2015 AUDI A3 maintenance

216 Check ing and F illin g
@ For the sake of the environment
-Oil should never enter the sewer system
or come into contact with the ground .
- Pay attentio n to lega l requ irements
when disposing of empty oil containers .
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by
an authorized Audi dealer or a qualified serv­
ice station.
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
a lways r ea d and heed all WARN­
ING S
r=>page 210.
The engine oil must be changed according to
the intervals specified in you r Warranty
&
Maintenance book let. This is very important
because the lubricating properties of oil di­
minish gradua lly during norma l veh icle use.
Under some circumstances the engine oi l
should be changed more frequently. Change
oil more often if you drive most ly short dis­
tances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or
under predominantly stop-and-go traffic con­
ditions, or have your vehicle where tempera­
tures remain below freezing for extended pe­ riods .
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run­
n ing for a short time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than recommended.
Because of the problem of proper disposal,
along w ith the special tools and necessary ex­
pertise required, we strongly recommend that
you have you r o il changed by an author ized
A udi de ale r or a q ual ified servi ce station.
If yo u choo se to c hang e your o il yo urse lf,
please note the following important informa­
tion :
.8, WARNING
To reduce the ris k of persona l injury if yo u
m ust change the engine oil in your veh icle
yourself : -
Wear eye protection .
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot en -
gine oi l, let the engine cool down to the
touch.
- When removing the oil drain p lug with
your fingers, stay as far away as possible.
Always keep your forearm parallel to the
ground to help prevent hot oil from run­ning down your arm.
- Drain the oil into a container designed
for this purpose, one large enough to
hold at least the tota l amount of oil in
your engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it we ll out
of the reach of childre n.
- Continuous contact with used eng ine o il
is harmful to your sk in . Always protect
your skin by washing oil
off tho roughly
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 Aud i Limit­
ed New Veh icle Warranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Before changing your oil, first make sure
yo u know where you can properly dispose
of the used oil.
- Always dispose of used eng ine oil proper­
ly. Do not dump it on garden soil, wood­
ed areas, into open st reams o r down
sewage drains.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a
used eng ine oil collect io n fac ility in you r
are a, or contact a se rvice station.
coolant system
Coolant
The 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 genera lly re-
quires little attention. .,..

and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6 . If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your trail­
er will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual
to determine how this re­ duces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
~check the tire sidewall
(¢page 236, fig. 160) to de­
termine the designated load
rating for a specific tire.
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of
different things including proper installation
and balan cing, correct tire pressure and driv­
ing style.
Fig. 158 T ir e tread: tread wea r ind icators (TWI)
Fig. 159 Rotat ing t ires for more even wea r
Tires and wheels 235
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The orig inal tires on your vehicle have
1/16 inch ( 1.6 mm) hig h "wear indicators"
r:::>fig. 158 run ning across the tread. Depend­
ing on the make, there will be six to eight of
them evenly placed around the tire. Marks on
the tire sidewall (for examp le "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear indicators . Worn tires must be replaced .
D ifferent figures may apply in other countr ies
¢ Lr:,. .
Tire pressure
Incorrect t ire pressure causes premature wear
and can cause sudde n tire blow-out. For this
reason, tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
r::> page 231.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves , heavy acce lerat ion
and hard braking increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the
same service life, we recommend that the
front and rear tires are rotated according to
the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rota­
tion intervals. Please remember the follow­
i ng:
- Tire rotation intervals may differ from the
veh icle service intervals outlined in your
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufact urer's suggested
tire rotation intervals.
- Ve hicl es w ith front -wheel dr ive experience
more tread wear on the fro nt wheels com­
pared to a ll-wheel drive (quattro) .
- Please rotate tires as shown
r:::> fig . 159 .
-Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rection-specific tires
r::> page 253 .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced .
However, various s ituations during everyday
driv ing can cause them to become

