2016 AUDI A3 Owner´s Manual

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., Launch Control-Program
Applies to vehicles: with launch control
The Launch Control Program enables maximum
acceleration .
Requirement: the engine must be at operating
temperature and the steering wheel must not be
turned .
.. With the engine running, press the
l~OFF ! but­
ton briefly one time
ll .
.. Pull the selector lever back out of the D/S posi­
tion briefly to select the S position, or press it
toward the right into the tiptronic pos ition or
select the
D ynami c driving mode in drive se­
lect*
~page 148.
.. Press the b rake peda l firmly wi th you r left foot
and hold it all the way down for at least 1 sec­
ond.
.. At the same time, press the gas pedal all the
way down with your right foot until the engine
reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
.. Remove your left foot from the brake.
A WARNING
-Always adapt yo ur driv ing to the traffic flow.
- Only use Launch Control when road and traf-
fic cond itions allow it and other dr ivers will
not be endangered or impacted by you r d riv­
ing and the vehicle's accele ration.
- Please note that the drive whee ls can sp in
and the vehicle can break away when sport
mode is swit ched o n, especia lly when the
road is s lippery.
- Once t he vehicle has sta rted moving, press
the
I $? OFF ! button briefly to t urn the sport
mode off.
(D Tips
- The transmiss ion temperature may increase
s ignificantly after using the lau nch cont rol
program.
If that happe ns, the program m ay
l) In vehicles w ith a d river information system, an ESC light
in the instrument cluster stays o n continuous ly and the
message
Stabili za tion contro l (E SC ): sport . Warning! Re·
stricted st abi lity
appears temporar ily.
Autom atic tran sm iss ion
not be ava ilab le for a few minutes. It will be
avai lab le again after a cool-down period.
- Whe n accelerating using the launch contro l
program, all vehicle parts a re su bject to
heavy loads. This can lead to increased
wear.
Emergency mode
Applies to vehicles: wit h S tronic transmiss ion
In the event of o system mo/function, there is on
emergency program.
If all of the selector lever positions are hig hlight­
ed with a light background in the instrument
cluster disp lay, there is a system malfunction and
the S tronic transmission is running in the emer­
gency program. The vehicle can still be driven in
emergency mode, but only with reduced speed
and not in all gears . In some cases, the vehicle
cannot drive in rever se .
(D Note
If the transm ission runs in emergency mode,
drive to an authorized A udi dealer or author­
iz ed Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have
the malfunc tion corrected.
Transmission malfunction
• Tran smi ssion malfunction ! Pl ea se stop the
vehicle and select P
The re is a ma lfunction in the transmission. Park
the vehi cle secure ly and do not cont in u e driv ing.
See a n author ized Audi dealer or au thori zed A udi
Service Facility for assis tance.
• Tran smission overheating! Plea se stop the
vehicle!
The transmiss ion is too hot and can become dam­
aged. Stop and let the transmiss ion cool w ith the
engi ne r unning (at idle) in the P se lector lever po­
s it ion. Then the ind icator lig ht and the message .,.
95

Automatic transmission
turn off, drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have
the malfunction corrected . If the ind icator light
and the driver message do not turn off, do not
continue driving. See an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility for assistance .
rm Transmission malfunction: you can continue
driving
Drive to an autho rized Audi dea ler or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected .
rm Transmission malfunction: no reverse gear
(you can continue driving)
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler or authorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
[O] Transmission malfunction: You can continue
driving in D until engine off
Drive the vehicle away from moving traffic and
park. See an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility for assistance .
rm Transmission overheating! Please adapt
driving style
Continue driving moderately. When the indicator
light turns off, you can continue driving normal­
ly .
rm Transmission: Press brake pedal and select
gear again.
If the transmission malfunctions because the
temperature is too high, a message appears
when the transmission is cooled.
96
Selector lever emergency release
App lies to vehicles: wit h S tronic transmission
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selector
lever can be released in an emergency.
Fig. 86 Se lector leve r: remov ing the cover
Fig. 87 Selector lever: us ing the emergency release to
move out of the Pa rk posit ion
The emergency release mechanism is located in
the right area under the selector lever shift gate.
