2015 AUDI S3 tires

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Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your
vehicle's val ue . It can also be a requirement
when submitting warranty claims for corro­
sion damage and paint defects on the body.
The necessary care products can be obtained
from your a uthorized Audi dea ler . Read and
follow the instructions for use on the packag­ ing.
A WARNING
- Us ing clean ing and care products incor­
rect ly can be dangerous to your hea lth .
- Always store cleaning and care products
out of reach of children to reduce the r isk
of po isoning.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Preferably use environmentally-friendly
products when buying cleaning agents.
- Do not d ispose of leftover cleaning and
care products with household trash.
-
Car washes
The longer that deposits such as insects, bird
droppings, tree sap or road sa lt rema in on the
veh icle, the more the surface can be dam­
aged . High tempe ratures such as those
caused by sunlight increase the damag ing ef­
fect .
Before washing, rinse off heavy depos its with
p lenty of water .
Stubborn depos its s uch as bird dropp ings or
tree sap are best removed with plenty of wa­
ter and a m icrof iber cloth.
A lso, wash the underside of your vehicle once
road salt stops be ing used for the season.
Pressure washers
When washing your veh icles w ith a pressure
washer, always fo llow the operating instr uc­
tions provided with the pressure washer. This is especially important in regard to the pres -
Care and cleanin g 205
sur e and sp raying distance. Do not aim the
spray direct ly at sea ls on side windows, doors,
the hood, the rear lid or the sunroof* or at
tires, rubber hoses, insulating material, sen­
sors* or camera lenses*. Keep a d istance of at
least 16 inches (40 cm) .
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer.
Never use rotary nozzles or h igh pressure noz­
zles .
T he wate r temperature m ust not be above
140
° F (60 °().
Automatic car washes
Spray off t he ve hicle before washing .
Make sure that the w indows and roof* are
closed and the winds hield wipers are off. Fol­
low instructions from the car wash operator,
especially if there are accessories attached to
you r vehicle .
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes .
Washing by hand
Clean t he ve hicle starting from the top and
working down us ing a soft sponge or cleaning
brush. Use solvent-free clean ing products .
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint
by hand
To avoid damaging the paint when washing,
first remove dust and large particles from
your vehicle. Insects, grease spots and finger­
pri nts are best removed w ith a spec ial cleane r
for matte finish paint .
Apply the product us ing a microfiber cloth. To
avo id damaging the paint surface, do not use
too much pressure.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water. Then
clean using a neutral shampoo and a soft mi­
crofiber cloth.
Rinse the ve hic le thoroughly again and let it
air dry . Remove any water residue using a
shammy.
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Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreci­
ated and most abused parts of
a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreci­
ated and most abused parts of
a motor vehicle. Tires are, how­
ever, one of the most important
parts of a vehicle, particularly
considering the comparatively
small patch of rubber on each
tire that assures that all-impor­
tant contact between you, your
vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire
pressure, making sure that your
vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry more weight than they can safely handle, avoiding
damage from road hazards and
regularly inspecting tires for
damage including cuts, slashes
irregular wear and overall con­
dition are the most important
things that you can do to help avoid sudden tire failure includ­
ing tread separation and blow-
~ outs.
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Tires and wheels 233
Avoiding damage
If you have to drive over a curb
or similar obstacle, drive very
slowly and as close as possible
at a right angle to the curb.
Always keep chemicals includ­ ing grease, oil, gasoline and
brake fluid off the tires.
Inspect the tires regularly for
damage (cuts, cracks or blis­
ters, etc.). Remove any foreign
bodies embedded in the treads.
Storing tires
Mark tires when you remove
them to indicate the direction
of rotation. This ensures you to be able to mount them correct­
ly when you reinstall them.
When removed, the wheels or
tires should be stored in a cool, dry and preferably dark place.
Store tires in a vertical position if they are not mounted on
rims, in a horizontal position if
they are mounted on rims.
New tires
New tires have to be broken in
¢ _&. .
The tread depth of new tires
may vary , according to the type .,.
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234 Tires and wheels
and make of tire and the tread
pattern.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims is of­
ten not readily visible. If you
notice unusual vibration or the
vehicle pulls to one side, this may indicate that one of the
tires has been damaged . The
tires must be checked immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop.
Unidirectional tires
A unidirectional tire can be identified by arrows on the
sidewall, that point in the direc­
tion the tire is designed to ro­
tate. You must follow the speci­
fied direction of rotation. This is
necessary so that these tires
can develop their optimum
characteristics regarding grip,
road noise, wear and hydro­
planing resistance. For more in­
formation
¢page 274.
&_ WARNING
New tires or tires that are
old, worn or damaged cannot provide maximum control
and braking ability. -New
tires tend to be slip­
pery and must also be bro­
ken-in. To reduce the risk of
losing control, a collision
and serious personal inju­
ries, drive with special care
for the first 350 miles (560 km).
-Driving with worn or dam­ aged tires can lead to loss of
control, sudden tire failure,
including a blowout and
sudden deflation, crashes
and serious personal inju­ries. Have worn or damaged
tires replaced immediately.
-Tires age even if they are
not being used and can fail
suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more
than 6 years old can only be
used in an emergency and
then with special care and at low speed.
-Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have
been damaged even though
the damage cannot be seen
that can lead to sudden tire
failure and loss of vehicle
control.
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-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 de­
signed for the conditions
that are typical in those sea­
sons. Audi recommends us­ing winter tires during the
winter months. Low tem­ peratures significantly de­
crease the elasticity of
summer tires, which affects
traction and braking ability.
Tires and wheels 235
If summer tires are used in
very cold temperatures, cracks can form on the tread bars, resulting in perma­
nent tire damage that can
cause loud driving noise and unbalanced tires. Audi is not
responsible for this type of
damage.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be used in winter road condi­
tions. The surface of the
rims does not have suffi­
cient corrosion protection
for this and could be perma­
nently damaged by road salt
or similar substances.
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Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto­ matic transmission, power
steering, power brakes, power
windows, power seats, radio, and heater, to the extent that
these items are available as fac­
tory-installed equipment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the width of the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower indi­
cate a low sidewall for im­ proved steering response and
better overall handling on dry
pavement.
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236 Tires a nd whee ls
Bead Extra load tire
means the part of the tire that means a tire design to operate
is made of steel wires, wrapped at higher loads and at higher
or reinforced by p ly cords and inflation pressures than the
that is shaped to fit the rim . corresponding standard tire .
Bead separation Extra load tires may be identi-
fied as "XL", "xl", " EXTRA
means a breakdown of the bond LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
between components in the
bead .
Gross A xle Weight Rating
(" GAWR ")
Cord
means the load-carrying capaci-
means the strands forming the ty of a single axle system,
p lies in the tire .
measured at the tire-ground in-
Cold tire inflation pressure terfaces.
means the tire pressure recom-
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
mended by the vehicle manu-( "GVWR ")
facturer for a t ire of a designat-
means the maximum total
ed size that has not been driven loaded weight of the vehicle.
for more than a couple of miles
Groove
(kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before means the space between two
the tire pressure is measured or adjacent tread ribs.
adjusted.
Load rating (code )
Curb weight
means the max imum load that
means the weight of a motor a tire
is rated to carry for a giv-
vehicle with standard equip -en inflation pressure
. You may
ment including the maximum not find th
is information on all
capacity of fuel, oil, and cool- tires because it is not required
ant, air condit ioning and addi- by law.
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tional weight of optional equip-
ment.

