2015 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET coolant temperature

10 Instrum ents a nd indi cato r lamp s
Instruments and indicator lamps
Instruments
Instrument cluster overview
The instrumen t clus ter is the cen tral informa tion cen ter for the driver.
Fig . 3 In strument cl uster ove rv iew
(D Tachometer with ind icator lights
@ Eng ine coolant temperature
gauge .. ... .......... ... .. .
® Turn s ignal indi ca tor ligh ts
© D isplay
12
- Indicator light s or . . . . . . . . . . 13
- Driver information system . . . 26
- Date and time . .... .. ... .. .
- Mileage .. ... ..... .. ... .. .
- Serv ice interval disp lay .... .
® Speedometer with ind icator
lights
® Fuel level ................ . .
0 Disp lay for: Central indicator
l ight or system displays . .. .. .
@ Trip odome te r re se t bu tton 10.01
{D) Tips
The needles in the instrument cluster illu­
minate when the ignition is switched on.
The dials also illuminate when the light s
are switched on . The instrument illumina­
tion dims automatically as the amount of light outside decreases . This function re­
m inds the driver to turn the head lights on
at the app ropriate time.
10
11
13
12
13
11
Setting the time/date
F ig. 4 Instrum en t cl ust er: tim e and date
T he date, t ime of day, time and date format
can be set in the MMI. Re fer to th e MMI own­
er's manual for instruct ions.
(D Tips
- When you switch off the ignition or open
the driver's door, the date and time are
disp layed for approximately 30 seconds.
- Yo u can also turn on the display with the
j o.o j button when the ignition is switch­
ed off ~
page 10, f ig. 3.

12 Instrum ent s and indicator lamp s
Fuel level
The display @
c;, page 10, fig. 3 only works
when the ignition is sw itched on . When the
d isplay has reached the reserve mark, the bot­
tom LED wi ll turn red and the
tD indicator
light turns on¢
page 23 . The bottom LED
blinks red when the fue l level is very low .
The on -board computer shows the range
based on the fuel leve l
c;, page 2 7, On-board
computer display.
F or the tank capac ity in yo ur vehicle , refer to
the Tec hnical Data ¢
page 280.
CJ) Note
Never d rive until the tank is completely
empty. The irregular supp ly of fuel that re­
sults from that can cause the engine to
misfire. Uncombusted f uel will then enter
the exha ust system. This can cause over­
heating and damage to the catalytic con­
verter .
Coolant temperature indicator
The coolant temperature ind icator @
c::> page 10, fig . 3 only works when the ignition
is switched on . T o prevent engine damage, ob­
serve the fo llow ing notes about the tempe ra­
ture ranges.
Cold range
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge
turn on, the engine has not reached operat ing
temperature yet . Avoid high engine speeds,
fu ll acce le rat ing and heavy engine loads.
Norm al range
The engine has reached its operating temper­
ature once the LEDs up to the center of the
gauge turn on under normal driving condi­
tions. The L EDs higher up may turn on if the
engine is under heavy load or the o uts ide tem­
perat ure is h igh. This is not a cause for con­
cern as long as the. indicator light in the
display does not t urn on. Hot range
If the L
EDs in the upper area of the d isp lay
and the. indicator light in the instrumen t
cluster disp lay t urn on, the coo lant tempe ra­
ture is too high
c::> poge 19.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warning in
c;, page 214 before opening the hood
and checking the engine coolant level.
- Never open the eng ine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coo lant
dripping from the engine compartment .
You could burn yourself. Let the engi ne
coo l off first until you can no longe r see
or hea r steam or coolant escaping.
([) Note
- Add itiona l headlights and other compo ­
ne nts in front of the a ir intake impairs
the cooling eff ect of the coolant. This in­
creases the risk of the engine over heat ­
ing dur ing high outs ide temper atures
and heavy eng ine load .
- The front spoiler also he lps to distr ibute
cooling air correct ly wh ile driving.
If the
spoiler is damaged, the coo ling effect
wi ll be impai red and the risk of the en­
gine overheating will increase. See an au­
thorized Audi dealer o r authorized Aud i
Service Facility for ass istance.

