2017 AUDI S3 SEDAN Owners Manual

CXl CXl .... N ,.__
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Check with an authorized Audi dealer or author ­
ized Audi Service Facility to see if you may use
snow chains .
Use
fine-mesh snow chains . They must not add
more than 0.53 inch (13 .5 mm) in height, includ­
ing the chain lock.
You must remove the snow chains on roads with­
out snow. Otherw ise, you could impair driving
ability and damage the tires.
~ WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains or installing snow
chains incorrectly can result in loss of vehicle
control, which increases the risk of an acc i­
dent.
0 Note
Snow chains can damage the rims/wheel cov­
ers * if the chains come into direct contact
w ith them. Remove the wheel covers * first.
Use coated snow chains.
(D Tips
When using snow cha ins, it may be useful to
sw itch on sport mode
¢page 152.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory-equipped with low aspect ra­
tio tires. These t ires have been thoroughly tested
and been selected specifically for you r model for
their superb performance, road feel and handling
under a va riety of driving conditions. As k your au­
thorized Audi dealer for mo re de tails.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated by
a numera l of
55 or less in the tire's size designa­
tion . The numeral represents the ratio of the
tire's sidewall height in relation to its tread width
expressed in percentage. Conventional tires have
a height/w idth rat io of 60 or more .
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is par­
ticularly sensitive to improper inflation pres­
sure. It is therefore important that low aspect
ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pressure is regularly
checked and maintained. Tire pressures should
Wheels
be checked at least once a month and always
before a long trip
¢ page 336 .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more easi ­
ly by impact w ith potholes, curbs, gullies or
ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is un­
der inflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence o f impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom­
mend that you observe the following precau ­
t ions:
-Always maintain recommended inflation pres­
sures . Check your tire pressure every
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add air if necessa­
ry.
-Drive carefully on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires.
-After any impact, immediate ly inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au­
thorized Audi dealer . Replace a damaged tire as
soon as possible .
-Inspect your tires every 2,000 m iles (3,000 km)
for damage and wear . Damage is not a lways
easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of air and
unde rinflation, w hich could even tually cause
t ire fa ilure.
If yo u bel ieve that a tire may have
been damaged, replace the tire as soon as pos­
sible.
-These tires may wear more quickly than others.
-Please also remember that, while these tires
deliver responsive handlin g, they may ride less
comfortably and make more noise than other
choices.
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes. The
low aspect ratio, ultra high performance tires
origina lly installed on your vehicle are intended
for maximum dry and wet road performance and
handling. They are not suitable for cold, snowy or
icy weather conditions. If you drive under those
c ir cumstances, you should equip your vehicle
..,.
343

Wheels
with all-season or winter tires, which offer better
traction under those cond itions. We suggest you
use the recommended snow or all-season tires
specified for your vehicle, or their equivalent.
Refer to
q page 342 for more detailed informa­
tion regarding winter tires.
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and
maximum sect ion w idth
q page 328, fig. 278.
For example: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA, Tem­
perature
A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov­
ernment test course .
For examp le, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one half
(1 1/2) times as well on the govern­
ment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the tire 's
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured un­
der controlled conditions on specified govern­
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete . A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
q .,&..
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
344
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mate­
rial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire
failure ¢.&. .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un­
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher levels
of performance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law.
A WARNING
-
The tract ion grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor­
nering, hydroplaning or peak traction charac­
teristics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for th is tire is estab­
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla­
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause heat bui ldup and
possible tire failure.
A WARNING
Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over or underinflat­
ed .
Tire pressure monitoring
system
(1) General notes
App lies to : vehicles with tire pressure mo nitori ng syste m
.
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat­
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label. (If your veh icle has
tires of a different size than the size ind icated on
the veh icle placard or tire inflat ion pressure
..,.

