light AUDI A3 2011 Owner´s Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: AUDI, Model Year: 2011, Model line: A3, Model: AUDI A3 2011Pages: 320, PDF Size: 75.79 MB
Page 18 of 320

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. _,,
Page 19 of 320

& 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
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
Page 21 of 320

& WARNING
• Nev er rely exclu sive ly on the out side temperature display to
determine if a r oad surface i s icy or not. Keep in mind that road
s urfaces, esp ecially bridg es and overpas ses, could be ice covered
and slippery even at an outside temperature above 41 °F (+5 °C) .
• Always remember, even if the "snowflake " symbol (ice
warning ) does not appear in the di splay , bla ck ice could be on the
road.
• Alway s redu ce your speed and drive with special care in cold
w eather conditions when the chance of encountering icy road
s urfaces increa se s.
[I] Tips
• If the vehicle is stat ionary, o r if you are driving at a very low speed,
the temperature shown in the display might be s light ly higher than
the act ual o utside temperat ure. Th is is caused by the heat being radi
ated fro m the eng ine.
• On vehicles with S t ronic, the reminde rs do not appear in the
display unt il you se lect a gea r.
• O n veh icles wi th Au di Navigat io n system *, the disp lays may d if f e r
from t heir normal appearance dur ing navigation .•
Controls and equip
ment Safety first
Driver information display
Applies
to vehicles : w ith gea rs hi ft indicator and man ual transm issio n
Gearshift recommendation
Th is indicator can help conserve fuel.
Fig . 8 Gear shift
recommendation
I n orde r to become familiar with the gears hift indicator, begin d riving
as usua l. If the c urrent gea r is not the best o ne fo r conserv ing fuel,
the indicato r will d isp lay the recommended gear. The disp lay shows
the cu rre nt g ear a nd the recommended gear:::::, fig . 8 .
• Upshifting: The d isp lay is to the r ight of the current gear if a
higher gear i s recomme nded.
• Downshifting : The display is to the left of the current gear if a
lower gear is recommende d.
Sometimes the indicator will recommend sk ipping a gear (3
IJIJ> 5).
0 Note
Thi s ind icator should help you co nse rve fuel. It is not des ig ned to
recommend the correct gear in a ll dr iving situations. Only the dr iver
can dec ide which gear is cor rect i n certain dr iv ing s ituatio ns s uc h as
when accelerating or driving on hills.
[I] Tips
• The disp lay switches off when the clutch pedal is pressed.
Vehicle care Technical data
Page 22 of 320

Driver information display
• Gear shift recommendation can be deactivated in the dr iver infor
mation system~
page 22. •
On-Board Diagnostic system (OBD)
On-Board Diagnostics
Fig. 9 Location of
Data Link Connector
(DLC)
On-Board Diagnostics monitors the components of your emission
control system. Each controlled component in your eng ine system
has been assigned a code. In case of a malfunction, the component
wi ll be identified and the fault stored as a code in the control module
memory .
The MIL lamp may also illuminate if there is a leak in the on-board
fuel vapor recovery system.
If the Light illuminates after a refuelling,
pull off the road and stop the vehicle, then check that the fuel filler
cap is properly closed~
page 222.
In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the stored data can only be
displayed using special diagnostic equipment (generic scan tool for
OBD).
In order to connect the special diagnostic equipment, push the plug
into the Data Link Connector (DLC). The DLC is located to the right of
the engine hood release lever~ fig. 9. Your authorized
Audi dealer or a qualified service station can inter
pret the code and perform the necessary repair.•
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) (USA
models) / (Canada models )
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) in the instrument cluster
~ page 11, fig. 5 is part of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
T he warn ing/indicator light illum inates when the ignition is switched
on and goes out after the engine starts and the idle has stabilized.
This indicates that the MIL is working properly .
If the light does not go out after the engine is started, or illuminates
while you are driving, a malfunction may exist in the engine system.
If the light illuminates, the catalytic converter could be damaged.
Continue driving
with reduced power (avoiding sustained high
speeds and/or rapid accelerations) and have the condition corrected.
Contact your authorized Audi dealer.
If the light illuminates, the electronic speed limiter may also be
ma lfunction ing. For more information~
page 20, "E lectronic speed
limiter" .
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also cause the MIL light to
illuminate~
page 222 . •
Electronic speed limiter
Your vehicle may be factory equ ipped with tires that are rated for a
maximum speed of 130 mph (210 km/h). This is less than the
maximum speed of your veh icle . To reduce the risk of sudden tire
fai lure and loss of control if the vehicle is operated at excessive
speeds, your vehicle a lso has an electronic speed limiter . The elec
tronic speed limiter prevents your vehicle from going faster than the
tire speed rating. For more information~
page 259, "Speed rating
(letter code)".
~
Page 25 of 320

