2011 AUDI A3 change time

Manual air recirculation mode c::%)
The recirculation mode preve nts polluted outside air
from entering the vehicle interior.
Switching on air recirculation
- Press the button l~l =:> page 97, fig. 101 =:> & .
Switching off air recirculation
- Press th e button l~ l aga in , or
- Press the
[ A UTO I button, or
- Press the
I®] button .
I n air recirculation mode, air is drawn from the ve hicle interior and
rec ircul ated. We recom mend that you use the man ual air r ecircula­
tion mode under the following conditions:
W hen d riving throug h a t unnel o r in a traffic jam so t hat ex haust
fumes cannot enter the ve hicle inter ior .
& WARNING
Do not use thi s setting for e xtended periods of time. The windows
c ould fog up sin ce no fre sh air can enter the vehi cle. If the
windows fog up, press the air recirculation button again immedi·
atel y to switch off the air recirculation function or selec t defro st. •
Automatic air recirculation I~ ]
If outside air is polluted, an air quality sensor in the
vehicle will aut omatically switch on the air recirculation .
Switching on air recirculation
-Press l~]=:> page97, fig.101.
Controls and equip ·
ment Safety first
Warm and cold
Switching off air recirculation
- Press@again, or
- press
I A UT O], or
- press
I®] .
The au tomatic a ir recircu lation mode should no rma lly be left
sw itched on at all times.
Th e sys tem is ready to operate approximately 30 seconds a fter yo u
t u rn on t he ignit ion or start the ve hicle . Fres h air ente rs the vehicle
only during this in it ia lizat ion period .
T he air q ual ity senso r fo r de tect ing d ie se l and gasoline exhaust fumes
switches automat ically to air recirculation mode if the o uts ide a ir is
heavily po lluted. The supp ly of outside air is closed o ff.
As soon as the poll ution level d rops, fresh air is automat ically
supplied to the vehicle interior again.
Th e air re ci rculat ion ope ra tes fo r a m ax im um o f 12 mi nutes . If the
windows start to fog up w hile the air recirculation is on, press I@ ]
U nder certain operating condit ions (for examp le, if(@ ] or Ice:,] are
pressed) the a ir recircu lation a utomatically sw itches off. If the air
conditioner is switched off, or if the temperature is below 18 °F (-
8 °(), the a ir recirculation wi ll ope rate only for 12 seconds .•
Switching between Fahrenheit and
Centigrade
Y ou can change the tempera ture display from °F (Fahren­
heit) to °C (Centigrade ) and vi ce ve rsa .
- Hold th e [¢.:>] butto n down =:> page 97, fig. 101.
- Tu rn the rotary switch ( driver's side)@for
3 seconds +.•
Vehicle care Technical data

llffl!l.___w __ a _r_ m __ a_n_ d_ c_ o _ l_d _______________________________________________ _
Air recirculation [a:i ]
The air recirculation prevents exhaust fumes or other
pollution fr om entering the vehicle .
Switching air recirculation on
-Press lo;;, ]~ page 97, fig . 101 ~ &
Switching air recirculation off
- Press 0 agai n, or
- p ress [AUTO], or
- press[@] .
In the air recirculation mode, the air in the passenger compartment
is rec irculated to preven t exhaus t fu mes and othe r po llution from
enter ing the veh icle . We recommend that you use the manua l air
reci rcul atio n under the followi ng conditions:
• when driving through tunnels
• in a traffic jam.
& WARNING
Do not use thi s setting for extended periods of time . The window s
c ould fog up since no fresh air can enter the vehicle. If the
window s fog up, pre ss the air recir culation button again immedi­
ately to swit ch off the air recirculation function or select defrost .•
Adjusting the fan speed G G
The automati cally selected fan speed can be increased or
de creased.
- Press the (:) or G butto ns in t he center o f the con tro l
panel ~
page 97, fig. 10 1 to adjus t the fa n sp ee d to your
comfort .
The air condit ion ing system a utomat ically regulates t he fan speed in
response to the interior temperature . However, you can also adjust
the fan speed manua lly . A line of small ba rs in the cen ter display
above the fan contro l buttons w ill retreat or extend to reflect your
adjustments to the fan speed. •
Air distribution
The automatically controlled air distribution can be
changed manually .
You can use the l~I. l~I or l~ I buttons separate ly or together in
combination . To switch back to the automatic air distribut ion setting,
either sw itc h off the butto ns you previo usly se lected, or press
[AUTO I.
Each of the three buttons has its own specific f unct ion (the re ference
numbers refer to the air outlets):::::,
page 101, fig. 102.
Air directed to the windows ik,,
All the air is directed to outlets (D,@ and @. Contrary to when [@ I
is pressed, the amo unt of air rem ain s the same.
Air di rected to the dri ver /front passenger[ ~]
All the air is directed to outlets @,@ and © in the i nstr ument
panel. Air also is directed throug h the center console in the rear.

