warning AUDI A3 CABRIOLET 2015 Owners Manual

6 About this Owner's Manual
This owner's manua l contains important infor­
mation, tips, suggestions and warnings for
using your veh icle.
Keep this owner's manual in your vehicle at all
times. This is especially important if you loan
your vehicle to others or sell it.
This owner's manual descr ibes the
equipment
range
specified for this mode l at the time of
printing. Individua l equipment options descri­
bed may on ly be available at a later date or
may only be offered in certain countries .
Some sect ions in this owner's manua l do not
apply to a ll vehicles . When this is the case,
the beginning of the section indicates the
val­
idity ,
for examp le "Applies to vehicles: with a
parking heater". Optional or vehicle-specific
equipment is also identified with an asterisk
"*"
The illustrations are designed as a general
guide and on your vehicle may look slightly
different than what is illustrated.
There is a
Table of Contents at the beginning
of this owner's manua l that lists all of the
topics covered in this book in the order that
they appear. There is also an alphabetical
In ­
dex at the end of this owner's manual.
All
directions, such as "left", "right", "front"
and "rear", are based on the vehicle's direc­
tion of travel.
* Optional or vehicle-specific equipment
.,.. The section continues on the next page.
~ .&. Cross reference to a "WARNING" within
a sect ion.
If a page number is ind icated, the
WARNING is located outside of the sect ion.
& WARNING
T ext with this symbol contains important
information on safety and how to reduce
the risk of personal injury or death .
({I;) Note
Text with this symbol draws your attention
to potential sources of damage to your ve ­
hicle.
{® For the sake of the environment
Text with this symbo l contains information
about the environment and how you can
help protect it.
(D Tips
Text with this symbo l contains specia l tips
and other informat ion about gett ing the
most out of your vehicle and its features.

....,
N
r--. > co
rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in
revolutions per minute .
The beginning of the red zone in the tachome­
ter indicates the maximum permiss ible en­
g ine speed for all gears once the engine has
been broken in and when it is warmed up to
operat ing temperature. You shou ld select the
"D/S" (Drive) selecto r lever pos ition or take
your foot off the accelerator peda l before
reaching th is area .
It is best to avoid high engine speeds, even
when dr iv ing in tiptron ic mode ~
page 115 .
(D Note
The tachometer needle
(D ¢ page 10,
fig. 3
shou ld only be in the red zone brief­
ly: otherwise, this increases the risk of en­
gine damage.
@) For the sake of the environment
Upshift ing early helps you to save fuel and
reduce operating no ise.
Odometer
Fig. S In strument cl uster: odo meter an d reset butto n
The distance driven is shown in miles "mi" or
in kilometers "km" . The measurement units
(mi les "mi"
I kilometers "km") can be
changed in the MMI. For more info rmation,
refer to your M MI operating instructions.
Odometer /trip odom eter
@ -The odometer shows the total d ista nee
that the veh icle has been driven .
Instrument s an d indi cat or l amp s 11
@ -The trip odometer shows the distance
that the vehicle has been driven since the trip
odometer was last reset. It can be used to measure short distances. The last digit ind i­
cates 1/10 miles or 100 meter increments .
The trip odometer can be reset to zero by pressing the
I o.o I button ¢ page 10, fig. 3.
Malfunction indicator
If there is a malfunct io n in the ins trumen t
cl uster,
DEF will appear in the trip odometer
display. Have the malfunction corrected as
soon as possib le .
(D Tips
- Whe n you switch off the ignit ion or open
the driver's door, the odometer is dis­
played for approximately 30 seconds.
- Yo u can also turn on the display with the
j o.o j button when the ignition is switch­
ed off~
page 10, fig . 3.
Outside temperature display
The instrument cluster display shows the out­
s ide temperature. At temperatu res below
41 °F (+S °C), a snowf lake 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 is­
played may be slightly higher than the actual
temperatu re outs ide due to the heat rad iating
from the engine.
,&. WARNING
N eve r assume that the roads a re free of ice
based on the outside temperature display.
Be awa re that there may be ice on roads
even when the outside temperature is
around 41 °F ( +S °C) and that ice can in­
crease the risk of accidents.
(D Tips
You can change t he measurement un its,
for example fo r temperature or speed, in
the MMI.

