2018 AUDI A3 SEDAN warning

Checking and Filling
~ After the fuel pump has switched off, wait five seconds before removing it to allow the rest of
the fuel to finish dripping into the fuel tank.
~ Turn the fue l cap clockwise until you hear it
lock.
~ Close the fuel filler door and then press on the
left side until it latches .
The correct fuel type for your vehicle can be
found on a label located on the inside of the fuel
filler door. For additional information on fuel,
see
Qpage 314 .
For the tank capacity in your vehicle, refer to the
Technical Data
Qpage 382.
To reduce the risk of fuel leaking out or vapors
escaping, make sure that the fuel tank is closed
correctly. Otherwise
thP ¢..iff indicator light will
turn on.
If the centra l locking system malfunctions, the
fuel filler door may emergency release
Qpage317.
A WARNING
An improper fueling procedure and improper
handling of fuel can lead to explosions, fires,
severe burns and other injuries.
-Do not smoke and keep away from open
flames.
-The ignition must be switched off when re­
fueling.
-Cell phones, radio devices and other radio
equipment should always be switched off
when refueling. Electromagnetic rays could cause sparks and start a fire.
-If you do not insert the fuel pump nozzle all
the way into the filler tube, then fuel can
leak out. Spilled fuel can ignite and start a
fire.
-Never get into the vehicle when refueling. If
there is an exceptional situation where the
vehicle must be entered, close the door and
touch a metal surface before touching the
fuel pump nozzle again. This will reduce the
risk of electrostatic discharge that can cause
flying sparks. Sparks can start a fire when
refueling.
316
A WARNING
We recommend that you do not transport any
fuel containers in the vehicle. Fuel could leak
out of the container and ignite, especially dur­
ing an accident. This can cause explosions,
fires and injuries.
-If you must transport fuel in a fuel contain­
er, please note the following:
-Always place a fuel container on the
ground before filling. Never fill the fuel
container with fuel while it is in or on the
vehicle. Electrostatic charge can occur
while refueling and the fuel vapors could
ignite .
-For fuel containers made of metal, the
fuel pump nozzle must always maintain
contact with the container to reduce the
risk of static charge.
-Insert the fuel pump nozzle as far as pos­
sible into the filler opening while refuel­
ing.
-Follow legal requirements when using,
storing and transporting fuel containers.
-Make sure that the fuel container meets
the industry standards, for example ANSI
or ASTM F852-86.
@ Note
-Remove fuel that has overflowed onto any
vehicle components immediately to reduce
the risk of damage to the vehicle.
-Never drive until the fuel tank is completely
empty. The irregular supply of fuel that re­
sults from that can cause engine misfires.
Uncombusted fuel will enter the exhaust
system and increase the risk of damage to
the catalytic converter.
@I For the sake of the environment
Do not overfill the fuel tank, otherwise fuel
can leak out when the vehicle is warming up.
© Tips
The fuel filler door on your vehicle does not lock if you lock the vehicle from the inside us-
ing the central locking switch.
II>-

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(D Tips
Fuel can age and may lead to problems when
starting . Audi recommends replacing the fuel
in your vehicle within six months.
Fuel filler door emergency release
If the central locking system is fault y, the fuel
filler door con be unlocked manually.
Applies to: version 1
F ig. 262 R ig ht rear l ugg age comp artment : eme rgency re ­
l ease (example )
Applies to: version 2
F ig . 26 3 Rea r of th e ve hicle: right rear se at fol ded forwa rd
Emergen cy relea se in the lug gage
compartment
Applies to: vers ion 1
The emergency opening mechanism is located
behind the right side trim pane l in the luggage
compar tment .
~ Remove the cover in the side panel.
~ Loosen the loop from the reta iner and then pull
on the loop carefully -arrow -
i=> fig. 262 i=> (D.
The filler door is released.
~ Press on the left side of the fuel fi ller door to
open it
i=> page 315, fig . 260.
P lug-in hybrid dr ive* : read and follow the inst ruc­
tions under
i=> page 103 .
