airbag off AUDI S3 2010 Owners Manual

Inst rum ents and w arnin g/indi cat or li ghts
reconnected again . The light should go out after driving a short
distance if the steering wheel is turned slight ly .
For more information about the ESP:::::,
page 188. •
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
(USA models )/ (Canada models)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (M IU is part of the On-Board Diag ­
nostic (OBD Ill system . The symbo l lights up when the ignition is
turned on and wi ll turn off after the engine has started and has
sett led at constant id le 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 ~Dwarning/ indicato r light illuminates when the h igh beams are
on or when you use the headlight flasher. For more information
about using the h ig h beams , see :::::,
page 57. •
Turn signals ¢ Q
The indicator light flashes when you use ei ther turn
signal.
Whenever you use the left¢ or the right ¢ turn signal, the ind icator
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 no rma l.•
Cruise control
CRUISE (USA models) / 0 (Canada models)
The CRUISE warning/indicator light illuminates when the cruise
control is activated. •
Airbag system !_J·
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 whi le you
are driving, or if it starts to flash, then there is a ma lfunction 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 ha ve a malfunction in the a irbag sy stem , cont act your autho­
rized Audi dealer immedi ately. Otherwi se the airba g or the belt
ten sioner may not wor k properl y in an acci dent. •
Generator 0
This warning/indicator light detects a malfunction in the
generator or in the vehicle's electrical system .
The O warning/indicator light illuminates when you switch on the
ignition and must go out after the engine has started.
If the
O warning/indicator light il luminates while you are driving,
you shou ld co ntact your authori zed Aud i dealer . Since the veh icle
battery is discharging, you should switch off any unnecessary elec­
trical consumers ( for example, the air conditioner) .•

• Remote control feature=> page 37.
• Anti -theft alarm system => page 46.
All the doors and the rear lid are locked by the central locking
sys tem when you lock the veh icle.
Unlo cking th e ve hicle
You can un lock the vehicle from outside either by using the remote
control
o r by inserting and turning the key in the driver's door lock.
When you
unlock your vehicle :
• The anti -theft alarm system is deactivated briefly .
• T he vehicle i nteri or lights illuminate fo r approxi mate ly 30
seconds .
• All tu rn signal lights will flash twice when t he car is unl ocked .
• After un locking the vehicle, you have 30 seconds to open a door
or the rear lid. After 30 seconds, t he vehicle automatically locks and
the anti-theft a larm system activates again.
The rear lid can be locked o r unlocked either by u sing the remote
control
or by inserting and turning the key in the driver's door lock.
Un loc king the vehicle with the remote control
c::::::::5 wi ll only unlock
the rear lid, to open it, the l id handle needs to be pressed.
Lo cking the vehi cle
You can lock the vehic le from outside either by using the remote
control
or by i nserting and tu rning the key in the drive rs's d oor l ock .
When you
lock the vehicle:
• All doors and the rear lid are locked .
• All turn signal lights w ill flash once when the car is locked .
• T he anti -theft alarm sys tem is activated. The horn of the anti ­
theft alarm system wi ll sound and the anti -theft alarm system readi ­
ness light, loca ted in the center of the instrument pane l below the
w indshie ld on the right side of the a ir vent, wil l start to b link.
• The ve hicle interior l ights tur n off .
Controls and equip ­
ment
Opening and clo sing
Automati c locking *
The a utoma tic locking feature l ocks all the vehicle do ors and t he
rear lid when you drive faster than 9 mph (15 km/h).
You can unlock the vehicle from the inside by :
• removi ng the key from the igniti on swi tch (the vehicle wil l a uto ­
matically un lock itself) or
• pressing the unlock part o f the power lock switch
l!:)) or
• pul ling the inside handle for that door (once -the front doo r is
unlocked and opened at the same time, twice to open the rear doo r).
I f you wish, you can have an authorized Audi dea ler convert your
p ower d oor lock system to auto matic l ocki ng .
& WARNING
• When you lock your vehicle from out side , nobody - especially
c hildren - should remain inside the vehi cle . Re member , when you
lock the vehicle from the out side the window s cannot be opened
from the inside .
• When you leave the vehicle , alway s remove the ignition key and
t a ke it with you . This will prevent passengers (children , for
example ) from accidentally being locked in the vehicle should they
accidentally press the po wer locking swit ch on the center c onsole .
• Do not leave children ins ide the vehicle unsupe rvised. In an
emergen cy it would be imposs ible to open the doors from the
out side without th e key.
[ i ] Tips
• I n the eve nt of a crash with airbag deployment all locked do ors
wi ll be automatically un locked to give access to the vehicle occu­
p a nts from the outside.
• I f the power locking system should fail, you can still open the
f u el tank flap in an emergency =>
page 222 . ~
I • •

