tire pressure AUDI A3 2015 User Guide

228 Tires and wheels
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at wh ic h a tir e is des igned to
be d riven for extended per io d s of t ime. The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h) ¢page 237. You may
not find this in format ion on all tires because
it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, w here a pplica­
b le, is molded on the tire s idewa ll and indi­
cates the maxim um permissible road speeds
¢ &. in Winter tires on page 241.
Tire pressure monitoring sy stem
means a sys tem that detects when one or
mo re of a vehicle's t ires are under inflated and
il lum inates a low t ire p ress ure warn ing te ll­
tale.
Tread
means t hat port ion of a tire tha t comes into
con tact w it h t he road.
Tread separation
means pull ing away of the t read from the t ire
car cass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means t he p rojections withi n the pr inc ipal
g rooves desig ned to give a v isua l ind ication of
the deg rees of wear of the tre ad . See
¢ pag e 235, Tread W ear Indicator (TWI) for
mo re in format io n on measu ring tire we ar.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a ti re i nfo rmation system developed by the
United States Nat io nal Highway Traffic Safety
Admi nistration (N HTSA) that is designed to
h e lp buye rs make re lative compa risons among
tires. The UT QG i s n ot a safety r ating an d not a
g ua ran tee t hat a tir e will las t fo r a presc ribed
n umber of m iles (kilome ters) or pe rform in a
certain way. It s imply gives ti re b uye rs addi­
tional information to combine with other con -s
iderations, such as p rice , brand loya lty and
dealer recommendations. Un der UTQG, tires
are grade d by the t ire manufacturers in three
areas : treadwea r, traction, and temperature
resistance. The UTQG informat ion on the tires,
molded into the sidewalls .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
T his is the tire's "se ria l numbe r" . It be gins
with the letters "DOT" and ind icates that the
t ir e meets all federa l standards. The next two
numbers o r letters ind icate the plant where it
was ma nufactu red, and the last four numbe rs
represe nt th e week and year of ma nufact ure.
F or exampl e,
DOT ... 4513 ...
means that the tire was produced in t he 45th
wee k of 2013. The other numbers are market­
ing codes that may or may not be used by the
t ire manufacturer. This information is used to
contact consumers i f a tire defect requires a
r ecall .
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus
150 lbs. (68 k ilograms) times the vehicle's to­
ta l seating capacity as listed on the label lo­
cated on the driver's side B-p illa r.
Vehicle maximum lo ad on the tire
means that load on an individua l tire that is
determined by distributing to eac h ax le its
share of the maxim um loaded vehicle weight
and divid ing by two .
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load o n an individua l t ir e that is
determined by distrib uting to eac h ax le its
share of the curb weight, accessory weight, and normal occ upant weig ht (d istr ibuted in
accordance with tab le below¢ page 229)
and divid ing by two .

Tires and wheels 229
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating
capacitie s
Designated seating capacity, Vehicle normal load, number Occupant distribution in a nor-
number of occupants of occupants mally loaded vehicle
5 3 2 in front, 1 in back seat
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 156 Tir e p ress ure la bel: located on driver 's s ide B·
p ill ar
Tire pressure generally refers to the amount
of air in a tire that it needs it to do its job and
safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents . Tire pressure is
measured in kilopasca ls (kPa), the interna­
tional measuring unit and in pounds pe r
squa re inch (PSI). Tire pressure is based in
part on the vehicles design and Load limit -
the greatest amount of weight that the vehi­
cle can carry safe ly and the t ire size . The prop­
er tire pressure is frequent ly referred to as the
"recommended cold tire inflation pressure."
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
because of internal friction when it flexes in
use . The tire pressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold ."
It is the
in flat ion pressure i n a "cold " tire that counts.
Therefore, you shou ld neve r let air out of a
warm tire to ma tch "cold tire inflation pres­
sure" recommendations. The tir es wo uld then
be underinflated and could fail suddenly .
Maintaining prop er t ire pressure is one of the
most impor tant things you can do to help
avoid sudden tire failure. Underinflated tires
are a ma jor cause of s udden tire failure . Keep·
ing tires at the right pressure is also impor­
tant for safe and responsive vehicle handling,
-tD
-
---------------------.. ,;
•(==.: I :::; I :,,. I)@ gi n. ............ .,_____, .... -.ito._.. ____ .... _ ...
&..p0idit,101111-~--.,...,....-- ..... ~ .... ..
-··-­.....
-
-Dlst<:OURS
- KPA.. a PSI
- KPA..
a PS I
- KPA.. a PSI
Fig. 157 Tire pressu re labe l
traction, braking and Load carrying. Tire pres­
sures are particularly important when the
vehicle is being driven at higher speeds, and
then especially when heavily loaded even
within the permissible load-carrying capaci­
ties approved for your vehicle.
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi
depend on the kind of tires on your ve hicle
and the number of passengers and/o r amount
of Luggage you w ill be transporti ng.
The tire pressure Label is located on the driv­
er's side B -pillar . The tire pressure labe l Lists
the recommended cold tire inflat io n pressures
for the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and tires that were on your veh icle at
t he time it was manufactured.
If you wish to improve comfort when operat­
ing the vehicle at normal load (up to 3 occu­
pants), you can adjust tire pressures to those
specified for normal vehicle load. Before op­
erating 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 can only monitor the tire pressures
II>