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Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire
at the maximum permissible in­
flation pressure for that tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle
weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible)
inflation pressure
means the maximum cold infla­
tion pressure to which a tire
may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the number of occupants seated in the vehicle up to the
total seating capacity of your
vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occu­ pants in a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of
an inflated new tire.
Tires and wheels 237
Overall width
means the linear distance be­
tween the exteriors of the side­
walls of an inflated tire, includ­ ing elevations due to labeling,
decorations, or protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated
parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of
those installed regular produc­
tion options weighing over 5 lbs. (2 . 3 kg) in excess of those
standard items which they re­ place, not previously consid­
ered 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 sub­ stantially 90 degrees to the
centerline of the tread.
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238 Tires a nd whee ls
Recommended inflation
pressure
see c:::> page 236, Cold tire infla­
tion pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate
at higher loads and at higher
inflation pressures than the
corresponding standard t ire .
Reinforced tires may be identi ­
fied as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewa ll.
Rim
means a meta l support for a
tire or a tire and tube assembly
upon which the tire beads are
seated .
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the
bead seat. If yo u change your
wheel size, you will have to pur­
chase new t ires to ma tch the
new rim d iameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance be­
tween rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that por tion of a tire be­
tween the tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at wh ich a tire
is designed to be driven for ex­
tended periods of time . The rat­
ings range from 93 mph
( 1 50 km/h) to 186 mph
( 2 98 km/h)
c:::> page 257 . You
may not find th is informat ion
on all tires because it is not re­
quired by law.
The speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the ti re sidewall and ind icates
the maximum permissible road
speeds
c:::> & in Winter tires on
page 261.
Tire pressure monitoring
system
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehic le's
tires a re underinflated an d ill u­
m inates a low tire press ure
warn ing telltale.
Tread
means that por tion of a tire
that comes into contact with
the road.

Tires and wheels 239
Tread separation UTQG information on the tires,
means pulling away of the molded into the sidewalls.
tread from the tire carcass.
U.S. DOT Tire Identification
Treadwear indicators (TWI) Number (TIN)
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This is the tire's "serial num-
means the projections within
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the principal grooves designed ber". It begins with the letters
to give a visual indication of the "DOT" and indicates that the
degrees of wear of the tread. tire meets all federal stand-
See
r=>page 252, Tread Wear ards. The next two numbers or
Indicator (TWI) for more infor- letters indicate the plant where
mation on measuring tire wear. it was manufactured, and the
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
last four numbers represent the
week and year of manufacture.
is a tire information system de- For example,
veloped by the United States
DOT ... 2214 ...
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) that is means that the tire was pro-
designed to help buyers make duced in the 22nd week of
relative comparisons among 2014. The other numbers are
tires. The UTQG is not a safety marketing codes that may or
rating and not a guarantee that may not be used by the tire
a tire will last for a prescribed manufacturer. This information
number of miles (kilometers) or is used to contact consumers if
perform in a certain way. It a tire defect requires a recall.
simply gives tire buyers addi-
Vehicle capacity weight
tional information to combine means the rated cargo and lug-
with other considerations, such gage load plus 1
SO lbs.
as price, brand loyalty and deal- (68 kilograms) times the vehi-
er recommendations. Under cle's total seating capacity as
UTQG, tires are graded by the listed on the label located on
' M tire manufacturers in three N the driver's side 8-pillar.
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