2009 AUDI S3 Owners Manual

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Consumer Information
Warranty coverages
Yo ur A udi i s covere d by the f ollowi ng wa rrant ie s:
• New Vehicle Limited Warranty
• Limited Warranty Against Corrosion Perforation
• Emissions Control System Warranty
• Emissions Performance Warranty
• California Emissions Control Warranty (USA vehicles only)
• California Emissions Performance Warranty (USA vehicles only)
Detai led information regarding your warrant ies can be found in
your
Warr anty & Maint enan ce Booklet .•
Operating your vehicle outside the
U.S .A. or Canada
Government regulations in the United States and Canada require
t hat automobiles meet specific emission regulations and safety
standards . T herefore, vehicles built for the U.S .A . and Canada differ
from vehicles so ld in other countries .
If you plan to take your vehic le outside the continental limits of the
United States or Canada, there is the possibi lity that
• unleaded fue ls for vehicles w ith catalytic converter may not be
avai lable;
• fue l may have a considerably lower oc tane rat ing . Improper fuel
may cause engine damage;
• serv ice may be inadequate due to lack of proper service faci lities ,
tools or testing equipment;
• replacement parts may not be readily available .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
•
Navigation systems for vehicles built for the U.S.A . and Canada
wil l not necessarily work in Europe, and may not work in other coun ­
tries outs ide o f North America.
Audi cannot be responsib le for me chan ica l dam ag e th at could
re sult from inadequate fuel , service or pa rts availability.
0 Note
Audi cann ot be respo nsible for mechanica l damage that could
result from inadequate fuel , service or parts availab ility. •
Audi Service Repa ir Manuals and
Literature
Audi Official Factory Service Manuals are published as soon as
poss ible after model introduction . Service manuals are ava ilab le
fr om:
Audi Te chnical Literature O rdering Center
Ca 11 toll -free :
Te l.:
1 (800) 544 -8021
(from 8:00 A M to 8:00 PM, EST, Monday through Friday)
or access their website
www .audi .dd sltd .com on the Internet to
order repair manuals and other Audi lite rature .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Tec hn ica l da ta

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Maintenance
General
Your vehicle has been designed to help ke ep maintenance require­
ments to a mi nim um .
Ho weve r, a certain a mount of regu lar maintenance is still necessary
to assure your vehicle's safety, economy and reliability.
For detailed vehicle maintenance consult your Warranty
& Main te­
nance booklet.
Under d iffi cult op erating cond ition s, for example at extremely low
outside temperatures, in very dusty regions, when tow ing a trailer
very frequently, etc., some service work shou ld be performed
between the intervals specified. This app lies particularly to :
• oil changes, and
• clean ing or replac ing the air filter .
By regularly ma intaining your vehicle, you help make sure that emis­
sion standards are maintained, thus minimizing adverse effects on
the environment .•
Important considerations for you and your
vehicle
The increasing use of electronics, sophisticated fuel injection and emission control systems, and the general ly increasing technical
complexity of today's automobi les, have steadily reduced the scope
of maintenance and repairs which can be carried out by vehicle
owners .
Also , safety and environm ental concerns p lace very s trict
limits on the nature of repairs and adjustments to engine and trans­
mission parts which an owner can perform . Maintenance, adjustments and repairs usually require special tools,
t esting devices and other equipment availab le to special ly trained
workshop personne l in order to assure proper performance, reli ­
abi lity and safety of the vehicle and its many systems .
I mproper maintenance, adjustments and repa irs can impa ir the
operation and re liability of your vehicle and even void your vehic le
wa rranty. Therefore, proof of se rvic ing in accordance w ith the ma in­
tenance schedule may be a condition for upholding a possible
war ranty claim made within the warranty period.
Above all, operational safety can be adverse ly affected, creating
unnecessary risks for you and your passengers .
I f in doubt about any servicing, have it done by your authori zed Audi
dea ler or any other properly equipped and qualified workshop . We
strongly urge you to give your authorized Audi dealer the opportu­
nity to perform all schedu led maintenance and necessary repairs.
Your dealer has the facilities, origina l parts and trained special ists
to keep your vehicle running proper ly.
