fuel consumption AUDI A3 2012 Owner´s Manual

22 Instruments and warning /indicator lights
When this symbo l ml illuminates, it means
that Adaptive Light is defective. Go to a quali­
fied workshop to have the headlights or the
control unit for the Adaptive L ight repaired.
@, o Light/rain sensor defective
App lies to vehicles: with automat ic headlights
The indicator light indicates a defect in the
automatic headlights/automatic wiper sys ­
tem .
If the symbo l illuminates, the light sensor has
failed. For safety reasons , the low beams are
turned on permanently with the switch in
AU­
TO . However, you can continue to turn the
lights on and off using the light switch . In the
case of a defect in the rain sensor , the w ind­
sh ield wiper lever functions are st ill available .
H ave the light/ra in sensor checked as soon as
possible at an authorized Audi dealer.
; Audi magnetic ride
Appl ies to vehicles: with Audi magnetic ride
The indicator light monitors vehicle damping.
The indicator light E illuminates when the ig­
nition is switched on as a function check.
@ Tips
If the indicator lamp illuminates while you
are driving, there is a malfunct ion in the
veh icle damping. The chass is should be in­
spected immediately by an authorized Au­
di dealer.
~ Diesel particulate filter clogged
Applies to vehicles: with diesel engine and diesel particu­
late fi lter
1/1 Particulate filter ! See owner's manual
If the indicator light II in the instrument
cluster comes on, the diesel particulate filter has become blocked with soot as the result of
constant short-distance driving. When the
II symbol illuminates, you can alter your
driving style to assist the filter self-clean ing
p rocess. Drive for approximately 15 minutes
in 4th or 5th gear (automatic transmission with the se
lector lever in the S position) at a
minimum speed of 37 mph (60 km/h) and an
engine speed of approx imately 2,000 RPM .
The temperature increase that will result from
this can burn off the soot in the filter. The
symbol will switch off when the cleaning is
successful. After a successful cleaning, there
is no need to bring the car to an authorized
dealer or qualified workshop because this is
part of normal vehicle operation .
If the symbol
DI does not switch off, see
your autho rized dea ler or other qualified
workshop to have the problem corrected .
As long as the indicator light
11!1 remains on
(diesel part iculate filte r plugged), you ca n ex­
pect increased fuel consumption and possibly
also a loss of engine performance.
For more information on the diesel particu­
late filter, refer to~
page 171 .
A WARNING ,__
Always adapt your speed to the current
weather, road and traffic conditions. You
should never disobey traffic laws in order
to follow driving recommendations .
¢ ¢Turn signals
-
The indicator light blinks when you use either
turn signal.
Whenever you use the left B or the right fl
turn s ignal, the indicato r light blinks . When
you use the emergency f lasher, both indicator
lights flash.
If one of the turn signal light bulbs burn out,
the turn signal will blink twice as fast as nor­
mal.
Additional information on the turn s ignals
Q page SO.
CRUISE/ vf Cruise control
T he
(ijjll j~i~ (USA models)/. (Canada models)
warning/indicator light illuminates when the
cruise control is activated .

26 Driver information d isplay
Total-trip memory (Trip computer 2)
Unlike the sing le- tri p memory, t he tota l-trip
memory is not reset automatically. This per ­
mits you to eval uate your d riving data for the
enti re pe riod between manual resets.
Fuel range
T he e stima ted cruising r ange in mile s (km)
a ppears in the d isplay. The disp lay ch anges in
increments of 6 miles ( 10 km).
Average fuel mileage
The average fuel economy in MPG (l/ 100 km)
si nce you last clea red the memory appears in
this displ ay .
Current fuel mileage
T he instantaneous fuel consumption in miles
pe r gallo n (l/ 100 km) is shown in this d isplay.
When the ve hicle is stationary, the most r e­
cent fuel co nsump tion is di splayed.
Average speed
The average speed in mph (km/h) since the
last time the disp lay was reset appea rs i n the
d isplay .
Elapsed time
The length of time that you have been driving
since you last reset the memory appears in
this display. T he maximum time period that
can be recorded is
999 hou rs and 59 mi nutes .
Distance
The elapsed distance since the last time the
memory was cleared appears in the display .
The maximum d istance that can be recorded
i s
9,999.9 m iles (9,999 .9 ki lometers).
@ Tips
A ll st ored values will be lost if the vehicle
battery is disc onnected .
Operation
The trip computer is controlled by two
switches on the windshield wiper lever .
Fig . 11 W ipe r arm/w iper lever: co ntro ls for the t rip
compute r
Selecting the trip computer
.. Tap the I Rese t I button @ until the trip com­
puter (memory leve l 1 or 2) appears in the
disp lay
c> page 25, fig. 10.
Selecting the functions
.. Push in t he up per (lower) protr usio n on t he
fu nction selector sw itch ®
c> fig . 11 . The
functi ons fo r th e tr ip comp ute r are dis­
played in succession on t he respective mem­
ory leve ls.
Resetting the fun ction to zero
.. Push the I Res et I butto n @ for at least two
seconds .
You can re se t the following values to zero us­
ing t he
I R eset I bu tton :
- driving time
- distance
- average fuel m ileage
- average speed
T he trip computer on ly o perates whe n the ig­
nit ion is on. When you turn o n the ign ition,
the f unction that was in use when you last
turned the ignition off will be displayed .
(D Tips
-Yo u can also set the va lues for t he func ­
tions to zero i n the me nu disp lay
( Reset )
c>page27 . .._

