lights AUDI A3 2012 Owner´s Manual

22 Instruments and warning /indicator lights
When this symbo l ml illuminates, it means
that Adaptive Light is defective. Go to a quali­
fied workshop to have the headlights or the
control unit for the Adaptive L ight repaired.
@, o Light/rain sensor defective
App lies to vehicles: with automat ic headlights
The indicator light indicates a defect in the
automatic headlights/automatic wiper sys ­
tem .
If the symbo l illuminates, the light sensor has
failed. For safety reasons , the low beams are
turned on permanently with the switch in
AU­
TO . However, you can continue to turn the
lights on and off using the light switch . In the
case of a defect in the rain sensor , the w ind­
sh ield wiper lever functions are st ill available .
H ave the light/ra in sensor checked as soon as
possible at an authorized Audi dealer.
; Audi magnetic ride
Appl ies to vehicles: with Audi magnetic ride
The indicator light monitors vehicle damping.
The indicator light E illuminates when the ig­
nition is switched on as a function check.
@ Tips
If the indicator lamp illuminates while you
are driving, there is a malfunct ion in the
veh icle damping. The chass is should be in­
spected immediately by an authorized Au­
di dealer.
~ Diesel particulate filter clogged
Applies to vehicles: with diesel engine and diesel particu­
late fi lter
1/1 Particulate filter ! See owner's manual
If the indicator light II in the instrument
cluster comes on, the diesel particulate filter has become blocked with soot as the result of
constant short-distance driving. When the
II symbol illuminates, you can alter your
driving style to assist the filter self-clean ing
p rocess. Drive for approximately 15 minutes
in 4th or 5th gear (automatic transmission with the se
lector lever in the S position) at a
minimum speed of 37 mph (60 km/h) and an
engine speed of approx imately 2,000 RPM .
The temperature increase that will result from
this can burn off the soot in the filter. The
symbol will switch off when the cleaning is
successful. After a successful cleaning, there
is no need to bring the car to an authorized
dealer or qualified workshop because this is
part of normal vehicle operation .
If the symbol
DI does not switch off, see
your autho rized dea ler or other qualified
workshop to have the problem corrected .
As long as the indicator light
11!1 remains on
(diesel part iculate filte r plugged), you ca n ex­
pect increased fuel consumption and possibly
also a loss of engine performance.
For more information on the diesel particu­
late filter, refer to~
page 171 .
A WARNING ,__
Always adapt your speed to the current
weather, road and traffic conditions. You
should never disobey traffic laws in order
to follow driving recommendations .
¢ ¢Turn signals
-
The indicator light blinks when you use either
turn signal.
Whenever you use the left B or the right fl
turn s ignal, the indicato r light blinks . When
you use the emergency f lasher, both indicator
lights flash.
If one of the turn signal light bulbs burn out,
the turn signal will blink twice as fast as nor­
mal.
Additional information on the turn s ignals
Q page SO.
CRUISE/ vf Cruise control
T he
(ijjll j~i~ (USA models)/. (Canada models)
warning/indicator light illuminates when the
cruise control is activated .

-All stored va lues wi ll be lost if the veh i­
cle battery is disconnected.
Menu display
Introduction
F ig . 12 Wiper lever: Controls for the men u display
Fig . 13 Display: Sta rt me nu
Some functions in your vehicle can be set, ac­
tivated, and controlled by
Men us). With these
menus you can also select the information
shown in the driver information system, which
operates only with the ignition switched on .
Operation is contro lled by the
I Reset I button
and the rocker switch on the wiper lever
¢fig. 12.
The
S tart m enu shows you the different dis ­
play types:
Se t
Ch eck
M enu off
Each display type in the Start menu contains a
submenu with additiona l opt ions .
