2011 AUDI S3 check engine light

Checking and filling -------------- ------=------=:;______,.Jl':fffll
Checking and filling
Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehicle.
-Open the driver's door.
Fig. 159 Driver's side
footwell : engine hood
release lever
- Pull the release lever on the left under the instrument
panel ::::;, fig . 159 in direction of the arrow.
The hood pops up slightly und er spring pressure. •
Vehicle OP-eration
Opening the engine hood
Fig. 160 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. 160 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. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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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 traff ic conditions, or when you use your vehicle where temper­
atures stay below freezing point for long periods .
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil look dark after the
engine has been run ning 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 essentia l that you change your oi l at the recommended intervals
using only engine oil that complies with Audi oi l 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 recommended maintenance
and use requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's Manua l 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 internal
engine components, all internal combustion engines consume a
certain amount of o il. Oil consumpt ion varies from engine to engine
and may change significant ly over the life of the eng ine. Typically,
engines with a specified break- in period (see~
page 197) consume
more oi l during the break-in period than they cons ume after oil
consumption has stabilized.
Under normal cond itions, the rate of oil consumpt ion depends on the
quality and vis cosity of the oil, the RPM (revol utions pe r minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient temperature and road
conditions. Further factors are the amount of oi l dilution from water condensation or fuel residue and the ox
idation level of the o il. As any
eng ine is subject to wear as mileage builds up, the oil consumption
may increase over time until replacement of worn components may
become necessary.
With all these variab les coming into play, no standard rate of oil
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
cl uster .... lights up, you should check the oil level as soon as possible
with the oil dipstick~ page 231. Top off the o il at your earliest
convenience ~
page 232.
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS~
& in "Work ing in the engine
compartment" on
page 226.
0 Note
Driving with an insufficient oil level is likely to cause severe damage
to the engine .
[ i ] Tips
• The oil pressure warning display 't::r. 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 alway s
before going on a long trip.
• If you have the impression your eng ine consumes excessive
amounts of oi l, we recommend that you consu lt your authorized Audi
dea ler 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 dea le r has
instructions about how to measure oil consumption accurately. •

Checking and filling --------------------=------=:;______,.J VPII
You can mix the G12++ coolant additive with other additives G12+ or
Gl2. Always check with yo ur authorized Aud i dealer.
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS =>
& in "W orking in the engine
co mpartment " on
page 226.
0 Note
• Before winter sets in, have the coolan t checked to see if the
coolant additive in your vehicle is sufficient to meet the clima te
conditions. This is especially important if you live in a region where
the winter is extremely cold . If necessary, increase the proportion of
coo lant 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
eng ine 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. •
Vehicle OP-eration
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig. 166 Engine
co mpartm ent: cool ant
expansion tank
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS => & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 226.
- Turn off the ignition.
- Read the engine coolant level from the coolant expansion
tank=> fig. 166 . 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 expans ion tank can be seen in the engine
compartment illustration=>
page 227.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must be sw itched off.
The expans ion tank in your vehicle is equipped with an electric coolant
level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warn ing light in the Auto-Check
System =>
page 32 will blink until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is an elect ric coolant
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Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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level sensor, we still recommend you check the coolant leve l from
ti me to time.
Coolant loss
Coolan t loss may ind ic a te a leak in the coo ling sys tem. In the event of
coo lant loss, the cooli ng system should be inspected immed iately by
your au thor ized A udi dealer.
It is no t enough merely to add coolan t.
In a
s ealed system, losses can occur only if the boiling point of the
coo lant is exceeded as a res ult of overheating .
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to yo ur vehicle's engine
c oo lant. Addi ng radia tor repa ir fluid m ay adverse ly affect the fun c­
tion and perfo rmance of your cooling system and could result in
damage not cove red by yo ur New Vehi cle Lim ited Warranty .•
Adding coolant
B e very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anyt hing in the eng ine compartment ,
always read and heed all WARNINGS=> & in " Working i n
the e ngine compartment" on page
226.
-Tur n off the eng ine.
- Let t he engi ne c ool d ow n.
- Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion tank
=> pa ge 235, fig . 166 and carefully twist t he cap cou nte r­
clockwis e
=> &.
- Add coo lant.
- Tw ist the ca p on aga in
tightly .
Replacement eng ine coolant must conform to exact spec ificat ions
=> page 234, " Coolant" . Even in a n emergency, if coolant additive
Gl2 ++. Gl2+ or Gl2 is not available , do not use a d ifferent addit ive .
Use pla in w ate r ins tead until you can ge t the cor rect addi tive and can
restore the co rrect ratio . This sho uld be done as soon as possib le .
