sensor AUDI S3 2009 Owners Manual

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The ins trum ent cluster is your central source of informa­
ti on.
Fig . 2 Overv ie w of th e instrume nt clu ster
0
0
0
©
©
©
G)
©
T achometer with time and date display ......•.....
I ndicator lights (turn signals) ... ....... .... ..... .
Coo lant temperature gaug e .... ... ...... ...... .. .
Fuel gauge .. ... .... .. ...... .... ... ..... ... ... .
S pe edom eter wi th o do met er ..... .... ... .. .. ... .
Se t/Chec k button ..... ... ..... ..... ... ........ .
Warn ing/indicator l ights
Reset but ton for 8,9
1 1
9
1 0
1 0
9 , 29
1 1
- Trip odomete r 10
-Service i nterv al dis play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
(D Note
The instrument clu ste r and center c onsole i lluminati on (gauge s and
n eedles) comes on w hen you sw itch on the ignit ion and the vehicle
he adl ights are off . Be awa re of the following difference betw een
models built to US or Canad ian specificat io ns:
• USA models : illumination of the instrument cluster (gauges and
needles), dash and center con sole around the gear shift lever is
controlled by a light sensor located in the instrument panel. The
instrument panel illumination will automatically become dimmer
as the daylight fades away and eventually will go out completely
when outside light is very low . This is to remind you, the driver , to
sw itch on the headlights befo re it gets too dark .
• Canada models: instrument panel illumination will stay bright
regardless of the intensit y of ambient light . Always be aware of
changes in outside light conditions while you are driving . Respond
in time to fading dayl ight by turning the light swit ch to position
jD
(or" AUTO" if you r car i s equi ppe d with this feature) to turn on your
headlights . •
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
T h e ta chom eter ind icates the e ngine RPM (revo luti ons pe r
minut es).
The tachom eter 0 => fig . 2 is the left on e of the two large clock -type
dis plays .
The engine turns at a speed 1 000
times the single di git in the
display, e.g . if the needle p oints at the "2", the eng ine t urns at
2 000 RP M.

Yellow symbols
A yellow symbol means WARNING.
Contro ls and eq uip­
ment
Low fuel level
Check engine oil level Engine oil sensor malfunction
E ng ine spee d limitation
Worn brake pads
USA mode ls:
Speed warning 1
Can ada m od els:
Speed warning 1
USA mod els:
Speed wa rning 2
C ana da m odels:
Speed warning 2
Dynamic headlight range con-
trol* defective
Windshield washer fluid leve l low
Ba ttery voltage too high or too
low
Defective light bulb
USA m odel s:
Defective brake light
=> page 32
=> page32
-
=> page32
=> page32
=> page32
=> page33
=> page33
=> page33
=> page33
=> page33
=> page33
=> page33
=> page 33
=> page33
-
-
Dri ver inf orm atio n di spl ay
Ca nad a m ode ls: => page33
Defective brake light
Light/rain sensor defect ive (auto-
=> page 34
matic headlights)* defective
Adapt ive Light* defective
=> page 34
Ti re pressure monitoring system* => page 34
When a yellow symbol appears, a warning tone will sound once .
Check the displayed function as soon as possible. If more than one
malfunction is detected, all symbols will appear one after the other
for about two seconds. •
Driver information
In addition to the warning/indicator lights and the
symbols in the instrument cluster display, driver informa­ tion is displayed.
Fi g. 2 1 Section of
in stru ment cl uster:
Set/C hec k b utto n
Driver information appears in the display when a defective light
bulb is reported by the defective light bulb warning=>
page 33,
when the brake pads are worn and before you engage a gear on
vehicles with S tronic.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

