2016 AUDI A3 ESP

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

e-tron
The gasoline engine is no longer available be­
cause there is not enough fuel. Drive immediately
to a gas station.
Fuel filler door emergency release
A pp lies to ve hicles: w ith plug- in hy brid drive
You must use the emergency release to open the
fuel filler door when there is a malfunction
c::> page232 .
The tank is not vented. You can only fill a small
amount of fuel in the tank.
~ Fill only until the automatic fuel pump nozzle
turns off for the first time when it is operated
correctly.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
Pressure can escape if you open the tank cap
after using the emergency release. This can
create noises.
Charging
General information
A pp lies to veh icles: w ith plug -in hybrid drive
Two options are available for charging the vehi­
cle:
- Charge at a public charging station with a spe­
cial charging cable*
c::>page 112.
- Charge with household and industrial power
sockets using the Audi e-tron charging system
c::> page 112.
Environmental conditions when using the
charging system
-Operating temperature : -13 °F (-25 °C) to 95 °F
(+35 °C)
- Humidity:
5% to 95%, non-condensing
- 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) maximum above
sea level
110
Warnings when using the charging system
£
Surfaces can become very hot when
in direct sunlight.
&~
Incorrect use increases the risk of
electric shock.
~"-
Do not use any extensions cords or
cable reels.
~
Do not use any travel adapters.
~~
Do not use any power strips.
~~~
Do not use any charging cables with
damage to the electronics or the
connecting wires.
.&_ WARNING
-
Sockets that are installed incorrectly can
cause electric shock or fire when charging the
high-voltage battery using the vehicle charg ­
ing connection.
- Installation and setup of the household con­
nection for the Audi e-tron charging system
may only be performed by a qualified elec­
trician. The qualified electrician is thereby
fully responsible for adhering to applicable
standards and regulations.
- Make sure that the selected charging con­ nection is suitable for drawing 16 amps .
- Make sure that the
110 volt socket is
grounded and shielded from water.
- Always check the fuse for the GFI outlet be­
fore connecting the charge cable.
- Never use a damaged GFI outlet.
- Read and follow the safety precautions in
the Audi charging dock* assembly instruc­
tions.
.&_ WARNING
If you are not familiar with the socket or the
e lectrical installation or it has not been
checked by qualified experts, never use it for
charging. Even very low charging currents can
cause ser ious damage and in particular fires if
the socket or electrical installation is in bad
condition. If necessary, get expert assistance
~

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., from a qualified electrical installation specia l­
ist.
A WARNING
Incorrect handling of the connector contacts
can cause e lectric shock or fire.
- Do not touch the contacts on the vehicle charging port and on the Audi e-tron charg­
ing system .
- Do not insert any objects in the vehicle charg ing port or in the Audi e-tron charging
system .
- Protect the sockets and connectors against
any moisture, water and other flu ids.
A WARNING
Using a damaged or incorrect charging cable
or a damaged or incorrect socket, using the
Audi e-tron charg ing system incorrectly or
disregarding the safety precaut ions could
cause sho rt circu iting, e lectric shoc k, exp lo ­
sions , fires or burns.
- Do not use the Audi e-t ron c ha rging system
if it is damaged and/or dirty . Check the ca­
ble and connector for damage and dirt be­
f ore using .
- T he Aud i e-tron charg ing system must only
be connected to sockets that a re insta lled
correctly and that are not damaged as we ll
as to electr ica l installations that have no
faults.
- Do not use any extension cords, cable reels,
power str ips or (travel) adapters.
- Disconnect the Audi e-tron charging system
from the power network during a thunder­
storm .
- Do not modify or repair any electrical com­
ponents.
- Never immerse the Audi e-tron charging system and connectors in water.
- The Aud i e-tron charging system must only
be cleaned when the control unit is com­
pletely disconnected from the power supply
and from the veh icle. Use a dry towel to
clean.
- I f a 110 volt socket is used for charging, on­
ly connect one veh icle at a time to the same
e-tron
circuit. Use a different circuit if an add ition­
al vehicle needs to be charged at the same
time. Note the maximum permitted current
draw for the c ircuit. Contact a qualified elec­
tr ical technician if there is any doubt.
