2015 AUDI S3 Owners Manual

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@ Tips
- The oil pre ssure wa rning display. i s
not an indicator of the o il level. Do not
rely on it. Instead , chec k the oil le vel in
your engine at regular inter vals, pref ­
era bly each t ime you r efuel , and always
before going on a long trip .
-If you have the impression your engine
consumes excessive amounts of oi l, we
r ecommend that you consult an author­
iz ed Audi dealer to have the cause of
you r concern properly di ag nose d. Keep in
mind tha t the ac curate measuremen t of
oi l consumption requires great care and
may take some time. An authorized Audi
dealer has instructions about how to measure oil consumption accurately.
Checking the engin e oil lev el
Fi g. 1 61 Ga so line e ngine oil d ip sti ck: guide for meas­
urin g the oil level (ex ample)
F ig . 162 Diese l e ngine oil dipstick : guide for m easur­
i ng the o il leve l (exa mple)
Determining the oil level
• Pa rk your vehicle on a level surface .
• Let the engine run in id le briefly while it is a t
opera ting temperat ure and then shut the
engi ne off .
• Wa it approximately two mi nutes .
Che cking and Fillin g 223
• Remove the oi l dipstick . Wipe off the oi l dip ­
stick with a clean cloth and insert it all the
way in aga in .
• Remove the dipstick again and then read the
oil level ¢
fig. 161 or¢ fig. 162 .
• Evaluate the oil level¢ table on page 223 .
Add e ngine o il if necessary ¢ page 223.
0 You must add o il. After add ing oil, the
level shou ld be in the @ area .
® You may add oil. After adding o il, the
level s hou ld be in the@area.
@ Do not add any o
il.
@ Do not add any o il. You may cont inue
driving .
0 Do not add any o il. Drive to an author-
ized Aud i dealer or authorized Aud i Serv -
ice Fac ility immediately .
Applies to vehicles with diesel engines: If you
operate your vehicle with b iod iesel, fuel may
enter the engine oil. T his ra ises the o il level in
the engine.
It also decreases the quality of t he
engine oil¢
page 24.
The oil consumptio n of the engine may be up
to 1/2 q uart per 600 m iles (0.5 liter per
1,000 km), depend ing on d riving style and
cond it io ns. Consump tion may be higher du r­
ing the first 3,000 m iles (5,000 km) . Be ca u se
of this, the eng ine oi l level must be checked
regular ly . It would be best to check each time
you ref uel your vehicle and before long dr ives.
Adding engine oil~
Fig . 1 63 En gin e co mpar tment: e ng in e o il fi ller ope n­
ing cover
• Turn the engine off.
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224 Check ing and F illin g
• Unscrew the engine oil fi ller opening cap
~ ¢ fig. 163, ¢page 220, fig . 159.
• Carefu lly add 0 .5 quart (0.5 liter) of the ap ­
propr iate oil¢
page 221.
• Check the oil level again after two minutes
¢ page 223, Checking the engine oil level.
• Add o il, if necessary .
• Close the engine oil filler cap and push the
dipstick all the way in.
.&_ WARNING
- When add ing o il, do not le t oi l dr ip onto
hot engine components . There could be
risk of a fire .
- You must sec ure the cap on the oil filler
opening correctly so that oil does not
leak out onto the hot engine and exhaust
system when the engine is running, be­
cause this is a fire hazard.
- Always clean skin thoroughly if it comes
into contact w ith eng ine oil.
([) Note
- Applies to vehicles with gasoline en­
gines: The oil level cannot be above the
(!) range¢
page 223, fig. 161, because
th is can ca use damage to the cata lytic
converter or the engine. Contact your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qua lified repair
facil ity to have excess o il extracted if
necessary.
-Applies to vehicles with diesel engines: The oil level must not be in the
0 range
¢
page 223, fig. 162 -The oil must not
be extracted, because this can damage
the engine. Drive to an au thorized A udi
dealer or authorized A udi Service Facility
immediately.
