ECU AUDI A3 CABRIOLET 2015 Owner's Guide

M N
" > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
A WARNING 1= •
Improperly installed child safety seats in-
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death in a collision .
- Never unfasten the safety belt to deacti­
vate the convert ible lock ing retractor for
child restraints while the veh icle is mov­
ing. You would not be rest rained and
c ou ld be ser iously injured in an ac cident.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child rest rained in ave­
hicle is being used
~page 169. Special
precautions apply when installing a ch ild
safety sea t on the front passenger seat
~ page 148, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
LATCH Lower
anchorages and tethers
for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
To provide a s imp ler and mor e pract icable way
to attach the ch ild restraint on the vehicle
seat, Fede ral regu lations requi re speci al lower
a ncho rages in veh icles and dev ices on new
chi ld res traints to attach to the vehicle ancho ­
rages .
The combination of the tether anchorages and
the lower anchorages is now generally called
the
LATCH system for " Lower Anchorages and
T ethers for Children ."
F orward -facing child rest rain ts manuf actured
a ft er Sep tembe r 1, 1999, are require d by U .S .
federal regulations to comply with new child
h ead movement performance requirements .
T hese new performance requirements make a
tether necessary on most new chi ld seats.
Instal ling a child restraint that req uir es a top
tether witho ut one can serio usly impair the
performance of the chi ld restraint and its ab il­
ity to protect the ch ild in a co llision . Installing
a child restraint that requires a top tether
Child Sa fet y 183
without the top tether may be a violat ion o f
state law.
Child rest rain t manufacture rs offer LA TCH
lower anchorages on their child seats w ith
hook -on or push -on connectors attached to
adjustable straps.
In add it ion to the LATCH lower anchorages,
these ch ild restraint systems usually requi re
the use o f tether straps to he lp keep the chi ld
restraint firm ly in place.
A WARNING
Improper installation of child restra ints
will increase the r isk of injury and death in
a crash.
-Always follow the instr uctions provided
by the manufacturer of the child re­
straint you intend to install in your vehi­
cle .
- Never install a child restraint without a
properly attached top tether strap if the
child restraint manufacture r's instruc­
tions require the top tether st rap to be
used.
- Improper use of child rest raint LATC H
lowe r ancho rage points can lead to injury
in a collision. The LATC H lowe r anchorage
points are designe d to withstand o nly
those loads impose d by correctly fitted
child restraints .
- Never mo unt two child restra int systems
on one LATCH lower anchorage point.
- Never secure or attach any lugg age or
o ther item to the LAT CH lower anchorag ­
es.
(D Tips
- I n Canada, the terms "top tether" w ith
" lower universal anchorages" (or "lower
universal anchorage bars") are used to
describe the system.
- In o ther coun tries, the term " ISO FIX" is
used to describe the lower anchorages .
-
•
•
•

184 Child Safet y
location
Fig. 153 Schematic overview: LATCH ancho rage point
locations
The illustration shows the seating locations in
your vehicle which are equipped with the low­
er anchorages system.
Description
The lower anchorage positions are marked
for quick locating.
F ig. 15 4 Lower anchorages, covers marked
F ig. 155 Rear seats: lowe r anchorage bra cket locat io n s
Lowe r ancho rages
The c ircular markings on the rear seat help
you to identify the location of lower anchorag ­
es for the two outboard seating posit ions
~ fig. 154. The LATC H lower universal anchor­
age attachment points are between the rear
seatback and rear seat cus hion. Remove the
covers~
fig. 154 to access the
lower anchorage attachment points .
T he lower ancho rage attachmen t po ints are
visible
~ fig. 155.
Lower anchorages secure the chi ld restraint in
the seat without using the vehicle's safety belts. Ancho rages provide a secure and easy­
to-use attachmen t and minimize the possib ili­
ty of imp roper child restraint installation .
All child rest raints manufactured after Sep­
tember 1, 2002, m ust have lower anchorage
attachmen ts for the
LATCH system.
Please remember that the lower anchorage
points are only intended for installation and
attachment of child rest raints spec ifically cer­
t ified for use with
LATCH lower anchorages.
Child rest raints that are not equipped with the
lower anchorage attachments can still be in­
sta lled in compliance with the ch ild restra int
manufacturer's instructions on using vehicle
safety belts.
A WARNING
-Improper use of LATCH lower ancho rages
can cause serious personal injury in an ac­
cident .
-Always carefully follow the child re­ straints manufacturer's instructions for p roper installation of the child restraint
an d proper use of the lower anchorages
or safety belts in your vehicle.
- Never secure or attach any luggage or
o ther items to the
LATCH lower an cho­
rages .
- Always read and heed the important in­
formation about child res train ts in this
chapter and WARN INGS
~ page 169,
Child Safety .

