2016 AUDI A3 warning

Tires and wheels
Use of snow chains is o nly pe rmitted with certain
rim/t ire combinations due to tec hnical reasons .
Chec k with an autho rize d Aud i dealer or autho r­
i z ed A ud i Service Fac ility to see if yo u may use
snow chains.
Use
fine-mesh snow chains . They must not add
mo re t han 0 .53 inc h (13 .5 mm) in height, i nclud ­
i n g the chain loc k.
You mus t remove the chains when d riving on
roads that are
free of snow . W hen roads a re free
of snow, snow c hains ca n impair handlin g and
damage the t ires, and the chains w ill quickly be
destroyed.
A WARNING
Us ing inco rrect sno w ch ains or insta lling snow
chains in co rrectly can result in loss o f vehicle
c o ntrol, w hich i ncreas es th e risk of an a cci­
de nt.
(D Note
- Snow cha ins can damage t he rims/whee l
covers* if the chains com e into d ir e ct con ­
tact wi th th em. R emov e th e wh eel covers*
fir st. U se coat ed s now chai ns.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is fa cto ry-equippe d wi th low aspec t ra­
tio tires . These ti res have been tho roughly teste d
an d been se lected specifically for yo ur model for
their superb per fo rmance, road f eel and handling
under a variety of d riving conditions . As k yo ur au ­
thor ized Audi dealer for mo re details .
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is indicated by
a nume ra l of
55 or less in the tire's size designa­
tion . The nume ra l r ep resents the rat io o f th e
tire's sidewall he ight i n relat ion to its tread width
expressed in percentage . Conventional tires have
a height/w idt h ratio o f 60 o r more .
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is par ­
ticularly sensitive to improper inflation pres­
sure. It is therefore important that low aspect
ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pressure is regularly
c hecked and maintained . Tire pre ssures should
270
be checked at least once a month and always
before a long trip
~ page 263.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ra tio tires can be damaged more eas i­
l y by impact with potho les, curbs, gullies or
r idges on t he road , particularly if t he tire is un ­
der i n flated.
I n order to min imize the occurrence o f impact
dama ge to the tires o f your veh icle, we recom ­
men d that you observe the following preca u­
tions:
- Always main tain recommende d inf la tion pres ­
sures . Check yo ur tir e pressure eve ry 2,000
m iles (3,000 km) and add a ir if necessary .
- Dr ive ca refully on roa ds w ith potholes, deep
gullies o r ridges . The impact from dr iving
throug h or over such obstacles can damage
your t ires. Impact wit h a curb may a lso cause
damage to your tires.
-After a ny impact, immed iate ly inspect you r
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au­
thorized Aud i dealer. Replace a damaged tire as
soon as poss ible .
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 m iles (3,000 km)
for damage and wear . Damage is no t always
easy to s ee . Damage ca n lead to loss o f air and
unde rin flation, w hich co uld even tually cause
t ire f ailure . If yo u beli eve th at a ti re may have
bee n da mage d, re place the tire as soon as p os­
sible.
- These tires may we ar m ore quick ly th an oth ers.
- Please also rem emb er tha t, whil e the se tires
delive r responsive h andli ng, they may ride less
c omf ortabl y and ma ke m ore noi se th an o ther
choi ces .
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
A ll ti res are des igned for cert ain pur poses . T he
l ow aspect r atio , ul tra hig h perform ance tires
o rigina lly installed on your vehicle are inten ded
for maximum dry and wet road performance and
handling . T hey a re not suitable fo r co ld, snowy o r
i cy weather conditions. If yo u drive under th ose
c ircumstances, you should equip yo ur vehicle
with all -season o r winter tires, which offer better
11>-

traction under those conditions. We suggest you
use the recommended snow or all-season tires
specified for your vehicle, or their equivalent.
Refer to
q page 269 for more detai led info rma ­
tion regarding winter tires.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tr ead wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wa ll between tread shoulder and
maximum sect ion w idth
q page 253, fig. 202.
