2020 AUDI A3 tow

8V2012721BK
Trailer towing

Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your vehicle is primarily intended for transport-
ing people and luggage. However, if you drive
with a trailer, follow the technical requirements,
the operation and driving tips, and the legal reg-
ulations.
Driving with a trailer affects the vehicle's energy
usage, performance, and wear. It also requires
higher concentration from the driver.

Z\ WARNING
Do not transport any people in a trailer due to
the risk of fatal injury.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch

Only use a trailer hitch with a removable ball
hitch mount and ball hitch. The trailer hitch must
be permitted for the vehicle, the trailer and the
permitted total weight of the trailer being
pulled. Above all, it must be securely and safely
attached to the vehicle trailer.
Never mount a trailer hitch on the bumper. The
trailer hitch 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 regularly if the trailer hitch is securely
mounted. Always follow the instructions given by
the trailer hitch manufacturer.
Trailer brakes
If the trailer has its own brake system, then fol-
low the manufacturer specifications. However,
the brake system on the trailer must never be
connected to the vehicle brake system.
Engine cooling system
Driving with a trailer means a higher load on the
engine and the cooling system. The cooling sys-
tem must be designed for additional load and
contain enough coolant > @.
CG) Note
Longer inclines cannot be driven without a
suitable cooling system, especially if the out-
side temperatures are high. Otherwise, this
increases the risk of engine damage.
Operating instructions
Towing capacity
Your vehicle can only be operated with class 1 or
class 2 trailers.
Load distribution
Poor cargo load and distribution can negatively
impact vehicle handling. To have the lowest im-
pact as possible, load the trailer according to
these criteria:
— Store objects in the vehicle luggage compart-
ment, if possible. The vehicle should always
carry the heaviest possible load and the trailer
should have the lightest possible load.
— Distribute the load in the trailer so that the
heavy objects are as close to the axle as possi-
ble.
— Secure objects so that they do not slide.
— Utilize the maximum permitted tongue weight
if possible.
Tires
Set the tire pressure on your vehicle for a “full
load”; see the tire pressure sticker > page 330. If
necessary, also adjust the tire pressure on the
trailer according to the manufacturer's specifica-
tions.
The trailer and the vehicle should be equipped
with winter tires when driving in winter tempera-
tures.
Outside mirrors
If you cannot see the traffic behind the trailer
with the standard exterior mirrors, then you
must attach additional exterior mirrors. Adjust
them so you have a sufficient visibility behind
you.
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Trailer towing

Exterior lighting
Follow the legal regulations regarding the light-
ing equipment on your trailer. Contact an author-
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili-
ty for more information.
Before you start driving, check all lighting equip-
ment on the trailer while it is hitched to the vehi-
cle.
The headlight range control automatically ad-
justs the light range of the headlights.
Safety chains
Make sure the safety chains are correctly applied
when pulling a trailer. The chains should hang
enough so that the trailer can drive around
curves. However, they must not touch the
ground.
G) Tips
— Block the wheels with chocks when parking
on inclines if the trailer is loaded.
— Having the vehicle inspected between the
inspection intervals is recommended if you
tow a trailer frequently.
— Avoid 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 trailer decreases. Therefore you should not
exceed the maximum legal speed limit when
there are unfavorable road, weather, and/or wind
conditions. This especially applies when driving
downhill.
Hill
When you start driving uphill or downhill, trailers
may tilt or sway sooner than when driving ona
level surface. If small swaying movements have
already occurred, you can stabilize the trailer by
114
firmly braking immediately. Never attempt to
“straighten out” the trailer by accelerating.
Downshift before driving on hills to utilize the en-
gine braking effect > A\.
Brakes
When using a trailer with overrun brakes, first
brake gently then quickly. This reduces the risk of
jerking while braking if the trailer wheels lock up.
Engine coolant temperature
Pay attention specifically to the coolant tempera-
ture display when there are high outside temper-
atures, and when driving on long inclines
=> page 15. Shift to a higher gear in a timely man-
ner.

Z\ WARNING
Constant braking causes the brakes to over-
heat and can substantially reduce braking per-
formance, increase braking distance, or cause
complete failure of the brake system.

Assist systems

Switching the system on
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system

@ #
©
f°
Fig. 107 Lever: switching on the cruise control system

Requirement: the ignition must be switched on.
> To switch the system on, pull the lever toward
you to position @).
The (a or 8] indicator light and the corre-
sponding message will appear in the instrument
cluster.

