ignition AUDI A3 2012 Owner´s Manual

54 Clear vis ion
Depending on outside temperature and vehi­
cle speed, the mirror surfaces are heated until
the ignition is switched off -even if the rotary
knob is no longer in position@.
You are well-advised to fold the exterior mir­
rors in when maneuvering in tight spaces or
when leaving the car parked close to other ve­
hicles.
(D Note
- Cu rved mirror surfaces (convex or spheri­
ca l*) increaseyourf ield of view. Remem­
ber that vehicles or other objects wi ll ap­
pear smaller and farther away than when
seen in a flat mirror. If yo u use this mir­
r or to est imate distances of following ve­
hicles when changing lanes, you could
estima te incorrect ly and cause an acci­
dent.
(D Tips
I f the re should be a malfunction in the
e lec trical system, you can still adjust the
exterior m irrors by pres sing the edge of
the mirror.
Dimming the mirrors
F ig. 56 Automatic dimm ing rearview mirror•
Manual anti-glare adjustment
• Move the small lever (located on the bot­
tom edge of the mirror) to the rear.
Automatically dimm ing mirror s*
• To dim the rearview mirror and both exteri­
or mirrors, press the® button. The diode
@ turns on. The rearview and exterior m ir­
rors dim automatically when light sh ines on them, for
example from headlights on ave­
hicle to the rear.
A WARNING
Electro lyte fluid can leak from automatic
dimming mirrors if the glass is broken.
Electro lyte fluid can irr itate skin, eyes and
respiratory system.
- Repeated or prolonged exposure to elec­
trolyte can cause irr itation to the respira­
tory system, especially among people
with asthma or other resp iratory condi­
tions. Get fresh air immediately by leav­ i n g the vehicle o r, if that is not possib le,
open windows and doors all the way.
- I f electrolyte gets into the eyes, flus h
them thoroughly with large amounts of clean water fo r at least 1 5 minutes;
medical attention is recommended.
- I f electrolyte contac ts skin, fl ush affect­
ed area with clean water for at least 15
minutes and the n wash affected area
with soap and water; medical attention
is recommended. Thoroughly wash af­
fected clothing and shoes before reuse.
- If swallowed and person is conscious,
rinse mouth with water for at least 15
minutes. Do not induce vomiting unless
instructed to do so by medical professio­
nal. Get medical attention immediately.
(D Note
Liqu id electrolyte leaking from broken m ir­
r or glass w ill damage any plastic surfaces
i t comes in contact with. Clean up spilled
electrolyte imme diately with clean water
and a sponge.
(D Tips
- Switching off the dimming function of
the ins ide rear view mir ro r also deacti­
vates the automatic dimming function of
the exter io r mir ro rs.
- The automatic dimming m irrors do not
dim when the inte rior lighting i s tur ned
on or the reverse ge ar is sele cted. .,.

