engine overheat AUDI S3 2015 Owners Manual

12 Instrum ent s and indicator lamp s
Fuel level
The display@ Q page 10, fig. 3 only works
when the ignition is sw itched on . When the
d isplay has reached the reserve mark, the bot­
tom LED wi ll turn red and the
tD indicator
light turns on
Q page 24 . The bottom LED
blinks red when the fue l level is very low .
The on -board computer shows the range
based on the fuel leve l
Q page 2 8, On-board
computer display.
F or the tank capac ity in yo ur vehicle , refer to
the Tec hnical Data
Q page 288.
CJ) Note
Never d rive until the tank is completely
empty. The irregular supp ly of fuel that re­
sults from that can cause the engine to
misfire. Uncombusted f uel will then enter
the exha ust system. This can cause over­
heating and damage to the catalytic con­
verter .
Coolant temperature indicator
In vehicles without a coolant temperature in­
d icator , an indicator l ight . will turn on
when the coolant temperature is too h igh
Q page 20. Refer to Q Q) .
The coolant temperature ind icator @
c::> page 10, fig . 3 only works when the ignition
is switched on . T o prevent engine damage, ob­
serve the fo llow ing notes about the tempe ra­
ture ranges.
Cold range
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge
turn on, the engine has not reached operat ing
temperature yet . Avoid high engine speeds,
fu ll acce le rat ing and heavy engine loads.
Norm al range
The engine has reached its operating temper­
ature once the LEDs up to the center of the
gauge turn on under normal driving condi­
tions. The L EDs higher up may turn on if the
engine is under heavy load or the o uts ide tern- perature is h
igh. This is not a cause for con­
cern as long as th e . indicator light in the
display does not turn on.
Hot range
If the L EDs in the upper area of the disp lay
and the. indicator light in the instrument
cluster disp lay t urn on , the coo lant tempera ­
ture is too high
c::> page 20.
A WARNING
I-
- Always observe the warn ing in
c::> page 217, before opening the hood
and checking the engine coolant level.
- Never open the eng ine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coo lant
dripping from the engine compartment.
You could burn yourse lf . Let the engine
coo l off f irst unti l yo u can no longe r see
or hea r steam or coolan t escap ing.
Q) Note
- In vehicles w ith a boost pressure indica­
to r*, this indicator replaces the tempe ra­
t ur e display. To promote a long engine
service life, avoiding h igh engine speeds,
full acceleration and he avy eng ine lo ads
during approximately the first 15 m i­
nutes when the engine is co ld is recom ­
mended. The amount of time until the
eng ine is warm depends on the outside
temperat ure. Check the engine oil tem­
perature* if necessary.
c::> page 32
- Add itiona l head lights and other compo­
nents in front of the air intake impairs
the cooling effect of t he coolant. This in­
creases the risk of the engine overheat­
ing during high outs ide temperatures
and heavy eng ine load.
- T he front spoiler also he lps to d istr ibute
cooling ai r correctly wh ile driving. If the
spoiler is damaged, the coo ling effect
w ill be imp aired and the risk of the en­
gine overhea ting will increase . See an au­
thorized Audi dealer or autho rized Audi
Service Facility for assistance . ...,

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-If the indicator light and the message ap­
pear
when the vehicle is stationary or after
switching the ignition on,
check if you can
release the parking brake . If you cannot re­
lease the parking brake, see your authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty. If you can release the parking brake and
the message still appears, see an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty immediately to have the malfunction cor­
rected.
- If the indicator light and message appear
while driving, the hill start assist or emer­
gency braking function may be malfunction­
ing.
It may not be possible to set the park­
ing brake or release it once it has been set.
Do not park your vehicle on hills and see an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility for assistance.
(USA models): If the. and&] indicator
lights turn on together, take your vehicle to an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility immediately to have the brake
pads inspected c;, page 22 .
There is also a warning tone when the lights
turn on.
A WARNING
-
-Follow the warnings on c::;, page 217,
Working in the engine compartment
be­
fore opening the hood and checking the
brake fluid level.
-If the brake system indicator light does
not turn off or it turns on while driving,
the brake fluid level in the reservoir is
too low, and this increases the risk of an
accident. Stop the vehicle and do not
continue driving. See an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility
for assistance.
