ESP AUDI S3 2015 Repair Manual

Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
especially well for winter or summer driving. During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stations where the sea­ sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time.
Q;) Note
- Methanol fuels which do not meet these requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo­ nents in the fuel system .
- Do not use fuels that fail to meet the
specified criteria in this chapter .
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fuel blend meets the
specificat ions, ask your service station or
i ts fuel supp lier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents cannot be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are not
the responsibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the
Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy
or driveability and performance prob­
lems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufac­
turers is carbon deposit build-up caused by
the type of gasoline you use .
Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another, they have certain
things in common. All gasoline grades contain substances that can cause deposits to collect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline
brands include additives to keep engine and
M
N fuel systems clean, they are not equally effec-o
iii tive. ,...., \!) ..,.,
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Checking and Filling 211
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline . For more information on TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas .com).
After an extended period of using inadequate
fuels, carbon deposit build-ups can rob your engine of peak performance.
CJ) Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Audi New Ve­
hicle Limited Warranty.
Diesel fuel
App lies to vehicles : wit h diese l eng ine
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel)
No. 2 . The ULSD No. 2 meets the ASTM D975.
Diesel fuel with concentrations of biodiesel
higher than 5
% such as B11, B2O or B1OO are
strictly prohibited.
Service station fuel pumps are labeled with
the correct fuel information for easy recogni­
tion by the user.
If the diesel fuel pump is not
labeled ask the station operator what fuel is
being dispensed before filling up your vehicle.
ULSD No. 2 may not be available outside the
USA and Canada. Be sure to check before trav­
eling to other countries.
ULSD No. 2 can become thicker in very cold
temperatures, and this can impair the en­
gine's starting and running. Depending on the
season, gas stations provide ULSD No . 2 that
flows better in cold temperatures so that you
can continue operating your vehicle as usual.
(D Note
- Your vehicle's diesel engine was de­
signed solely for use with ULSD No. 2.
Therefore, never use gasoline, heating
oil, other fuels or flow improvers. These
contain substances that will severely
damage the fuel system and the engine.
Such damage will not be covered by your
New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
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~ If there was no Ad Blue left in the tank and a
range of
O mi (0 km) was displayed in the
instrument cluster, switch the ignition on
for about 15 seconds before starting the en­ gine.
_& WARNING
Ad Blue can irritate the skin, eyes and res­piratory system. If there is contact with
the fluid, flush immediately with plenty of
water. Consult a physician if necessary.
(D Note
- Only use Ad Blue that conforms to the standard ISO 22241-1. Do not mix any
additives with the Ad Blue and do not di­lute it with water .
- Do not add Ad Blue to the diesel tank or
add diesel fuel to the Ad Blue tank. Mix­
ing can lead to damage to the engine
and the Ad Blue tank system. Warranty
does not cover damage caused by this.
- AdBlue attacks surfaces such as painted
vehicle components, plastic and carpet.
Remove the fluid as quickly as possible
with a damp cloth and plenty of cold wa­
ter. If the Ad Blue has already crystal­ lized, use warm water and a sponge .
AdBlue residue that is not removed will
crystallize and can damage the affected
surface .
- Do not store the refill bottle in the vehi­ cle. If it leaks, the escaping Ad Blue could
damage the vehicle interior.
- Do not allow AdBlue to come into con­
tact with clothing . If there is contact
with the fluid, flush immediately with
plenty of water.
@ Tips
- You can obtain refill bottles from an au­
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility.
- Follow the AdBlue manufacturer's in­
structions for use and storage.
Checking and Filling 217
Hood
Working in the engine compartment
Special care is required if you are working in
the engine compartment
For work in the engine compartment such as
checking and filling fluids, there is a risk of
injury, scalding, accidents, and burns. For
this reason, follow all the following listed
warnings and general safety precautions.
The engine compartment is a dangerous
area.
c::> .&. .
_8 WARNING
To reduce the risk of injuries, complete the
following steps before opening the hood:
- Turn the engine off.
- Switch the ignition off.
- Set the parking brake.
- Place the selector lever in the P position.
