2011 AUDI A3 windshield wipers

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

Outside mirrors
The outside mirrors are electrically adjusted (power
mirrors)
Adjusting the outside mirrors
F ig . 61 Fo rward
s ecti on of dr iv er 's
a rmr est: powe r mirror
con trol s
Turn the adjusting k nob to~ fig. 61 (D (driver's side
outside mirror) to ® (front passenger's outside mirror) .
- Press the knob in the appropriate direction to move the
mirror surface so that you have a good view to the rear .
Heated mirrors*
- Turn the rotary knob to@).
Depend ing o n ou tside te mperature and veh icle speed, the mirror
surfaces are heated until the ign it ion is switched off -even if the
rotary knob is no longer in position @.
0 Note
• Curved mirror s urfaces (convex or spherical*) in crease your field of
view. Remember that vehicles or other objects will appear smaller and farther away than when seen in a flat mirror.
If you use this
mirror to est imate d istances of following vehicles when changing
lanes, you co uld estimate incorrect ly and ca use an accident.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Clear vision
(I) Tips
If there should be a malfunction in the elect rical system, you can still
adjust the outside mirrors by pressing the edge of the m irror . •
Wiper and washer system
Windshield wiper~
The windshield wipe r lever controls both the windshield
wipers and the washer system.
F ig. 62 Wiper lev er:
win dsh ie ld wi per l ev er
p osit ion s
The windshield wiper Lever => fig . 62 has the follow ing posi­
t ions:
Intermittent wiping ~ i (activat ing rain
sensor)*
- Move the Lever up to position (D .
- Move the interval set switch@, to change the intervals.
Low wiper speed
- M ove the lever up to p osi tio n @ .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Clear vision High wiper speed
- Move the lever up to posi tion ® ·
One-touch wiping
- Move the lever to position 0, when you want to wipe the
w indsh ie ld
briefly .
Automatic wiper/washer
-Pull t he lever to posi tion ® (t oward t he s tee ring w heel)
and hold.
- R elease t he lever . T he washer stops and the wipers keep
goi ng for about four seco nds .
Turning off the wipers
- Move the lever bac k to posi tion ®·
The w indshield wipe rs an d washer only wo rk when the igni tion is
tur ned on. If you switch off t he ig nition w ith the winds hield wiper
lever st ill in the inte rval wipe pos it ion and then come back a wh ile
later and drive off , the ra in sensor wi ll reactivate itself after the
vehicle speed has exceeded 4 mph (6 km/ h).
The r ain senso r* is only activated with the wipe r lever set to position
@ . When it starts to rain, the rain sensor will automatically act ivate
t he in term itte nt w ip ing mode .
To red uce the sensit iv ity of the sensor, move sw itch @dow n. To
increase the sensitivity, move the switch up. The higher you adjust the
sensitivity, the faster the sensor will react when it senses moistu re on
the windshield .
Th e rain senso r wipe r inte rvals dep end on the sensi tivi ty set ting a s
well as veh icle speed. During brief stops , wiper motion will ad just in
re lation to the amoun t of rain on the w indshield.
Automatic wiper/was her: To eliminate water droplets, the wind ­
shield wiper pe rforms one afterwipe operation after severa l secon ds w
hile driv ing. You can switch this funct ion off by moving the lever to
posi tion ® within 10 seco nds of the afterw ipe o per ation . T he afte r­
w ipe funct ion is reactivated the next time the ignition is switc h.
When the ignition is turned on, the washer jets are heated *.
& WARNING
• Wiper bl ades are crucial for safe driving! Only when they are in
good condition are they able to cl ear the windows properly to
pro vide uncompromised vi sibility. Worn or damaged wiper bl ade s
are a safety hazard=>
page 69, "Replacing front w iper blades"!
• The light/rain sensor* is only designed to assist and support
the driver. It remains entirely th e driver's responsibility to
monitor outs ide weather condit ions and to manually ac tivate the
wip ers as soon as rain or dr izzle reduces visibility through the
windshield.
• The windshield must not be treated with water-repellent
mater ial s. They can increase glare under poor visibility conditions
such as wetness, darkness, or when the sun is low on the horizon.
In addition , they can cause the windshield wipers to chatter.
0 Note
• In the case of frost, check whether the windshield wiper blades are
fro zen to the windsh ie ld. Switching on t he w indshield wipe rs can
damage the wiper blades!
• Do not use the wipers to clear a frosted w indow . Using the wipe rs
as a convenient ice scraper will destroy the wiper blades.
• Prior to us ing a car was h, the winds hield wiper system must be
sw itched off (lever in posit io n 0). This helps to prevent unintentional
switching on and demage to t he windshield woper sys tem. ..,.

