2015 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET check oil

12 Instrum ent s and indicator lamp s
Fuel level
The display @
c;, page 10, fig. 3 only works
when the ignition is sw itched on . When the
d isplay has reached the reserve mark, the bot­
tom LED wi ll turn red and the
tD indicator
light turns on¢
page 23 . The bottom LED
blinks red when the fue l level is very low .
The on -board computer shows the range
based on the fuel leve l
c;, page 2 7, On-board
computer display.
F or the tank capac ity in yo ur vehicle , refer to
the Tec hnical Data ¢
page 280.
CJ) Note
Never d rive until the tank is completely
empty. The irregular supp ly of fuel that re­
sults from that can cause the engine to
misfire. Uncombusted f uel will then enter
the exha ust system. This can cause over­
heating and damage to the catalytic con­
verter .
Coolant temperature indicator
The coolant temperature ind icator @
c::> page 10, fig . 3 only works when the ignition
is switched on . T o prevent engine damage, ob­
serve the fo llow ing notes about the tempe ra­
ture ranges.
Cold range
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge
turn on, the engine has not reached operat ing
temperature yet . Avoid high engine speeds,
fu ll acce le rat ing and heavy engine loads.
Norm al range
The engine has reached its operating temper­
ature once the LEDs up to the center of the
gauge turn on under normal driving condi­
tions. The L EDs higher up may turn on if the
engine is under heavy load or the o uts ide tem­
perat ure is h igh. This is not a cause for con­
cern as long as the. indicator light in the
display does not t urn on. Hot range
If the L
EDs in the upper area of the d isp lay
and the. indicator light in the instrumen t
cluster disp lay t urn on, the coo lant tempe ra­
ture is too high
c::> poge 19.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warning in
c;, page 214 before opening the hood
and checking the engine coolant level.
- Never open the eng ine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coo lant
dripping from the engine compartment .
You could burn yourself. Let the engi ne
coo l off first until you can no longe r see
or hea r steam or coolant escaping.
([) Note
- Add itiona l headlights and other compo ­
ne nts in front of the a ir intake impairs
the cooling eff ect of the coolant. This in­
creases the risk of the engine over heat ­
ing dur ing high outs ide temper atures
and heavy eng ine load .
- The front spoiler also he lps to distr ibute
cooling air correct ly wh ile driving.
If the
spoiler is damaged, the coo ling effect
wi ll be impai red and the risk of the en­
gine overheating will increase. See an au­
thorized Audi dealer o r authorized Aud i
Service Facility for ass istance.

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Service interval display
The service interval display detects when your
v e hicle is due for service .
Fig. 6 In str um en t cluste r: serv ice inte rva l d isp lay (ex ­
a m ple)
Fig. 7 Disp lay in th e MMI panel: se rv ice interval display
(exa mple )
The serv ice interva l display works in two
stages:
- Inspection or oil change reminder : After a
certain distance driven, a message appears
i n t he instr ument cluster d isp lay each time
the ignit ion is switched on or off
r=> fig. 6.
The remaining distance or t ime is d isplayed
briefly.
- Inspect ion or oil change due : If your vehicle
is due for a n insp ection or o il change or
bot h, a message appears br iefly in the in ­
strument cluster d isplay when switching the
ignition o n or off:
In spection due! or Oil
change due! or Oil change and in spection
due!.
Checking service intervals
You can check the remaining distance or time
until the nex t oil change or next inspection in
the M MI
¢ fig. 7. Se lect t he I MENU ! button >
Instruments and indicator lamps 13
Car > Systems* control button > Service &
control
> Service intervals .
Resetting the display
Your a uth orized Audi dea le r or auth oriz ed
A udi Se rv ice F acility will rese t the service in ­
te rv al disp lay after pe rfo rmi ng se rvice.
I f you perfo rm an o il change you rself to the
A udi spe cifications, yo u can reset yo u service
in terval disp lay.
