2011 AUDI A3 brakes

____________________________________________________ T _r_a _n_ s_m _ i_s _s_ i_ o _ n_---J_
& WARNING
Hill D escent Assist cannot overcome physical limitations, so it
m ay not be possible to maint ain a c onstant vehicle speed under all
circum stances . Always be re ady to apply the brakes. •
Applie s to v ehicles: w ith S tron ic ®
tiptronic operation
Tiptronic allows the driver to shift gears manually.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t
Fig . 11 7 Ce nter
con sole : Manual
s hift ing (tiptronic )
Fig. 118 Dis play:
Man ual shifti ng
( tiptr oni c)
Vehicle OP-eration
Switching to manual
-Push t he selector lever to t he righ t from 0 . As t he trans­
mission has switc hed ,
6 5 4 3 2 1 appears in the d isplay,
with th e gear that is engaged h ig hligh ted.
Upshifting
-Tap t he se lector lever forward ( in t he t iptronic setting)
~ fig .117 0.
Downshifting
-Tap the sele ctor l ever bac kwar d (in th e tiptr oni c sett ing)
o .
Swi tching to manual can b e ca rried o ut with th e ve hicle sta tionary as
well as mov ing.
Whe n acce le ra ting, the t ransmission shifts into the next gear in gears
1 , 2, 3, 4 and 5 shortly before the maximum perm issib le eng ine
speed is reached.
If you h ave se lect ed a lower ge ar than the c urrent one, the tr ansmis­
sion will only shift down when the engine cannot be overspeeded.
If kick-down is ac tua ted, the tra nsmiss io n sh ifts into a lowe r gear
inde pendently of speed and e ng ine rpm .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Intelligent technology
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Intelligent technology
Notice about data recorded by
vehicle control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR),
installed by some manufacturers for the express purpose of
capturing data for retrieva l after an accident or crash event. ED R's are
sometimes called "crash recorders".
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or downloading of data stored
by ED R's that were installed in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash event without the owner's
consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an EDR, it is equipped w ith
a number of electronic control modu les for various vehicle systems
such as, for example, engine function, emission control, as well as for
the airbags and safety belts.
T hese electronic contro l modules also record vehicle-re lated data
during normal vehicle operation for diagnostic and repair purposes .
Th e recording capacity of the e lectronic control modu les is limited to
data (no sound is recorded) and only a sma ll amount of data is actu­
ally recorded over a very limited period of time and stored when a
system fault or other condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle speed, direction, braking
as well as restraint system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and down­
loaded with special equipment.
Electronic Stabilization Program
(ESP)
General
The Electronic Stability Program increases driving
stability .
With ESP, contro l over the vehicle is increased in situations when the
vehicle is close to the limits of grip, such as dur ing accelerat ion and in
curves. ESP reduces the risk of sk idding and improves vehicle stability
unde r all road conditions.
It operates at all speeds.
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Differential Lock (EDS) and Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) are integrated in the Elec­
tronic Stability Program .
How ESP works
The ESP control unit processes the following data from high-sensitive
sensors: the rotationa l speed of the vehicle about its vertical axis,
fore-and -aft and lateral acceleration forces, brake pressure and
steering angle .
Us ing stee ring ang le and vehicle speed, the direction the driver
wishes to travel is determined and continuously compared with
actual vehicle behavior. If the two do not match, for example when
the vehicle beg ins to skid, ESP brakes the appropriate whee l auto­
matically.
The vehicle is stabilized aga in by the forces act ing on the whee l
during braking. With an oversteering veh icle (tendency for the rear
end to skid out of the curve), the brake app lication is mainly at the
front wheel on the outside of the curve, with an understeering vehicle
(tendency to run wide in the curve) at the rear wheel on the insid e of
the curve or additionally at the other wheels as needed. This brake
application is accompanied by noises. _,

Intelligent technologyL ______________________________________ _
the drive wheels on one axle is detected (e.g . on slippery ground on
one side),
the spinning wheel is braked, thereby transferring power to
the other drive wheel or wheels (all -wheel drive) . This is done up to a
speed of about 60 mph (100 km/h). Noises from the brake system
signal that wheel sp in is being controlled .
Driving off
When driving off, always be sure to keep road conditions in mind as
you accelerate . If one drive wheel spins because it is on a surface with
less grip, gradually increase the pressure on the accelerator pedal
until the car starts to move. The wheel less ab le to transfer power
spms .
Overheating of brakes
To prevent the disc brake of the braked wheel from overheating if
subjected to excessive loads, the EDL cuts out temporarily. The
vehicle remains operat ional and behaves in the same way as a vehicle
without EDL .
As soon as the brake has cooled down, EDL switch es on again auto­
matically.
