2015 AUDI Q3 warning

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If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumption by 10-15 percent. This sec­
tion will give you some tips on how you can help the environmen t and your pocketbook.
The consumption estimates as published by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, wh ich will vary depend ing upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
ditions, tr ip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
.,. Avoid unnecessa ry accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac ­
celerating . If you anticipate what is go ing to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus , accelerate less. Let the vehicle coas t
whenever poss ible -for example when you see
that the next traffic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
.,. Try and keep well be low your car's max imum
speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump­
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
environment. Fue l consumption, exhaust emissions and en­
g ine no ise increase d isproportionately at high
speeds . If you dr ive at approximately three
qua rters of top speed, fue l consumption will
be red uced by one half. Never dr ive faste r
than the posted speed limi t and wea ther con­
ditions permit.
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 163
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 lett ing the
eng ine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic
jams, when wa it ing for tra ins to pass at rail ­
road crossings, or at t raff ic lights that have
l ong waits on red . T u rning the eng ine off for
just 30-40 seconds saves mo re fuel tha n is
bur ned star ting the engine again.
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up
fully when it is runn ing at id le. However, wear
and noxious emissions are especia lly hig h
when the eng ine is wa rm ing up. So yo u shou ld
drive away as soon as yo u start the engine and
avoid r unning at high rpms whi le the engine is
still warming up.
(D Note
D o not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter starting. If warning lights sho uld come
on to indicate improper operation, they
would go unheeded. Extended idling also produces heat, w hich could res ult in over­
heating or other damage to the veh icle or
other p roperty .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel .
.,. Have you r veh icle serviced at regu lar inter-
vals.
By having your ve hicle reg ularly serviced by an
a uthorized Audi dea le r helps to ensure that it
runs properly and econom ica lly. The cond ition
of your veh icle not only affects its safety and
ability to ho ld its va lue, it a lso affects
fuel
con sumption .
Chec k your o il each t ime you fill your tank.
Ill-
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164 Driving and en vironm ent
The amount of oil used is related to eng ine
load and speed.
I t is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest val ue after a certain
mileage has been driven.
You must drive your vehicle about 3 ,000 miles
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess o il cons umption .
This a lso applies to fuel consumption and en­
g ine output .
0 Note
-Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your War ranty
& Main­
tenance booklet. Lack of proper mainte­
nance as well as imp roper use of the ve­
hicle will impair the function of the
emission control system and could lead
to damage.
- Do not a lter or remove any component of
the Emi ssion Contro l System unless ap­
proved
by the manufacturer.
- Do not a lter or remove any device, such
as heat shields, switches, ignition wires,
va lves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emiss ion Control System
and other important veh icle compo­
nents .
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips .
• Try to avo id driving sho rt distances with a
cold eng ine.
The engine and catalytic converter have to reach their optimal
ope rating tempe ratu re to
reduce fuel con sumption and noxious emis­
sions effect ively.
Just after starting, a cold engine in a mid-size car on ly achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 miles
per gallon (30-40 l/100 km) . After about a
half a m ile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg
(20 l/100 km) . After about
2. 5 miles (4 km), the engine is at its proper operating tempera
­
ture and fuel economy has reached a normal
l evel. So you can see that you should avo id
short trips whenever possible.
T he
out sid e tempe rature is also critical in this
regard . Your car consumes more fue l in the
winter than in the s ummer.
Driving offroad
General information
When driving off road, the functions fo r the
electron ic stabiliza tion control ( ESC) are ex­
panded . The ESC-Offroad-Mode can be activat­
ed in driving situations in which a wheel lock
or a differential lock function is needed
c> page 155.
Your Audi i s howev er, n ot an offroad vehicle.
Ne ver dri ve the vehicle in te rrain wh ich i s n ot
suitable for the vehicle , o r w hich ex ceeds
y ou r driv ing skill s. Ne ver tak e an y u nneces ­
s ar y risk s!
Aft er d riving offroad
-After driving offroad, remove branches and
other debris from the radiator gri lle, under ­
body, and wheels. Look especially for objects
(stones) that have been caught in the tire
tread.