-If the brake system indicator light turns
on together with the ABS and ESC indica­
tor lights, the ABS/ESC regulating func­
tion may be malfunctioning. Functions
that stabilize the vehicle are no longer
available . This could cause the rear of the
vehicle to swerve, which increases the
Instruments and indicator lamps 19
risk that the vehicle will slide. Drive care­
fully to the nearest authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Facility and have the malfunction corrected.
PARK /C®)/¢5, Electromechanical parking
brake
If the . (USA models) /. (Canada models)
indicator light turns on, the parking brake was
set.
• (USA models) I. (Canada models) Cau­
tion: Vehicle parked too steep
When the indicator light blinks and this mes ­
sage appears, there is not enough braking
power to keep the vehicle from rolling. The
brakes have overheated. The vehicle could roll
away even on a small incline .
• (USA models) I. (Canada models)
Please press brake pedal to release parking
brake
To release the parking brake, press the brake pedal and press the~ button at the same
time, or start driving with hill start assist
c::;, page 82, Starting from a stop.
Ill Parking brake!
There is a parking brake malfunction. Drive to
an authori zed Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility immediately to have the mal­
function corrected.
Iii Parking brake: limited functionality!
There is a parking brake malfunction. Drive to
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility immediately to have the mal­
function corrected.
ll:1;1:tl:j;J:134 (USA models) I mil (Canada mod­
els) Please release parking brake
Release the parking brake if this message ap­
pears.
ll,1;1:tl:j;(;134 (USA models) / mil (Canada mod­
els) Parking brake auto release unavailable
If this message appears, press the brake pedal
first and then release the parking brake .
IJJ,,
•

20 Instruments and indicator lamps
ltJ;):t :1;034 ( USA model s) / ml (Canada mod­
els) Caution : Vehicle parked too steep
When t he i nd ic ator light blinks and th is mes­
sage appears, t here is no t eno ugh braking
power to keep the ve hicl e from rolling . The
b rakes have overheate d. The vehicle cou ld roll
away even on a small incline .
ltJ;)i:j;lJ34 ( USA model s) / ml (Canada mod­
els) Parking brake is applied
I f t his message appea rs, press t he b rake pedal
fi rst and then re lease the par king brake if nec­
essa ry.
@ Tips
F or addit ional info rmation on the pa rk ing
brak e, refer t o¢
page 80.
...L Cooling system
• Switch off engine and check coolant lev­
el!
T he coolant leve l is too low or the coolant
temper ature is too high .
D o not cont inue d riving and swi tc h the eng ine
o ff. C hec k the coolant leve l¢
page 225 .
-If the coolant leve l is too low, add coolant
<=> page 226 . O nly con tinue driv ing o nce the
indicator light turns off.
- If the coolant leve l is correct, the problem
may be ca used by a ma lf u nction in the radia­
tor fan . D o not cont inue driv ing . See an au­
t h o rized Aud i dea le r or a uth o riz ed Aud i
Se rv ic e Fa cili ty for ass ist ance.
• Coolant temperature too high! Let engine
run with vehicle stationary
Let the eng ine run at id le for a few minutes to
coo l down .
A WARNING
- Never op en the hood if you ca n se e or
h ear st ea m or coo la nt escaping from the
eng ine com pa rtm ent. This in cre ases t he
r isk of burn s. Wai t unti l you no longe r
see o r hear steam o r cool ant esca ping.
-
'
- The engine compa rtment in any vehicle
can be a dangerous area. Stop the engine
a nd allow it to cool befo re working in the
e ng ine compartment. A lways foll ow the
info rmation found in
~ page 217, Work ­
ing in th e engin e compartm ent.
(D Note
Do n ot cont inue dr iv ing if the . indicato r
lig ht tur ns on -this inc reases the r isk o f
engine damage.
"1::::7: Engine oil pressure
• Switch off engine! Oil pres sure too low
St op t he engine and do not cont inue drivi ng.
Check the eng ine oi l level
r=> page 223 .
- If the engine o il level is too low, add eng ine
oil
r=> page 221. Only co nti nu e driving once
the indicator light turns off.
- If the engine o il level is co rrect and the indi­
cator light still turns on, turn the eng ine off
and do not cont inue driv ing . See an author­
ized Aud i deale r or au tho rized Aud i Service
Facili ty for ass ista nce.
