2012 AUDI A3 instrument panel

132 Airbag system
of their body too close to the area where
the airbags are located.
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of posi­
tion or too close to the airbag can be se­ riously injured by an airbag as it unfolds
with great force in the blink of an eye
r=> page 123 .
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenger seat
will be seriously injured and can be killed if
the front airbag inflates -even with an Ad ­
vanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
- Always install rear-facing child safety
seats on the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan ·
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer .
A WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will
increase the risk of injury in a crash by in­
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds
or by being pushed into you as the airbag
inflates.
- Never hold things in your hands or on
your lap when the vehicle is in use .
- Never transport items on or in the area
of the front passenger seat. Objects
could move into the area of the front air­
bags during braking or other sudden ma­
neuvers and become dangerous projec­
tiles that can cause serious personal in­
jury if the airbags inflate.
-
- Never place or attach accessories or oth­
er objects (such as cup holders, tele­
phone brackets, large, heavy or bulky ob­
jects) on the doors, over or near the area
marked "AIRBAG" on the steering wheel,
instrument panel, seat backrests or be­
tween those areas and yourself . These
objects could cause injury in a crash, es­
pecially when the airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front passenger's seat
to transport objects. Items can also
move into the area of the side airbag or
the front airbag during brak ing or in a
sudden maneuver. Objects near the air­
bags can become projectiles and cause
injury, particularly when the seat is re­
clined.
A WARNING
-T he fine dust created when airbags deploy
can cause breathing problems for people
with a history of asthma or other breath­
ing conditions.
= To reduce the risk of breathing problems ,
those with asthma or other respiratory
conditions should get fresh air right
away by getting out of the vehicle or
opening windows or doors.
- If you are in a collision in which airbags
deploy, wash your hands and face with
mild soap and water before eating.
- Be careful not to get the dust into your
eyes, or into any cuts or scratches.
- If the residue should get into your eyes ,
flush them with water.

134 Airbag sys te m
Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was
certified.
I f the front passenger seat is not occ upied,
the front airbag will not deploy, and the
PAS·
SENGER AIR B AG OFF
light will stay on. Nev ­
er insta ll a rearward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger seat, the safest place for
a child in any kind of child restraint is at one
of the seat ing positions on the rear seat
c:> page 123, Child restraints on the front seat
- some important things to know
and
c:> page 143, Child Safety .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes
on
when one of the conditions listed above is
met, be sure to check the light regularly to
make certa in that the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light stays on cont inuous ly whenever the
i gnit ion is on.
If the PAS SENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght does not appear on and does not
stay on all the time, stop as soon as it is safe
to do so and
- react iva te the system by turning the ignition
off and then turning it on again;
- remove and re insta ll the chi ld restraint.
Make su re that the child res traint is properly
insta lled and that the safety be lt for the
front passenger seat has been correct ly
ro uted throug h the child restraint as descri­
bed in the chi ld restraint man ufacturer's in­
structions;
- make sure that the convertible locking fea ­
ture on the safety be lt for the front passen­
ger seat has been activated and that the
safety belt has been pulled tight. The belt must not be loose or have loops of slack so
t h at the sensor below the safety be lt latch
on the sea t can do its job
¢ page 152.
- make sure that th ings that may increase the
we ight of t he chi ld and child safety seat are
not be ing tra nspo rted on the front passen ­
ger seat;
- make su re that the safety be lt tension sen­
so r is not b locked. Shake t he safety be lt
l atch on the front passenger seatbac k and
forth;
- If a st rap or te ther is being used to tie the
child safety seat to the front passenger seat, make sure that
it is not so tight that it
causes the weight-sensing mat to measure
more weight than is act ually on the seat.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still
does not come on
and does not stay on con ­
tin uous ly (when the ignition is switched on),
- t ake the child res train t off the front passen-
ge r seat and ins tall it properly at one of the
rear seat positions. Have the airbag system
inspected by your authorized Audi dea ler
immed iate ly .
- move the child to a rear seat position and
make sure t hat the c hild is properly restra in­
ed in a ch ild restra int that is appropriate for
its size and age.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light should
NOT come on when t he ignit ion is on and an
adult is s itting in a proper seating position on
the front passenger seat. If the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on or
flashes fo r about 5 seconds wh ile driving, un­
der these c ircumstances, make sure that:
- the adult on the front passenger seat is
properly seated on the center of the seat
cushion with his or her back up aga inst the
backrest and the backrest is not recl ined
c:> page 104, Proper seating position for the
driver,
- the adult is not tak ing weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the fron t passenger door or s upport­
ing their weight on the armres t,
- t he safety belt is be ing properly wo rn and
t hat the re is not a lot o f slack in the safety
be lt webb ing,
- accessory seat covers or cushions or othe r
t hings tha t may cause an incorrec t reading
or impression on the weight-sensing mat
under the upho lstery of the seat have been
removed from the front passenger seat,
- a safety belt extender has not been left in
the safety belt latch for the front passenger
seat.
In add ition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light in the center of the instrument panel,
the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or