Set
-Check
Menu off
Dri ver inform ation di spl ay 2 7
Clock
¢ page28
Computer
¢page28
Speed a larm (speed warning)
¢ page32
Language (7 languages)
¢page28
Units (distance, fuel consump­
tion, temperature)
¢page28
Displays (gearshift recommen­
dation)
¢page24
Lighting* (exterior lights, turn
signals)
¢ page48
¢page 50
Wiper (service position)
¢page57 Doors (unlocking and locking
mode, for example Auto Lock)
¢ page 36,
¢ page37
Service
¢page30
Chass is number*
¢ page255
-Engine oil temperatu re*
¢page 31
-Registered keys
¢ page34
All of the messages shown in
vehicles without menu display
appear on the display screen.
.
I

36 Openin g and clo sing
in the cover. Correct po larity is shown on the
cover .
.. Place the cover with the new battery on the
key base and press both parts together.
@ For the sa ke of the environment
Dispose of dead batteries properly so as
not to po llute the environment.
(D Tips
The replacement battery must be the
same specification as the original.
Electronic immobilizer
The immobilizer helps to prevent unauthor­
ized use of your vehicle .
A computer chip inside your key automat ica lly
deactivates the e lectronic immobilizer when
you insert the key in the ignition lock . When
you remove the key from the ignition lock, the e lectronic immobilizer is a utomatica lly acti­
vated once again.
@ Tips
- The vehicle cannot be started if an unau­
thorized key is used. The vehicle may not
start if another radio device such as a key
for another vehicle or transponder is lo­
cated on the key ring.
- For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regula­
tions
¢ page 262.
Power locking system
General description
The power Locking system Locks or unlocks all
doors and the rear lid simultaneously.
The power lock ing system in your veh icle in­
corporates the fo llow ing funct ions:
- Central locking function
- Remote control feature¢
page 35.
- Anti-theft alarm system ¢ page 42.
All the doo rs and the rea r lid a re locked by the
central locking system when you lock the vehi­
cle .
T he unlo ck ing and locking mode * can be
changed in the drive r information system
¢page 27.
Unlocking the vehicle
You can unlock t he vehicle from outside either
by us ing the remote contro l
or by inserting
and tu rning the key in the driver's door lock.
When you
unlock your vehicle:
- The ant i-theft a larm system is deactivated
b riefly .
- The vehicle i nte rio r lights i llum inate fo r ap­
proxima tely 30 seconds .
- All turn s ignal lights w ill flash tw ice when
the ca r is u nlocked.
- After unlocking the vehicle, you have 30 sec­
onds to open a door or the rear lid. After 30
seconds, the vehicle automat ically locks and
the anti -t h eft alarm system act ivates ag ain.
The rear lid can be locked o r unlocked either
by us ing the remote cont ro l
or by inserting
and tu rning the key in the drive r's door lock.
Unlocking the vehicle wi th the remo te contro l
c;:::::::5 will only unlock the rear lid, to open i t , the
lid handle needs to be pressed.
Locking the vehicle
You can lock the veh icle from outs ide either by
u sing the remote con trol
or by inse rting and
tu rning the key in the drive rs 's door lock .
When you
lock the veh icle:
- All doors a nd the rear lid are loc ked.
- All turn s ignal lights will flash once when
the car is locked.
- The ant i- theft a larm system is activated .
The horn of the anti-theft alarm system w ill
sound and the ant i-theft a la rm system read­
iness l ight , loca ted in the center of the in­
s trumen t panel be low the w indshield on the
r ight side of the ai r vent , will start to blink.
- The vehi cle i nte rior ligh ts turn
off. .,.

38 Openin g and clo sing
The remote controls a llows you to:
- lock or unlock the veh icle
- selectively unlock the rear lid.
The turn signals will flash briefly whenever
you lock or unlock the vehicle. Also, the interi­
or light will come on or go off whenever you
open or close the dr iver's door .
The transmitter and battery are located in the
head of the remote control. The receiver is lo­
cated inside the vehicle . The maximum effec ­
tive range depends on seve ral things . Remem­
be r, if the battery is weak, the effective range
dec reases.
The remote -control key conta ins a fold -out
key that you can use to man ually lock or un­
lock the v ehicle and to sta rt the e ng in e.
