2012 AUDI A3 mirror

(!) Power window switches
@
®
©
Door handle
Power locking switch
Switches for:
- Adjuster for outs ide mirrors
- Switching on heated exter ior
mirrors
® L ight switch ............... .
® Air outlets ............ .... .
(J) Turn signal and high beam
@ Radio control buttons
® Steer ing wheel w ith:
- Integ rated control buttons
(multi -function steering wheel
only)
for Audi Sound System
- Horn
- Drive r's airbag ........... .
@ Instrument cluster .. ... .. .. .
@ Radio and telephone control
buttons
@ Sw itches for
- Windsh ield wiper/washer
- Trip computer ..... ... .. .. .
@ Ign ition lock .............. .
(8) Adjustable s teer ing column .. .
@) Cruise control ............. .
@) Inst rument lighting ........ .
@ Release lever for the engine
hood .... .. ... ..... ... .. .. .
@ Data Link Connector for On
Board Diagnostic (OBD II)
@ Sw itches for:
- Fuel flap release
43
39
53
47
84
so
126
10
55
25
89
88
94
49
194
24
192
- Rear hatch re lease . . . . . . . . . 40
@ Depending on opt ions: Rad io or
N avigation system (nav igat ion,
r adio)
@ Glove compartment ( lockable)
with CD changer * . . . . . . . . . . . 76
@ Front passenger's a irbag
@ L oudspeaker (treble)
~ Storage tray or sw itch for
126
76
- Audi magnet ic r ide . . . . . . . . . 22
@) Emergency flasher . . . . . . . . . . 76
Instrument s and control s 9
@ Climate controls .. .. .. ..... .
@ Switch for seat heating ...... .
@ Rear window defogger switc h
@ Cup ho lder ....... .. .. ..... .
@ Electr ica l socket .. .. .... ... .
@ AUX -in connect ion
@ E lectr ica l socket ........... .
@) Pa rking brake lever .... .. .. . .
@ Gear shift lever or selector lever
- Manual transmission ...... .
- Automatic transmission .... .
80
85
85
74
75
75
91
96
96
@ Switches for Electronic Stabili­
z ation P rog ram (ESP)
161
@ Tips
- Some of the equ ipment o r features
shown in the genera l ill ustrat ion may be
standard equ ipment on your vehi cle or
m ay be opt ional eq uipment depending
on your model. A lways ask your author­
ized Aud i dea le r i f you have a quest ion
about your vehicle .
-A separate Owner's Manual is in vehicles
that have a factory-installed radio, CD
change r, nav igat ion system, AUX-in con­
nection or multifunction steering wheel.

Luggage compartment light
A dome light in the rear roof liner illuminates
the luggage comportment. An additional
light is provided on the inside of the rear lid.
The light is located on the left side of the
trunk.
With the switch at the center position, the
rear dome light is automatically switched on
as soon as the rear lid is opened. The rear
dome light goes out 30 seconds after the rear
lid is closed .
If the rear lid is left open for more than 10 mi­
nutes, both the rear dome light and the light
i n rear lid are switched off to conse rve the
battery charge.
Vision
Sun visors
Applies to vehicles: with lig ht package o r ill umin ated va n­
ity m irror
Using the sun visors makes driving safer.
l
-
Fig. 5 3 Sun visor
The s un visors for the dr iver and front passen­
ger can be removed from their center mo unt­
ings and moved toward the door w indows
(D
~ fig . 53 to protect against side glare .
The vani ty mir ror in the sun viso rs is covered
by a lid. When you s lide the lid @open the
mirror illum ination comes on automat ica lly.
W hen you slide the lid shut or fold the su n vi­
sor back up, the illumination also goes out.
There is a folding visor between the visors for
the driver and the passenger which can be
Clear vi sion 5 3
used to cover the space above the rear view
mirror.
Sun blind
Applies to veh icles: w ith sun blinds o n rear side windows
Use the sun shades to cut glare through the
rear passenger windows and the rear window .
.,
F ig. 5 4 Rear side window : sun blind extended
Sun blind, rear side windows door s
.. Pull the shade upward out o f the door sill
and engage in the hooks located at the top
of the door frame
q fig. 54.
Mirrors
Adjusting the exterior mirrors
Fig. 55 Fo rwa rd sect ion of d river's a rm rest: power mir ­
ror cont rols
Adjusting the outside mirrors
.. Tur n the ad justing knob to q fig. 55 ©
(driver's s ide outside m irror) to ® (fron t
passenger's outside mirror).
.. Press the knob in the appropriate direction
to move the mirror surface so that you have
a good view to the rear.
Heated mirrors*
.. Tur n the rotary k nob to @.

