ECU AUDI S3 2011 User Guide

Seats and storage
& WARNING (continued )
• Make certain that the feet of the roof rack are sitting exactly in
the four stamped marks -otherwise you risk an accident!
• After you have dri ven a few miles , and particularly during long
tr ips, inspect the attaching screws to make certain they a re tight .
• Do not make any modification to the roof rack -you increase
the risk of an accident. •
Applie s to v ehicl es : wi th roof r ails
Roof rack mounting locations
Roof rac ks must be install ed only at the locations mar ked
on th e roo f rails.
Mounting
Fig. 89 Ro of rai ls:
front and rear
mounting lo cat ions
The roof rack sy stem mu st be in stalled exa ctly according to the
instructions provided.
Mount t he front and rear cross bars between the punched mark ings
on the inside of the roof railin gs~ fig. 89 - arrows -.
0 Note
• T he conventional roof rac k de sign illustrated above will not fit o n
vehicles without roof rails . For safe mo unting, these req uire a
differen t desig n of roof ra ck.•
Loading the roof rack
Always distribute the loads evenly . M ake sure anything
on the r oof rack is tied do wn securely.
- Always dis tribute t he loads on the ro of rack e venly .
- Alwa ys se cu re i te ms to the roof rac k.
The maxim um permiss ible roof weight is 165 lb (75 kg ). The roof
we ight is made up o f the weig ht of the roof rack system and the
we igh t of the object be ing transported ~
page 295 .
When usi ng a roof rack system which has a lower load carrying
cap aci ty, you mus t not use the tota l maximum pe rmissible load
carrying capacity. If t his is the case , you may load the roof rack
system on ly to the maximum capacity speci fied by the man ufact urer
of the roof rack system .
L1}. WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to secure items to the
roof rack can fail during hard braking or in a collision and cause
ser ious personal injury.
• Always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items
to the properly installed roof rack to help prevent items from
shifting or flying forward .
• Items on the roof rack must always be securely mounted .
• The use of a roof rack can negatively affect the way a vehicle
handles. Cargo that is large , heavy , bulky, long or flat will have a
greater negati ve influence on the veh icle's aerodynamics, center ..

___________________________________________________ O_ n_ t_h _e_ r_o _a_ d __ _
On the road
Steering
Adjustable steering wheel
The height and reach of the steering wheel con be
adjusted .
First, adjust t he dr iver's seat correct ly.
Fi g. 106 Leve r und er
the s tee ring column
-Pu sh t he lever~ fig. 106 down as far as it wi ll go~ &.
- Move th e st eeri ng wheel to t he desire d position.
- Push t he lever back up as fa r as it wi ll go.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) between your chest and the
c en ter of the steer ing w hee l. If you cannot si t more than 10 inches
(25 cm) from the steering wheel, see if adaptive equ ipment is avai l­
able to help you reach the pedals and increase the distance from the
steeri ng wheel.
For detai led info rmation on how to adjust the dr iver's seat, see
=> page 76, "Power se at adj ustment".
The steer ing whee l can be adjusted even when the ignition is turned
off .
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
& WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjustment and improper seating
position can cause serious personal
injury .
• Adjust the steer ing whe el 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 dr iver 's seat or steering wheel so that there is a
m inimum of 10 inches (25 cm) between your breastbone and the
steering wheel=>
page 126, fig. 122. 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
c m) 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 decrea ses the
ability of the supplemental driver's a irbag to prote ct you in an
accident. Always make sure that the steer ing wheel is pointed
towards your che st .
• Always hold the steering wheel on the outside of the steering
wheel rim with your hands at the 9 o'clo ck and 3 o'clock position s
to help reduce the risk of personal injury if the driver's airbag
inflates .
• Never hold the steer ing 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 injurie s to the hand s, arms and head if th e
driver 's airbag inflates. •
Vehicle care Technical data

Driving Safely ---------------------"~'---
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 operating
correctly.
- Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
- Make sure that all windows are clean and afford good visi-
bility to the outside.
- Secure all luggage and other items carefully::::>
page 91.
-Make sure that nothing can interfere with 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 child restraint correctly to
protect children ::::,
page 167, "Child Safety".
- Sit properly in your seat and make sure that your passen­ gers do the same::::,
page 73, "General recommenda­
tions".
- Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly. Also instruct
your passengers to fasten their safety belts properly
=:> page 135. •
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

