2015 AUDI A3 Owners Manual

Your vehicle is equipped w ith an intelligent
energy management system for distrib uting
e lectricity. This sign ificantly improves the
start ing ability and increases the battery life.
The energy management system Is made up
of
battery diagnosis , idling current manage­
ment
and dynamic ene rgy man agement.
Battery diagnosis
The b attery diagnos is determines the ba tte ry
cha rge leve l. The sensors de termine the bat ­
tery vo ltage, the battery c urrent , and the bat ­
tery temperature . The c urrent charge level
and the performance of the battery are deter­
mined based on th is.
Idling current management
The idling current ma nagement decreases the
ene rgy used whi le par ked . W it h the engine
switche d off, it ma nages the ene rgy distribu ­
tion to the d ifferent e lectr ica l components.
Date from battery d iagnosis is taken into ac­
count for th is .
D epending on t he battery charge level, elec­
tr ica l equipment is sw itched off one item after
the ot her, to prevent the battery from dra in­
i n g a nd to retain the starting abil ity.
Dynamic energy management
W hile dr iving, dynamic energy management
d istributes the approp riate amount of energy
to the electrical equipment. It contro ls the
battery c harge level so that more energy is
n ot used the n is being generated in o rder to
main tain an opt imal batte ry charge level.
{!) Tips
- Energy management cannot overcome
the laws of physics . Note that the charge
l eve l and length of the battery life are
li mi ted.
- Wh en the star ting ability is endangered,
the (•) indica to r li ght turns on
9page20.
Smart Technolog y 191
What you should know
Maintaining the starting ability is the highest
priority .
A lot of stress is placed o n the batte ry when
driv ing s hort d ista nces, in traffic, and at cold
times of the year . A lot of e ne rgy is used but
li ttle is generated .
It is also cr it ica l when the
engine is not r unning but electr ical eq uip­
ment is switc hed on. In this case, e nergy is
u sed but none is gener ated.
In si tuat ions like this , energy management
will active ly r egu lated t he di st ribution of e n­
ergy.
Long periods without use
If you do not d rive your vehicle for several
days or weeks, elect rical eq uipment is gradu­
a lly scaled back or sw itched off. This reduc es
energy u se and en sures the ve hicl e w ill be
a ble to s tart aft er long per iod s of ti me . S ome
co nve nience fun ctions such as ope ning wi th
the remote con tro l key may not be available.
T hese convenience functions
will be ava ila bl e
again once you switch t he ignit io n on and
start the eng ine.
With the engine switched off
F o r example, if you listen to the r adio w hen
th e engine is swi tc h ed off, the bat tery will
drain .
If the st arting ability is en dangere d due to the
energy cons umption, an error message ap­
p ears in vehicles wi th a driver informat ion sys ­
tem *.
T he mess age s hows th at y ou n eed to s tart t he
engine in order to c harge t he battery.
With the engine running
Althoug h elec trical en ergy is g enerate d while
driv ing , th e bat tery ca n dra in . T his can happen
whe n littl e e ne rgy is ge nera ted, a nd much is
u sed and th e ch arge leve l o f th e batt ery is no t
o ptimal.
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192 Smart Technology
To restore the balance of energy, components
that require large amounts of energy are tem­porarily sca led back or switched off . Heating
systems in particu lar require a great deal of
energy. I f you notice, for example, that the
seat heating* or rear window defroster is not
working, then it has been temporarily reduced
or sw itched off . These systems are available
again as soon as the energy ba lance has been
restored.
In addition, you may notice that the idle
speed has slightly increased . That is normal
and no cause for concern . Due to the in­
creased idling speed, the additional required
energy will be generated and the battery will
be charged.

Driving and the
environment
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1 ,500 km) .
For the fir st 600 mil es
(1,000 kilometers):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
.,. Do not drive at engine speeds tha t are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM .
.. Avoid high engine sp eeds .
From 600 to 1,000 mile s (1,000 to
1,500 kilometers):
.. Speeds can gradually be increased to the
max imum pe rm iss ib le road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in per iod
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds
when it is cold. Th is app lies whether the
transmission is i n N (Ne utra l) or in gear.
After the break- in period
.. Do not exceed maximum engine speed un­
der any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear
before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach­
ome ter scale
¢ page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the en­
g ine's interna l friction is higher than later
when all the moving parts have been broken
i n. How well this break-i n process is done de­
pends to a conside rable extent on the way the
ve hicl e is driven d uring the first 1,0 00 miles
(1 ,5 00 k ilome ters).
