2015 AUDI A3 instrument panel

mode), then the shift indicator can assist you
when selecting the next gear.
I n order to become familiar with the gearshift
indicator, begin driving as usual.
If the current
gear is not the best one for conserving fuel,
the indicator wi ll display the recommended
gear.
If there is no gearshift recommendation, you
are already driving in the most suitable gear .
The display is only vis ible in tip tronic mode
c::> page 110.
The¢ fig. 6 symbol turns on in the d isplay:
- t Upshifting
(D Note
This indicator can he lp you conserve fuel.
It is not designed to recommend the cor­
rect gear in all driving situations. Only the
driver can decide which gear is correct in
certain driving situations, such as when
passing another vehicle, driving on hills or
towing a trailer .
(D Tips
We recommend placing the selector lever
in
D if you want your vehicle to use less
fue l.
Service interval display
The service interval display detects when your
vehicle is due for service .
Fig. 7 Instrument cluster: serv ice inte rval disp lay (ex ­
ample)
Instruments and indicator lights 13
Fig. 8 Display in t he MMI panel: service interva l disp lay
(example)
The service interval display works in two
stages:
- Inspection or oil change reminder: After a
specified number of miles, a message ap­
pears in the instrument cluster display when
switching the ign ition on or off ¢
fig. 7. The
remaining d ista nce or t ime is displayed
briefly .
-Inspection or oil change due : If your vehicle
is due for an inspect ion or oil change or
both, a message appears briefly in the in­
strument cluster display when sw itching the
ignition on or off:
Inspection due! or Oil
change due! or Oil change and inspection
due!.
Checking service intervals
The remaining distance or t ime to the next oil
change or to the next inspect ion can be
viewed in the MMI
c::>fig. 8. Selectthe ,...IM""" E~ N- u-1
button
> Systems or Car systems > Service &
control > Service intervals.
In new vehicles or after resetting the disp lay,
the display can be viewed after approximately
500 km.
Resetting the display
Your authorized Audi dealer or qualified facili­
ty will reset the service interval display after
the service is performed.
If you perform an oil change yourself to the
Audi specifications, you can reset you service
interval display.
To reset the display, select the !MENUI button
> Systems or Car systems > Service & control Iii-

52 Seat s a nd s tor ag e
Seats and storage
General information
Important information
& WARNING
Refer to the chapter Driving Safely
r::!>poge 121, Driving safety for important
information, t ips, suggestions and warn­
ings that you should read and follow for
your own safety and the safety of your pas­ sengers.
Why is your seat adjustment so important?
The safety belts and the airbag system con
only provide maximum protection if the front
seats ore correctly adjusted.
There are various ways of adjusting the front
seats to provide safe and comfortable support
for the driver and the front passenger. Adjust
your seat properly so that :
- you can easily and quickly reach all the
switches and controls in the instrument
panel
- your body is properly supported thus reduc­
ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety belts and airbag system can offer
maximum protection
r::!> page 140.
In the following sections, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust your seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for insta lling a child seat on the front pas­
senger's seat. Always follow the information regarding child safety provided in
r::!> page 166, Child Safety .
& WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the dr iver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal in jury.
- Always keep your feet on the f loor when
the vehicle is in motion - never p ut your
feet on top of the instrumen t panel, out of the window or on top of the seat c
ush­
ion. This applies espec ially to the passen­
gers. If your seating position is incorrect,
you increase the risk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an accident .
If the
airbag inflates and the seating position is incorrect, this could result in pe rsonal
inj ury or even death.
- It is important for both the drive r and
front passenger to keep a distance of at least 10 inches ( 25 cm) between them­
selves and the steering wheel and/or in ­
strument panel. If you're sitting any
closer than this, the airbag system can­ not protect you properly. In addition, the
front seats and head restraints must be
adjusted to your body height so that they
can give you max imum protect ion.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible between yourself and the steer­
ing wheel o r instrument panel.
- Do not adjust the driver's or front pas­
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
Your seat may move unexpectedly, caus­
ing sudden loss of veh icle cont ro l and
pe rsonal injury. If you adjust yo ur seat
while the veh icle is moving, yo u are ou t
of posit ion .
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving.
We recommend that you adjust the dr iver's
seat in the fo llow ing manne r:
.. Adjust the seat in fore and aft direction so
that you can easily push the peda ls to the
floor wh ile keeping your knees sl ightly bent
r::!> &. in Why is your seat adjustment so im­
portant? on page 52.
.. Ad just the bac krest so tha t when you sit
w ith your back against the backrest, you can
still hold the top of the steering wheel.
.. For adjustab le head restraints: adjust the
head restra int 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 ..,.

