headlights AUDI A3 2011 Owner´s Manual

Instruments and warning /indicator lights
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of informa ­
tion.
Fi g. 2 O ver view of the in strum ent cluster
© Tachometer with t ime and date d is play ........... .
@ Indic ator light s (turn s igna ls) ....... ... . .. .. ... . .
® Coolant temperature gauge . .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. ... .
© Fue l gauge . ... ... .. ... ..... ... ... .... ... . .. .. .
© Speedomete r with odometer ...... .... .. .. .. . ... .
© Set/Check bu tton ....................... ...... .
(j) Warning/ind icator lights . .... .. .. .. . ... ... .. ... .
@ Reset button fo r
8,9
11
9
10
10
9, 3 1
11
- Trip odometer
- Service in terval disp lay
(D Note 10
27
T
he instrument cluster and center conso le illum ination (gauges and
need les) comes o n when you sw itch on the ign ition and the
vehicle
headlights are off .
Be aware of the following d ifference between
mode ls built to US o r Canadian specifications :
• USA models : illumination of the instrument cluster (gauges and
needles), da sh and c enter console around the g earshift lever is
controlled by a light sensor located in the instrument panel. The
instrum ent panel illumination will automat ically become dimmer
as the d aylight fades awa y and eventually will go out completely
when out side light i s very low . Th is is to remind you, the driver , to
switch on the headlights before it gets too dark .
• Canada models: instrument panel illumin ation will stay bright
r egardless of the intensity of ambient light. Always be awa re of
change s in out side light condition s while you are driving. Re spond
i n time to f ading daylight by turning the light sw itch to position
j D
(or "AUTO " if your car is eq uipped w ith this fea ture) to turn on your
headlights. •
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indica tes the engine RP M (revolutions
per minutes) .
The tachomete r© ::::, fig . 2 is the left one of the two large clo ck-type
displays .
The engine turns at a speed 1 000
times the single digit in the
display, e .g . if the need le points at the "2", the engine tu rns at
2 000 RPM .

Engine oil sensor malfunction =>page35
._ -
Engine speed limitation =>page34
Diesel particulate filter =>page34
Worn brake pads =>page35
USA models : =>page35 Speed warning 1
Canada models: =>page35 Speed warning 1
USA models : =>page35 Speed warning 2
Canada models: =>page35 Speed warning 2
!! Dynamic headlight range control*
defective
=> page35
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t
Windshield washer fluid level low => page35
Battery voltage too high or too low => page 35
Defective light bulb =>page36
USA models : =>page36
Defective brake light
Canada models : =:>page36
Defective brake light
Light/rain sensor defective (auto-
=> page 36
matic headlights)* defective
Tire pressure monitor ing system*
=> page 36
Vehicle OP-eration
Driver information display
When a yellow symbol appears, a warning tone will sound once.
Check the displayed function as soon as possible . If more than one
malfunction is detected, all symbols will appear one after the other
for about two seconds .•
Driver information
In addition to the warning/indicator lights and the
symbols in the instrument cluster display, driver informa ­
tion is displayed .
-~ a:.. CD m
Fig. 24 Section of
instrument cluster:
Set/Check button
Driver information appears in the display when a defective light bulb
is reported by the defective light bulb warning=>
page 36, when the
brake pads are worn and before you engage a gear on vehicles w ith S
tronic .
In addition, driver information may appear when a red symbol flashes
in the driver disp lay.
To display Drive r information
As an example, the~ symbol appears in the display . If you now
press the button => fig. 24, the following driver message appears in
the disp lay:
Switch off engine and check oil level
The driver message in the display goes out afte r about 5 seconds. You
can display the driver message again by br iefly pressing the button .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Driver information display
Defective light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning tells you when a vehicle
light bul b has become defective .
If a defective bu lb has been detected by the system or a light bulb
burns ou t, the symbo l w ith a message appea rs in the display to te ll
you which bulb is burnt out and where it is located. For example:
Rear left turn signal
After 5 seconds, the message d isappears . If you want to recall the
message into t he disp lay, press the CHECK button ::::,
page 8, fig. 2
® ·
There are three reasons w hy the defective bulb message would
appea r in the d ispl ay :
• The light bulb has burnt out::::,
page 285 .
• Th e fuse is "b lown" ::::, page 281, "R ep laci ng fuses".
• The wire connect io n to the light bulb is defective.
Have the bu lb rep lace d or the connec tion repa ired by your au thor ize d
Audi Service department.
& WARNING
• Light bulbs are pressurized and could e xplode while they are
being changed cau sing seriou s personal injur y.
• Work with due care when handling the high-voltage section of
ga s di scharge (xenon ) lamp s. Failing to do so could re sult in death
or se rious injury !•
Brake light defective B • urn (USA
models)/ (Canada models)
In case of a malfunct ion or component fai lure, the symbol
(USA models)/ (Ca nada models) can appea r. The following elec· trical components should be checked
, repaired or rep laced, as neces­
sary:
• Brake ligh t bul bs
• All wiri ng connec tions
• Brake light switch
C on tact your au thorized A udi deale r for assistance if necessary .
(I) Tips
The brake light switch is on ly inspected as part of the functional check
after the engine is sta rted .•
A pplies to veh icles: w ith au toma tic head ligh ts
Light/rain sensor defective
The indicator light indicates a defec t in the automatic
headlights/automatic wi per system.
If the symbo l ill umina tes, the ligh t se nso r has failed. Fo r safety
reasons, the low beams are turned on permanen tly with the sw itch in
AUTO . However, you can continue to t urn the lights on and off using
the light sw itch . In the case of a defec t in the ra in se nsor, the wi nd­
shield wiper lever functions are still avai lab le . Have the light/rain
s ensor che cked as soon a s poss ible at an a uth oriz e d Au di dea le r.•
A pp lies t o veh icles : wit h tire p ressure mon itoring system
Tire pressure monitoring system )
Tire press ure that is too lo w m ust be correc ted as soon a s
possible.
If the symbo l flashes for about one min ute after the igni ­
tion is sw itc hed on and then re m ain s on, t here is a malfu nc­
tion i n the syste m. Co nsu lt the neares t au thori zed Aud i
d ealer a s so on as possib le.
~

