2015 AUDI S3 SEDAN check engine light

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Trailer mode Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a tra iler, p lease remember that
the additiona l load will affect d urability, econo­
my and performance .
T railer towing not on ly places more stress on the
vehicle, it a lso calls for more concentrat ion from
the dr iver .
F or this reason, a lways fo llow the operating and
d riving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer we ight. The hitch must be suitable
for your vehicle and trai ler and must be mounted
securely on the veh icle 's chassis at a technically
sound
location . Use on ly a tra iler hitc h with a re­
movable ba ll mou nt. Always chec k w ith the t ra il­
e r hitch m anu fac tur er to make sure that you a re
using the co rrec t hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not i nterfere wit h the impact -absorbi ng
bumper system. No mod ificat ions should b e
mad e to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
Fr om time to t ime, c hec k t hat a ll h itch mou nti ng
bo lts remain sec urely fastened .
When you are no t tow ing a trailer,
remove the
trai ler hitch ball mount . Th is prevents the hitc h
fr om caus ing damage should you r vehicle be
s truck from behind~,&. .
Trailer brakes
If yo ur tra iler is equipped w it h a braking system,
check to be s ure that it conforms to all regu la­
tions.
Trailer mode
T he trailer hyd raulic brake system must not be di ­
rect ly connected to the ve hicle's hydraulic b rake
system .
Safety chains
Always use s afe ty chains be tween your ve hicle
and the tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Tra ile r li ghts must meet all regulations. Be sure
to check w it h your Aud i dea le r fo r corr ect w irin g,
swi tches and relays.
Mirrors
If you a re unable to see the traffic behind you us­
i ng the regular o uts ide mirrors, then you
must in ­
sta ll extended mirrors .
It is importa nt that you
always have clea r vision to the rea r.
_&. WARNING
Afte r removing the trailer hit ch, d o no t store
i t in yo ur vehicle. In ca se of sudden br akin g,
the hitch could fly fo rward and inju re you or
your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum traile r weight
A trai le r fo r you r vehicle is limited to a typi cal
class 1 or class 2 trai le r.
Trailer load distribution
B e sure the load in the t raile r is held secure ly in
pla ce to p revent it from shift ing forward, back­
ward or sideways .
Never allow a pas senger to ride in a trailer~.&.
in Driving instructions on page 92.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder . It
is important tha t the cooling system 's pe rform­
ance is up to the additional load. Make s ure that
the coo ling system has enoug h flu id.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your ve-
hicle to the cold tire pressure listed under "Full
lilJJ..
91

Trailer mode
load" on the label located on the driver's side B ­
pillar (visible when the door is open). Inflate
trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure tra iler safety cha ins are properly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle.
L eave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
ing corners. When you install safety chains, make
sure they will not drag on the road when you are
driving .
The chains should cross under the trai ler tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration .
To obta in the best poss ible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded tra iler when your car itself
is not loaded.
.. Be especia lly careful when passing other
vehicles.
.. Observe speed limits .
.. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.. Always apply brakes early.
.. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty car results
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight. If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easie r to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while
keeping the trailer as light as poss ible under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
92
tow vehicle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more diff icult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind
conditions are unfavorab le -particularly when
going downh ill.
Reduce veh icle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of swaying .
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing tra ile rs are lower than fo r regular
vehicles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving down­
hill, shift int o a lo wer gear to use the eng ine
braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 12 must
be obse rved carefully. The coolant temperature
can increase if you dr ive on long inclines in a low
gear at high engine speeds . Reduce your speed
immediately if the LEDs in the top part of the dis­
play turn on .
For more information abo ut ind icator lights, re­
fer to. ¢
page 19 .
A WARNING
-
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci­
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not proper ly wearing the restraints provided
by Aud i.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a
trai ler because of the additiona l weight and dif­
ferent weight distribution . Safety, performance
and economy will greatly depend on how careful-
ly you load your trailer and operate your r ig. ..,.

