2012 AUDI A3 ECO mode

In addition to t his Owner's Ma nual, your A udi
comes w ith a Warranty
& Maintena nce book ­
l et.
Mor eover , d ep en ding on the mode l and t he
e quip ment, there may be additiona l ins truc ­
tion boo klets delivered w ith your vehicle (for
e x amp le, Ope rat ing Instr uctions fo r yo ur
Sound System, Navigation System etc .).
If yo u are m iss ing one of these publicat ions or
if you believe t hat the information is not com ­
p lete, contact your a uth orized Audi dea ler fo r
assistance .
The Warranty & Maintenance booklet
explains how yo u ca n keep your A udi in top
d riving condition by hav ing it serviced regular ­
l y and conta ins deta iled in fo rmation about
the wa rranties covering your Aud i. Always
h ave the book let with yo u when yo u take your
ve hicle to an auth orized Audi dealer for serv ­
i ce. Your Aud i Service A dviser w ill reco rd each
sche duled servic e and can answer any ques­
tions you may have r ega rding how to ma intain
your ve hicle.
In Canada,
the vehicle lite rature is also avai lab le in
Fr ench . T o obtai n a co py, contact your dea ler
or w rit e to :
Au Canada, on peut se procure r un e xempla ire
e n fran<;ais de ce doc ument aupres du conces ­
sionna ire ou de:
Vo lkswagen Canada, Inc.
Client Assistance
Assistance a la Clientele
7 7 7 Bayly Street , West,
A jax, On tario llS 7G 7
If you sell your Audi
all literatu re should be left in the ve hicle to
make the Warranty terms as we ll as a ll oper­
ating, safety , and ma intenance inf ormation
ava ilab le to the next ow ne r.
Vehicle literature 5
If you change your address or if you
bought this Audi used
b e s ure to send in a " Notice of A dd ress
Change" /" Notice o f Used Car Pu rchase" post
ca rd. T his card can be fo und in the War ranty
&
M aint enance booklet or obtained from your
a utho rized Aud i dea le r.
It is in your own interest that we are able to
contact you should the need arise .
•
•

10 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments and warning/indicator Lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of information.
Fig. 3 Ove rv iew of t he inst ru m ent cluster
CD Tac home ter w ith t ime and date
d is play .. .......... ....... .
@ Indicator lights ( tur n signa ls) .
®
©
®
®
0
®
Coolant temperature gauge .. .
Fu el gauge ............ .. .. .
Speedometer with odometer ..
Set/Check bu tton , ...... ... .
Warn ing/indic ator li gh ts
Reset button for
- T rip odom eter ...... ..... . .
- Se rv ice interval display
(D Note
1 0,11
1 3
11
12
12
11 , 13
1 3
12
30
The instrument cl uster and center console
illumi nat io n (gauges and need les) c omes
on when you switch on the ignition and the
vehicle headlights are off . Be aware o f the
f ollowing diffe re nc e betwee n mode ls built
t o US or C ana di an specific ati ons :
-USA models: illumination of the instru­
ment clu ster (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 headlight s before it
gets too dark.
- Canada model s: instrum ent pan el illu­
mination will stay bright regardless of
the intensity of ambient light. Always be aware of changes in out side light
conditions while you are driving. Re­
spond in time to fading daylight by
turn ing the light switch to position
iD
(or ,;AUTO" if your car is equipped w it h
this feat ure)
to turn on your headlights .
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM
(revolutions per minutes).
The tachometer CD c> page 10, fig. 3 is the left
one of the two large clock-type d isplays.
T he eng ine turns at a speed
1 000 times the
s ingle digit in the display, e.g . if the needle
po ints at the "2", the engine t urns at
2000RPM. ~

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 13
field. The vehicle cannot be operated
¢page 36.
@ Tips
-The dig ital clock and the odometer a re
turned on for abo ut 30 seconds when
the driver's door is opened .
- When the ignition is turned off, the od­
ometer reading and the d igita l clock with
date display can be switched on for
abo ut 30 seconds by pressing the knob
¢ page 10, fig. 3@ .
