2016 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET warning

Intelligent Technology
Do not tow your veh icle bec ause it cannot be
steered. See an authorized Audi dealer or author ­
ized Audi Service Fac ility for assistance .
,IM Steering: Sy stem fault You can continu e
dri ving
If the indi cator lig ht t urns on , the steering whee l
may be mo re diff icu lt to move o r more sensitive
than usual. The steering wheel may also be a t an
angle when dr iving straight.
D rive s low ly to an authorized A udi dealer or au­
thor ized A udi Se rvice Fa cility to have the m al­
f u nction co rrected.
m Steering lock: sy stem fault! Please contact
Servic e
There is a malfunction in the electronic steering
lock.
Drive to an a uthori zed Aud i dea ler or authori zed
Aud i Serv ice Facility immedia tely to have the
malfunct io n corrected .
A WARNING
Have the system malfunction corrected as
soon as poss ible by an author ized Audi dealer
or au thori zed Aud i Serv ice Fa cili ty, as this in­
c re ases the risk of an accident.
{D Tips
If the . or ,:rM i ndica to r light only turns on
for a short time, you may continue dr iv ing.
All wheel drive (quattro)
Applies to: veh icles with all whee l drive
In all wheel drive, all four wheels are powered .
General information
In all wheel drive, the driving power is divided be­
tween all four wheels. This happens automatical­
ly depe nding on your driving behavior as well as
the c urrent road cond itions . Also see
s>
page 116, Electronic stabilization control
( ES C).
The all wheel drive concept is designed for high
engine power . Your ve hicle is exceptionally pow­
erful and has ex cellent driving characterist ics
120
both under normal d riving conditions and on
snow and ice . A lways read and follow safety pre­
ca utions s>
.&..
Winter tires
By using all wheel dr ive, your veh icle has good
forward motion w it h standard t ires in win ter con­
ditions . However, in winter we recommend using
winter or all season tires on
oil four whee ls, be­
ca use this will improve the
broking effect.
Snow chains
I f there are snow ch ain laws , snow ch ains m ust
a lso be used on veh icles with all wheel drive
s>
page 219 , Snow chains .
Replacing tires
For vehicles with a ll w heel drive, o nly wheels with
t h e same ro lli ng ci rcumfe rence sho uld be used.
Avo id whee ls with diffe rent t read depths
¢ page 211 .
Offroad vehicle?
You r Audi is no t an off road vehicle - there is not
enough ground clearance. For th is reaso n, avoid
difficul t ter rain . Also see s>
page 251.
A WARNING
-Also, in veh icles with all wheel drive, ad apt
your d riving sty le to the cu rren t road and
traffic conditions. Do not let the increased
safety provi ded tempt you into taking r is k s,
because this inc reases the risk of an acc i­
dent.
- The braking abi lity of your vehicle is limited
to the traction of the whee ls. I n this way, it
is not different from a two w heel drive vehi­
cle . Do not be tempted to accelerate to a
hig h speed when the road is slippery, be ­
cause t his i ncreases the r is k of an accident .
- Note that on wet s treets, the front wheels
can " hydrop la ne" if dr iv ing at spee ds that
are too high. Unlike front w heel d rive
veh icles, t he engine does no t rev h ig her sud­
de nly when t he vehi cle begins hydrop lan ing.
F or this reason, pay atte ntion to the road
conditions rega rdless of your speed to re ­
duce t he risk of an accident .

