2012 AUDI A3 lights

48 Clear vis ion
light sensor checked as soon as possible at a
dea lership.
Com ing home /leaving home function *
The function is switched on when the switch is
i n the AU TO* position and the function is
shown as active in the driver info rmation sys­
tem .
The
co ming h om e function illuminates the
a rea around the veh icle when the ign it ion is
switched off and the driver 's door is opened.
The length of time the lights remain on can be set in the menu display
( Illumination > Exte­
r io r light s> coming hom e).
The leav ing home function illuminates the
area around the vehicle when unlock ing it.
A WARNING
- Never use dayt ime running lights to see
where you are going. They are not bright
enough and w ill not let you see far
enough ahead for safety, especially at
dusk or when it is dark. Always switch on
the low beams at dusk or when it is dark.
- Automatic headlights are only intended
to assist the dr iver . They do not relieve
the driver of his responsibility to check
the headlights and to tu rn them on man­
ually according to the current light and
visibili ty cond itions. Fo r example, fog
and rain cannot be detected by the light
sensors . So a lways switch on the head­
lights under these weather cond itions
and when driving in the dark
io.
- Crashes can happen when yo u cannot see
the road ahead and when you cannot be seen by other motorists .
- Always turn on the headlights so that
you can see ahead and so tha t others
can see yo ur car from the bac k.
- With the switch in
AUTO front fog lights
ca nnot be t urned on in addition .
- The light sensor fo r headlight contro l is
l ocated in the rear view m irror mount .
Do no t apply any stickers to the w ind- shield in this area to prevent malfunc
­
tions or fa ilures.
- Some exter io r light ing funct ions can be
adjusted in the driver informat ion sys­
tem
~ page 2 7.
- If you remove the ignition from the igni ­
tion lock while the headlights are still
on, a buzzer will so und as long as the
dr iver's door is open to rem ind you to
turn off the lights.
- Always observe the specif ic loca l regula­
tions for your area as to when to use your
lights.
- With automatic headlights, the high­
beam funct ion is also available, but wit h
one restrict ion: If you have not switched
the high beams back to low beams dur­
ing automatic headlight operation (fo r
example, after d riving through a tunnel) ,
only the low beams come on the nex t
t ime au tomati c headlights are swi tc h ed
on. To use the high beams, you first have
to pull the high beam lever back and
then push the lever fo rward again.
- In cool or damp weather , the inside of
the headlights, turn signals and tail lights can fog over due to the tempera­
ture difference between the inside and
outside. They w ill clear shortly after
switching them on. This does not affect
the se rv ice life of the lighting .
- Frequent use of the coming home/leav ­
ing home function for app roach ing and
depa rting a vehicle parked in the da rk
w ill strain the battery . Thi s ap plies pa r­
tic ular ly if only short distances a re d riven
between stops . Occasionally drive longer
dis tances to make sure the battery is re ­
charged sufficiently.

: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.

50 Clear vis ion
Emergency flasher
The emergency flasher makes other motorists
aware that you or your vehicle are in an emer­
gency situation .
Fig. 47 Center console: emergency flasher switch
.. Press the switch ~ c:> fig. 47, to switch the
emergency flasher on or off.
When the emergency flasher is on, a ll four
turn signal b link a t the same time. The t urn
signal indicator lights
liliN in the instrument
cluster, as we ll as the light in the emergency
f lasher switch ~ blink likewise .
The emergency f lasher w ill automa tica lly
switch on if you are in an accident where the
ai rbag has deployed.
(D} Tips
You shou ld switch on the emergency flash­
er when:
- you are the last vehicle st anding in a tr af­
fic jam so that any other veh icles coming
can see you, or when
- you r vehicle has broken down or yo u are
i n an emergency situation, or when
- you r vehicle is being towed by a tow
truck or if yo u are towing a nothe r vehicle
behind you.
¢ Q Turn signals - and ~D high beam
lever
The lever on the left side of the steering col­
umn is used to operate the turn signal s and
the high beam as well as the headlight flash­
er .
t
'
F ig. 48 Tu rn signal and high beam lever
The turn signal and high beam lever has the
following functions:
¢ Q Turn signals
.. Lift the lever up a ll the way c:> fig. 48 (D , to
use the right turn signals, or push the leve r
down all the way @to use the left turn sig­
nals.
Auto -blin k
.. Move the lever (up or down) just to the
point of resistance to use the turn signals
for as long as you need them, for example
when changing lanes.
.. Briefly move the lever up or down just to
the point of resistance and then release it to
flash the turn s ignals
three times in succes­
sion .
This featu re allows to ind icate lane
changes clearly and w ith minimum effo rt
when driv ing on highways.
~D High beam
.. Push the lever forward @ to switch on the
h igh beam .
" Pull the lever back towards you to switch off
the high beam.
~D Headlight flasher
" Pull the lever toward the steering wheel@
to use the headlight flasher. ..,_

