height adjustment AUDI A3 2011 Owner´s Manual

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

Seats and storage
-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 77.
& WARNING
Never place any objects in the driver's footwell. An object could
get into the pedal area and interfere with pedal function. In case
of sudden braking or an accident, you would not be able to brake
or accelerate! •
Front passenger's seat
Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost
position.
To avoid contact with the airbag while it is deploying, do not
sit any closer to the instrument panel than necessary and
always wear the three-point safety belt provided adjusted
correctly. We recommend that you adjust the passenger's
seat in the following manner:
- Move the front passenger seat into the rearmost position
of the fore and aft adjustment range=:>
& in "Why is your
seat adjustment so important?" on
page 73.
- Bring the backrest up to an (almost) upright position. Do
not ride with the seat reclined.
- 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 77.
- Place you r feet on the floor in front of the passenger's
seat .•
Adjusting front seats manually
Applies to veh icles: w ith manual seat ad justment
Adjustment controls
Various controls on the manual seats provide a wide
range for individual adjustments.
(D Moving the seat forward or backward
@ Adjusting the seat height
® Adjusting the seatback angle
© Adjusting head restraint height
Fig. 69 Adjustment
controls: locations on
driver's seat
Some of the controls are fitted on certain models only or they are
optional equipment. •
Applies to veh icles: with manual seat ad justment
Adjusting the manual seats
Position, angle and shape of the manual seats can be
adjusted to provide safe and comfortable seating.
Read and heed all WARNINGS =:> & before you adjust your
seat .
~

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

Seats and storage
Applies to veh icles : w ith power driver seat
Power seat adjustment
The switches can be moved in various directions to allow
precise adjustment.
Fig. 71 Seat cushion
adjustment: switch
motions
Push or pull the switch in the same direction you like the seat
cushion to move.
Moving the entire seatback or forward
- Push the switch back at the tip or forward at the rear (D
=>& .
Adjusting the seat height
- To raise the seat, pull the switch at both ends,@ and®
=>& .
- To
lower the seat, push the switch down evenly,@and @
=>& .
Tilting the seat cushion back or forward
- To tilt bock the seat cushion, pull the switch at the front
only, @=>& .
- Alternatively, push the switch at the rear only,®=>& .
-To tilt forward the seat cushion, push the switch at the
front only@=>& .
-Alternatively, pull the switch at the rear only®=>& .
& WARNING
• Never adjust the driver's seat while the vehicle is moving. If
you do this while the vehicle is moving, you will be out of position .
Always adjust the driver'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!
• Because the driver seat can be electrically adjusted with the
ignition key removed, never leave children unattended in the
vehicle. Unsupervised use of the electric seat adjustments may
cause serious injury. •
Applies to vehicles: with power driver sea t
Adjusting the seatback
Fig. 72 Driver 's seat:
switch for seatback
adjustment
- Push or pull the top of the switch in the same direction you
like the seatback to tilt=> fig. 72. _,,,

& 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

Seats and storage Raising /Lowering the head restraint
The head restra ints on the front seats can be adjusted to
provide safe support to head and neck at the optimum
height . When opt imally ad justed, the top of the res traint
should be level w ith the top of the head . If that is not
possible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it is as close
to this position as possib le =>
page 128, "Proper adjustment
of 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
p lace.
To move the head restraint down, press t he button @ and
slide the head restra int downward until you feel it click
into place =>
page 77, fig. 74 .
Removing the head restraint
-Pull t he head rest rain t all the way u p.
- Press the release button®=>
page 77, fig . 74 and pull
the restraint straight up and out of the seat.
Installing the head restraint
- Insert the rods into the g uides a nd push the res traint back
i n until you hear it click.
Refe r to => page 128, "P roper adjustme nt of head restrain ts" for
guidelines on how to adjust the he ight of the fro nt head restra ints to
fit the occupant's body size.
& WARNING
• Driving without head restraint s or with head re straint s that are
not properly adjusted increases the risk of serious o r fatal neck
injur y dramatically .
& WARNING (contin u ed )
• Read and heed all WARNINGS => page 128.
[ i ] Tips
Correct ly adjusted head restraints and safety belts are an extremely
effect ive comb inat io n of safety features .•
Rear head restraints
Fig. 7 5 Rear seat :
he ad re st ra ints
Fig. 76 Rear head
re strai nts: re leas e
If the re is a passe nger on the rea r ce nter seat ing position,
slide th e cente r head restrai nt upward a t least to the nex t
notch . ..,.

