AUDI S3 2009 Owners Manual

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The selector lever lock is effective only when the vehicle is
stationary and at speeds below 5 km/h. At higher speeds, the lock in
the N position is automatically switched off .
The selector lever is not locked when rapid shifts are made through
the N position (e.g. from R to Dl. This allows you to "rock" the vehicle
if it becomes stuck. If the lever is in the N position for more than
1 second with the brake pedal not depressed, the selector lock
engages automatically .
Release button
The release button in the selector lever handle prevents accidental
shifts into certain selector lever positions . When you press the
release button, the selector lever lock is cancelled . In the illustra ­
tion, the positions in which the release button has to be pressed are
highlighted in color~
page 718, fig. 121.
Ignition key removal lock
The ignition key can only be remove after the ignition is switched off
if the selector lever is in P. As long as the ignition key is removed, the
selector lever is locked in P.
[ i) Tips
If the selector lever does not engage, there is a malfunction . The
engine is disabled to prevent the vehicle from driving off uninten­
tiona lly. To allow the selector lever to engage again, proceed as
follows: Press and release the brake pedal. •
Contro ls and eq uip­
ment
Ap plies to vehic les: wit h S tron ic®
Driving Notes
The forward gears are shifted up or down automatically.
Starting from stop
Step on and hold the brake pedal.
Fig. 122 Section from
center console:
Selector lever with
release button
Hold the release button (button in selector lever) down,
move the selector lever to the desired position, for
example D =>
page 117, and release the button.
Release the brake pedal and accelerate => &, .
Stopping temporarily Bring the vehicle to a full stop with the brake, e.g. at
traffic signals.
Do not accelerate.
Parking Step on and hold the brake pedal=>&, .
Apply the parking brake firmly. Hold the release button down, move the selector lever to
P and release the button. .,.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

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Stopping on an incline
- Always hold the vehicle wi th t he foot bra ke or parking
b rake in orde r to prevent "rollback"=> &. Do
not try to
preve nt the ve hicle f ro m rolling back by rewi ng the
e ngin e while it is in ge ar.
Starting on a hill
-App ly the hand bra ke firm ly .
- With th e en gin e in g ea r, gradua lly accelera te an d re le as e
th e han d brake .
The engine can only be started wi th th e selector lever i n P or N
=> pa ge 109. At low ambient temperatures (14 °F / -1 0 °C), it is only
po ss ibl e to s tart the e ng ine wi th the selec tor leve r in P .
Whe n pa rki ng on leve l g ro und, i t is su fficien t to plac e th e se lec tor
lever in P. On a steeply s lop ing road, you should first app ly the
pa rk in g br ake fi rmly and then p lace th e selec tor lever in P. T hi s w ay ,
you do not overload the pawl mechanism and it is easier to move
th e s elector lever out of P .
& WARNING
• Never leave your veh icle with the engine running while in gear .
If you must leave your vehicle with the engine running, set the
parking brake and engage the park lock.
• When the engine is running and the transmission is in gear (0 ,
S or R l or in "tiptronic " mode , it is essential that you stop the
vehicle with the footbrake . When idling , the transmission of power
does not stop completely -the vehicle "creeps ".
• Do not accelerate when you change the sele ctor lever position
with the vehicle stationary and the engine running -risk of an acci ­
dent!
• Never place the selector lever in the R or N po sition while the
vehicle is moving -risk of an accident !
& WARNING (continued)
• If you have to bring your vehicle to a stop while on an incline,
keep the foot brake depressed all the way down so that the vehicle
does not start to roll backward . You should never hold the vehicle
using the clutch pedal if you are going to be stopped on an incline .
If you do , the clutch will start to slip when it overheats caused by
the constant overload. This is dangerous because if the vehicle starts to roll backward , you could c ause an accident . If the clutch
should start to slip , you will feel the vehicle "jerk" and the selector
lever display will start blinking .
• Before driving down a steep slope , reduce your speed and shift
i nto a lower gear with "tiptronic ".
• Do not ride the brakes or apply the brake pedal too often or too
long . Constant braking causes the brakes to overheat and
substantially reduces braking performance, increa ses braking
distance or causes complete failure of the brake system . •
Ap plies to veh ic les: wit h S tronic tra nsmiss io n and Hi ll Desce nt Assis t
Hill Descent Assist
Hi ll D esce nt Ass ist help s the driv e r w hen driv ing down
i nc lin es .
Hill Descent Ass is t is activated by press ing th e brake wh ile
descending when the selector lever is in
D /S . The S tronic t ransmis ­
s io n auto mati ca lly s hifts dow n to a ge ar s uita ble for the incl in e. Hill
Descent Assist attempts to maintain the current vehicle speed when
th e br akin g occu rs, as far as phys ical an d techn ica l lim it s a llow . It
may be necessary to adjust the speed using the brakes .
H ill Descent As sist switc hes off when the inc line leve ls out or when
the gas pedal is pressed.
On vehicles with cruise control*=>
page 113, Hill Descent Assist is
a lso ac tiva ted wh en th e spe ed is s et.
~

