2012 AUDI A3 checking oil

luggage compartment. Make sure the
container is securely stored and mount­
ed.
0 Note
-If you use engine oil that does not ex­
pressly conform to Audi oil specification
VW 507 00, very serious and very expen­
sive damage to your vehicle 's engine will
occur . Engine damage caused by using
the wrong engine oil is not covered by
your New Vehicle limited Warranty .
- Not all commercially available oils con ­
form to this very rigid Audi oil quality
standard even though they may be syn­
thetic-based and have the same viscosi­
ty.
Engine cooling system
Coolant
T he engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro­
tects the engine from freezing in the winter.
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
quires little attention.
The cooling system has been filled at the fac­
tory with a permanent coolant which does not need to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture of water and the manufacturer's gly­
col-based coolant additive Gl2++ antifree ze
with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA models; 60% for Canadian models). This mix ­
ture both assures the necessary frost protec­
tion and protects metal components in the
engine 's cooling system from corrosion and
scaling.
It also raises the boiling point of the
coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the cool­
ant in the summer by adding plain water.
The
proportion of coolant additive must be at
least 50% but not more than 60%
to main­
tain antifreeze protection and cooling efficien­
cy. If the coolant frost protection is too low,
the coolant could freeze and damage the vehi­
cle heating and engine cooling system.
Checking and filling 203
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
--31°F(-35°C)USA
- - 40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
You can mix the Gl2 ++ coolan t additive with
other additives Gl2 + or Gl2. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer .
A WARNING
-
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS~
& in Working in the engine
comportment on page 194.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­
mate conditions. This is especially impor­
tant if you live in a region where the
win­
ter is extremely cold. If necessary, in­
crease the proportion of coolant additive
to 60% .
- When adding coolant additive to your
cooling system, remember :
- We recommend using only coolant ad­
ditive G 12++ (check the label) for your
vehicle. This coolant additive is availa­
ble at authorized Audi dealers. Other
types of antifreeze can significantly re­
duce corrosion protection. The result­
ing corrosion can cause a loss of cool­
ant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak seal­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant.
Adding radiator repair fluid may adverse­ ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
•
•

204 Checking and filling
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance .
Fig. 162 Engine compartme nt: coo lant expansio n tank
Before you check anything i n the eng ine com­
partment,
a lw ays rea d and h eed all WARN­
ING S ¢&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 194.
.. Park your vehicle on a level surface.
.. Turn
off the ignit ion .
.. Read the eng ine coolant leve l from the
coolant expansion tank<=>
fig. 162 . With a
cold eng ine, the coo lant level should be be­
tween the "min" and "max" markings . When
the engine is warm, the level may be slightly above the "max" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration
i:> page 196.
To obtain an accurate read ing, the engine
must be switched
off.
The expansion tank in yo ur vehicle is equipped
with an e lectric coolant level sensor .
When the coolant level is too low, the warning light in the Auto -Check System
c> page 17 w ill
blink until you add coo lant and the level has
been restored to norma l. Even though there is
an electric coolant level sensor, we still rec­
ommend you check the coolant level from
time to time.
Coolant lo ss
Coolant loss may indicate a le ak in the cooling
system . In the event of coolant loss, the cool­
ing system should be inspected immediately by your authorized Audi dea
ler .
It is not
enough merely to add coolant .
In a
se aled system, losses can occur on ly if
the boiling point of the coo lant is exceeded as
a res ult of overheating.
(D Note
Do not ad d any type of radiator leak sea l­
ant to your veh icle's engine coolant . Add­
i ng radiator repair fl uid may adverse ly af ­
fect the funct ion and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage not covered by your New Veh icle Limited
Warranty .
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the eng ine com ­
partment,
a lw ays re a d and heed all WARN­
INGS c::> A in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 194 .
.. Turn off the engine .
.. Let the engine cool down.
.. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank
c::> page 204, fig . 162 and ca refull y
twist the cap counter-clockwise c::> A.
.. Add coo lant .
.. Twist the cap on aga in
tightly .
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact spec ificat ions
c::> page 203, Coolant.
Even in an emergency, if coolant addi-
t ive G12++ . G 12+ or G12 is not ava ilable, do
n ot use a d iffe rent addit ive. Use plain water
instead unt il you can get the correct add itive
and can restore the correct ratio. This shou ld
be done as soon as possible .
If you have lost a considerab le amou nt of
c oolant, then you sho uld add cold ant ifree ze
and co ld wate r on ly when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coo lant when refilling .
Do not f ill coolant above the
"MAX" mark. Ex­
cess coolant will be forced out through the
pressure relief valve in the cap when the en -
gine becomes hot .
Iii>

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 .