136 Airbag system
airbag system and prevent that system from
working properly in a collision.
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 an airbag
from deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steering wheel horn pad or airbag cover
or the instrument panel or modify them
in any way.
- Never attach any objects such as cup
holders or telephone mountings to the
surfaces covering the airbag units.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one
moi5tened with plain water. Solvent5 or
cleaners could damage the airbag cover
or change the stiffness or strength of the
material so that the airbag cannot de­
ploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the airbag system .
- All work on the steering wheel, instru­
ment panel, front seats or electrical sys­
tem (including the installation of audio
equipment, cellular telephones and CB
radios, etc .) must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training
and special equipment necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
- Never modify the front bumper or parts
of the vehicle body .
-Always make sure that the side airbag
can inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replace­
ment upholstery over the front seat- backs that have not been specifically
approved by Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags
inflate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or
to the seam in the area of the side air­
bag module must always be repaired
immediately by an authorized Audi
dealer .
- The airbag system can be activated only
once . After an airbag has inflated, it
must be replaced by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified technician who has
the technical information, training and
special equipment necessary.
- The airbag system can be deployed only
once. After an airbag has been deployed,
it must be replaced with new replace­
ment parts designed and approved espe­
cially for your Audi model version. Re­
placement of complete airbag systems
or airbag components must be per­
formed by qualified workshops only. Make sure that any airbag service action
is entered in your Audi Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet under
AIRBAG REPLACE­
MENT RECORD .
@ 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 vehicle or parts of the restraint system including airbag modules
and safety belts with pretensioners are
scrapped, all applicable laws and regula­
tions must be observed. Your authorized
Audi dealer is familiar with these require­ ments and we recommend that you have
your dealer perform this service for you.

144 Child Safety
-Always install rear-facing child safety
seats on the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat in exceptional circumstances and
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immediately
install the rear-facing child safety seat in
a rear seating position and have the air­
bag system inspected immediately by
your authorized Audi dealer.
_& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger's seat:
- Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer's in­
structions provided with the child safety
seat or carrier.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible before installing
the child restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position .
- Always make sure that the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays
on all the time whenever the ignition is
switched on.
(D Tips
Always replace child restraints that were
installed in a vehicle during a crash. Dam­
age to a child restraint that is not visible
could cause it to fail in another collision
situation.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with an "Advanced
Airbag System" in compliance with United
States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your
vehicle was manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle
has been certified to meet the "low-risk" re­
quirements for 3- and 6-year old children on
the passenger side and small adults on the driver side. The low risk deployment criteria
are intended to reduce the risk of injury
through interaction with the airbag that can
occur, for example, by being too close to the
steering wheel and instrument panel when
the airbag inflates . In addition, the system
has been certified to comply with the "sup­
pression" requirements of the Safety Stand­
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infants up
to 12 months who are restrained on the front
passenger seat in child restraints that are list­
ed in the Standard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system , all children, espe­
cially those 12 years and younger, should al­
ways ride in the back seat properly restrained
for their age and size. The airbag on the pas­
senger side makes the front seat a potentially dangerous place for a child to ride . The front
seat is not the safest place for a child in a for­
ward-facing child safety seat. It can be a very
dangerous place for an infant or a larger child
in a rearward-facing seat .
Advanced Airbags and the weight­
sensing mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
detects the presence of an infant or child in a
child restraint on the front passenger seat us­
ing the weight-sensing mat in the seat cush ­
ion and the sensor below the safety belt latch
on the front passenger seat that measures the
tension on the safety belt.
The weight -sensing mat measures total
weight of the child and the child safety seat
and a child blanket on the front passenger
seat. The weight on the front passenger seat
is related to the design of the child restraint
and its "footprint", the size and shape of the
bottom of the child restraint as it sits on the .,..