- Do not mix any additiona l lubricants into
the engine o il. Damage cause by such ad­
ditives is not covered by the war ranty.
@) For the sake of the environment
- Oil should never enter the sewer system
or come into contact with the ground .
- Pay a tte ntion to leg al req uirements
when disposing of empty oil containers .
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 engine com­
partment,
always read and h eed all WARN­
INGS
¢ page 217.
The engine oil must be changed according to
the interva ls specified in your Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet . This is very important
because the lubricat ing propert ies of o il di­
min ish g radually du ring normal vehicle use.
Under some circumstances the engine oil
should be changed more frequently. Change o il more often if you drive mostly short d is­
tances, operate the ve hicle in dusty a reas or
under p redo min ant ly stop-and-go traffic con­
di tions, or have yo ur vehicle where tempera­
tures remain below freezing for extended pe ­
riods .
De te rgent additives in the oil will make fresh
o il look dark after the engine has been run ­
ning for a sho rt time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than
recommended.
Beca use of the p roblem of proper disposal,
along wi th the specia l tools and necessary ex­
pertise req uired, we st rongly recommend that
you have your oil changed by an a uthorized
Audi deale r or a qualified service station.
If you choo se to chan ge your oil your self ,
please note the fo llowing important informa­
tion:
.&_ WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal in jury 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-
g ine oi l, let the engine cool down to the
touch.
- When removing the o il drain p lug with
your fingers, stay as far away as possible. ..,

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Always keep your forearm parallel to the
ground to help prevent hot oil from run­
ning down your arm.
- Drain the oi l into a conta iner designed
for this p urpose, one large eno ugh to
hold at least the total amount of oil in
your engi ne.
- Engine oil is poisono us. Keep it well out
of the reach of c hildren .
- Cont inuo us contact with used engine oil
is harmful to your skin. Always protect
you r sk in by washing oil off thoroug hly
with soap and water .
(D Note
Never mix oil addit ives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en­
gine and adversely affect y our Aud i Limit­
ed New Vehicle Wa rra nty .
@ For the sake of the environment
- Before changing your oi l, f irst make sure
you know whe re you can proper ly dispose
of the used o il.
- Always d ispose of used engine oil proper­
l y. Do not dum p it o n ga rden so il, wood ­
ed a reas, into open streams or down
sewage dra ins.
- Recycle used engine o il by taking it to a
u se d engine oil collection facility in your
a rea, or contact a servi ce station .
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro­
tects the engine from freezing in the winter.
The cooling system is sea led an d generally re ­
q uir es little attention.
The cooling system has been filled at the f ac­
tory with a pe rm anen t coo lan t which does no t
n eed to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture of specia lly conditioned water and the
manufacturer's glyco l-based coo lant add i-
tive Gl3 antifree ze with ant icorros ion addi-
Checking and Fillin g 225
tives (50% for USA mode ls; 60% fo r Canadian
models) . This mixture both ass ures the neces­
sary frost protection and protects metal com ­
ponents in the eng ine's cooling system from
corros io n and scaling. It also raises the bo il­
ing point of the coolant .
Do not reduce the concentration of the cool ­
ant in the s ummer by adding p lain water.
The
proportion of coolant additive must be at
least 50°/o but not more than 60 %
to main­
ta in antifreeze protect io n and cool ing eff ic ien­
cy . If the coo lant frost p rotection is too low ,
t he coo lan t could freeze and damage the vehi ­
cl e heating and engine cooling sys tem.
Fo r year- round drivi ng, a ntifreeze is added at
the factory fo r temperatures down to:
- -31 °F
< -3s0c) u sA
- -40°F ( - 40°C) Canada.
If you must ad d coo lant, use a mixture o f wa ­
te r and coolant additive. Mixing the coo lant
additive with dist illed water is recommended.
A WARNING
Before you chec k anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNI NGS
c:> page 217.
