ESP AUDI A3 CABRIOLET 2015 Repair Manual

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Recommended inflation
pressure
see¢ page 231J Cold tire infla­
tion pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate
at higher loads and at higher
inflation pressures than the
corresponding standard tire. Reinforced tires may be identi­
fied as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a
tire or a tire and tube assembly
upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the
bead seat. If you change your
wheel size, you will have to pur­ chase new ti res to match the
new rim diameter.
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance be­
tween rim flanges.
Tires and wheels 233
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire be­
tween the tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire
is designed to be driven for ex­
tended periods of time. The rat­ ings range from 93 mph
(150 km/h) to 186 mph
(298 km/h) ¢
page 251. You
may not find this information
on all tires because it is not re­
quired by law.
The speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and indicates
the maximum permissible road speeds ¢
& in Winter tires on
page 255.
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehicle's
tires are underinflated and illu ­
minates a low tire pressure
warning telltale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire
that comes into contact with
the road.
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236 Tires and wheels
Tire pressure generally refers to tant things you can do to help
the amount of air in a tire that avoid sudden tire failure. Un-
it needs it to do its job and derinflated tires are a major
safely carry the combined load cause of sudden tire failure.
of the entire vehicle and its con- Keeping tires at the right pres-
tents. Tire pressure is measured sure is also important for safe in kilopascals (kPa), the inter-and responsive vehicle han-
national measuring unit and in dling, traction, braking and
pounds per square inch (PSI). load carrying.
Tire pressures
Tire pressure is based in part on are particularly important
the vehicles design and load when the vehicle is being driv-
limit -the greatest amount of en at higher speeds, and then
weight that the vehicle can car-especially when heavily loaded
ry safely and the tire size. The even within the permissible
proper tire pressure is frequent-load-carrying capacities ap-
ly referred to as the "recom-proved for your vehicle.
mended cold tire inflation pres-
The recommended tire pres-
sure." Air in the tires expands
sures for your Audi depend on
when the tire heats up because the kind of tires on your vehicle
of internal friction when it flex-
and the number of passengers
es in use. The tire pressure is
and/or amount of luggage you
higher when the tire has will be transporting.
warmed up than when it is The tire pressure label is locat-
"cold." It is the inflation pres-
ed on the driver's side 8-pillar.
sure in a "cold " tire that counts .
Therefore, you should never let The tire pressure label lists the
recommended cold t ire infla-
air out of a warm tire to match
"cold tire inflation pressure" tion pressures for the vehicle at
its maximum capacity weight
recommendations. The tires
would then be underinflated and tires that were on your ve-
and could fail suddenly. hicle at the time it was manu-
factured .
...
Maintaining proper tire pres-
sure is one of the most impor-

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If you wish to improve comfort
when operating the vehicle at
normal load (up to 3 occu­
pants), you can adjust tire
pressures to those specified
for normal vehicle load. Before
operating the vehicle at maxi­ mum load, you must increase
the tire pressures to those
specified for maximum vehicle
load
c> .&. .
Bear in mind that the tire pres­
sure monitoring system can on­
ly monitor the tire pressures
you have stored. The system does not recognize the load
condition of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monitoring system
will be impaired if you store normal load pressures but then
operate the vehicle at its maxi­
mum load
c> .&. .
Tires and wheels 237
See the illustration c> fig. 172
for the location of the label on
driver's side B-pillar (color of
the actual label and exact loca­
tion on the vehicle will vary slightly).
Note that the following table is
accurate at the time of going to
press and is subject to change.
In the event of discrepancies,
the tire pressure label is locat­ ed on the driver's side B-pillar
always takes precedence.
The table below lists the rec­ ommended cold tire inflation pressures for the Audi model
covered by your Owner's Litera­
ture at the vehicle's capacity
weight and the tire sizes instal­
led on the respective models as
original equipment, or as a fac-
tory option. ..,.
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238 Tires and wheels
Model/ Tire designation Tire pressure
Engine normal load condition full load condition
front
rear front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
A3 Cab -225/45 Rl 7 91 Y
30 210 28 190 36 250 36 250 riolet : High Performance
1.8 liter 225/40 R18 92Y XL
4-cylinder High Performance
35 240 32 220 36 250 36 250
225/45 Rl7 91H
33 230
30 2
10
38 260
38 260 All Season
225/40 R18 92H XL
36 250 33 230 41 280 280 All Season 41
235/35 Rl9 91 Y XL
33 230 29 200 36 250 36 250 High Performance
A3 Cab- 225/45 Rl 7 91 Y
30 210 28 190 38 260 38 260 riolet: High Performance
2.0 liter
225/40 Rl8 92Y XL
4-cylinder High Performance
35 240 32 220 38 260 38 260
225/45 R17 91H
33 230 30 210 39
270
39 270 All Season
225/40 R18 92H XL
38 260 35 240 41 280 41
280
All Season
235/35 R19 91 Y XL
35 240 29 200 38 260 38 260 High Performance
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xi, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side-
wall.
The correct tire pressure for the
spare wheel is located on a la­
bel on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because technical changes may
be made to vehicle equipment
during the model year, always
compare the tire size designa­
tion on the tire pressure label on your vehicle with the tires on
your vehicle. Make sure that the tire size information on the ve­
hicle label is the same as the
size of the tires on the vehicle. This is
especially important if
the vehicle belongs to someone else or you bought the vehicle
with different rims/tires or you bought the vehicle as a previ­
ously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and
that of your passengers also de­ pends on making sure that load
limits are not exceeded. Vehicle
load includes everybody and ev­
erything in and on the vehicle.
These load limits are

