2015 AUDI A3 tow

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.
•
•
•

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,,

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.

Make sure that the cooling system has enough
f luid .
Tire pressure
When tow ing a trai ler, inflate the t ires of your
veh icle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open) .
Inflate trailer tires to trai ler and tire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both veh icle and trailer
lights are working properly.
Safety chains Be sure tra iler safety cha ins are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners . When you install safety
chains, make sure they wi ll not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
sepa ration from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration.
To obta in the best poss ible handling of vehicle
and trai le r, p lease note the following:
.. Do not tow a loaded tra iler when your car it ­
self is not loaded .
.. Be especially carefu l when passing other
vehicles.
.. Observe speed limits.
.. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.. Always apply brakes early.
.. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Tow ing a loaded trailer with an empty ca r re­
sults in a high ly unstable distribution of
weight . If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
Trailer towing 199
low speeds on ly to avoid the risk of losing
steering contro l.
A "balanced " rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble, while keeping the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the c ircumstances. Whenever poss i­
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficu lt it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -particularly
when going downhill .
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest sign of swaying .
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating .
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds
for vehicles towing tra ilers are lower than for
regular veh icles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en­ gine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes alone ca n cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant tempe rature
The coo lant temperature gauge¢
page 12
must be observed carefully. The coolant tem­
perature can increase if you drive on long in­
cli nes in a low gear at high engine speeds . Re ­
duce your speed immediately if the LEDs in
the top part of the display turn on.
For more information about ind icator lights,
refer to. ¢
page 20 .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greate r risk in an
accident. Never let anyone ride in yo ur car
-
•
•
•

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.

-Only when all tires on the vehicle are fi l­
led to the correct pressure, the tire pres­
sure monitoring system can work cor­ rect ly.
- The use of incorrect tire pressure values
can lead to accidents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the driver
observe the specif ied tire pressure values
for the tires and the co rrect p ress ures for
the f unction of t he tire pressure mo nitor­
ing system.
- Always inflate ti res to the recommended
and co rrec t tire pressu re befo re d rivi ng
off.
- Drivi ng with under inflated ti res bend
more, letti ng them get too ho t res ulting
in t read separation, sudden t ire fail ure
and loss of control.
- Excessive spee d and/ove rloading can
cause heat bui ld -up, sudden tire fa il u re
and loss of control.
- If the t ire pressure is too low or too high,
the tires w ill wea r prematurely and the
vehicle will not hand le we ll.
- If the t ire is no t flat and you do no t have
to change a w heel imme diate ly, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
t ion to check the tire pressure and add
air as required.
(D Note
Driving without va lve stem caps ca n cause
damage to the t ire va lves. To prevent this,
always make s ure that facto ry installed
valve stem caps on all wheels a re secure ly
mounted on the va lve .
@) For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will a lso increase the
fue l consumption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any veh icle and any t ire can carry .
A vehicle that is ove rloaded w ill not ha ndle
well and is more difficult to stop . Overload ing
can no t on ly lead to loss o f vehicle con tro l,
Tire s an d wheel s 233
but can also damage important parts of the
vehicle and ca n lead to sud den tire fai lure, in ­
clud ing a b lowout and s udden def lation that
can cause the vehicle to cras h.
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded . Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the veh icle. These
load lim its are technically referred to as the
vehicle's
Gross Vehicle We ight Rating
("GVWR ") .
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, all factory installed accessories, a full
tank of fuel, o il, coo lant and other fluids plus
maximum load . The max imum load includes
the number of passenge rs that th e vehicle is
i n tended to car ry ("seat ing capa city") wi th an
ass umed we igh t of 150 lbs (68 kg) fo r each
passenger at a designated seating posi tion
and t he tota l weight of any luggage i n the ve­
hicle . If you tow a trai ler, the weight of the
tra iler hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra iler must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
T he
Gro ss Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each
of the vehicle's two axles.
T he Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
G ross Axle Weig ht Rating are listed on the
safety comp liance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar. Your Audi has 5 seat ing
pos itions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rea r for
total seating capacity of 5 . Each seating posi ­
t ion has a safety belt
~ page 131, Safety
belts.
The fact that there is an upper limit to your
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
t h at the total weight of whatever is bei ng car­
ried in the vehicle ( in cl ud ing t he weight of a
t ra ile r hi tc h a nd the tongue we ight of t he
l o ad ed tr ailer) is lim ited. The more p assen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard weights assumed
mean that less weight can be carried as lug -
gage.
~
•
•
•

