wheel AUDI S3 SEDAN 2015 Repair Manual

Tires and wheels
different tire speeds. For this rea­
son, in case of emergency, only
use a spare tire* that is the same
circumference as the regular tires.
.&,. WARNING -
-Only use tire/rim combina­
tions and suitable wheel bolts
that have been approved by
Audi. Otherwise, damage to
the vehicle and an accident could result.
-For technical reasons, it is not
possible to use tires from oth­
er vehicles - in some cases,
you cannot even use tires from
the same vehicle model.
-Make sure that the tires you select have enough clearance
to the vehicle. Replacement
tires should not be chosen
simply based on the nominal size, because tires with a dif­
ferent construction can differ greatly even if they are the
same size . If there is not
enough clearance, the tires or
the vehicle can be damaged
and this can reduce driving
safety and increase the risk of
an accident.
-Only use tires that are more
than 6 years old when abso-
222
lutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
-Do not use run-flat tires on
your vehicle. Using them when not permitted can lead to ve­
hicle damage or accidents.
-If you install wheel covers on
the vehicle, make sure they al­
low enough air circulation to
cool the brake system. If they
do not, this could increase the
risk of an accident.
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 169 Tire profil e: treadwear indica­
tor
Tire wear
Check the tires regularly for wear.
-Inflation pressure that is too low
or high can increase tire wear
considerably.
-Driving quickly through curves, rapid acceleration and heavy
braking increase tire wear.
..

"' N
~
-Have an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty check the wheel alignment if
there is unusual wear.
-Have the wheels rebalanced if an imbalance is causing noticeable
vibration in the steering wheel.
If you do not, the tires and other
vehicle components could wear
more quickly .
Treadwe ar indic ato r
Original equipment tires contain
treadwear indicators in the tread pattern, which are bars that are
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high and are
spaced even ly around the tire per­
pend icular to the running direc­
tion
¢ fig. 169. The letters "TW I"
or triangles on the tire sidewall indicate the location of the tread­
wear indicators.
The tires have reached the mini­ mum tread depth
l) when they
have worn down to the treadwear
indicators. Replace the tires with
new ones¢ &.
Whe el rot ation
Rotating the wheels regularly is
recommended to ensure the tires
;;; l) Obey any applicable regu lation s in your ~
~ country . ....
Tires and wheels
wear evenly. To rotate wheels, in­
stall the wheels from the rear
axle on the front axle and vice ver­
sa. This will allow the tires to
have approximately the same
length of service life.
F or unidirectional tires, make sure
the tires are installed according to
the running direction indicated on
the tire sidewall¢
page 245.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims can of­
ten occur in locations that are hid ­
den. Unusual vibrations in the ve­
hicle or pulling to one side may
indicate that there is tire damage .
Reduce your speed immed iately .
Check the tires for damage. If no
damage is visible from the out­
side, drive slowly and carefully to
the nearest authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Fa­
cility to have the vehicle inspect ­
ed.
A WA RNING
-
Tread that has worn too low or
different tread depths on the
tires can reduce driving safety.
This can especially have a
223

Tires and wheels
negative effect on handling, on
the risk aquaplaning when driv­ ing through water, when driv­
ing through curves and when
braking, which increases the
risk of an accident.
Tire pressure
Fig. 170 Driver's side B-pillar: tire pres­
sure label
"' -
( fa (_,__,., TOl... I """" I ~- I)~-~ l ~ • .......-OIJI\ACl'..I TOTAL ltNAHt --.,-. . ~
-KPA. a PSl
Fig. 171 Tire pressure label
The correct tire pressure for tires
mounted in the factory and for
the spare tire* is indicated on a la­ bel. The label is located on the B­
pillar
¢fig. 170, r=:>fig. 171.
When the vehicle is partially load­ed (up to 3 people), use the tire pressure specified for normal
224
loads c:> table on page 226. If
driving the vehicle when fully loaded, you must increase the tire
pressure to the maximum speci­
fied pressure ¢&, .
Checking/correcting tire
pressure
•Check the tire pressure at least
once per month and also check it before every long drive.
•Always check the tire pressure
when the tires are
cold. Do not
reduce the pressure if it increas­
es when the tires are warm.
•Check the label ¢
fig. 171 for
the correct tire pressure based
on vehicle load.
•Correct the tire pressure if nec­
essary .
•Vehicles with Tire Pressure Moni­
toring System*: store the modi­
fied tire pressure in the Infotain­
ment system ¢
page 234.
•Check the pressure in the emer ­
gency tire*/spare tire*. Always
maintain the maximum temper­
ature that is specified for the
tire.
A WARNING
Always adapt the tire pressure
to your driving style and vehicle load. .,.