Display Ty e
.,Set
. Check ·
Menu off
Fig. 1 3 Displa y: Sta rt
men u
Some functions i n your veh icle can be set, activated, and controlled
by
Menus ). With these menus you can a lso select the information
shown in the driver informat ion system, which operates o nly w ith the
ign ition switched on . Operation is contro lled by t he [
Reset ) button
and the rocke r switch on the wipe r lever~
page 22, fig . 12 .
The
Start menu shows you the different display types:
Set
Che ck
Menu off
Each display type in the Start menu contains a s ubmenu with addi
tional options .
Controls and e quip
m ent Vehicle
OP-eration Set
Check
Menu off
Driver information display
C lock ~page25
Computer ~ page25
Spee d alarm (speed =>page29
war ning)
Language (6 languages)
~ page25
Un its (dis tance, f uel con-=>page2 5
sumption, temperature)
Displays (gearshift rec -
=> page 19
ommendation)
Lighting * (exterior lights,
=> page57
turn s ignals) => page 59
Wiper (service position) ~page68
Doors (unlocking and => page 40,
l ocking mode, for exam-~ page 41
p le Auto Lock)
Service
~ page27
Chass is number * ~page294
Engine oil temperature *
Registe red key s
=>page38
All of the messages shown in vehicles without menu
display appear on the display screen.
•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
Page 27 of 320

Selecting settings
The Driver Information System settings are menu
guided.
Select your settings as follows :
Fig. 16 Display: Menu
Se ttings, com pute r
selec ted (page 1)
- Press the [Reset] button. The Start menu appears
=> page 23, fig. 13.
- Press the rocker switch until
Set is displayed.
- Press the [
Reset] button. All the menus appear.
- Press the rocker switch until the desired line is highlighted
(cursor)::::> fig . 16.
- Press the [
Reset] button.
- If necessary, scroll by selecting and activating the symbol
for "Next page" or "Previous page".
When you have selected the Computer menu and activated it by
pressing the
I Reset I button, two computer levels appear (computer
1 and computer 2). Now you have to select the level you want using
the rocke r swi tch and activate it w ith the
I Reset j button. •
Contro ls a nd e quip
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Driver inf ormation display
Efficiency program
App lies to vehicles: with t rip c omputer with efficiency prog ram
Description
Fig . 17 Display: effi
cie ncy p rogra m
-Press the [ RESET] button@::::> page 22, fig . 11 repeat-
edly until the efficiency program appears in the display.
The efficiency program can help you to use less fuel. It evaluates
driving information in reference to fuel consumption and shows
other equipment influencing consumption as well as sh ift recom
mendations . Fuel economy messages =>
page 26 provide tips for effi
cient driving.
T he effic iency program uses distance and consumption data from trip
compu ter
1. If the data are de leted in the efficiency program, those
values are also reset in trip computer
1. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
Page 33 of 320

