2012 AUDI A3 Check

172 Driving and en vironm ent
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking .
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerati ng. If you anticipate what is go ing to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus , accelerate less . let the vehicle coast
whenever poss ible -fo r example whe n you see
th at the next traffic ligh t is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
,. Try and keep well be low your car's max i-
mum speed .
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump­
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
env ironment.
Fuel consumption, ex ha ust em issions and en­
g ine no ise increase d isproportiona tely at hig h
speeds . If you dr ive at approximately three
qua rters of top speed, fuel consumption will
be reduced by one ha lf . Never dr ive faster
tha n the posted speed limit a nd weather con­
d it ions permit.
Reducing unnecessary idling
E ven when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
,. Shut the engine off when you a re not dr iv­
ing the vehicle.
,. Do not warm up the veh icle by letting the
engi ne run at idle.
It makes sense to shut off the eng ine in traff ic
jams, when waiting for trai ns to pass at ra il­
road cros sings, or at t raffic ligh ts that have
l ong wa its on red. Turning the engine o ff fo r
just 30 -40 seconds saves more fue l than is
bu rne d starting the engine again.
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at id le . However, wea r
and noxious emissions are espec ia lly high
when the eng ine is wa rm ing up. So you shou ld
drive away as soon as yo u start the engine and
avo id running at high RPMs w hile the eng ine
i s s till warm ing up .
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter start ing . If warni ng lig hts sho uld come
o n t o indicate improper ope ration, they
would go unheeded . Extended idli ng also
produ ces heat , w hich could result in ove r­
hea ting or other dam age to the veh icle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unne cessarily wastes a
lo t of fuel.
,. Have your ve hicle serviced at reg ular inter-
vals.
By havi ng your ve hicle regu larly serv iced by an
a utho rized Aud i deale r helps to ensure that it
runs properly and econom ica lly. The cond it io n
of your ve hicle not only affe cts i ts safety and
abili ty to ho ld i ts va lue , it al so a ffects
fuel
con sumption .
Check your oil each time you fill your tank .
The amount of oi l used is re lated to engine
load and speed .
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has bee n driven .
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 mi les
(S,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
T his also app lies to fue l cons umption and en­
gine o utp ut.
Q) Note
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined proper ly
and i n acco rdance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
&