Driving sa fe ty
Driving safety
Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instruct ions and warn ings that you need to
read and observe for your own safety, the safety
of your passengers and others. We have summar­ ized here what you need to know about safety
be lts, a irbags, child restra ints as well as child
safety. Your safety is for us
priority number 1 . Al­
ways observe the i nfo rmation and wa rn ings in
this section - for your own safety as well as that
of your passengers.
The information i n this section applies to all
model versions of yo ur vehicle . Some of the fea­
tures descr ibed in t his sections may be s tanda rd
equipment on some models, or may be optional
equipment on others . If you are not sure, ask
your authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
structions and heed the WARNINGS in th is
Manual.
It is in your interest and in the in­
te rest of your passengers.
- Always keep the comp lete Owner's Litera­
ture in your A udi when you lend or se ll your
vehicle so that this important information
will always be available to the d river and
passenge rs.
- Always keep the Owner 's literature handy so
that you can find it easily i f you have ques­
t ions.
- Always adjust your speed to the wea ther
t raff ic and conditions. Follow the speed lim­
its.
- Always dr ive in such a way that you can s top
yo ur vehicle safely.
- Always adjust your speed to the genera l
flow of traffic. Follow the speed l imits.
124
· Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant re­
straint system and work together to help reduce the risk of injury in a wide variety of accident sit­
uations.
You r safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance . Advances in tech­
no logy have made a va riety of features available
to help red uce the risk of inj ury in an accident.
The following is a lis t of jus t a few of the safe ty
fea tures in yo ur Audi :
- sophisticated safety be lts fo r drive r and all pas-
senge r seat ing pos itions,
- safety belt pretensioners,
- safety bel t force lim ite rs fo r the front seats,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags for the front seats*
- side airbags in the front seats,
- special LATCH anchorages fo r child res trai nts,
- head rest raints fo r each seati ng position,
- adjustab le steering column.
- pre sense bas ic * (preventative passenger pro-
tect ion)
These ind iv idual safety features, can work to­
gether as a system to he lp protect you and your
passengers i n a wide range of acc idents. These
fea tures cannot wo rk as a system if they are not
always correctly adjusted and cor rect ly used.
Safet y is e verybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job! Vehicle and occupant
safety always depends on the informed and care­
ful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
be fo re dri ving always:
.. Make sure that a ll lights and signals a re operat­
ing correctly.
.. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
.. Make sure that all windows are clean and afford
good vis ibility to the outs ide .
.. Secu re all luggage and other items carefully
,=;,page 58, ,=;,page 57 . .,.

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.. Make sure that nothing can interfere with the
pedals.
.. Adjust front seat , head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height.
.. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints accord ing to their height .
.. Make sure to use the right ch ild restraint cor­
rectly to protect children
~ page 165, Child
safety .
.,. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
¢page 53, Front
seats .
.. Fasten your safety be lt and wear it properly. Al­
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe­
ty belts properly ¢
page 135 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of
the vehicle , the driver as well as the driver's abili­
ty to concentrate on the road without being dis­
tracted.
The driver is responsible for the safety of the ve­
hicle and all of its occupants. If your ability to
drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody in the
veh icle increase and you also become a hazard to
everyone else on the road
¢ ,&. Therefore :
.,. Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular telephone.
.. NEVER dr ive when your driv ing ability is im ­
paired (by medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.) .
.. Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and
speed limits and plain common sense.
.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and
weathe r conditions.
.. Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive
for more than two hours at a stretch .
.. Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pres­
sure or when you are stressed.
A WARNING
Impaired dr iv ing safety increases the risk of
ser ious personal inj ury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
Driving safety
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving .
Fig. 120 Correct seating pos it ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the driver 's seat to the following
position:
.. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor while
keep ing your knee(s) slightly bent¢,& .
.,. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contact wi th it when you dr ive .
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a dis­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
steering whee l and your breast bone¢
fig. 120.
If not poss ible, see your author ized A udi deal­
ership about adaptive equipment.
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering
wheel and airbag cover points at your chest and
not at your face .
.,. Grasp the top of the steering wheel with your
elbow(s) slightly bent .
.. For adjustable head restraints: Adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
b le with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this posit ion as possible. Move the
head restraint so that it is as close to the back
of the head as possible.
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 138. ..,.
125

Driving safety
"' Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in control of the vehicle at all times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
c;, page 53.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the airbag can be seriously in­
jured by an airbag as it unfolds . To help re­
duce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breastbone
and the steering wheel.
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and the
lower part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the out ­
side of the steering wheel rim with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to help reduce the risk of personal in­
jury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause
serious injuries to the hands, arms and head if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the su pplemen­
tal driver's airbag to protect you in a colli­
sion.
- Always sit in an upright position and never lean against or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are
located .
- Before driving, always adjust the front seats
properly and make sure that all passengers
are properly restrained .
- For adjustable head restraints: before driv­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly .
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is
moving. Your seat may move unexpectedly
and you could lose control of the vehicle.
126
-
-Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position .
- Children must always ride in child seats
c:;, page 165 . Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
c:;, page 143.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is
important for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident , we recommend
that you adjust the seat for the front passenger
to the following position:
"'Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position and your back comes in full
contact with it whenever the vehicle is moving.
"'For adjustable head restraints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
c:;, page 12 7 . Move the head restraint so that it
is as close to the back of the head as possible.
"' Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat .
"' Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c;,page 138.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
c:;, page 53 .
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out
of position or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured or killed by the airbag as it
unfolds. To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright po­
sition and never lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
Ill-

