2017 AUDI A3 SEDAN engine overheat

@ Left additional display (divided in
two sections in the expanded view)
There may be addi tional indicator lights in the
tachomete r@ , the speedometer
line ® and, depending on the instrument clus­
ter, above or below the central
area @.
The fo llow ing pages will primari ly show ill ustra­
tions of the mu lti-co lor ana log ins trumen t clus ­
ter* . The display and/or position of the e lement
shown may vary in monochrome instrument clus­
ters or in the A udi v irtual cockpit *.
(D Tips
-Depending on vehicle equipment, the in ­
str ument ill umination (need les and gauges)
may tu rn on when the lights are off and the
i gnition is sw itched on. The illumination for
the gauges reduces automat ically and even­
tua lly turns off as brightness outside in­
creases. This function reminds the driver to
turn the low beams on at the app ropr iate
time.
-You can select the units used for tempe ra­
ture, speed and othe r measureme nts in t he
Infotainment
system¢ page 241.
Coolant temperature indicator
The coolant temperatu re display (D ¢ page 10,
fig. 4 or ¢ page 10, fig . 3 only funct ions when
the ignition is switched on . To prevent engine
damage, please observe the following notes
about the temperature ranges.
Cold range
If onl y the L EDs at the bottom o f th e ga uge turn
on, the engine has not reached operating tem­ pe rature yet. Avoid high engine speeds, full ac ­
cele rat ing and heavy engine loads.
Normal range
The engine h as reached its oper ating temper a­
ture once the LEDs up to the center o f the ga uge
turn on. If
the . indicator lig ht in the instru-
~ ment cluster display turns on, the coolant tern-
~ perature is too high ¢ page 28 .
N ,....,
0 N > 00
Coc kpit o ve rv iew
Vehicles without a coolant temperature
i ndicat or
The . indicator light turns on when the coolant
temperat ure is h igh
¢ page 28. Re fer to ¢ 0.
@ Note
-Auxi liary headlights and other accessories in
front of the coo ling-air intake impai r the
cooling effect of the coolant. This increases
the risk of the engine overheating dur ing
hig h outside temperatures and heavy en­
gine load .
-The front spoiler a lso helps to distribute
cooling air correctly while driving. If the
spoiler is damaged, the coo ling effect will
be impaired and the r is k of the eng ine ove r­
heating wi ll increase. See an autho rized
Audi dea ler or author ized Audi Service Fa ­
ci lity for assis tan ce .
-Vehicles without a coolant temperature dis­
play: to promote a long engine service li fe,
avoidin g high engine speeds, full accelera­
tion and heavy engine loads during approx i­
mately the first 15 minutes when the en ­
gine is cold is recommended. The amount of
time that the eng ine is cold depends on the
outside temperature .
Engine oil temperature display and boost
indicator
Applies to: vehicles with engine oil temperature display/boost
indicator
Engine oil temperature indicator
Applies to: vehicles with analog instrumen t cl uste r
The eng ine oi l temperature is o nly show n in the
lap timer display
¢ page 125.
Applies to: vehicles with Audi virtual cockpit
The eng ine oi l tempera ture is on ly shown in the
expanded view or in the spo rt
view* ¢ page 15.
The display --- °F (--- °C) appears in the instru­
ment cluster when the engine oil temperature is
below
140 °F (60 °() .
The eng ine has reached its operating tempera-
ture whe n the engine oil temperature is between
176 °F (80 °() and 248 °F (120 °() unde r normal ..,.
11

Cockpit overv iew
driving conditions. The engine oil temperature
may be higher if there is heavy engine load and
h igh temperatures outside . Th is is not a ca use for
concern as long as
the .¢ page 29 or El
¢ page 32 indicator lights do not turn on.
Boost ind icator
Ap plies to: ve hicles w ith Audi virtual cockpit
The boost indicator is only shown in the expand­
ed view or in the sport view*
c:::> page 15 .
The current engine load (meaning the current
boost pressure) is indicated by a bar .
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in rev­
olutions per minute (RPM) .
The beginning of the red zone in the tachometer
indicates the maximum pe rm iss ible engine speed
for all gears once the engine has been broken in and when it is wa rmed up to ope rating tempera­
ture. Before reaching the red zone, yo u should
shift in to the next higher gear, choose the Do r S
selector leve r posit ion, or remove your foot from
the accelerator peda l.
