2015 AUDI Q3 Owners Manual

M N
M N
0 ::i co ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
temperatures stay below freezing point for l ong periods.
Detergent add itives in the o il w il l make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run ­
ning fo r a short time . This is norma l and is not
a reason to change the oi l more often than
recommended.
D am ag e or m alfun ction s due to lack of
ma intenanc e
It is essential that you change your oil at the
r ecommended inte rva ls using only engine o il
t hat complies wi th A udi oi l standard
VW 502 00 . Your Limited New Vehicle War ­
ranty does not cover damage or malfunctions
d ue to fa ilure to fo llow recommended mainte­
nance and use requ irements as set forth in
the Audi Owner's Manua l and Warranty
&
Maintenance book let . Your dea ler will have to
deny warranty coverage u nless you present to
the dea ler p roof in the fo rm of Serv ice or Re­
pa ir Orde rs that all s chedu led maintenance
wa s pe rformed in a t imely manner .
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle dep ends on an ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving parts.
In o rder to provide effective lubrication and
cool ing of i nternal engine components, a ll in­
ternal comb ustion eng ines consume a cert ain
amo unt of o il. Oil cons umption varies from
engine to engine and may change significantly
over the life of the engine. Typ ica lly, engines
with a specified break-in per iod (see
c::;, page 161) consume more oil during the
break-in per iod than they consume after oil
consumption has stabilized.
Under norma l conditions, the rate of oil con ­
sumpt ion depends on the quality and viscosity
of the oil, the RPM (revo lutions per m inute) at
which the engine is operated, the amb ient
temperature and road condit ions. Furthe r fac­
tors ar e the amount of o il d ilution from wate r
condensation or fuel residue and the ox ida­
tion level of the oi l. As any engine is s ubje ct to
Checkin g and fillin g 183
wear as m ileage builds up, the oil consump ­
tion may increase over time until replacement
of worn components may become necessary.
Wi th a ll these variab les coming into p lay, no
standard rate of oil consumpt ion can be es ­
tablished or specified. There is no alternative
to regular and frequent check ing of the o il lev ­
el, see
Note .
If the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l
E\I in the instrument cl uster lights up, you
sho uld check the oil leve l as soon as possib le
c::;, page 184. Top off the oil at your earliest
convenience
c::;, page 184.
A WARNING
Before you c heck anythi ng i n the engine
com partment, always read a nd heed all
WARNINGS
c::;, .&. in Working in th e engine
c ompartment on page 179.
(D Note
D riving w ith an insufficient o il level is like­
ly to cause sever e damage to the engine .
(D Tips
- The oil pressure warning display. is
not an indicator of the oil le vel. Do not
re ly on it. In stead, check the oil level in
your engine at regular intervals, pref­ erably ea ch time you refuel, and alway s
before going on a long trip .
-If you have the impression you r engi ne
c ons umes ex ce ss ive amoun ts of o il, we
recommend that you consu lt an author ­
ized Aud i dea ler to have the cause of
your concern properly d iagnosed. Keep in
m ind that the accurate measu rement of
oil consumption requ ires great care and
may take some t ime. An authorized Aud i
dealer has instructions about how to
measu re oil consumption accurately.
-
•
•

184 Checking and filling
Checking the engine oil level
Fig. 1 46 Oil d ipst ick : Or ientat ion ass ista nce for meas ­
u ri ng the oil level
Determining the oil level
.,. Park your vehicle on a level surface .
.,. Let the engine run in id le briefly while it is at
opera ting tempe ratu re and then sh ut the
engine off.
.,. Wait approximately two minutes .
.,. Remove the oil dipst ick. Wipe off the oil dip­
stick with a clean cloth and insert it all the
way in again .
.,. Remove the dipstick again and then read the
oil level
c> fig. 146. Add more engine o il, if
necessary ~
page 184.
Oil level in th e (v are a
.,. Do not add any o il.
Oil level in the @area
.,. You may add oil. After adding oil, the level
sho uld be in the~ area .
Oil level in the 0 a rea
.,. You must add o il. After add ing o il, the level
should be in the~ area.
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven
and the operating conditions, oil consumpt ion
can be up to a 1/2 qua rt per 600 mi les
(0 .5 liter pe r 1,000 km) . Consumption may be
hi gher wit hin the fi rst 3,000 mi les (5,000
km) . Because of this, the engine oil leve l must
be checked regular ly. It would be best to
check each time you refue l your vehicle and
before long drives.
~ Adding engine oil
F ig. 147 En g in e compart ment: Cover on the o il filler
n eck
.,. Before yo u check anything in the engine
compa rtme nt,
alwa ys read and h eed all
WARNINGS ~ A in Working in the engine
compartment on page 179 .
.,. Shut the engine off.
.,. Unscrew the cap
't!::?: to the engine oi l filling
hole
c> fig . 147, c> page 181, fig. 145 .
.,. Carefully top off with 0.5 quarts (0.5 liters)
of the appropr iate oil
c> page 181 .
.,. Check the oi l level again after two mi nutes
c> page 184 .
.,. Top off the oil aga in, if necessary .
.,. Screw the cap back on the filling hole .
A WARNING
-Wh ile topping off, the oil m ust not come
in contact with hot engine parts -fire
hazard!
- The oi l filler cap must be properly se­
cured to prevent oil from being sprayed
on the hot engine and exhaust system
when the engine is runn ing - fire hazard!
- If your skin has come in contact with the
engine o il, you must subsequently
cleanse it thoroughly.
(D Note
- Check the oil level using the radio o r
MMI*. I f the message
Please redu ce oil
level
appea rs, contact your authorized
Aud i dealer or qualified workshop to
have excess oil extracted if necessary .
-Audi does not recommend the use of o il
additives. They m ay damage the engine ..,.

