2015 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET Owners Manual

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.. Secure all luggage and other items carefully
r=> page 65, r::!;>page 65.
.. Make sure that nothing can interfere w ith
the pedals .
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correct ly for your height .
.. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
stra ints according to their height .
.,. Make sure to use the right child restraint
correctly to protect children
r=> page 169 ,
Child Safety .
.. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
r=:>page 60,
Front seats .
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it proper ly.
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts properly
r=> page 138 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condi­
tion of the vehicle , the driver as well as the
driver's ability to concentrate on the road
without being distracted.
The driver is responsible for the safety of the
vehicle and all of its occupants. If your ability
to drive is impaired, safety r isks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you a lso become a
hazard to everyone else on the road
r=> ,&..
Therefore:
.,. Do not let you rself be dist racted by passen­
gers or by us ing a cellular telephone .
.. NEVE R dr ive when yo ur dr iv ing ability is im­
paired (by medicat ions, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
.. Observe all traffic laws, ru les of the road
and speed limits and plain common sense.
.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic
and weather conditions .
.. Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not
drive for more than two hours at a stretch.
.. Do NOT drive when you are t ired, under
pressure or when you are stressed .
A WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death when­
ever a veh icle is being used.
Driving safety 127
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor­
tant for safe, relaxed driving .
Fig. 123 Correct seat ing pos it ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the driver's seat to the
follow ing position:
.. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi ­
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
wh ile keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
r::!;> &,.
.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upr ight position so that your back
comes in full contact w ith it when you drive.
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that th ere is a
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween the steering wheel and yo ur breast
bone r=:>
fig. 123. If not possible, see your au ­
thorized Audi dealership about adaptive
equipment .
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that the steer­
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face .
.,. Grasp the top of the steer ing whee l with
your elbow(s) slightly bent.
.. For adjustable head restra ints: Adjust the
head restraint so the upper edge is as even
as possible with the top of your head. If that
is not possible, try to adjust the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position
as poss ible. Move the head restraint so that
it is as close to the back of the head as pos-
sible . .,.

128 Driving safety
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
9page 141.
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
t ime s.
Fo r detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
<=>page 61 .
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breast­
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and
the lower part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock
positions to help reduce the risk of per­
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold­
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag in­
flates.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your face decreases the ability of the supple­
mental driver's airbag to protect you in a
collision .
- Always sit in an upright position and nev­
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air­
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats properly and make sure that all
passengers are properly restrained. -
For adjustable head restraints: before
driving, always also adjust the head re­
straints properly.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle
is moving. Your seat may move unexpect­
edly and you could lose control of the ve­ hicle .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion .
- Children must always ride in child seats
<=> page 169. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat <=>
page 146.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position
is important for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
passenger to the following position:
• Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position and your back comes
in full contact with it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
• For ad justab le head restra ints: adjust the
head restraint so the upper edge is as even
as possible with the top of your head. If that
is not possible, try to adjust the head re ­
straint so that it is as close to this position
as possible <=>
page 130 . Move the head re­
straint so that it is as close to the back of
the head as possible.
• Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
<=> page 141.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
<=> page 60. ...

