winter tires AUDI A3 CABRIOLET 2016 Owners Manual

Ass is t
Assist
Electronic speed limiter
Applies to: vehicles with electronic speed limiter
Your vehicle may be factory equipped wi th tires
that are rated for a maximum speed of 130 mph (210 km/h). This is less than the maximum speed
of your vehicle. To reduce the risk of sudden tire
fa ilure and loss of control if the veh icle is operat­
ed at excessive speeds, your vehicle also has an
electron ic speed limiter. The electron ic speed
lim iter prevents your veh icle from going faster
than the t ire speed rating. For mo re information
~page 211.
If the engine control unit receives faulty vehicle
road speed s ignals, the Ma lfunction Ind icator
L amp (MIL)
¢;5 will illum inate. If this occurs,
con ta ct the nearest au thori zed A ud i d ealer for
assis tance.
A WARNING
Always observe the posted speed limits and
adjust your speed to s uit prevailing road, traf­
fic and weather cond itions. Never drive your
vehicle faster than t he maximum speed rat ing
of the tires installed.
Speed warning system
Introduction
The speed warning system helps you to stay un­
der a specified maximum speed.
-
The speed warning system warns you if you are
exceeding the maximum speed that you have set .
You will hear a wa rning tone when your speed ex­
ceeds the stored va lue by app roxima tely 3 mph
(3 km/h). The. (U SA mode ls)/ . (Canada
models) ind ic a tor light and the message
Speed
limit e xceeded!
appear in the inst rument cluste r
disp lay at the same time. The./. indicato r
light t urns off when the speed decreases be low
the stored maximum speed.
Se tting a thresho ld is recommended if you would
like to be reminded when yo u reach a certain
maximum speed. Situations where you may want
to do so include driving in a country wit h a gener-
88
al speed limit or if there is a spec ified maximum
speed for winter tires.
(D Tips
Regar dless o f th e speed war ning system, you
shou ld always monitor your spee d using the
speedometer and make s ure yo u are fo llow ing
the legal speed limit .
Setting the threshold
You can set, change and delete the threshold in
the MMI .
.. Sele ct: the I M ENU I button >Car > Systems*
control button > Drive r assi stance > Speed
wa rning.
You can se t any thresho ld between 20 mp h
(3 0 km/h) and 150 mph (2 40 km/ h). Settings
can each be adj usted in increments of S mph ( 10
km/ h).
Cruise control system
· Description
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
The cru ise cont rol system ma kes it possib le to
dr ive at a constan t speed star tin g at 15 mph
(2 0 k m/h).
The speed is kep t constant by mod ifying engine
power or through an active bra ke interven tion.
A WARNING
- Always p ay att ention to the tr affi c ar ou nd
you whe n the cruise co ntro l is in opera tion.
Y ou are always responsible fo r your speed
and the distance between your veh icle and
other vehicles.
- For safety reasons, cruise cont rol should not
be used in the city, in stop-and-go traff ic, on
winding roads and when road conditions a re
poor (such as ice, fog, g ravel, heavy ra in and
hyd roplaning), because this inc reases the
ris k of an accident.
- Switch the cruise control off temporarily
when dr iv ing in turning lanes, highway exits
or in constr uct ion zones.
-

