2015 AUDI S3 SEDAN engine

Automatic transmission
than approximately 2 seconds when the brake
pedal is not pressed.
Interlock button
The interlock butto n in the selector lever handle
p revents you from moving the selector lever in­
advertently while in some selector lever posi ­
t ions . The positions that require the interlock
button to be pressed are marked in co lor in the il­
lustration
c::> fig. 73.
Ignition key safety interlock*
You can only remove the key from the ignition af­
ter sw itching the ign ition off if the selector lever
is in the P position. The selector lever will be
locked in the P posit ion as long as the key is not
in the ignition .
A WARNING
Read and following all WARNINGS. c::> & in Se­
lector lever positions on page 82.
@ Tips
- If the selector lever does not engage, there
is a malfunction. The engine is disabled to
prevent the vehicle from driving off uninten­
tionally. Press the brake pedal br iefly to al­
low the selector lever lock to engage again.
- If the vehicle does not move forward or in
reverse even though a drive position is se­
lected, proceed as follows:
- >If the vehicle does not move in the desired
direct ion, the system may not have engaged
the drive pos ition correctly. Press the brake
pedal and select the drive position again.
- >If the veh icle still does not move in the de­
sired direct ion, there is a system malfunc­
tion. See an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility for ass istance
to have the system checked.
84
Driving tips
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic transmissio n
The transmission shifts up and down automati­
cally when in the driving gears .
Fig. 74 Sec tion of t he ce nter conso le: se le ct or lever with
interloc k button
The engine will only be able start when the selec­
tor lever is in the P or N positions . At low temper ­
atures (be low 14 °F (-10 °C)), the engine can only
be started when the selector lever is in the P po­
sition.
Starting from a stop
"' Press and hold the brake pedal.
"' Press and hold the interlock button in the selec­
tor lever hand le, select the desired selector lev­
er position such as D
c::> page 82 and release the
lock button.
"' Wait a moment until the transmission shifts .
You will notice a slight movement when the
gear engages .
"' Release the brake peda l and press the accelera­
tor pedal
c::> ,&. .
Stopping temporarily
"'Keep the veh icle stationary using the braking
pedal, for example at traff ic lights .
"' Do not press the accelerator peda l when doing
this.
"' To prevent the vehicle from rolling when you
start driving, set the parking brake when stop­
ping on steep incl ines
c::> ,&. .
"'The parking brake will release automat ically
and the vehicle will start moving once you press
the acce lerator pedal. Requirement: The door
must be closed.

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Stopp ing /p ark in g
If the se lector lever is not in the P position when
you open the driver's door, the vehicle cou ld roll.
In vehicles with a convenience key*, the message:
Shift t o P, o ther wis e vehi cle c an roll away .
D oo rs do not lo ck if l ever i s not i n P
appears . You
will also hear a warning tone.
~ Press and ho ld the brake pedal c:> A ­
~ Set the parking brake.
~ Se lect the P selector lever pos ition.
Stopping on an incline
~ Always press the b rake pedal to hold the vehi­
cle in place and prevent it from "rolling back"
c:> A -Do not try to prevent the vehicle from
"rolling back" when a gear is engaged by in­
creasing the engine speed
c:> @ .
Starting on an incline in vehicl es without H ill
H old *
~ Set the parking brake.
~ With the driving gear se lected, press the accel ­
erator pedal carefully. The parking brake releas­
es automatically . Requ irement: The door must
be closed .
Starting o n an incline in veh icles with Hill
Hol d*
~ With the driving gear selected, remove your
foot from the brake pedal and press the accel­
erator pedal
c:> page 80, Hill hold.
Under certain circumstances, (such as driving in
the mountains or towing a tra iler), it may be use­
ful to sw itch temporarily to the manual sh ift pro­
gram in order to adjust the gears to the driving
conditions by hand~
page 87.
When parking on a level surface, simply place the
selector lever in the P position. On inclines, acti­
vate the parking brake first and then move the
selecto r lever to the P position~
page 78. This
prevents the locking me chanism from being load­
ed too heavi ly and wi ll make it easier to move the
selector lever out of the P posit ion .
Aut omatic transm issio n
A WARNING
-The vehicle can roll even when the engine is
sw itched off.
- Unintended vehicle movement can lead to
serious injuries.
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine running while in gear. If you must leave your
veh icle when the engine is running, set the
parking brake and move the selector lever to
the P position.
- Power is still transferred to the wheels when
the eng ine is running at idle. To prevent the
veh icle from "creeping", you must keep your
foot on the brake when the engine is run­
n ing and the selec to r l ever is in the D, Sor R
position or "tiptronic" mode is selected .
- Do not inadvertently press the accelera tor
pedal when the vehicle is stationa ry. Other­
wise the vehicle will start to move immedi­
ately, even if the parking brake is set. This
could res ult in a crash.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the se lector lever position while
the vehicle is stationary and the eng ine is
running.
- Never engage the R or P selector level pos i­
tions while dr iv ing.
It could cause a crash.
- Before driving down a steep s lope, reduce
your speed and shift into a lower gear with
"t iptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re­
duces braking performance, increases brak­
ing d istance or causes comp lete failure of
the brake system.
- If you must stop on an incline, always hold
the vehicle in place with the foot brake or pa rking brake to prevent it from ro lling
back.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a slipping clut ch. The cl utch opens au tomati­
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload . The
mJ indicator light turns on
and a message appears
c:> page 88 when
the clutch is overloaded .
85

