2009 AUDI S3 ESP

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vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
If you wish to improve comfort when operating the vehicle at
normal load (up to 3 occupants), you can adjust tire pressures to
those specified for normal vehicle load. Before operating the vehicle at maximum load, you must increase the tire pressures to those
specified for maximum vehicle load
=> &.
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring system* can only
monitor the tire pressures you have stored. The system does not
recognize the load condition of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monitoring system* will be impaired if you store normal load pressures but then operate the
vehicle at its maximum load=>&. See
the illustrat ion=>
page 247, fig. 180 for the location of the label
either on driver's side B -pillar or inside the fuel filler flap (color of
the actual label and exact location on the vehicle will vary slightly).
Note that the following table is accurate at the time of going to
press and is subject to change . In the event of discrepancies, the tire
pressure label (on USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is loc ated on
driver's side B-pillar; on Canada vehicles, the tire pressure label is
loca ted either on the driver's side B-pillar or inside the fue l filler
flap.I always takes precedence.
The table below lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
for the Audi model covered by your Owner's Literature at the
vehicle's capacity weight and the tire sizes installed on the respec­
tive models as original equipment, or as a factory option.
Engine
(displace ­
ment in
liter)
Tire designation Tire pressure front
Tire pressure rear
4-cylinder
2.0
205/55 R16 91 H All Season
225/45 R17 94H XL All Season
225/45 R17 94W High Performance
225/45 R17 94Y XL High Performance
225/40 R18 92H XL All Season
225/40 R18 92Y XL High Performance
Compact spare wheel T125/70 R18 normal load
condition (up to
3 occupants)
PSI
36 250
38 260
35 240
35 240
38 260
38 260
60 420
full load
condition
kPA
39 270
39 270
38 260
36 250
41 280
41 280
60 420
normal load
full load
condition (up
condition to 3 occupants)
kPA kPA
30 210
38 260
32 220 38 260
30 210
36 250
30 210
35 240
35 240 41 280
35 240 41 280
60 420
60 420

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•
Engin e Tire designation Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
(displace- normal load normal load
ment in full load
full load
liter ) c
ondit ion (up to
condition c
ondition (up
condition
3 occupants ) to 3 occupants)
PSI PSI kPA PSI kPA kPA
6-cylinder 225/45 R1 7 94H XL All Season 39 41 280 230 41 280
3 .2
225 /45 R17 94V XL High Performance
36 250 38 260 30 2
10
38 260
225 /40 R18 92H XL All Season
4 1 280 44 300 36 250 44 300
225 /40 R18 92V XL High Performance 41 280 44 3 0 0 36 250 44 30 0
Compact spare wheel T125 /70 R18
60 420
60 420
60 4
20
60 420
XL=
reinforced o r extra load tire . It may also appear a s xi , EXTRA LOAD, or RF on t he ti re s id ewa ll.
The correct tire pressure fo r t he spare wheel is located on a label
either on the driver's side B-pi llar or inside th e fuel filler flap .
Beca use technical change s may be ma de to vehicle equip ment
during the mode l year, always compare the tire size designat ion on
the tire p ressure label on your vehic le with the ti res on you r vehicle.
Make sure that the tire size informat ion on the veh icle labe l is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle . T his is especially impor ­
t ant if the veh icle belongs to someone else or you bough t the
vehic le with different rims/tires or you bought the vehicle as a previ ­
ousl y owne d ve hicle.
Remember , your safety and that of your passengers a lso depends
o n mak ing s ure tha t loa d limits are not exceeded . Vehicle load
includes everybody and everything in and on the vehic le. These load
limits are technical ly referred to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating ( "GVWR"). The Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle's two
a xl es . T he Gross Vehic le W eight Rat ing and the Gross A xle Weight
Rating are listed on the safety compliance sticker labe l located
ei the r on the driver's s ide B -pi ll ar or on the i nside of the fuel fill er
flap . T he tire pressure labe l on your Audi lists the maximum
co mbined weig ht o f all of the occupants a nd luggage or oth er ca rgo that t
he ve hicle can carry . For the locatio n of the ti re p ressure la bel
=> page 247, fig. 180.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control , a crash or
other accident , serious personal injury, and even death .
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle wa s designed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handl ing properly and increase the
ri sk of a 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 vehi cle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly
cau sing 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 vehi cle heavier than the
vehicle 's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. _,.
Vehicle care
I t •