184 Cleaning and protection
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fab rics and fabr ic coveri ngs (e.g. seats, door
tr im panels, etc.) should be cleaned at reg ular
inte rva ls with a vacuum cleaner. This removes
sur face dirt particles which could become em­
bedded in the fabric through use. Steam
cleaners shou ld not be used, because the
steam tends to push the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lock it there.
Normal cleaning
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
or a lint-free microfiber cloth to the clean fab ­
ric. Brushes should on ly be used for carpets
and floor mats, s ince other fabric surfaces
could be harmed by brushes.
Normal surface stains can be cleaned using a
commercially available foam cleaner. Spread
the foam on the surface of the fabric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently. Do not satu­
rate the fabric. Then pat the foam d ry using
absorbent, dry cloths (e.g . microfiber cloth)
and vacuum it afte r it has dried comp lete ly.
Cleaning stain s
Stains caused by beverages (e.g. coffee, fruit
ju ice, etc.) can be treated with a mild deter­
gent solut ion. App ly the detergent so lution
with a sponge. In the case of stubbor n stains,
a detergent paste can be applied directly to
the sta in and wor ked into the fabric. Afte r­
wards, use copio us amo unts o f cle an water to
remove t he remaining dete rgent. Apply the
water with a damp cloth or sponge and pat
the fabric d ry w ith an absorbent, dry cloth.
S tains from chocola te or make up s hou ld have
detergent paste (e .g. ox -gall soap) r ubbed in ­
to them. Afterwards, remove the soap with
water (damp sponge).
A lcohol can be used to t rea t stains from
g rease, oi l, lips tick or a ballpo in t pen . Me lted
grease or dye must be patted off using ab ­
sorbent materia l. It may be necessary to re­
treat the areas with dete rgent paste and wa­
ter. In the case of gene
ra l soiling o f the uphols ­
tery and cover material, we recommend hiring
a spec ia list that has the equipment to clean
the seat covers and other fabr ic surfaces by
shampooing and spray extraction.
A WARNING '"--
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
~ page 178.
(D Tips
Open Ve lcro fasteners on yo ur clothing can
damage the seat cover. Please make sure
that Velcro fasteners are closed.
Plastic parts and instrument panel
~ Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear
wate r.
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear
water to clean these areas. For pe rsisten t dirt
use an Aud i approved
solvent -free p lastic
cl eaner/p rotec tant.
A WARNING
S olven ts ca n ch ange the prope rties of
some p lastics and make it harde r fo r the
a ir ba g to de ploy .
-
- N ever cle an the in st rument p anel or the
sur face of Ai rbag modu les with cleaning
prod ucts t hat conta in solvents .
- P roduc ts containing solven ts will make
the surface of this part poro us.
- Ser ious inju ries c an resu lt if p lastic parts
come loose when t he ai rbag is deployed.
- Always re ad and heed a ll WAR NIN GS and
t he information¢
page 178 .
(J) Note
Cleaning agents conta ining so lvents w ill
a ttack t he mate rial and can ch ange the
w ay it behaves.

194 Checking and filling
Checking and filling
Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig. 155 Driver' s side footwe ll: e ngin e hood release
lever
.. Open the driver's door.
.. Pull the release lever on the left under the
instrument panel
c> fig . 155 in direction of
the a rrow .
The hood pops up slight ly under spring pres­
sure.
Opening the engine hood
Fig . 156 Engine hood releas e le ve r
Before opening the eng ine hood, make sure
that the windshie ld wipers are folded flat
against the windshield . Otherwise, they could
damage the paint on the hood.
.. Pull the release lever
r=;,fig . 156 in the direc­
tion indicated by the arrow . This release the
hook under the hood .
.. Open the hood all the way.
A 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 coo lant escaping from the eng ine
compartment . Wait unt il no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fu lly opening the hood.
Closing the engine hood
.. Pull the hood down until the pressure from
the strut is reduced .
.. Let the hood
drop down and latch in p lace.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage
c> .&, .
A WARNING
--
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and b lock your view while dr iv­
i ng.
- When you close the engine hood, check it
to make sure the safety catch has proper­ly engaged . The hood shou ld be flush
with the surrounding vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while dr iv ing that the hood
is not secured properly, stop at once and
close it .
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment!
Whene ve r you must pe rform any wo rk in the
eng ine compartment, for e xample chec king
and filling differ ent fluid s, the re i s a risk of
injury , burns and accident s. T o pr event p er­
s onal injury alwa ys observe the foll owing
WARNING S. Th e engin e c ompartm ent of an y
v e hicl e is a hazardou s area!
r=;, .&.
A WARNING
To help avoid injury, before yo u check any­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine .
- Remove the ignition key.

