flat tire AUDI A3 CABRIOLET 2015 User Guide

Tires and wheels 239
technically referred to as the not be able to stop the vehi-
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight cle within a safe distance.
Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross -Tires on a vehicle that has
Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is been overloaded can fail
the maximum load that can be suddenly causing loss of
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applied at each of the vehicle's control and a crash.
two axles. The Gross Vehicle -Always make sure that the
Weight Rating and the Gross total load being transported
Axle Weight Rating are listed -including the weight of a
on the safety compliance stick- trailer hitch and the tongue
er label located on the driver's weight of a loaded trailer -
side B-pillar. The tire pressure does not make the vehicle
label on your Audi lists the heavier than the vehicles
maximum combined weight of Gross Vehicle Weight Rat-
all of the occupants and lug- 1ng.
gage or other cargo that the ve-
A WARNING hicle can carry. For the location
of the tire pressure label -Incorrect tire pressures
¢ fig
. 172. and/or underinflation can
lead to a serious or fatal ac-
A WARNING
-cident.
Overloading a vehicle can -Incorrect tire pressures
cause loss of vehicle control, and/or underinflation cause
a crash or other accident, se- increased tire wear and can
rious personal injury, and affect the handling of the
even death. vehicle.
-Carrying more weight than -Incorrect tire pressures
your vehicle was designed and/or underinflation can
to carry will prevent the ve- also lead to sudden tire fail-
hicle from handling properly ure, including a blowout
and increase the risk of a and sudden deflation, caus-
' • M loss of vehicle control.
ing loss of vehicle control. N
" >
-The brakes on a vehicle that co ...... \!)
has been overloaded may
1.1'1
...... 1.1'1 ......

240 Tires and wheels
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the
tires originally installed on
your vehicle is listed on the tire pressure label located on driv­
er's side 8-pillar.
The recommended tire pres­sures are on the tire pressure
label and in the table
c::> page 235, Cold tire inflation
pressure.
This means that the
pressure must be checked and
adjusted when the tire has not
been driven for more than a
couple of miles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous
three hours. Air in the tires ex­ pands when the tire heats up as
a result of internal friction as it
flexes in use . The tire pressure
is higher when the tire has
warmed up than when it is "cold."
It is the inflation pressure in a
"cold" tire that counts. There­
fore, you should never let air
out of a warm tire to match
"Cold tire inflation pressure"
recommendations
c:::> page 235 .
The tires would then be under­
inflated and could fail sudden ­
ly. The tire
pressure label on your
Audi lists the recommended
cold tire inflation pressures at maximum capacity for the new,
original equipment tires that
were on your vehicle at the time
it was manufactured. For the
location of the label
c::> page 235, fig. 172.
Most tires lose air naturally
over time. They can also lose
some air if you drive over a pot­ hole or h it a curb while parking.
It is usually not possible to see
whether the radial tires used
today are underinflated just by
looking at them.
Therefore, be sure to check tire
pressures at least once a month
and always before going on a long trip . Make sure to take the
number of people and the
amount of luggage into ac­ count when adjusting tire pres­
sure for a trip -even one that
you would not consider to be
" long." See
c:::> page 243, Tires
and vehicle load limits
for more
important information .
Always use an accurate tire pressure gauge when checking
and adjusting inflation .,.

Tires and wheels 241
pressures. Check all of the tires It is important to check the tire
and be sure not to forget the pressure when the tires are
spare tire. If the pressure in any cold.
tire is too high when the tire is -Read the required tire pres-
"cold," let air out of the tire
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sure from the tire pressure la-•
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slowly with the edge of the tire bel. The tire pressure label is
gauge and keep checking the located on the driver's side B-
pressure until you reach the pillar.
pressure that is correct for the -Turn the valve stem cap coun-
load (passengers and luggage) ter-clockwise to remove it
and kind of driving you plan to from the tire valve.
do. -Place the air pressure gauge
If the pressure in any tire is too on the valve.
low, note the difference be- -The tire pressures should only
tween the pressure in the cold be checked and adjusted when
tire and the pressure you need the tires are cold. The slightly
and add the air that you need to
raised pressures of warm tires
reach the correct pressure for must not be reduced.
the vehicle load (passengers -Adjust the tire pressure to the
and luggage) for the tires on load you are carrying.
your vehicle as listed on the on -Reinstall the valve stem cap
your vehicle and in this manual on the valve.
and the kind of driving you plan
When should I check the tire
to do.
pressure?
Never exceed the maximum in-
The correct tire pressure is es-
flation pressure listed on the
pecially important at high
tire sidewall for any reason.
speeds. The pressure should
Remember that the vehicle therefore be checked at least
manufacturer, not the tire man- once a month and always be-
ufacturer, determines the cor- fore starting a journey. Do not
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rect tire pressure for the tires " > co
on your vehicle . .... \!) 1.1'1
.... 1.1'1 ....

