2015 AUDI Q3 tires

M N
M N
0 ::i co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
-All four wheels must be fitted with radia l
t ires of the same type, size (roll ing cir­
cumference) and the same tread pattern .
Driv ing with different tires reduces veh i­
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
t ir es that are mounted on the veh icle -
for example with winte r tires -o nl y use
the spare tire for a short period of time and dr ive wi th extra care. Refit the nor­
ma l road whee l as soon as safely possi ­
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maxim um
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
sudden ly.
- Overloading tires cause heat build- up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- Temperature grades app ly to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un­
der inflated .
- For technical reasons it is not a lways
poss ible to use wheels from other
vehicles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel tr im 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 ca us­
ing a collision.
- Run flat t ires may on ly be used on
vehicles that we re equ ipped w ith them
at the facto ry. The vehicle must have a
chassis des igned for run flat t ires and a
facto ry-installed tire p ress ure monito r­
ing system* that indicates a loss of tire
pressure. Incorrect use of run flat tires
can lead to vehicle damage or accidents.
Check with an authorized Audi dea ler or
t ire spec ia list to see if your vehicle can be
equipped with run flat tires .
If run flat
t ir es a re used, they must be insta lled on
all four wheels. M ixing tire types is not
permitted.
Tire s an d wheel s 209
@ Note
-For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth­
er veh icles. Th is can hold tr ue for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is d ifferent from the
tires that you have mounted on your ve­
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profi le tires), then use the spare tire for a
short per iod of time only and drive w ith
extra care. Replace the flat tire w ith the
tire matching the othe rs on your vehicle
as soon as possib le.
- Never d rive without the valve stem cap .
T he va lves co uld get d amaged.
(® For the sake of the environment
D ispose of o ld tires in accordance with the
l ocal requirements.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wea r
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
o n the t ire s ide wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
c:> page 206,
fig. 156 .
For e xample : Tread wear 200 , Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car t ires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades .
Tread w ear
T he tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under contro lled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 1S0 wo uld wear
one and one ha lf (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
1JJ>
•
•

210 Tire s and wheel s
The relat ive performance of tires depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how ­
ever, and may depart sign ificantly from the
norm due to va riat ions in dr iving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character­
istics and climate.
Tr action
The traction grades , from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. Those g rades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled cond itions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance ¢.&, .
Temperature
The tempera ture grades are A (the h ighest),
B, and
C, represen ting the tire's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its abi lity to dissi ­
pate heat when tested under controlled cond i­
tions on a specified indoor 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 ti re fa il ur e~ .&, .
The grade
C corresponds to a level of perform ­
ance which all passenger ca r tires must meet
u nder the Federa l Motor Veh icle Safety Stand­
a rd No.
1 09. Grades Band A represent higher
l eve ls of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by law .
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering , hydroplan ing 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, eithe r
-
separately or in combination, can ca use
heat bui ldup and possib le tire failure .
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 winter or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread . These tires should
only be used in pairs and be installed on all
four wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
tires that are the same s ize and construction
type as the othe r tires on your vehicle .
Your vehicle is equipped with all wheel drive,
th is will improve traction during winter driv ­
i ng, even with the standa rd t ires. However, we
strong ly recommend that you always equip all
four wheels on you r vehicle wi th cor rectly fit­
ted win ter tires o r all -season tires, when win­
te r road cond itions are expected . This also im­
proves the vehicle's braking performance and
reduces stopping distances.
Summe r tires provide less grip on i ce and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all four whee ls .
Ask your author ized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
winter tir e siz es. Use
on ly rad ial winter t ires .
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
O .15 7 inch
(4 mm).
Only drive w ith w inter t ires under winter con ­
ditions. Summer t ires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °() .
If you have a flat ti re, see notes on spare
whee l¢
page 206 .
Please always remember that winter tires may
have a lower speed rating than the tires origi-
nally installed on your vehicle at the time it .,.

