2016 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET Owners Manual

Your safety and that of your pas­sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex­
ceeded. Vehicle load includes ev­
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehi­
cle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat­
ing
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight
of the basic vehicle, all factory in­
stalled accessories, a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
plus maximum load. The maxi­
mum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is in­
tended to carry ("seating capaci­
ty") with an assumed weight of
150 lbs. (68 kg) for each passen­
ger at a designated seating posi­
tion and the total weight of any luggage in the vehicle. If you tow
a trailer, the weight of the trailer
hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer must be includ­
ed as part of the vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles .
; The fact that there is an upper
N
~ limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi-
o
s: a:,
Tires and wheels
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a trailer hitch and
the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited. The more pas­
sengers in the vehicle or passen­
gers who are heavier than the
standard weights assumed mean
that less weight can be carried as
luggage.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety compli­
ance sticker label located on the driver's side B-pillar
9page 214,
fig. 170.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per­
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and increase the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance.
217

Tires and wheels
-Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail sud­
denly, including a blowout and
sudden deflation, causing loss of control and a crash .
-Always make sure that the to­ tal load being transported -
including the weight of a trail­
er hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer­ does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to calcu­
late the total weight of the pas­
sengers and luggage or other
things that you plan to transport
so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overload­ ed .
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1 . Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCU­
PANTS AND CARGO SHOULD
NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS"on your vehicle's placard
(tire inflation pressure label)
¢page 214, fig.170.
218
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight
of the driver and passengers
from
"XXX" kilograms or "XXX"
pounds shown on the sticker
¢page 214, fig. 170.
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For ex­
ample, if the "XXX" amount
equals
1400 lbs . and there will
be five
150 lbs. passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 X 150) = 650
lbs.)
5. Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely ex­ ceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calculat­
ed in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your ve­
hicle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces ...

<( co .... N r--­N .... 0 r--­> co
the availab le cargo an d lug­
gage loa d capaci ty o f yo ur vehi­
c le.
.,,. Chec k the tire s idewall
(¢ page 204 , fig. 16 8) to deter ­
min e th e des ig nate d lo ad ratin g
for a speci fic tir e.
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel b olts
Wheel bolts must be clean and loosen/t ighten
eas ily.
Rims
R ims with a bolted rim ring* or w ith bolted wheel
covers* consist of mu ltip le pieces . These compo­
n ents we re bolted toge ther using specia l bolts
and a specia l procedure . You must not repair or
disassemble them¢
A.
A WARNING
-
Wheel bolts that are tightened or repaired in­
correctly can become loose and result in loss
of vehicle control, which increases the risk of
an acc ident. For the correct tightening specif i­
cation, refer to¢
page 235, After changing a
wheel .
-Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hub clean and free of
grease.
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim.
-Always have damaged r ims repaired by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Aud i
Service Facility. Never repair or d isassemble
rims yourself, because this increases the risk
of an accident.
Winter tires
W inter tires s ignificantly improve the vehicle's
h andling w hen d riving in w inter condit ions. Be­
cause of the ir constr uction (width, compound,
tread pattern), summe r tires provide less trac­
tion on ice and snow.
Tir es and wheel s
.. Use winter tires on all four wheels.
.. On ly use winter tires that are approved for your
veh icle.
.. Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires¢,&. An
author ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv ­
ice Facility can inform you about the maximum
perm itted speed for your t ires .
.. Check the tire p ressure afte r insta lling wheels
¢ page 214.
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great­
ly when the tread is wo rn down to a depth of
0.157 i nch (4 mm). The characte ris tics of winter
t ir es also decrease g reatly as the ti re ages, re­
gard less of the rema ining t read.
A WARNING
-- Never drive faster than the max imum per­
mitted speed for your tires . This could cause
the t ires to heat up too much. This increases
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the t ire to burst.
- Always adapt your driving to the road and
traffic cond itions. Drive carefully and reduce
your speed on icy or slippery roads . Even
winter t ires can lose tract ion on black ice .
(® For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the appropr iate
time, because they prov ide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road no ise, tire wear and fue l
consumpt ion.
(D Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
winter tires. Please note that in some coun­
tries where winter tires are required, on ly
winter tires w ith the
& symbo l may be per­
mitted.
Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow.
.. Only install snow chains on the front wheels .
This applies a lso to vehicles with a ll wheel
drive*.
219