T o reset the display, select the
!ME NUI button
> Car > Sy stem s* control button > Service &
control
> Servi ce interval s > Reset oil change
interval.
(D Note
- On ly r eset th e oil chang e indicato r if th e
oil was cha nged.
- Following the se rv ice intervals is critical
t o m ain ta ini ng th e se rv ic e life a nd val ue
o f yo ur v ehicl e, espe cially th e e ngine.
E ven i f the mile age on t he vehicle i s low,
d o no t exceed the time for th e nex t serv ­
ice.
- Calcu lating t he time to the next oil
c hange is in te rrupt ed whe n the vehicle
battery is dis connected. If t he vehicle is
n ot d riven f or a long period o f time,
check the ma intenance schedule so th at
you ca n follow the maintena nce inter­
vals.
Indicator lights
Description
Fig. 8 Instrum en t cluste r: example of a display in
vehicles wit h a mo noc hrome display
@ Ind icator light

20 Instruments and indicator lamps
_& WARNING
-Never open the hood if you can see or
hear steam or coolant escaping from the
engine compartment . This increases the
risk of burns. Wait until you no longer
see or hear steam or coolant escaping.
-
-The engine compartment in any vehicle
can be a dangerous area. Stop the engine
and allow it to cool before working in the
engine compartment. Always follow the
information found in
<:;>pag e 214, Work­
ing in the engine compartment.
(D Note
Do not continue driving if the. indicator
light turns on - th is increases the risk of
engine damage.
• Switch
off engine! Oil pressure too low
Stop the engine and do not continue driving.
Check the engine oil level
<:;>page 218.
-If the engine oil level is too low, add engine
o il ¢
page 217. Only continue driving once
the indicator light turns off.
- If the engine oil level is correct and the indi­
cator light still turns on, turn the engine
off
and do not continue driving. See an author­
ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi Serv ice
Fac ility for assistance.
@ Tips
The oil pressure warning is not an oil level
ind icator. For this reason, check the oil lev­
el regularly.
0 Alternator/battery
• Alternator f ault: battery is not being
charged
There is a malfunct ion in the alternator or the
vehicle electrical system.
Drive to an authorized Aud i dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility immed iately. Be­
cause the vehicle battery is draining, turn off all unnecessary electrical equipment such as
the
MMI. See your authorized Audi dea ler or a
qualified repair facility if the battery charge
l evel is too low.
(•] low battery charge: Battery will be
charged while driving
The starting ability may be impaired.
If this message turns off afte r a little while,
the battery has charged enough wh ile driving.
If the message does not turn off, have and au­
thorized Audi dea ler or authorized Audi Serv­
ice Facility repair the malfunction.
tli1 !I: Safety systems
The II (USA models) Im (Canada models)
indicator light monitors the safety systems.
Safety system
If the II (USA models)/ m (Canada models)
indicator light turns on or blinks, there is a
malfu nction in a safety system.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
_& WARNING
-Have the safety systems inspected imme-
diately. Otherwise, there is a risk that the
systems may not activate during a colli­
s ion, wh ich increases the risk of serious in­
jury or death.
4f-Front safety belt
The. indicator light stays on until the driv­
er's and front passenger's safety belts are
buck led. There is also a warning tone above a
certain speed .
(D Tips
For additional information on safety belts,
refer to¢
page 138.

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-Vehicles with a conven ience key
¢ page 79, Automatic start malfunction.
a System indicator light (MIL)
The system indicator light (MIL) is part of the
On Board Diagnostic system (OBD II). The
¢4 symbol turns on when the ign it ion is
switched on and turns off aga in once th e en­
g ine is started an d running at a st eady idle
speed. This ind icates that the M IL is funct ion­
ing cor rectly .
The indicator light turns on if there is a mal ­
function in the engine electronics . See an au­
thor ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Se rv­
ice Facility to have the malfunction co rrected.
