flat tire AUDI S3 SEDAN 2015 Owners Manual

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tightened. If necessary, retighten the mountings and check the entire system
from t ime to t ime.
- After mounting a roof rack system, or when
you transport objects on the roof of your ve­
hicle, the height of the veh icle is naturally
increased. Be careful when driving under
l ow bridges or in parking garages for exam­
ple. This could cause damage to the load
and even the vehicle itself.
- Make sure the open rear lid and the sun­
roof* do not come into contact with the roof
rac k.
Loading the roof rack
Always distribute loads evenly . Make sure any­
thing on the roof rack is securely tied down .
... Always distribute the loads on the roof rack
evenly .
... Always attach items to the roof rack securely
before you d rive off .
The maximum perm iss ible roof weight is
165 lb
( 75 kg ). The roof weight is the total of the
weight of the roof rack, the attachments and the
cargo you a re ca rrying . You must also not exceed
the maximum load weight fo r the roof rack you
a re using.
When using a roof rack system wh ich has a lower
l oad carrying capacity, you must not use up the
tota l maxim um permissible load car ry ing capac i­
ty specified above. Inste ad , you shou ld load t he
roof rack system only to the maximum capacity
specified by the manufact urer of the roof rack
system .
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to the roof rack can fa il during
hard brak ing or in a collision and cause seri­
ous personal injury.
- Make sure the roof rack is insta lled exactly
as spec ified above
¢ page 62.
- Always use suitable mounting straps for se­
curing items to the roof rack to help prevent
items from shift ing or f ly ing fo rward.
-
S eat s and stor age
- Items on the roof rac k must always be se­
curely mounted.
- The use of a roof rack can negatively affect
the way a vehicle handles. Cargo that is
large, heavy, bulky, long or flat will have a
greater negative inf luence on the vehicle's
ae rodynamics, center of gravity and overall
h a ndling. Always drive slowly, avoid sudden
b rak ing and maneuvers when transpor ting
cargo on the roof of your veh icle.
- Never exceed the maxim um permissible
load carrying capacity of the roof of your ve­
h icle, the permiss ible axle weights and the
perm issib le tota l we igh t of your vehicle
¢ page 258, Weights .
@ For the sake of the environment
As a result of the increased wind resistance
created by a roof ra ck , your vehicle is using
fuel unnecessarily. So remove the roof rac k af­
ter using it.
63

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Trailer mode Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a tra iler, p lease remember that
the additiona l load will affect d urability, econo­
my and performance .
T railer towing not on ly places more stress on the
vehicle, it a lso calls for more concentrat ion from
the dr iver .
F or this reason, a lways fo llow the operating and
d riving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer we ight. The hitch must be suitable
for your vehicle and trai ler and must be mounted
securely on the veh icle 's chassis at a technically
sound
location . Use on ly a tra iler hitc h with a re­
movable ba ll mou nt. Always chec k w ith the t ra il­
e r hitch m anu fac tur er to make sure that you a re
using the co rrec t hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not i nterfere wit h the impact -absorbi ng
bumper system. No mod ificat ions should b e
mad e to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
Fr om time to t ime, c hec k t hat a ll h itch mou nti ng
bo lts remain sec urely fastened .
When you are no t tow ing a trailer,
remove the
trai ler hitch ball mount . Th is prevents the hitc h
fr om caus ing damage should you r vehicle be
s truck from behind~,&. .
Trailer brakes
If yo ur tra iler is equipped w it h a braking system,
check to be s ure that it conforms to all regu la­
tions.
Trailer mode
T he trailer hyd raulic brake system must not be di ­
rect ly connected to the ve hicle's hydraulic b rake
system .
Safety chains
Always use s afe ty chains be tween your ve hicle
and the tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Tra ile r li ghts must meet all regulations. Be sure
to check w it h your Aud i dea le r fo r corr ect w irin g,
swi tches and relays.
Mirrors
If you a re unable to see the traffic behind you us­
i ng the regular o uts ide mirrors, then you
must in ­
sta ll extended mirrors .
It is importa nt that you
always have clea r vision to the rea r.
_&. WARNING
Afte r removing the trailer hit ch, d o no t store
i t in yo ur vehicle. In ca se of sudden br akin g,
the hitch could fly fo rward and inju re you or
your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum traile r weight
A trai le r fo r you r vehicle is limited to a typi cal
class 1 or class 2 trai le r.
Trailer load distribution
B e sure the load in the t raile r is held secure ly in
pla ce to p revent it from shift ing forward, back­
ward or sideways .
Never allow a pas senger to ride in a trailer~.&.
in Driving instructions on page 92.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder . It
is important tha t the cooling system 's pe rform­
ance is up to the additional load. Make s ure that
the coo ling system has enoug h flu id.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your ve-
hicle to the cold tire pressure listed under "Full
lilJJ..
91