CXl CXl .... N ,.__
N .... 0 N > 00
label, you should determine the proper tire infla­
tion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your veh icle has been
eq uipped w ith a t ire pressu re monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire press ure te ll­
tale when one or more of your tires is significant­ l y under- inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure tellta le illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure . Driving on a s ignifi ­
cantly under- inflated tire causes the tire to ove r­
h eat and can lead to t ire failure. Unde r-inflation
a lso reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affec t the vehicle's handling and stop­
p ing ability .
P lease note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
p roper tire maintenance, and i t is the d rive r's re­
sponsib ility to ma inta in cor rec t tire p ressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the leve l
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pres ­
sure tellta le .
Your veh icle has also been eq uipped w ith a TPM S
mal funct ion indicator to indicate when the sys ­
tem is not operating properly . The TPMS ma l­
function indicator is combined with the low tire
pressure tellta le. When the system detects a
malfunct ion, the telltale will flash for approxi­
mately one minute and then remain cont inuously
i l lum inated . This sequence will continue upon
subseq uent ve hicle start-ups as long as the ma l­
function ex ists .
When the malfunct ion indicator is illuminated,
the system may not be ab le to detect or signal
low t ire press ure as intended. TPM S malf unctions
may occur for a var iety of reasons, including the
i nstalla tion of replacement o r alte rnate t ires o r
wheels o n the vehicle that prevent the TPM S
from func tioning properly. Always chec k the
TPMS malfunction telltale afte r rep lacing one or
more tires or whee ls on your ve hicle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to cont inue to function
properly.
Wh eel s
If the tire pressure indicator appears
App lies to : vehicles wi th Tire Pressure Monito rin g Syste m in­
dicator
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system malfunction.
U sing the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor­
ing system compares the tire tread c ircumfer­
ence and vibration characterist ics of the ind ividu­
al tires. If the pressure changes in one or more
t ires, th is is indicated in the instrument cluster
display with an
[I] indicator light and a message .
If only one tire is affected, the location of that
t ir e will be indicated.
The tire pressures must be stored in the menu display again each t ime the p ressures change
(swi tching between partial and full load pres­
s ur e) o r after changing or replacing a ti re o n your
vehicle
Q page 346. T he tire p ressure mo nitor ­
ing system on ly monitors the t ire pressure you
have stored. Refer to the tire pressure label for
the recommended tire pressure for yo ur vehicle
c:> page 336, fig. 281.
T ire tread c ircumference and vibra tion characte r­
istics can change and ca use a tire press ure wa rn ­
ing if:
- t he t ire pressure in one or more ti res is too low.
- the t ire has str uctural damage.
- t he t ire was replaced or the t ire pressure was
changed and it was not stored
c:> page 346.
- one side of the vehicle is more heavi ly loaded
than the othe r.
- the wheels on one axle are more heavily loaded
than the othe rs (for example, when towing a
t ra ile r or when driving up and down hi lls).
- snow chains are installed .
- the spare tire* is installed.
- only one tire was replaced on eac h axle.
Indicator lights
[I] -Loss of pressu re in at least one tire c:> ,&. .
Check the tires and replace or re pair if necessary .
Check/correct the pressures of all fou r tires . Then
store the tire pressures in the menu
Q page 346 .
m (T ire Pressure Mon itor ing Sys tem) Tir e
pre ssure: System malfunction!.
If m appears 1JJ,,
345

Wheels
after switching the ignition on or while driving
and the
[tlJ indicator light in the instrument clus­
ter blinks for approximately one minute and then
stays on, there is system malfunction. Check/cor­ rect the pressures on all four tires and store the
pressures
Q page 346 . If the indicator light does
turn off or turns on again after a short period of
time, drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
- If the tire pressure indicator appears in the
instrument cluster display, reduce your
speed immediately and avoid any hard
steering or braking maneuvers. Stop as soon
as possible and check the tires and their
pressures.
- The driver is responsible for maintaining the correct tire pressures. You must check the
tire pressures regularly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
driving style, winter conditions or unpaved
roads), the pressure monitor indicator may
be delayed.
- Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle. Us­
ing them when not permitted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents.
@ Tips
- The tire pressure monitoring system can al­
so stop working when there is an ESC/ABS
malfunction.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The tire pressure monitoring system in your
Audi was calibrated with "Audi Original
Tires"
¢ page 335. Using these tires is rec­
ommended .
- The tire pressure monitoring system can on­
ly monitor the tire pressure of the driving
tires. Check the tire pressure of the spare
wheel in the luggage compartment so that
if necessary it is ready for use.
346
· Storing tire pressures
Applies to: vehicles with Tire P ressure Monitoring System in­
dicator
A change in tire pressure or a change in tires
must be stored in the system.
Before storing the tire pressures, make sure the
tire pressures of all four tires meet the specified
values and are adapted to the load¢
page 335.
.,. Select in the Infotainment system: IMENU ! but­
ton
> Vehicle > Service & checks > Tire pres­
sure monitoring
> Store tire pressure > Yes,
store now.
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressures if snow chains
are installed.

