recommended oil AUDI A3 2015 Owners Manual

mode), then the shift indicator can assist you
when selecting the next gear.
I n order to become familiar with the gearshift
indicator, begin driving as usual.
If the current
gear is not the best one for conserving fuel,
the indicator wi ll display the recommended
gear.
If there is no gearshift recommendation, you
are already driving in the most suitable gear .
The display is only vis ible in tip tronic mode
c::> page 110.
The¢ fig. 6 symbol turns on in the d isplay:
- t Upshifting
(D Note
This indicator can he lp you conserve fuel.
It is not designed to recommend the cor­
rect gear in all driving situations. Only the
driver can decide which gear is correct in
certain driving situations, such as when
passing another vehicle, driving on hills or
towing a trailer .
(D Tips
We recommend placing the selector lever
in
D if you want your vehicle to use less
fue l.
Service interval display
The service interval display detects when your
vehicle is due for service .
Fig. 7 Instrument cluster: serv ice inte rval disp lay (ex ­
ample)
Instruments and indicator lights 13
Fig. 8 Display in t he MMI panel: service interva l disp lay
(example)
The service interval display works in two
stages:
- Inspection or oil change reminder: After a
specified number of miles, a message ap­
pears in the instrument cluster display when
switching the ign ition on or off ¢
fig. 7. The
remaining d ista nce or t ime is displayed
briefly .
-Inspection or oil change due : If your vehicle
is due for an inspect ion or oil change or
both, a message appears briefly in the in­
strument cluster display when sw itching the
ignition on or off:
Inspection due! or Oil
change due! or Oil change and inspection
due!.
Checking service intervals
The remaining distance or t ime to the next oil
change or to the next inspect ion can be
viewed in the MMI
c::>fig. 8. Selectthe ,...IM""" E~ N- u-1
button
> Systems or Car systems > Service &
control > Service intervals.
In new vehicles or after resetting the disp lay,
the display can be viewed after approximately
500 km.
Resetting the display
Your authorized Audi dealer or qualified facili­
ty will reset the service interval display after
the service is performed.
If you perform an oil change yourself to the
Audi specifications, you can reset you service
interval display.
To reset the display, select the !MENUI button
> Systems or Car systems > Service & control Iii-

smoothly and reliably. Choosing the right oil
and changing oil within the time and mileage intervals printed in your vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to­
day than it did years ago . Audi has developed
a special quality standard for engine oil that
will help assure that your vehicle's engine will get the lubrication it needs for proper opera­
tion .
Modern engine lubrication has taken a quan ­
tum leap in the last few years. Many synthetic
oils available today provide better engine lu­
brication that can outlast traditional petrole­
um-based oils , making them a smart choice
for use throughout the life of your Audi.
Whether you use synthetic or petroleum­ based engine oil , the oil that you use must
conform to Audi's oil quality standard
VW 502 00 to help keep your vehicle's engine
running smoothly and help prevent the for­
mation of harmful deposits, sometimes called
"sludge", that over time can lead to expensive
repairs .
At the time of printing, engine oils available in
the U.S. and Canada that meet the exacting
specifications of Audi oil standard VW 502 00
are synthetic engine oils. This does not mean, however, that every synthetic engine oil will
meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00 . So always
be sure that you use an approved oil.
To help prevent the formation of harmful de­ posi ts use only oil with the following specifi­
cations printed on the oil container:
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
Oil container labels may carry the specifica­
tion singly or in combination with other desig­
nations and oil quality standards.
Viscosity
Engine oils are graded according to their vis­
cosity . The proper viscosity grade oil for your
engine depends on climactic or seasonal con­
ditions where you drive. You can use oil with a
viscosity grade of SAE 5W40 across all tem­
perature ranges for normal driving conditions.
Checking and Filling 213
However, if engine oil viscosity grade SAE
5W40 is not available , you can also use viscos­
ity grade SAE 5W -30 or SAE OW-40 as long as
it meets Audi oil quality standard VW 502 00
specifications.
Because engine oil that meets the Audi oil
standard may not be available everywhere
when you need it, we strongly recommend
that you always carry with you an extra quart
(liter) of oil that expressly conforms to the
VW 502 00 spec ificat ion, in case you have to
top off the oil while on the road .
Only if the level of the oil is at or below the
minimum mark -and no oil that expressly
conforms to Audi oil standard VW 502 00
specifications is available - may you top off
with a high quality engine oil , preferably syn ­
thetic-based, that meets ACEA A3 or API SM specifications, but even then, only in viscosity
grades SAE 5W-40 , SAE SW-30, or SAE
OW-40. However, during the entire time be­
tween oil change intervals, never top off with
more than a total of 0.5 qt/liter engine oil
that does not conform to Audi oil specification
vw 502 00.
For more information about engine oil that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact either your authorized Audi dealer or
Audi Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822 -2834
or v isit our web site at www.audiusa .com or
www .audicanada .ca. Here you will also find a
current list of oils (manufacturers, brand
names etc.) that conform to Audi oil standard
vw 502 00.
Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed
according to the mileage (kilometers) and
time intervals specified in your veh icle's War­
ranty
& Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed
these intervals -harmful deposits from old
engine oil can reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changing the oil at the recommended inter-
vals is so very important because the lubricat­
ing properties of oil decrease gradually during
normal vehicle use. If you are not sure when .,..
•
•
•

