load capacity AUDI A3 2011 Owner´s Manual

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Engine cold
As long as the need le remains at the lef t en d of the gauge, the engine
s till has not reac hed its operati ng te mperature . Avoid hig h eng ine
speeds, heavy engine loads a nd heavy throttle.
Normal temperature
W hen the eng ine has reached its operating temperature, the need le
w ill move into the middle of the gauge and rema in there . If the
engine is working ha rd at high outsi de temperatures, the needle may
tur n further to the rig ht. Thi s is no cause fo r concern as long as the _F_
wa rning light in the i nstr ument cluster does not ill uminate.
Wh en the _;_ w ar ning light sta rts to fla sh, thi s can mea n one of two
things : either the coolant
temperature is too h igh, or t he coolant
level is too low => page 32.
& WARNING
• Always observe the warning in=> page 218, "Engine com part·
ment " before opening the engine hood and checking the engine
c oolant level.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
see engine coolant dripping from the engine compartment. You
could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant.
0 Note
• Moun ting addition al lights or accessorie s in fron t of the a ir inlets
red uces the cooling effect of the radiator. At high o utside tempera ­
tu res o r high eng ine lo ad, t he e ngine cou ld over heat .
• The front spoi ler has been designed to prope rly d istribute the
c oo ling a ir w hen the vehicle is moving. If the spoiler is d amaged, this
co uld reduce the coo ling effect and the eng ine could t hen overheat.
Ask your au thor ized A udi d ealer for assist ance .•
Fuel gauge
T he f uel gauge wo rks only whe n the ignition is on.
W hen the nee dle rea ches the red area, t he war ning ligh t in t he ins tru­
ment cl uster will illum inate=>
page 34 . This mea ns you have
app roximate ly 1.8 gallons (7 liters) of f uel left in t he tank.
Time to
refuel!
The tota l tan k capacity of your vehicle is listed in => page 296 , "Data".
0 Note
Never run the ta nk completely d ry ! An irregular s upply of f uel can
c a us e eng ine mi sfir ing and f uel could ente r into t he e xhaus t system.
T he catalyt ic converter could the n overheat a nd be damaged. •
Speedometer with odometer
The spee do meter sh o ws you the ve h icle s pee d, an d th e
o do met er sho ws yo u ho w many mile s (k il om eters) you
have d riv en .
Fig. 4 Spee dometer
close-up : odometer
di splay
The o dometer and tri p odometer are located inside the speedomete r.
• USA mo dels - Mile s
• Canad ian models -Kilometers

Seats and storage
& WARNING (continued )
• Make certain that the feet of the roof rack are sitting exactly in
the four stamped marks -otherwise you risk an accident!
• After you have dri ven a few miles , and particularly during long
tr ips, inspect the attaching screws to make certain they a re tight .
• Do not make any modification to the roof rack -you increase
the risk of an accident. •
Applie s to v ehicl es : wi th roof r ails
Roof rack mounting locations
Roof rac ks must be install ed only at the locations mar ked
on th e roo f rails.
Mounting
Fig. 89 Ro of rai ls:
front and rear
mounting lo cat ions
The roof rack sy stem mu st be in stalled exa ctly according to the
instructions provided.
Mount t he front and rear cross bars between the punched mark ings
on the inside of the roof railin gs~ fig. 89 - arrows -.
0 Note
• T he conventional roof rac k de sign illustrated above will not fit o n
vehicles without roof rails . For safe mo unting, these req uire a
differen t desig n of roof ra ck.•
Loading the roof rack
Always distribute the loads evenly . M ake sure anything
on the r oof rack is tied do wn securely.
- Always dis tribute t he loads on the ro of rack e venly .
- Alwa ys se cu re i te ms to the roof rac k.
The maxim um permiss ible roof weight is 165 lb (75 kg ). The roof
we ight is made up o f the weig ht of the roof rack system and the
we igh t of the object be ing transported ~
page 295 .
When usi ng a roof rack system which has a lower load carrying
cap aci ty, you mus t not use the tota l maximum pe rmissible load
carrying capacity. If t his is the case , you may load the roof rack
system on ly to the maximum capacity speci fied by the man ufact urer
of the roof rack system .
L1}. WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to secure items to the
roof rack can fail during hard braking or in a collision and cause
ser ious personal injury.
• Always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items
to the properly installed roof rack to help prevent items from
shifting or flying forward .
• Items on the roof rack must always be securely mounted .
• The use of a roof rack can negatively affect the way a vehicle
handles. Cargo that is large , heavy , bulky, long or flat will have a
greater negati ve influence on the veh icle's aerodynamics, center ..