and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6 . If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your trail­
er will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual
to determine how this re­ duces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
~check the tire sidewall
(¢page 236, fig. 160) to de­
termine the designated load
rating for a specific tire.
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of
different things including proper installation
and balan cing, correct tire pressure and driv­
ing style.
Fig. 158 T ir e tread: tread wea r ind icators (TWI)
Fig. 159 Rotat ing t ires for more even wea r
Tires and wheels 235
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The orig inal tires on your vehicle have
1/16 inch ( 1.6 mm) hig h "wear indicators"
r:::>fig. 158 run ning across the tread. Depend­
ing on the make, there will be six to eight of
them evenly placed around the tire. Marks on
the tire sidewall (for examp le "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear indicators . Worn tires must be replaced .
D ifferent figures may apply in other countr ies
¢ Lr:,. .
Tire pressure
Incorrect t ire pressure causes premature wear
and can cause sudde n tire blow-out. For this
reason, tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
r::> page 231.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves , heavy acce lerat ion
and hard braking increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the
same service life, we recommend that the
front and rear tires are rotated according to
the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rota­
tion intervals. Please remember the follow­
i ng:
- Tire rotation intervals may differ from the
veh icle service intervals outlined in your
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufact urer's suggested
tire rotation intervals.
- Ve hicl es w ith front -wheel dr ive experience
more tread wear on the fro nt wheels com­
pared to a ll-wheel drive (quattro) .
- Please rotate tires as shown
r:::> fig . 159 .
-Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rection-specific tires
r::> page 253 .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced .
However, various s ituations during everyday
driv ing can cause them to become

248 What do I do now?
-Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/
h) . You risk having an acc ident.
- Avoid full-throttle acce le ration, heavy
braking, and fast corner ing. You risk hav­
ing an acc ident.
- Never drive us ing more than one spare
wheel and tire. You risk having an acci­
dent .
- Norma l summer or winter tires must not
be mounted on the compact spare whee l
rim.
- For technical reasons, the use o f ti re
chains on the spare tire is not permitted.
If it is necessary to drive with tire chains,
the spare whee l must be mounted on the
front axle in the eve nt of a flat in a rear
t ir e. Th e newly ava ilable front w heel
must the n be installed in pla ce of the
re ar wheel wi th the flat ti re. Ins tal ling
the ti re chai n befo re mo unt ing the wheel
and tire is recommen ded .
- L oose items in the p assenge r comp art ­
ment can ca use serio us personal inj ury
dur ing hard braking or in an acc ident.
N ever sto re the inf latable spare tire or
jack and t ools in the passenger c ompart­
me nt.
- No rma l summer or wi nte r tires must not
be m ounted on the compact spare wheel
rim .
Removing the subwoofer
App lies to vehicles: with subwoofer
The subwoofer must be removed before the
spare wheel* can be removed.
F ig . 166 Spare w hee l well : subwoofe r
Removing the subwoofer
.,. Lift the c argo floor i=:> page 247, fig . 16 4.
.. Press the connector tabs (!) i=:> fig. 16 6 to-
gether .
.. Re move the connector @and set the re-
moved cab le aside .
.,. Remove the bo lt @ .
.. Carefully remove the subwoofe r.
Installing the subwoofer
.. Carefully place the subwoofer n the rim
we ll. The word "FRONT" on the subwoofer
m ust face forward.
.. Insert the con nector that was removed.
.. Secure t he subwoofer w ith the bolt .
.. Fold the cargo floo r cover back into place.
Changing a wheel
· Before changing a wheel
O bserve the following prec au tions f or your
own and your p assenger's safety when chang ­
ing a wheel .
.. Afte r you ex perie nce a ti re fail ure, p ull the
car we ll away from mov ing tr affic and try to
reach level ground before you stop
¢ ,&.
.. All passengers should leave the car and
move to a safe location ( for instance, behind
the guardrail)¢ ,&.
.. Engage the parking brake to prevent your
veh icle from rolling unintentionally <=>,& .
.. Move selector lever to position Pi=:> ,& .
.. If you are towing a t railer, unhitch the trailer
from your ve hicl e.
.. Ta ke t he ja ck ¢
page 247 and the spare tire
¢ page 247 out of the luggage compart­
ment .
A WARNING
You o r you r passengers could be inj ured
while c hanging a w heel if you do not fo l­
l ow these safety precaut io ns:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe d is­
tance off the road. Turn off t he engine,
tur n the eme rgency flashers on and use
other warni ng devices to a le rt other mo­
torists.
-