2016 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET engine overheat

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for all gears once the engine has been broken in
and when it is warm. You should select the D/S
se lector lever position or take your foot off the
accelerator pedal before reaching th is area .
CD Note
The needle in the tachometer (D c::> page 10,
fig.
3 may only be in the red area of the gauge
for a short time or there is a risk of damaging
the engine.
@ For the sake of the env ironment
Upshifting early helps you to save fuel and re­
duce operating noise.
Odometer
Fig . S In strum ent cl uster : odo meter
Tr ip o dom eter and odom eter
-~ 0
> a, ID
The trip odometer @ shows the distance driven
since it was last reset. It can be used to measure
short distances .
The trip odometer can be reset to zero by press­ ing the reset button
10.01 c::> page 10, fig. 3.
The odometer @shows the total distance that
the vehicle has been dr iven.
M alfun cti on indic ator
If there is a malfunction in the instrument clus­
ter,
DEF w ill appear in the tr ip odometer display .
H ave the malfunction corrected as soon as possi­
b le.
@ Tips
;::: The units of measurement can be set in the
" ~ MMI.
0
" > 00
Inst rum ents a nd ind icat or ligh ts
Outside temperature display
The instrument clus ter display shows the outside
temperature. At temperatures below 41 °F
( + 5 °C), a snowflake symbol appears in front of
the temperature display.
If your vehicle is stationary or if you are driv ing at
very low speeds, the temperature d isplayed may
be slight ly higher than the actual temperature
outside due to the heat radiating from the en­
gine.
A WARNING
-
Do not assume the roads are free of ice based
on the outside temperature display. Be aware
that there may be ice on roads even when the
outside temperature is around 41 °F
(+5 °()
and that ice can increase the risk of acc idents.
@ Tips
The units of measurement can be set in the
MMI.
Fuel level
The display @c::>page10 , fig. 3 only works when
the ignit ion is switched on . When the display has
reached the rese rve ma rk, the bottom LED will
tu rn red and the
ti ind icator light t urns on
c::>page 20. The bottom LED blinks red when
the fuel level is very low .
The on-board computer shows the range based on the fuel level c::>
page 23, On-board comput ­
er display.
For the tank capacity in your veh icle, refer to the
Technica l Data
c::> page 251.
CD Note
Never drive until the tank is completely emp­
ty . The ir regular supply of fue l that resu lts
from that can cause engine misfires. Uncom ­
busted fuel w il l then enter the exha ust sys­
tem. This can cause overheat ing and damage
to the catalytic converter.
1 1

Instruments and indicator lights
Coolant temperature indicator
The coolant temperature indicator@¢ page 10,
fig . 3
only works when the ignition is switched
on. To prevent engine damage, please observe
the following notes about the temperature rang­
es.
Cold range
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge turn
on, the engine has not reached operating tem­
perature yet. Avoid high engine speeds, full ac­
celerating and heavy engine loads.
Normal range
The engine has reached its operating tempera­
ture once the LEDs up to the center of the gauge
turn on under normal driving conditions. The
LEDs higher up may turn on if the engine is under
heavy load or the outside temperature is high.
This is no cause for conc ern as long as the. in­
dicator light in the instrument cluster does not
turn on.
Hot range
If the LEDs in the upper area of the display and
the . indicator light in the instrument cluster
display turn on, the coolant temperature is too
high
¢ page 16.
A WARNING
-Never open the hood if you can see or hear
steam or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. This increases the risk of
burns. Wait until you no longer see or hear
steam or coolant escap ing .
- The engine compartment in any vehicle can
be a dangerous area. Stop the engine and
allow it to cool before working in the engine
compartment. A lways follow the informa­
tion found in ¢
page 188, Working in the
engine comportment.
(D Note
- Auxiliary headlights and other accessories in
front of the cooling-air intake impair the
cooling effect of the coolant. This increases
the risk of the engine overheating during
12
high outside temperatures and heavy en­
gine load.
- Th e front spoiler also helps to distribute
cooling air correctly while driving. If the
spoiler is damaged, the cooling effect will
be impaired and the risk of the engine over­
heating will increase. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa­ cility for assistance .
Indicator lights
Description
The indicator lights in the instrument cluster
blink or turn on. They indicate functions or mal­
functions.
Messages may appear with some indicator lights.
A warning signal will sound at the same time. If
there is more than one malfunction, the indicator lights will turn on one after the other for a short
time . The indicator lights and messages in the in­
strument cluster display can be covered by other
displays .
The messages can be displayed again in the driv­
er information system*. With the multifunction
steering wheel, select the tab for indicator lights
and messages
c:> page 24 .
Some indicator lights in the display can display in
several colors.
& Central indicator light
If the . or D indicator light turns on, check
the instrument cluster display for more informa­
tion.
App lies to: vehicles wi th mo nochrome disp lay
If a message appears together with a central in­
dicator light. or
D. the central indicator light
will indicate the priority of the warning. If a
white indicator light also appears , the central in­
dicator light will have its own color . For example,
i'"
@I ::ippears together with., read the descrip­
tion for •.