For exampl e: T read wear 2 00 , Traction AA , Tem ­
perature
A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.
Trea d we ar
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under contro lled conditions on a specified gov­
ernment test course.
For examp le, a tire graded
150 would wear one
and one ha lf
(11/2) times as well on the govern­
ment course as a tire graded
100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however, and may d epart significant ly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices and d ifferences in road characteris tics and climate.
Tracti on
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B and
C. T hose grades represent the tire's
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured un­
der controlled conditions on specified govern­
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete . A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
q .&. .
,...., Temp eratur e N
0
ii; The temperature grades are A (the h ighest), B,
and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to diss ipate
Tir es and wheel s
heat when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained h igh temperatu re can cause the mate­
ria l of the t ire to degenerate and reduce ti re life ,
and excessive temperature can lead to s udden
tire failure
q .& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perfo rm­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un­
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standa rd
No.
109. Grades Band A represent higher levels
of performance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minim um requ ired by law.
A WARNING
-
The tract ion grade assigned to this t ire is
based on straight -ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor­ nering, hyd roplaning or pea k traction cha rac­
terist ics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is estab­
lished for a tire that is properly infl,;1ted and
not overloaded . Excessive speed, underinfla­
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or i n combination, can cause heat bui ldup and
possib le tire fai lure .
A WARNING
-
-Temperature grades apply to tires that are
p roperly inf lated and not over or under inflat­
ed.
Tire pressure monitoring system
(l) General notes
App lies to vehicles: wi th tir e pressure mo nito rin g syste m
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
shou ld be checked monthly when cold and inflat-
ed to the inflat io n pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the veh icle placard or
t ir e inflation pressure label. (If your ve hicle has
t ir es of a different size than the si ze ind icated on .,..
271

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., Indicator lights
IE-Loss of pressure in at least one tire c::> ,&.
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires. Then
store the tire pressures in the MMI
c::> page 2 73 .
mm (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure: System malfunction!.
If m appears
after switching the ignition on or whi le driving
and the
IE indicator light in the instrument clus­
ter blinks for approximately one minute and then
stays on, there is system malfunction. Try to
store the correct tire pressures
c::> page 2 73. If
the indicator light does not turn off or turns on
again after a short period of time, drive to an au­
thor ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility immediately to have the malfunction cor­
rected.
A WARNING
- If the tire pressure warning light IE in the
instrument cluster turns on, the pressure in
one or more tires is too low . Reduce the ve­
hicle speed immediately and avoid any hard
steering or braking maneuvers. Stop as soon
as possible, check the tire and inflate the
t ir e to the correct pressure, which is speci­
fied on the tire pressure label on the veh icle
c::> page 263. Driving with a ti re with low
pressure causes the tire to overheat and can
result in failure of the tire. Low pressure can
also have a negative effect on the driving
and braking behavior of the vehicle .
- Th e driver is responsible for maintaining the
correct tire pressures. You must check the
tire pressures regularly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
driv ing style, winter conditions or unpaved
roads), the pressure monitor indicator may
be delayed.
- Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle . Us­
ing them when not permitted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents.
(D Tips
- The tire pressure monitoring system can al ­
so stop working when there is an ESC mal­
function.
Tires and wheels
-Using snow chains may result in a system
ma lfunction.
- The tires with the identification "AO" or
"RO"
c::> page 260 have been matched with
your Audi tire pressure monitoring system .
We recommend that you use these tires.
- The tire pressure monitoring system can on­
ly monitor the tire pressure of the driving
tires. Check the tire pressure of the spare
wheel in the luggage compartment so that if necessary it is ready for use.
Storing tire pressures
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure mon itor ing system
A change in tire pressure or a change in tires
must be stored in the system.
The tire pressure is stored in the MMI.
.,. Make sure befo re storing that the tire pressures
of all four tires meet the specified va lues and
are adapted to the load. Otherwise the system
could malfunction
c::> page 263.
.. Switch on the ign ition.
