2009 AUDI S3 Owners Manual

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

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
0
©
G)
@
U.S. DOT tire identification number
Audi Original tire
Tire ply composition and materials used Maximum load rating
Treadwear, traction and temperature grades Maximum permissible inflation pressure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the vehicle's design. The
tires and rims approved by Audi are specially matched to the char­ acteristics of the vehicle and can make a major contribution to good
road holding and safe handling when in good condition and prop ­
erly inflated =>& .
We recommend that al l work on tires and wheels be performed by
an authorized Audi dealer . They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary special tools and spare parts as
we ll as the proper facilities for disposing of the old tires .
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about tech ­
nical requirements for insta lling or changing tires and rims .
Rep lac ing t ires a nd w heels
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and not individually (for
example both front tires or both rear tires together) .
Be sure to read and heed the tire pressure monitoring system*
information :::>
page 257.
Always buy replacement radial tires t hat have the same specifica ­
tions as the tires approved for your vehicle by Audi . Replacement
tires must always have the same load rating specification as the
original equipment or approved optional tires listed in the table
=>
page 247.
Audi -approved specification tires are specially matched to your
vehic le and its load limits, and can contribute to the important road- holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle
. The table
( =>
page 247) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure label located either on driver's side 8 -pi llar or
inside the fuel fi ller flap( =>
page 247, fig. 181 l lists the specifica­
tions of the original equipment tires installed on your vehicle at the
time it was manufactured.
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized infor­
mation on the sidewa ll of all tires=>
page 255, fig. 184. This informa ­
tion identifies and describes the fundamenta l characteristics, the
quality grade of the tire and also provides a tire identification
number for safety standard certification and in case of a recall.
T ire s pec ific ation s
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the
correct tires. Radial tires have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewal l, for example:
P 22 5 / 45 R 17 91H XL
This contains the following information:
P Ind icates the tire is for passenger cars (where applicable)
2 25 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire from sidewall edge to s ide -
wall edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider the tire
45 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Radial
17 Rim diameter code (in inches)
91 Load rating code
H Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xi", "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF ") indicates that the tire is "Rein­
forced" or an "Extra Load" tire
M +S (or "M/S"l Indicates that the tire has some mud and snow capa ­
bility
The tires cou ld also have the information of direction of rotation
=>
page 243 .

