2015 AUDI A3 steering

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.
•
•
•

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.

226 Tire s and wheel s
-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden t ire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when driving, al­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
(D Note
- Please note that summer and winter
tires are designed for the cond itions that
a re typ ica l in those seasons. Aud i recom­
mends using w inter t ires d uring the win-
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means t he comb ined we ight (in excess of
those standard items which may be rep laced)
of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are availab le as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not).
A spect ratio
means th e ratio of the height to the width of
the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower in­
d icate a low sidewall for improved steer ing re­
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement .
Bead
means the part of the tire th at is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead s eparation
means a breakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means t he strands forming the plies in the
tire. ter months.
Low tempe ratu res signifi­
cantly decrease the elasticity of summer
tires, which affects traction and braking ability. If summer tires are used in very
co ld temperatures, cracks can form on
the tread bars, resu lting in permanent
tire damage that can cause loud driving
noise and unbalanced tires. Aud i is not
responsib le for this type of damage.
- Burn ished, polished or chromed rims
must not be used in winter weather. The
surfa ce of the rims does not have suff i­
c ien t cor rosion prote ct io n for this and
co uld be pe rmanen tly damaged by road
salt or simi lar substances. This damage
is not cove red by war ranty.
Cold tire inflat ion pre ssure
mea ns the t ire press ure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer for a tire o f a des ignated
size that has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le of miles (ki lometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire press ure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor vehicle w ith
standard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, o il, and coolant, air condi­
tion ing and additional weight of optional
equipment.
E x tra load tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire. Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or
"RF" on the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in-
terfaces.
IJ>,

236 Tires and wheels
unbalanced, resulting in vibrations you can
usually feel through the steering whee l.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wea r on steer ing, suspension
and tires . A wheel must a lso be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
I ncorrect wheel alignment can cause exces­
sive tire wear, impair ing the safety of the veh i­
cle. If tires show excess ive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
All-wheel drive
Vehicles w ith quattro must a lways have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type.
F or details see
<=> page 190 .
A WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
trol, a crash and ser ious persona l injury!
- Never drive a vehicle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
- Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do
not grip well on wet roads and increase
your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of
control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from t ires.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then with special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss o f vehicle control.
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have ta be broken in .
Fig. 160 Tire specificat ion codes on the s idewall of a
tire
No. Description
@ Nomina l w idth of t ire in mill imeters
® Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code
® L oad index and speed rating
(J) U.S . DOT tire identification number
® Audi Origina l tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ T ire ply composition and materials
used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
T he tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle 's design . The tires and rims approved
by Audi are spec ially matched to the charac­
te ristics of the vehicle and can make a major .,..

Fuses and bulbs
Electrical fuses
Replacing fuses
Fuses that have blown will have metal strips
that have burned through.
Fig. 17 4 Steering column area: cover
Fig. 175 Left side of the engine compartment: fuse
cover
Fuses i n the interio r
The fuses are behind the cover in the steering
column area
¢fig. 174.
•Turnoff the ignition and the fai led e lectrical
equipment.
• Check the following table to see which fuse
belongs to the equipment¢
page 256.
• Remove the cover: ¢ fig. 174.
• Remove the plastic clip from the fuse panel
cover in the eng ine compartment
c;, fig. 175.
• Remove the blown fuse using the plast ic
clamp and replace the fuse with an ident ica l
new one.
• Install the cover .
Fuse s in th e en gine compar tmen t
•Turnoff the ignition and the failed electrical
equipment .
Fuse s and bulb s 255
• Check the fo llowing tab le to see which fuse
be longs to the equipment
c:;, page 257.
• Remove the fuse panel cover¢ fig. 175.
• Remove the plastic clip from the fuse pane l
cover
c;, fig. 175.
• Remove the blown fuse using the plastic
clamp and replace the fuse with an identical
new one .
The indiv idual circu its are protected by safety
fuses . The fuses are located under the steer ­
ing wheel beh ind a cover and in the left s ide of
the engine compartment .
.&_ WARNING
-
Do not repair fuses and never replace a
blown f use with one that has a hig her amp
rating. Th is can cause damage to the elec­
trica l system and a fire .
(D Note
-If there a re multiple fuse values in a cell
in the fo llow tables, for examp le
5/10/20, it is because of equipment -re ­
lated differences . Replace the burned
fuse with an identical new one.
- If a new f use should burn out again
shortly after you have installed it, have
the electrical system checked by your au­
thorized Aud i dealer or qualified repair
facility as soon as possible.
(!) Tips
- The following tab le does not list fuse lo­
cations that are not used .
- Some of the following tables on ly app ly
to in certain models or options.