.,.. Select: the I MENU I button> Car> Systems "
control button > Service & control > Tire pres­
sure monitor > Store tire pressure > Yes, store
now .
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressures if snow chains
a re installed . Otherwise the system could
malfunction.
273

Care and cleaning
Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, prope r care helps to maintain your vehi ­
cle's value.
It can a lso be a requirement when
submitting war ranty claims for cor rosion damage
and pa int defects on the body.
The necessary care prod ucts can be obtained
from an autho rized Audi deale r or authorized
Aud i Service Facility. Read and follow the instruc­
tions for use on the packaging.
A WARNING
- Using clean ing and care products incorrectly
can be dangero us to your hea lth .
- Always store clean ing and care products out
of reach of children to reduce the r isk of po i­
so ning .
@ For the sake of the environment
- Preferably use environmentally-friendly
products when buying cleaning agents.
- Do not dispose of leftove r clean ing and care
products with household t rash.
Car washes
The longer that deposits s uch as insects, bird
droppings, tree sap or road salt remain on the ve­ h icle, the more the surface can be damaged. High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight
i n crease the damag ing effect .
Before washing, r inse off heavy deposits with
p lenty of water.
St ubb orn deposits such as bird droppings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of wate r and a
microfiber cloth.
Also, wash the underside of yo ur vehicle once
road sa lt stops being used for the season .
Pressure washers
When washing your veh icles with a pressure
washer, always follow t he ope ra ti ng ins tructions
p rovided w ith the pressure washer. This is espe­
cially important in regard to the pressure and
spraying distance . Do not aim the spray directly
274
at seals on side windows, doors, the hood, the
lug gage compartment lid or the sunroof* or at
t ir es, rubbe r hoses, insulating material, sensors*
or camera lenses*. Keep a distance of at least 16
i nches (40 cm).
Plug -in hybrid drive*: also do not direct the spray
at the charg ing unit in the rad iator g rille or at the
charg ing dock*.
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer.
Neve r use rot ary no zzles or high pressure noz­
z les.
The wate r temperatu re must not be above 140 °F
(60 °() .
Automatic car washes
Spray off the veh icle before washing.
Make sure that the windows and roof* are closed
and the windshie ld wipers are off. Follow instruc ­
tions from the car wash operato r, especially if
there are accesso ries attached to your vehicle.
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes.
Washing by hand
Clean the ve hicle starting from the top and work­
i ng down using a soft sponge or clea ning brus h.
Use solvent-free cleaning products.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
To avo id damaging the paint w hen washing, fi rst
remove dust and large pa rticles from your vehi­
cle. Insects, grease spots and f ingerprints are
best removed w ith a special cleaner for matte
finish paint.
Apply t he product using a microf iber cloth. To
avo id damaging the paint surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the ve hicle thoroughly with wate r. Then
clean using a neutra l shampoo and a soft micro ­
fiber clot h.
Rinse the vehicle thorough ly again and le t i t air
dry. Remove any water residue using a sham my. ..,..

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., & WARNING
-Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is
off and follow the instructions from the car
wash operator to reduce the risk of acci­
dents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself
from sharp metal components when wash­
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings.
-After washing the vehicle, the brak ing effect
may be delayed due to mo isture on the
brake rotors or ice in the w inter . The brakes
must be dried first w ith a few careful brake
applica tions .
{[) Note
-If you wash t he vehicle in an automatic car
wash, yo u m ust fold the e xterior m irrors i n
to reduce the risk of damage to the mi rrors.
Power folding exte rior m irrors* must o nly
b e fo lded in a nd out usin g the power folding
f u nct io n.
-
Ca re and cleaning
- To prevent pa int damage, do not wash the
vehicle in direct s un light .
- To re duce the risk of damage to the surface,
do not use insect removing sponges, kitche n
sponges o r similar items .
- Matte finish painted veh icle components:
- To reduce the r isk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use po lish ing agents or hard
wax.
- Never use protective wax. It can destroy
the matte finish effect .
