AUDI S3 2009 User Guide

If the engine RPMs drop below 1 500, you should downshift to the
next lower gear. The red area at the end of the scale indicates
maximum permissible engine RPMs after the break-in period.
Before reaching this area, you should either shift into the next
higher gear or ease your foot off the accelerator pedal .
0 Note
The tachometer needle=> page 8, fig. 2 G) should not move into the
red range. If it does, then only for a very short period of time. You
could damage your engine by driving at high RPM!
<£> For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuels and reduces engine noise. •
Digital clock with date display
Your vehicle is equipped with a quartz controlled digital
clock.
To set the hour
Fig . 3 Instrument
cluster with: the digital
clock and date
-Pull the knob (hour display flashes) and turn it to the left
or rig ht.
Con tro ls and eq uip­
ment
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
To set the minutes
- Pull the button until the minute display flashes.
- Turn the knob to the left or right until the desired setting
appears.
To set the time format (12 or 24-hour display)
- Pull the knob until the time format display flashes.
- Turn the knob to the left or right.
To set the date
-Pull the knob until the day, month or year display flashes.
- Turn the knob to the left or right.
To show or hide the date display
-Pull the knob until the date display flashes.
- Turn the knob to the left or right.
When the date display stops flashing, this means the time and date
have been successfully stored.
With the ignition off, pushing or pulling the Set/Check button
=>
page 8, fig . 2 © -depending on the instrument cluster configu­
ration -can turn on the display field lighting for a few seconds. •
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant gauge 0 => page 8, fig. 2 only works when the
ignition is on. To prevent damage to your engine, please note the
following important points:
~
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Engine cold
As long as the needle remains at the left end of the gauge, the
engine still has not reached its operating temperature . Avoid high
engine speeds, heavy engine loads and heavy throttle.
Normal temperature
When the engine has reached its operating temperature, the needle
will move into the middle of the gauge and remain there. If the engine is working hard at high outside temperatures, the needle
may turn further to the right. This is no cause for concern as long as
the
_ f_ warning light in the instrument cluster does not illuminate.
When the
-L warning light starts to flash, this can mean one of two
things: either the coolant
temperature is too high, or the coolant
level is too low=> page 30.
& WARNING
• Always observe the warning in => page 217, "Engine compart ­
ment" before opening the engine hood and checking the engine
coolant level.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
see engine coolant dripping from the engine compartment. You
could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant.
0 Note
• Mounting additional lights or accessories in front of the air inlets
reduces the cooling effect of the radiator . At high outside tempera ­
tures or high engine load, the engine could overheat.
• The front spoiler has been designed to properly distribute the
cooling air when the vehicle is moving. If the spoiler is damaged,
this could reduce the cooling effect and the engine could then over ­
heat. Ask your authorized Audi dealer for assistance. •
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge works only when the ignition is on.
When the needle reaches the red area, the warning light in the
instrument cluster will illuminate=>
page 32 I). This means you
have approximately 1.8 gallons (7 liters) of fuel left in the tank.
Time
to refuel!
The total tank capacity of your vehicle is listed in=> page 300,
"Data".
0 Note
Never run the tank completely dry! An irregular supply of fuel can
cause engine misfiring and fuel could enter into the exhaust
system. The catalytic converter could then overheat and be
damaged .•
Speedometer with odometer
The speedometer shows you the vehicle speed, and the
odometer shows you how many miles (kilometers) you
have driven.
Fig. 4 Speedometer
close-up : odometer
display
The odometer and trip odometer are located inside the speedom­
eter.

