2016 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET warning light

Check ing and F illing
Adding coolant
Req uirement: the re must be a res idual amo unt of
coo lant in the expansion tank¢(!) .
"' Let the engine coo l down.
"' Place a cloth over the coolant expans ion tank
cap and unscrew the cap counter cloc kwise
¢ &_ .
"'Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
¢page 195 up to the upper marking .
"' Make sure that the fluid level remains stable.
Add more coo lant if necessary.
"' Close the cap securely.
A coolant loss suggests a leak. Immediately dr ive
your veh icle to an authori zed Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Service Facility and have the cool­
ing system inspected . If the cooling system is not
leaking, a loss can come from the coolant boi ling
through overheating and be ing pushed o ut of the
coo ling system.
_& WARNING
T he coo ling sys tem is pres suriz ed a nd can be­
come very ho t. To reduce the r is k of burns
from hot coolant :
- Do no t open the coo la nt expan sion tan k cap
with the engine ho t. There is a risk of burns .
- Stop the engine and allow it to cool.
- Prote ct your face, hands and arms from es -
c aping co o lant and steam by covering the
c oolant t ank cap with a large, th ick cloth.
- T urn the coo la nt tank cap co un terclo ckwise
slowly a nd kee p lig ht pressu re o n the cap .
- T o reduce the risk of burns, do not allow any
an tifreeze o r coolant to drip on to the ex­
haus t sys tem or hot engine components.
T he ethylene glycol in eng ine coolan t can
catch fire under certain circumstances .
- T he coo lant add itive an d the cool ant can be
dange rous to you r healt h. For this reason,
keep the coolant in the o rigina l container
away from c hildren. There is a risk of poi­
soning .
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the rad iator fan can switch
on even if the ign ition is switched off, which
increases the risk of personal injury .
196
(D Note
Do not add coo lant if the expansion tank is
empty. A ir cou ld enter the cooling system and
damage the eng ine. If this is the case, do not
continue driving. See an author ized Audi deal­
e r o r a uthorized Audi Serv ice Facility fo r ass is ­
tance .
Radiator fan
The radia tor fan switches on au tomatically by it­
self.
An a uxiliary e lectric radiator fan switches on and
off depend ing on coo lant temperature and other
vehicle ope rating conditions .
After yo u switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan
can continue running for up to 10 m inutes - even
with the ignit ion off.
It can even switch on aga in
l ate r by itself ¢.& , if
- the temperat ure o f the eng ine coolant rises due
to the heat build- up from the engine in the en­
gine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because the veh icle is parked in intense s unlight.
_& WARNING
- To reduce the r isk of personal injury never
to uch the radiator fan .
- The auxiliary e lectric fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on suddenly even
when the engine is not ru nning .
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on auto­
mat ica lly when the eng ine coolant reaches a
certain temperature and will continue to run
until t he coo lant tempe rature d rops.
-

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Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Fig. 165 Engine compartment : cover on t he brake fluid
reservoir (examp le)
"' N N
~ .,
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢page 188, Working in the engine compart­
ment.
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid
reservoir
~fig. 165, ¢page 191, fig. 161 . The
brake fluid level must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings .
The location of the brake fluid reservoir can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
¢page 191.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time
due to the automatic adjustment of the brake
pads . This is not cause for alarm.
I f the brake fluid level falls
considerably below
the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indicator
light
1111 (U.S. mode ls)/ . (Canadian models)
will come on¢
page 15. Do not continue to oper­
ate the vehicle . The complete brake system
should be thoroughly checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified facility and the
cause corrected. If the brake fluid level is too
low, the brake warning/indicator light will illumi­
nate. Contact an authorized Audi dealer
immedi­
ately.
