2015 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET tires

Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Driving safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Proper occupant seating posit ions . . . 127
Driver and passenger side footwell . . . 131
Pedalarea .. .. .............. ... .. 131
Stowing luggage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
R eport ing Safety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Active ro llover p rotection system 135
Safety belt s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Gene ral notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Why safety be lts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 41
Safety bel t pretens ioners . . . . . . . . . . 14 4
Airbag system ......... .. .. .. . .
Impor tant things to know . ... .. .. . .
Fr ont airbags .... ..... ... .. .. .. . .
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System .. .. ................. .. . .
Knee airbags .. ........... .. .. .. . .
Side airbags .. .. .. .... .... . .... . .
Ch ild Safety ............... .. . .
Important things to know .. .. .. .. . .
C hi ld safety seats ............ .... .
Install ing a chi ld safety seat .. .. ... .
L A TC H L ower ancho rag es and tethe rs
fo r ch ild ren . ............. .... .. . .
A ddit io nal Informa tion 146
1
46
150
158
163
165
169 169
175
180
183
187
Driver messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Smart Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
I nforma tion abo ut data reco rded by
ve hicl e cont ro l mod ules . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Elect ron ic stabilization control (ESC) 188
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Electromechanical steering . . . . . . . . . 192
All whee l drive (quatt ro) . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Not ice about data recorded by the
E vent Data R eco rder and ve hicle
con tro l mod ules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Table of contents 3
Driving and the environment
196
T he first 1,000 miles (1 ,500 km) and
afterwa rds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Driving through wate r on roads . . . . . 197
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Plac ing your vehicle out of service . . . 198
Operate your vehicle eco nomically and
min imize poll ution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
D rivi ng with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
T ra ile r tow ing t ips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Operating instructions . . . . . . . . 204
Care and cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Genera l infor mation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 4
C ar w ashes .. .. .. .. . ............ .
Cleaning and care information
Checking and Filling ......... .
Fuel tank . ... .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .
Hood ... .. .. .. .... . ... ...... ... .
Engine oi l ... .. .. .... ........... .
Cooling system . .. .. ............. .
Brake fluid .. .. .. .... ........... .
Battery ......... .. ..... ........ .
Windsh ie ld washer container
Tires and wheels ............. .
Tires ... .. .. .. .... .. ........ ... . 2
0 4
20 5
210
210
2 11
214
217
220
222
223
22 7
228
228
T ire pressure mo nitoring system 258
Do-it-yourself service . . . . . . . . . 261
What do I do now? . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
L uggage compartment lid emergency
r elease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Gener al infor mation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
E q uipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Spare tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Changi ng a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
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30 Driver in formation sy ste m
On-Board Diagnostics
Fig. 15 Lo cat ion of D ata Link Connec tor (D LC)
On-Board Diagnostics monitors the compo­
nents of your emission con trol system. Each
monitored component in your engine system
has been assigned a code . In case of a mal­
function, the component will be ident ified
and the fau lt stored as a code in the control
module memory .
The MIL light may also illuminate if there is a
leak in the on-board fue l vapor recovery sys­
tem.
If the lig ht illuminates after a refuelling ,
stop the veh icle and ma ke sure the fuel filler
cap is proper ly closed
<> page 212.
I n o rder to make an accurate d iagnosis, the
stored data can only be displayed using spe­
cia l diagnostic eq uipment (gener ic s can tool
for OBD).
I n o rder to connect the special diagnostic
equipment, push the p lug i nto the Data Link
Connector (DLC). The DLC is located to the
right of the hood release¢
fig. 15 .
Your author ized A udi dealer or a qualified
service station can interp ret the code and pe r­
form the necessary repa ir .
A WARNING
Do not use the diagnostic con nector for
personal use. Incorrect usage can ca use
ma lf u nctions, which can increase the risk
of a coll ision!
-
Electronic speed limiter*
Applies to vehicles: with electronic speed limiter
Your vehicle may be factory eq uipped w ith
t ir es that are rated fo r a max imum speed of
130 mph (210 km/h) . This is less than the
maximum speed of your vehicle. To reduce the
risk of sudden tire fa ilure and loss of contro l if
the vehicle is operated at excessive speeds,
your vehicle a lso has an electronic speed limit­
er . The elec tronic speed limi ter prevents your
vehicle from going faster than the tire speed rating . For more information ¢
page 248.
If the engine control unit receives faulty veh i­
cle road speed signa ls, the Malfunction Ind i­
cator Lamp (M IL)
¢..fi will illuminate . If this
occurs, contact the nea rest authorized A udi
dealer for assistance .
A WARNING
Always observe the posted speed lim its
a nd adjust your speed to suit prevai ling
road, traffic and weather cond itions. Never
d rive your vehicle faster than the maxi­
mum speed rating of the tires installed. -

