2015 AUDI S3 service

20 Instruments and indicator lamps
ltJ;):t :1;034 ( USA model s) / ml (Canada mod­
els) Caution : Vehicle parked too steep
When t he i nd ic ator light blinks and th is mes­
sage appears, t here is no t eno ugh braking
power to keep the ve hicl e from rolling . The
b rakes have overheate d. The vehicle cou ld roll
away even on a small incline .
ltJ;)i:j;lJ34 ( USA model s) / ml (Canada mod­
els) Parking brake is applied
I f t his message appea rs, press t he b rake pedal
fi rst and then re lease the par king brake if nec­
essa ry.
@ Tips
F or addit ional info rmation on the pa rk ing
brak e, refer t o¢
page 80.
...L Cooling system
• Switch off engine and check coolant lev­
el!
T he coolant leve l is too low or the coolant
temper ature is too high .
D o not cont inue d riving and swi tc h the eng ine
o ff. C hec k the coolant leve l¢
page 225 .
-If the coolant leve l is too low, add coolant
<=> page 226 . O nly con tinue driv ing o nce the
indicator light turns off.
- If the coolant leve l is correct, the problem
may be ca used by a ma lf u nction in the radia­
tor fan . D o not cont inue driv ing . See an au­
t h o rized Aud i dea le r or a uth o riz ed Aud i
Se rv ic e Fa cili ty for ass ist ance.
• Coolant temperature too high! Let engine
run with vehicle stationary
Let the eng ine run at id le for a few minutes to
coo l down .
A WARNING
- Never op en the hood if you ca n se e or
h ear st ea m or coo la nt escaping from the
eng ine com pa rtm ent. This in cre ases t he
r isk of burn s. Wai t unti l you no longe r
see o r hear steam o r cool ant esca ping.
-
'
- The engine compa rtment in any vehicle
can be a dangerous area. Stop the engine
a nd allow it to cool befo re working in the
e ng ine compartment. A lways foll ow the
info rmation found in
~ page 217, Work ­
ing in th e engin e compartm ent.
(D Note
Do n ot cont inue dr iv ing if the . indicato r
lig ht tur ns on -this inc reases the r isk o f
engine damage.
"1::::7: Engine oil pressure
• Switch off engine! Oil pres sure too low
St op t he engine and do not cont inue drivi ng.
Check the eng ine oi l level
r=> page 223 .
- If the engine o il level is too low, add eng ine
oil
r=> page 221. Only co nti nu e driving once
the indicator light turns off.
- If the engine o il level is co rrect and the indi­
cator light still turns on, turn the eng ine off
and do not cont inue driv ing . See an author­
ized Aud i deale r or au tho rized Aud i Service
Facili ty for ass ista nce.
(i) Tips
The oil pressu re war ning is not an oi l level
i ndica to r. For th is reason, c hec k t he o il lev­
e l reg ularly .
' 0 Alternator/battery
• Alternator fault: battery is not being
charged
The re is a malfunction in the alternator or th e
vehicle e lectr ica l system .
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately . Be ­
ca use the v ehicl e batte ry is drain ing , turn off
all unnecessa ry el ectrical eq uipm ent such as
t h e M MI. See yo ur aut ho rized Aud i de aler o r a
qualifie d repa ir fa cili ty if the b attery ch arge
l evel is too low .
(•) low battery charge: Battery will be
charged while driving

M N
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M 1.1'1 ,....,
The starting abili ty may be impai red .
If thi s message tu rns off afte r a litt le w hile,
the ba ttery ch arged eno ugh wh ile driving.
If the message does not turn off, have and au­
thor ized Audi deal er or au thori zed A udi Se rv­
i ce Fa cility repa ir th e malfunc tio n.
~/ !f Safety systems
The fl (U SA mo dels) / El (C an ad a mod els)
i ndicator lig ht mon itors the sa fe ty sys tems.
Safety system
If the II (U SA mode ls) / m (Canada mode ls)
indi cator lig ht tur ns on or b links, the re is a
mal func tion in a safe ty system.
Dr ive to an authorized Aud i dea ler o r a uthor·
iz ed A udi Service Fac ility immed iate ly to have
the ma lfunction co rrected .
