AUDI A3 2015 Owners Manual

Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Fig . 153 Engine co mpa rtment: cove r on the b rake f lu id
reservo ir
B efore you check anything in the engi ne com­
partment,
alwa ys read and heed all WARN ·
INGS r:=:,page 210 .
~ Read the brak e fluid level from the brake
fluid reservo ir
r:=;, fig . 153, r:=:, page 212,
fig. 149 .
The brake f luid leve l mus t be be­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX " ma rkings.
The location of the brake flu id reservo ir can be
seen in the engi ne compa rtment illust ra ti on
¢ page 212 .
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the b rake pads . Thi s is not cause for alarm.
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably be ­
low the "MIN" mark, the b rake wa rning/ind i­
cato r light . (U .S . models)/ . (Canadian
models) will come on
r:=;, page 18 . Do not con­
tinue to operate the vehicle. The comp lete
brake system should be thoroughly checked
by an authorized A udi dealer or other quali­
f ied fac ility and the ca use corrected . If the
br ake fluid level is too low, the brake warning/
indica tor light w ill illuminate. Contact an au·
thor ized Audi dealer
immediately .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid abso rbs moist ure from the air. If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
Che cking and Fillin g 219
high, co rrosion in the brake system may resu lt
after a period of time . The boiling point of the
brake f lu id will also decrease conside rably and
decrease braking performance.
T herefore, the brake fluid must be changed
eve ry two year s. Always use new brake f luid
which conforms to Federal Motor Veh icle
Standard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoi r can be difficu lt to
reach, therefore, we recomm end that you
have the brake fluid changed by your author­
i z ed
Audi dealer . Your dealer has the correct
tools, the right brake flu id and the know-how
to do this for you .
A WARNING
-
-Brake flu id is poisonous. It must be stor-
ed only in the closed or iginal containe r
out of the rea ch of children!
- Brake failure can resu lt from o ld or inap­
p rop riate brake f lu id. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake f luid that meets SAE
spec ificat ion
J 1703 and conforms to
Federa l Motor Ve hicle Standard 116.
Always check with your authorized Audi
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
cor rect bra ke fluid. The cor rect type of
brake f luid is also i nd icated on t he
brake f lui d rese rvoir.
- The bra ke flu id must be new. Heavy us e
of the brake s can cause a vapo r lock if
the b ra ke fluid is left i n the system too
l ong . This can se riously affect the effi ­
ciency of the brakes as we ll as your
safety . This co uld resu lt i n an accident .
(D Note
Brak e fluid will dam age the pa int of your
vehicle .
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the p rob lem of proper disposal
o f bra ke fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
r equired and the necessary exper tise, we
recommend that yo u have the brake flu id
changed by yo ur authorized Audi dea ler.

220 Checking and Filling
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the bat­
tery in your Audi does not need any mainte­
nance. With
high outs ide temperatu res or
long daily drives we recommend that you have
the electro lyte level checked by a service fa­
cility. The e lectrolyte level shou ld also be
checked each time the battery is charged
c:>page222.
Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for service. You are well advised to replace a battery that is older than 5 years.
With certain types o f airbag deployment, the
battery is disconnected from the vehicle elec ­
trica l system for safety reasons
c;, .&. in Re­
pair , care and disposal of the airbags on
page 156.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions such as power win­
dows are unavai lable if the battery termina ls
are d isconnected. These functions have to be
relearned after the battery terminals are con­
nected again. To prevent this, the battery
should only be disconnected from the vehicle
electrical system when absolutely necessary
for repairs .
To reprogram the functions, proceed as fol­ lows:
Function Reprogramming
Power window one-c;, page 40, Correcting
touch up/down power window mal-
function functions
Remote control key If the vehicle does not
or react to the key, it
convenience key must be synchroni zed
c:>page 33
Digital clock c:>page 10
ESC indicator light The indicator light
goes out after driving
a few meters
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of severa l days or weeks, e lectrica l compo­
nents are gradually sca led back or switched
off. This reduces energy consumption and
maintains starting capability over a longer pe­
riod
c;, page 190. Some of the conven ience
functions may not operate, such as the interi­
or lights or power seat adjustment. The con ­
venience functions will be availab le aga in
when you switch on the ignition and start the
engine.
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity
tends to decrease as temperatures drop. This
is because more power is also consumed wh ile
sta rting, and the headlights, rear window de­
fogger, etc. , are used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumpt ion, par­
ticularly in city traffic or when traveling only
short distances. Let your authorized Aud i
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat­
tery before winter sets in ~ page 222. A well
charged battery will not on ly prevent starting
problems when the weather is cold, but will
also last longer.
A WARNING -
-Work on the battery requ ires expert
know ledge. Contact your authorized Audi
dealer qualified repair facility for infor­
mat ion regarding the vehicle battery.
There is a risk for chemical burns or ex­
p losions.
- Never open the vehicle batte ry . Do not
try to change the battery electrolyte lev­
el. Otherwise explosive gas will escape
from the battery and increase the risk of
an explosion .
(i) Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery should be removed and
stored where it w ill not freeze. This will ..,.

