2017 AUDI A3 SEDAN brake

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Intelligent Technology Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
Electronic Stabilization Control ( ESC) supports
driver safety . It reduces the risk of slipping and
improves dr iving stability. ESC detects critica l sit­
uations such as the vehicle oversteering and un­
dersteer ing or the wheels are spinning. The vehi­
cle is stabilized by apply ing the brakes or reduc ­
ing engine torque . When the ESC engages, the
G1 indicato r light b links in the instrume nt clus­
ter.
The follow ing systems are integrated in the ESC:
Anti-loc k bra king system (ABS)
ABS prevents the whee ls from locking when brak­
ing. The vehicle can still be steered even during
hard brak ing. Apply steady pressure to the brake
pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A pulsing in the
b rake pedal indicates that the system is act ing to
stabilize the vehicle .
Brake a ssist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking dis­
tance. It increases brak ing power when the driver
presses the brake pedal quick ly in emergency sit­
uations . You must press and hold the brake pedal
u nti l the dangerous sit uat io n is ove r. In veh icles
with adaptive cr uise contro l*, the bra ke assist
s ys tem is more sensitive if t he d istance detec ted
to the veh icle dr iv ing ahe ad is too small.
Anti -slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces eng ine power when the drive wheels
begin spinning and adapts the force to the road
conditions . This makes i t eas ie r to sta rt, acceler­
ate and dr ive up hill s.
Electronic differential lock (EDL )
The EDL applies the brakes to a wheel that starts
spinning and transfers t he drive power to the
other driving wheel or wheels ( if the veh icle is
eq uipped w ith all whee l dr ive*) . T his function is
n o t available at higher speeds.
Intellig ent Technology
In extreme cases, ED L automat ica lly switches off
to keep the brake o n the braked whee l from over­
heating. The veh icle is still working correct ly. EDL
will switch on again automatically when condi­
t ions have returned to normal.
Ste ering recommendation
The ESC he lps to s tabilize the vehicle by changing
the steering torque.
Select ive wheel torque control
Se lective wheel to rque cont rol is used w hen driv­
i ng on curves. The fron t whee l on the inside of
the curve or bo th wheels on the i nside of the
c u rve are braked se lective ly as needed . This al­
l ows more precise driving in c urves.
Automatic post-collision braking system
T he "automat ic pos t-collision braking system"
c an help to reduce the risk of sliding an d of addi ­
tiona l co llisions a fter an acciden t. If the ai rbag
contro l modu le detects a co llision above a certain
vehicle speed, the veh icle is bra ked by the ESC.
T he vehicle does not bra ke autorn,;1tically if;
- t he dr ive r presses the acce le rator pedal, or
- the ESC, the brake system or the veh icle elect ri-
cal system are not functioning .
A WARNING
-The ESC and its integ rated systems cannot
overcome the lim its imposed by natura l
phys ic al laws. This is especially important
on sli ppery or wet roads . If the sy stems be­
gin acting to stabilize your vehicle, you
should immediately alter your speed to
match the road and traffic conditions. Do
not let the inc reased safety provided tempt
you into taking risks. This could increase
your r isk of a coll is ion.
- Please n ote the r isk of a coll is ion increases
when dr iv ing fast, especially t hrough curves
a nd on slippery or wet roads, and when dr iv­
ing too close to objects ahead. The ESC and
its integrated systems ca nnot always pre­
vent collisions
-there is st ill a ris k of ac ci-
dents!
..,.
151

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-There is no vehicle stabilization when ESC/
ASR are switched off.
(D Tips
-ESC/ASR cannot be switched off or sport
mode cannot be switched on if the cruise
control system * or the adaptive cruise con­
tro l* is sw itched on.
-Malfunctions in the Audi magnetic ride *
may make it imposs ible to switch the ESC/
ASR off or to switch sport mode on.
Brakes
New brak e pad s
New brake pads do not achieve their full braking
effect during the first 2S0 mi (400 km) . They
must be "broken in" f irst. However, you can com­
pensate for the slightly reduced braking force by
pressing firmly on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy
braking during the break-in per iod.
Wear
B rake pad
wear depends largely on the way the
veh icle is driven and on operat ing cond itions.
This is especially true if you are driving frequently
in the c ity and on curves or with a sporty driving
style.
Operat ing no ise
Noises may occur when braking depending on the
speed, braking force and outs ide cond itions such
as temperature and humidity .
