2015 AUDI A3 brake

20 Instruments and indicator lights
When this message a ppears, first press the
b rake peda l and then release the parking
b rake .
113 (USA models)/K@'A ing brake malfunction! Anti-towing alarm
blocked
Ill ( USA models) t6] (Canada model s) Park­
ing brake: not applied!
113 ( USA models) t6J (Canada models) Cau­
tion : Vehicle parked too steep
113 (USA models) t6] ( Canada models ) Park­
ing brake is applied
When th is message appears, first press the
b rake pedal and then release the parking
brake if necessary .
(D Tips
More information on the pa rking brake
c::;,page 76.
- l Cooling system
• Switch off engine and check coolant lev­
el!
The coolant leve l is too low or the coolant
temperature is t oo high .
D o not cont inue driving and turn off t he en­
g ine. Check the coolant leve l
c::;, page 216 .
-If the coolant leve l is too low, add coo lan t
c::;, page 217 . Only continue driv ing if the in­
dicato r light tur ns off .
- If the coolant leve l is co rrect, then the mal ­
function may be caused by fai lure of the
coolant fan. Do not continue dr iv ing. See
yo ur authorized Aud i dea le r or qualified re ­
pair fac ility .
• Coolant temperature too high! Let engine
run with vehicle stationary
L et the eng ine run at idl e for a few minu tes to
coo l down .
A WARNING
-Never open the eng ine hood if y ou see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coo la nt
d ripping from t he e ngine compartment .
You could bur n yourse lf . What until you
ca nno t see or hea r any coolant co min g
ou t.
- T he engi ne compa rtment o f eve ry ve hicl e
is a dange rou s ar ea . B efo re perfo rmin g
wo rk in t he eng ine com par tmen t, tur n
t he eng ine off and let i t co ol d own. A l­
ways follow t he i nfo rmat ion foun d in
c::;, page 210 , Working in the engine
compartment .
(D Note
Do n ot con tinue dr iv ing whe n the . indi­
cator light turns on . There is a ris k of dam ­
a g ing t he engine .
• Switch off engine! Oil pressure too low
Turn off the en gine and do not co nti nu e dr iv­
ing. Check the eng ine oil level
c::;, page 21 5.
- If the en gin e o il level is too low, ad d eng in e
oil
c::;, page 212 . Only cont inue drivin g if the
in di cator light tu rns off.
- If the en gine oil level is co rrec t and the in d i­
ca to r lig ht still turns on, tu rn t he engine off
an d do not cont inue driv ing . See your au ­
thorized A udi deale r or qualifie d repair fa ­
cility.
(D Tips
The oi l press ure warn ing is not an oil level
i ndicato r. For this reas on, chec k th e o il lev­
e l reg ularly .
D Alternator/battery
• Alternator fault: The battery is not being
charged
There is a malfunction in the al ternator or the
vehicle e lectr ica l system .

22 Instruments and indicator lights ~Engine
• Engin e stopped: brake servo and power
steering not possible
There is a malfunct io n in the eng ine or in the
f u e l supp ly system .
A large amou nt of steering and braking force
i s required when driving a ro lli ng vehicle w it h
the eng ine stopped. Try to stop a ro lling veh i­
cle ca refully on the s ide of th e road . See your
author ized Audi dealer or qua lified repai r fa­
cili ty.
_&. WARNING
If the eng ine stops whi le driving, a la rge
amount of braking force is required . This
increases the risk of an accident. As long
as the ve hicle rolls wit h the ignition
sw itched on and there is e nough battery
charge, the power steering wi ll still work.
If not, a large amoun t of steeri ng force is
re quir ed.
-
;;IC, Electronic stabilization control
(ESC) and
(8) anti-lock braking system
(ABS)
If t h e J;,J indicator light b links w hile d riving,
the ESP or ASR (anti-s lip regulat ion) is actively
regulat ing.
I f th e
J;,J indicator light turns on, t he system
h as sw itche d the ESC
off . In th is case, you can
switch the ignition
off and then on to switch
the ESC on again. The indicator light turns
off
when th e system is functioning fully .
Stabilization control (ESC ): sport. Warning!
Rest ricted stability
When the II indica to r li gh t turns on, the ES C
sport mo de was switc hed on w it h the
!1' O FF I
button ¢ page 187. You can turn the ESC
bac k on by press ing the
!1' O FF i button again.
