2016 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET ESP

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Warm and cold Climate control system
Description
The climate control system* cools and removes
humidity from the air in the vehicle interior. It is
the most effect ive when the windows and power
top are closed. If there is a build-up of heat in­
side the vehicle, ventilation can help to speed up
the cooling process. Because of this, the windows
can be opened from outside.
¢ page 34, Conven­
ience opening/closing
Pollutant filter
The pollutant filter removes pollutants such as
dust and pollen from the air.
Key recognition
Different climate control system* settings are
stored and assigned to the remote control key
that is be ing used .
A WARNING
Poor visibility can lead to accidents.
- For safer driving, keep all windows free of
ice, snow and fog.
- Become familiar as quickly as possible with
the correct use and function of the climate
control system, especially with the defrost­
ing and defogging function.
- When the temperature is below freezing,
only use the windshield washer system after
the windshield has been warmed by the cli­
mate control system. The washer fluid could
Warm and cold
freeze on the windshield and impair visibili­
ty.
@ Note
- If you suspect that the climate contro l sys­
tem is damaged, switch the system off to
prevent further damage and have it checked
by an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility.
- Repairs to the Audi climate control system
require special technical knowledge and
special tools. See an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Fac ility.
@) For the sake of the environment
Reducing the amount of fuel used also re­
duces the amount of pollutants that enter the
air.
(D Tips
- To prevent interference with the heating
and cooling output and to prevent the win­
dows from fogging over, the air intake in
front of the windshield must be free of ice, snow or leaves.
- Condensation from the cooling system* can dr ip and form a pudd le of water under the
vehicle. This is normal and does not mean
there is a leak.
- The energy management system may switch
the seat heating* or rear window defroster
off temporarily . These systems are available
again as soon as the energy supply has been
restored.
- The flows through the vents under the rear
window. Make sure the openings are not
covered when placing clothing on the lug­
gage compartment cover.
61

Driving
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your fuel
consumption by 10-15 percent. This section will
give you some tips on how you can help the envi­ ronment and your pocketbook.
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehicle
load and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­
ating.
.. Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking .
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­
ating. If you anticipate what is going to happen next, you will need to brake less and, thus, accel­
erate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possi ­
ble -for example when you see that the next traf­
fic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and im­
proves your mileage.
.. Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed .
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consumption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ­ ment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and engine
noise increase disproportionately at high speeds.
If you drive at approximately three quarters of
top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by
one half . Never drive faster than the posted
speed limit and weather conditions permit.
66
· Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel .
.. Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle .
.,. Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the en-
gine run at idle .
It is efficient to switch off the engine when stop­
ped at railroad crossings and long red lights.
Turning the engine off for just 30 -40 seconds
saves more fuel than is burned by starting the
engine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle . However, wear
and noxious emissions are especially high when
the engine is warming up . So you should drive
away as soon as you start the engine and avoid running at high rpms while the engine is still
warming up .
@ Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting. If warning lights should come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces
heat, which could result in overheating or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper­
ty.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot
of fuel.
.. Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
Audi dealer helps to ensure that it runs properly
and economically. The condition of your vehicle
not only affects its safety and ability to hold its
value, it also affects
fuel consumption.
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oil used is related to engine load
and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new en­
gine to reach its lowest value after a certain mile -
age has been driven . ..,.

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 ..,.