Effect of wat er and road salt
In certain situations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy rain, after overnight con ­
densation or after washing your car, the braking
effect can be reduced by moisture or ice on the brake rotors and brake pads . The brakes must be
"dr ied" first w ith a few careful brake applica­
tions .
At higher speeds and with the windsh ield wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake
rotors for a short amount of time. Th is action,
which is not felt by the d river , happens at regular
Intellig ent Technology
interva ls and ensures a better reaction time for
the brakes in wet weather.
T he brak ing effect ca n also be reduced if yo u are
driv ing on sal ted roads and yo u do not app ly the
brakes for long per iods o f time. The layer o f salt
on the brake rotors and pads must be worn off
first when the brakes are applied.
Corrosion
Leav ing the veh icle pa rked for long periods of
time, low mileage and avoiding heavy b raking
can contribute to corrosion on the brake roto rs
and to dirty brake pads .
If you usua lly avoid heavy bra king or if there is
corrosion present, occasiona l heavy brak ing at
high speeds is recommended to clean the brake
rotors and
pads ¢,& .
Brake system malfunction
If you notice that the bra ke pedal travel has sud ­
denly inc re ased, then a br ake circuit in the dua l­
c ircuit b rake system may have malfunctioned.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
problem corrected. On the way there, drive with
reduced speed and keep in mind that you will
need a longer distance to stop and you will need
to press the brake pedal harder.
L o w bra ke fluid le ve l
When the brake fluid level is low, malfunctions in
the brake system may occur. The brake fluid level is electronically monitored.
Brake bo oster
The brake boos ter amplifies the p ressure you ap ­
ply to the brake pedal. It on ly operates whi le the
engine is running or when the ignition is switched
on (p lug-in hybrid dr ive*) .
A WARNING
-Only app ly the brakes for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system when road and
traffic cond itions permit. You must not en­
danger other road users. This increases the
risk of an accident.
153

Intelligent Technology
- Never let the vehicle roll while the engine is
stopped beca use this increases the risk of an
acc ident.
@ Note
- Never let the brakes "rub" by pressing the
pedal light ly when bra king is not actually
necessary. This causes the brakes to over­
h eat and inc reases bra king d istance and
causes wear .
- Befo re dr iv ing on a long stretch w ith steep
s lopes, red uce your speed a nd shift to the
next lower gear This makes use of t he en­
g ine bra king effect a nd relieves the b rakes.
If you need to bra ke a dd it iona lly, bra ke in
in te rv a ls and no t conti nuou sly.
@ Tips
- If the brake booste r is no t wo rking , you
must pr ess the brake pedal wi th much more
f orc e th an norma l.
- If you re trofit you r vehicle with a front spoil­
e r, whee l cove rs o r similar ite ms, m ake sure
that the air flow to the front wheels is not
i n te rrupt ed. Ot he rw ise the bra ke sys tem
ca n become too hot.
Electromechanical
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements.
Powe r steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Indicator lights and messages
• Do not dr ive vehicle: steering defective
If thi s in dicator light t urns o n and stays o n and
this message appears, t he power s teer ing may
h a ve fa iled.
Stop the veh icle in a safe locat io n as soon as pos­
sib le. Do
not continue driving. See an author ized
Aud i deale r or auth o riz ed Au di Serv ice F acility fo r
assis tance.
l~ij Steering: malfunction! You can continue
driving
154 I
f the indica to r li gh t turns on, the s teering w hee l
may be more difficult to move or more sens itive
t h an usua l. The steer ing whee l may a lso be at an
angle when driving straight.
Drive slowly to an a uth o rized Audi dea ler or au ­
thorized Audi Serv ice Facility to have the mal­
funct ion corrected .
(D Tips
If t h e . or £-y.ij in dicator light on ly s tays on
fo r a short time, yo u may continue driving.
All wheel drive (quattro)
App lies to : vehicles wi th all w heel drive
In oil wheel drive, oil four wheels ore powered .
General information
In all wheel drive, the dr iv ing power is divided be­
tween all fou r whee ls . This happens autom atic al­
l y depending on yo ur driv ing beh avior as we ll as
the cur rent road conditions . Also see
c:> page 151, Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC).