-Automat ic dimming for the m irror only
operates p roperly if the lig ht striking the
i ns ide mirror is not hindered in any way.
Wiper and washer
system
{sf) Windshield wiper
The windshield wiper lever controls both the
windshield wipers and the washer system.
F ig . 57 Wiper lever: w inds hie ld w iper lever positions
The windshield wiper lever c> fig. 57 has the
following positions:
Ql Intermittent wiping (activating rain
senso r)*
.. Move the lever up to position@.
.. Move the interval set sw itch @, to change
t h e interva ls.
Low wiper speed
.. Move the lever up to position@.
High wiper speed
.,. Move the lever up to position @.
One-touch wiping
.. Move the lever to position @, when you
want to w ipe the w indshield
briefly .
Automatic wiper /w asher
.. Pu ll the lever to posit ion ® (toward the
steering wheel) and ho ld.
.. Re lease the lever . The washer stops and the
wipers keep going for about four seconds.
Turning off th e wiper s
.. Move the lever back to position @ .
Clear vi sion 55
The w indshield wipers and washe r only work
whe n the ignition is turned on . If you switch
off the ignition with the w indshie ld w iper lev ­
er st ill in the interva l wipe position and then
come back a whi le later and drive off, the rai n
senso r will reactivate itsel f after the vehicle
speed has exceeded 4 mph (6 km/h) .
The rain sensor* is only activated with the
wiper lever set to position @. When it starts
to rain, the rain sensor will automat ically acti ­
vate the intermittent w iping mode.
To reduce the sensitivity of the sensor, move
switch ® down. To increase the sensitivity,
move t he switch up. The h igher you adjust the
sens it ivity, the faster the senso r will react
when it senses mo isture on the windsh ield .
The rain sensor w iper intervals depend on the
sensit ivity sett ing as well as vehicle speed.
D uring brief s tops, wipe r mot io n will adjust in
r elat ion to the amou nt of rain on the w ind­
shield .
Automat ic w iper/was her : To eliminate water
drople ts, t he windsh ield wiper pe rforms o ne
afterw ipe ope ra tion after severa l seconds
whi le dr iv ing . You ca n sw itch this f unct ion off
by moving the leve r to posit io n ® within
10 seconds of the afterw ipe operat io n. The af­
terwipe function is reactivated the next time
the ignitio n is switch.
When the igni tio n i s tur ned on, the washe r
jets are heated*.
& WARNING ~
- Wiper blades are crucial for safe drivi ng!
On ly when they are in good condit io n are
they able to clear the windows properly
to prov ide uncompromised visib ility.
Worn o r damaged wiper blades are a
safety haza rd
c> page 57, Replacing
front wip er blades!
- The light/rain senso r* is only des igned to
assis t and suppo rt the driver.
It rema ins
e ntire ly th e drive r's respo nsib il ity to
m onitor outside weathe r cond itions and
t o manu ally a ctiv ate the wipe rs as soo n

56 Clear vis ion
as rain or drizz le re duces visibi lity
through th e windshield.
- The windshie ld must not be treated with
water-repe llent materials. They can in­
crease glare under poor visibility condi­
t ions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the horizon . In addi­
t ion, they can cause th e windshield wip­
ers to chatter.
(D Note
- In the case of frost, check whether the
windsh ield wiper b lades are frozen to
the windshield. Switching on the wind­
shield wipers can damage the wiper
blades!
- Do not use the wipers to clear a frosted
window . U si ng the w ipers as a conven­
i en t ice s craper will destroy the wiper
blades .
- Prior to using a car wash, the windshield
wiper system m ust be switched off (lever
i n position 0) . This helps to prevent unin­
tentiona l switching on and damage to
the windshie ld wiper system.
(D Tips
- The w indshield wipers are swi tched off
when the ignition is turned off. Activate
the windshie ld wipers after the ignition
i s sw itched back on by mov ing the w ind ­
shield wiper lever to any pos it ion.
- Worn or dirty windshie ld wiper blades
cause smearing, which can affect the op­
eration of the light/rain sensor*. Check
the condition of your windshie ld w iper
blades regularly.
- The rai n sensor is part of the interval
wiping system. Tur ning off the ignition
will a lso deact ivate the rain sensor. To re­
activate t he senso r, switch off the inter­
val w iping function, then sw itch it ba ck
on aga in.
- Applies to vehicles with lig ht/ rain sen­
sor: When the wipers are swi tched on
manu ally and in rain condi tions, the au­
tomatic head lights* turn on¢
page 47,
·'t!.-Switching the headlights on and off
or off during the day when the wipers are
no longer operating. The automatic
head lights* funct ion is available in th is
case on ly when the light switch is in the
"A UTO" position¢
page 47, fig. 43.
-Make s ure the washer fluid reservoir in
the engine compartment is topped off
before going on a long trip. Look up
¢
page 211 for check ing and filling the
washer co nta iner .
- The wipers only operate with the hood
completely closed .
is;J Rear window wiper
The wiper lever is also used to operate the
rear window wiper and the automatic wiper/ washer function .
Fig. 5 8 W iper lever: activat ing the rear w indow w iper
and washer
The rear window wiper and the automatic wip­
er/washer functions are activated as follows :
Intermittent wiping
.,. Push the wiper leve r forward towards the
dashboard and to the
first position @
¢
fig. 58. The rear w indow wiper will wipe
the window approx. every four seconds .
Automatic wiper /washer function
.,. Push the wiper lever forward to the second
stop,
position (j) , and hold it there for as
long as you want the rear w iper/washer to
operate.
.,. Release the lever again. The wiper will keep
running for approx. four seconds . .,,_

