2011 AUDI A3 warning

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Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a compa ra tive ra ting based on the wear rate
of the tire when tested unde r co ntrolled conditions on a specified
government test co urse.
For examp le, a tire g rade d 150 would wea r o ne and one half (1 1/2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.
Th e relat ive performance o f tires depends upon t he ac tual con ditions
o f their use, however , and may de pa rt s ig ni ficantly from the norm
due to variations in driv ing ha bits, service prac tices an d differences in
roa d characterist ics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, Band C. Those
grades represent the tire's ab ility to s to p on wet pavemen t as
meas ured under controlled condit ions o n spec ified governme nt test
s u rfaces of asphalt and conc rete. A tire mar ked C may have poo r trac­
ti on perfo rma nce => & .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (t he h ighest), B, a nd C, rep resenting
the t ire's resistance to the gene rat ion of heat and its ab ility to dissi­
pate hea t when test ed unde r co ntro lled condi tions o n a spe cifi ed
indoor laboratory test wheel.
S ust ain ed high te m peratu re can cause t he mate rial of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperatu re ca n lead
t o sudden tire fail ur e=> & .
Th e g rade C cor responds to a leve l of performance which all
passenger car tires m ust meet under the Fede ral Motor Vehicle
Safety Standa rd No. 109. G rades Band A rep resent higher levels of
per formance on the labo ratory test whee l than the minimum
req uired by law .
Safety first
& 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 e xcessive loading, either separately or in combination, can
c ause heat buildup and po ssible tire failure .•
Winter tires
W inter tires can improve vehicl e handling on snow and
ic e. A t temper atures belo w 45 °F (7 °C) we recommen d
ch angin g to win ter tires .
In some heavy snow areas , loca l gover nments may requ ire true
wi nte r o r "snow" t ires, those with very deep ly c ut trea d. These tires
should only be use d in pairs and be i nstalled on all fo ur w heels . Mak e
sure you purchase snow tires that are the same size a nd constr uction
t ype as the ot her tir es o n your ve hicle.
If your veh icle is eq uipped with all-wheel drive*, th is will improve
t raction during w inte r drivin g, eve n with t he standard tires . However,
we st rongly recomme nd that you a lways equi p all four w hee ls on your
vehicle with correctly fitte d winter t ires or a ll-season ti res, w hen
wi nter road conditions a re expe cte d. Thi s also improves the vehicle 's
bra king pe rformance and re duces stop ping distances.
S u mme r tir es pro vide less g rip on ice and snow .
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fi tted on all fo ur whee ls .
Ask yo ur autho rized Audi deale r or qu alified wor kshop for permitted
winter tire sizes . Use only ra dial w inte r tir es. ..
Vehicle care Technical data

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Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the tread is worn down to
a dep th o f 0. 15 7 inch (4 m m).
Only drive w it h w inte r tir es under w inte r co nd it io ns. S u mmer t ires
hand le better w hen there is no s now or ice on t he roads a nd the
t em pe ra ture i s above 4 5
°F (7 ° ( ).
If you have a flat tire, see notes on spare wheel~ page 257.
Please always remember that winter tires may have a lower speed
rating than t he t ires originally installed on yo ur ve hicle at the time it
was ma nufact ured . Please see~
page 259, "Speed rat ing ( letter
c ode)" fo r a listing of the speed rating le tte r codes a nd t he maximu m
speed at which the tires can be dr ive n.
Th e spee d rat ing le tt er code( ~
page 259 ) is on the side w all of the
t ire~
page 257 .
& WARNING
Winter tires have ma ximum 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 perm itted fo r
your specific winter tires . This will cause damage to the tire s
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 des igned can cause ti re failure includ ing a
blowout and sudden deflation, lo ss of control, crashes and serious
personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires replaced immedi­
ately.
• Winter t ires have maximum speed rat ing that may be lower
than your vehicle's maximum speed .
• Never drive faster than the speed for which the winter or other
tires installed on your vehicle are rated.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and traffic conditions.
Never let the good acceleration of the winter tires and all-wheel
drive 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.
Use s ummer tires when weather co ndit io ns permit. They are qu ieter,
do not wear as quickly and reduce fuel consum ption .•
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fit te d on ly to the fr ont w heels, and only to
certain t ire sizes . Ask yo ur aut horized Audi dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used .
If you are go ing to use snow c ha ins, then you must insta ll th em on t he
front wheels at least .
Th e sn ow chain s mus t have low-pr ofile li nks and m ust no t be th icker
than 0 .53 inc h (13.5 mm), including the lock.
R emove wheel cente r covers an d trim discs before putti ng snow
chains on your vehicle~
0. For safety reaso ns cove r caps m ust the n
be fitted over the whee l bo lts. These are availab le from a utho rized
Audi dealers.
& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your veh icle or installing them
incorrectly can incre ase the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury .
~