Clear vision
Instrument panel illumination
The ill umination of the instrumen ts, dis plays an d the
center cons ole c an be adjusted .
"' ;
a'.. ., m
Fig. 50 In stru men t
pan el illumi nat ion
You re gul ate the br ight ness o f the ins tru ments wit h the lef t
th um bw heel
C'1 => fi g. 50 .
Ignition ON , light switch at @ .
With the ignition switched ON, the g low of instrument needles can
be adjuste d to a ppear brigh ter or dimmer .
Ignition ON , light switch at ~oo : or tD.
With the l ights switched o n, the brightness of instrument c luster
(i.e . ne edles, gauges and displays) and center console il lumination
can be adjusted.
0 Note
The instrument cl uster and cente r console illumination (gauges and
needles) comes on when you switch on the ignition and the
v ehi cle
headlights are off.
Be aware of the f ollowi ng differe nce betwee n
models built to US or Canadian specifications :
• USA model s: illumination of the instrument cluster (gauges and
needles ), dash and center console around the gearshift leve r is
contr olled by a light sensor l ocated in the instrument panel. The i
nstrument panel illumination will autom ati cally be come dimmer
as the daylight fades away and eventually will go out completely
when out side light i s very low . Thi s is to rem ind you , the dri ver , to
sw itch on the headlights before it gets too dark.
• Canada models : in strument panel illumin ation will sta y bri ght
regardle ss of the inten sity of amb ient light . Alway s be aware of
c hange s in outside light conditions while you are d riving . Re spond
in time to fading dayl ight by turning the light switch to position
tD
(or" AUTO" if your car is equipped with this feature) to turn on your
he adl ights. •
Emergency flasher ~
The emergency flasher makes other motorists aware that
you or your vehicle are in an emergency situation.
1 1 0. -II 0 Ii i
11
u
I ] '
' F ig . 51 Center
c o ns ole : em erge ncy
fla sher swit ch
Pr ess th e sw itch ~=>fig. 51, to sw itch the em ergency
flas her on or off.
When the eme rgency flasher is on, al l four turn sig nal blink at the
same time . The turn signal indicator lights
¢i ¢ in the instrument
clu ster, as well as the light in the emergency flasher switch~ blink
likewise .
The emergency flasher will automatically switch on if you are in an accident where the airbag has deployed . _,,.