M N ,....
> co ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
-If the brake system indicator light turns
on together with the ABS and ESC indica­
tor lights, the ABS/ESC regulating func­
t ion may be malfunct ion ing . Funct ions
that stabilize the vehicle are no longer
available . Th is could cause the rear of the
vehicle to swerve, wh ich increases the
risk that the vehicle will slide. Drive care­
fully to the nearest authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Facility and
have the malfunction corrected .
PARKl<® >f' l®i Electromechanical p arking
brake
If the . (USA models) I. (Canada models)
indicator light turns on, the park ing brake was
set .
• (USA models) /. (Canada models) Cau­
tion: Vehicle parked too steep
When the indicator light blinks and this mes­
sage appears, there is not enough braking
power to keep the veh icle from rolling. The
brakes have overheated. The vehicle could roll
away even on a small incline.
• (USA models) /. (Canada models)
Please press brake pedal to release parking
brake
To release the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press the
[2] button at the same
time , or start dr iv ing wi th hill s tart assist
¢ page 83 , S tarting from a stop.
Ill Parking brake!
There is a parking brake malfunction. Drive to
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility immediately to have the mal­
function corrected .
Ill Parking brake: limited functionality!
There is a parking brake malfunction. Drive to
an author ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility immediately to have the mal­
function corrected.
litJ;):t :);Q3~ (USA models ) / ~ (Canada mod­
els) Please release parking brake
Instruments and indicator lamps 19
Release the parking brake if this message ap ­
pears.
j:lj;J:t:);JJJ~ (USA models) /~(Canada mod­
els) Parking brake auto release unavailable
If this message appears , press the brake pedal
first and then release the pa rking brake .
j:(;j;)J:);J:1:0 (USA models) / ¢@'A els) Caution: Vehicle parked too steep
When the indicator light blinks and this mes­
s a ge appears, there is not enough braking
power to keep the vehicle from rolling. The
brakes have overheated. Th e veh icle could roll
away even on a sma ll incline .
IIJ;):11:);J:1:0 (USA models) /~(Canada mod­
els) Parking brake is applied
If this message appears, press the brake pedal
first and then release the parking brake if nec ­
essary.
(D Tips
For additional informat ion on the parking
brake, refer to¢
page 82.
-L Cooling system
• Switch off engine and check coolant lev­
el!
The coolant level is too low or the coo lant
temperature is too high.
Do not continue driving and switch the engine
off . Check the coolant level¢
page 220.
- If the coolant level is too low, add coolant
¢page 221. Only continue driving once the
ind icator light turns off .
- If the coolant level is correct, the problem
may be caused by a malfunction in the radia ­
tor fan. Do not continue driving. See an au­
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility for assistance.
• Coolant temperature too high! Let engine
run with vehicle stationary
Let the engine run at idle fo r a few minutes to
cool down . .,..
•

7 2 Warm and cold
1- 1 Sw itching r ecircul ation mode on and
off
In recirculation mode, the air inside the vehi ­
cle is circu lated and filtered. This prevents the
unfiltered air outside the vehicle from enter­ ing the vehicle inter ior. We recommend
switch ing recirculation mode on when driving
through a tunnel or when sitt ing in traffic
c::> ,& .
Automatic climate control system controls
App lies to vehicles: with a utomat ic climate contro l system
Fig . 75 A ut oma tic cl ima te co ntro l sy ste m: con trols
The dial adjusts the temperature and the
blower speed. Press the buttons to turn the
functions on or off . T he LED in a button w ill
light up when the function is sw itched on .
The rear window defogger~
c::> page 7 4 and
the seat heating
Q] c::> page 74 are described
separately.
Automatic climate control syst em
We re commend pressing the IAU TO I button
and setting the temperature to 72
°F (22 °() .
The automatic climate control system auto­
matica lly ma inta ins a temperature once it has
been set. The temperature of the air from the
vents, the b lower speed, and air distribution
are also automat ically adju sted . In all heat ing
mode funct ions except
defrost, the blower
only switches to a h igher speed once the en­
g ine coolant has reached a certa in tempera­
ture . Recirculation mode is switched off in the de­
frost setting ~-
.&_ WARNING
-You shou ld not use the recirculation mode
for an extended period s ince no fresh air is
drawn in. With the air-conditioning*
switched off, the w indows can fog up,
which increases the risk of an acc ident .
IA/ Cl Switching th e cooling mode on and
off
T he cooling system is turned on and off with
the
IA/C l button. The air is not coo led and hu­
mid ity is not removed when cooling mode is
switched off . This can cause fog on the win­
dows . The cooli ng mode switches off auto ­
matically i n cold outside temperatu res (be low
32 °F / 0 °() .
IAUTOI Switch ing automatic mode on and
off
The automatic mode is turned on using the
IAUTOI button . AUTO mode switches off once
a b utton in the climate control system is
pressed. Automatic mode maintains a con­
sta nt temperature ins ide the ve hicle . Air tem­
perature, airflow and air d istribution are con­
trolled automatically . When automatic mode
is active, pressing the
IAU TO I button briefly IJJ,-

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 ..,.

