fold seats AUDI A3 2011 Owner´s Manual

Adjusting the head restraints
-To move the head restraint up, hold it at the sides with
both hands and slide it upward until you feel it click into
place.
- To move the head restraint down, press the button@
=>
page 78, fig . 75 and slide the head restraint downward.
Removing the head restraints2>
- Fold the backrest forward=> page 81.
-Move the head restraint upward as far as it can go.
- Press the release@=>
page 78, fig. 76 with the screw-
driver=>
page 2 70 and the button@=> page 78, fig. 75.
Pull the head restraint out of the backrest at the same
time=> &.
Installing the head restraints
Slide the posts on the head restraint down into the guides
until you feel the posts click into place.
- Press the button@=>
page 78, fig. 75 and slide the head
restraint all the way down. You should not be able to pull
the head restraint out of the backrest.
So that the driver can have a better view to the rear, the head
restraints should be pushed down completely when the rear seats are
not occupied.
& WARNING
• Only remove the rear seat head restraints when necessary in
order to install a child seat. Install the head restraint again imme-
2 l The head restraints cannot be removed from rear seats with fixed backrests.
Control s and equ ip­
m ent Vehicle
OP-eration
Seats and storage
& WARNING (continued)
diately once the child seat is removed. Driving without head
restraints or with head restraints that are not properly adjusted
increases the risk of serious or fatal neck injury dramatically.
• Read and heed all WARNINGS~
page 128.
[I) Tips
Correctly adjusted head restraints and safety belts are an extremely
effective combination of safety features. •
Center armrest
The front center armrest can be adjusted to several posi­
tions and contains a storage bin.
Adjusting the armrest
- Push the armrest down .
Fig. 77 Between the
front seats: armrest
folded down
-Lift the armrest slowly until it is in a comfortable position.
Opening the storage bin
- Pull the release button =>fig. 77 upward.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Seats and storage
& WARNING
When folded down, the armrest can restrict the driver 's move­
ment. When driving in c onditions that may call for quick maneu­
vers, fold up the armrest . This will allow you to react more quickly
to avoid an accident. •
Rear seats
General information
Safe tra nsporta tion of passe ngers on the rear s eats
requires proper safet y precaut ions .
All passenge rs o n the rear seats must be seated in compliance with
the safety gu ide lines expla ined in=>
page 135 and=> pag e 145. The
co rrect seat ing pos ition is safety cr itical for front
and rear seat
p assenge rs alike=>
page 128 .
& WARNING
• Vehicle occupant s in the front and rear seat s must always be
properly restrained.
• Do not let anyone ride
in the vehicle without the head
restraints provided. Head restraints help reduce injur ies.
• Loose items inside the passenger compartment , can fly
forward in a cra sh or sudden maneuver and injure o ccupants.
Always store articles in the luggage compartment and us e the
fa stening eye s, especially when the rear seatbacks have been
folded down.
• Read and heed and all WARNINGS=>
page 128, "Proper
seating positions for passengers in rear seats ".•
Rear armrest
Th e arm rest con tains a st orage c ompartment a nd a
cupholder for 2 dri nks.
Folding down the armrest
Fig. 7 8 Center of the
r e ar seatbenc h: r ear
ar mre st fol ded do wn
- P ull the armrest down on the fron t~ fi g. 78 .
Opening the storage bin
- Pull the han dle in fron t.•

