2012 AUDI A3 brake fluid

Checking and fillin g 197
2.0 liter, 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine (140 hp)
Applies to vehicles: with 2.0 l TOI, 4-cylinder diese l-engin e
These are the most important items that you can check .
Fig. 158 Engine compartment: 2.0 l, 4-cylinder tu rbo
(D Coolant expansion tank ( ... t) .. .
@ Windshield washer container 204
Cw)
.............. ...... . . 211
@ E ng ine oi l dipstick (orange) . . . 200
@ Engine oil filler cap ("t!::r.) . . . . . 200
® Brake fluid reservo ir ((0)) . . . . . 206
® Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
A WARNING
Before yo u check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 194.
-
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the
right kind of oil.
The engine in your Audi is a sophisticated powerplant that was built to exacting specifi­
cations . Th is eng ine needs the right kind of
engine oil that meets specifications regarding
quality and viscosity so that it can run
smoot hly and reliab ly. Choosing the right o il
and changi ng oil within the t ime and mileage
intervals printed in you r vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to ­
day than it did years ago . Audi has developed
a specia l quality standard for engine oil that
will help assure that your vehicle's engine w ill
get the lubr ication it needs for proper opera­
tion.

206 Checking and filling
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance .
Fig. 163 Engine compartme nt: brake flu id reservo ir
Before you check anything i n the engine com ­
partment,
a lwa ys rea d and h eed a ll WA RN·
ING S c:> & in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page
194.
~ Read the brake fluid level from the bra ke
fluid reservoir. The brake fluid Level must be
between the "MIN" and "MAX" markings
9fig. 163 .
The brake f lu id rese rvoir is located at the rear
partition of the engine compartment on the
L eft side
¢page 196.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the b rake pads . This is not cause for alarm .
I f the b rake fluid Level falls
considerably be­
low the "MIN" mark, the brake wa rning/ind i­
cator Light (U.S. models:
1111 , Canadian
models:
llllt will come on c:> page 15 . Do not
continue to operate the vehicle . The complete
brake system sho uld be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dealer or other quali­
fied facility and the cause corrected. If the
brake fluid level is too low, the brake warn ing/
indicator Light w ill illuminate . Contact an au­
thor ized Audi dealer
imm ediatel y.
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If
the water content in the brake fluid is too high, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time . The boiling point of the
brake flu id will also decrease conside rably and
decrease braking pe rformance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
eve ry two y ears. Always use new brake flu id
which conforms to Federal Motor Veh icle
Standard "F MVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be diff icult to
reach, therefore, we recommend that you
have the b rake fluid changed by your author­
ized
Audi dealer . Your dealer has the correct
tools, the right brake fl uid and the know -how
to do this for you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is poisonous . It must be stor­
ed only in the closed original container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can resu lt from o ld or inap­
propriate brake flu id. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake f luid that meets SA E
specifica tion
J 1 7 03 and conforms to
Federa l Moto r Ve hicl e Standard 1 16.
Always check with yo ur authorized Aud i
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
correct brake fluid. The correct type of brake f lu id is also ind icated on the
brake flu id 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
l ong. This can seriously affect the effi­
c iency of the brakes as well as your
safety. This cou ld resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle .

@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal
of brake fluid as we ll as the special tools
req uired and the necessary expert ise, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer.
Battery
General information
All work on the battery requires technical
knowledge!
F ig . 1 64 Eng ine co mpa rtment: Batte ry w it h cover*
The battery is located in the engine compart­
ment
c::> fig. 164 and is near ly m ain te nance­
fre e.
The condition of the battery is checked in the
framework of the inspection.
Disconnecting the battery
The batte ry should not be disconnected. Some
ve hicl e functions such as power windows are
unavailable if the battery termina ls are dis­
connected. These funct ions have to be re­
l earned after the battery term inals are con­
nected aga in. To prevent this, the battery
should only be disconnected from the vehicle
electrical system if absolutely necessary .