___________________________________________________ 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

1111 ....... _D_ r_iv _i_ n .... g=-- S_ a_f _e _Ly :,.._ ______________________________________________ _
Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
Th is chapter contains important information, t ips, instructions and
warnings that you need to read an d observe fo r you r own safe ty, the
safety of you r passengers and others . We have summarized here
w hat you need to know about sa fety belts, airbags, child restra ints as
we ll as child safety . You r safety is for us
priority number 1. Always
observe the information and warnings in this section -for your own
safety as well as t hat of your passengers.
The informat ion in this section applies to all mode l versions of yo ur
veh icle . Some of the fe atures des cribed in this se ctions m ay be st an­
dard equ ipment on some models, or may be optional eq uipment on
others. If you a re not sure, ask your a uth o rized Audi dealer.
& WARNING
• Always make sure that you follow the instructions and heed
the WARNINGS in th is Manual. It is in your interest and in the
intere st of your passengers.
• Always keep the complete Owner's Literatu re in your Audi
when you lend or sell your vehicle so that this important informa ­
tion will always be available to the driver and passengers .
• Always keep the Owner's literature handy so that you can find
it easily if you have questions . •
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant restraint
s y stem and wor k together to he lp reduce the ris k of injury
in a wide variety of accident situations.
Your sa fety and t he safety o f yo ur passenge rs shou ld no t be left to
chance . Adva nces in technology have made a variety of features avai l­
a b le to help re duce the risk of injury in an a cc ident . The fo llow ing is a
list of jus t a few of the safety features in your Audi:
• sophisticated safety belts for driver and a ll passenger seating
p osi tion s,
• safety belt pretensioners,
• safety belt fo rce lim iters for the fro nt sea ts,
• safety belt he igh t adju stmen t sys tems for the fro nt sea ts,
• automatic safety be lt height adjustment for the rear seats,
• head restraints fo r eac h seating position,
• front airbags,
• side airbags in the fro nt seats a nd outer rear seats*,
• side curtain air bags,
• special LATCH anchorages for child restraints,
• head restraints fo r eac h seating position,
• adjus table stee ring co lumn.
Th ese ind ividual safety features, can work together as a system to
he lp protec t you and yo ur passengers in a wide range of accidents.
Th ese featu res ca nnot work as a syst em if they are not always
correct ly adjusted and cor rect ly used.
Safety is everybody' s re sponsibility! •

___ 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 .

-Safety belts ----------------
& WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause
serious personal
injury in an accident.
• Expectant mothers must always wear the lap portion of the
safety belt as low as possible across the pelvis and below the
rounding of the abdomen.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other important
information ~
& in "Fastening safety belts" on page 139. •
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release button only
after the vehicle has stopped.
Fig. 134 Releasing
the tongue from the
buckle
- Push the red release button on the buckle ~ page 142 ,
fig. 134. The belt tongue will spr ing out of the buckle
~& -
- Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you guide the belt
tongue to its stowed position.
& WARNING
Never unfasten safety belt while the vehicle is moving. Doing so
will increase your risk of being injured or killed. •
Adjusting safety belt height
With the aid of the safety belt height adjustment , the
three point safety belt strap routing can be fitted to the
shoulder area, according to body size.
Fig. 135 Safety belt
height adjustment for
the front seats -loop­
around fittings
-Push the loop-around fittings up~ fig. 135 @, or
- squeeze together the (D button, and push the loop-
around fittings
down @.
- Pull the belt to make sure that the upper attachment is
properly engaged.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other important infor-
mation ~
page 138. .,