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. .,.

-Automat ic dimming for the m irror only
operates p roperly if the lig ht striking the
i ns ide mirror is not hindered in any way.
Wiper and washer
system
{sf) Windshield wiper
The windshield wiper lever controls both the
windshield wipers and the washer system.
F ig . 57 Wiper lever: w inds hie ld w iper lever positions
The windshield wiper lever c> fig. 57 has the
following positions:
Ql Intermittent wiping (activating rain
senso r)*
.. Move the lever up to position@.
.. Move the interval set sw itch @, to change
t h e interva ls.
Low wiper speed
.. Move the lever up to position@.
High wiper speed
.,. Move the lever up to position @.
One-touch wiping
.. Move the lever to position @, when you
want to w ipe the w indshield
briefly .
Automatic wiper /w asher
.. Pu ll the lever to posit ion ® (toward the
steering wheel) and ho ld.
.. Re lease the lever . The washer stops and the
wipers keep going for about four seconds.
Turning off th e wiper s
.. Move the lever back to position @ .
Clear vi sion 55
The w indshield wipers and washe r only work
whe n the ignition is turned on . If you switch
off the ignition with the w indshie ld w iper lev ­
er st ill in the interva l wipe position and then
come back a whi le later and drive off, the rai n
senso r will reactivate itsel f after the vehicle
speed has exceeded 4 mph (6 km/h) .
The rain sensor* is only activated with the
wiper lever set to position @. When it starts
to rain, the rain sensor will automat ically acti ­
vate the intermittent w iping mode.
To reduce the sensitivity of the sensor, move
switch ® down. To increase the sensitivity,
move t he switch up. The h igher you adjust the
sens it ivity, the faster the senso r will react
when it senses mo isture on the windsh ield .
The rain sensor w iper intervals depend on the
sensit ivity sett ing as well as vehicle speed.
D uring brief s tops, wipe r mot io n will adjust in
r elat ion to the amou nt of rain on the w ind­
shield .
Automat ic w iper/was her : To eliminate water
drople ts, t he windsh ield wiper pe rforms o ne
afterw ipe ope ra tion after severa l seconds
whi le dr iv ing . You ca n sw itch this f unct ion off
by moving the leve r to posit io n ® within
10 seconds of the afterw ipe operat io n. The af­
terwipe function is reactivated the next time
the ignitio n is switch.
When the igni tio n i s tur ned on, the washe r
jets are heated*.
& WARNING ~
- Wiper blades are crucial for safe drivi ng!
On ly when they are in good condit io n are
they able to clear the windows properly
to prov ide uncompromised visib ility.
Worn o r damaged wiper blades are a
safety haza rd
c> page 57, Replacing
front wip er blades!
- The light/rain senso r* is only des igned to
assis t and suppo rt the driver.
It rema ins
e ntire ly th e drive r's respo nsib il ity to
m onitor outside weathe r cond itions and
t o manu ally a ctiv ate the wipe rs as soo n

-You cannot activate the service position
when the hood is open.
- The front wiper blades a re different
l engths; the blade on the driver's side is
l onger.
Changing the rear wiper blade
F ig . 6 1 Insta lling/re moving wiper blade
Removing the wiper b lade
.. Fo ld the windshield wipe r arm away from
the g lass .
.. Pull the met al surround of the w iper blade
out o f the retaine r in the d irection o f the ar­
row
r=> fig. 61. Hold the wiper arm firmly by
the upper end as you do this.
Attaching the wiper blade
.. Adjus t the posi tion of the wipe r blade in the
retainer
r=> fig. 61 (see close up).
.. Press the w iper blade into the retainer. Hold
t h e wiper arm firmly by the upper end as
you do this .
.. Fo ld the wiper arm back onto the glass.
A WARNING
- To avoid streaks, you should clean the
windshield wiper blades regular ly w ith
w indow cleaner. Fo r heavy soiling, for ex­
ample, insects, the wipe r blades can also
be cleaned with a sponge or a cloth.
- For safety reasons, the windsh ield wiper
blades sho uld be replaced once or twice
a year .
Clear vision 59
Digital compass
Activating or deactivating the compass
App lies to vehicles: wi th digi tal co mpass
The direction is displayed on the interior rear
view mirror .
Fig. 62 Inside rear v iew mirror : d ig ita l compass act i­
vated
.. To activate or deactivate, hold the@ but­
ton down unt il the red display appears or
disappears .
The dig ital compass only works w ith the igni­
tion turned on. The directions are displayed as
initials :
N (North), NE (Northeast), E (East),
SE (So utheast), S (South), SW (Southwest),
W (West), NW (Northwest) .
(0 Tips
To avoid inaccurate d irect io ns, do not al­
l ow any remote contro ls, electr ica l sys­
tems, o r metal parts close to the mir ror.