Performing limited ma intenan ce your self
The following pages describe a limited number of procedures which
can be performed on you r vehicle wi th ordinary too ls, should the
need arise and trained personnel be unavailab le . Before performing
any of the se procedu res, a lways thorough ly read a ll of the appli ­
cable text and carefu lly fo llow the instructions given . Always rigor ­
ous ly observe the
WARNINGS provided .
Before you check anything in the engine compartment , alway s re ad
and heed all WARNINGS=>
& and=> & in "Wo rking in the engine
compartment" on
page 225.
& WARNING
• Seriou s per son al injury may oc cur as a result of improperly
performed maintenan ce, adjustment s or repairs .

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& WA RNIN G (continu ed )
• Alway s be extremely careful when working on the v ehicle .
Alway s follo w commonly accepted safety pr actice s and general
c ommon sen se . Never risk per sonal inju ry .
• Do n ot attempt any of the m aint enance , check s or rep air s
de scribed on the following pages if you are not fully famili ar with
the se or othe r procedures with respect to the vehicle , or are u ncer­
t a in ho w to pro ceed .
• Do not do any work w ithout the proper tool s and equipment .
Have the necessary work done by your authorized Audi de aler or
anothe r properly equipped and qual ified work shop .
• The engine compartment of any motor vehicle i s a potentially
h azardou s are a. Ne ver rea ch into the are a around or touch the
radiator fan. It is te mperature controlled and can switch on
s uddenly · even when the engine is off and the ignition key has
been remo ved . The radi ator fan switches on automat icall y when
the coolant reaches a certain temperature and will continue to run
until the coolant t emper ature drops .
• Alway s remo ve the ignition key befor e anyone get s under the
v ehi cle .
• Alway s support your vehicle with safety sta nd s if it i s nece s­
sary to work underneath the vehicle . The ja ck supplied with the
vehi cle is not adequate for this p urpo se a nd co uld coll apse
c au sing ser iou s person al in jur y.
• If you m ust w ork under neath the vehi cle with the wheel s on
the ground , alway s make sure the vehicle is on lev el ground , that
the wheels are alway s secu rel y blocked and that the engine
c annot be started .
• Alway s make sure the t ran sm iss ion selector lever (automat ic
tran smi ssion ) is in "P " (Park position ) (automati c transmis sion) or
Neutr al ( ma nual transmission ) and the h and brake i s firmly
appli ed .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
<£' For the sake of the environment
•
Changing the engine settings will adverse ly affect em ission
levels. This is detrimental to the environment and increases fuel
consu mption.
• Always observe environmenta l regulations when disposing of
old engine oil, used brake fluid, d irty engine coolant, spent batteries
or worn out tires .
• Undeployed airbag modules and pretensioners might be classi ­
fied as Perch lorate Material -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo rate. When the vehicle or
parts of the restraint system including airbag modules safety be lts
with pretensioners are scrapped, a ll applicable laws and regu la ­
tions must be observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar with
these requirements and we recommend that you have your dea ler
perform this service for you. •
Additional accessories,
modifications and parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Al ways consult an authorized Au di de aler befo re
purchasing accessories.
Your vehicle incorporates the latest safety design features ensuring
a high standard of act ive and passive sa fety.
This safety could be compromised by non -approved changes to the
vehic le . Fo r th is reason, if par ts have t o be re p laced, please observe
the fo llowing points when insta lling additional accessories:
Approved Audi accessories and genuine Audi parts are available
from autho rized Audi dealers . .,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Tec hn ica l da ta

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These dealers also have the necessary facilities, tools and trained
specialists to install the parts and accessories properly.
& WARNING
Using the wrong spare parts non-approved accessories can cause
serious personal injury.
• Use only accessories expressly approved by Audi and genuine
Audi spare parts
• These parts and accessories have been specially designed to
be used on your vehicle.
• Never install accessories such as telephone cradles or
beverage holders on airbag covers or within the airbag deploy­
ment zones. Doing so will increase the risk of injury if airbags are
triggered in an accident!
• Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS=>
page 217.
0 Note
• If items other than genuine Audi spare parts, add -on equipment
and accessory items are used or if repair work is not performed
according to specified methods, this can result in severe damage to
your vehicle's engine and body (such as corrosion) and adversely affect your vehicle's warranty.
• If emergency repairs must be performed elsewhere, have the
vehicle examined by an authorized Audi dealership as soon as
possible.