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

your authorized Audi dealer. Never leave the cleaner on the rims longer than specified on
the label. If not rinsed
off promptly, the acid
contained in some cleaners can attack the
threads on the wheel bolts.
Never use abrasive or meta l polishing clean­
ing agents.
If the protective coat ing has been
chipped, e.g. by kicked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as possible.
A WARNING
-Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency~
page 163, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information¢
page 178.
Body cavity sealing
-
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked.
All body cavities which could be affected by
corrosion have been thoroughly protected at
the factory.
This sea ling does not require any inspection or
addit ional treatment. If any wax should seep
out of the cavity when the ambient tempera­
ture is high, it can be removed with a plast ic
scrape r and a suitab le solvent .
A WARNING
Solvents can be dangerous.
- Benzine is flammable and toxic. If you
use benzine for removing the wax, keep
spar ks, flame and lighted cigarettes
aw ay. Never dump benzine on the
ground, in to open streams or down sew ­
age drains.
- B e sure to observe all safety and env iro n­
menta l regulations . Follow all instruc ­
tions on t he container .
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other informa tion¢
page 178 .
Cleaning and protec tion 183
Chassis
Hove the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Aud i is also thor­
oughly protected against corrosio n.
Any damage to the undercoating ca used by
road hazards should be repaired prompt ly.
A WARNING
Too much undercoating in the wrong p la­
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproof ing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields. While driving, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overhea t and cause a fire.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other info rmation
¢ page 178.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and o ther co rrosive materials w ill
damage the material in the exhaus t tail pipes
i f they are not cleaned regular ly . Do not clean
the tail pipes with whee l cleaner, pa int polish,
c h rome polish or other abrasive clea ners .
Clean the tail pipes with car care products
that are suitable for stainless steel.
Your authorized Audi dea ler can provide clean­
ing products that have been tested and ap­
proved for your vehicle.
Care of interior
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and deposits from a luminum sur faces.
Chrome care products and a lkaline cleaners
will attack a luminum surfaces and can dam­
age them over time.
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 178.
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(D Note
- Never use chemical solvents (e.g . lighter
flu id, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
s imilar products on Alcantara ® surfaces.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains
removed by a commercia l cleaning spe­
cialist.
- Do not use brushes, stiff sponges or sim­
ilarly abrasive cleaning aids.
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia­
bly when needed.
.. Keep belts clean .
.. For cleaning, use a mi ld soap and water sol­
ution . Let be lts dry thoroughly and away
from direct sunlight.
.,. Do not allow inertia reel safety belts to re­
tract before they are completely dry.
.,. Check the condition of your safety belts
reg­
ularly .
Heavily soiled safety belts may not retract
properly .
A WARNING
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash.
- Anything that might damage your safety
belts could mean that you and your pas­
sengers wou ld not be adequately pro­
tected in an acc ident.
- Safety belt performance depends on cor­
rect installation. Never remove belts
from the vehicle to clean them.
- Do not use chemical cleaning agents,
bleach o r dyes. They have corros ive prop­
erties whi ch weaken the webbing.
- When cleaning your safety belts, inspect
them for damage.
If you discover dam­
age, see your a uthorized Audi dea ler.
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other information
Q page 178.
l ) Use o nly the correct cleaning sol utions. Neve r use gas­
oline or d iese l fuel.
Cleaning and protec tion
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine compartment.
A lw ays switch o ff the ign it ion before cle an ­
i ng the eng ine
c> ,& .
Plenum pan el
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front
of the windshield under the engine hood. This
prevents the water drain holes from becoming
blocked, and it prevents debris from enter ing
the vehicle interior through the heating and
vent ilat ion ducts.
Co rro sio n protect ion
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion-protected at the factory.
Good anti -corrosion treatment is very impor­
tant, partic ularly in the winter.
If the vehicle
is frequently driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and p lenum panel
should be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage.
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
shou ld be washed as well.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease remov ing solutions
1> , or if
you have the engine washed, the anti-corro­
s ion treatment is almost always removed as
well.
It i s therefo re essentia l to have a long­
lasti ng cor rosion pro tect ion reapplied to all
surfaces, seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment .
A WARNING
Be aware: The engine compartment of any
motor vehicle is a potentially hazardous
area.
- Before work ing in the engine compart­
ment, be sure to read the information
c>page 194.
- Before reaching into the front plenum
panel, a lways remove the ignit ion key.
187
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190 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
- Blend must contain not more than 1S%
MTBE.
Sea sonally adju sted ga soline
Many gaso line g rades are blended to perform
espec ia lly we ll for winte r or summe r d riv ing .
Du ring seasonal change-ove r, we suggest that
you fill u p at busy gas s tat ions where the sea­
sona l adjus tment is more likely to be made in
time .
(CT) Note
-Methanol fuels which do no t mee t these
r equirements may cause co rrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo ­
nents i n the fuel system .
- Do no t use fue ls that fai l to meet the
spec ified criteria in this chapter.
- If yo u are unable to de term ine whether
or not a particular fue l blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
i ts fuel s upplier.
- Do not use fue l for which the contents
cannot be identified.
- Fuel sys tem damage and performance
problems resulting from t he use of fuels
different from those specified a re not
the respons ibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fue l economy
or driveability and performance prob­ l ems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recomme nd that yo u sw itch
to unblended fuel.
Gasoline additives
A majo r concern among ma ny auto manufac ­
turers is carbon deposit build -up caused by
the type of gasoline you use .
A lthough gasoline grades differ from one
manuf acturer to anothe r, they h ave certa in
things in common. All gaso line g rades contain
substances that can cause deposits to co llect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline
brands incl ude additives to keep engine and fuel systems clean, they a
re not equally effec­
tive .
A udi re commends using TOP TI ER De tergent
Gasoline. For mo re info rmat ion on TO P TI ER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadeq uate
f uels, bui lt-up carbon deposi ts can rob yo ur
engine of peak performance.
(D Note
Dam age or ma lf u nction due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Au di New Ve­
hi cle Limited Warran ty.
Diesel fuel
Applies to veh icles: w ith diesel engine
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) sul­
fur content 15 ppm or less.
T he ULSD ( Ultra Low Sulfur Diese l) meets the
ASTM-D-97S (grade 2).
Die sel fu el with a higher c oncentration than
ULSD -Die sel No. 2 ASTM 0 975 and Bio-die­
sel with a higher c oncentration than S
% like
B11 , B20 or B100 are strictl y prohib ited.
Se rv ice stat io n fue l pumps a re labe led with
the cor rect fuel information fo r easy recogn i­
t ion by the use r. If the d iesel fue l pump is no t
l abeled ask the station operator what fue l is
being dispensed before filling up you r vehicle .
Serv ice stat ions offering d iesel fue l are gene r­
ally located on truck routes or major high­
ways . Directories of diesel fuel stations a re
u su a lly availab le at d iese l fue l stat ions .
Some sta tes in the USA req uire permi ts to
purchase diese l fue l. Check wi th your Sta te
Motor Vehicle Department.
Diesel fue l may no t be ava ilable outside t he
USA and Canada. Be s ure to che ck befo re trav -
eling to othe r countries . .,..

