AUDI A3 2011 Owner´s Manual

If the engine RPMs drop below 1 500, you should downshift to the
next lower gear. The red area at the end of the scale indicates
maximum permissible engine RPMs after the break-in period. Before
reach ing this area, you should either shift into the next higher gear or
ease your foot off the accelerator pedal.
0 Note
The tachometer needle=> page 8, fig. 2 © should not move into the
red range. If it does, then only for a very short period of time. You
could damage your engine by driv ing at high RPM!
<£> For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuels and reduces engine noise. •
Digital clock with date display
Your vehicle is equipped with a quartz controlled digital
clock.
To set the hour
Fig. 3 Instrume nt
cl uste r with: the
digital clock and date
- Pull the knob (hour display flashes) and turn it to the left
or right.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Instruments and warning /indicator lights
To set the minutes
- Pull the button until the minute display flashes.
- Turn the knob to the left or right until the desired setting
appears.
To set the time format (12 or 24-hour
display)
- Pull the knob until the time format display flashes.
- Turn the knob to the left or right.
To set the date
- Pull the knob until the day, month or year display flashes .
- Turn the knob to the left or right .
To show or hide the date display
-Pull the knob until the date display flashes.
- Turn the knob to the left or right.
When the date display stops flashing, this means the time and date
have been successfu lly stored .
With the ignition off, pressing the button=> fig . 3 - depending on the
instrument cl uster configuration - can turn on the display fie ld
lighting for a few seconds. •
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant gauge@=> page 8, fig. 2 only works when the
ignition is on. To prevent damage to your eng ine , please note the
following important points: .,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Engine cold
As long as the need le remains at the lef t en d of the gauge, the engine
s till has not reac hed its operati ng te mperature . Avoid hig h eng ine
speeds, heavy engine loads a nd heavy throttle.
Normal temperature
W hen the eng ine has reached its operating temperature, the need le
w ill move into the middle of the gauge and rema in there . If the
engine is working ha rd at high outsi de temperatures, the needle may
tur n further to the rig ht. Thi s is no cause fo r concern as long as the _F_
wa rning light in the i nstr ument cluster does not ill uminate.
Wh en the _;_ w ar ning light sta rts to fla sh, thi s can mea n one of two
things : either the coolant
temperature is too h igh, or t he coolant
level is too low => page 32.
& WARNING
• Always observe the warning in=> page 218, "Engine com part·
ment " before opening the engine hood and checking the engine
c oolant level.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
see engine coolant dripping from the engine compartment. You
could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant.
0 Note
• Moun ting addition al lights or accessorie s in fron t of the a ir inlets
red uces the cooling effect of the radiator. At high o utside tempera ­
tu res o r high eng ine lo ad, t he e ngine cou ld over heat .
• The front spoi ler has been designed to prope rly d istribute the
c oo ling a ir w hen the vehicle is moving. If the spoiler is d amaged, this
co uld reduce the coo ling effect and the eng ine could t hen overheat.
Ask your au thor ized A udi d ealer for assist ance .•
Fuel gauge
T he f uel gauge wo rks only whe n the ignition is on.
W hen the nee dle rea ches the red area, t he war ning ligh t in t he ins tru­
ment cl uster will illum inate=>
page 34 . This mea ns you have
app roximate ly 1.8 gallons (7 liters) of f uel left in t he tank.
Time to
refuel!
The tota l tan k capacity of your vehicle is listed in => page 296 , "Data".
0 Note
Never run the ta nk completely d ry ! An irregular s upply of f uel can
c a us e eng ine mi sfir ing and f uel could ente r into t he e xhaus t system.
T he catalyt ic converter could the n overheat a nd be damaged. •
Speedometer with odometer
The spee do meter sh o ws you the ve h icle s pee d, an d th e
o do met er sho ws yo u ho w many mile s (k il om eters) you
have d riv en .
Fig. 4 Spee dometer
close-up : odometer
di splay
The o dometer and tri p odometer are located inside the speedomete r.
• USA mo dels - Mile s
• Canad ian models -Kilometers

Lower odometer
The lowe r odometer shows the total number of mi les (k ilometers)
driven .
