2011 AUDI A3 flat tire

__________________________________________________ T_i_ r _e _s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e _ l_s __ _
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

.,,.___T_ ir_e_ s _ a_ n _ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
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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Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect ratio tires. These tires
have been thoroughly tested and been selected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road feel and handling under a
variety of driving conditions. Ask your authorized Aud i dealer for
more details .
Th e low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated by a numeral of
55 or
less
in the tire's size designation . The numeral represents the ratio of
the tire's sidewall height in relation to its tread width expressed in
percentage. Conventional tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
more.
The performance of low-aspect-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
inflation pressure is regularly checked and maintained. Tire pres­
sures should be checked at least once a month and always before a
long trip~
page 252, "Checking t ire pressure" .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more easily by impact w ith
potholes, curbs, gullies or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is
unde rinflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact damage to the tires of
your vehicle , we recomme nd that you observe the following precau ­
tions:
• Always maintain recommended inflation pressures. Check your
tire pressure every 2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary.
• Drive ca refully on roads with potholes, deep gullies or ridges. The
impact from driving through or over such obstacles can damage your
tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires .
• 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 underinflat ion, which could eventually cause tire fa ilure . If
you believe that a tire may have been damaged, replace the tire as
soon as poss ible .
• Th ese tires may wear more quickly than others.
• Please a lso remember that, while these tires deliver responsive
hand ling, they may rid e less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices .
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes. The low aspect ratio, ultra
high performance t ires originally installed on your vehicle are
intended for maximum dry and wet road perfo rmance and handling.
They are not su itable for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions . If you
drive under those circumstances, you should equip yo ur vehicle with
all-season or w inter tires, which offer better traction under those
conditions . We suggest yo u use the recommended snow or all-season
tires specified for your veh icle, or their equivalent .
Refer to =>
page 261 for more detailed information regard ing winter
tires. •
Tire pressure monitoring system
Applies to veh icles : w it h t ire press ure m onito ring syste m
General notes 1
Each tire, including the spare (if prov ided) , shou ld be checked
month ly when cold and inflated to the inflation pressure recom­
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or t ire
inf lation pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different size
than the siz e indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure
label, you should determine the proper t ire inflation pressure for
those tires.)
~

________________________________________________ T_ i_ re _ s_ a_ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l _s _ ........
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

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
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. •

What do I do now? -
------------------
& WARNIN G (con tinued )
• Always make sure the spare tire and e ven a flat tire are secured
in place and not loo se , otherwi se they could fly forward , causing
personal injury to pa ssengers in the veh icle in an accident or
s udden maneu ver .
• Never use the jack suppl ied with your Audi on another vehicle ,
particularly on a heavier one . The jack is only suitable for use on
the vehicle it came with .•
A pp lies to vehicles: with compact s pare wheel
Compact spare wheel
The compact spore wheel is only intended to be used for
a short time.
Fig . 184 Compact
sp are w hee l In t he
wh eel well
You w ill find the compa ct spa re wheel unde r the floo r in the luggage
compartment . It is secured with a large nut.
Using the compact spare wheel
The compact spare wheel is on ly intended for emergencies until you
c an rea ch a repair shop . Rep lace it as quick ly as poss ible w ith a normal
wheel.
T here are some restrictions on the use of the compact spare wheel
=> & -The compact spare w heel has been developed especially for
Vehicle OP-eration your type of vehicle.
It must not be exc
hanged for the compact spare
w heel from ano ther type of ve hicle.
No rma l summer or winter tires m ust no t be insta lled on the compact
spare wheel rim.
Snow chains
F or technical reasons, the use of snow chains on t he compact spare
wheel is
not permitted .
If
you do have to drive wit h snow chains and have a tire fail ure on a
front wheel, in stall the spa re whee l in pla ce of a rear wheel. In stall
the snow chains on the rear whee l and use it to replace the defective
front wheel.
Using the spare wheel
Th e spar e whee l is o nly inte nded fo r eme rge ncies unti l you ca n rea ch
a repair shop. Replace it as quick ly as possible with a norma l wheel.
Th ere are some restr ictions on the use of a spare wheel~
&-The
spare whee l has bee n developed especially for your type of vehicle .
It
must not be exchanged for the spare whee l from another type of
vehicle.
Norma l summer or winter tires must not be installed on the spare
wheel r im .
Snow tires
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains on the spare wheel is
not permitted .
If
you do have to drive w it h snow chain s and have a tire fa ilure on a
front wheel, insta ll the spare wheel in place of a rear wheel. Install
the snow chai ns o n the rear whee l and use i t to replace the defec tive
front wheel.
& WARNING
Always store jacking equipment, spare wheel in the luggage compa rtment. Tighten screw for the spare wheel securely. Under ._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service iTechnical data

