coolant temperature AUDI S3 2011 Owners Manual

Instruments and warning /indicator lights
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of informa ­
tion.
Fi g. 2 O ver view of the in strum ent cluster
© Tachometer with t ime and date d is play ........... .
@ Indic ator light s (turn s igna ls) ....... ... . .. .. ... . .
® Coolant temperature gauge . .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. ... .
© Fue l gauge . ... ... .. ... ..... ... ... .... ... . .. .. .
© Speedomete r with odometer ...... .... .. .. .. . ... .
© Set/Check bu tton ....................... ...... .
(j) Warning/ind icator lights . .... .. .. .. . ... ... .. ... .
@ Reset button fo r
8,9
11
9
10
10
9, 3 1
11
- Trip odometer
- Service in terval disp lay
(D Note 10
27
T
he instrument cluster and center conso le illum ination (gauges and
need les) comes o n when you sw itch on the ign ition and the
vehicle
headlights are off .
Be aware of the following d ifference between
mode ls built to US o r Canadian specifications :
• USA models : illumination of the instrument cluster (gauges and
needles), da sh and c enter console around the g earshift lever is
controlled by a light sensor located in the instrument panel. The
instrum ent panel illumination will automat ically become dimmer
as the d aylight fades awa y and eventually will go out completely
when out side light i s very low . Th is is to remind you, the driver , to
switch on the headlights before it gets too dark .
• Canada models: instrument panel illumin ation will stay bright
r egardless of the intensity of ambient light. Always be awa re of
change s in out side light condition s while you are driving. Re spond
i n time to f ading daylight by turning the light sw itch to position
j D
(or "AUTO " if your car is eq uipped w ith this fea ture) to turn on your
headlights. •
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indica tes the engine RP M (revolutions
per minutes) .
The tachomete r© ::::, fig . 2 is the left one of the two large clo ck-type
displays .
The engine turns at a speed 1 000
times the single digit in the
display, e .g . if the need le points at the "2", the engine tu rns at
2 000 RPM .

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
reach ing 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 © 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 driv ing 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 Instrume nt
cl uste r with: the
digital clock and date
- Pull the knob (hour display flashes) and turn it to the left
or right.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
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 successfu lly stored .
With the ignition off, pressing the button=> fig . 3 - depending on the
instrument cl uster configuration - can turn on the display fie ld
lighting for a few seconds. •
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant gauge@=> page 8, fig. 2 only works when the
ignition is on. To prevent damage to your eng ine , please note the
following important points: .,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Engine cold
As long as the need le remains at the lef t en d of the gauge, the engine
s till has not reac hed its operati ng te mperature . Avoid hig h eng ine
speeds, heavy engine loads a nd heavy throttle.
Normal temperature
W hen the eng ine has reached its operating temperature, the need le
w ill move into the middle of the gauge and rema in there . If the
engine is working ha rd at high outsi de temperatures, the needle may
tur n further to the rig ht. Thi s is no cause fo r concern as long as the _F_
wa rning light in the i nstr ument cluster does not ill uminate.
Wh en the _;_ w ar ning light sta rts to fla sh, thi s can mea n one of two
things : either the coolant
temperature is too h igh, or t he coolant
level is too low => page 32.
& WARNING
• Always observe the warning in=> page 218, "Engine com part·
ment " before opening the engine hood and checking the engine
c oolant 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
• Moun ting addition al lights or accessorie s in fron t of the a ir inlets
red uces the cooling effect of the radiator. At high o utside tempera ­
tu res o r high eng ine lo ad, t he e ngine cou ld over heat .
• The front spoi ler has been designed to prope rly d istribute the
c oo ling a ir w hen the vehicle is moving. If the spoiler is d amaged, this
co uld reduce the coo ling effect and the eng ine could t hen overheat.
Ask your au thor ized A udi d ealer for assist ance .•
Fuel gauge
T he f uel gauge wo rks only whe n the ignition is on.
W hen the nee dle rea ches the red area, t he war ning ligh t in t he ins tru­
ment cl uster will illum inate=>
page 34 . This mea ns you have
app roximate ly 1.8 gallons (7 liters) of f uel left in t he tank.
Time to
refuel!
The tota l tan k capacity of your vehicle is listed in => page 296 , "Data".
0 Note
Never run the ta nk completely d ry ! An irregular s upply of f uel can
c a us e eng ine mi sfir ing and f uel could ente r into t he e xhaus t system.
T he catalyt ic converter could the n overheat a nd be damaged. •
Speedometer with odometer
The spee do meter sh o ws you the ve h icle s pee d, an d th e
o do met er sho ws yo u ho w many mile s (k il om eters) you
have d riv en .
Fig. 4 Spee dometer
close-up : odometer
di splay
The o dometer and tri p odometer are located inside the speedomete r.
• USA mo dels - Mile s
• Canad ian models -Kilometers

