2011 AUDI A3 warning light

Driving and environment
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you start the engine and avoid running at high RPMs while the engine
is still warming up.
0 Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after starting. If warning
lights should come on to indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces heat, which could result in
overheat ing or other damage to the vehicle or other property.•
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
- Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an authorized Audi dealer
helps to ensure that it runs properly and economically. The condition
of your vehicle not on ly affects its safety and ability to hold its value,
it also affects
fuel consumption .
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oil used is related to engine load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new engine to reach its
lowest value after a certain mi leage has been driven.
You must drive you r vehicle about 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers)
before you can properly assess oil consumption.
Thi s also applies to fuel consumption and engine output.
0 Note
• Have your vehicle maintained properly and in accordance with the
service recommendations in your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
Lack of proper maintenance as well as improper use of the vehicle will
impa ir the function of the emission control system and could lead to
damage.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
•
Do not alter or remove any component of the Emission Control
System unless approved by the manufacturer.
• Do not a lter or remove any device, such as heat shie lds, switches,
ignition w ires, va lves, which are designed to protect your vehicle 's
Emission Control System and other important vehicle components.
Fewer short tr ips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high on short
trips.
- Try to avoid driving short distances with a cold engine.
The engine and catalytic converter have to reach their optimal oper­
ating temperature
to reduce fuel consumption and noxious emis ­
sions effectively .
• Just after starting, a cold eng ine in a mid-size car burns the fuel at
a poor rate of 6-8 miles per gallon (30-40 l/l00km). Half a mile down
the road, the mileage improves to 12 MPG (20 l/100 km). It will take
the engine no less than
two and a half miles (4 km) of driving to
warm up to its proper operat ing temperature and operate at an
economic mileage . This explains why taking the car for sho rt trips is a
rather wasteful convenience .
• Th e
outside temperature is also critical in this regard . Your car
consumes more fuel in the winter than in the summer.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic beh ind you using the regular
outs ide mirrors, then you
must i nstall extended mirrors. It is impor­
tant that you
always have clear vision to the rear.
& WARNING
After removing the trailer hitch, do not store it in your vehicle. In
case of sudden braking, the hitch could fly forward and injure you
or your passengers. •
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is lim ited to a typ ical class 1 or class 2 tra iler.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in place to guard aga inst
shifting, be it fo rwa rd, backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer ~ & in "Driving instruc­
tions".
Tire pressure
When towing a tra iler, inflate the tires of yo ur veh icle to the co ld tire
pressure listed unde r "Full load" on the sticker on the right doorjamb.
Inflate trailer tires to trai ler and tire manufacturers' specifications.
Lights
T he headlight settings sho uld be checked with the trailer attached
before driving off . Adjust as necessary so that you can see the road
ahead but not blind oncoming traffic.
Check p roper working of vehicle and tra iler lights.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Safety
chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connected from the trailer
to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough s lack in the chains to permit
turning corners . When you install safety chains, make sure they will
not drag on the road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue to prevent it from
dropping in case of separation from the hit ch. •
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care and
consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle and trailer,
please note the following:
- Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself is not
loaded .
- Be especially careful when passing other vehicles.
- Observe speed limits.
- Do not drive at the maximum permissible speed .
- Always apply brakes early.
- Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribut ion
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results in a highly unstable
distribution of we ight. If th is cannot be avoided drive at very low
speeds only to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced " rig is easier to operate and control. This means that the
tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permiss ible
whi le keeping the trai ler as light as possible under the circumstances .
Whenever possible, transfer some cargo to the luggage compart-
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Trailer towingL _____________________________________________ _
ment of the tow vehicle while observing tongue load requirements
and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it becomes for the driver to
control the rig. Do not drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce your speed even more under unfavorable load, weather or
wind conditions -particularly when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer shows the slightest
sign of swaying .
Do not try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas speeds for vehicles towing
trailers are lower than for regular vehicles .
