2016 AUDI A3 service

Driving
- Hill Hold cannot hold the vehicle in all h ill
start situations (for example, if the ground
is slippery or icy).
- If you do not begin moving immediate ly af­
ter releasing the brake pedal, the vehicle
could beg in to roll backward under certain
c ir cumstances . Press the brake pedal or set
the parking brake immediately.
- If the engine "sta lls", press the brake pedal
o r set the parking brake immediately.
- Stop-and-go traff ic on incl ines: to help pre­
vent the veh icle from rolling back when con ­
t inuing to drive, p ress and hold the brake
pedal for several seconds when the vehicle
is stationary.
(0 Tips
You can find out if your vehicle is equipped
w ith Hill Hold by check ing at an authorized
Audi dea le r or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty.
88

.... N
0 > CX)
.... I.Cl U"I
.... I.Cl ....
The selector lever is not locked when shifting
quickly through N, for examp le from R to D . This
makes it poss ible to free the vehicle when it is
stuck by "rocking" it . The selecto r lever lock en­
gages if the lever stays in the N position longer
than approximately 2 seconds when the brake
pedal is not pressed .
Interlock button
The interlock button in the selector lever handle
prevents you from moving the selector lever in­
adverten tly while in some sele ctor lever posi­
tions . The posit ions that require the lock button
to be pressed are marked in color in the illustra­
tion
¢ fig . 82 .
Ignition key safety interlock*
You can only remove the key from the ignition af­
ter switching the ignition off if the selec tor lever
is in the P position . The selector lever will be
l ocked in the P pos ition as long as the key is not
in the ignition .
.&, WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS.¢ & in Selec­
tor lever positions on page 89.
{O) Tips
-If the select or lever does not engage, there
i s a malfunction. The eng ine is disabled to
prevent the vehicle from driving off unin­
tentionally. Press the brake pedal briefly to
allow the selector lever lock to engage
again.
- If the vehicle does not move forward or in
reverse even though a drive position is se­
l ected, proceed as follows:
->If the veh icle does not move in t he desired
direction, the system may not have engaged
the drive position correctly. Press the brake
pedal and select the drive position again .
-> If the vehicle still does not move in the de­
sired direction, there is a system malfunc­
tion. See an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility for assistance
to have the system checked.
Automatic transmission
Driving tips
Applies to vehicles : wit h S t ronic transmiss ion
T he transmission shifts up and down automati­
cally when in the driving gears .
Fig. 83 Section of t he center conso le: sel ector leve r wit h
inte rlock butto n
The engine will only be able start when the selec­
tor lever is in the P or N pos itions . At low temper ­
atures (below 14 °F (-10 °()), the eng ine can only
be started when the selector lever is in the P po­
sition.
Starting from a stop
.,. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.,. Press and hold the interlock butto n in these­
lector lever handle, select the desired selector
lever position such as D ¢
page 89 and release
t he lock button.
.,. Wait a moment until the transmission shifts.
You w ill not ice a slight movement when the
gear engages .
.,. Release the brake pedal and press the accelera­
tor pedal ¢&, .
Stopping temporarily
.,. Keep the vehicle stationary using the braking
pedal, for examp le at traffic lights.
.,. Do not press the accelerator pedal when doing
this .
.,. To prevent the vehicle from rolling when you
start driving, set the parking brake when stop­
ping on steep incl ines ¢&, .
.,. The parking brake will release automat ically
and the vehicle will start moving once yo u press
the acce le rator pedal. Requirement: the driv­
er 's doo r must be closed and the driver's safety
be lt must be fastened . ..,.
91

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., Launch Control-Program
Applies to vehicles: with launch control
The Launch Control Program enables maximum
acceleration .
Requirement: the engine must be at operating
temperature and the steering wheel must not be
turned .
.. With the engine running, press the
l~OFF ! but­
ton briefly one time
ll .
