towing AUDI A3 CABRIOLET 2016 Owners Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: AUDI, Model Year: 2016, Model line: A3 CABRIOLET, Model: AUDI A3 CABRIOLET 2016Pages: 272, PDF Size: 67.88 MB
Page 5 of 272

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All w hee l drive ( quattro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Ene rgy management 121
Safety .. .. .. .. .. .. .... ... .. .. .... . 124
Driving safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Co rrect p assenge r seating positions . . . . . 125
Driver 's and front passenger 's footwell . . 129
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
S toring cargo co rrectly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Repo rting Safe ty Defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Active rollove r protect io n system 133
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Ge neral notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 5
Why use safety belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
S afety bel ts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
B el t tensione rs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 41
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
I mpor tant info rm ation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 3
Fr ont airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 47
M oni toring th e Advanced Airbag System . 155
K nee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Important info rmation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
C hi ld seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Secur ing ch ild seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
L ATCH system ( Lowe r anchorages and
tethers for chi ldren) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Addit io nal i nfo rmat ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Maintenance and Care . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Checking and Filling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
G asoline fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Refueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 5
Cata lytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Eng ine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Eng in e oi l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Battery (12 V) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
W indshield was her system . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Service inte rval display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Table of contents
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
204
Whee ls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Tire p ressure monitoring ind icator . . . . . . 222
Care and cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
G enera l information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Car washes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Cleaning and ca re i nformat ion . . . . . . . . . 225
Plac ing you r vehicle out of serv ice . . . . . . 228
Do It Yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Emergency assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 230
T ru nk escape latch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Genera l information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
E q ui pment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
T ire mobility kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Sp are tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Replacing w heels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 34
Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
El ec trica l fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 40
B ul bs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 42
Emergency situations . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Genera l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 44
Starting by p ush ing o r towing . . . . . . . . . . 244
Start ing with jumpe r cab les . . . . . . . . . . . 244
U sing jump sta rt cab les . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24S
Tow ing with a tow truck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Raising the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Vehicle ident ification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Weig hts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Di mens io ns .. .. . .......... ... ..... .. 251
C apaci ties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Gasoline e ng ines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2S2
Consumer information . . . . . . . . . . 2S3
Warr anty cove rages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Operat ing yo ur vehicle outside the U.S.A.
o r Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Audi Se rvice Repair Manuals and
Literat ure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
3
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Power top
Power top
Automatic power top
General information
The power top opens and closes automatically .
When open, the powe r top is stored comp lete ly
in the power top compartment. The power top
can be opened or closed at speeds up to 30 mph
(SO km/h).
Unde r no rma l conditions, the power top is wind
and waterp roof. In rare cases, small d rople ts of
water may form under extreme weather condi
tions such as torrential o r prolonged rain. That is
normal and no cause for concern .
F ollow t he care instructions to keep the power
top free of leaks and to maintain its appearance
~ page 224, Core and cleaning. Also observe the
following:
- Open and s tow the power top only whe n it is
clean and dry . Sharp-edged dirt particles can
cause damage to the rear window and the pow
er top . Stowing the power top when it is damp
can create imprints in it, and if it is left that
way for long periods of time , mildew and other
damage can form .
- Do not leave the power top open for several weeks or the creases in it may become discol
ored.
- Remove ice and snow before open ing the power
top. Do not use any sharp edged objects to re move ice and snow or the powe r top could be
scratched or damaged . The rear window may be
clea red w ith a standard ice sc rape r.
- Do not open the power top when the tempera
ture is be low 32 °F (0 °C). The fabric in the
power top loses elast icity in sub-zero tempera
tu res .
&, WARNING
-When posi tioning the power top, avoid con
tact with the supports or other moving parts. Make sure all of the windows are low
ered. Otherw ise you could pinch your hands.
- Never dr ive when the power top is not
locked correctly. The wind from driving
36
could cause the power top to open. This can
result in injur ies and damage to the vehicle.
Opening and closing the power top
Fig . 25 Center conso le: power top sw itc h
Requirement: the power top storage compart
ment must be lowe red
~ page 38 and the lug
gage compartment lid must be closed.
