2015 AUDI A3 change time

Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Fig . 153 Engine co mpa rtment: cove r on the b rake f lu id
reservo ir
B efore you check anything in the engi ne com­
partment,
alwa ys read and heed all WARN ·
INGS r:=:,page 210 .
~ Read the brak e fluid level from the brake
fluid reservo ir
r:=;, fig . 153, r:=:, page 212,
fig. 149 .
The brake f luid leve l mus t be be­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX " ma rkings.
The location of the brake flu id reservo ir can be
seen in the engi ne compa rtment illust ra ti on
¢ page 212 .
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the b rake pads . Thi s is not cause for alarm.
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably be ­
low the "MIN" mark, the b rake wa rning/ind i­
cato r light . (U .S . models)/ . (Canadian
models) will come on
r:=;, page 18 . Do not con­
tinue to operate the vehicle. The comp lete
brake system should be thoroughly checked
by an authorized A udi dealer or other quali­
f ied fac ility and the ca use corrected . If the
br ake fluid level is too low, the brake warning/
indica tor light w ill illuminate. Contact an au·
thor ized Audi dealer
immediately .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid abso rbs moist ure from the air. If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
Che cking and Fillin g 219
high, co rrosion in the brake system may resu lt
after a period of time . The boiling point of the
brake f lu id will also decrease conside rably and
decrease braking performance.
T herefore, the brake fluid must be changed
eve ry two year s. Always use new brake f luid
which conforms to Federal Motor Veh icle
Standard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoi r can be difficu lt to
reach, therefore, we recomm end that you
have the brake fluid changed by your author­
i z ed
Audi dealer . Your dealer has the correct
tools, the right brake flu id 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 containe r
out of the rea ch of children!
- Brake failure can resu lt from o ld or inap­
p rop riate brake f lu id. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake f luid that meets SAE
spec ificat ion
J 1703 and conforms to
Federa l Motor Ve hicle Standard 116.
Always check with your authorized Audi
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
cor rect bra ke fluid. The cor rect type of
brake f luid is also i nd icated on t he
brake f lui d rese rvoir.
- The bra ke flu id must be new. Heavy us e
of the brake s can cause a vapo r lock if
the b ra ke fluid is left i n the system too
l ong . This can se riously affect the effi ­
ciency of the brakes as we ll as your
safety . This co uld resu lt i n an accident .
(D Note
Brak e fluid will dam age the pa int of your
vehicle .
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the p rob lem of proper disposal
o f bra ke fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
r equired and the necessary exper tise, we
recommend that yo u have the brake flu id
changed by yo ur authorized Audi dea ler.

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 ..,.

222 Checking and Fill in g
and then the negative cable . Never inter­
change the cables -this could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out
battery. It could explode! If a battery has
frozen, then it must be replaced. A dead battery can freeze over at 32°F (0°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.
&_ WARNING
California Propos ition 65 Warning:
- 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
t ive p roblems. Wash hands after han­
dling.
(D Note
- Do not d isconnect t he veh icle battery
when the ignition is on or when the en­
gine is running, otherwise, you will dam­
age ele ctron ic componen ts in the elec tri ­
ca l system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a
l ong period of time wi thout being driven,
protect the battery from "freezing", oth­
e rwise it w ill be damaged and wi ll then
have to be replaced.
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged battery.
F ig . 1 54 Engine co mpartment : connectors for a charg­
er and jump start cab les
Alwa ys read and heed all WARNINGS below
c> &. and c> &. in Working on the battery on
page 221.
.. Switch off the ignition and all electrical con­
sumers.
.. Make sure the area is well ventilated when
you charge the battery .
.. Open the eng ine hood
r=;, page 211 .
.. Open the red cover on t he positive pole
r=;, fig. 154 .
.. Clamp the ch arger term inal clamps as in­
structed on the
batter y terminal (+ ) and on­
ly o n the
body ground po int (-) .
.. On ly now plug the mains lead for the charg­
ing equ ipment into the wa ll outlet and turn
iton
c> &, .
.. Make sure th e charging rate is not over
30 amps /14 .8 volts .
.. When the battery is fully charged: Turn the
charg ing equipment off and remove the
mains lead from the wall ou tlet .
.. Now remove the clamps for the cha rging
equipment .
.. Close the red cover on the positive pole .
.. Close the hood
~ page 211.
A d ischarged bat tery can freeze at tempera ­
tu res of only 32 F
0 (0 °C). Allow a frozen bat­
tery to thaw completely before attempting to charge it
r=;, .&, . However, we recommend not
using a thawed battery again because the bat­
te ry casing can be cracked due to ice forma-
t ion and can leak battery acid . ..,.

