seats AUDI A3 2012 Owner´s Manual

70 Seats and storage
Retractable luggage compartment cover
The luggage compartment cover keeps lug­
gage o r other objects out of vi ew .
Fi g. 80 Rear lid ope n with luggage compartment cover
Removing the luggage compartment
co ve r
.. Detach the retaining straps¢ fig. 80 at the
rear hatch
(D .
.. Pull the cover@ horizonta lly out of the
mount @in the direct ion of the arrow.
In stall ing the luggage compartment
co ver
.. Push the cover horizonta lly into the mounts
provided¢
fig. B0@on the side panel unti l
the cover seats .
.. Install the retain ing straps in the rear hatch
¢fig . 80 @ ¢_.&. .
&_ WARNING
- T he luggage compartment cover m ust
neve r be i nstalled w ithout being secured
- this c reates an acciden t ha zar d.
- Whe never dr iving, never p lace any hard
o r he avy o bjects on the luggage com ­
p art ment or allow pets to sit on t he lug­
gage compartment cover. They could be­
come a hazard to vehicle occupants in
the event of sudden brak ing or in an acci­
dent.
{[) Note
Make s ure that the heating wires in the
rea r lid do not get damaged by objects
scraping against them .
(D Tips
-Yo u can use the luggage compartment
cover to store light we ight cloth ing but
do not leave any heavy or sharp objects
in the pockets of the cloth ing.
- Remember that placing clothing on the
luggage compartment cover can block
the driver's vision in the rear view m irror.
Th is also applies espec ially when you
have to transport large objects.
- So that stale air can escape from the ve­
hicle be sure not to cover the vent ilation
slot between the rear lid a nd the lug­
gage compartment cover installed.
Ski sack
Applies to veh icles : w it h sk i sack
The ski sack allows a maximum of 4 pairs of
skis or 2 snowboards to be carried inside the
vehicle.
Fi g. 81 Sect ion of the rear seat from t he rear: sk i sac k
h atch cover
Fig. 82 Securing the ski sack at th e cente r rear seat
be lt buck le
Loading
.. Open the rea r hatch.
.. Slide the re le ase button fo r the pass ­
through down (with the cente r armrest)

¢ fig. 81 -Arrow-and tilt the pass-through
forward.
~ Remove the sack from the luggage com­
partment and unfold it.
~ Place the empty sack in the hatch so that
the end with the zip fastener is in the lug ­
gage compartment .
~ Load objects from the luggage compart­
ment into the ski sack.
Securing
~ Insert the ski sack strap¢ fig. 82@ into
the center seat belt buckle @.
~ With skiing 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. 82 @ .
~ Squeeze the buckle and pull it away from
the cargo.
Stowing
~ Raise the pass-through until it is securely
latched. It is secu re 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 lu ggage compart­
ment so that it cannot slide around .
A WARNING
-After loading, the ski sack must be se­
cured with the strap.
- The safety strap must fit tightly around
the cargo.
- Make certain that the safety strap lies in
the middle between the bindings of the
ski equipment (refer also to printed mes­
sage on the ski sack).
(D Tips
- Place skis with the tips pointing forward,
snowboards and ski poles with tip to the
rear in the ski sack.
Seats and storage 71
-If there are several pai rs of skis in the sk i
sack, make certain that the bindings are
at the same level.
- Be sure not to fold up or sto re the sack
when it is still damp.
Roof rack* installation
First things first
A roof rack can be used to carry additional
luggage on the roof There are two different
roof rack systems .
Separate roof racks are needed for vehicles
without roof rails . Vehicles with standard roof
rails* need add itional cross bars to carry car­
go . Both types of add itiona l equipment are
available at your authorized Audi dealer.
~ Always read and follow the instructions pro ­
vided by the roof rack manufacturer when
the roof rack system must be installed.
If a roof rack or s imilar luggage carrying
equipment is to be installed, please note the
fo llow ing :
Vehicles without roof rails
- Your vehicle has aerodynam ic rain gutters
molded into the roof. That is why only roof
racks specially designed for the roof can be
used . We recommend using roof racks from
the Audi original accessories program .
- These roof racks are the basis for a complete
roof rack system . For safety reasons, some
additional attachments are necessary to
transport luggage, bicycles , surf boards,
skis and small boats safely. A ll these com­
ponents are available at your authorized Au­
di dea ler .
Vehicle with roof rails
-The vehicle is equipped with integrated roof
railings,
which can be covered into roof rack
by ins tal ling c ross bars . Only install cross
bars specifica lly designed for this vehicle.
- These bars are the basis for a complete roof
rack system . Additional attachments are ..,.

