key AUDI A3 2011 Owner´s Manual

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Starting and stopping the engine
Starting the engine
The engine can only be started with your original Audi
key.
N ... q
i
Vehicles with a gasoline engine:
Fig . 10 8 Ignition key
p osit ion s
- Move the selector lever to the neutra l position (automatic
transmission): selector lev er in P or N) =>
& .
- On vehicles with manual transmission, fully depress the
clutch pedal.
- Turn the ignition key to position@ =>
page 106, fig. 10 7
- do not depress the gas pedal when star ting t he engine!
- Let go of the key as soon as the engine starts .
Vehicles with a diesel engine:
- Set the park ing b rake .
- Move the selector lever to the neutral position (automatic
transmission): selector lever in P or N) =>
& .
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
- On vehicles with manual transmission , fu lly depress the
cl utch peda l.
- Turn the ignition key to posi tion
(D => fig . 108. The g low
plug warning light lights up whi le the glow plugs are
warming u p.
- When the warning light goes out, turn the ig nition key to
posi tion @to start the engine @ =>
page 106, fig. 107 .
Do not depress t he gas pedal when starting t he engine!
- Let go o f the key as soon as the engi ne starts.
A cold engine may sound loud after it has been started . Th is is due to
t he hydra ulic valves buil ding up oil p ress ure. This is normal and is not
a need for concern.
If the engine does not start immediately, stop try ing after 10 seconds
and then try to restart the engine about 30 seconds later .
Glow plug system*
Diesel engines are equipped with a glow p lug system whose
preheating t ime is con trolled by the coo la nt and outs ide tempera­
t u re . Start the engine
immediately af ter the glow p lug ind icator light
sw itches off .
Th e g low pl ug indica tor light w ill only ill uminate fo r approximately 1
second when the engine is warm or the outs ide temperature is higher
than 46 °F (8 °C). Tha t means yo u ca n sta rt the engi ne
immediately.
To start the diesel engine after the fuel tank has
been run dry
If the fue l tank was run complete ly dry, the start ing process after
refueling with diesel fuel can take longe r than usual -up to one
minute. This is because the fuel system first has to be vented of air
wh ile starting. _,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service Technical data

ffl..__O_ n_ t_ h_e _ ro_ a_d _______________________________________________ _
& WARNING
Never start or let the engine run in a confined or enclosed area.
Exhau st fume s from the engine contain carbon monoxide, a color ­
less and odorless gas. Carbon monoxid e can be fatal if inhal ed.
• Never leave the engine idling unattended . An unattended
vehicle with a runn ing engine poses a danger of personal injury or
theft .
0 Note
• Avoid high engine speeds, fast acceleratio n or heavy engine loads
w hile the engine is still cold. This cou ld damage the eng ine .
• Th e engine c annot be sta rted by p ush ing or tow ing the veh icle .
~ For the sake of the environment
To avoid unnecessary engine wear and to reduce e xhaust emissions,
do not let your vehicle stand and warm up . Be ready to dr ive off imme ­
diately after starting your vehicle. Maintain moderate speed unti l the
eng ine is comp letely warm . Remember, the engine performs best at
operat ing temperature. •
Stopping the engine
-Turn the ignition key to position @~poge 106, fi g. 107 .
& WARNING
• Nev er turn off the engine until the vehicle has come to a
c omplete stop.
• The brake booster and servotronic only work when the eng ine
i s running . With the ignition turned off , you have to apply more
force when steering or bra king. Since you cannot st eer and stop
normally , thi s can lead to accident s and serious injuries.
& WARNING (contin u ed )
• The radiator fan can continue to run for up to 10 minute s even
a fter you have turned off the engine and removed the ignition key.
The radi ator fan can also tur n on agai n if the engine coolant heats
up be cause of intense sunlight or heat build-up in the engine
compartment.
0 Note
Do not stop the engine immed iately after hard or extended driving.
Keep t he engine run ning for approximate ly two minutes to prevent
excessive hea t build-up. •
Parking brake
Parking brake
When the parking brake is set, it prevents the vehicle
from rolling a way unintentionally .
Setting the parking brake
Fig. 109 Cente r
c o ns ole : Pa rk ing brak e
s et
- Pull t he park ing b rak e l eve r all the way up .

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Releasing the parking brake
- Pull th e parking brak e leve r u p sligh tly and pr ess the
r ele ase b utt on at t he sam e tim e:::::;,
page 108, fig. 10 9
-a rrow-.
- Keep the release button pressed and lower the par kin g
brake:::::;, &,.
If you should drive off w ith the park ing brake still set, a warning tone
wi ll sou nd and t he following will appear in t he ins trumen t cluster to
remind you to release the parking brake:
Parking brake set
Th e p arking br ake wa rning comes on on ly af ter you have d riven for
longer than 3 seconds and faster than 5 mph (5 km/h).
T he pa rk in g bra ke wa rning ligh t Brake (U SA)/
(CD) (C DN) i lluminates
w hen the park ing b rake is set and you sw itch on the ign ition.
& WARNING
Always release the parking brake completely. A partially engaged
brake will overheat the rear brakes , reduce their effectiveness and
cause excessive wear. This could lead to brake failu re and an acci­
dent.
0 Note
O nly a fter the vehicle has co me to comp lete stop, sho uld you firmly
se t the par king brake and either move the gearshift lever into 1st .
gear (manual t ransm iss ion) or
move the se lector leve r into "P" (Auto­
matic transm ission). •
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Parking
To p
reven t a parked ve hic le fr om rolli ng away, th ere a re
a fe w thing s yo u s hould do.
Wh en you par k yo ur vehic le, do t he foll owing:
- Stop the veh ic le usi ng the brake pedal.
- Set t he parking bra ke firmly .
- Mov e th e s ele ctor lev er i nto the
P p osi tio n (automatic
transmission)
or mo ve the g ears hift leve r i nto 1st . gear
(manual transmission) :::::;, &,.
- Swit ch o ff t he eng ine and rem ove the igniti on key fr om
t he ign ition l ock .
What else you should do when parking your vehicle
on an incline or decline
T u rn t he st eer ing whee l so tha t if the vehicle s hould start to roll, it
will roll into t he curb.
If you are par king on a
decline (the front of your ve hicl e facing down ­
hill), turn the fron t w heels to t he rig ht so t hat they point
toward the
curb.
If you are pa rking o n an incline (t he fon t of yo ur vehi cle facing uphill),
turn the front wheels to the left so that they point
away from the
curb.
Move the se lector lev er into the P p os it ion (automatic transmission)
or move the gearsh ift lever i nto 1st . gear (manual transmis sion ).
& WARNING
This is how you can reduce the risk of injury when leaving your
vehicle.
• Never park the vehicle where it can come in contact with dry
grass, spilled fuel or any other flammable materials.
Vehicle care Technical data

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The selector lever lock is effective only when the vehicle is stationary
and at speeds below 5 km/h. At highe r speeds, the lock in the N posi­
tion is automatically switched off.
The selector lever is not locked when rapid shifts are made through
the N position (e.g . from R to D) . T h is allows you to "rock" the vehicle
if it becomes stuck. If the lever is in the N position for more than
1 second with the brake pedal not depressed, the selector lock
engages automatically.
Release button
The release button in the selector lever handle prevents accidental
shifts into certain selector lever pos itions. When you press the
release button, the selector lever lock is cancelled. In the illustration,
the positions in which the release button has to be pressed are h igh­
lighted in color::::>poge
116, fig . 115 .
Ignition k ey remo val l ock
The ignition key can only be remove after the ignition is switched off
if the selector lever is in P. As long as the ignit ion key is removed, the
selector lever is locked in P.
[ i ) Tips
If the selector lever does not engage, there is a malfunction . The
eng ine is disabled to prevent the vehicle from driv ing off unintention­
ally. To allow the selector lever to engage again, proceed as follows:
Press and release the brake pedal.•
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Applies to vehicles : w ith S tronic®
Driving Notes
The forward gears are shifted up or down automatically .
Starting from stop
-Step on and hold the brake pedal.
Fig. 116 Section from
ce nter conso le:
Selector lever with
r elease button
- Hold the release button (button in selector lever) down,
move the selector lever to the desired position, for
example D =:;,
page 115, and relea.se the button.
- Release the brake pedal and accelerate=:;,& .
Stopping temporarily
-Bring the vehicle to a full stop with the brake, e.g . at
traffic signals.
- Do not accelerate .
Parking
-Step on and hold the brake pedal=:;,&.
- Apply the parking brake firmly.
- Hold the release button down, move the selector lever to
P and release the button. .,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