Care and cleaning
General information
Plug -in hybrid drive*: For additional cleaning and
maintenance information, refer to
r=> page 119.
Regular, proper ca re helps to maintain your veh i­
cle's value.
It can a lso be a requirement when
submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage
and paint defects on the body.
The necessary care prod ucts can be obtained
from an authorized Aud i dealer or autho rized
Audi Service Facility. Read and follow the instruc ­
tions for use on the packaging.
A WARNING
-Us ing clean ing and care prod ucts incorrectly
can be dangerous to your hea lth.
- Always store cleaning and care products out
of reach of chi ldren to reduce the risk of po i­
soning.
@ For the sake of the environment
-Preferably purchase env ironmentally-friend­
l y cleaning products.
-Do not dispose o f leftover cleaning and care
products with household trash.
Car washes
The longer that deposits s uch as insects, bird
droppings, tree sap or road salt remain on the ve­ hicle, the more the surface can be damaged. High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight
increase the damag ing effect.
Before washing, rinse off heavy deposits with
p lenty of water .
S tu bborn depos its s uch as bird d roppi ngs or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of water and a
microfiber cloth.
A lso, wash the underside of yo ur vehicle once
road sa lt stops being used for the season.
cc Pressure washers CXl .... N ~ When washing your ve hicle w ith a pressure wash-
~ er, a lways fo llow the operating instructions pro-
> 00
Ca re and cleaning
vided with the pressure washer . This is especially
important in regard to the pressure and spraying
distance . Do not aim the spray d irect ly at sea ls on
s ide windows, doors, the hood, the luggage com ­
partment lid or the panorama glass roof* or at
t ires, rubber hoses, insulating material, the pow ­
er top*, senso rs* or camera lenses* . Keep a d is­
tance of at least 16 in (40 cm) .
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer .
Never use cone nozzles or high pressure nozzles.
T he wate r temperat ure mus t not be above 140 °F
(60 °().
Automat ic car washes
Sp ray off the vehicle befo re wash ing.
Make sure that the windows, the panorama glass
roof* and the power top* are closed and the
windshield wipe rs are off . Fo llow instructions
from the car wash operator, espec ially if there
are accesso ries attached to your ve hicle.
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes.
Wa shing
by hand
Clean the vehicle starting from the top and work­
ing down using a soft sponge or cleaning brush.
Use solvent-free cleaning products.
Wa shing vehicle s with matte fini sh paint
by
h and
To avo id damag ing the pa int when washing, f irst
remove dust and large particles from your vehi­
cle. Insects, grease spots and f ingerpr ints are
best removed w ith a special clea ner for matte
finish paint.
Apply the product using a microfiber cloth. To
avo id damag ing the pa int surface, do not use too
much pressure .
Rinse the vehicle thorough ly w ith water. Then
clean using a neutral shampoo and a soft micro­
fiber cloth.
Rinse the vehicle thorough ly again and let it air
dry. Remove any water residue using a chamois.
Ill-
347

Care and cleaning
A WARNING
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is
off and follow the instructions from the car
wash operator to reduce the risk of acci­
dents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself
from sharp metal components when wash­
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings.
-After washing the vehicle, the braking effect may be delayed due to mo isture on the
brake rotors or ice in the winter. This in­
creases the risk of an acc ident. The brakes
must be d ried first w ith a few careful b rake
applications.
(D Note
- If yo u wash the ve hicle in an automatic car
wash, yo u m ust fold the exte rior m irrors i n
to reduce the risk of damage to the mir rors.
Power folding exte rior mir rors* mus t onl y
b e fo lded i n and ou t using the powe r folding
funct ion .
- T o reduce t he risk of paint damage, do no t
wash the vehi cle i n dire ct sunlig ht.
-
- To red uce the risk of damage, do not wash
the power top* with a pressure washer.
- T o reduce the risk of damage to the s urface,
do not use insect removing sponges, kitchen
sponges o r similar items .
- Mat te finish painted vehicle components:
- To reduce the r isk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use polis hing agents or hard
wax.
- Never use protective wax. It can destroy
the matte finish effect .
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted with matte
finish paint. The paint could be damaged
when the stickers or magnets are re­
moved.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the veh icle in facili ties spec ially de­
s igned for that pu rpose. This will reduce the
r isk of dirty wate r contam inated with o il from
ente ring the sewe r system.
Cleaning and care information
W hen clea ning and ca ring for individua l vehicle
components, refer to the fo llowing t ables. The
i n fo rmation conta ined there is s imply recom ­
mendations. Fo r quest ions or for components t
h at are not listed, cons ult an au tho rize d Aud i
de aler or au thor ized A udi Service Fac il ity. Also
f o llow the information fo und
in <=> .&. .
Ext erior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Wind shield wiper
Deposits <=> page 58, Cleaning the wiper blades
blades
Headlights /
Deposits Soft sponge wi
th a m ild soap so lutiona)
Tail lights
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth with solvent-free cleaning solut ion
camera lens es Camera lenses: soft cloth w ith alcohol-free cleaning solu-
tion
Snow/ice Hand brus
h/solvent-free de -icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Bra ke dust Acid-free special clean
ing solution
348

