2016 AUDI A3 Fuel system

Check ing and F illing
Checking and Filling
Gasoline fuel
Gasoline grade
A pp lies to veh icles: w ith gaso li ne engine
The correct gasoline grade is stated on the inside
of the fuel filler door .
The vehicle is equipped with a catalytic converter
and must only be driven w ith
unleaded ga soli ne.
Aud i recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gas­
oline. Additional information on TOP TIER Deter­
gent Gaso line can be found on the offic ial web­
site (www .toptiergas.com) .
The individua l gasoline grades are differentiated
by
octane ratings . This value is given with (R +M)/
2 equating to AK I or in RON.
The fo llow ing headings match the co rrespon ding
sticker in the fue l fi ller door .
UNLEADED FUEL ONLY MIN . (R+M) /2 87
Regular/ MIN. RON
91 Regular
Use regu lar gaso line with minim um 87 AKI/
9 1 RON ~@ .
The max imum engine power is only reached if
p rem ium gasol ine 91 A KI/ 95 R ON is used.
UNLEADED FUEL ONLY PREMIUM MIN. (R
+M) /2
91 / SUPER MIN. RON 95
Using premium gasoli ne with m inim um 91 AKI/
9 5 RON is recommended.
If premium gasoline is not available, yo u can also
use reg ula r gasoline 87 AKI/ 91 RON . However
this does reduce t he engine powe r slight ly.
CD Note
- Fil li ng the tank just one ti me with leaded
f u el or other meta llic additives will caus e
p ermanent dete riorat io n to the cata lyt ic
conve rter func tion.
- When gasoline with an octane rati ng that is
too low is used , h igh speeds o r heavy engi ne
l o ad can lead to engi ne d am age.
228
(D Tips
The vehicle can be fi lled wit h fue l that has a
h igher octane rating than what is requi red by
the eng ine.
Blended gasoline
App lies to vehicles : wit h gasol ine engi ne
U se of g asoline conta ining alcohol or MTBE
(methyl tertiary butyl ether)
You may use unleaded gasoline blended with al ­
cohol o r MTBE (commonly referred to as oxygen­
ates) if the blended m ixt ure meets the fo llow ing
c rit er ia:
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
- Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or h igher.
- Blend must contain no more than 3% metha-
nol.
- Blend must contain more than 2% co-solvents.
Blend of ga soline and ethanol (grain alcoh ol or
ethyl alcohol)
- Anti-knoc k index must be 87 A KI or h igher.
- Blend must not conta in more t han 15% etha-
nol.
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
- Anti -knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend mus t contain no t more t han 15% M TBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform es­
pecially well for winter or s ummer dr iv ing . Du r­
i ng seasonal change-ove r, we s ugges t that you
fill up a t busy gas stat io ns where the seaso nal
adjustment is mo re l ikely to be made in t ime .
CD Note
-Methanol fuels which do not meet these re­
quireme nts may cause cor rosion and dam­
age to plas tic and rubber componen ts i n t he
fue l system.
- Do not use f ue ls that fa il to meet t he speci­
fie d cr iteria in th is ch ap ter.
...

,....,
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

Checking and Filling
Refueling
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel fi ller flap.
If the power locking system should fail, you can
still open the flap manually· for deta iled instruc­
tions see~
page 232 .
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle
in
c::;, page 303 .
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap tells
you the correct fuel for your vehicle . For more in­
formation about fuel specifications, see
c::;, page 228 .
Your vehicle fuel tank has an onboard refuelling
vapor recovery system . This feature helps to pre·
vent fuel vapors from escap ing from the tank and
polluting the environment while you refuel your
veh icle. In order to fill the tank properly while
protecting the environment, please fo llow this
refueling procedure carefully .
.&, WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never car­
ry additional fuel containers in your car. Gas
canisters and other containers used to trans­
port fuel can be dangerous . Such containers,
full or empty, may leak and could cause a fire
in a collision. If you must transport fuel to
use for your lawn mower, snow blower, etc.,
be very careful a nd always observe local and
state laws regard ing the use, t ransportation
and storage of such fue l containers. Make cer·
tain the container meets industry standards (ANSI/ASTM F852 · 86).
(D Note
Never drive yo ur vehicle unt il the fuel tank is
completely empty. The ir regula r supply of
fue l can cause misfiring. Gasoline could enter
the exhaust system and damage the catalytic
converter.
230
Fueling procedure
Fig. 186 R ig ht rea r side of t he ve hicle: ope ning the fuel
fil ler door
Fig. 187 Fuel fill er doo r wit h attached fue l cap
--0 > g:
Plug -in hybrid drive*: read and follow the instruc­
tions for refueling unde r
c::;,page 109.
Read and follow the information and warnings
when filling AdBlue
c::;,page 234.
The fuel filler door is unlocked or locked by the
central locking system .
Opening the fuel cap
.. Press the left side of the fuel filler door to open
it -arrow-¢
fig. 186.
.,. Unscrew the tank cap counterclockwise .
.. Place the cap from above on the open fuel filler
door ¢
fig. 187.
Closing the fuel cap
.. Turn the fuel cap clockwise until you hear it
lock.
.. Close fuel f iller door until it latches .
Once the pump nozzle switches off, the fuel tank
is "full". Do not fill the tank more. Otherwise the
expans ion space in the tank will be filled .
IJ.