Tires and wheels
"' Check and cor rect the seating of the snow
c h ains if necessa ry after dr iving a few feet. Fo l­
l ow the instructions from the manufacturer .
"' Note the maximum permitted speed when d riv­
i ng with snow chains. Do not exceed 30 mp h
(SO km/h) .
Snow chains not only improve the
driving in win­
ter road conditions, but also the
broking .
Use of snow cha ins is o nly pe rmitted with certain
rim/t ire combinations due to tec hnical reasons .
C hec k with an authorized A udi dealer o r autho r­
i z ed Audi Service Fac ility to see if yo u may use
snow cha ins.
Use
fine-mesh snow chains . They must not add
mo re t han 0.53 inch (13.5 mm) in height, includ­
i n g the chain loc k.
You must remove the c hains when d riving on
roads that are
free of snow . W hen roads a re free
of snow, snow c hains ca n impair handling and
damage the ti res, and the chai ns w ill quickly be
destroyed.
A WARNINC
Us ing inco rrect snow c hains or insta lling snow
c hai ns inco rre ctl y can resul t in loss o f vehicle
c o ntro l, w hich incr ease s th e ris k of an a cci­
d ent .
(D Note
Snow chains can damage th e rims/wheel cov­
ers* i f the cha ins come in to d irect contact
w it h t hem. R emove the w heel c overs* first .
U se coat ed sn ow cha ins.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Au di is fac to ry-equipped wi th low aspec t ra­
tio tires . These ti res have been tho roughly tested
a nd been se lected specifically fo r yo ur model fo r
their supe rb per fo rmance, road feel and handling
un der a variety of driving conditions . As k yo ur au­
thor ized Audi dealer for mo re details.
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is i ndicated by
a numeral of
55 or less in t he tire's size designa­
tion. The nume ra l rep resents the rat io of the
tire's sidewall he ight i n relat io n to its tread width
220
exp ressed in perce nta ge . Conventiona l tir es h ave
a height/width ratio of 60 or more.
The performance of low-aspect -ratio tires is par­
ticularly sensitive to improper inflation pres­
sure. It is therefore important that low aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pressure is regularly
checked and maintained. Tire pressures should
be checked at least once a month and always
before a long trip
r=> pog e 214.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more eas i­
l y by impact with potho les, curbs, gullies or
r idges on the road, particularly if the tire is un ­
der inflated .
In orde r to min imize the occur rence of impact
damage to the tires of you r vehicle, we recom­
mend that you observe the following preca u­
tions:
- Always ma intain recommended inflation pres­
sures. Check you r tir e pressure every
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add a ir if necessa­
ry.
- Dr ive ca refully on roads w it h potholes, deep
gu llies o r ridges . Th e impac t from dr iv ing
t hroug h or over such o bstacl es ca n da mage
your tire s. I mpac t w ith a curb may also cau se
d am age to yo ur ti re s.
- After any impac t, imme diate ly inspect you r
t ire s or h ave them inspe cted by t he nea rest a u­
t hori ze d Audi d ealer. Repl ace a dama ged t ire as
soon as possible.
- Ins pect your tir es eve ry 2,00 0 m iles (3,0 00 k m)
for dama ge and wear. Dam age is no t always
easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of a ir and
unde rinflation, w hich coul d event ua lly cause
tire fa ilure. If yo u be lieve that a tire may have
been damaged, replace the tire as soon as pos­
sible .
- These tires may wear mo re quick ly than others.
- Please also remember that, while t hese tires
delive r responsive hand ling, they may ride less
comfortably and make mo re noise than other
choices. ""

