window AUDI A3 2012 Owner´s Manual

Switching intermittent wiper acti on off
• Pull the lever all the way back to the or igi­
nal position.
A WARNING
Wiper blades are crucial for safe driving!
On ly in good condition are they able to
clear the windows properly to provide un­
restricted visibility. Worn or frayed wiper
blades are a safety hazard!
r::;, page 5 7,
Replacing front wiper blades
Q) Note
In freezing or near freez ing cond itions:
- Always check t hat the wiper blades are
not frozen to the glass before yo u turn
the wiper on. loosen a wiper blade which i s frozen in p lace before operating the
wipe r to preve nt damage to the wiper
blade o r the w ip er motor .
-
-Do not use the wiper to clear a frosted
window . Using the wipers as a conven ­
i ent ice sc raper will destroy the w iper
blades .
(D Tips
For better rea rward vision whe n pa rking,
the r ear w indow w ip e r is automat ica lly ac­
t iva ted one time when the windshield wip­
ers are sw itche d on and reve rse gear is en­
gaged.
Service position
Replacing the windshield wiper blades is only
possib le when you move the wiper arms into
the service position. In order to use the wind­
shie ld w ipers, the hood must be complete ly
closed . When there is a risk of frost, make
sure that the w iper blades are not frozen to
the windshield .
• Switc h the ignition on .
• Switch the ignition off aga in and move the
wipe r lever
r::;, page 55, fig . 57 from position
0 to 1 within 10 seconds . The w iper arms
now move in to the fie ld of v iew in t he wind­
shield .
Clear vision 5 7
The service pos ition can a lso be selected in
the d river information system*
r::;, page 27 .
(D Note
Neve r dr ive y our veh icle w hen the w ind­
shield wiper a rms are in the se rvice posi ­
tion and pulled away from the winds hield.
W hen yo u drive faster than 4 mph (6 km/
h), the wiper arms automatically return
back to the park position and could ca use
paint damage to the eng ine hood!
(D Tips
- Yo u can also turn on t he service posit ion,
for example, if yo u want to p rotect the
w indshield from icing by using a cover.
- The service posit io n moves to
off auto­
matically whe n yo u operate the w ind­
shield wiper lever, or speed exceeds
4 mph (6 km/h).
Replacing front wiper blades
Wiper blades in good condition help keep the
windshi eld clear .
Fig. 5 9 Unlatching w ipe r blades
®"
Fig. 60 Remov ing w iper blades

Warm and cold Climate controls
Description
The air conditioner is fully automatic and is
designed to maintain a comfortable and uni­
form climate inside the vehicle .
We recommend the following settings:
... Se lect and set a temperature between 64 °F
(+ 22 °C) and 84 °F (+28 °C).
... Press the
!AU TO ! button.
With this setting, you attain maximum com­
fort in the least amount of time. Change this
setting, as desired, to meet your personal
needs.
The climate controls are a combination of
heating, ventilation and cooling systems,
which automatically reduce humidity and cool the air inside your vehicle.
The air temperature, air flow and air distribu­
tion are automatica lly regulated to achieve
and maintain the desired passenger compart­
ment temperature as quickly as possib le.
The system automatically compensates for
changes in the outside temperature and for
the intensity of the sunlight entering the vehi­
cle. We recommend you use the
Automatic
mode c> page 81 for year-round comfort.
Please note the following:
Turn on the air conditioner to reduce humidity
in the vehicle. This also p revent the windows
from fogging up .
When the outside temperature is high and the
air is very hum id,
condensation from the
evaporator may drip under the vehicle . This is
normal and does not indicate a leak.
If the outside temperature is low, the fan nor­
mally only switches to a h igher speed once
the engine coolant has warmed up sufficient ­
ly.
Warm and cold 79
T he air conditioner temporari ly switches off
when you drive off from a standstill using full
throttle to save engine power.
T he compressor also switches off if the cool­
ant temperature is too high so that the engine
can be adequately cooled under extreme
l oads.