....,
N
r--. > co
rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
Installing a child restraint with LATCH
lower anchorages
Applies to vehicles: with Top Tether
Whenev er you install a child res traint always
follow the child restraint manufacturer's in­
structions.
F ig . 156 Lowe r anch ora ges: proper mount ing
Mount ing
.. Make sure th e seatback of the rear seat
bench is in th e upright posit ion and s ecur ely
latched in place .
.. Attach bo th hook-on connectors wi th the
spring c atch release on the child safety seat
onto the LATC H lower anchorage so that the
connectors lock into place~
fig. 156.
.. Pull on the connector attachments to make
su re they are properly attached to the LATCH
lower anchorage .
.. Pull straps tight following the child restra int
manufacturer's instruct ions.
Releasing
.. Loosen the tens ion on the straps following
the chi ld restraint manufacturer's instr uc­
t ions .
.. Depress the spring catches to re lease the
anchorage hooks from the lowe r anchorag­
es.
Remember: Use tether straps to help keep the
ch ild restraint firmly in p lace.
A WARNING
Improper use of the LATC H system can in­
crease the risk of ser ious personal injury
and death in an acc ident.
Child S afety 185
-These anchors were deve loped only for
child safety seats using the "LATCH" sys­
tem.
- Never attach other chi ld safety seats,
be lts or other objects to these anchors.
- Always make sure that you hear a click
when latch ing the seat in p lace. If you do
not hear a click the seat is not secure and
could fly forward and hit the interior of
the vehicle, or be e jected from the veh i­
cle .
A WARNING
Imp roper installat ion of ch ild rest ra ints
will increase the risk of injury in an acci­
dent.
- Always follow the child restraint system
manufac turer's inst ruct io ns for prope r
installation of the c hild restra int system
and p roper use of te ther s traps as well as
the lower anchorages or safety belts in
your vehicle .
- Always read and heed the im portant in­
formation and WARNINGS about chi ld
safety and the insta llation of ch ild re­
straint systems ~
page 169, Child Safe­
ty .
Tether anchors and tether straps
Fig . 1 57 Tether an ch or s: re cess f lap s behi nd the re ar
seatbac ks
T he tether anchors for the rear seating posi­
t ions are located in recesses in the rear win ­
dow shelf ~
fig. 157
A tether is a s tra ight or V- shaped strap that
attaches the top part of a ch ild restraint to
special anchorage po ints in the vehicle .
-

