Tire size AUDI S3 SEDAN 2015 Owners Manual

Seats and storag e
-Loose objects in the passenger compart­
ment can fly forward during abrupt maneu­
vers or acc idents and injure occupants.
- Always store objects in the luggage com­
partment and use suitable straps, particu­
larly with heavy objects.
- When you transport heavy objects, a lways
remember that a change in the center of
gravity may result in a change in the veh i­
cle's handling character istics.
- Follow all warnings
Q page 130, Driving
safety .
(D Tips
The tire pressure must be adjusted to the load
- see the tire pressure sticker located on the
driver's side B-pillar.
General information
.&, WARNING
Refer to the chapter Dr iving Safely
Q page 130, Driving safety for important in­
formation, tips, suggestions and warnings that you should read and fo llow for your own
safety and the safety of your passengers.
Increasing the size of the luggage
compartment
The rear seat backrests can be folded forward ei­
ther separately or together.
Fig. 56 Backrest: release lever (left side, example)
Folding the backrest forward
.,. Push the co rresponding head restraint down­
ward ¢
page 56.
60
.,. Press the release leve r@ in the direction of the
arrow.
.,. Fold the backrest forward .
Folding th e backre st back into the upright
po sition
.,. Fold the backrest down until it latches securely
¢ ,&. .When you can no longer see the red mark
on the pin@, the seat is latched.
.&, WARNING
- The backrest must be latched securely to en­
sure that the safety belt is protecting the
cent er seating position .
- The backrest must be securely latched so
objects cannot slide forward o ut of the lug­
gage compartment du ring sudde n brak ing .
- Always make sure the backrest is latched
comp letely by pulling forward on it .
- Make sure the safety belt is not caught in
the doo r hinges or the seat fittings and
damaged.
- Torn or frayed safety be lts can break, and
be lt ancho rs can b reak du ring a collision .
Check the safety be lts regularly. Safety belts
w it h noticeable damage to t he webb ing,
bi ndings, b uckles o r ret ra ctors m ust be re­
placed.
(D Note
- If you move the front seat back when the
rear seat backrest is folded forward, you
c o ul d damage the head res traints on the
rear seat. If necessary, remove the rear seat
head restraint before moving the front seat
back
- Make su re the safety belt is not pinched in
the back rest lock and damaged when the
rear seat backrest if folded back. Other ob­
jects should be removed from the rear
bench seat to protect the rear backrest from
damage .

M N
0 > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
1.1'1
1.1'1
,....,
(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
¢ A in
Winter tires on page
229.
"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)
Tires and wheels
Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
ing
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 (149.13 mi/h)al
z above 149 mph (240 km/h)3l
w up to 168 mph (167.77 mi/h)al
y up to 186 mph (186 .41 mi/h)a)
a) Tire manufacturers sometimes use "ZR"
for tires with a maximum speed above
149 mph (240 km/h).
(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 ... 2214 ...
means, for example, that the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of
the year 2014.
@ Audi Original equipment
tires
Audi Original equipment tires
with the designation "AO" or "RO"
have been specially matched to
your Audi. When used correctly,
these tires meet the highest standards of safety and handling.
An authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility will
1111-
215

Bead
means the part of the tire that is
made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is
shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond
between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the
plies in the tire .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recom­
mended by the vehicle manufac­
turer for a tire of a designated
size that has not been driven for
more than a couple of miles (kilo­
meters) at low speeds in the three
hour period before the tire pres­
sure is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve ­
hicle with standard equipment in­
c luding the maximum capacity of
fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi ­
tioning and add itional weight of
optional equipment.
E xtra load t ire
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at higher in -
Tires a nd whe els
flation pressures than the corre­
spond ing standard tire. Extra load
tires may be identified as "XL",
" xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on
the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight R ating
( " GAWR")
means the load -carrying capacity
of a single axle system, measured
at the tire-ground interfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(" GVWR ")
means the maximum total loaded
weight of the vehicle.
Groove
means the space between two ad­
jacent tread ribs.
Load rating (code )
means the maximum load that a
tire is rated to carry for a given in ­
flation pressure . You may not find
this information on all tires be­ cause it is not required by law.
Ma ximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at
the maximum permissible infla­
tion pressure for that tire.
Ma ximum loaded vehicle
weight
means the sum of:
217
...

"XL" "xl" "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 di ameter
means nominal diameter of the
bead seat. If you change your
wheel size, you will have to pur­
chase new tires to match the new rim diameter .
Rim size de signation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between
rim flanges.
Side wall
means that portion of a tire be ­
tween the tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code )
means the speed at which a t ire is
designed to be driven for extend ­
ed periods of time . The ratings
range from 93 mph ( 150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)¢
table
on page 215.
You may not find
this information on all tires be­
cause it is not required by law .
Tires and wheels
The speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and indicates the
maximum permissible road
speeds
¢ .& in Winter tires on
page 229 .
Tire pressure mon itoring
system *
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehicle's
tires are underinflated and illumi ­
nates a low tire pressure warning
telltale .
Tread
means that portion of a tire that
comes into contact with the road .
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread
from the tire carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI )
means the projections w ithin the
principal grooves designed to give
a visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread. See
¢ page 223, Treadwear indicator
for more information on measur­
ing tire wear .
219
...

Occupant loading and distri­
bution for vehicle normal load
for various designated seating
capacities
Refer to the tire inflation pressure
labe l
c:::> page 224, fig. 171 for
the number of seating positions .
Refer to the table
c:::> table on
page 226
for the number of peo ­
ple that correspond to the vehicle
normal load.
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all work on tires or wheels performed by
an authorized Audi dea ler or au ­
thorized Audi Service Facility.
These facilities have the proper knowledge and are equ ipped with
the required tools and replace­
ment parts .
.,,. New tires do not yet have the
opt imum adhesion properties .
Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 350 m iles
(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 .
Tires a nd whe els
.,,. 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 different ly even if
they are the same size
c:::> ,& .
.,,. 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
c:::> ..1,. .
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 d riv e 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
22 1

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.
..

-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
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un­
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No.
109 . Grades Band A represent higher levels
of pe rformance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law .
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor­
nering, hydroplaning or peak traction charac­
teristics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is estab­
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla­
tion, or excessive loading, either separate ly or
in combination, can cause heat buildup and
possible tire failure.
A WARNING
Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over or underinflat ­
ed .
Tire pressure monitoring
system
CD General notes
Applies to veh icles: w ith tire pressure monitoring system
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat ­
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label.
(If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la­
bel, you should determine the proper tire infla­
tion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure tell­
tale when one or more of your tires is significant ­
ly under-inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
232
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure . Driving on a signifi­
cantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over­
heat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and stop ­
ping ability .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re­
sponsibility to maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pres­
sure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate when the sys­
tem is not operating properly. The TPMS mal­
function indicator is combined with the low t ire
pressure tel ltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi­
mately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start -ups as long as the ma l­
function exists .
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated,
the system may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or
more t ires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly .