2018 AUDI A3 SEDAN run flat

Wheels
Wheels
Wheels and T ires
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.
_&. WARNING -
-Never drive faster than the maximum permitted speed
for your tires. This could cause
the tires to heat up too much.
This increases the risk of an
accident because it can cause
the tire to burst .
-Always adapt your driving to the road and traffic condi-
330
tions . Drive carefully and re­
duce your speed on icy or slip­
pery roads . Even winter tires
can lose traction on black ice.
(@ Note
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical
i n those seasons . Aud i recom­
mends using winter tires dur­
ing the winter months . Low
temperatures significantly de­
crease the elasticity of summ­
er tires, which affects traction
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
t ions. The surface of the r ims
does not have sufficient corro­
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam ­
aged by road salt or similar
substances.

Wheel s
0 US DOT number (TIN) and
manufacture date
T he manufacture date is listed on
the tire sidewall (it may only ap­
pear on the inner side of the tire) :
DOT ... 2217 ...
means, for example, that the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of
the year 2017.
@ Audi Original Tires
Audi Original equipment tires
with the designation
"AO" have
been specially matched to your
Audi. When used correctly, these
tires meet the highest standards
for safety and handling. An au ­
thorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility will be
able to provide you with more in­
formation.
® Mud and snow capability
"M/5" or "M+S" indicates the tire
is suitable for driving on mud and
snow.
& indicates a winter tire.
@ Composition of the tire cord
and materials
T he 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
332
must also specify the materials
used in the tire. These include
steel, nylon, polyester and other materials.
@ Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the maxi­
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry.
@ Uniform t ire quality grade
standards for treadwear ,
traction and temperature resistance
Treadwear, traction and tempera­
ture ranges
q page 347 .
@ Running d ir e ction
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional tires.
You must always follow the speci­
fied running direction
q page 368 .
@ Maximum permitted
inflation pressu re
This number indicates the maxi­
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated under normal operat ­
ing condit ions.

u. Cl) ... N
" N .... 0 N > co
-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. 276 T ire profile : treadwear indica­
tor
Tire wear
Check the tires regular ly 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.
l ) Obey any applicable regulations in your
country.
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.
Treadwear indicator
Original equipment tires contain
treadwear indicators in the tread
pattern, which are bars that are 1/16 in (1.6 mm) high and are
spaced evenly around the tire per­ pendicular to the running direc­
tion
c::> fig. 2 76. The letters "TWI"
or triangles on the tire sidewall indicate the location of the tread­
wear indicators.
The tires have reached the mini ­
mum tread depth
l) when they
have worn down to the treadwear
indicators. Replace the tires with
new ones
c::> .&.-
Tire rotation
Applies to: RS models: tires may
only be rotated if the tires on the
..,.
339

u. 00 .-< N l'­ N .-< 0 N > 00
individual tires. If the pressure changes in one or
more tires, this is indicated in the instrument
cluster display with an
RE ind icator light and a
message . If only one tire is affected, the location
of that tire w ill be ind icated.
The tire pressures must be stored in the menu
d isp lay aga in each time the press ures c hange
(sw itching between part ial and fu ll load p res­
sure) or after changing or replac ing a tire on your
ve hicle
r=>page 349 . The t ire pressure monitor­
in g sys tem only monito rs t he tire pressure you
have stored . Refe r to the ti re p ressure labe l for
the recommended ti re p ressure for you r veh icle
r=>page 341, fig. 278.
Tire tread circumference and v ibrat ion character­
i stics can change a nd cause a t ire pressure warn­
in g if:
- the tire pressure i n one or more tires is too low
- the tire has structura l damage
- the tire was replaced o r the tire p ressure was
changed and it was not stored
r=> page 349
- one si de of the vehicle is more heavily loaded
than the other
- th e whee ls on one ax le are mo re heavi ly loaded
t h an the others (for examp le, w hen tow ing a
trailer or when driv ing up and down hills)
- snow c hains a re installed
- the spare t ire* is ins talle d
- on ly one tire w as replaced on each ax le
Indicator lights
RE -loss of pressu re in at least one tire r=> ,&. .
Check the ti res and rep lace o r repa ir if necessary .
C heck/ co rrect t he p ressures of a ll four tires. Then
s to re t he ti re p ressures i n the men u
r=> page 349 .
mm (Ti re Pressure Monitori ng System) Tire
pressure: malfunction! See owner's manual. If
mm appears after switching t he ign it io n on o r
while driving and the
RE i ndicato r light in the in­
s trumen t cluster blinks fo r approxim ately one
minu te and t hen stays o n, there is system ma l­
f u nction. Check/cor rect the pressu res on all fo ur
tires an d sto re t he p ressures
r=> page 349. If the
ind icator light does turn
off or turns on again af­
ter a short per iod of t ime, drive to an author ized
Wheels
Audi dealer or author ized A udi Se rvice Fac ility im ­
med iate ly to have the ma lfu nction co rrected.
A WARNING
--
- If the tire p ressure ind icator appears in the
instr ument cluster disp lay, reduce your
speed immediately and avoid any hard
steer ing o r braking maneuvers . Stop as soon
as poss ible and check the tires and the ir
p ressures.
- The drive r is responsible fo r maintain ing the
correct tire press ures . You must check the
tire p ressures regularly.
- Unde r ce rtain condit ions (such as a sporty
d riving s tyle, win ter condi tions or unpaved
roads), the pressu re moni tor indicator may
be de layed.
- Do not use run -flat tires on your vehicle. Us­
ing them when no t pe rm itted can lead to
veh icle d amage o r acc id en ts .
(D Tips
- The tire p ressure mon itoring system can al ­
so s top working w hen
th ere is a n ESC/ ABS
m alfunc tion.
- Us ing snow chains may resul t in a system
m alfu nction.
- The tire p ressure mon itoring system in your
Audi was calibrat ed with "Audi Original
Ti res"
r=>page 33 7. Usi ng these tires is rec­
ommende d.
- The tire p ressure mon itoring system can on­
ly moni to r the tire p res sure o f the d riving
t ires. Check the tir e press ure o f the spare
wheel in the l uggage compa rtment so tha t
if necessary it is ready for use .
Storing tire pressures
Applies to: vehicles wit h Tir e Pressure Monito rin g Syste m in·
dicator
A change in tire pr essure or a change in tires
must be stored in the system.
Make su re before stori ng that the tire p ressures
of all fo ur tir es meet the specified val ues and a re
adapted to the load
r=> pag e 339. .,,.
349

