winter tires AUDI Q3 2016 Owners Manual

Driving
the<®> switch is released, or the accelerator pedal is depressed, emergency braking stops.
A WARNING
Emergency braking should only be used in an
emergency, when the normal brake pedal has
failed or the brake pedal is obstructed. During
emergency braking, your vehicle will brake
similar to heavy braking . ESC and the associ·
ated components (ABS, ASR, EDL) cannot
overcome the laws of physics. In corners and
when road or weather conditions are bad, a
full brake application can cause the vehicle to
skid or the rear end to break away, which in­
creases the risk of an accident.
Speed warning system
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with speed warning system
The speed warning sy stem 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 warning tone when your speed ex­
ceeds the stored value by approximately 3 mph
(3 km/h) . The indicator light
101 (USA models)/
llll (Canada models) and the Speed limit warn­
ing exceeded.
message appear in the instrument
cluster display at the same time . T hP
(Cl / t•j in­
dicator light turns off when the speed decreases
below the stored maximum speed.
Setting a threshold is recommended if you would
like to be reminded when you reach a certain
maximum speed. Situations where you may want
to do so include driving in a country with a gener­
al speed limit or if there is a specified maximum
speed fo r winter tires.
@ Tips
Regardless of the speed warning system, you
should always monitor your speed using the
speedometer and make sure you are following
the legal speed limit.
74
Setting the threshold
Applies to vehicles: with speed warn ing system
You can set, change and delete the warning
threshold in the Infotainment system .
.. Select: !CAR ! function button> (Car) systems*
control but ton > Driver assist> Speed warning .
You can set any threshold between 20 mph
(30 km/h) and 150 mph (240 km/h). Settings
can each be adjusted in increments of S mph (10 km/h) .
Cruise control system
Switching on
Applies to vehicles: with cruise control system
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at 20 mph
(30kmlh).
0
f
~
0
Fig. 82 Lever: cruise con trol system
.. To switch the cruise control on, pull the lever
into position
© c:> fig . 82 .
"'Drive at the speed to be maintained .
"' To store the speed, press the button @. The in­
dicator light
[ij;(tj~i~ (USA models) / Bl (Canada
models) turns on in the instrument cluster .
&_ WARNING
-Always pay attention to the traffic around
you when the cruise control is in operation. You are always responsible for your speed
and the distance between your vehicle and
other vehicles .
.

Intelligent Technology
Electromechanical
steering
The electromechanical steering sup ports the
driver's steering movements .
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed .
Indicator lights and mess ages
• Steering fault! Do not drive veh icle!
If thi s ind ic a tor light t urns o n and stays o n and
this message appears, the power steering may
have fa iled.
S top the veh icle in a safe lo cat io n as soo n as pos­
sib le. Do
not c on tinue driving. See an author ized
Aud i dea ler o r authorized Aud i Serv ice Facility fo r
assistance.
If the ind icator lig ht t urns on, the steer ing wheel
may be mo re diff icu lt to move o r more sensitive
than usual. The stee ring wheel may also be at a n
angle when dr iving straight .
Dr ive s low ly to your author ized A udi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Se rvice Facility to have the ma l­
f u nction co rrected.
E£-ij St eering lock: System fault! Plea se contact
deal er.
There is a malfunction in the electronic steering
lock.
D rive to an a uthorized Audi dea le r or a uthorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
@ Tips
If the . or Erj indicato r light on ly stays on
for a short time, you may continue driv ing.
All wheel drive (quattro)
Applies to vehicles: with all wheel drive
In oil wheel drive, oil four wheels ore powered .
General information
In a ll w heel d rive, the d rivi ng power is divided be­
tween a ll four wheels . This happens au tomatical-
156
ly depending on yo ur driv ing behavior as we ll as
the cur rent road conditions . Refer to
Q page 151.
The all whee l dr ive concep t is designed fo r high
engine power. Yo ur vehicle is except ion ally pow­
erf ul and has excellent drivin g charac teristics
both un der normal driving conditions and on
snow and ice . Always read and follow safety pre ­
cautions
c:> .&, .
Winter tires
By using all whee l dr ive, your ve hicle has goo d
f orward motion wi th standard tires in w inte r con ­
ditions . However, in winte r we recommend using
winter or all-season tires on all four wheels, be­
cause this will improve the brak ing effect
c:> page 206, Winter tires .
Snow chains
If there are snow chain laws, snow chains m ust
also be used o n veh icles with all wheel drive
c:> page 206, Snow chains.
Replacing tires
Fo r vehicles with all wheel drive, on ly wheels with
t h e same ro lli ng circ umfe rence sho uld be used .
Avoid whee ls with different t read depths
Q page 198 , New tires or wheels .
A WARNING
-Also, in vehicles with all wheel drive, adapt
your driving sty le to the current road and
traffic conditions. Do not let t he increased
safety prov ided tempt you in to taking r isks,
because this inc reases t he risk of an acc i­
dent.
- The braking ab ility o f your vehicle is limited
t o th e trac tion of th e wh eels. I n this way, it
is no t differe nt from a two wheel drive vehi ­
cle. Do no t be tempte d to accelerate to a
hi gh speed when the ro ad is slip pery this in­
creases the risk of an accident .
- N ote tha t on wet s tree ts, the front wheels
can " hydrop lane" i f driv ing at spee ds tha t
are too high. Unlike front wheel drive
veh icles, t he engine does not
rev higher sud­
de nly when t he vehicle begins hydroplan ing.
For this reason, pay attention to the road