Air pollutants filter
T he air pollutants filter (a combined particle
filter and activated charcoa l filter) reduces or
eliminates outside air pollution (dust, or pol­
l en) from entering the vehicle .
T he air pollutants filter must be changed at
the interva ls specified in yo ur Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet, so that the air condi ­
tioner can properly work.
If you drive your vehicle in an area with high
air pollution, the filter may need to be
changed more frequently than specified in
your Audi Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. If
in doubt, ask your authorized Audi Service Ad­
visor for advice.
Energy management
To prevent the battery from being discharged
and to restore the ba lance of energy, compo­
nents which require large amounts of energy
are temporarily cut back or switched off c> page 167. Heating systems in particular re­
quire a great deal of energy. If you notice, for
example, that the rear window heater is not
heating, then it has been temporarily cut back
o r switched off by
energy management.
These systems are available again as soon as
the energy balance has been restored.
_& WARNING
.-----
Reduced visibility is dangerous and can
cause accidents .
- For safe driving it is very important that
all windows be free of ice, snow and con-
densation.
- Fully familiarize yourself with the proper
use and function of the heating and ven­
tilation system and especia lly how to de­
fog and defrost the windows.

80 Warm and cold
-Never use the windshield wiper/washer
system in freezing weather until you
have warmed the windshield first, using
the heating and ventilation system. The
washer solution may freeze on the wind­
shield and reduce visibility .
(D Note
-If you suspect that the air conditioner
has been damaged, switch off the air
conditioner and contact an authorized
Audi dealer to have the system inspect­
ed .
- Repairs to the Audi air conditioner re­
quire special technical knowledge and
special tools. Contact an authorized Audi
dealer for assistance.
@ Tips
-Keep the air intake slots (in front of the
windshield) free from ice, snow and de-
Controls
bris in order to maintain the proper func­
tion of the climate control system.
- Air escapes through vents under the rear
window. When placing items of clothing on the luggage compartment cover, en­
sure that the openings are not covered.
- If the inside temperature is very high
(for example, if the vehicle has been
parked in sun), open the windows and al­
low the hot air to escape before turning
on the air conditioner .
- A sensor in the grill provides the air-con­
ditioning system continuously with read­
ings of current outside temperature . So
that the air-conditioning can operate at maximum efficiency, the area below the
front license plate holder must not be
covered .
This overview will help you to familiarize yourself with the air conditioning controls.
Fig. 96 Air condi tion ing con tro ls
The display shows the temperature selected
and the blower setting.
You can set the temperature for the driver's
side using the left rotary switch @and the
temperature for the passenger's side with the
right switch @. Functions are
turned on and off by touching
the buttons. The diode in the buttons illumi­
nates when the function is active.
The grille between the buttons[:]/
G and
IAUTOI must remain unobstructed; there are
measurement sensors behind it.
- Do not seal off the grille.

-Do not clean the gri lle with a vacuum clean­
er, otherwise the sensors cou ld be damaged .
Function
!ACI Switching the cooling system on/off
q page 81
!AUTO I Automatic operation
qpage 81
[:] B Blower speed setting
( in the
q page 83
center)
l=I Manual recirculation mode
qpage82
~ Automat ic recircu lation mode
q page 82
~ Defrost
qpage82
@J Air directed to the windows
¢page83
[1;] Air from the outlets
qpage83
~ Air directed to the footwe ll
~page83
-= -·--~ Rear window defogger
¢page85
The buttons for sett ing the air flow d irection
~. ~and~ can also be pushed in combina­
tion .
~ Switching the air conditioner on/off
Applies to vehicles: with a utomat ic a ir conditioner
... Press the !AC I button to switch the air cond i­
tioner on or off .
When the a ir cond it ione r is sw itched on, t he
i ndicator light in the b utton is lit.
When the a ir cond it ioner is sw itched off, the
cooling system is switched off -th e heat ing
an d vent ilation system is reg ulated automati­
cally. Sw itch ing off the cooling system ( com ­
pressor) saves fuel.
