2016 AUDI A3 engine overheat

Instruments and indicator lights
(+S °C), a snowflake symbol appears in front of
the temperature display.
If your vehicle is stationary or if you are driving at
very low speeds, the temperature displayed may
be slightly higher than the actual temperature
outside due to the heat radiating from the en­
gine.
A WARNING
Do not assume the roads are free of ice based
on the outside temperature display . Be aware
that there may be ice on roads even when the
outside temperature is around 41 °F (+S
0
()
and that ice can increase the risk of accidents .
@ Tips
You can change the measurement units, for
example for temperature or speed, in the
MMI.
Fuel level
The display @ q page 10, fig. 3 only works when
the ignition is switched on. When the display has reached the reserve mark, the bottom LED will
turn red and the
tj] indicator light turns on
q page 24. Th e bottom LED blinks red when
the fuel level is very low.
The on-board computer shows the range based
on the fuel level~
page 29, On-board comput­
er display.
For the tank capacity in your vehicle , refer to the
Technical Data
qpoge 303.
(D Note
Never drive until the tank is completely emp­
ty . The irregular supply of fuel that results
from that can cause engine misfires . Uncom­
busted fuel will then enter the exhaust sys­
tem. This can cause overheating and damage
to the catalytic converter.
Coolant temperature indicator
In vehicles without a coolant temperature indica­
t or, an indicator light . will turn on when the
12
coolant temperature is too high q page 20. Re­
fer to
q 0 .
The coolant temperature indicator @ q page 10,
fig. 3
only works when the ignition is switched
on. To prevent engine damage, please observe
the following notes about the temperature rang­
es .
Cold range
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge turn
on, the engine has not reached operating tem­
perature yet. Avoid high engine speeds, full ac­
ce lerating and heavy engine loads.
Normal range
The engine has reached its operating tempera­
ture once the LEDs up to the center of the gauge
turn on under normal driving conditions. The
LEDs higher up may turn on if the engine is under
heavy load or the outside temperature is high.
T his is no cause for concern as long as the. in­
dicator light in the instrument cluster does not
turn on.
Hot range
If the LEDs in the upper area of the display and
the . indicator light in the instrument cluster
display turn on, the coolant temperature is too
high
q page 20 .
A WARNING
-Never open the hood if you can see or hear
steam or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment . This increases the risk of
burns . Wait until you no longer see or hear
steam or coolant escaping.
- The engine compartment in any vehicle can
be a dangerous area. Stop the engine and
allow it to cool before working in the engine
compartment. Always follow the informa­
tion found in¢
page 236, Working in the
engine comportment.
([) Note
-In vehicles with a boost pressure indicator*,
this indicator replaces the temperature dis­
play. To promote a long engine service life,
avoiding high engine speeds, full

.... N
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.... I.Cl U"I
.... I.Cl ....
acceleration and heavy engine loads during
approximately the first 15 minutes when
the engine is cold is recommended. The
amount of time until the engine is warm de­
pends on the outside temperature. Check
the engine oil temperature* if necessary
¢ page 32.
-Auxiliary headlights and other accessories in
front of the cooling-air intake impair the
cooling effect of the coolant . This increases
the risk of the engine overheating during
high outside temperatures and heavy en­
gine load.
- The front spoiler also he lps to distr ibute
cooling air correct ly wh ile driving. If the
spo iler is damaged, the cooling effect will
be impaired and the risk of the engine over ­
heating will increase. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa­
cility for assistance.
@ Tips
Diesel engines: due to the high efficiency of
these engines, the engine may not always
reach operating temperature in cold outside
temperatures. This is normal and not a cause
for concern.
Indicator lights
Description
Fig. 6 Instrument cl uster : example of a d isplay in veh icles
wit h a mo nochrome d isplay
@
®
©
Indicator light
Message
Status line:
- • Im, Central indicator light or addition­
al displays for active systems such as
Instruments and indicator lights
-- (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
electromechanical parking brake
-18;(1 )~1~ (USA mode ls)/ . (Canada models)
cruise control system*
-•III Act ive lane assist*
The
central ind icator light© • or h also
turns on with some indicator lights @.
If the central indicator light © turns on, check
the additional information in the instrument
cluster display @ and @.
In addition to the indicator lights in the display,
there are addit ional ind icators in the tachometer .
They blink or turn on to indicate functions or mal­
functions . Messages @ may also appear briefly
with some indicator lights. A warning tone
sounds at the same time.
If there is more than one malfunction, the indica ­
tor lights will turn on one after the other for a short time.
The ind icator lights and messages in the display
can be covered by other d isplays . In cases where
the indicator light @ is hidden, the central ind i­
cator light © will remain visib le until the mal­
function is corrected.
The messages can be displayed aga in in the driv­
er information system
¢ page 29, Operation .
Overview
Some indicator lights turn on briefly as a funct ion
check when you sw itch the ignition on. These sys­
tems are marked with a./ in the following tab les.
If one of these ind icator lights does not turn on,
there is a malfunction in that system .
Your vehicle has either a monochrome display or
a multicolored disp lay, depending on vehicle
equipment. In a monochrome display, the indica­
tor lights @only appear in white ¢
page 13,
fig. 6. The central indicator light@• / rAi also
appears to indicate the priority of these indicator
lights. Refer to the explanations for red or yellow
indicator lights .
Examples of indicator lights in a monochrome
display :
13

