2016 AUDI A3 ESP

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0 > co ,...., A WARNING 1=
- The rain sensor is only intended to assist the
driver . The dr iver is still responsible for
manually switching the w ipers on accord ing
to the v is ibility conditions .
- The windshield may not be treated with wa­ ter-repell ing windsh ield coating agents . Un­
favorable conditions, such as wetness, dark­
ness , or when the su n is low , can cause a
st rong glare, w hich increases t he risk of an
accident. W iper blade chatte r is a lso possi ­
ble.
- Properly f unction ing windsh ield wiper
blades are required fo r a clear view and safe
dr iving
c:> poge 53, Replacing front wind­
shield wiper blades .
CD Note
-If there is frost, make sure t he windshie ld
wiper blades are not frozen to the wind ­
shield. Switching on the windshield wipers
when the blades are frozen to the wind­
shield can damage the wiper blades.
- The windshield wiper system must be
switched off ( lever in pos ition 0) before us­
i ng a car wash . This prevents unintentional
switching on and damage to the w indshield
wipe r system .
- Do not use the wipers to remove ice from
the windows . Us ing windsh ield wipers as ice
scrapers destroys the wiper blades .
(D Tips
-The windshield wipers switch off when the
i gnition is turned off. You can activate the
windsh ield wipers after the ign it ion is
switched back on by moving the winds hield
wipe r lever to any pos it ion.
- Wo rn o r dirty windshield wipe r blades result
i n strea king . This can affec t the ra in sensor
f u nct io n. Check yo ur windshield wipe r
blades regu larly.
- The washe r fluid no zzles in the w indshie ld
washer system are hea ted* at low tempera­
tures when the ignition is on.
Light s and Vision
- When s topping tempo rar ily, such as at a
traffic light, the speed of the windshield
w ipers automatica lly reduces by one level.
- In vehicles with an MMI, yo u can switch the
rain sensor on or off in the
Dri ver assi stance
menu.
Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Clean the w ipe r blades when you see w iper
streaks . Use a soft cloth and a g lass cleaner .
Windshield wiper
.,. Plac e th e windshie ld wiper arms in the servic e
position
c:> page 54 .
.,. Fold the windshie ld wiper arm s away from the
w indshield.
Rear window wiper*
.,. Fold t he windshie ld wiper arm away from the
rear window .
A WARNING
=
Dirty windshie ld w iper blades can impa ir vi-
sion, wh ic h increases the risk of an accident.
CD Note
If you see strea ks again after clean ing the
wiper blades, the blades must be replaced
c:> page 53.
Replacing front windshield wiper blades
Fig. 4 3 Re mov in g windsh ie ld w ip er b la de s
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53

,....,
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0 > co ,...., Seats and storage
General information
Important information
A WARNING
Refer to the chapter Driving Safely
r::!> page 166, Driving safety for important in­
formation, tips, suggestions and warnings
that you should read and follow for your own
safety and the safety of your passengers.
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 quick ly reach all the switches
and contro ls in the instrument pane l
- your body is properly supported thus reducing
physical stress and fatigue
- the safety belts and airbag system can offer
maximum protection
r::!> page 184.
I n the following sections, you will see exact ly
how you can best adjust your seats.
There are spec ial regulations and instructions for
in stalling a ch ild seat on the front passenger's
seat. Always fo llow the information rega rding
chi ld safety provided in
r::!> page 209, Child safe ­
ty.
A WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and all
other passengers can result in serious person­
al injury.
- Always keep yo ur feet on the floor when the
vehicle is in motion -never put your feet on
top of the instrument pane l, out of the win­
dow or on top of the seat cushion. Th is ap­
plies especially to the passengers. If your
seating pos it ion is inco rrect, you increase
Seat s and sto rage
the risk of injury in the case of sudden bra k­
ing or an accident. If the airbag inflates and
the seating posit ion is incorrect, th is could
result in persona l injury or even death.
- It is important for both the driver and front
passenger to keep a distance of at least
10 inches (25 cm) between themselves and
the steering wheel and/or instrument pan­
el. If you're sitt ing any closer than this, the
ai rbag system cannot protect you properly.
I n addition, the front seats and head re­
str aints must be adjusted to you r body
height so that they can give you maximum
protection.
- Always try to keep as much dis tance as pos ­
sible between yourself and the steering
wheel or instrument pane l.
- Do not adjust the driver's o r front passeng­
er's seat while the vehicle is moving . Your
seat may move unexpectedly, causing sud­
den loss of vehicle contro l and personal in­
jury. If you ad just your seat while the veh icle
is moving, you are o ut of pos ition.
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving.
We recommend that you adjust the driver's seat
in the following manner:
.. Adj ust the seat in fore and aft direction so that
you can easi ly push the pedals to the f loor
while keeping yo ur knees slight ly bent
r::!> A in
Why is your seat adjustment so important? on
page
57.
.. Adjust the backrest so that when you sit w ith
your back against the backrest, yo u can st ill
grasp the top of the stee ring wheel.
.. For ad justab le head rest raints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
b le with the top o f your head . If tha t is not pos­
sible, t ry to adjust the head rest raint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
r::!> page 60. Move the head restraint so that it
is as close to the back of the head as poss ible.
Ill>
57