Applies to: vehicles with plug- in hybrid drive
D epending on t he vehi cle eq uipment, there are
d ifferent disp lay formats
a vai lable¢ page 97.
CD Note
The needle in the tachometer @
¢ page 10,
fig. 4
o r c:::> page 10, fig. 3 may only be in the
red area of the ga uge fo r a short time o r there
is a risk of engi ne damage . The location where
the red zone beg ins varies depending on the
eng ine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early helps you to save fuel and re ­
duces operating noise.
Fuel level
The
display ®¢ page 10, fig. 4 or¢ page 10,
fig. 3
only functions when the ign ition is switch­
ed on . When the display has reached the reserve
12
mark, a red LED appears and the t'D ind icator
li ght turns on
c:::> page 32. The LED blinks red
when the fuel level is very low.
Fo r the tank capacity i n your veh icle, refer to the
Technical Data
c:::> page 375.
CD Note
Neve r drive until the tank is comp letely emp­
ty. The irreg ular supply of fuel t hat res ults
from that can cause engine misfires . Un com ­
b usted fue l wi ll then enter the exhaust sys­
tem . This can cause overheating and damage
to the catalyt ic converter.
Odometer
F ig . 5 Instrument cluster: odometer
Trip odometer and odometer
The trip odometer shows the dis tance driven
since it was last reset. It can be used to measure
sho rt d ista nces.
The trip odometer ca n be reset to zero by p ress­
ing the reset b utton ©
c:::> page 10, fig . 4 or
c:::> page 10, fig. 3.
The odometer shows the total distance that the
vehicle has been driven.
Malfunction indicator
If there is a malfunction in the instrument clus­
ter,
DEF will appear in the trip odome ter disp lay.
Have the malfu nction corrected as soon as possi­
ble.
Outside temperature display
If your vehicle is stationary or if you are driv ing at
very low speeds, t he temperature d isplayed may
.,.

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next traffic light is red. This produces an engine
braking effect, which helps to protect the brakes
and tires and reduces the emissions and fuel con­
sumption to zero (fuel shut-off during decelera­
tion).
Shift efficiently
An effective way to save fuel is to upshift earlier.
Staying in a gear too long uses fuel unnecessari­
ly .
Press down on the accelerator pedal slowly and
avoid "kick-down".
Avoid full acceleration
You should rarely travel at the maximum vehicle
speed. High speeds cause a disproportionately
high increase in fuel consumption, emissions and
traffic noise. Slower driving saves fuel.
Reduce idling time
The Start/Stop system* helps to reduce the idling
time automatically. In vehicles without the Start/
Stop system, it is efficient to switch the engine
off when stopped
at railroad crossings and long
red lights. Depending on the version of the en­
gine, stopping the engine for as little as five sec­
onds once it has reached operating temperature
still saves more fuel than leaving the engine run­ ning
-even when taking into account the amount
of extra fuel that is used to restart the engine.
It takes a very long time in idle to warm the en­
gine up to operating temperature. Wear and
emissions are especially high in the warm-up
phase. Therefore, you should begin driving im­
mediately after starting the engine. Avoid high
RPMs while doing this.
Have maintenance performed regularly
By having maintenance performed regularly on
your vehicle, you can help to reduce fuel con­
sumption before you even start to drive. The maintenance condition of your vehicle not only
affects traffic safety and long-term value but al­
so impacts
fuel consumption. A poorly main­
tained engine can lead to fuel consumption that
is 10% higher than normal.
Driving
Avoid short trips
The engine and emissions control system must
reach their optimal
operating temperature to ef­
fectively reduce consumption and emissions.
A cold engine uses a disproportionately high
amount of fuel. The engine reaches operating
temperature and consumption normalizes only
after approximately 2.5 miles (4 km).
Check the tire pressure
To save fuel, make sure the tires are always in­
flated to the correct pressure
r=;, page 33 5. The
fuel consumption can increase by S% if the pres­
sure is only 0.5 bar too low. Due to the increased
rolling resistance, low tire pressures will also
lead to greater tire
wear and will affect driving
behavior.
Do not drive on
winter tires year-round, as this
will consume up to 10% more fuel.
Eliminate unnecessary weight
Since every kilogram of extra weight increases
fuel consumption, a quick inspection of the lug­
gage compartment may be worth it to avoid un­
necessary weight.
