2012 AUDI A3 warning

trapped under the brake pedal and accel­
erator pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop­
erly stowed and secured in the luggage com­
partment.
F ig . 119 Safe load position ing: heavy cargo positioned
as far forward as poss ib le.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling
characterist ics. Loose items can also increase
the r isk of serio us personal injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuver or in a collision .
.,. Distribute the load evenly in the luggage
compartment .
.,. Always place and properly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as far
forward as poss ible
¢ fig . 119.
.,. Secure luggage using the tie-downs provid­
ed
¢ page 68.
.,. Make sure that the rear seatback is secure ly
latched in place.
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly through the vehicle caus ing se rious
personal injury in the event of hard b rak­
ing or an ac cident. To help redu ce the r isk
o f serious persona l injury:
- Always put objects, for examp le, luggage
or other heavy items in the l uggage com­
partment.
Dr ivin g Sa fely 109
-Always secure objects in the luggage
compartment using the t ie-down eyelets
and suitable straps.
A WARNING
Heavy loads w ill influence the way your ve­
hicle handles. To help reduce the risk of a
loss of control leading to serious personal
injury:
-Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
veh icle hand ling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle We ight Rat­
ing or the G ross Vehicle Weight Rating
specif ied on the safety compliance stick­
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per­
miss ible weight standards can cause the
veh icle to slide and handle different ly.
- Please
observe informat ion on safe driv­
ing¢
page 103.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always
ke ep the rear lid clos ed w hile driving.
- Never transport objects larger than
those fitting completely into the luggage area because the rear lid cannot be fu lly
closed .
- I f you absolutely must dr ive with the rea r
lid open, o bserve the following no tes to
red uce the risk of poison ing:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power roof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Swi tc h off the air rec irculat ion,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.

110 Driving Safely
&_ WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­dows, the power roof* and the read lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
-After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­
pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out. Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the
vehicle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load -see the tire pressure sticker on the
fuel filler door.
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. On USA vehicles, the
tire pressure label is located on the driv­
er's side B-pillar. On Canada vehicles, the
tire pressure label is located either on
the driver's side B-pillar or inside the fuel
filler flap. The tire pressure label lists
the recommended cold tire inflation pressures for the vehicle at its maximum
capacity weight and the tires that were
on your vehicle at the time it was manu­
factured. For recommended tire pres­
sures for normal load conditions, please
see chapter ¢
page 216.
-
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly
¢ page 109, Loading the luggage com ­
partment .
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb (4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item . This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be
about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the
injuries that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying
freely through the passenger compartment
could cause in a collision like this.
&_ WARNING ~
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
-Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help pre­
vent items from shifting or flying for­ ward as dangerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded
down, always use suitable mounting
straps and properly secure items to the
tie-downs in the luggage compartment
to help prevent items from flying for­
ward as dangerous missiles into the pas­
senger compartment .
- Never attach a child safety seat tether
strap to a tie-down.

Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts are nec­
essary, how they work and how to adjust and
wear them correctly.
~ Read all the information that follows and
heed all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se­
rious injury and death in automobile acci­
dents. For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
- Pregnant women, injured, or physically
impaired persons must also use safety
belts. Like all vehicle occupants, they are
more likely to be seriously injured if they
do not wear safety belts. The best way to
protect a fetus is to protect the mother -
throughout the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating positions:
two in the front and three in the rear. Each
seating position has a safety belt.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- Never strap more than one person, in­
cluding small children, into any belt. It is
especially dangerous to place a safety
belt over a child sitting on your lap.
- Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are safety belts available.
Safety belts 113
-Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safe­
ty belt or child restraint.
~ Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the
driver and front seat passenger (on USA mod­
els only) to remind you about the importance
of buckling-up.
Fig. 120 Safety belt warning light in the instr ument
cl uster -enla rged
Before driving off, always:
~ Fasten your safety belt and make sure you
are wearing it properly.
~ Make sure that your passengers also buckle
up and properly wear their safety belts.
~ Protect children with a child restraint sys-
tem appropriate for the size and age .
The warning light . in the instrument cluster
lights up when the ignition is switched on as a
reminder to fasten the safety belts. In addi­
tion, you will hear a warning tone for a certain period of time .
Fasten your safety belt and make sure that
your passengers also properly put on their
safety belts.
A WARNING
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se­
rious injury and death in automobile acci­
dents. For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
•
•

