2010 AUDI S3 Owners Manual

Tires a nd wh eels -
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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 hold ing and safe handling when in good cond ition and prop­
erly inflated =>& .
We recommend that a ll 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
well as the proper facilities for disposing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dea lers have the necessary info rmation about tech ­
nical requirements for insta lling or changing tires and rims.
R epl ac ing tires and wheels
Tires shou ld be replaced at least in pairs and not individual ly (for
examp le both front tires or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the tire pressure monitoring sys tem*
information=>
page 256.
A lways buy replacement radial tires that have the same specifica ­
tions as the tires approved for your vehicle by Audi. Rep lacement
tires must always have the same load rating specification as the
origina l equipment or approved optional t ires listed in the table
=>
page 246.
Audi -appr oved spec ification tires are spec ially matched to your
vehicle and its load limits, and can contribute to the important road- holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle
. The table
( =>
page 246) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure labe l located either on driver's side 8 -pi llar or
inside the fuel fi ller flap(=>
page 246, fig. 174) lists the specifica ­
tions of the original equipment tires installed on your vehicle at the
ti me it was manufactured.
Federa l law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized infor ­
mation on the sidewa ll of all tires =>
page 254, fig . 177. This informa ­
t ion identifies and describes the fundamental characteristics, the
qua lity grade of the ti re and also provides a tire identification
number for safety standard certificat ion and in case of a recal l.
Tire specificat ions
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the
co rrect t ires . Radial tires have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewall, for example :
P225 / 45 R 17 91H XL
This contains the fo llowing informa tion:
P Indicates the ti re is for passenger cars (where applicab le)
225 No minal tire width i n mm of the tire fro m sidewall edge to side -
wa ll 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 lette r code
XL (or "xi", "EX TRA LOA D" or "RF") indicates that the tire is "Rein­
forced" or an "Extra Load" ti re
M +S (o r "M/S") Indicates that the tire has some mud and snow capa ­
bility
The tires could a lso have the information of direct ion of rotation
=>
page 242.
Vehicle care I t •

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Tire manuf acturin g date
The manufacturing date is a lso indicated on the tire sidewall
(possibly only on the
inner side of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2209 ... " means, for example, that the tire was produced in
the 22nd week of 2009.
Sp eed rating (l ett er code )
The speed rating letter code on the wheels indicates the maximum
permissible road speeds=>
& in "Winter tires" on page 259.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
S upto110mph(180km/h)
T upto118mph(190km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (2 10 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)4>
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)4>
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)41
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)4>
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped with tires, which possess
excellent driving characteristics and give your Audi optimum
driving comfort . An e lectronic speed limiter=>
page 21 will normally
prevent your vehicle from going faster than the t ire speed rating
=> & .
U.S . D OT T ire Identifi cation Number (TIN ) an d tire
m anuf actur e 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-
41 For tires with a maximum speed capab il ity over 149 mph (240 km/h), tire
manufacturers sometimes use the letters "ZR."
ture. For example, the numbers 2209 mean that the tire was
produced in the 22nd week of 2009 . 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 Original tire
T ires with the identification "AO" or "RO" have been specially
matched with your Audi . We recommend using o nly 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.
Maximu m Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in kilograms and pounds
that can be carried by the tire .
Tire qu alit y g ra di ng fo r tr eadw ear, tr ac tio n, and
temp era ture re sista n ce
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades=> page 258.
Max imum P ermi ssible Infl ation Pre ssure
This number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever
be put in the tire under norma l driv ing condit ions.
Repl acin g tire s or rims on vehicl es e quipp ed with t ir e
pre ssure m onit orin g s yst em *
The wheels on your vehicle are equipped with a sensor which
constantly monitors the air pressure inside the tire, and then trans ­
mits this information to the tire pressure monitoring system* . If you
are going to replace the whee l rims on your vehicle, make sure the
new rims also have these sensors. The sensors must be compatible
with the tire pressure monitoring system* on your veh icle.
I f you install 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-
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to ring s yst em * would not b e ab le to moni tor the tire pr essur e or
war n yo u if i t is nec essa ry.
• T he battery ins ide of the tire pressure s ensor has a l imited
service life.
• Always driv e with the va lv e stem caps s ecure ly m ounted. We
r e co mm end usi ng fact ory insta lled valve stem cap s. Ask y our a utho­
rized Audi d ealer to replac e lost valve stem caps .
T he installat ion of replacement tires with steel cord body plies in
t he ti re s id ew all m ay ca use ma lfun ction o f th e tire press ure m oni­
toring system *, and is not recommended (co rd mater ial information
i n mo lded on t he tire sid ewa ll).
Always check your t ire pressure mo nitoring system* indicator after
r eplaci ng o ne or more tir es o n you r veh ic le . If t he ti re p ressu re
mo nito ring syste m* in dicato r flashes o r is ill um in ated, your s ystem
is not working p rope rly . Yo ur replacement t ire might be inco mpat ­
i b le with you r tir e p ressure mon itori ng sys te m *, or so me comp o­
nent of the tire pressure monitoring system * may be damaged .
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and / 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,
espe cially 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 example 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 technical 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 . Reduced 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 factory . 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 . Incorrect use of run
flat tires can lead to vehicle damage or accidents . Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or tire 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 . Mi xing tire types is not permitted. _,.
Vehicle care
I t •