.,. Switch o n the ignition .
.,. To open or close the power top, p ull or press
the button @during the ent ire process.
The status of t he power top is shown in the in
strument cluster d isp lay when o perating the
power top switch .
You can close the power top when the wind de
flector is installed
¢page 39.
A message will appear in the instrument cluster
i f the power top cannot be opened or closed
¢ page 38.
&, WARNING
-When operating the power top, make s ure
the function is not affected by wind or othe r
factors and that it does not interfere with
other drivers.
- Never drive w hen the power top is not
locked correct ly . The wind from driving
could cause the power top to open. This can
result in injur ies and damage to the vehicle .
- Make sure no one will be i njured by the pow
er top supports and other moving compo
nents when opening and closing the top.
- The headroom in the rear is reduced when
opening and closing the power top. Make
sure the rear passengers keep enough
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children could start the engine or operate
electrical equipment such as power win
dows.
0 Note
-Avoid high engine speed, fu ll throttle, and
heavy engine load as long as the engine has
not reached operating temperature yet . You
could damage the engine.
- The engine cannot be started by pushing or
towing .
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not let the engine run while parked to
warm up. Begin driving immediately. This re
duces unnecessary emissions.
- If it is difficu lt to turn the key to position
(D, turn the steering wheel back and forth
slightly to release the steering wheel lock .
- Some noise after starting the engine is nor
mal and is no cause for concern.
- If the battery is disconnected and recon
nected, you have to hold the ign ition key in
position
(D for five seconds for the engine
to start.
-After switching the ignition off, you can on ly
remove the key when the selector lever is in
the "P" (Park) position. After that, the selec
tor lever is locked .
Stopping the engine with the key
Appl ies to: ve hicles w ith igni tion loc k
Stopping the engine
~ Bring the vehicle to a full stop.
~ Turn the key to posit ion @. The need le in the
tachometer moves into the
OFF position .
Releasing the steering lock
Requirement: the selector lever must be in P.
~ Remove the ignition key in position@
¢page 70, fig. 76 ¢ _A.
~ Turn the steering wheel until you hear the
steering wheel lock.
Driving
T he locked steering helps prevent vehicle theft .
A WARNING
-
-Never turn off the engine before the vehicle
has come to a complete stop . The full func
tion of the brake booster and the power
steer ing is not guaranteed. You must use
more force to turn or brake. Because you
cannot stee r and brake as you usually
wou ld, this could lead to acc idents and seri
ous injuries.
- Never remove the ignition key from the igni
tion lock while the vehicle is moving. Other
wise, the steering lock could suddenly en
gage and you wou ld not be able to steer the
vehicle.
- Please note that the brake booster and pow
er steering only work when the engine is
running . When the engine off, you must use
more force to steer or brake the vehicle. Be
cause the usua l steering and braking capa
b ili ty is not available, the risk of acc idents or
injuries increases.
- Always take the vehicle key with you when
leaving the vehicle, even for a short period
of t ime . This applies part icularly when chil
dren remain in the vehicle . Otherwise the
children could start the engine or operate
electrical equipment such as power win
dows.
- For safety reasons, always park the vehicle
w ith the selector lever in the P position.
Othe rw ise, there is the risk that the vehicle
could rol l.
- After the engine has been switched off, the
radiator fan can continue to run for up to 10
minutes -even with the ignition switched
off . It can also switch on again after some
time if the coolant temperature rises as the
result of heat bu ildup or if the engine com
partment is heated by the sun's rays and the
engine is hot.
(D Note
If the engine has been under heavy load for
an extended period of time, heat builds up in
the engine compartment after the engine is
switched off -there is a risk of damaging the
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not reached operating temperature yet. You
could damage the engine.
- The engine cannot be started by pushing or
towing.
@) For the sake of the environment
Do not let the engine run while parked to
warm up. Begin driving immediately . This re
duces unnecessary emissions.
(D Tips
- Some noise after starting the engine is nor
mal and is no cause for concern.
- If the . indicator light blinks in the instru
ment cluster before switching the ignition
off, the ignition will not switch on again.