(i) Tips
The oil pressu re war ning is not an oi l level
i ndica to r. For th is reason, c hec k t he o il lev­
e l reg ularly .
' 0 Alternator/battery
• Alternator fault: battery is not being
charged
The re is a malfunction in the alternator or th e
vehicle e lectr ica l system .
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately . Be ­
ca use the v ehicl e batte ry is drain ing , turn off
all unnecessa ry el ectrical eq uipm ent such as
t h e M MI. See yo ur aut ho rized Aud i de aler o r a
qualifie d repa ir fa cili ty if the b attery ch arge
l evel is too low .
(•) low battery charge: Battery will be
charged while driving

112 Automatic tran smi ssio n
Stopp ing /p ark ing
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the driver's door, the vehicle
could ro ll. In vehicles with a convenience key*,
the following message appears:
Sh ift to P,
othe rwise veh icle c an roll a way. Door s do not
lock if le ver is not in P.
You will also hear a
warn ing tone.
"' Press and ho ld the brake pedal¢.&_ .
"' Set the parking brake.
"'Se lect the P selector lever pos ition.
St opp ing on an incline
• Always press the brake pedal to hold the ve ­
hicle in p lace and prevent it from "rolling
back"
¢ .&_ . Do n ot try to prevent the vehi­
cle from "roll ing back" when a gear is en­
gaged by increasing the eng ine speed
¢ (D.
Starting on an inclin e in vehicl es w it h out
Hill Hold *
"'Set the parking brake.
"' With the driving gear selected, press the ac­
celerator pedal carefully . The parking brake
will release automat ically if your safety belt
is fastened.
St arting on an incline i n vehicle s with Hill
Hold*
"' With the driving gear selected, remove your
foot from the brake pedal and press the ac­ cele rato r pedal ¢
page 82, Hill hold.
Under certain circumstances, (such as driving
in the mountains or towing a tra iler), it may
be usefu l to sw itch temporarily to the manual
shift p rogram in order to adjust the gears to
the dr iving condit ions by hand
¢ page 114.
When parking on a level surface, simply place
the selector lever in the P pos ition. On in­
clines , activate the parking bra ke first and
then move the selector lever to the P pos it ion
¢ page 80 . This prevents the locking mecha­
nism from being loaded too heavi ly and will
make it easier to move the selector lever out
of the P position.
A WARNING
- The vehicle can roll even when the en­
g ine is switched 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 these­
lector lever to the P position .
- Power is still transferred to the wheels
when the engine is runn ing at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "c reeping", you
must keep you r foot on the brake when
the engine is running and the selector lever is in the D, Sor R position or "tip­
tronic" mode is selected . -
-Do not inadvertently press the accelera­
tor peda l when the vehicle is stationary.
Otherwise the vehicle wi ll start to move
immediate ly, even if the parking brake is
set. Th is could result in a crash.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the se lector lever position
while the veh icle is stationary and the
engine is running.
- Never engage the R or P selector level positions while dr iv ing. It could cause a
crash .
- Before driving down a steep slope, re­
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with "tiptronic" .
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
downhill . Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re­
duces braking pe rformance, increases
b rak ing distan ce or causes complete fa il­
ure of the brake system.
- I f you must stop on an in cl ine, always
hold the vehicle i n place with the foot
brake or park ing brake to p revent it from
rolling back .
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with
a slipping clutch . The clutch opens auto ­
matica lly when it becomes too hot from

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the overload. The ml indicator light
turns on and a message appears
Q page 115 when the clutch is overload­
ed .
-If the engine must run while you are
working in the eng ine compartment with
the hood open, make sure a gear is not engaged . T he selecto r leve r must be
firmly in the P pos ition and locked in
pla ce and t he pa rking brake must be set
Qpage217. Otherwise, the veh icle
cou ld beg in moving when the eng ine
speed is high, even with the parking
brake set.
W Note
- When stopping on an incline, do not try
to ho ld the vehicle in place by pressing
the accelerator peda l w hile a dr iving gear
i s selected. This can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat and can dam­
age it. Set the parking b rake or press the
brake pedal to p revent the veh icle from
ro lling .
