2011 AUDI A3 center console

Seats and storage
Glove compartment
The glove compartment is illuminated and can be locked.
To open glove compartment
Fig. 94 Glove
compartment
- Pull the handle => fig. 94 in the direction of the arrow push
down lid to the fully open position.
To close glove compartment
-Push the glove compartment lid upward until the lock
engages.
The light will illuminate when the parking/headlights are turned on
and the glove compartment is open.
In the glove compartment lid, you will fi nd a place to store a pen and
a pad of paper.
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury in an accident or sudden stop,
always keep the glove compartment closed while driving. •
Applies to veh icles: with storage compartment in cente r con sole
Storage compartment for small objects Ca
Fig. 95 Center console
storage compartment
- To open the compartment, press th e cover Ce=> fig. 95.
- To close the compartment, push the drawer all the way in
until it clicks in place.
An additional storage compartment3> for relatively small objects is
located in the cente r console next to the brake lever. •
3
l Not available on vehicles wi th Aud i Naviga tion System .

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Air recirculation [a:i ]
The air recirculation prevents exhaust fumes or other
pollution fr om entering the vehicle .
Switching air recirculation on
-Press lo;;, ]~ page 97, fig . 101 ~ &
Switching air recirculation off
- Press 0 agai n, or
- p ress [AUTO], or
- press[@] .
In the air recirculation mode, the air in the passenger compartment
is rec irculated to preven t exhaus t fu mes and othe r po llution from
enter ing the veh icle . We recommend that you use the manua l air
reci rcul atio n under the followi ng conditions:
• when driving through tunnels
• in a traffic jam.
& WARNING
Do not use thi s setting for extended periods of time . The window s
c ould fog up since no fresh air can enter the vehicle. If the
window s fog up, pre ss the air recir culation button again immedi­
ately to swit ch off the air recirculation function or select defrost .•
Adjusting the fan speed G G
The automati cally selected fan speed can be increased or
de creased.
- Press the (:) or G butto ns in t he center o f the con tro l
panel ~
page 97, fig. 10 1 to adjus t the fa n sp ee d to your
comfort .
The air condit ion ing system a utomat ically regulates t he fan speed in
response to the interior temperature . However, you can also adjust
the fan speed manua lly . A line of small ba rs in the cen ter display
above the fan contro l buttons w ill retreat or extend to reflect your
adjustments to the fan speed. •
Air distribution
The automatically controlled air distribution can be
changed manually .
You can use the l~I. l~I or l~ I buttons separate ly or together in
combination . To switch back to the automatic air distribut ion setting,
either sw itc h off the butto ns you previo usly se lected, or press
[AUTO I.
Each of the three buttons has its own specific f unct ion (the re ference
numbers refer to the air outlets):::::,
page 101, fig. 102.
Air directed to the windows ik,,
All the air is directed to outlets (D,@ and @. Contrary to when [@ I
is pressed, the amo unt of air rem ain s the same.
Air di rected to the dri ver /front passenger[ ~]
All the air is directed to outlets @,@ and © in the i nstr ument
panel. Air also is directed throug h the center console in the rear.

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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

