2015 AUDI A3 spare tire

Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 1
Driving safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Proper occupant seating posit ions . . . 122
Driver and passenger side footwell . . . 126
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Stowing luggage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
R eport ing Safety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Safety belts ... .. ...... .. .. .. . .
General notes ............... .. .. .
Why safety bel ts? ........ .... .. . .
Safety belts ............. .. .. .. . . 131
13
1
13 2
134
Safety belt p re tens ioners . . . . . . . . . . 13 7
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
I mpor tan t th ings to know . . . . . . . . . . 1 40
Fr ont airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 4
M onitoring the Advanced Airbag
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Side curta in a irbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Ch ild Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Important things to know . . . . . . . . . . 166
C hi ld safety seats ............ .... . 172
Install ing a chi ld safety seat . . . . . . . . 177
L A TC H L ower ancho rages and tethe rs
fo r ch ild ren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
A ddit io nal Informa tion 184
Driver messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Smart Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
N ot ice about da ta recorded by vehi cle
control mod ules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Electron ic stabilization control (ESC) 185
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Electromechanical steering . . . . . . . . . 189
All whee l drive (quatt ro) . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Driving and the environment 193
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km) and
afterwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
D riving through water on roads . . . . . 194
Cata lytic conve rter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Table of contents 3
P lac ing you r vehicle out of service. . . . 195
Operate yo ur vehicle economically an d
min imize poll ution. .. .. ... .... ... . 195
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Driving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Trai ler tow ing tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Operating instructions ..... .. .
Caring and cleaning .......... .
General information ........... .. .
Car was hes .. .. .. ............... .
Cleaning and care information 201
201
201
201
202
Checking and Filling
. . . . . . . . . . 206
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Refueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
E ngine o il . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
c oolant system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Br ake fluid . ... .. .. .. .. .. .... ... . 219
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Windshie ld washer fluid container . . . 224
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Tire pressure monitoring system 243
Do-it-yourself service . . . . . . . . . 246
What do I do now? . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Luggage compartment lid emergency
release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Equ ipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Spare ti re .... ... .. ..... ......... 247
Chang ing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
El ectr ica l fus es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
B ulbs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Emergency situations . . . . . . . . . 259
Genera l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Star ting by p ushing o r towing . . . . . . . 259
Star ting with jumpe r cables . . . . . . . . 259
U se o f jumpe r cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
•
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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
•
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232 Tire s and wheel s
the time it was manufactured . For the
location of the label
c::> page 229, fig . 156.
Most ti res lose a ir naturally over time. They
can also lose some a ir if you drive ove r a pot­
ho le or hit a curb while parking . It is usua lly
not possible to see whether the radial tires
used today are under inflated just by looking
at them.
Therefore, be sure to check tire pressures at
l east once a month and always before going
on a long tr ip. Make sure to take the number
of people and the amount of luggage into ac ­
count when adjusting tire pressure for a trip -
even one that you would not consider to be
" long." See
c::> page 233 , Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information .
Always use an accurate tire pressure gauge
when checking and adjusting inflation pres­
sures . Check all of the t ires and be sure not to
forget the spare t ire . If the pressure in any tire
is too high when the tire is "cold ," le t air out
of the tire slowly with the edge of the tire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until
you reach the pressure that is correct for the l oad (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driving you plan to do .
I f the pressure in any tire is too low, note the
diffe rence between the pressure in the cold
tire and the pressure you need and add the air
that you need to reach the cor rect pressure for
the vehicle load (passengers and luggage) for
the tires on your veh icle as lis ted on the on
your veh icle and in this manual and the k ind
of dr iv ing you pla n to do .
Never e xceed th e ma ximum inflatio n pres ­
sure li sted on th e tire s id ewall for an y rea ­
son .
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the tire manufacturer, determ ines the correct
tire pressure for the t ires on your vehicle .
It is important to check the tire pressure when
the tires are cold .
