AUDI A3 2015 Owners Manual

the overload. The ml indicator light
turns on and a message appears
Q page 111 when the clutch is overload­
ed .
-If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood . Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and
is locked in P with the parking brake set
Q page 210. Otherwise, any increase in
engine speed may set the vehicle in mo­
tion, even with the parking brake set.
(y Note
- When stopping on an incline, do not try
to hold the vehicle in place by pressing
the accelerator pedal while a driving gear
is selected. This can cause the automatic
transmission to overheat and can dam­
age it. Set the parking brake or press the
brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from
rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the en­
gine is stopped and th@ selector lever is
in the N position will damage the auto­
matic transmission because it is not lu­
bricated under those circumstances .
- The transmission can overheat and be
damaged under certain driving and traf­
fic conditions such as frequent starts,
creeping for a long time , or stop-and-go
traffic. When the
ml or . indicator
light turns on, stop the vehicle at the
next opportunity and let the transmis­
sion cool
r::!> page 111.
-Allowing the vehicle to roll when the en­
gine is stopped will damage the S tronic
transmission because it is not lubricated
<=> page 261, Emergency towing with
commercial tow truck .
For safety reasons, the parking brake re­
leases automatically only when the driver's
door is closed and driver's safety belt is
fastened.
Automatic transmission 109
Hill descent control
App lies to vehicles : wi th S tronic tra nsmi ssio n
Hill descent control assists the driver when
driving down inclines .
Hill descent control is activated when these­
lector lever is in the D or S position and you
press the brake pedal. The transmission auto ­
matically selects a gear that is suitable for the
incline. Hill descent control tries to maintain
the speed achieved at the time of braking,
within physical and technical limitations. If
may still be necessary to adjust the speed
with the brakes . Because hill descent control
cannot sh ift down farther than 3rd gear, it
may be necessary to shift into tiptronic mode
in very steep areas. In this case, shift into 1st
or 2nd gear in tiptronic mode to use the en­ gine's braking force to relieve the brakes .
Hill descent control switches off once the in­
cline levels out or you press the accelerator
pedal.
On vehicles with a cruise control system*
Q page 79, hill descent control is also activat­
ed when the speed is set.
A WARNING
-
-
Hill descent control cannot overcome
physical limitations, so it may not be able
to maintain a constant speed under all
conditions. Always be ready to apply the brakes .
•

110 Automatic transmission
Shifting manually (tiptronic mode)
A pplies to vehicles: with S tron ic t ransmiss ion/ s hift pa d­
d les
The tiptronic allow the driver to shift the
gears manually.
F ig. 94 Cente r console : manual shifting with the selec·
tor lever
Fi g. 95 Steering whee l: manual shift ing with the shift
paddles•
Shifting with the selector lever
You can shift into tiptronic mode while sta­
tionary and while driving.
.. To shift into triptronic mode, push the selec­
tor lever from the D/S setting to the right in
the triptronic shift gate. Once the transmis­
s ion has switched modes, the selector lever
pos ition
M is shown in the instrument clus­
ter display
c:> page 1 OS, fig. 91. For example
M4 , means the fourth gear is engaged.
.. To shift up a gea r, tap the selector lever for­
ward
0 c:> fig. 94.
.. To shift down a gear, tap the selector lever
to back Q.
Shifting with the shift paddles*
You can operate the shift paddles in the D/S or
M (tiptronic shift gate) selector lever posi­
tions. ..
To shift up one gear, tap the shift padd le
0
c:> fig. 95.
.. To shift down one gear, tap the shift paddle
o.
If the shift padd les are tapped while in the D/
S selector lever position, automatic mode
switches
off briefly . To switch from manually
shifting back to automatic sh ifting immedi­
ately, tap the shift paddle
0 c:> fig. 95 for 1
second.
To keep shifting using the shift paddles, move
the selector lever to the rig ht out of the D/
S position into the tiptronic shift gate.
The transmission automatically shifts up or
down before critical engine speed is reached.
T he transmission only allows manual shifting
when the engine speed is within the permit­
ted range.
(D Tips
- When you shift into the next lower gear,
the transmission will downshift only
when there is no possibility of over-rev­
ving the engine.
- When the kick-down comes on, the
transmission will shift down to a lower
gear, depending on vehicle and engine
speeds.
- Tiptron ic is inoperative when the trans­
mission is in the fai l-safe mode .
· Kick-down
Applies to vehicles : wi th S tronic tra nsmi ssio n
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
When you press the accelerator pedal down
beyond the resistance point, the automatic
transmission downsh ifts into a lower gear, de­
pending on vehicle speed and engine RPM . It
shifts up into the next higher gear once the
maximum specified engine RPM is reached.
A WARNING
Please note that the whee ls could spin on
slick or slippery roads when kick-down is
active.

