fuel AUDI S3 2011 Owner's Guide

Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Gasoline
Fuel supply
Using the right fuel helps keep the environment clean and
prevents engine damage .
Fuel recommendation
The fuel recommended for your vehicle is unleaded premium grade
g asoline . See also :::>
page 296, "D ata ". Aud i recommends using TO P
TIER Detergent Gasoline with a minimum octane ra ting of 91 AKI (95
R O N). For more information on TOP TIE R Detergen t Gasoline, please
go to the official website (www. toptiergas .com) .
Th e recommended gasoline octane rating for your engine can also be
found on a labe l located on the ins ide of t he fue l fille r flap. This rating
may be specified as AKI or RON .
Your vehicle may also be ope rated us ing unleaded reg ular gasoline
with a minim um octane rating of 87 AKI/91 RON. However, us ing 87
AKI/91 RON octane fuel will slig htly reduce engine performance.
Use un leaded ga soline only. U nleaded gaso line is available
throughout the USA, Canada, and in most E uropean co untries. We
recommen d that you do not ta ke your veh icle to areas or co unt ries
where unleaded gasoline may not be available.
F or more in formation on re fueling yo ur vehicle, see:::>
page 221.
Octane rating
Octane r ati ng indi cat es a gaso line's abi lity to resis t engi ne damag ing
"knock" caused by premature ignition and detonat ion. Therefore,
buying the correc t g rade o f gasol ine is very impo rtan t to help preve nt
possible engine damage and a loss of engine performance .
Gaso line most common ly used in the United States and Canada has
the following octa ne rat ings tha t ca n usually be fou nd on the filler
pump :
Safety first
• Premium Grade: 91 - 96 AKI
• Regular Grade: 87 - 90 AKI
Explanation of t he abb reviations :
AKI= Anti Knock Index= (R +M)/2 = (RON+ MON)/2
RO N= Research Octane Number
M ON= M otor Octane Num ber.
0 Note
• Do not use any fue l with octane rat ings lower than 87 AKI o r 91
RON otherwise expens ive engine damage will occ ur.
• Do
not use leade d gasoline! The use o f leaded gaso line will
severely damage your veh icle 's cata lytic converter and its abi lity to
cont rol exhaust emissions .•
Blended gasoline
Use of gasoline containing alcohol or MTBE (methyl
tertiary butyl ether)
Yo u may use unleaded gasoline blended w ith alcoho l or MTBE
( c ommon ly referred to as oxygenates) if the blended mix ture meets
the following criteria:
Blend of ga soline methanol (wood alcohol or methyl alcohol)
• Anti -k nock index m ust be 87 AKI or h igher .
• Bl end must con tain no mo re t han 3% methanol.
• Blend must contain more than 2% co-solvents.
Blend of ga soline and ethanol (grain alcohol or ethyl alcohol)
• Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI o r higher.
• Bl end must no t contain more th an 10% ethanol.
Vehicle care Technical data

Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
• Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
• Blend must contain not more than 15% MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform especially well fo r
winter or summer driving. During seasonal change-over, we suggest
that you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the seasonal adjustment is
more likely to be made in time.
0 Note
• Methano l fuels which do not meet these requirements may cause
corrosion and damage to plastic and rubber components in the fue l
system .
• Do not use fuels that fail to meet the specified criteria in this
chapter .
• If you are unab le to determine whether or not a particu lar fuel
blend meets the spec ifications, ask your serv ice station or its fuel
supplier.
• Do not use fuel for which the contents cannot be identified.
• Fuel system damage and performance problems resulting from
the use of fuels different from those specified are not the responsi­
bility of Aud i and are not covered under the New Vehicle or the Em is­
sion Control System Warranties.
• If you experience a loss of fuel economy or driveab ility and perfor­
mance problems due to the use of one of these fuel blends, we
recommend that you switch to unblended fuel.•
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufacturers is carbon deposit
build-up caused by the type of gasoline you use. Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another,
they have certain things
in common. All gaso line g rades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect on v ital engine parts,
such as fuel injectors and intake valves. A lthough most gasoline
brands include additives to keep eng ine and fuel systems clean, they
are not equally effective.
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline. For more
information on TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline, please go to the officia l
webs ite (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadequate fuels, built-up carbon
deposits can rob your engine of peak performance.
0 Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel quality is not covered by the
Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty. •
Applies to veh icles: wit h diese l eng ine
Diesel fuel
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) sulfur content
15 ppm or less.
Th e ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) meets the ASTM-D -975 (grade 2).
Diesel fuel with a higher concentration than ULSD-Diesel No. 2
ASTM D975 and Bio-diesel with a higher concentration than S
%
like Bll, B20 or BlOO are strictly prohibited.
Service station fuel pumps are labeled with the correct fuel informa­
tion for easy recognition by the user. If the diesel fuel pump is not
labeled ask the station operator what fuel is being dispensed before
filling up your vehicle.
Service stations offering diesel fuel are generally located on truck
routes or major highways . D irectories of diesel fuel stat ions are
usually available at diesel fuel stations.