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-

248 Tires and wheels
A WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead
to loss of control, a crash and serious personal injury!
-Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
-Worn tires are a safety haz­
ard, they do not grip well on
wet roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning" and
loss of control.
-Always keep chemicals that
can cause tire damage, such
as grease, oil, gasoline and brake fluid away from tires.
-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 sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have
been damaged even though
the damage cannot be seen
that can lead to sudden tire
-failure and loss of vehicle control.
New tires and replacing
tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to
be broken in.
Fig. 176 Tire specification codes on
the sidewall of a tire
No. Description
CD Passenger car tire (where
applicable)
@ Nominal width of tire in
millimeters
® Ratio of height to width
(aspect ratio)
@ Radial
® Rim diameter code

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

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Sustained high tem perature can cause the
materia l of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure <=>,& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of per form­
ance which a ll passenger car tires must meet
under the Federa l Motor Veh icle Safety Stand­
ard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law.
_&. WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on stra ight-ahead b raking t raction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
c o rnering, hydrop lan ing o r peak tr actio n
character istics .
_&. WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is es­
tablished for a ti re that is p roperly inflated
and not overloaded . Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire fa ilure.
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, loca l governments
may require true winter or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These tires shou ld
only be used in pa irs and be installed on all
four wheels. Make sure you pu rchase snow
tires that are the same size and const ruct ion
type as t he other tires on your ve hicle.
If your vehicle is equipped with all-wheel
d rive*, this will improve tract ion during winte r
d riving, eve n w it h the standard t ires. Howev­
e r, we strong ly recommend t hat you a lways
eq uip a ll four wheels on yo ur vehicle wi th cor­
rectly fitted win ter t ires or a ll-season tires,
when winter road conditions are expected .
Tires an d wheel s 255
This also improves the veh icle's b rak ing per ­
formance and reduces stopping distances.
Summe r ti res prov ide les s gr ip on i ce and
snow.
Winter t ires (snow tires) must always be fitted
o n all fo ur whee ls.
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted winter tire sizes. Use
o nl y rad ial winter t ires.
Winter tires lose their effectiveness whe n the
tread is worn down to a depth of0 .157 inch
(4 mm) .
Only drive w ith w inter t ires under w inter con­
dit ions. Summer t ires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °() .
If you have a flat tire, see notes on spare
whee l¢
page 248.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lower speed rating t han the tires o rigi­
nally installed on your vehicle at the time it
was manufactured. P lease see¢
page 251,
Speed rating (letter code)
for a listing of the
speed rating le tter codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be d rive n.
The speed rating letter code(¢
page 233) is
o n the side wall of the tire ¢
page 248.
_&. WARNING
Winter t ires have maximum speed limits
that may b e lower than yo ur vehicle's max­
imum speed. Always know the max imum
speed before dr iv ing off. Never dr ive faster
than the speed permitted for yo ur spe cific
win ter tires . This wi ll ca use damage to the
tires leading to an accident and ser ious
personal injury to you and your passen­
gers.
_&. WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your ve hicle
were designed can cause t ire fail ure in­
cluding a blowout and sudden d eflation,
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In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bo lts from a different vehicle -
even if it
i s the same mode l
Qpage 284.
A WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose caus ing loss of
control, a collision and ser ious personal in­
jury .
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop­
erly t ightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can
become loose w hile d riving if greased or
o iled,
even if tightened to the spec ified
torq ue.
- Only use wheel bo lts that belong to the
rim being ins talled.
- Never use different whee ls bolts on your
vehicle .
- Always maintain the correct tightening
torque fo r the wheel bolts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss. If the tigh teni ng tor­
que of the wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi­
cle is moving . If the tightening torque is
too high, the whee l bolts and threads
can be damaged and the wheel ca n be­
come loose .
(D Note
The specified torque for the wheel bo lts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) w ith a tolerance of