186 Child Safet y
The purpose of the tether is to reduce the for­
ward movement of the child restraint in a
crash, in order to help reduce the r isk of head
injury that could be caused by striking the ve­
h icle interior.
F orward facing child restraints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, are required by U.S.
federal regulations to comply with new child
head movement performance requirements.
These new performance requ irements make a
tether necessary on most new ch ild safety
seats .
A WARNING
Imprope r insta llation of chi ld restrai nts
w ill increase the risk of inju ry and death in
a crash.
- Always follow the instructions p rov ided
by the manufacturer of the ch ild re ­
st raint you in tend to install in your Audi.
- Improper use of c hild restr aint anchors
(including tether anchors) can lead to in­
jury in a co llision. The anchors are de ­
signed to withstand on ly those loads im ­
posed by correctly fitted ch ild restraints.
- Never mount two ch ild restraint systems
on one LATCH lower anchor po int.
- Never a ttach two child rest ra int sys tems
to one tether strap or tether anchorage.
- Never attac h a tether st rap to a tie -down
hook in the luggage compartment.
- Never use c hild restra int te ther ancho­
rages to secure sa fety belts o r othe r
k inds of occupant restraints.
- Never secure or attach any luggage or
other items to the LATCH lowe r ancho­
rages or to the tether anchors .
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circ umstan­
ces and the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
med iately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the a irbag system inspected by you r
Audi dea ler.
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
Fig. 158 Tet her strap: proper ro u ting and mountin g
Installing the tether st rap
" Release or deploy the tether strap on the
child restraint according to the child re­
s tr aint manufacturer's instructions.
" Guide the upper t ether strap
und er the rear
head restra int~
fig. 158 (ra ise the head re­
s traint if ne cess ary) .
" Ti lt the recess flap up to expose the anchor
bracket .
" Attach the tether strap anchorage hoo k into
the opening of the tether anchorage.
" Pull on the tether strap hook so that the
spring catch of the hook engages.
" Tighten the tether strap firmly follow ing the
child r estraint manufacturer 's ins tructions.
Relea sing the tether strap
" Loosen the tension fo llow ing the child re­
straint manufacturer's instructions.
" Depress the spri ng catch on the hook and re­
lease it from the anchorage .
(D Note
If you leave the c hild restra int wit h the
tethe r strap firm ly installed for seve ral
days, this could leave a ma rk on the up­
ho lstery on the seat cushion and backrest
i n the area w here the tethe r strap was in­
s talled. The upholstery would also be per­
manent ly st retche d around the tether
strap. T his applies espec ia lly to leather
seats.

M N
" > co ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a tra iler, p lease remember
that the addit ional load will affect durab ility,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
F or this reason, a lways fo llow the operating
a n d driving instr uctions provided and use
common sense.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer we ight. The hitch must be suita­
b le for your veh icle and trailer and must be
mounted secure ly on t he veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a t railer
h itch w ith a removab le ball moun t. A lways
check with the tr ailer hitch man ufac tur er to
make sure that you are using the correct
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
T he hitc h must be installed in such a way that
it does not inte rfe re with the impac t-absorb­
i ng b umper syst em. No modifica tions should
be made to the vehicle exhaus t and b rake sys­
tems . From t ime to time, check that a ll hitch
mo unt ing bolt s remain securely fas tened.
W hen you are not tow ing a trailer, remove the
trai le r hi tch ball moun t. T h is prevents the
hi tch from causing damage sho uld your ve hi­
cle be str uck from be hind
¢ &. .
Trailer brakes
If yo ur tra iler is equ ipped w it h a braking sys­
tem, check to be su re that it conforms to a ll
r eg ulat io ns .
Trailer towin g 201
The trailer hyd ra ulic bra ke system must not be
direct ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Alw ays use saf ety chains between your ve hicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Tra iler lights must meet all reg ulations . Be
su re to check with your Audi dea ler fo r cor re ct
wir ing, swi tches and relays.
Mirrors
If you a re unable to see the traffic behind you
u sing the regula r outside m irrors, then you
must i nsta ll ext ended mir rors . It is important
t h at you
always have clea r vis ion to the rear .
.8, WARNING
-
Afte r removing the trailer hit ch, do no t
s tore i t in yo ur vehicle . In case of sudden
b raking, the h itch cou ld fly forwar d an d in­
ju re you or yo ur passengers .
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A tra ile r fo r you r vehicle is limited to a ty pical
cl ass 1 or class 2 tra ile r.
Trailer load distribution
B e sure the loa d in the tr aile r is held secure ly
i n place to p reven t it from shift ing forw ard,
ba ckward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ &. in Driving instru ctions on page 20 2.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­
er . It is impo rtant that the cooling system's
perfo rmance is up to the additional load .
Make sure that the coo ling syst em has enough
f lui d.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer , inflate the tires of your
vehicle to t he cold tire pressure listed under .,..
•
•
•