Driver information display
low oil level warning . By then , your engine may alre ady have
suffered seriou s damage. •
Applies to vehic les: w ith eng in e spee d lim itat ion
Engine speed limitation 1<
Engine speed ma ximum XX.XX RPM
The J symbo l illuminate s when there is an engine cont rol malfunc ­
tion . T he indicator l ight
..J., in the instrument cluster also illum i­
nates. The engine speed is limited to the speed displayed in the
d river in for mation system. Keep in mind tha t the engine speed w ill
not exceed the va lue displayed in the driver information system, for
example when downshifting.
Please go to an authorized Audi dealer or other qua lified workshop
to have the ma lf u nct ion re paired. •
Fuel supply too low
When th e L symbol illuminates, this mea ns th ere are about 2 .6
gallons (10 liters) of fuel left in the fuel tank . Time to refuel!
~ p age 220 .
If the symbol l ights up, eve n when there is ample fuel in the tank,
and the text
Tank system malfunction! Please contact workshop
appears i n the d is pl ay, ther e is a fau lt in the syste m. C ontac t a qual ­
ified workshop to have the fault rectified. •
Checking the engine oil level .2'..
~ Please add max. 1 qt of engine oil!
If th e sy mbol co mes o n, a dd 1 q uart (1 lit er) of oil a t the next
opportunity~
page 230 . •
Checking the engine oil level ~
When the symbol illuminates, c heck the engine oil level as soon
as po ssi ble~
page 22 9. Top off t he o il at your ear liest o pp o rt un ity
~ page 230 . •
Engine oil sensor defective ...
If the -symbol illuminates, contact your authorized Audi dea ler
an d h ave the oil se nso r ins pected. •
Worn brake pads
-Brake pads!
If the warn ing light illuminates, immediate ly contact your autho ­
riz ed Aud i dea ler o r qua lifi ed worksh op to have all bra ke pads
inspected. On USA models the warning light comes on together
with the wa rning ligh t
BRAKE . Both sets of brake pads on an ax le m ust
a lways be replaced at the same time .
& WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a collision and serious personal
injury.
• If the warning light
C. and the warning l ight BRAKE1l with the
message Brake pads! comes on in the in strument cluster display ,
immediately conta ct your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pads checked or replaced if necessary .•
1 1 BRAK£ : USA mod els only

Driver inf ormati on displ ay
trical components should be checked, repaired or replaced, as
necessary:
• Brake light bulbs
• All wiring connections
• Brake light switch
Contact your authorized Audi dealer for assistance if necessary.
[ i ] Tip s
The brake light switch is only inspected as part of the functional
check after the engine is started .•
A pplies to v ehicles : with automat ic headlights
Light /rain sensor defective .,
The indicator light indicates a defect in the automatic
headlights/automatic wiper system.
If the symbol illuminates, the light sensor has failed . For safety
reasons , the low beams are turned on permanently with the switch
in
AUTO . However, you can continue to turn the lights on and off
using the light switch . In the case of a defect in the rain sensor, the
windshield wiper lever functions are still availab le . H ave the
light/ra in sensor checked as soon as possib le at an authorized Audi
dea ler. •
Ap plies to vehicles: with Adapt ive Light
Adaptive Light defective -)
D Adaptiv e lig ht de fectiv e
When this symbol illuminates, it means that Adaptive Light is
defective. Go to a qua lified workshop to have the headligh ts or the
control unit for the Adaptive Light repaired. •
Applies to vehic les: wit h tire pressure monito ring sy stem
Tire pressure monitoring system J.)
Tire pressure that is too low must be corrected as soon as
possible .
If the I symbol flashes for about one min ute after the igni­
tion is switched on and then remains on, t here is a malfunc ­
tion in the system. Consu lt the nearest authorized Audi
dealer as soon as possible .
Additional information about the tir e p ress ure m onit or in g sy stem
can be found:=> page 264. •

