2011 AUDI A3 wheel alignment

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Incorrect wheel alignment
In correct whee l al ignme nt can ca use excessive tir e wea r, impairing
th e sa fety o f the vehicl e. If t ires show excessive w ear, hav e the w heel
alignment checked by a n authorized A udi dea ler or qualifie d work­
shop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles wi th quattro® must always have tires of the same size ,
con st ruct ion an d tread type . For details see~
page 194.
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to los s of control, a cra sh and serious
personal injury!
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down
to the wear indicators.
• Worn tires 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 cause t ire damage, such as
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. 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 failu re and loss of vehicle control. •
Vehicle OP-eration
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New t ires an d w hee ls have to be brok en in .
Fig. 175 Tire specificat ion codes on th e sidewall of a tire
No.
©
®
®
©
©
©
Description
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nom inal wid th of ti re in mil limeters
Ratio of hei9ht to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
jj Rim diameter code
L oa d index and speed rating
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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What do I do now?
Jack, tools and spare wheel
Jack and tools
The tools and jack are stored underneath the floor panel
in the luggage compartment.
- Raise the floor panel with the loop.
Fig. 182 Floor panel
hung on the bottom of
the luggage compart·
ment cover
Fig . 183 Vehicle tool
kit and jack
-Hang the Loop on the underside of the Luggage compart-
ment cover=> fig. 182.
- Remove the tool kit or the jack .
The onboard tool k it includes:
• Hook for remov ing whee l covers *
• Plast ic hook to remove wheel bolt covers
• Wheel bolt wrench
• Alignment pin for changing wheels
• Screwdriver with reversible blade
• To wing eye
Before stor ing the jack , make sure it is wound back down as far as it
w ill go .
After use, the jack and tools must be put back in place underneath
the floor panel in the luggage compartment.
Note: some of the on-board items lis ted above are provided on
certain models only or are opt ional extras.
& WARNING
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause serious personal inju­
ries.
• Using a bumper jack to raise the vehicle will damage the
bumper system. The jack may slip, causing injury.
• Never support your vehicle on cinder blocks, bricks or other
objects. These may not be able to support the load and could cause
injury when they fail.
• Never start or run the engine while the vehicle is supported by
the jack.
• If you must work under the vehicle, always use safety stands
specifically designed for this purpose.
• Never try and use the hexagonal socket in the handle of the
screwdriver to loosen or tighten the wheel bolts. _.,

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Taking the wheel off/putting the spare on
Follow these instructions step-by-step for changing the
wheel
M
"' ;;; u.
1li
Fig . 191 Wheel
change: using the
screwdriver handle
(with the blade
removed) to turn the
bolts
Fig. 192 Wheel
change: alignment pin
inside the top hole
After you have loosened all wheel bolts and jacked the vehicle
off the ground, perform the following steps to remove and
replace the wheel:
Removing the wheel
- Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver handle to
completely turn out the topmost wheel bolt and set it
aside on a
clean surface=> fig. 191. -
Screw the threaded end of the
alignment pin from the
tool kit hand-tight into the now vacant bolt hole
=> fig. 192.
- Then completely unscrew the other wheel bolts as
described above.
- Take off the wheel leaving the alignment pin in the bolt
hole=> &.
Putting on the spare
- Lift the spare wheel up and carefully slide it over the align­
ment pin to guide it in place.
- Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver handle to
screw in and tighten all wheel bolts
slightly.
Unscrew the alignment pin and insert and tighten the
remaining wheel bolt slightly like the rest.
- Turn the handle on the jack counter-clockwise to lower the vehicle until the jack is fully released.
- Use the wheel bolt wrench to tighten all wheel bolts firmly
=>
page 276. Tighten them crosswise, from one bolt to
the (approximately) opposite one, to keep the wheel
centered.
& WARNING
When removing or installing the wheel, the rim could hit the
brake rotor and damage the rotor. Work carefully and have a
second person help you.
(I) Tips
Never try and use the hexagonal socket in the handle of the screw-
driver to loosen or tighten the wheel bolts.
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