2015 AUDI A3 Owners Manual

down. For this reason, the armrest should not
be folded down when driving in city traffic.
The arm rest can slide forward and back.
There is a storage compartment under the
armrest .
Rear center armrest
Applies to vehicles : wit h rear center armrest
The storage compartment and cupholder are
integrated in the armrest.
Fig. 45 Rear armrest
Folding the armrest down
~ Tilt the armrest all the way down .
Opening the storage compartment
~ Lift the cover on the upper rim.
For more information on the use of the cu­
pholders, see¢
page 57 .
Head restraints
Front head restraints
Applies to vehicles : wit h adjustab le head restra ints
Fig. 46 Front seat : adjusting standard head restraints
Seats and storage 55
Applies to vehicles with super sport seats* (no
illustration): The head restraints are integrat­
ed in the backrest and cannot be adjusted.
Adjusting standard head restraints
Adjust the head restraints so the upper edge
i s as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not possible, try to adjust as
close to this position as possib le. Push the
head restraint as close as possible to the back
of the head.
~ To move the head restraint up or forward,
slide it until it locks into place.
~ To move the head restraint down or back,
press the side button -arrow-¢
fig. 46 and
slide the head restraint until it locks into
place .
Refer to ¢
page 12 5, Proper adjustment of
head restraints
for guidelines on how to ad­
just the height of the front head restraints to
su it the occupant's body size.
A WARNING
-Driving without head restraints or with
head restra ints that are not properly ad­
justed increases the risk of ser ious or fa­
tal neck injury dramatically.
- Read and heed all WARNINGS
¢ page 12 5, Proper adjustment of head
restraints
(D Tips
Correct ly adjusted head restraints and
safety belts are an extreme ly effective
combina tion of safety features.
, Rear head restraints
Fig . 47 Outer rear head restraint s: release point
-

56 Seats and storage
If there are passengers in the rear seat, fold
the head restraints up on the occupied seats
at least to the next notch ¢
A.
Adju sting head re stra ints
"' To move the head restraint up, hold it at the
s ides with both hands and slide it upward
until you feel it click i nto place.
,,. To move the head restraint down, press the
button ®<=>
fig. 4 7 and slide the head re­
stra int downward.
R emoving the head r estraints
To remove the head restraints, the backrest must be folded forward partially.
,,. Remove the screwdrive r from the vehicle
tool kit¢
page 247.
,,. Re lease the backrest¢ page 61.
,,. Press the@ button ¢ fig. 47 and move the
head restraint upward as far as it can go
<=> A .
,,. Place the screwdriver in position ® in the
opening, press the button @ and pull the
head restraint out of the backrest at the
same time ¢_&. .
,,. Fold the backrest down until it latches se­
c ur ely ¢
A in Increasing the size of the lug­
gage compartment on page 61.
In sta lling th e he ad re st raints
To install the head restraints, the backrest must be folded forward partially .
,,. Release the backrest¢
page 61.
,,. Slide the posts on the head restraint down
i nto the guides until you feel the posts click
into place . You should not be ab le to pu ll
the head rest raint out of the backrest.
,,. Fold the backrest down unt il it latches se­
c urely ¢
A in Increasing the size of the lug­
gage compartment on page 61 .
&_ WARNING
- Read and heed all WARNINGS
<=> page 125, Proper adjustment of head
restraints
- Only remove the rear seat head restraints
when necessary in order to install a chi ld seat. Install the head restraint again im­
mediately once the ch
ild seat is removed.
Driving with the head restraints removed
or head restra ints not i n the highest po­
sition increases the risk of serious injury .
Socket
Applies to vehicles: wit h socket
Electrical accessories can be connected in the
12 volt socket.
-·- ,-,- ,~ ,- -
' ' -i--
•
Fi g. 4 8 Ce nte r co nsol e: fro nt/r ear 12 vo lt sock et
Fig . 49 Lu ggage compa rtm ent s ide t rim panel : 12 vol t
socket* (example)
,,. Remove the plug from the center console
socke t
c:> fig. 48, or
,,. Open the cover on the luggage compart ­
ment socket* ¢
fig. 49.
"'I nsert the plug fo r the electrical device into
t he socket.
T he 12 volt socket can be used for electrical
accessor ies. The power consumpt io n at the
outlet must not exceed 120 watts.
&_ WARNING
The socke t works only whe n the ign ition is
switched on . Incorrect usage can lead to
serious inj uries or burns. To reduce the risk
of injuries, never leave chi ldren
~

