2015 AUDI A3 load capacity

230 Tire s and wheel s
you have stored . The system does not recog ­
nize the load condition of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressu re monito r­
ing system w ill be impaired if you store nor­
mal load pressures but then operate the vehi ­
cle at its maximum load¢.&. .
See the il lustration¢
fig. 156 for the location
of the label on dr iver's side 8-pillar (color of
the actua l labe l and exact location on the ve­
hicle wi ll vary slightly).
Note that the followi ng tab le is accurate at
the time o f go ing to press and is subject to
Model / Tire de
signation
change. In the event of discrepancies, the t ire
pressure label is located on the driver's side 8-
pillar always takes precedence .
T he table below lists the recommended cold
ti re inflation pressu res for the Audi mode l
covered by your Owner's Literature at the vehi­
cle's capacity weight and the t ire sizes instal­
l ed on the respective models as original
equipment, or as a factory option.
Tire pressure
Engine normal load condition full load condition
front rear front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
A3: 225 /45 Rl 7 91 Y
32 220 29 200 35 240 35 240 1
.8 lit er High P erform ance
4 -cy lind er
22 5/40 R18 92Y XL
Hi gh Perfo rmance
35 240 32 220
35 240
35 240
2
2 5/45 Rl 7 91H
35 240
32 220 39 270 39 270 All S
ea son
2 25 /40 R18 92H XL
35 240 32 220 39 270 39 270 All Season
2 35/35 Rl 9 91 Y XL
32 220 29 200 35 240
35 240 High Performan
ce
C o mp act spar e whe el
60 420 60 420
60 420 60 420 11
25/70 R 18
A 3: 225 /45 Rl 7 91Y
33 230 30 210 36 250 36 250 2.0 liter High Perfo rman ce
4 -cy linder
22 5/40 R18 92Y XL
High Performan ce
33 230 30 210 36 250 36 250
225 /45 R1 7 91H
36 250 33 230 41 280 41 280 All Seaso n
225 /40 R18 92H XL
36 250
33 230 41 280
41 280 All Seaso n
23 5/3 5 R1 9 9 1 Y XL
33 230 30 210 36 250 36 250 High P erformance
C o m pact spa re w heel
60 420 60 420 60 420 60 420 1125 /70 R18
X L= reinf orced or extra lo ad tir e. It m ay als o a ppe ar as x l, EX TRA L OAD , or RF on the ti re side-
wall .

The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is
l ocated on a label on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because tec hnical changes may be made to
vehicle equ ipment dur ing the model yea r, a l­
ways compa re the tire size designation on the
tire pressure label on your vehicle wit h the
tires on your vehicle . Make s ure that the tire
size information on the veh icle label is the
same as the s ize of the tires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be ­
longs to someone else or you bought the veh i­
cle with different rims/tires or you boug ht the
ve hicle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on mak ing su re that
l oad limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
veh icle. These load limits are technically refer­
red to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle We ight
Rating ("GVWR") . The Gross Ax le Weight Rat ­
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be app lied at each of the veh icle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance st icker label located on the
driver's side B-p illa r. The t ire pressure label o n
your Aud i lists the maximum combined
weight of a ll of the occupants and luggage or
other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
l ocation of the tire pressure labe l~
fig. 156.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than yo ur vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­ crease the risk of a loss of veh icle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a veh icle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance .
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con­
t rol and a crash.
Tire s an d wheel s 231
-Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported - includ ing the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue we ight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicles Gross Veh i­
cle Weight Rating.
A WARNING
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can lead to a ser ious or fatal acci­
dent.
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased tire wear and can
affect the handling of the vehicle.
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de­
flation, caus ing loss of veh icle contro l.
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressvre label located on driver's side 8-pil ­
lar.
T he recommended tire pressures are on the
ti re pressure label and in the table
~ page 229, Cold tire inflation pressure . This
means that the pressure m ust be checked and
adjusted when the tire has not been dr iven for
more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous three hours.
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of internal frict ion as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is h igher when the tire
has warmed up t han when it is "cold."
It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" t ire that
counts. Therefore, you should never let a ir out
of a warm tire to match "Cold tire inflat ion
pressure" recommendat io ns ~
page 229 . Th e
ti res wo uld then be unde rinfl ated and co uld
fail suddenly.
T he tire pressure label on your Audi lists the
recommended co ld tire inflation pressures at
max imum capacity for the new, or ig inal
equipment tires that were on your vehi cle at
•
•
•