Stabilization control (ESC ): off. Warning!
Restricted stability
Wh en the II indicato r ligh t tur ns on, ESC i s
restri cte d or was sw itche d
off wi th the I~ O FF I
but ton ¢ page 187 . The mess age ESC OFF al- so appears
. You can t urn the ESC bac k on by
pressing the
1 -P. O FF I butto n again .
When the igni tion is sw itche d on t he sys tem
is tur ned o n. The
fl indica tor ligh t turns off
when the system is functioning f ully.
Stabilization control (ESC) malfunction! See
owner's manual
Stabilization control (ESC/ABS) malfunc­
tion! See owner's manual
ABS malfunct ion! See owner's manual
If the DJ in di cator light and the ABS indicator
li ght
i;l (U SA mode ls) ;tiJ (Canada mode ls)
turn on and this message appears, there is a
malfuncti on in the ABS system or electronic
differentia l lock . T hi s also causes the ESC to
malfu nction . The brakes st il l function wi th
t h eir normal power, but A BS is not
active.
Drive to y our auth orized A udi dealer or quali­
fied repa ir facility immed iate ly to have the
malfu nction corrected .
_&. WARNING
-If the. (U SA mode ls) • (Cana da mod-
e ls) brake sys tem indi ca tor ligh t turns on
to ge ther wi th the A BS an d ESC ind icat or
li g hts, the A BS/ ES C r egu la t ing func tion
may have fa iled . Fu nctions that s tabili ze
the veh icle are no longe r available . This
could ca use the vehicle to
swerve, wh ich
in creases the r is k th at the vehicle will
slide . Dr ive carefully to the nearest aut hor­
i z e d A udi dealer or ot her qualified repair
fac ility an d have t he malfu nction cor rect­
e d .
@ Tips
Fo r additional informat io n o n ESC an d
A BS, refer to
Q pag e 185.
(0} Worn brake pads
£t3 Brake pads!
If the warning light illuminates, immed iate ly
co ntact your author ized Audi dea ler or qua li-
fi ed wor kshop to have all b rake pads ..,_

inspected. On USA models the warning light
[IJ comes on together with the warning light
• . Both sets of brake pads on an axle must
always be rep laced at the same time.
_& WARNING
Dr iv ing with bad brakes can cause a coll i­
sion and serious personal injury.
- If the warning light
[IJ and the warning
light
. l) with the message Brake pads!
comes o n in the instrument cluste r dis­
play, immed iately contact your au thor­
i z ed Audi dea le r or q ualified wor kshop to
have all bra ke p ad s ch ecked or rep laced if
necessary.
· ~ Hill hold
Hill hold a ssis t: un available
If th e> #j •ndicato r light turns on and this
message appea rs, hill ho ld is not available.
II Manual control!
If this message appears, press the b rake ped·
al.
Continue driving w ith the help of the parking
brake ¢
page 76.
EPC Engine control (gasoline engine)
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
If the ~ indicator light turns on there is a
malfunct ion in the engine control.
D rive s low ly to your authorized Audi dealer or
q ua lified repair faci lity to have the engine
checked .
I f the ~ indica to r li ght turns on when you
start the engine, there is a malfunction in the
l aunch contro l. To start the engine, follow
these steps:
- Vehicles wi th a mechanical ignition
¢ page 71 ,
-vehicles wi th a compor t igni tion
c:> page 73.
1) . : USA mode ls onl y
Instrument s and indicator ligh ts 23
o Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Ma lfun ction Indi cato r Lamp ( MIL) is pa rt
of the On-Board Diagnos tic (OBD II) sys tem.
T he sym bo l
('4 lights up when the ignition is
switched on and will tur n off after the engine
has started and has settled at a constant idle
speed . This indicates that the MIL is work ing
properly.
T he wa rning lig ht ill uminates when the re is a
malfunction in the engine electronic system .
Contact your a uthorized Aud i dea ler and have
the malfunction corrected.
If the fuel fille r cap is closed incor rect ly, this
may also cause the MIL to turn on
c:> poge 208.
For more information ¢ page 29 .
!7, Engine speed limitation
Applies to vehicles: wi th engine speed lim itatio n
(m Max. engine speed: XXXX rpm
T he eng ine speed is automatically limi ted to
the speed displayed in the driver info rm ation
system . This pro te cts the engine from over ­
heating.
