winter tires AUDI Q3 2017 Owner´s Manual

Ass is t
Assist
Speed warning system
Applies to: vehicles with speed warning system
The speed warning system helps you to stay be­
low o specified maximum speed that con be set,
changed or deleted in the Infotainment system".
The speed warning system warns you if yo u are
exceeding the maximum speed that you have set.
A warning tone will sound as soon as your speed
exceeds the stored value slightly. The
(OJ (USA
models)
I Hll (Canada models) indicator light
and a message appear in the instrument cluster
d isplay at the same time. The
Hll![t] indicator
light and the message t urn off if the speed falls
b a ck below the stored maxim um speed.
Sett ing a threshold is recommended if you would
like to be reminded when yo u reach a certa in
maxim um speed. Situations where yo u may want
to do so i nclude dr iving in a cou ntry w it h a ge ne r­
al speed limit or if there is a specified maximum
speed for winter tires .
Setting the warning threshold
Select: !CARI fu nction button > (C ar) Systems *
control b utton > Driver assi st > Sp eed warning .
(0 Tips
Regardless of the speed wa rning sys tem, you
should always monitor yo ur speed using the
speedome ter and ma ke sure you are following
t he legal speed limi t.
78
Cruise control system
Switching on
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive a constant speed that is 30 km/h or higher.
0
f
®l
0
Fig . 80 Operat ing lever: cru ise control system
5:
"' 0 ± .. To switch the system on, pull the lever into po-
sition
(D ~ fig. 80.
.. Drive at the speed to be maintained.
.. To store the speed, press the button @.
The
(ij;\1)~1~ ( U SA mode ls)/ B (Canada models)
indicato r light turns on in the instr ument cluster .
&_ WARNING
-Always pay attention to the traffic a round
you when the cruise contro l system is in op­
erat ion. You are always respons ible for your
speed and the distance between your ve hi­
cle and other vehicles.
- For safety reasons , cruise cont rol should not
be used in the city, in stop-and-go traff ic, on
w inding roads and when road condi tions a re
poor (such as ice, fog, g ravel, heavy rai n an d
hy dro planing), because this inc reases t he
r is k of an accident.
- Switch the cr uise control off temporarily
when dr iv ing in turning lanes, highway exi ts
or in constru ction zones.
- P lease note th at "res ting" your foo t on the
a ccelerator pedal un inte ntiona lly can resul t
in ac celeration tha t overrides the c ruise con -
-
trol system . .,.

00
00
......
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All wheel drive (quattro)
A ppl ies to: ve hicles wit h all wheel drive
In oil wheel drive, oil four wheels ore powered.
General info rmation
I n all wheel drive, t he driving power is divided be­
tween all four wheels . This happens automatical­
ly depending on your driving behavior as well as
the current road conditions. Also see
¢ page 92.
The a ll wheel d rive concept is designed for h igh
engine powe r. Your vehicle is exceptionally pow­
erful and has excellent driving characteristics both under norma l driving conditions and on
snow and ice. Always read and fo llow safety pre­
cautions ¢.&. .
Winter t ires
By using all wheel drive, yo ur vehicle has good
forward motion with standard tires in w inter con­
ditions. However, we recommend using winter or
all season tires on
all four whee ls in the winter,
because this will improve the
broking effect.
Snow cha in s
If there are snow chain laws, snow chains must
a lso be used on vehicles with a ll wheel drive
¢ page 186, Snow chains.
Replacing t ires
F or vehicles w ith all wheel dr ive, only wheels w ith
the same ro lling circumference shou ld be used .
Avoid using tires with different tread depths
¢ page 178, New tires or wheels .
A WARNING
-Also, in vehicles with a ll wheel drive, adapt
your dr iv ing style to the current road and
traff ic conditions. Do not let the increased
safety provided tempt you into tak ing risks,
because th is increases the r is k of an acci­
dent.
- The braking ability of your veh icle is limited
to the tract ion of the wheels . In this way, it
is not diffe rent from a two whee l dr ive vehi­
cl e. Do not be tempted to accelerate to a
high speed when the road is slippe ry, be­
cause this increases the risk of an accident .
Intellig ent Technology
- Note that on wet streets, the front wheels
can "hydrop lane" if dr iv ing at speeds that
are too high . Un like front wheel drive
veh icles, the engine does not rev higher sud­
denly when the vehicle begins hydroplan ing .
For this reason, adapt yo ur speed to the
road conditions to red uce the risk of an acci­
dent.
Energy management
The starting ability is optimized
The energy management system manages the
electrical energy distribution and optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the
engine.
When a vehicle with a conventiona l energy sys­
tem is not driven for a long time , the vehicle bat­
tery is drained by equipment (for example, the
immobilizer). In certa in circumstances, there
could may not be enough energy to start the en ­
gine.
Yo ur vehicle is equipped with an intel ligent ener ­
gy management system for distributing electrici­
ty . Th is sign ificantly improves the start ing ability
and increases the vehicle battery life .
The energy management system Is made up of
battery diagnosis , idling current manag em en t,
and dynamic energy manag ement .
Battery diagn osis
The battery diagnosis determines the vehicle bat­
tery charge level. The sensors determine the bat­
tery voltage, the battery current, and the battery
temperature. The current charge level and the
performance of the vehicle battery a re deter­
mined based on this.
Idling current management
The idling current management decreases the energy used while parked. With the engine
switched off, it manages the energy dis tribution
to the d ifferent e lectr ica l components. Data from
the battery d iagnosis is taken into account for
t hi s.
97