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A WARNING ,~ ~
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of posit ion or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or k illed by the air­
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the r isk of
ser ious personal inju ry:
- Passengers must always s it in an upr ight
posit ion and never lean against o r place
any part of their body too close to the
area where the airbags are located.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of po­
sit ion or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un­
f olds with great force in the blink of an
eye.
- Always make sure that there are at leas t
10 inches (25 cm) between the front
passenger's breastbone and the instru­
ment pane l.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front pas­
senger's knees and the lower part of the
instrument panel.
- Each passenger m ust always s it on a seat
of the ir own and properly fasten and
wea r the safety belt be long ing to that
seat .
- Before driv ing, a lways adjust the front
passenger seat properly .
- For adjustable head restraints : before
dr iv ing, always a lso adjust the head re­
straints properly .
- Always keep your feet on the f loor in
front of the seat . Never rest them on the
seat, instrument panel, out of the win­
dow, etc. The airbag system and safety
belt w ill not be ab le to protec t you prop ­
e rl y and can even incre ase the ris k of in ­
jury in a crash .
- Never drive wi th the backrest recl ined o r
t il ted far bac k! T he farther the backrests
are t ilted back , the greater the ris k of in ­
jury d ue to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
t ion.
- Children must always ride in child seats
¢
page 169. Special precautions apply
Dri ving s afe ty 129
when instal ling a child seat on the front
passenger seat¢
page 146.
Proper seating positions for passengers
in rear seats
Rear sea t passengers mus t sit uprigh t wi th
both fee t on the floor consistent wi th their
physical size and be properly restrained whenever the vehicle is in use .
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incor­
rect seating posit ion in the event of a sudde n
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas ­
sengers on the rear bench sea t must always
obse rve the following:
... For ad justab le head restra ints: adjust the
head restra int so the uppe r edge is as even
as poss ible with the top of your head . If that
is not poss ible, try to adjus t the head re­
s tr aint so that it is as close to this position
as poss ible
¢ page 130 .
... Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
... Fasten and wea r safety be lts proper ly
¢ page 141 .
... Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro­
pr iate for the ir size and age
¢ page 169.
A WARNING
Passengers w ho are imp roperly seated on
the rea r seat can be se rio usly in jured in a
cr ash.
- Each passenge r must always si t on a seat
of their own and properly fa sten and
wear the safe ty belt belonging to that
seat.
- Safety belts only o ffer maximum pro tec­
tion when the sa fety belts are properly
positioned on the body and securely
latched. By not sitting upr ight, a rear
seat passenger increases the r is k of per­
sonal injury from imp roperly pos itioned
safety belts!
- For ad justab le head restra ints: always
ad just the head restraint properly so that
it can g ive maximum protect ion .
•
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•

130 Driving safety
Proper adjustment of head restraints
App lies to vehicles: with adj ustable head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints ore on im­
portant port of your vehicle's occupant re­
straint system and con help to reduce the risk of injuries in occident situations.
Fig. 124 H ead re str ain t: vi ew ed fro m the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjust­
ed to achieve the best protection .
.. Adjust the head restr aint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not possible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible
c:> fig . 124.
.. If there is a passenger on the rear center
seating position, slide the center head re­
stra int upward at least to the next notch .
Ad justing head restraints
c:> page 62.
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head re­
straints. Dr iving without head restraints or
with head restraints that are not properly
adjusted increases the risk of serious or fa­
t al neck injury dramat ically. To help reduce
the risk of injury:
- Always drive with the head restra ints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the veh icle must have a
properly adjusted head restra int.
- Always make sure each person in the ve­
hicle properly adjusts the ir head re­
straint. Adjust the head restraint so the
upper edge is as even as possible wit h
the top of your head.
If that is not possi­
ble, try to adjust the head restra int so that
it is as close to this posit ion as pos­
sible. Move the head restraint so that it
is as close to the back of the head as pos­
sible .
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
while driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any reason, first stop the vehicle safely be­
fore attempting to adjust the head re­
straint .
- Ch ildren must always be prope rly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appro­
p ria te for their age and size
¢ page 169.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system con only re­
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants ore
properly seated .
Improper seating positions can cause serious
injury or death. Safety belts can only work
when they are properly positioned on the body . Improper seating positions reduce the
effect iveness of safety belts and wi ll even in­
crease the risk of injury and death by moving
the safety be lt to critica l areas of the body .
Imprope r seating positions a lso increase the
risk of serious injury and death when an air­
bag deploys and strikes an occupant who is
not in the proper seating position . A dr iver is
responsible for the safety of all veh icle occu­
pants and espec ially for children . T herefore :
.. Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being
used
c:> . &.
The following bulletins list only some sample
pos itions that will increase the risk of serious
injury and death . Our hope is that these exam ­
ples will make you more aware of seat ing po­
s itions that are dangerous.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is
moving:
- never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride with the seatback reclined