Notes on these featur es
- The turn signals only work with t he ignition
switched on. The indicator lights
B or IN in
the instrument cluster¢
page 13 also b link.
- After yo u have turned a corner, the turn sig-
nal switches off a utomatica lly.
- The
high beam works only when the head­
lights are on. The indicato r light
II in the
instrument cluster illuminates when the
high beams a re on.
- The
headlight flasher wo rks only as long as
you hold the lever -even if there are no
lights switched on. The indicator light
II in
the instrument cluster illuminates when you
use the headlight f lasher.
(D Note
Do not use the high beam or headlight
flasher if you know that these could be
blind ing oncoming traffic.
Interior lights
Interior lights and glove compartment
light
The interior lights include the both reading
lights for the driver and the front passenger.
............. ...... ... ........... ... J :·:::: ::::::::: : :: :::::::::::: . :: : .. :: ::::::::···· .......... ::::::::: :: ::: :! mmr ·::::m :: mu
... mmi ~ mim g gm,
II IIGI II
Fig. 49 Control pa nel above winds hield : interior light
switches
L ight switch¢ fig. 49 has the follow ing func­
tions:
Door cont act activation
• Move the sw itch to the center pos it io n. The
forward dome light is turned on/off by the contact switches on any of the doors.
Clear vi sion 51
Forward dome light on
• Move the swit ch to position I. The forwa rd
dome light goes on and stays on regardless
of door position.
Forward dome light off
• Move the swi tch to position 0 . The light will
no t go on regard less of door position .
Glove compartment light
• Open the glove compartment -the light in
the glove compartment automatically illu­
m inates as long as the side marker lights or
head lights are on. When you close the glove
compa rtme nt, the light goes off.
Wi th the interio r light sw itch at the door con­
tact (center) posit ion, the forward dome light
i ll uminates whenever you u nlock the veh icle
or open a door. The dome ligh t goes out after
approximately 30 seconds after you have
closed the door . Likewise, when you lock your
vehicle or switch on the ignition, the dome
li ght goes out.
If you leave a door open, the dome light w ill
go out after ten minutes to conserve battery
charge.
A d immer automa tica lly contro ls t he b rig ht­
ness of the lights when they a re switche d on .
Interior lights and forward reading
lights
App lies to vehicles: wit h lig ht pac kage
The interior lights include the both reading
lights for the driver and the front passenger.
• •
Fi g. 50 Control panel above w inds hield: inter ior ligh t
switc hes
0 0 ....
~ CJ) a,

52 Clear vis ion
Light switch @c:::> page 51, fig . 49 has the fo l­
lowing functions:
Door cont act activ ation
.. Move t he sw itch to the center posit ion. The
f orward dome light is turned on/off by the
contact switches on any of the doors.
Forw ard dom e light on
.. Move the sw itch to position I. The forward
dome light goes on and stays on regard less
of door position.
Forw ard dome light off
.. Move th e sw itch to position 0 . The light will
not go on regardless of door position.
~ F o rward re a ding light s
.. Press the left or right switch @ to switch
the left or right forward reading light on or
off.
Glove compartment light
.. Open the glove compartment -the light in
the g love compartment automatically illu­
mi nates as long as the side marker lights or
headlights are on. When you close the g love
compartment, the light goes off.
With the interior lig ht switch at the door con­
tact (center) position, the forward dome light illum inates whenever you unlock the vehicle
or open a door. The dome light goes out after
approximately 30 seconds after you have
closed the door. L ikewise, when you lock your
vehicle or switch on the ign ition, the dome
l ight goes out.
If you leave a door open, the dome light will
go out after ten minutes to conserve battery
cha rge.
A dimmer automatically controls the bright­
ness of the lights when they are sw itched on .
Ambient lighting
Applies to vehicles: with light package
The ambient lighting illuminate important
controls for you .
0 0
Fig . 51 Contro l panel above w inds hield: positio n of
amb ient light bulbs
0 ,..
cL
m a,
When you switc h on the ignition, the lights in
t h e door handles illum inate .
When the side marker lights or headlig hts are
switched on, the center conso le is i lluminated
from the ambient light located above the
windshield .
You cannot manua lly turn off these lights.
Rear reading light
Fig. 52 Rear reading light
Rear reading light
Press the sw itch ~ to turn on and off the
readi ng lig ht.
N
0 ,..
-cL m a,

