2015 AUDI A3 automatic transmission

102 Audi drive select
Audi drive select
Driving settings
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with Audi drive select
Aud i d rive select makes it possibl e to expe ri­
e nce diffe ren t types of vehi cle sett ings in o ne
ve hicl e. The dr ive r can se lect from three
c om­
fort , auto and dynamic modes using the t.'i:.:1
button in the center conso le or the MM I to
switch between a sporty an d a comfortable
driving mode, for examp le. In the
individual *
mode, the sett ings can be ad justed to your
pe rsonal preferences. This makes it poss ib le
to comb ine settings such as a sporty eng ine
tuni ng with lig ht steer ing.
A WARNING ,_ -
Im prope r use of the A udi drive select can
ca use colli sion s, oth er a cciden ts an d se ri­
ou s pe rson al injury.
Description
Applies to vehicles: with Audi drive select
The vehicle setup in each mode depends on
the vehicle's features. However, t he engine
and steering are always affected .
Engine and automatic transmission*
Depe nding on t he mode, the e ng ine and au to­
mat ic tra nsm iss ion * respond more quickly or
in a more b alance d manner to acce lerator
pedal movements.
Adaptive dampers (Audi magnetic ride)*
The adaptive da mpers use senso rs to reco rd
i nfo rmat ion rega rding s teering moveme nts,
b rak ing and a cce le ra ti on operat ions by t he
d river, road s urface, driving speed, an d load.
W ith Aud i drive se lect yo u can adjust the
adaptive dampe rs sporty (dynamic), comfort­
ab le (comfort) or balanced (auto).
Steering
T he stee ring ad apts in te rms o f stee ring assis­
tance . There are different modes
~page 103 .
Indirect stee ring that moves eas ily as in com- f
ort mode is espec ially suited to long drives
o n a hig hway. The dynam ic mode provi des
spo rty, direct steering.
F o r vehicles wi th progressive stee ring * the
stee ring pe rformance is mo re agile.
Cornering light*
T he co rne ring light adjusts when driv ing on
c u rves a t speeds between 6 mph ( 10 km/h)
and 68 mph (1 10 km/h). The pivo ting act io n
and the light ing a re a lso adapted to the
mode.
Adaptive cruise control*
T he be hav ior when accelerating can be adjust­
ed from comfor tab le to spor ty, depend ing on
t h e Au di drive sele ct mo de. Ad aptive cr uise
control also responds to the driv ing behavior
of the vehicle ahead in a more co nservative or
spo rty manne r.
(D Tips
In some mo dels, the maxim um vehicle
speed can on ly be reache d in t he a uto and
d ynam ic modes.

Selecting the driving mode
Applies to vehicles: with Audi drive select
You can choose between comfort, auto, dy­
namic and individual* .
Fig. 89 Center conso le : drive select button
Fig. 90 MMI: dr ive se lect
.. To set the mode, press the ~:/:a button
N
-N 0 ::> a, Q)
Q fig . 89 repeatedly until the desired mode
is d isplayed in the instrument cluster . Or
Adjusting the Individual mode Audi drive
select 103
.. Select in the MMI: I MENU I button > Systems
or Car systems > comfort, auto, dynamic or
individual*.
You can change the driving mode when the ve­
hicle is stationary or while driving. If traffic
permits, after changing modes, briefly take
your foot off the acce lerator pedal so that the
recently selected mode is also activated for
the engine .
comfort -provides a comfort-oriented vehicle
setup and is suited for long drives on high­
ways.
auto -provides an overal l comfortable yet dy­
namic driving feet and is suited for every day
use.
dynamic -gives the driver a sporty driving fee l
and is suited to a sporty driv ing style .
individual * -¢ page 103.
The last chosen mode is retained when the ve­
hicle is started aga in .
.&_ WARNING
Pay attention to traffic when operating the
drive select to prevent potential risk of an
accident.
You can adjust the vehicle settings to your personal preferences .
.. Select: IM ENU I button > Systems or Car sys­
tems > Set individual
control button. Once
you select the menu, you will automatica lly
drive in the
individual* mode.
After you have closed the settings, yo u are au­
tomatically driving in the
individual* driving
mode .
Systems comfort
Engine
and transmission comfortable
Steering comfortable
Cornering light* comfortable
Audi adaptive cruise control* comfortable The
equipment in your vehicle will determine
which settings you can adjust . The following
table gives an overview of the characteristics .
auto dynamic
balanced sporty
ba lan ced sporty
ba lanced sporty
ba lanc ed sporty

Automatic
transmission S tronic-transmission
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic transmiss ion
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronical­
l y -controlled DSG transmission called S tronic.
T wo independent clutches transfer the power
between the engine and transmission. It al­
lows the vehicle to accelerate without a no­
ticeable interruption in traction .
T he transmission upshifts or downshifts auto­
matically. The driving style continuously influ­
ences the selection of the driving program .
When a
moderate driving style is used, the
transmission selects the most econom ica l
driving mode. The transmission upshifts at a
lower RPM and downshifts at a higher RPM to
improve fuel effic iency .
T he transmission switches to a sporty mode
after a kick-down or when the driver uses a
sporty driving style characterized by quick ac­
celerator pedal movements, heavy accelera­
tion, frequent changes in speed and traveling
at the maximum speed.
If desired, the driver can also select the gears
manually (tiptronic mode) r=> page 110,
Shifting manually (tiptronic mode) .
Selector lever positions
Applies to vehicles: with S tro nic transmission
Fig. 91 Instrument cluster: selector leve r positions
The instrument cluster display shows the cur­
rent selector lever position and current gear .
Automatic transmission 105
P -Park
The wheels are mechanically locked in this po­
sition. You can only shift into Park when the
vehicle is
stationary r=> &..
To shift in and out of the P selector lever posi­
tion, press the interlock button in the selector
lever
while pressing the brake peda l.
R- Reverse
Only shift into reverse gear when the vehicle is
stationary and the engine is running at idle
speed
r=> &. .
To select the R selector lever position, press
the interlock button
while press ing the brake
pedal. The back-up lights sw itch on in the R
pos ition if the ignition is switched on .
N -Neutral
The transm iss ion is in idle in this position .
DIS -Normal position for driving forward
In the D/S selector lever position , the trans ­
mission can be operated either in the normal
D mode or in the S sport mode. To select the S
spor t mode, pull the selector lever back brief­
ly. Pulling the lever back again will select the
normal D mode . The instrument cluster dis­
play shows the selected driving mode.
In the
normal mode D, the transmission auto­
matically selects the suitable gear ratio . It de­
pends on engine load, vehicle speed and driv­
ing style .
Select the
sport mode S for sporty driving .
The vehicle makes full use of the eng ine's
power. Shift ing may become noticeable when
acce lerat ing.
To move from selector lever position N to D,
you must press the brake pedal and the vehi­ cle must be traveling less than 1 mph (2 km/
h) or be stationary~ &.-
.&_ WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS.
- The vehicle can roll even if the ignition is
switched off. ...
.__ _____________ __J ....
•

106 Autom atic tr an smi ssion
-Never select R or P while driving, beca use
this increases the risk of an accident.
- Power is sti ll transmitted to the whee ls
when the eng ine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake in all
selector lever positions (except P) when
the engine is runn ing. Otherwise, th is in­
creases the risk of an accident.
- Do not inadvertently press the accelera­
tor pedal when the vehicle is stopped if a
gea r is engaged. Otherwise the vehicle
will star t to move immediately, even if
the parking bra ke is set . This could result
in a crash .
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selector lever position
whi le the vehicle is stationary and the
engine is running.
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
running whi le in gear . If you must leave
yo ur vehicle when the engine is running,
set the park ing brake and move these ­
lector lever to the P posit ion.
- Before opening the hood and working on
a running engine, select the P position
with the se lector lever and set the park­
ing brake. Always read and follow the ap­
plicable warnings
r::.> page 210, Working
in the engine compartment.
Q) Note
Coast ing downh ill with the transmission in
N and the e ngine not running w ill result in
damage to the automatic transmiss ion
and possibly the catalytic converter.
(D Tips
-Audi drive select: Sporty shift ing charac­
terist ics can be se lected using the
dy­
namic d riving mode.Swill app ear in the
i nstrument cluste r display instead of D.
- If you accidenta lly select N whil e driv ing,
take your foot off the acce le rator pedal
i mmedia tely and wait fo r the engine to
s low down to idle be fore se lecting D or S. -
If there is a power failu re, the selector
lever wi ll not move out of the P position.
The emergency re lease can be used i f
this happens ¢ page 112.
Selector lever lock '
App lies to vehicles: wi th S t ronic tra nsmi ssio n
The selector lever lock prevents you from se­
lecting a gear occidentally, causing the vehi­
cle to roll.
Fig . 92 Selecto r lever lock
To release the selector lever lock:
.. Switch th e ignition on .
8 0 :,l. CX) .,
.. Press the brake pedal while pressing the in-
terlock button .
Automat ic shift loc k (AS L)
The selector lever is locked in the P and N po­
sitions when the ign ition is switched on. You
must press the brake pedal to select another
pos ition. You must a lso press the interlock
button if you a re mov ing from the P position .
T he following message appears in the display
when the selector lever is in the P or N pos i­
t ion to remind the drive r:
When stationar y apply footbrake while se­
l e cting gear
The automatic shift lock only functions when
the vehicle is stationary or at speeds be low 1
mph (2 km/h) . At higher speeds, the lock is
automat ica lly deactivated in the N pos it ion.
The selector lever is not locked when shifting
quick ly through N, for example from R to D.
T his makes it possible to free the vehicle when
it is stuck by "rocking" it. The se lector lever
Ill>

