2009 AUDI S3 check engine light

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Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work reliably when
needed.
- Keep belts clean.
- For cleaning, use a mild soap and water solution. Let
belts dry thoroughly and away from direct sunlight.
- Do not allow inertia reel safety belts to retract before
they are completely dry.
- Check the condition of your safety belts
regularly.
Heavily soiled safety belts may not retract properly.
& WARNING
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash .
• Anything that might damage your safety belts could mean that
you and your passengers would not be adequately protected in an
accident.
• Safety belt performance depends on correct installation. Never
remove belts from the vehicle to clean them .
• Do not use chemical cleaning agents, bleach or dyes. They have
corrosive properties which weaken the webbing.
• When cleaning your safety belts, inspect them for damage. If
you discover damage, see your authorized Audi dealer.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=:, page 206. •
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the engine compart­
ment.
Always switch off the ignition before cleaning the engine =:> &.
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front of the windshield
under the engine hood. This prevents the water drain holes from
becoming blocked, and it prevents debris from entering the vehicle
interior through the heating and ventilation ducts .
Corrosion protection
The engine compartment and transmission have been corrosion­
protected at the factory.
Good anti-corrosion treatment is very important, particularly in the
winter. If the vehicle is frequently driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and plenum panel should be thor ­
oughly cleaned at the end of winter and retreated to prevent salt
damage. At the same time, the underside of the vehicle should be
washed as well.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any time with grease
removing solutions
3l, or if you have the engine washed , the anti­
corrosion treatment is almost always removed as well . It is therefore
essential to have a long-lasting corrosion protection reapplied to all
surfaces, seams, joints and components in the engine compart ­
ment.
& WARNING
Be aware: The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a
potentially hazardous area.
• Before working in the engine compartment, be sure to read the
information
=:> page 217 . .,,_
31 Use only the correct cleaning solutions. Never use gasoline or diesel fuel.
Vehicle care I t •

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Checking and filling
Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehicle.
-Open the driver's door .
Fig. 167 Driver's side
footwell: engine hood
release lever
-Pull the release lever on the left under the instrument
panel
~ fig. 167 in direction of the arrow.
The hood pops up slightly under spring pressure. •
Opening the engine hood
Fig. 168 Engine hood
release lever
Before opening the engine hood, make sure that the wind­
shield wipers are folded flat against the windshield. Other­
wise, they could damage the paint on the hood.
Pull the release lever~ fig. 168 in the direction indicated
by the arrow. This release the hook under the hood.
- Open the hood all the way.
& WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you!
• To reduce the risk of being burned, never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment. Wait until no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the hood. •

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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

Checking and filling -
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0 Note
• Before winter sets in, have the coolant checked to see if the
coolant additive in your vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate
conditions. This is especially important if you live in a region where
the winter is extremely cold. If necessary, increase the proportion of
coolant additive to 60%.
• When adding coolant additive to your cooling system,
remember:
-We recommend using only coolant additive G12+ + (check the
label) for your vehicle. This coolant additive is available at autho­
rized Audi dealers. Other types of antifreeze can significantly
reduce corrosion protection . The resulting corrosion can cause a
loss of coolant and serious engine damage .
• Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle's
engine coolant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and could result
in damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty .•
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig . 175 Engine
compartment : coolant
expansion tank
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS==> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 225.
Turn off the ignition.
Read the engine coolant level from the coolant expan­
sion tank==> fig. 175. With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "min" and "max" markings. When
the engine is warm, the level may be slightly above the
" max" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank can be seen in the
engine compartment illustration=>
page 226.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must be switched off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped with an electric
coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning light in the Auto­
Check System =>
page 30will blink until you add coolant and the
level has been restored to normal. Even though there is an electric
coolant level sensor, we still recommend you check the coolant level
from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling system. In the event
of coolant loss, the cooling system should be inspected immedi­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer. It is not enough merely to add
coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the boiling point of the
coolant is exceeded as a result of overheating.
0 Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle's engine
coolant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adversely affect the tune- _..
Vehicle care I I Technical data