Assist Driver messages
Appl ies to vehicles: with Audi side assist
If the side assist switches off automatically, a
message appears in the instrument cluster dis­
p la y.
@j Audi side assist: currently unavailable.
No sensor vision
The radar sensors' vision is affected. Do not cover
the area in front of the sensors with bike wheels,
stickers, dirt or other objects. Clean the area in
front of the sensors, if necessary
r:!> page 110,
fig. 98.
@j Audi side assist: currently unavailable
Side assist cannot be switched on temporarily be­
cause there is a ma lfunction (for examp le, the
battery charge level may be too low).
@j Audi side assist: System fault!
The system cannot guarantee that it will detect
veh icles correctly and it is switched off. The sen­
sors have been displaced or are faulty. Have the
system checked by an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility soon.
Audi drive select (drive
settings)
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with Audi drive select
Audi drive select makes it possible to experience
different types of vehicle settings in one vehicle.
The driver can select from three
Comfort, Auto
and Dynamic modes using the ~.7l.'i button in the
center console or the MMI to switch between a
sporty and a comfortable driving mode, for ex­
ample . In the
individual* mode, the settings can
be adjusted to your personal preferences . This
makes it possib le to combine settings such as a
sporty engine tun ing with light steering .
.,&. WARNING
Using Audi drive select incorrect ly can lead to
collisions, other accidents and serious inju ­
ries.
112
· Description
Applies to vehicles: with Audi drive se lect
The vehicle setup in each mode depends on the
vehicle's features. However , the eng ine and steer­
ing are always affected.
Engine and automatic transmission
Depending on the mode, the engine and auto­
matic transmission* respond more qu ickly or in a
more balanced manner to accelerator peda l
movements .
Adaptive dampers (Audi magnetic ride)*
The adaptive dampers use sensors to record in ­
format ion regarding steer ing movements, brak­
ing and acce lerat ion operations by the driver,
road surface, dr iv ing speed, and load. With Audi
drive select you can adjust the adaptive dampers
sporty (dynamic), comfortable (comfort) or bal­
anced (auto).
Steering
T he steer ing adapts in terms of steer ing ass is­
tance. There a re diffe rent modes
Q page 113.
Indirect steering that moves easily as in comfort
mode is especia lly suited to long drives on a high ­
way. The dynamic mode provides sporty, direct
steering .
For vehicles with progressive steering* the steer­
ing performance is more agi le .
Cornering light*
The cornering light adjusts when driv ing on
curves at speeds between 6 mph (10 km/h) and
68 mph (110 km/h). The pivoting action and the
lig hting are also adapted to the mode.
Adaptive cruise control*
The behavior when accelerating can be adjusted
from comfortable to sporty, depending on the
Audi drive select mode. Adaptive cruise control
also responds to the driving behavior of the vehi­
cle ahead in a more conservative or sporty man­
ner.

Intelligent Technology
& WARNING
-New brake pads do not achieve their full
braking effect during the first 250 mi
(400 km). They must be "broken in" first .
However, you can compensate for the slight·
ly reduced braking force by pressing firmly
on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy braking dur·
ing the break-in period.
- Alway apply the brakes for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system when road and
traffic conditions permit. You must not en·
danger other road users. This increases the
risk of an accident.
- On steep slopes , reduce the speed and se­
lect a lower gear or lower selector lever po·
sition. Drive as little as possible while press· ing the brake pedal and avoid putting your
left foot on the brake pedal while driving.
This could cause the brakes to overheat and impair the efficiency of the brakes .
- Do not let the brakes "grind" by always
keeping your foot on the brake pedal. This
can cause the brakes to overheat, increase
wear and increase braking distance unneces·
sarily.
- Certain weather and operating conditions
such as driving through water, driving in
heavy rain or driving after washing your
ve·
hide can impair the effectiveness of the
brakes. In the winter, ice may build up on
the brake pads, rotors and drums. Check
these components by braking carefully. Ap·
plying the brakes carefully several times
dries the brakes and removes ice build-up .
- The efficiency of the brakes can also be im·
paired by driving for long stretches on roads
covered with salt without using the brakes.
You can
remove salt deposits from the brake
rotors and pads by carefully applying the
brakes several times.
- If the front spoiler is damaged or you install
another spoiler, make sure the front wheel
brakes are ventilated properly . Otherwise,
the brake system could overheat, which re·
duces their effectiveness.
- Failure of a brake circuit impairs braking
performance, which increases braking dis·
126
tance. Avoid driving the vehicle and have it
towed it to the nearest authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility .
- Never let the vehicle roll while the engine is
stopped because this increases the risk of an
accident .
-If the brake booster is not working, you will
have to press much harder on the brake ped·
al to compensate for the lack of the booster .
(D Note
-Never let the brakes "rub" by pressing the
pedal lightly when braking is not really nee·
essary. This causes the brakes to overheat
and increases braking distance and causes
wear .
- Before driving on a long stretch with steep
slopes, reduce your speed and shift to the
next lower gear This makes use of the en·
gine braking effect and relieves the brakes .
If you need to brake additionally, brake in
intervals and not continuously.
(D Tips
-If the brake booster is not working, you
must press the brake pedal with much more
force then normal.
- If you retrofit your vehicle with a front spoil·
er, wheel covers or similar items, make sure
that the air flow to the front wheels is not
interrupted. Otherwise the brake system
can become too hot.
Electromechanical
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements .
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
T he vehicle still has full steering functionality if
the power steering fails or when the engine is
stopped (towing). To steer, you must apply much
more force than usual.
Indicator lights and messages
• Do not drive vehicle: steering defective