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•
T ire manu fact uring da te
The manufacturing date is a lso indicated on the tire sidewall
(possibly only on the
inner side of the wheell:
"DOT ... 2207 ... " means, for example, that the tire was produced in
the 22nd week of 2007 .
Speed ratin g (let te r cod e)
The speed rating letter code on the wheels indicates the maximum
permissible road speeds=>
& in "Winter tires" on page 260.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R upto106mph(170km/h)
S upto110mph(180km/h)
T upto118mph(190km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H upto 130mph(210km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)6>
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)6>
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)6>
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)61
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped with tires, which possess
excel lent driving characteris tics and give your Audi optimum
driving comfort. An e lectronic speed limiter=> page
21 will normally
prevent your vehicle from going faster than the tire speed rating
=> & .
U.S . D OT T ire Ident ifi cation Nu mber (TIN ) and tire
m anu fac ture date
This is the tire's "seria l number" . It begins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets all federal standards . The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured,
and the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufac-
61 For tires with a maximum speed capability over 149 mph (240 km/h), tire
manufacturers sometimes use the letters "ZR."
ture. For example, the numbers 2207 mean that the tire was
produced in the 22nd week of 2007. The other numbers are
marketing codes that may or may not be used by the tire manufac­
turer. This information is used to contact consumers if a tire defect
requires a recall.
Audi Origin al tire
Tires with the identification" AO" or "RO" have been specially
matched with your Audi. We recommend using only these tires
because they meet the highest standards regarding safety and
driving characteristics when used correctly . Your authorized Audi
dea ler will glad ly provide you with more information .
Maximum L oad Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in kilograms and pounds
that can be carried by the tire.
Tir e qu ality gra din g for tr eadw ear, trac tion, a nd
t emper atu re resi stan ce
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades=> page 259.
Max imum P ermi ssibl e Inf latio n Pre ssure
This number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever
be put in the tire under normal driv ing conditions .
Repla cing tires or rims on vehicl es equipp ed with tir e
pre ssure monit oring sy stem *
The wheels on your vehicle are equipped with a sensor which
constant ly monitors the air pressure ins ide the t ire, and then trans ­
mits this information to the tire pressure monitoring system *. If you
are going to replace the wheel rims on your vehic le, make sure the
new rims also have these sensors . The sensors must be compatible
with the tire pressure monitoring system* on your veh ic le.
If you instal l rims that do not have the sensors or have sensors
which are not compatible, then the tire pressure monitoring
system* wil l not work properly. In this case, the tire pressure moni -..
Vehicle care I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
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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Safety Standard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher leve ls of
performa nce on th e la boratory test w hee l tha n the minim um
requ ired by law .
& WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this t ire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests , and does not include acceleration ,
cornering , hydroplaning or peak traction characteristi cs.
& WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire th at is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Exces sive speed , underinfla­
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or in combination , can
cause heat buildup and possible tire failure. •
Winter tires
Win ter tires can im prove veh icle ha ndl ing on sno w and
i c e. A t te mp eratu res belo w 4 5 °F (7 ° C) w e r eco mme nd
c ha ng in g to winter tir e s.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments may require true
winter o r "snow" tire s, those with ve ry deeply cut tread. These tires
should only be used in pairs and be insta lled on a ll four wheels .
M ake s ure you p urchase snow ti res that are the same s ize and
construct ion type as the other ti res on your vehicle.
If your vehic le is equipped with al l-wheel drive *, this will improve
t rac tion dur ing winter dr iv in g, eve n with the standard tires .
However, we strongly recommend that you a lways equip all four
whee ls on y our vehicle with correc tly fitted winte r tires or all-seas on
tires, when winter road conditions are expected . Th is a lso improves
t he ve hic le 's brak ing perfo rmance an d reduces s top ping distances .
Summer ti res p rovide less grip on ice and snow. Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all four whee
ls .
Compatible ti re pr essu re monitoring sensors* must be insta lled on
a ll four winter tires for the t ire pressure monitoring system* to func ­
tion proper ly :::::> page
257.
Ask your aut hori zed Audi deale r or quali fied w orksho p for perm itte d
winter tire size s. Use only radial winter tires.
Wi nter tires lose thei r effec tiveness when the tread is worn down t o
a depth of 0. 157 inch (4 mm).
On ly drive with winter tires under winter conditions. Summer tires
h an dle better when there is no s now or ice on t he roads a nd th e
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °C) .
I f you have a flat tire, see n otes on spare w hee l :::::> page
255.
Please a lways remembe r that w inte r tires may have a lower speed
r ating than the tires original ly instal led on your vehic le at the time
i t was manu fac tured. Please see:::::> page
257, "Speed ra ting (letter
code)" for a listing of the speed rating letter codes and the
m ax imum speed at which t he ti res ca n be drive n.
T he speed rating letter code(:::::, page
257! is on the side wa ll of the
ti re :::::> page
255.
& WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits that may be lower than
your veh icle's ma ximum speed . Always know the maximum speed
before driving off . Never drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific winter tires . This will cause damage to the tires
leading to an accident and serious personal injury to you and your
pa ssengers.
& WARNING
Driving faster than the ma ximum speed for whi ch the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause tire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation , los s of control , crashes and serious _.,