Upper odometer (trip odometer)
The upper odometer shows the total number of m iles (kilometers)
driven since you last reset the odometer back to zero . Yo u can use th is
odometer when you want to keep track of how many m iles (k ilome­
ters) you have dr iven for a sing le trip or er rand. The last dig it indicates
1 /10 of a mi le ( 100 metres) . You can set the trip odome ter back to
zero by pressing the reset button=>
page 10, fig. 4.
Malfunction message
If there is a ma lfunction somewhe re in the instr ument cl uster, dEF
will appear in the trip odometer and will stay on. Contact you r autho ­
r ized A udi dea ler to have the problem corrected .
Immobilizer
When the ignition is switched on, the da ta on the igni tion key are
scanned automatically.
If an una uthorized key was used,
SAFE is disp layed continuous ly in
t he o dome ter di sp la y field. The vehicle ca nnot be operated
=> page 40.
[ i J Tips
• The d ig ita l clock and the odometer are turned on for about 30
seconds when the driver's do or is ope ned.
• When the ignition is turned off, t he odomete r reading and the
dig it al cl ock wi th date di sp la y can be sw itche d on for abou t
30 seconds by press ing the knob::::;,
page 8, fig. 2 @ . •
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Instruments and warning /indicator lights
Warning/indicator lights
Overview
The w arni ng/in dicator lights ind icate differ ent fun ctions
o r a po ssible m alfunc tio n.
Fig. 5 In strument clu ster w ith warn ing /ind ica tor light s
Your vehicle is equipped with several important warning and indi­
c ato r lights to help yo u m onito r th e con tinued re liable operat io n o f
your vehicle ::::;,& .
Aud i ma gnetic ride
Tire pressure too low Electronic power control (gasoline
engine o nly)
=> page 12
=:> page 13
=> page 13
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Glow plug system (diesel engine only) ~page 13
(alternative to )
Electronic stab ilizat ion program (ESP) ~ page 14
USA models : ~page 14
Malfunction Indicator lamp (MIL)
Canada models: ~page 14
Malfun ction Indictor Lamp (MI L)
-o H igh beam ~page 14
¢ Left turn signal ~page 14
--
~
Right turn signal ~page 14
Ele ct ronic St abili zation Program ( ESP) ~page 14
CRUISE
USA models :
Cruise control activated ~page 14
0
Canada models:
Cruise contro l a ct ivate d
~page 14
.o.
,::::..fJ Airbag system ~page 15
0 Genera tor ~page 15
~
Safety belt ~page 15
BRAKE
USA models:
Bra ke system, parking brake set ~page 15
CCD> Canada models:
Brake system, parking bra ke set
-
-
-
~ page 16 USA models:
Anti-loc k bra ke system (ABS)
Canada models : ~page 16
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
/ @ Electr o-m ech anical power assist ~ page 17
& WARNING
• Failure to heed warning light s and other important vehicle
information may result
in serious personal injury or vehicle
damage.
• Whenever stalled or stopped for repair, move the vehicle a safe
d istance off the road, stop the engine, and turn on the emergency
fla sher ~
page 59.
• The engine compartment of any motor vehicle i s a potentially
hazardous area. Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment , stop the engine and let it cool down. Always exercise
extreme caution when working under the engine hood
~ page 218, " Engine compartment"
[ i ] Tips
• When a yellow war ning symbol appears, one warn ing tone
so unds. C hec k the fun ction d isp laye d a s soo n as poss ible.
• When a red symbol appears,
three warning tones sound in succes ­
sion . The symbol continu es to flash until the fa ult has been
corrected. •
App lies to vehicles : w ith Au di magnetic r ide
Audi magnetic ride
The indicator ligh t monitors vehicle damping.
Th e indica tor lig ht illum ina tes w hen the ig nit io n is switched on as a
function check. _,,,

[I) Tips
If the ind icator lamp i lluminates wh ile you a re dr iv ing , there is a
ma lfunction in the vehicle damping. Th e chassis shou ld b e insp ected
immediately by an author ized Audi dealer. •
Applies to veh icles : with t ir e p re ssure m onito rin g s yste m
Tire pressure monitoring system - telltale
indicator Lamp ...
The warning/indicator light appears in the event of a
significant loss of air pressure .
The ..Jwarning/indicator light illuminates for a few seconds after the
ignition is turned on as function check and then goes out .
If the symbol appears, pressure is too low in at least one tire.