Always apply brakes early . When driving downhill, shift into lower
gear to use the engine braking effect to slow down the vehicle. Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge~ page 9 must be observed care­
fully. If the needle moves close to the upper end of the scale, reduce
speed immediately and/or switch off the air conditioner .
If the coolant temperature warning light in the instrument cluster
starts flashing
-t-, pull off the road , stop and let the engine idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build-up.
& WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving vehicle is at a much
greater risk in an accident. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided by Audi. •
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
-------------
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a trailer because of the
additional weight and weight distribution. Safety, performance and
economy will greatly depend on how carefully you load your trailer
and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice turning, stopping and
backing up in an area away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have
completely become familiar with the way your vehicle-trailer combi­
nation behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice. Backing up with a trailer
generally requires steering action opposite of that when backing up
your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle and the one in front
of you. You will need more room to stop.
To compensate for the trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turning radius .
When passing, remember that you cannot accelerate as fast as you normally would because of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your
trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes.
[I] Tips
• Do not tow a trailer during the break-in period of your vehicle .
• If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require more frequent mainte­
nance due to the extra load~
page 299. •

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High temperatures, as from exposure to intense sunlight, intensify
the corrosive effect particularly when humidity is high as well.
Under certa in circumstances,
weekly washing may be necessary .
Under other conditions, a month ly washing and waxing may be
adequate.
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle should be thoroughly
washed, preferably in a profess ional car wash.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=> page 206.
0 Note
You should remove debris (such as insects) from the headlight lenses
on a regular basis, for example when refueling yo ur vehicle. Never
clean the headlights with a dry cloth or sponge. Use a wet cloth or
sponge. It is best to use soapy wate r.•
Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any modern auto­
matic car wash.
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle can normally be
washed without problems in an automatic car wash. However, the
effect on the paint depends to a large extent o n the design of the
facility, the filtering of the wash water, the type of wash and care
material, e tc. If the paint has a dull appearance after going through
the car wash or is scratched, bring this to the attention of the oper­
ator immediately .
If necessary, use a different car wash.
Before going through a car wash, be sure to take the usual precau­
tions such as closing the windows and panoramic sliding sunroof*.
Remove ante nna if applicable.
Safety first
If you have installed additional accessories on the vehicle - such as
spoilers, roof rack, etc. - it is best to ask the car wash operator if these
should be removed.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=>page 206. •
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehicle by hand.
-Before you start wash ing, ma ke sure you have read and
understood the WARNINGS ~
& in "General informa­
tion" on
page 206.
-First soak all dried dirt until it is soft, then rinse it off.
- As you clean your vehicle, start with the roof and work your
way down to the bottom, using a sponge, a sponge glove
or a clean brush.
- Rinse the sponge or the sponge glove often, flushing it
clean each time.
- Use special car shampoo only for very persistent dirt.
- Rinse the car thoroughly with water .
- Use a chamois leather to gently wipe the exter ior dry .
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the whee ls, door s ills and other
regions exposed to road dirt. In this way, you will not scratch the
paint with coarse particles imbedded in the sponge the next time you
wash the car . .,,
Vehicle care Technical data

-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d___. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
in. WARNING
• Do not clean th e undersid e of th e chassis, fend ers, wheel
c over s, or other hard to reach part s without protecting your hand s
and arms. You may cut yourself on sharp -edged m etal p art s.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 206.
0 Note
• Never try to remove dirt, mud or d ust if the surface of the vehicle
is d ry. Never use a d ry cloth or s ponge, since this could scratch your
vehicle's paint or windows.
• N ever was h your car in br ight sunlight. D rops of wa ter a ct as
magnifying lenses and may damage your pa int.
• When you was h yo ur c ar in the winter: i f you rinse your vehicle w ith
a hose, be careful not to a im the stream of water direct ly at locks, or
a t doo r o r hatch open ings -they can free ze s hut.
• Never use sponges des igned to remove insects, or any kitchen
s co ur ing sponges o r similar pro ducts. They can damage yo ur paint
fi ni sh .
