2015 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET brakes

192 Smart Technology
the brakes. If you need to brake addition­
ally, brake in intervals and not continu­
ously.
(D Tips
- If the brake booster is not working, you
must press the brake pedal with much
more force then norma l.
- If you retrofit your vehicle with a front
spoiler, wheel covers or similar items,
make sure that the air flow to the front
wheels is not interrupted. Otherwise the
brake system can become too hot.
Electromechanical
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements .
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
The vehicle still has full steering functionality if the power steering fai ls or when the engine
is stopped (towing). To steer, you must apply
much more force than usual.
Indicator lights and messages
• Do not drive vehicle: steering defective
If this indicator light turns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steering may have failed.
Do
not continue driving. See an authorized
Audi dea ler or authorized Audi Service Facility
for assistance.
• Do not drive vehicle: steering defective
There is a malfunct ion in the electron ic steer­
ing lock. You cannot turn the ign ition on.
Do
not tow your vehicle because it cannot be
steered. See an authorized Aud i dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Serv ice Facility for ass istance.
'I j Steering malfunction: you can continue
driving
If the indicator light turns on, the steering
wheel may be more difficult to move or more sensitive than usual.
The stee ring wheel may
also be at an angle when driving straight.
Drive slowly to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified wo rkshop to have the malf u nct ion
corrected.
II Steering lock : system fault! Please con­
tact Service
There is a malfunction in the electronic steer­
ing lock .
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING ,___
Have the system malfunction corrected as
soon as possible by an authorized Aud i
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility,
as this increases the risk o f an accident.
@ Tips
If the . or ,~ n ind icator light only stays
on for a short tim e, you may continue dr iv­
in g.
All wheel drive
(quattro)
Applies to vehicles: with all wheel drive
In all wheel drive, all four wheels are pow­
ered.
General information
In all whee l drive, the driving power is divided
between a ll four wheels . This happens auto­
matically depending on your driving behavior
as well as the current road conditions. Refer
to
¢ page 188, Electronic stabilization con­
trol (£SC) .
The all wheel drive concept is designed for
high engine power. Your vehicle is exception­
ally powerful and has excellent driving charac­
teristics both under normal driving cond itions
and on snow and ice . Always read and follow
safety p recaut ions
Q ,& . .,.

196 Driving and the environment
Driving and the
environment
The first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the fir st 600 miles
( 1,000 kilometers):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
... Do not d rive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM.
... Avoid high engine speeds.
From 600 to 1,000 mile s (1 ,000 to
1,500 kilometers):
... Speeds can gradually be increased to the
max imum pe rm iss ible road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in period
.,. Do not rev the eng ine up to high speeds
when it is cold. Th is app lies whether the
transm ission is i n N (Neutra l) or in gear.
After the break-in period
... Do not exceed maximum engine speed un­
der any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear
before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach­
ome ter scale
c:> page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the en­
g ine's interna l friction is higher tha n later
when all the movi ng pa rts have been broke n
in . How w ell this break- in process is do ne de­
pends to a conside rable extent on the way the
ve hicl e is driven during the first 1,0 00 miles
(1, 500 k ilome ters).
0 Note
E xtremely high engi ne speeds are auto­
mat ic all y reduced. However, these RPM
lim its are progr amme d for an eng ine t hat
is broken in, no t a new engine .
{® For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily hi gh en­
g ine speeds - upshifting ear ly saves fuel,
r educes no ise and protects the environ­
ment.
, New tires
If your vehicle is runni ng on new tires, drive
part icu larly caref ul for the first 350 miles
(500 kilomete rs) afte r fitt ing.
A WARNING
N ew tires tend to be slipp ery and mus t al­
so be "b roken -in" . Be s ure to remember
this dur ing the fi rst 350 mi les ( 500 kilo ­
meters) . Brake gently . Avoid fo llow ing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
braking .
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full bra king effect dur ing the fi rst 250 m iles
(400 kilomete rs) afte r they a re insta lle d.
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" be­
f o re t hey have optima l grab
c:> A .
During the break- in period, you should avoid
putting severe loads on the brakes. Severe
l oads include , for example, sudden hard b rak­
i ng, in particular at very high speeds or, for
example, on mounta in passes .
A WARNING
New b ra ke pa ds don't have t he bes t stop­
pi ng power and m us t be "broke n-in " dur­
i ng the in itial 1 00 to 150 mi les (15 0 to
2 00 k ilometers) of no rma l city driving . You
can compensate for this by pressing t he
br ake pe da l mo re f irm ly . This also applies
l ater when new pads are installed.

