2015 AUDI S3 SEDAN warning lights

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-Please note that unconsciously "resting"
your foot on the accelerator pedal prevents the cruise control from braking. This is due
to the control system be ing overr idden by
the driver 's acceleration .
-If there is a b rake system malfunction such
as overheating when the speed warning sys­
tem is switched on, the braking function in
the system will be deactivated. The remain­
ing speed warni ng system fu nctions will re­
ma in active, as long as the~ (USA mod ­
els) /. (Canada models) indicator light is
on .
{i) Tips
-The cruise cont ro l system is idea l for
stretches with speed limits. The driver i s re­
spons ible for adhering to the cor rect speed.
- The cruise cont ro l rema ins active when
s hift ing ge ars.
- The brake lights turn on when the bra kes
are activated.
Switching on
Applies to vehicles: with c ruise contro l system
0
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Fi g. 7 9 Operating leve r: cruise co ntro l system
.. To switch th e cruise control on, pull the lever
in to posi tion @~
fig. 79 .
., Drive a t the speed to be con trolled.
.. To store the speed, press the button @. T he
[ij;\1)~14 (USA models)/ Ii.I (Canada models)
tu rns o n in the instrument cluster.
A ssi st
Changing speed
Applies to vehicles: with cruise control system
., To increase o r dec rease the speed in in cre­
ments,
tap t he lever in the 0 10 d ire ct io n
q page 95, fig . 79 .
.. To increase or decrease the speed quick ly, hold
the lever in the 0 / 0 direction u ntil the de­
sired speed is reached.
Overriding the speed
You can press the accelerator pedal down to in­
crease your speed, for example if you want to
pass someone. The speed you saved earlier will
resume as soon as you let off of the accele rato r
pedal.
If, howeve r, you exceed your saved speed by 5
mph (10 km/h) for longe r than 6 minutes, the
c ruise control turns off temporarily . The
M;\1)~14
(U SA mode ls) ;lB (Canada models) indicator
li ght in the instrumen t cluster t urns off and the
stored speed is re tained.
Preselecting the speed
Applies to vehicles: with cruise control system
You can pre-select your desired speed while the
vehicle is not moving.
., Switch on the ign ition .
.. Pull the lever into pos ition
(D 9 page 95,
fig. 79 .
., To increase or de crease t he speed, tap the lever
in the
0 10 direction .
T his function makes it poss ible, for examp le, to
save the speed you want before dr iv ing o n the
highway. Once on the h ighway, activa te the cru ise
control by p ulling the lever toward
(D .
Switching off
Appl ies to vehicles: with cruise cont rol system
Temporary deactivat ion
.. Step on the brake pedal, or
.. Press the lever into position @(not clicked into
place)
q page 95, fig. 79, or ..,
95

Intelligent Technology
road and traffic conditions . Do not let the in­
c reased sa fety prov ided tempt you into tak­
ing risks. Th is cou ld increase your r isk of a
collision .
- Please note the risk of a co llision increases
when d riving fast, especially through curves
and on slippery or wet roads, and whe n dr iv ­
i ng too close to obj ects ahead . T he ESC and
i t s integr ated sy ste ms cann ot a lways pre­
ven t colli sion s -the re is s till a risk of acci­
dent s!
- Press the ac celerator ped al carefully whe n
acc ele ratin g on eve n, slippe ry su rfac es su ch
Switching on /off
as ice a nd snow . T he d rive wheels can spin
even wh en t hese control systems are instal­
led and this ca n affect d riving stability and
increase the risk of a collis ion .
{!) Tips
-ABS an d ASR o nly fu nction co rrec tly when
all four wheels are equipped with identica l
t ir es . Differe nt tire s izes ca n lead to a reduc­
t ion in e ngine powe r.
- Yo u may hear noises when t he systems de­
sc rib ed ar e wo rking.
E SC turns on automatically when you start the engine .
Fig. 112 Upper ce nte r con so le : ESC butto n
functio n of the ESC is limited or switched off. The
amount of stabilization control will d iffer de­
pend ing on the level.
In the fo llow ing unusual situations it may ma ke
sense to switch the ESC sport mode on to allow
t h e wheels to sp in:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is st uck
- Driving in deep snow or o n loose g ro und
The E SC is d esigned to fu nction in levels . Depen d­
i ng on the level that is se lected, the sta bilization
Sport mode on ESC/ASR off Sport mode off or
ESC/ASRon
Behavior
T he ESC and ASR stabiliza- The sta bilization f unct ion is T he f ull sta bilization f unc -
tion f unct ions a re lim ited not available¢& . ESC and
tion of the ESC and ASR is
¢ _& .
ASR are switched off. available again.
Operation Press t he I~ OFF ! bu tton P ress and hold t he I~ OFF I Pre ss th e I~ OFF ! bu tton
briefly. bu
tto n lon ger than 3 sec-
again.
onds.
Indicator II tur ns on. ltl and lf'tl•U~ * tu rn on . II turns off or II and
lights lf'tl•lH* turn off .
Driver mes- Stabilization control (ESC): Stabilization control (ESC) : Stabilization control
sages sport
. Warning! Restricted off . Warning! Restricted (ESC) : on
stab ility stability
124