Function
Power window
one-touch up/
down function
Master key with
remote control
Reprogramming
c::, page 45, Reactivating
the system after battery
disconnection
Synchronization
~page 38
Checkin g and fillin g 207
Reprogramming
Digita l clock c::, page 11
ESP indicator light The indicator ligh t goes
out after driving a few
meters
Vehicl es not driven for long periods and
sho rt -d is tance op eration
If you do no t drive your vehicle for several
days or weeks, electrical consumers are grad ­
u ally scaled back or switched off . This reduces
energy use and ensures the vehicle will be
able to start after long periods of time
c::, page 167. Some convenience functions
such as opening w it h the remote control key
may not be available. These conve nience func­
tions wi ll be available again once you switch
the ignit io n on and sta rt the engine. Even
whe n consume rs a re switched off, the battery
will become deeply discharged by stand -by
power consumers if the vehicle is not driven
for several months . Deep discharging results
in a chemical reaction that destroys the inside
of the battery. The battery must be charged
every month to prevent th is
c::, page 209. Do
not disconnect the battery or the anti-t heft
alarm system* will not work .
Winter operation
Cold weather places higher demands on the
battery. This results in reduced starting abili­
ty. Have the battery checked and recharged if
necessary befo re the cold weather begins.
Avoid unnecessary power consumpt ion, par­
ticularly in city traffic or when traveling only
short distances . Let your authorized Audi
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat­
tery before winter sets in
c::, page 209 . A well
c harged bat tery will not o nly prevent s tarti ng
problems when the weather is cold, but will
also last longer .
(D Note
-All wo rk on the batte ry requ ires techn i­
cal know le d ge. P lease con ta ct an Audi
dealership or another authorized fa cility
lill>

unbalanced, resulting in vib rations you can
usually feel through the steering wheel.
Unba lanced wheels mus t be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wea r on s teer ing, suspens ion
and tires. A wheel must a lso be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Inco rrect whee l alignment can cause exces­
sive tire wea r, impair ing t he safety of the veh i­
cle. If t ires show excess ive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
All Wheel Drive
Ve hicles w it h quattro ® must always have t ires
of the same s ize, construction and tread type.
F or details see
¢ pag e 166 .
A WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
tro l, a crash and serious persona l injury!
- Never drive a veh icle when the tread on
any t ire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
- Worn tires are a safety hazard , they do
not grip well on wet roads and increase
your risk of"hydrop lan ing" and loss of
co ntrol.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from tires.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at lower
speeds .
- Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to s udden tire failure
and loss o f vehicle con trol.
Tires and wheels 223
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in .
Fig. 171 Tir e spec ification codes on t he sid ewall o f a
t ire
No . Desc ription
(D Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nomina l w idth of t ire in mill imeters
@ Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Rad ial
® Rim diameter code
@ Load index and speed rating
(J) U.S. DOT tire identification number
@ Aud i Origina l tire
® Tire ply composition and materials
used
@
@
M axim um load rating
Treadwear, traction and temperature
I
grades Maxim um permissible inflation p res­
sure
T he tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle's des ign . The tires and rims approved
by Audi are specia lly matched to the charac ­
teristics of the ve hicle and can make a major
contribution to good road holding and safe ..,.

-If you must work underneath the vehicle
with the whee ls on the ground, always
make sure the vehicle is on level ground,
that the wheels are always secu rely
blocked and tha t the eng ine cannot be
started.
- Always make sure the transm ission se­
lector lever (automatic transmiss ion) is
in "P" (Pa rk position) (a utomat ic trans­
mission) or Neutral (manual transmis­
sion) and the hand brake is fi rm ly ap­
plied.
@, For the sake of the environment
- Changing the eng ine settings w ill ad­
versely affect em ission levels. This is det­
rimental to the environment and increas­
es fue l cons umption.
- Always obse rve env ironmental regula­
tions when d ispos ing of old engine oil,
used b rake fluid, dirty engine coolant,
spent batteries or worn out tires .
- Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
s ioners might be classified as Perchlo­
rate Mate rial -special handling may ap­
ply, see www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardous­
waste/perchlorate. When the veh icle or
parts of the restraint system includ ing
airbag modules safety belts with preten­
s ioners are scrapped, all appl icable laws
and regulations must be observed. Your
autho rized Audi dea le r i s familiar w ith
these req uirements and we recommend
that yo u have your dea le r perform this
service for you.
