2015 AUDI A3 emergency towing

Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 1
Driving safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Proper occupant seating posit ions . . . 122
Driver and passenger side footwell . . . 126
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Stowing luggage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
R eport ing Safety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Safety belts ... .. ...... .. .. .. . .
General notes ............... .. .. .
Why safety bel ts? ........ .... .. . .
Safety belts ............. .. .. .. . . 131
13
1
13 2
134
Safety belt p re tens ioners . . . . . . . . . . 13 7
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
I mpor tan t th ings to know . . . . . . . . . . 1 40
Fr ont airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 4
M onitoring the Advanced Airbag
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Side curta in a irbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Ch ild Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Important things to know . . . . . . . . . . 166
C hi ld safety seats ............ .... . 172
Install ing a chi ld safety seat . . . . . . . . 177
L A TC H L ower ancho rages and tethe rs
fo r ch ild ren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
A ddit io nal Informa tion 184
Driver messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Smart Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
N ot ice about da ta recorded by vehi cle
control mod ules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Electron ic stabilization control (ESC) 185
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Electromechanical steering . . . . . . . . . 189
All whee l drive (quatt ro) . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Driving and the environment 193
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km) and
afterwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
D riving through water on roads . . . . . 194
Cata lytic conve rter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Table of contents 3
P lac ing you r vehicle out of service. . . . 195
Operate yo ur vehicle economically an d
min imize poll ution. .. .. ... .... ... . 195
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Driving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Trai ler tow ing tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Operating instructions ..... .. .
Caring and cleaning .......... .
General information ........... .. .
Car was hes .. .. .. ............... .
Cleaning and care information 201
201
201
201
202
Checking and Filling
. . . . . . . . . . 206
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Refueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
E ngine o il . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
c oolant system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Br ake fluid . ... .. .. .. .. .. .... ... . 219
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Windshie ld washer fluid container . . . 224
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Tire pressure monitoring system 243
Do-it-yourself service . . . . . . . . . 246
What do I do now? . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Luggage compartment lid emergency
release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Equ ipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Spare ti re .... ... .. ..... ......... 247
Chang ing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
El ectr ica l fus es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
B ulbs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Emergency situations . . . . . . . . . 259
Genera l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Star ting by p ushing o r towing . . . . . . . 259
Star ting with jumpe r cables . . . . . . . . 259
U se o f jumpe r cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
•
•
•

~(D Dynamic headlight range control
system
App lies to vehicles: with Xe non lig hts
II Headlight range control system: system
fault!
There is a malfunct ion i n the dynam ic head ­
light range con trol system, wh ich may cause
g la re for other drivers.
D rive to you r autho rized Aud i dea le r o r quali­
fied repair faci lity immediately to have the
mal funct ion cor rected.
l§O Audi adaptive light
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive light
rDI Audi adaptive light: system fault!
There is a malfunct io n in the adaptive lights.
The headlights still function.
Drive to an authorized Aud i dealer or qualified
repair facility immediately to have the mal­
function corrected .
@) Light/rain sensor
Applies to vehicles: with light/ra in se nsor
El Automatic headlights: system fault!
El Automatic wipers: system fault!
The light/rain sensor is not working.
F or safety reasons , the low beams are turned
on permanent ly with the switch in
AUTO. You
can continue to turn the lights on and off us­
ing the light switch. You can still control all
wiper functions that are independent of the
rain sensor.
Drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or qualified
repair facility immediately to have the mal­
function corrected .
Q Adaptive dampers
Applies to vehicles: with Audi drive select
II Suspension: system fault!
There is an adaptive damper malfunction.
Instruments and indicator lights 25
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or qualified
repair facility immediately to have the mal­
function corrected .
¢i Q Turn signals
If the B or 1B in dicator light blinks, a turn
s ignal is turned on. If both indicator lights are
blinking, the emergency flashers are on.
In an indicator light blinks twice as fast as
usual then a blinker bulb has failed. Carefully
drive to your author ized Audi dealer or quali­
fied repa ir facility immed iately to have the
malfu nction corrected . T he indicator light
does not indicate a malfunction if a turn sig­
nal on the trailer or on the vehicle fails when
towing a trailer.
(D Tips
For more information on the turn signals,
see
~ page 44.
{d i~ Rear safety belt
App lies to vehicles: with rear safety belt detection
The IJ ;ffl i ndicator light turns on briefly
when you swi tch the ignition on.
An indica tor light turns on briefly when the
safety belt in the rear seat is buckled or un­
buckled.
l!I -if the ind icator light turns on briefly, the
r ear seat is not occupied or the safety belt is
not buckled . Th ere is also an audio warning
signal if the be lt is unbuckled whi le driving.
II -if the ind icator light turns on briefly, the
r ear safety belt is buckled.
{D Tips
For additional information on safety belts,
refer to~
page 131.
•

