2011 AUDI A3 brake fluid

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
in. WARNING
• USA models: : If both, the BRAKE warning light and the
warning light come on at the same time, the rear wheels c ould
lo ck up fir st under hard braking . Lo ck-up of the rear wheel brakes
c a n cause loss of vehicle control and an accident. Have your vehicle
repaired immedi ate ly 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 ((j)) and the
ABS warning light
~ come on at the same time , the rear wheels
could lock up first under hard braking . Lock-up of the rear whee l
brakes can cause loss of vehicle control and an accident. Have your
vehicle repaired immediat ely by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified work shop. Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake
application
• If the brake warn ing/indicator light does not go out after a few
se cond s and the parking brake rel eased, or light s up while you are
driving , the fluid level in the brake fluid reservoir is too low. If you
believe that it i s safe to do so, proceed immediately at low speed
to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop and
have the brake system in spe cted.
• Please be very careful and always keep
in mind that after
s everal brake application s, you will need greater pressure on the
brake pedal to stop your vehicle. Consequently, you must allow
for increased braking distances. Trying to brake a s quickly a s usual
could lead to an accident. •
Anti-lock brake system B-(USA)/
(Canada)
T his war ning/indicator light monitors th e ABS and the
electronic differential lock (E DL).
The ,... ~ light will come on for a few seconds when the ignition is
switched o n. Th e light w ill go out af ter an automat ic check sequ ence
is comp lete d.
There is a malfunction in the ABS when:
• Th e warning/indicator light does not ill uminate when you swit ch
on t he ignit ion.
• Th e warning/indicator light does not go out after a few seconds.
• The warn ing/ indicator lig ht ill uminates while driv ing.
The brake system will still re spond even without the a ssistance of
the ABS system. See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible to restore full braking performance.
For more information
regard ing the ABS=>
page 192.
The ABS warning light and the brake warning light come on
together. The ABS will not work and you will notice a change in
braking response and performance.
Malfunction in the brake system
USA models: If both, the BRAKE warning light and t he ABS warning
light come on =>
page 15 w hen the par king b rake is re lease d, there
may be a malfunction in the ABS, and there may a lso be a ma lfunction
in the b rake system itself=>&.
Canada models: If both , the brake warning light CCI» and the ABS
wa rni ng light come on=>
page 15 when the parking brake is
re leas ed, there may be a ma lf u nctio n in t he A BS, and there may also
be a malfunction in t he brake system itself=>& .
Malfunction in the electronic differential lock (EDL)
The two systems EDL and ABS work togethe r. T he I ,:- warning light
w ill come on if there is a malfunction in the EDL system=>
page 189.
See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as possib le .
in. WARNING
• If the 11\fl warning light doe s not go out , or if it come s on while
driving , the ABS system is not working properly . The vehicle can
then be stopped only with the brake s operating without ABS
support. You will not have the protection ABS provides. Contact
your Audi dealer as soon as possible. _,,

Engine oil sensor malfunction =>page35
._ -
Engine speed limitation =>page34
Diesel particulate filter =>page34
Worn brake pads =>page35
USA models : =>page35 Speed warning 1
Canada models: =>page35 Speed warning 1
USA models : =>page35 Speed warning 2
Canada models: =>page35 Speed warning 2
!! Dynamic headlight range control*
defective
=> page35
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t
Windshield washer fluid level low => page35
Battery voltage too high or too low => page 35
Defective light bulb =>page36
USA models : =>page36
Defective brake light
Canada models : =:>page36
Defective brake light
Light/rain sensor defective (auto-
=> page 36
matic headlights)* defective
Tire pressure monitor ing system*
=> page 36
Vehicle OP-eration
Driver information display
When a yellow symbol appears, a warning tone will sound once.
Check the displayed function as soon as possible . If more than one
malfunction is detected, all symbols will appear one after the other
for about two seconds .•
Driver information
In addition to the warning/indicator lights and the
symbols in the instrument cluster display, driver informa ­
tion is displayed .
-~ a:.. CD m
Fig. 24 Section of
instrument cluster:
Set/Check button
Driver information appears in the display when a defective light bulb
is reported by the defective light bulb warning=>
page 36, when the
brake pads are worn and before you engage a gear on vehicles w ith S
tronic .
In addition, driver information may appear when a red symbol flashes
in the driver disp lay.
To display Drive r information
As an example, the~ symbol appears in the display . If you now
press the button => fig. 24, the following driver message appears in
the disp lay:
Switch off engine and check oil level
The driver message in the display goes out afte r about 5 seconds. You
can display the driver message again by br iefly pressing the button .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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