<( co .... N r--­N .... 0 ,.__
> co
Reduced performance in winter /cold season
conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes. The
low aspect ratio, ultra high performance t ires
originally installed on your vehicle are intended
for maximum dry and wet road performance and handling . They are not suitable for cold, snowy or
i cy weather cond it ions. If you dr ive under those
circumstances, you shou ld equ ip your vehicle
with all-season or winter tires, whic h offe r better
traction under those conditions. We suggest you
use the recommended snow or all-season tires
specified for you r vehicle, or their equivalent.
Refer to¢
page 219 for more detailed informa­
tion regarding winter tires.
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and
maximum section w idth ¢
page 204, fig . 168 .
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Tem­
perature
A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.
Tread wea r
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under contro lled conditions on a specified gov­
ernment test course.
F or example, a tire graded
150 would wear one
and one ha lf
( 1 1/2) times as well on the govern­
ment course as a tire graded
100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, howeve r, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B and
C. Those grades represent the tire's
Tires and wheels
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured un ­
der controlled conditions on specified govern­
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
¢ &.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and
C, representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mate ­
rial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure¢ &.
The grade
C corresponds to a level of perform ­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un­
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No.
109 . Grades Band A represent higher levels
of performance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law.
&, WARNING
The traction gra de assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor­
nering, hydroplaning or peak traction charac­
teristics.
.&_ WARNING
= -
The temperature grade for this tire is estab­ lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla­
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in comb inat ion, can cause heat buildup and
possible tire failure .
.&_ WARNING
--
Temperature grades apply to tires that are
properly inflated and not over or underinflat­
ed.
221

Tires and wheels
Tire pressure monitoring
indicator
CD General notes
Applies to: ve hicles w ith tire p ressu re monitoring system
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat­
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la­
bel, you should determine the proper tire infla­
tion pressure for those tires) .
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped w ith a tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure tell­
tale when one or more of your t ires is significant­
ly under-inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible , and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a signifi­
cantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over­
heat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and stop ­
ping ability .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re­
sponsib ility to ma intain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to tr igger illum inat ion of the TPMS low tire pres­
sure telltale.
Your veh icle has also been equipped w ith a TPMS
malfunct ion indicator to indicate when the sys­
tem is not operat ing properly. The TPMS mal­
function indicator is combined w ith the low tire
pressure telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi­
mately one minute and then remain continuous ly
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal­
function exists .
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated,
the system may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure as intended . TPMS malfunctions
222
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the veh icle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and
whee ls allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
Appl ies to: vehicles wit h Tire Pressure Mo nito rin g System in­
dica tor
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system malfunction.
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor­
i ng system compares the tire tread c ircumfer­
ence and vibration characteristics of the individu­
al tires. If the pressure changes in one or more
tires , this is indicated in the instrument cluster
display with an
Ii] indicator light and a message.
If only one tire is affected, the location of that
tire will be indicated. The message turns
off after
a few minutes. You can display the message
again
,=;, page 25.
The tire pressures must be stored in the menu
display again each time the pressures change
(switching between partial and full load pres­
sure) or after changing or replacing a tire on your
vehicle
c;, page 223. The tire pressure mon itor­
ing system on ly monitors the tire pressure you
have stored . You can find the recommended tire
pressures for your vehicle on the label on the
driver's door pillar
q page 214 .
Tire tread circumference and vibrat ion character­
i stics can change and cause a tire pressure warn­
i ng if:
-If the tire pressure in one or more t ires is too
low,
- the tire has structural damage,
- The tire was replaced or the tire pressure
changed and it was not stored again
,=;, page 223.
- the spare tire is installed.