-
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coo lant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­ mate condit ions. This is especially impor­
t ant if you l ive i n a region where the win-
t er is extremely cold. If necessary, in-
c rea se t he p ropo rtion of coo lant add itive
t o 6 0% .
- Whe n ad d ing coolant addi tiv e to yo ur
c ooling sys te m , reme mbe r:
- We recommend using on ly coo lant ad­
d itive Gl2 ++ or Gl3 (check the labe l)
for your vehicle. This coolant additive is ava ila ble at autho rized Aud i dea le rs .
Othe r ty pes of antifreeze ca n sig nifi­
cantly reduce cor ros io n protec tion . The
r esu lting co rrosion can cause a lo ss of
c o o lant a nd serio us e ng ine da mage.
IJI,,
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226 Checking and Fill in g
- Do not add any type of radiator leak sea l­
ant to your ve hicle's engine coolant.
Adding rad iator repair fluid may adverse­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and could result in damage not covered by your New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
Adding coolant
Fig . 164 Engine co mpa rtment: mark in gs on the coo l­
ant expans ion tank
R ea d a nd f ollow ing th e W ARNING S before
checking anything in the eng ine compartment
¢ page 217.
Ch eck ing t he e ngi ne coolant level
"Park your vehicle on a level surface .
.. Switch the ign ition off .
" Read the coo lant level on the coolant expan­
s ion tank ¢
fig. 164. The coo lant level must
be between the markings when the eng ine
in cold. When the engine is warm it can be
sl ightly above the upper marking .
Adding coolan t
Requirement : There must be a residual
amount of coolant in the expansion tank ¢(D .
.. Let the engine cool down.
" Place a cloth over the coolant expansion
tank cap and unscrew the cap counterclock­
wise ¢&_ .
.. Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
¢ page 225 up to the upper marking.
.. Make sure that the fluid level remains sta­
ble. Add more coolant if necessary.
" Clove the cap securely. A coolant loss suggests a
leak. Immediately
drive your vehicle to an authorized repair fa­
c ility and have the cooling system inspected.
If the cooling system is not leaking, a loss can
come from the coolant boiling through over­
heating and being pushed out of the cooling
system.
A WARNING
The cooling system is press urized and can
become very hot. To reduce the r isk of
b urns from hot coolant:
- Do not open the coolant expansion tank
cap with the engine ho t. T here is a risk of
burns.
- Stop the eng ine and a llow it to cool.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping coolant and steam by covering
the coolant tan k cap with a large, th ick
cloth.
- Turn the coolan t tank cap counterclock­
wise slowly and keep light pressure on
the cap .
- To reduce the risk of burns, do not allow
any antifreeze or coolant to drip onto the
exhaust system or hot engine compo ­
nents. The ethy lene g lycol in engine
coo lant can catch fire under certain cir­
cumstances.
- The coolant additive and the coolant can
be dangerous to your health . For this
reason, keep the coo lant in the origina l
container away from ch ildren . There is a
risk of poisoning.
- When working in the engine compart­
ment, remember that the rad iator fan
can switch on even if the ignition is
sw itched off, which increases the risk of
pe rsonal injury.
(D Note
Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty . Air could enter the cooling system
and damage the eng ine .
If this is the case,
do no t continue dr iving. See a n author ized
A udi dealer or authori zed Aud i Service Fa­
cility for assist ance.

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Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself
An auxiliary electric radiator fan switches on
and off depending on coolan t temperature
and other vehicle operating conditions .
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary
fan can continue running for up to 10 minutes
- even with the ignition off. It can even switch
on again later by itself<=>.& , if
- the temperature of the engine coolant rises
due to the heat build-up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
A WARNING
-To reduce the risk of personal injury nev­
er touch the radiator fan.
- The auxiliary electric fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on suddenly
even when the engine is not running.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on au­
tomatically when the engine coolant
reaches a certain temperature and will
continue to run until the coolant temper­
ature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
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Fig. 165 Engine compa rtment: cove r on the brake fluid
rese rvoir
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS r::;, page 217 .