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-never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument pane l
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit s ideways
- never lean out the w indow
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion or
back of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Imprope r seat ing positions increase the
risk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu­
pants stay in a proper seating position
and are properly restra ined whenever the
vehicle is being used.
Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
Applies to vehicles: with knee airbags
A WARNING
Always make sure that the knee airbag can
inflate without interference . Objects be­
tween yourself and the airbag can increase
the risk of inju ry in an acc ident by interfer­
ing w ith the way the a irbag deploys or by
being p ushed into you as the airbag de­
ploys .
- No persons (ch ild ren) or animals should
ride in the footwell in front of the pas­
senger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
can res ult in serious or fata l injuries .
- No objects of any k ind sho uld be carried
in the footwe ll area in front of the driv­
er's or passenger's seat . Bulky objects
(shopping bags, for example) can ham­
per or prevent proper deployment of the
airbag . Small objects can be thrown
through the vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you or your passengers .
-
Driving s afe ty 131
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat
or any other object.
Make sure that a ll peda ls move free ly without
interfe rence and that nothing prevents them
from return ing to their orig inal positions .
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area
free and can be secured with floor mat fasten­ ers .
If a brake circ uit fai ls, increased brake pedal
trave l is required to bring the vehicle to a fu ll
stop.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move free ly can cause
loss of vehicle control and increase the risk
of ser ious injury.
- Never p lace any objects in the driver's
footwell. An object cou ld get into the
pedal area and inte rfere with pedal func­
tion. In case of sudde n brak ing o r an ac­
cident, yo u wo uld not be able to brake or
accelerate!
- Always ma ke s ure that no thing can fall
or move into the driver's footwel l.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely
attached to the floor mat fasteners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
"' Ma ke sure t hat the floor mats are prope rly
secured and cannot move and in terfere with
t he peda ls ¢ ..&_ .
Use only floor mats that leave the peda l area
u nobst ructed and th at are firmly secu red so
that they c annot slip o ut of position. You c an
obtain suitab le floor mats from you r autho r­
ized Audi Dealer.
Floor mat fastene rs a re insta lled in your Aud i.
1111>
•
•
•

132 Driving safety
Fl oor mats used in your vehicle must be at­
tached to these fasteners. Properly securing
the floor mats will prevent them from sliding into positions that could interfere with the
pedals or impair safe operation of your vehicle
in other ways .
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result
in a loss of vehicle contro l and increase the
r isk of serious personal injury.
- Always make sure that floor mats are
properly secured.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot
be properly secured in place to prevent
them from slipping and interfering with
the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle.
- Never place or insta ll floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of a lready instal­
led floor mats. Additional floor mats and
other coverings will reduce the s ize of
the pedal area and interfere with the pedals.
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for clean­
ing.
- Always make sure that objects cannot
fall into the driver footwell wh ile the ve­
hicle is moving. Objects can become
trapped under the brake pedal and accel­ erator pedal causing a loss of veh icle
control.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop­
erly stowed and secured in the luggage com­
partment.
Fig. 125 Safe load positio nin g: place heavy objects as
low and as far forwa rd as possible .
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Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling
characteristics. Loose items can also increase
the risk of serious persona l injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuver or in a collis ion.
.,. Distribute the load evenly in the luggage
compartment.
.,. Always place and properly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as far
forward as possible.
.,. Secure luggage using the tie-downs prov id­
ed
.::,page 65.
.,. Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place.
A WARNING
-Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly through the vehicle causing ser ious
personal injury in the event of hard brak­
i ng or an accident. To help reduce the risk
of ser ious personal inju ry:
- Always put objects, fo r example, luggage
or other heavy items in the luggage com­
partment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compartment using the tie-down hooks
and suitable straps.