Driver information display
Brake system malfunction
BRAKE (USA models)/ {©) (Canada models)
The indicator light flashes if the brake fluid level is too
low , if there is a malfunction in the ABS system or when
the parking brake is engaged.
If the BRAKE /((D) symbol flas hes in the display wit h the
parking brake released, there is a malfunction in the brake
system. In addition to the symbol, o ne of two messages
appears in the display:
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid
ABS fault ! See owner's manual
- Pull off the road and sto p the ve hicle.
- Obtain professio nal assistance .
USA models: if there is a ma lfunct io n in the ABS system, the/.
w ar ning/ind ica tor ligh t illum inates along wi th the BRAKE system
ma lf u nction warning/indicator light~&.
Canada models: if there is a malfu nction in the ABS system, the
wa rning/ind icator ligh t illuminates togethe r with the ((i)) bra ke
system malfunction warn ing/indicator light~& .
Parking brake set
T he parking bra ke warning light Brake/((i)) (Canada mo dels) ill umi­
nates when the pa rking brake is set. In addit ion, a warning tone will
so und after yo u have driven for longer than 3 secon ds and faster than
3 mph (5 km/h).
& WARNING
• Always observe the warning s in ~ page 218 , "Engine compart­
ment" , before opening the engine hood and checking the brake
fluid.
& WARNING (c on tinued )
• Driving with low brake fluid i s a safety hazard! Stop the car and
get profe ssional assistance .
• If the brake sy stem warning/indicato r light illuminates
together with the ABS warning /indicator light, then th e ABS
system is malfunctioning. The rea r wheels could quickly lock up
when you apply the brakes . Th is could lead to lo ss of control and
your vehicle could slide! Dri ve carefully to the nea rest authorized
Audi dealer and hav e the malfunction corrected. •
Engine cooling system malfunction _L
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must be
rep aired as s oon as possible .
When t he -L symbol in th e d isplay flashes , then either the
engine coolant
temperature is too h igh , or the coolant level
is too low. In add it ion to the symbol , the fo llow ing message
also appears i n the d isplay:
Switch off engine and check coolant level
- Pull off th e road and stop the v ehicle.
- Tur n off the engine .
- Chec k coo lant level~
page 235 .
-Add co olan t if ne cessary ~ page 236.
-Con tinue drivi ng o nly a fter the e ngin e coolant
wa rnin g/ind icato r lig ht go es out .
- Con tact you r au tho rized Audi dealer fo r assis tance if
necessary .
If the eng ine coolant leve l is correct, then the radiator fa n may be the
c ause of the m alfun ction.
~

Warm and cold
Climate controls
Description
The air conditioner is fully automatic and is designed to
maintain a comfortable and uniform climate inside the
vehicle .
We recommend the fo llowing sett ings:
- Selec t and se t a tem pera ture between 64
°F (+22 °C) and
84
°F (+28 °().
- Press the [AUTO] but ton .
With this setting, you attain maximum comfort in the least amount
o f ti me. Ch ange th is se tt ing, as desired, to meet your pe rsonal needs.
Th e climate controls are a combination of heating, ventilat ion a nd
coo ling systems, which automatica lly red uce hum idity and cool the
air insi de your vehicle.
T he air temperature, air flow and a ir distribution are automatically
reg ulate d to achi eve and main tain t he desi red passenger compa rt­
ment temperature as q uick ly as possible .
Th e system automatica lly compensates for changes in the outside
tempe ra ture and for the intensity of the sunlight enteri ng the
vehicle. We recommend you use the
Automatic mode ~ page 98 for
year- ro und co mfort.
Please note the following:
T urn on the air conditioner to reduce humidity in the vehicle . This also
preven t the wi ndows from fogging up .
When the outs ide temperature is hig h and the air is very humid,
condensation from t he ev apo ra to r m ay d rip under t he veh icle . T his is
normal and does not indicate a leak.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Warm and cold
If the outside temp
erature is low , the fan no rma lly only switches to a
highe r speed once the engine coolant has warmed up s ufficient ly .
Th e air condi tioner tempo rari ly swi tches off when yo u drive off from
a standstill using full throttle to save engine power.
Th e comp resso r also switches off if the coolant temperature is too
high so that the engine can be adeq uate ly coo led unde r extreme
loads.
Air pollutants filter
Th e a ir po llutants filter (a combined pa rticle filte r and activated cha r­
coa l f il ter) reduces or elim inates outs ide a ir pollution (dus t, or
pollen) from entering the veh icle.
Th e air pollutants fi lter mus t be changed at t he in terv als specified i n
your Warranty
& Maintenance book let, so that the air conditioner can
properly wo rk.
If you dr ive your veh icle in an a rea with high air pollut ion , the fi lter
may need to be changed more frequent ly than specified in your Audi
Wa rranty
& Ma intenance boo klet . If in doubt, ask you r autho rized
Audi Service Advisor for advice.
Energy management
T o prevent the batte ry from being disc harge d an d to restore the
balance of energy, compone nts wh ic h requ ir e large amou nts of
energy are temporarily cut back or sw itched off~
page 194 . Heating
systems in part icular requ ire a g rea t deal of e nergy.
If you notice , for
example, that the rear window heate r is not heating, then it has been
t emporari ly cu t back or sw itched off by
energy management . These
systems are available again as soon as the energy ba lance has been
restore d.
& WARNING
Reduced visibility i s dangerous and can cause accidents.
Vehicle care Technical data