Launch Control-Program
App lies to vehicles: with launch control
The Launch Control Program enables maxi­
mum acceleration.
Requirement : The engine must be at operat­
ing temperature and the steering wheel must
not be turned .
.. With the engine running, press the
!~ OFFI
button briefly one time 1).
.. Pull the selector lever back out of the 0/S
position briefly to select the S position, or
press it toward the right into the tipt ronic
pos it ion or select the
d ynamic dr iv ing mode
i n drive select*
~page 102.
.. Press the brake peda l firmly with your left
f oot and hold it all the way down for at least
1 second.
.. At the same time, press the gas peda l all the
way down with your right foot unti l the en­
gine reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
.. Remove your left foot from the brake.
A WARNING
- Always adapt your driving to the traffic
flow.
- Only use Launch Cont ro l when road and
t raff ic conditions a llow it and other driv­
ers wi ll not be endangered or impacted
by you r driving and the veh icle's acceler­
ation.
- Please note tha t the dr ive whee ls can
spin and the vehicle can break away
when sport mode is switched on, espe­
c ially when the road is sl ippery.
- Once the vehi cle has started moving,
press the
I ~ OFF I button br iefly to turn
the sport mode off.
(j) Tips
- The transm ission tempe rat ure may in­
crease significantly after using the
l ) In vehicles with a dr iver info rmat ion system, an ESC
light in the in stru m ent cl us ter stays on contin uo usly
and the m essage
Stabilizatio n cont rol (ESC): spor t.
Warning! Restricted stability
appears temporarily.
Automa tic tran sm iss ion 11 1
Launch Control Program . If that hap­
pens, the program may not be availab le
for a few m inutes. It will be ava ilable
again after a cool-down per iod.
- When accelerating using the Launch
Contro l Program, all vehicle parts are
subject to heavy loads. Th is can lead to
increased wear .
Emergency mode
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic transm ission
In the event of a system malfunction, there is
an emergency program.
If all of the selector lever positions are high ­
li ghted with a light backgro und in the instru­
ment cluster d isplay, there is a system mal­
funct ion and the S tronic transmission is run­
ning in the emergency program . The vehicle
can still be driven in emergency mode, but on­
ly w ith reduced speed and not in all gears. In
some cases, the veh icle
c ann ot driv e in re ­
v e rs e .
(D Note
If the transmission runs in emergency
mode, drive to your author ized Audi dealer
or q ua lified repa ir facil ity immed iate ly to
have the ma lf u nction corrected.
Transmission malfunction
• Tran smiss ion malfuncti on! Please stop
the vehicle and select P
T here is a malfunction in the transmiss ion .
Park the vehicle securely and do not continue
driv ing. See your authorized A udi dealer or
qualified repair facility.
• Transmi ssion overh eatin g! Plea se stop
the vehicle!
The transm iss io n is too hot and can become
damaged . Stop and let the transmission cool .,.
•

