2015 AUDI A3 brake pads

16 Instruments and indicator lights
USA models: Speed warning
system
c::> page 79
Canada models: Speed warning
system
c::> page 79
Adaptive cruise control*./
c::> page 84
Yellow indicator lights
,.a~ t I " .,
-------------
Central indicator light (pay at-
tent ion to the add itiona l infor­
mation in the instrument cluster
display) ©
c::> page 14, fig . 9
Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC) ./
c::>page 22
Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC) ./
c::> page 22
Electronic S tab ilizat ion Control
(ESC)
c::> page 185
USA models:
Anti- lock braking system (ABS)
faulty./
c::> page 22
Canada models:
Anti- lock braking system (ABS)
faulty./
c::> page 22
USA models: Safety systems ./
c::> page 21
Canada models: Safety systems
./
c::> page 21
Brake pads
c::> page 22
Electromechanical parking brake
c::> page 19
or
.. ~
~
(J)
TPMS
;
or
or
or Hill
hold*
c::>page23
Tire pressure monitoring system
./
c::>page243
Tire pressure monito ring system
c::> page243
Adapt ive dampers*
c::>page25
Engine control (gasoli ne engine)
./
c::>page23
Exha ust control system./
c::>page23
Engine speed limitation
c::>page23
Engine oil level (min .)
c::> page23

-If the indicator light and the message ap­
pear
when stationar y or after swit ching the
ign it ion on ,
check if you can release the
parking brake. If you cannot re lease the
parking brake, see your authorized Aud i
dealer or qualified repair facility . If the park­
i ng brake can be released and the message
appears again, drive to your author ized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility to have the
ma lfu nction corrected.
- If the indicator light and the message ap­
pear
whi le driving , hill start ass ist or the
eme rgency braking function may not be
available. It may not be possible to set the
parking b rake or release it once it has been
set . Do not park you vehicle on slopes and
see your authorized Audi dealer or qua lified
repair fac ility for assistance.
(USA models): If the warning light . and the
warning light
El appear together, immedi­
ately contact your authorized Audi dealer or
qua lified workshop to have all brake pads in­
spected
c:> page 22.
A WARNING
-Follow the warnings on c:> page 210,
Working in the engine compartment
be­
fore opening the hood and checking the brake flu id leve l.
- If the brake system warn ing light does
not turn off or turns on wh ile driving, the
brake fl uid in the reservoir is too low and
this could cause an accident. Stop the ve­
hicle and do not continue driving. See
yo ur autho rized Aud i dealer or qualified
repa ir facility.
- If the brake system indicator light t urns
on together with the ABS and ESC indica­
tor lights, the ABS/ESC regulating func­
t ion may have fa iled. Functions that sta­
bilize the vehicle are no longer availab le .
Th is co uld cause the rear of the veh icle to
swerve, wh ich increases the risk that the
vehicle will slide. Dr ive carefully to the
nearest authorize d Aud i dealer o r othe r
qualified repair facility and have the mal­
f unction corrected .
Instruments and indicator ligh ts 19
PARK/( ®)/~ Electromechanical parking
brake
If the indicator light . (U SA mode ls) •
(Canada models) turns on, the pa rking brake
was set .
If the parking brake is set when the
ignition is sw itched off, the indicator light
turns off after about 20 seconds.
• (USA model s)/. (Can ada model s) Cau­
tion: Vehicle parked too steep
When the indica tor l igh t bli nks and this mes­
sage appears, there is not enough braking
power to keep the vehicle from ro llin g . T he
brakes have overheated. The vehicle could roll
away even on a sma ll incline.
• (USA model s)/. (Canada model s)
Plea se pre ss brake pedal to release the pa rk­
ing brake
T o re lease the par king brake, press the brake
pedal and press the~ button at the same
time, or start driving w ith hi ll start assist
¢ page 77, Starting from a stop.
ml Parking brake !
There is a parki ng b rake ma lfunction . Drive to
you r aut ho rized Aud i dea le r or qualified repa ir
facility immed iate ly to have the malfunction
correc ted.
liJ Parking bra ke: limited functionality
There is a parking brake ma lfunction. Drive to
an authorized Audi dea le r or qualified repa ir
facility immed iate ly to have the malfunction
corrected .
Parking bra ke: not applied !
When this message appea rs, set the pa rking
brake if necessary.
fll ( USA model s) 1mE (Can ada mod els)
Pl ea se relea se parking brake .
When this message appea rs, re lease the par k­
i ng brake.
fll (USA models ) /K@» ( Canada mod els ) Park-
ing brake auto release una va ilable ..,. •