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

Driving safety
Driving safety
Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safe ty first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need to
read and observe for your own safety, the safety
of your passengers and others. We have summar­ ized here what you need to know about safety
belts, airbags, child restraints as well as child
safety. Your safety is for us
priority number 1. Al­
ways observe the information and warnings in
this section - for your own safety as well as that
of your passengers .
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle . Some of the fea­
tures described in this sections may be standard
equipment on some models, or may be optional
equipment on others. If you are not sure, ask
your authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
structions and heed the WARNINGS in this
Manual.
It is in your interest and in the in­
terest of your passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Litera­
ture in your Audi when you lend or sell your
vehicle so that this important information
will always be available to the driver and
passengers.
-
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy so
that you can find it easily if you have ques­
tions .
- Always adjust your speed to the weather
traffic and conditions. Follow the speed lim­
its .
- Always drive in such a way that you can stop
your vehicle safely.
- Always adjust your speed to the general
flow of traffic. Follow the speed limits.
130 ·
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant re­
straint system and work together to help reduce the risk of injury in a wide variety of accident sit­
uations.
Your safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance. Advances in tech­
nology have made a variety of features available
to help reduce the risk of injury in an accident.
The following is a list of just a few of the safety
features in your Audi:
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all pas-
senger seating positions,
- safety belt pretensioners,
- safety belt force limiters for the front seats,
- safety belt height adjustment systems for the
front seats,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags for the front seats*
- side airbags in the front seats and outer rear
seats*,
- side curtain airbags with ejection mitigation
features,
- special LATCH anchorages for child restraints,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- adjustable steering column .
- pre sense basic* (preventative passenger pro- tection)
These individual safety features, can work to­ gether as a system to help protect you and your
passengers in a wide range of accidents . These
features cannot work as a system if they are not
always correctly adjusted and correctly used .
Safety is everybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occupant
safety always depends on the informed and care­
ful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driving always:
.. Make sure that all lights and signals are operat ­
ing correctly .
.. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct. ..,.

Checking and F ill in g
Using the proper engine o il is important for the
functionality and service life of the engine. Your
engine was factory-fi lled w ith a high-quality o il
which can usually be used throughout the ent ire
year.
@) Note
Your L imited New Vehicle Warranty does not
cover damage or malfunctions due to failure
to follow recommended ma intenance and use
requ irements as set forth in the Audi Ow ne r's
Manual and Wa rranty
& Ma intenance booklet .
- Use only a high quality eng ine oil t hat ex-
pressly comp lies w ith the Audi o il quality
standard specified for your vehicle's e ngine .
Using a ny other oil can cause se rious engine
damage.
- Do not mix any lubricants o r othe r addit ives
i nto the engine oil. Doing so can cause en ­
g ine damage.
(D Tips
If you need to add oil and there is none availa­
ble that meets the Audi o il quality standard
y o ur eng ine requires, you m ay add a total of
no more than 0.5 quart/li ter o f a h igh-quali ty
"synthet ic"oil that meets the fo llowing speci ­
fications .
- V ehicles wi th gasoline engine: AC EA A3 o r
API SM with a viscosity grade of SAE 0W- 30,
SAE SW -30 or SAE SW-40 .
- Vehicles with d iesel engine: ACEA C3 o r
API CF with a viscosity g rade of SAE 0W-30
or SAE SW-30.
- Fo r more information abo ut engine oi l t h at
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact either your a uthorized Audi dea ler
or Audi Customer Relations at
1 (800) 822-2834 or visit ou r web site at
www.aud iusa.com or www .aud icanada .ca.
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 provide effective lubrication and cool­ ing of in ternal engine components, all internal
202
combust ion engines consume a certa in amoun t
of oil. Oil consumptio n varies from engine to en­
gine and may change sign ificant ly over the li fe of
the engine . Typically, eng ines with a specif ied
break-in period (see
¢ page 70) consume more
o il dur ing the break-in per iod than they consume
after oil consumption has s tabilized .
Under normal cond itions, the rate of oil con­
sump tion depends on the quality and viscos ity of
the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute) at
wh ich the engine is operated, the ambie nt tem­
perature and road cond it ions . Furthe r facto rs a re
t h e amo unt of o il di lution from water conde nsa­
t ion or fue l residue and the ox idat ion leve l o f the
o il. As any engine is s ubject to wear as mileage
builds up, the oil consumption may increase ove r
time unt il rep lacement of wo rn components may
become necessary.
With a ll these va riab les coming into p lay, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be estab ­
li shed or spec ified. There is no alte rnative to reg­
ul ar and frequent checking o f the oil leve l, see
Note .
If the yellow engine oi l level warning sym bo l Ill
in the instrument cluster lights up, yo u should
check the o il level as soon as possible
¢ page 203. Top off the oil at your earliest con­
venience
¢ page 203.
A WARNING
Before you c heck anythi ng in the eng ine com ­
partment, always read and heed al l WAR N­
IN GS ¢page 198.
(D Note
Driving w it h an insufficient o il level is likely to
cause severe damage to the engine.
(D Tips
- The oil pressure warning d isplay. is not
an indicator of the oil level. Do not rely on
it. Instead, check th e oil level in your en­
gine at regular intervals, preferably each
time you refuel , and alway s before going
on a long trip.