Battery charging (Ma ximum charging rate
o f 30 am ps/ 14.8 volt s)
When charging at
low voltages (e.g . with a
tri ckle ch arg er), the batte ry cables do not
have to be d isconnected first. The battery
caps should
not be opened when charging a
battery .
It is not necessary to remove the battery from
the luggage compartment, and it is also not
necessary to disconnect the cables.
F ast charging th e battery (charging rate
a bo ve 14 .8 volt s)
For technical reasons do not use a battery
charger that uses voltage greater than 14.8
volts to charge your ve hicle 's battery .
A WARNING
Charging a battery can be dangerous .
- Always follow the operating instructions
provided by the battery charge r manu­
fact urer when charging your battery .
- Never charge a frozen battery . It may ex ­
plode because of gas t rapped in the ice .
Allow a frozen battery to thaw out first.
- Do not reuse batteries which we re fro ­
zen . The batte ry housing may have
cr acked and weakened whe n the battery
froze.
- Charge the battery in a we ll ventilated
area. Keep away from open flame o r ele c­
trical spark. Do not smoke. Hydroge n gas
generated by the battery is exp losive.
- T o redu ce the danger o f explosion , never
conne ct or disconnect cha rger cables
wh ile the charger is operating .
- F ast charg ing a battery i s dangerous and
sho uld on ly be attempted by a compe­
tent technician with the proper eq uip ­
me nt.
- Battery acid that may spill during charg ­
ing should be washed off with a so lution
of warm water and ba king soda to neu­
tralize the acid.
Checking and Fillin g 223
@ Note
Neve r use a fast charger as a booster to
start the eng ine . This w ill seriously dam­
age sens itive e lectronic components, such
as contro l units, relays, radio, etc., as well
as the batte ry charger .
Battery replacement
The new ba ttery mus t hove the some specifi­
cations and dimensions as the original equip­
ment battery .
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle is responsible for distributing the electri­
ca l ene rgy throughout your vehicle
~ page 190 . The intelligent energy manage­
ment system will keep the engine battery
c h arged better than vehicles without this sys­
tem. To make sure the addition al ele ctri cal e n­
ergy is ava ilab le once again after yo u have
changed the batte ry, we recommend that you
insta ll batteries of the same type an d manu­
facture on ly (the same as those insta lled at
the time your veh icle was delivered) . Specif i­
cations are listed on the battery housing. Your
authorized dea ler must code the battery in
the ene rgy management system to enab le you
to use the ene rgy management functions cor­
re ct ly afte r repla cing the battery.
The new battery must have the same capacity,
vo ltage ( 12-volts) , amperage, construction
and plug sea ling .
When install ing the battery, make sure the ig­
nition and a ll electrical consumers are switch ­
ed off .
~ Note
Make sure the ventilat ion hose on the side
of the battery is con nected, otherwise
fumes o r batte ry acid can lea k out.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recommend your author ­
i zed Audi dealer change the battery for
you. Batteries contain sulfur ic acid and ..,.
•
•
•