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., The correct fuel type for your vehicle can be
found on a lab el located on the inside of the fue l
f ill er door . For ad dit ional information on fuel, re­
fer to
c:> page 228.
The fuel tank capacity of your vehicle can be
found in the
T ec hnical Da ta c:> page 303 .
To avoid fuel spill ing or evaporating from the f uel
tank always close fuel filler cap properly and
comp letely. An improperly closed fue l filler cap
may a lso cause the MIL lamp
c:> page 26 to come
on.
A WARNING
Not paying attention when fueling or han­
dling fuel incorrectly can lead to fires, exp lo­
sions or serious in juries.
- Fuel ignites eas ily and can cause serious
burns and other injuries.
-
- If you do not switch the eng ine off when fu­
eling and/or do not insert the fuel nozz le
completely into the tank opening, fuel can
leak out or run over . Leaked fuel can ignite
and sta rt a fi re .
- Do not use the telephone while fueling. The electromagnet ic rays can cause spa rks,
w hich can ignite fuel vapors and sta rt a fi re .
- Do not s it in you r vehicle while fueling . If
yo u must make an except io n and enter your
vehicle again wh ile fue ling , close the door
and touch met al to discharge static electri c­
ity befo re touching the fue l nozzle. Static
elect ricity can create sparks, whic h can ig ­
nite vapors when f ue li ng.
- Do not smoke or have an open flame i n the
area when fueling your vehicle or filling a
fuel container because this increases the risk of an explos ion.
- For your safety, carrying f uel containers in
your vehicle is not recommended. Whether
full or empty, the conta iner can leak and
cause a fire in the event of an accident.
- If you must make an exception and trans­ port a fuel container, note the following:
- Never fill the fuel containe r with fuel
while it is in or on the vehicle. S tat ic elec­
t ricity is d isc har ged when filling wh ich can
Ch eck ing and Filling
cause the fuel vapors to ignite and in­
creases the risk of an exp losion.
- Always place a fue l container on t he
ground before fill ing .
- Always hold the fue l nozzle completely in
the fuel conta iner when fill ing.
- If the fuel containe r is made of meta l, the
fuel nozzle must always be in contact with
the container when filling it with f uel. This
~revents static elect ricity from discharg­
ing .
- Never spill fue l in the vehicle or the lug­
gage compartment. Evaporated fuel is ex­
plosive and increases the risk of serious in­
jury or death .
- Fo llow lega l requirements when using,
stor ing and transporting fuel containers .
- Make su re the f uel container conforms to
industry standards (ANSI/ASTM F852-86).
(D Note
- Remove spilled fue l from vehicle pa int im­
mediately, because it can damage paint.
- Never drive unt il the fuel tank is complete ly
empty. The irreg ular s upply of fue l that re ­
sults from that can cause eng ine misfires.
Uncombusted fuel will enter the exhaust
system and increase the risk of damage to
t he cata lytic converter .
- If the fuel tank runs complete ly empty in a
vehicle with a
diesel engine , the ignition
must remain switched on fo r at least 30
seconds afte r refueli ng before starti ng the
eng ine.
It may t ake longer than u sual fo r
t he engine to s tart, even up to a minute .
T his is because t he air must f irst b leed ou t
of the fue l system when starting the engine.
@ For the sake of the environment
- If the fue l nozzle is use d co rrectly, it w ill in­
dica te t hat the t ank is full the first t ime it
switches off a utomatica lly. Do not try to
add more fuel, because it can spill ove r. A l­
so, the expansion space in the tank w ill fill
'
w hich can resu lt in fuel sp illing out when it
becomes wa rm and pollut ing the e nviron­
ment.
231