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

Ass is t
Assist
Electronic speed limiter
Applies to: vehicles with electronic speed limiter
Your vehicle may be factory equipped wi th tires
that are rated for a maximum 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 control if the veh icle is operat­
ed at excessive speeds, your vehicle also has an
electron ic speed limiter. The electron ic speed
lim iter prevents your veh icle from going faster
than the t ire speed rating. For mo re information
~page 211.
If the engine control unit receives faulty vehicle
road speed s ignals, the Ma lfunction Ind icator
L amp (MIL)
¢;5 will illum inate. If this occurs,
con ta ct the nearest au thori zed A ud i d ealer for
assis tance.
A WARNING
Always observe the posted speed limits and
adjust your speed to s uit prevailing road, traf­
fic and weather cond itions. Never drive your
vehicle faster than t he maximum speed rat ing
of the tires installed.
Speed warning system
Introduction
The speed warning system helps you to stay un­
der a specified maximum speed.
-
The speed warning system warns you if you are
exceeding the maximum speed that you have set .
You will hear a wa rning tone when your speed ex­
ceeds the stored va lue by app roxima tely 3 mph
(3 km/h). The. (U SA mode ls)/ . (Canada
models) ind ic a tor light and the message
Speed
limit e xceeded!
appear in the inst rument cluste r
disp lay at the same time. The./. indicato r
light t urns off when the speed decreases be low
the stored maximum speed.
Se tting a thresho ld is recommended if you would
like to be reminded when yo u reach a certain
maximum speed. Situations where you may want
to do so include driving in a country wit h a gener-
88
al speed limit or if there is a spec ified maximum
speed for winter tires.
(D Tips
Regar dless o f th e speed war ning system, you
shou ld always monitor your spee d using the
speedometer and make s ure yo u are fo llow ing
the legal speed limit .
Setting the threshold
You can set, change and delete the threshold in
the MMI .
.. Sele ct: the I M ENU I button >Car > Systems*
control button > Drive r assi stance > Speed
wa rning.
You can se t any thresho ld between 20 mp h
(3 0 km/h) and 150 mph (2 40 km/ h). Settings
can each be adj usted in increments of S mph ( 10
km/ h).
Cruise control system
· Description
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
The cru ise cont rol system ma kes it possib le to
dr ive at a constan t speed star tin g at 15 mph
(2 0 k m/h).
The speed is kep t constant by mod ifying engine
power or through an active bra ke interven tion.
A WARNING
- Always p ay att ention to the tr affi c ar ou nd
you whe n the cruise co ntro l is in opera tion.
Y ou are always responsible fo r your speed
and the distance between your veh icle and
other vehicles.
- For safety reasons, cruise cont rol should not
be used in the city, in stop-and-go traff ic, on
winding roads and when road conditions a re
poor (such as ice, fog, g ravel, heavy ra in and
hyd roplaning), because this inc reases the
ris k of an accident.
- Switch the cruise control off temporarily
when dr iv ing in turning lanes, highway exits
or in constr uct ion zones.
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General information
Appl ies to: ve hicles with Audi adaptive cruise contro l an d Audi
p re se nse front
Fig. 88 Front of vehicle: sensor
The general information applies to adaptive
cruise control* and pre sense front*
i::;, page 97.
The radar sensor area
i::!:> fig. 88 must not be cov­
ered with stickers, deposits or any other obstruc­
tions as it may impair the function of the adap­
tive cruise control and the pre sense front. For in­
formation on cleaning, refer to
c> page 224. The
same applies for any modifications made in the
front area .
The function of the adaptive cruise control sys­
tem and pre sense front is limited in some condi­
tions :
- Objects can only be detected when they are
within the sensor range ¢
page 90, fig. 87.
-The system has a limited ability to detect ob­
jects that are a short distance ahead, off to the side of your vehicle or moving into your lane.
- Objects that are difficult to detect such as mo­
torcycles, vehicles with high ground clearance
or an overhanging load are detected late or not detected at all.
- When driving through curves'=>
page 92.
- With stationary objects ¢
page 92.
A WARNING
Always pay attention to traffic when adaptive
cruise control is switched on and the pre
sense front is active
'=> page 9 7. As the driv­
er, you are still responsible for starting and
for maintaining speed and distance to other objects. The pre sense front is used to assist
you. The driver must always take action to
Assist
avoid a collision. The driver is always responsi­
ble for braking at the correct time.
- Using adaptive cruise control incorrectly can
cause collisions, other accidents and serious
injuries.
- For safety reasons, do not use adaptive
cruise control when driving on roads with
many curves, when the road surface is in
poor condition and/or in bad weather (such
as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and hydroplan­
ing). Using the system under these condi­
tions could result in a collision.
- Switch adaptive cruise control off tempora­
rily when driving in turning lanes, on ex­
pressway exits or in construction zones. This
prevents the vehicle from accelerating to
the set speed when in these situations.
- The adaptive cruise control system will not
brake by itself if you put your foot on the ac­
celerator pedal. Doing so can override the
speed and distance regulation.
- When approaching stationary objects such
as stopped traffic, adaptive cruise control
will not respond and pre sense front will
have limited function.
- The adaptive cruise control system and pre
sense front do not react to people, animals,
objects crossing the road or oncoming ob­
jects.
- The function of the radar sensors can be af­
fected by reflective objects such as guard
rails, the entrance to a tunnel, heavy rain or
ice.
- Always maintain enough distance from
vehicles ahead so that you can still brake
your vehicle safely . The adaptive cruise con­
trol cannot safely slow your vehicle or brake it to a stop if you are driving too close be­
hind a vehicle. Please note that the auto­
matic braking function cannot brake sud­
denly or apply the brakes fully under these
conditions.
- To reduce the risk of unintended actions,
switch the ACC off when you a re not actively
using it.
~
91

