light AUDI A3 2012 Owner´s Manual

Presetting your speed
You can preset your desired speed while the
vehicle is not moving .
.,. Turn on the ignition.
.,. Pull lever into position ©
c:> page 94,
fig . 105 .
"" Press the lever in the 0 or O direction to
increase or decrease yo ur speed .
.,. Re lease the lever to save that speed.
This function makes it possible, for example,
to save the speed you want before driving on
the highway . Once on the highway, activate
the cruise control by pulling the leve r toward
® ·
Switching the system off
Temporary deactivation
.,. Press the brake pedal, or
.,. Keep the clutch pedal pressed down
longer,
or
.,. Press the lever into pos ition @ (not clicked
into place)
c:> page 94, fig. 105, or
.,. Drive for longer than 5 minutes at more
than 5 mph (10 km/h) above the stored
speed.
Switching off completely
.,. Press lever into position@(clicked into
place), or
.,. Switch the ign ition off .
The system retains the saved speed if you de­ activate the cruise control temporarily. To re­
sume the saved speed, release the brake or
clutch pedal and pull the lever to position
(D.
Switching the ignition off erases the saved
speed.
A WARNING
You should only return to the saved speed
if it is not too fast for the current traffic
conditions -risk of an accident!
On the road 95
Audi magnetic ride
Applies to vehicles: with magnetic ride
Damping can be adjusted to the driver's pref­
erence and it adapts automatically to the cur­
rent driving situation .
Fig. 107 Center console: Sw itch for Aud i magnet ic ride
.,. Press the switch c:> fig. 10 7 to turn sport
sett ing on or off.
Audi magnet ic r ide is an electronically con­
trolled damping system . This chassis system
ass ists the driver by adapting to the particular
s ituat ion through imperceptible control proc­
esses. The
damping provides individual modu­
lation of damping forces. For example, with
damping characteristics set to provide greater
comfort, damping is set somewhat harder for
a brief period on ly as required, when rounding
a curve and when braking.
Standard setting
Select the standard setting if you prefer a sus­
pension setting emphasizing comfort.
Sport setting
Select the sport setting if you prefer a sporty
suspension setting. The L ED in the switch
E
comes on to ind icate sport setting .
(D Tips
The warning/indicator light E in the instr u­
ment cluster comes on in the event of a
malfunction. Drive to the closest author­
i zed Audi dealer as soon as possible and
have the ma lfunction repa ired.

96 Transmis sion
Transmission
Manual transmission
Gearshift lever
Applies to vehicles: with manual transmission
The clutch pedal must be depressed all the
way before you can start the engine .
The manual transmission in your Audi is
equipped with an
interlock-feature.
• Depress the clutch pedal all the way.
• Start the engine with the gearshift lever in
Neutral and the clutch pedal depressed.
(D Note
Always depress the clutch pedal fully when
changing gears. Do not hold the vehicle on
a hill with the clutch pedal partially de­
pressed. This may cause premature clutch
wear or damage .
@ Tips
-Resting your hand on the gearshift lever
knob while driving will cause premature
wear in the transmission.
- The back-up lights go on when you shift
i nto Reverse with the ignition on.
Gearshift pattern (6-speed manual
transmission)
Applies to vehicles: with 6-speed manual transmission
Fig. 108 Gearshift pattern: 6 -speed manual t ransmis­
sion
Drive in 6th gear for optimum fuel economy
when cruising . However, if more acceleration
is required (when passing, for example), shift
down.
Engaging reverse gear (R)
• Move the shift lever all the way to the left,
press it down, then push it forward.
Especially after driving forward, stop the vehi­
cle completely, shift into
Neutral and rest the
shift lever briefly in Neutral before shift ing in­
to
Reverse.
S tronic transmission
· Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic®
Your vehicle is equipped with a S tronic trans­
mission, also called a double-clutch system/
transmission .
