2018 AUDI A3 SEDAN engine coolant

u. 00 .-<
@ Left additional display (divided in
two sections in the enhanced view)
There may be addi tional indicato r lights in the
tachomete r@ , the speedome ter
(i) , th e sta tus
line ® and, depending on the instrument clus ­
ter, above or below the central
area @.
The fo llow ing pages will primar ily show ill ustra ­
tions of the mu lti-co lor ana log ins trumen t clus ­
ter* . The display and/o r posit ion of t he e lement
shown may vary in monochrome instrument cl us­
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 t urn on when the lights are off and the
i gnition is sw itched on. The illumination for
t h e gauges reduces automat ica lly and even­
tua lly turns off as br ightness outside in­
creases . This func tion rem inds the dr iver to
tu rn t he low beams on at the app ropr iate
t im e.
-You can select the units used for tempe ra­
tu re, speed and othe r measureme nts in t he
Infotainment system
¢page 2 43 .
Coolant temperature indicator
The coolant temperatu re display (D ¢ page 10,
fig. 4
or ¢ page 10, fig . 3 only functions when
the ignition is switc hed on . To prevent engine
damage, please observe the following notes
about the temperature ranges.
Cold rang e
If onl y the L EDs at the bottom o f th e ga uge tu rn
on, the engine has not reached operating tem ­
pe rature yet. Avoid high engine speeds, full ac ­
celerat ing and heavy engine loads .
Normal range
The engine has reached its oper ating temper a­
ture once the LEDs up to the center o f th e 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 25 .
N .-< 0 N > 00
Coc kpit o ver view
Vehicles without a coolant temperature
indicat or
T he . indicator light t urns on when the coolant
temperat ure is h igh
¢ page 25. Refer to ¢(!) .
(W} Note
-Aux iliary headlights and ot her accesso ries in
fro nt of t he coo ling-air intake impa ir th e
cooling effect o f the coo lant. This increases
the risk of the engine overheating dur ing
hig h outside temperat ures and heavy en­
gine load .
-The front spoi ler a lso helps to distribute
cooling a ir correctly while driv ing. If the
spoiler is damaged, the coo ling effec t w ill
be impa ired a nd the r isk of the eng ine ove r­
heating w ill increase. See an autho riz ed
Aud i dea ler or a uthor ized Audi Se rvice Fa ­
ci lity for assis tan ce .
-Vehicles without a coolant temperature dis­
play: to promote a lo ng e ngine serv ice li fe,
a voiding h igh engine spee ds, full acce lera ­
tion and heavy engine loads during app rox i­
mate ly the first 15 minutes when the en ­
gine is cold is recommended. The amount of
t ime that the eng ine is co ld depends on the
outside temperature.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in rev­
olutions per minute (RPM).
T he beginning of t he red zone in the tachometer
indicates the maxim um permissible engine speed
for all gea rs once the engine has bee n broken in
and when it is warmed up to operating tempera­
ture . Before reach ing the red zone, you sho uld
sh ift into the next h igher gear, choose the "D" or
" S" se lecto r lever pos it io n, or remove yo ur foot
from the ac cele ra tor ped al.
Applies to: vehicles with plug-in hybrid drive
Depend ing on the vehicle equipment, there a re
diffe rent display fo rmats
available ¢ page 95. ...,
11

