2016 AUDI A3 ignition

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

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

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.

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 ~

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

Check ing and F illing
Read and follo w the WARN IN GS before check­
ing anything in the engine compartment
c::> page 236, Working in the engine compart­
ment.
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up from
the windshield. Otherwise the paint could be
damaged .
Applies to vehi cles w ith p lug-in hybrid dr ive* :
switch the ignition off before re leasing the hood
so that the gasoline engine does not start auto­ mat ica lly.
... With the driver's door open, pull the lever be­
low the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow
c::> fig. 191 .
... Raise the hood s lightly c::> ,&. .
... Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
c::> fig. 192. This releases the catch.
... Open the hood .
A WARNING
Never open the hood when you see that steam
or coolant drips from the engine compart-
238
ment- there is a dange r of bu rns! Wait unt il
no steam or coolant flows out.
Closing the hood
... Push the hood down until the force of the strut
is overcome.
... Let the hood fall lightly into the latch .
Do not
press it in .
c::> ,&..
A WARNING
If the hood is not latched complete ly, it could
f ly up wh ile you are dr iving and obst ruct your
vision .
- For safety reasons, the hood m ust always be
closed securely while driv ing. Because o f
this, always chec k the hood after closing it
to make sure it is latched correctly. The
hood is latched if the front corners cannot
be lifted.
- If you notice that the hood is not latched
while you are driving, stop immed iate ly and
close it, because this increases the risk of an
accident.

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corrosion can cause a loss of coolant and
serious engine damage .
- Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant . Adding ra­
diator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling
system and could result in damage not cov­
ered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Adding coolant
F ig . 198 Engine compa rtment: mark in gs on t he coo lant
expa nsion tank
Read and follow the WARNINGS before check­
ing anything in the engine compartment
¢ page 236, Working in the engine compart­
ment.
Checking the engine coolant level
• Park your vehicle on a level surface .
• Switch the ignition off .
• Read the coolant level on the coolant expansion
tank
¢ fig. 198 . The coolant level must be be­
tween the markings when the engine in cold .
When the engine is warm it can be slightly above the upper marking.
Adding coolant
Plug-in hybrid drive*: your vehicle has two cool­
ant expansion tanks that are separate from each
other. The smaller of the two expansion tanks
must not be opened
¢ page 108. Read and fol­
low the important safety precautions ¢
A in
Coolant on page 109.
Requirement: there must be a residual amount of
coolant in the expansion tank ¢(D .
• Let the engine cool down .
Checking and Filling
• Place a cloth over the coolant expansion tank
cap and unscrew the cap counterclockwise
¢ A .
• Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
¢
page 244 up to the upper marking.
• Make sure that the fluid level remains stable.
Add more coolant if necessary.
• Close the cap securely .
A coolant loss suggests a leak. Immediately drive
your vehicle to an authorized Audi dealer or au ­
thorized Audi Service Facility and have the cool­
i ng system inspected. If the cooling system is not
leak ing, a loss can come from the coolant boiling
through overheat ing and being pushed out of the
cooling system .
,&_ WARNING
-= -The cooling system is pressurized and can be­
come very hot. To reduce the risk of burns
from hot coolant:
- Do not open the coolant expansion tank cap
with the engine hot. There is a risk of burns.
- Stop the engine and allow it to cool.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from es-
caping coolant and steam by covering the
coo lant tank cap with a large, thick cloth.
- Turn the coolant tank cap counterclockwise
slowly and keep light pressure on the cap.
- To reduce the risk of burns, do not allow any
antifreeze or coolant to drip onto the ex ­
haust system or hot engine components.
The ethylene glycol in engine coo lant can
catch fire under certain circumstances .
- The coolant additive and the coolant can be
dangerous to your health . For th is reason,
keep the coolant in the original container
away from children. There is a risk of poi­
soning .
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if the ignition is switched off, wh ich
increases the risk of persona l injury.
(J) Note
Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty . Air could enter the cooling system and
damage the eng ine.
If this is the case, do not ..,_
245

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