ffl..__w __ a _r _m __ a_n _ d_ c_ o_ ld ________________________________________________ _
Key coded settings
When the ignition is switched on, the air conditioner
settings are automatically assigned to the key being used .
The air conditioner settings selected are automatically stored and
assigned to the key being used . When the vehicle is started, the air
conditioner automatically selects the settings assigned to that key.
Th is way every driver will maintain his/her own personal settings and
does not have to reset them manually.
[ i J Tips
If a different driver uses your key and changes the a ir conditioner
sett ings, the latest adjustments wi ll erase and replace the settings
you have stored. •
Rear window defogger [ffi)
The rear window defogger clears the rear window of
condensation.
F ig. 103 Swi tch for
rea r w in dow defogg er
wit h air -conditioni ng
- Press the [ml switch to switch the rear window defogger on
and off.
The defogger works only with the eng ine running . When the defogger
is switched on, an indicator ligh t in the switch comes on .
The rear window defogger switches off automatically after about 20 min utes.
Turn the defogger off when the rear w indow is clear . When you save
elec tricity, you save fuel. •
Applies to veh icles: wit h diesel eng ine
Additional heater
- Switch the
Additional heater to AU TO .
Vehicles w ith d iesel eng ines are equipped with an additional heater
to warm the interior of the vehicle more quickly . T he additional
heater sw itches itself on and off automatically when the outside
temperature is be low 50 °F (10 °C) and the engine is running,
depending on the coolant temperature, i nterior temperature a nd the
selected temperature. •

_________________________________________________ W_ a_ r_m _ a_ n_d_ c_ o_ ld _ ___.lfll
Applies to vehicles : wi th electr ically heate d front se ats
Electrically heated front seats
With the ignition on, the seat cushion and backrest of the
front seats can be heated.
Fig. 10 4 Center
console: thumbw heels
f o r fr ont se at heating
Use the thumbwheels in the center console=> fig. 104 to
turn on and adjust front seat heating. An infinite range of
positions are possible .
- Roll the thumbwheel
© (driver's seat) or@ (front
passenger's seat) from position (0 ) upward in order to
activate the heating elements.
- Select the desired temperature setting from positions 1
through 6.
When the heating element is activated, the numbers on the thumb­
wheel w ill illuminate .
0 Note
To prevent possible damage to the heating elements, do not kneel on
the seats or apply a heavy load to relatively small areas of the seat. •
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
App lies to vehicles : with eng ine preheater
Engine preheater
Use of the engine preheater is recommended when the
ambient temperature is below -5 °F (-20 °C) .
Fig. 10 5 I n the le ft
fro nt b umper: engine
prehea ter connection
soc ket
T he engine preheater slow ly warms the engine coolant using a
heating element when the vehicle is parked. The included cable
4>
must be connected to a 120 Volt Ground Fault Circuit (GFI) protected
outlet that is protected from water (in your garage, for instance).
When the coo lant is preheated, the engine reaches its operating
temperature more qu ickly and will use less fuel and produce fewer
polluting emissions during the warm-up phase.
Preheat ing the engine can take up to 3 hours depending on the
temperature outside.
Conn ect ing th e engin e pr ehe ate r
• Only use the cable provided.
• All cables and connectors that are used must not be damaged
=> & .
• Open the cover=> fig. 105
G) .
• Plug the connecting cable into the socket@=>& .
4
) The cable is delivered with veh icles in Canada as standard equipment. The ca ­
ble can be obtained from an authorized Audi deale r for vehicles in the USA.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