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Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
A WARNING
After driving through water or mud, the
braking effect can be reduced due to mois­
ture on the brake discs and brake pads. A
few careful brake applications should dry off the brakes.
([) Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Determ ine the depth before driving
through water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
through water .
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive through safely.
- Avoid dr iving through salt water (corro­
s ion).
Catalytic converter
App lies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner.
.,. Always use lead-free gaso line¢ page 210,
Fuel supply .
.,. Never run the tank down all the way to emp-
ty .
Dri ving and the en vironm ent 197
.,. Never put too much motor oi l in your engine
¢ page 218, Adding engine oil 't:::r..
.,. Never try to push- or tow -start your vehicle.
T he catalytic converter is an efficient "clean ­
up" device bui lt into the exhaust system of
the vehicle . The cata lytic converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be­
fore they are released into the atmosphere .
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically important for the life of the catalytic convert­
er and proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
The temperature of the exhaust system is h igh, both when driv ing and after stopping
the eng ine.
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once
they have become hot. This could result
in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fue l spill or other material wh ich can
cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustp roofing o n or nea r the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalyti c con­
verter or heat shields . Dur ing driving, the
substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
([) Note
-Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel w ill already ser iously de ­
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter .
- Do not exceed the cor rect engine oil level
~page 218.
-Do not drive until the fue l tank becomes
completely empty . The engine cou ld mis ­
fire . Unburned fuel could also get into
the exhaust system and th is cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignition while the
vehicle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel ..,_ •
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•

198 Driving and the environment
can reach the cata lytic converter. This
could result in overheating of the con­
verter, requ iring its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System:
- Have your veh icle ma intained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
&
Ma intenance booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impa ir
the function of the emission control
system and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Contro l System is
operating properly, the exhaus t gas can
have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operating states. This depends on
the sulfur content of the fue l being used .
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w ith lead-free super
grade gasoline.
Placing your vehicle
out of service
If you wou ld like to take your vehicle out of
service for a longer t ime, contact your author­
ized Audi dealer or qualified repair facility.
They will advise you of important measures,
such as corrosion protection, maintenance
and storage procedures. Also follow the infor ­
mat ion about the battery
¢ page 223.
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise levels .
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and t ires largely
depend on three factors: -your
personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive econom ically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt ion by 1O-lS percent . This sec­
t ion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook.
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
ditions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
.,. Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
ce lerating. If you anticipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, acce lerate less. Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for example when you see
that the next traffic light is red.
Avoid full throttle '
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
.,. Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Acce lerating gently reduces fue l consump­
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
environment.
Fuel consumpt ion, exhaust emissions and en­
gine noise increase disproportionate ly at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption wi ll
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
1111>

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Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a tra iler, p lease remember
that the addit ional load will affect durab ility,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
F or this reason, a lways fo llow the operating
a n d driving instr uctions provided and use
common sense.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer we ight. The hitch must be suita­
b le for your veh icle and trailer and must be
mounted secure ly on t he veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a t railer
h itch w ith a removab le ball moun t. A lways
check with the tr ailer hitch man ufac tur er to
make sure that you are using the correct
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
T he hitc h must be installed in such a way that
it does not inte rfe re with the impac t-absorb­
i ng b umper syst em. No modifica tions should
be made to the vehicle exhaus t and b rake sys­
tems . From t ime to time, check that a ll hitch
mo unt ing bolt s remain securely fas tened.
W hen you are not tow ing a trailer, remove the
trai le r hi tch ball moun t. T h is prevents the
hi tch from causing damage sho uld your ve hi­
cle be str uck from be hind
¢ &. .
Trailer brakes
If yo ur tra iler is equ ipped w it h a braking sys­
tem, check to be su re that it conforms to a ll
r eg ulat io ns .
Trailer towin g 201
The trailer hyd ra ulic bra ke system must not be
direct ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Alw ays use saf ety chains between your ve hicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Tra iler lights must meet all reg ulations . Be
su re to check with your Audi dea ler fo r cor re ct
wir ing, swi tches and relays.
Mirrors
If you a re unable to see the traffic behind you
u sing the regula r outside m irrors, then you
must i nsta ll ext ended mir rors . It is important
t h at you
always have clea r vis ion to the rear .
.8, WARNING
-
Afte r removing the trailer hit ch, do no t
s tore i t in yo ur vehicle . In case of sudden
b raking, the h itch cou ld fly forwar d an d in­
ju re you or yo ur passengers .
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A tra ile r fo r you r vehicle is limited to a ty pical
cl ass 1 or class 2 tra ile r.
Trailer load distribution
B e sure the loa d in the tr aile r is held secure ly
i n place to p reven t it from shift ing forw ard,
ba ckward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ &. in Driving instru ctions on page 20 2.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­
er . It is impo rtant that the cooling system's
perfo rmance is up to the additional load .
Make sure that the coo ling syst em has enough
f lui d.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer , inflate the tires of your
vehicle to t he cold tire pressure listed under .,..
•
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•

