warning AUDI S3 2009 Owners Manual

Checking and filling -
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0 Note
• Before winter sets in, have the coolant checked to see if the
coolant additive in your vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate
conditions. This is especially important if you live in a region where
the winter is extremely cold. If necessary, increase the proportion of
coolant additive to 60%.
• When adding coolant additive to your cooling system,
remember:
-We recommend using only coolant additive G12+ + (check the
label) for your vehicle. This coolant additive is available at autho­
rized Audi dealers. Other types of antifreeze can significantly
reduce corrosion protection . The resulting corrosion can cause a
loss of coolant and serious engine damage .
• Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle's
engine coolant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and could result
in damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty .•
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig . 175 Engine
compartment : coolant
expansion tank
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS==> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 225.
Turn off the ignition.
Read the engine coolant level from the coolant expan­
sion tank==> fig. 175. With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "min" and "max" markings. When
the engine is warm, the level may be slightly above the
" max" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank can be seen in the
engine compartment illustration=>
page 226.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must be switched off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped with an electric
coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning light in the Auto­
Check System =>
page 30will blink until you add coolant and the
level has been restored to normal. Even though there is an electric
coolant level sensor, we still recommend you check the coolant level
from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling system. In the event
of coolant loss, the cooling system should be inspected immedi­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer. It is not enough merely to add
coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the boiling point of the
coolant is exceeded as a result of overheating.
0 Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle's engine
coolant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adversely affect the tune- _..
Vehicle care I I Technical data

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tion and performance of your cooling system and could resu lt in
d am age not co vered by yo ur Ne w Vehicle Li mited Warranty .•
Adding coolant
B e very caref ul whe n addin g engine c oo lant.
Before you check a nything in the e ngine compartmen t,
always read and heed all WARNINGS=> & in "Work ing in
the en gine compartmen t" on
pa ge 225.
- Turn off the engine.
- Le t the engin e coo l down.
Place a thi ck ra g o ver th e c oolan t expansio n ta nk
=> pa ge 233, fi g. 1 75 a nd carefully twi st th e cap coun te r­
cl ockwi se
=> &.
- Add cool ant.
- Twist the cap on aga in
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to exact specifications
~ page 232, "Coola nt". Even in a n eme rge ncy, if co olant add itive
G 12++. G12+ or G 12 is not availab le, do
not use a diffe rent additive.
Use plain water instead unt il you ca n get the c orrect additive and
can restore the correct ratio . This should be done as soon as
possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of coo lant, then you should
add co ld antifreeze and cold water only when the engine is cold.
A lways use
new e n gin e c oolan t wh en refi llin g.
Do not fi ll coo lant above the "MAX" mark. Excess coolant will be
f o rced ou t through the pressure re lief va lve in the cap when the
engine becomes hot.
& WARNING
• The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot .
Redu ce the risk of scalding from hot coolant by following these
steps .
- Turn off the engine and allow it to cool down.
- Protect your face , hands and arms from e scaping fluid and
steam by covering the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a counter -clockwise
direction while applying light , downward pressure on the top
of the cap.
- To avoid being burned , do not spill antifreeze or coolant on
the e xhaust system o r hot engine parts . Under certain condi ­
tions , the ethylene glycol in engine coolant can catch fire.
• Antifreeze is poisonous . Always store antifreeze in its original
container and well out of the rea ch of children.
• If you drain the coolant , it must be caught and safely stored in
a proper container clearly marked "poison".
0 Note
• Coo la n t po llutes t he environ ment and cou ld cause a n engine
fire . Excess coolant will be forced out through the pressure re lief
va lve in t he cap when t he eng in e b ecomes hot .
• I f, in an emergency, on ly water can be added, the correct ratio
be tween wa ter and antifree ze~
page 232 mus t be restore d as soon
as possib le .
'£> For the sake of the environment
D rained coolant should not be reused. Always d ispose of used
coo la nt whi le observing all e nvi ro n men tal reg ulat ions .•