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0 Note
• For technical reasons, it is not generally possible to use the
wheel rims from other vehicles. This can hold true for wheels of the
same vehicle type.
• If the spare tire is different from the tires that you have mounted
on your vehicle (for example winter tires or wide profile t ires), then
use the spare tire for a short period of time only and drive with extra
care. Replace the f lat tire with the tire matching the others on your
vehic le as soon as possib le.
• If you put different whee ls and tires on your vehic le (e .g. winter
whee ls and tires), you must be certain that the wheels and tires are
compatible with the tire pressure monitoring system*. Otherwise
the system will register a malfunction and a fault message wi ll be
displayed. For more information, contact your authorized Aud i
dea ler.
(D Note
• When installing new tires, be careful not to damage the valves or
tire pressure monitoring system* sensors.
• Never drive without the valve stem cap. The valves could get
damaged.
• If the sensors must be replaced, then the valve must also be
replaced at the same time.
<£> For th e sake of the environm ent
Dispose of o ld tires in accordance with the loca l requirements. •
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tread wear
• Traction AA A B C
• Temperature A B C Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wal
l
between tread shoulder and maximum section width~
page 254,
fig. 177 .
For exa mple: Tread wear 200, Traction AA , Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal Safety Requ ire­
ments in addition to these grades.
T rea d w ear
The
tread wear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled condit ions on a specified
government test course .
Fo r example, a tire graded 150 wou ld wear one and one hal f (1 1/2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actua l condi ­
tions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differ ­
ences in road characteristics and climate .
Tr act ion
The
traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, Band C.
T hose grades represent the tire 's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under contro lled co nditions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have
poor traction performance
~ & .
Temp erature
T he
temperature grades are A (the highest), B , and C , represent ing
the tire's resistance to the generation of heat and its abi lity to dissi ­
pate heat when tested under control led conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Susta ined high temperature can cause the mater ial of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure~& .
T he grade C corresponds to a leve l of performance which a ll
passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle

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Safety Standard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law.
& WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction characteristics.
& WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla­
tion , or excessive loading, either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire failure. •
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on snow and
ice. At temperatures below 45 °F (7 °C) we recommend
changing to winter tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments may require true
winter or "snow" tires, those with very deeply cut tread. These tires
should only be used in pairs and be installed on all four wheels.
Make sure you purchase snow tires that are the same size and
construction type as the other tires on your vehicle.
I f your vehicle is equipped with all-wheel drive*, this will improve
traction during winter driving, even with the standard tires.
However, we strongly recommend that you always equip all four
wheels on your vehicle with correctly fitted winter tires or all-season
tires, when winter road conditions are expected . This also improves
the vehicle's braking performance and reduces stopping distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and snow . Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all four wheels
.
Compatible tire pressure monitoring sensors* must be installed on
all four winter tires for the tire pressure monitoring system* to func­
tion properly ~
page 256.
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop for permitted
winter tire sizes . Use only radial winter tires.
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the tread is worn down to
a depth of 0.157 inch (4 mm) .
Only drive with winter tires under winter conditions. Summer tires
handle better when there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °C).
If you have a flat tire, see notes on spare wheel
~ page 254.
Please always remember that winter tires may have a lower speed
rating than the tires originally installed on your vehicle at the time
it was manufactured . Please see~
page 256, "Speed rating (letter
code)" for a listing of the speed rating letter codes and the
maximum speed at which the tires can be driven.
The speed rating letter code(~
page 256) is on the side wall of the
tire
~ page 254.
& WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits that may be lower than
your vehicle's maximum 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
passengers.
& WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed for which the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause tire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation, loss of control, crashes and serious _,,
Vehicle care
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-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
& WARN ING (continued )
personal injur ies . Have worn or damaged tires replaced immedi­
ately.
• Winter tires have ma ximum speed rating that may be lower
than your vehicle' s maximum speed.
• Never drive faster than the speed for which th e winter or other
tire s installed on your vehi cle are rated.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and traffic condit ions .
Never let the good acceleration of the winter tire s and all -wheel
d rive tempt you into taking extra risks. Always remember :
• When braking , an all -wheel drive vehicle handles 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.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather conditions permit. They are
quieter, d o not wear as quick ly a nd r educe fuel cons ump tion.•
Snow chains
Sn ow cha ins may be fitte d only to th e fron t whee ls, and o nly to
certain tire sizes . Ask your authorized Audi dealer on which tire
s iz es snow c hains can be used.
If you are going to use snow cha ins, then you must install them on
the front wheels at least.
The s now chains mus t have low-pro file l inks and must not be thicker
than 0. 53 inch ( 13.5 mm), including the lock. Remove wheel
center covers and trim discs before putting snow
chains on y our vehicle =>
(D. For safety reasons cove r caps mus t
then be fitted over the wheel bo lts . These are avai lable from autho ­
r ized Audi deale rs .
& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chain s for your vehi cle or in stalling them
incorre ctly can increase the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
• Snow cha ins are available in different sizes . Alw ays make sure
to follow the instructions provided by the snow chain manufac ­
turer .
• When driving with snow chains never drive faster than the
speed permitted for your specific snow chains .
• Always observe local regulations .
0 Note
• Remove snow c ha ins before driving o n roads not covered with
snow to avoid damaging tires and wearing the snow cha ins down
u n n ecessa ri ly .
• Snow chains, which come into direct contact with the wheel rim,
ca n scratc h or da mage it . There fore, make sur e th at the sn ow cha ins
are suitab ly cove red . Check the position of the snow chains after
dr ivi ng a few yards a nd correct if ne cessary. Foll ow th e instruct io ns
from the snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
[ i ] Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory on certain roads, this norma lly
a lso ap plies to veh ic les wit h A ll Wheel Drive .•