& WARNING (continued)
• Never let any person ride with their feet on the instrument
panel or sticking out the window or on the seat.
• Never remove a safety belt while the vehicle is moving. Doing
so will increase your risk of being injured or killed.
• Never wear belts twisted.
• Never wear belts over rigid or breakable objects in or on your
clothing, such as eye glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these may cause
injury.
• Never allow safety belts to become damaged by being caught
in door or seat hardware.
• Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt under your arm or
otherwise out of position .
• Several layers of heavy clothing may interfere with correct
positioning of belts and reduce the overall effectiveness of the
system.
• Always keep belt buckles free of anything that may prevent the
buckle from latching securely.
• Never use comfort clips or devices that create slack in the
shoulder belt. However, special clips may be required for the
proper use of some child restraint systems.
• Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and damaged belt hard­
ware can break in an accident. Inspect belts regularly. If webbing, bindings, buckles, or retractors are damaged, have belts replaced
by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Safety belts that have been worn and loaded in an accident
must be replaced with the correct replacement safety belt by an
authorized Audi dealer. Replacement may be necessary even if
damage cannot be clearly seen. Anchorages that were loaded
must also be inspected.
• Never remove, modify, disassemble, or try to repair the safety
belts yourself.
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Safety belts
& WARNING (continued)
• Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts may not work properly
and can impair the function of the inertia reel=>
page 217,
"Safety belts". •
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Seat first -everybody buckle up!
Fig. 131 Belt buckle
and tongue on the
driver's seat
To provide maximum protection , safety belts must always be
positioned correctly on the wearer's body.
- Adjust the front seat and head restraint properly
=>
page 73 , "General recommendations" .
- Make sure the seatback of the rear seat bench is in an
upright position and securely latched in place before using
the belt =>& .
- Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it evenly across the
chest and pelvis=>& . _,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

___ s_ a_ f_ e_ t_ y~ b_ e_ lt_s _____________________________________________ _
- Insert t he tongue into the correct buck le of your seat until
you hear it latch secure ly==> fig. 131 .
- Pull on the be lt to make sure tha t it is secure ly la tched in
the buck le.
Automatic safety belt retractors
Every safety be lt is equipped with an automatic be lt retractor on the
shoulder be lt. This feat ure locks the be lt whe n the belt is pulled out
fast, during hard braking and in an acc ident. The belt may also lock
w hen you dr ive up or dow n a steep hill or throug h a sharp curve.
Dur ing normal driv ing the belt lets you move freely.
Safety belt pretensioners
The safety belts are equipped w ith a belt pretensioner that helps to
t ighten the safety be lt and remove sla ck when the p re tensioner is
act ivated. The function of the pretensioner is monitored by a warn ing
light =>
page 15.
Switchable locking feature
Every sa fety be lt ex ce pt t he one on the driver sea t is eq uipped wi th a
switchab le locking feature that
must be used when the safety belt is
used to at tach a child safety seat. Be s ure to read t he importa nt info r­
mation about this feature=>
page 177.
& WARNING
Imp roperly positioned safety belts can c au se se rious injury in a n
accident =>
page 140, "Safety b elt po sition ".
• Safety belts offer optimum protection only when the seatback
i s upr ight and belts are properly positioned on the body .
• Always make sure th at the rear seat backre st to which the
center rear safety belt is attached i s secur ely latched when ever the
rear cente r sa fety belt is be ing u sed . If the ba ckre st is not securely
latched, the pas senger will move forward with th e backre st during
sudde n braking, in a sudden maneuve r and especiall y in a crash .
& WARNING (continued )
• Never attach the safety belt to the buckle fo r another seat .
Attaching the belt to the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt
effectiveness and can cause ser ious personal injury.
• A pass enger who i s not properly restrained can be seriou sly
i njured by the safety belt itself when it mo ves from the stronger
part s of the body into critical area s like the abdomen.
• Alway s loc k the convertible locking retractor when you a re
securing a child safety seat in the vehicle=>
page 179. •
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting maximum
pro tection from safety belts .
Fig. 132 Hea d
r e str aint a nd safet y
belt po sit ion a s seen
from the side
Standard features on your vehicle help you adjust the position of the
safety belt to match your bo dy size.
• belt h eight adjustment for the fron t sea ts,
• automatic belt height adjustment for the rear seats .