.. If necessary, scroll by selecting and activat ­
ing the symbol for "Next page" or "Previous
page".
When you have selected the Computer menu
and activated it by pressing the !R eset ! but­
ton, two computer levels appear (computer 1
and computer 2). Now you have to select the
level you want using the rocker switch and ac­
tivate it with the iResetl button .
Efficiency program
Description
Applies to vehicles: with trip computer with efficiency
program
F ig . 17 D isplay: effic iency program
.. Press the !RESE TI button @ i=;,page 26,
fig. 11 repeatedly until the efficiency pro­
gram appears in the display.
T he efficiency program can help you to use
less fuel. It evaluates driving information in
reference to fuel consumption and shows oth­
er equipment influencing consumption as well
as shift recommendations. Fuel economy
messages
i=;, page 29 provide tips for effi­
cient dr iv in g.
The eff ic iency program uses distance and con­
sumpt ion data from tr ip computer
1. If the
data are deleted in the efficiency program,
those values are also reset in trip computer
1.
Driver information display 29
Other equipment
Applies to vehicles: with trip computer with efficiency
program
Fig. 18 Display: other equ ip m ent
.. In the efficiency program, press the func ­
tion se lection switch ~
page 26, fig. 11 @
repeatedly until the other equipment ap­
pears in the display.
Other equipment that is currently affecting
fuel consumption is listed i n the effic iency
program. The display shows up to three other
items of equ ipment @. The equ ipment using
the most fuel is listed first . If more than three
items using fuel are switched on, the equip­
ment that is currently using the most fuel is
displayed .
A scale @also shows the current total con­
sumption of all other equipment.
Fuel economy messages
Applies to vehicles: with trip computer with efficiency
program
Fig. 19 Display: fue l economy message

30 Driver in formation d ispl ay
Fue l economy messages are displayed when
fuel consumption is increased by certa in con­
d itions. If you follow these fuel economy mes ­
sage s, you can reduce your vehicle's consump­
t ion of fuel. The messages appear automati­
cally and a re o nly disp layed in the eff iciency
program . The fuel economy messages turn off
automatically after a certain period of time .
.,. To turn a fuel economy message off imme-
diately after it appears, press the
I RES ET I
button ~ page 26, fig . 11 @ , or
.,. Press the function selection switch
¢ page 26, fig. 11 @ .
(D Tips
-Once you have t urned a fue l eco nomy
message off, it will only appear again af­
te r you turn the ignition on aga in.
- The fuel economy messages are not dis­
played in every insta nce, bu t rathe r in in­
te rv al s over a period o f ti me .
Service interval display
The service interval display reminds you when
your next service is due.
F ig. 2 0 Sectio n of inst rume nt cl uster : Serv ice inte rv al
d isplay
The schedule for the nex t oil change o r inspec­
tion is calculated a utomatically and displayed
according ly . The display works in two stages :
Service reminder
30 days befo re the next service is due, a se rv­
i ce rem inder appears in the d isplay when you
turn on the igni tion.
After abo ut 5 seconds the display sw itches
back to normal. The d ista nce and time re- main
ing are upda ted each time the ig nition is
turned on unti l the date d ue for service is
reached.
Service due
When the d ue da te for service is reached, t he
message
Service due! appears in the i nstr u­
ment cluster imme diate ly after yo u turn on
the ignit io n. Add itiona lly, a warning tone
sounds. After about 5 seconds the disp lay
switches back to normal.
Calling up the service schedules
If or when an oil change or inspec tion is due,
can be shown in the instrument cluster by se­
lecting the service interva l disp lay . Select
Chec k > Service > Oil change or Service by us­
ing the
I RESE T! button and the rocker sw itch
¢ page 27, fig. 12 .
Resetting the ser vic e interval di splay
Your a uthorized Audi dea ler w ill reset the cor­
responding service sc hedule after performing
the appropr iate service on you r veh icle. You
also have the possib ility to rese t the oil
change schedule after hav ing performed an
o il change acco rding to Aud i specif ications .
- Switch the ignit ion on.
- Pull the knob@~
page 10, fig. 3. The mes -
sage.
Se rvice due! appears .
- Pull the knob unt il the display
Oil change in
----- mi (km )--- days appears in the disp lay.
If the reset button is not pulled within 5
seconds, the display reset mode closes.
(D Note
If yo u disconnect the battery te rm inals , no
ca lculations can be made for the service
i nterval disp lay dur ing th is time and no
se rv ice reminder will appear. Remember
that observ ing the proper service intervals
i s vitally important to extending t he life of
your ve hicle, pa rticula rly t he e ngine, and
maint ain ing its value. Eve n if the mileage
drive n is low, the max imum per iod of one
year from one service to the next m ust no t
be exceeded.
II>-

