2016 AUDI A3 tow

Intelligent Technology
A WARNING
-New brake pads do not achieve their full
braking effect during the first 250 mi
-
(400 km). They must be "broken in" first .
However, you can compensate for the
slightly reduced braking force by pressing
firmly on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy brak­
ing during the break-in period.
- Only apply the brakes for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system when road and
traffic conditions permit. You must not en­
danger other road users. This increases the
risk of an accident.
- On steep slopes, reduce the speed and se­
lect a lower gear or lower selector lever po­
sition. Drive as little as possible while press­
ing the brake pedal and avoid putting your
left foot on the brake pedal while driving.
This could cause the brakes to overheat and
impair the efficiency of the brakes.
- Do not let the brakes "grind" by always
keeping your foot on the brake pedal. This
can cause the brakes to overheat, increase
wear and increase braking distance unneces­
sarily.
- Certain weather and operating conditions
such as driving through water, driving in heavy rain or driving after washing your ve ­
hicle can impair the effectiveness of the
brakes . In the winter, ice may build up on
the brake pads, rotors and drums. Check
these components by braking carefully. Ap­
plying the brakes carefully several times
dries the brakes and removes ice build-up .
- The efficiency of the brakes can also be im­
paired by driving for long stretches on roads
covered with salt without using the brakes.
You can remove salt deposits from the brake rotors and pads by carefully applying
the brakes several times.
- If the front spoiler is damaged or you install
another spoiler, make sure the front wheel brakes are ventilated properly . Otherwise,
the brake system could overheat, which re­
duces their effectiveness .
- Failure of a brake circuit impairs braking
performance, which increases braking dis -
162
tance. Avoid driving the vehicle and have it
towed it to the nearest authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility.
- Never let the vehicle roll while the engine is
stopped because this increases the risk of an
accident .
- If the brake booster is not working, you will
have to press much harder on the brake
pedal to compensate for the lack of the
booster.
(D Note
- Never let the brakes "rub" by pressing the
pedal lightly when braking is not really nec­
essary. This causes the brakes to overheat
and increases braking distance and causes
wear .
- Before driving on a long stretch with steep
slopes, reduce your speed and shift to the
next lower gear This makes use of the en­
gine braking effect and relieves the brakes.
If you need to brake additionally, brake in
intervals and not continuously.
(D Tips
- If the brake booster is not working, you
must press the brake pedal with much more
force than normal.
- If you retrofit your vehicle with a front spoil­
er, wheel covers or similar items, make su re
that the air flow to the front wheels is not
interrupted. Otherwise the brake system
can become too hot.
Electromechanical
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed .
The vehicle still has full steering functionality if
the power steering fails or when the engine is
stopped (towing) . To steer, you must apply much
more force than usual. .,.

