2018 AUDI A3 SEDAN service indicator

Cockpit overv ie w
If th e indicator light t urns on and th is message
appears, there is a malfunction in the brake booster.
I f t he ABS indica to r li ght
rlll) (USA mode ls) /
«~a (Canada mode ls), the ESC indicator light Bl
and the brake system indicator light 11111 (USA
models)
I . (Canada mode ls) turn on and this
message appears, then the ABS, ESC and braking
d istr ibut ion are
malfunctioning¢ &.
Do not continue driving . See an authorized Audi
dea ler or aut horized Aud i Serv ice Facility for as ­
sistance
¢ & .
11111 (USA models )/. (Canada model s) Park­
ing brake: malfunction! Safely stop vehicle. See
o w ner 's manual
- If the indica to r li ght a nd the message appear
when the vehicle is stationar y or after switch­
ing the ignition on ,
check if you can release the
parking brake . If you cannot re lease the park ­
ing brake, see an authori zed Aud i dea ler or au­
thorized Audi Serv ice Facility. If you can re lease
the parking brake and the message still ap ­
pears, see an authorized Aud i dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility immed iately to have
t h e malfunct ion corrected.
- If the indicato r light and message appea r while
drivin g,
the hill sta rt assist or emergency b rak­
i ng func tion may be malfunctioning. It may no t
be possib le to set t he pa rking bra ke or release
it once it has been set . Do not pa rk your ve hicle
on hi lls. See an authorized Audi dealer or au ­
thorized Audi Service Facility for assistance .
Brake b oost er: limited fun cti onality . You can
con tinue d riv ing. Ple ase contact Service
There is a malfunction in the brake booster. The
b rake booster is available, but its effec tiveness is
reduced . B raking be hav io r may be diffe rent from
how it norma lly functions and t he b rake pedal
may vibrate.
Dr ive to an a uth o rized Aud i dea le r or a uth orized
Aud i Serv ice Facil ity immediately to have t he
mal funct ion corrected .
Brake booster: deactivated . S ee own er's manual
24
The brake assist (brake booster) rema ins active
for a brief period of time after switc hing
off the
i gnition. To secure the vehicle from ro lling away,
select the "P" selector lever posit ion or set the
parking brake .
A WARNING
-Read and fo llow the warnings in
¢ page 318, Working in the engine com­
partment
befo re opening the hood and
checking the brake fluid level.
- If the brake system indicator light does not
turn
off or it turns on wh ile driving, the
brake flu id leve l in the reservo ir is too low,
an d this incre ases the risk of an accident.
Stop the vehicle and do not continue driv ­
ing . See an authorized Audi dea ler or a u­
thorized A udi Service Facility for assistance.
- I f the brake system indicator light t urns on
together with the ABS and ESC indicator lights, the ABS/ESC regu lating function may
be malfunct ion ing. Functions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longer available. This
could cause the rear of the vehicle to
swerve, wh ich increases the r is k that the ve­
hicle will slide. Do not cont inue driving. See
an authori zed A udi dealer or authori zed
Aud i Serv ice F acility fo r ass ist ance.
PARK/(®)/~ Electromechanical parking
brake
If the -(USA mode ls) I. (Canada models)
i ndicator light turns on, the parking brake was
set.
If the
-(USA mode ls)/ . (Canada models) in ­
dicator light blinks, the braking force is not build ­
i ng up eno ugh or not building up at a ll. Se lect the
P selector lever posit ion to help secure the vehi­
cle . Make sure the indicator light is
off before you
start driving.
riJ Parking brake: malfunction! Please contact
Ser vice
There is a ma lfunction in the parking brake. Drive
to an authorized Audi dea ler or authorized Audi
Service Facility immediate ly to have the malfunc-
tion corrected.
.,..

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

Cockpit overv ie w
The vehicle battery was disconnected from the
ve hicle electrical system and will no longer
charge . Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or au­
thor iz ed Audi Service Facility immediate ly.
Do not stop the engine, or you will not be able to
start it again. If you can no longer start the en ­
g ine, see an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Aud i Serv ice Facility for assistance.
