2011 AUDI A3 warning lights

Opening and closing
• You are well advised not to keep valuables inside an unattended
vehicle, v isible or not . Even a properly locked vehicle cannot provide
the security of a safe! •
Unlocking and Locking the vehicle with the
remote control
How the remote control works.
Fig. 29 Remote
control : function
buttons
To unlock the vehicle doors and rear lid !TI
- Press button @once to unlock d river' door.
- Press button @twice to unlock all doors and the rear lid.
To lock the vehicle doors and rear lid iTI
- Press button ®~ & in "General description" on
page 40.
-Watch that all turn signal lights flash once.
To open rear lid only?:$
-Press button © for approximately one second .
PANIC Button
-Push the red button @to activate the panic function. The
horn sounds and the turn signals flash.
- Push the button @ again to deactivate the panic function.
The remote contro ls allows you to:
• lock or unlock the vehicle
• selective ly unlock the rear lid.
Th e turn signa ls will flash briefly whenever you lock or unlock the
vehicle. Also, the interior light will come on or go off whenever you
open or close the driver's door.
The transmitter and battery are located in the head of the remote
control. The receiver is located inside the vehicle. The maximum
effect ive range depends on several things. Remember, if the battery
is weak, the effective range decreases.
Th e remo te-control key contains a fold-out key that you can use to
manually lock or unlock the vehicle and to start the engine.
If you need to replace the remote control, or if you need to have it
repaired, you must see your authorized Audi dealer . Only then can you
use the key again.
& WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS ~ & in "General description" on
page 40.
(I] Tips
• The remote contro l key is automatically deactivated when the
ignition is switched on .
• The operation of the remote control key can be tempora rily
disr upted by interference from transmitters in the vicinity of the
vehicle wo rking in the same frequency range (e.g. a cell phone, radio
equipment). _..

brightness increases again, the low beams are turned off again auto­
matically =>& .
In the
AUTO position the low beams are switched off automatically
when the ignition is turned off.
Light Sensor Malfunction*
In the event of a light sensor ma lfunct ion, the driver is notified in the
instrument cluster display:
Automatic headlights/automatic wipers defective
For safety reasons the low beams are turned on permanently with t he
switch in
AUTO*. H owever, you can continue to turn the lights on and
off using the light switch. Have the light sensor checked as soon as
possible at a dealership.
Coming home/leaving home function*
The function is sw itched on when the sw itch is in the AUTO* position
and the function is shown as active in the driver information system.
The
coming home funct ion illuminates the area around the vehicle
when the ign it ion is switched
off and the driver's door is opened. The
length of time the lights rema in on can be set in the menu display
( Illumination > Exterior lights > coming home ).
The leaving home function illuminates the area around the vehicl e
when u nlocking it .
& WARNING
• Never use daytime running lights to see where you are going.
They are not bright enough and will not let you see far enough
ahead for safety, especially at dusk or when it is dark. Always
switch on the low beams at dusk or when it is dark.
• Automatic headlights are only intended to assist the driver .
They do not relieve the driver of his respon sibility to check the
headlights and to turn them on manually according to the current
light and visibility conditions. For example, fog and rain cannot be
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Clear vision
& WARNING
(continued )
detected by the light sensors. So always switch on the headlights
under these weather conditions and when driving
in the dark io.
• Crashes can happen when you cannot see the road ahead and
when you cannot be seen by other motorists.
- Always turn on the headlights so that you can see ahead and
so that others can see your car from the back.
(I) Tips
• With the switch in AUTO front fog lights cannot be turned on in
addition.
• Th e light senso r for headlight control is located in the rear view
mirror mount . Do not apply any stickers to the windshield in this area
to prevent malfunctions or fail ures .
• Some exterior lighting functions can be adjusted in the driver
information system => page 22 ,
• If you remove the ignition from t he ignition lock whi le the head­
lights are still on, a buzzer will sound as long as the driver's door is
open to remind you to turn off the lights .
• Always observe the specific local regulat ions for your area as to
when to use your lights.
• With automatic headlights, the high-beam funct ion is also avail­
able, but with one restr iction:
If you have not switched the high
beams back to low beams during automatic headlig ht operation (for
example, after driving through a tunnel), only the low beams come
on the next time automatic headlights are switched on . To use the
high beams, you first have to pull the high beam lever back and then
push the lever forwa rd again .
• In cool or damp weather, the inside of the headlights, turn signa ls
and ta il lights can fog over due to the temperature difference
between the inside and outside. They will clear shortly after switching
them on. This does not affect the serv ice life of the light ing . _,,
Vehicle care Technical data