± 7,4 ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque whee l bolts
diagonally. After changing a wheel, the
torque must be checked as soon as possi­
b le with a torque wrench -prefe rably by an
author ized Audi dealer or qualified wo rk­
shop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect
ratio tires . These tires have been thorough ly
tested and been selected spec ifically for your
model for the ir superb performance, road feel
Tire s an d wheel s 257
and handling under a variety o f driving condi ­
tions. Ask your authorized A udi dealer for
more details .
T he low aspec t ratio of these tires is ind icate d
by a numera l of
55 or le ss in the tire's size
designation. The numera l represents the ratio
of the t ire's sidewa ll height in relation to its
tread width expressed in percentage.
Conven­
tiona l tires have a he ight/w idth rat io of 60 or
more .
The performance of low-a spect-ratio tire s is
particularl y sens it iv e to improper inflation
pressure. It is therefore important that low
a spect ratio tir es are inflated to the specified
pre ssure and that the inflation pr essure i s
regularly checked and ma intain ed . Tire pr es­
s ure s should be checked at lea st on ce a
month and alway s bef ore a long trip
~ page 240 , Checking tire pressure .
A Word about Low Aspect Ratio and High
Performance Ti res
Hig h pe rformance tires are des igned for bet­
ter performance and handling in warm cli­
mates. When driving in cold, snowy or icy
weather, you sho uld equ ip your vehicle w it h
four all-season or winter tires, which
offer
better traction under those condit ions. We
suggest you use the Audi recommended win­
te r or a ll-season tires specified for you r Audi.
High performance tires a lso have a lower as ­
pect ratio that aids performance and han­
dling . Driving over rough or damaged road
surfaces, as well as debr is, cu rbs and other
obstacles can cause serious damage to
whee ls, tires, vehicle body, and suspens ion
parts . B e carefu l to avo id road hazards and re­
du ce your speed , espec ia lly if your vehicle is
equipped wi th low prof ile tires .
Please a lso remember when making your se­
lection that, wh ile these tires deliver respon­
s ive handling, t hey m ay ride less comfo rtably
and make more noise than o thers . Finally,
these tires may wear more quickly than other
c h oices.
IJJ>
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258 Tires and wheels
It is important that the inflation pressu re is
regularly checked and maintained at recom­
mended levels .
Fo r more informat ion please ask your A udi
dealer for more details .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
L ow aspect ratio tires can be damaged more
easi ly by impact with potho les, curbs, gu llies
or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is
underinflated.
I n o rder to minim ize the occurrence of 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 air if neces­
sary.
- Drive carefu lly on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
through 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 Audi dealer . Replace a damaged
t ir e as soon as possible.
- Inspect your tires 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 underinflation, wh ich could eventu­
ally cause t ire failure.
If you believe that a
t ir e may have been damaged, replace the
tire as soon as possible.
- T hese tires may wea r more quickly than oth­
ers.
- Please a lso remember that, while these tires
deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices.
Reduced performance in winter/cold
season conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes.
The low aspect ratio, ultra high performance ti
res or iginally installed on your vehicle are in­
tended for maximum dry and wet road per­
formance and handling. They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions. If
you drive under those circumstances, you
should equ ip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, which offer better traction unde r
those conditions. We suggest you use the rec­
ommended snow o r all-season tires specified
for your vehicle, or thei r equivalent.
Refer to~ page
255 for more detailed infor­
mation regarding winter tires.
Tire pressure
monitoring system
ill General notes
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
shou ld be checked monthly when co ld and in­
flated to the inflat ion pressure recommended
by the vehicle man ufactur er on the veh icle
placard or tire inflation pressure labe l. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the
size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire in ­
flation pressure label, you should determine
the proper t ire inflation pressure for those
t i res).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
t ir es is signif icantly under-inflated. According­
ly, when the low tire pressure telltale illumi­
nates, you shou ld stop and check you r tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them to the
proper p ressure. 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 iciency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and
stopp ing ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv­
er's responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not