coolant AUDI A3 SEDAN 2018 User Guide

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

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 .

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.

LL co .... N
" N .... 0 N > co
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

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-

LL co .... N
" N .... 0 N > co
Coolant additive
The coolant additive is made of anti-freezing and
corrosion protection agents. Only use the follow ­
ing coolant additives . These additives may be
mixed with each other .
Coolant additive Specification
Gl3 TL 774 J
Gl2++ TL 774 G
The amount of coo lant add itive that needs to be
mixed with water depends on the climate where
the vehicle will be operated .
If the coolant addi­
tive percentage is too low, the coolant can freeze
and damage the engi ne.
Coolant Freeze protec-
additive tion
Warm min
.40% m in. -13 ° F
regions (-25 °C)
max. 45%
Cold min. 50% max . -40 °F
reg ions (-40 °C)
max. 55%
(D Note
- Before t he start of winter, have an author­
i zed Audi dealer or author ized Audi Se rvice
Facil ity check if the coolant additive in yo ur
vehicle matches the percentage appropriate
for the climate . Th is is especially important
when driving in co lder climates .
- If the appropriate coolant additive is not available in an emergency, do not add any
other additive. You co uld damage the en­
gine. If this happens, only use water and re­
store the correct mixture ratio with the
spec ified coolant additive as soon as possi­
ble .
- Only refill with new coo lant .
- Radiator sealant must not be mixed with
the coolant.
@ Tips
App lies to: RS models: In certain weather
conditions, moisture such as rain or snow may
evaporate on the rad iator after stopping the
Chec king and Filling
vehicle . This may cause s team to escape from
the front of the vehicle .
Adding coolant
Fig . 270 E ng in e co mpa rtment: ma rkings o n th e coo lant
expansio n
tan k
Observe the safety precautions r:::;, page 318,
Working in the engine compartment .
Checking the engin e coolant level
.,. Park the vehicle o n a level surface.
.,. Switch t he ignit ion off.
.,. Read the coolant level on the coolant expansion
tank
r:::;, fig. 2 70. The coolant level must be be­
tween the markings when the eng ine in cold .
W hen the eng ine is warm it can be slig htly
above the upper marking.
Adding coolant
Applies to: vehicles with plug-in hybrid drive:
your vehicle has two coolant expans ion tanks
that are separate from each other. The smaller of
the two expansion tanks must not be opened
r:::;, page 102. Read and follow the important safe­
ty preca utions
r:::;, .&. in Coolant on page 103 .
Requirement: there must be a residua l amount of
coolant in the expansion tank
c::> (D .
.,. Let the eng ine cool down.
.,. Place a cloth over the coolant expansion tank
cap and unscrew the cap counterclockw ise
c::> .&_ .
.,. Add coo lant m ixed in the cor rect ra tio
r:::;, page 324 up to the upper m arking .
.,. Make sure that the f lu id leve l remains stab le.
Ad d mo re coolant if necessa ry.
.,. Close the cap securely.
325

Checking and Filling
Coolan t loss usu ally indicates there is a leak. Im ­
m ed iately drive your v ehicle to an authorized
Aud i dea ler or authorized Aud i Serv ice Facility
and have the cooling system inspected. If the
coo ling system is not leaking, a loss can come
from the coolant boiling through overheating
and be ing pushed out of the cool ing system.
.&_ WARNING
- The coo ling system is under pressure . Do
not open the coolant expans ion tank cap
when the eng ine is ho t. This inc reases the
risk of burns .
- T he coo lant add itive and the coolant can be
d angerous to your healt h. For this reason,
keep the coolant in the origina l container
and away from children . There is a risk of
poisoning .
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the rad iator fan can switch
on even if the ign ition is switched off, which
increases the risk of in jury .
-
CD Note
Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty . Air could enter the cooling system and
damage the engine. If this is the case , do not
cont inue driving. See an authorized Audi deal­
er or author ized Audi Service Facility for assis­
tance .
Brake fluid
Fig. 271 Eng in e co mpar tment : cap on b rake flu id r eservo ir
O bserve the safety precautions ¢ page 318,
Working in the engine compartment .
326
Checking the brake fluid level
Read the b rake fluid level on the br ake fluid res­
ervoir ¢ page 321, fig . 267. The brake f lu id leve l
must be between the MIN and MAX markings
¢ ,& .
The brake f lu id leve l is monito red automa tically .
Changing the brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed regularly by an au ­
thorized Aud i dea ler or authorized Audi Service
Facility.
.&_ WARNING
- I f the b rake fl uid leve l is below the MIN
marking, i t can impair the bra king effec t
and driving safety, wh ich increase the r isk o f
an accident. Do not continue driving . See an
authorized A udi dealer or authorized A udi
Serv ice Facility fo r ass istance.
- If the brake fl uid is old, b ubbles may form
in the brake system dur ing heavy braking.
This would impair braking performance and
driving safety, which increases the risk of an
accident .
- To ensure the brake system functions cor­
rectly, only use brake fluids that comp ly
w ith VW standard S0 l 14 or
FMVSS- 116 DOT 4 .
CD Note
-If the brake f luid level is above the MAX
marking, brake fluid may leak o ut over the
edge of the reservoi r and result in damage
to the vehicle .
- Do not ge t any brake fl uid on the vehicle
pai nt, b ecause it w ill co rrode the paint .
Battery
General warnings about batteries
Because of t he comp lex power supp ly, all work
on batter ies such as d isconnecting, replacing ,
etc., shou ld
only be pe rformed by an authori zed
Audi dealer or authorized A udi Service Fac ility
¢ _& . ~