Wheels
Wheels and Tires
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.
.,.M ark 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.
(D Note
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical in those seasons. Audi recom­
mends using winter tires dur­
ing the winter months. Low
temperatures significantly de­ crease the elasticity of summ­
er tires, which affects traction
Wheels
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 rims
does not have sufficient corro­
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam­ aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
Fig. 156 T ir e designations on the side -
wall Ill>
191

be happy to provide more infor­
mation.
® Mud and snow capability
"M/5" or "M+S" indicates the tire
has character istics that make it
suitable for driving on mud and
snow .
& indicates a winter tire.
@Composition 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 materials
used in the tire. These inc lude
steel, nylon, polyester and other
materials.
@ Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the max i­
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry.
@ Uniform tire quality grade
standards for tread wear,
traction and temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temper­
ature ranges ¢
page 207.
;:: @ Running direction 0 ::,
~
...
'° V, N
'° ...
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional tires .
Wheels
You must always follow the speci­
fied runn ing d irect ion
¢ page 218 .
@ Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
This number indicates the maxi­
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated unde r normal operat­
ing condit ions.
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined weigh t (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto­
matic transm ission, power steer­
ing , power brakes, power win­
dows, power seats, radio, and
heater, to the extent that these
items are available as facto ry-in­
stalled equipment (whether in­
stalled or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the heigh t to
the width of the tire in percent .
Numbers of 55 or lowe r indicate a
low sidewa ll for improved steer­
ing response and better overall
handling on dry pavement. .,.
193

Wheels
"XL" "xl" "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF" I I I
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 w ill have to p ur­
chase new tires to match the new rim diameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nomina l distance between
rim flanges.
S idewall
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 extend ­
ed periods of time. The rat ings
range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ table
on page 192.
You may not find
this information on all tires be ­
cause it is not requ ired by law.
196
The speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and ind icates the
maximum permissible road
speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on
page 206.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects
when one or mo re of a vehicle's
tires are underinflated and illum i­
na tes a low tire pressure warning
te lltale .
Tread
means that portion of a tire that
comes into contact w ith the road .
Tread separation
means pulling away o f the tread
from the t ire carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the
principal grooves designed to give
a visua l indication of the deg rees
of wear of the tread. Se e
¢ page 200, Tread wear indica ­
tor
fo r more informa tion on
measu ring t ire wear .

Wheels
Occupant loading and distri­bution for vehicle normal load
for various designated seating
capacities
Refer to the tire inflation pres­
sure label ¢
page 201, fig. 159
for the number of seating posi­
tions . Refer to the table¢
table
on page 203
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 wheels performed by
an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility.
These facilities have the proper knowledge and are equipped with
the required tools and replace­
ment parts.
.,.New tires do not yet have the
optimum adhesion properties. Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 350 miles (500 km) with new tires .
.,.Use tires of the same construc­
tion, size (rolling circumference)
and as close to the same tread
pattern as possible on all four
wheels .
198
.,.Do not replace tires individually.
At least replace both tires on the
same axle at the same time.
.,.Audi recommends that you use
Audi 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 size ¢
,&.
.,. If you would like to equip your
vehicle with a tire/rim combina­
tion that is different from what
was installed at the factory, con­
sult with an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility before making a pur­
chase ¢&, .
If the spare tire is different 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 drive vehicles, all
four wheels must be equipped
with tires that are the same brand and have the same construction
and tread pattern so that the
drive system is not damaged by .,.