M N
M N
0 ::i co ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
was manufactured. Please see ¢ page 207,
Speed rating (letter code) for a listing of the
speed rat ing letter codes and the maximum
speed at which the tires can be driven .
The speed rating letter code(¢
page 198) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 206.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max­
imum speed. Always know the maximum
speed before driving off . Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
w inte r tires . This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an ac cident and serious
pe rsonal inj ury to you and yo ur passen­
gers .
A WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can ca use tire fai lure in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflat ion,
loss of control, crashes and serious per­
sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
rep laced immed iate ly.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rat ing
that may be lower than your veh icle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
w hich the winter or other tires installed
on your veh icle are rated .
A WARNING
Always adjust your d rivi ng to the road and
traffic conditions. Neve r let the good ac­
c eleration of the w inte r ti res and all whee l
drive temp t you in to taking extra r is k s . A l­
ways remember:
- When bra king, an a ll whee l dr ive vehicle
hand les in the s ame way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive carefu lly and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot he lp under blac k ice conditions.
Tire s an d wheel s 211
'
@) For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi­
tions permit. They are qu ieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumpt ion.
Snow chains
Snow cha ins may be fitted only to the front
wheels, and o nly to certain tire sizes . Ask your
autho rized Aud i deale r on which tire sizes
snow cha ins can be used .
The snow chains must have low-prof ile links
and must not be th icker than 0.53 inch
(13.5 mm) , includ ing the lock .
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putt ing snow cha ins on your vehicle
c::> Q) . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are ava il­
able from autho rized Aud i dealers.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chai ns for your vehi­
cle o r insta lling them incorrect ly can in­
crease the risk of loss of cont ro l leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes. A lways make sure to follow the in­
structions p rov ided by the snow chain
manufacturer.
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specif ic snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations .
(D Note
-Remove snow chains before dr iv ing o n
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wea ring the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con ­
tact with the whee l rim , can scratch or
damage it . Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered. Check
the pos ition of the snow chains after
•
•

212 Tire s and wheel s
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow cha in manufacturer when doing so.
(D Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer ­
tain roads, this normally also applies to
veh icles with all wheel drive .
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque.
The design o f whee l bolts is matched to the
factory insta lled rims . If different rims are fit ­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right l ength and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are f itted
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly .
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same model¢
page 239.
.&_ WARNING
Improperly tig htened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose ca using loss of
cont ro l, a co llision and serious p ersona l in­
Jury.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in t he wheel hubs clea n so the
wheel bolts can tu rn easily and be prop­
erly tigh tened.
- N ever grease or oil the wheel bo lts and
the threads in the wheel h ubs. They can
become loose w hile d riving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specified
torq ue.
- O nly use wheel bo lts that be long to the
rim being installed.
- N ever use different whee ls bolts on your
vehicle.
- Alw ays mai nta in the co rrec t tighte ning
tor que fo r the wheel bo lts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss . If the tightening tor­
que of the wheel bo lts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the veh i- cle is moving.
If the tig
hte ning torq ue is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads
can be damaged and the wheel can be­
come loose.
(D Note
The specified torque for the whee l bolts is
105 ft lbs. (140 Nm) with a tolerance of
± 7,4 ft lbs. (± 10 Nm). Torque whee l bolts
diagonally . After changing a wheel, the
torque must be checked as soon as poss i­
ble with a to rque wrenc h - preferab ly by an
a uthorized Aud i dea le r or qualified wor k­
shop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your A udi is factory -eq uipped w it h low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoroughly
tested and been se lected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road fee l
and handling under a variety of driving condi­
t ions . Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
more details .
The low aspect ratio of these tires is ind icated
by a numeral of
55 or less in the tire's s ize
designation . The numeral represents the ratio
of the tire's sidewall height in relation to its
t read width exp ressed in percentage. Conven­
tiona l tires have a he ight/w idth rat io of 60 or
more.
The performanc e of low-a spect-ratio tire s is
pa rticularly sen sitive to improp er inflation
pre ssure. It i s therefor e important that low
a spe ct ratio tir es are inflated to the spe cified
pre ssure and that the inflation pre ssure i s
regula rly checked and mainta ined. Tire pre s­
sure s should be checked at lea st once a
month and always befo re a long trip
¢ page 201, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to avo id tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged mo re
easily by impact w ith potholes, curbs, gul lies
or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is
underinflated . ..,.

