2015 AUDI A3 oil temperature

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

or
or
or
or
or
or Engine o
il sensor
9 page 24
Engine oil temperature
9page 20
Battery charge
¢page20
Tank system
9page24
Washer fluid leve l
¢page 24
Windshield wipers
¢page24
Engine sta rt system
¢ page 21
Instrument s and indicator ligh ts 17
or
y>))
or
or
or Steer
ing .// electron ic steering
co lumn lock
¢page 189
Electronic steering column loc k
¢page21
Engine start system
¢page 21
Convenience key
¢ page 75
Conven ience key
¢ page 75
Battery in the remote control
key
¢page33
Defective light bulb war ning
¢page24
Headlight range contro l system*
¢page25
Adapt ive lig ht*
¢page25
•

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 .

194 Driving and the environment
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
A WARNING
After driving through water or mud, the
braking effect can be reduced due to mois­
ture on the brake discs and brake pads. A
few careful brake applications should dry off the brakes.
@) Note
Vehicle components such as the engine, transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Determ ine the depth before driving
through water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
through water .
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive through safely.
- Avoid dr iving through salt water (corro­
s ion).
Catalytic converter
App lies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner.
> Always use lead-free gaso line¢ page 206,
Fuel supply .
> Never run the tank down all the way to emp-
ty.
> Never put too much motor o il in your engine
¢ page 215, Adding engine oil > Never try to push- or tow -start your vehicle .
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean ­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle . The cata lytic converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be­
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critica lly
important for the life of the catalytic convert­
er and proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
-
The temperature of the exhaust system is high, both when driv ing and after stopping
the eng ine .
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once
they have become hot . This could result
in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fue l spill or other material wh ich can
cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields . Dur ing driving, the
substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢page 215.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The engine could mis­
fire . Unburned fuel could also get into
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignition while the
vehicle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
IIJ,,

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 ..,.

dealer has instructions about how to measure oil consumption accurately.
Checking the engine oil level
Fi g. 150 O il dip stick: O rienta ti on ass ist an ce for mea s·
ur ing t he oil leve l
Dete rmining th e oil l evel
• Park your vehicle on a level surface.
• Let the engine run in id le briefly while it is at
operating temperature and then shut the
engine off.
• Wait approximately two minutes .
• Remove the oil dipst ick. W ipe off the oil dip·
stick with a clean cloth and inse rt it all the
way in again.
• Remove the dipstick again and then read the
oi l level ¢
fig. 150 . Add more engine o il, if
necessary ¢
page 215.
Oil level in the G) area
• Do not add any o il.
Oil level in the @area
• You may add oil. After adding oil , the level
shou ld be in the@area.
Oil l evel in th e@ area
• You must add oil. After adding oil, the level
shou ld be in the@area.
D epending on the way the vehicle is driven
and the operating conditions, oil consumptio n
can be up to a 1/2 quart per 600 mi les
(0.5 liter per 1,000 km) . Consumption may be
h igher with in the first 3,000 miles (5,000
km) . Because of th is, the engine oil leve l must
be checked regularly . It would be best to
check each time you refue l your veh icle and
befo re long drives.
Che cking and Fillin g 215
Adding engine oil 'i=:1:
Fig. 151 E ng in e compa rtm en t: en gin e o il fil ler o pen ·
in g cover
• Tur n the engine off.
• Unscrew the engi ne oil filler opening cap
~ ¢ fig.151, ¢page 212, fig. 149 .
• Carefully add 0.5 q ua rts (0.5 liters) of the
appropriate oil¢
page 212 .
• After two m inutes check the oil leve l again
¢ page 215, Checking the engine oil level .
• Add oil, if necessa ry.
• Close the eng ine o il filler cap and push the
d ipstick al l the way in.
A WARNING
- When adding oil, do no t let o il drip o nto
hot engine components. There could be
ris k of a f ire.
- T he o il filler cap mus t be p roperly se·
cured to preven t oil from bei ng sprayed
on t he hot engine a nd exhaust system
when t he engine is running -fire haza rd!
- Always clean s kin th oroughly if it comes
into contac t with engine oil.
(D Note
- T he oil level cannot be above the@
range, beca use thi s ca n cause damage to
t he cat alytic conve rter or the engine .
Contact yo ur autho rize d Audi deale r o r
qualified repair facility to have excess oil
extracted if necessary.
- Do not mix any addit io na l lubr icants into
the engine oil. Damage cause by such ad·
ditives is not covered by the warranty .
1i1J>

