warning light AUDI A3 2012 Owner´s Manual

44 Opening and closing
power window switches have a two-position
function:
Opening the windows
.. Push the switch to the first stop and hold it
t h ere until the window has lowered to the
desired position .
.. Push the switch briefly to the
second stop:
the window will automatically open all the
way.
.. By briefly pressing/pulling the switch again,
the downward travel of the window can be
stopped in any position
c:> .&. in Controls on
page 43.
Closing the windows
.. Pu ll the switch up to the first stop and ho ld
it there until the window has risen to the de­
sired posit ion .
.. Pull the switch qu ickly to the
second posi­
tion :
the w indow w ill automatically close all
the way
c:> ,&. in Controls on page 43.
.. By briefly pressing/pulling the switch again,
the upward travel of the window can be
stopped in any position
c:> .&. in Controls on
page 43 .
Activating/deactivating rear windows
.. Push the sw itch to the depressed position
to
activate the rear windows - the light in
the switch w ill go out.
.. Briefly press the switch to
deactivate the
rear windows -the switch will return to the
safety position and the light
LJ will illumi­
nate.
The safety switch ®
c:> page 43, fig. 40 in the
armrest on the driver's door turns off the rear
power windows. Only when the safety switch
is depressed can the rear windows be opened
or closed. The symbol in the safety sw itch illu­
minates when the power windows in the rear
doors are switched off (button NOT de­
p ressed). This feature has been provided for
the safety of small children riding in the rear
of the vehicle.
(D Tips
The windows can still be opened and
closed for about ten minutes after the ig­
nition has been turned off. The power w in­
dows are not shut off unt il one of the front
doors is opened.
' Convenience close/open feature
You can close or open the windows from out­
side when you lock or unlock your car with the
key.
Fig. 41 Key turns for opening and closing
Convenience open feature
co ... ....
11. a:, a,
"' Keep the key in the lock on the driver's door
@ until all windows and the panorama s lid­
ing/tilt roof * have reached the desired posi­
tion .
Convenience close feature
"' Hold the key in the lock of the driver's door
in the closed position until all w indows and
the panorama slid ing/tilt roof * are closed
c:> ,&..
The automatic close f unct ion w ill cease imme ­
diately
if the key is released. For safety rea­
sons it is not possible to open and close the
sunroof with the remote-control key.
A WARNING
= -
- Be careful when closing the windows.
Check to see that no one is in the way, or
serious injury cou ld resu lt!
- Always read and heed WARNING
c:> A in
General description on page 37 .

46 Openin g and clo sing
,8. WARNING
Never close the panoramic sliding sunroof
carelessly or without watching - there is a
r isk of personal injury. For th is reason, al­
ways remove the ignition key when leav ing
t he vehicle.
(j) Tips
- When you park your vehicle, we general­
l y recommend closing the panoramic
s lid ing sunroof and the sun blind.
- When the vehicle is parked, a wet roof shou ld be dried lightly with a soft cloth
befor e it is opened so that water does
not dr ip into the inte rior.
Comfort closing
Applies to vehicles: with panoramic sliding sunroof
The open roof can also be closed from the
outside.
~ Hold the key in the driver's door lock in the
lock pos ition until the roof is closed
~ ,&. .
,8. WARNING
Never close the panoramic sliding sun roof
c arelessly or wit hout w atching - there is a
r is k of personal injury.

