2012 AUDI A3 service

222 Tires and wheels
and luggag e loa d cap acit y
c alcul ated in St ep 4.
6 . If your v ehi cle will b e towing
a trail er, load fro m your trail ­
er will b e tr ansferr ed to your
vehi cle. Con sult thi s manual
to determin e how thi s re­
d uces the available cargo
and luggage lo ad capacity of
y our vehicle.
..., Check the tire sidewall
(q page 223, fi g . 171) to de­
termine the d esignated lo ad
rating f or a specific tire.
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of
different things including proper installation
and balan cing, correct tire pressure and driv­
ing style.
Fig. 16 9 Tire tread: trea d wea r in di cators (TWI)
fr
Fig. 1 70 Rotat ing t ires for more even wear
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The or ig inal tires on you r vehicle have
1/ 16 inch ( 1.6 mm) hig h "wear indica tors"
c::> fig. 169 ru nning across the tread . Depend­
ing on the ma ke, there will be six to eight of
them even ly placed aro und the tire. Marks on
the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) ind icate the positions of the tread
wear indica to rs. Wor n tires must be replaced .
Different figures may apply in other countr ies
c::> .&_ .
Tire pressure
Incor rect t ire pressure causes premature wea r
and can cause sudde n tire blow-out . For this
reason, tire pressu re must be checked at least
o nce a month
c::> page 218 .
Driving style
Driving fast around c urves , heavy accelerat ion
and hard braking increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for more even wear
F or all four tires on your ve hicle to have the
same service life, we recomme nd that the
front and rear tires are rotated accord ing to
the tire manufact urer's suggested tire rota­
tion intervals. Please remembe r th e follow­
i ng:
- T ire rotation intervals may differ from the
veh icle service intervals o utli ned in your
Warranty
& M ain tena nce Booklet .
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on t he vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points; the refore , we recommend that you
follow the tire man ufac turer's suggested
tir e rotat ion intervals.
- Vehi cles with front -wheel dr ive experience
more trea d wear on the fro nt wheels com­
pa red to all-wheel d rive (q uattro ®).
- Please rotate tires as shown
c::> fig . 170 .
-Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rection -spec ific tires
c::> page 241 .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new ve hicles are balanced .
However, various s ituations during everyday
driv ing ca n cause them to become
...

A WARNING ,~ -
When removing or install ing the wheel,
the rim could hit the brake rotor and dam­
age the rotor. Work ca refully and have a
second p erson help yo u.
@ Tips
Never try and use the hexagonal socket in
the hand le of the screwdrive r to loosen or
tighten the whee l bolts .
- Pull the reversib le blade from the screw­
drive r bef ore yo u use the hexagonal
socket in the handle to t urn t he whee l
bo lts.
- When mounting tires with
unidirectional
tread design
make su re the tread pat­
te rn is pointed the rig ht way
¢ page 241.
-The wheel bolts should be clea n and easy
to tu rn. Che ck for dirt and corro sio n on
t he mat ing surf aces of both the whee l
and the h ub. Remove a ll dirt from these
su rfaces before remo unt ing the wheel.
Tires with unidirectional tread design
Tires with unidire ctional tread de sign must be
mounted with their tread pattern pointed in
the right direction.
Using a spare tire with a tread pattern
intended for use in a specific direction
When using a spare tire wit h a tread pa tte rn
intended for use in a specific direction , pl ease
note the following:
- The direc tion o f rota tion is marked by an a r­
r ow on the side o f the tire.
- If the spare tire has to be i nst alled in the in ­
correct di rection in the even t of a flat tire,
use the spare tire on ly tempo rari ly since the
tire will not be ab le to ac hieve its opt imum
per formance characterist ics w ith regard to
aquapla ning, no ise and wear.
- We recommend that particular attent ion be
paid to this fact dur ing wet weather and
t h at you adjust your speed to matc h road
co ndit io ns.
What do I do now? 241
- Replace the flat ti re with a new one and
have it installed on your vehicle as soon as
possible to restore the hand ling advantages
of a properly pointed direction-dependent
tire .
Notes on wheel change
Please read the informat ion ¢ page 223, New
tires and r eplacing tires and wheels
if yo u a re
go ing to use a spa re tire w hich is different
from the ti res on yo ur vehicle.
After you change a tire :
-Check the tire pressu re on the spare imme­
diately after mounting.
- Have the wheel bolt tightening torque
checked with a torque wrench as soon as
possible by your authorized Audi dealer or
a qualifi ed service station.
- On steel and alloy wheel rims, the wheel
bolts are cor rectly tightened with a torque
of 90 ft lb (120 Nm).