& WARNING (co ntinued )
of gra vity and o verall handling . Alwa ys dri ve slowly, avoid sudden
braking and maneuvers when tran sporting cargo on the roof of
your veh icle .
• Never exceed the maximum permi ssible load carrying capacity
of the roof of your vehicle, the permissible a xle weight s and the
permissible total weight of your vehicle ~
page 295 , "Weight s".
• Alwa ys d riv e slowly , avoid sudden b raking and maneuvers
when transporting carg o on the roof of your vehicle .
W For the sake of the environment
Sometimes i t may be easier to leave a roof ra ck i nstalled even tho ugh
you are not using it. Due to the increased air resistance your veh icle
wi ll u nne cessa rily use more f ue l. Remove the roof rack if you are not
going to use it. •
Cup holders
Cup holders in the center console
Fig. 90 Cup h older s
an d stor age tr ay in th e
c e nt er con sole
Up to two beve rages can be p laced in the cente r co nsole .
Cont rols a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Seats and storage
& WARNING
Spilled hot liquid can cause an accident and personal injury .
• Never carry any beverage container s with hot liquids, such a s
hot coffee or hot tea, in the vehicle while it is mov ing . In case of
an accident, sudden braking or other vehicle movement, hot liquid
could spill, causing scalding burns. Spilled hot liquid can also
c ause an accident and personal injury.
• Use only soft cups in the cupholder. H ard cups and glasses can
cause injury in an accident .
• Never use the cup holder or adapter as an ashtray· risk of fire.
0 Note
Only drink conta iners with lids should be carr ied in the c upholder.
L iq ui d could spill ou t an d damage your vehicle's e lec tron ic equipment
or sta in the upholstery, etc .. •
Cupholder in the rear center armrest
Opening the cup holder
Fig . 9 1 Rea r cente r
armrest : cu phol der
exten ded
- Press both spots ma rked with ii @ => fig. 91 => & -The
holde r ext en ds. .,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Intelligent technology
'-----------------------------------------------
Intelligent technology
Notice about data recorded by
vehicle control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR),
installed by some manufacturers for the express purpose of
capturing data for retrieva l after an accident or crash event. ED R's are
sometimes called "crash recorders".
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or downloading of data stored
by ED R's that were installed in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash event without the owner's
consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an EDR, it is equipped w ith
a number of electronic control modu les for various vehicle systems
such as, for example, engine function, emission control, as well as for
the airbags and safety belts.
T hese electronic contro l modules also record vehicle-re lated data
during normal vehicle operation for diagnostic and repair purposes .
Th e recording capacity of the e lectronic control modu les is limited to
data (no sound is recorded) and only a sma ll amount of data is actu­
ally recorded over a very limited period of time and stored when a
system fault or other condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle speed, direction, braking
as well as restraint system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and down­
loaded with special equipment.
Electronic Stabilization Program
(ESP)
General
The Electronic Stability Program increases driving
stability .
With ESP, contro l over the vehicle is increased in situations when the
vehicle is close to the limits of grip, such as dur ing accelerat ion and in
curves. ESP reduces the risk of sk idding and improves vehicle stability
unde r all road conditions.
It operates at all speeds.
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Differential Lock (EDS) and Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) are integrated in the Elec­
tronic Stability Program .
How ESP works
The ESP control unit processes the following data from high-sensitive
sensors: the rotationa l speed of the vehicle about its vertical axis,
fore-and -aft and lateral acceleration forces, brake pressure and
steering angle .
Us ing stee ring ang le and vehicle speed, the direction the driver
wishes to travel is determined and continuously compared with
actual vehicle behavior. If the two do not match, for example when
the vehicle beg ins to skid, ESP brakes the appropriate whee l auto­
matically.
The vehicle is stabilized aga in by the forces act ing on the whee l
during braking. With an oversteering veh icle (tendency for the rear
end to skid out of the curve), the brake app lication is mainly at the
front wheel on the outside of the curve, with an understeering vehicle
(tendency to run wide in the curve) at the rear wheel on the insid e of
the curve or additionally at the other wheels as needed. This brake
application is accompanied by noises. _,

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• Tire s age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly ,
especially at high speeds . Tires that are more than 6 year s old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at low
s peed .
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined we ight (in excess of those sta nda rd items which
may be rep lace d) of automatic transmission, power steering, power
bra kes, powe r w indows , power seats, radio, and heater, to the extent
that these items are avai lab le as factory- installed equipment
(w het he r i nsta lled or no t).
Aspect ratio
me ans the ratio of t he he ight to t he w id th of the tir e in percent .
Numbe rs of 55 o r lower indicate a low sidewa ll for improved steer ing
respo nse an d be tter overa ll handling on dry p avemen t.
Bead
means the part o f the tire that is made of stee l w ires , wrap ped o r
re in forced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a brea kdown of the bon d between components in the bead .
Cord
means the st rands forming the plies in the tire.
& W ARNING (continued )
• Never mount used tire s on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous hi story ." Old used tires may have been damaged
eventhoughthedamagecannotbeseenthatcanleadtosudden
tire failure and lo ss of vehicle control.
• If you notice unu sual vibration or if the vehicle pull s to one side
when driving, alway s stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage. •
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recommended by the vehicle ma nufa cturer
for a tire of a des ignated size t hat has not been driven for more than
a couple of m iles ( kilomete rs) a t low speeds in the t hree ho ur period
before the tire pressure is measured or ad justed.
Curb weight
mea ns the weig ht of a motor vehicle wit h standard equ ipment
including the max imum cap aci ty of f ue l, oil, and coo lan t, air condi ­
tioning and additiona l weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a t ire designe d to operate at higher loads and at higher infla­
t ion p ressures than the co rrespo nd ing standard t ire. Ext ra load tires
my be identif ied as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewa ll.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ( "GAWR ")
means the load -ca rry ing capacity of a s ingle ax le system, measured at
t he t ire-grou nd inte rfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR")
means the max imum total loaded we ight of the vehicle .

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the tread 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 259. You may not find this information on
all tires because it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applicable, is mo lded on the tire
sidewa ll and indicates the maximum permissible road speeds.=>
&
in "Winter tires" on page 261
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects when one or more of a vehicle's tires are
underinflated and illuminates a low tire pressure warning te lltale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread from the tire carcass.
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the princ ipal grooves designed to give a
visual ind ication of the degrees of wear of the tread. See=>
page 256,
"Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)" for more information on measuring
tire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire informat ion system developed by the United States National
H ighway Traff ic Safety Adm inistration (NHTSA) that is designed to
help buye rs make relative comparisons among tires. The UTQG is not
a safety rating and not a guarantee that a tire will last for a prescribed
number of miles or perform in a certain way. It simply gives tire
buyers additional information to comb ine with other considerations,
such as price, brand loyalty and dealer recommendations. Under
UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufacturers in three areas: treadwear
, traction and temperature resistance. The UTQG informa­
tion on the tires, molded into the sidewa lls.
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
This is the tire's "ser ial number" It begins with the letters "DOT" and
ind icates that the tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters ind icate the plant where it was manufactu red, and
the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufacture.
For examp le,
DOT ... 2209 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2009. The
o ther numbers are marketing codes that may or may not be used by
the t ire manufacturer. Th is informat ion is used to contact consumers
if a tire defect requires a recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and l uggage load plus 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the vehicle 's total seating capacity as listed on the label located
either on the driver's side B-pillar or on the ins ide of the fu el filler
flap.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib­
ut ing to each axle its share of the max imum loaded vehicle weight
and dividing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib­
ut ing to each axle its share of the curb weight, accessory weight, and
normal occupant weight (distributed in accordance with tab le below
=>
page 249) and dividing by two. ~

