2009 AUDI S3 ABS

___ T_ r _a_ il_e _r_ t_ o_ vv_ in__... g,_ __________________________________________________ _
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger transpor­
tation.
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that the additional load
wi ll affect durability, economy and performance.
Trai ler towing not on ly p laces more stress on the vehicle, it a lso ca lls
for more concentration from the driver.
For this reasons, always fo llow the operating and driving instruc ­
tions provided and use common sense. •
Technical requirements
Traile r hit ch
Use a weight -carrying hitch conforming to the gross trailer weight.
The hitch must be suitab le for your vehicle and tra iler and must be
mounted secure ly on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically sound
location . Use only a trailer hitch w ith removable ball mount. A lways
check with the trai ler hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using the correct hitch .
Do not use a bumper hit ch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it does not interfere
w ith the impact-absorbing bumper system . No modifications
should be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems. From
time to time, check that all hitch mount ing bolts remain securely
fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the trailer hitch ball
mount. This prevents the hitch from causing damage should your
vehic le be struck from behind
=:> & .
Tire pre ssure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your vehic le to the cold tire
pressure listed under "Full load"on the sticker on the right door­
jamb. Inflate trai ler tires to trai ler and tire manufacturers' specifica ­
tions.
Lights
The head ligh t settings should be checked wit h the trai ler attached
before driving off. Have the head lights adjusted as necessary so
t hat you can see the road ahead but not blind oncoming traffic.
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights are working prop ­
erly.
Engin e cool ing sy stem
Towing a t rai ler makes the engine wo rk ha rder . It is important that
the cooling system's performance stands up to the additiona l
strain. Make sure that the coo ling syste m has enoug h fluid.
Traile r br akes
If your traile r is equipped wi th a braking system, check to be sure
that it conforms to al l regu lations.
T he trailer hydraulic brake system must not be directly connected to
the vehic le's hydrau lic brake sys tem.
Safety chai ns
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connected from the trailer
to the h itch on the vehicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to
permit turning corners. When you install safety chains, make sure
they will not drag on the road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue to prevent it from
dropping in case of separation from the hitch. _.

[ i] Tips
• Do not tow a trailer during the break-in period of your vehicle.
• If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require more frequent mainte ­
nance due to the extra load=>
page 304. •
Parking on a slope
-----------------
Do not park with a trailer on a slope. If it cannot be
avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
-Apply the foot brake.
- Have someone place chocks under both the vehicle and the trailer wheels .
- With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes until
wheel blocks absorb the load.
- Turn the wheels towards the curb.
- Apply the parking brake.
- Place an automatic transmission in
P, respectively a
manual transmission in first or reverse gear.
When restarting after parking:
- Start the engine.
- Shift transmission into gear.
- Release the parking brake and slowly pull out and away from the wheel blocks.
- Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel blocks.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Trailer towing
[
i] Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automatic transmission to P
before applying the parking brake and before blocking the wheels,
you may have to use more force later to move the lever out of the
P
position .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Cleaning and prote ction -
----------------
•
Chassis
Have the underco ating checke d for damage from time to
time .
The lower body shell of your Audi is a lso thorough ly protected
against corros ion.
Any damage to the undercoating caused by road hazards should be
repa ired p romptly.
& WARNING
Too mu ch undercoat ing in the wrong place s can cau se a fire.
• Do not app ly additional undercoating or rustproofing on or
near the exhau st manifold , ex haust p ipe s, cat alytic con verter or
heat shields . While d riving, the sub stan ce used for undercoating
c o uld overhe at and cause a fire.
• Alw ays read a nd heed all WARNINGS and other information
=> p age 206 . •
Care of interior
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots and deposits from
a luminum surfaces. Chrome care products and alka line cleaners
w ill attack aluminum s urfaces and ca n damage them over time.
& WARNING
Alway s read and he ed all WARNINGS and other information
=> page 206. •
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabrics and fabric coverings (e.g. seats, door trim pane ls, etc.)
shou ld be c leaned at regular intervals with a vacuum cleaner . This
removes surface dirt partic les which could become embedded in
t he fabric through use. Steam clea ners shou ld not be used, because
the steam tends to push the dirt deeper into the fabric and lock it
there .
No rmal cleaning
Genera lly, we recommend using a soft sponge or a lint-free
microfiber c loth to the clean fabric. Brushes should only be used for
carpe ts and floor mats, since other fabric su rfaces co uld be harmed
by brushes.
N orma l surface stains can be cleaned using a commercially avail ­
able foam cleaner. Spread the foam on the surface o f the fabric with
a soft sponge and work it in gent ly. Do not saturate the fabric . Then
pat the foam dry us ing absorbent, dry cloths (e.g. microfiber cloth)
and vacuum it after it has dried completely.
C leaning stains
Stains caused by beverages (e.g. coffee, fruit juice, etc.) can be
t reated with a mild detergent so lution . Apply the detergent so lution
with a sponge. In the case of stubborn stains, a detergent paste can
be applied directly to the stain and worked into the fabric . After­
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to remove the
re maining dete rgent . Apply the water w ith a damp cloth or sponge
and pat the fabric dry with an absorbent, dry c loth .
Stains from chocolate or makeup should have detergent paste (e.g .
ox -ga ll soap) rubbed into them. Afterwards, remove the soap with
water (damp sponge).
A lcoho l can be used to treat s tains from grease, oi l, lipst ick or a ba ll­
point pen . Melted grease or dye must be patted off using absorbent
ma terial. It may be neces sary to retrea t the areas with de tergent
paste and water. _.,
Vehicle care
I t •