- Read the req uired ti re pressure from the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure labe l is lo ­
cated on the driver's side B-pi llar . - Tu
rn the va lve stem cap counter -clockwise
to remove it from the tire va lve .
- Place the air pressure gauge on the va lve.
- The tire pressu res should only be checked
and adj usted when the tires are co ld. The
slightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Reins tall the valve stem cap on the va lve.
When should I check the tire pr essure ?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor­
tant at high speeds. The pressure should
the refore be che cked at least once a mo nth
and always before sta rting a jo urney. Do not
f orget to c heck the ti re p ress ure for the spare
whee l
c::> page 247.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust the t ire pr essure to the load you are
ca rrying. After cha ng ing a whee l
or replacing
whee ls you have to adjust the ti re p ress ures
on all whee ls. In addition, you m ust then
store the new tire pressures in the tire pres­
s u re monitoring system
c::> page 243 .
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinfla­
tion can lead sudden tire fa ilure, loss of
control, collision, serious personal injury
or even death.
- When the warning symbol
RIJ appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the t ires.
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
tion can cause increased tire wear and
can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping abi lity.
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin ­
f lation can a lso lead to s udden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowout a nd sudden de­
f lation, ca using loss of veh icle cont ro l.
- The driver is responsible for the co rrect
tire pressures for all tires on the veh icle.
The appli cable pressure values are locat ­
ed on a sticker on the dr iver's side B-pil-
lar .
~

contribution to good road holding and sa fe
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
¢ .&. .
We recommend that all work on t ires and
wheels be performed by an authorized A udi
dealer. They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary spec ial
too ls and spare parts as we ll as the proper fa ­
cilities for dispos ing of the old tires .
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about techn ica l requ irements for
installing or changing tires and r ims.
R eplacing t ires and wheel s
Tires shou ld be rep laced at least in pairs and
not individua lly (for example both front tires
or both rear tires together).
Be s ure to read and heed the information to
the tire pressure monitoring system
¢ page 243.
Always buy rep lacement radial tires that have
the same specifications as the t ires approved
for your ve hicle by Audi. Replacement tires
must always have the same load rating speci ­
fication as the original equipment or approved
optional tires listed in the table
¢ page 229.
Audi-approved specification tires are specially
matched to your vehicle and its load limits ,
and can contribute to the important road hold­
ing, driving character istics, and safety of the
veh icle. The table
( ¢ page 229) lists spec ifica­
tions of the t ires approved for the Audi mod­
e ls covered by your Owner 's Literature .
T he tire pressure labe l located on dr iver 's side
B-pillar
( ¢ page 229, fig. 157) lists the speci­
fications o f the orig inal equipment tires in­
stalled on your veh icle at the time it was man­
ufactured .
Federal law requires t ire manufacturers to
p lace s tanda rd ized information on the s ide­
wall of all tires
¢ fig . 160 . This information
i dent ifies and desc ribes the fundamental
characterist ics , the quality grade of the tire
and a lso provides a tire ide ntificat io n number
Tire s an d wheel s 237
for sa fety standard certification and in case of
a reca ll.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it eas­
ier to choose the co rrec t tires . Radial ti res
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for examp le:
255 /40 R 19 100 H XL
This co nta ins the following information :
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
(where app licab le)
255 Nom inal tire width i n mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In
general, the larger the number, the wider
the ti re
40 Height/w idth ratio in percent (aspect ra -
t io)
R Tire construct ion: Radial
1 9 Rim diameter code (i n inches)
100 Load ra ting code
H Speed ra ting letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF") Indicates
t h at the t ire is a "Reinfo rced " or an " Ext ra
Load " tir e
M+S (or "M/S") Indicates that the ti re has
some mud and snow capab ility
The tires could also have the informat ion of
direction of rotation ¢
page 225 .
Tire manufacturing d ate
The manufact uring date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly only on the
inner
s ide of the wheel):
"DOT ... 4513 .. . " means, for example, the tire
was produced in the 45nd week of 2013.
Speed rating (letter code )
The speed rating le tter code on the whee ls in­
dicates the maximum permiss ible road speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on page 241.
