum pe rmissibl e road speeds
~ A in Winter tires on page 228.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects when one or
more of a veh icle's tires are underinflated and
illuminates a low tire pressure warning tell­
tale.