2016 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET brake light

Ass is t
- Always follow applicable traffic laws, use
common sense and select a distance to
vehicles ahead that takes the current traffic,
road and weather conditions into account .
(D Tips
Distan ce 3
is set automatically each time you
switch the ignition on. If you would like to set
another d istance as the standard setting, you
can have the
Ad apti ve cruis e control menu
added/ enabled by an authorized Aud i dealer
or authorized Audi Service Fac ility.
Setting the driving program
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control
A ad aptive cru ise cont rol d riving program is ad­
justable on veh icles w ithout A udi drive selec t*.
• In the MMI, se lect: the
I MENU I b utton > C ar >
Sy stem s*
cont rol button > Drive r assi st >
Adaptiv e crui se c ontrol > Driving program >
Comfort /Standard /Dynamic .
Selecting the driving mode
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control
The adaptive cruise contro l dr iving program is ad ­
justable for vehicles with Audi drive select usi ng
the driving mode.
• Se lect the des ired dr iving mode
C o mfort , Auto ,
Dynamic or Indi vidual *
with the knob
~page 106 .
Request for driver intervention
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control
Fig. 96 Instrument d uster : req uest for d river intervention
96
In some sit uations, the braking from the adap­
tive cruise control system is not enough to main­
ta in enough d istance to the object ahead. In
these situations, the system will request you to
take action.
The danger is indicated by the. indicator light
~fig. 96 . You will also hear an aud io signa l.
Press the brake pedal to slow your vehicle down.
Driver messages
Applies to : vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control
m'J ACC: unava ilable
The system cannot guarantee that it will detect
objects correctly and is switched off. The sensor
was moved or is faulty. Drive to an author ized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac ility im­
med iate ly to have the malfunction corrected.
ilJ A CC: Cur rentl y una vailable. No sensor vision
ilJ ACC and Audi pre sense: currently unavaila­
ble. No sensor vi sion
This message appears if the sensor v iew is ob ­
struc ted, for examp le by leaves, snow, heavy
spray or dirt. Clean the se nsor
r=.> page 91, fig. 88.
II ACC: currentl y una vailable . Gradient too
steep
The road exceeds the maxim um poss ible angle
fo r safe adaptive cruise control operat ion. The
adaptive cruise contro l cannot be sw itched on.
rlJ ACC: onl y available in D, Sor M
Select the D/S or M selector lever position.
ii ACC: parking brake applied
The adaptive cru ise control system sw itches off
automat ica lly if the parking brake is set. The
adap tive cruise co ntro l is available again after re­
l eas ing the p arking brake.
ii ACC: curr ently unavailable . Stabilization
control input
This message appears if the Electronic Stab iliza­
tion Control (ESC) is taking action to stab ilize the
vehicle . In th is case, adaptive cruise co ntrol
switches off automatically .

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llJ ACC off: manual control!
This message appears if the vehicle rolls back
when starting on a slight incline, even though
ACC is active. Press the brake pedal to prevent
the vehicle from rolling or starting to move.
Ill ACC: engine speed
This message appears if the driver has not shift­
ed up or down in time when the adaptive cruise
control is braking or accelerating, causing the ve­
hicle to exceed or to not reach the permitted en­
gine speed . The adaptive cruise control turns off.
A chime sounds as a reminder.
•••
Three white dots appear if a setting cannot be se­
lected with the operating lever. For example, this
happens if adaptive cruise control cannot be acti­
vated when stopped because the driver has not fastened the safety belt.
Door open
Adaptive cruise control cannot be switched on
when the vehicle is stationary and the driver's
door is open.
Audi pre sense
Introduction
Applies to: vehicles with Audi pre sense basic or Audi pre
sense front
Within the limits of the system, pre sense basic
and pre sense front can initiate steps to protect
vehicle occupants in certain dangerous situa­
tions.
Critical driving situations can be recognized by
the pre sense front via a network of different ve­
hicle systems and can take steps to prepare the
vehicle occupants for a potential collision.
The pre sense front works with a radar sensor
and a video camera*. It also functions within the
limits of the system when adaptive cruise con­
trol* is switched off.
Assist
General information
General information
Applies to: vehicles with Audi pre sense front or Audi adaptive
cruise control
A WARNING
Also follow the general information found on
~ page 91, General information.
Audi pre sense basic
Description
Applies to: vehicles with Audi pre sense basic
The function of the pre sense basic is activated at
a speed of 20 mph (30 km/h) or higher.
The following functions can be triggered under
certain conditions within the limits of the sys­
tem:
- Tensioning of the safety belts (for examp le,
during heavy braking): the front safety belts have reversible belt tensioners. If a collision
does not occur, the safety belts loosen slightly
and are ready to trigger again.
