battery AUDI A3 2015 User Guide

unattended in the vehicle with the vehicle
key.
(D Note
To avoid damaging the socket, only use
plugs that fit properly.
- Never connect equipment that generates
electrical current, such as a solar panel
or battery charger, to the 12-volt socket.
This could damage the vehicle's e lectri­
cal system .
- The 12-volt socket should only be used
for a short period of time as a power
source for electrical equipment . Please
use the electrical sockets in the vehicle
when connecting equipment for longer periods .
- To avoid damaging the socket, only use
plugs that fit properly .
{D) Tips
The vehicle battery drains when accesso­
ries are turned on but the engine is off .
Storage
Beverage holders
Fig. 50 Center console: front cupho lde rs
Fig. 51 Sect ion of the rear benc h seat: rea r cuphold ·
e rs *
Seats and storage 57
Front cupholders
.,. Place beverages in the holders ¢ fig . SO.
There is space for two beverages. A larger
plastic bottle can be placed in the door trim.
Rear* cupholders
.,. To open the cupholders, tap on the rim @
¢fig. 51.
.,. To place the beverage container in the cu­
pholder, push the arm @ outward.
.,. Then push the arm against the beverage
container so that the arm lies closely
against it.
.,. To close the cupholders, push them back in­
to the slot .
A WARNING
-
- Never carry any beverage conta iners with
hot liqu ids, such as hot coffee or hot tea,
in the vehicle while it is moving. In case
of an acc ident, sudden braking or other
vehicle movement, hot liquid could spill,
causing scalding burns. Spilled hot liquid
can also cause an accident and personal injury.
- Do not use breakable beverage contain­
ers (for example, ones made of glass or
porcelain). You could be injured by them
in case of an accident .
- Never use the cupholder or adapter as an
ashtray -risk of fire.
(D Note
Make sure your beverage container has a
lid. If not, your beverage could spill and
cause damage to vehicle equipment or
stain the seat covers.
(D Tips
There are additiona l cupholders in rear at
the left and right.

68 Warm and cold
through a t unnel or when sitting in traffic
c:;> &. .
The 1- 1 button, IAUTO I or the~ button
sw itches recircu lation mode off.
The system switches to recircu lat ion mode
when dr iving in reverse when the engine is
cold .
.8, WARNING
You should not use the rec irculat ion mode
for an extended period since no fresh air is drawn in. With the air -conditioning sw itch ­
ed off, the windows can fog up, which in­
creases the risk of an accident.
Adjusting the air vents
Fi g. 62 Cockp it: adjust ing the air vents
Fig. 6 3 (Ca nada ve hicles on ly) A ir ve nts: ad justing the
a irflow sett ing A) D iffused B) Direct
The follow ing settings are possibler=> fig. 62:
- @ Air flow amount
- @ Air flow d irect io n
- @
(Canada vehicles only) Air flow settings
(diffused or direct)
To adjust the
air flow amount , turn the ridged
outer adjusting r ing (D r=>
fig. 62. To stop the air flow, turn the adjusting ring a
ll the way to
the right.
T o adj ust the
air flow direction , turn the air
ven t grill insert @.
(Canada vehicles only) To adjust the air flow
se tting s,
pull o r press the m iddle adjustment
ring @
c::> fig. 62:
-Diffu sed air flow (indirect @): Press the
m iddle adjustment ring in lightly
c::> fig . 63.
- Dir ect
air flow (straight @): Pull the center
adjustment ring out lightly
c::> fig . 63 .
Rear window defogger
When a funct ion is switched on, the L ED in
the~ button for ma nual climate co ntrol
c::> page 65, fig. 60 and au toma tic climate con­
tro l
c::>page 66, fig. 61 tu rns on . If the rear
window defogger is act ivated when the igni­
tion is switched on, the battery management
determines based on the battery charge if it is
poss ible to turn on. Otherw ise, the rear win­
dow defogger funct ions with the eng ine run­
ning and switches off automatically after ap­
proximate ly 10 -20 minutes, depending on
the outside temperatu re.
To p revent the rear window defogger from
switching off automatically, press and hold
the~ (word REAR*) button for more than two
seconds. This remains s to red up to approxi­
mately 15 minutes after turning off the igni ­
tio n.
Seat heating
Applies to veh icles : w it h sea t heat ing
The seat heating has three leve ls. T he select­
ed heating level is indicated by the LEDs in the
button (manua l climate control)
c::> page 65,
fig. 60,
(automatic climate control)
c::> page 66, fig . 61 .
.,. To switch the seat heating on, press the [li
button once .
.,. To switch to a lower level , press the
[li but­
ton again .