242 Tires and wheels
forget to check the tire pres-ure, including a blowout
sure for the spare wheel and sudden deflation, caus-
¢page 262 .
ing loss of vehicle control.
When should I adjust the -The driver is responsible for
tire pressures? the correct tire pressures for
Adjust the tire pressure to the all tires on the vehicle
. The
applicable pressure values
load you are carry ing. After
are located on a sticker on
changing a wheel
or replacing
the driver's side B-pillar .
wheels you have to adjust the
-Only when all tires on the
tire pressures on all wheels. In
vehicle are filled to the car-
addition , you must then store
rect pressure, the tire pres-
the new tire pressures in the
sure monitoring system can
tire pressure monitoring sys-
work correctly.
tern ¢
page 258.
-The use of incorrect tire
A WARNING
-pressure values can lead to
Incorrect tire pressures and/
accidents or other damage.
or underinflation can lead Therefore it is essential that
sudden tire failure, loss of the driver observe the speci-
control, collision, serious per -
fied tire pressure values for
sonal injury or even death. the tires and the correct
-When the warning symbol pressures for the function of
[IJ appears in the instru-
the tire pressure monitoring
ment cluster, stop and in-
system.
spect the tires. -Always inflate tires to the
-Incorrect tire pressure and/ recommended and correct
or underinflation can cause tire pressure before driving
increased tire wear and can off.
affect the handling of the -Driving with underinflated
vehicle and stopping ability. tires bend more, letting
-Incorrect tire pressures them get too hot resulting
and/or underinflation can in tread separation, sudden
..
also lead to sudden tire fail-

M N
" > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
tire failure and loss of
control.
-Excessive speed and/over­ loading can cause heat
build -up, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
-If the tire pressure is too low or too high, the tires
will wear prematurely and
the vehicle will not handle
well.
-If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a
wheel immediately, drive at
reduced speed to the near­
est service station to check
the tire pressure and add air as required.
(D Note
Driving without valve stem
caps can cause damage to
the tire valves. To prevent
this, always make sure that
factory installed valve stem caps on all wheels are secure­
ly mounted on the valve.
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also
increase the fuel consump­
tion.
Tires and wheels 243
Tires and vehicle load limits
'
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehi­
cle and any tire can carry. Ave­
hicle that is overloaded will not
handle well and is more diffi­
cult 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 fail­
ure, including a blowout and
sudden deflation that can cause
the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on
making sure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and every­
thing in and on the vehicle .
These load limits are technical­ ly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the
weight of the basic vehicle, all
factory installed accessories, a
full tank of fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids plus maximum ""
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" > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
-The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may
not be able to stop the vehi­
cle within a safe distance.
-Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail
suddenly, including a blow­
out 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 vehicles
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat­
ing.
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.
Tires and wheels 245
Steps for Determining
Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OC­
CUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS" on your ve­
hicle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)
¢ page 235,
fig. 172.
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 pas­
sengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds
shown on the sticker
r:::> page 235, fig. 172.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of car­go 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 ""
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" > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
No. Description
® Load index and speed rat-
1ng
0 U.S. DOT tire identifica-
tion number
® Audi Original tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and materials used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and
temperature grades
@ Maximum permissible in-
flation pressure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the vehicle's design.
The tires and rims approved by
Audi are specially matched to
the characteristics of the vehi­ cle and can make a major con­
tribution to good road holding and safe handling when in good
condition and properly inflated
¢ &.
We recommend that all work
on tires and wheels be per­
formed by an authorized Audi dealer. They are familiar with
recommended procedures and
have the necessary special tools
and spare parts as well as the
Tires and wheels 249
proper facilities for disposing of
the old tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have
the necessary information about technical requirements
for installing or changing tires and rims.
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and not individu-
ally (for example both front
tires or both rear tires togeth- er).
Be sure to read and heed the in-
formation to the tire pressure
monitoring system
¢ page 258.
Always buy replacement radial
tires that have the same specifi-
cations as the tires approved
for your vehicle by Audi. Re- placement tires must always
have the same load rating spec-
ification as the original equip-
mentor approved optional tires
listed in the table¢
page 235.
Audi-approved specification
tires are specially matched to
your vehicle and its load limits, and can contribute to the im-portant roadholding , driving
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252 Tires a nd whee ls
tires beca use they meet the
h ighest standards regarding
safety and driving characteris ­
t ics when used correctly. Your
autho rized Audi dealer w ill
g lad ly provide you with more
information.
Tire ply composition and materials used
T he number of plies indicates
the number of layers of rubber­
coated fabric in the tire. In gen­
eral, the greater the number of
plies , the more weight a tire
can support . Tire manufactur­
ers also must indicate the ma­
ter ia ls in the tire, wh ich include
steel, nylon, polyester, and oth­
ers .
Ma ximum Load Rating
This number indicates the max­
imum load in kilograms and
pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for
treadwear, traction , and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and tem­
perature grades¢
page 254.
Maximum Permissible
Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest
amount of air pressure that
should ever be put in the tire
under normal driving condi­
tions.
A WARN ING
-Using incorrect or unmatch­
ed tires and/or wheels or improper tire and wheel
combinations can lead to loss of control, collis ion and
serious personal injury.
-Always use tires, rims and
wheel bolts that meet the
specifications of original
factory-installed tires or
other combinations that
have been specifically ap ­
proved by the vehicle manu­
facturer.
- 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 with special care and
at lower speeds.
-Never mount used tires on
your vehicle if you are not