,....,
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0 > co ,...., Indicator lights and messages
• Do not drive vehicle: steering defective
If th is ind icator light turns on and stays on and
this message appears, the power steering may
h ave fa iled.
Do
not cont inue driving . See an authorized Aud i
dealer or authorized Aud i Serv ice Faci lity for as­
sistance.
• Do not dr ive vehicle: steering defective
There is a malfunction in the electronic steering
lock. You cannot turn the ignition on.
Do
not tow your vehicle beca use it cannot be
steered. See an authorized A udi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
':r- ij Steering malfunction : you can continue driv­
ing
I f the indicator light turns on, the steering whee l
may be more diff icult to move o r more sensitive
than usual. The steering wheel may also be at an
angle when driving st raight.
Drive slowly to an author ized Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Service Facility to have the mal­
function corrected.
1;11 Steering lock: system fault! Please contact
Service
There is a malfunction in the electronic steering
lock.
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler or authorized
Aud i Service Faci lity immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
A WARNING -
Have the system malfunction corrected as
soon as possible by an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility, as this in­
creases the risk of an accident .
(D Tips
If the . or t~ff indicator light only stays on
for a short time, you may continue dr iv in g.
Intelligent Technology
All wheel drive (quattro)
Applies to vehicles: with all wheel drive
In all wheel drive, all four wheels ore powered.
General information
In all wheel dr ive, the driving power is div ided be­
tween all fou r wheels . This happens automatical­
ly depending on yo ur driving behavior as well as
the current road conditions . A lso see
c> page 159, Electronic stabilization control
(ESC).
The all whee l drive concept is designed for high
engine power. Yo ur vehicle is exceptionally pow­
erfu l and has excellent driving characteristics
both under normal driving conditions and on
snow and ice. Always read and follow safety pre­
cautions
c> ,&. .
Winter tires
By using all wheel drive, your vehicle has good
forward motion with standard tires in winter con­
ditions. However, in winter we recommend using
winter or all season tires on
all four wheels, be­
cause this will improve the
broking effect.
Snow chains
If there are snow chain laws, snow chains must
also be used on veh icles w ith all wheel dr ive
c> page 269, Snow chains.
Replacing tires
For vehicles with a ll wheel d rive, only wheels with
the same rolling circumference should be used .
Avoid wheels with different tread depths
c> poge 260.
Offroad vehicle?
Your Audi is not an offroad vehicle -there is not
enough ground clearance. For this reason, avoid
difficu lt terrain . Also see<=)
page 302.
A WARNING
--Also, in veh icles with all whee l drive, adapt
your driving style to the current road and
traffic cond itions. Do not let the increased
safety prov ided tempt you into taking r isks.
163

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

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 .
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-A loose-fitting safety be lt can cause serious
injuries by shifting its pos ition on your body
from the strong bones to more vulnerable,
soft tissue and cause serious injury.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
¢ page 178.
Pregnant women must also be correctly
restrained
The best way to protect the fetus is to make sure
that expectant mothers always wear safety belts
correctly -throughout the pregnancy .
Fig . 159 Safety belt positio n dur ing pregnancy
To provide max imum p rotection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the wear­
er's body
<=> page 180.
.,. Adjust the front seat and adjustable head re ­
straint* correctly ¢
page 58, Front seats .
.,. Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it evenly
across the chest and pelvis
<=>fig. 159, <=> .&_ .
.,. Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hear it latch securely
¢page 179, fig . 157 .
.,. Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely
latched in the buckle.
_& WARNING
Improperly posit ioned safety be lts ca n cause
ser ious personal injury in an accident .
- E xpectan t mothers mus t al ways wear the
lap po rtion of the safe ty belt as low as pos­
sible ac ross the pelvis and below the ro und ­
ing of the abdomen .
- Always read a nd heed all WARN INGS and
other important information
¢,&. in Fasten ­
ing safety belts on page 180 .
Safety bel ts
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release
button only a~er the vehicle has stopped .
J-L
Fig . 1 60 Releasing the tongue from the buckle
.,. Push the red re lease button on the buck le
¢ fig . 160. The belt tongue wi ll spring out of
the buckle¢ .&_ .
.,. Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you
guide the belt tongue to its stowed position.
_& WARNING
-Never unfasten safety belt wh ile the vehicle is
moving . Do ing so will increase your r isk of be­
i ng injured or killed .
Adjusting the safety belt latch tongue
Fig . 161 Safe ty belt: la tch to ngue cl ip (exa mple)
.,. Slide the clip so that you can easily reach the
belt latch when putting the safety belt on .
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181

