2016 AUDI A3 maintenance

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traff ic. Keep practicing until you have be­
come completely familiar with the way your vehi­
cle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer­
ing action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. You wi ll need more
room to stop. To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accel­
erate as fast as you norma lly would because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rap id lane
changes.
@ Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
tra load
¢ page 306.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only ofter doing the following:
When parking:
.. Apply the foot brake .
.. Have someone pla ce chocks under both the ve­
hicle and the trailer wheels .
.. With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load .
.. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.. Apply the parking brake .
.. Select the P selector lever position.
When restarting after parking :
.. Apply the foot brake.
.. Start the engine.
.. Select the D/S selector lever position.
Trailer mode
.. Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
.. Stop and have someone retrieve the whee l
chocks.
{!) Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automat­
ic transmission to P before applying the park­
ing brake and before blocking the wheels, you
may have to use more force later to move the
lever out of the P posit ion.
129

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., -If you are unable to determine whether or
not a particular fuel blend meets the speci­
ficat ions, ask your service station or its fuel
supplier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents can­
not be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance prob­
lems resulting from the use of fue ls diffe r­
ent from those specified are not the respon­
s ibility of Audi and are not covered under
the New Veh icle or the Emiss ion Control
System Warrant ies .
- If you experience a loss of fue l economy or
driveability and pe rformance prob lems due
to the use of one of these fuel blends, we r ecommend that you switch to unblended
fuel.
Gasoline additives
A ma jor concern among many auto manufactur­
ers is carbon deposit build-up ca used by the type
of gasoline yo u use.
A lthough gasoline gr ades d iffer from one manu ­
facturer to another, they have cer tain things in
common . A ll gasoline grades contain substances
that can cause deposits to collect on vita l engine
parts, such as fue l injectors and intake valves. Al­
though most gasoline brands include additives to
keep engine and fuel systems clean, they are not
equally effective .
Aud i recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gas­
oline. For more informat ion on TOP TIER Dete r­
gent Gasoline, please go to the official website (www.toptiergas .com) .
After an extended period of using inadequate
fuels, carbon deposit build-ups can rob your en­
g ine of peak performance.
(D Note
Damage o r malfunction due to poo r fuel q ual­
ity is not covered by the Aud i New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
Ch eck ing and Filling
Diesel fuel
Applies to vehicles: wi th diesel engine
Always use U LSD (Ultra Low Sul fur Diesel) No. 2 .
The ULSD No . 2 meets the ASTM D97S.
D iesel f ue l w it h con cen tratio ns of b iod iesel h igh­
er than 5% such as B11, B2 0 or B100 are strictly
prohib ited .
Se rvice station fuel pumps are labe led with the
correct f uel info rmation for easy recog nition by
the user. If the d iesel f uel pump is no t labeled
ask the station operator wha t fu el is being dis ­
pensed before filling up your vehicle .
UL SD No. 2 m ay not be available outside the USA
and Can ada . Be s ure to che ck before traveling to
other countries .
UL SD No . 2 can become thic ke r i n ve ry co ld tem­
peratures, and th is can imp air the engine's s tart ­
ing and running. Depend ing on the season, gas
stations provide ULS D No . 2 that flows be tter in
cold temperatures so that you can continue oper­
at ing your vehicle as usual.
(D Note
- Your vehicle's diese l engine was designed
soley for use w ith ULSD No . 2 . Therefo re,
neve r use gasoline, heating oil, other fuels
or flow imp rovers. These contain substances
that will severely damage the fuel system and the engine . Such damage will not be
covered by yo ur New Vehicle Limi ted War­
ranty .
- If you put a ny amo unt of incorrect fuel in
the fuel tank, do not sta rt the eng ine under
any circumstances. Immed iately contact the
nea res t author ized A udi dealer or author­
ize d Aud i Serv ice Facili ty fo r ass ist ance.
T hese f uels conta in su bstances tha t can se­
verely damage the fuel system an d the en­
gine if the engine is started.
- If the diese l fuel quality is poo r, it may be
necessary to have the wate r drained from
the water sepa rato r in the
fuel filter more
often t han spec ified in the maintenance
schedule. This can help reduce engine mal­
functions <=>
page 24.
229