Checking and filling -
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Radiator fan
The radiator fa n switches on au toma tically by i tself.
T he e lectric radiator fan is control led bythermoswitches that switch
on and off depending on coolan t and engine compar tm ent temper ­
atures .
An auxiliary e lectric radiator fan * switches on and off depending on
coolant temperature and other vehicle operation conditions.
After switching off the engine , the auxiliary fan -even with the igni ­
tio n off -ca n co ntinue runni ng for u p to 10 minutes. It can even
switch on again later by itself=>&, if
• the temperat ure of the engine coolant rises due to the heat
build -up from the engine in the engine compartment, or
• t he engine co mpart men t heats up because the vehicle is parked
in intense sunlight.
& WARNING
• To reduce the risk of personal injury never tou ch the r ad iator
fan .
• The auxiliary electric fan is temperature controlled and can
switch on suddenly even when the engine i s not running .
• The auxiliary radiator fan switches on automatically when the
engine cool ant reache s a certain temperature and will continue to
run until the coolant temperature drop s. •
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The bra ke flu id l evel can be che cke d wi th a q uick gla nce.
Fig . 17 6 Engine
c o mpartment : brake
fluid re ser vo ir
Be fore yo u check anythin g in the e ng ine compar tm ent,
always read and heed all WARNINGS=> & in "Working in
t h e eng ine compartment" on
page 225.
Read t he brake fl uid lev el from t he brake flui d res ervoir .
T he b rak e fluid l eve l must b e between the
"MI N" and
"M AX" markings => fig. 176.
The brake f luid reservoir is located at the rear pa rtit ion of the engine
compartment on the left side=> page 226.
T he fluid leve l may drop slightly after some time due to the auto ­
ma tic adjustment o f the brake pads. Th is is not cause for alarm .
I f the brake flu id leve l falls considerably below the "MIN" mark, the
brake warning/indicator light (U.S . models :
BRAKE, Canadian models:
ID ) will come on=> page 15 and=> page 30. Do not continue to
operate the vehic le . The complete brake system should be thor ­
oughly checked by an au thorized Audi dealer or other qualified
facility and the cause corrected. If the brake fluid leve l is too low, the .,,_
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

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brake warning/indicator light will illuminate . Contact an authorized
Audi dealer
i m medi at ely.•
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced techni­
cian.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the ai r. If the water content in the
brake fluid is too high, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time. The boiling point of the brake fluid wil l also
decrease considerably and decrease braking performance .
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
e ver y two years. Always
use new brake fluid which conforms to Federa l Motor Vehicle Stan ­
dard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4" .
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficu lt to reach , therefore, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your autho­
rized
Audi d ealer. Your dealer has the correct tools, the right brake
fluid and the know-how to do this for you.
& WARNING
• Bra ke fluid i s poisonous . It mu st be stored on ly in the close d
ori ginal container out of the rea ch of children!
• Bra ke fa ilure can result from old or inappropri ate brake fluid .
Observe the se pre caution s:
- Use o nly brake fluid that meets SAE spe cifi ca tion
J 170 3 and
c onform s to Fed era l Moto r Vehic le Sta nda rd 116 . Always c heck
w ith your authori zed Audi de aler to m ake sure you are using
the correct brake fluid. The corr ect type of brake fluid i s als o
indi cated o n the br ake fl uid reser vo ir.
- The br ake flu id mu st be ne w. Hea vy use of the brake s can
c au se a vap or lo ck if the bra ke fluid i s left in the system too
long. Thi s can seriou sly affect the efficienc y of the brake s as
we ll as your safet y. Thi s co uld re su lt in an acci dent .
0 Note
Brake fluid wi ll damage the paint of your vehicle .
<£' For the sake of the environment
Because o f the problem of prope r disposal of brake flu id as we ll as
the special tools required and the necessary expertise, we recom ­
mend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authorized Audi
dea ler. •
Battery
General information
All w ork on the battery requires technical knowledge!
Fi g. 177 E ng ine
co mp artm ent (4 -
c yli nder engin e):
Bat tery w it h cove r"

