AUDI S3 2015 Owners Manual

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can reach the catalytic converter . This
could result in overheating of the con­
verter, requ iring its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System :
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Wa rranty
&
Ma intenance booklet.
- Lac k of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impa ir
t he funct ion of the emission control
system and cou ld lead to damage.
@) For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Cont ro l System is
operating properly, t he exhaus t gas can
have a s ulfu r-like exhaust gas smell unde r
some operating states. This depends on
the s ulfur content of the fue l being used .
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w ith lead-free super
grade gasoline.
Diesel particulate filter
Applies to vehicles: with d iesel eng ine
The diesel particulate filter fi lters nearly a ll of
the soot part icles out of the exhaust. The fil­
ter cleans itse lf automatically under normal
driving conditions. If the filter cannot clea n it­
self (for examp le, because you are only driving
short d istances) , the fil ter becomes clogged
with soot and the
II symbo l for the diesel
particulate f ilter illum inates ~ page 23.
A WARNING
- Do not park yo ur vehicle ove r flammable
materials such as g rass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par­
t icu late filter could start a fire .
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in
the exhaust system area or a fire could
start.
Dri ving and the en vironm ent 199
Placing your vehicle
out of service
If you would like to take your vehicle out of
se rv ice for a longer time, contact your author­
ized Audi dealer or qualified repair fac ility .
They w ill advise yo u of impo rtant measures,
such as corrosion p rotection , maintenance
and storage p roced ures. Also follow the infor­
ma tion about the battery ~ page 228 .
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex ­
haust and noise levels .
Fuel economy, env ironme ntal impact, and
wea r on your eng ine, b rakes and tires la rgely
depend on three factors:
- your personal d riving s tyle
- operating conditions
- technical limitat ions
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent. This sec­
tion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help t he env ironment and your pocketbook.
@ Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONME NTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transpo rt Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the r oad, which will va ry depending upon vehi ­
cle load and speed, ro ad and weather con­
ditions, trip leng th, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating .
.,. Avo id unne cessary acceler ating and bra ki ng . .,..
•
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200 Driving and the environment
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerati ng. If you anticipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, accelerate less. let the vehicle coast
whenever poss ible -for example when you see
that the next traffic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
.. Try and keep well be low your car's max imum
speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump­
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
environment. F ue l consumption, exhaust emissions and en ­
gine noise increase disproportionately at hig h
speeds . If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fue l consumption will
be reduced by one half. Never dr ive faster
tha n the posted speed limit and weather con­
d itions permit.
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
.. Sh ut the engine off when you are not dr iving
the vehicle.
.. Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the
engine run at idle.
It is efficient to switc h off the engine when
stopped at railroad crossings and long red
lights. Turning the engine off for just 30-40
seconds saves mo re fuel than is burned by
start ing the eng in e again.
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fu lly when it is running at idle. However, wear
and nox ious em issions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should
d rive away as soon as you sta rt the eng ine and
avoid ru nning a t high RPM wh ile the engine is
still warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave engine i dling unattended af­
ter start ing. If wa rning lights sho uld come
on to indicate improper operation, they
would go unheeded. Extended idling also
produces heat , w hich could result in over­
hea ting o r othe r damage to the veh icle or
othe r property.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel.
.. Have your ve hicle serviced at regu lar inter-
vals.
Having your veh icle regu larly serviced by an
authorized Aud i dealer helps to ensure that it
runs properly and econom ica lly. The cond it io n
of your veh icle not on ly affects its safety and
ability to ho ld its va lue, i t also affects
fuel
c onsumption .
Check your oil each t ime you fill your tank.
The amount of oi l used is re lated to engine
l oad and speed.
It is normal for the oil consump tion of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certain
mileage has been driven .
You m ust drive your ve hicle abou t 3,000 m iles
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion .
T his also ap plies to fue l consumption and en ­
gine o utp ut.
(D Note
- Have your veh icle ma inta in ed properly
and i n acco rdance with the service rec­
ommendations in you r W arranty
& Main­
t enance boo klet. l ack of proper ma inte ­
nance as well as im proper use of the ve­
hicle will impair the function of the
em iss ion cont ro l system and cou ld lead
to damage.

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-Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Contro l System unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such
as heat shields, switches, ignition wires,
valves, wh ich are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System and other important veh icle compo­
nents.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips .
~ Try to avoid driving short distances with a
cold eng ine.
The engine and catalytic converter have to
reach their optimal
operating temperature to
reduce fuel consumption and noxious emis­
sions effectively.
Just after starting, a cold engine in a mid -size
car only achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 miles
per gallon (30-40 l/100 km). After about a
half a mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg
(20 l/100 km). After about
2 .5 m iles (4 km),
the engine is at its proper operating tempera­
ture and fue l economy has reached a normal
l eve l. So you can see that you should avoid
short trips wheneve r possible.
The
outside temperature is also critical in this
regard . Your car consumes more fuel in the
winter than in the summer.
Driving and the environment 201
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202 Trailer towing
Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a tra iler, p lease remember
that the addit ional load will affect durab ility,
economy and performance .
T railer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
F or this reason, always fo llow the operating
and drivi ng i nstr uctions 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 suita­
b le for your veh icle and trailer and mu st be
mounted secure ly on the ve hicle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a trailer
h itch with a removab le ball mount. A lways
check with the tr ailer hitch manu fac tur er to
make sure tha t you are using t he cor rect
hitch.
Do not us e a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way t hat
it does not interfe re with t he impact-absorb­
ing bumper syst em . No mod ifications should
be made to the vehi cle exhaust and brake sys ­
tems . From time to time, check th at a ll hit ch
mo unt ing bo lts remain secure ly fastened.
When you are not towing a trail er, remove the
tra iler hitch ba ll mount. This prevents the
hi tch from causing d amage sho uld your ve hi­
cle be str uck from be hind
¢ A .
Trailer brakes
If you r tra ile r is eq uipped w ith a braking sys­
tem, check to be su re that it conforms to a ll
r egulat ions . T
he trailer hyd raulic brake system mus t not be
direct ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use s afety chains be tween your ve hicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Tra ile r li ghts must meet all regulations. Be
su re to c hec k w ith your Audi dea le r fo r cor rect
wiring, swi tches and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
u sing the regular o utside m irrors, then you
must insta ll ext ended mirro rs . It is important
t h at you
always have clea r vis io n to the rea r.
,8. WARNING
-
Afte r removing t he trailer hit ch, d o no t
s tore it in yo ur vehicle . In case of sudden
br aking, t he h itch cou ld fly forward an d in­
j ur e you or yo ur 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 ra ile r is held secure ly
i n p lace to p reven t it from shift ing forw ard,
backw ard or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ A in Driving instru ctions on page 203.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­
er . It is impo rtant that the cooling system 's
performance is up to the additional load .
Make su re that the coo ling system has enough
fl uid .
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to t he cold tire pressure listed under
ll>

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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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204 Trailer towing
different weight distribution. Safety, perform ­
ance and economy wi ll greatly depend on how
carefu lly you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in a n area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
have become comp letely fam iliar with the way
your veh icle-trailer comb ination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is d iff icult and requires practice.
Backing up with a tra iler genera lly requires
steering action opposite to that when back ing
up your veh icle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
h icle and the one in front of you. You will need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remember that yo u cannot ac ­
celerate as fast as you normally would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow
p lenty of room for your tra iler before chang­
ing lanes aga in.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a tra iler dur ing the break-in
period of you r vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the ext ra load
¢ page 289.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it can­
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol­
lowing:
Wh en park ing:
.. Apply the foot brake .
.. Have someone place chocks under both the
vehicle and the trailer wheels. ..
With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes unti l the whee l chocks absorb the
load.
.. Turn the whee ls towards the curb.
.. App ly the parking brake.
.. Select the P selector lever posit ion.
When re starting afte r park ing :
.. App ly the foot brake.
.. Start the engine.
.. Select the D/S se lector lever position.
.. Release the parking brake and s lowly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks .
.. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
chocks .
@ Tips
If you move the selector leve r of the auto­
matic transmission to P befo re applying
the pa rking brake and before bloc king the
whee ls, you may h ave to use more force
la ter to move the lever out of the P posi­
tion .

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Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your
vehicle's val ue . It can also be a requirement
when submitting warranty claims for corro­
sion damage and paint defects on the body.
The necessary care products can be obtained
from your a uthorized Audi dea ler . Read and
follow the instructions for use on the packag­ ing.