Transmission -_______________ ___.
& WARNING
Hill Descent Assist cannot overcome physical limitations, so it
may not be possible to maintain a constant vehicle speed under all
circumstances. Always be ready to apply the brakes. •
Applie s t o veh ic les : w iths tron ic @
tiptronic operation
Tiptronic allows the driver to shift gears manually.
Contro ls and eq uip­
ment "'
"' ...
-a: ., m
Fig
. 123 Center
console: Manual
shifting (tiptronic)
Fig . 124 Display :
Manual shifting
(tiptronic)
Switching to manual
Push the selector lever to the right from D. As the trans­
mission has switched, 6 5 4 3 2 1 appears in the display,
w ith the gear that is engaged highlighted.
Upshifting Tap the selector lever forward (in the tiptronic setting)
=> fig. 123 0-
Downshifting
Tap the selector lever backward (in the tiptronic setting)
o .
Switching to manual can be carried out with the vehicle stationary
as well as moving.
When accelerating, the transmission shifts into the next gear in
gears 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 shortly before the maximum permissible
engine speed is reached.
If you have selected a lower gear than the current one, the transmis­
sion will only shift down when the engine cannot be overspeeded .
If kick -down is actuated, the transmission shifts into a lower gear
independently of speed and engine rpm. •
Vehicle care
I I irechnical data

-Tr
ansmi ssio n
..__ ______________ _
Applies to vehic les: with S Ironic® and with Tip tronic contro ls on the steering whee l
Steering wheel with Tiptronic ® controls
The selector paddles allow the driver to keep both hands
on the steering wheel when shifting gears.
Shifting up
Fig . 125 S port
s teer ing wheel w it h
se lector padd les
- Pu ll the right paddle, marked G) => fig . 125 briefly
towards you.
Shiftin g down
Pu ll the left paddle, marked O => fig. 125 briefly towards
you .
The selector paddles on the steering wheel are activated when the
selector lever on the center console is in
D, S, or in the manual posi ­
tion (Tiptronic mode).
You can also shift gears in the Tiptronic mode using the selector
lever on the center console.
[ i ] Tips
With the gear selector lever in either "D" or "S" the transmission wi ll
switch back to the automatic mode if you do not use the paddles
within approx . 30 seconds .•
Ap plies to vehicles: wi th S tronic®
Kick-down feature
The kick-down feature allows maximum acceleration .
If you depress the accelerator pedal fu lly beyond the full -throt tle
position, the transmission automatically downshifts one gear,
depending on vehic le speed and engine rpm. The upshift into the
next higher gear takes place as soon as the maximum specified
engine speed is reached.
& WARNING
Pleas e n ote t hat th e dr ive whee ls ca n sp in if th e kick -do wn i s used
o n a s mooth slipp ery road -ris k of skiddin g!•
Ap plies to vehic les: with S tron ic®
Launch Control Program
The Launch Control Program permits maximum accelera­
tion.
In order to use Launch Control, the ASR (Anti-Slip Regu la­
tion) must be disabled. When ASR is disabled, the ESP
warning/indicator light in the instrument cluster illumi ­
nates . So that Launch Control can be used, the engine must
be at operating temperature and the steering wheel must
not be turned.
- With the engine running, briefly press the ESP button.
The message "ASR off" appears in the instrument cluster
d isplay.
- Shift the gear lever to "S" or the tiptronic® position.
- Step on t he brake pedal with your left foot a nd keep the
brake pedal fully depressed fo r at least one second. _,,,

