service AUDI S3 SEDAN 2015 Repair Manual

Occupant loading and distri­
bution for vehicle normal load
for various designated seating
capacities
Refer to the tire inflation pressure
labe l
c:::> page 224, fig. 171 for
the number of seating positions .
Refer to the table
c:::> table on
page 226
for the number of peo ­
ple that correspond to the vehicle
normal load.
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all work on tires or wheels performed by
an authorized Audi dea ler or au ­
thorized Audi Service Facility.
These facilities have the proper knowledge and are equ ipped with
the required tools and replace­
ment parts .
.,,. New tires do not yet have the
opt imum adhesion properties .
Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 350 m iles
(500 km) with new tires .
.,,. Use tires of the same construc­
tion, size (rolling circumference)
and as close to the same tread pattern as possible on all four
wheels .
Tires a nd whe els
.,,. Do not replace tires individually.
At least replace both tires on the same axle at the same time .
.,,. Audi recommends that you use
Audi Original equipment tires. If
you would like to use different
tires, please note that the tires
may perform different ly even if
they are the same size
c:::> ,& .
.,,. If you would like to equip your
vehicle with a tire/rim combina­
tion that is different from what
was installed at the factory, con­ sult with an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility before making a pur­
chase
c:::> ..1,. .
The spare tire* is different from
the regular tires installed on the
vehicle -for example, if winter
tires or wide tires are installed -
then only use the spare tire* tem­
porarily in case of emergency and
drive carefully while it is in use. It
should be replaced with a regular
tire as soon as possible.
On
all wheel d riv e vehicles, all
four wheels must be equipped
with tires that are the same brand
and have the same construction
and tread pattern so that the drive system is not damaged by
22 1

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~
-Have an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty check the wheel alignment if
there is unusual wear.
-Have the wheels rebalanced if an imbalance is causing noticeable
vibration in the steering wheel.
If you do not, the tires and other
vehicle components could wear
more quickly .
Treadwe ar indic ato r
Original equipment tires contain
treadwear indicators in the tread pattern, which are bars that are
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high and are
spaced even ly around the tire per­
pend icular to the running direc­
tion
¢ fig. 169. The letters "TW I"
or triangles on the tire sidewall indicate the location of the tread­
wear indicators.
The tires have reached the mini­ mum tread depth
l) when they
have worn down to the treadwear
indicators. Replace the tires with
new ones¢ &.
Whe el rot ation
Rotating the wheels regularly is
recommended to ensure the tires
;;; l) Obey any applicable regu lation s in your ~
~ country . ....
Tires and wheels
wear evenly. To rotate wheels, in­
stall the wheels from the rear
axle on the front axle and vice ver­
sa. This will allow the tires to
have approximately the same
length of service life.
F or unidirectional tires, make sure
the tires are installed according to
the running direction indicated on
the tire sidewall¢
page 245.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims can of­
ten occur in locations that are hid ­
den. Unusual vibrations in the ve­
hicle or pulling to one side may
indicate that there is tire damage .
Reduce your speed immed iately .
Check the tires for damage. If no
damage is visible from the out­
side, drive slowly and carefully to
the nearest authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Fa­
cility to have the vehicle inspect ­
ed.
A WA RNING
-
Tread that has worn too low or
different tread depths on the
tires can reduce driving safety.
This can especially have a
223

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be five 150 lbs. passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5
X 150) = 650
lbs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
ex­
ceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calculat­
ed in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your vehi­
cle. Consult this manual to de­
termine how this reduces the available cargo and luggage
load capacity of your vehicle.
.,.Check the tire sidewall
(c> page 214, fig. 168) to deter­
mine the designated load rating
for a specific tire.
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must be clean and loosen/tighten
easily.
Rims
Rims with a bolted rim ring* or with bolted wheel
covers* consis t of mul tiple pieces. These compo­
nents were bolted together using special bolts
and a special procedure . You must not repair or
disassemble them
Q ,& .
Tires and wheels
A WARNING
Wheel bolts that are tightened or repaired in­
correctly can become loose and result in loss
of vehicle control, which increases the risk of
an accident . For the correct tightening specifi­
cation, refer to~
page 242, A~er changing a
wheel.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads
in the wheel hub clean and free of grease.
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim.
