2016 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET light

Driving
(D Tips
-If the parking brake is set while the ignition
i s sw itched off, the
tG)a indicator light in the
b utton and in the instrument cluster dis­
play - (USA models)/ . (Canada mod­
e ls) will turn off after a certain amount of
time.
- If dr iver's door is opened while the ign ition
i s sw itched on, the pa rking brake sets a uto­
ma tically. T his prevents unin tended ro lling
of the vehicle.
- Occasiona l noises when the parking brake is
set and re leased a re no rmal a nd a re not a
cause for con cer n.
- When the vehicle is par ked, the park ing
b rake goes thro ugh a se lf-test cycle at reg u­
l a r int erva ls. A ny no is es asso ciated with th is
a re normal.
- If t here is a power fa ilure, the p arking bra ke
will not se t if i t is re le a se d, and it will not
r ele ase if it is set¢.&.. See an au thori zed
A udi dealer or au thorized A ud i Service Fa ­
cility for ass istance .
Parking
~ Press the brake pedal to stop the vehicle.
~ Pull the (D switch to set the park ing brake
¢ page 73, fig. 78 .
~ Place the selector lever in the P pos ition.
~ Turn the eng ine off ¢&_ .
~ Turn the steering whee l when pa rking on in­
clin es so that the whee ls will roll into the curb
if the ve hicle starts mov ing .
A WARNING
-Always take the vehicle key with you when
leaving the vehicle, even fo r a short period
of time. This applies particularly when chi l­
dren rema in in the veh icle . Otherwise ch il­
dren could start the engine, release the
par kin g brake or operate elect rical eq uip­
me nt such as powe r windows, which in­
c reases the ris k of an acc ident.
- When the vehicle is locked, no one -particu­
larly not children -sho uld rem ain i n the ve­
hicle. Loc ked doors ma ke it more diffic ult
74
-
for emergency workers to get into the vehi­
cle, which puts lives at risk.
Starting from a stop
The start assist function ensures that the park ­
ing broke is released automatically upon start­
ing.
Stopping and sett ing the parking brake
~ Pull the (D swi tc h to set t he pa rking brake
¢ page 73, fig . 78 .
Starting and automatically releasing the
parking brake
Require ment: the d river 's doo r mus t be closed
and the driver 's sa fe ty belt must be fastened.
~ When you press the acce lerato r pedal, the
parking bra ke is a utomat ica lly re leased and
your veh icle begi ns to move.
When stopp ing at a traff ic signa l or stopping in
c ity traff ic, the par king b rake can be applied . The
vehicle does no t have to be held wi th the brake
pedal. The par king bra ke elim inates the ten dency
to creep when a se lector lever posi tion is engag ­
ed. As soon as you p ress the accelerator pedal,
the parking brake releases a utomat ica lly and the
vehicle starts to move.
Starting on slopes
When star ting on in cli nes, the hill start assist
prevents the vehicle from unintentiona lly rolling
b ack . The b raking force of t he parking brake is
not re leased unti l sufficient dr iv ing force has
been built up at the wheels.
@ Tips
F o r safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
l eased a utomatica lly on ly when the driver 's
safety be lt is fastened and the driver's door is
l ocked.

Automatic transmissio n
Automatic transmission
S tronic
Introduction
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith au tomat ic tra nsmi ssio ns
Your veh icle is equipped with an electronically­
controlled DSG t ransm iss ion called S t ronic. Two
independent cl utches transfer the power be ­
tween the engine and t ransmission . It allows the
vehicle to accelerate without a noticeab le inter ­
ruption in traction.
The transm ission upshifts o r downshifts auto ­
mat ica lly. The driving sty le continuously influen ­
ces the selection of the driving program.
When a
mod erat e dri ving styl e is used, the
transmission se lects the most eco nomical d riving
mode . The t ransmission upshifts at a lower RPM
and downshifts at a higher RPM to improve fuel
efficiency.
The transm ission switches to a spo rty mode afte r
a kick-down or when the driver uses a
s port y
dri ving style
characterized by quick accelerator
pedal movements, heavy acce leration, frequent
changes in speed and traveling at the maximum
speed.
I f desired, the driver can also select the gears
manually (tiptronic mode) ¢ page 81, Shifting
manually (tiptronic mode).
Selector lever positions
A ppl ies to: ve hicles w ith a uto mat ic t ra n smi ssio ns
F ig. 79 Instrument cluster: selec tor lever posit ions
The instrument cluste r display shows the current
selector lever position and current gear .
76
P - Park
The w heels a re mechan ically locked in t his posi ­
tion . Yo u can only sh ift into Park when the vehi­
cle is
stationary ¢.&. .
To sh ift in and ou t of the P selecto r leve r posi­
tion, press the interlock button in the selector
l ever
while pressing the brake peda l.
R- Reverse
Only shift into reverse gear when the veh icle is
stationary and the engine is run ning at id le
speed¢ ,&..
To select the R selector lever position, press the i nterlock button
while pressing the brake pedal.
The back- up lights switch on i n the R pos ition if
the ign it io n is switched on.
N - Neutral
The transmission is in idle in th is position.
D /S - No rmal po sition fo r dri ving fo rw ard
In the D/S se lector lever position, the transmis­
sion can be operated either in the normal D mode
or in the S sport mode. To select the S sport
mode, pull the selector lever back br iefly. Pulling
the lever back aga in will select the normal D
mode . The instrument cluster display shows the
selected driving mode.
In the
normal m ode D, the transmission auto­
matically selects the suitable gear ratio . It de­
pends on engine load, veh icle speed and driving
style .
Se lect the
sport mo de S for sporty driving. The
vehicle makes full use of the engine's power .
Sh ift ing may become noticeable when accelerat­
i ng .
To move from selector lever pos ition N to D, you
must press the brake pedal and the veh icle must
be traveling less than 1 mph (2 km/h) or be sta­
tionary ¢,&. .
&, WARNING
Read and fo llow all WARNINGS.
- The vehicle can roll even if the ig nit ion is
sw itched off.

