2016 AUDI A3 trailer

Table of content s
Owner' s Lit e rature
5
About this Own er's Manual . . . . . . 6
Cockpi t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Cockpit overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Controls at a glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Instruments and indicator lights 10
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Indicator lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
On-Board Diagnostic system (OBD) . . . . . 26
Driver information system . . . . . . 28
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Boost indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Eff iciency program............ .... .. . 31
Lap t imer and engine oil temperature
indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
Starting and dr iving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 5
Central lock ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
L uggage compartment lid . . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
Ch ild safety lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2
Power w indows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
P ano rama roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Lights and Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
E xterior lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
I nterior lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
V1s1on ... .... .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. .. .
W indshield wipers . ........... .. .. .. .
Dig ital compass . ................... .
Seats and storage ...... ... .. .. .. .
General information .............. .. .
so
52
55
57
57
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
H ead restra ints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6 1
Socket ... .. .. .. ... .... ...... .. .. .. . 62
S to rage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
L ugg age compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Roof rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
2
Warm and cold .. .. ... . .. .... ... . .
Climate contro l system . ... .. .... ... . . 70
70
Engine preheater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Driving ... .. .. .. .. .. ... . .. .... ... .. 77
Genera l information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Econom ica l and environmenta lly-friendly
driv ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
79
Start ing and stopp ing the eng ine
(vehicles with a n ignit io n loc k) . . . . . . . . . 80
Start ing and stopp ing the eng ine
(vehicles with a convenience key) . . . . . . .
82
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
E lectromechanical parking brake . . . . . . . 85
Hill ho ld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Automatic transmission . . . . . . . . . 89
S tronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
e-tron .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .... .. ... 98
Pl ug-i n hybrid drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Refueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
109
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Charging at public charging stations . . . . 112
Charging the battery with the Aud i e-tron
charg ing system .. ... ...... ....... ...
112
Ind icator lights and messages . . . . . . . . . 121
Vehicle cha rging connecto r eme rgency
r elease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
121
Charging uni t cover emergency release . . 1 2 1
Climate contro l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Audi connect e-tron services
Trailer mode .... .. .. . .. ..... ... . .
Driving with a trai le r .. ... .. ..... ... . .
Trailer mode notes . ... .. . ... .... ... . .
124
127
127
128
Driver a ssi stance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
E lectronic speed limiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Speed warning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Audi adaptive cruise contro l . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Audi pre sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Genera l information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Audi pre sense basic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Audi pre sense front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Automatic transmissio n
Stopp ing /park ing
If the se lecto r lever is not in the P posit ion when
you open the driver's door, the vehicle could roll .
In vehicles with a convenience key*, the message:
Shift to P , vehicle can roll away . Doors c an be
lo cked onl y in P
appears. You will a lso hear a
warn ing tone.
... Press and hold the brake pedal¢_&. .
... Set the parking brake.
.,. Se lect the P selector lever position.
Stopp ing on an inclin e
.,. Always press the brake peda l to hold the vehi ­
cle in place and prevent it from "rolling back"
¢ _&. . Do
not try to prevent the vehicle from
"ro lling back" when a gear is engaged by in­
creasing the engine speed ¢(D.
Starting on an inclin e in vehicl es without Hill
H old *
... Set the parking brake.
.,. With the driving gear selected, press the acce l­
erator pedal carefully. The parking brake re­
leases automatically . Requirement : the driver's
door must be closed and the driver's safety belt must be fastened .
Starting on an incline in veh icles with Hill
Hold*
.,. With the driving gear selected, remove your
foot from the brake pedal and press the accel­
erator pedal~
page 87, Hill hold.
Under certain c ircumstances, (such as driv ing in
the mountains or towing a trailer), it may be use­
fu l to sw itch temporarily to the manua l shift p ro­
g ram in o rde r to adjust the gea rs to the driving
conditions by hand
c:? page 94.
When parking on a level surface, simply place the
selecto r leve r in the P position. On inclines, act i­
vate the parking brake first and then move the
selector lever to the P posi tion
~ page 85. This
prevents the loc king mechanism from being
loaded too heav ily and wi ll make it easier to
move the selector lever out of the P position.
92
A WARNING
- The vehicle can roll even when the engine is
sw itched off.
- Unintended vehicle movement can lead to
serious injuries.
- Never leave your veh icle with the engine
running while in gear. If you must leave
your veh icle when the engine is running, set
the park ing brake and move the selector lev­
er to the P posit ion.
- Power is still transferred to the wheels when the engine is running at idle . To pre­
vent the vehicle from "creeping", yo u must
keep your foot on t he b rake when the en­
gine is ru nning and the selector lever is in
the D, Sor R position or "tip tronic" mode is
selected.
- Do not inadve rten tly p ress the accelerator
pedal when the vehicle is stationary. Other ­
wise the vehicle will start to move immedi­
ately, even if the parking brake is set. This
could result in a crash.
- Do not press the acce lerator pedal when
changing the selector lever posit ion while
the vehicle is stat ionary and the engine is
running.
- Never engage the R or P selector level pos i­
tions while dr iv ing. It could cause a crash.
- Before driving down a steep slope, reduce your speed and shift into a lower gear w ith
"t i ptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake pedal too often o r too long when dr iv ing
downhill. Constant braking causes the brakes to overheat and substant ially re­
duces bra king performance, increases b rak­
ing d istance or causes comp lete failure of
the bra ke sys tem.
- If you must stop on an incline, always hold
the vehicle in place w ith the foot brake or
p ar king bra ke to p revent it from rolling
back.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipping clu tch. The clutch opens automati­
cally when it becomes too hot from the
over load . T he
l§1 indicator light turns on