- Allow ing the ve hicle to roll when the en­
gine is stopped and the selector lever is
i n the N position will damage the auto­
matic transmission beca use it is not lu­
b ricated unde r tho se c ircumstances.
- The t ransm ission can overheat and be
damaged under certa in d riving and traf­
fi c condition s suc h as frequent s tarts ,
creeping for a long time , or s top-and-go
traff ic. W hen the
ml or . indicator
light turns on, stop the vehicle at the
next oppo rtunity and let the t ransmis ­
s ion coo l
Qpage 115.
-Allow ing the ve hicle to roll when the en­
gine is stopped w ill damage the S tron ic
transmission because it is not lubricated
Q page 282 , Emergency towing with
commercial tow truck .
@ Tips
For safety reasons, the park ing brake re­
leases automatically only when the driver's
door is closed and dr iver 's safety belt is
fastened.
Automa tic tran sm iss ion 113
Hill descent control
App lies to vehicles : wi th 5 tronic tra nsmi ssio n
Hill descent control assists the driver when
driving down hills .
Hill descent control is activated when these­
l ector lever is in the D or S position and you
press the brake peda l. The transmission auto ­
matically selects a gear that is suitable for the
i ncl ine. Hill descent cont ro l t ries to ma inta in
t h e speed ac hieved a t the t ime of b raking,
within physic al and tec hnical lim it a tions. If
may sti ll be ne cessa ry to adju st the speed
with t he b rakes . Because hi ll descent control
cannot sh ift down farthe r than 3rd gear, it
may be necessary to sh ift into t iptronic mode
in very steep areas. In this case, shift into 1st
o r 2nd gear in tiptro nic mode to use the en­
gine's brak ing force to relieve the brakes .
Hill descent control switches off once the hi ll
levels out or you press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles with a cruise contro l system*
Q page 83, hill descent control is also activat ­
ed when the speed is set .
A WARNING
-
Hill descent control cannot overcome
physical lim itations, so it may not be ab le
to maintain a co nsta nt speed unde r all
conditions . A lways be ready to apply the
b rakes .
•

116 Automatic transmission
with the eng ine runn ing (a t id le) in the P se ­
lector lever position . Then the indicator light
and the message turn off, drive to an author ­
ized A udi dealer or qualified repair facility im­
mediately to have the malfunct ion corrected.
If the indicator lig ht and the dr ive r message
do not tur n off, do not cont inue dr iv ing. See
a n author ized Audi d eal er or author ized A udi
S ervi ce Fa cili ty for a ssis tance.
Di] Transmiss ion malfunction: you can con­
tinue driving
Drive to an autho rized Aud i dea le r or a uthor­
ized A udi Service Facility immed iate ly to have
the ma lf u nction corrected .
Di] Transmission malfunction: no reverse
gear (you can continue driving)
D rive to an authorized Aud i dea le r or a uthor ­
ized A udi Service Facility immediate ly to have
the ma lf u nct ion co rrected .
Di] Transmi ssion malfunction: You can con­
tinue dri ving in D until engine off
Drive the ve hicle away from mov ing traff ic and
p ar k. See an au thori zed A udi d ealer or author­
iz ed A udi Service F acility for assis tance .
Di] Transmi ssion overheating! Please adapt
driving style
Continue driving moderate ly. When t he in di­
cato r ligh t turns off, you can continue dr iving
normally .
Di] Transmission : Please press brake pedal
and select gear again
If t h e tra nsmission mal functions beca use the
temperature is too h igh , a message appears
when t he transmission is coo led.
Selector lever emergency release
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic transmission
If the vehicle 's power supply fails, the selec­
tor lever can b e released in an emergency.
Fig. 101 Se lector leve r: remov ing t he cover
Fig. 10 2 Selector leve r: Us ing the emergency re lease
to move out of t he Park pos itio n
The emergency release mechanism is located
in the right a rea under the selector lever sh ift
gate. Using the eme rgency release ca n be
complicated. We recommend contacting an
au tho rize d Audi d eale r o r a uth o rized Aud i
Se rv ice Facility for assistance, if necessary.
The sc rewd river from t he ve hicle too l kit locat­
ed in the luggage compartmen t is needed to
fo r the emergency release ¢ page
268 . Use
the f lat s ide of the reve rsible screwdriver
blade .
