2018 AUDI A3 SEDAN warning

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~ When you fill coolant in t he expansion tank @,
please refer
to ¢ page 324, Cooling system.
~ Do not drive any fart her if t he coo lant leve l in
the expansion tank @ is low . Contact an au­
t h orized Audi dea ler or authorized Audi Service
Facility
immed iate ly ¢ .&, .
A WARNING
-Read and follow t he war nings in
¢ page 318, Working in the e ngine com­
partme nt
before ope ning t he hood an d
ch ecking t he co ola nt level.
- T he e xp ansion ta nk @ may only be opened
a nd filled by an authoriz e d Aud i de aler or
au thorize d Au di Service Fac ility.
- Co olan t can en ter the ins ide of the hig h­
volt age b attery w hen filling t he expa nsion
tank @ and cause a s hort c ircui t, which in ­
c reases the risk of fire.
Refueling
Opening the fuel filler door
App lies to: vehicles with p lug-in hybrid drive
F ig. 10 7 Drive r's door: butto n ii
The tank system must be vented be fore refueling
~ Swi tch the ign ition off with the
I S T AR T EN GINE ST OP ! button .
~Pullon th e~ switch.
~ The fue l filler door will open automat ica lly af-
te r venting is comp lete.
R ead and fo llow the directions for inserti ng the
f u e l pump nozzle
¢ page 103 .
Read and fo llow the inst ru ct io n s for re fueling
¢ page 315.
e-tron
Inserting the fuel pump nozzle
Applies to: vehicles with plug -in hybrid drive
Fig. 108 Fueling proced ure: in sert t he fue l p ump nozz le
correct ly
M ake s ure w hen inserting the fuel pump noz zle
t h at you do no t press o n the fuel filler door o pen ­
er (!) with the fue l pump nozzle . See the label in
the fue l fi ller
door @. Otherwise, a valve wi ll
close in the fue l filler neck and fueling w ill stop
even if t he tank is not full.
Yo u m ust vent the tank system again if you press
o n the fue l filler doo r opener . The fuel p ump noz ­
zle can stay in the fuel filler neck when doing
t hi s. Vent the tank system by pu lling the
00
switch again in the d river's doo r¢ page 103.
Messages
Applies to: vehicles with plug-in hybrid drive
ti Fuel filler door open_ Please press button
again to refuel
Fueling is possib le for a certain amount of time
after press ing
the~ button . Yo u m ust press the
00 button aga in if th is time is exceeded .
ti Fuel filler door: malfunction! Unlock fuel
filler door manually. See owner's manual
T he re is a ma lfunction. Yo u must manually un­
lock the fue l fi ller door
<=> page 104.
ti Warning! Vehicle performance may be limit­
ed
T he fue l tank is almos t emp ty. You must ant ici­
pa te a sig nificant power lo ss. Dr ive imme diate ly
to a gas sta tion.
./ Warning! Limited performance .,. POWER LIMIT
103

e-tron
The gaso line engine is no longer ava ila b le be ­
cause there is not enough fue l. Drive immediate ly
to a gas station.
Fuel filler door emergency release
A pp lies to : ve hicles w ith plug- in hybrid drive
You must use the emergency re lease to open the
fue l filler door when there is a malfunct io n
c::;, page317 .
The tank is not vented. You can only f ill a small
amount of fuel in the tank.
~ Fill only unti l the automatic fue l pump nozzle
turns off for the first time when it is operated correctly.
Drive to an a utho rized Aud i de aler or a uth o rized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunctio n corrected .
(D Tips
Pressure can escape if you open the tank ca p
after using the emergency release . This can
create noises.
Charging
General information
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith plug -in hybrid drive
Two options are ava ilab le for cha rging the vehi ­
cle:
- Charge at a p ublic charging stat ion w ith a spe­
c ia l charging cable*
c::;, page 106 .
-Charge with ho useho ld and industrial power
sockets using the Audi e-t ron c harg ing system
¢ page 106.
Environmental condition s when using the
Audi e-tron charging system
- Operat ing temperatu re : -13 °F (-25 °C) to 95 °F
(+35 °C)
- Humidity: 5% to 95%, non-co ndensing
- 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) maximum above
sea leve l
- Protected against dust and spray (IP54 (USA:
enclosure 3 R))
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Warnings when using the charging system
&
Surfaces ca n become very hot when
i n d irect su nlight .
&~
Incorrect use increases the risk of
electric shock.
~¼
Do not use any extens ions co rds o r
c abl e reels.
~
Do not use any travel adapters.
~~
Do not use any power str ips.
~~~
Do not use any charg ing cables with
damage to the electronics or the
con necti ng w ires .
.&_ WARNING -
Sockets that are inst alled incorrect ly can
cause elect ric shock or fire when charging the
h igh -vo ltage battery using the vehicle charg ­
ing connection .
- Installation and set up of the household con­
nection for the Audi e-tron charging system
may only be performed by a qualified e lec­
trician. The q ualified electrician is thereby
fully responsib le for adhering to applicable
standards and regu lations.
- Make sure that the selected charg ing con­
nection is suitable for drawing 16 amps .
- Make sure that the household soc ket is
grounded and shielded from water.
- The A udi e-tron charging system may only
be used with a prope rly grounded power
network. It cannot be used with non­
gro unded power networks (s uch as IT net­
wo rks) .
- Please follow the safety precautions in the
assembly instr uctions for the A udi cha rging
dock* or the Audi cha rging clips* .
.&_ WARNING
If you are not fam il iar with the socke t or the
e lectr ica l installation or it has not been
checked by qualified e xperts, never use i t fo r
cha rging. Even very low ch arg ing cu rrents can
cause ser ious damage and in particular fires if
the socket or electrical installation is in bad
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condition. If necessary, get expert assistance
from a qualified electrical installation special­
ist.
A WARN ING
Incorrect handling of the connector contacts
can cause electric shock or fire.
- Do not touch the contacts for vehicle charg­
ing port and for the Audi e-tron charging
system .
- Do not insert any objects in the vehicle
charging port or in the Audi e-tron charging
system .
- Protect the sockets and connectors against
any moisture, water and other fluids .
A WARNING
Using a damaged or incorrect charging cable
or a damaged or incorrect socket, using the
Audi e-tron charg ing system incorrectly or
disregarding the safety precaut ions could
cause short circu iting, electric shock, explo ­
sions, fires and burns .
- Do not use the Audi e-tron charging system
if it is damaged and/or dirty . Check the ca­
ble and connector for damage and dirt be­
fore using.
- T he Audi e-tron charging system must only
be connected to sockets that are installed
correctly and that are not damaged as well
as to electrical installations that have no
faults.
- Do not use any extension cords, cable reels,
power strips or (travel) adapters.
- Disconnect the Audi e-tron charging system
from the power network during a thunder­ storm.
- Do not modify or repair any electrical com­
ponents.
- Never immerse the Audi e-tron charging
system and connectors in water.
- The Audi e-tron charging system must only
be cleaned when the control unit is com­
pletely disconnected from the power supply
and from the vehicle. Use a dry towel to
clean .
e-t ron
-If a 110 volt household socket is used for
charging, only connect one vehicle at a time
to the same circuit. Use a different circuit if
an additional vehicle needs to be charged at
the same time. Note the maximum permit­
ted current draw for the circuit . Contact a
qualified electrical technician if there is any
doubt .
A WARNING
The components in the Audi e -tron charg ing
system can trigger sparks which can cause
flammable or explosive fumes to ignite.
- To reduce the r isk of exp losions, espec ially
in garages, make sure the contro l unit is at
least 19 inches (SO cm) above the floor
when charging.
- Do not use the Audi e-tron charging system in areas at risk for exp losions .
- The Audi e-tron charging system is only suit­ ed for use on Audi vehicles and vehicles
within the Volkswagen Group . Using the de­
vice on vehicles made by another manufac­
turer is not authori zed.
@ Note
Make sure that you always use the suitable
power plug provided with the Audi e-tron
charging system for the corresponding mar­
ket. Contact an authori zed Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility for more infor­ mation .
