tire size AUDI A3 2015 User Guide

24 0 T ire s and wheel s
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. T hose grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance
c:> .&. .
Te mp eratu re
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and
C, representing the t ire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ability to dissi­
pate heat when tested under con trolled condi­
tions on a specified i ndoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure
c:> ,& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Veh icle Safety Stand­
ard No .
109 . Grades Band A represent h igher
l eve ls of pe rformance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law.
.&_ WARNING
T he traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on stra ight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydrop laning o r peak traction
character istics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is es ­
tablished for a t ire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire fa ilu re.
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Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice . At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments
may require true w inter o r "snow" t ires, those
with very deeply cut tread . T hese tires should
o n ly be used in pairs and be installed on a ll
f o ur wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
t ir es that are the same size and construction
type as the othe r tires on yo ur vehicle.
If your vehicle is equ ipped w ith all-whee l
drive*, t his w ill improve traction during win ter
driv ing, even with the standard tires . Howev ­
er, we strongly recommend that you always
equip all four wheels on your vehicle w ith cor­
rect ly fitted winter tires or all-season t ires,
when winter road condit ions are expected.
This also improves the veh icle 's brak ing per­
formance and reduces stopping d istances .
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all fo ur whee ls .
Ask your au thorized A udi dealer or qualified
workshop for permit ted
winter ti re size s. Use
only radial winter tires .
Winter tires lose their effec tivenes s whe n the
tread is wo rn down to a depth o f
0.157 inch
(4 mm) .
Only d rive w ith w inter t ires under w inte r co n­
ditions. S umme r tir es handle bette r whe n
the re is no snow o r ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °C) .
If you have a flat ti re, see notes on spare
whee l
c:> page 236 .
Please always remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r speed rating than the tires o rigi­
nally i nstalled on your vehi cle at the time it
was manuf actu red. P lease see
c:> page 237,
Speed rating (Letter code)
for a lis ting o f the
speed rating lette r codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be driven . ..,.

The speed rating letter code (c::> page 228) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 236.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max­ imum speed . Always know the maximum
speed before driving off . Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
w inte r tires . This will cause damage to the
t ires leading to an ac ciden t and se rious
pe rsonal in jury to you and yo ur passen­
ge rs .
A WARNING
Dr iv ing faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can ca use tire fai lure in­
cl uding a blowout and sudden deflat ion,
loss of control, crashes and serious per­
sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
rep laced immed iate ly.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rat ing
that may be lower tha n your ve hicle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
w hich the winter or other tires installed
on your veh icle are rated .
A WARNING
Always adjust your d rivi ng to the road and
traffic conditions. Neve r let the good ac­
c eleration of the w inte r ti res an d all-whee l
drive temp t you in to taking extra r is k s . A l­
ways remember :
- When bra king, an a ll-wheel d rive vehicle
hand les in the s ame way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive carefu lly and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot he lp under black ice conditions.
@l For the sake of the environment
Use summe r tires w hen weathe r cond i­
tions permit. They are quieter, do not we ar
as quickly and red uce fue l cons umption.
-
Tire s an d wheel s 241
Snow chains
Snow cha ins may be fitted only to the front
whee ls , a nd o nly to certa in ti re si zes. As k your
autho rized Aud i dea ler on whi ch tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
If you a re go ing to use snow cha ins, then you
mus t install t hem on the front whee ls a t
least.
T he snow chains must have low-p rofi le links
and must not be th ic ker than 0.53 inch
(13,S mm) , in cl ud ing t he lo ck.
Remove whee l cen ter covers and t rim discs
before putt ing snow cha ins on your veh icle
c::> (]) . For safety reasons cover caps must t hen
be fi tte d over the wheel bol ts. These are av ail­
able from autho rized Aud i dealers .
A WARNING ,..__
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi ­
cle o r insta lling them incorrect ly can in ­
crease the risk of loss of contro l leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes . Always make sure to follow the in­
structions prov ided by the snow chai n
manufacturer .
- When driving wit h snow cha ins neve r
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains .
- Always observe local regulations.
(D Note
- Remove snow c hains before driving o n
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con ­
tact with the whee l rim, ca n scratch or
damage it. Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered . Check
t he pos ition of the snow chains afte r
dr iv ing a few yards and co rrect if neces­
sary. Follow the inst ru ct io ns from the
snow chain m anufacturer w hen do ing so. ..,.
•
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•