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We recommend that you use maintenance-free or cycle-resis­
tant/leak-proof batteries according to the standards TL 825 06 (from
December 1997) and VW 7 50 73 (from August 2001 ).
Replacing the battery on vehicles with the 6-cylinder engine (battery
in the luggage compartment) should be carried by a qualified work­
shop. On vehicles with the 6 -cylinder engine, please follow the
instructions on the battery cover.
0 Note
• All work on the battery requires technical knowledge. Please
contact an Audi dealership or another authorized facility for ques­
tions about the battery -danger of acid burns and explosion hazard!
• Th e battery must not be opened! Do not try to change the
battery's liquid level, otherwise detonating gas will escape from the
battery -explosion hazard!
• The AGM battery in the luggage compartment cannot leak,
because the electrolyte for this battery is absorbed into a special
glass mat. This leak-proof battery must not be replace with a
conventional battery .
• Make sure the ventilation hose on the side of the battery is
connected, otherwise fumes or battery acid can leak out.
• Battery holder and terminals always have to be secured correctly.
• Before all work on the battery follow the warnings below::::,
& in
"Wor king on the battery" on page
238.
W For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of a battery, we recom­
mend your authorized Audi dealer change the battery for you.
Batteries contain sulfuric acid and lead and must always be
disposed of properly in compliance with all environmental regula ­
tions . Disposing of vehicle batteries improperly is very dangerous to
the environment. Make sure that the removed battery cannot over­
balance, otherwise sulfuric acid might escape! •
Working on the battery
All work on the battery requires technical knowledge! Be
especially careful when working on or near the battery!
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always
read and heed all WARNINGS :::;, & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 225.
Always heed the safety warnings, when working on the vehicle
battery or the vehicle electrical system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very important when
working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYMBOLS and safety pre­ cautions when working on the battery.
@
Always wear eye protection.
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Always wear
gloves and eye protection.
No
- sparks
- flames
- smoking.
When a battery is charged, it produces hydrogen
gas which is explosive and could cause personal
injury.
Always keep the battery well out of reach of chil­
dren .
& WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on the electrical system,
there is the risk of injury, accident and even fire. Read and heed the
following WARNINGS:
~

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•
& W ARNING (continu ed )
• Always wear eye protection. Do not let battery acid or any lead
particles get on your skin or clothing . Shield your eyes. Explosive
gases can cause blindness or other injury !
• Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Sulfuric ac id can cause
blindness and severe burns .
- Always wear gloves and eye protection. Do not tilt the
battery because acid could leak out of the ventilation openings.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or on your skin , immedi ­
ately rinse with cold water for several minutes and get medical
attention .
- If you should ingest any battery acid , seek medical attention
immediately .
• Do not expose the battery to an open flame , electric sparks or
an open l ight .
• Do not smoke.
• Do not interchange the positive and negative cables .
• When working on the batte ry , be sure not to short -circuit the
terminals with tools or other metal objects . This would cause the
battery to heat up very quickly , whi ch could lead to damage or
explosion and personal injury .
• When a battery is charged , it produces hydrogen gas which is
explosive and could cause personal injury .
• Always keep the battery well out of the reach of children .
• Before work is done on the electrical system, disconnect the
negat ive ground cable .
• Before performing any work on the electrical system , switch off
the engine and ignition as well as any electrical equipment . The
negative cable on the battery must be disconnected . If you are just
going to replace a light bulb , then it is enough to switch off the
lights.
• Before disconnecting the battery , sw itch off the anti-theft
alarm sy stem! Otherwise you will set off the alarm.
& W ARNING (continued )
• When disconnecting the battery, first disconnect the negative
cable and then the positive cable.
• Before reconnecting the battery , make sure all electrical
consumers are switched off. Reconnect the positive cable first and
then the negative cable . Never interchange the cables -this could
start a fire!
• Never charge a frozen or a thawed -out battery. It could
explode!
If a battery has frozen , then it must be replaced . A
discharged battery can freeze over at 32 °F (0 °CI.
• Make sure the vent hose is always atta ched to the opening on
the side of the battery.
• Never use batteries which are damaged . There is the danger of
an explosion! Always replace a damaged battery .
& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
• Battery posts , terminals and related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds , chemicals known to the State of Californi a
to cause cancer and reproductive problems . Wash hands after
handling.
0 Note
• D o not d iscon nect the veh ic le bat tery w hen the ign it io n i s
switched on or when the engine is ru nning, otherwise, you wi ll
da mag e ele ctro nic c ompo nents in the e lectr ical system.
• Appl ies to vehic les with 4 -cylinde r engine: When working on the
eng ine, protec t th e batter y hous ing from ultrav iolet ( UV) rays by not
parking the vehicle in direct sun light .
• If y our veh icl e is goi ng to sta nd for a lo ng period o f time with out
being dr iven, protect the battery from "freezing", otherwise it will
b e dama ged and w ill t hen ha ve to be replaced .•
Vehicle care
I t •