(D Tips
-Only use the factory-provided charging ca­
ble from Audi or the Volkswagen Group to
charge your vehicle .
- For an uninterrupted charging process, we
recommend only charging using sockets
that are connected to a separately protect­
ed circuit .
- Using either NEMA sockets with a current
rating of at least 30 A or industrial sockets
in accordance with IEC 60309 when charg­
ing is recommended.
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-Using the control unit while operating the
charging dock*
c;, page 108 or charging
clip*
c;, page 108 is recommended .
-Do not immerse the control un it in water or
cover with snow or ice.
(D Tips
-Always place the Audi e-tron charging sys­
tem on a secure surface when charg ing.
-To reduce the risk of overheat ing during op­
eration, do not place the Audi e -tron charg­
i ng system in direct sunlight for long peri­
ods of time.
-If the temperature inside the control unit rises above 176 °F (80 °C), the charging
process will stop automatically unti l the
temperature decreases back down to the normal range.
Changing/attach ing the power/vehicle
cable
Ap plies to: ve hicles with p lug -in hybrid drive
Fig. 110 Co ntro l u nit: remov ing/attac hing the cable
Requirement s:
.,. The charging process for the h igh-voltage bat­
te ry must be ended .
.,. The veh icle charg ing connector m ust be re­
moved from the veh icle charging port.
.,. The power cable must be removed from the
socket.
Loo sening the cable
.,. If necessary, loosen the screw @ c;, fig. 110 us­
ing the screwdriver provided.
.,. Lift the lever CD a ll the way up.
.,. Pull the connector @out just until you fee l re­
sistance.
e-tron
.,. Close the lever CD until it is resting on the con-
nector @.
.,. Remove the connector @completely.
Attachin g the cable
.,. Lift the lever CD up slight ly.
.,. Insert the connector @ into the control unit
just until you feel resistance .
.,. Lift the lever CD all the way up.
.,. Insert the connector@all the way into the
control un it.
.,. Close the lever CD -
.,. Tighten the screw @ using the screwdriver pro­
vided.
A WARNING
-Always remove the power cable from the
socket before changing the power cab le or
veh icle cable.
-Always follow the instructions given when
charging the high-voltage battery. Do not remove the vehicle charging cable from the
socket during the charging process. End the
charging process before removing the vehi­
cle charging cable from the socket.
-Only change cab les in a dry environment.
-The Audi e-tron charging system may only
be used as one unit composed of power
ca­
b les, the control unit and vehicle cable. We
recommend using on ly cables approved by
Audi.
-
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Removing the charging system from the
charging clip
.,. Remove the power cable connector from the
socket @ .
.,. Unwind the cable from the charging connector
mount (D .
.,. To loosen the control unit from the bracket,
push the lock ing mechan ism @ upward
9fig. 113.
Transporting
Ap plies to: veh icles with plug-in hybrid drive
Fig. 114 Storage bag
.,. Store the charg ing system and the special
charg ing cable* in the bag befo re transporting .
.,. Secure the bag using the tie-downs¢ page 64.
The flat hook must be secured to the left side
of the tie-downs.
& WARNING
-If the vehicle charging cab le is not secured
or positioned correctly, it can slide out of
place and endanger vehicle occupants when
brak ing, when changing directions, or in an
accident.
- Never transport the Audi e-tron charging
system or the special charg ing cable" unse­
cured.
- Store the Audi e-tron charging system or the special charging cable* in the storage
bag in the luggage compartment.
- Always transport the storage bag in the lug­
gage compartment and never in the passen­
ger compartment (for example the seats or
in front of them) .
e-tron
Charging overview
Applies to: vehicles with plug -in hybrid drive
Fig. 115 Charging system : control unit
Fig . 116 Radiator grille: veh icle charg ing port and bu tto n
mod ule
The charging unit is located behind the Audi rings
on the front of the vehicle .
@ ~ Button/LED
® Display field
© Arrow buttons
@IOK I Button
(D Charging timer button
@Status LED
@ Immediate charging button
T he meaning of the different status displays for
the charging sys tem and the vehicle can be found
un der
9 page 112, Status displays.