Pl ease keep in mind that with the air cond i­
tioner switched off , the inter io r temperature
cannot be lower than the outside tempe ra­
ture. There is no coo ling and the air is not de -
Warm and cold 81
humid ified (danger o f the windows becom ing
fogged). Cooling mode switches off a utomati­
ca lly when the outs ide temperature is below
zero.
(D Tips
If there is a defect in the a ir conditioner,
the air conditioner cannot be switched on. In this case, the d iode in the button does
not light after being switched on. In the
event of a system fault, please contact an
A udi or specia list garage.
~ Automatic mode
The automatic mode is the standard setting
for all seasons .
Switching on AUTO
... Select tempe rat ure between 64 ° F (+ 18 °()
and 84 °F (+28 °C).
... Press
IAUTOI q page 80, fig. 96 .
AUTO on ly works when you set the inside tem ­
perature between 64 °f (18 °C) and 84 °f
(28 °C). If you select a temperature be low
64 °F (18 °(),
LO will appear in the display . If
you select a temperat ure above 84 °F (28 °C),
HI w ill appea r in t he d isp lay.
The system automatically compensates for changes in outside temperature and for the
i ntensity of the su nlight.
(D Tips
By keeping the IAUTOI button on the dr iv­
er's side pressed for several seconds, the
temperature of the passenger's s ide ca n
be set to the temperature o f th e d river's
side or vice v ersa. The new temperature
setting w ill be shown in the d isplay.

82 Warm and cold
i Setting the temperature
Separate temperatures can be selected for the driver's and front passenger 's side .
.,. Turn the rotary switch @ on the driver 's
s ide and the rotary switch @ on the pas­
senger 's side left(-) or right( +) to control
the temperature
¢ page 80, fig. 96.
There is a time delay before the selected tem­ perature is reached.
(D Tips
The temperature setting for the driver's
side can be transferred to the passenger's
side
¢ page 81.
~ Defrosting/defogging the windshield
The windshield and side windows are quickly
defrosted or defogged
... Press ~¢ page 80, fig. 96.
... Press ~ again or press !AU TO ! to switch off
the defro ster.
The temperature is automatica lly controlled .
Maximum airflow is primarily blown in
through outlets
(D , @ and ®¢ page 84.
Outlets @ can be opened and closed with the
controls behind them. Outlets @and ® must
be opened so the windows can be defrosted as
quickly as possible.
By pressing ~ and air recirculation are switch­
ed off .
~ Manual air recirculation mode
The recirculation mode prevents polluted out­
side air from entering the vehicle interior.
Switching on air recirculation
.,. Press the button I"" !¢ page 80, fig. 96
¢,&. .
Switching off air recirculation
.,. Press the button 1...,1 again, or
... Press the !AU TO
I button, or
... Press the~ button . In air recirculation
mode, air is drawn from
the ve hicle interior and recirculated. We rec­
ommend that yo u use the manua l air recircu­
lation mode under the follow ing cond itions:
When driving thro ugh a tunnel or in a traffic
jam so that exhaust fumes cannot enter the
vehicle interior.
A WARNING
-
Do not use this setting for extended peri­
ods of time. The windows cou ld fog up
since no fresh air can enter the vehicle.
If
the windows fog up, press the air r ecircula­
tion button again immediately to switch
off the air re cir cula tion function or select
defrost.
~ Automatic air recirculation
If outside air is polluted, an air quality sensor
in the vehicle will automatically switch on the
air recirculation .
Switching on air recirculation
.,. Press ~¢ page 80 , fig . 96 .
Switching off air recirculation
... Press ~ again, or
.,. press !AUTO !, or
.,. press ~.
The automatic air recirculation mode should
normally be left switched on at all times.
T he system is ready to operate approximately
30 seconds after you turn on the ignition or
start the vehicle. Fresh air enters the vehicle
only during this initialization period .
T he air quality sensor for detecting diesel and
gasoline exhaust fumes switches automatica l­
l y to air recirculation mode if the outside air is
heavily polluted. The supply of outside air is
closed off.
