2016 AUDI A3 Owner´s Manual

,....,
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you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored
only in the closed original container out of
the reach of chi ldren!
- Brake failure can resu lt from old or inappro­
priate brake fluid. Observe these precau­
t ions:
- Use only brake flu id that meets SA E speci­
fication
J 1703 and conforms to Federal
Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake fluid.
The correct type of brake fluid is also indi­
cated on the brake flu id reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of
the brakes can cause a vapor lock if the
brake fluid is left in the system too long.
This can ser iously affect the efficiency of
the brakes as well as your safety. This
could result in an acc ident.
(D Note
Brake fluid w ill damage the pa int of your vehi­
cle.
For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of
brake flu id as well as the special tools re­
quired and the necessary expertise, we rec­
ommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer.
Battery
General information
All work on the battery requires expert knowl­
edge.
Read and foll ow t he WARNING S before check­
ing anything in the engine compartment
¢ page 236, Working in the engine comport ­
ment.
Ch eck ing and Filling
Plug -in hybrid drive* : you can find important in ­
formation about the high -vo ltage battery under
¢ page 98.
The battery in yo ur Audi does not need any ma in­
tenance under
normal operating conditions . Audi
recommends having the electrolyte level check
by an authorized Audi dealer or author ized Audi
Service Facility when there are
high outside tem­
peratures or when dr iving all day. The e lectrolyte
level should also be checked each time the bat ­
tery is charged¢
page 249.
Have the battery checked when you bring your ve­
hicle in for an inspection. It is a good idea to re­
place the battery if it is more than 5 years old.
D uring certa in types of a irbag deployments, the
battery is d isconnected from the veh icle electri­
cal system for safety reasons¢
& in Repair, core
and disposal of the airbags on page 199.
Di sco nnecting the battery te rminal s
The battery should not be disconnected. Several
vehicle functions (power windows, for example)
will be lost when the battery is disconnected. The
funct ions must be reprogrammed after connect­
ing the battery. To avoid this, the battery should
only be disconnected from the vehicle electrical
system when it is absolutely necessary.
To reprogram the functions, proceed as follows:
Function Reprogramming
Power window one-¢ page 44, Correcting
touch up/down func-power window molfunc-
tion tions
Remote control key or
If the vehicle does not
Convenience key react to the key, it must
be synchronized
¢page 37
Dig ita l clock ¢page 10
ESC indicator light The indicator light goes
out after driving a few
meters
247

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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-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

Check ing and F illing
Al ways read and heed all WARNING S below
¢
A and ¢ A in Working on the battery on
page 248.
... Swi tch off the ignition and all electrical con­
sumers .
... Make sure the area is well ventilated when you
charge the battery.
... Open the engine hood ¢
page 23 7.
... Open the red cover on the positive pole
¢fig . 200.
... Clamp the cha rge r terminal clamps as instruct­
ed on the
batt ery terminal (+ ) and only on the
bo dy ground poin t(·).
... Only now pl ug the mains lead for the charging
equipment into the wall outlet and turn it on
¢£ .
... Make su re the ch arg ing rate is not o ver
3 0 a mp s/ 1 4.8 Volt.
... When the battery is fully charged: Turn the
charg ing equipment off and remove the mains
lead from the wall outlet.
... Now remove the clamps fo r the charging equ ip-
ment .
... Close the red cover on the positive pole.
... Close the hood ¢
page 238.
A discharged battery can freeze at temperatures
of only 32 F
0 (0 °C). A llow a frozen battery to
thaw comp letely before attempt ing to c harge it
¢
.&. . However, we recommend not us ing a
thawed batte ry again because the battery casing
can be cracked due to ice formation and can leak
battery acid.
Battery charging (Ma ximum charging rate of
30 amp s/ 14.8 Volt )
When charging at low voltages (e.g. with a trick­
le charger ),
the battery cables do not have to be
d isconnected first. The battery caps should
not
be opened when charging a battery.
It is not necessary to remove the battery from
the lu ggage compartment, and it is also not nec­
essary to disconnect the cables.
250
Fast charging the battery (charg ing rat e
abov e 14.8 Volts )
For technical reasons do not use a battery charg­
er that uses voltage greater than 14.8 Volts to
charge your veh icle's battery.
A WARNING
Charg ing a battery can be dangerous .
-Always follow the operating instructions
provided by the battery charger manufactur­
er when charging your battery .
- Never charge a frozen battery.
It may ex­
plode because of gas trapped in the ice. Al­
low a frozen battery to thaw out first.
- Do not reuse batteries which were frozen.
The battery hous ing may have cracked and
weakened when the battery froze.
- Charge the battery in a well ventilated area .
Keep away from open flame or electrical
spark. Do not smoke . Hydrogen gas generat­
ed by the batte ry is explosive .
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never
connect or d isconnect charger cables while
the charger is ope rating .
- Fast charg ing a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a competent
technician w ith the prope r equipment.
- Batte ry acid that may spill during charging
should be washed off w ith a so lution of
warm water and baking soda to neutra lize
the ac id.
{[) Note
Never use a fast cha rge r as a booster to start
the eng ine. This will se riously damage sensi­
tive elec tronic components, such as control
u nits, re lays, ra dio, e tc., as well as the ba ttery
charger.
Battery replacement
The new battery must hove the some specifica­
tions and dimensions as the original equipment
battery .
Intelligent energy man agement in yo ur vehicle is
r esponsib le for d istr ib uting the elec trica l energy ..,.