12 Instrum ent s and indicator lamp s
Fuel level
The display @
c;, page 10, fig. 3 only works
when the ignition is sw itched on . When the
d isplay has reached the reserve mark, the bot­
tom LED wi ll turn red and the
tD indicator
light turns on¢
page 23 . The bottom LED
blinks red when the fue l level is very low .
The on -board computer shows the range
based on the fuel leve l
c;, page 2 7, On-board
computer display.
F or the tank capac ity in yo ur vehicle , refer to
the Tec hnical Data ¢
page 280.
CJ) Note
Never d rive until the tank is completely
empty. The irregular supp ly of fuel that re­
sults from that can cause the engine to
misfire. Uncombusted f uel will then enter
the exha ust system. This can cause over­
heating and damage to the catalytic con­
verter .
Coolant temperature indicator
The coolant temperature ind icator @
c::> page 10, fig . 3 only works when the ignition
is switched on . T o prevent engine damage, ob­
serve the fo llow ing notes about the tempe ra­
ture ranges.
Cold range
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge
turn on, the engine has not reached operat ing
temperature yet . Avoid high engine speeds,
fu ll acce le rat ing and heavy engine loads.
Norm al range
The engine has reached its operating temper­
ature once the LEDs up to the center of the
gauge turn on under normal driving condi­
tions. The L EDs higher up may turn on if the
engine is under heavy load or the o uts ide tem­
perat ure is h igh. This is not a cause for con­
cern as long as the. indicator light in the
display does not t urn on. Hot range
If the L
EDs in the upper area of the d isp lay
and the. indicator light in the instrumen t
cluster disp lay t urn on, the coo lant tempe ra­
ture is too high
c::> poge 19.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warning in
c;, page 214 before opening the hood
and checking the engine coolant level.
- Never open the eng ine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coo lant
dripping from the engine compartment .
You could burn yourself. Let the engi ne
coo l off first until you can no longe r see
or hea r steam or coolant escaping.
([) Note
- Add itiona l headlights and other compo ­
ne nts in front of the a ir intake impairs
the cooling eff ect of the coolant. This in­
creases the risk of the engine over heat ­
ing dur ing high outs ide temper atures
and heavy eng ine load .
- The front spoiler also he lps to distr ibute
cooling air correct ly wh ile driving.
If the
spoiler is damaged, the coo ling effect
wi ll be impai red and the risk of the en­
gine overheating will increase. See an au­
thorized Audi dealer o r authorized Aud i
Service Facility for ass istance.

14 Instruments and indicator lamps
@ Message
© Status line:
-• I U Central indicator light or addi­
tional displays of active systems such as
- • (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
El ectronic parking brake
-• (USA models)/
Iii (Canada models)
Cruise control system*
- • I. active lane assist*
The
central indicator light© • or I'll also
turns on with some indicator lights @.
If the centra l indicator light © turns on, pay
attention to the additional information in the
instrument cluster display @and @.
In addition to the indicator lights in the dis­
p lay, there are others located inside the tach­
ometer and the speedometer. They blink or
turn on to display additional funct ions or mal­
functions. Messages@ may also appear brief­
ly with some indicator lights. A warning tone
sounds at the same time .
If there is more than one malfunction, the in­
d icator lights will turn on one after the other
for a short time.
The indicator lights and messages in the dis­
p lay can be replaced by other displays. If the
indicator light@ is rep laced, the central indi­
cator light © remains on until the malfunc­
tion is corrected.
The messages can be displayed again in the
driver information system
<=>page 27, Oper­
ation.
Overview
Some indicator lights turn on briefly as a func­
tion check when you switch the ignition on.
These systems are marked with a./ in the fol­
l owing tab les. If one of these indicator lights
does not turn on, there is a ma lfunction in
that system .
Depending on the vehicle equ ipment, your ve­
hicle has either a monochrome or mu ltico lor
display in the instrument cluster. In a mono­
chrome display, the indicator lights@only appear
in white
<=>page 13, fig. 8. The cent ral
indicator light@• /
mi also turns on to in­
dicate the pr iority of these indicator lights.
Refer to the explanations for red or yellow in­
dicator lights.
Examples of indicator light displays in a mon­
ochrome display:
111 @ Priority 1 (high priority)
. © see red
indicator lights
m@ Priority 2 (medium priority)
I'll©
see yellow indicator lights
ml@ Priority 3 (low pr iority)
these are informative indicator
-- © lights
Red indicator lights
or
-------------
Centra
l indicator light (pay at-
tention to the additional infor­ mat ion in the instrument cluster
disp lay) ©<=>
page 13, fig . 8
USA models :
Brake malfunction ./
<=>page 18
Canada models:
Brake malfunction./
<=>page 18
USA models :
Electromechanical parking brake
<=>page 19
Canada models :
Electromechanical parking brake
<=>page 19
Coo ling system r=> page 19