Warning/indicator
lights
Description
T he indicator lights in the instrument cluster
blink or turn on. They indicate functions or
malfunct ions ¢.&, .
Messages may appear with some indicator
lights. The messages turn off after a short
time. To d isp lay a message aga in, pres s the
Set/Check button¢
page 10, fig. 3@ . If
there is more than one malfunction , the ind i­
cator lights will turn on one after the other for
approximate ly two seconds each .
Some ind icators lights in the display can turn
on in several colors .
A WARNING
-Failure to heed warning lights and other
important vehi cle i nfo rmation may result
in serious persona l injury o r vehicle dam­
age.
- Whe never sta lled or stopped for repa ir,
move the vehicle a safe dis tance off the
road, stop the engine, and turn on the
emergency flasher¢
page 50.
- The engine compartment of any motor
vehicle is a poten tially ha zardous a rea.
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, stop the engine and let it
cool down. Always exercise extreme cau­
t io n when working under the hood
¢ page 187, Engine compartment
(D Tips
Malfunctions or fau lts will be identified ei­
the r with a red symbol (priority 1 -Dan­
ger!) or with a yellow symbol (priority 2 -
Warning) .
Overview
The warning/indicator lights indicate differ­
ent functions or a possible malfunction .
Some indicator lights turn on briefly to check
the function of that system when you switch
the ignit ion on. These systems are marked
with an./ in the following tables. If one of
these indicator lights does not turn on , there
i s a malfunction in that system.
R ed ind icator lights
Red symbo ls indicate a prior ity ma lfunction -
Danger!
- Pull off the road .
- Stop the vehicle .
= Tu rnoff the engi ne.
- Check the malfunctioning system . Contact
your author ized Audi dealer or a qualified
wo rkshop fo r ass istance .
- USA models: Malfunction in the
brake system
<=> page 15
---· Canada models: Malfunction in the
b rake sys tem
<=>page 15
USA models: A irbag system ./
<=>page 16
Canada models: Airbag system./
<=>page 16
Safety be lt
¢page 16
Generator ./
<=>page 16
Engine o il pressure too low
¢ page 16

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 15
Other indicator lights
•
II
CRUISE
•
•
Turn signals
¢page22
USA models: Cruise control acti ­
vated
¢ page 22
Canada models: Cruise cont rol ac­
tivated
q page 22
High beam
¢page 50
BRAKE/ This warning/indicator light illuminates when
the brake fluid level is too low or when there
is a malfunction in the ABS, or when the park ­
ing brake is set.
If the - (USA models)/ . (Canada
models) symbol flashes in the disp lay with the
parking brake released, there is a ma lfuncti on
in the brake system . In addition to the sym­
bol, one of two messages appears in the dis­
play:
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid level
Stabilisation program and ABS fault! See
Owner's manual
.. Pull off the road and stop the vehicle.
.. Obtain professional ass istance.
USA models: if there is a malfunction in the
ABS system, the
r.1il warning/indicator light
illuminates along with the - system
malfunct ion warn ing/ indicator light
q ,&..
Canada models: if there is a malf unction in
the ABS system, the
ll] warning/ind icator
light illuminates together with the. brake
system malfunction warning/indicator light
c::>,&. .
The light - (USA)/ . (Canada) illumi­
nates when the ign ition is turned on . It goes
out after the engine has been started and the
parking brake is fu lly released . This indicates that the brake
warning light is functioning
properly.
If the brake warning light does not light up
when the engine is cranking or the parking
brake is applied, there may be a malfunction
in the electrical system. In this case, contact
your Audi deale r.
If the ABS fails, the ABS warn ing/ indicator
light
r.1il (USA models) /ll] (Canada models)
flashes together with the brake system warn­ ing/ indicator light
i:::> .&..
(USA mode ls): If the warn ing light - and
the warning light
EiJ illuminate together, im­
mediate ly contact your authorized Audi dea ler
or qualified workshop to have all brake pads
inspected
i:::> page 19.
