2012 AUDI S3 service

136 Airbag system
airbag system and prevent that system from
working properly in a collision.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effectiveness of
the system will not be impaired and that dis­
carded components do not cause injury or pol­
lute the environment.
.&_ WARNING
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal in­
jury and death by preventing an airbag
from deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steering wheel horn pad or airbag cover
or the instrument panel or modify them
in any way.
- Never attach any objects such as cup
holders or telephone mountings to the
surfaces covering the airbag units.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one
moi5tened with plain water. Solvent5 or
cleaners could damage the airbag cover
or change the stiffness or strength of the
material so that the airbag cannot de­
ploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the airbag system .
- All work on the steering wheel, instru­
ment panel, front seats or electrical sys­
tem (including the installation of audio
equipment, cellular telephones and CB
radios, etc .) must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training
and special equipment necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
- Never modify the front bumper or parts
of the vehicle body .
-Always make sure that the side airbag
can inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replace­
ment upholstery over the front seat- backs that have not been specifically
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 air­
bag module must always be repaired
immediately by an authorized Audi
dealer .
- The airbag system can be activated only
once . After an airbag has inflated, it
must be replaced by an authorized Audi
dealer 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 replaced with new replace­
ment parts designed and approved espe­
cially for your Audi model version. Re­
placement of complete airbag systems
or airbag components must be per­
formed by qualified workshops only. Make sure that any airbag service action
is entered in your Audi Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet under
AIRBAG REPLACE­
MENT RECORD .
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate
Material - special handling may apply, see
www .dtsc .ca.gov/hazardouswaste/per­
chlorate. When the vehicle or parts of the restraint system including airbag modules
and safety belts with pretensioners are
scrapped, all applicable laws and regula­
tions must be observed. Your authorized
Audi dealer is familiar with these require­ ments and we recommend that you have
your dealer perform this service for you.

-Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impair
the function of the emission control
system and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is
operating properly, the exhaust gas can
have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operating states. This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w ith lead-free super
grade gasoline.
Diesel particulate filter
Ap plies to vehicles: with diesel partic ul ate filter
The diesel particulate filter filters nearly al l of
the soot part icles out of the exhaust. The fi l­
ter cleans itse lf automatically under normal
driving conditions . If the fi lter cannot clean it­
self (for example, because you are only driving
short distances), the filter becomes clogged
with soot and the
II symbol for the diesel
particulate filter illuminates
c> page 22.
A WARNING
- Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par­
t icu late filter could start a fire .
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in
the exhaust system a rea or a fire could
start.
(D Tip s
-When the diesel particulate filter be­
comes saturated, the engine speed in­
creases to approximate ly 1,500 rpm
while the vehicle is in motion to init iate
the cleaning of the diesel particulate fil­
ter a utomatically without the warning
l amp lighting up . If the warning lamp
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 171
Ill sti ll appears, you shou ld drive to a
qualified workshop .
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that
low -lying parts such as spo ilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is espec ially true for veh icles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis) and fully loaded
vehicles.
Operate your vehicle
economically and minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise Levels.
Fuel economy, env ironmenta l impact, and
wear on your eng ine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three facto rs:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you ant ic ipate wha t you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumptio n by 10-15 percent . This sec­
tion wi ll give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook.
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the road, which will vary depending upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
dit ions, trip length, etc.
•
•

172 Driving and en vironm ent
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking .
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerati ng. If you anticipate what is go ing to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus , accelerate less . let the vehicle coast
whenever poss ible -fo r example whe n you see
th at the next traffic ligh t is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
,. Try and keep well be low your car's max i-
mum speed .
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump­
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
env ironment.
Fuel consumption, ex ha ust em issions and en­
g ine no ise increase d isproportiona tely at hig h
speeds . If you dr ive at approximately three
qua rters of top speed, fuel consumption will
be reduced by one ha lf . Never dr ive faster
tha n the posted speed limit a nd weather con­
d it ions permit.
Reducing unnecessary idling
E ven when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
,. Shut the engine off when you a re not dr iv­
ing the vehicle.
,. Do not warm up the veh icle by letting the
engi ne run at idle.
It makes sense to shut off the eng ine in traff ic
jams, when waiting for trai ns to pass at ra il­
road cros sings, or at t raffic ligh ts that have
l ong wa its on red. Turning the engine o ff fo r
just 30 -40 seconds saves more fue l than is
bu rne d starting the engine again.
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at id le . However, wea r
and noxious emissions are espec ia lly high
when the eng ine is wa rm ing up. So you shou ld
drive away as soon as yo u start the engine and
avo id running at high RPMs w hile the eng ine
i s s till warm ing up .
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter start ing . If warni ng lig hts sho uld come
o n t o indicate improper ope ration, they
would go unheeded . Extended idli ng also
produ ces heat , w hich could result in ove r­
hea ting or other dam age to the veh icle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unne cessarily wastes a
lo t of fuel.
,. Have your ve hicle serviced at reg ular inter-
vals.
By havi ng your ve hicle regu larly serv iced by an
a utho rized Aud i deale r helps to ensure that it
runs properly and econom ica lly. The cond it io n
of your ve hicle not only affe cts i ts safety and
abili ty to ho ld i ts va lue , it al so a ffects
fuel
con sumption .
Check your oil each time you fill your tank .
The amount of oi l used is re lated to engine
load and speed .
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has bee n driven .
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 mi les
(S,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
T his also app lies to fue l cons umption and en­
gine o utp ut.
Q) Note
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined proper ly
and i n acco rdance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
&

190 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
- Blend must contain not more than 1S%
MTBE.
Sea sonally adju sted ga soline
Many gaso line g rades are blended to perform
espec ia lly we ll for winte r or summe r d riv ing .
Du ring seasonal change-ove r, we suggest that
you fill u p at busy gas s tat ions where the sea­
sona l adjus tment is more likely to be made in
time .
(CT) Note
-Methanol fuels which do no t mee t these
r equirements may cause co rrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo ­
nents i n the fuel system .
- Do no t use fue ls that fai l to meet the
spec ified criteria in this chapter.
- If yo u are unable to de term ine whether
or not a particular fue l blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
i ts fuel s upplier.
- Do not use fue l for which the contents
cannot be identified.
- Fuel sys tem damage and performance
problems resulting from t he use of fuels
different from those specified a re not
the respons ibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fue l economy
or driveability and performance prob­ l ems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recomme nd that yo u sw itch
to unblended fuel.
Gasoline additives
A majo r concern among ma ny auto manufac ­
turers is carbon deposit build -up caused by
the type of gasoline you use .
A lthough gasoline grades differ from one
manuf acturer to anothe r, they h ave certa in
things in common. All gaso line g rades contain
substances that can cause deposits to co llect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline
brands incl ude additives to keep engine and fuel systems clean, they a
re not equally effec­
tive .
A udi re commends using TOP TI ER De tergent
Gasoline. For mo re info rmat ion on TO P TI ER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadeq uate
f uels, bui lt-up carbon deposi ts can rob yo ur
engine of peak performance.
(D Note
Dam age or ma lf u nction due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Au di New Ve­
hi cle Limited Warran ty.
Diesel fuel
Applies to veh icles: w ith diesel engine
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) sul­
fur content 15 ppm or less.
T he ULSD ( Ultra Low Sulfur Diese l) meets the
ASTM-D-97S (grade 2).
Die sel fu el with a higher c oncentration than
ULSD -Die sel No. 2 ASTM 0 975 and Bio-die­
sel with a higher c oncentration than S
% like
B11 , B20 or B100 are strictl y prohib ited.
Se rv ice stat io n fue l pumps a re labe led with
the cor rect fuel information fo r easy recogn i­
t ion by the use r. If the d iesel fue l pump is no t
l abeled ask the station operator what fue l is
being dispensed before filling up you r vehicle .
Serv ice stat ions offering d iesel fue l are gene r­
ally located on truck routes or major high­
ways . Directories of diesel fuel stations a re
u su a lly availab le at d iese l fue l stat ions .
Some sta tes in the USA req uire permi ts to
purchase diese l fue l. Check wi th your Sta te
Motor Vehicle Department.
Diesel fue l may no t be ava ilable outside t he
USA and Canada. Be s ure to che ck befo re trav -
eling to othe r countries . .,..