(D Note
Extremely h igh engine speeds a re auto­
ma tica lly reduced. However, t he se rpm
lim its are pr ogr amme d for an eng ine well
r u n- in, not a new engine .
Driving and the environment 193
@) For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessar ily hi gh en­
g ine speeds -upsh ifting ear ly saves f uel,
r educes noise and protects the environ­
ment.
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive
particularly caref ul for the first 350 miles
(500 kilomete rs) afte r fitt ing.
.&, WARNING
N ew tires tend to be slippery and mus t al­
so be "b roken -in" . Be s ure to remember
this dur ing t he f irst 350 m iles (500 kilo­
meters) . Brake gently . Avoid fo llow ing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
b raking .
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full brak ing effect dur ing the first 250 m iles
(400 kilomete rs) afte r they a re install ed.
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" be­
fo re they have optima l grab¢ .&. .
D uring the brea k-in pe riod, you should avo id
putting severe loads on the brakes. Severe
l oads include , for example, sudden hard brak­
i ng, in particular at very h igh speeds or, for
example, on mounta in passes .
.&, WARNING
New b rake pa ds don 't have the best stop­
p in g p ower a nd must be "b ro ken -in " dur­
ing the ini tial 1 00 to 150 miles (15 0 to
2 00 kilometers) o f no rma l ci ty driving . You
can compensate for this by pressing t he
b rake peda l more fi rm ly . This also applies
l ater when new pads are installed.
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194 Driving and the environment
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
A WARNING
After driving through water or mud, the
braking effect can be reduced due to mois­
ture on the brake discs and brake pads. A
few careful brake applications should dry off the brakes.
@) Note
Vehicle components such as the engine, transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Determ ine the depth before driving
through water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
through water .
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive through safely.
- Avoid dr iving through salt water (corro­
s ion).
Catalytic converter
App lies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner.
> Always use lead-free gaso line¢ page 206,
Fuel supply .
> Never run the tank down all the way to emp-
ty.
> Never put too much motor o il in your engine
¢ page 215, Adding engine oil > Never try to push- or tow -start your vehicle .
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean ­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle . The cata lytic converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be­
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critica lly
important for the life of the catalytic convert­
er and proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
-
The temperature of the exhaust system is high, both when driv ing and after stopping
the eng ine .
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once
they have become hot . This could result
in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fue l spill or other material wh ich can
cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields . Dur ing driving, the
substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢page 215.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The engine could mis­
fire . Unburned fuel could also get into
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignition while the
vehicle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
IIJ,,

can reach the catalytic converter . This
could result in overheating of the con­
verter, requ iring its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System :
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Wa rranty
&
Ma intenance booklet.
- Lac k of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impa ir
t he funct ion of the emission control
system and cou ld lead to damage.
@) For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Cont ro l System is
operating properly, t he exhaus t gas can
have a s ulfu r-like exhaust gas smell unde r
some operating states. This depends on
the s ulfur content of the fue l being used .
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w ith lead-free super
grade gasoline.
Placing your vehicle
out of service.
I f you wou ld like to take your vehicle out of
service for a longer t ime, contact your aut hor­
iz ed A udi dealer or qualified repair facility .
They will advise you o f important meas ures,
such as cor rosion protection, maintenance
and storage procedures. Also follow the infor ­
mat ion about the battery¢
page 220.
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle , as well as ex­
haust and noise levels.
F ue l economy, environmental impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and t ires largely
depend on three factors:
Dri ving and the en vironm ent 195
-your personal d riving s tyle
- operati ng conditions
- technical limitat io ns
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive econom ically , yo u can easily cut your
fuel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent . This sec­
tion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your po cketbook.
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRO NM EN TAL PROT ECTI ON AG ENC Y
( E PA) and Transpo rt Canada may no t cor re­
spond to your actual consump tion on the
r oad, which will va ry depending upon vehi ­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
ditions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
.. Avo id u nnecessary accelerating and brak ing.
Vehicles use the mos t fu e l when they are ac­
ce lerating. If you anticipate what is going to
happe n next, you will need to brake less and,
th us, acce lerate less. Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for examp le when you see
that the next traff ic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
.. Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Acce le rat ing gently re duces fue l cons ump ­
tion, eng ine wear, and does not disturb the
environment .
Fuel consumpt ion, exhaust em iss ions an d en­
gine noise inc rease disproportionate ly at high
speeds . If you drive at approximately three
quarte rs of top speed, fuel consumption wi ll
be reduced by one ha lf. Never drive faster
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196 Driving and the environment
than the posted speed limit and weather con­
ditions permit.