,....,
N
0 > co ,...., Trailer mode Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­
my and performance.
T railer towing not only places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from
the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your vehicle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
location . Use only a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ball mount . Always check with the trail­
er hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using the correct hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system . No modifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
From time to time, check that all hitch mounting
bo lts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer,
remove the
tra iler hitch ball mount . This prevents the hitch
from causing damage should your vehicle be
struck from beh ind
~ ,&. .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
check to be sure that it conforms to all regula­
tions .
Trailer mode
The trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system.
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the trailer.
Trailer lights
T ra iler lights must meet all regulations . Be sure
to check with your Aud i dea ler for correct wiring,
switches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you us­
ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must in­
stall extended mirrors . It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear.
,8. WARNING
After removing the trailer hitch, do not store
it in your vehicle. In case of sudden braking,
the hitch could fly forward and injure you or
your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
place to prevent it from shifting forward, back­
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer~.&.
in Driving instructions on page 128.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform ­
ance is up to the additional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under "Full ..,.
127

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

.... 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

Parking system s
General information
Applies to veh icles: w ith park ing system p lus with rearview
camera
F ig . 14 1 Area covered © and area not covered @by the
r earv iew came ra (example)
Fig. 142 Rear lid : locat io n of the rearview camera (exam ·
ple)
The rearview camera is located above the rear li­
cense plate bracket. Make sure that the lens for
the parking system
c.:> fig. 142 is not covered by
depos its or any other obstructions because th is
can affect the function of the parking system . For
information on cleaning, refer to
c.:> page 2 74 .
The rearview camera coverage area includes(!)
c.:> fig. 141. Only this area is displayed in the MMI.
Objects that are outside of th is area @are not
displayed .
The accuracy of the orientation lines and b lue
surfaces d iminishes if
D ynamic mode is activated
¢ page 148.
A WARNING
-Always read and follow the applicable warn­
ings
c.:> .&. in General information on
page 151.
- If the posit ion and the installation ang le of
the rearv iew camera was changed, for ex­
ample, after a co llision, do not continue to
154
use the system for safety reasons . Have it
checked by an a uthorized Audi dea ler or au­
thorized Audi Service Fac ility.
- Only use the rearv iew camera to assist you if
it shows a good, clear picture . For example,
the image may be affected by the sun shin­
ing into the lens, dirt on the lens or if there is a defect.
- Use the rearv iew camera on ly if the luggage
compa rtment lid is completely closed.
If the
luggage compartment lid is open the orien­
tation lines and b lue surfaces are hidden.
Ma ke sure a ny objec ts you may h ave mo unt­
ed on t he luggage compartmen t lid do not
b lock the rearview camera .
- The camera lens enlarges and distorts the
fie ld of vision. The object appears both a l­
tered and inaccurate on the screen .
- I n cer tain s itu ations, people or objects in
the display appea r closer or farther away:
- For objects that do not touch the ground,
such as the bumper of a parked vehicle, a
trailer hitch or the rear of a truck . Do not
use the help lines in th is case.
- If dr iven from a level surface onto an in­
cline, or a downward slope .
- If driven toward protruding objects.
- If the vehicle is carrying too much load in
the rear .
(D Note
-Always read and fo llow the applicable warn­
ings
c.:> (D in General information on
page 151.
- The orange colored orientat ion lines in the
MMI display show the direction of trave l of
the vehicle rear depending on the steering
wheel a ng le . The front of the vehicle swings
o ut more than the rea r of the veh icle. Main­
tain plenty of dis tance so that your outs ide
m ir ror or a co rner of your vehicle does not
c o llide w it h any obstacle s.

The "GVWR" includes the weight
of the basic vehicle, all factory in­stalled accessories, a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids plus maximum load. The maxi­
mum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is in­
tended to carry ("seating capaci­
ty") with an assumed weight of 150 lbs. (68 kg) for each passen­
ger at a designated seating posi­
tion and the total weight of any luggage in the vehicle . If you tow
a trailer, the weight of the trailer
hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer must be includ­
ed as part of the vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles.
The fact that there is an upper limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a trailer hitch and
the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited. The more pas­ sengers in the vehicle or passen­
gers who are heavier than the
standard weights assumed mean
Tires and wheels
that less weight can be carried as luggage.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety compli­
ance sticker label located on the driver's side B-pillar
¢ page 263,
fig. 204.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per­
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to
carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and increase the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance.
-Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail sud­
denly, including a blowout and
sudden deflation, causing loss
of control and a crash.
-Always make sure that the to- tal load being transported -,..
267