- Clean the body and the vehicle underbody
and inspect the vehicle for possible damag­
es.
- Clean off the dirty windows, headlights, tail
lights and the license plate .
- Pe rform a brake test (especially after driving
through water).
A WARNING
- Be especially aware and attent ive when
driving under difficult condit ions . Dam­
ages to the vehicle and injur ies may oc­
cur when driv ing at an excessively high
speed or with incor rect driving maneu­
vers.
- Always adjust you r speed and hand ling
to the roads, terrain, t raff ic and weather
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conditions. Drive especially slow if
offroad with low visibility.
- Please note that the wheels can spin and
the vehicle can break away when the ESC
Offroad Mode is switched off, especially
when the road is slippery.
- Driv ing stability is reduced in the ESC
Offroad mode.
@ For the sake of the envi ronment
Avoid harming the environment and take
nature into consideration .
(D Tips
On ly drive where it is allowed and always
stay on the provided roads and paths .
Driver messages
There is only one right way to drive in difficult
conditions: slowly and with caution!
When driv ing offroad, observe the following:
• Never dr ive the veh icle in terra in which is
not suitable for the veh icle, or wh ich ex­
ceeds your driving skills. Never take any un­
necessary risks!
• Drive slowly and cautiously!
• Pay attention to the
gro und cl earance of
your vehicle! This may vary depending on
the load and composition of the ground and
the environment. The driver is therefore re­
spons ible for deciding whether a vehicle can
handle a specific situation .
• Activate the
ESC-Offr oad-Mode Q page 155
as needed.
• Use the
hill desce nt ass is t Q page 155 when
driv ing down steep sections on hi lls.
Difficult terr ain
Never drive in areas that are not familiar to
you and dr ive slowly when offroad and be pre­
pared and expect the unexpected (e.g . pot­
holes, bou lders, tree stumps, etc.)
To prevent the vehicle from bottoming and
avoid damage to the underbody , you should
drive straight across severe bumps in the
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 165
ground with only one side o f the veh icle so
that only two of your whee ls cross the bumps.
Drive quickly through sandy or marshy offroad
sections and do not stop, if at all possible .
Driving throu gh w ater on road s
Note the following to avoid veh icle damage
when driving through water, for examp le on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than walking speed .
A WARNING
--After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect because of wet brake rotors and pads. D ry
the bra kes first by braking carefully to re­
store the fu ll braking effect.
(D Note
Vehicle components such as the eng ine,
transmission, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severe ly damaged by dr iv ing
th rough water.
(D Tips
- Check the depth of the water before d riv­
ing through it.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
thro ugh water.
- Keep i n mind that oncoming veh icles
may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive through sa fely.
- Avo id d riving through salt wate r because
i t can cause corros ion.
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166 Trailer towing
Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trai ler, p lease remember
that the additional load will affect durability,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
For this reason, always fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
Technical requirements
Tr aile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suita­
ble for your vehicle and trailer and mu st be
mounted securely on the veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location. Use only a trailer
h itch with a removab le ball mount. A lways
check with the trai ler h itch manufact urer to
make sure that you are using the correct
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hi tch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way that
it does not interfere with the impact-absorb­
ing bumper system . No modifications should
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake sys­
tems . From t ime to time, check that all hitch
mounting bo lts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the
trailer h itch ball mount. This prevents the
h itch from causing damage should your veh i­
cle be struck from behind
¢ A .
Traile r brak es
If your tra iler is equipped w ith a braking sys­
tem, check to be sure that it conforms to a ll
regulat ions . The trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
direct ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system
~ A .
Saf ety ch ain s
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the trai le r.
Trail er light s
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be
sure to check w ith your authorized Audi dealer
for correct wi ring, switches, and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
us ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must install extended mirrors .
It is important
that you always have clea r vis io n to the rear.
,8. WARNING
- I f a trai ler has electrical brakes p lease
note that these brakes are not activated
by the factory -fitted control unit -risk of
accident!
- Afte r removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in your vehicle. In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and
injure you or your passengers.
- Never install a "weight distributing" or
"load equalizing" trailer hitch on your ve­
h icle. The vehicle was not designed for
these kinds of trailer h itches. The h itch
attachment can fail, caus ing the trailer
to tear loose from the veh icle.