48 Clear vis ion
light sensor checked as soon as possible at a
dea lership.
Com ing home /leaving home function *
The function is switched on when the switch is
i n the AU TO* position and the function is
shown as active in the driver info rmation sys­
tem .
The
co ming h om e function illuminates the
a rea around the veh icle when the ign it ion is
switched off and the driver 's door is opened.
The length of time the lights remain on can be set in the menu display
( Illumination > Exte­
r io r light s> coming hom e).
The leav ing home function illuminates the
area around the vehicle when unlock ing it.
A WARNING
- Never use dayt ime running lights to see
where you are going. They are not bright
enough and w ill not let you see far
enough ahead for safety, especially at
dusk or when it is dark. Always switch on
the low beams at dusk or when it is dark.
- Automatic headlights are only intended
to assist the dr iver . They do not relieve
the driver of his responsibility to check
the headlights and to tu rn them on man­
ually according to the current light and
visibili ty cond itions. Fo r example, fog
and rain cannot be detected by the light
sensors . So a lways switch on the head­
lights under these weather cond itions
and when driving in the dark
io.
- Crashes can happen when yo u cannot see
the road ahead and when you cannot be seen by other motorists .
- Always turn on the headlights so that
you can see ahead and so tha t others
can see yo ur car from the bac k.
- With the switch in
AUTO front fog lights
ca nnot be t urned on in addition .
- The light sensor fo r headlight contro l is
l ocated in the rear view m irror mount .
Do no t apply any stickers to the w ind- shield in this area to prevent malfunc
­
tions or fa ilures.
- Some exter io r light ing funct ions can be
adjusted in the driver informat ion sys­
tem
~ page 2 7.
- If you remove the ignition from the igni ­
tion lock while the headlights are still
on, a buzzer will so und as long as the
dr iver's door is open to rem ind you to
turn off the lights.
- Always observe the specif ic loca l regula­
tions for your area as to when to use your
lights.
- With automatic headlights, the high­
beam funct ion is also available, but wit h
one restrict ion: If you have not switched
the high beams back to low beams dur­
ing automatic headlight operation (fo r
example, after d riving through a tunnel) ,
only the low beams come on the nex t
t ime au tomati c headlights are swi tc h ed
on. To use the high beams, you first have
to pull the high beam lever back and
then push the lever fo rward again.
- In cool or damp weather , the inside of
the headlights, turn signals and tail lights can fog over due to the tempera­
ture difference between the inside and
outside. They w ill clear shortly after
switching them on. This does not affect
the se rv ice life of the lighting .
- Frequent use of the coming home/leav ­
ing home function for app roach ing and
depa rting a vehicle parked in the da rk
w ill strain the battery . Thi s ap plies pa r­
tic ular ly if only short distances a re d riven
between stops . Occasionally drive longer
dis tances to make sure the battery is re ­
charged sufficiently.

54 Clear vis ion
Depending on outside temperature and vehi­
cle speed, the mirror surfaces are heated until
the ignition is switched off -even if the rotary
knob is no longer in position@.
You are well-advised to fold the exterior mir­
rors in when maneuvering in tight spaces or
when leaving the car parked close to other ve­
hicles.
(D Note
- Cu rved mirror surfaces (convex or spheri­
ca l*) increaseyourf ield of view. Remem­
ber that vehicles or other objects wi ll ap­
pear smaller and farther away than when
seen in a flat mirror. If yo u use this mir­
r or to est imate distances of following ve­
hicles when changing lanes, you could
estima te incorrect ly and cause an acci­
dent.
(D Tips
I f the re should be a malfunction in the
e lec trical system, you can still adjust the
exterior m irrors by pres sing the edge of
the mirror.
Dimming the mirrors
F ig. 56 Automatic dimm ing rearview mirror•
Manual anti-glare adjustment
• Move the small lever (located on the bot­
tom edge of the mirror) to the rear.
Automatically dimm ing mirror s*
• To dim the rearview mirror and both exteri­
or mirrors, press the® button. The diode
@ turns on. The rearview and exterior m ir­
rors dim automatically when light sh ines on them, for
example from headlights on ave­
hicle to the rear.
A WARNING
Electro lyte fluid can leak from automatic
dimming mirrors if the glass is broken.
Electro lyte fluid can irr itate skin, eyes and
respiratory system.
- Repeated or prolonged exposure to elec­
trolyte can cause irr itation to the respira­
tory system, especially among people
with asthma or other resp iratory condi­
tions. Get fresh air immediately by leav­ i n g the vehicle o r, if that is not possib le,
open windows and doors all the way.
- I f electrolyte gets into the eyes, flus h
them thoroughly with large amounts of clean water fo r at least 1 5 minutes;
medical attention is recommended.
- I f electrolyte contac ts skin, fl ush affect­
ed area with clean water for at least 15
minutes and the n wash affected area
with soap and water; medical attention
is recommended. Thoroughly wash af­
fected clothing and shoes before reuse.
- If swallowed and person is conscious,
rinse mouth with water for at least 15
minutes. Do not induce vomiting unless
instructed to do so by medical professio­
nal. Get medical attention immediately.
(D Note
Liqu id electrolyte leaking from broken m ir­
r or glass w ill damage any plastic surfaces
i t comes in contact with. Clean up spilled
electrolyte imme diately with clean water
and a sponge.
(D Tips
- Switching off the dimming function of
the ins ide rear view mir ro r also deacti­
vates the automatic dimming function of
the exter io r mir ro rs.
- The automatic dimming m irrors do not
dim when the inte rior lighting i s tur ned
on or the reverse ge ar is sele cted. .,.

