2011 AUDI A3 Owner´s Manual

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Applies to vehicles : wi th electr ically heate d front se ats
Electrically heated front seats
With the ignition on, the seat cushion and backrest of the
front seats can be heated.
Fig. 10 4 Center
console: thumbw heels
f o r fr ont se at heating
Use the thumbwheels in the center console=> fig. 104 to
turn on and adjust front seat heating. An infinite range of
positions are possible .
- Roll the thumbwheel
© (driver's seat) or@ (front
passenger's seat) from position (0 ) upward in order to
activate the heating elements.
- Select the desired temperature setting from positions 1
through 6.
When the heating element is activated, the numbers on the thumb­
wheel w ill illuminate .
0 Note
To prevent possible damage to the heating elements, do not kneel on
the seats or apply a heavy load to relatively small areas of the seat. •
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
App lies to vehicles : with eng ine preheater
Engine preheater
Use of the engine preheater is recommended when the
ambient temperature is below -5 °F (-20 °C) .
Fig. 10 5 I n the le ft
fro nt b umper: engine
prehea ter connection
soc ket
T he engine preheater slow ly warms the engine coolant using a
heating element when the vehicle is parked. The included cable
4>
must be connected to a 120 Volt Ground Fault Circuit (GFI) protected
outlet that is protected from water (in your garage, for instance).
When the coo lant is preheated, the engine reaches its operating
temperature more qu ickly and will use less fuel and produce fewer
polluting emissions during the warm-up phase.
Preheat ing the engine can take up to 3 hours depending on the
temperature outside.
Conn ect ing th e engin e pr ehe ate r
• Only use the cable provided.
• All cables and connectors that are used must not be damaged
=> & .
• Open the cover=> fig. 105
G) .
• Plug the connecting cable into the socket@=>& .
4
) The cable is delivered with veh icles in Canada as standard equipment. The ca ­
ble can be obtained from an authorized Audi deale r for vehicles in the USA.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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• Connect the connect ing cab le to the powe r cord .
• Atta ch t he exte nsion s co rd to the co nne ctor c able. A lw ay s use a
12 gauge or heav ie r heavy-duty extension cord that can be properly
gro unded to a three -prong Groun d Faul t C ircuit (G FI) w all o utle t a nd
is not longer than 100 ft (30 meters) .
• Alw ays pl ug th e p rehe ater into an 12 0 Vol t Grou nd Faul t Circui t
(GFI) wall o utlet t hat is properly protected against rain and other
mois ture . Neve r plug t he prehea ter in to a norm al ou tle t rega rdles s of
w het her it is grounded or not .
• Alw ay s dis con nect the co nne ct ing cable and close the cover
=> page 103, fig. 105 (D be fore starting the engine.
& WARNING
Using incorrect or damaged outlet and power cords, using elec­
trical accessories incorrectly or ignoring safety precautions can lead to short circuits, accidents, injuries and life-th reatening elec ­
tric shocks.
• Always plug the preheater into a 120 Volt Ground Fault Circuit
( GFI) wall outlet that is properly protected against rain and other
moisture.
• Always check the fuse protection of the 120 Volt power source
before using the connecting cable.
• Always use a 12 gauge or heavier heavy-duty extension cord
that can be properly grounded to a three-prong GFI outlet. The
extension cord must not be longer than 100
ft (30 meters ).
• Always connect the cable to a 120 Volt outlet that is grounded
and protected from water .
• Check the cable for damage before every use. Never use a
damaged cable. It must be replaced. Please see your authorized
Audi dealer.
• Only use the cable provided*.
• Always remove the conne cting cable before starting the
engine.
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Never attempt to alter or repair electrical components. •

