2012 AUDI A3 brakes

162 Intelligent technology
ESP includes and/or works together with the
anti-lock brake system (ABS), brake assist sys­
tem and anti-slip regulation (ASR). ESP is
switched on all the time. In certain situations
when you need less tract ion, you ca n sw itch
off ESP by pressing the button [g] _ Be sure to
switch ESP on again when you no longer need l ess traction .
Anti-lock b raking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up
when braking. The vehicle can still be steered
even during hard braking. Apply steady pres­
sure to the brake pedal. Do not pump the ped­
al. A puls ing in the b rake pedal ind icates that
the system is he lp ing you to b ra ke the vehicle.
Br ake a ssist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking
d istance. It increases braking power when the
d river presses the brake pedal quick ly in eme r­
gency situations. You must press and hold the
brake peda l until the si tuation is over .
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the fo rce to
the road co ndit io ns. This makes it easier to
start, ac celerate and drive up hills.
Electronic differential loc k (EDL )
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinn ing and
transfers the drive power to the other drive
wheel or whee ls if the vehicle is equipped with
a ll-wheel d rive*. This funct ion is available up
to abo ut 60 mph (100 km/h).
In extreme cases, EDL automat ically switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from ove rheating . EDL w il l switch on aga in au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to
n o rmal.
& WARNING
- ESP, A BS, ASR an d EDL cannot ove rcome
the laws of physics . This is espec ially im ­
portant on slippery or wet roads. If the
systems begin act ing to stab ilize your ve­
hicle, you should immediately cha nge your speed to matc
h the road and t raffic
conditions. Do not let the increased safe­
ty provided by these systems tempt you
to take risks. Do ing so w ill increase the
ris k of a loss of veh icle control , co llision
and serious pe rsonal inj uries .
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic and weather conditions. The risk of los­
ing control of the vehicle inc reases when
d riving too fast, espec ially through
curves and on slippe ry or wet roads, and
when dr iv ing too close to vehicles up
ahead. ESP, ABS, the brake assist system, EDL an d ASR cannot prevent collisions.
- Always accelera te with special care on
even, smooth s urfaces such as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow.
The drive wheels can spin even w ith
these assistance systems that cannot al­
ways he lp to red uce the risk of loss of ve­
h icle control.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR only work correct ly when
all four wheels are equipped with identi­
cal tires. Diffe rent tire sizes can lead to a
reduction in engine powe r.
- You may hear noises when the systems
descr ibed are working .
- If the indicator light
D] or m (USA
mode ls)/ KC] (Canada models) appears,
t here may be a malfunction~
page 18,
~page 18.
ESP switching on/off
Fig. 151 Ce nter conso le: ESP O FF butto n
The ESP is automat ically activated whe n the
engine is started, and it performs a se lf-test .
II>

As soon as the test is completed, the system
is in normal operating mode.
Switching off
E SP should normally be activated at all times
because this ensures optimum vehicle stabil i­
ty. In certa in situations, it might make sense
to a llow some slip . For example:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Driving with snow cha ins
Press the
[!I button . The ESP indicator light I)
turns on and S tabil isat ion prog ram off ap­
pears in the d isp lay. ASR deact ivates com­
pletely and the stab ilizat ion effects from the
ESP system are lim ited.
S wi tc hing on
Press the [!I button again. The message S tab i·
li sa tion p rogram on
appears briefly in the dis­
play.
A WARNING
You should only sw itch the ESP off if your
driving ability and the traffic s ituation per­
m it. Please note that when ESP/ASR is de­
act ivated, the drive whee ls can sp in on icy
and slippe ry roads and the vehi cle can
break away - danger of skidding!
(j) Tips
If A udi magnetic ride* is malfunctioning,
the ESP may not switch off or it may
sw itch off automatically.
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating condit ions and d riving habit s
The brakes on today's automobi les are st ill
subject to wear, depending largely on operat­
ing cond itions and dr iving habits
q .&. . On ve ­
hicles that are either driven mostly in stop­
and -go city traffic or are driven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by your author-
Int ellig ent technolog y 163
ized Audi dea ler more often than specified in
the
W arra nty & M aintenance booklet. Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance.
On steep slopes, you sho uld use the b raking
effect of the engine. This way, you prevent un­
necessary wear on the brake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down cont inuously. Pump the brakes at inter­
vals.
