2015 AUDI S3 SEDAN towing

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Adjusting the disp lay and the warning
tones .... .. .. .. .... .... ... .. .. .... . 121
Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Intelligent Technology . . . . . . . . . . 122
Notice about data recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and vehicle cont rol
modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Electronic stabilization control (ESC) . . . . 123
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Electromechanical steering . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
All wheel drive (quatt ro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
En ergy management 128
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Driving safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Correct passenger seating positions..... 131
Driver's and front passenger's footwe ll . . 13 5
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Storing cargo correct ly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Safety belt s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Why use safety belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Airb ag sy stem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Monito ring the Advanced Airbag System . 160
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Side curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
I mportant information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Securing child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
LATCH system (Lower anchorages and
tethers for children) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Additional information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Table of contents
Maintenance and Care . . . . . . . . . . .
190
Checking and Filling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Diesel f uel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Refueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Catalytic co nverter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
D ie sel particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Selective catalytic reduction . . . . . . . . . . . 195
En gine compartm ent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Eng ine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 1
Cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Windshield washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Serv ice interval display
212
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Tire pressure monitoring system . . . . . . . 232
Care and cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23S
Car washes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23S
Cleaning and care information 236
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Emergency assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Luggage compartment lid emergency
re lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
General informat ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Equipm ent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Replacing wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Spare tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Fu se s and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
El ectrica l fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 8
Bulbs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Emergency situation s . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Starting by pushing or towing . . . . . . . . . . 252
Starting with jumper cables . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Using jump start cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Towing with a tow truck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Raising the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
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You can indicate a lane change or a turn when the
emergency flashers are switched on by using the
turn signal lever. The emergency flashers stop
temporari ly.
The emergency flashers also work when the igni­
tion is turned off.
@ Tips
Yo u should switch the emergency flashers on
if:
- You are the last car in a traffic jam so that
all other vehicles approaching from behind
can see you, or if
- Your vehicle has broken down or you are
having an emergency, or if
- Your vehicle is being towed or if yo u are
towing another vehicle.
Turn signal and high beam lever
The Lever operates the turn signals, the high
beams and the headlight flasher.
Fig. 33 Turn signal a nd high beam leve r
Turn signals ¢i 9
The turn signals activate when you move the lev­
er into a turn s ignal position when the ignition is
switched on.
CD -Turn signal
@ -Turn sig nal
The turn s ignal blinks three times if you tap the
l eve r (convenience tu rn signal) .
High beams and headlight flasher ~D
Move the lever to the correspond ing position :
@-high beams on
Light and Vision
@-high beams off or headlight flasher
Th e
El indicator light in the inst rument cl uste r
turns on.
_& WARNING
High beams can cause glare for other drivers,
which increases the risk of an accident . For
this reason, only use the high beams or the
headlight flasher when they will not create
glare for other drivers.
Adjusting the exterior lighting
The settings are adjusted in the MMI.
.. Select: the I MENU I button > Car> Systems*
cont rol button > Vehicle settings > Exterior
lighting.
Automatic headlights
You can adjust the following sett ings in the Auto­
matic headlights
menu:
Activation sensitivity -You can adjust if the
headlights switch on
Early, Medium or Late ac­
cording to the sens itiv ity of the light sensor .
Audi adaptive light * -you can switch adaptive
light
On and Off .
Coming home, Leaving home*
The coming home function illuminates the area
outside the vehicle when you turn the ignit ion off
and open the driver's door. To turn the function
on, select
Lights when leaving car > On .
The leaving home illuminates the area outside
the vehicle when you un lock the vehicle. To turn
the function on, select
Lights when unlocking
car > On .
The coming home and leaving home functions
on ly operate when it is dark and the light switch
is in the
AUTO position.
Daytime running lights*
USA models:
the daytime running lights can be
switched on or off using the MMI. Select
On or
Off. ...
45

Driving
& WARNING
-Never allow the engine to run in confined
spaces, because this increases the risk of as ­
phyxiation.
- Never
remove the ignition key from the igni­
tion look while the vehicle is moving . Other ­
wise the steering lock will engage and you
will not be able to steer the vehicle.
- Please note that the brake booster and pow­
er steering only work when the engine is
running . When the engine off, you must use
more force to steer or brake the vehicle. Be­
cause the usual steering and braking capa­
bility is not available, the risk of accidents or
injuries increases.
- Always take the vehicle key with you when
leaving the vehicle,
even for a short period
of time. This applies particularly when chil­
dren remain in the vehicle. Otherwise the
children could start the engine or operate
electrical equipment such as power win­
dows .
CT'.) Note
- Avoid high engine speed, full throttle, and
heavy engine load as long as the engine has
not reached operating temperature yet . You
could damage the engine .
- The engine cannot be started by pushing or
towing .
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not let the engine run while parked to
warm up. Begin driving immediately. This re­
duces unnecessary emissions.
(D Tips
- If it is difficult to turn the key to position
(D, turn the steering wheel back and forth
slightly to release the steering wheel lock.
- After starting a cold engine, there may be a
brief period of increased noise because the
oil pressure must first build up in the hy­
draulic
valve adjusters . This is normal and
not a cause for concern.
- If the battery is disconnected and recon­
nected, you have to hold the ignition key in
74
position (D for five seconds for the engine
to start.
- After switching the ignition off, you can only
remove the key when the selector lever is in
the "P" (Park) position. After that, the selec­
tor lever is locked.
Stopping the engine with the key
App lies to vehicles : with mechanical ignition loc k
Stopping the engine
.. Bring the vehicle to a full stop .
.. Turn the key to posi tion @.
Releasing the steering lock
Requirement: The selector lever must be in the P
position.
.,. Remove the ignition key in position@
q page 75, fig. 69 q ,&..
.. Turn the steering wheel until you hear the
steering wheel lock.
The locked steering helps prevent vehicle theft.
A WARNING
-
-Never turn off the engine before the vehicle
has come to a complete stop. The full func­
tion of the brake booster and the power
steering is not guaranteed. You must use
more force to turn or brake if. Because you
cannot steer and brake as you usually
would, this could lead to accidents and seri ­
ous injuries.
- Never
remove the ignition key from the igni­
tion look while the vehicle is moving . Other­
wise, the steering lock could suddenly en­
gage and you would not be able to steer the
vehicle.
- Please note that the brake booster and pow­
er steering only work when the engine is
running. When the engine off, you must use
more force to steer or brake the vehicle. Be­
cause the usual steering and braking capa­ bility is not available, the risk of accidents or
injuries increases.
- Always take the vehicle key with you when
leaving the vehicle,
even for a short period
of time . This applies particularly when

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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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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. ..,.

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