prevent it from being damaged and having
to be replaced .
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is loca ted in the luggage compart­
men t under the floor. Before yo u check any­
thing in the l uggage compartment,
read and
hee d all WARNINGS
¢ _A .
Always heed the sa fe ty warning s, when work­
i ng on the vehicle battery or the vehi cle elec ­
trica l system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very
impo rtant when working on the battery:
Alway s heed th e following WARNING SYM-
BOLS and saf ety precaution s when working
o n the b att ery.
®
Always wear e ye protection.
A
Batter y ac id contains sulfu ric acid .
Always w ear glo ves and e ye p rote c-
t ion .
@
No
- spark s
- flames
- smo king.
~
Wh en a battery i s charge d, it produ -
ce s hy d rogen ga s whi ch i s ex plo siv e
and could cau se perso na l injur y.
®
Alway s keep the b atter y w ell o ut of
r e ach of childr en.
A WARNING
Whenever working on the bat tery or on
the electrical system, there is the risk of
injury, accident and even fire. Read and
heed the following WARNINGS :
- Always wear eye p rotection. Do not let
battery acid or any lead particles get on
yo ur sk in or clothing. Sh ield your eyes.
Explosive gases can cause blindness or
other injury.
-
Checking and Fillin g 221
-Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Sulfu­
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
burns.
- Always wear g loves and eye protection.
Do no t tilt the ba ttery because acid
could leak out of the ventilat ion open­
ings .
- If you ge t bat tery acid in your eyes or
on your skin, immediately rinse with
cold water for several minutes and get
med ical attention .
- If you should ingest any batte ry acid,
seek medical attention immediately.
- Do not expose the ba tte ry to an open
f lame, e lectric sparks or an open light .
- Do not smoke.
- Do not in terchange t he positive and neg-
ative cables.
- When working on t he battery, be su re
not to short-cir cuit the termina ls w ith
too ls or othe r metal objects. This would
cause the battery to heat up very quickly,
which could lead to damage or explosion
and pe rsonal injury.
- When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal inju ry.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before work is done on the elect rical sys ­
tem, disconnect the negative ground ca ­
ble.
- Before performing any work on the e lec­
trical system, switch off the engine and ignit ion as well as any electrical equip­
ment. The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected. If you are just go­
ing to replace a light bulb, then it is
e nough to switc h off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch off the anti-theft alarm system! Other­
wise you will set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first
disconnect the negat ive cab le and then
the posit ive cab le.
- Before reconnecting the battery, ma ke
sure all e lectr ica l consumers are sw itch­
ed off. Reco nne ct the pos it ive cable first
•
•
•

222 Checking and Fill in g
and then the negative cable . Never inter­
change the cables -this could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out
battery. It could explode! If a battery has
frozen, then it must be replaced. A dead battery can freeze over at 32°F (0°C).
- Make sure the vent hose is always attach­
ed to the opening on the side of the bat­
tery.
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an explosion! Al­
ways replace a damaged battery.
&_ WARNING
California Propos ition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
t ive p roblems. Wash hands after han­
dling.
(D Note
- Do not d isconnect t he veh icle battery
when the ignition is on or when the en­
gine is running, otherwise, you will dam­
age ele ctron ic componen ts in the elec tri ­
ca l system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a
l ong period of time wi thout being driven,
protect the battery from "freezing", oth­
e rwise it w ill be damaged and wi ll then
have to be replaced.
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged battery.
F ig . 1 54 Engine co mpartment : connectors for a charg­
er and jump start cab les
Alwa ys read and heed all WARNINGS below
c> &. and c> &. in Working on the battery on
page 221.
.. Switch off the ignition and all electrical con­
sumers.
.. Make sure the area is well ventilated when
you charge the battery .
.. Open the eng ine hood
r=;, page 211 .
.. Open the red cover on t he positive pole
r=;, fig. 154 .
.. Clamp the ch arger term inal clamps as in­
structed on the
batter y terminal (+ ) and on­
ly o n the
body ground po int (-) .
.. On ly now plug the mains lead for the charg­
ing equ ipment into the wa ll outlet and turn
iton
c> &, .
.. Make sure th e charging rate is not over
30 amps /14 .8 volts .
.. When the battery is fully charged: Turn the
charg ing equipment off and remove the
mains lead from the wall ou tlet .
.. Now remove the clamps for the cha rging
equipment .
.. Close the red cover on the positive pole .
.. Close the hood
~ page 211.
A d ischarged bat tery can freeze at tempera ­
tu res of only 32 F
0 (0 °C). Allow a frozen bat­
tery to thaw completely before attempting to charge it
r=;, .&, . However, we recommend not
using a thawed battery again because the bat­
te ry casing can be cracked due to ice forma-
t ion and can leak battery acid . ..,.

