Audi Q3: Specifications for Retrofitting Wheel and Tire Combinations (Documents)

Legal Requirements

The manufacturer is granted general type approval for the whole vehicle including all parts and for specific retrofitting (general type approval according to 20 StVZO (Motor Vehicle Construction and Use Regulations or EU type approval).

Retrofitting to wheels and tires can only be made under certain circumstances. The following points must be taken into consideration:

• If the wheel and tires sizes along with the load index and speed symbol are contained in the general type approval or EU type approval, then this tire/wheel combination can be mounted on the vehicle.

It is not necessary to install the wheel/tire combination specified in the registration certification Part I (vehicle registration). All combinations approved in the general type approval for the vehicle or the EU operating license can be mounted on the vehicle.

• There is no general type approval according to 22 StVZO for the retrofittings recommended (see approval certificate).
• If the wheels and/or tires are not contained in the general type approval or EU type approval, then vehicle cannot be retrofitted according to the Vehicle Registration Regulation (VRR) specifications.

These statements refer to legal requirements in the European Union. No claims are made as to their completeness. Other legal requirements apply outside the European Union.

The tables of the approval certificate show the recommended and examined by the technical testing organization wheel and tire combinations for the vehicles and at the same time the conditions to be taken into account. The use of original disc wheels on a vehicle to which they have not been assigned is not permissible.

The possible retrofittings shown here are combinations which meet the requirements for handling and road safety. They are the results of practical tests and for this reason they are recommended.

Observe the information regarding new vehicle certification documents since 10/01/2005.

Technical Requirements

• The wheel and tire combinations or retrofittings listed in the individual vehicle tables refer exclusively to original disc wheels.
• Approval of wheel/tire combinations or retrofittings with disc wheels from the accessories trade is not possible with the accompanying parts certificate.
• Tubeless radial tires may only be used with stepped rims with a bead retaining contour, for example a round hump.
• Run-flat tires (reinforced sidewall) may only be used on disc wheels with extended hump and vehicles with a tire pressure monitoring system.
• It is mandatory for run-flat tires to have a tire pressure monitoring system in the vehicle.
• The correct tire inflation pressure values must be observed when the specified wheel and tire combinations are used. The tire pressures are listed on the tire pressure label on the inside of the fuel filler door and on the driver side B-pillar.
• Sufficient clearance between the wheels and tires and the wheel housing-, suspension- and brake components is ensured if the instructions and conditions specified in the approval certificate are observed under all operating conditions.
• If not otherwise specified, snow chains may be mounted only on the drive wheels. If the vehicle has AWD, then snow chains may be used on the front wheels only.

Additional Wheel Housing Enlargement, FLAPS

On some vehicles with certain wheel/tire combinations, wheel housing enlargements (FLAPS) must be attached on the fenders or bumper for certification/technical reasons -arrows-.

Please check whether FLAPS must be installed.

The necessary wheel/tire combination information can be found in the overview table for the respective vehicle.

Vehicle Registration Documents Since 01/10/2005

The implementation of EU guideline 1999/37/EG "Vehicle registration documents" in national legislation and legal data protection requirements have made the introduction of new, fraud resistant registration documents necessary.

Since 01/10/2005, the new documents are issued by the authorities in the case of new registrations, change of owner, entry of technical changes and all other changes.

The new registration documents consist of:

• The registration certificate part I, which replaces the vehicle registration and
• The registration certificate part II that supersedes the vehicle title.

Registration Certificate Part I (Vehicle Registration)

• Contains all technical vehicle data that must be present to register a vehicle in Europe but only a standard approved wheel/tire combination is specified
• Has the EU-wide alphanumeric codes allocated to the technical data so that the German registration document can be converted without problems in the foreign countries of the EU into the registration document required there
• Contains a field to document the temporary or final decommissioning of the vehicle and is no longer drawn in the case of a temporary or final decommissioning.

Registration Certificate Part II (Vehicle Title)

• Contains information that the bearer of the registration certificate is not declared the owner
• Only contains the current and, if available, last vehicle owner, the actual number of previous owners is indicated numerically
• Only contains a small portion of the technical vehicle data
• Does not document temporary vehicle decommissioning In the future, the vehicle and body type listed under digit 1 in the old vehicle documentation will no longer exist. It is replaced in the new documents with EU-standardized vehicle classes with body type

The introduction of the new registration documents results in hardly any changes for the driver.

As with the old vehicle registration the registration certificate part I (vehicle registration) should be kept in the vehicle and presented to responsible persons upon request.

It is not necessary to install the wheel/tire combination specified in the registration certification Part I (vehicle registration). All combinations approved according to the vehicle general type approval or EU operating license/type approval can be used.

The permissibility of a wheel/tire combination that deviates from the vehicle general type approval or EU type approval must be verified with an entry in the registration certificate part I (vehicle registration), an installation certificate due to a parts certificate or a general type approval for the wheel/tire combination.

Certificate of Conformity

The vehicle manufacturer must request an EU type approval for all passenger vehicles (vehicle class M1).

A certificate of conformity is produced based on this type approval.

This document confirms that the vehicle conforms to the EU operating license and is registered in every EU country without the need for individual approval.

The issuing applies to all vehicles that were produced in accordance with the EU operating license.

These vehicles have an EU type plate (black sticker) in the driver door area or in the engine compartment on older vehicles.

The certificate of conformity has the same importance as the operating license, so the original should not be kept in the vehicle.

In the certificate of conformity additional technical data and all permitted wheel/tire combinations are listed.

General Information

  Note

• It is obligatory that the tire pressure label for the tire pressure be in the vehicle.
• If there is no tire pressure label in the vehicle, one may be ordered from the Parts Catalog.
• The correct adjustment of the axle geometry while performing a vehicle alignment is an important requirement for an optimal service life of the tire. Therefore, the adjustment of the axle geometry must lie within the specified tolerance range.
• Information for the vehicle alignment. Refer to → Suspension, Wheels, Steering; Rep. Gr.44; Vehicle Alignment.
• The running characteristics of the tire change in the course of normal wear. Rolling noises and vibrations can result from this. These are not damage in the sense of tire defects, but rather symptoms resulting from use. These can be corrected, at least partially, by specific measures. In certain cases, rolling noise cannot be completely eliminated.

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