Luggage compartment
Increasing the size of the luggage
compartment
To increase the size of the luggage compartment, both
parts of the seatback can be folded forward, individually
or together.
Folding the seatback forward
U')
"'
"' 0 a. ., CD
Fig. 79 Release lever
for the seatback (left
side)
Fig. 80 Rear seatback
folded forward (with
pass-through*)
- Let the backrest latch into the lowest position.
- Swing the outer rear head restraints forward=:>
page 78,
fig. 75.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Seats and storage
-Push the release lever=:> fig. 79 @in the direction of the
arrow.
- Tilt the seatback forward.
Raising the seatback
- Raise the seatback until it is securely latched=:>& . When
you can no longer see the red mark on the pin@, the seat
is latched.
Stowing luggage
- For safe loading and securing of items read and follow the
guidelines on=:>
page 131, "Loading the luggage
compartment" .
The rear seatback is divided into two segments-one third/two thirds.
You can fold down either or both parts of the seatback.
& WARNING
• The backrest must always be securely latched so that the safety
belt of the center seating position can work properly to help
protect the occupant.
• The backrest must be securely latched in position so that no
items contained in the luggage compartment can slide forward
upon sudden braking.
• Never allow safety belts to become damaged by being caught
in door or seat hardware.
• Torn or frayed safety belts can tear and damaged belt hardware
can break in a crash. Inspect the belts periodically. Belts showing
damage to webbing, bindings, buckles, or retractors must be
replaced.
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Seats and storage
& WARNING
Always read and heed WARNINGS=> & in "Loading the luggage
compartment " on
page 131.
0 Note
• If you move the front seat back when the rea r seat backrest is
folded forward, you co uld damage the head restraints o n the rear
seat.
• When fo ld in g th e backrest back into place, make s ure the safety
belt does not get c aug ht, because it can be dama ged . A damaged belt
can fail to provide safe restraint. •
Fastening eyes
The lugga ge compa rtme nt is eq uipped with four tie- down
eyele ts to secu re l ug gage and o ther it em s.
Fig. 81 L uggage
compartm ent:
fastening eyes
- Use the fas ten ing eye s to se cu re your ca rgo pro pe rly
=:> fig . 81 -arrows- .
- Adhere to a ll safety instru ctions =:>
page 131, "Stowing
lugg age".
In a co llision, the laws of phys ics mean that even sma ller items that
a re loose in the vehicle will be come he avy missile s th at ca n caus e
ser ious injury. It ems in th e vehicle possess energy which va ry with
vehicle and t he weight of the item. The veh icle s peed i s the most
significant factor .
For example, in a frontal col lision at a speed of 30 mp h (4 8 km/h),
t he forc es a ct in g on a 10 lb s (4,5 kg) obje ct are about 20 time s th e
normal weight of t he item. This means that the weig ht of t he item
wou ld su dde nly be about 200 l bs (90 kg). Yo u can ima gine the inju­
r ies that a 200 lbs (90 kg) item flying freely through the passenger
compar tment cou ld ca use in a colli sion like this .
& WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to secure items to
fastening eyes can fail during hard braking or in a collision and
cause serious personal injury.
• Always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items
to the fastening eyes in the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shift ing or flying forward .
• When the rear seat backrest is folded down, always use suit­
able mounting straps and properly secure items to the fastening
eyes in the luggage compartment to help prevent items from
flying forward into the passenger compartment .
• Never atta ch a child safety seat tether strap to a fa stening
eye. •

Applies to veh icles : w ith ski sac k
Ski sack
The ski sack allows a maximum of 4 pairs of skis or 2
snowboards to be carried inside the vehicle.
L oading
Open the rear hatch.
Fig. 86 Sect ion of the
rear sea t from the rear:
ski sack hatch cove r
Fig. 87 Sec uring th e
ski sack at the center
r ear seat belt buc kle
- Slide the releas e button for the pass-through down (with
the center armrest)=> fig . 86 -Arrow -and tilt the pass ­
through forward .
- Remove the sack from the luggage compartment and
unfold it.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Seats and storage
-Place the empty sack in the hatch so that the end with the
zip fastener is in the luggage compartment.
- Load objects from the luggage compartment into the ski
sack.
Securing
- Insert the ski sack strap=> fig. 87 © into the center seat
belt buckle ®·
- With ski ing items, place the strap in the middle between
the bindings =>
&-
- Pull the loose end of the strap tight in the direction of the
arrow .
Opening the safety strap buckle
-Take the long sides of safety strap buckle between thumb
and forefinger => fig . 87
@ .
- Squeeze the buckle and pull it away from the cargo.
Stowing
- Raise the pass-through until it is securely latched. It is
secure when you can no longer see the red mark on the
latch in the luggage compartment.
- Carefully fold up the empty (dry) ski sack .
- Stow the ski sack in the luggage compartment so that it
cannot slide around .
& WARNING
• Aft er loa din g, th e sk i sac k m ust be se cu red wit h th e strap .
• The saf ety s trap must fi t tig htly a rou nd the c argo .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service Technical data

Seats and storage
Adjusting the retainer individually
P ress and hold the retain er ar m @ inwar d -arrow- a nd
adjust it to fit t he cup si ze .
The reta iner arm should fit snugly around t he cup or can.
T he cup holder is desi gned to sec ure no more than two cups or ca ns.
& WARNING
Spilled hot liquid can cause an a ccident and personal injury .
• Nev er ca rry any beverage containers with hot liquids , such as
hot coffee or hot tea, in the vehicle while it i s moving. In case of
an accident, sudden braking or other vehicle movement, hot l iquid
could spill , causing scalding burn s. Spilled hot liquid can al so
cause an accident and personal injury .
• Use only soft cups in the cup holder . Hard cups and glasses can
cause injury in an accident.
0 Note
On ly drink conta iners with lids should be carried in the cupholder.
Liq uid could spill ou t and damage your vehicle 's e lec tro nic equipment
or sta in the upho lstery etc. •
Socket
Outlets
The outlet in the fr ont center co n sole and in the lu gg age
com part me nt may be used for 12- volt appli ances.
Fig . 92 Cente r
c on sol e, front : 12-vo lt
o ut let
Fig . 93 Lu gga ge
comp artment : 1 2- vo lt
o utlet
Outlet in the front center console
- Fold t he c over for th e out le t down ~ fig . 9 2.
- Plug in appliance to be use d.
Outlet in the Luggage compartment
- Tap cover~ fig. 93.