216 Checking and Filling
Closing the hood
,. Push the hood down until the force of the
strut is overcome.
,. Then lower the hood and let it fall into the
engine hood latch -you do
not have to press
on the hood after it is locked.~
A-
_& WARNING
If the hood is not latched completely, it
could fly up while you are driving and ob­
struct your vision .
Gasoline engine compartment overview
The most important check points.
-
-For safety reasons , the hood must a lways
be closed secure ly while driving. Because
of this, always check the hood after clos­
ing it to make sure it is latched correctly.
When latched correctly , the hood will be
f lush w ith the other body panels.
- If you notice that the hood is not latched
while you are dr iving, stop immediately
and close it, because this increases the
risk of an acciden t.
Fig. 165 Typica l locat ion of the reservoir, engine o il dipst ick, and engine o il filler open ing
@ Coolant expansion tank (- L) .. . 221 The engine oi l filler opening and the dipstick
@ Engine oil dipstick .......
... .
218 (items @ and @) c> fig. 165 may be located in
® Eng ine oil filler opening ('e::r.) 218 a different area depending on engine version.
© Brake fluid reservoir ((0) .. .. . 222 A WARNING
® Battery(+) under a cover .. .. . 224
® Body ground point(-) Read
and following the WARNINGS before
checking anything in the engine compart-
(J) Washer f luid reservoir (0) ... . 227 ment c> page 214.
® Fuse housing .......... .... . 269

M N ,....
> co ,...., \!) 1.1"1 ,...., 1.1"1 ,....,
A WARNING ,~
- When adding oil, do not let oil drip onto
hot engine components. There could be
risk of a fire.
- You must secure the cap on the oil filler
opening correctly so that oil does not
leak out onto the hot engine and exhaust
system when the engine is running, be­
cause this is a fire hazard.
-Always clean skin thoroughly if it comes
into contact with engine oil.
(D Note
- The oil level must not be above the G)
range ~page 218, fig. 166, because this
can cause damage to the catalytic con­
verter or the engine. Contact your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified repair
facility to have excess oil extracted if
necessary.
- Do not mix any additional lubricants into
the engine oil. Damage cause by such ad­
ditives is not covered by the warranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Oil should never enter the sewer system
or come into contact with the ground.
- Pay attention to legal requirements
when disposing of empty oil containers.
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by
an authorized Audi dealer or a qualified serv­
ice station.
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
~ page 214.
The engine oil must be changed according to
the intervals specified in your Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet. This is very important
because the lubricating properties of oil di­
minish gradually during normal vehicle use.
Under some circumstances the engine oil
should be changed more frequently . Change
oil more often if you drive mostly short dis-
Checking and Filling 219
tances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or
under predominantly stop-and-go traffic con­
ditions, or have your vehicle where tempera­
tures remain below freezing for extended pe­ riods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh
oil look dark after the engine has been run­
ning for a short time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than
recommended .
Because of the problem of proper disposal,
along with the special tools and necessary ex­ pertise required, we strongly recommend that
you have your oil changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or a qualified service station.
If you choose to change your oil yourself, please note the following important informa­
tion:
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you
must change the engine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protection.
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot en-
gine oil, let the engine cool down to the
touch .
- When removing the oil drain plug with
your fingers, stay as far away as possible. Always keep your forearm parallel to the
ground to help prevent hot oil from run­
ning down your arm.
- Drain the oil into a container designed
for this purpose, one large enough to
hold at least the total amount of oil in
your engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out
of the reach of children.
- Continuous contact with used engine oil
is harmful to your skin. Always protect
your skin by washing oil off thoroughly
with soap and water.
•
•
•

