2015 AUDI A3 transmission

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.

Launch Control-Program
App lies to vehicles: with launch control
The Launch Control Program enables maxi­
mum acceleration.
Requirement : The engine must be at operat­
ing temperature and the steering wheel must
not be turned .
.. With the engine running, press the
!~ OFFI
button briefly one time 1).
.. Pull the selector lever back out of the 0/S
position briefly to select the S position, or
press it toward the right into the tipt ronic
pos it ion or select the
d ynamic dr iv ing mode
i n drive select*
~page 102.
.. Press the brake peda l firmly with your left
f oot and hold it all the way down for at least
1 second.
.. At the same time, press the gas peda l all the
way down with your right foot unti l the en­
gine reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
.. Remove your left foot from the brake.
A WARNING
- Always adapt your driving to the traffic
flow.
- Only use Launch Cont ro l when road and
t raff ic conditions a llow it and other driv­
ers wi ll not be endangered or impacted
by you r driving and the veh icle's acceler­
ation.
- Please note tha t the dr ive whee ls can
spin and the vehicle can break away
when sport mode is switched on, espe­
c ially when the road is sl ippery.
- Once the vehi cle has started moving,
press the
I ~ OFF I button br iefly to turn
the sport mode off.
(j) Tips
- The transm ission tempe rat ure may in­
crease significantly after using the
l ) In vehicles with a dr iver info rmat ion system, an ESC
light in the in stru m ent cl us ter stays on contin uo usly
and the m essage
Stabilizatio n cont rol (ESC): spor t.
Warning! Restricted stability
appears temporarily.
Automa tic tran sm iss ion 11 1
Launch Control Program . If that hap­
pens, the program may not be availab le
for a few m inutes. It will be ava ilable
again after a cool-down per iod.
- When accelerating using the Launch
Contro l Program, all vehicle parts are
subject to heavy loads. Th is can lead to
increased wear .
Emergency mode
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic transm ission
In the event of a system malfunction, there is
an emergency program.
If all of the selector lever positions are high ­
li ghted with a light backgro und in the instru­
ment cluster d isplay, there is a system mal­
funct ion and the S tronic transmission is run­
ning in the emergency program . The vehicle
can still be driven in emergency mode, but on­
ly w ith reduced speed and not in all gears. In
some cases, the veh icle
c ann ot driv e in re ­
v e rs e .
(D Note
If the transmission runs in emergency
mode, drive to your author ized Audi dealer
or q ua lified repa ir facil ity immed iate ly to
have the ma lf u nction corrected.
Transmission malfunction
• Tran smiss ion malfuncti on! Please stop
the vehicle and select P
T here is a malfunction in the transmiss ion .
Park the vehicle securely and do not continue
driv ing. See your authorized A udi dealer or
qualified repair facility.
• Transmi ssion overh eatin g! Plea se stop
the vehicle!
The transm iss io n is too hot and can become
damaged . Stop and let the transmission cool .,.
•

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
•

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

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.
•
•
•

200 Trailer towing
who is not properly wearing the restraints
provided by Aud i.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle hand les different ly when tow ing
a trailer because of the additional weight and
different weight distribution. Safety, perform ­
ance and economy wi ll greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopp ing and backing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have become completely familiar with the way
your vehicle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trai ler genera lly requires
steering action opposite to that when backing up your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you. You will need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turn ing radius .
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­
celerate as fast as you normally would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass . After passing, allow
plenty of room for your tra iler before chang­
ing lanes aga in.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes .
(D Tips
-Do not tow a tra iler during the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load
q page 268.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer . If it can­
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol­ lowing:
When parking:
.. App ly the foot brake.
.. Have someone place chocks under both the
vehicle and the trailer wheels .
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes until the wheel chocks absorb the
load.
.. Turn the whee ls towards the curb.
.. App ly the parking brake.
.. Select the P selector lever position.
When restarting after parking:
.. Apply the foot brake .
.. Start the engine .
.. Select the D/S selector lever position.
.. Release the parking brake and s lowly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks .
.. Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks .
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the auto­
matic transmission to P before applying
the parking brake and before blocking the
whee ls, you may have to use more force
later to move the lever out of the P posi­
tion.