Using the proper engine oil is important for the
functionality and service life of the engine. Your
engine was factory-filled with a high -quality oil
which can usually be used throughout the entire
yea r.
Note
Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not
cover damage or malfunctions d ue to failure
to follow rec ommended maintenance and use
requireme nts as s et forth in the Audi Owner's
Manual and Warranty & Maintenance booklet.
- Use only a high quality engine oi l that ex-
pressly complies with the Au di oil quality
standard specified for your vehicle's engine.
Using any o ther oil can cause serious engine
damage.
- Do not mix any lubricants o r other additives
into the engine oil. Doing so can cause en­
gine damage.
@ Tips
If you need to add oil and there is none availa­
ble that meets the Audi o il quality standard
your eng ine requ ires, you may add a total of
no more than 0 .5 quart/li ter of a h igh-quality
"synthet ic"oil that meets the following speci ­
fications.
- Vehicles with gasoline eng ine: ACEA A3 o r
API SM with a viscosity grade of SAE OW-30,
SAE SW-30 or SAE SW-40.
- Vehicles with diesel eng ine: ACEA C3 or
API CF with a viscosity grade of SAE OW-30
or SAE SW -30.
- For more information about engine oil that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact e ither your authorized Audi dea ler
or Audi Customer Relat ions at
1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
www.audiusa.com or www.aud icanada.ca.
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an ode-
;::: quote amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of
~ its moving parts . co ,....,
~ In order to provide effective lubr ication and cool-,....,
:=: ing of internal engine components, all internal
Ch eck ing and Filling
combustion engines consume a certain amo unt
of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to en­
gine and may change s ignificantly over the life of
the engine. Typ ically, engines w ith a specified
break-in period (see¢
page 77) consume more
o il during the break-in per iod than they consume
after o il consumption has stab il ized.
Under normal cond itions, the rate of oil con ­
sumption depends on the quality and viscos ity of
the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute) at
wh ich the engine is operated, the amb ient tem­
perature and road co ndit ions. Further facto rs a re
the amount of oi l di lution from wate r condensa­
tion or fuel resid ue and the oxidat ion level of the
o il. As any engine is subject to wear as mileage
builds up, the oil consumption may increase over
time unti l replacement of worn components may
become necessary.
With a ll these variab les coming into play, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be estab ­
li shed or specified. There is no alternative to reg­
u lar and frequent checking of the oi l level, see
Note .
If the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l l!I
in the instrument cluster lights up, you should
check the oi l level as soon as possible
¢
page 242. Top off the o il at your earliest con­
venience ¢
page 242.
A WARNING
-Before you check anyt hing in the engine com-
partment, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
¢page 236.
(D Note
Driving wit h an insufficient oil level is likely to
cause severe damage to the eng ine.
(D Tips
- The oil pressu re wa rning display. is not
an indicator of the oi l le vel. Do not rely on
i t. In stead , check th e oil level in your en­
gine at regular intervals, preferably each
time you refuel, and alway s before goi ng
on a long trip .
241

Checking and Filling
Service interval display
The service interval display detects when your ve­
hicle is due for service.
The service interval display works in two stages:
-Inspection or oil change reminder: after a cer-
tain distance driven, a message appears in the
instrument cluster display each time the igni ­
tion is switched on or off . The remaining dis­
tance or time is displayed briefly.
- Inspection or oil change due: if yo ur vehicle
has reached an inspection or oi l change interval
or both intervals at the same time, the mes­
sage
Inspection due! or Oil change due! or Oil
change and inspection due!
appears briefly af­
ter switching the ignition on/off .
Checking service intervals
You can check the remaining distance or time un­
til the next oil change or next inspection in the
MMI. Select the
I MENU I button> Car> Systems *
control button > Service & control > Service in­
tervals .
Resetting the indicator
Your authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Serv ice Facility will reset the serv ice interval dis­
p lay after performing service.
If you perform an oil change yourself to the Audi
specifications, you must reset the service interval
d isp lay.
To reset the display, select the
I MENU ! button >
Car > Systems * control button > Service & con­
trol
> Service intervals > Reset oil change inter­
val.
([) Note
-Only reset the oil change indicator if the oil
was changed.
- Following the service intervals is critical to
maintain ing the service life and va lue of
your vehicle, especially the engine. Even if
the m ileage on the vehicle is low, do not ex­
ceed the time for the next service.
- Calculating the time to the next oil change
i s interrupted when the ve hicle battery is
disconnected. If the vehicle is not driven for
252
a long period of time, check the mainte ­
nance schedule so that you can fo llow the
maintenance intervals.