- If you notice while changing a tire that the
wheel bolts are corroded and difficult to
turn, then they should be replaced befor e
you check the tightening torque .
- Replace the flat tire with a new one and
have it installed on your veh icle as soon as
possible. Remount the wheel cover.
Until then, dr ive with e xtra care and at re­
duced speeds .
A WARNING
-If you are go ing to e quip your vehicle
wit h tires o r rims whi ch differ from those
whi ch were fac tory inst alled, then be
sure to re ad the inform ation ¢
page 223,
New tires and replacing tires and
wheels.
- Always ma ke sure the damage d wheel o r
even a fla t tire an d the jack and tool ki t
are prope rly secu red in the luggage com­
partment and are not loose in the pas­
senger compartment .
- In an accident or sudden maneuver they
could fly forwa rd, injuring anyone in the
veh icle.
•
•

No. Equ ipment
Electronic Stabilization Pro-
14
gram (ESP) (control mod-
u le), shift gate automatic
transmission
15 Interior lights, reading
lights
Diagnostic connector, rain
sensor, air conditioning
16 (control module), t
ire pres-
sure monitor d isplay (con-
trol module)
I 17
Anti-theft alarm warning
system
18 D iagnose Starter
19 All Wheel D rive
20 Audi magnetic ride
Blower fan
23
Driver's
side power window,
front
24 Power outlet front
2S Rear window defogger
26 Power outlet in luggage
compartment
27 Fuel tank control module,
fuel pump
28 Power window, rear
33 Slidi ng/pop-up roof
36 Lumbar support
37 Heated sea ts, front
1 38
Passenger side power win-
dow, front
39 Specia l func tion interface
40 Starter
41 Rear window wiper
43 Body control module
47
Ce ll phone package (V OA in-
terface)
Automatic circuit breakers:
10
10
10
5
5
10
40
30
20
30
20
15
30
20 10
20
30
5
40
15
20 5
The electri c power w in dows and the e lectr ic
seat adjusters are pro tected with circu it
breake rs which reset automatically after the
circuit overload has been corrected.
Fu se s and bulb s 245
@ Tips
-Whenever rep lacing a fuse, always con­
sult the sticker on the inside of the f use
pane l cover. It contains the most up-to­
date information regarding the fuse ar­
rangement. If in doubt, ask your author­
ized Aud i Service adviso r.
- Some of the equipment items listed are
opt ional or only available on certa in
mode l configurations.
Fuse location, left side of engine
compartment
Fig . 192 En gine compar tment : fuse assig nment
,._
-d. a, a>
Check the fuse layout with the f use panel cov­
er removed
¢ page 243, Fuse cover in engine
comportment.
Some of the equipmen t items listed are op­
tiona l or only ava ilab le on certain model con ­
figurations.
Please note tha t the preced ing tab le was ac­
c u rate at the time of pr int ing and is subject to
c h ange.
No. Equipment
F2 Engine compone nts
F3 Battery voltage ESP valves, Anti-lock brake
F4 system (ABS) valves
Transmission control mod­
F5 ule
F6 Steering wheel e lectronics
Amps
20
5
20
15
s

250 Emergency sit uat ions
2. Otherwise apply the hand brake and shift
into idle gear if your vehicle has manua l
transmission, and put the selector lever
into P position if your vehicle has auto­
matic transmission.
3 . For both vehicles switch off all consumers
and the ig nition .
Connectin g/disco nn ecting th e jumper
cable
4 . Connect one end of the red jumper cable
to the positive term inal
(D ¢ fig . 193 of
the discharged battery @ ¢0
in General
information of starting assistance on
page 249 .
5. Connect the other end of the red jumper
cab le to the positive termina l@ of the
booster battery @.
6 . Connect one end of the black jumper ca­
b le, preferably at the ground point. Other­
wise, connect it to the negative terminal
@ of the booster battery @.
7 . Connect the other end of the black jumper
cab le to the
ground po int (bolt head )©
in your v ehi cle @ .
8. Route the jumper cables so that they can­
not catch in any rotating parts in the en­
gine compartment.
Starting the engine
9 . Start the engine of the vehicle provid ing
assistance and allow it to run at idle .
10. Now start the eng ine o f the vehicle w ith
the discharged battery, wa it for two to
three minutes unti l the engine "runs"
smoothly .
11. If the engine does not start: Stop trying
after
10 seconds and then try again after
about
30 seconds.
12 . In the veh icle that has received start as­
sistance, turn on the heater blower and
the rea r window heat ing to eliminate any
voltage peaks when disconnecting. Driv­
ing lights must be swi tched off!
