2016 AUDI A3 snow chains

.... N
0 > co .... .... Parking systems
General information
Applies to vehicles: with rear pa rk in g systems/pa rk in g system
p lus/rearv iew camera
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, various
parking aids will help you when parking and ma­
neuvering.
The
rear parking system is an audible parking aid
that warns you of obstacles
behind the vehicle
¢page 152.
The parking system plus assists you when park ­
ing by audibly and visually indicating objects de­
tected
in front of and behind the vehicle
¢ page 152.
The rearview camera shows the area behind the
vehicle in the MMI display . This display assists
you when you are cross or parallel parking. The
parking system plus functions are also available
¢ page 153.
A WARNING ,--
- Always look for traffic and check the area
around your vehicle by looking at it directly
as well. The parking system cannot replace
the driver's attention. The driver is always
responsible when entering or leaving a park­
ing space and during similar maneuvers.
- Please note that some surfaces, such as
clothing, are not detected by the system .
- Sensors and cameras have blind spots in
which people and objects cannot be detect­
ed . Be especially cautious of small children
and animals .
- Always pay attention to the area around the
vehicle -using the rearview mirror, too .
- The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the radiator grille, bumper,
wheel housing and the underbody . The park ­
ing system may become impaired as a re­
sult. Have an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility check their
function.
- Make sure the sensors are not obstructed by
stickers, deposits or other materials. If they
are the sensor function could be impaired .
I
Parking systems
For additional information on cleaning, re­
fer to¢
page 274.
@ Note
-Some objects are not detected or displayed
by the system under certain circumstances:
- Objects such as barrier chains, trailer draw
bars, vertical poles or fences
- Objects above the sensors such as wall ex­
tensions
- Objects with specific surfaces or struc­
tures such as chain link fences or powder
snow
- If you continue driving closer to a low-lying
object, it may disappear from the sensor
range . Note that you will no longer be
warned about this obstacle.
- The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the radiator grille, bumper,
wheel housing and the underbody . The
parking system may become impaired as a
result . Have an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility check their
function.
(D Tips
- The system may provide a warning even
though there are no obstacles in the cover­
age area in some situations, such as:
- certain road surfaces or for long grass .
- external ultrasonic sources e.g. from
cleaning vehicles.
- heavy rain, snow, or thick vehicle exhaust .
- We recommend that you practice parking in
a traffic-free location or parking lot to be­
come familiar with the system. When doing
this, there should be good light and weath­
er conditions .
- You can change the volume and pitch of the
signals as well as the display¢
page 157.
-What appears in the MMI display is some­
what time-delayed.
- The sensors must be kept clean and free of
snow and ice for the park assist to operate .
151

,....,
N
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

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolt s
Wheel bolts must be clean and loosen/t ighten
eas ily.
Rims
Rims with a bolted rim ring* or with bolted wheel
covers* consist of multiple pieces . These compo­
nents were bolted together using special bolts
and a special procedure . You must not repair or
d isassemble them¢.&, .
A WARNING -
Wheel bolts that are t ightened or repaired in­
correctly can become loose and result in loss
of vehicle control, which increases the risk of
an accident. For the correct tightening specif i­
cation, refer to¢
page 284, After changing a
wheel.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the whee l hub clean and free of
grease.
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim.
- Always have damaged rims repaired by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility. Never repair or d isassemble
rims yourself, because this increases the risk
of an accident.
Winter tires
W inter tires significantly improve the veh icle's
handling when driving in winter condit ions . Be­
cause of the ir construction (width, compound,
tread pattern), summe r tires provide less trac­
tion o n ice and snow.
"' Use winter t ires on all fo ur wheels.
"' Only use winter t ires that are approved for your
vehicle.
"' Please note tha t the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires ¢
_&.. An
authorized Audi dealer o r authorized Audi Serv­
ice Facility can inform you about the maximum
permitted speed for your tires.
"' Check the tire pressure after installing wheels
¢page 263.
Tires and wheel s
The effectiveness of winte r tires is reduced great ­
ly when the tread is worn down to a depth of
0.15 7 inch (4 mm). The characteristics of winter
tires also decrease greatly as the tire ages, re­ gardless of the rema in ing tread.
A WARNING
=
- Never drive faster than the max imum per­
mitted speed for your tires. This could cause
the t ires to heat up too much. This increases
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the t ire to burst.
- Always adapt your driving to the road and
traffic cond itions. Drive carefully and reduce
your speed on icy or slippery roads. Even
winter t ires can lose tract ion on black ice.
@) For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the app ropr iate
time, beca use they prov ide bette r handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fue l
consumpt ion .
(D Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
winter tires . Please note that in some coun ­
tries where winter tires are required, on ly
winter tires w ith the .& symbo l may be per­
mitted.
Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow .
"'On ly install snow cha ins on the front wheels.
This applies a lso to vehicles with a ll w heel
drive* .
-
"'Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains if necessary after driving a few feet. Fol­
low the instructions from the manufacturer.
"' Note the maximum permitted speed when dr iv­
ing with snow chains. Do not exceed 30 mph (50 km/h) .
Snow cha ins not o nly improve the
driving in win-
ter road condit ions, but also the
braking. Iii>
269