Intelligent Technology
Do not tow your veh icle bec ause it cannot be
steered. See an authorized Audi dealer or author ­
ized Audi Service Fac ility for assistance .
,IM Steering: Sy stem fault You can continu e
dri ving
If the indi cator lig ht t urns on , the steering whee l
may be mo re diff icu lt to move o r more sensitive
than usual. The steering wheel may also be a t an
angle when dr iving straight.
D rive s low ly to an authorized A udi dealer or au­
thor ized A udi Se rvice Fa cility to have the m al­
f u nction co rrected.
m Steering lock: sy stem fault! Please contact
Servic e
There is a malfunction in the electronic steering
lock.
Drive to an a uthori zed Aud i dea ler or authori zed
Aud i Serv ice Facility immedia tely to have the
malfunct io n corrected .
A WARNING
Have the system malfunction corrected as
soon as poss ible by an author ized Audi dealer
or au thori zed Aud i Serv ice Fa cili ty, as this in­
c re ases the risk of an accident.
{D Tips
If the . or ,:rM i ndica to r light only turns on
for a short time, you may continue dr iv ing.
All wheel drive (quattro)
Applies to: veh icles with all whee l drive
In all wheel drive, all four wheels are powered .
General information
In all wheel drive, the driving power is divided be­
tween all four wheels. This happens automatical­
ly depe nding on your driving behavior as well as
the c urrent road cond itions . Also see
s>
page 116, Electronic stabilization control
( ES C).
The all wheel drive concept is designed for high
engine power . Your ve hicle is exceptionally pow­
erful and has ex cellent driving characterist ics
120
both under normal d riving conditions and on
snow and ice . A lways read and follow safety pre­
ca utions s>
.&..
Winter tires
By using all wheel dr ive, your veh icle has good
forward motion w it h standard t ires in win ter con­
ditions . However, in winter we recommend using
winter or all season tires on
oil four whee ls, be­
ca use this will improve the
broking effect.
Snow chains
I f there are snow ch ain laws , snow ch ains m ust
a lso be used on veh icles with all wheel drive
s>
page 219 , Snow chains .
Replacing tires
For vehicles with a ll w heel drive, o nly wheels with
t h e same ro lli ng ci rcumfe rence sho uld be used.
Avo id whee ls with diffe rent t read depths
¢ page 211 .
Offroad vehicle?
You r Audi is no t an off road vehicle - there is not
enough ground clearance. For th is reaso n, avoid
difficul t ter rain . Also see s>
page 251.
A WARNING
-Also, in veh icles with all wheel drive, ad apt
your d riving sty le to the cu rren t road and
traffic conditions. Do not let the increased
safety provi ded tempt you into taking r is k s,
because this inc reases the risk of an acc i­
dent.
- The braking abi lity of your vehicle is limited
to the traction of the whee ls. I n this way, it
is not different from a two w heel drive vehi­
cle . Do not be tempted to accelerate to a
hig h speed when the road is slippery, be ­
cause t his i ncreases the r is k of an accident .
- Note that on wet s treets, the front wheels
can " hydrop la ne" if dr iv ing at spee ds that
are too high. Unlike front w heel d rive
veh icles, t he engine does no t rev h ig her sud­
de nly when t he vehi cle begins hydrop lan ing.
F or this reason, pay atte ntion to the road
conditions rega rdless of your speed to re ­
duce t he risk of an accident .

Tires and wheels
Tires and wheels
Wheels
General information
~check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob­
jects from the tire tread.
~ If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap ­
proach the curb at an angle.
~ Have faulty tires or rims re­
placed immediately.
~ Protect your tires from oil,
grease and fuel.
~ Mark tires before removing
them so that the same running direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled .
~ Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as possible.
(i}) Note
-Please note that summer and winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical i n those seasons. Audi recom­
mends using winter tires dur­
i ng the winter months. Low
temperatures significantly de­ crease the elasticity of summ­
er tires, which affects traction
204
and braking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold
temperatures, cracks can form on the tread bars, resulting in
permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be used in winter driving condi­
tions. The surface of the r ims
does not have sufficient corro­
sion protection for th is and
could be permanently dam­
aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
Fig. 168 Tire specifi cation codes on the
sidewall of a tire .,._