Power is transferred between the engine and
the transmission by means of two independ­ ent clutches. They replace the torque convert­
er of conventiona l automatic transmissions
and allow the vehicle to accelerate without a
not iceable break in the power flow.
With the aid of
tiptronic, the gears can op­
t ionally be shifted
manually ~ page 100.
Selector lever positions
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic®
All the selector lever positions are explained
in this section.
~-. -·~•-~ _ .. _....,-l
•+55 °F '
i} 340 mi
D
Fig. 109 Disp lay: Se lector lever posi tions
The instrument cluster display shows these­
lector lever position.
P -Park lock
In this position the gears are mechanically
locked.

The park lock must only be engaged with the
vehicle
stationary c::> &.
To engage P and to remove the lever from th is
position, you must depress the release b utton
(button in the selector lever handle)
and si­
multaneously you must step on the brake
pedal.
R · re vers e
I n th is position, reverse is engaged.
Reverse gear must only be engaged with the
veh icle
stationary and the eng ine runn ing at
id le speed
c::> ,&. .
To engage R, you have to depress the release
button
and s imultaneously step on the brake
pedal. In the R position, the back-up lights il­
lum inate with the ign ition on.
N • N eutra l
The transmission is in neutral in this position .
D -Norm al po sition f or d riving forwa rd
In this position, the forward gears are auto­ matica lly shifted up and down, depending on
engine load and vehicle speed.
To engage S from N, the brake pedal must be
depressed at speeds be low S km/h or when
the vehicle is stationary
c::> & .
In certain circumstances (driving in the moun­
tains for examp le) it can be beneficial to
switch temporarily to the manua l shift pro­
gram
c::> page 100 in order to adjust the gear
ratios to driving cond itions
manually.
S -Sport setting
The S se tt ing shou ld be selected for sporting
d riving . The power reserves of the engine can
be fu lly exp loited through later upshifts.
To engage S from N, the brake pedal must be depressed at speeds be low S km/h or when
the vehicle is stationary
c::> & .
Tra n sm iss io n 9 7
A WARNING
- Never p lace the selector lever in the R or
P posit ion while the veh icle is moving -
risk of an accident!
- With the engine running, it is necessary
to hold the vehicle with the foot brake in all se lector lever positions (except P and
N), because even at idle speed the trans­
fe r of power is never completely inter­
rupted -the vehicle "creeps". If the vehi­
cle is stationary and the transm ission is
engaged, the engine should never be
speeded up unintentionally (e .g. manual­
ly from under the hood). Otherwise the
veh icle w ill immediately start to move -
sometimes even if the park ing brake is
firmly applied -risk of an accident!
- Before you or other persons open the
hood and work on a running engine, the
selecto r lever must be moved to P and
the park ing brake applied f irmly - risk of
an accident! Follow the warning sticke rs
c::> page 187, Engine compartment.
(D Tips
If you have inadvertently shift ing into N
while the vehicle is moving, you shou ld re­
move you r foot from the accelerator and
wait unt il the engine speed has dropped to
idle before shifting back to Dor S .
Selector lever lock
Applies to vehicl es: with S tronic®
The selector lever lock prevents a gear from
being engaged accidentally and unintention­
ally setting the vehicle in motion.
F ig. 110 Selector lever locks

98 Transmission
The selector lever lock is released as fo llows:
,. Switch the ign ition on.
,. Step on the brake peda l
and simult aneously
ho ld down the re le ase but ton .
(~ Automatic selector lev er lock
The selector lever is locked in the P and N po­
sitions when the ignition is on . To move the
l eve r from these positions the d river must de­
p ress the brake pedal. As a reminde r to the
d river, the fo llow ing warning appea rs in t he
instr ument cluster d isp lay when the selecto r
is in P and N :
APPLY BRAKE WHEN ENGAGING GEAR WITH
VEHICLE STATIONARY
I n addition, the symbo l
< se lecto r lever lock illuminates in t he sh ift
gate.