Technical data
Vehicle identification
F ig. 187 Veh icle Identificat ion Number (VlN) plate: lo·
cat ion on driver's side dash pane l
XXXXX XX · X -XXXX XXX
~ fAllftlli. -llllll · NR. ~ W!ru -llllll -NO.
xx
XXXX XXXX XX X XXXXXXXX
XXX XXX
IYP /TYPE
XX XXXX XXX XX X X XX
XXX
KW XXX
®i ~W.::·f :l~~ XXXX XXX XXX
©+ ::rw= xxxx I xxxx XXX I xx
M. · AUSSt I IJ'IIDIIS
EOA 7D5 4UB 6XM SSG SR W
2EH JOZ 1LB lAS
18A
3FC SMU 7Xl
FDA 9G3 OG7 OYH
OJF
TL6 3KA 8EH
UlA X98 027
l XW 803 908 824 D2D
7T6 CV7 7KO 4X3 2K2
3L4 4KC 3YO 413 502
1SA 7GB 01A 4GO
XX . X XX X XX X XXXX
Fig. 188 The vehicle identification label- in side the
l uggag e compartme nt
Vehicle Identification Number (VlN)
The Veh icle Identifica tion Number is located
in different p laces :
- under the w indshield on the driver's side
¢fig. 187.
- in the MMI: Select: !MENUI button> Sys­
tems
control button or Car systems > Serv­
i ce
& co ntrol > VIN number .
-on the vehicle identification label.
Technical data 265
Vehicle identification label
The vehicle identification label is located in
the luggage compartment in the spare wheel
well.
T he label¢
fig. 188 shows the following vehi­
cle data:
(D Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
@ Vehicle type, engine output, transmission
® Engine and transmission code
© Paint number and interior
® Optional equipment numbers
The information of the veh icle identification
label can also be found in your Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet .
Safety compliance sticker
The safety compliance sticker is your assur­
ance that your new vehicle complies with all
applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards which were in effect at the time the
vehicle was manufactured . You can find this
sticker on the door jamb on the driver's side.
It shows the month and year of production
and the vehicle ident ification number of your
vehicle (perforation) as well as the Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR) .
High voltage warning label
The high voltage warning label is located in
the engine compartment next to the engine
hood release. The spark ignition system com­
plies with the Canadian standard ICES-002 .
Weights
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), and
the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
front and rear are listed on a sticker on the
door jamb on the driver's side.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating includes the
weight of the basic vehicle plus full fuel tank,
o il and coolant, plus maximum load, which in ­
cludes passenger we ight (150 lbs/68 kg per
II>--

268 Consumer Information
Consumer Information
Warranty coverages
You r Audi is covered by the following war­
ranties:
- New Vehicle Limited Warranty
- Limited Warranty Against Corrosion Perfo-
ration
- Emissions Control System Warranty
- Emissions Performance Warranty
- California Emissions Control Warranty (USA
vehicles only)
- California Emissions Performance Warranty
(USA vehicles only)
Detailed information regarding your warran­
ties can be found in your
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet .
Operating your vehicle
outside the U.S.A. or
Canada
Government regu lations in the United States
and Canada require that automobiles meet
specific emission regulations and safety
standards. Therefore, veh icles built for the
U.S.A . and Canada differ from vehicles sold in
other countries .
If you p lan to take your vehicle outside the
continental limits of the United States or Can­
ada, there is the possibility that:
- unleaded fuels for vehicles with cata lytic
converter may not be available;
- fuel may have a considerably lowe r octane
rating. Improper fuel may cause engine
damage ;
- service may be inadequate due to lack of
proper service facilities, tools or testing
equipment ;
- replacement pa rts may not be readily availa­
ble.
- Navigation systems for vehicles built for the
U.S.A. and Canada will not necessar ily work
in Europe, and may not work in other coun­
tries outside North America .
(D Note
Audi cannot be responsible for mechanical
damage that could result from inadequate
fuel, service or parts availability.
Audi Service Repair Manuals and Literature
Audi Official Factory Service Manuals and Lit­
erature are published as soon as possible after
model introduction. Service manuals and lit­
erature are available to order from the Audi
T echnical Literature Ordering Center at:
www.audi.techliterature.com
Maintenance
General
Your vehicle has been designed to help keep
maintenance requirements to a minimum.
However, a certain amount of regular mainte­
nance is still necessary to assure your vehicle's
s afety, economy and rel iability. For detailed
vehicle maintenance consult your Warranty &
Maintenance booklet.
Under difficult operating conditions, for ex­
ample at extremely low outside temperatures,
i n very dusty regions , when towing a trailer
very frequently, etc., some service work
should be performed between the intervals
specified. This applies particularly to:
- oil changes, and
- cleaning or replacing the air filter .
(® For the sake of the environment
By regularly maintaining your vehicle, you
help make sure that emission standards
are maintained, thus minimizing adverse
effects on the environment.
Important considerations for you and
your vehicle
The increasing use of electronics, sophisticat­
ed fuel injection and emission contro l sys-
tems, and the genera lly increasing technical
liJJ,