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted with matte
finish paint . The paint cou ld be damaged
when the stickers or magne ts are re ­
moved.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash t he veh icle in facili ties s pec ially de­
s igned for that pu rpose . This will reduce the
r isk of dirty wate r contamina ted with o il from
ente ring the sewe r sys tem.
Cleaning and care information
W hen clea ning and ca ring for individua l vehicle
comp onents, refer to the following t ables. The
inf ormat ion cont ained there is s imp ly recom ­
mendations. For q uest ions or for components t
h at are not l isted, cons ult an autho riz ed Aud i
de aler or author ized A udi Se rvice Fa cility. Also
f o llow the information fo und in ~ .&. .
Ext erior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Windshield wiper
D eposits ~ page 53, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
blades
Headlights /
Deposits So
ft spo nge with a m ild soap solutiona)
Tail lights
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth w ith solvent-free cleaning solution
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth w ith alcohol-free cleaning solu-
tion
Snow/ice Hand br
ush/solven t-free de -icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special clean
ing so lution
Exhaust tail p ipes Road salt Water, clea ning so lu tion su itab le for s tainless stee l, if nee-
essary
Decorati ve parts / Deposits Mild soap so lution a>, a cleaning solution su itable for stain-
Trim less stee l, if necessary
275
...

,..,
N
0 > co ,.., Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
T ex til es
Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner
art ificial l eather, the surface
A lcan tara Water-based deposits Absorbent
cloth and mild soap solutiona>
such as coffee, tea,
b lood, etc.
Oil -based deposits Apply a m ild soap solution
a), blot away the dissolved o il or
such as oil, make-up, dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
etc.
Special deposits such Special stain
remover, blot with absorbent material, treat
as ink, nail polish, la- afterward with mild soap solution, if necessary
a)
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Natu ral le ath er Fresh stains Wool cloth with a mild soap solution a)
Water-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, Dried stains : stain
remover suitable fo r leather
b lood , etc.
Oi [-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain
remover suitable
such as oil, make-up, for leather
etc. Dried stains : grease dissolving spray
Special deposits such Spot remove r suitab le for leather
as ink, nai l polish, la-
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Care Regularly apply condit ion ing c ream that protects from
lig ht and penet rates into the material. Use specia lly-co l-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary .
Carbon part s Deposits clean the same way as plast ic parts
a) Mi ld soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 q uart (1 liter) of water
.8, WARNING
The windshield may not be trea ted with wa­
ter-repelling windshield coating agents. Un ­
favorable cond itions such as wetness, dark­
ness, or low sun can result in increased glare.
Wiper blade chatter is also possible.
A WARNING
- Audi e -tron charg ing sy stem *
- Never immerse the charging system and
connectors in water.
- The charging system m ust only be cleaned
when the control unit is completely d is­
connected from the powe r su pply system
and from the vehicle.
-
({I) Note
- Hea dlight s/tail lights
- Never clean headlights or tail lights w ith a
d ry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cle aning product that con­
tains alcoho l, because they could ca use
cracks to form.
-Whe els
- Never use any pa int polish or other abra-
sive materials.
- Damage to the protect ive layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches must
be repaired immediately .
-Sensor s/came ra le nses Ill-
277

Emerg ency assis ta nce
Emergency assistance
Trunk escape latch
Applies to veh icles: with trunk escape latch
In case of an emergency, the rear lid can be
opened from the inside using the trunk escape
latch.
Fig. 207 luggage compartment: Trunk escape latch
.,. Push the latch in the direction of the arrow un­
ti l the lock releases.
The trunk escape latch inside the rear lid is made
of fluo rescent mater ial to g low in the dark.
_& WARNING
The trunk escape latch is to be used only in an
emergency .
General information
.,. Park the vehicle as far as poss ible from moving
t raff ic in the event of a flat tire. In the event of
a f lat t ire, park the vehicle on a level surface. It
you are on a steep incline, be especia lly careful.
.,. Set the parking brake.