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even wh en your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
,.. Shu t the engine off when you a re not dr iv ing
the vehi cle.
... Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the
engine run at idle.
It is efficien t to switch off the engine when
stopped at railroad crossings and long red
lights. Turning the engine
off for j ust 30-40
seconds saves mo re f uel than is burned by
start ing the engine again.
It takes a long time fo r the engine to wa rm up
fu lly when it is running at idle. However , wear
and noxious emissions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid ru nning at h igh rpms while the engine is
still warming up.
{[) Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter starting. If warning lights s hould come
on to indicate improper operation, they
wou ld go unheeded . E xtended idling also
produces heat, which cou ld resu lt in over­
heat ing or o ther da mage to the vehicle or
o ther prope rty.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel .
... Have your vehicle serv iced at regular inter-
vals.
H aving your vehicle regular ly serviced by an
author ized Audi dealer helps to ensure that it
runs properly and economically . T he condition
of yo ur vehicle not only affects its safety and
ab ility to hold its value, it also affec ts
fuel
con sumption. Check
your oil each t ime you fill your tank.
T he amou nt of oi l used is re lated to engine
lo ad a nd speed.
It is normal fo r the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest valu e after a c erta in
mileage has bee n driven.
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 m iles
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt io n.
This also app lies to fue l consumption and en­
gine output .
(0 Note
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Wa rranty
& Ma in­
tenance boo klet . Lack of proper ma inte­
nance as well as improp er use of the ve­
hicle will impair the fu nction of the
em iss io n con trol system and cou ld lead
t o dam age.
- Do not alte r or remove any component of
t he Emis sio n Control Sys tem unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer .
- Do not alter or remove any device, such
as hea t sh ie lds, swi tches, ig nitio n w ires,
valves, which are designed to p rotec t
your vehicle's Emission Control System
and other impo rtant vehicle compo ­
nents.
' Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips.
... Try to avoid dr iv ing sho rt distances w it h a
cold engine .
T he eng ine and cat alytic conver ter h ave to
re ach their opt imal
operating t emperature to
reduce fuel consumpt io n and nox ious em is­
sions effectively.
Jus t aft er s tarti ng, a c old eng ine in a mid-s ize
ca r on ly achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 m iles
per gallon (30 -40 l/100 km) . After about a
half a mile , fu el economy climbs to 12 mpg .,..

(20 l/100 km) . Afte r abo ut 2. 5 m iles ( 4 km),
the eng ine is at its proper ope rat ing tempera ­
ture and fue l economy has reached a norma l
l eve l. So you can see that you sho uld avoid
short trips w heneve r possib le .
The
outside temperature is a lso c ritical i n this
regard. Your car cons umes more fuel in the
winter than in t he summer .
Driving and the environment 197
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198 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 reason, always fo llow the operating
and drivi ng in str uctions provided and use
common sense.
@ Note
If you are going to tow a trai le r, you must
activate the trailer operation mode
c:::> page 198 , Operating instructions.
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
mo unted secure ly on the ve hicle's chassis at a
technically sound loca tion . Use only a trailer
hi tch with a removab le ball moun t. A lways
check with the tra ile r hitch manufac turer to
make sure that you are using t he cor rect
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hit ch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way that
i t does not interfe re with the impact-absorb­
ing bumper system. No modifications should
be made to the vehicle 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 moun t. T his prevents the
h itch from causing damage sho uld your veh i­
cle be str uck from be hind
c:::> A .
Trailer brake s
If your trailer is equipped wi th a b ra ki ng sys­
tem, c heck to be sure t hat i t conforms to all
regulations .
T he trailer hyd rauli c brake system mus t not be
direc tly connec ted to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Trai ler lights must meet all regulations. Be
sure to check w ith your Audi dealer for correct
wiring, switches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
us ing the regular o utside mirrors, then you
must install extended mirrors. It is important
that you
always have clear v is ion to the rear.
A WARNING
--
Afte r removi ng the trailer hitch, do not
stor e it in your vehicle . In case of sudden
b raking, t he hitch co uld fly forwa rd and i n­
j ur e you or your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A tra ile r fo r your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 tr ailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the tra ile r is held secure ly
i n place to p revent it from shift ing forward,
backward or sideways.
Ne ver allow a pa ssenger to ride in a trailer
c:::> A in Driving instructions on page 199 .
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­
er . It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load.