• ....__D_ r_iv _i_ n_, g=-- S_ a _ f_e _,Ly _ ______________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
• 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 :
- If there are passengers in the rear seat, slide the head
restraints upward at least to the next notch on the occu­
pied seats =>
page 78.
-Make sure that the seatback is securely latched in the
upright position =>
page 81.
-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 seri­
ously injured in a crash.
& WARNING (continued)
• 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. •
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints ore an important part
of your vehicle 's occupant restraint system and can help
to reduce the risk of injuries in accident situations .
Fig. 123 Head
restraint: viewed from
the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to achieve the
best protection.
- Adjust the head restraints so the upper edge is as even as
possible with the top of your head. If that is not possible,
try to adjust the head restraint so that it is as close to this
position as possible=> fig . 123. .,

........ _D_ r_iv _i_ n .... g=-- S_ a_f _e _Ly :,.._ ______________________________________________ _
in. WARNING
Improper seating positions increase th e risk of serious personal
injury and de ath whenever a vehicle is being used.
• Always make sure th at all veh icle occupants stay
in a proper
seating position and are properly re strained when ever the vehicle
is being used. •
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must al ways be free t o move and mus t neve r
be in terfered wit h by a floor mat or any other object.
Make s ure that all pedals move free ly without interference and t hat
nothing prevents them from returning to their original pos itions.
On ly use floor mats that le ave t he pedal area free and can be secured
with floor mat fasteners.
If a brake circu it fails, increase d bra ke peda l trave l is re quir ed to b ring
the vehicle to a f ull stop .
in. WARNING
Pedals that cannot mo ve freely can cause loss of vehicle control
and increase the risk of serious injury.
• Never place any objects
in the driver 's footwell. An object could
get into the pedal area and interfere with pedal fun ction. In case
of sudden braking or an accident , you would not be able to b rake
or accelerate!
• Always make sure that nothing can fall or move into the
driver' s footwell. •
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats th at can be se curely a ttached to
the floo r mat fasteners and d o not inte rfe re with the free
movem ent of th e pedals.
- Make su re that t he floor mats are proper ly secured a nd
cannot move and i nte rfere with t he ped als=> &.
Use on ly floor ma ts that leave the peda l area unobstructed and that
are firm ly sec ured so that they cannot s lip out o f position. Yo u can
ob tain su itab le floor mats from you r autho rized Audi Dealer .
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your A ud i.
F loor m ats used in your vehicle m ust be att ached to t hese f astene rs.
Properly securing t he floor mats w ill prevent them from s liding into
posi tions that cou ld i nterfere w it h t he ped als o r impair safe ope ra­
t ion of your veh icle in other ways .
in. WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result in a loss of vehicle
c ontrol and in crease the risk of seriou s per sonal injury .
• Always make sure that floor mats are properly secured .
• Never place or install floor mats or other floor coverings in the
vehicle that cannot be properly secured in place to prevent them
from slipping and interfering with the pedals or the ability to
control the vehicle.
• Never place or install floor mats or other floor coverings on top
of al ready installed floor mats . Additional floor mats and other
coverings will reduce the size of the pedal area and interfere with
the pedals.
• Always properly rein stall and secure floor mats that have been
taken out for cleaning.
• Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driver foot-
well while the vehicle is moving. Objects can become trapped
~

& WARNING (continued)
under the brake pedal and accelerator pedal causing a loss of
vehicle control. •
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be properly stowed
and secured in the luggage compartment.
~ ... a'. ., m
Fig . 124 Safe load
positioning: heavy
cargo positioned as far
forward as possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can shift suddenly,
changing vehicle handling characteristics. Loose items can
also increase the risk of serious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuver or in a collision.
- Distribute the load evenly in the luggage compartment.
- Always place and properly secure heavy items in the luggage compartment as far forward as possible
~ fig . 124.
- Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided~ page 82.
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration Driving
Safely
-
Make sure that the rear seatback is securely latched in
place.
& WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can fly through the
vehicle causing serious personal injury in the event of hard braking or an accident. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
• Always put objects, for example, luggage or other heavy items
in the luggage compartment.
• Always secure objects in the luggage compartment using the
tie-down eyelets and suitable straps.
& WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehicle handles. To help
reduce the risk of a loss of control leading to serious personal
injury:
• Always keep in mind when transporting heavy objects, that a
change in the center of gravity can also cause changes in vehicle
handling:
-Always distribute the load as evenly as possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in the luggage compart-
ment as possible.
• Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating or the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating specified on the safety compliance sticker on the
left door jamb. Exceeding permissible weight standards can cause
the vehicle to slide and handle differently.
• Please observe information on safe driving=>
page 124.
& WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from being drawn into the
vehicle, always keep the rear lid closed while driving . .,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