- Let the engine cool down.
- Never open the hood when you see that
steam or coolant drips from the engine
compartment- there is a danger of burns! Wait until no steam or coolant
flows out .
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment.
- Never spill fluids on a hot engine . These
fluids (such as the freeze protection con­
tained in the coolant) can catch fire .
- Avoid short circuits in the electrical sys­
tem, especially the battery .
- When working in the engine compart­
ment, remember that the radiator fan
can switch on even if the ignition is
switched off, which increases the risk of
personal injury.
- Never open the cap on the coolant ex­
pansion tank when the engine is warm.
The cooling system is under pressure.
- To protect your face, hands, and arms
from hot steam or coolant, cover the cap
with a large cloth when opening.
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Always keep your forearm parallel to the
ground to help prevent hot oil from run­
ning down your arm.
- Drain the oi l into a conta iner designed
for this p urpose, one large eno ugh to
hold at least the total amount of oil in
your engi ne.
- Engine oil is poisono us. Keep it well out
of the reach of c hildren .
- Cont inuo us contact with used engine oil
is harmful to your skin. Always protect
you r sk in by washing oil off thoroug hly
with soap and water .
(D Note
Never mix oil addit ives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en­
gine and adversely affect y our Aud i Limit­
ed New Vehicle Wa rra nty .
@ For the sake of the environment
- Before changing your oi l, f irst make sure
you know whe re you can proper ly dispose
of the used o il.
- Always d ispose of used engine oil proper­
l y. Do not dum p it o n ga rden so il, wood ­
ed a reas, into open streams or down
sewage dra ins.
- Recycle used engine o il by taking it to a
u se d engine oil collection facility in your
a rea, or contact a servi ce station .
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro­
tects the engine from freezing in the winter.
The cooling system is sea led an d generally re ­
q uir es little attention.
The cooling system has been filled at the f ac­
tory with a pe rm anen t coo lan t which does no t
n eed to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture of specia lly conditioned water and the
manufacturer's glyco l-based coo lant add i-
tive Gl3 antifree ze with ant icorros ion addi-
Checking and Fillin g 225
tives (50% for USA mode ls; 60% fo r Canadian
models) . This mixture both ass ures the neces­
sary frost protection and protects metal com ­
ponents in the eng ine's cooling system from
corros io n and scaling. It also raises the bo il­
ing point of the coolant .
Do not reduce the concentration of the cool ­
ant in the s ummer by adding p lain water.
The
proportion of coolant additive must be at
least 50°/o but not more than 60 %
to main­
ta in antifreeze protect io n and cool ing eff ic ien­
cy . If the coo lant frost p rotection is too low ,
t he coo lan t could freeze and damage the vehi ­
cl e heating and engine cooling sys tem.
Fo r year- round drivi ng, a ntifreeze is added at
the factory fo r temperatures down to:
- -31 °F
< -3s0c) u sA
- -40°F ( - 40°C) Canada.
If you must ad d coo lant, use a mixture o f wa ­
te r and coolant additive. Mixing the coo lant
additive with dist illed water is recommended.
A WARNING
Before you chec k anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNI NGS
c:> page 217.
-
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coo lant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­ mate condit ions. This is especially impor­
t ant if you l ive i n a region where the win-
t er is extremely cold. If necessary, in-
c rea se t he p ropo rtion of coo lant add itive
t o 6 0% .
- Whe n ad d ing coolant addi tiv e to yo ur
c ooling sys te m , reme mbe r:
- We recommend using on ly coo lant ad­
d itive Gl2 ++ or Gl3 (check the labe l)
for your vehicle. This coolant additive is ava ila ble at autho rized Aud i dea le rs .
Othe r ty pes of antifreeze ca n sig nifi­
cantly reduce cor ros io n protec tion . The
r esu lting co rrosion can cause a lo ss of
c o o lant a nd serio us e ng ine da mage.
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Winter operati on
During the winter months, it is common for
the battery capacity to decrease as the tem ­
peratures become lower. This is because more
pow er is n eeded to start the vehicle and com­
ponents such as the headlights and the rear
window defogger are used more frequently.