____________________________________________ ...:C :..: l:..: e :.: a::. n:....:..:..: in~ g~ a~n .:..:d::....! p::. r :..:o:::..::. te:::..::: c:..::t ..:..:io ::::.: n:...__IJIIII
•
soiling, etc.), you will need to be somewhat careful with these
leathers, and a certain type of care is required. For example, dark
clo thing materials can discolor leather sea ts (especially if such
clothing is damp and was not dyed correctly) . Dust and dirt particles
in pores , folds, and seams can have an abrasive effect and can
damage the leather surface as well as weaken seams.
The leather should be cleaned regularly as needed. After having
been used for a rela tiv ely long tim e, your lea ther seats will acquire
a rich aged finish. This is a characteristic of natural leather and a
sign of true quality.
In order to maintain the value of this natural product over the life of
your vehicle, you should follow the recommendations below:
0 Note
• To keep your leather from bleaching out, do not allow it to be
exposed to bright sunlight for long periods of time. If you have to
leave the vehicle parked outside for long periods, cover the leather
to protect it from direct exposure to sunlight.
• Sharp objects on clothing, such as zippers, rivets or sharp pieces
on belts can leave permanent scratches or scrape marks on the
surface of the leather.
[ i] Tips
• After each time you clean the leather and at regular intervals, use
a leather preservative creme that contains UV -blockers and that
works into the leather. This creme will nourish and moisturize the leather , helping it to breathe and stay supple . It also helps to build
up a protective coating on the surface.
• Clean the leather every 2 -3 months, and clean any areas that get
soiled.
• Remove fresh marks made by ballpoint pens, ink, lipstick, shoe
polish, etc . as soon as possible.
• Preserve the color of the leather as needed by using a special
colored leather care creme to touch up areas of uneven color .•
Ap plies to veh ic les : wi th n atural leat her
Cleaning and caring for leather upholstery
and trim
Natural leather requires special care and attention.
Normal cleaning
-Clean soiled areas with a slightly moistened cotton or
woolen cloth.
More stubborn dirt
- More stubborn dirt can be removed using a cloth satu­
rated with a mild soap solution (2 tablespoons mild
liquid soap).
- Never allow the soap solution to saturate the leather, and
make certain that no water soaks into the seams.
Wipe off the soap solution with a soft, dry cloth.
Cleaning spots
- Remove fresh water-based spots (such as coffee, tea,
juices, blood) with an absorbent cloth or paper towel.
- Remove fresh grease or oil-based spots (such as butter,
mayonnaise, chocolate) with an absorbent cloth or paper
towel, or use the cleaner from the leather care kit if the
spot has not yet penetrated into the surface of the
leather.
- Use an oil/grease dissolving spray, if oil/grease spots
have dried on.
- Remove specific kinds of spots (ballpoint pen, felt
marker, fingernail polish, water-based paint, shoe polish,
etc.) with a spot remover specifically formulated for leather. ._.
Vehicle care I t •