,....,
N
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

Instruments and indicator lights
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
veh icle could roll away even on a small incline.
11J;J:t :);J;1:0 (USA models) / ¢@'A Parking b rake is applied
If this message appears, press the brake pedal
first and then release the parking brake if neces­
sary .
{D) Tips
For additional information on the parking
brake, refer to¢
page 85.
-L Cooling system
• Switch off engine and check coolant level!
• Park vehicle and check coolant level!
The coolant level is too low.
Do not continue driving and switch the engine
off.
Plug-in hybrid drive *: refer to
c!;> page 108.
Check the coolant leve l¢ page 244.
- If the coolant level is too low, add coolant
¢
page 245. Only cont inue driving once the in­
dicator light turns off.
• Coolant temperature too high! Let engine
run with vehicle stationary
Let the engine run at idle for a few minutes to
coo l off, until the indicator light turns off.
- If the indicator light does not turn off, do not
continue driving the vehicle. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized A udi Service Faci lity
for assistance.
A WARNING
- Never open the hood if you can see or hear
steam or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. This inc reases the risk of
burns. Wait until you no longer see or hea r
steam or coolant escaping.
- The engine compartment in any veh icle can
be a dangerous area. Stop the engine and
20
allow it to cool befo re working in the engine
compartment. Always follow the informa­
tion found in ¢
page 236, Working in the
engine compartment .
Cl) Note
Do not continue driving if the . indicator
light turns on -this increases the risk of en­
gine damage.
"l=7: Engine oil pressure
• Switch off engine! Oil pressure too low
Stop the engine and do not continue driving.
Check the eng ine oil level¢
page 242.
-If the eng ine oi l level is too low, add engine oil
¢
page 240. Only continue driving once the in­
dicator light turns off .
- If the engine oi l level is correct and the indica­
tor ligh t still turns on, turn the engine off and
do not cont inue driving. See an authorized Aud i
dea ler or authorized Audi Service Facility for as­
sistance .
(D Tips
The oil pressure warning is not an oil level in­
dicator. Always check the oil level regularly.
D Alternator/battery
• Alternator fault : battery is not being charg­
ed
There is a ma lfunction in the a lternator or the ve­
hicle electrical system.
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly. Because the ve­
hicle battery is dra ining, turn off all unnecessary
electrical equ ipment such as the MMI. See your
authorized Aud i dealer or authorized Audi Serv ice
Facil ity if the battery cha rge level is too low.
(•) Low battery charge: Battery will be charged
while driving
The starting ability may be impaired .
If this message turns off after a litt le whi le, t he
battery ch a rged enough while driv ing.
liJJ,

