wheel AUDI S3 2010 Service Manual

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused parts
of a motor vehicle.
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused parts of a
motor vehicle. Tires are, however, one of the most important parts
of a vehicle, particu larly considering the comparatively small patch
of rubber on each tire that assures that all -important contact
between you, your vehic le and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, making sure that your vehicle
and its tires do not have to carry more weight than they can safely
handle, avoiding damage from road hazards and regularly inspecting tires for damage inc luding cuts, s lashes irregular wear
and overa ll condition are the most important things that you can do
to help avoid sudden tire failure including tread separation and
blowouts.
A vo iding d am age
If you have to drive over a curb or similar obstac le, drive very slowly
and as close as possible at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemica ls including grease, oi l, gaso line and brake
fluid off the tires.
Inspect the ti res regu larly for damage (cuts, cracks or b listers, etc.l .
Remove any foreign bodies embedded in the treads.
Storing tir es
Mark tires when you remove them to indicate the direction of rota ­
t ion. This ensures you to be able to mount them correctly when you
reinstal l them. When removed, the wheels or tires shou
ld be stored in a coo l, dry
and preferably dark place.
S tore tires in a vertical pos it ion if they a re not mounted on r ims, in
a horizonta l position if they are mounted on rims.
New tir es
New tires have to be broken in=>&.
The tread depth of new ti res may vary, according to the type and
make of tire and the tread pattern.
H idd en damage
Damage to tires and rims is often not readily visible. If you notice
unusual vibration or the vehicle pu lls to one s ide, this may indicate
that one of the tires has been damaged . The tires must be checked
immediately by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
Unidire cti ona l t ires
A unidirectional tire can be identif ied by arrows on the sidewa ll, that
point in the direction the tire is designed to rotate . You must fo llow
t he specified directio n of rotation . This is necessary s o that these
tires can develop their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance . For more information
=>
page 277.
& WARNING
New t ires o r ti re s th at a re old , worn or d am aged cann ot pro vid e
maximum cont rol and braking ability .
• New tires te nd to be slippery and mu st be bro ken in . To redu ce
the ri sk o f lo sin g co ntro l, a collis ion and serious per sonal injurie s,
dri ve w ith special care f or the fi rst 350 m ile s ( 560 km l.
• Driving w ith w orn or damaged tire s can lead to lo ss of control ,
sudd en tir e fa ilure , inc ludi ng a blowout a nd sudden defl atio n, ..,_

__________________________________________________ T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ __
•
& WARNING (continu ed )
crashes and serious personal in jur ies . Have worn or da maged t ires
replaced immediately .
• Tires age even if they are not being u sed and can fail suddenly ,
especially at high speeds. T ires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then w ith special care and at
low speed.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the co mbined we ig ht ( in excess o f those sta nda rd items
which may be rep laced) of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power w indows, powe r seats, rad io, a nd heater, to
the extent that these items are avai lab le as factory-installed equip­
m ent (w hether insta lled or not).
Aspect ratio
means t he ratio o f th e height to t he w idt h of the tire in perce nt.
N umbers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewa ll for improved
steer ing respo nse and b ette r overall ha ndl ing on dry pave ment.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is made of stee l wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdow n of the bond be tween co mponents i n the bead.
Cord
means the strands fo rmi ng the plies in the ti re.
& W ARNING (continued )
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history. " Old used t ire s may ha ve been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and lo ss of vehicle control.
• If you noti ce unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving , always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage . •
Cold tire inflation pressure
mea ns t he ti re pressure reco mm ended by the ve hicle ma nufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been d riven for more tha n
a cou ple o f miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in t he t hre e ho ur per iod
before the tire pressure is measured or ad justed .
Curb weight
means the weight of a moto r vehic le with standard equipment
i nc lud ing the max imu m capac ity o f fue l, o il, and coola nt, a ir c ond i­
tioning and additiona l weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire designed to ope rate at higher loads and at higher infla­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Extra load tires
my be identified as "XL",
"xi", "EX TRA LOA D", or "RF" on the side ­
wa ll.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the load -carrying capacity of a sing le ax le system, measured
at the ti re -ground interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR "l
means the ma ximum tot al l oade d weigh t of the vehicle.
Vehicle care I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread ribs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated to carry for a given
inflation pressure . You may not find this information on all tires
because it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at the maximum permissible infla­
tion pressure for that tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure to which a tire may be
in flated. Also called "maximum inflation pressure ."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the number of occupants
seated in the vehicle up to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of an inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewalls of
an inflated tire, including elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber -coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
items which they replace, not previously considered in curb weight
or accessory weight, including heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack, heavy duty battery, and special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords that extend to the
beads are laid at substantially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Recommended inflation pressure
see =:> page 243, "Cold tire inflation pressure".
Reinforced tire
means a tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher infla­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced
tires my be identified as "XL", "xi", "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 purchase new tires to match the new rim diam ­
eter.
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .

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•
vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured .
If yo u w is h to impr ove co mfort w hen op erati ng th e vehicle at
n or mal load (u p to 3 occup ants), y ou ca n adj us t t ire pr essures to
tho se spe cified for normal vehicle load. Before oper ating the vehicle
a t m aximum lo ad , you mu st in cre as e t he t ire pre ssure s to t hose
s pecified for ma ximum vehi cle load =>
&.
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring system * can only
monitor the tire pressu res you have stored. The syste m 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 maximum load=>& . See the
illustration=>
page 246, fig. 173 for the location of the label
either o n driver's side 8 -p illar or inside the fue l filler flap (color of
the actual label and exact location on the vehicle will vary slight ly).
Note that the following tab le is accurate at the time of going to
press and is subject to change . In the event of discrepancies, the t ire
pressure label (on USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on
driver's side 8-pillar; on Canada vehic les, the tire pressure label is
located either on the driver's side 8-pi llar or inside the fuel filler
flap.) always takes precedence .
The table below lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
for the Audi mode l covered by your Owner's Literature at the
vehic le's capacity weight and the tire sizes installed on the respec­
tive models as original equipment, or as a factory option.
Engin e
(displ ace­
ment in
liter )
Tire d es ig nation Tir e pr essur e front Tir e pr essur e rear
4-cylinde r
2 .0 TF SI (ga s­
o line) 2
05 /55 R16 91H All Se aso n
225 /45 R17 91W High Performanc e
22 5/45 R1 7 94H XL All Season
2 2 5/45 R17 94V XL High Performan ce
2 25 /40 R18 92V XL High Performance
Comp act spare wheel T12 5/70 R18
norm al lo ad
condit ion (up to
3 o ccup ants )
36 250
35 240
38 260
35 240
38 260
60 420 full lo
ad
condition
PSI kPA
39 270
38 260 39 270
36 250
41 280
60 420
Vehicle care
norm
al lo a d
full load
condition (up
condition
to 3 o ccup ants )
kPA kPA
30 210
38 260
30 2 10 36 250
32 220 38 260
30 2
10
35 240
35 240 41 280
60 420
60 420
I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Engine Tire designation Tire pressur e front Tire pressure rear
(displace- normal load normal load
ment in full load
full load
liter) condition (up to
condition c
ondition (up
condition
3 o ccupants ) to 3 occupants)
PSI kPA PSI kPA kPA kPA
4-cylinder 205 /55 R16 91H All Season 36 250
39 270 3
0 210
36 250
2
.0 TDI (clean 225 /45 R17 94H XL All Season 38 260 41
280 32 220 38 260 diesel)
225/45 R17 94Y XL High Performance
35 240 38 260 30 2 10 3 5 24 0
225 /40 R18 92Y XL High Performan ce 35 240
38 260 30 210 38 260
Compact spare wheel T125
/70 R18 60 420
60 420
60 420
60 420
XL
= reinfo rced or ext ra load t ire . It may als o appea r as xi , EXTRA LOAD , or RF on the tire s idewall.
The correct t ire pressure for the
spare wheel is located on a label
either on the driver's side B-pillar or inside the fue l filler flap.
Because technica l changes may be made to vehicle equipment
during the mode l year, always compare the tire size designat ion on
the tire pressure la bel on y our vehicle with the tires on your vehicle.
Make sure tha t the t ire size information on the veh icle labe l is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle. This is especially impor ­
t ant if the vehicle belongs to someone e lse or you boug ht the
vehic le with different rims/tires or you bought the vehicle as a previ ­
ously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your passengers a lso depends
on making su re tha t load limits a re not exceeded . Vehicle load
inc ludes everybody and everything in and on the vehicle. These load
limits are technically referred to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle's two
ax les. The Gross Vehicle We ight Rat ing and the Gross Ax le Weight
Rating are listed on the safety comp liance sticker labe l located
e it he r on the d river's side B-pillar o r on the i nside of the fuel f iller
flap. The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the maximum
combined we igh t of all o f th e occupa nts and luggage o r other cargo t
hat the vehic le can carry. For the location o f the tire pressure labe l
=> page 246, fig. 173.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehi cle can cause los s of vehicle control , a crash or
other accident, serious per sonal injury, and even death .
• Carrying more weight th an your vehicle was de signed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the
risk of a loss of vehicle control.
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe distance .
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded c an fail suddenly
cau sing loss of control and a crash .
• Alway s make sur e that the total load being tran sported -
including the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehicle heavier than the
vehicle 's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating . _.,