___ C_h_ e_ c_k _in --== g'-- a_n _d_ f_il _li _n ..:::g:::..- ___________________________________________ _
brake warning/indicator light will illuminate . Contact an authorized
Audi dealer
i m medi at ely.•
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced techni­
cian.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the ai r. If the water content in the
brake fluid is too high, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time. The boiling point of the brake fluid wil l also
decrease considerably and decrease braking performance .
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
e ver y two years. Always
use new brake fluid which conforms to Federa l Motor Vehicle Stan ­
dard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4" .
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficu lt to reach , therefore, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your autho­
rized
Audi d ealer. Your dealer has the correct tools, the right brake
fluid and the know-how to do this for you.
& WARNING
• Bra ke fluid i s poisonous . It mu st be stored on ly in the close d
ori ginal container out of the rea ch of children!
• Bra ke fa ilure can result from old or inappropri ate brake fluid .
Observe the se pre caution s:
- Use o nly brake fluid that meets SAE spe cifi ca tion
J 170 3 and
c onform s to Fed era l Moto r Vehic le Sta nda rd 116 . Always c heck
w ith your authori zed Audi de aler to m ake sure you are using
the correct brake fluid. The corr ect type of brake fluid i s als o
indi cated o n the br ake fl uid reser vo ir.
- The br ake flu id mu st be ne w. Hea vy use of the brake s can
c au se a vap or lo ck if the bra ke fluid i s left in the system too
long. Thi s can seriou sly affect the efficienc y of the brake s as
we ll as your safet y. Thi s co uld re su lt in an acci dent .
0 Note
Brake fluid wi ll damage the paint of your vehicle .
<£' For the sake of the environment
Because o f the problem of prope r disposal of brake flu id as we ll as
the special tools required and the necessary expertise, we recom ­
mend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authorized Audi
dea ler. •
Battery
General information
All w ork on the battery requires technical knowledge!
Fi g. 177 E ng ine
co mp artm ent (4 -
c yli nder engin e):
Bat tery w it h cove r"

_____________________________________________ C_h_ e_ c _ k_in -= g_a _ n_d _ f_il _li _n ..;::g =--____.•
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 ~
0. ..,
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

-~_C_ h_e _c _ k_ i_n ...:::g::;...._ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ll _in -'g:::;.._ ___________________________________________ _
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:
~

11111.___F_ u_ s _ e_s _ a_n _ d_ b_ u_lb _ s _______________________________________________ _
Equipment Amps No. Equipment Amps
Manual headlight beam adjustment, automatic 14 Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) (control
10
1 headlight beam adjustment, AFS control mod-
10 module),
shift gate automatic transmission
ule, engine components, light switch (switch
15 Interior lights, reading lights 10
lighting/illumination), diagnosis socket
Diagnostic connector, rain sensor, a ir condit ion-
!! Automatic transmission, control module for
16 ing (control module), tire pressure monitor dis- 10
CAN data transfer (gateway), electro -mechanical
play (control module)
steering, shift gate automatic transmission, 17 Anti-theft alarm warning system 5
2 engine relay, fuel tank control unit, engine con
-10
trol unit, brakes control (ABS), Electronic Stabili- 18 Terminal 15
5
zation Program (ESP), Anti -Slip Regulation
19 All Wheel Drive
10
(ASR), brake light switch
-20 Magnetic ride 5
3 Airbag
5
-21 Not used
Air -conditioning (pressure sensor, air quality
sensor), button for Electronic Stabilization Pro- 22
Blower fan 40
gram (ESP), Anti -Slip Regulat ion (ASRl, tire pres -
23 Driver's side power window, front 30
sure mon itor display, oil level sensor, back-up
4 light switch, front seat heating, parking aid, 5 24 Power outlet front
20
seat-occupancy recognition (on USA vehicles), 25 Rear window defogger 30
navigation, garage door opener, automatic mir- 26 Power outlet in luggage compartment 20
ror dimming, heated windshield washer noz-
zles, air conditioning (control module) 27 Fuel tank control module, fuel pump 15
5 AFS headlights (left side)
5 28 Power
window, rear
30
6 AFS headlights (r ight side) 5 29 Not used
7 Not used 30 Not used
8 Not used 31 Automatic transmission (vacuum pump)
20
9 Not used 32 Headlight washer system 30
10 Not used
33 Sliding/pop-up roof
20
1 1 Not used 34 Not used
12 Central locking (front doors} 10 35 Not used
13 Central locking (rear doors) 10
36 Lumbar
support 10