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A WARNING
Spilled hot liquid can increase the risk of acci­
dents and injuries.
- Never drive with containers that contain hot
liquid such as coffee or tea. The hot liquid
could spill and cause burns during a colli­
sion, sudden braking or other vehicle move­
ment. Spilled hot liquid can also increase
the risk of accidents and injuries.
- Only use soft containers in the cup holders .
Hard cups and glasses can increase the risk
of injury during a collision.
- Never use the cup holder or the adapter as
an ashtray - this is a fire hazard.
(D Note
Beverage containers in the cup holders should
always have a lid . Otherwise, beverages could
spill and cause damage to vehicle equipment
or stain the seat covers.
Glove compartment
Fig. 58 Glove compartmen t
Opening/closing
.. To open the glove compartment, pull the han­
dle in the direction of the arrow.
.. To close the glove compartment , swing the lid
upward until it clicks into place .
The glove compartment can be locked using the
vehicle key .
A WARNING
Always leave the lid on the glove compart­
ment cover closed while driving to reduce the
risk of injury.
Seats and storage
Additional storage compartments
There are additional storage compartments,
compartments and holders at other locations in
the vehicle:
- In the upper part of the glove compartment.
- In the center console under the center arm -
rest* .
- On the back of the right front seat . The com­
partment* can hold a maximum weight of 2 lbs
(1 kg) .
- Garment hooks on the B -pillar
c:> ,& .
A WARNING ,~ -- Do not place any objects on the instrument
panel. Objects that are not stored securely
can slide around in the vehicle while driving ,
when accelerating or braking or when turn­
ing.
- Make sure that objects cannot fall out of the
center console storage compartment or oth­
er compartments and into the footwell
while driving. These objects could prevent
you from braking or accelerating during
sudden braking maneuvers.
- Garments hung on the hooks must not ob­
struct the driver's view . The garment hooks
are only designed for light objects. Do not hang any garments with hard, sharp or
heavy objects in the pockets on the garment
hooks . These objects could injure vehicle oc­
cupants during sudden braking or in a colli­
sion -especially if the airbags deploy .
-Always keep the glove compartment closed
while driving to reduce the risk of injury dur­
ing a collision or heavy braking .
- Read and following the WARNINGS in
¢ page 204, Important safety instructions
on the side airbag system.
- Hang garments so that they do not obstruct
the driver's view .
- The garment hooks should only be used for
light articles of clothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets
that could interfere with the side airbags
unfolding and cause injuries in the event of
a collision.
63

Installing
• Slide the cover@ hor izontally into the desig­
nated ho lder @in the side bracket until the
cover is lined up.
• Hook the straps into the l uggage compartment
lid @ ¢
A.
A WARNING
-To prevent accidents, never install the lug­
gage compartment cove r unsec ured.
- The luggage compartment cover is not a
surface for storing objects. Objects placed
on the cover increase the r isk of injury to all
vehicle occupa nts dur ing sudden bra king
mane uvers o r when i nvo lved in an accident .
Increasing the size of the luggage
compartment
-
The rear seat backre sts can be folded forward ei ­
ther separately or together.
F ig. 61 Backrest: re lease lever (le ft s ide, examp le)
Folding the backr est forward
• Push the corresponding head restraint down­
ward
¢ page 60.
• Press the release lever @ in the direct ion of the
arrow .
• Fold the backrest forward .
Folding the backrest back into the upright
position
• Fold the backrest down until it latches secure ly
¢ ,& .When you can no longer see the red mark
;::: on the pin @, the seat is la tched .
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Seats and storag e
A WARNING
-~
-The backrest must be latched securely to
e nsu re that the safety belt is p rotecti ng the
center seating position .
- The bac krest must be securely latched so
objects cannot slide fo rward out of the lug­
gage compartment during sudde n braking .
- Always make su re the backrest is latched
completely by pull ing fo rwa rd on it .
- Make sure the safety belt is not caught in
the door hinges or the seat fittings and
damaged.
- To rn or frayed safety be lts can break, and
be lt anchors can b reak dur ing a col lision .
C heck the safety be lts regu la rly. Safety
be lts wi th noticeable damage to the we b­
b in g, b indings, bu ckles or ret ra cto rs m ust
be repla ced.
(D Note
- If you move the front seat back when the
rear seat backrest is fo lded fo rwa rd, yo u
c o ul d d am age the head restra in ts on t he
rear sea t. If necessary, remove the rear sea t
head restraint be fore mov ing the front seat
back
- Make sure the sa fe ty belt is not pinche d in
the back rest lock a nd damage d when the
rear seat backrest if folded back . Othe r ob­
jects should be removed from the rear
bench seat to protect the rear backrest from
damage .
65

