airbag off AUDI A3 2011 Owner´s Manual

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. _,,,

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

All the doors and the rear lid are locked by the central locking system
when you lock the vehicle.
The unlock ing and locking mode* can be changed in the driver infor­
mation system~
page 22.
Unlocking the vehicle
You can unlock the vehicle from outside either by using the remote
control
or by inserting and turning the key in the driver's door lock .
When you
unlock your vehicle:
• Th e anti-theft alarm system is deactivated briefly.
• The vehicle interior lights illuminate for approximately 30
seconds .
• All turn signa l lights will flash twice when the car is unlocked .
• After unlocking the vehicle, you have 30 seconds to open a door or
the rear lid. Afte r 30 seconds, the vehicle automatica lly locks and the
anti-theft alarm system activates again.
The rear lid can be locked or unlocked either by using the remote
control or by inserting and turning the key in the dr iver's door lock.
Unlocking the vehicle with the remote control~ will only
unlock the
rear lid, to
open it, the lid handle needs to be pressed.
Locking the vehicle
You can lock the vehicle from outside either by using the remote
control
or by inserting and turning the key in the drivers's door lock.
When you
lock the vehicle:
• All doors and the rear lid are locked.
• All turn signal lights will flash once when the car is locked.
• Th e anti-theft alarm system is activated. The horn of the anti­
theft alarm system will sound and the anti-theft alarm system readi­
ness light, located in the center of the instrument panel below the
windshield on the right side of the air vent, will start to blink.
• Th e vehicle interior lights turn off.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Opening and closing
Automat
ic locking*
The automatic locking feature locks all the vehicle doors and the rear
lid when you drive faster than 9 mph (15 km/h).
You can unlock the vehicle from the inside by:
• removing the key from the ignition switch (the vehicle wi ll auto­
matically unlock itself) or
• pressing the unlock part of the power lock switch
ll::D or
• pulling the inside handle for that door (once - the front door is
unlocked and opened at the same time, twice to open the rear door).
If you wish, you can have an authorized Audi dealer convert your
power door lock system to automatic locking.
& WARNING
• When you lock your vehicle from outside, nobody· especially
children - should remain inside the vehicle. Remember, when you
lock the vehicle from the outside the windows cannot be opened
from the inside .
• When you leave the vehicle, always remove the ignition key
and take it with you. This will prevent passengers (children, for
example) from accidentally being locked in the vehicle should
they accidentally press the power locking switch on the center
console.
• Do not leave children inside the vehicle unsupervised. In an
emergency it would be impossible to open the doors from the
outside without the key.
[ i ] Tips
• In the event of a crash with airbag deployment all locked doors
will be automatically unlocked to give access to the vehicle occupants
from the outside .
• If the power locking system sho uld fail, you can still open the fuel
tank flap in an emergency~
page 224 . .,_
Vehicle care Technical data