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
• The tire pressures should only be checked and adjusted when
t he tires are cold . The s lig htly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced .
• Adjust the ti re pressure to t he loa d you are carrying.
• Reinstal l the valve stem cap on the valve.
When should I c heck the tire pressure?
The correct ti re p re ssure is especially impo rtant at h ig h speeds . The
pressure should the re fore be checked a t le ast once a month and
a lways before starting a journey. Do not forget to check the tire pres ­
sure for the spare whee l
::::> page 269.
When should
I adjust the tire pressure s?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are carrying. A fter chang ing
a wheel
or r eplac ing whee ls you have to adjus t th e tire pre ssures on
a ll whee ls. In addit io n, you must the n initia lize the new t ire pres ­
sures in the tire pressure monitoring system* =>
page 263.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can lead sudden tire
failure, los s of control, colli sion , serious personal injury or even
death .
• When the warning symbol appears in the instrument
c luster , stop and inspect the tire s.
• Incorrect tire pressure and /or underinflation can cause
increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability .
• Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinfla tion can also lead to
sudden tire failure , including a blowout and sudden deflation ,
causing loss of vehicle control .
• The driver is responsible for the correct tire pressures for all
tires on the vehicle. The applicable pre ssure values are located on
a sticke r on the driver 's side B -pillar o r on the inside of the fuel
filler flap.
& WARNING (continued )
• Only when all tires on the vehicle are filled to the correct pre s­
sure , the tire pres sure monitoring sy stem * can work correctly.
• The use of incorrect tire pressure values can lead to accidents
or other damage . Therefore it is e ssential that the driver observe
the specified tire pressure v alue s for the tires and the correct pres­
sures for the function of the tire pre ssure monitoring system* .
• Always inflate tires to the recommended and correct tire pres ­
s ure before driving off.
• Driving with underinflated tires bend more , letting them get
too hot re sulting in tread separation , sudden tire fa ilure and loss
of control.
• Excessive speed and /overloading can cause heat build -up ,
sudden tire failure and loss of control.
• If the tire pressure is too low or too high, the tires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle will not handle well.
• If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel
immediately , drive at reduced speed to the nearest service station
to che ck the tire pressure and add air as required .
0 Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause damage to the tire
va lves. To prevent this, always make sure that fac tory ins talled va lve
stem caps on all whee ls are securely mounted on the valve.
Underinflated tires wi ll also increase the fuel consumption. •
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehic le and
any tire ca n carry. A vehicle that is ove rlo aded wil l n ot h andle wel l ...