M N
" > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
or
or
or
or
or Engine start system
¢
page 21
Convenience key
¢page Bl
Convenience key
¢page BO
Battery in remote control key
¢page 33
Defective light bulb warning
¢ page24
Headlight range control system*
¢ page 24
adaptive light*
¢ page24
Instruments and indicator lamps 17
or
/:
or Light/rain
sensor*
¢page24
Active lane assist*
¢page 100
Transmission
¢page 116
Other indicator lights
-------------
Turn signals
¢page25
USA models: Cruise control sys ­
tem*
¢ page BS
Canada models : Cruise control
system*
¢page BS
Adapt ive cru ise control*
¢ page89
Adaptive cruise control* ¢page89
Adaptive cruise control* ¢page89
Active lane assist*
¢page 100
High beams
¢ page 51
Conven ience key
¢page 80
Electromechanical parking brake
¢ page 19
Adapt ive cru ise control*
¢page89
•

18 Instruments and indicator lamps
Active lane assist*
¢ page 100
Audi side assist*
¢page 105
Transmission
¢ page 116
USA model s:
Electromechanical parking brake
¢ page 19
Canada model s:
Electromechanical parking bra ke
¢page 19
BRAKE/((i)) Brake system
If this indicator light tu rns on, there is a mal­
function in the brake system.
• (USA models) , • (Canada models)
Please stop vehicle and check brake fluid lev­
el!
Stop the vehicle and check the brake fluid lev­
e l. See an a uthorized Audi dea le r or author ­
ized Audi Service Facility for assistance if nec­
essary.
• (USA models) , • (Canada models)
Warning! Brake servo inoperative!
If the b rake assist (bra ke booste r) is not wo rk­
in g, you must use press the brake pedal hard­
e r to brake. See an authorized Aud i dealer or
authorized Audi Serv ice Facility fo r ass istance.
• (USA models) , • (Canada models )
Warning! Fault in brake sy stem . Please con­
tact Service
If the ABS indicator light (;I (USA models) /
KO) (Canada models), the ESC ind icator
light
Jil and the brake system indicator
light . (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
turn on and this message appears, the ABS,
ESC and braking distrib ution are ma lf u nction­
ing ¢.&. .
Drive to your authorized Aud i dealer o r au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to
have the ma lfunction corrected ¢.&. .
• (USA models) , • (Canada models)
Parking brake system fault! See owner's
manual
- If the ind icator light and the message ap­
pear
when the vehicle is stationary or after
switching the ignition on ,
check if you can
re lease the parking brake. If you cannot re­
lease the parking brake, see your authorized
Aud i dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty . If you can release the parking brake and
the message still appears, see an author ized
Aud i dea ler or a uthorized Audi Service Facili­
ty immediately to have the ma lfunction cor­
rected.
- If the ind icator lig ht and message appear
while driving , the hill start assist or emer­
gency braking function may be malf uncti on­
ing . It may not be possib le to set the park­
ing brake or release it once it has been set.
Do not park your vehicle on hills and see an
author ized Audi dealer or authorized A udi
Service Facility for assistance.
(USA mode ls) : I f the . and
liJ indicator
lights turn on together, take your vehicle to an
authorized Aud i dea ler or a uthorized Audi
Serv ice Facility immed iately to have the brake
pads inspected ¢
page 22.
There is also a warning tone when the lights
turn on.
A WARNING
-- Follow the warn ings on¢ page 214,
Working in the engine compartment
be­
fore opening the hood and check ing the
brake fluid level.
- If the brake system indicator light does
not turn off or it turns on while dr iving,
the brake fluid leve l in the reservo ir is
too low, and this increases the risk of an
accident. Stop the vehicle and do not
continue driving. See an authorized Aud i
dealer or authorized Aud i Service Facility
for assistance. ..,.