.,. To switch the seat heating off, press the
lll
button repeatedly unt il the LED turns off . ..,.

~ To engage the steering wheel lock, turn the
whee l until it locks when the ignition key is
removed .
~ To release the steering wheel lock, insert
the key in the ignition lock and turn the key
in the -direction of the arrow- while turning
the steering wheel.
Switching the ignition on and off
~ To switch the ignition on, turn the ignition
key to position
(D .
~ To switch the ignition off, turn the ignition
key to position @.
Starting the engine
Your vehicle is equipped with launch contro l.
As soon as you have turned the ign ition key to
position @, the engine will start automatical­
ly.
~ Press the brake peda l and move the se lector
l ever to the P or N pos ition.
~ Turn the key briefly to position @. The igni­
t ion key automatically returns to position
@. Do not press the accelerator pedal when
doing this.
Major electrical equ ipment switches off tem­
porarily when starting the engine.
If the engine does not start immediately, stop
the starting procedure by turning the ignit ion
key to position @and repeat after 30 sec­
onds .
Automatic start malfunction
If the Ila indicator light turns on (gasoline en­
gine) and the message
Engine start system
malfunction. Please contact Service
appears,
there is an automatic start malfunction.
To start the engine, hold the ignition key in position @until the engine runs.
D rive to an autho rized Audi dea ler or qualified
repair facility immediately to have the ma l­
function corrected.
A WARNING
- Never allow the engine to run in confined
spaces -there is a r isk of asphyxiation.
Driving 71
- Never remove the ignition key from the
ignit ion lock while the vehicle is mov ing.
Otherwise the steering lock will engage
and you will not be able to steer the vehi­
cle.
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the eng ine is running. If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when stee ring or braking. Because
you cannot steer and bra ke as you usual­
ly would, this could lead to crashes and
serious inju ries .
- Always take the vehicle key with you
when leaving the vehicle, even for a
short period of time . This applies partic­
ular ly when c hildren remain in the vehi­
cle. Otherwise the children could start
the engine or operate electrical equip­
ment such as power windows.
(D Note
- Avoid high engine speed, full th rottle,
and heavy engine load as long as the en­
gine has not reached operating tempera­
ture yet. You could damage the engine.
- The engine cannot be started by pushing or towing the vehicle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not let the engine run while parked to
warm up. Begin driving immediately. This
reduces unnecessary emissions.
(D Tips
-If it is difficult to turn the key to position
(D, turn the steering wheel back and
forth slightly to release the steer ing
wheel lock.
-After starting a cold engine, there may be a brief period of increased no ise be­
cause the oil pressure must first build up
in the hydraulic valve adjusters. This is
normal and not a cause for concern.
- If the battery is disconnected and recon­
nected, you have to hold t he ignition key
in posit ion
(D for five seconds fo r the en-
gine to start.
Ill>
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engine is switched off - there is a risk of
damaging the engine. For this reason, let
the engine run for at idle for approximate­
ly two minutes before shutting it off .
(D Tips
-After the engine has been switched off,
the radiator fan can continue to run for up to 10 minutes - even with the ignition
switched off.
It can also switch on again
after some time if the coolant tempera ­
ture rises as a result of heat bui ldup or if
the engine compartment is heated by
sunlight and the engine is hot.
Starting the engine if there is a
malfunction
Appl ies to vehicles: with convenience key
It may not be possible to start the engine un­
der certain circumstances , for example if the
battery in the vehicle key is drained, if inter ­
ference is affected the key or if there is a sys­
tem malfunction.
Fig. 67 Steering col umn/rem ote control key : start ing
th e engin e if th ere is a malfun ctio n
As long as the message y>l) Key not recog­
nized. See owners manual
appears, you can
emergency start your vehicle.
.. Press the brake pedal
9 &. in Starting the
engine with the
S TART ENGINE STOP but­
ton on page 73.
.. Press the l ~s~ T~A~R= T~E~N-G~I~N~E~S~T~O~P~ I button.
.. Hold the master key as shown in the illustra­
tion in the location indicated
y>>) 9 fig. 67 .
The eng ine will start .
.. If the engine does not automatically start,
press the
I STAR T ENGIN E STOP ! button
again.
Driving 75
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
repair facility immediately to have the mal­
function corrected .
(D Tips
You can display the message that appears
during an emergency by pressing the
I START ENGINE STOP!* button.
Driver messages
Turn off ignition before leaving car. Battery
is discharging
This message appears and a warning tone
sounds if you open the driver's door when the
ignition is switched on. Turn off the ignition
so that the battery will not discharge.