Removing the selector lever cover
"'Set the park ing brake «el)¢&. to secure
your veh icle from rolling .
"' Insert the flat side o f the scr ewdr ive r side­
ways in the s lot near the s hift cove r and pry
t he shi ft cove r up <=> fig.
101 .
.,. Pull up the co rner s of the shift c over car eful­
ly wi th yo ur hands and fold it over the s hift-
er knob ¢fig.
10 2. ..,.

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Smart Technology
Information about
data recorded by
vehicle control
modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with a crash data
recorder. This device is installed by some vehi­
cle manufacturers to record data about crash­
es so that it can be analy zed later . Crash data
recorders are also called "Event Data Record­
ers ( EDR)" .
In some legal jurisdictions, it is not permitted
to access or download data recorded by pre­
installed crash data recorders in order to eval­
uate a crash without clear consent of the vehi ­
cle owner .
Your vehicle is not equipped with a crash data recorder. However it does contain a variety of
electronic control modules for various vehicle
systems such as engine function, exhaust
treatment or airbags and safety belts .
These electronic control modules record vehi­ cle data during normal driving for diagnosis
and repair purposes . The recording capability
of the electronic control modules is limited to
data only- no sound is recorded.
If the control
module detects a system ma lfunction or other
change in status, a very limited amount of da ­
ta is recorded for an extremely small period of
time . Data that is recorded in such a case may
include vehicle speed, d riving direction, the
load on the brakes and head restraints and
performance in the event of an acciden t or
other change in status . The stored data can
only be read or downloaded with special devi­
ces.
Electronic stabilization
control (ESC)
Description
The Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) con­
tr ibutes to driver safety. It reduces the risk of
slipp ing and improves driving stability. ESC
Smart Technolog y 189
detects critical situations such as the vehicle
oversteering and understeering or the wheels
are spinning . The vehicle is stabilized by ap­
plying the brakes or reducing engine torque.
Once the ESC is activated, the indicator light
m blinks in the instrument cluster .
The following systems are integrated in the
ESC:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS )
ABS prevents the whee ls from locking when
braking. The vehicle can still be steered even
during hard braking. Apply steady pressure to
the brake pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A
pulsing in the brake peda l indicates that the
system is acting to stabilize the vehicle.
Brake assi st sys tem
The brake assist system can decrease braking
distance. It increases braking power when the
driver presses the brake pedal quickly in emer­
gency situations. You must press and hold the brake pedal until the dangerous situation is
over . In vehicles with adaptive cruise control*,
the brake assist system is more sensit ive if the
distance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
small.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin spinning and adapts the force to
the road conditions . This makes it easier to
start , accelerate and dr ive up inclines .
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other drive
wheel or wheels if the vehicle is equ ipped with
all wheel drive*). This function is not available
at higher speeds .
In extreme cases, EDL automatically switches
off to keep the brake on the braked wheel
from overheating . The vehicle is still working
correctly. EDL will switch on aga in automat i­
cally when cond itions have returned to nor-
mal. .,..
•
•
•

192 Smart T echnol ogy
Corro sion
Leaving the vehicle parked for long periods o f
time, low mi leage and avoiding heavy braking
can contribute to corrosion on the brake ro­
tors and di rty brake pads.
I f you usually avoid heavy brak ing or if there is
corrosion present, occasiona l heavy braking at
high speeds is recommended to clean the
brake rotors and pads¢,& .
Brake system malfunction
if you notice that the brake pedal t ravel has
suddenly gotten larger, then a brake circuit
may have failed. Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility immediately
to hav e the problem corrected . On the way
there, drive with reduced speed and keep in
mind that a long braking distance and in­
creased pressure on the brake pedal will be
necessary .
Lo w brake fluid level
When the brake fluid level is low, ma lfunc ­
tions in the brake system may occur. The
brake fluid level is electronically mon itored.
B rake bo ost er
The brake booster amplifies the pressure you
apply to the brake pedal. It only works when
the engine is running.
A WARNING ,~ ·
- You should only perform braking maneu­
vers to clean the brakes when the road
condit ions perm it. Never put others on
the road at risk -never forget the risk of
acc idents!
- On steep slopes, reduce the speed and
select a lower gea r or lowe r selector lev­
er position. Drive as litt le as poss ible
w hil e pressing the bra ke peda l and avoid
putt ing you r left foot on the brake pedal
whi le driving . This could cause the brakes
to overheat and impair the efficiency of
the brakes .
