2015 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET wheel

110 Automatic transmission
Automatic
transmission S tronic-transmission
Introduction
Appl ies to vehicles: with S tro nic tr ansmiss ion
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronical­
ly-controlled DSG transmission called S tronic.
Two independent clutches transfer the power
between the engine and transmission. It al­
lows the vehicle to accelerate without a no­
ticeable interruption in traction .
The transmission upshifts or downshifts auto­
matically. The driving style continuously influ­
ences the selection of the driving program.
When a
moderate driving style is used, the
transmission selects the most economica l
driving mode. The transmission upshifts at a
lower RPM and downshifts at a higher RPM to
improve fuel efficiency.
The transmission switches to a sporty mode
after a kick-down or when the driver uses a
sporty driving style characterized by quick ac­
celerator pedal movements, heavy accelera­
tion, frequent changes in speed and traveling
at the maximum speed.
If desired, the driver can also select the gears
manually (tiptronic mode) o page 115,
Shifting manually (tiptronic mode).
Selector lever positions
A pp lies to vehicles: with S tro nic tr ansmiss ion
Fig. 105 Instrument cluste r: selector leve r positions
The instrument cluster display shows the cur­
rent selector lever position and current gear .
P -Park
The wheels are mechanically locked in this po­
s iti on. You can only shift into Park when the
vehicle is
stationary o &..
To shift in and out of the P selector lever posi­
tion, press the interlock button in the selector
lever
while pressing the brake peda l.
R- Reverse
Only shift into reverse gear when the vehicle is
stationary and the engine is running at idle
speed
o &. .
To select the R selector lever position, press
the interlock button
while pressing the brake
pedal. The back-up lights switch on in the R
pos ition if the ignition is switched on .
N -Neutral
The transmission is in idle in this position.
D/S - Normal position for driving forward
In the D/S selector lever position, the trans ­
mission can be operated either in the normal
D mode or in the S sport mode. To select the S
sport mode, pull the selector lever back brief­
ly. Pulling the lever back again will select the
normal D mode . The instrument cluster dis­
play shows the selected driving mode.
In the
normal mode D, the transmission auto­
matically selects the suitable gear ratio.
It de­
pends on engine load, vehicle speed and driv­
ing style .
Se lect the
sport mode S for sporty driving.
The vehicle makes full use of the engine's
power. Shift ing may become noticeable when
acce lerat ing .
To move from selector lever position N to D,
you must press the brake pedal and the vehi­
cle must be traveling less than 1 mph (2 km/
h) or be stationary
o &. .
,&. WARNING
Read and following all WARNINGS.
- The vehicle can roll even if the ignition is
switched
off. .__ _____________ __J~

