2012 AUDI A3 brake

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>

214 Tires and wheels
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressu re
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation p ressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter means the overa ll diameter of an inf lated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ­
ing e levations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the comb ined weight of those installed
regular production options weighing over 5
lbs . (2 .3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, r ide leve lers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and specia l trim .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tir e in which the p ly cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread . Recommended inflation pressure
see
~
page 213, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire designed to operate at higher
loads and at higher inflation pressures than
the corresponding standard tire . Re inforced
t ir es my be identified as "XL", "xl", "EX TRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a t ire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal d iameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you w ill have to
purchase new tires to match the new r im di­
ameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
t read and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is designed to
be driven for extended periods of time. The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
~ page 224 . You may
not find this information on all tires because
it is not requ ired by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applica­
ble, is molded on the tire sidewall and indi­
cates the max imum pe rmissibl e road speeds
~ A in Winter tires on page 228.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects when one or
more of a veh icle's tires are underinflated and
illuminates a low tire pressure warning tell­
tale.

218 Tires and wheels
This is especia lly important if the vehicle be­
longs to someone else or you bought the vehi­
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
vehicle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on making sure that
load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
vehicle. These load limits are technically refer­
red to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (' 'GVWR"). The Gross Axle Weight Rat­
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance sticker label located either
on the driver's side B-pillar or on the inside of
the fuel filler flap. The tire pressure label on
your Audi lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occupants and luggage or
other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
location of the tire pressure label
o fig. 167.
_& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of a loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con­
trol and a crash.
- Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported -including the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
A WARNING
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can lead to a serious or fatal acci­
dent.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can also lead to sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressure label located either on driver's side 8-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap.
The recommended tire pressures are on the
tire pressure label and in the table
o page 216, Cold tire inflation pressure. This
means that the pressure must be checked and
adjusted when the tire has not been driven for
more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous three hours.
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of internal friction as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is highe r when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold ."
It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that
counts. Therefore, you should never let air out
of a warm tire to match "Cold tire inflation
pressure" recommendations
o page 216. The
tires would then be underinflated and could
fail suddenly.
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the
recommended cold tire inflation pressures for
the new, original equipment tires that were
on your vehicle at the time it was manufac­
tured. For the location of the label
opage 216, fig. 167.
Most tires lose air naturally over time . They
can also lose some air if you drive over a pot­
hole or hit a curb while parking. It is usually
not possible to see whether the radial tires ..,.

The tire pressure label on your Audi also lists
the maximum combined weight of all of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that
the vehicle can carry. For the location of the
label
c:::>page 216, fig. 167.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­crease the risk of the loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly, including a blowout
and sudden deflation, causing loss of
control and a crash.
- Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported -including the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to cal­
culate the total weight of the
passengers and luggage or oth­
er things that you plan to trans­
port so that you can make sure
that your vehicle will not be
overloaded.
Steps for Determining
Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF QC-
Tires and wheels 221
CUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX
KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehi­
cle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)
¢ page 216,
fig. 167.
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­
sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and pas­
sengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds
shown on the sticker
¢ page 216, fig. 167.
4. The resulting figure equals
the available amount of car­
go and luggage load capaci­
ty. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs.
and there will be five 150
lbs. passengers in your vehi­
cle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load ca­
pacity is 650 lbs. (1400-7 50
(5
X 150) = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
•
•

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 ..,.

226 Tires and wheels
and drive with extra care. Refit the nor­
mal road wheel as soon as safely possi­
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
suddenly.
- Overloading tires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over or un­
derinflated .
- For technical reasons it is not always
possible to use wheels from other vehi­
cles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve­
hicle wheels , make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced air­
flow to the brakes can them to overheat,
increasing stopping distances and caus­
ing
a collision.
- Run flat tires may only be used on vehi­ cles that were equipped with them at the
factory. The vehicle must have a chassis designed for run flat tires and a factory­
installed tire pressure monitoring sys­
tem* that indicates a loss of tire pres­
sure . Incorrect use of run flat tires can
lead to vehicle damage or accidents .
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or
tire specialist to see if your vehicle can be
equipped with run flat tires . If run flat
tires are used, they must be installed on
all four wheels. Mixing tire types is not
permitted .
(D Note
-For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth­
er vehicles. This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare ti re is different from the
tires that you have mounted on your ve­
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profile tires), then use the spare tire for a short period of time only and
drive with
extra care. Replace the flat tire with the
tire matching the others on your vehicle
as soon as possible.
- If you put different wheels and tires on
your vehicle (e .g. winter wheels and
tires), you must be certain that the
wheels and tires are compatible with the
tire pressure monitoring system* . Other ­
wise the system will register a malfunc­
tion and a fault message will be dis­
played. For more information, contact
your authorized Audi dealer.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap .
The valves could get damaged .
@ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the
local requirements.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
¢ page 223,
fig. 171 .
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear
one and one half (11/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, how-
ever, and may depart significantly from the
ll-