When the system detects a ma lfunction, the warning/ind icator light
will flash for approximately one minute and then remain continu­ ously i lluminated. This sequence will continue upon subsequent
vehicle starts up as long as the malfunction exists . Contact your
authorized Audi dea ler and have the ma lfunction corrected .
For more informat ion=>
page 264. •
Electronic power control Dr.
This warning/indicator light monitors the electronic
power control.
The warn ing/ indicator light ( Electronic Power Control) illumi-
nates when you switch on the ignition as a function check.
[ i J Tip s
If this warning/indicator light illuminates while you are driving, then
there is a ma lfunct ion in the engine e lectronics . Have the ma lfunct ion
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
In
strum ents and warning /indicator lights
corrected as soon as possible by your authorized Audi dealer or qual­
ified wo rkshop. •
Applies to ve hicles : w it h d ie se l e ng in e
Glow plug system/ Engine malfunction C
The indicator lamp lights up to show that the glow plugs
are preheating. It flashes if there is an engine malfunc­ tion .
Warn ing light stays lit up
If the -indicator light illuminates, the glow plug system is act ive.
You should start the engine immediately afte r the indicator light
switches off. The ind icator light only illumina tes for approximately 1
second if the engine is warm o r if the outside tempe rature is above 46
QF (8 QC).
There is a fault in the glow plug system if the warning light does
not light up when the engine is
cold . Contact an authori zed Audi
dealer or a qualified workshop .
Warning light fl ashe s
If a malfunct ion develops in the engine management system while
you are driving, the glow plug light will flash
ilf . The engine should
be checked by an autho rized Aud i dealer or a qualified workshop as
soon as possible.
& WARNING
If yo u do not pa y attenti on t o the w arning light s tha t h ave com e
on, thi s co uld lead t o pe rso nal injury o r dama ge to y our veh icle .•
Vehicle care Technical data

Instruments and warning /indicator lights
Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP}
r /
The warning/indicator light monitors the electronic
stabili zation program.
The warning/ind icator light ,., has the following functions:
• it flashes wh ile you are drivi ng, when the ESP or the ASR (Ant i-Slip
Regulation) is working .
• it ill um ina tes when yo u sw itc h on the ignition for app rox imately 2
seconds as a funct ion check .
• it illum inates w hen there is a malfunction in the ESP .
• it illum inates after the battery has been disconnected.
• it illum inates continuously when the ESP is switched off.
• it illumi nates if the re is a malfunct ion in t he ABS, s ince the ESP is
part of the ABS system.
If the ESP warning/ind icator light ill umina tes and stays on after you
have started the engine, this may mean that the co ntro l system has
tempo rari ly switched off the ESP. If this is case , you can reactivate
the ES P by sw itch ing t he ig nit ion off and the n on agai n. The
warning/indicator light should go out to show that the system is fu lly
fu nctional again .
The ESP warn ing/ind icator light will illuminate when the ignition is
switched on if th e ve hicle bat tery has been disconnected and the n
reconnected aga in . The light should go ou t after dr iv ing a short
dis tance if the steer ing whee l is turned s lig htly.
For mo re information abo ut the ESP=>
page 188 . •
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL}
(USA models}/ (Canada models}
The Malfunct io n Indicator Lamp ( MIL) is part of the On -Board D iag ­
nos tic (O BD II) system. The symbol ligh ts up w hen the ign ition is
turned on and w ill tu rn off after the eng ine has star ted and has sett
led at constant idle speed . This i nd icates that the MIL is work ing
properly .
T he warn ing light ill uminates when there is a malfunction in the
engine e lectronic system. Contact yo ur a uthorized Audi dealer and
have the malfu nction co rrec ted .
For more information=>
page 20. •
High beam !§"0
T he ~D warning/indicator light illuminates when the high beams are
on or whe n yo u us e the headl ight flasher. Fo r more informat io n abou t
using the high beams, see=>
page 59. •
Turn signals ¢¢
The indicator li ght flashes when you use either tur n
signal .
Whenever yo u use the left¢ or the right¢ tu rn signa l, the indicator
light flas hes. W hen you use t he emerge ncy f lashe r, both ind icator
lights flash.
If one of the turn sign al ligh t bul bs bur n ou t, the turn signal will flash
twice as fast as normal. •
Cruise control
CRUISE (USA models}/ 0.z (Canada models}
The CRU ISE warning/indicator light illuminates when the cruise control
is activa ted. •

Airbag system !.!r
This warning/indicator light monitors the airbag and the
tensioner systems.
