2016 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET check engine

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(D Tips
- The oil pre ssure w arning display. i s not
an indicator of the oil level. Do not rel y on
it. Instead , check the oil level in your en­
gine at regular inte rval s, preferably each
t ime you refuel , and alway s befo re going
on a long trip.
- If y ou have the impressio n your engine con­
sumes excessive amounts of oil, we recom­
mend that you cons ult an autho rized Aud i
dealer to have the cause of your concern
properly d iagnosed . Keep in mind that the
accurate measurement of oil consump tion
requi res great care and may take some
time. An a uthorized Audi dea ler has instruc ­
tions about how to measure oil consump ­
tion accurately .
Checking the engine oil level and adding oil
Fig. 16 2 O il dip stick (example) : ch ec king th e eng in e oil
l evel
Fi g. 1 63 Engine co mpartme nt: e ngin e oil f ille r ope ning
c ov er
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N
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"' ::l
Read and follow all WARNINGS before checking
anyth ing in the engine compartment
c:> page 188, Working in the engine comport­
men t .
Checking and Filling
Checking the engin e oil level
- Park the vehicle o n a level su rface .
- Shut the eng ine off when it is wa rm. Wait ap-
proximate ly two minutes so that the eng ine oil
can flow back i nto the oil pan .
- Open the hood
c:> page 190.
- Remove the oil d ipstick <=:> page 191, fig . 161 ,
wipe it off w ith a clea n clot h and inse rt it all the
way in aga in .
- Remove the oil d ipstick again and then read the
oil leve l
c:> table on page 193.
-Add engine o il if necessary .
Areas on the oi l dipstick
c:> fig . 162 .
CD If the engine oil level is just before the
mark ing
CD , then eng ine oil must be added .
See
c:> (D .
@ Do not add eng
ine oil.
Adding engine oil
- Unscrew the cap 'l=:7: c:> fig. 163 for the engine
oil filling opening
c:> poge 191, fig. 161.
- Carefully add 0.5 quart (0 .5 liter) of the correct
oil
c:> poge 191.
-Check the oi l level aga in after two minu tes.
- Add a smaller amo unt of engine oil if necessa -
ry. The marking @ <=:>
fig. 162 must no t be ex­
ceeded
c:> (!) .
-Scr ew the eng ine oil filler cap 'l=:7: and slide the
dipstick a ll the way in.
.&_ WARNING
=
- When adding engine o il, do not let oil drip
onto hot engine components. This increases
the risk of a fire.
- You must sea l the cap on the oil filler open­
ing correct ly so that oil does not leak out
onto the hot engine and ex haust system
when the engine is runn ing , because this is
a fire hazard.
- Always clean sk in thoroughly if it comes into
contact w ith eng ine o il.
(D Note
- The engine o il leve l must not be under the
marking
CD c:> fig. 162, because t his increas-
es the r isk of engine damage.
111>
193

Check ing and F illing
- After adding engine oil, the o il level must
not be above the marking@~
fig. 162, be­
cause this increases the risk of cata lytic con­
verter and/or eng ine damage. Do not start
the engine. Contact an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac ility to
have excess engine oil extracted if necessa­
r y .
- Do not mix any additional lubricants into
the engine o il. Damage cause by such addi­
tives is not cove red by the war ranty .
@ For the sake of the environment
-Engine o il should never enter the sewe r sys­
tem or come into contact with the ground
under any circumsta nces.
- Pay attention to legal requirements when
d ispos ing of empty oil containe rs .
(D Tips
The engine oil consumption may be up to 0.5
quart/600 m iles (0.5 liter/1,000 km), de­
pending on d rivi ng s tyle and operating condi­
tions. Consumption may be higher du ring the
fi rst 3,00 0 miles (5, 000 km). Be cause of this,
t he engine oil leve l m ust be chec ke d r egular ­
ly. It wo uld be best to check each time you re ­
fue l your vehicle and before long drives .
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that hove your oil changed by an
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service sta ­
tion .
Before you check a nyth ing in the eng ine compart­
men t,
alway s read and heed all WARNINGS
~ page 188.
The engine oil must be changed accord ing to the
i n tervals specified in your Warran ty
& Mai nte­
nance booklet . This is very importan t because the
lubricating p roperties of o il diminish gradually
during normal vehicle use.
Under some c irc ums tances the eng ine o il sho uld
be changed more frequently. Change oil more o f­
ten if yo u drive most ly short distances, operate
the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominantly
stop-and-go traffic cond it ions, or have your vehi-
194
de where temperatures remain be low free zin g
for extended periods.
Dete rge nt additives in the oi l will make fres h oil
l ook dark a fter the engine has been r unning for a
short time . This is normal and is no t a reason to
change the oi l more often than recommende d.
Bec ause of t he pr oblem of prope r dispos al, along
with t he speci al tools and ne ce ssary expertise re­
quired, we strongly recommend that yo u have
your oi l changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or
a q ua lified serv ice station .
If you choo se to change your oil your self , please
note the fo llowing important information:
_& WARNING
To reduce the risk of persona l injury if you
must change the eng ine oil in you r vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protect ion .
- To reduce the r isk o f bu rns from hot engine
oil, let t he engine cool down to the touch.
-
- When removin g the oil dr ain plug with yo ur
fingers, stay as far away as possible. Always
keep your forearm pa rallel to the gro und to
he lp prevent hot oil from running down your
arm.
- Drain the oil into a conta iner designed fo r
this purpose, one la rge enough to hold at
least the tota l amount of oil in your engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out of
the reach of children .
- Continuous contact wit h used engine o il is
ha rmf ul to your skin . Always protect your
skin by washing oil off thoroughly with soap
and water .
{[) Note
Neve r mix oil additives with yo ur engine oil.
These additives can damage your engine and
adverse ly affect you r Audi Limited New Vehi­
cle Warranty .
@) For the sake of the environment
-Be fore chang ing your oi l, first make sure
you know where you can p roperly dispose of
the used oil.
Ill-

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-Always dispose of used engine oil prope rly .
Do not dump it on garden soi l, wooded
areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a used
engine oil collection facility in your area, or
contact a serv ice stat ion.
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine coo ling system is filled wi th a mixture
of purified water and coolant additive at the fac ­
tory. This coo lant must not be not changed.
The coolant leve l is moni to red throug h the . in ­
d icator light
q page 16 . Howeve r, we do recom­
mend occasiona lly checking the coo lant level
manually.
If you m ust add coo lant, use a m ix ture of water
an d coolant addit ive. Mixing the coolant additive
with d isti lled water is recommended.
Coolant additive
The coolan t additive is made of anti-freezing and
corros ion pro tection agents. Only use the fol low­
in g coolant add it ives. The se addi tives may be
mixed wit h each other.
Coolant additive Specification
G13 TL 7
74)
G12 ++ TL 774 G
T he amount of coo lant additive that needs to be
mixed with water depends on the climate where
the vehicle will be ope rated. If the coolant addi­
tive percentage is too low, the coolant can freeze
and damage the eng ine.
Coolant Freeze protec-
additive tion
Warm reg ions min . 40% m in. -13 °F
max. 45% (-
25
°()
Cold regions min . 50% max . -40 °F
max. 55% (-40
°()
Checking and Filling
(D Note
-
Before the start of w inte r, have you r auth or­
ized Aud i dealer or a uthorized Aud i Serv ice
Facility check if the coolant addit ive in your
vehicle matches the pe rcentage appropriate
for the climate. This is especially important
when driving in colder climates .
- If the appropr iate coo lant add itive is not
availab le in an emergency, do not add any
other additive. Yo u could damage the en­
gine. If this happens, on ly use water and re­
store t he corre ct m ix tu re ratio with the
specified coolant ad ditive as soon as poss i­
ble.
- O nly refill w ith new coolant.
- Radiator sea lant must not be mi xed with
the coolant.
Adding coolant
Fig . 1 64 En g in e compa rtment: ma rki ngs o n the coolant
expans ion
t ank
Read and follow the WARNINGS befo re check­
ing anything in the engine compartment
i=> page 188, Working in the engine compart­
ment.
Che cking the engine coolant level
.. Park your vehicle on a leve l su rface .
.. Switch t he ignition off .
.. Read the coolant level on the coolant expansion
tank ¢
fig. 164. The coolant level must be be­
tween the markings when the eng ine in cold .
When the eng ine is warm it can be slig htly
above the upper marking.
195

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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> co
-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

Checking and Filling
-Before reconnecting the battery, make sure
all electrical consumers are switched off.
Reconnect the posit ive cab le first and then
the negative cable. Never interchange the cables -th is could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out bat­
tery. It could explode! If a battery has fro­
zen, then it must be rep laced . A discharged
batte ry can freeze over at 32 °F (0 °C).
- Make sure the vent hose is always attached
to the opening on the side of the battery.
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
The re is the danger of an explos ion! Always
r e place a damaged batte ry .
A WARNING
California Proposit ion 65 Wa rning:
- Battery posts, termina ls and re lated acces­
sories contai n lead and lead compounds,
c hem icals known to the State of Califo rnia
to ca use c ancer and rep rodu ctive p roblems.
Wash hands after h andling.
(D Note
- Do no t disconnect the veh icle bat tery when
the ig nition is o n or when the engine is run­
n ing, othe rw ise, you will damage elec tronic
componen ts in the ele ct ric al sys tem.
- If you r vehicle is goi ng to stand for a l ong
period of time wi thout be ing driven, p rotect
the battery from "freezing", otherwise it
will be damaged and will then have to be re­ placed .
200
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged bat­
tery .
Fig. 166 Eng ine compartment: connectors for a c harge r
a n d jum p start cab les
Alway s re ad and h eed a ll WARN IN GS below
c:> ,& and c:> .& in Working on the battery on
page 199 .
.,. Switch off the ignit ion and all electrical con­
sumers .
.,. Make sure the area is we ll ventilated when you
charge the battery .
.,. Open the eng ine hood
i=!.) page 190 .
.,. Open the red cover on the pos itive pole
i=!,) fig. 166.
.,. Clamp the charger terminal clamps as instruct­
ed on the
battery terminal (+ ) and only on the
body ground point (· ).
.,. On ly now plug the mains lead for the charging
equipment into the wall outlet and turn it on
i=!,) ,& .
.,. M ake sure th e charg ing rate i s not o ver
30 amp s/ 14.8 V olt .
.,. When the bat tery is fully charged : Turn the
charging equipment off and remove the mains
lead from the wall outlet .
.,. Now remove the clamps for the charging equip -
ment .
.,. Close the red cover on the positive pole .
.,. Close the hood
q page 190.
A discharged battery can freeze at temperatures
of only 32 F
0 (0 °C). Allow a frozen battery to
thaw completely before attempting to charge it
c:> .&.. However, we recommend not using a
thawed battery aga in because the battery casing .,..