- Closing the windows (for example when over­
or understeering): the windows close until
there is a small gap open.
Audi drive select: the deployment time is adapt­ ed in dynamic mode.
A WARNING
-The pre sense basic cannot overcome natural
physical laws. It is a system designed to assist
and it cannot prevent a collision. Do not let
the increased safety provided tempt you into
taking risks. This could increase your risk of a
collision.
- The system can dep loy incorrectly due to
system-specific limits.
@ Tips
-Certain pre sense basic functions switch off
when ESC is switched off (sport mode) or
when driving in reverse.
97

Intelligent Technology
Intelligent Technology
Electronic stabilization
control (ESC)
Description
The Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) rein for­
ces driver safety . It reduces the risk of slipping
and improves driving stability. ESC detects crit i­
cal s ituations such as the vehicle oversteering
and understeering or the wheels are spinning.
The vehicle is stabilized by applying the brakes or reducing eng ine torq ue. When the ESC engages,
the
D1 ind icator light blinks in the instrument
cluste r.
The fo llow ing systems are integrated in the ESC :
Ant i-loc k braking system (ABS)
ABS p revents the whee ls from locking whe n brak­
ing. The vehicle can sti ll be steered even during
hard brak ing. Apply steady press ure to the brake
pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A puls ing in t he
b rake pedal indicates that the system is acting to
s tabilize the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease brak ing dis­
tance . It increases braking power when the d river
presses the brake pedal quick ly in emergency sit­
uations . You must press and hold t he b rake pedal
until the dangerous situat io n is over . In veh icles
with adapt ive c ruise control*, the bra ke as sist
sy stem is more sensitive if t he di sta nce detec ted
t o the vehicle ahea d is too sm all.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces eng ine power when the drive wheels
beg in sp inning a nd adapts the force to the road
conditions . This makes it easie r to start, acceler­
a te and dr ive u p in clines.
Electronic differential lock (EDL )
The EDL brakes w heels that a re spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other drive
wheel or whee ls if t he ve hicle is equipped with a ll
wheel drive*) . T his funct ion is not av ailable at
h igher speeds.
116 I
n extreme cases, ED L automat ically swi tches off
to keep the brake on the braked whee l from over­
heating. The veh icle is still working correct ly. ED L
will switc h on again automatically when condi­
tions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
The ESC he lps to stabili ze the vehicle by cha nging
the steering torque.
Selective wheel torque control
Se lective w hee l to rque cont rol is used when d riv ­
i ng o n curves. The fron t whee l on the inside of
the curve or bo th whee ls on the inside of the
cu rve are braked se lective ly as needed. This al­
l ows mo re precise driving in cu rves.
Automatic post-collision braking system
The "A utomat ic pos t-coll is io n braking sy stem"
c a n hel p to reduce t he risk of sliding and o f othe r
collisions after an accident . If the a irbag cont rol
module detects a collision a bove a certain vehicle
speed, the vehicle is bra ked by the ESC.
The vehicle does not bra ke automatically if:
- the dr ive r presses the acce lerator pedal, or
- the braking force generated by the pressed
brake pedal is grea ter than the braking force
that wo uld be i nitiated by the system, or
- the ESC, the brake system o r the ve hicle elect ri­
cal system are not func tioning .
A WARNING
- The ESC and its integ rated syste ms can not
o vercome the lim its posed by natural physi ­
c a l la ws. Thi s is espe cial ly import ant on sli p­
pe ry o r we t roads. If the systems beg in act ­
ing to stabilize your ve hicle, yo u should im­
mediately a lter your speed to matc h the
road and traffic condit ions. Do not let the
increased safety pr ovided tempt you into
taking risks . This cou ld increase your risk of
a co llision .
- Please note the r isk of a collis ion increases
when dr iv ing fast, especia lly t hrough c urves
and on slippery or wet roads, and when dr iv­
ing too close to objects ahead. The ESC and
i t s in tegr ated systems cannot always .,..

Intelligent Technology
(D Tips
-ESC/ASR cannot be switched off or sport
mode cannot be switched on if the cruise
control system* or the adaptive cruise con­
trol* is switched on.
- Malfunctions in the Audi magnetic ride may make it impossible to switch the ESC/ASR
off or to switch sport mode on.
Brakes
New brake pads
New brake pads do not achieve their full braking
effect during the first 250 mi (400 km). They must be "broken in" first. However, you can com­
pensate for the slightly reduced braking force by
pressing firmly on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy
braking during the break-in period .