The selector lever lock is effective only whe n
the vehicl e is stationary and at speeds be low
S km/ h. At higher speeds, the lock i n the N
position is automatic ally swi tched off .
The selector lever is no t locked when rapid
shifts a re made thro ugh the N pos ition (e .g .
from R to D). Thi s allows yo u to "rock " the ve­
h icle if i t becomes s tuc k.
If the lever is in the
N pos it ion for mo re tha n 1 second w ith the
b rake peda l not depressed, the se lector lock
e ngages automatica lly.
Release button
The release button in the se lector lever ha n­
d le preven ts accident al sh ifts in to cer tain se­
lector lever posit ions. When you press the re­
lease butto n, the selector lever lock is cancel­
led . In the illustration, the pos itions in which
the release button has to be pressed are high ­
lighted in
color c:>fig.110.
Ignition key removal lock
The ignition key can on ly be remove after the
ignitio n is switched off if the selector lever is
in P. As long as the ignit ion key is removed,
the selecto r lever is locked in P.
(D Tips
If the se lector lever does not engage,
the re is a ma lfunction . The engine is disa-
b led to prevent the vehicle from driving off
u nintentionally. To allow t he se lector lever
to engage aga in, p roceed as follows: P ress
and release the b rake pedal.
Driving Notes
Applies to vehicles: wit h S tronic®
The forward gears are shifted up or down au­
tomatically .
Fig. 11 1 Sect io n from center co nso le: Se lecto r lever
w it h re lease butto n
Starting from stop
.. Step on and hold the brake peda l.
,. Hold the release button (button in selector
lever) down, move the selector lever to the
desired position , for example D
c:> page 96,
and release the button .
,. Release the brake p eda l and accelera te
c:> &_ .
Stopping temporarily
.,. Bring the veh icle to a full stop with the
brake, e .g. at traff ic signals .
,. Do not acce le rate.
Parking
,. Step on and hold the brake peda l c:> &_.
,. App ly the par king brake firmly .
,. Hold the release button down , move these-
lector leve r to P and release the button . .,.

100 Transmi ssion
& WARNING
Hill Descent Assist cannot overcome phys i­
cal lim itations, so it may not be possible to
ma intain a constant vehicle speed under
all circumstances. Always be ready to ap­
ply the b rakes.
tiptronic operation
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic®
Tiptronic allows the driver to shift gears man­
ually .
Fig. 112 Center console: Manua l shift ing (tiptronic)
Fig. 113 Disp lay: Manual shifting (t iptro nic)
Switching to manual
~
"' d. .. m
• Push the selector leve r to the right from D .
As the transm ission has switched,
6 5 4 3 2
1 appea rs in the display, with t he gear that
is engaged highlighted.
Upshifting
• Tap the selector lever forwa rd (in the t ip­
t ron ic sett ing)
Q fig. 112 G).
Down shifting
• Tap the selector lever backward (in the t ip­
tronic sett ing)
0 -
Switching to manual can be carried out with
the vehicle stationary as we ll as moving.
When accelera ting, the transmission sh ifts in­
to the next gear shortly before the maximum
permissible engine speed is reached .
If you have selected a lower gear than the cur­
ren t one, the t ransmission w ill on ly shift down
when the eng ine ca nnot be overspeeded.
If kick-down is actuated, the transmission
shifts into a lower gear independently of
speed and eng ine rpm.
Steering wheel with Tiptronic ® controls
Applies to vehicles: with 5 tronic® and with T iptronic con­
trols on the steering wheel
The selector paddles allow the driver to keep
both hands on the steering wheel when shift­
ing gears .
Fig . 1 14 Sport steering whee l w ith selector paddles
Shifting up
• Pull the right paddle, marked 0 ¢ fig. 114
briefly towards you.
Shifting down
• Pull the left padd le, marked 0 ¢ fig. 114
briefly towards you .