CXl CXl .... N r--­N .... 0 N > 00
Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Ex haust t ail p ip es
Road salt Water, cleaning solution suitab le for stainless steel, if nee-
essary
Po we r top Deposits Clean water, power top cleaning product, if necessa ry.
C lean with the grain of the fabric us ing a so ft brush and al-
l ow to air dry.
Wind defl ecto r Deposits Water, mild soap solut ion, if necessaryal
D ecor ativ e part s/ Deposits Mild soap solution al, a cleaning so
lution suitable for stain-
trim less stee l, if necessary
P aint Pa int damage Refer to the paint numbe r on the vehicle data label, repair
with touch up paint
~page 374
Spilled fuel Rinse with water immediately
Surface rust Rust remover, then prote ct w ith ha rd wax; for questions,
consult an author ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv-
ice Facility .
Corrosion Have it removed by an authorized Aud i dealer or author-
i zed Audi Service Facility.
Water no longer Protect with hard wax (at least twice per year)
beads on the surface
of clean paint
No sh ine even thoug h Treat w ith suitable po lish; then apply paint protectant if
paint has been pro -the polish that was used does not contain any protectant
tected/paint looks poor
Deposits such as in- Dampen w ith water immediately and remove with a m icro-
sects, bi rd dropp ings, fiber cloth
tree sap and road sal t
Grease-based con-Remove immediately with a mild soap solution al and a
tam inants such as soft cloth
cosmetics or sunblock
C ar bon p art s Deposits clean
the same way as painted parts ~ page 347
Dec orati ve d ecals
Deposits Soft sponge with a mild soap solutional
a) Mild soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 quart (1 liter l of water
Interio r cl ea ning
Component Situation Solution
Window s
Deposits Glass cleaner, then wipe dry
D
ecor ati ve part s/ Deposits Mild soap solutional
trim
Pla stic pa rts
Deposits Damp cloth
Heavier depos its Mild soap solution
al, detergent-free plastic clean ing solu-
tion, if necessary
Di spl ays/in stru· Deposits Soft cloth with LCD cleaner
ment clus te r
349

Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
C ont rols
Deposits Soft brush, then a soft cloth with a mild soap solution a)
Safet y belt s Deposits M
ild soap so lution a), allow to dry befo re letting them re-
tract
Te xt ile s Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner
artifi cial le athe r, the surface
Alcantara Water -based deposits Absorbent cloth and mild soap solutional
such as coffee, tea,
blood , etc.
Oi l-based deposits Apply a m ild soap so lution al, blot away the dissolved oi l or
such as oil, make-up , dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
etc.
Special deposits such Special sta in remover, blot with absorbent material, treat
as ink, na il polish, la -afterward with mild soap solution, if necessary al
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
N atu ral leath er Fresh stains Cotton cloth with a mild soap so lutiona )
Water-based deposits Fresh sta iins: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea , Dried st ains: stain remover suitable fo r leathe r
blood , etc.
Oil-based deposits Fresh
sta iin s: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable
such as oil, make -up, for leather
etc. dried stains: Oil cleaning spray
Special deposits such Spot remover suitab
le for leather
as ink, nail polish, la-
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Care Regularly apply conditioning cream that protects from
light and penetrates into the materia l. Use specially-co l-
ored cond itioning cream, if necessary .
Carbon part s Deposits clean the same way as plastic parts
a) M ild soap so lution: maxim um two tabl espoo ns o f neu tral s oa p in 1 quart (l lite r) of water
8_ WARNING
-The windshie ld may not be treated with wa-
ter-repelling windshield coating agents. Un­
favorable conditions such as wetness, dark­ ness, or low sun can result in increased glare.
Wiper blade chatter is also possible.
Q;) Note
- Headl ights /tail li ght s
- Never clean headlights or ta il lights with a
dry cloth or sponge .
350
-
-Do not use any clea ning product that con­
tains alco ho l, because they could cause
crac ks to form.
-Whe els
- Never use any paint polish or other abra-
sive materials.
- Damage to the protect ive layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches must
be repaired immediately.
- Sensors /camera lenses
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens . This
could cause the lens to crack.