(]] Tips
• The w indshield wipers are switched off when the ign ition is tu rned
off . Activate the windshield wipers after the ignition is switched back
on by mov ing the w indshield wipe r leve r to any pos ition.
• Worn or dirty windshield w iper blades cause smearing, which can
affect the operat io n of the l ight/rain sensor*. Check t he condi tion of
your windshield wiper b lades regularly.
• The rain sensor is part of the inte rval wiping system . Turning off
the ignition will also deactivate the rain sensor. To reactivate the
sensor, switch off the inte rval wiping funct ion, the n switch it back on
again .
• Applies to veh icles with light/ra in sensor: When the w ipers are
switched on manually and in rain conditions, the automatic head­
lights* turn on~
page 56, "Switching the headlights on and off ·f!: "
or off during the day when the wipers are no longer operating. The
au tomatic headlights* func tion is available in t his case only when the
light switch is in the "AUTO" position~
page 56, fig. 49.
• Make su re the washe r fl ui d reservoir in the eng ine compartment is
topped off before going on a long trip. Look up::::)
page 243 for
check ing and fill ing t he washer conta iner.
• The wipers only operate with the hood completely closed. •
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Clear vision
Rear window wiper cs;J
The wiper lever is also used to operate the rear windo w
w iper and the automatic wiper/ washer function .
Fig . 63 Wi per lev er:
a ct iva ting the rear
w indow wi per an d
w ashe r
The rear window w iper and t he au tomatic wiper/washer func­
tions are activated as follows:
Intermittent wiping
- P ush the wipe r lever forward towards the dashboard and
to the
first position ©~ fig. 63 . T he rear window wiper
w ill wipe the win dow approx. every four seco nds.
Automatic wiper/washer function
- Push the wiper lever forward to the second stop, position
0 , and ho ld it there for as long as you want the rear
wiper/washer to operate.
- Release the lever aga in. T he wiper w ill keep run ning for
app rox . four seco nds .
Switching intermittent wiper action off
- Pull the lever a ll the way back to the original posi tion.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Clear vision
in. WARNING
Wiper blades are crucial for safe driving! Only in good condition are they able to clear the windows properly to provide unrestricted
visibility. Worn or frayed wiper blades are a safety hazard!
=> page 69, "Replacing front wiper blades"
(D Note
In freezing or near freezing conditions:
• Always check that the wiper blades are not frozen to the glass
before you turn the wiper on. Loosen a wiper blade which is frozen in
place before operating the wiper to prevent damage to the wiper
blade or the wiper motor.
• Do not use the wiper to clear a frosted window . Using the wipers
as a convenient ice scraper will destroy the wiper blades.
[I) Tips
For better rearward vision when parking, the rear window wiper is
automatically activated one time when the windshield wipers are
switched on and reverse gear is engaged. •
Service position
Replacing the windshield wiper blades is only possible when
you move the wiper arms into the service position. In order to
use the windshield wipers, the hood must be completely
closed. When there is a risk of frost, make sure that the wiper
blades are not frozen to the windshield.
- Switch the ignition on. - Switch the
ignition off again and move the wiper lever
=:> page 65, fig. 62 from position Oto 1 within
10 seconds. The wiper arms now move into the field of
view in the windshield.
The service position can also be selected in the driver information
system*=>
page 22 .
(D Note
Never drive your vehicle when the windshield wiper arms are in the
service position and pulled away from the windshield. When you drive
faster than 4 mph (6 km/h) , the wiper arms automatically return
back to the park position and could cause paint damage to the engine
hood!
[I) Tips
• You can also turn on the service position, for example, if you want
to protect the windshield from icing by using a cover.
• The service position moves to
off automatically when you operate
the windshield wiper lever, or speed exceeds 4 mph (6 km/h). •

