2016 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET engine coolant

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
Coolant temperature indicator
The coolant temperature indicator@¢ page 10,
fig . 3
only works when the ignition is switched
on. To prevent engine damage, please observe
the following notes about the temperature rang­
es.
Cold range
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge turn
on, the engine has not reached operating tem­
perature yet. Avoid high engine speeds, full ac­
celerating and heavy engine loads.
Normal range
The engine has reached its operating tempera­
ture once the LEDs up to the center of the gauge
turn on under normal driving conditions. The
LEDs higher up may turn on if the engine is under
heavy load or the outside temperature is high.
This is no cause for conc ern as long as the. in­
dicator light in the instrument cluster 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 temperature is too
high
¢ page 16.
A WARNING
-Never open the hood if you can see or hear
steam or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. This increases the risk of
burns. Wait until you no longer see or hear
steam or coolant escap ing .
- The engine compartment in any vehicle can
be a dangerous area. Stop the engine and
allow it to cool before working in the engine
compartment. A lways follow the informa­
tion found in ¢
page 188, Working in the
engine comportment.
(D Note
- Auxiliary headlights and other accessories in
front of the cooling-air intake impair the
cooling effect of the coolant. This increases
the risk of the engine overheating during
12
high outside temperatures and heavy en­
gine load.
- Th e front spoiler also helps to distribute
cooling air correctly while driving. If the
spoiler is damaged, the cooling effect will
be impaired and the risk of the engine over­
heating will increase. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa­ cility for assistance .
Indicator lights
Description
The indicator lights in the instrument cluster
blink or turn on. They indicate functions or mal­
functions.
Messages may appear with some indicator lights.
A warning signal will sound at the same time. If
there is more than one malfunction, the indicator lights will turn on one after the other for a short
time . The indicator lights and messages in the in­
strument cluster display can be covered by other
displays .
The messages can be displayed again in the driv­
er information system*. With the multifunction
steering wheel, select the tab for indicator lights
and messages
c:> page 24 .
Some indicator lights in the display can display in
several colors.
& Central indicator light
If the . or D indicator light turns on, check
the instrument cluster display for more informa­
tion.
App lies to: vehicles wi th mo nochrome disp lay
If a message appears together with a central in­
dicator light. or
D. the central indicator light
will indicate the priority of the warning. If a
white indicator light also appears , the central in­
dicator light will have its own color . For example,
i'"
@I ::ippears together with., read the descrip­
tion for •.

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 .,.

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children could start the engine or operate
electrical equipment such as power win­
dows.
0 Note
-Avoid high engine speed, fu ll throttle, and
heavy engine load as long as the engine has
not reached operating temperature yet . You
could damage the engine.
- The engine cannot be started by pushing or
towing .
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not let the engine run while parked to
warm up. Begin driving immediately. This re­
duces unnecessary emissions.
- If it is difficu lt to turn the key to position
(D, turn the steering wheel back and forth
slightly to release the steering wheel lock .
- Some noise after starting the engine is nor­
mal and is no cause for concern.
- If the battery is disconnected and recon­
nected, you have to hold the ign ition key in
position
(D for five seconds for the engine
to start.
-After switching the ignition off, you can on ly
remove the key when the selector lever is in
the "P" (Park) position. After that, the selec­
tor lever is locked .
Stopping the engine with the key
Appl ies to: ve hicles w ith igni tion loc k
Stopping the engine
~ Bring the vehicle to a full stop.
~ Turn the key to posit ion @. The need le in the
tachometer moves into the
OFF position .
Releasing the steering lock
Requirement: the selector lever must be in P.
~ Remove the ignition key in position@
¢page 70, fig. 76 ¢ _A.
~ Turn the steering wheel until you hear the
steering wheel lock.
Driving
T he locked steering helps prevent vehicle theft .
A WARNING
-
-Never turn off the engine before the vehicle
has come to a complete stop . The full func­
tion of the brake booster and the power
steer ing is not guaranteed. You must use
more force to turn or brake. Because you
cannot stee r and brake as you usually
wou ld, this could lead to acc idents and seri­
ous injuries.
- Never remove the ignition key from the igni­
tion lock while the vehicle is moving. Other­
wise, the steering lock could suddenly en­
gage and you wou ld not be able to steer the
vehicle.
- Please note that the brake booster and pow­
er steering only work when the engine is
running . When the engine off, you must use
more force to steer or brake the vehicle. Be­
cause the usua l steering and braking capa­
b ili ty is not available, the risk of acc idents or
injuries increases.
- Always take the vehicle key with you when
leaving the vehicle, even for a short period
of t ime . This applies part icularly when chil ­
dren remain in the vehicle . Otherwise the
children could start the engine or operate
electrical equipment such as power win­
dows.
- For safety reasons, always park the vehicle
w ith the selector lever in the P position.
Othe rw ise, there is the risk that the vehicle
could rol l.
- After the engine has been switched off, the
radiator fan can continue to run for up to 10
minutes -even with the ignition switched
off . It can also switch on again after some
time if the coolant temperature rises as the
result of heat bu ildup or if the engine com­
partment is heated by the sun's rays and the
engine is hot.
(D Note
If the engine has been under heavy load for
an extended period of time, heat builds up in
the engine compartment after the engine is
switched off -there is a risk of damaging the
69

