2015 AUDI A3 ESP

General information
Applies to vehicles: with Audi side assist
®
®
©
Fig . 87 Driving situations
I AUDI
Fi g. 88 Rear of the vehicle: sensor posit ions
Side assist functions at speeds above approx i­
mately 19 mph (30 km/h).
@ Vehicl es th at ar e approaching
In certain cases, a vehicle will be classified as
cr itical for a lane change even if it is still
somewhat far away. The fas ter a vehicle ap­
p roaches, t he sooner the display in the exteri­
or m irror will t urn on.
@ V ehicles traveling with you
Vehicles traveling w ith you are indicated in the
exterior m irror if they are classified as cr itical
for a lane change. All vehicles detec ted by
side assist are indicated by the time they en­
t er your "blind spot", at the latest.
Audi side assist 99
© Veh icles left behind
If you s low ly pass a vehi cle that s ide assist has
detected (the difference in speed between the
vehicle and you r vehicle is less than 9 mph or
15 km/h), the display in the exterio r mir ro r
turns on as soon as the vehicle enters your blind spot.
T he disp lay will not t urn on if you quickly pass
a vehicle that side assist has detected (the dif­
ference in speed between the veh icle and your
vehicle is greater than 9 mph or 15 km/h).
Functional limitations
The radar sensors are designed to detect the
left and right adjacent lanes when the road
lanes are the normal width. In some sit ua­
tions, the d isp lay in the exterior mirror may
turn on even though there is no ve hicle locat­
ed in the area that is cr itical for a lane cha nge.
For example:
- If the lanes are narrow or if your are driving
on the edge of your lane.
If this is the case,
the system may have detected the vehicle in
another lane that is
not adjacent to you r
current lane .
-If you are dr iving through a curve . S ide as­
sis t may react to a vehicle that is one lane
over from the adjacent lane.
- If side assist reacts to other objects (such as
high or d isp laced guard rails) .
- In poor weather conditions. The side assist
functions are limited .
Do not cover the radar sensors
c> fig. 88 with
stickers, depos its, bicycle wheels or other ob­
jects, because this will affect the funct ion. For
information on cleaning, see
c> page 201 .
A WARNING
-Always pay attention to traffic and to the
a rea a round your ve hicl e. Side assi st can­
not repla ce a d river's attention. The driv ­
er a lone is always responsible for la ne
cha nges and s imilar dr iv ing ma ne uvers.
- In some si tua tions, the system may not
function or its function may be limited.
F or examp le:

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.

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 .,.
•

114 Parking systems
Parking systems
General information
A ppl ies to vehicles: with rea r parking sys te m s/park in g
syste m plus/rearv iew camera
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, vari­
ous parking aids will help you when parking
and maneuvering.
The
rear parking system is an audible parking
aid that warns you of obstacles
behind the ve­
hicle
¢ page 115.
The parking system plus assists you when
parking by audibly and visually indicating ob­
jects detected
in front of and behind the vehi­
cle
¢ page 115.
The rearview camera shows the area behind
the vehicle in the MMI display . This display as­
sists you when you are cross or parallel park­
ing. The parking system plus functions are al­
so available
¢ page 116.
& WARNING
- Always look for traffic and check the area
around your vehicle by looking at it di­
rectly as well. The parking system cannot
replace the driver's attention. The driver
is always responsible when entering or
leaving a parking space and during simi­
lar maneuvers .
- Please note that some surfaces, such as
clothing, are not detected by the system.
- Sensors and cameras have blind spots in
which people and objects cannot be de­
tected . Be especially cautious of small
children and animals .
- Always pay attention to the area around
the vehicle -using the rearview mirror,
too.
- The sensors can be displaced by impacts
or damage to the radiator grille, bumper,
wheel housing and the underbody. The
parking systems may become impaired
as a result. Have your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop check their
function. -
Make sure the sensors are not covered by
stickers, deposits or any other obstruc­
tions as it may impair the sensor func­
tion . For information on cleaning, refer
to ~
page 201 .
(D Note
- Some objects are not detected or dis­
played by the system under certain cir­
cumstances:
- Objects such as barrier chains, trailer
draw bars, vertical poles or fences
- Objects above the sensors such as wall
extensions
- Objects with specific surfaces or struc­
tures such as chain link fences or pow­
der snow
- If you continue driving closer to a low-ly­
ing object, it may disappear from the
sensor range. Note that you will no lon­
ger be warned about this obstacle.
- The sensors can be displaced by impacts
or damage to the radiator grille, bumper,
wheel housing and the underbody. The
parking system may become impaired as
a result. Have your authorized Audi deal­
er or qualified repair facility check their
function .
(D Tips
- The system may provide a warning even
though there are no obstacles in the cov­
erage area in some situations, such as:
- certain road surfaces or for long grass.
- external ultrasonic sources e.g. from
cleaning vehicles.
- heavy rain, snow, or thick vehicle ex­
haust.
- We recommend that you practice park­
ing in a traffic-free location or parking
lot to become familiar with the system.
When doing this, there should be good
light and weather conditions.
- You can change the volume and pitch of
the signals as well as the display
¢page 120.

