2020 AUDI A3 seat adjustment

Seats

Seats
General information


\. WARNING
Refer to the chapter Driving Safely
=> page 237, Driving safety for important in-
formation, tips, suggestions and warnings
that you should read and follow for your own
safety and the safety of your passengers.
@® Note
Applies to: vehicles with manually adjustable head re-
straints

To reduce the risk of damage, be very careful
when adjusting the seat to make sure the
head restraints do not hit the headliner or the
panorama glass roof*.
Front seats
Manual seat adjustment
Applies to: vehicles with manual adjustable seats
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2 = a oO


Fig. 64 Front seat: manual seat adjustment
The settings depend on the vehicle equipment.
Adjusting the seat position
> To adjust the seat forward or back, pull the lev-
er @ and slide the seat.
> To adjust the seat up or down, pull or press the
lever ©).
Adjusting the backrests
> To adjust the backrest so that it is higher or
lower, turn the handwheel (7).
54
Adjusting the upper thigh support
> To increase or decrease the upper thigh sup-
port, lift the handle @) and move the upper
thigh support.
Adjusting the angle of the seat surface
> To adjust the angle of the seat surface, pull or
press the lever (3).
Adjusting the lumbar support
> To adjust the lumbar support, press the button
@ at the applicable location.
Adjusting the massage function
> Switching the massage function on or off G).

A WARNING
—To reduce the risk of an accident, only adjust
the front seats when the vehicle is station-
ary.
— Exercise caution when adjusting the seat
height. Adjusting the seat carelessly or with-
out checking can pinch hands and fingers.
— The front seat backrests must not be re-
clined too far back when driving, because
this impairs the effectiveness of the safety
belts and airbag system, which increases the
risk of injury.
® Tips
The massage function switches off automati-
cally after approximately 10 minutes.
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Applies to: vehicles with power adjustable seats



Fig. 65 Front seat: power seat adjustment
The settings depend on the vehicle equipment. >

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Seats

Adjusting the backrests
> To adjust the backrest forward or backward,
press the button @) forward or backward.
Adjusting the seat position
> To adjust the seat forward or backward, push
the button @) forward or backward.
> To adjust the seat upward or downward, push
the rear section of the button @) upward or
downward.
Adjusting the lumbar support
> To adjust the lumbar support, press the button
@) at the applicable location.
Adjusting the upper thigh support
> To can increase or decrease the upper thigh
support, lift the handle @). A spring moves the
support forward.
Adjusting the massage function
> Switching the massage function on or off ().
@) Tips
The massage function switches off automati-
cally after approximately 10 minutes.
Va
Applies
to: vehicles with entry assistance
Entry assistance makes it easier for the rear pas-
sengers to enter and leave the vehicle.

B8W-0269


ZA\ WARNING
—To reduce the risk of an accident, only adjust
the front seats when the vehicle is station-
ary.
— The power adjustment for the front seats al-
so works with the ignition switched off or
with the ignition key removed. To reduce the
risk of injury, children should never be left
unattended in the vehicle for this reason.
— Exercise caution when adjusting the seat
height. Unsupervised or careless seat adjust-
ment could cause parts of the body to get
pinched, which increases the risk of injury.
— The front seat backrests must not be re-
clined too far back when driving, because
this impairs the effectiveness of the safety
belts and airbag system, which increases the
risk of injury.


Fig. 66 Front seat: controls on the seat backrest: 1) back-
rest release, 2) power entry assistance
Power entry assistance
> Lift the handle @ and fold the seat backrest
forward.
> To move the seat all the way forward or to the
original position, press the @) button briefly.
You can stop the seat by pressing the button
again.
> You can move the seat all the way forward even
when the backrest is upright. Press and hold
the button 2) until the seat reaches your pre-
ferred position.


ZA WARNING
— Always make sure the front seats are upright
and securely locked in place.
— Power entry assistance also works when the
ignition is switched off!) or when the igni-
tion key is removed, so that rear seat pas-
sengers can still move to the front of the ve-
hicle in an emergency situation. To reduce
the risk of injury, children should never be
left unattended in the vehicle for this rea-
son.


D_ Requirement: the vehicle battery must have a sufficient
charge level.
55

Be very careful when adjusting the seats to
avoid damaging the head restraints, headlin-
er, or sunroof*.
Front center armrest
Applies to: vehicles with a front center armrest
The front center armrest is located between the
front seats.
Adjusting the center armrest
The settings depend on the vehicle equipment.
> To adjust the armrest forward or backward,
move the armrest in the desired direction.
> To adjust the angle, raise the armrest in stages.
> To move the armrest back into the original posi-
tion, raise it slightly out of the top level and
fold it downward.