In o rder to minimize the occu rrence o f impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom­ mend that you observe the following precau­
tions :
- Always maintain recommended inflation
pressures. Check your tire pressure every
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add a ir if neces­
sary.
- Drive carefu lly on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
t h rough or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also
cause damage to your tires .
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
authorized Aud i dealer . Replace a damaged
t ire as soon as poss ible .
- In spect your t ires every 2,000 miles (3,000
km) for damage and wear . Damage is not al­
ways easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
air and unde rinflation, wh ic h could eventu­
ally cause t ire fail ure.
If yo u be lieve that a
tire may have been damaged , replace the
tire as soon as possible.
- These tires may wear more qui ck ly than oth ­
ers.
- Please a lso remembe r that, whi le these t ires
deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices.
Reduced p erformance in winter /cold
sea son condit ion s
All tires are designed for certain purposes .
The low aspect ratio, ultra hig h performance
tires originally installed on your vehicle are in­
tended for max imum dry and wet road per­
f ormance and handling . They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather cond it ions .
If
you dr ive under those circumstances, you
should equip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under
those cond it io ns . We suggest you use the rec­
ommended snow or all -season tires specified
for your ve hicle, or their equiva lent .
Refe r to ~
page 240 for mo re deta iled info r­
ma tion regarding w in ter t ires.
Tire s an d wheel s 243
Tire pressure
monitoring system
ill General notes
Each tire, incl uding the spare (if provided),
shou ld be checked monthly when co ld and in ­
flated to the inflation pressure recommended by the veh icle manufac turer on the veh icle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the
s ize indicated on the vehicle placard or tire i n­
flat io n pressu re labe l, you shou ld dete rm ine
the p roper t ire inflation p ress ure fo r those
t i r es).
As an added safety feature , your veh icle has
been equipped with a tire pressure mon ito ring
system ( TPMS) that illum inates a low ti re
pressure te lltale when one or more o f your
t ires is significant ly under -inflated . Acco rding ­
l y, when the low tire pressure te lltale i llumi­
nates, you should stop and check your tires as
soon as possib le, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a sign ificantly un­
der- inflated tire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire fa ilure. Under-inflation al­
so reduces fuel eff ic iency and tire tread life,
and may affe ct the vehicle's hand ling and
stopp ing ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
fo r proper tire ma intenance, and it is the driv­
er's respons ibility to maintain co rrect tire
pressure, even if under -inflation has not
rea ched the leve l to tr igger illuminat ion of the
TPMS low tire p ressure tellta le .
You r vehicle has also been equipped with a
T PMS ma lfunction indicator to ind icate when
the sys tem is not operating properly . T he
TPMS ma lfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure te lltale. When the sys­
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximate ly one min ute and then
rema in continuously illum inated . Th is se­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunct io n exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illum inat-
ed, the system may not be ab le to detect or
lilJ,
•
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Loading the roof rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Lackin g/unlocking
by remote control .................. 33
with the central locking switch .. .. .. .. 35
with the convenience key . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
with the door lock ............ .. .. .. 35
Long-term memory .................. 27
Low beam Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Low beams . ................... ..... 42
Lower universal anchorages (Canada) .. . 180
Lugg age compartment ............ ... . 60
Cargo net .. ................. .. .... 62
Increasing the size ........ .... .. .. .. 61
Loading .. ... .................. .. .. 60
Pass-through . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Reversible mat ..................... 62
Socket ... .. ................. .. .... 56
Stowing luggage .................. 127
Tie-downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Luggage compartment lid
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7
Emergency release ........ .... .. .. . 246
Lumbar suppo rt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53, 54
M
Maintenance ................. ..... . 268
Maintenance intervals
with driver information system ........ 13
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) . . 23, 29
Mirro r
Digital compass switching on and off . .. 50
dimming . .. ................. .. .... 49
Vanity mirror ............ ...... .... 46
Mirror compass .................. .... SO
Mirrors Adjusting the exte rior mirrors . .. .. .. .. 48
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag System 152
Motor
Index 279
Navigation system CD-ROM player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
New tires and wheels ................ 236
NHTSA Contacting .. .. .. .. ..... .......... 129
Number of seats ..... ............... 131
Number of vehicle keys ............... 31
0
Occupant seating positions ........... 122
Octane rating ... .... ............... 206
Odometer ...... .................... 11
Oil Ind icator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23, 24
also refer to Engine oil . . . . . . . . 212, 215
Oil change interva l
with driver information system . . . . . . . . 13
On-board computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Operation (multifunction steering
wheel) ..... ..... .................. 27
On-Board Diagnost ic System (OBD)
Electronic speed limiter .............. 30
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) .. .. . 29
Opening ................. ........... 31
Fuel filler door ... .. . .. ... .... ..... 208
Hood ........ ... .. ............... 211
Luggage compartment lid ............ 37
Panorama sunroof .................. 40
Windows ......................... 38
Opening/closing with the central locking switch ........ 35
with the convenience key ........ .. .. . 34
with the door lock .................. 35
Operate your vehicle economically and
minimize pollution .................. 195
Other equipment (efficiency program) . .. 29
Outside air temperature display ........ 11
Overview illustration (cockpit) . . . . . . . . . . . 8
•
•
stopping (driver messages with mechani-p
cal ignition key) ................ .... 75
Multifunction steering wheel . .. .. .. .. .. 27 Paint damage
203
On-board computer ................. 27 Paint No
........................... 265
•
Panorama sunroof ... . .. .. ... ... .... . 40
N
Convenience opening/closing ......... 39
Emergency closing ................ .. 41
Natural leat her care/cleaning .. .. .. .. . 204