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On the road
Steering
Adjustable steering wheel
The height and reach of the steering wheel con be
adjusted .
First, adjust t he dr iver's seat correct ly.
Fi g. 106 Leve r und er
the s tee ring column
-Pu sh t he lever~ fig. 106 down as far as it wi ll go~ &.
- Move th e st eeri ng wheel to t he desire d position.
- Push t he lever back up as fa r as it wi ll go.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) between your chest and the
c en ter of the steer ing w hee l. If you cannot si t more than 10 inches
(25 cm) from the steering wheel, see if adaptive equ ipment is avai l­
able to help you reach the pedals and increase the distance from the
steeri ng wheel.
For detai led info rmation on how to adjust the dr iver's seat, see
=> page 76, "Power se at adj ustment".
The steer ing whee l can be adjusted even when the ignition is turned
off .
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
& WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjustment and improper seating
position can cause serious personal
injury .
• Adjust the steer ing whe el column only when the vehicle is not
moving to prevent loss of vehicle control.
• Always make sure that the adjustment lever is securely pushed
up so that the position of the steering wheel cannot be changed
unintentionally when the vehicle is moving .
• Adjust the dr iver 's seat or steering wheel so that there is a
m inimum of 10 inches (25 cm) between your breastbone and the
steering wheel=>
page 126, fig. 122. If you cannot maintain this
minimum distance, the airbag system cannot protect you prop­
erly.
• If physical limitations prevent you from sitting 10 inches (25
c m) or more from the steering wheel, check with your authorized
Audi dealer to see if adaptive equipment is available .
• Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decrea ses the
ability of the supplemental driver's a irbag to prote ct you in an
accident. Always make sure that the steer ing wheel is pointed
towards your che st .
• Always hold the steering wheel on the outside of the steering
wheel rim with your hands at the 9 o'clo ck and 3 o'clock position s
to help reduce the risk of personal injury if the driver's airbag
inflates .
• Never hold the steer ing wheel at the 12 o 'clock position or with
your hands at other positions inside the steering wheel rim or on
the steering wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injurie s to the hand s, arms and head if th e
driver 's airbag inflates. •
Vehicle care Technical data

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Ignition Lock and ignition switch
Ignition lock
The engine can be started or turned off with the ignition
key.
Ignition off@
Fig. 107 Ignition l ock
p ositions
In position => fig. 107 @ both the ignition and engine are off, and
the stee ring is locked .
To
lock the stee ring after you have removed the ig nit io n key, turn the
steeri ng wheel in either direction until yo u hear it lock into place . You
should always lock the steering whenever you leave your vehicle . This
makes a vehicle theft even more difficult=> & .
Ignition on (D
If it is d ifficul t to turn the key af ter yo u have inse rted it in to the igni­
tion lock, tur n the steering wheel back and forth . T hi s w ill take the
load off the steering lock mechanism and you wi ll be able to t urn the
key freely and start the engine . On vehicles with a d iese l engine *, t he
system ca n preheat in this position .
Starting the engine@
In this pos it ion the engi ne s tarts. While the e ngine is s ta rting, the
power supply to the headlights and other electrical consume rs is temporarily interrupted to conserve ba
ttery power . Afte r th e eng ine
h as st arted, relea se the key and it w ill retur n to posit io n (D .
Before the starter can be operated again the key must be t urned back
to positio n (D . T he
non-repeat lock prevents you from damaging the
s ta rt er when t he e ng ine is running .
& WARNING
• Never remove the key from the ignition lock while the vehicle
i s moving . The steering wheel will lock causing loss of control.
• If you have to leave your v ehicle -even for ju st a minute -
always remove the ignition key and take it with you. This is espe·
cially important if you are going to leave children behind in the
vehicle. The children could start the engine or use other vehicle
control s. Unsupervised use of vehicle controls (for example, power
windows ) can cause serious personal injuries .
(I) Tips
If the vehicle battery has been disconnected and then reconnected,
t hen yo u m ust leave the key in posi tion (Dfor abou t
5 seco nds befo re
you can start the eng ine. •
App lies to vehicles: with automat ic transmission
Ignition key safety lock
Th e ignition k ey can only b e removed when the selector
lever is in the "P" (Park) position.
Pla ce the selector lever i n the "P " pos it ion before swit ching off the
eng ine .
Afte r sw itching of f the igni tion , th e ignition key can o nly be re moved
from the ignition lock when t he selector lever is in the "P" (Park) posi­
t ion. After yo u have remove d the key, t he selector lever is locked a nd
cannot be moved .•