If you have lost a considerable amount of coolant, then you s houl d
ad d c old antifree ze and cold water only when the engine is cold .
Always use
new engine coo la nt w hen refilling .
Do not fill coolant above the "M AX" mark. Excess coo lant will be
forced out th rough the p ress ure relief va lve in the cap w hen the
eng ine becomes hot.
& WARNING
• The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot.
Reduce 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 escaping 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 exhaust system or hot engine parts . Under certain condi­
tions, the ethylen e gly col in engine coolant can catch fire .
• Antifreeze i s poi sonou s. Always store antifreeze in it s original
container and well out of the reach of children.
• If you drain the coolant , it mu st be caught and safely stored in
a p roper container clearly marked "poison ".
(D Note
• Coolant pollutes the environment and could cause an engine fire.
E xcess coolant w ill be forced o ut thro ugh the pressure relie f va lve in
the cap when the e ngine becomes hot .
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• If, in an emergency, only water can be added, the correct ratio
between water and antifreeze=>
page 234 must be restored as soon
as possible.
~ For the sak e of the environment
Ora i ned coolant should not be reused . Always dispose of used coolant
while observing all environmental regulations .•
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by itself.
T he electric radiator fan is controlled by thermoswitches that switch
on and off depending on coolant a nd engine compartment tempera­
tures.
An auxilia ry e lectr ic rad iator fan* sw itches on a nd off depend ing on
coo lant temperature and other vehicle operation cond itions .
After switch ing off t he engine, the auxiliary fan -even with the igni­
tion off -can continue running for up to 10 minutes . It can even
switch on again later by itself=>& , if
• the temperature of the engine coolant rises due to the hea t build­
up from the engine in the engine compartment, or
• the engine compar tment hea ts up because the vehi cle is parked in
intense sunlight.
& WARNING
• To reduce the risk of personal injur y never tou ch the radi ator
fan .
• The auxiliary ele ctric fan i s temperatur e controll ed and can
switch on sudd enly even wh en the engine is not running .
• The auxiliary radiator f an swit che s on aut omati cally when the
engine coolant reaches a certain temp eratur e and w ill continue to
run until the coolant temperature drop s. •
Vehicle OP-eration
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checke d with a quick glance.
Fig. 167 Eng ine
compartment : b rak e
fl uid res ervoi r
Before you check a nything in t he engine compartment ,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
the eng ine compartment" on
page 226 .
-Read the brake fluid level from the bra ke fluid reservoir.
The brake fluid level must be between the "MIN" and
"MAX" markings ~ fig . 167 .
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear partition of the engine
compartment on the left side=>
page 227.
The fluid level may drop
slightly after some time due to the auto­
m atic adjus tment of the brake pads. This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably below the "MIN" mark, t he
brake warning/ind icator light (U .S. models :
BRAKE, Canadian mode ls:
ill ) will come on=> page 15 and=> page 32. Do not continue to
operate the vehicle . The complete brake system should be thorough ly
chec ked by an au thor ized Aud i deale r o r other qualified facility and
the cause corrected. If the brake fluid leve l is too low, the brake .,,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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warning/ind icator light will illum inate. Contact an au thorized A ud i
d ealer
immediately .•
Changing brake fluid
H av e th e b rake flu id chang ed by an exper ienced tech ni­
ci an.
Br ake flui d abs orbs m oisture fro m the ai r. If t h e w ater con ten t in the
brake fl uid is too hig h, cor ros ion in th e brake system may res ult afte r
a p eriod of time. The boiling po int of t he br ake fl uid will al so decre ase
cons iderab ly and decrease brak ing perfo rma nce .
T he refo re, the brake fl uid m ust be c hanged
every two years . Always
use new brake fluid w hich conforms to Federal Motor Veh icle Stan­
dard "F MVSS 1 16 DOT 4".
Th e b rake fl uid r eservo ir can be diffi cult t o re ach, there fore, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your author ized
Audi dealer . Your dealer ha s t he correc t tool s, the ri ght brake fl uid
and the know -how to do t his for you.
& WARNING
• Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored only in the closed
original container out of the reach of children!
• Brake failure can result from old or inappropriate brake fluid.
Observe these precautions :
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE specification
J 1703 and
conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116 . Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make sure you are using
the correct brake fluid. The correct type of brake fluid is also
indicated on the brake fluid reservoir .
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of the brakes can
cause a vapor lock if the brake fluid is left in the system too
long . This can seriously affect the efficiency of the brakes as
well as your safety . This could result in an accident .
0 Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of you r ve hicl e.