Checking and Filling 22 7
.. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir <=>
fig. 165, <=> page 220,
fig. 159.
T he brake fluid level must be be­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings.
The location of the brake fluid reservoir can be seen in the engine compartment illustration
<=>page 220.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads. This is not cause for alarm.
If the brake fluid level falls considerably be­
low the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi­
cator light . (U.S. models)
I. (Canadian
models) will come on
c:> page 18 . Do not con­
tinue to operate the vehicle. The complete
brake system should be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dealer or other quali­
fied facility and the cause corrected . If the
brake fluid level is too low, the brake warning/
indicator light will illuminate. Contact an au­
thorized Audi dealer
immediately.
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air . If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
high, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time. The boiling point of the
brake fluid will also decrease considerably and
decrease braking performance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every two years . Always use new brake fluid
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to
reach, therefore, we recommend that you
have the brake fluid changed by your author­
ized
Audi dealer. Your dealer has the correct
tools, the right brake fluid and the know-how
to do this for you.
II>-

228 Check ing and F illin g
8_ WARNING
-Brake fluid is poiso nous. It must be sto r­
ed only in th e closed original container
out o f the reach of children!
- Brake fa ilure can result from old or inap­
propriate brake fluid. Observe these pre­
caut ions:
- 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 flu id. The correct type of
brake fluid is also indicated on the
b rake 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
l ong. This can serious ly affect the effi­
ciency of the bra kes as well as yo ur
safety . This could result in an acc ident.
@ Note
Brake flu id will damage the paint of your
veh icle.
@i For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper d isposa l
of brake flu id as we ll as the special tools
requ ired and the ne cessary expert ise, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer .
Battery
General information
The battery in your Audi does not need any
maintena nce under
normal operating condi­
tions. Aud i recommends having the elect ro­
l yte level check by a n author ized Audi dealer
or author ized Audi Se rv ice Facili ty when there
are
high outside temperat ures or when driving
all day. The e lectrolyte level shou ld a lso be
checked each time the battery is charged
¢ page 230.
Have the batte ry checked when yo u bring your
vehicle in for an inspection . It is a good idea
to replace the battery if it is more than 5 years
o ld.
D uring certain types of airbag deployments,
the battery is disconnected from the vehicle electrical system for safety reasons¢
& in
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags on
page 160.
Di sconnecting the battery te rminals
Some vehicle functions (such as power win ­
dows) are not avai lable when the battery is
disconnected. These functions must be pro­
grammed after the battery is reconnected. To
avo id hav ing to do this, only disconnect the
battery from the vehicle electrical system
when that is necessary to perform repairs .
To reprogram the functions, proceed as fol­
lows:
Function Reprogramming
Power window one-¢ page 44, Correcting
touch up/down power window ma/-
function functions
Remote control key
If the vehicle does not
or r
eact to the key, it
convenience key must be synchronized
¢ page37
Dig ita l cl ock ¢page 10
ESC indicator light The indicator light
goes out after driving
a few meters
Not running the vehicle for long periods
of time
If you do not drive your vehicle fo r several
days or weeks, electrical components are
gradua lly reduced or switched off. This re­
duces e nergy consumption and maintains the
vehicle's ability to start over a long per iod of
time
¢ page 194. Some convenie nce func­
tions, such as interior lig hting or power seats *
may not work. These convenience functions
will be ava ilable again once you switch the ig-
nition on and start the engine. .,.

Winter operati on
During the winter months, it is common for
the battery capacity to decrease as the tem ­
peratures become lower. This is because more
pow er is n eeded to start the vehicle and com­
ponents such as the headlights and the rear
window defogger are used more frequently.
Avoid using power unnecessarily, especially in
city driving or on short trips . Have your a u­
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv­
ice Facility check the battery capac ity before
the start of winter ¢
page 230 . A well-charg­
ed battery will not only reduce starting prob ­
l ems in cold weather, but it wi ll also last lon­
ge r.