192 Fuel suppl y and filli ng your fuel t ank
container meets industry standards (ANSI/
ASTM F852 -86) .
(D Note
Never drive yo ur vehicle until the fuel tank
is completely dry . The irregular s upply of
fue l can cause misfiring. Gasoline cou ld
enter into the exhaust system and damage
the catalytic converter.
Refuelling
The fuel filler flap is unlocked from a button
in the driver 's door .
Fig. 152 Driver 's door: Un lock ing fuel filler flap
Fig. 153 F u el cap hooked on the opened fuel filler flap
When adding fuel, the ignition and any cellu ­
lar phones in the vehicle must be sw itched
off.
Tak ing th e fuel cap off
.. To open the fuel filler flap, pull the button
¢fig . 152 .
.. Unscrew fuel filler cap counter-clockwise
and hang it on the fuel filler flap¢
fig. 153 .
.. Check the label on the inside of the fuel fi ll­
er flap to determine if the vehicle must be
fueled with gasoline or diesel fuel.
Refuell ing proc edur e
.. Insert the f uel nozzle from the gasoline
pump into the fuel fi ller neck as far as it wi ll
go .
.. Select a medium refuelling rate
so that the
nozzle switches off automatically when the
tank is full.
Putting th e fu el cap ba ck on
.. After fi lling your tank, twist the fuel filler
cap clockwise until you hear a definite click.
.. Close the fue l filler flap.
T o avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the
fuel tank always close fuel filler cap properly
and completely. An improperly closed fuel fill­
er cap may also cause a message in the driver
information system or cause the MIL lamp
¢page 24 to come on.
A WARNING
-Improper refue ling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fue l is highly flammable and can cause
severe burns and other injur ies.
- Failure to shut the engine off while refu­
eling and/or to insert the pump nozzle
ful ly into the fuel filler neck could cause
fue l to spray out of filler neck or to ove r­
f low. Fue l spray and overflowing fue l can
cause a fire .
- Never use a ce ll ular telephone while re­
fue ling. The electromagnet ic rad iation
can cause sparks that can ignite fuel va­
pors and cause a fire.
- Never get back in to yo ur vehicle whi le re­
fue ling. If in exceptional circ umstances
you must get back in your vehicle while
ref ueling, make certain that you close
the door and touch metal to discharge
static electricity before touching the fill­
er nozzle again . Static e lectr icity can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors
re leased du ring ref uel ing .
- Never smoke or have an open flame any­
where in or near your veh icle when refu-
eling or fi lling a portab le fue l conta iner . ..,_

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.

-Set the parking brake fully.
- Move selector lever of automatic trans-
mission to "P" (Park); put manual trans­
mission in Neutral.
- Always let the engine cool down . Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment . Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood .
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment .
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili­
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool­
ant system is pressurized and hot cool­ ant could spray out!
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- If work on the fuel system or the electri­
cal system is necessary:
-Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in­
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever of automatic trans-
Checking and filling 195
mission to "P" (Park); put manual
transmission in Neutral.
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­
ing hot parts . Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine .
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards~&. .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
Q) Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems will occur .
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly . If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu­ ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dealer. •
•