13. Disconnect the cable whi le the engine is
running exact ly in
reverse order to that
described in¢
page 250, Connecting/dis­
connecting the jumper cable.
When do ing so, make sure that the cable cannot con­
tact rotating engine parts.
14. Turn the heater b lower and the rear w in-
dow heating off again .
The battery is vented to the outside to prevent gases from entering the vehicle interior .
Make sure that the jumper clamps are we ll
connected with thei r
metal ports in full con­
tact
with the battery terminals .
A WARNING
To avoid serious personal injury and dam­
age to the vehicle, heed all warnings and
instructions of the jumper cable manufac­
turer. If in doubt, call for road service.
- Jumper cables must be long enough so
that the veh icles do not touch.
- When connecting jumper cables, make sure that they cannot get caught in any
mov ing parts in the engine compart­
ment.
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢page 187, Engine com­
partment.
{CT) Note
Improperly connected jumper cab les can
damage or destroy the generator .
- Do not use the battery negative terminal
for jump start ing or a malfunct ion could
occur in the vehicle electrical system.
- Always connect POSITIVE(+) to POSI-
TIVE(+), and NEGATIVE(-) to NEGATIVE
( - ) term inal.
- Check that all screw p lugs on the battery
cells are screwed in firm ly . If not, tighten
plugs prior to connecting clamp on nega­
tive batte ry term inal.
- Please note that the procedure for con­
necting a jumper cable as described
above applies specifically to t he case of
your vehicle being jump st arted. When
yo u are g iving a jump sta rt to another ve­
hicle, do
not connect the minus( -) cable
to the minus (-) terminal on the dis­
charged battery@¢fig.193 . Instead,

Consumer Information
Warranty coverages
Your Audi is covered by the following war­
ranties :
- New Vehicle Limited Warranty
- Limited Warranty Against Corrosion Perfo-
ration
- Emissions Control System Warranty
- Emissions Performance Warranty
- California Emissions Control Warranty (USA
vehicles only)
- California Emissions Performance Warranty
(USA vehicles only)
Detailed information regarding your warran ­
ties can be found in your
Warranty & Mainte­
nance Booklet .
Operating your vehicle
outside the U.S.A. or
Canada
Government regulations in the United States
and Canada require that automobiles meet
specific emission regulations and safety
standards. Therefore, veh icles built for the
U.S.A. and Canada differ from vehicles sold in
other countries .
If you p lan to take your vehicle outside the
continental limits of the United States or Can­
ada, there is the possibility that
- unleaded fuels for vehicles with cata lytic
converter may not be available;
- fuel may have a considerably lower octane
rating. Improper fuel may cause engine
damage;
- service may be inadequate due to lack of
proper service facilities, tools or testing
equipment;
- replacement parts may not be readily availa­
ble.
- Navigation systems for vehicles built for the
U.S.A. and Canada will not necessari ly work
in Europe, and may not work in other coun­
tries outside of North America.
Consumer Information 259
Audi cannot be re sponsible for mechanical
damage that could result from inadequate
fuel, service or parts availability.
Q) Note
Audi cannot be responsible for mechanical
damage that could result from inadequate
fuel, serv ice or parts availab ility.
Audi Service Repair
Manuals and Literature
Audi Offic ial Factory Service Manuals and Lit­
erature are published as soon as possible after
model introduction. Service manuals and lit­
erature are available to o rder from the Audi
T echnical Literature Ordering Center at:
www.audi.techliterature.com
Maintenance
General
Your vehicle has been designed to help keep
maintenance requirements to a minimum.
However, a certain amount of regu lar mainte­
nance is still necessary to assure your vehicle's
safety, economy and re liability .
For detailed vehicle maintenance consult your
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
Under difficult operating conditions, for ex­
amp le at extreme ly low outside temperatures,
in very dusty regions , when towing a trailer
very frequently, etc., some service work
shou ld be performed between the intervals
specified. This applies particularly to:
- oil changes, and
- cleaning or rep lacing the air fi lter.
@ For the sake of the environment
By regularly maintaining your veh icle, you
help make sure that emission standards
are maintained, thus minimizing adverse
effects on the environment.
•
•

-If you must work underneath the vehicle
with the whee ls on the ground, always
make sure the vehicle is on level ground,
that the wheels are always secu rely
blocked and tha t the eng ine cannot be
started.
- Always make sure the transm ission se­
lector lever (automatic transmiss ion) is
in "P" (Pa rk position) (a utomat ic trans­
mission) or Neutral (manual transmis­
sion) and the hand brake is fi rm ly ap­
plied.
@, For the sake of the environment
- Changing the eng ine settings w ill ad­
versely affect em ission levels. This is det­
rimental to the environment and increas­
es fue l cons umption.
