2015 AUDI A3 gas type

airbags may inflate. Remember too, that air ­
bags will dep loy only once and only in certain
kinds of collisions -your safety belts are al ­
ways there to offer protect ion in those acci­
dents in whic h airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have already deployed .
The side airbag sy ste m will not depl oy :
- when the ignition is switched off
- in side collisions when the acce leration
measured by the sensor is too low
- in front -end co llisions
- in rear-end collisions
- i n ro llovers .
In some types of acc idents the front airbags,
side curtain a irbags and side airbags may be
tr iggered together .
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the a irbag sys tem will
only p rov ide p rotection when oc cupants
are in the proper sea ting posit ion
~page 161.
-If the airbag indica tor ligh t¢ page 21
turns on when the vehicle is being used,
have the system inspected immediately
by your a uthorized Audi dea ler .
It is pos­
sible that the a irbag will inf late when it
is not supposed to, or wi ll not inflate
when it should.
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu ­
pants who are properly restrained.
Fi g. 12 9 Side impact p rotection: inflated s ide a irbags
A irba g system 161
When the system is triggered, t he a irbag is
filled with propellant gas and breaks through
a seam in the seat surface area marked "AIR ­
BAG". It expands between the side trim panel
and the passenger. In order to help provide
this add itiona l protect io n, the side airbag
must inflate with in a fraction of a second at
very high speed and with great force. The sup­
plementa l side airbag could injure you if your
seat ing pos ition is not proper or up right o r if
items are located in the area where the sup­
plementa l side airbag expands. This applies
especially to chi ldren
9 page 166, Child Safe­
ty.
Supplementa l side airbags inflate between
the occ upant and the door panel on the side
of the vehicle that is struck in certain side col­ l is ion¢
fig . 129 .
Although they are not a soft pi llow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper
part of the body.
A f ine dust may deve lop when the airbag de­
ploys . This is normal and does not mean there
is a fire in the vehicle.
Important safety instructions on the
side airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Al­
ways properly wear safety belts and ride in a
proper seating position.
There is a lot that you a nd your passengers
must know and act accord ingly to help the
safety be lts and airbags do their job to pro­
v ide s upplementa l pro tect ion.
A WARNING
A n inflat ing si de a irbag can cause serious
or fata l injury. Improperly wearing safety
belts and improper seat ing pos itions in ­
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death whenever a vehicle is being
used.
- In order to reduce the risk of inju ry when
the supplementa l side airbag inflates: .,_

Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
especially well for winter or summer driving. During seasonal change-over , we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stations where the sea­ sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time.
Q;) Note
- Methanol fuels which do not meet these requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo ­
nents in the fuel system .
- Do not use fuels that fail to meet the
specified criteria in this chapter .
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fuel blend meets the
specificat ions, ask your service station or
i ts fuel supp lier .
- Do not use fuel for which the contents cannot be identified .
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are not
the responsibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the
Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy
or driveability and performance prob­
lems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufac­
turers is carbon deposit build-up caused by
the type of gasoline you use .
Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another, they have cer tain
things in common. All gasoline grades contain substances that can cause deposits to collect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline
brands include additives to keep engine and
fuel systems clean, they are not equally effec­
tive.
Checking and Filling 207
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline . For more information on TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www .toptiergas .com) .
After an extended period of using inadequate
fuels, carbon deposit build-ups can rob your engine of peak performance.
CJ) Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Audi New Ve­
hicle Limited Warranty.
Refueling
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel filler flap.
If the power locking system should fail, you
can still open the flap manually -for detailed
instructions see
c::> page 209.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve ­
hicle in
c::> page 266.
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap
tells you the correct fuel for your vehicle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see
c::> page 206 .
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on board refuel­
ling vapor recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from the
tank and polluting the environment while you refuel your vehicle. In order to fill the tank
properly while protecting the environment,
please follow this refueling procedure careful­
ly .
A WARNING ~
Under normal operating conditions, never
carry additional fuel containers in your car.
Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport fuel can be dangerous. Such con­
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision . If you must
transport fuel to use for your lawn mower, ..,.
•
•
•

