2012 AUDI A3 adding oil

170 Driving and en vironm ent
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when dr iv ing t hrough water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than walking speed.
A WARNING
After d riving through wate r, mud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because o f wet brake ro tors and pads. Dry
the brakes f irst by bra king carefully to re ­
store the full braking effect .
({D Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
t ransmiss ion, suspens ion or elect rical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through wate r.
(D Tips
-Che ck the depth of the water before dr iv­
i ng through it.
- Do no t stop the veh icle, dr ive in reverse
or switch the engine off when d riving
th rough water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may c reate waves that raise the wate r
l evel and make it too deep for yo ur vehi­
cle to drive th rough safely .
- Avoid driving thro ugh salt water because
i t can ca use corrosion.
Catalytic converter
-
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner .
"' Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 189,
Fuel supply.
"' Never run the tank down a ll the way to
empty .
"' Never put too much motor oil in your en­
gine ¢
page 200, ~ Adding engine oil .
"' Never try to push -or tow-start you r vehicle .
T he ca talytic converter is an efficient "clean­
u p" dev ice bui lt into the exhaust system of
the vehicle . The cata lytic conve rter bu rns
many of the pollutants in the ex ha u st gas be ­
fore they are re leased into the atmosphere.
T he exclusive use of unleaded f uel is c rit ically
important for the life o f the catalyt ic convert ­
er and prope r function ing of the engine .
A WARNING
-Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fue l spill or other material wh ich can
cause a fire .
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
rustp roofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields. Dur ing driv ing, the
substance used fo r under coating could
overhe at and cause a fire.
((0 Note
-Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel w ill alr eady ser iously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
converte r.
- Do not exceed t he cor rect engine oil level
¢page 200.
-Do not dr ive until t he fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The engine cou ld mis­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get in to
the exhaust system and th is co uld cause
t he catalytic converter to overheat .
- Do not tu rn off the igni tion while the ve­
hicle is mov ing.
- Do not continue to ope rate your veh icle
under these conditions, as ot herwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
cou ld resu lt in overheating of the con­
verter, requir ing its replacement.
- To assu re efficient operation of the Emis -
sion Control System : ..,.

-Set the parking brake fully.
- Move selector lever of automatic trans-
mission to "P" (Park); put manual trans­
mission 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
compartment . Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood .
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment .
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili­
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool­
ant system is pressurized and hot cool­ ant 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 electri­
cal system is necessary:
-Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in­
jury 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:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever of automatic trans-
Checking and filling 195
mission to "P" (Park); put manual
transmission in Neutral.
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­
ing hot parts . Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine .
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards~&. .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
Q) Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems will occur .
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly . If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu­ ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dealer. •
•

200 Checking and filling
(D Note
Driving with an insufficient oi l level is like­
ly to ca use seve re damage to the eng ine.
@ Tips
- The oil pressure warning display. i s
not an indicator of the oil level. Do not
r ely on it. Instead , check the oil level in
your engine at regular intervals, pref ­
erably each t ime you refuel, and always
before going on a long trip .
-If you have the impression your engine
consumes excessive amo unts of oi l, we
r ecommend that yo u consult your au­
thorized Aud i dea ler to have the caus e of
you r concern p rope rly diag nosed. Keep in
mi nd t hat t he accur at e measure ment of
oi l cons ump tion requires great care and
may ta ke some time. Yo ur autho rize d Au ­
di dea ler has inst ruct ions about how to
measure oil consumptio n accurately.
Checking the engine oil level
Fig. 15 9 Dipstick (Ve rs io n A) : Oi l level ranges
Fig . 160 Dipstick (Ve rs io n B): Oil leve l ra nges
B efore you che ck any thing i n the eng ine com ­
p ar tmen t,
alway s read and heed all WARN-
INGS ~ .&. in Working in the engine comport ­
ment on poge 19 4.
Determining oil level
• Park yo ur vehicle so tha t it is hori zo ntally
level.
• Wh ile at ope rat ing st ate tempe rat ure,
briefly let the engine r un at idle and then
shut it off .
.. Wait approx. two minutes.
.. Pull out the oil dipst ick. W ipe off t he oil
d ipstick with a clean cloth, and slide it back
in as far as it w ill go.
• Pull it back out and read off th e oil level
~ fig. 159 or ~ fig. 160. Top off the eng ine
oil, if applicable ~
poge 200.
Oil level within range 0
.. Do not add oil.
Oil level within range@
• Yo u con add oil. Afterwords, the oil leve l
should be within range
G) .
Oil level within range 0
• Yo u must ad d oil. Afterwards, the oil leve l
should be wi thin r ange
G) .
The oil level need s to be checke d at regu la r in ­
te rva ls. Th e be st ti mes to do th is are w henev ­
er you refuel and prior to long trips .
Depend ing on the way the vehicle is dr iven
and the ope ra tin g con ditions, oi l co nsumption
c a n b e up to 1/ 2 quar t pe r 600 mile s (0. 5 li ter
p er 2,000 km). Co nsumption m ay be hig he r
within the first 3,00 0 miles (5,000 km) .
'1:::7: Adding engine oil
Fi g. 16 1 Engine compa rtment: Oil filler cap location