7 2 Seats and storage
necessary to safely trans port luggage,
bicycles, surf boards, skis or small boats.
- All necessary hardware for these systems is
available from yo ur authorized Audi dealer.
When should the roof rack b e removed ?
-Before go ing through an automatic car wash
(it is bes t to ask the car wash opera to r)
- When not in use ( reduce fuel consumpt ion,
reduce wind noise and gua rd against theft)
_& WARNING
- Use of an unapproved roof rack or in cor­
rect mo unt ing of an app roved roof rack
can cause the roof rack o r the items car­
ried on it to fall
off the roof onto the
road.
- Objects falling from the roof of a ve hicle
can cause a c rash and persona l injury.
- Only mount the system between the markings shown in
r=> page 72, fig . 83
or r=>page 73, fig. 84.
-The roof rack system must be insta lled
exactly according to the instr uctions pro­
vided.
(D Note
- Any damage to the veh icle ca used by us­
ing roof racks or other types of cross bars
that have not been approved by Audi for
your vehicle, or incorrect roof rack instal­
l ation, is not covered by the Warranty.
- Always check the roof rack mount ings
and hardware before each trip and dur­ i ng a tr ip to make sure eve rything is se­
curely tightened . If necessary, retighten
the mount ings and check the ent ire sys­
tem from t im e to t im e.
- After mounting a roof rack system, or when you transport objects on the roof
of your veh icle, the height of the v ehicl e
i s n atur ally in creased. Be care ful when
driving u nder low br idges or in pa rk ga­
rages for example. This could cause
damage to the veh icle and even the loa d.
Attachment points without roof rails
App lies to vehic les : with out roof rails
The roof rack must be attached only at the lo­
cations marked .
Fig . 83 Attac hmen t po ints fo r roof rac k
The attachme nt poin ts r=> fig. 83 @ can only
be seen with the door open .
Introduction
.,. Clean the roof at the contact points for the
roof rack in order to avoid pa int scratches.
.,. Obse rve the identify ing marks on t he roof
rack for front and rear, left and right.
Roof rack front
.,. Open the front doo rs c:> &_ .
.,. Center the front of the roof rack in t he two
stamped marks at the front of the roof
r=> fig. 83 @ , r::!> & .
.,. Hand tighten the mount ing screws for the
feet alternately on the
left and right sides
of the vehicle .
.,. Using the enclosed torque wrench, tighten
the
front mounting screws securely c:> &_ .
Roof rack rear
.,. Open the rea r doors r=> £ .
.,. Place the rear of the roo f rack in the two
stamped marks at the rear of the roof
r=> fig. 83 @, r=> £.
.,. Hand tighten the mounting screws for the
feet alternately on the
left and r ight sides
of the vehicle.
.,. Us ing the enclosed to rque wre nch, t ighten
the
rear mounting screws s ecurely c:> &_ . ..,.

7 4 Seats and storage
- Always drive slowly, avo id sudden brak­
ing and maneuvers when transporting
cargo on the roof of your vehicle .
@) For the sake of the environment
Sometimes it may be easier to leave a roof
rack installed even though you are not us­
ing it . Due to the increased a ir resistance
your veh icle will unnecessar ily use more
fuel. Remove the roof rack if you are not
going to use it.
Cup holders
Cup holders in the center console
Fi g. 85 Cup ho lders a nd sto rage t ray in th e ce nte r con ·
s o le
Up to two b everages can be placed in the cen­
te r console.
A WARNING
Spilled hot liquid can cause an accident
and pe rsonal injury.
-
- Never carry any beverage containers with
hot liquids, such as hot coffee or hot tea,
in the vehicle while it is moving . In case
of an accident, s udde n bra king or other
v ehicl e mov ement, hot liq uid could s pill,
causing s ca ld ing burns . Sp illed hot liq uid
c an also ca use a n accide nt and perso nal
injury.
- Use only soft cu ps in t he cup holder. H ard
c u ps and gla sses can c ause i njur y in an
acc ident.
- N ever use the cup holder or adap ter as an
ashtray- r isk o f fire.
(D Note
Only drink conta iners with lids should be
carr ied in the cupholder. Liquid could spill
out and damage your vehicle's electron ic
equipment or stain the upho lstery, etc ..
(upholder in the rear center armrest
Fig. 86 Rea r ce nter armr est: c upho ld er extend ed
Opening the cup holder
.,. Press bot h spo ts marked with 'i @ ~ fig. 86
q &_ . The holder ex tends .
Adjusting the retain er individually
.,. Press and hold the retai ne r arm @ inwa rd
- ar row -and adj ust i t to fit the cup si ze.
The retainer arm should fit snugly around the cup or can .
The cup ho lder is de signed to secure no mo re
than two cups or can s.
A WARNING
Spi lled ho t liquid can cause an accident
and persona l injury .
-
- Never carry any beverage conta iners w ith
hot liq uids, such as hot coffee o r hot tea,
in th e vehicle while it is moving. In case
of an a cciden t, sudden braking or othe r
ve hicl e movement, hot liquid cou ld spill,
causing scalding burns . Spilled hot liquid
can also cause an acc ident a nd personal
in ju ry.
- Use on ly soft cups in the cu p holde r. Hard
cups and glasses can cause injury in a n
accident.