Checking and Filling
Emergency relea se behind the rear seat
back rest
Appl ies to: version 2
The emergency releas e is located behind the
right rear seat.
T he pull cab le for the emergency re lease is locat­
ed on the cover .
~ To access the eme rgency re lease, fold the right
backrest forward
i=> page 66.
~ Remove the cover ~ from the tr im panel.
~ Carefully p ull the cover towa rd the center of
the vehicle at a 45° ang le
-arrow- ¢ fig. 263
i=>(D . The tab on the cover must point forward
in the direction you are pulling when pulling on
the cover .
~ Press on the left side of the fue l filler door to
open it
¢ page 315 , fig. 260.
(D Note
Only pull on the loop/cover until you fee l re­
s istance . Yo u will not hear it release . Other­
wise you could damage the emergency re­
l ease mechanism.
Catalytic converter
The vehicle may only be driven w ith un leaded
gasol ine, otherwise the cata lyti c converte r wi ll be
dest royed.
Never dr ive until the tank is completely empty .
The ir regu lar supply of fuel that resu lts from that
can cause eng ine misfires. Uncombusted fuel will
en ter the exhaust system , which c an cause over­
hea ting and damage to the cata lyti c conver ter .
A WARNING
The temperat ure o f the exhaust system is
high , both when driv ing and after stopping
the eng ine.
-
-Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once they
have become hot . This cou ld resu lt in burns.
- Do not par k your veh icle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the emissions con­
trol system could start a fire.
317

Checking and Filling
-Do not a pply u nder body protectant in t he
exhaust system area, because this increases
the risk of fire.
On Board Diagnostic
System (OBD)
The On-Board Diagnostic System monitors the
engine and transmission componen ts that influ ­
ence emissions.
F ig . 2 64 Footwell o n left s ide o f th e veh icle : co nn ect io n
port fo r the O n-Boa rd D iagno stic Syste m (OBD)
On-Board Diagnostic System
Engine data can be read out at the On-Board D i­
agnostic System connec tion po rt usi ng a special
tes ting device
~ fig . 264.
Indicator light
If thP ¢.j indicato r light bli nks or tu rns o n, there
is a malfunction that is causi ng poor emissions
qua lity and tha t could damage the ca talytic con­
ve rte r.
Drive s lowly to an author ized A udi dealer or au ­
thor ized Audi Se rvice Facility to have the ma l­
function co rrected .
The indicator light can also tur n on if t he fuel fill­
er cap is not closed
correct ly ~ page 315.
A WARNING
Incorrect use of the connection port fo r the
O n- Board Diag nostic System can ca use mal­
functions, which can then result in ac ciden ts
and ser ious injuries.
-Only allow a n author ized Audi dealer or au­
t h o riz e d Aud i Ser vice Faci lity to re ad o ut the
engi ne dat a.
318
-
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 fill ing fluids, there is a risk of in­
jury, scalding, accidents , and burns . For thi s
reason, follow all the w arnings and general
safety p re caut ion s prov ided in the following in­
formation. The engine compartment is a dan­
gerous are a.
~ .&,.
A WARNING
To reduce the ris k of injur ies, comp lete the
follo wing steps before opening t he hood:
- Tur n t he engine off.
- Switch the igni tio n off.
- Set the park ing brake.
-Move the selector lever into the P position.
-N ever open the hood when there is steam o r
coo lant escaping from t he engine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that yo u could
be burned . Wait unt il no steam or coolant is
escapi ng.
- L et the eng ine cool down .
-Keep children away from the eng ine com-
pa rtment .
-Never sp ill fluids on a hot engine . These flu­
ids (such as the anti-freezing agent con­
tained i n the coolant) ca n ignite .
- Avoid short c ircuits in the electrical system .
-When working in the engine compa rtment,
remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if the ignition is switched off, wh ich
increases the r isk of persona l injury .
-Never open the cap on the coolant expan­
sion tan k when t he engine is warm . The
coo ling system is under p ressure.
