2015 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET ignition

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Care and cleanin g 205
& WARNING
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operato r to reduce the risk
of accidents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect your­
self from sharp metal components when
wash ing the underbody or the inside of
the whee l housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef­
fect may be delayed due to mo isture on
the brake rotors or ice in the winter . The
brakes must be dried first with a few
careful brake applicat io ns.
{[) Note
- If you wash th e vehicle in an automatic
ca r wash, yo u m ust fold the exterior m ir­
ro rs in to reduce the r isk of damage to
the mirrors . Power foldi ng exterior m ir­
r o rs* must o nly be folded in and out us­
i ng the power folding function.
- To prevent pa int damage, do not wash
th e veh icle in direc t sun ligh t. -
To reduce the r is k of damage, do no t
wash the powe r top with a pressure
washer.
- To reduce the r is k of damage to the sur­
face, do not use i nsect removing spong­
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle compo­
nents:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the
surfac e, do not use polishi ng agents or
ha rd wax.
- Neve r use prot ective wax. It can de­
stroy the matte fin is h effect.
- Do not place any stickers o r magnet ic
signs on vehicle parts painted w it h
ma tte fi nish pa in t. The pa int cou ld be
da maged whe n the stickers o r m ag nets
ar e removed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash t he ve hicl e in facili ties spe cially
d es igned for th at p urpose . Th is will re duce
the r is k of d irty wate r contam ina ted with
oil from entering t he sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When clea ning and caring for individua l vehi­
cle components, refe r to the fo llow ing tab les .
The informa tion contained there is s imp ly rec­
ommendations. Fo r quest ions or for compo -n
ents that are not listed , refer to an author­
i z ed Audi dea ler. Also follow the info rma tion
fo und in ~ &, .
Exterior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Wind shield wip-
Deposits ¢ page 54, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
er bl ade s
Headlights /
Deposits Soft sponge with a m ild soap solution3>
Tail lights
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth w ith a so lvent-free cleaning product
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning
so lution
Snow/ ice Hand brush/so
lve nt-free de -icing spray
Wheels Road sa lt Water
Brake dust Acid
-free special cleaning so lu tion
E x haust tail Road sa lt Water, cleaning solut ion suitable for stainless steel, if
pipes necessary •
•
•

214 Check ing and F illin g
•Pullon the cover carefu lly ¢ fig. 162. The
tab on the cover must point forward in the direction you are pulling when pu lling on
the cover.
• To open the fuel filler door, press on the left
side
¢ page 212, fig . 160 .
{Q) Note
Only pull on the cover unt il you feel resist­
ance. You will not hear it release . Other­
w ise you could damage the emergency re­
lease mechanism.
Hood
Working in the engine compartment
Special care is required if you are working in the engine compartment
F o r w ork in th e eng in e c omp artm ent su ch as
c h ecking and fi llin g fluid s, t he re i s a risk of
inj ury, sca lding, accid ents, a nd b urn s. Fo r
thi s re aso n, follow all the follow in g listed
war ning s and ge neral safety p recaution s.
T he engine compartment is a d ang ero us
area. ¢,& .
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of injur ies, complete the
following steps before opening the hood:
- Turn the engine off.
- Switch the ignition off.
- Set the parking brake.
- Place the selector lever in the P position .
- Let the engine coo l down.
- Never open the hood when you see that
steam o r coolant drips from the engine
c ompartment- there is a danger of
burns! Wait until no steam or coolant
flows out.
- Keep chi ldren away from the engine com­
partment.
- Never spill flu ids on a hot eng ine. These
fluids (such as the freeze protection con­
tained in the coolant) can catch fire .
- Avo id short circuits in the electrical sys­
tem, especially the battery . -
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.
- Never open the cap on the coolant ex­
pans ion tank when the eng ine is warm.
The cooling system is unde r pressure.
- To protect your face, hands, and arms
from hot steam or coolant, cover the cap
with a large cloth when opening .
- Do not remove the engine cover under any circumstances. This increases the
risk of burns .
- If tests need to be performed with the engine runn ing, there is add itiona l dan­
ge r due to moving components (such as
the ribbed belt, generator and radiator
fan) and from the high voltage ignit ion
system.
- Never reach into the radiator fan. The
electric auxilia ry fan is controlled by
temperature and can switch on sudden ly .
- Pay attention to the fo llow ing warnings
listed when work on the fuel system or
on the e lectrica l equipment is required.
- Always disconnect the vehicle battery
from the vehicle e lectr ical system
- Do not smoke
- Never work near open flames
- Always have a working fire exting uisher
nearby
- To reduce the risk of electric s hock and
inj ury, never touch the fo llowing compo­
nents when the engine is running or is
be ing started :
- Ig nition cable
- Other compone nts in the electronic
high voltage ign it ion system
- If you must check or perform work on the eng ine while it is runn ing:
- Set the parking brake and place these­
lector lever in the P (park) position
first.
- Always proceed with extreme caution
so that clot hing, jewe lry or long hai r do
not become caught in the radiator fan, ..,.

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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.

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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(-) . .,._

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reached the level to trigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your veh icle has also been equ ipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicato r to indica te when
the system is not operating properly . The
TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure tellta le . When the sys­
tem detects a malfunct ion, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then
remain cont inuous ly illuminated. This se ­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the ma lfunction ex ists .
When the malfunct ion indicator is illuminat­
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
sig nal low t ire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunct ions may occur for a variety of rea­
sons, including the installa tio n of replace­
ment or a lternate tires or whee ls on the veh i­
cle that prevent the TPMS from funct ion ing
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
tellta le after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your veh icle to ensure that the re­
placement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monito ring system
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction .
Fig . 177 In strum ent clus te r: indica tor l igh t w ith mes ­
sage
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring system compares the t ire tread circum­
ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
d iv idual tires . If the pressure changes in one
Tire s an d wheel s 259
or more tires, this is indicated in the instru­
ment cluster disp lay with an indicator light
ti] and a message c:::> fig . 177. If only one tire
is affected, the locat ion of that tire will be in­
dicated. The message turns off after a few mi­
nutes . You can d isplay the message aga in
c:::> page 2 8 .
The tire pressures must be stored in the menu
display again each time the pressures change
(sw itching between partial and full load pres ­
sure) or after chang ing or replacing a t ire on
your vehicle
c:::> page 260 . The t ire press ure
monitori ng system only monito rs the tire
pressure yo u have stored . Yo u can find the rec ­
ommended t ire press ures for your vehicle on
the labe l on the driver 's doo r pillar
c:::> page235 .
Tire t read circumference and vib rat ion charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressu re
warning if :
- I f the tire pressure in one or mo re tires is
t oo low,
- the t ire has structural damage,
-The tire was replaced or the t ire p ressure
changed and it was not stored again
c:::> page 260 .
-The spare tire is installed .
Indicator light s
ti]-Loss of pressure in at least one tire c:::> &.
Check the tires and replace or repair if neces­
sary. Check/correct the pressures of all four
tires . Then store the t ire pressures in the MMI
c:::> page 2 60 .
DI (T ire Pressure Monitoring System) T ir e
press ure: S ystem malfunct ion!. If Ill ap­
pears afte r switching the ignition on or while
driv ing and the
ti] indicator l ight in the in­
str ume nt cluster b links for app rox imately one
minute and then stays on , the re is system
malfunction. Try to s to re the co rrec t ti re pres­
s u res
c:::> page 260. If the indicator light does
turn off or tu rns on again after a short period
of time, drive to yo ur authorized Aud i dea ler
or qualified repa ir facility immed iate ly to have
the malfunction corrected. .,..
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Fuses and bulbs
Electrical fuses
Replacing fuses
Fuses that have blown will have metal strips
that have burned through.
Fig. 190 Steering column area: cover
Fig. 191 Left side of the engine compartment: fuse
cover
Fuses in the interior
The fuses are behind the cover in the steering
column area¢
fig. 190.
•Turnoff the ignition and the fai led e lectrical
equipment.
• Check the following table to see which fuse
belongs to the eq uipment
¢page 270.
• Remove the cover(" AIRBAG" label)
¢ fig . 190. Begin at the bottom right corner
-arrow-.
• Remove the plastic clip from the fuse panel
cover in the eng ine compartment ¢
fig. 191.
• Remove the blown fuse using the plastic
clamp and replace the f use with an ident ica l
new one .
• Install the cover .
Fuses and bulbs 269
Fuses in the engine compartment
•Tu rnoff the ignition and the failed electrical
equipment.
• Check the fo llowing tab le to see which fuse
be longs to the equipment¢
page 271.
• Remove the fuse panel cover¢ fig. 191.
• Remove the plastic clip from the fuse pane l
cover
¢ fig. 191.
• Remove the blown fuse using the plastic
clamp and replace the fuse with an identical
new one.
The indiv idual circuits are protected by safety
fuses. The fuses are located under the steer­
ing wheel beh ind a cover and in the left side of
the engine compartment .
_&. WARNING
-
Do not repair fuses and never replace a
blown fuse with one that has a higher amp
rat ing. This can ca use damage to the elec­
trica l system and a fire .
(D Note
-If there are multip le fuse values in a cell
in the follo w tables, for example
5/10/20, it is because of equipment-re­
lated differences. Replace the burned
fuse with an identical new one.
- If a new fuse should burn out again
shortly after you have insta lled it, have
the electrical system checked by your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified repair
facility as soon as possible.
(D Tips
- The following table does not list fuse lo­
cat ions that are not used.
- Some of the following tables only apply
to in certain models or options.

2 7 4 Emergency situations
@ Tips
The discharged battery must be properly
connected to the vehicle's electrical sys­
tem. When jump starting or charging the
battery, never connect the negative
ground cable to the battery negative post
because the batte ry manager system must
be able to detect the battery 's state of
charge. Always connect the negative
ground cab le to the negative ground post
of the battery manager control unit.
Using jump start cables
Connect the jump start cables in the exact or­
der described below.
Fig. 194 Engine compartment: connecto rs fo r jump
start cab les and a charger
Fig. 195 Jump sta rting the battery with another ve hi­
cle :@ -drained battery, @-starte r battery
CD
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The battery is located to the left in the engine
compartment.
Do not jump start a frozen or
thawed battery¢
,A in Starting with Jumper
cables on page
273! Replace the battery. The
procedure for connecting jump start cables
that is described next is designed to help
jump start your vehicle.
Vehicle with drained battery:
.. Read the following carefully ¢ page 2 73
.. Set the parking brake and place the selector
lever in the P position.
.. Turn the ignition and electr ical equipment
off in both vehicles.
Connecting the negative terminal(·) to
the negative terminal (-) (black)
.. To reach the battery terminals, flip the bat­
tery cover cap to the side¢
fig. 194.
l. Clamp the end of the red jump start cable
to the terminal (!)¢
fig. 195 on the dead
battery @¢0
in Starting with Jumper
cables on page 273.
2. Clamp the other end of the red jump start
cable to the terminal @on the charging
battery @.
Connect NEGATIVE (-) to NEGATIVE (-)
(black)
3. Clamp the black end of the jump start ca­
ble
preferably at the ground point, or on
the negative terminal@on the charging
battery @.
4. Clamp the other black end of the jump
start cab le
only on the ground point@
on your vehicle @¢(D.
5. Route the jump start cables so they can ­
not get caught in the moving parts in the
engine compartment .
Starting the engine
6. Start the engine in the vehicle giving the
charge and let it run at idle.
7 . Start the engine in the vehicle with the
dead battery and wait two to three mi­ nutes until it "runs smoothly" .
8.
If the engine does not start: Stop the
starting procedure after
10 seconds and
then repeat it after approximately
30 sec­
onds .
9 . In the vehicle that is being jump started,
switch the heater fan and rear window de­
froster on to reduce any voltage peaks
that may occur when disconnecting the
jumper cables. The headlights must be
switched off .
10. With the engines running, remove the ca­
bles in
reverse order of the way they were ..,.