(•) Elect rical system: malfuncti on! Plea se con­
tact Se rvice
Dr ive to an a uth o rized Aud i dea le r or a uth orized
Aud i Serv ice Fac ility immediately. Because the ve ­
hicle battery is discha rging, turn
off a ll u nneces ­
sary e lectrica l equipment such as the radio. See
an author ized Audi dealer or authorized A udi
Serv ice Facility if the battery charge level is too
low.
(•) Elect rical system: low b atter y charge. Bat­
tery will be charged while d rivi ng
The sta rt ing ability may be impaired .
I f th is message turns
off after a litt le while , the
ve hicl e battery charged enough w hile d rivi ng.
If the message does not turn off, have an author­ ized Aud i dealer or authorized Aud i Serv ice Fac ili­
ty repa ir the malfunct ion .
!f Safety systems
The E,I ind icator light monito rs t he safety sys­
t ems.
If the
E,I i ndicator l ight turns on o r bl inks, there
is a malfunction in a safety system .
Drive to an authori zed Aud i dealer or authori zed
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected .
A WARNING
Have the safety systems inspected immed i­
ately. Othe rw ise, there is a risk t hat the sys ­
t ems may no t activ ate du rin g a co llision,
w hich increases t he ris k of serious injury or
death.
26
-
~ Safety belt
The . indicator lig ht stays on unt il the dr iver's
and front passenge r's safety bel ts are b uckled.
Above a certa in speed, the re will a lso be a warn ­
ing tone .
(D Tips
Fo r addi tional info rmat ion on safe ty belts,
see
q page 260.
e -Steering lock
• Do not dri ve vehicle: steering defect ive
There is a m alfu nction in the e lectro nic steer ing
l ock. You canno t tur n the ign ition on.
Do
not tow you r vehicle because it cannot be
stee red. See an a uthorized Audi dea ler or author­
i zed Audi Se rvice Facility for assistance .
1!!11 Steering lock : malfun ction! Pl ease conta ct
S erv ice
There is a ma lfunction in the e lectron ic steering
l ock .
Drive to an authorized Audi deal er or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
Do not tow your vehicle when there is a mal­
funct ion in the electron ic steer ing lock
-t hi s
i nc reases the risk of an acc ident.
~ Engine start system
¥·I Engine st art sy stem malfunction . Pl ease
contact Servi ce
Do not sw itch the ignition off because you may
not be able to switch it on again .
Drive to an authori zed Audi dealer or authori zed
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected .
¥·I Engin e start sy stem malfunction . Plea se
contact Ser vice
-

u. 00 .-< N l'­ N .-< 0 N > 00
There is a malfunction in the eng ine start ing sys ­
tem .
Dri ve to an autho rized Aud i dea le r o r a uth o rized
Aud i Serv ice Fac ility immedia tely to have t he
mal funct ion corrected.
~ Engine stop while driving
• Engine stopped! Power stee ring and b rake
boo ster not possible
There is a malfunction in the eng ine or in the fue l
supp ly system.
M ore fo rce is needed to s teer and bra ke the mov ­
in g vehi cle when the engine is stopped. If the ve­
hi cle is roll ing , try to bring it to a stop off to the
side from moving traffic. See an authorized Audi
dea ler or authorized Audi Service Facility for as ­
sistance .
A WARNING -
If the eng ine stops whi le dr iv ing, yo u will
need to use more fo rce to brake the vehicle.
Th is increases the r isk of an accident . There
w ill still be power steer ing if t he ignit io n is
sw itched on wh ile the vehicle is rolling an d
t here is s ufficie nt vehicle batte ry c har ge. Oth ­
erwise, yo u m ust use g re ate r fo rce when
steer in g.
~ Hood
• Warning! Hood is not locked. Stop vehicle
and check the lock
I f t he in dicator lig ht tur ns on and t he message
appears, the hood loc king mechanism is no t en­
gaged correctly .
Stop immed iate ly a nd close the hood
q page 320.
B l~ Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
If the G) indicato r light b lin ks w hile driving, the
ESC or AS R (Anti -S lip Regu lation) is active ly reg u­
l ating.
