2015 AUDI S3 SEDAN warning light

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A WARNING
You should only switch sport mode on or switch ESC/ASR off if your driving ab ilities and
road condit ions perm it.
- The stabilization function is limited when
sport mode is switched on. The dr iving
wheels could sp in and the veh icle could
swerve, especially on slick or slippery road
surfaces.
- There is no vehicle stabilization when ESC/
ASR are switched off.
(D Tips
- ESC/ASR cannot be switched off or sport
mode cannot be sw itched on if the cru ise
control system* or the adapt ive cruise con­
trol* is switched on.
- Malfunctions in the Audi magnetic r ide may
make it impossible to sw itch the ESC/ASR
off or to switch spo rt mode o n.
Brakes
New brake pads
New brake pads do not achieve their full braking
effect during the first 250 mi (400 km). They
must be "broken in" f irst. Howeve r, you can com­
pensate for the slightly reduced braking force by
press ing firmly on the b rake pedal. Avoid heavy
braking during the break -in period.
Wear
Brake pad wear is large ly dependent on the way
the veh icle is d riven and on operating co nditions.
This is especially t rue if you are driving frequent ly
in the city and on cu rves or with a sporty driving
style.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depending on the
speed, b rak ing force and o utside conditions s uch
as tempe rat ure and h umid ity.
Effect of water and road s alt
In certain situat ions, for example after driving
throug h wate r, in heavy ra in, after overn ight con­
densat ion or afte r wash ing you r car, the braking
In te llig ent T echnolog y
effect can be reduced by moisture or ice on the
brake rotors and brake pads . The brakes must be
"dried" first with a few careful brake applications.
At higher speeds and with the windsh ield wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the b rake
rotors for a short amount of time . This action
wh ich is not felt by the driver happens at regular
intervals and facilitates a better reaction t ime for
the brakes in wet weather.
The braking effect can a lso be reduced if you are
driv ing on salted roads and you do not apply the
brakes for long periods of time. The layer of salt
on the brake rotors and pads must be worn off
first whe n the brakes a re applied .
Corro sio n
Leav ing the ve hicle parked for long periods of
t ime, low mileage and avoiding heavy braking can
contribute to corros ion on the brake rotors and
dirty brake pads.
If you usua lly avoid heavy b raking or if there is
corrosion present, occas ional heavy braking at
high speeds is recommended to clean the brake
rotors and pads¢,&.
Brake sy stem malfunct ion
if you notice that the b rake pedal travel has sud­
denly gotten larger, then a brake circ uit may have
failed. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au ­
thori zed Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the problem cor rected. On the way there, dr ive
with reduced speed and keep in mind that a long
braking distance and increased pressu re on the
brake pedal will be necessa ry.
Low br ake fluid level
When the brake f lu id level is low, malfunct ions in
the brake system may occur. The brake flu id leve l
is electronically mon itored.
Brake boo ste r
The brake booster amplifies the pressure yo u ap­
ply to the brake peda l.
It only works when the en-
gine is running.
IJ>
125

