2015 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET ECU

68 Seats and storage
Cargo net/cargo bag
App lies to vehicles: with cargo net/cargo bag
The cargo net prevents light objects from
sliding, and it can also be used as a cargo bag .
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Fi g. 70 Luggage compartment: cargo net spread out
Fig. 71 Luggage compartment: cargo net hung up
Cargo net
.. To secure the ca rgo net, first hang the front
hoo ks in the tie-downs then hang the rear
hooks -arrows-.
Cargo ba g
.. To secure the cargo bag, hang bot h plastic
retainers in the t ie-downs @ and the eye­
lets @ in the hooks ©-
Due to the laws of p hys ics, even small objects
that are loose in the vehicle can become heavy
projectiles and cause serious i njuries dur ing a
collis ion. Objects in the vehicle increase in ki­
n etic energy, which varies depending on the
ve hicle and the weight of the object. The vehi­
cle speed is the most important factor in th is.
E xample : In a frontal impact at a speed of
30 mph (48 km/h), the weight of a 10- lb (5-
kg) object increases to app roximately
20
times its normal weight d ue to the forces act­
ing upon it. This means the weight of the ob- ject is suddenly equivalent to approximately
200 lb (90 kg). It is easy to imagine the type
of injuries an object of that weight could
cause if it slides through the passenger com­
partment unrestrained during a collision at a
relat ively low speed.
_&. WARNING
-
Weak, damaged or faulty straps used to
secure objects to the tie-downs can fail
d uring heavy bra king or a collis ion and
l ead to se rious in juries.
- Always use su itable straps and secure
objects to the tie-downs in t he luggage
compartment to preven t objects from
shifting and sliding forward .
- Never secure a child seat restraint to a
tie -down .
- Because of thei r load capacity, the hooks
should only be used to secure objects
that weig h a maximum of 10 lb (5 kg).
Heavy objects will not be secured suff i­
ciently, and t his increases the risk of in­
jury.
Storage hooks
Applies to vehicles: with bag hooks
F ig. 72 Luggage compartmen t: Sto rage hooks
-
N M M 0 > gi
You can also use the hooks to hang light p urs­
es, bags, etc .
_&. WARNING
-Do not use the storage hooks to secure
heavy objects . Heavier objects are not ade­
q uate ly s ecured. Th ere is risk of personal
Injury.

82 Driving
Electromechanical
parking brake
Operating
The electromechanical parking brake replaces
the hand brake.
Fig. 82 Ce nter conso le: Park ing brake
~ Pull the switch@~ fig. 82 to set the park­
ing brake . The . (USA models)/ . (Cana­
da models) indicator lights in the button
and in the instrument cluster display turn
on .
~ To release the parking brake, press the brake
or acce le rator pedal while the ignit ion is
switched on and press the button @at the
same time. The. (USA models)
I. (Can­
ada models) indicator lights in the button
and in the display turn off .
Your veh icle is eq uipped with an electrome­
chanical parking brake. The parking brake is
designed to prevent the vehicle from rolling unintentionally and replaces the hand brake.
I n addition to the normal functions of a tradi­
tional hand brake, the electromechanical parking brake provides various convenience
and safety functions.
When starting from a stop
- T he integral hill start assist helps you when
dr iving by automatically releasing the park­
ing brake ~
page 83, Starting from a
stop .
-When starting on inclines, the hill start as­
sist prevents the vehicle from unintentional­
l y rolling back. The braking force of the
parking brake is not released until sufficient driving force has been built up at the
wheels.
Emergency brake function
An emergency braking functions ensu res that
the vehicle can be slowed down even if the
normal brakes fail~ page 84, Emergency
braking function.
_.&. WARNING
- Do not press the accelerator pedal inad­
vertently when the vehicle is stationary
and the engine is running and a gear is
selected. Otherwise the vehicle will start
to move immediately and could result in
a crash .
- If the power supply fails, the released
parking brake can no longer engage . In
this case, park the vehicle on leve l
g round and secure it by placing these­
lecto r lever in the P position. See an au­
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility for assistance.
(D Note
If the. or. (USA models) I. (Cana­
da models) indicator light in the instru­
ment cluster blinks, there is a malfunction
i n the brake system. Refer to the detai led
description of the indicator lights
~page 18.
- If the . (USA models) I. (Cana-
da models) or
Ill indicator light turns
on, there is a malfunction in the parking
brake
c> page 19.
(D Tips
- If the electromechanica l parking brake is
set while the ignition is switched off, the
¢@'A indicator light in the button and in
the instrument cluster dis-
play . (USA models) /. (Cana-
da models) will turn off after a certain
amount of time.
- If driver's door is opened while the igni­
tion is switched on, the park ing brake
sets automatically. This prevents unin­
tended rolling of the vehicle.

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it is necessary. Always follow traffic laws
regarding mainta ining a safe distance
between your vehicle and veh icles ahead.
- pre sense front works within certain lim­
its and cannot react to situations that
are outside of the system lim its, such as
when approaching a stationary vehicle or
a stationary obstacle (the end of a traffic
jam or a vehicle that has broken down) .
-Always keep in m ind that the radar sen ­
sor for pre sense front only works within defined detection zones, which means
other vehicles may not alw ays be detect­
ed correct ly.
- T he function and range of the radar sen­
sor c an be impaired by rain, snow and
heavy mist. Vehicles ahead may not be
detected right away, o r not detected at
all .
- Reflective surfaces such as guard rails or
entrances to t unnels may impair the
function of the radar sensor .
(D Note
The sensor can be disp laced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, whee l housing and
underbody . The pre sense front sensor can
be damaged by this . Have an authorized
Aud i dea ler or a uthori zed Audi Service Fa­
cility check their function.
(D} Tips
- You can cance l the braking with increas­
ing fo rce that is initiated by the system
by braking yo urself, by accelerating no­
ticeab ly or by swerving.
- For information on dr iver messages
about pre sense, refer to<=> page 97.
- Keep in mind that pre sense front can brake unexpectedly . Always secure any
cargo or objects that you are transport­
i ng to reduce the risk of damage o r in­
Jury .
- Certain pre sense front funct ions switch
off when ESC is sw itched off (sport
mode) or when driving in reverse .
Audi pre sense 97
- T he p re sense front functions are not
available if there is a ma lfunction in the
adaptive cru ise cont ro l* system
¢ page
93 or ¢page 97.
- Keep i n mind t hat pre sense front can
brake abruptly. Always secure cargo or
objects that you transport to reduce the
r isk of damage or injury.
Settings in the Infotainment system
App lies to vehicles: with Aud i pre sense front or Aud i
adapt ive cruise control
.. Select in the MMI: I MENU I button > Ca r >
S y stems *
control button > Dri ver assistance
> Audi pre sense .
Switching the syst em on and off
Audi pre sense (System ): If the system is
switched off, it switches on again automati­
ca lly once the ign ition is switched on aga in.
S ys tem -Switch Audi pre sense on-off. W ith
this, yo u can switch the p rewarning and the
braking intervention from Audi pre sense on
or off .
Prewarning -The distance and approach
warnings can b e switched
on/ off .
(D Tips
-If you res trict or sw itch off the ESC, the
pre sense also sw itches itself off
¢ page
189.
- Switch the pre sense off when you a re
loading the vehicle onto a ve hicle carrier,
train, ship o r other type of transporta­
tion. This can prevent undesired warn­
ings from the pre sense system.
Driver messages
Applies to vehicles: with Aud i pre sense or Aud i adapt ive
cruise control
Audi pre sen se curr entl y un av a ilabl e. No se n­
so r vis ion
T h is message appears if the senso r view is ob­
structed, for exam ple by leaves, snow, heavy
spray or d irt. Clean the sensor¢ page
87,
rg .84 . ~
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116 Automatic tran smi ssio n
Launch Control-Program
Ap plies to vehicles: with launch co ntrol
The Launch Control Program enables maxi­
mum acceleration .
Requirement: The engine must be at operat­
ing temperature and the steering wheel must
not be turned .
• With the engine running, press the
l~ OFFI
button briefly one time ll .
• Pull the selector lever back out of the D/S
position briefly to select the S position, or
press it toward the rig ht into the tipt ronic
pos it ion or select the
dynami c driving mode
in drive select*
~ page 107.
• Press the brake peda l firmly with your left
f oot and hold it all the way down for at least
1 second .
.. At the same time, press the gas peda l all the
way down with your right foot unti l the en­
gine reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
• Remove your left foot from the brake.
A WARNING
- Always adapt your driving to the traffic
flow.
- Only use Launch Contro l when road and
t raff ic conditions a llow it and othe r driv­
ers w ill not be endangered or impacted
by you r driv ing and the veh icle's acceler­
ation.
- Please note that the drive whee ls can
spin and the vehicle can brea k away
when sport mode is sw itched on, espe­
cially when the road is slippery.
- Once the vehicle has s tarted moving,
press the
I ~ OFF ! button br iefly to turn
the sport mode off.
@ Tips
- The transm ission tempera ture may in­
crease significantly after using the
l ) In vehicles with a drive r inform ation system, an ESC
l ig ht in t he in strume nt cl us te r stays on cont inuously
and the m essage
Stabili zatio n co ntrol (ESC): spo rt.
W arn ing! Restricted st ability
appears te mpo rarily.
Launch Control Program . If that hap ­
pens, the program may not be availab le
for a few minutes . It will be ava ilable
again after a cool-down period.
- When accelerating using the Launch
Contro l Program, all vehicle parts are
subject to heavy loads. Th is can lead to
increased wear.
Emergency mode
Applies to vehicles: wit h S tronic transm issio n
In the event of a system malfunction, there is
an emergency program.
If all of the selector lever positions are high­
li ghted with a light background in the instru­
ment cluster d isp lay, there is a system mal­
funct ion and the S tronic transmission is run­
ning in the emergency program . The vehicle
can still be driven in emergency mode, but on­
ly w it h reduced speed and not in all gears. In
some cases, the ve hicl e
cann ot driv e in re ­
v e rs e .
d) Note
If the transmission runs in emergency
mode, drive to your author ized Audi dealer
or q ualified repa ir fa cility immed iate ly to
have the ma lf u nct ion corrected.
Transmission malfunction
• Tran smi ssion m alfu ncti on! Please st op
the vehicle and select P
T he re is a malfunction in the transmiss ion .
Park the ve hicle securely and do not continue
driv ing. See an authorized A udi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
• Tran smi ssion o verheating! Plea se stop
the vehicle!
The transm iss ion is too hot and can become
damaged . Stop and let the t ransmission cool .,.