A WARNING '"---
The components in the Audi e-tron charg ing
system can trigger sparks which can cause
flammable or explos ive f umes to ignite .
- To reduce the r isk of explosions, espec ially
in garages, make sure the contro l unit is at
least 19 in ches (SO cm) above the floo r
when charging.
- Do not use the Aud i e-tron charg ing system
in areas at risk for exp losions .
- The Audi e-tron charging system is only suit­
ab le for use on Aud i vehicles and veh icles
within the Volkswagen Group. Using the de­
vice on vehicles made by another manufac­
turer is not authorized .
CI) Note
Make sure that you a lways use the s uitable
power plug prov ided with the A udi e-tron
charging system for the corresponding mar ­
ket. Contact an authorized Audi dealer o r au­
thorized Audi Service Facility for more infor­ mation.
(D Tips
- For an uninterrupted charging process, we
recommend only charging using sockets
that are connected to a separately protect­ ed circuit.
- Us ing NEMA sockets w ith a current rat ing of
at least 30 A or industrial sockets in accord­
ance with IEC 60309 when charging is rec­
ommended .
- When charging the high-voltage battery us­
ing household/ industrial sockets, the elec­
trical installation can be used at full capaci­
ty. Having a qualified electrician regularly inspect the electrical installations that are
used for charg ing is recommended.
111

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., you can reset the access counter back to "0"
as needed after switching the ignition on/
off again.
Vehicle status
Applies to vehicles: with plug- in hybrid drive
You can access various vehicle statuses using the
services, such as:
- high-voltage battery charge level,
- electric range,
- mileage,
- next inspection.
For addit ional information, refer to¢
page 101,
Power meter overview
and ¢ page 102, Range
display.
A WARNING
Do not be misled by the status report displays
by ignor ing messages and/or illuminated
warning and indicator lights in the vehicle.
This could lead to break downs in on the road,
accidents and serious injuries.
@ Tips
- If the high-voltage battery is not charged,
the amount of access requests is limited to
15 after switching off the ignition. This
helps conserve the 12 volt vehicle battery.
You cannot control functions or access in­
formation if the charge level of the 12 volt
vehicle battery is too low.
- If at least two minutes have passed after
the last time the ign ition was switched off,
you can reset the access counter back to "0"
as needed after switching the ignition on/
off again .
Vehicle position
Applies to vehicles: with plug -in hybrid drive
The vehicle collects data under certa in conditions
and sends it to a server.
When data is stored, you can data such as the ex­
amples listed below using the Audi connect e­
tron services:
- Vehicle location display
e-tron
-Display of one's own location
- Route to your vehicle
If your mob ile dev ice also has a navigation func­
tion, you can nav igate to your last known parking
location .
For example, you have the option to show the
route to your vehicle and to send the correspond­
i ng locations.
(D Tips
- The new parking locat ion cannot be deter­
m ined with this service if the vehicle is
moved after shutting the vehicle off and
w ithout switching the ignition on and off
again, for example when being towed or if
the vehicle is stolen .
-If the vehicle is moved and shut off again
using the second key, for example, the new
park position is transmitted to the
server af­
ter removing the key.
Charging
Applies to vehicles: with plug- in hybrid drive
You can contro l and access the high-voltage bat­
tery ch arging process remotely using these
serv­
ices. You have the following options:
- check the battery charge level,
- start/end the charging process,
- program the charging t imer with/without cl i-
mate control,
- deactivate/activate the charging timer.
For additional information, refer to¢
page 112,
Charging the battery with the Audi e-tron charg­
ing system.
A WARNING
Only perform charging functions on the high­
voltage battery if the vehicle is shut off cor­
rectly, is connected to a suitable socket and if
the ignition is switched off.
125

Trailer mod e
load" on the la bel located on the driver's side B ­
pillar (visib le when the door is open) . Inflate
tra iler tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specif ications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and t railer lights
are working p roper ly.
Safety chains
Be sure t railer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trai le r to the hi tch on the veh icle.