Stopping /p ar kin g
If the se lector lever is not in the P position
when you open the driver's door, the vehicle
could ro ll. In vehicles with a convenience key* ,
the following message appears:
S hift to P,
othe rwise veh icle c an roll away. Door s do not
lock if leve r is not in P .
You will also hear a
warn ing tone.
~ Press and ho ld the brake pedal c:> _& .
~ Set the parking brake.
~ Select the P selector lever pos ition.
Stopp ing on an inclin e
~ Always press the brake pedal to hold the ve­
hicle in p lace and prevent it from "rolling
back"
c:> _& . Do not try to prevent the vehi­
cle from "rolling back" when a gear is en­
gaged by increasing the eng ine speed
c:> Q).
Starting on an incline in vehicle s wi thout
Hill Hold*
~ Set the parking brake.
~ With the driving gear se lected, press the ac­
celerator pedal carefully. The parking brake
will release automat ically if your safety belt
is fastened .
Starting on an incline i n vehicle s with Hill
Hold*
~ With the driving gear selected, remove your
foot from the brake pedal and press the ac­
celerato r pedal
c:> page 84, Hill hold.
Under certain circumstances, (such as driving
in the mountains or towing a tra iler), it may
be usefu l to switch temporarily to the manual
shift p rogram in order to adjust the gears to
the dr iving condit ions by hand
c:> page 115.
When parking on a level surface, simply place
the selector leve r in the P pos ition. On in­
clines, activate the parking bra ke first and
then move the selector lever to the P posit ion
q page 82. This prevents the loc king mecha­
nism from being loaded too heavily and wi ll
~ make it easier to move the selector lever out
" iii of the P position.
,...., \!) 1.1"1 ,...., 1.1"1 ,....,
Automa tic tran sm iss ion 113
A WARNING
- The vehicle can roll even when the en­
gine is sw itched off.
- Unintended vehicle movement can lead
to serious injuries.
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine running while in gear. If you must leave
your veh icle when the engine is running,
set the parking brake and move these­
lector lever to the P position.
- Power is still transferred to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle . To
prevent the vehicle from "c reeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake when
the engine is running and the se lector
lever is in the D, Sor R position or "tip­
tronic" mode is selected .
- Do not inadvertently press the accelera ­
tor peda l when the vehicle is stationary.
Otherwise the vehicle wi ll start to move
immed iate ly, even if the parking brake is
set. Th is could resu lt in a crash.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selector lever position
while the vehicle is stationary and the engine is running.
- Never engage the R or P selector leve l
positions while dr iv ing. It could cause a
crash.
- Before driving down a steep slope, re­
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with "tiptronic". -
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
downhill . Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re­
duces braking pe rformance, increases
b ra ki ng distance or causes complete fa il­
ure of the brake system.
- I f you must stop on an in cl ine, always
hold the vehicle in place with the foot
bra ke or parking brake to p reven t it from
rolling back .
- Neve r hold the vehicle on an incline with
a slipping clutch . The clutch opens a uto -
matica lly when it becomes too hot from
~
•

....,
N
r--. > co
Shifting manually (tiptronic mode)
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic transmission I shift pad­
dles
The tiptronic allow the driver to shift the
gears manually.
Fig. 108 Center console: manual shifting with these ­
lector lever
Fig . 109 Steering whee l: manua l sh ift ing with t he s hift
padd les*
Shifting with the selector lever
You can shift into tip tron ic mode while sta­
tionary and while driving.
~ To shift into tip tronic mode, push the selec­
tor lever from the D/S setting to the right in
t he tiptronic shift gate. Once the transmis­
s ion h as switched modes, the selector lever
position
M is shown in the instrument clus ­
ter display
¢page 110, fig. 105 . For exam­
ple
M4 , means the fourth gear is engaged.
~ To shift up a gear, tap the se lector lever for­
ward
0 ¢fig. 108.
~ To shift down a gear, tap the selector lever
to back Q.
Shifting with the shift paddles*
You can operate the shift paddles in the D/S or
M (tiptron ic shift gate) selector leve r pos i-
:;, tions.
"' ,....,
"' ,....,
Autom atic transm ission 115
~ To shift up one gear, tap the shift paddle 0
¢fig. 109.
~ To shift down one gear, tap the shift paddle
0-
If the shift padd les are tapped while in the 0/
S selector lever position, automatic mode
switches off briefly. To switch from manually
shifting back to automatic sh ifting immedi­
ate ly, tap the shift paddle
0 ¢ fig. 109 for 1
second .
To keep shifting using the shift paddles, move
the selector lever to the rig ht out of the D/
S position into the tiptronic shift gate.
The transmission automatically shifts up or down before critical engine speed is reached.
T he transmission only allows manual sh ifting
when the engine speed is within the permit­
ted range .
(D Tips
-If you shift to the next lowest gear, the
transmission will only shift if the engine
wil l not be over-revved.
- With kick-down, the transmission shifts
to a lower gear, depending on vehicle
speed and engine speed.
- tiptronic does not work if the transmis ­
sion is running in emergency mode.
Kick-down
App lies to vehicles: wit h S tronic tran smi ssio n
Kick-down enables maximum accelera tion.
When you press the accelerator pedal down
beyond the resistance point, the automatic
transmission downshifts into a lower gear, de­
pending on vehicle speed and engine RPM. It
shifts up into the next higher gear once the
maximum specified engine RPM is reached.
A WARNING
Please note that the wheels could spin on
slick or slippery roads when kick-down is
active.