IIIIL--_O=-:.. n.:.....: t;,:.h .:...:e~ r...::o =-- a=-.:. d;__ ________________________________________________ _
Switching the system off
Temporary deactivation
- Press the brake pedal, or
- Keep the clutch pedal pressed down
longer, or
Press the lever into position
0 (not clicked into place)
=:> page 110, fig. 110, or
- Drive for longer than 5 minutes at more than 5 mph
(10 km/h) above the stored speed.
Switching off completely
- Press lever into position@ (clicked into place), or
- Switch the ignition off.
The system retains the saved speed if you deac tivate the cruise
control temporarily. To resume the saved speed, release the brake or
clutch pedal and pull the lever to position
(D.
Switching the ignition off erases the saved speed.
& WARNING
You should only return to the saved speed if it is not too fast for
the current traffic conditions -risk of an accident! •
Appli es to veh icles : wi th m agne tic rid e
Audi magnetic ride
Damping can be adjusted to the driver's preference and it
adapts automatically to the current driving situation .
l !. a J
Fig. 112 Center
console: Switch for
Audi magnetic ride
-Press the switch=:> fig . 112 to turn sport setting on or off .
Audi magnet ic r ide is an electronically controlled damping system .
Thi s chassis system assists the drive r by adapting to the particular
sit uat ion through impercept ible control processes. The
damping
prov ides individual modulation of damping forces . For example, with
damping characteristics set to provide greater comfort , damping is
set somewhat harder for a brief period only as required, when
rounding a curve and when braking.
Standard setting
Select the standard setting if you prefer a suspension setting empha­
si zi ng comfort.
Sport setting
Select the spor t set ting if you pre fer a spor ty suspension set ting. The
LED in the switch comes on to ind icate sport setting. ..,.

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Applies to veh icles : with S tro nic® and with Tiptron ic controls on the stee ring whee l
Steering wheel with Tiptronic ® controls
The selector paddles allow the driver to keep both hands
on the steering wheel when shifting gears.
Shifting up
Fig. 119 Sport
steering wheel with
selector paddles
-Pull the right paddle, marked G) => fig. 119 briefly
towards you .
Shifting down
-Pull the left paddle, marked O=> fig. 119 briefly towards
you.
The selector paddles on the steering wheel are activated when the
selector lever on the center console is in
D, S, or in the manual posi­
tion (Tiptron ic mode).
You can also shift gears in the Tiptronic mode using the selector lever
on the center console.
[ i ] Tips
With the gear selector lever in either "D" or "S" the transmission will
switch back to the automatic mode if you do not use the paddles
within approx. 30 seconds .•
Applies to veh icles : with S tro nic®
Kick-down feature
The kick -down feature allows maximum acceleration.
If you depress the accelerator pedal fully beyond the full-thrott le
position, the transmission automatically downshifts one gear,
depending on vehicle speed and engine rpm. The upsh ift in to the next
higher gear takes place as soon as the maximum specified engine
speed is reached.
& WARNING
Please note that the drive wheel s can spin if the kick-down is u sed
on a smooth slippery road -risk of skidding! •
Applies to veh icles: w ith Lau nch Control an d S tron ic® and Gasoline engine only
Launch Control Program
The Launch Control Program permits maximum accelera­
tion.
In order to use Launch Control, the ASR (Anti-Slip Regula­
tion) must be disabled. When ASR is disabled, the ESP
warning/indicator light in the instrument cluster illumi­
nates. So that Launch Control can be used, the engine must
be at operating temperature and the steering wheel must
not be turned.
- With the engine running, briefly press the ESP button. The
message "ASR off' appears in the instrument cluster
display.
- Shift the gear lever to "S" or the tiptronic ® posit ion.
- Step on the brake peda l with your left foot and keep the
brake pedal fully depressed for at least one second . _,,,