-Automat ic dimming for the m irror only
operates p roperly if the lig ht striking the
i ns ide mirror is not hindered in any way.
Wiper and washer
system
{sf) Windshield wiper
The windshield wiper lever controls both the
windshield wipers and the washer system.
F ig . 57 Wiper lever: w inds hie ld w iper lever positions
The windshield wiper lever c> fig. 57 has the
following positions:
Ql Intermittent wiping (activating rain
senso r)*
.. Move the lever up to position@.
.. Move the interval set sw itch @, to change
t h e interva ls.
Low wiper speed
.. Move the lever up to position@.
High wiper speed
.,. Move the lever up to position @.
One-touch wiping
.. Move the lever to position @, when you
want to w ipe the w indshield
briefly .
Automatic wiper /w asher
.. Pu ll the lever to posit ion ® (toward the
steering wheel) and ho ld.
.. Re lease the lever . The washer stops and the
wipers keep going for about four seconds.
Turning off th e wiper s
.. Move the lever back to position @ .
Clear vi sion 55
The w indshield wipers and washe r only work
whe n the ignition is turned on . If you switch
off the ignition with the w indshie ld w iper lev ­
er st ill in the interva l wipe position and then
come back a whi le later and drive off, the rai n
senso r will reactivate itsel f after the vehicle
speed has exceeded 4 mph (6 km/h) .
The rain sensor* is only activated with the
wiper lever set to position @. When it starts
to rain, the rain sensor will automat ically acti ­
vate the intermittent w iping mode.
To reduce the sensitivity of the sensor, move
switch ® down. To increase the sensitivity,
move t he switch up. The h igher you adjust the
sens it ivity, the faster the senso r will react
when it senses mo isture on the windsh ield .
The rain sensor w iper intervals depend on the
sensit ivity sett ing as well as vehicle speed.
D uring brief s tops, wipe r mot io n will adjust in
r elat ion to the amou nt of rain on the w ind­
shield .
Automat ic w iper/was her : To eliminate water
drople ts, t he windsh ield wiper pe rforms o ne
afterw ipe ope ra tion after severa l seconds
whi le dr iv ing . You ca n sw itch this f unct ion off
by moving the leve r to posit io n ® within
10 seconds of the afterw ipe operat io n. The af­
terwipe function is reactivated the next time
the ignitio n is switch.
When the igni tio n i s tur ned on, the washe r
jets are heated*.
& WARNING ~
- Wiper blades are crucial for safe drivi ng!
On ly when they are in good condit io n are
they able to clear the windows properly
to prov ide uncompromised visib ility.
Worn o r damaged wiper blades are a
safety haza rd
c> page 57, Replacing
front wip er blades!
- The light/rain senso r* is only des igned to
assis t and suppo rt the driver.
It rema ins
e ntire ly th e drive r's respo nsib il ity to
m onitor outside weathe r cond itions and
t o manu ally a ctiv ate the wipe rs as soo n

