2011 AUDI A3 service

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Under some circumstances the engine oil should even be changed
more frequently. Change oil more often if you drive mostly short
distances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or mostly under stop ­
and-go traff ic conditions, or when you use your vehicle where temper­
atures stay below freezing point for long periods .
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil look dark after the
engine has been run ning for a short time . This is normal and is not a
reason to change the oil more often than recommended .
Damage or malfunctions due to lack of maintenance
It is essentia l that you change your oi l at the recommended intervals
using only engine oil that complies with Audi oi l standard VW 502 00
(vehicles with gasoline engine) or VW 507 00 (vehicles with diesel
engine). Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not cover damage
or malfunctions due to failure to follow recommended maintenance
and use requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's Manua l and
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. Your dealer will have to deny
warranty coverage unless you present to the dealer proof in the form
of Service or Repair Orders that all scheduled maintenance was
performed in a timely manner .•
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an adequate
amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of its moving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrication and cooling of internal
engine components, all internal combustion engines consume a
certain amount of o il. Oil consumpt ion varies from engine to engine
and may change significant ly over the life of the eng ine. Typically,
engines with a specified break- in period (see~
page 197) consume
more oi l during the break-in period than they cons ume after oil
consumption has stabilized.
Under normal cond itions, the rate of oil consumpt ion depends on the
quality and vis cosity of the oil, the RPM (revol utions pe r minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient temperature and road
conditions. Further factors are the amount of oi l dilution from water condensation or fuel residue and the ox
idation level of the o il. As any
eng ine is subject to wear as mileage builds up, the oil consumption
may increase over time until replacement of worn components may
become necessary.
With all these variab les coming into play, no standard rate of oil
consumption can be established or specified. There is no alternative
to regular and frequent checking of the oil level , see
Note .
If the yellow engine oil level warning symbol in the instrument
cl uster .... lights up, you should check the oil level as soon as possible
with the oil dipstick~ page 231. Top off the o il at your earliest
convenience ~
page 232.
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS~
& in "Work ing in the engine
compartment" on
page 226.
0 Note
Driving with an insufficient oil level is likely to cause severe damage
to the engine .
[ i ] Tips
• The oil pressure warning display 't::r. is not an indicator of the oil
level. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in your engine at
regular intervals, preferably each time you refuel, and alway s
before going on a long trip.
• If you have the impression your eng ine consumes excessive
amounts of oi l, we recommend that you consu lt your authorized Audi
dea ler to have the cause of your concern properly diagnosed. Keep in
mind that the accurate measurement of oil consumption requires
great care and may take some time . Your authorized Audi dea le r has
instructions about how to measure oil consumption accurately. •

Checking and filling --------------------=------=:;______,.J
Checking the engine oil level
Fig. 163 Dipstick
(Version A): O il level
rang es
Fig. 164 Dipstick
(Version B) : Oil level
ranges
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always r ead and h eed all WARNINGS ~ & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 226.
D ete rmining oil l ev e l
- Park your vehicle so that it is horizontally level.
- While at operating state temperature, briefly let the
engine run at idle and then shut it off.
- Wait approx . two minutes.
Vehicle OP-eration
-Pull out the oil dipstick. Wipe off the oil dipstick with a
clean cloth, and slide it back in as far as it will go.
- Pull it back out and read off the oil level~ fig. 163 or
~ fig. 164. Top off the engine oil, if applicable
~ page 232 .
Oil level w ithin range @
- Do not add oil.
Oil level within range®
- You can add oil. A~erwards, the oil level should be within
range @.
Oil level within range ©
-You must add oil. A~erwards, the oil level should be
within range @.
The oil level needs to be checked at regular intervals. The best times
to do this are whenever you refuel and prior to long trips.
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven and the operating condi­
tions, oil consumption can be up to 1/2 quart per 600 miles (0.5 liter
per 2,000 km). Consumption may be higher within the first 3,000
miles (5,000 km). •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

--~C:!:h ~e~ c:.! k~ i~ n ~g~ a~n~ d~ f~il ~l~in ~ g ~ ----------------------------------------
Adding engine oil 9=:7,
Fig . 16 5 Engine
c om partment : Oil filler
c ap loc atio n
Befo re you ch eck anyt hing i n th e eng ine compart ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS => & in "W orking in
t h e en gine compar tm ent" on
pag e 22 6.
