2018 AUDI A3 SEDAN check engine

Drivin g
~ Brake the vehicle to a stop . The engine stops
shortly before the vehicle comes to a stop or if
the ve hicle is stationary
1>. Keep your foot on
the brake pedal. The
D] ; D] ind icator light ap ­
pears in the display. The need le in the tachome­
ter also moves into the
READ Y position .
~ The engine starts again when you take your
foot off the brake pedal. The ind icator light
tu rns off.
Add ition al informa tion
The engine stops in the "P", "N" and "D" selector
lever positions .
If you select the "R" selector lever position during
a Stop phase, the engine will start again.
Shift to "P" quickly to prevent the engine from
starting unintentiona lly when shifting t hrough
IIRII.
You can determ ine for you rself if the engine will
stop or not by reducing or increasing the amount
of force you use to press the brake pedal. For ex­
ample, if you only light ly press on the brake ped­
al in stop-and-go traff ic or when turning, the en­
g ine will not switch off when the vehicle is sta­
tionary . As soon as you press the brake down
harder, the eng ine will switch off .
(D Tips
-Press the brake pedal during a Stop phase
to keep the veh icle from roll ing.
- The ignition will turn off if you press the
I STAR T ENGINE ST OP ! button* during a
stop phase . The needle in the tachometer
moves into the
OFF pos it ion .
General information
App lies to: ve hicles w ith Sta rt/Stop system
Engine does not switch off
Before and during each stop phase, the system
checks if certa in cond itions have been met. If the
fjj i ndicato r light appears in the instr ument clus­
t er d isp lay, the engine w ill no t be s topped, for
examp le in the fo llowing situations:
1) Ma rket -spe cific
80
- T he engine has not reached the minim um re­
quired temperature for Start/Stop mode.
- The interior temperature selected by the cli-
mate control system* has not been reached.
- The ou tside tempe rat ure is extremely high/low.
- The windsh ield is being
defrosted® .
-The parking system* is switched on .
- The vehicle battery charge level is too low .
- The steering wheel is turned at a sharp angle or
is moving.
- After engaging the reverse gear.
- On sharp inclines .
- At high altitudes .
Engine automaticall y restarts
The standard Start/Stop mode w ill be canceled
d u ring a stop p hase in the following situat ions.
The eng ine res tarts witho ut any act ion by the
drive r.
- The vehicle ro lls, for example while on a slope .
- The interior temperature differs from the tem -
peratu re selected in the A/C system .
- The windsh ield is being
defrosted® .
-The brake pedal is pressed several times in a
row.
- The vehicle battery charge level is too low.
- Power consumption is hig h.
The eng ine ca n tur n off aga in when the cond i­
t ions for Sta rt/S top mode a re met
l ).
Ignition is switched off automaticall y
To prevent the vehicle battery from dra ining, the
i gnition will sw itch off
a ut omaticall y under the
fo llow ing cond it ions:
- The Start/Stop system has stopped the engine .
- The vehicle is stationary.
- You exited the vehicle .
In this case, the activated low beam is rep laced
by the pa rking light . The parking lights wi ll
switch off after approximately 30 minutes or
when you lock the veh icle.
.,.

Driving
- If the vehicle sti ll does not move in the de ­
sired direction, there is a system malfunc­
tion. See an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thori zed Audi Service Facility for assistance
to have the system checked.
(D Tips
Plug -in hybrid drive* : the transmission
switches automatically to the normal mode
" D" if the
l.,,f' I button ¢ page 98 is pressed
while i n sport mode "S" .
Driving tips
Applies to: ve hicles with a utomat ic transmissions
F ig . 9 2 Sect io n of the cente r co nso le: se le cto r lever w it h
i nte rlock butto n
Starting the engine
• Select the "P" or "N" selector lever position . At
low temperatu res (be low 14 °F ( -10 °C)), the
engine can only be started when t he se lec to r
l ever is in the "P " posit io n.
Starting from a stop
• Press and hold the brake pedal.
• Press and hold the interlock button in these­
lector lever handle, se lect the des ired sele ctor
lever posit io n such as "D" ¢
page 84 and re­
lease the loc k bu tton.
• Wait a moment unti l the transmission shifts.
Yo u w ill not ice a slight movement when the
gear engages.
• Release the brake pedal and press the accelera­
tor
pedal ¢,&. .
Various convenience functions are avai lab le for
starting on hills ¢
page 83.
86
Stopping temporarily
• Keep the vehicle st ationary using the bra kin g
peda l, for examp le a t traffic ligh ts.
• Do not press the acce le rato r pedal when doing
this.