112 Automatic transmission
with the eng ine runn ing (a t id le) in the P se ­
lector lever position . Then the indicator light
and the message turn off, drive to an author ­
ized A udi dealer or qualified repair facility im­
mediately to have the malfunct ion corrected.
If the indicator lig ht and the dr ive r message
do not tur n off, do not cont inue dr iv ing. See
your author ize d Audi deal er or qualified repair
fa cili ty for assis tan ce.
Di] Transmiss ion malfunction: you can con­
tinue driving
Drive to an autho rized Aud i dea le r or qualified
repair facility immediately to have the ma l­
function co rrected .
Di] Transmission malfunction: no reverse
gear (you can continue driving)
D rive to yo ur a utho rized Aud i dea ler o r quali ­
fied repair fac ility immediate ly to have the
mal function corrected.
Di] Transmi ssion malfunction: You can con­
tinue dri ving in D until engine off
Drive the ve hicle away from mov ing traff ic and
p ar k. See y our au th oriz ed A udi d ealer or qu ali­
fied repair fac ility .
Di] Transmi ssion overheating! Please adapt
driving style
Continue driving moderate ly. When t he in di­
cato r ligh t turns off, you can continue dr iving
normally .
Di] Transmission : Please press brake pedal
and select gear again
If t he tra nsmission mal functions beca use the
temperature is too h igh , a message appears
when t he transmission is coo led.
Selector lever emergency release
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic transmission
If the vehicle 's power supply fails, the selec­
tor lever can be released in an emergency.
Fig. 96 Selecto r lever: re m ov ing th e cove r
Fig. 97 Selecto r lever: using the emerge ncy re lease to
m ove o ut of the Park pos itio n
The emergency release mechanism is located
in the right a rea under the selector lever sh ift
gate. Using the emergency release ca n be
complicated. We recommend co ntacting your
au tho rize d Aud i dea le r o r qualified repa ir fa­
c ili ty for assista nce, if necessa ry.
The sc rewd rive r from t he ve hicle too l kit locat­
ed in the luggage compartmen t is needed to
fo r the emergency release ¢
page 24 7. Use
t h e f lat s ide of the reve rsible screwdriver
bl ade .
Removing the selector lever cover
.,. Set the park ing brake «el)¢&. to secure
your veh icle from rolling .
.,. Insert the flat side o f the scr ewdr ive r side­
ways in the s lot near the s hift cove r and pry
t he shi ft cove r up<=>
fig. 96 .
.,. Pull up the co rners of t he shift c over car efu l­
ly wi th yo ur hands and fold it over the s hift-
er knob
¢ fig. 97. ..,.

Selector lever emergency release
"'Press and hold the yellow release button
with the screwdriver ¢
fig. 97.
"' Press the release button in the selector lever
@ and move the lever into the N position.
"' Clip the shift cover back into the shift gate
after using the emergency release.
If the ve hicle must be pushed or towed due to
a power failure (for example, the battery is
dead), the selector lever must f irst be moved
to the N position using the emergency release
mechanism.
A WARNING
Only move the selector lever out of the P
position when the parking brake is set. If
that does not work, secure the vehicle with
the brake pedal. Otherwise, the vehicle
could start to move unintentiona lly when
the selector lever is moved out of the P po­
sition .
Automatic transmission 113
•

114 Parking systems
Parking systems
General information
A ppl ies to vehicles: with rea r parking sys te m s/park in g
syste m plus/rearv iew camera
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, vari­
ous parking aids will help you when parking
and maneuvering.
The
rear parking system is an audible parking
aid that warns you of obstacles
behind the ve­
hicle
¢ page 115.
The parking system plus assists you when
parking by audibly and visually indicating ob­
jects detected
in front of and behind the vehi­
cle
¢ page 115.
The rearview camera shows the area behind
the vehicle in the MMI display . This display as­
sists you when you are cross or parallel park­
ing. The parking system plus functions are al­
so available
¢ page 116.
& WARNING
- Always look for traffic and check the area
around your vehicle by looking at it di­
rectly as well. The parking system cannot
replace the driver's attention. The driver
is always responsible when entering or
leaving a parking space and during simi­
lar maneuvers .
- Please note that some surfaces, such as
clothing, are not detected by the system.
- Sensors and cameras have blind spots in
which people and objects cannot be de­
tected . Be especially cautious of small
children and animals .
- Always pay attention to the area around
the vehicle -using the rearview mirror,
too.
- The sensors can be displaced by impacts
or damage to the radiator grille, bumper,
wheel housing and the underbody. The
parking systems may become impaired
as a result. Have your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop check their
function. -
Make sure the sensors are not covered by
stickers, deposits or any other obstruc­
tions as it may impair the sensor func­
tion . For information on cleaning, refer
to ~
page 201 .
(D Note
- Some objects are not detected or dis­
played by the system under certain cir­
cumstances:
- Objects such as barrier chains, trailer
draw bars, vertical poles or fences
- Objects above the sensors such as wall
extensions
- Objects with specific surfaces or struc­
tures such as chain link fences or pow­
der snow
- If you continue driving closer to a low-ly­
ing object, it may disappear from the
sensor range. Note that you will no lon­
ger be warned about this obstacle.
- The sensors can be displaced by impacts
or damage to the radiator grille, bumper,
wheel housing and the underbody. The
parking system may become impaired as
a result. Have your authorized Audi deal­
er or qualified repair facility check their
function .
(D Tips
- The system may provide a warning even
though there are no obstacles in the cov­
erage area in some situations, such as:
- certain road surfaces or for long grass.
- external ultrasonic sources e.g. from
cleaning vehicles.
- heavy rain, snow, or thick vehicle ex­
haust.
- We recommend that you practice park­
ing in a traffic-free location or parking
lot to become familiar with the system.
When doing this, there should be good
light and weather conditions.
- You can change the volume and pitch of
the signals as well as the display
¢page 120.

