2011 AUDI A3 towing

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. •

Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1.Locate the statement "THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehicle's placard (tire infla­
tion pressure label) =>
page 249,
fig. 171.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds shown on the
sticker =>
page 249, fig. 171.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will be five 150 lbs . passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5
X 150) = 650 lbs.)
Safety first
Tires and wheels -
5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer ,
load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces the available cargo and luggage load capacity of your
vehicle.
- Check the tire sidewall(=>
page 257,
fig. 175) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire . •
Vehicle care Technical data

What do I do now? -________________ Vflll
- Move selector lever to position Pon an automatic trans­
mission; put manual transmission in
first gear=> &.
-If you are towing a trailer: unhitch the trailer from your
vehicle.
- Take the
tool and the spare tire=> page 270 out of the
luggage compartment.
& WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured while changing a wheel if
you do not follow these safety precautions:
• If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance off the road. Turn
off the engine, turn the emergency flasher on and use other
warning devices to alert other motorists.
• Make sure that passengers wait in a safe place away from the
vehicle and well away from the roadway and traffic.
• To help prevent the vehicle from moving suddenly and possibly
slipping off the jack, always fully set the parking brake and block
the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel being changed. When one front wheel is lifted off the ground, placing the automatic
transmission in "P" (Park), or engaging a gear in a manual trans­
mission will
not prevent the vehicle from moving.
• Before you change a wheel, be sure the ground is level and
firm. If necessary, use a sturdy board under the jack .
• After installing the spare wheel, make sure that you remount
the flat tire/wheel in its storage area properly and tighten the
knurled retaining screw securely. •
Safety first
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence described
below step-by-step and exactly in that order.
1. Remove the decorative wheel cover*. For more details see
also =>
page 274, "Decorative wheel covers" or
=> page 275, "Wheels with cap-covered wheel bolts".
2. Loosen the
wheel bolts=> page 276.
3. Locate the proper mounting point for the jack and align the jack below that point=>
page 276.
4.
Lift the car with the jack=> page 2 76.
5. Take the
flat wheel off and then put the spare on
=> page 278.
6. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly.
7.
Lower the vehicle with the jack.
8. Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly tighten all wheel
bolts=>
page 276.
9. Put the decorative
wheel cover* back on.
& WARNING
Always read and head all WARNINGS and information~ & in
"Raising the vehicle" on
page 276 and~ page 279. •
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the following
actions.
- Store and secure the replaced wheel in the spare wheel
well. .,._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Emergency situations
General
This chapter is intended for trained emergency crew s and working
pe rsonnel who have the necessary tool s and equipment to perform
the se operation s. •
Starting by pushing or towing
0 Note
Veh icles with an automatic transmission cannot be started by
pushing or towing .•
Starting with jumper cables
J umper c able : Note the manufacturer 's information .
If the battery is discha rged, another ve hicle can p rovide sta rting
assistance. For this yo u require a jumper cab le. Bot h batter ies m ust
h ave the s ame vo lt a ge (V) and a sim ila r cap acity (Ah).
Jumper cables Use
only jumpe r cables o f sufficiently la rge cross section to safely
carry the starter current. Refer to the man ufact urer's spec ificat ions.
Use only j umpe r ca bles with
isola ted t ermin al cl am ps and pro p erl y
marked for distinct ion:
plu s(+) cable in most cases co lored red
minus( ·) cable i n most cases colo red black .
T he w ire cross sect ion must be at least 0.038 in
2 (25 mm2
) for gaso ­
line engines and a t least 0. 054 in
2 (3 5 mm2
) for diese l engines.
& WARNING
Batterie s contain el ectricity, acid, and gas . Any of the se can cause
very serious or fatal injury. Follow the inst ructions below for safe
handling of your vehicle 's battery.
• Always shield your eyes and avoid leaning over the battery
whenev er po ssible .
• A discharged battery can alre ady freeze at temperatures just
below 32 °F (0 °C) . Never attempt to provide starting assistance
on a frozen or thawed out battery- Danger of explosion and chem­
ical burns! Replace a battery if it has been frozen.
• Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes or skin. Flush any
contacted area with water immediately .
• Improper u se of a booste r battery to start a vehicle m ay cause
an explosion .
• Vehicle batteries generate explosive gases . Keep sparks, flame
and lighted cigarettes away from batteries .
• Do not try to jump start any vehicle with a low acid level in the
battery .
• The voltage of the booster battery mu st also have a 12 -Volt
rating. The capacity (Ah) of the booster battery should not be
lower than that of the discharged battery . Use of batteries of
different voltage or substantially different "Ah" rating may cause
an explosion and personal injury.
• Never charge a frozen battery . Gas t rapped in the ice may cause
an explosion .
• Never charge or use a b attery that has been frozen. The battery
case may have be weakened.
• Use of batteries of different voltage or substantially different
capacity (Ah) rating may cause an explosion and injury. The
capacity (Ah) of the booster battery should not be lower than that
of the di scharged battery .
~