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Overriding cruise control
Ove rriding means ex ceeding the selected speed
when adaptive cruise control is active, for exam­
p le when pressing the accelerator peda l when
pass ing.
"'T o accelerate manua lly, p ull the lever toward
you into position @and ho ld it there . T he mes ­
sage
ACC : over ride appears . Or
"' press th e accelerator pedal.
"' To resume cruise control, release the lever or
take your foot off the acce lerator pedal.
Inte rrupting cruise contr ol w hil e driving
"'Move the lever into position @. The message
ACC: standb y appears. Or
"' press th e brake pedal.
"' To resume the stored speed, move the lever in­
to posit ion @.
Int errupting c rui se contr ol wh en stopped
"' Push the lever away from you into position @.
The message
ACC : stan dby appears.
"' To resume cruise control, press the brake pedal
and pull the lever toward you into position@.
A WARNING
It is dangerous to activate cruise control and
resume the stored speed when the current
road, traffic or weather conditions do not pe r­
m it this. This could result in a crash.
Setting the distance
App lies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control
F ig. 95 O perat ing leve r: sett ing the d ist an ce
"'Tap the switch to display the current set dis­
tance
c> fig . 95 .
Assist
"'To increase or reduce the d istance in incre­
ments, tap th e switch again to the right or left.
T he distance between the two veh icles will
change in the instrument cluster display.
When approaching an object detected ahead, the adaptive cruise contro l system brakes to match
that object's speed and then regul ates to the
stored distance. If the object detected ahead ac­ celerates, adaptive cruise contro l will also accel­
erate up to the stored speed .
The higher the speed, the greater the distance in meters
c> & . The Distance 3 setting is recom­
mended . That is equa l to the general recommen­
dation of "half t he speed shown on the speedom ­
eter ".
The distances provided are example values. De­ pending on the driv ing s ituation, the current
speed and the way the object detected ahead is
driv ing, the actual d ista nce may be more or less
t h an these target d istances .
o::::::::,_o::::::::, ___ Distance 1: th is sett ing corresponds
to a distance of 92 feet/ 28 meters when at a speed of 62 mph ( 100 km/h), for example (time
betwee n: 1 second).
o::::::::, __ o::::::::, __ Distanc e 2: this setting corresponds
to a distance of 118 feet/ 36 meters when at a speed of 62 mph ( 100 km/h), for example (time
betwee n: 1.3 seconds) .
o::::::::, ___ o::::::::,_ Distance 3: this setting corresponds
to a distance of 164 feet
I SO meters when at a
speed of 62 mph ( 100 km/h), for example (time
betwee n: 1.8 seconds) .
o::::::::, ____ o::::::::, Distance 4: this setting corresponds
to a distance of 219 feet
I 67 meters when at a
speed of 62 mph ( 100 km/h), for example (time
betwee n: 2.4 seconds) .
A WARNING
-Driving too close to other vehicles increa ses
the risk of collis ions an d serio us inju ries .
- Sett ing sho rt d istances to vehicles ahead re­
duces the dis tance an d time th at you have
to stop your vehicle safe ly . Th is increases
the need for you to pay attention to traffic . ..,.
95