Seats and storage
Seats and storage
General recommendations
Why is your seat adjustment so important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can only provide
maximum protection if the front seats are correctly
adjusted.
There are several different ways you can adjust the driver's seat and
the front passenger's seat so that it conforms to your body size. It is
especially important that the seat be adjusted properly so that:
• you can easily and quickly reach all the switches and controls in
the instrument panel
• your body is properly supported thus reducing physical stress
and fatigue
• the safety belts and airbag system can offer maximum protec ­
tion=>
page 145
In the following chapters, you will see exactly how you can best
adjust your seats.
There are special regulations and instructions for installing a child safety seat on the front passenger's seat. Always heed the informa ­
tion regarding child safety provided in=>
page 167, "Child Safety".
L1}. WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and all other passengers
can result in serious personal injury.
• Always keep your feet on the floor when the vehicle is in motion
- never put your feet on top of the instrument panel, out of the
window or on top of the seat cushion! This applies especially to
the passengers. If your seating position is incorrect you increase
the risk of injury in the case of sudden braking or an accident. If
& WARNING (continued)
the airbag inflates and the seating position is incorrect this could
result in personal injury or even death.
• It is important for both the driver and front passenger to keep
a distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between themselves and
the steering wheel and/or instrument panel. If you're sitting any closer than this, the airbag system cannot protect you properly. In
addition to this, the front seats and head restraints must be
adjusted to your body height so that they can give you maximum
protection.
• Always try to keep as much distance as possible between your­
self and the steering wheel or instrument panel.
• Do not adjust the driver's or front passenger's seat while the
vehicle is moving . Your seat may move unexpectedly, causing
sudden loss of vehicle control and personal injury. If you adjust
your seat while the vehicle is moving, you are out of position. •
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe and relaxed
driving.
We recommend that you adjust the driver's seat in the
following manner:
- Adjust the seat in fore and aft direction so that you can easily push the pedals to the floor while keeping your
knees slightly bent=>
& in "Why is your seat adjustment
so important?".
- Adjust the seatback so that when you sit with your back
against the seatback, you can still grasp the top of the
steering wheel.
~

Seats and storage
Applies to vehicles : with m anual seat a djustm en t
Adjusting the manual seats
Position, angle and shape of the manual seats can be
adjusted to provide safe and comfortable seating.
Read and heed all WARNINGS =:> & before you adjust your
seat.
Moving the front seats forward or backward
- Lift the lever=:>
page 73, fig. 70 (D and slide the seat to
the desired position.
- Release the lever and then move the seat further until
you feel and hear it engage.
Adjusting the seat height
- Pull the lever @ up and pump it to raise the seat.
-Push the lever down and pump it to lower the seat.
Adjusting the seatback angle
- Lean forward to take your weight off the seatback.
- Turn the hand wheel© in the direction you want the
seatback to tilt.
& WARNING
• Never adjust the driver's or front passenger's seat while the
vehicle is moving. If you do this while the vehicle is moving, you
will be out of position. Always adjust the driver's or front
passenger's seat when the vehicle is not moving.
• Be careful when adjusting the seat height. Check to see that no
one is in the way, or serious injury could result!
& WARNING (continued)
• To reduce the risk of injury in the case of sudden braking or
accident, front passengers must never ride in a moving vehicle
with the seatback reclined. Safety belts and the airbag system
only offer maximum protection when the seatback is upright and
the safety belts are properly positioned on the body . The more the
seatback is reclined, the greater the risk of personal injury from an
incorrect seating position and improperly positioned safety
belts! •
Adjusting the power seat
Applies to vehi cles : wi th p ow er dr iver s eat
Adjustment switches
For an intuitive operation, the switches @ and @ are
distinctly shaped and positioned to reflect their adjust­
ment functions.
Fig. 71 Adjustment
switches: locations on
driver's seat
Push or pull either switch in exactly the same direction you like the
corresponding part of the seat to move. .,,

Seats and storage
-Push or pull the top of the switch in the same direction
you like the seatback to tilt~ fig . 73.
& WARNING
• Never adjust the seatback while the vehicle is moving . If you
adjust your seatback while the vehicle is moving, you will be out
of position. Always adjust the seatback when the vehicle is not
moving.
• To reduce the risk of injury in the case of sudden braking or
accident, front passengers must never ride in a moving vehicle
with the seatback reclined. Safety belts and the airbag system
only offer maximum protection when the seatback is upright and
the safety belts are properly positioned on the body. The more the
seatback is reclined , the greater the risk of personal injury from an
incorrect seating position and improperly positioned safety
belts! •
Applies to v ehicles : with lum bar support
Adjusting the lumbar support
The lumbar support can be adjusted to fit the natural
curvature of the occupant's spine.
N
"' ~
~
a:.
L-------- -,:g
Fig. 74 Driver seat:
switch for lumbar
adjustment
Adjusting the curvature
- Push the front of the switch plate~ fig. 74 in order to
increase the curvature.
- Push the rear of the switch plate in order to decrease the
curvature.
Adjusting the height - Push on the to p of the switch plate in order to move the
support higher.
- Push on the bottom of the switch plate in order to move
the support lower.
& WARNING
Never adjust the lumbar support while the vehicle is moving. If you
adjust your seat while the vehicle is moving, you will be out of
position. Always adjust the lumbar support when the vehicle is
not moving .•

