2009 AUDI S3 maintenance

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prevent the formation of harmful deposits, sometimes called
"sludge," that over time can lead to expensive repairs.
At the time of printing, engine oils available in the U .S . and Canada
that meet the exacting specifications of Audi oil standard VW 502 00
are synthetic engine oils. This does not mean, however, that every
synthetic engine oil will meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00. So
always be sure that you use an approved oil.
To help prevent the formation of harmful deposits use only oil with
the following specifications printed on the oil container:
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
Oil container labels may carry the specification singly or in combi­
nation with other designations and oil quality standards.
Viscosity
Engine oils are graded according to their viscosity. The proper
viscosity grade oil for your engine depends on climactic or seasonal conditions where you drive. You can use oil with a viscosity grade of
SAE 5W40 across all temperature ranges for normal driving condi­
tions .
However, if engine oil viscosity grade SAE 5W40 is not available, you
can also use viscosity grade SAE 5W-30 or SAE 0W-40 as long as it
meets Audi oil quality standard VW 502 00 specifications.
Because engine oil that meets the Audi oil standard may not be
available everywhere when you need it, we strongly recommend
that you always carry with you an extra quart {liter) of oil that
expressly conforms to the VW 502 00 specification, in case you have
to top off the oil while on the road.
Only if the level of the oil is at or below the minimum mark on the
oil dipstick -and no oil that expressly conforms to Audi oil standard
VW 502 00 specifications is available -may you top off with a high
quality engine oil, preferably synthetic -based, that meets ACEA A3,
ACEA A5 or ACEA B5, API SL or ILSAC GF-3 specifications, but even
then, only in viscosity grades SAE 5W -40, SAE 5W -30, or SAE 0W -40 .
However, during the entire time between oil change intervals, never top off with more than a total of 0
.5 qt/liter engine oil that does not
conform to Audi oil specification VW 502 00.
For more information about engine oil that has been approved for
your vehicle, please contact either your authorized Audi dealer or
Audi Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
www.audiusa.com or www.audicanada.ca. Here you will also find a
current list of oils (manufacturers, brand names etc.) that conform
to Audi oil standard VW 502 00.
Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed according to the
mileage (kilometers) and time intervals specified in your vehicle 's
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed these intervals -
harmful deposits from old engine oil can reduce engine perfor­
mance and can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changing the oil at the recommended intervals is so very important
because the lubricating properties of oil decrease gradually during
normal vehicle use. If you are not sure when you have your oil
changed, ask your authorized Audi Service Advisor.
Under some circumstances the engine oil should even be changed
more frequently . Change oil more often if you drive mostly short
distances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or mostly under stop ­
and-go traffic conditions, or when you use your vehicle where
temperatures stay below freezing point for long periods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil look dark after the
engine has been running for a short time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than recommended .
Damage or malfunctions due to lack of maintenance
It is essential that you change your oil at the recommended intervals
using only engine oil that complies with Audi oil standard
VW 502 00 . Your New Vehicle Limited Warranty does not cover
damage or malfunctions due to failure to follow recommended
maintenance and use requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's
Manual and Warranty & Maintenance booklet. Your dealer will have
to deny warranty coverage unless you present to the dealer proof in
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the form of Service or Repair Orders that all schedu led maintenance
was performed in a time ly manner .•
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an adequate
amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of its moving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrication and cool ing of internal
engine components , all internal combustion engines consume a
certain amount of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to engine
and may change significantly over the life of the engine. Typically,
engines with a specified break -in period (see~
page 197) consume
more oil during the break-in period than they consume af ter oi l
consumption has stabi lized .
Unde r normal conditions, the rate of oil consumption depends on
the quality and viscosity of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute)
at which the engine is operated, the ambient temperature and road
conditions . Further factors are the amount of oil dilution from water
condensation or fuel residue and the oxidation level of the o il. As
any engine is subject to wear as mileage builds up, the oil consump ­
tio n may increase over time unt il rep lacement of worn components
may become necessary.
W ith all these variables coming into play, no standard rate of oil
consu mption can be estab lished or specified. There is no a lternative
to regular and frequent checking of the oil level, see
Note .
If the yellow engi ne oil level warning symbol in the instrume nt
cluster lights up, you should check the oil level as soon as
poss ible
with the oil dipstick~ page 229 . Top off the oil at your
earliest convenience~
page 230.