Tires and wheels 253
sure of their "previous histo-and sudden deflation and
ry." Old used tires may have loss of control.
been damaged even though -Temperature grades apply
the damage cannot be seen to tires that are properly in-
that can lead to sudden tire flated and not over or un-
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failure and loss of vehicle derinflated.
control. -For technical reasons it is
-All four wheels must be fit- not always possible to use
ted with radial tires of the wheels from other vehicles -
same type , size (rolling cir-
in some cases not even
cumference) and the same wheels from the same vehi-
tread pattern. Driving with cle model.
different tires reduces vehi- -If you install wheel trim
cle handling and can lead to discs on the vehicle wheels,
a loss of control. make sure that the air flow
-If the spare tire is not the to the brakes is not blocked.
same as the tires that are Reduced airflow to the
mounted on the vehicle - for brakes can them to over-
example with winter tires - heat, increasing stopping
only use the spare tire for a distances and causing a col-
short period of time and lision.
drive with extra ca re. Refit -Run flat tires may only be
the normal road wheel as used on vehicles that were
soon as safely possible. equipped with them at the
-Never drive faster than the factory. The vehicle must
maximum speed for which have a chassis designed for
the tires on your vehicle are run flat tires. Incorrect use
rated because tires that are of run flat tires can lead to
driven faster than their rat- vehicle damage or acci-
ed speed can fail suddenly. dents. Check with an au-
-Overloading tires cause heat thorized Audi dealer or tire
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" build-up, sudden tire fail- specialist to see if your vehi-> co ......
ure, including a blowout cle can be equipped with ... \!) 1.1'1
...... 1.1'1 ......

254 Tires and wheels
run flat tires. If run flat tires
are used, they must be in­
stalled on all four wheels. Mixing tire types is not per­
mitted.
@) Note
-For technical reasons, it is not generally possible to
use the wheel rims from
other vehicles. This can hold
true for wheels of the same
vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is different
from the tires that you have mounted on your vehicle
(for example winter tires or
wide prof ile tires), then use
the spare tire for a short pe­
riod of time only and drive
with extra care. Replace the
flat tire with the tire match­ ing the others on your vehi­
cle as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the
valve stem cap . The valves
could get damaged.
@) For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accord­
ance w ith the local require­
ments.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wea r
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality g rades can be foun d where applicab le
on the t ire s ide wall between t read sho ulder
and maximum section width
¢ page 248,
fig . 176 .
For example: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA,
Tempera ture A .
All passenge r ca r tir es must con fo rm to Feder ­
al Safety Req uirements in ad dition to these
grades.
Tread wear
T he tread we ar g rade is a c omparative r ati ng
b as ed on the wea r ra te of the tire when tes ted
u nder con tro lled cond itions o n a specifie d
government test course .
F o r ex am ple, a tire gr aded 1 S0 would wear
o n e and one h alf ( 11/ 2) times as well on the
government course as a tire gr aded 10 0 .
T he re lative per forman ce of tires depen ds
up on the actu al cond itions of the ir use, h ow­
ever, and m ay dep art s ignific antly from the
no rm due to va ria tions i n driving ha bits, se rv ­
ice p ractices and differe nces in road c haracter­
ist ics and climate.
Traction
The tr actio n gr ad es, fro m hig hest to lowest,
are AA, A, Ban d
C. Those grades represent t he
ti re 's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured unde r cont rolled conditions on
specified g overnment test surfaces of aspha lt
and co ncrete. A t ire mar ked C may have poor
traction performance
¢ A .
Temperature
The temperature g rades are A (the highest),
B, an d C, represe nting the tire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ab ility to dissi­
pate heat when tested unde r controlled condi­
t ions on a specif ied ind oor l abo rato ry test
whee l.