When the light comes on, an audible warning
signal is also given.
Parking brake set
The parking brake war ning ligh t-·
(Canada models) illuminates when the park­
ing brake is set. In addition, a warning tone
will sound after you have driven for longer
than 3 seconds and faster than 3 mp h (S km/
h).
Parking brake set
The - warning/ indicator light illuminates
when the parking brake is set
i:::> .&. .
A WARNING
-Always observe the warnings in
¢page 187, Engine comportment, be­
fore opening the engine hood and check­
ing the brake fluid.
- Driving with low brake fluid is a safety
hazard! Stop the car and get profess ional
assistance.
- USA models:: If both, the 1111 warning
light and
the m warning light come
on at the same time, the rear wheels
could lock up first under hard braking.
Lock-up of the rear wheel brakes can
cause loss of vehicle cont rol and an acci­
dent. Have your vehicle repaired

16 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
immediately by your authorized Audi
dealer or a qualified workshop. Drive
slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake ap­ plication.
- Canada models: If both, the brake warn­
ing light . and the ABS warning light
Ii] come on at the same time, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard braking. Lock-up of the rear wheel brakes
can cause loss of vehicle control and an
acc ident. Have your vehicle repaired im­
med iately by your authorized Audi dealer
or a qualified workshop. Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake application
- If the brake warning/indicator light does not go out after a few seconds and the
park ing brake re leased, or lights up while
you are driving, the fluid level in the brake flu id reservo ir is too low. If you be­
lieve that it is safe to do so, proceed im­
med iately at low speed to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop and have the bra ke system inspect­
ed.
- Always keep in m ind that afte r several
brake applicat ions, you will need g reater
pressure on the b rake peda l to stop your
vehicle. Do not re ly on strained brakes to
respond with maxim um stopping power
in critical situations . You must allow for
increased brak ing distances. The extra
distance used up by fad ing brakes could
lead to an acc ident.
~ / ! .!r Safety systems
The I (USA models)/ . (Canada mode ls) in­
d icator light monitors the safety systems e.g.
a irbags, pretensioners a nd illum inates for a
few seconds each time you switc h the ign ition
on.
If the
I (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
indicator light does not go out, or if it illumi­
nates w hile you are driv ing, or if it sta rts to
b lin k, then there is a ma lf u nction somewhere
in the system. If the light does not illuminate
when you switch on the ignition, this also
means there is a ma lfunction.
A WARNING
If you have a ma lfunction in the safety sys­
tems, contact your authorized Audi dea ler
i mmediately. Otherwise the safety sys­
tems may not work properly in an acc i­
dent.
~ Safety belt warning light
App lies to veh icles : w ith safe ty belt warni ng lig h t
The warning light is a reminder to fasten
safety belts .
The warning lig ht . comes on for a few sec­
onds after the ignition is sw itched on as a re ­
minder to fasten your safety belt .
Additional information on safety belts
r::> page 113.
D Generator '
This warning/indicator light detects a mal ­
function in the generator or in the vehicle 's
electrical system.
The . warning/indicator light i llum inates
when you switch on the ignition and must go
out after the eng ine has started.
If the . warning/indicator light illuminates
whi le you are driving, you sho uld contact your
authorized Aud i dea ler. Since the vehicle bat­
tery is discharging, you shou ld sw itch
off any
unnecessary electr ica l consumers (for exam ­
ple, the air conditioner) .
~ Engine oil pressure
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol
requires immediate service or repair .
If the . symbo l appears in the d isplay and
flashes, the o il pressure is too low . In add ition
to the symbol, the following message a lso ap­
pears in the display:
Switch off engine! Oil pre ssure is too low
.. Pull off the road and stop the vehicle.
.. Shut the engine down.
.. Check the engine oil leve l¢
page 200.

18 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
A WARNING
-
If there is a malfunction, the indicator
light for the electro-mechan ical power as­
sist illum inates. Seek profess ional assis­
tance .
f;.!C; Electronic stabilization program
(ESP )
If the J$.] indicato r lamp blinks while dr iving,
the ESP or ASR (Anti-S lip Regulation) is active ­
ly regulating .