230 Tire s and wheel s
you have stored . The system does not recog ­
nize the load condition of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressu re monito r­
ing system w ill be impaired if you store nor­
mal load pressures but then operate the vehi ­
cle at its maximum load¢.&. .
See the il lustration¢
fig. 156 for the location
of the label on dr iver's side 8-pillar (color of
the actua l labe l and exact location on the ve­
hicle wi ll vary slightly).
Note that the followi ng tab le is accurate at
the time o f go ing to press and is subject to
Model / Tire de
signation
change. In the event of discrepancies, the t ire
pressure label is located on the driver's side 8-
pillar always takes precedence .
T he table below lists the recommended cold
ti re inflation pressu res for the Audi mode l
covered by your Owner's Literature at the vehi­
cle's capacity weight and the t ire sizes instal­
l ed on the respective models as original
equipment, or as a factory option.
Tire pressure
Engine normal load condition full load condition
front rear front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
A3: 225 /45 Rl 7 91 Y
32 220 29 200 35 240 35 240 1
.8 lit er High P erform ance
4 -cy lind er
22 5/40 R18 92Y XL
Hi gh Perfo rmance
35 240 32 220
35 240
35 240
2
2 5/45 Rl 7 91H
35 240
32 220 39 270 39 270 All S
ea son
2 25 /40 R18 92H XL
35 240 32 220 39 270 39 270 All Season
2 35/35 Rl 9 91 Y XL
32 220 29 200 35 240
35 240 High Performan
ce
C o mp act spar e whe el
60 420 60 420
60 420 60 420 11
25/70 R 18
A 3: 225 /45 Rl 7 91Y
33 230 30 210 36 250 36 250 2.0 liter High Perfo rman ce
4 -cy linder
22 5/40 R18 92Y XL
High Performan ce
33 230 30 210 36 250 36 250
225 /45 R1 7 91H
36 250 33 230 41 280 41 280 All Seaso n
225 /40 R18 92H XL
36 250
33 230 41 280
41 280 All Seaso n
23 5/3 5 R1 9 9 1 Y XL
33 230 30 210 36 250 36 250 High P erformance
C o m pact spa re w heel
60 420 60 420 60 420 60 420 1125 /70 R18
X L= reinf orced or extra lo ad tir e. It m ay als o a ppe ar as x l, EX TRA L OAD , or RF on the ti re side-
wall .

The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is
l ocated on a label on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because tec hnical changes may be made to
vehicle equ ipment dur ing the model yea r, a l­
ways compa re the tire size designation on the
tire pressure label on your vehicle wit h the
tires on your vehicle . Make s ure that the tire
size information on the veh icle label is the
same as the s ize of the tires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be ­
longs to someone else or you bought the veh i­
cle with different rims/tires or you boug ht the
ve hicle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on mak ing su re that
l oad limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
veh icle. These load limits are technically refer­
red to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle We ight
Rating ("GVWR") . The Gross Ax le Weight Rat ­
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be app lied at each of the veh icle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance st icker label located on the
driver's side B-p illa r. The t ire pressure label o n
your Aud i lists the maximum combined
weight of a ll of the occupants and luggage or
other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
l ocation of the tire pressure labe l~
fig. 156.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than yo ur vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­ crease the risk of a loss of veh icle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a veh icle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance .
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con­
t rol and a crash.
Tire s an d wheel s 231
-Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported - includ ing the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue we ight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicles Gross Veh i­
cle Weight Rating.
A WARNING
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can lead to a ser ious or fatal acci­
dent.
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased tire wear and can
affect the handling of the vehicle.
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de­
flation, caus ing loss of veh icle contro l.
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressvre label located on driver's side 8-pil ­
lar.
T he recommended tire pressures are on the
ti re pressure label and in the table
~ page 229, Cold tire inflation pressure . This
means that the pressure m ust be checked and
adjusted when the tire has not been dr iven for
more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous three hours.
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of internal frict ion as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is h igher when the tire
has warmed up t han when it is "cold."
It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" t ire that
counts. Therefore, you should never let a ir out
of a warm tire to match "Cold tire inflat ion
pressure" recommendat io ns ~
page 229 . Th e
ti res wo uld then be unde rinfl ated and co uld
fail suddenly.
T he tire pressure label on your Audi lists the
recommended co ld tire inflation pressures at
max imum capacity for the new, or ig inal
equipment tires that were on your vehi cle at
•
•
•