Avoid using power unnecessarily, especially in
city driving or on short trips . Have your a u­
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv­
ice Facility check the battery capac ity before
the start of winter ¢
page 230 . A well-charg­
ed battery will not only reduce starting prob ­
l ems in cold weather, but it wi ll also last lon­
ge r.
A WARNING
- Wor k on the battery requires expert
knowledge. Con tact your au thori zed Audi
dealer q ua lified repai r fac ility for infor ­
mation regarding the vehicle battery.
The re is a risk for chemical burns or ex­
plos ions.
- Never open the vehicle battery. Do not
try to change the battery e lectrolyte lev ­
el. Otherwise explosive gas will escape
from the battery and increase the risk of an exp losion .
@ Tips
If your vehicle is not driven for severa l
weeks in very cold temperatures, remove
the battery and store it in a place where it
w ill no t freeze . This prevents the battery
from being damaged and need ing to be re­
placed.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near the battery .
The battery is located in the lugg age compart­
ment under the floor. Before you check any -
"' N thing in the luggage compartment, read and 0
iii heed all WARNINGS ¢ _&.
Checking and Fillin g 229
Always heed the safety warning s, when work­
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle e lec­
trical system to prevent in jury.
The following WARNINGS are very
important wh en working on the batte ry :
Alway s heed th e following WARNING SYM -
BOLS and safety pre caution s when working
on the battery .
®
Always wear eye p rotection .
A
Battery acid contain s sulfuric acid .
Always wear glov es and eye protec -
tion .
@
No
- sparks
- flames
- smoking .
~
When a battery is charged, it produ-
ce s hydrogen g as wh ich i s ex plo sive
and could c au se per sonal injury .
®
Always keep the battery well out of
re ac h of children .
A WARNING
Whenever working on the battery o r on
the elect rical system, there is the risk of
injury, accident and even fire. Read and
heed the following WARNINGS :
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let
-
battery ac id or any lead particles get on
your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes.
Exp losive gases can cause blindness or
other inju ry.
- Battery acid conta ins sulfuric acid. Sulfu­
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
bu rns.
- Always wear g loves and eye protection.
Do not tilt the battery because acid
could leak out of the ventilat ion open­
i ngs.
- If you get battery aci d in your eyes or
on your skin, immediately rinse with
cold water for several minutes and get med ica l attent ion.
- If you should ingest any battery acid,
seek medical attention immediately . •
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~ Clamp the charger terminal clamps as in ­
structed on the
b atter y ter min al (+ ) and on­
ly on the
body ground point (·).
~ Only now plug the mains lead for the charg­
ing equipment into the wall outlet and turn
it on
c:> ,.&. .
~ Mak e sure the charging rate i s not o ver
30 amp s / 14.8 Volt .
~ When the batte ry is fully charged: Turn the
c harging equ ipment off a nd remove the
mains lead from the wall outle t.
~ Now remove the clamps for the charging
equipment.
~ Close the red cover on the positive po le.
~ Close the hood <=> page 219.
A discharged battery can freeze at tempera­
tures of on ly 32 F
0 (0 °C). A llow a frozen bat­
tery to thaw completely before attempt ing to
charge it
c:> &. . However, we recommend not
using a thawed battery again because the bat­
tery cas ing can be cracked due to ice forma­
tion and can leak battery acid.
B atter y ch arging (Ma ximum charging rate
of
30 amps / 14.8 Volt)
When cha rging at low voltages (e .g. w ith a
tric kle charger ), the battery cables do not
have to be d isconnected first. The batte ry
caps sho uld
not be opened when charging a
battery .
It is not necessary to remove the batte ry from
the luggage compa rtment, and it is also not
necessa ry to disconnec t the cables.
Fa st charging the b attery (charging rate
above
14.8 Volts )
For technica l reasons do not use a battery
charger that uses voltage g reate r than
14.8 Volts to charge your veh icle's battery.
WARNING
Charging a battery can be dangerous.
- Always fo llow the oper ating instructions
provided by the battery charge r manu­
fact urer when charging your battery.