-Only when all tires on the vehicle are fi l­
led to the correct pressure, the tire pres­
sure monitoring system can work cor­ rect ly.
- The use of incorrect tire pressure values
can lead to accidents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the driver
observe the specif ied tire pressure values
for the tires and the co rrect p ress ures for
the f unction of t he tire pressure mo nitor­
ing system.
- Always inflate ti res to the recommended
and co rrec t tire pressu re befo re d rivi ng
off.
- Drivi ng with under inflated ti res bend
more, letti ng them get too ho t res ulting
in t read separation, sudden t ire fail ure
and loss of control.
- Excessive spee d and/ove rloading can
cause heat bui ld -up, sudden tire fa il u re
and loss of control.
- If the t ire pressure is too low or too high,
the tires w ill wea r prematurely and the
vehicle will not hand le we ll.
- If the t ire is no t flat and you do no t have
to change a w heel imme diate ly, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
t ion to check the tire pressure and add
air as required.
(D Note
Driving without va lve stem caps ca n cause
damage to the t ire va lves. To prevent this,
always make s ure that facto ry installed
valve stem caps on all wheels a re secure ly
mounted on the va lve .
@) For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will a lso increase the
fue l consumption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any veh icle and any t ire can carry .
A vehicle that is ove rloaded w ill not ha ndle
well and is more difficult to stop . Overload ing
can no t on ly lead to loss o f vehicle con tro l,
Tire s an d wheel s 233
but can also damage important parts of the
vehicle and ca n lead to sud den tire fai lure, in ­
clud ing a b lowout and s udden def lation that
can cause the vehicle to cras h.
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded . Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the veh icle. These
load lim its are technically referred to as the
vehicle's
Gross Vehicle We ight Rating
("GVWR ") .
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, all factory installed accessories, a full
tank of fuel, o il, coo lant and other fluids plus
maximum load . The max imum load includes
the number of passenge rs that th e vehicle is
i n tended to car ry ("seat ing capa city") wi th an
ass umed we igh t of 150 lbs (68 kg) fo r each
passenger at a designated seating posi tion
and t he tota l weight of any luggage i n the ve­
hicle . If you tow a trai ler, the weight of the
tra iler hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra iler must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
T he
Gro ss Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each
of the vehicle's two axles.
T he Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
G ross Axle Weig ht Rating are listed on the
safety comp liance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar. Your Audi has 5 seat ing
pos itions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rea r for
total seating capacity of 5 . Each seating posi ­
t ion has a safety belt
~ page 131, Safety
belts.
The fact that there is an upper limit to your
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
t h at the total weight of whatever is bei ng car­
ried in the vehicle ( in cl ud ing t he weight of a
t ra ile r hi tc h a nd the tongue we ight of t he
l o ad ed tr ailer) is lim ited. The more p assen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard weights assumed
mean that less weight can be carried as lug -
gage.
~
•
•
•

and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6 . If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your trail­
er will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual
to determine how this re­ duces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
~check the tire sidewall
(¢page 236, fig. 160) to de­
termine the designated load
rating for a specific tire.
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of
different things including proper installation
and balan cing, correct tire pressure and driv­
ing style.
Fig. 158 T ir e tread: tread wea r ind icators (TWI)
Fig. 159 Rotat ing t ires for more even wea r
Tires and wheels 235
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The orig inal tires on your vehicle have
1/16 inch ( 1.6 mm) hig h "wear indicators"
r:::>fig. 158 run ning across the tread. Depend­
ing on the make, there will be six to eight of
them evenly placed around the tire. Marks on
the tire sidewall (for examp le "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear indicators . Worn tires must be replaced .
D ifferent figures may apply in other countr ies
¢ Lr:,. .
Tire pressure
Incorrect t ire pressure causes premature wear
and can cause sudde n tire blow-out. For this
reason, tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
r::> page 231.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves , heavy acce lerat ion
and hard braking increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the
same service life, we recommend that the
front and rear tires are rotated according to
the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rota­
tion intervals. Please remember the follow­
i ng:
- Tire rotation intervals may differ from the
veh icle service intervals outlined in your
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufact urer's suggested
tire rotation intervals.
- Ve hicl es w ith front -wheel dr ive experience
more tread wear on the fro nt wheels com­
pared to a ll-wheel drive (quattro) .
- Please rotate tires as shown
r:::> fig . 159 .
-Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rection-specific tires
r::> page 253 .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced .
However, various s ituations during everyday
driv ing can cause them to become

