tow AUDI S3 2011 Owners Manual

Table of contents
Table of contents
Vehicle literature ..... .
About this Owner's Manual ............. ...... .
Controls and
equipment .............. .
Instruments and controls ... .
General illustration ........... .
Instruments and
warning/indicator Lights ..... .
Instruments ................ .
Warning/indicator ligh ts ...... .
Driver information display ... .
Introduction ............ ... . .
On-Board Diagno stic system
(OBD) ....................... .
T rip com puter .............. . .
Menu display ................ .
Eff iciency program ........ ... .
Service interval display ....... .
Speed warn ing system ........ .
Warning s and symbol s ... .... .
Opening and closing ......... .
Keys ........................ .
Power locking system ........ .
Doo rs, power locks ......... .. .
Power windows .............. .
Panoram ic sliding sunroof ..... .
Emergency mechanical closing for
th e panoramic sliding su nroof .. 4
s
6
7
7
8
8
11
18
18
20
21
22
2S
27
28
30
38
38
40
4 3
49
Sl
S3
Clear vision .................. .
Lights ...................... .
Interior lights ............... .
V is ion ...................... .
M irrors ... ............ ...... .
Wiper and washer sys tem .... .
D igita l compass ............. .
Seats and storage ........... .
General recommendat ions .... .
Adjust ing front seats manually .
Adjusting the power seat ..... .
Adjus ting the lumbar support ..
Head restrain ts .............. .
C ent er armrest ........... ... .
Rear seats ............. ..... .
Lug gage compartment ....... .
Roof rack• inst alla tion ....... . .
Cup holde rs ........... ...... .
Socket .................. ... .
Storage ............. ....... .
Warm and cold .............. .
Climate contro ls ...... ... .. .. .
E lectrica lly heated front seats ..
Engine preheater ............ .
On the road ............ ..... .
Steering .................... .
Ign ition lock and ign ition switch
Start in g and stopping the engine
Parking brake ............... .
Starting on hills .......... ... .
C ru ise con trol ............... .
Audi magnetic r ide ........... .
Transmission ................ .
Manual transm ission
S6
S6
60
63
63
65
71
73
73
74
75
77
77
79
80
81
86
89
90
91
95
95
103
1 03
lOS
105
106
10 7
108
110
110
112
114
114
S tronic transmission . . . . . . . . . . 115
Safety first ............... 124
Driving Safely ................. 124
Gen eral notes ................. 124
Prop er occupant seating
posit ions ...... ............ ...
126
Pedal area ............ ........ 130
Stowingluggage .............. 131
Reporting Safety Defects ..... .. 133
Safety belts .................. . 135
General notes .............. ... 135
Why safety belts? ............. 136
Safety belts ... ............... . 139
Safety belt pretensioners . . . . . . . 143
Airbag system .......... ...... 145
I mportant things to know . . . . . . 145
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Mon itoring the Advanced A irbag
System ......................
156
Side airbags .............. .... 161
Side curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Child Safety ................... 167
Important things to know ...... 167
Child safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Installing a chi ld safety seat . . . . 177
LA TCH Lower anchorages and
t ethers for child ren . . . . . . . . . . . .
180
Add itiona l Information . . . . . . . . . 186

Vehicle operation ...... 188
Inte lligent tec hno logy ....... . 188
Notice abou t da ta recorded by
vehicle control modules . . . . . . . . 188
Electronic Stab ili z ati on Program
(ESP) ................ ........ 188
Braking ...................... 191
E lec tro-mec hanic al power assist 193
Dr iving with your qua ttro ® ...... 194
Energy management ........ ... 194
D rivi ng a nd env iro nm ent ...... 197
T he firs t 1,000 miles (1,500 km)
and af terwa rds ............... 197
Catalytic converter ...... ... ... 1 98
Diesel part iculate filter ......... 199
Avoid damaging the veh ic le ..... 199
Opera te your veh ic le econom ically
and m inimize pollution . . . . . . . . . 200
Trailer towing ................. 202
Driving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Trailer towing tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Vehicle care .......... .... 206
Cleaning and protect ion .. ..... 206
G eneral informat ion . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Care of exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Care of interior ........... ..... 213
F uel sup ply and filling y our fuel
tank ....... .............. ..... 219
Gasoline ..... ......... ....... 219
Diesel fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
F u el tank . ... ......... ........ 221
Checking and filling ........... 225
Engine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
E ngine compartment .......... 227
E ngi ne oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Engine
cooling sys tem . . . . . . . . . 234
Brake fl uid ................... 237
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Windshield washer container . . . 243
T ires and whee ls .............. 245
T ires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Tire pressure monitoring system 264
Do-it-yourself service . 270
What do I do now? . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Jack, tools and spa re whee l . . . . . 270
Compac t spare wheel .......... 271
Wheel change ................ 272
Fuses a nd bul bs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
E lec trica l fuses ............... 281
Bulbs ........................ 285
E merg ency si tuati ons . . . . . . . . . 286
G eneral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Starting by pushing or towing
Starting with jumper cables ....
General info rma tion of starting
assistance .................. .
Us e of j umper cab les ......... .
Emergency tow ing w ith
comme rcial tow truck ........ .
Lif ting the vehic le ............ .
Technical data
General in formatn on
Explanation of technical data .. .
Vehicle identification ......... .
Weights .................... .
Dimensions 286
286
287
288
289
292
294
294
294
294
295
295
Table of contents
Data .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
200 hp , 2.0 liter 4-cyl. turbo
gasoline engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
140 hp, 2.0 TOI l iter 4-cyl. turbo
clean diesel engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
C o nsumer Inform ati on . . . . . . . 299
Warranty coverages . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Operating your vehicle outside the
U.S.A. or Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Aud i Service Repair Manuals and
Li tera ture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Add itional accessories,
modif ications and parts
replacemen t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Alphabetical index . . . . 304
Vehicle operation Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