_________________________________________ I_ n_ t_ e_ ll_,igent technology ,__E~-
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines the state of the battery.
Sensors determine battery voltage, battery current and battery
temperature. This determines the current state of charge and the
power of the battery .
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy consumption while the
vehicle is standing. With the ignition switched off, it controls the
energy supply to the various electrical components. Data from
battery diagnosis is considered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge , individual consumers are
gradually turned off to prevent excessive discharge of the battery and
thus maintain starting capability.
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic energy management
distributes the energy generated according to the needs of the indi­
v idual components. It regulates consumption, so that more electrical
energy is not being used than is being generated and ensures an
optimal state of charge for the battery.
[ i] Tips
• But even energy management cannot negate the limits of physics.
Consider that the power and life of a battery are limited.
• If starting ability is threatened, you are informed by a warning
=> page 196, "Driver notification in the instrument cluster display". •
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining starting capa­
bility.
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance driving, in city traffic
and during the cold time of year. Abundant electrical energy is
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
required, but only a little is generated. It is also critical if the engine
is
not running and electrical components are turned on. In this
instance energy is being consumed but none is being generated .
It is in precisely these situations that you will notice energy manage­
ment actively regulating the distribution of energy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of several days or weeks,
electrical components are gradually cut back or switched off. This
reduces energy consumption and maintains starting capability over a
longer period.
Take into consideration that when you unlock your vehicle, some
convenience functions, such as the remote key or power seat adjust ­
ment, may not be available. The convenience functions will be avail­
able again when you turn on the ignition and start the engine .
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with the engine turned off, the
battery is being discharged.
If starting capability is jeopardized due to energy consumption, a
message appears in the driver information display.
You have to start the engine to charge the battery.
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when the vehicle is being
driven, the battery can become discharged. This happens mostly
when little energy is being generated and a great deal consumed and
the battery's state of charge is not optimal.
To bring the energy balance back into equilibrium, consumers which
require especially large amounts of energy are temporarily cut back
or switched off. Heating systems in particular require a great deal of
energy . If you notice, for example , that the heated seats* or the
heated rear window are not heating, they have been temporarily cut
back or switched off. These systems will be available again as soon as
the energy balance has been restored. .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d___. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the engine compa rt­
men t.
Always switch off the ignition before cleaning the engine=:>& .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front of the win dshi eld
unde r th e eng ine hood . T hi s prevents the water d rain holes from
becoming b locked, and it prevents debris from entering the vehicle
inter io r th rough the heat ing and vent ilation ducts .
Corrosion protection
The eng ine compartment and transmission have been cor rosion­
protected at the factory.
Good ant i-cor rosion treatment is very impo rtant , pa rtic ular ly in the
w inter . If the vehicle is frequently driven on sa lt treated roads, the
en tire eng ine compar tment and plenum p anel sho uld be thoroug hly
cleaned at the end of winter and retreated to prevent salt damage. At
t he same t ime, the underside of the vehi cle should be washed as well.
If the e ng ine compartment is clea ned at any t ime with grease
removing so lutions
5>, or i f you have the engine washed , the anti ­
co rros io n treatment is a lmost a lways removed as w ell.
It is t herefore
essential to have a long-last ing corrosion p rotect ion reapplied to all
surfa ces, seams, jo ints and compo nents in the engi ne co mpa rt ment .
& WARNING
Be aware: The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a
potentially hazardous area .
• Before working in the engine compartment, be sur e to read the
information =:>
page 218.
S) Use on ly th e co rr ect clean ing so lut ions. Never use gaso line or diese l fuel.
& WARNING (c on tinued )
• Before reaching into the front plenum panel , alway s remove
the ignition key. Otherwise, the windshield wiper system could unintentionally be switched on , possibly causing personal injury
from the moving wiper linkage.
• Never reach into the area around or touch the radiator fan. The
auxiliary fan is temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly
· ev en when the ignition is off.
• Do not wash, wax or dry the engine with th e engine running.
Moving or hot pa rts could injure you.
• Do not clean the underside of the chass is, fenders, wheel
covers, or other hard to reach part s without protecting your hands
and arm s. You may cut yourself on sharp-edged metal parts.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=:> page 206. •