<( co .... N ,.__
N .... 0 ,.__
> co
(D Tires for passenger vehicles
(if applicable)
P indicates a tire for a passenger
vehicle. T indicates a tire desig­
nated for temporary use.
@ Nominal width
Nominal width of the tire be­
tween the sidewalls in millime­
ters. In general: the larger the number, the wider the tire.
@ Aspect ratio
Height/width ratio expressed as a
percentage.
@ Tire construction
R indicates a radial tire.
® Rim diameter
Size of the rim diameter in inches.
@ Load index and speed rating
The load index indicates the tire's load-carrying capacity.
The speed rating indicates the maximum permitted speed¢.&
in
Winter tires on page 219.
"EXTRA LOAD", "xl" or "RF" indi­
cates that the tire is reinforced or
is an Extra Load tire.
Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
ing
p
up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (160 km/h)
Tires and wheels
Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
ing
R up to 1 06 m ph (170 km/h)
s up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
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)al
z above 149 mph (240 km/h)al
w up to 168 mph (270 km/h)al
y up to 186 mph (300 km/h)al
a ) Tire manufacturers sometimes use "ZR"
for tires with a maximum speed above
149 mph (240 km/h).
(j) US DOT number (TIN) and
manufacture date
The manufacture date is listed on
the tire sidewall (it may only ap­
pear on the inner side of the tire):
DOT ... 2215 ...
means, for example, that the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of
the year 2015.
@ Audi Original equipment
tires
Audi Original equipment tires
with the designation "AO" or "RO"
have been specially matched to
your Audi. When used correctly,
these tires meet the highest standards of safety and handling.
An authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility will ""
205

Tires and wheels
be happy to provide more infor­
mation .
® Mud and snow capability
"M/S" or "M+S" indicates the tire
is suitable for driving on mud and
snow.
& indicates a winter tire.
@ Compos ition of the tire cord
and materials
The number of plies indicates the
number of rubberized fabric lay­
ers in the tire . In general: the
more layers, the more weight a
tire can carry. Tire manufacturers
must also specify the materia ls
used in the tire. These include
steel , nylon, polyester and other
materials.
@ Ma ximum permitted load
T his number indicates the maxi­
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry.
@ Uniform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature resistance
Tread wear, t raction and temper­
ature ranges
¢page 221 .
@ Running direction
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional t ires.
You must always follow the speci -
206
fied running direction
¢page 238 .
(8) Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
This number indicates the maxi­
mum pressure to which a t ire can
be inflated under normal operat­
ing condit ions.
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory we ight
means the combined weigh t (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto­ matic transmission, power steer­
ing, power brakes, power win­
dows, power seats , radio, and
heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory -in ­
stalled equipment (whether in­
stalled or not).
Aspect ratio
means the rat io of the height to
the width of the tire in pe rcent.
Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a
low s idewall for imp roved steer­
ing response and better overa ll
handling on dry pavement.

<( a:, ... N .... N ... 0
s: a:,
"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 tires to match the new
rim diameter .
Rim size designat ion
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between
rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire be ­
tween the tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code )
means the speed at wh ich a t ire is
designed to be driven for extend ­
ed periods of time . The ratings
range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ table
on page 205.
You may not find
this information on all tires be­
cause it is not required by law .
Tires and wheels
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 219 .
Tire pressure monitoring
system*
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehicle's
tires are underinflated and illum i­
nates a low tire pressure warning
telltale .
Tread
means that portion of a tire that
comes into contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread
from the tire carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the
principal grooves designed to give
a visual indication of t he degrees
of wear of the tread . See
¢ page 213, Treadwear indicator
for more information on measur-
ing tire wear. .,.
209