A WARNING
There is an error in the control unit if the LED
@is red. Disconnect the control unit from the
power supply . Refer to th is chapter
¢page 112, Status displays. llll-
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air conditioning also switches o ff immedi ­
ate ly.
Setting the timer
A ppl ies to: ve hicles w ith plug- in hybrid drive
By setting the departure time, you determ ine
when your vehicle shou ld reach the desired tem­
perature. You ca n set the timer in the auxiliary air
conditioning menu in the Infota inment system .
Auxili ary climate c ontrol : sett ing the t imer
~ Se lect : IMENUI button> Vehicle > left control
button >
Au xiliar y A/C > right control b utton>
Program t imer .
~ Set the time and the date.
~ Press the I BACKI button .
~ Confirm the setting w ith the contro l knob to ac-
t ivate the t imer.
A./ appea rs i n the box .
When you reprogram a t imer, the next calendar
day is automat ically entered in the Infota inment
system. To act ivate the aux iliary climate control
fo r the next day, confirm t he sett ing(./ in the In­
fotainmen t system).
Error messages
ea -The high -voltage battery charge level is too
low to heat/air condition the veh icle using only
e lectr ic powe r.
If one of the follow ing symbols appears in the
d isplay, then you cannot switch on the aux iliary
climate cont rol:
,....c -There is a system ma lfunction.
Bu -The fue l level is too low.
(D Tips
- You can set the t imer a m axim um of seve n
days in advan ce.
- You can operate the clima te con trol in the
vehicle inte rior w hen the h igh -vo ltage bat­
tery is charging using the c harging timer
¢ page 110 . The climate cont rol output de ­
pends on the powe r socket capac ity.
::li -M ake s ure the time and date match in the .-<
~ Infotainment system settings so that the
N 8 timer can function properly¢ page 243.
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e-tron
- T he auxiliary climate contro l can contin ue to
ru n after the departure time is reached .
Cleaning/maintenance
information
App lies to : vehicles wi th plug-in hybrid drive
When was hing your vehicle with a pressure wash­
er, always follow the operat ing instruct ions pro­
v ided w ith the pressure washer. This is especially
i mportant in regard to the pressu re and spray ing
distance. Do not direct cleaning spray at the
c h arg ing unit in the rad iator g rille or at t he
c h arg ing dock*/charging cl ip*. Keep a d istance of
at least 16 in (40 cm) .
Do not remove snow and ice with a p ressure
washe r.
Never use cone nozzles or high pressu re nozzles .
The water temperature must not be above 60
°C.
Remove contaminants on the Audi e -tron system
with a dry towel.
Remove contaminants on the charging dock*/
c h arg ing clip* wi th a wet towe l dampened w ith
alcohol-free clean ing solution .
& WARNING
=
-Never immerse the Audi e-tron charging
system and connectors in water.
-
- The A udi e -tron charging system must on ly
be cleaned when the control unit is com­
p letely disconnected from the power supp ly
and from the vehicle.
@ Note
To dec rease the risk of discolora tion, never
clean the charging doc k*/charging clip * with
harsh cleaning sol utions or so lutions that
contain alcoho l.
117

Trail er to wing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your veh icle is primari ly intended for transport­
ing peop le and luggage. Howeve r, if you dr ive
with a tra iler , follow the techn ica l requirements ,
the operation and driving tips, and the lega l reg ­
ulations.
Dr iving w ith a trailer affects the vehicle 's fuel
consumpt ion, performance and wear. It a lso re­
quires higher concentration from the driver .
A WARNING
Do not transport any people in a trailer due to
the risk of fatal injury .
Technical requirements
Certain requirements must be met when towing
a trailer.
Trailer hitch
Only use a trailer hitch with a removab le ball
h itch mount and ball h itch. The tra ile r hitc h must
be pe rm it t ed for the vehicle, the tra iler and the
permitted tota l weight of the trailer being
pu lled . Above all, it must be secure ly and safe ly
attached to the vehicle trailer.
Never mo unt a t rai ler hitch on the bumper. The
trai ler hitc h must be mounted in a way that does
not impair the function of the bumper. Do not
make any changes to the exhaust system and the
brake system.