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& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Snow chain s are available in different sizes. Always make sure
to follow the instructions provi ded by the snow chain manufac­
turer.
• Wh en driving with snow cha in s never drive fa ster than the
speed permitted for your specific snow chains .
• Always observe local regulations.
0 Note
• Remove snow chains before d riving on roads not cove red w it h
snow to avoid damaging t ires and wearing t he snow chains down
unnecessar ily .
• Snow chains, which come into direct contact wi th the wheel rim,
can scratch or damage it . The refore, make s ure that the snow chai ns
are sui tably covered. Chec k the pos it ion o f the snow cha ins afte r
driving a few yards and correct if necessary . Follow the instructions
from t he snow chain man ufacturer when doing so .
[ i] Tips
• Where snow chains are mandatory on certa in roads, this normally
also app lies to ve hicles wi th A ll W hee l Dr ive.
• If snow chains are installed, the tire p ress ures s houl d not be
sto red in the tire pressure moni to ring system (TPMS) . Otherwise the
system could malfunction ~
page 267. •
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must al ways be tight ened to the c orrect
torqu e.
The desig n of whee l bolts is matc he d to the fa ct ory in stalled rims. If
different r ims are fitted, the cor rect wheel bo lts wi th t he r igh t length
and correctly s haped bolt hea ds must be used . Thi s ensures that
Safety first
wheels are fitted securely and that the brake system funct ions
cor rectly .
I n certa in circumstances, yo u may not use wheel bo lts from a
different vehicle -even if it is the same mo del.
& WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel bolts can be come
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 bolt s can turn easily and be properly tightened .
• Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the th reads in the wheel
hub s. They can become loose while driving if greased or oiled, even
if tightened to the specified torque.
• Only use wheel bolt s 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 loo sen and come out when the
vehicle is moving . If the tightening torque is too high , the wheel
bolt s and thread s can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose.
0 Note
T he specified torq ue for the wheel bo lts is 90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a
t o le rance of ± 7,4 ft lb( ± 10 N m). Tor qu e wheel bo lts diagonally.
After cha nging a wheel, the torque must be checked as soon as
pos sible wi th a t orque w rench -prefer ably by an auth oriz e d Aud i
dealer or qualified workshop .•
Vehicle care Technical data

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As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS) that ill uminates a low tire pres­
sure telltale when one or more of your tires is signif icantly under­
inflated . Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illuminates,
you should stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving on a significantly under-inflated
ti re causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire fa ilure. Unde r­
inf lation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle'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 responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under -inflation has not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure te lltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS malfunction ind i­
cator to indicate when the system is not operating properly. The
TPMS malfunction indicator is combined w ith the low tire pressure
telltale . When the system detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximate ly 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 illum inated, the system may not
be able to detect or signa l low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
ma lfunctions may occur for a var iety of reaso ns, includ ing the instal­
lation of replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle that
prevent the TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the TPMS
malfunction telltale after replacing one or more tires or wheels on
yo ur vehicle to ensure that the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow t he TPMS to continue to funct io n properly .•
Vehicle OP-eration
App lies to vehicl es: wi th t ire p ress ure m onit ori ng syst em
Tire pressure indicator appears
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument cluster
informs you if the tire pressure is too low or if there is a
system malfunction.
Fig. 176 Display:
under inflation
warning
Fig . 17 7 Display:
System malfunction
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitoring system compares
the tire tread circumference and vibration characteristics of the indi­
vidual tires.
If the pressure decreases in one or more tires, this is indi-
cated in the instrument cluster with a warning symbol and a
message ~ fig. 176 . The driver message in the display goes out after
5 seconds . The driver message can be displayed again by pressing the
I CHECK) button©~ page 8, fig. 2. If on ly one tire is affected, the
display will i ndicate its pos it ion. ._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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The ti re pr essure mon itor ing must be reset in the m enu display each
t im e th e pre ssur es a re adjust ed (e .g . w hen sw itching b etwee n parti al
and full load press ure) o r afte r ch angi ng or r eplac ing a tir e on yo ur
vehicle => page
26 7. You ca n find t he recommen ded tire pr essures
for your veh icle o n th e labe l o n the dr ive r's door pillar=> page
249 .
Tire tread circ umference and vibrat ion characterist ics ca n change and
c a us e a tir e pre ssure w arni ng if:
• t he tire pressure in one o r more tires is to o low,
• t he tire has st ru ctu ral damag e,
• the ti re press ure was changed , wh eels ro tate d or r ep laced but the
TPM S was not re set=> page
267 .
Warning symbols
1..1' Loss of p ress ure in at least on e tir e => & . Check th e tir e or tir es
and rep lace or re pair i f necessary. T he in dicator lig ht (• in th e ins tru­
men t cluster al so illu mina tes=> page
11. Che ck/co rrect the pre s­
sures of a ll four tires an d reset TP MS in t he menu display.
rr :; (T ire Pre ss ure M on itor ing Syst em) Tire pressure! System
malfunction.
I f T ,.;> ap pears a fter swi tc hi ng t he ignition o n or w hile
dr iv ing => page
265 , fig. 177 a nd t he in dic ator lig ht 'in th e i nstr u­
m en t clus ter bli nks fo r ap prox ima tely one minute and th en stays o n,
t h ere is a system ma lf u nct io n. S ee your authorized Audi dealer as
soon as poss ible.
& WARNING
• If the tire pressure indicator appears in the instrument cluster
display, one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated. Reduce your speed immediately and avoid any hard steering or
braking maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and check the tires
and their pressures . Inflate the tire pressure to the proper pres­
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire pressure label=>
page 249.
Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also is likely
to impair the vehicle's handling and stopping ability.
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• The driver is responsible for maintaining the correct tire pres­
sures . You must check the tire pressures regularly .
• Under certain conditions (such as a sporty driving style, winter
conditions or unpaved roads), the pressure monitor indicator may
be delayed.
• Ask your authorized Audi dealer if run-flat tires may be used on
your vehicle. Your vehicle registration becomes invalid if you use
these tires when not permitted. Damage to your vehicle or acci­ dents could also result.
[ i ] Tips
• Th e tire pressu re monito ring system stops wor king when the re is
a n E SP/ABS malfu nct io n.
• U sin g s now c hains may res ult in a system ma lf u n ct io n.
• Tire s with t he ident ification "AO" or "RO" have been specially
m atched w ith yo ur Audi. We recommend usin g onl y these t ires
b ecause they mee t the hig hest standards regard ing safe ty a nd
dr iving charac ter is ti cs when used cor rec tly . Yo ur au thori ze d Audi
dea ler will g lad ly provi de you wi th mor e info rmation. •