20 Instruments and indicator lamps
_& 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 escaping.
-
-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. Always follow the
information found in
<:;>pag e 214, Work­
ing in the engine compartment.
(D Note
Do not continue driving if the. indicator
light turns on - th is increases the risk of
engine damage.
• Switch
off engine! Oil pressure too low
Stop the engine and do not continue driving.
Check the engine oil level
<:;>page 218.
-If the engine oil level is too low, add engine
o il ¢
page 217. Only continue driving once
the indicator light turns off.
- If the engine oil level is correct and the indi­
cator light still turns on, turn the engine
off
and do not continue driving. See an author­
ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi Serv ice
Fac ility for assistance.
@ Tips
The oil pressure warning is not an oil level
ind icator. For this reason, check the oil lev­
el regularly.
0 Alternator/battery
• Alternator f ault: battery is not being
charged
There is a malfunct ion in the alternator or the
vehicle electrical system.
Drive to an authorized Aud i dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility immed iately. Be­
cause the vehicle battery is draining, turn off all unnecessary electrical equipment such as
the
MMI. See your authorized Audi dea ler or a
qualified repair facility if the battery charge
l evel is too low.
(•] low battery charge: Battery will be
charged while driving
The starting ability may be impaired.
If this message turns off afte r a little while,
the battery has charged enough wh ile driving.
If the message does not turn off, have and au­
thorized Audi dea ler or authorized Audi Serv­
ice Facility repair the malfunction.
tli1 !I: Safety systems
The II (USA models) Im (Canada models)
indicator light monitors the safety systems.
Safety system
If the II (USA models)/ m (Canada models)
indicator light turns on or blinks, there is a
malfu nction in a safety system.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
_& WARNING
-Have the safety systems inspected imme-
diately. Otherwise, there is a risk that the
systems may not activate during a colli­
s ion, wh ich increases the risk of serious in­
jury or death.
4f-Front safety belt
The. indicator light stays on until the driv­
er's and front passenger's safety belts are
buck led. There is also a warning tone above a
certain speed .
(D Tips
For additional information on safety belts,
refer to¢
page 138.

M N
" > co ,...., \!) 1.1"1 ,...., 1.1"1 ,....,
~- Steering lock
• Do not drive vehicle : ste ering defective
There is a malfunct io n in the electron ic steer­
in g lock . You canno t turn the ign ition on .
Do
not tow your vehicle beca use it ca nnot be
steered. See an authorized Aud i dea ler or a u­
thor ized Audi Se rv ice Facility for assistance .
Ill Steering lock: system fault! Please con­
tact Service
There is a malfunct ion in the electron ic s teer ­
ing lock .
Dr ive to an a uth o rize d Aud i de aler or auth or­
iz ed A udi Service Faci lity immed iate ly to h ave
the ma lf u nction co rrec ted.
~ WARNING
Do not tow your ve hicle when t he re is a
ma lf u nction in t he e lectronic steering lock
- this increases t he risk of an acc ident.
-.e Engine start system
-
• Engine start system malfunction. Please
contact Service
Do not switch the ignit io n off because you
may not be able t o switch it on aga in.
D rive to an a uth o rized Aud i dea le r o r a uth or ­
ized A udi Service Facility immed iate ly to have
the ma lfunction co rrected.
l3 Engine start system malfunction . Please
contact Service
Th ere is a malfunct io n in th e engi ne s tart ing
s y st em.
- Vehicles with an ignition <=>
page 77, Auto­
matic start malfunction
- Vehicles with a conve nience key
¢ pag e 79, Automatic start malfunction
Drive to an authori zed Aud i dea ler or a uth or ­
i zed A udi Service Facility immed iate ly to have
the ma lfunction corrected .
Instruments and indicator lamps 21
~ Engine
• Engine stopped: brake servo and power
steering not pos sible
T he re is a malfunction in the eng in e or i n the
fuel sup ply sys tem .
More force is needed to steer and brake t he
moving veh icle when the eng ine is stopped . If
t h e ve hicle is rolli ng, try to stop i t caref ully on
the side of the ro ad away fro m moving t raffi c.
S ee a n author ized Audi dealer or au thor ized
A udi Serv ice F acili ty for a ssistance .
A WARNING
If th e engine stops w hile driving, you will
need to use mo re fo rce to brake the vehi ­
cle. T his increases the r isk of an accident .
There w ill still be power steer ing i f th e ig­
n it ion is switched on while t he ve hicle is
rolling and there is sufficie nt battery
cha rge . Ot herwise, you must use greater
fo rce when steer ing.
r;,/ fr, Electronic stabilization control
(ESC) and(@)) anti-lock braking system
(ABS)
If the DJ ind icator light blinks while driving,
the ESP or ASR (anti-slip regulation) is active ly
regulating.
If the
DJ ind icator light tu rns on, the system
has switc hed the ESC off . In t his case, yo u can
switch the ign ition off and then on to switch
the ESC on aga in. The ind icator lig ht tu rns off
whe n the system is fu nctioni ng fu lly.
Stabilization control (ESC): sport . Warning!
Restricted stability
If the B ind icator light tu rns on, ES C sport
mode was switched on using the
I" OF F! bu t­
ton <=>
page 189. You can t urn the ESC on
again by press the
I ~ O FF ! button again.
Stabilization control (ESC): off . Warning!
Restricted stability
If t he II in dica tor light tu rn s on, the ESC was
rest ricted or swi tc h ed o ff usin g th e
i .i, OFF I but to n <=> page 189. T he message ESC .,..
•