________________________________________________ T_ i_ re _ s_ a_ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l _s _ ........
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seat ing capacities
Designated seating capacity, num- Vehicle normal load, number of Occupant distribution in a nor­
mally loaded vehicle
ber
of occupants occupants
5 3 2 in front, 1 in back seat
Co ld tire inf lation pressure
Tire pr essur e affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle .
Fig . 171 Ti re pre ssure
label : loca te d e ithe r on
drive r's side B -pillar or
i ns ide th e fuel fille r
flap
T ire pressure generally refers to t he amo unt of a ir i n a tire tha t it
needs it to do its job and safe ly carry the comb ined load of t he entire
vehicle and its contents . Tire p ressure is measured in kilopasca ls
(kPa), the inte rnationa l measur ing unit and in poun ds per square i nch
(PSI). Tire press ure is based in part on the ve hicle 's design and load
limit -the greatest a mount of weight that the vehi cle can c arry safe ly
and the tire s ize. The proper tire pressure is frequently refer red to as
the "re commended cold t ire inflation p ressure. " Air in t he tires
expands when the tire heats up because of internal friction when it
flexes in use. T he tire press ure is hig her w hen the tir e h as warme d up
than whe n it is "cold." It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that
c o unts. The refo re, you sho uld never let air o ut of a warm t ire to
match "cold ti re inflation pressure " recommendations . The t ires
wou ld then be under in flated and could fail s uddenly.
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SUOWN'EA'S MANUAl F AO:DrTIONAL
INFORMATION
VOIR U MANUEL DU PROJl'RIETAIRE
POUR PLUS OE
RENS£1Gf\1£MENTS Fig .172 Tire pre ssur e
label
Ma intain ing prope r tire pressure is one o f the most importa nt things
you can do to he lp avoid sudde n tir e fa il u re . Under inflated tires are a
majo r ca use of sudden tire fa ilure . Keeping t ires at the rig ht pressure
is a lso important for safe and responsive vehicl e ha nd ling , traction,
braki ng an d load ca rryi ng.
Tire pressures are particularly impo rtant
when the vehicle is being driven at higher speed s, and then espe·
cially when heav ily loaded even within the permissible load ·
carrying capacities approved for your vehicle .
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi depend on the kind of
t ires on your vehicle and the num be r of passengers and/or amou nt o f
luggage you will be tra nspo rt ing .
On USA vehicles, the t ire pressure label is located on driver 's s ide B·
pillar. O n Canad a vehicles, t he tire pressure label is locate d eithe r on
the dr iver's side B-pillar or inside the fue l fi ller flap. The tire pressure
•
label lists the recommen ded cold t ire in flation pressures for the _,,,
Vehicle OP-eration Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