___ C_ h_ e_c _k _i _ n _g ~ a_n _d_ f_il _l_in _ g _________________________________________ _
Closing the engine hood
- Pull the hood down until the pressure from the strut is
reduced.
- Let the hood
drop down and latch in place . Do not try to
push it shut;
it may fail to engage=> &.
& WARNING
A hood that is not completely latched could fly up and block your
view while driving.
• When you close the engine hood, check it to make sure the
safety catch has properly engaged. The hood should be flush with
the surrounding vehicle body parts.
• If you notice while driving that the hood is not secured prop­
erly, stop at once and close it. •
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the engine
compartment!
Whenever you must perform any work in the engine compartment,
for example checking and filling different fluids, there is a risk of
injury, burns and accidents. To prevent personal injury always
observe the following WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area!~
&
& WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check anything under the hood :
• Turn off the engine.
• Remove the ignition key.
• Set the parking brake fully.
& WARNING (continued)
• Move selector lever of automatic transmission to "P" (Park);
put manual transmission in Neutral.
• Always let the engine cool down. Hot components will burn
skin on contact.
• To reduce the risk of being burned, never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment. Wait until no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the hood.
• Keep children away from the engine compartment.
• Never spill fluids on hot engine components. They can cause a
fire.
• Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary electric fan is
temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly.
• Never open the coolant reservoir cap when the engine is still
warm. The coolant system is pressurized and hot coolant could
spray out!
• Protect your face, hands and arm from steam or hot engine
coolant by placing a thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
• If work on the fuel system or the electrical system is necessary:
-Always disconnect the battery .
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames. Fluids in
the engine compartment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher immediately available.
• To avoid electrical shock and personal injury while the engine is
running or being started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage electronic ignition
system.
• If you must perform a check or repair with the engine running: .,_

___________________________________________ C_ h_e _c _k_ i_n ~g_ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ll _i_n _g __ _
nected. These functions have to be relearned after the battery termi­
nals are connected again. To prevent this, the battery should only be
disconnected from the vehicle electrical system if absolutely neces­
sary.
Power window one-touch
up/down function
Reprogramming
~ page 51, "Reactivating the sys­
tem after battery disconnection"
Master key with remote control Synchronization~
page 43
Digital clock ~ page 9
ESP indicator light The indicator light goes out after
driving a few meters
Vehicles not driven for long periods and short­
distance operation
If you do not drive your vehicle for several days or weeks, e lectrical
consumers are gradually scaled back or switched off. Th is reduces
energy use and ensures the vehicle will be able to start after long
periods of time~
page 194. Some convenience functions such as
opening with the remote control key may not be available. These
convenience functions will be available again once you switch the
ignition on and start the engine. Even when consumers are switched
off, the battery will become deeply discharged by stand-by power
consumers if the vehicle is not driven for several months . Deep
discharging results in a chemica l reaction that destroys the inside of
the battery. The battery must be charged every month to prevent th is
~ page 241. Do not disconnect the battery or the anti-theft alarm
system* will not work.
Winter operation
Cold weather places higher demands on the battery. This results in
reduced starting abi lity. Have the battery checked and recharged if
necessary before the cold weather beg ins.
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, part icularly in city traffic or
when travel ing on ly short distances. Let your author ized Audi dealer
Safety first
check the capacity of the vehicle battery before winter sets in
~ page 241. A well charged battery will not only p revent start ing
problems when the weather is cold, but will also last longer.
(D Note
• All work on the battery requires techn ical knowledge. Please
contact an Audi dealership or another authorized facility for ques­
tions about the battery- danger of acid burns and explosion hazard!
• The battery m ust not be opened! Do not try to change the
battery's liquid level, otherwise detonating gas will escape from the
battery - explosion hazard!
• The AGM battery in the luggage compartment cannot leak,
because the electrolyte for this battery is absorbed into a specia l
glass mat . This leak -proof battery must not be replace with a conven ­
tional battery .
• Make sure the ventilation hose on the side of the battery is
connected, otherwise fumes or battery acid can leak out.
• Battery holder and terminals always have to be secured correctly .
• Before all work on the battery follow the
warnings below~ & in
"Working on the battery" on
page 239. •
Working on the battery
All work on the battery requires technical knowledge! Be
especially careful when working on or near the battery!
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always
read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 226 .
Always heed the safety warnings, when working on the vehicle
battery or the vehicle electrical system to prevent injury .
Vehicle care Technical data