26 6 Techni cal data
designated s eating position) and luggage
w eight ¢.&, .
Gross Axle W eight Rating
The Gross Axle Weight Rating is the maximum
l oad that can be applied at each axle of the
vehicle ¢Lr!, .
Vehicle cap acit y weight
The vehicle capac ity we ight (max . load) is list­
ed either on the dr iver's side B-pilla r or inside
the fuel filler flap.
_& WARNING
- T he actual Gross Axle Weight Rat ing at
the front and rear axles shou ld not ex­
ceed the permissible weights, and their
combination must not exceed the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating .
Dimensions
The dimensions can vary depend ing on the
model and equipment.
Length
Width
W idth (ac ross m irrors)
Height (unloaded) a)
Turn ing circle d iameter
-
- Exceeding permissible weight ratings can
result in veh icle damage, acc idents and
personal injury.
(D Note
- The vehicle capacity weight figures apply
when the load is distributed evenly in the
vehicle (passengers and luggage). When
transport ing a heavy load in the luggage
compartment, carry the load as near to
the rear axle as poss ible so that the vehi­
cle's handling is not impaired .
- Do not exceed the maximum permissible axle loads or the maximum gross veh icle
we ight. Always remember that the vehi­
cle's handling w il l be affected by the ex­
tra load. Therefo re, adj ust your speed ac­
cordingly.
- Always observe local regulat ions .
in (mm)
175 .3 (4456)
in (mm) 70 .7 (1796)
in (mm) 77 .l (1960)
in (mm) 55 .7 (1416)
ft (m) 35.8 (10.9)
al The he igh t o f th e ve hicle depe nds o n the tire s and the s usp en sion .
When driving on poor roads, by curb s and on
s teep ramp s, make sure tha t low-lying compo­
nent s such as the spoiler and exhaust sy stem
Capacities
Fuel tank
Front whee l Drive
All wheel drive
Winds hield washer system do not
come into contact w ith these or they
could be dam aged. This applies espe cia lly
when the vehicle is fully loaded .
gal (liters) approx.
13.2 (50.0)
gal (lite rs) approx. 14.5 (55.0)
quarts (liters) approx. 3.2 (3.1)