-Overloading can lead to loss of
vehicle control and increase the risk of an accident. Read
and follow the important
safety precautions in
¢ page 22 7, Tires and vehicle
load limits.
-The tire must flex more if the
tire pressure is too low or if the vehicle speed or load are
too high. This heats the tire up
too much. This increases the risk of an accident because it
can cause the tire to burst and result in loss of vehicle con­
trol.
-Incorrect tire pressure increas­
es tire wear and has a negative
Tire pressure table
Please note that the information
contained in the following table
was correct at the time of print­ ing, and the information is sub­
ject to change. If there are differ­ ences between this information
and the tire pressures specified on the label on the driver's side B­
pillar, always follow the specifica­
tion on the B-pillar label
¢ page 224, fig. 170.
Tires and wheels
effect on driving and braking
behavior, which increases the
risk of an accident.
Replace lost valve caps to re­
duce the risk of damage to the
tire valves .
@ For the sake of the environment
Tire pressure that is too low in­
creases fuel consumption.
(1) Tips
Audi recommends using the
tire pressure specified for a nor­mal load
¢ table on page 226
or for a full load when the vehi­
cle is partially loaded.
Make sure that the tire designa ­
tion on your tire matches the des­ ignation on the tire pressure label
and the tire pressure table .
The following table lists recom­ mended tire pressures in cold
tires according to the load and
the size of the tires installed.
225

Tires and wheels
Model/ Tire designation Tire pressure
Engine Normal load Maximum load
(up to
3 people)a>
front rear front rear
PSI kPA
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
A3 sedan: 225/45 Rl 7 91 Y
30 210 26 1 80 3 5 2
4 0
35 2
4 0
l.BL High Performance
4 cylinders 225/40 Rl8 92Y XL
35 240 32 220 35 240 35 240
(Ga so lin e
High Performance
en gine )
225/45 Rl7 91H
32 220 29 200 39 270 39 270
All Season
225/40 Rl8 92H XL
35 2
40
32 22 0 39 27
0
39 2
70
All Season
235/35 Rl9 91 Y XL 33 230 32 220 35 240 35 240
High Performance
A3 sedan: 225/45 Rl7 91Y
30 21
0 28 190
36 2
50
36 2
50
2.0L High Performance
4 cylinders 225/40 Rl8 92Y XL
35 240
32 220 36 250 36 2 50
(G asolin e
High Performance
e n gine)
225/45 Rl 7 91H
33 230 30 210 41 280 41 280
All Season
225/40 R18 92H XL
36 250 33 2 30 41 28 0 4
1
28 0
All Season
235/35 Rl9 91YXL
35 240 32 220 36 250 36 250
High Performance
A3 sedan: 225/45 Rl7 91Y
30 210 28 190
36 2
50 3 6 250
2.0L High Performance
4 cylinders 225/40 Rl8 92Y XL
35 24
0
32 22 0 36 250 36 250
(D ie se l en -
High Performance
gi ne)
225/45 Rl 7 91H
33 230 30 210 41 280 41 280
All Season
225/40 Rl8 92H XL
36 25
0
33 23
0 41 2 80 41 2 80
All Season
235/35 Rl9 91 Y XL
35 240 32 220 36 250 36 250
High Performance
53 sedan: 225/40 Rl8 92Y XL
39 270 36 250 42 290 42 290
2.0L High Performance
4 cylinders 225/40 Rl8 92H XL
38 260 35 24
0 4 1
28 0 4
1
280
(G asolin e
All Season
e n gine)
235/35 Rl9 91YXL
39 270 36 250 44 300 44 300
High Performance
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire sidewall.
a) 2 people in the front, 1 person in the rear
226