- Always obse rve env ironmental regula­
tions when d ispos ing of old engine oil,
used b rake fluid, dirty engine coolant,
spent batteries or worn out tires .
- Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
s ioners might be classified as Perchlo­
rate Mate rial -special handling may ap­
ply, see www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardous­
waste/perchlorate. When the veh icle or
parts of the restraint system includ ing
airbag modules safety belts with preten­
s ioners are scrapped, all appl icable laws
and regulations must be observed. Your
autho rized Audi dea le r i s familiar w ith
these req uirements and we recommend
that yo u have your dea le r perform this
service for you.
Additional accessories, modifications and
parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult an authorized Audi dealer be­
fore purchasing accessories .
Your vehicle incorporates the latest safety de­
sign features ensuring a high standard of ac­
tive and passive safety .
Consumer In formation 26 1
This safety could be compromised by non-ap ­
proved changes to the vehicle . For this reason,
if parts have to be replaced, please observe
the following points when installing add ition­
al accessories:
Approved Audi accessories and genuine Audi parts are available from authorized Audi deal­
ers.
T hese dea lers a lso have the necessary facili­
ties, tools and trained specialists to install the parts and accessories properly .
_& WARNING
Using the wrong spare parts non-approved
accessories can cause damage to the vehi­
cle and serious personal injury.
- Use on ly accessories expressly approved
by Audi and genu ine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessories have been
specially designed to be used on your ve­
hicle.
- Never install accessor ies such as tele­
phone cradles or beverage ho lders on air­
bag covers or within the airbag deploy­
ment zones. Do ing so will increase the
ris k of injury if a irbags are triggered in an
accident!
- Before you check anything in the engine
compa rtment, always read and heed a ll
WARNINGS
<:!)page 187.
(D Note
-If items other than genu ine Audi spare
parts, add-on equipment and accessory
items are used o r if repair wo rk is not
performed accord ing to specified meth­
ods, this can resu lt in severe damage to
your vehicle's engine and body (such as
corrosion) and adve rsely affect yo ur vehi­
cle 's warranty.
- If emergency repairs must be performed
elsewhere, have the vehicle examined by
an authorized Audi dealership as soon as
possible.
- The manufacturer cannot be held liable
for damage wh ich occ urs due to failure
to comply with these stipulations.
•
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264 Index .:..:..:..::....::..
...:..._ ___________________________ _
A
ABS
refer to Anti-lock brake system . ... .. . 164
Accessories .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. .. .. . 26 1
Acoust ic park assist ........ .. .. .... .. 93
AC (a ir cond itioner) ......... .. .. .. .. .. 81
Adapter for anti-theft wheel bolts . .. .. . 238
Adaptive light
defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Adding Engine coolant .......... .... ..... . 204
Engine oil . ...... ....... ... .. .... . 200
Windshield washer fluid ............ 211
Addit ional accessories .......... .... . 261
Additional heater Climate controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Additives Engine oil . ............... ... .. .. . 200
Adj ustab le steering wheel column .... .. 88
Adjusting Steer ing wheel column ........ .. .... 88
Adjusting front seats ........ ... .... .. 61
Advanced Airbag System
Components ... .......... .. .. .. .. . 129
Fr ont airbags ................ .... . 127
How the components work together .. 130
Monitoring ................. ..... . 133
PASS ENG ER A IR BAG OFF light .. .... . 133
A irbag
Warning/indicator lights ............. 16
A irbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122, 139
Advanced Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Care . .. .. ............... .. .. .... . 135
Ch ildren . .... ........... .. .. .. .. . 144
Ch ild r estra ints ........... .. .. .. .. . 145
Components (front airbags) . ... .... . 129
Danger of fitting a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Disposal . ................. .. .... . 135
Front airbags . ........... .. .. .... . 126
How do the front airbags work? . . . . . . 131
H ow many airbags does my vehicle
have? ..... .......... ...... ... .. . 129
I mportant things to know .... .. .... . 122
I ndicator light ........... .. .. .. .. . 133
Monitoring ................. ..... . 133 Repairs ...