Automatic transmission
-If the engine must run while you are work­
ing in the engine compartment with the
hood open, make sure a gear is not engag­
ed . The selector lever must be firmly in the
P position and locked in place and the park­
ing brake must be set ¢
page 198. Other­
wise, the vehicle could begin moving when
the engine speed is high, even with the
parking brake set.
0 Note
- When stopping on an incline, do not try to
hold the vehicle in place by pressing the ac­
celerator pedal while a driving gear is se­
lected. This can cause the automatic trans­
mission to overheat and can damage it. Ac­
tivate the parking brake or press the brake
pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the engine
is stopped and the selector lever is in the N
position will damage the automatic trans­
mission because it is not lubricated under
those circumstances.
- The transmission can overheat and be dam­
aged under certain driving and traffic condi­
tions such as frequent starts, creeping for a
long time, or stop-and-go traffic . When the
5] or. indicator light turns on, stop the
vehicle at the next opportunity and let the
transmission cool¢
page 88.
-Allowing the vehicle to roll when the engine
is stopped will damage the S tronic trans­
mission because it is not lubricated
¢ page 2 54, Towing with a tow truck.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake only re­
leases automatically when the driver's door is
closed.
Hill descent control
Applies to veh icles: w ith S tron ic transm ission
The hill descent control system assists the driv­
ing when driving down declines.
Hill descent control is activated when the selec­
tor lever is in the Dor S position and you press
86
the brake pedal. The transmission automatically
selects a gear that is suitable for the incline. Hill
descent control tries to maintain the speed ach­
ieved at the time of braking, within physical and
technical limitations. If may still be necessary to
adjust the speed with the brakes. Because hill de­
scent control cannot shift down farther than 3rd
gear, it may be necessary to shift into tiptronic
mode in very steep areas . In this case, shift into
1st or 2nd gear in tiptronic mode to use the en­
gine's braking force to relieve the brakes.
Hill descent control switches off once the decline
levels out or you press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles with a cruise control system*
¢
page 94, hill descent control is also activated
when the speed is set .
&_ WARNING
Hill descent control cannot overcome physical
limitations, so it may not be able to maintain
a constant speed under all conditions. Always
be ready to apply the brakes.

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"'
"'
"'
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Shifting manually (tiptronic mode)
Applies to vehicles: with 5 tronic transmiss ion/ shi ft padd les
The tiptronic allow the driver to shift the gears
manually.
Fig. 75 Center c_onso le: manual shi fting wi th the selec tor
lever
Fig. 76 Steering wheel: manual shi fting with t he shift pad ­
d les*
Shifting with the selector lever
You can shift into tiptronic mode while stationary
and while driv ing.
• To shift into tip tron ic mode, push the selector
lever from the D/S setting to the right in the
tiptron ic shift gate. Once the transmission has
switched modes, the selecto r lever position
M
is shown in the instrument cluster display
r:::> page 82, fig. 72 . For example M4, means the
fourth gear is engaged.
• To shift up a gear, tap the selector lever for­
ward
0 r:::> fig . 75.
• To shift down a gear, tap the selector lever to
back
0 -
Shifting with the shift paddles*
You can operate the shift paddles in the D/S or M
(tiptronic shift gate) selector lever positions.
Automatic transmission
• To shift up one gear, tap the shift padd le 0
r:::> fig. 76.
• To shift down one gear, tap the shift paddle 0 -
If the shift paddles are tapped while in the D/S
selector lever position, automatic mode switches
off briefly. To switch from manually shifting back
to automatic shifting immediately, tap the shift paddle
0 ¢ fig. 76 for 1 second.
To keep shifting using the shift paddles, move the
selector lever to the right out of the D/S position
into the t iptron ic shift gate.
T he transmission automatically shifts up or down
before critical engine speed is reached.
The transmission only allows manual shifting
whe n the engine speed is within the permitted
range.
(0 Tips
- If you shift to the next lowest gear, the
transmission will only shift if the engine will
not be over-revved.
- With kick-down, the transmission shifts to a
lower gear, depending on vehicle speed and
engine speed.
- tiptronic does not work if the transmission
is running in emergency mode .
Kick-down
Applies to vehicles: wit h S tronic transm issio n
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
When you press the accelerator pedal down be­
yond the resistance point , the automatic trans­
mission downsh ifts into a lower gear, depending
on veh icle speed and engine RPM.
It shifts up in­
to the next higher gear once the maxim um speci­
fied eng ine RPM is reached.
A WARNING ~
Please note that the whee ls cou ld spin on
slick or slippery roads when kick-down is ac­
tive .
-
87