Transmission -_______________ ___.
- With your right foot, step on the accelerator to the wide­
open throttle position or Kickdown. The engine speed
settles at about 3,200 rpm.
Take your left foot off the brake.
The S tronic® in your vehicle is electronically controlled. A special
Launch Control Program provides the best acceleration from a
standing start.
& WARNING
• Always adapt your driving to the traffic flow.
• Only use Launch Control when road and traffic conditions allow
it and other drivers will not be endangered or annoyed by your
driving and the acceleration of the vehicle.
• Make sure that ESP remains enabled . With the ESP disabled,
the vehicle could brake away, particularly on a slick and slippery road -risk of skidding!
• Once acceleration is finished, switch ASR on again by briefly
pushing the ESP button. •
Applies to veh ic le s: w ith S t ron ic ®
Back -up program
In the event of a system ma/function, there is an back-up
program.
In the event of system malfunction, the automatic transmission
switches to the fail-safe mode. All of the selector lever position
displays for the automatic transmission are highlighted with a light
background in the instrument cluster display. In some cases you
cannot drive in the reverse gear any more.
If the transmission switches to fail-safe mode, you should take the
vehicle to an authorized Audi dealership as soon as possibl e to have
the condition corrected. •
Contro ls and eq uip­
ment
Ap plies to vehic les: w ith S tron ic ®
Emergency release for selector lever
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selector lever can
be released in an emergency.
~ ..
-ti. ., m
Fig. 126 Selector lever :
Remove selector lever
sleeve
Fig . 127 Selectorlever :
emergency release
from the Park position
The emergency release mechanism is located on the right
front under the selector lever shift gate. The release proce­
dure requires professional dexterity. We recommend that
you seek assistance.
Removing the selector lever boot
- Engage the parking brake.
Vehicle care I I Technical data

• .___T_ r_a _n _ s_ m __ is_s_ i _o_ n ___________________________________________________ _
-Carefully pry the selector lever boot out of the trim using
a small screwdriver @.
- Pull both sides of the boot upward in the direction of the
arrows @.
- Fold the boot upward.
Emergency release for selector lever
-Press the release lever toward the center of the vehicle
with the screwdriver ~
page 123, fig. 127@ and hold it
in this position.
- Now press the lock button on the selector lever @and
move the selector lever to the N position.
- Clip the shift boot back into the shift gate.
If the vehicle has to be pushed or towed if the power supply fails
(e.g. battery is discharged), the selector lever must be moved to the
N position using the emergency locking device.
& WARNING
The selector must only be shifted from the P position if the hand­
brake is firmly applied. Otherwise the vehicle would start moving
unexpectedly on a grade when the selector lever is shifted from
the P position -increasing the risk of an accident. •