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not reached operating temperature yet. You
could damage the engine.
- The engine cannot be started by pushing or
towing.
@) For the sake of the environment
Do not let the engine run while parked to
warm up. Begin driving immediately . This re­
duces unnecessary emissions.
(D Tips
- Some noise after starting the engine is nor­
mal and is no cause for concern.
- If the . indicator light blinks in the instru­
ment cluster before switching the ignition
off, the ignition will not switch on again.
¢ page 119
-If you leave your vehicle with the ignition
switched on, the ignition will switch off af­
ter a certain amount of time. Make sure that
electrical equipment such as the exterior lights are switched off.
T · th · ff using the
button
App lies to: vehicles with convenience key
"'Bring the vehicle to a full stop.
"'Move the selector lever into the P position.
"'Press the
I ST ART ENGINE STOP I button
<=? page 70, fig. 76.
The needle in the tachometer moves to OFF when
the ignition switches off.
Steering lockll
The steering locks when you turn the engine off
using the
I START ENGINE STOPI* button, move
the selector lever into the P position and open
the driver's door.
The locked steering helps prevent vehicle theft .
Emergency off function*
If it is absolutely necessary, the engine can also
be turned off while driving at speeds starting at
4 mph (7 km/h). To switch the engine off, press
l) This fun ctio n is not availab le in all c oun tries.
Driving
the I START ENGINE STOPI button twice in a row
briefly or press and hold for longer than two sec­
onds.
A WARNING
=
- Never turn off the engine before the vehicle has come to a complete stop. The full func­
tion of the brake booster and the power
steering is not guaranteed. You must use
more force to turn or brake. Because you
cannot steer and brake as you usually
would, this could lead to accidents and seri­
ous injuries.
- Please note that the brake booster and pow­
er steering only work when the engine is
running. When the engine off, you must use
more force to steer or brake the vehicle. Be­
cause the usual steering and braking capa­
bility is not available, the risk of accidents or
injuries increases.
- Always take the vehicle key with you when
leaving the vehicle, even for a short period
of time. This applies particularly when chil­
dren remain in the vehicle. Otherwise the
children could start the engine or operate
electrical equipment such as power win­
dows.
- For safety reasons, always park the vehicle
with the selector lever in the P position.
Otherwise, there is the risk that the vehicle
could roll unintentionally .
- After the engine has been switched off, the
radiator fan can continue to run for up to 10
minutes -even with the ignition switched
off.
It can also switch on again after some
time if the coolant temperature rises as the result of heat buildup or if the engine com­
partment is heated by the sun's rays and the
engine is hot.
(D Note
If the engine has been under heavy load for
an extended period of time, heat builds up in
the engine compartment after the engine is
switched off - there is a risk of damaging the
engine. For this reason, let the engine run for
II>
71