.,. Place the selector lever in the P pos ition .
.,. Switch the emergency flashers on.
.,. Put on a reflective vest, if available .
.,. Set up the warn ing triangle, if available .
.,. Have the passengers exit the vehicle. They
should move to a safe place, for example be­
hind a guard rail.
_& WARNING
Pay attention to the steps above. They a re for
your protection and the for the safety of other
drivers.
280
Equipment
Vehicle tool kit
Applies to vehicles: with vehicle tool kit
Fig. 208 luggage compartment (example): vehicle tool kit,
t ire mobility kit and vehicle jack* placement
Fig. 209 luggage compartment: cargo floor fo lded up (A3
Spo rtback top, A3 sedan bottom)
Plug-in hybrid drive*: the placement var ies
<>page 107 .
The vehicle tool kit, tire mobility kit* and the
compressor* are located in the luggage compart­
ment. Part of it is sto red in the s ide tr im pan­
el @ * or @ and another part is under the cargo
floor cover ©¢
fig. 208.
C argo floor cove r
.,. A3 Sportback: lift up the cargo floor with the
plastic handle © until it is clamped behind

.... N
0 > CX)
.... I.Cl U"I
.... I.Cl ....
both tabs on the side panels ¢ fig. 209 (top im ­
age).
.. A3 Sedan: clip the plastic hook@ into the lug ­
gage compartment seal¢
fig. 209 (bottom im­
age) .
Side panel
.. Open the twist lock and remove the cover @* I
@ ¢fig. 208 .
.&_ WARNING
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause se­
rious personal injuries.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bolts cannot
atta in the necessary tightening torque if you
use the hex head, potentially caus ing an ac­
c ident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended only
for your vehicle model. Under no circum­
stances should it be used to
lift heavy
vehicles o r other loads; you r is k inju ring
yo urself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle is
ra ised, whi ch could cause an accide nt.
- Support the veh icle secure ly with app ropr i­
ate stands if wor k is to be perfo rmed under­
neath t he vehicle; otherwise, the re is a po­
tent ial risk for in jury.
- Never use the jack s upplied with your Audi
on another vehicle, par tic ularly on a heav ier
one. The jack is only suitab le for use on the
vehicle it came with .
(D Tips
The vehicle jack* in your vehicle is mainte­
na nee-free.
Tire mobility kit
Preparation
A ppl ies to vehicles: W ith t ire re pair set
.. Read and fo llow th e import ant saf ety pr ecau­
tion s¢
page 280, General information .
.. Check if a repair w ith the t ire mobility k it is pos­
s ible
¢ page 281.
Emergen cy a ssis tanc e
Using the tire mobility kit
App lies to vehic les : With tire r epair set
F ig. 210 T ire: t ire damage t hat cannot be repaired
The tire repair is only meant for temporary use.
Change the spare tire as soon as possible <=>,&. .
If the t ire is p ierced by an object such as a nail,
do not remove the object from the tire.
The tire repair set is ab le to be used at tempera­
tures as low as - 4 °F (- 20 °C).
The t ire mobility kit may not be us ed:
- if the ti re has cuts or punctures that are larger
than
0 .1 6 in (4 mm)@ ¢ fig. 210.
-if the rim is damaged @.
- if you drove with very low t ire pressure or with-
out air in the tire @.
See an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility for assistance in these situations .
.&_ WARNING
>=
-Please note that the tire mobility kit cannot
be used in all situations, and that it may on­
ly be used temporarily.
- The tire sealant must not come in contact
wit h skin, eyes, o r clothes.
- If ti re sealant gets in you r eyes or on yo ur
skin, tho ro ughly rinse the affected area im­
mediately wi th clea n wate r.
- Do not inha le the fumes.
- If you swallow any of the tire sealant, thor-
ough ly rinse your mouth immediately and
drink a lot of water . Do not ind uce vomiting.
Seek med ica l attent io n immed iate ly .
- Change yo ur clothes immediately if they get
tire seala nt on them.
~
281