When not being used, a roof rack should be re­
moved to decrease the wind resistance of the ve­
hicle. You will save approximately 12% of your
fuel when at speeds from 62-75 mph
(100-120 km/h).
Save energy
The engine drives the generator, which generates
electricity; the fuel consumption also increases
with the demand for electricity. Therefore, switch
electrical equipment off when you no longer
need it. Examples of equipment that uses a lot of
energy are air blowers at a high setting, the rear
window defogger and seat heating*.
(D 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
IJ,-
75

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-Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selector lever position while
the vehicle is stationary and the engine is running.
-Never engage the R or P selector level posi­
tions while driving. It could cause a crash.
-Before driving down a steep slope, reduce
your speed and shift into a lower gear with
"tiptronic" .
-Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
downhill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re­
duces braking performance, increases brak­
ing distance or causes complete failure of
the brake system.
-If you must stop on an incline, always hold
the vehicle in place with the foot brake or
parking brake to prevent it from rolling
back.
-Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipping clutch. The clutch opens automati­
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload.
The@] indicator light turns on
and a message appears
Q page 91 when
the clutch is overloaded.
(D Note
-When stopping on an incline, do not try to
hold the vehicle in place by pressing the ac­
celerator pedal while a driving gear is se­
lected. This can cause the automatic trans­
mission to overheat and can damage it. Set
the parking brake or press the brake pedal
to prevent the vehicle from rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the engine
is stopped while the selector lever is in the
N posit ion will damage the automatic trans­
mission, because it is not lubricated under
those circumstances
Qpage 370, Towing
with a tow truck.
-The transmission can overheat and be dam­
aged under certain driving and traffic condi­
tions such as frequent starts, creeping for a
long time, or stop-and-go traffic. When the
mJ or. indicator light turns on, stop the
vehicle at the next opportunity and let the
transmission cool
Qpage 91.
Driving
{!) Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake only re­
leases automatically when the driver's door is
closed.
Hill descent control
App lies to : vehicles wi th automatic transmissions
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down hills.
Hill descent control is activated when the selec­
tor lever is in the D or 5 position and you press
the brake pedal. The transmission automatically
selects a gear that is suitable for the hill. Hill de­
scent control tries to maintain the speed ach­ ieved at the time of braking, within physical and
technical limitations .
If may still be necessary to
adjust the speed with the brakes. Because hill de­
scent control cannot shift down farther than 3rd
gear, it may be necessary to shift into tiptronic
mode in very steep areas. In this case, shift into
2nd or 1st gear in tiptronic mode to use the en ­
gine's braking force to relieve the brakes.
Hill descent control switches off once the hill lev­
els out or you press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles with a cruise control system*
Q page 123, hi ll descent control is also activated
when the speed is set.
Hill descent control cannot overcome physical
limitations, so it may not be able to maintain
a constant speed under all conditions. A lways
be ready to app ly the brakes.
89

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N
Requirement: the engine must be at operating
temperature and the steering whee l must not be
turned.
.,. Deact ivate ll the Start/Stop system*
¢ page 83. The LED in the ~ button turns on.
.,. With the engine running, press the l.t, O FFj but­
ton briefly one time .
.,. Pull the selector lever back out of the D/S posi­
t ion briefly to select the S posit ion, or press it
toward the right into the tiptronic pos ition or
select the
D ynamic driving mode in drive se­
lect*
¢ page 143 .
.,. Press the b rake peda l firmly with you r left foot
and hold it all the way down for at least one
second .
.,. At the same time, press the gas pedal all the
way down with your right foot unti l the engine
reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
.,. Remove your left foot from the brake.
A WARNING
- Always adapt yo ur driv ing to the traffic flow .
- Only use Launch Control when road and traf-
fic cond itions allow it and other dr ivers will
not be endangered or impacted by your driv­
ing and the vehicle's acceleration .
- Please note that the drive whee ls can sp in
and the vehicle can break away when sport
mode is switched on, especially when the
road is s lippery.
- Once the vehicle has started moving, press
the
I ~ OFF j button briefly to tu rn the sport
mode off.
@ Tips
-The transmiss ion temperature may increase
s ignificantly after us ing the launch cont rol
program.
If that happens, the program may
not be available for a few m inutes. It w ill be
available again after a cool-down pe riod.