unattended in the vehicle with the vehicle
key.
(D Note
To avoid damaging the socket, only use
plugs that fit properly.
- Never connect equipment that generates
electrical current, such as a solar panel
or battery charger, to the 12-volt socket.
This could damage the vehicle's e lectri­
cal system .
- The 12-volt socket should only be used
for a short period of time as a power
source for electrical equipment . Please
use the electrical sockets in the vehicle
when connecting equipment for longer periods .
- To avoid damaging the socket, only use
plugs that fit properly .
{D) Tips
The vehicle battery drains when accesso­
ries are turned on but the engine is off .
Storage
Beverage holders
Fig. 50 Center console: front cupho lde rs
Fig. 51 Sect ion of the rear benc h seat: rea r cuphold ·
e rs *
Seats and storage 57
Front cupholders
.,. Place beverages in the holders ¢ fig . SO.
There is space for two beverages. A larger
plastic bottle can be placed in the door trim.
Rear* cupholders
.,. To open the cupholders, tap on the rim @
¢fig. 51.
.,. To place the beverage container in the cu­
pholder, push the arm @ outward.
.,. Then push the arm against the beverage
container so that the arm lies closely
against it.
.,. To close the cupholders, push them back in­
to the slot .
A WARNING
-
- Never carry any beverage conta iners with
hot liqu ids, such as hot coffee or hot tea,
in the vehicle while it is moving. In case
of an acc ident, sudden braking or other
vehicle movement, hot liquid could spill,
causing scalding burns. Spilled hot liquid
can also cause an accident and personal injury.
- Do not use breakable beverage contain­
ers (for example, ones made of glass or
porcelain). You could be injured by them
in case of an accident .
- Never use the cupholder or adapter as an
ashtray -risk of fire.
(D Note
Make sure your beverage container has a
lid. If not, your beverage could spill and
cause damage to vehicle equipment or
stain the seat covers.
(D Tips
There are additiona l cupholders in rear at
the left and right.

58 Seats and storage
Glove compartment
Fig. 52 Glove compa rt m en t
Open ing /closing
,,. To open the glove compartment, pull the
handle in the direct ion of the arrow.
,,. To close the glove compartment, swing the
lid upward until it clicks into place .
The glove compartment can be locked using
the vehicle key.
A WARNING
Always leave the lid on the glove compart­ ment cover closed while driving to reduce
the risk of in ju ry .
Additional storage compartments
There are add itiona l storage compartments,
compartments and holders at other locations
in the vehicle :
- In the upper part of the glove compart­
ment .
- In the center console under the center arm­ rest* .
- On the back of the right front seat. The com­
partment can hold a max i mum weight of 2
lbs (1 kg) .
- Garment hooks on the B -pillar
c:> A .
A WARNING
-Always remove objects from the instru­
me nt pane l. Any items not stored could
s li de aro und inside the vehicle while driv­
ing or when accelerating or when apply­
ing the brakes or when driving a round a
corner .
-
-When you are dr iving make sure that
anyth ing you may have placed in the cen­
ter conso le or other storage locations
cannot fall out into the footwells . In case
of sudden braking you would not be able
to b rake or accele rate .
- A ny articles of clothing that you have
hung up m ust not interfere with the dr iv­
e r's vi ew. The coat hooks are des igned
only for lightweight cloth ing. Neve r hang
a ny cloth ing wi th hard, pointed o r heavy
objects in the pockets on the coat hooks.
During s udden braking or in an accident -
especia lly if the airbag is deployed -
these objects cou ld injure any passen­
gers inside the vehicle.
- To reduce the risk of persona l in ju ry in an
accident or s udden stop, always keep the
g love compartment closed wh ile driving.
- Read and follow all WARNINGS
<=> page 161, Important safety instruc­
tions on the side airbag system.
- Hang clothes in such a way that they do
not impair the driver's vision.
- The coat hooks must on ly be used for
lightweight clothing. Do not leave any heavy or sharp edged objects in the pock­
ets which may interfere w ith the s ide cur­
tain airbag deployment and can cause
pe rsonal injury in a crash .
- Do not use coat hange rs fo r hanging
cloth ing o n the coat hooks as th is can in­
terfere w ith prope r deployment of the
side curt ain air bags in an a cciden t.
- Do not hang heavy objects on the coat
hooks, as they could cause pe rsonal in­
jury in a sud den stop.
- For strength-re lated reasons, the mount­
i n g hooks ca n only be used to secure ob­
jects weigh ing up to 10 lb . (5 kg) . Heavi­
er objects will not be adequate ly sec ured
- there is a risk of injury.