Replacing front wiper blades
Wiper blades in good condition help keep the windshield
clear .
Removing the wiper blade
Fig. 6 4 Un lat chin g
wi per bla des
F ig . 65 Removi ng
wip er b lad es
- Move the wipers to the service position~ page 68.
-Fold the windshield wiper arm away from the glass .
- On the uppe r end of the wiper arm at the corrugat ion ,
squeeze the plastic retainer together on both sides in the
direction of the arrow~ fig . 64.
- Rotate the wiper blade in the direction of the arrow @
~ fig. 65 away from the w ip er arm.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Clear vision
- Lift the wiper b lade off in t he direction of the arrow @.
Attaching the wiper blade
- Place the ro unded end of the wiper onto the end of the
wiper arm i n the
opposite direction to the arrow @
~ fig. 65.
- Swing the w iper in the
opposite direction to the arrow@
onto the wiper arm .
- Squeeze the corr ugation o n the wiper until you hear it click
in the wiper arm .
- Fold the wiper arm back o nto t he windshie ld .
- Switch the ignit ion on and move t he wiper lever down
briefly . The wiper will move back to the park posi tion .
The front wiper blades measure lef t side 23 .20 in . ( 590 mm) and
right s ide 18.50 in . (470 mm) in length ,
Clean yo ur wipe r blades regularly with a windshie ld washer so lu tion
to prevent st reaking. If the blades are very dirty, for example with
insec ts, caref ully clean the blades with a spo nge or a sof t brush .
I f the w iper blades begin to streak the windshield, this could be
caused by residue left on the windsh ie ld by automatic car washes.
Fill the windsh ie ld washe r con taine r with a spec ial solu tion ava ilab le
at your authori zed Audi dealer to remove the residue .
Be sure to inspe ct the cond it io n of your w iper blades regu larly . F or
safety reasons, replace your wiper b lades once or twice a year if
necessary. See your authorized Audi dealer for replacement blades.
& WARNING
• Clean your wiper blades regularl y with a wind shield wa sher
solut ion to pre vent streaking. If the wiper blades are very dirty , .,,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Clear vision
& WARNING (continued)
for example with insects, carefully clean the wiper blades with a
sponge or a soft brush.
• For your safety, you should replace the wiper blades once or
twice a year. See your authorized Audi dealer for replacement
blades.
0 Note
• The wiper blades may only be changed=> page 68 in the service
position! Otherwise, you risk damaging the paint on the hood or the
windshield wiper motor.
• You should not move your veh icle or press the windshield wiper
lever when the wiper arms are folded away from the windshield. The
windshield wipers wou ld move back into their original position and
could demage the hood and windshield.
• To help prevent damage to the wiper system, always loosen
blades which are frozen to the windshield before operating wipers.
• To help prevent damage to w iper blades, do not use gasoline,
kerosene, paint thinner, or other solvents on or near the wiper
blades.
• To help prevent damage to the wiper arms or other components,
do not attempt to move the wipers by hand .
(I) Tips
• Commercial hot waxes applied by automatic car washes affect the
cleanability of the glass surface.
• You can also use the service position, for example, if you want to
protect the windshield from icing by using a cover.
• You cannot act ivate the service position when the hood is open.
• Th e front wiper blades are different lengths; the blade on the
driver's side is longer.•
Changing the rear wiper blade
Removing the wiper blade
Fig. 66 Installing/re
moving wiper blade
- Fold the windshield wiper arm away from the glass.
- Pull the metal surround of the wiper blade out of the
retainer in the direction of the arrow =:> fig. 66. Hold the
wiper arm firmly by the upper end as you do this.
Attaching the wiper blade
-Adjust the position of the wiper blade in the retainer
~ fig. 66 (see close up).
- Press the wiper blade into the retainer. Hold the wiper arm
firmly by the upper end as you do this.
- Fold the wiper arm back onto the glass.
& WARNING
• To avoid streaks, you should clean the windshield wiper blades
regularly with window cleaner. For heavy soiling, for example,
insects, the wiper blades can also be cleaned with a sponge or a
cloth.
~

Checking and filling -------------- ------=------=:;______,.Jl':fffll
Checking and filling
Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehicle.
-Open the driver's door.
Fig. 159 Driver's side
footwell : engine hood
release lever
- Pull the release lever on the left under the instrument
panel ::::;, fig . 159 in direction of the arrow.
The hood pops up slightly und er spring pressure. •
Vehicle OP-eration
Opening the engine hood
Fig. 160 Engine hood
release lever
Before opening the engine hood, make sure that the wind­
shield wipers are folded flat against the windshield. Other­
wise , they could damage the paint on the hood.
Pull the release lever::::;, fig. 160 in the direction indicated
by the arrow. This release the hook under the hood.
- Open the hood all the way.
& WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you!
• To reduce the risk of being burned, never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment . Wait until no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the hood. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data