2016 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET Owners Manual

Automatic transmissio n
and a message appears~ page 82 when
the clutch is overloaded.
- If the engine must run while you are work­
ing in the engine compartment with the
hood open, make sure a gear is not engag­
ed. The selector lever must be firmly in the
P position and locked in place and the park­
ing brake m ust be set~
page 188. Other­
wise, the vehicle could begin moving when
the engine speed increases, even with the
par king brake set.
{UJ Note
- When stopp ing on a n incline, do not t ry to
ho ld the vehicle in p lace by press ing the ac­
ce le ra to r pedal wh ile a driv ing gear is se­
l ected. Th is can ca use the au toma tic trans­
mission to overheat and can damage it. Set
the parking brake or press the brake pedal
to prevent the vehicle from rolling .
- A llow ing the vehicle to ro ll when the eng ine
is stopped and the se lector lever is in the N
position will damage the automatic trans­
mission because it is not l ubricated under
those circumstances.
- The transmiss ion can overheat and be dam­
aged under certa in driving and traffic cond i­
tions such as frequent starts, creep ing for a
long time, or stop-and-go traffic . W hen the
@l or. indicator light turns on, stop the
vehicle at the next oppo rt u nity and let the
transmission coo l~
page 82.
- Allow ing the veh icle to roll when the eng ine
i s stopped will damage the S tron ic trans­
mission beca use it is not l ubricated
¢ page 246, Towing with a tow truck .
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake releases
automatically only when the driver's door is
closed and driver 's safety belt is fastened.
80
· Hill descent control
App lies to: vehicles with automatic transmissions
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving downhill .
Hill descent control is act ivated when the selec­
tor lever is in the D or S position and you press
the brake pedal. The transmission automatically
selects a gear that is s uitable for the incline. H ill
descent control tries to maintain the speed ach­
i eved at the t ime of braking, w it hi n phys ical and
technica l lim itations . If may still be necessary to
adjust the speed w ith the brakes. Because h ill de­
scent control cannot shift down farther tha n 3rd
gear, it may be necessary to shift into tiptronic
mode in very steep areas. In this case, shift into 1st or 2nd gear in tiptronic mode to use the en­
gine's braking force to relieve the brakes.
Hill descent control switches
off once the decline
l evels out or you press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles with a cru ise control system*
¢ page 88, hi ll descent control is a lso activated
when the speed is set.
A WARNING
Hill descent contro l cannot overcome physical
limitations, so it may not be able to ma intain
a constant speed under all conditions. A lways
be ready to app ly the brakes.

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Shifting manually (tiptronic mode)
Applies to: vehicles with automatic transmissions
The tiptronic allows the driver to shift the gears
manually.
Fig . 82 Center conso le: manua l shifting with the selector
lever
Fig. 83 Steering wheel: manual sh ifting with the shift pad·
dles*
Shifting with th e select or lever
You can sh ift into tiptron ic mode while stationary
and while driv ing.
• To sh ift into tiptronic mode, push the selector
lever from the D/S sett ing to the right in the
tiptronic shift gate. Once the transmission has
switched modes, the se lector lever posi tion
M
is shown in the instrument cluster display
r:::>page 76, fig. 79. For example M4, means the
fourth gear is engaged.
• To shift up a gear, tap the selector lever for­
ward
0 r:::> fig. 82.
• To shift down a gear, tap the selector lever to
back
a .
Shifting with the sh ift padd le s*
You can operate the shift padd les in the D/S or M
(tiptronic shift gate) selector lever positions.
Aut oma tic tr ansm iss ion
• To shift up one gear, tap the shift paddle 0
r:::> fig. 83.
• To shift down one gear, tap the shift paddle Q.
If the shift paddles are tapped while in the D/S
selector lever position, automatic mode switches
off briefly. To switch from manually shifting back
to automatic shifting immed iately, tap the sh ift
paddle
0 ¢ fig. 83 for 1 second.
T o keep shifting using the shift padd les, move
the selector lever to the rig ht out of the D/S posi­
t ion into the tiptronic shift gate .
T he transmission automatically shifts up or down
before critica l engine speed is reached.
T he transmission only allows manua l shifting
whe n the eng ine speed is w it hi n the pe rmitted
ra nge.
(0 Tips
- If you shift to the next lowest gear, the
transmission will only shift if the eng ine will
not be over -revved .
- With k ick-down, the t ransmiss ion shifts to a
lower gear, depending on vehi cle speed and
engine speed.
- tiptronic does not work if the transmission
is running in emergency mode.
Kick-down
Applies to: vehicles with automatic transmissions
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
When you press the accelerator pedal down be­
yond the res istance point, the automatic trans­
mission downsh ifts into a lower gear, depending
o n veh icle speed and engine RPM.
It shifts up in ­
to the next higher gear once the maxim um speci­
fied eng ine RPM is reached.
A WARNING ~
P lease note that the wheels cou ld spin on
slick or slippery roads when kick-down is ac­
tive.
-
81