Battery charging (Ma ximum charging rate
o f 30 am ps/ 14.8 volt s)
When charging at
low voltages (e.g . with a
tri ckle ch arg er), the batte ry cables do not
have to be d isconnected first. The battery
caps should
not be opened when charging a
battery .
It is not necessary to remove the battery from
the luggage compartment, and it is also not
necessary to disconnect the cables.
F ast charging th e battery (charging rate
a bo ve 14 .8 volt s)
For technical reasons do not use a battery
charger that uses voltage greater than 14.8
volts to charge your ve hicle 's battery .
A WARNING
Charging a battery can be dangerous .
- Always follow the operating instructions
provided by the battery charge r manu­
fact urer when charging your battery .
- Never charge a frozen battery . It may ex ­
plode because of gas t rapped in the ice .
Allow a frozen battery to thaw out first.
- Do not reuse batteries which we re fro ­
zen . The batte ry housing may have
cr acked and weakened whe n the battery
froze.
- Charge the battery in a we ll ventilated
area. Keep away from open flame o r ele c­
trical spark. Do not smoke. Hydroge n gas
generated by the battery is exp losive.
- T o redu ce the danger o f explosion , never
conne ct or disconnect cha rger cables
wh ile the charger is operating .
- F ast charg ing a battery i s dangerous and
sho uld on ly be attempted by a compe­
tent technician with the proper eq uip ­
me nt.
- Battery acid that may spill during charg ­
ing should be washed off with a so lution
of warm water and ba king soda to neu­
tralize the acid.
Checking and Fillin g 223
@ Note
Neve r use a fast charger as a booster to
start the eng ine . This w ill seriously dam­
age sens itive e lectronic components, such
as contro l units, relays, radio, etc., as well
as the batte ry charger .
Battery replacement
The new ba ttery mus t hove the some specifi­
cations and dimensions as the original equip­
ment battery .
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle is responsible for distributing the electri­
ca l ene rgy throughout your vehicle
~ page 190 . The intelligent energy manage­
ment system will keep the engine battery
c h arged better than vehicles without this sys­
tem. To make sure the addition al ele ctri cal e n­
ergy is ava ilab le once again after yo u have
changed the batte ry, we recommend that you
insta ll batteries of the same type an d manu­
facture on ly (the same as those insta lled at
the time your veh icle was delivered) . Specif i­
cations are listed on the battery housing. Your
authorized dea ler must code the battery in
the ene rgy management system to enab le you
to use the ene rgy management functions cor­
re ct ly afte r repla cing the battery.
The new battery must have the same capacity,
vo ltage ( 12-volts) , amperage, construction
and plug sea ling .
When install ing the battery, make sure the ig­
nition and a ll electrical consumers are switch ­
ed off .
~ Note
Make sure the ventilat ion hose on the side
of the battery is con nected, otherwise
fumes o r batte ry acid can lea k out.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recommend your author ­
i zed Audi dealer change the battery for
you. Batteries contain sulfur ic acid and ..,.
•
•
•

224 Checking and Filling
lead and must always be disposed of prop­
erly in compliance with a ll environmental
regulations. D isposing of vehicle batteries
improperly is very dangerous to the envi­
ronment.
Windshield washer
fluid container
Fig. 155 Engine co mp artmen t: cove r on the wind shield
an d h ead ligh t* washer fluid rese rvo ir
The washer flu id container is marked with the
symbol Won its cap
~fig. 155, ~page 212 ,
fig. 149 .
.. Before you check anyth ing in the engine
compartment,
always read and heed all
WARNINGS ~page 210 .
.. Lift the filler cap tongue to add washer flu­
id. You can fill the container to the top .
.. Press the cap back onto the f iller neck after
filling the container.
You can find the reservoir
ca pa city in the table
in ~
page 266 .
C lean water should be used when filling up.
If
possible, use soft water to prevent scaling on
washer jets. A lways add a glass cleaner solu­
tion (with frost protection in the winter) .
@ Note
- Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze or
any other additives to fill up the wind­
shield washer reservoir.
- Do not use a glass cleaner that contains
paint solvents, there is a risk of damag­
ing the paint.