ZA\ WARNING
In certain positions, the front center armrest
can interfere with the driver’s arm movement,
which increases the risk of injury.

Head restraints
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Applies to: vehicles with adjustable head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an impor-
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys-
tem and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in
accident situations.

B4G-0454



Fig. 67 Head restraint: viewed from the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to
achieve the best protection.
56
> Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is
as even as possible with the top of your head. If
that is not possible, try to adjust the head re-
straint so that it is as close to this position as
possible.
> Applies to: forward/back adjustable head re-
straints: Move the head restraint so that it is as
close to the back of the head as possible.
> If there is a passenger on the rear center seat-
ing position, slide the center head restraint up-
ward at least to the next notch.

ZA WARNING
All seats are equipped with head restraints.
Driving without head restraints or with head
restraints that are not properly adjusted in-
creases the risk of serious or fatal neck injury
dramatically. To help reduce the risk of injury:
— Always drive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
— Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restraint.
— Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restraint so the upper edge is as
even as possible with the top of your head.
If that is not possible, try to adjust the head
restraint so that it is as close to this position
as possible.
— Applies to: forward/back adjustable head re-
straints: Move the head restraint so that it is
as close to the back of the head as possible.
— Never attempt to adjust head restraint while
driving. If you have driven off and must ad-
just the driver headrest for any reason, first
stop the vehicle safely before attempting to
adjust the head restraint.
— Children must always be properly restrained
in a child restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size > page 278.

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Safety belts

> Make sure the seatback of the rear seat bench is
in an upright position and securely latched in
place before using the belt > /\.
> Pull the safety belt evenly across the chest and
pelvis > fig. 209, > A\.
> Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hear it latch securely.
> Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely
latched in the buckle.
Automatic safety belt retractors
Every safety belt is equipped with an automatic
belt retractor on the shoulder belt. This feature
locks the belt when the belt is pulled out fast,
during hard braking and in an accident. The belt
may also lock when you drive up or down a steep
hill or through a sharp curve. During normal driv-
ing the belt lets you move freely.
Safety belt pretensioners
Safety belts with pretensioners help to tighten
the safety belt and remove slack when the pre-
tensioners are activated > page 252. The func-
tion of the pretensioner is monitored by a warn-
ing light > page 238.
Convertible locking retractor
Every safety belt except the one on the driver
seat is equipped with a convertible locking retrac-
tor that must be used when the safety belt is
used to attach a child seat. Be sure to read the
important information about this feature
=> page 289.

ZA WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause
serious injury in an accident > page 249,
Safety belt position.
— Safety belts offer optimum protection only
when the seatback is upright and belts are
properly positioned on the body.
— Always make sure that the rear seat backrest
to which the center rear safety belt* is at-
tached is securely latched whenever the rear
center safety belt is being used. If the back-
rest is not securely latched, the passenger
will move forward with the backrest during

sudden braking, in a sudden maneuver and
especially in a crash.
— Never attach the safety belt to the buckle
for another seat. Attaching the belt to the
wrong buckle will reduce safety belt effec-
tiveness and can cause serious personal in-
jury.
— A passenger who is not properly restrained
can be seriously injured by the safety belt it-
self when it moves from the stronger parts
of the body into critical areas like the abdo-
men.
— Always lock the convertible locking retractor
when you are securing a child seat in the ve-
hicle > page 290.
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting maxi-
mum protection from safety belts.



B4H-0751



Fig. 210 Safety belt position
Standard features on your vehicle help you adjust
the position of the safety belt to match your body
size.
— belt height adjustment for the front seats*,
— height-adjustable front seats.

ZX WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause
serious personal injury in an accident.
—The shoulder belt should lie as close to the
center of the collar bone as possible and
should fit well on the body. Hold the belt
above the latch tongue and pull it evenly
across the chest so that it sits as low as pos-
sible on the pelvis and there is no pressure
on the abdomen. The belt should always fit


249

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Safety belts

Adjusting the safety belt latch tongue
Applies to: vehicles with adjustable latch tongue
& Ss
g = & 3

Fig. 213 Safety belt: latch tongue clip (example)
> Slide the clip so that you can easily reach the
belt latch when putting the safety belt on.
ONT Leia aia tell
Applies to: vehicles with safety belt height adjustment
With the aid of the safety belt height adjust-
ment, the three point safety belt strap routing
can be fitted to the shoulder area, according to
body size.