.. Pull the selector lever back out of the D/S posi­
tion briefly to select the S position, or press it
toward the right into the tiptronic pos ition or
select the
D ynami c driving mode in drive se­
lect*
~page 148.
.. Press the b rake peda l firmly wi th you r left foot
and hold it all the way down for at least 1 sec­
ond.
.. At the same time, press the gas pedal all the
way down with your right foot until the engine
reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
.. Remove your left foot from the brake.
A WARNING
-Always adapt yo ur driv ing to the traffic flow.
- Only use Launch Control when road and traf-
fic cond itions allow it and other dr ivers will
not be endangered or impacted by you r d riv­
ing and the vehicle's accele ration.
- Please note that the drive whee ls can sp in
and the vehicle can break away when sport
mode is swit ched o n, especia lly when the
road is s lippery.
- Once t he vehicle has sta rted moving, press
the
I $? OFF ! button briefly to t urn the sport
mode off.
(D Tips
- The transmiss ion temperature may increase
s ignificantly after using the lau nch cont rol
program.
If that happe ns, the program m ay
l) In vehicles w ith a d river information system, an ESC light
in the instrument cluster stays o n continuous ly and the
message
Stabili za tion contro l (E SC ): sport . Warning! Re·
stricted st abi lity
appears temporar ily.
Autom atic tran sm iss ion
not be ava ilab le for a few minutes. It will be
avai lab le again after a cool-down period.
- Whe n accelerating using the launch contro l
program, all vehicle parts a re su bject to
heavy loads. This can lead to increased
wear.
Emergency mode
Applies to vehicles: wit h S tronic transmiss ion
In the event of o system mo/function, there is on
emergency program.
If all of the selector lever positions are hig hlight­
ed with a light background in the instrument
cluster disp lay, there is a system malfunction and
the S tronic transmission is running in the emer­
gency program. The vehicle can still be driven in
emergency mode, but only with reduced speed
and not in all gears . In some cases, the vehicle
cannot drive in rever se .
(D Note
If the transm ission runs in emergency mode,
drive to an authorized A udi dealer or author­
iz ed Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have
the malfunc tion corrected.
Transmission malfunction
• Tran smi ssion malfunction ! Pl ea se stop the
vehicle and select P
The re is a ma lfunction in the transmission. Park
the vehi cle secure ly and do not cont in u e driv ing.
See a n author ized Audi dealer or au thori zed A udi
Service Facility for assis tance.
• Tran smission overheating! Plea se stop the
vehicle!
The transmiss ion is too hot and can become dam­
aged. Stop and let the transmiss ion cool w ith the
engi ne r unning (at idle) in the P se lector lever po­
s it ion. Then the ind icator lig ht and the message .,.
95

Automatic transmission
turn off, drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have
the malfunction corrected . If the ind icator light
and the driver message do not turn off, do not
continue driving. See an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility for assistance .
rm Transmission malfunction: you can continue
driving
Drive to an autho rized Audi dea ler or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected .
rm Transmission malfunction: no reverse gear
(you can continue driving)
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler or authorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
[O] Transmission malfunction: You can continue
driving in D until engine off
Drive the vehicle away from moving traffic and
park. See an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility for assistance .
rm Transmission overheating! Please adapt
driving style
Continue driving moderately. When the indicator
light turns off, you can continue driving normal­
ly .
rm Transmission: Press brake pedal and select
gear again.
If the transmission malfunctions because the
temperature is too high, a message appears
when the transmission is cooled.
96
Selector lever emergency release
App lies to vehicles: wit h S tronic transmission
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selector
lever can be released in an emergency.
Fig. 86 Se lector leve r: remov ing the cover
Fig. 87 Selector lever: us ing the emergency release to
move out of the Pa rk posit ion
The emergency release mechanism is located in
the right area under the selector lever shift gate.
Using the emergency release can be complicated.
We recommend contacting an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for as­
sistance, if necessary .