is not possible, try to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position
as possible. Move the head restraint so that
it is as close to the back of the head as pos­
sible.
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
Q page 134.
.. Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
Q page 54 .
.&, WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breast­
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and
the lower part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per­
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold­
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag in­
flates.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple­
mental driver's airbag to protect you in a
collision.
- Always sit in an upright position and nev­
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air­
bags are located.
-
Driving safety 123
-Before driving, always adjust the front
seats properly and make sure that all passengers are properly restrained.
- For adjustable head restraints: before
driving, always also adjust the head re­
straints properly.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is moving. Your seat may move unexpect­
edly and you could lose control of the ve­ hicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are tilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion.
- Children must always ride in child seats
Q page 166. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat ¢
page 140.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position
is important for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
passenger to the following position:
.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position and your back comes
in full contact with it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
.. 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
is not possible, try to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position
as possible
¢ page 125. Move the head re­
straint so that it is as close to the back of
the head as possible .
.. Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat.
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 134.
•
•
•

124 Driving safety
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see ¢
page 53.
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or killed by the air­
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright
position and never lean against or place
any part of their body too close to the
area where the airbags are located.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of po­
sition or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un­
folds with great force in the blink of an
eye.
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front
passenger's breastbone and the instru­
ment panel.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front pas­
senger's knees and the lower part of the
instrument panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
passenger seat properly .
- For adjustable head restraints: before
driving, always also adjust the head re­
straints properly.
- Always keep your feet on the floor in
front of the seat. Never rest them on the
seat, instrument panel, out of the win­
dow, etc. The airbag system and safety
belt will not be able to protect you prop­
erly and can even increase the risk of in­
jury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are tilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion. -
Children must always ride in child seats
¢
page 166. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front passenger seat
c> page 140.
Proper seating positions for passengers
in rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with
both feet on the floor consistent with their
physical size and be properly restrained whenever the vehicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incor­
rect seating position in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas­
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
"" 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
is not possible, try to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position
as possible
¢ page 125.
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
¢page 134.
.,. Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro­
priate for their size and age¢
page 166.
A WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on
the rear seat can be seriously injured in a
crash.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum protec­
tion when the safety belts are properly positioned on the body and securely
latched. By not sitting upright, a rear
seat passenger increases the risk of per­
sonal injury from improperly positioned
safety belts!

126 Driving saf ety
Th ere fo re, wh enever th e vehicle i s
mo ving :
-never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never knee l on the seats
- never ride with the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up aga inst the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean out the w indow
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion o r
back of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Improper seat ing positions increase the
r isk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a veh icle is being used .
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu­ pants stay in a proper seating pos it ion
and are properly restra ined whenever the
vehicle is be ing used.
Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
App lies to vehicles: with knee a irbags
A WARNING
Always make s ure that the knee airbag can
inflate without interference. Objects be­
tween yourse lf and the airbag can inc rease
the risk of in jury in an acc ident by interfer­
ing w ith the way the a irbag deploys or by
being pushed into you as the airbag de­
ploys.
- No persons (ch ildren) or animals should
ride in the footwell in front of the pas­
senger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
can result in se rious or fata l injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried in the footwe ll area in front of the driv- er's or passenger's seat
. Bulky objects
(shopping bags, for example) can ham­
per or prevent proper deployment of the
ai rbag. Small objects can be thrown
through the vehicle if the airbag deploys
and i njure you or your passenge rs .
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat
or any other object.
Make su re that a ll peda ls move free ly without
i nterference and that no thing preven ts them
from return ing to their or ig inal positions .
Only use f loor mats that leave the pedal a rea
free and can be secu red with floor mat fasten­
ers.
If a brake c ircu it fa ils, inc reased brake pedal
t ravel is required to bring the vehicle to a full
stop.
A WARNING
P edals that cannot move free ly can ca use
l oss of vehicle contro l and increase the risk
of serious injury.
- Never p lace any objects in the driver's
footwell. An object co uld get into the
pedal area and interfere with pedal func­
tion. In case of sudden braking or an ac­
cident, you wou ld not be able to brake or
accelerate!
-Always make sure that nothing can fall
or move into the driver's footwell.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely attached to the floor mat fasteners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
.,. Make sure that the floor mats are properly
secured and cannot move and interfere with
the pedals
¢ A . ..,_

