2012 AUDI A3 Specifications

:l:D Front fog lights
Use the light switch to turn on the front fog
lights.
Fig. 45 Fog light act ivat ion: light sw itc h pos it ion o n ve ­
h icles WITHO UT sensor light
}D Switching on the front fog lights
.. Do not turn the light switch -"t;.. -<=> fig. 45 to-
ward the fog light symbol
.. Turn the light switch to
coo: or to @:D.
.. Pull the light switch to the first stop (D.
When the front fog lights are on, the sym­
bol
:iO next to the light switch will illuminate.
C:t:t Instrument panel illumination
The illumination of the instruments, displays
and the center console can be adjusted .
Fig. 46 In st rum ent pa nel illum inat ion
0
"' d. .. m
You regulate the brightness of the instru­
ments with the left thumbwhee l
Co/<=> fig. 46 .
@ Ignition ON, light switch.
With the ignition switched ON, the glow of in­
strument needles
can be adjusted to appear
brighter or d immer.
Clear vision 49
:oo: or io Ignition ON, light switch.
With the lights swit ched on, the brightness of
instrument cluste r (i.e. needles, gauges and
displays) and center console illumination can
be adjusted.
(D Note
The instrument cluster and center console
ill umination (gauges and need les) comes
on when you switch on the ignition and the
vehicle headlights are off . Be aware of the
follow ing difference between models built
to US or Canadian specifications:
-USA models: illumination of the instru­
ment cluster (gauges and needles),
dash and center console around the
gearshift lever is controlled by a light
sensor located in the instrument panel.
The instrument panel illumination will
automatically become dimmer as the
daylight fades away and eventually will
go out completely when outside light is
very low. This is to remind you, the driv­
er, to switch on the headlights before it
gets too dark.
- Canada models: instrument panel illu·
mination will stay bright regardless of
the intensity of ambient light. Always be aware of changes in outside light
conditions while you are driving. Re­
spond in time to fading daylight by
turning the light switch to position
gD
(or "AUTO " if your car is equipp ed with
th is feature)
to turn on your headlights.

174 Trailer towing
Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a tra iler, p lease remember
that the addit ional load will affect durability,
economy and performance.
T railer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
F or this reasons, always follow the operating
and drivi ng in str uctions provided and use
common sense.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suita­
b le for your veh icle and trailer and must be
mounted securely on the ve hicle's chassis at a
technically sound location. Use only a trailer
h itch with removable ba ll mount. Always
check with the tr ailer hitch manufac turer to
make sure tha t you are using t he cor rect
hitch.
Do not us e a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way that
it does not interfere with the impact-absorb­
ing bumper syst em. No modifications should
be made to the vehi cle exhaust and brake sys ­
tems. From time to time, check th at a ll hitch
mo unt ing bo lts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the
tra iler hitch ball mount. This prevents the
h itch from causing damage sho uld your ve hi­
cle be str uck from behind
¢ A .
Tire pressure
When tow ing a traile r, inflate the t ires of your
ve hicle to the co ld tire pressure listed under
"Full load"on the stick er on the rig ht doo r- jamb. Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire
manufacturers' specifications.
Lights
T he headlight set tings sho uld be checked with
t h e trai le r attached before d riving o ff. Have
the headlights adjusted as necessary so tha t
yo u can see t he road ahead b ut not blind on­
coming traffic.
Check to make sure bo th ve hicle and tr ailer
lights are wo rk ing properly .
Engine cooling system
T owing a t railer makes the engine work hard­
er.
It i s impo rtant that the cooling system's
performance stands up to the additional
stra in. Make sure tha t the cooling sys tem has
enough fluid.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brak ing sys­
tem, c heck to be sure t hat it conforms to all
regula tions.
The trailer hyd raulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system.
Safety ch ains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the cha ins to per­
mit turning co rne rs. When yo u in stall safety
c h ains, ma ke sure they will not drag on the
r oad when you a re driving.
The chains should cross under the t railer
tong ue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the h itch.
Trailer lights
Trai ler lights must meet all regulations. Be
sure to check w ith your authorized Audi dealer
for correct w ir in g, sw itches and re lays .
Mir rors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
us ing the regular outside mirrors, then you

must install extended mirrors. I t is important
that you
always have clear vision to the rear.
