2011 AUDI A3 warning

IJIII Cleaning and protection
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carpets and floor mats, since other fabric surfaces could be harmed
by brushes.
Normal surface sta ins can be cleaned using a commercially available
foam cleaner. Spread the foam on the surface of the fabric with a soft
sponge and work it in gently. Do not saturate the fabr ic. Then pat the
foam dry using absorbent, dry cloths (e.g. microfiber cloth) and
vacuum it after it has dried comp lete ly.
Cleaning stains
Stains caused by beverages (e .g. coffee, fruit juice, etc.) can be
treated with a mild detergent solut ion. Apply the detergent solution
w ith a sponge. In the case of stubbo rn stains, a detergent paste can
be applied directly to the stain and worked into the fabric. After­
wa rds, use copious amounts of clean water to remove the remaining
detergent. Apply the water with a damp cloth or sponge and pat the
fabric dry with an absorbent, dry cloth .
Sta ins from chocolate or makeup should have detergent paste (e .g.
ox-gall soap) rubbed into them . Afterwards, remove the soap with
water (damp sponge).
Alcohol can be used to treat stains from grease, oil, lipstick or a ball­ point pen. Melted grease or dye must be patted off using absorbent
material. It may be necessary to retreat the areas with detergent
paste and water.
In the case of genera l soiling of t he upholstery and cover mater ia l, we
recommend hiring a specialist that has the equipment to clean the
seat covers and other fab ric surfaces by shampooing and spray
extraction.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and the information
=> page 206.
W Tips
Open Velcro fasteners on your clothing can damage the seat cover.
Please make sure that Velcro fasteners are closed .•
Plastic parts and instrument panel
- Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear water.
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear water to clean these
areas. For persistent dirt use an A udi approved
solvent-free plastic
cleaner/protectant .
& WARNING
Solvents can change the properties of some plastics and make it
harder for the airbag to deploy.
• Never clean the instrument panel or the surface of Airbag
modules with cleaning products that contain solvents.
• Products containing solvents will make the surface of this part
porous.
• Serious injuries can result if plastic parts come loose when the
airbag is deployed.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and the information
=>page 206 .
0 Note
Cleaning agents contain ing solvents will attack the material and can
change the way it behaves. •

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Applies to vehicles : w ith natural leather
Cleaning and caring for leather upholstery
and trim
Natural leather requires special care and attention.
Normal cleaning
-Clean so iled areas with a slightly moistened cotton or
woolen cloth .
More stubborn dirt
- More stubborn dirt can be removed using a cloth satu­
rated with a mild soap solution (2 tablespoons mild liquid
soap).
- Never allow the soap solution to saturate the leather, and
make certain that no water soaks into the seams.
-Wipe off the soap solution with a soft, dry cloth.
Cleaning spots
- Remove fresh water-based spots (such as coffee, tea,
juices, blood) with an absorbent cloth or paper towel.
- Remove fresh
grease or oil-based spots (such as butter,
mayonnaise, chocolate) with an absorbent cloth or paper
towel, or use the cleaner from the leather care kit if the
spot has not yet penetrated into the surface of the
leather.
- Use an oil/grease dissolving spray, if
oil/grease spots
have dried on .
-Remove specific kinds of spots (ballpoint pen, felt marker,
fingernail polish, water-based paint, shoe polish, etc .)
with a spot remover specifically formulated for leather.
Leather care
- Every half year use an approved leather care product
(available from your authorized Audi dealer) to care for
the leather.
- Apply the product very sparingly .
- Wipe it off with a damp cloth .
If you have any questions about cleaning and caring for the leather in
your vehicle, it is best to contact your author ized Audi dealer, who will
be glad to help you and tell you about our fu ll range of leather care
products, such as:
• Leather cleaning and care kit
• Creams to care for colored leather
• Spot removers for ba llpoint pens, shoe polish, etc.
• Oil/grease dissolving spray
• New and upcoming products .
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 206.
0 Note
• Never use chemical so lvents (e.g. lighterfluid, turpentine), waxes,
shoe po lish or simi lar products on the leather surfaces in your Aud i.
• To avoid damage, hav e stubborn stains removed by a commercial
cleaning specialist .•

