lights AUDI S3 2011 Owner's Manual

brightness increases again, the low beams are turned off again auto­
matically =>& .
In the
AUTO position the low beams are switched off automatically
when the ignition is turned off.
Light Sensor Malfunction*
In the event of a light sensor ma lfunct ion, the driver is notified in the
instrument cluster display:
Automatic headlights/automatic wipers defective
For safety reasons the low beams are turned on permanently with t he
switch in
AUTO*. H owever, you can continue to turn the lights on and
off using the light switch. Have the light sensor checked as soon as
possible at a dealership.
Coming home/leaving home function*
The function is sw itched on when the sw itch is in the AUTO* position
and the function is shown as active in the driver information system.
The
coming home funct ion illuminates the area around the vehicle
when the ign it ion is switched
off and the driver's door is opened. The
length of time the lights rema in on can be set in the menu display
( Illumination > Exterior lights > coming home ).
The leaving home function illuminates the area around the vehicl e
when u nlocking it .
& WARNING
• Never use daytime running lights to see where you are going.
They are not bright enough and will not let you see far enough
ahead for safety, especially at dusk or when it is dark. Always
switch on the low beams at dusk or when it is dark.
• Automatic headlights are only intended to assist the driver .
They do not relieve the driver of his respon sibility to check the
headlights and to turn them on manually according to the current
light and visibility conditions. For example, fog and rain cannot be
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Clear vision
& WARNING
(continued )
detected by the light sensors. So always switch on the headlights
under these weather conditions and when driving
in the dark io.
• Crashes can happen when you cannot see the road ahead and
when you cannot be seen by other motorists.
- Always turn on the headlights so that you can see ahead and
so that others can see your car from the back.
(I) Tips
• With the switch in AUTO front fog lights cannot be turned on in
addition.
• Th e light senso r for headlight control is located in the rear view
mirror mount . Do not apply any stickers to the windshield in this area
to prevent malfunctions or fail ures .
• Some exterior lighting functions can be adjusted in the driver
information system => page 22 ,
• If you remove the ignition from t he ignition lock whi le the head­
lights are still on, a buzzer will sound as long as the driver's door is
open to remind you to turn off the lights .
• Always observe the specific local regulat ions for your area as to
when to use your lights.
• With automatic headlights, the high-beam funct ion is also avail­
able, but with one restr iction:
If you have not switched the high
beams back to low beams during automatic headlig ht operation (for
example, after driving through a tunnel), only the low beams come
on the next time automatic headlights are switched on . To use the
high beams, you first have to pull the high beam lever back and then
push the lever forwa rd again .
• In cool or damp weather, the inside of the headlights, turn signa ls
and ta il lights can fog over due to the temperature difference
between the inside and outside. They will clear shortly after switching
them on. This does not affect the serv ice life of the light ing . _,,
Vehicle care Technical data

Clear vision
• Frequent use of the coming home/leaving home function for
approaching and departing a vehicle parked in the dark will strain the
battery. This applies particularly if only short distances are drive n
between stops. Occasionally drive longer distances to make sure the
battery is recharged sufficiently .•
Front fog Lights }0
Use the light switch to turn on the front fog lights.
@
Fig . 51 Fog light acti­
vation: light switch
position on vehicles
WITHOUT sensor light
Switching on the front fog lights }D
- Do not turn the light switch·'!'!-· ~ fig. 51 toward the fog
light symbol ".
- Turn the light switch to
~oo~ or to ;D.
- Pull the light switch to the first stop (D.
When the front fog lights are on, the symbol }O next to the light
switch will illuminate. •
Instrument panel illumination
The illumination of the instruments, displays and the
center console can be adjusted.
Fig. 52 Instrument
panel illuminat ion
You regulate the brightness of the instruments with the left
thumbwheel
er ~ fig . 52.
Ignition ON, light switch at@.
With the ignition switched ON, the glow of instrument needles can
be adjusted to appear brighter or dimmer.
Ignition ON, light switch at ;oo; or iD .
With the lights switched on, the brightness of instrument cluster (i.e.
needles, gauges and displays) and center console illumination can be
adjusted.
0 Note
Th e instrument cluster and center console illumination (gauges and
needles) comes on when you sw itch on the ignition and the
vehicle
headlights are off.
Be aware of the following difference between
models built to US or Canadian specifications:
• USA models : illumination of the instrument cluster (gauges and
needles), dash and center console around the gearshift lever is
controlled
by a light sensor located in the instrument panel. The _,,,

instrument pane l illum in ation w ill autom at ically be com e dimm er
as the d ay light fade s away and eventu ally will g o out c ompletel y
wh en outside light i s very low . This is to r emind you, the drive r, to
s witch on the headlight s before it gets too dark .
• Canada model s: in strument pan el illum ination will stay bright
r e g ardle ss of the inten sity of ambient light . Alwa ys be awar e of
c hanges in o utside light conditions w hile you ar e dri ving. R espond
in time to fading da ylight by tu rning the light switch t o po sit ion
io
(or "AUTO" if your car is equipped with this feature) to turn on y our
headl ights .•
Emergency flasher ~
The emergency flasher makes other motorists aware that
you or your vehicle are in an emergency situation .
Fig. 53 Ce nter
conso le : eme rgenc y
fla sh e r sw it c h
- Press the switch~:::::> fig. 53, to switch the emergency
flasher on or off.
When the eme rgency flasher is o n, all four tu rn s ignal b link at the
same time . The turn signa l indicator lights¢¢ in the instrument
cluster , as well as the light in the emerg ency flasher switch~ blink
likewise.
T he emergency flasher will autom atically sw itch on if you are in an
acc ident where the airbag has deployed.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Clear vision
(I) Tips
You should swi tch on the emergency flasher when :
• you a re the last ve hicle stand ing in a traffic jam so that any ot her
vehicles com ing can see you , or when
• your vehicle has b roken down or you are in an eme rgency s itua­
tion , or when
• your vehicle is being towed by a tow tr uck or if yo u are tow ing
another vehicle behind you. •
Turn signals -¢¢ and high beam [D lever
The lever on the le~ side of the steering column is used to
operate the turn signals and the high beam as well as the
headlight flasher.
-"' M
-w .., a,
Fig . 54 Tu rn sign al
a nd h igh b eam lever
The turn signal and high beam lever has the following func­
tions :
Turn signals ¢ ¢
- Lift the lever up all the way:::::> fig. 54 (D, to use the r ight
turn signals , or push the lever down all the way@ to use
the left turn signals. .,,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Clear vision
Auto -blink
- Move the lever (up or down) just to the point of resistance
to use the turn signals for as long as you need them, for
example when changing lanes.
- Briefly move the lever up or down just to the point of resis­
tance and then release it to flash the turn signa ls
three
times in succession.
This feature allows to indicate lane
changes clearly and with minimum effort when driving on highways .
High beam ~D
-Push the lever forward @to sw itch on the high beam .
Pull the lever back towards you to switch off the high
beam .
Headlight flasher ~D
-Pull the lever toward the steering wheel © to use the
headlight flasher.
Notes on these features
• The turn signals only work with the ign ition switched on . The indi­
cator lights ¢ or Q in the instrument cluster=>
page 11 also blink.
• After you have turned a corner, the turn signal switches off auto­
matically.
• Th e
high beam works only when the headlights are on. The indi­
cator light [D in the instrument cluster illuminates when the high
beams are on .
• The
headlight flasher works only as long as you hold the lever -
even if there are no lights switched on. The indicator light [Din the
instrument cluster illuminates when you use the headlight flasher.
0 Note
Do not use the high beam or head light flasher if you know that these
could be blinding oncoming traffic. •
Interior lights
Interior Lights and glove compartment
Light
The interior lights include the both reading lights for the
driver and the front passenger .
·······::--·· .. ·················· ············ ··
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1
\~l\lllllllilllllll :l;
,.. •eaa1 •u == -=---===
Fig. 55 Control panel
above windshield:
interior light switc hes
Light switch ~ fig. 55 has the following functions:
Door contact activation
-Move the switch to the center position . The forward dome
light is turned on/off by the contact switches on any of the
doors.
Forward dome light on
- Move the switch to position I. The forward dome light
goes on and stays on regardless of door pos ition.

Forward dome light off
-Move the switch to position 0. The light will not go on
regardless o f door positio n.
Glove compartment light
Open the glove compartment - the light in t he glove
compartme nt automatically illum inates as long as the
side marker lights or headlights a re on. When you close
the glove compartme nt, the light goes o ff.
With the interior light sw itch at the doo r contact (center) position,
t he forward dome light illum ina tes wheneve r you unlo ck the vehi cle
or open a door . The dome light goes out after approx imately 30
se conds after yo u have closed the door. L ikewise , whe n yo u lock your
vehicle or switc h on the ignition, the dome light goes out.
If yo u leave a door open , the dome light w ill go out after ten minutes
to conserve battery charge .
A dimmer automatically controls the br ightness of the lights when
t hey are swi tched on. •
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Clear vision
App lies to veh icles : w ith light packag e
Interior Lights and forward reading Lights
The interior lights include the both reading lights for the
driver and the front passenger .
Fig. 56 Co nt ro l pane l
a bove wind sh ield :
int erior li g ht swi tch es
Light switch ©~ page 60, fig. 5 5 has the fol low ing f unc­
t ions:
Door contact activation
- Move the switch to th e center pos ition. The forward dome
light is turned on/off by the co ntac t swi tches o n any of the
doors.
Forward dome light on
- Move the switc h to position I. The fo rward dome light
goes on and stays on regardl ess of door pos it ion.
Forward dome light off
- Move the switc h to position 0. The light will not go on
regard less of door position .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service Technical data

Clear vision Forward reading lights
~
- Press the left or rig ht sw itch ® to switch the left or right
fo rward reading lig ht on or off.
Glove compartment light
Open t he glove compartment - the light in t he g love
compartment automatically illum inates as long as the
si de marker lights or he adlights are on. When you close
the glove compartment, the light goes off.
With the interio r light switch at the door contact (center) position,
t he forward dome light illum ina tes whenever you unlock the vehicle
or open a door . The dome light goes out after approxima tely 30
se co nds after yo u have clo sed the door. L ikew ise, whe n yo u lock your
vehicle or switch on the ignition, the dome light goes out.
If yo u leave a door open, the dome light will go out after ten minutes
to conserve battery charge.
A dimmer automatically controls the brightness of the lights when
t hey are swi tched on. •
Appli es to veh icles : w ith light package
Ambient lighting
The ambient lighting illuminate important controls for
you.
• •
0 !!
-d. .,
"'
Fig . 5 7 Control pan el
a b ove wind shie ld :
p ositi on of am bie nt
l ig ht b ulbs
When you switch on the igni tion, the lights in the door ha nd les illu­
m inate .
When the side marker lights or headlights are switched on, the center
conso le is illum inated from the ambient light located above the wind­
shield .
You cannot ma nually t urn o ff these lights. •
Rear reading light
'
N !!
-d. .,
"'
Fig . 58 R ea r re ad ing
ligh t ...

Clear vision
Applies to veh icles : w ith automat ically dimm ing inside mirror
Automatically dimming inside mirror
The automatic dimming function can be turned on and
off if required .
Disabling auto dimming
Fig . 60 I nside rea r
v ie w mirror
- Press butt on @ ~ fig . 60 brie fly, -the green indic ator
light ® goes out.
Activating/reactivating auto dimming
- Press button @ briefly, -the green indicator ligh t® goes
on.
Automat ic dimming function
The automatic dimming function is activated every time the ignition
is turned on. The g ree n indicator light is lit to indica te auto d imming
is active.
W hen dimm ing is act ivated, the inside mir ror w ill darke n
automati­
cally
in response to the amou nt of light striking the mirror (such as
head lights from rearward approaching vehicles). Even in d imming
mode, the mirror surface turns br ight when:
• the interior light is switched on
• reverse gear is engaged.
& WARNING
Broken glass of automatic dimming mirror can cause electrolyte
fluid leakage . Electrolyte fluid can irritate skin , eyes, and respira­
tory system .
• Repeated or p rolonged expo sur e to electrolyte can cau se irrita­
tion to the resp iratory system, esp ecially among people with
asthma or other r espiratory conditions. Get fre sh air immediately
by le aving the vehicl e or, if that is not po ssible , open window s and
doors all the wa y.
• If ele ctrolyte gets into the eye s, flush them thoroughly with
large am ount s of clean water f or at lea st 15 minute s; medical
attention is re commended .
• If electrolyte contacts skin , flush affected area with clean
water for at l east 15 minutes and then wash aff ected area with
s oap and water; medical attention is rec ommended . Thoroughly
wash affected clothing and shoe s before reu se.
• If swallowed and person i s con sciou s, rinse mouth with water
for at least 15 minutes. Do not induce vomit ing unle ss instru cted
to do so by medical profe ssional. Get medical attenti on immedi­
ate ly .
0 Note
Liquid e lectrolyte leaked from a broken mir ror g lass will damage any
plastic surfaces it comes in contact with. Clean up spi lled electrolyte
immediately with clear wate r and a sponge.
[I) Tips
• Check to make su re t he re are no obje cts preventing light from
reac hing the inside mirror.
• Do not attach any st ick er s to the w indshield in front of the light
sensor, as this would interfere with the a utomatic operation of the
head lights and the a utomat ic dimming of the inside mir ror. •

(]] Tips
• The w indshield wipers are switched off when the ign ition is tu rned
off . Activate the windshield wipers after the ignition is switched back
on by mov ing the w indshield wipe r leve r to any pos ition.
• Worn or dirty windshield w iper blades cause smearing, which can
affect the operat io n of the l ight/rain sensor*. Check t he condi tion of
your windshield wiper b lades regularly.
• The rain sensor is part of the inte rval wiping system . Turning off
the ignition will also deactivate the rain sensor. To reactivate the
sensor, switch off the inte rval wiping funct ion, the n switch it back on
again .
• Applies to veh icles with light/ra in sensor: When the w ipers are
switched on manually and in rain conditions, the automatic head­
lights* turn on~
page 56, "Switching the headlights on and off ·f!: "
or off during the day when the wipers are no longer operating. The
au tomatic headlights* func tion is available in t his case only when the
light switch is in the "AUTO" position~
page 56, fig. 49.
• Make su re the washe r fl ui d reservoir in the eng ine compartment is
topped off before going on a long trip. Look up::::)
page 243 for
check ing and fill ing t he washer conta iner.
• The wipers only operate with the hood completely closed. •
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Clear vision
Rear window wiper cs;J
The wiper lever is also used to operate the rear windo w
w iper and the automatic wiper/ washer function .
Fig . 63 Wi per lev er:
a ct iva ting the rear
w indow wi per an d
w ashe r
The rear window w iper and t he au tomatic wiper/washer func­
tions are activated as follows:
Intermittent wiping
- P ush the wipe r lever forward towards the dashboard and
to the
first position ©~ fig. 63 . T he rear window wiper
w ill wipe the win dow approx. every four seco nds.
Automatic wiper/washer function
- Push the wiper lever forward to the second stop, position
0 , and ho ld it there for as long as you want the rear
wiper/washer to operate.
- Release the lever aga in. T he wiper w ill keep run ning for
app rox . four seco nds .
Switching intermittent wiper action off
- Pull the lever a ll the way back to the original posi tion.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Seats and storage
Glove compartment
The glove compartment is illuminated and can be locked.
To open glove compartment
Fig. 94 Glove
compartment
- Pull the handle => fig. 94 in the direction of the arrow push
down lid to the fully open position.
To close glove compartment
-Push the glove compartment lid upward until the lock
engages.
The light will illuminate when the parking/headlights are turned on
and the glove compartment is open.
In the glove compartment lid, you will fi nd a place to store a pen and
a pad of paper.
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury in an accident or sudden stop,
always keep the glove compartment closed while driving. •
Applies to veh icles: with storage compartment in cente r con sole
Storage compartment for small objects Ca
Fig. 95 Center console
storage compartment
- To open the compartment, press th e cover Ce=> fig. 95.
- To close the compartment, push the drawer all the way in
until it clicks in place.
An additional storage compartment3> for relatively small objects is
located in the cente r console next to the brake lever. •
3
l Not available on vehicles wi th Aud i Naviga tion System .

ffl..__O_ n_ t_h _e_ r_o _ a_ d _________________________________________________ _
Ignition Lock and ignition switch
Ignition lock
The engine can be started or turned off with the ignition
key.
Ignition off@
Fig. 107 Ignition l ock
p ositions
In position => fig. 107 @ both the ignition and engine are off, and
the stee ring is locked .
To
lock the stee ring after you have removed the ig nit io n key, turn the
steeri ng wheel in either direction until yo u hear it lock into place . You
should always lock the steering whenever you leave your vehicle . This
makes a vehicle theft even more difficult=> & .
Ignition on (D
If it is d ifficul t to turn the key af ter yo u have inse rted it in to the igni­
tion lock, tur n the steering wheel back and forth . T hi s w ill take the
load off the steering lock mechanism and you wi ll be able to t urn the
key freely and start the engine . On vehicles with a d iese l engine *, t he
system ca n preheat in this position .
Starting the engine@
In this pos it ion the engi ne s tarts. While the e ngine is s ta rting, the
power supply to the headlights and other electrical consume rs is temporarily interrupted to conserve ba
ttery power . Afte r th e eng ine
h as st arted, relea se the key and it w ill retur n to posit io n (D .
Before the starter can be operated again the key must be t urned back
to positio n (D . T he
non-repeat lock prevents you from damaging the
s ta rt er when t he e ng ine is running .
& WARNING
• Never remove the key from the ignition lock while the vehicle
i s moving . The steering wheel will lock causing loss of control.
• If you have to leave your v ehicle -even for ju st a minute -
always remove the ignition key and take it with you. This is espe·
cially important if you are going to leave children behind in the
vehicle. The children could start the engine or use other vehicle
control s. Unsupervised use of vehicle controls (for example, power
windows ) can cause serious personal injuries .
(I) Tips
If the vehicle battery has been disconnected and then reconnected,
t hen yo u m ust leave the key in posi tion (Dfor abou t
5 seco nds befo re
you can start the eng ine. •
App lies to vehicles: with automat ic transmission
Ignition key safety lock
Th e ignition k ey can only b e removed when the selector
lever is in the "P" (Park) position.
Pla ce the selector lever i n the "P " pos it ion before swit ching off the
eng ine .
Afte r sw itching of f the igni tion , th e ignition key can o nly be re moved
from the ignition lock when t he selector lever is in the "P" (Park) posi­
t ion. After yo u have remove d the key, t he selector lever is locked a nd
cannot be moved .•