2015 AUDI A3 tire size

-Always store objects in the luggage com­
partment and use suitable straps, partic­
ularly with heavy objects.
- When you transport heavy objects, al­
ways remember that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity may result in a change in
the vehicle's handling characteristics .
- Follow all warnings
q page 121, Driving
safety.
(D Tips
The tire pressure must be adjusted to the
load -see the tire pressure sticker located
on the driver's side B-pillar.
General information
_& WARNING
Refer to the chapter Driving Safely
qpage 121, Driving safety for important
information, tips, s uggestions and warn­
ings that you should read and fo llow for
your own safety and the safety of your pas­ sengers.
Increasing the size of the luggage
compartment
The rear seat backrests can be folded forward
either separately or together .
Fig. 55 Backrest: release lever (left sid e, e)(ample)
Folding the backrest forward
.,. Push the corresponding head restraint
downward
¢ page 55 .
.,. Press the release lever @in the d irection of
the arrow .
.,. Fold the backrest forward.
Seats and storage 61
Folding the backrest back into the upright
position
.,. Fold the backrest down until it latches se­
curely
q _&. . When you can no longer see
the red mark on the pin @, the seat is latch­
ed.
A WARNING
-- The backrest must be securely latched
for the safety belt in the center seat to
function correctly. -
-The backrest must be securely latched so
objects cannot slide forward out of the
luggage compartment during sudden
braking .
- Always check whether the latch is fully
engaged by pulling the seatback for­
ward .
- Never allow safety belts to become dam­
aged by being caught in door or seat
hardware .
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear and
damaged be lt hardware can break in a
crash. Inspect the belts periodically.
Belts showing damage to webbing, bind­
ings, buck les, or retractors must be re­
placed.
(D Note
- If you move the front seat back when the
rear seat backrest is folded forward, you
cou ld damage the head restraints on the
rear seat. If necessary, remove the rear
seat head restraint before moving the
front seat back
- Make sure the safety belt is not pinched
in the backrest lock and damaged when
the rear seat backrest if folded back.
Other objects should be removed from
the rear bench seat to protect the back­
rest from damage.

Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
T his chapter explains why safety belts are nec­
essary, how they work and how to adjust and
wear them correctly .
~ Read all the information that follows and
heed all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se­
rious injury and death in automobile acci­
dents. For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving .
- Pregnant women, injured, or physically
impaired persons must also use safety
belts. Like all vehicle occupants, they are
more likely to be seriously injured if they
do not wear safety belts. The best way to
protect a fetus is to protect the mother -
throughout the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating positions:
two in the front and three in the rear. Each
seating position has a safety belt .
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- Never strap more than one person, in­
cluding small children, into any belt. It is
especially dangerous to place a safety
belt over a child sitting on your lap.
- Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are safety belts available.
Safety belts 131
-Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safe­
ty belt or child restraint.
~ Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the
driver and front seat passenger (on USA mod ­
els only) to remind you abou t the importance
of buckling-up.
Fig. 111 Safety bel t warn ing light in the instr ume nt
cl uster -enla rged
Before driving off, always:
~ Fasten your safety belt and make sure you
are wearing it properly.
~ Make sure that your passengers also buckle
up and properly wear their safety belts.
~ Protect children with a child restraint sys-
tem appropriate for the size and age .
The warning light . in the instrument clus­
ter lights up when the ignition is on as a re­
minder to fasten the safety belts . In addition,
you will hear a warning tone for a certain peri­
od of time .
Fasten your safety belt and make sure that
your passengers also properly put on their
safety belts.
A WARNING
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se­
rious injury and death in automobile acci­
dents. For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving. •
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186 Smart T echnol ogy
correctly. ED L will switch on again automati ­
cally when conditions have returned to nor­
mal.
Electroni c inte raxle diff ere ntial lo ck */
s e le ct ive w heel t orqu e cont rol *
The electronic interaxle differential lock (front
wheel drive) or the selective wheel torque
contro l (all wheel drive) operates when driving
through curves. The front whee l on the inside
of the curve or both wheels o n the inside of
the curve are braked selectively as needed .
This minimizes s liding in the front wheels and
a llows for more precise driving through
curves. The app licab le system may not acti­
vate when driving in wet or snowy conditions .
Post-collision bra ke ass ist
"Post-collision brake assist" can ass ist the
driver during a collision by reducing the dan­
ge r of slipp ing and further co llision and by au­
tomatic braking.
"Post-collision brake assist" functions during
front, side and rear collis ions when the a irbag
control module a detects a trigger level and
the co llision takes place at a dr iv ing speed
faster than 6 mph (10 km/h). The braking of
the vehicle happen automatically via the ESC
as long as the ESC, the hydraulic brake sys­
tem, and the vehicle electrical system are not
damaged from the coll ision.
The fo llowing activ ities override the automat­
ic braking during a collision:
- If the dr iver presses the accelerator peda l.
T here is no a utomatic braking.
- When the force on the press brake pedal is
stronger than the b raking force initiated by
the system . The vehicle is manually braked .
- When the ESC is damaged and the "post­
collision brake assist" is not availab le.
A WARNING
- The ESC, ABS, ASR, EDL, electron ic inter­
axle d ifferential lock or select ive wheel
torque control cannot overcome the laws
of physics. This is espec ially important
on sl ippery o r wet roads.
If the systems
begin acting to stabili ze your veh icle, you
should immediately alter your speed to
match the road and traffic conditions . Do
not let the increased safety prov ided
tempt you into tak ing risks. This could
increase your risk of a collision.
- Please note the risk of a collision increas­
es when driving fast, especially through
curves and on slippery or wet roads, and
when dr iv ing too close to objects ahead .
ESC, ABS, the brake assist system, EDL,
electronic interaxle differentia l lock or
selective whee l to rque control cannot
p revent coll is ions.
- Press the acce lerator pedal carefully
when acce le rat ing o n even, slippe ry sur­
f a ces such as ice and snow. The drive
wheels can spin even when these control
systems are installed and this can affect
driving stability and increase the risk of a
col lision.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR only function correc tly
when all four wheels are eq uipped w ith
identical tires. Different t ire sizes can
lead to a reduction in engine power.
- Yo u may hear noises when the systems
described are working .
- If the
DJ or m] (USA models) !II] (Cana ­
da mode ls) indicator light appears, there
may be a malfunction
¢ page 22.

