2016 AUDI A3 service indicator

Check ing and F illing
Selective catalytic
reduction (AdBlue)
General information
Applies to vehicles: with diesel engine
In vehicles with selective cata lytic reduction, a
urea solution (AdB lue) is injected into the ex­
haust system before a nitrogen oxide catalytic
converter to reduce nitrogen emissions.
Ad B lue is the marketing name for Diesel Exha ust
Fl uid (DEF).
The AdBl ue is carried in a separate ta nk in the ve­
hicle. The Ad Blue usage accounts for approxi­
mate ly 0.5% to 1.2% of the diesel f uel that is
used .
W hen a message about refilling the Ad B lue ap­
pears in the instrument cluster disp lay, you must
refill the Ad Blue you rself or have it refilled by an
author ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility ¢
page 235.
A WARNING
-
Failure to heed AdBlue refill informat ion in
the instrument cluster can prevent the vehicle
from being started and dr iven . If the vehicle
cannot be driven and an emergency arises,
perso na l in jur y can occur.
- Always have the AdBlue tank refilled well
before the tank runs dry .
(D Tips
-The instrument cluster display indicates the
distance rema ining t hat can be driven
¢ page 234. If the AdBlue tank is com­
plete ly empty, the engine wi ll not start
again after the ignition is sw itched off.
- Ad B lue is req uired by law to operate this ve­
hicle.
234
· Messages in the instrument cluster display
Applies to vehicles: with diesel engine
T he display indicates if the Ad Blue level is low or
if there is a system malfunction .
AdBlue level low
Yo u w ill be informed if the AdB lue in the tank
drops below a certain level.
AdBlue /;) Refill xxx l -xxx l Ad Blue . Range
1500 mi (2400 km)
This message appears w hen the re is on ly enough
Ad Blue left to dr ive the dis tance indicated in the
driver information system . Refi ll the recom ­
mended amount of Ad Blue . The sma ller va lue
given in the message rep resents the minim um
amount and the larger value is the maxim um
amount.
AdBlue /9 Refill xxx l -x xx l Ad Blue ! No restart
in
600 miles ( 1000 km). See owner 's manual
This message appears w hen the re is on ly enough
Ad B lue left to drive the distance indicated in the
driver information system . Refi ll the recom­
mended amount of Ad Blue. Otherwise the engine
will not sta rt again if you stop it once the dis­
tance indicated h as been driven. The smaller val­
ue g iven in the message represents the m inimum
amount and t he larger value is the maxim um
amount . As long as the indicator
li gh t is on , you can chec k the rema ining range in
t h e tr ip comp ute r*.
Refill xxx l -xxx l Ad Blu e! Engine
start not po ssible! See owner 's manu al
This message appears when the Ad Blue tank is
empty . Fill the Ad Blue . Otherwise you w ill not be
able to sta rt the engi ne aga in once you stop it .
The Ad Blue must be refilled when the amount in
the tank has reached the min imum level
¢ page 235 , Filling AdBlue .
¢'4 Incorrect filling /system malfunction
A message appea rs if the Ad Blue tank was fi lled
with a f lu id other than Ad Blue and the system
has detected that the tank was filled incorrectly,
or if there is a system malfunction.

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
cont inue driving. See an authorized Audi deal ­
er or authorized Audi Service Facility for assis­
tance .
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on outomotico/ly by it­
self.
An auxiliary elect ric radiator fan sw itches on and
off depend ing on coolant temperature and other
vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary fa n
can cont inue runn ing fo r up to 10 minutes -even
with the ignition off . It ca n even switch on again
later by itself¢.&. , if
- the temperature of the engine coolant r ises due
to the heat bu ild -up from the engine in the e n­
gine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because the
vehicle is parked in intense sunlight .
A WARNING
-To reduce the risk of pe rsonal injury never
touch the radiator fan .
- The auxiliary electric fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on suddenly even
when the eng ine is not running.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on auto­
matically when the engine coo lant reaches a
certain tempe rature and w ill cont inue to run
until the coolant temperature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
F ig . 19 9 Engine co mpar tment: cove r o n t he b rake fluid
r e servo ir (example)
246
-
Before yo u check any thing in the engine compart ­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢ page 236, Working in the engine comport­
ment .
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the brake f luid
reservoir ¢
fig. 199, ¢ page 239, fig. 193 (ga­
soil engine) or ¢
page 240, fig. 194 (diesel en­
gine). The brake fluid level must be between
the "MIN" and "MAX" markings .
The location of the brake fl u id reservoir can be
seen in the engine compartment i llustration
q page239.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time
due to t he automatic adjustment of the brake
pads. This is not ca use for a larm.
If t he brake fluid level falls considerably below
the "M IN" mark, the brake warning/indicator
li ght ~ (U.S. models)
I. (Canadian models)
will come on
q page 18 . Do not continue to oper­
ate the vehicle . The complete brake system
shou ld be thorough ly checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified fac ility and the
cause corrected .
If the brake fl uid level is too
l ow, the bra ke war ning/ indicato r light w ill illumi­
na te. Cont act an a uthor ized Audi dealer
immedi­
atel y.
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced
technician.
B rake fl uid abso rbs moistu re from the air. If the
wa ter con ten t in the brake fluid is too high, cor­
r osion in the bra ke system may res ult after ape­
riod of time. The boi ling po int of the brake fluid
will a lso decrease considerably and decrease
bra king performance.
Therefore, the bra ke fluid m ust be changed
every
two year s. Always use new brake f luid which con­
forms to Federa l Motor Vehicle Standard " FMVSS
116 DO T 4" .
The brake fluid reservoir can be diffic ult to reac h,
the refore, we recommend that you have t he
brake fluid changed by your author ized
Audi
dealer .
Your dealer has the correct tools, the

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., right brake fluid and the know-how to do this for
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

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
-Have an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty check the wheel alignment if
there is unusual wear .
-Have the wheels rebalanced if an imbalance is causing noticeable
vibration in the steering wheel. If you do not, the tires and other
vehicle components could wear more quickly.
Treadwear indicator
Original equipment tires contain
treadwear indicators in the tread pattern, which are bars that are 1/16 in. (1.6 mm) high and are
spaced evenly around the tire per­
pendicular to the running direc­
tion
¢ fig . 203 . The letters "TWI"
or triangles on the tire sidewall indicate the location of the tread­
wear indicators.
The tires have reached the mini­ mum tread depth
l) when they
have worn down to the tread wear
indicators. Replace the tires with
new ones
¢ ..&. .
Wheel rotation
Rotating the wheels regularly is
recommended to ensure the tires
1> Obey any applicable regulations in your
country.
262
wear evenly. To rotate wheels, in­
stall the wheels from the rear
axle on the front axle and vice
versa . This will allow the tires to
have approximately the same
length of service life.
For unidirectional tires, make
sure the tires are installed accord­
ing to the running direction indi­
cated on the tire sidewall
¢page 288.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims can of­
ten occur in locations that are hidden . Unusual vibrations in the
vehicle or pulling to one side may indicate that there is tire damage.
Reduce your speed immediately.
Check the tires for damage . If no
damage is visible from the out­
side, drive slowly and carefully to
the nearest authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Fa­
cility to have the vehicle inspect­
ed .
.&_ WARNING
Tread that has worn too low or
different tread depths on the
tires can reduce driving safety. ,..

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., Indicator lights
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

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., Audi adaptive light
refer to Adaptive light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Aud i connect e-tron services ..... .. .... .
Charg ing . .. .. .. ........... .. .. .... .
Climate control ...... .
..... .. .. .... .
Doors and lights .................... .
Vehicle data
. . ................ ..... .
Vehicle position ................ .... .
Vehicle status
. ............... .. .... .
Aud i drive select
refer to Drive select ............ ..... .
Audi Service Repair Manuals and Literature
Audi side assist
refer to Side assist .......... .. .. .. .. .
AUTO
124
125
126
124
124
125 125
148
306
145
Automatic climate control system . . . . . . . 72
Automatic headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Auto Lock (central locking system) . . . . . . . . 36
Automatic belt retractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Automatic climate control system
refer to Climate control system (automatic) .7.2
Automatic headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Automatic post-collision braking system . . 159
Automatic transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Driving tips ... ................ ..... .. 91
Emergency mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Hill descent contro l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Ignition key safety interlock . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Kick-down · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · . .... .. 94
Launch Control -Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Selector lever emergency re lease . . . . . . . . 96
Selector lever lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Selector lever positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Shifting manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Steering whee l with shift paddles. . . . . . . . 94
S tronic · . .. .. ................ ..... .. 89
tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Automatic wipe/wash system . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Auto Safety Hotline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 4
Auxiliary climate control 122
Auxiliary heater (vehicles w ith diesel eng ines) .7.5
Auxiliary heating/ air conditioning . . . . . . . 122
Average consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Average speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Index
B
Bag hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Charge level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 121, 249
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Important warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Jump starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Location · · .... .. .. ............... .. 248
Replacing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Win ter operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Working on the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Before driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Blended gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
B lower
automatic Climate control system . . . . . . . 73
Manual climate control system........ .. 71
Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Booster seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Boost pressure indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Brake fluid Chang ing the brake flu id . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Checking the brake fluid level . . . . . . . . . . 246
Brakes · · · · · .. .. .. .. 161
....... ........ ..
Brake ass ist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Brake booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
New brake pads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Brake system Brake fluid 246
Brake fluid specificat ions for refill and re­
placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Fluid reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Worn brake pads symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Braking Emergency braking function . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Starting on inclines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Break-in period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Breaking in New tires 260
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
311