Engine oil sensor malfunction =>page35
._ -
Engine speed limitation =>page34
Diesel particulate filter =>page34
Worn brake pads =>page35
USA models : =>page35 Speed warning 1
Canada models: =>page35 Speed warning 1
USA models : =>page35 Speed warning 2
Canada models: =>page35 Speed warning 2
!! Dynamic headlight range control*
defective
=> page35
Con tro ls a nd e quip
m en t
Windshield washer fluid level low => page35
Battery voltage too high or too low => page 35
Defective light bulb =>page36
USA models : =>page36
Defective brake light
Canada models : =:>page36
Defective brake light
Light/rain sensor defective (auto-
=> page 36
matic headlights)* defective
Tire pressure monitor ing system*
=> page 36
Vehicle OP-eration
Driver information display
When a yellow symbol appears, a warning tone will sound once.
Check the displayed function as soon as possible . If more than one
malfunction is detected, all symbols will appear one after the other
for about two seconds .•
Driver information
In addition to the warning/indicator lights and the
symbols in the instrument cluster display, driver informa
tion is displayed .
-~ a:.. CD m
Fig. 24 Section of
instrument cluster:
Set/Check button
Driver information appears in the display when a defective light bulb
is reported by the defective light bulb warning=>
page 36, when the
brake pads are worn and before you engage a gear on vehicles w ith S
tronic .
In addition, driver information may appear when a red symbol flashes
in the driver disp lay.
To display Drive r information
As an example, the~ symbol appears in the display . If you now
press the button => fig. 24, the following driver message appears in
the disp lay:
Switch off engine and check oil level
The driver message in the display goes out afte r about 5 seconds. You
can display the driver message again by br iefly pressing the button .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
Page 34 of 320

Driver information display
Brake system malfunction
BRAKE (USA models)/ {©) (Canada models)
The indicator light flashes if the brake fluid level is too
low , if there is a malfunction in the ABS system or when
the parking brake is engaged.
If the BRAKE /((D) symbol flas hes in the display wit h the
parking brake released, there is a malfunction in the brake
system. In addition to the symbol, o ne of two messages
appears in the display:
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid
ABS fault ! See owner's manual
- Pull off the road and sto p the ve hicle.
- Obtain professio nal assistance .
USA models: if there is a ma lfunct io n in the ABS system, the/.
w ar ning/ind ica tor ligh t illum inates along wi th the BRAKE system
ma lf u nction warning/indicator light~&.
Canada models: if there is a malfu nction in the ABS system, the
wa rning/ind icator ligh t illuminates togethe r with the ((i)) bra ke
system malfunction warn ing/indicator light~& .
Parking brake set
T he parking bra ke warning light Brake/((i)) (Canada mo dels) ill umi
nates when the pa rking brake is set. In addit ion, a warning tone will
so und after yo u have driven for longer than 3 secon ds and faster than
3 mph (5 km/h).
& WARNING
• Always observe the warning s in ~ page 218 , "Engine compart
ment" , before opening the engine hood and checking the brake
fluid.
& WARNING (c on tinued )
• Driving with low brake fluid i s a safety hazard! Stop the car and
get profe ssional assistance .
• If the brake sy stem warning/indicato r light illuminates
together with the ABS warning /indicator light, then th e ABS
system is malfunctioning. The rea r wheels could quickly lock up
when you apply the brakes . Th is could lead to lo ss of control and
your vehicle could slide! Dri ve carefully to the nea rest authorized
Audi dealer and hav e the malfunction corrected. •
Engine cooling system malfunction _L
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must be
rep aired as s oon as possible .
When t he -L symbol in th e d isplay flashes , then either the
engine coolant
temperature is too h igh , or the coolant level
is too low. In add it ion to the symbol , the fo llow ing message
also appears i n the d isplay:
Switch off engine and check coolant level
- Pull off th e road and stop the v ehicle.
- Tur n off the engine .
- Chec k coo lant level~
page 235 .
-Add co olan t if ne cessary ~ page 236.
-Con tinue drivi ng o nly a fter the e ngin e coolant
wa rnin g/ind icato r lig ht go es out .
- Con tact you r au tho rized Audi dealer fo r assis tance if
necessary .
If the eng ine coolant leve l is correct, then the radiator fa n may be the
c ause of the m alfun ction.
~
Page 35 of 320