....,
N
r--. > co
rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
Adding coolant
Fig. 168 Eng ine co mpa rtme nt: m ark in gs on the cool­
ant expansio n tank
Read and following th e WARNING S before
checking anythi ng in the eng ine compartmen t
c::>page 214.
Checking th e engine coolant leve l
"'Park your vehicle on a level surface .
"' Switch the ign ition off.
"' Read the coo lant level on the coolant expan­
s ion tank
c::> fig. 168. The coolant level must
be between the markings whe n the eng ine
in cold. When the eng ine is warm it can be
slight ly above the upper marking .
Adding coolant
Requirement: There must be a residua l
amo unt of coolant in the expansion tank
c::> (D .
"'Let the engine coo l down .
"' Place a cloth over the coolant expa nsion
tank cap and unscrew the cap counter clock­
wise <=:>
A.
"'Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
c::>page 220 up to the upper marking.
"' Make sure that the fluid level remains sta-
ble. Add more coolant if necessary.
"' Clove the cap securely.
A coolant loss suggests a leak. Immediately drive your vehicle to an authorized repair fa­
cility and have the cooling system inspected.
If the cooling system is not leaking, a loss can
come from the coolant boiling through over ­
heat ing and being pushed out of the cooling
system.
Che cking and Fillin g 221
A WARNING
The cooling system is pressurized and can
become very hot. To reduce the r isk of
burns from hot coolant:
- Do not open the coolant expansion tank
cap with the engine hot . The re is a risk of
burns .
- Stop the engine and allow it to cool.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping coolant and steam by covering
the coolant tank cap with a large, th ick
cloth .
- Tu rn the coolant tank cap counterclock­
wise slowly and keep light pressure on
the cap.
- To reduce the risk of burns, do not allow
any antifreeze o r coolant to drip onto the
exhaust system or hot engin e compo­
nents . The ethy lene g lycol in eng ine
coo lant can catch fire under certai n cir­
cumstances.
- The coolan t addi tive and the coolant can
be dangerous to your health. For this
reason, keep the coo lant in the origina l
container away from ch ildren. There is a
risk of poisoning.
- When working in the engine compart­
ment, remember that the radiator fan
can switch on even if the ignition is
sw itched off, which increases the risk of
personal injury.
(D Note
Do not add coolant if the expans ion tank is
empty. Air could enter the cooling system
and damage the eng ine. If this is the case,
do not continue dr iving. See an author ized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa ­
c ility for ass istance.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself.
An auxiliary electric radiator fan switches on
and off depending on coolant temperature
and other vehicle operat ing condit ions .
IJJ,

M N
" > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
tire failure and loss of
control.
-Excessive speed and/over­ loading can cause heat
build -up, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
-If the tire pressure is too low or too high, the tires
will wear prematurely and
the vehicle will not handle
well.
-If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a
wheel immediately, drive at
reduced speed to the near­
est service station to check
the tire pressure and add air as required.
(D Note
Driving without valve stem
caps can cause damage to
the tire valves. To prevent
this, always make sure that
factory installed valve stem caps on all wheels are secure­
ly mounted on the valve.
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also
increase the fuel consump­
tion.
Tires and wheels 243
Tires and vehicle load limits
'
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehi­
cle and any tire can carry. Ave­
hicle that is overloaded will not
handle well and is more diffi­
cult to stop. Overloading can
not only lead to loss of vehicle
control, but can also damage important parts of the vehicle
and can lead to sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and
sudden deflation that can cause
the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on
making sure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and every­
thing in and on the vehicle .
These load limits are technical­ ly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the
weight of the basic vehicle, all
factory installed accessories, a
full tank of fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids plus maximum ""
' •
•
' •

256 Tires and wheels
loss of control, crashes and serious per­
sona l injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediate ly.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rating
that may be lower than your vehicle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
which the winter or other tires installed
on your vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac­
celeration of the winter tires and all-wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks. Al­
ways remember:
- When braking, an all-wheel drive vehicle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle .
- Drive carefully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot help under black ice conditions.
@) For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi­
tions permit. They are quieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front
wheels, and only to certain tire sizes. Ask your
authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
If you are going to use snow chains, then you
must install them on the front wheels at
l east.
The snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be thicker than 0.53 inch
(13.5 mm), including the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
q 0 . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are avail­
able from authorized Audi dealers.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi­
cle or installing them incorrectly can in­
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes . Always make sure to follow the in­
structions provided by the snow chain
manufacturer.
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations.
@ Note
-Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily .
- Snow chains, which come into direct con­
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it. Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered. Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
@ Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory on cer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to
vehicles with all-wheel drive .
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque.
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the
factory installed rims. If different rims are fit­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right
length and correct ly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly . .,..