2016 AUDI A3 window

Airbag syste m
interior in certain side impacts and vehicle
rollovers.
The s ide curta in a irbag system supplements the
safety belts and can he lp to reduce the r is k of in­
jury for occupants' heads and upper torso on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in a side co lli­
sion. The side curtain airbag inflates in side im­
pacts and on ly when the vehicle acceleration reg­
istered by the control unit is h igh enough . If this
rate is below the reference value programmed in ­
to the control un it, the side curta in a irbag w ill
not be triggered, even though the car may be
badly damaged as a result of the collision.
It is
not possib le to define an airbag trigger ing range
that will cover every poss ible angle of impact,
since the circumstances will vary considerab ly be ­
tween one collision and another . Important fac­
tors incl ude, for example, the nature (hard or
soft) of the impacting object, the ang le of im­
pact, vehicle speed, etc .
q page 207, How side
curtain airbags work .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
be lts work to help keep the driver or front pas­
senger in posit ion in the event of a collision so
that the side curtain airbags can provide protec­
tion .
The airbag system is not a substitute for your safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re ­
membe r th at the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you a re wearing your safety belt
and wear ing it properly . T his is anothe r reason
why you should a lways wear your safety belts,
not just because the law requires you to do so
q page 176, General notes.
It is important to remember that whi le the s ide
curtai n airbag system is des igned to he lp red uce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injuries,
for example, swe lling, b ruising, friction burns
and minor abrasions can also be assoc iated with
these airbags upon deployment . Remember too,
these airbags will deploy only once and only in
certa in kinds of acc idents -your safety be lts are
always there to offer protection .
206
The side curtain airbag system basically
consists of :
-The e lectronic cont ro l mod ule and externa l side
impact sensors
- The side curtain airbags above the front and
rear side windows with ejection mitigat ion fea­
tures
- The ai rbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag system is mon itored e lectron ica lly to
make certain it is functioning properly at all
times. Each t ime you switch on the ignition, the
airbag system ind icator light will come on for a
few seconds (se lf diagnostics) .
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
-if the ignition is switched off,
- in side collisions whe n the accele ration meas -
ured by the sensor is too low,
- in rea r-end co llisions .
.&_ WARNING
-Safety belts and the air bag system will only
provide protect ion when occupants are in
the proper seating position
q page 58,
Front seats.
- I f the airbag ind icator light q page 21
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possib le that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or wi ll not inflate when it should.

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..... I.Cl U"I
..... I.Cl ..... How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with side
airbags to help reduce the risk of head and upper torso injuries for occupants who are properly re­
strained.
Fig. 172 Ill ustra tion of prin ciple : Inflated s ide cur ta in air ­
bags on th e left side ( example )
The side curtain airbags inflate between the oc­
cupant and the windows on the side of the vehi­
cle that is st ruck in a side collision
¢ fig. 1 72 .
When the system is triggered, the side curtain
airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order
to help provide this additional protection, the
side cur tain airbag mus t inflate within the blink
of an eye at very high speed and with great force .
The side curtain airbag could injure you if your
seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the supple­
mental side curtain airbag inflates . This applies
especially to children
9 page 209.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side curtain
airbags can "cushion " the impact and in this way
they can help to reduce the risk of injury to the
head and the upper part of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys .
This is quite normal and does not mean there is a
fire in the vehicle.
Airbag system
Important safety instructions on the side
curtain airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Always
properly wear safety belts and ride in a proper seating position .
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
know and do to help the safety belts and airbags
do their job to provide supplemental protection.
A WARNING ~
Improperly wearing safety belts and improper
seating positions increase the risk of serious personal injury and death whenever a vehicle
is being used.
- Never let occupants place any parts of their
bodies in the area from which the side cur­
tain airbag inflate.
- Always make sure that the side curtain air­
bags can inflate without interference .
- Use the built-in coat hooks only for light­
weight clothing. Never leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that may
interfere with airbag deployment and can
cause personal injury in a collision.
- Never use hangers to hang clothes on the
hooks.
- Only use factory-installed sun shades or, if
shades installed after the vehicle leaves the
factory, use only genuine Audi sun shades.
- Never swing the sun visors over to the side
windows if things such as pens, garage door
openers, hands-free speakers, etc . are at ­
tached to the sun visors. They could come
loose and cause serious injury if the side cur­
tain airbag inflates.
- A deploying airbag inflates in a fraction of a
second and with great force.
- Never attach objects to the cover or in the
deployment zone of a side curtain airbag.
- The airbag deployment zones must be kept clear at all times. Make sure there are no
objects, pets, or other persons in the space
between any vehicle occupant and any air­
bag at any time.
- Do not attach any accessories to the doors.
207