If the generator warning/indicator light shou ld also illuminate
=> page 15, t hen t he fan belt m ay be damaged .
& WARNING
• If your vehicle should break down for mechanical or other
reasons , pa rk at a safe distance from mo ving traffic, turn off the
engine and turn on the hazard warning lights=>
page 59, "Emer
gency flasher
A. ".
• Never open the hood if you see or hear steam or coolant
escaping from the engine compartment -you risk being scalded.
Wait until you can no longer see or hear steam or coolant
escaping .
• The engin e compartment of any vehicle i s a dangerou s ar ea .
Before you p erform any work in the engine compartment , turn off
the engine and allow it to cool. Follow the warning sti ckers
=> page 218 , "Engine compartment ".
0 Note
Do not continue driving if the -¥- symbol illuminates . There is a
ma lf u nction in the engine coo ling sys tem -yo u could damage your
eng ine. •
Engine oil pressure malfunction ~
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol requires
immediate se rv ice o r repair.
If the 9=r. symbo l app ears in the d is pl ay a nd flash es, th e oil
p ressure is to o lo w . In add ition to the sym bol, the f ollow ing
messag e al so a pp ea rs in the dis play :
Switch off engine and check oil level
- P ull off the road a nd stop t he ve hicle.
Controls and equip
ment Safety first
Driver information display
-
Shut the eng ine down .
- Check t he eng ine oi l level=>
page 231 .
-Contact your authorized Aud i dea le r for assis tance i f
necessary .
Engine o il level too low
If the eng ine oi l leve l is too low , top off oil to t he p roper level
=>page 232.
Engine oil level OK
If the 't'!::;r. symbol starts flashing again even thoug h the engine oil
level checks O K on t he d ipstick,
do not start driving again and do not
let the engine run at idle .
Instead, contact you r authorized Audi
dealer fo r assis tance.
[ i ] Tips
• The engine oil pressure symbol 'I=:?: is not an indic ato r for a low
engine oil level. Do not rely on it . Instead , check the oil level in your
engine at regular intervals , preferably each t ime you refuel, and
always before going on a long tr ip .
• The yellow oil level warning indication requires oil refill or
workshop service without de lay . Do not wait until the red oil pre s
s ure warning symbol~ starts to flash before you respond to the
low oil level warning _, . By then, your engine may already have
s uffered serious damage. •
Applies to vehicles: with manual trans miss ion
-;y Clutch pedal
T he indica tor lig ht illuminates if you do no t press t he cl utch pedal
when starting the engine . For safety reasons, the engine will only
sta rt when the clut ch pedal is pressed. •
Vehicle care Technical data
Page 36 of 320

Driver information display
Fuel supply too low I
When the symbol illuminates, this means there are about 2.6
gallons (10 liters) of fuel left in the fuel tank. Time to refuel!
=;, page 221.
If the symbol lights up, even when there is ample fue l in the tank, and
the text
Tank system malfunction! Please contact workshop appears
in the display, there is a fault in the system. Contact a qualified work
shop to have the fault rectified .•
App lies to veh icles: w ith eng ine speed limitat ion
Engine speed limitation ~
Engine speed maximum XXXX RPM
The symbol illuminates when there is an engine control malfunc
tion. The indicator light
C in the instrument cluster also illuminates.
Th e eng ine speed is limited to the speed displayed in the driver infor
mation system. Keep in mind that the engine speed will not exceed
the value disp layed in the driver information system, for example
when downshifting .
Please go to an authorized Audi dealer or other qualified workshop to
have the malfunction repai red. •
App lies to vehicles: with diesel eng ine and diesel particulate filter
Diesel particulate filter clogged
Particulate filter ! See owner's manual
If the indicato r light in the instrum ent cluster comes on, the
diesel particulate filter has become blocked with soot as the result of
constant short -distance driving. When the symbol illuminates,
you can alter your driving style to assist the filter self-cleaning
process. Drive for approximately 15 minutes in 4th or 5th gear (auto
matic transm ission w ith the selector lever in the 5 posit ion) at a min
imum speed of 37 mph (60 km/h) and an engine speed of approx
imate ly 2,000 RPM. The temperature increase that will result from
this can burn off the soot in the f ilter. The symbol will switch off when
the cleaning is successful. After a successfu l 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 does not switch off, see your authorized dealer or
other qualified workshop to have the problem corrected.
As long as the indicator light remains on (diese l particulate filter
plugged), you can expect increased fuel consumption and poss ibly
also a loss of engine performance.
For more information on the diesel particulate filter, refer to
=;, page 199.
& 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. •
Checking the engine oil level ~-
'LF. Please add max. 1 qt of engine oil!
If the ..:,; symbo l comes on, add 1 quart (1 liter) of oil at the next
opportun ity=-;,
page 232. •
Checking the engine oil level~
When the _ symbol illuminates, check the engine oil level as soon as
possible ~
page 231. Top off the oil at your earliest opportunity
=;, page 232. •