2012 AUDI A3 service

30 Driver in formation d ispl ay
Fue l economy messages are displayed when
fuel consumption is increased by certa in con­
d itions. If you follow these fuel economy mes ­
sage s, you can reduce your vehicle's consump­
t ion of fuel. The messages appear automati­
cally and a re o nly disp layed in the eff iciency
program . The fuel economy messages turn off
automatically after a certain period of time .
.,. To turn a fuel economy message off imme-
diately after it appears, press the
I RES ET I
button ~ page 26, fig . 11 @ , or
.,. Press the function selection switch
¢ page 26, fig. 11 @ .
(D Tips
-Once you have t urned a fue l eco nomy
message off, it will only appear again af­
te r you turn the ignition on aga in.
- The fuel economy messages are not dis­
played in every insta nce, bu t rathe r in in­
te rv al s over a period o f ti me .
Service interval display
The service interval display reminds you when
your next service is due.
F ig. 2 0 Sectio n of inst rume nt cl uster : Serv ice inte rv al
d isplay
The schedule for the nex t oil change o r inspec­
tion is calculated a utomatically and displayed
according ly . The display works in two stages :
Service reminder
30 days befo re the next service is due, a se rv­
i ce rem inder appears in the d isplay when you
turn on the igni tion.
After abo ut 5 seconds the display sw itches
back to normal. The d ista nce and time re- main
ing are upda ted each time the ig nition is
turned on unti l the date d ue for service is
reached.
Service due
When the d ue da te for service is reached, t he
message
Service due! appears in the i nstr u­
ment cluster imme diate ly after yo u turn on
the ignit io n. Add itiona lly, a warning tone
sounds. After about 5 seconds the disp lay
switches back to normal.
Calling up the service schedules
If or when an oil change or inspec tion is due,
can be shown in the instrument cluster by se­
lecting the service interva l disp lay . Select
Chec k > Service > Oil change or Service by us­
ing the
I RESE T! button and the rocker sw itch
¢ page 27, fig. 12 .
Resetting the ser vic e interval di splay
Your a uthorized Audi dea ler w ill reset the cor­
responding service sc hedule after performing
the appropr iate service on you r veh icle. You
also have the possib ility to rese t the oil
change schedule after hav ing performed an
o il change acco rding to Aud i specif ications .
- Switch the ignit ion on.
- Pull the knob@~
page 10, fig. 3. The mes -
sage.
Se rvice due! appears .
- Pull the knob unt il the display
Oil change in
----- mi (km )--- days appears in the disp lay.
If the reset button is not pulled within 5
seconds, the display reset mode closes.
(D Note
If yo u disconnect the battery te rm inals , no
ca lculations can be made for the service
i nterval disp lay dur ing th is time and no
se rv ice reminder will appear. Remember
that observ ing the proper service intervals
i s vitally important to extending t he life of
your ve hicle, pa rticula rly t he e ngine, and
maint ain ing its value. Eve n if the mileage
drive n is low, the max imum per iod of one
year from one service to the next m ust no t
be exceeded.
II>-

@ Tips
-If a malfunction is present (red symbol),
the distance remaining cannot be called
up.
- Do not reset the display between service
interva ls. Doing so will result in an incor­
rect display.
- If the battery is disconnected, the Serv­
ice Interval Display values are retained.
- On vehicles with the Driver Information
System, you can also call up the service
i nterval display
¢page 27.
-If service was not performed at the cor­
rect time or the service interval display
was not reset after service was per­
formed, the add itiona l mi leage driven or
the elapsed days will be shown as nega­
tive numbers.
Engine oil temperature
display
A ppl ies to vehicles : wit h engin e temperat ure cont rol dis­
p lay
F ig . 21 Display: engine oil temperatu re disp lay
• With the ignition switched on, press the
I RESET I button ¢ page 26, fig. 11 repeated­
l y until the engine o il temperature display is
shown.
The engine has reached its operating temper­
ature when the engine oil temperature is be­
tween
1 76 ° F (80 °() and 248 °F (120 °() un­
der normal driving conditions. The engine oil
temperature may be higher if the re is heavy
engine load and h igh temperatures outs ide .
This is not a cause for concern as long as the
• ¢
page 16 or II ¢ page 20 war ning light
i n the display does not flash.
Dri ver inform ation di spl ay 31
Speed warning system
Overview
The speed warning system helps you to keep
your driving speed below a set speed limit.
Fi g. 22 Display: speed warning system
The speed warning system warns the drive r if
he exceeds a previo usly stored max imum
speed. A warning tone will sound as soon as
the vehicle speed exceeds the set speed by
about 3 mph (3 km/h). At the same time, a
warning symbol appears in the display
q fig. 22.
The speed warning system has two warning
t hr es hol ds
that function independently of
each other and that have somewhat different
purposes:
' 8/8 ( Canad a model s) Sp eed warn ing 1
You can use speed warning 1 to set the maxi ­
mum speed while you are driving. This setting
will remain in effect until you turn
off the igni­
tion, assuming that you have not changed or reset the setting.
The speed warning symbol
Ci] ; [i (Canada
models) in the warning 1 disp lay appears
when you exceed the maximum speed.
It goes
out when the speed falls below the stored
maximum speed .
The speed warning symbol will also go out if
the speed
exceeds the stored maximum speed
by more than about 25 mph (40 km/h) for at
least 10 seconds. The stored maximum speed
is de leted.
Setting speed warning 1
¢ page 32. .,.

