2015 AUDI A3 brakes

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 .
•

Smart Technology Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your veh icle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorde r (EO R), installed by some manu­
facture rs fo r the express purpose o f capturing
data for retr ieval after an accident or cras h
event . EDR's a re sometimes called "crash re ­
corders".
Some state laws res trict the retr ieval or down ­
l oadi ng of data stored by E DR's that were in ­
stalled in a veh icle for the exp ress purpose of
retrieving data after an accide nt or crash
event w ithout the owner's consent.
A lthough yo ur vehicle is no t equ ipped w it h an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of elect ron­
ic control modules fo r various vehicle systems
such as, for examp le, eng ine f unction, em is­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belt s.
These electronic contro l modules also record
veh icle -re lated data dur ing no rma l veh icle op­
erat ion for d iagnostic and repa ir purposes .
T he recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re ­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded ove r a ve ry limited pe riod of
time and stored when a sys tem faul t or o ther
condition is se nse d by a cont rol u nit. Some o f
the data then stored may re la te to vehicle
speed, dir ect io n, bra king as we ll as restra int
system use and perfo rmance in the event of a
crash or other condit ion. Stored data can only
be read and downloaded w ith special equip­
ment.
Electronic stabilization
control (ESC)
Description
The ESC reinforces driver safety. It reduces
the r isk of slipp ing and improves driving sta ­
b ili ty . E SC detects cr itical s it u ations such as
the veh icle ove rsteer ing and understee ring or
Smart Technolog y 185
th e wheels a re sp inning . The vehicle is stabi ­
li zed by applying the brakes or red ucing en­
gine torq ue. Once the ESC is act ive ly reg ulat­
ing, the
G) i ndicato r light b links in the instru­
ment cluster.
The anti-lock braking system (ABS), brake as­ s ist system, ant i-slip regu lation (ASR), e lec­
tron ic different ia l loc k (EDU, electron ic differ ­
ential lock* (front wheel drive) and se lective
whee l to rque control* (a ll whee l drive) are in­
teg rated in the ESC. The ESC suppo rts the sta­
bilization of the vehicle th rough a change in
t h e s teer ing torq ue.
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the whee ls from locking when
braking . The vehicle ca n still be steered even
dur ing ha rd braking. App ly steady pressure to
the b rake peda l. Do not pump the p edal. A
puls ing in the bra ke peda l indicates t hat the
system is acting to st abil ize the ve hicle.
Brake assist system
The brake ass ist system can decrease braking
dis tance. It increases bra king power when the
drive r presses the bra ke peda l quickly in emer­
gency s ituations. Yo u m ust pres s and hol d the
brake pedal unt il the dangerous s it u at ion is
ove r. In vehicles with adap tive c ruise control *,
the b rake assist system is more sensitive if the
distance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
small.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR )
ASR reduces eng ine power when the drive
whee ls beg in spi nning and adapts the fo rce to
the road conditions . This makes it easier to
start, accelerate and dr ive up inclines.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL bra kes whee ls tha t a re sp inning and
trans fers the dr ive power to the othe r drive
whee l or w heels if the vehicle is equ ip ped with
a ll w heel d rive*) . This function is availab le up
to approximately 62 mph (100 km/h).
I n extreme cases, EDL au toma tically sw itches
off to keep t he b rake on the bra ked wheel
from overheat ing. The ve hicle is still working .,..
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•

Smart Technology 187
Switching ESC on and off
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine .
Fig. 143 Upper center console: ESC button
bilization function of the ESC is limited or
switched off. The amount of stabilization con­
tro l will differ depending on the level.
In the following unusual situations it may
make sense to switch the ESC sport mode on
to allow the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Dr iving in deep snow or on loose gro und
The ESC is designed to function in levels. De­
pending on the leve l that is selected, the sta-
Sport mode on ESC
/ASR off
Sport mode off or
ESC /ASRon
Behavior
The actions taken by the
The actions taken by the Th
e fu ll stabilization fu nc-
ESC system to stabilize the ESC system to stab ilize the tion of the ESC and ASR is
vehicle are limited, the an- vehicle are very limited, available again.
ti-slip reg ulation (ASR) is the anti-slip regulation
sw itched off
q .&.. (ASR) is switched off q .&. .
Operation Press the If) OFF I button P ress and hold the If) OFFI Press the I.$ OFF I button
briefly. button longer than 3 sec- again.
onds.
Indicator II turns on. II and II * turn on . II turns off or II and
lights II* turn off.
Driver mes-
Stabilization control Stabilization control
Stabilization control
sages (ESC):
sport. Warning! (ESC): off. Warning! Re- (ESC): on
Restricted stability stricted stability
A WARNING
You should only sw itch the ESC off if your
driving ability and the traffic s ituation al­
low. This could increase the risk of slip­
ping.
- The stabilizing function is limited in ESC
sport mode. The driving wheels could
spin and the vehicle could swerve, espe­
cially on slick o r slipp ery road surfaces .
- T here is no vehicle stabilizat ion when
ESC/ASR are switched off.
@ Tips
-If Audi magnet ic ride is malfunctioning,
the ESC sport mode cannot be switched on or off. If ESC sport mode is activated
or ESC is switched off, it w
ill be switched
back on automatically.
- ESC sport mode cannot be switched on
or the ESC/ASR cannot be switched off
when the cru ise contro l system* or the
adaptive cru ise contro l* are actively reg­
ulat ing.
Brakes
New brake pads
New brake pads do not achieve their full brak­
ing effect during the first 400 km. They must
be "broken in" first. However, you can com­
pensate fo r the slightly reduced braking force ""