Automatic transmission
Launch Control-Program
Applie s to v ehi cles: w ith launch control
The Launch Control Program enables maximum
acceleration .
Requirement: The engine must be at operating
temperature and t he steering wheel must not be
turned.
.,. With the engine running, press the
!~OFFI but­
ton briefly one time
l) .
.,. Pull the selector lever back out of the O/S posi­
tion briefly to select the S position, or press it
toward the right into the tiptronic position or
select the
Dynamic driving mode in drive se­
lect*
~page 112.
.,. Press the brake pedal firmly with your left foot
and hold it all the way down for at least 1 sec­
ond.
.,. At the same time, press the gas pedal all the
way down with your right foot until the engine
reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
.,. Remove your left foot from the brake.
_.&. WARNING
- Always adapt your driving to the traffic flow.
- Only use Launch Control when road and traf-
fic conditions allow it and other drivers will
not be endangered or impacted by your driv­
ing and the vehicle's acceleration.
- Please note that the drive wheels can spin
and the vehicle can break away when sport
mode is switched on, especially when the
road is slippery.
- Once the vehicle has started moving, press
the
l .1'3 OFF ! button briefly to turn the sport
mode off.
(D Tips
- The transmission temperature may increase
significantly after using the launch control program. If that happens, the program may
1l In vehicles w ith a d rive r infor matio n syste m, a n ESC light
in t he instrument clus ter s tays o n co ntinuo usly and t he
message
Stabilization control (ESC): sport. Warning! Re·
stricted stability
appears temporarily.
88
not be available for a few minutes. It will be
available again after a cool-down period.
- When accelerating using the launch control
program, all vehicle parts are subject to
heavy loads. This can lead to increased wear.
Emergency mode
App lies to vehicles : wi th S t ro ni c t ra nsmi ssio n
In the event of a system malfunction, there is an
emergency program .
If all of the selector lever positions are highlight­
ed with a light background in the instrument
cluster display, there is a system malfunction and
the S tronic transmission is running in the emer­
gency program. The vehicle can still be driven in
emergency mode, but only with reduced speed
and not in all gears. In some cases, the vehicle
cannot drive in reverse .
(D Note
If the transmission runs in emergency mode,
drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
Transmission malfunction
• Transmission malfunction! Please stop the
vehicle and select P
There is a malfunction in the transmission. Park
the vehicle securely and do not continue driving.
See an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility for assistance.
• Transmission overheating! Please stop the
vehicle!
The transmission is too hot and can become dam­
aged. Stop and let the transmission cool with the
engine running (at idle) in the P selector lever po­
sition. Then the indicator light and the message
turn off, drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to have.,.

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the malfunction corrected. If the indicator light
and the driver message do not turn off, do not
continue dr iv ing. See an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility for assistance .
rm Transmission malfunction: you can continue
driving
Drive to an authorized Aud i dealer or authorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
rm Transmission malfunction: no reverse gear
(you can continue driving)
Drive to an authorized Aud i dealer or authorized
Audi Service Fac ility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
rm Transmission malfunction: You can continue
driving in D until engine off
Drive the vehicle away from moving traffic and
park. See an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Fac ility for assistance.
rm Transmission overheating! Please adapt
driving style
Continue driving moderate ly. When the indicator
light turns off, you can continue driving normally.
rm Transmission: Please press brake pedal and
select gear again
If the transmission malfunctions because the
temperature is too high, a message appears
when the transmission is coo led.
Selector lever emergency re lease
Appl ies to vehicles: with S tronic transm ission
If the vehicle's power supply foils, the selector
lever can be released in an emergency.
"'
"'
"' Fig. 77 Selector lever: removing the cove r rl
Automatic transmission
Fig. 78 Selector lever: u sing the emergency release to
move out of the Park position
The emergency release mechanism is located in
the right area under the selector lever shift gate.
Using the emergency release can be complicated.
We recommend contacting your authorized Audi dealer for assistance, if necessary.
The screwdriver from the vehicle too l kit located
in the luggage compartment is needed to for the
emergency release
c> page 241. Use the flat side
of the reversible screwdriver blade .
Removing the selector lever cover
.. Set the parking brake «Ell c> A to secure your
vehicle from rolling.
.. Insert the flat side of the screwdriver s ideways
in the slot near the shift cover and pry the shift
cover up ¢
fig. 77 .
.. Pull up the co rners of the sh ift cover carefully
with your hands and fo ld it over the shifter
knob ¢
fig. 78.
Selector lever emergency release
.. Press and hold the yellow release button with
the screwdriver ¢
fig. 78.
.. Press the release button in the selector lever ®
and
move the lever into the N position.
.. Clip the shift cover back into the shift gate after
using the emergency release.
If the vehicle must be pushed or towed due to a
power failure (for example, the battery is dead),
the selector lever must first be
moved to the N
position using the emergency release mecha ­
nism .
89

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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. ..,.