• To prevent the vehicle from rolling when you start driving, set the pa rking brake when stop­
ping on steep
hills ¢.&. and ¢(Q).
• The parking brake will release a utomat ica lly
and the vehicle will start moving once yo u press
the acce le rato r pedal. Requirement: the d riv­
er's doo r mus t be closed.
Stopping/parking
If the selector lever is not in the "P" pos ition
whe n you open the d river's door, the vehicle
could roll. In vehicles with a conven ience key *,
the message :
Shift to P, otherwise vehicle can
roll away. Door s do not lock if lever is not in P
appe ars . A wa rning tone wi ll also sound.
• Press and hold the brake peda l¢ ,&. .
• Set t he par king brake.
• Select the "P" se lector lever posi tion .
Un der certai n circumstances, (such as dr iving in
the mo unta ins or towi ng a trailer), it may be use­
ful to switch temporar ily to the m an ual shift pro­
gr am in or der to ad ju st t he gears to the driv ing
cond it ions by hand ¢
page 88.
When parking on a level surface, s imp ly place the
se le ct or lever i n the "P" pos ition. On inclines, a c­
tivate the par king b rake first and then move the
se lector lever to the "P " posit ion ¢
page 81. Thi s
prevents the locking mechanism from being
l oaded too heavily and will make it easier to
move the selector lever out of the "P" position.
A WARNING
- The vehicle can roll even whe n the engi ne is
sw itched off .
- Unintended vehicle movement can lead to
serio us injuries.
- Never leave your veh icle with the engine
r u nning while in gear. If you must leave
your veh icle when the eng ine is r unning, set
t he par king brake and move the se lecto r lev ­
er to the "P " posi tion .

e-tron
For additional information, see ¢ page 17, Trip
computer (Audi virtual cockpit).
~ Applies to: vehicles with analog instrument
cluster: Open the
Tachometer display by turn­
ing the left thumbwheel on the multifunction
steering wheel.
When opening the driver's door, the charge level is shown in the instrument cluster when the igni­
tion is switched on, or the charge level and the
remaining charge time for the high -voltage bat ­
tery is displayed when charging .
The power meter gives feedback about the partic­ ular accelerator pedal position and shows the
current demand
(%) for electricity or fuel regard­
less of which engine is active.
An economical driving and recuperation range is
shown in green
¢ page 99, Energy recovery (re­
cuperation) .
A driving range that is not economi­
cal is shown in orange .
(D Vehicle not drive ready (OFF)
@ Recuperation (CHARGE)
@ Vehicle ready to drive (READY) or
coasting
© Efficient driving with electric motor
and/or gasoline engine (EFFICIEN­
CY)
® Economic driving while the electric
motor or gasoline engine is in the
partial power range
@ Driving in full power range
0 100% output
@ BOOST: the electric motor supports
the combustion engine
® High-voltage battery charge level
@ EV mode: active a=,v, standby, a=,v
or currently unavailable. ~v
@ Speed limit for electric driving in EV
mode (80 mph/ 130 km/h)
Indicator lights and messages
Applies to: vehicles with plug -in hybr id drive
Also note the indicator lights in¢ page 20.
The gasoline engine is active when the II'§] indica­
tor light turns on.
96
•• Drive system: system fault! Safely park
vehicle
There is a malfunction in the plug-in hybrid sys­
tem. The brake booster and the power steering
may stop working. Stop the vehicle immediately
or as soon as possible. Park the vehicle in a safe place outdoors that is not near buildings, roof
overhangs, carports or similar structures. Switch
the ignition off. Have the problem corrected by
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility.
•• Electric drive: overheated! Safely stop
vehicle and check coolant
The coolant level is too low or the coolant tem­
perature is too high.
Stop the vehicle in the outdoors as soon as it is
safely possible. Switch the ignition off.
Read the important safety
precautions ¢.& in
Coolant on page 103
and check the coolant level
¢page 102.
If the coolant level is OK, the malfunction may be
caused by the system overheating. Let the vehi­
cle's electric drive system cool down for some
time .
If the message turns off after cooling down and
switching the ignition back on, you can continue
driving. Contact an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
If the indicator light stays on, contact an author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty.
lltll Drive system: system fault! Please con­
tact workshop
There is a malfunction in the plug-in hybrid sys­
tem . Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
1/1111 Drive system: system fault! Restart not
possible. Please contact workshop
There is a malfunction in the plug-in hybrid sys­
tem. Do not open the hood. Drive to an author- ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
.,,_

e-t ro n
The vehicle tool kit and the tire mobility kit (Tire
Mobility System) are located in the side trim pan­
el @ and ® in the luggage compartment.