Seats and storage
-Plu g in ap plia n ce to be us ed.
The ou tlet may be used for 12-volt app liances with maximum
consumption of up to 100 watts, such as a flash light , smal l vacuum
cleaner, etc .
Before you purchase any accessories, always read and follow the
inf orm ati on i n
=> page 300, "Addi tiona l ac cess ories and parts
replacement" .
& WARNING
The outlet plu s any appliances plugged into it remain functional
even if the ignition is switched off or the ignition key is removed .
Ne ver leave children inside the vehicle without supervi sion .
0 Note
To avoid damaging the socket, only use p lugs that fit properly .
[ i ] Tips
When the engine is off and accessories are sti ll plugged in and are
on, the vehicle batte ry can sti ll be d rained .•
Storage
General overview
There are numer ous places to store items i n your ve hicle.
Storage in the center armrest
Storage in t he rea r armr est => page 80
Glove compart ment (A ir v enti lati on i n t he ::::> page 93
glove compartment*, CD changer *)
Cent er console
Compartments in the door trims
Sto ra ge in the f ootwe ll
=> page93
=> page 9 4
=> page94
Compartments in luggage compartment
=> page 95
Some of the s torage locations are only found on specific veh icle
models or are optional equ ipment .
& WARNING
• Always remove obje cts from the in strument panel. Any items
not put away could slide around inside the vehicle while driving or
when a ccelerating or when applying the bra kes or when driving
around a corner .
• When you are driving make sure that anything you may have
placed in the center console or other storage locations cannot fall
out into the footwells . In case of sudden bra king you would not be
able to brake , depress the clut ch or accelerate .
• Any pie ces of clothing that you have hung up mu st not interfere
with the driver's view. The coat hooks are designed only for light ­
weight clothing . Never hang any clothing with hard , pointed or
heavy objects in the pockets on the coat hooks . During sudden
bra king or in an accident -especially if the airbag is deployed -
these obje cts could in jure any passengers inside the vehicle. •

___________________________________________________ O _n_ t_h _ e_ r_ o _ a_ d __ llll
On the road
Steering
Adjustable steering wheel
The height and reach of the steering wheel can be
adjusted.
First, adjust the driver's seat correctly.
Fig. 107 Lever under
the steering column
-Push the leve r~ fig. 107 down as far as it will go~&.
- Move the steering wheel to the desired positi on.
- Push the leve r back up as fa r as it will go.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) between your chest and the
center of the steering wheel. If you cannot sit more than 10 inches
(25 cm) from the steering wheel, see if adaptive equipment is avail ­
able to help you reach the pedals and increase the distance from the
steering wheel.
Fo r detailed information on how to adjust the driver 's seat, see
=> page
75, "Power seat adjustment".
T he steering wheel can be adjusted even when the ignition is turned
off.
Controls and equip ­
ment
& WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjustment and improper seating
position can cause serious personal injury.
• Adjust the steering wheel column only when the vehicle is not
moving to prevent loss of vehicle control.
• Always make sure that the adjustment lever is securely pushed
up so that the position of the steering wheel cannot be changed
unintentionally when the vehicle is moving .
• Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel so that there is a
minimum of 10 inches (25 cm ) between your breastbone and the
steering wheel=> page 126 , fig. 124 . If you cannot maintain this
minimum distance, the airbag system cannot protect you prop ­
erly .
• If physical limitations prevent you from sitting 10 inches {25
cm ) or more from the steering wheel , check with your authorized
Audi dealer to see if adaptive equipment is available.
• Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decreases the
ability of the supplemental driver's airbag to protect you in an
accident . Always make sure that the steering wheel is pointed
towards your chest.
• Always hold the steering wheel on the outside of the steering
wheel rim with your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions
to help reduce the risk of personal injury if the driver's airbag
inflates .
• Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position or with
your hands at other positions inside the steering wheel rim or on
the steering wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands, arms and head if the
driver's airbag inflates. •
I • •

