2015 AUDI A3 service indicator

88 Audi adaptive cruise control
you can have the adaptive cruise control
me nu extende d I enabled from an autho r­
ized re pair faci lity.
Setting the driving program
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
A adaptive cru ise control driving program is
adjustab le on vehicles without Aud i drive se­
lect* .
.. Se lect in the MMI:
!MENUI button> Systems
or Car systems > Driver assistance > Adap·
tive cru ise control
> Driving program >
comfort /standard /dynamic .
Selecting the driving mode
App lies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
The adaptive c ruise co ntro l dr iv ing prog ram is
ad justa ble for ve hicles w ith Au di drive se lect
usi ng the dr iv ing mode.
.. Se lect t he des ired driv ing mod e
comfort ,
auto , dynamic
or individual* with the knob
¢ page 10 2.
Request for driver intervention
App lies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
Fig . 7 9 In st rum ent clus ter : d river interve ntio n re qu est
In some s ituations, the braki ng from the
adapt ive cr uise control system is not enoug h
to maintain enoug h distance to the object
a head . In these situations, the system will re­
q ues t yo u to take action .
The . indicator light and the graphic in the
d isplay w ill wa rn you about the danger
¢
fig. 79. You will a lso hear a n aud io signa l.
P ress the br ake pedal to s low y our veh icle
do wn .
Driver messages
Applies to vehicles: wit h Aud i adapt ive c ru ise control
IIJ ACC : unavailable
The system cannot gu arantee that it will de­
tect o bject s cor rectly and i s switched off. The
sens or was m ove d or is fa ulty. Drive to your
autho rize d Audi dea le r or a uth ori zed Audi
service facility immediately to have the ma l­
f unct ion corrected .
Ill ACC: currently unavailable . No sensor vi·
sion
fl ACC and Audi pre sense : currently un ­
available. No sen sor vision
T h is message appears if the senso r view is ob·
structe d, for examp le by l eaves, snow, heavy
s pr ay or d irt . C lean t he sensor ¢
page 82,
fig. 70 .
ill ACC: currently unavailable. Gradient too
steep
The road exceeds t he max imum possible an­
gle fo r safe adaptive cruise control operation.
T he adapt ive cr uise control cannot be switch­
ed o n.
ill ACC: only available in D, Sor M
Se lect the D/S or M selector leve r position .
ill ACC: parking brake applied
The adapt ive cr uise control system switch es
off automa tically if th e parki ng br ake is set.
T he adapt ive cru ise con tro l is ava ilable again
aft er re leas ing t he pa rking br ake.
ill ACC: currently unavailable. Stabilization
control input
This message appears if the Electronic Stabili ­
zation Control (ESC) is taking action to stab i·
l ize the veh icle. I n this case, adapt ive cr uise
control switches off automat ica lly .
ill ACC off: manual control!
This message a ppears if t he vehicle ro lls back
whe n start ing on a s light incline, even though
ACC is active. Press the b rake pedal to prevent
the vehicle from rolling or starting to move. .,.