Warm and cold
Warm and cold Climate control system
Description
Different systems could be installed.
- manual climate control system* or
- automatic climate control system*
- Plug-in hybrid drive* climate control
¢page 122
The climate control system* cools and removes
humidity from the air in the vehicle interior. It is
the most effective when the windows and panor­
ama sunroof* are closed.
If there is a build-up of
heat inside the vehicle, ventilation can help to
speed up the cooling process. For this reason, the
windows and panorama sunroof can be opened from the outside .
¢ page 43, Convenience open­
ing/closing
Pollutant filter
The pollutant filter removes pollutants such as
dust and pollen from the air .
Key recognition
You can store various settings for the manual and
automatic
climate control system* and assign
them to the key being used.
A WARNING
Poor visibility can lead to accidents.
- For safer driving, keep all windows free of
ice, snow and fog.
- Become familiar as quickly as possible with
the correct use and function of the cl imate
control system, especially with the defrost­
ing and defogg ing function.
- When the temperature is below freezing,
only use the windshield washer system after
70
the windshield has been warmed by the cli­
mate control system. The washer fluid could
freeze on the windshield and impair visibili­
ty.
Cl) Note
- If you suspect that the climate control sys­
tem is damaged, switch the system off to
prevent further damage and have it checked
by an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility.
- Repairs to the Audi climate control system
require special technical knowledge and
special tools. See an authorized Aud i dealer
or authorized Aud i Service Facility .
@ For the sake of the environment
Reducing the amount of fuel used also re­
duces the amount of pollutants that enter the
air.
(D Tips
- To prevent interference with the heating
and cooling output and to prevent the win­
dows from fogging over, the a ir intake in
front of the windshie ld must be free of ice,
snow or leaves.
- Condensation from the cooling system* can
dr ip and form a puddle of water unde r the
vehicle. This is norma l and does not mean
there is a leak.
- Th e energy management system may switch
the seat heating* or rear window defroster
off temporarily. These systems are available
again as soon as the energy supply has been
restored.
- The f lows through the vents under the rear
window. Make sure the openings are not
covered when placing clothing on the lug­
gage compartment cover .

Driving
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your fuel
consumption by 10-15 percent. This section will
give you some tips on how you can help the envi­ ronment and your pocketbook.
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehicle
load and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­
ating.
.. Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking .
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­
ating. If you anticipate what is going to happen next, you will need to brake less and, thus, accel­
erate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possi ­
ble -for example when you see that the next traf­
fic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and im­
proves your mileage.
.. Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed .
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consumption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ­ ment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and engine
noise increase disproportionately at high speeds.
If you drive at approximately three quarters of
top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by
one half . Never drive faster than the posted
speed limit and weather conditions permit.
78
· Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel .
.. Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle .
.,. Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the en-
gine run at idle .
It is efficient to switch off the engine when stop­
ped at railroad crossings and long red lights.
Turning the engine off for just 30 -40 seconds
saves more fuel than is burned by starting the
engine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle . However, wear
and noxious emissions are especially high when
the engine is warming up . So you should drive
away as soon as you start the engine and avoid running at high rpms while the engine is still
warming up .
@ Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting. If warning lights should come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces
heat, which could result in overheating or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper­
ty.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot
of fuel.
.. Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
Audi dealer helps to ensure that it runs properly
and economically. The condition of your vehicle
not only affects its safety and ability to hold its
value, it also affects
fuel consumption.
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oil used is related to engine load
and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new en­
gine to reach its lowest value after a certain mile -
age has been driven . ..,.

,....,
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

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
-