The screwdr iver from the vehicle tool kit located
i n the luggage compartment is needed to for the
eme rgency release¢
page 280 . Use the flat side
of the reversible screwdriver blade.
Removing the selector lever cover
.,. Set the parking brake(®)¢,& to secure your
vehicle from rolling .
.,. Insert the flat side of the screwdriver s ideways
in the slot near the s hift cover and pry the shift
cover up
¢ fig. 86 .
.,. Pull up the corners of the shift cover carefully
with your hands and fo ld it over the shifter
knob
¢ fig . 87. ..,.

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., injuries. When the vehicle enters drive ready
mode, the status message
e-"'1 o I r.-.Al"'Y ap­
pears briefly in the instrument cluster display
and the needle in the power meter points to
READY ¢page 101.
-Make sure that the selector lever is in the P
position and the ignition is switched off
when leaving the vehicle.
([) Note
-The high-voltage system can be damaged if
the vehicle underbody comes into contact
with the ground. Immediately drive your ve­
hicle to an authorized repair facility and
have it inspected.
- The electric drive motor can become very
hot during operation . Do not stop the vehi­
cle if there is oil, fuel residue or other flam­
mable substances under or next to the vehi­
cle.
Special considerations for the high-voltage
battery
Please first read and note the introductory infor­
mation and heed the warnings
¢page 98.
All batteries age with use and over time. There
are things you should know about the care of the
high-voltage battery that will help it keep giving
you good service and reliability over time. Please
read and keep the following information in mind
while you enjoy the performance and economy of
your vehicle.
- Be sure to charge the high-voltage battery be­
fore leaving the vehicle parked and unused for a
longer period of time. Ideally the high-voltage
battery should have a charge level between
40% and 60% when parked for a long time.
- If the battery charge level is below 3%, never
park the vehicle for more than 21 days without
charging the high-voltage battery. Should you
have to park the vehicle for a long time, make
sure that the charge level is sufficient to help
prevent the battery from aging prematurely.
- Frequent and consecutive charging of the high­
voltage battery when the charge level is above
98% can also decrease the capacity of the high-
e-tron
voltage battery. Make sure the charge level is
below 98% when you start the charging proc­
ess.
- Should the vehicle be parked for longer than
2 days at temperatures below -13 °F (-25 °(),
the high-voltage battery could freeze and not
be able to provide energy to the electric motor.
The battery will start working again, once it
warms up . The battery can be warmed up when
the outside temperature rises or when the vehi­
cle is garaged appropriately. The battery will al­
so warm up when being used (switching on the
air conditioner, the heater or by driving the ve­
hicle). Should you have to park your vehicle at
very low temperatures for longer than 1 day,
make sure that the high-voltage battery does
not freeze by parking the vehicle in a garage
that is heated or protected from the outside
temperature.
- The high-voltage battery can be damaged and
the capacity can be decreased when the vehicle
is parked for longer than 24 hours when the
ambient temperature is higher than 118 °F
(48 °C). Always make sure that the high-volt­
age battery is not exposed to temperatures
above 118 °F (48 °C) for a long time.
- Never park the vehicle in areas that are likely to
be flooded, such as beaches or river banks, and
never drive the vehicle in WATER, on flooded
roads or through water that is higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body. The high-voltage
battery, along with other vehicle components,
can be damaged severely if the high-voltage
battery is exposed to open water especially for
a longer time. However, you can drive through
water on roads under certain conditions
¢ page 77, Driving through water on roads .
Failure to heed any of these requirements can
age the battery prematurely and lead to a perma­
nent decrease of the high-voltage battery's ca­
pacity.
(D Tips
Always make sure that the high-voltage bat­
tery is not exposed to extremely low and high
temperatures as well as to water especially
for a longer time. Failure to protect and care
for the high-voltage battery can lead to
99

e-tron
overhangs, carports or similar structures . Switch
the ignition
off. Have the problem corrected by
an author ized Audi dealer or authorized A udi
Serv ice Facility .
• Elec tric s ystem: o verheated. Safel y park ve­
hicle and check coo lant
The coolan t leve l is too low or the coolant tem ­
pera ture is too high .
S top the vehicle in the outdoo rs as soon as it is
safe ly possible . Switch the ignition off.
Read the important safety precautions ¢.&.
in
Coolant on page 109 and check the coolant level
¢page 108.
If the coolant level is OK, the malfunction may be
caused by the system overheating . Let the vehi­
cle's electric drive system cool down for some
time .
If the message turns
off after cooling down and
sw itching the ign ition back on, you ca n continue
driving. Contact an author ized Audi dealer or au­
thor ized A udi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have
the ma lf u nction co rrected.
If the indicator lig ht stays on, contact an author­
ized A ud i dealer or authorized Aud i Serv ice Faci li­
ty .
Bil Drive system : sys tem fault! Pleas e contact
work shop
There is a malfunction in the plug-in hybrid sys ­
tem. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have
the ma lfunction corrected .
II Drive sy stem: system fault! Restart not po s·
sible. Ple ase contact wo rkshop
There is a mal func tion in the plug -in hybrid sys­
tem . Do not open the engine compartment lid .
Drive to an a uth orized Aud i dea le r or authorized
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct io n corrected.
II Batter y temperature too low . Engine start
not possible . See owner's manual
The outside temperature is too low. The vehicle
can no longer start at temperat ures below -18 °F
102
(- 28 °C) . Contact your author ized Audi dealer or
autho rized Audi Service Facility.
POWER LIMIT Warning! Limited power
If the indicator l ight turns on and this message
appears , there may be an engine cont rol mal­
funct ion. The
(m ind icator light in t he instr u­
ment clus ter a lso turns on. The e ng ine o utput is
reduced. Dr ive to an a utho rized Audi dea ler or
autho rized Audi Service Facility immedia tely to
have the malfunction corrected.
II e -tron mode : EV curr ently unavailable
This message appears w hen the 1-,$ 1 button is
pressed and the conditions for e lectric drive
mode are no t me t.
IIJ Vehicle sound: malfunction! Pedestrians
cannot h ear vehicle. P lease contact Service
if the indicator light t urns on and this message
appears, pedestrians and bicyclists can no longer
hear the vehicle when it is driving in electric
mode. Turn off the veh icle and switch to dr iv ing
with the gasoline e ngine . To activate the gasoli ne
engine, select the
Charge batt ery mode
¢page 103 with the kl"I button. Drive to a n au­
tho rized Audi dea le r or a uthorized Audi Service
Facility immediate ly to have the malfunction cor ­
rected.
Range display
Applies to vehicles: wit h pl ug-in hy brid drive
Fig. 89 Ins trument cluster example image: range disp lay
The range can be d isplayed in the on -board com­
p uter ¢
page 29.
Depend ing o n the selected p lug-in hybrid mode,
the d isp lay disp lays the follow ing informa tion:
Ill>

e-tron
Additional information about the vehicle tool kit may be found under
c::, page 280 and informa­
tion about the tire mobility kit under
c:> poge281 .
(D Tips
The vehicle must not be operated without the
tire repair set.
Vehicle transport
Applies to veh icles: w ith plug- in hybrid drive
The following contains information you should
know about transporting your vehicle.
The MQB-A lithium-ion battery system equipped
in your vehicle is composed of SANYO 12 U F 261
591 type batteries and has it passed test 38.3 in
accordance with the UN Tests and Criteria hand­ book. The vehicle may be transported with the
battery installed as conventional class 9 hazard­
ous materials without additional offic ial consent
for air and sea transportation (current law ICAO­
TI and IMDG-Code 01.01.2012) .
Jump starting and 12 volt battery
Applies to veh icles: with plug -in hybrid drive
Fig. 96 Engine compartment: connectors for a charger and
j ump start cables
The vehicle is equipped with one 12 vo lt battery
and one high-voltage battery.