-Passengers who are unbelted, out of posi­
tion or too close to the airbag can be seri­
ously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye.
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front pas­
senger's breastbone and the instrument
panel.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front passen­ ger's knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
- Before driving, always adjust the front pas­
senger seat properly.
- For adjustable head restraints: before driv­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly.
-Always keep your feet on the floor in front
of the seat. Never rest them on the seat, in­
strument panel, out of the window, etc. The
airbag system and safety belt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in­
crease the risk of injury in a crash.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child seats
c> page 165. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
c> page 143.
Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with both
feet on the floor consistent with their physical
size and be properly restrained whenever the ve­
hicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect
;;§ seating position in the event of a sudden braking
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maneuver or an accident, your passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the follow­
ing:
Driving safety
.,. For adjustable head restraints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
c>page 127.
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
c> page 138.
.,. Make sure that children are always properly re­
strained in a child restraint that is appropriate
for their size and ager:!;>
page 165.
A WARNING
-
Passengers who are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be seriously injured in a crash.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the
safety belt belonging to that seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum protection
when the safety belts are properly posi­
tioned on the body and securely latched. By not sitting upright, a rear seat passenger in­
creases the risk of personal injury from im­
properly positioned safety belts!
- For adjustable head restraints: always ad­
just the head restraint properly so that it
can give maximum protection.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
App lies to: vehicles with adjusta ble head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an impor ­
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys­
tem and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in
accident situations.
Fig. 121 Head restraint: viewed from the front
127

Driving sa fe ty
The head restraints must be correc tly adjusted to
achieve the best protection .
.,. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is
as even as poss ible with the top of your head.
If
that is not possible, try to adjust the head re ­
straint so that it is as close to this position as
poss ib le
~ fig . 121.
.,. If there is a passenger on the rear center seat­
ing pos it ion, slide the center head restra int up­
ward at least to the next notch.
Adjusting head restraints
c::> page 55.
A WARNING
All seats are equipped with head restraints.
Dr iv ing without head restraints or with head
restraints that are not proper ly adjusted in­
creases the risk of ser ious or fatal neck injury
dramatically. To help reduce the r is k of injury:
- Always dr ive with the head restraints in
place and properly ad justed .
- Every person in the vehicle must have a properly adjusted head restra int.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
prope rly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restra int so the uppe r edge is as
even as possib le w ith the top of you r head.
If that is no t possib le, t ry to adjust the head
restra int so th at it is as close to th is position
as possib le. Move the head restraint so that
it is as close to the back of the hea d as pos­
sible.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
whi le driving. If you have dr iven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any rea­
son, first stop the vehicle safely before at­
tempting to ad just the head restra int.
- Children must always be properly restrained
in a chi ld restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size
c::> page 165.
128
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are properly
seated .
Improper seating positions can cause ser ious in­
jury or death . Safety be lts ca n only work when
they are properly positioned on t he body . Im­
prope r seat ing pos itions red uce the effectiveness
of safety bel ts a nd will even increase t he risk of
i njury and deat h by mov ing the safety bel t to cr it­
ic al areas of the body. Improper seating positions
a lso increase the risk of se rio us in jury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occ upant
who is not in the proper seating posit ion. A dr iver
i s responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants and espec ially for children. Therefore :
.,. Never allow anyone to assume an incor rect
seating position when the vehicle is being used
Q A .
The following bulletins list on ly some samp le po ­
s itions that will increase the r isk of serious injury
and death . Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seating positions that
a re dangerous .
Therefore, whene ver the vehicl e is m oving:
-never stand up in the vehicle
- neve r stand on the seats
- neve r kneel on the seats
- neve r ride w it h the seatback recl ined
- never l ie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never s it on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean out the window
- neve r put your feet o ut the window
- neve r put your feet on the instr ument panel
- neve r res t your feet on the seat c ushion or back
of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area