• USA models -Miles
• Canadian models -Kilometers
Lower odometer
The lower odometer shows the total number of miles (kilometers)
driven .
Upper odometer (trip odometer)
The upper odometer shows the total number of miles (kilometers)
driven since you last reset the odometer back to zero . You can use
this odometer when you want to keep track of how many miles (kilo ­
meters) you have driven for a single trip or errand. The last digit indi­
cates 1/10 of a mile (100 metres). You can set the trip odometer back
to zero by pressing the reset button::::,
page 10, fig. 4.
Malfunction message
If there is a malfunction somewhere in the instrument cluster, dEF
will appear in the trip odometer and will stay on. Contact your
authorized Audi dealer to have the problem corrected.
Immobilizer
When the ignition is switched on , the data on the ignition key are
scanned automatically.
If an unauthorized key was used,
SAFE is displayed continuously in
the odometer display field . The vehicle cannot be operated
=>
page 37.
[ i J Tips
• The digital clock and the odometer are turned on for about 30
seconds when the driver's door is opened .
• When the ignition is turned off, the odometer reading and the
digital clock with date display can be switched on for about
30 seconds by pressing the knob::::, page 8, fig. 2 @. •
Con tro ls and eq uip­
ment
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Warning /indicator lights
Overview
The warning/indicator lights indicate different functions
or a possible malfunction.
Fig. 5 Instrument cluster with warning/indicator lights
Your vehicle is equipped with several important warning and indi ­
cator lights to help you monitor the continued reliable operation of
your vehicle =>& .
Audi magnetic ride
Tire pressure too low
Electronic power control
Vehicle care I I
=> page 12
=> page 13
=> page 13
irechnical data

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Electronic stabilization program (ESP) ~ page 13 & WARNING
USA models : ~ page 13 • Failure to heed warning lights and other important vehicle
Malfunction Indicator lamp (M IU information may result in serious personal injury or vehicle
--damage .
Canada models :
~ page 13
Whenever stalled or stopped for repair, move the vehi cle a safe Ma lfunction lnd ictor Lamp ( MIU •
distan ce off the road , stop the engine , and turn on the emergen cy
_D H igh beam ~ page 14 flasher ~ page 58.
-- -• The engine compartment of any motor veh icle is a potentially
¢ Le ft tu rn sig na l ~ page 14 hazardous area. Before you check anything in the engine compart -
ment , stop the engine and let it cool down . Alway s exer cise
c> Right turn signa l ~ page 14 extreme caution when working under the engine hood
~ page 217, "Engine compartment "
CRUISE
USA models: ~ page 14 Cruise control activated [ i ] Tips -
R~ Canada models : ~ page 14 • When a yellow warn ing symbo l appears, one warning tone
Cruise control activated sounds. C heck the function displayed as soon as possible.
-.o. Airbag syst em ~ page 14 • When a red symbol appears, three warning tones sound in v-q
succession . The symbo l continues to flash unti l th e fault has bee n
0 Generator ~ page 14 corrected. •
A v
Safety belt ~ page 15 Applies to vehic les: with Audi magnet ic r ide
BRAKE
USA models :
Audi magn etic rid e
~ page 15 Brake sy stem , park ing b ra ke set The indic ator ligh t monitors vehicle d amping .
((D) Canada models : ~ page 15 The indicator light • illuminates when the ignition is switched on as
Brake system, parking brake set
a function check.
USA models: ~ page 16 Anti-lock bra ke system (ABS) [ i ] Tips -Canada models : ~ page 16 If the indicator lamp illum ina tes wh ile you are d riving, the re is a
Anti -lock brake syst em (ABS) malfunction in the vehic le damping. The chassis shou ld be
/ ~ E
lectro -mechanica l power assist
~ page 1 6 inspected i mme diately by an aut hor ized Aud i d ea ler .•

