2015 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET engine coolant

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 . .,..
•

20 Instruments and indicator lamps
_& WARNING
-Never open the hood if you can see or
hear steam or coolant escaping from the
engine compartment . This increases the
risk of burns. Wait until you no longer
see or hear steam or coolant escaping.
-
-The engine compartment in any vehicle
can be a dangerous area. Stop the engine
and allow it to cool before working in the
engine compartment. Always follow the
information found in
<:;>pag e 214, Work­
ing in the engine compartment.
(D Note
Do not continue driving if the. indicator
light turns on - th is increases the risk of
engine damage.
• Switch
off engine! Oil pressure too low
Stop the engine and do not continue driving.
Check the engine oil level
<:;>page 218.
-If the engine oil level is too low, add engine
o il ¢
page 217. Only continue driving once
the indicator light turns off.
- If the engine oil level is correct and the indi­
cator light still turns on, turn the engine
off
and do not continue driving. See an author­
ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi Serv ice
Fac ility for assistance.
@ Tips
The oil pressure warning is not an oil level
ind icator. For this reason, check the oil lev­
el regularly.
0 Alternator/battery
• Alternator f ault: battery is not being
charged
There is a malfunct ion in the alternator or the
vehicle electrical system.
Drive to an authorized Aud i dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility immed iately. Be­
cause the vehicle battery is draining, turn off all unnecessary electrical equipment such as
the
MMI. See your authorized Audi dea ler or a
qualified repair facility if the battery charge
l evel is too low.
(•] low battery charge: Battery will be
charged while driving
The starting ability may be impaired.
If this message turns off afte r a little while,
the battery has charged enough wh ile driving.
If the message does not turn off, have and au­
thorized Audi dea ler or authorized Audi Serv­
ice Facility repair the malfunction.
tli1 !I: Safety systems
The II (USA models) Im (Canada models)
indicator light monitors the safety systems.
Safety system
If the II (USA models)/ m (Canada models)
indicator light turns on or blinks, there is a
malfu nction in a safety system.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
_& WARNING
-Have the safety systems inspected imme-
diately. Otherwise, there is a risk that the
systems may not activate during a colli­
s ion, wh ich increases the risk of serious in­
jury or death.
4f-Front safety belt
The. indicator light stays on until the driv­
er's and front passenger's safety belts are
buck led. There is also a warning tone above a
certain speed .
(D Tips
For additional information on safety belts,
refer to¢
page 138.

78 Driving
Stopping the engine with the key
A pplies to vehicles: with mechanical ignit ion lock
Stopp ing the engine
> Bring the vehicle to a ful l stop .
> Turn the key to position @.
Rele asing the steering lock
Requirement : The selector lever must be in
the P pos ition .
> Remove the ignit ion key in position @
Q page 78, fig. 80 Q _&.
> Turn the steering wheel until you hear the
stee ring wheel lock.
The locked steering helps prevent vehicle
theft.
A WARNING
- Never turn off the eng ine before the ve­
hicle has come to a complete stop . The
full function of the brake booster and the powe r steering is not guaranteed. You
must use more fo rce to turn or brake, if
necessary. Because you cannot steer and
brake as you usually would, this could
lead to acc idents and se rious injuries.
- Never remove the ign ition key from the
ign ition lock whi le the vehicle is movi ng .
Otherwise, the steering lock co uld sud­
denly engage and you would not be able
to steer the vehicle.
- Please note that the brake booster and
power steering only work when the en­
gine is runn ing. When the engine off, you
must use more force to steer or brake
the vehicle. Because t he usual steering
and braking capability is not available,
the risk of accidents or injuries increases .
- Always take the vehicle key with you
when leaving the veh icle, even for a
short per iod of time. This applies partic­
ularly when chi ldren remain in the vehi­
cle. Otherwise the children could start
the engine or operate electrical equip ­
ment such as power windows .
- For safety reasons, always park the vehi­
cle with the selector lever in the P posi- tion. Otherwise, there is the risk t
hat the
veh icle could roll.
- After the engine has been switched off,
the radiator fan can continue to run for
up to 10 minutes -even with the ignition
sw itched off. It can also sw itch on again
after some t ime if the coolant tempera­
ture rises as a resu lt of heat buildup or if
the engine compartment is heated by
sunlight and the engine is hot.
(D Note
- If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended per iod of t i me, heat
builds up in the engine compartment af­
ter the engine is switched off - there is a
r isk of damaging the engine . For this
reason, let the engine r un for at id le for
approximately two minutes before shut ­
ting it off .
Starting and stopping
the engine (vehicles
with a convenience key)
St t· th · ith the
button
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h co nvenience key
The !START E NGIN E STOPI button switches
the ignition on and starts the engine .
Fig. 80 Center conso le: STAR T ENGIN E STOP bu tton
(w ith co nvenie nce key)
You can start your car without using your con­
venience key. You must s imply be carrying the
key with you. .,._

