2016 AUDI A3 CABRIOLET overheating

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 •.

<( co .... N r--­N .... 0 r--­> co
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 . ..,.

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 r--. > 00
-Please note that unconsciously "resting"
your foot on the accelerator pedal prevents the cruise control from braking. This is be­
cause pressing the accelerator pedal over­
rides the cruise control system .
-If there is a brake system malfunction such
as overheating when the speed warning sys­
tem is switched on, the braking function in
the system will be deactivated. The remain­
ing speed warning system functions will re­
main active , as long as the~ (USA mod­
els) /
fil (Canada models) indicator light is
on.
{i) Tips
- The cruise control system is ideal for
stretches with speed limits. The driver is re­
sponsible for adhering to the correct speed.
- The cruise control remains active when
shifting gears.
- The brake lights turn on when the brakes
are activated.
Switching on
A pp lies to: ve hicles with c ru ise control system
0
f
®t
0
Fig. 86 Operat ing lever: c ru ise control syste m
.. To switch the cruise control on, pull the lever
into position @~
fig. 86 .
.. Drive at the speed to be maintained .
.. To store the speed, press the button @. The
@;\1)~14 indicator light (USA models)/ fil (Cana­
da models) turns on in the instrument cluster.
Assist
Changing speed
Applies to : vehicles wit h cruise co ntrol sys tem
., To increase or decrease the speed in incre­
ments,
tap the lever in the 010 direction
~ page 89, fig. 86.
.. To increase or decrease the speed quickly, hold
the lever in the 0 / 0 direction until the de­
sired speed is reached.
Overriding the speed
You can press the acce lerator pedal down to in­
crease your speed, for example if you want to
pass someone. The speed you saved earlier will
resume as soon as you let off of the accelerator
pedal.
If, however, you exceed your saved speed by 5
mph (10 km/h) for longer than 6 minutes, the
cruise control turns off temporarily .
The@;\!)~14
(USA models) ;fil (Canada models) indicator
light in the instrument cluster turns off and the
stored speed is maintained.
Preselecting the speed
Appl ies to: vehicles wi th cruise co ntrol sys te m
You can pre-select your desired speed while the
vehicle is not moving.
., Switch on the ignition .
.. Pull the lever into position
(D 9 page 89,
fig. 86 .
.. To increase or decrease the speed, tap the lever
in the
0 10 direction.
This function makes it possible, for example, to
save the speed you want before driving on the
highway. Once on the highway, activate the
cruise control system by pulling the lever toward
the position
(D .
Switching off
Applies to : vehicles wi th cruise co ntrol syste m
Temporary deactivation
.. Press the brake pedal, or
.. Press the lever into position @ (not clicked into
place)
~ page 89, fig. 86, or ..,
89

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 .
-

Check ing and F illing
Adding coolant
Req uirement: the re must be a res idual amo unt of
coo lant in the expansion tank¢(!) .
"' Let the engine coo l down.
"' Place a cloth over the coolant expans ion tank
cap and unscrew the cap counter cloc kwise
¢ &_ .
"'Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
¢page 195 up to the upper marking .
"' Make sure that the fluid level remains stable.
Add more coo lant if necessary.
"' Close the cap securely.
A coolant loss suggests a leak. Immediately dr ive
your veh icle to an authori zed Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Service Facility and have the cool­
ing system inspected . If the cooling system is not
leaking, a loss can come from the coolant boi ling
through overheating and be ing pushed o ut of the
coo ling system.
_& WARNING
T he coo ling sys tem is pres suriz ed a nd can be­
come very ho t. To reduce the r is k of burns
from hot coolant :
- Do no t open the coo la nt expan sion tan k cap
with the engine ho t. There is a risk of burns .
- Stop the engine and allow it to cool.
- Prote ct your face, hands and arms from es -
c aping co o lant and steam by covering the
c oolant t ank cap with a large, th ick cloth.
- T urn the coo la nt tank cap co un terclo ckwise
slowly a nd kee p lig ht pressu re o n the cap .
- T o reduce the risk of burns, do not allow any
an tifreeze o r coolant to drip on to the ex­
haus t sys tem or hot engine components.
T he ethylene glycol in eng ine coolan t can
catch fire under certain circumstances .
- T he coo lant add itive an d the cool ant can be
dange rous to you r healt h. For this reason,
keep the coolant in the o rigina l container
away from c hildren. There is a risk of poi­
soning .
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the rad iator fan can switch
on even if the ign ition is switched off, which
increases the risk of personal injury .
196
(D Note
Do not add coo lant if the expansion tank is
empty. A ir cou ld enter the cooling system and
damage the eng ine. If this is the case, do not
continue driving. See an author ized Audi deal­
e r o r a uthorized Audi Serv ice Facility fo r ass is ­
tance .
Radiator fan
The radia tor fan switches on au tomatically by it­
self.
An a uxiliary e lectric radiator fan switches on and
off depend ing on coo lant temperature and other
vehicle ope rating conditions .
After yo u switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan
can continue running for up to 10 m inutes - even
with the ignit ion off.
It can even switch on aga in
l ate r by itself ¢.& , if
- the temperat ure o f the eng ine coolant rises due
to the heat build- up from the engine in the en­
gine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because the veh icle is parked in intense s unlight.
_& WARNING
- To reduce the r isk of personal injury never
to uch the radiator fan .
- The auxiliary e lectric fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on suddenly even
when the engine is not ru nning .
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on auto­
mat ica lly when the eng ine coolant reaches a
certain temperature and will continue to run
until t he coo lant tempe rature d rops.
-