232 Tire s and wheel s
the time it was manufactured . For the
location of the label
c::> page 229, fig . 156.
Most ti res lose a ir naturally over time. They
can also lose some a ir if you drive ove r a pot­
ho le or hit a curb while parking . It is usua lly
not possible to see whether the radial tires
used today are under inflated just by looking
at them.
Therefore, be sure to check tire pressures at
l east once a month and always before going
on a long tr ip. Make sure to take the number
of people and the amount of luggage into ac ­
count when adjusting tire pressure for a trip -
even one that you would not consider to be
" long." See
c::> page 233 , Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information .
Always use an accurate tire pressure gauge
when checking and adjusting inflation pres­
sures . Check all of the t ires and be sure not to
forget the spare t ire . If the pressure in any tire
is too high when the tire is "cold ," le t air out
of the tire slowly with the edge of the tire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until
you reach the pressure that is correct for the l oad (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driving you plan to do .
I f the pressure in any tire is too low, note the
diffe rence between the pressure in the cold
tire and the pressure you need and add the air
that you need to reach the cor rect pressure for
the vehicle load (passengers and luggage) for
the tires on your veh icle as lis ted on the on
your veh icle and in this manual and the k ind
of dr iv ing you pla n to do .
Never e xceed th e ma ximum inflatio n pres ­
sure li sted on th e tire s id ewall for an y rea ­
son .
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the tire manufacturer, determ ines the correct
tire pressure for the t ires on your vehicle .
It is important to check the tire pressure when
the tires are cold .
- Read the req uired ti re pressure from the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure labe l is lo ­
cated on the driver's side B-pi llar . - Tu
rn the va lve stem cap counter -clockwise
to remove it from the tire va lve .
- Place the air pressure gauge on the va lve.
- The tire pressu res should only be checked
and adj usted when the tires are co ld. The
slightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Reins tall the valve stem cap on the va lve.
When should I check the tire pr essure ?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor­
tant at high speeds. The pressure should
the refore be che cked at least once a mo nth
and always before sta rting a jo urney. Do not
f orget to c heck the ti re p ress ure for the spare
whee l
c::> page 247.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust the t ire pr essure to the load you are
ca rrying. After cha ng ing a whee l
or replacing
whee ls you have to adjust the ti re p ress ures
on all whee ls. In addition, you m ust then
store the new tire pressures in the tire pres­
s u re monitoring system
c::> page 243 .
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinfla­
tion can lead sudden tire fa ilure, loss of
control, collision, serious personal injury
or even death.
- When the warning symbol
RIJ appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the t ires.
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
tion can cause increased tire wear and
can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping abi lity.
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin ­
f lation can a lso lead to s udden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowout a nd sudden de­
f lation, ca using loss of veh icle cont ro l.
- The driver is responsible for the co rrect
tire pressures for all tires on the veh icle.
The appli cable pressure values are locat ­
ed on a sticker on the dr iver's side B-pil-
lar .
~