Applies to ve hicle s: w it h tir e pr essure mon itor in g system
Tire pressure monitoring system -telltale
indicator lamp
The warning/indicator light appears in the event of a
significant loss of air pressure.
The f warning/indicator light illuminates for a few seconds after
the ignition is turned on as function check and then goes out.
If the symbol appears, pressure is too low in at least one tire.
When the system de tec ts a malfunc tion, the warning /indicator light
wi ll flash for approximately one minute and then remain continu ­
ously illumina ted . This sequence wil l continue upon subsequen t
vehicle starts up as long as the malfunction exists . Contact your
authorized Audi dealer and have the malfunction corrected.
For mor e information =:>
page 265. •
Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the electr onic
power control.
The warning /indicator light (E lectronic Power Control) illumi -
nates when you switch on the ignition as a function check .
[ i ] Tips
If this warning/ind icator l ight il luminates whi le you are driving, then
ther e is a mal function in the engin e elec tronics . Have th e malfunc ­
tion corrected as soon as possible by your authorized Audi dealer or quali fied workshop. •
Controls and equip ­
ment
In st rum ent s a nd w arnin g/indi cato r ligh ts
Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP)
The warning/indicator light monitors the electronic stabi­
lization program .
The warning/indicator light r has the fo llowing functions :
• it flashes wh ile you are driving, when the ESP or the ASR (Anti­
Slip Regulat ion) is working .
• it illuminates when you switch on the ignition for approximate ly
2 seconds as a function check .
• it illuminates when there is a ma lfunction in the ESP.
• it illuminates after the battery has been d isco nnected.
• it illuminat es con tinuous ly when th e ESP is switch ed off .
• it illuminates if there is a malfunction in the ABS, s ince the ESP
is part of the ABS system.
I f the ESP warning/indicator light illuminates and stays on after you
have started the engine , this may mean that the control system has
tempo rarily switched off the ESP. If this is case, you can reactivate
the ESP by switching the ignition off and then on again . The
warning/indicator light should go out to show that the system is
f ul ly functional again.
Th e ESP warning/indica tor light will i lluminat e wh en the ignition is
switched on if the vehicle battery has been disconnected and then
reconnec ted again. The light should go out after driving a short
distance if the stee ring wheel is turned slightly .
For more information about the ESP=:>
page 190. •
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
-ai (USA models) / (Canada models)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIU is part of the On-Board Diag­
n ostic (OBD Ill system . The symbol
L lights up when the ignition is
turned on and wi ll tu rn off after the engine has started and has _,,
I • •

Inst rum ents and w arnin g/indi cat or li ghts
settled at constant idle speed . This indicates that the MIL is working
proper ly .
The warning light il luminates when there is a malfunction in the
engine electronic system . Contact your authorized Audi dealer and
have the malfunction corrected .
For more information~
page 21. •
High beam [D
The ~D warning/indicator light illuminates when the high beams are
on or when you use the head light flasher . For more information
about using the high beams, see~
page 59. •
Turn signals ¢ ¢
The indicator light flashes when you use either turn
signal .
Whenever you use the left¢ or the right¢ turn signal , the indicator
light flashes. When you use the emergency flasher, both indicator lights flash.
If one of the turn signal light bulbs burn out, the turn signal will
flash twice as fast as normal. •
Cruise control
CRUISE (USA models)/ c,)12 (Canada models)
The CRUISE warning/indicator light il lum inates when the cruise
control is activated. •
Airbag system !.!r
This warning/indicator light monitors the airbag and the
tensioner systems .
The !.!r warning light illuminates for a few seconds each time you
switch on the ignition.
If the
! .!r warning light does not go out, or if it illuminates while you
are driving, or if it s tarts to flash, then there is a ma lfunc tion some ­
where in the system . If the light does not illuminate when you
switch on the ignition, this also means there is a malfunction .
& WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the airbag sy stem, cont act y our auth o­
r iz ed A udi dealer immed iate ly. Othe rwise the a irbag or th e belt
te nsio ner ma y not w ork properly in an acci dent . •
Generator 0
This warning/indicator light detects a malfunction in the
generator or in the vehicle's electrical system.
The D warning/indicator light i lluminates when you switch on the
ignition and must go out after the engine has started.
If the
D warning/indicator light illuminates while you are driving,
you should contact your authorized Audi dealer. Since the vehicle battery is discharging, you should switch off any unnecessary elec ­
trical consumers (for example, the air conditioner). •