188 Smart Technology
by pressing firmly on the brake pedal. Avoid
heavy braking during the break-in period.
Wear Brake pad
wear is largely dependent on the
way the vehicle is driven and on operating
conditions. This is especially true if you are
driving frequently in the city and on curves or
with a sporty driving style.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depending on
the speed, braking force and outside condi­
tions such as temperature and humidity.
Effect of water and road salt
In certain situations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy rain, after overnight
condensation or after washing your car, the
braking effect can be reduced by moisture or
ice on the brake rotors and brake pads. The
brakes must be "dried" first with a few careful
brake applications.
At higher speeds and with the windshield wip­
ers turned on, the brake pads press against
the brake rotors for a short amount of time.
This action which is not felt by the driver hap­
pens at regular intervals and facilitates a bet­
ter reaction time for the brakes in wet weath­
er.
The braking effect can also be reduced if you
are driving on salted roads and you do not ap­ ply the brakes for long periods of time. The
layer of salt on the brake rotors and pads
must be worn off first when the brakes are ap­
plied.
Corrosion
Leaving the vehicle parked for long periods of
time, low mileage and avoiding heavy braking
can contribute to corrosion on the brake ro ­
tors and dirty brake pads.
If you usually avoid heavy braking or if there is
corrosion present, occasional heavy braking at
high speeds is recommended to clean the
brake rotors and pads
Q &. .
Brake system malfunction
if you notice that the brake pedal travel has
suddenly gotten larger, then a brake circuit
may have failed. Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility immediately
to have the problem corrected. On the way
there, drive with reduced speed and keep in
mind that a long braking distance and in­
creased pressure on the brake pedal will be
necessary.
Low brake fluid level
When the brake fluid level is low, malfunc­
tions in the brake system may occur. The brake fluid level is electronically monitored .
Brake booster
The brake booster amplifies the pressure you
apply to the brake pedal. It only works when
the engine is running.
A WARNING
-- You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long or too often. This could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating conditions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Carefully apply brakes

for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coat­ings will be cleaned off after a few
careful brake applications.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in­
creased stopping distance. Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­
est Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed considera­
bly harder to make up for the lack of
booster assistance.
(D Note
- Never let the brakes "rub" by pressing
the pedal lightly when braking is not really necessary. This causes the brakes
to overheat and increases braking dis­
tance and causes wear.
- Before driving on a long stretch with
steep slopes, reduce your speed and shift
to the next lower gear This makes use of
the engine braking effect and relieves
the brakes. If you need to brake addition­
ally, brake in intervals and not continu­
ously.
(D Tips
- If the brake booster is not working, you
must press the brake pedal with much
more force then normal.
- If you retrofit your vehicle with a front
spoiler, wheel covers or similar items,
Smart Technology 189
make sure that the air flow to the front
wheels is not interrupted. Otherwise the
brake system can become too hot.
Electromechanical
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
The vehicle still has full steering functionality if the power steering fails or when the engine
is stopped (towing) . To steer, you must apply
much more force than usual.
Indicator lights and messages
• Do not drive vehicle: steering defective
If this indicator light turns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steering
may have failed.
Do
not continue driving . See your authorized
Audi dealer or qualified repair facility.
• Do not drive vehicle: steering defective
There is an electronic steering column lock
malfunction . You cannot turn the ignition on.
Do
not tow your vehicle because it cannot be
steered. See your authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair facility.
c~ij Steering malfunction: you can continue
driving
If the indicator light turns on, the steering
wheel may be more difficult to move or more
sensitive than usual. The steering wheel may
also be at an angle when driving straight.
Drive slowly to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected.
Ill Steering lock: system fault! Please con­
tact Service
There is an electronic steering column lock
malfunction.
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•

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
IJ,-
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