Checking and Filling
@ Tips
Fue l can age and may lead to prob lems when
starting. Audi recommends replacing the fuel
in your vehicle within six months.
@ Tips
- If the engi ne is running while fueling, va­
pors can escape or the fuel can spill over.
Because of th is, the fuel no zzle switches off
before the tank is full.
- Do not fuel the vehicle when the ignition is
switched on. Otherwise, the fuel gauge may
not show t he correct level after fueling the
vehicle .
- Diesel veh icles are equ ipped with a diesel
misfueling guard
1>. It allows the vehicle to
be f ueled on ly w ith a diesel fuel pump noz­
zle .
- A wo rn o r damaged nozzle or a nozzle that
i s too smal l may not be ab le to open the
diesel misfueling protector . If this is the
case, try t urning the nozzle before inserting
i t in the f uel fille r neck, u se a d ifferent fue l
pump or see an aut horized Audi dea ler or
a uthorized Audi Service Facility fo r assis­
tance .
- The misf ueling guard does not open when
adding fue l from a fue l conta iner . You can
bypass it by adding the diesel fuel slow ly.
- The fuel filler door on your ve hicle does not
l ock when you lock the vehicle from the in­
side.
l ) Ma rket -specifi c
232
Fuel filler door emergency release
If the cen tral locking system is faulty, the fuel
filler door can be unlocked manually .
Fig. 188 Right re ar l ug gag e compa rtm en t: em erg enc y re ­
lease (example)
T he emergency release mechan ism is located be­
hind the right s ide trim panel in the luggage
compartment.
.,. Remove the cover in the side panel.
.,. Loosen the loop from the retainer and then pull
on the loop carefully-arrow-
~ CD. The fuel fill­
er door is released .
.,. To open the f uel filler door, press on the left
side
~ page 230, fig. 186 .
Plug-in hybrid drive*: read and follow the instruc­
tions unde r
Qpage 109.
(D Note
Only pu ll on the loop until you feel res ista nce .
You wil l not hear it re lease. Otherw ise you
could damage the emergency release mecha­
n ism .
Catalytic converter
Applies to vehicles: with gasol ine engine
It is very important tha t your emi ssion control
sys tem (ca talytic conv erter) is functioning prop­
erly to ensure that your vehicle is running in an
env ironmentally sound manner .
.,. Always use lead-free gasoline ~ page 228, Gas­
oline grade .
.,. Never run the tank down all the way to empty . ..,.

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., ~ Never put too much motor oil in your engine
¢ page 242, Adding engine oil ~ Never try to push-or tow-start your vehicle.
The cata lytic converter is an efficient "clean -up"
device bui lt into the exhaust system of the vehi­
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 fue l is critica lly 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 i n 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 o n or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converte r o r
heat s hields. During dr iving, t he substance
used for under coati ng could ove rheat and
c ause a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fue l wi ll al ready ser iously degrade
the pe rformance of the ca talytic converter.
- Do not ex ceed the correct eng ine o il level
~page 242.
- Do not d rive until the fuel tank becomes
complete ly empty. The engine co uld m is­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get in to the
exhaust system and this co uld cause t he
cata lytic converter to overheat .
- Do no t sw itch off t he igni tion while t he vehi­
cle is moving.
- Do no t continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these cond it ions, as othe rwise fue l can
reach the catalytic converter. This cou ld re ­
su lt in overheating of the converter, req uir­
i ng its replacement.
Ch eck ing and Filling
-To ass ure eff icient operat ion of the Emis ­
sion Contro l System:
- Have yo ur vehicle maintained p roperly and
i n accordance with the serv ice recommen­
dat ions in yo ur War ranty
& Ma intenance
booklet.
- L ack of proper ma intenance as well as im­
p roper use of the ve hicle will impa ir the
f u nction of t he emission control system
a nd could lead to damage.
~ For the sake of the environment
Eve n when the Em iss ion Control System is op­
era ting properly, t he exhaus t gas can have a
su lf ur -li ke exhaus t gas sme ll under some op­
erating s tates . This depends on the sul fur
content of the fuel being used. Using a differ­
ent brand of fuel may help, or fi lling the tank
with lead-free super grade gasoline.
Diesel particulate filter
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h diesel eng ine
The diese l particu late filter filte rs nearly all of
the soot part icles out of the exhaust. The filter
cleans itself automatically under norma l driving
condit ions. If the filter cannot clean itself (for ex­
amp le, because yo u are o nly dr iving short distan ­
ces), the filte r becomes clogged with soot and
the
II symbol fo r the diese l par ticu late filter il­
l u minates
¢page 23.
A WARNING
-Do not park your veh icle over flammab le
materia ls such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel particu ­
late filte r cou ld start a fi re.
-
- Do not app ly an underbody protectant in the
exhaust system area or a fire could start .
233

