2016 AUDI A3 warning light

Check ing and F illing
Not running th e vehicle for long p eriod s of
t im e
If you do not drive your vehicle for several days or
weeks, electrical components are gradually re­ duced or sw itched off. Th is reduces energy con­
sumpt io n and maintains the vehicle's ability to
start over a long period of time
c:::, page 164 .
Some convenience functions, such as interior
lighting or power seats* may not work . These
convenience functions will be available again
once yo u sw itch the ignition on and start the en­
gine.
Winter operation
During the winter months, it is common for the
battery capacity to decrease as the temperatures
become lowe r. This is because mo re power is
needed to sta rt the veh icle and components s uch
as the headlights and the rear window defogger
are used more frequently .
Avoid using power unnecessar ily, especially in
ci ty driving or on sho rt trips. Have yo ur author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty check the battery capacity before the start of
winter c:::, page 249. A well-charged battery will
not on ly reduce starting problems in cold weath­
er, but it will also last longer .
A WARNING
-Work on the battery requires expert knowl­
edge. Contact an authorized Audi dealer or
autho rized Aud i Service Facility for informa­
t ion regarding the vehicle battery. There is a
risk for chemical burns or explosions.
- Never open the vehicle battery. Do not t ry to
c hange the batte ry electro lyte level. Othe r­
wise explosive gas wi ll escape from the bat­
te ry and increase the risk of an explos ion .
(D Tips
If your vehicle is not driven for several weeks
in very cold temperatu res, remove the batte ry
and sto re it in a pla ce where it wi ll not freeze.
This prevents the battery from being dam­
aged and needing to be replaced.
248
· Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
Plug- in hybrid drive*: For important informat ion
about the high-voltage battery, refer to
c:::, page 98 .
The battery is located in the engine compart­
ment . Before you check anything in the engine
compartment,
r e ad and heed all WARNING S
¢,&. .
Always heed the safe ty wa rnings , when working
on the vehicle battery or the veh icle electrical
system to prevent injury .
The following WARNINGS are very important
w hen wor king on the batter y:
Alwa ys heed the following WARNING S YM-
BOLS and safet y precaut ions when wo rking on
the batte ry.
®
Alwa ys wear e ye protection .
&
Batt ery ad d co ntains sulfu ric acid . Al-
way s w ear glove s and ey e prot ect ion .
@
No
-spark s
- flame s
- smoking .
~
When a battery is cha rged , it p roduce s
h yd rog en gas which is e xplo siv e and
could cause personal in jur y.
®
Alway s kee p the ba tter y w ell out of
r each of children.
A WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on the
e lectr ical system, there is the r isk of injury,
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 in ju ry .
- Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Sulfuric
acid can cause blindness and severe burns .

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.... I.Cl U"I
.... I.Cl ....
-Always wear gloves and eye protection. Do
not tilt the battery because acid could leak
out of the ventilation openings.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or on
your skin, immediately rinse with cold wa­
ter for several minutes and get medical at­
tention .
- If you should ingest any battery acid, seek
medical attention immediately.
- 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 cab les.
- When working on the battery, be sure not to
short-circuit the terminals with tools or oth­
er metal objects. This wou ld cause the bat­
tery to heat up very quickly, which could
lead to damage or explosion and personal
injury.
- When a battery is charged, it produces hy­
drogen gas which is explosive and could
cause personal injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before work is done on the electrical 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
negative cable 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 alarm system! Otherwise you
will set off the a larm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first dis­
connect the negative cable and then the
posit ive cab le.
- Before reconnecting the battery, make sure
all electrical consumers are switched off.
Reconnect the positive cab le first and then
the negative cable . Never interchange the
cables - th is could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen o r a thawed-out bat­
tery. It could explode! If a battery has fro-
Checking and Filling
zen, then it must be replaced. A discharged
battery 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.
There is the danger of an exp losion! Always
replace a damaged battery.
_8 WARNING ~
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, term inals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive problems.
Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
-Do not disconnect the vehicle battery when
the ignition is on or when the engine is run­
ning, otherwise, you will damage electronic
components in the electrical system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a long
period of time without being driven, protect
the battery from "freezing", otherwise it
w ill be damaged and will then have to be re­
placed .
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged bat­
tery.
Fig. 200 Eng ine compartmen t: co nnectors fo r a charger
a n d jump start cab les
Plug-In hybrid drive* : The connect ion points for
the jump start cables vary~
page 108. .,.
249