If you need to replace the remote contro l, or if
you need to have it repaired, you must see
your author ized Audi dealer . Only then can
you use the key again .
_& WARNING
Read and follow all WAR NIN GS c> &. in
G eneral descrip tion on page 37.
@ Tips
- The remote cont rol key is automat ical ly
deact ivated when th e ignition is sw itch­
ed on.
-
- The op eration of the remote cont ro l key
c a n be tempo rarily disrupted by in terfer­
ence from transmitters in t he vicin ity o f
th e veh icle work ing in t he same frequen­
cy r ange (e .g . a ce ll phone, radio equip ­
ment).
- In order to make sure the locking func­
tion is workin g, you shou ld always keep
you r eye on the vehicle to make sure it is
p roper ly loc ked.
- Do not use the remote control if you are
i nside t he car, ot herwise you may unin­
tentiona lly lock t he ve hicle, and then you
would set off the anti-theft alarm when
you try open a door . In case this happens
anyhow, push the unlock button@ . - U
se the panic function on ly if yo u are in
an emergency situation .
Resetting the remote control
The remote control must be rese t if the vehi ­
cle does not unlock.
• Press t he u nlock button@ on the remote
cont ro l.
.. Man ually un lock the driver's door lock with
the mechanica l key within 30 seconds .
.. Press either the lock-
tD or the unlock @ but­
ton to complete the reset seq uence.
Doors, power Locks
Operating the locks with the fold-out
key
To lock and unlock the vehicle from the out­
side, turn the key in the lo ck of the driver 's
door .
Fig. 30 Key turns for openi ng and closing.
To unlock all door s and the rear lid
.. Turn the key to position @ c> fig. 30 to un-
lock the vehicle
To lock the vehicle
,.. Close a ll win dows and doors pro perly.
.. Turn the key in the lock of the d river's door
to the loc k pos it ion
@ c> A in General de­
scription on page 3
7.
When you unlock yo ur vehicle:
- The ant i-theft alarm system is dea ctivated.
- The vehicle i nterior lights illum inate fo r ap-
proximately 30 seconds .
When you
lock the vehicle:

- All doors and the rear lid are locked.
- The anti- theft alarm system is act ivated.
- The veh icle inter ior lights turn off.
_& WARNING
Alw ays read and heed WARNING ~ &. in
General description on page 37.
Locking and unlocking the vehicle from
inside
The vehicle con be locked or unlocked from
the inside using the power locking switches
located in the driver's and the front passeng­
er's door.
F ig. 31 D rive r's doo r: powe r locki ng sw itc h
In addition to the central locking switches in
the doors , there is a locking switch on the rear
center console for the rea r-seat passengers
9 page40.
How t o lo ck all doors and the rea r lid
simultaneously
• Press lower part of the power locking switch
@ 9fig. 319&_ .
How to unlock all doors an d the re a r lid
simultaneousl y
• Press the upper part of the switch@ .
How to unlock / open each front door
s e paratel y using the doo r handle
• Pull the door handle once to release the
lock and s imultaneously open the door .
How to unlock/ open each rear doo r
s eparately using the doo r handl e
• Pull the door handle once to release the
lock .
Openin g an d clos ing 39
• Pull the handle twice to open the door.
If you lock the vehicle using the power lo cking
switch @, please note the following:
- You cannot open the doors or the rear lid
from the
outside (increased secu rity, for ex­
ample when you are stopped at a red light).
- The d iode in the power locking switch illumi-
nate when all the doors and the rear lid are
closed and locked.
- You can un lock and open the doors individu­
ally from the ins ide by pu lling once on the
door handle for the front doo rs and twice
for the rear doors.
- Front doors: you can unlock and open the doors from the inside by pull ing on the door
handle.
- Rear doors: pull the doo r handle
once to re­
lease the lock . Pu ll the handle
again to open
the door.
- If the driver's door is opened (afte r you have
locked the vehicle from the ins ide using the
power locking switch), the door will rema in
unlocked to prevent you from locking your­
self out of your vehicle. After you close the
door, you have to lock the driver's door
again .
