2016 AUDI A3 Owner´s Manual

,...,
This can especially have a nega­
tive effect on handling, on the risk aquaplaning when driving
through water, when driving
through curve s and when brak­
ing, which increases the risk of
an accident.
Tire pressure
Fig. 204 Driver's side B -p ill ar: tire pres ­
su re lab el
-"' -,--------------- -
• ===========
= i (:=:=a : I =:: I :.. I) (':: ~) n,.......,.._,.,.. ......... _.__......, _ _.., .... _ ... l ................... . __.......... .......... ..._ .. .,,, ..
Fig. 205 Tire pressure label
The correct tire pressure for tires
mounted in the factory and for
the spare tire* is indicated on a la­ bel. The label is located on the B­
pillar ¢
fig. 204, ¢ fig. 205.
g When the vehicle is partially load-
oo
~ ed (up to 3 peop le), use the tire Ln ,...,
"' ....
Tires and wheels
pressure specified for normal
loads¢
table on page 265 . If
driving the vehicle when fully loaded, you must increase the t ire
pressure to the maximum speci­
fied pressure ¢.&, .
Checking/correcting tire
pressure
.,..Check the tire pressure at least
once per month and also check it before every long drive .
.,..Always check the tire pressure
when the tires are
cold . Do not
reduce the pressure if it increas­
es when the tires are warm .
.,..Check the label ¢
fig. 205 for
the correct tire pressure based on vehicle load.
.,..Correct the tire pressure if nec­
essary.
.,..Vehicles with Tire Pressure Mon­
itoring System*: store the modi­
fied tire pressure in the Infotain ­
ment system ~
page 273.
.,..Check the pressure in the emer ­
gency tire* /spare t ire* . Always
maintain the maximum temper­
ature that is specified for the
tire. .,.
263

Tires and wheels
A WARNING
Always adapt the tire pressure
to your driving style and vehicle load.
-Overloading can lead to loss of vehicle control and increase
the risk of an accident. Read and follow the important safe­
ty precautions inc:::> page 266,
Tires and vehicle load limits.
-The tire must flex more if the
tire pressure is too low or if
the vehicle speed or load are
too high. This heats the tire up
too much. This increases the
risk of an accident because it
can cause the tire to burst and
result in loss of vehicle con­
trol.
-Incorrect tire pressure in­ creases tire wear and has a
Tire pressure table
Please note that the information
contained in the following table
was correct at the time of print­ ing, and the information is sub­
ject to change . If there are differ­
ences between this information
and the tire pressures specified
on the label on the driver's side 8- pillar, always follow the specifica-
264
negative effect on driving and
braking behavior, which in­
creases the risk of an accident.
(D Note
Replace lost valve caps to re­
duce the risk of damage to the
tire valves.
@ For the sake of the environment
Tire pressure that is too low in­
creases fuel consumption.
(D Tips
Audi recommends using the
tire pressure specified for a normal load c:::>
table on
page 265
or for a full load
when the vehicle is partially
loaded.
tion on the 8-pillar label c:::>
page 263, fig. 204.
Make sure that the tire designa­
tion on your tire matches the des­ ignation on the tire pressure label
and the tire pressure table.
The following table lists recom- mended tire pressures in cold ..

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., tires acc ording to the load and
th e s ize of the tire s installed .
Model/ Tire designation
Engine
A3 sedan : 225/45 Rl 7 91 Y
l .8L High Performance
4 cyl inders
225/40 Rl8 92Y XL
(G aso line High Performance
eng ine) 225 /45 Rl 7 91H
All Season
225 /40 Rl8 92H XL
All Season
235/35 Rl9 91 Y XL
High Performance
A3 sedan: 225 /45 Rl 7 91 Y
2 .0L High Performance
4 cylinders 225/40 Rl8 92Y XL
(G aso line High Performance
eng ine) 225 /45 Rl7 91H
All Season
225 /40 Rl8 92H XL
All Sea son
235/35 Rl9 91 Y XL
High Performance
A3 sedan: 225 /45 Rl 7 91 Y
2 .0L High Performance
4 cylinder s
225/40 Rl8 92Y XL
(D iesel en-High Performance
gine) 225/45 Rl 7 91H
All Season
225 /40 Rl8 92H XL
All Sea son
235/35 Rl9 91 Y XL
High Performance
53 sedan: 225 /40 Rl8 92Y XL
2.0L High Performance
4 cylinder s
225 /40 Rl8 92H XL
(Gaso line All Season
engine) 235/35 Rl9 91 Y XL
High Performance
Tires and wheels
Tire pressure
Normal load Maximum load
(up to 3 people)
3>
front rear front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
30 210 28 190 3 5 240 35 24 0
35 240 32 220 35 240 35 240
32 220 29 200 39 270
39 270
3 5 2 40 32 22 0 39 270 39 270
33 230 32 220
35 240
35 240
30 210 28 190 36 250 36 250
35 240 32 220 36 250 36 250
33 230 30 210 41
280 41
280
3 6 2 50 33 230 41 280 4 1 280
35 240 32 220
36 250
36 250
30 210 28 190 36 250 36 250
3 5 240 32 22 0 36 2 50 36 250
33 230
30 210 41 280 41 280
36 250 33 230 4 1 28 0 41 280
35 240 32 220 36 250 36 250
39 270
36 250 42
290 42
290
3 8 260 35 240 41 280 4 1 280
39 270
36 250 44 300 44
300
265