Pressing start/stop button again will switch
off engine!
This message appears when you press the
!STAR T ENG INE ST OP!* button while driving
¢ page 74, Emergency off function.
Engine start system malfunction. Please
contact Service
The eng ine automatic start system has a mal­
funct ion. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified repair facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected. To start the en­
gine, press and hold the
I STAR T ENG INE ST OP I button.
DI Key not recognized. See owner 's manual
This message appears if there is no conven­
ience key inside the vehicle or if the system
does not recognize the key . The convenience
key may not be recogn ized, for example, if it is
cove red by an object that
disrupts the s ignal
(such as a briefcase), o r if the key battery is
weak . Electronic devices such as cell phones
can a lso interfere with the signal.
To start or stop the engine, see "Correct ing a
malfunction "¢
page 75.
Ill Key not in vehicle?
The Ill indicator light turns on and this mes ­
sage appears if the convenience key was

Driver messages
Applies to vehicles: with Audi side assist
If the side assist switches off automatica lly, a
message appea rs in the instrument cluster
disp lay .
@j Audi active lane assist: currently not
available. No camera view
The radar sensors' vision is affected. Do not
cover the area in fron t of the sensors with bike
wheels, stickers, dirt or other objects. Clean
the area in front of the sensors, if necessary
r::!) page 99, fig. 88.
@j Audi side assist : currently unavailable
Side assist cannot be switched on temporari ly
because there is a malfunction (for example,
the battery charge leve l may be too low) .
@j Audi side assist: System fault!
The system cannot guarantee that it wi ll de­
tec t ve hicl es correctly and it is switched off.
The sensors have been displaced or are faulty.
H ave the system checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Aud i Service Facility
soon.
Audi side assist 101
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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
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156 Airbag system
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed at
many different places on your Audi. Installing,
removing, servicing or repairing a part in an
area of the vehicle can damage a part of an
airbag system and prevent that system from
working properly in a collision.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effectiveness of
the system will not be impaired and that dis­
carded components do not cause injury or pol­ lute the environment.
A WARNING
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal in­
jury and death by preventing an airbag from deploying when needed or deploying
an airbag unexpectedly:
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the
steering wheel horn pad or airbag cover
or the instrument panel or modify them
in any way.
- Never attach any objects such as cup
holders or telephone mountings to the
surfaces covering the airbag units.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one
moistened with plain water. Solvents or
cleaners could damage the airbag cover
or change the stiffness or strength of the material so that the airbag cannot de­
ploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, instru­
ment panel, front seats or electrical sys­
tem (including the installation of audio
equipment, cellular telephones and CB
radios, etc .) must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training
and special equipment necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see your
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop. -
Never modify the front bumper or parts
of the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side airbag
can inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replace­
ment upholstery over the front seat­
backs that have not been specifically
approved by Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags
inflate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or
to the seam in the area of the side air­
bag module must always be repaired
immediately by an authorized Audi
dealer.
- The airbag system can deploy only once.
After an airbag has been deployed, it must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved especially
for your Audi model version. Replace­
ment of complete airbag systems or air­
bag components must be performed by
qualified workshops only . Make sure that
any airbag service action is entered in
your Audi Warranty
& Maintenance book­
let under
AIRBAG REPLACEMENT RE­
CORD.
- For safety reasons in severe accidents,
the alternator and starter are separated
from the vehicle battery with a pyrotech­ nic circuit interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit inter­
rupter must only be performed by a
qualified technicians who have the ex­ perience, information and special tools
necessary to perform the work safely.
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter
is scrapped, all applicable safety pre­
cautions must be followed.
@) For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate
Material -special handling may apply, see

Your vehicle is equipped w ith an intelligent
energy management system for distrib uting
e lectricity. This sign ificantly improves the
start ing ability and increases the battery life.
The energy management system Is made up
of
battery diagnosis , idling current manage­
ment
and dynamic ene rgy man agement.
Battery diagnosis
The b attery diagnos is determines the ba tte ry
cha rge leve l. The sensors de termine the bat ­
tery vo ltage, the battery c urrent , and the bat ­
tery temperature . The c urrent charge level
and the performance of the battery are deter­
mined based on th is.
Idling current management
The idling current ma nagement decreases the
ene rgy used whi le par ked . W it h the engine
switche d off, it ma nages the ene rgy distribu ­
tion to the d ifferent e lectr ica l components.
Date from battery d iagnosis is taken into ac­
count for th is .
D epending on t he battery charge level, elec­
tr ica l equipment is sw itched off one item after
the ot her, to prevent the battery from dra in­
i n g a nd to retain the starting abil ity.