-----------------------------------------~C~le~a~n~i~n~g~a!..!n..!:d~pEr~o~t~e~c~t:.!i~o~n:!...__nn
App lies to vehicles : with Alcantara up hols tery
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
Removing dust and dirt
- Mois t en a c loth, squee ze out excess water a nd wip e down
the seat su rfaces .
Removing stains
- Moisten a cloth with lukewarm water or wi th diluted ethyl
(rubbing) alcohol.
- Dab at t he s tai n. Start a t the ou tside and work inwards.
- O nce the stain is no longer v isibl e, use a soft dry clot h or
tissue to soak up the moist ure .
Do not use leathe r clean ing p roduc ts on Alcanta ra.
You may us e a suitable shampoo for r emoving dus t and d irt.
Dust and grit in the pores and seams can sc ratch and damage the
s u rface . If the car is left s tanding in the su n fo r long pe riods, the
Alcantara should be protected against direc t su nlight to prevent it
from fading . Slight co lor var iat ions will develop in norma l use and are
not a n indic a tion of mater ial deter io ration .
0 Note
• Never use chem ical solven ts (e .g . lighte r fluid, turpen tine), waxes ,
shoe po lish or simi lar p roducts on A lcantara ® sur faces .
• T o avo id damage , have st ubbor n sta ins removed by a commerc ia l
cl eaning s pecialist .
• Do no t use brushes, s tiff sponges o r sim ilarly abrasive clea ning
aids .•
Safety first
Safety belts
On ly well -m aintai ned saf ety belts wor k relia bly when
n ee ded.
K ee p be lts cl ean .
- F or cleani ng, use a mi ld soap a nd water sol ution. Let bel ts
dry t ho ro ug hly a nd away fro m direct s unligh t.
- Do not a llow i nertia ree l safety belts to retract befo re th ey
a re co mpletely dry.
- Check t he cond it io n of yo ur safety belts
regularly.
Heav ily so iled s afety be lts may not retra ct properly .
& WARNING
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash.
• Anything that might damage your safety belts could mean
that you and your passengers would not be adequately protected
in an accident.
• Safety belt performance depends on correct installation . Never
remove belts from the vehicle to clean them .
• Do not use chemical cleaning agents, bleach or dyes. They have
corrosive properties which weaken the webbing.
• When cleaning your safety belts, inspect them for damage. If
you di scover damage , see your authorized Audi dealer .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 206 . •
Vehicle care Technical data

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Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the engine compa rt­
men t.
Always switch off the ignition before cleaning the engine=:>& .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front of the win dshi eld
unde r th e eng ine hood . T hi s prevents the water d rain holes from
becoming b locked, and it prevents debris from entering the vehicle
inter io r th rough the heat ing and vent ilation ducts .
Corrosion protection
The eng ine compartment and transmission have been cor rosion­
protected at the factory.
Good ant i-cor rosion treatment is very impo rtant , pa rtic ular ly in the
w inter . If the vehicle is frequently driven on sa lt treated roads, the
en tire eng ine compar tment and plenum p anel sho uld be thoroug hly
cleaned at the end of winter and retreated to prevent salt damage. At
t he same t ime, the underside of the vehi cle should be washed as well.
If the e ng ine compartment is clea ned at any t ime with grease
removing so lutions
5>, or i f you have the engine washed , the anti ­
co rros io n treatment is a lmost a lways removed as w ell.
It is t herefore
essential to have a long-last ing corrosion p rotect ion reapplied to all
surfa ces, seams, jo ints and compo nents in the engi ne co mpa rt ment .
& WARNING
Be aware: The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a
potentially hazardous area .
• Before working in the engine compartment, be sur e to read the
information =:>
page 218.
S) Use on ly th e co rr ect clean ing so lut ions. Never use gaso line or diese l fuel.
& WARNING (c on tinued )
• Before reaching into the front plenum panel , alway s remove
the ignition key. Otherwise, the windshield wiper system could unintentionally be switched on , possibly causing personal injury
from the moving wiper linkage.
• Never reach into the area around or touch the radiator fan. The
auxiliary fan is temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly
· ev en when the ignition is off.
• Do not wash, wax or dry the engine with th e engine running.
Moving or hot pa rts could injure you.
• Do not clean the underside of the chass is, fenders, wheel
covers, or other hard to reach part s without protecting your hands
and arm s. You may cut yourself on sharp-edged metal parts.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=:> page 206. •