& WARNING (continued)
• USA model s: If both , the BRAKE warning light and the C
warning light come on at the sam e time, the rear wheels could
lock up first under hard brak ing. Lo ck-up of the rear wheel brakes
can cause los s 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 appli cation .
• Canada models : If both, the brake warning light and the
ABS warning light
J come on at the same time, the rear wheels
could lock up first under hard b raking. Loc k-up of the rear wheel
brake s can cause loss of vehicle control and an accident . Have your
veh icle 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 ind icator light illuminates while you are d riving, there is a
m alfu nction in the ele ctro-mech anical steering . If the ind ic a tor ligh t
is showing , there may be a reduction in power steer ing ass ist . If
t he indi cato r light is sh owing @, there may be a tot al loss o f power
steeri ng assist . The stee ring must be inspected immediately by a
qualif ie d workshop =>
&-With the engi ne not running (e.g. when the
car is be ing towed), t he re is also no power ass ist available.
& WARNING
If there is a malfunction , the indicator light for the electro­
mechanical power a ssist illuminate s. Seek professional
assistance. •
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Instruments and warning
/indicator lights
Vehicle care Technical data

Clear vision
Clear vision
Lights
Switching the headlights on and off ·"ti-·
!
-ti. ID -O> :! ti. ID Fig. 49 Instrument
panel: light switch
Fig. SO Instrument
panel: Light swit ch
with daytime running
lights (DRL )
The light switch must not be overturned past the stops in
either direction.
Switching on automatic headlight control*
-Turn the light switch to AUTO* =:> fig. 49.
Switching on the side marker lights
- Turn the light switch to ~oo~.
Switching on the headlights and high beam
-Turn the light switch to io.
Push the high beam lever forward towards the instrument
panel=:>
page 59 .
Switching off the lights
-Turn the light switch to 0.
The headlights only work when the ignition is switched on . While
starting the engine or when switching off the ignition, the headlights
w ill go off and only the side marker lights will be on.
Daytime running lights (DRL) (USA models)
The daytime running lights can be turned on or off using this func ­
tion. If the function is active, the daytime running lights are turned
on automat ically when the ignition is switched on .
The daytime running lights are activated
only when the light switch is
at the
AUTO* or DRL * position .
Daytime running lights (Canada models only)
The daytime running lights are act ivated only when the light switch
~ fig. 49 is either at the O or the ~oa; position.
The daytime running lights function cannot be turned off.
Automatic headlight control*
In the switch position AUTO the automatic headlight control is
turned on . The low beams are turned on automatically through a light
sensor as soon as ambient brightness (e.g . when driving into a
tunnel) falls below a value preset at the factory. When ambient .,_

Clear vision
• Frequent use of the coming home/leaving home function for
approaching and departing a vehicle parked in the dark will strain the
battery. This applies particularly if only short distances are drive n
between stops. Occasionally drive longer distances to make sure the
battery is recharged sufficiently .•
Front fog Lights }0
Use the light switch to turn on the front fog lights.
@
Fig . 51 Fog light acti­
vation: light switch
position on vehicles
WITHOUT sensor light
Switching on the front fog lights }D
- Do not turn the light switch·'!'!-· ~ fig. 51 toward the fog
light symbol ".
- Turn the light switch to
~oo~ or to ;D.
- Pull the light switch to the first stop (D.
When the front fog lights are on, the symbol }O next to the light
switch will illuminate. •
Instrument panel illumination
The illumination of the instruments, displays and the
center console can be adjusted.
Fig. 52 Instrument
panel illuminat ion
You regulate the brightness of the instruments with the left
thumbwheel
er ~ fig . 52.
Ignition ON, light switch at@.
With the ignition switched ON, the glow of instrument needles can
be adjusted to appear brighter or dimmer.
Ignition ON, light switch at ;oo; or iD .
With the lights switched on, the brightness of instrument cluster (i.e.
needles, gauges and displays) and center console illumination can be
adjusted.
0 Note
Th e instrument cluster and center console illumination (gauges and
needles) comes on when you sw itch on the ignition and the
vehicle
headlights are off.
Be aware of the following difference between
models built to US or Canadian specifications:
• USA models : illumination of the instrument cluster (gauges and
needles), dash and center console around the gearshift lever is
controlled
by a light sensor located in the instrument panel. The _,,,