122 Driving safety
• Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
• Make sure that all windows are clean and af­
ford good visib ility to the outside .
• Secure a ll luggage and other items carefully
r:=:> page 60, r:=:> page 58.
• Make sure that noth ing can interfere wit h
the pedals.
• Adjust front seat , head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your he ight.
• Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
stra ints according to their height.
• Make sure to use the right child restraint
correct ly to protect children
r:::;, page 166,
Child Safety .
• Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
r=:> page 53,
Front seats.
• Fasten your safety belt a nd wear it properly .
Also instruct your passengers to fasten th eir
safety belts properly
r:::;.page 131 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condi­
tion of the vehicle, the driver as well as the
driver 's ability to concentrate on the rood
without being distracted.
The driver is respons ible for the safety of the
vehicle and all of its occupants.
If your ability
to drive is impa ired, safety r isks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and yo u also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road
r:::;, &,.
Therefore:
• Do not let yourself be dis tracted by passe n­
gers or by using a cellular telephone.
• NEVER drive when your driving ability is im­
paired (by medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
• Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road
and speed limits and plain common sense.
• ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic
and weather condit ions .
• Take frequent breaks on long trips . Do not
dr ive for more than two hours at a stretc h.
• Do NOT drive when you are t ired, under
pressure or when you are st ressed.
A WARNING
-Impaired dr iving safety increases the risk
of ser ious personal injury and death when­
ever a vehicle is being used.
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor­
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig . 109 Correct seat ing posit ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the driver's seat to the
following position:
.,. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi­
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
while keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
r:::;,A .
.,. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position so that your back
comes in full contact with it when you drive.
• Adj ust the steering wheel so that there is a
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween the steering wheel and your breast
bone
c:::> fig. 109 . If not possible, see your au­
thorized Audi dealersh ip about adaptive
equ ipment .
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that the steer­
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face.
• Grasp the top of the steering whee l with
your elbow(s) slightly bent .
• For adjustable head restraints: Adjust the
head restraint so the upper edge is as even
as possible with the top of your head. If that..,_