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

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If th is indicator light turns on and stays on and
this message appears, the power steering may have failed .
Do
not continue driving. See an authorized Aud i
dea ler or autho rized Audi Service Facility for as­
sistance.
• Do not drive vehicle: steering defective
There is a malfunction in the electron ic steering
l ock. You cannot turn the ignition on .
Do
not tow your vehicle because it cannot be
steered. See an authorized Aud i dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Fac ility for assistance .
'-:r,ij Steering malfunction: you can continue driv­
ing
If the indicator light turns on, the steering whee l
may be more difficult to move or more sensitive
than usual. The steering wheel may also be at an
angle when dr iving straight.
Drive slow ly to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Se rvice Facility to have the ma l­
function corrected.
!II Steering lock: system fault! Please contact
Service
There is a malfunct ion in the electron ic steering
l oc k.
Drive to an authorized Aud i dealer or authorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
_& WARNING
-
Have the system malfunction corrected as
soon as possible by an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Faci lity, as th is in­
creases the risk of an accident .
(D Tips
If
the . or ,-:r-n indicator light only stays on
for a short time, you may continue driving.
Intelligent Technology
All wheel drive (quattro)
Applies to vehicles: with all w heel drive
In all wheel drive, all four wheels are powered.
General information
In all wheel dr ive, the dr iv in g power is divided be­
tween all four whee ls . T his happens automatical­
ly depending on your driving behavior as well as
the current road conditions . Refer to¢
page 123,
Electronic stabilization control (ESC).
The all wheel drive concept is designed for high
engine power. Your vehicle is exceptionally pow ­
erfu l and has excellent driving characteristics
both under normal driving conditions and on
snow and ice. Always read and follow safety pre­ cautions
q ,& .
Winter tires
By using all wheel drive, your vehicle has good
forward motion with standard tires in winter con­
ditions. However, in winter we recommend using
winter or all season tires on
all four wheels, be­
cause this will improve the
braking effect .
Snow chains
If
there are snow chain laws, snow chains must
also be used on vehicles with all wheel drive
q page 230, Snow chains.
Replacing tires
For vehicles with all wheel d rive, only wheels wi th
the same rolling circumference should be used.
Avoid wheels with different tread depths
qpage 221.
Offroad vehicle?
Your Audi is not an offroad vehicle -there is not
enough ground clearance. For this reason, avoid
difficult terra in. Refer to¢
page 259.
_& WARNING ~
-Also, in vehicles with a ll wheel drive, adapt
your driving style to the current road and
traffic cond itions . Do not let the increased
safety provided tempt you into taking risks.
- The braking ability of your veh icle is limited
to the tract ion of the wheels. In th is way, it
127

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. ..,.

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.. Make sure that a ll windows are clean and afford
good visibility to the outside .
.. Secure all luggage and other items carefully
r=> page 59, r=> page 59.
.. Make sure that nothing can interfere with the
pedals.
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correct ly for your he ight.
.,. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
stra ints according to their he ight .
.. Make sure to use the right child restraint cor­
rect ly to protect children
r=> page 172, Child
safety .
.. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
r=> page 54, Front
seats .
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it proper ly. Al­
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe­
ty belts p roperly
r=> page 140.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of
the vehicle, the driver as well as the driver 's abili­
ty to concentrate on the road without being dis­
tracted.
The driver is respons ible for the safety of the ve­
h icle and all of its occupants.
If your ability to
d rive is impaired, safety r isks for everybody in the
veh icle increase and you also become a hazard to
eve ryone else on the road
r=> &, . Therefo re:
.. Do not let you rself be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular telephone .
.. NEV ER dr ive when your dr iv ing abili ty is im­
paired (by medicat ions, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
.. Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and
speed limits and plain common sense.
.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions.
.. Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not dr ive
for more than two hours at a stretch .
.,. Do NOT drive when you are t ired, under pres­
su re or when you a re stressed.
Dri vin g s afe ty
A WARNING
-Impaired dr iving safety increases the risk of
serious personal injury and death wheneve r a
vehicle is being used .
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
F ig , 1 13 Correct seating pos it ion
For yo ur own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of a n accident, we recommend
that you adjust the dr iver's seat to the fo llowing
pos ition:
.,. Ad just the driver's seat so that you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor while
keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
r=> &, .
.. Ad just t he angle of the seatbac k so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contact with it when you drive .
.. Adjust the steering whee l so that there is a dis ­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the steering wheel and your breast bone
r=> fig. 113.
If not poss ible, see your authorized Audi deal­
ership about adapt ive eq uipment.
.,. Ad just the steering wheel so that the steering
wheel and airbag cover points at your che st a nd
no t at yo ur face .
.. Grasp the top of the steer ing whee l with your
elbow(s) slightly bent .
.. For adjustab le head restraints: Adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi-
ble with the top of your head . If that is not pos­
sible, try to adj ust the head restraint so that it .,.
131