.... .. ............. .... 135
Side airbags ..... ................ . 137
S ide curtain airbags ................ 140
When must the system be inspected? 133
Airbag System
Weight-sensing mat .............. . 144
Air conditioner .. .. ................ .. 81
also refer to Climate controls .. .. .. .. . 79
Air conditioning Switching on and off ........... .. .. . 81
Air distribution Climate controls . ................. .. 83
Air outlets Adjusting the outlets for rapid defrost -
ing/defogging ... ................ .. 84
Climate controls . .............. ..... 84
Air quality sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Air recirculation . .. ... .......... .... . 83
Climate controls .. ............. .... . 82
When should I use the air recirculation? 82
Air recirculation mode Climate controls . ................. .. 82
All-wheel drive Winter tires ... .. ... .......... .... 227
Alloy wheels ...... ................ . 182
All Wheel Drive .... ............. .... 166
Alternator
refer to Generator ............. .. .. . 16
Aluminum alloy wheels .... ...... .... 182
Ambient lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Anti-lock brake system How the ABS system works ........ .. 164
Warning/ind icator lights ........ .. .. . 18
Anti -theft systems
Anti-Theft Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Anti-theft wheel bolts ........... .... 238
Armrest Center armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Rear armrest .... ................ .. 67
Asterisk What does it mean when something is
marked with an aster isk? ........ .... .. 6
Audi magnetic ride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22, 9S
Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Indicator light ... ....... ...... .. .. . 22
Audi Service Repair Manuals and Litera-
ture 259

----------------------------~I~n ~d ~e ~x 273
Remote control ..... .... ... .. .. .. .... 35
Resetting r emote control . ... .. .. .. .. 38
Un lock ing and locking .. ... .. .. .. .. .. 37
Remote master key Battery replacement ................ 35
Check light ..... .. .... ... .. .. .. .... 35
Repa ir manuals ..................... 259
Repairs Airbag system .................... 135
Replacing Wheel rims
... ... ..... ... .. .. .. ... 223
Replacing a sound system ........... . 262
Replacing light bulbs ............... . 246
Replacing tires and whee ls ... .. .. .. .. . 224
Replacing w indshield wiper blades ...... 57
Report ing Safety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 1
Reset b utton . ............. .. .. .. .. .. 12
Resett ing remote control .............. 38
Retractor
' . .. .... ...... ... .. .. .. .. . 1 16
Reverse Automatic t ransmission .. .. .. .. .. 97
R ims
Cast alloy .. ............. .... .. .. . 182
Replacing ........................ 223
Steel rims ................ ...... .. 182
Roof rack Attac hment points with separate roof
rack system ............. .... .. .... 72
Loading ........................... 73
M ou nti ng loca tions ......... .. .. .. .. 73
Safe mounting .......... .... ... .. .. 7 1
Roof weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
s
SAFE · .. · . .. .. .... .. .... ... .. .. .... 12
Safe d riving hab its .................. 103
Safety belt position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Safety belt he ight adjustment .. .. .. . 119
Safety belts worn by p regnant women . 118
Safety belt pretens ioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Service and disposal ............... 120
Safety belts .. .... ......... .... .. .. . 116
cleaning ... ... .. ..... ... .. .. .. ... 187
Danger to passengers who do not wear a
safety belt ... .. .. .... ... .. .. .. ... 114
Fastening .. .. ........... .. .. .. ... 116 height adjustment .
.. .. ..... ... .. .. 119
Improper ly worn ... . ... .... ... .. .. 119
Not worn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Safety belt pos ition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Safety instructions .... ............. 116
Securing child safety seats .......... 152
Spec ial considerations for pregnant
women .......................... 118
Un fastening . .. .. .. . .............. 118
W arning/ind icator light ............. 113
Why YOU MUSTwearthem ... .. 113,11 4
Wor n properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Safety be lt warning light . . . . . . . . . 16, 113
Safety compliance sticker ........ .. .. 255
S afety equipme nt .. ................. 103
Safety features for occupant restraint and
protection .. ... .... ................ 103
Safety gu idelines
Seat adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Safe ty instr uctions
Engine compartment . ... .... ... .. .. 194
for side c urtain airbags . ..... ... .. .. 142
for using child safety seats .......... 146
for using safety belts ............... 116
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag Sys-
tem ............................. 135
Safety lock Ign it ion key, automatic transmission 89
Seat adjus tment
Drive r's sea t ... .. .... ............. . 61
F ront passenger's seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Front seats . ..... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. . 61
Head restraints
.. .. .. .. .... ... .. .. 107
Head restraints, front seat ........... 65
Lumbar support .. .. ........... .... . 64
Manua l controls .. .. . .. .. ..... ... .. . 62
Manual seats ...................... 62
Power s eat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Seat be lts
WhyYOU MUSTwearthem ..... 113,114
also refer to Safety be lts .. ..... ... .. 113
Seating capacity ...... .. ..... ... .. .. 113
Seating position Drive r ........................... 104
F ron t passenger .. ............. .... 105
How to ad just the front seats . ... .. .. 105
Incorrect seat position ... .... ... .. .. 107
•
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