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Applies to vehicles: w ith 4-cy linder engine
Charging of battery (4 -cylinder engine)
All work on the battery requires technical knowledge!
A charged battery ensures good star ting performance. A
discha rged battery can
freeze at temperatures of only O °C.
A thawed battery must be replaced, as the battery housing may be cracked due to freez ing and could therefore leak
acid .
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS below=> & and
=> & in "Working on the battery" on
page 238.
-Sw itch off the ignit ion and all e lectr ica l co nsumers .
- Make s ure the a rea is we ll ven tilated when y ou c harge
the batte ry.
- Connec t cha rger cab les.
Charger cable s mu st alway s be
conne cted POSITIVE
G) to POSITIVE G) and NEGATIVE Q
to NEGATIVE Q.
- Switch on the charger.
- Make sure the charging rate is not over 6 amps.
- Turn off th e ch arge r=> & .
- Disconnect the c harger cables.
- Connect both battery cables to the battery if necessary -
first plus, then minus .
The battery must not be opened!=> 0 in "General information" on
page 236.
It is not necessary to remove the battery from the engine compart ­
ment, and it is also not necessary to disconnect the cables .
Normally, a battery shou ld be charged at no more than 10 percent
of its rated capacity. For example, a charging
current of 4.5 amps would be used on a
b attery rated at 45 Ah. Rated capacity of the battery in your vehic le
is listed on the battery housing.
The battery caps should
not be opened when charging a battery .
& WARNING
Charging a battery c an be dangerou s.
• Never ch ar ge a fro zen batt ery. It m ay ex pl ode be cause of g as
trapped in the i ce. Allow a fro zen battery to thaw out fir st.
• Do not reu se b atteries whic h w ere fro zen . The batter y housing
ma y hav e cra cked and weakened when the batter y fro ze.
• Charge the b atter y in a w ell vent ila ted area . K eep away from
open flame or e le ctric al s p a rk . Do not smoke . Hydrogen g as gener ­
a ted by t he b attery i s ex plo sive .
• To redu ce the dang er of e xplo sion , never connect o r di sconnect
c h arger cables while t he ch arger is operating .
• Fas t ch ar ging a batte ry is dang erou s and should only be
att empted by a comp etent techni cian with the proper equipment .
• Batter y ac id that m ay spill durin g ch arging should be wa shed
off with a solution of warm water and baking soda to neutr alize
the acid.
0 Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to start the engine. This will
seriously damage sensitive electronic components, such as control
units, re lays, radio, etc ., as well as the battery charger.
[ i ] T ips
The veh icle battery must not be charged with a standard sma ll
charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter or out let. •