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 ..,_

occupant will slam violently into the steering
wheel, instrument panel, windshield, or what­
ever else is in the way
c::> fig. 114. This impact
with the vehicle interior has all the energy
they had just before the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection.
Even when they deploy, airbags provide only
additional protection. Airbags are not sup­
posed to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Al­
though your Audi is equipped with airbags, all
veh icle occupants, including the driver, must
wear safety belts correctly in order to mini­
mize the risk of severe injury or death in a
crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only
once and that your safety belts are always
there to offer protection in those accidents in
which airbags are not supposed to deploy or
when they have already deployed. Unbelted
occupants can also be thrown out of the vehi­
cle where even more severe or fatal injuries
can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to
wear safety belts correctly. Unbelted passen­
gers in the rear seats endanger not only them­
selves but also the driver and other passen­
gers
c::> fig. 115. In a frontal collision they will
be thrown forward violently, where they can
hit and injure the driver and/or front seat pas ­
senger.
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to
brace the body in a minor collision. It's simply
not true!
Fig. 116 Driver is correctly restra ined in a sudden brak­
ing maneuver
Safety belts 133
Safety belts used properly can make a big dif­
ference. Safety belts help to keep passengers
in their seats, gradually reduce energy levels
applied to the body in an accident, and help
prevent the uncontrolled movement that can
cause serious injuries. In addition, safety belts
reduce the danger of being thrown out of the
vehicle.
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and
give them the benefit of being slowed down
more gently or "softly" through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety
features engineered into today's vehicles. By
"absorbing" the kinetic energy over a longer
period of time, the safety belts make the
forces on the body more "tolerable" and less
likely to cause injury .
Although these examples are based on a fron­
tal collision, safety belts can also su bsta ntia l­
ly reduce the risk of injury in other kinds of
crashes. So, whether you're on a long trip or
just going to the corner store, always buckle
up and make sure others do, too. Accident sta­
tistics show that vehicle occupants properly
wearing safety belts have a lower risk of being
injured and a much better chance of surviving
an accident. Properly using safety belts also
greatly increases the ability of the supplemen­
tal airbags to do their job in a collision . For
this reason, wearing a safety belt is legally re­
quired in most countries including much of
the United States and Canada.
Although your Audi is equipped with airbags,
you still have to wear the safety belts provid­
ed. Front airbags, for example, are activated
only in some frontal collisions. The front air­
bags are not activated in all frontal collisions,
in side and rear collisions, in roll overs or in
cases where there is not enough deceleration
through impact to the front of the vehicle.
The same goes for the other airbag systems in
your Audi. So, always wear your safety belt
and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained!

134 Safety belts
Important safety instructions about
safety belts
Safety belts must always be correctly posi­
tioned across the strongest bones of your
body.
,.. Always wear safety belts as illustrated and
described in this chapter.
,.. Make sure that your safety belts are always
ready for use and are not damaged.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death. Safety belts can
work only when used correctly .
- Always fasten your safety belts correctly
before driving
off and make sure all pas­
sengers are correctly restrained.
- For maximum protection, safety belts must always be positioned properly on
the body .
- Never strap more than one person , in­
cluding small children, into any belt.
- Never place a safety belt over a child sit­ ting on your lap.
- Always keep feet in the footwell in front
of the seat while the vehicle is being driv­
en .
- Never let any person ride with their feet on the instrument panel or sticking out
the window or on the seat.
- Never remove a safety belt while the ve­
hicle is moving. Doing so will increase
your risk of be ing injured or killed.
- Never wear belts twisted.
- Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eye glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these
may cause injury.
- Never allow safety belts to become dam­
aged by being caught in door or seat
hardware .
- Do not wear the shoulder pa rt of the belt
under your arm or otherwise out of pos i­
tion . -
Several layers of heavy clothing may in­
terfere with correct positioning of belts
and reduce the overall effectiveness of
the system .
- Always keep belt buckles free of anything
that may prevent the buckle from latch­
ing securely .
- Never use comfort clips or devices that
create slack in the shoulder belt . Howev­
er, special clips may be required for the
proper use of some child restraint sys­
tems .
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and
damaged belt hardware can break in an
accident. Inspect belts regularly .
If web­
bing, bindings, buck les, or retractors are
damaged, have belts replaced by an au ­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
- Safety belts that have been worn and
loaded in an accident must be replaced
with the correct replacement safety belt
by an authorized Audi dealer . Replace­
ment may be necessary even if damage
cannot be clearly seen . Anchorages that
were loaded must also be inspected.
- Never remove, modify, disassemble, or
try to repair the safety belts yourself.
- Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts
may not work properly and can impair
the function of the inert ia reel
c::> ta­
ble Internal cleaning on page 203.
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Safety first -everybody buckle up!
Fig. 117 B elt buck le and to ngue o n th e drive r's se at