2011 AUDI A3 warning

Warm and cold
Climate controls
Description
The air conditioner is fully automatic and is designed to
maintain a comfortable and uniform climate inside the
vehicle .
We recommend the fo llowing sett ings:
- Selec t and se t a tem pera ture between 64
°F (+22 °C) and
84
°F (+28 °().
- Press the [AUTO] but ton .
With this setting, you attain maximum comfort in the least amount
o f ti me. Ch ange th is se tt ing, as desired, to meet your pe rsonal needs.
Th e climate controls are a combination of heating, ventilat ion a nd
coo ling systems, which automatica lly red uce hum idity and cool the
air insi de your vehicle.
T he air temperature, air flow and a ir distribution are automatically
reg ulate d to achi eve and main tain t he desi red passenger compa rt­
ment temperature as q uick ly as possible .
Th e system automatica lly compensates for changes in the outside
tempe ra ture and for the intensity of the sunlight enteri ng the
vehicle. We recommend you use the
Automatic mode ~ page 98 for
year- ro und co mfort.
Please note the following:
T urn on the air conditioner to reduce humidity in the vehicle . This also
preven t the wi ndows from fogging up .
When the outs ide temperature is hig h and the air is very humid,
condensation from t he ev apo ra to r m ay d rip under t he veh icle . T his is
normal and does not indicate a leak.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Warm and cold
If the outside temp
erature is low , the fan no rma lly only switches to a
highe r speed once the engine coolant has warmed up s ufficient ly .
Th e air condi tioner tempo rari ly swi tches off when yo u drive off from
a standstill using full throttle to save engine power.
Th e comp resso r also switches off if the coolant temperature is too
high so that the engine can be adeq uate ly coo led unde r extreme
loads.
Air pollutants filter
Th e a ir po llutants filter (a combined pa rticle filte r and activated cha r­
coa l f il ter) reduces or elim inates outs ide a ir pollution (dus t, or
pollen) from entering the veh icle.
Th e air pollutants fi lter mus t be changed at t he in terv als specified i n
your Warranty
& Maintenance book let, so that the air conditioner can
properly wo rk.
If you dr ive your veh icle in an a rea with high air pollut ion , the fi lter
may need to be changed more frequent ly than specified in your Audi
Wa rranty
& Ma intenance boo klet . If in doubt, ask you r autho rized
Audi Service Advisor for advice.
Energy management
T o prevent the batte ry from being disc harge d an d to restore the
balance of energy, compone nts wh ic h requ ir e large amou nts of
energy are temporarily cut back or sw itched off~
page 194 . Heating
systems in part icular requ ire a g rea t deal of e nergy.
If you notice , for
example, that the rear window heate r is not heating, then it has been
t emporari ly cu t back or sw itched off by
energy management . These
systems are available again as soon as the energy ba lance has been
restore d.
& WARNING
Reduced visibility i s dangerous and can cause accidents.
Vehicle care Technical data

Warm and cold
& WARNING (continued)
• For safe driving it is very important that all windows be free of
ice, snow and condensation.
• Fully familiarize yourself with the proper use and function of
the heating and ventilation system and especially how to defog
and defro st the windows.
• Never use the windshield wiper/washer system in freezing
weather until you have warmed the windshield first , using the
heating and ventilation system . The washer solution may freeze
on the windshield and reduce visibility.
0 Note
• If you suspect that the air conditioner has been damaged, sw itch
off the a ir conditioner and contact an author ized Aud i dea ler to have
the system inspected.
• Repa irs to the Audi a ir conditioner require special technical knowl­
edge and special tools . Contact a n author ized A udi dealer for assis­
t ance .
rn Tips
• Keep the a ir intake slots (in fron t of t he w indshield) free fr om ice,
snow and debris i n order to ma inta in the proper function of the
cl im at e contr ol syste m.
• Air escapes thro ugh vents unde r the rear w indow. When placing
i t em s of clot hing on t he lugg age compa rtment cover, ensure tha t the
openings are not covered.
• If th e inside tem pe rature is very high (for example, i f the ve hicle
has been parked in s un), open the windows and allow the hot air to
es cape be fore tur ning o n the air conditioner.
• A senso r in the gr ill provides the air -conditioning system continu ­
ously w it h readings of c urrent ou ts ide temperature . So t hat the a ir­
conditioning can ope rate at maximum efficiency, the area be low the
fron t license pla te holde r m us t no t be covere d.•