the overload. The ml indicator light
turns on and a message appears
Q page 111 when the clutch is overload­
ed .
-If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood . Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and
is locked in P with the parking brake set
Q page 210. Otherwise, any increase in
engine speed may set the vehicle in mo­
tion, even with the parking brake set.
(y Note
- When stopping on an incline, do not try
to hold the vehicle in place by pressing
the accelerator pedal while a driving gear
is selected. This can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat and can dam­
age it. Set the parking brake or press the
brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from
rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the en­
gine is stopped and th@ selector lever is
in the N position will damage the auto­
matic transmission because it is not lu­
bricated under those circumstances .
- The transmission can overheat and be
damaged under certain driving and traf­
fic conditions such as frequent starts,
creeping for a long time , or stop-and-go
traffic. When the
ml or . indicator
light turns on, stop the vehicle at the
next opportunity and let the transmis­
sion cool
r::!> page 111.
-Allowing the vehicle to roll when the en­
gine is stopped will damage the S tronic
transmission because it is not lubricated
<=> page 261, Emergency towing with
commercial tow truck .
For safety reasons, the parking brake re­
leases automatically only when the driver's
door is closed and driver's safety belt is
fastened.
Automatic transmission 109
Hill descent control
App lies to vehicles : wi th S tronic tra nsmi ssio n
Hill descent control assists the driver when
driving down inclines .
Hill descent control is activated when these­
lector lever is in the D or S position and you
press the brake pedal. The transmission auto ­
matically selects a gear that is suitable for the
incline. Hill descent control tries to maintain
the speed achieved at the time of braking,
within physical and technical limitations. If
may still be necessary to adjust the speed
with the brakes . Because hill descent control
cannot sh ift down farther than 3rd gear, it
may be necessary to shift into tiptronic mode
in very steep areas. In this case, shift into 1st
or 2nd gear in tiptronic mode to use the en­ gine's braking force to relieve the brakes .
Hill descent control switches off once the in­
cline levels out or you press the accelerator
pedal.
On vehicles with a cruise control system*
Q page 79, hill descent control is also activat­
ed when the speed is set.
A WARNING
-
-
Hill descent control cannot overcome
physical limitations, so it may not be able
to maintain a constant speed under all
conditions. Always be ready to apply the brakes .
•

110 Automatic transmission
Shifting manually (tiptronic mode)
A pplies to vehicles: with S tron ic t ransmiss ion/ s hift pa d­
d les
The tiptronic allow the driver to shift the
gears manually.
F ig. 94 Cente r console : manual shifting with the selec·
tor lever
Fi g. 95 Steering whee l: manual shift ing with the shift
paddles•
Shifting with the selector lever
You can shift into tiptronic mode while sta­
tionary and while driving.
.. To shift into triptronic mode, push the selec­
tor lever from the D/S setting to the right in
the triptronic shift gate. Once the transmis­
s ion has switched modes, the selector lever
pos ition
M is shown in the instrument clus­
ter display
c:> page 1 OS, fig. 91. For example
M4 , means the fourth gear is engaged.
.. To shift up a gea r, tap the selector lever for­
ward
0 c:> fig. 94.
.. To shift down a gear, tap the selector lever
to back Q.
Shifting with the shift paddles*
You can operate the shift paddles in the D/S or
M (tiptronic shift gate) selector lever posi­
tions. ..
To shift up one gear, tap the shift padd le
0
c:> fig. 95.
.. To shift down one gear, tap the shift paddle
o.
If the shift padd les are tapped while in the D/
S selector lever position, automatic mode
switches
off briefly . To switch from manually
shifting back to automatic sh ifting immedi­
ately, tap the shift paddle
0 c:> fig. 95 for 1
second.
To keep shifting using the shift paddles, move
the selector lever to the rig ht out of the D/
S position into the tiptronic shift gate.
The transmission automatically shifts up or
down before critical engine speed is reached.
T he transmission only allows manual shifting
when the engine speed is within the permit­
ted range.
(D Tips
- When you shift into the next lower gear,
the transmission will downshift only
when there is no possibility of over-rev­
ving the engine.
- When the kick-down comes on, the
transmission will shift down to a lower
gear, depending on vehicle and engine
speeds.
- Tiptron ic is inoperative when the trans­
mission is in the fai l-safe mode .
· Kick-down
Applies to vehicles : wi th S tronic tra nsmi ssio n
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
When you press the accelerator pedal down
beyond the resistance point, the automatic
transmission downsh ifts into a lower gear, de­
pending on vehicle speed and engine RPM . It
shifts up into the next higher gear once the
maximum specified engine RPM is reached.
A WARNING
Please note that the whee ls could spin on
slick or slippery roads when kick-down is
active.