80 Driving
Steering lock1
)
The steering locks when you turn the engine
off using the
I START ENGINE STOPI* button,
move the selector lever into the P position
and open the driver's door.
The locked steering helps prevent vehicle
theft.
Emergency off function
If it is absolutely necessary, the engine can al­
so be turned off while driving at speeds lower
than 6 mph (10 km/h).
If you press the
I START ENGINE STOPI* button while driving,
the message
Pressing start/stop button
again will switch off engine!
appears. To
switch the engine off, press the
I STAR T ENGINE STO PI* button twice in a row
briefly or press and hold for longer than two
seconds.
A WARNING
- Never turn off the engine before the ve­
hicle has come to a complete stop. The
full function of the brake booster and the power steering is not guaranteed. You
must use more force to turn or brake, if
necessary. Because you cannot steer and
brake as you usually would, this could
lead to accidents and serious injuries .
- Please note that the brake booster and
power steering only work when the en­
gine is running. When the engine off, you
must use more force to steer or brake
the vehicle. Because the usual steering and braking capability is not available,
the risk of accidents or injuries increases.
- Always take the vehicle key with you when leaving the vehicle, even for a
short period of time. This applies partic­ ularly when children remain in the vehi­
cle. Otherwise the children could start
the engine or operate electrical equip­
ment such as power windows.
- For safety reasons, always park the vehi­
cle with the selector lever in the P posi-
ll This function is not available in all cou ntr ies.
tion. Otherwise, there is the risk that the
vehicle could roll.
- After the engine has been switched off,
the radiator fan can continue to run for
up to 10 minutes - even with the ignition
switched off. It can also switch on again
after some time if the coolant tempera­
ture rises as a result of heat buildup or if
the engine compartment is heated by sunlight and the engine is hot.
(D Note
If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended period of time, heat builds
up in the engine compartment after the
engine is switched off - there is a risk of
damaging the engine. For this reason, let
the engine run for at idle for approximate­
ly two minutes before shutting it off.
Starting the engine if there is a
malfunction
Applies to vehicles: with convenience key
It may not be possible to start the engine un­
der certain circumstances, for example if the
battery in the vehicle key is drained, if inter­
ference is affected the key or if there is a sys­
tem malfunction.
Fig. 81 Steer ing colum n/remote control key : start ing
the e ngine
if t h ere is a malfu nction
As long as the message y>l) Key not recog­
nized. See owners manual
appears, you can
sta rt your vehicle using the emergency start
function . .,.

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, ..,.

....,
N
r--. > co
rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
fan belt or other moving components or do not come into contact w ith hot
components. T ie back long hair before
beginning work and do not wear cloth­ ing that can hang down into the en­
g ine .
- Limit your exposure to exhaust and
chemicals to as short a time as poss ible
c::;, &. .
& WARNING
California P ropos ition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain veh icle components conta in
o r emit chemicals known to the State of
Californ ia to cause cancer and b irth de ­
fec ts and reproduct ive harm . In addition,
certain fluids conta ined in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­ pounds , chemicals known to the State of
Californ ia to cause cancer a nd reproduc ­
t ive harms . Wash hands after handling .
(D Note
When filling fluids, be sure not to m ix the
fluids up. Othe rwise severe malfunctions
and e ng ine damage will occur .
@ For the sake of the environment
You should regularly check the ground un­
der your vehicle in orde r to detect leaks
quickly . If there are visible spots from oil
or other fluids, b ring your veh icle to an au­
thori zed Audi dealer or qualified repair fa­
cility to be checked .
Checking and Fillin g 215
Opening the hood
The hood is released from the interior .
Fig. 163 Se ct io n fro m t he dr iver 's footwell : release Lev ·
er
Fi g. 1 64 Rocke r sw it ch under t he hood
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up
from the windshield. Otherwise the paint could be damaged .
... With the drive r's door open, pull the lever
be low the instrument panel in the direction
of the arrow
¢ fig. 163.
.,. Raise the hood slightly c::;, ,A .
.,. Press the lever under the hood upward
¢ fig . 164 . This releases the catch .
.,. Open the hood .
& WARNING
Never open the hood whe n you see that
steam or coo lant drips from the engine
compartment -there is a danger of b urns!
Wait unti l no steam or coolant flows o ut.
- Never open the hood when you see that
steam or coolant dr ips from the engine
compartment- there is a danger of burns! Wait until no steam or coo lant
flows out.
-