Addit ional info rmation about the vehicle tool kit
may be found under ¢
page 360 and informa­
tion about the tire mobility kit under
¢ pag e 361.
@ Tips
The vehicle must not be operated without the
tire repair set.
Vehicle transport
A ppl ies to: ve hicles w ith p lug- in hybrid drive
The following contains information you should
know about transporting your vehicle .
The MQB-A high-voltage lithium -ion battery sys­
tem equ ipped in yo ur vehicle is composed of SA­
NYO 12 UF 261 591 h igh-vo ltage batteries and
has passed test 38 .3 in accordance with the UN
Tests and Criteria handbook . The vehicle may be
transported with the high-voltage battery instal­
led as conventional class 9 ha zardous materials
without additional official consent for air and sea
sh ipment (current law ICAO-TI and IMDG-Code
01.01.2012) .
Jump start
App lies to: ve hicles w ith plug -in hybrid drive
The term "vehicle battery " refers to the 12 Volt
battery in your vehicle.
F ig . 1 05 Eng in e co mpartment: conn ectors for a c harge r
and jump star t cables
The vehicle is equipped with one vehicle battery
and one high-voltage battery .
102
If the vehicle battery is drained, it can be charged
with a charger or you can jump start the vehicle us ing another vehicle's battery in the same way
as a conventional vehicle.
Read the information about charging the vehicle
battery ¢
page 32 7 and for jump starting the ve­
hicle
¢ page 375 .
.,. Open the hood ¢ page 320.
.,. Remove the fuse box cover @ to access the
positive terminal
0 ~ page 321.
.,. Clamp the terminal clamps from the charg ing
device or jump start cable to the positive termi­
nal
0 and to the body ground point Q .
@ Note
You must not give a jump start with your vehi­
cle . Th is cou ld cause s ignificant damage to
the electrical system i n your vehicle .
Coolant
Applies to: vehicles wit h pl ug-in hyb rid drive
Fig . 106 En g in e compartment: coolant exp ans ion tank
Your vehicle has two coolant expansion tanks
that are separate from each other:
@ : expansion tank for gasoline engine and elec ­
tric motor .
@: expansion tank for the high -vol tage area.
The expan sion ta nk @ must not b e opened
¢,& .
.,. Switch the ignition off.
.,. Open the hood ¢ page 320.
.,. Always check the coolant level in both coolant
expansion tanks @ and @ using the outer
ma rkings.
1111>

e-tron
The gaso line engine is no longer ava ila b le be ­
cause there is not enough fue l. Drive immediate ly
to a gas station.
Fuel filler door emergency release
A pp lies to : ve hicles w ith plug- in hybrid drive
You must use the emergency re lease to open the
fue l filler door when there is a malfunct io n
c::;, page317 .
The tank is not vented. You can only f ill a small
amount of fuel in the tank.
~ Fill only unti l the automatic fue l pump nozzle
turns off for the first time when it is operated correctly.
Drive to an a utho rized Aud i de aler or a uth o rized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunctio n corrected .
(D Tips
Pressure can escape if you open the tank ca p
after using the emergency release . This can
create noises.
Charging
General information
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith plug -in hybrid drive
Two options are ava ilab le for cha rging the vehi ­
cle:
- Charge at a p ublic charging stat ion w ith a spe­
c ia l charging cable*
c::;, page 106 .
-Charge with ho useho ld and industrial power
sockets using the Audi e-t ron c harg ing system
¢ page 106.
Environmental condition s when using the
Audi e-tron charging system
- Operat ing temperatu re : -13 °F (-25 °C) to 95 °F
(+35 °C)
- Humidity: 5% to 95%, non-co ndensing
- 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) maximum above
sea leve l
- Protected against dust and spray (IP54 (USA:
enclosure 3 R))
104
Warnings when using the charging system
&
Surfaces ca n become very hot when
i n d irect su nlight .
&~
Incorrect use increases the risk of
electric shock.
~¼
Do not use any extens ions co rds o r
c abl e reels.
~
Do not use any travel adapters.
~~
Do not use any power str ips.
~~~
Do not use any charg ing cables with
damage to the electronics or the
con necti ng w ires .
.&_ WARNING -
Sockets that are inst alled incorrect ly can
cause elect ric shock or fire when charging the
h igh -vo ltage battery using the vehicle charg ­
ing connection .
- Installation and set up of the household con­
nection for the Audi e-tron charging system
may only be performed by a qualified e lec­
trician. The q ualified electrician is thereby
fully responsib le for adhering to applicable
standards and regu lations.