<( co .... N r--­N .... 0 r--­> co
Indicat or lights
IE -Loss of pressure in at least one ti re c::> ,& .
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires. Then
store the tire pressures in the MMI
<=:>page 223.
mm (T ire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
press ure: System malfuncti on!.
Ifm appears
after switching the ignition on or whi le driving
and the
IE indicator light in the instrument clus­
ter blinks for approximately one minute and then
stays on, there is system malfunction . Try to
store the correct tire pressures
c::> page 223 . If
the indicator light does not turn off or turns on
again after a short period of time, drive to an au­
thor ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Faci lity immediately to have the malfunction cor­
rected.
A WARNING
- If the tire pressure warning light IE in the
instrument cluster turns on, the pressure in
one or more tires is too low . Reduce the ve­
hicle speed immediately and avo id any hard
steering or braking maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible, check the tire and inflate the
t ire to the correct pressure, which is speci­
fied on the tire pressure label on the veh icle
<=:> page 214. Driving w ith a t ire with low
pressure c auses the t ire to overheat and can
result in failure of the tire . Low pressure can
also have a negative effect on the driving
and braking behavior of the vehicle .
- T he driver is responsib le for maintaining the
correct tire pressures . You must check the
tire pressures regularly .
- Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
driv ing style, winter conditions or unpaved
roads), the pressure monitor indicator may
be delayed.
- Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle . Us­
ing them when not permitted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents .
(D Tips
-The tire pressure monitoring system can al ­
so stop working when there is an ESC mal­
function.
Tir es and wheel s
- Us ing snow chains may result in a system
ma lfunction.
- The tires with the identification "AO" or
"RO"
c::> page 211 have been matched with
your Audi tire pressure monitoring system .
We recommend that you use these tires.
- The tire pressure monitoring system can on­
ly monitor the tire pressure of the driving
tires. Check the tire pressure of the spare
wheel in the luggage compartment so that if necessary it is ready for use.
Storing tire pressures
App lies to : vehicles wi th Tir e Pressure Mo nito rin g Sys te m in­
dic ator
A change in tire pressur e or a change in tires
must be stored in the syst em .
The tire press ure is stored in the MM I.
.,. Make sure before storing that the t ire pressures
of all four tires meet the specified values and
are adap ted to the load. O therwise the system
could malfunction
c::> page 214.
.. Switch on the ignition.
.,. Select: the I MENU I button> Ca r> Sys tem s*
con trol button > S er vice & control > Tire pre s­
s u re m on itor > Stor e tire pressu re > Yes , sto re
no w.
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressures if snow chains
are installed. Otherw ise the system could
malfunction.
223

Care and cleaning
Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, prope r care helps to maintain your vehi ­
cle's value.
It can a lso be a requirement when
submitting war ranty claims for cor rosion damage
and pa int defects on the body.
The necessary care prod ucts can be obtained
from an autho rized Audi deale r or authorized
Aud i Service Facility. Read and follow the instruc­
tions for use on the packaging.
A WARNING
- Using clean ing and care products incorrectly
can be dangero us to your hea lth .
- Always store clean ing and care products out
of reach of children to reduce the r isk of po i­
so ning .
@ For the sake of the environment
- Preferably use environmentally-friendly
products when buying cleaning agents.
- Do not dispose of leftove r clean ing and care
products with household t rash.
Car washes
The longer that deposits s uch as insects, bird
droppings, tree sap or road salt remain on the ve­ h icle, the more the surface can be damaged. High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight
i n crease the damag ing effect .
Before washing, r inse off heavy deposits with
p lenty of water.
St ubb orn deposits such as bird droppings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of wate r and a
microfiber cloth.
Also, wash the underside of yo ur vehicle once
road sa lt stops being used for the season .
Pressure washers
When washing your veh icles with a pressure
washer, always follow t he ope ra ti ng ins tructions
p rovided w ith the pressure washer. This is espe­
cially important in regard to the pressure and
spraying distance . Do not direct the stream of
224
water d irect ly onto seals for the side windows,
doors, luggage compartment lid or hood or onto
the tires, r ubber hoses, insulat ing mater ia l, the
power top, sensors* or camera lenses*. Keep a
distance of at least 16 in (40 cm).
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washe r.
Never use rot ary no zzles or high pressure no z­
z les .
The wate r temperatu re must not be above 140 °F
(60 °().
Automatic car washes
Spray off the ve hicle before wash ing.
Make su re t hat the windows and power top are
closed and the windsh ield wipers are off. Follow
i nstruct ions from the car wash operator, espe­
c ially if there are accessories attached to your ve ­
hicle.
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes.
Washing by hand
Clean the vehicle starting from the top and work ­
ing down using a soft sponge or cleaning brush .
U se solvent-free cleaning products .
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
To avoid damaging the pa int when washing, first
remove dust and large part icles from your vehi­
cle. Insects, grease spots and f ingerprints are
best removed w ith a special cleaner for matte
finish paint .
Apply the product using a microf iber cloth. To
avo id damag ing the pa int surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the veh icle thorough ly with water. Then
clean using a neutra l shampoo and a soft m icro­
fiber cloth.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly again and let it air
dry. Remove any water residue using a sham my.
Stubborn deposits such as bird dropp ings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty o f water and a
microfiber cloth. .,..