Automatic transmissio n
Launch Control-Program
Applies to: vehicles with Launch Control
The Launch Control Program enables maximum
acceleration .
Requirement: the engine must be at operating
temperature and the steer ing wheel must not be
turned .
.,. With the engine runn ing, press the
i ,; OFF ! but­
ton br iefly one time
l) .
"' Pull the selector lever back out of the 0/5 posi­
tion briefly to select the 5 posit ion, or press it
toward the rig ht into the tiptronic pos ition or
select the
Dynami c driving mode in d rive se­
lect*
~ page 106.
"' Press the b rake pedal firmly with your left foot
and hold it all the way down for at least 1 sec ­
ond.
"' At the same time, press the gas pedal a ll the
way down w ith your right foot unti l the engine
reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
"' Remove your left foot from the brake.
_.&. WARNING
-Always adapt you r driv ing to the traffic flow .
- Only use Launch Control when road and traf-
fic cond itions allow it and other dr ivers will
not be endangered or impacted by your d riv­
ing and the vehicle's a cce le ration.
- Please note that the dr ive wheels can sp in
and the vehicle can break away when sport
mode is switched on, especia lly when the
road is s lippery.
- Once the vehi cle has sta rted moving, press
the
l .!'3 OFF ! button briefly to tu rn the sport
mode off.
(D Tips
- The t ransmiss ion temperature may increase
significantly after using t he launch control
program.
If tha t happens, the p rogram may
l ) In vehicles with a driver info rma tion system, an ESC light
i n the in st rument cl uste r stays on cont inuous ly and t he
message Sta bilization co ntrol (ES C): sport . Warning! Re ­
st ricted stab il ity app ears temp orar ily .
82
not be avai lab le for a few minutes. It will be
available again after a coo l-down period.
- When accelerating using the launch contro l
program, all vehicle parts are s ubject to
heavy loads. This can lead to increased
wear .
Emergency mode
App lies to: vehicles with auto matic transmissions
In the event of a system malfunction, there is an
emergency program.
If all of the selector lever positions are hig hlight­
ed with a light background in the instrument
cluster disp lay, there is a system malfunction and
the 5 tronic transmission is running in the emer­
gency program. The veh icle can still be driven in
emergency mode, but only with reduced speed
and not in all gears . In some cases, the vehicle
cannot dri ve in rever se .
(D Note
If the transmission runs in emergency mode,
drive to an authorized A udi dealer or author­
ized Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have
the malfunct ion corrected.
Transmission malfunction
• Tran smi ssion malfun ction ! Pl ea se stop the
vehicle and sele ct P
There is a ma lfunction in the transm ission . Park
the ve hicle secure ly and do not cont inue driving.
See an author ized Audi dealer or authorized A udi
Se rvice Facility for assistance.
• Tran smi ssion overheating! Pleas e stop the
v e hicle!
The transmission is too hot and can become dam ­
aged . Stop and let the transmiss ion cool w ith the
engine r unning (at idle) in the P se lector lever po­
s it ion. Then the ind icator light and the message ..,.