- Make sure that the selected charg ing con­
nection is suitable for drawing 16 amps .
- Make sure that the household soc ket is
grounded and shielded from water.
- The A udi e-tron charging system may only
be used with a prope rly grounded power
network. It cannot be used with non­
gro unded power networks (s uch as IT net­
wo rks) .
- Please follow the safety precautions in the
assembly instr uctions for the A udi cha rging
dock* or the Audi cha rging clips* .
.&_ WARNING
If you are not fam il iar with the socke t or the
e lectr ica l installation or it has not been
checked by qualified e xperts, never use i t fo r
cha rging. Even very low ch arg ing cu rrents can
cause ser ious damage and in particular fires if
the socket or electrical installation is in bad
Ill>

Trail er to wing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your veh icle is primari ly intended for transport­
ing peop le and luggage. Howeve r, if you dr ive
with a tra iler , follow the techn ica l requirements ,
the operation and driving tips, and the lega l reg ­
ulations.
Dr iving w ith a trailer affects the vehicle 's fuel
consumpt ion, performance and wear. It a lso re­
quires higher concentration from the driver .
A WARNING
Do not transport any people in a trailer due to
the risk of fatal injury .
Technical requirements
Certain requirements must be met when towing
a trailer.
Trailer hitch
Only use a trailer hitch with a removab le ball
h itch mount and ball h itch. The tra ile r hitc h must
be pe rm it t ed for the vehicle, the tra iler and the
permitted tota l weight of the trailer being
pu lled . Above all, it must be secure ly and safe ly
attached to the vehicle trailer.
Never mo unt a t rai ler hitch on the bumper. The
trai ler hitc h must be mounted in a way that does
not impair the function of the bumper. Do not
make any changes to the exhaust system and the
brake system.
Check regu larly if the trai ler hitc h is securely
mounted . A lways follow the instructions given by
the trai ler hitch manufacturer .
Trailer brakes
If t he tra ile r has its own bra ke system, then fol­
low the manufacturer specifica tions. Howeve r,
the brake system on the trai ler must never be
connected to the vehicle brake system.
118
Engine cooling system
D riving w ith a tra ile r means a higher load on t he
engine and the cooling sys tem. The coo ling sys­
tem must be designed for additiona l load and
contain enoug h
coolant ¢@ .
@ Note
Longer incl ines cannot be driven wi tho ut a
suitab le cooling system, especia lly if the out ­
side temperatures are high . ot herwise, this
i ncreases the risk of eng ine damage.
Operating instructions
Several things must be noted when towing a
trailer.
Towing capacity
Yo ur vehicle can only be ope ra ted with class 1 or
class 2 trai le rs.
Load distribution
Poor cargo load and distr ib ution can negatively
i mpact vehicle handling . T o have the lowest im­
pact as poss ible, load the tra ile r according to
t h ese cr ite ria :
- Store objects preferably in the vehicle luggage
compartment . The vehicle should a lways carry
the heaviest poss ib le load and the trailer
should have t he lig htest poss ible load .
- Dist ribute the load in the t railer so that the
heavy objects a re as close to the axle as poss i­
ble.
- Secu re objects from s lid ing o ut of place.
- Ut il ize the maximum permitted tongue we ight
if poss ible .
Tire s
Set the tire pressure on your vehicle for a "full
load"; see the tire pressure
st icker ¢ page 341.
If necessary, also adjust the t ire pressure on the
trailer acco rding to the manufactu rer's recom­
mendat ion.
Winter tires should be mounted on the vehicle and on the trailer during w inter temperatures .

Outside mirrors
If yo u cannot see the traffic behind the tra iler
with the standard exterior mirrors, then you
must attach additiona l exterior mirrors . Adj ust
them so you have a sufficient visibility behind
you .
Exterior lighting
Follow the legal regulat ions regard ing the light­
ing equipment on your trailer . Contact an author ­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty for more information.
Before starting to drive, check all lighti ng equip­
ment on the hitched trailer.
The headlight range contro l adjusts automatical­
l y to the light range of the headl ights.
Safety chains
Make sure the safety chains are correctly applied
when pull ing a trailer . The chains should hang
enough so that the trailer can dr ive around
curves. However, they must not touch the
g ro und .
(D Tips
-Use chocks whe n parking on incl ines if the
trailer is load ed.
- We recommend also hav ing the veh icle in­
spected between the inspect ion intervals if
you are towing a trailer frequently.
- Avo id driving with a trailer during the vehi­
cle break- in period .