Additional accessories, modifications and
parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult an authorized Audi dealer be­
fore purchasing accessories .
Your vehicle incorporates the latest safety de­
sign features ensuring a high standard of ac­
tive and passive safety .
Consumer In formation 26 1
This safety could be compromised by non-ap ­
proved changes to the vehicle . For this reason,
if parts have to be replaced, please observe
the following points when installing add ition­
al accessories:
Approved Audi accessories and genuine Audi parts are available from authorized Audi deal­
ers.
T hese dea lers a lso have the necessary facili­
ties, tools and trained specialists to install the parts and accessories properly .
_& WARNING
Using the wrong spare parts non-approved
accessories can cause damage to the vehi­
cle and serious personal injury.
- Use on ly accessories expressly approved
by Audi and genu ine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessories have been
specially designed to be used on your ve­
hicle.
- Never install accessor ies such as tele­
phone cradles or beverage ho lders on air­
bag covers or within the airbag deploy­
ment zones. Do ing so will increase the
ris k of injury if a irbags are triggered in an
accident!
- Before you check anything in the engine
compa rtment, always read and heed a ll
WARNINGS
<:!)page 187.
(D Note
-If items other than genu ine Audi spare
parts, add-on equipment and accessory
items are used o r if repair wo rk is not
performed accord ing to specified meth­
ods, this can resu lt in severe damage to
your vehicle's engine and body (such as
corrosion) and adve rsely affect yo ur vehi­
cle 's warranty.
- If emergency repairs must be performed
elsewhere, have the vehicle examined by
an authorized Audi dealership as soon as
possible.
- The manufacturer cannot be held liable
for damage wh ich occ urs due to failure
to comply with these stipulations.
•
•

264 Index .:..:..:..::....::..
...:..._ ___________________________ _
A
ABS
refer to Anti-lock brake system . ... .. . 164
Accessories .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. .. .. . 26 1
Acoust ic park assist ........ .. .. .... .. 93
AC (a ir cond itioner) ......... .. .. .. .. .. 81
Adapter for anti-theft wheel bolts . .. .. . 238
Adaptive light
defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Adding Engine coolant .......... .... ..... . 204
Engine oil . ...... ....... ... .. .... . 200
Windshield washer fluid ............ 211
Addit ional accessories .......... .... . 261
Additional heater Climate controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Additives Engine oil . ............... ... .. .. . 200
Adj ustab le steering wheel column .... .. 88
Adjusting Steer ing wheel column ........ .. .... 88
Adjusting front seats ........ ... .... .. 61
Advanced Airbag System
Components ... .......... .. .. .. .. . 129
Fr ont airbags ................ .... . 127
How the components work together .. 130
Monitoring ................. ..... . 133
PASS ENG ER A IR BAG OFF light .. .... . 133
A irbag
Warning/indicator lights ............. 16
A irbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122, 139
Advanced Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Care . .. .. ............... .. .. .... . 135
Ch ildren . .... ........... .. .. .. .. . 144
Ch ild r estra ints ........... .. .. .. .. . 145
Components (front airbags) . ... .... . 129
Danger of fitting a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Disposal . ................. .. .... . 135
Front airbags . ........... .. .. .... . 126
How do the front airbags work? . . . . . . 131
H ow many airbags does my vehicle
have? ..... .......... ...... ... .. . 129
I mportant things to know .... .. .... . 122
I ndicator light ........... .. .. .. .. . 133
Monitoring ................. ..... . 133 Repairs ...