• The manufacturer cannot be held liable for damage which occurs
due to failure to comply with these stipulations .•
Installing/replacing a sound system
If you wish to install a radio or replace the factory installed radio,
please note the following: The
factory installed radio connectors are designed for genuine
Audi radios. When installing a different radio, difficulties could arise
such as :
- the radio may not fit into the space provided
- the electrical connections may not be compatible
- different connector terminals may be needed .
Therefore, we recommend that you have your authorized Audi
dealer install or replace the radio .
They are the most familiar with the technical features of your
vehicle. They also offer Genuine Audi Radios with the necessary
installation components and instructions.
& WARNING
Improperly installing a radio could cause a short circuit and an
electrical fire. •
Technical Modifications
Our guidelines must be complied with when technical
modifications are made.
Always consult an authorized Audi dealer before starting work on
any modifications.
This will help ensure that vehicle function, performance and safety
are not impaired=> &.
Attempting to work on electronic components and the software
used with them can cause malfunctions. Because of the way elec­
tronic components are interconnected with each other, such
malfunctions can also have an adverse affect on other systems that
are not directly involved. This means that you risk both a substantial
reduction in the operational safety of your vehicle and an increased
wear of vehicle parts => & . .,_

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Authorized Audi dealers will perform this work in a professional and
competent manner or, in special cases, refer you to a professional
company that specializes in such modifications.
& WARNING
Improper repairs and modifications can change the way vehicle
systems work and cause serious personal injury.
0 Note
If emergency repairs must be performed elsewhere, have the
vehicle examined by an authorized Audi dealership as soon as
possible. •
Declaration of Compliance ,
Telecommunications and Electronic Systems
Radio Frequency Devices and Radiocommunication
Equipment User Manual Notice.
The manufacturer is not responsible for any radio or TV interference
caused by unauthorized modifications to this equipment.
Devices
The following devices each comply with FCC Part 15.19, FCC Part
15.21 and RSS-Gen Issue 1:
• Cell phone package
• Electronic immobilizer
• Homelink® universal remote control
• Remote control key
• Tire pressure monitoring system*
FCC Part 1 5.19
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions:
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
(1)
This device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.
FCC Part 1 5.21
CAUTION:
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
RSS-Gen Issue 1
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference, including interference
that may cause undesired operation of the device. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Tec hn ica l da ta

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A
ABS
See Anti-lock brake system
ABS (Anti-lock brake system) 194
Wa rning/indicato r lights .. ... .... .. 16
Accessori es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Adapter for anti-theft wheel bo lts . . . . . 275
Adaptive Light Air conditioning
Switching on and off
Air distribution 101
Climate controls .. ...... .... ... .. 103
Air outlets
Adjusting the outlets for rapid Side airbags
... .... .... ... .. ..... 163
Side curtain airbags ....... .... .. . 166
When must the system be inspected? ...
158
All Whee l Drive . ...... .... .......... 196
Alloy wheels ....... ... .... ...... ... 212
defrosting/defogging .... .... ... .
104 All -whe el drive
Climate controls .. .... .... .... ... 104
Winter tires ... ... ... .. ...... .... 260
Air quality sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Alternator
defective ....................... . 34 Air recirculation
....... .. .... ....... 103
See Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Adaptive light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Adding Engine coolant ... .... .... ....... 234
Engine oil . ................... ... 230
Windshield washer fluid .... ...... 241
Additiona l accessories .... ...... ... .. 305
Additives Engine oil .... .... ... ... ... .. .... 230
Adjustable steering whee l column ..... 107
Adjusting Steering wheel column .... ... .... 107
Adjusting front seats ............. ... . 74
Advanced Airbag System Children . ... .. .... .... ..... ..... 170
Components ...... .... ......... . 154
Front airbags ......... .... ....... 152
How the components work together 155
Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t .. ... 159
W eight -sensing mat .. .. .. .... .... 170
Air conditioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
See also Climate controls . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Climate controls
.... . ......... ... 102
When should I use the air recirculation?