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 .
•

Emergency situations
General
This chapter is intended for trained emer­
gency crews and working personnel who have the necessary tools and equipment to
perform these operations.
Starting by pushing or
towing
(D Note
Vehicles with an automatic transmission
cannot be started by pushing or towing.
Starting with jumper
cables
If necessary, the engine can be started by
connecting it to the battery of another vehi­
cle.
If the engine should fail to start because of a
discharged or weak battery, the battery can be
connected to the battery of
another vehicle,
using a
pair of jumper cables to start the en­
gine.
Jumper cables
Use only jumper cables of sufficiently large
cross section to carry the starter current safe­
ly. Refer to the manufacturer's specifications.
Use only jumper cables with
insulated termi­
nal clamps which are distinctly marked :
plus(+) cable in most cases colored red
minus(-) cable
in most cases colored black.
A WARNING
Batteries contain electricity, acid, and gas.
Any of these can cause very serious or fatal
injury. Follow the instructions below for
safe handling of your vehicle's battery.
- Always shield your eyes and avoid lean­
ing over the battery whenever possible.
- A discharged battery can freeze at tem­
peratures just below 32 °F (0 °C). Before
Emergency situations 259
connecting a jumper cable, you must
thaw the frozen battery completely, oth­
erwise it could explode.
- Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes
or skin. Flush any contacted area with
water immediately .
- Improper use of a booster battery to start a vehicle may cause an explosion.
- Vehicle batteries generate explosive gas­
es. Keep sparks, flame and lighted ciga­
rettes away from batteries.
- Do not try to jump start any vehicle with a low acid level in the battery.
- The voltage of the booster battery must
also have a 12-volt rating. The capacity
(Ah) of the booster battery should not be
lower than that of the discharged bat­
tery . Use of batteries of different voltage
or substantially different "Ah" rating
may cause an explosion and personal in­
JU ry.
- Never charge a frozen battery. Gas trap­
ped in the ice may cause an explosion.
-Never charge or use a battery that has
been frozen. The battery case may have
be weakened.
- Use of batteries of different voltage or
substantially different capacity (Ah) rat­
ing may cause an explosion and injury.
The capacity (Ah) of the booster battery
should not be lower than that of the dis­
charged battery.
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
¢ page 210.
(D Note
-Applying a higher voltage booster bat­
tery will cause expensive damage to sen­
sitive electronic components, such as
control units, relays, radio, etc.
- There must be no electrical contact be­
tween the vehicles as otherwise current
could already start to flow as soon as the
positive(+) terminals are connected. ..,. •
•
•

10. With the engines running, remove the ca­
b les in
reverse order of the way they were
installed. Make sure the cables do not get
caught in moving engine components.
11. Switch the heater fan and rear window de-
froster off .
12 . C lose the battery cover.
The battery is vented to the outside to prevent
gases from entering the vehicle interior . Make
sure that the jumper clamps are well connect ­
ed with their metal parts in full contact with
the battery termina ls.
.&, WARNING
To avoid serious pe rsonal injury and dam­
age to the vehicle, heed all warnings and
instructions of the jumper cable manufac­
turer. If in doubt, ca ll for road service .
- Jumper cables must be long enough so
that the vehicles do not touch.
- When connecting jumper cables, make
surethattheycannotgetcaughtinany
moving parts in the engine compart­
ment.
- Be fore you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
~ page 210.
(D Note
Improper hook-up of jumper cables can ru­
in the generator.
- Always connect POSITIVE( +) to POSI ­
TIV E(+), and NEGA TIVE( -) to NEGATIVE
( - ) ground post of the battery manager
control un it .
- Check that all screw plugs on the battery
ce lls are screwed in firmly. If not, tighten
plugs prior to connecting clamp on nega­
tive battery terminal.
- Please note th at the procedure for con­
necting a jumper cable as described
above applies specifically to the case of
your vehicle be ing jump started. When
you are giv ing a jump start to another ve ­
hicle, do
not connect the negat ive( -) ca­
ble to the negat ive( -) term inal on the
discharged battery@~
fig. 179. In-
-
Em erg en cy si tuation s 261
stead, secure ly connect the negative( -)
cable to either a solid meta l component
that is firmly bo lted to the engine block
or to the engine block itself. If the bat­
tery that is be ing charged does not vent
to the outside, escaping battery gas could ig nite and explode!
- Make sure that the connected positive
terminal clamps have sufficient contact
with metal.
- Do not use the battery negat ive terminal
for jump start ing or a malfunct ion could
occur in the vehicle electrical system .
Emergency towing
with commercial tow
truck
General hints
Your Audi requires special handling for tow­
ing.
The following information is to be used by
comme rc ial tow truck operators who know
how to operate their equipment safely.
-Ne ver t ow your A udi. Towing will caus e
da mage to the engin e and tr an smi ssion .
- Nev er wrap the safet y chains or wi nch ca­
ble s around the brak e lines.
- To p revent unnecessar y damage , your Aud i
must be t ran spor ted with a flat bed truck.
- To lo ad the vehicle on to the fl at bed , u se
the to w ing loop found in the vehicle tool s
and attach to the front or rear ancho rage
~ page 262 and ~page 262.
.&, WARNING
A veh icle being towed is not safe for pas­
sengers. Neve r allow a nyone to ride in a
vehi cle be ing towed, fo r any reason.
-
•
•
•