A WARNING -
After removing the tra ile r hitch, do not
store it in your vehicle. In case of s udden
braking , the hitch could fly forward and in­
jure you or your passengers .
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your ve hicle is limited to a typica l
class 1 o r class 2 trailer.
Trailer l oad di stribut ion
Be s ure the load in the trai ler is he ld sec urely
in place to guard aga inst shift ing, be it for­
ward, backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
~ &. in Driving instructions on page 176 .
Tire pressure
When tow ing a tra ile r, i nflate the ti res of yo ur
ve hicl e to the co ld tire pressure listed u nder
"Full load" on the sticker on the r igh t door ­
jamb . Inflate trai ler ti res to trai ler and tire
manufacturers' specifications.
Lights
The he adlig ht setti ngs should be che cked w ith
the trailer a ttached be fore dr iv ing off . Adjus t
as necessary so that you can see the road
a h ead but not blind o ncoming traff ic .
C hec k prope r wo rking of vehicle a nd t ra ile r
lights.
Safety chains
B e s ure tra ile r safe ty cha ins are p roperly con­
nected from the t railer to the hitch on the ve­
hicl e. Leave e no ugh s lack in the chains to pe r­
mi t turning corners . Whe n you ins tall safe ty
ch ains, m ake s ure they w ill not drag on the
road when yo u are driving .
The c ha ins shou ld cross un der th e tra ile r
t ongue to prevent it from droppi ng in case of
separat ion from the h itch.
Trailer towin g 175
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration .
To obtain the best possible handli ng of vehicle
and trailer, please note the fo llow ing:
... Do not tow a loaded t railer w hen you r ca r it­
self is not loaded .
... Be especially caref ul when pass ing other ve­
hicles .
... Obse rve speed lim its .
... Do not dr ive at the maximum permissib le
speed.
... Always app ly brakes e arly .
... Mon itor the tempe rature g auge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded t railer w ith an em pty car re­
su lts in a highly unstab le distrib ution of
weig ht. If th is cannot be avoided d rive at very
l ow speed s on ly t o a void t he ri sk of losi ng
stee ring cont rol.
A "ba lanced " rig is easier to operate and con­
tr ol. Th is means t hat the tow vehicle should
b e lo ade d to t he e xten t possible and per miss i­
ble while keep ing t he tr ailer a s light as possi ­
ble under the c ircu mstances . Wheneve r poss i­
ble, transfe r some ca rgo to the lugga ge com­
partment of the tow vehicle w hile obse rv in g
tong ue load requ irements and vehicle load ing
consideratio ns.
Speed
The higher the speed, the mo re di fficu lt it be ­
comes for the driver to contro l the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissib le speed. Re ­
duce your speed even more under unfavo rable
load, weather or wind conditions - partic ularly
whe n going downhill .
Red uce veh icle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows t he slig htest s ign of sway ing.
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating .
Observe speed limits . In some a reas speeds
f or vehicles tow ing tra ile rs a re lower than for
r egular veh icles .
•
•

190 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
- Blend must contain not more than 1S%
MTBE.
Sea sonally adju sted ga soline
Many gaso line g rades are blended to perform
espec ia lly we ll for winte r or summe r d riv ing .
Du ring seasonal change-ove r, we suggest that
you fill u p at busy gas s tat ions where the sea­
sona l adjus tment is more likely to be made in
time .
(CT) Note
-Methanol fuels which do no t mee t these
r equirements may cause co rrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo ­
nents i n the fuel system .
- Do no t use fue ls that fai l to meet the
spec ified criteria in this chapter.
- If yo u are unable to de term ine whether
or not a particular fue l blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
i ts fuel s upplier.
- Do not use fue l for which the contents
cannot be identified.
- Fuel sys tem damage and performance
problems resulting from t he use of fuels
different from those specified a re not
the respons ibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fue l economy
or driveability and performance prob­ l ems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recomme nd that yo u sw itch
to unblended fuel.
Gasoline additives
A majo r concern among ma ny auto manufac ­
turers is carbon deposit build -up caused by
the type of gasoline you use .