instrument pane l illum in ation w ill autom at ically be com e dimm er
as the d ay light fade s away and eventu ally will g o out c ompletel y
wh en outside light i s very low . This is to r emind you, the drive r, to
s witch on the headlight s before it gets too dark .
• Canada model s: in strument pan el illum ination will stay bright
r e g ardle ss of the inten sity of ambient light . Alwa ys be awar e of
c hanges in o utside light conditions w hile you ar e dri ving. R espond
in time to fading da ylight by tu rning the light switch t o po sit ion
io
(or "AUTO" if your car is equipped with this feature) to turn on y our
headl ights .•
Emergency flasher ~
The emergency flasher makes other motorists aware that
you or your vehicle are in an emergency situation .
Fig. 53 Ce nter
conso le : eme rgenc y
fla sh e r sw it c h
- Press the switch~:::::> fig. 53, to switch the emergency
flasher on or off.
When the eme rgency flasher is o n, all four tu rn s ignal b link at the
same time . The turn signa l indicator lights¢¢ in the instrument
cluster , as well as the light in the emerg ency flasher switch~ blink
likewise.
T he emergency flasher will autom atically sw itch on if you are in an
acc ident where the airbag has deployed.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Clear vision
(I) Tips
You should swi tch on the emergency flasher when :
• you a re the last ve hicle stand ing in a traffic jam so that any ot her
vehicles com ing can see you , or when
• your vehicle has b roken down or you are in an eme rgency s itua­
tion , or when
• your vehicle is being towed by a tow tr uck or if yo u are tow ing
another vehicle behind you. •
Turn signals -¢¢ and high beam [D lever
The lever on the le~ side of the steering column is used to
operate the turn signals and the high beam as well as the
headlight flasher.
-"' M
-w .., a,
Fig . 54 Tu rn sign al
a nd h igh b eam lever
The turn signal and high beam lever has the following func­
tions :
Turn signals ¢ ¢
- Lift the lever up all the way:::::> fig. 54 (D, to use the r ight
turn signals , or push the lever down all the way@ to use
the left turn signals. .,,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Seats and storage
General recommendations
Why is your seat adjustment so important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can only provide
maximum protection if the front seats are correctly
adju sted.
Th ere are several dif ferent ways you can ad just the d river's sea t and
t he front passenger's seat so that it confo rms to your body size .
It is
especially important t hat the seat be adjusted properly so that:
• you can easily and quickly reach a ll the switc hes and contro ls in the
ins trumen t pa nel
• your body is properly supported thus reducing phys ica l stress and
fatigue
• the safety be lts and airbag system can offer maximum protection
=>
page 145
In the follow ing chapters, you will see exactly how you can best adjust
your sea ts .
Th ere are special regulations a nd instr uctions for install ing a child
safety seat on the front passenger 's seat. Always heed the informa ­
tion regarding child safety p rovided in=>
page 167, "Child Safety ".
& WARNING
Incorrect seating posit ion of the driver and all other passengers
can result in seriou s personal injury.
• Always keep your feet on the floor when the vehicle is in
motion -never put your feet on top of the instrument panel, out
of the window or on top of the seat cushion! This applies especially
to the passengers. If your seating po sition is incorrect you
increase the ri sk of injury in the case of sudden braking or an acci-
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Seats and storage
& WARNING
(con tinu ed)
dent . If the airbag inflates and the seating position is incorrect
this could result in per sonal injury or even death .
• It is important for both the dri ver and front passenger to keep
a distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between themselves and
the steer ing whee l and /or instrument panel. If you're sitting any
closer than this , the airbag system cannot protect you properly. In
addition to thi s, the front seats and head restraints must be
adjusted to your body height so that they can give you maximum
protection .
• Always try to keep as much distance as possible between your­
self and the steering wheel or instrument panel.
• Do not adjust the driver's or front passenger 's seat while the
vehicle is moving. Your seat may move unexpectedly, causing
sudden loss of vehicle control and personal injury . If you adjust
your seat while the vehicle is moving, you are out of position. •
Driver's seat
The correc t sea t posi tion is import an t f or sa fe and
rel axed dri ving.
We recomm end that you a djust th e d rive r's sea t in the
fo llowing man ner:
- Ad just the sea t in f ore and a ft dire ct io n so that y ou can
e asily pus h the pe dals to the floor while keep in g you r
kne es slightly bent=>
& in "W hy is yo ur seat a djust m en t
so imp ort an t?".
- Adj ust the sea tbac k so tha t when yo u sit wi th y our back
agai nst the se atba ck, you can sti ll gra sp th e to p of t he
s te er ing w hee l. _..
Vehicle care Technical data

Moving the front seats forward or backward
-Lift the lever => page 74, fig. 69 (D and slide the seat to
the desired posi tion.
- Release the lever and then move the seat f urther until you
feel and hear it engage.
Adjusting the seat height
- Pull th e le ver @up and pu mp i t to raise th e seat .
-Push the lev er down and pum p i t to lo wer the sea t.
Adjusting the seatback angle
- Lean forwa rd to take yo ur weight off the seatback.
Tur n th e ha nd whee l© in the direc tio n you want the seat ­
back to til t.
& WARNING
• Never adju st the driver's or front passenger's seat while the
vehicle is mov ing . If you do this while the veh icle is moving , you
will be out of po sition. Always adjust the driver's or front
passenge r's seat when the vehicle is not moving .
• Be careful when adjusting the seat height . Check to see that no
one is in the way , or serious injury could result!
• To reduce the risk of in jury in the case of sudden braking or
accident , front passengers must never ride in a moving vehicle
with the seatba ck reclined. Safety belt s and the airbag system
only offer max imum protection when the seatback is upright and
the safety belt s are properly positioned on the body . The more the
s e atback is reclined, the greater the risk of personal injury from an
incorrect seating po sition and improperly positioned safety
belts! •
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Seats and storage
Adjusting the power seat
Applies to veh icl es: w it h po we r dri ve r se at
Adjustment switches
For an intuitive operation, the switches ©and ® are
distinctly sha ped and position ed to reflect their adjust ­
ment functions.
Fig. 7 0 Adj ustm ent
s wit ches: l ocati ons on
d rive r's s eat
Push or pull e ithe r swi tch in e xa ct ly the s ame d irec tion you like the
co rrespo nding part o f the seat to move .
@ Moving the seat fo rward o r backwa rd
@ Adjusting the angle of the seatback and head restraints
© Adjusting the lumbar support •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

