2011 AUDI A3 ESP

llffl!l.___w __ a _r_ m __ a_n_ d_ c_ o _ l_d _______________________________________________ _
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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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:...!.. ro~ a:_::d!..,_ __
- Drive at the sp eed yo u wish to set.
- Press button © to set that speed .
The disp lay=> page 110, fig . 111 w ill show the set speed. T he d is p lay
may vary depending on the type of display in your veh icle. The ind i­
cator light
CRUISE (US mode l) I 0" (Canadian model) w ill also light up
in the instr ument cluster .
& WARNING
• Alway s pay attention to traffi c even wh en the cruise control i s
switch ed on. You are always responsible for your speed and the
distance between your vehicle and other vehicle s.
• For safety reasons , the cruise control should not be used in the
city, in stop-and-go traffi c, on twi sting road s and when road
conditions are poor (such as ice , fog, gravel, heavy rain and hydro­
planing ) · risk of accident .
• Turn off the cruise control temporarily when entering turn
lanes, highway exit lane s or in con struction zone s.
• Please note that inadvertently "resting" your foot on the accel ·
erator pedal cau ses the crui se control not to brake . This i s becau se
the cruise control is ove rridden by the driver 's accele rat ion .
[ i ] Tips
• Vehicles with manual transmission : You can atta in the set speed
only if the curren tly engaged gear allows i t and the eng ine is no t
stressed . Shift ing to a higher or lowe r gear promptly w ill allow the
eng ine to run smooth ly .
• The cru ise contro l cannot ma inta in a constant speed when driving
downhil l. The vehi cle will accelerate under its own weigh t. Downshift
to a lower gear or use the brakes to slow down .•
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Changing speed
- Press lev
er i n t he 0 or O directio n=:::;, page 110, fig. 110
to inc rease or d ecr eas e yo ur sp eed.
- Release the lever to save t hat speed .
Change speed in increments o f 1 mph (1 km/h) by lightly pressing the
lever. If you keep the leve r presse d down, yo u will alte r your s peed in
S mph (10 km/h) increments .
You can also press t he accelerator pedal down to increase your s peed,
e .g . if you want to p ass someone. The speed you save d earlier wi ll
resume as soon as yo u re lease the accelerator pedal.
If, however, you exceed yo ur saved speed by 5 mph (1 0 km/h) fo r
longer than S m inutes, the cruise contro l will turn off temporarily .
Th e symbo l will go out b ut the save d speed will be retaine d.•
Presetting your speed
You can preset your d esir ed sp eed whil e the vehicle is not
moving.
- Turn on the ignition.
- Pull leve r into positio n
CD~ page 110, fig . 110.
- Press the lever in the
0 or O di rec tion to increase or
d ecr eas e y our sp eed.
- Release the lever to save t hat spe ed .
Thi s fu nction makes it possible, for example, to save the speed yo u
w ant befo re drivi ng on the highway . Once on t he highw ay, act ivate
the cruise contro l by pu lling the leve r toward
(D . •
Vehicle care Technical data

llffl..__T_ r _a_ n_s_ m_ i_ s _s_ i_ o _ n _________________________________________________ _
Transmission
Manual transmission
Applies to ve hicle s: w ith manual tra nsm is s io n
Gearshift lever
The clutch pedal must be depressed all the way before
you can start the engine.
The manual transmission in your Audi is equipped w ith an
interlock-feature.
- Depress the clutch pedal all the way .
- Start the eng ine with the gears hift lever in Neutral and the
clutch peda l depressed .
0 Note
Always depress the clutch pedal fully when changing gears. Do not
hold the veh icle on a hill with the clutch peda l part ia ll y depressed.
T hi s may cause prem ature clutch wear or damage .
[I) Tips
• Resting your hand on the gearshift lever knob while driving will
cause pr emature wea r in the transm ission.
• The back -up lights go on when you sh ift into Reve rse with the igni ­
tion on. •
Applies to v eh icl es : w ith 6 -s pe ed manual tr ansm iss ion
Gearshift pattern (6-speed manual
transmission)
ra ...
-0:. ., m
F ig. 11 3 Gea rshift
p att ern: 6 -s pee d
m anu al tra n smi ssion
Drive in 6 th gear for opt im um fue l econo my when cruising .
However , if more accelera tion is required (when passi ng, for
exa mple), shift dow n.
Engaging reverse gear (R)
- Move the s hift lever alt the way to the left, press it down ,
then push it forward .
Especially after driv ing forward , stop th e veh icle completely , shift
into
Neutral and rest t he shift leve r briefly in Neut ral befo re s hifting
i nto
Reverse .•