<( a:, ... N .... N ... 0
s: a:,
Occupant loading and distri­
bution for vehicle normal load
for various designated seating
capacities
Refer to the tire inflation pres­
sure label
c::> page 214, fig. 171
for the number of seating posi­
tions. Refer to the table
c::> table
on page 216
for the number of
people that correspond to the ve­
hicle normal load.
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all work
on tires or whee ls perfo rmed by
an authorized Audi dealer or au ­
thorized Audi Service Facility .
These facilities have the proper
knowledge and are equ ipped with
the required tools and replace­
ment parts .
.,,. New tires do not yet have the
opt imum adhesion properties.
Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 350 m iles
(500 km) with new tires .
.,,. On ly use tires w ith the same de­
sign, size (rolling c ircumference)
and as close to the same tread pattern as possible on all four
wheels.
Tire s and wheel s
.,,.Do not replace tires individually.
At least replace both tires on the same axle at the same time .
.,,. Audi recommends that you use
A udi Original equipment tires. If
you would like to use different
tires, please note that the tires may perform differently even if
they are the same si ze
c::> ,&. .
.,,. If you would like to equip your
vehicle w ith a tire/r im comb ina­
tion that is different from what
was installed at the factory, con ­
sult w ith an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility before making a pur­
chase ¢
..1,..
The spare t ire* is diffe rent from
the regular tires installed on the
vehicle - for example, if winter
tires or wide tires are installed -
then only use the spare tire* tem­
porarily in case of emergency and
drive carefully while it is in use . It
should be replaced with a regular
tire as soon as possible.
On
all wheel d rive vehicles, all
four wheels must be equipped
with tires that are the same brand
and have the same construction
and tread pa ttern so that the
drive system is not damaged by
2 11

<( co .... N r--­N .... 0 r--­> co
the availab le cargo an d lug­
gage loa d capaci ty o f yo ur vehi­
c le.
.,,. Chec k the tire s idewall
(¢ page 204 , fig. 16 8) to deter ­
min e th e des ig nate d lo ad ratin g
for a speci fic tir e.
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel b olts
Wheel bolts must be clean and loosen/t ighten
eas ily.
Rims
R ims with a bolted rim ring* or w ith bolted wheel
covers* consist of mu ltip le pieces . These compo­
n ents we re bolted toge ther using specia l bolts
and a specia l procedure . You must not repair or
disassemble them¢
A.
A WARNING
-
Wheel bolts that are tightened or repaired in­
correctly can become loose and result in loss
of vehicle control, which increases the risk of
an acc ident. For the correct tightening specif i­
cation, refer to¢
page 235, After changing a
wheel .
-Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hub clean and free of
grease.
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim.
-Always have damaged r ims repaired by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Aud i
Service Facility. Never repair or d isassemble
rims yourself, because this increases the risk
of an accident.
Winter tires
W inter tires s ignificantly improve the vehicle's
h andling w hen d riving in w inter condit ions. Be­
cause of the ir constr uction (width, compound,
tread pattern), summe r tires provide less trac­
tion on ice and snow.
Tir es and wheel s
.. Use winter tires on all four wheels.
.. On ly use winter tires that are approved for your
veh icle.
.. Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires¢,&. An
author ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv ­
ice Facility can inform you about the maximum
perm itted speed for your t ires .
.. Check the tire p ressure afte r insta lling wheels
¢ page 214.
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great­
ly when the tread is wo rn down to a depth of
0.157 i nch (4 mm). The characte ris tics of winter
t ir es also decrease g reatly as the ti re ages, re­
gard less of the rema ining t read.
A WARNING
-- Never drive faster than the max imum per­
mitted speed for your tires . This could cause
the t ires to heat up too much. This increases
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the t ire to burst.
- Always adapt your driving to the road and
traffic cond itions. Drive carefully and reduce
your speed on icy or slippery roads . Even
winter t ires can lose tract ion on black ice .
(® For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the appropr iate
time, because they prov ide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road no ise, tire wear and fue l
consumpt ion.
(D Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
winter tires. Please note that in some coun­
tries where winter tires are required, on ly
winter tires w ith the
& symbo l may be per­
mitted.
Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow.
.. Only install snow chains on the front wheels .
This applies a lso to vehicles with a ll wheel
drive*.
219