22 Instruments and indicator lights ~Engine
• Engin e stopped: brake servo and power
steering not possible
There is a malfunct io n in the eng ine or in the
f u e l supp ly system .
A large amou nt of steering and braking force
i s required when driving a ro lli ng vehicle w it h
the eng ine stopped. Try to stop a ro lling veh i­
cle ca refully on the s ide of th e road . See your
author ized Audi dealer or qua lified repai r fa­
cili ty.
_&. WARNING
If the eng ine stops whi le driving, a la rge
amount of braking force is required . This
increases the risk of an accident. As long
as the ve hicle rolls wit h the ignition
sw itched on and there is e nough battery
charge, the power steering wi ll still work.
If not, a large amoun t of steeri ng force is
re quir ed.
-
;;IC, Electronic stabilization control
(ESC) and
(8) anti-lock braking system
(ABS)
If t h e J;,J indicator light b links w hile d riving,
the ESP or ASR (anti-s lip regulat ion) is actively
regulat ing.
I f th e
J;,J indicator light turns on, t he system
h as sw itche d the ESC
off . In th is case, you can
switch the ignition
off and then on to switch
the ESC on again. The indicator light turns
off
when th e system is functioning fully .
Stabilization control (ESC ): sport. Warning!
Rest ricted stability
When the II indica to r li gh t turns on, the ES C
sport mo de was switc hed on w it h the
!1' O FF I
button ¢ page 187. You can turn the ESC
bac k on by press ing the
!1' O FF i button again.
Stabilization control (ESC ): off. Warning!
Restricted stability
Wh en the II indicato r ligh t tur ns on, ESC i s
restri cte d or was sw itche d
off wi th the I~ O FF I
but ton ¢ page 187 . The mess age ESC OFF al- so appears
. You can t urn the ESC bac k on by
pressing the
1 -P. O FF I butto n again .
When the igni tion is sw itche d on t he sys tem
is tur ned o n. The
fl indica tor ligh t turns off
when the system is functioning f ully.
Stabilization control (ESC) malfunction! See
owner's manual
Stabilization control (ESC/ABS) malfunc­
tion! See owner's manual
ABS malfunct ion! See owner's manual
If the DJ in di cator light and the ABS indicator
li ght
i;l (U SA mode ls) ;tiJ (Canada mode ls)
turn on and this message appears, there is a
malfuncti on in the ABS system or electronic
differentia l lock . T hi s also causes the ESC to
malfu nction . The brakes st il l function wi th
t h eir normal power, but A BS is not
active.
Drive to y our auth orized A udi dealer or quali­
fied repa ir facility immed iate ly to have the
malfu nction corrected .
_&. WARNING
-If the. (U SA mode ls) • (Cana da mod-
e ls) brake sys tem indi ca tor ligh t turns on
to ge ther wi th the A BS an d ESC ind icat or
li g hts, the A BS/ ES C r egu la t ing func tion
may have fa iled . Fu nctions that s tabili ze
the veh icle are no longe r available . This
could ca use the vehicle to
swerve, wh ich
in creases the r is k th at the vehicle will
slide . Dr ive carefully to the nearest aut hor­
i z e d A udi dealer or ot her qualified repair
fac ility an d have t he malfu nction cor rect­
e d .
@ Tips
Fo r additional informat io n o n ESC an d
A BS, refer to
Q pag e 185.
(0} Worn brake pads
£t3 Brake pads!
If the warning light illuminates, immed iate ly
co ntact your author ized Audi dea ler or qua li-
fi ed wor kshop to have all b rake pads ..,_