.... .. ............. .... 135
Side airbags ..... ................ . 137
S ide curtain airbags ................ 140
When must the system be inspected? 133
Airbag System
Weight-sensing mat .............. . 144
Air conditioner .. .. ................ .. 81
also refer to Climate controls .. .. .. .. . 79
Air conditioning Switching on and off ........... .. .. . 81
Air distribution Climate controls . ................. .. 83
Air outlets Adjusting the outlets for rapid defrost -
ing/defogging ... ................ .. 84
Climate controls . .............. ..... 84
Air quality sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Air recirculation . .. ... .......... .... . 83
Climate controls .. ............. .... . 82
When should I use the air recirculation? 82
Air recirculation mode Climate controls . ................. .. 82
All-wheel drive Winter tires ... .. ... .......... .... 227
Alloy wheels ...... ................ . 182
All Wheel Drive .... ............. .... 166
Alternator
refer to Generator ............. .. .. . 16
Aluminum alloy wheels .... ...... .... 182
Ambient lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Anti-lock brake system How the ABS system works ........ .. 164
Warning/ind icator lights ........ .. .. . 18
Anti -theft systems
Anti-Theft Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Anti-theft wheel bolts ........... .... 238
Armrest Center armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Rear armrest .... ................ .. 67
Asterisk What does it mean when something is
marked with an aster isk? ........ .... .. 6
Audi magnetic ride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22, 9S
Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Indicator light ... ....... ...... .. .. . 22
Audi Service Repair Manuals and Litera-
ture 259

Index 265 ____________________________ ...:.:..:.=.:::.::.:
AUTO
Climate controls .. ..... ... .. .. .. .... 81
Sw itching on .... ........ ... .. .. .. .. 81
When should I use AUTO? ............ 81
Automatic air recircu lation ............ 82
Automatic belt retractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Automatic car wash
refer to Washing .................. 179
Automatic t ransmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
D riving Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Emergency program ... ... .. .. .. .. . 10 1
Emergency release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Ignition key safety lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Kick-down .. ... .......... .. .. .. ... 101
Launch Contro l Program ..... .. .. .. . 101
Selector lever lock .................. 97
Selector lever pos it ions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Tiptroni c con trols on the steering
wheel . .. .. .... ............. .. .. . 100
Automatic Transmission
Automatic T ransm ission ....... .. .. .. 99
Auto Safety Hotline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Average fue l m ileage ................. 26
Average speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Avoid damaging the vehicle . ... .. .. .. . 17 1
B
Battery . .. .. ................. .. .. . 20 7
charging ... .. .... .... ... .. .. .. ... 209
Disconnecting and connecting . ... .. . 207
Important warn ings when working on
the battery . ............. .... .. ... 208
Low . .... .. .. .. ........... ....... 167
Replacing the batte ry ...... ... .. .. . 210
State of charge .................... 167
W inte r operation .......... ...... .. 207
Wo rking on t he battery ............. 208
Battery voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
B efore driving . .. .. ..... ... .. .. .. ... 103
B lended gasoline . .......... ...... .. 189
Body cavity sealing .................. 183
B ooste r seats .. ........... .. .. .. ... 1 51
Brake assistant ............. ...... .. 165
Brake booster .... .. .... ... .. .. .. ... 164 Brake fluid
Changing the bra ke fluid ..... ... .. .. 206
Check ing the brake fluid level . ... .. .. 206
Reservoir . .. .. .. ................. 206
What is the correct brake fluid level? .. 206
What should I do if the brake fluid warn-
ing light comes on? .. .. .. ..... ... .. 206
Brake pads . ... .. .. .. .. .. ...... ... .. 169
B rake system ....................... 206
An ti-l ock b rake syste m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
B rake fluid .. .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 206
Brake fluid specifications for refill and re-
placement .. .... ... .. .. ..... ... .. 206
Brake light defective ................ 21
General information ............... 163
How does moistu re or road salt affect the
brakes? .......... ................ 163
Malfunction ..... .. ................ 15
Wa rning/ind icator lights ........ .. .. . 15
Wor n bra ke pads s ymbol ............ . 19
Break-in per iod .. .. .... ....... ...... 169
