2012 AUDI A3 tire type

212 Tire s and wheel s
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle . Tires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle, particularly considering the compara­
tive ly small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that a ll-impo rtant contact between
you, your vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry mo re weight than they can safe ly han­
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
reg ularly inspecting t ires for damage includ­
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and ove rall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in­
cluding tread separation and blowouts.
Avoiding damage I f you have to drive over a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very s low ly and as close as possi ­
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chem ica ls includ ing gre ase, o il,
gasoline and b rake fluid off the ti res .
Inspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedded in the treads.
Storing tires Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . Th is ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re­
install t hem.
When removed, the whee ls or t ires should be
stored in a cool, d ry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical pos ition if they are not
mounted on rims, in a horizontal pos it ion if
they are mounted on rims. New tire
s
New t ires have to be broken in¢&,. .
T he tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord­
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
pa tte rn .
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and r ims is ofte n not readily
vis ible . If you notice unusual v ibrat ion or the
vehicle p ulls to one side, th is may ind icate
t h at one of the t ires has been damaged . Th e
t ir es m ust be checked immed iate ly by an au ­
tho rized Aud i dea le r or q uali fied wor ks hop.
Unidirectional t ires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sid ewa ll, that po int in the direc­
t ion the t ire is desig ned to rotate. You mus t
f ol low the specified d irection of rotation . This
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characterist ics regarding grip,
road no ise, wear and hyd rop laning resistance.
For more information ¢
page 241.
A WARNING
-New tires or tires that are old, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
be broken in . To reduce the risk of losing
control, a co llision and ser ious personal
in jur ies, d rive w ith special ca re fo r the
fi rst 350 m iles (560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
le ad to loss of control, sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de­
fl ation, c rashes and seriou s personal in­
juries . Have wo rn or damaged t ires re­
p laced immediate ly .
- T ires age even if they are not being used
an d can fai l sudden ly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith specia l care and at low
speed.

unbalanced, resulting in vib rations you can
usually feel through the steering wheel.
Unba lanced wheels mus t be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wea r on s teer ing, suspens ion
and tires. A wheel must a lso be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Inco rrect whee l alignment can cause exces­
sive tire wea r, impair ing t he safety of the veh i­
cle. If t ires show excess ive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
All Wheel Drive
Ve hicles w it h quattro ® must always have t ires
of the same s ize, construction and tread type.
F or details see
¢ pag e 166 .
A WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
tro l, a crash and serious persona l injury!
- Never drive a veh icle when the tread on
any t ire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
- Worn tires are a safety hazard , they do
not grip well on wet roads and increase
your risk of"hydrop lan ing" and loss of
co ntrol.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire 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 yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to s udden tire failure
and loss o f vehicle con trol.
Tires and wheels 223
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in .
Fig. 171 Tir e spec ification codes on t he sid ewall o f a
t ire
No . Desc ription
(D Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nomina l w idth of t ire in mill imeters
@ Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Rad ial
® Rim diameter code
@ Load index and speed rating
(J) U.S. DOT tire identification number
@ Aud i Origina l tire
® Tire ply composition and materials
used
@
@
M axim um load rating
Treadwear, traction and temperature
I
grades Maxim um permissible inflation p res­
sure
T he tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle's des ign . The tires and rims approved
by Audi are specia lly matched to the charac ­
teristics of the ve hicle and can make a major
contribution to good road holding and safe ..,.

H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/ h)
1
)
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)1l
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)
1 )
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)1l
Your vehicle is norma lly factory equipped with
tires, which possess excellent driving charac­
ter istics and give your Audi opt imum driving
comfort. An electronic speed limiter
c:> page 25 will normally prevent your vehicle
from go ing faster than the tire speed rating
¢ & .
U.S . DOT T ire Identific ation Numbe r (TIN)
and tire manufacture date
This is the t ire's "serial number" . It begins
with the lette rs "DO T" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal sta ndards. The next two
n umbers or le tters indica te the p la nt where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of manufacture.
F or example, the numbers 2209 mean that
the t ire was produced in the 22nd week of
2009 . The other numbers are marketing co­
des that may or may not be used by the t ire
manufacturer . This information is used to con ­
tact consume rs if a tire defect requires a re­
call.
Aud i Original tire
Tires with the ident ificat io n "AO" or "RO" have
been spec ially matched with your Aud i. We
recommend using only t hese tires because
they meet the highest standards regard ing
safety and driving charac ter is t ics when used
correctly . Yo ur au thori zed Au di dealer w ill
g lad ly provide you with more information.
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in
kilograms a nd pounds that ca n be carried by
the tire .
ll For tires wit h a max imum spee d capa bility over 149
mph (2 4 0 km/ h), ti re ma nufac tur ers somet imes use
t h e letters "Z R."
Tire s an d wheel s 225
Tire quality grading for treadwear,
traction, and temperature resi stanc e
Tread wear, traction and temperat ure grades
c:> page226.
Ma ximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
Th is number is the g reatest amount of a ir
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
u nder normal dr iv ing conditions.
.&_ WARNING ~
- Using incorrect o r unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
comb inat ions can lead to loss of control,
col lis ion and serious personal inj ury.
- Always use t ires, rims and whee l bolts
that meet the specifications of original
factory- installed tires or other combina­
tions that have been specifically ap­ proved by the vehicle manufacture r.
- T ires age even i f they are not being used
and can fail sudden ly , e specially at hig h
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 ye ars
old can only be used in an emergency
an d then w ith speci al care and at lower
speeds .
- Never mo unt used t ires on your veh icle if
you are not sure of thei r "previous histo­
ry." O ld used tires may have been dam ­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire fai lure
and loss of vehicle control.
- All fou r whee ls must be fitted with radial
tires of the same type , size (rolling cir­
cumference) and the same tread pattern.
Driving with different tires reduces vehi­
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
contro l.
- If the spa re tire is not the same as the
tires that are mounted on the vehicle -
for examp le w ith winter t ir e s -only use
the spare t ire fo r a short pe riod of time
•
•