inspected. On USA models the warning light
[IJ comes on together with the warning light
• . Both sets of brake pads on an axle must
always be rep laced at the same time.
_& WARNING
Dr iv ing with bad brakes can cause a coll i­
sion and serious personal injury.
- If the warning light
[IJ and the warning
light
. l) with the message Brake pads!
comes o n in the instrument cluste r dis­
play, immed iately contact your au thor­
i z ed Audi dea le r or q ualified wor kshop to
have all bra ke p ad s ch ecked or rep laced if
necessary.
· ~ Hill hold
Hill hold a ssis t: un available
If th e> #j •ndicato r light turns on and this
message appea rs, hill ho ld is not available.
II Manual control!
If this message appears, press the b rake ped·
al.
Continue driving w ith the help of the parking
brake ¢
page 76.
EPC Engine control (gasoline engine)
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
If the ~ indicator light turns on there is a
malfunct ion in the engine control.
D rive s low ly to your authorized Audi dealer or
q ua lified repair faci lity to have the engine
checked .
I f the ~ indica to r li ght turns on when you
start the engine, there is a malfunction in the
l aunch contro l. To start the engine, follow
these steps:
- Vehicles wi th a mechanical ignition
¢ page 71 ,
-vehicles wi th a compor t igni tion
c:> page 73.
1) . : USA mode ls onl y
Instrument s and indicator ligh ts 23
o Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Ma lfun ction Indi cato r Lamp ( MIL) is pa rt
of the On-Board Diagnos tic (OBD II) sys tem.
T he sym bo l
('4 lights up when the ignition is
switched on and will tur n off after the engine
has started and has settled at a constant idle
speed . This indicates that the MIL is work ing
properly.
T he wa rning lig ht ill uminates when the re is a
malfunction in the engine electronic system .
Contact your a uthorized Aud i dea ler and have
the malfunction corrected.
If the fuel fille r cap is closed incor rect ly, this
may also cause the MIL to turn on
c:> poge 208.
For more information ¢ page 29 .
!7, Engine speed limitation
Applies to vehicles: wi th engine speed lim itatio n
(m Max. engine speed: XXXX rpm
T he eng ine speed is automatically limi ted to
the speed displayed in the driver info rm ation
system . This pro te cts the engine from over ­
heating.
T he eng ine speed l imi ta tion dea ctivates on ce
the engine is no longer in the cri tical tempera ­
tu re range and yo u have re lease d the acce lera ­
tor pedal.
If t he engine speed limi tat ion was act iva ted
b y an engine cont rol m alfunc tio n, the ~ indi­
cator light also turns on. Make sure the en ­
gine speed does not go above the speed dis­
played, fo r example when downshifting . Drive
to yo ur authorized Aud i dea le r or qualified re ­
pair facility immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected .
~. Engine oil level (min.)
El Check oil level
•

Smart Technology 187
Switching ESC on and off
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine .
Fig. 143 Upper center console: ESC button
bilization function of the ESC is limited or
switched off. The amount of stabilization con­
tro l will differ depending on the level.
In the following unusual situations it may
make sense to switch the ESC sport mode on
to allow the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Dr iving in deep snow or on loose gro und
The ESC is designed to function in levels. De­
pending on the leve l that is selected, the sta-
Sport mode on ESC
/ASR off
Sport mode off or
ESC /ASRon
Behavior
The actions taken by the
The actions taken by the Th
e fu ll stabilization fu nc-
ESC system to stabilize the ESC system to stab ilize the tion of the ESC and ASR is
vehicle are limited, the an- vehicle are very limited, available again.
ti-slip reg ulation (ASR) is the anti-slip regulation
sw itched off
q .&.. (ASR) is switched off q .&. .
Operation Press the If) OFF I button P ress and hold the If) OFFI Press the I.$ OFF I button
briefly. button longer than 3 sec- again.
onds.
Indicator II turns on. II and II * turn on . II turns off or II and
lights II* turn off.
Driver mes-
Stabilization control Stabilization control
Stabilization control
sages (ESC):
sport. Warning! (ESC): off. Warning! Re- (ESC): on
Restricted stability stricted stability
A WARNING
You should only sw itch the ESC off if your
driving ability and the traffic s ituation al­
low. This could increase the risk of slip­
ping.
- The stabilizing function is limited in ESC
sport mode. The driving wheels could
spin and the vehicle could swerve, espe­
cially on slick o r slipp ery road surfaces .
- T here is no vehicle stabilizat ion when
ESC/ASR are switched off.
@ Tips
-If Audi magnet ic ride is malfunctioning,
the ESC sport mode cannot be switched on or off. If ESC sport mode is activated
or ESC is switched off, it w
ill be switched
back on automatically.
- ESC sport mode cannot be switched on
or the ESC/ASR cannot be switched off
when the cru ise contro l system* or the
adaptive cru ise contro l* are actively reg­
ulat ing.
Brakes
New brake pads
New brake pads do not achieve their full brak­
ing effect during the first 400 km. They must
be "broken in" first. However, you can com­
pensate fo r the slightly reduced braking force ""