Checking and Filling
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced
technician.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high, cor­
rosion in the brake system may result after ape ­
riod of time . The boiling point of the brake fluid
will also decrease considerably and decrease braking performance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every
two years. Always use new brake fluid which con­
forms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS
116 DO T 4" .
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach,
therefore, we recommend that you have the
brake fluid changed by your author ized
Audi
dealer. Your dealer has the correct tools, the
right brake fluid and the know-how to do this for
you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored
only in the closed original container out of
the reach of children!
- Brake failure can result from old or inappro­
priate brake fluid . Observe these precau­
tions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE speci­
fication
J 1703 and conforms to Federal
Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake fluid .
The correct type of brake fluid is also indi­
cated on the brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of
the brakes can cause a vapor lock if the
brake fluid is left in the system too long.
This can seriously affect the efficiency of
the brakes as well as your safety. This
could result in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehi-
cle. ..,.
197

Check ing and F illing
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of
brake fluid as we ll as the special tools re­
quired and the necessary expertise, we rec­
ommend that you have the b rake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer .
Battery ( 12 V)
General information
All work on the battery requires expert knowl­
edge .
Read and follow the WARNINGS
before check­
i n g a nyth ing in the engine compartment
c::> page 188, Working in the engine compart­
ment.
The batte ry in you r Aud i does not need any main­
tena nce unde r
normal operating cond itions. A udi
re commends hav ing the e lectro lyte level check
by an au thor ized A udi dealer or au thori ze d Audi
Serv ice Facility when there a re
high outs ide tem ­
peratures or when driving a ll day. The elect rolyte
level sho uld a lso be checked each time the bat­
tery is charged
c::> page 200.
Have the battery checked when you bring your ve ­
hicle in for an inspection. It is a good idea to re­
p lace the battery if it is more than 5 years old .
T he batte ry is located in the eng ine compar tment
and is practically
maintenance-free .
Disconnecting the battery terminals
The battery shou ld not be d isconnected. Severa l
veh icle functions (power w indows, for example)
w ill be lost w hen the b attery is disconne cted. The
f u nctions mus t be reprog rammed after connect­
in g the battery. To avo id th is, the battery shou ld
only be disconn ecte d from the vehicle e lectrica l
system when it is abso lutely necessary.
T o reprogram the func tions, proceed as follows:
198
Function Reprogramming
Power window one-c::> page 35, Correcting
touch up/down func-power window malfunc-
tion tions
Remote control key o r If the vehicle does no t
Convenience key react to the key, it must
be synchronized
c::> page29
Dig ita l cl ock c::>page 10
ESC indicator light The ind icator light goes
o ut after driving a few
meters
Not running the vehicle for long period s of
time
If you do not drive your vehicle for severa l days o r
weeks, electrical components are gradually re­ d u ced or switched off . This reduces energy con­
s u mp tion and mai ntain s the vehicle's ability to
st art over a long perio d of time
c::> page 1 21.
Some conven ien ce f unctions, such as inter ior
li ght ing o r power seats* may not wor k. T hese
convenience functions will be availab le aga in
once you sw itch the ignition on and start the en­
gine.
Winter operation
D ur ing the winte r mon ths, it is common for the
batte ry capac ity to decrease as the temperatures
become lower . This is because more power is
needed to start the vehicle and components such
as the headlights and the rear window defogger
a re used more freque ntly .
Avoid using power unnecessa rily, espec ia lly in
c ity dr iving o r on short t rips. Have your author­
i z ed Audi dealer or author iz ed Audi Se rvice Facili­
ty check the battery capacity be fore the start of
winter
c::> page 200 . A well -cha rged battery will
not only reduce sta rting prob lems in cold wea th­
e r, bu t it will a lso l ast longer.
.&_ WARNING
- W ork on the b attery requires e xper t knowl­
e d ge. Con tact an a uthor ized Audi dealer or
author ized Audi Se rvice Facility for info rma ­
tion rega rding the vehicle batte ry. There is a
-
ris k for chemical burns or e xplosions . ..,.