& WARNING
• Never adjust the seatback while the vehicle is moving. If you
adjust your seatback while the vehicle is moving, you will be out
of position. Always adjust the seatback when the vehicle is not
moving.
• To reduce the risk of injury
in the case of sudden braking or
accident, front passengers must never ride in a moving vehicle
with the seatback reclined. Safety belts and the airbag system
only offer maximum protection when the seatback is upright and
the safety belts are properly positioned on the body. The more the seat back is reclined, the greater the risk of personal injury from an
incorrect seating position and improperly positioned safety
belts! •
App lies to vehicle s: w ith lumba r suppor t
Adjusting the lumbar support
The lumbar support can be adjusted to fit the natural
curvature of the occupant's spine.
~
--ct
L--------------- --,ll:
Adjusting the curvature
Fig. 73 Driver seat:
switch for lumbar
adjustment
- Push the front of the switch plate==> fig. 73 in order to
increase the curvature.
Con tro ls an d equip ­
m en t Vehicle OP-eration
Seats and storage
-Push the rear of the switch plate in order to decrease the
curvature.
Adjusting the height
- Push on the top of the switch plate in order to move the
support higher.
- Push on the bottom of the switch plate in order to move
the support lower.
& WARNING
Never adjust the lumbar support while the vehicle is moving. If
you adjust your seat while the vehicle is moving, you will be out of
position. Always adjust the lumbar support when the vehicle is
not moving. •
Head restraints
Front head restraints
The head restraints must be properly adjusted to the
occupants's height to provide optimal restraint in combi­
nation with the seat restraints.
-
Vehicle care
Fig. 74 Driver's seat
head restra int:
adjusting the height ...
Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

- Plug in appliance to be used.
The outlet may be used for 12-volt app liances w ith maxim um
cons umption of up to 100 watts, such as a flash light, small vacuum
cl eaner, e tc.
Before you purchase any accessor ies, always read and fo llow the
info rm ation in::::,
page 301, "Add it io na l acc essories and p arts
re placemen t".
& WARNING
The outlet plus any appliances plugged into it remain functional
even if the ignition is switched off or the ignition key is removed. Never leave children inside the vehicle without supervision .
0 Note
To avoid damaging the socket, only use plugs that fit properly.
(I) Tips
When the engine is off and accessor ies are st ill plugged in and are on,
the ve hicle battery can sti ll be drained .•
Storage
General overview
There are numerous pl aces to st ore items in your vehi cle .
Storage in t he center armrest
Storage in the rear armrest
::::, page 79
Glove com partment (Ai r ven tila tion in t he ::::, page 92
glove compartment*, CD changer*)
Controls and equip ·
ment Safety first
Seats and storage
Center console ::::,
page 92
Compartments in the door tr ims ::::, page 93
Storage in the footwell ::::, page 93
Compartments in luggage compartment ::::, page 94
Coat hooks
Some of the storage locations are only fo und o n specific vehicle
mode ls o r are op tio nal equ ipme nt.
& WARNING
• Always remove objects from the instrument panel. Any items
not put away could slide around inside the vehicle while dri ving or
when accelerating or when applying the brakes or when dri ving
around a corner.
• When you are driv ing make sure that anything you may have
placed in the center console or other stor age locations cannot fall
out into the footwells. In c ase of sudden braking you would not be
able to b rake, depres s the clutch or accelerate .
• Any pieces of clothing that you have hung up must not inter­
fere with the driver's view. The co at hooks are designed onl y for
lightweight clothing . Never hang any clothing with hard, pointed
or hea vy objects in the pockets on the coat hooks. During sudden
braking or in an accident· especially if the airbag is deployed ·
the se objects could injure any passengers inside the vehicle. •
Vehicle care Technical data