Tires and wheels
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la­
bel, you should determine the proper tire
inflation pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure tell­
tale when one or more of your tires is significant­ ly under-inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure . Driving on a signifi­
cantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over­
heat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re­
sponsibility to maintain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pres­
sure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the sys­
tem is not operating properly. The TPMS mal­
function indicator is combined with the low tire
pressure telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi­
mately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal­
function exists .
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated,
the system may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly .
272
· If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 206 Instrument cl uster: i ndic ator lig ht with message
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor­
ing system compares the tire tread circumfer­
ence and vibration characteristics of the individu ­
al tires . If the pressure changes in one or more
tires , this is indicated in the instrument cluster
display with an indicator light
Rt] and a message
¢fig. 206. If only one tire is affected, the loca­
tion of that tire will be indicated. The message
turns off after a few minutes. You can display the
message again¢
page 30.
The tire pressures must be stored in the menu
display again each time the pressures change
(switching between partial and full load pres­
sure) or after changing or replacing a tire on your
vehicle
¢ page 273. The tire pressure monitor­
ing system only monitors the tire pressure you
have stored . You can find the recommended tire
pressures for your vehicle on the label on the
driver's door pillar¢
page 263.
Tire tread circumference and vibration character­
istics can change and cause a tire pressure warn­
ing if:
- If the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the tire has structural damage,
- The tire was replaced or the tire pressure
changed and it was not stored again
¢page 273.
-the spare tire is installed.

Fuses a nd bul bs
Bulbs
Replacing light bulbs
For your safety, we recommend that you have
your authorized Audi dealer replace burned out
bulbs for you.
It is becoming increasingly more and more diffi­
cult to replace vehicle light bulbs since in many
cases, other parts of the car must first be re­
moved before you are able to get to the bu lb .
This applies espec ially to the light bulbs in the
front of your car wh ich you can only reach
through the engine compartment .
Sheet metal and bulb holders can have sharp
edges that can cause ser ious cuts, and parts
m ust be correctly taken apa rt and then p roperly
put back together to help prevent breakage of
parts and long term damage from water that can
enter housings that have not been properly re­
sealed.
For your safety, we recommend that you have
your authorized Audi dealer replace any bu lbs for
you, since your dealer has the proper tools, the correct bulbs and the expertise.
G as di sc harg e l am ps (Xe non li ghts):
Due to the high electrical voltage, have the bulbs
replaced by a qua lified technic ian . Headlights
with Xenon light can be identified by the high­
voltage sticker.
LED headlights* require no maintenance. Please
contact your authorized Aud i dealer if a bulb
needs to be replaced.
A WARNING
Contact w ith high-voltage components of the
electrical system and improper rep lacement
of gas discharge (Xenon) headlight bulbs can
cause serious personal injury and death.
- Xenon bulbs are pressurized and can ex­
plode when being changed.
- Changing Xenon lamps requires the special training, instructions and equipment.
- Only an a uthorized Audi dea ler or other
qualified workshop should change the bulbs
in gas discharge lamps .
294
A WARNING
-
There are parts with sharp edges on the open-
ings and on the bulb holders that can cause
serious cuts.
- If you are uncertain about what to do, have
the work performed by an authorized Audi
dealer or other qualified workshop. Ser ious
pe rsonal injury may resu lt from improperly
pe rformed wor k.
@ Tips
- If you still prefer to replace the light bulbs
yourself, be aware that the engine compart­ ment is a hazardous area to work in
9 page 2369 .&.
-It is best to ask your authorized Audi dealer
whenever you need to change a bulb.