T he eng ine speed l imi ta tion dea ctivates on ce
the engine is no longer in the cri tical tempera ­
tu re range and yo u have re lease d the acce lera ­
tor pedal.
If t he engine speed limi tat ion was act iva ted
b y an engine cont rol m alfunc tio n, the ~ indi­
cator light also turns on. Make sure the en ­
gine speed does not go above the speed dis­
played, fo r example when downshifting . Drive
to yo ur authorized Aud i dea le r or qualified re ­
pair facility immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected .
~. Engine oil level (min.)
El Check oil level
•

restraint so that it is as close to this position
as possible
q page 55 . Move the head re­
stra int so that it is as close to the back of
the head as possible .
A WARNING
Never place any objects in the driver's foot­
well. An object could get into the pedal
area and interfere with pedal function. I n
case of sudden braking or an accident, you
would not be ab le to brake or acce lerate.
Front passenger's seat
Always move the front passenger seat into
the rearmost position.
To avoid contact with the airbag while it is de­
ploying, do not sit any closer to the instru­
ment panel than necessary and always wear
the three -point safety belt provided adjusted
correctly . We recommend that you adjust the
passenger's seat in the following manner :
• Bring the backrest up to an (almost) upright
pos ition.
D o not ride w ith the seat reclined.
• For adjustable head restraints : adjust the
head restraint so the upper edge is as even
as possib le with the top of your head. If that
is not possible, try to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position
as possible
q page 55 . Move the head re­
straint so that it is as close to the back of
the head as possible.
• Place your feet on the floor in front of the
passenger's seat .
Sea ts a nd s to rage 53
Front seats
Manual seat adjustment
App lies to vehicles: with manually adjustab le seats
Fig . 42 Fro nt seat: man ual seat adjustment
(D-Moving the seat forward/back : pull the
lever and slide the seat.
@-Lengthening/shortening the upper thigh
support*:
lift the handle.
@ -Adjust ing the a ngle of the seat surface*:
pull/press the lever.
@ -Adjusting the lumbar support*: press the
button in the des ired direction.
® -Moving the seat up/down: pull/press the
lever .
®-Adjust ing the backrest angle : turn the ad­
justing wheel.
A WARNING
-Only adjust the front seat with whe n the
veh icle is stationary. Otherwise, this in­
creases the risk of an accident
- Exerc ise caution when adjusting the seat
he ight. Ad justing the seat care lessly or
without check ing can p inch hands and
fingers .
- The front seat backrests must be not tilt­
ed too far bac k when driving, because
this affects the effective ness of the safe­
ty belts and airbag system, which in­
creases the risk of injury.
- To reduce the risk of injury in the case of
sudden braking o r accident, front pas­
sengers must never ride in a moving ve­
hicle with the backrest reclined. Safety
be lts and the airbag system only offer

58 Seats and storage
Glove compartment
Fig. 52 Glove compa rt m en t
Open ing /closing
,,. To open the glove compartment, pull the
handle in the direct ion of the arrow.
,,. To close the glove compartment, swing the
lid upward until it clicks into place .
The glove compartment can be locked using
the vehicle key.
A WARNING
Always leave the lid on the glove compart­ ment cover closed while driving to reduce
the risk of in ju ry .
Additional storage compartments
There are add itiona l storage compartments,
compartments and holders at other locations
in the vehicle :
- In the upper part of the glove compart­
ment .
- In the center console under the center arm­ rest* .
- On the back of the right front seat. The com­
partment can hold a max i mum weight of 2
lbs (1 kg) .
- Garment hooks on the B -pillar
c:> A .
A WARNING
-Always remove objects from the instru­
me nt pane l. Any items not stored could
s li de aro und inside the vehicle while driv­
ing or when accelerating or when apply­
ing the brakes or when driving a round a
corner .
-
-When you are dr iving make sure that
anyth ing you may have placed in the cen­
ter conso le or other storage locations
cannot fall out into the footwells . In case
of sudden braking you would not be able
to b rake or accele rate .
- A ny articles of clothing that you have
hung up m ust not interfere with the dr iv­
e r's vi ew. The coat hooks are des igned
only for lightweight cloth ing. Neve r hang
a ny cloth ing wi th hard, pointed o r heavy
objects in the pockets on the coat hooks.
