2010 AUDI S3 suspension

___ A_ ir_ b_ a-g _ s_y _s_ t_ e_ m _________________________________________________ _
& WARN ING (continued )
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter­
fe rence :
- Never install seat covers or replacement upholstery over the
front seatback s that have not been spe cifically approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags inflate .
- Damage to the original seat covers or to the seam
in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi ­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer .
• The airbag system can be activated only once. After an airbag
ha s inflated , it must be replaced by an authorized Audi de aler or
qualified technician who has the technical information , training
and special equipment necessary .
• The airbag system can be deployed only once. After an airbag
has been deployed , it must be repla ced with new repla cement
parts designed and approved especially for your Audi model
version . Replacement of complete airbag systems or airbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops only .
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .•
Other things that can affect Advanced Airbag
performance
Changing the vehic le's suspension system can change the way that
th e Adva nced A ir b ag Sy stem per fo rms in a cras h. For exa m ple,
using tire -rim combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the
vehic le, c hanging the st iff ne ss of th e susp ens ion , incl udi ng the
spr ings, suspension struts, s hock absorbers etc . ca n chan ge the
forces that are mea su red by the air bag sensors and sent to the elec ­
tronic control unit. Some suspension chan ges can, for examp le, increase the force levels
measured by the sensors and make the
airbag sys te m d eploy in c ras hes i n wh ich i t wou ld not d epl oy i f the
changes had not been made. Other kinds of changes may reduce
t he fo rce level s measu red by the se nso rs and p reve nt the ai rbag
from dep loying when it should.
T he sensors in the safety belt buckle for the driver and front
p assenge r seat te ll the e lectro nic c ont ro l m odu le if th e safety belt is
l atched or not. If the safety belt is being used, the front airbag wi ll
d eploy at a sl igh tly higher rate o f ve hic le dece lera tio n th an if the
safety be lt is not be ing used. Therefore, in a particular coll ision, it is
p os sible that an airbag wi ll no t de ploy a t a seating position where
the safety be lt is being used but wi ll inflate at the position where the
safe ty be lt is not be ing used . It i s important tha t n othing in terfe re
with the safety b elt buckles so that t he se nsors can send the cor rec t
i nfo rma tion abo ut safe ty belt use to the elec tro nic con trol u nit .
& WARNING
Changing the vehicle' s suspension including use of unapproved
tire -rim combinations can change Advanced Airbag performan ce
and increase the risk of serious personal injury in a crash.
• Never install suspension components that do not have the
same performance characteristics as the components originally
installed on your vehi cle .
• Never use tire -rim combinations that have not been approved
by Audi.
& WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle and the center
console can cause the sensors in the buckle to send the wrong
information to the electronic control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from working properly .
• Always make sure that noth ing can interfere w ith the safety
belt buckles and that they are not obstructed.

-Driving and environment ___ _....,_ _____ ___:_ ____________________________ _
New brake pa_ds
Remember that new brake pads do not have a full braking
effect during the first 250 miles (400 kilometers) after they
are installed.
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" before they have optimal
grab =>& .
During the break -in period, you should avoid putting severe loads
on the brakes . Severe loads include, for example, sudden hard
braking, in particular at very high speeds or, for example, on moun ­
tain passes .
& WARNING
Until they develop the maximum "bite" for best stopping power,
the surfaces on new brake pads require some "breaking-in" during
the initial 100 to 150 miles (150 to 200 kilometers) of normal city
driving. You can compensate for this by pressing the brake pedal
more firmly. This applies whenever new pads are installed. •
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage when driving through
water, for example on flooded roads:
• The water must not be any higher than the bottom of the vehicle
body .
• Do not drive faster than walking speed .
& WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush, etc., the brakes may be
slow to take effect because of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry the
brakes first by braking carefully to restore the full braking effect .
0 Note
Vehicle components such as the engine, transmission , suspension
or electrical system can be severely damaged by driving through
water .
[ i] Tips
• Check the depth of the water before driving through it .
• Do not stop th e vehicle, drive in reverse or switch the engine off
when driving through water.
• Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may create waves that
raise the water level and make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely.
• Avoid driving through salt water because it can cause
corrosion. •
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission control system
(catalytic converter) is functioning properly to ensure that
your vehicle is running in an environmentally sound
manner .
- Always use lead-free gasoline~ page 217, "Fuel supply".
- Never run the tank down all the way to empty.
- Never put too much motor oil in your engine ~ page
230,
"Adding engine oil 'l:::r.".
- Never try to push -or tow -start your vehicle.
Th e ca taly tic conv ert er is an ef ficient "clean-up " device built into the
exhaust system of the vehicle . The catalytic converter burns many
of the pollutants in the exhaust gas before they are released into the
atmosphere. •

Tires and wheels -_______________ _____.
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of different things
including proper installation and balancing, correct tire
pressure and driving style.
(r
\'"-----JJ
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
Fig . 175 Tire tread:
tread wear indicators
(TWI)
Fig . 176 Rotating tires
for more even wear
The original tires on your vehicle have 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear
indicators":::::, fig. 175 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. Different figures may apply in other countries.:::::,&.
Tire pressure
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 249.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration 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
remember the following:
• Tire rotation intervals may differ from the vehicle 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 more tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all-wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Please rotate tires as shown .:::::, fig. 176.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
:::::, page 277.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various situa­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unbal ­
anced, resulting in vibrations you can usually feel through the
steering wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tires. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed. _,,
Vehicle care I I Technical data