226 Tire s and wheel s
-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 sudden t ire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when driving, al­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
(D Note
- Please note that summer and winter
tires are designed for the cond itions that
a re typ ica l in those seasons. Aud i recom­
mends using w inter t ires d uring the win-
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means t he comb ined we ight (in excess of
those standard items which may be rep laced)
of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are availab le as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not).
A spect ratio
means th e ratio of the height to the width of
the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower in­
d icate a low sidewall for improved steer ing re­
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement .
Bead
means the part of the tire th at is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead s eparation
means a breakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means t he strands forming the plies in the
tire. ter months.
Low tempe ratu res signifi­
cantly decrease the elasticity of summer
tires, which affects traction and braking ability. If summer tires are used in very
co ld temperatures, cracks can form on
the tread bars, resu lting in permanent
tire damage that can cause loud driving
noise and unbalanced tires. Aud i is not
responsib le for this type of damage.
- Burn ished, polished or chromed rims
must not be used in winter weather. The
surfa ce of the rims does not have suff i­
c ien t cor rosion prote ct io n for this and
co uld be pe rmanen tly damaged by road
salt or simi lar substances. This damage
is not cove red by war ranty.
Cold tire inflat ion pre ssure
mea ns the t ire press ure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer for a tire o f a des ignated
size that has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le of miles (ki lometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire press ure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor vehicle w ith
standard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, o il, and coolant, air condi­
tion ing and additional weight of optional
equipment.
E x tra load tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire. Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or
"RF" on the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in-
terfaces.
IJ>,

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR")
means the maximum total loaded weight of
the vehicle .
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ri bs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a given inflat ion pressure . You
may not find this information on all tires be­
cause it is not requ ired by law .
Ma ximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the max i­
mum permissible inflation pressure for that
tire .
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capac ity weight, and
(d) Production opt ions weight
Ma ximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum co ld inf lation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated . Also called
"maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 k ilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the tota l seating capacity of yo ur vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a veh icle.
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of an inflated new
tire .
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ­
ing e levations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs .
Tires and wheels 22 7
Ply
means a layer of rubbe r-coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed
regular production opt ions we ighing over 5
lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standa rd items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tially 90 degrees to the centerl ine of the
tread.
Recommended inflation pressure
see ~ page 226, Cold tire inflation pressure .
Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire . Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD",
or "RF" on the sidewal l.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated .
Rim diamete r
means nominal diameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you wi ll have to
purchase new tires to match the new r im di­
ameter.
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead .
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Tires and wheels 229
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating
capacitie s
Designated seating capacity, Vehicle normal load, number Occupant distribution in a nor-
number of occupants of occupants mally loaded vehicle
5 3 2 in front, 1 in back seat
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 156 Tir e p ress ure la bel: located on driver 's s ide B·
p ill ar
Tire pressure generally refers to the amount
of air in a tire that it needs it to do its job and
safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents . Tire pressure is
measured in kilopasca ls (kPa), the interna­
tional measuring unit and in pounds pe r
squa re inch (PSI). Tire pressure is based in
part on the vehicles design and Load limit -
the greatest amount of weight that the vehi­
cle can carry safe ly and the t ire size . The prop­
er tire pressure is frequent ly referred to as the
"recommended cold tire inflation pressure."
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
because of internal friction when it flexes in
use . The tire pressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold ."
It is the
in flat ion pressure i n a "cold " tire that counts.
Therefore, you shou ld neve r let air out of a
warm tire to ma tch "cold tire inflation pres­
sure" recommendations. The tir es wo uld then
be underinflated and could fail suddenly .
Maintaining prop er t ire pressure is one of the
most impor tant things you can do to help
avoid sudden tire failure. Underinflated tires
are a ma jor cause of s udden tire failure . Keep·
ing tires at the right pressure is also impor­
tant for safe and responsive vehicle handling,
-tD
-
---------------------.. ,;
•(==.: I :::; I :,,. I)@ gi n. ............ .,_____, .... -.ito._.. ____ .... _ ...
&..p0idit,101111-~--.,...,....-- ..... ~ .... ..
-··-­.....
-
-Dlst<:OURS
- KPA.. a PSI
- KPA..
a PS I
- KPA.. a PSI
Fig. 157 Tire pressu re labe l
traction, braking and Load carrying. Tire pres­
sures are particularly important when the
vehicle is being driven at higher speeds, and
then especially when heavily loaded even
within the permissible load-carrying capaci­
ties approved for your vehicle.
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi
depend on the kind of tires on your ve hicle
and the number of passengers and/o r amount
of Luggage you w ill be transporti ng.
The tire pressure Label is located on the driv­
er's side B -pillar . The tire pressure labe l Lists
the recommended cold tire inflat io n pressures
for the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and tires that were on your veh icle at
t he time it was manufactured.
If you wish to improve comfort when operat­
ing the vehicle at normal load (up to 3 occu­
pants), you can adjust tire pressures to those
specified for normal vehicle load. Before op­
erating the vehicle at maximum load, you
must increase the tire pressures to those
specified for maximum vehicle load
¢ &.
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring
system can only monitor the tire pressures
II>

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
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