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 .,.

M N ,....
> co ,...., \!) 1.1"1 ,...., 1.1"1 ,....,
Parking systems
General information
Appl ies to vehicles: with rea r parking sys te m s/park ing
system pl us/rearv iew camera
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, vari­
ous parking aids w ill help you when parking
and maneuvering.
The
r ea r p arking sys te m is an audible parking
aid that warns you of obstacles
behind the ve­
hicle
~ page 120 .
T he
p ar kin g syste m plus assists you when
parking by audibly and visually indicat ing ob­
jects detected
in front of and behind the vehi­
cle
~ page 120.
T he
re ar view came ra shows the area behind
the veh icle in the MMI display . This display as­
sists you when you are cross or para llel park­
ing. The park ing system plus functions are al­
so available
r::!;> page 121.
A WARNING ,-
- Always look for traff ic and check the area
around your vehicle by looking at it di­
rectly as well. The parking system cannot
replace the driver 's attent ion. The driver
is always respons ible when entering or
leaving a parking space and during simi­
lar maneuvers .
- Please note that some surfaces, such as
clothing, are not detected by the system .
- Sensors and cameras have blind spots in
wh ich people and objects cannot be de­
tected . Be especially cautious of small
children and animals.
- Always pay attention to the area around
the vehicle -using the rearview mirror,
too .
- The sensors can be displaced by impacts
or damage to the radiator grille, bumper ,
wheel housing and the unde rbody . The
par king system may become impai red as
a result. Have an authorized Aud i dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility check
their function .
Parking system s 119
-Make sure the sensors are not obstructed
by st ickers, deposits or other materials.
If they are, the sensor function could be impaired. For additional information on
cleaning, refer to~
page 204 .
(D Note
-Some objects are not detected or dis­
played by the system under certain cir­
cumstances:
- Objects such as ba rrier chains, trailer
draw bars, vertical po les or fences
- Objects above the senso rs such as wall
extensions
- Objects w ith specific surfaces or st ruc­
tures such as chain link fences or pow­ der snow
- If you continue d riving closer to a low-ly­
ing object, it may disappear from the
sensor range . Note that you wi ll no lon­
ger be warned about this obstacle.
- T he sensors can be displaced by impacts
or damage to the radiato r grille, bumper,
wheel housing and the underbody. The park ing system may become impaired as
a result. Have an authori zed Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility check
their function .
{!) Tips
- The system may provide a warning even
though there are no obstacles in the cov­
erage area in some situations, such as:
- certain road su rfaces or for long grass.
- externa l ult rason ic sources e.g. from
clean ing vehicles.
- heavy ra in , snow, or thick vehicle ex­
haust.
- We recommend that you practice park­
ing in a traff ic-free location or par king
lot to become familiar w ith the system.
When doing this , the re should be good
light and weather cond itions.
- Yo u can change the vo lume and pitch of
the signals as we ll as the disp lay
r::!;> page 125.

