2016 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET ECU

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

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

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-Please note that the sensor does not always
detect all objects . This increases the risk of
a collision.
- Pre sense front does not react to people or
animals or objects that are crossing the ve­
hicle's path or are difficult to detect
¢ page 91 .
-Reflective objects such as guard rails or the
entrance to a tunnel, heavy rain and ice can
affect the function of the radar sensor and
the system's ability to detect a collision risk.
- Lack of attention can lead to collisions, oth ­
er accidents and serious injuries. pre sense
front is an assistance system and cannot
prevent a collision by itself. The driver must
always intervene . The driver is always re­
sponsible for braking at the correct time.
- Always pay attention to traffic , even when
pre sense front is switched on. Always be
ready to intervene and take over complete
control of the vehicle whenever it is neces­
sary. Always follow traffic laws regarding
maintaining a safe distance between your
vehicle and vehicles ahead.
- pre sense front works within certain limits
and cannot react to situations that are out­
side of the system limits, such as when ap­
proaching a stationary vehicle or a station ­
ary obstacle (the end of a traffic jam or ave­
hicle that has broken down).
- Always keep in mind that the radar sensor
for pre sense front only works within de­
fined detection zones , which means other
vehicles may not always be detected cor­
rectly.
- The function and range of the radar sensor
can be impaired by rain, snow and heavy
mist. Vehicles ahead may not be detected
right away, or not detected at all.
(1) Note
The sensor can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housing and
underbody. Pre sense front can be impaired
by this. Have an authorized Audi dea ler or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility check their func­
tion .
Assist
{!) Tips
-You can cancel the braking with increasing
force that is initiated by the system by brak­
ing yourself, by accelerating noticeably or
by swerving.
- For information on driver messages about
pre sense, refer to
¢ page 100.
- Keep in mind that pre sense front can brake
unexpectedly. Always secure any cargo or
objects that you are transporting to reduce
the risk of damage or injury.
- Certain pre sense front functions switch off
when ESC is switched off (sport mode) or
when driving in reverse.
- The pre sense front functions are not availa­
ble if there is a malfunction in the adaptive
cruise control* system
Q page 96 or
Q page 100 .
-Keep in mind that pre sense front can brake
abruptly . Always secure cargo or objects
that you transport to reduce the risk of
damage or injury.
Settings in the Infotainment system
Appl ies to: vehicles with Audi pre sense front or Audi adaptive
cruise contro l
.,. In the MMI, select: the I MENU I button >Ca r>
Systems*
control button > Driver assistance >
Audi pre sense.
Switching the system on and off
Audi pre sense (Syste m): if the system is switch­
ed off , it automatically switches on once the igni­
tion is switched on again .
System -Switch Audi pre sense On-Off. With
th is, you can switch the prewarning and the brak­
ing intervention from Audi pre sense on or off .
Early warning -The distance and approach warn­
ings can be switched
On/Off .
(D Tips
-If you restrict or switch off the ESC, the pre
sense also switches itse lf off ¢
page 117 .
-Switch the pre sense off when you a re load­
ing the vehicle onto a vehicle carrier, train,
ship or other type of transportation. This ..,.
99

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 . .,.

-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
..... N
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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
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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
> ill
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