Checking and Fill in g
negative cable on the battery must be dis·
connected. If you are just going 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! Otherwise you
will set off the alarm .
- When disconnecting the battery, first dis­
connect the negative cable and then the
posit ive cab le.
- Before reconnect ing the battery, make sure
all electrical consumers are switched off . Re ­
connect the pos itive cable first and then the
negative cable . Never intercha nge the ca­
bles -th is could star t a fire!
- Never charge a froze n or a thawed-out bat­
te ry.
It co uld explode! If a batte ry has fro­
zen, then it m ust be repl aced. A d isc harged
b at tery can free ze over at 3 2 °F (0 °C).
- Make sure the vent hose is always attached
to the opening on the side of the battery .
- Never use batte ries which are damaged.
T he re is the danger of an explos ion! Always
replace a damaged battery.
_& WARNING
California P ropos ition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts , termina ls and re lated acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds ,
chemicals known to the Sta te of C alifornia
to cause ca nce r and reproductive problems.
Wash hands after hand ling.
(D Note
- Do not d isconnect t he ve hicle battery when
the ignition is o n or when the engine is run ­
ning, othe rwise , you w ill damage electronic
components in the electrical system .
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a long
period of time without be ing driven, p rotect
the battery from "freezing", otherwise it
will be damaged and will then have to be re­
placed.
210
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged bat­
tery .
Fig. 16 4 En g in e compa rtmen t: connecto rs fo r a c harg er
and jump start c ables
Always read and heed all WARNINGS below
c> .& and q .& in Working on the battery on
page 209 .
.,.. Switch off the ignition and all elec trical con­
sumers.
.,.. Make s ure the area is we ll ventilated when you
charge the battery .
.,.. Open the eng ine hood
q page 199 .
.,.. Open the red cover on the positive pole
q fig. 164 .
.,.. Clamp the charge r te rm inal clamps as inst ruct­
ed on the
battery terminal (+ ) and o nly on the
body ground point (· ).
.,.. On ly now plug the mains lead for the charging
equ ipmen t in to the wall outlet and turn it on
~ .& -
... Make sure the charging rate is not ov er
30 amps / 14 .8 Volt .
.,.. When the bat tery is fully cha rged : Tur n the
charg ing equipment off and remove the mains
lead from the wall outlet.
.,.. Now remove the clamps fo r the charging equip -
ment .
.,.. Close the red cover on the positive pole.
.,.. Close the hood
c> page 200.
A d ischarged battery can freeze at temperatures
of only 32 F
0 (0 °C) . Allow a frozen battery to
thaw complete ly before attempting to charge it
~ .&. . However, we recommend not using a
thawed battery aga in because the battery casing ..,_