Seats and storage
General recommen­
dations
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 adjusted.
There are several different ways you can ad­
just the driver's seat and the front passenger's seat so that it conforms to your body size.
It is
especia lly important that the seat be adjusted
properly so that:
- you can easily and quick ly reach all the
switches and controls in the instrument
panel
- your body is properly supported thus reduc­
ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety belts and airbag system can offer
maximum protection ¢
page 122
In the following chapte rs, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust your seats.
There are special regulations and instructions
for installing a child safety seat on the front passenger's seat. Always heed the informa­
tion regard ing child safety provided in
¢ page 143, Child Safety .
A WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal injury.
- Always keep your feet on the f loor when
the vehicle is in motion -never put your
feet on top of the instrument panel, out of the w indow or on top of the seat cush­
ion! This applies espec ially to the passen­
gers.
If your seating position is incorrect
you increase the r isk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an acc ident. If the
airbag infla tes and the seating posi tion
is incorrect this could result in personal
injury or even death.
S eat s an d sto rage 61
-It is important for both the driver and
front passenger to keep a distance of at
least 10 inches (25 cm) between them­
selves and the steering wheel and/or in­
strument panel.
If you're s itting any
closer than th is, the airbag system can­
not protect you prope rly. In addition to
this, the front seats and head restra ints
m ust be adjusted to yo ur body height so
that they can give you maximum protec ­
tion.
'
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible between yourself and the steer­
ing wheel or instrument pane l.
- Do not adjust the driver's or front pas­
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving .
Your seat may move unexpected ly, caus­
ing sudden loss of veh icle control and
personal injury. If you adjust your seat
while the veh icle is moving, you are out
of posit ion .
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving .
We recommend that you adjust the driver 's
seat in the fo llow ing manner :
.. Adjust the seat in fo re and aft direction so
that you can easily push the peda ls to the
floor wh ile keeping your knees slight ly bent
¢ .& in Why is your seat adjustment so im­
portant? on page 61.
.. Adjust the seatback so that when you sit
w ith your back against the seatback, you can
st ill grasp the top of the steering wheel.
.. Adjust t he head restra int so the upper edge
is as even as possible wi th the top of your
head . If that is not poss ible , try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possib le
<=:> page 65.
A WARNING
-Never place any objects in the dr iver's foot-
well. An object could get into the pedal
area and interfere with pedal funct ion. In

-When the rear seat backrest is folded
down, always use su itable mounting
straps and properly secure items to the
fastening eyes in the luggage compart­
ment to help prevent items from flying
forward into the passenger compart­ ment.
- Never attach a child safety seat tether
strap to a fastening eye.
Elastic cargo net
App lies to vehicles: with cargo net
The cargo net prevents light objects from
sliding around in the luggage compartment.
Fig . 77 Luggage compartmen t: cargo net
Fig. 78 Luggage compartmen t: ca rgo net attached to
hooks
Securing objects to the luggage
compartment floor with the net
.. Lay out the cargo net in the luggage com­
partment .
.. Engage all four hooks into the fastening
eyes
~ fig . 77 .
.. Place objects to be secured
under the net.
Configuring the net to contain small
objects
.. Lay out the cargo net in the luggage com­
partment.
Seats and storage 69
.. Engage two hooks into the fastening eyes
@~fig. 78.
.. Pull the net up and secure the eyes © on
the hooks.
.. Put items
into the net.
The bottom of the cargo net can also be hooked to the D-rings in the floor of the rear
compartment and the top to the eyes on the
left and right side trim .
.&_ WARNING
For stre ngth-re lated reasons, the mount­
in g hooks can only be used to secure ob­
jects weighing 10 lb (5 kg) or less. Heavier
objects will not be adequately secured -
risk of injury!
Mounting hooks
Applies to vehicles: with mounting hooks
Fig. 79 Mounting hooks under the rear pa rce l shelf
The hook prevents lightly loaded bags from
tipping over .
.&_ WARNING
For strength-related reasons, heavy ob­
jects must not be hung on the
hooks.
Heavy objects are not adequately secured -
this increases the risk of injury .

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)

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.