Switching intermittent wiper acti on off
• Pull the lever all the way back to the or igi­
nal position.
A WARNING
Wiper blades are crucial for safe driving!
On ly in good condition are they able to
clear the windows properly to provide un­
restricted visibility. Worn or frayed wiper
blades are a safety hazard!
r::;, page 5 7,
Replacing front wiper blades
Q) Note
In freezing or near freez ing cond itions:
- Always check t hat the wiper blades are
not frozen to the glass before yo u turn
the wiper on. loosen a wiper blade which i s frozen in p lace before operating the
wipe r to preve nt damage to the wiper
blade o r the w ip er motor .
-
-Do not use the wiper to clear a frosted
window . Using the wipers as a conven ­
i ent ice sc raper will destroy the w iper
blades .
(D Tips
For better rea rward vision whe n pa rking,
the r ear w indow w ip e r is automat ica lly ac­
t iva ted one time when the windshield wip­
ers are sw itche d on and reve rse gear is en­
gaged.
Service position
Replacing the windshield wiper blades is only
possib le when you move the wiper arms into
the service position. In order to use the wind­
shie ld w ipers, the hood must be complete ly
closed . When there is a risk of frost, make
sure that the w iper blades are not frozen to
the windshield .
• Switc h the ignition on .
• Switch the ignition off aga in and move the
wipe r lever
r::;, page 55, fig . 57 from position
0 to 1 within 10 seconds . The w iper arms
now move in to the fie ld of v iew in t he wind­
shield .
Clear vision 5 7
The service pos ition can a lso be selected in
the d river information system*
r::;, page 27 .
(D Note
Neve r dr ive y our veh icle w hen the w ind­
shield wiper a rms are in the se rvice posi ­
tion and pulled away from the winds hield.
W hen yo u drive faster than 4 mph (6 km/
h), the wiper arms automatically return
back to the park position and could ca use
paint damage to the eng ine hood!
(D Tips
- Yo u can also turn on t he service posit ion,
for example, if yo u want to p rotect the
w indshield from icing by using a cover.
- The service posit io n moves to
off auto­
matically whe n yo u operate the w ind­
shield wiper lever, or speed exceeds
4 mph (6 km/h).
Replacing front wiper blades
Wiper blades in good condition help keep the
windshi eld clear .
Fig. 5 9 Unlatching w ipe r blades
®"
Fig. 60 Remov ing w iper blades