Clear vision
Applies to veh icles : w ith automat ically dimm ing inside mirror
Automatically dimming inside mirror
The automatic dimming function can be turned on and
off if required .
Disabling auto dimming
Fig . 60 I nside rea r
v ie w mirror
- Press butt on @ ~ fig . 60 brie fly, -the green indic ator
light ® goes out.
Activating/reactivating auto dimming
- Press button @ briefly, -the green indicator ligh t® goes
on.
Automat ic dimming function
The automatic dimming function is activated every time the ignition
is turned on. The g ree n indicator light is lit to indica te auto d imming
is active.
W hen dimm ing is act ivated, the inside mir ror w ill darke n
automati­
cally
in response to the amou nt of light striking the mirror (such as
head lights from rearward approaching vehicles). Even in d imming
mode, the mirror surface turns br ight when:
• the interior light is switched on
• reverse gear is engaged.
& WARNING
Broken glass of automatic dimming mirror can cause electrolyte
fluid leakage . Electrolyte fluid can irritate skin , eyes, and respira­
tory system .
• Repeated or p rolonged expo sur e to electrolyte can cau se irrita­
tion to the resp iratory system, esp ecially among people with
asthma or other r espiratory conditions. Get fre sh air immediately
by le aving the vehicl e or, if that is not po ssible , open window s and
doors all the wa y.
• If ele ctrolyte gets into the eye s, flush them thoroughly with
large am ount s of clean water f or at lea st 15 minute s; medical
attention is re commended .
• If electrolyte contacts skin , flush affected area with clean
water for at l east 15 minutes and then wash aff ected area with
s oap and water; medical attention is rec ommended . Thoroughly
wash affected clothing and shoe s before reu se.
• If swallowed and person i s con sciou s, rinse mouth with water
for at least 15 minutes. Do not induce vomit ing unle ss instru cted
to do so by medical profe ssional. Get medical attenti on immedi­
ate ly .
0 Note
Liquid e lectrolyte leaked from a broken mir ror g lass will damage any
plastic surfaces it comes in contact with. Clean up spi lled electrolyte
immediately with clear wate r and a sponge.
[I) Tips
• Check to make su re t he re are no obje cts preventing light from
reac hing the inside mirror.
• Do not attach any st ick er s to the w indshield in front of the light
sensor, as this would interfere with the a utomatic operation of the
head lights and the a utomat ic dimming of the inside mir ror. •

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 .

ffl..__O_ n_ t_h _e_ r_o _ a_ d _________________________________________________ _
Ignition Lock and ignition switch
Ignition lock
The engine can be started or turned off with the ignition
key.
Ignition off@
Fig. 107 Ignition l ock
p ositions
In position => fig. 107 @ both the ignition and engine are off, and
the stee ring is locked .
To
lock the stee ring after you have removed the ig nit io n key, turn the
steeri ng wheel in either direction until yo u hear it lock into place . You
should always lock the steering whenever you leave your vehicle . This
makes a vehicle theft even more difficult=> & .
Ignition on (D
If it is d ifficul t to turn the key af ter yo u have inse rted it in to the igni­
tion lock, tur n the steering wheel back and forth . T hi s w ill take the
load off the steering lock mechanism and you wi ll be able to t urn the
key freely and start the engine . On vehicles with a d iese l engine *, t he
system ca n preheat in this position .
Starting the engine@
In this pos it ion the engi ne s tarts. While the e ngine is s ta rting, the
power supply to the headlights and other electrical consume rs is temporarily interrupted to conserve ba
ttery power . Afte r th e eng ine
h as st arted, relea se the key and it w ill retur n to posit io n (D .
Before the starter can be operated again the key must be t urned back
to positio n (D . T he
non-repeat lock prevents you from damaging the
s ta rt er when t he e ng ine is running .
& WARNING
• Never remove the key from the ignition lock while the vehicle
i s moving . The steering wheel will lock causing loss of control.
• If you have to leave your v ehicle -even for ju st a minute -
always remove the ignition key and take it with you. This is espe·
cially important if you are going to leave children behind in the
vehicle. The children could start the engine or use other vehicle
control s. Unsupervised use of vehicle controls (for example, power
windows ) can cause serious personal injuries .
(I) Tips
If the vehicle battery has been disconnected and then reconnected,
t hen yo u m ust leave the key in posi tion (Dfor abou t
5 seco nds befo re
you can start the eng ine. •
App lies to vehicles: with automat ic transmission
Ignition key safety lock
Th e ignition k ey can only b e removed when the selector
lever is in the "P" (Park) position.
Pla ce the selector lever i n the "P " pos it ion before swit ching off the
eng ine .
Afte r sw itching of f the igni tion , th e ignition key can o nly be re moved
from the ignition lock when t he selector lever is in the "P" (Park) posi­
t ion. After yo u have remove d the key, t he selector lever is locked a nd
cannot be moved .•