Checking and Fillin g 231
-Never charge a frozen battery. It may ex­
plode because of gas trapped in the ice .
Allow a frozen battery to thaw out first.
- Do not reuse batteries wh ich were fro­
zen. The battery housing may have
cracked and weakened when the battery
froze.
- Charge the battery in a well ventilated
area. Keep away from open flame or elec­
trical spark. Do not smoke. Hydrogen gas
generated by the battery is explos ive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never connect or d isconnect charger cab les
while the charger is ope rat ing.
- Fast charging a batte ry is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a compe­
tent techn ic ian with the prope r equip­
ment.
- Battery acid that may spi ll dur ing cha rg­
ing should be washed off wi th a solut io n
of wa rm w ater and baking soda to neu­
trali ze the ac id.
(D Note
Neve r use a fast cha rger as a boost er to
star t the engine. This w ill ser iously dam­
age sens it ive e lectronic componen ts, su ch
as cont ro l units, re lays, radio, etc., as well
as the battery charger.
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifi­
cations and dimensions as the original equip ­
ment battery.
Inte lligent energy management in your vehi­
cl e is responsible for dist ributing the elect ri­
ca l energy throughout yo ur vehicle
<=> page 194 . The intelligent energy manage­
ment system will keep the engine battery
charged better than vehicles without this sys­
tem . To make sure the additional electrical en­
ergy is ava ilab le once again after you have
changed the batte ry, we recommend that you
insta ll batteries of the same type and manu-
factu re on ly (the same as those installed at
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234 Tires and wheels
and make of tire and the tread
pattern.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims is of­
ten not readily visible. If you
notice unusual vibration or the
vehicle pulls to one side, this may indicate that one of the
tires has been damaged . The
tires must be checked immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop.
Unidirectional tires
A unidirectional tire can be identified by arrows on the
sidewall, that point in the direc­
tion the tire is designed to ro­
tate. You must follow the speci­
fied direction of rotation. This is
necessary so that these tires
can develop their optimum
characteristics regarding grip,
road noise, wear and hydro­
planing resistance. For more in­
formation
¢page 274.
&_ WARNING
New tires or tires that are
old, worn or damaged cannot provide maximum control
and braking ability. -New
tires tend to be slip­
pery and must also be bro­
ken-in. To reduce the risk of
losing control, a collision
and serious personal inju­
ries, drive with special care
for the first 350 miles (560 km).
-Driving with worn or dam­ aged tires can lead to loss of
control, sudden tire failure,
including a blowout and
sudden deflation, crashes
and serious personal inju­ries. Have worn or damaged
tires replaced immediately.
-Tires age even if they are
not being used and can fail
suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more
than 6 years old can only be
used in an emergency and
then with special care and at low speed.
-Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have
been damaged even though
the damage cannot be seen
that can lead to sudden tire
failure and loss of vehicle
control.
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-If you notice unusual vibra­tion or if the vehicle pulls to one side when driving, al­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the
wheels and tires for dam­ age.
(D Note
-Please note that summer and winter tires are de­
signed for the conditions
that are typical in those sea­
sons. Audi recommends us­ing winter tires during the
winter months. Low tem­ peratures significantly de­
crease the elasticity of
summer tires, which affects
traction and braking ability.
Tires and wheels 235
If summer tires are used in
very cold temperatures, cracks can form on the tread bars, resulting in perma­
nent tire damage that can
cause loud driving noise and unbalanced tires. Audi is not
responsible for this type of
damage.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be used in winter road condi­
tions. The surface of the
rims does not have suffi­
cient corrosion protection
for this and could be perma­
nently damaged by road salt
or similar substances.
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Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto­ matic transmission, power
steering, power brakes, power
windows, power seats, radio, and heater, to the extent that
these items are available as fac­
tory-installed equipment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the width of the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower indi­
cate a low sidewall for im­ proved steering response and
better overall handling on dry
pavement.
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236 Tires a nd whee ls
Bead Extra load tire
means the part of the tire that means a tire design to operate
is made of steel wires, wrapped at higher loads and at higher
or reinforced by p ly cords and inflation pressures than the
that is shaped to fit the rim . corresponding standard tire .