Wheels
and a special procedure. You must not repair or
disassemble them¢&. .
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 accident. For the correct t ightening specifi ­
cation, refer to ¢
page 214, 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 rims repaired by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Aud i
Service Facility . Never repair or disassemble
rims yourself, because this inc reases the risk
of an accident.
Winter tires
Winter tires s ignificantly improve the vehicle's
handling when driving in winter conditions . Be­
cause of their construction (width, compound,
tread pattern), summer tires provide l ess trac­
tion on ice and snow.
.,. Use winter tires on all four wheels.
.,. Only use winter tires that are approved for your
vehicle.
.,. Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires
q .&,. . An
authori zed Audi dealer or authori zed Audi Serv­
ice Facility can inform you about the maximum
permitted speed for your tires .
.,. Check the tire pressure after install ing wheels
q page 201.
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great­
ly when the tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .157 inch (4 mm). The character istics of winter
tires also decrease greatly as the tire ages, re­
gardless of the remaining tread.
A WARNING
- Never drive faster than the maximum per­
mitted speed for your tires. This cou ld cause
the tires to heat up too much. This increases
206
-
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the tire to burst.
- Always adapt your driving to the road and
traffic conditions . Drive carefully and reduce
your speed on icy or slippery roads . Even
winter tires can lose traction on black ice .
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the appropriate
time, because they prov ide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fuel
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, only
winter tires w ith the ~ symbol may be per­
mitted.
Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow .
.,. Only install snow chains on the front wheels.
This applies also to vehicles with all wheel
drive* .
.,. Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains if necessary after driving a few feet. Fol­
low the instructions from the manufacturer.
.,. Note the maximum permitted speed when dr iv­
ing with snow chains. Do not exceed 30 mph (SO km/h).
Snow cha ins not only improve the
driving in win­
ter road conditions, but also the
braking .
Use of snow chains is only permitted with certain
rim/tire combinat ions due to technical reasons .
Check with an author ized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility to see if you may use
snow chains.
The snow chains must have
low-profile links and
must not be thicker than 0.53 inch (13.5 mm),
including the lock.
You must remove the chains when driving on
roads that are
free of snow . When roads are free ..,.

of snow, snow chain s can imp air handling and
damage the t ires, and t he chains will quickly be
destroyed.
A WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains or installing snow
chains incorrect ly can result in loss of vehicle
co ntrol, which increases the risk of an acc i­
dent .
Snow chains can damage the r ims/wheel cov­
ers* if the chains come into d irect contact
w ith them. Remove the wheel covers* first.
Use coated snow chains .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is facto ry-equipped with low aspect ra­
tio ti res. These t ires have been tho rough ly tested
and been se lected specifically for yo ur model fo r
thei r superb per formance, road feel and handling
under a variety of driving conditions. Ask your au­
thorized Audi dealer for more details .
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is indica ted by
a numera l of
55 or les s in the tire's size designa ­
tion. The numeral represents the ratio of the
tire's sidewall height i n relation to its tread width
expressed in percentage. Conventional tires have
a height/w idth ratio of 60 or more.
Th e performance of low-aspect- ratio tire s is par­
ticularly sensit ive to improper inflation pre s·
sure . It is therefore important that low aspect
ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pre ssure is regul arly
ch ecked and ma intained . Tire pre ssure s should
be checked at least once a month and a lways
before a long tr ip
c> page 201.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
L ow aspect rat io tires can be damaged more easi­
ly by impact wi th pot holes, c urbs, gull ies or
r idges on the ro ad, p articul arly if the tire is un­
de rinflated.
I n o rder to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the t ires of your ve hicl e, we recom-
Wh eel s
mend that you observe the following preca u­
tions:
- Always ma in tain recommended inflat io n pres­
sures. Check yo ur tire pressure every 2,0 00
m iles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary .
- Dr ive c arefully on roads w it h potholes, deep
gullies or ridges . The impac t from dr iving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may a lso cause
damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immediate ly inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au ­
thorized Audi dealer. Replace a damaged tire as
soon as possible.
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 m iles (3,000 km)
for damage and wear. Damage is not always
easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of air and
underinflation, wh ich could even tually cause
tire fa ilure. If yo u believe that a tire may have
been damaged, replace the tire as soon as pos­
sib le.
- These tires may wear more quickly tha n others .
- Please also remember that, while these tires
delive r responsive ha nd ling, they may ride less
comfortably a nd make mo re noise than other
choi ces.
Reduced performance in winter /cold se ason
conditions
All t ires are des igned for certai n purposes. The
low aspect ratio, ultra high performance tires
o rigi na lly installed on your veh icle are intended
f or maximum dry and wet road performance and
handling . They are not suitable for co ld, snowy or
icy weather conditions . If you drive under those
c ircumstances, you should equip yo ur vehicle
with all-season or winter tires, which offer better
tract ion under those conditions. We suggest you
u se the recommended snow or all-season tires
spec ified for your veh icle, or their equiva lent .
Refer to
c> page 206 for more detailed informa­
t ion regarding winter tires.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA ABC
- Temperature ABC
207