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PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
Fig. 139 Section from
the center console:
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light is located in the center console
=> fig. 139.
Th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on and stay on to tell
you when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been turned
off by the electronic control unit. Each time you turn on the
ign ition, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will flash fo r a few
seconds and:
• will stay on if the front passenger seat is not occupied,
• will stay on if there is a small child or child restraint on the front
passenge r seat,
• will go out if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registe red by the weight-sens ing mat.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come on and stay on if the
ign ition is on and
• a car bed has been installed on the front seat, or
• a rearward-facing child restraint has been installed on the front
passengerseat,or
• a forward-facing child restraint has been insta lled on the front
passenger seat, or
• the weight registe red on the front passenger seat is equal to or
less than the combined weight of a typical 1 year-o ld restrained in
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
one of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant restraints listed in
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with w hich the Adva nced
Airbag System in your vehicle was certified .
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the front airbag wi ll not
dep loy, and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will stay on. Never
install a rearward-facing child restraint on the front passenger seat,
the safest pla ce fo r a child in any kind of chi ld restraint is at one of the
seating positions on the rear seat=>
page 147, "Child restraints on
t he front seat -some impo rtan t things to know" and=>
page 167,
"Child Safety" .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when one of the
condit ions listed above is met, be sure to check the light regu larly to
make certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht stays on
continuously whenever the ignition is on.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not appear on and does not stay on all the t ime, stop
as soon as it is safe to do so and
• reactivate the system by turning the ignition
off and then turning
it on again;
• remove and reinstall the ch ild restraint. Make sure that the child
restraint is properly installed and that the safety belt fo r the front
passenger seat has been correctly routed through the child restraint
as described in the child restraint manufacturer's instructions;
• make sure that the convertible locking feature on the safety belt
for the front passenge r seat has been activated and that the safety
belt has been pulled t ight. The belt must not be loose or have loops
of slack so that the senso r be low the safety belt latch on the seat can
do its job=>
page 177.
• make sure that things that may increase the weight o f the chi ld
and child safety seat are not being transported on the front
passenger seat;
• make sure that the safety belt tension sensor is not blocked.
Shake the safety be lt latch on the front passenger seatback and forth;
• If a strap or tether is being used to t ie the child safety seat to the
front p assenger seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it causes •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

........ _A_ i_rb _ a_,g,:;._ s_, y'- s_ t_e _m ________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nued)
• Always make sure that the side a irbag can inflate without
interference :
- Never in stall seat covers or replacement uphol stery over the
front seatbacks that have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use addit ional se at cushions that cover the areas
where the side ai rbags inflate.
- Damage to the or iginal seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an author ized Audi dealer.
• The airbag system can be activated only on ce. After an airbag
has inflated, it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the techni cal information, t raining
and special equipment necessary.
• The airbag sy stem can be deploy ed only once. After an airbag
has been dep loyed , it must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved e specially for your Audi model
version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or a irbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops onl y.
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .a
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the ve hicle's suspension system can change the way that
t he A dvan ced Airbag Sys tem pe rfo rms in a crash . For examp le, using
tire -rim combinations not approved by Audi, lower ing t he veh icle,
c hang ing the st iffness o f th e suspens ion, including the sp rings,
suspension str uts , shoc k absorbers etc . ca n change the forces tha t
are meas ured by the a irbag sensors and sent to the electronic control
unit. Some suspension changes ca n, for examp le, increase the force levels measured by the senso
rs and make the airbag system deploy in
c ra shes in w hich i t wo uld not deploy if the ch an g es h ad not b een
made . Other ki nds of changes may reduce the force levels meas ured
by the sensors an d prevent the airbag from dep loying when it should .
Th e sensors in t he safety bel t buckle for the drive r and fro nt
passenger seat tell the e lectronic control mo dule if the sa fety belt is
la tch ed o r not. If the safety belt is being u sed, t he fron t airbag w ill
dep loy at a sl ightly h igher rate of vehicle deceleration than if the
s afety belt is not be ing use d. T herefo re, in a pa rticular collis io n, it is
possible that an a irbag w ill not deploy at a seati ng position where the
sa fety belt is being used but w ill inflate at the posit ion where the
safety belt is not be ing used . It is importa nt that nothi ng inte rfere
w ith the safety belt buck les so that t he sensors can send the co rrect
info rmation abou t safety b elt use to t he electron ic co ntro l unit .
& WARNING
Changing the vehicle 's suspension including use of unapproved
tire-rim combinations can change Advanced Airbag performance and increase the risk of serious personal injury in a crash .
• Never install suspension components that do not have the
same performance characteristics as the components originally
installed on your vehicle.
• Never use tire-rim combinations that have not been approved
by Audi.
& WARNING
Item s stored between the safety belt buckle and the center
console can cause the sensors in the buckle to send the wrong
information to the electroni c control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from work ing properly.
• Always make sure that nothing can interfere with the safety
belt buckles and that they are not obstructed . ..,

