2010 AUDI S3 checking oil

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Engine cold
As long as the needle remains at the left end of the gauge, the
engine still has not reached its operating temperature . Avoid high
engine speeds, heavy engine loads and heavy throttle.
Normal temperature
When the engine has reached its operating temperature, the needle
will move into the middle of the gauge and remain there. If the engine is working hard at high outside temperatures, the needle
may turn further to the right. This is no cause for concern as long as
the
_ f_ warning light in the instrument cluster does not illuminate.
When the
-L warning light starts to flash, this can mean one of two
things: either the coolant
temperature is too high, or the coolant
level is too low=> page 30.
& WARNING
• Always observe the warning in=> page 215, "Engine compart ­
ment" before opening the engine hood and checking the engine
coolant level.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
see engine coolant dripping from the engine compartment. You
could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant.
0 Note
• Mounting additional lights or accessories in front of the air inlets
reduces the cooling effect of the radiator . At high outside tempera ­
tures or high engine load, the engine could overheat.
• The front spoiler has been designed to properly distribute the
cooling air when the vehicle is moving. If the spoiler is damaged,
this could reduce the cooling effect and the engine could then over ­
heat. Ask your authorized Audi dealer for assistance. •
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge works only when the ignition is on.
When the needle reaches the red area, the warning light in the
instrument cluster will illuminate=>
page 32 I). This means you
have approximately 1.8 gallons (7 liters) of fuel left in the tank.
Time
to refuel!
The total tank capacity of your vehicle is listed in=> page 296,
"Data".
0 Note
Never run the tank completely dry! An irregular supply of fuel can
cause engine misfiring and fuel could enter into the exhaust
system. The catalytic converter could then overheat and be
damaged .•
Speedometer with odometer
The speedometer shows you the vehicle speed, and the
odometer shows you how many miles (kilometers) you
have driven.
Fig. 4 Speedometer
close-up : odometer
display
The odometer and trip odometer are located inside the speedom­
eter.

Driver information display
Driver information appears in the display when a defective light
bulb is reported by the defective light bulb warning~
page 34,
when the brake pads are worn and before you engage a gear on
vehicles with S tronic.
In addition, driver information may appear when a red symbol
flashes in the driver display .
To display Driver information
As an example, the~ symbol appears in the display. If you now
press the button~
page 29, fig. 21 , the following driver message
appears in the display:
Switch off engine and check oil level
The driver message in the display goes out after about 5 seconds.
You can display the driver message again by briefly pressing the
button. •
Brake system malfunction
BRAKE (USA models) /((D) (Canada models )
The indicator light flashes if the brake fluid level is too
low, if there is a malfunction in the ABS system or when
the parking brake is engaged.
If the BRA KE/(CD) symbol flashes in the display with the
parking brake released, there is a malfunction in the brake
system. In addition to the symbol, one of two messages
appears in the display:
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid
ABS fault
! See owner's manual
- Pull off the road and stop the vehicle.
- Obtain professional assistance.
USA models: if there is a malfunction in the ABS system, the • c:::;
warning/indicator light illuminates along with the BRAKE system
malfunction warning/indicator light~
/.1.
Canada models: if there is a malfunction in the ABS system, the
warning/indicator light illuminates together with the
CCD) brake
system malfunction warning/indicator light~
/.1.
Parking brake set
The parking brake warning light Brake /«D> (Canada models) illumi ­
nates when the parking brake is set . In addition, a warning tone will
sound after you have driven for longer than 3 seconds and faster
than 3 mph (5 km/h).
& WARNING
• Always observe the warnings in~ page 215, "Engine compart­
ment", before opening the engine hood and checking the brake
fluid.
• Driving with low brake fluid is a safety hazard! Stop the car and
get professional assistance.
• If the brake system warning/indicator light illuminates
together with the ABS warning/indicator light, then the ABS
system is malfunctioning. The rear wheels could quickly lock up
when you apply the brakes. This could lead to loss of control and
your vehicle could slide! Drive carefully to the nearest authorized
Audi dealer and have the malfunction corrected. •
Engine cooling system malfunction _t_
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must be
repaired as soon as possible.
When the J_ symbol in the display flashes, then either the
engine coolant temperature is too high, or the coolant level
~