a)
a)
.... N r-­N .... 0
0
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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. 147 T ir e designations on the side -
wall Ill>
171

Wheels
(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 186.
"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)
172
Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
Ing
R
up t o 106 mph (170 km/h)
s up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 1 18 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) For tires above 149 mph (240 km/h),
tire manufacturers sometimes use the
code "ZR".
(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 ... 2216 ...
means, for example, that the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of
the year 2016.
@ Audi Original Tires
Audi Original equipment tires
with the designation "AO" have
been specially matched to your
Audi. When used correctly, these
tires meet the highest standards
for safety and handling. An au­
thorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility will be
able to provide you with more in­
formation.

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 172.
You may not find
this information on all tires be ­
cause it is not requ ired by law.
1 76
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 186.
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
telltale .
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 180, Treadwear indicator
for more information on measur-
ing tire wear. .,.

Wheel s
Occupant loading and distri­
bution for vehicle normal load
for various designated seat ing
capacit ies
Refer to the tire inflation pres­
sure label ¢
page 181, fig . 150
for the number of seating posi­
tions . Refer to the table¢
table
on page 183
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 gripping properties. Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 350 miles (500 km) with new tires .
.,. Only use tires with the same de­
sign, size (rolling circumference)
and as close to the same tread pattern as poss ible on all four
wheels .
178
.,.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 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 t ire 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.
Applies to: vehicles with all wheel
drive: 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 dam­ aged by different wheel speeds . .,.

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, see ¢
page 199, 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 Audi
Service Facility . Never repair or disassemble
rims yourself, because this increases the risk
of an accident.
Winter tires
Winter tires significantly 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 181.
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great­
ly when the tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .157 in (4 mm). The characteristics 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 could cause
the tires to heat up too much. This increases
186
-
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 provide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fuel
consumption .
(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 with the~ symbol may be per­
mitted.
Snow chains
Snow chains not only improve the driving in win­
ter road conditions, but also the braking.
.,. Only install snow chains on the front wheels .
This applies also to vehicles with a ll wheel
drive* .
.,. Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains after driving a few feet, if necessary. Fol­
low the instructions from the manufacturer.
.,. Note the maximum permitted speed when driv­
ing with snow chains. Do not exceed 30 mph
(SO km/h) .
Use
fine-mesh snow chains. They must not add
more than 0.53 inch (13 .5 mm) in height, includ­
ing the chain lock.
You must remove the snow chains on roads with­
out snow. Otherwise , you could impair driving
ability and damage the tires .
Use of snow chains is only permitted with certain
rim/tire combinations due to technical reasons.
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or author­ i z ed Audi Service Facility to see if you may use
snow chains.