The !! r warning light i llum inates for a few seconds each time you
switch on the ign ition.
If the
! !r warning light does not go out, or if it illum inates while you
are d riving, or i f it s tarts to flash, t hen there is a m alfu nct io n some­
where in the system . If the light does not illum inate when you switch
on t he ignition, this also means there is a malfunction.
& WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the airbag sy stem, contact your
authorized Audi dealer immediately. Otherwise the airbag or the
belt tensioner ma y not work properly in an accident. •
Generator 0
This warning/indicator light detects a malfunction in the
generator or in the vehicle 's electrical syst em .
Th e D war ning/in dica tor lig ht ill uminates when you swit ch on t he
ign ition and must go out a fter the engine has started.
If the D war ning/ind ic at or ligh t illumina tes whi le you are d riving,
you shou ld contact you r auth o rized Audi dealer . Since the ve hicle
battery is discharging, you shou ld switch off any unnecessary elec­
t rical consume rs (fo r example , the air condi tioner) .•
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Instruments and warning
/indicator lights
Safety belts ,ft-
This warn ing/indic ato r light remind s you t o put on yo ur
safety belt.
The 4'-wa rning/ind icator light illuminates when the ignition is
s w itched on to re mi nd the driver and (o n USA models only) any fro nt
passenger to put on the sa fety belt. Additionally, an acoustic warn ing
(gong) will a lso s oun d.
For more Information=>
page 135, "Safety belt wa rning light .t" . •
Brake system
BRAKE (USA)/ (CD) (Canada)
T his warn in g/in dic ato r ligh t ill umin ates whe n t he br ake
flui d level is t oo lo w o r w he n t here is a ma lfunction in the
AB S, or whe n the pa rking b rake is s et.
T he light illuminates w hen the ign it io n is tu rned on . It goes out after
t he engine has bee n sta rted and th e p arki ng bra ke is f ully re le ase d.
T hi s indicates that t he bra ke warning light is functioning properly.
If the brake warning light does not light up when the engine is
cranking or the parking brake is appl ied , there may be a malfunc­
tion in the electrical system. In this case , contact your Audi dealer .
If the ABS f ails, the A BS war ning/ indicato r light 5 (USA
models)/ (Canada mode ls) flashes toget her w it h the brake system
w ar ning/indica tor ligh t=> & .
(USA models): If the warning light
BRAKE and the warni ng lig ht illu­
m inate together, immediate ly contact your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have all brake pads inspected=>
page 35.
Whe n the light comes on, an aud ible warn ing si gna l is also given .
Parking brake set
The BRAKE warning/indicator light i lluminates when the par king brake
is set=> &. _,.
Vehicle care Technical data

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
in. WARNING
• USA models: : If both, the BRAKE warning light and the
warning light come on at the same time, the rear wheels c ould
lo ck up fir st under hard braking . Lo ck-up of the rear wheel brakes
c a n cause loss of vehicle control and an accident. Have your vehicle
repaired immedi ate ly by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified
workshop . Drive slowly and avoid sudden , hard brake appli cation .
• Canada models : If both, the brake warning light ((j)) and the
ABS warning light
~ come on at the same time , the rear wheels
could lock up first under hard braking . Lock-up of the rear whee l
brakes can cause loss of vehicle control and an accident. Have your
vehicle repaired immediat ely by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified work shop. Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake
application
• If the brake warn ing/indicator light does not go out after a few
se cond s and the parking brake rel eased, or light s up while you are
driving , the fluid level in the brake fluid reservoir is too low. If you
believe that it i s safe to do so, proceed immediately at low speed
to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop and
have the brake system in spe cted.
• Please be very careful and always keep
in mind that after
s everal brake application s, you will need greater pressure on the
brake pedal to stop your vehicle. Consequently, you must allow
for increased braking distances. Trying to brake a s quickly a s usual
could lead to an accident. •
Anti-lock brake system B-(USA)/
(Canada)
T his war ning/indicator light monitors th e ABS and the
electronic differential lock (E DL).
The ,... ~ light will come on for a few seconds when the ignition is
switched o n. Th e light w ill go out af ter an automat ic check sequ ence
is comp lete d.
There is a malfunction in the ABS when:
• Th e warning/indicator light does not ill uminate when you swit ch
on t he ignit ion.