Engine oil sensor defective,:., 1ioo
If the ~ symbol illuminates, contact your authorized Audi dealer
and have the oi l senso r inspected. •
Worn brake pads ,
Brake pads!
If the warn ing lig ht i llum inates, immediately contact your authorized
Audi dea ler or qu alified wor kshop to have all b rake pads insp ected.
On USA mode ls the warn ing light ,,, comes on together w it h the
warning light
BRAKE . Both sets of brake pads on an axle must a lways
be rep laced at the same time .
& WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can c ause a collision and serious personal
injury .
• If the warning light land the warning light
BRAKE1> with the
me ssage Brake pads! comes on in the in strument cluster di splay,
immediately contact your author ized Aud i dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pad s checked or replaced if
necessary. •
....
Speed warning 1 _, (USA
models)/ ...... (Canada models)
If the :J symbo l ill uminates, this means you are driving faster than
t he set vehicle speed. Slow down!~
page 28. •
ll BRAKE : USA mode ls on ly
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Driver information display
Speed warning 2
) (USA models)/ (Canada models)
If the symbol i llum inates, this means you have d riven faster than
t he second set ve hicle speed . S low dow n!~
page 28. •
App lies to vehicles : wit h dyn am ic head ligh t ra ng e ad justmen t
Headlight range control defective r!>
If the > illuminates, the dynamic headlight range cont rol is no
longer work ing prope rly. Have the system checked and repaired at
your authorized Aud i dea ler. •
Windshield washer fluid level too low ~
If the -., symbo l ill uminates, add windshie ld washer fluid to the
was he r system ~
page 24 3. •
Battery voltage low
If the O symbol illum ina tes, contact yo ur authorized A udi dea ler and
have the fo llowing components inspected:
• drive be lt
• battery charge
Also see i f th e gener ator w arning/ind ic a tor ligh t illumina te s
~page 15 .•
Vehicle care Technical data

_________________________________________ I_ n_ t_ e_ ll_,igent technology ,__E~-
cause the system to red uce eng ine power when t his is not desired .
See also =>
page 2 57 , "N ew tir es and rep lacing tires and whee ls". •
Braking
General Information
What af fect s braki ng effici ency ?
Operating condit ions and driv ing habits
Th e br akes on today's autom obil es are s till subjec t to we ar,
depend ing large ly on operating conditions and driving habits=>& .
O n veh icles t hat are ei ther driven mos tly in sto p-an d-go ci ty traff ic or
are driven ha rd, the bra ke pads s hould be checked by your author ized
Aud i dealer mo re o ften t han specif ied in the
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet .
Failure to have your brake pads ins pected can resu lt
in re duced brake pe rformance.
O n steep slopes, you shou ld use the brak ing effect of th e engine . This
way, yo u prevent unnecessary wea r on the brake system. If yo u must
u se your b ra kes, do n ot ho ld the bra kes down conti nuou sly. P u m p the
brakes at intervals .
N oises may occur when brakin g dependin g on s peed, braki ng fo rce
and outs ide cond itions s uch as temperatu re and hum id ity.
Moisture or road salt
If you are driving fas ter than 50 mp h (8 0 km/h) and th e w indshield
w ipers are on , the b ra ke pads w ill briefly touch t he br ake discs in
reg ula r intervals so as to improve react io n ti me when brak ing on wet
s u rfaces. Yo u, the drive r, will not not ice anything .
Under cert ain con ditions , for ex am ple , w hen driving throug h w ater or
very heavy rain, or even after was hing your veh icle, the bra king effect
c an be redu ced due to moi sture (or in fr eezin g condi tion s ice) on the
brake pads . A few cautious brake app lications sho uld dry off the
bra ke p ads or remove any ice coa ting s.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
T
he effect iveness of the brakes can be reduced when the vehicle is
dr ive n o n a salt-c overe d road and t he brakes are not us ed. Likew ise,
you clea n off acc umulated salt coat ing from brake d iscs and pads
w ith a few cautio us app lications of the brake=>& .
Corrosion
There ma y be a te nd ency fo r dirt to b uild up o n the brak e pa ds and
co rrosion to form on the discs if the car is not dr iven regu la rly o r only
for short trip s wit h litt le u se of the bra kes.
If th e bra kes are not used freq uent ly, or if co rrosion has formed o n
th e discs, it is advisable to clean off the pads an d discs by brak ing
fi rmly a few times fro m a mode ra tely high speed =>& .
Faults in the brake system
If yo u should no tice a sudden increas e in brake pedal t ravel, then one
o f the two brake ci rcu its may have failed =>& .
Low brake fluid level
Malf u nctions can occu r in t he brake sys tem if the brake fluid level is
t oo low . T he bra ke fluid level is mo nitored e lectro nica lly .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by v isua l inspect ion of the condi­
t ion of the bra ke pa ds through the o penings in the wheel. If neces ­
sary , the whee l may be removed for th is inspect ion=>
page 27 2,
"Wheel c hange" .
& WARNING
• You should perform braking maneuvers for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system only if road conditions permit . Other
road users must not be put at risk -you may cause an accident!
• Before descending a steep grade, reduce speed and shift trans­
mission into a lower gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often. This could
cause the brakes to get hot and diminish braking efficiency.
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Trailer towing
"---------------------------------------------------
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger transpor ­
tation .
If you p lan to tow a t railer, p lease remember that the additional load
w ill affect durability, economy and performance.
Tr ailer towing not on ly p laces mo re s tress on the vehicle, it also calls
for more concentration from the driver.
For this reasons, a lways fo llow the operating and driv ing instr uctions
prov ided and use common sense .•
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a we ight-carrying hitch conforming to the gross trai ler weight .
Th e h itch mus t be suit able for your veh icle and t railer and mus t be
mounted securely on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically sound l oca­
t ion. Use on ly a tra ile r hi tch w ith removable b all moun t. Alw ays check
w ith the trailer hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are using
t he correc t hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way t hat it does not interfere
w ith the impact -ab sorb ing bumper system. No mod ifi cations s houl d
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems . From t ime to
t ime, che ck t hat all hitch mou nting bolts rema in securely faste ned.
W hen you are no t tow ing a trai ler, remove the trailer hitch ball
mount. This prevents the hitch from ca using damage should your
veh icle be s truck from behind=>&.
Tire pressure
When towing a tra iler, inflate the tires of you r vehicle to the cold tire
pressu re listed under "Full lo ad"on t he st ick er o n the r ight doo rjamb.
I n flate trailer t ires to trai ler and tire manufacturers' specifications .
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with the tra iler attached
befo re d riving o ff. Have the headlights adjusted as necess ary s o that
you can see the road ahead but not b lind oncoming t raffic.
Check to make s ure bo th vehicle and t railer lights a re wor king prop­
er ly.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer ma kes t he engin e work harder. It is important t hat
t he cooling sys tem' s per formance stands up to the add ition al stra in.
M ake sure that the coo ling sys tem has eno ugh fluid .
Trailer brakes
If your trai ler is equipped with a braking system, check to be su re that
it confo rms to all regula tions .
Th e tra ile r hydrau lic brake system must not be directly con nected to
the vehicle's hydraulic b rake system.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety cha ins are p roper ly connected from the t rai ler
to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough s lac k in t he chai ns to permit
t u rni ng corners. When you insta ll safety chains, ma ke s ure t hey will
not d rag on t he road when yo u are d riving .
The chai ns should cross under the trailer tongue to prevent it from
drop ping in ca se of separat io n from t he hitch.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulat ions. Be su re to chec k w ith your
author ized A udi dealer for correct wiring, switches and relays. _.