complexity of today's automobi les, have
steadi ly reduced the scope of maintenanc e
and repairs which can be carried out by vehicle
owners.
Also, safety and env ir onm ental con­
cerns p lace very strict limits on the nature of
repairs and adjustments to engine and trans ­
miss ion pa rts which an owner can perform .
Maintenance, adjustments and repa irs usua lly
require special tools, testing dev ices and oth­
er equipment avai lab le to specially trained
workshop personnel in order to assure prope r
performance, reliab ility and safety of the vehi­
cle and its many systems .
Improper ma intenance, adjustments and re ­
pa irs can impair the operation and reliability
of your vehicle and even vo id your vehicle war­
ranty. The refo re, p roof of servic ing in accord­
ance w ith the ma intenance sched ule may be a
condition for upholding a poss ible war ranty
claim made within the warranty period.
Above all, operational safety can be adversely
affected, crea ting unnecessary risks for you
and your passengers.
I f in doubt about any servicing , have it done
by your authorized Audi dealer or any other
p roperly equipped and q ualified workshop .
We strong ly urge you to give your aut horized
Audi dealer the opportunity to perfo rm all
schedu led maintenance and necessary repairs .
Your dea ler has the facilities, or iginal parts
and trained spec ialists to keep your vehicle
running properly .
Performing limit ed m aintenance you rself
The fo llowing pages describe a limited num­
ber of procedures which can be performed on
your vehicle with ordinary too ls, should the
need arise and trained personnel be unavaila­
b le. Before performing any of these proce­
dures, always thoroughly read all of the app li­
cable text and carefully follow the instruc­
tions given. Always rigorously obse rve the
WARNINGS provided .
Before you check anything in th e engine
compartment, a lways re ad and heed all
WARNINGS ~&. and
~page 210 .
Con sumer In formation 269
_& WARNING
- Ser ious personal injury may occur as a re­
sult of improperly performed mainte­
nance, adjustments or repa irs .
- Always be extremely careful when work­
ing on the vehicle . Always follow com­
monly accepted safety pract ices and gen­
era l common sense. Never r isk personal
injury.
- Do not attempt any of the maintenance,
checks or repairs descr ibed o n the fol­
lowing pages if you are not fully fam ilia r
with these or other procedures with re­
spect to the vehicle, or are uncertain how
to p roceed .
- Do not do any work without the proper
too ls and equipment. Have the necessary
wo rk done by your authorized A udi deal­
er or another proper ly equipped and
qualified workshop.
- The engine compartment of any motor
veh icle is a potentially ha zardous area.
Never reach into t he area around or
touch the rad iator fan . It is temperature
contro lled and can switch on suddenly -
even when the engine is off . T he radiato r
fan switches on automat ically when the
coo lant reaches a certain tempera ture
and will cont inue to run until the coo lant
temperature drops .
- Always sw itch o ff the ignition before any­
one gets under the vehicle.
- Always support your veh icle with safety
s tands if it is necessary to work under­
neath the vehicle. The jack s upplied with
the vehicle is not adequate for this pu r­
pose and cou ld collapse causing serio us
personal injury.
- If you m ust wor k underneath the vehicle
with the wheels on the g round, a lways
make sure the vehicle is on leve l ground,
that the wheels are a lways securely
blocked and that the engine cannot be
started.
- Always make sure the transmission se­ lecto r lever (automatic transmission) is •
•

Loading the roof rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Lackin g/unlocking
by remote control .................. 33
with the central locking switch .. .. .. .. 35
with the convenience key . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
with the door lock ............ .. .. .. 35
Long-term memory .................. 27
Low beam Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Low beams . ................... ..... 42
Lower universal anchorages (Canada) .. . 180
Lugg age compartment ............ ... . 60
Cargo net .. ................. .. .... 62
Increasing the size ........ .... .. .. .. 61
Loading .. ... .................. .. .. 60
Pass-through . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Reversible mat ..................... 62
Socket ... .. ................. .. .... 56
Stowing luggage .................. 127
Tie-downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Luggage compartment lid
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7
Emergency release ........ .... .. .. . 246
Lumbar suppo rt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53, 54
M
Maintenance ................. ..... . 268
Maintenance intervals
with driver information system ........ 13
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) . . 23, 29
Mirro r
Digital compass switching on and off . .. 50
dimming . .. ................. .. .... 49
Vanity mirror ............ ...... .... 46
Mirror compass .................. .... SO
Mirrors Adjusting the exte rior mirrors . .. .. .. .. 48
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag System 152
Motor
Index 279
Navigation system CD-ROM player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
New tires and wheels ................ 236
NHTSA Contacting .. .. .. .. ..... .......... 129
Number of seats ..... ............... 131
Number of vehicle keys ............... 31
0
Occupant seating positions ........... 122
Octane rating ... .... ............... 206
Odometer ...... .................... 11
Oil Ind icator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23, 24
also refer to Engine oil . . . . . . . . 212, 215
Oil change interva l
with driver information system . . . . . . . . 13
On-board computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Operation (multifunction steering
wheel) ..... ..... .................. 27
On-Board Diagnost ic System (OBD)
Electronic speed limiter .............. 30
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) .. .. . 29
Opening ................. ........... 31
Fuel filler door ... .. . .. ... .... ..... 208
Hood ........ ... .. ............... 211
Luggage compartment lid ............ 37
Panorama sunroof .................. 40
Windows ......................... 38
Opening/closing with the central locking switch ........ 35
with the convenience key ........ .. .. . 34
with the door lock .................. 35
Operate your vehicle economically and
minimize pollution .................. 195
Other equipment (efficiency program) . .. 29
Outside air temperature display ........ 11
Overview illustration (cockpit) . . . . . . . . . . . 8
•
•
stopping (driver messages with mechani-p
cal ignition key) ................ .... 75
Multifunction steering wheel . .. .. .. .. .. 27 Paint damage
203
On-board computer ................. 27 Paint No
........................... 265
•
Panorama sunroof ... . .. .. ... ... .... . 40
N
Convenience opening/closing ......... 39
Emergency closing ................ .. 41
Natural leat her care/cleaning .. .. .. .. . 204