2016 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET coolant level

Instrumen ts and ind icator ligh ts
Instruments and indicator Lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster overview
The instrument cluster is the central information center for the driver.
Fig. 3 Instrument cluster overv iew
(D Tachometer with indicator lights
- with
OFF status indicator .... .
- with
RE ADY status indicator .. .
@ Engine coolant temperature gauge
@ Turn signal indicator lights
© Disp lay
- Indicator lights or ...... ... .. . 10
68, 70
68, 70
12
12
- Drive r informat ion system . . . . . 23
- Date and time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
- Mileage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
- Service interval display . . . . . . . 202
® Speedometer w ith ind icator lights
@ Fue l level ...... ........... .. .
11
0 Display for : centra l indicator light
or system displays ............ . 12
@ Trip odometer reset button 10.01 11
@ Tips
The needles in the instrument cluster illumi­
nate when the ignition is switched on . The di­
als a lso illuminate when the lights are switch­
ed on. The instrument illum ination d ims au­
tomatically as the amount of light outside de­
creases. T his he lps to remind the dr iver to
10
turn the headlights on as it becomes darker
outside.
Setting the time/date
Fig . 4 Instrument cluster: time and date
The date, time of day, time and date format can
be set in the MMI. For more information, refer to
your MMI Operating Manual.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in rev­
olutions per minute (RPM).
The beginning of the red zone in the tachometer
indicates the maximum permitted engine speed .,,_

Instruments and indicator lights
If the i ndicator lig ht blinks and t he message ap ­
pears, the re is not enough bra king power to se ­
cure the vehicle. The brakes have overheated. The
ve hicle co uld ro ll away even on a small incline .
-(USA models)/. (Canada models)
Please press brake pedal to release parking
brake
T o re lease the pa rking brak e, press the br ake
pedal an d pres s th e ~ button at the same time,
or start driv ing with hill start ass ist
¢ page 74,
Starting from a stop .
Ill Parking brake!
There is a malfunc tion in th e park ing b ra ke . Dr ive
t o an author ized Audi dealer or au thor ized A udi
S erv ice Fa cil ity immedi ately to ha ve t he m alfunc­
t ion correc ted.
Ill Parking brake: Limited functionality!
There is a malfunction in the park ing brake. Dr ive
to a n author ized Audi dealer or author ized A udi
Serv ice Facility immediately to have t he m alfunc­
tion cor rec ted .
IZ!il:t:l;U:o (USA models ) / Ill (Canada models )
Please release park ing brake
Release the par king brake if t his message a p­
pears .
!1J;jl:l;J;1:0 (USA models) / K@j Parking brake: auto release unavailable
If thi s m essage a ppe ars , pr ess the bra ke ped al
fir st and t hen release the p arking br ake.
IZJ;J:t :);Jj3~ (USA models) / K@j Caution: Vehicle parked too steep
I f th e i ndicator lig ht blinks and t he message ap­
pears, the re is not eno ugh bra king power to s e­
cure the vehicl e. The bra kes have overhea ted. T he
ve hicl e co uld roll aw ay eve n on a s mall i nclin e .
IZJ;jl :);tJ3~ ( USA models ) / Ii] (Canada models )
Parking brake is applied
I f th is message appears, press the brake pedal
fi rst and the n release the pa rking brake if neces ­
sary.
16
(D Tips
F o r additional informat ion on t he parking
br ake, refe r to ¢
page 73 .
-L Cooling system
• Switch off engine and check coolant level!
The coo la nt level is too low.
D o not con tinue dr iv in g and swi tch th e e ngi ne
off.
Check the coola nt level ¢
page 195 .
-If the coo lant level is too low, add coolant
¢
page 195. Only continue dr iving once the in­
dicato r ligh t turns off.
• Coolant temperature too high! Let engine
run with veh icle stationary
Let the engine ru n at idle fo r a few mi nutes to
cool off, until the in dicator lig ht t urns off.
- If the in dicat or ligh t doe s not tu rn off , d o n ot
cont inue driving the veh icle. S ee an au thorized
Audi dea le r or a uth orized Audi Service Facility
for assistance.
.8_ WARNING
- Never open the hood if you can see or hea r
steam or coo la nt escaping from t he e ng in e
compa rtm ent. This increases the ris k of
burns. Wait until you no lo ng er see o r hear
s t ea m or coo la nt escaping.
- The engine compa rtment in any vehicle can
b e a da nge rous a rea . Stop the engi ne and
allow it to coo l b efo re wor king in the en g in e
com partm ent . Alw ay s follo w the inf orma­
t io n found in
r::!> pag e 188 , Wo rking in the
engine com par tment.
(D Note
D o not con tinue dr iv ing if the . indicato r
li g ht turns o n as thi s incr ease s th e ris k o f en­
gin e dama ge.
• Switch off engine! Oil pressure too low .,.

