2015 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET four wheel drive

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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.
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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.

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Stee ring re comm endat ion
The ESC helps to stabilize the vehicle by
changing the steering torque.
Selective wheel torqu e control
Select ive wheel torque control is used when
driving on curves . The front wheel on the in­
side of the curve or both wheels on the inside
of the curve are braked selective ly as needed.
This a llows more precise driving in curves.
Automatic post -collisi on brakin g system
The "Automatic post-collision braking system "
can help to reduce the risk of slidi ng and of
other coll is ions afte r an accident. I f the airbag
con tro l modu le detects a collision above ace r­
tain vehicle speed, the vehicle is braked by the
ESC.
The vehicle does not brake automatically if:
- the driver presses the accelerator pedal, or
- the braking force generated by the pressed
brake pedal is greater than the braking force
that would be initiated by the system, or
- the ESC, the brake system or the vehicle
electrical system are not functioning.
A WARNING
-The ESC and its integrated systems can­
not overcome the limits posed by natura l
physical laws. This is especially impor ­
tant on s lippery or wet roads. If the sys-
Switching on/off
Sm art Te chnol og y 189
terns beg in acting to stabilize your vehi­
cle, you should immediately alter your
speed to match the road and traffic con­
ditions . Do not let the increased safety
provided tempt you into taking r isks .
This could increase your risk of a co lli­
SIOn.
- Please note the r isk of a coll is ion increas­
es when driving fast, especially through
curves and on slippery or wet roads, and
when dr iv ing too close to objects ahead.
The ESC and its integrated systems can ­
not a lways prevent collisions -there is
still a risk of accidents!
- Press the accelerator pedal caref ully
when acce lerating on even, slippery sur­
faces such as ice and snow. The drive
wheels can spin even when these control systems are installed and this can affect
driving stability and increase the r isk of a
coll is ion.
@ Tips
-ABS and ASR only function correctly
when all four wheels are equipped w ith
identical tires. Different t ire sizes can
lead to a reduct ion in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems
descr ibed are working.
- If the
Bl or [I] indicator light appears,
there may be a malfunction
¢ page 21.
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine .
gi
Fig. 159 Upper c ente r conso le: ESC button
The ESC is designed to funct ion in levels . De­
pend ing on the level that is selected, the sta­
bilization funct ion of the ESC is lim ited or
swi tched off . The amoun t of stabilization con­
trol wi ll differ depending on the level.
In the follow ing unusual situations it may
make sense to switch the ESC sport mode on
to allow the wheels to sp in:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
IJJ-

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
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Winter tires
By using all wheel drive, yo ur vehicle has good
forward motion with standard tires in winter
conditions. However, in winter we recommend
using winter or all season tir es on
all four
wheels, because this will imp rove the broking
effec t.
Snow chains
If there are snow chain laws, snow chains
must also be used on vehicles with a ll whee l
drive ¢
page 256, Snow chains .
Replacing tires
For vehicles w ith all wheel dr ive, only wheels
with the same rolling circumference should be
used . Avoid wheels with different tread
depths ¢
page 248.
Offroad vehicle?
Your Audi is not an offroad veh icle -there is
not enough ground clearance. For t his reason,
avoid difficult terrain. Refer to ¢
page 280.
.&_ WARNING -
-Also , in vehicles with all whee l drive,
adapt your driving style to the current
road and traff ic conditions. Do not let
the increased safety provided tempt you
into taking risks.
- The brak ing ability of your vehicle is lim­
ited to the traction of the wheels . In this
way, it is not different from a two wheel dr ive vehicle. Do not be tempted to ac­
celerate to a h igh speed when the road is
slippery th is increases the risk of an acci­
dent.
- Note that on wet streets, the front
wheels can "hydroplane" if driving at
speeds that are too high. Unlike front
wheel drive vehicles, the engine does not
rev higher suddenly when the vehicle be­
gins hydroplaning. For this reason, pay
attention to the road conditions regard­
less of your speed .
Smart Technolog y 193
Energy management
The starting ability is optimized
The energy management system manages
the electrical energy distribution and optimiz ­
es the availability of electrical energy for
starting the engine.
When a vehicle with a conventional energy
system is not driven for a long time , the bat­
tery is drained by equipment (for example the
immobilizer). In certain circumstances, there
could may no t be enough energy to start the
engine .