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Ap plies t o vehicles: w ith 6 -cylin d er engine
Charging of battery 6 -cylinder engine )
All work on the battery requires specialized knowledge!
The battery is maintenance-free and is inspected regu ­
larly as part of vehicle service.
If starting problems occur because the battery charge is too low,
this may indicate a defective battery. In this case we recommend
having a qualified workshop inspect and charge the battery or
replace it if necessary. A discharged battery can
freeze at tempera ­
tures of only O °C. A thawed battery must be replaced, as the battery
housing may be cracked due to freezing and could therefore leak
acid.
Charging the battery
Battery charging should be performed by a qualified workshop,
since batteries employing a special technology are used which
require current-limited constant voltage charging.
0 Note
The vehicle may be optionally equipped with a gel battery, which can only be charged at a constant current-limited voltage.
• To prevent damage to the battery and the electronics system, a
gel battery that is connected must under no circumstances be
charged with a quick charger.
[ i] Tips
The vehicle battery must not be charged with a standard small
charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter or outlet. •
Windshield washer container
Using plain water is not adequate for filling the wind­
shield washer system.
Fig . 179 Engine
compartment : wind­
shield washer fluid
container
The windshield washer fluid container is located on the
right side of the engine compartment~ fig. 179. The
washer fluid container is marked with the symbol %Pis on
its cap.
- Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always
read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working
in the engine compartment" on
page 225.
-Lift the filler cap tongue to add washer fluid. You can fill
the container to the top.
- Press the cap back onto the filler neck after filling the
container.
You can find the reservoir capacity in the table in~ page 300.
To prevent lime residue from building up on the spray jets, use
distilled water when refilling. Always add a glass cleaner solution
(with frost protection in the winter}. .,._
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

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Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused parts
of a motor vehicle.
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused parts of a
motor vehicle. Tires are, however, one of the most important parts
of a vehicle, particularly considering the comparative ly sma ll patch
of rubber on each tire that assures that all- important contact
between you, your vehicle and the road .
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, making sure that your vehicle
and its tires do not have to carry more weight than they can safely
handle, avoiding damage from road hazards and regu lar ly
inspecting tires for damage inc luding cuts , slashes irregular wear
and overa ll condition are the most important things that you can do
to help avoid sudden tire failure including tread separation and
b lowouts .
Avoiding dama ge
If you have to drive over a curb or similar obstacle, drive very slow ly
and as close as possible at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemica ls includ ing grease, oil, gasoline and brake
f luid off the tires.
I nspec t the tires regularly for damage (cuts, cracks or blis ters, etc.l.
Remove any foreign bodies embedded in the treads.
Storing tires
Mark tires when you remove them to indicate the direction of rota ­
tion . This ensu res you to be ab le to mount them correctly when you
reinstal l them. When removed, the wheels or tires shou
ld be stored in a coo l, dry
and preferably dark place.
St ore t ires in a vertical posit ion if they a re not mounted on rims, in
a horizontal position if they are mounted on rims.
New tire s
New tires have to be broken in~&.
The tread dep th of new tires may va ry, according to the type and
make of tire and the tread pattern.
Hidden d ama ge
Damage to tires and rims is often not readily visible. If you notice
unusua l vibration or the vehicle pul ls to one side, this may indicate
that one of the tires has been damaged . The tires must be checked
immed iately by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
Unidire ction al tir es
A unidirectio nal tire can be iden tif ied by arrows on the s idewa ll, that
point in the direction the tire is designed to rotate. You must follow
the specified direction of ro tation . This is necessary so that these
tires can deve lop their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road
noise, wear and hydroplaning resistance . For more information
~ page 279.
in. WARNING
Ne w tire s or tire s that are old , worn or damaged cann ot pro vide
m aximum cont rol and braking ability.
• New tire s tend to be slippe ry and m ust be broken in . To redu ce
the risk of losing control, a colli sion and seriou s per sonal injurie s,
drive with speci al care for t he fi rst 350 m ile s ( 560 km l.
• Driving with worn or damaged t ire s can lead to lo ss of co ntrol ,
s udd en tire failure , in clu ding a blowout a nd sudden deflation , .,,_
Vehicle care
I t •

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& WARNING (continued)
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.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats, radio, and heater, to
the extent that these items are available as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio means the ratio of the height to the width of the tire in percent.
Numb ers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewall for improved
steering response and better overall handling on dry pavement.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is made of steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation means a breakdown of the bond between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the tire.
& WARNING (continued)
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." 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.
• If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving, always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage . •
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been driven for more than
a couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in the three hour period
before the tire pressure is measured or adjusted .
Curb weight means the weight of a motor vehicle with standard equipment
including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi­
tioning and additional weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher infla ­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire . Extra load tires
my be identified as "XL",
"xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the side ­
wall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single axle system, measured
at the tire -ground interfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR"l
means the maximum total loaded weight of the vehicle.