60 Clear vis ion
Setting the magnetic deflection zone
A ppl ies to vehicles: with digital compass
The correct magnetic deflection zone must be
set in order to display the directions correctly.
©
Fig. 63 North America: magnet ic def lect ion zone
boundaries
• Hold the@~ page 59, fig. 62 button down
u ntil the number of the set magnetic deflec­
tion zone appears on the interior rear view
mirror .
• Adjust the magnetic deflection zone by re­
peatedly pressing on the @button. The set
mode automatically deactivates after a few
seconds .
Calibrating the compass
Applies to vehicles: with digital compass
The compass has to be recalibrated if the dis­
play is wrong or inaccurate.
• Hold the@ button down until the letter C
is displayed on the interior rear view m irror .
• Drive in a circle at a speed of about 5 mph
(10 km/h) until a d irection is shown on the
i nterior rear view m irror.
A WARNING
-
The digital compass is to be used as a di-
rectional aid only. Even though you may
want to look at it while you are driving, you
must still pay attent ion to traffic, road and
weather conditions as well as othe r possi­
b le ha zards.

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

must install extended mirrors. I t is important
that you
always have clear vision to the rear.
A WARNING -
After removing the tra ile r hitch, do not
store it in your vehicle. In case of s udden
braking , the hitch could fly forward and in­
jure you or your passengers .
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your ve hicle is limited to a typica l
class 1 o r class 2 trailer.
Trailer l oad di stribut ion
Be s ure the load in the trai ler is he ld sec urely
in place to guard aga inst shift ing, be it for­
ward, backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
~ &. in Driving instructions on page 176 .
Tire pressure
When tow ing a tra ile r, i nflate the ti res of yo ur
ve hicl e to the co ld tire pressure listed u nder
"Full load" on the sticker on the r igh t door ­
jamb . Inflate trai ler ti res to trai ler and tire
manufacturers' specifications.
Lights
The he adlig ht setti ngs should be che cked w ith
the trailer a ttached be fore dr iv ing off . Adjus t
as necessary so that you can see the road
a h ead but not blind o ncoming traff ic .
C hec k prope r wo rking of vehicle a nd t ra ile r
lights.
Safety chains
B e s ure tra ile r safe ty cha ins are p roperly con­
nected from the t railer to the hitch on the ve­
hicl e. Leave e no ugh s lack in the chains to pe r­
mi t turning corners . Whe n you ins tall safe ty
ch ains, m ake s ure they w ill not drag on the
road when yo u are driving .
The c ha ins shou ld cross un der th e tra ile r
t ongue to prevent it from droppi ng in case of
separat ion from the h itch.
Trailer towin g 175
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration .
To obtain the best possible handli ng of vehicle
and trailer, please note the fo llow ing:
... Do not tow a loaded t railer w hen you r ca r it­
self is not loaded .
... Be especially caref ul when pass ing other ve­
hicles .
... Obse rve speed lim its .
... Do not dr ive at the maximum permissib le
speed.
... Always app ly brakes e arly .
... Mon itor the tempe rature g auge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded t railer w ith an em pty car re­
su lts in a highly unstab le distrib ution of
weig ht. If th is cannot be avoided d rive at very
l ow speed s on ly t o a void t he ri sk of losi ng
stee ring cont rol.
A "ba lanced " rig is easier to operate and con­
tr ol. Th is means t hat the tow vehicle should
b e lo ade d to t he e xten t possible and per miss i­
ble while keep ing t he tr ailer a s light as possi ­
ble under the c ircu mstances . Wheneve r poss i­
ble, transfe r some ca rgo to the lugga ge com­
partment of the tow vehicle w hile obse rv in g
tong ue load requ irements and vehicle load ing
consideratio ns.
Speed
The higher the speed, the mo re di fficu lt it be ­
comes for the driver to contro l the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissib le speed. Re ­
duce your speed even more under unfavo rable
load, weather or wind conditions - partic ularly
whe n going downhill .
Red uce veh icle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows t he slig htest s ign of sway ing.
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating .
Observe speed limits . In some a reas speeds
f or vehicles tow ing tra ile rs a re lower than for
r egular veh icles .
•
•