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off when the speed decreases below the stor­
ed maximum speed.
Setting a thresho ld is recommended if yo u
wo uld like to be reminded when you reach a
certain maximum speed . Situations where you
may want to do so include d riving in a country
with a general speed limit or if there is a
specified max imum speed for winter tires.
@ Tips
Regard less of the speed warning system,
you shou ld always mon itor your speed us­
ing the speedometer and make sure you
are following the legal speed limit.
Setting the threshold
You con set, change and delete the threshold
in the MMI.
• Se lect : the
IMENU ! button> Car> System s*
control button > Driv er assist an ce > Speed
w arning .
You can set any thresho ld between 20 mph
(30 km/h) and 150 mph (240 km/h). Settings
can each be adjusted in increments of 6 mph
(10 km/h).
Cruise control system
Description
Appl ies to vehicles : with cruise con trol system
The c ruise control system makes i t possible to
d rive at a constant speed starting at lS mph
(20 km/h).
The speed is kept constant by modify ing en­
g ine power or through an a ct ive brake in ter ­
vention.
A WARNING
- Always pay attention to the traffic
around you when the cruise control is in
operation. You are always responsible for
your speed and the distance between
your vehicle and other vehicles.
- For reasons of safety, cruise contro l
should not be used in the c ity, in stop-
Dri vin g 85
and-go traffic, on winding roads and
when road cond itions are poor (such as
ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and hydro­
plan ing) -you could have an accident.
- Switch the cruise control off temporarily
when dr iv ing in turning lanes, h ighway
e xits or in construction zones.
- Please note that unconsc iously "resting"
your foot on the accelerator pedal p re­
vents t he cr uise control from b raking.
This is due to the control system be ing
over ridden by the dr iver's acceleration .
- If the re is a brake system malfunct ion
such as overheating when the spee d
warn ing system is switched on, the bra k­
ing f unction in the system w il l be deac ti­
vated . The remaining speed warning sys ­
tem fu nctions will remain active, as long
as the
Ill ( U SA mode ls) I l'I (Canada
models) indicator light is on.
(D Tips
- T he cr uise control system is ideal fo r
st retches wit h speed limits. The driver is
responsib le for adhering to the correct
speed.
- The cr uise control remains act ive when
shift ing gears.
- The b ra ke lights turn on when the b rakes
are act ivated.
Switching on
Applies to vehicles: with cruise control system
Fi g. 83 Operat ing lever: Cruise control system
• To swi tch the cruise cont ro l on, p ull the lev­
er into pos it ion @
~fig. 83.
• Dr ive at the speed to be maintained.

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A WARNING ,~
Heavy loads will influence the way your ve­
hicle handles. To help reduce the r isk of a
loss of control leading to ser ious personal
injury:
-Always keep in m ind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
vehicle handling:
- Always distr ibute the load as even ly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as poss ible.
- Never exceed the Gross Ax le Weight Rat­
ing or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick­
er on the left do or jamb. Exceeding per­
missib le we ight standards can cause the
vehicle to s lide and handle differently.
- Please observe information on safe driv­
ing co
page 126.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from be ing drawn into the veh icle, always
keep the rea r lid closed while dr iving.
- Never transport objects larger than those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
cl osed.
- If you absolutely must drive w ith the rear
l id ope n, observe the follow ing notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power top,
- Open all air ou tlets in the instrument
panel,
- Sw itch off the air recircu lation,
- Set the fresh ai r fan to the h ighest
speed.
A WARNING
Alw ays m ake s ure th at the doors, all win­
dows, the power top an d the re ar lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce th e
Dri ving s afe ty 133
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used .
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and loc ked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­
pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child cou ld craw l into the vehicle thro ugh
the luggage compartment and close the
rea r lid becoming t rapped and unable to
get out. Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious pe rsonal inj ury.
- Never let ch ildren play in or around the
veh icle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compa rtment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restra ined in one of
the vehicle's seating pos it ions.
(D Tips
- Air circulati on helps to reduce window
fogging . S tale a ir escapes to the outside
through ven ts in the t rim panel. Be sure
t o keep these slots free an d ope n.
- T he tire pressure m ust correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
t ire pressure label. T he tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pilla r.
T he tire pressure label lists the recom­
mended co ld tire inflation pressures fo r
the vehicle at its maxim um capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures f or nor­
ma l load cond itions, p lease see chapter
co
page 235.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items .
Use the t ie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly co
page 132, Loading the luggage com­
partment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean th at
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi-
cle w ill become heavy m issiles that can cause .,.. •
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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
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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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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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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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