Wear
Brake pad
wear depends largely on the way the
vehicle is driven and on operating conditions .
This is especially true if you are driving frequently
in the city and on curves or with a sporty driving
style .
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depending on the
speed, braking force and outside conditions such
as temperature and humidity .
Effect of water and road salt
In certain situations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy rain, after overnight con­ densation or after washing your car, the braking
effect can be reduced by moisture or ice on the
brake rotors and brake pads. The brakes must be
"dried" first with a few careful brake applica­
tions.
At higher speeds and with the windshield wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake
rotors for a short amount of time. This action
which is not felt by the driver happens at regular
intervals and facilitates a better reaction time for
the brakes in wet weather .
The braking effect can also be reduced if you are
driving on salted roads and you do not apply the
118
brakes for long periods of time. The layer of salt
on the brake rotors and pads must be worn off
first when the brakes are applied.
Corrosion
Leaving the vehicle parked for long periods of
time , low mileage and avoiding heavy braking
can contribute to corrosion on the brake rotors
and dirty brake pads.
If you usually avoid heavy braking or if there is
corrosion present, occasional heavy braking at
high speeds is recommended to clean the brake
rotors and pads¢.&. .
Brake system malfunction
if you notice that the brake pedal travel has sud­
denly gotten larger, then a brake circuit may have
failed. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the problem corrected. On the way there, drive
with reduced speed and keep in mind that a long
braking distance and increased pressure on the
brake pedal will be necessary.
Low brake fluid level
When the brake fluid level is low, malfunctions in
the brake system may occur. The brake fluid level
is electronically monitored.
Brake booster
The brake booster amplifies the pressure you ap­
ply to the brake pedal.
It only works when the en­
gine is running.
A WARNING
- New brake pads do not achieve their full
braking effect during the first 250 mi
(400 km). They must be "broken in" first.
However, you can compensate for the
slightly reduced braking force by pressing
firmly on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy brak­
ing during the break-in period.
- Only apply the brakes for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system when road and
traffic conditions permit. You must not en­
danger other road users. This increases the
risk of an accident.

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-On steep slopes, reduce the speed and se­
lect a lower gear or lower selector lever po­
sition. Dr ive as little as possible while press­
ing the brake pedal and avoid putt ing your
left foot on the brake pedal while driving.
Th is co uld cause the brakes to overheat and
impai r the efficiency of the brakes.
- Do not let the brakes "g rind " by a lways
keeping your foot on the brake pedal. This
can cause the br akes to overhea t, i ncrease
wea r and incre ase braking dis tance unneces­
sari ly.
- Certa in wea ther an d operat ing co ndi tio ns
s u ch as dr iving through wate r, d riving in
heavy ra in or d riving after washing your ve ­
hicle can impair the effectiveness of the
brakes . In the w inte r, ice may b uild up on
the brake pads, rotors and drums. Check
these components by braking ca refu lly . Ap­
plying the brakes carefu lly severa l times
dr ies the brakes and removes ice bu ild-up .
- The effic iency of the brakes can also be im­
paired by driving for long st retches on roads
cove red w ith salt without using the b rakes .
Yo u can remove sa lt deposits from the
bra ke rotors and pads by caref ully app lying
the brakes severa l t imes .
-If the front spoiler is damaged or you ins tall
ano ther spoiler, m ake sure the front wheel
bra kes are vent ilated p roper ly. O therwise,
the b rake system could overheat, whic h re ­
duces the ir effectiveness.
- Failure of a brake circuit impai rs b raking
performance, which increases braking dis­
tance . Avoid driving the vehicle . Have it tow ­
ed to the nearest authorized Aud i dealer or
authorized Audi Service Fac ility .
- Never let the vehicle roll while the engine is
stopped because this increases the risk of an
acc ident.
- If the brake booster is not working, you will
have to press m uch ha rder on the brake
peda l to compensate for the lack o f the
booster .
0 Note
-Never let the bra kes " rub" by pressing the
pedal lightly when braking is not really nee-
Intellig ent Technology
essary . This causes the b rakes to overheat
and increases braking distance and causes
wear .
- Before driving on a long st retch with steep
slopes, reduce your speed and shift to the
next lower gear Th is makes use of the en­
gine braking effect and relieves the brakes.
If you need to brake additionally, brake in
intervals and not continuously .
(D Tips
-If the brake booster is not work ing, you
must press the brake peda l with much more
force than normal.
- If you retrof it your vehicle with a front spo il­
er, wheel covers or sim ilar items, make sure
that the air flow to the fro nt wheels is not
inter rupted . Otherwise the b rake system
can become too hot.