-Alphabetical inde
x ---=-----------------
Paint no .............. ...... .. .. ... 294
panoramic sliding s unroof ..... .. .. ... . 51
Comfort closing . ... .. .. ... ... .... 52
Emergency operation . ... ...... . 53, 54
to close ............ ...... .... .. . 51
to open .............. .. .. .... .. . 51
Par king .. .. .... .. .. ...... ......... 109
Au tomatic t ransm ission . ....... ... 11 7
Par king brake ..... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... 108
Sett ing and releasing .. .. .. .. ..... 108
Park ing b rake warning ............. ... 32
Par king on a decl ine (downhi ll) . .. ..... 109
Park ing on an incline ( uphill) ....... ... 109
Particle filter
See Diese l particu late fi lter ... ... ... 34
Parts rep lacement . .... .. .. .. .. ..... 301
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light ..... ... 157
Passive sa fety system .. ....... ... . .. . 1 24
Peda ls ... ... ... ... ......... ....... 130
Physical principles of a frontal col lision . 136
Polishing . ....................... .. 209
Power locking switch ................. 44
Rear center console ....... .... .... 45
Power locking system . ....... ... . ... . 40
Convenience close/open feature .. .. . 50
Locking and unlock ing the vehicle from
inside ............ .. .. .. ... .... 44
O pe ning and closing the windows . .. . SO
O pera ting locks from wi th key ....... 43
Rear lid ... .. ...... .. .. .. .. .. ... . 45
Remote control ..... .. .. .. .. ... 39, 42
Unlocking a nd locking vehicle .... ... 42 Power seat
Adjusting the seatback .. ...... ... .. 76
Adjustme nt ............... ... .. .. 75
Power steering
See Electro-mechanical power assist . 17,
1 93
Power sunroof
See panoramic sliding sunroof ....... 51
Powe r window switches .. ... . ... .. .. .. 49
In the driver's door .... ... ... .... .. 49
Reactivating the system ..... ..... .. 51
Pregnan t wome n
Spe cial considerat ions when wear ing a
safety belt .............. .. .. .. . 141
Prope r occupant seating posit ions . ... . 126
Prope r safe ty belt position . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Proper seat ing position
Front passenger .......... .... .. . 127
Occupants .... ........... .. .... . 126
Rear passengers 128
Q
Quartz clock ..................... ... . 9
quattro ®
See All Whee l Drive ........ .. .... . 194
Ques tion
W hat happens to u nbelte d oc cupan ts? ...
137
Why safety belts? ............. .. . 135
R
Powe r out lets . .... .. .. .... ......... . 90 Radiator fan ........ .... .. .. .. .... . 237 Rad
io
Replacing .. ... ........... ... .. .. 302
Rain sensor defective ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 36
Readi ng light
Rear .. .. .... ............... .... . 62
Reading lights Front . ....................... 60, 61
Rear .. ... .................... 60, 61
Rear armrest ... .. ... ... .... .. .. ... . 80
Rear lid Emergency release .. .... .......... 46
Locking/un lo ck ing ................ 45
Rear lig ht defective .. ..... ... ..... .. . 36
Rear power locking switch ....... .. .. .. 45
Rea r seat bottom .. ... ... .... ... . ... . 81
Rear view mirror Ins ide rear view mirror . .. .. .. ... 63, 64
Rear window defogger with air -cond ition ing ...... ... .. .. 102
Ref uelling .. .... .. .... .... ... .. ... . 222
Release lever for engine hood ..... .. .. 225
Remote cont rol . .. .... .............. 39
Rese tting remote con trol ... ...... .. 43
Unloc king and locking ... .. .. .. .. .. 42
Remote master key Batte ry rep lacement . ..... .. ... ... . 39
Check ligh t ..................... . 39
Repa ir manua ls . ..... ......... ..... 299
Repai rs
Airbag system 159
Rep lacing
W heel r ims .. .. .. .. ........... .. 257