Clear vision
Clear vision
Lights
Switching the headlights on and off ·"ti-·
!
-ti. ID <O
-O> :! ti. ID <O
Fig. 49 Instrument
panel: light switch
Fig. SO Instrument
panel: Light swit ch
with daytime running
lights (DRL )
The light switch must not be overturned past the stops in
either direction.
Switching on automatic headlight control*
-Turn the light switch to AUTO* =:> fig. 49.
Switching on the side marker lights
- Turn the light switch to ~oo~.
Switching on the headlights and high beam
-Turn the light switch to io.
Push the high beam lever forward towards the instrument
panel=:>
page 59 .
Switching off the lights
-Turn the light switch to 0.
The headlights only work when the ignition is switched on . While
starting the engine or when switching off the ignition, the headlights
w ill go off and only the side marker lights will be on.
Daytime running lights (DRL) (USA models)
The daytime running lights can be turned on or off using this func ­
tion. If the function is active, the daytime running lights are turned
on automat ically when the ignition is switched on .
The daytime running lights are activated
only when the light switch is
at the
AUTO* or DRL * position .
Daytime running lights (Canada models only)
The daytime running lights are act ivated only when the light switch
~ fig. 49 is either at the O or the ~oa; position.
The daytime running lights function cannot be turned off.
Automatic headlight control*
In the switch position AUTO the automatic headlight control is
turned on . The low beams are turned on automatically through a light
sensor as soon as ambient brightness (e.g . when driving into a
tunnel) falls below a value preset at the factory. When ambient .,_

brightness increases again, the low beams are turned off again auto­
matically =>& .
In the
AUTO position the low beams are switched off automatically
when the ignition is turned off.
Light Sensor Malfunction*
In the event of a light sensor ma lfunct ion, the driver is notified in the
instrument cluster display:
Automatic headlights/automatic wipers defective
For safety reasons the low beams are turned on permanently with t he
switch in
AUTO*. H owever, you can continue to turn the lights on and
off using the light switch. Have the light sensor checked as soon as
possible at a dealership.
Coming home/leaving home function*
The function is sw itched on when the sw itch is in the AUTO* position
and the function is shown as active in the driver information system.
The
coming home funct ion illuminates the area around the vehicle
when the ign it ion is switched
off and the driver's door is opened. The
length of time the lights rema in on can be set in the menu display
( Illumination > Exterior lights > coming home ).
The leaving home function illuminates the area around the vehicl e
when u nlocking it .
& WARNING
• Never use daytime running lights to see where you are going.
They are not bright enough and will not let you see far enough
ahead for safety, especially at dusk or when it is dark. Always
switch on the low beams at dusk or when it is dark.
• Automatic headlights are only intended to assist the driver .
They do not relieve the driver of his respon sibility to check the
headlights and to turn them on manually according to the current
light and visibility conditions. For example, fog and rain cannot be
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Clear vision
& WARNING
(continued )
detected by the light sensors. So always switch on the headlights
under these weather conditions and when driving
in the dark io.
• Crashes can happen when you cannot see the road ahead and
when you cannot be seen by other motorists.
- Always turn on the headlights so that you can see ahead and
so that others can see your car from the back.
(I) Tips
• With the switch in AUTO front fog lights cannot be turned on in
addition.
• Th e light senso r for headlight control is located in the rear view
mirror mount . Do not apply any stickers to the windshield in this area
to prevent malfunctions or fail ures .
• Some exterior lighting functions can be adjusted in the driver
information system => page 22 ,
• If you remove the ignition from t he ignition lock whi le the head­
lights are still on, a buzzer will sound as long as the driver's door is
open to remind you to turn off the lights .
• Always observe the specific local regulat ions for your area as to
when to use your lights.
• With automatic headlights, the high-beam funct ion is also avail­
able, but with one restr iction:
If you have not switched the high
beams back to low beams during automatic headlig ht operation (for
example, after driving through a tunnel), only the low beams come
on the next time automatic headlights are switched on . To use the
high beams, you first have to pull the high beam lever back and then
push the lever forwa rd again .
• In cool or damp weather, the inside of the headlights, turn signa ls
and ta il lights can fog over due to the temperature difference
between the inside and outside. They will clear shortly after switching
them on. This does not affect the serv ice life of the light ing . _,,
Vehicle care Technical data