ZA WARNING
If the brakes are malfunctioning (for example,
overheating) while the cruise control system
is switched on, it may shut off automatically.
Preselecting or activating a cruise control
Cy ey-t-te)
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system

When the vehicle is stationary, you can preselect
the cruise control speed or activate the speed
while driving.
Requirement: the system must be switched on.
> To preselect a cruise control speed when the ve-
hicle is stationary, tap the lever toward @)/G)
=> page 116, fig. 107.
> To activate the cruise control speed, pull the
lever toward position @ while driving, or
> To set the current driving speed as the cruise
control speed, press the button @) on the lever.
The active cruise control speed is indicated with
the ICRUISE| or i=} indicator light in the instrument
cluster.
116
Changing the cruise control speed
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
> To increase or decrease the cruise control speed
in increments, tap the lever toward @)/G)
=> page 116, fig. 107.
> To increase or decrease the cruise control speed
continuously, press and hold the lever to-
ward @/@).
Overriding or deactivating the cruise
control speed
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
You can override or deactivate the cruise control
system. When you deactivate the system, your
cruise control speed will be stored and you can
resume that speed.
Requirement: the system must be switched on
and activated.
Overriding
> To temporarily override the cruise control
speed, press the accelerator pedal.
> Once you release the accelerator pedal, the sys-
tem will adjust back to the stored cruise control
speed.
If you override the cruise control system for a
long period of time, the cruise control system
will be deactivated. The ICRUISE| or indicator
light will be displayed and the cruise control
speed will be saved.
Deactivating
> To deactivate the cruise control speed, press
the lever toward (2) (not locked into place)
=> page 116, fig. 107.
> Press the brake pedal.

ZA WARNING
Resting your foot on the accelerator pedal
could override the cruise control. This will pre-

vent braking interventions by the system.

8V2012721BK
Assist systems

Switching the system off
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
When you switch the system off completely, the
cruise control speed will be deleted.
Requirement: the system must be switched on.
> To switch the system off, press the lever toward
@ (locked into place) > page 116, fig. 107, or
> Switch the ignition off.
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
ICRUISE| / 3) Speed control system: currently un-
available. See owner's manual
If the indicator light turns on and this message
appears, the cruise control system has been deac-
tivated. There is a temporary malfunction, for ex-
ample the brakes are overheating. Switch the
cruise control system on again later.
Lap timer
Applies to: vehicles with lap timer
You can measure and analyze lap times with the
lap timer in the display.
Opening the lap timer
> Open the first Vehicle tab (trip computer) using
the |<>] button on the multifunction steering
wheel.


> Applies to: vehicles with analog instrument
cluster: Press the [=] button on the multifunc-
tion steering wheel and select Lap timer in the
menu.
> Applies to: vehicles with Audi virtual cockpit:
On the multifunction steering wheel, select:
left control button > Lap times.
Operating the lap timer
> On the multifunction steering wheel, turn the
left thumbwheel @) > page 17 or @ > page 20
until the desired menu item is displayed in the
instrument cluster.
> Press the left thumbwheel to confirm the selec-
tion.

ZX WARNING
Your focus should always be on driving your
vehicle safely. As the driver, you have com-
plete responsibility for safety in traffic. Only
use the functions such as the lap timer in such
a way that you always maintain complete con-
trol over your vehicle in all traffic situations.
(i) Tips
You can retrieve information from the trip
computer while the lap timer stopwatch is
running.
times and timing
Applies to: vehicles with lap timer

Requirement: the lap timer must be open
=> page 117.
Timing laps
> To start timing, select Lap 1 - press OK or Start
lap 1 in the menu.
> Applies to: vehicles with Audi virtual cockpit: To
start timing automatically when you start driv-
ing, select Start lap 1 by driving off or Start by
driving off in the menu.
> To measure the lap time, select New lap - press
OK or New lap in the menu. This starts timing
the next lap at the same time.
After completing, the difference between the last
lap and the previous best lap time will be indicat-
ed witha “—"@ or “"/.
Pausing timing and displaying a split time
> To insert a pause i select Pause in the menu.
> To continue timing, select Press OK to resume
or Resume in the menu.
> To display a split time, select Split time in the
menu. The split time {@] appears for approxi-
mately 10 seconds in the instrument cluster.
The timing of the current lap continues.
Resetting timing
> Using the multifunction steering wheel, select
Reset or Reset times in the menu. >
117

Assist systems

In curves
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control/Audi pre
sense front