The cooling system has been filled at the fac­
tory with a permanent coolant which does not need to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture of spec ia lly conditioned water and the
manufacturer's glycol-based coolant addi-
tive Gl3 antifreeze with anticorros ion addi ­
tives (50% fo r USA models; 60% for Canadian
models) . This mixture both assures th e neces­
sary frost protect ion a nd p rotects me tal com ­
ponents in the engine 's coo ling system from
corrosion and scaling.
It al so raises the boil­
ing po int o f the coo lant .
D o no t reduce the concentration of t he coo l­
an t in the summer by ad ding plain w ate r.
The
proportion of coolant additive must be at
lea st 50 % but not more than 60%
to main­
tain ant ifreeze protection and cooling efficien­
cy. If the coolant frost protect ion is too low ,
the coolant cou ld free ze and damage the veh i­
cle heating and eng ine cooling system.
F or yea r-round driv ing, antifreeze is added at
the facto ry for temperatures down to:
- -3 1 °F ( -3 5°C) USA
- -4 0°F ( -4 0°C) Canada.
If you must add coolant, use a m ixture of wa ­
ter and coolant addit ive. M ixing the coolant
addi tive wi th dist illed wate r is recom mend ed.
_& WARNING
Bef ore yo u check any thing in the e ngine
comp artme nt, alw ays re ad and hee d all
WARN INGS
¢page 210.
(D Note
- B efo re winter sets in, have the coolant
c hec ked to see if the c oolan t ad dit ive i n
you r vehi cle is su fficient t o mee t the cl i­
mate cond itions. This is especially impor ­
tant if yo u live in a region whe re the win­
ter is extremely cold. If necessary, in ­
crease the proport ion of coolant additive
to 60%.
- W hen addi ng coolant additive to your
cooling system, remember:
- We recommend using only coolant ad­
ditive Gl2 ++ o r Gl3 ( check t he label)
-
Che cking and Fillin g 21 7
for you r vehi cle. This coolan t additive is
avai lab le at authorize d Audi dea le rs .
Ot her types of antifreeze ca n sig nifi­
cantly reduce corros io n protection. The
res ulting corrosion can cause a loss of
coolant and serio us e ngine da mage .
- Do not add any type of rad iator leak seal­
ant to you r vehicle's engine coolant .
Add ing radiator repair flu id may adverse ­
ly affect t he function and performanc e of
yo ur cooling sys tem and co uld resu lt i n
damage not covered by yo ur New Ve hicle
L imi ted W arranty.
Adding coolant
Fi g. 152 En gine co mpa rtment: markin gs on t he coo l­
an t e xpan sio n t ank
Befo re you check a nyt hing in the eng ine com ­
partment ,
alway s read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢ page 210.
Checking the engine coolant level
.,. Park yo ur vehicle o n a level su rf a ce .
.,. Switch t he ignition off.
.,. Read t he coolant leve l on the coo lant expan­
sion tank ¢
fig. 152. The coolant leve l must
be between the markings when the engine
in cold. When the engine is warm it can be
slightly above the upper mark ing .
Adding coolant
Req uirement : There m ust be a res idual
amount of coo lant in the expansion tank
c::> Q) .
.,. Le t the engine cool down.
.,. Place a clot h over the coo lant expans ion
tank cap a nd u nscrew the cap co unterclock-
wise
c::> _& . ..,.

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 .,..