A lthough gasoline grades differ from one
manuf acturer to anothe r, they h ave certa in
things in common. All gaso line g rades contain
substances that can cause deposits to co llect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline
brands incl ude additives to keep engine and fuel systems clean, they a
re not equally effec­
tive .
A udi re commends using TOP TI ER De tergent
Gasoline. For mo re info rmat ion on TO P TI ER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadeq uate
f uels, bui lt-up carbon deposi ts can rob yo ur
engine of peak performance.
(D Note
Dam age or ma lf u nction due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Au di New Ve­
hi cle Limited Warran ty.
Diesel fuel
Applies to veh icles: w ith diesel engine
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) sul­
fur content 15 ppm or less.
T he ULSD ( Ultra Low Sulfur Diese l) meets the
ASTM-D-97S (grade 2).
Die sel fu el with a higher c oncentration than
ULSD -Die sel No. 2 ASTM 0 975 and Bio-die­
sel with a higher c oncentration than S
% like
B11 , B20 or B100 are strictl y prohib ited.
Se rv ice stat io n fue l pumps a re labe led with
the cor rect fuel information fo r easy recogn i­
t ion by the use r. If the d iesel fue l pump is no t
l abeled ask the station operator what fue l is
being dispensed before filling up you r vehicle .
Serv ice stat ions offering d iesel fue l are gene r­
ally located on truck routes or major high­
ways . Directories of diesel fuel stations a re
u su a lly availab le at d iese l fue l stat ions .
Some sta tes in the USA req uire permi ts to
purchase diese l fue l. Check wi th your Sta te
Motor Vehicle Department.
Diesel fue l may no t be ava ilable outside t he
USA and Canada. Be s ure to che ck befo re trav -
eling to othe r countries . .,..

Winter operation
At temperatures below 20° F (-7° C), Diesel
fuel No.
2 loses its fluidity due to wax separa­
tion, which may clog the fuel filter or tank fil­
ter and keep the engine from running .
To help the filter from being clogged by wax,
the fuel filter in your vehicle is automatically
preheated. Preheating the fuel filter makes
operation of your vehicle possible with Diesel
fuel No . 2 down to -10° F (-24° C).
If you expect temperatures below
5° F
(-15° C)
ask your fuel dealer whether their
Diese l fuel No.
2 is sufficiently winterized for
the prevailing and expected temperatures.
If not winterized or insufficiently winterized
d iesel fue l has already thickened to the extent
that the engine will not start, warm the vehi­
cle up by leaving it in a heated garage.
It is normal that the engine noise leve l (die­
seling) is louder during the warm-up period in
winter.
It is also norma l when whitish-blue
smoke comes out of the tailpipe after start ing
and during warm-up . The amount of smoke
depends on the outs ide temperature.
Do not let your diesel engine idle unnecessari­
ly after a cold start. Driving off slowly will
shorten the warm-up period .
A WARNING
-Never use "starting assist fluids." They
may be potent ially explosive or cause a
"run-away" engine condition. This could
result in serious engine damage and per­
sonal injury.
- Never use fuel line anti-freeze offered for
gasoline engines .
0 Note
- Your diesel engine has been specifically
designed to operate only on Ultra Low
Sulfur Diesel fuel. Therefore, never use
home heating oil or regular gasol ine. Th e
properties of these fuels may cause seri­
ous damage to the fuel injection system
and to the engine. Using these fuels can
-
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 191
cause expensive engine repai rs and will
also adversely affect your New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
- If diesel fuel should get on any rubber
hose, it must be wiped off immediately.
Then wash the contaminated hose por­
tion with soap and warm water. Do not
allow diesel fuel to remain on connecting
hoses. They may develop leaks and cause
ser ious damage.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel filler flap.
If the power locking system should fail, you
can still open the flap manually -for detailed
instructions see
¢ page 193.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve­
hicle in
Technical Data ¢page 257 .
The labe l on the inside of the fuel fi ller flap
tells you the correct fuel for your vehicle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see
¢ page 189.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refuel­
ling vapor recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from the
tank and polluting the environment while you refue l your vehicle. In order to fi ll the tank
properly while protecting the environment,
please follow this refueling procedure careful­
ly.
A WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never
carry addit ional fuel conta iners in your car .
Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport fuel can be dangerous. Such con­
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision. If you must
transport fuel to use for your lawn mower,
snow b lower, etc., be very careful and al­
ways observe loca l and state laws regard­
ing the use, transportation and storage of
such fuel containers. Make certain the
~
•
•

Checking and fillin g 197
2.0 liter, 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine (140 hp)
Applies to vehicles: with 2.0 l TOI, 4-cylinder diese l-engin e
These are the most important items that you can check .
Fig. 158 Engine compartment: 2.0 l, 4-cylinder tu rbo
(D Coolant expansion tank ( ... t) .. .
@ Windshield washer container 204
Cw)
.............. ...... . . 211
@ E ng ine oi l dipstick (orange) . . . 200
@ Engine oil filler cap ("t!::r.) . . . . . 200
® Brake fluid reservo ir ((0)) . . . . . 206
® Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
A WARNING
Before yo u check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 194.
-
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the
right kind of oil.
The engine in your Audi is a sophisticated powerplant that was built to exacting specifi­
cations . Th is eng ine needs the right kind of
engine oil that meets specifications regarding
quality and viscosity so that it can run
smoot hly and reliab ly. Choosing the right o il
and changi ng oil within the t ime and mileage
intervals printed in you r vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to ­
day than it did years ago . Audi has developed
a specia l quality standard for engine oil that
will help assure that your vehicle's engine w ill
get the lubr ication it needs for proper opera­
tion.

198 Checking and filling
Mo dern engine lubrication has taken a quan­
tum leap in the last few years. Many synthetic
oils ava ilable today provide better engine lu­
brication that can outlast traditional petrole­
um-based o ils, making them a smart choice
for use throughout the life of your Audi .
Whether you use synthetic or petroleum ­
based engine oil, the oil that yo u use must
conform to Audi 's oil quality standard
VW 502 00 (veh icles with gasoline engine)
and VW 507 00 (vehicle with diesel engine) to he lp keep your vehicle's eng ine runn ing
smoothly and help prevent the fo rmation of
harmf ul depos its , somet imes ca lled "sludge,"
that over t ime can lead to expensive repairs.
At the time of printing , engine oils availab le in
the U .S . and Canada that meet the exa cting
specifi cations o f A ud i oi l st andard VW 502 00
(vehicles wi th gaso line engine) and
VW 507 00 (vehicles with diese l engine) are
synthetic engine oils . This does not mean,
however, that every synthetic engine oil wi ll
meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00 (gasoline
engines) and VW 507 00 (d iesel engines). So
a lway s be sure that you use a n approved o il.
To help prevent the fo rmation of harmful de­
posits use only oil w ith the following specifi ­
c ations printed on the oil conta iner:
- Ga soline engines: Audi oil standard
VWS0200
- Die sel engines: Audi oil standard
vw 50 7 00
Oil container labe ls may carry t he specifica­
tion s ingly or in comb inat ion with other des ig ­
nations and oil qua lity standards.
Vi scosity
Eng ine oi ls are graded according to their v is ­
cosity . The proper v iscosity grade o il for your
engine depends on cl imactic or seasonal con­
d itions w here you dr ive. Yo u can use oi l w ith a
viscosit y grade of SAE 5W-40 a cross all tem ­
perat ure ranges for normal d riving conditions .
H owever, if eng ine o il viscos ity grade SAE
5W-40 is not ava ilable, you can a lso use vis­
cosity g rade SA E 5W-30 or SAE OW-40 as long as it meets A
udi o il quality standard
VW 502 00 (vehicles wit h gasoline engine) or
VW 50 7 00 (vehicles wit h diese l eng ine) spec ­
ifications.
Beca use engine o il that meets the Audi oil
sta ndard may not be availab le everywhere
when you need it, we strong ly recommend
that you a lways carry with you an extra qua rt
( li ter) of oil that express ly conforms to the
VW 502 00 (vehicles wit h gasoline eng ine) o r
VW 507 00 (vehicles w it h diesel eng ine) spec­
i fication, i n case you have to top off the oi l
wh ile on the road.
