# Correct Tyre Pressure



## CapoGT (Apr 30, 2010)

Guys, probably being a nuisance here, but whats the correct tyre pressure. I have Contis on 19inch Rims. Thanks


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## AlexA (Mar 5, 2011)

Here you go!


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## CapoGT (Apr 30, 2010)

Ah thats where it is. Thanks.

So i am looking at 35psi on front and 26psi on rear (255/35 R19 96Y XL). Sorry folks but my mechanical knowledge is zero.


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## YoungOldUn (Apr 12, 2011)

CapoGT said:


> Ah thats where it is. Thanks.
> 
> So i am looking at 35psi on front and 26psi on rear (255/35 R19 96Y XL). Sorry folks but my mechanical knowledge is zero.


Those pressures are for a 245/40 R18 97V XL M+S. The correct pressures for 19 inch rims with 255/35 R19 96Y XL tyres are 32PSI (2.2 Bar) Front and 26PSI(1.8 Bar) rear. hese pressures are for normal loading if carrying heavy loads the pressures are increased by 1 PSI front and 3 PSI rear.


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## McKenzie (Dec 25, 2008)

Well even though the rear of the car has a lot less weight I found putting the tyre pressure's lower than 30 on the rear to give worse rear end grip and worse tyre wear. I tend to run 34psi front and 32 psi rear, that way the tyres work better. The car also has a lot less aquaplaning in very wet conditions with higher tyre pressure's.

Just my personal opinion, Audi may have tested this a lot but on my tyres (Vredestien Sessanta) that psi works better.


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## CapoGT (Apr 30, 2010)

Thanks Jim,

Mckenzie thats very interesting. Do you also have 19inch rims? i will try both out and see what works best for me.


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## CWJ (Aug 24, 2010)

McKenzie said:


> Just my personal opinion, Audi may have tested this a lot but on my tyres (Vredestien Sessanta) that psi works better.


Sorry a bit off the topic but how do you find the Sessantas as I'm looking to replace mine? Do they have decent rim protectors?


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## McKenzie (Dec 25, 2008)

CapoGT said:


> Thanks Jim,
> 
> Mckenzie thats very interesting. Do you also have 19inch rims? i will try both out and see what works best for me.


I have 255/35/19 tyres on 19" rims (obviously)  Worth trying a few things out as I found a little on MPG too by inflating the tyres more.



CWJ said:


> Sorry a bit off the topic but how do you find the Sessantas as I'm looking to replace mine? Do they have decent rim protectors?


Well I have had tyres from Dunlop, Michelin, Continental's, Avon, Cooper which have all been high performance and I cannot rate the Vredestiens highly enough. Fantastic price from the right place, really impressive grip both in wet and dry and they seem to go on for ever. So far I have done 20,000 miles on them with about 3.5mm of tread left, I have rotated the tyres more than I have done previously, (I have FWD) and I have done a lot of fast road driving on my regular country road blasts. I really rate the tyres and for everyday use I will be buying again. Only downside is they do seem to collect a lot of stones in the tread blocks.

In regards to the sidewall it depends on the width rim you put the tyres on. I don't think they have much of a rim protector in all honesty compared to other tyres but I have touched a few kerbs while parking and yet to get a scuff. I found a pic that you can see the rim protected. If you look at the bottom of the rim that gives you the best idea. Not the best picture quality but you get the idea.


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## CWJ (Aug 24, 2010)

Cheers mate. Very helpful. Have ordered a set.


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## flkin (Jul 20, 2009)

Don't forget that these are cold tyre pressures and if you fill air at a gas station, the tyres would have heated up by the time you get there ( even if it's only 100m away). It's normal to add 10% more pressure when the tyre is hot.

So the recommended pressure is front 35 and back 29 when you've already driven the car and not 32/26.

You can check cold pressures in the morning before you drive to check that the 10% is the correct adjustment amount to add.


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## shunter (Aug 20, 2011)

Last year I fitted Vredestien winter tyres to a Q5. The recommended pressures from Vredestien for the Q5 where ~5 PIS greater than from Audi. I queried this directly with Vredestien and they told me that they recommend the higher pressures as most people set to the manufactures recommended pressures and don't check frequently so that tyres tend to run low. In their view it was better to have a few extra PIS than a few less.


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## mrdemon (Apr 20, 2005)

McKenzie said:


> . I tend to run 34psi front and 32 psi rear, that way the tyres work better.
> Just my personal opinion, Audi may have tested this a lot but on my tyres (Vredestien Sessanta) that psi works better.


not my findings, I ajust by tyre temps and use a temp gun taking inner/middle/outer reading of temps after a good run out.

my findings were 32/28 gave me the best over all grip and even temps.

32psi in the rear would make the centre of the tyres hotter than the two edges imo but you would get more mpg :lol:


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## Samoa (Apr 4, 2014)

Been researching tyre pressures of late - going to try 32/28 recommendation on the 19' rims & see how I get on.

Strangely, AUDI upped the 2011 A3 18' tyre pressures to 41f / 36r, around a 5 psi increase, so wonder what MK3 pressures will be


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## alexp (Jun 25, 2013)

I find the recommended pressures a bit low - I go 33 front and 31 back on my 18s - feels good.


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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

Samoa said:


> Strangely, AUDI upped the 2011 A3 18' tyre pressures to 41f / 36r, around a 5 psi increase, so wonder what MK3 pressures will be


Not so strange. Car manufacturers are under pressure to lower CO2 emissions. Upping the tyre pressure is low hanging fruit saving 1 or 2 grams or so per kilometre.


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## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

Everything you need to know about your tire pressure is on the sidewall, along with a lot of other very useful information.

Basically, the colder it gets the lower your tire pressure will be. The warmer it gets, the higher the pressure. This is why the tire manufactures recommend "cold" pressure checks, rather than after driving for an hour or two.

Fortunately living in the UK, you're at a relatively constant elevation and temperature, unlike your US cousins who drive from Denver to Death Valley and then wonder why their tires blow out. Temperature and altitude changes will affect tire pressure..it's all part of Bernoulli's principle.

Bottom line - check your tires once a month, first thing in the morning. Go with the pressure listed on the side wall. While the Audi sticker is a good reference, keep in mind it's rated for the OEM tires the car comes with, and may not be the same as what you actually have on the car.


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## Samoa (Apr 4, 2014)

TT-driver said:


> Samoa said:
> 
> 
> > Strangely, AUDI upped the 2011 A3 18' tyre pressures to 41f / 36r, around a 5 psi increase, so wonder what MK3 pressures will be
> ...


Agreed, though my tyres have worn perfectly evenly, despite having a 2007 A3 Quattro & then 2011 A3 Quattro which we still have - so both are same weight & 225 tyre size on 18' rims.

The A3 handles better on these higher pressures & with even wear, wondered who had experimented on their TT


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## TT-driver (Sep 14, 2010)

2 extra PSI all round on mostly motorway driving gave me a bit more wear in the middle of the thread. Perhaps wear is different when driving mostly bendy A and B roads. The amount of toe in (alignment) also plays a large role in tyre wear.


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