u. a, ... N
" N ... 0 N > a:,
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight ( in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto­ matic transmission , power steer ­
ing, power brakes, power win­
dows, power seats, radio, and
heater, to the extent that these
items a re available as factory- in­
stalled equipment (whether i n­
stalled or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the width of the tire in percent .
Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a
low s idewall for improved steer­
ing response and better overall
handling on dry pavement.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is
made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is
shaped to fit the rim .
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond
between components in the bead .
Wheel s
Cord
means the strands forming the
plies in the tire .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recom­
mended by the vehicle manufac ­
turer for a tire of a designated
size that has not been driven for
more than a couple of miles (kilo­
meters) at low speeds in the
three hour period before the tire pressure is measured or adjusted .
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve­
hicle with standard equipment in­
cluding the maximum capacity of
fuel, oil , and coolant, air condi­
tioning and additional weight of
optional eq uipm ent .
Extra load tire
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at highe r in­
flation pressures than the corre­
sponding standard tire . Extra load
tires may be identified as "X L",
"xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on
the sidewall.
.,.
333

Wheels
vehicle's Gross Veh ic le Weig ht
R ati ng
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight
of the basic vehicle, all factory in­
stalled accessories, a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
plus maximum load. The maxi­
mum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is in­
tended to carry ("seating capaci­
ty") with an assumed weight of 150 lbs . (68 kg) for each passen­
ger at a designated seating posi ­
tion and the total weight of any luggage in the vehicle. If you tow
a trailer, the weight of the trailer
hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer must be includ­
ed as part of the vehicle load .
The
Gro ss Ax le W eight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles .
T he fact that there is an upper
limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a trailer hitch and
the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited . The more pas­
sengers in the vehicle or passen -
344
gers who are heavier than the
standard weights assumed mean
that less weight can be carried as luggage .
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight Rat ing
are listed on the safety compli­
ance sticker labe l located on the
driver's side B-pillar.
1.8. WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per­
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and increase the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance .
-Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail sud ­
denly, including a blowout and
sudden deflation, causing loss
of contro l and a crash.
-Always make sure that the to­ tal load being transported
-..

Consum er Info rmation
today's automobi les, have steadi ly red uced the
scope of maintenance and repairs which can be
carried out by veh icle owners.
Al so , sa fet y and
en vironmental
concerns place very strict limits
on the nature of repairs and adjustments to en­
g ine and transmission parts w hich an owner can
perform .
Maintenance, adjustments and repairs usually re­
qu ire special tools, testing devices and other
equ ipment available to specially trained work ­
shop personnel in order to assure proper per­
forma nce, re liab ility and safety of the ve hicle and
its many systems .
Improper maintenance, adjustments and repairs
can impair the operation and reliab il ity of your
ve hicle and eve n void your vehicle warra nty .
Therefo re, proof of se rvicing in accordance w ith
the m aintenance schedule may be a condition fo r
up hold ing a possible wa rranty claim made wi thin
the warranty pe riod.
Above all, ope rational safety can be adversely af­
fected, c re ating unnecessa ry risks fo r you and
your passengers.
I f in doubt about any servicing, have it done by
your author ized Audi dealer or any other prope rly
eq uipped and qualified workshop . We strongly
urge yo u to g ive your author ized Audi dealer the
opportunity to perform a ll scheduled mainte ­
nance and necessary repairs. Your dealer has the
facilities, origina l parts and tra ined specialists to
keep your veh icle running properly.
Performing limit ed maint enanc e yourself
The fo llowing pages describe a limited number of
procedures whic h can be performed on your ve hi­
cle with ordinary tools, should the need arise and
tra ined personnel be unava ilable. Before per ­
forming any of these procedures, always thor­
ough ly read all of the app licab le text and carefu l­
ly follow the instructions g iven . Always rigorously
observe the
W ARNINGS prov ided .
Befo re yo u check an ything in the engine com ­
partment , alway s read and h eed all WARNINGS
c> .&. and c> page 318 .
384
A WARNING
-Ser ious personal injury may occur as a result
of improperly performed maintenance, ad­
justments or repairs .
- Always be extreme ly careful when work ing
on the vehicle . Always follow commonly ac­
cepted safety practices and general com­ mon sense. Never r is k personal in jury.
- Do not attempt any of the maintenance,
checks or repairs described on the following pages if you are not fu lly fam il iar with these
or other procedu res with respect to the ve­
hicle, or are uncertain how to proceed.
- Do not do any work wi thout the prope r tools
and eq uipmen t. H ave the necessary wo rk
done by your authorized Audi dealer or an ­
other properly equipped and qualified work­
shop.
- The engine compartment of any motor vehi ­
cle is a potentially hazardous area . Never
reach into the area around or touch the radi­
ator fan. It is temperature controlled and
can switch on suddenly - even when the en­
gine is off . The radiato r fan switches on au­
tomatically when the coolant reaches a cer­
tain tempe rature and w ill cont inue to run
until the coolant temperature d rops.
- Always sw itch off the ignition before anyone
gets under the vehicle.
- Always support your vehicle with safety
stands if it is necessary to work underneath
the vehicle. The jack supp lied with the veh i­
cle is no t adequate fo r th is pu rpose and
could collapse causing serious personal in­
jury .
- If you must wor k unde rneath the vehicle
w ith the wheels on the g round, always make
sure the vehicle is on level ground, that the
wheels a re always sec urely blocked and that
the engine cannot be started.
- Always make sure the transmission se lector
lever (automatic t ransm iss ion) is in P (Park
position) and the pa rk b rake is applied .
Ill>