Electromechanical
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movement s.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the ve hicle speed .
T he veh icle st ill has f ull s teer ing f unct iona lity if
t h e power steering fails or when the engine is
stopped (towing) . To steer, you must app ly m uch
more force than usual.
Indicator lights and messages
• Do not driv e vehicle : steering defective
If this indicator light turns on and stays on and
t hi s message appears , the power steering may
have failed .
Do
not continue dr iv ing . See an author ized Audi
dealer or authorized A udi Se rvice Fac ility for as ­
s istance .
• Do not dr ive vehicle: steering defecti ve
There is a ma lfunction in the e lectronic steering
l ock. You cannot turn the ignition on. ..,.
119

Intelligent Technology
With the engine running
A lthough electrical energy is generated whi le
driving, the battery can drain . This can happen
when little energy is generated, and much is used
and the charge leve l of the battery is not optima l.
To restore the balance o f energy, components
that requ ire large amounts o f energy are tempo ­
rari ly scaled back o r switched off . Heating sys­
tems in particu lar require a great deal of energy.
If you notice, for example, that the seat heating*
or rear window defroster is not working, then it has bee n temporarily reduced or switched off.
These systems are available again as soon as the
energy supp ly has been restored.
In addition, you may notice that the idle speed
has slightly increased. T hat is norma l and no
cause for concern. Due to the increased idling
speed, the add itiona l requ ired e ne rgy w ill be
generated and the battery w ill be cha rged.
Notice about data recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and vehicle control modules
E vent Data Recorder
This vehicle is equipped wi th an Event Da ta Re ­
corde r (EDR) . The main purpose of an EDR is to
record, in certain crash o r near crash-like situa­
tions, such as an a irbag deployment or h itting a
road obstacle, data that will assist in understand­
ing how a veh icle's systems performed . The EDR
is designed to record data related to veh icle dy­
namics and safe ty systems for a sho rt pe riod of
time, typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this
veh icle is designed to reco rd s uch data as:
- How various systems in your vehicle were oper­
at ing;
- Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts we re buckled/fastened;
- How far ( if at all) the driver was depress ing the
acce lerator and/or brake peda l; and,
- How fast the ve hicle was trave ling.
These data can help provide a better understand­ ing of the circ umstances in which crashes and in ­
juries occur. NOTE: EDR data are recorded by your veh icle only if a non-trivia l crash situat ion occurs;
no data are recorded by the EDR under norma l
122
driving cond itions and no personal data (e .g .,
name, gender, age, and crash location) are re­
corded. However, other parties, such as law en­
fo rcement, co uld comb ine the EDR data with the
type of persona lly identifying data rout inely ac­
quired du ring a crash investigation .
To read data recorded by an EDR, spec ial eq uip­
ment is required, and access to the vehicle or the
EDR is needed. In addition to the ve hicle manu­
facturer, other part ies, such as law enforcement,
t h at have the spec ial eq uipment, can read the in­
fo rmat io n if they have access to the vehicle or the
EDR .
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or down­
l oad ing of data stored by ED Rs ins talled in a ve hi­
cle for the exp ress p urpose of ret riev ing data af­
te r an accident or c rash event withou t the own­
e r's consent.
Audi will not access the EDR and/or simi la r data
or g ive i t to others -
- unless the ve hicle owner (or lessee if the vehi­
cle has been leased) agrees; o r
- upon the offic ial request by the police; or
- upon the order of a court o f law or a govern -
ment agency; or
- for the defense of a lawsuit thro ugh the judicia l
discovery process.
- Audi may a lso use the data for research about
veh icle operation and safety perfo rmance or
prov ide the data to a third party for research
purposes without identify ing the specific vehi­
cle or information about the ident ity of its own­
er or lessee and only afte r the recorded vehicle
data has been accessed.
Vehicle control modules
You r vehicle is also eq uipped with a number of
electronic control modules for various vehicle
systems, such as e ngine management, em iss ion
contro l, airbags, and safety be lts.
These elect ronic contro l modules record data
dur ing norma l vehicle operation that may be
needed by trained techn ic ians for d iagnost ic and
r epa ir purposes. The recording capab ility of these
modules is lim ited to data (no sound is record­
ed). Only a sma ll am ount of data is actually

<( co ..... N
" N ..... 0 r--. > 00
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Fig. 165 Engine compartment : cover on t he brake fluid
reservoir (examp le)
"' N N
~ .,
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢page 188, Working in the engine compart­
ment.
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid
reservoir
~fig. 165, ¢page 191, fig. 161 . The
brake fluid level must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings .
The location of the brake fluid reservoir can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
¢page 191.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time
due to the automatic adjustment of the brake
pads . This is not cause for alarm.
I f the brake fluid level falls
considerably below
the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indicator
light
1111 (U.S. mode ls)/ . (Canadian models)
will come on¢
page 15. Do not continue to oper­
ate the vehicle . The complete brake system
should be thoroughly checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified facility and the
cause corrected. If the brake fluid level is too
low, the brake warning/indicator light will illumi­
nate. Contact an authorized Audi dealer
immedi­
ately.
Checking and Filling
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced
technician.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high, cor­
rosion in the brake system may result after ape ­
riod of time . The boiling point of the brake fluid
will also decrease considerably and decrease braking performance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every
two years. Always use new brake fluid which con­
forms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS
116 DO T 4" .
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach,
therefore, we recommend that you have the
brake fluid changed by your author ized
Audi
dealer. Your dealer has the correct tools, the
right brake fluid and the know-how to do this for
you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored
only in the closed original container out of
the reach of children!
- Brake failure can result from old or inappro­
priate brake fluid . Observe these precau­
tions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE speci­
fication
J 1703 and conforms to Federal
Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake fluid .
The correct type of brake fluid is also indi­
cated on the brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of
the brakes can cause a vapor lock if the
brake fluid is left in the system too long.
This can seriously affect the efficiency of
the brakes as well as your safety. This
could result in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehi-
cle. ..,.
197

Check ing and F illing
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of
brake fluid as we ll as the special tools re­
quired and the necessary expertise, we rec­
ommend that you have the b rake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer .
Battery ( 12 V)
General information
All work on the battery requires expert knowl­
edge .
Read and follow the WARNINGS
before check­
i n g a nyth ing in the engine compartment
c::> page 188, Working in the engine compart­
ment.
The batte ry in you r Aud i does not need any main­
tena nce unde r
normal operating cond itions. A udi
re commends hav ing the e lectro lyte level check
by an au thor ized A udi dealer or au thori ze d Audi
Serv ice Facility when there a re
high outs ide tem ­
peratures or when driving a ll day. The elect rolyte
level sho uld a lso be checked each time the bat­
tery is charged
c::> page 200.
Have the battery checked when you bring your ve ­
hicle in for an inspection. It is a good idea to re­
p lace the battery if it is more than 5 years old .
T he batte ry is located in the eng ine compar tment
and is practically
maintenance-free .
Disconnecting the battery terminals
The battery shou ld not be d isconnected. Severa l
veh icle functions (power w indows, for example)
w ill be lost w hen the b attery is disconne cted. The
f u nctions mus t be reprog rammed after connect­
in g the battery. To avo id th is, the battery shou ld
only be disconn ecte d from the vehicle e lectrica l
system when it is abso lutely necessary.
T o reprogram the func tions, proceed as follows:
198
Function Reprogramming
Power window one-c::> page 35, Correcting
touch up/down func-power window malfunc-
tion tions
Remote control key o r If the vehicle does no t
Convenience key react to the key, it must
be synchronized
c::> page29
Dig ita l cl ock c::>page 10
ESC indicator light The ind icator light goes
o ut after driving a few
meters
Not running the vehicle for long period s of
time
If you do not drive your vehicle for severa l days o r
weeks, electrical components are gradually re­ d u ced or switched off . This reduces energy con­
s u mp tion and mai ntain s the vehicle's ability to
st art over a long perio d of time
c::> page 1 21.
Some conven ien ce f unctions, such as inter ior
li ght ing o r power seats* may not wor k. T hese
convenience functions will be availab le aga in
once you sw itch the ignition on and start the en­
gine.
Winter operation
D ur ing the winte r mon ths, it is common for the
batte ry capac ity to decrease as the temperatures
become lower . This is because more power is
needed to start the vehicle and components such
as the headlights and the rear window defogger
a re used more freque ntly .
Avoid using power unnecessa rily, espec ia lly in
c ity dr iving o r on short t rips. Have your author­
i z ed Audi dealer or author iz ed Audi Se rvice Facili­
ty check the battery capacity be fore the start of
winter
c::> page 200 . A well -cha rged battery will
not only reduce sta rting prob lems in cold wea th­
e r, bu t it will a lso l ast longer.
.&_ WARNING
- W ork on the b attery requires e xper t knowl­
e d ge. Con tact an a uthor ized Audi dealer or
author ized Audi Se rvice Facility for info rma ­
tion rega rding the vehicle batte ry. There is a
-
ris k for chemical burns or e xplosions . ..,.