& WARNING
Before you che ck anything in the eng ine comp artment , alw ay s
read and heed all WARNINGS
~ & in "Working in the engine
c ompartment " on
page 22 5.
0 Note
Driving with an insufficie nt o il level is l ikely to cause severe damage
to the engine.
[ i ] Tip s
• The oil pressure warning displ ay ce,. is not an indi cat or of the oil
level . Do not rely on it. Instead , check the oil level in your engine at
regular interv als , prefe rably ea ch time you refuel , and always before
going on a long trip.
• If you have the impression your engine consumes excessive
amoun ts of oil, we recommend that you consu lt your authorized
Audi dealer to have the cause of your concern proper ly diagnosed .
Keep in mind that the accura te m easuremen t of oil consumption
requires great care and may take some time . Your authorized Audi
dea ler has instructions about how to measu re oil consumption
accurately .•
Checking the engine oil level
Vehicle care I t •
Fig . 171 Dip sti ck
( V ersio n A):
Oil le vel
ran ges

Checkin g and fillin g ---------------~-!':WIii
•
Before you check a nything in the e ngine compartment,
alw ay s re ad and heed all WARNINGS ~
& in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 225.
- Unscrew the cap~ to the engine oil filli ng hole
~ page 230, fig . 173 or~ page 230, fig. 174 .
Carefully top off with the appropriate o il in 0 .5 liter doses .
- Check the oil level again after two minutes~
page 229.
-Top off t he o il a gai n, i f n ecessary .
- Screw the cap back on the filling hole and s lide the oil
dipstic k in as far as i t will go.
& WARNING
• While topping off , th e oil mu st n ot com e in c ont act with h ot
e ng ine part s -fire h aza rd!
• The oil fill er cap mu st b e prope rly sec ured to pre vent oil fr om
b ei ng spr ay ed on th e hot eng ine and e xha ust s yste m when th e
engine i s runni ng -fire haz ard!
• If you r skin h as come in co ntac t wi th th e engin e oil , you mus t
s ub sequ entl y c leanse it tho rou ghl y.
0 Note
• The oil level must not be above range @- danger of converter or
engine damage! Contact a qualified workshop to draw off oi l, if
necessary.
• Audi d oes no t r ecommend th e use of o il a ddit iv es . The y may
d am age the engin e and adver sely aff ect y our New Vehi cle Limited
Warr ant y.
<£' For the sak e of th e environment
• Under no circumstances can the oi l come in contact with the
sewage network or the soi l.
• Observe and follow legal regulations when disposing of empty
oi l containers. •
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by an autho­
rized Audi dealer or a qualified service station.
Before you check anything in the engine co mpart ment, always re ad
an d heed all WARN INGS=>
& in "Working in the engine compart­
ment" on
page 225.
The engine oi l must be changed according to the interva ls specified
in your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. This is very important
because the lubricat ing properties o f oi l d im inish g radua lly during
normal vehicle use.
Under some circumstances the engine oil shou ld be changed more
frequently . Change oil more often if you drive mostly short
distances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or under predomi­
nantly stop -and -go traffic conditions, or have your vehicle where
temperatures remain below freezing for extended periods .
Detergent additives in the oil w ill make fresh oi l look dark after the
engine has been running for a short time . This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than recommended .
Because of the problem of proper disposal, along with the spec ial
tools and necessary expertise required, we strong ly recommend
that you have your oi l changed by an authorized
Audi de aler or a
qualified service station .
If you choose to ch ang e yo ur oil your self , please note the following
important information : .,_
Vehicle care I t •

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N
~ a:. 00 m
F ig . 178 Battery in the
lugg ag e co mpartme nt
(6-c ylind er eng ine !:
Ba tter y cove r remo ved
T he condition of the battery is checked in the framework of the
inspection . We recommend rep lacing bat teries that are older than 5
years .
Disconnecting the battery
Some vehic le functions (power window regu lators, for example) are
lost if the battery terminals are disconnected . These functions have
to be relearned after the battery terminals are connected again. To
prevent this, the battery should only be disconnected from the
veh icle electr ical system if absolutely necessary.
V ehicle with 4 -cylind er engin e
The battery is located in the engine compartment~ page 236,
fig. 177 and is nearly maintenance -free.