Instruments and indicator lights
(D Tips
For additional information on the diesel par­
ticulate filter, refer to¢
page 233.
!?) Engine speed limitation
A pp lies to ve hicles : w ith e ngin e spee d limit ation
[II Max. engine speed: XXXX rpm
The engine speed is automatically limited to the
speed displayed in the driver information system.
This protects the engine from overheating.
The engine speed limitation deactivates once the
engine is no longer in the critical temperature
range and you have released the accelerator ped­
al once.
If the engine speed limitation was activated by
an engine control malfunction, the
[m indicator
light also turns on. Make sure the engine speed
does not go above the speed displayed, for exam­
ple when downshifting. Drive to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility im­
mediately to have the malfunction corrected.
~ Engine oil level (min .)
II Check oil level
You may continue driving for the time being.
Check the engine oil level as soon as possible
¢page 240.
-If the engine oil level is too low, add engine oil
qpage242.
- If the engine oil level is correct and the indica­
tor light still turns on, drive at low engine
speed to an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility.
'1::7' .., Engine oil sensor
• Oil level sensor: system fault!
The sensor to check the engine oil level has
failed. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
Ill Oil level sens.: oil change necessary. Please
contact Service
24
The engine oil level is too high.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected .
(D Note
Refer to the description in the Owner's Man­
ual
q page 242, Checking the engine oil level
and ¢ page 242, Adding engine oil 5) Tank system
ID Please refuel
If the indicator light turns first turns on and this
message appears, the tank contains the follow­
ing amount of fuel:
- Front wheel drive: approximately 1.8 gallons (7
liters)
-All wheel drive: approximately
2.2 gallons (8.5
liters)
fiD Please refuel immediately
If the indicator light turns on the message ap­
pears, the fuel tank is almost empty. Refuel the
vehicle immediately.
ID Fuel tank malfunction! Please contact Serv­
ice
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears:
- there is a malfunction in the fuel tank system,
or
- in vehicles with diesel engines, water may have
collected in the fuel filter.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.

Driving
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your fuel
consumption by 10-15 percent. This section will
give you some tips on how you can help the envi­ ronment and your pocketbook.
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehicle
load and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­
ating.
.. Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking .
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­
ating. If you anticipate what is going to happen next, you will need to brake less and, thus, accel­
erate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possi ­
ble -for example when you see that the next traf­
fic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and im­
proves your mileage.
.. Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed .
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consumption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ­ ment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and engine
noise increase disproportionately at high speeds.
If you drive at approximately three quarters of
top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by
one half . Never drive faster than the posted
speed limit and weather conditions permit.
78
· Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel .
.. Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle .
.,. Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the en-
gine run at idle .
It is efficient to switch off the engine when stop­
ped at railroad crossings and long red lights.
Turning the engine off for just 30 -40 seconds
saves more fuel than is burned by starting the
engine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle . However, wear
and noxious emissions are especially high when
the engine is warming up . So you should drive
away as soon as you start the engine and avoid running at high rpms while the engine is still
warming up .
@ Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting. If warning lights should come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces
heat, which could result in overheating or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper­
ty.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot
of fuel.
.. Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
Audi dealer helps to ensure that it runs properly
and economically. The condition of your vehicle
not only affects its safety and ability to hold its
value, it also affects
fuel consumption.
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oil used is related to engine load
and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new en­
gine to reach its lowest value after a certain mile -
age has been driven . ..,.