-When accelerating using the la unch control
program, all veh icle parts are subject to
heavy loads. Th is can lead to increased
wear .
8 1
> It is not pos sib le to deact iv a te t he system w it h all vers io n s N iii of th e tran sm is s ion.
D riv ing
Emergency mode
Applies to: vehicles with automatic transmissions
In the event of a system malfunction, there is an
emergency program .
If all of the selector lever positions are highlight­
ed with a light background in the instrument
cluster display, there is a system malfunct ion and
the transmission is running i n the emergency
program. The veh icle can sti ll be driven in emer­
gency mode, but only with red uced speed and
not in all gears . In some cases, the vehicle
can ­
not d riv e in revers e .
([) Note
If the transm ission runs in eme rgency mode,
drive to a n author ized A udi dealer or author­
i zed Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have
the malfunction corrected .
Transmission malfunction
Applies to: vehicles with automatic transmissions
• Tran smission: malfunction! Please stop ve­
hicle and shift t o P
There is a ma lfunction in the transm ission. Park
the vehicle secure ly and do not continue driving.
See an author ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility for assistance .
• Transmis sion overheat ing! Plea se stop the
ve hicle!
The tra nsmission is too hot and can become dam­
aged. Stop and le t the transmiss ion cool w ith the
engine r unning (at idle) in the P se lector lever po­
sition . Then the indicator light and the message
turn off, drive to an authorized A udi dealer or au­
thori zed Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected. If the indicator light
and the driver message do not turn off, do not
continue driving . See an authorized Aud i dealer
or authorized Audi Serv ice Facility for ass istance.
[!l Tran smiss ion malfunction : you can continu e
driving
.,,.
91

e-tron
The power meter gives feedback about the pa rt ic ­
ular accelerator pedal position and shows the
cur rent demand
(%) fo r electric ity or fuel rega rd ­
less of which engine is active.
An economica l driv ing and recupe ra tion range is
shown i n green
r:!> page 101, Energy recovery (re­
cuperation). A driving range that is not economi­
cal is shown in orange.
CD Ve hicl e no t drive ready (O FF)
@ Recuperation (CHARGE)
® Ve hicl e ready to d rive ( READY) o r
c oastin g
@ Effic ient driving w ith electric moto r
and/or gasoline eng ine (EFFICIEN-
CY)
® Ec onomic driv ing while t he e lectr ic
mot or or g asoline e ng in e is i n th e
p a rt ial power range
® D riving in full power range
0 100 % outp ut
® Boosting -the elect ric motor as-
sists the gasoline engine (BOOST)
® H igh-voltage battery cha rge level
@ EV mo de: a ct ive av , standby, c::§V
or cur rently unavailable. ~v
@ Speed limit for elect ric driv ing in EV
m ode (80 mph/ 130 km/h)
Indicator lights and messages
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith p lug -in hybr id drive
A lso note the in dica to r li ghts in r:!> page 24.
The gaso line engine is active when the
111 indica­
to r ligh t turns o n.
./. Drive system: system fault! Safely park
vehicle
There is a malfunction in the plug-in hybrid sys ­
tem . T he br ake booster and the powe r steering
may stop wor king. Stop the veh icle immediately
or as soon as possib le . Park the vehicle in a safe
p lace o utdoors that is not near buildi ngs, roof
overhangs, carports o r similar structures . Sw itch
the ig nition off . Have the problem cor rected by
an a uthor ized A udi dealer or au thor ized A udi
S erv ice Facil it y .
98
•• Electric system: overheated. Safely park
vehicle and check coolant
The coolant level is too lo w or the coo lan t tem­
p er at ure is too hig h.
Stop t he vehi cle in the o utdoors as soon as it is
safely possib le. Swi tch t he ig nitio n off.
Read the important safety precautions
r:!> .& in
Coolant on page 105 and check the coolant level
r:!> page 104.
If the coolant level is OK, the malfunction may be
ca used by the system ove rheating . Let the vehi­
cle's e lectr ic dr ive system coo l dow n for so me
t im e.
If the message turns off after coo ling down and
switching the ignition back on, you can continue
driv ing . Co ntac t an author ized Audi dealer or au ­
t h orized Audi Serv ice Facili ty immedia tely to have
t h e malfunct io n co rrecte d.
