2015 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET warning

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Adding coolant
Fig. 168 Eng ine co mpa rtme nt: m ark in gs on the cool­
ant expansio n tank
Read and following th e WARNING S before
checking anythi ng in the eng ine compartmen t
c::>page 214.
Checking th e engine coolant leve l
"'Park your vehicle on a level surface .
"' Switch the ign ition off.
"' Read the coo lant level on the coolant expan­
s ion tank
c::> fig. 168. The coolant level must
be between the markings whe n the eng ine
in cold. When the eng ine is warm it can be
slight ly above the upper marking .
Adding coolant
Requirement: There must be a residua l
amo unt of coolant in the expansion tank
c::> (D .
"'Let the engine coo l down .
"' Place a cloth over the coolant expa nsion
tank cap and unscrew the cap counter clock­
wise <=:>
A.
"'Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
c::>page 220 up to the upper marking.
"' Make sure that the fluid level remains sta-
ble. Add more coolant if necessary.
"' Clove the cap securely.
A coolant loss suggests a leak. Immediately drive your vehicle to an authorized repair fa­
cility and have the cooling system inspected.
If the cooling system is not leaking, a loss can
come from the coolant boiling through over ­
heat ing and being pushed out of the cooling
system.
Che cking and Fillin g 221
A WARNING
The cooling system is pressurized and can
become very hot. To reduce the r isk of
burns from hot coolant:
- Do not open the coolant expansion tank
cap with the engine hot . The re is a risk of
burns .
- Stop the engine and allow it to cool.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping coolant and steam by covering
the coolant tank cap with a large, th ick
cloth .
- Tu rn the coolant tank cap counterclock­
wise slowly and keep light pressure on
the cap.
- To reduce the risk of burns, do not allow
any antifreeze o r coolant to drip onto the
exhaust system or hot engin e compo­
nents . The ethy lene g lycol in eng ine
coo lant can catch fire under certai n cir­
cumstances.
- The coolan t addi tive and the coolant can
be dangerous to your health. For this
reason, keep the coo lant in the origina l
container away from ch ildren. There is a
risk of poisoning.
- When working in the engine compart­
ment, remember that the radiator fan
can switch on even if the ignition is
sw itched off, which increases the risk of
personal injury.
(D Note
Do not add coolant if the expans ion tank is
empty. Air could enter the cooling system
and damage the eng ine. If this is the case,
do not continue dr iving. See an author ized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa ­
c ility for ass istance.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself.
An auxiliary electric radiator fan switches on
and off depending on coolant temperature
and other vehicle operat ing condit ions .
IJJ,

222 Checking and Filling
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary
fan can continue running for up to 10 minutes
- even with the ignition off. It can even switch
on again later by itself
c:> .&. , if
- the temperature of the engine coolant rises
due to the heat build-up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up beca use
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
A WARNING
- To reduce the risk of personal injury
nev­
er touch the radiator fan.
- The auxiliary electr ic fan is temperature
contro lled and can switch on sudden ly
even when the engine is not running.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on au­ tomatically when the engine coolant
reaches a certain temperature and will
continue to run until the coolant temper­
ature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
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Fig . 169 Engine compartment : cove r on the brake flu id
r eservoir
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN ·
INGS c:> page 214.
.. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir
c:> fig.169, c:>poge216 ,
fig. 165.
The brake f luid level must be be­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings.
The location of the brake fluid reservoir can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
c:> page 216 .
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads . This is not cause for a larm.
If the brake f luid level falls
considerably be ­
low the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi­
cator light . (U.S. models)
I. (Canad ian
models) will come on
c:> page 18 . Do not con ­
tinue to operate the vehicle. The complete brake system should 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 warning/
indicator ligh t will illuminate. Contact an au­
thorized Audi dea ler
immediately.
Changing brake fluid
Have the broke fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If
the water content in the brake f luid is too
high, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time. The boiling point of the
brake fluid will also decrease considerably and
decrease braking performance.
T he refo re, the brake fluid must be changed
every two years. Always use new brake fluid
wh ich conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
T he brake fluid reservoir can be difficult 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 fluid and the know-how
to do this for you .
A WARNING
---Brake flu id is poisonous. It must be stor­
ed only in the closed or iginal 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:
- Us e only brake fluid that meets SAE
specification
J 1703 and conforms to
Federa l Motor Vehicle Standard 116.

224 Check ing and F illin g
Avoid using power unnecessarily, especially in
city driving or on short trips. Have your au­
thor ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv ­
ice Facility check the battery capacity before
the start of winter
c;,page 225. A well-charg­
ed battery will not only reduce starting prob ­
lems in cold weather, but it w ill also last lon­
ger .
A WARNING
-
-Wor k on the battery requires expert
knowledge. Contact your authorized Audi
dealer qualified repair facility for infor­
mation regarding the vehicle battery .
There is a risk for chemical burns or ex­
plosions.
- Never open the vehicle battery. Do not
t ry to change the battery e lectrolyte lev­
el. Otherwise exp losive gas will escape
from the battery and increase the risk of
an exp losion .
(D Tips
If your vehicle is not driven for severa l
weeks in very cold temperat ures, remove
the battery and store it in a place where it
w ill not freeze. This prevents the battery
from being damaged and need ing to be re ­
placed .
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery .
The battery is located in the luggage comp art­
ment under the floor . Before you check any­
thing in the luggage compartment,
re ad and
heed all WARNINGS
¢ ,& .
Always heed the s afet y warnings , when work­
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle elec ­
tr ica l system to preve nt injury .
The following WARNINGS are very
i mp ortan t wh en wo rking on th e battery :
Alw ay s hee d the followin g WARNING SYM ·
BOL S and safety pr ecaution s when w orking
on the battery.
®
Alwa ys wear eye prote ction .
&
Battery acid contain s sulfuri c acid.
Always wear glov es and e ye protec-
tion.
@
No
· spark s
· flames
· smoking .
~
When a battery is charged, it produ-
ces hyd rogen gas which is ex plosi ve
and could caus e personal injury.
®
Alwa ys keep th e batt ery well out of
rea ch of children .
A WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the risk of
i njury, accident and even fire. Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let
battery ac id or any lead particles get on
your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes.
Exp losive gases can cause blindness or
other inju ry.
- Battery acid conta ins sulfuric acid. Sulfu­
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
burns .
- Always wear g loves and eye protection.
Do not tilt the battery because acid
could leak out of the ventilat ion open­
ings.
- If you get battery ac id in your eyes or
on your skin, immediately rinse with
cold water for several minutes and get
med ica l attent ion.
- If you shou ld ingest any battery acid,
seek medical attention immediately .
- Do not expose the battery to an open
f lame, e lectr ic sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke .
-

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-Do not interchange the positive and neg­
ative cables .
- When working on the battery , be sure
not to short-circuit the terminals with
tools or other metal objects. This would cause the battery to heat up very quickly,
which could lead to damage or explosion
and personal injury.
- When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury .
- Always keep the battery well out of the reach of children .
- Before work is done on the electrical sys­
tem, disconnect the negative ground ca ­
ble .
- Before performing any work on the elec ­
trical system , switch off the engine and
ignition as well as any electrical equip­
ment. The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected. If you are just go­
ing to replace a light bulb, then it is
enough to switch off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch
off the anti-theft alarm system! Other­
wise you will set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first
disconnect the negative cable and then
the positive cable.
- Before reconnecting the battery, make
sure all electrical consumers are switch­
ed off. Reconnect the positive cable first
and then the negative cable. Never inter­
change the cables - this could start a fire!
- Never charge a fro zen or a thawed-out
battery. It could explode! If a battery has
fro zen, then it must be replaced. A dead
battery can freeze over at 32°F (O°C) .
- Make sure the vent hose is always attach­
ed to the opening on the side of the bat­
tery .
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an explosion ! Al­
ways replace a damaged battery .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
Checking and Filling 225
-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 problems . Wash hands after han­
dling.
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery
when the ignition is on or when the en­ gine is running, otherwise, you will dam­
age electronic components in the electri­
cal system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a
long period of time without being driven ,
protect the battery from "freezing", oth­
erwise it will be damaged and will then
have to be replaced.
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged
battery.
Fig. 170 E ngin e compar tmen t: co nn ecto rs fo r a charg­
e r and jump st art ca bles
Always read and heed all WARNINGS below
c:::> ,& and c:::> ,& in Working on the battery on
page
224 .
.,. Switch off the ignition and all electrical con­
sumers .
.,. Make sure the area is well ventilated when
you charge the battery.
.,. Open the engine hood
c:::> page 215 .
.,. Open the red cov er on the pos itive pole
c:::> fig. 170.
.,. Clamp the cha rger termin al clamps as in­
structed on the
battery terminal(+) and on-
l y on the
body ground point(-) . .,._

226 Check ing and F illin g
• Only now plug the mains lead for the charg ­
ing equipment into the wall outlet and turn
iton ¢_& .
• M ake sure the ch arging rate is not o ver
30 amp s / 14. 8 Volt.
• When the battery is fully charged: Turn the
charging equ ipment off and remove the
mains lead from the wa ll outlet .
• Now remove the clamps for the charg ing
equipment.
• Close the red cover on the posit ive po le.
• Close the hood
¢ page 216.
A discharged batte ry can fr eez e at tempera­
tures of on ly 32 F
0 (0 °C). A llow a frozen bat­
tery to thaw completely before attempting to
charge it¢ .&. . However, we recommend not
using a thawed battery again because the bat­
tery casing can be cracked due to ice forma­
tion and can leak battery acid.
Batt ery cha rg ing (Ma ximum cha rging rate
of
30 a mp s/ 14.8 Vo lt )
When charging at low voltages (e .g. w ith a
t ric kle char ger ), the battery cables do not
have to be d isconnected first . The battery
caps should
not be opened when charging a
battery.
It is not necessary to remove the battery from
the luggage compartment, and it is also not
necessary to disconnect the cables .
Fas t ch arg ing th e batter y (charging r ate
above 14.8 Volt s)
For technical reasons do not use a battery
charger that uses voltage g reate r than
14 .8 Volts to charge your veh icle's battery .
A WARNING
-
Charging a batte ry can be dangerous.
- Always follow the operating instructions
provided by the batte ry charger manu­
facturer when charging your battery.
- Never charge a frozen battery .
It may ex­
plode because of gas t rapped in the ice.
Allow a frozen batte ry to thaw o ut first.
- Do not reuse batteries which were fro­
zen. The batte ry housing may have cracked and weakened when the battery
froze.
- Charge the battery in a well ventilated
area. Keep away from open flame or elec­
tr ical spark. Do not smoke. Hydrogen gas
generated by the battery is explos ive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never connect or d isconnect charger cables
while the charger is operat ing .
- Fast charging a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a compe­
tent techn ic ian with the proper equip­
ment.
- Battery acid that may sp ill dur ing charg­
i n g should be washed off with a solut ion
of warm water and baking soda to neu­
tralize the ac id.
(D Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to
start the eng ine . Th is w ill seriously dam­
age sens it ive e lectronic components, such
as contro l units, re lays, radio, etc., as well
as the battery charger.
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifi­
cations and dimensions as the original equip­
ment battery.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle is responsible for distributing the elect ri­
ca l ene rgy th rougho ut yo ur vehicle
¢page 193. The intelligent energy manage­
ment system will keep the engine battery
charged better than vehicles without this sys­
tem. To make sure the additional electrical en­
ergy is ava ilable once again after you have
changed the battery, we recommend that you
install batteries of the same type and manu ­
facture only (the same as those installed at
the time your veh icle was de livered) . Specifi­
cations are listed on the batte ry housing. Your
a utho rized deale r must code the batte ry in
the energy management system to enab le you
to use the energy management functions cor -
rect ly after replacing the battery.
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The new battery must have the same capacity,
voltage (12-vo lts), amperage, construction
and p lug sealing .
When insta lli ng the bat tery, make sure the ig­
nition and all e lectr ica l consumers are switch­
ed off .
CD Note
Ma ke sure the vent ilat ion hose on the s ide
of the battery is connected, otherwise
fumes or battery acid can leak out.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recommend your author ­
ized Audi dealer change the battery for
you. Batter ies contain su lfuric ac id and
lead and must always be disposed of prop­
erly in compliance with all environmental
regulations. D isposing of vehicle batteries
improperly is very dangerous to t he envi­
ronment.
Windshield washer container
F ig. 171 Engine co mpa rtment: cover on the windsh ield
an d headligh t* washer fluid reservo ir
The washer flu id containe r is marked with the
symbol~ on its cap ¢
fig. 171, q page 216,
fig. 165 .
.,. Before you check anything in the engine
compartment,
always read and heed all
WARNINGS q page 214 .
.,. Lift the filler cap tongue to add washer flu­
id. You can fill the container to the top.
.,. Press the cap back onto the filler neck after
filling the container.
Che cking and Fillin g 22 7
You can find the reservoir capacity in the table
in ¢
page 280 .
Clean water should be used when filling up. If
poss ible, use soft wa ter to prevent scaling on
washe r jets. Always add a g lass cleaner solu ­
tion (with frost protection in the winter).
CD Note
- Do not mix eng ine coolant antifreeze or
any other additives to fill up the wind­
shield washer reservoir.
- Do not use a glass cleaner that contains
pai nt so lvents, there is a risk of damag­
ing the paint.

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and make of tire and the tread
pattern.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims is of ­
ten not readily visible. If you
notice unusual vibration or the
vehicle pulls to one side, this may indicate that one of the
tires has been damaged . The
tires must be checked immedi­ ately by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop.
Unidirectional tires
A unidirectional tire can be identified by arrows on the
sidewall, that point in the direc­
tion the tire is designed to ro­
tate. You must follow the speci­
fied direction of rotation. This is necessary so that these tires
can develop their optimum
characteristics regarding grip,
road noise, wear and hydro­
planing resistance. For more in­
formation
¢ page 268.
A WARNING
-
New tires or tires that are
old, worn or damaged cannot
provide maximum control
and braking ability.
Tires and wheels 229
-New tires tend to be slip­
pery and must also be bro­
ken-in. To reduce the risk of
losing control, a collision
and serious personal inju­
ries, drive with special care
for the first 350 miles (560 km).
-Driving with worn or dam­ aged tires can lead to loss of
control , sudden tire failure,
including a blowout and
sudden deflation, crashes and serious personal inju­
ries. Have worn or damaged
tires replaced immediately.
-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 low speed.
-Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not
sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have
been damaged even though
the damage cannot be seen
that can lead to sudden tire
failure and loss of vehicle
control.
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Recommended inflation
pressure
see¢ page 231J Cold tire infla­
tion pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate
at higher loads and at higher
inflation pressures than the
corresponding standard tire. Reinforced tires may be identi­
fied as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a
tire or a tire and tube assembly
upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the
bead seat. If you change your
wheel size, you will have to pur­ chase new ti res to match the
new rim diameter.
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance be­
tween rim flanges.
Tires and wheels 233
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire be­
tween the tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire
is designed to be driven for ex­
tended periods of time. The rat­ ings range from 93 mph
(150 km/h) to 186 mph
(298 km/h) ¢
page 251. You
may not find this information
on all tires because it is not re­
quired by law.
The speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and indicates
the maximum permissible road speeds ¢
& in Winter tires on
page 255.
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehicle's
tires are underinflated and illu ­
minates a low tire pressure
warning telltale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire
that comes into contact with
the road.
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