<( co .... N r--­N .... 0 ,.__
> co
Reduced performance in winter /cold season
conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes. The
low aspect ratio, ultra high performance t ires
originally installed on your vehicle are intended
for maximum dry and wet road performance and handling . They are not suitable for cold, snowy or
i cy weather cond it ions. If you dr ive under those
circumstances, you shou ld equ ip your vehicle
with all-season or winter tires, whic h offe r better
traction under those conditions. We suggest you
use the recommended snow or all-season tires
specified for you r vehicle, or their equivalent.
Refer to¢
page 219 for more detailed informa­
tion regarding winter tires.
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and
maximum section w idth ¢
page 204, fig . 168 .
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Tem­
perature
A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.
Tread wea r
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under contro lled conditions on a specified gov­
ernment test course.
F or example, a tire graded
150 would wear one
and one ha lf
( 1 1/2) times as well on the govern­
ment course as a tire graded
100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, howeve r, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B and
C. Those grades represent the tire's
Tires and wheels
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured un ­
der controlled conditions on specified govern­
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
¢ &.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and
C, representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mate ­
rial 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 perform ­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un­
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No.
109 . Grades Band A represent higher levels
of performance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law.
&, WARNING
The traction gra de assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor­
nering, hydroplaning or peak traction charac­
teristics.
.&_ WARNING
= -
The temperature grade for this tire is estab­ lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla­
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in comb inat ion, can cause heat buildup and
possible tire failure .
.&_ WARNING
--
Temperature grades apply to tires that are
properly inflated and not over or underinflat­
ed.
221

<( co .... N r--­N .... 0 r--­> co
Indicat or lights
IE -Loss of pressure in at least one ti re c::> ,& .
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires. Then
store the tire pressures in the MMI
<=:>page 223.
mm (T ire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
press ure: System malfuncti on!.
Ifm appears
after switching the ignition on or whi le driving
and the
IE indicator light in the instrument clus­
ter blinks for approximately one minute and then
stays on, there is system malfunction . Try to
store the correct tire pressures
c::> page 223 . If
the indicator light does not turn off or turns on
again after a short period of time, drive to an au­
thor ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Faci lity immediately to have the malfunction cor­
rected.
A WARNING
- If the tire pressure warning light IE in the
instrument cluster turns on, the pressure in
one or more tires is too low . Reduce the ve­
hicle speed immediately and avo id any hard
steering or braking maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible, check the tire and inflate the
t ire to the correct pressure, which is speci­
fied on the tire pressure label on the veh icle
<=:> page 214. Driving w ith a t ire with low
pressure c auses the t ire to overheat and can
result in failure of the tire . Low pressure can
also have a negative effect on the driving
and braking behavior of the vehicle .
- T he driver is responsib le for maintaining the
correct tire pressures . You must check the
tire pressures regularly .
- Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
driv ing style, winter conditions or unpaved
roads), the pressure monitor indicator may
be delayed.
- Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle . Us­
ing them when not permitted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents .
(D Tips
-The tire pressure monitoring system can al ­
so stop working when there is an ESC mal­
function.
Tir es and wheel s
- Us ing snow chains may result in a system
ma lfunction.
- The tires with the identification "AO" or
"RO"
c::> page 211 have been matched with
your Audi tire pressure monitoring system .
We recommend that you use these tires.
- The tire pressure monitoring system can on­
ly monitor the tire pressure of the driving
tires. Check the tire pressure of the spare
wheel in the luggage compartment so that if necessary it is ready for use.
Storing tire pressures
App lies to : vehicles wi th Tir e Pressure Mo nito rin g Sys te m in­
dic ator
A change in tire pressur e or a change in tires
must be stored in the syst em .
The tire press ure is stored in the MM I.
.,. Make sure before storing that the t ire pressures
of all four tires meet the specified values and
are adap ted to the load. O therwise the system
could malfunction
c::> page 214.
.. Switch on the ignition.
.,. Select: the I MENU I button> Ca r> Sys tem s*
con trol button > S er vice & control > Tire pre s­
s u re m on itor > Stor e tire pressu re > Yes , sto re
no w.
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressures if snow chains
are installed. Otherw ise the system could
malfunction.
223