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.
•
•
•

214 Checking and Filling
you have your oil changed, ask your author­
ized Audi Service Advisor.
Under some circumstances the engine oil
should even be changed more frequently .
Change oil more often if you drive mostly
short distances, operate the vehicle in dusty
areas or mostly under stop-and-go traffic con­
ditions, or when you use your vehicle where
temperatures stay below freezing point for
long periods .
Detergent additives in the o il wi ll make fresh
oil look dark after the engine has been run­
ning for a short time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than recommended .
Damage or malfunctions due to lack of
maintenance
It is essential that you change your oil at the
recommended interva ls using only engine oil
that complies with Audi oil standard
VW 502 00. Your Lim ited New Vehicle War­
ranty does not cover damage or malfunctions
due to fa ilure to follow recommended mainte­
nance and use requ irements as set forth in
the Audi Owner's Manual and Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet . Your dea ler will have to
deny warranty coverage un less yo u present to
the dea ler proof in the form of Service or Re­
pair Orders that all schedu led maintenance
was performed in a timely manner.
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on on ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving ports.
In order to provide effective lubrication and
cooling of internal engine components , a ll in­
ternal combustion eng ines consume a certain
amount of o il. Oil consumption var ies from
engine to engine and may change significantly
over the life of the eng ine . Typically, engines
with a specif ied break-in period (see
¢
page 193) consume more oil during the
b reak-in period than they consume after oil
consumption has stabilized. Under
normal conditions, the rate o f oil con ­
s u mption depends on the quality and viscosity
of the oil, the RPM (revolut ions 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
co nd ensat ion or fuel residue and the oxida­
t ion level of the oil. As any engine is subject to
wea r as mileage builds up, the oil consump­
tion may increase over time until replacement
of worn components may become necessary.
With a ll these variab les coming into play, no
standard ra te of oil consumpt io n can be es­
tablished or specified. There is no alternative
to regu lar and frequent check ing of the oil lev­
el , see
Note.
If the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l
Ill in the instr ument cl uster light s up, you
shou ld check the oil leve l as soon as possible
¢
page 215. Top off the oil at your earliest
convenience
~ page 215.
A WARNING
-~
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS¢
page 210.
(D Note
Driving wit h an insufficient oil level is like­
l y to cause severe damage to the engine.
(D Tips
-The oil pressure warning display. is
not an indicator of the oil level. Do not
rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at regular intervals, pref­
erably each time you refuel, and always
before going on a long trip .
-If you have the impression your engine
consumes excessive amounts of oil, we
recommend that you consult an author­
ized Aud i dea ler to have the cause of
your concern properly diagnosed. Keep in
mind that the accurate measurement of
oil consumption requ ires great care and
may take some time. An authorized Audi ..,.

220 Checking and Filling
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the bat­
tery in your Audi does not need any mainte­
nance. With
high outs ide temperatu res or
long daily drives we recommend that you have
the electro lyte level checked by a service fa­
cility. The e lectrolyte level shou ld also be
checked each time the battery is charged
c:>page222.
Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for service. You are well advised to replace a battery that is older than 5 years.
With certain types o f airbag deployment, the
battery is disconnected from the vehicle elec ­
trica l system for safety reasons
c;, .&. in Re­
pair , care and disposal of the airbags on
page 156.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions such as power win­
dows are unavai lable if the battery termina ls
are d isconnected. These functions have to be
relearned after the battery terminals are con­
nected again. To prevent this, the battery
should only be disconnected from the vehicle
electrical system when absolutely necessary
for repairs .
To reprogram the functions, proceed as fol­ lows:
Function Reprogramming
Power window one-c;, page 40, Correcting
touch up/down power window mal-
function functions
Remote control key If the vehicle does not
or react to the key, it
convenience key must be synchroni zed
c:>page 33
Digital clock c:>page 10
ESC indicator light The indicator light
goes out after driving
a few meters
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of severa l days or weeks, e lectrica l compo­
nents are gradually sca led back or switched
off. This reduces energy consumption and
maintains starting capability over a longer pe­
riod
c;, page 190. Some of the conven ience
functions may not operate, such as the interi­
or lights or power seat adjustment. The con ­
venience functions will be availab le aga in
when you switch on the ignition and start the
engine.
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity
tends to decrease as temperatures drop. This
is because more power is also consumed wh ile
sta rting, and the headlights, rear window de­
fogger, etc. , are used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumpt ion, par­
ticularly in city traffic or when traveling only
short distances. Let your authorized Aud i
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat­
tery before winter sets in ~ page 222. A well
charged battery will not on ly prevent starting
problems when the weather is cold, but will
also last longer.
A WARNING -
-Work on the battery requ ires expert
know ledge. Contact your authorized Audi
dealer qualified repair facility for infor­
mat ion regarding the vehicle battery.
There is a risk for chemical burns or ex­
p losions.
- Never open the vehicle batte ry . Do not
try to change the battery electrolyte lev­
el. Otherwise explosive gas will escape
from the battery and increase the risk of
an explosion .
(i) Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery should be removed and
stored where it w ill not freeze. This will ..,.