Roof rack
Description and mounting locations
Additional cargo can be carried with a roof luggage rack .
Fig. 53 Roof rack attachment po in ts
.,. Always read and follow the instructions pro­
vided by the roof rack manufacturer when
insta lling the roof rack system.
If luggage or cargo is to be carried on the
roof, you must observe the following:
- Only use roof racks approved for your vehi·
cle. These approved roof racks are the basis
for a complete roof rack system. Add itional
attachments or carrier systems are needed
to transport luggage and sports equipment.
We recommend using roof racks from the
Audi original accessories program.
- When installing the roof rack, make sure it is only mounted on the designated locations
on the
roof c:;>fig. 53.
-We recommend that you keep the installa·
t ion instructions for your roof rack system
together with your Owner's literature in the
vehicle.
Wh en shoul d th e r oof rack b e re mo ved ?
-Before going through an automatic car wash
(it is best to ask the car wash operator for
advice).
- When not in use, to reduce fue l consump ­
tion, wind noise and to guard against theft.
A WARNING
- Use of an unapproved roof rack or incor·
rect mount ing of an approved roof rack
S ea ts a nd s to rage 59
can cause the roof rack or the items at·
tached to it to fall off the roof onto the
road.
- Objects falling from the roof of a vehicle
can cause a crash and personal injury.
- On ly mount the roof rack on the desig­
nated locations on the roof¢
fig. 53.
- The roof rack system must be installed
exactly according to the instruct ions pro·
vided.
- When driving with a roof rack system,
changes to the center of gravity and wind
resistance can change the vehicle han·
dling and lead to a collision. Always
adapt your driving and your speed to the
current conditions .
(D Note
- Your vehicle warranty does not cover any
damages to the vehicle caused by using
roof racks or mounting structures not
approved by Aud i for your veh icle. The
same app lies to damage resul ting from
incor rect roof rack insta llation.
- Always check the roof rack mountings
and hardware before each trip and dur­
ing a trip to make s ure everyth ing is se­
curely tightened. If necessary, retighten
the mountings and check the entire sys ­
tem from time to time .
- After mounting a roof rack system, or when you transport objects on the roof of your vehicle, the height of the vehicle
is naturally increased. Be careful when
dr iving under low bridges or in parking
garages for example . This could cause
damage to the load and even the vehicle
itself.
- Make sure the open rear lid and the sun· roof* do not come into contact with the
roof rac k.

60 Seats and st o rage
loading the roof rack
Always distribute loads evenly . Make sure
anything on the roof rack is securely tied
down.
,. Always distribute the loads on the roof rack
evenly .
,. Always attach items to the roof rack securely
before you d rive off.
The maximum perm iss ible roof we ight is
165 lb (75 kg ). The roof weight is the total of
the we ight of the roof rack, the attachments
and the cargo you are carry ing. You m ust also
not exceed the maximum load weight for the
roof rack you are using.
When us ing a roof rack system which has a
l owe r load carry ing capac ity, you must not use
up the total max imum pe rm issib le load carry ­
i ng capac ity specified above. Instead, you
should load the roof rack system only to the
maximum capacity specified by the manufac­
turer of the roof rack system.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to the roof rack can fail
during hard braking or in a collision and
cause se rious personal injury .
- Make sure the roof rack is insta lled exact­
ly as specified above¢
page 59.
-Always use suitable mounting straps for
securing items to the roof rack to help
prevent items from shift ing o r fly ing for­
ward.
- Items on the roof rack must always be sec urely mounted.
- The use of a roof rack can negative ly af­
fect the way a vehicle handles . Ca rgo
that is larg e, heavy, bulky, long o r flat
will have a g reater negative influence on
the vehicle's aerodynamics, center of
gravity and overal l handling. Always
dr ive slowly, avo id sudden braking and
maneuvers when transporting cargo on
the roof of your vehicle.
- Never exceed the maxim um permissible
load carrying capacity of the roof of your
veh icle, the permissible axle weights and
the permissible total weight of your vehi­ cle ¢
page 265, Weights.
@ For the sake of the env ironment
As a result of the increased wind resist­
ance created by a roof rack, your vehicle is
us ing fuel unnecessarily . So
remove the
r oof rack after using it .
Luggage compartment
loading luggage compartment
Luggage items must be stowed securely.
Fig . 5 4 Place heavy objects as far forward as possible.
Note the following to preserve the vehicle's
good handling characteristics.
,. Distribute the load as even ly as possib le.
,. Place heavy objects as far forward as possi ­
ble ¢
fig. 54.
,. Secure luggage items with the cargo net* or
w ith non-elastic retaining straps to the tie­
down rings*
¢page 62.
A WARNING
-Loose objects in the l uggage compart­
ment can slide about suddenly and a lter
the vehicle's hand ling cha racteristics.
- Loose objects in the passenge r compart­
ment can fly forward during abr upt ma­
ne uvers o r acci dents and inj ure occu­
pants.
-