• ....__D_ r_iv _i_ n_, g=-- S_ a _ f_e _,Ly _ ______________________________________________ _
Proper occupant seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important for safe,
relaxed driving.
Fig. 122 Correct
seating position
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the
event of an accident, we recommend that you adjust the
driver's seat to the following position:
- Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily push the
pedals all the way to the floor while keeping your knee(s)
slightly bent~& .
- Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in an upright
pos ition so that your back comes in full contact with it
when you drive.
- Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the steering wheel and
your breast bone~ fig . 122. If not possible, see your
authorized Audi dealership about adaptive equipment.
- Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering wheel and airbag cover points at your chest and not at your face. -
Grasp the top of the steering wheel with your elbow(s)
slightly bent.
- Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is as even as
possible with the top of your head. If that is not possible,
try to adjust the head restraint so that it is as close to this
position as possible.
- Fasten and wear safety belts correctly~
page 139.
-Always keep both feet in the footwell so that you are in
control of the vehicle at all t imes.
F o r deta iled informat ion on how to adjust the d river 's seat, see
=>
page 74 , "Adjusting front seats manually " or => pag e 75,
"Adjus ting the power sea t".
& WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help reduce
the risk of serious personal injury:
• Always adjust the driver's seat and the steering wheel so that
there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between your breastbone and
the steering wheel.
• Always hold the steering wheel on the outside of the steering
wheel rim with your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions
to help reduce the risk of personal injury if the driver's airbag
inflates.
• Never hold the steering 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 injuries to the hands, arms and head if the
driver's airbag deploys.
• Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decreases the
ability of the supplemental driver's airbag to protect you in a colli·
sion. .,

______________________________________________ D_ ri_v _ i_n _,,g ,c.._ S_a_ f_ e_ l..:: y __ lR
& WARNING (continued)
• Always sit in an upright position and never lean against or
place any part of your body too close to the area where the airbags
are located.
• Before driving, always adjust the front seats and head
restraints properly and make sure that all passengers are properly
restrained.
• Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is moving. Your seat
may move unexpectedly and you could lose control of the vehicle.
• Never drive with the backrest reclined or tilted far back! The
farther the backrests are tilted back, the greater the risk of injury
due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper
seating position. • Children must always ride in child safety seats~
page 167.
Special precautions apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat~
page 145. •
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving .
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the
event of an accident, we recommend that you adjust the seat
for the front passenger to the following position:
- Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in an upright
position and your back comes in full contact with it when­
ever the vehicle is moving.
- Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is as even as
possible with the top of your head. If that is not possible,
try to adjust the head restraint so that it is as close to this
position as possible=>
page 128.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
-
Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the front
passenger seat.
- Fasten and wear safety belts correctly::::>
page 139.
For detailed information on how to adjust the front passenger's seat,
see ~
page 73.
& WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out of position or too
close to the airbag can be seriously injured or killed by the airbag
as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
• Passengers must always sit in an upright position and never
lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
• Passengers who are unbelted, out of position or too close to
the airbag can be seriously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye.
• Always make sure that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm)
between the front passenger's breastbone and the instrument
panel.
• Each passenger must always sit on a seat of their own and
properly fasten and wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
• Before driving, always adjust the front passenger seat and
head restraint properly.
• Always keep your feet on the floor in front of the seat. Never rest them on the seat, instrument panel, out of the window, etc.
The airbag system and safety belt will not be able to protect you properly and can even increase the risk of injury in a crash.
• Never drive with the backrest reclined or tilted far back! The
farther the backrests are tilted back, the greater the risk of injury
due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper
seating position.
II>
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