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Some states in the USA require permits to purchase diesel fuel. Check
with your State Motor Vehicle Department.
Diesel fuel may not be available outs ide the USA and Canada. Be sure
to check before traveling to other countries .
Winter operation
At temperatures below 20° F (- 7° C), Diesel fue l No. 2 loses its fluidity
due to wax separation, which may clog the fuel filter or tank filter and
keep the engine from running.
T o help the filter from being clogged by wax, the fuel fi lter in your
vehicle is automatically preheated. Preheating the fuel filter makes
operat ion of your vehicle possib le with Diesel fuel No. 2 down to -
10° F (-24° C).
If you expect temperatures below 5° F (-15° C) ask your fuel dealer
whether their Diesel fuel No. 2 is suffic iently w interized for the
prevailing and expected temperatures.
If not winte rized or insuffic iently winterized diesel fuel has already
thickened to the extent that the engine will not start, warm the
vehicle up by leaving it in a heated garage.
It is normal that the engine noise level (dieseling) is louder during the
warm-up period in winter.
It is also normal when whitish -blue smoke
comes out of the tailpipe after start ing and during warm-up. The
amount of smoke depends on the outside temperature.
Do not let your diese l engine id le unnecessari ly after a cold start.
Driving off slowly will shorten the warm-up period.
& WARNING
• Never use "starting assist fluids." They may be potentially
explosive or cause a "run-away" engine condition. This could
result in serious engine damage and personal injury.
• Never use fuel line anti-freeze offered for gasoline engines.
Safety first
0 Note
• Your diesel engine has been specifically designed to operate only
on Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fue l. Therefore, never use home heating oil
or regu lar gaso line. The properties of these fuels may cause serious
damage to the fuel injection system and to the engine. Using these
fue ls can cause expens ive eng ine repairs and will also adversely affect
your New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
• If diesel fuel should get on any rubber hose, it must be wiped off
immediately. Then wash the contaminated hose portion with soap
and warm water. Do not allow diesel fuel to rema in on connecting
hoses. They may deve lop leaks and cause serious damage. •
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear side panel behind the
fue l filler flap.
If the power locking system should fa il, you can still open the flap
manually - for detai led instructions see=>
page 224.
You ca n find the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle in Technical Data
=> page 296 .
The label on the inside of the fue l filler flap tells you the correct fuel
for your veh icle. For more information about fuel specifications, see
=> page 219.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refuelling vapor recovery
system . This feature helps to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from
the tank and polluting the environment while you refuel your vehicle.
In order to fill the tank properly while protect ing the environment,
please follow this refueling procedure carefully. .,,
Vehicle care Technical data

-Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank PHf_ -:.....:.-.:._____ --------=-.:-___________ _
& WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never carry additional fuel
containers in your car. Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport fuel can be dangerous. Such containers, full or empty,
may leak and could cause a fire in a collision. If you must transport
fuel to use for your lawn mower, snow blower, etc., be very careful
and always observe local and state laws regarding the use, trans ­
portation and storage of such fuel containers. Make certain the
container meets industry standards (ANSI/ASTM F852 - 86).
0 Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank is completely dry. The
irregular supply of fuel can cause misfiring. Gasoline could enter into
the exhaust system and damage the catalytic converter. •
Refuelling
The fuel filler flap is unlocked from a button in the
driver's door.
Fig . 156 Driver's
door: Unlocking fuel
filler flap Fig
. 157 Fuel cap
hooked on the opened
fuel filler flap
When adding fuel, the ignition and any cellular phones in the
vehicle must be switched
off.
Taking the fuel cap off
- To open the fuel filler flap, pull the button=> fig. 156 .
- Unscrew fuel filler cap counter-clockwise and hang it on
the fuel filler flap => fig . 157.
- Check the label on the inside of the fuel filler flap to deter­
mine if the vehicle must be fueled with gasoline or diesel
fuel.
Refuelling procedure
Insert the fuel nozzle from the gasoline pump into the
fuel filler neck as far as it will go.
- Select a medium refuelling rate so that the nozzle
switches off automatically when the tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
-After filling your tank, twist the fuel filler cap clockwise
until you hear a definite click.
- Close the fuel filler flap. .,

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To avoid fuel s pillin g or evapo ra ti ng from t he f uel tank a lways clos e
f ue l fi ller ca p p rope rl y and compl ete ly . A n imp rop erly close d f uel
f iller cap may also ca use a message in t he driver information sys tem
or ca use the MIL lamp =>
page 20 to come on.
& WARNING
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can cause fire, explosion
and severe burns .
• Fuel is highly flammable and can cause severe burns and other
injuries.
• Failure to shut the engine off while refueling and/or to insert
the pump nozzle fully into the fuel filler neck could cause fuel to
spray out of filler neck or to overflow. Fuel spray and overflowing
fuel can cause a fire.
• Never use a cellular telephone while refueling. The electromag­
netic radiation can cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors and
cause a fire.
• Never get back into your vehicle while refueling. If in excep­
tional circumstances you must get back
in your vehicle while refu­
eling, make certain that you close the door and touch metal to
discharge static electricity before touching the filler nozzle again.
Static electricity can cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors
released during refueling .
• Never smoke o r have an open flame anywhere
in or near your
vehicle when refueling or filling a portable fuel container .
• For your safety , we strongly recommend that you do not travel
with a portable fuel container in your vehicle . The container, full
or empty may leak and could cause a fire , especially
in a crash.
• If, under exceptional circumstances, you must transport a
portable fuel container , please observe the following:
- Never fill a portable fuel container while it is anywhere in or
on the vehicle (for example, in the luggage compartment, or
on the trunk ). Static electricity can build up while filling and
can ignite fuel vapors causing a fire.
Safety first
& WARNING (co ntinued )
-Alw ays place a portable fuel container on the ground before
filling .
- Always keep the filler nozzle completel y inside the portable
container before and during filling .
- If filling a portable container made of metal, the filler nozzle
must always be in contact with the container. Th is will help
prevent static electricity from discharging and cause a fire .
- Never spill fuel inside the veh icle or luggage compartment.
Fuel vapors are highly flammable.
- Always observe local and state/provincial laws regarding the
use, storage and tran sportation of fuel containers .
- Make certain the fuel container meets industry standards
(ANSI/ ASTM F8S2-86).
(D Note
• If any f uel has spilled onto the car, it s hou ld be rem oved immed i­
ately to p revent damage to the pa int.
• If the fue l tank runs co mplete ly empty in a ve hicle wit h a
die sel
engine ,
the ignit io n must remai n switched on for at least 30 seconds
after refueli ng befo re st arting t he e ngine .
It may take longer than
usual for the eng ine to start, even up to a mi nute. This is because the
air m ust firs t bleed o ut of t he fuel sys tem w hen s tarting t he eng ine.
For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly o pera ted no zzle swi tc h es off a utomat ic all y
for t he first t ime, the tan k is full. Do not try to add mo re fuel because
fue l m ay s pill ou t. In addi tion, the ex pansion s pace in the fuel tank
w ill be fi lled - caus ing t he fue l to overf low w hen it becomes warm and
poll ute the environment. ..,
Vehicle care Technical data