262 Emergency situations
Front towing loop
Fig. 180 Right front bumper: removing the cove r
Fig. 181 Right front bumper: towing loop installed
The threaded opening for the towing loop is
located behind a cover on the right side of the
front bumper.
• Remov e the towing loop from the vehicle
tool kit¢
page 247.
• Press inward on the upper le~ side of the
cap to remove it from the bumper
¢fig . 180.
• Insert the towing loop in the threaded open­
ing until it stops¢
fig. 181 and tighten it
with a whee l wrench.
• After using, place the towing loop back in
the vehicle tool kit.
A WARNING
If you do not screw the towing loop com­
pletely, it cou ld come out of the threaded
hole while the vehicle is being towed caus­
ing damage to the vehicle and possible se­
r ious personal injury.
-
Rear towing loop
Fig. 182 Righ t rea r towing loop: cover
Fig. 183 Right rea r towing loop: towing loop installed
The towing loop threaded opening is located
in the right of the rear bumper cover under a
cover.
• Remove the towing loop from the vehicle
tool kit ¢
page 247.
• Press inward on the upper area -arrow-and
lift it upward from the
lower area¢ fig. 182.
• Insert the towing loop in the threaded open ­
ing until it stops ¢
fig. 183 and tighten it
w ith a wheel wrench .
• After using, p lace the towing loop back in
the vehicle tool kit.
Depending on the model, the shape of the
cover can vary.
.&_ WARNING
If you do not screw the towing loop com­
pletely, it could come ou t of the threaded
hole while the vehicle is being towed caus­
ing damage to the vehicle and possible se­
rious personal injury.
-

276 Index
E
ECO mode (automatic climate control sys -
tem) . ..... .. ................ ..... .. 67
EDL
refer to Electronic differentia l lock . .. . 185
Efficiency program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Description . ...... .......... ... .. .. 28
Fuel economy messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Other equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Electrical accessories
refer to Socket ............. .. .... .. 56
Electromechanical parking brake
refer to Parking brake ............... 76
Electromechanical steering .. .. .. .. .. . 189
I ndicator lights .......... .. .. .... . 189
Electronic differential lock ... .... .... . 185
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Electronic immobilizer ....... ... .... .. 36
also refer to Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
E lect ronic interaxle differential lock .... 185
Electronic speed limiter ..... .. .. .. .. . . 30
Electronic stabilization control (ESC)
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) ... 185
Emergency assistance .......... .... . 246
Emergency flasher .......... ... .... .. 43
Emergency flashers
I ndicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Emergency operation Emergency braking function .. .. .. .. . . 78
Front passenger's door/rear doors . . . . . 3 7
L uggage compartment lid ........ .. . 246
Panorama sunroof ........ .. .. ...... 41
with conven ience key .... .. .. .. .. .. . . 75
Emergency release Fuel filler door .............. ... ... 209
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Emergency starting ........ .. .. .. .. . 259
Emergency towing ......... .. .. .. .. . 261
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Engine Coolant .. .. ..................... . 216
Starting with jumper cables .... .... . 259
starting (button) . .. ...... .. .. .. .. . . 73 Starting (driver messages with conven-
ience key) ..... .. ................ .. 75
starting (key) . ... ................ .. 70
stopping (button) ............. ..... 74
stopping (key) ................ ..... 72
Engine compartment
Closing the hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Opening the hood ................ . 211
Overview .. .... .. ... .......... .... 212
Safety precautions ............... .. 210
Engine control (indicator light) . . . . . . . . . 23
Engine coolant .. .. .......... ... .. .. 216
Radiator fan ... .. ... .......... .... 218
Engine oil .. ................... .... 212
adding . .. .. .. .. ... .......... .... 215
Changing . ...... ... ......... ... .. 216
Checking the oil level ... ..... ... .. .. 215
Dipstick... .. .. .. .... .... .... 212, 215
Indicator light .................... . 20
Oil consumpt ion .. ............. .. .. 214
Oil grades ..... .. ............. .... 212
Specification and viscosity ........ ... 212
Use ..... ..... .. .. .............. . 215
Engine speed limitation ( indicator light) . 23
Environment Break -in per iod . .. ... ....... ... .. .. 193
Catalytic converter ....... ...... .. .. 194
Disposing of your vehicle battery ..... 223
Driving at high speeds .......... .... 195
Driving to minimize pollution and noise 195
Fuel economy .... ................ . 195
Letting the vehicle stand and warm up . 196
Proper disposal of drained brake fluid . 219
Proper disposal of drained engine oil .. 216
Unleaded fuel .... ... .......... .... 206
What should I do with an old battery? . 223
EPC (engine control) ................ .. 23
ESC Electronic stabilization control ... .. .. 185
Post-coll is ion brake assist ..... .. .. .. 186
Sport mode ... .. ................ . 187
ESP
refer to ESC ... .. ..... ..... ... .. .. 185
Event Data Recorder (EDR) ............ 185
Exhaust tail pipes cleaning ........... 202
Exterior lighting ... ..... ..... ... .. .. . 42