214 Check ing and F illin g
•Pullon the cover carefu lly ¢ fig. 162. The
tab on the cover must point forward in the direction you are pulling when pu lling on
the cover.
• To open the fuel filler door, press on the left
side
¢ page 212, fig . 160 .
{Q) Note
Only pull on the cover unt il you feel resist­
ance. You will not hear it release . Other­
w ise you could damage the emergency re­
lease mechanism.
Hood
Working in the engine compartment
Special care is required if you are working in the engine compartment
F o r w ork in th e eng in e c omp artm ent su ch as
c h ecking and fi llin g fluid s, t he re i s a risk of
inj ury, sca lding, accid ents, a nd b urn s. Fo r
thi s re aso n, follow all the follow in g listed
war ning s and ge neral safety p recaution s.
T he engine compartment is a d ang ero us
area. ¢,& .
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of injur ies, complete the
following steps before opening the hood:
- Turn the engine off.
- Switch the ignition off.
- Set the parking brake.
- Place the selector lever in the P position .
- Let the engine coo l down.
- Never open the hood when you see that
steam o r coolant drips from the engine
c ompartment- there is a danger of
burns! Wait until no steam or coolant
flows out.
- Keep chi ldren away from the engine com­
partment.
- Never spill flu ids on a hot eng ine. These
fluids (such as the freeze protection con­
tained in the coolant) can catch fire .
- Avo id short circuits in the electrical sys­
tem, especially the battery . -
When working in the engine compart­
ment, remember that the radiator fan
can switch on even if the ignition is
sw itched off, which increases the risk of
personal injury.
- Never open the cap on the coolant ex­
pans ion tank when the eng ine is warm.
The cooling system is unde r pressure.
- To protect your face, hands, and arms
from hot steam or coolant, cover the cap
with a large cloth when opening .
- Do not remove the engine cover under any circumstances. This increases the
risk of burns .
- If tests need to be performed with the engine runn ing, there is add itiona l dan­
ge r due to moving components (such as
the ribbed belt, generator and radiator
fan) and from the high voltage ignit ion
system.
- Never reach into the radiator fan. The
electric auxilia ry fan is controlled by
temperature and can switch on sudden ly .
- Pay attention to the fo llow ing warnings
listed when work on the fuel system or
on the e lectrica l equipment is required.
- Always disconnect the vehicle battery
from the vehicle e lectr ical system
- Do not smoke
- Never work near open flames
- Always have a working fire exting uisher
nearby
- To reduce the risk of electric s hock and
inj ury, never touch the fo llowing compo­
nents when the engine is running or is
be ing started :
- Ig nition cable
- Other compone nts in the electronic
high voltage ign it ion system
- If you must check or perform work on the eng ine while it is runn ing:
- Set the parking brake and place these­
lector lever in the P (park) position
first.
- Always proceed with extreme caution
so that clot hing, jewe lry or long hai r do
not become caught in the radiator fan, ..,.