Driver information display
[ i ] Tips
• The engine oil p re ss ure symbol 9:::r. is not an indicator for a low
engine oil level. Do not rely on it . In stead , check the oil level in your
engine at regular interval s, preferably each time you refuel , and
alway s before going on a l ong trip.
• The yellow oil level warning indication · require s oil refill or
workshop service w ithout delay . Do not wait until the red oil pres­
s ure warning symbol
9:::r. s tarts to flash before you respond to the
l ow oil level warning . By then , yo ur engine may already have
s uffered serious damage. •
Fuel supply too low f
When the symbol illuminates, t his mea ns there are about 2.6
gallons (10 liters) of fuel left in the fuel tank. Time to refuel!
~ page 279.
If the symbol lights up, even when there is ample fuel in the tank,
and the te xt
Tank system malfunction! Please contact workshop
appears in the disp lay, there is a fault in the syste m. Contact a qual ­
ified workshop to have the fault rectified .•
App lies t o vehic les: with engine sp eed lim itat ion
Engine speed limitation I
I Engine speed ma ximum XXXX RPM
The . symbo l illuminates when there is an engine control malfunc­
t ion. T he ind icat or l ight
'IC in the instrument cluste r also il lum i­
nates . T he engine speed is limited to the speed displayed in the
driver in for mation sys tem . Keep in mind tha t the engi ne s peed wi ll
not exceed the va lue d isplayed in the driver information system, for
exam ple when downshifting.
P lease go to an authorized Audi deale r or other qua lified workshop
to have the malfunction repaired. •
Applies to vehicles: with diese l engi ne and d iesel particu late filte r
Diesel particulate filter clogged
Particulate filter ! See owner's manual
If the indicator light in the instrument c luster comes on, the
diesel particulate fi lte r has become blocked with soot as the resul t
of constant short -distance driving . When the symbol illumi -
nates, you can alte r yo ur driving style to assist the filter self­
clean ing process. Drive for app roxi mately 15 m inutes in 4th or 5th
gea r (automatic transmission with the selector lever in the S posi ­
t ion) at a minimum s peed of 37 mph (60 km/h) and an e ngine speed
of approximately 2 ,000 R PM . T he temperature increase that wil l
r esu lt from this ca n burn o ff the soot in the fil te r. The symbo l w ill
switc h off when the cleaning is successful.
I f the sy mbo l d oes not swi tch off, see you r aut hor ized deale r or
other qua lif ied workshop to have the prob lem correc ted .
As long as the indicator light remains on (diesel particulate filter
plugged), you can e xpect i ncreased fue l co nsu mption a nd possibly
a lso a loss of engine performance.
A message may a lso be displayed in the ins tru me nt cluste r
informing you or prompting necessary act ion .
For more information on the diese l particulate filter, refer to
~ page 797.
& WARNING
Always adapt your speed to the current weather, road and traffic
conditions. You should never disobey traffic laws in order to follow
driving recommendation s. •
Checking the engine oil level ~
· Ple ase add max. 1 qt of engine oil!

If the '-" symbol comes on, add 1 quart (1 liter) of oil at the next
opportunity =>
page 230. •
Checking the engine oil level r.,
When the symbol illuminates, check the engine oil level as soon
as possible=>
page 229. Top off the oil at your earliest opportunity
=>
page 230. •
Engine oil sensor defective -;...
If the symbol illuminates, contact your authorized Audi dealer
and have the oil sensor inspected.•
Worn brake pads ~ :;
rt. Brake pads!
If the warning light illuminates, immediately contact your autho ­
rized Audi dealer or qualified workshop to have all brake pads
inspected. On USA models the warning light? comes on together
with the warning light
BRAKE. Both sets of brake pads on an axle must
always be replaced at the same time.
& WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a collision and serious personal
injury.
• If the warning light and the warning light
BRAKE11 with the
message Brake pads! comes on in the instrument cluster display,
immediately contact your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pads checked or replaced if
necessary. •
11 BRAKE : USA models only
Controls and equip ­
ment
Speed warning
models) 1
· ,I'""'
Driver information display
(USA models> IP (Canada
If the ~ symbol illuminates, this means you are driving faster than
the set vehicle speed. Slow down!=>
page 26. •
Speed warning 2 r (USA models) /,.__, (Canada
models)
If the C) symbol illuminates, this means you have driven faster than
the second set vehicle speed. Slow down! =>
page 26. •
Applies to veh icles : wi th dynamic head light range ad justment
Headlight range control defective
If the illuminates, the dynamic headlight range control is no
longer working properly. Have the system checked and repaired at
your authorized Audi dealer. •
Windshield washer fluid level too low .-_j
If the ~ symbol illuminates, add windshield washer fluid to the
washer system =>
page 240. •
Battery voltage low ~
If the C symbol illuminates, contact your authorized Audi dealer
and have the following components inspected:
• drive belt
• battery charge
Also see if the generator warning/indicator light illuminates
=>
page 14. •
I • •