names etc.) that conform to Audi oil standard
VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or
VW 507 00 (vehicles with diesel engine).
C hang ing th e engin e oil
The engine oil and oi l filter must be changed
according to the m ileage (kilomete rs) and
time inte rva ls specified in yo ur vehicle's War­
ranty
& Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed
these intervals -harmful deposits from old
engine oil can reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive eng ine repairs.
Changing the o il at the recommended inter ­
va ls is so very important because the lubricat ­
ing properties of oi l decrease gradually during
norma l vehicle use . If you are not sure when
you have your oi l changed, ask your author­
ized Audi Service Advisor.
Under some circumstances the engine oi l
should even be changed more frequently.
Change o il more often if you drive mostly
short distances, operate the vehicle in dusty
areas or mostly under stop-and-go traffic con­
d itions, or when you use your veh icle where
temperatures stay below freezing point for
l ong periods.
Detergent addit ives in the o il w ill make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run­
n ing for a short time. This is norma l and is not
a reason to change the o il mo re often than
r ecommended.
D amage or ma lf u nction s du e to lac k of
ma int enance
It is essential that you change your oil at the
recommended interva ls using only engine oil
that complies with Audi oil standard
VW 502 00 (veh icles with gasolin e engine) or
VW 507 00 (veh icles with diese l engi ne). Yo ur
L im ited New Vehicle Warra nty does not cover
damage or ma lfunctions due to failure to fol­
l ow recommended maintenance and use re­
quirements as set forth in the A udi Owner's
Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance book let.
Your dealer will have to deny warranty cover­ age un less you present to the dea ler proof in
the form of Service or Repa ir Orders that a ll
Checking and fillin g 199
scheduled maintenance was performed in a
timely manner.
· Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an ade ­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving parts.
In order to prov ide effective lubrication and
cooling o f inte rna l engine components, all in ­
ternal combustion engines consume a certain amount of oil. Oil consumpt ion varies from
engine to engine and may change sign ificantly
over the life of the engine. Typically, engines
with a spec ified break-in period (see
Q page 169) consume more oil during the
break-in pe riod than they consume after o il
consump tion has stabilized.
Under normal cond itions, the rate of oi l con­
sumption depends on the quality and viscos ity
of the oil, the RPM (revolut ions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient
temperature a nd road conditions. Further fac ­
tors are the amount of oil dilut ion from wa ter
condensation or fue l residue and the oxida ­
tion level of the oi l. As any engine is subject to
wear as mi leage builds up, the oil consump­
tion may increase over time until replacement
of worn components may become necessary.
With a ll these variab les coming into p lay, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be es­
tablished or spec ified. There is no alternative
to regular and frequent check ing of the oil lev­
el, see
Not e.
If the yellow engine oil level warning symbo l
in the instrument cluster
Ill! lights up, you
shou ld check the oil leve l as soon as possib le
with the oil dipstick q page 200 . Top off the
o il at your earliest conven ience
Q page 200.
&_ WARNING
Before you chec k anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed al l
WARNI NGS
Q .&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 194 .
•
•

Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always r ead and heed all W ARN­
ING S
¢ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 194.
.. Park your vehicle so that it is horizontally
level.
.. Stopping the eng ine.
.. Unscrew the cap
«t=;,. to the engine oil fill ing
hole
¢fig. 161 .
.. Carefully top off with the appropriate o il in
0 .5 lite r doses.
.,. Check the o il leve l again after two minutes
¢ page 200.
.,. Top off the oil again, if necessary.
.. Screw the cap back on the filling hole and
slide the oil dipstick in as far as it will go.
A WARNING
- While topping off, the oil must not come
in contact with hot engine parts -fire
hazard!
- The oil filler cap must be properly se­
c u red to prevent oil from being sprayed
on the hot engine and exhaust system
when the eng ine is running - fire hazard!
- If your skin has come in contact w ith the
engine oil, you must subsequently
cleanse it tho roughly .
(D Note
-The oil leve l must not be above range~
- danger of converter or eng ine damage!
Contact a qualified workshop to draw off
oi l, if necessary .
-Audi does not recommend the use of o il
add iti ve s. They may damag e the engine
and adve rsely affect you r New Vehicle
Limited Warranty .
@) For the sake of the environment
-Under no circumstances can the o il come
i n contact with the sewage network or
the soil.
- Observe and follow legal regu lations
when d isposing of empty oil containers.
Checkin g and fillin g 201
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by
an authorized Audi dealer or a qualified serv­
ice station .
Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine com­
partment,
alw ays read and h eed all WARN­
INGS ¢
A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 194 .
The engine oil mus t be changed according to
the intervals spec ified in your Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet. This is very important
because the lubricat ing properties of o il di­
min ish g radually du ring normal vehicle use .
Under some c ircumstances the engine oil
should be changed more frequent ly . Change
o il more ofte n if you drive mostly short d is­
tan ces, opera te the veh icle in dus ty a reas or
u nder p redominant ly stop -and-go traffic con­
ditions, or have you r vehicle where tempera ­
tures remain below freezing for extended pe­
riods .
Dete rgent additives in the oil will make fres h
o il look dar k after t he engine has been run ­
ning for a sho rt time. T his is normal a nd is not
a reason to change the oil more often t han
recommended.
Because of the prob lem of p roper disposal,
along with the specia l tools and necessary ex­
pertise req uired, we strongly recommend that
you have your oil changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or a qualified service station.
If you choo se to change your oil your self ,
please note the fo llowing important informa ­
tion:
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you must change the eng ine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protect ion.
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot en-
gine oil, let the engine cool down to the
touch.
•
•

