2012 AUDI A3 ECU

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.
•
•

242 What do I do now?
-Always store damaged wheel, jac k and
tools secure ly in luggage compa rtment.
Otherw ise, in an acc ident or sudden ma­
neuver they could f ly forward, causing in­
jury to passengers in the vehicle .

CD Note
-Applying a higher vo ltage booster bat­
tery will cause expensive damage to sen­
sitive electronic components, such as
control units, relays , radio, etc.
- There must be no e lectrica l contact be­
tween the vehicles as otherwise current
could already start to flow as soon as the
pos itive(+) terminals are connected.
- Improper ly connected jumper cables can
cause substantial damage to the electri­
ca l system of the vehicle .
(D Tips
-The discharged battery must be properly
connected to the vehicle's electrical sys­
tem.
General information of
starting assistance
Please observe that the procedure described
be low for connecting jumper cables is inte nd­
ed to p rov ide a jump star t for you r veh icle.
M ake sure t hat the co nnected clamps have
sufficient
metal co ntac t. S tart assist ance d if­
fe rs fo r vehicles wi th a 4-cyli nder eng ine:
¢ page 249, Use of jumper cables
_& WARNING
Improper handling of t he ju mper cab les
can lead to an explosion of the battery and
severe injuries. To reduce the r isk of injury,
note the following:
- The sections of the terminal clamps that
are not insu lated must not touch each
other. In addition, the cab le clamped to
the battery's positive term inal must not
come in contact with e lectrically con­
nec ted parts of the veh icle -dang er of
sho rt cir cuit!
- Route t he jumper cab le so that it cannot
catch in any rotating parts in the engine
compartment .
- Do not bend over the batte ries -danger
of chemi cal bu rns!
Emergenc y situ ation s 249
-The battery cell locking screws must be
tightened secure ly.
- Keep ignition sources (open f lame, b urn­
ing cigarettes, etc.) away from t he bat­
ter ies - danger of explosion!
- Do not clamp the minus cable to parts of
the fuel system or the brake lines.
CD Note
If yo u prov ide start assis tance for others
with your vehicle, you sho uld not clamp
the minus cab le (- ) to the negative termi­
nal of the discha rged battery¢
page 249,
fig. 193 @but
to a solid meta l part
screwed firmly to the engine block, or to
the engine block itse lf. In case of an inade­
q uately v entilat ed battery of the vehicle
r eceiving powe r, the re is a danger of explo­
s io n due to deton ating gas!
Use of jumper cables
Make sure to connect the jumper cable
clamps in exactly the order described below!
Fi g. 193 Ju mp -start ing wit h the battery of a nother ve­
hi cle: A -disc ha rged veh icle battery, B -booster battery
T he bat tery is lo cated in the fron t, i n t he en­
gine compar tment on the dr iver's s ide. To
reach the positive term inal, remove the cover
~ page 208.
Preparatory measures
1. Do not jump sta rt a fro zen battery! ¢..&,
in S tarting wi th jumper cables on
page 248, ¢.&. in General info rmation of
starting assistance on page
249. Rep lace
s u c h a battery! ..,.

securely connect the minus(- ) cable to
either a massive metal component that
i s firm ly bolted to the eng ine b lock or to
the engine block itself. If the battery
that is being charged does not ve nt to
the outside, escaping battery gas cou ld
i gnite and explode!
Emergency towing
with commercial tow
truck
General hints
Your Audi requires special handling for tow­
ing .
The fol low ing information is to be used by
commercial tow truck operators who know how to ope rate their equipment safe ly.
- Never to w your Audi, towing will cause
damage to the engine and t ransmission.
- Never wrap the safety chain s or winch ca ­
bles around the br ake lines.
- To pre vent unnecessary damage , you r Audi
must be transported with a car carrie r (flat
bed truck ).
- To load the vehicle on to the flat bed, use
the towing loop found in the veh icle tools
and attach to the front or rear anchorag e
¢page 251 and ¢page 252.
..&, WARNING
A vehicle being towed is not saf e for pas­
senge rs. Never a llow anyone to r ide in a
vehicle being towed, for any re ason.
Emergenc y situ ation s 251
Front towing loop
Do not install the front towing loop until it is
needed .
Fig . 194 Fro nt bu mper: re m ov ing t he cover ca p
Fig. 195 Fro nt bump er: s crew ing in t he tow ing loo p
The towing loop fits into the threaded hole lo ­
cated on the right s ide of the front b umper
and covered by a sma ll cover when not in use .
Note that the towing loop has
a left-h and
thread !
.,. Remove the tow ing loop from the vehicle
too lki t¢
pag e 234 .
.. Press on the bottom edge of the cover cap
to disengage and take it out of the bumper.
T he cap rema ins connected to the bumper
¢fig . 194 .
.,. Inser t the tow ing loop into the threaded
hole
<=> fig . 195 and tur n it all the way in un ­
til it is seated securely, then tighten it with
t h e wheel bolt w rench .
When it is no longer needed, unscrew the
towing loop and put it back into the o n-boa rd
toolk it . Make su re to have the towing loop
stored in the vehicle at all times .