_________________________________________________ O_ n_ t_ h_ e_ r _o_ a_d _ __.fflll
Starting and stopping the engine
Starting the engine
The engine can only be started with your original Audi
key.
N ... q
i
Vehicles with a gasoline engine:
Fig . 10 8 Ignition key
p osit ion s
- Move the selector lever to the neutra l position (automatic
transmission): selector lev er in P or N) =>
& .
- On vehicles with manual transmission, fully depress the
clutch pedal.
- Turn the ignition key to position@ =>
page 106, fig. 10 7
- do not depress the gas pedal when star ting t he engine!
- Let go of the key as soon as the engine starts .
Vehicles with a diesel engine:
- Set the park ing b rake .
- Move the selector lever to the neutral position (automatic
transmission): selector lever in P or N) =>
& .
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
- On vehicles with manual transmission , fu lly depress the
cl utch peda l.
- Turn the ignition key to posi tion
(D => fig . 108. The g low
plug warning light lights up whi le the glow plugs are
warming u p.
- When the warning light goes out, turn the ig nition key to
posi tion @to start the engine @ =>
page 106, fig. 107 .
Do not depress t he gas pedal when starting t he engine!
- Let go o f the key as soon as the engi ne starts.
A cold engine may sound loud after it has been started . Th is is due to
t he hydra ulic valves buil ding up oil p ress ure. This is normal and is not
a need for concern.
If the engine does not start immediately, stop try ing after 10 seconds
and then try to restart the engine about 30 seconds later .
Glow plug system*
Diesel engines are equipped with a glow p lug system whose
preheating t ime is con trolled by the coo la nt and outs ide tempera­
t u re . Start the engine
immediately af ter the glow p lug ind icator light
sw itches off .
Th e g low pl ug indica tor light w ill only ill uminate fo r approximately 1
second when the engine is warm or the outs ide temperature is higher
than 46 °F (8 °C). Tha t means yo u ca n sta rt the engi ne
immediately.
To start the diesel engine after the fuel tank has
been run dry
If the fue l tank was run complete ly dry, the start ing process after
refueling with diesel fuel can take longe r than usual -up to one
minute. This is because the fuel system first has to be vented of air
wh ile starting. _,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service Technical data

Driving Safely ---------------------"~'---
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occupant safety
always depends on the informed and careful driver.
For your safety and the safety of your passengers, before
driving always:
- Make sure that all lights and signals are operating
correctly.
- Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
- Make sure that all windows are clean and afford good visi-
bility to the outside.
- Secure all luggage and other items carefully::::>
page 91.
-Make sure that nothing can interfere with the pedals.
- Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors correctly for your height .
- Instruct passengers to adjust the head restraints according to their height.
- Make sure to use the right child restraint correctly to
protect children ::::,
page 167, "Child Safety".
- Sit properly in your seat and make sure that your passen­ gers do the same::::,
page 73, "General recommenda­
tions".
- Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly. Also instruct
your passengers to fasten their safety belts properly
=:> page 135. •
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of the
vehicle, the driver as well as the driver's ability to concen­
trate on the road without being distracted .
The driver is responsible for the safety of the vehicle and all
of its occupants. If your ability to drive is impaired, safety
risks for everybody in the vehicle increase and you also
become a hazard to everyone else on the road::::,,& . There­
fore:
Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers or by using
a cellular telephone.
NEVER drive when your driving ability is impaired (by
medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
- Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and speed limits
and plain common sense .
- ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and weather
conditions.
- Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive for more than two hours at a stretch.
- Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pressure or when
you are stressed .
& WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used.•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Safety belts pn, _______________ _
-Make sure that your passengers also buckle up a nd prop ­
erly wear their safety belts .
- Protect c hildren with a child rest raint system appropria te
fo r the size and ag e.
The warn ing light ~ in the instrument cluster lights up when the igni­
tion is sw itched on as a reminder to fasten the safety belts. In addi­
tion, you w ill hear a wa rning tone for a certa in period of t im e.
Fasten your safety belt and ma ke sure that your passenge rs also
properly put on their safety belt s.
& WARNING
• Safety belts are the singl e most effective means available to
reduce the risk of serious injury and death in automobile a cci­
dents . For your protection and that of your pas senger s, always
co rrectly wear safety belts when the vehicle is mo ving .
• Failure to pay attention to the warning light that come on,
could lead to personal injur y.
u
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very stron g forc es for people
riding i n vehi cles.
Fig . 12 6 U nbelted
o ccupa nts in a vehicle
h eadin g for a w all
Fig . 127 The ve hicle
cr as hes int o t he w all
T he p hys ica l pr inc iples are simple. Both the vehicle and the passen­
gers possess energy which var ies wit h veh icle speed and body weight.
Enginee rs ca ll t his ene rgy "kinetic energy."
The higher the speed of the veh icle and the greater the vehicle's
we ight, the more energy that has to be "absorbed" in the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most sig nifican t fa ctor. If t he speed doubles
from 15 to 30 mph (25 to 50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times! .,