Dynamic energy management
W hile dr iving, dynamic energy management
d istributes the approp riate amount of energy
to the electrical equipment. It contro ls the
battery c harge level so that more energy is
n ot used the n is being generated in o rder to
main tain an opt imal batte ry charge level.
{!) Tips
- Energy management cannot overcome
the laws of physics . Note that the charge
l eve l and length of the battery life are
li mi ted.
- Wh en the star ting ability is endangered,
the (•) indica to r li ght turns on
9page20.
Smart Technolog y 191
What you should know
Maintaining the starting ability is the highest
priority .
A lot of stress is placed o n the batte ry when
driv ing s hort d ista nces, in traffic, and at cold
times of the year . A lot of e ne rgy is used but
li ttle is generated .
It is also cr it ica l when the
engine is not r unning but electr ical eq uip­
ment is switc hed on. In this case, e nergy is
u sed but none is gener ated.
In si tuat ions like this , energy management
will active ly r egu lated t he di st ribution of e n­
ergy.
Long periods without use
If you do not d rive your vehicle for several
days or weeks, elect rical eq uipment is gradu­
a lly scaled back or sw itched off. This reduc es
energy u se and en sures the ve hicl e w ill be
a ble to s tart aft er long per iod s of ti me . S ome
co nve nience fun ctions such as ope ning wi th
the remote con tro l key may not be available.
T hese convenience functions
will be ava ila bl e
again once you switch t he ignit io n on and
start the eng ine.
With the engine switched off
F o r example, if you listen to the r adio w hen
th e engine is swi tc h ed off, the bat tery will
drain .
If the st arting ability is en dangere d due to the
energy cons umption, an error message ap­
p ears in vehicles wi th a driver informat ion sys ­
tem *.
T he mess age s hows th at y ou n eed to s tart t he
engine in order to c harge t he battery.
With the engine running
Althoug h elec trical en ergy is g enerate d while
driv ing , th e bat tery ca n dra in . T his can happen
whe n littl e e ne rgy is ge nera ted, a nd much is
u sed and th e ch arge leve l o f th e batt ery is no t
o ptimal.
IJI>
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192 Smart Technology
To restore the balance of energy, components
that require large amounts of energy are tem­porarily sca led back or switched off . Heating
systems in particu lar require a great deal of
energy. I f you notice, for example, that the
seat heating* or rear window defroster is not
working, then it has been temporarily reduced
or sw itched off . These systems are available
again as soon as the energy ba lance has been
restored.
In addition, you may notice that the idle
speed has slightly increased . That is normal
and no cause for concern . Due to the in­
creased idling speed, the additional required
energy will be generated and the battery will
be charged.

can reach the catalytic converter . This
could result in overheating of the con­
verter, requ iring its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System :
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Wa rranty
&
Ma intenance booklet.
- Lac k of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impa ir
t he funct ion of the emission control
system and cou ld lead to damage.
@) For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Cont ro l System is
operating properly, t he exhaus t gas can
have a s ulfu r-like exhaust gas smell unde r
some operating states. This depends on
the s ulfur content of the fue l being used .
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w ith lead-free super
grade gasoline.
Placing your vehicle
out of service.
I f you wou ld like to take your vehicle out of
service for a longer t ime, contact your aut hor­
iz ed A udi dealer or qualified repair facility .
They will advise you o f important meas ures,
such as cor rosion protection, maintenance
and storage procedures. Also follow the infor ­
mat ion about the battery¢
page 220.
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.
F ue l economy, environmental impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and t ires largely
depend on three factors:
Dri ving and the en vironm ent 195
-your personal d riving s tyle
- operati ng conditions
- technical limitat io ns
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive econom ically , yo u can easily cut your
fuel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent . This sec­
tion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your po cketbook.
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRO NM EN TAL PROT ECTI ON AG ENC Y
( E PA) and Transpo rt Canada may no t cor re­
spond to your actual consump tion on the
r oad, which will va ry depending upon vehi ­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
ditions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
.. Avo id u nnecessary accelerating and brak ing.
Vehicles use the mos t fu e l when they are ac­
ce lerating. If you anticipate what is going to
happe n next, you will need to brake less and,
th us, acce lerate less. Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for examp le when you see
that the next traff ic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
.. Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Acce le rat ing gently re duces fue l cons ump ­
tion, eng ine wear, and does not disturb the
environment .
Fuel consumpt ion, exhaust em iss ions an d en­
gine noise inc rease disproportionate ly at high
speeds . If you drive at approximately three
quarte rs of top speed, fuel consumption wi ll
be reduced by one ha lf. Never drive faster
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