-L_!:D~ r!:_! i~v ~in ~ g~S~ a.!_fe ~ LyL __________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• Never tran sport object s larger than those fitting completely
into the luggage are a because the rear lid cannot be fully clos ed.
• If you absolutely must dri ve with the rear lid open , observe the
following note s to reduce the risk of po isoning:
- Clo se all windows,
- Close the power roof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation ,
- Set the fresh air fan to the h ighest speed.
& WARNING
Always make sure that the doors , all windows, the power roof*
and the read lid are securely closed and lo cked to redu ce the ri sk
of inju ry when the vehicle is not being used.
• After closing the r ear lid, always make sure that it is properly
closed and locked.
• Never leave your vehicle unattended especially with the rear lid
left open. A child could crawl into the vehicle through the luggage
compartment and close the rear lid becoming trapped and unable
to get out. Being trapped in a vehicle can lead to serious personal
injury.
• Never let children play in or around the vehicle.
• Never let passengers ride in the luggage compartment . Vehicl e
occupants must alway s be properly restrained in one of the
vehicle 's seating positions.
00 Tips
• The tire pressu re mus t cor respond to the load - see the tire pres­
sure st icker on th e fuel filler doo r. •
The tire pressure must correspo nd to the load . The tire p ressure is
shown on t he tire press ure label. O n USA ve hicl es, t he tire press ure
label is located on the d river's s ide B-pillar. On Canada vehicles, the
tire press ure label is located either on the driver 's side B -pillar or
inside the fuel fille r flap . The t ire pressure labe l lists the recom­
mended co ld ti re inflation pressures for t he ve hicle at its maximum
c apacity weight and the tires that were on yo ur vehicle at the ti me it
was manufactured. For recommended tire pressures for normal load
c ondi tions, p le ase see cha pte r=>
page 249. •
Tie-downs
The lugg ag e co mportment is equipped with four tie­
downs to secure lugga ge and other items.
Use the t ie-downs to sec ure your ca rgo prope rly=> page 131,
"Loading the luggage compartment" .
In a co lli sion, t he laws of phys ics mean tha t even sma ller i tems th at
are loose in the vehicle will become heavy m issi les t hat can cause
ser ious injury. Items in the vehicle pos sess energy whi ch v ary wi th
vehicle speed and t he weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor .
For exampl e, in a fron tal col lis io n at a speed of 30 mp h (4 8 k m/h),
the forces actin g on a 10 -lb (4.S kg) o bject are about 20 times t he
normal weight o f the item. This means that the weig ht of the item
wou ld suddenly be abo ut 200 lbs. (90 kg) . You can imagine the inju­
r ies tha t a 200 lbs. (90 kg) i tem flying freely thro ugh t he p assenge r
compartment could cause in a collision like this.
& WARNING
Weak , damaged or improper straps used to secure items to t ie­
downs can fail during hard braking or in a collision and cause
ser ious personal injury.

& WARNING (continued)
• Always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items
to the tie-downs in the luggage compartment to help prevent items from shifting or flying forward as dangerous missiles.
• When the rear seat backrest is folded down, always use suit­
able mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs
in the luggage compartment to help prevent items from flying
forward as dangerous missiles into the passenger compartment.
• Never attach a child safety seat tether strap to a tie-down. •
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause injury
or death, you should immediately inform the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) in addition to notifying Audi of
America, Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may
open an investigation, and if it finds that a
safety defects exists in a group of vehicles, it
may order a recall and remedy campaign.
However, NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you, your dealer,
or Audi of America, Inc.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at:
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Driving Safely
-
Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153)
or write to:
Administrator
NHTSA
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
You can also obtain other information about motor vehicle safety from:
http:/ /www.safercar.gov
Applicable to Canada
Canadian customers who wish to report a
safety-related defect to Transport Canada, Defect Investigations and Recalls, may tele­
phone the toll free hotline :
Tel.: 1-800-333-0371 or
Tel.: 1-613-998-8616 if you are in the Ottawa
area
TTY for hearing impaired: 1-888-675-6863
email comments/questions to: roadsafetyweb­
[email protected]
or contact Transport Canada by mail at:
Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation
Directorate
Transport Canada
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