,....,
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0 > co ,...., -If you must use a child restraint on the front
passenger seat an d the child restraint man­
ufacturer's instructions require the use of a
towel, foam cushion or something else to
properly pos ition the ch ild rest raint, make
certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on whenever the
child res trai nt is insta lled on the fron t pas­
senger seat.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immedia tely in­
sta ll child res traint in a rear se ating position
and have the airbag system inspected by
yo ur Audi dealer .
,&_ WARNING
If the front passenger seat gets wet, dry it im­
mediately.
- If liqu id soaks into the front passenger seat,
this can keep the airbag system from work­ ing properly and may, for instance, deact i­
vate the passenger frontal airbag. If this happens, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light will come on and stay on togethe r with
the a irbag ind icator light
fl (USA mod els)/
fll (Ca nada models) i n the ins trument clus­
t er.
- If liquid is poo led on t he seat, but has not
soa ked in, this may also keep the a irbag sys ­
tem from wo rking properly and ca use the
passenger frontal ai rbag to be enabled
(turned on), even though the re is a properly
installed ch ild restraint system on the seat.
Wet towe ls or other wet t hings on the seat
cushion can have the same effect. If the
fro nt passenger frontal airbag is t urned on,
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight will go
o ut.
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System an d the side
ai rbags s upplement the protection offered by the
front three -point safety be lts with p retensioners
and load limiters and the adjustable head re­
stra ints* to help reduce the risk of injury in a
wide range of accident and crash situat ions. Be
Airb ag sys tem
su re to read the important in format ion about
safety and heed the WARNINGS in this chapter.
D eployment of the Adv anced A irbag System and
the ac tivation of the safety belt pretensioners de ­
pend on the dece le ration measured by the crash
sensors and registered by the electronic contro l
u nit . Crash severity depends on speed and dece l­
eration as well as the mass and stiffness of the
vehicle or object involved in the crash.
On the passenger side, regard less of safety be lt
u se, the front passenge r frontal airbag will be
turned off if the e lectr ica l capacitance measured
by the capacitive passenger detection system on
the front passenger seat is less than the amou nt
programmed in t he e lectron ic co ntrol unit. The
front passenge r frontal a irbag w ill also be turned
off if the capaci tance measu red by the sys tem for
the fron t passenger se at equals th at of a n in fan t
of about one year of age in one of t he ch ild seats
that was used to certify the Advanced Airbag Sys ­
tem under Fe d era l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
208. The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes
on and stays on to tell you when the front Ad­
vanced Airbag System on the passenger side has been turned off
r=:> page 196 .
,&_ WARNING
-To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag in-
flates, always wea r safe ty be lts prope rly.
- If you are u nrestra ined, leaning forward, si t­
ting sideways or ou t of posi tion in a ny way,
your r is k of injury is much hig he r.
- You will a lso receive ser ious injuries and
could even be killed if you a re up against the
a ir bag or too close to it when i t in flates -
even with an Advan ced Airb ag
<=:>page 184.
193

,....,
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0 > co ,...., electrical capacitance of the person occupying
the front passenger seat . Always make sure that
the safety belt for the front passenger seat is
properly fastened.
Th e PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will show
the status of the front seat p assenger' s fr ontal
Ad vanced Airbag a few se cond s after the igni·
tion i s swit ched on and the ai rbag in d icator
light goes off . The PA SSEN GER AIR BA G OFF
light :
-will stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied;
- wi ll stay on if the electrical ca pacita nee meas­
ured by the capacit ive passenger detection sys­
tem for the front passenger seat equals the combined capacitance of an infant up to about
one year of age and one of the rearward-facing
o r fo rwa rd-facing ch ild restraints listed in Fed­
era l Moto r Vehicle Safety Standard 208 w it h
wh ich the Advanced Airbag System in your veh i­
cl e was certified; Fo r a listing of the child re­
straints that were used to certify you r vehicle 's
compliance with the U.S. Safety Standard
¢ page 211 .
-will go out if the front passenger seat is occu­
pied by an adult as registered by the capacitive
passenger detection system .
- The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come
on and stay on if the ignition is on and ...
- a car bed has been insta lled on the front pas ­
senger seat, or
- a rearward-facing child restrai nt has been in­
sta lled on the front passenger seat, or
- a forwa rd-facing child restra int has bee n instal­
l ed on the front passenge r seat,
- and if the e lectr ic al capaci tance registered on
the front passenger seat is equal to or less than
the combined capacitance of a typical 1 year­ o ld infant and one of the rearward-facing or
forward -facing chi ld restraints listed in Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 w ith which
the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was
certified.
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, the
front airbag w ill not deploy, and the
PA SSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will stay on. Never install a
rearward -fac ing ch ild restraint on the front pas-
Airb ag sys tem
senger seat, the safest place for a chi ld in any
kind of child restraint is at one of the seating po ­
s itions on the rear seat¢
page 185, Child re­
straints on the front seat -some important
things to know
and ¢ page 209, Child safety .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG light comes
on ...
If the PA SSEN GER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
when one of the conditions listed above is met,
be sure to check the light regu larly to make cer­
ta in that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight
stays on continuously whenever the ignition is
on. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li ght does
not appear on and does no t stay on a ll the time,
stop as soon as it is safe to do so and
- react ivate the system by turning the ignit ion
off for more than 4 seconds a nd then turn ing it
on again;
- remove and re insta ll the chi ld restraint. Make
sure that the chi ld restraint is properly insta l­
led and that the safety belt for the front pas­
senger seat has been correct ly routed through
the child restraint as described in the c hild re­
straint manufacturer's instructions;
- make sure that the convertible locking retrac ­
tor on the safety belt for the front passenge r
seat has been activated and that the safety belt has been pulled tight.
- make sure that no e lectr ica l device (such as a
laptop, CD player, e lectron ic games device,
power inverter or seat heater for ch ild seats) is
placed or used on the fro nt passenger seat if
the device is connected to the 12-volt socket or
the c igarette lighter socket;
- make sure that no seat heater has been retro ­
fitted or othe rw ise added to the front passen­
ger seat;
- make sure that not hing can inte rfere with the
safety belt buckles and that they are not ob­
structed;
- make sure that there are no wet objects (such
as a wet towe l) and no water or other liquids on
the front passenge r seat cushion. .,..
197