Tires and wheels Model/ Tire designation
Tire pressure
Engine Normal load
Maximum load
(up to 3 people)a>
front rear front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
A3 Sportb 225/45 Rl 7 91 Y ack: High Performance
30 210 28 190 36 250 36 250
2.0L
225/40 Rl8 92Y XL
4 cylinders High Performance
35 240 32 220 36 250 36 250
(Diesel en-
225/45 Rl7 91H
gine) All Season
33 230 30
210 41 280 41 280
225/40 Rl8 92H XL
All Season
36 250 33 230 41
280 41
280
A3 Sportb 205/55 Rl6 91 V
ack e-tron: High Performance
35 240 35 240 36 250 39 270
1.4 liters
225/40 Rl8 92Y XL
4 cylinders High Performance
33 230
33 230
36 250 39 270
(Gasoline/
225/45 Rl 7 91H
electric en- All Season
33 230 33 230 38 260 38 260
gine)
225/40 Rl8 92H XL
All Season
33 250 33 250 41 280 41 280
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xi, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire sidewall.
a) 2 people in the front, 1 person in the rear
A WARNING
Please note the important safe­
ty precautions regarding tire pressure ¢
page 263 and load
limits ¢
page 266.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of
load or weight that any vehicle
and any tire can carry. A vehicle
that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overloading can not only lead to
loss of vehicle control, but can al-
266
so damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden
tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation that can
cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your pas­ sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex­
ceeded. Vehicle load includes ev­
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehi­ cle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat-
ing
("GVWR"). ..,

The "GVWR" includes the weight
of the basic vehicle, all factory in­stalled accessories, a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids plus maximum load. The maxi­
mum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is in­
tended to carry ("seating capaci­
ty") with an assumed weight of 150 lbs. (68 kg) for each passen­
ger at a designated seating posi­
tion and the total weight of any luggage in the vehicle . If you tow
a trailer, the weight of the trailer
hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer must be includ­
ed as part of the vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles.
The fact that there is an upper limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a trailer hitch and
the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited. The more pas­ sengers in the vehicle or passen­
gers who are heavier than the
standard weights assumed mean
Tires and wheels
that less weight can be carried as luggage.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety compli­
ance sticker label located on the driver's side B-pillar
¢ page 263,
fig. 204.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per­
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to
carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and increase the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance.
-Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail sud­
denly, including a blowout and
sudden deflation, causing loss
of control and a crash.
-Always make sure that the to- tal load being transported -,..
267

Tires and wheels
including the weight of a trail­
er hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer­ does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to calcu­
late the total weight of the pas­
sengers and luggage or other
things that you plan to transport
so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overload­ ed.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCU­
PANTS AND CARGO SHOULD
NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS"on your vehicle's placard
(tire inflation pressure label)
¢ page 263, fig. 204.
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­
sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3 . Subtract the combined weight
of the driver and passengers
from
"XXX" kilograms or "XXX"
268
pounds shown on the sticker
¢ page 263, fig. 204.
4 . The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For ex­
ample, if the
"XXX" amount
equals
1400 lbs . and there will
be five
150 lbs. passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage
load capacity is
650 lbs .
(1400-750 (5 X 150) = 650
lbs.)
5. Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
Tha t weight may not safely ex­
ceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calculat­
ed in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your ve­ hicle . Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces
the available cargo and lug­
gage load capacity of your vehi­
cle.
~check the tire sidewall
(¢ page 253, fig. 202) to deter­
mine the designated load rating
for a specific tire.