Using the emergency release can be complicated.
We recommend contacting an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for as­
sistance, if necessary .
The screwdr iver from the vehicle tool kit located
i n the luggage compartment is needed to for the
eme rgency release¢
page 280 . Use the flat side
of the reversible screwdriver blade.
Removing the selector lever cover
.,. Set the parking brake(®)¢,& to secure your
vehicle from rolling .
.,. Insert the flat side of the screwdriver s ideways
in the slot near the s hift cover and pry the shift
cover up
¢ fig. 86 .
.,. Pull up the corners of the shift cover carefully
with your hands and fo ld it over the shifter
knob
¢ fig . 87. ..,.

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., Selector lever emergency release
"' Press and hold the yellow re le a se button wi th
the screwdriver ~
fig. 87.
"' Press the release button in the se lector lever @
and move the leve r into the N position.
"' Clip the shift cove r back into the shift gate a fter
us ing the emergency release.
If t he vehicle m ust be pushed or towed due to a
power fai lure (fo r example, the battery is dead),
the selector lever must f irst be moved to the N
position using the emergency release mecha­
ni sm.
A WARNING
On Ly m ove the se lector lever ou t of the P posi ­
tion when the par king b rake is set.
If that
does not work, se cure the vehicle wi th the
bra ke ped al. Ot herw ise, the vehicle coul d
sta rt to move unintention ally whe n the sele c­
to r lever is moved out of the P pos ition .
Automatic transm ission
97

e-tron
e-tron Plug-in hybrid drive
Introduction
A pp lies to veh icles: w ith plug -in hybrid drive
General information
The plug- in hybrid drive is a drive concept that al­
lows yo u to choose between driving w ith the elec­
tr ic moto r, with the gaso lin e engine o r using a
comb inat io n of both.
All work done on the high-voltage system must
only be performed by certified high-voltage tech­ n icians at autho rized Aud i dea le rs or authorized
Aud i Serv ice Facilities in accordance with Audi
gu idelines.
The high-voltage system is composed of the fol­ low ing h igh-vo ltage components: the high-volt­
age battery, the powe r electron ics, the e lectr ic
motor, the high-voltage A/C compressor, the
high-vo ltage heater, the charging system and
charging port as well as the orange high-voltage
wiring.
The pedal referred to in this sect ion of the Own­
er's Manua l is the equivalent of the acce lerator
pedal (gas pedal) in a standard veh icle.
High-voltage battery
The high-voltage battery is located under the
rear bench seat in the veh icle and does not re­
qu ire any maintenance from the driver. Addition ­
a l information about the high-voltage battery can
be found under
Q page 112 .
A WARNING
The voltage in the high-vo ltage system is life­
threatening. Touching a damaged high-volt­
age component can result in a fatal e lectr ic
shock. The components in the high-voltage
system are ma rked with a warning label which
wa rns against the h igh-vo ltage.
- The voltage level in the high-voltage system
is still dangerous and potentially life-threat­
ening when the ignition is switched off.
- Never perform work on orange high-voltage
cables or on high-voltage components. Only
98
authorized repair facilities that are certified
may perform work on the high-voltage sys­
tem.
- Never damage, alter or remove the orange
high-voltage cable or disconnect it from the
high-voltage system.
- Never perform any work using c utting, shap­
ing or sharp-edged too ls or heat sources
near the h igh-vo ltage system and high-volt­
age cables.
- Aud i regulat ions must be followed during
all work performed on the high-voltage sys­
tem and h igh-vo ltage components.
- When working on the h igh-vo ltage system
and h igh-voltage compone nts, make sure
the remote cont rol key is kept far enough
away from the vehicle so that there is no
ris k of the ignit ion be ing inadve rten tly
sw itched on.
- Gases that escape from the high-vol tage
b attery can be poisono us or flammable.
- Damage to the high-voltage battery could
cause the h igh-vo ltage battery to leak im­
media tely or in the fu ture, and poisonous or
flammab le gases cou ld escape . Do not in ­
ha le the gases!