M N
M N
0 ::i co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
In o rder to minimize the occurrence o f imp act
damage to the tires of y our 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
through 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 deale r. 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 ti re fa il ur e.
If yo u be lieve that a
t ir e may have been damaged , replace the
tire as soon as possible.
- These tires may wea r more q uick ly than oth ­
ers.
- Please a lso remembe r that, whi le these t ires
deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
l ess comfortably and make more noise than
other c hoices.
Reduced p erformance in winter /cold
s ea son condit ion s
All ti res are designed for certain purposes .
The low aspect ratio, ultra hig h pe rformance
tires orig inally installed on your veh icle are in­
tended for max imum dry and wet road per­
formance 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, whi ch offe r better trac tion under
t hose cond itions . We suggest yo u use the rec­
ommended snow or all -season tires specified
for your ve hicle, or their equiva lent .
Refe r to
~ page 210 for mo re deta iled info r­
mat io n regarding w in ter t ires.
Tire s an d wheel s 213
Tire pressure
monitoring system
ill General notes
App lies to vehicles : wi th tire p ress ure mo nito rin g system
Each tire, incl uding the spa re (if provided),
sho uld be checked monthly when co ld and in ­
flated to the inflation pressure recommended
by the veh icle manufacturer on the veh icle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a d ifferent size than the
s iz e indicated on the vehicle placa rd o r tire in­
flat io n pressu re labe l, you s hou ld dete rm ine
the p roper t ire inflation p ress ure fo r those
ti r es).
As an added safety featu re, your veh icle has
been equipped with a tire p ressure monitoring
system ( TPMS) tha t illum inates a low ti re
pressure te lltale whe n one or more o f you r
ti res is significant ly under -inflated . Acco rding ­
ly, when the low tire pressure te lltale i llumi­
nates, yo u shou ld stop and check you r tires as
soon as possib le, and inf late them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a sign ificantly un­
der- inflated t ire 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 abil ity.
Please note that the TPMS is not a subst itute
fo r proper tire ma intenanc e, and it is the d riv­
er's respo nsibility to maintain co rrect tire
pressure, even if under -inflation has not
reached the leve l to tr igger illum inat ion o f the
T PMS low ti re p ressu re tellta le .
You r vehicle has also been equipped with a
T PMS ma lf u nction indicator to ind icate w hen
t he sys tem is not oper ating prope rly . T he
T PMS ma lfunction indicator is combined w ith
the low tire pressure te lltale. When the sys ­
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale wi ll
flash for approximate ly one min ute and then
rema in con tinuously i llum inated . T hi s se­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunct ion exists . ..,.
•
•

214 Tire s and wheel s
When the malfunction indicator is illuminat­
ed, the system may not be able to det ect or
signal low t ire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunct ions m ay occur for a variety of re a­
sons, including the installa tion of replace­
ment or a lternate tires or wheels on the vehi ­
cle that prevent the TPMS from funct ioning
properly . Always check the TPMS malfunct ion
tellta le afte r 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.
Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monito ring 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. 157 Display : under inflatio n warning
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring system compares the t ire tread circum­
ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
d iv idual tires . If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, th is is indicated in the instru­
ment cluster w ith a warning symbo l
RE and a
message¢
fig. 157 . If on ly one ti re is affect ­
ed, the location of that tire will be indicated .
The t ire p ressu re monito ring system must be
reset each t ime the press ures a re adjusted (e.
g . when switching between partia l and full
l oad pressure) or after changing or replacing a
tire on your vehicle ¢
page 215. The TPMS in­
dicator only monitors the tire p ressu re that
you have previously s tored. You can find the
recommended tire pressures for your vehicle
on the label on dr iver 's side B -pillar
¢ page 199.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- t he t ire press ure in one or more tires is too
low,
- t he t ire has s tructural damage ,
- the t ire p ressure was changed, wheels rotat -
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
¢ page 215,
-the spare t ire is mou nted.
Warning symbo ls
RE Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢.& .
Check the tire or tires and replace or repa ir if
necessary . Check/correct the pressures of all
four t i res and reset TPMS
¢ page 215 .
Ill (T ire Pressure Monitoring Sys tem) T ire
pr ess ure: S y ste m m alfun ction -If l!I ap ­
pears after switching the ignition on or wh ile
driv ing and the indicator light
RE in the in­
strument cluster b links for app rox imately one
minute and then stays on , the re is a system
malfunction . Attempt to sto re the correct tire
pressure
¢ page 215 . If the indicator light
does not turn off or if it turns on shortly
thereafter, immediately drive yo ur vehicle to
an authori zed Aud i dea ler or authori zed repa ir
facility to have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
--- If the tire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or mo re of your t ires is sign ifi cantly unde r­
i n flated. Reduce yo ur speed immedi ately
and avoid any hard steer ing or b raking
maneuve rs. 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 199. Driving on a
significantly under-i nflated tire causes
the t ire to overheat and can lead to ti re
fa ilu re. Unde r-inflation also is likely to
impair the vehicle's handling and stop­
p ing ability.