ffl..__O_ n_ t_ h_e _ ro_ a_d _______________________________________________ _
& WARNING
Never start or let the engine run in a confined or enclosed area.
Exhau st fume s from the engine contain carbon monoxide, a color ­
less and odorless gas. Carbon monoxid e can be fatal if inhal ed.
• Never leave the engine idling unattended . An unattended
vehicle with a runn ing engine poses a danger of personal injury or
theft .
0 Note
• Avoid high engine speeds, fast acceleratio n or heavy engine loads
w hile the engine is still cold. This cou ld damage the eng ine .
• Th e engine c annot be sta rted by p ush ing or tow ing the veh icle .
~ For the sake of the environment
To avoid unnecessary engine wear and to reduce e xhaust emissions,
do not let your vehicle stand and warm up . Be ready to dr ive off imme ­
diately after starting your vehicle. Maintain moderate speed unti l the
eng ine is comp letely warm . Remember, the engine performs best at
operat ing temperature. •
Stopping the engine
-Turn the ignition key to position @~poge 106, fi g. 107 .
& WARNING
• Nev er turn off the engine until the vehicle has come to a
c omplete stop.
• The brake booster and servotronic only work when the eng ine
i s running . With the ignition turned off , you have to apply more
force when steering or bra king. Since you cannot st eer and stop
normally , thi s can lead to accident s and serious injuries.
& WARNING (contin u ed )
• The radiator fan can continue to run for up to 10 minute s even
a fter you have turned off the engine and removed the ignition key.
The radi ator fan can also tur n on agai n if the engine coolant heats
up be cause of intense sunlight or heat build-up in the engine
compartment.
0 Note
Do not stop the engine immed iately after hard or extended driving.
Keep t he engine run ning for approximate ly two minutes to prevent
excessive hea t build-up. •
Parking brake
Parking brake
When the parking brake is set, it prevents the vehicle
from rolling a way unintentionally .
Setting the parking brake
Fig. 109 Cente r
c o ns ole : Pa rk ing brak e
s et
- Pull t he park ing b rak e l eve r all the way up .

Trailer towingL _____________________________________________ _
ment of the tow vehicle while observing tongue load requirements
and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it becomes for the driver to
control the rig. Do not drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce your speed even more under unfavorable load, weather or
wind conditions -particularly when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer shows the slightest
sign of swaying .
Do not try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas speeds for vehicles towing
trailers are lower than for regular vehicles .
Always apply brakes early . When driving downhill, shift into lower
gear to use the engine braking effect to slow down the vehicle. Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge~ page 9 must be observed care­
fully. If the needle moves close to the upper end of the scale, reduce
speed immediately and/or switch off the air conditioner .
If the coolant temperature warning light in the instrument cluster
starts flashing
-t-, pull off the road , stop and let the engine idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build-up.
& WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving vehicle is at a much
greater risk in an accident. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided by Audi. •
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
-------------
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a trailer because of the
additional weight and weight distribution. Safety, performance and
economy will greatly depend on how carefully you load your trailer
and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice turning, stopping and
backing up in an area away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have
completely become familiar with the way your vehicle-trailer combi­
nation behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice. Backing up with a trailer
generally requires steering action opposite of that when backing up
your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle and the one in front
of you. You will need more room to stop.
To compensate for the trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turning radius .
When passing, remember that you cannot accelerate as fast as you normally would because of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your
trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes.
[I] Tips
• Do not tow a trailer during the break-in period of your vehicle .
• If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require more frequent mainte­
nance due to the extra load~
page 299. •

___ C_ h_ e_c _k _i _ n _g ~ a_n _d_ f_il _l_in _ g _________________________________________ _
Closing the engine hood
- Pull the hood down until the pressure from the strut is
reduced.
- Let the hood
drop down and latch in place . Do not try to
push it shut;
it may fail to engage=> &.
& WARNING
A hood that is not completely latched could fly up and block your
view while driving.
• When you close the engine hood, check it to make sure the
safety catch has properly engaged. The hood should be flush with
the surrounding vehicle body parts.
• If you notice while driving that the hood is not secured prop­
erly, stop at once and close it. •
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the engine
compartment!
Whenever you must perform any work in the engine compartment,
for example checking and filling different fluids, there is a risk of
injury, burns and accidents. To prevent personal injury always
observe the following WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area!~
&
& WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check anything under the hood :
• Turn off the engine.
• Remove the ignition key.
• Set the parking brake fully.
& WARNING (continued)
• Move selector lever of automatic transmission to "P" (Park);
put manual transmission in Neutral.
• Always let the engine cool down. Hot components will burn
skin on contact.
• To reduce the risk of being burned, never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment. Wait until no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the hood.
• Keep children away from the engine compartment.
• Never spill fluids on hot engine components. They can cause a
fire.
• Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary electric fan is
temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly.
• Never open the coolant reservoir cap when the engine is still
warm. The coolant system is pressurized and hot coolant could
spray out!
• Protect your face, hands and arm from steam or hot engine
coolant by placing a thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
• If work on the fuel system or the electrical system is necessary:
-Always disconnect the battery .
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames. Fluids in
the engine compartment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher immediately available.
• To avoid electrical shock and personal injury while the engine is
running or being started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage electronic ignition
system.
• If you must perform a check or repair with the engine running: .,_