-Always have damaged rims repaired by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility. Never repair or disassemble
rims yourself, because this increases the risk
of an accident.
Winter tires
Winter tires significantly improve the vehicle's
handling when driving in winter conditions. Be­
cause of their construction (width, compound,
tread pattern), summer tires provide less traction on ice and snow.
.. Use winter tires on all four wheels.
.. Only use winter tires that are approved for your
vehicle .
.. Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires
Q _& . An
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv­
ice Facility can inform you about the maximum
permitted speed for your tires.
.. Check the tire pressure after installing wheels
Qpage 224.
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great­
ly when the tread is worn down to a depth of
0.157 inch (4 mm). The characteristics of winter
tires also decrease greatly as the tire ages, re­
gardless of the remaining tread.
A WARNING
-Never drive faster than the maximum per­
mitted speed for your tires. This could cause
the tires to heat up too much. This increases
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the tire to burst.
229

Tires and wheel s
-Always adapt your driving to the road and
traff ic conditions. Dr ive carefully and red uce
yo ur speed on icy or slippery roads. Even
winter tires can lose tract io n on black ice .
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the appropriate
time, because they provide better handling
when roads are free of snow a nd ice. Summer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fuel
consumptio n.
(D Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
w inte r tires. Please note that in some coun­
t ries w here winter tires are requ ired, on ly win­
t er tire s wi th the .& symbol may be pe rm it­
t ed.
Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow .
.,. Only install snow chains on the front wheels.
Th is applies also to veh icles with all wheel
drive* .
.,. Ch eck and correct the seating of th e snow
c h ains if necessa ry afte r dri ving a few feet. Fo l­
l ow the ins tructions from the manuf acturer.
.,. Note t he max imum permit ted speed w hen driv ­
ing with snow chains . Do not exceed 30 mph
(SO km/h).
Snow chains not only improve the
driving in win ­
ter road conditions, but a lso t he
braking .
Use of s now chai ns is o nly pe rm itted with certa in
r im/t ire comb ina tion s due to techn ica l reason s.
Chec k w ith an au thori zed A udi d ealer or au tho r­
ized A udi Service Facility to see if yo u may use
snow cha ins.
Use
fine -mesh snow chain s. They mus t not add
mo re th an 0 .5 3 inch ( 13.S mm) in height, in clu d­
ing the chain lock.
You must remove the chai ns when dr iv ing on
roads tha t are
free of snow. W hen r oads are free
of snow, snow chains can imp air handling an d
230
'
damage the tires, and the chains wi ll quick ly be
dest royed.
A WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains o r insta lling snow
cha ins incor rectly can res ult in loss of veh icle
c o ntrol, which increases the risk of an acc i­
dent.
(D Note
- Snow chains can damage the rims/wheel
cove rs* if the c hains come into direct c on­
tact with them. Remove the wheel covers*
first . Use coa ted snow cha ins.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your A udi is fac to ry-eq uipped w ith low aspect ra­
t io t ires. These t ires have been thoroug hly tes ted
a nd been sele cted specifi ca lly f or your mode l for
the ir su perb pe rformance, r oad fee l and h andlin g
u nder a var iety of dr iv ing con ditions. As k your au ­
t h orized Aud i dea le r fo r more details .
The low aspe ct ratio of these tires is ind icated by
a n umer al of
55 or less in the t ire's s ize design a­
tion . The nume ral represents the ratio of the
ti re's si dewall height in relatio n to its tread width
expressed i n pe rcentage. Conventional tires have
a height/width rat io o f 60 o r more .
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tire s is par­
ticularly sensitive to imprope r inflation pres­
sure. It is therefore important that low aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pressure is regularly
checked and maintained. Tire pressures should be checked at least once a month and always
b efor e a long trip
Q page 224 .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect rat io tires can be damaged mo re eas i­
l y by impact w ith potho les, c urbs , g ull ies o r
r idges on t he road, pa rti cularly if th e tire is un ­
der i nflated.

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In o rder to m inim ize the occu rrence o f impac t
damage to the t ires of your vehicle, we recom ­
mend that you observe the following precau ­
tions :
- Always maintain recommended in flat ion p res ­
s ur es . Check yo ur tire p ress ure every 2,000
miles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary.