-~_T_ i_ re _ s_ a_n _ d_ w_ h _e_ e_ ls _________________________________________________ _
vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and tires that were on your
vehicle at the tim e it was manufactured.
If you wish to improve comfort when operating the vehicle at
normal load (up to 3 occupants) , you can adjust tire pressures to
those specified for normal vehicle load. Before operating the
vehicle at maximum load, you must increase the tire pressures to
those specified for maximum vehicle load
=> &.
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring system* ca n only
monitor the tire pressures you have stored. The system does not
recogn ize the load condit ion of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monitoring system* wi ll be
impaired if you store normal load pressures but then operate the
vehicle at its maximum load
=> &.
Tire designation
See the illustration => page 249, fig. 171 for the locat ion of the label
either on driver's side B-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap (color of the
actual label and exact location on the vehicle will vary slightly).
Note that the following tab le is accurate at the time of going to press
and is subject to change. In the event of discrepancies, the tire pres­
sure label (on USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on
dr iver's side B-pillar ; on Canada vehicles, the tire pressure label is
located either on the driver's side B-p illar or inside the fuel filler flap.)
always takes precedence.
The table below lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
for the Audi model covered by your Owner's Literature at the vehicle's
capacity weight and the tire sizes installed on the respective models
as origina l equipment, or as a factory option.
Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
Engine
(displace­
ment in liter) normal Load
normal Load
condition (up full Load condition (up
full Load
to 3 occu- condition to 3 occu- condition pants) pants)
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI II kPA
4-cylinder 205/55 R16 91H All Season 36 250 39 270 30 210 38 260
2.0 TFSI
225/45 R17 91W High Performance 35 240
38 260 30 210 36 250
(gasoline)
225/45 R17 94H XL All Season
38 260 39 270 32 220 38 260
225/45 Rl 7 94Y XL High Performance 35 240 36 250 30 210 35 240
225/40 R18 92Y XL High Performance
38 260 41 280
35 240 41
280
Compact spare wheel 1125/70 R18 60 420 60 60 420 60 420

_L_T.:...:..: i r~ e:.: s~ a:::. n:..:..:: d:.....: w..:...:. h::e:.: e::.:: ls::::._ ______________________________________________ _
is more difficult to stop. Overloading can not only lead to loss of
vehicle control, but can also damage important parts of the vehicle
and can lead to sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden
deflation that can cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends o n making sure
that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the vehicle. These load limits are techn ically
referred to as the veh icle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR").
Th e "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic vehicle, all factory
installed accessories, a full tank of fuel, o il, coolant and other fluids
plus maximum load. The maximum load includes the number of
passenge rs that the vehicle is intended to carry ("seating capacity")
with an assumed weight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each passenger at a
designated seating posit ion and the total weight of any luggage in
the vehicle. If you tow a trailer, the weight of the trailer hitch and the
tongue weight of the loaded trailer must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
T he Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is the maximum load that
can be applied at each of the vehicle's two ax les.
The Gross Vehicle We ight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight Rat ing
are listed on the safety compliance sticker label located e ithe r on the
dr iver's s ide B-pillar or on the inside of the fuel filler flap. Your Audi
has 5 seating positions, 2 in the front and 3 in t he rear for total
seating capacity of 5. Each seating position has a safety belt
=> page 135, "Safety belts".
The fact that there is an upper limit to your veh icle's Gross Veh icle
Weight Rating means that the total weight of whatever is being
carried in the veh icle (in cluding the weight of a trailer hitch and the
tongue weight of the loaded trailer) is limited . The more passengers
in the vehicle or passengers who are heavier than the standard
we ights assumed mean that less we ight can be carr ied as luggage.
Th e tire pressure label on your A udi also lists the maximum combined
we ight of all of the occupants and luggage or other cargo that the
vehicle can carry. For the location of the labe l=>
page 249, fig. 171.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury, and even death.
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the
risk of the loss of vehicle control.
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe distance.
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly,
including a blowout and sudden deflation, causing loss of control
and a crash.
• Always make sure that the total load being transported -
including the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehicle heavier than the
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating .•
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to calculate the
total weight of the passengers and luggage
or other things that you plan to transport so
that you can make sure that your vehicle
will not be overloaded. ._

Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1.Locate the statement "THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehicle's placard (tire infla­
tion pressure label) =>
page 249,
fig. 171.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds shown on the
sticker =>
page 249, fig. 171.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be five 150 lbs . passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5
X 150) = 650 lbs.)
Safety first
Tires and wheels -
5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer ,
load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity of your
vehicle.
- Check the tire sidewall(=>
page 257,
fig. 175) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire . •
Vehicle care Technical data