If the indicato r light stays on , contact an autho r­
i zed Audi dealer or author ized A udi Se rvice Facili­
ty.
11;11 D rive system: system fault! Please con­
tact workshop
There is a ma lf u nction in t he p lug -in hy brid sys ­
tem. D rive to an authorized Aud i deale r or au ­
thorized Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have
the malfunct ion co rrected.
11;11 Drive system: system fault! Restart not
possible. Please contact workshop
There is a ma lf u nction in the plug-in hybrid sys ­
tem. Do not ope n the hoo d. Drive to an a uth o r­
i zed Audi dealer or author ized A udi Se rvice Facili ­
ty immediate ly to have the malfuncti on correct­
ed.
11;11 Battery temperature too low. Engine
start not possible . See owner's manual
The o utsid e tem per atur e is too low. The veh icle
can no longer s tart at tem peratures be low -18 °F
(-28 ° C). Contact an author ized A udi dea ler or au ­
thorized Audi Serv ice Facility.
•
POWER LIMIT Warning! Limited power

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tires to trailer and tire manufacturers' specifica­
tions.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working p roperly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connect ­
ed from the tra iler to the hitch on the vehicle.
Leave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
in g corners . When you install safety cha ins, ma ke
sure they w ill not drag on the road when yo u are
driving .
The chains shou ld cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separat ion
from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer w ith an empty car results
in a highly unstable distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avo ided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while
keep ing the tra iler as light as possib le under the
circumstances. Whenever possib le, t ransfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow vehicle whi le observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loading considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind
conditions are unfavorable
-particu larly when
going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the s lightest sign of swaying .
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Tra iler towing
Observe speed limits. In some a reas, speeds for
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular
vehicles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving down­
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the engine
braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fa il.
Coolant temperature
T he coo lant tempe rature gauge ~ page 11 must
be observed carefully . The coolant temperature
can increase if you drive on long inclines in a low
gear at high engine speeds. Reduce your speed
immediately if the LEDs in the top part of the dis­
play turn on.
For more information about indicator lights, re­
fer
to . ~page 28.
A WARNING ,-
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci­
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided
by Aud i.
Trailer towing
information
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a
trailer because of the addit ional weight and dif­
ferent weight distribution . Safety, performance
and economy will g reatly depend on how careful­
ly you load your trailer and operate yo ur rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, pract ice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic. Keep practic ing until you have be­
come complete ly familiar w ith the way your vehi­
cle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a t railer genera lly requires steer ­
i ng action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle without a tra iler.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. You will need more
.,,.
121

Checking and Filling
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 104. Read and fol­
low the important safety precautions ¢
A in
Coolant on page 105 .
Requirement: there must be a residual amount of
coolant in the expansion tank
¢ (D .
~ Let the engine cool down.
~ Place a cloth over the coolant expansion tank
cap and unscrew the cap counterclockwise
¢_&. .
~ Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
¢page 323 up to the upper marking.
~ Make sure that the fluid level remains stable.
Add more coolant if necessary.
~ Close the cap securely.
Coolant loss usually indicates there is a leak . Im­
mediately drive your vehicle to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility
and have the cooling system inspected.
If the
cooling system is not leaking, a loss can come
from the coolant boiling through overheating
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
when the engine is hot. This increases the
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
coolant 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.
324
The ethylene glycol in engine coolant can
catch fire under certain circumstances.
- The coolant additive and the coolant can be
dangerous to your health. For this reason,
keep the coolant in the original container
and away from children . There is a risk of
poisoning.
- 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 injury.
(D Note
Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty . Air could enter the cooling system and
damage the engine . If this is the case, do not
continue driving . See an authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Facility for assis­
tance.
- Before the start of winter, have an author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility check if the coolant additive in your
vehicle matches the percentage appropriate
for the climate. This is especially important
when driving in colder climates.
- If the appropriate coolant additive is not
available in an emergency, do not add any
other additive. You could damage the en­
gine. If this happens, only use water and re­
store the correct mixture ratio with the
specified coolant additive as soon as possi­
ble .
- Only refill with new coolant.
- Radiator sealant must not be mixed with the coolant.
· Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by it­
self
An auxiliary electric radiator fan switches on and
off depending on coolant temperature and other
vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan
can continue running for up to 10 minutes
-even
with the ignition off.
It can even switch on again
later by
itself ¢.& , if .,..