The selector paddles on the steering wheel
are activated when the selector lever on the
center console is in
D , S , or in the manual po­
s ition (Tiptronic mode).
You can also shift gears in the Tiptronic mode
us ing the selector lever on the center console . ..,.

@ Tips
With the gear selector lever in either "D"
or "S" the transmiss ion will sw itch back to
the automatic mode if you do not use the paddles within approx. 30 seconds.
Kick-down feature
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic®
The kick-down feature allows maximum ac­
celeration .
If you depress the accelerator pedal fully be­
yond the full-thrott le position, the transmis­
sion automatically downshifts one gear, de­ pending on vehicle speed and engine rpm. The
upsh ift into the next higher gear takes place
as soon as the max imum specified engine
speed is reached.
A WARNING
Please note that the drive wheels can spin
if the kick-down is used on a smooth s lip­
pery road -ris k of skid ding!
Launch Control Program
Applies to vehicles: with Launch Control and S tronic® and
Gasoline engine only
The Launch Control Program permits maxi­
mum acceleration .
In order to use launch Control, the ASR (Anti­
Slip Regulation) must be disabled. When ASR is disabled, the ESP warning/ind icator
light
G1 in the instrument cluste r illuminates .
So that la unch Control ca n be used, the en­
g ine must be at ope rating temperature a nd
the steer ing wheel mus t not be tu rned.
... With the eng ine run ning, briefly press the
ES P bu tton. The message "ASR off" appea rs
in the instrument cluster d isp lay.
... Sh ift th e gea r lever to "5" or the tip tronic ®
pos it ion.
... Step on t he b rake peda l w it h your left foot
and keep the brake peda l fully depressed for
at least one second.
... With your right foot, step on the accelera­
tor to the w ide-open throttle position o r
Transm iss ion 10 1
Kickdown. The engine speed sett les at about
3 ,200 rpm.
... Take your left foot
off the b rake .
A WARNING
-Always adapt your dr iving to the traffic
f low.
- On ly use launch Control when road and
traffic cond itions allow it and other dr iv­
ers will not be endangered or annoyed by
your driving and th e acce le rat ion of the
veh icle.
- Ma ke sure that ESP remains enab led.
W ith the ESP disabled, the vehicle could
brake away, part icu la rly on a s lick and
slippe ry r oad - ri sk of s kidding!
- Once acceleration is finished, switch ASR
on again by br iefly pushing t he ESP but­
ton.
Back-up program
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic®
-
In the event of a system malfunction, there is
an back-up program.
In the event of system malfunction, the auto­
matic transmission switches to the fa il-safe
mode . All of the selecto r lever posi tion d is­
plays for the au toma tic tra nsmission a re high­
li gh ted wi th a ligh t background in t he i nstr u­
ment cluster d isp lay . In some cases yo u can ­
not drive in the reve rse gear any more .
If the t ransmission swit ches to fail-safe
mode, yo u should ta ke the ve hicl e to an a u­
thorized Aud i dea le rship as soon as possib le
to have the condition corrected.
Clutch is overheating
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic®
• Clutch is overheating! Please stop vehi­
cle!
If the symbols are i llum ina ted, the clutch is
ove rheati ng and could be dama ged if you con­
tin ue to drive . Stop the vehicle and a llow the
transmission to cool with the se lector lever in
the
P position w hile the engine runs at idle . If Iii-

102 Transmi ssion
the warning does not turn off, do not continue
driving . See your authorized Audi dealer or
qua lified repair fac ility for assistance. Other ­
wise serious transmission damage could re­
sult. Once the indicator light has turned off,
drive to your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied repair fac ility immediately to have t he
malfunction corrected.
Emergency release for selector lever
Appl ies to vehicles: with S tro nic®
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selec­
tor lever can be released in an emergency.