Automatic transmissio n
Stopp ing /park ing
If the se lecto r lever is not in the P posit ion when
you open the driver's door, the vehicle could roll .
In vehicles with a convenience key*, the message:
Shift to P , vehicle can roll away . Doors c an be
lo cked onl y in P
appears. You will a lso hear a
warn ing tone.
... Press and hold the brake pedal¢_&. .
... Set the parking brake.
.,. Se lect the P selector lever position.
Stopp ing on an inclin e
.,. Always press the brake peda l to hold the vehi ­
cle in place and prevent it from "rolling back"
¢ _&. . Do
not try to prevent the vehicle from
"ro lling back" when a gear is engaged by in­
creasing the engine speed ¢(D.
Starting on an inclin e in vehicl es without Hill
H old *
... Set the parking brake.
.,. With the driving gear selected, press the acce l­
erator pedal carefully. The parking brake re­
leases automatically . Requirement : the driver's
door must be closed and the driver's safety belt must be fastened .
Starting on an incline in veh icles with Hill
Hold*
.,. With the driving gear selected, remove your
foot from the brake pedal and press the accel­
erator pedal~
page 87, Hill hold.
Under certain c ircumstances, (such as driv ing in
the mountains or towing a trailer), it may be use­
fu l to sw itch temporarily to the manua l shift p ro­
g ram in o rde r to adjust the gea rs to the driving
conditions by hand
c:? page 94.
When parking on a level surface, simply place the
selecto r leve r in the P position. On inclines, act i­
vate the parking brake first and then move the
selector lever to the P posi tion
~ page 85. This
prevents the loc king mechanism from being
loaded too heav ily and wi ll make it easier to
move the selector lever out of the P position.
92
A WARNING
- The vehicle can roll even when the engine is
sw itched off.
- Unintended vehicle movement can lead to
serious injuries.
- Never leave your veh icle with the engine
running while in gear. If you must leave
your veh icle when the engine is running, set
the park ing brake and move the selector lev­
er to the P posit ion.
- Power is still transferred to the wheels when the engine is running at idle . To pre­
vent the vehicle from "creeping", yo u must
keep your foot on t he b rake when the en­
gine is ru nning and the selector lever is in
the D, Sor R position or "tip tronic" mode is
selected.
- Do not inadve rten tly p ress the accelerator
pedal when the vehicle is stationary. Other ­
wise the vehicle will start to move immedi­
ately, even if the parking brake is set. This
could result in a crash.
- Do not press the acce lerator pedal when
changing the selector lever posit ion while
the vehicle is stat ionary and the engine is
running.
- Never engage the R or P selector level pos i­
tions while dr iv ing. It could cause a crash.
- Before driving down a steep slope, reduce your speed and shift into a lower gear w ith
"t i ptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake pedal too often o r too long when dr iv ing
downhill. Constant braking causes the brakes to overheat and substant ially re­
duces bra king performance, increases b rak­
ing d istance or causes comp lete failure of
the bra ke sys tem.
- If you must stop on an incline, always hold
the vehicle in place w ith the foot brake or
p ar king bra ke to p revent it from rolling
back.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipping clu tch. The clutch opens automati­
cally when it becomes too hot from the
over load . T he
l§1 indicator light turns on

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., and a message appears ¢ page 95 when
the clutch is over loaded.
- If the engine must run while you are work­
ing in the engine compartment with the
hood open, make sure a gear is not engag­
ed. The selector lever must be firmly in the
P position and locked in place and the park­
ing brake must be set¢
page 236. Other­
w ise, the vehicle could begin moving when
the engine speed is high, even w ith the
par king brake set.
(D Note
- When stopping on a n incline, do not t ry to
ho ld the vehicle in place by press ing the ac­
ce le ra to r pedal wh ile a driv ing gear is se­
l ected. This can ca u se the au toma tic trans­
mission to overheat and can damage it. Set
the pa rking brake or press the brake pedal
to prevent the vehicle from ro lling .
- Allow ing the vehicle to ro ll when the eng ine
is stopped and the se lector lever is in the N
pos ition w ill damage the automatic trans­
mission because it is not l ubricated under
those circumstances.
- The transmiss ion can overheat and be dam­
aged under certain driving and traffic condi­
tions such as frequent starts , creeping for a
l ong time, or stop-and-go traffic. When t he
mJ o r. indicator light tu rns o n, s top the
vehicle at the next oppo rt u nity and let the
transm issio n coo l
¢page 95 .
-Allow ing the ve hicle to ro ll when the eng ine
i s s topped w ill damage the S tro nic trans­
mission because it is not lubric ated
¢ page 297, Towing with a tow truck .
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking b rake releases
au tomatically on ly w hen the dr iver's door is
closed and driver's sa fe ty belt is fastened.
Autom atic tran sm iss ion
Hill descent control
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic transmission
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down hills.
Hill descent control is act ivated when the se lec­
tor lever is in the D or S position and you press
the brake pedal. The transmission automatically
selects a gear that is su itable for the incline . H ill
descent con trol tr ies to maintain the speed ach­
i eved a t the time of braking, w it hi n physi cal a nd
technical lim itations . If may s till be necessary to
adjus t the speed w ith the bra kes . Because hill de­
scent control cannot shift down farthe r than 3rd
gear, it may be necessary to shift into tiptronic
mode in very steep areas. In this case, shift into 1st or 2nd gear in tiptronic mode to use the en­
gine's braking force to relieve the brakes .
Hill descent control switches off once the decline
levels out or you press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles with a cru ise con trol system*
¢ page 130, hill descent control is a lso activated
when the speed is set.
A WARNING
-Hill descent control cannot overcome physical
limitat ions, so it may not be able to ma intain
a constant speed under all conditions. A lways
be ready to app ly the brakes.
93