102
Air r ecirculation mode
Clima te controls .. ...... .... ... . . 102
Airbag Warning /indicator lights ....... .... 14
Airbag system .... .... .... .... .. 147, 164
Advanced Airbag System .......... 151
Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Child restraints .. ... ... .... .... .. 171
Components (front airbags) ..... ... 154
Danger of fitting a chi ld safety seat on the
front passenger seat . .... .... ... 149
Disposal . .... .... ...... .... ... .. 161
Front airbags . ... .. ..... ... .. ... . 151 Aluminum alloy wheels
...... .... .... 212
Amb ient lighting .. ... .... .... .... .... 61
Anti-glare inside day-night mirror .... .. 69
An ti-lock brake system
How the ABS system works ........ 194
Anti -lock brake system (ABS )
Warning /indicator lights ... .... .... . 16
Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) How the system works . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
An ti-theft sys tems
An ti-Theft Alarm System .. . .. .. .... 45
Anti -theft wheel bolts ..... .... .... ... 275
Armrest Center armrest ....... .. .. .. ..... .. 81
Rear armrest ................. .. .. 82
How do the front ai rrbags work? . . . . 156 Ashtray
How many airbags does my vehicle have?
154
Important things to know . ... .. ... 147
Indicator ligh t .... ... .. ..... .. ... 158
Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Rea
r .... ... .. .. ... ... .. .. ... ... .. 93
ASR How the Anti -Slip Regulation System
works ... .... .... .... ... .... ... 192

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Asterisk
What does it mean when something is marked with an asterisk? ... .. .. .. .. 5
Audi magnet ic ride .. .... .... ..... 12, 115
Description ...................... 115
Ind icator light .. ...... .... .... .... . 12
Audi parking system ................. 112
Audi Service Repair Manuals and Literature 303
AUTO Climate controls ...... .... ... .... . 101
Switching on .................... 101
When should I use AU TO? . ....... . 10 1
Au to Safety Ho tline ... .. .... .... .... . 135
Automatic air recircu lation ........... 102
A utomatic belt retracto r ...... .... .... 1 41
Automa tic car wash
See Washing ...... .... ... .. .. .... 207
Automatic headlight control ....... .... 53
Automat ic headlights
defective ... .. .... .... ... .... .... . 34
Automat ic Transmission
Au tomatic Transmission . ...... .... 120
Automatic transmission . ............. 117
Driving Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Emergency program . ........... .. 123
Emergency release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
I gn ition key safety lock ....... .... . 108
Kick-down ... .... .... .... ... .... . 122
L aunch Co ntrol Program ...... ..... 122
Se lector lever lock .. ...... ...... .. 1 18
Se lecto r lever posi tions .. ...... ... 11 7
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
T
iptronic ... .... . .. .. ... ... .. .... 121
Tiptronic controls on the steering whee l
122
Average fuel mileage ................ . 22
Average speed ... .... ..... ... .... ... . 22
Avo id damagi ng the v ehicle ...... .... . 199
B
Battery ... .. .... ... .... .... .... .... 236
charg ing (4-cy lind er engine) . ....... 240
c harging (6 -cy li n der engine) ... ..... 241
Disconnecting and c onnecting .. ... 237
I mpo rtant warnings when working on the
battery . .... .... .... .... .... ... 238
Replaci ng the battery .. ... .... .... 237
Winter operation ... .. .... .... .... 237
Working on the battery .. ...... .... 238
Battery voltage ...................... 33
Before driving . ....... .. .... .... .... 127
Bi -Xenon headlights .. ........ .... ... . 58
Blended gasoline . ... ... ..... .... .... 219
Body cavity sealing ...... ...... ... .. . 212
Booster seats .... .... .... .... .... ... 177
How do I properly install a booster seat i n
my vehicle? .. ... .... .... .... ... 177
Safety instructions ................ 177
Brake assistan t ..... .... .... .... .... 195
Brake booster .......... ...... ..... .. 194
Brake fluid Changing the brake fluid .. ........ 236
Checking the brake fluid leve l .. .... 235
Reservoir ........................ 235 What is
the correct brake fluid leve l? 235
What should I do if the brake fluid warning
light c omes on? ... .. .... .... .... 235
Brake pads ... ... .... ....... .... ... . 198
Brake system ....................... 235
Anti -lock brake system (ABS) .. .... .. 16
Brake fluid ....................... 235
Brake f luid specifications for refi ll and
r eplacement ... .. .... .... ...... . 236
Brake light defective . ........ .... .. 33
General information .. .... .... .... 193
How does moisture or road salt affect the
b rakes? .. ............... .... ... 193
Ma lfunct io n . .... .... .... .... ..... 30
Warning/indica tor lights .... .... .... 15
