2016 AUDI A3 ESP

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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

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Ad Blue,/' Ad Blue: sy stem fault! No re start in
600 miles (1000 km ). See owner' s manual.
This mes sage appea rs when it is only poss ible to
d rive the d ist an ce ind icated in the dr iver informa­
tion system . Drive to the nearest autho rized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility to have
the ma lfunction corrected . Otherwise the engine
w ill not start again if you stop it once the d is­
tance indicated has been driven .
Ad Blue: system fault . Engine start
not possible! See owner 's manual
This message appears if the sys tem has de te cted
that the tank was filled incorrectly or that there
is a malfunction. Drive immediately to the near­
est authorized Aud i dea ler or a uthorized Aud i
Service Facility to have the malfunction correct­
ed. Otherwise you will not be able to start the en­
g ine again once you stop it .
Filling AdBlue
Applies to vehicles: with selective catalyt ic redu ction
A special refill bottle must be used to fill the
AdBlue.
F ig. 1 89 Right rear s ide of t he veh icle: remov ing the AdB l·
ue cap
F ig. 190 Ad Blue filler neck: insert ing refill bottle
Checking and Filling
T he Ad Blue tank open ing is located near the d ie ­
sel tank opening. Add at least 1 gallon (3.8 lit­
ers) of Ad B lue (two bottles) . This is the min imum
amount required to ensure the system detects
the refilling and to start the engine. You can add a max imum of approximately 4 gallons (15 l it ­
ers).
Opening the filler neck and refilling AdBlue
with a bottle
Requireme nt: T he request to add AdBlue must
appear in the instrument cluster disp lay .
.. Park your veh icle on a level s urface.
• Switch the ignit ion off.
• Open the tank door¢
page 230.
• Turn the cap on the tank opening to the left to
remove ¢
fig. 189.
• Remove the cap from the ref ill bo ttle.
• Posi tion the refill bo ttle on the fil le r tube and
turn the bottle clockwise until it stops t urning
• Press lightly against the bottom of the bottle
@ to empty it. Continue press ing the bottom
of the bottle until it is empty or until f luid
stops f low ing into the ta nk.
• Tu rn the bottle to t he left without pressing on
the bottom .
Closing the filler neck
.. Turn the Ad B lue cap to the right on the filler
tube until the cap clicks into place.
• Close the tank cover.
Afte r filling
The vehicle must be driven . The system may take
u p to two minutes to detect t hat the AdBl ue has
been filled.
• If the re w as no Ad B lue left in the tank and a
range of
O mi (0 km) was displayed in the in­
strument cluster, switch the ign it ion on for
about 30 seconds before starting the engine.
A WARNING
-Ad B lue can irritate the sk in, eyes and respira-
tory system . If there is contact with the flu id,
flus h immed iate ly w it h plenty of water. Con-
su lt a phys ic ian if necessa ry.
~
235

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 ~

Checking and Filling
-To reduce the risk of burns from hot engine
oil, let the engine cool down to the touch.
- When removing the oil drain plug with your
fingers, stay as far away as possible. Always
keep your forearm parallel to the ground to
help prevent hot oil from running down your
arm.
- Drain the oil into a container designed for
this purpose, one large enough to hold at least the total amount of oil in your engine .
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out of
the reach of children .
- Continuous contact with used engine oil is
harmful to your skin. Always protect your
skin by washing oil off thoroughly with soap
and water .
CD Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine oil.
These additives can damage your engine and
adversely affect your Audi Limited New Vehi­
cle Warranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
-Before changing your oil, first make sure
you know where you can properly dispose of
the used oil.
- Always dispose of used engine oil properly.
Do not dump it on garden soil, wooded
areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a used
engine oil collection facility in your area, or
contact a service station.
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro­ tects the engine from freezing in the winter.
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
quires little attention.
The cooling system has been filled at the factory
with a permanent coolant which does not need to
be changed. The coolant consists of a mixture of
244
specially conditioned water and the manufactur­
er's glycol-based coolant additive Gl3 antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA mod­ els; 60% for Canadian models). This mixture
both assures the necessary frost protection and
protects metal components in the engine's cool­
ing system from corrosion and scaling. It also
raises the boiling point of the coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the coolant in
the summer by adding plain water.
The propor­
tion of coolant additive must be at least 50%
but not more than 60%
to maintain antifreeze
protection and cooling efficiency. If the coolant
frost protection is too low, the coolant could
freeze and damage the vehicle heating and en­
gine cooling system.
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at the
factory for temperatures down to:
--31°F(-35°C)USA
- - 40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of water
and coolant additive. Mixing the coolant additive
with distilled water is recommended.
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
~ page 236.
CD Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in your
vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate con­ ditions. This is especially important if you
live in a region where the winter is extreme­
ly cold.
If necessary, increase the proportion
of coolant additive to 60%.
- When adding coolant additive to your cool­
ing system, remember:
- We recommend using only coolant addi­
tive Gl2++ or G13 (check the label) for
your vehicle. This coolant additive is avail­
able at authorized Audi dealers. Other
types of antifreeze can significantly re­
duce corrosion protection. The resulting

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 .

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

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., throughout your vehicle ¢page 164. The intelli­
gent energy management system wi ll keep the
engine battery charged better than veh icles w ith­
out this system . To make sure the additional
e lectrical energy is avai lab le once again after you
have changed the battery, we recommend that
you install batteries of the same type and manu­
facture on ly (the same as those installed at the
time your veh icle was de livered). Specifications
are listed on the battery housing. Your author­
ized dealer must code the battery in the energy
management system to enable you to use the en ­
ergy management functions correctly after re­ p lacing the battery.
The new battery must have the same capacity,
voltage (12 -volts), amperage, construction and
p lug sealing .
When insta lling the battery, ma ke sure the igni­
tion and all e lectrical consumers are switched
off .
(D Note
Ma ke sure the ventilation hose on the side of
the battery is connected, otherw ise fumes o r
battery acid can leak out .
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of
a ba ttery, we recommend your author ized
Audi dea ler change the battery for you . Bat ­
teries contain su lf u ric acid and lead and must
always be disposed of properly in compliance
w ith all environmental regulations. D isposing
of vehicle batteries improperly is very danger­
ous to the env ironment.
Ch eck ing and Filling
Windshield washer
system
F ig . 201 E ngin e compar tmen t: was her flui d reservo ir cap
M N
-N ~
"' m
The washer fluid reservoir W contains the clean­
ing fluid for the windshield, the rear window *
and the headlight washer system*¢
page 239,
fig. 193 .
The reservoir capacity is found in
¢ page 303.
.,. Read and follow all WARNING S before working
in the engine compartment <=>
page 236, Work­
ing in the engine compartment .
.,. Open the cap.
.,. Add the washer fluid and close the cap .
To reduce the risk of lime scale deposits on the
spray nozzles, use clean water with low amounts
of calcium. Always add w indow cleaner to the wa­
ter . When the outside temperatures are cold, an
anti-freez ing agent should be added to the water
so that it does not free ze.
(D Note
- The concentration of ant i-freez ing agent
must be adjusted to the vehicle operat ing
conditions in the respective cl imate. A con ­
c entration that is too high can lead to vehi­
cle damage.
- Never add radiator an ti-free ze or other addi­
tives to the washer fluid.
- Do not use a glass cleane r that contains
pai nt solvents, because t his could damage
t he paint.
251

Checking and Filling
Service interval display
The service interval display detects when your ve­
hicle is due for service.
The service interval display works in two stages:
-Inspection or oil change reminder: after a cer-
tain distance driven, a message appears in the
instrument cluster display each time the igni ­
tion is switched on or off . The remaining dis­
tance or time is displayed briefly.
- Inspection or oil change due: if yo ur vehicle
has reached an inspection or oi l change interval
or both intervals at the same time, the mes­
sage
Inspection due! or Oil change due! or Oil
change and inspection due!
appears briefly af­
ter switching the ignition on/off .
Checking service intervals
You can check the remaining distance or time un­
til the next oil change or next inspection in the
MMI. Select the
I MENU I button> Car> Systems *
control button > Service & control > Service in­
tervals .
Resetting the indicator
Your authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Serv ice Facility will reset the serv ice interval dis­
p lay after performing service.
If you perform an oil change yourself to the Audi
specifications, you must reset the service interval
d isp lay.
To reset the display, select the
I MENU ! button >
Car > Systems * control button > Service & con­
trol
> Service intervals > Reset oil change inter­
val.
([) Note
-Only reset the oil change indicator if the oil
was changed.
- Following the service intervals is critical to
maintain ing the service life and va lue of
your vehicle, especially the engine. Even if
the m ileage on the vehicle is low, do not ex­
ceed the time for the next service.
- Calculating the time to the next oil change
i s interrupted when the ve hicle battery is
disconnected. If the vehicle is not driven for
252
a long period of time, check the mainte ­
nance schedule so that you can fo llow the
maintenance intervals.