During s udden braking or in an accident -
especia lly if the airbag is deployed -
these objects cou ld injure any passen­
gers inside the vehicle.
- To reduce the risk of persona l in ju ry in an
accident or s udden stop, always keep the
g love compartment closed wh ile driving.
- Read and follow all WARNINGS
<=> page 161, Important safety instruc­
tions on the side airbag system.
- Hang clothes in such a way that they do
not impair the driver's vision.
- The coat hooks must on ly be used for
lightweight clothing. Do not leave any heavy or sharp edged objects in the pock­
ets which may interfere w ith the s ide cur­
tain airbag deployment and can cause
pe rsonal injury in a crash .
- Do not use coat hange rs fo r hanging
cloth ing o n the coat hooks as th is can in­
terfere w ith prope r deployment of the
side curt ain air bags in an a cciden t.
- Do not hang heavy objects on the coat
hooks, as they could cause pe rsonal in­
jury in a sud den stop.
- For strength-re lated reasons, the mount­
i n g hooks ca n only be used to secure ob­
jects weigh ing up to 10 lb . (5 kg) . Heavi­
er objects will not be adequate ly sec ured
- there is a risk of injury.

~ To engage the steering wheel lock, turn the
whee l until it locks when the ignition key is
removed .
~ To release the steering wheel lock, insert
the key in the ignition lock and turn the key
in the -direction of the arrow- while turning
the steering wheel.
Switching the ignition on and off
~ To switch the ignition on, turn the ignition
key to position
(D .
~ To switch the ignition off, turn the ignition
key to position @.
Starting the engine
Your vehicle is equipped with launch contro l.
As soon as you have turned the ign ition key to
position @, the engine will start automatical­
ly.
~ Press the brake peda l and move the se lector
l ever to the P or N pos ition.
~ Turn the key briefly to position @. The igni­
t ion key automatically returns to position
@. Do not press the accelerator pedal when
doing this.
Major electrical equ ipment switches off tem­
porarily when starting the engine.
If the engine does not start immediately, stop
the starting procedure by turning the ignit ion
key to position @and repeat after 30 sec­
onds .
Automatic start malfunction
If the Ila indicator light turns on (gasoline en­
gine) and the message
Engine start system
malfunction. Please contact Service
appears,
there is an automatic start malfunction.
To start the engine, hold the ignition key in position @until the engine runs.
D rive to an autho rized Audi dea ler or qualified
repair facility immediately to have the ma l­
function corrected.
A WARNING
- Never allow the engine to run in confined
spaces -there is a r isk of asphyxiation.
Driving 71
- Never remove the ignition key from the
ignit ion lock while the vehicle is mov ing.
Otherwise the steering lock will engage
and you will not be able to steer the vehi­
cle.
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the eng ine is running. If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when stee ring or braking. Because
you cannot steer and bra ke as you usual­
ly would, this could lead to crashes and
serious inju ries .
- Always take the vehicle key with you
when leaving the vehicle, even for a
short period of time . This applies partic­
ular ly when c hildren remain in the vehi­
cle. Otherwise the children could start
the engine or operate electrical equip­
ment such as power windows.
(D Note
- Avoid high engine speed, full th rottle,
and heavy engine load as long as the en­
gine has not reached operating tempera­
ture yet. You could damage the engine.
- The engine cannot be started by pushing or towing the vehicle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not let the engine run while parked to
warm up. Begin driving immediately. This
reduces unnecessary emissions.
(D Tips
-If it is difficult to turn the key to position
(D, turn the steering wheel back and
forth slightly to release the steer ing
wheel lock.
-After starting a cold engine, there may be a brief period of increased no ise be­
cause the oil pressure must first build up
in the hydraulic valve adjusters. This is
normal and not a cause for concern.
- If the battery is disconnected and recon­
nected, you have to hold t he ignition key
in posit ion
(D for five seconds fo r the en-
gine to start.
Ill>
•

72 Driving
-Vehicles with an automatic transmission:
After switching the ignition off, you can
only remove the key when the selector
lever is in the "P" (Park) position. After
that, the selector lever is locked.
Stopping the engine with the key
Applies to vehicles: with mechanical ignition lock
Stopping the engine
... Bring the vehicle to a full stop .