256 Fuses and bulbs
Interior fuse assignment
No. Equipment Ampere
F14
Climate control system
30 blower
F15
Electronic steering column
10 lock
F16 MMI area 7.5
F17
Instrument cluster 5
F18
Rearv iew camera 7 .5
F19
Convince key system control
7.5 module, tank system
F23 Right exter ior lights 40
F24
Panorama sunroof 20/30
F25
Door/driver's side doors (for
30 example power windows)
F26 Seat heating 30
F27
Sound-amp lifier 30
F29
Interior lights 7.5
Fig. 176 Vehicle inte ri or : fuse assignment F31 Left exter ior lights 40
No . Equipment Ampere F32 Driver assista nce systems 7.5
F2
Seat adjustment 10 F33 Airbag 5
F4
MM controls, MMI compo-
7.5 nents
F5 Gateway 5
Button lighting, coils for
socket relays, interior sound,
F34 back-up light switch, tern-7.5
perature sensor, o il level
F6 Ant i-theft alarm system 5 sensor
Climate/heating control, se-
Diagnosis, headlight range
le ctor lever (automatic
F7 transmission), parking heat -10 F35
control system, air quality
10 sensor,
automat ic dimming
er, rear window heater relay
rearview mirror
coil
Diagnosis, electrical parking
F36
Right cornering light/ right
15 LED-headlight
F8
brake switch, light switch,
10 rain/light sensor, interior
lighting
F9
Steering column switch
1 module
F37
Left corner ing light/ left
15 LED-headlight
Door/front passenger's side
F39 doors (for example, power 30
windows)
Fl0 D isp lay 5
F40 Sockets 20
Fll
Reversible driver's safety
25 belt tensioners F41 Reversible front passenger 's
25 side safety belt tensioners
Fl2 MMI area 15/20
F42 Central locking buttons 40
Fl3
Adaptive dampers control
20 module
F43 Windsh ield washer system 30
F44
all wheel drive 15
F45
Power driver's side seat 15

272 Index
A
A/C (a utomatic cl imate control system)
A/C (manual cl imate control system)
ABS 66
65
refer to An
ti-lock braking system . . . . . 185
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S6, 270
Active lane ass ist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Activating vibration wa rning .. .. .. .. .. 96
Adj ust ing steering t ime .... .. .. .... .. 96
C lean ing the camera area .. .. .. .. .. . 20 2
Dr iver messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
I ndicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
switch ing on and off . ... .. .. .. .... .. 95
Adapt ive cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Automatic t ra nsm ission ... .. .. .... .. 86
C lean ing the senso r ..... .. .. .. .. .. . 202
D river messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Request for driver intervention . . . . . . . . 88
Stop-and-go-traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Adapt ive dampers .......... .. .. .... . 102
I ndicator light . .. ..... ... .. .. .... .. 25
Adapt ive light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42, 102
I ndicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Adding W indshield washer fluid ..... .. .... . 224
Ad justing ai r dist ribution (Climate con trol
system) ..... ... .. ..... ... .. .. .... .. 67
Ad justing a ir vents ......... .. .. .... .. 68
Ad justing a ir vents (manual climate co n-
trol system) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Ad justing automatic headlights . .. ... ..
44
Ad justing the center conso le lighting .... 45
Ad justing the temperat ure
manual climate control system . . . . . . . . 65
advanced key
refer to Convenience key . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
A irbag .. .. .. ... .......... .. .. .. .. . 14 0
I nd icator ligh t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1
A irbag system ... ....... ... .. .. .. .. . 161
Advanced Airbag System ....... .. .. . 144
Advanced Airbag System components . 148
Ca re . .. .. .. ............. .. .. .. .. . 156
C hi ldren . .... ........... .... .... . 168
C hil d restra ints ........... .. .. .... . 168
Components (front airbags) . ... .. .. . 1 48 Danger of fitting a ch
ild seat on the front
passenger seat ... .. ... ..... ... .. .. 142
Disposa l .. .. .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. 156
Front a irbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144, 146
How do the front airbags work? .. .... 150
How many a irbags does my vehicle
have? ...... .. .. .. ... ... ... .. .. .. 148
How the Advanced Airbag System com-
ponen ts wo rk togethe r ......... .. .. 150
Im port ant sa fe ty inst ru cti ons on the
k nee airbag system .. .. ..... ... .. .. 159
Impo rtant things to know .. ... ... . .. 140
Knee airbags ..... .. ... ..... ... .. .. 157
Monitoring .... .. ............. .... 152
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light ... .... 153
Repairs ... .... .. ............. .... 156
Safety instructions ................. 155
S ide a irbags ... .. ... .. .. ... ..... .. 160
S ide curtain airbags ... ...... ... .. .. 163
Warning/Indicato r lights ..... .. .. .. 152
When must the system be inspec ted? . 152
Alarm system
refer to Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . 31
Alcantara clean ing .............. .... 204
Al ignment pi n (changing the whee l) .. .. 24 7
All-weather lights (LED headlights) . .. .. . 42
All-wheel drive Winter tires ..... .. ... ..... ... .. .. 240
All wheel d rive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Alternator
refer to A lternator (indicator light) . .. . 20
Alternato r (indicato r light) .. ... .. .. .. . 20
Amb ient lighting .. ............. .... . 45
Anti-free ze
refer to Eng ine coolant
216
Anti -lock b raking system . ..... ... .. .. 185
Indicator light ... ... .. ..... .... . .. . 22
An ti-s lip reg ulatio n ............. .. .. 185
Indi cator ligh t ... ............. .. ... 22
Anti -theft a la rm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Anti-theft systems Electronic immob ilizer .. ..... ... .. .. . 36
Artific ia l lea ther cleani ng ........... .. 20 4
ASR
refer to Anti -slip regulation
A udi active lane assist 185
refer to Active
lane ass ist ....... .... . 94