• Th e warning/indicator light does not go out after a few seconds.
• The warn ing/ indicator lig ht ill uminates while driv ing.
The brake system will still re spond even without the a ssistance of
the ABS system. See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible to restore full braking performance.
For more information
regard ing the ABS=>
page 192.
The ABS warning light and the brake warning light come on
together. The ABS will not work and you will notice a change in
braking response and performance.
Malfunction in the brake system
USA models: If both, the BRAKE warning light and t he ABS warning
light come on =>
page 15 w hen the par king b rake is re lease d, there
may be a malfunction in the ABS, and there may a lso be a ma lfunction
in the b rake system itself=>&.
Canada models: If both , the brake warning light CCI» and the ABS
wa rni ng light come on=>
page 15 when the parking brake is
re leas ed, there may be a ma lf u nctio n in t he A BS, and there may also
be a malfunction in t he brake system itself=>& .
Malfunction in the electronic differential lock (EDL)
The two systems EDL and ABS work togethe r. T he I ,:- warning light
w ill come on if there is a malfunction in the EDL system=>
page 189.
See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as possib le .
in. WARNING
• If the 11\fl warning light doe s not go out , or if it come s on while
driving , the ABS system is not working properly . The vehicle can
then be stopped only with the brake s operating without ABS
support. You will not have the protection ABS provides. Contact
your Audi dealer as soon as possible. _,,

& WARNING (continued)
• USA model s: If both , the BRAKE warning light and the C
warning light come on at the sam e time, the rear wheels could
lock up first under hard brak ing. Lo ck-up of the rear wheel brakes
can cause los s of vehicle control and an accident. Have your vehicle
repaired immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified
workshop. Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake appli cation .
• Canada models : If both, the brake warning light and the
ABS warning light
J come on at the same time, the rear wheels
could lock up first under hard b raking. Loc k-up of the rear wheel
brake s can cause loss of vehicle control and an accident . Have your
veh icle repaired immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop. Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake
application •
Electro-mechanical power assist /@
If the ind icator light illuminates while you are d riving, there is a
m alfu nction in the ele ctro-mech anical steering . If the ind ic a tor ligh t
is showing , there may be a reduction in power steer ing ass ist . If
t he indi cato r light is sh owing @, there may be a tot al loss o f power
steeri ng assist . The stee ring must be inspected immediately by a
qualif ie d workshop =>
&-With the engi ne not running (e.g. when the
car is be ing towed), t he re is also no power ass ist available.
& WARNING
If there is a malfunction , the indicator light for the electro­
mechanical power a ssist illuminate s. Seek professional
assistance. •
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Instruments and warning
/indicator lights
Vehicle care Technical data

Driver information display
Driver information display
Introduction
Introduction
The Driver information display inside the instrument
cluster provides you, the driver, with important informa­
tion .
Center display
Fig. 6 In strument
cl uster : cente r disp lay
F ig . 7 Wiper le ver :
c ontro ls for the menu
di splay
With the ignition on, the display in the Dr iver Information System
shows t he fo llow ing in format ion:
• CD* inse rted o r Radio* station set •
Outside tempera ture*: At temperat ures below 41 °F (+5 °C), a
snowflake symbo l appears in front of the temperature display~& .
• Warning: front lid, doo r o r engine compartm ent lid open: The
display appea rs if the door, the eng ine compa rtment lid or front lid is
no t closed .
• Wa rning : close fue l tank cap: The Driver informat ion d isp lay ind i­
ca tes when t he fille r ca p is not secure d or missi ng~
pag e 222.
Additional functions
You can open the following functions i n the Driver Information
System d isp lay by pressing the
I RESET! button ~ fig. 7 one or more
times:
T rip computer
D igital speedometer*
M enu display
~page21
~pag e22
The speed wa rni ng system is a lso displayed in the Driver Informat ion
System . You ca n read how to se t it in~
page 28 .
Efficiency program
The efficiency program can help you to use less fuel~ page 25.
Auto Check Control
Some functions and veh icle components are scanned for their oper­
a ting status whe n you swi tch the ig nition on and while yo u are
driv ing . Malfunctions or required service procedures are signa led
aud ib ly and ind ica ted by red and yellow illum ina ted sym bols and
reminde rs in the display~
page 30 . _..