service AUDI A3 2015 User Guide

-Do not use the wipers to clear a window
that is covered with frost. Using the wip­
ers as a convenient ice scraper will
destroy the wiper blades.
@ Tips
- The windshield wipers switch off when
the ignit ion is turned off. You can acti­
vate the windshield wipers after the igni­
tion is switched back on by moving the
windshield wiper lever to any pos ition.
- Worn or dirty windshield wiper blades
result in streaking. This can affect the
rain sensor funct ion. Check your wind­
sh ield wiper blades regularly.
- The washer fluid nozzles in the w ind­
sh ield washer system are heated" at low
temperatures when the ignit ion is on.
- When stopping temporarily, such as at a
traff ic light, the speed of the windsh ield
wipers automatically reduces by one lev­
el.
- The rain sensor can be switched on or off
i n the MMI in the
Dr iv er a ssistan ce
menu
Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Clean the wiper blades when you see wiper
streaks. Use a soft cloth and a glass cleaner.
... Place the w indshield wiper arms i n the serv­
ice position
¢ page 47.
... Fold the w indshield wiper arms away from
the windshie ld .
8_ WARNING
Dirty windshield wiper blades can impa ir
vision, which increases the risk of an acci­
dent.
(D Note
If you see streaks again after cleaning the
w iper blades, the b lades must be replaced
¢page 47.
Light s and Visi on 47
Replacing front windshield wiper blades
Fig. 37 Remov ing windshield wiper blades
Wipe r servic e posit io n/ blade re pla cement
po sition
... To bring the wipers into the service position,
turn the ignition off and move the wind­
shield w iper lever into pos ition @
¢ page 46, fig. 36.
... To bring the w ipers into the s tarting posi­
tion, turn the ign ition on and move the
windshie ld wiper lever into position @
¢ page 46, fig. 36 .
Removing the wiper blade
... Fold the windshield wiper arm away from
the windshield .
... Press the locking knob
(D ¢ fig . 3 7 on the
wiper blade . Hold the wiper blade firmly .
... Remove the wiper blade in the direction of
the arrow .
Installing the wiper blade
... Insert the new w iper blade into the mount
on the wiper arm @unti l you hear i t latch
into place .
... Place the wiper arm back on the winds hield.
... Turn the service position off.
8_ WARNING
For safety reasons, the windshield w iper
blades should be replaced once or tw ice
each year.
(D Note
- The windshield wiper blades must on ly
be folded away when in the service posi­
tion. Otherwise, you r isk damaging the
-
•

48 Lig hts an d Vi sion
paint on the hood or th e windshield wip­
er motor.
- You should not drive your vehicle or
press the windshield wiper lever when
the wiper arms are folded away from the
windshield . The windshield wipers would
move back into their original position
and could damage the hood and w ind­
shield .
- To help preven t damage to the wiper sys­
tem , always loosen blades which are fro­
zen to the windsh ield before ope rat ing
wipers .
- To he lp prevent damage to w iper blades,
do not use gasoline, ke rosene, pa int
th inner, or other so lvents on or near the
wiper blades.
- To he lp prevent damage to the wiper
arms or other components , do not at­
tempt to move the wipers by hand .
(D Tips
-Commercial hot waxes applied by auto­
matic car washes affe ct the cleanability
of the wi ndshield .
- You can also use the servic e pos ition, for
example , if you want to pro tect the
winds hield from i cing by using a cover .
- You cannot activate the service posit ion
when the hood is open.
Mirrors
Adjusting the exterior mirrors
F ig. 38 Driver's door: knob for th e exteri or mirro rs (e x·
amp le )
Turn the knob to the desired position : Q/P
-In this pos ition, yo u can adjust the
driver 's and front passenger 's exter ior mi rrors
by turning the knob in the desi red d irection.
4ill -The m irrors a re heated* depending on the
outside temperature and driv ing speed.
8 -The exter io r mir rors a re fo lded in* .
Front passenger's exterior mirror tilt
function*
T o he lp you see the curb when backing into a
parking space, the surface of the mir ror can
be ti lted s light ly. The knob must be in the P
pos ition for this to happen.
You can adjust the tilted m irror surface by
tu rning the knob in the desired d irect ion.
When you move out of reverse and into anoth ­
er ge ar, the new m irror position is s tored and
assigned to the key you a re using.
T he m irror goes ba ck into its orig inal position
once you drive forward fas te r than 9 mph
(15 km/h) o r turn the ignition off .
Folding mirrors in and out
To fold the mir ro rs in with the knob, turn the
k nob in the 8 position .
To fold the m irrors ou t, turn the knob in the
Q or P or O pos ition .
Applies to vehicles with MMI: You can adjust if
t h e mirrors fold when locking the vehicle
c> page 36. When you lock the vehicle, the
mir rors fo ld in. When you start the ignition,
t h e mirrors fold out .
A WARNING
-Curved mirror surfaces (convex o r asph e-
r ic *) enlarge the field of v is ion. However,
they ma ke objec ts in the mirror appe ar
smaller and fart her away . Your may es ti­
mate incorrect ly when you use t hese mir ­
rors to gauge yo ur distance from the
vehicles beh ind yo u when changing lanes -
accident r isk!