Automatic transmission
stuck by "rocking" it. The selector lever lock en­
gages if the lever stays in the N position longer
than approximately 2 seconds when the brake
pedal is not pressed .
Interlock button
The interlock button in the selector lever handle
prevents you from moving the selector lever in­
advertently while in some se lector lever posi­
tions. The positions that require the lock button
to be pressed are marked in color in the illustra­
tion
c> fig. 80.
Ignition key safety interlock*
You can only remove the key from the ignition af­
ter switching the ignition off if the selector lever
is in the P position. The selector lever wi ll be
locked in the P position as long as the key is not
in the ignition .
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS. c> A in Selec­
tor lever positions on page 76.
(D Tips
-If the se lector lever does not engage, there
i s a malfunction . The eng ine is disabled to
prevent the vehicle from driving off unin­
tentiona lly . Press the brake pedal br iefly to
al low the selector lever lock to engage
again .
-If the vehicle does not move forward or in
r everse even though a drive position is se­
lected, proceed as follows:
- >If the vehicle does not move in the desired
direction, the system may not have engaged
the drive position correctly. Press the brake
pedal and select the drive position again.
-> If the vehicle st ill does not move in the de­
sired direction, there is a system malfunc­
tion. See an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility for assistance
to have the system checked.
78
Driving tips
Applies to: vehicles with automatic transmissions
The transmission shifts up and down automati­
cally when in the driving gears.
Fig. 81 Sect ion of t he ce nter console: se lector lever with
interlock button
The engine will only be able start when the selec­
tor lever is in the P or N pos itions . At low temper ­
atures (below 14 °F (-10 °()), the engine can only
be started when the selector lever is in the P po­
sition.
Starting from a stop
"' Press and hold the brake pedal.
"' Press and hold the interlock button in these­
lector lever handle, select the desired selector
lever position such as D
c> page 76 and release
the lock button.
"' Wait a moment until the transmission shifts.
You will notice a slight movement when the gear engages.
"' Release the brake pedal and press the accelera­
tor pedal
c> .&. -
Stopping temporarily
"'Keep the vehicle stationary using the braking
pedal, for example at traffic lights .
"' Do not press the acce lerator pedal when doing
this.
"' To prevent the vehicle from rolling when you
start driving, set the parking brake when stop­
ping on steep incl ines
c> ,&. .
"'The parking brake will release automat ically
and the vehicle will start moving once you p ress
the acce lera tor pedal. Requirement: the driv­
er's doo r must be closed and the driver's safety
belt must be fastened . ..,.