Instruments and indicator lights
If the i ndicator lig ht blinks and t he message ap ­
pears, the re is not enough bra king power to se ­
cure the vehicle. The brakes have overheated. The
ve hicle co uld ro ll away even on a small incline .
-(USA models)/. (Canada models)
Please press brake pedal to release parking
brake
T o re lease the pa rking brak e, press the br ake
pedal an d pres s th e ~ button at the same time,
or start driv ing with hill start ass ist
¢ page 74,
Starting from a stop .
Ill Parking brake!
There is a malfunc tion in th e park ing b ra ke . Dr ive
t o an author ized Audi dealer or au thor ized A udi
S erv ice Fa cil ity immedi ately to ha ve t he m alfunc­
t ion correc ted.
Ill Parking brake: Limited functionality!
There is a malfunction in the park ing brake. Dr ive
to a n author ized Audi dealer or author ized A udi
Serv ice Facility immediately to have t he m alfunc­
tion cor rec ted .
IZ!il:t:l;U:o (USA models ) / Ill (Canada models )
Please release park ing brake
Release the par king brake if t his message a p­
pears .
!1J;jl:l;J;1:0 (USA models) / K@j Parking brake: auto release unavailable
If thi s m essage a ppe ars , pr ess the bra ke ped al
fir st and t hen release the p arking br ake.
IZJ;J:t :);Jj3~ (USA models) / K@j Caution: Vehicle parked too steep
I f th e i ndicator lig ht blinks and t he message ap­
pears, the re is not eno ugh bra king power to s e­
cure the vehicl e. The bra kes have overhea ted. T he
ve hicl e co uld roll aw ay eve n on a s mall i nclin e .
IZJ;jl :);tJ3~ ( USA models ) / Ii] (Canada models )
Parking brake is applied
I f th is message appears, press the brake pedal
fi rst and the n release the pa rking brake if neces ­
sary.
16
(D Tips
F o r additional informat ion on t he parking
br ake, refe r to ¢
page 73 .
-L Cooling system
• Switch off engine and check coolant level!
The coo la nt level is too low.
D o not con tinue dr iv in g and swi tch th e e ngi ne
off.
Check the coola nt level ¢
page 195 .
-If the coo lant level is too low, add coolant
¢
page 195. Only continue dr iving once the in­
dicato r ligh t turns off.
• Coolant temperature too high! Let engine
run with veh icle stationary
Let the engine ru n at idle fo r a few mi nutes to
cool off, until the in dicator lig ht t urns off.
- If the in dicat or ligh t doe s not tu rn off , d o n ot
cont inue driving the veh icle. S ee an au thorized
Audi dea le r or a uth orized Audi Service Facility
for assistance.
.8_ WARNING
- Never open the hood if you can see or hea r
steam or coo la nt escaping from t he e ng in e
compa rtm ent. This increases the ris k of
burns. Wait until you no lo ng er see o r hear
s t ea m or coo la nt escaping.
- The engine compa rtment in any vehicle can
b e a da nge rous a rea . Stop the engi ne and
allow it to coo l b efo re wor king in the en g in e
com partm ent . Alw ay s follo w the inf orma­
t io n found in
r::!> pag e 188 , Wo rking in the
engine com par tment.
(D Note
D o not con tinue dr iv ing if the . indicato r
li g ht turns o n as thi s incr ease s th e ris k o f en­
gin e dama ge.
• Switch off engine! Oil pressure too low .,.

