AUDI S3 2015 Owners Manual

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Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehi­
cle and any tire can carry. Ave­
hicle that is overloaded will not
handle well and is more diffi­
cult to stop. Overloading can
not only lead to loss of vehicle
control, but can also damage
important parts of the vehicle
and can lead to sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and
sudden deflation that can cause
the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your
passengers also depends on
making sure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and every­
thing in and on the vehicle.
These load limits are technical­
ly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the
weight of the basic vehicle, all
factory installed accessories, a
full tank of fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids plus maximum
load. The maximum load in­
cludes the number of passen­
gers that the vehicle is intend-
Tires and wheels 249
ed to carry ("seating capacity")
with an assumed weight of 1
SO lbs (68 kg) for each pas­
senger 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 trailer 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 vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rat­
ing and the Gross Axle Weight
Rating are listed on the safety
compliance sticker label locat­
ed on the driver's side 8-pillar.
Your Audi has 5 seating posi­
tions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for total seating capacity
of 5. Each seating position has
a safety belt¢
page 135, Safe­
ty belts.
The fact that there is an upper
limit to your vehicle's Gross Ve­
hicle Weight Rating means that
the total weight of whatever is
being carried in the vehicle (in­
cluding the weight of a trailer ""
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250 Tires and wheels
hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer) is limited.
The more passengers in the ve­ hicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard
weights assumed mean that
less weight can be carried as
luggage .
The 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
q page 240, fig. 168 .
_& WARNING
~ -
Overloading a vehicle can
cause loss of vehicle control,
a crash or other accident, se­
rious 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 vehi­
cle within a safe distance . -Tires
on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail
suddenly, including a blow­
out 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 vehicles
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat­
ing .
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to cal ­
culate the total weight of the
passengers and luggage or oth­
er things that you plan to trans­ port so that you can make sure
that your vehicle will not be
overloaded.
Steps for Determining
Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OC­
CUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX .,..

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KG OR XXX LBS" on your ve­
hicle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)
c:> page 240,
fig. 168.
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­ sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3 . Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and pas­ sengers from
"XXX" kilo ­
grams or
"XXX" pounds
shown on the sticker
c:> page 240 , fig. 168.
4. The resulting figure equals
the available amount of car­
go and luggage load capaci­
ty. For example, if the "XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs.
and there will be five 150 lbs. passengers in your vehi­
cle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load ca­
pacity 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.
Tires and wheels 251
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trail­
er will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual
to determine how this re­
duces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
~check the tire sidewall
(¢ page 254, fig . 172) to de­
termine the designated load rating for a specific tire.
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252 Tires and wheels
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends
on a lot of different things in­
cluding proper installation and
balancing, correct tire pressure
and driving style.
Fig. 170 Tire tread: tread wear indi­
cators (TWI)
Fig. 171 Rotating tires for more even
wear
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The original tires on your vehi­
cle have 1/16 inch (1.6 mm)
high "wear indicators"
¢ fig. 170 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
¢ ..1.. .
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 245.
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 ac­
cording to the tire manufactur­
er's suggested tire rotation in­
tervals. Please remember the
following:
-Tire rotation intervals may dif­
fer from the vehicle service in­
tervals outlined in your War­
ranty
& Maintenance booklet. ""

-The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle,
the more it wears at certain points; therefore, we recom­
mend that you follow the tire
manufacturer's suggested tire
rotation intervals.
-Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience more tread
wear on the front wheels com­ pared to all-wheel drive (quat­
tro).
-Please rotate tires as shown
¢ fig. 171.
-Extra care must be taken when
rotating direction-specific
tires
Q page 2 74.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various sit­
uations during everyday driving
can cause them to become un­
balanced, resulting in vibra­
tions you can usually feel
through the steering wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be re­
balanced to avoid excessive
wear on steering, suspension
and tires. A wheel must also be
rebalanced when a new tire is
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Tires and wheels 253
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can
cause excessive tire wear, im­pairing the safety of the vehi­
cle. If tires show excessive
wear, have the wheel alignment checked by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop.
All-wheel drive
Vehicles with quattro must al­
ways have tires of the same size, construction and tread
type. For details see
¢ page 193 .
.8, WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead
to loss of control, a crash and serious personal injury!
-Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
-Worn tires are a safety haz­ ard, they do not grip well on
wet roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning" and
loss of control.
-Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage, such
-
as grease, oil, gasoline and
brake fluid away from tires.
~
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254 Tires and wheels
-Tires age even if they are
not being used and can fail
suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more
than 6 years old can only be
used in an emergency and
then with special care and at lower speeds.
-Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have
been damaged even though
the damage cannot be seen
that can lead to sudden tire
fa ilure and loss of vehicle
control. New tires and replacing
tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to
be broken in.
Fig. 172 Tire specification codes on
the sidewall of a tire
No. Description
CD Passenger car tire (where
applicable)
@ Nominal width of tire in
millimeters
@ Ratio of height to width
(aspect ratio)
@) Radial
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rat -
1ng
0 U .S . DOT tire identifica-
tion number