Loading the roof rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Lackin g/unlocking
by remote control .................. 33
with the central locking switch .. .. .. .. 35
with the convenience key . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
with the door lock ............ .. .. .. 35
Long-term memory .................. 27
Low beam Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Low beams . ................... ..... 42
Lower universal anchorages (Canada) .. . 180
Lugg age compartment ............ ... . 60
Cargo net .. ................. .. .... 62
Increasing the size ........ .... .. .. .. 61
Loading .. ... .................. .. .. 60
Pass-through . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Reversible mat ..................... 62
Socket ... .. ................. .. .... 56
Stowing luggage .................. 127
Tie-downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Luggage compartment lid
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7
Emergency release ........ .... .. .. . 246
Lumbar suppo rt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53, 54
M
Maintenance ................. ..... . 268
Maintenance intervals
with driver information system ........ 13
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) . . 23, 29
Mirro r
Digital compass switching on and off . .. 50
dimming . .. ................. .. .... 49
Vanity mirror ............ ...... .... 46
Mirror compass .................. .... SO
Mirrors Adjusting the exte rior mirrors . .. .. .. .. 48
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag System 152
Motor
Index 279
Navigation system CD-ROM player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
New tires and wheels ................ 236
NHTSA Contacting .. .. .. .. ..... .......... 129
Number of seats ..... ............... 131
Number of vehicle keys ............... 31
0
Occupant seating positions ........... 122
Octane rating ... .... ............... 206
Odometer ...... .................... 11
Oil Ind icator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23, 24
also refer to Engine oil . . . . . . . . 212, 215
Oil change interva l
with driver information system . . . . . . . . 13
On-board computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Operation (multifunction steering
wheel) ..... ..... .................. 27
On-Board Diagnost ic System (OBD)
Electronic speed limiter .............. 30
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) .. .. . 29
Opening ................. ........... 31
Fuel filler door ... .. . .. ... .... ..... 208
Hood ........ ... .. ............... 211
Luggage compartment lid ............ 37
Panorama sunroof .................. 40
Windows ......................... 38
Opening/closing with the central locking switch ........ 35
with the convenience key ........ .. .. . 34
with the door lock .................. 35
Operate your vehicle economically and
minimize pollution .................. 195
Other equipment (efficiency program) . .. 29
Outside air temperature display ........ 11
Overview illustration (cockpit) . . . . . . . . . . . 8
•
•
stopping (driver messages with mechani-p
cal ignition key) ................ .... 75
Multifunction steering wheel . .. .. .. .. .. 27 Paint damage
203
On-board computer ................. 27 Paint No
........................... 265
•
Panorama sunroof ... . .. .. ... ... .... . 40
N
Convenience opening/closing ......... 39
Emergency closing ................ .. 41
Natural leat her care/cleaning .. .. .. .. . 204