208 Checking and Filling
snow blower, etc., be very careful and al­
ways observe local and state laws regard­
ing the use, transportation and storage of
such fuel containers . Make certain the con­
tainer meets industry standards (ANSI/
ASTM F852 -86) .
(D Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank
is completely empty . The irregular supply
of fuel can cause misfiring. Gasoline could
enter the exhaust system and damage the
catalytic converter.
Fueling procedure
Fig. 144 Rig ht rear side of the vehicle: opening the
fue l filler door
Fig. 145 Fu el filler door w ith atta ched fuel cap
The fuel filler door is unlocked or locked by
the central locking system.
Opening the fuel filler door
.,. Press the left side of the fuel filler door to
open it -arrow-
c::> fig . 144 .
• Unscrew the tank cap counterclockwise.
• Place the cap from above on the open fuel
filler door
c::> fig . 145. Closing the fuel cap
.,.
Turn the fuel cap clockwise until you hear it
lock.
.,. Close fuel filler door until it latches.
Once the pump nozzle switches off , the fuel
tank is "full". Do not fill the tank more. Other­
wise the expansion space in the tank will be
filled.
The correct fuel type for your vehicle can be
found on a label located on the inside of the
fuel filler door. Additional information on fuel
c::>page206.
The fuel tank capacity of your vehicle is in the
Technical Data c::> page 266.
To avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the
fuel tank always close fuel filler cap properly
and completely. An improperly closed fuel fill­
er cap may also cause the MIL lamp
c::> page 29
to come on.
A WARNING
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fuel is highly flammable and can cause
severe burns and other injuries.
- Failure to shut the engine off while refu­
eling and/or to insert the pump nozzle
fully into the fuel filler neck could cause
fuel to spray out of filler neck or to
over­
flow. Fuel spray and overflowing fuel can
cause a fire .
- Never use a cellular telephone while re­
fueling. The electromagnetic radiation can cause sparks that can ignite fuel va­
pors and cause a fire .
- Never get back into your vehicle while re­
fueling . If in exceptional circumstances
you must get back in your vehicle while
refueling, make certain that you close
the door and touch metal to discharge
static electricity before touching the fill­
er nozzle again. Static electricity can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors released during refueling .

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 ..,.

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 ..,.
•
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•

Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle . Tires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
veh icle, particularly considering the compara­
tively small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that a ll- important contact between
you, your vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry mo re weight than they can safely han­
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
r eg ularly inspect ing t ires for damage includ­
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and overall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in­
cluding tread separation and blowouts.
Avoiding damage If you have to d rive over a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very slow ly and as close as possi ­
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemicals includ ing grease, o il ,
gasoline and brake fluid off the t ires .
I nspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedde d in the treads.
Storing tires Mark t ires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . T his ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re­
i nstall them .
When removed, the whee ls or t ires should be
sto red in a cool, d ry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical pos ition if they are not
mounted on rims, in a horizontal pos ition if
they are mounted on rims .
Tires an d wheel s 225
New tires
New ti res h ave to be broken in¢& .
The tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord­
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
pa tte rn.
H idden damage
Damage to tires and rims is ofte n not readily
visible . If you notice unusual v ib rat ion or the
vehicle pulls to one s ide, th is may ind icate
that one of the t ires has been damaged . T he
ti res m ust be chec ked immed iate ly by an au­
thorized Audi dea le r or q ua lified wor kshop .
Unidirectional tires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sidewa ll, that po int in the direc­
tion the t ire is designed to rotate. You mus t
f ol low the specified di rection o f rotation . T his
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information
¢page 253.
A WARNING
New tires or t ires that are old, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
also be b roken-in. To reduce the risk of
losing control , a collision and serious
pe rsonal injuries, drive w it h special care
for the first 350 miles (560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
lead to loss of control, sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
fl ation, cras hes and se riou s personal in­
juries . Have wo rn or damaged t ires re­
placed immediate ly.
- Ti res age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at hig h
spee ds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at low
speed.
•
•
•

236 Tires and wheels
unbalanced, resulting in vibrations you can
usually feel through the steering whee l.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wea r on steer ing, suspension
and tires . A wheel must a lso be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
I ncorrect wheel alignment can cause exces­
sive tire wear, impair ing the safety of the veh i­
cle. If tires show excess ive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
All-wheel drive
Vehicles w ith quattro must a lways have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type.
F or details see
<=> page 190 .
A WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
trol, a crash and ser ious persona l injury!
- Never drive a vehicle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
- Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do
not grip well on wet roads and increase
your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of
control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from t ires.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then with special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss o f vehicle control.
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have ta be broken in .
Fig. 160 Tire specificat ion codes on the s idewall of a
tire
No. Description
@ Nomina l w idth of t ire in mill imeters
® Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code
® L oad index and speed rating
(J) U.S . DOT tire identification number
® Audi Origina l tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ T ire ply composition and materials
used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
T he tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle 's design . The tires and rims approved
by Audi are spec ially matched to the charac­
te ristics of the vehicle and can make a major .,..