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 ..,.

-Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impair
the function of the emission control
system and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is
operating properly, the exhaust gas can
have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operating states. This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w ith lead-free super
grade gasoline.
Diesel particulate filter
Ap plies to vehicles: with diesel partic ul ate filter
The diesel particulate filter filters nearly al l of
the soot part icles out of the exhaust. The fi l­
ter cleans itse lf automatically under normal
driving conditions . If the fi lter cannot clean it­
self (for example, because you are only driving
short distances), the filter becomes clogged
with soot and the
II symbol for the diesel
particulate filter illuminates
c> page 22.
A WARNING
- Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par­
t icu late filter could start a fire .
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in
the exhaust system a rea or a fire could
start.
(D Tip s
-When the diesel particulate filter be­
comes saturated, the engine speed in­
creases to approximate ly 1,500 rpm
while the vehicle is in motion to init iate
the cleaning of the diesel particulate fil­
ter a utomatically without the warning
l amp lighting up . If the warning lamp
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 171
Ill sti ll appears, you shou ld drive to a
qualified workshop .
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that
low -lying parts such as spo ilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is espec ially true for veh icles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis) and fully loaded
vehicles.
Operate your vehicle
economically and minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise Levels.
Fuel economy, env ironmenta l impact, and
wear on your eng ine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three facto rs:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you ant ic ipate wha t you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumptio n by 10-15 percent . This sec­
tion wi ll give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook.
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the road, which will vary depending upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
dit ions, trip length, etc.
•
•

172 Driving and en vironm ent
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking .
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerati ng. If you anticipate what is go ing to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus , accelerate less . let the vehicle coast
whenever poss ible -fo r example whe n you see
th at the next traffic ligh t is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
,. Try and keep well be low your car's max i-
mum speed .
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump­
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
env ironment.
Fuel consumption, ex ha ust em issions and en­
g ine no ise increase d isproportiona tely at hig h
speeds . If you dr ive at approximately three
qua rters of top speed, fuel consumption will
be reduced by one ha lf . Never dr ive faster
tha n the posted speed limit a nd weather con­
d it ions permit.
Reducing unnecessary idling
E ven when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
,. Shut the engine off when you a re not dr iv­
ing the vehicle.
,. Do not warm up the veh icle by letting the
engi ne run at idle.
It makes sense to shut off the eng ine in traff ic
jams, when waiting for trai ns to pass at ra il­
road cros sings, or at t raffic ligh ts that have
l ong wa its on red. Turning the engine o ff fo r
just 30 -40 seconds saves more fue l than is
bu rne d starting the engine again.
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at id le . However, wea r
and noxious emissions are espec ia lly high
when the eng ine is wa rm ing up. So you shou ld
drive away as soon as yo u start the engine and
avo id running at high RPMs w hile the eng ine
i s s till warm ing up .
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter start ing . If warni ng lig hts sho uld come
o n t o indicate improper ope ration, they
would go unheeded . Extended idli ng also
produ ces heat , w hich could result in ove r­
hea ting or other dam age to the veh icle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unne cessarily wastes a
lo t of fuel.
,. Have your ve hicle serviced at reg ular inter-
vals.
By havi ng your ve hicle regu larly serv iced by an
a utho rized Aud i deale r helps to ensure that it
runs properly and econom ica lly. The cond it io n
of your ve hicle not only affe cts i ts safety and
abili ty to ho ld i ts va lue , it al so a ffects
fuel
con sumption .
Check your oil each time you fill your tank .
The amount of oi l used is re lated to engine
load and speed .
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has bee n driven .
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 mi les
(S,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
T his also app lies to fue l cons umption and en­
gine o utp ut.
Q) Note
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined proper ly
and i n acco rdance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
&