202 Checking and filling
-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 run­
ning 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.
(D Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en­
gine 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 proper­
ly. Do not dump it on garden soil, wood­
ed areas, into open streams or down
sewage drains.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a
used engine oil collection facility in your
area, or contact a service station.
Important information for vehicles with
diesel engine when adding or changing
engine oil
App lies to vehicles: with diesel engine
On vehicles with a diesel engine always use
engine oil that conforms to Audi oil specifica­
tion VW
507 00 when adding or changing en­
gine 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 Cas­
trol ® produces engine oil that conforms to Au­
di oil specification VW 507 00. This oil may
not yet be available throughout North Ameri­
ca. Other oil manufacturers 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 information and availability of
the proper engine oil for your vehicle's diesel
engine and for the latest technical informa­
tion .
Because this special engine oil may not be
available when need it, we strongly recom­
mend 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 .
.&, WARNING
Failure to use engine oil for your diesel en­
gine that expressly conforms to Audi oil
specification VW 507 00 can cause engine
failure on the highway that can cause a crash and serious personal injury.
- Never use any amount of engine oil in
the diesel engine that does not conform
to Audi oil specification VW 507 00.
- Always carry with you an extra quart (li­ ter) of engine oil that conforms to Audi
oil specification VW 507 00 in case you must top off the oil while on the road.
.&, WARNING
Improperly stored items can become air­borne missiles, flying through the vehicle
causing serious personal injury in the
event of hard braking or an accident . To
help reduce the risk of serious personal in­
Jury:
-Always store extra quart (liter) of engine
oil for your diesel engine in its original oil
container that is securely closed in the
~

220 Tire s and wheel s
-Only when all tires on the vehicle are fi l­
led to the correct pressure, the tire pres­
sure monitoring system* can work correctly .
- The use of incorrect tire pressure values
can lead to accidents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the driver observe the specified tire pressure va lues
for the tires and the co rrect p ressu res fo r
the f unct ion of the tire pressure mo nitor­
ing system*.
- Always inflate t ires to the recommended
and co rrec t tire pressu re before d rivi ng
off.
- Driv ing with under inflated ti res bend
more, lett ing them get too ho t res ulting
in tread separation, sudden t ire fail ure
and loss of control.
- E xcess ive speed and/overloading can
cause heat bui ld -up, sudden t ire fail ure
and loss of control.
- If the tire press ure is too low or too high,
the tires wi ll wear prematu rely and the
vehicle will not hand le we ll.
- If the t ire is no t flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immediate ly, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
t ion to check the tire pressure and add
air as required.
Driving without va lve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire va lves. To prevent this,
always make sure that facto ry installed
valve stem caps on all wheels are secure ly
mounted on the valve.
@) For the sake of the environment
Underinf lated tires will a lso increase t he
fue l consumption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any veh icle and any t ire ca n car ry .
A veh icle that is overloaded w ill not ha ndle
well a nd is more difficult to s top. Over load ing
c a n no t on ly lead to loss of veh icle con tro l, but can also damage important parts of the
vehicle and ca n lead to sudden tire fai lure, in ­
clud ing a b lowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety an d that of your passengers also
depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded . Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the veh icle. These
load lim its are technically referred to as the
vehicle's
Gro ss Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, a ll factory installed accessories, a full
tank of fuel, o il, coolant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The max imum load incl udes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is
i ntended to car ry ("seat ing capac ity ") with an
a ss u med we igh t of 150 lbs (68 kg) for e ach
passenge r at a designated seating posi tion
and the total weight of any luggage in the ve ­
hicle . If you tow a trai ler, the weight of the
trai ler hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra iler must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
T he
G ros s Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Ax le Weight Rating are listed on the
safety comp liance sticker label located e ither
on the dr iver's s ide B-pillar or on t he ins ide of
the fuel filler flap . Your Audi has 5 sea ting po­
s itions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for to ­
tal seating capacity of 5 . Each seat ing pos ition
has a safety belt
q page 113, Safety belts.
The fac t that there is a n upper limit to your
vehicle's G ross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weight of whatever is bei ng car­
ried in the vehicle ( in cl ud ing the weight of a
t ra ile r hi tc h and the tongue we igh t of the
loaded trail er) is lim ite d. T he more p assen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard weights assumed
mean that less weight can be carried as lug-
gage.
~