114 Safety belts
-Failure to pay attention to the warning
light that come on, could lead to person­
al injury.
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for
people riding in vehicles.
Fig. 121 Unb elted occupants in a ve hicle heading for a
wall
Fig. 122 Th e vehicle c rash es into the wall
The physical principles are simple. Both the
vehicle and the passengers possess energy
which varies w ith veh icle speed and body
weight . Engineers call this energy "kinetic en­
e rgy ."
T he higher the speed of the vehicle and the
greater the vehicle's weight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most significant factor.
If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to
50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
Because the passengers of this vehicle are not
using safety belts
c::;, fig. 121, they will keep
moving at the same speed the vehicle was
mov ing just before the crash, until something
stops them - here, the wall ¢
fig. 122 .
The same principles apply to people sitting in
a vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision .
Even at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50
km/h), the forces acting on the body can
reach one ton (2,000 lbs. or 1,000 kg) or
more . At greater speeds, these forces are even
higher .
Peop le who do not use safety belts are also
not attached to their vehicle. In a frontal colli­
s ion they will also keep moving forward at the
speed their vehicle was travell ing just before
the crash . Of course, the laws of physics don't
just apply to frontal collisions, they determine
what happens in all kinds of accidents and col­
lisions .
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in­
jured or killed. Always wear your safety belts!
Fig. 123 A d river not wea ring a safety b elt is viol en tly
thrown fo rwa rd
Fig . 124 A rear passe nge r not wearing a safety belt
w ill fl y forward and strike the dr iver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the
tremendous forces of i mpac t by holding tight
or bracing themselves. Without the benefit of
safety restraint systems , the unrestrained
ll-

116 Safety belts
Important safety instructions about
safety belts
Safety belts must always be correctly posi­
tioned across the strongest bones of your
body.
,.. Always wear safety belts as illustrated and
described in this chapter.
,.. Make sure that your safety belts are always
ready for use and are not damaged.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death. Safety belts can
work only when used correctly .
- Always fasten your safety belts correctly
before driving off and make sure all pas­
sengers are correctly restrained.
- For maximum protection, safety belts must always be positioned properly on
the body .
- Never strap more than one person , in­
cluding small children, into any belt.
- Never place a safety belt over a child sit­ ting on your lap.
- Always keep feet in the footwell in front
of the seat while the vehicle is being driv­
en .
- Never let any person ride with their feet on the instrument panel or sticking out
the window or on the seat.
- Never remove a safety belt while the ve­
hicle is moving. Doing so will increase
your risk of be ing injured or killed.
- Never wear belts twisted.
- Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eye glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these
may cause injury.
- Never allow safety belts to become dam­
aged by being caught in door or seat
hardware .
- Do not wear the shoulder pa rt of the belt
under your arm or otherwise out of pos i­
tion . -
Several layers of heavy clothing may in­
terfere with correct positioning of belts
and reduce the overall effectiveness of
the system .
- Always keep belt buckles free of anything
that may prevent the buckle from latch­
ing securely .
- Never use comfort clips or devices that
create slack in the shoulder belt . Howev­
er, special clips may be required for the
proper use of some child restraint sys­
tems .
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and
damaged belt hardware can break in an
accident. Inspect belts regularly .
If web­
bing, bindings, buck les, or retractors are
damaged, have belts replaced by an au ­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
- Safety belts that have been worn and
loaded in an accident must be replaced
with the correct replacement safety belt
by an authorized Audi dealer . Replace­
ment may be necessary even if damage
cannot be clearly seen . Anchorages that
were loaded must also be inspected.
- Never remove, modify, disassemble, or
try to repair the safety belts yourself.
- Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts
may not work properly and can impair
the function of the inert ia reel
c:> page 187, Safety belts .
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Seat first -everybody buckle up!
Fig. 126 B elt buck le and to ngue o n th e drive r's sea t

To provide maximum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the
wearer's body .
... Adjust the front seat and head restra int
properly
c::> page 61, General recommenda­
tions .
... Make sure the seatback of the rear seat
bench is in an upright position and securely
latched in place before using the belt
c::> ,&. .
... Hold the be lt by the tongue and pull it
evenly across the chest and pelvis
c::> ,&..
... Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hea r it latch securely
c::> fig. 126.
... Pull on t he be lt to make sure that it is se-
curely latched in the buckle.
Automatic safety belt retractors
Every safety belt is equipped w ith an automat­
i c belt retractor on the shoulder be lt. This fea­
ture locks the be lt when the belt is pulled out
fast, dur ing hard braking and in an accident.
The belt may also lock when you drive up or
down a steep hill or through a sharp curve.
During normal driving the belt lets you move
freely.
Safety belt pretensioners
The safety belts are equipped with a belt pre­
tensioner that helps to tighten the safety belt
and remove slack when the pretensioner is ac­
tivated. The funct ion of the pretensioner is
monitored by a warning light
c::> page 16.
Sw itchable locking feature
E very safety belt except the one on the driver
seat is equipped with a switchable locking fea­
ture that
must be used when the safety belt is
used to attach a child safety seat. Be sure to read the important information about this
feature
c::> page 152.
A WARNING
Imprope rly positioned safety belts can
cause serious injury in an accident
o::> page 117, Safety belt position.
-Safety belts offer optimum protect ion
only when the seatback is upright and
Safety belts 11 7
belts are properly positioned on the
body.
- Always make sure that the rear seat
backrest to which the center rear safety
be lt is attached is securely latched when­
ever the rear center safety belt is being
used. If the backrest is not securely latched, the passenger w ill move for­
ward with the backrest during sudden
braking, in a sudden maneuver and espe­
cially in a crash .
- Never attach th e safety belt to the buck­
le for another seat . Atta ching the belt to
the wrong buckle will reduce safety be lt
effectiveness and can cause ser ious per­
sonal injury.
- A passenger who is not proper ly restrain ­
ed can be seriously injured by the safety
be lt itself when it moves from the stron­
ger parts of the body into critical areas
like the abdomen.
- Always lock the convertible locking re­
tractor when you are securing a child safety seat in the vehicle
c::> page 154.
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting
maximum protection from safety belts.
Fig . 1 27 Head restra int and safety belt pos it ion as
see n from the s ide
ill
q :r ... CD
Standard features on your vehicle he lp you ad ­
just the position of the safety belt to match
your body size.
- be lt h eight adjustment for the front seats,
- automatic belt height adjustment for the
rear seats .