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR")
means the maximum total loaded weight of
the vehicle .
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ri bs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a given inflat ion pressure . You
may not find this information on all tires be­
cause it is not requ ired by law .
Ma ximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the max i­
mum permissible inflation pressure for that
tire .
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capac ity weight, and
(d) Production opt ions weight
Ma ximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum co ld inf lation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated . Also called
"maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 k ilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the tota l seating capacity of yo ur vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a veh icle.
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of an inflated new
tire .
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ­
ing e levations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs .
Tires and wheels 22 7
Ply
means a layer of rubbe r-coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed
regular production opt ions we ighing over 5
lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standa rd items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tially 90 degrees to the centerl ine of the
tread.
Recommended inflation pressure
see ~ page 226, Cold tire inflation pressure .
Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire . Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD",
or "RF" on the sidewal l.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated .
Rim diamete r
means nominal diameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you wi ll have to
purchase new tires to match the new r im di­
ameter.
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead .
•
•
•

230 Tire s and wheel s
you have stored . The system does not recog ­
nize the load condition of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressu re monito r­
ing system w ill be impaired if you store nor­
mal load pressures but then operate the vehi ­
cle at its maximum load¢.&. .
See the il lustration¢
fig. 156 for the location
of the label on dr iver's side 8-pillar (color of
the actua l labe l and exact location on the ve­
hicle wi ll vary slightly).
Note that the followi ng tab le is accurate at
the time o f go ing to press and is subject to
Model / Tire de
signation
change. In the event of discrepancies, the t ire
pressure label is located on the driver's side 8-
pillar always takes precedence .
T he table below lists the recommended cold
ti re inflation pressu res for the Audi mode l
covered by your Owner's Literature at the vehi­
cle's capacity weight and the t ire sizes instal­
l ed on the respective models as original
equipment, or as a factory option.
Tire pressure
Engine normal load condition full load condition
front rear front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
A3: 225 /45 Rl 7 91 Y
32 220 29 200 35 240 35 240 1
.8 lit er High P erform ance
4 -cy lind er
22 5/40 R18 92Y XL
Hi gh Perfo rmance
35 240 32 220
35 240
35 240
2
2 5/45 Rl 7 91H
35 240
32 220 39 270 39 270 All S
ea son
2 25 /40 R18 92H XL
35 240 32 220 39 270 39 270 All Season
2 35/35 Rl 9 91 Y XL
32 220 29 200 35 240
35 240 High Performan
ce
C o mp act spar e whe el
60 420 60 420
60 420 60 420 11
25/70 R 18
A 3: 225 /45 Rl 7 91Y
33 230 30 210 36 250 36 250 2.0 liter High Perfo rman ce
4 -cy linder
22 5/40 R18 92Y XL
High Performan ce
33 230 30 210 36 250 36 250
225 /45 R1 7 91H
36 250 33 230 41 280 41 280 All Seaso n
225 /40 R18 92H XL
36 250
33 230 41 280
41 280 All Seaso n
23 5/3 5 R1 9 9 1 Y XL
33 230 30 210 36 250 36 250 High P erformance
C o m pact spa re w heel
60 420 60 420 60 420 60 420 1125 /70 R18
X L= reinf orced or extra lo ad tir e. It m ay als o a ppe ar as x l, EX TRA L OAD , or RF on the ti re side-
wall .