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A WARNING ,~
Heavy loads will influence the way your ve­
hicle handles. To help reduce the r isk of a
loss of control leading to ser ious personal
injury:
-Always keep in m ind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
vehicle handling:
- Always distr ibute the load as even ly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as poss ible.
- Never exceed the Gross Ax le Weight Rat­
ing or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick­
er on the left do or jamb. Exceeding per­
missib le we ight standards can cause the
vehicle to s lide and handle differently.
- Please observe information on safe driv­
ing co
page 126.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from be ing drawn into the veh icle, always
keep the rea r lid closed while dr iving.
- Never transport objects larger than those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
cl osed.
- If you absolutely must drive w ith the rear
l id ope n, observe the follow ing notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power top,
- Open all air ou tlets in the instrument
panel,
- Sw itch off the air recircu lation,
- Set the fresh ai r fan to the h ighest
speed.
A WARNING
Alw ays m ake s ure th at the doors, all win­
dows, the power top an d the re ar lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce th e
Dri ving s afe ty 133
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used .
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and loc ked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­
pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child cou ld craw l into the vehicle thro ugh
the luggage compartment and close the
rea r lid becoming t rapped and unable to
get out. Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious pe rsonal inj ury.
- Never let ch ildren play in or around the
veh icle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compa rtment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restra ined in one of
the vehicle's seating pos it ions.
(D Tips
- Air circulati on helps to reduce window
fogging . S tale a ir escapes to the outside
through ven ts in the t rim panel. Be sure
t o keep these slots free an d ope n.
- T he tire pressure m ust correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
t ire pressure label. T he tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pilla r.
T he tire pressure label lists the recom­
mended co ld tire inflation pressures fo r
the vehicle at its maxim um capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures f or nor­
ma l load cond itions, p lease see chapter
co
page 235.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items .
Use the t ie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly co
page 132, Loading the luggage com­
partment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean th at
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi-
cle w ill become heavy m issiles that can cause .,.. •
•

134 Driving saf ety
serious injury . Items in the vehicle possess en­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
F or example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10- lb (4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the
norma l weight of the item. Th is means that
the we ight of the item would suddenly be
about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the
i njuries that a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item flying
freely through the passenger compartm ent
could cause in a collision like t his.
_& WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure i tems to tie-downs can fail du r­
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
ser ious personal injury .
- Always use suitab le mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help pre­
vent items from shifting or flying for­
ward as dangerous miss iles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded
down, always use su itab le mounting
straps and properly secure items to the
t ie-downs in the luggage compartment
to help prevent items from flying for­
ward as dangerous miss iles into the pas­
senger compartment.
- Never attach a child safety seat tether
strap to a tie-down.
Reporting Safety
Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If y ou beli eve that your vehi cle
h as a def ect whi ch could cause
a cra sh or could cau se injur y or
d eath, yo u should immediatel y
inform the N ati onal High way
Tr affic S afe ty Admini stration (
NHTSA) in addition to notif y­
in g Audi of Am eric a, Inc .
If NHTSA r ecei ves similar com­
plaints, it may open an inve sti­
gation , and if it finds that a
s afety defect s ex is ts in a group
of vehicles , it may order a recall
and r emed y campaign . Howe v­
er, NHTSA cannot become in­
vol ved in indi vidual problems
bet ween you, your dealer , or
Audi of A merica, Inc.
To c onta ct the NHTSA, you ma y
e ither c all:
Tel.: 1-888-3 27-4236 (TTY :
1-800-424-9153) or
1-800-424-9393
or you ma y write to:
NHTSA
U .S . D epartm ent of Tr ansport a­
tion 1200 New Jer sey A ve ., S . E .
W est Building
W ashin gton , D C 20590
You can al so obtain other infor ­
mation about motor vehicle
s afety from:
h ttp: / /www .s af ercar.g ov