-Only when all tires on the vehicle are fi l­
led to the correct pressure, the tire pres­
sure monitoring system can work cor­ rect ly.
- The use of incorrect tire pressure values
can lead to accidents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the driver
observe the specif ied tire pressure values
for the tires and the co rrect p ress ures for
the f unction of t he tire pressure mo nitor­
ing system.
- Always inflate ti res to the recommended
and co rrec t tire pressu re befo re d rivi ng
off.
- Drivi ng with under inflated ti res bend
more, letti ng them get too ho t res ulting
in t read separation, sudden t ire fail ure
and loss of control.
- Excessive spee d and/ove rloading can
cause heat bui ld -up, sudden tire fa il u re
and loss of control.
- If the t ire pressure is too low or too high,
the tires w ill wea r prematurely and the
vehicle will not hand le we ll.
- If the t ire is no t flat and you do no t have
to change a w heel imme diate ly, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
t ion to check the tire pressure and add
air as required.
(D Note
Driving without va lve stem caps ca n cause
damage to the t ire va lves. To prevent this,
always make s ure that facto ry installed
valve stem caps on all wheels a re secure ly
mounted on the va lve .
@) For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will a lso increase the
fue l consumption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any veh icle and any t ire can carry .
A vehicle that is ove rloaded w ill not ha ndle
well and is more difficult to stop . Overload ing
can no t on ly lead to loss o f vehicle con tro l,
Tire s an d wheel s 233
but can also damage important parts of the
vehicle and ca n lead to sud den tire fai lure, in ­
clud ing a b lowout and s udden def lation that
can cause the vehicle to cras h.
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded . Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the veh icle. These
load lim its are technically referred to as the
vehicle's
Gross Vehicle We ight Rating
("GVWR ") .
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, all factory installed accessories, a full
tank of fuel, o il, coo lant and other fluids plus
maximum load . The max imum load includes
the number of passenge rs that th e vehicle is
i n tended to car ry ("seat ing capa city") wi th an
ass umed we igh t of 150 lbs (68 kg) fo r each
passenger at a designated seating posi tion
and t he tota l weight of any luggage i n the ve­
hicle . If you tow a trai ler, the weight of the
tra iler hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra iler must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
T he
Gro ss Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each
of the vehicle's two axles.
T he Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
G ross Axle Weig ht Rating are listed on the
safety comp liance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar. Your Audi has 5 seat ing
pos itions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rea r for
total seating capacity of 5 . Each seating posi ­
t ion has a safety belt
~ page 131, Safety
belts.
The fact that there is an upper limit to your
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
t h at the total weight of whatever is bei ng car­
ried in the vehicle ( in cl ud ing t he weight of a
t ra ile r hi tc h a nd the tongue we ight of t he
l o ad ed tr ailer) is lim ited. The more p assen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard weights assumed
mean that less weight can be carried as lug -
gage.
~
•
•
•

234 Tires and wheels
The tire pressure label on your Audi also lists
the maximum combined weight of all of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that
the vehicle can carry. For the location of the label
c::;,page 229, fig. 156.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- 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 overload­
ed can fail suddenly , including a blowout
and sudden deflation, causing loss of
control and a crash.
- Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported -including the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicles Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to cal­
culate the total weight of the
passengers and luggage or oth­
er things that you plan to trans­
port 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 QC- CU PANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX
KG OR XXX LBS" on your ve­
hicle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)
¢ page 229,
fig. 156.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and pas­
sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and pas­
sengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds
shown on the sticker
¢ page 229, fig. 156.
4. The resulting figure equals
the available amount of car­ go and luggage load capaci­
ty. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs.
and there will be five 150 lbs. passengers in your vehi­
cle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load ca­ pacity is 650 lbs. (1400-7 50
(5
X 150) = 650 lbs.)
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 trail­
er will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual
to determine how this re­ duces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
~check the tire sidewall
(¢page 236, fig. 160) to de­
termine the designated load
rating for a specific tire.
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of
different things including proper installation
and balan cing, correct tire pressure and driv­
ing style.
Fig. 158 T ir e tread: tread wea r ind icators (TWI)
Fig. 159 Rotat ing t ires for more even wea r
Tires and wheels 235
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The orig inal tires on your vehicle have
1/16 inch ( 1.6 mm) hig h "wear indicators"
r:::>fig. 158 run ning across the tread. Depend­
ing on the make, there will be six to eight of
them evenly placed around the tire. Marks on
the tire sidewall (for examp le "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear indicators . Worn tires must be replaced .
D ifferent figures may apply in other countr ies
¢ Lr:,. .
Tire pressure
Incorrect t ire pressure causes premature wear
and can cause sudde n tire blow-out. For this
reason, tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
r::> page 231.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves , heavy acce lerat ion
and hard braking increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the
same service life, we recommend that the
front and rear tires are rotated according to
the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rota­
tion intervals. Please remember the follow­
i ng:
- Tire rotation intervals may differ from the
veh icle service intervals outlined in your
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufact urer's suggested
tire rotation intervals.
- Ve hicl es w ith front -wheel dr ive experience
more tread wear on the fro nt wheels com­
pared to a ll-wheel drive (quattro) .
- Please rotate tires as shown
r:::> fig . 159 .
-Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rection-specific tires
r::> page 253 .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced .
However, various s ituations during everyday
driv ing can cause them to become