B rake pads ....................... 169
T ires 169
Bul bs ............................. 246
C
California Proposition 65 Warning ... .. 195
Battery specific . ... .. ...... ... .. .. 209
Capaci ties ......................... 257
Car care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Plastic and vinyl .. .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 181
Care of exterior .. ...... ............. 178
Cargo a rea
refer to L oading the l uggage compa rt-
ment ... .. .. .. .... . ... ...... ... .. 109
Cargo net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Cata lytic converter .............. .... 170
Center armres t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Cent igrade
Switching between Centig rade and Fah-
renhe it . ..... ...... ....... ........ 83
Central locking
panoramic sliding sunroof closing .. .. . 46
Certif ication .. .... ... .. .. ..... ... .. 262
Chang ing a flat t ire ... . .. .. ..... ... .. 236
•
•

276 Index
w
Warn ing/indicator lights
Airbag system ........ ... .. .. .... .. 16
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) ... .. ... . 18
Brake system ...................... 15
Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Electronic power control ....... .. .. .. 19
Electronic stabilization program (ESP) .. 18
Eng ine malfunction (diesel engine) .... 20
Generato r ......................... 16
Glow plug system .................. 20
Malfunct io n I ndicator Lamp (MIL) ..... 19
Parking brake .... ....... ... .. .... .. 15
Safety belt ........... ... ... ..... .. 16
Safety systems .............. ..... .. 16
Tire pressure monitoring system .. .... 19
Turn signals ....................... 22
Warn ing lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 13
Red symbols in the center disp lay .... .. 13
Yellow symbols in the center disp lay ... 14
War ranty coverages ................. 259
Washer reservoir ............ .. .... . 211
Washing .. .. ... . ...... ... ... ..... . 178
Automatic car wash .. ... .. .. .. .... . 179
by hand ................. .... ..... 179
General informat ion 178
with a power washer ............... 180
Waxing ...... .... ..... ... .. .. .... . 180
Wear indicator .. .... ...... ... ... .. . 222
Weights . .. .. ... .......... ...... ... 255
What happens if you wear yo ur sa fety belt
too loose? ... ... .. ..... ... .. .. .... . 11 7
What happens to unbelted occupants? .. 114
What impairs driving safety? . . . . . . . . . . 104
What should I do after chang ing a
wheel? .. .. .. ..... ........ .. .. .. .. . 219
What should I do after replacing wheels? 219
Wheel bolts Anti-theft wheel bolts .............. 238
Torque . .. ............... .. .. .. .. . 229
Wheel change . .. .. ..... ... .. .. .... . 236
Wheels .... ................. ... ... 212
Checking tire pressure .......... .... 218
Cold ti re inflat ion pressu re . . . . . . . . . . 216
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 G
lossary of tire and loading terminolo-
gy .. ... .. .... .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. 213
New t ires and whee ls ... ..... ... .. .. 223
Tires and veh icle load limits ..... .... 220
Whee ls/Tires
Cast alloy ..... .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. 182
Stee l wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
When must a safety be lt be replaced? .. 116
When must the airbag system be inspect-
ed? ............................... 133
When should I adjust the tire pressures? 219
When should I check the tire pressures?. 219
Where are lower anchorages located? . .. 156
Where can I find the t ire press ures for my
ca r? ...... ..... .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. 218
Why safety belts? ................... 113
Windows Cleaning .. ....................... 181
Convenience close/open feature . . . . . . . 44
Defogging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Defrost ing .. .. .................. .. 82
Rapid defrosting/defogging .......... 84
Windsh ield washer container ......... 211
Windsh ie ld washer fluid . ..... ... .. .. . 21
Windsh ield w ipers
Chang ing the rear wiper blade ........ 59
Installing new wiper b lades ..... .... . 57
Se rv ice position ................. ... 5 7
Winter operation Battery .......................... 207
Coolant system ................... 203
T ires ..... .. .. .. .. ... ............ 166
Windows . .. .. .. ............. .... 181
Winter tires . .. ... . ........ ..... .... 227
All -wheel drive . .. ................ . 227
Wiper and washer system ...... .. .. .. . 55
Intermittent wiping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
One-tap wip ing ................ ..... 55
Rea r window wiper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Wiper b lades
Installing new wiper b lades ... ... . .. . 57
also refer to Windsh ie ld wipers .. .. .. . 59
X
Xenon-Lights . ..... .. ... ..... ... .. .. 246