122 Parking systems
General information
Applies to vehicles: with par king system p lus w it h rear ­
view ca mera
Fig. 117 Area covered
(D and area not covered @by
the rea rview camera (example)
Fig. 118 Rear lid : locat ion of the rearview camera (ex­
ample)
0
-8 > "' m
"' §
> «> m
The rearview camera is located above the rear
license plate bracket . Make sure that the lens
for the parking system ¢
fig. 118 is not cov­
ered by deposits or any other obstructions be­
cause this can affect the function of the park­
ing system. For information on clean ing, refer
to
¢ page 204.
The rearview camera coverage area includes
(D ¢ fig. 117. Only this area is displayed in
the MMI. Objects that are outside of this area
@ are not displayed.
The accuracy of the orientation lines and blue
surfaces diminishes if
dynamic mode is acti­
vated
¢ page 107 .
_&. WARNING
-Always read and follow the applicable
warnings¢
& in General information on
page
119.
- If the position and the installation ang le
of the rearview camera was changed, for
example, after a collision, do not contin-
-
ue to use the system for safety reasons.
Have it checked by your authorized Audi
dealership.
- Only use the rearview camera to assist
you if it shows a good, clear picture . For
example, the image may be affected by
the sun shining into the lens, dirt on the lens or if there is a defect .
- Use the rearview camera only if the lug­
gage compartment lid is completely
closed.
If the luggage compartment lid
is open the orientation lines and blue
surfaces are hidden. Make sure any ob­
jects you may have mounted on the lug­
gage compartment lid do not block the
rearview camera.
- The camera lens enlarges and distorts
the field of vision. The object appears
both altered and inaccurate on the
screen.
- In certain situations, people or objects in
the display appear closer or farther
away:
- For objects that do not touch the
ground, such as the bumper of a
parked vehicle, a trailer hitch or the
rear of a truck. Do not use the help
lines in this case.
-If driven from a level surface onto an
incline, or a downward slope.
- If driven toward protruding objects.
- If the vehicle is carrying too much load
in the rear.
Q) Note
- Always read and follow the applicable
warnings
¢ (D in General information on
page
119.
- The orange colored orientation lines in
the MMI display show the direction of
travel of the vehicle rear depending on
the steering wheel angle. The front of
the vehicle front swings out more than
the rear of the vehicle. Maintain plenty
of distance so that your outside mirror or
a corner of your vehicle does not collide
with any obstacles.

124 Parking systems
Parallel parking
Applies to vehicles: wit h park ing system p lus with rea r­
v iew camera
This view may be used when parallel parking
along the side of a street.
F ig. 121 MMI : bl ue surface aligned wit h parking spot
( )!'Ji 1~ ,11 ,.. ( ,1 11 f ;·.
Fig. 122 MMI: contact o f the b lu e curved line w it h th e
cu rb
Parking on the right is described here. It is
identical when parking on the left.
If there is an obstacle next to the parking
space (such as a wall), refer to "Information
for parking next to obstacles "
¢ page 124.
.. Turn on the right turn signal.
.. Position your vehicle next to a parked vehi­
cle in front of the desired parking space . The
distance to th is veh icle should be approxi­
mately 3 ft (1 m) .
.. Turn the MMI on and select the reverse gear.
T he parking system is turned on and the
cross parking indicator is displayed.
.. Press the contro l button on the MMI-con­
tro ls to select
(D 9 fig . 121. The parallel
parking
indicator is displayed .
.. Back up and align your vehicle so the blue
area @ borders on the rear end of the vehi­
cle beh ind you or on the parking space line
¢,&. in General information on page 122, ¢
(Din General information on page 122.
The blue area represents an extension of the
veh icle's outline by approximate ly 16 ft (5
meters) to the rear. The long side of the
blue area should be on the curb. The entire
blue area must fit into the parking space .
.. With the vehicle stopped, turn the steering
wheel to the right as far as it will go .
.. Back into the parking space unt il the blue
curve ¢
fig. 122 touches the curb¢,&. in
General information on page 122,
¢Ci) in
General information on page 122.
Stop the
vehicle .
.. With the vehicle stopped, turn the steering
wheel to the left as far as it w ill go.
.. Continue to back into the parking space un­
til the vehicle is parked parallel to the curb
¢ .&. in General information on page 122,
¢ (Din General information on page 122.
@ marks the rear bumper. Stop the vehicle,
at the latest, when the red orientation line
© borders an object . Keep an eye on the
front of your vehicle while doing this.
Parking next to obstacles
If there is an obstacle (such as a wall) next to
the parking space, position the vehicle so
there is more space on that side. Position the
long side of the blue surface so that there is
sufficient space from the obstacle. The sur­
face must not be touching . You will also need
to start turning the steering wheel much ear­
lier . The blue curve
¢ fig. 122 must not touch
the obstacle and should have suffic ient room .
(D Note
Keep enough distance from the curb to
avoid damage to the rims.
(D Tips
The left or right orientation lines and sur­
faces will be displayed, depending on the
turn signal being used.

....,
N
r--. > co
rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
.. 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 . .,.