2016 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET Owners Manual

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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.
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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).
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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,

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-Open all air outlets in the instrument pan­
el,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed.
& WARNING -
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the power top and the rear lid are se­
curely closed and locked to reduce the risk of
injury when the vehicle is not being used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make sure
that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended espe­
cially with the rear lid left open. A child
could crawl into the vehicle through the lug­
gage compartment and close the rear lid be­
coming trapped and unable to get out. Be­
ing trapped in a veh icle can lead to serious
personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the vehi­
cle.
- Never let passengers r ide in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must al­
ways be properly restrained in one of the ve­
hicle's seating positions.
(!) Tips
- Air c irculation helps to reduce window fog­
ging . Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure to
keep these slots free and open.
- The t ire pressure must correspond to the
l oad. The tire pressure is shown on the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure label is lo­
cated on the driver's side B-pillar. The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the vehicle at its
maximum capacity weight and the tires that
were on your vehicle at the t ime it was man­
ufactured. For recommended tire pressures
for normal load conditions, please see chap­
ter
c> page 214.
Driving safety
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with four
tie-downs to secure luggage and other items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo properly
c> page 130, Loading the luggage compartment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that even
smaller items that are loose in the veh icle will
become heavy missiles th at can cause serious in­
jury. Items in the vehicle possess energy which
vary w ith vehicle speed and the we ight of the
item . Vehicle speed is the most significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed of
30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb
(4 .5 kg) object are about 20 times the normal
we ight of the item. This means that the we ight
of the item would sudden ly be about
200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the injuries
that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying freely through
the passenger compartment cou ld cause in a col­
lision like this .
& WARNING
----
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to tie-downs can fail during hard
braking or in a collision and cause serious per­
sonal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shifting or flying forward as dan­
gerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded down,
always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from flying forward as dangerous
missi les into the passenger compartment.
- Never attach a child safety seat tether strap
to a tie-down.
131

Driving safety
Reporting Safet y Defects
Appl icable to U .S .A .
If you believe that your vehicle
has a defect which could cause a
crash or could cause injury or
death, you should immediately in­
form the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in
addition to notifying Audi of
America, Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar com ­
plaints, it may open an investiga­
tion, and if it finds that a safety
defects exists in a group of
vehicles, it may order a recall and
remedy campaign . However,
NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you,
your dea ler , or Audi of America,
Inc.
To contact the NHTSA, you may either call:
Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 ( TTY:
1-800-424-9 153) or
1-800 -424 -9393
or you may write to :
132
NHTSA
U.S . Department of Transporta­
tion
1200 New Jersey Ave ., S.E .
West Building Washington, DC 20590
You can also obtain other infor­ mation about motor vehicle safe ­
ty from:
http:/ /www .safercar.gov
Applicable to Canada
If you live in Canada and you be­
lieve that your vehicle has a de­
fect that could cause a crash, in­
jury o r death, you should immedi­
ately inform Transport Canada, Defec t Investigations and Recalls.
You should also notify Audi Cana­ da .
Canadian customers who wish to report a safety-related defect to
Transport Canada, Defect Invest i­
gations and Recalls , may either
call Transport Canada to ll-free at:
Tel. : 1- 800 -333-0510 or
Tel.: 1-819-994-3328 (Ottawa re­
gion and from other countr ies)
T TY for hea ring impaired: Te l.:
1-888-67 5-6863
or contact Transport Canada by mail at :

Transport Canada M otor Vehicle Safety Investig a­
tions Laboratory
80 Noel Street
Gatin eau, QC
J8Z OAl
For additional road safety infor­
mation, please visit the Road
Safety website at:
http:/ /www.tc.gc.ca/eng/
road safety/menu. htm
Active rollover
protection system
Function
The rollover protection system protects vehicle
occupants in the event of a rollover.
----Fig. 123 Rear seats: rollbar dep loy men t range
~ The active rollover protection system consists of: ..... 0
S: -two rollbars 00
Driving safety
-the safety belts with belt tensioners
- the windshield frame
- the rollover sensors
The active rollover protection system provides
additional safety in the event of a rollover. With ­
in milliseco nds, sensors dep loy two rollbars lo­
cated beh ind the head restraints in the rear seats
Qfig . 124.
The rollbars, reinforced windshield frame and
belt tensioners help protect front and rear pas­
sengers in the event of a rollover.
The rollover protection system functions when
the power top is both open and closed .
A WARNING
Do not use the area behi nd the rear seat head
r estraints
Q fig. 123 as a storage area. T h is is
the area where the rollbars deploy. If the roll­
over protection system is triggered, objects
place there can be propelled through the ve ­
hicle and make it more difficult for the roll­
bars to deploy. This increases the risk for seri­
ous or life-threatening in juries.
When is rollover protection deployed?
Rollover protection deploys in a collision or roll­
over.
Depending on the collision, sensors throughout
the vehicle and the control modu le trigger the
rollover system to deploy.
For safety reasons, rollover protection also de­
ploys during front, side and rear collisions above
a certain level of severity.
133