Safety belts i
This warning/indicator light reminds you to put on your
safety belt.
Th e ,{f. warning/indicator light illuminat es when the ignition is
switched on to remind the driver and (on USA models only) any front
passenger to put on the safety belt. Additionally, an acoustic
warning (gong) will also sound.
For more Information:::::, page 137, "Safety belt warning light-*-"·•
Brake system
BRAKE (USA models) / (CD) (Canada models)
This warning/indicator light illuminates when the brake
fluid level is too low or when there is a malfunction in the
ABS, or when the parking brake is set.
The light illuminates when the ignition is turned on. It goes out after
the engine has been started and the parking brake is fully released.
This indicates that the brake warning light is functioning properly.
If the brake warning light does not light up when the engine is
cranking or the parking brake is applied, there may be a malfunction
in the electrical system. In this case, contact your Audi dealer. If the brake system warning/indicator light flashes, there is a brake
system malfunction.
If the ABS fails, the ABS warning /indicator light (USA
models)/
.J (Canada models) flashes together with the brake system
warning/indicator light:::::,& .
(USA models): If the warning light
BRAKE and the warning light
illuminate together, immediately contact your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop to have all brake pads inspected
=:> page 32.
When the light comes on, an audible warning signal is also given.
Controls and equip ­
ment
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Parking brake set
The BRAKE or CCi)) (Canada) warning/indicator light illuminates when
the parking brake is set:::::,&.
& WARNING
• USA models : If both the BRAKE warning light and the
warning light come on at the same time, the rear wheels could lock up first under hard braking. Lock-up of the rear wheel brakes
can cause loss of vehicle control and an accident. Have your
vehicle repaired immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop. Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake
application.
• Canada models: If both the brake warning light CCi)) and the ABS
warning light come on at the same time, the rear wheels could
lock up first under hard braking. Lock-up of the rear wheel brakes
can cause loss of vehicle control and an accident. Have your
vehicle repaired immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop. Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake
application
• If the brake warning/ indicator light does not go out after a few
seconds and the parking brake released, or lights up while you are
driving, the fluid level in the brake fluid reservoir is too low. If you
believe that it is safe to do so, proceed immediately at low speed
to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop and have the brake system inspected.
• Always keep in mind that after several brake applications, you
will need greater pressure on the brake pedal to stop your vehicle .
Do not rely on strained brakes to respond with maximum stopping
power in critical situations. You must allow for increased braking
distances. The extra distance used up by fading brakes could lead
to an accident. •
I • •