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-Never open the vehicle battery. Do not try to
change the battery electro lyte level. Other­
wise explosive gas will escape from the bat­
tery and increase the r isk of an explos ion .
(D Tips
If your vehicle is not driven for several weeks
in very cold temperatures, remove the battery
and store it in a place where it will not freeze.
This prevents the battery from being dam­
aged and needing to be replaced .
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery .
The battery (12 V) is located in the engine com­
partment.
Always heed the
safety warnings, when working
on the vehicle battery or the vehicle electrical
system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very important
when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM-
BOLS and safety precautions when working on
the battery.
®
Always wear eye protection.
&
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Al-
ways wear gloves and eye protection.
@
No
- sparks
- flames
- smoking.
A
When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
.
could cause personal injury .
®
Always keep the battery well out of
reach of children.
A WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on the
electrical system, there is the risk of injury,
-
Checking and Filling
accident and even fire . Read and heed the fol­
low ing WARNINGS:
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let bat­
tery acid or any lead particles get on your
skin or clothing. Shield your eyes. Explosive
gases can cause blindness or other injury.
- Battery acid contains sulfur ic acid. Sulfuric
acid can cause blindness and severe burns.
- Always wea r gloves and eye protection. Do
not tilt the battery because acid could lea k
out of the ventilation openings.
- If you get battery acid in yo ur eyes or on
you r skin, immed iate ly r inse with cold wa­
ter for severa l min utes and get medical at­
tent ion .
- If you shou ld ingest any battery acid, seek
medica l attention immediate ly.
- Do not expose the battery to an open flame,
electric sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and nega-
tive cables.
- When working on the battery, be sure not to
short-circuit the termina ls with tools or oth­
er metal objects. This would cause the bat­
tery to heat up very quickly, which could
lead to damage or exp losion and personal
inj ury.
- When a battery is charged, it produces hy­
drogen gas which is explosive and could
cause persona l injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before work is done on the e lectrical sys­
tem, disconnect the negative ground cable.
- Before performing any work on the electri­
cal system, switch off the engine and igni­
tion as well as any electrical equipment. The
negat ive cab le on the battery must be dis­
connected. If you are just going to replace a
light bulb, then it is enough to switch off
the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch off
the anti-theft a larm system! Otherwise you
will set off the alarm .
- When disconnecting the battery, first dis­
connect the negat ive cable and then the
positive cable.
199

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Indicat or lights
IE -Loss of pressure in at least one ti re c::> ,& .
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires. Then
store the tire pressures in the MMI
<=:>page 223.
mm (T ire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
press ure: System malfuncti on!.
Ifm appears
after switching the ignition on or whi le driving
and the
IE indicator light in the instrument clus­
ter blinks for approximately one minute and then
stays on, there is system malfunction . Try to
store the correct tire pressures
c::> page 223 . If
the indicator light does not turn off or turns on
again after a short period of time, drive to an au­
thor ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Faci lity immediately to have the malfunction cor­
rected.
A WARNING
- If the tire pressure warning light IE in the
instrument cluster turns on, the pressure in
one or more tires is too low . Reduce the ve­
hicle speed immediately and avo id any hard
steering or braking maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible, check the tire and inflate the
t ire to the correct pressure, which is speci­
fied on the tire pressure label on the veh icle
<=:> page 214. Driving w ith a t ire with low
pressure c auses the t ire to overheat and can
result in failure of the tire . Low pressure can
also have a negative effect on the driving
and braking behavior of the vehicle .
- T he driver is responsib le for maintaining the
correct tire pressures . You must check the
tire pressures regularly .
- Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
driv ing style, winter conditions or unpaved
roads), the pressure monitor indicator may
be delayed.
- Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle . Us­
ing them when not permitted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents .
(D Tips
-The tire pressure monitoring system can al ­
so stop working when there is an ESC mal­
function.
Tir es and wheel s
- Us ing snow chains may result in a system
ma lfunction.