Bead separation Extra load tires may be identi-
fied as "XL", "xl", " EXTRA
means a breakdown of the bond LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
between components in the
bead .
Gross A xle Weight Rating
(" GAWR ")
Cord
means the load-carrying capaci-
means the strands forming the ty of a single axle system,
p lies in the tire .
measured at the tire-ground in-
Cold tire inflation pressure terfaces.
means the tire pressure recom-
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
mended by the vehicle manu-( "GVWR ")
facturer for a t ire of a designat-
means the maximum total
ed size that has not been driven loaded weight of the vehicle.
for more than a couple of miles
Groove
(kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before means the space between two
the tire pressure is measured or adjacent tread ribs.
adjusted.
Load rating (code )
Curb weight
means the max imum load that
means the weight of a motor a tire
is rated to carry for a giv-
vehicle with standard equip -en inflation pressure
. You may
ment including the maximum not find th
is information on all
capacity of fuel, oil, and cool- tires because it is not required
ant, air condit ioning and addi- by law.
...
tional weight of optional equip-
ment.

238 Tires a nd whee ls
Recommended inflation
pressure
see c:::> page 236, Cold tire infla­
tion pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate
at higher loads and at higher
inflation pressures than the
corresponding standard t ire .
Reinforced tires may be identi ­
fied as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewa ll.
Rim
means a meta l support for a
tire or a tire and tube assembly
upon which the tire beads are
seated .
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the
bead seat. If yo u change your
wheel size, you will have to pur­
chase new t ires to ma tch the
new rim d iameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance be­
tween rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that por tion of a tire be­
tween the tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at wh ich a tire
is designed to be driven for ex­
tended periods of time . The rat­
ings range from 93 mph
( 1 50 km/h) to 186 mph
( 2 98 km/h)
c:::> page 257 . You
may not find th is informat ion
on all tires because it is not re­
quired by law.
The speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the ti re sidewall and ind icates
the maximum permissible road
speeds
c:::> & in Winter tires on
page 261.
Tire pressure monitoring
system
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehic le's
tires a re underinflated an d ill u­
m inates a low tire press ure
warn ing telltale.
Tread
means that por tion of a tire
that comes into contact with
the road.

Tires and wheels 241
Tire pressure generally refers to tant things you can do to help
the amount of air in a tire that avoid sudden tire failure. Un-it needs it to do its job and derinflated tires are a major
safely carry the combined load cause of sudden tire failure. of the entire vehicle and its con- Keeping tires at the right pres-
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tents. Tire pressure is measured sure is also important for safe
in kilopascals (kPa), the inter- and responsive vehicle han-
national measuring unit and in dling, traction, braking and
pounds per square inch (PSI) . load carrying.
Tire pressures
Tire pressure is based in part on are particularly important
the vehicles design and load when the vehicle is being driv-
limit - the greatest amount of en at higher speeds, and then
weight that the vehicle can car -especially when heavily loaded
ry safely and the tire size. The even within the permissible
proper tire pressure is frequent-load-carrying capacities ap-
ly referred to as the "recom-proved for your vehicle.
mended cold tire inflation pres-
The recommended tire pres-
sure." Air in the tires expands sures for your Audi depend on
when the tire heats up because the kind of tires on your vehicle
of internal friction when it flex- and the number of passengers
es in use. The tire pressure is and/or amount of luggage you
higher when the tire has will be transporting.
warmed up than when it is The tire pressure label is locat-
"cold." It is the inflation pres-
ed on the driver's side B-pillar.
sure in a "cold" tire that counts.
Therefore, you should never let The tire pressure label lists the
recommended cold tire infla-
air out of a warm tire to match
"cold tire inflation pressure" tion pressures for the vehicle at
its maximum capacity weight
recommendations. The tires
would then be underinflated and tires that were on your ve
-
and could fail suddenly. hicle at the time it was manu-
' M factured
. • N
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sure is one of the most impor-1.1'1
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