_& WARNING
Have the safety systems ins pect ed imme­
diately. Otherwise, there is a ris k that the
systems may not a ct ivate d uring a colli ­
sion, which increases t he risk of ser ious in­
jury or deat h.
~ Front safety belt
The . indicator light stays on unti l the driv ­
er 's and front passenger's safety belts are
buckled. There is a lso a war ning tone above a
certa in speed .
(D Tips
For addit ional information on safety be lts,
refe r to
¢ page 135.
~ - Steering lock
• Do not drive vehicle: steering defective
There is a malfunct io n in the electron ic steer­
i n g lock. You cannot turn the ignition on.
D o
not tow your vehicle beca use it ca nnot be
steere d. See an a uthorized Aud i dea le r or au­
thor ized Audi Serv ice Facility for assistance.
Instruments and indicator lamps 21
II Steering lock : system fault! Please con­
tact Service
T he re is a m alfunction in the elec troni c steer­
i ng lock.
D rive to an au thor ized A udi dealer or autho r·
iz ed Audi Se rv ic e Facili ty im mediately to have
t h e m alf unc tio n c orr ecte d.
_& WARNING
Do no t tow yo ur vehicle when there is a
mal func tion in the elec tronic s teer ing lock
• th is i ncreases the risk of an acci dent.
<=.e Engine start system
• Engine start system malfunction. Please
contact Service
Do not sw itch the igni tion off because yo u
may not be able to switch it on again.
Dr ive to an au thor ized A udi dealer or au tho r·
i zed Audi Serv ice Facili ty im media tely to have
the mal fun ction correcte d.
i·l i:ngine start system malfunction . Please
contact Service
T here is a malfunction in the eng ine starting
system.
- Ve hicles w ith an ignition
¢ page 75, Auto­
matic start malfunction
- Ve hicles w ith a convenience key
¢ page 77, Automatic start malfunction
D rive to an authorized A udi dealer or author­
ized Audi Se rv ice Facility immediately to have
the mal function corrected.
~ Engine
• Engine stopped : brake servo and power
steering not pos sible
There is a malfunction in the eng ine or in the
fuel supply system.
More force is needed to steer and bra ke t he
moving vehicle w hen the eng ine is sto pped. If
the ve hicle is ro lling, try to stop it caref ully on
the side of the road away from moving traff ic . ..,.
•

22 Instruments and indicator lamps
See an authorized Audi dealer o r autho riz ed
Audi Service Facility for assistance.
A WARNING
If the eng ine stops whi le driving, yo u wi ll
need to use more force to b rake the vehi ­
cle. This increases the risk of an accident.
T here will still be power steer ing if the ig ­
nition is switched on w hile the vehicle is
rolling and ther e is suffici ent ba tte ry
c h arge. Othe rwise, you mu st use greate r
force when s tee ring.
f;! ~ Electronic stabilization control
(ESC) and
( @ ) anti-lock braking system
(ABS)
If t he Jj;J indicato r light b links w hile driving,
the ESP or ASR (anti-s lip regulat io n) is actively
regulat ing .
If the
J;.) indicato r light turns on, t he system
h as sw itched the ESC off . In this case, you can
sw itch the ignition off and then on to switch
the ESC on again. The indicator light turns off
when t he system is functioning fully .
Stabilization control (ESC): spo rt. Warning!
Restricted stability
If the II indicato r light turns on, ESC sport
mode was switched o n using the!.$ OFF I but­
ton
c> page 190 . You can turn the ESC on
aga in by press the!.$ OFFI button again .
Stabilization control (ESC ): off. Warning!
Restricted stab ility
I f the II indicator light turns on, t he ESC was
restricte d or sw itched off using the
I .$ OFF i button
c> page 190. The message ESC
OFF
also appears. You can tu rn the ESC o n
again by p ress the!.$ OFFI button again .
The system switc hes on when the ign ition is
switched on. The
II i ndicato r light turns off
when t he system is functioning fully .
Stabilization control (ESC) malfunction! See
owner's manual
Stabilization control (ESC/ABS) malfun c­
tion! See owner 's manual ABS malfunction! See owner's manual
I
f the Bl ind icator light and the ABS indica to r
li gh t
El] (US A mode ls)/ ilJ (C anad a m ode ls)
tu rn on and th is message appears, t he re is a
malfunction in the A BS system or electronic
differentia l lock. This also causes the ESC to
malfu nction. The b rakes st ill function with
their normal power, but ABS is not active.