Tires and wheels -
----------------
•
and is more difficult to stop. Overloading can not only lead to loss
of ve hicle control, but can a lso damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire failure, inc luding a blowout and
sudden deflation that can cause the vehic le to crash.
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load includes every ­
body and everything in and on the veh icle . These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR"l.
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic vehicle, al l factory
insta lled accessories, a full tank of fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
plus maximum load. The maximum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is intended to carry ("seating capacity")
with an assumed weight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each passenger at a
designated seating position and the total weight of any luggage in
the vehicle. If you tow a trailer, the weight of the trailer hitch and the
tongue weight of the loaded trai ler must be included as part of the
vehicle load .
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is the maximum load that
can be applied at each of the vehic le's two axles .
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety compliance sticker label located either on
the driver's side B-pillar or on the inside of the fuel filler flap. Your
Audi has 5 seating positions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for total
seating capacity of 5. Each seating position has a safety belt
=> page 135, "Safety belts".
The fact that there is an upper limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating means that the total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehicle (including the weight of a trailer hitch and the
tongue weight of the loaded trailer) is limited. The more passengers
in the vehicle or passengers who are heavier than the standard
weights assumed mean that less weight can be carried as luggage .
T he tire pressure label on your Audi also lists the maximum
combined weight of all of the occupants and luggage or other cargo that the vehicle can carry.
For the location of the label
=> page 246,
fig. 173.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury , and even death .
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the
risk of the loss of vehicle control.
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe distance.
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly,
including a blowout and sudden deflation, causing loss of control
and a crash.
• Always make sure that the total load being transported -
including the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehicle heavier than the
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating .•
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to calculate the
total weight of the passengers and
luggage or other things that you plan to
transport so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overloaded.
~
Vehicle care I t •

-Tires and wheels
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE COMBINED
WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehicle's placard (tire infla­
tion pressure label)~ page 246, fig. 173.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from "XXX" kilo­
grams or "XXX" pounds shown on the
sticker ~ page 246, fig. 173.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will
be five 150 lbs. passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs. (1400-750 (5
X 150) = 650 lbs.) 5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces the avail­
able cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
- Check the tire sidewall (~ page 254,
fig. 177) to determine the designated load rating for a specific tire. •

Tires and wheels -_______________ _____.
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of different things
including proper installation and balancing, correct tire
pressure and driving style.
(r
\'"-----JJ
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
Fig . 175 Tire tread:
tread wear indicators
(TWI)
Fig . 176 Rotating tires
for more even wear
The original tires on your vehicle have 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear
indicators":::::, fig. 175 running across the tread. Depending on the
make, there will be six to eight of them evenly placed around the
tire. Marks on the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other symbols)
indicate the positions of the tread wear indicators. Worn tires must
be replaced. Different figures may apply in other countries.:::::,&.
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at least once a month .:::::,
page 249.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration and hard braking
increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rear tires are rotated according to the
tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals. Please
remember the following:
• Tire rotation intervals may differ from the vehicle service inter­
vals outlined in your Warranty
& Maintenance Booklet.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, the
more it wears at certain points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer 's suggested tire rotation intervals.
• Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience more tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all-wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Please rotate tires as shown .:::::, fig. 176.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
:::::, page 277.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various situa­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unbal ­
anced, resulting in vibrations you can usually feel through the
steering wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tires. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed. _,,
Vehicle care I I Technical data

___ T_ i_ r_e _s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e _ ls _________________________________________________ _
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause excess ive tire wea r, im pairing
the safety of the vehic le. If tires show excessive wear, have the
whee l alignment c hecked by an au th o rize d Audi deale r or qualifie d
wo rkshop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro® must always have tires of the same size, c ons truc tion and tread type. F or details see ~ page
19 4.
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to los s of control, a crash and serious
personal injury !
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down
to the wear indicators .
• Worn tires are a safety hazard, 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 dam age , such as
grease, oil , gasoline and brake fluid aw ay 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 history." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and los s of veh icle control. •
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New t ires and wheels h ave t o be broke n in.
Fig . 177 T ir e specif ication cod es on the sidewall of a tir e
No.
©
0
©
©
©
©
Description
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nominal width of tire in millimeters
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
Rim diameter code
L o ad in dex and s peed ra ting