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No. Description
® Audi Original tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and materials used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and
temperature grades
@ Maximum permissible in-
flation pressure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the vehicle's design.
The tires and rims approved by
Audi are specially matched to
the characteristics of the vehi ­
cle and can make a major con ­
tribution to good road holding
and safe handling when in good
condition and properly inflated
¢ ,&.
We recommend that all work
on tires and wheels be per­
formed by an authorized Audi dealer. They are familiar with
recommended procedures and
have the necessary special tools
and spare parts as well as the
proper facilities for disposing of
the old tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have
the necessary information
Tires and wheels 255
about technical requirements
for installing or changing tires and rims.
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and not individu ­
ally (for example both front
tires or both rear tires togeth­ er).
Be sure to read and heed the in­
formation to the tire pressure monitoring system
i=> page 264.
Always buy replacement radial
tires that have the same specifi­
cations as the tires approved
for your vehicle by Audi. Re­
placement tires must always
have the same load rating spec­
ification as the original equip ­
ment or approved optional tires
listed in the table
c> page 240.
Audi-approved specification
tires are specially matched to
your vehicle and its load limits, and can contribute to the im­portant roadholding, driving
characteristics, and safety of
the vehicle. The table
{ c> page 240) lists specifica­
tions of the tires approved for
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256 Tires and wheels
the Audi models covered by
your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure label located
on driver's side B-pillar
(¢ page 240, fig . 169) lists the
specifications of the original
equipment tires installed on
your vehicle at the time it was
manufactured .
Federal law requires tire manu­
facturers to place standardized
information on the sidewall of
all tires
¢ fig. 172. This infor­
mation identifies and describes
the fundamental characteris­
tics, the quality grade of the
tire and also provides a tire identification number for safety
standard certification and in
case of a recall.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications
makes it easier to choose the
correct tires . Radial tires have
the tire specifications marked
on the sidewall, for example:
255/40 R 19 100 H XL
This contains the following in­
formation :
P Indicates the tire is for pas­
senger cars (where applica­
ble)
255 Nominal tire width in mm
of the tire from sidewall
edge to sidewall edge. In
general, the larger the num­
ber, the wider the tire
40 Height/width ratio in per­
cent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Radial
19 Rim diameter code (in in-
ches)
100 Load rating code
H Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD" or
"RF") Indicates that the tire
is a "Reinforced" or an "Extra
Load" tire
M+S (or "M/5 ") Indicates that
the tire has some mud and
snow capability
The tires could also have the in­
formation of direction of rota­
tion
¢ page 234.
Tire manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is also
indicated on the tire sidewall
(possibly only on the
inner side
of the wheel) : .,..

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"DOT ... 2214 ... " means, for ex­
ample, the tire was produced in
the 22nd week of 2014.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on
the wheels indicates the maxi ­
mum permissible road speeds
¢ &. in Winter tires on
page 261.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (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)1
)
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)1
)
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)1
)
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)1
)
Your vehicle is normally factory
equipped with tires, which pos­
sess excellent driving character­
istics and give your Audi opti­
mum driving comfort. An elec­
tronic speed limiter¢
page 31
will normally prevent your vehi-
1) For tires with a maximum speed ca­
pability over 149 mph (240 km/h),
tire manufacture rs sometimes use
the let ters "ZR."
Tires and wheels 257
cle from going faster than the
tire speed rating ¢
&.-
U.S. DOT Tire Identification
Number (TIN) and tire
manufacture date
This is the tire's "serial num­
ber". It begins with the letters
"DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal stand­ ards. The next two numbers or
letters indicate the plant where
it was manufactured, and the
last four numbers represent the
week and year of manufacture.
For example, the numbers
2214 mean the tire was pro­
duced in the 22nd week of 2014. The other numbers are
marketing codes that may or
may not be used by the tire
manufacturer. This information
is used to contact consumers if
a tire defect requires a recall.
Audi Original tire
Tires with the identification "AO" or "RO" have been special­ly matched with your Audi. We
recommend using only these
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258 Tires an d whee ls
tires because they meet the
h ighest standards regarding
safety and driving characteris ­
tics when used correctly. Your
authorized Audi dealer w ill
g ladly provide you with more
information.
Tire ply composition and materials used
T he number of plies indicates
the number of layers of rubber­
coated fabric in the tire. In gen­
eral, the greater the number of
plies , the more weight a tire
can support . Tire manufactur­
ers also must indicate the ma­
ter ia ls in the tire, wh ich include
steel, nylon, polyester, and oth­
ers .
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the max­
imum load in kilograms and
pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for
treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, trac tion and tem­
perature grades
¢ page 260.
Maximum Permissible
Inflation Pressure
T his number is the g reatest
amount of air pressure that should ever be put in the tire
under normal driv ing condi­
tions.
A WARNING
-Using incorrect or unmatch­ ed tires and/or wheels or
improper t ire and wheel
combinations can lead to loss of control , collision and
ser ious personal injury.
-Always use tires, rims and
wheel bolts that meet the
specifications of original
factory-installed tires o r
other combinations that
have been specifically ap ­
proved by the vehicle manu­
facturer.
- Tires age even if they a re
not being used and can fail
sudden ly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that a re more
than 6 years old can on ly be
used in an eme rgency and
then with special care and
at lower speeds.
-Never mount used tires on
your vehicle if you are no t