2011 AUDI A3 maintenance

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

Vehicle literature
Vehicle literature
In addition to this Owner's Manual, your Audi comes with a Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
Moreover, depending on the model and the equipm ent, there may be
additiona l instruction booklets delivered with your vehicle (for
example, Operating Instruct ions for you r Sound System, Navigation
System etc .).
If you are missing one of these publications or if you believe that the
information is not complete, contact your authorized Audi dealer for
assistance .
The Warranty & Maintenance booklet
explains how you can keep your Audi in top driving condition by having
it serviced regularly and contains detailed information about the
warranties covering your Audi . Always have the booklet with you
when you take your vehicle to an authorized Audi dealer for service .
Your Audi Service Adviser will record each scheduled service and can
answer any questions you may have regarding how to maintain your
vehicle.
In Canada,
the vehicle literature is also available in French . To obtain a copy,
contact your dealer or write to:
Au Canada, on peut se procurer un exemplaire en fran~ais de ce docu­
ment aupres du concessionnaire ou de:
Volkswagen Canada, Inc.
Client Assistance
Assistance a la Clientele
777 Bayly Street, West,
Ajax, Ontario LIS 7G7
If you sell your Audi
all literature should be left in the vehicle to make the Warranty terms
as well as all operat ing, safety, and maintenance informat ion avai l­
able to the next owner .
If you change your address or if you bought
this Audi used
be sure to send in a "Notice of Address Change" /"Notice of Used Car
Purchase" post card. This card can be found in the Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet or obtained from your authorized Audi dealer.
It is in your own interest that we are able to contact you should the
need arise. •

Warm and cold
Climate controls
Description
The air conditioner is fully automatic and is designed to
maintain a comfortable and uniform climate inside the
vehicle .
We recommend the fo llowing sett ings:
- Selec t and se t a tem pera ture between 64
°F (+22 °C) and
84
°F (+28 °().
- Press the [AUTO] but ton .
With this setting, you attain maximum comfort in the least amount
o f ti me. Ch ange th is se tt ing, as desired, to meet your pe rsonal needs.
Th e climate controls are a combination of heating, ventilat ion a nd
coo ling systems, which automatica lly red uce hum idity and cool the
air insi de your vehicle.
T he air temperature, air flow and a ir distribution are automatically
reg ulate d to achi eve and main tain t he desi red passenger compa rt­
ment temperature as q uick ly as possible .
Th e system automatica lly compensates for changes in the outside
tempe ra ture and for the intensity of the sunlight enteri ng the
vehicle. We recommend you use the
Automatic mode ~ page 98 for
year- ro und co mfort.
Please note the following:
T urn on the air conditioner to reduce humidity in the vehicle . This also
preven t the wi ndows from fogging up .
When the outs ide temperature is hig h and the air is very humid,
condensation from t he ev apo ra to r m ay d rip under t he veh icle . T his is
normal and does not indicate a leak.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Warm and cold
If the outside temp
erature is low , the fan no rma lly only switches to a
highe r speed once the engine coolant has warmed up s ufficient ly .
Th e air condi tioner tempo rari ly swi tches off when yo u drive off from
a standstill using full throttle to save engine power.
Th e comp resso r also switches off if the coolant temperature is too
high so that the engine can be adeq uate ly coo led unde r extreme
loads.
Air pollutants filter
Th e a ir po llutants filter (a combined pa rticle filte r and activated cha r­
coa l f il ter) reduces or elim inates outs ide a ir pollution (dus t, or
pollen) from entering the veh icle.
Th e air pollutants fi lter mus t be changed at t he in terv als specified i n
your Warranty
& Maintenance book let, so that the air conditioner can
properly wo rk.
If you dr ive your veh icle in an a rea with high air pollut ion , the fi lter
may need to be changed more frequent ly than specified in your Audi
Wa rranty
& Ma intenance boo klet . If in doubt, ask you r autho rized
Audi Service Advisor for advice.
Energy management
T o prevent the batte ry from being disc harge d an d to restore the
balance of energy, compone nts wh ic h requ ir e large amou nts of
energy are temporarily cut back or sw itched off~
page 194 . Heating
systems in part icular requ ire a g rea t deal of e nergy.
If you notice , for
example, that the rear window heate r is not heating, then it has been
t emporari ly cu t back or sw itched off by
energy management . These
systems are available again as soon as the energy ba lance has been
restore d.
& WARNING
Reduced visibility i s dangerous and can cause accidents.
Vehicle care Technical data