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for your
veh icle, found on the safety compliance
label on the driver's s ide B-pillar, must
never be exceeded under any c ircumstan­
ces. Exceeding the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating of yo ur vehicle is likely to damage
your vehicle, and such damage will not
be covered by yo ur Limited New Ve hicle
Warranty . Exceeding the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating will a lso change the per­
formance and handling characteristics of
your veh icle, wh ich could cause a crash
resulting in serious injury or death.
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168 Trailer towing
• Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
• Always apply brakes early.
• Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car re­
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble, while keeping the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the circumstances. Whenever possi­
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -particularly
when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds
for vehicles towing trailers are lower than for
regular vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en ­
gine braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge c:> page 10
must be observed carefully . If the needle
moves close to the upper end of the scale, re­
duce speed immediately and/or turn off the
air conditioner. If the coolant temperature warning light in
the instrument cluster starts flashing., pull
off the road, stop and let the engine
idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build-up.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone ride in your car
who is not properly wearing the restraints
provided by Audi.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing
-
a trailer because of the additional weight and
different weight distribution. Safety, perform­
ance and economy will greatly depend on how carefully you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
have become completely familiar with the way
your vehicle-trailer combination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trailer generally requires
steering action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you. You will need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­
celerate as fast as you normally would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow
plenty of room for your trailer before chang­
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.

170 Vehicle care and cleaning
Vehicle care and
cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your
ve hicle 's value. It can also be a requirement
when subm itting warranty claims for corro ­
sion damage and paint defects on the body .
The required cleaning and care prod ucts can
be obtained from your authorized Audi dea ler
or qualified workshop . Read and follow t he in ­
structions fo r use on the pac kaging .
A WARNING
-Us ing cleaning and care products incor­
rect ly can be dange rous to your he alth .
- Always store cleaning and care products
o ut of rea ch of children to redu ce the r is k
of po ison ing.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Preferably use environmentally-friendly
products when buying cleaning agents .
- Do not d ispose of leftover cleaning and
ca re p rod ucts with household trash .
Car washes
-
The longer that depos its suc h as insects, bird
d roppings , tree sap o r road salt rema in on the
ve hicl e, the more the su rface can be dam­
aged. High tempe ra tur es such as those
c a used by s unligh t incr ease the damag ing e f­
fect.
B efore was hing, wet heavy deposits w ith p le n­
ty of water.
Stubbor n depos its suc h as bird dropp ings or
tree sap are b est r emoved with plenty of wa­
ter a nd a m icrofiber cloth.
A lso, was h the underside of your vehicle once
road salt stops be ing used fo r th e season .
Pressure wa shers
When washing your ve hicles w ith a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instruc -t
ions provided with the pressure washer. This
is especia lly important in regard to the pres­
s ur e and spraying distance. Do not a im the
spray direct ly at sea ls on side windows, doors,
t h e hood, the rear lid or the sunroof* or at
t ires, rubber hoses, insu lating material, sen ­
so rs* o r camera lenses*. Keep a d ista nce of at
l east 16 inches (40 cm) .
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer .
Never use rotary nozzles or high pressure noz ­
z les.
T he wate r temperature m ust not be above
140
°F (60 °().
Automatic car washes
Sp ray off t h e ve hicle befo re washing.
Make sure that the w indows and roof* are
closed and the winds hield wipers a re off. Fo l­
low instructions from the ca r wash operator,
espe cially if there are ac cesso ries attached to
yo ur vehicle.
If possible, use car wash es that do not have
brushes .
Washing by hand
Clean the ve hicle starting from the top and
worki ng down using a soft sponge or cleaning
brush . Use solvent -free clea ning products .
Washing vehicle s with matte finish paint
by hand
To avoid damaging the paint when washing,
first remove dust and large particles from
you r vehicle . Insects, grease spots and fi nger­
pri nts are best remov ed w ith a special cleane r
fo r matte finish paint .
Apply t he prod uct us ing a microfiber cloth . To
avo id damaging the pa int surface, do not use
too much pressure .