,....,
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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
-N ~
"' 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

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.

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Tires and wheels
Wheels
General information
... Check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob­
jects from the tire tread.
.,. If driving over c urbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap ­
proach the curb at an angle.
.,.Have faulty tires or rims re­
placed immediately.
... Protect your tires from oil,
grease and fuel.
.,.Mark tires before removing
them so that the same running direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled .
... Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as possible.
(D Note
-Please note that summer and winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical in those seasons. Audi recom­
mends using winter tires dur­
ing the winter months. Low
temperatures significantly de­
crease the elasticity of summ ­
er tires, which affects traction
Tires and wheels
and braking ab ility. If summer
tires are used in very cold
temperatures, cracks can form on the tread bars, result ing in
permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be
used in winter driving condi­
tions. The surface of the rims does not have sufficient corro­
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam­
aged by road salt or sim ilar
substances.
Ti re designations
Fig. 202 Tire specification codes on the
sidewall of a tire .,.
253

Tires and wheels
(D Tires for passenger vehicles
(if applicable)
P indicates a tire for a passenger
vehicle. T indicates a tire desig­ nated for temporary use.
@ Nominal width
Nominal width of the tire be­
tween the sidewalls in millime­
ters. In general: the larger the number, the wider the tire.
@ Aspect ratio
Height/width ratio expressed as a
percentage.
@ Tire construction
R indicates a radial tire.
® Rim diameter
Size of the rim diameter in inches.
@ Load index and speed rating
The load index indicates the tire's
load-carrying capacity.
The speed rating indicates the maximum permitted speed
¢ & in
Winter tires on page 269 .
"EXTRA LOAD", "xl" or "RF" indi­
cates that the tire is reinforced or
is an Extra Load tire.
Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
ing
p
up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (160 km/h )
254 Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
ing
R
u p to 106 mph (170 km/h)
s up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
u up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)al
z above 149 mph (240 km/h)al
w up to 168 mph (270 km/h)al
y up to 186 mph (300 km/h)al
a) Tire manufacturers sometimes use "ZR"
for ti res with a maximum speed above
149 mph (240 km/h).
(j) US DOT number (TIN) and
manufacture date
The manufacture date is listed on
the tire sidewall (it may only ap­
pear on the inner side of the tire):
DOT ... 2215 ...
means, for example, that the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of
the year 2015.
@ Audi Original equipment
tires
Audi Original equipment tires
with the designation "AO" or "RO"
have been specially matched to
your Audi . When used correctly,
these tires meet the highest standards of safety and handling.
An authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility will .,..