252 Emergency situations
A WARNING
If the towing loop is not screwed in as far
as it will go, the thread can pull out when
the vehicle is towed -potential risk of an
accident .
Rear towing loop
Do not install the rear towing loop until it is
needed.
Fig. 196 Rear bumper: cover
Fig. 197 Rear b umper: t owing loop inser ted
On the right side of the rear bumper there is a
threaded hole for the towing loop. The
threaded hole is behind a cover. Note that the
towing loop has a
left-hand thread!
.. Remove the towing loop from the veh icle
toolkit ¢
page 234 .
.. Place the screwdriver against the upper
edge of the cover and carefu lly pry it out
¢ fig. 196.
.. Insert the towing loop into the threaded
hole ¢
fig. 197 and turn it all the way in un­
til it is seated securely , then tighten it with
the wheel bolt wrench .
When it is no longe r needed, unscrew the
towing loop and put it back into the vehicle toolkit.
Be sure to have the towing loop stored
in the vehicle at a ll times.
A WARNING
--
If you do not screw the towing loop com-
pletely, it could come out of the threaded
hole while the vehicle is being towed caus­
ing damage to the vehicle and possible se ­
rious personal injury .
Loading the vehicle onto a flat bed truck
Fig. 198 Vehicle on flat bed truck
Front hook up
.. Align the vehicle with the centerline of the
car carrier ramp .
.. Attach the winch hook to the front towline
eye
¢page 251, fig. 195 previously instal­
led .
Rear hook up
.. Align the vehicle with the centerline of the
car carrier ramp .
.. Attach the winch hook to the rear towline
eye¢
page 252, fig. 197 previously instal­
led .
(D Tips
Check carefully to make sure the hook-up is secure before moving the car up the flat­
bed truck ramp .
Lifting the vehicle
Important safety precautions
Be aware of the following hazards before lift­
ing the vehicle with a workshop hoist or floor
jack: ..,.

-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.
•
•

26 6 Index
Changing engine oil
Chass is 201
Unde rcoat ing . ............. .. .... . 183
also refer to Aud i magnetic ride ... .... 95
Checking
Eng ine coolant level ........ .... ....
204
Checking tire pressure . ... .. .. ... ... . 218
C hi ld restra int
Danger of us ing c hild restra ints in the
front seat ... .... ..... ... .. .. .... .
123
Child restra ints
Where can I get add it iona l information
about child restra ints and their use? ..
160
Ch ild restra int system anchors ... .. ... 155
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143, 148
Convertible locking retractor . . . . . . . . . 152
Important safety instructions for using
chi ld safety seats ..................
146
Important things to know when dr iving
with children ............. .... ....
143
Install ing a child restraint using the
LA TC H system ............. ... .. ...
157
M ount ing and releasing the ancho rage
hook .. .... ... .......... .. .. .. .. .
157
158
158
Tether anchors
Tether straps
Ch ild safety lock
· ............... ..... 42
Child safety seats ................... 148
Booster seats .. .......... .. .. .... . 151
Convertible child seats .... .. .. .. .. . 149
Convertible locking retractor .. .. .. ... 152
H ow do I properly install a child safety
seat in my vehicle? ........ .. .. .... .
146
Infant seats ...................... 148
Ins tall ing ... ............ .. .. .. .. . 152
LA T CH system .... ..... ... .. .. .... . 157
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Child seats
L owe r ancho rages ........ .. .. .... .
156
Clean ing
Alcantara (synthet ic suede) ..........
186
Eng ine compartment ...... .. .. .. .. . 187
Exhaust tail pipes .................. 183
Fabrics and fabr ic coverings .. .. .... . 184
Instrumen t panel .................. 184
Inter ior
L eather .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. .... .
. ... ... . ...... ... ... ...
' . .
183
186
Plastic and vinyl ..... .. ..... .... . .. 181
Plastic parts ..... ... .. ..... ... .. .. 184
Safety be lts ... .. ... ....... ... .. .. 187
trim strips
Tr im strips 181
181
Cleaning and protection .. ..... ... .. .. 178
Cl imate controls . .. ................ .. 79
Additional heater . ... .......... .. .. . 85
Air distrib ution . .. ............. .... . 83
Air o utlets · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ......... 84
Air recirculation . . .. ... ..... .... ... . 83
Air recircu lation mode (manual) . ... .. . 82
Automatic air recirculation ... .... . .. . 82
AUTO (standard setting) ........ .. .. . 81
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Defrost ing/defogging ............. .. 82
Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Fan ......... ... .. .............. .. 83
Key- coded setting ... .......... .. .. . 84
Recommended settings ......... .... . 79
Setting the temperatu re ........ .. .. . 82
Switching between Fa hrenhe it and Centi-
grade . ... .... .. .. .... .... ... .. .. .
83
Switching the air conditioning on and off 81
Using the climate control economically . 84
Warm and cold . .. ............. .... . 79
Clock . ... .. .... .. .. ... ..... ... .. .. . 11
Clutch overheat ing ................. . 101
Coat hooks ..... .. ............. .... . 78
Cold tire infla tio n press ure ........ .... 216
coming home ... .................. .. 48
Compartments in the door trims ... .. .. . 77
Compass mir ro r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Compliance . .... .. ............. .... 262
Consumer Information. .. ..... .. 111,259
Contacting NHTSA ................. . 111
Convenience close/open feature
Windows . .... .. ............. .... .
44
Convertib le child safe ty seats ..... .. . . 149
Convertible locking retractor
At· .
c 1vatmg ... .. .. .. ... ....... ... . .
154
D t" t· eac 1va mg ... .. ............. .. .. 155
Using to secu re a child safety seat 1.52, 154
Coolant system ..................... 203
Cooling System
Expansion tank ... .. .... .... ... .. ..
204

----------------------------~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
•
•