Fuses and bulbs
Electrical fuses
Replacing fuses
A problem in the electrical system may be caused by a blown fuse .
Fig. 189 Left cockpit: fuse pane l cover
Fig. 190 Left side of eng ine compartment: fuse cover
Fuse cover on the left end face of the
instrument panel
.. Turn off the ignition and the affected elec ­
trical consumers .
.. Carefully pry the fuse cover off the instru­
ment panel using the ignit ion key or a
screwdriver
c;> fig. 189 .
.. Check the following table to see which fuse
belongs to the consumer
c;> page 244, Fuse
Location, Instrument Panel left.
.. Remove the clamp from the rear side of the
fuse cover ¢
fig. 189.
.. Remove the fuse using the clamp and re­
place the blown fuse w ith an identical new
one.
• Firmly snap the cover back onto the instru­
ment panel face .
Fuses and bulbs 243
Fuse cover in engine compartment
.. Tur n off the ignition and the affected elec­
trical consumers .
.. Check the following tab le to see which fuse
be longs to the consumer
c;> page 245, Fuse
location, left side of engine comportment .
.. Unlatch the fuse cover, push the two slides
forward ¢
fig. 190.
• Remove the clamp from the rear side of the
fuse cover
c;> fig . 189.
• Remove the fuse using the clamp and re­
place the blown fus e with an ident ical new
one .
.. Push the two slides to the rear¢
fig. 190.
Insta ll the f use cover caref ully to prevent
water from entering.
T he var ious electrical circ uits are protected by
fuses. The fuses are clustered in a centralized
unit. The unit is located behind the face panel
at the end of the instrument panel.
You are well advised to keep a supply of spare
fuses in your vehicle . Fuses with the proper
ampere rat ings are avai lab le at your author­
ized Audi dealer.
_& WARNING
= -
Do not repair fuses and never replace a
blown fuse with one that has a higher amp
rating. This can cause damage to the elec­
trical system and a fire .
(D Note
If a new fuse burns out again after shortly
have you have installed it, have the electri­
ca l system checked by your authorized Au­
di dealer .
(D Tips
-The following table does not list fuse lo­
cat ions that are not used .
- Some of the equipment items listed are
optional or only available on certain
model configurations.

244 Fuses and bulbs
Fuse Location, Instrument Panel left
Fuses which can be replaced.
Fig. 191 Cockp it driver 's s ide: fuse pane l layout
Note that the following table is accurate at
the time of going to pr ess and i s subject to
change . In the event of d iscrepancies, the la­
bel on the in side of the cover always take s
pr eceden ce .
The power seats are protected by circuit
break ers,
which automatically reset after a
few seconds after the ove rload has been rem­
ed ied .
Equipment
Manua l head light beam ad­
justment, a utomat ic head­
light beam adjustment, AFS
1 co ntrol m odule, engine
components, light switch
(switch lighting/illumina­
ti on), diagnosis socke t
2
3
4
5
6
8
9
Automatic transmission,
control module for CAN data
transfer (gateway), electro­
mechanical steering, shift
gate automatic transmis­
sion, fuel tank control unit,
engine control unit, brakes
control (A BS), Electronic
Stabili zation Program (ESP) ,
Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR)
Air bag
Air-conditioning (pressure
sensor, air quality sensor), button for Electronic Stabili ­
zation Program (ESP), Anti ­
Slip Regulat ion
(ASR), tire
pressure monitor display, oil
level senso r, back-up ligh t
s w itch, front se at he ati ng ,
p ark ing aid, sea t-occupancy
recognition (on USA vehi ­
cles), garage door opener,
automa tic mirror dimming,
headlight assistant, heated
windshield washer nozzles, air conditioning (control
module)
AFS headlights ( left si de)
AFS headlights (right side) Instr ument cluster
Navigation system, radio
system
1 0 digital
radio, cell phone, TV
equipment
11 Automatic mirror dimming,
headlight assistant
12 Central lock ing (front doors)
Central locking ( rear doors)
Amps
10
10
5
5
5
5
5
15
7 ,5
10
10
10