- If you have a crash and the airbag is activat·
ed, the doors automatically unlock .
A WARNING
- If you use the power locking switch w ith
the doors closed, remember that all the
vehicle doors will lock.
- Locking doors from the inside can help
prevent inadvertent door opening during
a n accident and can a lso prevent unwant­
ed entry from the outside. Locked doors
can, however, delay assis tance to vehicle
occ upants and hold up rescue efforts
from the outside in an accident or other emergency.
(D Tips
If the vehicle has been locked manually
with the key or with the remote contro l,
the central locking switch is inoperative.

Clear vision Lights
· r/.· Switching the headlights on and off
F ig. 4 3 In str ume nt pa ne l: light switch
F ig. 44 Instrumen t pane l: Light sw itch with dayt ime
running lights (DRL)
The ligh t sw itch must not be ove rtu rn ed past
the s tops in
either d ire ct io n.
Switching on automatic headlight
control*
.,. Turn the light swi tch to AUTO* ¢ fig. 43.
Switching on the side ma rker lights
.,. Turn the light switch to ooo=.
Switching on the headlights and high
beam
.,. Turn the light switch to tD .
.,. Pus h the high beam lever forward towards
the instrument pane l
Q page 50.
Switching off the lights
.,. Turn the light swi tc h to 0 .
The headlig hts on ly wo rk whe n the igni tion is
sw itche d on . W hile s tartin g the e ng ine or
when swit ching
off the ign ition , th e head-
Clear vision 4 7
lig hts w ill go off and only the side ma rke r
li ghts wi ll be on.
Daytime running lights (DRL) (USA
models)
The d aytime r unning lights can be tur ned on
o r
off using t his fu nction . If the function is ac ­
tive, the dayt ime ru nning lights a re turned on
a utomat ica lly when the ign ition is switched
o n.
T he daytime r unning lights are activate d
only
when the light switc h is at the AUTO* or DRL *
pos ition.
Daytime running lights (Canada models
only)
The daytime r unning lights are activated only
whe n the light switc h ¢ fig. 43 is either at the
0 or the coo: pos ition.
T he daytime r unning lights funct io n can not be
turned
off .
Automatic headlight control*
In the swi tch positi on AUTO the automatic
headlight control
i s tur ned on. The l ow
beams are turne d on au tomatically through a
li ght se nsor as soo n as amb ient brightness
(e .g. when dr iv ing into a t unnel) fa lls below a
val ue p reset at t he factory. Whe n ambient
bri ghtness i ncreases aga in, the low beams are
turned
off aga in a utomat ica lly c:> & .
In the AUTO position the low beams are
switc hed
off automatically when the ignition
is tur ned
off.
Light Sensor Malfunction*
In the event of a light se nsor malfunction, the
drive r is notifie d in the instrument cluste r dis ­
play:
ral Automatic headlights/automatic wipers
defective
Fo r sa fety reaso ns the low beam s are turned
on perm anen tly wi th the switch in
AUTO* .
However, you can co nti nu e to turn the lights
o n and
off u sing the lig ht switch. Have t he ..,.

48 Clear vis ion
light sensor checked as soon as possible at a
dea lership.
Com ing home /leaving home function *
The function is switched on when the switch is
i n the AU TO* position and the function is
shown as active in the driver info rmation sys­
tem .
The
co ming h om e function illuminates the
a rea around the veh icle when the ign it ion is
switched off and the driver 's door is opened.
The length of time the lights remain on can be set in the menu display
( Illumination > Exte­
r io r light s> coming hom e).
The leav ing home function illuminates the
area around the vehicle when unlock ing it.
A WARNING
- Never use dayt ime running lights to see
where you are going. They are not bright
enough and w ill 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 dr iver . They do not relieve
the driver of his responsibility to check
the headlights and to tu rn them on man­
ually according to the current light and
visibili ty cond itions. Fo r example, fog
and rain cannot be detected by the light
sensors . So a lways switch on the head­
lights under these weather cond itions
and when driving in the dark
io.