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

Index 273
-----------------------------------.......
Audi drive select . ... .... ... .. .. .. .. . 102
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Aud i magnetic ride
refer to Adaptive dampers . .. .. .. .. . 102
Aud i Service Repa ir Manuals and Litera-
ture .. .. .. ... ............. ... ... .. 268
AUTO Automatic climate control system . .. .. 67
Automatic headlights . .... .. .. .. .. .. 42
Auto Lock (centra l locking system) . ... .. 32
Automatic belt retracto r .. .. .. .. .. .. . 134
Automatic climate control system
refer to Climate control system (auto-
mat ic) ... .. ................. .. .... 66
Automatic headlights .... ... .. .. .. .. .. 42
Automatic transmission ............ .. 105
Dr iving t ips . ............. .... .. .. . 107
E mergency mode ......... .... .. .. . 111
H ill descent co ntrol ....... .. .. .. .. . 10 9
I gnition key safety in terlock . . . . . . . . . . 70
K ick -down .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. ... 110
L aunch Contro l-Program ... .. .. .. .. . 1 11
malfunction ............. .... .. .. . 106
Selector lever emergen cy rele ase .. .. . 112
Selector lever lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Selecto r lever pos it io ns ....... .... .. 105
Shift ing ma nua lly ............ .... .. 110
St eer ing whee l w ith shift paddles .. .. . 110
S tron ic .. .. .... ............. .. .. . 105
tiptronic . .. .... ........... .. .. .. . 110
Automatic wipe/wash system .. .. . ... .. 46
Auto Safety Hotline ..... ... .. .. .. .. . 129
Average consumpt ion ....... .. .. .. .. .. 27
Average speed .. ........... .. .. .. .. .. 27
B
Battery ... .. .. .. ........... .. .. ... 220
C harge level ............. .... .. .. . 190
C ha rging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 222
Energy management .......... ... .. 190
Impor tant war nings ....... ... ... .. 22 1
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
J ump starti ng ............ .... .. .. . 259
L ocat ion . .. .. .. ........... .. .. ... 22 1
Replacing the ba ttery .. ... .. .. .. .. . 223
Wo rking on the battery . ... .. .. .. .. . 22 1
B efore dr iving ... .. ..... ... .. .. .. .. . 121 B
lended gaso line .... . .. .. ..... ... .. 206
B lowe r
automat ic Climate contro l system .. .. . 67
Manua l cli mate control system ... .. .. . 65
Booster seats . .. .. .. . ... ...... ... .. 175
B rake fluid
Changing the brake fluid ..... ... .. .. 219
Checking the brake fluid level ...... .. 219
Wha t is the correct brake fluid level? .. 219
Wha t should I do if the brake fluid warn-
. l' h ? mg 19 t comes on ................ . 219
Brakes ... .. .. .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 187
Brake assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Brake booster .. .. .... ............. 187
Ind icator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 24
New brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Pa rking brake .. .. .. .......... ...... 76
Brake system Brake fluid .. .. .. ................. 219
Brake fluid specifications for refill and re-
placeme nt ... .... ................ 219
B ra ke pads .. .. .. .. . .. .... .... .. .. 193
Fl uid reservo ir ..... ... .. ..... ..... 219
W orn brake pads symbo l . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Brak ing
Emergency brak ing funct ion ........ .. 78
Starting on inclines .. .. .. .. ... ... .. . 78
Break -in per iod .. ...... ............. 193
Brake pads .. .. .. ............... .. 193
Tires ..... .. .. .. ................. 193
Bulb s .... .. .. .. .... . ... ...... ... .. 258
C
Cali forn ia Pr oposition 65 War ning . .. .. 211
B attery specific .... . .. ... .... ... .. 222
Capacities Fuel tank .. .. .. .... .......... ..... 266
Washe r fl uid reservo ir .......... .... 266
Care ....... .. .. .. ................. 201
also refer to Cleaning ......... .... . 201
Cargo area . ... .. .... . ... ...... ... .. 127
Cargo net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Catalytic converter . ................. 194
CD -RO M playe r (nav igat ion) . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Cent ral indicator light .............. .. 14
•
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•