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A WARNING ,~
If the ~ (USA models) /. (Canada mod­
els) brake system indicator light turns on to­
gether with the ABS and ESC indicator lights,
the ABS/ESC regulat ing funct ion may have
fai led. Functions that stabilize the vehicle are
no longer available. This could cause the vehi­
cle to swerve, which increases the risk that
the vehicle will slide. Drive carefully to the
nearest author ized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility and have the malfunction corrected.
@ Tips
For additional information on ESC and ABS,
refer to¢
page 116.
{0} Brake pads
IJ Brake pads!
The brake pads are worn.
Drive to an autho rized Aud i dea le r or authorized
Aud i Service Faci lity immediately to have the
b ra ke pads checked.
Applies to: USA models
The IJ indicator light turns on together with the
~ indicator light
·~ Hill hold assist
Hill hold assist: unavailable
If thP&) indicator light tu rns o n and this mes­
sage appears, hill hold is not available.
II Manual control!
If this message appears, press the brake pedal.
Continue driving w ith the help of the park ing
brake. ¢
page 73
EPC Engine control (gasoline engine)
Applies to: veh icles with gasoline engines
If the ~ indicator light turns on if there is a
malfunction in the engine control.
Instruments and indicator lights
Drive slowly to an authorized Audi dea ler or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility to have the engine
checked .
If the~ indicator light turns on when you start
the engine, there is an automatic start malfunc­
tion. To start the engine, fo llow these steps:
- Vehicles with ignition lock¢
page 68, Auto-
matic start malfunction
- Veh icles with a conve nience key¢ page 70,
Automatic start malfunction.
a System indicator light (MIL)
The system indicator light (MIL) is pa rt of the On
Board Diagnostic system (OBD II) . The
II! sym­
bol turns on when the ignition is switched on and
turns off again once the engine is started and
running at a steady idle speed. This indicates that
the MIL is functioning correctly .
The indicator light turns on if there is a malfunc­
t ion in the engine electronics . See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac ility to
have the malfunction corrected.
The system indicator light (MIL) may turn on if
the fuel filler cap is not closed correctly
¢ page 186.
For additional information, refer to ¢ page 21.
!? Engine speed limitation
Applies to : vehicles with engine speed limitation
(II Max . engine speed: XXXX rpm
The engine speed is automatically limited to the
speed displayed in the driver information system.
This protects the engine from overheating.
T he eng ine speed limitation deactivates once the
engine is no longer in the critical temperature
range and you have re leased the accelerator ped ­
al once.
If the engine speed limitation was activated by
an engine control malfunction, the~ indicato r
light also turns on . Make sure the engine speed
does not go above the speed displayed, for exam-
ple when downshifting. Drive to an authorized .,.
19

Driving
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your fuel
consumption by 10-15 percent. This section will
give you some tips on how you can help the envi­ ronment and your pocketbook.
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehicle
load and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­
ating.
.. Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking .
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­
ating. If you anticipate what is going to happen next, you will need to brake less and, thus, accel­
erate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possi ­
ble -for example when you see that the next traf­
fic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and im­
proves your mileage.
.. Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed .
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consumption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ­ ment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and engine
noise increase disproportionately at high speeds.
If you drive at approximately three quarters of
top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by
one half . Never drive faster than the posted
speed limit and weather conditions permit.
66
· Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel .
.. Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle .
.,. Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the en-
gine run at idle .
It is efficient to switch off the engine when stop­
ped at railroad crossings and long red lights.
Turning the engine off for just 30 -40 seconds
saves more fuel than is burned by starting the
engine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle . However, wear
and noxious emissions are especially high when
the engine is warming up . So you should drive
away as soon as you start the engine and avoid running at high rpms while the engine is still
warming up .
@ Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting. If warning lights should come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces
heat, which could result in overheating or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper­
ty.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot
of fuel.
.. Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
Audi dealer helps to ensure that it runs properly
and economically. The condition of your vehicle
not only affects its safety and ability to hold its
value, it also affects
fuel consumption.
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oil used is related to engine load
and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new en­
gine to reach its lowest value after a certain mile -
age has been driven . ..,.

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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 ..,.