Tires and wheels -
----------------
•
• The tire pressures should only b e chec ked and ad just ed wh en
t he tire s are co ld. The s lig ht ly rai se d pre ss u res of w arm tires mu st
not b e reduced .
• Adjust t he tire pressure to the lo ad you ar e carrying.
• Reinstal l the va lve stem cap on the va lve .
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correc t ti re p ress ure is es pec ially im portant a t high speeds. The
press ure s hou ld t here fore be checked at least once a mo nth and
a lways before starting a journey. Do not forget to check the tire pres ­
su re for t he spare whee l=>
page 2 71.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Ad just the tire pressure to the load you are carryin g. After c han ging
a whee l
or replacing whee ls you have to adj ust th e tire pre ssu re s on
a ll w he el s. In add itio n, you must the n initialize the new t ire pres ­
su res in the tire pressure monitoring system*=>
page 264.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinflation can lead sudden tire
failure , loss of control, collision, serious personal injury or even
death .
• When the warning symbol
l.J appears in the instrument
cluster , stop and inspect the tires .
• Incorrect tire pressure and /or underinflation can cause
increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability .
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure , including a blowout and sudden deflation ,
causing loss of vehicle control .
• The driver is responsible for the correct tire pressures for all
tires on the vehicle. The applicable pressure values are located on a st icker on the dr iver 's side B -pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap.
& WARNING (continued )
• Only when all tires on the vehicle are filled to the correct pres­
sure, the tire pressure monitoring system * can work correctly.
• The use of incorrect tire pressure values can lead to accidents
or other damage . Therefore it is essential that the driver observe
the specified tire pressure values for the tires and the correct pres­
sures for the function of the tire pressure monitoring system *.
• Always inflate tires to the recommended and correct tire pres­
sure before driving off.
• Driving with underinflated tires bend more , letting them get
too hot resulting in tread separation , sudden tire failure and loss
of control.
• Excessive speed and /overloading can cause heat build -up ,
sudden tire failure and loss of control.
• If the tire pressure is too low or too high , the tires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle will not handle well .
• If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel
immediately, drive at reduced speed to the nearest service station
to check the tire pressure and add air as required .
0 Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause damage to the tire
va lv es. To p revent this, a lways mak e su re that fac to ry insta lled va lve
stem caps on al l wheels a re sec urely mounted on the va lve .
Underinflated t ires wi ll a lso increase the fue l consumption. •
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehicle and
any tire can ca rry. A ve hicle tha t is ove rlo ade d wi ll not h and le w ell ..,
Vehicle care I t •

Tires and wheels -_______________ _____.
Incorrect wheel alignm ent
Inc orrect wheel alignment ca n cause excessive tire wear, impairing
the safety of the vehicle . If tires show excessive wear, have the
whee l alignment chec ked by an autho rized A udi deale r or qu alifie d
wor kshop .
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro® must always have tires of the same size,
co nst ructi on an d tread type . For detail s see =>
page 196 .
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to lo ss of control, a crash and serious
personal injury!
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down
to the wear indi cators.
• Worn tire s are a safety hazard , they do not grip well on wet
roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning " and loss of control.
• Always keep chemicals that can cau se tire damage , such a s
grease , oil , gasoline and brake fluid away from tires.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly ,
especially at high speeds . Tire s 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 tire s on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previou s hi story. " Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failu re and loss of vehi cle control. •
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
N ew tires a nd wh eels hav e to be b ro ken in.
Fig. 184 T ire spe cificati on c od es on the sidewall of a tire
No .
©
0
©
©
©
©
Descr iption
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nominal width of tire in mi llimeters
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
ii Rim diameter code
Load index an d spee d rating
Vehic le care I I irechnical data