00
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00
& WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains or insta lling snow
chains incorrectly can result in loss of vehicle
control, which increases the risk of an acc i­
dent.
(D Note
Snow chains can damage the rims/wheel cov­
ers * if the chains come into direct contact
wit h them . Remove the wheel covers * first .
Use coated snow chains.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory-equipped with low aspect ra­
tio tires . These t ires have been thoroughly tested
and been se lected specifica lly for you r model for
the ir supe rb performance, road feel and handling
u nder a va riety of d riving conditions. As k yo ur au­
thor ized Audi dealer for mo re de tails.
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is indicated by
a numera l of
55 or l ess in the tire's size desig na­
tion . The numera l rep resents t he rat io of the
tire's sidewall he ight in rela tion t o its tread w idth
expressed in percen tage. Conventional t ires have
a height/w idth ratio of 60 or more .
The performan ce of low -aspect-r atio tire s is par­
ticularly sen sitiv e to impr oper infla tion pre s­
s ure . It is therefore important that low a spect
ratio tires are infl ated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pre ssure is regularl y
checked and ma inta ined . Tire pre ssure s should
be checked at least once a month and alwa ys
before a long trip
c> page 181.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage
Low aspect rat io tires can be damaged more easi­
ly by impact with potholes, curbs, gul lies or
ridges on the road, pa rticularly if the tire is un­
de rinflated .
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the t ires of your ve hicle, we recom­
mend that you observe the follow ing precau­
tions:
Wh eel s
-Always maintain recommended inflat ion pres ­
sures . Check your tire pressure every 2,000
m iles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary .
- Drive carefully on roads wit h potholes, deep
gu llies or ridges . T he impact 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, immed iate 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 a lways
easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of a ir and
unde rinflat ion, wh ic h could eventually cause
t ire fa ilu re . If yo u be lieve th at a t ire may have
been damaged, repla ce the tire as soon as pos­
sible.
- These tires may we ar mo re quickly tha n others.
- Please also remember that, while these tires
de live r responsive ha nd ling, they may ride less
comfort ably and make more noise t han other
choices .
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
All t ires are des igned for certai n pu rposes. The
l ow aspect ratio, ultra h igh performance tires
origina lly installed on your vehicle are intended
for 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 your vehicle
with all-season or winter tires, which offer better
t ract ion under those conditions . We suggest you
u se the recommended s now or a ll-season tires
spe cified for your veh icle, o r the ir equiva lent.
Refer to
c> page 186 for more detailed informa ­
t ion regard ing winter tires.
Uniform tire quality grad ing
- Tread wear
- Traction AA ABC
- Temperature ABC
187

Wheels
- 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 pressure mon itor 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.
@ Tips
- The t ire pressure monitoring system can al­
so stop work ing when there is an ESC mal­
funct ion.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The t ire pressu re monitoring system in your
A udi was calib rated with "A udi Orig inal
Tires"¢ page
178. We recommend t hat you
use these t ires.
Storing tire pressures
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith Tire P ress ure Monitoring System in­
di cato r
.-Make sure before storing that the tire pressures
of a ll fo ur t ires meet the spec ified val ues and
are adapted to the load¢ page
179 .
.-Switc h the ign ition on .
.- Se lect: the
ICARI function button > (Car ) Sys­
tems * co ntro l bu tton > Servicing & che cks >
Tire pre ssure monitoring > Store tire p ressures
> Ye s, s tore now.
(D Tips
Do not store the tire press ures if snow c hains
are insta lled.
190

Emerg ency assis ta nce
- If the spare tire is more than 6 years old,
use it only in an emergency and with ex­
treme caution and careful driving.
- The spare tire is intended only for tempora­
ry and short-term use .
It should be replaced
as soon as possible with the normal wheel
and t ire .
- After mounting the compact spare tire, the
tire pressure must be checked as soon as
poss ible. The tire pressure of the compact
spare tire must be
4.2 bar; otherwise, you
risk having an accident.
- Do not drive faster than SO mph
(80 km/h).
Yo u risk having an accident.
- Avoid full-throttle accelerat ion, heavy brak­
ing, and fast cornering . You risk having an
acc ident.
- Never dr ive using more than one spare
wheel and tire . You risk 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 perm itted. If it is
necessary to drive with t ire chains, the spare
wheel m ust be mounted on the front axle in
the event of a flat in a rear tire. The new ly
available front wheel m ust then be insta lled
in place of the rear wheel with the flat tire.
Installing the tire chain before mounting
the wheel and t ire is recommended.
- Loose items in the passenger compartment
can cause serious perso nal injury during
hard braking or in an accident. Never store
the spare tire or jack and too ls in the pas­
senger compartment.
204
Removing the subwoofer
App lies to : vehicles wit h subwoofer
The subwoofer must be removed before the
spare tire*ltemporary spare tire* can be re­ moved.
Fig . 161 Spare whee l we ll: subwoofe r
Removing th e subwoo fer
.. Remove the cargo floor .
.. Press the connector
tabs @¢fig . 161 togeth­
er .
.. Remove the connector @and set the discon­
nected cable aside.
.. Remove the wing bo lt and then remove the re-
tainer underneath it .
.,. Carefully remove the s ubwoofer .
Insta llin g the sub woofer
.. Carefully place the subwoofer in the rim well.
The word "FRONT" on the subwoofer must face
forward.
.. Insert the connector that was removed .
.,. Secure the subwoofer with the w ing bo lt.
.. Reinse rt the cargo floor .