P up to 93 mp h (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
5 up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
•
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Driving with different tires reduces vehi­
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the spare ti re is not the same as the
tires that are mounted on the vehicle -
for example with winter tires -only use
the spare tire for a short period of time 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
vehicles -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
vehicles that were equipped with them at the factory. The vehicle must have a
chassis designed for run flat tires. Incor­
rect use of run flat tires can lead to vehi­
cle 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 permit­
ted.
(D Note
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth-
Tires and wheels 239
er vehicles. This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare tire 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.
- 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
- Tract ion AA A B C
- Temperature AB C
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
c;, page 236,
fig. 160.
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 ISO 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
norm due to variations in driving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character-
istics and climate.
ll-
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24 0 T ire s and wheel s
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 measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance
c:> .&. .
Te mp eratu re
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and
C, representing the t ire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ability to dissi­
pate heat when tested under con trolled condi­
tions on a specified i ndoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure
c:> ,& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Veh icle Safety 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.
.&_ 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 o r peak traction
character istics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is es ­
tablished for a t ire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire fa ilu re.
-
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 tread . T hese tires should
o n ly be used in pairs and be installed on a ll
f o ur wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
t ir es that are the same size and construction
type as the othe r tires on yo ur vehicle.
If your vehicle is equ ipped w ith all-whee l
drive*, t his w ill improve traction during win ter
driv ing, even with the standard tires . Howev ­
er, we strongly recommend that you always
equip all four wheels on your vehicle w ith cor­
rect ly fitted winter tires or all-season t ires,
when winter road condit ions are expected.
This also improves the veh icle 's brak ing per­
formance and reduces stopping d istances .
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all fo ur whee ls .
Ask your au thorized A udi dealer or qualified
workshop for permit ted
winter ti re size s. Use
only radial winter tires .
Winter tires lose their effec tivenes s whe n the
tread is wo rn down to a depth o f
0.157 inch
(4 mm) .
Only d rive w ith w inter t ires under w inte r co n­
ditions. S umme r tir es handle bette r whe n
the re is no snow o r ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °C) .
If you have a flat ti re, see notes on spare
whee l
c:> page 236 .
Please always remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r speed rating than the tires o rigi­
nally i nstalled on your vehi cle at the time it
was manuf actu red. P lease see
c:> page 237,
Speed rating (Letter code)
for a lis ting o f the
speed rating lette r codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be driven . ..,.

In o rder to minimize the occu rrence o f impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom­ mend 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 a ir if neces­
sary.
- Drive carefu lly on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
t h rough 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 Aud i dealer . Replace a damaged
t ire as soon as poss ible .
- In spect your t ires every 2,000 miles (3,000
km) for damage and wear . Damage is not al­
ways easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
air and unde rinflation, wh ic h could eventu­
ally cause t ire fail ure.
If yo u be lieve that a
tire may have been damaged , replace the
tire as soon as possible.
- These tires may wear more qui ck ly than oth ­
ers.
- Please a lso remembe r that, whi le these t ires
deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices.
Reduced p erformance in winter /cold
sea son condit ion s
All tires are designed for certain purposes .
The low aspect ratio, ultra hig h performance
tires originally installed on your vehicle are in­
tended for max imum dry and wet road per­
f ormance and handling . They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather cond it ions .
If
you dr ive under those circumstances, you
should equip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under
those cond it io ns . We suggest you use the rec­
ommended snow or all -season tires specified
for your ve hicle, or their equiva lent .
Refe r to ~
page 240 for mo re deta iled info r­
ma tion regarding w in ter t ires.
Tire s an d wheel s 243
Tire pressure
monitoring system
ill General notes
Each tire, incl uding the spare (if provided),
shou ld be checked monthly when co ld and in ­
flated to the inflation pressure recommended by the veh icle manufac turer on the veh icle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the
s ize indicated on the vehicle placard or tire i n­
flat io n pressu re labe l, you shou ld dete rm ine
the p roper t ire inflation p ress ure fo r those
t i r es).