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

58 Clear vis ion
Removing the wiper blade
.. Move the wipers to the service position
c::>page 57.
.. Fo ld the windshield wiper arm away from
the g lass.
.. On the upper end of the wiper arm at the
corrugation, squeeze the plast ic retainer to­
gether on both sides in the direction of the
arrow
c::> fig. 59 .
.. Rotate the w iper blade in the direct ion of
the arrow @c::>
fig. 60 away from the w iper
arm.
.. Lift the w iper blade
off in the direc tion of
the arrow @.
Attaching the wiper blade
.. Place the rounded end of the wiper onto the
end of the w iper arm in the
oppo site direc­
t ion to the ar row @
c::> fig. 60.
.. Swing the wipe r in the oppo site direct io n to
the arrow @onto the wiper arm.
.. Sq ueeze the corrugation on the w iper until
yo u hear it click in the wiper arm.
.. Fold the wiper arm back onto the wind­
shield .
.. Switch the ignition on and move the w iper
lever down briefly . The wiper will move back
to the park pos it ion .
The front wiper b lades measure left s ide
23 .20 in . (S90 mm) and rig ht side 18 .SO in.
(470 mm) i n length,
C lean your wiper blades regu larly with a wind­
shie ld washer solution to prevent streaking . If
the blades are very d irty, for example with in­
sects, carefu lly clean the blades w ith a sponge
or a soft b rush.
If the wiper b lades beg in to streak the wind­
shield, this could be caused by res idue left on
the w indshield by automat ic car washes .
F ill the windsh ield washer container with a
specia l so lution available at your author ized
Aud i deale r to remove the residue .
Be s ure to inspect the condition of your w iper
b lades regularly. For safety reasons, replace
your w iper blades once or twice a year if nee- essa
ry . See yo ur authorized Aud i dea ler for re ­
placement blades .
A WARNING
-- Clean your w iper blades reg ularly with a
w indshie ld washer so lution to prevent
streaking. If the w iper blades are very
d irty, fo r example with insects , ca refully
clean the wiper blades wi th a sponge or a
soft brus h .
- For your safety , you should replace the
wiper blades onc e or twice a year . Se e
your aut hor ized Audi dealer for replace­
men t blad es.
0 Note
-The wiper b lades may only be c hanged
c::> page 57 in the service posit ion! Ot he r­
w ise, you risk damag ing the pa int on t he
hood or the w indshie ld wi per mo to r.
- Yo u should not move your veh icle o r
press t he winds hield wiper leve r when
t he wipe r arms are folded away from the
w indshield. The windsh ield wipers wo uld
move back into their or iginal position
and co uld damage the hoo d and wind­
shield.
- To help prevent dama ge to the w iper sys­
tem, always loosen blades which are fro­
zen to the windshield before operating
w ipers.
- To help prevent damage to wiper b lades,
do not use gaso line, kerosene, paint
thinner, or other solvents on o r near the
w iper blades .
- To help prevent damage to the w iper
arms or other components, do not at­
tempt to move the wipe rs by hand .
(D Tips
-Commercial hot waxes applied by auto­
matic ca r washes affect the cleanability
of the g lass s urface .
- Yo u can also use the service position, for
examp le, if yo u want to p rotect the
w indshield from icing by using a cover. ..,_