A WARNING
- Us ing clean ing and care products incor­
rect ly can be dangerous to your hea lth .
- Always store cleaning and care products
out of reach of children to reduce the r isk
of po isoning.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Preferably use environmentally-friendly
products when buying cleaning agents.
- Do not d ispose of leftover cleaning and
care products with household trash.
-
Car washes
The longer that deposits such as insects, bird
droppings, tree sap or road sa lt rema in on the
veh icle, the more the surface can be dam­
aged . High tempe ratures such as those
caused by sunlight increase the damag ing ef­
fect .
Before washing, rinse off heavy depos its with
p lenty of water .
Stubborn depos its s uch as bird dropp ings or
tree sap are best removed with plenty of wa­
ter and a m icrof iber cloth.
A lso, wash the underside of your vehicle once
road salt stops be ing used for the season.
Pressure washers
When washing your veh icles w ith a pressure
washer, always fo llow the operating instr uc­
tions provided with the pressure washer. This is especially important in regard to the pres -
Care and cleanin g 205
sur e and sp raying distance. Do not aim the
spray direct ly at sea ls on side windows, doors,
the hood, the rear lid or the sunroof* or at
tires, rubber hoses, insulating material, sen­
sors* or camera lenses*. Keep a d istance of at
least 16 inches (40 cm) .
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer.
Never use rotary nozzles or h igh pressure noz­
zles .
T he wate r temperature m ust not be above
140
° F (60 °().
Automatic car washes
Spray off t he ve hicle before washing .
Make sure that the w indows and roof* are
closed and the winds hield wipers are off. Fol­
low instructions from the car wash operator,
especially if there are accessories attached to
you r vehicle .
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes .
Washing by hand
Clean t he ve hicle starting from the top and
working down us ing a soft sponge or cleaning
brush. Use solvent-free clean ing products .
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint
by hand
To avoid damaging the paint when washing,
first remove dust and large particles from
your vehicle. Insects, grease spots and finger­
pri nts are best removed w ith a spec ial cleane r
for matte finish paint .
Apply the product us ing a microfiber cloth. To
avo id damaging the paint surface, do not use
too much pressure.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water. Then
clean using a neutral shampoo and a soft mi­
crofiber cloth.
Rinse the ve hic le thoroughly again and let it
air dry . Remove any water residue using a
shammy.
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206 Care and cleaning
_& WARNING
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operator to reduce the risk
of accidents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect your­
self from sharp meta l components when
wash ing the underbody or the inside of
the wheel housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef­
fect may be de layed due to mo isture on
the brake rotors or ice in the winter. The
brakes must be dried first with a few
careful brake applicat ions .
@ Note
- If you wash t he vehicle in an automatic
ca r wash, you must fold the exterior m ir­
r o rs in to reduce the r isk of damage to
t h e m irrors. Power foldi ng exterior m ir­
r o rs* must on ly be folded in and o ut us­
i ng the p ower folding function.
- To prevent pa int damage, do not wash
t h e ve hicle in direc t sunli ght. -
To reduce the ris k of damage to the sur ­
face, do not use insect removing spong­
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted veh icle compo­
nents:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the
surface, do not use polishi ng agen ts or
h a rd wax.
- Never use protect ive wax. It can de­
stroy the matte fi nish effec t.
- Do not place any stickers o r mag net ic
s igns on vehicle parts painted w ith
matte fi nish pa int. The paint cou ld be
d amaged when the sticke rs o r mag nets
ar e removed. @ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the ve hicl e in facilities spec ia lly
de signed for that purpose. This will red uce
the r is k of dirty w ater contam ina ted with
oi l from entering the sewer sys tem.
Cleaning and care information
When clea ning and ca rin g for individua l vehi­
cle components, refer to the fo llow ing tab les.
The informa tion con taine d there is s imp ly rec­
ommendations. Fo r quest ions or for compo -nents that ar
e not listed, refer to an author­
i z ed Audi dea ler. Also follow the in format io n
f o und in¢ ,&..