CD Note
Only drink containers with lids should be
carried in the cupho lder. Liqu id could spill
out and damage your veh icle's e lectronic
equ ipment or sta in the upholstery etc.
Socket
Outlets
The outlet in the front center console and in
the luggage compartment may be used for
12-volt appliances.
Fig. 87 Ce nter conso le, front: 12-vo lt out let
Fig. 88 L uggage compartmen t: 12-vo lt out let
Outlet in the front center console
.. Fold the cover for the outlet down ¢ fig. 87.
.. Plug in appliance to be used.
Outlet in the luggage compartment
.. Tap cover ¢ fig. 88.
.. Plug in appliance to be used.
The outlet may be used for 12-volt appliances
with maximum consumption of up to 100
watts, such as a f lash light, small vacuum
cleane r, etc.
Before you purchase any accessories, always
read and follow the information in
Seats and storage 75
¢ page 261, Additional accessories and parts
replacement.
A WARNING
The outlet plus any appliances plugged in­
to it remain functional even if the ignition
is switched off or the ignition key is re­
moved. Never leave children inside the ve ­
h icle w ithout supervision.
CD Note
To avoid damaging the socket, only use
plugs that fit properly.
(y Tips
When the engine is off and accessories are
still plugged in and are on, the vehicle bat­
tery can still be drained.
Storage
General overview
There are numerous places to store items in
your vehicle .
Storage in the center arm-i=>page 66
rest
Storage in the rear armrest
Glove compartment (Air
¢page 76
ventilation in the glove compartment*, CD chang-
er*)
Center console
¢page 76
Compartments in the doo r ¢page 77
trims
Storage in the footwell
¢page 77
Compartments in luggage ¢page 77
compartment
Coat hooks
¢page 78
Some of the storage locations are only found
on specif ic vehicle models or are optional
equipment .

76 Seats and storage
& WARNING
-Always remove objects from the instru­
ment panel. Any items not put away
could slide around inside the vehicle
while driving or when accelerating or
when applying the brakes or when driv­
ing around a corner.
- When you are driving make sure that
anything you may have placed in the cen­
ter console or other storage locations
cannot fall out into the footwells. In case
of sudden braking you would not be able
to brake, depress the clutch or acceler­
ate.
- Any pieces of clothing that you have
hung up must not interfere with the driv­
er's view. The coat hooks are designed
only for lightweight clothing. Never hang
any clothing with hard, pointed or heavy
objects in the pockets on the coat hooks.
During sudden braking or in an accident -
especially if the airbag is deployed -
these objects could injure any passen­
gers inside the vehicle .
Glove compartment
The glove compartment is illuminated and
can be locked .
Fig. 89 Glove compar tment
To open glove compartment
"' Pull the handle~ fig. 89 in the direct ion of
the arrow push down lid to th e fully op en
position.
1 ) Not ava ilab le o n veh icl es with Audi N avigat ion Sys­
t e m .
To close glove compartment
"' Push the glove compartment lid upward un-
til the lock engages.
The light will illuminate when the parking/
headlights are turned on and the glove com­
partment is open.
In the glove compartment lid, you will find a
place to store a pen and a pad of paper .
In the glove compartment, you will find the
CD-changer* for navigation system* . A sepa­
rate Owner's Manual is in vehicles that have a
factory-installed CD changer and navigation
system.
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury in an
accident or sudden stop, always keep the
glove compartment closed while driving.
Ga Storage compartment for small
objects
Applies to vehicles: with storage compartment in center
console
Fig. 90 Cen te r c onso le s torage compar tme nt
"' To open the compartment, press the cover
Cg ~fig. 90.
-
"' To close the compartment, push the drawer
all the way in until it clicks in place.
An additional storage compartment
1> for rela­
tively small objects is located in the center
console next to the brake lever.

