2016 AUDI Q3 tires

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system devel­
oped by the United States Nation­
al Highway Traffic Safety Admin­
istration (NHTSA) that is designed
to help buyers make relat ive com­
parisons among tires . The UTQG
is not a safety rating and not a
guarantee that a tire will last for
a prescribed number of mi les
(kilometers) or perform in acer­
tain way. It simply gives t ire buy ­
e rs add itional informa tion to
combine with other considera ­
tions, such as p rice, brand loya lty
and dealer recommendations . Un­
der UTQG, tires are graded by t he
tire manufacturers in th ree areas:
treadwear, traction, and tempera ­
ture res istance. The UTQG infor­
mation on the tires, molded into
the s idewalls .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification
Number (TIN)
This is the tire's "serial number".
It beg ins with the le tters "DO T"
and indicates that the tire meets
all federal standards . T he nex t
two numbers or letters indicate
the plant where it was manufac -
~ tu red, and the last fo ur numbers ::,
~ represent the week and yea r of
'°
~ manufacture. For examp le,
-
Wheels
DOT ... 2215 ...
means that the tire was produced
in the 22nd week o f 2015. The
other numbers are marketing co­ des that may or may not be used
by the t ire manufact urer. This in ­
formation is used to contact con­ sumers if a tire defec t req uires a
reca ll.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and lug­
gage load plus 150 lbs . (68 k ilo­
grams) t imes the vehicle's desig ­
na ted seating capacity.
Vehicle maximum load on the
tire
means that load on an ind iv idual
tire tha t is determined by dist rib­
ut ing to eac h ax le its share of the
maximum loaded vehic le weight
and dividing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on a n individual
tire that is determined by dist rib­
uting to each ax le its share of the
curb weight , accessory weight ,
and normal occupant weigh t (dis­
tributed in accordance wit h
c:::> ta­
ble on page 203) and dividing by
two. .,.
197

Wheels
Occupant loading and distri­bution for vehicle normal load
for various designated seating
capacities
Refer to the tire inflation pres­
sure label ¢
page 201, fig. 159
for the number of seating posi­
tions . Refer to the table¢
table
on page 203
for the number of
people that correspond to the ve­
hicle normal load.
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all work
on tires or wheels performed by
an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility.
These facilities have the proper knowledge and are equipped with
the required tools and replace­
ment parts.
.,.New tires do not yet have the
optimum adhesion properties. Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 350 miles (500 km) with new tires .
.,.Use tires of the same construc­
tion, size (rolling circumference)
and as close to the same tread
pattern as possible on all four
wheels .
198
.,.Do not replace tires individually.
At least replace both tires on the
same axle at the same time.
.,.Audi recommends that you use
Audi Original equipment tires. If
you would like to use different
tires, please note that the tires may perform differently even if
they are the same size ¢
,&.
.,. If you would like to equip your
vehicle with a tire/rim combina­
tion that is different from what
was installed at the factory, con­
sult with an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility before making a pur­
chase ¢&, .
If the spare tire is different from
the regular tires installed on the
vehicle -for example, if winter
tires or wide tires are installed -
then only use the spare tire tem­
porarily in case of emergency and
drive carefully while it is in use. It
should be replaced with a regular
tire as soon as possible.
On
all wheel drive vehicles, all
four wheels must be equipped
with tires that are the same brand and have the same construction
and tread pattern so that the
drive system is not damaged by .,.

different tire speeds. For this rea­son, in case of emergency, only
use a spare tire that has the same
circumference as the regular
tires.
&_ WARNING -
-Only use tire/rim combina­ tions and suitable wheel bolts
that have been approved by
Audi. Otherwise, damage to
the vehicle and an accident could result.
-For technical reasons, it is not
possible to use tires from oth­
er vehicles - in some cases,
you cannot even use tires from
the same vehicle model.
-Make sure that the tires you
select have enough clearance
to the vehicle . Replacement
tires should not be chosen
simply based on the nominal
size, because tires with a dif­
ferent construction can differ
greatly even if they are the
same size. If there is not
enough clearance, the tires or
the vehicle can be damaged and this can reduce driving
safety and increase the risk of
an accident.
Wheels
-Only use tires that are more
than 6 years old when abso­ lutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
-Do not use run-flat tires on
your vehicle. Using them when
not permitted can lead to ve­
hicle damage or accidents.
- If you install wheel covers on
the vehicle, make sure they al­ low enough air circulation to
cool the brake system. If they
do not, this could increase the
risk of an accident.
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 157 Ti re profi le: tread wear indica­
tor
Tire wear
Check the tires regularly for wear .
-Inflation pressure that is too low
or high can increase tire wear
considerably.
-Driving quickly through curves,
rapid acceleration and heavy
braking increase tire wear. ..
199