<£' For the sake of the environment
Beca us e of the prob le m of proper dispo sal of b ra ke fl uid as well as
the spec ia l too ls req uired and the necessary expe rtise , w e r ecom­
me nd that you h ave t he brake fl uid chan ged by yo ur a uth oriz e d Audi
dea ler. •
Battery
General information
All wo rk on t he battery requires te chnica l k nowl ed ge !
Fig. 168 Engine
comp artment : Battery
with cover*
T he b att ery is lo cat ed in the e ng in e co mpar tmen t~ fig. 1 68 and is
nearly
maintenance-free.
Th e condition of the battery is che cked in the framewo rk of the
inspec tion .
Disconnecting the battery
The batte ry s ho ul d not be disconnected . Some vehicle funct io ns such
as powe r w indows are unavailable if the b attery te rminals a re discon -
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nected. These functions have to be relearned after the battery termi­
nals are connected again. To prevent this, the battery should only be
disconnected from the vehicle electrical system if absolutely neces­
sary.
Power window one-touch
up/down function
Reprogramming
~ page 51, "Reactivating the sys­
tem after battery disconnection"
Master key with remote control Synchronization~
page 43
Digital clock ~ page 9
ESP indicator light The indicator light goes out after
driving a few meters
Vehicles not driven for long periods and short­
distance operation
If you do not drive your vehicle for several days or weeks, e lectrical
consumers are gradually scaled back or switched off. Th is reduces
energy use and ensures the vehicle will be able to start after long
periods of time~
page 194. Some convenience functions such as
opening with the remote control key may not be available. These
convenience functions will be available again once you switch the
ignition on and start the engine. Even when consumers are switched
off, the battery will become deeply discharged by stand-by power
consumers if the vehicle is not driven for several months . Deep
discharging results in a chemica l reaction that destroys the inside of
the battery. The battery must be charged every month to prevent th is
~ page 241. Do not disconnect the battery or the anti-theft alarm
system* will not work.
Winter operation
Cold weather places higher demands on the battery. This results in
reduced starting abi lity. Have the battery checked and recharged if
necessary before the cold weather beg ins.
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, part icularly in city traffic or
when travel ing on ly short distances. Let your author ized Audi dealer
Safety first
check the capacity of the vehicle battery before winter sets in
~ page 241. A well charged battery will not only p revent start ing
problems when the weather is cold, but will also last longer.
(D Note
• All work on the battery requires techn ical knowledge. Please
contact an Audi dealership or another authorized facility for ques­
tions about the battery- danger of acid burns and explosion hazard!
• The battery m ust 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 specia l
glass mat . This leak -proof battery must not be replace with a conven ­
tional 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
"Working on the battery" on
page 239. •
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 226 .
Always heed the safety warnings, when working on the vehicle
battery or the vehicle electrical system to prevent injury .
Vehicle care Technical data

lffll.,___F_ u_ s_e _ s_ a_n_d _b_u _ l_ b_s _______________________________________________ _
(I) Tips
• Whenever replacing a fuse, always consult the sticker on the
i ns ide of the fuse panel cover. It contains the most up-to-date infor ­
mation regarding the fuse arrangement . If in doubt , ask your autho ­
rized Audi Service advisor.
• Some of the equipment items listed are optiona l or only available
on certain model configurations. •
Fuse location, left side of engine
compartment
Fig. 196 Engine
compart ment: fuse
assignment
Please check your car's fuse layout, there are two different layouts.
Check the fuse layout with the fuse panel cover removed~
page 281,
"Fuse cover in engine compartment ".
Some of the equipment items listed are optional or only available on
certain model configurations .
Please note that the preceding table was accurate at the time of
printing and is subject to change . In the event of discrepancies, the
label on the inside of the cover always takes precedence .
No. Equipment
Fl Terminal 30
F2 Engine components
F3 Batteryvoltage
F4 ESP valves, Anti-lock brake system (ABS) valves
FS Transmission control module
F6 Steering wheel electronics
FlO Engine control module, main relay
Fl2 Control module for CAN data transfer (gateway)
Fl3
FlS
Fl6 Engine
control module
Ignition coils, engine components (diesel engine)
Preheating control module/engine component,
tank diagnosis, oxygen sensor
Body control module (right)
F l7 Ho rn
Fl8 Audio amplifier
Fl9 Front
windshield wiper system
F20 Water pump, volume regulator valve
F21 Oxygen sensor, vacuum pump
F22 Clutch pedal switch, brake light switch F23 engine components, water pump
F24 Engine components, water pump
F25 Pump (ESP/ABS), ABS va
lve
F26 Body control module (left)
Amps
40
20
s
20/30 15
5
5/10
5
15/25/30
20
5/10 30 15
30
30
10/20
10/15
5
5/10/15 10
40 30