,..,
N
0 > co ,.., Technical dat a
53 Sedan 2.0L, 4-cylinder
Maximum output SAE net hp@rpnn 292 @ 5400 -6200
Maximum torque SAE net lb
-ft@ rpm 280@ 1900 -S300
Displacement CID (cm
3
) 121 (1984)
Engine oil with filter change
1>
Fuel <=> page 228, Gasoline fuel
ll For specific engine oil capacities, please see
the most current information for the USA at
http:/ /www.audiusa.com/help/ma intenance or
Diesel engine
A3 Sedan, 2.0L TDI, 4-cylinder
Max imum outpu t SA E net hp@ rpnn
Maximum torque SAE net lb-ft@ rpm
Displacement C
ID (cm
3
)
Engine oil with filter change1l for
Canada at http:/ /www.audi.ca/ca/brand/ en/
your _audi/aud i_services_and/Care_a nd_Mainte­
nance/schedule. html or call 800-822-2834.
150@ 3S00 -4000
237@ 1750 -3000
120 (1968)
Fuel
<=> page 2 2 9, Diesel fuel
l ) For specific engi ne oil capac ities, please see
the most current information fo r the USA at
http:/ /www .a udiusa .com/he lp/maintenance or
A3 Sportback, 2.0L TDI, 4-cylinder
Maximum output SA E net hp@rpnn
Maximum torque SAE net lb-ft@ rpm
Displacement C
ID (cm
3
)
Engine oil with filter change1l for Canada at http://www.audi.ca/ca/brand/ en/
you
r _ audi/ aud i _serv ices _and/Care _a nd _Ma inte­
nance/schedule . html or call 800 -822 -2834 .
1 50@ 3S00 -4000
237@ 1750 -3000
120 (1968)
Fuel
c> page 229, Diesel fuel
l ) For specific engine oil capac ities, please see
the most current information for the USA at
h ttp:/ /www .audiusa .com/he lp/maintenance or
for Canada at http://www .audi .ca/ca/brand/ en/
your _aud i/ aud i_services _a nd/Ca re _and _M a i nte­
na nce/ schedu le.html or call 800-822-2834.
305

Consumer information
Consumer information
Warranty coverages
Your Audi is covered by the following warran­
ties:
- New Vehicle Limited Warranty
- Limited Warranty Against Corrosion Perfora-
tion
- Emissions Control System Warranty
- Emissions Performance Warranty
- California Emissions Control Warranty (USA
vehicles only)
- California Emissions Performance Warranty
(USA vehicles only)
Detailed information regarding your warranties
can be found in your
Warranty & Maintenance
booklet .
Operating your vehicle
outside the U.S.A. or
Canada
Government regulati ons in the United States and
Canada require that automobi les meet specific
emission regulations and safety standards.
Therefore, vehicles built for the U.S.A. and Cana ­
da differ from vehicles sold in other countries.
If you plan to take your vehicle outside the conti­
nenta l limits of the United States or Canada,
there is the poss ibility that:
- un leaded fue ls for vehicles with catalytic con­
verter may not be available;
- fuel may have a considerably lower octane rat­
ing . Improper fuel may cause engine damage;
- service may be inadequate due to lack of proper
service facilities, tools or testing equipment;
- r eplacement parts may not be readily available.
- Nav igation systems for veh icles built for the
U.S .A . and Canada will not necessarily work in
Europe, and may not work in other countries
outside North America.
306
(D Note
Audi cannot be responsib le for mechanical
damage that could result from inadequate
fuel, service or parts ava ilability.
Audi Service Repair
Manuals and Literature
Audi Official Factory Service Manuals and Litera ­
ture are published as soon as poss ible after mod­
el introduction . Service manuals and literature
are available to order from the Audi Technical Lit ­
erature Ordering Center at :
www.audi.techliterature .com
Maintenance
General '
Your vehicle has been designed to help keep
maintenance requirements to a minimum. How­
ever, a certain amount of regular maintenance is
still necessary to assure your vehicle's safety,
economy and reliability . For detailed vehicle
maintenance consult your Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet .
Under difficult operating conditions, for exam ­
ple at extremely low outside temperatures, in
very dusty regions, when towing a trailer very fre­
quently, etc., some service work should be per­
formed between the intervals specified. This ap­
plies particularly to:
- oil changes, and
- cleaning or replac ing the a ir filter .
'
@) For the sake of the environment
By regularly maintain ing your vehicle, you
help make sure that em iss ion standards are
maintained, thus minimizing adverse effects
on the environment .
Important considerations for you and your
vehicle
The increasing use of electronics, sophisticated
fuel injection and emission control systems, and
the generally increas ing technica l complexity of ..,_