¢ page 119
-If you leave your vehicle with the ignition
switched on, the ignition will switch off af
ter a certain amount of time. Make sure that
electrical equipment such as the exterior lights are switched off.
T · th · ff using the
button
App lies to: vehicles with convenience key
"'Bring the vehicle to a full stop.
"'Move the selector lever into the P position.
"'Press the
I ST ART ENGINE STOP I button
<=? page 70, fig. 76.
The needle in the tachometer moves to OFF when
the ignition switches off.
Steering lockll
The steering locks when you turn the engine off
using the
I START ENGINE STOPI* button, move
the selector lever into the P position and open
the driver's door.
The locked steering helps prevent vehicle theft .
Emergency off function*
If it is absolutely necessary, the engine can also
be turned off while driving at speeds starting at
4 mph (7 km/h). To switch the engine off, press
l) This fun ctio n is not availab le in all c oun tries.
Driving
the I START ENGINE STOPI button twice in a row
briefly or press and hold for longer than two sec
onds.
A WARNING
=
- Never turn off the engine before the vehicle has come to a complete stop. The full func
tion of the brake booster and the power
steering is not guaranteed. You must use
more force to turn or brake. Because you
cannot steer and brake as you usually
would, this could lead to accidents and seri
ous injuries.
- Please note that the brake booster and pow
er steering only work when the engine is
running. When the engine off, you must use
more force to steer or brake the vehicle. Be
cause the usual steering and braking capa
bility is not available, the risk of accidents or
injuries increases.
- Always take the vehicle key with you when
leaving the vehicle, even for a short period
of time. This applies particularly when chil
dren remain in the vehicle. Otherwise the
children could start the engine or operate
electrical equipment such as power win
dows.
- For safety reasons, always park the vehicle
with the selector lever in the P position.
Otherwise, there is the risk that the vehicle
could roll unintentionally .
- After the engine has been switched off, the
radiator fan can continue to run for up to 10
minutes -even with the ignition switched
off.
It can also switch on again after some
time if the coolant temperature rises as the result of heat buildup or if the engine com
partment is heated by the sun's rays and the
engine is hot.
(D Note
If the engine has been under heavy load for
an extended period of time, heat builds up in
the engine compartment after the engine is
switched off - there is a risk of damaging the
engine. For this reason, let the engine run for
II>
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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
Page 81 of 272

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.
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Trailer mode Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additiona l load will affect durability, econo
my and performance.
T railer tow ing not only p laces more stress on the
vehicle, it a lso calls for more concentration from
the dr iver.
F or this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch Use a weight -carrying hitch conforming to the
gross tra iler weig ht. The h itch must be suitab le
for your vehicle and tra iler and must be mo unted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
location . Use on ly a trailer hitch with a re
movable ba ll mou nt. Always che ck wit h the t rail
e r hitch manufac turer to make s ure that you are
usi ng the correct hitch .
Do not u se a bumper hitch .
The hitc h must be installed in such a way t hat it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system . No modifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
Fr om time to time, chec k that a ll hitc h mount ing
bo lts rema in securely faste ned.
When you are not towing a trailer,
remove the
tra iler hitch ba ll mount . This prevents the hitch
from ca using damage s hou ld your veh icle be
s truck from beh ind
~ ,&. .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
check to be su re that it conforms to all regula
tions .
Trailer mode
The t rai ler hydra ulic brake sys tem must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydra ulic
bra ke system.
Safety chains
Always use safety ch ains be tween your ve hicle
and the trailer.
Trailer lights
T ra ile r ligh ts must meet all regulations . Be sure
to chec k w it h your Aud i dea le r fo r correct wir ing,
swi tches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see the traffic behind you us
i ng the regular outside mir rors, then you
must in
sta ll extended mirro rs . It i s important that you
always have clear vision to t he rear.
,8. WARNING
Afte r remov ing the tra ile r hi tch , do no t st o re
i t in yo ur vehicle. In ca se of sudden brak ing,
the hitch could fly fo rward and injure you or
your passengers .