Checking and Filling
CJ) Note
-Only use Ad Blue that conforms to the
standard ISO 22241-1. Do not mix any addi­
tives with the AdBlue and do not dilute it
with water.
- Only use refill bottles that are approved for your vehicle. Using other systems can cause Ad Blue to leak.
- Do not add Ad Blue to the diesel tank or add diesel fuel to the Ad Blue tank. Do not start
the engine under any circumstances if the
wrong fuel is filled in the tank . There is a
risk of damaging the fuel tank system and
the engine . See an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility for assis­
tance.
- AdBlue attacks surfaces such as painted ve­
hicle components, plastic and carpet. Re­
move the fluid as quickly as possible with a
damp cloth and plenty of cold water. If the
Ad Blue has already crystallized, use warm
water and a sponge. AdBlue residue that is
not removed will crystallize and can damage
the affected surface .
- Do not store the refill bottle in the vehicle.
If it leaks, the escaping Ad Blue could dam­
age the vehicle interior .
- Do not allow Ad Blue to come into contact
with clothing. If there is contact with the
fluid, flush immediately with plenty of wa ­
ter .
(D Tips
-You can obtain refill bottles from an author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility .
- Follow the Ad Blue manufacturer's instruc­
tions for use and storage .
- A permitted refill bottle contains approxi­
mately 1.9 liters of AdBlue .
- Ad Blue can freeze at very low temperatures.
If this happens, the system will not detect
that the Ad Blue was refilled and it will con­
tinue to inform you of the low AdBlue level.
The message turns off as soon as the tank
thaws out again.
236
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.
¢ .&. .
.8, 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.
- 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 electrical 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 with the en-
-
gine running, there is additional danger due ~

.... N
0 > CX)
.... I.Cl U"I
.... I.Cl ....
to moving components (such as the ribbed belt, alternator and radiator fan) and from
the high-voltage ignition system.
- Never reach into the radiator fan. The elec­
tric auxiliary fan is controlled by tempera­
ture and can switch on suddenly.
- Pay attention to the following warnings list­ ed when work on the fuel system or on the
electrical equipment is required.
- Always d isconnect the vehicle battery
from the vehicle electrical system
- Do not smoke
- Never work near open flames
- Always have a working fire extinguisher nearby
- To reduce the risk of electric shock and in­
jury, never touch the following components when the eng ine is running or is being start­
ed:
- Ignition cable
- Other components in the electronic h igh -
voltage ignition system
- If you must check or perform work on the engine while it is running:
- Set the parking brake and place the selec­
tor lever in the P (park) position first .
- Always proceed with extreme caution so
that clothing, jewelry or long ha ir do not
become caught in the radiator fan, fan
be lt or other moving components or do
not come into contact with hot compo­
nents. Tie back long hair before beginning
work and do not wear cloth ing that can
hang down into the engine.
- L imit your exposure to exhaust and chemi­
cals to as short a time as possible~&.
_& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or
em it chem icals known to the State of Cali ­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and reproductive harm. In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
C hecki ng an d Fill in g
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms.
Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When filling fluids, be sure not to mix the f lu­
i ds up. Otherwise severe malfunctions and en­
gine damage will occur.
@ For the sa ke of the environment
You should regularly check the ground under
your vehicle in order to detect leaks quickly. If there are visible spots from oil or other fluids, bring your veh icle to an authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Aud i Serv ice Facility to be
checked.
Opening the hood
The hood is released from the interior .
Fig. 191 Sectio n from t he driver 's side footwell: release
lever
Fig. 192 Rocker switch under the hood
237