The all whee l drive concep t is designed for high
engine power. Yo ur vehicle is exce ptiona lly pow­
erfu l and has excellent driving cha racteristics
both under normal driving conditions and on
snow and ice. A lways read and follow safety pre­
cautions
c:> .&. .
Winter t ires
By using all whee l drive, your veh icle has goo d
forward motion with standard tires in winter con­
dit ions. However, using w inter or all season t ires
o n
all four wheels in the winter is recommended,
because th is w ill imp rove the
braking effect .
Snow chains
If there are s now chain laws, snow cha ins m ust
also be used on veh icles with all wheel drive
c:> page 342, Snow chains.
Replacing tires
Fo r vehicles wi th a ll w hee l drive, o nly wheels wi th
the same rol ling circ umfe rence sho uld be used .
Avoid using tires with different tread depths
c:> page 335, New tires or wheels. IJI>

Intelligent Technology
and at cold times of the year. A lot of energy is
used but little is generated. It is also critical
when the engine is not running but electrical
equipment is switched on. In this case, energy is
used but none is generated.
In situations like this, energy management will
actively regulate the distribution of energy.
Long periods without use
If you do not drive your vehicle for several days or
weeks, electrical equipment is gradually scaled
back or switched off. This reduces energy use and
ensures the vehicle will be able to start after long
periods of time. Some convenience functions
such as opening with the remote control key may not be available. These convenience functions
will be available again once you switch the igni­ tion on and start the engine.
With the engine switched off
The vehicle battery will drain if you use Infotain­
ment functions such as listening to the radio
while the engine is switched off.
If the vehicle's ability to start may be impaired by
the energy use, a message will appear in the In­
fotainment system display. The message indi­
cates that the system will switch off automatical­ ly soon . If you would like to continue using the
functions, you must start the engine.
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated while
driving, the vehicle battery can drain . This can
happen if little energy is generated but much is
used, and the charge level of the vehicle battery
is not optimal.
To restore the balance of energy, components that require large amounts of energy are tempo­rar ily scaled back or switched off. Heating sys ­
tems in part icular require a great deal of energy .
If you notice, for example, that the seat heating*
or rear window defogger is not working, then it
has been temporarily reduced or switched off.
These systems are available again as soon as the
energy supply has been restored .
In addition , you may notice that the idle speed
has slightly increased. That is normal and no
156
cause for concern . By increasing the idling speed,
the additional required energy will be generated
and the vehicle battery will be charged.
Notice about data
recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and
vehicle control modules
Event Data Recorder
This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data Re­
corder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to
record, in certain crash or near crash-like situa­
tions, such as an airbag deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will assist in understand­
ing how a vehicle's systems performed . The EDR
is designed to record data related to vehicle dy­
namics and safety systems for a short period of
time, typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this
vehicle is designed to record such data as:
- How various systems in your vehicle were oper­
ating;
- Whether or not the driver and passenger safety
belts were buckled/fastened;
- How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
- How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better understand­
ing of the circumstances in which crashes and in­
juries occur. NOTE: EDR data are recorded by your
vehicle only if a non-trivial crash situation occurs;
no data are recorded by the EDR under normal
driving conditions and no personal data (e.g .,
name, gender, age, and crash location) are re­
corded . However, other parties, such as law en­
forcement, could combine the EDR data with the
type of personally identifying data routinely ac­
quired during a crash investigation .
To read data recorded by an EDR, special equip­
ment is required, and access to the vehicle or the
EDR is needed . In addition to the vehicle manu­
facturer, other parties, such as law enforcement,
that have the special equipment, can read the in­
formation if they have access to the vehicle or the EDR.
~

Driving sa fe ty
A WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the r isk
of serious personal injury and death whenever
a vehicle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
stay in a proper seat ing position and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is
being used.
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
Important safety instructions
Applies to: veh icles w ith knee airb ags
A WARNING
Alw ays ma ke sure that the knee airbag can in­
flate without inter ference. Objects between
yourself and the airbag can increase the risk of injury in an acc ident by interfering with the
way the airbag deploys or by being pushed in­
to you as the airbag deploys.
- No persons (children) or animals shou ld ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat. If the airbag dep loys, th is can result in
serious or fatal in ju ries .
- No objects of any k ind shou ld be carried in
the footwell area in front of the driver 's or
passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shopping
bags, for example) can hamper or p revent
prope r deployment of the airbag. Small ob­
jects can be th rown throug h the vehicle if
the airb ag deploys and injure you or your
passengers.