54 Clear vis ion
Depending on outside temperature and vehi­
cle speed, the mirror surfaces are heated until
the ignition is switched off -even if the rotary
knob is no longer in position@.
You are well-advised to fold the exterior mir­
rors in when maneuvering in tight spaces or
when leaving the car parked close to other ve­
hicles.
(D Note
- Cu rved mirror surfaces (convex or spheri­
ca l*) increaseyourf ield of view. Remem­
ber that vehicles or other objects wi ll ap­
pear smaller and farther away than when
seen in a flat mirror. If yo u use this mir­
r or to est imate distances of following ve­
hicles when changing lanes, you could
estima te incorrect ly and cause an acci­
dent.
(D Tips
I f the re should be a malfunction in the
e lec trical system, you can still adjust the
exterior m irrors by pres sing the edge of
the mirror.
Dimming the mirrors
F ig. 56 Automatic dimm ing rearview mirror•
Manual anti-glare adjustment
• Move the small lever (located on the bot­
tom edge of the mirror) to the rear.
Automatically dimm ing mirror s*
• To dim the rearview mirror and both exteri­
or mirrors, press the® button. The diode
@ turns on. The rearview and exterior m ir­
rors dim automatically when light sh ines on them, for
example from headlights on ave­
hicle to the rear.
A WARNING
Electro lyte fluid can leak from automatic
dimming mirrors if the glass is broken.
Electro lyte fluid can irr itate skin, eyes and
respiratory system.
- Repeated or prolonged exposure to elec­
trolyte can cause irr itation to the respira­
tory system, especially among people
with asthma or other resp iratory condi­
tions. Get fresh air immediately by leav­ i n g the vehicle o r, if that is not possib le,
open windows and doors all the way.
- I f electrolyte gets into the eyes, flus h
them thoroughly with large amounts of clean water fo r at least 1 5 minutes;
medical attention is recommended.
- I f electrolyte contac ts skin, fl ush affect­
ed area with clean water for at least 15
minutes and the n wash affected area
with soap and water; medical attention
is recommended. Thoroughly wash af­
fected clothing and shoes before reuse.
- If swallowed and person is conscious,
rinse mouth with water for at least 15
minutes. Do not induce vomiting unless
instructed to do so by medical professio­
nal. Get medical attention immediately.
(D Note
Liqu id electrolyte leaking from broken m ir­
r or glass w ill damage any plastic surfaces
i t comes in contact with. Clean up spilled
electrolyte imme diately with clean water
and a sponge.
(D Tips
- Switching off the dimming function of
the ins ide rear view mir ro r also deacti­
vates the automatic dimming function of
the exter io r mir ro rs.
- The automatic dimming m irrors do not
dim when the inte rior lighting i s tur ned
on or the reverse ge ar is sele cted. .,.