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer we ight
A tra iler for your vehicle is lim ited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution B e sure the load in the tra ile r i s held se curely in
pla ce to p reve nt i t from shifting forward, bac k
ward or si deways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer~.&.
in Driving instructions on page 86.
Engine cooling system
Towing a tra iler makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform
ance is up to the additional load . Make sure that
the coo ling syst em has enoug h flu id.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full ..,.
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Page 87 of 272

Trailer mod e
load" on the la bel located on the driver's side B
pillar (visib le when the door is open) . Inflate
tra iler tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specif ications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and t railer lights
are working p roper ly.
Safety chains
Be sure t railer safety chains are properly connect
ed from the trai le r to the hi tch on the veh icle.
L eave enough sla ck in the cha ins to permi t turn
ing corners. When yo u install safety chains, ma ke
sure they wi ll not drag on the road when yo u are
driving .
The cha ins s hou ld cross under the trailer tongue
t o prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the h itch .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration .
To obtain t he best poss ible handling of vehicle
and traile r, please note the fo llow ing :
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not loaded.
.. Be especi ally ca ref ul when pass ing othe r
vehicles.
.. Observe speed limi ts .
.. Do not d rive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.. Always apply brakes early.
.. Monitor the temperature gauge .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded t railer w ith an empty car res ults
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds on ly
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easie r to operate and cont rol.
This means that the tow vehi cle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while
keep ing the tra iler as light as possib le under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the l uggage compartment of the
86
tow veh icle wh ile observing tong ue load require
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the mo re diff icu lt i t be
comes for the driver to con trol the r ig. Do not
drive at t he maxim um permissible speed. Reduce
you r speed even more if load, weather or wind
con dit ions are unfavorab le - partic ularly when
go ing downh ill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limi ts. In some areas, s peeds fo r
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular
vehicles .
A lways apply bra kes early. Whe n driving down
hill, shift in to a lower gea r to use the engine
b raki ng effect to slow the vehi cle. Use of the
brakes alone ca n cause them to over heat and fai l.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge 9 page 12 must
be obse rved caref ully. The coolant temperature
c a n incre ase if yo u drive o n long incl ines in a low
gear a t high engine speeds . Red uce your speed
immediately if the LE Ds in the top part of the dis
play turn on .
Fo r more info rm ation abou t indicator lights, re
fer to .
¢ page 16 .
A WARNING
-
Anyone not prope rly restrai ned in a moving
vehicle is at a much greate r risk in an acci
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wear ing the restraints provided
by Aud i.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differen tly when towing a
trailer because o f the additiona l weight and di f
ferent weight distribution. Safety, performance
and economy will g reatly depend on how caref ul-
l y you load your trai ler and operate you r rig. ..,_
Page 104 of 272

Assist
General information
Applies to: ve hicles w ith Audi side assis t
®
@
©
Fig. 104 Driving s itu atio ns
I! AU DI
Fig. 105 Rear of the vehicle: pos it ion of the senso rs (exa m·
pie)
Side assist functions at speeds above approxi·
mately 19 mph (30 km/h).
@ Vehicles that are approaching
In certain cases, a vehicle will be classified as
cr itical for a lane change even if it is still some·
what far away . The faster a veh icle approaches,
the sooner the display in the exterior mirror wi ll
turn on .
@ Vehicles traveling with you
Vehicles traveling with you are indicated in the
exterior mirror if they are classified as critical for
a lane change. All vehicles detected by side assist
104
are indicated by the time they enter your "blind
spot", at the latest .
© Vehicles left behind
If you slow ly pass a vehicle that side assist has
de tected (the diffe rence in speed between the
vehicle and your vehicle is less than 9 mph or 15
km/h), the display in the exterior mirror turns on
as soon as the vehicle enters your blind spot.
The display will not turn on if you quickly pass a
vehicle that side ass ist has detected (the differ
ence in speed between the vehicle and your vehi
cle is greater than 9 mph or 15 km/h).
Functional limitations
The radar sensors are designed to detect the left
and right adjacent lanes when the road lanes are
the normal width . In some situations, the display
in the exterior mirror may turn on even though
there is no vehicle located in the area that is criti·
cal for a lane c hange. For example:
- If the lanes are narrow or if your are driving on
the edge of your lane . If this is the case, the
system may have detected the vehicle in anoth·
er lane that is
not adjacent to your current lane.