22 Instruments and indicator lamps
OFF also appears. You can turn the ESC on
again by press the
I~ O FF I button again.
The system switches on when the ignition is
switched on. The
fl indicator light turns off
when the system is functioning fully.
Stabilization control (ESC) malfunction! See
owner's manual
Stabilization control (ESC/ABS) malfunc­
tion! See owner's manual
ABS malfunction! See owner's manual
If the J..fd indicator light and the ABS indicator
light
ml (USA models)/ ii] (Canada models)
turn on and this message appears, there is a malfunction in the ABS system or electron ic
d ifferential lock. This also causes the ESC to
malfunction. The brakes still function with
their norma l power , but ABS is not active .
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler or author­
ized Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have
the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
If the . (USA models) I. (Canada mod­
els) brake system indicato r light turns on
together with the ABS and ESC indicator
lights, the ABS/ESC regulating function
may have failed . Functions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longer avai lab le . This
could cause the vehicle to swerve, which
increases the risk that the vehicle will
slide. Drive carefully to the nearest author­
ized Aud i dealer or authorized Aud i Service
Facility and have the ma lfunction correct­
ed .
(D Tips
For addit ional information on ESC and
ABS, refer to<=:> page 188.
BRAKE/ {01 Brake pads
1111 (USA models ) / llJ (Canada models)
Brake pads!
l) - : USA mod els onl y
If the warning light illuminates, immediate ly
contact your authori zed Audi dealer or quali ­
fied workshop to have all brake pads inspect­
ed. Both sets of brake pads on an axle must
always be replaced at the same t ime.
A WARNING Co....- -
Driving with bad brakes can cause a colli­
sion and ser ious personal injury.
- If the warn ing light
llJ or the warning
light
llll1l with the message Brake
pads!
comes on in the instrument cluster
disp lay, immediately contact you r au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop to have all brake pads checked or
replaced if necessary.
' ·~ Hill hold
Hill hold assist: unavailable
If
the 111 ind icator light tu rns o n and this
message appears, hill hold is not available.
111 Manual control!
If this message appears, press the brake ped­
al.
Continue driving with the help of the parking
brake.
<=:> page 82
EPC Engine control (gasoline engine)
App lies to vehicles : wit h gasoli ne e ngi ne
If the (3i indicator light turns on there is a
malfunction in the engine control.
Drive slowly to your authorized Audi dea ler or
qualified repair facility to have the engine
checked.
If the (3i indicator light turns on when you
start the engine, there is an automatic start
malfunction . To start the engine, follow these
steps:
- Vehicles with a mechanical ignition
<=:> page 77, Automatic start malfunction

24 Instruments and indicator lamps
Drive to an authorized Audi dea le r o r author ­
ized Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have
the malfunction corrected.
@ For the sake of the environment
Fuel should never enter the sewer system
or come into contact with the ground.
@ Tips
More info rmation on refueling is available
on page
i:!>poge 211.
~ Washer fluid level
1- ) Please add washer fluid
Fill the washer fluid with the ign ition switched
off ¢
page 22 7.
6 Windshield wipers
m Windshield wiper: system fault!
There is a malfunct ion with the w indshield
wipers.
Drive to an authorized Aud i dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility immed iate ly to have
the ma lf uncti on corrected .
~ Defective light bulb warning
Applies to vehicles: with driver informatio n system
If the J:i indicator light turns on, a bulb has
failed. The message indicates the location of
the bulb .
Replace the bulb immed iately.
Vehicle lights: system fault!
There is a malfunction in the headlights or
light switch . Drive to an authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Facility immedi ­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
-
- Light bulbs are under pressure and can
exp lode when bulbs are replaced -risk of
injury. -
With gas-discharge lamps* (xenon head­
lights), the high-voltage component
must be handled appropriately. Other­
wise, there is a risk of fatal injury .
i,ID Dynamic headlight range control
system
Applies to vehicles: with Xenon lights
II Headlight range control system: system
fault!
There is a malfunction in the dynamic head­
li ght range control system, which may cause
glare for other drivers.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author ­
ized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
go Audi adaptive light
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive light
&fl Audi adaptive light: system fault!
There is a malfunction in the adapt ive lights .
The headlights still function .
Drive to an authori zed Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected .
@:> Light/rain sensor
Applies to vehicles : with light/rain sensor
El Automatic hea dlights: system fault!
t!I Automatic wipers: system fault!
The light/rain sensor is not working.
For safety reasons, the low beams are turned
on permanently with the switch in
AUTO. You
can continue to turn the lights on and off us­
ing the light switch. You can still contro l all
wiper funct ions that are independent of the
rain sensor .
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected .