2016 AUDI A3 brake fluid

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., Driver messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Audi active lane assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Audi side assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Audi drive select (drive settings) . . . . . . . . 148
Parking systems
General information ............ .... .
Rear parking system .......... .. .... .
Parking system plus ...... ... .. .. .. .. . 151
151
152
152
Rearview camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Adjusting the display and the warning
tones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Intelligent Technology . . . . . . . . . . 158
Notice about data recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and vehicle control
modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Electronic stabilization control (E5C) . . . . 159
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Electromechanical steering . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
All wheel drive (quattro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Energy management 164
Safety ... . .. .. ............. .. .. .. . 166
Driving safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Correct passenger seating positions . . . . . 167
Driver's and front passenger's footwell . . 171
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Storing cargo correctly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 4
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Why use safety belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag System . 196
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Table of contents
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Side curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Child seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Securing child seats. ............... .. 219
LATCH system (Lower anchorages and
tethers for children) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Additional information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Maintenance and Care . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Checking and Filling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Gasoline fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Diesel fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Refueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Diesel particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Selective catalytic reduction (AdBlue) . . . 234
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Windshield washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Service interval display 252
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Wheels ... .. .. .. .. ... ... .... ..... .. 253
T ire pressure monitoring system 271
Care and cleaning ......... ... .. .. 274
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Car washes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 4
Cleaning and care information . . . . . . . . . 275
Placing your vehicle out of service . . . . . . 279
Do It Yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Emergency a ssistance . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Trunk escape latch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Genera l information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Tire mobility kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Replacing wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Spare tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
3

Instruments and indicator lights
D
y>})
/:
Ad Blue l~
e-tron: charg ing system*
c::;, page 121
High beams
c::;, page 48
Conve nience key
c::;, pag e 84
El ect romecha nica l p arking br ake
c::;, page 19
Adap tive cr uise control*
c::;, page 134
Ac tive lane ass ist*
c::;, page 143
Au di sid e assis t*
c::;, page 147
Transmiss ion
c::;, page 95
USA models :
Electromecha nica l park ing brake
c::;, page 19
Canada mod els:
Elect romecha nica l pa rk ing brake
c::;, page 19
Fill Ad Bl ue*
c::;, page 234
d:, Central indicator light
The central indicator light disp lays the prior ity
level of a warning
c::;, table on page 14 . There are
messages that are not ass igned to any indiv idual
i n dicator light . Whe n this is the case, only t he
central ind icator light will be shown . Pay atten­
tion to t he messages .
Brake servo: l imited functionality. You can con ­
tinue driving. Contact Service
There is a malfunction in the brake booster if this
message appears. The bra ke booste r is ava ilab le,
but its effectiveness is red uced. Brak ing behavior
may be d ifferent from how it normally funct ions
a nd the bra ke pedal may v ibrate .
Drive to an a uthorized Audi dea le r or a uthorized
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have t he
malfunct io n corrected.
18
Vehicles with p lug -in hy brid dr ive *: t he braking
p erfo rmance can be s lightly reduced for a s ho rt
per iod of t ime dur ing the rec uperation perio d.
Press the b rake pedal harder if necessary.
Brake servo: deactivated. See owner's manual
Vehicles wi th plug-i n hyb rid dr ive*: the b rake as­
si st ( brak e boos te r) remains a ctive for a br ie f p e­
r io d of t ime afte r swi tching o ff t he ig nition. To
secu re the vehi cle from rolling away, move the
se lector lever in the P position o r set the par king
b ra ke .
BRAKE/CQ)) Brake system
If this indicato r light turns on, the re is a malf unc­
tion in the brake system .
1111 (USA models) /. (Canada models )
Please stop vehicle and check brake fluid level!
Sto p th e vehi cle and ch eck t he b rake fl uid leve l.
See a n author ized Audi dealer or authorized A udi
Se rvice Facility for assistance if necessa ry.
1111 (USA models) /. (Canada models)
Warning! Brake servo inoperative!
Vehicl es w ith pl ug-in hy brid dr iv e *: if t he br ake
ass ist (br ake booste r) is not working, you have to
u se m uch mor e force w hen bra king the vehicle.
See an au thor ized Audi de aler or au thori zed A udi
Se rvice Facility for assistance.
1111 (USA model s) /. (Canada models)
Brake : malfunction! Please park vehicle safely.
If th e . indicator lig ht tu rns o n and this mes­
sage appea rs, there is a br ake b ooste r malfu nc­
tion.
If the ABS ind icator light~ (USA models) /
!IJ (Can ada models), the ESC in dicator light Bl
and t he b rake system indicato r ligh t 1111 (USA
models)
I . ( Ca nada m odels) tur n on and thi s
mess age app ears, then the A BS, ES C a nd brak ing
d is tribution are ma lf u nction ing
c::;, & .
Do not con tinue dr iv ing . See a n author ized A udi
de aler or au thor ized A udi Servi ce Fa cility for as ­
si st an ce
c::;, .&-
1111 (USA models) /. (Canada models) Park-
ing brake system fault! See owner's manual .,.

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0 > co ,...., -If the indicator light and the message appear
when the vehicle is stationary or after switch­
ing the ignition on,
check if you can release the
parking brake .
If you cannot release the park­
ing brake, see your authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility . If you can re ­
lease the parking brake and the message still
appears , see an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to
have the malfunction corrected.
- If the indicator light and message appear
while
driving ,
the hill start assist or emergency brak­
ing function may be malfunctioning. It may not
be possible to set the parking brake or release
it once it has been set. Do not park your vehicle
on hills and see an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
(USA models): If the
1111 and EiJ warning lights
turn on together, take your vehicle to an author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty immediately to have the brake pads inspected
¢page 22.
There is also a warning tone when the lights turn
on.
A WARNING
- Read and follow the warnings in
¢ page 236, Working in the engine com­
partment before opening the hood and
checking the brake fluid level.
- If the brake system indicator light does not
turn off or it turns on while driving, the
brake fluid level in the reservoir is too low,
and this increases the risk of an accident.
Stop the vehicle and do not continue driv­
ing. See an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
- If the brake system indicator light turns on
together with the ABS and ESC indicator
lights, the ABS/ESC regulating function may
be malfunctioning. Functions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longer available. This
could cause the rear of the vehicle to
swerve, which increases the risk that the ve­
hicle will slide. Do not continue driving. See
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility for assistance.
Instruments and indicator lights
PARK!<®>/~ Electromechanical parking
brake
If the - (USA models) I. (Canada models)
indicator light turns on, the parking brake was
set.
- (USA models) /. (Canada models) Cau­
tion: Vehicle parked too steep
If the indicator light blinks and the message ap­
pears, there is not enough braking power to se­
cure the vehicle. The brakes have overheated. The
vehicle could roll away even on a small incline.
-(USA models) /. (Canada models)
Please press brake pedal to release parking
brake
To release the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press the~ button at the same time,
or start driving with hill start assist
¢page 87,
Starting from a stop.
Iii Parking brake!
There is a malfunction in the parking brake. Drive
to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility immediately to have the malfunc ­
tion corrected.
Iii Parking brake: Limited functionality!
There is a malfunction in the parking brake. Drive
to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected.
!it]:jJ:j:J:13~ (USA models) / [§'J (Canada models)
Please release parking brake.
Release the parking brake if this message ap­
pears.
lt1:j:t:j:J;1:0 (USA models) / [§] (Canada models)
Parking brake auto release unavailable
If this message appears, press the brake pedal
first and then release the parking brake.
IZ1:j:t:j:(;13~ (USA models) I [§'J (Canada models)
Caution: Vehicle parked too steep
IIJ,,
19

,....,
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0 > co ,...., Trailer mode Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­
my and performance.
T railer towing not only places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from
the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your vehicle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
location . Use only a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ball mount . Always check with the trail­
er hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using the correct hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system . No modifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
From time to time, check that all hitch mounting
bo lts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer,
remove the
tra iler hitch ball mount . This prevents the hitch
from causing damage should your vehicle be
struck from beh ind
~ ,&. .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
check to be sure that it conforms to all regula­
tions .
Trailer mode
The trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system.
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the trailer.
Trailer lights
T ra iler lights must meet all regulations . Be sure
to check with your Aud i dea ler for correct wiring,
switches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you us­
ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must in­
stall extended mirrors . It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear.
,8. WARNING
After removing the trailer hitch, do not store
it in your vehicle. In case of sudden braking,
the hitch could fly forward and injure you or
your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
place to prevent it from shifting forward, back­
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer~.&.
in Driving instructions on page 128.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform ­
ance is up to the additional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under "Full ..,.
127

,....,
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0 > co ,...., A WARNING
You should only switch sport mode on or switch ESC/ASR off if your driving abilities
and road conditions permi t.
- The stabilization function is limited when
sport mode is sw itched on . T he driving
w heels could spi n and the veh icle cou ld
swerve, espec ially on s lick o r sli ppery road
s u rf aces.
- T here is no veh icle stabilization when ESC/
ASR a re swi tched off.
(D Tips
- ESC/ASR cannot be switched off or sport
mode cannot be sw itched on if t he cru ise
contro l system* or the adaptive c ruise con­
tro l* is sw itched on .
- Mal functions in the Audi magnet ic r ide may
make it imposs ible to sw itch the ESC/ASR
off or to switc h sport mode on .
Brakes
New brake pads
New brake pads do not ac hieve the ir full braking
effect during the first 250 mi (400 km) . They
must be "b roken in " fi rs t . However, you can com­
pensate for the slightly reduced bra king fo rce by
p ressing firmly o n the brake pedal. Avoid heavy
b raking during the break -in period .
Wear
Brake pad
wear depends largely on the way th e
ve hicl e is driven a nd on operat ing cond itions.
This is especially true if you are d riving frequently
in the c ity and on c urves o r wi th a sporty driving
style.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when bra kin g depend ing on the
speed , braking force and ou ts ide cond it ions s uch
as tempe rature and humidity .
Effect of water and road salt
In certain situations, for example after dr iving
through water, in heavy ra in, after ove rnig ht con­
densat ion or after washing your car, the b raking
Intellig ent Technology
effect ca n be reduced by moist ure o r ice on the
bra ke rotors and brake pads . The brakes must be
"d ried" first with a few caref ul brake applica­
tions.
At h igher speeds and w ith the wi ndshield wipe rs
tu rned on, the brake pads press against the brake
roto rs fo r a short amount of time. This action
wh ich is not felt by the dr iver happens at reg ular
interva ls and facilit ates a be tter reaction t ime for
the brakes in wet weather .
The braking effect can a lso be reduced if yo u are
driv ing on salted roads and yo u do not app ly the
brakes for long per iods of time . The layer of salt
o n the brake rotors and pads must be wor n off
first whe n the bra kes are applied .
Corrosion
Leaving the vehicle pa rked for long periods of
time, low mileage and avoiding heavy braking
can contribute to corros ion on the brake rotors
and dirty brake pads .
If you usua lly avoid heavy brak ing or if there is
corrosion present, occasiona l heavy brak ing at
high speeds is recommended to clean the b rake
roto rs and pads<=>,& .
Brake system malfunction
if you notice that t he b rake pedal travel has sud­
denly gotten larger, t hen a b rake c ircuit may have
failed. Drive to an author iz ed Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to have
t h e problem corrected. On the way there, drive
with red uced speed and keep in mind that a long
bra king d ista nce and increased pressu re on the
br ak e pedal w ill be necessary.
Low brake fluid level
When the brake fluid level is low, malfunctions in
the brake system may occur . The b rake fluid level
i s elec tronica lly monito red .
Brake booster
The brake booster amp lifies the press ure you ap­
ply to the brake pedal. It on ly operates wh ile the
engine is run ning o r when the ignition is switched
on (p lug-i n hyb rid dr ive*) . .,.
161

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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0 > CX)
.... I.Cl U"I
.... I.Cl ....
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

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Checking and Filling
Gasoline engine compartment overview
The most important check points .
Fig. 193 Typical location of the rese rvoir , engine oil dipst ick, and engine oil filler opening
CD
@
®
©
®
©
(J)
®
Coolant expansion tank (-L) .... .
Engine oil dipstick ............ .
Engine oil filler opening(~) .. .
Brake fluid reservoir (0))
Battery(+) under a cover ..... . .
Body ground point(-)
Washer fluid reservoir
(O) ..... .
Fuse housing . .... .... ....... .
245
242
242
246
248
251 291
The engine oil filler opening and the dipstick
(items ® and @)
q fig. 193 may be located in a
different area depending on engine version .
_& WARNING
=
Read and follow all WARNINGS before check-
i ng anything in the engine compartment
¢page 236.
(D Tips
Plug-in hybrid drive*: read the information re­
garding the coolant expansion tank under
¢page 108 and the battery(+) under
¢ page 108 .
239