-To protect your face, hands , and a rms from
hot steam or coolant , cover the cap wit h a
large cloth when op ening .
-Do not remove the engine cover under any
circumstances. This increases the r isk of
burns .

u. 00 .-< N l'­ N .-< 0 N > 00
-If tests need to be performed with the en ­
gine running, there is additional danger due
to moving components (such as the ribbed belt, alternator and radiator fan) and from
the h igh-voltage ign it ion system .
- Never reach into the radiator fan. The elec­
tric auxiliary fan is controlled by tempera ­
ture and can switch on suddenly .
- Do not under any circumstances activate the
throttle inadvertently (for example, by hand
from the eng ine compartment) if the vehi­
cl e is stationa ry but the engi ne is ru nning
and a gear is engaged. Ot herw ise, the vehi­
cl e w ill sta rt to move immediately and t his
cou ld res ult in an accident .
- Pay atte ntion to the fo llow ing war nings list ­
ed when work on the fuel system or on the
electrical eq uipment is required.
- Do not smoke .
- Never work near open flames.
- Always have a working fire extinguisher
nearby.
- All work on the battery or e lectrica l system
in yo ur vehicle can res ult in injuries, chemi­
ca l burns, accidents or burns. Because of
this, all work must be performed
onl y by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Aud i
Service Facility .
- To reduce the risk of e lectric shock and in­
jury, never touch the following components when the eng ine is r unning or is being start­
ed:
- Ignition cable
- Other componen ts i n the ele ct ronic high-
voltage ignition system
- If you mus t check o r perfo rm wor k on t he
engine while it is runn ing:
- Set the parking brake and p lace the se lec­
tor lever in the P (park) position first .
- Always proceed with extreme caut ion so
that clothing, jewelry or long ha ir do not
become caught in the radiator fan, fan
belt o r other moving components or do
not come into contact with hot compo­
nents. Tie back lo ng ha ir before beginni ng
wo rk and do no t wear clot hing t hat can
hang down into the engine .
Check ing and F illing
- Limit your exposure to exhaust and chemi ­
cals to as short a time as possible
c> A .
A WARNING
-Ca lifornia Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certa in vehicle components conta in or
emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and reprod uctive harm . In add ition, certain flu­
ids conta ined in vehicles and certa in prod­
ucts of component wea r contain or em it
chemi cals know n to the State of Californ ia
t o cause cancer and b irth de fe cts or othe r
reprod uctive harm .
- Batte ry posts, te rm inals a nd rela ted a cces­
sor ies conta in lea d and le ad compo unds,
chemicals known to the State o f Cali fornia
to cause cancer and reproductive harms.
Was h hands after handling.
(LlJ) Note
When filling fluids, be su re not to m ix t he flu­
ids up . Otherwise severe malfunctions and en ­
gine damage will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
You should regu lar ly check t he g ro u nd under
your vehicle in order to detect leaks quick ly . If
there are visib le spots from oi l o r other fluids,
bring your veh icle to an authorized A udi deal ­
er or authori zed Aud i Serv ice Facility to be
checked.
319

Checking and Filling
Opening/closing the hood
The hood is released from inside the vehicle .
Fig. 265 Sect ion from th e driver's side footwell: release
l ever
F ig. 266 Rocker switc h under the hood
Read and foll ow all WARNINGS before checking
anyth ing in the eng ine compartment
~ page 318, Working in the engine comport­
ment .
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up from
the windshield . Otherwise the pa int could be
damaged .
Opening the hood
Applies to vehicles w ith plug-in hybrid dr ive:
switch the ignition off before re leasing the hood
320
so that the gasoline engine does not start auto­
matically .
.,. With the drive r's door open, p ull the lever be­
low the instrument pane l in the d irec tion of the
arrow ~ fig. 265 .
... Raise the hood slightly c:> .&, .
... Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
<=:> fig. 266. This releases the catch .
... Open the hood .
Closing the hood
... Push the hood down unti l you override the
force of the strut.
... Let the hood fall lightly into the latch . Do not
press it in.