1111..__T_ r _a_ n_s_ m_ i_ s _s_ i_ o _ n _________________________________________________ _
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 . _,,,

Transmission -_____________ _.;..____;_~~
-With your ri ght foot, step on the accelerator to the wi de­
open t hrottle positio n or Kickdown . The engine speed
settles at about
3,200 rpm.
- Take your left foot o ff the brake.
& WARNING
• Always adapt your driving to the traffic flow.
• Only use Launch Control when road and traffic condition s allow
it and other dri ver s will n ot be endangered or annoyed by your
driving and the acceleration of the vehicle.
• Make sure that ESP remains enabled . With the ESP disabled,
the vehicle could brake awa y, particula rly on a slick and slippery
road -risk of skidding!
• Once a cceleration i s fin ished , switch ASR on again by briefl y
pushing the ESP button. •
Applie s to v ehic le s: wit h S tron ic ®
Back-up program
In the event of a system malfunction, there is an back -up
program.
I n the even t of system ma lfunct ion, the automati c transmis sion
switches to the fail-safe mode. All of the se lector lever posit ion
displays fo r the automat ic transmiss ion are hi ghligh ted with a ligh t
background in the instrument cluster display . In some cases you
canno t drive in the reverse gear a ny mo re.
If the transmiss ion sw itc hes to fa il-safe mode, you should take the
vehicle to an authorized Aud i dealership as soon as possible to have
the cond itio n corrected. •
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Applies to veh icles : w ith S t ron ic ®
Emergency release for selector lever
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selector lever can
be released in an emergency .
Fig. 120 Selector
le ve r: R em ov e se le ct or
l e ve r sleev e
Fig. 12 1 Selector
l e ve r: em ergen cy
relea se fro m the P ark
p os iti on
The em ergency release m echanism is loca ted on th e right
front u nder the se lector lev er shift gate . The re lease p roc e­
dure requ ires profess ional dext eri ty. We recommend t hat
you seek assis tance.
Removing the selector Lever boot
- Engage the par king bra ke.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical 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

______________________________________________ D_ ri _v _ i_n _,,g ,c.._ S_a_ f_ e_ l..:: y __ _
- If there are passengers in the rear seat , slide the head
restra ints u pward at least to the next notch on the occu­
p ied seats .
Adjusting head restraints ~ page 77.
& WARNING
Driving without head restraints or with head restraint s that are
not properly adjusted increases the risk of serious o r fatal neck
injury dramatic ally . To help reduce the ri sk of injury:
• Always drive with the head rest raints in place and prope rly
adju sted.
• Every person in the vehicle must have a prope rly adjusted head
restraint .
• Always make sure each per son in the vehicle properly adjusts
their head restraint. Adjust the head restraints so the upp er edge
is as even a s possible with the top of you r head . If that is not
possible, try to adjust the head re straint so that it is as close to
this position as possible.
• Never attempt to adjust head restraint while driving. If you
have driven off and mu st adjust the driver headrest for any reason,
first stop the vehicle safely before attempting to adjust th e head
restraint.
• Children must alway s be properly restrained in a child re straint
that is appropriate for their age and size~
page 167. •
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant r estraint system con only reduce th e risk o f
injury if vehicle occupants ore properly seated.
Improper seat ing positio ns can cause se rious injury o r death.
Safety belts can only work w hen t hey are properly posi tione d
on t he body . Improper seating positio ns re duce the effective-
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
ness of s
afe ty belts an d wi ll even increase the risk of injury
and deat h by moving the safety b elt to c rit ica l areas of t he
bo dy. Imp roper seating pos itions also i ncrease the risk of
serious inju ry and dea th w hen an ai rbag deploys a nd strikes
an occ upant who is not in t he proper seati ng pos ition . A
d river is respons ib le for t he safety o f all vehicle occupants
and especia lly for ch ildren. Therefore:
- Nev er a llow anyone to assume an incorrect seating pos i-
t io n whe n the vehic le is bei ng used=> &.
The follow ing b ulletins list only some samp le posi tions that will
increase the risk of se rious injury and death . O ur hope is that these
examples will ma ke you more aware o f seating positions t hat are
dange ro us.
Therefore , whenever the vehicle is moving:
• never stand up in the vehicle
• never stand on the seat s
• never knee l on t he seats
• never ride with the seatback reclined
• never lie down on the rear se at
• never lean up against the instrument panel
• never sit o n the edge of the seat
• never sit s ideways
• never lean out the w indow
• never p ut yo ur fee t out the window
• never p ut yo ur feet on the instrument panel
• never rest your feet on the seat c ush io n or back of the seat
• never ride in the footwe ll
• never ride in the cargo area
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data