<( co .... N ,.__
N .... 0 ,.__
> co
Stopping /p ark ing
If the selecto r lever is not in the P position when
you open the driver's door, the vehicle could rol l.
I n vehicles with a convenience key*, the message :
Shift to P, v eh icle can roll awa y. Doo rs can be
lo cked onl y i n P
appears. You will also hear a
warning tone.
~ Press and hold the brake pedal¢.&_ .
~ Set the parking brake.
~ Select the P selector lever pos ition.
Stopp ing on an incline
~ Always press the brake peda l to hold the vehi­
cle in place and prevent it from "rolling back"
¢
A -Do not try to prevent the vehicle from
"ro lling back" when a gear is engaged by in­
creasing the engine speed¢@) .
Starting on a n incline in vehicl es w ithout Hill
H old *
~ Set the parking brake.
~ With the driving gear se lected, press the acce l­
erator pedal carefully. The parking brake re­
leases automatically . Requirement: the driver's
door must be closed and the driver's safety belt
must be fastened .
Starting on an incline in vehicle s with Hill
Hold*
~ With the driving gear selected, remove your
foot from the brake pedal and press the accel­
erator pedal¢
page 75, Hill hold.
Under certain c ircumstances, (such as driving in
the mountains or towing a trailer), it may be use­
fu l to sw itch temporari ly to the manua l shift pro­
g ram in orde r to adjust the gears to t he d riving
conditions by hand
¢ page 81 .
When parking on a level surface , simply place the
se lector lever in the P position. On inclines, acti­
vate the parking b rake first and then move the
selecto r lever to the P position
¢ page 73. This
prevents the locking mechanism from being
l oaded too heavi ly and wi ll make it easier to
move the selector lever out of the P position.
Autom atic tran sm iss ion
A WARNING
- The vehicle can roll even when the eng ine is
sw itched off .
- Unintended vehicle movement can lead to
serious injuries .
- Never leave your veh icle w ith the engine
running while in gear. If you must leave
your veh icle when the engine is running, set
the park ing brake and move the selector lev­
er to the P posit ion.
- Power is still transferred to the wheels when the engine is runn ing at idle. To pre­
vent the vehicle from "creeping", yo u must
keep your foot on the b rake when the en­
g ine is r unning and the selector lever is in
the D, Sor R position or " tip tronic" mode is
selected.
- Do not in adver ten tly press the accelerator
pedal when the vehicle is stationary. Other­
wise the vehicle wi ll start to move immedi­
ately, even if the parking brake is set. This
could result in a crash.
- Do not press the acce lerator pedal when
changing the se lector lever position while
the vehicle is stationary and the engine is running.
- Never engage the R or P selector level pos i­
tions while dr iv ing.
It could cause a crash.
- Before driving down a steep slope, reduce your speed and sh ift into a lower gear w ith
"t i ptronic".
- Do not r ide the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when dr iving
downhill. Constant braking causes the brakes to overheat and substant ially re­
duces bra king performance, increases b rak­
ing d istance or causes comp lete failure of
the brake sys tem.
- I f you must stop on an incline, a lways hold
the vehicle in place w it h the foot brake or
p ar king brake to p reve nt i t from rolling
back.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipp ing clu tc h . The clutch opens automati­
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload . The
mJ indicator light turns on
79

Automatic transmissio n
and a message appears~ page 82 when
the clutch is overloaded.
- If the engine must run while you are work­
ing in the engine compartment with the
hood open, make sure a gear is not engag­
ed. The selector lever must be firmly in the
P position and locked in place and the park­
ing brake m ust be set~
page 188. Other­
wise, the vehicle could begin moving when
the engine speed increases, even with the
par king brake set.
{UJ Note
- When stopp ing on a n incline, do not t ry to
ho ld the vehicle in p lace by press ing the ac­
ce le ra to r pedal wh ile a driv ing gear is se­
l ected. Th is can ca use the au toma tic trans­
mission to overheat and can damage it. Set
the parking brake or press the brake pedal
to prevent the vehicle from rolling .
- A llow ing the vehicle to ro ll when the eng ine
is stopped and the se lector lever is in the N
position will damage the automatic trans­
mission because it is not l ubricated under
those circumstances.
- The transmiss ion can overheat and be dam­
aged under certa in driving and traffic cond i­
tions such as frequent starts, creep ing for a
long time, or stop-and-go traffic . W hen the
@l or. indicator light turns on, stop the
vehicle at the next oppo rt u nity and let the
transmission coo l~
page 82.
- Allow ing the veh icle to roll when the eng ine
i s stopped will damage the S tron ic trans­
mission beca use it is not l ubricated
¢ page 246, Towing with a tow truck .
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake releases
automatically only when the driver's door is
closed and driver 's safety belt is fastened.
80
· Hill descent control
App lies to: vehicles with automatic transmissions
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving downhill .
Hill descent control is act ivated when the selec­
tor lever is in the D or S position and you press
the brake pedal. The transmission automatically
selects a gear that is s uitable for the incline. H ill
descent control tries to maintain the speed ach­
i eved at the t ime of braking, w it hi n phys ical and
technica l lim itations . If may still be necessary to
adjust the speed w ith the brakes. Because h ill de­
scent control cannot shift down farther tha n 3rd
gear, it may be necessary to shift into tiptronic
mode in very steep areas. In this case, shift into 1st or 2nd gear in tiptronic mode to use the en­
gine's braking force to relieve the brakes.
Hill descent control switches
off once the decline
l evels out or you press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles with a cru ise control system*
¢ page 88, hi ll descent control is a lso activated
when the speed is set.
A WARNING
Hill descent contro l cannot overcome physical
limitations, so it may not be able to ma intain
a constant speed under all conditions. A lways
be ready to app ly the brakes.