I f the
J$.] indicato r lamp ill uminates , the sys­
tem has switched the ESP
off. In this case, you
can switch the ignition
off and then on to
switch the ESP on again. The system is func­
tioning comp letely when the indicator lamp
switches
off.
If the I indicator lamp illuminates, the ESP
was switched
off with the I!] button.
St abili sation pr ogra m and ABS : fa u lt! Se e
o w ner's manu al
If the DJ indicator lamp and the [I] ABS indi­
cator lamp illumi nate and the dr iver message
appears, the ABS or e lectronic differential lock
is ma lfunctioning . This also interrupts the
ESP. The brakes sti ll function with their nor­
mal power, but ABS is not active.
Drive to yo ur authorized Aud i dealer immedi­
ate ly to have the mal function cor rected .
F or more informat ion about the ESP
¢ page 161.
ABS/ <0 Anti-lock brake system
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS
and the electronic differential lock (EDL).
The warning/indicator light m (USA mod­
e ls)
;ti] (Canada models) will come on for a
few seconds when the ignition is switched on .
The light will go out afte r an automat ic check
seq uen ce is completed.
Ther e is a malfunct ion in the ABS when:
- The warning/indicator l igh t does no t illum i­
nate when you switch the ignition on.
- The warning/indicator ligh t does not go out
after a few se conds .
- The warning/ indicato r light illum inates
while driving.
The ESP ind icator light also illum inates if
there is a ma lfunction in the ABS. The mes­
sage
St ab il isation program and AB S: fa ult!
Se e owner' s m anual
also appears in the in ­
strument cluster display and a wa rning tone
sounds.
Th e brak e sys tem will still respond even
withou t the a ssistanc e of the ABS system .
S ee y our autho rized Audi dealer as soon a s
po ssible to re stor e full braking perfo rmance.
For more information regard ing the ABS
¢ page 161.
Malfunct ion in the brake system
If t he brake war ning ligh t¢ page 15 and the
ABS wa rning illum inate
together there may be
a malfunction in the ABS , and there may also
be a malfunction in the brake system itself
c:> ,& . The ABS will not work and you w ill no ­
tice a change in brak ing re sponse and per ­
forman ce.
In the event of a malfunction in the brake
s y ste m
the warning/indicator light _
(USA models)/ . (Canada models) in the in­
strument cluster flashes¢
page 15 .
Malfunction in th e electronic diff erential
lock (EDL)
The EDL works together w it h the ABS. T he
ABS warning light will come on if there is a malfunction in the EDL system ¢
page 161.
See your author ized Audi dealer as soo n as
poss ible.
A WARNING
- If the m (USA models)/ &] (Canad a
models) wa rning light does not go ou t,
or if it comes on whi le driving, the ABS
-

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 19
system is not working properly. The vehi­
cle can then be stopped only with the
standard brakes (without ABS). You will not have the protection ABS provides .
Contact your Audi dealer as soon as pos­
sible.
- USA models: If the - warning light,
the
G! warning light and the m warn­
ing light come on together, the rear
wheels co uld lock up first unde r hard
braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause
loss of vehicle contro l and an accident.
Have your vehicle repaired immediately
by your autho rized Audi dea ler or a quali­
fied workshop. Drive slowly and avoid
sudden, hard brake applications.
- Canada models:
If the brake warn ing
light •• the
DJ warning light and the
ABS warning light
II] come on together,
the rear wheels could lock up first under
hard braking . Rear wheel lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci­
dent. Have you r vehicle repaired immed i­
a tely by your authori zed A udi dealer or a
qualified workshop . Dr ive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applicat ions.
{0) Worn brake pads
Ei] Che ck b rake pads!
If t h e war ning light illum inates, immediately
con tact your au thori zed A udi dealer o r quali­
fied workshop to have all brake pads inspect­
ed . On USA models the warning light
Ei]
comes on together with the warning light
- · Both sets of brake pads on an axle
must always be replaced at the same time.