u. 00 .-< N l'­ N .-< 0 N > 00
~ (USA models) / 6] (Canada mod­
els ) Pa rking brake auto release una vailable
If t his message appea rs, press the brake pedal
fi rst and then release the pa rking bra ke.
~ll. PARK BRAKE (USA model s) / [<~) ( Can ada mod­
e ls) Parking brake : caution! V ehicle park ed too
s tee p
If the indicator light blinks and the message ap­
pea rs, the re is not enough brak ing power to se­
cure the veh icle . T he brakes have ove rheated. The
ve hicl e co uld ro ll away even on a small incli ne.
@ Tips
For addit iona l information on the park ing
b rake, see¢
page 81.
- L Cooling system
• Turn off engine and che ck coo lant le vel! See
o wner 's manual
• Stop v ehicl e and check coolant le ve l! S ee
owner 's manual
The coolant level is too low .
Do not cont inue driving and switch the engine
off. Check the coolant level ¢
page 324.
Plug-in hybrid drive *: refer to ¢page 102.
- If the coolant level is too low, add coolant
¢page 325. O nly cont inue dr iv ing o nce the in ­
dicato r light turns off .
• Coolant temp eratur e too high! Let engine
run with vehicle stationar y
Let the eng ine run at idle for a few minutes to
cool off, until the ind icator light turns off.
- If the indicator light does not turn off, do not
continue driving the vehicle. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility
for assistance .
A WARNING
-Never open the hood if you ca n see o r hear
steam o r coolant escap ing fro m the eng ine
compartment. This inc reases the risk of
Coc kpit o ver view
burns. Wait until yo u no longer see o r hear
steam or coo lant escaping.
- The engine compartment in any vehicle can
be a dangerous area. Stop the engine and
allow it to cool before working in the eng ine
compartment. Always follow the informa­
tion found in
¢ page 318, Working in the
engine comportment .
@ Note
Do not continue dr iv ing if the . indicator
light turns on as this increases the risk of en­
gine damage.
• S w itch off engine! Oil pressure too lo w
Stop the engine and do not continue driving.
Check the eng ine oi l level ¢
page 322 .
-If the engine oi l level is too low, add engine oil
¢
page 321 . Only continue driving once the in­
dicator light turns off.
- If the engine o il level is correct and the indica ­
tor light still turns on, turn the engine off and
do not cont inue driving. See an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for as ­
sistance .
(D Tips
The oil pressure warni ng is not a n oil leve l in­
d icator. Always check the oil level regularly .
1:::1 Generator/Vehicle battery
• Electrical system: malfunction! Batt ery is
not charging
There is a malfunction in the alternator or the ve­
hicle electr ical system .
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immed iate ly. Turn off a ll un­
necessary electrical equipment because it will
dra in the battery . See an author ized Audi dealer
o r authorized Aud i Serv ice Facility if the battery
c h arge leve l is too low.
(•] F.lectrical sy stem: malfunction! Re start not
po ssible . Plea se cont act Ser vice
.,.
25

Driving
,.. Remove the ignition key in position @
9 page 76, fig. 85 9 ,&..
,.. Turn the steering wheel until you hear the
steering wheel lock.
The locked steering helps prevent vehicle theft.
A WARNING
- Never turn off the engine before the vehicle
has come to a complete stop. The full func­
tion of the brake booster and the power
steering is not guaranteed. You must use more force to turn or brake . Because you
cannot steer and brake as you usually
would, this co uld lead to accidents and seri-
. . . ous mJunes .
-Never remove the ignit ion key from the ign i­
t ion loc k while the vehicle is moving. Other­
wise, the steering lock could suddenly en­
gage and you would not be able to steer the
vehicle.
- If you leave the veh icle, switch the ignit ion
off and take the vehicle key with you. Other­
wise, the engine could be started or electri­
cal equipment such as the power windows
could be operated. This can lead to serious
injury.
- For safety reasons, always park the vehicle
with the selector lever in the P position.
Otherwise, there is the risk that the vehicle
could roll unintentionally .
(D Note
If the engine has been under heavy load for
an extended period of t ime, heat builds up in
the engine compartment after the engine is
switched off and there is a risk of damaging
the engine . For this reason, let the engine run
for at idle
for approximately two minutes be­
fore shutting it
off.
@ Tips
For up to 10 minutes after stopping the en­
gine, the radiator fan may turn on again auto­
matically or it may continue to run (even if
the ignition is sw itched
off) for the following
reasons:
76
- The coolant temperature is increasing due
to trapped heat.
- If the engine is warm and the engine com­
partment also heats up from strong sun­
light.
Starting and stopping
the engine (vehicles with
convenience key)
Starting the engine
App lies to : vehicles wit h co nvenience key
The I START ENGINE STOP I button switches the
ignition on and starts the engine.
Fig. 85 Center conso le: STAR T ENGINE ST OP button
Plug-in hybrid drive*: refer to the information for
start ing the veh icle under
9 page 94.
Starting the engine
.,. Press the brake pedal and move the selector
lever to the "P" or "N" position .
.,. Press the I START ENGIN E STOP I button briefly .
The engine will start.
Equipment that uses a lot of electricity is switch­
ed
off temporarily when you start the engine .
If the engine does not start immediately, stop
the starting procedure by pushing the
I START ENGINE STOP! button again and repeat
after 30 seconds .
Switching the ignition on/off
If you would like to switch the ignition on with­
out starting the engine, follow these steps:
.,. Press the I ST AR T ENGINE ST OP ! button with-
out
pressing the brake pedal. Vehicles without .,,.