Drive to an au thori zed A udi dealer or au tho r­
ized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to have
t h e mal function c orrected .
A WARNING "--
If th e . (U SA mode ls) /. (Canada mod -
e ls) b rake system indicator light turns on
t o gether wi th the ABS a nd ESC indicato r
lig hts, the A BS/ ESC regula ting func tion
may have fa iled. F unctions that stabilize
t he veh icle are no longe r ava ilable. This
could cause the vehicle to swerve, wh ich
i nc reases the r is k th at the vehicle will
slide . Dr ive caref ully to the nearest aut ho r­
i zed A udi dealer or authorized A udi Service
Facility and have the mal funct ion c orrect­
ed.
(D Tips
Fo r additional informat io n on ES C an d
ABS, refer to
c> page 189 .
BRAKE/{ 0: Brake pads
1111 (USA models ) I riJ (Canada models )
Brake pads!
If the warning light i lluminates, imme diate ly
contact your a uthorized Audi dea ler or qua li­
fied workshop to have all b rake pads inspect­
ed. Both sets of brake pads on an axle must
always be replaced at the same t ime .
A WARNING
Driving w it h ba d brakes can cause a colli ­
sion and s erious pe rsonal in ju ry.

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-If the warning light EiJ or the warning
light
11111 ) w ith the message B ra ke
pads !
comes on in the instrument cluster
display, immediately contact your au­
thorized Aud i dealer or qualified work­
shop to have a ll brake pads checked or
replaced if necessary.
· ~ Hill hold
Hill h old ass is t: un availabl e
If the II indicator l ight turns on and this
message appears, hill hold is not available.
II Manu al control!
If this message appears, press the brake ped ­
al.
Continue dr iving with the help of the parking
brake .
¢ page 80
EPC Engine control (gasoline engine)
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
If the [ID indicator light turns on there is a
malfunct ion in the engine control.
Drive s low ly to your author ized Audi dealer or
qua lified repai r facility to have the engine
checked.
If the ~ indicato r ligh t turns on when you
start the engine, there is a mal func tion in the
l aunch cont ro l. To start the engine, follow
these steps:
- Vehicles with a mechanical ignition
¢ page 75, Automatic start malfunction
-Vehicles with a conven ience key
¢ page 77, Automatic start malfunction .
W Engine control (diesel engine)
Applies to vehicles: with diesel engine
The engine is prewarming if the II indicato r
light turns on when the ignition is switched
on.
M
~ 1) - : USA mod els only
In strum ent s an d indicator lamp s 23
If the indicator light blinks while d riving,
there is a ma lfunction in the engine control.
D rive slowly to an authorized Aud i dea ler or
a uthorized Aud i Service Fac ility to have the
malfunction corrected.
If the II ind icator light turns on when you
star t the eng ine, the re is an automa tic start
malfunction . T o start the eng ine , fo llow these
steps: Vehicles with a mechanical ignition
¢ page 75, vehicles with a convenience key
¢ page 77.
a System indicator light (MIL)
The system indicator light (MIL) is part of the
On Board Diagnostic system (OBD II). The
II symbol turns o n when the ignition is
switched on and turns off again once the en­ gine is started and run ning at a steady id le
speed . This indicates that the M IL is function­
ing correct ly.
The ind icator light turns on if there is a mal­
functio n in the eng ine e lectronics. See an au­
tho rized Audi dea le r or authorized Audi Serv­
ice Facili ty to have the malf unc tion corrected.
The system indicator light (MIL) may turn on i f the fue l filler cap is not closed co rrectly
¢ page 212.
For additional information, refer to
¢ page 30 .
®-~ Diesel particulate filter
Applies to veh icles: w ith diese l engine and d iese l particu­
late filter
• Particulate filter: s ystem fault! See own­
er's manual
The diese l particu late filter requires regenera­
tion. To assist the filter self-cleaning process:
Drive for approximately lS minutes at
40 mph (60 km/h) or above in the S selector
lever position. Keep the engine speed around
2,000 RPM. The temperature increase that
will result from this can burn off the soot in .,. •

24 Instruments and indicator lamps
the filter. The indicator light will turn off
when the cleaning has completed successful­
ly.