A WARNING
Dr iv ing with bad brakes can cause a colli­
sion and serious personal injury .
- If the warning light
Ei] and the warning
light -
1l with the message Brake
pads!
comes on in the instrument cluster
display, immediately contact your au-
1 ) - : USA mod els only
thorized A udi dealer or qualified work­
shop to have all brake pads checked or
replaced if necessary.
(D Tire pressure monitoring system -
telltale indicator lamp
The warning/indicator light appears in the
event of a significant loss of air pressure.
The tl]warning/indicator light illuminates for
a few seconds after the ignition is turned on
as function check and then goes out .
If the
ti] symbol appears, pressure is too low
in at least one tire.
When the system detects a mal function, the
warning/indicator light will f las h for approxi­
mately one minute and then remain continu­
o us ly ill uminated. This sequence will continue
upon subsequent vehicle starts up as long as
the malfunction exists . Contact your author­
ized Audi dealer and have the ma lfunct ion
corrected .
For more information
q page 230.
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control.
The ~ warning/indicator light (E lectronic
Power Contro l) illuminates when you switch
on the ignition as a function check.
(D Tips
If this warning/indicator light illuminates
while yo u are driving, then there is a mal­
funct ion in the engine e lectronics. Have
the malfunct ion corrected as soon as pos­
sible by your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop .
~ Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Ma lfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is pa rt
of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
Ill>

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 21
If the message does not turn off, have your
authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop
correct the malfunction .
Bil Fuel supply too low
When the (I symbol illuminates, this means
there are about 2.6 gallons (10 liters) of fuel left in the fuel tank. Time to refuel!
Qpage 191.
If the symbol lights up, even when there is
ample fuel in the tank, and the text
Tank sys­
tem malfunction! Please contact workshop
appears in the display, there is a fault in the
system. Contact a qualified workshop to have
the fault rectified.
Q Windshield washer fluid level too low
If the I! symbol illuminates, add windshield
washer fluid to the washer system
Q page211.
~ Defective light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning tells you
when a vehicle light bulb hos become defec­
tive .
If a defective bulb has been detected by the
system or a light bu lb burns out , the ~ sym­
bol with a message appears in the disp lay to
tell you which bu lb is burnt out and where it is
located. For example:
Rear left turn signal
After 5 seconds, the message disappears . If
you want to recall the message into the dis­
p lay, press the C H ECK button
Q page 10,
fig. 3(?) .
There are three reasons why the defective
bulb message wo uld app ear in the display:
- T he light bulb has burnt out
Q page 246 .
-The fuse is "blown" c> page 243, Replacing
fuses .
-The w ire connection to the light bulb is de­
fective. Have the
bulb replaced or the connection re­
paired by your authorized Audi Service depart­
ment .
_& WARNING
- Light bulbs are pressurized and could ex­
plode wh ile they are being changed caus­
ing serious pe rsonal injury .
- Work with due care when handling the
high-vo ltage sect ion of gas discharge
(xenon) lamps. Failing to do so could re­
sult in death or serious injury!
BRAKE LIGHT!<@> Brake light defective
In case of a malfunction or component fail-
ure, the symbol (USA models)/
tlJ (Canada models) can appear. The follow­
ing electrical components should be checked,
repaired or replaced , as necessary:
- Brake light bulbs
- All wir ing con nections
- Brake light switch
Contact your authori zed Audi dea ler for assis­
tance if necessary.
(D Tips
The brake light switch is only inspected as
part of the functional chec k after the en­
gine is started.
i,0 Headlight range control defective
Applies to vehicles : wi th dynamic headl ig h t ra nge adjus t­
m ent
If the II illumi nates, the dynamic headlight
range contro l is no longer working p roperly.
Have the system checked and repaired at your
authori zed Aud i dealer.
§'0
Adaptive light defective
App lies to vehicles: with Ada ptive Light
FJl Adaptive light defective