~ 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>
•

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

88 Audi adaptive cruise control
you can have the adaptive cruise control
me nu extende d I enabled from an autho r­
ized re pair faci lity.
Setting the driving program
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
A adaptive cru ise control driving program is
adjustab le on vehicles without Aud i drive se­
lect* .
.. Se lect in the MMI:
!MENUI button> Systems
or Car systems > Driver assistance > Adap·
tive cru ise control
> Driving program >
comfort /standard /dynamic .
Selecting the driving mode
App lies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
The adaptive c ruise co ntro l dr iv ing prog ram is
ad justa ble for ve hicles w ith Au di drive se lect
usi ng the dr iv ing mode.
.. Se lect t he des ired driv ing mod e
comfort ,
auto , dynamic
or individual* with the knob
¢ page 10 2.
Request for driver intervention
App lies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
Fig . 7 9 In st rum ent clus ter : d river interve ntio n re qu est
In some s ituations, the braki ng from the
adapt ive cr uise control system is not enoug h
to maintain enoug h distance to the object
a head . In these situations, the system will re­
q ues t yo u to take action .
The . indicator light and the graphic in the
d isplay w ill wa rn you about the danger
¢
fig. 79. You will a lso hear a n aud io signa l.
P ress the br ake pedal to s low y our veh icle
do wn .
Driver messages
Applies to vehicles: wit h Aud i adapt ive c ru ise control
IIJ ACC : unavailable
The system cannot gu arantee that it will de­
tect o bject s cor rectly and i s switched off. The
sens or was m ove d or is fa ulty. Drive to your
autho rize d Audi dea le r or a uth ori zed Audi
service facility immediately to have the ma l­
f unct ion corrected .
Ill ACC: currently unavailable . No sensor vi·
sion
fl ACC and Audi pre sense : currently un ­
available. No sen sor vision
T h is message appears if the senso r view is ob·
structe d, for examp le by l eaves, snow, heavy
s pr ay or d irt . C lean t he sensor ¢
page 82,
fig. 70 .
ill ACC: currently unavailable. Gradient too
steep
The road exceeds t he max imum possible an­
gle fo r safe adaptive cruise control operation.
T he adapt ive cr uise control cannot be switch­
ed o n.
ill ACC: only available in D, Sor M
Se lect the D/S or M selector leve r position .
ill ACC: parking brake applied
The adapt ive cr uise control system switch es
off automa tically if th e parki ng br ake is set.
T he adapt ive cru ise con tro l is ava ilable again
aft er re leas ing t he pa rking br ake.
ill ACC: currently unavailable. Stabilization
control input
This message appears if the Electronic Stabili ­
zation Control (ESC) is taking action to stab i·
l ize the veh icle. I n this case, adapt ive cr uise
control switches off automat ica lly .
ill ACC off: manual control!
This message a ppears if t he vehicle ro lls back
whe n start ing on a s light incline, even though
ACC is active. Press the b rake pedal to prevent
the vehicle from rolling or starting to move. .,.