• In cool or damp weather conditions the headlights may fog over
temporarily on the inside.
- The critical factor is the temperature difference between the
interior and the exterior of the headlight lens.
- With the main beams switched on, the light -emitting area will
be free of condensation after a short time, however the edges of
the glass may still be fogged .
- The rear lights and turn signals may also be affected.
- This physical phenomenon has no effect on the life of your
vehicle's lighting system .•
A pplies to vehic les : wit h ligh t sens or p ack age
Sensor activated head- and tail light control
In the "AUTO" position light sensors switch the head- and
tail lights on and off.
Fig. 48 Instrument
panel : light switch in
AUTO position
The sensor-activated low beams have the same characteris ­
tics as the headlights ~
page 52.
Activating
-Tur n t he light switch ~ fig . 48 to position AUTO.
Con tro ls and eq uip­
ment
Clear vision
Deactivating
- Turn the light switch to position 0.
In the switch position AUTO the automatic head-and taillight
control
is activated. The corresponding symbol on the light switch
is lit.
With automatic headlights, the high -beam function is also available,
but with one restriction: If you have not switched the high beams
back to low beams during automatic headlight operation (for
examp le, after driving through a tunnel), only the low beams come
on the next time automatic headlights are switched on . To use the
high beams, you first have to pull the high beam lever back and then
push the lever forward again .
Parking lights, headlights, fog lights and the rear fog light can be
switched on manually using the light switch=>
page 52 .
Light sensors located in the inside mirror housing and stem
constantly check the light conditions surrounding the vehicle. If
ambient brightness falls below a factory set value (e .g . when driving
into a tunnel), the head-and taillights including the license plate
illumination are automatically turned on . When ambient br ightness
increases again, the external lights are turned off again=>
If:::..
Light sensor malfunction
If there is a light sensor malfunction, the symbol comes on in the
display. For safety reasons, the low beams are turned on perma­
nently with the switch in
AUTO. However, you can continue to turn
the ligh ts on and off using the light switch . Have the light sensor
checked as soon as possible at a dealership.
& WARNING
• Automatic head -and taillight control is only intended to assist
the drive r. This feature does not relieve the driver of his responsi­
bility to check the headlights and to turn them on manually
according to the current light and visibility conditions. For
example, fog and rain cannot be detected by the light sensors. .,
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

Clear vision
& W ARNIN G (con tinued )
Conseq uently , alwa ys swit ch the headl ights i o on under these
weather condition s and when driving in the da rk .
• Cra she s ca n happen when you c annot see the road ahe ad and
when you c annot be seen by other motori sts .
• Alway s turn on the headlights so that you c an see ahead and
s o that ot hers can see you r ca r from the back.
[ i ] Tips
• In the AUTO mode, the low beams are turned off when the igni­
tion is turned off. The remaining l ights are turned off when the key
is taken out of the igni tion lock.
• Do not attach stickers to the windshie ld in front of the sensors as
this can disable the automatic head- and tail light control and the
automatic glare -dimming of the rearview mirror(s) .
• Always observe the specific local regulations for your area when
to use your lights .
• In the event of a light sensor malfunction , the driver information
display will show the symbol . If a ligh t sensor malfunction is indi ­
cated, you must use the light switch to turn the low beams on and
off. •
App lies to t he market: USA mode ls
Applies to vehicles: with daytime ru nni ng lights and bi-xeno n ligh ts
Daytime running lights (DRL)
The daytime running lights are turned on autom atically
when the ignition is switched on .
®r @'
Activating functions
F ig . 4 9 Swit ch for
d ayt ime running li ghts
- Move the r ight thum bwhe el @ "DRL" =} fig. 49 to posi-
tio n
G).
Deactivating functions
- Move t he r ig ht thum bwhee l "DRL" to po siti on @ .
The day time running lights ca n be turned on or off using this func­
tion. If the function is active, the daytime running lights are turned
o n aut omatically when the ignition is switched on.
The daytime running lights are activated
only when the light switch
=> fig . 49 @ is at the O or AUTO* posi tion.
& WARNING
Never u se dayt ime running light s to see where you are goin g. They
are not bright enough and will not let you see far e nough ahead for
safety , especially at dusk or when it is dark. Be aware of change s _..