As soon as the pollution level drops, fresh air
is automatically supplied to the vehicle interi­
or again .

The air recirculation opera tes for a maximum
of 12 minutes. If the windows start to fog up
while the air rec irculat ion is on, press~
Unde r certain operating condi tions (fo r exam­
p le, if~ or
1-1 are pressed) the air recircu la ­
tion automatica lly switches off.
If the air con­
d itioner is sw itched off, or if the temperature
is below 18 °F (-8 °C), the air recircu lation wi ll
operate only for 12 seconds.
Switching between Fahrenheit and
Centigrade
You can change the temperature display from
°F (Fahrenheit) to °C (Centigrade) and vice
versa.
.,. Hold the l.,s,! button down c:> page 80,
fig.
96.
.,. Turn the rotary switch (d river 's s ide) @ for
3 seconds +.
G;J Air recirculation
The air recirculation prevents exhaust fumes
or oth er pollution from entering the vehicle .
Switching air recirculation on
.,. Press ~ c:> page 80, fig. 96 c:> A
Switching air recirculat ion off
.,. Press~ again, or
.,. press
IAUTOI, or
.,. press~-
I n the ai r recircula tion mode, the air in the
passenger compa rtment is recirculated to
p revent exhaust fumes and ot her pollution
from entering the vehicle. We recommend
that you use the manual air recircu lation un­
der the following conditions:
- when d riving through t unnels
- in a traffic jam.
,8. WARNING
Do not use this setting for extended pe ri­
ods of time . The windows could fog up
since no fresh a ir can ente r the vehicle . If
Warm and c old 83
the windows fog u p, press the ai r rec ircula­
tion button aga in immed iately to sw itch
off the air rec irculation function or select
defrost.
G IB Adjusting the fan speed
The automatically selected fan speed can be
increased or decreased.
.,. Press the[:] or El buttons in the center of
the control panel
c:> page 80, fig. 96 to ad ­
just the fan speed to your comfort.
T he air conditioning system automatically
r egulates the fa n speed i n respo nse to the in ­
terior tempe rat ure. However, you can a lso ad­
j ust the fan speed ma nually. A line of small
bars in the center display above the fan con­
trol buttons w ill re treat or extend to reflect
you r adjustments to the fan speed .
Air distribution
The automatically controlled air distribution
can be changed manually.
You can use the @J , [fil or~ buttons separate­
ly or together in combination. To switch back
to the automatic air d istr ibu tion sett ing, ei­
the r switch off the b uttons you prev iously se­
lected , or press
IAUTOI.
Each of the three buttons has its own spec ific
funct io n (t he reference numbers refer to the
a ir out lets)
c:> page 84, fig. 97.
~ Air directed to the windows
A ll the air is directed to outlets <I) , @ and @.
Contrary to when~ is pressed, the amount of
a ir remains the same .
~ Air directed to the driver /front
passenger
All the a ir is directed to outlets@,@ and ©
in the instrument panel. Air also is directed
th ro ugh the center console in the rear.
~ Air d irected to the footwells
A ll the air is directed to outlets ® and to the
outlets under the front seats.

84 Warm and cold
Air outlets
Fi g. 97 Instr ument pane l: a ir ou tlet locat io ns an d airflow d irec tions
The air out lets (D and @on top of the instru ­
ment panel are
fixed. Outlets @ and @can
be adjusted.
Adjusting a ir outl ets ® and @
.. Turn the vertica l thumbwhee l beside the
outlet to increase, reduce or s hut down the
airflow from that out let.
.. Move the small tab in the center of the out­
let louver sideways and up or down to ad just
the leve l and direction of airflow.
T he supply of air to the out lets is controlled
e ither automat ica lly or manually depending
on the operation mode se lected . The airflow
from all outlets can be heated, unheated or
cooled.
The heater out lets for the rear footwells are
located under the front seats . When you se­
lect outlets @, a ir is a lso directed to t he rear
footwells .