_______________________________________________ A_ ir_ b_ a_,,,g '--- s.:.y _s _t_ e _ m ___ _
& WARNING (co ntinued )
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer.
• A tight tether o r other strap on a rearward -facing child
restraint attached to the front pa ssenger seat can put too much
pressure on the weight -sensing mat in the seat and register more
weight than i s actually on the seat . The heavier weight regi stered
can make the system work as though an adult were on the seat
and deploy the Advan ced Airbag when it mu st be suppre ssed
causing serious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If , in exceptional circumstanc es, you must install a forward­
facing child restraint on the front passenger seat, always move
the seat into its rearmost po sition in the seat' s fore and aft adjust­
ment range, as far away from the airbag as possible . The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright position. Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.
& WARNING
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s not go out when an
adult is sitting on the front passenger seat after taking the steps
described above, make sure the adult is properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating positions.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer before transporting anyone on the front passenger seat .
[ i ] Tips
If the we ight-sensing mat in the front passenger seat detects an
em pty seat , the front airbag on the passenge r side will be t urne d off,
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will stay on .•
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are
insta lled at many different places on
your Audi . Ins tall ing, remov ing, serv icing o r rep airi ng a pa rt in an
area of the vehicle ca n damage a part of a n airbag system and prevent
t ha t sys tem from working prope rly in a coll is io n.
Th ere are some importa nt things you have to know to ma ke sure t hat
the effectiveness of the system will not be impai red and that
dis ca rded compo nents do not cause injury or po llute t he e nvir on­
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , serv icing and repair procedures can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by preventing an airbag from
deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
• Never cover, obstruct, or change the steering wheel horn pad or
airbag cover or the instrument panel or modify them in any way .
• Never attach any objects such as cup holders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag units.
• For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel, use only a soft ,
dry cloth or one moistened with plain water . Solvent s or cleaners
could damage the airbag cover or change the stiffness or strength
of the material so that the airbag cannot deploy and protect prop ­
erly.
• Never repair, adjust, or change any part s of the airbag system .
• All work on the steering wheel, instrument panel , front seats
or electrical sy stem (including the installation of audio equip­
ment, cellular telephones and CB radios, etc. ) must be performed
by a qualified technician who has the training and special equip­ ment necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system, we strongly recommend
that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body . ..,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service 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.