Fig. 110 Example: driving into a curve
When driving into a curve > fig. 110 and out of a
curve, the system may react to a vehicle in the
neighboring lane and apply the brakes. You can
prevent that by pressing the accelerator pedal
briefly.
Stationary vehicles
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control

B8V-0630

Fig. 111 Example: vehicle changing lanes and stationary
vehicle
The adaptive cruise control system only reacts to
vehicles that being moving or to vehicles that the
system has already detected as moving. For ex-
ample, it can react when a vehicle that has al-
ready been detected (@ turns or changes lanes,
but adaptive cruise control does not react toa
stationary
vehicle @). Press the brake pedal to
slow the vehicle down.
120

Switching on and off
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control

B4M-0231


Fig. 113 Instrument cluster: adaptive cruise control
ACC: you can set any speed between 20 and 95
mph (30 and 150 km/h).
Indicator lights and messages in the instrument
cluster display inform you about the current sit-
uation and setting.
Switching adaptive cruise control on
> Pull the lever toward you into position @)
> fig. 112.
Storing the speed and activating regulation
> To store the current speed and activate the reg-
ulation, press the [SET] button > fig. 112 > /\.
The stored speed is shown in the tachometer
LED line @) and appears briefly in the informa-
tion line © © fig. 113.
> To activate the regulation while stationary, you
must press the brake pedal.


Switching adaptive cruise control off
> Push the lever away from you into position @
until it clicks into place. The message ACC: off
appears.
The stored speed in the LED line is erased.

8V2012721BK
Assist systems

@® Indicator lights
B - Adaptive cruise control must be switched
on. No vehicles are detected ahead. The stored
speed is maintained.
B - Avehicle driving ahead was detected. The
adaptive cruise control system regulates the
speed and distance to the vehicle ahead and
brakes/accelerates automatically.
B - Adaptive cruise control must be switched
on. A vehicle was detected ahead. Your vehicle re-
mains stopped and will not start driving auto-
matically.
B - The automatic braking is not enough to
maintain a sufficient distance to a vehicle driving
ahead. You must intervene > page 124, Driver in-
tervention request.
@ Instrument cluster display
If adaptive cruise control is not shown in the in-
strument cluster display, you can call it up using
the multifunction steering wheel buttons
=> page 17.
Based on the graphics in the display, you can de-
termine if the system is maintaining a distance to
a vehicle ahead and what that distance to this ve-
hicle is:
No vehicle - No vehicle was detected driving
ahead.
Silver vehicle - A vehicle was detected driving
ahead.
Red vehicle - Request for driver intervention
=> page 124.
The five distance bars on the gauge (4) represent
the set distance (refer to > page 123 for infor-
mation on how to change the distance). If you
fall below the selected distance, the distance
bars become red from the bottom upward.

ZA\ WARNING
If you press the [SET] button when driving at
speeds below 20 mph (30 km/h), the vehicle
accelerates automatically up to 20 mph (30
km/h), which is the minimum speed that can



be set.

@) Tips
— If you switch the ignition or the adaptive
cruise control system off, the set speed is
erased for safety reasons.
— The Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
and the Anti-Slip-Regulation (ASR) are auto-
matically switched on when the adaptive
cruise control is switched on.
Changing the speed
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control

[RAZ-0344


Fig. 114 Operating lever: changing the speed
> To increase or decrease the speed in incre-
ments, tap the lever in the @/G) direction.
> To increase or decrease the speed quickly, hold
the lever toward )/G) until the red LED @)
=> page 120, fig. 113 reaches the desired
speed.
You can also preselect the speed when adaptive
cruise control is not active by moving the lever in
the desired direction @)/©). Activate the previ-
ously selected speed by pulling the lever into po-
sition @ > page 120, fig. 112.
After each change, the new stored speed appears
briefly in the status line > page 120, fig. 113 ©.
When adaptive cruise control is active, the or
a indicator light turns on, and when adaptive
cruise control is not active, the gy indicator light
turns on. In the Audi virtual cockpit*, the indi-
cator light turns on instead.
121