L eave enough sla ck in the cha ins to permi t turn­
ing corners. When yo u install safety chains, ma ke
sure they wi ll not drag on the road when yo u are
driving .
The cha ins s hou ld cross under the trailer tongue
t o prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the h itch .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration .
To obtain t he best poss ible handling of vehicle
and traile r, please note the fo llow ing :
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not loaded.
.. Be especi ally ca ref ul when pass ing othe r
vehicles.
.. Observe speed limi ts .
.. Do not d rive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.. Always apply brakes early.
.. Monitor the temperature gauge .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded t railer w ith an empty car res ults
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds on ly
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easie r to operate and cont rol.
This means that the tow vehi cle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while
keep ing the tra iler as light as possib le under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the l uggage compartment of the
128
tow veh icle wh ile observing tong ue load require ­
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the mo re diff icu lt i t be­
comes for the driver to con trol the r ig. Do not
drive at t he maxim um permissible speed. Reduce
you r speed even more if load, weather or wind
con dit ions are unfavorab le - partic ularly when
go ing downh ill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limi ts. In some areas, s peeds fo r
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular
vehicles .
A lways apply bra kes early. Whe n driving down­
hill, shift in to a lower gea r to use the engine
b raki ng effect to slow the vehi cle. Use of the
brakes alone ca n cause them to over heat and fai l.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge 9 page 12 must
be obse rved caref ully. The coolant temperature
c a n incre ase if yo u drive o n long incl ines in a low
gear a t high engine speeds . Red uce your speed
immediately if the LE Ds in the top part of the dis­
play turn on .
Fo r more info rm ation abou t indicator lights, re­
fer to . ¢
page 20 .
A WARNING
-
Anyone not prope rly restrai ned in a moving
vehicle is at a much greate r risk in an acci ­
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wear ing the restraints provided
by Aud i.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differen tly when towing a
trailer because o f the additiona l weight and di f­
ferent weight distribution. Safety, performance
and economy will g reatly depend on how caref ul-
l y you load your trai ler and operate you r rig. ..,_

,....,
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

Ass is t
Assist
Electronic speed limiter
Applies to vehicles: with electronic speed limite r
Your vehicle may be factory equipped wi th tires
that are rated for a maximum speed of 130 mph (210 km/h). This is less than the maximum speed
of your vehicle. To reduce the risk of sudden tire
fa ilure and loss of control if the veh icle is operat­
ed at excessive speeds, your vehicle also has an
electron ic speed limiter. The electron ic speed
lim iter prevents your veh icle from going faster
than the t ire speed rating. For mo re information
~page 260.
If the engine control unit receives faulty vehicle
road speed s ignals, the Ma lfunction Ind icator
L amp (MIL)
¢;5 will illum inate. If this occurs,
con ta ct the nearest au thori zed A ud i d ealer for
assis tance.
A WARNING
Always observe the posted speed limits and
adjust your speed to s uit prevailing road, traf­
fic and weather cond itions. Never drive your
vehicle faster than t he maximum speed rat ing
of the tires installed.
Speed warning system
Introduction
The speed warning system helps you to stay un­
der a specified maximum speed.
-
The speed warning system warns you if you are
exceeding the maximum speed that you have set .
You will hear a wa rning tone when your speed ex­
ceeds the stored va lue by app roxima tely 3 mph
(3 km/h). The. (U SA mode ls)/ . (Canada
models) ind ic a tor light and the message
Speed
limit e xceeded!
appear in the inst rument cluste r
disp lay at the same time. The./. indicato r
light t urns off when the speed decreases be low
the stored maximum speed.
Se tting a thresho ld is recommended if you would
like to be reminded when yo u reach a certain
maximum speed. Situations where you may want
to do so include driving in a country wit h a gener-
130
al speed limit or if there is a spec ified maximum
speed for winter tires.
(D Tips
Regar dless o f th e speed war ning system, you
shou ld always monitor your spee d using the
speedometer and make s ure yo u are fo llow ing
the legal speed limit .
Setting the threshold
You can set, change and delete the threshold in
the MMI .
