2016 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET brake

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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

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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).
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Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling charac­
teristics . Loose items can also increase the risk of
serious personal injury in a sudden vehicle ma­
neuver or in a collision.
.,. Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com­
partment .
.,. Always place and properly secure heavy items in
the luggage compartment as far forward as
possible .
.,. Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided
~ page 58.
.,. Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place .
130
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can
fly through the vehicle caus ing serious per­
sonal injury in the event of hard braking or an
accident. To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
- Always put objects, for example, luggage or
other heavy items in the luggage compart­
ment.
-Always secure objects in the luggage com­
partment using the tie-down hooks and
suitable straps .
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehi­
cle handles. To help reduce the risk of a loss
of control leading to serious personal injury:
- Always keep in m ind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the center of
gravity can also cause changes in vehicle
handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in the
luggage compartment as possible .
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating
or the Gross Veh icle Weight Rating specified
on the safety compliance sticker on the left
door jamb. Exceeding permissible we ight
standards can cause the vehicle to slide and
handle differently.
- Please observe information on safe driving
~page 124.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from
being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the
rear lid closed while driving .
- Never transport objects larger than those
fitting completely into the luggage area be­
cause the rear lid cannot be fully closed.
- If you absolutely must dr ive with the rear lid
open, observe the following notes to reduce
the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power top,

Checking and Filling
"'Never put too much motor oil in your engine
¢ page 193 , Checking the engin e oil lev el and
adding oil.
"'Never try to push- or tow-star t your vehicle.
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean-up"
device built into the exhaust system of the v ehi­
cle. The catalytic converter burns many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas before they are re­
leased into the atmosphere .
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically im­
portant for the life of the catalytic converter and
proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
The temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine.
-
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once they
have become hot . This could result in burns .
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in areas
where the hot exhaust system may come in
contact with dry grass, brush , fuel spill or
other material which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or heat shields. During driving, the substance
used for undercoating could overheat and
cause a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already seriously degrade
the performance of the catalytic converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢page 193.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The engine could mis­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into the
exhaust system and this could cause the
catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignition while the vehi­
cle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these conditions, as otherwise fuel can reach the catalytic converter. This could re-
188
sult in overheating of the converter, requir­
ing its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommen­
dations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as im­
proper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system
and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is op­
erating properly, the exhaust gas can have a
sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under some op­
erating states. This depends on the sulfur
content of the fuel being used. Using a differ­
ent brand of fuel may help, or filling the tank
with lead-free super grade gasoline.
Engine compartment
Working in the engine compartment
Special care is required if you are working in the
engine compartment
For work in the engine compartment, such as
checking and filling fluids, there is a risk of in­
jury, scalding, accidents, and burns. For this
reason, follow all the following listed warnings
and general safety precautions. The engine
compartment is a dangerous area.
£:=? &. -
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of injuries, complete the
following steps before opening the hood:
- Turn the engine off.
- Switch the ignition off.
- Set the parking brake.
- Place the selector lever in the P position .
- Let the engine cool down .
- Never open the hood when you see that
steam or coolant drips from the engine
compartment- there is a danger of burns!
Wait until no steam or coolant flows out .
-

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-Keep children away from the engine com­
partment.
- Never spill fluids on a hot engine. These flu­
ids (such as the freeze protection contained
in the coolant) can catch fire .
- Avoid short circuits in the e lectrical system,
especially the battery.
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if the ignition is switched off, which
increases the risk of personal injury.
- Never open the cap on the coolant expan­
sion tank when the engine is warm. The
cooling system is under pressure.
- To protect your face, hands, and arms from
hot steam or coolant, cover the cap with a
large cloth when opening.
- Do not remove the engine cover under any
circumstances . This increases the risk of
burns.
- If tests need to be performed w ith the en­
gine running, there is additional danger due
to moving components (such as the ribbed
belt, alternator and radiator fan) and from
t he high vo ltage ig nition system.
- Never reach into the radiator fan . The e lec­
t ric a uxiliary fan is cont rolled by tempera­
t ur e and can switch on sudde nly.
- Pay atte ntion to the fo llow ing warnings list­
ed when wo rk on the fuel system or on t he
ele ct rical eq uipment is requ ired.
- Always d isconnect the ve hicle battery
from the vehicle electrical system
- Do not smoke
- Never work near open flames
- Always have a working fire ex tinguisher
nearby
- T o red uce the risk of e lec tric shoc k and in­
jury, neve r touch the followi ng components
when the eng ine is r unning or is being star t­
ed :
- Ignition cable
- Other components in the electronic high
voltage ignition system
- If you must check or perform work on the
engine while it is runn ing:
Ch eck ing and Filling
-Set the parking brake and place the selec­
tor lever in the P (park) posit ion first.
- Always proceed with extreme caution so
that clothing, jewelry or long hair do not become caught in the radiator fan, fan
belt or other moving components or do
not come into con tact with ho t compo­
nen ts . Tie bac k long hair befo re beginn ing
work and do not wea r clothing that can
hang down into t he engine.
- Lim it yo ur exposure to exhaust and chemi­
cals to as short a time as possible
~ .&. .
&_ WARNING
Ca lifo rnia Proposition 65 Warning:
- E ngine exhaust, some of its const ituents,
and certa in vehicle components conta in or
emit chemi cals know n to the State of Cali ­
forni a to ca use cance r and birth defects and
reproductive harm. In add ition, cert ain flu ­
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wea r contain or em it
chemicals known to the State o f Californ ia
to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm .
- Battery posts, term inals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals know n to the State of Californ ia
to cause cancer and reproductive harms .
Wash hands afte r handling .
(D Note
When filling fluids, be sure not to m ix the f lu­
i ds up. Otherwise severe malfunctions and en­
gine damage will occur .
@) For the sake of the environment
You should regularly check the ground under
your vehicle i n order to detect leaks quic kly. If
the re are visible spots from o il or other fluids,
bring your veh icle to an authorized Audi deal­
er o r autho rize d Aud i Serv ice Facility to be
chec ke d .
189

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Checking and Filling
Gasoline engine compartment overview
The most important check points .
Fig. 161 Typical location of the rese rvoir , engine oil dipst ick, and engine oil filler opening
(D Coolant expansion tank (-L) .....
@
®
©
®
©
(J)
®
Engine oil dipstick ............ .
Engine oil filling opening
('er.) . .
Brake fluid reservoir (0))
Battery(+) under a cover
Body ground point(-)
Washer fluid reservoir
(O) ..... .
Fuse housing . .... .... ....... .
195
193
193
197
199
202
240
The engine oil filler opening and the dipstick
(items ® and @)
¢ fig. 161 may be located in a
different area depending on engine version.
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS before check­
ing anything in the engine compartment
¢page 188.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci­
fications.
The service interval d isplay in the instrument
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it is
time for an oil change. We recommend that you
have your oil changed by an authorized Audi Serv­
ice Advisor.
If you have to top off the oil between oil changes,
us e the Audi oil quality standard specified in the
tab~ .
~
191

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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