I f t he
G) indica to r li ght turns on, the sys tem has
switched the ESC off . In this case, you can switc h
Cockpit o ver view
the ignit ion off and then on to switch the ESC on
again. The indicator light t urns off whe n the sys ­
tem is functioning fu lly.
If the II ind ic a tor light tu rns on, ESC was
switched o ff using t he
1~ 00'1 b utton ¢ page 148.
Stabilization con trol (ESC /ABS ): malfunction!
S ee owner's manual
If the If] ind icator light and the llB (USA mod­
els) ;tlJ (Canada mode ls) ABS indicator light turn
o n and the message appears, there is a malfunc ­
t io n in the A BS o r th e e lectron ic diffe re nti al loc k.
T his also causes the ES C to malfunc tion . The
brakes st ill function with t he ir normal power, but
ABS is not active .
Dr ive to an author ized A udi dealer or au tho riz ed
A udi Se rvice Faci lity immed iate ly to h ave the
malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
F o r a ddi tio na l in format io n on E SC an d ABS,
see
qpage 148.
Wt:: /BRAKE WEAR/( 0: Brake pads
If the IIJ~:);f;131WfJ;! (USA models)/ [I] (Canada
models) turns on, the bra ke pad is worn out .
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have the
brake pads checked .
·~ Hill hold assist
II Hill hold a ssist: unavailable
When this message appea rs, hill hold ass ist is
not avai lab le.
@ t.ilanual control!
If t his message appea rs, press t he bra ke peda l.
Cont in ue driv ing wi th the he lp of t he parking
brake
q page 81.
d:::i Engine control
If the II indicator light tu rns on if there is a mal -
f unct ion in the engine control.
Iii"
27

Cockpit overv ie w
Drive s low ly to an authorized A udi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility to have the engine
checked.
EPC Engine control
Applies to: vehicles with gasoline engines
If the ~ indicator light turns on if there is a
malfunct io n in the engine control.
Drive s low ly to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Service Facility to have the engine
checked.
! ?' Engine speed limitation
Applies to: vehicles with engine speed limitation
(II M ax imum engine sp eed: XXXX rpm
The engine speed is automatica lly limited to the
speed d isplayed in the instrument cluster. Th is
protects the engine from overheating.
The engine speed limitation deactivates once the
engine is no longer in the critical temperature range and you have released the acce lerator ped ­
al once.
If the engine speed limitation was activated by
an engine contro l ma lfunction, the
II or ~ in­
d icator light also turns on. Make sure the eng ine
speed does not go above the speed displayed, for
example when downsh ift ing . Drive to an author­
ized Aud i dealer or authorized Aud i Serv ice Fac ili­
ty immediately to have t he malfunct ion correct­
ed.
'!=:?' ., Engine oil level (MIN)
Applies to: vehicles with oil level warning
Ill Check oil level
You may continue d riving for the t ime be ing .
C heck the engine oil leve l as soon as possib le
¢ page 321.
-If the engine oil level is too low, add engine o il
¢ page 322 , Checking the engine oil level .
-If the engine oil level is correct and the indica­
tor light st ill turns on, drive at low eng ine
speed to an authorized Aud i dealer o r autho r­
ized Audi Se rvice Facility.
28
II Oil l evel s ystem : malfun ction! Plea se con­
tact Service
The sensor to check the eng ine o il level has
failed . D rive to an author ized Audi dealer or au­
t h orized Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have
t h e malfunct ion cor re cted.
(Llj) Note
Refer to the descr ipt ion in the Owne r's Man­
u a l
¢ page 322, Checking the engine oil lev­
el.
ju Tank system
Vehicles with p lug -in hybrid dr ive *: ¢ page 103.
ll'J Pleas e refuel
The first t ime the indicator light turns on and the
message appears, there are approx imately 1.8
gallons
(7 liters) of fuel in the tank o n front
whee l dr ive vehicles, or app roxi mately
2. 2 ga l­
l ons
(8.5 lite rs) of f uel in the ta nk on a ll wheel
d rive ve hicles.
ll') Please refuel immediatel y
If the indicato r light turns on the message ap­
pears, the fuel tank is a lmost empty . Refue l the
vehicle immediately .
ll') Tank system: malfunction! Please cont act
Ser vice
There is a ma lfunction in the f uel tank system .
