2017 AUDI A3 SEDAN flat tire

Wheels
comparisons among tires. The
UTQG is not a safety rating and not a guarantee that a tire will
last for a prescribed number of
miles (kilometers) or perform in a
certain way. It simply gives tire
buyers additional information to
combine with other considera ­
tions, such as price, brand loyalty
and dealer recommendations. Un ­
der UTQG, tires are graded by the
tire manufacturers in three areas:
treadwear, traction, and tempera ­
ture resistance. The UTQG i nfor­
mation on the tires, molded into
the sidewalls .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification
Number (TIN)
T his is the tire's "serial number".
It begins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets
all federal standards. The nex t
two numbers or letters indicate
the plant where it was manufac­
tured, and the last four numbers represent the week and year of
manufacture. For example,
DOT ... 2216 ...
means that the tire was produced
in the 22nd wee k of 2016. The
other numbers are marketing co­
des that may or may not be used
33 4
by the t ire manufacturer . This in­
formation is used to contact con­
sumers if a tire defect requ ires a
recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and lug­
gage load pl us 150 lbs. (68 k ilo ­
grams) times the vehicle's desig­ na ted seating capacity .
Vehicle maximum load on the
tire
means that load on an individual
tire that is determined by distrib ­
uting to each axle its sha re of the
maximum loaded vehic le we ight
and dividing
by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individual
tire that is determined by d istrib­
ut ing to each axle its share of the
curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupan t weight (dis­
tr ibuted in accordance with
¢ ta­
ble on page 338) and d ividing by
two.
Occupant loading and distri­ bution for vehicle normal load
for various designated seating capacities
Refer to the tire inflation p res -
sure
label¢ page 336, fig. 281 .,.

a, a, ..... N
" N ..... 0 N > 00
fo r t he numb er of seating p osi­
t io ns . R efe r to th e ta bl e
¢ ta ble
o n pag e 33 8 for th e number of
p eople th at co rrespo nd to th e ve­
hi cle n orm al l oa d.
New tires or wheels
Aud i recommends having all work on tires or
wheels performed by an authorized Audi dealer
or author ized Audi Se rvice Facility . These fac ili­
ties have the proper know ledge and are equipped
with the required too ls and replacement parts.
• New tires do not yet have the optimum grip­
ping properties. Drive caref ully and at moder ­
ate speeds for the first 350 mi les (500 km)
with new tires.
• Only use tires w it h the same design, size (roll­
i ng c ircumference) and as close to the same
tread patter n as poss ible on all four wheels .
• Do not replace t ires individua lly. At least re­
pla ce both t ires on the same axle at the same
t ime .
• Audi recommends that you use Aud i Original
Tires . If you wou ld like to use different tires,
please note that the tires may perform differ­
ently even if they are the same
si ze ¢ ,& .
• If you would like to equip your veh icle w ith a
tire/rim comb inat ion that is different from
what was installed at the factory, consult w ith
an aut horized Aud i dea ler o r authorized Audi
Se rvice Facility befo re making a
purchase ¢,& .
The spare tire* is different from the regular tires
insta lled on the veh icle
-for example, if w inter
tires or w ide tires a re ins talled
-so only use the
spa re ti re* tempo rar ily in case of emergen cy and
d rive caref ully wh ile i t is in use . It should be re ­
p laced w it h a regular t ire as soon as possib le.
Applies to: vehicles with all wheel drive: all four
wheels must be eq uipped w ith tires that are the
same brand and have the same construc tion and
tread pattern so that the drive system is not
damaged by different wheel speeds. For this rea­
son , in case of eme rgency, only use a spare tire*
Wheels
that is the same circ umfe rence as the regular
tires.
A WARNING
--On ly use t ire/rim comb inations and suitab le
wheel bo lts that have been approved by
Aud i. Otherwise, damage to the vehicle and
a n accident could res ult.
-For technical reasons, it is not possible to
use t ires from other ve hicles
-in some cas­
es, yo u cannot even use tires from the same
veh icle model.
-Make sure that the tires you select have
e nough clearance to the veh icle. Rep lace­
ment tires should not be chosen s imply
based on the nomina l size, because ti res
wit h a differe nt constru ction can diffe r
g reatly even if they are the same size . If
there is no t enough clearance, the tires or
the vehicle can be damage d and this can re­
duce dr iving safety and increase the risk of
an accident.
-On ly use t ires that are more than s ix years
old when absolutely necessa ry and drive
carefully when doing so.
- Do not use run -flat tires on your vehicle . Us­
ing them when not perm itted can lead to
veh icle damage or accidents.
- If you install wheel covers on the vehicle, make sure they allow enough air circulation
to cool the brake system. If they do not, t his
could increase the risk of an acc ident.
Tire wear/damage
F ig . 279 Tire pro file: treadwear indicato r
Tire we ar
Check the tires regu larly for wear.
335

Wheels
-Inflation pressure that is too low or high can in­
crease tire wear considerab ly.
-Driving quickly through curves, rap id accelera­
tion and heavy b raking increase tire wear .
-Have an authorized A udi dealer or au thorized
Audi Se rvice Facility check the wheel alignment
if there is unusual wear.
-Have the whee ls rebalanced i f an imbalance is
causing noticeab le vib ration in the steering
whee l. If you do not, the tires and other veh icle
components could wear more quickly.
Treadwear indicator
O rigina l equ ipment t ires conta in treadwe ar indi­
cators in the tread pattern, which are b ars that
are 1/16 in. (1.6 mm) h igh and are spaced evenly
aro und the tire perpendic ular to the runn ing d i­
rection¢ fig. 279. The letters "TWI" or triangles
on the tire sidewall indicate the locat ion of the
treadwear indicators.
The tires have reached the mi nimum tread
dept h
ll when they have worn down to the tread­
wear ind icators. Replace the tires with new ones
¢ .&, .
Tire rotation
Rotating t he tires regular ly is recommended to
ensure the tires wear even ly. To rotate the tires,
install the tires from the rear ax le on the front
axle and v ice versa. This will allow the tires to
have approx imately the same length of service
life.
For unidirectional tires, make sure the tires are
installed according to the running direction indi­
cated on the tire
sidewall¢ page 361 .
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and r ims can often occur i n loca­
tions that are hidden . Unus ua l vibrations in the
veh icle or pulling to one s ide may indicate that
there is tire damage. Reduce your speed immedi­
ately. Check the t ires for damage .
If no damage
is visible from the outside, drive s lowly and care­
fully to the nearest authorized Aud i dealer or au-
l) Obey any applicable reg ulations in you r country.
336
thorized Audi Service Facility to have t he ve hicle
inspected.
A WARNING
Tread that has worn too low or different tread depths on the tires can reduce driving safety.
This can increase the risk of an accident be­
cause it has a negative effect on handling,
d riving through curves, and b raking, and be­
cause it increases the r isk of hydroplaning
when dr iving th rough dee p puddles.
Tire pressure
Fig. 280 Driver's side B-pi llar (e xamp le) :
t ire p ress ure label
;; ~ ~ ~-----------------,:,
• (=~ ~~I: I:. I)@ ::g
»-OOIMING...-ol~..SAflO.....,....,--.d . ... _k Le«-h,...a .. ~etdudw,.uWl>l!tdollil,.._~ 'eou lb.
tw: SIU COI.O TR PRESSURE PNE U lailEHSl0HS "'lSSION OU PNEUS AFRQID
-AVANT -KPA. • PS I
Fig. 281 Tire pressure label
SEE OWNER"S MANUAL FOR ADOrTlONAL INFORMATK>N
VOIR L£ MANUa DU PROPRIETAIRE POUR PLUS DE RENSEIGNEMENTS
The correct tire pr essure for tires
mounted in the fa ctory and for
th e s pare tire * is ind icated on a la ­
bel. The label i s located on th e B-
pillar
¢ f ig . 280, ¢ fig. 2 81 . ..,

CXl CXl .... N ,.__
N .... 0 N > 00
Wheels
Model/ Tire designation Tire pressure
Engine Normal load Maximum load
(up to 3
people)a)
front rear front rear
PSI
A3 Cabrio- 225/40 Rl8 92Y
let: High Performance
3 5
2.0 L 225/45 Rl 7 91H
4-cylinder All Season
33
225/40 Rl8 92H
All Season 38
235/35 Rl9 91 Y
High Performance 42
A3 Sportb 205/55 Rl6 91 V
ack e-tron: High Performance
35
1.4 L 225/40 Rl8 92Y
4-cylinder High Performance
33
225/45 Rl 7 91H
All Season
3 3
225/40 Rl8 92H
All Season
36
a) 2 peopl e in the front , 1 person in the rear
/!\. WARNING
Please note the important safe­
ty precautions regarding tire pressure
¢ page 336 and load
limits¢ page 339.
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
kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
240
32 2 20 38 260 3 8 260
230 30 210 39 270 39 270
2 60 35 240 41 280 41 280
29 0 39 27
0 45
310 45
310
240 35 240 36 250 39 270
2 30
33 23
0
36 250
39 2
70
230 33 2 30 38 260 38 260
250 36 250 41 280 41 280
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"). .,.
339

Wheels
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 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
340
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
c::> page 336,
fig. 280.
A WARNING
=
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per­
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carry ing 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
-.,.