Check regu larly if the trai ler hitc h is securely
mounted . A lways follow the instructions given by
the trai ler hitch manufacturer .
Trailer brakes
If t he tra ile r has its own bra ke system, then fol­
low the manufacturer specifica tions. Howeve r,
the brake system on the trai ler must never be
connected to the vehicle brake system.
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Engine cooling system
D riving w ith a tra ile r means a higher load on t he
engine and the cooling sys tem. The coo ling sys­
tem must be designed for additiona l load and
contain enoug h
coolant ¢@ .
@ Note
Longer incl ines cannot be driven wi tho ut a
suitab le cooling system, especia lly if the out ­
side temperatures are high . ot herwise, this
i ncreases the risk of eng ine damage.
Operating instructions
Several things must be noted when towing a
trailer.
Towing capacity
Yo ur vehicle can only be ope ra ted with class 1 or
class 2 trai le rs.
Load distribution
Poor cargo load and distr ib ution can negatively
i mpact vehicle handling . T o have the lowest im­
pact as poss ible, load the tra ile r according to
t h ese cr ite ria :
- Store objects preferably in the vehicle luggage
compartment . The vehicle should a lways carry
the heaviest poss ib le load and the trailer
should have t he lig htest poss ible load .
- Dist ribute the load in the t railer so that the
heavy objects a re as close to the axle as poss i­
ble.
- Secu re objects from s lid ing o ut of place.
- Ut il ize the maximum permitted tongue we ight
if poss ible .
Tire s
Set the tire pressure on your vehicle for a "full
load"; see the tire pressure
st icker ¢ page 341.
If necessary, also adjust the t ire pressure on the
trailer acco rding to the manufactu rer's recom­
mendat ion.
Winter tires should be mounted on the vehicle and on the trailer during w inter temperatures .

Outside mirrors
If yo u cannot see the traffic behind the tra iler
with the standard exterior mirrors, then you
must attach additiona l exterior mirrors . Adj ust
them so you have a sufficient visibility behind
you .
Exterior lighting
Follow the legal regulat ions regard ing the light­
ing equipment on your trailer . Contact an author ­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty for more information.
Before starting to drive, check all lighti ng equip­
ment on the hitched trailer.
The headlight range contro l adjusts automatical­
l y to the light range of the headl ights.
Safety chains
Make sure the safety chains are correctly applied
when pull ing a trailer . The chains should hang
enough so that the trailer can dr ive around
curves. However, they must not touch the
g ro und .
(D Tips
-Use chocks whe n parking on incl ines if the
trailer is load ed.
- We recommend also hav ing the veh icle in­
spected between the inspect ion intervals if
you are towing a trailer frequently.
- Avo id driving with a trailer during the vehi­
cle break- in period .
Driving with a trailer
Driving with a trailer requires extra caution.
Speed
Adhere to the legal speed limits. Follow the legal
regulations specific to the country.
As the speed increases, the driving stability of
the trai ler decreases. Therefore you should not
exceed the maximum legal speed limit when
u. there are unfavorable road, weather and/or wind 00
~ conditions . This especially applies when driving
~ downhill.
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Trailer towing
You m ust always reduce your speed as soon as
you notice even the slightest swinging motion of
the tra iler. Never try to "stra ighten out" the tra il­
er by acce lerating.
T he weight distribution is very poor if the vehicle
is empty and the trai ler is loaded . However if you
must drive under these circumstances, then dr ive
especially slowly .
Brakes
Brake in a timely manner. Downshift before driv ­
ing down hill so that t he engine can assist with
braking ~.&. .
When using a trailer w it h overrun brakes, first
brake gently then quickly. This reduces the r isk of
jerking while braking if the trailer wheels lock up .
Engine coolant temperature
Pay attention specifically to the coo lant tempera­
ture display when there are high outside temper­
a tur es, and when driving on long inclines
~page 11. Shift to a hig her gear in a timely man­
ner .
A WARNING
= -
Constant braking causes the brakes to over-
heat and substantially reduces braking per­
formance, increases braking distance or caus­
es complete failure of the brake system.
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