Manual air recirculation mode c::%)
The recirculation mode preve nts polluted outside air
from entering the vehicle interior.
Switching on air recirculation
- Press the button l~l =:> page 97, fig. 101 =:> & .
Switching off air recirculation
- Press th e button l~ l aga in , or
- Press the
[ A UTO I button, or
- Press the
I®] button .
I n air recirculation mode, air is drawn from the ve hicle interior and
rec ircul ated. We recom mend that you use the man ual air r ecircula­
tion mode under the following conditions:
W hen d riving throug h a t unnel o r in a traffic jam so t hat ex haust
fumes cannot enter the ve hicle inter ior .
& WARNING
Do not use thi s setting for e xtended periods of time. The windows
c ould fog up sin ce no fre sh air can enter the vehi cle. If the
windows fog up, press the air recirculation button again immedi·
atel y to switch off the air recirculation function or selec t defro st. •
Automatic air recirculation I~ ]
If outside air is polluted, an air quality sensor in the
vehicle will aut omatically switch on the air recirculation .
Switching on air recirculation
-Press l~]=:> page97, fig.101.
Controls and equip ·
ment Safety first
Warm and cold
Switching off air recirculation
- Press@again, or
- press
I A UT O], or
- press
I®] .
The au tomatic a ir recircu lation mode should no rma lly be left
sw itched on at all times.
Th e sys tem is ready to operate approximately 30 seconds a fter yo u
t u rn on t he ignit ion or start the ve hicle . Fres h air ente rs the vehicle
only during this in it ia lizat ion period .
T he air q ual ity senso r fo r de tect ing d ie se l and gasoline exhaust fumes
switches automat ically to air recirculation mode if the o uts ide a ir is
heavily po lluted. The supp ly of outside air is closed o ff.
As soon as the poll ution level d rops, fresh air is automat ically
supplied to the vehicle interior again.
Th e air re ci rculat ion ope ra tes fo r a m ax im um o f 12 mi nutes . If the
windows start to fog up w hile the air recirculation is on, press I@ ]
U nder certain operating condit ions (for examp le, if(@ ] or Ice:,] are
pressed) the a ir recircu lation a utomatically sw itches off. If the air
conditioner is switched off, or if the temperature is below 18 °F (-
8 °(), the a ir recirculation wi ll ope rate only for 12 seconds .•
Switching between Fahrenheit and
Centigrade
Y ou can change the tempera ture display from °F (Fahren­
heit) to °C (Centigrade ) and vi ce ve rsa .
- Hold th e [¢.:>] butto n down =:> page 97, fig. 101.
- Tu rn the rotary switch ( driver's side)@for
3 seconds +.•
Vehicle care Technical data

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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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• Connect the connect ing cab le to the powe r cord .
• Atta ch t he exte nsion s co rd to the co nne ctor c able. A lw ay s use a
12 gauge or heav ie r heavy-duty extension cord that can be properly
gro unded to a three -prong Groun d Faul t C ircuit (G FI) w all o utle t a nd
is not longer than 100 ft (30 meters) .
• Alw ays pl ug th e p rehe ater into an 12 0 Vol t Grou nd Faul t Circui t
(GFI) wall o utlet t hat is properly protected against rain and other
mois ture . Neve r plug t he prehea ter in to a norm al ou tle t rega rdles s of
w het her it is grounded or not .
• Alw ay s dis con nect the co nne ct ing cable and close the cover
=> page 103, fig. 105 (D be fore starting the engine.
& WARNING
Using incorrect or damaged outlet and power cords, using elec­
trical accessories incorrectly or ignoring safety precautions can lead to short circuits, accidents, injuries and life-th reatening elec ­
tric shocks.
• Always plug the preheater into a 120 Volt Ground Fault Circuit
( GFI) wall outlet that is properly protected against rain and other
moisture.
• Always check the fuse protection of the 120 Volt power source
before using the connecting cable.
• Always use a 12 gauge or heavier heavy-duty extension cord
that can be properly grounded to a three-prong GFI outlet. The
extension cord must not be longer than 100
ft (30 meters ).
• Always connect the cable to a 120 Volt outlet that is grounded
and protected from water .
• Check the cable for damage before every use. Never use a
damaged cable. It must be replaced. Please see your authorized
Audi dealer.
• Only use the cable provided*.
• Always remove the conne cting cable before starting the
engine.
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Never attempt to alter or repair electrical components. •

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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

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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 .•

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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