,....,
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you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored
only in the closed original container out of
the reach of chi ldren!
- Brake failure can resu lt from old or inappro­
priate brake fluid. Observe these precau­
t ions:
- Use only brake flu id that meets SA E speci­
fication
J 1703 and conforms to Federal
Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake fluid.
The correct type of brake fluid is also indi­
cated on the brake flu id reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of
the brakes can cause a vapor lock if the
brake fluid is left in the system too long.
This can ser iously affect the efficiency of
the brakes as well as your safety. This
could result in an acc ident.
(D Note
Brake fluid w ill damage the pa int of your vehi­
cle.
For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of
brake flu id as well as the special tools re­
quired and the necessary expertise, we rec­
ommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer.
Battery
General information
All work on the battery requires expert knowl­
edge.
Read and foll ow t he WARNING S before check­
ing anything in the engine compartment
¢ page 236, Working in the engine comport ­
ment.
Ch eck ing and Filling
Plug -in hybrid drive* : you can find important in ­
formation about the high -vo ltage battery under
¢ page 98.
The battery in yo ur Audi does not need any ma in­
tenance under
normal operating conditions . Audi
recommends having the electrolyte level check
by an authorized Audi dealer or author ized Audi
Service Facility when there are
high outside tem­
peratures or when dr iving all day. The e lectrolyte
level should also be checked each time the bat ­
tery is charged¢
page 249.
Have the battery checked when you bring your ve­
hicle in for an inspection. It is a good idea to re­
place the battery if it is more than 5 years old.
D uring certa in types of a irbag deployments, the
battery is d isconnected from the veh icle electri­
cal system for safety reasons¢
& in Repair, core
and disposal of the airbags on page 199.
Di sco nnecting the battery te rminal s
The battery should not be disconnected. Several
vehicle functions (power windows, for example)
will be lost when the battery is disconnected. The
funct ions must be reprogrammed after connect­
ing the battery. To avoid this, the battery should
only be disconnected from the vehicle electrical
system when it is absolutely necessary.
To reprogram the functions, proceed as follows:
Function Reprogramming
Power window one-¢ page 44, Correcting
touch up/down func-power window molfunc-
tion tions
Remote control key or
If the vehicle does not
Convenience key react to the key, it must
be synchronized
¢page 37
Dig ita l clock ¢page 10
ESC indicator light The indicator light goes
out after driving a few
meters
247