If the 12 volt battery is drained, it can be charged
with a charger or you can jump start the vehicle
using another vehicle battery in the same way as
a conventional vehicle .
Note the information on charging the battery
¢
page 249 and for jump starting the vehicle
c:>poge297 .
108
.,. Open the hood¢ page 23 7.
.,. Remove the fuse box cover @ to access the
positive terminal
0 c::> page 239.
.,. Clamp the terminal clamps from the charging
device or jump start cable to the positive termi­
nal
0 and to the body ground point 0-
(D Note
You must not give a jump start with your vehi­
cle. This could cause s ignificant damage to
the electrical system in your veh icle.
Coolant
App lies to vehicles: with plug-in hybrid drive
Fig. 97 Engine compartme nt: coolant expa nsion tank
Your vehicle has two coolant expansion tanks
that are separate from each other:
@ : expansion tank for gasoline engine and elec­
tric motor.
@ : expansion tank for the high-voltage area .
The expansion tank@ must not be opened
c:>&_ .
.,. Switch the ignition off .
.,. Open the hood
c:> poge 237.
...
.,. Always check the coolant level in both coolant
expansion tanks @ and @ using the outer
markings.
.,. When you fill coolant in the expansion tank@,
please refer to
c::> page 244, Cooling system.
.,. Do not drive any farther if the expansion tank
@ is missing coolant. Contact an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility immediately ¢&_ . ..,.

,....,
N
0 > CX) ,....,
I.Cl U"I ,....,
I.Cl ,....,
,&_ WARNING
-Read and follow t he warn ings in
¢ page 236, Working in the engine com­
partment
before open ing the hood and
check ing t he coolant level.
- The expansion tank @ may only be opened
and filled by an a uthorized Aud i dea ler or
authorized Aud i Service Fac ility.
- Coo la nt can enter the inside of the battery
when f illing the expansion tank @ and
cause a short c ircuit, which inc reases the
risk of fi re .
Refueling
Opening the fuel filler flap
Appl ies to vehicles: with plug- in hybrid drive
Fig. 9 8 Driver 's doo r: button il
The ta nk sys tem must be ve nted be for e refueling
.. Pull on the
Iii switch.
.. The fue l filler door automatically opens w ith in
a few seconds afte r vent ing .
Read and fo llow the directions for inserting the
f u el pump noz zle
¢ page 109.
Read and fo llow the inst ruct io ns for refueling
¢ page 230.
e-tron
Inserting the fuel pump nozzle
Applies to vehicles: with plug- in hybrid
Fig . 99 Fue ling proce du re : in ser t the fuel pump nozzle co r­
r ect ly
M ake s ure w hen inse rting the f uel pu mp noz zle
t h at you do no t press o n the fuel filler door open ­
er (!) with the fue l pum p nozzle . See the labe l in
the f ue l fi ller door @. Otherwise, a va lve wi ll lock
in the fue l filler neck and stop the fueling , even if
t h e tank is not full. You must vent the tank sys­
tem again if yo u press on the fuel fille r doo r
opener. The f uel p ump nozzle can stay in the fue l
filler neck when doing this.
Vent the tank system by pulling the
Iii switch in
the d river's door
¢ page 109.
Driver messages
Applies to vehicles: with plug-in hybrid drive
ti Tank flap open . Please press button again
for fueling
Fueling is possib le for a certain amou nt of time
after press ing the
Iii button . Yo u m ust press the
Iii button again if th is time is exceeded .
ti Tank flap malfunction! Unlock tank flap
manually . See owner's manual
T he re is a ma lfunction. Yo u must man ually un­
lock the fue l fi ller door
¢ page 110.
ti Warning! Limited power
The fue l ta nk is almos t emp ty . You must ant ici­
p at e a sign ifi can t power loss. Drive i mmed iate ly
t o a ga s st at ion .
POWER LIMIT Warning! Limited power
109