• Never use a dr y clo th o r sp on ge to clean t he he adlights . Only use
wet cloths or sponges to prevent scratches.
It is best to use soapy
w ate r.
c£> For the sake of the environment
In the in terest of the envi ronme nt, the ve hicl e should o nly be washed
in special wash bays. •
Washing your vehicle with a power washer
Cleaning the ex terior of your c ar with a high-pressure
po wer washer is safe as long as y ou observe a few sim ple
rules.
- Before using the power washer, make su re you have read
and unders tood the WA RNINGS=>
& in "General info r­
ma tion" on
page 206.
- Always fo llow t he operat ing inst ructions fo r the powe r
washer.
- Make sure t hat the jet o n the spray hose produces a "fa n
shaped spray".
- Do
not hold the spr ay nozz le too close t o soft ma ter ials .
When cleani ng the vehicle wi th a p owe r w ashe r always follow the
operat ing instruct ions . T his applies part icu larly to the operating
pressure
and the spraying distance. M ain tain a suffic ien t distan ce to
so ft mater ia ls such as rubber hoses and sound/v ibration deaden ing
materials (particularly on the unde rside o f the engine hood). Do not
use a jet wh ic h sprays water in a
direct stream or o ne that has a
rotating jet.
W ate r temperatu re s hou ld not ex ceed 140
°F (60 °().
& WARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays water in a direct stream .
This could cause in visible damage to the tires and weaken them ,
even if the spray i s from a relatively long distance and for a short
time . Damaged and weakened tires can fail and c ause accidents
and personal injur y.
~

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0 Note
To avo id damaging your vehicle, a lways make sure that there i s suffi­
cient distance between the spray head and soft materia ls like r ubber
hoses, plastic part s and sound-de adening mate ria ls. Never aim the
spray head at the same point for a long time . This a lso applies to
cleaning headl ights and painted bumpers. Remembe r: the closer t he
nozzle is to the surface of the mater ia l, the greater the stress on the
mate rial. •
Wa xing
Wax protects the vehicle's paint.
- U se a manua lly applied car wax occas ionally to pro tect t he
pa int.
A good wax coat ing protects the vehicle paint to a la rge extent
agai nst the env ironmen ta l fa ctors liste d un der~
page 20 6,
"Washing" and even against slight scratches.
You can use a liquid car wax to protect yo ur paint as soon as one wee k
after your ve hicle has been delivered .
Even if you regula rly use a
wa xing process in automatic car washes,
we recomme nd that you m anually apply a co at of wax to give the
paint extra protection, part icularly if water no longer beads on t he
cl ean pa int .
Protec t plast ic body parts with car wax in t he same way as the vehicle
body .
Dur ing warm wea ther de ad insec ts te nd t o collec t on t he fron t
bumper and on the forward area of the hood. They a re much easier to
remove from p aint th at is waxed
often.
Safety first
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
:=> page 206 .
0 Note
Do not use car wax on
• matte o r anodized metal trim
• rub ber or rubbe r-like trim .•
Polishing
P olishing restores the gloss to the paint.
P olis h your ve hicl e only if t he pa int has lost its shine and the gloss
cannot be brought back with wax.
If the polish used does not contain preservative compounds, the
paint must be waxed afterwards=> page 209, "Wax ing".
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
:=> page 206 .
0 Note
Do no t trea t matte a nodize d meta l trim, p lastic o r ru bber p arts wi th
polish or wax . •
Trim strips
fv1 etal tri m needs s pec ial care .
For env ironmental reasons, Aud i fabr icates the brig ht trim strips and
trim p ieces from pure chrom ium -free a lum inum. ._
Vehicle care Technical data

lffl!l,.___C_ le_ a_n_ i _n_ g=- a_ n_d__, p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_ o _ n ___________________________________________ _
Dirt and marks on the trim str ips should be removed with a pH­
balanced
cl eani ng agen t (d o no t use a chr ome cleaner). Au thori ze d
Audi dealers carry cleaning products w hich have bee n tested fo r use
on yo ur vehicle an d are not harmful to the environment.
