2016 AUDI A3 ABS

e-tron
Charging dock
Applies to vehicles: with p lug -in hybrid drive and charging
dock
F ig . 1 03 Opening/clos ing t he charg ing dock
®
Fig . 1 04 Charging dock: mounting the ch arging system
You can store the charg ing system in the charg ­
ing dock.
Opening /closing the charging dock
• If necessary, you can u nlock/lock the charg ing
dock using the key provided by turning it to the
unlocked position @ or locked position @
¢fig. 103.
• Opening/closing the door on the charging dock.
Mounting the cha rging system in the
charging dock
• Open the door on the charging dock.
• First insert the control unit in the bottom tabs
on the charging dock and then into the upper
tabs.
• Push the control un it toward the rea r and let it
lock into place.
• Gu ide the vehicle cable th rough the opening @
¢fig_ 104.
• Wrap the extra c ab le length around the adapt­
er @ .
• Plug the power cable into the socket in the
charging dock.
114
• Close the door.
• After charging, you can place the vehicle charg­
ing connecto r© ¢
page 112 , fig. 100 in the
holder on the charging dock door¢
fig. 103.
Removing the charging system from the
charging dock
• Open the door on the charging dock .
• Remove the power cable from the socket in the
charging dock.
• Unwrap the cable from the adapter @.
• To loosen the contro l unit from the holder,
press the re lease tabs above the cont rol un it @
r=:> fig. 104.
(D Tips
- Always keep the door on the cha rg in g dock
closed .
- Do not place any objects on the doo r or the
charging dock.
Transporting
Applies to vehicles: with plug-in hybrid drive
Fig. 105 Storage bag
• Store the charging system and the spec ial
charging cable* in the bag before transpo rting.
• Secure the bag us ing the tie-downs¢
page 66.
The flat hoo k m ust be sec ured on t he rear tie ­
down.
8_ WARNING
- If the veh icle charging cable is no t secured
or positioned correctly, it can slide out of
p lace and endanger ve hicle occupants when
braking, when changing directions, or in an
accident.

,....,
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0 > co ,...., Trailer mode Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­
my and performance.
T railer towing not only places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from
the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your vehicle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
location . Use only a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ball mount . Always check with the trail­
er hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using the correct hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system . No modifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
From time to time, check that all hitch mounting
bo lts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer,
remove the
tra iler hitch ball mount . This prevents the hitch
from causing damage should your vehicle be
struck from beh ind
~ ,&. .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
check to be sure that it conforms to all regula­
tions .
Trailer mode
The trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system.
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the trailer.
Trailer lights
T ra iler lights must meet all regulations . Be sure
to check with your Aud i dea ler for correct wiring,
switches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you us­
ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must in­
stall extended mirrors . It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear.
,8. WARNING
After removing the trailer hitch, do not store
it in your vehicle. In case of sudden braking,
the hitch could fly forward and injure you or
your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
place to prevent it from shifting forward, back­
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer~.&.
in Driving instructions on page 128.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform ­
ance is up to the additional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under "Full ..,.
127

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traff ic. Keep practicing until you have be­
come completely familiar with the way your vehi­
cle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer­
ing action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. You wi ll need more
room to stop. To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accel­
erate as fast as you norma lly would because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rap id lane
changes.
@ Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
tra load
¢ page 306.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only ofter doing the following:
When parking:
.. Apply the foot brake .
.. Have someone pla ce chocks under both the ve­
hicle and the trailer wheels .
.. With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load .
.. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.. Apply 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.
Trailer mode
.. Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
.. Stop and have someone retrieve the whee l
chocks.
{!) Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automat­
ic transmission to P before applying the park­
ing brake and before blocking the wheels, you
may have to use more force later to move the
lever out of the P posit ion.
129