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Starting and stopping the engine
Starting the engine
The engine can only be started with your original Audi
key.
N ... q
i
Vehicles with a gasoline engine:
Fig . 10 8 Ignition key
p osit ion s
- Move the selector lever to the neutra l position (automatic
transmission): selector lev er in P or N) =>
& .
- On vehicles with manual transmission, fully depress the
clutch pedal.
- Turn the ignition key to position@ =>
page 106, fig. 10 7
- do not depress the gas pedal when star ting t he engine!
- Let go of the key as soon as the engine starts .
Vehicles with a diesel engine:
- Set the park ing b rake .
- Move the selector lever to the neutral position (automatic
transmission): selector lever in P or N) =>
& .
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
- On vehicles with manual transmission , fu lly depress the
cl utch peda l.
- Turn the ignition key to posi tion
(D => fig . 108. The g low
plug warning light lights up whi le the glow plugs are
warming u p.
- When the warning light goes out, turn the ig nition key to
posi tion @to start the engine @ =>
page 106, fig. 107 .
Do not depress t he gas pedal when starting t he engine!
- Let go o f the key as soon as the engi ne starts.
A cold engine may sound loud after it has been started . Th is is due to
t he hydra ulic valves buil ding up oil p ress ure. This is normal and is not
a need for concern.
If the engine does not start immediately, stop try ing after 10 seconds
and then try to restart the engine about 30 seconds later .
Glow plug system*
Diesel engines are equipped with a glow p lug system whose
preheating t ime is con trolled by the coo la nt and outs ide tempera­
t u re . Start the engine
immediately af ter the glow p lug ind icator light
sw itches off .
Th e g low pl ug indica tor light w ill only ill uminate fo r approximately 1
second when the engine is warm or the outs ide temperature is higher
than 46 °F (8 °C). Tha t means yo u ca n sta rt the engi ne
immediately.
To start the diesel engine after the fuel tank has
been run dry
If the fue l tank was run complete ly dry, the start ing process after
refueling with diesel fuel can take longe r than usual -up to one
minute. This is because the fuel system first has to be vented of air
wh ile starting. _,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service Technical data

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& WARNING
Never start or let the engine run in a confined or enclosed area.
Exhau st fume s from the engine contain carbon monoxide, a color ­
less and odorless gas. Carbon monoxid e can be fatal if inhal ed.
• Never leave the engine idling unattended . An unattended
vehicle with a runn ing engine poses a danger of personal injury or
theft .
0 Note
• Avoid high engine speeds, fast acceleratio n or heavy engine loads
w hile the engine is still cold. This cou ld damage the eng ine .
• Th e engine c annot be sta rted by p ush ing or tow ing the veh icle .
~ For the sake of the environment
To avoid unnecessary engine wear and to reduce e xhaust emissions,
do not let your vehicle stand and warm up . Be ready to dr ive off imme ­
diately after starting your vehicle. Maintain moderate speed unti l the
eng ine is comp letely warm . Remember, the engine performs best at
operat ing temperature. •
Stopping the engine
-Turn the ignition key to position @~poge 106, fi g. 107 .
& WARNING
• Nev er turn off the engine until the vehicle has come to a
c omplete stop.
• The brake booster and servotronic only work when the eng ine
i s running . With the ignition turned off , you have to apply more
force when steering or bra king. Since you cannot st eer and stop
normally , thi s can lead to accident s and serious injuries.
& WARNING (contin u ed )
• The radiator fan can continue to run for up to 10 minute s even
a fter you have turned off the engine and removed the ignition key.
The radi ator fan can also tur n on agai n if the engine coolant heats
up be cause of intense sunlight or heat build-up in the engine
compartment.
0 Note
Do not stop the engine immed iately after hard or extended driving.
Keep t he engine run ning for approximate ly two minutes to prevent
excessive hea t build-up. •
Parking brake
Parking brake
When the parking brake is set, it prevents the vehicle
from rolling a way unintentionally .
Setting the parking brake
Fig. 109 Cente r
c o ns ole : Pa rk ing brak e
s et
- Pull t he park ing b rak e l eve r all the way up .