Electronic limited slip differential*
In vehicles w ith front wheel drive*, an electronic lim ited slip differen­
tial engages when driving on curves. The brakes are applied spec ifi­
cally to the front wheel that is on the inside of the curve. This mini­
m izes sliding on the front wheels and enables precise and neutral
driving through curves. The electronic limited slip differential does
not engage when d riving in wet conditions or snow.
& WARNING
• When accelerating on slippery surfaces, such as on ice or snow,
always be careful when depressing the accelerator pedal. Even
with the EDL and the ele ctronic limited slip differential working,
the drive wheels can spin and reduce your ability to control your
ca r. -Risk of crash!
& WARNING (continued)
• The increased safety afforded by EDL and the electronic limited
slip differential does not mean that you can take safety risks .
Always adapt your driving style to the road conditions and traffic
situation.
[I) Tips
If a fau lt occurs in the ABS, the EDL is also not f unct ioni ng. This is
indicated by the ABS warning light=>
page 16.
Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR)
The Anti-Slip Regulation System prevents the driven
wheels from spinning when the car is accelerating.
General notes
The Anti-Sl ip Regu lation System (ASR) is integrated in the electronic
stabili zation program (ESP) . When the vehicle starts up and acceler­
ates, the wheels are prevented from sp inning by adjust ing the engine
power to match the amount of grip available from the road surface.
How the system works
ASR performs automatica lly, i.e. without the driver's intervention.
With the aid of the ABS sensors=>
page 192, ASR monitors the speed
of the driven wheels. If the wheels start to spin, the engine torque is
reduced automatically until the tires find enough grip to lock onto
the road surface. The system is active across the entire speed range.
The ASR works in conjunction with the ABS. If a malfunction shou ld
occur in the ABS, the ASR w ill also be out of action .
[I) Tips
To ensure that the ASR works properly, all four wheels must be fitted
with identical tires. Any differences in rolling radius of the tires can .,

_________________________________________ I_ n_ t_ e_ ll_,igent technology ,__E~-
cause the system to red uce eng ine power when t his is not desired .
See also =>
page 2 57 , "N ew tir es and rep lacing tires and whee ls". •
Braking
General Information
What af fect s braki ng effici ency ?
Operating condit ions and driv ing habits
Th e br akes on today's autom obil es are s till subjec t to we ar,
depend ing large ly on operating conditions and driving habits=>& .
O n veh icles t hat are ei ther driven mos tly in sto p-an d-go ci ty traff ic or
are driven ha rd, the bra ke pads s hould be checked by your author ized
Aud i dealer mo re o ften t han specif ied in the
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet .
Failure to have your brake pads ins pected can resu lt
in re duced brake pe rformance.
O n steep slopes, you shou ld use the brak ing effect of th e engine . This
way, yo u prevent unnecessary wea r on the brake system. If yo u must
u se your b ra kes, do n ot ho ld the bra kes down conti nuou sly. P u m p the
brakes at intervals .
N oises may occur when brakin g dependin g on s peed, braki ng fo rce
and outs ide cond itions s uch as temperatu re and hum id ity.
Moisture or road salt
If you are driving fas ter than 50 mp h (8 0 km/h) and th e w indshield
w ipers are on , the b ra ke pads w ill briefly touch t he br ake discs in
reg ula r intervals so as to improve react io n ti me when brak ing on wet
s u rfaces. Yo u, the drive r, will not not ice anything .
Under cert ain con ditions , for ex am ple , w hen driving throug h w ater or
very heavy rain, or even after was hing your veh icle, the bra king effect
c an be redu ced due to moi sture (or in fr eezin g condi tion s ice) on the
brake pads . A few cautious brake app lications sho uld dry off the
bra ke p ads or remove any ice coa ting s.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
T
he effect iveness of the brakes can be reduced when the vehicle is
dr ive n o n a salt-c overe d road and t he brakes are not us ed. Likew ise,
you clea n off acc umulated salt coat ing from brake d iscs and pads
w ith a few cautio us app lications of the brake=>& .
Corrosion
There ma y be a te nd ency fo r dirt to b uild up o n the brak e pa ds and
co rrosion to form on the discs if the car is not dr iven regu la rly o r only
for short trip s wit h litt le u se of the bra kes.
If th e bra kes are not used freq uent ly, or if co rrosion has formed o n
th e discs, it is advisable to clean off the pads an d discs by brak ing
fi rmly a few times fro m a mode ra tely high speed =>& .
Faults in the brake system
If yo u should no tice a sudden increas e in brake pedal t ravel, then one
o f the two brake ci rcu its may have failed =>& .
Low brake fluid level
Malf u nctions can occu r in t he brake sys tem if the brake fluid level is
t oo low . T he bra ke fluid level is mo nitored e lectro nica lly .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by v isua l inspect ion of the condi­
t ion of the bra ke pa ds through the o penings in the wheel. If neces ­
sary , the whee l may be removed for th is inspect ion=>
page 27 2,
"Wheel c hange" .