___________________________________________ C_ h_e _c _k_ i_n ~g_ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ll _i_n _g __ _
prevent the formation of harmful deposits, sometimes called
"sludge," that
over time can lead to expensive repairs.
At the time of printing, engine o ils available in the U .S. and Canada
that meet the exacting specifications of Audi oil standard VW 502 00
(vehicles with gasoline eng ine) and VW 507 00 (vehicles w ith diesel
engine) are synthetic engine oils. This does not mean, however, that
every synthetic engine oil will meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00
(gasoline engines) and VW 507 00 (diesel engines). So always be sure
that you use an approved oil.
To help prevent the formation of harmful deposits use only oil with
the following specifications printed on the oil container:
• Gasoline engines: Audi oil standard VW 502 00
• Diesel engines: Audi oil standard VW 507 00
Oil containe r labels may carry the specification singly or in comb ina­
tion with other des ignations and oi l quality standards.
Viscosity
Engine oils are graded according to their viscosity. The proper
viscosity grade oil for your engine depends on climactic or seasonal
conditions where you drive. You can use oil with a v iscosity grade of
SAE SW-40 across all temperature ranges for norma l dr iv in g cond i­
tions.
However, if eng ine o il viscosity grade SAE SW-40 is not available, you
can also use viscosity grade SAE SW-30 or SAE OW-40 as long as it
meets Audi o il quality standard VW 502 00 (vehicles w ith gasoline
engine) or VW 507 00 (vehicles with diesel engine) specifications.
Because engine o il that meets the Audi oil standard may not be avail­
able everywhere when you need it, we strongly recommend that you
always ca rry with you an extra quart (liter) of oil that express ly
conforms to the VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline eng ine) or VW
507 00 (vehicles with diesel engine) specification, in case you have to
top off the oil while on the road .
Applies to vehicles with gasoline engine only: Only if the leve l of the
oil is at or below the minimum mark on the oil dipstick - and no oil
Safety first
that expressly conforms to Aud i oil standard VW 502 00 specifica­
tions is available -may you top off with a high quali ty engine oil, pref­
erably synthetic-based, that meets ACEA A3, ACEA AS, ACEA BS or
API SL specifications, but even then, only in viscosity grades SAE SW-
40, SAE SW-30, or SAE OW-40. However, during the ent ire time
between oil change interva ls, never top off with more than a total of
0.5 qt/liter engine oil that does not conform to Audi oil specification
vw 502 00.
Applies to vehicles with diesel engine only : Only if the level of the
oil is at or below the minimum mark on the oil dipstick -and no oil
that expressly conforms to Audi oil standard VW 507 00 specifica­
tions is ava ilable -may you top off with a high qua lity engine oil, that
meets ACEA C3 or API CF specifications, but even then, on ly in
viscos ity grades SAE SW-40, SAE SW-30, or SAE OW-40 . However,
during the entire time between oil change intervals, never top off
with more than a tota l of 0.5 qt/liter engine oil that does not
conform to Audi o il specification VW 507 00.
For more information about engine oil that has been approved fo r
your vehicle, please contact either your author ized Audi dealer or
Audi Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
www.audiusa.com or www .aud icanada.ca. Here you w ill also find a
current list of oils (manufact urers, brand names etc.) that conform to
Audi oil standard VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline eng ine) or VW
507 00 (vehicles with diesel engine).
Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed accord ing to the mileage
(kilometers) and time interva ls specified in your vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed these intervals -harmful
deposits from o ld engine oil can reduce engine performance and can
lead to expens ive engine repairs.
Chang ing the oil at the recommended intervals is so very important
because the lubricating p roperties of oil decrease g radua lly during
normal veh icle use. If you are not sure when you have your o il
changed, ask your authorized A udi Service Adv isor. ..,.
Vehicle care Technical data

___ C_ h_ e_c _k _i _ n _g ~ a_n _d_ f_il _l_in _ g _________________________________________ _
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 --------------~--!'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

___ C_h_ e_c _k _i_n -=g :a,__ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ l _li _n _,g;._ __________________________________________ _
warning/ind icator light will illum inate. Contact an au thorized A ud i
d ealer
immediately .•
Changing brake fluid
H av e th e b rake flu id chang ed by an exper ienced tech ni­
ci an.
Br ake flui d abs orbs m oisture fro m the ai r. If t h e w ater con ten t in the
brake fl uid is too hig h, cor ros ion in th e brake system may res ult afte r
a p eriod of time. The boiling po int of t he br ake fl uid will al so decre ase
cons iderab ly and decrease brak ing perfo rma nce .
T he refo re, the brake fl uid m ust be c hanged
every two years . Always
use new brake fluid w hich conforms to Federal Motor Veh icle Stan­
dard "F MVSS 1 16 DOT 4".
Th e b rake fl uid r eservo ir can be diffi cult t o re ach, there fore, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your author ized
Audi dealer . Your dealer ha s t he correc t tool s, the ri ght brake fl uid
and the know -how to do t his for you.
& WARNING
• Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored only in the closed
original container out of the reach of children!
• Brake failure can result from old or inappropriate brake fluid.
Observe these precautions :
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE specification
J 1703 and
conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116 . Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make sure you are using
the correct brake fluid. The correct type of brake fluid is also
indicated on the brake fluid reservoir .
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of the brakes can
cause a vapor lock if the brake fluid is left in the system too
long . This can seriously affect the efficiency of the brakes as
well as your safety . This could result in an accident .
0 Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of you r ve hicl e.
<£' For the sake of the environment
Beca us e of the prob le m of proper dispo sal of b ra ke fl uid as well as
the spec ia l too ls req uired and the necessary expe rtise , w e r ecom­
me nd that you h ave t he brake fl uid chan ged by yo ur a uth oriz e d Audi
dea ler. •
Battery
General information
All wo rk on t he battery requires te chnica l k nowl ed ge !
Fig. 168 Engine
comp artment : Battery
with cover*
T he b att ery is lo cat ed in the e ng in e co mpar tmen t~ fig. 1 68 and is
nearly
maintenance-free.
Th e condition of the battery is che cked in the framewo rk of the
inspec tion .
Disconnecting the battery
The batte ry s ho ul d not be disconnected . Some vehicle funct io ns such
as powe r w indows are unavailable if the b attery te rminals a re discon -
~