Maintenance booklet. Lack of proper
maintenance as well as improper use of
the vehicle will impair the function of
the emission control system and could lead to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such
as heat shields, switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System and other important vehicle compo­
nents.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips .
"' Try to avoid driving short distances with a
cold engine .
The engine and catalytic converter have to reach their optimal operating temperature to
reduce fuel consumption and noxious emis ­
sions effectively.
- Just after starting, a cold engine in a mid­
size car burns the fuel at a poor rate of 6-8
miles per gallon (30-40 L/100km). Half a
mile down the road, the mileage improves
to 12 MPG (20 l/100 km).
It will take the
engine no less than
two and a half miles
(4 km) of driving to warm up to its proper
operating temperature and operate at an
economic mileage. This explains why taking
the car for short trips is a rather wasteful
convenience.
- The outside temperature is also critical in
this regard . Your car consumes more fuel in
the winter than in the summer.
Driving and environment 173
•
•

220 Tire s and wheel s
-Only when all tires on the vehicle are fi l­
led to the correct pressure, the tire pres­
sure monitoring system* can work correctly .
- The use of incorrect tire pressure values
can lead to accidents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the driver observe the specified tire pressure va lues
for the tires and the co rrect p ressu res fo r
the f unct ion of the tire pressure mo nitor­
ing system*.
- Always inflate t ires to the recommended
and co rrec t tire pressu re before d rivi ng
off.
- Driv ing with under inflated ti res bend
more, lett ing them get too ho t res ulting
in tread separation, sudden t ire fail ure
and loss of control.
- E xcess ive speed and/overloading can
cause heat bui ld -up, sudden t ire fail ure
and loss of control.
- If the tire press ure is too low or too high,
the tires wi ll wear prematu rely and the
vehicle will not hand le we ll.
- If the t ire is no t flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immediate ly, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
t ion to check the tire pressure and add
air as required.
Driving without va lve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire va lves. To prevent this,
always make sure that facto ry installed
valve stem caps on all wheels are secure ly
mounted on the valve.
@) For the sake of the environment
Underinf lated tires will a lso increase t he
fue l consumption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any veh icle and any t ire ca n car ry .
A veh icle that is overloaded w ill not ha ndle
well a nd is more difficult to s top. Over load ing
c a n no t on ly lead to loss of veh icle con tro l, but can also damage important parts of the
vehicle and ca n lead to sudden tire fai lure, in ­
clud ing a b lowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety an d that of your passengers also
depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded . Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the veh icle. These
load lim its are technically referred to as the
vehicle's
Gro ss Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, a ll factory installed accessories, a full
tank of fuel, o il, coolant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The max imum load incl udes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is
i ntended to car ry ("seat ing capac ity ") with an
a ss u med we igh t of 150 lbs (68 kg) for e ach
passenge r at a designated seating posi tion
and the total weight of any luggage in the ve ­
hicle . If you tow a trai ler, the weight of the
trai ler hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra iler must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
T he
G ros s Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Ax le Weight Rating are listed on the
safety comp liance sticker label located e ither
on the dr iver's s ide B-pillar or on t he ins ide of
the fuel filler flap . Your Audi has 5 sea ting po­
s itions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for to ­
tal seating capacity of 5 . Each seat ing pos ition
has a safety belt
q page 113, Safety belts.
The fac t that there is a n upper limit to your
vehicle's G ross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weight of whatever is bei ng car­
ried in the vehicle ( in cl ud ing the weight of a
t ra ile r hi tc h and the tongue we igh t of the
loaded trail er) is lim ite d. T he more p assen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard weights assumed
mean that less weight can be carried as lug-
gage.
~

228 Tires and wheels
The speed rating letter code( ¢ page 224) is
on the side wall of the tire
¢ page 223.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max­
imum speed . Always know the maximum
speed before driving off. Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
winter tires. This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
personal injury to you and your passen­
gers.
A WARNING I>=
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can cause tire failure in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,
loss of control, crashes and serious per­
sonal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rating
that may be lower than your vehicle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
which the winter or other tires installed on your vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac­
celeration of the winter tires and all-wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks . Al­
ways remember :
- When braking , an all-wheel drive vehicle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive carefully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot help under black ice conditions.
@) For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi­
tions permit. They are quieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front
wheels, and only to certain tire sizes . Ask your
authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes snow chains can be used.
If you are going to use snow chains, then you
must install them on the front wheels at
least.
The snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be thicker than 0.53 inch
(13 .5 mm) , including the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
¢ (!) . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are avail­
able from authorized Audi dealers.
A WARNING
=
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi-
cle or installing them incorrectly can in­
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes . Always make sure to follow the in­
structions provided by the snow chain manufacturer.
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations.
(D Note
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily .
- Snow chains, which come into direct con­
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or damage it. Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered. Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so. ..,.