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13. Disconnect the cable w hile the engine is runn ing exactly
in
reverse or der to t hat described in~ page 288,
"Connec ting/discon nect ing the jumper cable" . When
doi ng so , ma ke sure that t he cab le ca nnot contact rotat ing
eng ine parts .
14 . T urn the h eater bl ower a nd th e re ar w indow hea tin g off
a gain.
Th e bat tery is ven ted to the o utsi de to p reven t ga ses from en ter ing
the ve hicle interior .
M ake s ure that the jumpe r clamps a re well connected w ith their
metal parts in full contact with t he battery termi na ls .
& WARNING
To avoid serious personal injury and damage to the vehicle, heed
all warnings and instructions of the jumper cable manufacturer . If
in doubt, call for road service.
• Jumper cable s mu st be long enough so that the vehicles do not
touch.
• When connecting jumper cable s, make sure that they cannot
get caught in any moving parts in the engine compartment.
• Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS=>
page 218, "Engine compart­
ment ".
0 Note
Im pro perly con ne cte d jum per c abl es c an dam age or destroy the
generator.
• Do not use the ba ttery nega tive term inal for jum p star ting or a
ma lf u nction co uld occ ur in the vehicle electrica l system .
• Always co nnect POSITIV E(+) to POSI TIVE( +), a nd NEGATIVE( -)
to N EGATIVE{ -) termina l.
Safety first
• Check that all screw p lugs on the battery cells are screwed in
fir mly . If no t, tig hten plugs pr ior to connectin g clamp o n negative
battery term inal.
• P lease note that the pr ocedur e fo r connecting a jumper cable as
described above app lies specifically to the case of your vehicle being
jum p st ar te d . When you are giving a jump start to anot her vehi cle, do
not conn ect the m in u s (-) cable to t he minus( -) term inal on the
discharged battery ©=>
page 288, fig. 197 . In stea d, sec urely
connect the mi nus( -) cable to either a massive metal component
that is f irm ly bo lte d to t he eng ine block or to the engine bloc k itse lf .
If the battery that i s bei ng charged does not ven t to t he ou tside,
escaping battery gas could ignite and explode! •
Emergency towing with
commercial tow truck
c;eneral hints
Your Audi requires s pecial h andling for to win g.
The follow ing informat ion is to be used by commercial tow truck
oper ator s w ho know how to oper ate th eir equipmen t sa fe ly.
• Never tow your Audi, towing will cause damage to the engine
and transmission.
• Never wrap the safety chains or winch cables around the brake
lines.
• To prevent unnecessary damage, your Audi must be transported
with a car carrier (flat bed truck ).
• To load the vehicle on to the flat bed, use the towing loop found
in the vehicle tools and attach to the front or rear anchorage
=> page 290 and=> page 290 . ..
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& WARNING
A vehicle being towed is not safe for passengers. Never allow
anyone to ride in a vehicle being towed, for any reason. •
Front towing loop
Do not install the front towing loop until it is needed .
Fig. 198 Front
bumper: removing the
cover cap
Fig. 199 Front
bumper: screwing in
the towing loop
The towing loop fits into the threaded hole located on the
right side of the front bumper and covered by a small cover
when not in use. Note that the towing loop has a
left-hand
thread!
- Remove the towing loop from the vehicle toolkit
=> page 270.
-Press on the bottom edge of the cover cap to disengage
and take it out of the bumper. The cap remains connected
to the bumper => fig. 198.
- Insert the towing loop into the threaded hole=> fig. 199
and turn it all the way in unt il it is seated securely, then
tighten it with the wheel bolt wrench .
When it is no longer needed , unscrew the towing loop and put it back
into the on-board toolkit. Make sure to have the towing loop stored
in the vehicle at all times .
& WARNING
If the towing loop is not screwed in as far as it will go, the thread
can pull out when the vehicle is towed -potential risk of an
accident. •
Rear towing loop
Do not install the rear towing loop until it is needed.
Fig. 200 Rear
bumper: cover

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Fig. 201 Rear
bumper: towing loop
inserted
On the right side of the rear bumper there is a threaded hole
for the towing loop. The threaded hole is behind a cover.
Note that the towing loop has a
left-hand thread!
Remove the towing loop from the vehicle toolkit
=> page 270.
Place the screwdriver against the upper edge of the cover
and carefully pry it out :::>
page 290, fig. 200.
- Insert the towing loop into the threaded hole=> fig. 201
and turn it all the way in until it is seated securely, then
tighten it with the wheel bolt wrench.
When it is no longer needed, unscrew the towing loop and put it back
into the vehicle toolkit. Be sure to have the towing loop stored in the
vehicle at all times.
& WARNING
If you do not screw the towing loop completely, it could come out
of the threaded hole while the vehicle is being towed causing
damage to the vehicle and possible serious personal injury. •
Vehicle OP-eration
Loading the vehicle onto a flat bed truck
Front hook up
N (0 :? 0:. CD
"'
Fig. 202 Vehicle on
flat bed truck
- Align the vehicle with the centerline of the car carrier
ramp.
- Attach the winch hook to the front towline eye
=>
page 290, fig . 199 previously installed .
Rear hook up
-Align the vehicle with the centerline of the car carrier
ramp.
- Attach the winch hook to the rear towline eye=> fig. 201
previously installed.
rn Tips
Check carefully to make sure the hook-up is secure before moving the
car up the flatbed truck ramp. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service iTechnical data