202 Checking and filling
-When removing the oil drain plug with
your fingers, stay as far away as possible.
Always keep your forearm parallel to the
ground to help prevent hot oil from run­
ning down your arm.
- Drain the oil into a container designed
for this purpose, one large enough to
hold at least the total amount of oil in
your engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out
of the reach of children .
- Continuous contact with used engine oil
is harmful to your skin. Always protect
your skin by washing oil off thoroughly
with soap and water.
(D Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en­
gine and adversely affect your Audi New
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
@) For the sake of the environment
- Before changing your oil, first make sure
you know where you can properly dispose
of the used oil.
-Always dispose of used engine oil proper­
ly. Do not dump it on garden soil, wood­
ed areas, into open streams or down
sewage drains.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a
used engine oil collection facility in your
area, or contact a service station.
Important information for vehicles with
diesel engine when adding or changing
engine oil
App lies to vehicles: with diesel engine
On vehicles with a diesel engine always use
engine oil that conforms to Audi oil specifica­
tion VW
507 00 when adding or changing en­
gine oil.
Vehicles with diesel engines require and
must
always
use special engine oil that conforms to
Audi oil specification
VW 507 00 .
Never use any other kind of engine oil in your
vehicle, not even to top off the oil level.
At the time of printing, we are aware that Cas­
trol ® produces engine oil that conforms to Au­
di oil specification VW 507 00. This oil may
not yet be available throughout North Ameri­
ca. Other oil manufacturers may offer engine
oil that conforms to Audi oil specification
VW 507 00 at this time or some future date.
Please be sure to consult with your authorized
Audi dealer for information and availability of
the proper engine oil for your vehicle's diesel
engine and for the latest technical informa­
tion .
Because this special engine oil may not be
available when need it, we strongly recom­
mend that you always carry with you extra
quart (liter) of oil that conforms to Audi oil
specification VW 507 00, in case you have to
top off oil while on the road .
.&, WARNING
Failure to use engine oil for your diesel en­
gine that expressly conforms to Audi oil
specification VW 507 00 can cause engine
failure on the highway that can cause a crash and serious personal injury.
- Never use any amount of engine oil in
the diesel engine that does not conform
to Audi oil specification VW 507 00.
- Always carry with you an extra quart (li­ ter) of engine oil that conforms to Audi
oil specification VW 507 00 in case you must top off the oil while on the road.
.&, WARNING
Improperly stored items can become air­borne missiles, flying through the vehicle
causing serious personal injury in the
event of hard braking or an accident . To
help reduce the risk of serious personal in­
Jury:
-Always store extra quart (liter) of engine
oil for your diesel engine in its original oil
container that is securely closed in the
~

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>

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 267
-----------------------------------.......
Cruise control ... ... .... ... .. .. .. .... 94
Changing speed ... .... ... .. .. .. .... 94
Presetting your speed .... ... .. .. .. .. 95
Sw itching off ... .. .... ... .... .. .. .. 95
Sw it ching on .... ......... .... .. .. .. 94
Warn ing/ indicator lights ........ .... . 22
Cup holder ... .. .... .... ... .. .. .. .... 74
Cup holders fro nt .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. .. 74
Current fuel mileage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
D
Damping
refer to Audi magnetic ride . .. .. .. .. .. 95
D ata . ... .. .. .. .... .. .... ... .. .. ... 257
Data recorder .. .... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. . 161
Date display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
D aytime r unning lights ...... .. .. .. .. .. 47
Daytime running lights (Canada) .. .. .. .. 47
D eclaration of compliance
Cell phone package .... ... .. .. .. .. . 262
E lectronic immobili zer ..... .. .. .. .. . 262
HomeLink ® univer sal remo te control . . 262
Remote control key ..... .. .. .. .. .. . 262
Tire pressure monitor ing system .... . 262
def What does this mean when it appears in
the trip odometer d isplay? . .. .. .. .. .. 12
D efective light bulb warning . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Defogging the windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Defrosting/defogging w indows ....... .. 84
D efrosting the w indow s ..... .. .. .. .. .. 8 2
Determin ing cor rect load limit . .. .. .. . 221
D iese l engine
Adding engine oil . ..... ... .. .. .. .. . 202
Changing engine o il ....... .. .. .. .. . 202
Eng ine oil .. ............. .... .. .. . 202
D iese l fue l ... .. ... ..... ... .. .. .. ... 190
Diesel particu late filter . . . . . . . . . . 22, 17 1
Dig ita l clock ... .... .... ... .. .. .. .... 11
Sett ing the time .......... .. .. .. .. .. 11
Di git al compass ........... .. .. .. .. .. 59
Dimensions .................. .... .. 256
Dimming the rearview mirro r . . . . . . . . . . 54
Di pstick
Reading the d ipstick p roperly . .. .. .. . 200 D
irec t Shift Gearbox
Emergency re lease . .. ... .... ... .. .. 102
Distance ... .. .. .. ................. . 26
Doors, power locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Driver in format ion sys tem
Engine o il temperature display ... .. .. . 31
Gearshift indicator . .. ... .... ... .. .. . 24
Menu button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Open door or front lid warn ing ... .. .. . 23
Outs ide temperature disp lay . . . . . . . . . . 23
Red symbols ..... .. ..... ........... 13
Se rv ice interval display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Setting ... .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. . 28
Sound sys tem disp lay . ......... .. .. . 23
T rip comp uter .. .. ................. . 25
yellow symbo ls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Driver Information System Menu disp lay .. .. .. . ... ...... ... .. . 27
Driver seat
refer to Seating position .......... .. 104
Driving safely ... .... . ... ...... ... .. 103
Drivi ng throug h wate r .............. . 170
D uplicate key . .. .. .... ............. . 34
E
Efficiency program ... . .. .. ... ... .. .. . 29
Fuel economy m essages ..... ... .. .. . 29
Other equipment . ................. . 29
E lapsed time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
E lectrically heated front seats . . . . . . . . . . 85
E lectro-mechanica l power assist . . . 17, 165
El ec tronic d ifferential lock ( EDL)
Warning/ind icator lights ........ .. .. . 18
E lectronic immob ilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 36
E lectronic power contro l
EPC warn ing/ indicator light .. ... .. .. . 19
El ec tronic s peed limi ter .......... .. .. . 25
Elec tronic stab ilizat ion program (ESP)
Warning/ind icator lights ........... .. 18
Emergency flasher Warning/ind icator lights .......... .. . 22
E mergency flashe rs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Emergency operation Rear l id ...... ... .. ................ 41
Emergency re lease for selecto r lever . ... 102
E mergency s tarti ng .... ............. 248
•
•