Driving with a trailer
Driving with a trailer requires extra caution.
Speed
Adhere to the legal speed limits. Follow the legal
regulations specific to the country.
As the speed increases, the driving stability of
the trai ler decreases. Therefore you should not
exceed the maximum legal speed limit when
u. there are unfavorable road, weather and/or wind 00
~ conditions . This especially applies when driving
~ downhill.
0 N > 00
Trailer towing
You m ust always reduce your speed as soon as
you notice even the slightest swinging motion of
the tra iler. Never try to "stra ighten out" the tra il­
er by acce lerating.
T he weight distribution is very poor if the vehicle
is empty and the trai ler is loaded . However if you
must drive under these circumstances, then dr ive
especially slowly .
Brakes
Brake in a timely manner. Downshift before driv ­
ing down hill so that t he engine can assist with
braking ~.&. .
When using a trailer w it h overrun brakes, first
brake gently then quickly. This reduces the r isk of
jerking while braking if the trailer wheels lock up .
Engine coolant temperature
Pay attention specifically to the coo lant tempera­
ture display when there are high outside temper­
a tur es, and when driving on long inclines
~page 11. Shift to a hig her gear in a timely man­
ner .
A WARNING
= -
Constant braking causes the brakes to over-
heat and substantially reduces braking per­
formance, increases braking distance or caus­
es complete failure of the brake system.
119

Assistance systems
-The rear cross-traffic assist will not provide
alerts if the veh icle is in a paralle l parking
space or an angled parking space.
(LlJ Note
Also read the information in <=:>@ in General
information on page 138 .
(D Tips
-You can cancel the automa tic brake activa ­
tion with increasing braking force if you ap­
ply the brakes yourse lf or accelerate consid ­
erab ly.
- In some situations, rear cross-traffic assist
may warn you even if there is no cross traffic
i n a critical area, for example when backing
i nto a parking space or maneuver ing.
- The rear cross-traffic assist also switches off when you switch off the ESC.
- The system is not available when towing a
trailer.
Messages
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith Audi side assis t
If the side assist sw itches off automatically, a
message appears in the instrument cluster dis­
play.
@j Aud i side assist: malfunction! Please contact
Service
The system cannot guarantee that it wi ll detect
veh icles correctly and it has switched off. The
sensors have been moved or are faulty. Have the
system checked by an authorized Audi dealer or
author ized Audi Service Facility soon .
(ij Audi side assist: currently unavailable. No
sensor view
(ij Audi side assist: currently unavailable. Sen­
sor vision restricted due to surroundings. See
owner 's manual
The radar sensor vis ion is impaired . Do not cover
the area in front of the sensors with bike wheels,
stickers, dirt or other objects. C lean the area in
front of the sensors, if necessary
c> page 13 7,
fig . 141.
140
(ij Audi side assist: currently unavailable
Sid e assist cannot be switched on at this time be­
cause there is a malfunction (for ex am ple, the
battery charge level may be too low).
@j Audi side assist: unavailable in towing mode
(ij Audi side assist: unavailable in towing mode
Side assist switches off automatically after a
short time when a factory-insta lled trai ler hitch
i s connected to the electr ica l connector on the
trailer. There is no guarantee the system will
switch off when using a retrofitted trailer hitch .
Do not use side assist when tow ing a tra iler .
[I! Rear parking aid : obstacle detection restrict­
ed
The rear cross-traffic assist is not available . Ei ­
ther t he ESC is switched off, or the radar sensors
may be covered by a bike rack, stickers, leaves,
snow or other objects. Switc h the ESC on, or
clean the area in front of the sensors if necessary
<=:>page 137 , fig . 141. If th is message continues
to be displayed, dr ive immed iate ly to an author­
iz ed Audi dealer or authorized Audi Se rvice Facili­
ty to have the malfunction repaired.
Audi drive select
Introduction
App lies to : vehicles wi th Audi drive se lec t
Audi drive select makes it poss ible to experience
different types of vehicle settings in one vehicle.
The dr iver can select from three modes,
Comfort ,
Auto
and Dynamic , using the ~.'/:.1 button in the
center console or by using the Infotainment sys­
tem. This allo ws you to switch between a sporty
and a comfo rtable driving mode, for example. In
the
Individual* mode, the settings can be adjust ­
ed to your personal preferences . This makes it
possible to comb ine settings such as a sporty en­
gine setting with light steering.
Description
Applies to: vehicles wit h Audi drive se lect
The vehicle setup in each mode depends on the
vehicle 's features. However, the engine and
steering are a lways affected .