Noises may occur when braking depending on
speed, braking force and outs ide cond it ions
such as temperature and humidity.
Mo isture o r road sal t
If you are driving faster than SO mph (80 km/
h) and the windshield wipers are on, the brake
pads will briefly touch the brake discs in regu­
lar intervals so as to improve react ion time
when brak ing on wet surfaces. You, the driver,
will not not ice anything.
Under certain conditions, for example, when
driv ing through water or very heavy ra in, or
even after washing your veh icle, the braking
effect can be reduced due to moisture (or in
freez ing cond itions ice) on the brake pads. A
few cautious brake applications should dry off
the b ra ke pads or remove any ice coatings.
The effectiveness of the brakes ca n be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-cove red
road and the brakes are not used. l ikewise,
you clean off accumulated salt coating from brake d iscs and pads w ith a few cautio us ap­
plications o f the b ra ke
¢ .&, .
Corrosion
T here may be a tendency for di rt to b uild up
o n the brake pads and corros ion to fo rm on
the d iscs if the car is not d riven regu larly or
o nly for short tr ips w ith litt le use of the
brakes.
If the brakes a re not used frequently, o r if cor­
ros ion has formed on the discs, it is adv isable
to clean off t he pads and d iscs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed ~.&. . .,.
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164 Intelligent technolog y
Faults in the bra ke sys tem
If you should notice a sudden increase in
b rake peda l travel, then one of the two brake
circuits may have failed¢.& .
Low brake flu id le vel
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low . T he brake fluid
l eve l is moni to red electronica lly .
Bra ke lining w ear st atu s
Brake l ining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces­
sa ry, the wheel may be removed for this in ­
spection
¢page 236, Wheel change.
A WARNING
-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system on ly if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an acc ident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmiss ion into a lower
gear or lower driving range . Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often. This cou ld cause the
brakes to get hot and dimin ish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "r ide the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when yo u do not intend
to bra ke . This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance .
- Under certain climat ic and operating
condit ions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums . Carefully apply brakes
for a test . Brakes will dry and ice coat­
ings will be cleaned off after a few care­
ful brake applications.
- Driv ing for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads w ithout us ing your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency . Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the a ir
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­ ed. Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impa ir
the braking capab ility result ing in an in­
creased stopping distance. Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­
est a utho rized Audi dea le r or q ualified
wo rkshop.
Brake booster '
The brake booster adds extra broking power.
The brake booster works with vacuum pres­
sure which is created only when the eng ine is
run ning ¢.&_ .
_&. WARNING
-Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off.
- I f the b rake booster is not working, for
examp le when towing yo ur vehicle, or
because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed conside rably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance.
Functioning of Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up un­ der broking.
.
The ABS contributes effectively to vehicle con­
trol since it prevents the whee ls from
locking
when the brakes are applied. This means that
the vehicle remains steerable and is less likely
to sk id .
With ABS you do not need to pump th e
brake. Ju st hold the b ra ke pedal down.

Driving and
environment
The first 1
1000
miles
(11500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1 ,500 km) .
For the first 600 mile s (1,000
kilometers ):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
.,. Do not d rive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imimum permitted
RPM .
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1 ,000 to
1,500 kilometers):
.. Speeds can gradually be increased to the
maximum pe rm iss ible road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in per iod
.,. Do not rev the engine up to h igh speeds
when it is cold. This applies whether the
transmission is i n N (Neutra l) or in gear.
After the break- in peri od
.. Do not exceed maximum engine speed un­
der any circumstances .
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear
before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach­
ometer scale
¢ page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the en­
g ine's interna l friction is higher than later
when all the moving parts have been broken
i n. How well this break-in p rocess is done de­
pends to a conside rable extent on the way the
ve hicl e is driven d uring the first 1,0 00 miles
(1, 500 k ilome ters).
(D Note
Extremely high engine speeds are auto­
mat ically reduced. However, t hese RPM ­
lim its we re p rogrammed fo r an engi ne
we ll ru n- in, not a new engine .
Driving and environment 169
@) For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high en­
g ine speeds -upshifting ear ly saves f uel,
reduces noise and protects the environ­
ment.
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive
particularly caref ul for the first 300 miles
(500 kilomete rs) afte r fitt ing.
.&, WARNING
N ew tires tend to be sl ippery and mus t al­
so be "b roken -in" . Be sure to remember
this dur ing t he f irst 3 00 m iles (500 kilo­
meters) . Brake gently . Avoid fo llow ing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
b raking .