If the indicator light does
not turn off, drive
immediately to an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility to have the
malfunction corrected .
.&_ WARNING
Always adapt your speed to the current
weather, road and traffic conditions. You
should never disobey traffic laws in order
to follow driv ing recommendations .
(D Tips
For additional information on the diese l
particulate f ilter, refer to¢
page 199.
!?i Engine speed limitation
App lies to vehicles: with engine speed limitation
Ill Max. engine speed: XXXX rpm
-
The engine speed is automatically limited to
the speed displayed in the driver information
system. This protects the engine from over­
heating .
The engine speed limitation deactivates once
the engine is no longer in the c ritical tempera­
ture range and you have released the accelera­
tor pedal.
If the engine speed limitation was activated
by an engine control malfunction, the
Di indi­
cator light also turns on. Make sure the en­
g ine speed does not go above the speed dis ­
played, for example when downsh ifting . Drive
to an authorized Audi dealer or author ized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
~"' Engine oil level (min.)
l!I Check oil level
You may continue driving for the time being.
Check the oil level as soon as possible
¢page 221.
-If the engine oi l level is too low, add engine
oil
¢ page 223.
-If the engine oi l level is correct and the indi­
cator light still turns on, drive at low engine
speed to the nearest authorized Audi dealer
or qualif ied repair facility .
~w, Engine oil sensor
• Oil level sensor: system fault!
The sensor to check the engine oi l level has
failed. Drive to an author ized Audi dealer or
authori zed Aud i Service Facility immediately
to have the malfunction corrected.
• Oil level sens.: oil change necessary.
Please contact Service
T he eng ine oi l level is too high.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Serv ice Fac ility imm ediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
Bl Tank system
D Please refuel
If the indicator light turns first turns on and
t his message appears, the tan k contains the
following amount of fuel:
- Front wheel dr ive : approximately 1.8 gal­
lons (7 liters)
- All wheel dr ive : approximately 2.2 gallons
(8 .5 liters)
II] Please refuel immediately
If the indicator light turns on the message ap­
pears, the fuel tank is almost empty. Refuel
the vehicle immed iate ly.
D Fuel tank malfunction! Please contact
Service
If the indicator l ight turns on and the mes­
sage appea rs:
- there is a malfunction in the fuel tank sys­
tem, or
- in vehicles with diesel engines, water may
have collected in the fuel fi lter.

M N
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Drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or a uthor ­
ized Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have
the ma lfunction corrected.
([) Note
Applies to vehicles with diese l engines: If
the diesel fuel quality is poor, it may be
necessary to have the water drained from
the water separator
l ) in the fuel filter
more often than specified in the mainte­
nance schedule. This can help reduce en­
gine malfunctions.
@I For the sake of the environment
Fuel should never enter the sewer system
or come into contact with the ground .
(j) Tips
More information on refueling is available
on page
¢page 212.
~ Washer fluid level
= Please add washer fluid
Fill the washer fluid with the ignition switched
off¢page232.
o Windshield wipers
m Windshield wiper: system fault!
There is a malfunction with the w indshield
wipers.
Drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or author ­
ized Audi Service Facility immed iate ly to have
the malfunction corrected.
~ Defective light bulb warning
App lies to vehicles: with dr iver information system
If the S:!I indicator light turns on, a bulb has
fa iled. The message indicates the location of
the bulb.
Replace the bu lb immediate ly.
Vehicle lights: sy stem fault!
M 1.1"1 l) Th is fu nct io n is not available in all coun tries. ,....,
Instruments and indicator lamps 25
T here is a malfunction in the headlights or
light switch. Drive to an authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Aud i Service Fac ility immedi­
ate ly to have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
-Light bulbs are under pressure and can
explode when bulbs are replaced - risk of injury.
- With gas-discharge lamps* (xenon head­
lights), the high-voltage component
must be handled appropriately. Other­
wise, there is a risk of fatal injury.
~{i) Dynamic headlight range control
sy stem
Applies to vehicles: wi th Xeno n lights
fl Headlight range control system: system
fault!