.. Sele ct: the I M ENU I button >Car > Systems*
control button > Drive r assi stance > Speed
wa rning.
You can se t any thresho ld between 20 mp h
(3 0 km/h) and 150 mph (2 40 km/ h). Settings
can each be adj usted in increments of S mph ( 10
km/ h).
Cruise control system
· Description
Applies to vehicles: with cruise control system
The cru ise cont rol system ma kes it possib le to
dr ive at a constan t speed starti ng at 15 mph
(2 0 k m/h).
The speed is kep t constant by mod ifying engine
power or through an active bra ke interven tion.
A WARNING
- Always p ay att ention to the tr affi c ar ou nd
you whe n the cruise co ntro l is in opera tion.
Y ou are always responsible fo r your speed
and the distance between your veh icle and
other vehicles.
- For safety reasons, cruise cont rol should not
be used in the city, in stop-and-go traff ic, on
winding roads and when road conditions a re
poor (such as ice, fog, g ravel, heavy ra in and
hyd roplaning), because this inc reases the
ris k of an accident.
- Switch the cruise control off temporarily
when dr iv ing in turning lanes, highway exits
or in constr uct ion zones.
-

.... N
ci > CX)
.... I.Cl U"I
.... I.Cl ....
General information
Appl ies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise contro l an d Audi
p re se nse front
Fig. 116 Front o f ve hicle: sensor
The general information applies to adaptive
cruise control* and pre sense front*¢
page 139.
The radar sensor area¢ fig. 116 must not be cov­
ered with stickers, deposits or any other obstruc­
tions as it may impair the function of the adap­
tive cruise control and the pre sense front. For in­
formation on cleaning, refer to
c:> page 2 74. The
same applies for any modifications made in the
front area .
The function of the adaptive cruise control sys­ tem and pre sense front is limited in some condi­
tions :
- Objects can only be detected when they are
within the sensor range
¢ page 132, fig. 115.
- The system has a limited ability to detect ob­
jects that are a short distance ahead, off to the side of your vehicle or moving into your lane.
- Objects that are difficult to detect such as mo ­
torcycles, vehicles with high ground clearance
or an overhanging load are detected late or not detected at all.
- When driving through curves
c:> page 134.
-With stationary objects c!;> page 134.
A WARNING
Always pay attention to traffic when adaptive
cruise control is switched on and the pre
sense front is active
c:> page 139 . As the driv­
er, you are still responsible for starting and
for maintaining speed and distance to other objects. The pre sense front is used to assist
you. The driver must always take action to
Assist
avoid a collision. The driver is always responsi­ ble for braking at the correct time.
- Using adaptive cruise control incorrectly can
cause collisions, other accidents and serious
injuries.
- For safety reasons, do not use adaptive
cruise control when driving on roads with
many curves, when the road surface is in
poor condition and/or in bad weather (such
as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and hydroplan­
ing) . Using the system under these condi­
tions could result in a collision.
- Switch adaptive cruise control off tempora­
rily when driving in turning lanes, on ex­
pressway exits or in construction zones. This
prevents the vehicle from accelerating to
the set speed when in these situations.
- The adaptive cruise control system will not
brake by itself if you put your foot on the ac­
celerator pedal. Doing so can override the
speed and distance regulation.
- When approaching stationary objects such
as stopped traffic, adaptive cruise control
will not respond and pre sense front will
have limited function.
- The adaptive cruise control system and pre
sense front do not react to people, animals,
objects crossing the road or oncoming ob­
jects.
- The function of the radar sensors can be af­
fected by reflective objects such as guard
rails, the entrance to a tunnel, heavy rain or
ice .
- Always maintain enough distance from
vehicles ahead so that you can still brake
your vehicle safely . The adaptive cruise con­
trol cannot safely slow your vehicle or brake it to a stop if you are driving too close be­
hind a vehicle. Please note that the auto­
matic braking function cannot brake sud­
denly or apply the brakes fully under these
conditions.
- To reduce the risk of unintended actions,
switch the ACC off when you a re not actively
using it.
~
133