- Stopp ing the e ngine.
- Unscrew the cap
=> fi g. 165.
- C arefully top off wit h the app ropriate oil i n 0.5 liter doses .
- Ch eck the oil lev el agai n afte r two minutes=>
pag e 231.
- To p of f t he oil ag ain, if neces sa ry .
- Screw the cap back on t he fi lling ho le a nd slide the oil
d ip st ic k i n as far as it will go.
& WARNING
• While topping off, the oil must not come in contact with hot
engine part s -fire hazard!
• The oil filler cap must be properly secured to prevent oil from
being sprayed on the hot engine and exhaust sy stem when the
engine is running -fire hazard!
& WA RNING (contin u ed )
• If your skin has come in contact with the engine oil , you must
subsequently cleanse it thoroughly .
0 Note
• The oi l level mus t not be above rang e@ -danger of converter or
eng ine damage! Contact a qualified workshop to draw off oil, if
nece ssary.
• Audi does not recommend the use of oil additives. They may
damage the engine and adversely affect your New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
W For the sake of the environment
• Under no c ircumstances can the o il come in contact with the
sew age netwo rk o r the soil.
• Observe and follow legal regulations when dispos ing of empty oil
conta iners. •
Changing the eng ine oil
W e recommend th at have your oi l chan ged by an autho­
ri zed A udi de aler or a quali fied service station.
Before you check anything in the engine compar tment, always read
and heed all WARNINGS :::,
& in "Working in the engine compart­
ment" on
page 226 .
The eng ine oil must be changed according to the intervals specified in
your Warran ty
& M ainte nanc e bo oklet. This is very im po rta nt bec ause
the lub ricating properties of oil d imin ish gradually during normal
vehicle use .
Under some circumstances t he e ngine o il should be changed more
frequently. C hange o il more often if you drive most ly short dista nces,
operate the vehicle in dusty a reas or under p redo minan tly s to p-an d-

Checking and filling --------------~--!'WI
go traffic co ndi tio ns, or have yo ur ve hicle where temperat ures remain _.,
b el ow free zin g f or ext en ded p erio ds.
De terg en t addi tives i n the o il w ill make fr esh oil look dark af ter the
engine has been ru nning for a s hort time . T his is norma l an d is not a
re ason t o change the oil more oft en than r eco mme nde d.
Because of the p roblem of proper disposal, a long w ith the spec ia l
tool s and neces sar y experti se require d, we s tro ngl y rec ommend t hat
yo u have your o il cha nged by an a uth orized
Audi dealer o r a qua lified
service stat io n.
If you choose to change your oil yourself , plea se no te the followi ng
im po rtant i nformation:
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you must change the engine
oil in your vehicle yourself :
• Wear eye protection.
• To reduce the risk of burns from hot engine oil, let the engine
cool down to the touch .
• When removing the oil drain plug with your fingers, stay as far
away as possible. Always keep your forearm parallel to the ground
to help prevent hot oil from running down your arm.
• Drain the oil into a container designed for this purpose, one
large enough to hold at least the total amount of oil in your
engine .
• Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out of the reach of chil·
dren.
• Continuous contact with used engine oil is harmful to your
skin. Always protect your skin by washing oil off thoroughly with
soap and water.
Safety first
0 Note
Never m ix o il addi tives w it h your e ngi ne oil. These additives can
dama ge your engine and adverse ly affect yo ur Audi New Vehicle
Li mi ted Warr anty .
c£> For the sake of the environment
• B efore changi ng y our oil, firs t mak e sure you know w he re you ca n
prope rly dispose of the used oil.
• Alw ays dis pose of used eng ine oil prope rly. Do n ot du mp i t on
garden soi l, wooded areas, into open st reams or down sewage drains.
• Recy cle used engine o il by taking it to a used e ngine oil collectio n
facility in your area, o r contact a serv ice stat ion .•
A pp lies to ve hicles : w it h d iese l e ng in e
Important information for vehicles with
diesel engine when adding or changing
engine oil
On v eh ic le s wit h a di ese l en gin e alway s us e engin e oil t hat
co nfo rms t o Audi oi l sp ecifi ca tion VW 5 07 00 w hen
addin g or changing engine oil.