Checking and Fill in g
Ad Blue is the market ing name for Diese l Exhaust
Fl uid (DEF) .
The AdBlue is carried in a separate tank in the ve ­
h icle. The AdB lue usage acco unts for approxi­
mately 0.5% to 1.2% of the diesel fuel that is
used .
When a message about refil ling the Ad Blue ap­
pea rs in the instrument cluster disp lay, yo u must
refill the AdBlue yourself or have it refilled by an
authorized Aud i dealer or authorized Audi Se rvice
Facility ¢
page 197 .
A WARNING
Failure to heed Ad Blue refill information in
the instrument cluster can prevent the vehicle
from be ing started and driven. If the veh icle
cannot be driven and an emergency arises,
personal in ju ry can occur.
-Always have the Ad Blue tank refilled well before the tank runs d ry.
(D Tips
-
- The instrument cluster display indicates the
distance remaining that can be driven
¢ page 196. If the AdBlue tank is com ­
plete ly empty, the engine w ill not start
again after the ig nition is switched off.
- Ad Blue is required by law to operate this ve­
hi cle.
Messages in the instrument cluster display
Applies to vehicles: with diesel engine
The display indicates if the Ad Blue level is low or
if there is a system malfunction .
Fig. 1 52 In stru ment cl uste r: ind ic a tor in th e disp la y
196
AdBlue level low
You w ill be informed if the Ad B lue in the tan k
drops below a certa in leve l.
Ad Blue /;, Please refill AdB lue . Range
1500 mi (2400 km )
This message appears when there is only enough
AdBl ue left to d rive the distance ind icated in the
drive r information system. Fill the Ad Blue.
AdBlue /9 Refill AdBlue! No restart in
600 mile s (1000 km )! See owner' s manu al
T his message appears when there is only eno ugh
Ad B lue left to drive the distance ind icated in the
dr iver information sys tem. Fill the Ad Blue. Other­
wise the engine w ill not start again if you stop it
once the distance indicated has been driven . As
l ong as the indicator light is on, yo u
can check t he remain ing range in the tr ip com­
p uter*.
Refill Ad Blu e! Engine start not po s­
sible! See owner 's m anual
This message appears w hen the Ad Blue tank is
empty . Fill the Ad Blue. Otherwise you will not be
able to start the eng ine again once you stop it .
The Ad Blue must be refilled when the amount in
the tank has reached the minimum level
¢ page 197, Filling theAdBlue .
¢4 tncorrect filling /system malfuncti on
A message appears if the Ad Blue ta nk was fi lled
with a f lu id other than Ad Blue and the system
has detected that the tank was filled incorrect ly,
or if there is a system malfunction.
AdBlue ./' AdBlue: System fault! No restart in
600 miles (1000 km ). See owner's manual.
This message appears when it is on ly possible to
drive the distance indicated in the driver informa ­
tion system . Drive to the nearest authorized Aud i
dealer or author ized A udi Service Facility to have
the malfunct ion corrected. O therwise the engine
will not sta rt again if you stop it once the dis­
tance indicated has been d riven .
Ad Blue: system fault . Engine start
not possible! See owner 's manual

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This message appears if the system has detected
that the tank was filled incorrectly or that there
is a malfunction. Drive immediately to the near­
est authori zed Aud i dealer or authori zed Audi
Service Facility to have the malfunction correct­
ed . Otherwise you will not be able to start the en­
g in e again once you stop it.
Filling the Ad Blue
Applies to vehicles: with selective catalyt ic red uctio n
A special refill bottle must be used to fill the
AdBlue.
Fig. 153 Right rear vehicle s ide: removing the Ad B lue cap
Fig. 154 Ad Blue filler tube: inserting the refi ll bott le
The Ad Blue tank opening is located near the die­
sel tank opening. Add at least 1 gallon (3.8 lit ­
ers) of AdBlue (two bottles). This is the minimum
amount required to ensure the system detects
the refilling and to start the engine. You can add
a maximum of approximately 4 gallons (15 lit­
ers) .
Opening the filler tube and adding AdBlue
Requirement: the request to add Ad Blue must
appear in the instrument cluster display.
• Park your vehicle on a level surface.
• switch the ignition off .
Checking and Filling
• Open the tank door q page 192.
• Tur n the cap on the tank opening to the left to
remove
q fig. 153.
• Remove the cap from the refill bottle.
• Position the refill bottle on the filler tube and
turn the bottle clockwise until it stops turning
@ qfig. 154.
• Press lightly against the bottom of the bottle
@ to empty it. Con tinue pressing the bottom
of the bottle unti l it is empty or until flu id
stops flowing into the tank.
• Turn the bottle to the left without pressing on
the bottom.
Closing the filler neck
• Turn the Ad Blue cap to the right on the filler
tube until the cap clicks into place.
• Close the tank cover.
After filling
The vehicle must be driven. The system may take
up to two minutes to detect that the AdBlue has
been filled.
• If there was no Ad Blue left in the tank and a
range of
O mi (0 km ) was displayed in the in­
strument cluster, switch the ignition on fo r
about 30 seconds before start ing the engine.
_& WARNING
=
Ad Blue can irritate the skin, eyes and respira-
tory system . If there is contact with the fluid,
flush immediate ly with plenty of water. Con­
sult a physician if necessary.
(D Note
- Only use Ad Blue that conforms to the
standard ISO 22241-1. Do not mix any addi­
tives with the Ad Blue and do not dilute it
with water.
- Do not add AdBlue to the diese l tank or add
diesel fuel to the Ad B lue tank. Mixing can
lead to damage to the engine and the Ad Bl­
ue tank system. Warranty does not cover
damage caused by this .
- Ad Blue attacks surfaces such as painted ve­
hicle components, plastic and carpet. Re-
move the fluid as quickly as possible with a ..,.
197