- Crashes can happen when yo u 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 tha t others
can see yo ur car from the bac k.
- With the switch in
AUTO front fog lights
ca nnot be t urned on in addition .
- The light sensor fo r headlight contro l is
l ocated in the rear view m irror mount .
Do no t apply any stickers to the w ind- shield in this area to prevent malfunc
­
tions or fa ilures.
- Some exter io r light ing funct ions can be
adjusted in the driver informat ion sys­
tem
~ page 2 7.
- If you remove the ignition from the igni ­
tion lock while the headlights are still
on, a buzzer will so und as long as the
dr iver's door is open to rem ind you to
turn off the lights.
- Always observe the specif ic loca l regula­
tions for your area as to when to use your
lights.
- With automatic headlights, the high­
beam funct ion is also available, but wit h
one restrict ion: If you have not switched
the high beams back to low beams dur­
ing automatic headlight operation (fo r
example, after d riving through a tunnel) ,
only the low beams come on the nex t
t ime au tomati c headlights are swi tc h ed
on. To use the high beams, you first have
to pull the high beam lever back and
then push the lever fo rward again.
- In cool or damp weather , the inside of
the headlights, turn signals and tail lights can fog over due to the tempera­
ture difference between the inside and
outside. They w ill clear shortly after
switching them on. This does not affect
the se rv ice life of the lighting .
- Frequent use of the coming home/leav ­
ing home function for app roach ing and
depa rting a vehicle parked in the da rk
w ill strain the battery . Thi s ap plies pa r­
tic ular ly if only short distances a re d riven
between stops . Occasionally drive longer
dis tances to make sure the battery is re ­
charged sufficiently.

:l:D Front fog lights
Use the light switch to turn on the front fog
lights.
Fig. 45 Fog light act ivat ion: light sw itc h pos it ion o n ve ­
h icles WITHO UT sensor light
}D Switching on the front fog lights
.. Do not turn the light switch -"t;.. -<=> fig. 45 to-
ward the fog light symbol
.. Turn the light switch to
coo: or to @:D.
.. Pull the light switch to the first stop (D.
When the front fog lights are on, the sym­
bol
:iO next to the light switch will illuminate.
C:t:t Instrument panel illumination
The illumination of the instruments, displays
and the center console can be adjusted .
Fig. 46 In st rum ent pa nel illum inat ion
0
"' d. .. m
You regulate the brightness of the instru­
ments with the left thumbwhee l
Co/<=> fig. 46 .
@ Ignition ON, light switch.
With the ignition switched ON, the glow of in­
strument needles
can be adjusted to appear
brighter or d immer.
Clear vision 49
:oo: or io Ignition ON, light switch.
With the lights swit ched on, the brightness of
instrument cluste r (i.e. needles, gauges and
displays) and center console illumination can
be adjusted.
(D Note
The instrument cluster and center console
ill umination (gauges and need les) comes
on when you switch on the ignition and the
vehicle headlights are off . Be aware of the
follow ing difference between models built
to US or Canadian specifications:
-USA models: illumination of the instru­
ment cluster (gauges and needles),
dash and center console around the
gearshift lever is controlled by a light
sensor located in the instrument panel.
The instrument panel illumination will
automatically become dimmer as the
daylight fades away and eventually will
go out completely when outside light is
very low. This is to remind you, the driv­
er, to switch on the headlights before it
gets too dark.
- Canada models: instrument panel illu·
mination will stay bright regardless of
the intensity of ambient light. Always be aware of changes in outside light
conditions while you are driving. Re­
spond in time to fading daylight by
turning the light switch to position
gD
(or "AUTO " if your car is equipp ed with
th is feature)
to turn on your headlights.

50 Clear vis ion
Emergency flasher
The emergency flasher makes other motorists
aware that you or your vehicle are in an emer­
gency situation .
Fig. 47 Center console: emergency flasher switch
.. Press the switch ~ c:> fig. 47, to switch the
emergency flasher on or off.