CX> CX> ... N .... N ... 0 N > a:,
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 336, fig. 280.
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"
Wheels
pounds shown on the sticker
¢ page 336, fig. 280.
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.)
S. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That 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 328, fig . 278) to deter­
mine the designated load rating
for a specific tire.
341

CXl CXl .... N ,.__
N .... 0 N > 00
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or author ­
ized Audi Service Facility to see if you may use
snow chains .
Use
fine-mesh snow chains . They must not add
more than 0.53 inch (13 .5 mm) in height, includ­
ing the chain lock.
You must remove the snow chains on roads with­
out snow. Otherw ise, you could impair driving
ability and damage the tires.
~ WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains or installing snow
chains incorrectly can result in loss of vehicle
control, which increases the risk of an acc i­
dent.
0 Note
Snow chains can damage the rims/wheel cov­
ers * if the chains come into direct contact
w ith them. Remove the wheel covers * first.
Use coated snow chains.
(D Tips
When using snow cha ins, it may be useful to
sw itch on sport mode
¢page 152.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory-equipped with low aspect ra­
tio tires. These t ires have been thoroughly tested
and been selected specifically for you r model for
their superb performance, road feel and handling
under a va riety of driving conditions. As k your au­
thorized Audi dealer for mo re de tails.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated by
a numera l of
55 or less in the tire's size designa­
tion . The numeral represents the ratio of the
tire's sidewall height in relation to its tread width
expressed in percentage. Conventional tires have
a height/w idth rat io of 60 or 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
checked and maintained. Tire pressures should
Wheels
be checked at least once a month and always
before a long trip
¢ page 336 .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more easi ­
ly by impact w ith potholes, curbs, gullies or
ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is un­
der inflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence o f impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom­
mend that you observe the following precau ­
t ions:
-Always maintain recommended inflation pres­
sures . Check your tire pressure every
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add air if necessa­
ry.
-Drive carefully 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, immediate ly inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au­
thorized Audi dealer . Replace a damaged tire as
soon as possible .
-Inspect your tires every 2,000 m iles (3,000 km)
for damage and wear . Damage is not a lways
easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of air and
unde rinflation, w hich could even tually cause
t ire fa ilure.
If yo u bel ieve that a tire may have
been damaged, replace the tire as soon as pos­
sible.
-These tires may wear more quickly than others.
-Please also remember that, while these tires
deliver responsive handlin g, they may ride less
comfortably and make more noise than other
choices.
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes. The
low aspect ratio, ultra high performance tires
origina lly installed on your vehicle are intended
for maximum dry and wet road performance and
handling. They are not suitable for cold, snowy or
icy weather conditions. If you drive under those
c ir cumstances, you should equip your vehicle
..,.
343

Wheels
with all-season or winter tires, which offer better
traction under those cond itions. We suggest you
use the recommended snow or all-season tires
specified for your vehicle, or their equivalent.
Refer to
q page 342 for more detailed informa­
tion regarding winter tires.
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and
maximum sect ion w idth
q page 328, fig. 278.
For example: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA, Tem­
perature
A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov­
ernment test course .
For examp le, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one half
(1 1/2) times as well on the govern­
ment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the tire 's
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured un­
der controlled conditions on specified govern­
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete . A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
q .,&..
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
344
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mate­
rial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire
failure ¢.&. .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un­
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher levels
of performance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law.
A WARNING
-
The tract ion grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor­
nering, hydroplaning or peak traction charac­
teristics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for th is tire is estab­
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla­
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause heat bui ldup and
possible tire failure.
A WARNING
Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over or underinflat­
ed .
Tire pressure monitoring
system
(1) General notes
App lies to : vehicles with tire pressure mo nitori ng syste m
.
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat­
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label. (If your veh icle has
tires of a different size than the size ind icated on
the veh icle placard or tire inflat ion pressure
..,.