2011 AUDI A3 ignition

Seats and storage
Applies to veh icles : w ith power driver seat
Power seat adjustment
The switches can be moved in various directions to allow
precise adjustment.
Fig. 71 Seat cushion
adjustment: switch
motions
Push or pull the switch in the same direction you like the seat
cushion to move.
Moving the entire seatback or forward
- Push the switch back at the tip or forward at the rear (D
=>& .
Adjusting the seat height
- To raise the seat, pull the switch at both ends,@ and®
=>& .
- To
lower the seat, push the switch down evenly,@and @
=>& .
Tilting the seat cushion back or forward
- To tilt bock the seat cushion, pull the switch at the front
only, @=>& .
- Alternatively, push the switch at the rear only,®=>& .
-To tilt forward the seat cushion, push the switch at the
front only@=>& .
-Alternatively, pull the switch at the rear only®=>& .
& WARNING
• Never adjust the driver's seat while the vehicle is moving. If
you do this while the vehicle is moving, you will be out of position .
Always adjust the driver's seat when the vehicle is not moving.
• Be careful when adjusting the seat height. Check to see that no
one is in the way, or serious injury could result!
• Because the driver seat can be electrically adjusted with the
ignition key removed, never leave children unattended in the
vehicle. Unsupervised use of the electric seat adjustments may
cause serious injury. •
Applies to vehicles: with power driver sea t
Adjusting the seatback
Fig. 72 Driver 's seat:
switch for seatback
adjustment
- Push or pull the top of the switch in the same direction you
like the seatback to tilt=> fig. 72. _,,,

- Plug in appliance to be used.
The outlet may be used for 12-volt app liances w ith maxim um
cons umption of up to 100 watts, such as a flash light, small vacuum
cl eaner, e tc.
Before you purchase any accessor ies, always read and fo llow the
info rm ation in::::,
page 301, "Add it io na l acc essories and p arts
re placemen t".
& WARNING
The outlet plus any appliances plugged into it remain functional
even if the ignition is switched off or the ignition key is removed. Never leave children inside the vehicle without supervision .
0 Note
To avoid damaging the socket, only use plugs that fit properly.
(I) Tips
When the engine is off and accessor ies are st ill plugged in and are on,
the ve hicle battery can sti ll be drained .•
Storage
General overview
There are numerous pl aces to st ore items in your vehi cle .
Storage in t he center armrest
Storage in the rear armrest
::::, page 79
Glove com partment (Ai r ven tila tion in t he ::::, page 92
glove compartment*, CD changer*)
Controls and equip ·
ment Safety first
Seats and storage
Center console ::::,
page 92
Compartments in the door tr ims ::::, page 93
Storage in the footwell ::::, page 93
Compartments in luggage compartment ::::, page 94
Coat hooks
Some of the storage locations are only fo und o n specific vehicle
mode ls o r are op tio nal equ ipme nt.
& WARNING
• Always remove objects from the instrument panel. Any items
not put away could slide around inside the vehicle while dri ving or
when accelerating or when applying the brakes or when dri ving
around a corner.
• When you are driv ing make sure that anything you may have
placed in the center console or other stor age locations cannot fall
out into the footwells. In c ase of sudden braking you would not be
able to b rake, depres s the clutch or accelerate .
• Any pieces of clothing that you have hung up must not inter­
fere with the driver's view. The co at hooks are designed onl y for
lightweight clothing . Never hang any clothing with hard, pointed
or hea vy objects in the pockets on the coat hooks. During sudden
braking or in an accident· especially if the airbag is deployed ·
the se objects could injure any passengers inside the vehicle. •
Vehicle care Technical data

ffl..__w __ a _r _m __ a_n _ d_ c_ o_ ld ________________________________________________ _
Key coded settings
When the ignition is switched on, the air conditioner
settings are automatically assigned to the key being used .
The air conditioner settings selected are automatically stored and
assigned to the key being used . When the vehicle is started, the air
conditioner automatically selects the settings assigned to that key.
Th is way every driver will maintain his/her own personal settings and
does not have to reset them manually.
[ i J Tips
If a different driver uses your key and changes the a ir conditioner
sett ings, the latest adjustments wi ll erase and replace the settings
you have stored. •
Rear window defogger [ffi)
The rear window defogger clears the rear window of
condensation.
F ig. 103 Swi tch for
rea r w in dow defogg er
wit h air -conditioni ng
- Press the [ml switch to switch the rear window defogger on
and off.
The defogger works only with the eng ine running . When the defogger
is switched on, an indicator ligh t in the switch comes on .
The rear window defogger switches off automatically after about 20 min utes.
Turn the defogger off when the rear w indow is clear . When you save
elec tricity, you save fuel. •
Applies to veh icles: wit h diesel eng ine
Additional heater
- Switch the
Additional heater to AU TO .
Vehicles w ith d iesel eng ines are equipped with an additional heater
to warm the interior of the vehicle more quickly . T he additional
heater sw itches itself on and off automatically when the outside
temperature is be low 50 °F (10 °C) and the engine is running,
depending on the coolant temperature, i nterior temperature a nd the
selected temperature. •