Checking and Filling
"'Never put too much motor oil in your engine
¢ page 193 , Checking the engin e oil lev el and
adding oil.
"'Never try to push- or tow-star t your vehicle.
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean-up"
device built into the exhaust system of the v ehi­
cle. The catalytic converter burns many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas before they are re­
leased into the atmosphere .
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically im­
portant for the life of the catalytic converter and
proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
The temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine.
-
- 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 , fuel spill or
other material which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or heat shields. During 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 degrade
the performance of the catalytic converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢page 193.
-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 could cause the
catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignition while the vehi­
cle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these conditions, as otherwise fuel can reach the catalytic converter. This could re-
188
sult in overheating of the converter, requir­
ing its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommen­
dations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as im­
proper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system
and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is op­
erating properly, the exhaust gas can have a
sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under some op­
erating states. This depends on the sulfur
content of the fuel being used. Using a differ­
ent brand of fuel may help, or filling the tank
with lead-free super grade gasoline.
Engine compartment
Working in the engine compartment
Special care is required if you are working in the
engine compartment
For work in the engine compartment, such as
checking and filling fluids, there is a risk of in­
jury, scalding, accidents, and burns. For this
reason, follow all the following listed warnings
and general safety precautions. The engine
compartment is a dangerous area.
£:=? &. -
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of injuries, complete the
following steps before opening the hood:
- Turn the engine off.
- Switch the ignition off.
- Set the parking brake.
- Place the selector lever in the P position .
- Let the engine cool down .
- Never open the hood when you see that
steam or coolant drips from the engine
compartment- there is a danger of burns!
Wait until no steam or coolant flows out .
-

<( co ..... N
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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.
-

Consumer inf orm ation
today's a utomo biles, have steadily re duced the
scope of maintenance and repairs whic h can be
carried out by veh icle owners.
Also , sa fet y and
en vironmental
concerns place very strict limits
on the nature of repairs and adjustmen ts to en­
g ine and transmission parts wh ich an owner can
perform .
Maintenance, adjustments and repairs usually re­
qu ire special tools, testing devices and other
equ ipment available to specially trained work ­
shop personnel in order to assure proper per­
forma nce, re liability and safety of the veh icle and
its many systems .
Improper maintenance, adjustments and repairs
can impair the operation and reliab ility of your
ve hicle and eve n void your vehicle warranty .
Therefo re, proof of se rvicing in a ccordance w ith
the m aintenance sched ule may be a condition for
up ho ld ing a possible wa rranty claim made within
the wa rranty pe riod.
Above all , ope rational safety can be adversely af­
fected, cre ating unne cessa ry risks fo r you and
your passengers.
I f in doubt about any servicing, have it done by
your author ized Audi dealer or any other properly
eq uipped and qualified workshop . We strongly
urge you to g ive your author ized Audi dealer the
opportunity to perform a ll scheduled mainte ­
nance and necessa ry repairs. Your dealer has the
facilities, origina l parts and tra ined specialists to
keep your veh icle runn ing properly.
P e rforming limited maintenance yourself
The fo llow ing pages describe a limited number of
procedures whic h can be performed on your vehi­
cle with ordinary tools, should th e need arise and
tra ined personnel be unava ilable. Before per­
forming any of these procedures, always thor­
ough ly read all of the app licab le text and carefu l­
ly follow the instructions g iven . A lways rigorously
observe the
WARNINGS prov ided .
Befo re yo u check anything in the engine com ­
partment, always read and heed all WARNINGS
c::> & and c::> page 188 .
254
A WARNING
-
-Ser ious personal in jury may occur as a result
of imp roperly performed maintenance, ad­
justments or repairs .
- Always be extreme ly careful when work ing
on the vehicle . Always follow commonly ac­
cepted safety practices and general com­ mon sense. Never r is k personal in jury.
- Do not attempt any of the mainte nance,
checks or repairs described on the following pages if you are no t fu lly fam iliar with these
or other proce dures with respect to the ve­
hicle, o r are uncert ain how to p ro ceed.
- Do not do any work wi thout the prope r tools
a nd equi pmen t. H ave the necess ary wo rk
done by your authorized Au di dealer or an ­
other properly equipped and qualified work­
shop.
- The engine compartment of any motor vehi ­
cle is a potentially hazardous area . Never
reach into the a rea around or touch the radi­
ator fan. It is temperature controlled and
can switch on suddenly - even when the en­
gine is off . The radiator fan switches o n au­
tomatically when the coolan t reaches a cer­
tain tempe ra ture an d w ill cont inue to run
until the coolant tem pe rature d rops.
- Always sw itch off the ignition before anyone
gets under the vehicle.
- Always support your vehicle with safety
stands if it is necessary to work underneath
the vehicle. The jack supp lied wi th the veh i­
cle is no t adequate fo r thi s pu rpose a nd
could collapse causing serious personal in­
Jury .
- If you must wor k unde rneath the vehicle
w ith the wheels on t he g roun d, always make
sure the vehicle is on level ground, that the
wheels are always sec urely blocked and that
the engine cannot be started.
- Always make sure the transmission se lector
lever (automatic t ransm iss ion) is in P (Park
position) and the pa rk b rake is applied. ..,