- Drive carefu lly on roa ds with potholes, deep
gul lies or ridges. The impact from driving
th ro ugh or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest a u­
thorized Aud i dea ler . Replace a damaged tire as
soon as poss ible .
- Inspect your t ires every 2,000 miles (3 ,000 km)
for damage and wear. Damage is not always
easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of a ir and
underinflation, which cou ld eventually cause
t ir e fa il ur e.
If yo u be lieve that a ti re may h ave
been d amaged, rep lace the tire as soon as pos­
s ible.
= T hese tires m ay we ar m ore q uic kly than ot hers.
- Please a lso remember that, wh ile thes e tir es
deliver respons ive handling, t hey may ride less
c o m fort ably and m ake more noise t han other
cho ices .
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
All t ires are des igned for cert ain purposes. The
l ow aspec t ratio, u ltra high per formance tires
originally insta lled on yo ur vehicle a re intended
for maximum dry and wet road perfo rmance an d
h andling. They are not suitable for cold, snowy or
icy weather cond it ions . If you drive under those
circumstances , you should equip your vehicle
w ith a ll-season or winter tires , which offer better
traction under those cond itions . We suggest you
use the re commended snow o r a ll-s eason t ires
specified fo r you r vehicle , or the ir eq uivalent.
Refe r to ¢
page 229 for mo re deta iled informa ­
tion regard ing winter tires .
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
Tires and wheels
- Traction AA A B C
- Temper ature A BC
Quali ty g rades can be found where applicab le on
t h e tire side wa ll between tread shoulder a nd
max imum sec tion wid th
~ page 214, fig . 168.
For example: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA, Tem ­
perature
A.
All passenger car t ires must conform to Federa l
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.
Tread wear
T he tread wear g rade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the t ire when tested
u nder contro lled c onditions on a specified gov­
ernment test course.
F or example, a tire gra ded 15 0 wo uld wear one
and one half (1 1/2) times as we ll on the govern­
ment course as a t ire g raded 100.
T he re lative per forman ce of tires depends upon
t h e actual cond itions of thei r use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driv ing habits, service p ract ices and
differences in road c haracteristics and climate.
Traction
T he traction gra des, from highest to lowest, are
AA , A , Ban d
C. Those g rades represent t he tire's
ability to stop on wet pavement as meas ured un­
der contro lled conditions on specified govern­
ment test s urfaces of asphalt a nd c oncrete . A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
~ A .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the t ire's resistance to the
generation of heat a nd its ability to diss ipate
heat when tested u nder cont ro lled conditions on
a spec ified indoor labora to ry test wheel.
Sustained h igh temperature can cause the mate­
ria l of the tire to degenerate and reduce ti re life,
and excess ive temperature can lead to s udden
t ir e fail ure¢ ,&. . .,,.
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Tires and wheel s
-Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The t ires wi th the ident ificat ion "AO" or
"RO"¢
page 221 have been matche d with
your A udi tire pressure monitoring system.
We recommend that you use these t ires.
- The tire pressure monitoring system can on­
l y mon itor the ti re p ress ure of the dr iv ing
tires. Check the tire pressure of the spare
whee l in the luggage compartment so that
i f necessary it is ready for use.
Storing tire pressures
Applies to vehicles: w ith tire pressure monitoring system
A change in tire pressure or a change in tires
must be stored in the system .
The tire p ressu re is stored in the MMI.
.., Make sure befo re stori ng th at t he tire pressures
of all fo ur t ires meet the specified va lues and
are adapted to the load . Otherwise the system
cou ld ma lf u nction
¢ page 224 .
.., Switc h on the ignition .
.,. Se lect : the IMENU! button> Car> Systems *
control button > Service & control > Tire pres­
sure monitor > Stor e tire pressure > Yes, store
now .
(]} Tips
Do not store the t ire press ures if snow cha ins
are i nstalled . Otherwise the system could
malf unct io n.
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Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your vehi ­
cle's value.
It can a lso be a req uirement when
submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage
and paint defects on the body.
The necessary care products can be obtained
from an a uthorized Audi dea ler or authorized
Audi Service Faci lity . Read and fo llow the instruc­
tions for use on the packaging.
A WARNING
- Us ing clean ing and care products incorrectly
can be dangerous to your health.