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
veh icle, particularly considering the compara­
tively small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that a ll- important 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 safely han­
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
r eg ularly inspect ing t ires for damage includ­
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and overall
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 If you have to d rive over a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very slow ly and as close as possi ­
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemicals includ ing grease, o il ,
gasoline and brake fluid off the t ires .
I nspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedde d in the treads.
Storing tires Mark t ires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . T his ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re­
i nstall them .
When removed, the whee ls or t ires should be
sto red 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 ition if
they are mounted on rims .
Tires an d wheel s 225
New tires
New ti res h ave to be broken in¢& .
The 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.
H idden damage
Damage to tires and rims is ofte n not readily
visible . If you notice unusual v ib rat ion or the
vehicle pulls to one s ide, th is may ind icate
that one of the t ires has been damaged . T he
ti res m ust be chec ked immed iate ly by an au­
thorized Audi dea le r or q ua lified wor kshop .
Unidirectional tires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sidewa ll, that po int in the direc­
tion the t ire is designed to rotate. You mus t
f ol low the specified di rection o f rotation . T his
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information
¢page 253.
A WARNING
New tires or t ires that are old, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
also be b roken-in. To reduce the risk of
losing control , a collision and serious
pe rsonal injuries, drive w it h special care
for the first 350 miles (560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
lead to loss of control, sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
fl ation, cras hes and se riou s personal in­
juries . Have wo rn or damaged t ires re­
placed immediate ly.
- Ti res age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at hig h
spee ds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at low
speed.
•
•
•

226 Tire s and wheel s
-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 t ire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when driving, al­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
(D Note
- Please note that summer and winter
tires are designed for the cond itions that
a re typ ica l in those seasons. Aud i recom­
mends using w inter t ires d uring the win-
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means t he comb ined we ight (in excess of
those standard items which may be rep laced)
of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are availab le as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not).
A spect ratio
means th e ratio of the height to the width of
the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower in­
d icate a low sidewall for improved steer ing re­
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement .
Bead
means the part of the tire th at is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead s eparation
means a breakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means t he strands forming the plies in the
tire. ter months.
Low tempe ratu res signifi­
cantly decrease the elasticity of summer
tires, which affects traction and braking ability. If summer tires are used in very
co ld temperatures, cracks can form on
the tread bars, resu lting in permanent
tire damage that can cause loud driving
noise and unbalanced tires. Aud i is not
responsib le for this type of damage.
- Burn ished, polished or chromed rims
must not be used in winter weather. The
surfa ce of the rims does not have suff i­
c ien t cor rosion prote ct io n for this and
co uld be pe rmanen tly damaged by road
salt or simi lar substances. This damage
is not cove red by war ranty.
Cold tire inflat ion pre ssure
mea ns the t ire press ure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer for a tire o f a des ignated
size that has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le of miles (ki lometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire press ure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor vehicle w ith
standard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, o il, and coolant, air condi­
tion ing and additional weight of optional
equipment.
E x tra load tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire. Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or
"RF" on the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in-
terfaces.
IJ>,

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR")
means the maximum total loaded weight of
the vehicle .
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ri bs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a given inflat ion pressure . You
may not find this information on all tires be­
cause it is not requ ired by law .
Ma ximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the max i­
mum permissible inflation pressure for that
tire .
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capac ity weight, and
(d) Production opt ions weight
Ma ximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum co ld inf lation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated . Also called
"maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 k ilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the tota l seating capacity of yo ur vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a veh icle.
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of an inflated 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 .
Tires and wheels 22 7
Ply
means a layer of rubbe r-coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed
regular production opt ions we ighing over 5
lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standa rd items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tially 90 degrees to the centerl ine of the
tread.
Recommended inflation pressure
see ~ page 226, Cold tire inflation pressure .
Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire . Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD",
or "RF" on the sidewal l.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated .
Rim diamete r
means nominal diameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you wi ll 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
tread and bead .
•
•
•

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 .