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>-

,....,
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

.... N
0 > CX)
rl I.Cl U"I
rl I.Cl ....
Spare tire
General information
Applies to vehicles: with space-saving spare tire (compact
spare tire)
F ig. 220 Luggage co mpa rtmen t: ca rgo floo r fo lded up (A3
Sportback top, A3 sedan bo ttom )
F ig. 221 Compac t spare tir e
The spare tire ¢ fig. 221 is intended for sho rt­
term use only . Have the damaged tire checked
and replaced if necessary by an authorized Aud i
dealer or authori zed Audi Service Facility as soon
as possible .
There are some restrictions on the use of the compact spare tire . The compact spare tire has
been designed specif ica lly for your type of vehi­
cle . Do not replace it with the spare tire from an­
other type of vehicle.
Em ergen cy a ssis tanc e
Removing the sp are tire (A3 Sportback )
.,. Lift up the cargo floor wi th the p lastic handle
until it is clamped beh ind the tabs on both s ide
pane ls
(D ¢ fig. 220.
.,. Remove the subwoofer* if necessary . Check
which subwoofer is installed based on the con ­
nector : version 1 ¢
page 290 or version 2
¢page 290.
"'Turn the large screw counter -clockw ise .
.,. Remove the spare tire .
Removin g the sp are tire (A3 Sedan )
.,. Lift the cargo floor by the plastic handle.
"' Hang the p lastic hook on the luggage compart-
ment weather strip -arrow -¢
fig . 220 .
"'Turn the large screw counter-clockw ise .
"' Remove the spare tire .
Snow chains
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains on
the compact spare tire is not permitted.
If you have to drive with snow chains and a front
tire fails, mount the spare wheel in p lace of a
rear tire . Install the snow chains on the rear tire
that you removed , and install that in place of the
front t ire that fai led .
A WARNING
=
-After installing a spare tire, the t ire pres-
sure must be checked as soon as possible .
The t ire pressure is availab le on ¢
page 263,
fig. 205.
- If the spa re ti re is mo re t han 6 years old,
use it only in an emergency and with ex­
treme ca ution and careful driving.
- The spare tire is intended only fo r tempora­
ry a nd short-term use.
It should be replaced
as soon as poss ible with the normal whee l
and tire .
- After moun ting the compact spare tire, the
tire pressure must be checked as soon as possible. The tire press ure of the compact
spare tire must be 61 ps i (420 kPA); other­
wise, you risk having an accident .
- Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h).
You risk having an acc ident. ""
289

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., Warning/Indicator lights
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
196
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Warning lights
refer to Indicator lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Warranty coverages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Washer fluid level (indicator light) . . . . . . . . 25
Wash ing matte finish paint . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Weights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
What happens if you wear your safety belt too
loose? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
180
What happens to unbelted occupants? . . . . 177
What impairs driving safe ty? . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Wheels ... .. .. .... .... ..... ... ... .. . 253
A ll wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
C leaning . .. .. ............. .. .. .. .. . 275
Glossary of tire and loading terminology . 255
Replacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Tires and vehicle load limits . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Wheel wrench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
When must a safety belt be replaced? . . . . 178
When must the airbag system be inspected? l96
Where are lower anchorages located? . . . . 223
Window regu lators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
W indows
Cleaning/remov ing ice ......... .. .... .
276
Windshield
cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
52
defrosting (automatic climate control sys-
tem) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
73
defrosting (manual climate control system) .7.1
also refer to Windshield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Windshield washer system .......... 52, 251
Reservoir capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Windshield wipers
Cleaning wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
53
Folding up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Replacing windshield wiper blades . . . . . . . 53
Replac ing wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Sw itch ing on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Winter driving
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
269
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Index
Winter operation
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
247
Cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Windshield washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Winter tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Winter use
Car washes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 4
defrosting the windshield (automat ic cli-
mate control system) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
73
Removing ice from windows . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Seat heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
X
Xenon-Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Xenon headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46, 49
323