202 Trailer towing
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer tires to trai ler and t ire manufac ­
turers' specif ications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer
lights are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners. When you install safety
chains, make sure they wi ll not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the following:
.. Do not tow a loaded tra iler when your car it­
self is not loaded.
.,. Be espec ially car efu l when passing other
vehicles.
.. Observe speed limits.
.. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.. Always apply brakes early .
.. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loa ded trai ler with an empty ca r re­
sults in a high ly unstable distribution of
weight . If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent poss ible and permissi­
ble, while keeping the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the circumstances . Whenever possi- ble,
transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tong ue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations.
Speed
T he higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed . Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -particularly
when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest sign of sway ing.
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds
for vehicles towing trai lers are lower than for
regular vehicles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving
downhi ll, shift into a lower gear to use the en­
gine braking effect to s low the vehicle. Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge~ page 12
must be observed carefu lly. The coolant tem­
perature can increase if you drive on long in­
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds. Re­
duce your speed immediately if the LEDs in
the top part of the d isplay turn on .
For more information about indicator lights,
refer to. ~
page 19 .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident. Never let anyone ride in your car
who is not properly wearing the restraints
provided by Audi.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing
a trai ler because of the additional weight and ..,.

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different weight distribution. Safety, perform­
ance and economy wi ll greatly depend on how
carefu lly you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
have become comp letely familiar with the way
your vehicle- trailer combination behaves and
responds .
Backing up is d ifficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trai ler generally requires
stee ring action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a trailer .
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you. You will need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turn ing radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­
celerate as fast as you normally would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass . After passing, allow
p lenty of room for your tra iler before chang­
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a tra iler during the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load
¢ page 282 .
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If i t can­
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol ­
lowing:
When parking:
.. Apply the foot brake.
.. Have someone place chocks under both the
vehicle and the trailer wheels.
Trailer towing 203
.. With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes until the wheel chocks absorb the
load .
.. Turn the wheels towards the curb.
.. Apply the parking brake.
.. Select the P selector lever posit ion.
When re starting after parking:
.. App ly the foot brake.
.. Start the engine.
.. Select the
0/5 selector lever position.
.. Release the parking brake and slowly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks .
.. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
chocks.
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the auto­
matic transmission to
P before applying
the parking brake and before blocking the
whee ls, you may have to use more force
lat er to move the lever out of the
P posi­
tion.
•
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Care and cleanin g 205
& WARNING
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operato r to reduce the risk
of accidents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect your­
self from sharp metal components when
wash ing the underbody or the inside of
the whee l housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef­
fect may be delayed due to mo isture on
the brake rotors or ice in the winter . The
brakes must be dried first with a few
careful brake applicat io ns.
{[) Note
- If you wash th e vehicle in an automatic
ca r wash, yo u m ust fold the exterior m ir­
ro rs in to reduce the r isk of damage to
the mirrors . Power foldi ng exterior m ir­
r o rs* must o nly be folded in and out us­
i ng the power folding function.
- To prevent pa int damage, do not wash
th e veh icle in direc t sun ligh t. -
To reduce the r is k of damage, do no t
wash the powe r top with a pressure
washer.
- To reduce the r is k of damage to the sur­
face, do not use i nsect removing spong­
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle compo­
nents:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the
surfac e, do not use polishi ng agents or
ha rd wax.
- Neve r use prot ective wax. It can de­
stroy the matte fin is h effect.
- Do not place any stickers o r magnet ic
signs on vehicle parts painted w it h
ma tte fi nish pa in t. The pa int cou ld be
da maged whe n the stickers o r m ag nets
ar e removed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash t he ve hicl e in facili ties spe cially
d es igned for th at p urpose . Th is will re duce
the r is k of d irty wate r contam ina ted with
oil from entering t he sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When clea ning and caring for individua l vehi­
cle components, refe r to the fo llow ing tab les .
The informa tion contained there is s imp ly rec­
ommendations. Fo r quest ions or for compo -n
ents that are not listed , refer to an author­
i z ed Audi dea ler. Also follow the info rma tion
fo und in ~ &, .
Exterior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Wind shield wip-
Deposits ¢ page 54, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
er bl ade s
Headlights /
Deposits Soft sponge with a m ild soap solution3>
Tail lights
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth w ith a so lvent-free cleaning product
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning
so lution
Snow/ ice Hand brush/so
lve nt-free de -icing spray
Wheels Road sa lt Water
Brake dust Acid
-free special cleaning so lu tion
E x haust tail Road sa lt Water, cleaning solut ion suitable for stainless steel, if
pipes necessary •
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