@ Tips
-When defrosting/defogging the win­
dows, air flows from outlets
(D , @ and
@ . To defrost or defog the windows as
r apidly as possib le, air outlets @ should
be ope ned
fully wi th the ad juster wheels.
- When the a ir condit ioner is working,
cooled air w ill flow pr imar ily from out­
l e ts @ ,@ and @. To assure adeq uate cooling, outlets
@ and @) should never
be completely closed.
Using the climate controls economically
Using the climate controls prudently can help
save fuel .
When you use the air conditioner, eng ine pow ­
er is reduced and fuel consumption increases .
T o save fuel, yo u should use the air condition­
er only when necessary . Also please note the
follow ing points:
.. If you wa nt to save fuel, switch off the ai r
conditioner .
.. If you are going to drive with the windows
open, switch off the air conditioner .
@ For the sake of the environment
By reducing the amount of fuel you use,
you also reduce the amount of po llutants
emitted into the air.
· Key coded settings
When the ignition is switched on, the air con­
di tioner settings are automatically assigned
to the key being used .
The air conditioner settings selected are auto­
matically stored and assigned to the key be ing
u sed . When the vehicle is started, the air ..,.

conditioner automatically se lects the settings
assigned to that key. This way every driver will maintain his/her own persona l settings and
does not have to reset them manually.
(D Tips
If a d ifferent driver uses your key and
changes the air conditioner settings, the
latest adjustments w ill erase and rep lace
the settings you have stored.
mP Rear window defogger
T he rear window defogger clears the rear win ­
dow of conden sation .
Fig. 98 Swi tch for rea r wi ndow defogger w ith a ir -con ·
d it io nin g
.. Press the QiP switc h to switch the rear win-
dow defogger on and off.
The defogger works on ly with the engine run ­
n ing. When the defogger is switched on, an
indicator light in the switc h comes on.
The rear w indow defogger switches
off au to­
matica lly afte r abo ut 20 m inutes.
@ For the sake of the environment
T ur n the defogger off when the rea r win­
dow is clear. When you save elec tricity, you
save fuel.
Additional heater
Applies to vehicles: with diesel engine
.. Switc h the Additional heate r to AUTO .
Vehicles w it h diese l eng ine s are equipped
with an add it ional heate r to warm the interior
of the vehicle mo re q uick ly. The additional
W arm and cold 85
heater switches itse lf on and off automatically
when the o utside temperature is below 50 °F
(10 °C) and the engine is running, depending
o n the coolant temperature , interior tempera ­
ture and the selected temperature.
Electrically heated
front seats
Applies to vehicles: with electrically heated front seats
With the ignition on , the seat cushion and
backrest of the front seats can be heated.
F ig . 99 Ce nter co nsole: t hu m bwhee ls for front seat
h eat ing
Use the t humbwheels in the center conso le
c;:> fig . 99 to turn on and adjust front seat
heating. An infin ite range of positions are pos ­
sible .
.. Ro ll t he thumbw heel
(D (dr iver's seat) or@
(front passenger's seat) from pos ition
( 0 )
upward in order to activa te the heati ng e le ­
ments .
.. Select the desired temperat ure setting from
positions 1 t hrough 6.
When the hea ting element is activated, the
numbers on the thumbwheel will illuminate .
& WARNING
Individuals wit h reduced sensitiv ity to pai n
or temperature cou ld deve lop burns when
using the seat heating funct ion. To reduce
the r isk of injury, these ind ividuals should
not use seat heating .

Ignition lock and ignition switch
Ignition lock
The engine can be started or turned off with
the ignition key.
Fig. 102 I gni tion lock positio ns
Ignition off@
In position ¢ fig. 102@both the ignition and
engine are off, and the steering is locked.
To
lock the steering after you have removed
the ignition key, turn the steering wheel in ei­
ther direction until you hear it lock into place.
You shou ld always lock the steering whenever
you leave your vehicle. This makes a vehicle
theft even more difficul t
q ,&.