- Always store cleaning and care products out
of reach of children to reduce the r isk of po i­
soning.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Preferably use environmentally-friendly products when buying cleaning agents.
- Do not d ispose of leftover cleaning and care
p roducts with household trash.
Car washes
The longer that depos its s uch as insects, bird
droppings, tree sap or road sa lt rema in on the ve­
h icle, the more the surface can be damaged. High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight
in crease the damaging effect.
Before washing, rinse off heavy depos its with
p le nty of water.
Stubborn deposits s uch as bird droppings or tree
sap are best removed w ith p lenty of water and a
m ic rofiber cloth.
Also, wash the underside of your vehi cle once
road salt stops being used for the season.
Pressure washers
W hen washi ng your ve hicles w ith a pressure
washer, always fo llow the oper ating instr uctions
p rov ided wi th the p ress ure washer. This is espe­
cially importan t in rega rd to the p ress ure and
spraying distance . Do not aim the spray direct ly
Care and cleaning
at seals on side w indows, doors, t he hood, the
lu ggage compartment lid or the sunroof* or at
tires, rubber hoses, insulating material, sensors *
or camera lenses*. Keep a distance of at least 16
inches (40 cm).
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washe r.
Neve r use rotary nozzles or high pressure no z­
zles .
T he wate r temperature must not be above 140 °F
(60 °( ).
Automatic car washes
Sp ray off the veh icle before washing.
Make sure that the w indows and roo f* are closed
and the windsh ield wipers are off. Follow instruc­
tions from the car wash operator, especially if
the re are accessor ies attached to you r vehicle .
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes .
Washing by hand
Clean the ve hicl e starting from the top and work ­
ing down using a soft sponge or cleani ng b rush.
U se solvent -free cleaning p rod ucts .
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
To avoid damaging the paint when was hing, first
remove dust and large particles from yo ur vehi ­
cle. Insects, g rease spots and fingerprints are
best removed with a spec ia l cleaner for matte
finish pai nt.
Apply the p rod uct us ing a microfiber cloth . To
avo id damaging the paint surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the vehi cle thoro ughly with water . Then
clean usi ng a neutra l shampoo and a soft micro­
fiber cloth.
Rinse the ve hicl e thoroughly again and le t it air
dry. Remove any wate r residue using a s ham my . .,.
235

Care and cleaning
& WARNING
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is
off an d follow the i nstructions fr om the car
wash operator to r educe the r isk of acci­
dents.
- To reduce the r isk of cuts, protect yourself
from sharp metal components when wash­ ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
hous ings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking effect
may be delayed due to moisture o n the
brake rotors or i ce in the winte r. T he bra kes
mus t be d ried first w ith a few caref ul bra ke
applications .
@ Note
-If you wash the ve hicle in an au tomatic car
wash, you m ust fold the e xterior m irrors in
to reduce the ris k of damage to the mirrors .
Power folding exterior mirrors* must only
be fo lded i n and out using the power folding
funct ion. -
To prevent paint damage, do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
- T o reduce the r is k of damage to the sur face,
do not use insect remov ing sponges, kitchen
sponges or similar items.
- Mat te finish painted vehicle components:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use po lishi ng agents or hard
wax.
- Never use protective wax.
It can destroy
the matte finish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnet ic
signs on vehicle parts painted w ith matte
finish paint. The pa int co uld be damaged
when the sticke rs o r mag nets are re­
moved.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the ve hicle in facilities spec ially de­
s igned fo r that purpose. This w ill reduce the
r isk of dir ty wa ter co ntaminated w ith oil from
entering the sewe r system.
Cleaning and care information
When cleaning and caring for individua l vehicle
components, refer to the following tables. The
information contained there is simply recommen­
dations. For quest ions or for components that are not listed,
consult an authorized A udi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility . Also follow
the information found in
¢ _6.
