run flat AUDI S3 SEDAN 2015 Owners Manual

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 . .,.

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.
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If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with t ire p ressure monitoring syste m
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system malfunction.
F ig. 172 Instrument cluster: in dicator light w ith message
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor­
ing system compares the tire tread circumference
and v ibration characterist ics of the ind ividual
tires.
If the pressure changes in one or mo re
tires, th is is indicated in the instrument cluster
d isp lay w ith an ind icator light
RE and a message
¢
fig. 172. If only o ne tire is affected, the loca ­
tion of that ti re will be indicated . The message
turns off after a few minutes . You can display the
message again
r::;,page 29.
The tire p ressu res m ust be stored in the menu
disp lay aga in each time the pressures change
(switching between partia l and full load pres­
sure) or after changing or replac ing a tire on your
ve hicle¢
page 234. The tire pressure monitor­
ing system only monitors the tire pressure you
have stored. You can find the recommended tire
pressures for your vehicle on the label on the
driver's door pillar¢
page 224.
Tire tread circumference and vibration character­
istics can change and cause a tire pressure warn­
in g if:
- If the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the tire has structural damage,
- The tire was replaced or the tire pressure
changed and it was not stored again
¢ page 234.
-the spare tire is insta lled .
Tires and wheels
Indicator lights
RE -Loss of pressure in a t least one tire ¢ ,&.
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary.
Check/correct the pressures of all four t ires. Then
store the tire p ressu res in the MMI ¢
page 234.
film (T ire Pressure Mon itor ing Sys tem) Tire pres­
s ure: Sy stem malfunction!. If@m
appears after
switching the ignition on or while driving and the
RE ind icator light in the instr ument cluster
blinks for approximate ly one minute and then
stays on, there is system malfunction. Try to
store the correct tire pressures ¢
page 234. If
the indicator light does turn off or turns on aga in
after a short period of time, dr ive to an author­
i zed Audi dea ler or author ized Audi Serv ice Facili­
ty immed iate ly to have the malfunction corre ct­
ed.
,&. WARNING
- If the tire pressure warning light RE in the
i n str ument cluster turns on, the pressure in
one or more tires is too low . Reduce the ve­
h icle speed immediate ly and avoid any hard
steer ing or braking maneuvers. Stop as soon
as poss ible, check the tire and inf late the
tire to the correct pressure, which is speci­
fied on the t ire p ress ure label on the vehicle
r::;, page 224. Driv ing with a tire with Low
p ressu re causes the tire to overhea t and c an
resul t in fa il ur e of the tire . Low pressure can
a lso have a negative effect on the driving
and b rak ing behavior of t he vehicle .
- T he drive r is respons ib le for main taining the
correct ti re press ures . You must check the
tire pressures regu larly .
- Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
driving style, winter conditions or unpaved
roads), the pressure monitor indicator may
be de layed.
- Do not use run-flat tires on yo ur vehicle . Us­
ing them when not permitted can lead to
veh icle damage or acc idents.
(D Tips
- The tire pressure monitoring system can al­
so stop working when t here is an ESC mal-
function. ..,.
233

Emergency assistance
Emergency assistance
Luggage compartment
lid emergency release
The luggage compartment can be opened from
the inside in an emergency.
F ig. 1 73 Sect ion of t he luggage compartment: access to
t h e emergency release
To reach the emergency release mechanism, the
rear bench seat backrest must be folded down
~page 60
.,. Push the latch upward in the direct ion of the ar­
row unt il the lock releases.
The trunk escape handle inside th e rear lid is
made of fluorescent material to glow in the dark.
A WARNING
The trunk escape handle is to be used only in
an eme rgency .
(D Tips
The emergency re lease lever should never be
used as a handle for closing the rear lid.
General information
.,. Park the veh icle as far as possib le from moving
traffic in the event of a flat tire. In the event of
a flat tire, park the vehicle on a leve l surface . It
you are on a steep incline, be especially careful.
.,. Set the parking brake .
.,. Place the selector lever in the P pos ition .
.,. Swi tc h the eme rgency flashers on .
.,. Put on a reflective vest, if ava ila b le .
.,. Set up the war ning triang le, if available.
240
.,. Have the passengers exit the vehicle. They
should move to a safe p lace, for example be­
hind a guard ra il.
A WARNING
Pay attention to the steps above. They are for
your p rotection and the for the safety of other
drivers.
A WARNING
"'
Imp roper use of the vehicle jack can cause se-
rious pe rsonal injuries.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bolts cannot
attain the necessa ry tight ening torque if yo u
use the hex head, p oten tially cau sing an ac­
cide nt.
- The factory-s upplied jack is intended only
for your veh icle mode l. Unde r no c ircum­
s tances shou ld i t b e used t o lift heavy
veh icles or othe r loads; you risk inj uring
yourse lf.
- Never start the engi ne when t he vehicle is
raised, which could ca use a n accident .
- Suppor t the vehicle secu rely w it h a ppropri­
ate stands if work is to be performed under ­
neath the vehicle; otherw ise, there is a po ­
tential risk for injury .
- Never use the jac k supplied with your Aud i
on another vehicle, part icu lar ly on a heavier
one. The jack is on ly suitable for use on the
veh icle it came with.
(D Tips
-Some of the onboard it ems listed above are
provided on certai n models only or are op­
t ional extras.
- Before stor ing the jack*, make sure it is
wound back down as far as it wi ll go.