Exterior mirrors
Adjusting .. .. ... ... .... ... .. .. .... 48
Dimming ... .. .. ........ ... .. .. .. .. 49
folding .. .. ................. .. .... 48
H eating .. .. ................. .. .... 48
F
Fasten ing
Booster seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 5
Convertible c hild safety sea ts . .. .. .. . 173
Infant seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Fl oor mats ... .. .... .... ... .. .. .. ... 126
F og lights/ rear fog light(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2
Folding the exterior mirrors Center locking ... .. ... ... .. .. .. .... 36
F oldi ng the rear seats .... ... .. .. .. .. .. 61
F oot pedals .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. .. .. . 126
Footwell light ing .......... .... .. .... 45
F or the sake of the environment
F ue ling .... .... ...... ... .. .. .. ... 208
L eaks . ..... ... .. .. ..... ... .. .. ... 211
Rear window defogger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Fr ont airbags
D escr ipt ion . ............. .. .. .. .. . 14 4
How they work . ... .... ... .. .. .. ... 150
F ronta l co llisions and the laws of physics 132
Front armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Fr ont passenger's door emergency locking 3 7
Front seats Ad just ing ..... ........... ... ... .. 123
C hi ld restra ints in the front seat . .... . 142
also refer to Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2, 6 1
Fue l
Addit ives ... ... .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. . 206
Blended gasoline ............ .... .. 206
Current consumpt ion ... ...... .... ... 27
F ue l tank capac ity ........ .. .. .. .. . 266
Gasoline . .. ............. .... .. .. . 206
Gasoline additives ..... ... .. .. .... . 207
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0, 11
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Octane rating ............ .... .. ... 206
Recommendation ......... .. .. .. .. . 206
Saving fue l .............. .... .. .. . 102
F ue l economy messages (eff iciency pro-
g ram) ..... .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. .... 29
Inde x 277
Fueling
Fuel fi ller door emergency re lease 209
Fuel tan k capacity . .. .. ..... ... .. .. 266
Open ing the fue l filler door ........ .. 208
Fuses Ass ignment ... .... . ... ...... ... .. 256
Interior ... .. .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 255
replacing . ... .. .. .. .. .. ...... ... .. 255
G
Garment hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Gas d ischarge lamps .. .............. . 258
Gear recommendation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
G lossary of tire and loading term inology 226
G love compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) ... 265
H
Head light range control system ... .. ... 4 2
Indicator light ... .. . ... ...... ... .. . 25
Head lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42, 44
Head lights cleaning .. .. .. .. .. ............... 202
Head lights
Head light range control system . ... ... 42
Head restra ints .. ...... ......... .. .. 1 25
adjus ting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Adjus ting . .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. 125
removing and insta lling . ..... ... .. .. . 55
Heated exter io r mir ro rs .. .... .... ... .... .. . 48
Rea r window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Seats ..... .. .. .. ................. . 68
Washe r nozzles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Heavy clothing and safety be lts ... .... . 134
Hex socket .. .. .. .. ................. 247
Hig h voltage warn ing label ....... .. .. 265
Highway light . .. .... .. ........ ...... 43
Hill descent contro l .. . ... ...... ... .. 109
Hill ho ld . .. .. .. .. .. . ....... ..... .. . 78
Hill ho ld assist
refer to H ill hold . .. ........... .... . 78
Hor n .. .. .. .. .... ... .. .. ..... ... .. .. 8
How are child rest raint system anc ho rs re-
l ated to ch ild safety .... ........... .. 180
•
•
•

284 Index
Weights .......... ......... ... .... . 265
What happens if you wear your safety belt
too loose? ........................ .
135
What happens to unbelted occupants? .. 132
What impairs driving safety? .......... 122
What should I do after changing a
wheel? .. .... .. .. ...... .... ... .. .. .
232
What should I do after replacing wheels? 232
Wheel bolts
Torque ..... ................ ..... .
242
Wheels ... .. ............ ... .. .. ... 225
A ll wheel drive ......... .... .. .. .. . 190
Checking tire pressure ..... .... .... . 231
cleaning ... ............. .... .. .. . 202
Cold tire inflation pressure .......... 229
General notes ................ .... . 225
Glossary of tire and loading terminolo-
gy .. .. .. ................. .. .. .. .
226
New tires and wheels ...... .... .... . 236
Tires and vehicle load limits .. .... .. . 233
Wheel wrench .............. ... .... . 247
When must a safety belt be rep laced? . .
134
When must the airbag system be inspect-
ed? ..... .. ....................... . 152
When shou ld I ad just the tire pressures?
232
When shou ld I check the tire pressures? . 232
Where are lower anchorages located? ... 181
Where can I find the tire pressu res for my
car? . .. ... .................. ..... .
231
Why safety belts? .......... .. .. .. .. . 132
Windows
cleaning/removing ice
203
W indshield
cleaning ... ................ ..... ..
46
defrosting (automatic climate contro l
system) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
defrosting (manual climate control sys-
tem) .. .. ................. .. .... ..
65
also refer to Windshield . ........ .. .. 46
Windshield washer system ... ... .. .. .. 46
Reservoir capacity .............. .. . 266
Washer reservoir ......... .... .... . 224
Windshield w ipers
C leaning wiper blades ............. . . 47
Folding up ............... ... .... .. 47
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24
Replacing windshield wiper b lades . ... . 47
Switching on and
off ............ ... . 46
Winter operation
Cooling system . .. ............. .. ..
216
Winter tires . .. .. .. .... .... ..... .. .. 240
All -wheel drive ... ..... ..... ... .. .. 240
Winter use
Car washes ................... ....
201
defrosting the windshield (automatic cli­
mate control system) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Removing ice from windows . .. .. .. ..
203
Seat heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
X
Xenon-lights .. .. .. ... .... ...... .... 258
Xenon headlights . ................. .. 42