Coming home situ ation
In darkness, the activated system will turn on the headlights, side
marker lights, rear side marker lights, toil lights, and rear license
plate light as soon as the driver's door is opened from inside.
As long as one of the doors or the rear lid remains open, the set of
external lights will keep burning for about four minutes maximum.
To provide light for departure, the set of vehicle lights will keep
burning for about another 30 seconds after all doors and the rear lid
have been closed .
The time until the lights are switched off can be adjusted~ page 23.
Leaving home situation
As soon as the vehicle is unlocked by pressing the en button on your
remote control, the set of external lights is switched on.
The external lights are switched off as soon as the driver's door is
opened from outside . Even if you had the system readjusted to keep
the lights burning for an extended time for coming home, the
external lights will be turned off if you do not open the driver's door
within 60 seconds after unlocking . See chapter "Opening and
Closing" in your Owner's Manual. If the lights are switched off
before you reach the driver's door, press the@ button once more to
turn them on again .
[ i J Tips
• Do not attach any stickers to the windshield in front of the two
light sensors, as this would interfere with both the automatic oper ­
ation of the head lights and the automatic dimming of the inside
mirror(sl.
• If the vehicle is remotely unlocked and locked three times in
succession, leaving home will not turn on the lights a fourth time to
safeguard the battery and lights.
• If you wish to use the coming home/leaving home function regu ­
larly, you can leave it activated at all times without risking perma-
Contro ls and eq uip­
ment
Clear vision
nent strain on the electrical system. As the system is controlled by
light sensors, it wi ll only be energized in darkness.
• Frequent use of the coming home/leaving home function for
approaching and departing a vehicle parked in the dark will strain
the battery . This applies particularly if only short distances are
driven between stops. Occasionally drive longer distances to make
sure the battery is recharged sufficiently .
• If the fog lights have been switched on by the coming
home/leaving home function, they will always be switched off when
you switch on the ignition .•
Instrument panel illumination
The illumination of the instruments, displays and the
center console can be adjusted.
"' ;
-a'.. co
"'
li8t ey)
Fig . 53 Instrument
panel illumination
You regulate the brightness of the instruments with the left
thumbwheel
<,;"o/ => fig. 53.
Ign ition ON, light switch at @.
With the ignition switched ON, the glow of instrument needles can
be adjusted to appear brighter or dimmer.
1)1,
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

Clear vision
Igniti on ON , light swit ch at ::oo: or fD .
With the lights switched on, the brightness of instrument cluster
!i.e . needles, gauges and displays) and center console il lumination
can be adjusted.
0 Note
The instrument cluster and cent er console illumina tion (gauges and
needles) comes on when you swi tch on the igni tion and the
vehi cle
h eadlights are off .
Be aware of the following difference between
models built to US or Cana dian speci fica tions :
• USA model s: illumination of the in strument clu ster (gauges and
needle s), dash and center con sole around the gear shift lever i s
c o ntrolled by a light sensor lo cated in the instrument panel. The
i n strument panel ill umination will automatically become dimmer
a s th e daylight fades awa y and eventu ally w ill go out completel y
when outside l ight i s very low . Thi s is to remind you , the driver , to
swi tch on the headlight s befo re it get s to o dar k.
• Canada models: in strument panel illumination will stay bright
re gardle ss of the i ntens ity of ambient light . Al wa ys be aware of
change s in out sid e light conditi ons while you are d riving. Re spond
i n time t o fading daylight by turn ing the light swit ch to posit ion
fD
(or "AUTO" if your car is equipped with this feature) to turn on your
headlights . •
Ap plies to vehi cles: with b i-xeno n headli ghts
Bi-Xenon headlights*
After starting the engine, the bi -xenon headlights are automatica lly
adjus ted to the load and angle of the vehic le (for example , during
acce lerat ion and brak ing) . This prevents oncoming traffic fro m
experiencing unnecessary headlight g lare from your bi-xenon head ­
lights .
If the system is not operating properly, a warning symbol in the
Auto -Check Control is displayed ::::;,
page 33. •
Emergency flasher ~
The emergency flasher mak es othe r moto rists aware that
you or your vehicle are in an emergency situation.
1 1 Q
-
II D ll1
[ Ii J
a
l 'l
"' " "'
J
Fi g. 5 4 Cen ter
co nso le : em erge ncy
fl as her swi tc h
Press the sw itch ~==>fig. 54, to sw itch the emergency
flas her on or off.
When the emergency flasher is on, al l four turn signal blink at the
same time. The turn signal indicator lights¢ Q in the inst rument
cluster, as we ll as the light in the emergency flasher switch~ blink
l ikew ise.
The emergency flasher will automatically switch on if you are in an accident where the airbag has deployed .
[ i ] Tips
You should switch on the emergency flasher when :
• you are the last vehicle standing in a traffic jam so that any other
veh ic les coming can see you, or when
• your vehic le has broken down or you are in an emergency situa ­
tion, or when
• your vehicle is being towed by a tow truck or if you are towing
another vehicle behind you. •