CD Note
Only drink containers with lids should be
carried in the cupho lder. Liqu id could spill
out and damage your veh icle's e lectronic
equ ipment or sta in the upholstery etc.
Socket
Outlets
The outlet in the front center console and in
the luggage compartment may be used for
12-volt appliances.
Fig. 87 Ce nter conso le, front: 12-vo lt out let
Fig. 88 L uggage compartmen t: 12-vo lt out let
Outlet in the front center console
.. Fold the cover for the outlet down ¢ fig. 87.
.. Plug in appliance to be used.
Outlet in the luggage compartment
.. Tap cover ¢ fig. 88.
.. Plug in appliance to be used.
The outlet may be used for 12-volt appliances
with maximum consumption of up to 100
watts, such as a f lash light, small vacuum
cleane r, etc.
Before you purchase any accessories, always
read and follow the information in
Seats and storage 75
¢ page 261, Additional accessories and parts
replacement.
A WARNING
The outlet plus any appliances plugged in­
to it remain functional even if the ignition
is switched off or the ignition key is re­
moved. Never leave children inside the ve ­
h icle w ithout supervision.
CD Note
To avoid damaging the socket, only use
plugs that fit properly.
(y Tips
When the engine is off and accessories are
still plugged in and are on, the vehicle bat­
tery can still be drained.
Storage
General overview
There are numerous places to store items in
your vehicle .
Storage in the center arm-i=>page 66
rest
Storage in the rear armrest
Glove compartment (Air
¢page 76
ventilation in the glove compartment*, CD chang-
er*)
Center console
¢page 76
Compartments in the doo r ¢page 77
trims
Storage in the footwell
¢page 77
Compartments in luggage ¢page 77
compartment
Coat hooks
¢page 78
Some of the storage locations are only found
on specif ic vehicle models or are optional
equipment .

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 .

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 .

88 On the road
On the road
Steering
Adjustable steering wheel
The height and reach of the steering wheel
can be adjusted .
Fig. 101 Lever under the steering column
First, adjust the driver's seat correctly.
• Push the lever
c:> fig . 101 down as far as it
will go
c:> & .
• Move the steer ing whee l to the desired po-
s it ion.
• Push the lever back up as far as it will go.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­ tween your chest and the center of the steer­
i ng wheel. If you cannot si t more than 10 in­
ches (25 cm) from the steering whee l, see if
adaptive equipment is available to help you
reach the pedals and increase the distance
from the steering whee l.
F or detai led information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
c:> page 63, Power seat ad­
justment.
The stee ring wheel can be adjusted even when
the ignition is turned off.
8_ WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjust­
ment and improper seating position can
cause serious personal injury .
- Adjust the steering whee l co lumn on ly
when the vehicle is not moving to pre­
vent loss of veh icle control.
- Always make sure that the ad justment
lever is securely pushed up so that the
-
position of the steering wheel cannot be
changed unintentionally when the vehi­
cle is mov ing.
- Adj ust the driver's seat or steering whee l
so that there is a minimum of 10 inches
(25 cm) between your breastbone and
the steering wheel
c:> page 104,
fig. 117.
If you cannot maintain this
minim um distance, the airbag system
cannot protect you properly.
- If physical limitations prevent you from sitt ing 10 inches (25 cm) or more from
the steering wheel, check wit h your au­
thorized A udi dealer to see if adaptive
equipment is available .
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the s upple­
mental driver's airbag to protect you in
an accident. Always make sure that the
steer ing whee l is po inted towards your
chest.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock
positions to help reduce the risk of per­
sonal injury if the driver's a irbag inflates .
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steer ing wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Ho ld­
ing the steering whee l the wrong way
can cause se rious inj uries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag in ­
f lates .