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toring system* would not be able to monitor the tire pressure or
warn yo u if it is n ece ssa ry .
• The battery inside of t he ti re pressure sensor has a l imited
service life.
• Always driv e with the valv e stem caps s ecurely mount ed. We
r ecomme nd u sing fact ory insta lled valve s tem caps . As k your autho­
rized Audi d ealer to replace lost va lve stem caps.
T he installation of rep lacement tires with steel cord body p lies in
the t ir e si dewa ll may caus e malf unc tio n of th e tir e pre ssure mo ni­
toring system*, and is not recommended (cord material informat ion
in mo lded o n th e tire s idewa ll).
Always check your tire pressu re monitoring system* indicator after
r eplacing one o r more tir e s on yo ur veh icle . If the ti re p ressure
monito ring sy ste m* in dicato r flas hes or is illum inated, you r syste m
is not working p ro perl y. Yo ur replacement ti re might be incompat ­
i b le with you r tire p ressu re mo nitoring sys tem*, or some compo ­
nent of the tire pressure monitori ng system* may be damaged.
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and I or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control , collision
and serious personal injury .
• Always use tires , rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica­
tions of original factory-installed tires or other combinations that
have been specifically approved by the vehicle manufacturer.
• 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 history ." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
& WARNING (continued)
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial tires of the same type,
size (rolling circumference ) and the same tread pattern. Driving
with different tires reduces vehicle handling and can lead to a loss
of control.
• If the spare tire is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle - for e xample with winter tires - only use the spare
tire for a short period of time and drive with extra care . Refit the
normal road wheel as soon as safely possible.
• Never drive faster than the maximum speed for which the tires
on your vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faster than
their rated speed can fail suddenly .
• Overloading tires cause heat build-up , sudden tire failure ,
including a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control .
• Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and
not over or underinflated .
• For te chnical reasons it is not always possible to use wheels
from other vehicles -in some cases not even wheels from the
same vehicle model.
• If you install wheel trim discs on the vehicle wheels, make sure
that the air flow to the brakes is not blocked. Redu ced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , increasing stopping distances
and causing a collision.
• Run flat tires may only be used on vehicles that were equipped
with them at the fa ctory . The vehicle must have a chassis designed
for run flat tires and a factory-installed tire pressure monitoring
system * that indicates a loss of tire pressure . Incorre ct use of run
flat tires can lead to vehicle damage or accidents . Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or t ire specialist to see if your vehicle can
be equipped with run flat tires .
If run flat tires are used, they must
be installed on all four wheels . Mixing tire types is not permitted. .,

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•
0 Note
• For technical reasons, it is not genera lly possible to use the
whee l rims from other vehic les. This can hold true for wheels of the
same vehic le type.
• If the spare tire is different from the tires that you have mounted
on your vehicle (for example winter tires or wide p rofile t ires), then
use the spare tire for a short period of time only and drive with extra
care. Rep lace the flat tire with the tire matching the others on your
vehicle as soon as possible.
• If you put d ifferent wheels and tires on your veh ic le (e.g. w inter
whee ls and tires), you must be certain that the wheels and tires are
compatible with the tire p ressure monitor ing system*. Otherwise
the system wi ll register a malfunction and a fau lt message wil l be
displayed. For more infor mation, contact your author ized Audi
dea ler.
0 Note
• When insta lling new tires, be carefu l not to damage the va lves or
t ire p ressu re mon itoring system* sensors .
• Never drive without the va lve stem cap. The va lves could get
damaged.
• I f the sensors must be replaced, then the valve must also be
replaced at t he same t ime.
Dispose of o ld tires in accordance with the local requ irements .•
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tread wear
• Traction AA A B C
• Temperature A B C Qua
lity grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wall
b etween tread shoulder a nd maximu m section width =>
page 255,
fig. 184.
For example : Tread wear 200, Traction AA , Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federa l Safety Require ­
ments in addit ion to these grades.
T read wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate
o f t he tire when tes ted under contro lled condit ions on a specified
government test course.
F o r example, a tire g raded 150 would wear one and one half (1 1 /2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual condi ­
tions o f the ir use, however, and may depart sign ificantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differ ­
ences in road characterist ics and c limate .
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, Band C.
Those grades represent the tire 's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under contro lled cond itions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have
poor t raction performance =>& .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, represent ing
the tire 's resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissi ­
pat e heat when tested u nder con tro lled co nditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high tempera ture can cause the material of t he ti re to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure=>& .
The grade C corresp onds to a level of performance which all
passenger car tires must meet under the Federa l Motor Vehicle
Vehicle care I t •