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full brak ing effect dur ing the first 250 m iles
(400 kilomete rs) afte r they a re install ed.
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" be­
fore they have optima l grab¢ .&. .
D uring the brea k-in period, yo u should avo id
putting severe loads on the brakes. Severe
l oads include , for example, sudden hard brak­
i ng, in particular at very h igh speeds or, for
example, on mounta in passes .
.&, WARNING
Until they develop the maximum "bite" for
bes t stopping power, the s urfaces on new
brake p ads re quir e some "breaking -in" dur­
ing the initia l 100 to 150 miles (15 0 to
200 kilometers) of no rma l city driving . You
can compensate for this by pressing the b rake peda l more f irm ly. This applies
whenever new pads are installed.
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170 Driving and en vironm ent
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when dr iv ing t hrough water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than walking speed.
A WARNING
After d riving through wate r, mud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because o f wet brake ro tors and pads. Dry
the brakes f irst by bra king carefully to re ­
store the full braking effect .
({D Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
t ransmiss ion, suspens ion or elect rical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through wate r.
(D Tips
-Che ck the depth of the water before dr iv­
i ng through it.
- Do no t stop the veh icle, dr ive in reverse
or switch the engine off when d riving
th rough water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may c reate waves that raise the wate r
l evel and make it too deep for yo ur vehi­
cle to drive th rough safely .
- Avoid driving thro ugh salt water because
i t can ca use corrosion.
Catalytic converter
-
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner .
"' Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 189,
Fuel supply.
"' Never run the tank down a ll the way to
empty .
"' Never put too much motor oil in your en­
gine ¢
page 200, ~ Adding engine oil .
"' Never try to push -or tow-start you r vehicle .
T he ca talytic converter is an efficient "clean­
u p" dev ice bui lt into the exhaust system of
the vehicle . The cata lytic conve rter bu rns
many of the pollutants in the ex ha u st gas be ­
fore they are re leased into the atmosphere.
T he exclusive use of unleaded f uel is c rit ically
important for the life o f the catalyt ic convert ­
er and prope r function ing of the engine .
A WARNING
-Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fue l spill or other material wh ich can
cause a fire .
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
rustp roofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields. Dur ing driv ing, the
substance used fo r under coating could
overhe at and cause a fire.
((0 Note
-Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel w ill alr eady ser iously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
converte r.
- Do not exceed t he cor rect engine oil level
¢page 200.
-Do not dr ive until t he fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The engine cou ld mis­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get in to
the exhaust system and th is co uld cause
t he catalytic converter to overheat .
- Do not tu rn off the igni tion while the ve­
hicle is mov ing.
- Do not continue to ope rate your veh icle
under these conditions, as ot herwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
cou ld resu lt in overheating of the con­
verter, requir ing its replacement.
- To assu re efficient operation of the Emis -
sion Control System : ..,.

-Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impair
the function of the emission control
system and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is
operating properly, the exhaust gas can
have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operating states. This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w ith lead-free super
grade gasoline.
Diesel particulate filter
Ap plies to vehicles: with diesel partic ul ate filter
The diesel particulate filter filters nearly al l of
the soot part icles out of the exhaust. The fi l­
ter cleans itse lf automatically under normal
driving conditions . If the fi lter cannot clean it­
self (for example, because you are only driving
short distances), the filter becomes clogged
with soot and the
II symbol for the diesel
particulate filter illuminates
c> page 22.
A WARNING
- Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par­
t icu late filter could start a fire .
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in
the exhaust system a rea or a fire could
start.
(D Tip s
-When the diesel particulate filter be­
comes saturated, the engine speed in­
creases to approximate ly 1,500 rpm
while the vehicle is in motion to init iate
the cleaning of the diesel particulate fil­
ter a utomatically without the warning
l amp lighting up . If the warning lamp
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 171
Ill sti ll appears, you shou ld drive to a
qualified workshop .
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that
low -lying parts such as spo ilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is espec ially true for veh icles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis) and fully loaded
vehicles.
Operate your vehicle
economically and minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise Levels.
Fuel economy, env ironmenta l impact, and
wear on your eng ine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three facto rs:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you ant ic ipate wha t you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumptio n by 10-15 percent . This sec­
tion wi ll give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook.
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the road, which will vary depending upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
dit ions, trip length, etc.
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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 .
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