- The tires with the identification "AO" or
"RO"
c::> page 211 have been matched with
your Audi tire pressure monitoring system .
We recommend that you use these tires.
- The tire pressure monitoring system can on­
ly monitor the tire pressure of the driving
tires. Check the tire pressure of the spare
wheel in the luggage compartment so that if necessary it is ready for use.
Storing tire pressures
App lies to : vehicles wi th Tir e Pressure Mo nito rin g Sys te m in­
dic ator
A change in tire pressur e or a change in tires
must be stored in the syst em .
The tire press ure is stored in the MM I.
.,. Make sure before storing that the t ire pressures
of all four tires meet the specified values and
are adap ted to the load. O therwise the system
could malfunction
c::> page 214.
.. Switch on the ignition.
.,. Select: the I MENU I button> Ca r> Sys tem s*
con trol button > S er vice & control > Tire pre s­
s u re m on itor > Stor e tire pressu re > Yes , sto re
no w.
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressures if snow chains
are installed. Otherw ise the system could
malfunction.
223

Care and cleaning
Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, prope r care helps to maintain your vehi ­
cle's value.
It can a lso be a requirement when
submitting war ranty claims for cor rosion damage
and pa int defects on the body.
The necessary care prod ucts can be obtained
from an autho rized Audi deale r or authorized
Aud i Service Facility. Read and follow the instruc­
tions for use on the packaging.
A WARNING
- Using clean ing and care products incorrectly
can be dangero us to your hea lth .
- Always store clean ing and care products out
of reach of children to reduce the r isk of po i­
so ning .
@ For the sake of the environment
- Preferably use environmentally-friendly
products when buying cleaning agents.
- Do not dispose of leftove r clean ing and care
products with household t rash.
Car washes
The longer that deposits s uch as insects, bird
droppings, tree sap or road salt remain on the ve­ h icle, the more the surface can be damaged. High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight
i n crease the damag ing effect .
Before washing, r inse off heavy deposits with
p lenty of water.
St ubb orn deposits such as bird droppings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of wate r and a
microfiber cloth.
Also, wash the underside of yo ur vehicle once
road sa lt stops being used for the season .
Pressure washers
When washing your veh icles with a pressure
washer, always follow t he ope ra ti ng ins tructions
p rovided w ith the pressure washer. This is espe­
cially important in regard to the pressure and
spraying distance . Do not direct the stream of
224
water d irect ly onto seals for the side windows,
doors, luggage compartment lid or hood or onto
the tires, r ubber hoses, insulat ing mater ia l, the
power top, sensors* or camera lenses*. Keep a
distance of at least 16 in (40 cm).
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washe r.
Never use rot ary no zzles or high pressure no z­
z les .
The wate r temperatu re must not be above 140 °F
(60 °().
Automatic car washes
Spray off the ve hicle before wash ing.
Make su re t hat the windows and power top are
closed and the windsh ield wipers are off. Follow
i nstruct ions from the car wash operator, espe­
c ially if there are accessories attached to your ve ­
hicle.
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes.
Washing by hand
Clean the vehicle starting from the top and work ­
ing down using a soft sponge or cleaning brush .
U se solvent-free cleaning products .
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
To avoid damaging the pa int when washing, first
remove dust and large part icles from your vehi­
cle. Insects, grease spots and f ingerprints are
best removed w ith a special cleaner for matte
finish paint .
Apply the product using a microf iber cloth. To
avo id damag ing the pa int surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the veh icle thorough ly with water. Then
clean using a neutra l shampoo and a soft m icro­
fiber cloth.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly again and let it air
dry. Remove any water residue using a sham my.
Stubborn deposits such as bird dropp ings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty o f water and a
microfiber cloth. .,..