Drivin g
for at idle fo r approximately two minutes
before shutting it off.
(D Tips
For up to 10 m inutes after stopp ing the en­
gine, the rad iator fan may t urn on again auto­
matically or it may continue to run (even if
the ignition is sw itched off) for the following
reasons:
- The coolant temperature is increasing due
to trapped heat.
- If the engine is warm and the engine com­
partment also heats up from strong sun­
li ght.
Messages
Engine runn ing. W arning! Turn off ignition be ·
fore le aving vehicl e
This m essage appears and a warning tone sounds
if you open the driver 's door when the engine is
running .
Press ing start /stop button again will swi tch off
engine.
This message appea rs when you press the
IS TAR T ENG IN E STOP I* button wh ile d riving
¢ page 77, Emergency off function.
Engine start system: malfunction! Ple ase con­
tact S ervice
The engine automatic start system has a mal­
function . Drive to an author ized Audi dealer or
author ized Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to
have the ma lfunct ion co rrected. To sta rt the en­
g ine , turn the key to pos it io n @ ¢
page 75 or
p ress and ho ld the
I S TART ENGINE ST OP ! button
until the engine is running .
DJ Key not r ecogniz ed . See own er' s manual
This message appears if there is no convenience
key inside the vehicle or if the system does not
recognize the key . T he conven ience key may not
be recognized, for examp le, if it is cove red by an
object that
disrupts the s ignal (s uch as a b rief ­
case), o r if the key ba tte ry is weak. Elect ronic de ­
vices s uch as cell phones can also interfere wit h
the signal.
78
To still be ab le to start or stop the engine, re fer
to
¢ page 79.
DJ Re mo te c ontro l ke y: hold back of ke y
again st the de signated ar ea . S ee owner 's man­
ual
If the indicato r light turns on and this message
appea rs, there is a ma lfunction ¢
page 79.
Ill Key not in v ehicle?
Ill Remote control ke y: key not r ecogni zed. Is
t he key still in the vehicle ?
The Ill indicator light turns on and this message
app ears if the conv eni ence k ey was r emoved from
the veh icle when the engine was running.
If the
convenience key is no longer in the ve hicle, you
cannot sw itch the ignition on or start the eng ine
once you stop it . You also cannot lock the vehicle
from the outside .
Please press the bra ke pedal
This message appears if you do not step on the
brake peda l to start the engine on a vehicle with
an automat ic transmission.
Plea se select N or P
This message appears w hen start ing or stopping
t h e engine if t he se lecto r lever is not in t he "N " or
"P " pos ition. The eng ine will not sta rt/stop.
Turn off igniti on befor e le av ing vehicle . Batter y
i s di sc harging
This message appears and a warning tone sounds
i f you open the driver's door w hen the ign it ion is
switched on . Sw itch the ignit ion off so that the
vehicle battery will not discharge.
S hift to P , othe rwi se vehicle can roll aw ay.
Door s do not lo ck if l ever is not in P
This message appears for safety reasons if the
selector lever for the automa tic transmission is
not in the P position after the ignition is switched
off . Move the selector lever to the P posit ion .
Otherwise the ve hicle is not protected from roll­
i ng and it cannot be locked .

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>

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