2016 AUDI A3 service

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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

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.

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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
Diesel engine compartment overview
The most important check points.
Fig. 194 Typical location of the rese rvoir, engine o il dipstick, and engine oil fille r opening
(D Coolant expansion tank (- L) .. ...
@
®
©
®
®
0
®
Engine oil dipstick ............ .
Engine oil filler opening
(9=:r.) .. .
Brake fluid reservoir ((0))
Battery(+) under a cover
Body ground point( -)
Washer fluid reservoir
(q) ..... .
Fuse housing .. .............. .
245
242
242
246
248
251 291
The engine oil fi ller opening and the dipstick
(items @ and @)¢
fig. 194 may be located in a
different area depending on engine version.
,& WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS before check­
ing anything in the engine compartment
¢page 236.
240
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci­
fications.
The service interval display in the instrumen t
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it is
time for an oi l change. We recommend that you
have your oi l changed by an authorized Audi Serv­
ice Advisor.
If you have to top off the oil between oil changes,
use the Audi oil quality standard specified in the
table .
Audi oil quality standard
Gasoline
VW 502 00 or
engine vw 504 00
Diesel vw 507 00
engine

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
-If you have the impression your engine con ­
sumes excessive amounts of oil, we recom­
mend that you consult an authorized Aud i
dealer to have the cause of your concern
properly diagnosed. Keep in mind that the
accurate measurement of oil consumpt ion
requires great care and may take some
time. An authorized Audi dealer has instruc­
tions about how to measure oil consump­
tion acc urately.
Checking the engine oil level
Fig . 19 5 Gasol ine eng ine oil dipstick: guide for measuring
the oil level (example)
Fig . 1 96 Diesel engine oil dipstick: guide for meas uring the
oil level (example)
Read and follow the W ARN INGS before check­
i n g anyth ing in the eng ine compartmen t
¢ page 236, Working in the engine compart­
ment.
Determining the oil level
• Park your vehicle on a level surface .
• Let the engine run in id le br iefly whi le it is at
operating temperature and the n shut the e n­
gine off .
• Wai t approx imately two m inutes .
242
• Remove the oil dipstick. Wipe off the oil dip­
stick with a clean cloth and insert it all the way
in aga in .
• Remove the dipstick again and then read the o il
level
¢ fig. 195 or ¢fig. 196.
• Evaluate the oil level¢ table on page 242. Add
eng ine oi l if necessary ¢
page 242.
~ You must add oi l. After adding oil, the level
shou ld be in the
0 area .
® You may add oil. After adding oil, the level
shou ld be in the
Cs) area.
0 Do not add any oil.
@ Do not add any oil. You may con tinue driv-
ing .
0 Do not add any oil. Drive to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa-
cility immediately.
Applies to vehicles with a d iesel eng ine: fuel can
get into the engine o il if you run your vehicle with
biodiesel. This raises the o il level in the eng ine. It
also decreases the quality of the engine oil
¢page 24.
The oil consumption o f the engine may be up to
1/2 qua rt per 600 miles (0.5 l ite r per 1,000 km),
depending on d riving style and cond itions. Con­
sumption may be highe r during the firs t
3,000 miles (5,000 km) . Bec ause of this, the en­
gine o il level must be checked regularly.
It would
be best to check each time you refuel your veh icle
and before long drives .
Adding engine oil~
Fig. 19 7 Eng ine compartment: engine oil filler open ing
cove r
0
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