instrument pane l illum in ation w ill autom at ically be com e dimm er
as the d ay light fade s away and eventu ally will g o out c ompletel y
wh en outside light i s very low . This is to r emind you, the drive r, to
s witch on the headlight s before it gets too dark .
• Canada model s: in strument pan el illum ination will stay bright
r e g ardle ss of the inten sity of ambient light . Alwa ys be awar e of
c hanges in o utside light conditions w hile you ar e dri ving. R espond
in time to fading da ylight by tu rning the light switch t o po sit ion
io
(or "AUTO" if your car is equipped with this feature) to turn on y our
headl ights .•
Emergency flasher ~
The emergency flasher makes other motorists aware that
you or your vehicle are in an emergency situation .
Fig. 53 Ce nter
conso le : eme rgenc y
fla sh e r sw it c h
- Press the switch~:::::> fig. 53, to switch the emergency
flasher on or off.
When the eme rgency flasher is o n, all four tu rn s ignal b link at the
same time . The turn signa l indicator lights¢¢ in the instrument
cluster , as well as the light in the emerg ency flasher switch~ blink
likewise.
T he emergency flasher will autom atically sw itch on if you are in an
acc ident where the airbag has deployed.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Clear vision
(I) Tips
You should swi tch on the emergency flasher when :
• you a re the last ve hicle stand ing in a traffic jam so that any ot her
vehicles com ing can see you , or when
• your vehicle has b roken down or you are in an eme rgency s itua­
tion , or when
• your vehicle is being towed by a tow tr uck or if yo u are tow ing
another vehicle behind you. •
Turn signals -¢¢ and high beam [D lever
The lever on the le~ side of the steering column is used to
operate the turn signals and the high beam as well as the
headlight flasher.
-"' M
-w .., a,
Fig . 54 Tu rn sign al
a nd h igh b eam lever
The turn signal and high beam lever has the following func­
tions :
Turn signals ¢ ¢
- Lift the lever up all the way:::::> fig. 54 (D, to use the r ight
turn signals , or push the lever down all the way@ to use
the left turn signals. .,,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Clear vision
Auto -blink
- Move the lever (up or down) just to the point of resistance
to use the turn signals for as long as you need them, for
example when changing lanes.
- Briefly move the lever up or down just to the point of resis­
tance and then release it to flash the turn signa ls
three
times in succession.
This feature allows to indicate lane
changes clearly and with minimum effort when driving on highways .
High beam ~D
-Push the lever forward @to sw itch on the high beam .
Pull the lever back towards you to switch off the high
beam .
Headlight flasher ~D
-Pull the lever toward the steering wheel © to use the
headlight flasher.
Notes on these features
• The turn signals only work with the ign ition switched on . The indi­
cator lights ¢ or Q in the instrument cluster=>
page 11 also blink.
• After you have turned a corner, the turn signal switches off auto­
matically.
• Th e
high beam works only when the headlights are on. The indi­
cator light [D in the instrument cluster illuminates when the high
beams are on .
• The
headlight flasher works only as long as you hold the lever -
even if there are no lights switched on. The indicator light [Din the
instrument cluster illuminates when you use the headlight flasher.
0 Note
Do not use the high beam or head light flasher if you know that these
could be blinding oncoming traffic. •
Interior lights
Interior Lights and glove compartment
Light
The interior lights include the both reading lights for the
driver and the front passenger .
·······::--·· .. ·················· ············ ··
: illillllllllllll
1
\~l\lllllllilllllll :l;
,.. •eaa1 •u == -=---===
Fig. 55 Control panel
above windshield:
interior light switc hes
Light switch ~ fig. 55 has the following functions:
Door contact activation
-Move the switch to the center position . The forward dome
light is turned on/off by the contact switches on any of the
doors.
Forward dome light on
- Move the switch to position I. The forward dome light
goes on and stays on regardless of door pos ition.