T o avoid co rrosion on the exte rio r trim s trips, o nly a pH-b alanced
so lution should be used for the windshield washer.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~ page 206 . •
Plastic and vinyl
P lastic nee ds special care.
Use a clean, damp cloth or s ponge to remove d ust and light surface
dirt . For other soil, use a lukewarm all-purpose cleaning solution or a
m ild saddle soap fo r viny l tr im . Remove water spots and traces o f
soap with a clean, damp cloth or sponge. Use a clean, soft cloth to rub
dry.
Grease , tar or oi l stains can be removed with a clean cloth o r sponge
soa ke d wi th all- pur pose cleaner or wi th a so lvent des igned especially
to clean v inyl.
Occas ionally app ly a colorless v inyl or leather p reservative to retain
t he m ateria l's luster and p liabili ty.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 206 . •
Aluminum trim
Use on ly neutral-pH products to remove spots and depos its from
alum inum su rfaces. Chro m e care produ cts an d alka line cle aners will
attack aluminum surfaces and ca n damage them over t ime .
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 206 . •
Touch-up paint
M inor paint damages should be touched up immedia tely.
- Use e ither a touch-up paint st ick o r spray p ain t to cover
minor scratches a nd nicks.
Your author ized A udi d ea le r has touch- up paint fo r minor scratches
and stone ch ips. Sc ra t ch es should be touched up soon afte r they
occur to preve nt corros ion .
If a s pot start s to ru st, however, a sim ple touch-up job will not be
enoug h. T he affected surface must be sanded smooth and coated
w it h an an ti- rus t pr ime r before the pai nte d finish can be restore d.
Th e number fo r the o rigina l veh icle pain t can be found o n the vehicle
ide ntificat io n label ~
page 294.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 206 . •

-Cleaning and protection pn,,._____ _ __,____ ____________ _
(I] Tips
Keep silicone sprays off the windshield to avoid wiper smear in rain.•
Applies to vehicles: with steel whee ls (e.g. if refitted with winte r tir es)
Steel wheels
The wheels also have to be cleaned.
-Always include the hub caps and wheel rims when washing
your vehicle to remove road dirt, salt sprays and brake
dust.
If necessary, use a commercial wheel cleaner to remove accumulated
brake dust.
The wheel rims are easier to keep clean if they are regularly coated
with liquid wax.
Paint scratches should be touched up as soon as possible to prevent
corrosion~ page 210, "Touch-up paint".
& WARNING
• Moisture and ice on brakes may affect braking efficiency -
~ page 191, "General information". Test the brakes carefully
after each vehicle wash.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and the information
~page206. •
Applies to veh icles: w ith Cas t alloy whee ls
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
-Wash the wheels with a sponge or hose brush every other
week. -
For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a dedicated
acid­
free cast alloy wheel cleaner.
- Rub a coat of
liquid wax onto the rims every three month.
Be sure to reach and treat all parts of the rim.
To preserve the decorative appearance of the cast alloy wheels, some
special care is necessary. In addition to road dirt and salt, brake dust
is also corrosive.
If left on for too long, brake dust can cause pitting.
Use only special
acid-free cleaners formulated for alloy rims. Safe
products are available at your authorized Audi dealer. Never leave the
cleaner on the rims longer than specified on the label. If not rinsed
off promptly, the acid contained in some cleaners can attack the
threads on the wheel bolts.
Never use abrasive or metal polishing cleaning agents.
If the protec­
tive coating has been chipped, e.g. by kicked up road dirt, touch it up
as soon as possible.
& WARNING
• Moisture and ice on brakes may affect braking efficiency
~ page 191, "General information". Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 206. •
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does not need to be checked.
All body cavities which could be affected by corrosion have been thor­
oughly protected at the factory.
This sealing does not require any inspection or additional treatment.
If any wax should seep out of the cavity when the ambient tempera­
ture is high, it can be removed with a plastic scraper and a suitable
solvent. ..,