Check ing and F illing
Not running th e vehicle for long p eriod s of
t im e
If you do not drive your vehicle for several days or
weeks, electrical components are gradually re­ duced or sw itched off. Th is reduces energy con­
sumpt io n and maintains the vehicle's ability to
start over a long period of time
c:::, page 164 .
Some convenience functions, such as interior
lighting or power seats* may not work . These
convenience functions will be available again
once yo u sw itch the ignition on and start the en­
gine.
Winter operation
During the winter months, it is common for the
battery capacity to decrease as the temperatures
become lowe r. This is because mo re power is
needed to sta rt the veh icle and components s uch
as the headlights and the rear window defogger
are used more frequently .
Avoid using power unnecessar ily, especially in
ci ty driving or on sho rt trips. Have yo ur author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty check the battery capacity before the start of
winter c:::, page 249. A well-charged battery will
not on ly reduce starting problems in cold weath­
er, but it will also last longer .
A WARNING
-Work on the battery requires expert knowl­
edge. Contact an authorized Audi dealer or
autho rized Aud i Service Facility for informa­
t ion regarding the vehicle battery. There is a
risk for chemical burns or explosions.
- Never open the vehicle battery. Do not t ry to
c hange the batte ry electro lyte level. Othe r­
wise explosive gas wi ll escape from the bat­
te ry and increase the risk of an explos ion .
(D Tips
If your vehicle is not driven for several weeks
in very cold temperatu res, remove the batte ry
and sto re it in a pla ce where it wi ll not freeze.
This prevents the battery from being dam­
aged and needing to be replaced.
248
· Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
Plug- in hybrid drive*: For important informat ion
about the high-voltage battery, refer to
c:::, page 98 .
The battery is located in the engine compart­
ment . Before you check anything in the engine
compartment,
r e ad and heed all WARNING S
¢,&. .
Always heed the safe ty wa rnings , when working
on the vehicle battery or the veh icle electrical
system to prevent injury .
The following WARNINGS are very important
w hen wor king on the batter y:
Alwa ys heed the following WARNING S YM-
BOLS and safet y precaut ions when wo rking on
the batte ry.
®
Alwa ys wear e ye protection .
&
Batt ery ad d co ntains sulfu ric acid . Al-
way s w ear glove s and ey e prot ect ion .
@
No
-spark s
- flame s
- smoking .
~
When a battery is cha rged , it p roduce s
h yd rog en gas which is e xplo siv e and
could cause personal in jur y.
®
Alway s kee p the ba tter y w ell out of
r each of children.
A WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on the
e lectr ical system, there is the r isk of injury,
accident and even fire. Read and heed the fol­ low ing WARNINGS:
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let bat­
tery acid or any lead particles get on your
skin or clothing . Shield your eyes. Explosive
gases can cause blindness or other in ju ry .
- Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Sulfuric
acid can cause blindness and severe burns .

,....,
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gent energy management system wi ll keep the
engine battery charged better than veh icles w ith­
out this system . To make sure the additional
e lectrical energy is avai lab le once again after you
have changed the battery, we recommend that
you install batteries of the same type and manu­
facture on ly (the same as those installed at the
time your veh icle was de livered). Specifications
are listed on the battery housing. Your author­
ized dealer must code the battery in the energy
management system to enable you to use the en ­
ergy management functions correctly after re­ p lacing the battery.
The new battery must have the same capacity,
voltage (12 -volts), amperage, construction and
p lug sealing .
When insta lling the battery, ma ke sure the igni­
tion and all e lectrical consumers are switched
off .
(D Note
Ma ke sure the ventilation hose on the side of
the battery is connected, otherw ise fumes o r
battery acid can leak out .
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of
a ba ttery, we recommend your author ized
Audi dea ler change the battery for you . Bat ­
teries contain su lf u ric acid and lead and must
always be disposed of properly in compliance
w ith all environmental regulations. D isposing
of vehicle batteries improperly is very danger­
ous to the env ironment.
Ch eck ing and Filling
Windshield washer
system
F ig . 201 E ngin e compar tmen t: was her flui d reservo ir cap
M N
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"' m
The washer fluid reservoir W contains the clean­
ing fluid for the windshield, the rear window *
and the headlight washer system*¢
page 239,
fig. 193 .
The reservoir capacity is found in
¢ page 303.
.,. Read and follow all WARNING S before working
in the engine compartment <=>
page 236, Work­
ing in the engine compartment .
.,. Open the cap.
.,. Add the washer fluid and close the cap .
To reduce the risk of lime scale deposits on the
spray nozzles, use clean water with low amounts
of calcium. Always add w indow cleaner to the wa­
ter . When the outside temperatures are cold, an
anti-freez ing agent should be added to the water
so that it does not free ze.
(D Note
- The concentration of ant i-freez ing agent
must be adjusted to the vehicle operat ing
conditions in the respective cl imate. A con ­
c entration that is too high can lead to vehi­
cle damage.
- Never add radiator an ti-free ze or other addi­
tives to the washer fluid.
- Do not use a glass cleane r that contains
pai nt solvents, because t his could damage
t he paint.
251

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. ..,..

Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Paint
Paint damage Refer to the paint number on the vehicle data label, repair
with touch up paint¢
page 301
Spilled fuel Rinse with water immediately
Surface rust Rust remover, then protect with hard wax; for questions,
consult an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv-
ice Facility.
Corrosion Have
it removed by an authorized Audi dea ler or a uthor-
ized A udi Service Facility.
Water no longer Protect with hard wax (at least twice per year)
beads on the surface
of clean paint
No shine even though Treat with suitable polish; then apply paint protectant if
paint has been pro- the polish that was used does not contain any protectant
tected/paint looks
poor
Deposits such as in- Dampen w ith water immediately and remove with a micro-
sects, bird dropp ings, f iber cloth
tree sap and road salt
Grease-based con- Remove immediately wi th a mild soap solution al and a
taminants such as
soft cloth
cosmetics or sunblock
Carbon parts Deposits clean the same way as painted parts¢ page 2 74
Decorative decals Deposits Soft sponge with a mild soap solutional
Audi e-tron Deposits Dry towe l
charging system *
Charging dock*
Deposits Soft towel with alcoho l-free cleaning so lution
a} Mild soa p sol ution: maxim um two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 quart (I liter) of water
Internal cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Windows
Deposits Glass cleaner, then wipe dry
Decorative parts/ Deposits Mild soap solutional
Trim
Plastic parts
Deposits Damp cloth
Heavier deposits Mild soap so lution al, detergent-free p lastic clean ing solu-
tion, if necessary
Displays Deposits Soft cloth with LCD cleaner
Controls Deposits Soft brush, then a soft cloth with a mild soap solutional
Safety belts Deposi ts Mild soap solution al, allow to dry before letting them re-
tract
276

Care and cleaning
- Never use warm or hot water to remove snow or ice from the camera lens. This
cou ld cause the lens to crack.
- Never use abrasive clean ing mater ia ls or
alcoho l to clean the camera lens. This
cou ld cause scratches and cracks.
- Door windo ws
- Remove snow and ice on windows and ex -
terior mirrors with a p lastic scraper. To
avoid sc ratches, move the scrape r on ly in
one direction and not back and forth .
- Never remove snow o r ice from doo r win­
dows and m irrors using warm or hot water
because this could cause cracks to form.
- To avoid damage to the rear w indow de­
fogge r, do not apply any sticke rs on the
heating w ires on the inside of the window.
- Decorative parts /trim
- Never use chrome care or cleaning prod-
ucts.
-Paint
-To reduce the risk of scratches, the vehicle
must be free of dirt and dust before pol ­
ishing or waxing .
- To prevent pa int damage, do not polish or
wax the veh icle in direct sunlight .
- To reduce the risk of pa int damage, do not
polish away rust spots .
- Remove cosmetics and sunscreen immedi­
ately- these could damage the paint.
-Di splays
- To avoid scratches, do not use dry cleaning
methods on displays.
- Controls
- Make sure that no fluids enter the con -
trols, because this could cause damage .
-Safet y belt s
-Do not remove the safety belts to clean
them.
- Never clean safety belts or their compo­ nents chemically or with corrosive flu ids
or so lvents and never allow sharp objects
to come into contact w ith the safety belts .
Th is could cause damage to the belt web­
bing.
- If there is damage to the webbing, the
connect ions, the retractors or the b uck les,
278
have them replaced by an authorized Aud i
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility.
- Te xtile s/artificial l eath er/ Alcantara
- Never treat art ificial leather/ A lcantara
with leather care products , solvents, floor
polish, shoe polish, spot remove or s imilar
p roducts .
- Have a spec ialist remove stubborn stains
to prevent damage .
- Never use steam cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc . when cleaning .
- Do not turn on the seat heating* to dry the
seat .
- Ob jects w ith sharp edges such as zippers,
rivets on clothing or be lts can cause dam­
age to the surface .
- Open hook and loop fasteners, for exam­
p le on clothing, can damage seat covers .
Make sure hook and loop fasteners are
closed .
-Natural l eather
-Neve r treat leather wi th solvents , floor
polish, shoe polish, spot remover or sim i­
lar products .
- Obje cts w ith sharp edges such as zippers ,
rivets on clothing or be lts can cause dam ­
age to the surface .
- Neve r use s team cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc . when cleaning .
- D o not turn on the seat heating* to dry the
seat.
- To he lp prevent the leather from fad ing,
do not leave the vehicle in d irect sunlight
for long periods of time . If leaving the ve ­
hicle parked for long periods of time, you
should cover the leather to protect it from
d irect sunlight.
{D Tips
- Insects are easier to remove from paint that
has been freshly waxed.
- Regular waxing can prevent rust spots from
forming.