B4G-0004)



Fig. 214 Safety belt height adjustment for the front seats
- loop-around fittings
The shoulder belt should lie as close to the center
of the collar bone as possible and should fit well
on the body > A\ in Safety belt position on
page 249.
> Push the loop-around fittings up > fig. 214@,
or
> squeeze together the (@) button, and push the
loop-around fittings down (2).
> Pull the belt to make sure that the upper at-
tachment is properly engaged.

ZA WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and oth-
er important information > page 248.
(i) Tips
With the front seats, the height adjustment
of the seat can also be used to adjust the po-
sition of the safety belts.
Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause se-
vere injuries.

Wearing safety belts improperly can cause seri-
ous injury or death. Safety belts can only work
when they are correctly positioned on the body.
Improper seating positions reduce the effective-
ness of safety belts and will even increase the risk
of injury and death by moving the safety belt to
critical areas of the body. Improper seating posi-
tions also increase the risk of serious injury and
death when an airbag deploys and strikes an oc-
cupant who is not in the correct seating position.
A driver is responsible for the safety of all vehicle
occupants and especially for children. Therefore:
> Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect sit-
ting position in the vehicle while traveling
of.

ZA\ WARNING
Improperly worn safety belts increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death whenever
a vehicle is being used.
— Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
are correctly restrained and stay in a correct
seating position whenever the vehicle is be-
ing used.
— Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information > page 248.

251

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Airbag system

Airbag system
Important information
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sitting properly
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. For
airbags to do their job, occupants must always
properly wear their safety belts and be in a prop-
er seating position.
For your safety and the safety of your passen-
gers, before driving off, always:
> Adjust the driver's seat and steering wheel
properly > page 238,
> Adjust the front passenger's seat properly
=> page 239,
> Wear safety belts properly > page 248,
> Always properly use the proper child restraint
to protect children > page 278.
Ina collision, airbags must inflate within the
blink of an eye and with considerable force. The
supplemental airbags can cause injuries if the
driver or the front seat passenger is not seated
properly. Therefore in order to help the airbag to
do its job, it is important, both as a driver and as
a passenger to sit properly at all times.
By keeping room between your body and the
steering wheel and the front of the passenger
compartment, the airbag can inflate fully and
completely and provide supplemental protection
in certain frontal collisions > page 238, Correct
passenger seating positions. For details on the
operation of the seat adjustment controls
=> page 54.
It's especially important that children are proper-
ly restrained > page 278.
There is a lot that the driver and the passengers
can and must do to help the individual safety fea-
tures installed in your Audi work together as a
system.
Proper seating position is important so that the
front airbag on the driver side can do its job. If
you have a physical impairment or condition that
prevents you from sitting properly on the driver
seat with the safety belt properly fastened and
reaching the pedals, or if you have concerns with
regard to the function or operation of the Ad-
vanced Airbag System, please contact your au-
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop, or
call Audi Customer Relations at 1-800-822-2834
for possible modifications to your vehicle.
When the airbag system deploys, a gas generator
will fill the airbags, break open the padded cov-
ers, and inflate between the steering wheel and
the driver and between the instrument panel and
the front passenger. The airbags will deflate im-
mediately after deployment so that the front oc-
cupants can see through the windshield again
without interruption.
All of this takes place in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that the
airbags have deployed. The airbags also inflate
with a great deal of force and nothing should be
in their way when they deploy. Front airbags in
combination with properly worn safety belts slow
down and limit the occupant's forward move-
ment. Together they help to prevent the driver
and front seat passenger from hitting parts of
the inside of the vehicle while reducing the forces
acting on the occupant during the crash. In this
way they help to reduce the risk of injury to the
head and upper body in the crash. Airbags do not
protect the arms or the lower parts of the body.
Both front airbags will not inflate in all frontal
collisions. The triggering of the airbag system de-
pends on the vehicle deceleration rate caused by
the collision and registered by the electronic con-
trol unit. If this rate is below the reference value
programmed into the control unit, the airbags
will not be triggered, even though the car may be
badly damaged as a result of the collision. Vehi-
cle damage, repair costs or even the lack of vehi-
cle damage is not necessarily an indication of
whether an airbag should inflate or not.
Since the circumstances will vary considerably
between one collision and another, it is not possi-
ble to define a range of vehicle speeds that will
cover every possible kind and angle of impact
that will always trigger the airbags. Important
factors include, for example, the nature (hard or
soft) of the object which the car hits, the angle of
impact, vehicle speed, etc. The front airbags will >
253

Airbag system


fore and aft adjustment range, as far away
from the airbag as possible. The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright position.
Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.