Emergency assistance
Emergency assistance
Trunk escape latch
Applies to: vehicles with trunk escape latch (Sedan and Cab­
r io let)
In case of an emergency , the rear lid can be
opened from the inside using the trunk escape
latch.
Fig. 279 L uggage co mpar tment: T runk esc ape latch
• Push the latch in the direction of the arrow un ­
til the lock releases .
The trunk escape latch inside the rear lid is made
of fluorescent material to glow in the dark .
_&. WARNING
The trunk escape latch is to be used only in an
emergency.
General information
• Park the vehicle as far as possible from moving
traff ic in the event of a breakdown . In the event
of a flat tire , park the vehicle on a leve l surface.
It you are on a steep hill, be especially careful.
• Set the parking brake.
• Place the selector lever in the P pos ition.
• Switch the emergency flashers on.
• Put on a reflective vest, if available.
• Setup the warning triangle, if available.
• Have the passengers exit the vehicle. They
should move to a safe place, for example be­
hind a guard rail.
_&. WARNING
Pay attention to the steps above . They are for
your protection and the for the safety of other
dr ivers .
360
Equipment
Vehicle tool kit/tire mobility kit/
compressor
Applies to: vehicles wi th vehicle tool kit/tire mobility kit/com­
pressor
Fig. 280 L u ggage compartment (ex ample): ve hicle tool kit,
tire mob ility k it a nd vehicle jack* placemen t
Fig. 281 Lug gage compartment (examp les ): cargo floor
fo lded up (ver sions 1 and 2)
Plug-in hybrid drive*: the hous ing location varies
~ page 101.
Vehicle tool k it , cargo floor cover and side
panel
Applies to: vehicles with version 1
The vehicle tool kit, tir e mobility kit* and the
compressor* are located in the luggage compart­
ment, separated in the s ide
panels @*/@ , or un-
der the cargo floor cover @¢
fig. 280. II>-

Emergency situations
9. Route the jump sta rt cables so they cannot
get caught in the moving parts in the engine
compartment.
Starting the engine
10. First start the engine in the vehicle g iving the
charge and let it run at idle.
11. Now start the engine in the vehicle with the
drained vehicle battery and wait two to three
minutes until it "runs smoothly" .
12.
If the engine does not start, stop the starting
procedure after 10 seconds and then repeat
it after approximately 30 seconds .
13 . In the vehicle that is being jump started,
switch the heater fan and rear w indow de­
froster on to reduce any voltage peaks that may occur when disconnecting the jumper
cab les. The headlights must be switched
off.
14. While the engines a re running, remove the
cables in
reverse order from the way they
were installed, as described in ¢
page 3 76.
Make sure the cables do not get caught in
moving engine components.
15 . Close the cap on the positive term inal.
16 . Sw itch the heater fan and rear w indow de­
froster
off.
Read and follow: ¢ .&. in Preparation on
page 375
and ¢ (D in Preparation on page 375 .
@ Tips
-Make sure that the connected positive ter­
minal clamps have sufficient contact with
metal.
- The vehicle battery in your vehicle vents to
the outs ide so the battery gases drain out of
the veh icle .
Towing with a tow truck
General hint s
Your Audi requires special handling for towing.
The follow ing information is to be used by com­
mercial tow truck operators who know how to op­
erate the ir equipment safely.
-Never tow your Audi. Towing will cause dam­
age to the engine and transmission .
378
-Never wrap the safety chains or winch cables
around the brake lines .
- To prevent unnecessary damage , your Audi
must be transported with a flatbed truck.
- To load the vehicle on to the flatbed, use the
towing loop found in the vehicle tools and at­
tach to the front or rear anchorage
¢page 378 and ¢page 379.
A WARNING
A vehicle being towed is not safe for passen­
gers . Never allow anyone to ride in a vehicle
being towed, for any reason.
Front towing loop
Fig. 303 Rig ht s ide o f front b umper: install ing the tow ing
loop
The threaded opening for the towing loop is lo­
cated behind a
cover on the right side of the front
bumper .
.,,. Remove the towing loop from the vehicle tool
kit ¢
page 360 .
.,,. Press inward on the upper le~ area of the cap
with brief, strong pressure to remove it from
the bumper
¢fig. 303 .
.,,. Insert the towing loop in the threaded opening
until it stops, and then tighten it with the
wheel wrench .
.,,. After using, place the towing loop back in the
vehicle tool kit .
A WARNING
If the towing loop is not tightened until it
stops when installing, the threads may be pulled out when towing the vehicle and that
could cause an accident .
-