<( co .... N ,.__
N .... 0 ,.__
> co
@ For the sake of the environment
-Changing the engine settings will adversely
affect emission levels. This is detrimental to
the environment and increases fuel con­
sumption.
-Always observe environmental regulations
when disposing of old engine oil, used brake
fluid, dirty engine coolant, spent batteries
or worn out tires.
- Undeployed airbag modules and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Mate­
rial -special handling may apply, see
www .dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­
rate . When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules
safety belts with pretensioners are scrap­
ped, all applicable laws and regulations
must be observed. Your authorized Audi
dealer is familiar with these requirements
and we recommend that you have your deal­ er perform this service for you.
Accessories and
technical changes
Additional accessories and parts replacement
Always consult an authorized Audi dealer before
purchasing accessories.
Your vehicle incorporates the latest safety design
features ensuring a high standard of active and passive safety.
This safety could be compromised by non-ap­ proved changes to the vehicle. For this reason, if
parts have to be replaced, please observe the fol­
lowing points when installing additional accesso­
ries:
Approved Audi accessories and genuine Audi parts are available from authorized Audi dealers.
These dealers also have the necessary facilities, tools and trained specialists to install the parts
and accessories properly .
Consumer information
A WARNING
Using the wrong spare parts or using non-ap­
proved accessories can cause damage to the
vehicle and serious personal injury.
- Use only accessories expressly approved by
Audi and genuine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessories have been spe­
cially designed to be used on your vehicle.
- Never install accessories such as telephone
cradles or beverage holders on airbag covers
or within the airbag deployment zones. Do­
ing so will increase the risk of injury if air­
bags are triggered in an accident!
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS 9page 188.
(D Note
-If items other than genuine Audi spare
parts, add-on equipment and accessory
items are used or if repair work is not per­
formed according to specified methods, this
can result in severe damage to your vehi­
cle's engine and body (such as corrosion)
and adversely affect your vehicle's warranty.
- If emergency repairs must be performed
elsewhere, have the vehicle examined by an
authorized Audi dealer as soon as possible.
- The manufacturer cannot be held liable for
damage which occurs due to failure to com­
ply with these stipulations.
Technical Modifications
Our guidelines must be complied with when tech­
nical modifications are made.
Always consult an authorized Audi dealer
before
starting work on any modifications.
This will help ensure that vehicle function, per­
formance and safety are not impaired
9 ,& .
Attempting to work on electronic components
and the software used with them can cause mal­
functions. Because of the way electronic compo­
nents are interconnected with each other, such
malfunctions can also have an adverse affect on
other systems that are not directly involved. This ..,.
255

<( co .... N r--­N .... 0 r--­> co
Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) . . . . . 116
Emergency assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Emergency flasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
E mergency flashe rs
I ndicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21
Emergency locking the front passenger 's door .3.2
Emergency operat ion
Emergency braking function . . . . . . . . . . . .
75
Front passenger's door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Luggage compartment lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Power top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
with conven ience key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Emergency release
Fuel filler door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
187
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Emergency starting 244
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Engine
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
195
Starting with jumper cables . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Starting (button) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Starting (key) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Starting (messages with conven ience key) . 72
stopping (button) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
stopping (key) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Engine compartment
C losing the hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
190
Opening the hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Overview ... .................. ..... . 191
Safety precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Engine control (indicator light) . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Engine coolant
Radiator fan
196
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Checking oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191, 193
F'll ' I mg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Oi l consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Specification and viscosity . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Engine speed limitation (indicator light) . . . 19
Environment
Break-in period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
65
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Index
Disposing of your vehicle battery . . . . . . . 201
Driving at high speeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Letting the vehicle stand and warm up. . . . 66
Proper disposal of drained brake fluid . . . 197
Proper disposal of drained engine oil . . . . 194
Unleaded gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
What should I do with an old battery? . . . 201
EPC (engine control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
ESC
Automatic post-collision braking system .
116
Electronic stabilization control . . . . . . . . . 116
Sport mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
also refer to Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
116
ESP
refer to Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
116
Event Data Recorder (EDR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Exterior lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Exterior mirrors
Adjusting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
47
Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Heating... .. .. .. .. ............... .. . 47
F
Fastening
Booster seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17 4
Convertible child safety seats . . . . . . . . . . 172
Infant seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Floor mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Fog lights/rear fog light(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Folding the exterior mirrors
Center locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31
Folding the rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Foot pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Footwell lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
For the sake of the env ironment
ear w indow defogger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
64
Environmentally-friend ly driving . . . . . . . . 65
Fueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Leaks..... .... .. ................. .. 189
Freeze protection
Coo lant additive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
195
Windshield washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
261