Wheels
-Have an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty check the wheel alignment if
there is unusual wear .
-Have the wheels rebalanced if an
imbalance is causing noticeable
vibration in the steering wheel. If you do not, the tires and other
vehicle components could wear more quickly.
Tread wear indicator
The original tires on your vehicle
have 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high
wear indicators
c:::> fig. 157 run­
ning across the tread. Marks on
the tire sidewall (for example
"TWI" or other symbols) indicate
the positions of the tread wear in­
dicators.
The tires have reached the mini­ mum tread depth
l) when they
have worn down to the tread wear
indicators. Replace the tires with
new ones
c:::>,1i..
Wheel rotation
Rotating the wheels regularly is
recommended to ensure the tires
wear evenly . To rotate wheels, in­
stall the wheels from the rear
1> Obey any applicable regulations in your
country.
200
axle on the front axle and vice
versa. This will allow the tires to
have approximately the same
length of service life.
For unidirectional tires, make
sure the tires are installed accord­
ing to the running direction indi­
cated on the tire sidewall
c:::> page 218.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims can of­
ten occur in locations that are
hidden. Unusual vibrations in the
vehicle or pulling to one side may indicate that there is tire damage .
Reduce your speed immediately .
Check the tires for damage. If no
damage is visible from the out­
side, drive slowly and carefully to
the nearest authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Fa­
cility to have the vehicle inspect­
ed.
WARNING
Tread that has worn too low or
different tread depths on the
tires can reduce driving safety.
This can especially have a nega-
tive effect on handling, on the ,..

....
"' 0 ::, 00 ... \D Ln
"' \D ....
risk aquaplaning when driving
through water, when driving
through curves and when brak­ ing, which increases the risk of
an accident.
Tire pressure
Fig. 158 Driver's side B-pillar: tire pres­
sure label
"' -
-,,-----------------.. .,;;
9c::::=.: I :=; I ~ I )@ l8 n. .................................. _ _. .... _ .... '-.................................. ,.._._. ·-...
-VNn
--
-00-
- KPA. . PSI
- KPA. . PSI
- KPA. . PSI
Fig. 159 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 8-
pillar
c:>fig. 158, c:>fig. 159.
When the vehicle is partially load­ ed (up to 3 people), use the tire pressure specified for normal
loads
c:> table on page 203. If
Wheels
driving the vehicle when fully loaded, you must increase the tire
pressure to the maximum speci­
fied pressure
c:> A .
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
c:> fig. 159 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
c:> page 210.
.. Check the pressure in the emer­
gency tire*/spare t ire*. Always
maintain the maximum temper­
ature that is specified for the
tire.
& WARNING
Always adapt the tire pressure
to your driving style and vehicle Load. ..
201

Wheels
-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 203,
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
negative effect on driving and
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
tion on the 8-pillar label
c:::>
page 201, fig. 158.
202
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 203
or for a full load
when the vehicle is partially
loaded.
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
tires according to the load and
the size of the tires installed.

Wheels
Model/ Tire designation Tire pressure
Engine Normal load Maximum load
(up to 3 people)a>
front rear front rear
PSI
Q3: 235/50 Rl8 97H
2.0L All Season
32
4 cylinders
235/50 Rl8 97V
High Performance
32
255/40 Rl9 l00H xl
All Season
33
255/40 Rl9 96Y
High Performance
33
255/35 R20 97Y xl
High Performance
33
a) 2 people in the front , 1 person in the re ar
A WARNING
-
Please note the important safe-
ty precautions regarding tire
pressure
c=> page 201 and load
limits ¢
page 203.
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
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.
kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
220 32 220 3 3 23 0 36 2 50
220 32 220 33 230 36 250
230 33 230 44 300 46 320
2 30 33 230 44
300 46
320
230 33 230 44 300 46 320
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 in­
stalled 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
11--
203

Wheels
position 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 included 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
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 201,
fig . 158 .
204
_& 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 -
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.