........ _o_ r_iv _i_ n""' g::;._ S_ a_f _e _ly =---------------------------------------------------
& WARNING (continued)
• Always make sure that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm)
between the front passenger's breastbone and the instrument
panel.
• Each passenger must always sit on a seat of their own and
properly fasten and wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
• Before driving, always adjust the front passenger seat and
head restraint properly.
• Always keep your feet on the floor in front of the seat . Never
rest them on the seat, instrument panel, out of the window, etc.
The airbag system and safety belt will not be able to protect you
properly and can even increase the risk of injury in a crash.
• Never drive with the backrest reclined or tilted far back! The
farther the backrests are tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper
seating position.
• Children must always ride in child safety seats~
page 167.
Special precautions apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat~
page 145. •
Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with both feet on
the floor consistent with their physical size and be prop­
erly restrained whenever the vehicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect seating
position in the event of a sudden braking maneuver or an
accident, your passengers on the rear bench seat must
always observe the following:
- Make sure that the seatback is securely latched in the
upright position =>
page 81.
-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=>
page 129.
-Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of the rear seat .
- Fasten and wear safety belts properly=>
page 139.
-Make sure that children are always properly restrained in
a child restraint that is appropriate for their size and age
=>
page 167.
& WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the rear seat can be
seriously injured in a crash.
• Each passenger must always sit on a seat of their own and
properly fasten and wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
• Safety belts only offer maximum protection when the seatback
is securely latched in the upright position and the safety belts are
properly positioned on the body. By not sitting upright, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal injury from improperly
positioned safety belts!
• Always adjust the head restraint properly so that it can give
maximum protection. •

Because the passengers of this vehicle are not using safety belts
=:> page 136, fig. 129, they will keep moving at the same speed the
vehicle was moving just before the crash, until something stops
them -here, the wall
=:> page 136, fig. 130.
The same principles apply to people sitting in a vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision. Even at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph
(30 to 50 km/h), the forces acting on the body can reach one ton
(2,000 lbs. or 1,000 kg) or more . At greater speeds, these forces are
even higher.
People who do not use safety belts are also not attached to their
vehicle. In a frontal collision they will also keep moving forward at
the speed their vehicle was travelling just before the crash. Of course, the laws of physics don't just apply to frontal collisions, they
determine what happens in all kinds of accidents and collisions. •
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop themselves
from flying forward and being injured or killed. Always
wear your safety belts!
Safety first
Fig . 131 A driver not
wearing a safety belt is
violently thrown
forward
Safety belts
Fig . 132 A rear
passenger not wearing
a safety belt will fly
forward and strike the
driver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the tremendous forces of
impact by holding tight or bracing themselves. Without the benefit
of safety restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant will slam
violently into the steering wheel, instrument panel, windshield, or
whatever else is in the way=:> fig. 131. This impact with the vehicle
interior has all the energy they had just before the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even when they deploy,
airbags provide only additional protection. Airbags are not
supposed to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Although your Audi is
equipped with airbags, all vehicle occupants, including the driver,
must wear safety belts correctly in order to minimize the risk of
severe injury or death in a crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and that your
safety belts are always there to offer protection in those accidents
in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they have
already deployed. Unbelted occupants can also be thrown out of the
vehicle where even more severe or fatal injuries can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to wear safety belts
correctly . Unbelted passengers in the rear seats endanger not only
themselves but also the driver and other passengers=:> fig. 132. In a
frontal collision they will be thrown forward violently, where they can hit and injure the driver and/or front seat passenger. •
Vehicle care I I Technical data