Wheels
Chec k/co rrec t the p ress ures o f all four tires and
sto re the pressure a gain in the Infotainment sys­
tem
¢ page 210.
mm (Ti re Pressure Moni to ring System) Tire
pressure: S ystem malfunction !.
Ifm:im appears
after switc hing the ignition on or whi le driving
and the
RI] i ndicator light in the instrument cl us­
ter blinks for approximate ly one minute and then
stays on, there is system malfunction. Try to
store the correct tire pressures¢
page 210 . If
the ind icator light does tur n off or turns on again
after a short period of t ime, dr ive to you r auth or­
ized A udi dealer o r autho riz ed Aud i Service Faci li­
ty immedia tely to have the malfunct ion corre ct­
ed .
A WARNING
- If the ti re pressu re indicator appears in the
display, reduce your speed immediate ly and
avoid any hard steering or braking maneu­
vers. Stop as soon as possib le and check the
t ires and t heir pressu re.
- The driver is responsib le for maintaining the
correct tire pressure. You must check the
t ire pressure regu larly .
- Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
dr iv ing style, winter cond itions o r unpaved
roads), the tire pressure mo nitoring system
indicator may be delayed.
- Do not use r un-flat tires on your vehicle. Us­
ing them when not permitted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents.
(D Tips
- The t ire pressure monitoring system can al­
so stop work ing when there is an ESC mal­
funct io n.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The t ires with the identification "AO" or
"RO" ¢
page 198 have been matched with
your Audi tire pressure monitoring system .
W e recommend that you use these t ires.
210
· Storing tire pressures
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure mo nitoring system
If the tire pressure changes or a tire is replaced,
it must be confirmed in the Infotainment sys­
tem .
.,. Make sure before stor ing that the t ire pressures
of all four tires mee t the specified values and
are adap ted to the load ¢
page 201 .
.,. Sw itch the ignit io n on .
.,. Sele ct: the
I CARI f u nct ion bu tton > (Car) sys­
tems *
control b utt on > Servicing & c heck s >
Tire pressure monitoring .
(D Tips
Do not s to re t he tire pressures if snow ch ains
a re ins talled .

The spare tire is intended for short-term use on­
ly. Have the damaged tire checked and replaced,
if necessary, by an author ized Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Service Facility as soon as possib le.
There are some restrictions on the use of the
compact spare tire . The compact spare tire has
been designed specif ically for your type of veh i­
cle . Do not replace it with the spare tire from an­
other type of vehicle.
R emo ving th e spar e tire
... Remove the cargo floor .
... Remove the wing bolt and then remove the re-
tainer underneath it.
... Remove the subwoofer*
¢ page 212.
... Remove the spare tire.
Snow cha in s
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains on
the compact spare tire is not permitted.
If you have to drive with snow chains and a front
tire fails, mount the spare wheel in place of a
rear tire. Install the snow chains on the rear tire
that you removed, and install that in p lace of the
front tire that failed.
A WARNING
- Never use the spare t ire if it is damaged or if
it is worn down to the tread wear indicators.
- If the spare tire is more than 6 years o ld,
use it only in an emergency and with ex­
treme caution and carefu l dr iving.
- The spare tire is intended on ly for tempora­
ry and short-term use. It shou ld be replaced
as soon as possible with the normal wheel
and t ire.
- After mounting the compact spare t ire, the
t ire pressure must be checked as soon as
poss ible. The t ire pressure of the compact
spare tire must be 4.2 bar; otherwise, yo u
risk having an accident.
- Do not d rive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h).
Yo u risk hav ing an accident.
- Avoid full-throttle accelerat ion, heavy b rak­
ing, and fast cornering. You risk having an
acc ident.
Em ergenc y ass is tanc e
-Never drive using more than one spare
wheel and tire. You r isk having an accident.
- Normal summer or winter tires must not be
mounted on the compact spare wheel rim.
- For technical reasons, the use of tire chains
on the spare tire is not permitted. If it is
necessary to drive w ith tire chains, the spare
wheel must be mounted on the front axle in
the event of a flat in a rear t ire. The newly
ava ilable front wheel must then be installed
in place of the rear wheel with the flat tire.
I nstalling the tire chain befo re mounting
the wheel and tire is recommended .
- Loose items in the passenger compartment
can cause se rious personal injury during
ha rd bra king or i n an accident. Never store
the spare tire or jack and tools in the pas­
senger compartment.
Replacing wheels
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own
and your passenger's safety when changing a
wheel.
... After you experience a tire failure, pull the car
well away from moving traffic and try to reach
lev el ground before you stop¢ page 211,
¢ .&_.
... All passengers should le av e the car and move
to a safe location (for instance, behind the
gua rdrail)
c:::> .lll ·
... Engage the parking brake to prevent your veh i­
cle from rolling unintentiona lly
c:::> .&_ .
... Move the selector le ver to the P po sit ion .
... If you are towing a trai ler: unhitch the trailer
from your vehicle.
... Take the
jack ¢ page 211 and the spa re ti re
¢page 212 out of the luggage compartment.
A WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured while
changing a whee l if you do not follow these
safety pre caut ions:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance
off the road. Turn off the eng ine, turn the
213