Automatic transmissio n
Launch Control-Program
Applies to: vehicles with Launch Control
The Launch Control Program enables maximum
acceleration .
Requirement: the engine must be at operating
temperature and the steer ing wheel must not be
turned .
.,. With the engine runn ing, press the
i ,; OFF ! but­
ton br iefly one time
l) .
"' Pull the selector lever back out of the 0/5 posi­
tion briefly to select the 5 posit ion, or press it
toward the rig ht into the tiptronic pos ition or
select the
Dynami c driving mode in d rive se­
lect*
~ page 106.
"' Press the b rake pedal firmly with your left foot
and hold it all the way down for at least 1 sec ­
ond.
"' At the same time, press the gas pedal a ll the
way down w ith your right foot unti l the engine
reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
"' Remove your left foot from the brake.
_.&. WARNING
-Always adapt you r driv ing to the traffic flow .
- Only use Launch Control when road and traf-
fic cond itions allow it and other dr ivers will
not be endangered or impacted by your d riv­
ing and the vehicle's a cce le ration.
- Please note that the dr ive wheels can sp in
and the vehicle can break away when sport
mode is switched on, especia lly when the
road is s lippery.
- Once the vehi cle has sta rted moving, press
the
l .!'3 OFF ! button briefly to tu rn the sport
mode off.
(D Tips
- The t ransmiss ion temperature may increase
significantly after using t he launch control
program.
If tha t happens, the p rogram may
l ) In vehicles with a driver info rma tion system, an ESC light
i n the in st rument cl uste r stays on cont inuous ly and t he
message Sta bilization co ntrol (ES C): sport . Warning! Re ­
st ricted stab il ity app ears temp orar ily .
82
not be avai lab le for a few minutes. It will be
available again after a coo l-down period.
- When accelerating using the launch contro l
program, all vehicle parts are s ubject to
heavy loads. This can lead to increased
wear .
Emergency mode
App lies to: vehicles with auto matic transmissions
In the event of a system malfunction, there is an
emergency program.
If all of the selector lever positions are hig hlight­
ed with a light background in the instrument
cluster disp lay, there is a system malfunction and
the 5 tronic transmission is running in the emer­
gency program. The veh icle can still be driven in
emergency mode, but only with reduced speed
and not in all gears . In some cases, the vehicle
cannot dri ve in rever se .
(D Note
If the transmission runs in emergency mode,
drive to an authorized A udi dealer or author­
ized Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have
the malfunct ion corrected.
Transmission malfunction
• Tran smi ssion malfun ction ! Pl ea se stop the
vehicle and sele ct P
There is a ma lfunction in the transm ission . Park
the ve hicle secure ly and do not cont inue driving.
See an author ized Audi dealer or authorized A udi
Se rvice Facility for assistance.
• Tran smi ssion overheating! Pleas e stop the
v e hicle!
The transmission is too hot and can become dam ­
aged . Stop and let the transmiss ion cool w ith the
engine r unning (at idle) in the P se lector lever po­
s it ion. Then the ind icator light and the message ..,.

<( co ..... N
" N ..... 0 r--. > 00
turn off, drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have
the malfunction corrected.
If the indicator light
and the driver message do not turn off, do not
continue driving . See an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility for assistance .
ml Transmission malfunction: You can continue
driving
Drive to an authorized Audi dea ler o r authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
ml Transmission malfunction: no reverse gear
(you can continue driving)
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea le r or authorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
ml Transmission malfunction: You can continue
driving in D until engine off
Drive the vehicle away from moving traffic and
park. See an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility for assistance.
ml Transmission overheating! Please adapt
driving style
Continue driving moderately. When the indicator
light turns off, you can continue driving normal­
ly .
ml Transmission : Press brake pedal and select
gear again.
If the transmission malfunctions because the
temperature is too high, a message appears
when the transmission is cooled.
Automatic transmission
Selector lever emergency release
A pp lies to : vehicles wi th automatic transmissions
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selector
lever can be released in an emergency .
Fig. 84 Selector lever: removi ng the cover
Fig. 85 Se lecto r lever: using the emergency release to
move out of the Pa rk pos ition
The emergency release mechanism is located in
the right area under the selector lever shift gate .
Using the emergency release can be complicated .
We recommend contacting an authorized Aud i
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for as­
sistance, if necessary .
The screwdr iver from the veh icle tool kit located
in the luggage compartment is needed to for the
eme rgency re lease
c:::> page 230. Use the flat side
of the reversible screwdriver blade.
Removing the selector lever cover
.,. Set the park ing brake<®> c:::> .&. to secure your
veh icle from rolling .
.,. Insert the flat side of the screwdriver sideways
in the slot near the shift cover and pry the shift
cover up
c:::> fig. 84 .
.,. Pull up the co rners of the shift cover carefully
with your hands and fold it over the shifter knob
c:::> fig. 85. ..,.
83

<( co .... N ,.__
N .... 0 ,.__
> co
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