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A WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death whenever
a vehicle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
stay in a proper seating position and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is
being used.
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
Important safety instructions
Applies to: veh icles with knee airbags
A WARNING
Always make sure that the knee airbag can in­
flate without interference. Objects between
yourself and the airbag can increase the risk
of injury in an accident by interfering with the
way the airbag deploys or by being pushed in­
to you as the airbag deploys.
- No persons (children) or animals should ride in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat. If the airbag deploys, this can result in
serious or fatal injuries .
- No objects of any kind should be carried in
the footwell area in front of the driver's or passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shopping
bags, for example) can hamper or prevent
proper deployment of the airbag. Small ob­
jects can be thrown through the vehicle if
the airbag deploys and injure you or your
passengers.
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat or
any other object.
Make sure that all pedals move freely without in­
terference and that nothing prevents them from
returning to their original positions.
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area free
and can be secured with floor mat fasteners.
Driving safety
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake pedal trav­
el is required to bring the vehicle to a full stop.
A WARNING
-Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss
of vehicle control and increase the risk of seri­
ous injury.
- Never place any objects in the driver's foot­ well. An object could get into the pedal area
and interfere with pedal function. In case of
sudden braking or an accident, you would
not be able to brake or accelerate!
- Always make sure that nothing can fall or
move into the driver's footwell.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely at­ tached to the floor mat fasteners and do not in­
terfere with the free movement of the pedals.
.. Make sure that the floor mats are properly se­
cured and cannot move and interfere with the
pedals¢ .&,.
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area un­
obstructed and that are firmly secured so that
they cannot slip out of position. You can obtain
suitable floor mats from your authorized Audi Dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached
to these fasteners. Properly securing the floor mats will prevent them from sliding into posi­
tions that could interfere with the pedals or im­
pair safe operation of your vehicle in other ways.
A WARNING ~
Pedals that cannot move freely can result in a
loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of
serious personal injury.
-Always make sure that floor mats are prop­
erly secured.
- Never place or install floor mats or other floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot be
properly secured in place to prevent them
from slipping and interfering with the ped-
als or the ability to control the vehicle.
Ill>
129

Driving safety
-Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already installed
floor mats. Additional floor mats and other
coverings will reduce the size of the pedal
area and interfere with the pedals .
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for cleaning.
- Always make sure that objects cannot fall
into the driver footwell while the vehicle is
moving . Objects can become trapped under
the brake pedal and accelerator pedal caus­ ing a loss of veh icle control.
Storing cargo correctly
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be properly
stowed and secured in the luggage compart­
ment.
Fig. 122 Safe load positio nin g: place heavy objects as low
and as far forward as possible (example).
N ;;:; 0
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Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling charac­
teristics . Loose items can also increase the risk of
serious personal injury in a sudden vehicle ma­
neuver or in a collision.
.,. Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com­
partment .
.,. Always place and properly secure heavy items in
the luggage compartment as far forward as
possible .
.,. Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided
~ page 58.
.,. Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place .
130
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can
fly through the vehicle caus ing serious per­
sonal injury in the event of hard braking or an
accident. To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
- Always put objects, for example, luggage or
other heavy items in the luggage compart­
ment.
-Always secure objects in the luggage com­
partment using the tie-down hooks and
suitable straps .
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehi­
cle handles. To help reduce the risk of a loss
of control leading to serious personal injury:
- Always keep in m ind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the center of
gravity can also cause changes in vehicle
handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in the
luggage compartment as possible .
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating
or the Gross Veh icle Weight Rating specified
on the safety compliance sticker on the left
door jamb. Exceeding permissible we ight
standards can cause the vehicle to slide and
handle differently.
- Please observe information on safe driving
~page 124.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from
being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the
rear lid closed while driving .
- Never transport objects larger than those
fitting completely into the luggage area be­
cause the rear lid cannot be fully closed.
- If you absolutely must dr ive with the rear lid
open, observe the following notes to reduce
the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power top,