-What appears in the MM I display is
somewhat time -de layed .
- The sensors mus t be kept clean and free
of snow and ice for the park assist to op­
erate .
Rear parking system
Description
Applies to vehicles: with rear parking system
The rear parking system is an audible parking
aid .
Desc ripti on
There is a sensor in the rear bumper cover. If
these detect an obstacle, audib le signals warn
you .
Make sure the sensors are not covered by
stickers, deposits or any other obstructions as it may impair the sensor function. For infor­
mation on cleaning, see ¢
page 201.
The range at which the sensors begin to meas­
ure is approximately:
side 3 ft (0 .90 m)
rear center 5.2 ft (1.60 m)
The closer you get to the obstacle, the shorter the interval between the audib le signa ls . A
continuous tone sounds when the obstacle is
less than approximate ly 1 foot (0 .30 meters)
away. Do not continue backing up¢&.
in Gen­
eral information on page 114,
¢ (D in General
information on page 114!
If the d istance to an obstacle remains con­
stant, the volume of the distance warning
gradually drops after about four seconds (th is
is not apply in the continuous tone range) .
Activat ing
The par king system activates automatically
when the reverse gear is selected. Yo u will
hear a brief confirmation tone.
P arking systems 115
Parking system plus
Description
Applies to vehicles: with parking system plus
The parking system plus provides audio and
visual signals when parking .
Fig. 98 Display field
Senso rs a re loca ted in the front and rear
bumpers. If these detect an obstacle, a udible
and visual signals warn you.
Make sure the sensors a re not covered by
stickers, depos its or any other obstr uctions a s
it may impair the senso r func tion. For in fo r­
mation on cleani ng, see ¢
page 201.
The display field begins approx imately at:
@ 4 ft (1.20 m)
® 3 ft (0.90 m)
© 5.2 ft (1.60 m)
@ 3 ft (0.90 m)
T he close r you get to the obstacle, the shorte r
the inte rva l between the audible signals . A
continuous to ne sounds when the obs ta cl e is
less than approx ima tely 1 foot (0.30 meters)
away . Do no t continue dr iving forward or in re­
verse
¢ &. in General information on
page 114,
¢ (D in General information on
page 114!
If the distance to an obstacle remains con­
stant, the vo lume of the distance warning
gradua lly drops after about fo ur seconds (this
is not apply in the cont inuo us tone range).

116 Parking systems
Switching on and off
App lies to vehicles: with park ing system p lus
Fig. 99 Ce nter console: park ing syste m button
Fig . 10 0 MMI: vis u al d istance d isp lay
Sw it c hing on
.,. Shift in to reve rse, or
.,. Press the
P,qA button in the center console
¢ fig. 99. A short confirmation tone sounds
and the LED in the button turns on.
Switching off
.,. Drive faster than 6 mph (10 km/h), or
.,. Press the
P,qA button, o r
.,. Switch the ign ition
off.
Segments in the v isual display
The segments in front of and beh ind the vehi­
cle (ve hicles w ith pa rk ing system p lus*) he lp
you to determine the distance between yo u
and an obstacle. On some equ ipment the red
l ines mark the expected d irect ion of travel ac­
cordi ng to the steering angle. A white seg­
ment indicates an identified obstacle that is
outside of the vehicle's path. Red segments
show ident ified obstacles that are in your ve­
h icle's path. As your vehicle comes close r to
the obstacle, the segments move closer to the
vehicle . The co llision area has be en reached
when t he next to last segment is displayed. Obs
tacles in the collision a rea, including those
outside of the vehicle's path, are shown in red .
Do not continue dr iving forward or in reverse
¢ & in General information on page 114,
¢ @ in General information on page 114!
Rearview camera
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with parking system plus with rear­
v iew camera
F ig. 1 01 Illust rat ion: cross parking
F ig . 1 02 Ill ust ra ti on: pa ralle l park ing
In addition to parking system pl us
¢ page 115, this parking system also has a
rearview camera .
You can use
cross parking, fo r example , to
park in a parking space or in a garage
¢ fig. 101 . You can use parallel parking if you
would like to park on the side of the road
¢ fig. 102.

