2016 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET flat tire

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Trailer mode Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additiona l load will affect durability, econo­
my and performance.
T railer tow ing not only p laces more stress on the
vehicle, it a lso calls for more concentration from
the dr iver.
F or this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch Use a weight -carrying hitch conforming to the
gross tra iler weig ht. The h itch must be suitab le
for your vehicle and tra iler and must be mo unted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
location . Use on ly a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ba ll mou nt. Always che ck wit h the t rail­
e r hitch manufac turer to make s ure that you are
usi ng the correct hitch .
Do not u se a bumper hitch .
The hitc h must be installed in such a way t hat it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system . No modifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
Fr om time to time, chec k that a ll hitc h mount ing
bo lts rema in securely faste ned.
When you are not towing a trailer,
remove the
tra iler hitch ba ll mount . This prevents the hitch
from ca using damage s hou ld your veh icle be
s truck from beh ind
~ ,&. .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
check to be su re that it conforms to all regula­
tions .
Trailer mode
The t rai ler hydra ulic brake sys tem must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydra ulic
bra ke system.
Safety chains
Always use safety ch ains be tween your ve hicle
and the trailer.
Trailer lights
T ra ile r ligh ts must meet all regulations . Be sure
to chec k w it h your Aud i dea le r fo r correct wir ing,
swi tches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see the traffic behind you us­
i ng the regular outside mir rors, then you
must in­
sta ll extended mirro rs . It i s important that you
always have clear vision to t he rear.
,8. WARNING
Afte r remov ing the tra ile r hi tch , do no t st o re
i t in yo ur vehicle. In ca se of sudden brak ing,
the hitch could fly fo rward and injure you or
your passengers .
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer we ight
A tra iler for your vehicle is lim ited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution B e sure the load in the tra ile r i s held se curely in
pla ce to p reve nt i t from shifting forward, bac k­
ward or si deways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer~.&.
in Driving instructions on page 86.
Engine cooling system
Towing a tra iler makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform ­
ance is up to the additional load . Make sure that
the coo ling syst em has enoug h flu id.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full ..,.
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Trailer mod e
load" on the la bel located on the driver's side B ­
pillar (visib le when the door is open) . Inflate
tra iler tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specif ications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and t railer lights
are working p roper ly.
Safety chains
Be sure t railer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trai le r to the hi tch on the veh icle.
L eave enough sla ck in the cha ins to permi t turn­
ing corners. When yo u install safety chains, ma ke
sure they wi ll not drag on the road when yo u are
driving .
The cha ins s hou ld cross under the trailer tongue
t o prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the h itch .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration .
To obtain t he best poss ible handling of vehicle
and traile r, please note the fo llow ing :
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not loaded.
.. Be especi ally ca ref ul when pass ing othe r
vehicles.
.. Observe speed limi ts .
.. Do not d rive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.. Always apply brakes early.
.. Monitor the temperature gauge .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded t railer w ith an empty car res ults
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds on ly
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easie r to operate and cont rol.
This means that the tow vehi cle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while
keep ing the tra iler as light as possib le under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the l uggage compartment of the
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tow veh icle wh ile observing tong ue load require ­
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the mo re diff icu lt i t be­
comes for the driver to con trol the r ig. Do not
drive at t he maxim um permissible speed. Reduce
you r speed even more if load, weather or wind
con dit ions are unfavorab le - partic ularly when
go ing downh ill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limi ts. In some areas, s peeds fo r
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular
vehicles .
A lways apply bra kes early. Whe n driving down­
hill, shift in to a lower gea r to use the engine
b raki ng effect to slow the vehi cle. Use of the
brakes alone ca n cause them to over heat and fai l.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge 9 page 12 must
be obse rved caref ully. The coolant temperature
c a n incre ase if yo u drive o n long incl ines in a low
gear a t high engine speeds . Red uce your speed
immediately if the LE Ds in the top part of the dis­
play turn on .
Fo r more info rm ation abou t indicator lights, re­
fer to .
¢ page 16 .
A WARNING
-
Anyone not prope rly restrai ned in a moving
vehicle is at a much greate r risk in an acci ­
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wear ing the restraints provided
by Aud i.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differen tly when towing a
trailer because o f the additiona l weight and di f­
ferent weight distribution. Safety, performance
and economy will g reatly depend on how caref ul-
l y you load your trai ler and operate you r rig. ..,_

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-Open all air outlets in the instrument pan­
el,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed.
& WARNING -
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the power top and the rear lid are se­
curely closed and locked to reduce the risk of
injury when the vehicle is not being used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make sure
that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended espe­
cially with the rear lid left open. A child
could crawl into the vehicle through the lug­
gage compartment and close the rear lid be­
coming trapped and unable to get out. Be­
ing trapped in a veh icle can lead to serious
personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the vehi­
cle.
- Never let passengers r ide in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must al­
ways be properly restrained in one of the ve­
hicle's seating positions.
(!) Tips
- Air c irculation helps to reduce window fog­
ging . Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure to
keep these slots free and open.
- The t ire pressure must correspond to the
l oad. The tire pressure is shown on the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure label is lo­
cated on the driver's side B-pillar. The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the vehicle at its
maximum capacity weight and the tires that
were on your vehicle at the t ime it was man­
ufactured. For recommended tire pressures
for normal load conditions, please see chap­
ter
c> page 214.
Driving safety
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with four
tie-downs to secure luggage and other items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo properly
c> page 130, Loading the luggage compartment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that even
smaller items that are loose in the veh icle will
become heavy missiles th at can cause serious in­
jury. Items in the vehicle possess energy which
vary w ith vehicle speed and the we ight of the
item . Vehicle speed is the most significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed of
30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb
(4 .5 kg) object are about 20 times the normal
we ight of the item. This means that the we ight
of the item would sudden ly be about
200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the injuries
that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying freely through
the passenger compartment cou ld cause in a col­
lision like this .
& WARNING
----
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to tie-downs can fail during hard
braking or in a collision and cause serious per­
sonal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shifting or flying forward as dan­
gerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded down,
always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from flying forward as dangerous
missi les into the passenger compartment.
- Never attach a child safety seat tether strap
to a tie-down.
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Tires and wheels
Tires and wheels
Wheels
General information
~check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob­
jects from the tire tread.
~ If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap ­
proach the curb at an angle.
~ Have faulty tires or rims re­
placed immediately.
~ Protect your tires from oil,
grease and fuel.
~ Mark tires before removing
them so that the same running direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled .
~ Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as possible.
(i}) Note
-Please note that summer and winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical i n those seasons. Audi recom­
mends using winter tires dur­
i ng the winter months. Low
temperatures significantly de­ crease the elasticity of summ­
er tires, which affects traction
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and braking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold
temperatures, cracks can form on the tread bars, resulting in
permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be used in winter driving condi­
tions. The surface of the r ims
does not have sufficient corro­
sion protection for th is and
could be permanently dam­
aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
Fig. 168 Tire specifi cation codes on the
sidewall of a tire .,._