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A WARNING
-Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is
off and follow the instructions from the car
wash operator to reduce the risk of acci­ dents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself from sha rp metal components when wash­
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the bra king effect
may be de layed due to mo isture on the
bra ke rotors or i ce in the w inte r. The brake s
must be dried fi rst w ith a few care ful brake
applications .
Q) Note
-If yo u wash t he vehi cle in an au toma tic car
wash, yo u m ust fold the exte rior m irrors i n
to re duce the risk of damage to the mirrors .
Power folding exterior m irrors * must on ly
be fo lded in and out using the power folding
funct ion.
- To p revent paint damage, do not wash the
vehicle in d irect sunlight.
Ca re and cleaning
- To re duce the risk of damage, do not wash
the power top with a pressure washer .
- T o red uce the risk of damage to the surface,
do not use insect removing sponges, kitche n
sponges o r similar items .
- M atte finish painted veh icle components:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use polishing agents or hard
wax.
- Never use protective wax. It can destroy
the matte finish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted with matte
finish paint. The paint could be damaged
when the stickers or magnets are re­
moved.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash t he veh icle in facili ties s pec ially de­
s igned for that pu rpose. This will reduce the
r isk of dirty wate r contamina ted with o il from
ente ring the sewe r sys tem.
Cleaning and care information
When cleaning and caring for individua l vehicle
components, refer to the follow ing tables . The
information contained there is simp ly recom­
mendations. For quest ions or for components t
h at are not listed, cons ult an authorize d Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac ility . Also
f o llow the information found in c> ,& .
Exterior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Windshield wiper
Deposits <=> page 50 , Cleaning windshield wiper blades
blades
Headlights /
Deposits So
ft sponge with a mild soap solutiona)
Tail light s
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth w it h solvent-free cleani ng solut io n
Camera len ses Camera lenses: soft clot h w ith alcoho l-free cleaning sol u-
tion
Snow/ice Hand br ush/solvent-free de-icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special cleaning solution
Exhaust tail pipe s Road salt Wate
r, clean ing so lution su itab le for s tainless stee l, if ne e-
essa ry
225

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Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
T ex til es
Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner
art ifici al leat her, the surface
A lcan tara Water-based deposits Absorbent
cloth and mild soap solutiona>
such as coffee, tea,
b lood, etc.
Oil -based deposits Apply a m ild soap solution
a), blot away the dissolved o il or
such as oil, make-up, dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
etc.
Special deposits such Special stain
remover, blot with absorbent material, treat
as ink, nail polish, la- afterward with mild soap solution, if necessary
a)
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Natu ral le ath er Fresh stains Cotton cloth with a mild soap solution a>
Water-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, Dried stains : stain
remover suitable fo r leather
b lood , etc.
Oi l-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain
remover suitable
such as oil, make-up, for leather
etc. Dried stains : grease dissolving spray
Special deposits such Spot remove r suitab le for leather
as ink, nai l polish, la-
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Care Regularly apply condit ion ing c ream that protects from
lig ht and penet rates into the material. Use specia lly-co l-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary .
Carbon part s Deposits clean the same way as plast ic parts
a) Mi ld soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 q uart (1 liter) of water
.8, WARNING
The windshield may not be trea ted with wa­
ter-repelling windshield coating agents. Un ­
favorable cond itions such as wetness, dark­
ness, or low sun can result in increased glare.
Wiper blade chatter is also possible.
@ Note
- Headlight s/tail li ght s
-Never clean headlights or tail lights with a
dry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cleaning product that con­
tains alcohol, because they could cause
cracks to form.
- Whe els
-
- Never use a ny pa int polish or other abra­
sive materials .
- Damage to the protect ive layer on the
rims such as sto ne ch ips or scratches must
be repaired immediately .
-Sen sor s/camera l enses
- Neve r use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens . This
could cause the lens to crack .
- Neve r use ab rasive cleaning materials or
a lcohol to clean the camera lens . This
could cause scratches and cracks .
-Power top
- Remove bird droppings immediately .
227