When the emergency flasher is on, a ll four
turn signal b link a t the same time. The t urn
signal indicator lights
liliN in the instrument
cluster, as we ll as the light in the emergency
f lasher switch ~ blink likewise .
The emergency f lasher w ill automa tica lly
switch on if you are in an accident where the
ai rbag has deployed.
(D} Tips
You shou ld switch on the emergency flash­
er when:
- you are the last vehicle st anding in a tr af­
fic jam so that any other veh icles coming
can see you, or when
- you r vehicle has broken down or yo u are
i n an emergency situation, or when
- you r vehicle is being towed by a tow
truck or if yo u are towing a nothe r vehicle
behind you.
¢ Q Turn signals - and ~D high beam
lever
The lever on the left side of the steering col­
umn is used to operate the turn signal s and
the high beam as well as the headlight flash­
er .
t
'
F ig. 48 Tu rn signal and high beam lever
The turn signal and high beam lever has the
following functions:
¢ Q Turn signals
.. Lift the lever up a ll the way c:> fig. 48 (D , to
use the right turn signals, or push the leve r
down all the way @to use the left turn sig­
nals.
Auto -blin k
.. 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 resistance and then release it to
flash the turn s ignals
three times in succes­
sion .
This featu re allows to ind icate lane
changes clearly and w ith minimum effo rt
when driv ing on highways.
~D High beam
.. Push the lever forward @ to switch on the
h igh beam .
" Pull the lever back towards you to switch off
the high beam.
~D Headlight flasher
" Pull the lever toward the steering wheel@
to use the headlight flasher. ..,_

Notes on these featur es
- The turn signals only work with t he ignition
switched on. The indicator lights
B or IN in
the instrument cluster¢
page 13 also b link.
- After yo u have turned a corner, the turn sig-
nal switches off a utomatica lly.
- The
high beam works only when the head­
lights are on. The indicato r light
II in the
instrument cluster illuminates when the
high beams a re on.
- The
headlight flasher wo rks only as long as
you hold the lever -even if there are no
lights switched on. The indicator light
II in
the instrument cluster illuminates when you
use the headlight f lasher.
(D Note
Do not use the high beam or headlight
flasher if you know that these could be
blind ing 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.
............. ...... ... ........... ... J :·:::: ::::::::: : :: :::::::::::: . :: : .. :: ::::::::···· .......... ::::::::: :: ::: :! mmr ·::::m :: mu
... mmi ~ mim g gm,
II IIGI II
Fig. 49 Control pa nel above winds hield : interior light
switches
L ight switch¢ fig. 49 has the follow ing func­
tions:
Door cont act activation
• Move the sw itch to the center pos it io n. The
forward dome light is turned on/off by the contact switches on any of the doors.
Clear vi sion 51
Forward dome light on
• Move the swit ch to position I. The forwa rd
dome light goes on and stays on regardless
of door position.
Forward dome light off
• Move the swi tch to position 0 . The light will
no t go on regard less of door position .
Glove compartment light
• Open the glove compartment -the light in
the glove compartment automatically illu­
m inates as long as the side marker lights or
head lights are on. When you close the glove
compa rtme nt, the light goes off.
Wi th the interio r light sw itch at the door con­
tact (center) posit ion, the forward dome light
i ll uminates whenever you u nlock the veh icle
or open a door. The dome ligh t goes out after
approximately 30 seconds after you have
closed the door . Likewise, when you lock your
vehicle or switch on the ignition, the dome
li ght goes out.
If you leave a door open, the dome light w ill
go out after ten minutes to conserve battery
charge.
A d immer automa tica lly contro ls t he b rig ht­
ness of the lights when they a re switche d on .
Interior lights and forward reading
lights
App lies to vehicles: wit h lig ht pac kage
The interior lights include the both reading
lights for the driver and the front passenger.
• •
Fi g. 50 Control panel above w inds hield: inter ior ligh t
switc hes
0 0 ....
~ CJ) a,