58 Clear vis ion
Removing the wiper blade
.. Move the wipers to the service position
c::>page 57.
.. Fo ld the windshield wiper arm away from
the g lass.
.. On the upper end of the wiper arm at the
corrugation, squeeze the plast ic retainer to­
gether on both sides in the direction of the
arrow
c::> fig. 59 .
.. Rotate the w iper blade in the direct ion of
the arrow @c::>
fig. 60 away from the w iper
arm.
.. Lift the w iper blade
off in the direc tion of
the arrow @.
Attaching the wiper blade
.. Place the rounded end of the wiper onto the
end of the w iper arm in the
oppo site direc­
t ion to the ar row @
c::> fig. 60.
.. Swing the wipe r in the oppo site direct io n to
the arrow @onto the wiper arm.
.. Sq ueeze the corrugation on the w iper until
yo u hear it click in the wiper arm.
.. Fold the wiper arm back onto the wind­
shield .
.. Switch the ignition on and move the w iper
lever down briefly . The wiper will move back
to the park pos it ion .
The front wiper b lades measure left s ide
23 .20 in . (S90 mm) and rig ht side 18 .SO in.
(470 mm) i n length,
C lean your wiper blades regu larly with a wind­
shie ld washer solution to prevent streaking . If
the blades are very d irty, for example with in­
sects, carefu lly clean the blades w ith a sponge
or a soft b rush.
If the wiper b lades beg in to streak the wind­
shield, this could be caused by res idue left on
the w indshield by automat ic car washes .
F ill the windsh ield washer container with a
specia l so lution available at your author ized
Aud i deale r to remove the residue .
Be s ure to inspect the condition of your w iper
b lades regularly. For safety reasons, replace
your w iper blades once or twice a year if nee- essa
ry . See yo ur authorized Aud i dea ler for re ­
placement blades .
A WARNING
-- Clean your w iper blades reg ularly with a
w indshie ld washer so lution to prevent
streaking. If the w iper blades are very
d irty, fo r example with insects , ca refully
clean the wiper blades wi th a sponge or a
soft brus h .
- For your safety , you should replace the
wiper blades onc e or twice a year . Se e
your aut hor ized Audi dealer for replace­
men t blad es.
0 Note
-The wiper b lades may only be c hanged
c::> page 57 in the service posit ion! Ot he r­
w ise, you risk damag ing the pa int on t he
hood or the w indshie ld wi per mo to r.
- Yo u should not move your veh icle o r
press t he winds hield wiper leve r when
t he wipe r arms are folded away from the
w indshield. The windsh ield wipers wo uld
move back into their or iginal position
and co uld damage the hoo d and wind­
shield.
- To help prevent dama ge to the w iper sys­
tem, always loosen blades which are fro­
zen to the windshield before operating
w ipers.
- To help prevent damage to wiper b lades,
do not use gaso line, kerosene, paint
thinner, or other solvents on o r near the
w iper blades .
- To help prevent damage to the w iper
arms or other components, do not at­
tempt to move the wipe rs by hand .
(D Tips
-Commercial hot waxes applied by auto­
matic ca r washes affect the cleanability
of the g lass s urface .
- Yo u can also use the service position, for
examp le, if yo u want to p rotect the
w indshield from icing by using a cover. ..,_

-You cannot activate the service position
when the hood is open.
- The front wiper blades a re different
l engths; the blade on the driver's side is
l onger.
Changing the rear wiper blade
F ig . 6 1 Insta lling/re moving wiper blade
Removing the wiper b lade
.. Fo ld the windshield wipe r arm away from
the g lass .
.. Pull the met al surround of the w iper blade
out o f the retaine r in the d irection o f the ar­
row
r=> fig. 61. Hold the wiper arm firmly by
the upper end as you do this.
Attaching the wiper blade
.. Adjus t the posi tion of the wipe r blade in the
retainer
r=> fig. 61 (see close up).
.. Press the w iper blade into the retainer. Hold
t h e wiper arm firmly by the upper end as
you do this .
.. Fo ld the wiper arm back onto the glass.
A WARNING
- To avoid streaks, you should clean the
windshield wiper blades regular ly w ith
w indow cleaner. Fo r heavy soiling, for ex­
ample, insects, the wipe r blades can also
be cleaned with a sponge or a cloth.
- For safety reasons, the windsh ield wiper
blades sho uld be replaced once or twice
a year .
Clear vision 59
Digital compass
Activating or deactivating the compass
App lies to vehicles: wi th digi tal co mpass
The direction is displayed on the interior rear
view mirror .
Fig. 62 Inside rear v iew mirror : d ig ita l compass act i­
vated
.. To activate or deactivate, hold the@ but­
ton down unt il the red display appears or
disappears .
The dig ital compass only works w ith the igni­
tion turned on. The directions are displayed as
initials :
N (North), NE (Northeast), E (East),
SE (So utheast), S (South), SW (Southwest),
W (West), NW (Northwest) .
(0 Tips
To avoid inaccurate d irect io ns, do not al­
l ow any remote contro ls, electr ica l sys­
tems, o r metal parts close to the mir ror.