220 Check ing and F illin g
Never mix oil additives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en­
gine and adversely affect your Audi Limit­
ed New Vehicle Warranty.
@) For the sake of the environment
- Before changing your oi l, f irst make sure
you know where you can properly dispose of the used o il.
- Always dispose of used engine oil proper­
l y. Do not dump it on garden so il, wood­
ed areas, into open streams or down
sewage dra ins.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a
used engine oil collection facility in your
area, or contact a service station .
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro­ tects the engine from freezing in the winter.
The cooling system is sea led and generally re­
q ui res little attention .
The cooling system has been filled at the fac­
tory with a pe rmanent coolant which does not
need to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture o f spec ia lly condi tioned water and the
manufacturer's glycol -based coolant addi -
tive G l3 antifreeze with anticorrosion addi­
tives (50% for USA models ; 60% for Canadian
models). This mixture both assures the neces­
sary frost pro tection and protec ts metal com­
ponents in the engine's cooling system from
corrosion and scaling . It also raises the boil­
i ng po int of the coo lant .
Do not red uce the concentr ation of the coo l­
ant in the summer by adding plain water.
The
proportion of coolant add iti ve mu st be at
least 50 % but not more than 60 %
to main­
tain antifreeze protection and cooling efficie n­
cy.
If t he coolant frost protect io n is too low,
the coo lant cou ld freeze and damage the veh i­
cle heating and engine cooling system. F
or year -ro und driving, antifreeze is added a t
the factory for temperatures down to :
- -31°F(-35°C)USA
- -40°F ( -40°C) Canada.
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of wa­
ter and coolant additive . Mix ing the coo lant
additive with distilled water is recommended .
.&, WARNING "---
Before you c hec k anyth ing in the engine
compartment, a lways read and heed a ll
WAR NIN GS ~
page 214.
0 Note
- Before wi nter sets in, have the coo lant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­
ma te conditions. This is especi ally impo r­
tan t if you live in a reg ion where the win­
ter is extreme ly cold . If necessary, in­
crease the p roportion of coo lant add itive
to 60% .
- Whe n adding coolant additive to yo ur
cooling system, remembe r:
- We recommend us ing on ly coola nt ad­
d itive Gl2++ or Gl3 (check the labe l)
fo r your vehicle. This coolant additive is
a va ila ble at au thorize d Au di dea le rs.
Other types of antifreeze can sign ifi­
ca ntly reduce corrosion p rotection. The
resu lting corrosion can cause a loss of
coolant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak seal­
ant to yo ur vehicle's engine coolant .
Add ing radiator repair f luid may adverse­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and cou ld resu lt in
damage not covered by you r New Ve hicle
Limited Warranty.

....,
N
r--. > co
rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
Adding coolant
Fig. 168 Eng ine co mpa rtme nt: m ark in gs on the cool­
ant expansio n tank
Read and following th e WARNING S before
checking anythi ng in the eng ine compartmen t
c::>page 214.
Checking th e engine coolant leve l
"'Park your vehicle on a level surface .
"' Switch the ign ition off.
"' Read the coo lant level on the coolant expan­
s ion tank
c::> fig. 168. The coolant level must
be between the markings whe n the eng ine
in cold. When the eng ine is warm it can be
slight ly above the upper marking .
Adding coolant
Requirement: There must be a residua l
amo unt of coolant in the expansion tank
c::> (D .
"'Let the engine coo l down .
"' Place a cloth over the coolant expa nsion
tank cap and unscrew the cap counter clock­
wise <=:>
A.
"'Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
c::>page 220 up to the upper marking.
"' Make sure that the fluid level remains sta-
ble. Add more coolant if necessary.
"' Clove the cap securely.
A coolant loss suggests a leak. Immediately drive your vehicle to an authorized repair fa­
cility and have the cooling system inspected.
If the cooling system is not leaking, a loss can
come from the coolant boiling through over ­
heat ing and being pushed out of the cooling
system.
Che cking and Fillin g 221
A WARNING
The cooling system is pressurized and can
become very hot. To reduce the r isk of
burns from hot coolant:
- Do not open the coolant expansion tank
cap with the engine hot . The re is a risk of
burns .
- Stop the engine and allow it to cool.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping coolant and steam by covering
the coolant tank cap with a large, th ick
cloth .
- Tu rn the coolant tank cap counterclock­
wise slowly and keep light pressure on
the cap.
- To reduce the risk of burns, do not allow
any antifreeze o r coolant to drip onto the
exhaust system or hot engin e compo­
nents . The ethy lene g lycol in eng ine
coo lant can catch fire under certai n cir­
cumstances.
- The coolan t addi tive and the coolant can
be dangerous to your health. For this
reason, keep the coo lant in the origina l
container away from ch ildren. There is a
risk of poisoning.
- When working in the engine compart­
ment, remember that the radiator fan
can switch on even if the ignition is
sw itched off, which increases the risk of
personal injury.
(D Note
Do not add coolant if the expans ion tank is
empty. Air could enter the cooling system
and damage the eng ine. If this is the case,
do not continue dr iving. See an author ized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa ­
c ility for ass istance.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself.
An auxiliary electric radiator fan switches on
and off depending on coolant temperature
and other vehicle operat ing condit ions .
IJJ,