Vehicles with diese l engines require an d must always use special
eng ine oi l that con forms to Audi o il sp ecifica tion
VW 507 00 .
Never use any othe r kind of eng ine o il in your vehicle , not eve n to top
o ff t he o il level.
A t th e t ime o f pr inting , we a re aware that Castro[ ® produces engine
oil that confo rms to Au di oil s peci fica tion VW 507 0 0. T his oi l may
no t ye t be available throughou t North Ame rica . Ot her oil m anufac·
t u rers may offer eng ine oi l t h at con forms to A udi oi l sp ecification
VW 50 7 00 at this t ime or some f uture date . ..,
Vehicle care Technical data

Checking and filling --------------------=------=:;______,.J VPII
You can mix the G12++ coolant additive with other additives G12+ or
Gl2. Always check with yo ur authorized Aud i dealer.
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS =>
& in "W orking in the engine
co mpartment " on
page 226.
0 Note
• Before winter sets in, have the coolan t checked to see if the
coolant additive in your vehicle is sufficient to meet the clima te
conditions. This is especially important if you live in a region where
the winter is extremely cold . If necessary, increase the proportion of
coo lant additive to 60%.
• When adding coolant additive to your cooling system, remember :
- We recommend using only coolant additive
G12++ (check the
label) for your vehicle. This coolant additive is available at autho­
rized Audi dealers. Other types of antifreeze can significantly
reduce corrosion protection . The resulting corrosion can cause a
loss of coolant and serious engine damage.
• Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle's
eng ine coolant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty. •
Vehicle OP-eration
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig. 166 Engine
co mpartm ent: cool ant
expansion tank
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS => & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 226.
- Turn off the ignition.
- Read the engine coolant level from the coolant expansion
tank=> fig. 166 . With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "min" and "max" markings. When
the engine is warm, the level may be slightly above the
"max" marking .
The location of the coolant expans ion tank can be seen in the engine
compartment illustration=>
page 227.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must be sw itched off.
The expans ion tank in your vehicle is equipped with an electric coolant
level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warn ing light in the Auto-Check
System =>
page 32 will blink until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is an elect ric coolant
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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• If, in an emergency, only water can be added, the correct ratio
between water and antifreeze=>
page 234 must be restored as soon
as possible.
~ For the sak e of the environment
Ora i ned coolant should not be reused . Always dispose of used coolant
while observing all environmental regulations .•
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by itself.
T he electric radiator fan is controlled by thermoswitches that switch
on and off depending on coolant a nd engine compartment tempera­
tures.
An auxilia ry e lectr ic rad iator fan* sw itches on a nd off depend ing on
coo lant temperature and other vehicle operation cond itions .
After switch ing off t he engine, the auxiliary fan -even with the igni­
tion off -can continue running for up to 10 minutes . It can even
switch on again later by itself=>& , if
• the temperature of the engine coolant rises due to the hea t build­
up from the engine in the engine compartment, or
• the engine compar tment hea ts up because the vehi cle is parked in
intense sunlight.
& WARNING
• To reduce the risk of personal injur y never tou ch the radi ator
fan .
• The auxiliary ele ctric fan i s temperatur e controll ed and can
switch on sudd enly even wh en the engine is not running .
• The auxiliary radiator f an swit che s on aut omati cally when the
engine coolant reaches a certain temp eratur e and w ill continue to
run until the coolant temperature drop s. •
Vehicle OP-eration
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checke d with a quick glance.
Fig. 167 Eng ine
compartment : b rak e
fl uid res ervoi r
Before you check a nything in t he engine compartment ,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
the eng ine compartment" on
page 226 .
-Read the brake fluid level from the bra ke fluid reservoir.
The brake fluid level must be between the "MIN" and
"MAX" markings ~ fig . 167 .
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear partition of the engine
compartment on the left side=>
page 227.
The fluid level may drop
slightly after some time due to the auto­
m atic adjus tment of the brake pads. This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably below the "MIN" mark, t he
brake warning/ind icator light (U .S. models :
BRAKE, Canadian mode ls:
ill ) will come on=> page 15 and=> page 32. Do not continue to
operate the vehicle . The complete brake system should be thorough ly
chec ked by an au thor ized Aud i deale r o r other qualified facility and
the cause corrected. If the brake fluid leve l is too low, the brake .,,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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& WARNING (continued)
• Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out battery. It could
explode! If a battery has frozen, then it must be replaced. A
discharged battery can freeze over at 32 °F (0 °C).