Tires and wheels
be happy to provide more infor­
mation .
® Mud and snow capability
"M/S" or "M+S" indicates the tire
is suitable for driving on mud and
snow.
& indicates a winter tire.
@ Compos ition of the tire cord
and materials
The number of plies indicates the
number of rubberized fabric lay­
ers in the tire . In general: the
more layers, the more weight a
tire can carry. Tire manufacturers
must also specify the materia ls
used in the tire. These include
steel , nylon, polyester and other
materials.
@ Ma ximum permitted load
T his number indicates the maxi­
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry.
@ Uniform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature resistance
Tread wear, t raction and temper­
ature ranges
¢page 221 .
@ Running direction
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional t ires.
You must always follow the speci -
206
fied running direction
¢page 238 .
(8) Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
This number indicates the maxi­
mum pressure to which a t ire can
be inflated under normal operat­
ing condit ions.
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory we ight
means the combined weigh t (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto­ matic transmission, power steer­
ing, power brakes, power win­
dows, power seats , radio, and
heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory -in ­
stalled equipment (whether in­
stalled or not).
Aspect ratio
means the rat io of the height to
the width of the tire in pe rcent.
Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a
low s idewall for imp roved steer­
ing response and better overa ll
handling on dry pavement.

Bead
means the part of the tire that is
made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is
shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond
between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the
plies in the tire.
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recom­
mended by the vehicle manufac­
turer for a tire of a designated size that has not been driven for
more than a couple of miles (kilo­
meters) at low speeds in the
three hour period before the tire pressure is measured or adjusted .
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve­
hicle with standard equipment in­
c luding the maximum capacity of
fuel, oi l, and coolant, air condi­
tioning and add itional weight of
optional equipment.
E xtra load ti re
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~ means a tire designed to operate
N
~ at higher loads and at higher in ­
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Tires and wheels
flation pressures than the corre­
sponding standard tire . Extra load
tires may be identified as "XL",
" xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on
the sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ( " GAWR")
means the load -carrying capacity
of a single axle system, measured
at the tire-ground interfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR ")
means the max imum total loaded
weight of the vehicle.
Groove
means the space between two ad­
jacent tread ribs .
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load tha t a
tire is rated to carry for a given in­
flat ion pressure . You may not find
this informat ion on all tires be­
cause it is not requ ired by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at
the maximum permissible infla­
tion pressure for that tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle
weight
means the sum of:
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Tires and wheels
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Ma ximum (permissible )
inflation pressur e
means the maximum cold infla­
tion pressure to which a tire may be inflated. Also called "maxi­
mum inflation pressure ."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs . (68 kilograms)
times the number of occupants
seated in the vehicle up to the to­
ta l seating capacity of your vehi­
c le .
Occupant d istribution
means distribution of occupants
in a vehic le .
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of an
inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the l inear distance be ­
tween the exteriors of the side­
walls of an inflated tire , including
elevations due to labeling , deco ­
rations, or protective bands or
ribs .
208
Ply
means a layer of rubber -coated
parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the comb ined weight of
those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs . (2 .3
kg) in excess of those standard
items which they replace, not pre­
vio usly considered in c urb weight
or accessory weight, inc luding
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers,
roof rack, heavy duty ba ttery, and
special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which
the ply cords that extend to the beads are laid at subs tantially 90
degrees to the centerline of the
tread .
Recommended inflation
pressure
see~ page 207, Cold tire infla­
tion pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a tire designe d to operate
at higher loads and at higher in­
flat ion pressures than the corre­
spond ing standard tire . Rein­
forced tires may be identified as .,.

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s: a:,
"XL" "xl" "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF" ' ' '
on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal 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 you change your
wheel size, you will have to pur­
chase new tires to match the new
rim diameter .
Rim size designat ion
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between
rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire be ­
tween the tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code )
means the speed at wh ich a t ire is
designed to be driven for extend ­
ed periods of time . The ratings
range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ table
on page 205.
You may not find
this information on all tires be­
cause it is not required by law .
Tires and wheels
The speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and indicates the maximum permissible road
speeds
¢ & in Winter tires on
page 219 .
Tire pressure monitoring
system*
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehicle's
tires are underinflated and illum i­
nates a low tire pressure warning
telltale .
Tread
means that portion of a tire that
comes into contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread
from the tire carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the
principal grooves designed to give
a visual indication of t he degrees
of wear of the tread . See
¢ page 213, Treadwear indicator
for more information on measur-
ing tire wear. .,.
209