118 Safety belts
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can
cause serious personal injury in an acci­
dent.
- The shoulder belt portion of the safety
belt must be positioned over the middle
of the occupant's shoulder and never across the neck or throat.
- The safety belt must lie flat and snug on
the occupant's upper body
<=:> fig. 127.
Pull on the belt to tighten if necessary.
-
-The lap belt portion of the safety belt
must be positioned as low as possible
across pelvis and never over the abdo­
men. Make sure the belt lies flat and
snug ¢
fig. 12 7. Pull on the belt to tight­
en if necessary.
-A loose-fitting safety belt can cause seri­ ous injuries by shifting its position on
your body from the strong bones to more
vulnerable, soft tissue and cause serious
injury.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
¢page 116.
Pregnant women must also be correctly
restrained
The best way to protect the fetus is to make
sure that expectant mothers always wear
safety belts correctly -throughout the preg­
nancy.
Fig. 128 Safety belt posit ion during pregnancy
To provide maximum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the
wearer's body
¢ page 117.
.,. Adjust the front seat and head restraint cor­
rectly¢
page 61, General recommenda­
tions.
.,. Make sure the seatback of the rear seat
benc h is in an upr ight position and secure ly
latched in place before using the belt .
"' Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it
evenly across the chest and pelvis
¢ fig. 128, ¢ ,&, .
"' Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hear it latch securely
<:!;>page 116, fig. 126 .
.,. Pull on the belt to make sure that it is se­
curely latched in the buckle.
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can
cause serious personal injury in an acci­
dent .
-
-Expectant mothers must always wear the
lap portion of the safety belt as low as
possible across the pelvis and below the
rounding of the abdomen.
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information¢.&.
in Fas­
tening safety belts on page 117.
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release
button only a~er the vehicle has stopped .
Fig. 129 Releasing the tongue from the buckle
.,. Push the red release button on the buckle
c:!;> fig. 129. The belt tongue will spring out
of the buckle ¢,& .
.,. Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you
guide the belt tongue to its stowed position.
Ill-

,&_ WARNING
Never unfasten safety belt while the vehi ­
cle is movi ng . Doing so will increase your
risk of being injured or killed .
Adjusting safety belt height
With the aid of the safety belt height adjust ­
ment, the thr ee point safety belt strap rout­
ing can be fitted to the shoulder area, accord­
ing to body size.
Fi g. 13 0 Safety be lt heig ht ad justment fo r the fr ont
s e ats - loop -a ro un d f ittin gs
g 0 0 0 ... a,
• Push the loop -aro und fitti ngs up ¢ fig. 130
@ , or
• squee ze together the (D button, and push
the loop-around fitt ings down @.
• Pull the belt to make sure that the upper at­
tachment is properly engaged .
_&. WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS an d
ot her i mpo rtant in format io n
¢ page 116.
(D Tips
-The sho ulder belt part sho uld route ap­
pro ximately over the middle of your
shou lde r -
under no circum stances
should it route over your neck and
throat area
¢ .&. in Safety belt posi tion
on page 118.
- Wi th the fr ont seats, the he igh t adju st­
me nt of the se at c an a lso be used to ad­
ju st the position o f the safety belts.
Safety belts 119
Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause
severe injuries .
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause se­
rious injury or death. Safety belts can on ly
work when they are correctly positioned on
the body . Imprope r seat ing pos itions reduce
the effectiveness of safety be lts and will
even
inc rea se t he risk of inju ry and death by mov ­
in g t he safety be lt to c riti cal a reas o f the
bo dy. Improper seating posi tions a lso in ­
c rease the ris k of serious injury and death
when a n airbag dep loys and strikes an occu­
pant who is not in the correct seating posi­
tion. A driver is respons ible for the safety of
all vehicle occupants and especially for ch il­
dren . Therefore:
• Never perm it anyone to assume an incorrect
sitt ing pos ition in the vehicle while traveling
¢ _& .
The following lists only some examples of im­
proper ly worn safety belts that will increase
the risk of ser ious injury and death . Our hope
is that these examp les w ill make you more
aware of seat ing pos itions that are dangerous .
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is
moving:
- never wear the shoulder belt under your arm
- never let the s hou lder belt pass over yo ur
neck
- never wear the safety belt loose ly
- neve r place the lap belt port ion of the safety
be lt across your abdomen¢.&. .
_&. WARNING
Im properly worn safety belts increase the
risk of ser ious persona l injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used .
- Always make s ure t hat all vehicle occu­
pa nts are co rrectly restra ined and stay in
a co rrect seati ng position whe never th e
veh icle is being used.
- A lways read and heed a ll WARNIN GS and
o th er impo rtant information
¢ pag e 116 .