....,
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with the engine running (at id le) in the P se­
l ecto r lever positio n. The n the indicator light
and the message turn off , d rive to an author­
i z ed A udi dealer or qualified repair facility im­
mediately to have the malfunct ion corrected.
If the i ndicator light and the drive r message
do not tur n off, do not cont inue dr iv ing. See
an author ized Audi dealer or authori zed A udi
S ervi ce Fa cility for assis tan ce.
DD Transmiss ion malfunction: you can con­
tinue driving
Drive to an authori zed Aud i dea ler or a uthor­
ized Audi Service Facility immed iate ly to have
the ma lfunction corrected .
DD Transmission malfunction: no reverse
gear (you can continue driving )
Drive to an aut ho rized Aud i dea le r o r a uthor ­
ized A udi Service Facility immed iate ly to have
the ma lfunction cor rected .
DD Transmi ssion malfunction: You can con­
tinue dri ving in D until engine off
D rive t he ve hicle away from mov ing t raff ic and
par k. See an au thori zed A ud i d ealer or au tho r­
iz ed A udi Service Faci lity for assis tance .
DD Transmi ssion overheating! Please adapt
driving style
Continue dr iving moderate ly . W hen t he indi­
cator light tur ns off, you can continue dr iving
normally .
DD Transmiss ion : Please press brake pedal
and select gear again
I f the tra nsmission mal functions beca use the
temperature is too high , a message appears
when the transmission is cooled.
Autom atic transm ission 11 7
Selector lever emergency release
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic transmission
If the vehicle's power supply fails , the selec­
tor lever can be released in an emergency .
Fig. 110 Se lector leve r: remov ing t he cover
Fig . 1 11 Se lector lev er: Us ing t he e mergency re lea se
to move out of the Park pos it io n
The emergency release mechanism is located
in the right area under the selector lever sh ift
gate. Using the emergency release ca n be
complicated. We recommend contacting an
autho rized Aud i dea le r or a uthorized Audi
Se rv ice Facili ty for assistance, if necessa ry.
The screwdriver from the ve hicle too l kit locat­
ed in the luggage compa rtment is needed to
fo r the em ergency re lease <=:>
page 261 . Use
the flat side of the reversible screwdriver
blade .
Removing the selector lever cover
... Set the park ing brake «e)) <=:> &. to secure
your veh icle from rolling .
... Insert t he flat side of the scr ewdrive r side­
ways in the s lot near the s hift cover a nd p ry
t he shift cove r up
<=>fig. 11 0 .
... Pull u p the co rners of the s hift cove r ca reful­
ly wi th yo ur hands and fold it over the s hift-
er knob
r::!) fig. 111 . ..,.

118 Automatic transmission
Selector lever emergency release
.. Press and hold the yellow release button
with the screwdriver
r=>fig. 111 .
.. Press the release button in the selector lever
® and move the lever into the N position .
.. Clip the shift cover back into the shift gate
after using the emergency release.
If the vehic le must be pushed or towed due to
a power failure (for example, the battery is
dead), the selector lever must f irst be moved
to the N position using the emergency release
mechanism .
A WARNING
Only move the selector lever out of the P
position when the parking brake is set. If
that does not work, secure the vehicle with
the brake pedal. Otherwise, the vehicle
could start to move unintentiona lly when
the selector lever is moved out of the P po­
sition.

....,
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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 . .,.

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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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