Clear vision
• Frequent use of the coming home/leaving home function for
approaching and departing a vehicle parked in the dark will strain the
battery. This applies particularly if only short distances are drive n
between stops. Occasionally drive longer distances to make sure the
battery is recharged sufficiently .•
Front fog Lights }0
Use the light switch to turn on the front fog lights.
@
Fig . 51 Fog light acti­
vation: light switch
position on vehicles
WITHOUT sensor light
Switching on the front fog lights }D
- Do not turn the light switch·'!'!-· ~ fig. 51 toward the fog
light symbol ".
- Turn the light switch to
~oo~ or to ;D.
- Pull the light switch to the first stop (D.
When the front fog lights are on, the symbol }O next to the light
switch will illuminate. •
Instrument panel illumination
The illumination of the instruments, displays and the
center console can be adjusted.
Fig. 52 Instrument
panel illuminat ion
You regulate the brightness of the instruments with the left
thumbwheel
er ~ fig . 52.
Ignition ON, light switch at@.
With the ignition switched ON, the glow of instrument needles can
be adjusted to appear brighter or dimmer.
Ignition ON, light switch at ;oo; or iD .
With the lights switched on, the brightness of instrument cluster (i.e.
needles, gauges and displays) and center console illumination can be
adjusted.
0 Note
Th e instrument cluster and center console illumination (gauges and
needles) comes on when you sw itch on the ignition and the
vehicle
headlights are off.
Be aware of the following difference between
models built to US or Canadian specifications:
• USA models : illumination of the instrument cluster (gauges and
needles), dash and center console around the gearshift lever is
controlled
by a light sensor located in the instrument panel. The _,,,

Clear vision
Auto -blink
- Move the lever (up or down) just to the point of resistance
to use the turn signals for as long as you need them, for
example when changing lanes.
- Briefly move the lever up or down just to the point of resis­
tance and then release it to flash the turn signa ls
three
times in succession.
This feature allows to indicate lane
changes clearly and with minimum effort when driving on highways .
High beam ~D
-Push the lever forward @to sw itch on the high beam .
Pull the lever back towards you to switch off the high
beam .
Headlight flasher ~D
-Pull the lever toward the steering wheel © to use the
headlight flasher.
Notes on these features
• The turn signals only work with the ign ition switched on . The indi­
cator lights ¢ or Q in the instrument cluster=>
page 11 also blink.
• After you have turned a corner, the turn signal switches off auto­
matically.
• Th e
high beam works only when the headlights are on. The indi­
cator light [D in the instrument cluster illuminates when the high
beams are on .
• The
headlight flasher works only as long as you hold the lever -
even if there are no lights switched on. The indicator light [Din the
instrument cluster illuminates when you use the headlight flasher.
0 Note
Do not use the high beam or head light flasher if you know that these
could be blinding oncoming traffic. •
Interior lights
Interior Lights and glove compartment
Light
The interior lights include the both reading lights for the
driver and the front passenger .
·······::--·· .. ·················· ············ ··
: illillllllllllll
1
\~l\lllllllilllllll :l;
,.. •eaa1 •u == -=---===
Fig. 55 Control panel
above windshield:
interior light switc hes
Light switch ~ fig. 55 has the following functions:
Door contact activation
-Move the switch to the center position . The forward dome
light is turned on/off by the contact switches on any of the
doors.
Forward dome light on
- Move the switch to position I. The forward dome light
goes on and stays on regardless of door pos ition.

Forward dome light off
-Move the switch to position 0. The light will not go on
regardless o f door positio n.
Glove compartment light
Open the glove compartment - the light in t he glove
compartme nt automatically illum inates as long as the
side marker lights or headlights a re on. When you close
the glove compartme nt, the light goes o ff.
With the interior light sw itch at the doo r contact (center) position,
t he forward dome light illum ina tes wheneve r you unlo ck the vehi cle
or open a door . The dome light goes out after approx imately 30
se conds after yo u have closed the door. L ikewise , whe n yo u lock your
vehicle or switc h on the ignition, the dome light goes out.
If yo u leave a door open , the dome light w ill go out after ten minutes
to conserve battery charge .
A dimmer automatically controls the br ightness of the lights when
t hey are swi tched on. •
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Clear vision
App lies to veh icles : w ith light packag e
Interior Lights and forward reading Lights
The interior lights include the both reading lights for the
driver and the front passenger .
Fig. 56 Co nt ro l pane l
a bove wind sh ield :
int erior li g ht swi tch es
Light switch ©~ page 60, fig. 5 5 has the fol low ing f unc­
t ions:
Door contact activation
- Move the switch to th e center pos ition. The forward dome
light is turned on/off by the co ntac t swi tches o n any of the
doors.
Forward dome light on
- Move the switc h to position I. The fo rward dome light
goes on and stays on regardl ess of door pos it ion.
Forward dome light off
- Move the switc h to position 0. The light will not go on
regard less of door position .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service Technical data

Clear vision Forward reading lights
~
- Press the left or rig ht sw itch ® to switch the left or right
fo rward reading lig ht on or off.
Glove compartment light
Open t he glove compartment - the light in t he g love
compartment automatically illum inates as long as the
si de marker lights or he adlights are on. When you close
the glove compartment, the light goes off.
With the interio r light switch at the door contact (center) position,
t he forward dome light illum ina tes whenever you unlock the vehicle
or open a door . The dome light goes out after approxima tely 30
se co nds after yo u have clo sed the door. L ikew ise, whe n yo u lock your
vehicle or switch on the ignition, the dome light goes out.
If yo u leave a door open, the dome light will go out after ten minutes
to conserve battery charge.
A dimmer automatically controls the brightness of the lights when
t hey are swi tched on. •
Appli es to veh icles : w ith light package
Ambient lighting
The ambient lighting illuminate important controls for
you.
• •
0 !!
-d. .,
"'
Fig . 5 7 Control pan el
a b ove wind shie ld :
p ositi on of am bie nt
l ig ht b ulbs
When you switch on the igni tion, the lights in the door ha nd les illu­
m inate .
When the side marker lights or headlights are switched on, the center
conso le is illum inated from the ambient light located above the wind­
shield .
You cannot ma nually t urn o ff these lights. •
Rear reading light
'
N !!
-d. .,
"'
Fig . 58 R ea r re ad ing
ligh t ...

(]] Tips
• The w indshield wipers are switched off when the ign ition is tu rned
off . Activate the windshield wipers after the ignition is switched back
on by mov ing the w indshield wipe r leve r to any pos ition.
• Worn or dirty windshield w iper blades cause smearing, which can
affect the operat io n of the l ight/rain sensor*. Check t he condi tion of
your windshield wiper b lades regularly.
• The rain sensor is part of the inte rval wiping system . Turning off
the ignition will also deactivate the rain sensor. To reactivate the
sensor, switch off the inte rval wiping funct ion, the n switch it back on
again .
• Applies to veh icles with light/ra in sensor: When the w ipers are
switched on manually and in rain conditions, the automatic head­
lights* turn on~
page 56, "Switching the headlights on and off ·f!: "
or off during the day when the wipers are no longer operating. The
au tomatic headlights* func tion is available in t his case only when the
light switch is in the "AUTO" position~
page 56, fig. 49.
• Make su re the washe r fl ui d reservoir in the eng ine compartment is
topped off before going on a long trip. Look up::::)
page 243 for
check ing and fill ing t he washer conta iner.
• The wipers only operate with the hood completely closed. •
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Clear vision
Rear window wiper cs;J
The wiper lever is also used to operate the rear windo w
w iper and the automatic wiper/ washer function .
Fig . 63 Wi per lev er:
a ct iva ting the rear
w indow wi per an d
w ashe r
The rear window w iper and t he au tomatic wiper/washer func­
tions are activated as follows:
Intermittent wiping
- P ush the wipe r lever forward towards the dashboard and
to the
first position ©~ fig. 63 . T he rear window wiper
w ill wipe the win dow approx. every four seco nds.
Automatic wiper/washer function
- Push the wiper lever forward to the second stop, position
0 , and ho ld it there for as long as you want the rear
wiper/washer to operate.
- Release the lever aga in. T he wiper w ill keep run ning for
app rox . four seco nds .
Switching intermittent wiper action off
- Pull the lever a ll the way back to the original posi tion.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data