78 Seats and storage
Coat hooks
There is a coat hook above each rear door .
.. ., ' . 'I ., '
Fi g. 9 5 Coa t hook
The coat hooks are located in the headliner
above each rear door.
A WARNING
- Hang clothes in such a way that they do
not impair the driver's vision .
- Th e coat hooks must only be use d for
ligh t weight clothing . Do not leave any
heavy or sharp edged objects in the pock­
ets which may interfere with the side cur­
tain airbag deployment and can cause
perso na l injury in a cras h.
- Do not use coat hangers for hanging clothing on the coat hooks as this can in­
terfere with proper deployment of the side curtain airbags in an accident.
- Do not hang heavy objects on t he coat
hooks, as they could cause persona l in­
jury in a sudden stop.

The air recirculation opera tes for a maximum
of 12 minutes. If the windows start to fog up
while the air rec irculat ion is on, press~
Unde r certain operating condi tions (fo r exam­
p le, if~ or
1-1 are pressed) the air recircu la ­
tion automatica lly switches off.
If the air con­
d itioner is sw itched off, or if the temperature
is below 18 °F (-8 °C), the air recircu lation wi ll
operate only for 12 seconds.
Switching between Fahrenheit and
Centigrade
You can change the temperature display from
°F (Fahrenheit) to °C (Centigrade) and vice
versa.
.,. Hold the l.,s,! button down c:> page 80,
fig.
96.
.,. Turn the rotary switch (d river 's s ide) @ for
3 seconds +.
G;J Air recirculation
The air recirculation prevents exhaust fumes
or oth er pollution from entering the vehicle .
Switching air recirculation on
.,. Press ~ c:> page 80, fig. 96 c:> A
Switching air recirculat ion off
.,. Press~ again, or
.,. press
IAUTOI, or
.,. press~-
I n the ai r recircula tion mode, the air in the
passenger compa rtment is recirculated to
p revent exhaust fumes and ot her pollution
from entering the vehicle. We recommend
that you use the manual air recircu lation un­
der the following conditions:
- when d riving through t unnels
- in a traffic jam.
,8. WARNING
Do not use this setting for extended pe ri­
ods of time . The windows could fog up
since no fresh a ir can ente r the vehicle . If
Warm and c old 83
the windows fog u p, press the ai r rec ircula­
tion button aga in immed iately to sw itch
off the air rec irculation function or select
defrost.
G IB Adjusting the fan speed
The automatically selected fan speed can be
increased or decreased.
.,. Press the[:] or El buttons in the center of
the control panel
c:> page 80, fig. 96 to ad ­
just the fan speed to your comfort.
T he air conditioning system automatically
r egulates the fa n speed i n respo nse to the in ­
terior tempe rat ure. However, you can a lso ad­
j ust the fan speed ma nually. A line of small
bars in the center display above the fan con­
trol buttons w ill re treat or extend to reflect
you r adjustments to the fan speed .
Air distribution
The automatically controlled air distribution
can be changed manually.
You can use the @J , [fil or~ buttons separate­
ly or together in combination. To switch back
to the automatic air d istr ibu tion sett ing, ei­
the r switch off the b uttons you prev iously se­
lected , or press
IAUTOI.
Each of the three buttons has its own spec ific
funct io n (t he reference numbers refer to the
a ir out lets)
c:> page 84, fig. 97.
~ Air directed to the windows
A ll the air is directed to outlets Contrary to when~ is pressed, the amount of
a ir remains the same .
~ Air directed to the driver /front
passenger
All the a ir is directed to outlets@,@ and ©
in the instrument panel. Air also is directed
th ro ugh the center console in the rear.
~ Air d irected to the footwells
A ll the air is directed to outlets ® and to the
outlets under the front seats.