contribution to good road holding and sa fe
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
¢ .&. .
We recommend that all work on t ires and
wheels be performed by an authorized A udi
dealer. They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary spec ial
too ls and spare parts as we ll as the proper fa ­
cilities for dispos ing of the old tires .
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about techn ica l requ irements for
installing or changing tires and r ims.
R eplacing t ires and wheel s
Tires shou ld be rep laced at least in pairs and
not individua lly (for example both front tires
or both rear tires together).
Be s ure to read and heed the information to
the tire pressure monitoring system
¢ page 243.
Always buy rep lacement radial tires that have
the same specifications as the t ires approved
for your ve hicle by Audi. Replacement tires
must always have the same load rating speci ­
fication as the original equipment or approved
optional tires listed in the table
¢ page 229.
Audi-approved specification tires are specially
matched to your vehicle and its load limits ,
and can contribute to the important road hold­
ing, driving character istics, and safety of the
veh icle. The table
( ¢ page 229) lists spec ifica­
tions of the t ires approved for the Audi mod­
e ls covered by your Owner 's Literature .
T he tire pressure labe l located on dr iver 's side
B-pillar
( ¢ page 229, fig. 157) lists the speci­
fications o f the orig inal equipment tires in­
stalled on your veh icle at the time it was man­
ufactured .
Federal law requires t ire manufacturers to
p lace s tanda rd ized information on the s ide­
wall of all tires
¢ fig . 160 . This information
i dent ifies and desc ribes the fundamental
characterist ics , the quality grade of the tire
and a lso provides a tire ide ntificat io n number
Tire s an d wheel s 237
for sa fety standard certification and in case of
a reca ll.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it eas­
ier to choose the co rrec t tires . Radial ti res
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for examp le:
255 /40 R 19 100 H XL
This co nta ins the following information :
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
(where app licab le)
255 Nom inal tire width i n mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In
general, the larger the number, the wider
the ti re
40 Height/w idth ratio in percent (aspect ra -
t io)
R Tire construct ion: Radial
1 9 Rim diameter code (i n inches)
100 Load ra ting code
H Speed ra ting letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF") Indicates
t h at the t ire is a "Reinfo rced " or an " Ext ra
Load " tir e
M+S (or "M/S") Indicates that the ti re has
some mud and snow capab ility
The tires could also have the informat ion of
direction of rotation ¢
page 225 .
Tire manufacturing d ate
The manufact uring date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly only on the
inner
s ide of the wheel):
"DOT ... 4513 .. . " means, for example, the tire
was produced in the 45nd week of 2013.
Speed rating (letter code )
The speed rating le tter code on the whee ls in­
dicates the maximum permiss ible road speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on page 241.
P up to 93 mp h (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
5 up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
•
•
•

238 Tires and wheels
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
1l
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)ll
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)ll
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)l)
Your veh icle is normally factory equipped with
tires , which possess excellent driving charac­
teristics and give your Audi opt imum driving
comfort. An electronic speed limiter
c:> page 30 will normally prevent your vehicle
from going faster than the tire speed rating
c:> & .
U.S . DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
and tire manufacture date
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards . The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
r epresent the week and year of manufacture.
F or example, the numbers 4513 mean the tire
was produced in the 45nd week of 2013. The
other numbers are marketing codes that may
or may not be used by the tire manufacturer .
T his information is used to contact consumers
if a tire defect requires a recall.
Audi Original tire
Tires with the identification "AO" or "RO" have
been specially matched with your Audi . We
recommend using only these tires because
they meet the highest standards regarding
safety and driving characteristics when used
correctly . Your authorized Audi dealer will
gladly provide you with more information .
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies indicates the number of
layers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire. In
general, the greater the number of plies, the more weight a tire can support . Tire manufac -
ll F t· "t h . or ires w 1 a m ax im um s pee d ca pabil ity ove r
1 4 9 mp h (240 k m/h) , tire man ufact urers sometimes
use the lette rs " ZR."
turers also must indicate the materials in the
tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester, and
others .
Maximum Load Rating
Th is number ind icates the maximum load in
kilograms and pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear,
traction, and temperature resistance
T read wear, traction and temperature grades
c:> page 239.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of air
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
un der normal driv ing conditions .
_& WARNING
= -
- Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
combinations can lead to loss of control
collision and serious personal in jury.
'
-Always use tires, rims and whee l bolts
that meet the specifications of original factory-installed tires or other combina­
tions that have been specifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manufacturer.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your veh icle if
you are not sure of the ir "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire fa ilure
and loss of vehicle control.
- All four whee ls must be fitted with radial
tires of the same type, size (rolling cir­ cumference) and the same tread pattern . ..,_