-For adjustable head restraints: always
adjust the head restra int properly so that
it can give maximum protection.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Applies to vehicles: with adjustable head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an im­
portant part of your vehicle's occupant re­
straint system and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in accident situations.
Fig. 110 Head restraint: v iewed from t he front
The head restraints must be correctly adjust­
ed to achieve the best protection.
.,. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as poss ible with the top of your
head.
If that is not possible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible
r:!.> fig . 110. Move
the head restraint so that it is as close to the
back of the head as possible.
.,. If there is a passenger on the rear center
seat ing position, slide the center head re­
stra int upward at least to the next notch .
Adjusting head restraints ¢
page 55.
_& WARNING
All seats are equipped with head re­
straints. Dr iving without head restraints or
w ith head restraints that are not properly
adjusted increases the risk of serious or fa­
tal neck injury dramat ically . To help reduce
the risk of injury:
- Always drive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the veh icle must have a
properly ad justed head restra int.
Driving safety 125
-Always make sure each person in the ve­
hicle properly ad justs their head re­
straint. Adjust the head restraint so the
upper edge is as even as possible with
the top of your head.
If that is not possi­
ble, try to adjust the head restraint so
that it is as close to this position as pos­
sible. Move the head restraint so that it
is as close to the back of the head as pos­
sible.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
while driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any
reason, first stop the vehicle safely be­
fore attempting to adjust the head re­
straint .
- Ch ildr en must a lways be properly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appro­
priate for their age and size¢
page 166.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only re ­
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are
properly seated .
Improper seating positions can cause serious
injury or death. Safety belts can only work
when they are properly positioned on the body. Improper seating positions reduce the
effectiveness of safety belts and will even in­
crease the r isk of injury and death by mov ing
the safety belt to crit ical areas of the body.
Improper seating positions a lso inc rease the
risk of serious injury and death when an air­
bag deploys and strikes an occupant who is
not in the proper seating position . A driver is
responsible for the safety of all veh icle occu ­
pants and espec ially for children. Therefore :
.,. Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being
used
r:!.> _&. .
The following bulletins list only some sample
positions that will increase the risk of serio us
injury and death. Our hope is that these exam­
ples will make yo u more aware of seating po-
sitions that are dangerous. ..,.

128 Driving safety
-Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat­
ing or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick­
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per­
missible weight standards can cause the
vehicle to slide and handle differently .
- Please observe information on safe driv­
ing
~ page 121.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always
keep the rear lid closed while driving.
- Never transport objects larger than
those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power roof",
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the power roof* and the rear lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended, es­
pecially with the luggage compartment
lid left open. A child could crawl into the
vehicle through the luggage compart­
ment and close the rear lid becoming
trapped and unable to get out. Being
trapped in a vehicle can lead to serious
personal injury.
-
'
- Never let children play in or around the
vehicle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions .
(D Tips
-Air circulation helps to reduce window
fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open.
- The tire pressure must correspond to the load. The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom­
mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor­
mal load conditions, please see chapter
~ page 229.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly ~
page 12 7, Loading th e luggage com­
par tment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item . Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb (4 .S kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item . This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the
injuries that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying ..,_

Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
T his chapter explains why safety belts are nec­
essary, how they work and how to adjust and
wear them correctly .
~ Read all the information that follows and
heed all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se­
rious injury and death in automobile acci­
dents. For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving .
- Pregnant women, injured, or physically
impaired persons must also use safety
belts. Like all vehicle occupants, they are
more likely to be seriously injured if they
do not wear safety belts. The best way to
protect a fetus is to protect the mother -
throughout the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating positions:
two in the front and three in the rear. Each
seating position has a safety belt .
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- Never strap more than one person, in­
cluding small children, into any belt. It is
especially dangerous to place a safety
belt over a child sitting on your lap.
- Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are safety belts available.
Safety belts 131
-Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safe­
ty belt or child restraint.
~ Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the
driver and front seat passenger (on USA mod ­
els only) to remind you abou t the importance
of buckling-up.
Fig. 111 Safety bel t warn ing light in the instr ume nt
cl uster -enla rged
Before driving off, always:
~ Fasten your safety belt and make sure you
are wearing it properly.
~ Make sure that your passengers also buckle
up and properly wear their safety belts.
~ Protect children with a child restraint sys-
tem appropriate for the size and age .
The warning light . in the instrument clus­
ter lights up when the ignition is on as a re­
minder to fasten the safety belts . In addition,
you will hear a warning tone for a certain peri­
od of time .
Fasten your safety belt and make sure that
your passengers also properly put on their
safety belts.
A WARNING
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se­
rious injury and death in automobile acci­
dents. For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving. •
•
•