Transmission -
----------------
Controls and equip­
ment I • •

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Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information, tips, instructions and
warnings that you need to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others. We have summarized here
what you need to know about safety belts, airbags, child rest raints
as well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priority number 1. Always
observe the information and warnings in this section -for your own
safety as well as that of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all model versions of your
vehicle. Some of the features described in this sections may be
standard equipment on some models, or may be optional equip­
ment on others. If you are not sure, ask your authorized Audi dealer.
& WARNING
• Always make sure that you follow the instructions and heed
the WARNINGS in this Manual. It is in your interest and in the
interest of your passengers.
• Always keep the complete Owner's Literature in your Audi
when you lend or sell your vehicle so that this important informa­
tion will always be available to the driver and passengers.
• Always keep the Owner's literature handy so that you can find
it easily if you have questions .•
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant restraint
system and work together to help reduce the risk of injury
in a wide variety of accident situations.
Your safety and the safety of your passengers should not be left to
chance. Advances in technology have made a variety of features
available to help reduce the risk of injury in an accident. The
following is a list of just a few of the safety features in your Audi:
• sophisticated safety belts for driver and all passenger seating
positions,
• safety belt pretensioners,
• safety belt force limiters for the front seats,
• safety belt height adjustment systems for the front seats,
• automatic safety belt height adjustment for the rear seats,
• front airbags,
• side airbags in the front seats and outer rear seats *,
• side curtain airbags,
• special LATCH anchorages for child restraints,
• head restraints for each seating position,
• adjustable steering column.
These individual safety features, can work together as a system to
help protect you and your passengers in a wide range of accidents.
These features cannot work as a system if they are not always
correctly adjusted and correctly used.
Safety is everybody's responsibility! •

________________________________________________ D_r_iv _ i _n_ g~ S_ a_ fe_ ly __ !II
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occupant safety
always depends on the informed and careful driver.
For your safety and the safety of your passengers, before
driving always:
-Make sure that all lights and signals are operat ing
correctly.
- Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
- Make sure that all windows are clean and afford good
visibility to the outside.
- Secure all luggage and other items carefully =>
page 94.
-Make sure that noth ing can interfere w ith the pedals.
- Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors correctly for your height .
- Instruct passengers to adjust the head restraints
according to their height.
- Make sure to use the right ch ild restraint correctly to
protect children =>
page 169, "Child Safety ".
- Sit properly in your seat and make sure that your passen ­
gers do the same=>
page 74, "General recommenda ­
tions".
- Fasten your safety belt and wear it p roperly. Also instruct
your passengers to fasten the ir safety belts properly
=>
page 137. •
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of the
vehicle, the driver as well as the driver's ability to concen­
trate on the road without being distracted.
The driver is responsible for the safety of the vehicle and all
of its occupants. If your ability to drive is impaired, safety
risks for everybody in the vehicle increase and you also
become a hazard to everyone else on the road =>& .There ­
fore:
Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers or by
using a cellular telephone .
NEVER drive when your driving ability is impaired (by
medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
- Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and speed limits
and plain common sense .
- ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and weather
conditions.
- Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive for more
than two hours at a stretch.
- Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pressure or when
you are stressed .
& WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Proper occupant seating positi ·ons
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important for safe,
relaxed driving.
Fig . 128 The correct
distance between
driver and steering
wheel
Fig . 129 Correct head
restraint position for
driver
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the
event of an accident, we recommend that you adjust the
driver's seat to the following position:
- Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily push the
pedals all the way to the floor while keeping your knee(s)
slightly bent=:>& . - Adjust the angle of the seatback so that
it is in an upright
position so that your back comes in full contact with it
when you drive.
- Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a distance of at
least 10 inches (25 cm) between the steering wheel and
your breast bone=:> fig. 128. If not possible, see your
authorized Audi dealership about adaptive equipment.
- Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering wheel and
airbag cover points at your chest and not at your face.
- Grasp the top of the steering wheel with your elbow(s)
slightly bent.
- Adjust the head restraint so that the upper edge is as
even with the top of your head as possible but no lower
than eye level and so that it is as close to the back of your
head as possible=:> fig. 129.
- Fasten and wear safety belts correctly=:>
page 141.
- Always keep both feet in the footwell so that you are in
control of the vehicle at all times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the driver's seat, see
=>
page 75, "Adjusting front seats manua lly" or=> page 76,
"Adjusting the power seat".
& WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help reduce
the risk of serious personal injury:
• Always adjust the driver's seat and the steering wheel so that
there are at least 10 inches (25 cm} between your breastbone and
the steering wheel. .,_