2009 AUDI S3 wheel

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
crashes and serious personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately.
• 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
low speed.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats, radio, and heater, to
the extent that these items are available as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio means the ratio of the height to the width of the tire in percent.
Numb ers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewall for improved
steering response and better overall 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.
& WARNING (continued)
• 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.
• If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving, always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage . •
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been driven for more than
a couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in the three hour period
before the tire pressure is measured or adjusted .
Curb weight means the weight of a motor vehicle with standard equipment
including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi­
tioning and additional weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher infla ­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire . Extra load tires
my be identified as "XL",
"xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the side ­
wall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single axle system, measured
at the tire -ground interfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR"l
means the maximum total loaded weight of the vehicle.

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
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

________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ lJlll
•
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
P'tr:1-------------------
and is more difficult to stop. Overloading can not only lead to loss
of vehicle control, but can also damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire failure, including a blowout and
sudden deflation that can cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load includes every ­
body and everything in and on the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic vehicle, all factory
installed accessories, a full tank of fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
plus maximum load. The maximum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is intended to carry ("seating capacity")
with an assumed weight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each passenger at a
designated seating position and the total weight of any luggage in
the vehicle. If you tow a trailer, the weight of the trailer hitch and the
tongue weight of the loaded trailer must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is the maximum load that
can be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety compliance sticker label located either on
the driver's side B-pillar or on the inside of the fuel filler flap. Your
Audi has 5 seating positions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for total
seating capacity of 5. Each seating position has a safety belt
=>
page 137, "Safety belts".
The fact that there is an upper limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating means that the total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehicle (including the weight of a trailer hitch and the
tongue weight of the loaded trailer) is limited. The more passengers
in the vehicle or passengers who are heavier than the standard
weights assumed mean that less weight can be carried as luggage.
The tire pressure label on your Audi also lists the maximum
combined weight of all of the occupants and luggage or other cargo that the vehicle can carry.
For the location of the label=>
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 was designed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the
risk of the 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 vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly,
including a blowout and sudden deflation, causing 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 vehicle heavier than the
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. •
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to calculate the
total weight of the passengers and luggage or other things that you plan to
transport so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overloaded.
~

Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE COMBINED
WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS"on your vehicle's placard (tire infla­
tion pressure label)=>
page 247, fig. 180.
2. Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds shown on the
sticker=>
page 247, fig. 180.
4. The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will
be five
150 lbs. passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is
650 lbs.
( 1400- 750 (5 x 150) = 650 I bs.)
Tires and wheels 111111
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step
4.
6.
If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces the avail­
able cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
- Check the tire sidewall (=>
page 255,
fig. 184) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire. •
Vehicle care I • •

___ T_ i_ r_e _s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e _ ls _________________________________________________ _
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a Jot of different things
including proper installation and balancing, correct tire
pressure and driving style .
(r
l \._ _____ ;)
Tread Wear I nd ica tor ( TWll
Fig. 182 Tire tread:
tr ea d wea r ind ica tors
( TWIJ
Fi g. 1 83 Ro tati ng tir es
for mor e even wea r
The or iginal tires on your vehicle have 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear
indicators":::::, fig. 182 running across the tread . Depending on the
make, there will be six to eight of them evenly placed around the
tire . Marks on the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other symbols)
indicate the positions of the tread wear indicators . Worn tires must
be replaced. Dif ferent figures may apply in other countries:::::,&.
Tir e p re ss ure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out . For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at least once a month :::::,
page 250.
Drivin g sty le
Driving fast around curves, heavy acce leration and hard braking
increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rear tires are rotated according to the
tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals . Please
r emember the following:
• Tire rotation interva ls may differ from the vehic le service inter ­
vals outlined in your Warranty
& Maintenance Booklet.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, the
more it wears at certain points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals.
• Vehicles with front -wheel drive experience mo re tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all-wheel drive (quattro®) .
• Please rotate tires as shown :::::, fig . 183.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
:::::, page 279.
Whe el b ala n cing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various situa­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unba l­
anced, resulting in vibrations you can usual ly feel through the
steering wheel.
Unba lanced whee ls must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tires. A wheel must a lso be reba lanced
when a new tire is installed.
~

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