The system indicator light (MIL) may turn on
if the fuel fille r cap is not closed correctly
¢ page 212.
For addit ional i nformation, refer to
¢ page 29.
!?) Engine speed limitation
Appl ies to vehicles: with engine speed limitation
(Ill Max. engine spee d: XXXX rpm
The engine speed is automatically lim ited to
the speed disp layed in the driver information
system. This protects the engine from over­ heat ing.
The engine speed limitation deactivates once
the eng ine is no longer in the cr it ica l tempera ­
ture range and you have released the accelera­
tor peda l.
If the engine speed limitation was activated by an eng ine control malfunction, the~ indi­
cator light also turns on. Make s ure the en­
g ine speed does not go above the speed dis­
p layed, for examp le when downsh ifting. Drive
to an author ized Audi dealer or author ized
Aud i Service Fac ility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected .
'l'.::r., Engine oil level (min.)
II Check oil level
In strum ent s an d indicator lamp s 23
You may cont inue driving for the time be ing.
Check the oil leve l as soon as possib le
¢ page 217.
-If the eng ine o il level is too low, add eng ine
oil ¢page218 .
-If the eng ine o il level is correc t and the indi­
cato r light still turns on, drive at low engine
speed to the nearest authorized Audi dealer
or qualified repair facility.
~"" Engine oil sensor
• Oil le vel sensor: system fault!
The sensor to check the engine oi l level has
failed. Drive to an author ized Audi dealer or
authorized Aud i Service Fac ility immediately
to have the malfunction corrected.
(D Note
Refe r to the description in the Owner's
M anual
¢ page 218 and ¢page 218,
Adding engine oil
Elil Tank system
liD Please refuel
If the indicator light turns fi rst turns on and
th is message appears, the tank conta ins the
follow ing amount of fue l:
- Front whee l drive: approximate ly 1. 8 ga l­
lons (7 liters)
-All wheel drive: approximately 2 .2 gallons
(8 . 5 liters)
liD Plea se refuel immediately
If the indicato r light turns on the message ap­
pears, the fue l tank is a lmost empty . Refuel
t h e ve hicl e immed iate ly.
liD Fuel tank malfunction! Please contact
Service
If the indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunct ion in the
ta nk system .
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Corrosion
Leaving the vehicle parked for long periods of
time, low mi leage and avoiding heavy braking
can contribute to corrosion on the brake ro­
tors and dirty brake pads.
If you usually avoid heavy braking or if there is
corrosion present, occasiona l heavy braking at
high speeds is recommended to clean the
brake rotors and pads~,& .
Brake system malfunction
if you notice that the brake pedal t ravel has
suddenly gotten larger, then a brake circuit
may have failed . Drive to you r authorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility immediately
to have the problem corrected. On the way
there, drive with reduced speed and keep in
mind that a long braking distance and in­
creased pressure on the brake pedal will be
necessary .
Low brake fluid level
When the brake fluid level is low, ma lfunc­
tions in the brake system may occur . The
brake fluid level is electronically monitored.
Brake booster
The brake booster amplifies the pressure you
apply to the brake pedal. It only works when
the eng ine is running.
A WARNING
-You should on ly perform braking maneu­
vers to clean the brakes when the road condit ions perm it . Never put others on
the road at risk -never forget the risk of
acc idents!
- On steep slopes, reduce the speed and
select a lower gear or lower selector lev­
er posi tion. Drive as little as possible
wh ile pressing the bra ke peda l and avoid
putt ing your left foot on the brake pedal
whi le driving. This could ca use the brakes
to overheat and impair the efficiency of
the brakes.
- Do not let the brakes "grind" by always
keeping yo ur foot on the brake peda l.
Smart Technolog y 191
This can cause the brakes to overheat in-,
crease wear and increase braking dis­
tance unnecessar ily.