.&_ WARNING
Please note the important safe­
ty precautions regarding tire pressure ¢
page 224 and load
limits¢
page 227.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehicle
and any tire can carry . A vehicle
that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more difficult to stop .
Overloading can not only lead to
loss of vehicle control, but can al­
so damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden
tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation that can
cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your pas ­
sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex­ ceeded. Vehicle load includes ev­
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehi­ cle's
Gro ss Vehicle We ight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic vehicle, all factory in­
stalled accessories, a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
Tires and wheels
plus maximum load . The maxi­
mum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is in ­
tended to carry ("seating capac i­
ty") with an assumed weight of
150 lbs . (68 kg) for each passen­
ger at a designated seating posi­
tion 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 includ­ ed as part of the vehicle load.
The
Gross Ax le Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two ax les.
T he fact that there is an upper
limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi ­
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehic le (inc luding
the weight of a trai ler hitch and
the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited. The more pas­
sengers in the vehicle or passen­
gers who are heavier than the
standard we ights assumed mean
that less weight can be carried as luggage.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating .,..
227

Tires and wheels
are listed on the safety compli­
ance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar
¢ page 224,
fig. 170 .
& WAR NING
-
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other acc ident, serious per­
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and in­ crease 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 sud­
denly, including a blowout and
sudden deflation, causing loss of control and a crash.
-Always make sure that the to­ tal load being transported -
inc luding the weight of a trail­
er hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer -
does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
228
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to calcu­
late the total weight of the pas­
sengers and luggage or other
things that you plan to transport so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overload ­
ed.
Step s for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WE IGHT OF OCCU ­
PANTS AND CARGO SHOULD
NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
L BS"on your vehicle's placard
(tire inflation pressure label)
¢ page 224, fig . 170 .
2. Determine the combined
weight of the drive r and pas­
sengers that will be riding in
your vehic le.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers
from "XXX" kilograms or "XXX"
pounds shown on the sticker
¢ page 224, fig . 170 .
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity . For ex­
ample, if the
"XXX" amount
equals 1400 lbs . and there will ...

M N
0 > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
1.1'1
1.1'1
,....,
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
ex­
ceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calculat­
ed in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your vehi­
cle. Consult this manual to de­
termine how this reduces the available cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle.
.,.Check the tire sidewall
(c> page 214, fig. 168) to deter­
mine the designated load rating
for a specific tire.
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must be clean and loosen/tighten
easily.
Rims
Rims with a bolted rim ring* or with bolted wheel
covers* consis t of mul tiple pieces. These compo­
nents were bolted together using special bolts
and a special procedure . You must not repair or
disassemble them
Q ,& .
Tires and wheels
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 tightening specifi­
cation, refer to~
page 242, A~er 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 less traction 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
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv­
ice Facility can inform you about the maximum
permitted speed for your tires.
.. Check the tire pressure after installing wheels
Qpage 224.
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 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
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the tire to burst.
229

Tires and wheel s
-Always adapt your driving to the road and
traff ic conditions. Dr ive carefully and red uce
yo ur speed on icy or slippery roads. Even
winter tires can lose tract io n 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 a nd ice. Summer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fuel
consumptio n.
(D Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
w inte r tires. Please note that in some coun­
t ries w here winter tires are requ ired, on ly win­
t er tire s wi th the .& symbol may be pe rm it­
t ed.
Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow .
.,. Only install snow chains on the front wheels.
Th is applies also to veh icles with all wheel
drive* .
.,. Ch eck and correct the seating of th e snow
c h ains if necessa ry afte r dri ving a few feet. Fo l­
l ow the ins tructions from the manuf acturer.
.,. Note t he max imum permit ted speed w hen driv ­
ing with snow chains . Do not exceed 30 mph
(SO km/h).
Snow chains not only improve the
driving in win ­
ter road conditions, but a lso t he
braking .
Use of s now chai ns is o nly pe rm itted with certa in
r im/t ire comb ina tion s due to techn ica l reason s.
Chec k w ith an au thori zed A udi d ealer or au tho r­
ized A udi Service Facility to see if yo u may use
snow cha ins.
Use
fine -mesh snow chain s. They mus t not add
mo re th an 0 .5 3 inch ( 13.S mm) in height, in clu d­
ing the chain lock.
You must remove the chai ns when dr iv ing on
roads tha t are
free of snow. W hen r oads are free
of snow, snow chains can imp air handling an d
230
'
damage the tires, and the chains wi ll quick ly be
dest royed.
A WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains o r insta lling snow
cha ins incor rectly can res ult in loss of veh icle
c o ntrol, which increases the risk of an acc i­
dent.
(D Note
- Snow chains can damage the rims/wheel
cove rs* if the c hains come into direct c on­
tact with them. Remove the wheel covers*
first . Use coa ted snow cha ins.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your A udi is fac to ry-eq uipped w ith low aspect ra­
t io t ires. These t ires have been thoroug hly tes ted
a nd been sele cted specifi ca lly f or your mode l for
the ir su perb pe rformance, r oad fee l and h andlin g
u nder a var iety of dr iv ing con ditions. As k your au ­
t h orized Aud i dea le r fo r more details .
The low aspe ct ratio of these tires is ind icated by
a n umer al of
55 or less in the t ire's s ize design a­
tion . The nume ral represents the ratio of the
ti re's si dewall height in relatio n to its tread width
expressed i n pe rcentage. Conventional tires have
a height/width rat io o f 60 o r more .
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tire s is par­
ticularly sensitive to imprope r inflation pres­
sure. It is therefore important that low aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pressure is regularly
checked and maintained. Tire pressures should be checked at least once a month and always
b efor e a long trip
Q page 224 .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect rat io tires can be damaged mo re eas i­
l y by impact w ith potho les, c urbs , g ull ies o r
r idges on t he road, pa rti cularly if th e tire is un ­
der i nflated.