Vehi cle s with 6 -cylinder engine
The bat tery is loca ted in the luggage compartmen t=:> fig . 178,
under a bolted-down cover
4151 • The battery is maintenan ce -free .
Your ve hicle may be optionally equipped with a special battery,
41 Wor k on the battery of vehicles with 6-cy linder motor requires professional
dexterity and special tools! The bolts on the battery cover can only be re­
m oved w ith a s pecial tool. Because the batte ry is ma in tenance -free, it is
genera lly not necessary to access it.
51 The cover is used for safety reasons in an acc ident, the vehicle must not be
driven without the cover bolted in place correctly.
known as a. gel battery* . When this battery is replaced, it must be
replaced wi th a or iginal bat tery o f th e same type.
Vehicles not dri ven for long periods and short-distance
operation
The battery can a lso become discharged with the vehicle stationary
by id ling current consumers .
Valid for vehicles with 4 -cylinder
engine :
When the vehic le is stationary (planned event) during the
cold time of the year, you sh ould remove the battery an d store it in
a nonfreezing area. This way you prevent that the battery "freezes"
and thereby is destroyed . During the
warmer time of the year it is
suff icient to disconnect the negative terminal from the battery .
Occasiona lly charge even a disconnected battery .
Valid for veh icles
with 6 -cylinder engine:
All wor k on the ba ttery should be per formed
by an authorized dealership.
Winter op eration
During the winter months, battery capacity tends to decrease as
temperatures drop. This is because more power is a lso consumed
while starting, and the headlights, rear window defogger, etc., are
use d more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, particularly in city traffic or
wh en trave ling on ly shor t distances . Let you r au thor ize d Audi dea ler
check the capacity of the vehicle battery before winter sets in
~ page 240 . A well charged battery will not on ly prevent sta rting
problems when the weather is cold, but wi ll a lso last longer .
Replacing battery
The new battery must have the same capacity , vo ltage (12 volts),
a m perage, con struction and plug sea ling, as t he origina l battery.
Specifications are listed on the battery housing. Batteries specially
developed by Audi fulfill the maintenance, output, and safety
requirements.
When installing the battery , make sure the ignition and all electrical
co nsumers are switche d off ~
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Vehicle care I I irechnical data

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We recommend that you use maintenance-free or cycle-resis­
tant/leak-proof batteries according to the standards TL 825 06 (from
December 1997) and VW 7 50 73 (from August 2001 ).
Replacing the battery on vehicles with the 6-cylinder engine (battery
in the luggage compartment) should be carried by a qualified work­
shop. On vehicles with the 6 -cylinder engine, please follow the
instructions on the battery cover.
0 Note
• All work on the battery requires technical knowledge. Please
contact an Audi dealership or another authorized facility for ques­
tions about the battery -danger of acid burns and explosion hazard!
• Th e battery must not be opened! Do not try to change the
battery's liquid level, otherwise detonating gas will escape from the
battery -explosion hazard!
• The AGM battery in the luggage compartment cannot leak,
because the electrolyte for this battery is absorbed into a special
glass mat. This leak-proof battery must not be replace with a
conventional battery .
• Make sure the ventilation hose on the side of the battery is
connected, otherwise fumes or battery acid can leak out.
• Battery holder and terminals always have to be secured correctly.
• Before all work on the battery follow the warnings below::::,
& in
"Wor king on the battery" on page
238.
W For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of a battery, we recom­
mend your authorized Audi dealer change the battery for you.
Batteries contain sulfuric acid and lead and must always be
disposed of properly in compliance with all environmental regula ­
tions . Disposing of vehicle batteries improperly is very dangerous to
the environment. Make sure that the removed battery cannot over­
balance, otherwise sulfuric acid might escape! •
Working on the battery
All work on the battery requires technical knowledge! Be
especially careful when working on or near the battery!
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always
read and heed all WARNINGS :::;, & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 225.
Always heed the safety warnings, when working on the vehicle
battery or the vehicle electrical system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very important when
working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYMBOLS and safety pre­ cautions when working on the battery.
@
Always wear eye protection.
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Always wear
gloves and eye protection.
No
- sparks
- flames
- smoking.
When a battery is charged, it produces hydrogen
gas which is explosive and could cause personal
injury.
Always keep the battery well out of reach of chil­
dren .
& WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on the electrical system,
there is the risk of injury, accident and even fire. Read and heed the
following WARNINGS:
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Ap plies t o vehicles: w ith 6 -cylin d er engine
Charging of battery 6 -cylinder engine )
All work on the battery requires specialized knowledge!
The battery is maintenance-free and is inspected regu ­
larly as part of vehicle service.
If starting problems occur because the battery charge is too low,
this may indicate a defective battery. In this case we recommend
having a qualified workshop inspect and charge the battery or
replace it if necessary. A discharged battery can
freeze at tempera ­
tures of only O °C. A thawed battery must be replaced, as the battery
housing may be cracked due to freezing and could therefore leak
acid.
Charging the battery
Battery charging should be performed by a qualified workshop,
since batteries employing a special technology are used which
require current-limited constant voltage charging.
0 Note
The vehicle may be optionally equipped with a gel battery, which can only be charged at a constant current-limited voltage.
• To prevent damage to the battery and the electronics system, a
gel battery that is connected must under no circumstances be
charged with a quick charger.
[ i] Tips
The vehicle battery must not be charged with a standard small
charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter or outlet. •
Windshield washer container
Using plain water is not adequate for filling the wind­
shield washer system.
Fig . 179 Engine
compartment : wind­
shield washer fluid
container
The windshield washer fluid container is located on the
right side of the engine compartment~ fig. 179. The
washer fluid container is marked with the symbol %Pis on
its cap.
- Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always
read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working
in the engine compartment" on
page 225.
-Lift the filler cap tongue to add washer fluid. You can fill
the container to the top.
- Press the cap back onto the filler neck after filling the
container.
You can find the reservoir capacity in the table in~ page 300.
To prevent lime residue from building up on the spray jets, use
distilled water when refilling. Always add a glass cleaner solution
(with frost protection in the winter}. .,._
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

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Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a Jot of different things
including proper installation and balancing, correct tire
pressure and driving style .
(r
l \._ _____ ;)
Tread Wear I nd ica tor ( TWll
Fig. 182 Tire tread:
tr ea d wea r ind ica tors
( TWIJ
Fi g. 1 83 Ro tati ng tir es
for mor e even wea r
The or iginal tires on your vehicle have 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear
indicators":::::, fig. 182 running across the tread . Depending on the
make, there will be six to eight of them evenly placed around the
tire . Marks on the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other symbols)
indicate the positions of the tread wear indicators . Worn tires must
be replaced. Dif ferent figures may apply in other countries:::::,&.
Tir e p re ss ure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out . For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at least once a month :::::,
page 250.
Drivin g sty le
Driving fast around curves, heavy acce leration and hard braking
increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rear tires are rotated according to the
tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals . Please
r emember the following:
• Tire rotation interva ls may differ from the vehic le service inter ­
vals outlined in your Warranty
& Maintenance Booklet.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, the
more it wears at certain points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals.
• Vehicles with front -wheel drive experience mo re tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all-wheel drive (quattro®) .
• Please rotate tires as shown :::::, fig . 183.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
:::::, page 279.
Whe el b ala n cing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various situa­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unba l­
anced, resulting in vibrations you can usual ly feel through the
steering wheel.
Unba lanced whee ls must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tires. A wheel must a lso be reba lanced
when a new tire is installed.
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General information
Explanation of technical data
Some of the technical data listed in this manual requires
further explanation.
The technical data for your vehicle is listed in the charts starting on
~ page 300. This section provides general information, notes and
restrictions which apply to this data. •
Vehicle identification
The key data are given on the vehicle identification
number (VIN) plate and the vehicle data sticker.
Fig. 213 Vehicle Identi­
fication Number (VIN)
plate: location on
driver's side dash
panel Fig
. 214 The vehicle
identification label -
inside the luggage
compartment
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
is located on the driver's side so that it is visible from the outside
through the windshield -see ~ fig. 213.
The vehicle identification label
is located in the luggage compartment in the spare wheel well.
The label ~ fig. 214 shows the following vehicle data:
© Production control no.
0 Vehicle identification no.
© Type code number
© Type designation/engine output in Kilowatts
© Engine and transmission code letter
© Paint no./lnterior
0 Optional equipment no.'s
Vehicle data 2 to 7 are also found in your Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet .
The safety compliance sticker
is your assurance that your new vehicle complies with all applicable
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards which were in effect at the
time the vehicle was manufactured. You can find this sticker on the ._