___________________________________________________ O_ n_ t_h _e_ r_o _a_ d __ _
On the road
Steering
Adjustable steering wheel
The height and reach of the steering wheel con be
adjusted .
First, adjust t he dr iver's seat correct ly.
Fi g. 106 Leve r und er
the s tee ring column
-Pu sh t he lever~ fig. 106 down as far as it wi ll go~ &.
- Move th e st eeri ng wheel to t he desire d position.
- Push t he lever back up as fa r as it wi ll go.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) between your chest and the
c en ter of the steer ing w hee l. If you cannot si t more than 10 inches
(25 cm) from the steering wheel, see if adaptive equ ipment is avai l­
able to help you reach the pedals and increase the distance from the
steeri ng wheel.
For detai led info rmation on how to adjust the dr iver's seat, see
=> page 76, "Power se at adj ustment".
The steer ing whee l can be adjusted even when the ignition is turned
off .
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
& WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjustment and improper seating
position can cause serious personal
injury .
• Adjust the steer ing whe el column only when the vehicle is not
moving to prevent loss of vehicle control.
• Always make sure that the adjustment lever is securely pushed
up so that the position of the steering wheel cannot be changed
unintentionally when the vehicle is moving .
• Adjust the dr iver 's seat or steering wheel so that there is a
m inimum of 10 inches (25 cm) between your breastbone and the
steering wheel=>
page 126, fig. 122. If you cannot maintain this
minimum distance, the airbag system cannot protect you prop­
erly.
• If physical limitations prevent you from sitting 10 inches (25
c m) or more from the steering wheel, check with your authorized
Audi dealer to see if adaptive equipment is available .
• Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decrea ses the
ability of the supplemental driver's a irbag to prote ct you in an
accident. Always make sure that the steer ing wheel is pointed
towards your che st .
• Always hold the steering wheel on the outside of the steering
wheel rim with your hands at the 9 o'clo ck and 3 o'clock position s
to help reduce the risk of personal injury if the driver's airbag
inflates .
• Never hold the steer ing wheel at the 12 o 'clock position or with
your hands at other positions inside the steering wheel rim or on
the steering wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injurie s to the hand s, arms and head if th e
driver 's airbag inflates. •
Vehicle care Technical data

Because the passengers of this vehicle are not using safety belts
=> page 136, fig. 126, they will keep moving at the same speed the
vehicle was moving just before the crash, until something stops them
- here, the wall =>
page 136, fig. 127.
The same principles apply to people sitting in a vehicle that is
involved in a frontal collision. Even at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30
to SO km/h), the forces acting on the body can reach one ton (2,000
lbs. or 1,000 kg) or more. At greater speeds, these forces are even
higher .
People who do not use safety belts are also not attached to their
vehicle. In a frontal collision they will also keep moving forward at
the speed their vehicle was travelling just before the crash . Of course,
the laws of physics don't just apply to frontal collisions, they deter­
mine what happens in all kinds of accidents and collisions.•
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop themselves
from flying forward and being injured or killed. Always
wear your safety belts!
Safety first
Fig. 128 A driver not
wearing a safety belt is
violently thrown
forward
Vehicle OP-eration
Safety belts
Fig. 129 A rear
passenger not wearing
a safety belt will fly
forward and strike the driver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the tremendous forces of
impact by holding tight or bracing themselves. Without the benefit
of safety restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant will slam
violently into the steering wheel, instrument panel, windshield, or
whatever else is in the way=> fig. 128. This impact with the vehicle
interior has all the energy they had just before the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even when they deploy,
airbags provide only additional protection. Airbags are not supposed
to deploy in all kinds of accidents. Although your Audi is equipped
with airbags, all vehicle occupants, including the driver, must wear safety belts correctly in order to minimize the risk of severe injury or
death in a crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and that your
safety belts are always there to offer protection in those accidents in
which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they have already
deployed. Unbelted occupants can also be thrown out of the vehicle
where even more severe or fatal injuries can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to wear safety belts
correctly. Unbelted passengers in the rear seats endanger not only
themselves but also the driver and other passengers=> fig . 129. In a
frontal collision they will be thrown forward violently, where they can
hit and injure the driver and/or front seat passenger. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data