2015 AUDI Q3 Owners Manual

M N
M N
0 ::i co ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
Operating instructions
6"
~ ~
I 1,2 ..
-{ }
l::_
-
2
Fig. 139 Permit ted ball position of the trailer hitch
Trailer towing weights
With a factory-installed or an aftermarket
trailer hitch, the maximum permissible trailer
weight is 2,200 lbs (1,000 kg). The maximum permissible unbraked trailer weight is 1,650
lbs (750 kg) . These specifications apply when
driving on roads having an incline of less than
12%.
Permissible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these
changed conditions, adjust the trailer load so
that the tongue load is at the maximum al­
lowable or slightly lower . You can get an ap­
proximation of the tongue load with a bath­
room scale or you can measure the load at a
trucking company or weighing station.
With a
factory-installed or an aftermarket
trailer hitch, the maximum permissible load
on the ball hitch may not exceed 220 lbs
(100 kg).
It is recommended to use the maxi­
mum permissible load.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢.&. in Driving instructions on page 168.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used with suita­
ble ball mount and ball¢
fig. 139. Installa­
tion of the hitch ball must be carried out in ac-
Trailer towing 167
cordance with the manufacturer's instruc­
tions.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­
er .
It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load.
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the tire pressure label. The tire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B­
pillar. Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire
manufacturers' specifications .
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. Check
to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners. When you install safety
chains, make sure they will not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
core and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the following :
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car it­
self is not loaded.
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles.
.,. Observe speed limits.
•
•

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.

M N
M N
0 ::i co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
@ Tips
-Do not tow a traile r during the break-in
period o f your vehicle .
- If you tow a t railer, your A udi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load
¢ page 23 7.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it can­
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol­
lowing:
When parking:
.,. Apply the foo t brake .
.,. Have someone place chocks under bo th t he
vehicle and the trai ler whee ls .
.,. With chocks in p lace, slowly re lease the
brakes unti l th e wheel chocks abso rb the
load .
.,. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.,. Apply the parking brake .
.,. Move t he se lecto r leve r to P.
When restarting after parking:
.,. Apply the foot brake .
.,. Start the eng ine .
.,. Move t he selector lever to D/S .
.,. Re lease the park ing brake and slowly pull
out and away from the whee l choc ks .
.,. Stop and have someone retrieve the w heel
chocks.
(D Tips
If you move the sele ctor lever of t he a uto­
mat ic t ransm ission to P before app lying
t he p ark ing brake an d befo re blocking the
wheels, you may have to use mo re force
later to move the lever out of the P posi­
tion.
Trailer towin g 169
•
•

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 . .,.

M N
M N
0 ::i co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
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
•
•

172 Vehicle care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Decorative
Dirty Mild soap solutional, a cleaning solution suitab le for
parts/ sta inless steel, if necessary
trim
Paint
Paint damage Refer to the paint number on the vehicle data label, re-
pair with touch up paint¢
page 234
Spilled fuel Rinse with water immediately
Rust film Rust
film remover, then protect with hard wax; for ques-
tions, refer to an authorized Audi dea ler or qualified
workshop
Corrosion Have it removed by an autho rized Aud i dealer or quali-
fied workshop
Water no longer Protect with hard wax (at least twice per year)
beads on the surface
of clean paint
No shine even T
reat with suitable polish; then app ly paint protectant if
though paint has the polish that was used does not contain any protec-
been protected/
tant
pa int looks poor
Desposits such as in- Dampen with water immed iate ly and remove with a mi-
sects, bird drop- crofiber cloth
pings, tree sap and
road salt
Grease-based con- Remove immediately with a mild soap solutiona> and a
taminants such as soft cloth
cosmetics or sun-
block
Carbon parts Dirty Clean tlhe same way as pa inted parts ¢ page 170, Car
washes
a l Mi ld soap so lution: maximum two tab lespoons neut ra l soap in 1 quart (1 lite r) of water
Cleaning interior
Component Situation Solution
Windows
Dirty Glass cleaner, then wipe dry
Decorative Dirty Mild soap solutional
parts/
trim
Plastic parts
Dirty Damp cloth
Heavily soiled Mild soap solutional, solvent-free plast ic cleaning solu-
t ion, if necessary
Displays Dirty Soft cloth with LCD cleaner
Controls Dirty Soft brush, then a soft cloth with a mild soap solutiona>
Safety belts Dirty Mild soap solutional, allow to dry before letting them re-
tract

M N
M N
0 ::i co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
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>
•
•

174 Vehicle care and cleaning
- Never use abrasive cleaning materials
or alcohol to clean the camera lens.
This could cause scratches and cracks.
- Windows
- Remove snow and ice on windows and
exterior mirrors with a plastic scraper.
To avoid scratches, move the scraper only in one direction and not back and
forth.
- Never remove snow or ice from win­
dows and mirrors using warm or hot
water because this could cause cracks
to form .
- To avoid damage to the rear window
defogger, do not apply any stickers on
the heating wires on the inside of the
window.
- Decorative parts/trim
- Never use chrome care or cleaning
products.
- Paint
-To reduce the risk of scratches, the ve-
hicle must be free of dirt and dust be­
fore polishing or waxing.
- To prevent paint damage, do not polish
or wax the vehicle in direct sunlight.
- To reduce the risk of paint damage, do
not polish away rust film .
- Remove cosmetics and sunblock imme­
diately . Otherwise, the paint could be
damaged.
- Displays
- To avoid scratches, do not use dry
cleaning methods on displays.
- Controls
- Make sure that no fluids enter the con-
trols, because this could cause dam­
age.
-Safety belts
- Do not remove the safety belts to clean
them.
- Never clean safety belts or their com­
ponents chemically or with corrosive
fluids or solvents and never allow sharp objects to come into contact
with the safety belts. This could cause
damage to the belt webbing. - If there is damage to the webbing, the
connections, the retractors or the buck­les, have them replaced by an author­
ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Textiles/Vinyl/Alcantara
- Never treat Vinyl/Alcantara with leath-
er care products , solvents, floor polish,
shoe polish, stain remover or similar
products.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains
removed by an authorized Audi dealer
or qualified workshop.
- Never use steam cleaners, brushes,
hard sponges, etc. when cleaning.
- Do not turn on the seat heating* to dry
the seat.
- Objects with sharp edges such as zip­
pers, rivets on clothing or belts can
cause damage to the surface .
- Open hook and loop fasteners, for ex­
ample on clothing, can damage seat
covers . Make sure hook and loop fas­
teners are closed.
- Natural leather
- Never treat leather with solvents, floor
polish, shoe polish, stain remover or
similar products.
- Objects with sharp edges such as zip­
pers, rivets on clothing or belts can
cause damage to the surface.
- Never use steam cleaners, brushes,
hard sponges, etc. when cleaning.
- Do not turn on the seat heating* to dry
the seat.
- To help prevent the leather from fad­
ing, do not leave the vehicle in direct
sunlight for long periods of time. If leaving the vehicle parked for long pe­
riods of time, you should cover the
leather to protect it from direct sun­
light.
(D Tips
- Insects are easier to remove from paint
that has been freshly waxed.
- Regular waxing can prevent rust film
from forming.