Applies to vehicles: wi th Sun blind
Sun blind
The sun blind is on the luggage shelf.
Extending the sun blind
Fig. 62 Sun blind in
retracted position
Fig . 63 Sun blind in
extended position
-Take the sun blind out of its bracket=:> fig. 62 @.
- Guide the extended sun blind in the direction of the
arrow @, so that it does not
fly up.
Stowing the sun blind
-Hold the sun blind in the center of the upper edge.
Contro ls and eq uip­
ment
Clear vision
- Place the sun blind against the spring force into the
center bracket=:> fig. 63@ of the parcel shelf.
& WARNING
The sun blind must not be used to secure cargo. The luggage
compartment cover is not a luggage rack . Objects placed on the
cover pose a danger for all vehicle occupants during sudden
braking or in an accident. •
Wiper and washer system
I'',",
Windshield wiper 'Z\)
The windshield wiper lever controls both the windshield
wipers and the washer system.
Fig. 64 Wiper lever:
windshield wiper lever positions
The windshield wiper lever=:> fig. 64 has the following posi­
tions:
Intermittent wiping ~ ! (activating rain sensor)*
- Move the lever up to position G).
- Move the interva l set switch @, to change the intervals. _.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

Clear vision Low wiper speed
- Move the lever up to position @ .
High wiper speed
- Move the leve r up to pos ition G) .
One-tou ch wiping
Move the lever to position@, when you want to wipe t he
windshield
briefly .
Automatic wip er/ wash er
- Pull the lever to pos ition G) (toward the steering wheel)
and hold.
- Re lease t he lever . The was her stops a nd the wipers keep
g o ing for about fo ur secon ds.
Turning off th e wipers
- Move the lever back to position @.
The windshield wipers and washer only work when the ignition is
turned on . If you switch off the igni tion with the windshield wiper
lever still in the interva l wipe position and then come back a while
la ter and drive off, the rain sensor w ill reactiva te itse lf afte r the
veh ic le speed has exceeded 4 mph (6 km/hl.
The rain sensor* is only activated with the wiper lever set to posi ­
tion ®· When it starts to rain, the rain sensor wil l automatica lly acti ­
vate the intermittent wiping mode.
To reduce the sensitivity of the sensor, move switch @down. To
increase the sensitivity, move the switch up. The higher you adjust
the sensitivity, the faster the sensor will react when it senses mois ­
ture on the windsh ield. T
he rain sensor wiper interva ls depend on the sensitivity setting as
we ll as vehicle speed . During brief stops, wipe r mo tion will adjust in
relation to the amount of rain on the windshield.
Automatic wiper/washer: To eliminate water drop lets, the wind ­
shield wiper performs one afterwipe operat ion after several
seconds while driving. You can switch this function off by moving
t he lever to posit ion © within 10 seconds of the afterwipe opera ­
tion. The afterwipe function is reactivated the next time the ignition
is switch.
When the ignition is turned on, the washer jets are heated *.
& WARNING
• Wiper blade s are crucial for safe driving ! Only when they are in
good condition are they able to clear the window s properly to
provide uncompro mised v is ib ility. Worn or dam aged wiper bl ades
are a safety hazard =>
page 67 , "Replacing front wiper blade s"!
• The light /rain sen sor * is on ly de signed to a ssis t an d suppo rt
the driver . It remains en tirely the dr iver' s re spon sibility to monitor
out side weather cond ition s and to manuall y activate the wiper s as
s oon a s rain or dri zzle reduces visibility through the wind shield .
• The wind shield mu st not be t re ate d with water -r e pellent mat e­
rial s. They can increa se glare under po or vi sibilit y conditions su ch
a s w etne ss, dar kne ss, or whe n the sun is lo w on t he hori zon . In
addition , they can cau se the windshield wipers to ch atter .
0 Note
In freezing o r near freez ing conditions:
• Always check that the wiper blades are not frozen to the glass
b efore you turn the wipers on . Loosen a wipe r blade which is fr ozen
in place before operating the wipers to prevent damage to the wiper
b lade or the wiper motor.
• Do not use the wipers to clear a frosted window . Using the
wipers as a conven ient ice scraper wi ll dest roy the wiper blades. .._