Ignition on CD
If it is difficult to turn the key after you have
inserted it into the ignition lock, turn the
steering wheel back and forth. This will take
the load off the steering lock mechan ism and
you will be able to turn the key freely and
start the engine. On vehicles with a diesel en­
g ine*, the system can preheat in this pos ition .
Starting the engine @
In this position the engine starts. While the
engine is starting, the power supply to the
headlights and other electrical consumers is
temporarily interrupted to conserve battery power. After the engine has started, release
the key and it will return to position @.
Before the starter can be operated again the
key must be turned back to position @. The
non-repeat lock prevents you from damag ing
the starter when the engine is running.
On the road 89
A WARNING
-Never remove the key from the ignition
lock wh ile the vehicle is moving. The
steering wheel will lock caus ing loss of
control.
- If you have to leave your vehicle - even
for just a minute -always remove the ig­
nition key and take it with you. This is es­
pecia lly important if you are going to
leave children behind in the vehicle. The
children could start the engine or use
other vehicle controls. Unsupervised use
of vehicle controls (for example, power
windows) can cause serious personal in­
juries.
(D Tips
If the vehicle battery has been disconnect­
ed and then reconnected, then you must leave the key in position @for about 5
seconds before you can start the engine.
Ignition key safety lock
Applies to vehicles: wit h automatic transmission
The ignition key can only be removed when
the selector lever is in the "P" (Park) position.
Place the selector lever in the "P" position be­
fore switching off the engine .
After switching off the ign ition, the ignition
key can on ly be removed from the ignition
lock when the selector lever is in the "P"
(Park) position. After you have removed the
key, the se lector lever is locked and cannot be
moved.

Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others . We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, airbags, ch ild restra ints as
well as child safety. You r safety is for us
priori­
ty number 1.
Always observe t he information
a nd warn ings in th is se ct ion - for yo ur own
safety as well as that of your passengers .
The information in this se ction applies to all
model ve rsion s of your veh icle . Some of the
feat ures descr ibed in th is sec tions may be
standa rd equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others . If you are
not sure, ask yo ur authorized Aud i dea ler.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
st ruct ions and heed the WARNINGS i n
this Manual. It is in your interest and in
the inte rest of you r passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owne r's Liter­
at ure in your Audi when you lend or sell
yo ur vehicle so that this important info r­
mation will always be ava ilable to the
dr iver and passenge rs.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find i t eas ily if you have
ques tion s.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint syst em and work togeth er to help
redu ce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations .
Your safety and the safety of your passenge rs
should not be left to chance. Advances in
t echnology have made a var iety o f fea tures
avai lable to he lp red uce the risk of i njury in an
Dr iving Safel y 103
accident . The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in yo ur Audi :
- sophis tic ated s afety be lts fo r driver and a ll
passenger sea ting posit ions,
- s afety bel t prete nsio ners ,
- safety belt force lim ite rs fo r the front sea ts,
- safety belt he ight adjustment systems for
the front seats ,
- automatic safety be lt height adjustment for
the rear seats,
- head restra ints for each seating posit ion,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the front seats and outer rea r
seats *,
- side c urtai n airbags ,
- specia l LATCH an cho rages for child re-
s tr ain ts,
- he ad restra ints for each sea ting posit ion,
- adj ustab le steering colum n.
These ind iv idual safety features , can work to­
gether as a system to he lp protect you and
you r passengers in a w ide range of accide nts.
T hese fe;;itures c;;innot work ;;is ;;i system if
t h ey a re not always cor re ct ly adjus ted and co r­
re ct ly used .
Safety is everybody' s responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job! Vehicle and occu ­
pant safety always depends on the informed
and careful driver .
For you r safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driving always:
.,. Make s ure that all lights and signals are op­
erating correctly .
.,. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct .
.,. Make su re that all windows are clean and
afford good v isib ility to the o utside.
.,. Sec ure a ll luggage a nd other items carefu lly
~ page 75.
.,. Mak e s ure th at nothing can interfe re wi th
t he peda ls .
.,. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mir ­
rors co rrectly for your height.
•
•