- Do not expose yourse lf to any leaking fluids
and do not come into contact with them .
- The high-volt age battery e lectroly te fl uid is
caustic. I f electrolyte fluid comes into con ­
tact with the sk in, f lush the affected area
for at least 15 minutes with clean water.
Then wash the affected area with soap.
Have the affected area examined by a med i­
cal professional.
- In the event of a technical emergency, in­
form the responders that the vehicle is
equ ipped with a high-voltage battery.
A WARNING
Never leave the vehicle unattended when in
drive ready mode
~ page 100 with a gear en­
gaged . The veh icle can start moving ("creep­
ing") even if the gaso line engine is switched
off, since the e lectr ic motor is still operating.
This may cause collis ions and severe or fatal
-

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., injuries. When the vehicle enters drive ready
mode, the status message
e-"'1 o I r.-.Al"'Y ap­
pears briefly in the instrument cluster display
and the needle in the power meter points to
READY ¢page 101.
-Make sure that the selector lever is in the P
position and the ignition is switched off
when leaving the vehicle.
([) Note
-The high-voltage system can be damaged if
the vehicle underbody comes into contact
with the ground. Immediately drive your ve­
hicle to an authorized repair facility and
have it inspected.
- The electric drive motor can become very
hot during operation . Do not stop the vehi­
cle if there is oil, fuel residue or other flam­
mable substances under or next to the vehi­
cle.
Special considerations for the high-voltage
battery
Please first read and note the introductory infor­
mation and heed the warnings
¢page 98.
All batteries age with use and over time. There
are things you should know about the care of the
high-voltage battery that will help it keep giving
you good service and reliability over time. Please
read and keep the following information in mind
while you enjoy the performance and economy of
your vehicle.
- Be sure to charge the high-voltage battery be­
fore leaving the vehicle parked and unused for a
longer period of time. Ideally the high-voltage
battery should have a charge level between
40% and 60% when parked for a long time.
- If the battery charge level is below 3%, never
park the vehicle for more than 21 days without
charging the high-voltage battery. Should you
have to park the vehicle for a long time, make
sure that the charge level is sufficient to help
prevent the battery from aging prematurely.
- Frequent and consecutive charging of the high­
voltage battery when the charge level is above
98% can also decrease the capacity of the high-
e-tron
voltage battery. Make sure the charge level is
below 98% when you start the charging proc­
ess.
- Should the vehicle be parked for longer than
2 days at temperatures below -13 °F (-25 °(),
the high-voltage battery could freeze and not
be able to provide energy to the electric motor.
The battery will start working again, once it
warms up . The battery can be warmed up when
the outside temperature rises or when the vehi­
cle is garaged appropriately. The battery will al­
so warm up when being used (switching on the
air conditioner, the heater or by driving the ve­
hicle). Should you have to park your vehicle at
very low temperatures for longer than 1 day,
make sure that the high-voltage battery does
not freeze by parking the vehicle in a garage
that is heated or protected from the outside
temperature.
- The high-voltage battery can be damaged and
the capacity can be decreased when the vehicle
is parked for longer than 24 hours when the
ambient temperature is higher than 118 °F
(48 °C). Always make sure that the high-volt­
age battery is not exposed to temperatures
above 118 °F (48 °C) for a long time.
- Never park the vehicle in areas that are likely to
be flooded, such as beaches or river banks, and
never drive the vehicle in WATER, on flooded
roads or through water that is higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body. The high-voltage
battery, along with other vehicle components,
can be damaged severely if the high-voltage
battery is exposed to open water especially for
a longer time. However, you can drive through
water on roads under certain conditions
¢ page 77, Driving through water on roads .
Failure to heed any of these requirements can
age the battery prematurely and lead to a perma­
nent decrease of the high-voltage battery's ca­
pacity.