T here is a malfunction in the dynamic head­
light range control system, which may cause
glare for other drivers .
D rive to an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
tsO Audi adaptive light
App lies to vehicles: wi th Audi ada ptive ligh t
r!l Audi adaptive light: system fault!
The re is a malfunction in the adapt ive lights.
T he head lights still function .
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
@) Light/rain sensor
App lies to vehicles: wit h lig h t/rain senso r
El Automatic headlights: system fault!
El Automatic wipers: system fault!
The light/rain sensor is not working. •

26 Instruments and indicator lamps
For safety reasons , the low beams are turned
on permanent ly with the switch in
AUTO. You
can cont inue to turn the lights on and off us ­
ing the light switch. You can still control all
wiper functions that are independent of the
ra in sensor .
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler or author ­
i z ed Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected .
Q Adaptive dampers
Applies to vehicles: with Audi drive select
B Suspension: system fault!
There is an adaptive damper ma lfunction .
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler or author ­
ized Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have
the malfunction corrected.
¢i Q Turn signals
If the B or R indicator light b links, a turn
signal is turned on. If both indicator lights are
blink ing, the emergency flashers are on .
In an indicator light blinks twice as fast as
usual then a blinker bu lb has failed. Carefully
drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
@ Tips
For more informat ion on the turn signals,
refer to
c:::> page 48.

If the light doe s not turn off after starting
the engin e
or turns on while driving, this may
indicate there is a malfunction in the eng ine.
If the indicator turns on, the catalytic convert­
er may be damaged .
Drive
with reduc ed engine perfo rm ance
(avo id h igh speeds for extended periods of
time and/or fast accelerat ion) and have the
malfunction corrected. See an authorized Audi
dealer o r authorized Aud i Service Facility .
The indicator may turn on if the electron ic
speed limiter is faulty. For additional informa­
tion, refer to
c:> page 31, Electronic speed
limiter" .
The MIL m ay also turn on if the fuel filler c ap
i s not clo sed co rre ctl y
c:> page 212 .
On-Board Diagnostics
Fi g. 16 Locat ion of Data Link Connector (DLC)
On -Board Diagnostics monito rs the compo ­
nents of you r emission control system . Each
monitored component in your engine system
has been assigned a code . In case of a ma l­
function, the component will be ident ified
and the fau lt stored as a code in the control
module memory.
The MIL light may a lso illuminate if there is a
leak in the on-board fuel vapor recovery sys­
tem. If the light illuminates after a refue lling,
stop the veh icle and make sure the fuel filler
cap is properly closed
c:> page 212.
In order to make an accurate d iagnosis, the
~ stored data can only be displayed us ing spe-
o iii cial diag nostic equipment (gener ic scan tool
:;, for OBD) .
"' M
"' ......
Driver in formation system 31
In order to connect t he specia l diagnostic
equipment, pus h the plug into the Data Link
Connector (DLC). The D LC is located to the
right of the hood release
c:> fig . 16.
Your authorized Audi dea ler or a qualified
service station can interpret the code and per­
form the necessary repair.
_& WARNING
Do not use t he diagnostic connector for
personal use. Incorrect usage can cause
malfunctions, wh ic h can increase the risk
of a collision!
Electronic speed limiter *
Applies to vehicles: wit h electro nic s peed limiter
-
Your vehicle may be factory equipped w ith
t ires that are rated for a maximum speed of
130 mph (210 km/h). Thi s is less tha n the
maximum speed of your vehicle. To reduce t he
risk of sudden tire fai lure and loss of contro l if
the ve hicle is operated at excessive speeds,
your vehicle a lso has an e lectronic speed limit­
er . T he e lectronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from go ing faster than the tire speed
rating . For more information
c:> page 254.
If the engine contro l unit receives faulty vehi­
cle road speed signa ls, the Ma lfunction Indi­
cator Lamp (MIL)
¢'4 will illuminate. If this
occurs, contact the nearest authorized Audi
dealer for assistance .
_& WARNING
Always observe the posted speed lim its
a nd adjust your speed to suit prevailing
road, traffic and weather conditions. Neve r
drive yo ur vehicle fas ter than the maxi­
mum speed rating of the tires installed.
-