Exterior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Wind shield wip-
Deposi ts ¢ page 51, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
er blade s
H eadlights /
Deposits Soft sponge with a m ild soap solutiona>
Tail lights
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth with a so lvent-free cleaning product
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning
so lution
Snow/ ice Hand brush/solvent -free de -icing spray
Wheels Road sa lt Water
Brake d ust Acid-free special cleaning so lution
E x haust ta il Road sa lt Water, cleaning solut ion sui table fo r sta inless steel, if
pipes necessary

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Care and cleanin g 207
Component Situ ation Solution
D eco ra ti ve
Deposits Mild soap solution a) if necessary a cleaning solution
part s/ suitable for stain less steel
t ri m
P ai nt
Paint damage Refer to the paint number on the vehicle data label, re-
pair with touch up paint¢
page 286
Spilled fuel Rinse with water immediately
Surface rust Rust remover, then protect with hard wax; for ques-
tions, refer to an authorized Audi dea ler .
Corrosion Have it removed by an authorized Audi dealer.
Water no longer Protect with hard wax (at least twice per year)
beads on the surface
of clean paint
No shine even Treat with suitable po lish; then app ly paint protectant if
though paint has the polish that
was used does not contain any protec-
been protected/ tant
paint looks poor
Deposits such as in- Dampen with water immediately and remove with a m i-
sects, bird drop- crofiber cloth
pings, tree sap and
road salt
Grease-based con -Remove ii mmediately with a mild soap solution al and a
taminants such as soft cloth
cosmetics or sun-
blo ck
C arb on p art s Deposits clean the same way as painted parts¢ page 205
Deco rati ve d ee-Deposits Soft sponge with
a m ild soap solutiona >
als
a) Mild soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of neu tral soap in 1 quart ( l lit er) of water
Int ernal cleaning
Component Situ ation Solution
Wind ows
Deposits Glass cleaner, then wipe dry
Deco ra tiv e Deposits Mild soap solutional
parts/
tri m
Pl as tic part s
Deposits Damp cloth
Heavier deposits Mild soap solution a>, detergent-free plastic clean ing
so lution, if necessary
D ispla ys Deposits Soft cloth with LCD cleaner
Cont rols Deposits Soft brush,
then a soft cloth with a mild soap sol utional
Saf ety b elt s Deposits Mild soap solution a), allow to dry before letting them
retract
...
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208 Care and cleaning
Component Situ ation Solution
Tex tile s,
Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner
art ifi cial l eather , the surface
Alcan ta ra Water-based depos- Absorbent cloth and m
ild soap so lution a>
its such as coffee,
tea, blood, etc.
Oil-based deposits Apply
a mild soap solut ion a>, blot away the dissolved oil
such as oil, make- or dye, treat afterward w ith water, if necessary
up, etc.
Special deposits Special stain remover, blot with absorbent material,
such as ink, nail pol-treat afterward with mild soap so lution, if necessary a)
ish, latex paint, shoe
polish, etc.
Natu ral leathe r Fresh stains Wool
cloth with a mi ld soap so lutiona >
Water-based depos- Fresh stains: absorbent cloth its such as coffee, Dr ied stains: stain remover suitable for leather
tea, blood, etc.
Oi l-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable
such as oil, make- for leather
up, etc . dried stains: Oil clean ing spray
Special deposits Spot remover suitable for leathe r
such as ink, nail po l-
ish, latex paint, shoe
polish, etc.
Ca re Regularly apply cond it io ni ng cream that protects from
light and penetrates into the mater ia l. Use spec ially-
co lored! conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carb on p art s Deposits clean th e same way as plastic parts
a) Mi ld soap solution: maximu m two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 quart (l liter) of water
_& WARNING
The windsh ie ld may not be treated with
water-repelling windshield coating agents .
Unfavorab le conditions such as wetness,
darkness, or low sun can result in in­
creased glare. Wiper blade chatter is also
possible .
([) Note
-Headlight s/tail li ght s
-Never clean headlights or tail lights
w ith a dry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cleaning product that
conta ins alcohol, because they could
cause cracks to form.
-
- Whee ls
- Never use any pa int polish or other
abrasive materials.
- Damage to the protective layer on the
rims s uch as stone chips or scratches
must be repaired immediately.
- Sen sors/ cam era len ses
-Never use warm or hot water to re-
move snow or ice from the camera
lens. This could cause the lens to crack.
- Never use abrasive cleaning mater ials
or alcohol to clean the camera lens.
This could cause scratches and cracks.
-Door windo ws
-Remove snow and ice on windows and
exter ior mirrors with a plastic scrape r.