2015 AUDI A3 engine coolant

10 Instruments and indicator lights
Instruments and indicator lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster overview
The instrument cluster is the information center for the driver.
Fig. 3 Instrument cl uster overv iew
(D Tachometer with ind icator lights
@ Engine coolant temperature
gauge ............... .... . .
® Turn signal indicator lights
© Display
- Indicator lights or ......... .
- Driver information system .. . 12
14
26
- Date and time . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
- Odometer display . . . . . . . . . . 11
- Serv ice interval display . . . . .
13
® Speedometer with ind icator
lights
® Fuel level 11
0 Display for: Central indicator
light or system display ...... .
14
@ Reset button for trip odometer
10.01 .. .... ........... .. .. . 11
(!) Tips
When the ignition is switched on, the nee­
dles in the instrument cluster illuminate.
The dials also illuminate when the lights
are switched on. The instrument illumina­
tion decreases automat ically as the
amount of light decreases . This funct ion reminds the
driver to turn the headlights
on at the appropriate time.
Setting the time/date
Fig. 4 Instrument cluster: time and date
The date, the time and the format of the date
and t ime can be set in the
MMI. Refer to the
MMI owner's manual for instructions.
@ Tips
-When you switch off the ignition or open
the driver's door, the date and time are
displayed for approximately
30 seconds.
- You can also call up the display with the
!O.O l button while the ign ition is switch­
ed
offc::;,page 10, fig. 3 .

12 Instrum ent s and indicator ligh ts
bottom LED illuminates red and the indicator
light
ti appears ¢ page 24 . The bottom
LED blinks red when the fuel level is very low.
The poss ible range based on the current fue l
leve l is shown in the on-board computer
¢ page 2 7, On-board computer display .
The fuel tank capacity of your veh icle is in the
techn ica l data ¢
page 266.
(1) Note
Never drive with the tan k completely emp­
ty. An irregu la r fuel supp ly can ca use the
eng ine to misfire. This leads to uncom­
busted fuel in the exhaust system. This
can cause overheating and damage to the
catalyt ic converter.
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant temperature gauge@
¢
page 10 , fig . 3 only functions when the ig­
n ition is switched on . To prevent engine dam ­
age, observe the follow ing important points
concerning the temperature ranges.
Cold r ange
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge
turn on, the engine has not reached operat ing
temperature yet . Avoid high eng ine speed, full
throttle, and heavy eng ine load.
Norm al ra nge
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 LEDs higher up may turn on when
the eng ine is under heavy load or the exter ior
temperature is high . Thi s is not a cause for
concern as long as the. indicator light in
the disp lay does not turn on .
Hot range
If the LEDs in the upper area of the display
and the. indicator light in the instrument
cluster display turn on, the coolant tempera­
ture is too h igh ¢
page 20.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warn ing in
¢
page 210 before opening the hood
a nd checking the engine coolant level.
- Never open the eng ine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coolant
dripping from the engine compartment .
You could bur n yourself. Let the engine
coo l off first u ntil yo u can no longer see
or hear steam or coolant escaping.
([) Note
-Add itional headlights and other compo­
nents in front of the a ir intake reduces
affect of the eff iciency of the coolant. At
hig h ou tside air temperat ures and wi th
heavy eng ine load, there is a ris k of the
eng ine overheating .
- T he front spoiler ensures the correct dis­
tribution of cooling air while driving . If
the spoi ler is damaged, the effect of the
coolant can be reduced and there is a risk
of the engine overheating. See your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified repair
facility .
Shift indicator
Applies to veh icles: w ith shift indicator
This indicator can help conserve fuel.
Fig. 6 Inst rume nt cl uster: shift recommendat ions in
t ip tronic mode (a utomatic transmission)
N
"' s > o:> tD
When the selector lever is in D/S, the S tronic
transmission shifts up or down automat ica lly.
If you wish to shift the gears manually
¢ page 110, Shifting manually (tiptronic