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
•

138 Safety belts
ICAR !function button> (Car )* sys tem s> Ve­
hicle setting s > Sea ts > Dri ver 's seat or Pas­
senger 's se at > Autom atic belt ten sioner
>
Off .
-In certain driving situations, the safety be lts
may tighten with a reversib le tensioning
function
c:> page 90.
- The safety belts may also tighten with this
revers ible tensioning f unction in m inor colli­
s ions.
Pyrotechnic safety belt preten sioner s
The sa fety belts are equipped with safety be lt
pretensioners. The system is activated by sen­
sors in front, side and rear-end collisions of
great severity and in a rollover. Th is tightens
the belt and takes up be lt slack
c:> &. in Service
and disposal of safety belt pretensioner on
page 138 .
Taking up the slack helps to reduce
forward occupant movement during a co lli­
sion.
,& WARNING
- It is possib le for the pretensioners to de­
ploy incorrect ly .
- T he py rotechnic system can only pr ovide
pro te ction for one co llision.
If t he pyro­
technic p retensioners dep loy, the p reten ­
sioning system must be replaced .
@ Tips
The pyrotechnic safety belt p retens ioners
can only deploy once .
- The safety belt pretens ione rs do no t de­
ploy in mino r frontal and side col lisions,
i n rear -end collisions, in rollove rs and in
collisions invo lving very litt le impact
force.
- A f ine d ust is released when the pyro ­
technic safety belt pretensioners deploy.
This is normal and is not caused by a fire
i n the veh icle.
- The relevant safety requirements must
be observed when the vehicle or compo­
nents of the system are scrapped. A
qualified dea lership is familiar with
these regulations and w ill be pleased to
pass on the informat io n to you . - Be sure to observe all safety, env
iron ­
menta l and other regu lations if the ve hi­
cle or individual parts of the system, par­
ticu larly the safety belt or airbag, are to
be disposed. We recommend you have
your authorized Audi dealer perform this service fo r you.
Service and disposal of safety belt
pretensioner
T he safety belt pretens ioners are parts o f the
safety belts on your Audi . Insta lling, remov­
ing, servicing or repairing of be lt pretension­
ers can damage the safety belt system and
prevent it from working correctly in a co lli­
s ion.
There are some important t hings you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness of
the system w ill not be impaired and that dis­
carded components do no t cause injury or pol­
l u te the environment .
A WARNING
-Improper care, serv ic ing and repair p roce-
du res can increase the risk of pe rsonal in­
j u ry and death by prevent ing a safety belt
p retensioner from activ ating w hen neede d
or activa ting it unexpectedly:
- T he belt pretensione r system can be a ct i­
vated only once. If be lt pretensioners
have been activated , the system m ust be
replaced .
- Never repair, adjus t, or change any parts
of the safety be lt system .
- Safety belt systems incl uding safety belt
pretensioners cannot be repaired. Spe ­
cial procedures are required for removal,
installation and disposa l of th is system.
- For any wo rk on the safety belt system,
we strongly recommend t hat you see
your author ized Audi dealer or qualif ied
technician who has an Audi approved re­ pa ir manua l, train ing and special equ ip­
ment necessary.

@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modu les and preten­
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate
Material -specia l hand ling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/per­ chlorate. When the vehicle or parts of the
restraint system including airbag modules
safety belts w ith pretens ioners are scrap­
ped, all applicable laws and regulat ions
m ust be observed. Yo ur authorized Aud i
dea le r i s familiar w ith these requi rements
and we recommend that you have your
dea ler perform this service for you.
Sa fety belts 139
•
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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

for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coat­ings will be cleaned off after a few
careful brake applications.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in­
creased stopping distance. Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­
est Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed considera­
bly harder to make up for the lack of
booster assistance.
(D Note
- Never let the brakes "rub" by pressing
the pedal lightly when braking is not really necessary. This causes the brakes
to overheat and increases braking dis­
tance and causes wear.
- Before driving on a long stretch with
steep slopes, reduce your speed and shift
to the next lower gear This makes use of
the engine braking effect and relieves
the brakes. If you need to brake addition­
ally, brake in intervals and not continu­
ously.
(D Tips
- If the brake booster is not working, you
must press the brake pedal with much
more force then normal.
- If you retrofit your vehicle with a front
spoiler, wheel covers or similar items,
Smart Technology 189
make sure that the air flow to the front
wheels is not interrupted. Otherwise the
brake system can become too hot.
Electromechanical
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
The vehicle still has full steering functionality if the power steering fails or when the engine
is stopped (towing) . To steer, you must apply
much more force than usual.
Indicator lights and messages
• Do not drive vehicle: steering defective
If this indicator light turns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steering
may have failed.
Do
not continue driving . See your authorized
Audi dealer or qualified repair facility.
• Do not drive vehicle: steering defective
There is an electronic steering column lock
malfunction . You cannot turn the ignition on.
Do
not tow your vehicle because it cannot be
steered. See your authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair facility.
c~ij Steering malfunction: you can continue
driving
If the indicator light turns on, the steering
wheel may be more difficult to move or more
sensitive than usual. The steering wheel may
also be at an angle when driving straight.
Drive slowly to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected.
Ill Steering lock: system fault! Please con­
tact Service
There is an electronic steering column lock
malfunction.
•
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