Driving safety
Retracting rollover protection
Fig. 12 5 Deployed rollbar w ith re lease loop.
--------
F ig. 126 Deployed rollbar w ith power top frame facing up­
ward.
If the ro llover p rotection h as triggered bu t the
ve hicle was no t invo lved in an accident, you can
retract the rollover protection yourself in an
emergency . Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler or
author ized Audi Service Facility immediately to
have the malfunction corrected.
With the power top open
• Pull the loop upward in the d irection of the ar­
row and hold it in place~
fig. 125 .
• Slide the rollbar down.
• Release the loop just before the rollbar reaches
its end position (1-2 in./ 3-5 cm).
• Press the ro llbar down until it stops .
• Make su re the rollbar is secure before re leas ing
it.
• Close the cover@ 9
fig. 126.
• Repe at the p rocedure on t he other ro llba r.
With the power top closed
• Switch on the ignition .
• Press the power top switch to adjust the power
top frame until it is ve rtical 9
fig. 126 .
134
• Pull the loop upward in the direction o f the ar­
row and ho ld it in p lace
9fig. 125.
• Slide the ro llbar down.
• Release the loop just before the ro llbar reaches
its end position (1-2 in./ 3-5 cm).
• Press the rollbar down until it stops.
• Make sure the rollbar is secure before releasing
it .
• Close the cover @'*
fig. 126.
• Repeat the procedu re on the othe r rollbar.
• You can now close the powe r top agai n.
A WARNING
-
-Make sure your head or other parts of yo ur
body are not located in the a rea above the
rollbar when pressing the ro llbar down. If
the rollbar is not secured correct ly, it could
deploy again as soon as you release it and
cause injur ies.
- Have the rollover protection system checked
by and author ized Audi dealer or authorized
Aud i Serv ice Facility if it malfunctions. O th­
erwis e the syst em may not deploy correctly
in a collision.
- Mod ifying the rollover pro tection system or
in dividual componen ts is not pe rm itted.
- Work on the ro llover p rotection system
should only be performed by an a uthorized
Aud i dea le r o r auth o riz e d Audi Serv ice Facili­
ty. Otherwise the system m ay no t fu n ction
correctly in a collision or it could deploy un­
expectedly .
- H ave t he sys tem inspected a t service inte r­
vals. This ensures the system will always be ready for use . Have an autho rized Aud i dea l­
er or author ized Audi Service Facility check
the rollover protect ion system every two
years at the latest.

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Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts are neces­
sary, how they work and how to adjust and wear
them correctly.
~ Read all the information that follows and heed
all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death .
- Safety belts are the single most effective
means available to reduce the risk of serious
injury and death in automobile accidents.
For your protection and that of your passen­
gers, always correctly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is moving.
- Pregnant women, injured, or physically im­
paired persons must also use safety belts.
Like all vehicle occupants, they are more
likely to be seriously injured if they do not
wear safety belts. The best way to protect a
fetus is to protect the mother -throughout
the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of four seating positions:
two in the front and two in the rear. Each seating position has a safety belt .
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death.
- Never strap more than one person, includ­
ing small children, into any belt.
It is espe­
cially dangerous to place a safety belt over a
child sitting on your lap.
- Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are safety belts available.
Safety belts
-Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safety
belt or child restraint.
~ Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle hos o warning system for the driver
and front seat passenger (on USA models only)
to remind you about the importance of buckling­
up .
Fig. 127 Safety belt warn ing light in the instrument clus ­
te r -enlarged
Before driving off, always:
.. Fasten your safety belt and make sure you are
wearing it properly.
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~ Make sure that your passengers also buckle up
and properly wear their safety belts .
~ Protect children w ith a ch ild restraint system
appropr iate for the size and age .
The warning light . in the instrument cluster
lights up when the ignit ion is on as a reminder to
fasten the safety belts. In addition, you wil l hear
a warning tone for a certain period of time.
Fasten your safety belt and make sure that your
passengers also properly put on their safety
belts.
A WARNING
-
- Safety belts are the sing le most effective
means available to reduce the risk of serious
injury and death in automobile accidents.
F or your protection and that of your passen­
gers, a lways correctly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is moving .
- Failure to pay attention to the warning light
that come on, could lead to personal injury.
135

Safety belts
Why use safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for peo­
ple riding in vehicles .
Fig. 128 Unbelted occupants in a veh icle headi ng fo r a wall
Fig. 129 The vehicle c rashes into the wall
The physical principles are simple. Both the vehi­
cle and the passengers possess energy which var­ ies w ith vehicle speed and body weight . Engi­
neers call this energy "k inetic energy."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the
greater the vehicle's weight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash.
Vehicle speed is the most significant factor .
If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to
50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
Because the passengers of this vehicle are not us­
ing safety belts~
fig. 128, they will keep moving
at the same speed the vehicle was moving just
before the crash, unti l something stops them -
here, the wall~
fig. 129.
The same principles apply to people sitting in a
vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision . Even
at c ity speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50 km/h),
the forces acting on the body can reach one ton
136 (2,000 lbs,
or 1,000 kg) or more. At greater
speeds, these forces are even higher.
People who do not use safety belts are also not
attached to their vehicle. In a frontal collision
they will also keep moving forward at the speed
their vehicle was travelling just before the crash.
Of course, the laws of physics don't just apply to
frontal collisions, they determine what happens in all kinds of accidents and collisions .
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in­
jured or killed . Always wear your safety belts!
Fig. 130 A drive r not wea ring a safety belt is vio len tly
th row n forward
Fig. 131 A rea r passe nge r not wea ring a safety belt will fly
forward and st rike t he drive r
Unbelted occupants are not ab le to resist the tre­
mendous forces of impact by holding tight or
bracing themselves. Without the benefit of safe­
ty restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant
will slam violently into the steering wheel, in­
strument panel, windshield, or whatever else is i n the way~
fig. 130 . This impact w ith the vehi­
cle inter ior has all the energy they had just be-
fo re the crash .
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