General information
Applies to vehicles: with park ing system p lus wit h rear­
view ca mera
Fig. 103 Ar ea cov ere d
(D and are a not cov ered @ by
the rea rview c amera .
Fig. 104 Rear l id: Locat ion of the rear-view cam era
The rearview camera is located above the rear
license plate bracket . Make sure that the lens
for the parking system~
fig. 104 is not cov ­
ered by deposits or any other obstructions be­
cause this can affect the function of the park ­
ing system. For information on cleaning, see
~ page 201.
The rearview camera coverage area includes
(D ¢ fig. 103. Only this area is displayed in
the MMI. Objects that are outside of this area
@ are not displayed.
The accuracy of the orientation lines and blue
surfaces diminishes if
dynamic mode is acti­
vated ¢
page 102 .
_& WARNING
-Always read and follow the applicable
warnings ¢
& in General information on
page 114.
- If the position and the installation angle
of the rearview camera was changed, for
example, after a collision, do not contin­
ue to use the system for safety reasons.
Parking systems 117
Have it checked by your authorized Audi
dealership.
- Only use the rearview camera to assist
you if it shows a good, clear picture . For
example, the image may be affected by
t he sun shining into the lens, dirt on the
lens or if there is a defect .
- Use the rearview camera only if the lug­
gage compartment lid is completely
closed.
If the luggage compartment lid
is open the orientation lines and blue
surfaces are hidden. Make sure any ob­
jects you may have mounted on the lug­ gage compartment lid do not block the rearview camera.
- The camera lens enlarges and distorts
the field of vision. The object appears
both altered and inaccurate on the
screen.
- In certain situations, people or objects in
the display appear closer or farther away:
- For objects that do not touch the
ground, such as the bumper of a
parked vehicle, a trailer hitch or the
rear of a truck. Do not use the help
lines in this case.
-If driven from a level surface onto an
incline , or a downward slope .
-If driven toward protruding objects.
-If the vehicle is carrying too much load
in the rear .
(D Note
-Always read and follow the applicable
warnings
c:> (D in General information on
page 114.
- The orange colored orientation lines in
the MMI display show the direction of
travel of the vehicle rear depending on
the steering wheel angle. The front of
the vehicle front swings out more than
the rear of the vehicle. Maintain plenty
of distance so that your outside mirror or
a corner of your vehicle does not collide
with any obstacles .

118 Parking sy stems
Switching on and off
App lies to vehicles: wit h park ing system p lus with rea r­
v iew camera
Sw itching on
.. Shift into reverse, or
.. Press the
P,qA button in the center console
¢ page 116, fig . 99 . A short confirmation
tone sounds and the LED in the button turns
on.
Sw itching betwe en th e re arv iew came ra
a nd optical di spl ay
.. Press the Graph ic control button ®
o:::, page 118, fig. 105 to see the optica l dis­
play.
.. Press the
Rear vi ew con tro l bu tton to see
the rearview camera image.
Sw itchin g off
.. Drive faster than 6 mph (10 km/h), or
.. Press the P
1#A button, o r
.. Switch the ign ition off.
@ Tips
The v isual disp lay in the left pa rt of the
disp lay should help you detect the critical
veh icle areas .
Cross parking
Applies to vehicles: with parki ng system plus with rear­
v iew camera
This view may be used when parking in a ga­
rage or in a parking space.
Fi g. 105 MMI: aimi ng a t a park ing spo t
Fig. 106 MMI : ali g nin g the veh icle
.. Turn the MMI on and select the reverse gear .
.. The orange orientation lines
(D show the d i­
rection of travel of the vehicle . Turn the
steer ing whee l until the orange or ientation
lines appear in the parking space
c::, fig. 105 .
Use the markings @to help you estimate
t he distan ce from an obstacle . Each marking
represents approximate ly 3 ft (1 m). The
blue area represents an extens ion of the ve­
hicle's outline by approximately 16
ft (5 me ­
ters) to the rear .
.. Wh ile driving in reverse gear, adjust the
steer ing wheel angle to fit the parking space
w ith the aid of the orange orientat ion lines
ca:> &. in General information on page 117,
c::, 0 in General information on page 117.
® marks the rear bumper. Stop the vehicle,
at the latest, when the red orientat ion line
@ borders an object .