20 Instruments and indicator lights
When this message a ppears, first press the
b rake peda l and then release the parking
b rake .
113 (USA models)/K@'A ing brake malfunction! Anti-towing alarm
blocked
Ill ( USA models) t6] (Canada model s) Park­
ing brake: not applied!
113 ( USA models) t6J (Canada models) Cau­
tion : Vehicle parked too steep
113 (USA models) t6] ( Canada models ) Park­
ing brake is applied
When th is message appears, first press the
b rake pedal and then release the parking
brake if necessary .
(D Tips
More information on the pa rking brake
c::;,page 76.
- l Cooling system
• Switch off engine and check coolant lev­
el!
The coolant leve l is too low or the coolant
temperature is t oo high .
D o not cont inue driving and turn off t he en­
g ine. Check the coolant leve l
c::;, page 216 .
-If the coolant leve l is too low, add coo lan t
c::;, page 217 . Only continue driv ing if the in­
dicato r light tur ns off .
- If the coolant leve l is co rrect, then the mal ­
function may be caused by fai lure of the
coolant fan. Do not continue dr iv ing. See
yo ur authorized Aud i dea le r or qualified re ­
pair fac ility .
• Coolant temperature too high! Let engine
run with vehicle stationary
L et the eng ine run at idl e for a few minu tes to
coo l down .
A WARNING
-Never open the eng ine hood if y ou see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coo la nt
d ripping from t he e ngine compartment .
You could bur n yourse lf . What until you
ca nno t see or hea r any coolant co min g
ou t.
- T he engi ne compa rtment o f eve ry ve hicl e
is a dange rou s ar ea . B efo re perfo rmin g
wo rk in t he eng ine com par tmen t, tur n
t he eng ine off and let i t co ol d own. A l­
ways follow t he i nfo rmat ion foun d in
c::;, page 210 , Working in the engine
compartment .
(D Note
Do n ot con tinue dr iv ing whe n the . indi­
cator light turns on . There is a ris k of dam ­
a g ing t he engine .
• Switch off engine! Oil pressure too low
Turn off the en gine and do not co nti nu e dr iv­
ing. Check the eng ine oil level
c::;, page 21 5.
- If the en gin e o il level is too low, ad d eng in e
oil
c::;, page 212 . Only cont inue drivin g if the
in di cator light tu rns off.
- If the en gine oil level is co rrec t and the in d i­
ca to r lig ht still turns on, tu rn t he engine off
an d do not cont inue driv ing . See your au ­
thorized A udi deale r or qualifie d repair fa ­
cility.
(D Tips
The oi l press ure warn ing is not an oil level
i ndicato r. For this reas on, chec k th e o il lev­
e l reg ularly .
D Alternator/battery
• Alternator fault: The battery is not being
charged
There is a malfunction in the al ternator or the
vehicle e lectr ica l system .

72 Driving
-Vehicles with an automatic transmission:
After switching the ignition off, you can
only remove the key when the selector
lever is in the "P" (Park) position. After
that, the selector lever is locked.
Stopping the engine with the key
Applies to vehicles: with mechanical ignition lock
Stopping the engine
... Bring the vehicle to a full stop .
... Turn the key to position @.
Engaging the steering wheel lock
Requirement: The selector lever must be in
the P position (automatic transmission*).
... Remove the ignition key in position @
¢page 73, fig. 66 ¢,& .
... Turn the steering wheel until you hear the
steering wheel lock.
The locked steering helps prevent vehicle
theft.
A WARNING
- Never turn off the engine before the ve­
hicle has come to a complete stop. The
full function of the brake booster and the
power steering is not guaranteed. You
must use more force to turn or brake, if
necessary . Because you cannot steer and
brake as you usually would, this could
lead to accidents and serious injuries.
- Never remove the ignition key from the
ignition lock while the vehicle is moving.
Otherwise, the steering lock could sud­
denly engage and you would not be able
to steer the vehicle.
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the engine is running. If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or braking. Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usual­ ly would, this could lead to crashes and
serious injuries.
- Always take the vehicle key with you
when leaving the vehicle, even for a
short period of time . This applies partic- ularly when children remain
in the vehi­
cle. Otherwise the children could start
the engine or operate electrical equip­ ment such as power windows.
- For safety reasons, you should always
park your vehicle with the selector lever
in P. Otherwise, the vehicle could inad­
vertently roll away.
- After the engine has been switched off,
the radiator fan can continue to run for
up to 10 minutes -even with the ignition
switched off.
It can also switch on again
after some time if the coolant tempera­
ture rises as the result of a heat buildup
or if the engine is hot and the engine
compartment is additionally heated by
the sun's rays .
(D Note
-If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended period of time, heat builds up in the engine compartment af­
ter the engine is switched off -there is a
risk of damaging the @ngin@ . For this
reason, let the engine run for at idle for
approximately two minutes before shut ­
ting it off.
(D Tips
-After the engine has been switched off,
the radiator fan can continue to run for
up to 10 minutes -even with the ignition
switched off. It can also switch on again
after some time if the coolant tempera­
ture rises as a result of heat buildup or if
the engine compartment is heated by
sunlight and the engine is hot.