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•
• After any impact, immediately inspect your tires or have them
inspected by the nearest authorized Audi dealer. Replace a
damaged tire as soon as possible .
• Inspect your tires every 2,000 miles (3,000 km) for damage and
wear . Damage is not always easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, which could eventua lly cause tire fai lure. If
you believe that a tire may have been damaged, replace the tire as
soon as possible .
• These tires may wear more quickly than others.
• Please a lso remember that, whi le these tires deliver responsive
handling, they may ride less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices.
R edu ced p erform an ce in w in te r/ c o ld sea son
co nditi ons
All tires are designed for certain purposes. The low aspect ratio,
ultra high performance tires originally installed on your vehicle are
intended for maximum dry and wet road performance and hand ling.
They are not suitable for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions . If
you drive under those circumstances, you should equip your vehicle
with al l- season or winter tires, which offer better traction under
those conditions . We suggest you use the recommended snow or
a ll- season tires specified for your vehicle, or their equivalent .
Refer to=>
page 260 for more detai led in formation regarding winter
tires. •
Vehicle care I t •

___ T _i_r e_=- p_r_e _ s_ s_ u_r_ e _ m_ o_ n_i_t _o _r_ i _ n .,;:g ::;.._ s_ y=--- s_t _e _m_ * __________________________________________ _
Tire pressure monitoring system*
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressu re monitoring system
General notes ' J
Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inflated to the inflation pressure recom ­
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire
inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has t ires of a d ifferent size
than the size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pres­
sure label, you should determine the proper tire inflation pressure
for those ti res.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a
tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that i lluminates a low tire
pressure tellta le when one or more of your tires is significantly
under-inflated. Accord ingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illu­
minates, you shou ld stop and check your tires as soon as possible,
and inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving on a significantly
under-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure . Under -inflat ion also reduces fuel efficiency and t ire tread
life, and may affect the vehic le's handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire mainte ­
nance, and it is the driver's responsibi lity to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under -inflation has not reached the level to trigger
il luminat ion of the TPMS low tire pressure te lltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS ma lfunction indi­
cator to indicate when the system is not operating proper ly . The
TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with the low tire pressure
telltale. When the system detects a malfunction, the tellta le wi ll
flash for approximately one minute and then remain continuously illuminated. This sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction exists .
When the ma lfunction 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 insta
llation of replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the
vehic le that prevent the TPMS from functioning properly. Always
check the TPMS malfunction tellta le after replac ing one or more
tires or whee ls on your vehicle to ensure that the replacement or
a lternate tires and wheels a llow the TPMS t o continue to funct ion
properly. •
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressur e monitoring system
Introduction
The tire pressure monitoring system monitors air pressure
in all four road wheels while the vehicle is moving.
As soon as the tire p ressure monitoring system senses a significant
loss of air pressure in one or severa l tires, text messages and ye llow
sy mbo ls appear in the instrument cluster display to alert the driver.
The warning light in the instrument cluster comes on when the
tire is significantly underinflated
=> page 13 .
Th e warning light l also i lluminates in the case of a system
malfunction.
Be aware tha t tire pressure is a lso dependent on the temperature of
the tire . For every 18 °F (1 O °C) increase in tire temperature, tire pres ­
sure increases by about 1.5 psi (0 .1 ba r). The tire warms up while the
vehic le is moving and tire pressure rises. So you should adjust tire
pressure on ly when they are
cold, when the temperature of the tires
is roughly the same as the ambient air temperature.
I n order to keep the tire pressure monitoring system properly ca li­
b rated, tire pressure on all four tires shou ld be checked a t regu lar
interva ls, adjusted if necessary, and saved in the proper setting
(reco mmended pressure) :::>
page 266.
The tire pressure is shown either on the driver's side 8 -pi llar or on
the inside of the fuel fi ller flap. _..