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolt s
Wheel bolts must be clean and loosen/t ighten
eas ily.
Rims
Rims with a bolted rim ring* or with bolted wheel
covers* consist of multiple pieces . These compo­
nents were bolted together using special bolts
and a special procedure . You must not repair or
d isassemble them¢.&, .
A WARNING -
Wheel bolts that are t ightened or repaired in­
correctly can become loose and result in loss
of vehicle control, which increases the risk of
an accident. For the correct tightening specif i­
cation, refer to¢
page 284, After changing a
wheel.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the whee l hub clean and free of
grease.
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim.
- Always have damaged rims repaired by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility. Never repair or d isassemble
rims yourself, because this increases the risk
of an accident.
Winter tires
W inter tires significantly improve the veh icle's
handling when driving in winter condit ions . Be­
cause of the ir construction (width, compound,
tread pattern), summe r tires provide less trac­
tion o n ice and snow.
"' Use winter t ires on all fo ur wheels.
"' Only use winter t ires that are approved for your
vehicle.
"' Please note tha t the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires ¢
_&.. An
authorized Audi dealer o r authorized Audi Serv­
ice Facility can inform you about the maximum
permitted speed for your tires.
"' Check the tire pressure after installing wheels
¢page 263.
Tires and wheel s
The effectiveness of winte r tires is reduced great ­
ly when the tread is worn down to a depth of
0.15 7 inch (4 mm). The characteristics of winter
tires also decrease greatly as the tire ages, re­ gardless of the rema in ing tread.
A WARNING
=
- Never drive faster than the max imum per­
mitted speed for your tires. This could cause
the t ires to heat up too much. This increases
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the t ire to burst.
- Always adapt your driving to the road and
traffic cond itions. Drive carefully and reduce
your speed on icy or slippery roads. Even
winter t ires can lose tract ion on black ice.
@) For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the app ropr iate
time, beca use they prov ide bette r handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fue l
consumpt ion .
(D Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
winter tires . Please note that in some coun ­
tries where winter tires are required, on ly
winter tires w ith the .& symbo l may be per­
mitted.
Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow .
"'On ly install snow cha ins on the front wheels.
This applies a lso to vehicles with a ll w heel
drive* .
-
"'Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains if necessary after driving a few feet. Fol­
low the instructions from the manufacturer.
"' Note the maximum permitted speed when dr iv­
ing with snow chains. Do not exceed 30 mph (50 km/h) .
Snow cha ins not o nly improve the
driving in win-
ter road condit ions, but also the
braking. Iii>
269

Tires and wheels
Use of snow chains is o nly pe rmitted with certain
rim/t ire combinations due to tec hnical reasons .
Chec k with an autho rize d Aud i dealer or autho r­
i z ed A ud i Service Fac ility to see if yo u may use
snow chains.
Use
fine-mesh snow chains . They must not add
mo re t han 0 .53 inc h (13 .5 mm) in height, i nclud ­
i n g the chain loc k.
You mus t remove the chains when d riving on
roads that are
free of snow . W hen roads a re free
of snow, snow c hains ca n impair handlin g and
damage the t ires, and the chains w ill quickly be
destroyed.
A WARNING
Us ing inco rrect sno w ch ains or insta lling snow
chains in co rrectly can result in loss o f vehicle
c o ntrol, w hich i ncreas es th e risk of an a cci­
de nt.
(D Note
- Snow cha ins can damage t he rims/whee l
covers* if the chains com e into d ir e ct con ­
tact wi th th em. R emov e th e wh eel covers*
fir st. U se coat ed s now chai ns.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is fa cto ry-equippe d wi th low aspec t ra­
tio tires . These ti res have been tho roughly teste d
an d been se lected specifically for yo ur model for
their superb per fo rmance, road f eel and handling
under a variety of d riving conditions . As k yo ur au ­
thor ized Audi dealer for mo re details .
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is indicated by
a nume ra l of
55 or less in the tire's size designa­
tion . The nume ra l r ep resents the rat io o f th e
tire's sidewall he ight i n relat ion to its tread width
expressed in percentage . Conventional tires have
a height/w idt h ratio o f 60 o r more .
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is par ­
ticularly sensitive to improper inflation pres­
sure. It is therefore important that low aspect
ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pressure is regularly
c hecked and maintained . Tire pre ssures should
270
be checked at least once a month and always
before a long trip
~ page 263.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ra tio tires can be damaged more eas i­
l y by impact with potho les, curbs, gullies or
r idges on t he road , particularly if t he tire is un ­
der i n flated.
I n order to min imize the occurrence o f impact
dama ge to the tires o f your veh icle, we recom ­
men d that you observe the following preca u­
tions:
- Always main tain recommende d inf la tion pres ­
sures . Check yo ur tir e pressure eve ry 2,000
m iles (3,000 km) and add a ir if necessary .
- Dr ive ca refully on roa ds w ith potholes, deep
gullies o r ridges . The impact from dr iving
throug h or over such obstacles can damage
your t ires. Impact wit h a curb may a lso cause
damage to your tires.
-After a ny impact, immed iate ly inspect you r
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au­
thorized Aud i dealer. Replace a damaged tire as
soon as poss ible .
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 m iles (3,000 km)
for damage and wear . Damage is no t always
easy to s ee . Damage ca n lead to loss o f air and
unde rin flation, w hich co uld even tually cause
t ire f ailure . If yo u beli eve th at a ti re may have
bee n da mage d, re place the tire as soon as p os­
sible.
- These tires may we ar m ore quick ly th an oth ers.
- Please also rem emb er tha t, whil e the se tires
delive r responsive h andli ng, they may ride less
c omf ortabl y and ma ke m ore noi se th an o ther
choi ces .
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
A ll ti res are des igned for cert ain pur poses . T he
l ow aspect r atio , ul tra hig h perform ance tires
o rigina lly installed on your vehicle are inten ded
for maximum dry and wet road performance and
handling . T hey a re not suitable fo r co ld, snowy o r
i cy weather conditions. If yo u drive under th ose
c ircumstances, you should equip yo ur vehicle
with all -season o r winter tires, which offer better
11>-