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Some states in the USA require permits to purchase diesel fuel. Check
with your State Motor Vehicle Department.
Diesel fuel may not be available outs ide the USA and Canada. Be sure
to check before traveling to other countries .
Winter operation
At temperatures below 20° F (- 7° C), Diesel fue l No. 2 loses its fluidity
due to wax separation, which may clog the fuel filter or tank filter and
keep the engine from running.
T o help the filter from being clogged by wax, the fuel fi lter in your
vehicle is automatically preheated. Preheating the fuel filter makes
operat ion of your vehicle possib le with Diesel fuel No. 2 down to -
10° F (-24° C).
If you expect temperatures below 5° F (-15° C) ask your fuel dealer
whether their Diesel fuel No. 2 is suffic iently w interized for the
prevailing and expected temperatures.
If not winte rized or insuffic iently winterized diesel fuel has already
thickened to the extent that the engine will not start, warm the
vehicle up by leaving it in a heated garage.
It is normal that the engine noise level (dieseling) is louder during the
warm-up period in winter.
It is also normal when whitish -blue smoke
comes out of the tailpipe after start ing and during warm-up. The
amount of smoke depends on the outside temperature.
Do not let your diese l engine id le unnecessari ly after a cold start.
Driving off slowly will shorten the warm-up period.
& WARNING
• Never use "starting assist fluids." They may be potentially
explosive or cause a "run-away" engine condition. This could
result in serious engine damage and personal injury.
• Never use fuel line anti-freeze offered for gasoline engines.
Safety first
0 Note
• Your diesel engine has been specifically designed to operate only
on Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fue l. Therefore, never use home heating oil
or regu lar gaso line. The properties of these fuels may cause serious
damage to the fuel injection system and to the engine. Using these
fue ls can cause expens ive eng ine repairs and will also adversely affect
your New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
• If diesel fuel should get on any rubber hose, it must be wiped off
immediately. Then wash the contaminated hose portion with soap
and warm water. Do not allow diesel fuel to rema in on connecting
hoses. They may deve lop leaks and cause serious damage. •
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear side panel behind the
fue l filler flap.
If the power locking system should fa il, you can still open the flap
manually - for detai led instructions see=>
page 224.
You ca n find the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle in Technical Data
=> page 296 .
The label on the inside of the fue l filler flap tells you the correct fuel
for your veh icle. For more information about fuel specifications, see
=> page 219.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refuelling vapor recovery
system . This feature helps to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from
the tank and polluting the environment while you refuel your vehicle.
In order to fill the tank properly while protect ing the environment,
please follow this refueling procedure carefully. .,,
Vehicle care Technical data

-Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank PHf_ -:.....:.-.:._____ --------=-.:-___________ _
& WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never carry additional fuel
containers in your car. Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport fuel can be dangerous. Such containers, full or empty,
may leak and could cause a fire in a collision. If you must transport
fuel to use for your lawn mower, snow blower, etc., be very careful
and always observe local and state laws regarding the use, trans ­
portation and storage of such fuel containers. Make certain the
container meets industry standards (ANSI/ASTM F852 - 86).
0 Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank is completely dry. The
irregular supply of fuel can cause misfiring. Gasoline could enter into
the exhaust system and damage the catalytic converter. •
Refuelling
The fuel filler flap is unlocked from a button in the
driver's door.
Fig . 156 Driver's
door: Unlocking fuel
filler flap Fig
. 157 Fuel cap
hooked on the opened
fuel filler flap
When adding fuel, the ignition and any cellular phones in the
vehicle must be switched
off.
Taking the fuel cap off
- To open the fuel filler flap, pull the button=> fig. 156 .
- Unscrew fuel filler cap counter-clockwise and hang it on
the fuel filler flap => fig . 157.
- Check the label on the inside of the fuel filler flap to deter­
mine if the vehicle must be fueled with gasoline or diesel
fuel.
Refuelling procedure
Insert the fuel nozzle from the gasoline pump into the
fuel filler neck as far as it will go.
- Select a medium refuelling rate so that the nozzle
switches off automatically when the tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
-After filling your tank, twist the fuel filler cap clockwise
until you hear a definite click.
- Close the fuel filler flap. .,

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To avoid fuel s pillin g or evapo ra ti ng from t he f uel tank a lways clos e
f ue l fi ller ca p p rope rl y and compl ete ly . A n imp rop erly close d f uel
f iller cap may also ca use a message in t he driver information sys tem
or ca use the MIL lamp =>
page 20 to come on.
& WARNING
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can cause fire, explosion
and severe burns .
• Fuel is highly flammable and can cause severe burns and other
injuries.
• Failure to shut the engine off while refueling and/or to insert
the pump nozzle fully into the fuel filler neck could cause fuel to
spray out of filler neck or to overflow. Fuel spray and overflowing
fuel can cause a fire.
• Never use a cellular telephone while refueling. The electromag­
netic radiation can cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors and
cause a fire.
• Never get back into your vehicle while refueling. If in excep­
tional circumstances you must get back
in your vehicle while refu­
eling, make certain that you close the door and touch metal to
discharge static electricity before touching the filler nozzle again.
Static electricity can cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors
released during refueling .
• Never smoke o r have an open flame anywhere
in or near your
vehicle when refueling or filling a portable fuel container .
• For your safety , we strongly recommend that you do not travel
with a portable fuel container in your vehicle . The container, full
or empty may leak and could cause a fire , especially
in a crash.
• If, under exceptional circumstances, you must transport a
portable fuel container , please observe the following:
- Never fill a portable fuel container while it is anywhere in or
on the vehicle (for example, in the luggage compartment, or
on the trunk ). Static electricity can build up while filling and
can ignite fuel vapors causing a fire.
Safety first
& WARNING (co ntinued )
-Alw ays place a portable fuel container on the ground before
filling .
- Always keep the filler nozzle completel y inside the portable
container before and during filling .
- If filling a portable container made of metal, the filler nozzle
must always be in contact with the container. Th is will help
prevent static electricity from discharging and cause a fire .
- Never spill fuel inside the veh icle or luggage compartment.
Fuel vapors are highly flammable.
- Always observe local and state/provincial laws regarding the
use, storage and tran sportation of fuel containers .
- Make certain the fuel container meets industry standards
(ANSI/ ASTM F8S2-86).
(D Note
• If any f uel has spilled onto the car, it s hou ld be rem oved immed i­
ately to p revent damage to the pa int.
• If the fue l tank runs co mplete ly empty in a ve hicle wit h a
die sel
engine ,
the ignit io n must remai n switched on for at least 30 seconds
after refueli ng befo re st arting t he e ngine .
It may take longer than
usual for the eng ine to start, even up to a mi nute. This is because the
air m ust firs t bleed o ut of t he fuel sys tem w hen s tarting t he eng ine.
For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly o pera ted no zzle swi tc h es off a utomat ic all y
for t he first t ime, the tan k is full. Do not try to add mo re fuel because
fue l m ay s pill ou t. In addi tion, the ex pansion s pace in the fuel tank
w ill be fi lled - caus ing t he fue l to overf low w hen it becomes warm and
poll ute the environment. ..,
Vehicle care Technical data