- Do not let the brakes "grind" by always
keeping yo ur foot on the brake peda l. This can cause the brakes to overheat
in-
,
crease wear and increase braking dis­
tance unnecessarily.
- Certain weather and operating condi­
tions such as driving through water, driv­
ing in heavy rain or driving after washing
your veh icle can impa ir the effectiveness
of the brakes . In the winter, ice may
bu ild up on the bra ke pads, rotors and
d rums. Che ck these components by b rak­
ing caref ully. App lyi ng the br akes care­
fu lly several times dries the brakes and
removes ice bui ld-up .
- The eff ic iency of the brakes can also be
impaired by driving for long stretches on roads covered with salt without using the
brakes. Yo u can remove salt deposits
from the brake rotors and pads by care­
fully applying the brakes several times.
- If the front spoiler is damaged or you in­
stall another spoiler, make sure the front
wheel brakes are ventilated properly.
Otherwise , the brake system could over ­
heat, wh ic h red uces their effectiveness .
- Failure of a brake circuit impa irs braking
performance, wh ic h increases bra king
d istance . Avoid driving the vehicle and
have it towed it to the nearest author­
i z ed A udi dealer or au thorized Aud i Serv­
ice Facility .
- Do not let your ve hicle roll w it h the en­
g ine switched off unde r any circumstan­
ces .
- If the b rake booste r is no t working, you
will have to press much harder on the b rake peda l to compensate for the lack
of the booster.
(D Note
- N ever le t the bra kes "rub" by pressing
t he pedal ligh tly when braking is not
really necessary . This causes the brakes
to overheat and increases braking dis ­
tance and causes wear .
- Before dr iv ing on a long stretch with
steep s lopes, reduce your speed and shift
to the next lower gear This makes use of
the engine brak ing effect and relieves .,.

198 Driving and the environment
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
A WARNING
After driving through water or mud, the
braking effect can be reduced due to mois­
ture on the brake discs and brake pads. A
few careful brake applications should dry off the brakes.
@) Note
Vehicle components such as the engine, transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Determ ine the depth before driving
through water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
through water .
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive through safely.
- Avoid dr iving through salt water (corro­
s ion).
Catalytic converter
App lies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner.
> Always use lead-free gaso line r=;, page 210,
Fuel supply .
> Never run the tank down all the way to emp-
ty.
> Never put too much motor o il in your engine
r=;, page 223, Adding engine oil > Never try to push- or tow -start your vehicle .
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean ­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle . The cata lytic converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be­
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critica lly
important for the life of the catalytic convert­
er and proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
-
The temperature of the exhaust system is high, both when driv ing and after stopping
the eng ine .
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once
they have become hot . This could result
in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fue l spill or other material wh ich can
cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields . Dur ing driving, the
substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
r=;, page 223.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The engine could mis­
fire . Unburned fuel could also get into
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignition while the
vehicle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
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"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer t ires to tra iler and t ire manufac­
turers' 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 con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners. When you install safety
chains, make su re they wi ll not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the tra ile r
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 obtain the best poss ible handling of vehicle
and traile r, p lease note the following:
~ Do not tow a loaded tra iler when your car it­
self 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 re­
sults in a highly 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 easier to operate and con ­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent poss ible and permiss i­
ble, wh ile keeping the trailer as light as poss i­
ble under the circumstances . Whenever possi-
Trailer towing 203
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle load ing
considerations.
Speed
T he higher the speed, the mo re difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissib le speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -particularly
when going downhill.
Reduce veh icle speed
immediately if the trail­
er 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 trai lers are lower than for
regular vehicles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving
downhi ll, shift into a lower gear to use the en ­
gine braking effect to s low the vehicle. Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperatu re gauge <=> page 12
must be observed carefu lly. The coolant tem ­
perature can increase if you drive on long in­
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds. Re­
duce your speed immediately if the LEDs in
the top part of the display turn on.
For more information about indicator lights,
refer to .<=>
page 20.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident. Never let anyone ride in your car
who is not properly wearing the restraints
provided by Audi.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles d ifferently when towing
a trailer because of the additional weight and ..,.
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