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If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with t ire p ressure monitoring syste m
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system malfunction.
F ig. 172 Instrument cluster: in dicator light w ith message
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor­
ing system compares the tire tread circumference
and v ibration characterist ics of the ind ividual
tires.
If the pressure changes in one or mo re
tires, th is is indicated in the instrument cluster
d isp lay w ith an ind icator light
RE and a message
¢
fig. 172. If only o ne tire is affected, the loca ­
tion of that ti re will be indicated . The message
turns off after a few minutes . You can display the
message again
r::;,page 29.
The tire p ressu res m ust be stored in the menu
disp lay aga in each time the pressures change
(switching between partia l and full load pres­
sure) or after changing or replac ing a tire on your
ve hicle¢
page 234. The tire pressure monitor­
ing system only monitors the tire pressure you
have stored. You can find the recommended tire
pressures for your vehicle on the label on the
driver's door pillar¢
page 224.
Tire tread circumference and vibration character­
istics can change and cause a tire pressure warn­
in g if:
- If the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the tire has structural damage,
- The tire was replaced or the tire pressure
changed and it was not stored again
¢ page 234.
-the spare tire is insta lled .
Tires and wheels
Indicator lights
RE -Loss of pressure in a t least one tire ¢ ,&.
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary.
Check/correct the pressures of all four t ires. Then
store the tire p ressu res in the MMI ¢
page 234.
film (T ire Pressure Mon itor ing Sys tem) Tire pres­
s ure: Sy stem malfunction!. If@m
appears after
switching the ignition on or while driving and the
RE ind icator light in the instr ument cluster
blinks for approximate ly one minute and then
stays on, there is system malfunction. Try to
store the correct tire pressures ¢
page 234. If
the indicator light does turn off or turns on aga in
after a short period of time, dr ive to an author­
i zed Audi dea ler or author ized Audi Serv ice Facili­
ty immed iate ly to have the malfunction corre ct­
ed.
,&. WARNING
- If the tire pressure warning light RE in the
i n str ument cluster turns on, the pressure in
one or more tires is too low . Reduce the ve­
h icle speed immediate ly and avoid any hard
steer ing or braking maneuvers. Stop as soon
as poss ible, check the tire and inf late the
tire to the correct pressure, which is speci­
fied on the t ire p ress ure label on the vehicle
r::;, page 224. Driv ing with a tire with Low
p ressu re causes the tire to overhea t and c an
resul t in fa il ur e of the tire . Low pressure can
a lso have a negative effect on the driving
and b rak ing behavior of t he vehicle .
- T he drive r is respons ib le for main taining the
correct ti re press ures . You must check the
tire pressures regu larly .
- Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
driving style, winter conditions or unpaved
roads), the pressure monitor indicator may
be de layed.
- Do not use run-flat tires on yo ur vehicle . Us­
ing them when not permitted can lead to
veh icle damage or acc idents.
(D Tips
- The tire pressure monitoring system can al­
so stop working when t here is an ESC mal-
function. ..,.
233

Care and cleaning
& WARNING
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is
off an d follow the i nstructions fr om the car
wash operator to r educe the r isk of acci­
dents.
- To reduce the r isk of cuts, protect yourself
from sharp metal components when wash­ ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
hous ings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking effect
may be delayed due to moisture o n the
brake rotors or i ce in the winte r. T he bra kes
mus t be d ried first w ith a few caref ul bra ke
applications .
@ Note
-If you wash the ve hicle in an au tomatic car
wash, you m ust fold the e xterior m irrors in
to reduce the ris k of damage to the mirrors .
Power folding exterior mirrors* must only
be fo lded i n and out using the power folding
funct ion. -
To prevent paint damage, do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
- T o reduce the r is k of damage to the sur face,
do not use insect remov ing sponges, kitchen
sponges or similar items.
- Mat te finish painted vehicle components:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use po lishi ng agents or hard
wax.
- Never use protective wax.
It can destroy
the matte finish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnet ic
signs on vehicle parts painted w ith matte
finish paint. The pa int co uld be damaged
when the sticke rs o r mag nets are re­
moved.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the ve hicle in facilities spec ially de­
s igned fo r that purpose. This w ill reduce the
r isk of dir ty wa ter co ntaminated w ith oil from
entering the sewe r system.
Cleaning and care information
When cleaning and caring for individua l vehicle
components, refer to the following tables. The
information contained there is simply recommen­
dations. For quest ions or for components that are not listed,
consult an authorized A udi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility . Also follow
the information found in
¢ _6.
Exterio r cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Windshield wiper
Deposits ¢ page 50, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
blades
Headlights /
Deposits Soft sponge with a mild soap
solutiona)
Tail lights
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth with solvent-free cleaning so lution
camera len se s Camera le ·nses : soft clot h w ith a lcohol-free clea ning so lu-
tion
Snow/ ice Hand brush/solvent-free de- icing spray
Wheel s Road sa lt Water
Brake dust Acid-free specia l cleaning solution
E xhau st tail pipe s Road salt Water, clean
ing solution su itab le for stain less stee l, if nee -
essary
D ecorative parts / Deposits Mild soap solution al, a clean ing solution suitable for stain-
trim l ess stee l, if necessary
236