Your vehicle is equipped with an intelligent
energy management system for distr ibut ing
electric ity. This significantly improves the
starting ability and increases the battery life.
The energy management system Is made up
of
battery diagnosis , idling current manage­
ment
and dynamic energy management.
Battery diagnosis
The battery diagnosis determines the battery
charge level. The sensors determine the bat­
tery voltage, the battery current, and the bat­
tery temperature. The current charge leve l
and t he performance of the battery are deter­
mined based on this.
Idling current management
The idling current management decreases the
energy used while parked. With the engine
switched off, it manages the energy distribu­
tion to the different elect rical components.
Date from battery diagnosis is taken into ac ­
count for this.
Depend ing on the battery charge leve l, elec­
trical equip ment is switched off one item after
the other, to prevent the battery from drain­
ing and to retain the starting ability.
Dynamic energy management
While driv ing , dynamic energy management
distributes the appropriate amount of energy
to the e lectr ica l equipment . It controls the
battery charge level so that more energy is .,. •
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Driving style
Driving fast around curves,
heavy acceleration and hard
braking increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even
wear
For all four tires on your vehicle
to have the same service life,
we recommend that the front
and rear tires are rotated ac­
cording to the tire manufactur­
er's suggested tire rotation in­
tervals. Please remember the
following:
-Tire rotation intervals may dif­ fer from the vehicle service in­tervals outlined in your War­ranty
& Maintenance booklet .
-The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle ,
the more it wears at certain points; therefore, we recom­
mend that you follow the tire
manufacturer's suggested tire
rotation intervals.
-Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience more tread
wear on the front wheels com­
pared to all-wheel drive (quat­
tro).
-Please rotate ti res as shown
¢ fig. 175.
Tires and wheels 24 7
-Extra care must be taken when rotating direction-specific
tires ¢
page 268.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are
balanced. However, various sit­
uations during everyday driving
can cause them to become un­ balanced, resulting in vibra­
tions you can usually feel
through the steering wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be re­
balanced to avoid excessive
wear on steering, suspension
and tires. A wheel must also be rebalanced when a new tire is
installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can
cause excessive tire wear, im­pairing the safety of the vehi­
cle. If tires show excessive
wear, have the wheel alignment checked by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop.
All-wheel drive
Vehicles with quattro must al­
ways have tires of the same size, construction and tread
type . For details see
¢ page 192 .
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Tires and wheels 253
sure of their "previous histo-and sudden deflation and
ry." Old used tires may have loss of control.
been damaged even though -Temperature grades apply
the damage cannot be seen to tires that are properly in-
that can lead to sudden tire flated and not over or un-
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failure and loss of vehicle derinflated.
control. -For technical reasons it is
-All four wheels must be fit- not always possible to use
ted with radial tires of the wheels from other vehicles -
same type , size (rolling cir-
in some cases not even
cumference) and the same wheels from the same vehi-
tread pattern. Driving with cle model.
different tires reduces vehi- -If you install wheel trim
cle handling and can lead to discs on the vehicle wheels,
a loss of control. make sure that the air flow
-If the spare tire is not the to the brakes is not blocked.
same as the tires that are Reduced airflow to the
mounted on the vehicle - for brakes can them to over-
example with winter tires - heat, increasing stopping
only use the spare tire for a distances and causing a col-
short period of time and lision.
drive with extra ca re. Refit -Run flat tires may only be
the normal road wheel as used on vehicles that were
soon as safely possible. equipped with them at the
-Never drive faster than the factory. The vehicle must
maximum speed for which have a chassis designed for
the tires on your vehicle are run flat tires. Incorrect use
rated because tires that are of run flat tires can lead to
driven faster than their rat- vehicle damage or acci-
ed speed can fail suddenly. dents. Check with an au-
-Overloading tires cause heat thorized Audi dealer or tire
' M • N
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ure, including a blowout cle can be equipped with ... \!) 1.1'1
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254 Tires and wheels
run flat tires. If run flat tires
are used, they must be in­
stalled on all four wheels. Mixing tire types is not per­
mitted.