M N
0 > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
1.1'1
1.1'1
,....,
In o rder to m inim ize the occu rrence o f impac t
damage to the t ires of your vehicle, we recom ­
mend that you observe the following precau ­
tions :
- Always maintain recommended in flat ion p res ­
s ur es . Check yo ur tire p ress ure every 2,000
miles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary.
- Drive carefu lly on roa ds with potholes, deep
gul lies or ridges. The impact from driving
th ro ugh or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest a u­
thorized Aud i dea ler . Replace a damaged tire as
soon as poss ible .
- Inspect your t ires every 2,000 miles (3 ,000 km)
for damage and wear. Damage is not always
easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of a ir and
underinflation, which cou ld eventually cause
t ir e fa il ur e.
If yo u be lieve that a ti re may h ave
been d amaged, rep lace the tire as soon as pos­
s ible.
= T hese tires m ay we ar m ore q uic kly than ot hers.
- Please a lso remember that, wh ile thes e tir es
deliver respons ive handling, t hey may ride less
c o m fort ably and m ake more noise t han other
cho ices .
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
All t ires are des igned for cert ain purposes. The
l ow aspec t ratio, u ltra high per formance tires
originally insta lled on yo ur vehicle a re intended
for maximum dry and wet road perfo rmance an d
h andling. They are not suitable for cold, snowy or
icy weather cond it ions . If you drive under those
circumstances , you should equip your vehicle
w ith a ll-season or winter tires , which offer better
traction under those cond itions . We suggest you
use the re commended snow o r a ll-s eason t ires
specified fo r you r vehicle , or the ir eq uivalent.
Refe r to ¢
page 229 for mo re deta iled informa ­
tion regard ing winter tires .
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
Tires and wheels
- Traction AA A B C
- Temper ature A BC
Quali ty g rades can be found where applicab le on
t h e tire side wa ll between tread shoulder a nd
max imum sec tion wid th
~ page 214, fig . 168.
For example: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA, Tem ­
perature
A.
All passenger car t ires must conform to Federa l
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.
Tread wear
T he tread wear g rade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the t ire when tested
u nder contro lled c onditions on a specified gov­
ernment test course.
F or example, a tire gra ded 15 0 wo uld wear one
and one half (1 1/2) times as we ll on the govern­
ment course as a t ire g raded 100.
T he re lative per forman ce of tires depends upon
t h e actual cond itions of thei r use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driv ing habits, service p ract ices and
differences in road c haracteristics and climate.
Traction
T he traction gra des, from highest to lowest, are
AA , A , Ban d
C. Those g rades represent t he tire's
ability to stop on wet pavement as meas ured un­
der contro lled conditions on specified govern­
ment test s urfaces of asphalt a nd c oncrete . A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
~ A .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the t ire's resistance to the
generation of heat a nd its ability to diss ipate
heat when tested u nder cont ro lled conditions on
a spec ified indoor labora to ry test wheel.
Sustained h igh temperature can cause the mate­
ria l of the tire to degenerate and reduce ti re life,
and excess ive temperature can lead to s udden
t ir e fail ure¢ ,&. . .,,.
231