2011 AUDI A3 Owner´s Manual

Cleaning and protection -
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Appli es to veh icles : with n atural leathe r
Natural leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the properties,
na tural look and feel of interior leather .
General
We offer many different types of leather on our vehicles . Most are
different types of nappa leather, which has a smooth s urface and
comes in various colors.
Th e intensity of the color determines the visual cha racter istics and
appearance .
If the surface of the leat her has a typical natural look,
then the leather is a nappa leather that has been left in a relatively
natura l condition. This leathe r offers pa rticu la rly good comfo rt and
breathes wel l. Fine veins, closed gra ins, insect b ites, sk in fo lds, and
s u btl e var iations in co lor remai n visible . These c harac ter istics demon ­
strate that the mater ial is natural.
N atural nappa leather is not covered by a color fin ish . It is the refore
more sensitive to soiling and wea r, which is something you need to
consider if children, animals or other factors might prove to be partic ­
ular ly hard on the leather .
By contrast, leather types that are covered by a colored fin ish layer
are more dur able. This h as a pos it ive e ffect on t he leather 's resist ance
to wear and so iling in daily use . On the other hand, the typical charac­
t eris tics of na tura l leather are ba rely o r not app aren t. H oweve r, this
does not mean that the leather itself is of inferior quality.
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of leather that Audi uses
and the ir un ique properties (such as sensitivi ty to oils, gre ase, soiling,
etc.), you will need to be somewhat careful with these leathe rs, a nd
a ce rtain type of care is req uired. For example, dark clo thing mate ­
r ials can discolor leather seats (especially if such clothing is damp and
was not dyed cor rect ly). Dust and dirt particles in pores, folds, and
seams can have a n ab rasive effect and ca n damage the leathe r
surface as well as weaken seams.
Safety first
The leather should be cleaned regularly as needed . After having been
used for a rela tively long time, yo ur leat her seats w ill acq uire a rich
aged fi nish. This is a characteristic of natural leather and a s ign of
true quality .
I n orde r to maintain the va lue of this nat ural p rodu ct over t he life of
your vehicle, you should fo llow the recommendations be low:
0 Note
• To keep your leather from b leach ing out, do not allow it to be
exposed to b right s unl igh t fo r long pe riod s of time. If yo u have to
leave t he veh icle parked outside for long periods, cover the leather to
protect it from direct exposure to sunlight.
• Sharp objects on cloth ing, such as zippers, rivets or sharp pieces
on belts can le ave pe rm an ent sc ratches o r scrape mar ks on the
surface of the leather.
[I] Tips
• After each t ime you clean the leather and at regular intervals, use
a leathe r preservat ive creme that con tains UV -bloc ke rs and that
works into the leather. This creme will nourish and mo istur ize the
leather, helping it to b reathe and s tay supp le . It also he lps to build up
a p rotect ive coa ting on the surface .
• C lean the leather every 2 -3 months, a nd clean any areas that get
soiled .
• Remove fresh marks made by ballpoint pens, ink, lipstick, shoe
polish, etc . as soon as poss ible.
• P reserve t he colo r of t he lea ther as needed by us ing a specia l
co lored leather care creme to touch up areas of uneven color. •
Vehicle care Technical data

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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 .•

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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. •

Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Gasoline
Fuel supply
Using the right fuel helps keep the environment clean and
prevents engine damage .
Fuel recommendation
The fuel recommended for your vehicle is unleaded premium grade
g asoline . See also :::>
page 296, "D ata ". Aud i recommends using TO P
TIER Detergent Gasoline with a minimum octane ra ting of 91 AKI (95
R O N). For more information on TOP TIE R Detergen t Gasoline, please
go to the official website (www. toptiergas .com) .
Th e recommended gasoline octane rating for your engine can also be
found on a labe l located on the ins ide of t he fue l fille r flap. This rating
may be specified as AKI or RON .
Your vehicle may also be ope rated us ing unleaded reg ular gasoline
with a minim um octane rating of 87 AKI/91 RON. However, us ing 87
AKI/91 RON octane fuel will slig htly reduce engine performance.
Use un leaded ga soline only. U nleaded gaso line is available
throughout the USA, Canada, and in most E uropean co untries. We
recommen d that you do not ta ke your veh icle to areas or co unt ries
where unleaded gasoline may not be available.
F or more in formation on re fueling yo ur vehicle, see:::>
page 221.
Octane rating
Octane r ati ng indi cat es a gaso line's abi lity to resis t engi ne damag ing
"knock" caused by premature ignition and detonat ion. Therefore,
buying the correc t g rade o f gasol ine is very impo rtan t to help preve nt
possible engine damage and a loss of engine performance .
Gaso line most common ly used in the United States and Canada has
the following octa ne rat ings tha t ca n usually be fou nd on the filler
pump :
Safety first
• Premium Grade: 91 - 96 AKI
• Regular Grade: 87 - 90 AKI
Explanation of t he abb reviations :
AKI= Anti Knock Index= (R +M)/2 = (RON+ MON)/2
RO N= Research Octane Number
M ON= M otor Octane Num ber.
0 Note
• Do not use any fue l with octane rat ings lower than 87 AKI o r 91
RON otherwise expens ive engine damage will occ ur.
• Do
not use leade d gasoline! The use o f leaded gaso line will
severely damage your veh icle 's cata lytic converter and its abi lity to
cont rol exhaust emissions .•
Blended gasoline
Use of gasoline containing alcohol or MTBE (methyl
tertiary butyl ether)
Yo u may use unleaded gasoline blended w ith alcoho l or MTBE
( c ommon ly referred to as oxygenates) if the blended mix ture meets
the following criteria:
Blend of ga soline methanol (wood alcohol or methyl alcohol)
• Anti -k nock index m ust be 87 AKI or h igher .
• Bl end must con tain no mo re t han 3% methanol.
• Blend must contain more than 2% co-solvents.
Blend of ga soline and ethanol (grain alcohol or ethyl alcohol)
• Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI o r higher.
• Bl end must no t contain more th an 10% ethanol.
Vehicle care Technical data

Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
• Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
• Blend must contain not more than 15% MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform especially well fo r
winter or summer driving. During seasonal change-over, we suggest
that you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the seasonal adjustment is
more likely to be made in time.
0 Note
• Methano l fuels which do not meet these requirements may cause
corrosion and damage to plastic and rubber components in the fue l
system .
• Do not use fuels that fail to meet the specified criteria in this
chapter .
• If you are unab le to determine whether or not a particu lar fuel
blend meets the spec ifications, ask your serv ice station or its fuel
supplier.
• Do not use fuel for which the contents cannot be identified.
• Fuel system damage and performance problems resulting from
the use of fuels different from those specified are not the responsi­
bility of Aud i and are not covered under the New Vehicle or the Em is­
sion Control System Warranties.
• If you experience a loss of fuel economy or driveab ility and perfor­
mance problems due to the use of one of these fuel blends, we
recommend that you switch to unblended fuel.•
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufacturers is carbon deposit
build-up caused by the type of gasoline you use. Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another,
they have certain things
in common. All gaso line g rades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect on v ital engine parts,
such as fuel injectors and intake valves. A lthough most gasoline
brands include additives to keep eng ine and fuel systems clean, they
are not equally effective.
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline. For more
information on TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline, please go to the officia l
webs ite (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadequate fuels, built-up carbon
deposits can rob your engine of peak performance.
0 Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel quality is not covered by the
Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty. •
Applies to veh icles: wit h diese l eng ine
Diesel fuel
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) sulfur content
15 ppm or less.
Th e ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) meets the ASTM-D -975 (grade 2).
Diesel fuel with a higher concentration than ULSD-Diesel No. 2
ASTM D975 and Bio-diesel with a higher concentration than S
%
like Bll, B20 or BlOO are strictly prohibited.
Service station fuel pumps are labeled with the correct fuel informa­
tion for easy recognition by the user. If the diesel fuel pump is not
labeled ask the station operator what fuel is being dispensed before
filling up your vehicle.
Service stations offering diesel fuel are generally located on truck
routes or major highways . D irectories of diesel fuel stat ions are
usually available at diesel fuel stations.

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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. .,