@) Note
-For technical reasons, it is not generally possible to
use the wheel rims from
other vehicles. This can hold
true for wheels of the same
vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is different
from the tires that you have mounted on your vehicle
(for example winter tires or
wide prof ile tires), then use
the spare tire for a short pe­
riod of time only and drive
with extra care. Replace the
flat tire with the tire match­ ing the others on your vehi­
cle as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the
valve stem cap . The valves
could get damaged.
@) For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accord­
ance w ith the local require­
ments.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wea r
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality g rades can be foun d where applicab le
on the t ire s ide wall between t read sho ulder
and maximum section width
¢ page 248,
fig . 176 .
For example: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA,
Tempera ture A .
All passenge r ca r tir es must con fo rm to Feder ­
al Safety Req uirements in ad dition to these
grades.
Tread wear
T he tread we ar g rade is a c omparative r ati ng
b as ed on the wea r ra te of the tire when tes ted
u nder con tro lled cond itions o n a specifie d
government test course .
F o r ex am ple, a tire gr aded 1 S0 would wear
o n e and one h alf ( 11/ 2) times as well on the
government course as a tire gr aded 10 0 .
T he re lative per forman ce of tires depen ds
up on the actu al cond itions of the ir use, h ow­
ever, and m ay dep art s ignific antly from the
no rm due to va ria tions i n driving ha bits, se rv ­
ice p ractices and differe nces in road c haracter­
ist ics and climate.
Traction
The tr actio n gr ad es, fro m hig hest to lowest,
are AA, A, Ban d
C. Those grades represent t he
ti re 's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured unde r cont rolled conditions on
specified g overnment test surfaces of aspha lt
and co ncrete. A t ire mar ked C may have poor
traction performance
¢ A .
Temperature
The temperature g rades are A (the highest),
B, an d C, represe nting the tire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ab ility to dissi­
pate heat when tested unde r controlled condi­
t ions on a specif ied ind oor l abo rato ry test
whee l.

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Sustained high tem perature can cause the
materia l of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure <=>,& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of per form­
ance which a ll passenger car tires must meet
under the Federa l Motor Veh icle Safety Stand­
ard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law.
_&. WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on stra ight-ahead b raking t raction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
c o rnering, hydrop lan ing o r peak tr actio n
character istics .
_&. WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is es­
tablished for a ti re that is p roperly inflated
and not overloaded . Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire fa ilure.
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice. At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires .
In some heavy snow areas, loca l governments
may require true winter or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These tires shou ld
only be used in pa irs and be installed on all
four wheels. Make sure you pu rchase snow
tires that are the same size and const ruct ion
type as t he other tires on your ve hicle.
If your vehicle is equipped with all-wheel
d rive*, this will improve tract ion during winte r
d riving, eve n w it h the standard t ires. Howev­
e r, we strong ly recommend t hat you a lways
eq uip a ll four wheels on yo ur vehicle wi th cor­
rectly fitted win ter t ires or a ll-season tires,
when winter road conditions are expected .
Tires an d wheel s 255
This also improves the veh icle's b rak ing per ­
formance and reduces stopping distances.
Summe r ti res prov ide les s gr ip on i ce and
snow.
Winter t ires (snow tires) must always be fitted
o n all fo ur whee ls.
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted winter tire sizes. Use
o nl y rad ial winter t ires.
Winter tires lose their effectiveness whe n the
tread is worn down to a depth of0 .157 inch
(4 mm) .
Only drive w ith w inter t ires under w inter con­
dit ions. Summer t ires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °() .
If you have a flat tire, see notes on spare
whee l¢
page 248.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lower speed rating t han the tires o rigi­
nally installed on your vehicle at the time it
was manufactured. P lease see¢
page 251,
Speed rating (letter code)
for a listing of the
speed rating le tter codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be d rive n.
The speed rating letter code(¢
page 233) is
o n the side wall of the tire ¢
page 248.
_&. WARNING
Winter t ires have maximum speed limits
that may b e lower than yo ur vehicle's max­
imum speed. Always know the max imum
speed before dr iv ing off. Never dr ive faster
than the speed permitted for yo ur spe cific
win ter tires . This wi ll ca use damage to the
tires leading to an accident and ser ious
personal injury to you and your passen­
gers.
_&. WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your ve hicle
were designed can cause t ire fail ure in­
cluding a blowout and sudden d eflation,
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