226 Tires and wheels
and drive with extra care. Refit the nor­
mal road wheel as soon as safely possi­
ble.
- 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 un­
derinflated .
- For technical reasons it is not always
possible to use wheels from other vehi­
cles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve­
hicle wheels , make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced air­
flow to the brakes can them to overheat,
increasing stopping distances and caus­
ing
a collision.
- Run flat tires may only be used on vehi­ cles 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 sys­
tem* that indicates a loss of tire pres­
sure . 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. Mixing tire types is not
permitted .
(D Note
-For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth­
er vehicles. This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare ti re is different from the
tires that you have mounted on your ve­
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profile tires), then use the spare tire for a short period of time only and
drive with
extra care. Replace the flat tire with the
tire matching the others on your vehicle
as soon as possible.
- If you put different wheels and tires on
your vehicle (e .g. winter wheels and
tires), you must be certain that the
wheels and tires are compatible with the
tire pressure monitoring system* . Other ­
wise the system will register a malfunc­
tion and a fault message will be dis­
played. For more information, contact
your authorized Audi dealer.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap .
The valves could get damaged .
@ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the
local requirements.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
¢ page 223,
fig. 171 .
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear
one and one half (11/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, how-
ever, and may depart significantly from the
ll-

norm due to variations in driving habits, serv­
ice practic es and differences in road character ­
istics and climate .
Traction
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
m easured under controll ed conditions on
specif ied government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor
t raction performance¢ .&..
Te mperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and
C, representing the tire's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its ability to dissi­
pate heat when tested under controlled condi­
t ions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
t ire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure <=>& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of pe rform­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Veh icle Safe ty Stand­
ard No .
109. Grades Band A represent h igher
l eve ls of pe rformance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law.
.8, WARNING
T he traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on stra ight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydrop laning or peak traction
character istics .
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is es­
tablished for a t ire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded . Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separate ly or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire fa ilu re.
-
Tire s an d wheel s 22 7
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 w inter o r "snow" t ires, those
with very deeply cut t read. These tires should
o nl y be used in pairs and be installed o n all
f o ur wheels . Make sure you p urchase snow
tires that are the same size and cons truction
type as the other tires on yo ur vehicle .
If your veh icle is eq uipped w ith all-whee l
drive *, th is w ill improve trac tion d uring win ter
driv ing, even with the s tanda rd tires. Howev ­
er, we strongly recommend that you always
equip all four wheels on your veh icle w ith cor­
rect ly fitted winte r ti res or all-season t ires,
when winter road conditions are expected.
This also improves the veh icle 's b rak ing per­
formance and reduces stoppi ng d ista nces .
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
on all fo ur whee ls .
As k your au thori zed A udi dealer or qualified
workshop for permit ted
winter ti re size s. Use
on ly radial winter tires .
Win ter tires lose their effec tiveness whe n the
tread is worn down to a depth o f
0.1 57 inch
(4 mm) .
Only d rive w ith w inte r tir es under w inte r con­
di tions. S umme r tir es handle bette r when
t h e re is no snow o r ice on the ro ads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °C) .
If you have a flat t ire, see notes on spare
whee l
¢page 223.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r speed rating than the tires o rigi­
nally i nstalled on your veh icle at the time it
was ma nufactu red. P lease see ¢
page 224,
Speed rating (letter code)
for a lis ting o f th e
speed rating letter codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be driven .
111>-
•
•