& WARNING (continued)
• Never let any person ride with their feet on the instrument
panel or sticking out the window or on the seat.
• Never remove a safety belt while the vehicle is moving. Doing
so will increase your risk of being injured or killed.
• Never wear belts twisted.
• Never wear belts over rigid or breakable objects in or on your
clothing, such as eye glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these may cause
injury.
• Never allow safety belts to become damaged by being caught
in door or seat hardware.
• Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt under your arm or
otherwise out of position .
• Several layers of heavy clothing may interfere with correct
positioning of belts and reduce the overall effectiveness of the
system.
• Always keep belt buckles free of anything that may prevent the
buckle from latching securely.
• Never use comfort clips or devices that create slack in the
shoulder belt. However, special clips may be required for the
proper use of some child restraint systems.
• Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and damaged belt hard­
ware can break in an accident. Inspect belts regularly. If webbing, bindings, buckles, or retractors are damaged, have belts replaced
by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Safety belts that have been worn and loaded in an accident
must be replaced with the correct replacement safety belt by an
authorized Audi dealer. Replacement may be necessary even if
damage cannot be clearly seen. Anchorages that were loaded
must also be inspected.
• Never remove, modify, disassemble, or try to repair the safety
belts yourself.
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Safety belts
& WARNING (continued)
• Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts may not work properly
and can impair the function of the inertia reel=>
page 217,
"Safety belts". •
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Seat first -everybody buckle up!
Fig. 131 Belt buckle
and tongue on the
driver's seat
To provide maximum protection , safety belts must always be
positioned correctly on the wearer's body.
- Adjust the front seat and head restraint properly
=>
page 73 , "General recommendations" .
- Make sure the seatback of the rear seat bench is in an
upright position and securely latched in place before using
the belt =>& .
- Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it evenly across the
chest and pelvis=>& . _,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

___ s_ a_ f_ e_ t_ y~ b_ e_ lt_s _____________________________________________ _
- Insert t he tongue into the correct buck le of your seat until
you hear it latch secure ly==> fig. 131 .
- Pull on the be lt to make sure tha t it is secure ly la tched in
the buck le.
Automatic safety belt retractors
Every safety be lt is equipped with an automatic be lt retractor on the
shoulder be lt. This feat ure locks the be lt whe n the belt is pulled out
fast, during hard braking and in an acc ident. The belt may also lock
w hen you dr ive up or dow n a steep hill or throug h a sharp curve.
Dur ing normal driv ing the belt lets you move freely.
Safety belt pretensioners
The safety belts are equipped w ith a belt pretensioner that helps to
t ighten the safety be lt and remove sla ck when the p re tensioner is
act ivated. The function of the pretensioner is monitored by a warn ing
light =>
page 15.
Switchable locking feature
Every sa fety be lt ex ce pt t he one on the driver sea t is eq uipped wi th a
switchab le locking feature that
must be used when the safety belt is
used to at tach a child safety seat. Be s ure to read t he importa nt info r­
mation about this feature=>
page 177.
& WARNING
Imp roperly positioned safety belts can c au se se rious injury in a n
accident =>
page 140, "Safety b elt po sition ".
• Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seatback
i s upr ight and belts are properly positioned on the body .
• Always make sure th at the rear seat backre st to which the
center rear safety belt is attached i s secur ely latched when ever the
rear cente r sa fety belt is be ing u sed . If the ba ckre st is not securely
latched, the pas senger will move forward with th e backre st during
sudde n braking, in a sudden maneuve r and especiall y in a crash .
& WARNING (continued )
• Never attach the safety belt to the buckle fo r another seat .
Attaching the belt to the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt
effectiveness and can cause ser ious personal injury.
• A pass enger who i s not properly restrained can be seriou sly
i njured by the safety belt itself when it mo ves from the stronger
part s of the body into critical area s like the abdomen.
• Alway s loc k the convertible locking retractor when you a re
securing a child safety seat in the vehicle=>
page 179. •
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting maximum
pro tection from safety belts .
Fig. 132 Hea d
r e str aint a nd safet y
belt po sit ion a s seen
from the side
Standard features on your vehicle help you adjust the position of the
safety belt to match your bo dy size.
• belt h eight adjustment for the fron t sea ts,
• automatic belt height adjustment for the rear seats .