• Make sure the vent hose is always attached to the opening on
the side of the battery.
• Never use batteries which are damaged. There is the danger of
an explosion! Always replace a damaged battery.
& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
• Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive problems. Wash hands after
handling.
0 Note
• Do not disconnect the vehicle battery when the ignition is
switched on or when the engine is running, otherwise, you will
damage electronic components in the electrical system.
• When working on the engine, protect the battery housing from
ultraviolet (UV) rays by not parking the vehicle in direct sunlight .
• If your vehicle is going to stand for a long period of time without
being driven, protect the battery from "freezing", otherwise it will be
damaged and will then have to be replaced::::;,
page 241. •
Vehicle OP-eration
Charging of battery
All work on the battery requires technical knowledge!
Fig. 169 Engine
compartment: connec­
tors for a charger and
jump start cables
A charged battery ensures good starting performance. A
discharged battery can
freeze at temperatures of only O °C. A
frozen or thawed battery must be replaced, as the battery
housing may be cracked due to freezing and could therefore
leak acid.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS below==> & and
==> & in "Working on the battery" on
page 239.
-Switch off the ignition and all electrical consumers.
- Make sure the area is well ventilated when you charge the
battery .
- Connect charger cables .
Charger cables must always be
connected POSITIVE
G to POSITIVE G and NEGATIVE
Oto NEGATIVE (jump start pins) (:).
-Switch on the charger.
- Make sure the charging rate is not over 6 amps.
- Turn off the charger==> &.
- Disconnect the charger cables.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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=:> page 194. The intelligent energy management system will keep
the eng ine battery charged bette r then vehicles withou t this system .
To make sure the additional electrical energy is available o nce again
after you have changed the battery, we recommend t hat you install
batteries of the same type and manufacture only (the same as those
installed at the time your vehicle was delivered). Specif ications are
listed on the batte ry ho using. Your authorized dealer must code the
battery in the energy management system to enable you to use the
ene rgy management functions correct ly after replacing the battery.
If it is not poss ible to use a battery of this type, the new battery must
have the same capacity, voltage (12 volts), amperage, construct ion
and plug sealing.
We recommend that you use maintenance-free or
c y cle-re sis ­
tant /le ak -proof
batteries that conform to the standards TL 82S 06
(from December 1997) and
VW 7 50 73 (from August 2001).
When installing the battery, make sure the ignition and all electrical
consumers are turned off.
0 Note
• Make s ure that the gas venting hose is always connected to the
original opening on the battery side . Otherwise gasses or battery acid
co uld leak out.
• Battery mounts and clamps must a lways be secured correctly.
• Read and follow the warn ings under=:>
page 239, "Work ing on
the batte ry" before performing any work on the battery .
c£> For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of a battery, we recom­
mend your authorized Audi dealer change the battery for you.
Batteries contain sulfuric acid and lead and must always be d isposed
of prope rly in compliance with all env ironmenta l regulatio ns.
Disposing of vehicle batteries improperly is very dangerous to the
environment . M ake sure that the removed battery cannot overbal­
ance, otherw ise sulfur ic acid might escape! •
Vehicle OP-eration
Windshield washer container
Using plain water is not adequate for filling the wind­
shield washer system.
Fig . 1 70 En gine
co mpa rt ment : win d­
s hi eld w as her f luid
con taine r
The windshield wash er fluid container is loca ted on the right
side of the engine compartment:::::;, fig. 170 . The washer flui d
co nta iner is mar ked with the symbol~ is on its cap.
- Before you ch eck anythin g in t he e ngine compartment,
always
read and heed all WARNINGS=> & in "Working in
the e ng ine compartment" on
page 226.
- Lift t he fi ller cap tongue to add washer fluid. You can fill
th e container to the top.
- Press the cap back onto the filler neck after filling the
container.
You can find the reservoir capacity in the table in=> page 296.
Clean water should be used when fi lling up. If possible, use soft water
to prevent scaling on the washer jets . Always add a glass cleaner solu-
tion (with frost protection in the winter).
tJ,,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data