M N
M N
0 ::i co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
-The driver is responsible for maintaining
the correct tire pressures. You must
check the tire pressures regularly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a spor­
ty driving style, winter conditions or un­
paved roads), the pressure monitor indi­
cator may be delayed.
- Ask your authorized dealer if run-flat
tires may be used on your vehicle. Your
vehicle registration becomes invalid if
you use these tires when not permitted .
Damage to your vehicle or accidents
could also result.
- The tire pressure monitoring system may
stop working when there is an ESC mal­
function.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The tire pressure monitoring system on
your Audi was developed using tires with
the "AO" or "RO" identification on the
tire sidewall
¢page 206. We recom ­
mend using these tires.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monit oring sys te m
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro­
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset.
"'Before storing the new tire pressures, check
that the current pressures on all four tires correspond to the specified values and
adapt the pressures to the current load
¢ page 199.
"'Sw itch on the ignition.
"' Select: the
I CAR I function button > Car* sys­
tems
contro l button > Servicing & checks >
Tire pressure monitoring > Store tire pres­
sures > Yes, store now .
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressure if there are
snow chains on the tire. Otherwise, a sys­
tem malfunction may occur.
Tires and wheels 215
•
•

222 What do I do now?
-If work has to be done under the vehi ­
cle , ensure that it is safely supported
on suitable stands -risk of injury!
- Never start the engine when the vehi­
cle is on the jack -risk of accident!
CD Note
Do not lift the vehicle by the si ll. Position
the vehicle jack only at the designated lift­
ing points on the sill. Otherwise, your vehi­
cle will be damaged.
Taking the wheel off/installing the spare
tire
Follow these instructions step-by-step for
changing the wheel.
Fig. 167 Changing a whee l: u sing the hexago nal socket
(w ith the blade removed) to turn the bolts
Fig. 168 Changing a w hee l: a lignm en t pi n inside the
top hole
After you have loosened a ll wheel bolts and
ra ised the veh icle off the ground, remove and
replace the wheel as follows:
Removing the wheel
> Remove the topmost wheel bolt completely
with the
hexagonal socket in the screwdriv­
er handle (vehicle tool kit)
r=;; fig. 167 and
set it as ide on a
clean su rface. >
Screw the threaded end of the
alignment
pin
from the tool kit hand-tight into the
empty bolt hole
¢ fig. 168 .
... Then remove the other whee l bolts as de­
scribed above.
> Takeoff the whee l leaving the alignment pin
in the bolt hole
r=;; (D.
Putting on the spare tire
... Push the spare tire over the alignment pin
¢ CD.
... Screw on the wheel bolts and tighten them
slightly using the hexagonal socket .
> Remove the alignment pin and insert and
tighten the remaining wheel bolt slightly
like the rest.
... Turn the jack handle counter -clockwise to
lower the veh icle until the jack is fully re­
leased .
... Use the wheel bolt wrench to tighten all
wheel bo lts firm ly. Tighten them
in a criss­
cross pattern,
from one bolt to the (approx i­
mately) oppos ite one, to keep the wheel
centered.
> Perform the steps required after changing
the wheel
¢ page 219, After changing a
wheel.
A WARNING
-
Do not use the hexagonal socket in the
screwdriver hand le to tighten the whee l
bolts. It is not possible to tighten the bolts
to the required torque using the hexagonal
socket - risk of accident!
CD Note
When removing or installing the whee l,
the rim cou ld hit the brake rotor and dam­
age the rotor. Work carefu lly and have a
second person to help you.
(D Tips
-When mount ing tires with unidirectional
tread design
make sure the tread pat­
tern is po inted the right way
r=;;page223.
- The wheel bolts shou ld be clean and easy
to turn. Check for dirt and corrosion on