Trailer mod e
load" on the la bel located on the driver's side B ­
pillar (visib le when the door is open) . Inflate
tra iler tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specif ications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and t railer lights
are working p roper ly.
Safety chains
Be sure t railer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trai le r to the hi tch on the veh icle.
L eave enough sla ck in the cha ins to permi t turn­
ing corners. When yo u install safety chains, ma ke
sure they wi ll not drag on the road when yo u are
driving .
The cha ins s hou ld cross under the trailer tongue
t o prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the h itch .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration .
To obtain t he best poss ible handling of vehicle
and traile r, please note the fo llow ing :
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not loaded.
.. Be especi ally ca ref ul when pass ing othe r
vehicles.
.. Observe speed limi ts .
.. Do not d rive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.. Always apply brakes early.
.. Monitor the temperature gauge .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded t railer w ith an empty car res ults
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds on ly
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easie r to operate and cont rol.
This means that the tow vehi cle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while
keep ing the tra iler as light as possib le under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the l uggage compartment of the
86
tow veh icle wh ile observing tong ue load require ­
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the mo re diff icu lt i t be­
comes for the driver to con trol the r ig. Do not
drive at t he maxim um permissible speed. Reduce
you r speed even more if load, weather or wind
con dit ions are unfavorab le - partic ularly when
go ing downh ill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limi ts. In some areas, s peeds fo r
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular
vehicles .
A lways apply bra kes early. Whe n driving down­
hill, shift in to a lower gea r to use the engine
b raki ng effect to slow the vehi cle. Use of the
brakes alone ca n cause them to over heat and fai l.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge 9 page 12 must
be obse rved caref ully. The coolant temperature
c a n incre ase if yo u drive o n long incl ines in a low
gear a t high engine speeds . Red uce your speed
immediately if the LE Ds in the top part of the dis­
play turn on .
Fo r more info rm ation abou t indicator lights, re­
fer to .
¢ page 16 .
A WARNING
-
Anyone not prope rly restrai ned in a moving
vehicle is at a much greate r risk in an acci ­
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wear ing the restraints provided
by Aud i.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differen tly when towing a
trailer because o f the additiona l weight and di f­
ferent weight distribution. Safety, performance
and economy will g reatly depend on how caref ul-
l y you load your trai ler and operate you r rig. ..,_

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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-Keep children away from the engine com­
partment.
- Never spill fluids on a hot engine. These flu­
ids (such as the freeze protection contained
in the coolant) can catch fire .
- Avoid short circuits in the e lectrical system,
especially the battery.
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if the ignition is switched off, which
increases the risk of personal injury.
- Never open the cap on the coolant expan­
sion tank when the engine is warm. The
cooling system is under pressure.
- To protect your face, hands, and arms from
hot steam or coolant, cover the cap with a
large cloth when opening.
- Do not remove the engine cover under any
circumstances . This increases the risk of
burns.
- If tests need to be performed w ith the en­
gine running, there is additional danger due
to moving components (such as the ribbed
belt, alternator and radiator fan) and from
t he high vo ltage ig nition system.
- Never reach into the radiator fan . The e lec­
t ric a uxiliary fan is cont rolled by tempera­
t ur e and can switch on sudde nly.
- Pay atte ntion to the fo llow ing warnings list­
ed when wo rk on the fuel system or on t he
ele ct rical eq uipment is requ ired.
- Always d isconnect the ve hicle battery
from the vehicle electrical system
- Do not smoke
- Never work near open flames
- Always have a working fire ex tinguisher
nearby
- T o red uce the risk of e lec tric shoc k and in­
jury, neve r touch the followi ng components
when the eng ine is r unning or is being star t­
ed :
- Ignition cable
- Other components in the electronic high
voltage ignition system
- If you must check or perform work on the
engine while it is runn ing:
Ch eck ing and Filling
-Set the parking brake and place the selec­
tor lever in the P (park) posit ion first.
- Always proceed with extreme caution so
that clothing, jewelry or long hair do not become caught in the radiator fan, fan
belt or other moving components or do
not come into con tact with ho t compo­
nen ts . Tie bac k long hair befo re beginn ing
work and do not wea r clothing that can
hang down into t he engine.
- Lim it yo ur exposure to exhaust and chemi­
cals to as short a time as possible
~ .&. .
&_ WARNING
Ca lifo rnia Proposition 65 Warning:
- E ngine exhaust, some of its const ituents,
and certa in vehicle components conta in or
emit chemi cals know n to the State of Cali ­
forni a to ca use cance r and birth defects and
reproductive harm. In add ition, cert ain flu ­
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wea r contain or em it
chemicals known to the State o f Californ ia
to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm .
- Battery posts, term inals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals know n to the State of Californ ia
to cause cancer and reproductive harms .
Wash hands afte r handling .
(D Note
When filling fluids, be sure not to m ix the f lu­
i ds up. Otherwise severe malfunctions and en­
gine damage will occur .
@) For the sake of the environment
You should regularly check the ground under
your vehicle i n order to detect leaks quic kly. If
the re are visible spots from o il or other fluids,
bring your veh icle to an authorized Audi deal­
er o r autho rize d Aud i Serv ice Facility to be
chec ke d .
189