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat or
any other object.
Make sure that all pedals move freely without in­
terference and that noth ing prevents them from
returning to the ir origina l positions.
O nly use floor mats that leave the pedal area free
and can be secured wit h floor mat fasteners .
252
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake pedal trav ­
el is required to bring the vehicle to a fu ll stop.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss
of vehicle contro l and increase the r isk of seri­
ous injury.
- Never p lace any objects in the drive r's foot­
well. An object could get into the pedal area
and interfere with pedal funct ion. In case of
sudden braking or an acc ident, you would
no t be able to b rake o r acce le rate!
- Always make sure that nothing can fall or
move into the driver's footwell.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely at­ tached to the floor mat fasteners and do not in­
terfere with the free movement of the pedals .
.,. Make sure that the floor mats are properly se­
cured and cannot move and interfere w ith the
pedals¢ .&,.
Use only floor mats that leave the peda l area un­
obstructed and that are firmly secured so that
they can not s lip out of position . You can obtai n
su itable floor mats from your author ized Audi
Dealer .
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Aud i.
Floor mats used in yo ur vehicle must be attached
to these fasteners. Properly secur ing the floor
mats will prevent them from sliding into posi­
tions that could inte rfere with the pedals or im­
pair safe operat ion of your vehicle in other ways.
A WARNING
Pedals that ca nnot move freely can result in a
loss of vehicle contro l and increase the r is k of
serious pe rsonal injury.
- Always make sure that floo r 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 preven t them
from s lipping and interfer ing wi th the ped­
als or the ab ility to cont rol the vehicle.

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-Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already installed
floor mats. Additional floor mats and other
coverings w ill reduce the size of the pedal
area and inte rfere 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 peda l and accelerator pedal caus­
ing a loss of veh icle control.
Storing cargo correctly
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be properly
stowed and secured in the luggage compart­
ment.
F ig. 22 4 Safe load position ing: place heavy objects as low
and as
far forward as possible.
L oose items in the luggage compartment can
shift sudden ly, 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 coll ision.
• Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com­
partment.
• Always place and properly secure heavy items in
the luggage compartment as far forward as
poss ib le.
• Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided
<:;> page 66 .
• Make sure that the rear seatbac k is securely
latched in place.
Dr iving safety
A WARNING
-
Improperly stored luggage or other items can
fly through the vehicle caus ing serious per­
sonal injury in the event of hard brak ing or an
accident. To help reduce the risk of serio us
pe rsonal injury:
- Always put objects, for example, l uggage or
other heavy items in the luggage compa rt­
men t.
- Always secure objects in the luggage com­
partment using the tie-down hooks and
suitable st raps.
A WARNING
H eavy loads will influen ce the way your veh i­
cle hand les. To help reduce the risk of a loss
of cont rol leading to serious personal injury:
- Always keep in m ind when transpo rting
heavy objects, that a change in the center of
gravity can also cause changes in vehicle
handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
poss ible.
- Place heavy objects as far fo rwa rd in the
lu ggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Ax le Weight Rating
or the Gross Ve hicle Weight Rating specified
on the safety compliance s ticker on the left
door jamb. Exceeding permissible we ight
s tanda rds can cause the vehicle to slide and
h a ndle differen tly.
- Pl ease observe info rmat ion on safe driv ing
¢page 247.
A WARNING
To he lp prevent poiso nous ex ha ust gas from
being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the
r ear lid closed while driving .
- Never transport ob jects larger t han those
f itting completely into the luggage area be ­
cause the rear lid cannot be f ully closed .
- If you absolutely m ust dr ive wi th the rear lid
open, observe the following notes to reduce
the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power roof*,
253

Check ing and F illing
The pull cable for the emergency release is locat­
ed on the cover .
.,. To access t he e mergency release, fold the r ight
bac kres t
forwa rd ¢ page 68 .
.,. Remove the cover from the trim .
.,. Carefully pull the cover toward the center of
the ve hicle at a 45° angle
-arrow- ¢ fig. 268
c>(D . The tab on the cover must point forward
in the direct ion you are pulling when pull ing on
the cover.
.,. Press on the left s ide of the fuel f ille r door to
open it
¢ page 314, fig . 265 .