<=:> .&, .
A WARNING
-Never open the hood when there is steam or
coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that yo u could
be burned. Wait unt il no steam or coolant is
escaping.
- For safety reasons, the hood m ust always be
closed securely while driv ing. Because of
this, always c hec k t he hood after closing i t
to make sure it is latched correctly. The
hood is latched if the front corners cannot
be lifted.
- If you no tice that the hood is not latched
while you are driving, stop immediate ly and
close it, because driving when the hood is not latched increases the risk of an accident .
-If the hood is not latched comp letely, it
could f ly up wh ile you are driving and ob­
struct your vision.

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Checking and Filling
Engine compartment overview
The most important check points .
Fig . 267 Typical location of the reservoi r, engine oil d ipst ick, and engine oil f iller open ing
(D Coolant expans ion tank (-L) ¢ page 325
@ E ngine oi l dipstick¢ page 322
® Engine oil filler opening ("e::r.) ¢ page 322
@ Eng ine oi l label* w ith VW standard
¢ page 321
® Brake fluid reservoir (0}) ¢ page 326
@ Applies to: vehicles w ith jump start point(+):
jump start point(+) under a cover
¢page 327, ¢page 375
0 Applies to: vehicles with the vehicle battery
in the engine compartment: vehicle bat­
tery(+) under the battery
cover¢ page 327,
¢page375
@ Bodygroundpoint(-) ¢page327,
¢ page375
® Washer fluid reservoir (0) ¢ page 328
@ Fuse housing ¢ page 3 71
The oil dipstick( @) and the engine oil fi ller
opening( @)¢ fig. 267 may be located in differ- ent places within the engine compartment de­
pending on the engine version .
,8. WARNING
Read and follow a ll WARNINGS before check­
i ng anything in the engine compartment
¢page 318 .
(D Tips
Applies to: vehicles with p lug-in hybrid dr ive:
note the informa tion for the coo lant expan­
s io n t ank
in¢ page 102 and for the vehicle
batte ry (+) in
¢page 102 .
Engine oil
If the engine oil level is too low
If you need to add engine oil, use an o il that i s
listed on the st icker .
The sticker is located at the
front of the eng ine
compartment ¢ page 321,
fig. 267.
321

u. 00 .-< N l'­ N .-< 0 N > 00
up, the oil consumption may increase over
time unti l replacement of worn components
may become necessary .
- With a ll these variab les coming into p lay,
no standard rate of oil consumption can be
estab lished or specified. There is no alterna­
tive to checking the o il level regu larly and
frequently.
- If you have the impression your engine con ­
sumes excessive amounts of oil, we recom­ mend that you consult an authorized Aud i
dealer to have the cause of your concern properly d iagnosed . Keep in mind that the
accu rate measurement of oil consumption
r equ ires gre at ca re and may take some
time. An a uthorized Audi dea ler has instruc­
tions about how to measure oil consump ­
tion acc urately.
- You can find information on engine oi l and
engine oil capacities for the USA at
www.audiusa.com/help/maintenance, or
for Canada at www.audi.ca/ca/web/en/
customer-area/ ca re-and-ma i ntena nee/ a ud
i ­
service-sched u les. html, or ca ll
800-822-2834.
Adding engine oil
F ig. 269 Eng ine co mpartment : engin e oil fille r open ing
cover
Obse rve the safety p recautions i::> &. in Working
in the engine compartment an page 318.
.,. T urn the eng ine off .
.,. Unscrew the cap~ for the eng ine oi l filler
opening
i::> fig. 269 .
.,. Care fully add 0.5 qua rt ( 0.5 liter) of the cor rect
o il
q page 321.
Ch eck ing and F illing
.,. Check the oi l level again a fter two minutes
i::> page 322 , Checking the engine oil level .
.,. Add a smaller amo unt of engine oil if necessa ­
ry. The
marking @i::>page 322, fig. 268 must
not be exceeded
i::> @ in Checking the engine oil
level on page 322 .
.,. Close the engine o il filler cap and push the d ip­
stick all the way i n.
.8, WARNING
-W hen adding oil, do not let o il dr ip onto hot
e ng ine components. This in cr eases the risk
of a fire .
- You mus t se al the c ap on the o il filler open ­
ing correct ly so tha t oi l does not leak ou t
onto the hot engine and ex haust system
when the engine is running, beca use this is
a fire hazard.
- Always clean skin thoro ughly if it comes into
contact with engine oi l.
- Engine oil is poisonous and must be kept
out of reac h of children .
- Sto re t he engine oi l secure ly in the o rigina l
container .
(Llj) Note
You r Lim ited New Veh icle Wa rra nty does no t
cove r damage or m alfu nct io ns due to f ailure
to fo llow recommended maintenance and use
requirements as set forth in the A udi Owner's
M anua l and War ranty
& Maintenance boo klet.
- Use on ly a high quality engine oil that ex -
press ly complies with the A udi oi l quality
standard spec ified for yo ur vehicle's eng ine.
Us ing any othe r oi l can cause ser ious eng ine
damage.
- Do not mix any addit iona l lubr icants into
the engine oil. Damage caused by such add i­
t ives is not covered by the wa rranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Oil sho uld never enter the sewer system or
come into contact with the ground .
- Pay attention to lega l req uirements when
disposing of empty o il conta iners.
323

Check ing and F illing
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by an
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service sta­ tion.
Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine compart­
ment,
a lw ays re ad and h eed all WARNING S c> .&
in Working in the engine compartment on
page 318.
The engine oil must be changed accord ing to the
intervals specif ied in your Warranty
& Mainte­
nance booklet. This is very impo rtant because the
lubricat ing p ropert ies of o il d iminish gradually
du ring normal vehicle use.
Under some c ircumstances the eng ine o il should
be changed more frequently . Change oil more of­
ten if you d rive most ly short distances, ope rate
the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominant ly
stop -and-go traffic cond it ions, o r have yo ur vehi ­
cle where temperatures remain below freezing
for extended periods .
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh o il
look da rk afte r th e e ng ine
has been run ning fo r a
short time. This is norma l and is not a reason to
change the oil more often than recommended.
Because of the prob lem of p roper d isposa l, along
with the special tools and necessa ry expe rt ise re ­
quired, we strong ly recommend that you have
your oil changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or
a qualified service station .
If you choo se to change your oil your self , please
note the fo llowing important information:
A WARNING
T o red uce the risk of personal injury if you
must c hange the engine oil in your veh icle
yourself:
- Wear eye protection .
-To reduce the risk of bu rns from ho t engine
oi l, let the engine cool down to the touch .
-
-When removing the o il drain pl ug with you r
fingers, stay as far away as possible . A lways
keep your forearm paralle l to the ground to
help prevent hot oi l from running down your
arm.
324
- Drain the oil into a container designed for
this purpose, one large enough to hold at
least the tota l amount of oil in your engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out of
the reach of children.
- Continuous contact with used engine oi l is
harmf ul to your skin. Always protect your
skin by washing oil off thoroughly with soap
and water .
@ Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine oil.
These additives can damage your engine and
adverse ly affect your Audi Limited New Vehi­
cle Warranty .
{® For the sake of the environment
- Before chang ing your oi l, first make sure
you know where you can properly dispose of
the used oil.
- Always dispose of used eng ine o il properly.
Do not dump it on garden so il, wooded
areas, into open streams or down sewage
dra ins.
- Recycle used eng ine o il by tak ing it to a used
eng ine oi l collect ion fac il ity in your area, or
contact a service station .
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine cooling system is filled w ith a mixture
of purified water and coolant additive at the fac­
tory. This coolant must not be not changed.
The coo lant level is monitored thro ugh
the . in­
dicator light
c> page 25. However, we do recom­
mend occas ionally checking the coolant leve l
manually.
If you must add coo lant, use a mixture of water
and coolant additive . Mix ing the coo lant add itive
with dist illed water is recommended.
1111-