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tion and performance of your cooling system and could resu lt in
d am age not co vered by yo ur Ne w Vehicle Li mited Warranty .•
Adding coolant
B e very caref ul whe n addin g engine c oo lant.
Before you check a nything in the e ngine compartmen t,
always read and heed all WARNINGS=> & in "Work ing in
the en gine compartmen t" on
pa ge 225.
- Turn off the engine.
- Le t the engin e coo l down.
Place a thi ck ra g o ver th e c oolan t expansio n ta nk
=> pa ge 233, fi g. 1 75 a nd carefully twi st th e cap coun te r­
cl ockwi se
=> &.
- Add cool ant.
- Twist the cap on aga in
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to exact specifications
~ page 232, "Coola nt". Even in a n eme rge ncy, if co olant add itive
G 12++. G12+ or G 12 is not availab le, do
not use a diffe rent additive.
Use plain water instead unt il you ca n get the c orrect additive and
can restore the correct ratio . This should be done as soon as
possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of coo lant, then you should
add co ld antifreeze and cold water only when the engine is cold.
A lways use
new e n gin e c oolan t wh en refi llin g.
Do not fi ll coo lant above the "MAX" mark. Excess coolant will be
f o rced ou t through the pressure re lief va lve in the cap when the
engine becomes hot.
& WARNING
• The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot .
Redu ce the risk of scalding from hot coolant by following these
steps .
- Turn off the engine and allow it to cool down.
- Protect your face , hands and arms from e scaping fluid and
steam by covering the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a counter -clockwise
direction while applying light , downward pressure on the top
of the cap.
- To avoid being burned , do not spill antifreeze or coolant on
the e xhaust system o r hot engine parts . Under certain condi ­
tions , the ethylene glycol in engine coolant can catch fire.
• Antifreeze is poisonous . Always store antifreeze in its original
container and well out of the rea ch of children.
• If you drain the coolant , it must be caught and safely stored in
a proper container clearly marked "poison".
0 Note
• Coo la n t po llutes t he environ ment and cou ld cause a n engine
fire . Excess coolant will be forced out through the pressure re lief
va lve in t he cap when t he eng in e b ecomes hot .
• I f, in an emergency, on ly water can be added, the correct ratio
be tween wa ter and antifree ze~
page 232 mus t be restore d as soon
as possib le .
'£> For the sake of the environment
D rained coolant should not be reused. Always d ispose of used
coo la nt whi le observing all e nvi ro n men tal reg ulat ions .•

Checking and filling -
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Radiator fan
The radiator fa n switches on au toma tically by i tself.
T he e lectric radiator fan is control led bythermoswitches that switch
on and off depending on coolan t and engine compar tm ent temper ­
atures .
An auxiliary e lectric radiator fan * switches on and off depending on
coolant temperature and other vehicle operation conditions.
After switching off the engine , the auxiliary fan -even with the igni ­
tio n off -ca n co ntinue runni ng for u p to 10 minutes. It can even
switch on again later by itself=>&, if
• the temperat ure of the engine coolant rises due to the heat
build -up from the engine in the engine compartment, or
• t he engine co mpart men t heats up because the vehicle is parked
in intense sunlight.
& WARNING
• To reduce the risk of personal injury never tou ch the r ad iator
fan .
• The auxiliary electric fan is temperature controlled and can
switch on suddenly even when the engine i s not running .
• The auxiliary radiator fan switches on automatically when the
engine cool ant reache s a certain temperature and will continue to
run until the coolant temperature drop s. •
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The bra ke flu id l evel can be che cke d wi th a q uick gla nce.
Fig . 17 6 Engine
c o mpartment : brake
fluid re ser vo ir
Be fore yo u check anythin g in the e ng ine compar tm ent,
always read and heed all WARNINGS=> & in "Working in
t h e eng ine compartment" on
page 225.
Read t he brake fl uid lev el from t he brake flui d res ervoir .
T he b rak e fluid l eve l must b e between the
"MI N" and
"M AX" markings => fig. 176.
The brake f luid reservoir is located at the rear pa rtit ion of the engine
compartment on the left side=> page 226.
T he fluid leve l may drop slightly after some time due to the auto ­
ma tic adjustment o f the brake pads. Th is is not cause for alarm .
I f the brake flu id leve l falls considerably below the "MIN" mark, the
brake warning/indicator light (U.S . models :
BRAKE, Canadian models:
ID ) will come on=> page 15 and=> page 30. Do not continue to
operate the vehic le . The complete brake system should be thor ­
oughly checked by an au thorized Audi dealer or other qualified
facility and the cause corrected. If the brake fluid leve l is too low, the .,,_
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

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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

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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