Safety belt s
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts are neces­
sary, how they work and how to adjust and wear
them correctly.
.. Read all the information that follows and heed
all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
&_ WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death.
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of serious
injury and death in automobile accidents.
For your protection and that of your passen­
gers, always correct ly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is moving.
- Pregnant women, injured, or physically im­
paired persons must also use safety belts.
L ik e all veh icle occupants, they are more
likely to be seriously injured if they do not
wear safety be lts . The best way to protect a
fetus is to protect the mother - throughout
the ent ire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating positions:
two in the front and three in the rear. Each seat­
ing position has a safety belt .
&_ WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death.
- Never strap more than one person, includ­
ing small ch ildren, into any belt. It is espe­
cially dangerous to place a safety belt over a
child sitting on your lap.
- Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are safety belts available.
140
-Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safety
belt or child restraint.
~ -Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the driver
and front seat passenger (on USA models only) to remind you about the importance of buckling­
up .
Fig. 116 Safety belt warning light in the instrument cl us­
ter -enlarged
Before driving off, always:
.. Fas ten your safety belt and make sure you are
wearing it properly .
(0
"'
"' 9
"' .. Make sure that your passengers also buckle up
and properly wear their safety belts .
.. Protect children with a child restraint system
appropriate for the s ize and age .
The warning light . in the instrument cluster
light s up when the ign it ion is on as a reminder to
fasten the safety belts . In add ition, you will hear
a warn ing tone for a certain pe riod of time.
Fasten your safety belt and make sure that your
passengers also properly put on their safety
belts .
&_ WARNING
-Safety belts are the sin gle most effect ive
means available to reduce the risk of serious
injury and death in automobile accidents.
F or your protection and that of your passen ­
gers, always correctly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is moving .
- Failure to pay attention to the warning light
that come on, cou ld lead to personal injury .
-