Rear reading light
Press the switch "<~ to turn on and off the reading light .•
Luggage compartment light
A dome light in the rear roof liner illuminates the luggage
compartment. An additional light is provided on the
inside of the rear lid .
The light is located on the left side of the trunk .
With the switch at the center position, the rear dome light is auto­ matically switched on as soon as the rear lid is opened. The rear dome
light goes out 30 seconds after the rear lid is closed .
If the rear lid is left open for more than 10 minutes, both the rear
dome light and the light in rear lid are switched off to conserve the
battery charge. •
Vision
Applie s to veh icl es: w ith lig ht p ackag e or illum inated vanity mirror
Sun visors
Using the sun visors makes driving safer.
n,ISJ_
G
(
-
1
Fig. 59 Sun visor
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Clear vision
The sun visors for the driver and front passenger can be removed
from their center mountings and moved toward the door windows
(D
=> fig. 59 to protect against side glare .
The vanity mirror in the sun visors is covered by a lid. When you slide
the lid @open the mirror illumination comes on automatically.
When you slide the lid shut or fold the sun visor back up, the illumi­
nation also goes out.
There is a folding visor between the visors for the driver and the passenger which can be used to cover the space above the rear view
mirror .•
Mirrors
Manual anti-glare adjustment
Standard setting
- Move the small lever (located on the bottom edge of the
mirror) to the front.
Anti-glare setting
- Move the small lever (located on the bottom edge of the
mirror) to the rear. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

(]] Tips
• The w indshield wipers are switched off when the ign ition is tu rned
off . Activate the windshield wipers after the ignition is switched back
on by mov ing the w indshield wipe r leve r to any pos ition.
• Worn or dirty windshield w iper blades cause smearing, which can
affect the operat io n of the l ight/rain sensor*. Check t he condi tion of
your windshield wiper b lades regularly.
• The rain sensor is part of the inte rval wiping system . Turning off
the ignition will also deactivate the rain sensor. To reactivate the
sensor, switch off the inte rval wiping funct ion, the n switch it back on
again .
• Applies to veh icles with light/ra in sensor: When the w ipers are
switched on manually and in rain conditions, the automatic head­
lights* turn on~
page 56, "Switching the headlights on and off ·f!: "
or off during the day when the wipers are no longer operating. The
au tomatic headlights* func tion is available in t his case only when the
light switch is in the "AUTO" position~
page 56, fig. 49.
• Make su re the washe r fl ui d reservoir in the eng ine compartment is
topped off before going on a long trip. Look up::::)
page 243 for
check ing and fill ing t he washer conta iner.
• The wipers only operate with the hood completely closed. •
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Clear vision
Rear window wiper cs;J
The wiper lever is also used to operate the rear windo w
w iper and the automatic wiper/ washer function .
Fig . 63 Wi per lev er:
a ct iva ting the rear
w indow wi per an d
w ashe r
The rear window w iper and t he au tomatic wiper/washer func­
tions are activated as follows:
Intermittent wiping
- P ush the wipe r lever forward towards the dashboard and
to the
first position ©~ fig. 63 . T he rear window wiper
w ill wipe the win dow approx. every four seco nds.
Automatic wiper/washer function
- Push the wiper lever forward to the second stop, position
0 , and ho ld it there for as long as you want the rear
wiper/washer to operate.
- Release the lever aga in. T he wiper w ill keep run ning for
app rox . four seco nds .
Switching intermittent wiper action off
- Pull the lever a ll the way back to the original posi tion.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Luggage compartment
Increasing the size of the luggage
compartment
To increase the size of the luggage compartment, both
parts of the seatback can be folded forward, individually
or together.
Folding the seatback forward
U')
"'
"' 0 a. ., CD
Fig. 79 Release lever
for the seatback (left
side)
Fig. 80 Rear seatback
folded forward (with
pass-through*)
- Let the backrest latch into the lowest position.
- Swing the outer rear head restraints forward=:>
page 78,
fig. 75.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Seats and storage
-Push the release lever=:> fig. 79 @in the direction of the
arrow.
- Tilt the seatback forward.
Raising the seatback
- Raise the seatback until it is securely latched=:>& . When
you can no longer see the red mark on the pin@, the seat
is latched.
Stowing luggage
- For safe loading and securing of items read and follow the
guidelines on=:>
page 131, "Loading the luggage
compartment" .
The rear seatback is divided into two segments-one third/two thirds.
You can fold down either or both parts of the seatback.
& WARNING
• The backrest must always be securely latched so that the safety
belt of the center seating position can work properly to help
protect the occupant.
• The backrest must be securely latched in position so that no
items contained in the luggage compartment can slide forward
upon sudden braking.
• Never allow safety belts to become damaged by being caught
in door or seat hardware.
• Torn or frayed safety belts can tear and damaged belt hardware
can break in a crash. Inspect the belts periodically. Belts showing
damage to webbing, bindings, buckles, or retractors must be
replaced.
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data