74 Driving
(D Tips
-After starting a cold engine, there may
be a brief period of increased noise be­
cause the oil pressure must first build up in the hydraulic valve adjusters. This is
normal and not a cause for concern.
- If the . indicator light blinks in the in­
strument cluster before switching the ig­
nition off, the ignition will not switch on
again
Qpage 189.
-If you leave your vehicle with the ignition
switched on, the ignition will switch off
after a certain amount of time. Make
sure that electrical equipment such as
the exterior lights are switched off.
Turning th n ine off using the
button
Applies to vehicles: with conven ience key
.. Bring the vehicle to a fu ll stop.
.. Automatic transmission: Move the selector
lever into the P position.
.. Press the !START ENGINE STOPI button
Q page 73, fig. 66.
If the engine does not stop, proceed as fol­
lows
q page 75, Starting the engine if there
is a malfunction .
Steering wheel lock1
)
The steering locks when you turn the engine
off using the
I START ENGINE STOP !* button,
move the selector lever into the P position
(automatic transmission*) and open the driv­
er's door.
The locked steering helps prevent vehicle
theft.
Emergency off function
If it is necessary in unusua l circumstances, the
engine can be switched off while the vehicle is
moving at speeds less than 6 mph (10 km/h).
If you press the
I START ENGINE STOP I* but­
ton while driving, the message
Pressing
start/stop button again will switch off en-
l) This function is not availa ble in all coun tries.
gine! appears . To switch the engine off, press
the
I START ENGINE STOP !* button twice in a
row briefly or press and hold for longer than
two seconds.
A WARNING
- Never turn off the engine before the ve­
hicle has come to a complete stop . The
full function of the brake booster and the
power steering is not guaranteed . You
must use more force to turn or brake, if
necessary. Because you cannot steer and
b rake as you usually would, this could
lead to accidents and serious injuries.
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the engine is running . If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or braking. Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usual­
ly would, this could lead to crashes and
serious injuries .
- Always take the vehicle key with you
when leaving the vehicle, even for a
short period of time . This applies partic­
ularly when children remain in the vehi­
cle. Otherwise the children could start
the engine or operate electrical equip­
ment such as power windows.
- For safety reasons, you should always
park your vehicle with the selector lever
in P. Otherwise, the vehicle could inad­
vertently roll away.
-After the eng ine has been switched off,
the radiator fan can continue to run for
up to 10 minutes -even with the ignition
switched off. It can also switch on again
after some time if the coolant tempera­
ture rises as the result of a heat buildup or if the engine is hot and the engine
compartment is additionally heated by
the sun's rays.
0 Note
If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended period of time, heat builds up in the engine compartment after the ..,_

engine is switched off - there is a risk of
damaging the engine. For this reason, let
the engine run for at idle for approximate­
ly two minutes before shutting it off .
(D Tips
-After the engine has been switched off,
the radiator fan can continue to run for up to 10 minutes - even with the ignition
switched off.
It can also switch on again
after some time if the coolant tempera ­
ture rises as a result of heat bui ldup or if
the engine compartment is heated by
sunlight and the engine is hot.
Starting the engine if there is a
malfunction
Appl ies to vehicles: with convenience key
It may not be possible to start the engine un­
der certain circumstances , for example if the
battery in the vehicle key is drained, if inter ­
ference is affected the key or if there is a sys­
tem malfunction.
Fig. 67 Steering col umn/rem ote control key : start ing
th e engin e if th ere is a malfun ctio n
As long as the message y>l) Key not recog­
nized. See owners manual
appears, you can
emergency start your vehicle.
.. Press the brake pedal
9 &. in Starting the
engine with the
S TART ENGINE STOP but­
ton on page 73.
.. Press the l ~s~ T~A~R= T~E~N-G~I~N~E~S~T~O~P~ I button.
.. Hold the master key as shown in the illustra­
tion in the location indicated
y>>) 9 fig. 67 .
The eng ine will start .
.. If the engine does not automatically start,
press the
I STAR T ENGIN E STOP ! button
again.
Driving 75
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
repair facility immediately to have the mal­
function corrected .
(D Tips
You can display the message that appears
during an emergency by pressing the
I START ENGINE STOP!* button.
Driver messages
Turn off ignition before leaving car. Battery
is discharging
This message appears and a warning tone
sounds if you open the driver's door when the
ignition is switched on. Turn off the ignition
so that the battery will not discharge.
Pressing start/stop button again will switch
off engine!
This message appears when you press the
!STAR T ENG INE ST OP!* button while driving
¢ page 74, Emergency off function.
Engine start system malfunction. Please
contact Service
The eng ine automatic start system has a mal­
funct ion. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified repair facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected. To start the en­
gine, press and hold the
I STAR T ENG INE ST OP I button.
DI Key not recognized. See owner 's manual
This message appears if there is no conven­
ience key inside the vehicle or if the system
does not recognize the key . The convenience
key may not be recogn ized, for example, if it is
cove red by an object that
disrupts the s ignal
(such as a briefcase), o r if the key battery is
weak . Electronic devices such as cell phones
can a lso interfere with the signal.
To start or stop the engine, see "Correct ing a
malfunction "¢
page 75.
Ill Key not in vehicle?
The Ill indicator light turns on and this mes ­
sage appears if the convenience key was