24 4 T ire s and wheel s
signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea­
sons, includ ing the installat ion of replace­
ment or a lternate tires or whee ls on the veh i­
cle that prevent the TPMS from funct ioning
properly . Always check the TPMS malfunct ion
telltale after replacing one or more t ires or
wheels on your veh icle to ensure that the re­
p lacement or a lternate 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 monitoring 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.
F ig. 161 Ins trumen t cluste r: ind icato r light w it h m es­
s age
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring system compa res the tire tread circum­
ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
dividual tires .
If the pressure changes in one
or more tires, th is is indicated in the instru­
ment cluster display with an indicator light
IE and a message ¢ fig. 161 . If only one t ire
is affected, the location of that t ire will be in­
d icated. The message turns off after a few mi­
nutes. You can disp lay the message again
¢ page 28.
The tire pressures must be stored in the menu
d isplay aga in each time the pressures change
(switching between part ia l and full load pres­
sure) or after chang ing or replac ing a tire on
your ve hicle ¢
page 245. The tire pressure
monitoring system on ly monitors the ti re
press ure you have stored . You can find the rec­
ommended tire pressures for your vehicle on the
labe l on the driver's doo r pillar
¢ page 229 .
Tire tread circumference and vib ration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- I f the tire pressure in one or more ti res is
t oo low.
- The tire has structural damage.
- The tire was replaced or the t ire pressure
changed and it was not stored again
¢ page 245.
-The spare tire is installed .
Indicator lights
IE -Loss of pressure in at least one tire ¢ .&. .
Check the tires and replace or repair if neces­
sary. Check/correct the pressures of all four
t ires . Then store the t ire pressures in the
menu display
¢ page 245.
Ill (T ire Pressure Monitoring System) T ire
pre ssure: S ystem mal function!. Ifm:!
ap­
pears afte r switching the ignition on or w hile
driv ing and the [ti] indicato r light in the in­
strument cluster b links for app rox imately one
minute and then stays on , the re is system
malfu nction . Check/cor rect the p ress ures of
all four tires and store them¢
page 245. If
t h e indicator lig ht does turn off or tu rns on
again after a short pe riod of time, drive to
your authori zed Aud i dea ler or qualified repair
facility immed iately to have the malfunction
corrected .
A WARNING
--- If the tire pressure ind icator appears in
the instrument cluster display , one or
mo re of your t ires is sign ifi cant ly unde r­
i n flated. Reduce yo ur speed immedi ately
an d avoid any hard steer ing or b rak ing
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possib le and
check the tires and their pressures. In­
f late the tire pressure to the proper pres­
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire
pressure labe l
¢page 229. Driving on a
significantly under-i nflated tire causes
the t ire to overheat and can lead to ti re
fa ilur e. Unde r-inflation also is li kely to

No. Equ ipment Ampere
F49 Starter, clutch sensor
5
FS3 Rear window defogger 30
The power seats* are protected v ia
circ uit
br ea ker s
that automatically sw itch on after a
few seconds after the overload has been re­
d uced.
(D Tips
Note that the following table was accurate
at the time of pr int ing and is subject to
change.
Left engine compartment fuse
assignment
F ig. 177 Eng ine compartment: fuse assignment
M ,.._
-0
!
No. Equ ipment Ampere
Fl ESC control module 40
F2 ESC control module
40
F3 Eng
ine control module (gas-
15/30
oline)
Engine cooling, engine com-
F 4 ponents, auxiliary heater
5/10
coil relay (1 +2), secondary
a ir injection pump relay
FS Eng
ine components, tank
7,5/10/
system 15
Fuse s and bulb s 257
No. Equipment Ampere
F6 Brake light sensor
5
F7 Engine components, water 7,5/10/
pumps
15
F8 Lambda sensor 10/15
Engine components, ex-
F9 haust door, glow time con-
5/10/20
tro l module, SU LEV valve
FlO Fuel
injectors, fuel control
15/20
module
Fl l Auxiliary heater heating ele
-
40
ment 2
F12 Auxilia
ry heater heat ing ele-
40
ment 3
F13 Automatic transmiss
ion con-
15/30
trol module
FIS Horn 15
F16 Ignit ion coil 20/7.5
F17 ESC contro
l modu le, engine
7.5
control module
F18 T
ermina l 30 (reference volt-
5
age)
F19 Windshield wipers
30
F20 Horn 10
F22 Termina
l SO diagnosis
5
F23 Starter 30
F24 Auxiliary heater heating ele-
ment 1 40
F31 Vacuum pump 15
F32 L ED head lights
5
(i} Tips
Note that the follow ing tab le was accurate
at the time of printing and is subject to
change.