& WARNING
• You should perform braking maneuvers for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system only if road conditions permit . Other
road users must not be put at risk -you may cause an accident!
• Before descending a steep grade, reduce speed and shift trans­
mission into a lower gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often. This could
cause the brakes to get hot and diminish braking efficiency.
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Intelligent technology
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& WA RNING (conti nu ed )
• Do not "ride the brakes " by re sting your foot on the pedal when
you do not intend to brake . Thi s may cause the brakes to overheat,
premature wear and increased stopping distance.
• Under certain climatic and operating condition s such as
pa ssing through water, dr iving in heavy rain or after washing the
vehicle, the effectiveness of the brake s can be reduced . In winter ,
ice can accumulate on the brake pads , linings , discs and drums .
Carefully apply brakes for a te st. Brakes will dry and ice coatings
will be cleaned off after a few careful brake applications.
• Driving for an extended period of time on salt-covered roads
without using your brakes can al so affect br aking efficiency. Clean
off accumulated salt coating from brake disc s and pads with a few
careful brake applic ations.
• If you damage the front spoiler , or if you in stall a different
spoile r, be sure the air flow to the front brakes is not obstructed.
Otherwi se th e brake system could overheat reducing the effective­
ness of the entire brake system.
• Failure of one brake circuit will impair the braking capability
resulting in an inc reased stopping distance. Avoid driving the
vehicle and have it towed to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or
qualified wo rkshop .
.J
Brake booster
T h e brake booste r adds ext ra braking p ower.
The brake booster works with vacuum pressure which is created on ly
w hen the eng ine is ru nnin g=>&.
& WARNING
• Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the engine shut off.
• If the brake boo ster i s not working , for example when towing
your veh icle , or because the brake booster has somehow been
& W ARNING (continued )
damaged , the brake pedal must be p ressed considerably harder to
make up for the la ck of booster assi stan ce. •
Functioning of Anti-Lock Brake System
{ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from l ockin g up under br aking.
Th e ABS contr ibutes effectively to vehicle co ntrol s ince it prevents t he
w heels from
locking when the brakes are applied . This means that the
veh icle rema ins steerable and is less likely to skid .
With ABS you do not need to pump the brake. Just hold the brake
pedal down .
However, do no t expect that the ABS shortens bra king d istance under
all circumstances . When dr iv ing on grave l or on newly falle n snow on
top of icy s urfaces, braking d istance may be even longer, therefo re,
under these circumstances, it is especially important that yo u drive
slowly and with g re at c are.
How the ABS system works
An au tomatic c hec k is made when a speed of about 4 mp h (6 km/ h) is
reached. When t his happens, a pump ing noise can be heard.
If an ind ivi dual wheel begi ns to rot ate too s low ly in relat ion to ve hicle
speed and tends to loc k, t he ABS automatically reduces brake pres­
s ur e to p revent t hat wheel from lo cking.
T hi s au tomatic adjustment p rocess w ill cause a
s light vibration of
the bra ke pedal and some noises to a lert you that vehicle speed must
be adapted to ex isting road and traffic co nditions .
& WARNING
Although the ABS is very effective, always remember that braking
capability is limited by tire traction. Always adjust your driving ...

Driving and environment
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" before they have optimal
grab ~& .
Dur ing the break-in period, you should avoid putting severe loads on
the bra kes. Severe loads incl ude, for example, sudden hard braking,
in part icu lar at very high speeds or, for examp le, on mountain passes .
& WARNING
Until they develop th e ma ximum "bite " for b est stopp ing pow er,
the surfaces on new brake pads require some "breaking-in" during
the in itial 100 to 150 mile s (150 to 200 kilometers ) of normal
city dr iving. You can compensate for this by p ress ing the brake
pedal more firml y. Thi s applies whenever n ew pads are in stalled .•
Driving through water on roads
---
N ote the following to avoid vehicle damage when driving through
water, fo r example on flooded roads:
• Th e wate r mus t not be any higher th an the bottom of the ve hicl e
body.
• Do not dr ive faster t han wal king speed.
& WARNING
After driving through water, mud , slush, etc ., th e brak es may be
slow to take effect because of wet brake rotors and pads . Dry the
brakes first by braking carefully to restore the full braking effect .
0 Note
Vehicle components such as the engine, transmission, suspension or
electrical system can be severely damaged by driving thro ugh water.
W Tips
• Check t he dept h of the wa ter before dr iv in g thro ugh it.
• Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or sw itch the engine off
when driving through wate r.
• Keep in m ind t hat on coming vehicles may cre ate w aves t hat raise
the water level and make it too deep for your vehicle to drive thro ugh
safe ly.