188 Smart Technology
by pressing firmly on the brake pedal. Avoid
heavy braking during the break-in period.
Wear Brake pad
wear is largely dependent on the
way the vehicle is driven and on operating
conditions. This is especially true if you are
driving frequently in the city and on curves or
with a sporty driving style.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depending on
the speed, braking force and outside condi­
tions such as temperature and humidity.
Effect of water and road salt
In certain situations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy rain, after overnight
condensation or after washing your car, the
braking effect can be reduced by moisture or
ice on the brake rotors and brake pads. The
brakes must be "dried" first with a few careful
brake applications.
At higher speeds and with the windshield wip­
ers turned on, the brake pads press against
the brake rotors for a short amount of time.
This action which is not felt by the driver hap­
pens at regular intervals and facilitates a bet­
ter reaction time for the brakes in wet weath­
er.
The braking effect can also be reduced if you
are driving on salted roads and you do not ap­ ply the brakes for long periods of time. The
layer of salt on the brake rotors and pads
must be worn off first when the brakes are ap­
plied.
Corrosion
Leaving the vehicle parked for long periods of
time, low mileage 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, occasional heavy braking at
high speeds is recommended to clean the
brake rotors and pads
Q &. .
Brake system malfunction
if you notice that the brake pedal travel has
suddenly gotten larger, then a brake circuit
may have failed. Drive to your 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, malfunc­
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 engine is running.
A WARNING
-- You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long or too often. This could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating conditions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Carefully apply brakes

for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coat­ings will be cleaned off after a few
careful brake applications.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in­
creased stopping distance. Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­
est Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed considera­
bly harder to make up for the lack of
booster assistance.
(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 slopes, reduce your speed and shift
to the next lower gear This makes use of
the engine braking effect and relieves
the brakes. If you need to brake addition­
ally, brake in intervals and not continu­
ously.
(D Tips
- If the brake booster is not working, you
must press the brake pedal with much
more force then normal.
- If you retrofit your vehicle with a front
spoiler, wheel covers or similar items,
Smart Technology 189
make sure that the air flow to the front
wheels is not interrupted. Otherwise the
brake system can become too hot.
Electromechanical
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
The vehicle still has full steering functionality if the power steering fails or when the engine
is stopped (towing) . To steer, you must apply
much more force than usual.
Indicator lights and messages
• Do not drive vehicle: steering defective
If this indicator light turns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steering
may have failed.
Do
not continue driving . See your authorized
Audi dealer or qualified repair facility.
• Do not drive vehicle: steering defective
There is an electronic steering column lock
malfunction . You cannot turn the ignition on.
Do
not tow your vehicle because it cannot be
steered. See your authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair facility.
c~ij Steering malfunction: you can continue
driving
If the indicator light turns on, the steering
wheel may be more difficult to move or more
sensitive than usual. The steering wheel may
also be at an angle when driving straight.
Drive slowly to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected.
Ill Steering lock: system fault! Please con­
tact Service
There is an electronic steering column lock
malfunction.
•
•
•

Driving and the
environment
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1 ,500 km) .
For the fir st 600 mil es
(1,000 kilometers):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
.,. Do not drive at engine speeds tha t are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM .
.. Avoid high engine sp eeds .
From 600 to 1,000 mile s (1,000 to
1,500 kilometers):
.. Speeds can gradually be increased to the
max imum pe rm iss ib le road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in per iod
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds
when it is cold. Th is app lies whether the
transmission is i n N (Ne utra l) or in gear.
After the break- in period
.. Do not exceed maximum engine speed un­
der any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear
before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach­
ome ter scale
¢ page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the en­
g ine's interna l friction is higher than later
when all the moving parts have been broken
i n. How well this break-i n process is done de­
pends to a conside rable extent on the way the
ve hicl e is driven d uring the first 1,0 00 miles
(1 ,5 00 k ilome ters).
(D Note
Extremely h igh engine speeds a re auto­
ma tica lly reduced. However, t he se rpm
lim its are pr ogr amme d for an eng ine well
r u n- in, not a new engine .
Driving and the environment 193
@) For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessar ily hi gh en­
g ine speeds -upsh ifting ear ly saves f uel,
r educes noise and protects the environ­
ment.
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive
particularly caref ul for the first 350 miles
(500 kilomete rs) afte r fitt ing.
.&, WARNING
N ew tires tend to be slippery and mus t al­
so be "b roken -in" . Be s ure to remember
this dur ing t he f irst 350 m iles (500 kilo­
meters) . Brake gently . Avoid fo llow ing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
b raking .
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full brak ing effect dur ing the first 250 m iles
(400 kilomete rs) afte r they a re install ed.
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" be­
fo re they have optima l grab¢ .&. .
D uring the brea k-in pe riod, you should avo id
putting severe loads on the brakes. Severe
l oads include , for example, sudden hard brak­
i ng, in particular at very h igh speeds or, for
example, on mounta in passes .
.&, WARNING
New b rake pa ds don 't have the best stop­
p in g p ower a nd must be "b ro ken -in " dur­
ing the ini tial 1 00 to 150 miles (15 0 to
2 00 kilometers) o f no rma l ci ty driving . You
can compensate for this by pressing t he
b rake peda l more fi rm ly . This also applies
l ater when new pads are installed.
•
•
•