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Anti-lock brake system
~ _ (USA models)/ .... (Canada models)
This warning/indicator light monit ors the A BS and the
electronic differenti al lock (EO L).
The ,I<-warning light wi ll come on for a few seconds when the igni ­
tion is switched on. The light will go out after an automatic check
sequence is completed.
There is a malfunction in the ABS when:
• t he war ning/in dicat or li ght does not illuminate when yo u switc h
on the ignition .
• th e warning/indicator l ig ht doe s no t go out after a few sec onds.
• the warning/indicator light illum inates while driving.
Without the electronic assistance of the ABS , the brake system will
still respond and br ake the car. Have the brake system che cked and
restored to its full performance by an authorized Audi dealer a s
soon as possible.
For more information regarding the ABS see
=> page 194 .
Since any malfunction of the ABS also affe cts the ESP, that system's
warning symbol •
=> page 13 will light up along with the A8~/
I':!. (Canada models) warning light.
Unspecific malfunction in the brake system
If bo th the brake warn ing lig ht=> page 15and the wa rn ing l ight
il luminate when the parking brake is released, the likely cause is a
serious m alfun ction in t he brake system beyond an inoperative ABS
=> & .
If an unspec ific defect in the brake sys te m i s indica ted, the e ntire
brake system is likely to be affected and you
must expect degraded
bra ke response and performance.
Since any malfunc tion of the ABS a lso effects the ESP, that system's
warning symbol ~=> page 13 will light up along with the ~1
J
(Canada models) warning light . Malfun
ction in the ele ctronic differential lock
(EDL )
The two syste ms E DL and ABS in te ract. F or th is rea son th e,. ::,
warning li ght/
~ (Canada mode ls) wi ll come on to ind icate a
m alf unctio n in the EDL system =>
page 191 . See your a uthor ized
Aud i dea ler as soon as poss ib le.
& WARNING
• If the / .t (Canada models} warning light does not go out ,
or if it comes on while driving , the ABS system is not working
properly . The veh icle can then be stopped only with the brakes
operating without ABS support . You will not have the protection
ABS provides. Contact your authori zed Audi dealer as soon a s
possible .
• USA models : If both the BRAKE warning light and the
warning light come on at the same time, the rear wheels could
lock up first under hard braking. Rear wheel brake lock -up can
cause loss of veh icle control and an accident . Have your vehicle
repaired immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified
workshop . Drive slowly and avoid sudden , hard brake application .
• Canada models : If both the brake wa rning light {(j)) and the ABS
warning light come on at the same time , the rear wheels could
lock up first under hard braking. Rear wheel brake lock -up can
cause loss of vehicle control and an accident . Have your vehicle
repaired immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified
workshop . Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake
application. •
Electro-mechanical power assist / ~
If the i ndicator ligh t illum inates w hile you a re driving, ther e is a
malfunction in the e lectro -mechanica l steering . If the indicator light
is showi ng ....,, , ther e may be a r educ tion i n po w er s teerin g assist. I f
the indicator light is showing @, there may be a total loss of power
s teer ing assis t. The stee ring must be i nspec ted i mme diately by a ._

qualified workshop=> &. With the eng ine not running (e .g . when
t he car is being towed), there is also no power assis t availa ble.
& WARNING
If there is a malfunction , the indi cator light for the electro -mechan ­
ical power assist illuminates . Seek profess ion al assistance . •
Controls and equip ­
ment
Instruments and warning /indi cator lights
I • •

Driver informati on displ ay
Driver information display
Introduction
Introduction
The Driver information display inside the instrument
cluster provides you , the driver, with important informa­
tion.
Ce nter d isplay
Fig . 6 Inst rum ent
c lu ster : cente r dis pl ay
Fig .
7 Wiper lever :
co ntrol s for t he m enu
d isp lay
W ith th e ignition on, the displ ay in th e Driver Info rmation System
shows the follow ing information :
• CD* inserted or Radio* station set •
Outside tempe rature *: At temperatures below 41 °F ( +5 °C l, a
snowflake symbol appea rs in front of the temp erature display ~& .
• Warning: front lid , door or engine compartment l id open: The
display appears if the door, the engine compartment lid or front lid
is not closed .
• Warning : close fuel tank cap: The Driver information display indi ­
cates when the filler cap is not secured or missing~
page 221.
Additional fun ctions
You can open the following fun ctions in the Driver Information
System display by pressing the
I RESE T] button ~ fig. 7 one or more
times :
Trip computer Digital s peedometer*
Menu display
~ page22
~ page23
The speed warning system is also displayed in the Driver Informa ­
t ion System. You can read how to set it in~
page 26.
Auto Check Con trol
Some functions and vehicle componen ts are scanned for their oper­
ating status when you switch the ignition on and wh ile you are
driving. Malfunc tions or required service procedures are signa led
audib ly and indicated by red and yel low illuminated symbols and
rem inders in the display~
page 28 .
& WARNING
• Never rely e xclusivel y on the outside temperature di spla y to
det ermine if a road surface is ic y or not. Keep in mind that road
s urface s, esp ec ia lly bridge s and overp asses, co uld be i ce cove red
and slippery even at an out side t emperatur e above 41 °F (+ 5
°C l. -.,