ZA WARNING
— If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go out when an adult is sitting on the
front passenger seat after taking the steps
described above, make sure the adult is
properly seated and restrained at one of the
rear seating positions.
— Have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer before transporting anyone on
the front passenger seat.
@) Tips
If the capacitive passenger detection system
determines that the front passenger seat is
empty, the frontal airbag on the passenger
side will be turned off, and the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light will stay on.
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed at many
different places on your Audi. Installing, remov-
ing, servicing or repairing a part in an area of the
vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system
and prevent that system from working properly
in a collision.

There are some important things you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system will not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environment.

ZA WARNING
Improper care, servicing and repair proce-
dures can increase the risk of personal injury
and death by preventing an airbag from de-
ploying when needed or deploying an airbag
unexpectedly:

268

— Never cover, obstruct, or change the steer-
ing wheel horn pad or airbag cover or the in-
strument panel or modify them in any way.
— Never attach any objects such as cup holders
or telephone mountings to the surfaces cov-
ering the airbag units.
— For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one mois-
tened with plain water. Solvents or cleaners
could damage the airbag cover or change
the stiffness or strength of the material so
that the airbag cannot deploy and protect
properly.
— Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of
the airbag system.
— All work on the steering wheel, instrument
panel, front seats or electrical system (in-
cluding the installation of audio equipment,
cellular telephones and CB radios, etc.)
must be performed by a qualified technician
who has the training and special equipment
necessary.
— For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see your au-
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
— Never modify the front bumper or parts of
the vehicle body.
— Always make sure that the side airbag can
inflate
without interference:
— Never install seat covers or replacement
upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
Audi.
— Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags in-
flate.
— Damage to the original seat covers or to
the seam in the area of the side airbag
module must always be repaired immedi-
ately by an authorized Audi dealer.
— The airbag system can deploy only once. Af-
ter an airbag has been deployed, it must be
replaced with new replacement parts de-
signed and approved especially for your Audi
model version. Replacement of complete
airbag systems or airbag components must
be performed by qualified workshops only.
Make sure that any airbag service action is

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Child safety


ZA\ WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with
Advanced Airbags can be seriously injured or
even killed when an airbag inflates. A child in
a rearward-facing child safety seat installed
on the front passenger seat will be seriously
injured and can be killed if the front airbag in-
flates.
— The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, center armrest, or
door.
— Always install rear-facing child safety seats
on the rear seat.
— If you must install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat in
exceptional circumstances and the PASSEN-
GER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on
and stay on, immediately install the rear-
facing child safety seat in a rear seating po-
sition and have the airbag system inspected
immediately by your Audi dealer.



ZA WARNING
— Forward-facing child seats installed on the
front passenger seat may interfere with the
deployment of the airbag and cause serious
personal injury to the child.
— If exceptional circumstances require the use
of a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat, the child's safety and
well-being require the following special pre-
cautions to be taken:
— Always make sure that the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by its
manufacturer for use on a front passenger
seat with a front and side airbag.
— Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instructions provided with the child seat or
infant carrier.
— Never install a child restraint without a
properly attached top tether strap if the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions
require the top tether strap to be used.


— Never put the forward-facing child re-
straint up against or very near the instru-
ment panel.
— Applies to: vehicles with safety belt height
adjustment: Always set the safety belt up-
per anchorage to the adjustment position
that permits proper installation in accord-
ance with the child restraint manufactur-
er's instructions.
— Always move the front passenger seat to
the highest position in the up and down
adjustment range and move it back to the
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as far away from the
airbag as possible, before installing the
forward-facing child restraint.
— Always make sure that the safety belt up-
per anchorage is behind the child restraint
and not next to or in front of the child re-
straint so that the safety belt will be prop-
erly positioned.
— Always make sure that nothing prevents
the front passenger's seat from being
moved to the rearmost position in its fore
and aft adjustment range.
— Never place objects on the seat (such as a
laptop, CD player, electronic games device,
power inverter or seat heater for child
seats). These may influence the electrical
capacitance measured by the capacitive
passenger detection system and can also
fly around in an accident and cause serious
personal injury.
— Never place or use any electrical device
(such as a laptop, CD player, electronic
games device, power inverter or seat heat-
er for child seats) on the front passenger
seat if the device is connected to the 12-
volt socket or the cigarette lighter socket.
— Ifa seat heater has been retrofitted or
otherwise added to the front passenger
seat, never install any child restraint sys-
tem on this seat.
— Make sure that there are no wet objects
(such as a wet towel) and no water or oth-
er liquids on the front passenger seat
cushion.

279