Rinse the ve hicle thoroughly wi th water. Then
clean usi ng a neutral shampoo and a soft mi -
c rofiber cloth . .,.

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Vehicle care and cleaning 171
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly again and let it
air dry. Remove any water residue using a
shammy .
A WARNING
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operator to reduce the risk
of accidents .
- To reduce the r isk of cuts, protect your­
self from sharp metal components when
wash ing the underbody or the inside of
the wheel housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef­
fect may be de layed due to moisture on
the brake rotors or ice in the winter. The
brakes must be dried first with a few
careful brake applications.
([) Note
-If you wash the vehicle in an automatic
car wash, you must fold the exterior m ir­
rors in to reduce the ris k of damage to
the mirrors. Power folding exterior mir ­
rors* must only be folded in and out us ­
ing the power folding function. -
To prevent paint damage, do not wash
the vehicle in direct sunlight.
- To reduce the risk of damage to the sur­
face, do not use insect removing spong­
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle compo­
nents:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the
surface, do not use polishing agents or
hard wax.
- Never use car wash cycles that apply
protective wax.
It can destroy the
matte finish effect .
- Do not place any stickers or magnet ic
signs on vehicle parts painted w ith
matte fin ish paint. The paint could be
damaged when the stickers or magnets
are removed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle in facilities spec ially
designed for that purpose . This will red uce
the r isk of dirty water contam inated with
oil from entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When cleaning and caring for individual vehi­
cle components, refer to the following tab les .
The information contained there is simply rec­
ommendations . For questions or for compo- nents that are not listed,
refer to an author­
ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop. A lso
follow the information found in ¢ ,& .
Cleaning exterior
Component Situation Solution
Wiper blades
Dirty Q page 4 7, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Headlights/ Dirty Soft sponge with
a m ild soap solutiona>
tail lights
Sensors/
Dirty Sensors: soft cloth with a solvent -free cleaning product
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning
solution
Snow/ice Hand brush/solvent-free de-icing spray
Wheels Road sa lt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special cleaning solution
Exhaust tail Road salt Water, cleaning solut ion suitable for stainless steel, if
pipes necessary
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Vehicle care and cleaning 173
Component Situation Solution
Te xtile s,
Stains adhering to Vacuum cleaner
Vinyl, the surface
Alcantara Water-based stains Absorbent cloth and mild soap solutiona>
such as coffee, tea, blood, etc.
Oil-based stains Apply a mild soap solutiona>, blot away the d issolved oil
such as oil, make- or dye, treat afterward w ith water, if necessary
up, etc.
Special stains such Special stain remover, blot with absorbent material,
as ballpoint pen, treat afterward with mild soap solutiona>, if necessary
na il polish, latex
pa int, shoe polish,
etc.
Natural leather Fr es h stains Cotton cloth with a mild soap solutiona)
Water-based stains Fresh sta ins: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, Dr ied stains: sta in remover suitable for leather
blood, etc.
Oil-based stains Fresh sta ins: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable
such as oil, make- for leather
up, etc . dried sta ins: Oil cleaning spray
Special stains such Stain remover suitable for leather
as ballpo int pen,
na il polish, latex
pa int, shoe polish,
etc .
Care Regularly
apply conditioning cream that protects from
light and penetrates into the material. Use specially-col-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carbon parts Dirty Clean the same way as plastic parts
al Mild soap solution: maximum two tablespoons neut ral soap in 1 quart (I liter) of water
& WARNING
The windshie ld may not be treated with
water-repelling windshie ld coating agents .
Unfavorab le conditions such as wetness,
darkness, or low sun can result in in­
creased glare. W iper blade chatter is also
possible.
- Headlights/tail lights
- Never clean headlights or tail lights
w ith a dry cloth or sponge. -
Do not use any cleaning product that
contains alcohol, because they could
cause cracks to form .
-Wheels
-Never use any paint polish or other
abrasive mater ials.
- Damage to the protective layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches
must be repaired immediately.
- Sensors/camera lenses
- Never use warm or hot water to re-
move snow or ice from the camera
len s. This could cause the lens to crack .
IJII>
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