56 Clear vis ion
as rain or drizz le re duces visibi lity
through th e windshield.
- The windshie ld must not be treated with
water-repe llent materials. They can in­
crease glare under poor visibility condi­
t ions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the horizon . In addi­
t ion, they can cause th e windshield wip­
ers to chatter.
(D Note
- In the case of frost, check whether the
windsh ield wiper b lades are frozen to
the windshield. Switching on the wind­
shield wipers can damage the wiper
blades!
- Do not use the wipers to clear a frosted
window . U si ng the w ipers as a conven­
i en t ice s craper will destroy the wiper
blades .
- Prior to using a car wash, the windshield
wiper system m ust be switched off (lever
i n position 0) . This helps to prevent unin­
tentiona l switching on and damage to
the windshie ld wiper system.
(D Tips
- The w indshield wipers are swi tched off
when the ignition is turned off. Activate
the windshie ld wipers after the ignition
i s sw itched back on by mov ing the w ind ­
shield wiper lever to any pos it ion.
- Worn or dirty windshie ld wiper blades
cause smearing, which can affect the op­
eration of the light/rain sensor*. Check
the condition of your windshie ld w iper
blades regularly.
- The rai n sensor is part of the interval
wiping system. Tur ning off the ignition
will a lso deact ivate the rain sensor. To re­
activate t he senso r, switch off the inter­
val w iping function, then sw itch it ba ck
on aga in.
- Applies to vehicles with lig ht/ rain sen­
sor: When the wipers are swi tched on
manu ally and in rain condi tions, the au­
tomatic head lights* turn on¢
page 47,
·'t!.-Switching the headlights on and off
or off during the day when the wipers are
no longer operating. The automatic
head lights* funct ion is available in th is
case on ly when the light switch is in the
"A UTO" position¢
page 47, fig. 43.
-Make s ure the washer fluid reservoir in
the engine compartment is topped off
before going on a long trip. Look up
¢
page 211 for check ing and filling the
washer co nta iner .
- The wipers only operate with the hood
completely closed .
is;J Rear window wiper
The wiper lever is also used to operate the
rear window wiper and the automatic wiper/ washer function .
Fig. 5 8 W iper lever: activat ing the rear w indow w iper
and washer
The rear window wiper and the automatic wip­
er/washer functions are activated as follows :
Intermittent wiping
.,. Push the wiper leve r forward towards the
dashboard and to the
first position @
¢
fig. 58. The rear w indow wiper will wipe
the window approx. every four seconds .
Automatic wiper /washer function
.,. Push the wiper lever forward to the second
stop,
position (j) , and hold it there for as
long as you want the rear w iper/washer to
operate.
.,. Release the lever again. The wiper will keep
running for approx. four seconds . .,,_

76 Seats and storage
& WARNING
-Always remove objects from the instru­
ment panel. Any items not put away
could slide around inside the vehicle
while driving or when accelerating or
when applying the brakes or when driv­
ing around a corner.
- When you are driving make sure that
anything you may have placed in the cen­
ter console or other storage locations
cannot fall out into the footwells. In case
of sudden braking you would not be able
to brake, depress the clutch or acceler­
ate.
- Any pieces of clothing that you have
hung up must not interfere with the driv­
er's view. The coat hooks are designed
only for lightweight clothing. Never hang
any clothing with hard, pointed or heavy
objects in the pockets on the coat hooks.
During sudden braking or in an accident -
especially if the airbag is deployed -
these objects could injure any passen­
gers inside the vehicle .
Glove compartment
The glove compartment is illuminated and
can be locked .
Fig. 89 Glove compar tment
To open glove compartment
"' Pull the handle~ fig. 89 in the direct ion of
the arrow push down lid to th e fully op en
position.
1 ) Not ava ilab le o n veh icl es with Audi N avigat ion Sys­
t e m .
To close glove compartment
"' Push the glove compartment lid upward un-
til the lock engages.
The light will illuminate when the parking/
headlights are turned on and the glove com­
partment is open.
In the glove compartment lid, you will find a
place to store a pen and a pad of paper .
In the glove compartment, you will find the
CD-changer* for navigation system* . A sepa­
rate Owner's Manual is in vehicles that have a
factory-installed CD changer and navigation
system.
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury in an
accident or sudden stop, always keep the
glove compartment closed while driving.
Ga Storage compartment for small
objects
Applies to vehicles: with storage compartment in center
console
Fig. 90 Cen te r c onso le s torage compar tme nt
"' To open the compartment, press the cover
Cg ~fig. 90.
-
"' To close the compartment, push the drawer
all the way in until it clicks in place.
An additional storage compartment
1> for rela­
tively small objects is located in the center
console next to the brake lever.