-What do I do now? Pllf...__ ______________ _
& WARNING (continued)
no circumstances should you store the spare wheel or jack and
tools uns ecured in the passenger compartment. Thi s could cause
serious personal injury to passengers in the vehicle in case of a
c ollision.
• The compact spare ti re is for temporary use only and is so
marked on the sidewalls .
• Do not d riv e at speeds e xceeding 50 mph (80 km/h ) with the
compact spare wheel mounted . Also rapid acceleration, hard
braking and hard corne ring must be avoided to help prevent loss
of vehicle control.
• Any continuous road use of the compact spare tire may result
in tire failure, los s of vehicle control and injury to vehicle occu ­
pants.
• Do not put a snow chain on your compact spare tire. Due to the
smaller tire size, the chain will not fit properly and can thus
damage your vehicle. You could also lose th e chain, as well as
control of the vehicle .
• If you have a flat front tire in road cond itions which require
snow chains , first remove the undamaged rea r wheel and mount
the compact spare wheel in its place . Then remove the damag ed
front wheel, take the snow chains off it and attach them to the
wheel taken from the rear. Thi s wheel can now be mounted on the
front with its snow chains. Check and adjust tire pressure
promptly.
• Never use two or more compact spare tires at the same time .
0 Note
When using the compact spare wheel, note the following:
• After i nstalling the compact spare w heel, the t ire inflation pres­
sure should be checked and, if necessary, increased to 60 ps i
(4.2
bar). •
The load carry ing capac ity is marked on t he tire sidewalls and
mus t not be excee ded.
• After installing the compact spare wheel, make sure that yo u
remoun t the fla t ti re in its sto rage are a properly.
• The compact spare tire should be properly remo unted in its
st ora ge area as soo n as th e s tand ard road ti re c an be repla ced.
• Beca use the compact spare tire was specif ically des igned for your
veh icle, it must not be use d on any other veh icle . Likew ise, compact
spare wheels from other vehicles m ust not be used on your vehicle.
• Th e compac t spare tire must not be mounted on any other w heels,
nor m ust standard t ires, snow tires, wheel covers or tr im rings be
used w ith the compact spa re wheel.
If suc h use is a ttempted, damage
to these items or othe r vehicle components may occur.
[ i ] Tips
Check the inflation p ress ure o f the compact spare tire (60 psi/4.2
bar) pe riodic ally to kee p t he ti re read y for use. •
Wheel change
Before changing a wheel
Observe the f oll owing pre cautions for your own and your
passenger's safety when changing a whee l.
- After you exper ience a t ire fa ilure, pu ll t he ca r well away
from movin g traf fic and try to reach
level grou nd before
you stop => & .
- All p asse ngers s hou ld
leave the car a nd move to a safe
locat ion (for instance, beh ind th e guardrai l) => & .
- Apply the
parking brake fi rmly=> &.

What do I do now? -________________ Vflll
- Move selector lever to position Pon an automatic trans­
mission; put manual transmission in
first gear=> &.
-If you are towing a trailer: unhitch the trailer from your
vehicle.
- Take the
tool and the spare tire=> page 270 out of the
luggage compartment.
& WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured while changing a wheel if
you do not follow these safety precautions:
• If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance off the road. Turn
off the engine, turn the emergency flasher on and use other
warning devices to alert other motorists.
• Make sure that passengers wait in a safe place away from the
vehicle and well away from the roadway and traffic.
• To help prevent the vehicle from moving suddenly and possibly
slipping off the jack, always fully set the parking brake and block
the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel being changed. When one front wheel is lifted off the ground, placing the automatic
transmission in "P" (Park), or engaging a gear in a manual trans­
mission will
not prevent the vehicle from moving.
• Before you change a wheel, be sure the ground is level and
firm. If necessary, use a sturdy board under the jack .
• After installing the spare wheel, make sure that you remount
the flat tire/wheel in its storage area properly and tighten the
knurled retaining screw securely. •
Safety first
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence described
below step-by-step and exactly in that order.
1. Remove the decorative wheel cover*. For more details see
also =>
page 274, "Decorative wheel covers" or
=> page 275, "Wheels with cap-covered wheel bolts".
2. Loosen the
wheel bolts=> page 276.
3. Locate the proper mounting point for the jack and align the jack below that point=>
page 276.
4.
Lift the car with the jack=> page 2 76.
5. Take the
flat wheel off and then put the spare on
=> page 278.
6. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly.
7.
Lower the vehicle with the jack.
8. Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly tighten all wheel
bolts=>
page 276.
9. Put the decorative
wheel cover* back on.
& WARNING
Always read and head all WARNINGS and information~ & in
"Raising the vehicle" on
page 276 and~ page 279. •
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the following
actions.
- Store and secure the replaced wheel in the spare wheel
well. .,._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data