• Avoid dr iv in g through sa lt water because it can cause corros ion. •
Catalytic converter
It is very important that y our emiss ion con trol system
(ca talyti c converte r) is func tioning pr operly to ensure
that your vehicle is running i n an environm entally sou nd
manner.
- Always use lead-fre e gasoline => page 219, "Fu el supply".
- Never run the ta nk down a ll the way to empty .
- Never p ut too much mo tor o il in your engine=>
pag e 232,
"Adding engine oil~" -
- Neve r try to pu sh- or tow-start you r vehicle.
T he catalytic converter is an efficient "clean- up" device b uilt into the
exhaust system of the veh icle. The cata lytic converter b urns many of
t he poll uta nts in the e xhaust g as before they are released in to the
atmosphe re.
Th e ex clusive use o f unleaded fuel is c ritic ally impor tant for the life of
the cata lytic converte r and proper f unction ing of the engi ne. ..,

Driving and environment
This is especially true for vehicles with low-slung chassis (sports
chassis) and fully loaded vehicles. •
Operate your vehicle economically
and minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine the economy
of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, env ironmental impact, and wear on your eng ine,
brakes and tires largely depend on three factors:
• your personal driving style
• operat ing conditions
• technical lim itations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and drive economically,
you can easily cut your fuel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent. This
sect ion wi ll g ive you some tips on how you can help the environment
and your pocketbook.
[I) Tips
The consumption estimates as published by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may not co rre­
spond to your actual consumption on the road, which will vary
depending upon vehicle load and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length, etc. •
Drive smoothl} and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are accelerating.
Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking .
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are accelerating. If you antici­
pate what is go ing to happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, accelerate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possible - for example when you see that the next traffic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and improves your
mileage.
- Try and keep well below your car's maximum speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consumption, engine wear, and does
not d isturb the env ironment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and engine noise increase
disproportionately at high speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by one half.
Never drive faster than the posted speed limit and weather condi ­
tions perm it. •
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
- Shut the engine off when you are not driving the vehicle .
- Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the engine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic jams, when waiting for
trains to pass at railroad crossings, or at traffic lights that have long
wa its on red. Turn ing the eng ine off for just 30-40 seconds saves
more fuel than is burned starting the engine again.
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up fully when it is running
at idle. However, wear and noxious emissions are espec ially high
when the engine is warming up . So you shou ld drive away as soon as .,_

Trailer towing
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Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger transpor ­
tation .
If you p lan to tow a t railer, p lease remember that the additional load
w ill affect durability, economy and performance.
Tr ailer towing not on ly p laces mo re s tress on the vehicle, it also calls
for more concentration from the driver.
For this reasons, a lways fo llow the operating and driv ing instr uctions
prov ided and use common sense .•
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a we ight-carrying hitch conforming to the gross trai ler weight .
Th e h itch mus t be suit able for your veh icle and t railer and mus t be
mounted securely on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically sound l oca­
t ion. Use on ly a tra ile r hi tch w ith removable b all moun t. Alw ays check
w ith the trailer hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are using
t he correc t hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way t hat it does not interfere
w ith the impact -ab sorb ing bumper system. No mod ifi cations s houl d
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems . From t ime to
t ime, che ck t hat all hitch mou nting bolts rema in securely faste ned.
W hen you are no t tow ing a trai ler, remove the trailer hitch ball
mount. This prevents the hitch from ca using damage should your
veh icle be s truck from behind=>&.
Tire pressure
When towing a tra iler, inflate the tires of you r vehicle to the cold tire
pressu re listed under "Full lo ad"on t he st ick er o n the r ight doo rjamb.
I n flate trailer t ires to trai ler and tire manufacturers' specifications .
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with the tra iler attached
befo re d riving o ff. Have the headlights adjusted as necess ary s o that
you can see the road ahead but not b lind oncoming t raffic.
Check to make s ure bo th vehicle and t railer lights a re wor king prop­
er ly.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer ma kes t he engin e work harder. It is important t hat
t he cooling sys tem' s per formance stands up to the add ition al stra in.
M ake sure that the coo ling sys tem has eno ugh fluid .
Trailer brakes
If your trai ler is equipped with a braking system, check to be su re that
it confo rms to all regula tions .
Th e tra ile r hydrau lic brake system must not be directly con nected to
the vehicle's hydraulic b rake system.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety cha ins are p roper ly connected from the t rai ler
to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough s lac k in t he chai ns to permit
t u rni ng corners. When you insta ll safety chains, ma ke s ure t hey will
not d rag on t he road when yo u are d riving .
The chai ns should cross under the trailer tongue to prevent it from
drop ping in ca se of separat io n from t he hitch.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulat ions. Be su re to chec k w ith your
author ized A udi dealer for correct wiring, switches and relays. _.