- Certain weather and operating condi­
tions such as driving through water, driv­
ing in heavy rain or driving after washing
your veh icle can impa ir the effectiveness
of the brakes. In the winter, ice may
bui ld up on the brake pads, rotors and
drums . Check these components by brak­
ing caref ully. App lying the brakes care­
fu lly several times dries the brakes and
removes ice build-up .
- The effic iency of the brakes can also be
impaired by driving for long stretches on
roads covered with salt without using the
brakes. You can remove salt deposits
from the brake rotors and pads by care­
fully applying the brakes several times.
- If the front spoiler is damaged or you in­
stall another spoiler, make sure the front
wheel brakes are ventilated properly.
Otherwise, the brake system could over­ heat, wh ich reduces their effectiveness .
- Failure of a brake circuit impa irs braking
performance, wh ich increases braking
d istance . Avoid driving the vehicle and
have it towed it to the nearest author­
i z ed Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv­
ice Facility.
- Do not let your veh icle roll w ith the en­
gine switched off under any circumstan­
ces .
- If the brak e booster is not working, you
wi ll have to press much harder on the
brake peda l to compensate for the lack
of the booster.
(D Note
-Never let the brakes "rub" by pressing
the pedal lightly when braking is not
really necessary. This causes the brakes
to overheat and increases braking dis­
tance and causes wear.
- Before driving on a long stretch with
steep s lopes, reduce your speed and shift
to the next lower gear This makes use of
the engine brak ing effect and relieves ..,.
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fan belt or other moving components or do not come into contact w ith hot
components. T ie back long hair before
beginning work and do not wear cloth­ ing that can hang down into the en­
g ine .
- Limit your exposure to exhaust and
chemicals to as short a time as poss ible
c::;, &. .
& WARNING
California P ropos ition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain veh icle components conta in
o r emit chemicals known to the State of
Californ ia to cause cancer and b irth de ­
fec ts and reproduct ive harm . In addition,
certain fluids conta ined 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
Californ ia to cause cancer a nd reproduc ­
t ive harms . Wash hands after handling .
(D Note
When filling fluids, be sure not to m ix the
fluids up. Othe rwise severe malfunctions
and e ng ine damage will occur .
@ For the sake of the environment
You should regularly check the ground un­
der your vehicle in orde r to detect leaks
quickly . If there are visible spots from oil
or other fluids, b ring your veh icle to an au­
thori zed Audi dealer or qualified repair fa­
cility to be checked .
Checking and Fillin g 215
Opening the hood
The hood is released from the interior .
Fig. 163 Se ct io n fro m t he dr iver 's footwell : release Lev ·
er
Fi g. 1 64 Rocke r sw it ch under t he hood
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up
from the windshield. Otherwise the paint could be damaged .
... With the drive r's door open, pull the lever
be low the instrument panel in the direction
of the arrow
¢ fig. 163.
.,. Raise the hood slightly c::;, ,A .
.,. Press the lever under the hood upward
¢ fig . 164 . This releases the catch .
.,. Open the hood .
& WARNING
Never open the hood whe n you see that
steam or coo lant drips from the engine
compartment -there is a danger of b urns!
Wait unti l no steam or coolant flows o ut.
- Never open the hood when you see that
steam or coolant dr ips from the engine
compartment- there is a danger of burns! Wait until no steam or coo lant
flows out.
-

216 Checking and Filling
Closing the hood
,. Push the hood down until the force of the
strut is overcome.
,. Then lower the hood and let it fall into the
engine hood latch -you do
not have to press
on the hood after it is locked.~
A-
_& WARNING
If the hood is not latched completely, it
could fly up while you are driving and ob­
struct your vision .
Gasoline engine compartment overview
The most important check points.
-
-For safety reasons , the hood must a lways
be closed secure ly while driving. Because
of this, always check the hood after clos­
ing it to make sure it is latched correctly.
When latched correctly , the hood will be
f lush w ith the other body panels.