........ _A_ i_rb _ a_,g,:;._ s_, y'- s_ t_e _m ________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nued)
• Always make sure that the side a irbag can inflate without
interference :
- Never in stall seat covers or replacement uphol stery over the
front seatbacks that have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use addit ional se at cushions that cover the areas
where the side ai rbags inflate.
- Damage to the or iginal seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an author ized Audi dealer.
• The airbag system can be activated only on ce. After an airbag
has inflated, it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the techni cal information, t raining
and special equipment necessary.
• The airbag sy stem can be deploy ed only once. After an airbag
has been dep loyed , it must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved e specially for your Audi model
version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or a irbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops onl y.
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .a
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the ve hicle's suspension system can change the way that
t he A dvan ced Airbag Sys tem pe rfo rms in a crash . For examp le, using
tire -rim combinations not approved by Audi, lower ing t he veh icle,
c hang ing the st iffness o f th e suspens ion, including the sp rings,
suspension str uts , shoc k absorbers etc . ca n change the forces tha t
are meas ured by the a irbag sensors and sent to the electronic control
unit. Some suspension changes ca n, for examp le, increase the force levels measured by the senso
rs and make the airbag system deploy in
c ra shes in w hich i t wo uld not deploy if the ch an g es h ad not b een
made . Other ki nds of changes may reduce the force levels meas ured
by the sensors an d prevent the airbag from dep loying when it should .
Th e sensors in t he safety bel t buckle for the drive r and fro nt
passenger seat tell the e lectronic control mo dule if the sa fety belt is
la tch ed o r not. If the safety belt is being u sed, t he fron t airbag w ill
dep loy at a sl ightly h igher rate of vehicle deceleration than if the
s afety belt is not be ing use d. T herefo re, in a pa rticular collis io n, it is
possible that an a irbag w ill not deploy at a seati ng position where the
sa fety belt is being used but w ill inflate at the posit ion where the
safety belt is not be ing used . It is importa nt that nothi ng inte rfere
w ith the safety belt buck les so that t he sensors can send the co rrect
info rmation abou t safety b elt use to t he electron ic co ntro l unit .
& WARNING
Changing the vehicle 's suspension including use of unapproved
tire-rim combinations can change Advanced Airbag performance and increase the risk of serious personal injury in a crash .
• Never install suspension components that do not have the
same performance characteristics as the components originally
installed on your vehicle.
• Never use tire-rim combinations that have not been approved
by Audi.
& WARNING
Item s stored between the safety belt buckle and the center
console can cause the sensors in the buckle to send the wrong
information to the electroni c control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from work ing properly.
• Always make sure that nothing can interfere with the safety
belt buckles and that they are not obstructed . ..,

Driving and environment
------------------------------------------------'
you start the engine and avoid running at high RPMs while the engine
is still warming up.
0 Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after starting. If warning
lights should come on to indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces heat, which could result in
overheat ing or other damage to the vehicle or other property.•
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
- Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an authorized Audi dealer
helps to ensure that it runs properly and economically. The condition
of your vehicle not on ly affects its safety and ability to hold its value,
it also affects
fuel consumption .
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oil used is related to engine load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new engine to reach its
lowest value after a certain mi leage has been driven.
You must drive you r vehicle about 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers)
before you can properly assess oil consumption.
Thi s also applies to fuel consumption and engine output.
0 Note
• Have your vehicle maintained properly and in accordance with the
service recommendations in your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
Lack of proper maintenance as well as improper use of the vehicle will
impa ir the function of the emission control system and could lead to
damage.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
•
Do not alter or remove any component of the Emission Control
System unless approved by the manufacturer.
• Do not a lter or remove any device, such as heat shie lds, switches,
ignition w ires, va lves, which are designed to protect your vehicle 's
Emission Control System and other important vehicle components.
Fewer short tr ips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high on short
trips.
- Try to avoid driving short distances with a cold engine.
The engine and catalytic converter have to reach their optimal oper­
ating temperature
to reduce fuel consumption and noxious emis ­
sions effectively .
• Just after starting, a cold eng ine in a mid-size car burns the fuel at
a poor rate of 6-8 miles per gallon (30-40 l/l00km). Half a mile down
the road, the mileage improves to 12 MPG (20 l/100 km). It will take
the engine no less than
two and a half miles (4 km) of driving to
warm up to its proper operat ing temperature and operate at an
economic mileage . This explains why taking the car for sho rt trips is a
rather wasteful convenience .
• Th e
outside temperature is also critical in this regard . Your car
consumes more fuel in the winter than in the summer.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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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

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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. •

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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 -
~