- If you are driving through a curve . Side assist
may react to a vehicle that is one lane over
from the adjacent lane.
- If side assist reacts to other objects (such as
high or disp laced guard rai ls) .
- In poor weather conditions. The side assist
functions are limited.
Do not cover the radar sensors ¢
fig. 105 with
stickers, deposits, bicycle wheels or other ob
jects, because this will affect the function. Do not
u se side assist when towing a trailer . For infor·
mation on cleaning, refer to ¢
page 224.
A WARNING
-Always pay attention to traffic and to the
area around your veh icle . S ide assist cannot
replace a driver's attention. The driver alone
is always responsible for lane changes and
similar driving maneuvers .
ll>-
Page 119 of 272

<( co .... N r--N .... 0 r--> co
-On steep slopes, reduce the speed and se
lect a lower gear or lower selector lever po
sition. Dr ive as little as possible while press
ing the brake pedal and avoid putt ing your
left foot on the brake pedal while driving.
Th is co uld cause the brakes to overheat and
impai r the efficiency of the brakes.
- Do not let the brakes "g rind " by a lways
keeping your foot on the brake pedal. This
can cause the br akes to overhea t, i ncrease
wea r and incre ase braking dis tance unneces
sari ly.
- Certa in wea ther an d operat ing co ndi tio ns
s u ch as dr iving through wate r, d riving in
heavy ra in or d riving after washing your ve
hicle can impair the effectiveness of the
brakes . In the w inte r, ice may b uild up on
the brake pads, rotors and drums. Check
these components by braking ca refu lly . Ap
plying the brakes carefu lly severa l times
dr ies the brakes and removes ice bu ild-up .
- The effic iency of the brakes can also be im
paired by driving for long st retches on roads
cove red w ith salt without using the b rakes .
Yo u can remove sa lt deposits from the
bra ke rotors and pads by caref ully app lying
the brakes severa l t imes .
-If the front spoiler is damaged or you ins tall
ano ther spoiler, m ake sure the front wheel
bra kes are vent ilated p roper ly. O therwise,
the b rake system could overheat, whic h re
duces the ir effectiveness.
- Failure of a brake circuit impai rs b raking
performance, which increases braking dis
tance . Avoid driving the vehicle . Have it tow
ed to the nearest authorized Aud i dealer or
authorized Audi Service Fac ility .
- Never let the vehicle roll while the engine is
stopped because this increases the risk of an
acc ident.
- If the brake booster is not working, you will
have to press m uch ha rder on the brake
peda l to compensate for the lack o f the
booster .
0 Note
-Never let the bra kes " rub" by pressing the
pedal lightly when braking is not really nee-
Intellig ent Technology
essary . This causes the b rakes to overheat
and increases braking distance and causes
wear .
- Before driving on a long st retch with steep
slopes, reduce your speed and shift to the
next lower gear Th is makes use of the en
gine braking effect and relieves the brakes.
If you need to brake additionally, brake in
intervals and not continuously .
(D Tips
-If the brake booster is not work ing, you
must press the brake peda l with much more
force than normal.
- If you retrof it your vehicle with a front spo il
er, wheel covers or sim ilar items, make sure
that the air flow to the fro nt wheels is not
inter rupted . Otherwise the b rake system
can become too hot.
Electromechanical
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movement s.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the ve hicle speed .
T he veh icle st ill has f ull s teer ing f unct iona lity if
t h e power steering fails or when the engine is
stopped (towing) . To steer, you must app ly m uch
more force than usual.
Indicator lights and messages
• Do not driv e vehicle : steering defective
If this indicator light turns on and stays on and
t hi s message appears , the power steering may
have failed .
Do
not continue dr iv ing . See an author ized Audi
dealer or authorized A udi Se rvice Fac ility for as
s istance .
• Do not dr ive vehicle: steering defecti ve
There is a ma lfunction in the e lectronic steering
l ock. You cannot turn the ignition on. ..,.
119