_____________________________________________ S_a _f _e _t _y _b_ e_lt _ s __ _
[I) Tips
• T he shoulder belt part shou ld route approximate ly over the
middle of your shoulder -under no circumstances shou ld it route over
you r neck a nd throat area~ & in "Safety belt position" on
page 140 .
• With the front seats, the height adjustment of the seat can also
be used to adjust the position of the safety belts. •
Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause severe inju­
nes.
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause serious injury or
death . Safety belts can only work when they are correctly
positioned on the body . Improper seating positions reduce
the effectiveness of safety belts and will even increase the
ris k of injury and death by moving the safety belt to critical
areas of the body . Improper seating positions also increase
the risk of serious injury and death when an airbag deploys
and str ikes an occupant who is not in the correct seating posi­
tion. A driver is responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu­ pants and especially for chi ldren. T herefore:
- Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect sitting posi-
tion in the vehicle while traveling
~ & .
The fo llowing lists on ly some examples of imprope rly worn safety
belts th at will increase the risk of ser ious injury and death . O ur hope
is that these examples w ill make you more aware of seat ing pos itions
t ha t are dangero us.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving :
• never wear the sho ulder belt unde r yo ur arm
• neve r let the shoulder be lt pass ove r you r neck
• neve r wear the safety belt loosely
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
•
never place the lap belt portion of the safety belt across your
abdomen ~& -
& WARNING
Improperly worn safety belt s in cre ase th e risk of seriou s per sona l
injur y and death whene ver a vehicle is being used.
• Alway s make sur e that all vehicle occupants are correctly
re st ra ined and st ay in a c orrect se ating po sition whene ve r the
vehi cle i s bei ng used .
• Always re a d and heed all WARNINGS and other important
informat ion ~
page 13 8. •
Safety belt pretensioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear end collisions above a particular
severity, safety belts are tensioned automatically .
The safety belts are eq uipped with safety belt p retensioners. The
system is activated by sensors in fron t, side and rear-end collisions of
great sever ity. Thi s tightens t he be lt and takes up belt slack~ & in
"Service and disposal of sa fety belt p retens ioner". Tak ing up the slack
helps to reduce forward occupan t movement during a collis ion .
0 Note
Never le t the bel t remain over a rear seatback that has been folded
forward.
[I) Tips
The safety belt pretensioners can only be act ivated once .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Airbag system
•m---=---=----------------
belt is not being used, t he first stage dep loys, followed by the second
stage a fter a mu ch later time in the c rash seq uence .
If the electronic control un it reg isters a crash of medium severity, the
first stage of the airbag deploys fo llowed by the second stage at a
much la ter t ime in the crash sequence -regard less of whethe r th e
safety belt is being used or not. In higher sever ity crashes as regis­
t ere d by t he elect ronic con tro l u ni t, both the first and second stages
dep loy almost at the same time.
On the passenger side, regardless of safety be lt use, the a irbag will
be turned off if the we ight on the passenger seat is less than the
amount prog rammed in the electronic contro l unit. The front airbag
on the passenge r side w ill a lso be turned off if one of the ch ild safety
seats that has been certified under Federa l Moto r Vehicle Safety
Standar d 208 has bee n recognized o n th e seat. The
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light comes on and stays on to tell you w hen the front
Advanced Airbag o n the passenger side has been tu rned off
~ page 147, "Ch ild restraints on the front seat -some important
t hings to know" .
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflate s, always wear
safety belts properly .
• If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sitting sidewa ys or
out of position in any way , your risk of inju ry is much higher.
• You will also receive serious injuries and could even be killed if
you are up against the airbag or too close to it when it inflates· even with an Advanced Airbag~
page 145. •
More important things to know about front
airbags
Fi g. 138 I nflated
front a irb ags
Safety belts are important to he lp keep front seat occupants in the
pro per seated pos ition so that a irbags can unfold prope rly and
prov ide supp lemental protect ion in a frontal collision.
Th e front airbags are designed to provide add itio na l protec tion for
the c hest and face of the driver and the front sea t passenge r when:
• safety belts are worn properly,
• the seats have been posit ioned so that the occupant is prope rly
seated as far as possible from the airbag,
• and the head restraints have been properly adjusted .
Because air bags inflate in the b link of a n eye w it h great force, things
you have on your lap o r have place d on the seat cou ld become
dangerous projectiles, and be pushed into you if the a irbag inf lates.
When a n airbag dep loys, fine dust is released. This is normal and is
not caused by a fire in the vehicle. This dust is made up mostly of a
powder used to l ubricate the ai rbags as they deploy.
It could irritate
skin .
It is important to remember that while the supp lemental airbag
system is desig ned to reduce the li ke lihood of serious injur ies, other
injuries, for example swelling, b ruising and m inor abras ions, can also
happen when airbags infl ate. Airbags do not p rotect the arms or the ..,_