112 Automatic transmission
with the eng ine runn ing (a t id le) in the P se ­
lector lever position . Then the indicator light
and the message turn off, drive to an author ­
ized A udi dealer or qualified repair facility im­
mediately to have the malfunct ion corrected.
If the indicator lig ht and the dr ive r message
do not tur n off, do not cont inue dr iv ing. See
your author ize d Audi deal er or qualified repair
fa cili ty for assis tan ce.
Di] Transmiss ion malfunction: you can con­
tinue driving
Drive to an autho rized Aud i dea le r or qualified
repair facility immediately to have the ma l­
function co rrected .
Di] Transmission malfunction: no reverse
gear (you can continue driving)
D rive to yo ur a utho rized Aud i dea ler o r quali ­
fied repair fac ility immediate ly to have the
mal function corrected.
Di] Transmi ssion malfunction: You can con­
tinue dri ving in D until engine off
Drive the ve hicle away from mov ing traff ic and
p ar k. See y our au th oriz ed A udi d ealer or qu ali­
fied repair fac ility .
Di] Transmi ssion overheating! Please adapt
driving style
Continue driving moderate ly. When t he in di­
cato r ligh t turns off, you can continue dr iving
normally .
Di] Transmission : Please press brake pedal
and select gear again
If t he tra nsmission mal functions beca use the
temperature is too h igh , a message appears
when t he transmission is coo led.
Selector lever emergency release
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic transmission
If the vehicle 's power supply fails, the selec­
tor lever can be released in an emergency.
Fig. 96 Selecto r lever: re m ov ing th e cove r
Fig. 97 Selecto r lever: using the emerge ncy re lease to
m ove o ut of the Park pos itio n
The emergency release mechanism is located
in the right a rea under the selector lever sh ift
gate. Using the emergency release ca n be
complicated. We recommend co ntacting your
au tho rize d Aud i dea le r o r qualified repa ir fa­
c ili ty for assista nce, if necessa ry.
The sc rewd rive r from t he ve hicle too l kit locat­
ed in the luggage compartmen t is needed to
fo r the emergency release ¢
page 24 7. Use
t h e f lat s ide of the reve rsible screwdriver
bl ade .
Removing the selector lever cover
.,. Set the park ing brake «el)¢&. to secure
your veh icle from rolling .
.,. Insert the flat side o f the scr ewdr ive r side­
ways in the s lot near the s hift cove r and pry
t he shi ft cove r up<=>
fig. 96 .
.,. Pull up the co rners of t he shift c over car efu l­
ly wi th yo ur hands and fold it over the s hift-
er knob
¢ fig. 97. ..,.

Selector lever emergency release
"'Press and hold the yellow release button
with the screwdriver ¢
fig. 97.
"' Press the release button in the selector lever
@ and move the lever into the N position.
"' Clip the shift cover back into the shift gate
after using the emergency release.
If the ve hicle must be pushed or towed due to
a power failure (for example, the battery is
dead), the selector lever must f irst be moved
to the N position using the emergency release
mechanism.
A WARNING
Only move the selector lever out of the P
position when the parking brake is set. If
that does not work, secure the vehicle with
the brake pedal. Otherwise, the vehicle
could start to move unintentiona lly when
the selector lever is moved out of the P po­
sition .
Automatic transmission 113
•