Fig. 115 Selector lever: Remove selector lever sleeve
Fig . 1 16 Selecto r lever : emerge ncy release from the
Park pos it io n
The emergency release mechanism is located
on the right front under the selector lever
shift gate. The release procedure requ ires pro ­
fess iona l dexterity . We recommend that you
seek assistance .
Removing the selector lever boot
.,. Engage the parking brake .
.,. Remove the screwdriver from the vehicle
tool kit . Use the flat side of the reversib le
screwdriver blade¢
page 234 .
.,. Carefully pry the cover out w ith the sc rew­
dr ive r and pull it¢
fig. 115 towa rd the shift- er
knob in the direction of the arrow . The
screwdriver must grip at the lower edge of
the cover to loosen it .
Emergency rel ease for selector lev er
.,. Press t he ye llow release lever in the direc ­
tion of the arrow ¢
fig. 116 and hold it in
that position.
.,. Press t he re lease button in the selector lev-
er @ and move the lever into the N position.
.,. Clip the s hift boot back into the shift gate.
If the vehicle has to be pushed or towed if the
power supply fai ls (e.g. battery is discharged),
the selector lever must be moved to the N po­
s ition using the emergency locking device.
A WARNING
-The selector must only be shifted from the
P position if the handbrake is firmly ap­
p lied. Otherwise the vehi cle wou ld start
moving unexpe ctedly on a grade when the
se lec tor lever is s hifted from the P pos ition
- increasing the risk of an accide nt.

Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others . We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, airbags, ch ild restra ints as
well as child safety. You r safety is for us
priori­
ty number 1.
Always observe t he information
a nd warn ings in th is se ct ion - for yo ur own
safety as well as that of your passengers .
The information in this se ction applies to all
model ve rsion s of your veh icle . Some of the
feat ures descr ibed in th is sec tions may be
standa rd equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others . If you are
not sure, ask yo ur authorized Aud i dea ler.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
st ruct ions and heed the WARNINGS i n
this Manual. It is in your interest and in
the inte rest of you r passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owne r's Liter­
at ure in your Audi when you lend or sell
yo ur vehicle so that this important info r­
mation will always be ava ilable to the
dr iver and passenge rs.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find i t eas ily if you have
ques tion s.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint syst em and work togeth er to help
redu ce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations .
Your safety and the safety of your passenge rs
should not be left to chance. Advances in
t echnology have made a var iety o f fea tures
avai lable to he lp red uce the risk of i njury in an
Dr iving Safel y 103
accident . The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in yo ur Audi :
- sophis tic ated s afety be lts fo r driver and a ll
passenger sea ting posit ions,
- s afety bel t prete nsio ners ,
- safety belt force lim ite rs fo r the front sea ts,
- safety belt he ight adjustment systems for
the front seats ,
- automatic safety be lt height adjustment for
the rear seats,
- head restra ints for each seating posit ion,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the front seats and outer rea r
seats *,
- side c urtai n airbags ,
- specia l LATCH an cho rages for child re-
s tr ain ts,
- he ad restra ints for each sea ting posit ion,
- adj ustab le steering colum n.
These ind iv idual safety features , can work to­
gether as a system to he lp protect you and
you r passengers in a w ide range of accide nts.
T hese fe;;itures c;;innot work ;;is ;;i system if
t h ey a re not always cor re ct ly adjus ted and co r­
re ct ly used .
Safety is everybody' s responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job! Vehicle and occu ­
pant safety always depends on the informed
and careful driver .
For you r safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driving always:
.,. Make s ure that all lights and signals are op­
erating correctly .
.,. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct .
.,. Make su re that all windows are clean and
afford good v isib ility to the o utside.
.,. Sec ure a ll luggage a nd other items carefu lly
~ page 75.
.,. Mak e s ure th at nothing can interfe re wi th
t he peda ls .
.,. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mir ­
rors co rrectly for your height.
•
•

104 Driving Safel y
• Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints according to their height.