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-Always proceed with extreme caution so
that clothing, jewelry or long hair do not
become caught in the radia tor fan, fan
belt or other moving components or do not come into contact with hot compo­
nents . T ie back long hair before beg inning
work and do no t wear cloth ing that can
hang down into the eng ine.
- limit your exposure to exhaust and chemi­
cals to as short a time as possible
q ,& .
..&, WARNING
California Propos ition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certai n veh icle components conta in or
em it chemicals known to the State of Cali­
forn ia to cause cancer and birth defec ts and
reproductive harm. In addition, certai n flu ­
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
t o cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm .
- Battery posts , terminals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chem icals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms .
Wash hands after hand ling.
(D Note
When filli ng flu ids, be sure not to m ix the flu­
ids up . Otherwise seve re malfunctions and en ­
gine damage w ill occur .
@ For the sake of the environment
You should regu larly check the grou nd under
your veh icle in order to detect leaks quickly . If
there are visible spots from oil or other f luids,
b ring yo ur vehicle to an autho rized Aud i dea l­
er or authori zed Audi Se rv ice F acili ty to be
checked.
Ch eck in g and Fillin g
Opening the hood
The hood is released from the in terior .
Fig . 155 Se ctio n from t he dr iver' s footwe ll: re le a se le ve r
Fig . 156 Ro cke r swit c h un der t he hoo d
Make sure the wiper arms a re not raised up from
the windsh ie ld . Oth erwise the paint cou ld be
damaged.
.,. W ith the driver's door open, pull the lever be­
low the instr ument pane l in the d irect ion of the
arrow
<=> fig. 155.
.,. Raise the hood slightly r:!> ff::.. .
.,. Press the rocker switch unde r the hood upward
q fig. 156 . This re leases the catch .
.,. Open the hood .
..&, WARNING
-=
Never open the hood when you see that steam
or coolant drips from the engine compart­
ment- there is a da nger of bu rns! Wait unt il
n o steam or coolant flows out .
- Never open the hood when you see that
s team or coo lant dr ips from the e ngine
comp artment- the re is a dange r of burns !
Wait until no steam or coo lant flows o ut .
199

Checking and Fill in g
Closing the hood
.. Push the hood down until the force of the strut
is overcome.
.. Let the hood fall light ly into the Latch.
Do not
press it in.
c::> _&. .
A WARNING
If the hood is not latched completely, it cou ld
fly up while you are driving and obstruct your
vision.
Gasoline engine compartment overview
The most important check points .
-For safety reasons, the hood must always be
closed securely wh ile d riving. Because of
this, always check the hood after closing it
to make sure it is Latched correctly . The
hood is Latched if the front corne rs cannot
be Lifted.
- If you notice that the hood is not Latched while you are dr iving, stop immediately and
close it, because this increases the risk of an
accident.
F ig . 1 57 Typica l locat io n of th e reservo ir, eng ine oil dipstick, a nd engine o il filler opening
(D Coolant expansion tank (_L) .....
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Eng ine oil dipstick ......... ... .
E ng ine oil filler opening
("!:::r.) .. .
Brake fluid reservoir((())) ...... .
Ba ttery(+) under a cover
Body ground point(-)
Washer fluid reservoir
(W) ... .. .
Fu se housing ... ......... .... .
200
206
203
203
207
209
212
248
The engine oil filler opening and the dipstick
( items @and
@) c::> fig. 157 may be Located in a
different area depending on engine vers io n.
A WARNING -
Read and following the WARNINGS before
checking anyth ing in the eng ine compartment
c::> pag e 198.