A WARNING
- Wor k on the battery requires expert
knowledge. Con tact your au thori zed Audi
dealer q ua lified repai r fac ility for infor ­
mation regarding the vehicle battery.
The re is a risk for chemical burns or ex­
plos ions.
- Never open the vehicle battery. Do not
try to change the battery e lectrolyte lev ­
el. Otherwise explosive gas will escape
from the battery and increase the risk of an exp losion .
@ Tips
If your vehicle is not driven for severa l
weeks in very cold temperatures, remove
the battery and store it in a place where it
w ill no t freeze . This prevents the battery
from being damaged and need ing to be re­
placed.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near the battery .
The battery is located in the lugg age compart­
ment under the floor. Before you check any -
"' N thing in the luggage compartment, read and 0
iii heed all WARNINGS ¢ _&.
Checking and Fillin g 229
Always heed the safety warning s, when work­
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle e lec­
trical system to prevent in jury.
The following WARNINGS are very
important wh en working on the batte ry :
Alway s heed th e following WARNING SYM -
BOLS and safety pre caution s when working
on the battery .
®
Always wear eye p rotection .
A
Battery acid contain s sulfuric acid .
Always wear glov es and eye protec -
tion .
@
No
- sparks
- flames
- smoking .
~
When a battery is charged, it produ-
ce s hydrogen g as wh ich i s ex plo sive
and could c au se per sonal injury .
®
Always keep the battery well out of
re ac h of children .
A WARNING
Whenever working on the battery o r on
the elect rical system, there is the risk of
injury, accident and even fire. Read and
heed the following WARNINGS :
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let
-
battery ac id or any lead particles get on
your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes.
Exp losive gases can cause blindness or
other inju ry.
- Battery acid conta ins sulfuric acid. Sulfu­
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
bu rns.
- Always wear g loves and eye protection.
Do not tilt the battery because acid
could leak out of the ventilat ion open­
i ngs.
- If you get battery aci d in your eyes or
on your skin, immediately rinse with
cold water for several minutes and get med ica l attent ion.
- If you should ingest any battery acid,
seek medical attention immediately . •
•
•

230 Checking and Filling
-Do not expose the battery to an open
flame, electric sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and neg-
ative cables.
- When working on the battery, be sure
not to short-circuit the terminals with
tools or other metal objects. This would
cause the battery to heat up very quickly,
which could lead to damage or explosion
and personal injury.
- When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before work is done on the electrical sys­
tem, disconnect the negative ground ca­ ble.
- Before performing any work on the elec­
trical system, switch off the engine and ignition as well as any electrical equip ­
ment . The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected . If you are just go­
ing to replace a light bulb, then it is
enough to switch off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch
off the anti-theft alarm system! Other­
wise you will set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first
disconnect the negative cable and then
the positive cable .
- Before reconnecting the battery, make
sure all electrical consumers are switch­
ed off. Reconnect the positive cable first
and then the negative cable. Never inter­
change the cables -this could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out
battery. It could explode! If a battery has
frozen, then it must be replaced. A dead battery can free ze over at 32°F (O°C).
- Make sure the vent hose is always attach­
ed to the opening on the side of the bat­
tery.
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an explosion! Al­
ways replace a damaged battery . A WARNING
-California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive problems . Wash hands after han­
dling.
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery
when the ignition is on or when the en ­
gine is running, otherwise, you will dam­
age electronic components in the electri­
cal system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a
long period of time without being driven,
protect the battery from "freezing", oth­
erwise it will be damaged and will then
have to be replaced.
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged
battery.
Fig. 166 E ngin e compart men t: co nnecto rs for a charg­
e r and jump st art ca bles
Always read and heed all WARNINGS below
~ .&_ and q .&_ in Working on the battery on
page 229.
~ Switch off the ignition and all electrical con­
sumers.
~ Make sure the area is well ventilated when
you charge the battery.
~ Open the engine hood q page 219 .
~ Open the red cover on the positive pole
qfig. 166 .