Tether anchors ..................... 183
Tether strap . .................. .... 183
T extiles cleaning ........... .... .. .. . 204
The first 1,000 miles (1 ,500 km) and after-
wards ..... .. .. .............. ... ... 193
Tie-downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62, 128
Tips for the environment Saving fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
tiptronic (automatic transmission) .. .. . 110
Tire pressure ............... ... ... .. 231
Tire pressure monitoring system . ... .. . 243
Tires .. .... .. .. ............. .. .. ... 225
Service l ife . ............. .... .. .. . 235
Speed rating letter code ............ 23 7
Tire manufacturing date ............ 237
Tire pressure monitoring system . ... . 244
Tire specifications ........ .... .. .. . 23
7
Tread depth .. ........... .. .. .. .. . 235
Uniform tire quality grading .. .. .. .. . 239
Winter tires ................ .. .... 240
Tires and vehicle load limits ..... ... .. . 233
Tires and wheels Checking tire pressure ..... .. .. .. .. . 231
Cold tire inflation pressure .......... 229
Dimensions ................. ... .. . 236
General notes ..................... 225
Glossary of tire and loading terminolo-
gy .. .... .. ................. .. ... 226
Low aspect ratio tires ...... .. .. .. .. . 242
New tires and wheels ......... .... .. 236
Replacing .. .. ........ ... .. .. .. .. . 23 7
Snow chains ................ .. .... 241
Tires and vehicle load limits .. .. .. .. . 233
Wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Winter tires ................ ... .. . 240
Tire service life ......... .... ... ... .. 235
Tool kit ..... .. .............. ..... . 247
Torn or frayed safety belts ... .. .. .. .. . 134
Towing Tow truck procedures ........... .... 261
Towing loop . ... .............. ... ... 262
TPMS (tire pressure monitor ing system) . 244
Trailer towing ............. .... .. .. . 198
Operating instructions ..... .. .. .. .. . 198
Technical requirements . . . . . . . . 198, 199
Trailer towing tips ........... .... .. 200
Index 283
Transmission malfunction (indicator
light) ....... ... .... ............... 111
T ransport Canada .. ................. 129
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI) ....... .... 235
Trunk
refer to Luggage compartment ........ 60
Turn signals . .. .. .... .. ........ ...... 44
Ind icator light . .. ................. . 25
u
Unfastening safety belts 136
Unidirectional tires .............. .... 225
Uniform tire quality grading ...... .. .. 239
Unlocking/locking by remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
with the centra l locking switch ........ 35
with the conven ience key ........ .. .. . 34
with the door lock .... ............. . 35
V
Vanity mirror ...... .. ................ 46
Vehicle Dimensions .. .. .. .. ............... 266
out of service .. .. .. . .. .... ........ 195
Vehicle care ........................ 201
Vehicle identification label .......... .. 265
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) .. .. 265
Vehicle jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247,251
Vehicle key ....... .. ..... ........... 31
Vehicle literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Vehicle tool kit .. .. ................. 247
w
Warning/indicator lights
Malfunction Ind icator Lamp (M IL) .. .. . 23
Warning/Indicator lights Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152, 153
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ........... 153
Warning lights
refer to Indicator lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Warranty coverages .. ........... .... 268
Washer fluid level (indicator light) . .. .. . 24
Washer reservoir .................. . 224
Washing matte finish paint ....... .... 201
Wear indicator .. .. ............. .. .. 235
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