-Always store objects in the luggage com­
partment and use suitable straps, partic­
ularly with heavy objects.
- When you transport heavy objects, al­
ways remember that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity may result in a change in
the vehicle's handling characteristics .
- Follow all warnings
q page 121, Driving
safety.
(D Tips
The tire pressure must be adjusted to the
load -see the tire pressure sticker located
on the driver's side B-pillar.
General information
_& WARNING
Refer to the chapter Driving Safely
qpage 121, Driving safety for important
information, tips, s uggestions and warn­
ings that you should read and fo llow for
your own safety and the safety of your pas­ sengers.
Increasing the size of the luggage
compartment
The rear seat backrests can be folded forward
either separately or together .
Fig. 55 Backrest: release lever (left sid e, e)(ample)
Folding the backrest forward
.,. Push the corresponding head restraint
downward
¢ page 55 .
.,. Press the release lever @in the d irection of
the arrow .
.,. Fold the backrest forward.
Seats and storage 61
Folding the backrest back into the upright
position
.,. Fold the backrest down until it latches se­
curely
q _&. . When you can no longer see
the red mark on the pin @, the seat is latch­
ed.
A WARNING
-- The backrest must be securely latched
for the safety belt in the center seat to
function correctly. -
-The backrest must be securely latched so
objects cannot slide forward out of the
luggage compartment during sudden
braking .
- Always check whether the latch is fully
engaged by pulling the seatback for­
ward .
- Never allow safety belts to become dam­
aged by being caught in door or seat
hardware .
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear and
damaged be lt hardware can break in a
crash. Inspect the belts periodically.
Belts showing damage to webbing, bind­
ings, buck les, or retractors must be re­
placed.
(D Note
- If you move the front seat back when the
rear seat backrest is folded forward, you
cou ld damage the head restraints on the
rear seat. If necessary, remove the rear
seat head restraint before moving the
front seat back
- Make sure the safety belt is not pinched
in the backrest lock and damaged when
the rear seat backrest if folded back.
Other objects should be removed from
the rear bench seat to protect the back­
rest from damage.

62 Seats and storage
Tie-downs and cargo net
The cargo net* prevents small objects from
sliding.
Fi g. 56 Luggage compartment: locatio n of the tie ­
downs
Fig . 57 Luggage compartment: cargo net* unhooked
.. Secure the cargo to the tie-downs¢ fig. 56
-arrows-.
.. To secure the cargo net, first hang the front
hooks in the tie-downs then hang the rear
hooks -arrows-~
fig. 57 .
"' Observe the safety notes ¢
page 128, Tie­
downs.
In a collis ion, the laws of phys ics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will turn into heavy missiles that can ca use
serio us inj ury. Items in the vehicle pick up ki­
netic energy which varies with the vehicle and
the weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the
most signif icant factor.
F or example, in a fron tal coll is io n at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10 -lb (S kg) object are about
20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be the
eq uivalent of about 200 lbs (90 kg). One can
eas ily imagine the injuries that an item of that
weight flying freely through the passenger compartment can cause in a collision at a
speed considered relatively
low.
_&, WARNING
-
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
i ng hard braking or in a collision and cause
se rious personal injury.
- Always use s uitable retaining straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to he lp pre­
vent items from shift ing or fly ing for­
ward.
- Never attach a chi ld seat tether strap to
a tie-down.
- For strength-related reasons, the mount­ ing hooks can only be used to secure ob­
jects w eigh ing up to 10 lb. (S kg). Heavi­
e r objects will not be adequate ly se cu red
- there is a ris k of injury.
Reversible mat
Applies to veh icles: w ith cargo mat
The reversible mat protects the luggage com­
partment and bumper from dirt and scratch­ es.
F ig . 58 Luggage compartment: revers ible mat with
back rest folded forward (examp le)
You can use the reversible mat with the d irt­
resistant side or the deco rat ive side. After
load ing or unload ing, fold up the revers ible
m at and close t he luggage compartment lid.
Only store the reversib le mat if it is dry .