... Turn the key to position @.
Engaging the steering wheel lock
Requirement: The selector lever must be in
the P position (automatic transmission*).
... Remove the ignition key in position @
¢page 73, fig. 66 ¢,& .
... Turn the steering wheel until you hear the
steering wheel lock.
The locked steering helps prevent vehicle
theft.
A WARNING
- Never turn off the engine before the ve­
hicle has come to a complete stop. The
full function of the brake booster and the
power steering is not guaranteed. You
must use more force to turn or brake, if
necessary . Because you cannot steer and
brake as you usually would, this could
lead to accidents and serious injuries.
- Never remove the ignition key from the
ignition lock while the vehicle is moving.
Otherwise, the steering lock could sud­
denly engage and you would not be able
to steer the vehicle.
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the engine is running. If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or braking. Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usual­ ly would, this could lead to crashes and
serious injuries.
- Always take the vehicle key with you
when leaving the vehicle, even for a
short period of time . This applies partic- ularly when children remain
in the vehi­
cle. Otherwise the children could start
the engine or operate electrical equip­ ment such as power windows.
- For safety reasons, you should always
park your vehicle with the selector lever
in P. Otherwise, the vehicle could inad­
vertently roll away.
- After the engine has been switched off,
the radiator fan can continue to run for
up to 10 minutes -even with the ignition
switched off.
It can also switch on again
after some time if the coolant tempera­
ture rises as the result of a heat buildup
or if the engine is hot and the engine
compartment is additionally heated by
the sun's rays .
(D Note
-If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended period of time, heat builds up in the engine compartment af­
ter the engine is switched off -there is a
risk of damaging the @ngin@ . For this
reason, let the engine run for at idle for
approximately two minutes before shut ­
ting it off.
(D Tips
-After the engine has been switched off,
the radiator fan can continue to run for
up to 10 minutes -even with the ignition
switched off. It can also switch on again
after some time if the coolant tempera­
ture rises as a result of heat buildup or if
the engine compartment is heated by
sunlight and the engine is hot.

Starting and stopping
the engine (vehicles
with a convenience key)
St t· th · ith the
button
Applies to vehicles: with convenience key
The I START ENGINE STOPI button switches
the ignition on and starts the engine.
Fig. 66 Cente r console: START ENGINE STOP button
(w ith conven ience key)
You can start your car without using your con­
venience key. You must simply be carrying the
key with you.
Switching the ignition on and off
If the '-r, ij indicator light blinks and the mes­
sage
Please move steering wheel appears
when switching the ignition on, the steering is
locked by the steering lock. In this case, turn
the steering wheel slightly to the left/right.
.. To switch the ignition on or
off, press the
I START ENGINE STOP I button. Do not press
the brake pedal while doing this.
Starting the engine
Your vehicle is equipped with launch control.
The engine starts automatically when you
press the
I START ENGINE STOP I button brief­
ly.
.. Press the brake pedal and move the selector
lev er to the P or N position .
.. Press the
I START ENGINE STOPI button
briefly. The engine will start.
Major electrical equipment switches
off tem­
porarily when starting the engine.
Driving 73
If the engine does not start immediately, stop
the starting procedure by pushing the
I START ENGINE STOP I button again and re­
peat after 30 seconds.
Automatic start malfunction
If the [m ind icator light turns on (gasoline en­
gine) when you start the engine, there is an
automat ic start ma lfunction.
To start the engine, press and hold the
I START ENGINE STOP I button until the engine
runs.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
repair fac ility immediately to have the mal­
function corrected.
_& WARNING
-Never allow the engine to run in confined
spaces -there is a risk of asphyxiation.
- Always take the vehicle key with you
when leaving the vehicle, even for a short period of time . This applies partic­
ularly when children remain in the vehi­
cle. Otherwise the children could start
the engine or operate electrical equip­ ment such as power windows.
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the engine is running.
If
the eng ine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or braking. Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usual­
ly would, this could lead to crashes and
serious injuries.
(D Note
- Avoid high engine speed, full throttle,
and heavy eng ine load as long as the en­
gine has not reached operating tempera­
ture yet. You could damage the engine.
- Th e engine cannot be started by pushing
or towing the vehicle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not let the eng ine run while parked to
warm up. Begin driv in g immediately . This
reduces unnecessary emissions.