Assist systems

Driving in stop-and-go traffic
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control

ig. 115 Instrument cluster: safe start monitor
The adaptive cruise control system assists you in
stop-and-go traffic. If a vehicle that is detected
ahead stops, your vehicle will brake and stay at a
stop, within the limits of the system.
> To resume driving with adaptive cruise control,
tap the accelerator pedal or
> Pull the lever toward you into position @)
=> page 122, fig. 116.
Starting to drive with adaptive cruise
control!)
As long as the message ACC autom. go is dis-
played and the object detected ahead starts to
move, your vehicle will continue driving > A\. You
can activate ACC: autom. go again for a short
time by pulling the lever to position @).
The ACC: autom. go start mode ends when the
brake pedal is pressed.
For safety reasons, your vehicle will only start to
drive automatically if:
— The driver's safety belt is fastened
— All doors and the hood are closed
— Your vehicle is not stationary for more than
three minutes
Safe start monitor
If an obstacle is detected when you start driving,
you will be alerted to the danger by the B indi-
cator light and the image in the instrument clus-
ter display > fig. 115 > A. An audio signal will
also sound. Your vehicle will drive more slowly

D_ This is not available in some countries.
122
when starting. This may also occur in some situa-
tions when there is no apparent obstacle.
— Press the brake pedal to slow your vehicle
down.

A WARNING
If the message ACC: autom. go!) appears,
your vehicle will start driving, even if there is
an obstacle between your vehicle and the ve-
hicle driving ahead. This increases the risk of
an accident.
G) Tips
If adaptive cruise control is active and your ve-
hicle does not start driving even though the
message ACC: autom. go”) appears, you can
start driving by tapping the accelerator pedal.
Interrupting cruise control
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control


B4M-0233


Fig. 116 Operating lever
Requirement: adaptive cruise control must be
switched on.
Overriding cruise control
> To accelerate manually, pull the lever toward
you into position @) and hold it there, or press
the accelerator pedal. The message ACC: over-
ride appears.
> To resume cruise control, release the lever or
take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Interrupting cruise control while driving
> Move the lever into position @). The message
ACC: standby appears. Or

8V2012721BK
Assist systems

> Press the brake pedal.
> To resume the stored speed, move the lever in-
to position @).
Interrupting cruise control when stopped
> Push the lever away from you into position @).
The message ACC: standby appears.
> To resume cruise control, press the brake pedal
and pull the lever toward you into position (2).

Z\ WARNING
It is dangerous to activate cruise control and
resume the stored speed when the current
road, traffic or weather conditions do not per-
mit this. This increases the risk of an accident.
Setting the distance
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control



B4M-0234


Fig. 117 Operating lever: setting the distance
> Tap the switch to display the distance that is
currently set > fig. 117.
> To increase or reduce the distance in incre-
ments, tap the switch upward/downward again.
The distance between the two vehicles will
change in the instrument cluster display.
When approaching a vehicle driving ahead, the
adaptive cruise control system brakes to match
that vehicle's speed and then adjusts to the set
distance. If the vehicle driving ahead accelerates,
then the adaptive cruise control will also acceler-
ate up to the speed that you have set.
The higher the speed, the greater the distance
=> A\. The Distance 3 setting is recommended.
That is equal to the general recommendation of
“half the speed shown on the speedometer”.
The distances provided are specified values. De-
pending on the driving situation and how the ve-
hicle ahead is driving, the actual distance may be
more or less than these target distances.
If you change the time gaps, the value you have
just set appears briefly in the instrument cluster
display, for example [Eg for Distance 3. This only
occurs if the adaptive cruise control is not cur-
rently shown in the display > page 120, fig. 113.
Distance 1: this setting corresponds to a distance
of 92 feet (28 m) when traveling at 62 mph (100
km/h), or a time distance of 1 second.
Distance 2: this setting corresponds to a distance
of 118 feet (36 m) when traveling at 62 mph
(100 km/h), or a time distance of 1.3 seconds.
Distance 3: this setting corresponds to a distance
of 164 feet (SO m) when traveling at 62 mph
(100 km/h), or a time distance of 1.8 seconds.
Distance 4: this setting corresponds to a distance
of 219 feet (67 m) when traveling at 62 mph
(100 km/h), or a time distance of 2.4 seconds.
Distance 5: this setting corresponds to a distance
of 328 feet (100 m) when traveling at 62 mph
(100 km/h), or a time distance of 3.6 seconds.

ZA WARNING
When setting the distance, the driver is re-
sponsible for adhering to any applicable legal
regulations.
(i) Tips
Your settings are automatically stored and as-
signed to the remote control key being used.
Setting the driving program
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control

Depending on the selected driving program and
distance, driving behavior when accelerating will
vary from dynamic to comfortable.
Setting the driving program on vehicles
without drive select*

MENU > Select in the Infotainment system: but-
ton > Vehicle > left control button > Driver as-
sistance > Audi adaptive cruise control >

123
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