(D Note
Onl y pull on the loop/cove r unt il you feel re ­
sistance. You wi ll not hea r it re lease . Other­
w ise you cou ld damage t he emergency re­
lease mecha nism .
Catalytic converter
The vehicle may o nly be driven with unleaded
g a soline, otherwise the catalyt ic converter will be
destroyed.
Never d rive until the tank is completely empty .
The irregular supp ly of f uel that results from t hat
can cause engine m isfi res. Uncombusted fuel will
ente r the exhaust sys tem, w hich can ca use ove r­
heating and damage to the catalyt ic converter .
& WARNING
The tem perature of the ex ha ust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine.
-
- Never touch the exha ust ta il pipes once t hey
have become hot. This could result in burns.
- Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as g rass or leaves because
the h igh temperat ure of the emiss ions con­
trol system cou ld start a f ire.
- Do not apply underbody protectant in the
exhaust system area, because this increases
t h e risk of fire.
316
Engine compartment
· Working in the engine compartment
Special care is required if you are working in the
engine compartment
For work in the engine compartment, such as
checking and fill ing fluids , the re is a risk of in­
jury, scalding, accidents , and burns. For this
reason, follow all the warnings and general
safety precaut ions provided in the following in ·
formation . The engine compartment is a dan­
gerous area.
c> & .
& WARNING
To reduce the ris k of injur ies, comp lete the
following steps before opening the hood:
- Tur n the engine off.
- S witch the igni tion off.
- Set the park ing brake.
- Move the selector lever into t he P position.
- Never ope n the hood when there is steam o r
coo lant escaping from the engine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that yo u could
be burned . Wait unt il no steam or coolant is
escapi ng.
- L et the eng ine cool down .
- Keep children away from the eng ine com-
pa rtment .
- Never sp ill fluids on a hot engine . These flu­
ids (such as the anti-freezing agent con­
tained in the coolant) ca n ignite.
- Avoid short c ircuits in the electrical system.
- When working in the engine compa rtment,
remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if t he ignition is switched off, wh ich
increases the r is k of persona l injury.
- Never open the cap on the coolant expan­
sion tank when the engine is warm . The
coo ling syste m is under p ressure.
- To protect your face, hands, and a rms from
hot steam or coolant, cover the cap with a
large cloth when opening .
- Do not remove the engine cover under any
circumstances . Th is i ncreases the risk of
burns .
-

CXl CXl .... N ,.__
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-If tests need to be performed with the en­
gine running, there is additional danger due
to moving components (such as the ribbed belt, alternator and radiator fan) and from
the high-voltage ignition system.
-Never reach into the radiator fan. The elec­
tric auxiliary fan is controlled by tempera­
ture and can switch on suddenly.
-Do not under any circumstances activate the
throttle inadvertently (for example, by hand
from the engine compartment) if the vehi­
cle is stationary but the engine is running
and a gear is engaged. Otherwise, the vehi­
cle will start to move immediately and this
could result in an accident.
-Pay attention to the following warnings list­
ed when work on the fuel system or on the
electrical equipment is required.
- Do not smoke .
-Never work near open flames.
- Always have a working fire extinguisher
nearby
- All work on the battery or electrical system
in your vehicle can result in injuries, chemi •
cal burns, accidents or burns. Because of
this, all work must be performed
only by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility.
-To reduce the risk of electric shock and in­
jury, never touch the following components when the engine is running or is being start­
ed :
- Ignition cable
-Other components in the electronic high-
voltage ignition system
-If you must check or perform work on the
engine while it is running:
-Set the parking brake and place the selec­
tor lever in the P (park) position first .
- Always proceed with extreme caution so
that clothing, jewelry or long hair do not
become caught in the radiator fan, fan
belt or other moving components or do
not come into contact with hot compo­
nents. Tie back long hair before beginning
work and do not wear clothing that can
hang down into the engine .
Checking and Filling
-Limit your exposure to exhaust and chemi­
cals to as short a time as possible
c:> A .
A WARNING
-California Proposition 65 Warning:
-Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and
reproductive harm . In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms.
Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When filling fluids, be sure not to mix the flu­
ids up. Otherwise severe malfunctions and en­
gine damage will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
You should regularly check the ground under
your vehicle in order to detect leaks quickly. If
there are visible spots from oil or other fluids, bring your vehicle to an authorized Audi deal­
er or authori zed Audi Service Facility to be
checked.
317