2016 AUDI A3 Owner´s Manual

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.. Make sure that all windows are clean and afford
good visibility to the outside .
.. Secure all luggage and other items carefully
r=> page 64, r=> page 63.
.. Make sure that nothing can interfere with the
pedals .
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height .
.,. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints accord ing to their height .
.. Make sure to use the right ch ild restraint cor­
rectly to protect children
r=> page 209, Child
safety .
.. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
r=> page 58, Front
seats .
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly . Al­
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe­
ty belts properly
r=> page 176.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of
the vehicle, the driver as well as the driver 's abili­
ty to concentrate on the road without being dis­
tracted.
The driver is responsible for the safety of the ve·
h ide and all of its occupants. If your ability to
drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody in the
veh icle increase and you also become a hazard to
everyone else on the road
r=> ,&. . Th erefo re :
.. Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by using a cell ular telephone.
.. NEV ER drive when yo ur dr iv ing abili ty is im­
paired (by medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
.. Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and
speed limits and plain common sense.
.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions.
.. Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive
for more than two hours at a stretch.
.,. Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pres­
su re or when you are stressed.
Dr iving safety
A WARNING
-Impaired driving safety increases the risk of
serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used .
Correct passenger
seating pos itions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 148 Correct seating pos ition
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in·
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the dr iver's seat to the follow ing
position:
.,. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor while
keep ing your knee(s) slightly bent
r=> ,&. .
.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contact with it when you drive .
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a d is­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
steering wheel and your breast boner=>
fig. 148.
If not poss ible, see your authorized Audi deal·
ership about adapt ive equipment .
.,. Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering
wheel and airbag cover points at your chest and
not at your face .
.. Grasp the top of the steering wheel with your
elbow(s) slightly bent .
.. For adjustab le head restraints: Adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head . If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it ..,.
167

Driving safety
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 possible.
"' Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
<=> page 179.
"'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
<=> page 59.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the airbag can be seriously in­
jured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help re­
duce 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 breastbone
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 out­
side of the steering wheel rim with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to help reduce the risk of personal in­
jury 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. Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause
serious injuries to the hands, arms and head if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supplemen­
tal driver's airbag to protect you in a colli­
sion.
- Always sit in an upright position and never
lean against or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are
located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front seats
properly and make sure that all passengers
are properly restrained.
168
-
- For adjustable head restraints: before driv­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is
moving. Your seat may move unexpectedly
and you could lose control of the vehicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position .
- Children must always ride in child seats
<=> page 209 . Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
c> page 184.
· 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 in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
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 possi­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
<=> page 170 . Move the head restraint 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 179 .
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
9 page 58 .
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out
of position or too close to the airbag can be

,....,
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unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright po­
sition 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 posi­
tion or too close to the airbag can be seri­ ously injured by an a irbag as it unfolds w ith
great force in the blink of an eye.
-Always make sure that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the front pas­
senger's breastbone and the instrument
panel.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front passen­
ger's knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment 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 pas­
senger seat properly.
- For adjustable head restraints: befo re driv­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly.
- Always keep you r feet on the floor in front
of the seat. Never rest them on the seat, in­
strument panel, out of the window, etc. The
airbag system and safety be lt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in­
crease the risk of injury in a crash.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
ti lted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position .
- Children must a lways ride in child seats
<=> page 209. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenge r seat¢
page 184 .
Driving safety
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 ve­
hicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect
seat ing pos ition in the event of a sudden brak ing
maneuver or an accident, your passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the fo llow­
ing :
.,. For adjustab le head restraints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
¢page 170 .
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
¢page 179 .
.,. Ma ke sure that ch ild ren are a lways properly re­
s trained in a child restra int that is app ropr iate
for their size and age ¢
page 209.
A WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be serious ly 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 maxim um protection
when the safety belts are properly posi­
tioned on the body and secure ly latched. By
not sitting upright, a rear seat passenger in­
creases the risk of personal injury from im­
properly posit ioned safety belts!
- For adjustable head restraints: always ad­
just the head restraint properly so that it can give maximum protect ion .
169

Driving safety
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Applies to veh icles: w ith adj ustable head restra ints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an impor­
tant part of your vehicle 's occupant restraint sys­
tem and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in
accident situations .
Fig. 149 Head rest ra int: v iewed fro m the fro nt
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to
achieve the best protection.
"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¢
fig. 149 . Move the head restraint so
that it is as close to the back of the head as
possible .
" If there is a passenger on the rear center seat­
ing pos ition, slide the center head restraint up­
ward at least to the next notch.
Adjusting head restraints¢
page 60.
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head restraints.
Driv ing without head restraints or with head
restra ints that are not properly adjusted in­
creases the risk of serious or fatal neck injury
dramatically. To help reduce the r isk of injury:
- Always dr ive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted .
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restraint.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restraint so the upper edge is as
even as possib le with the top of your head.
If that is not possible, try to adjust the head
170
-
restraint 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 .
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
while driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any rea­
son, first stop the vehicle safely before at­
tempting to adjust the head restraint.
- Ch ildren must always be properly restrained
in a child restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size¢
page 209.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are properly
seated .
Improper seating positions can cause serious in­
jury or death . Safety belts can only work when
they are properly positioned on the body. Im­ proper seating positions reduce the effectiveness
of safety belts and will even increase the risk of
i njury and death by moving the safety belt to crit­
ica l areas of the body. Improper seating positions
also increase the risk of serious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant
who is not in the proper seating position. A driver
is responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants and especially for children . Therefore:
" Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being used
9 & .
The following bulletins list on ly some samp le po­
sitions that will increase the risk of serious injury
and death . Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seating positions that
are dangerous .
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving :
-never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride with the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel

,....,
N
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- never sit sideways
- never lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion or back
of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
8_ WARNING
Improper seating posit ions increase the r isk
of serious personal injury and death whenever
a vehicle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
stay in a proper seating position and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is
being used.
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
Important safety instructions
Appl ies to vehicles: with knee airbags
8_ WARNING
Always make sure that the knee airbag can in­
flate without interference. Objects between
yourself and the airbag can increase the risk
of injury in an accident by interfering with the
way the airbag deploys or by being pushed in­
to you as the airbag deploys .
- No persons (children) or anima ls shou ld ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat.
If the airbag dep loys, this can result in
serious or fatal injuries .
- No objects of any kind should be carried in
the footwell area in front of the driver's or
passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shopping
bags, for example) can hamper or prevent
proper deployment of the airbag . Small ob­
jects can be thrown through the vehicle if
the airbag deploys and injure you or your
passengers.
Driving safety
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 sure that all pedals move freely without in­
terference and that nothing prevents them from
returning to their original positions .
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area free
and can be secured with floor mat fasteners .
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake pedal trav­
el is required to bring the vehicle to a full stop.
8_ WARNING
--
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss
of vehicle control and increase the risk of seri­
ous injury.
- Never place any objects in the driver's foot­
well. An object could get into the pedal area
and interfere with pedal function. In case of
sudden braking or an accident, you would
not be able to brake or acce lerate!
-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 at­ tached to the floor mat fasteners and do not in ­
terfere with the free movement of the pedals.
.. Make sure that the floor mats are properly se­
cured and cannot move and interfere with the
pedals~ &-
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area un­
obstructed and that are firmly secured so that
they cannot slip out of position . You can obtain
suitable floor mats from your author ized Audi
Dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi .
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached
to these fasteners . Properly securing the floor
Ill>
171

Driving safety
mats will prevent them from sliding into posi­
tions that could interfere with the pedals or im­
pair safe operation of your vehicle in other ways.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result in a
loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of
serious personal injury.
- Always make sure that floor mats are prop­
erly secured .
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot be
properly secured in place to prevent them
from slipping and interfering with the ped­ als or the ability to control the vehicle.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already installed
floor mats. Addit ional floor mats and other
coverings will reduce the size of the pedal
area and interfere with the pedals.
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for cleaning.
- Always make sure that objects cannot fall
into the driver footwell while the veh icle is
moving. Objects can become trapped under
the brake pedal and accelerator pedal caus­
ing a loss of vehicle control.
Storing cargo correctly
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be properly
s towed and secured in the luggage compart­
ment.
Fig. 150 Safe load pos it io nin g: place heavy objects as low
and as far forward as possible (example) .
172
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling charac­
teristics. Loose items can also increase the risk of
serious personal injury in a sudden vehicle ma­
neuver or in a collision.
.,. Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com­
partment.
.,. Always place and properly secure heavy items in
the luggage compartment as far forward as
possible .
.,. Secure luggage using the t ie-downs provided
~ page 64.
.,. Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place.
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can
fly through the vehicle causing serious per­ sonal injury in the event of hard braking or an
accident. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always put objects, for example, luggage or
other heavy items in the luggage compart­
ment.
-Always secure objects in the luggage com­
partment using the tie-down hooks and
suitable straps .
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehi­
cle handles . To help reduce the risk of a loss
of control leading to serious personal injury:
-Always keep in mind when transporting heavy objects, that a change in the center of
gravity can also cause changes in vehicle
handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in the
luggage compartment as possible .
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating
or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating specified
on the safety compliance sticker on the left
door jamb. Exceeding permissible weight
standards can cause the vehicle to slide and
handle differently .
Ill>-

.... N
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~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

Driving safety
the lug gage compartmen t to hel p prevent
items from f lying forwa rd as dangerous
missiles into the passenger compartment .
- Never a ttach a child safety seat tethe r strap
to a tie-down.
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which could cause a
crash or could cause injury or
death, you should immediately in­
form the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in
addition to notifying Audi of
America, Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar com ­
plaints, it may open an investiga­
tion, and if it finds that a safety defects exis ts in a group of
vehicles, it may order a recall and
remedy campaign . However,
NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you ,
your dealer , or Audi of America,
Inc.
To contact the NHTSA, you may either call :
Tel. : 1-888-327 -4236 (TTY :
1-800-424-9153 ) or
1 -800 -424 -9393
or you may write to:
174
NHTSA
U.S . Department of Transporta­
tion 1200 New Jersey Av e., S .E.
West Building
Washington, DC 20590
You can also obtain other infor­ mation about motor vehicle safe­
ty from:
http:/ /www. safercar.gov
Applicable to Canada
If you live in Canada and you be­
lieve that your v ehicle has a de­
fect that could cause a cra sh, in­
jury or death, you should immedi­
ately inform Transport Canada,
Defect Investigations and Recalls .
You should also notify Audi Cana­ da .
Canadian customers who wish to report a safety-related defect to
Transport Canada, Defect Investi­ gations and Recalls, may either
call Transport Canada toll -free at:
Tel.: 1-800-333-0510 or
Tel.: 1-819-994-3328 (Ottawa re­ gion and from other countries)
TTY for hearing impaired: Tel.:
1-888-67 5-6863
or contact Transport Canada by mail at: