ESP AUDI S3 SEDAN 2018 User Guide

Lights and Vision
by hand. Only fo ld them in and out using
the power controls.
(D Tips
If the power adjustment fails, both mirrors
can be adjusted by hand by pressing on the
edge of the mirror surface .
Dimming the mirrors
Your vehicle is equipped with a manual or auto­
matic* dimming rearview mirror .
Manual dimming rearview mirror
~ Pull the lever on the bottom of the mirror back .
Automatic dimming rearview mirror*
~ The interior and exterior mirrors dim automati­
cally when light shines on them, for example
from headlights on a vehicle behind you .
.&_ WARNING
Applies to: vehicles with automa tic dimming rearview
m irror
Electro lyte fluid can leak out from broken
m irror glass. This liquid can irritate the skin,
eyes and resp iratory system.
If there is con­
tact with the fluid, flush immediate ly with
plenty of water. Consult a physician if neces­
sary.
- Repeated or long-term exposure to electro ­
lyte fluid can lead to irritation of the air­
ways, especially in peop le with asthma or
other respiratory condit ions. Take deep
breaths immediate ly after leaving the vehi­
cle or, if this is not possible, open all of the
doors and windows as wide as possible.
- If electrolyte fluid enters the eyes, flush
them thoroughly with a large amount of
clean water for at least 15 minutes and then
seek medical attention .
- If electrolyte flu id comes into contact w ith
the skin, flush the affected area with clean
water for at least 15 minutes and then clean
with soap and water and seek med ica l at­
tention. Clean affected clothing and shoes
tho roughly before wearing again.
54
-
-If the fluid was swallowed and the person is
conscious, flush the mouth w ith water for at
least 15 minutes. Do not induce vomiting
unless this is recommended by medical pro­
fessionals . Seek medical attention immedi­
ately .
(D Note
Applies to: veh icles with automatic d imming rearv iew
mirro r
Electrolyte fluid can leak out from broken
mirror glass. This liquid damages plastic sur­
faces . Clean this liquid as quickly as possible
with a wet sponge.
@ Tips
App lies to: veh icles with automatic d imm ing rearv iew
mirro r
-If the light reaching the rearview mirror is
obstructed, the automatic d imm ing mirror
will not function correctly,
- The automatic dimming m irrors do not dim
when the interior lighting is turned on or
the reverse gear is selected.
Sun visors
(~--- )
Fig. 55 Left side: sun viso r (example)
The sun visors can be moved out of their brackets
and turned toward the doors
(D. The sunshade
can a lso be moved back and forth lengthwise in
th is position*.
The mirror light switches on when the cover over
the van ity m irror* @opens .

LL co .... N
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Windshield wipers
Switching the windshield wipers on
Fig. S6 Windshield wiper lever
Fig. S7 Rear window wiper• operatio n
t® I
a @
lll ®
Iii @
•®
Move the windshield wiper lever to the corre­
spond ing pos ition:
@ -Windshield wipers off
(D-Interval mode. To increase/decrease the wip­
er intervals, move the switch
@ to the left/right.
In vehicles with a rain sensor, the wipers turn on in the rain once the vehicle speed exceeds ap­
proximately 2 mph (4 km/h). The higher the sen­
sitivity of the rain sensor that is set (switch
@ to
the right), the earlier the w indshield w ipers react
to moisture on the windshield . You can deacti­
vate the rain sensor mode in the Infotainment
system, wh ich switches the intermittent mode
on. To do this, select :
I MENU I button> Vehicle>
left control button > Driver a ssistance > Rain
se nsor.
@ -Slow wiping
@ -Fast wiping
@-Single wipe. If you hold the lever in this posi­
tion longer, the wipers switch from slow wiping
to fast wiping.
Lights and Vision
®-Clean the windshield. To eliminate water
droplets, the windshield wipers perform one af­
terw ipe after several seconds while dr iv ing in
temperatures above 39 °F (4 °C). You can switch
this function off by moving the lever to position
@within 10 seconds of the afterwipe . The after ­
wipe function is react ivated the next time you
switch the ignition on .
Clean the headlights. The headlight washer sys­
tem operates only when the low beam headlights
are sw itched on . If you move the lever in position
®, the headlights will be cleaned in fixed inter­
vals.
Applies to: vehicles wi th rear window wiper
@ -Wipe the rear window. The rear wiper moves
about every 6 seconds .
The rear wiper automatically switches on when
the reverse gear is selected and the front wind­
sh ield wipers are on and running.
(j)-Clean the rear window . The number of wipes
depends on how long the lever is held in position
(j) .
A WARNING
-The rain sensor* is only intended to assist
the driver. The driver may still be responsi­
ble for manually switch ing the w ipers on
based on visibility conditions.
-The windsh ield may not be treated w ith wa­
ter-repelling windshield coating agents. Un­
favorable conditions, such as wetness, dark­
ness and when the sun is low, can cause in-
'
creased glare, which increases the r isk of an
accident. Wiper blade chatter is also possi­
ble.
-Properly functioning windshield wiper
b lades are required for a clear view and safe
driving¢ page 56, Replacing the front
wiper blades.
(D Note
- If there is frost, make sure the windshield
wiper blades are not frozen to the wind­
shield. Switching on the windshield wipers
when the blades are frozen to the wind­
shield can damage the wiper blades .
-
55

LL co .... N
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Luggage compartment net/cargo bag
Applies to: vehicles with luggage compartment cargo net/car­
go bag
The cargo net prevents light objects from sliding,
and it can also be used as a cargo bog.
Fig. 75 Luggage compartment: cargo net stretched out
(examp le)
F ig . 76 Luggage compartment: cargo bag hung in place
(examp le)
Cargo net
" To secure the cargo net, first hang the front
hooks in the tie-downs then hang the rear
hooks
-arrows- ¢ fig. 75.
Cargo bag
" To secure the cargo bag, hang both plastic re­
ta iners in the tie-downs @
c> fig. 76 and the
eyelets @ in the hooks/bag hooks* ©-
You can also use the bag hooks* © to hang light
purses, bags, etc .
A WARNING
For strength reasons, only objects with a max­
imum weight of 10 lbs (5 kg) should be se­
cured in the luggage compartment net. Heavi­
er objects are not adeq uately secured. There
is risk of personal injury .
Seats and storag e
Increasing the cargo area
Applies to: vehicles with folding backrests
The rear seat backrests con be folded forward ei­
ther separately* or together .
Fig. 77 Backrest: outer re lease lever (example)
Folding th e backr est forward /back
" Push the correspond ing head restra int down­
ward
¢page 61.
" Pull the release leve r (D ¢ fig. 77 in the direc­
tion of the arrow and fold the backrest forward .
.. Fold the backrest down until it latches securely
¢ &_. When you can no longer see the red mark
on the
p in @ , the seat is latched.
A WARNING ~ -
- The backrest must be securely latched to
ensu re the safety belt is protecting the rear
seat pos itions.
- The backrest must be securely latched so
objects cannot slide fo rwa rd out of the lug­
gage compartment during sudden brak ing.
@ Note
- If you move the front seat back when the
rear seat backrest is folded forwa rd, yo u
cou ld damage the head restrain ts on the
rear seat.
- To red uce the risk of damage, move the rea r
head rest raints down before fo ld ing the
rear backrests fo rwa rd
¢ &. in Rear head re­
straints on page
62.
- Make sure the oute r safety be lts are not
pinche d or damaged when folding the seat
back.
65

Seats and storage
Pass-through
Applies to: vehicles with pass-through
Fig. 78 Vers ion 1: left side: backrest: pass-through cover;
Vers io n 2: right side : luggage co mpartment: relea se lever
Opening/closing the pass-through from the
vehicle interior
.,. Applies to: version 1: To open the pass­
through, fold down the center armrest in the backrest and fo ld down the pass-through cover
in the direct ion of the arrow
c:> fig. 78 .
.,. Applies to: version 1: To close the pass­
through, fold up the pass-through cover and
the center
armrest¢ fig. 78.
Opening/closing the pass-through from the luggage compartment
.,. Applies to: version 2: To fold the backrest for­
ward, pull the release lever on the respect ive
seat in the direction of the arrow. The backrest
will fo ld forward automat ically after it has been
released
¢ &_ .
.,. Applies to: version 1: To open the pass­
through, press the lever in the rear seat back­
rest downward .
.,. To close the pass-through, fold the backrest
back until it latches
securely¢ &_.
A WARNING
-The backrest must be securely latched to
ensure the safety belt is protecting the rear
seat positions .
- The backrest must be securely latched so
objects cannot slide forward out of the lug­
gage compartment during sudden braking .
- Make sure that all objects that you are
transporting in the pass-through are secure.
66
They could slide during sudden braking ma­
neuvers and cause injuries.
- Sharp edges on objects that are loaded
must be covered for protection.
- When releasing the rear seat backrest,
make sure there are no people or anima ls
with in its range of motion. The backrest will
fold forward automatically after it is re­ leased.
(D Note
Make sure the safety belt is not pinched in the
backrest lock and damaged when the rear
seat backrest if folded back.
Roof rack
Applies to: vehicles without roof rail
Fig. 79 Mounting po ints for the roof rack
Applies to: vehicles with roof rail
Fig. 80 Moun ting points fo r the roof rack
If luggage or cargo is to be carried on the roof,
you must observe the following:
- Only a specially designed roof rack may be used
on your vehicle. These roof racks are the basis
for a complete roof rack system. Additional at­
tachments/carr ier systems are necessary to
transport luggage and sports equipment. We
..,.

Warm and cold
Warm and cold Climate control system
Description
The climate control system circulates , warms or
coo ls, and removes humid ity from the air in the
veh icle interior . It is the most effective when the
windows and panorama g lass roof* or power top*
are closed. If there is a build-up of heat inside
the vehicle, ventilation can help to speed up the
coo ling process.
Pollutant filter
The pollutant filter removes pollutants such as
dust and po llen from the air.
Key recognition
Various sett ings are stored and ass igned to the
remote control key being used.
These settings are different when the power top* is open or closed .
Presetting
Several functions can be preset in the Infotain­
ment system.
Select in the Infotainment system:
IMENU ! but­
ton
> Vehicle > left control button > Air condi­
tioning
A WARNING
Poor visibility can lead to accidents.
- For safer driving, keep all windows free of
ice, snow and fog.
- Become familiar with the correct use and
function of the climate control system as
quickly as poss ible, espec ia lly with the de­
frosting and defogging functions.
- When the temperature is below freezing, only use the windsh ield washer system after
68
the windshield has been warmed by the cli­
mate control system. The washer fluid could
freeze on the windshie ld and impair visib ili­
ty .
@ Note
-If you suspect that the climate contro l sys­
tem is damaged, switch the system off to
prevent further damage and have it checked
by an authorized Aud i dealer or authorized
Audi Serv ice Facility.
- Repa irs to the Aud i climate control system
require special technical knowledge and
special tools . See an authorized Aud i dealer
o r authorized Aud i Serv ice Facility .
@ For the sake of the environment
-To save fuel, turn off the climate control
system cooling mode by press ing the A/C
button. This w ill also reduce emissions . The
climate control system is off when the LED
in the button turns off.
- In vehicl es w ith the efficie ncy prog ram*,
yo u can find other consumpt ion information
and more economy tips ¢ page 19.
© Tips
- To prevent int erference with the heat ing
and cooling output and to prevent the win­
dows from fogging over, the air intake in
front of the windshie ld must be free of ice,
snow or leaves.
- Condensation from the cooling system* can
drip and form a pudd le of water under the
vehicle . This is normal and does not mean
there is a leak.
- Th e energy management system may tem ­
porarily switc h off certain functions, such as
the seat heating* or rear window defogger.
These systems are ava ilable again as soon
as the energy supply has been restored.

Drivin g
Driving
General information
Breaking in
A new vehicle must be broken in for the first 1,000 mi les (1,500 km). Do not dr ive at speeds
t hat will exceed 2/3 of the max imum pe rm itted
engine speed (RPM) for the first 600 miles
(1,000 km), and avoid fu ll acceleration during
this period . You may gradually start increasing
the RPM and the speed between 600 miles (1,000 km) and 1,000 miles (1,500 km) .
During the first hours of use, the engine has a
higher internal friction than later on when all
moving parts have settled into place with each
other.
How the vehicle is driven d uring the first 1,000
miles (1 ,500 km) a lso affects the engine quality .
Drive at moderate engine speeds after the initial
break-in per iod, part icu larly when running a cold
eng ine . Th is will reduce eng ine wear and improve
the m ileage .
Do not drive at too
low of an engine speed (RPM).
Shift down if the engine stops running "smooth­ ly". Extremely high eng ine speeds are automati­
cally reduced .
Reducing the risk of vehicle damage
@ Note
When driving on poo r roads, by cu rbs and on
s teep ramps, make su re t hat low-hang ing
compone nts such as the spo ile r and exha ust
system do not come into contact with these
or they could be damaged. This especially ap ­
plies to vehicles with low ground clearance
and veh icles that are heavily loaded.
Warming up/cooling down
Applies to: RS models
By warming up/cooling down the engine carefu l­
ly, you can help reduce unnecessary stra in o n
your veh icle when driving in a sporty sty le .
72
The tires only reach t heir full road ho ld ing capa ­
bility once they have warmed up under load.
Yo ur vehicle also has an afte r-run cooli ng fea ­
tu re . Howeve r, cooling down is st ill import ant.
The eng ine and t he brakes as we ll as the exhaust
system and the transmission become very hot
when driving in a sporty style. Before you shut
the veh icle off, you should cool down the vehicle
by driving a few miles at low speeds with light ac­
ce leration .
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to reduce the risk of veh icle
damage when dr iving throug h wate r, fo r example
o n flooded roads:
-The water must not be any higher than the bot ­
tom of the vehicle body .
-Do not drive faster than walk ing speed .
A WARNING
After driving thro ugh water or m ud, the effec­
tiveness of t he b rakes may be reduced due to
mo istu re o n the bra ke rotors and brake pads.
A few ca reful br ake app lica tions sho uld d ry
off the bra kes and restore the fu ll b raking ef ­
fect.
@ Note
-Vehicle components such as the e ng ine,
t ra nsmiss ion, sus pens io n or elect rical sys ­
tem can be severely damaged by d riving
throug h water.
-Alw ays sw itch the S tart/Stop system* o ff
when driving thro ugh wa ter
r=;, page 79.
(j) Tips
-De ter mine the dep th before dr iving throug h
w ate r.
-Do not stop the vehi cle, d rive in reverse or
switch t he e ngine off whe n driving through
water .
-Keep in mind that o ncom ing vehicles may
c re ate w aves th at r aise the wa ter level and
make i t too deep for yo ur vehicle to drive
throug h safe ly.

u. 00 ... N l'­ N ... 0 N > 00
-Avoid dr iving throu gh salt wat er, because
th is can ca use corros io n.
Economical and environmentally-friendly
driving
The amount of fue l cons umption, t he e nvir on­
men tal impac t an d the wea r to the engine,
b rak es and t ires depen ds mos tly on yo ur dr iv ing
s tyle. W it h an anticipatory and econom ic dr iv ing
s tyle, f uel consum ption can be re du ced by ap­
p roximate ly 1 0-15% . The followi ng tips will help
you conse rve the environment and you r money at
the same time .
Anticipatory driving
A vehicle uses the mos t fu el when a ccele ra tin g.
W hen yo u dr ive wi th a ntici pat ion, you do not
need to brake as ofte n an d so yo u acceler ate less .
W hen possi ble, let your vehi cle coast w it h a
gear
engaged ,
for example when you notice that the
next tra ffic light is red . This p roduces an engine
b raking effect, wh ich helps to protect the brakes
a n d tires a nd reduces t he emissions a nd f uel con­
sumpt io n to zero (fuel shut-off dur ing decelera­
tion) .
Shift efficiently
Upshift ing earlier is an effective way to save fue l.
Staying in a gear too long uses fue l unnecessari­
l y .
Press down on the acce le rato r peda l slowly and
avoid "k ic k-dow n".
Avoid full acceleration
You s hould rare ly tr ave l a t t he m axim um ve hicle
speed . High speeds cause a d isp roportionately
h ig h inc rease in fuel consumption, emissions an d
traffic no ise . Slower driving saves fuel.
Reduce idling time
T h e St art /S top system * he lps t o redu ce the i dlin g
time autom atically . In vehicles wi tho ut the Start /
Sto p system, it is eff ic ient to sw itch t he engine
off w hen stopped at ra ilroad cross ings a nd long
red lights . Depending on t he ve rsion of the en­
g ine, stopping the eng ine for as litt le as five sec­
onds once it has reached ope rat ing tempe rature
Driving
st ill saves mo re fue l th an leav ing t he en gine run ­
ning -even when taking into acco unt the amount
of ext ra fuel t hat is use d to restart t he e ngi ne.
It tak es a ve ry long time in idl e to warm the en ­
gine up to o peratin g tem perature . Wear an d
emissions are especially high in the warm -up
phase. The refore, you s hould begin drivi ng im ­
med iate ly after starting the eng ine. Avoid h igh
RPMs wh ile doing this.
Have maintenance performed regularly
By hav ing maintenance pe rformed reg ularly o n
yo ur vehicle, you can help to reduce fue l con ­
s u mption before you even sta rt to drive. The
maintenance cond ition of your vehicle not on ly
affects traffic safety and long-term va lue b ut al­
so impacts
fuel consumption . A poorly ma in­
ta ined engi ne ca n lead to fue l co nsump tion that
i s 1 0% hig her th an no rmal.
Avoid short trips
The eng ine and emissions contro l system must
r each their optima l
operating temperature to ef­
fec tively reduce consump tion and emissions .
A cold engine uses a disp roportionately high
amount of fue l. The e ngine reac hes operat ing
temperat ure and cons umption no rma lizes on ly
after app roxima tely 2 .5 m iles (4 km).
Check the tire pressure
To save f ue l, ma ke sure the ti res are always i n­
f lated to t he correct press ure
c> page 339. The
fuel consumpt io n can increase by 5% if the pres­
s ur e is on ly 0 .5 bar too low . Due to t he increased
r oll ing resis tance, low tire pressures w ill also
l ead to greate r tire
wear an d will affect dr iving
behav ior.
Do not d rive on
winter tires year- ro und , as this
will consume u p to 10% more f uel.
Eliminate unnecessary weight
S ince eve ry pou nd of ext ra weight inc reases fuel
consumption, a quick inspect io n of the luggage
compartment may be wo rth it to avoid un neces-
sary we ight .
..,.
73

Drivin g
~ To start driving and re lease the parking brake
automatica lly, press the acce lerator pedal as
usua l.
I n addition to re leasing the par king brake auto ­
matica lly, other convenience and sa fety functions
are available when you start driving
r=;, poge 83,
Starting from a stop.
Pre venting th e automatic parking bra ke
r el eas e
The vehicle could begin ro lling unintentiona lly,
dep ending on the hill or if towing a trailer .
~ To preve nt the parking b rake from releasing au­
tomatica lly, pull and hold the
®l switch and
press the acce lerator pedal. The parking brake
remains set and pr events the vehicle from ro ll­
ing backward.
~ You can re lease the(®) switch again once you
are sure that you are g iv ing enough dr iv ing
force to the wheels by pressing the accelerator pedal.
Emergenc y bra king function
You can use the emergency brak ing funct ion in an
emergency situation, or if the standard brake op­
eration malfunctions or is disabled .
~ Pull and hold the(®) switch.
~ As soon as you release the (®) switch or acceler-
ate, the brak ing stops .
Pu lling and holding
the(®) switch while driving
the vehicle activates the emergency braking f unc ­
tion . The vehicle is braked at all four wheels by
activating the hydraulic brake system. The brak­
ing effect is s imilar to heavy braking
r=;, .,&. .
To reduce the risk of activating the emergency
braking by mistake, a warn ing tone (bu zzer)
sounds when the
®l swi tch is pulled. Emergency
braking stops as soon as the
®l switch is released
or the accelerato r pedal is pressed .
Parking
~ Press the brake peda l to stop the vehicle.
~ Pull the C® switch to set the parking brake.
~ Place the selector lever in the P pos ition.
~ T urn the eng ine off r=;, .,&. .
82
~ Turn the steering w hee l when parking on in­
clines so that the w heels wi ll roll into the curb
if the vehicle starts moving .
A WARNING
- Do not press the acce lerator pedal inadver­
tently if a gear is selected when the vehicle
is stationary and the eng ine is running . Oth­
erwise, the vehicle will start to move imme­
d iate ly and this could resul t in an accident.
- Emerge ncy brak ing should only be used in
a n emergency, when the norma l bra ke pedal
has fa iled or the bra ke peda l is obstr ucted.
D ur ing eme rgency bra king, you r vehicle w ill
brake s imilar to he avy braking. ESC and the
associated components (ABS, AS R, EDL)
cannot overcome the laws of physics.
Around curves and when road or weather
conditions a re bad, a full brake applicat ion
can cause the veh icle to skid or the rear end
to swerve, wh ich increases the risk of an ac­
cide nt.
- If the power supply fails, you cannot set the
parking brake if it is released. In this case,
pa rk the veh icle on leve l ground and secure
it by p lac ing the sele cto r leve r in the P pos i­
tion. See an au thor ized A udi dealer or au ­
thor ized A udi Se rvi ce Fa cility for assis tan ce.
- I f you leave the vehi cle, sw itch the ignition
off and take the veh icle key wi th yo u. Thi s
app lies pa rticular ly when children remain in
the vehicle. Otherwise, chi ld ren co uld start
the engine, release the parking brake or op ­
erate e lectr ica l equipment s uch as power
w indows, wh ich increases the r isk of an acci­
dent.
- No one, especially c hildren, should rema in
in the vehicle when it is locked. Locked
doors make it more difficu lt for emergency
workers to get into the vehicle, which puts
lives at ris k.
(D Tips
When stopp ing at a traff ic signa l or stopp ing
i n city traffic, you can set the park ing brake
manually . The veh icle does not have to be
h eld with the brake pedal. The par king b rake
e liminates t he tendency to creep when a

u. co ... N l'­ N
A WARNING
Please note that the wheels could spin on
slick or slippery roads when kick-down is ac­
tive .
Launch control program
App lies to: ve hicles with S tro nic tra nsm issio n an d La unch
Co ntrol P rogram
-
The launch control program provides the best
possible acceleration when starting from a stop .
Requirement: the eng ine must be at operating
temperature and t he steer ing whee l must not be
turned.
.,. Deact ivate l) the S tart/Stop system*
~ page 81. The L ED in the ~ button turns on .
.,. Wi th the engine runn ing, p ress the I.!, O FF ! but­
ton briefly one time . The
11 indicator light
turns on and the message
Stabili zation control
( ESC ): s port. W arning! Rest ricted st a bilit y
ap­
pears in the instrument cluster display.
.,. Pull the selector lever back out of the "D/S" po­
s it ion br iefly to select the S pos it ion, or press it
toward the right into the t iptronic pos ition or
select the
Dynamic d riving mode in d rive se­
lect* ~ page 140.
.,. Press t he b rake peda l firmly with you r left foot
and hold it all the way down for at least one
second .
.,. At the same time, press the gas pedal a ll the
way down with your right foot unt il the engine
reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
.,. Remove your left foot from the brake pedal
within five
seconds ~,&. .
A WARNING
-Always adapt yo ur driv ing to the traffic flow.
- Only use Launch Control when road and traf-
fic cond itions allow it and other dr ivers will
not be endangered or impacted by you r driv­
ing and the vehicle 's accele ration.
- Please note tha t the drive whee ls can sp in
and the vehicle can break away when sport
8 l ) It is n ot poss ib le to deac tiv ate t he system wit h all ve rs io n s N &j of th e tran sm iss ion.
Driving
mode is switched on, especially when the
road is slippery.
- Once the vehicle has started moving, press
the !.!> OFF I button briefly to turn the sport
mode off.
(D Tips
- The transmission temperat ure may increase
significant ly after using the launch control
program. If that happens, the program may
not be ava ilable for a few minutes. It will be
availab le aga in after a cool-down period.
- When accelerating using the launch contro l
program, all vehicle parts are subject to
heavy loads . This can lead to increased
wear .
Transmission malfunction
Applies to: vehicles wit h automatic transmissions
• Transmis sion : malfunction! Pl eas e s top ve ­
hicle and shift to P
There is a malfunction in the transmission . Park
the vehicle securely and do not cont inue driv ing .
See an author ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi
Se rvice Facility for assistance .
• Transmission o verhe ating! Plea se stop th e
vehicle!
The transmission is too hot and can become dam­
aged. Stop and let the transmiss ion cool w ith the
engine running (at idle) i n the "P" selector lever
pos ition . T hen the ind icator light and the mes­
sage turn off, d rive to an authorized Aud i dealer
o r auth o rized Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to
have t he malfunct ion cor rected . If the indicato r
light and the driver message do not turn off, do
not continue driving . See an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for as­
s istance.
[O] Tran smission: malfunction! You can contin-
u e dri ving. See owne r's manual
.,.
89

e-tron
e-tron Plug-in hybrid drive
Introduction
Applies to: vehicles with plug-in hybrid drive
General information
The plug- in hybrid drive is a drive concept that al­
lows you to choose between driving w ith the elec­
tr ic moto r, with the gaso lin e eng ine o r us ing a
comb inat io n of both.
All work done on the high-voltage system must
only be performed by certif ied h igh-voltage tech­
n icians at autho rized Aud i dea le rs or authorized
Aud i Serv ice Facilities in accordance with A udi
gu idelines.
The high-voltage system is composed of the fol­ low ing high-voltage components: the h igh -volt­
age battery, the powe r electron ics, the e lectr ic
motor, the high-voltage A/C compressor, the
high-vo ltage heater, the charging system and
charging port as well as the orange high -vo ltage
wiring.
The pedal referred to in this sect ion of the Own­
er's Manua l is t he equivalent of the acce lerator
pedal (gas peda l) in a standard vehicle.
High-voltage battery
The high -voltage battery is located on the veh icle
underbody in front of t he rear ax le and does not
require any maintenance from t he d river. Addi ­
tional information about the high-vo ltage bat ­
tery can be found
under ¢ page 106.
A WARNING
The voltage in the h igh-vo ltage system is life­
threaten ing. Touching a damaged high-volt­
age component can result in a fatal e lectr ic
shock. The components in the high-voltage
system are ma rked w ith a warning label wh ich
wa rns against t he h igh-vo ltage.
- The voltage level in the high-voltage system
is still dangerous and potent ially life-threat­
ening when t he ignit ion is switched off.
- Never perform work on orange high-voltage
cables or on high-voltage components. Only
92
authorized repair facilities that are certified may perform work on the high-vo ltage sys­
tem.
- Never damage, alter or remove the orange
high-voltage cable or disconnect it from the
high-voltage system.
- Never perform any work using cutting, shap­ ing or sharp-edged too ls or heat sources
near the h igh-vo ltage system and hig h-volt­
age cables .
- Aud i regulat ions must be followed during
all work performed on the high-voltage sys­
tem and h igh-vo ltage components .
- When working on t he h igh-voltage system
and h igh-voltage compone nts, make sure
the remote cont rol key is kept far enough
away from the vehicle so that there is no
r is k of t he ignit io n be ing inadve rtent ly
sw itched on.
- Gases t hat escape from the high-vo ltage
b attery can be poisono us or flammab le.
- Damage to the h igh-voltage battery could
cause t he hi gh-vo ltage battery to lea k im­
mediately or in the fut ure, and poisono us or
flammab le gases co uld escape . Do not in ­
ha le the gases!
- Do not expose yourse lf to any leaking fluids
and do not come into contact with them .
- The h igh -voltage battery e lec troly te flui d is
caustic. If electro lyte fluid comes into con ­
tact with the skin, flus h the affected area
for at least 15 minutes with clean water.
Then wash the affected area with soap.
H ave the affected area examined by a med i­
cal professional.
- In the event of a technica l emergency, in­
form the responders that the vehicle is
equ ipped with a high-voltage battery.
A WARNING
Neve r leave the vehicle unattended when in
drive ready mode
¢ page 94 with a gea r en­
gaged . T he veh icle can start mov ing ("creep­
i ng") even if the gaso line engine is swi tched
off, since the e lectr ic motor is still ope ra ting.
This may ca use coll is ions and severe or fata l
-