Worn brake pads symbo l ...... .... . 32
Break -in period ...... .... .... .... ... 197
Brake pads ....... ........ ....... 198
Tires ... .. .... .... .... ... .... .... 197
Bu lbs .... .... .... .... ... ....... .... 285
C
California Proposition 65 Warning . .... 226
Battery specific ...... ... .. ... ..... 239
Capac it ies . .... ... ... .... ... .... .... 300
Car care . .... ........ ....... .... .... 206
In ter ior . ...... .... .... ... .... .... 213
P last ic a nd vinyl . ...... .... .... ... 210
Weatherstrips ... .. .... ...... ... .. 211
Care of exterior .... ... .. .... .... .... 206
Ca rgo area
See Loading the luggage compartment
133
Vehicle operation Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Cargo net .... .... ...... .. ... ..... ... 85
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Center armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Centigrade Switching between Centigrade and Fahrenheit ..................... 103
Central locking panoramic sliding sunroof closing .. . 49
Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268, 307
Changing a flat tire ...... .... ....... 272
Changing engine oi l .. .... .... .... ... 231
Chassis Undercoating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
See also Audi magnetic ride
Checking 115
Engine coolant level .. .... .... .... 233
Checking tire pressure ...... ........ . 250
Child restraint
Danger of using child restraints in the
front seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Child restraints What types of child restraint anchors are available? ... .... .... ......... . 182
Where can I get additional information
about child restraints? ... .... .... 183
Child safety ...... ... .... .... ... 169, 174
Additional information .... .... .... 186
Booster seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Convertible child safety seats . . . . . . 175
Convertible locking retractor . . . . . . . 179
Important safety instructions for using child safety seats .. ......... .... 172 Important things to know when driving
with children ................... 169
Infant seats ..................... 174
Installing a child restraint using the
LATCH system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Lower anchorages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Mounting and releasing the anchorage
hook .... .... ... ........ .... ... 186
Older children and safety belts . .... 178
Safety belts and ol dler children .... . 178
Tether anchors .... .... .... ... ... 186
Tether strap .... ... .... .... .... .. 187
Which restraint system should my o lder
child wear? .. .... .... .... ...... 178
Child safety lock ..................... 44
child safety seat LATCH system . .... .... .... .... .. 185
Child safety seats ... ........... ..... 174
Convertible locking retractor . ...... 179
How do I properly install a child safety
seat in my vehicle? .. ...... .... .. 172
Installing .... ...... ... .... .... .. 179
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Cleaning Alcantara (synthetic suede) . .... ... 216
Engine compartment ... .... ...... 217
Fabrics and fabric coverings ..... .. 213
Instrument panel .. ... .. .... .... .. 214
Interior .. .... .... ..... .... .... .. 213
Leather .. .... ... .......... ...... 215
Plastic and vinyl ................. 210
Plastic parts ............... ... ... 214
Safety belts .. .... .... ... ..... ... 217 Trim
strips .... ........ .. . .. .. .. . 209
trim strips .. .... .... ... .... .... .. 210
Cleaning and protection ............. 206
Climate controls .. ........ .... .... ... 98
Air distribution .... .... ... .... ... 103
Air outlets ... .. .... .... .... ...... 104
Air recirculation ... ...... ... ...... 103
Air recirculation mode (manual) ... . 102
AUTO (standard setting) .. .... ... .. 101
Automatic air recirculation ........ 102
Controls . ........... .. .... .... .. 100
Defrosting/defogging .. ........ ... 101
Description .... ........ ....... .... 98
Fan ........ ... .. .... .... .... ... 103
Key-coded setting ..... ... . ....... 105
Recommended settings .... .... .... 98
Setting the temperature .... .... ... 101
Switching between Fahrenheit and
Centigrade ... .... .... ... .... ... 103
Switching the air conditioning on and off 101
Using the climate control economically . .
104
Warm and cold ... .... .... .... ... . 98
Clock . .... .... ............... ........ 9
Coat hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Co ld tire inflation pressure . ..... ... .. 247
Coming -home -function .. ...... ... ... . 56
Compartments in the door trims ... ... . 96
Compass mirror .. .... ....... .... .... 72
Compliance ........................ 307
Consumer Information .......... . 135, 303
Contacting NHTSA ... .... .... .... ... 135