Child safety
exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immediately install
the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected immediately by your Audi dealer .
A WARNING
-Forward-facing child seats installed on the
front passenger seat may interfere with the deployment of the airbag and cause serious
personal injury to the child.
- If exceptional circumstances require the use
of a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat, the child's safety
and well-being require the following special
precautions to be taken:
- Always make sure that the forward-facing seat has been designed and certified by its
manufacturer for use on a front passenger
seat with a front and side airbag.
- Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instructions provided with the child seat
or infant carrier.
- Never install a child restraint without a
properly attached top tether strap if the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions require the top tether strap to be used.
- Never put the forward-facing child re­
straint up against or very near the instru­
ment panel.
-Always set the safety belt upper anchor­
age to the adjustment position that per­
mits proper installation in accordance
with the child restraint manufacturer's in­
structions.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible before installing the
child restraint. The backrest must be ad ­
justed to an upright position .
- Always make sure that nothing prevents
the front passenger's seat from being moved to the rearmost position in its fore
and aft adjustment range .
210
-Never place objects on the seat (such as a
laptop, CD player, electronic games de­
vice, power inverter or seat heater for
child seats) . These may influence the elec­
trical capacitance measured by the capaci­
tive passenger detection system and can
also fly around in an accident and cause
serious personal injury.
- Never place or use any electrical device
(such as a laptop, CD player, electronic
games device, power inverter or seat heat­
er for child seats) on the front passenger
seat if the device is connected to the 12-
volt socket or the cigarette lighter socket.
- If a seat heater has been retrofitted or
otherwise added to the front passenger seat, never install any child restraint sys­
tem on this seat.
- Make sure that there are no wet objects
(such as a wet towel) and no water or oth­
er liquids on the front passenger seat
cushion.
- Always make sure that the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on
all the time whenever the ignition is
switched on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immediate­ ly install the forward-facing child seat in a
rear seating position and have the airbag
system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer.
- Always buckle the child seat firmly in
place even if a child is not sitting in it. A
loose child seat can fly around during a
sudden stop or in a collision.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restraint in a vehi­
cle ¢
page 176, Safety belts, ¢ page 184,
Airbag system
and ¢ page 209, Impor­
tant information.
(D Tips
Always replace child restraints that were in­
stalled in a vehicle during a crash. Damage to
a child restraint that is not visible could cause
it to fail in another collision situation.