,....,
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0 > co ,...., shared, please see your contract with the
wireless te lecommunications provider and the
"About Aud i connect" tab in your vehicle's
MMI:
! MENUI button> Aud i connect > About
Audi conne ct .
Electronic stabilization
control (ESC)
Description
Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) supports
driver safety. It reduces the risk of slipping and
improves dr iving stability. ESC detects crit ical sit­
uations suc h as the vehicle overstee ring and un­
de rs teer ing or the wheels are sp inning. The vehi­
cle is s tabilized by app ly ing the brakes or reduc­
i ng e ngine torque. Once t he ES C i s ac tiva ted, the
indicator light
DJ b li nks in the instrument clus ­
ter .
The fol low ing systems are integrated in the ESC:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
ABS preve nts the whee ls from lock ing whe n brak­
i ng. The vehicle can s till be steered even during
h a rd brak ing. Apply steady press ure to the brake
pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A puls ing in t he
bra ke pedal indica tes th at the system is act ing to
s tabili ze the vehicle.
Brake assist system
The brake assist sys tem can decrease braking dis­
tance .
It increases brak ing power when the d rive r
p resses the brake pedal q uic kl y in eme rgency sit­
uations. Yo u m ust press and hold the b rake pedal
u nti l the dangero us si tuati on is over. In ve hicles
with adaptive cruise contro l*, the bra ke assist
system is more sensitive if the d istance detected
to the veh icle ahead is too small.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR red uces eng ine power when the drive wheels
begin spinning an d adapts the force to the road
conditions. This makes it easie r to sta rt, acceler ­
ate and drive up inclines .
Intelligent Technology
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
T he ED L brakes wheels t hat are spi nning and
transfe rs the drive power to the o ther dr ive
whee l or wheels if the vehicle is equ ipped with all
whee l drive *). T his function is not available at
higher speeds.
In extreme cases, ED L automat ica lly swi tches off
to keep the b rake o n the braked whee l from over­
heating. The vehicle is still working correct ly. ED L
will switc h on again automatically when condi­
tions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
T he ESC he lps to s tabilize the vehicle by changing
the steering torque.
Selective wheel torque control
Se lective w heel torque con trol is used w hen d riv ­
i ng on curves. The front whee l on the ins ide of
the curve or both wheels on t he i nsid e of the
c ur ve are braked se lective ly as needed . This al ­
lows more precise driving in c urves .
Automatic post -collision braking system
T he "Automat ic pos t-collis ion braki ng system"
ca n help to reduce the ris k of sliding and of othe r
collisions af ter an a cciden t. If th e ai rbag cont rol
module detects a collision above a certai n vehicle
speed, the vehicle is brake d by the ESC.
T he veh icle does not br ake au tomatic ally if:
- the dr iver presses the acce lera tor pedal, or
- the braking fo rce generated by the pressed
brake pedal is greater than the b raking force
that would be in itiated by the system, or
- the ESC, the brake system o r the veh icle electri­
cal system are not functioning.
A WARNING
- T he ESC and its i nteg rated systems ca nnot
over come the li mits posed by natu ral physi­
cal laws. This is espe cially impor tant on slip­
pery o r we t roads . If the systems beg in act­
ing to stabilize your veh icle, you should im ­
mediately a lter your speed to match the
road and tra ffic condit ions. Do not let the
increased safety provided tempt you into
159

Inte llig ent Techn olo gy
tak ing risks . This could increase your risk of
a collision.
- Please note the risk of a collision increases
when driving fast, especially through curves
and on slippery or wet roads, and when driv­
ing too close to objects ahead. The ESC and
its integrated systems cannot always pre­
vent collisions - there is still a r isk of acci­
dents!
- Press the accelerator pedal carefully when
accelerating on even, s lippery surfaces such
as ice and snow. The drive wheels can spin
Switching on/off
even when these control systems are instal­
led and this can affect dr iving stability and
increase the risk of a collision.
@ Tips
- ABS and ASR only function correctly when
all four wheels are equipped with identical
tires . Different tire sizes can lead to a reduc­
t ion in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems de­
scribed are working.
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine .
Fig . 1 47 Upper center conso le: ESC butto n
function of the ESC is limited or switched off. The
amount of stabilization contro l will differ de­
pending on the level.
In the follow ing unusual situations it may make
sense to switch the ESC sport mode on to allow
the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Dr iving in deep snow or on loose g ro und
The ESC is des igned to function in levels. Depend­
ing on the level that is selected, the stabilization
Sport mode on ESC/ASR off Sport mode off or
ESC /ASR on
Beh avio r
The ESC and ASR stabiliza-
The stabilization function is The full stabilization tune-
tion functions are limited not available
¢ &.
. ESC and
tion of the ESC and ASR is
¢&_ . ASR are switched off. avai lable again.
Operati on Press the I~ OFF I button P ress and hold the I~ OFFI Press the I~ OFFI button
briefly . button longer than 3 sec -again.
onds .
Indicat or II turns on. II and lf11f•lH * turn on . II turns off or II and
lights lf111,n~ · turn off .
Driv e r mes- Stab ilization cont rol (E S C): Stabilization control (ESC ):
Stabilizat ion cont rol
sa ge s s port. Warning ! Re st ric ted off . Warning ! Re stri cted (E
SC ): On
st ability stability
160

.... N
0 > co .... .... -Please observe information on safe driving
~page 166.
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 be­
cause 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 w indows,
- Close the power roof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument pan-
el,
- 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 se­
curely 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 espe­
cially with the rear lid left open. A child
could crawl into the vehicle through the lug­
gage compartment and close the rear lid be­
coming trapped and unable to get out. Be­
ing trapped in a vehicle can lead to serious
personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the vehi­
cle.
- Never let passengers r ide in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must al­
ways be properly restrained in one of the ve­
hicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window fog­
ging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure to
keep these slots free and open.
Driving safety
-The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure label is lo­
cated on the driver's side B-pillar . The tire
pressure label lists the recommended 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 man­ ufactured. For recommended tire pressures
for normal load conditions, please see chap­
ter
~ page 263.
' 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 properly
~ page 172, Loading the luggage compartment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that even
smaller items that are loose in the vehicle will
become heavy missiles that can cause serious in­
jury. Items in the vehicle possess energy which
vary w ith 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
(4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the normal
weight of the item. This means that the weight
of the item would sudden ly be about
200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the injuries
that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying freely through
the passenger compartment could cause in a col­
lision like th is.
A WARNING
-Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to tie-downs can fail dur ing hard
braking or in a collision and cause serious per­
sona l injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shifting or flying forward as dan­
gerous missiles .
- When the rear seat backrest is folded down,
always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
173