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Applies to vehicles : wi th electr ically heate d front se ats
Electrically heated front seats
With the ignition on, the seat cushion and backrest of the
front seats can be heated.
Fig. 10 4 Center
console: thumbw heels
f o r fr ont se at heating
Use the thumbwheels in the center console=> fig. 104 to
turn on and adjust front seat heating. An infinite range of
positions are possible .
- Roll the thumbwheel
© (driver's seat) or@ (front
passenger's seat) from position (0 ) upward in order to
activate the heating elements.
- Select the desired temperature setting from positions 1
through 6.
When the heating element is activated, the numbers on the thumb­
wheel w ill illuminate .
0 Note
To prevent possible damage to the heating elements, do not kneel on
the seats or apply a heavy load to relatively small areas of the seat. •
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
App lies to vehicles : with eng ine preheater
Engine preheater
Use of the engine preheater is recommended when the
ambient temperature is below -5 °F (-20 °C) .
Fig. 10 5 I n the le ft
fro nt b umper: engine
prehea ter connection
soc ket
T he engine preheater slow ly warms the engine coolant using a
heating element when the vehicle is parked. The included cable
4>
must be connected to a 120 Volt Ground Fault Circuit (GFI) protected
outlet that is protected from water (in your garage, for instance).
When the coo lant is preheated, the engine reaches its operating
temperature more qu ickly and will use less fuel and produce fewer
polluting emissions during the warm-up phase.
Preheat ing the engine can take up to 3 hours depending on the
temperature outside.
Conn ect ing th e engin e pr ehe ate r
• Only use the cable provided.
• All cables and connectors that are used must not be damaged
=> & .
• Open the cover=> fig. 105
G) .
• Plug the connecting cable into the socket@=>& .
4
) The cable is delivered with veh icles in Canada as standard equipment. The ca ­
ble can be obtained from an authorized Audi deale r for vehicles in the USA.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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On the road
Steering
Adjustable steering wheel
The height and reach of the steering wheel con be
adjusted .
First, adjust t he dr iver's seat correct ly.
Fi g. 106 Leve r und er
the s tee ring column
-Pu sh t he lever~ fig. 106 down as far as it wi ll go~ &.
- Move th e st eeri ng wheel to t he desire d position.
- Push t he lever back up as fa r as it wi ll go.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) between your chest and the
c en ter of the steer ing w hee l. If you cannot si t more than 10 inches
(25 cm) from the steering wheel, see if adaptive equ ipment is avai l­
able to help you reach the pedals and increase the distance from the
steeri ng wheel.
For detai led info rmation on how to adjust the dr iver's seat, see
=> page 76, "Power se at adj ustment".
The steer ing whee l can be adjusted even when the ignition is turned
off .
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
& WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjustment and improper seating
position can cause serious personal
injury .
• Adjust the steer ing whe el column only when the vehicle is not
moving to prevent loss of vehicle control.
• Always make sure that the adjustment lever is securely pushed
up so that the position of the steering wheel cannot be changed
unintentionally when the vehicle is moving .
• Adjust the dr iver 's seat or steering wheel so that there is a
m inimum of 10 inches (25 cm) between your breastbone and the
steering wheel=>
page 126, fig. 122. If you cannot maintain this
minimum distance, the airbag system cannot protect you prop­
erly.
• If physical limitations prevent you from sitting 10 inches (25
c m) or more from the steering wheel, check with your authorized
Audi dealer to see if adaptive equipment is available .
• Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decrea ses the
ability of the supplemental driver's a irbag to prote ct you in an
accident. Always make sure that the steer ing wheel is pointed
towards your che st .
• Always hold the steering wheel on the outside of the steering
wheel rim with your hands at the 9 o'clo ck and 3 o'clock position s
to help reduce the risk of personal injury if the driver's airbag
inflates .
• Never hold the steer ing wheel at the 12 o 'clock position or with
your hands at other positions inside the steering wheel rim or on
the steering wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injurie s to the hand s, arms and head if th e
driver 's airbag inflates. •
Vehicle care Technical data

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 .•

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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

ffl..__O_ n_ t_ h_e _ ro_ a_d _______________________________________________ _
& WARNING
Never start or let the engine run in a confined or enclosed area.
Exhau st fume s from the engine contain carbon monoxide, a color ­
less and odorless gas. Carbon monoxid e can be fatal if inhal ed.
• Never leave the engine idling unattended . An unattended
vehicle with a runn ing engine poses a danger of personal injury or
theft .
0 Note
• Avoid high engine speeds, fast acceleratio n or heavy engine loads
w hile the engine is still cold. This cou ld damage the eng ine .
• Th e engine c annot be sta rted by p ush ing or tow ing the veh icle .
~ For the sake of the environment
To avoid unnecessary engine wear and to reduce e xhaust emissions,
do not let your vehicle stand and warm up . Be ready to dr ive off imme ­
diately after starting your vehicle. Maintain moderate speed unti l the
eng ine is comp letely warm . Remember, the engine performs best at
operat ing temperature. •
Stopping the engine
-Turn the ignition key to position @~poge 106, fi g. 107 .
& WARNING
• Nev er turn off the engine until the vehicle has come to a
c omplete stop.
• The brake booster and servotronic only work when the eng ine
i s running . With the ignition turned off , you have to apply more
force when steering or bra king. Since you cannot st eer and stop
normally , thi s can lead to accident s and serious injuries.
& WARNING (contin u ed )
• The radiator fan can continue to run for up to 10 minute s even
a fter you have turned off the engine and removed the ignition key.
The radi ator fan can also tur n on agai n if the engine coolant heats
up be cause of intense sunlight or heat build-up in the engine
compartment.
0 Note
Do not stop the engine immed iately after hard or extended driving.
Keep t he engine run ning for approximate ly two minutes to prevent
excessive hea t build-up. •
Parking brake
Parking brake
When the parking brake is set, it prevents the vehicle
from rolling a way unintentionally .
Setting the parking brake
Fig. 109 Cente r
c o ns ole : Pa rk ing brak e
s et
- Pull t he park ing b rak e l eve r all the way up .