• Make sure to use the right child restra int
correct ly to protect children<=>
page 143 ,
Child Safe ty .
• Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
you r passenge rs do the same<=>
page 61 ,
General recomm endations .
• Fasten your safety bel t an d wear it properly.
Also ins truc t you r passengers to f aste n t heir
sa fety belts properly<=>
page 113 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving i s directly rela ted to the condi ­
t ion of the vehicle , the driver as well as the
driver 's abili ty to concentrate on the road
without being distracted .
The driver is responsib le fo r the s afety of the
ve hicl e an d all of i ts occupants . If you r ability
to d rive is impai red, safety r is k s for everybody
i n the vehicle increase and yo u also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road <=>
&_.
Therefore:
• Do no t let yo urself be dist racted by passen ­
gers or by using a cellular telephone.
• NEV ER drive when yo ur dr iv ing ability is im­
paired (by medicat ions, alcohol , drugs, etc.).
• Observe all traffic laws , rules of the road
and speed limits and plain common sense .
• ALWAYS adjust you r speed to road , traff ic
and weathe r con dit ions .
• Take frequent b reaks on long t rips. Do not
dr ive for more than two hours a t a str etch .
• Do NOT drive whe n you are t ired , under
pressure or when you are stressed .
A WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death when­
ever a veh icle is being used.
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor­
t ant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fi g. 1 17 Correc t seat ing posit ion
For yo ur own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust t he driver's seat to the
fo llow ing pos ition:
• Ad just the driver's seat so that you can easi­
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
while keepi ng your knee(s) slightly bent
¢ &_ .
• Adjust the a ngle of the seatback so that it is
in an upr ight position so that your back
comes in full conta ct w ith it when you d rive.
• Adjust t he steer ing whee l so that there is a
d is tance of at least 1 0 inches (2 5 cm) be ­
t ween the steer ing whee l and yo ur breast
bone
~ fig. 117. I f not possible, see your a u­
thorized A udi dealersh ip about adaptive
equ ipment.
• Adjust the steering wheel so that t he steer­
ing wheel and airbag cover poi nts at your
ch est and not a t your face .
• Grasp the top of the s teer ing wh ee l with
your elb ow(s) slightly ben t.
• Adjust t he head rest ra in t so t he up per edge
is as even as poss ible wi th th e top of y our
head . If that is not possi ble, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this pos ition as possib le .
• Fasten and wear safety be lts correctly
<=>page 116.

Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts are nec­
essary, how they work and how to adjust and
wear them correctly.
~ Read all the information that follows and
heed all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se­
rious injury and death in automobile acci­
dents. For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
- Pregnant women, injured, or physically
impaired persons must also use safety
belts. Like all vehicle occupants, they are
more likely to be seriously injured if they
do not wear safety belts. The best way to
protect a fetus is to protect the mother -
throughout the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating positions:
two in the front and three in the rear. Each
seating position has a safety belt.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death.
- Never strap more than one person, in­
cluding small children, into any belt. It is
especially dangerous to place a safety
belt over a child sitting on your lap.
- Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are safety belts available.
Safety belts 113
-Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safe­
ty belt or child restraint.
~ Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the
driver and front seat passenger (on USA mod­
els only) to remind you about the importance
of buckling-up.
Fig. 120 Safety belt warning light in the instr ument
cl uster -enla rged
Before driving off, always:
~ Fasten your safety belt and make sure you
are wearing it properly.
~ Make sure that your passengers also buckle
up and properly wear their safety belts.
~ Protect children with a child restraint sys-
tem appropriate for the size and age .
The warning light . in the instrument cluster
lights up when the ignition is switched on as a
reminder to fasten the safety belts. In addi­
tion, you will hear a warning tone for a certain period of time .
Fasten your safety belt and make sure that
your passengers also properly put on their
safety belts.
A WARNING
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se­
rious injury and death in automobile acci­
dents. For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
•
•