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turn off, drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have
the malfunction corrected.
If the indicator light
and the driver message do not turn off, do not
continue driving . See an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility for assistance .
ml Transmission malfunction: You can continue
driving
Drive to an authorized Audi dea ler o r authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
ml Transmission malfunction: no reverse gear
(you can continue driving)
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea le r or authorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
ml Transmission malfunction: You can continue
driving in D until engine off
Drive the vehicle away from moving traffic and
park. See an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility for assistance.
ml Transmission overheating! Please adapt
driving style
Continue driving moderately. When the indicator
light turns off, you can continue driving normal­
ly .
ml Transmission : Press brake pedal and select
gear again.
If the transmission malfunctions because the
temperature is too high, a message appears
when the transmission is cooled.
Automatic transmission
Selector lever emergency release
A pp lies to : vehicles wi th automatic transmissions
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selector
lever can be released in an emergency .
Fig. 84 Selector lever: removi ng the cover
Fig. 85 Se lecto r lever: using the emergency release to
move out of the Pa rk pos ition
The emergency release mechanism is located in
the right area under the selector lever shift gate .
Using the emergency release can be complicated .
We recommend contacting an authorized Aud i
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for as­
sistance, if necessary .
The screwdr iver from the veh icle tool kit located
in the luggage compartment is needed to for the
eme rgency re lease
c:::> page 230. Use the flat side
of the reversible screwdriver blade.
Removing the selector lever cover
.,. Set the park ing brake<®> c:::> .&. to secure your
veh icle from rolling .
.,. Insert the flat side of the screwdriver sideways
in the slot near the shift cover and pry the shift
cover up
c:::> fig. 84 .
.,. Pull up the co rners of the shift cover carefully
with your hands and fold it over the shifter knob
c:::> fig. 85. ..,.
83

Automatic transmission
Selector lever emergency release
.,. Press and hold the yellow release button with
the screwdriver ~
fig. 85 .
.,. Press the release button in the se lector lever @
and move the lever into the N position .
.,. Clip the shift cover back into the shift gate after
using the emergency release .
If the vehicle must be pushed or towed due to a
power failure (for example, the battery is dead),
the selector lever must first be moved to the N
position using the emergency release mecha­
n ism.
A WARNING
Only move the selector lever out of the P posi­
t ion when the parking brake is set.
If that
does not work, secure the vehicle with the
brake pedal. Otherwise, the vehicle could
start to move unintentionally when the selec­
tor lever is moved out of the P position.
84

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Trailer mode Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additiona l load will affect durability, econo­
my and performance.
T railer tow ing not only p laces more stress on the
vehicle, it a lso calls for more concentration from
the dr iver.
F or this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch Use a weight -carrying hitch conforming to the
gross tra iler weig ht. The h itch must be suitab le
for your vehicle and tra iler and must be mo unted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
location . Use on ly a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ba ll mou nt. Always che ck wit h the t rail­
e r hitch manufac turer to make s ure that you are
usi ng the correct hitch .
Do not u se a bumper hitch .
The hitc h must be installed in such a way t hat it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system . No modifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
Fr om time to time, chec k that a ll hitc h mount ing
bo lts rema in securely faste ned.
When you are not towing a trailer,
remove the
tra iler hitch ba ll mount . This prevents the hitch
from ca using damage s hou ld your veh icle be
s truck from beh ind
~ ,&. .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
check to be su re that it conforms to all regula­
tions .
Trailer mode
The t rai ler hydra ulic brake sys tem must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydra ulic
bra ke system.
Safety chains
Always use safety ch ains be tween your ve hicle
and the trailer.
Trailer lights
T ra ile r ligh ts must meet all regulations . Be sure
to chec k w it h your Aud i dea le r fo r correct wir ing,
swi tches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see the traffic behind you us­
i ng the regular outside mir rors, then you
must in­
sta ll extended mirro rs . It i s important that you
always have clear vision to t he rear.
,8. WARNING
Afte r remov ing the tra ile r hi tch , do no t st o re
i t in yo ur vehicle. In ca se of sudden brak ing,
the hitch could fly fo rward and injure you or
your passengers .
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer we ight
A tra iler for your vehicle is lim ited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution B e sure the load in the tra ile r i s held se curely in
pla ce to p reve nt i t from shifting forward, bac k­
ward or si deways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer~.&.
in Driving instructions on page 86.
Engine cooling system
Towing a tra iler makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform ­
ance is up to the additional load . Make sure that
the coo ling syst em has enoug h flu id.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full ..,.
85

Trailer mod e
load" on the la bel located on the driver's side B ­
pillar (visib le when the door is open) . Inflate
tra iler tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specif ications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and t railer lights
are working p roper ly.
Safety chains
Be sure t railer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trai le r to the hi tch on the veh icle.
L eave enough sla ck in the cha ins to permi t turn­
ing corners. When yo u install safety chains, ma ke
sure they wi ll not drag on the road when yo u are
driving .
The cha ins s hou ld cross under the trailer tongue
t o prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the h itch .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration .
To obtain t he best poss ible handling of vehicle
and traile r, please note the fo llow ing :
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not loaded.
.. Be especi ally ca ref ul when pass ing othe r
vehicles.
.. Observe speed limi ts .
.. Do not d rive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.. Always apply brakes early.
.. Monitor the temperature gauge .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded t railer w ith an empty car res ults
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds on ly
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easie r to operate and cont rol.
This means that the tow vehi cle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while
keep ing the tra iler as light as possib le under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the l uggage compartment of the
86
tow veh icle wh ile observing tong ue load require ­
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the mo re diff icu lt i t be­
comes for the driver to con trol the r ig. Do not
drive at t he maxim um permissible speed. Reduce
you r speed even more if load, weather or wind
con dit ions are unfavorab le - partic ularly when
go ing downh ill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limi ts. In some areas, s peeds fo r
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular
vehicles .
A lways apply bra kes early. Whe n driving down­
hill, shift in to a lower gea r to use the engine
b raki ng effect to slow the vehi cle. Use of the
brakes alone ca n cause them to over heat and fai l.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge 9 page 12 must
be obse rved caref ully. The coolant temperature
c a n incre ase if yo u drive o n long incl ines in a low
gear a t high engine speeds . Red uce your speed
immediately if the LE Ds in the top part of the dis­
play turn on .
Fo r more info rm ation abou t indicator lights, re­
fer to .
¢ page 16 .
A WARNING
-
Anyone not prope rly restrai ned in a moving
vehicle is at a much greate r risk in an acci ­
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wear ing the restraints provided
by Aud i.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differen tly when towing a
trailer because o f the additiona l weight and di f­
ferent weight distribution. Safety, performance
and economy will g reatly depend on how caref ul-
l y you load your trai ler and operate you r rig. ..,_

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Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traff ic. Keep practicing until you have be­
come completely familiar with the way your vehi­
cle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer­
ing action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. You wi ll need more
room to stop. To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accel­
erate as fast as you norma lly would because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rap id lane
changes.
@ Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
tra load
<=> page 2 53.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only ofter doing the following:
When parking:
.. Apply the foot brake .
.. Have someone pla ce chocks under both the ve­
hicle and the trailer wheels .
.. With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load .
.. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.. Apply the parking brake .
.. Select the P selector lever position.
When restarting after parking :
.. Apply the foot brake.
.. Start the engine .
.. Select the D/S selector lever position.
Trailer mode
.. Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
.. Stop and have someone retrieve the whee l
chocks.
{!) Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automat­
ic transmission to P before applying the park­
ing brake and before blocking the wheels, you
may have to use more force later to move the
lever out of the P posit ion.
87