Safety belts
Autom atic safet y belt retractors
Every safety belt is eq uipped w ith an automatic
be lt retractor on the shou lder belt. This feature
locks the belt when the be lt is pulled o ut fast,
during hard brak ing and in an accident . The belt
may also lock when you drive up or down a steep
hill or through a sharp curve. During normal driv­
ing the belt lets you move freely.
S afety belt p rete n sioner s
The safety be lts are equipped with a belt preten­
sioner that helps to t ighten the safety belt and
remove s lack when the pretensioner is activated
¢ page 146. The funct ion of the pretensioner is
mon itored by a warning light
<=:>page 20.
Converti ble lock ing r etra ctor
Every safety belt except the one on the driver
seat is equipped w ith a convertib le locking retrac­
tor that
must be used when the safety belt is
used to attach a child seat. Be sure to read the
important information about this feature
¢page 182 .
.&_ WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause
serious injury in an accident¢
page 144,
Safety belt posi tion.
- Safety belts offer optimum protection only
when the seatback is upright and belts are
properly positioned on the body.
- Always make sure that the rea r seat back­
rest to which t he center rear safety belt* is
attached is securely latched whenever the
rear center safety be lt is being used .
If the
backrest is not securely latched, the passen ­
ger wi ll move forward with the backrest dur­
ing sudden braking, in a sudden maneuver
and especially in a crash.
- Never attach the safety belt to the buck le
for another seat. Attaching the belt to the
wrong buckle will reduce safety be lt effec­
t iveness and can cause serious persona l in­
jury.
- A passenger who is not properly restrained can be se riously in jured by the safety belt it­
self when it moves from the stronger parts
144
of the body into critical areas like the abdo­
men.
- Always lock the convertible locking retractor
when you are secur ing a child seat in the ve­
hicle
¢page 184.
(D Tips
For information on safety belt pretensioners,
refer to
¢page 146.
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting maxi­
mum protection from safety belts .
Fig. 123 Safety belt posit ion
Use the height adjustment to change the posit ion
of the shoulder belt of the front safety belts.
.&_ WARNING
I mp roperly posit ioned safety be lts can cause
serio us pe rsonal injury in an accident.
- The shou lder belt should lie as close to the
center of the collar bone as possib le and
should fi t well on the body. Ho ld the bel t
above the latch to ng ue and pull it evenly
across the chest so that it sits as low as pos ­
sible on the pe lvis and there is no pressure
on the abdomen. The belt should always fit
snug ly¢
fig. 123. Pull on the belt to tighten
if necessary.
- The lap be lt portion of the safety belt must
be positioned as low as poss ible across pel­
vis and never over the abdomen. Make sure
the belt lies flat and snug
c::> fig. 123. Pu ll on
the belt to tighten if necessary.
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take place at lowe r decelerations as defined in
the electronic contro l unit ¢
page 160, PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF light.
Always remember, a chi ld seat or infant carrie r
installed on the front seat may be struck and
knocked out of position by the rapidly inflating
passenger's a irbag in a frontal collision . The air­
bag could greatly reduce the effectiveness of the
child restraint and even ser iously injure the ch ild
during inflation .
For this reason, and because the back seat is the
safest place for ch ildren -when properly restrain­
ed according to their age and s ize -we strongly
recommend that ch ild ren always s it in the back
seat
¢ page 172, Child safety .
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child seat instal­
led on the front passenger seat w ill be seri­
ously in jured and can be killed if the front air­
bag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag
System.
- T he inflating a irbag w ill hit the child seat or
infant carrier w ith great force and will
smash the child seat and child against the
backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
-
- Always install rear -facing child seats on the
rear seat.
- If you mus t install a rearward facing child
seat on the front passenger seat beca use of
exceptional circ umstances and the
PASSEN ·
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on
and stay on, immediately install the rear­
facing child seat in a rear seating position
and have the a irbag system inspected by
yo ur Audi dealer.
- Forward-fac ing ch ild seats installed on the
front passenger's seat may interfere with
the deployment of the airbag and cause se­ rious persona l injury to t he ch ild.
A WARNING
If, in exceptional c ircumstances, you mus t in­
stall a forward-facing ch ild restraint on the
front passenger's seat :
- Always make sure the forward-fac ing seat
h as been designed and ce rtified by i ts man-
Airbag syste m
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and s ide a irbag.
- Never put t he fo rward-facing child restraint
up aga inst or very near the instrument pan­
el.
- Always move the passenge r seat into its
rearmost pos ition in the seat's fore and aft
ad justment range, as far away from the a ir­
bag as possible before installing the for­
ward-facing child restraint. The backrest
m ust be adjusted to an upr ight position .
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght comes on and stays on all the time
wheneve r the ignit ion is switched on.
A WARNING
= -To reduce the risk of serious inju ry, ma ke su re
that t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t will
b e d isplayed whenever a ch ild restr aint is in­
stalled on the front passenger seat and the
ignition is switched on.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not stay on, pe rform the checks describe d
~ page 160, Monitoring the Advanced Air ·
bag System.
-Take the chi ld restraint off the front passen­
ge r seat and install it properly at one of the
rea r seat positions if the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light does not stay on.
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
Aud i dealer immediately.
- Always carefu lly follow instr uctions from
child restraint manufacturers when instal­
ling child restraints.
A WARNING
If, in except ional circumstances, you m ust in­
stall a forward or rearward-fac ing ch ild re­
straint on the front passenger's seat:
- Improper installation of ch ild restra ints can
red uce their effectiveness or even prevent
them from providing any pro tect ion.
- An improperly installed ch ild restra int can
interfere with the airbag as it deploys and
serio usly injure or even kill the child -even
with an Advanced A irbag Sys tem.
~
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