D rive to an au thor ized A udi dealer or au tho riz ed
Audi Se rvice Fa cility immed iate ly to have the
malfunction correc ted.
(D Tips
F o r more info rmation on f ueli ng, see
¢ page 315.
,. Washer fluid level
If the C·w$ indicator light turns on, the washer flu­
id is almost out. Fill the washer fl uid for the
winds hield washer system and the headlight
..,.

u. 00 .-< N l'­ N .-< 0 N > 00
washer system* when the ignition is sw itched off
~ page 328.
, Windshield wipers
If thE' 41 indicator light turns on, then there is a
windshie ld w iper malfunct ion. Dr ive to an au­
thor ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service
Faci lity immediately to have the malfunct ion cor ­
rected .
~ Driver's door*
a] Driver' s door : malfunction! Shift to P b efore
leaving vehi cle. See own er' s manual
There is a malfunction in the driver's door . Select
the P se lector lever position (automat ic t ransmis­
sion) to secure the vehicle.
Drive to an authorized Aud i dealer or authorized
Aud i Service Fac ility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected .
-: If t he II indicato r light turns on, a b ulb has
fa iled. The message ind icates the loca tion of the
bu lb .
Replace the bulb immediately.
Vehicle lights: s ystem fault!
There is a malfunction in the head lights or the
light switch . Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or
author ized Audi Service Facility immed iate ly to
have the ma lf u nction corrected .
A WARNING
-Ligh t bul bs are u nder press ure and can ex­
plode when bu lbs are replaced, which in­
cr eases the risk of in ju ry.
- Wi th HID headl ights (xenon headlights), the
hig h-voltage componen t must be handled
c o rr ectly. Ot herw ise, the re is a r isk of fata l
injury.
-
Coc kpit o ver view
i,0 Dynamic headlight range control
II Head light range control : malfunction! S ee
own er' s manual
The re is a malfunct ion in the dynam ic headl ight
r a nge control system , which may cause g la re fo r
othe r drive rs.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Fac ility immed iately to have the
malfu nction corrected .
go Audi adaptive light
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive light
l!J Audi adaptive light : malfun ction! See own­
er 's manual
The re is a malfunct ion in the adaptive l ights . The
headlights st ill funct ion.
Drive to an au thorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Fac ility immed iate ly to have the
malfu nction corrected .
(i.D Light/rain sensor
Applies to: vehicles with light/rain sensor
£1 Automatic headlight s/wiper s: malfun ction!
S ee owner's manual
The light/rain sensor is malfunctioning .
The low beams remain sw itched on at all times
for safety reasons when the light switch is in t he
AUTO pos ition . You can cont inue to turn the
l ights on and off us ing the lig ht switch . You can
st ill contro l all w iper functions t hat are inde­
pendent of t he rain senso r.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Fac ility immed iate ly to have the
malfu nction corrected .
Q Suspension control
Applies to: vehicles with suspension control
If the fl ind icator light tu rns o n, then there is a
malfu nction in t he suspens ion con trol. Dr ive to
an a uthorized Aud i dea le r or a uth orized Audi
Service Facility immediate ly to have the ma lfunc ­
tion co rrected .
29

Opening and closing
Key set
Fig. 16 Your vehicle key set
Remote or convenience key*
The convenience key* is a remote control key with
special functions
c::> page 34 and c::> page 76.
You can unlock/lock your veh icle w ith the remote
control key. To fold the key out and back in place,
press the release button
c::> fig . 16-arrow- .
Number of keys
You can check the number of keys assigned to
your vehicle in the Infotainment system. To do this, select the
IM ENU I button > Vehicle > left
control button
> Service & checks > Vehicle in­
formation .
This way, you can make sure that you
have all the keys when purchasing a used vehicle.
Replacing a key
If a key is lost, see an authorized Audi dealer or
author ized Audi Service Facility. Have
this key de­
activated .
It is important to bring all keys with
you.
If a key is lost, you should report it to your
insurance company.