Exterio r cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Windshield wiper
Deposits ¢ page 50, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
blades
Headlights /
Deposits Soft sponge with a mild soap
solutiona)
Tail lights
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth with solvent-free cleaning so lution
camera len se s Camera le ·nses : soft clot h w ith a lcohol-free clea ning so lu-
tion
Snow/ ice Hand brush/solvent-free de- icing spray
Wheel s Road sa lt Water
Brake dust Acid-free specia l cleaning solution
E xhau st tail pipe s Road salt Water, clean
ing solution su itab le for stain less stee l, if nee -
essary
D ecorative parts / Deposits Mild soap solution al, a clean ing solution suitable for stain-
trim l ess stee l, if necessary
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Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Paint
Paint damage Refer to the paint number on the vehicle data label, repair
with touch up paint
c> page 258
Spilled fuel Rinse with water immediately
Surface rust Rust remover, then protect with hard wax; for questions,
consult an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv-
ice Facility.
Corrosion Have it
removed by an authorized Audi dealer or author -
ized Audi Service Facility .
Water no longer Proteclt with hard wax (at least tw ice per year)
beads on the surface
of clean paint
No shine even though Treat with suitable polish; then apply paint protectant if
paint has been pro- the polish that was used does not contain any protectant
tected/paint looks
poor
Deposits such as in-Dampen with water immediately and remove with a micro-
sects, bird droppings, fiber cloth
tree sap and road salt
Grease-based con-Remove immediately
with a mi ld soap solution a) and a
taminants such as soft cloth
cosmetics or sunb lock
Carbon parts Deposits clean the same way as painted parts c> page 235
Decorative decals Deposits Soft sponge with a mild soap solutiona>
al
Mild soap solut ion: maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 quart (1 liter) of water
Internal cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Windows
Deposits Glass cleaner, then wipe dry
Decorative parts/ Deposits Mild
soap solution a>
trim
Plastic parts
Deposits Damp cloth
Heavier deposits Mild
soap so lution al, detergent-free plastic cleaning solu-
tion, if necessary
Displays Deposits Soft cloth with LCD cleaner
Controls Deposits Soft brush, then a soft cloth with a m
ild soap solutiona>
Safety belts Deposits Mild soap solution a>, allow to dry before letting them re-
tract
237

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avoid scratches, move the scraper only in
one direction and not back and forth.
- Never remove snow or ice from door win­
dows and mirrors using warm or hot water
because this could cause cracks to form.
- To avoid damage to the rear window de­
fogger, do not apply any stickers on the
heating wires on the inside of the window.
- Decorative parts/trim
- Never use chrome care or cleaning prod-
ucts .
- Paint
- To reduce the risk of scratches, the vehicle
must be free of dirt and dust before pol­
ishing or waxing.
- To prevent paint damage, do not polish or
wax the vehicle in direct sunlight.
- To reduce the risk of paint damage, do not
polish away rust spots.
- Remove cosmetics and sunscreen immedi­
ately -these could damage the paint.
- Displays
- To avoid scratches, do not use dry cleaning
methods on displays.
- Controls
- Make sure that no fluids enter the con-
trols, because this could cause damage.
- Safety belts
- Do not remove the safety belts to clean
them.
- Never clean safety belts or their compo­
nents chemically or with corrosive fluids
or solvents and never allow sharp objects
to come into contact with the safety belts.
This could cause damage to the belt web­
bing.
- If there is damage to the webbing, the
connections, the retractors or the buckles,
have them replaced by an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility.
- Textiles/artificial leather/Alcantara
- Never treat artificial leather/Alcantara
with leather care products, solvents, floor polish, shoe polish, spot remove or similar
products.
- Have a specialist remove stubborn stains
to prevent damage.
Care and cleaning
- Never use steam cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc. when cleaning.
- Do not turn on the seat heating* to dry
the seat.
- Objects with sharp edges such as zippers,
rivets on clothing or belts can cause dam­
age to the surface.
- Open hook and loop fasteners, for exam­
ple on clothing, can damage seat covers.
Make sure hook and loop fasteners are
closed .
- Natural leather
- Never treat leather with solvents, floor
polish, shoe polish, spot remover or simi­
lar products .
- Objects with sharp edges such as zippers, rivets on clothing or belts can cause dam­
age to the surface .
- Never use steam cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc. when cleaning .
- Do not turn on the seat heating* to dry the seat.
- To help prevent the leather from fading,
do not leave the vehicle in direct sunlight
for long periods of time . If leaving the ve­
hicle parked for long periods of time, you
should cover the leather to protect it from
direct sunlight.
(D Tips
- Insects are easier to remove from paint that
has been freshly waxed .
- Regular waxing can prevent rust spots from
forming.
239