Make sure that the cooling system has enough
f luid .
Tire pressure
When tow ing a trai ler, inflate the t ires of your
veh icle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open) .
Inflate trailer tires to trai ler and tire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both veh icle and trailer
lights are working properly.
Safety chains Be sure tra iler safety cha ins are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners . When you install safety
chains, make sure they wi ll not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
sepa ration from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration.
To obta in the best poss ible handling of vehicle
and trai le r, p lease note the following:
.. Do not tow a loaded tra iler when your car it ­
self is not loaded .
.. Be especially carefu l when passing other
vehicles.
.. Observe speed limits.
.. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.. Always apply brakes early.
.. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Tow ing a loaded trailer with an empty ca r re­
sults in a high ly unstable distribution of
weight . If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
Trailer towing 199
low speeds on ly to avoid the risk of losing
steering contro l.
A "balanced " rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble, while keeping the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the c ircumstances. Whenever poss i­
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficu lt it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -particularly
when going downhill .
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest sign of swaying .
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating .
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds
for vehicles towing tra ilers are lower than for
regular veh icles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en­ gine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes alone ca n cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant tempe rature
The coo lant temperature gauge¢
page 12
must be observed carefully. The coolant tem­
perature can increase if you drive on long in­
cli nes in a low gear at high engine speeds . Re ­
duce your speed immediately if the LEDs in
the top part of the display turn on.
For more information about ind icator lights,
refer to. ¢
page 20 .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greate r risk in an
accident. Never let anyone ride in yo ur car
-
•
•
•

210 Check ing and F illin g
Only pull on the loop until you fee l resist ­
ance. You will not hear it release . Other­
w ise you could damage the emergency re­
lease mechanism .
Hood
Working in the engine compartment
Special care is required if you are working in
the engine compartment
F o r w ork in th e engine co mpartm ent such as
c h ec king an d filling fluids, there i s a ri sk of
inj ury, sca lding, a ccid ent s, and b urn s. For
t hi s re ason , fo llow all th e followin g lis te d
warn in gs a nd ge neral safe ty pr eca utions.
Th e e ngine compartment is a d ange rous
area .¢ .& .
&_ WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury, before you
check anyth ing under the hood:
- Turn the engine off.
- Set the parking brake.
- Place the selector leve r in the P position.
- Remove the ignit io n key .
- Let the engine coo l down.
- To reduce the r isk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment . Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or hea rd before ca re­
fully opening the hood.
- Keep chi ldren away from the engine com­
partment .
- Never spill flu ids on a hot engine. These
fluids (such as the freeze protection con­
tained in the coolant) can catch fi re.
- Avoid short circuits in the electrical sys­
tem, especially the battery.
- When working in the engine compart­
ment, remembe r that the radiator fan
can switch on even if the ignition is
switched off, which increases the risk of
persona l injury . -
Never open the cap on the coolant ex­
pans ion tank when the eng ine is warm.
The coolant system is under pressure.
- To protect your face, hands, and arms
from hot steam or coolant, cover the cap
with a large cloth when opening.
- Do not remove the engine cover under
any circumstances . This increases the
risk of burns .
- If tests need to be performed with the
engine runn ing , there is add itional dan­
ger due to moving components (such as
the ribbed belt, generator and radiator
fan) and from the high voltage ignit ion
system.
- Never touch the rad iator fan . The auxili­
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Pay attention to the fo llow ing warnings
listed when wo rk on the fuel system or
on the e lectr ica l equipment is req uired.
-A lways disconnect the vehicle battery
from the vehicle electr ical system
- Do not smoke
- Never work near open flames
- Always have a wo rk ing fire exting uisher
nearby
- To avo id e lectr ica l sho ck and pe rsonal in­
jury whi le the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ign it ion cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the eng ine running:
- First, fully app ly the parking brake,
move selector lever to P (Park).
- Always use extreme caut io n to prevent
cl othing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-be lts
o r other moving parts, o r from contact­
ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards¢,& . ..,.