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.... I.Cl U"I
.... I.Cl ....
Why use safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for peo­
ple riding in vehicles .
Fig. 152 Unbelted occupants in a vehicle heading for a wall
Fig . 153 The vehicle crashes into the wall
CD
~ ± The physical principles are simple. Both the vehi­
cle and the passengers possess energy which var ­
ies with vehicle speed and body weight. Engi­
neers call this energy "kinetic energy."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the
greater the vehicle's weight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash.
Veh icle speed is the most significant factor.
If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to
50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
Because the passengers of this vehicle are not us ­
ing safety belts¢
fig. 152, they will keep mov ing
at the same speed the vehicle was moving just
before the crash, until something stops them -
here, the wall
¢fig. 153.
The same principles apply to people sitting in a
vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision . Even
at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50 km/h),
the forces acting on the body can reach one ton
Safety belts
(2,000 lbs, o r 1,000 kg) or more . At greater
speeds, these forces are even higher.
People who do not use safety belts are also not
attached to their vehicle. In a frontal collision
they will also keep moving forward at the speed
their vehicle was travelling just before the crash.
Of course, the laws of physics don't just apply to
frontal collisions, they determine what happens in all kinds of accidents and co llisions.
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in­
jured or killed . Always wear your safety belts!
Fig. 154 A driver not wearing a safety belt is v iolently
thrown forward
Fig. 155 A rear passenger not wearing a safety belt will fly
forwa rd and strike the
driver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the tre­
mendous forces of impact by hold ing tig ht or
bracing themselves . Without the benefit of safe­
ty restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant
will slam viol ently into the steering wheel, in­
strument panel, windshield, or whatever e lse is
i n the way
¢fi g. 154. This impact w ith the vehi­
cle interior has all the energy they had just be-
fore the crash.
Ill>-
177

Safe ty belts
Never rely o n airbags alone for protection . Even
when they deploy, airbags provide only additional
protection. A irbags are not supposed to dep loy in
all kinds of accidents. A lthough your Audi is
equipped w ith airbags, all vehicle occupants, in­
cluding the driver, must wear safety belts cor ­
rectly in order to minimize the risk of severe in­
jury or death in a crash .
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only
once and that your safety belts are a lways there
to offer protect ion in those accidents in wh ic h
airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they
have a lready dep loyed. Unbel ted occupants can
a lso be thrown o ut of the veh icle where eve n
mo re severe or fatal injur ies can occur .
It is also important for the rear pass enge rs to
wear safety belts co rrectly. Unbelted passengers
i n t he rea r seats endanger no t on ly themse lves
but also the drive r and other passengers
~ fig . 155. In a frontal collision they will be
thrown forward violently, where they can hit and
in jure the driver and/or front seat passenger.
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!
F ig . 1 56 Driver is correctly restrai ned in a sudde n braking
m aneuver
Safety belts used properly can make a b ig d iffer­
ence. Safety belts help to keep passengers in
their seats, gradually reduce energy levels ap­
plied to the body in an accident, and he lp prevent
the uncont rolled moveme nt that can cause seri­
ous injur ies. In addition, safety belts reduce the
danger of being thrown out of the veh icle .
178
Safety be lts attach passengers to the car an d give
them the benefit of being s lowed down more
gently or "soft ly" thro ugh the "give" in the safety
belts, crush zones and other safety feat ures engi­
neered into today's vehicles. By "absorbing" the
k inet ic energy over a longer per iod of t ime, the
safety belts make the forces on the body more
"tole rab le" and less likely to cause inj ury.
Although these examples are based on a frontal
collision, safety be lts ca n also substantially re ­
duce the r isk o f injury in ot her kinds of crashes.
So, whethe r yo u're on a long trip or just going to
the cor ne r store, a lways b uckle up and make s ure
othe rs do, too. Ac ciden t stat ist ics show that veh i­
cl e o ccupants prope rly wearing safety bel ts have
a lowe r risk of being injured and a m uch better
chance of surviving an acc ident . Properly using
safety be lts also great ly increases the ability of
the supp lemental airbags to do their job in a col­
li sion. For this reason, wearing a safety belt is le­
gally required in most countries including much
of the United States and Canada .
Although your Aud i is equipped with airbags, you
still have to wear the safety belts provided. Front
airbags, for examp le, are activated only in some
frontal collisions. The front airbags are not act i­
vated in all frontal collisions, in side and rear co l­
li sions, in roll overs or in cases where the re is not
eno ugh deceleration throug h impa ct to the front
of the vehicle. The same goes for the other a irbag
systems in your Audi. So, always wear your safety
belt and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly rest rained!
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
Safety belts must always be correctly positioned
across the strongest bones of your body.
.,. Always wear safety belts as illustrated and de ­
scribed in this chapter.
.,. Make sure that your safety be lts are always
ready fo r use a nd are not damaged .