___ C_ le_ a_n_ i _n_ g=- a_ n_d__, p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_ o _ n ___________________________________________ _
Cleaning and protection
General information
Regular care preserv es ve hicl e val ue.
Any automobile is exposed to industria l fumes, co rrosive road salt,
e tc. A well ca red for Audi c an look lik e new many ye ars after pur chase.
Regu lar and correct care w ill contribute to mai nta in ing t he beauty
a nd valu e of your Au di.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition for substantiating a
warranty claim should corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Yo ur au thori zed Audi d eale r ha s a var iety of dedicated vehicle- care
products
and can advise w hich ones to use for clea ning the exterior
an d inter io r of your ve hicle.
W het her you use products recommended by Aud i or other comme r­
cially availab le cleaning agents , please make sure yo u appl y them
co rrectly .
& WARNING
• Cleaning agents may be poisonous . Keep them out of the reach
of children.
• Heed all caution labels .
• Always read directions on the container before using any
product. Follow the directions carefully.
• Most chemical cleaners are concentrated and have to be
diluted .
• Use spot removing fluids only in well ventilated areas.
• Do not use gasoline, kero sene , diesel fuel , nail polish remover
or other volatile fluids . They may be toxic, flammable or
hazardous in other ways. Do not wash, wax or dry the vehicle with
the ign ition on or the engine running .
& WARNING (conti nued )
• Do not clean the under sides of chassi s, fenders , wheel cover s,
etc. without protecting your hands and arms. You may cut your­
self on sharp-edged metal parts.
• Moisture and ice on brakes may impair braking efficiency
~ page 191, "General information ". Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle .
'£> For the sake of the environment
Select only envir onmenta lly fr iendly clea ning produc ts . Leftover
cleaning pro ducts sho uld not dis posed of i n the household waste .•
Care of exterior
Washing
F re quent w ashin g protec ts th e vehicle.
T he best protection aga inst env ironmental influences is frequent
w ashi ng and w ax in g.
How often th is is required depends on:
• How much the vehicle is used
• Where the veh icle is parked (garage, in the open unde r trees, etc .)
• Th e season al and wea ther conditions
• Environmental influences
Th e longer bird droppings, insects, tree resin, road and indus tria l
gr ime, ta r, soot, road sa lt and ot he r materials remain on the veh icle
body, t he mo re lasting their destructive effects wi ll be. .,.

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