Warm and cold Climate controls
Description
The air conditioner is fully automatic and is
designed to maintain a comfortable and uni­
form climate inside the vehicle .
We recommend the following settings:
... Se lect and set a temperature between 64 °F
(+ 22 °C) and 84 °F (+28 °C).
... Press the
!AU TO ! button.
With this setting, you attain maximum com­
fort in the least amount of time. Change this
setting, as desired, to meet your personal
needs.
The climate controls are a combination of
heating, ventilation and cooling systems,
which automatically reduce humidity and cool the air inside your vehicle.
The air temperature, air flow and air distribu­
tion are automatica lly regulated to achieve
and maintain the desired passenger compart­
ment temperature as quickly as possib le.
The system automatically compensates for
changes in the outside temperature and for
the intensity of the sunlight entering the vehi­
cle. We recommend you use the
Automatic
mode c> page 81 for year-round comfort.
Please note the following:
Turn on the air conditioner to reduce humidity
in the vehicle. This also p revent the windows
from fogging up .
When the outside temperature is high and the
air is very hum id,
condensation from the
evaporator may drip under the vehicle . This is
normal and does not indicate a leak.
If the outside temperature is low, the fan nor­
mally only switches to a h igher speed once
the engine coolant has warmed up sufficient ­
ly.
Warm and cold 79
T he air conditioner temporari ly switches off
when you drive off from a standstill using full
throttle to save engine power.
T he compressor also switches off if the cool­
ant temperature is too high so that the engine
can be adequately cooled under extreme
l oads.
Air pollutants filter
T he air pollutants filter (a combined particle
filter and activated charcoa l filter) reduces or
eliminates outside air pollution (dust, or pol­
l en) from entering the vehicle .
T he air pollutants filter must be changed at
the interva ls specified in yo ur Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet, so that the air condi ­
tioner can properly work.
If you drive your vehicle in an area with high
air pollution, the filter may need to be
changed more frequently than specified in
your Audi Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. If
in doubt, ask your authorized Audi Service Ad­
visor for advice.
Energy management
To prevent the battery from being discharged
and to restore the ba lance of energy, compo­
nents which require large amounts of energy
are temporarily cut back or switched off c> page 167. Heating systems in particular re­
quire a great deal of energy. If you notice, for
example, that the rear window heater is not
heating, then it has been temporarily cut back
o r switched off by
energy management.
These systems are available again as soon as
the energy balance has been restored.
_& WARNING
.-----
Reduced visibility is dangerous and can
cause accidents .
- For safe driving it is very important that
all windows be free of ice, snow and con-
densation.
- Fully familiarize yourself with the proper
use and function of the heating and ven­
tilation system and especia lly how to de­
fog and defrost the windows.

120 Safety belts
Safety belt preten­
sioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side ond rear end collisions above a
particular severity, safety belts are tensioned automatically.
The safety belts are equipped with safety be lt
p retensioners. The system is activated by sen ­
sors in front, side and rear-end collisions of
g reat severity. This tight ens the belt and takes
up be lt slack ~
& in Service and disposal of
safety belt pretensioner on page 120 .
Taking
up the slack helps to reduce forward occupant
movement during a collision.
Never let the be lt remain over a rear seat­
back that has been folded forward.
The safety be lt pretensioners can only be
activated once.
-In m inor frontal and side coll isions, in
rear-end collisions, in a rollover and in
accidents involving very little impact
force, the safety belt pretensioner are
not act ivated.
- When the safety belt pretensioners are
activated, a fine dust is released. This is
normal and is not caused by a f ire in the
vehicle .
- The relevant safety requirements must
be observed when the vehicle or compo­
nents of the system are scrapped . A
qualified workshop is familiar with these
r egulations and will be pleased to pass
on the information to you.
- Be sure to observe all safety, environ­
mental and other regulations if the vehi­
cle or indiv idual pa rts of the system, par­
ticularly the safety belt or airbag, are to
be disposed. We recommend you have
your a uthorized Audi dealer perform this
serv ice for you .
Service and disposal of safety belt
pretensioner
The safety belt pre-tensioners are parts of the
safety belt and installed at the outboard seat­
ing pos itions on your Audi. Installing, remov ­
ing, servicing or repairing of be lt pre-tension­
ers can damage the safety belt system and
prevent that system from working properly in
a coll is ion.
There are some important things you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness of
the system will not be impaired and that dis­
carded components do not cause injury or pol­
lute the environment.
,&. WARNING
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal in­
jury and death by preventing a safety belt
tensioner from activating when needed or
activating it unexpectedly:
- The safety be lt pre-tensioner system can
be activated on ly once. If safety belt pre­
tensioners have been activated, then
they must be replaced .
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the safety be lt system.
- Safety belt systems including safety belt
pre-tensioners cannot be repaired. Spe ­
cial procedures are required for removal,
installation and disposal of th is system.
- For any work on the safety belt system,
we strongly recommend that you see
your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
technician who has a Audi approved re­
pa ir manual, train ing and special equ ip­
ment necessary .
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate
Material -special handling may apply, see
www .dtsc.ca .gov/hazardouswaste/per­
chlorate. When the veh icle or parts of the
restraint system including airbag modules
safety be lts with pretensioners are scrap-
ped, all applicab le laws and regulations .,.

must be observed. Your authorized Audi
dealer is familiar with these requirements
and we recommend that you have your
dealer perform this service for you.
Safety belts 121
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