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Releasing the parking brake
- Pull th e parking brak e leve r u p sligh tly and pr ess the
r ele ase b utt on at t he sam e tim e:::::;,
page 108, fig. 10 9
-a rrow-.
- Keep the release button pressed and lower the par kin g
brake:::::;, &,.
If you should drive off w ith the park ing brake still set, a warning tone
wi ll sou nd and t he following will appear in t he ins trumen t cluster to
remind you to release the parking brake:
Parking brake set
Th e p arking br ake wa rning comes on on ly af ter you have d riven for
longer than 3 seconds and faster than 5 mph (5 km/h).
T he pa rk in g bra ke wa rning ligh t Brake (U SA)/
(CD) (C DN) i lluminates
w hen the park ing b rake is set and you sw itch on the ign ition.
& WARNING
Always release the parking brake completely. A partially engaged
brake will overheat the rear brakes , reduce their effectiveness and
cause excessive wear. This could lead to brake failu re and an acci­
dent.
0 Note
O nly a fter the vehicle has co me to comp lete stop, sho uld you firmly
se t the par king brake and either move the gearshift lever into 1st .
gear (manual t ransm iss ion) or
move the se lector leve r into "P" (Auto­
matic transm ission). •
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Parking
To p
reven t a parked ve hic le fr om rolli ng away, th ere a re
a fe w thing s yo u s hould do.
Wh en you par k yo ur vehic le, do t he foll owing:
- Stop the veh ic le usi ng the brake pedal.
- Set t he parking bra ke firmly .
- Mov e th e s ele ctor lev er i nto the
P p osi tio n (automatic
transmission)
or mo ve the g ears hift leve r i nto 1st . gear
(manual transmission) :::::;, &,.
- Swit ch o ff t he eng ine and rem ove the igniti on key fr om
t he ign ition l ock .
What else you should do when parking your vehicle
on an incline or decline
T u rn t he st eer ing whee l so tha t if the vehicle s hould start to roll, it
will roll into t he curb.
If you are par king on a
decline (the front of your ve hicl e facing down ­
hill), turn the fron t w heels to t he rig ht so t hat they point
toward the
curb.
If you are pa rking o n an incline (t he fon t of yo ur vehi cle facing uphill),
turn the front wheels to the left so that they point
away from the
curb.
Move the se lector lev er into the P p os it ion (automatic transmission)
or move the gearsh ift lever i nto 1st . gear (manual transmis sion ).
& WARNING
This is how you can reduce the risk of injury when leaving your
vehicle.
• Never park the vehicle where it can come in contact with dry
grass, spilled fuel or any other flammable materials.
Vehicle care Technical data

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& WARN ING (con tinu ed)
• Never allow anyone - e speciall y small children - to remain in
the vehicle when it is locked . Locked doors make it more d ifficult
for rescuers to acces s the passenger compa rtment in the e vent of
an emergency. Danger to life!
• Never leave children unsupervi sed in the vehicle . Children
could release the parking brake or mo ve the gearshift leve r out of
gear . The vehicle could start to roll away and cause an accident.
• No matter what the season is, the temperature in a park ed
vehicle can reach dangerous levels. •
Applie s to vehicles : w it h h ill h old ass is t
Starting on hills
H ill hold assist makes it easier to s tart on hill s.
T he system is activated whe n the brake peda l is depressed for a few
s econd s.
After releasing the b rake pedal, the bra ke power is held fo r a
brief
moment to prevent the vehicle from rolling back when star ting. At
t his time , you can eas ily begin to move your veh icle .
& WARNING
• If you did not beg in moving immediately after releasing the
brake pedal , under certain circumstances , the vehicle would begin
to roll backward. Depre ss the brake pedal immediately or engage
the hand brake.
• Should the engine st all , depress the brake pedal immed iately
or engage the hand brake.
• In order to prevent the veh icle from rolling back unintention ­
ally when starting in stop-and-go traffi c, keep the brake pedal
depressed for a few seconds before d riving off.
[I] Tips
You can find out if your vehicle is equipped with "H ill hold as sist " at
an authorized Audi dea lersh ip. •
Cruise control
Switch ing the sy stem on
The crui se c ontrol system m akes it possible to drive a t a
constant s peed start ing a t 20 mph (3 0 km/h).
Fig . 110 Controllev er
w ith set butt on
Fig. 111 Di splay:
Se lec ted spee d
- Pull the lev er to posi tio n (D => fig . 110 to sw itch t he
system on.