(D Tips
Always make sure that the high-voltage bat­
tery is not exposed to extremely low and high
temperatures as well as to water especially
for a longer time. Failure to protect and care
for the high-voltage battery can lead to
99

e-tron
serious damage and/or a decrease of the ca­
pacity void coverage under the New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
Starting/driving the vehicle
Applies to veh icles: w ith plug-in hybrid drive
The vehicle is started and stopped with the
I START S TOP I button. Also note the informa­
tion here ¢
page 82.
Establishing drive ready mode
See¢.& in Introduction on page 98.
Requ irement: a charging cable must not be con­
nected to the vehicle ¢
page 121 and the selec­
tor lever must be in the P or
N position.
- Press the brake pedal.
- Press the
I START STOPI button .
When the vehicle enters drive ready mode, the
status message
e-tron READY appears briefly in
the instrument cluster display and the needle in
the power meter points to
READY r:::;, page 101 .
Driving
The vehicle starts with the electric motor after
establishing the drive ready mode and if the con­
ditions for electric drive mode have been met
¢page 103.
The conditions to drive are essentially the same
for the automatic transmission : ¢
page 89
You and your passengers should anticipate the
possibility of a sporty acce leration.
Ending drive ready mode
- Place the selector lever in the P position.
- Switch the ignition off with the
le!> START STOPI
button.
Vehicle sound
The vehicle generates electronic vehicle sound at
speeds up to approximately 2S mph (40 km/h) so
that your vehicle can be heard from the outside
when in electric drive mode. The veh icle sound
automatically fades out at higher speeds when
the sounds from the tires and wind start increas­
ing .
100
Switching the ignition on/off
You can switch the ignit ion on without establish­
ing drive ready mode.
- Press the
I START STOP ! button to switch the
ign ition on and off. Do not press the brake ped­
al while doing this.
The needle stays pointing to
OFF@ r:::;, page 101,
fig. 88 when the ignit ion is switched on.
No indicator lights stay turned on when the igni­
tion is switched off .
Ignition is switched off automatically
To prevent the battery from draining, the ignition
will switch off automatically under the following conditions:
- The vehicle must have already been driven.
- The vehicle must be stationary.
- The gaso line engine must not be runn ing .
- The driver 's door must be open .
- The driver's safety belt must be unbuckled.
- The brake pedal must not be pressed.
In this case, the activated low beam is replaced
by the parking light. The message
Side marker
lights automatically shut off in 30 minutes. See
owner's manual
appears in the instrument clus­
ter display . The parking lights w ill switch off af­
ter approximately 30 minutes or when you lock
the vehicle.
If the gasoline engine was not stopped, the mo­
tor continues running and the ignition does not
automat ically switch off
r:::;, ,& .
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of poisoning, never allow
the engine to run in confined spaces.
(D Tips
The vehicle cannot start when outside tem­
peratures are below-18
°F (-28 °()
r:::;,page 101.
-

.... N
0 > CX)
.... I.Cl U"I
.... I.Cl ....
e-tron
Power meter overview
Applies to vehicles: with plug-in hybrid drive
The power meter shows the status of the plug-in hybrid drive and the availability of the plug-in hybrid
system .
Fig. 88 Power m ete r overview
When opening the driver's door, the charge level
is shown in the inst rument cl uster when the igni­
tion is sw itched on, or the cha rge level and the
rema ining charge time for the high-vo ltage bat­
tery is displayed when charg ing .
The power mete r is located in the instrument
cluster in place of the tachomete r. A d igital tach­
omete r can be d isplayed in the driver info rmation
sys tem
¢ page 29 .
The power mete r gives feedback about the part ic­
u lar accelerator pedal position and shows the
current demand
(%) for electricity or fue l regard­
less of which engine is active.
An economical dr iv ing and recupe ration range is
shown in g reen
¢ page 104, Energy recovery (re­
cuperation) .
A driving range that is not economi­
cal is shown i n orange . In add ition, the batte ry
status provides information about the high -vo lt ­
age battery charge status.