Trailer mode
load" on the label located on the driver's side B ­
pillar (visible when the door is open). Inflate
trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure tra iler safety cha ins are properly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle.
L eave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
ing corners. When you install safety chains, make
sure they will not drag on the road when you are
driving .
The chains should cross under the trai ler tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration .
To obta in the best poss ible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded tra iler when your car itself
is not loaded.
.. Be especia lly careful when passing other
vehicles.
.. Observe speed limits .
.. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.. Always apply brakes early.
.. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty car results
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight. If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easie r to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while
keeping the trailer as light as poss ible under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
92
tow vehicle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more diff icult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind
conditions are unfavorab le -particularly when
going downh ill.
Reduce veh icle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of swaying .
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing tra ile rs are lower than fo r regular
vehicles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving down­
hill, shift int o a lo wer gear to use the eng ine
braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 12 must
be obse rved carefully. The coolant temperature
can increase if you dr ive on long inclines in a low
gear at high engine speeds . Reduce your speed
immediately if the LEDs in the top part of the dis­
play turn on .
For more information abo ut ind icator lights, re­
fer to. ¢
page 19 .
A WARNING
-
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci­
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not proper ly wearing the restraints provided
by Aud i.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a
trai ler because of the additiona l weight and dif­
ferent weight distribution . Safety, performance
and economy will greatly depend on how careful-
ly you load your trailer and operate your r ig. ..,.

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-Please observe information on safe driving
~page 130.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from
being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the
rear lid closed while driving .
- Never transport objects larger than those
fitting completely into the luggage area be­
cause the rear lid cannot be fully closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear lid
open, observe the following notes to reduce
the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power roof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument pan-
el,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all windows,
the power roof* and the rear lid are securely
closed and locked to reduce the risk of injury
when the vehicle is not being used.
-After closing the rear lid, always make sure
that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended espe ­
cially with the rear lid left open . A child
could crawl into the vehicle through the lug­
gage compartment and close the rear lid be­
coming trapped and unable to get out. Be­
ing trapped in a vehicle can lead to serious
personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the vehi­
cle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must al­
ways be properly restrained in one of the ve­ hicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window fog­
ging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure to keep these slots free and open.
Driving safety
-The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure label is lo­
cated on the driver's side B-pillar. The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the vehicle at its
maximum capacity weight and the tires that
were on your vehicle at the time it was man­ ufactured. For recommended tire pressures
for normal load conditions, please see chap­
ter ~
page 224.
' Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with four
tie-downs to secure luggage and other items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo properly
~page 136, Loading the luggage compartment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that even
smaller items that are loose in the vehicle will
become heavy missiles that can cause serious in­
jury. Items in the vehicle possess energy which
vary with vehicle speed and the weight of the
item. Vehicle speed is the most significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed of
30 mph (48 km/h) , the forces acting on a 10-lb
(4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the normal
weight of the item. This means that the weight
of the item would suddenly be about
200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the injuries
that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying freely through
the passenger compartment could cause in a col­
lision like this.
A WARNING
-Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to tie-downs can fail during hard
braking or in a collision and cause serious per­
sonal injury .
- Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shifting or flying forward as dan­
gerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded down,
always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
137

Tires and wheels
Tires and wheels
Wheels
General information
~check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, crac ks
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.
~ Mark 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 i n those seasons. Audi recom­
mends using winter tires dur­
i ng the winter months. Low
temperatures significantly de­ crease the elasticity of summ­
er tires, which affects traction
214
and braking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold tem­ peratures, 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. 168 Tire specification codes on the
sidewall of a tire .,_

Tires and wheels
be happy to provide more infor­
mation .
® Mud and snow capabilit y
"M/S" or "M+S" indicates the tire
has characteristics that make it
suitab le for driving on mud and
snow.
& indicates a winter tire.
@ Compos ition of the tire cord
and materi als
The number of plies indicates the
number of rubberized fabric lay­
ers in the tire. In general : the
more laye rs, the more weight a
tire can carry. Tire manufacturers
must also specify the materials
used in the tire. These include
steel , nylon, polyester and other
materials.
@ Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the maxi ­
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry.
@ Uniform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature
resistance
Treadwear, traction and tempera­
ture ranges r:>
page 231.
@ Running direction
The arrows indicate the running
direction o f unidirectional tires .
216
You m ust always follow the speci­
fied runn ing direction
.:> page 245.
@ Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
This number indicates the maxi ­
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated under normal operat­
ing condit ions .
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined we ight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto­
matic transmission, power stee r­
ing, power brakes , power win­
dows, power seats, radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are available as fac to ry-in­
stalled equipment (w hether in ­
stalled or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the width of the tire in percent .
Numbers of 55 or lower ind icate a
low si dewall for imp roved steer­
ing response and better overa ll
handling on dry pavement . .,.

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
...

Tires and wheels
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Ma ximum (permissible )
inflation pres su re
means the max imum cold infla­
tion pressure to which a tire may be inflated. Also called "maxi­
mum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the number of occupants
seated in the vehicle up to the to­
tal seating capacity of your vehi­
cle .
Occupant d istribution
means distribution of occupan ts
in a vehicle .
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of an
inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the l inear distance be ­
tween the exteriors of the side­
walls of an infla ted tire, including
elevations due to labeling , deco­
rations, or protective bands or
ribs.
2 18
Ply
means a layer of rubber -coated
parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the comb ined weight of
those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
items which they rep lace, not pre ­
viously considered in cu rb 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 co rds that extend to the
beads are laid at substantially 90
deg rees to the centerline of the
tread.
Recommended inflation
pressure
see ~ page 217 , Cold tire infla­
tion pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at higher in­
flation pressures than the corre­ sponding standard tire. Rein ­
forced tires may be identified as

"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