- If you notice that the hood is not latched
while you are dr iving, stop immediately
and close it, because this increases the
risk of an acciden t.
Fig. 165 Typica l locat ion of the reservoir, engine o il dipst ick, and engine o il filler open ing
@ Coolant expansion tank (- L) .. . 221 The engine oi l filler opening and the dipstick
@ Engine oil dipstick .......
... .
218 (items @ and @) c> fig. 165 may be located in
® Eng ine oil filler opening ('e::r.) 218 a different area depending on engine version.
© Brake fluid reservoir ((0) .. .. . 222 A WARNING
® Battery(+) under a cover .. .. . 224
® Body ground point(-) Read
and following the WARNINGS before
checking anything in the engine compart-
(J) Washer f luid reservoir (0) ... . 227 ment c> page 214.
® Fuse housing .......... .... . 269

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Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact
specifications .
The service interval display in the instrument
cluster of your vehicle w ill inform you when it
is t ime for an oil change. We recommend that
you have your o il changed by an author ized
Aud i Service Advisor .
If you have to top off the oil between oil
changes, use the Aud i oil quality standard
specified in the table .
Audi oil quality standard
G asoline
VW 502 00 or
e ngin e vw 504 00
Using the proper engine o il is important for
the functionality and service life of the en­
g ine . Your engine was factory-filled with a
hi gh-quality oil which can usua lly be used
throughout the enti re yea r.
(D Note
Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does
not cover damage or ma lfun ctions due to
fa ilure to fo llow recommended ma in te­
nance and use requ irements as set forth in
the Audi Owner's Manua l and Warranty
&
Maintenance book let.
- U se only a high q uality eng ine oi l that ex ­
pressly comp lies with the Audi oil quality
standard specified for your vehicle's en­
gine. Using any other oil can cause seri­
ous engine damage.
- Do not mix any l ubricants or other addi­
tives into the eng ine oi l. Doing so can
cause eng ine damage.
(D Tips
I f you need to add oi l and there is none
availab le that meets the Audi oil quality
standard your engine requires, you may
add a total of no more than 0.5 quart/liter
of a high-quality "synthetic"oil that meets
t he follow ing specifica tions.
Checking and Fillin g 217
-Veh icles with gasoline engine : ACEA A3
or AP! SM with a viscosity grade of
SAE O W-30, SAE 5W -30 or SAE SW-40 .
- For more information about engine o il
that has been approved for yo ur vehicle,
please contact either your authorized
Audi dealer or Aud i Customer Relations
at 1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site
at www .audiusa.com or
www.a udicanada.ca.
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving parts .
In order to provide effective lubrication and
cooling of interna l eng ine components, all in ­
te rnal combust io n engines consume a certa in
amount of oil. Oil consumpt ion va rie s from
engine to engine and may change sign ifi can tly
ove r th e life of the engine. Typically, engines
wi th a spec ified break -in pe riod (see
¢ page 196) consume more oil during the
break-in pe riod than they cons ume after oi l
consumption has stabilized.
U nder normal cond itions, the rate o f oi l con ­
s u mption depen ds on the q ual ity and viscos ity
of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient
temperature and road conditions. Further fac­
tors are the amount of oil dilut ion from water
condensa tion or fuel residue a nd the oxida­
tion level of the oil. As any engine is subject to
wea r as m ileage builds up, the oil consump­
t ion may incre ase over time until replacement
of wo rn components may be come necessary.
With a ll these va riab les coming into p lay, no
standard rate of oil consumpt io n can be es ­
tabl is h ed or spec ified. There is no alte rn ative
to regul ar and frequent che cking of the o il lev ­
el , see
Note.
If the yellow engine o il leve l warning sy mbo l
Ill in the ins trument cl uste r lights up, you
sho uld check the oil leve l as soon as possib le
¢ page 2 18 . Top off the oil at your earliest
convenience
¢ page 218 . ll-
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