(D Vehi cle no t drive ready (OFF)
@ Recuperation (CHARGE)
® Veh icle dr ive ready (READY)
@ E ff ic ient driving w ith electric moto r
and/or gasoline engine (E FFIC IEN­
CY)
® E conom ic driving wh ile the electric
moto r or gaso line engine is in the
partia l powe r range
® Driving in fu ll power range
(J) 100% output
@ Boos ting -the e lec tric mo tor as­
sists the gaso line engine (BOOS T)
® High-voltage battery charge level
@ T he EV mode is ac tive o r EV mode is
current ly not ava ilable
@ Speed limit for electric driving in EV
mode (80 mph/ 130 km/h)
Indicator lights and messages
Applies to vehicles: wit h plug-in hybrid drive
Also note the ind icator lights in ¢ page 13.
The gasoline engine is act ive when the Ill indica ­
tor light t urns on.
• Drive system : sy stem fault! Safely park vehi­
cle
T he re is a ma lfunction in the plug- in hybrid sys­
tem. The br ake booster and the power steer ing
may stop working . Stop the vehi cle immed iate ly
or as soon as possible. Park the ve hicle in a sa fe
place outdoors that is not near bu ildings, roof ..,_
101

e-tron
overhangs, carports or similar structures . Switch
the ignition
off. Have the problem corrected by
an author ized Audi dealer or authorized A udi
Serv ice Facility .
• Elec tric s ystem: o verheated. Safel y park ve­
hicle and check coo lant
The coolan t leve l is too low or the coolant tem ­
pera ture is too high .
S top the vehicle in the outdoo rs as soon as it is
safe ly possible . Switch the ignition off.
Read the important safety precautions ¢.&.
in
Coolant on page 109 and check the coolant level
¢page 108.
If the coolant level is OK, the malfunction may be
caused by the system overheating . Let the vehi­
cle's electric drive system cool down for some
time .
If the message turns
off after cooling down and
sw itching the ign ition back on, you ca n continue
driving. Contact an author ized Audi dealer or au­
thor ized A udi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have
the ma lf u nction co rrected.
If the indicator lig ht stays on, contact an author­
ized A ud i dealer or authorized Aud i Serv ice Faci li­
ty .
Bil Drive system : sys tem fault! Pleas e contact
work shop
There is a malfunction in the plug-in hybrid sys ­
tem. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have
the ma lfunction corrected .
II Drive sy stem: system fault! Restart not po s·
sible. Ple ase contact wo rkshop
There is a mal func tion in the plug -in hybrid sys­
tem . Do not open the engine compartment lid .
Drive to an a uth orized Aud i dea le r or authorized
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct io n corrected.
II Batter y temperature too low . Engine start
not possible . See owner's manual
The outside temperature is too low. The vehicle
can no longer start at temperat ures below -18 °F
102
(- 28 °C) . Contact your author ized Audi dealer or
autho rized Audi Service Facility.
POWER LIMIT Warning! Limited power
If the indicator l ight turns on and this message
appears , there may be an engine cont rol mal­
funct ion. The
(m ind icator light in t he instr u­
ment clus ter a lso turns on. The e ng ine o utput is
reduced. Dr ive to an a utho rized Audi dea ler or
autho rized Audi Service Facility immedia tely to
have the malfunction corrected.
II e -tron mode : EV curr ently unavailable
This message appears w hen the 1-,$ 1 button is
pressed and the conditions for e lectric drive
mode are no t me t.
IIJ Vehicle sound: malfunction! Pedestrians
cannot h ear vehicle. P lease contact Service
if the indicator light t urns on and this message
appears, pedestrians and bicyclists can no longer
hear the vehicle when it is driving in electric
mode. Turn off the veh icle and switch to dr iv ing
with the gasoline e ngine . To activate the gasoli ne
engine, select the
Charge batt ery mode
¢page 103 with the kl"I button. Drive to a n au­
tho rized Audi dea le r or a uthorized Audi Service
Facility immediate ly to have the malfunction cor ­
rected.
Range display
Applies to vehicles: wit h pl ug-in hy brid drive
Fig. 89 Ins trument cluster example image: range disp lay
The range can be d isplayed in the on -board com­
p uter ¢
page 29.
Depend ing o n the selected p lug-in hybrid mode,
the d isp lay disp lays the follow ing informa tion:
Ill>