As an added safety feature , your veh icle has
been equipped with a tire pressure mon ito ring
system ( TPMS) that illum inates a low ti re
pressure te lltale when one or more o f your
t ires is significant ly under -inflated . Acco rding ­
l y, when the low tire pressure te lltale i llumi­
nates, you should stop and check your tires as
soon as possib le, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a sign ificantly un­
der- inflated tire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire fa ilure. Under-inflation al­
so reduces fuel eff ic iency and tire tread life,
and may affe ct the vehicle's hand ling and
stopp ing ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
fo r proper tire ma intenance, and it is the driv­
er's respons ibility to maintain co rrect tire
pressure, even if under -inflation has not
rea ched the leve l to tr igger illuminat ion of the
TPMS low tire p ressure tellta le .
You r vehicle has also been equipped with a
T PMS ma lfunction indicator to ind icate when
the sys tem is not operating properly . T he
TPMS ma lfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure te lltale. When the sys­
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximate ly one min ute and then
rema in continuously illum inated . Th is se­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunct io n exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illum inat-
ed, the system may not be ab le to detect or
lilJ,
•
•

24 4 T ire s and wheel s
signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea­
sons, includ ing the installat ion of replace­
ment or a lternate tires or whee ls on the veh i­
cle that prevent the TPMS from funct ioning
properly . Always check the TPMS malfunct ion
telltale after replacing one or more t ires or
wheels on your veh icle to ensure that the re­
p lacement or a lternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
F ig. 161 Ins trumen t cluste r: ind icato r light w it h m es­
s age
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring system compa res the tire tread circum­
ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
dividual tires .
If the pressure changes in one
or more tires, th is is indicated in the instru­
ment cluster display with an indicator light
IE and a message ¢ fig. 161 . If only one t ire
is affected, the location of that t ire will be in­
d icated. The message turns off after a few mi­
nutes. You can disp lay the message again
¢ page 28.
The tire pressures must be stored in the menu
d isplay aga in each time the pressures change
(switching between part ia l and full load pres­
sure) or after chang ing or replac ing a tire on
your ve hicle ¢
page 245. The tire pressure
monitoring system on ly monitors the ti re
press ure you have stored . You can find the rec­
ommended tire pressures for your vehicle on the
labe l on the driver's doo r pillar
¢ page 229 .
Tire tread circumference and vib ration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- I f the tire pressure in one or more ti res is
t oo low.
- The tire has structural damage.
- The tire was replaced or the t ire pressure
changed and it was not stored again
¢ page 245.
-The spare tire is installed .
Indicator lights
IE -Loss of pressure in at least one tire ¢ .&. .
Check the tires and replace or repair if neces­
sary. Check/correct the pressures of all four
t ires . Then store the t ire pressures in the
menu display
¢ page 245.
Ill (T ire Pressure Monitoring System) T ire
pre ssure: S ystem mal function!. Ifm:!
ap­
pears afte r switching the ignition on or w hile
driv ing and the [ti] indicato r light in the in­
strument cluster b links for app rox imately one
minute and then stays on , the re is system
malfu nction . Check/cor rect the p ress ures of
all four tires and store them¢
page 245. If
t h e indicator lig ht does turn off or tu rns on
again after a short pe riod of time, drive to
your authori zed Aud i dea ler or qualified repair
facility immed iately to have the malfunction
corrected .
A WARNING
--- If the tire pressure ind icator appears in
the instrument cluster display , one or
mo re of your t ires is sign ifi cant ly unde r­
i n flated. Reduce yo ur speed immedi ately
an d avoid any hard steer ing or b rak ing
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possib le and
check the tires and their pressures. In­
f late the tire pressure to the proper pres­
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire
pressure labe l
¢page 229. Driving on a
significantly under-i nflated tire causes
the t ire to overheat and can lead to ti re
fa ilur e. Unde r-inflation also is li kely to