App lies to vehicle s with gasoline engin e on­
ly:
Only if the level of the o il is at or below the
min imum ma rk - and no o il that expressly
c onfo rms to Audi oil standa rd VW 50 2 00
specifica tions is available - may you top off
with a high quality engine o il , pre fera bly syn ­
t h etic-based, that meets ACEA A3 or API SM
specifications, but even then, only in viscosity
grades SAE 5W-40, SA E 5W-30, or SA E
OW-40. However, dur ing the entire time be­
tween oil change interva ls, never top off with
more than a total of 0.5 qt/liter engine o il
that does not confo rm to Aud i oil spec ification
vw 502 00 .
Applies to vehicles with diesel engine only:
Only if the level of the oil is at or be low the
min imum ma rk - and no o il tha t expressly
confo rms to Audi oil standa rd VW 507 00
spe cifications is available - may you top off
wi th a high quali ty engine o il, that meets
AC EA C3 o r API CF specifica tions, but even
then , on ly in viscosity grades SAE 5W-40 , SAE
5W-30, or SAE OW-40 . However, during the
entire t ime between oil change intervals, nev­
er top off with more than a tota l of 0.5 qt/li­
ter engine oil that does no t conform to Aud i
o il specification VW 507 00 .
For more information about eng ine oi l that
has been approved for your veh icle, please
contact e ither your au thorized Aud i dealer or
Audi Custome r Re lations at 1 (800) 822 -2834
o r vis it our web site at www.audiusa .com or
www.aud icanada .ca. He re you w ill also find a
c ur rent l ist of oi ls (manufac turers, brand .,.

224 Tire s and wheel s
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
¢ .&..
We re commend that all wo rk on tires and
wheels be perfo rmed by an authorized A udi
deale r. T hey a re familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary special
too ls and spare parts as we ll as the proper fa ­
cilities for disposing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary
information about technica l requirements for
installing or changing tires and r ims .
Replacing t ires and whe els
Tires shou ld be rep laced at least in pairs and
not individua lly ( for examp le both front tires
or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the t ire pressure
monito ring system* info rmation
¢ page 230.
Always buy replacement radial tires that have
the same specifications as the tires approved
fo r your vehi cle by Aud i. Replacement t ires
must always have the s ame load rating speci­
f ication as the or ig inal equipment or approved
optional tires listed in the table
¢page 216.
Audi-approved specification t ires are specially
matc hed to you r vehicle and its lo ad limits,
and ca n contribute to the important road ho ld ­
ing, d riving characteristics, and safety of the
ve hicle . The table
(¢page 216) lists specifica ­
tions of the t ires approved for the Audi mod ­
e ls covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire press ure label located either on driv­
e r's side B-p illar or inside the fue l filler flap
(¢ page 216 , fig. 168) lists the spec ificat ions
of the original equipment tires installed on
your ve hicle at the time it was manufactured.
F ederal law requires tire manufacturers to
p lace standard ized information on the s ide ­
wall of all tires¢
fig. 171. This information
ident ifies and describes the fundamental
characterist ics, the quality grade of the tire
and also provides a tire ident ificat ion number
for safety standard cert ificat ion and in case of
a recall.
Tire specification s
Knowledge o f ti re specifications ma kes it eas­
ier to choose the correct tires. Radial ti res
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for examp le:
P2 25 / 45 R 17 91H XL
Th is conta ins the following information:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
(where app licab le)
2 25 Nom inal tire w idth in mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider
the tire
45 Height/w idth ratio in percent (aspect ra-
t io)
R Tire construct ion: Radial
1 7 Rim diameter code (in inches)
91 Load rating code
H S peed ra ting letter code
XL (or "xl", "E XTRA LOAD" or "RF") in d ic ates
that the t i re is "Re info rced" or an "E xtra
Load" t ire
M+S (or "M/5") Indicate s that the ti re has
some mud and snow capabi lity
The tires could also have the information of
direction of rotat io n
¢ page 212.
Tire manufacturing d ate
The manufacturing date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly on ly on the
inner
s ide of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2211 ... "means, for examp le, that
the tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2011.
Sp eed rating (letter c ode )
The speed rating letter code on the whee ls in­
dicates the maximum permiss ible road speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on page 228.
P up to 93 mp h (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mp h (1 58 km/h)
R up to 106 mph ( 170 km/h)
S up to 110 mph ( 180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h) U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)