-~_C_ h_e _c _ k_ i_n ...:::g::;...._ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ll _in -'g:::;.._ ___________________________________________ _
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 oi l at the recommended intervals
using only engine oil that complies with Audi oil standard
VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or VW 507 00 (vehicles
with diesel engine). Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not
cover damage or malfunctions due to failure to follow recom­
mended 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 the form of Service or Repair Orders that all scheduled
maintenance was performed in a timely 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 cooling of interna l
engine components, all internal combustion engines consume a
certain amount of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to engine
and may change significant ly over the life of the engine. Typically,
engines with a specified break -in period (see=>
page 195) consume
more oil during the break-in period than they consume after oil
consumption has stabilized.
Under 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 oil. As
any
engine is subject to wear as mileage builds up, the oil consump­
tion may increase over time until replacement of worn components
may become necessary .
With all these variables coming into play, no standard rate of oi l
consumption can be established or specified. There is no alternative
to regular and frequent checking of the oil level, see
Note.
If the yellow engine oil level warning symbol in the instrument
cluster lights up, you should check the oil level as soon as
possible
with the oil dipstick=> page 229. Top off the oi l at your
earliest convenience =>
page 230.
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS
=> &. in "Work ing in the engine
compartment" on
page 224.
0 Note
Driving with an insufficient oil level is likely to cause severe damage
to the engine.
[ i ] Tips
• The oil pressure warning display~ is not an indicator of the oil
level. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in your engine at
regular intervals , preferably each time you refuel, and always before
going on a long trip.
• If you have the impression your engine consumes excessive
amounts of oil, we recommend that you consu lt your authorized
Audi dealer to have the cause of your concern properly diagnosed .
Keep in mind that the accurate measurement of oil consumption
requires great care and may take some time. Your authorized Audi
dealer has instructions about how to measure oil consumption
accurately. •

_____________________________________________ C_h_ e_ c _ k_in -= g_a _ n_d _ f_il _li _n ..;::g =--____.""
Checking th e engine oil level
Fig . 166 Dipstick
(Version Al: Oil level
ranges
Fig . 167 Dipstick
(Version Bl: Oil level
ranges
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS=> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 224.
Determining oil level
- Park your vehicle so that it is horizontally level.
- While at operating state temperature, briefly let the
engine run at idle and then shut it off.
- Wait approx. two minutes. - Pull out the
oil dipstick. Wipe off the oil dipstick with a
clean cloth, and slide it back in as far as it will go.
- Pull it back out and read off the oil level=> fig. 166 or
=> fig. 167. Top off the engine oil, if applicable
=> page 230.
Oil level within range @
- Do not add oil.
Oil level within range
@
- You can add oil. Afterwards, the oil level should be within
range @.
Oil level within range
©
- You must add oil. Afterwards, the oil level should be
within range @.
The oil level needs to be checked at regular intervals . The best times
to do this are whenever you refuel and prior to long trips.
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven and the operating condi­
tion s, oil consumption can be up to 1 quart per 1.200 miles (1 liter
per 2.000 km). Consumption may be higher within the first 3.000
miles (5.000 km) .•
Vehic le care I I irechnical data

Checking and filling ---------------~-!':WIii
•
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.
Because of the problem of proper disposal, along with the special
tools and necessary expertise required, we strongly recommend
that you have your oil changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or a
qualified service station.
If you choose to change your oil yourself, please note the following
important information:
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you must change the engine oil in your vehicle yourself :
• Wear eye protection.
• To reduce the risk of burns from hot engine oil, let the engine
cool down to the touch.
• When removing the oil drain plug with your fingers, stay as far
away as possible. Always keep your forearm parallel to the ground
to help prevent hot oil from running down your arm.
• Drain the oil into a container designed for this purpose, one
large enough to hold at least the total amount of oil in your engine.
• Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out of the reach of children.
• Continuous contact with used engine oil is harmful to your
skin. Always protect your skin by washing oil off thoroughly with
soap and water.
0 Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine oil. These additives can
damage your engine and adversely affect your Audi New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
<£' For the sake of the environment
• Before changing your oil, first make sure you know where you
can properly dispose of the used oil.
• Always dispose of used engine oil properly. Do not dump it on
garden soil, wooded areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
• Recycle used engine oil by taking it to
a used engine oil collec­
tion facility in your area, or contact a service station. •
Applies to veh icles: with diesel engine
Important information for vehicles with diesel
engine when adding or changing engine oil
On vehicles with a diesel engine always use engine oil that conforms to Audi oil specification VW 507 00 when
adding or changing engine oil.
Vehicles with diesel engines require and must always use special
engine oil that conforms to Audi oil specification
VW 507 00.
Never use any other kind of engine oil in your vehicle, not even to
top off the oil level.
At the time of printing, we are aware that Castrol® produces engine
oil that conforms to Audi oil specification VW 507 00. This oil may
not yet be available throughout North America. Other oil manufac­
turers may offer engine oil that conforms to Audi oil specification
VW 507 00 at this time or some future date.
Please be sure to consult with your authorized Audi dealer for infor ­
mation and availability of the proper engine oil for your vehicle's
diesel engine and for the latest technical information.
Because this special engine oil may not be available when need it,
we strongly recommend that you always carry with you extra quart
!liter! of oil that conforms to Audi oil specification VW 507 00, in
case you have to top off oil while on the road. .,_
Vehicle care I t •

Checking and filling -
---------------------=----"=---------
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 cou ld 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 . 169 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 224.
Turn off the ignition .
Read the engine coolant level from the coolant expan­
sion tank==> fig. 169. 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 225.
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 sea lant to your vehicle's engine
coolant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adversely affect the tune- _..
Vehicle care I I Technical data