2016 AUDI A3 warning lights

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

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 .

.... N
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.... I.Cl U"I
.... I.Cl ....
-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

,....,
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 ,...., & WARNING
-Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is
off and follow the instructions from the car
wash operator to reduce the risk of acci­
dents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself
from sharp metal components when wash­
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings.
-After washing the vehicle, the brak ing effect
may be delayed due to mo isture on the
brake rotors or ice in the w inter . The brakes
must be dried first w ith a few careful brake
applica tions .
{[) Note
-If you wash t he vehicle in an automatic car
wash, yo u m ust fold the e xterior m irrors i n
to reduce the risk of damage to the mi rrors.
Power folding exte rior m irrors* must o nly
b e fo lded in a nd out usin g the power folding
f u nct io n.
-
Ca re and cleaning
- To prevent pa int damage, do not wash the
vehicle in direct s un light .
- To re duce the risk of damage to the surface,
do not use insect removing sponges, kitche n
sponges o r similar items .
- Matte finish painted veh icle components:
- To reduce the r isk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use po lish ing agents or hard
wax.
- Never use protective wax. It can destroy
the matte finish effect .
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted with matte
finish paint . The paint cou ld be damaged
when the stickers or magne ts are re ­
moved.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash t he veh icle in facili ties s pec ially de­
s igned for that pu rpose . This will reduce the
r isk of dirty wate r contamina ted with o il from
ente ring the sewe r sys tem.
Cleaning and care information
W hen clea ning and ca ring for individua l vehicle
comp onents, refer to the following t ables. The
inf ormat ion cont ained there is s imp ly recom ­
mendations. For q uest ions or for components t
h at are not l isted, cons ult an autho riz ed Aud i
de aler or author ized A udi Se rvice Fa cility. Also
f o llow the information fo und in ~ .&. .
Ext erior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Windshield wiper
D eposits ~ page 53, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
blades
Headlights /
Deposits So
ft spo nge with a m ild soap solutiona)
Tail lights
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth w ith solvent-free cleaning solution
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth w ith alcohol-free cleaning solu-
tion
Snow/ice Hand br
ush/solven t-free de -icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special clean
ing so lution
Exhaust tail p ipes Road salt Water, clea ning so lu tion su itab le for s tainless stee l, if nee-
essary
Decorati ve parts / Deposits Mild soap so lution a>, a cleaning solution su itable for stain-
Trim less stee l, if necessary
275
...

,..,
N
0 > co ,.., Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
T ex til es
Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner
art ificial l eather, the surface
A lcan tara Water-based deposits Absorbent
cloth and mild soap solutiona>
such as coffee, tea,
b lood, etc.
Oil -based deposits Apply a m ild soap solution
a), blot away the dissolved o il or
such as oil, make-up, dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
etc.
Special deposits such Special stain
remover, blot with absorbent material, treat
as ink, nail polish, la- afterward with mild soap solution, if necessary
a)
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Natu ral le ath er Fresh stains Wool cloth with a mild soap solution a)
Water-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, Dried stains : stain
remover suitable fo r leather
b lood , etc.
Oi [-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain
remover suitable
such as oil, make-up, for leather
etc. Dried stains : grease dissolving spray
Special deposits such Spot remove r suitab le for leather
as ink, nai l polish, la-
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Care Regularly apply condit ion ing c ream that protects from
lig ht and penet rates into the material. Use specia lly-co l-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary .
Carbon part s Deposits clean the same way as plast ic parts
a) Mi ld soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 q uart (1 liter) of water
.8, WARNING
The windshield may not be trea ted with wa­
ter-repelling windshield coating agents. Un ­
favorable cond itions such as wetness, dark­
ness, or low sun can result in increased glare.
Wiper blade chatter is also possible.
A WARNING
- Audi e -tron charg ing sy stem *
- Never immerse the charging system and
connectors in water.
- The charging system m ust only be cleaned
when the control unit is completely d is­
connected from the powe r su pply system
and from the vehicle.
-
({I) Note
- Hea dlight s/tail lights
- Never clean headlights or tail lights w ith a
d ry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cle aning product that con­
tains alcoho l, because they could ca use
cracks to form.
-Whe els
- Never use any pa int polish or other abra-
sive materials.
- Damage to the protect ive layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches must
be repaired immediately .
-Sensor s/came ra le nses Ill-
277

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 ,...., 9. In the veh icle that is being jump started,
switch the heater fan and rear window de­
froster on to reduce any voltage peaks that
may occur when disconnecting the jumper
cab les. The he adlights must be switched off.
10 . With the engines running, remove the cables
i n
reverse order of the way they were instal­
l ed . Make sure the cables do not get caught
in mov ing engine components.
11. Sw itch the heater fan and rear w indow de-
froster off.
12. Close the battery cover .
The battery is vented to the o utside so that not
gases enter the passenger compartment. Make
sure that the connected positive terminal clamps
on the jump start cab le have sufficient contact
with m etal.
.&_ WARNING
Follow the warnings and instructions from
the jump start cable manufacturer to reduce
the risk of serious injuries and vehicle dam­
age. If you are unsure about anything, call
roads ide assistance.
- The jump start cables must be long enough
so that the veh icles do not touch .
-
-Route the jump start cables so they cannot
get caught in the moving parts in the engine
compartment .
- Always read and follow the warnings before
check ing anything in the engine compart­
me nt ¢
page 236.
Connecting jump start cables incorrectly can
destroy the alternator .
- Always connect the positive terminal(+) to
the positive term inal( +) and the negative
term inal(-) to the negat ive termi nal( -) on
the body ground po int, but not the negative
te rminal on t he battery.
- Make sure the screw plugs on the battery
ce lls are installed securely .
If not, tighten
the p lugs before connecting the clamps to
the negat ive termina l on the battery.
- Please note that the connecting p rocess de­
scribed below for the j ump start cables is in-
Emergency s ituatio ns
tended for when your vehicle is be ing j ump
started.
If you are jump starting another ve­
hicle, do not connect the negat ive cab le to
the negative term inal( -) on the dra ined
battery, but rather connect it to a large
metal component that is bolted secure ly to
the engine block, or to the engi ne b lock it­
self . If the batte ry in the veh icle being jump
s tarted is not ven ted to the outside, there is
a risk of explos ion due to hyd rogen gas .
- Make sure that the connected pos itive ter­
m inal clamps have suff ic ien t conta ct with
metal.
- Do not use the battery negative terminal for
jump starting or a m alfunction co ul d o ccur
in the vehicle e lectrica l system.
Towing with a tow truck
General hints
Your Audi requires special handling for towing.
T he following information is to be used by com ­
mercial tow truck operators who know how to op­
e rate th eir equipment safely.
- Ne ver tow your Audi. Towing will caus e dam­
age to the engine and tr ansmi ssion.
- Neve r wrap th e safety ch ains or win ch c able s
a round the brake lin es.
- To pr event unn ecess ary damag e, your Audi
must be tran sport ed with a flat bed tru ck.
- To load th e ve hicl e on to the flat bed, use the
towin g loop found in the v ehicle tools and at ­
t ac h t o the front o r rea r anchorage
¢ page 298 and ¢ page 298 .
.&_ WARNING ~
A vehicle being towed is not safe for passen-
gers. Never allow anyone to ride in a vehicle
being towed, for any reason.
297