You will find the compact spare wheel under
the floor in the luggage compartment . It is
secured w ith a large nut.
Using the compact spare wheel
The compact spa re wheel is only intended for
emergenc ies until you can reach a repair shop .
Replace i t as quickly as possible with a normal
wheel.
There are some restrictions on the use of the
compact spare wheel~ &. . The compact spare
wheel has been developed especially for your
type of vehicle . It must not be exchanged for
the compact spare whee l from another type of
vehicle.
Normal summer or winter tires must not be
installed on the compact spare whee l rim.
Snow chains
For technica l reasons, the use of snow chains
on the compact spare wheel is
n ot permitted .
If you do have to dr ive w ith snow cha ins and
have a t ire failure on a
front wheel, insta ll the
spa re wheel in place of a rear wheel. Install
the snow chains on the rear wheel and use it
to replace the defective front whee l.
Using the spare wheel
The spare wheel is only intended for emergen­
cies until you can reach a repair shop. Replace
it as qu ickly as possib le with a no rmal wheel.
There are some restrict ions on the use of a
spare wheel
Q &. . The spare wheel has been
developed especially for your type of vehicle.
It m ust not be exchanged for the spare whee l
from anot her type of vehicle.
Normal summer or winter tires must not be
i nstalled on the spare wheel rim.
Snow t ires
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains
on the spare whee l is
not p erm itte d.
If you do have to drive with snow chains and
have a t ire failure on a
front wheel, insta ll the
spare wheel in place of a rear wheel. Install
What do I do now? 235
the snow chains on the rear whee l and use it
to replace the defective front wheel.
A WARNING -
A lways store jacking equipment, spare
wheel in the luggage compartment. Tight­
en screw for the spare wheel secure ly. Un­
der no circumstances should you store the
spa re wheel o r jack and tools unsecured in
the passenger compartment . This could
cause ser ious persona l inju ry to passen­
gers in the veh icle in case of a collision .
- The compact spare tire is for temporary
use only and is so marked on the side­
walls .
- Do not dr ive at speeds exceeding SO mph
(80 km/h) wi th the compact spare whee l
mounted . A lso rapid acce lerat ion, ha rd
braking and hard cornering must be
avoided to he lp prevent loss of vehicle
contro l.
- Any continuous road use of the compact
spare tire may result in tire failure, loss
of vehicle control and injury to vehicle
occupants.
- Do not put a snow chain on your compact
spare tire. Due to the smaller t ire size,
the chain will not fit properly and can
thus damage your vehicle. You cou ld also
lose the chain, as well as contro l of the
veh icle .
- If you have a flat front t ire in road condi­
tions which require snow chains, first re­
move the undamaged rea r whee l and
mount the compact spare wheel in its
place. Then remove the damaged front
wheel, take the snow cha ins off it and at­
tach them to the whee l taken from the
rear. This wheel can now be mounted on
the front with its snow chains. Check and
adjust t ire pressure promptly .
- Never use two or more compact spare
tires at the same time.
(D Note
When using the compact spare wheel, note the fo llowing: •
•

256 Genera l inform ation
Gro ss Axl e Weight Rating
The Gross Axle Weight Rating is the maxim um
l oad that can be applied at each axle of the
vehicle ~&. .
Vehicle capacity weight
The vehicle capac ity we ight (max . load) is list ­
ed eithe r on the dr iver's side B-pillar o r inside
the fuel filler flap.
Roof weight
The maximum perm iss ible roof we ight is 165
lb (75 kg ). The roof we ight is made up of the
weight of the roof ra ck system and the weight
of the object bei ng transpo rted
~ page 73 ,
Loading the roof rack .
A WARNING
- The actual Gross Axle Weight Rating at
the front and rear axles sho uld not ex­
ceed the perm iss ib le weights, and their
combination must not exceed the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rat ing .
- Exceeding permissib le we ight ratings can
result in vehicle damage, accidents and
personal in jury.
(D Note
- The vehicle capacity weight figures app ly
when the load is distrib uted evenly in the
vehicle (passengers and luggage) . When
transporting a heavy load in the luggage
compartment , carry the load as nea r to
the rea r axle as possib le so that the vehi­
cle's handling is not impa ired .
- Do not exceed the maximum permissible
axl e loads or the max imum g ross vehicl e
weig ht. Always remembe r that the vehi­
cl e's handling will be affected by the ex­
tra load . Therefore, adjust your speed ac­
cordingly.
- Alw ays obse rve lo cal regulations.
Dimensions
-
The spe cifica tions refer to the basi c model.
D ifferen ces may oc cur depe nding on the mod- el type and options orde
red , fo r example , tire
siz es.
(D Note
When dr iv ing up steep ramps, on rough
r oads, over curbs, etc. it is important to re ­
member that some pa rts of your vehicle,
such as spo ile rs or exhaust system compo­
nents, may be close to the ground . Be
careful not to damage them .