__________________________________________________ T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ _
•
& WARNING (continu ed )
personal injur ies . Have worn or damaged tires repl aced immed i­
ately.
• Winter tires have ma ximu m speed rating th at may be lower
than your vehicle 's maximum speed.
• Never drive faster than the speed for which the winter or other
tire s installed on your vehicle are rated.
& WARNING
Alway s adjust your driving to the road and traffi c cond it ions .
Never let the good acceleration of the winter tires and all -wheel
drive tempt you into tak ing e xtra ri sks . Always remember :
• When braking , an all -wheel drive vehicle h andles in the same
way as a front drive vehicle .
• Drive carefully and reduce your speed on icy and slippery roads ,
even winter tires cannot help under black ice conditions.
c£> For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather conditions permit. T hey are
quieter, d o not wear as qu ic kly and reduce fue l con sump tion. •
Snow chains
Snow c ha ins may be fitte d only to t he fr ont w heels , and only to
certain t ire sizes. Ask your authorized Audi dea ler on which tire
s izes snow chains ca n be used .
I f you are going to use snow chains , then you must instal l them on
the front whee ls at least.
The snow chains must have low-pro file l inks and must not be thicker
than 0 .5 3 inch ( 13 .5 mm), including the lock. Remove wheel center covers and trim discs before putting snow
chains o
n yo ur vehicle ~
(D. For safe ty reaso ns cover caps mus t
then be fitted over the whee l bolts . These are available from autho ­
r iz ed A ud i deale rs.
& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chain s for your vehicle or installing them
inco rrectly can increase the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
• Snow chains are ava ila ble in d ifferent si zes . Always make sure
to follow the instructions provided by the snow chain manufac ­
turer .
• When driving with snow chain s never drive faster than the
speed permitted for your spe cific snow cha ins .
• Always observe local regulations .
0 Note
• Remove snow chai ns before d riving o n roads not cov ered w ith
snow to avoid damaging t ires and wearing the snow chains down
unnecessar ily .
• Snow chains, which come into direct contact with the wheel rim,
can scratch or damage it . Therefore, make sure t hat the s now c hains
are suitably covered. Check the position of the snow chains after
dr iv in g a few ya rds and cor rec t if necessary . Fo llow the i nstruct ions
from the snow cha in manufacturer when do ing so.
[ i ] Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory on certain roads, this normally
a lso a ppl ies to veh ic les wit h All Wheel Drive .•
Vehicle care I t •

_L_T~ir ~e :..:s~ a~n~ d~ w~ h ~e~e~ l~ s '.,_ ______________________________________________ _
Wheel bolts
W heel b olts mus t al wa ys be tigh te n ed to t he cor rect
to rqu e.
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the factory instal led rims . If
d ifferen t rims are fitted, the co rrect w heel bo lts wit h th e rig ht length
and correctly shaped bolt heads m ust be used. This ensures that
w hee ls are fitt ed s ecure ly a nd th at t he brake sys te m funct ions
correctly .
I n certain circums tances, yo u may no t use w heel b olts fr om a
differ ent vehicle -even if it is the same mode l.
&_ WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel bolts can become loose
causing loss of control, a collision and serious personal injury.
• Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs
clean so the wheel bolts can turn easily and be properly tightened.
• Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel
hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or oiled,
even if tightened to the specified torque .
• Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed.
• Never use different wheels bolts on your vehicle.
• Always maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel
bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low , they can loosen and come out when the
vehicle is moving . If the tightening torque is too high, the wheel
bolts and th reads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose .
0 Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is 90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a
t ole ranc e of ± 7,4 ft lb(± 1 0 Nm). To rque whee l bolts diag onally.
After changing a wheel, the torque must be checked as soon as possible with a to
rque wrench -preferab ly by an authorized Audi
dea ler o r qu alif ied wo rksh op.•
Low aspect ratio tires
Yo ur Audi is fac tory-equip ped wi th l ow asp ect rati o tires. Th ese tires
have been thorough ly tested and been selected specifically for your
mod el for thei r su per b p erfo rma nce, road feel an d handl in g u nder
a variety of driving conditions . Ask your author ized Aud i dea ler for
mo re deta ils.
T he low aspec t ra tio o f th ese t ires is ind icate d by a numera l o f 55 or
less in the t ire's size designation. The numera l represents the ratio
of the ti re's s idewa ll height in re la ti on to its tread w idth e xpress ed
in percentage. Conventiona l tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
mo re .
The performance of low -aspect -ratio t ires is part icularly sensitive to
improper inflation pressure . 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 pres­
sures should be checked at least once a month and alway s before a
long trip=>
page 250, "Checking tire p ressure".
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage L ow a spect rati o tires can be damaged more easi ly by impact with
potho les, curbs, gull ies or ridges on the road, particu larly if the t ire
is underinflated.
In orde r to minimi ze the occurrence o f im pact da mage to th e tire s
of your vehicle, we recommend that you observe the fo llowing
p reca utions:
• Always ma intain reco mm ende d inflat io n pressu res . C heck your
tire p ressure every 2, 000 miles (3 ,000 km) and add ai r if neces sary .
• D rive car eful ly on roads with potholes, deep gullies or ridges.
Th e impact from d riving th ro ugh o r ove r such o bstac les can
dama ge you r tires . Impact w ith a curb may also cause da mage to
your tires . .,_