84 Warm and cold
Air outlets
Fi g. 97 Instr ument pane l: a ir ou tlet locat io ns an d airflow d irec tions
The air out lets (D and @on top of the instru ­
ment panel are
fixed. Outlets @ and @can
be adjusted.
Adjusting a ir outl ets ® and @
.. Turn the vertica l thumbwhee l beside the
outlet to increase, reduce or s hut down the
airflow from that out let.
.. Move the small tab in the center of the out­
let louver sideways and up or down to ad just
the leve l and direction of airflow.
T he supply of air to the out lets is controlled
e ither automat ica lly or manually depending
on the operation mode se lected . The airflow
from all outlets can be heated, unheated or
cooled.
The heater out lets for the rear footwells are
located under the front seats . When you se­
lect outlets @, a ir is a lso directed to t he rear
footwells .
@ Tips
-When defrosting/defogging the win­
dows, air flows from outlets
(D , @ and
@ . To defrost or defog the windows as
r apidly as possib le, air outlets @ should
be ope ned
fully wi th the ad juster wheels.
- When the a ir condit ioner is working,
cooled air w ill flow pr imar ily from out­
l e ts @ ,@ and @. To assure adeq uate cooling, outlets
@ and @) should never
be completely closed.
Using the climate controls economically
Using the climate controls prudently can help
save fuel .
When you use the air conditioner, eng ine pow ­
er is reduced and fuel consumption increases .
T o save fuel, yo u should use the air condition­
er only when necessary . Also please note the
follow ing points:
.. If you wa nt to save fuel, switch off the ai r
conditioner .
.. If you are going to drive with the windows
open, switch off the air conditioner .
@ For the sake of the environment
By reducing the amount of fuel you use,
you also reduce the amount of po llutants
emitted into the air.
· Key coded settings
When the ignition is switched on, the air con­
di tioner settings are automatically assigned
to the key being used .
The air conditioner settings selected are auto­
matically stored and assigned to the key be ing
u sed . When the vehicle is started, the air ..,.

conditioner automatically se lects the settings
assigned to that key. This way every driver will maintain his/her own persona l settings and
does not have to reset them manually.
(D Tips
If a d ifferent driver uses your key and
changes the air conditioner settings, the
latest adjustments w ill erase and rep lace
the settings you have stored.
mP Rear window defogger
T he rear window defogger clears the rear win ­
dow of conden sation .
Fig. 98 Swi tch for rea r wi ndow defogger w ith a ir -con ·
d it io nin g
.. Press the QiP switc h to switch the rear win-
dow defogger on and off.
The defogger works on ly with the engine run ­
n ing. When the defogger is switched on, an
indicator light in the switc h comes on.
The rear w indow defogger switches
off au to­
matica lly afte r abo ut 20 m inutes.
@ For the sake of the environment
T ur n the defogger off when the rea r win­
dow is clear. When you save elec tricity, you
save fuel.
Additional heater
Applies to vehicles: with diesel engine
.. Switc h the Additional heate r to AUTO .
Vehicles w it h diese l eng ine s are equipped
with an add it ional heate r to warm the interior
of the vehicle mo re q uick ly. The additional
W arm and cold 85
heater switches itse lf on and off automatically
when the o utside temperature is below 50 °F
(10 °C) and the engine is running, depending
o n the coolant temperature , interior tempera ­
ture and the selected temperature.
Electrically heated
front seats
Applies to vehicles: with electrically heated front seats
With the ignition on , the seat cushion and
backrest of the front seats can be heated.
F ig . 99 Ce nter co nsole: t hu m bwhee ls for front seat
h eat ing
Use the t humbwheels in the center conso le
c;:> fig . 99 to turn on and adjust front seat
heating. An infin ite range of positions are pos ­
sible .
.. Ro ll t he thumbw heel
(D (dr iver's seat) or@
(front passenger's seat) from pos ition
( 0 )
upward in order to activa te the heati ng e le ­
ments .
.. Select the desired temperat ure setting from
positions 1 t hrough 6.
When the hea ting element is activated, the
numbers on the thumbwheel will illuminate .
& WARNING
Individuals wit h reduced sensitiv ity to pai n
or temperature cou ld deve lop burns when
using the seat heating funct ion. To reduce
the r isk of injury, these ind ividuals should
not use seat heating .