214 Checking and Filling
you have your oil changed, ask your author­
ized Audi Service Advisor.
Under some circumstances the engine oil
should even be changed more frequently .
Change oil more often if you drive mostly
short distances, operate the vehicle in dusty
areas or mostly under stop-and-go traffic con­
ditions, or when you use your vehicle where
temperatures stay below freezing point for
long periods .
Detergent additives in the o il wi ll make fresh
oil look dark after the engine has been run­
ning for a short time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than recommended .
Damage or malfunctions due to lack of
maintenance
It is essential that you change your oil at the
recommended interva ls using only engine oil
that complies with Audi oil standard
VW 502 00. Your Lim ited New Vehicle War­
ranty does not cover damage or malfunctions
due to fa ilure to follow recommended mainte­
nance and use requ irements as set forth in
the Audi Owner's Manual and Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet . Your dea ler will have to
deny warranty coverage un less yo u present to
the dea ler proof in the form of Service or Re­
pair Orders that all schedu led maintenance
was performed in a timely manner.
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on on ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving ports.
In order to provide effective lubrication and
cooling of internal engine components , a ll in­
ternal combustion eng ines consume a certain
amount of o il. Oil consumption var ies from
engine to engine and may change significantly
over the life of the eng ine . Typically, engines
with a specif ied break-in period (see
¢
page 193) consume more oil during the
b reak-in period than they consume after oil
consumption has stabilized. Under
normal conditions, the rate o f oil con ­
s u mption depends on the quality and viscosity
of the oil, the RPM (revolut ions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient
temperature and road conditions. Further fac­
tors are the amount of oil dilut ion from water
co nd ensat ion or fuel residue and the oxida­
t ion level of the oil. As any engine is subject to
wea r as mileage builds up, the oil consump­
tion may increase over time until replacement
of worn components may become necessary.
With a ll these variab les coming into play, no
standard ra te of oil consumpt io n can be es­
tablished or specified. There is no alternative
to regu lar and frequent check ing of the oil lev­
el , see
Note.
If the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l
Ill in the instr ument cl uster light s up, you
shou ld check the oil leve l as soon as possible
¢
page 215. Top off the oil at your earliest
convenience
~ page 215.
A WARNING
-~
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS¢
page 210.
(D Note
Driving wit h an insufficient oil level is like­
l y to cause severe damage to the engine.
(D Tips
-The oil pressure warning display. is
not an indicator of the oil level. Do not
rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at regular intervals, pref­
erably each time you refuel, and always
before going on a long trip .
-If you have the impression your engine
consumes excessive amounts of oil, we
recommend that you consult an author­
ized Aud i dea ler to have the cause of
your concern properly diagnosed. Keep in
mind that the accurate measurement of
oil consumption requ ires great care and
may take some time. An authorized Audi ..,.

216 Check ing and F illin g
@ For the sake of the environment
-Oil should never enter the sewer system
or come into contact with the ground .
- Pay attentio n to lega l requ irements
when disposing of empty oil containers .
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by
an authorized Audi dealer or a qualified serv­
ice station.
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
a lways r ea d and heed all WARN­
ING S
r=>page 210.
The engine oil must be changed according to
the intervals specified in you r Warranty
&
Maintenance book let. This is very important
because the lubricating properties of oil di­
minish gradua lly during norma l veh icle use.
Under some circumstances the engine oi l
should be changed more frequently. Change
oil more often if you drive most ly short dis­
tances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or
under predominantly stop-and-go traffic con­
ditions, or have your vehicle where tempera­
tures remain below freezing for extended pe­ riods .
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run­
n ing for a short time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than recommended.
Because of the problem of proper disposal,
along w ith the special tools and necessary ex­
pertise required, we strongly recommend that
you have you r o il changed by an author ized
A udi de ale r or a q ual ified servi ce station.
If yo u choo se to c hang e your o il yo urse lf,
please note the following important informa­
tion :
.8, WARNING
To reduce the ris k of persona l injury if yo u
m ust change the engine oil in your veh icle
yourself : -
Wear eye protection .
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot en -
gine oi l, let the engine cool down to the
touch.
- When removing the oil drain p lug with
your fingers, stay as far away as possible.
Always keep your forearm parallel to the
ground to help prevent hot oil from run­ning down your arm.
- 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 we ll out
of the reach of childre n.
- Continuous contact with used eng ine o il
is harmful to your sk in . Always protect
your skin by washing oil
off tho roughly
with soap and water.
(D Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en­
gine and adversely affect your Aud i Limit­
ed New Veh icle Warranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Before changing your oil, first make sure
yo u know where you can properly dispose
of the used oil.
- Always dispose of used eng ine oil proper­
ly. Do not dump it on garden soil, wood­
ed areas, into open st reams o r down
sewage drains.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a
used eng ine oil collect io n fac ility in you r
are a, or contact a se rvice station.
coolant system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro­ tects the engine from freezing in the winter.
The cooling system is sealed and genera lly re-
quires little attention. .,..