2015 AUDI A3 trailer

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
•
•
•

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-

~(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.
•

114 Parking systems
Parking systems
General information
A ppl ies to vehicles: with rea r parking sys te m s/park in g
syste m plus/rearv iew camera
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, vari­
ous parking aids will help you when parking
and maneuvering.
The
rear parking system is an audible parking
aid that warns you of obstacles
behind the ve­
hicle
¢ page 115.
The parking system plus assists you when
parking by audibly and visually indicating ob­
jects detected
in front of and behind the vehi­
cle
¢ page 115.
The rearview camera shows the area behind
the vehicle in the MMI display . This display as­
sists you when you are cross or parallel park­
ing. The parking system plus functions are al­
so available
¢ page 116.
& WARNING
- Always look for traffic and check the area
around your vehicle by looking at it di­
rectly as well. The parking system cannot
replace the driver's attention. The driver
is always responsible when entering or
leaving a parking space and during simi­
lar maneuvers .
- Please note that some surfaces, such as
clothing, are not detected by the system.
- Sensors and cameras have blind spots in
which people and objects cannot be de­
tected . Be especially cautious of small
children and animals .
- Always pay attention to the area around
the vehicle -using the rearview mirror,
too.
- The sensors can be displaced by impacts
or damage to the radiator grille, bumper,
wheel housing and the underbody. The
parking systems may become impaired
as a result. Have your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop check their
function. -
Make sure the sensors are not covered by
stickers, deposits or any other obstruc­
tions as it may impair the sensor func­
tion . For information on cleaning, refer
to ~
page 201 .
(D Note
- Some objects are not detected or dis­
played by the system under certain cir­
cumstances:
- Objects such as barrier chains, trailer
draw bars, vertical poles or fences
- Objects above the sensors such as wall
extensions
- Objects with specific surfaces or struc­
tures such as chain link fences or pow­
der snow
- If you continue driving closer to a low-ly­
ing object, it may disappear from the
sensor range. Note that you will no lon­
ger be warned about this obstacle.
- The sensors can be displaced by impacts
or damage to the radiator grille, bumper,
wheel housing and the underbody. The
parking system may become impaired as
a result. Have your authorized Audi deal­
er or qualified repair facility check their
function .
(D Tips
- The system may provide a warning even
though there are no obstacles in the cov­
erage area in some situations, such as:
- certain road surfaces or for long grass.
- external ultrasonic sources e.g. from
cleaning vehicles.
- heavy rain, snow, or thick vehicle ex­
haust.
- We recommend that you practice park­
ing in a traffic-free location or parking
lot to become familiar with the system.
When doing this, there should be good
light and weather conditions.
- You can change the volume and pitch of
the signals as well as the display
¢page 120.

General information
Applies to vehicles: with park ing system p lus wit h rear­
view ca mera
Fig. 103 Ar ea cov ere d
(D and are a not cov ered @ by
the rea rview c amera .
Fig. 104 Rear l id: Locat ion of the rear-view cam era
The rearview camera is located above the rear
license plate bracket . Make sure that the lens
for the parking system~
fig. 104 is not cov ­
ered by deposits or any other obstructions be­
cause this can affect the function of the park ­
ing system. For information on cleaning, see
~ page 201.
The rearview camera coverage area includes
(D ¢ fig. 103. Only this area is displayed in
the MMI. Objects that are outside of this area
@ are not displayed.
The accuracy of the orientation lines and blue
surfaces diminishes if
dynamic mode is acti­
vated ¢
page 102 .
_& WARNING
-Always read and follow the applicable
warnings ¢
& in General information on
page 114.
- If the position and the installation angle
of the rearview camera was changed, for
example, after a collision, do not contin­
ue to use the system for safety reasons.
Parking systems 117
Have it checked by your authorized Audi
dealership.
- Only use the rearview camera to assist
you if it shows a good, clear picture . For
example, the image may be affected by
t he sun shining into the lens, dirt on the
lens or if there is a defect .
- Use the rearview camera only if the lug­
gage compartment lid is completely
closed.
If the luggage compartment lid
is open the orientation lines and blue
surfaces are hidden. Make sure any ob­
jects you may have mounted on the lug­ gage compartment lid do not block the rearview camera.
- The camera lens enlarges and distorts
the field of vision. The object appears
both altered and inaccurate on the
screen.
- In certain situations, people or objects in
the display appear closer or farther away:
- For objects that do not touch the
ground, such as the bumper of a
parked vehicle, a trailer hitch or the
rear of a truck. Do not use the help
lines in this case.
-If driven from a level surface onto an
incline , or a downward slope .
-If driven toward protruding objects.
-If the vehicle is carrying too much load
in the rear .
(D Note
-Always read and follow the applicable
warnings
c:> (D in General information on
page 114.
- The orange colored orientation lines in
the MMI display show the direction of
travel of the vehicle rear depending on
the steering wheel angle. The front of
the vehicle front swings out more than
the rear of the vehicle. Maintain plenty
of distance so that your outside mirror or
a corner of your vehicle does not collide
with any obstacles .

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.