Electronic immobilizer
The immob ilizer prevents unauthorized use of
the vehicle . Under certain circumstances, the ve­
h icle may not be ab le to start if there is a key
from a different vehicle manufacturer on the key
chai n.
Data in the master key
During driv ing, data that is relevant for service
and maintenance is continuously stored on your
master key. Your Audi serv ice adv isor can read
out this data and tell you about the wo rk your ve-
32
hide needs . This applies also to vehicles with a
convenience key *.
(D Note
Protect the remote control key against high
temperatures, direct sunlight, and moisture .
(l} Tips
- The opera tion of the remote control key can
be temporarily disrupted by interference
from transmitters near the vehicle working
in the same frequency range (such as a cell
phone or radio equ ipment). Always check if
your vehicle is locked!
-For an explanat ion on conform ity with the
FCC regulations in the Un ited States and the
Industry Canada regulations, see
c::>pag e386.
LED and battery in the remote control key
Fig. 17 Remote contro l key (rear s ide): open ing the cover
LED on the remote control key
The LED in the remote control key informs you of
the key operation .
.. If you press a bu tton briefly, the LED blinks
once.
.. If you press and hold a button (convenience
opening/closing), the LED blinks several times .
.. If the LED does not blink, the remote control
key battery is dead. The
Ill indicator light and
the message
Please change key battery ap­
pear . Replace the battery in the remote control
key. ~

u. co ... N l'­ N
A WARNING
Please note that the wheels could spin on
slick or slippery roads when kick-down is ac­
tive .
Launch control program
App lies to: ve hicles with S tro nic tra nsm issio n an d La unch
Co ntrol P rogram
-
The launch control program provides the best
possible acceleration when starting from a stop .
Requirement: the eng ine must be at operating
temperature and t he steer ing whee l must not be
turned.
.,. Deact ivate l) the S tart/Stop system*
~ page 81. The L ED in the ~ button turns on .
.,. Wi th the engine runn ing, p ress the I.!, O FF ! but­
ton briefly one time . The
11 indicator light
turns on and the message
Stabili zation control
( ESC ): s port. W arning! Rest ricted st a bilit y
ap­
pears in the instrument cluster display.
.,. Pull the selector lever back out of the "D/S" po­
s it ion br iefly to select the S pos it ion, or press it
toward the right into the t iptronic pos ition or
select the
Dynamic d riving mode in d rive se­
lect* ~ page 140.
.,. Press t he 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 a ll the
way down with your right foot unt il the engine
reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
.,. Remove your left foot from the brake pedal
within five
seconds ~,&. .
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 you r driv­
ing and the vehicle 's accele ration.
- Please note tha t the drive whee ls can sp in
and the vehicle can break away when sport
8 l ) It is n ot poss ib le to deac tiv ate t he system wit h all ve rs io n s N &j of th e tran sm iss ion.
Driving
mode is switched on, especially when the
road is slippery.
- Once the vehicle has started moving, press
the !.!> OFF I button briefly to turn the sport
mode off.
(D Tips
- The transmission temperat ure may increase
significant ly after using the launch control
program. If that happens, the program may
not be ava ilable for a few minutes. It will be
availab le aga in after a cool-down period.
- When accelerating using the launch contro l
program, all vehicle parts are subject to
heavy loads . This can lead to increased
wear .
Transmission malfunction
Applies to: vehicles wit h automatic transmissions
• Transmis sion : malfunction! Pl eas e s top ve ­
hicle and shift to P
There is a malfunction in the transmission . Park
the vehicle securely and do not cont inue driv ing .
See an author ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi
Se rvice Facility for assistance .
• Transmission o verhe ating! Plea se stop th e
vehicle!
The transmission is too hot and can become dam­
aged. Stop and let the transmiss ion cool w ith the
engine running (at idle) i n the "P" selector lever
pos ition . T hen the ind icator light and the mes­
sage turn off, d rive to an authorized Aud i dealer
o r auth o rized Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to
have t he malfunct ion cor rected . If the indicato r
light and the driver message do not turn off, do
not continue driving . See an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for as­
s istance.
[O] Tran smission: malfunction! You can contin-
u e dri ving. See owne r's manual
.,.
89