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., throughout your vehicle ¢page 164. The intelli­
gent energy management system wi ll keep the
engine battery charged better than veh icles w ith­
out this system . To make sure the additional
e lectrical energy is avai lab le once again after you
have changed the battery, we recommend that
you install batteries of the same type and manu­
facture on ly (the same as those installed at the
time your veh icle was de livered). Specifications
are listed on the battery housing. Your author­
ized dealer must code the battery in the energy
management system to enable you to use the en ­
ergy management functions correctly after re­ p lacing the battery.
The new battery must have the same capacity,
voltage (12 -volts), amperage, construction and
p lug sealing .
When insta lling the battery, ma ke sure the igni­
tion and all e lectrical consumers are switched
off .
(D Note
Ma ke sure the ventilation hose on the side of
the battery is connected, otherw ise fumes o r
battery acid can leak out .
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of
a ba ttery, we recommend your author ized
Audi dea ler change the battery for you . Bat ­
teries contain su lf u ric acid and lead and must
always be disposed of properly in compliance
w ith all environmental regulations. D isposing
of vehicle batteries improperly is very danger­
ous to the env ironment.
Ch eck ing and Filling
Windshield washer
system
F ig . 201 E ngin e compar tmen t: was her flui d reservo ir cap
M N
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"' m
The washer fluid reservoir W contains the clean­
ing fluid for the windshield, the rear window *
and the headlight washer system*¢
page 239,
fig. 193 .
The reservoir capacity is found in
¢ page 303.
.,. Read and follow all WARNING S before working
in the engine compartment <=>
page 236, Work­
ing in the engine compartment .
.,. Open the cap.
.,. Add the washer fluid and close the cap .
To reduce the risk of lime scale deposits on the
spray nozzles, use clean water with low amounts
of calcium. Always add w indow cleaner to the wa­
ter . When the outside temperatures are cold, an
anti-freez ing agent should be added to the water
so that it does not free ze.
(D Note
- The concentration of ant i-freez ing agent
must be adjusted to the vehicle operat ing
conditions in the respective cl imate. A con ­
c entration that is too high can lead to vehi­
cle damage.
- Never add radiator an ti-free ze or other addi­
tives to the washer fluid.
- Do not use a glass cleane r that contains
pai nt solvents, because t his could damage
t he paint.
251

,....,
N
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IE-Loss of pressure in at least one tire 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
c::> page 2 73 .
mm (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure: System malfunction!.
If m 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 2 73. 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
Facility 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 avoid any hard
steering or braking maneuvers. Stop as soon
as possible, check the tire and inflate the
t ir e to the correct pressure, which is speci­
fied on the tire pressure label on the veh icle
c::> page 263. Driving with a ti re with low
pressure causes the tire 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 .
- Th e driver is responsible 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.
Tires and wheels
-Using snow chains may result in a system
ma lfunction.
- The tires with the identification "AO" or
"RO"
c::> page 260 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
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure mon itor ing system
A change in tire pressure or a change in tires
must be stored in the system.
The tire pressure is stored in the MMI.
.,. Make sure befo re storing that the tire pressures
of all four tires meet the specified va lues and
are adapted to the load. Otherwise the system
could malfunction
c::> page 263.
.. Switch on the ign ition.
.,.. Select: the I MENU I button> Car> Systems "
control button > Service & control > Tire pres­
sure monitor > Store tire pressure > Yes, store
now .
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressures if snow chains
a re installed . Otherwise the system could
malfunction.
273

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 aim the spray directly
274
at seals on side windows, doors, the hood, the
lug gage compartment lid or the sunroof* or at
t ir es, rubbe r hoses, insulating material, sensors*
or camera lenses*. Keep a distance of at least 16
i nches (40 cm).
Plug -in hybrid drive*: also do not direct the spray
at the charg ing unit in the rad iator g rille or at the
charg ing dock*.
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer.
Neve r use rot ary no zzles or high pressure noz­
z les.
The wate r temperatu re must not be above 140 °F
(60 °() .
Automatic car washes
Spray off the veh icle before washing.
Make sure that the windows and roof* are closed
and the windshie ld wipers are off. Follow instruc ­
tions from the car wash operato r, especially if
there are accesso ries attached to your vehicle.
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes.
Washing by hand
Clean the ve hicle starting from the top and work­
i ng down using a soft sponge or clea ning brus h.
Use solvent-free cleaning products.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
To avo id damaging the paint w hen washing, fi rst
remove dust and large pa rticles from your vehi­
cle. Insects, grease spots and f ingerprints are
best removed w ith a special cleaner for matte
finish paint.
Apply t he product using a microf iber cloth. To
avo id damaging the paint surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the ve hicle thoroughly with wate r. Then
clean using a neutra l shampoo and a soft micro ­
fiber clot h.
Rinse the vehicle thorough ly again and le t i t air
dry. Remove any water residue using a sham my. ..,..

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., & 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 sharp metal components when wash­
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings.
-After washing the vehicle, the brak ing effect
may be delayed due to mo isture on the
brake rotors or ice in the w inter . The brakes
must be dried first w ith a few careful brake
applica tions .
{[) Note
-If you wash t he vehicle in an automatic car
wash, yo u m ust fold the e xterior m irrors i n
to reduce the risk of damage to the mi rrors.
Power folding exte rior m irrors* must o nly
b e fo lded in a nd out usin g the power folding
f u nct io n.
-
Ca re and cleaning
- To prevent pa int damage, do not wash the
vehicle in direct s un light .
- To re duce the risk of damage to the surface,
do not use insect removing sponges, kitche n
sponges o r similar items .
- Matte finish painted veh icle components:
- To reduce the r isk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use po lish ing 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 cou ld be damaged
when the stickers or magne ts 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
W hen clea ning and ca ring for individua l vehicle
comp onents, refer to the following t ables. The
inf ormat ion cont ained there is s imp ly recom ­
mendations. For q uest ions or for components t
h at are not l isted, cons ult an autho riz ed Aud i
de aler or author ized A udi Se rvice Fa cility. Also
f o llow the information fo und in ~ .&. .
Ext erior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Windshield wiper
D eposits ~ page 53, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
blades
Headlights /
Deposits So
ft spo nge with a m ild soap solutiona)
Tail lights
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth w ith solvent-free cleaning solution
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth w ith alcohol-free cleaning solu-
tion
Snow/ice Hand br
ush/solven t-free de -icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special clean
ing so lution
Exhaust tail p ipes Road salt Water, clea ning so lu tion su itab le for s tainless stee l, if nee-
essary
Decorati ve parts / Deposits Mild soap so lution a>, a cleaning solution su itable for stain-
Trim less stee l, if necessary
275
...

,..,
N
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Component Situation Solution
T ex til es
Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner
art ificial l eather, 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 Wool 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 [-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.
A WARNING
- Audi e -tron charg ing sy stem *
- Never immerse the charging system and
connectors in water.
- The charging system m ust only be cleaned
when the control unit is completely d is­
connected from the powe r su pply system
and from the vehicle.
-
({I) Note
- Hea dlight s/tail lights
- Never clean headlights or tail lights w ith a
d ry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cle aning product that con­
tains alcoho l, because they could ca use
cracks to form.
-Whe els
- Never use any pa int polish or other abra-
sive materials.
- Damage to the protect ive layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches must
be repaired immediately .
-Sensor s/came ra le nses Ill-
277

Emergency assistance
-Before you change a wheel, be sure the
ground is level and firm. If necessary, use a
sturdy board under the jack.
- Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack
and the replaced tire in the luggage com­
partment
c:> page 172.
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence
described below step-by-step and in exactly that
order.
1. Remove the decorative wheel cover*. For
more details see also
c:> page 284, Decora­
tive wheel covers
or c:> page 285, Wheels
with wheel bolt caps.
2 . Loosen the wheel bolts c:> page 285 .
3. Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack and align the jack below that point
c:> page 286 .
4. Raise the car with the jack c:> page 286 .
5. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and then
install
the spare c:>page 287.
6. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly.
7 .
Lower the vehicle with the jack.
8. Use the wheel bolt wrench and firmly tighten
all wheel bolts
c:> page 285.
9. Replace the decorative wheel cover* .
_&. WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and in­
forma tion
c:> .& in Raising the vehicle on
page 286
and c:> page 288.
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the do­
ing the following .
.,. Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack* and
the replaced tir e in the luggage compartment
c:> page 172 .
.,. Check the tire pressure on the spare wheel im­
mediate ly after mounting it .
.,. As soon as possible, have the
tightening tor­
ques
on all wheel bolts checked with a torque
wrench. The correct tightening torque is 90 ft
lb
(120 Nm).
284
.,. Have the flat tire replaced as soon as possible .
@ Tips
- If
you notice that the wheel bolts are cor­
roded and difficult to turn while changing a
tire, they shou ld be replaced before you
check the tightening torque .
- Drive at reduced speed until you have the
tightening torques checked.
- After chang ing a wheel, the tire pressure in
all four tires must be checked/corrected and
the tire pressure monitoring indicator m ust
be stored in the MMI
c:>page 273.
Decorative wheel covers
Applies to vehicles: wit h decorative wheel covers
The decorative wheel covers must be removed
first to access the wheel bolts .
Fig. 213 Chang ing a w heel : Remov ing t he wheel cover
Removing
.,. Insert the hook (provided with the vehicle tool
kit) in the hole in the wheel hub cover.
.,. Pull off the
decorative wheel cover c:> fig. 213 .