@ Tips
-Where snow chains are mandatory on
certain roads, this normally also applies
to vehicles with All Wheel Drive .
- If snow chains are insta lled, the tire
pressures shou ld not be stored in the tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS).
Otherwise the system could malfunction
¢page 232.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque .
The design of whee l bolts is matched to the
factory installed rims. If different rims are fit­
ted, the correct wheel bolts wit h the right
length and correctly s haped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
secure ly and that the bra ke system f unctions
cor rectly .
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wh eel bolts from a differ ent vehicle -even if it
i s the same mode l.
.&, WARNING
Improperly tig hte ned o r maint ained wheel
bol ts can become loose ca using loss of
cont ro l, a co llision and ser ious persona l in ­
jury.
- Always keep the wheel bolts an d the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
whee l bolts can tu rn easily and be pro p­
er ly t ightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bo lts and
the threads in the w heel hubs. They can
become loose w hile driving if greased or
o iled, even if tightened to the specified
torq ue.
- Only use wheel bolts t hat belong to the
r im being installed.
- Never use different whee ls bolts on your
vehicle.
- Always maintai n the co rrect tighten ing
torq ue for the wheel bo lts t o reduce the
risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening tor-
Tire s an d wheel s 229
que of t he whee l bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi­
cle is mov ing. If the tig htening torq ue is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads
can be damaged and the whee l can be­
come loose.
(D Note
The specified torque for the whee l bolts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a tolerance of± 7,4
ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torq ue whee l bolts diago­
nally. After changing a whee l, the tor que
must be checked as so on as possible with a
torq ue w rench -prefe rably by an au thor ­
iz ed A udi de aler or qu alified workshop .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory -eq uipped w ith low aspect
r atio tires . These tires have been tho ro ughly
tested and been se lected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road fee l
and handli ng u nder a var iety of driving condi­
tions . Ask your au thorized Aud i dealer for
more d etails.
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is ind icated
by a numeral of
55 or less in the tire's s ize
designation . The numera l represen ts the ratio
of the t ire's sidewa ll height in relation to its
t read width exp ressed in perce ntage. Conven­
tiona l tires have a he ight/w idth ratio of 60 o r
more.
The performance of low-a spect-ratio tires i s
particularly sensitive to improper inflation
pre ssure.
It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified
pres sure and that the inflation pressure is
regularly checked and maintained. Tire pre s­
sures should be checked at least once a month and always befo re a long trip
¢ page 218, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged mo re
easily by impact w it h potholes, curbs, gul lies ..,.
•
•

26 6 Index
Changing engine oil
Chass is 201
Unde rcoat ing . ............. .. .... . 183
also refer to Aud i magnetic ride ... .... 95
Checking
Eng ine coolant level ........ .... ....
204
Checking tire pressure . ... .. .. ... ... . 218
C hi ld restra int
Danger of us ing c hild restra ints in the
front seat ... .... ..... ... .. .. .... .
123
Child restra ints
Where can I get add it iona l information
about child restra ints and their use? ..
160
Ch ild restra int system anchors ... .. ... 155
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143, 148
Convertible locking retractor . . . . . . . . . 152
Important safety instructions for using
chi ld safety seats ..................
146
Important things to know when dr iving
with children ............. .... ....
143
Install ing a child restraint using the
LA TC H system ............. ... .. ...
157
M ount ing and releasing the ancho rage
hook .. .... ... .......... .. .. .. .. .
157
158
158
Tether anchors
Tether straps
Ch ild safety lock
· ............... ..... 42
Child safety seats ................... 148
Booster seats .. .......... .. .. .... . 151
Convertible child seats .... .. .. .. .. . 149
Convertible locking retractor .. .. .. ... 152
H ow do I properly install a child safety
seat in my vehicle? ........ .. .. .... .
146
Infant seats ...................... 148
Ins tall ing ... ............ .. .. .. .. . 152
LA T CH system .... ..... ... .. .. .... . 157
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Child seats
L owe r ancho rages ........ .. .. .... .
156
Clean ing
Alcantara (synthet ic suede) ..........
186
Eng ine compartment ...... .. .. .. .. . 187
Exhaust tail pipes .................. 183
Fabrics and fabr ic coverings .. .. .... . 184
Instrumen t panel .................. 184
Inter ior
L eather .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. .... .
. ... ... . ...... ... ... ...
' . .
183
186
Plastic and vinyl ..... .. ..... .... . .. 181
Plastic parts ..... ... .. ..... ... .. .. 184
Safety be lts ... .. ... ....... ... .. .. 187
trim strips
Tr im strips 181
181
Cleaning and protection .. ..... ... .. .. 178
Cl imate controls . .. ................ .. 79
Additional heater . ... .......... .. .. . 85
Air distrib ution . .. ............. .... . 83
Air o utlets · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ......... 84
Air recirculation . . .. ... ..... .... ... . 83
Air recircu lation mode (manual) . ... .. . 82
Automatic air recirculation ... .... . .. . 82
AUTO (standard setting) ........ .. .. . 81
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Defrost ing/defogging ............. .. 82
Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Fan ......... ... .. .............. .. 83
Key- coded setting ... .......... .. .. . 84
Recommended settings ......... .... . 79
Setting the temperatu re ........ .. .. . 82
Switching between Fa hrenhe it and Centi-
grade . ... .... .. .. .... .... ... .. .. .
83
Switching the air conditioning on and off 81
Using the climate control economically . 84
Warm and cold . .. ............. .... . 79
Clock . ... .. .... .. .. ... ..... ... .. .. . 11
Clutch overheat ing ................. . 101
Coat hooks ..... .. ............. .... . 78
Cold tire infla tio n press ure ........ .... 216
coming home ... .................. .. 48
Compartments in the door trims ... .. .. . 77
Compass mir ro r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Compliance . .... .. ............. .... 262
Consumer Information. .. ..... .. 111,259
Contacting NHTSA ................. . 111
Convenience close/open feature
Windows . .... .. ............. .... .
44
Convertib le child safe ty seats ..... .. . . 149
Convertible locking retractor
At· .
c 1vatmg ... .. .. .. ... ....... ... . .
154
D t" t· eac 1va mg ... .. ............. .. .. 155
Using to secu re a child safety seat 1.52, 154
Coolant system ..................... 203
Cooling System
Expansion tank ... .. .... .... ... .. ..
204