Tires and wheels 1111111 ________________________________ ::..:..:....::.=.....::.:..:..:..::..:___:__ _ ___:,___
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Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts mus t alwa ys be tighte ned to t he correct
to rq ue .
The design of wheel bo lts is matched to the factory installed rims. If
di fferent r ims are fitted , th e cor rect whe el bo lts wi th the rig ht l ength
and c orrec tly shaped bolt heads must be used . This ens ures that
w he els a re fitted se cur ely and th at the bra ke syste m functi ons
correctl y.
In cer ta in c ircums tances, yo u ma y not use w hee l bolts fr om a
differ ent vehicle - even if it is the same mo del.
& 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 threads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose .
0 Note
The s pecified torque for the wheel bolts is 90 ft lb ( 120 N m) with a
to lerance o f± 7,4 ft lb(± 1 0 Nm). Torque whee l bolt s diago nally.
After chang ing a whee l, the torque must be checked as soon as possible with a torque wrench
-preferably by an authorized Audi
d e aler o r qua lifi ed wo rksho p.•
Low aspect ratio tires
You r A ud i is fac tory-eq uippe d w ith low aspect ra tio tire s. T hese tire s
have been thorough ly t ested and b een se lected specifica lly for your
mod el for thei r su p erb pe rf or manc e, r oad f eel an d ha nd ling under
a variety of driving con ditions . As k your authorized Audi d ealer for
m ore de ta ils.
The low aspect rat io o f th ese t ires is indicated by a numer al of 55 or
less in the t ire's size designation. The numeral rep resents the ratio
o f t he t ire's s idewa ll he ig ht in rel ati on to it s tread w idt h ex pressed
in percentage . Conventiona l tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
mo re.
The performan ce of low -aspe ct-ratio tires is particularly sensitive to
improper inflation pressure . It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure and that the
inflat ion pressure is regularly checked and ma intained. Tire pres­
sures should be checked at least once a month and always before a
long trip=> page 249, "Checking tire pressure" .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage L ow aspect ratio tires can be damaged mo re easily by impact with
po tho les, cu rbs, gull ies o r rid ges o n th e road, particular ly if the t ire
is underinf lated .
I n or der to mini mize th e occurrence of i mpac t da mag e to t he tires
of your vehicle, we recommend that you observe the fol lowing
pr ecaut ions :
• Always ma intain recom mended inflatio n pr essu res . C heck you r
ti re p ressu re eve ry 2,000 mi les (3,000 k m) and add a ir if neces sary .
• D rive carefully on roads with potho les, deep gullies or ridges.
T he impact from d riving th rough or ove r such obstac les can
da mage y our tires. I mpact with a cu rb m ay a lso cause damage to
your tire s. ..,
Vehicle care
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-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
• After any impact, immediately inspect your tires or have them
inspected by the nearest authorized Audi dealer. Replace a
damaged tire as soon as possib le .
• 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 failure. 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 educ ed p erform an ce in win ter/c old s eason
c ondi tio ns
All tires are designed for certain purposes. The low aspect ratio,
u ltra high performance tires originally ins tal led o n your vehicle are
intended for maximum dry and wet road performance and hand ling.
They are no t 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 equiva lent.
Refer to~
page 259for more detai led information regarding winter
tires. •