and adve rsely affect you r New Vehicle
Wa rrant y.
@) For the sake of the environment
-Un der no ci rc u mstances can the o il come
in contact with the sewage network or
the soil.
- Observe and follow lega l regu lations
when disposing of empty oil containers .
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by
an authorized Audi dealer or a qualified serv­
ice station.
Before you check anything in the engine com­
par tment,
a lways rea d and he ed all WARN ­
INGS ~&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 179.
The engine oil must be changed according to
the intervals specified in your Warranty
&
Maintenance book let. This is very important
because the lubricating properties of oil di­
minish gradua lly during normal vehicle use.
Under some circumstances the engine oi l
should be changed more frequently. Change
oil more often if you drive most ly short dis­
tances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominantly stop-and-go traff ic con­
d itions, or have your veh icle where tempera­
tures remain below freezing for extended pe ­
riods.
Detergent additives in the o il w ill make fresh
oil look dark after the engine has been run­ n ing for a short time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than recommended.
Because of the problem of proper disposa l,
along w ith the special tools and necessary ex ­
pertise required, we strongly recommend that
you have you r oi l changed by an authorized
~ Au di de ale r o r a qual ified servi ce station.
M N
0 ::i co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
If you choo se t o c ha ng e y our o il your self ,
please note the followi ng important informa­
tion :
Checkin g and fillin g 185
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you
must change the eng ine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protect ion.
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot en- gine oil, let the engine cool down to the
touch.
- When removing the o il dra in p lug with
your fingers, stay as far away as possible. Always keep your forearm parallel to the
ground to help p revent hot oil from run­
ning down you r arm.
- Dra in the oil into a container designed
for this purpose, one la rge enough to
hold at least the tota l amount of oi l in
your eng ine .
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out
of the reach of children.
- Continuous contact wit h used eng ine o il
is harmful to your s kin. A lways protect
your skin by washing oil off tho ro ughly
with soap and water.
@ Note
Neve r mix oil additives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en­
g ine and adversely affec t you r Au di L imit­
ed New Vehicle Warranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Before changing your oil, first make su re
you know where you c an properly dispose
o f the used oil.
- Always dispose of used eng ine oi l proper­
ly. Do not dump it on garden soil, wood­
ed areas, into open streams or down
sewage drains .
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a
used engine oil collect ion facility in your
area, or contact a service station.
•
•

186 Checking and filling
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro ­
tects the engine from freezing in the winter .
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
qu ires little attention .
The cooling system has been filled at the fac­
tory with a permanent coo lant which does not
need to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture of spec ially conditioned water and the
manufacturer's glycol-basedcoolant addi-
tive G13 antifreeze with ant icorros ion addi­
tives (50% for USA models; 60% for Ca nada
models) . This mixture both assures the neces­
sary frost protection and protects metal com­
ponents in the engine's cooling system from
corrosion and scaling.
It a lso raises the boil­
ing point of the coo lant.
Do not reduce the concentration o f the coo l­
ant in the summer by adding plain water .
The
proportion of coolant additive must be at
least 50% but not more than 60%
to main­
tain antifree ze protection and cooling efficien­
cy. If the coolant frost protect ion is too low,
the coolant could freeze and damage the veh i­
cle heating and engine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifree ze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
- -31°F(-35°C)USA
- - 40 °F ( -40 °C) Canada.
I f you must add coo lant, use a mixture of wa­
ter and coolant addit ive. Mixing the coolant
additive with distilled water is recommended.
_& WARNING
Before yo u check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
~ &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 179.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
-
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­ mate conditions . This is especia lly impor­
tant if you live in a reg ion where the win­
ter is extreme ly cold. If necessary, in­
crease the proportion of coolant add itive
to 60% .
- When adding coolant additive to your
cooling system, remember:
- We recommend using only coolant ad­
ditive G12++ or G13 for your vehicle.
This coolant additive is available at au­
thorized Audi dealers. Other types of
antifreeze can significantly reduce cor­ rosion protection. The resulting corro­
sion can cause a loss of coolant and se­
rious engine damage .
- Do not add any type of rad iator leak seal­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant.
Adding radiator repair flu id may adverse­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance.
Fig. 148 E n gin e compart men t: Cover on the coo la n t
expans io n tank
.,. Before you check anything in the engine
compa rtment,
always read and heed all
WARNINGS ~ ,& in Working in the engine
compartment on page 179.
.,. Park your vehicle on a level surface .
.,. Tur n off the ignition.
.,. Read the engine coolant level from the coo l­
ant expansion tank
c:> fig . 148, c:> page 181,
fig. 145.
With a cold engine, the coolant Iii>-

M N
M N
0 ::i co ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
level should be between the "MIN" and
"MAX" markings. When the engine is warm,
the level may be slightly above the "MAX"
marking .
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration
<=> page 181.
To obtain an accurate reading , the engine
must be switched
off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System <=>
page 14 will
blink until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is
an electric coolant level sensor, we still rec­
ommend you check the coolant level from
time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cool­
ing system should be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer.
It is not
enough merely to add coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheating.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scald­
ing from hot coolant by following these
steps.
- Turn
off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag .
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in
a counter-clockwise direction while ap­
plying light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap .
- To avoid being burned, do not spill anti­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system
Checking and filling 187
or hot engine parts. Under certain condi­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine cool­
ant can catch fire.
([) Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak seal­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add- ing radiator repair fluid may adversely af­
fect the function and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage
not covered by your New Vehicle limited
Warranty .
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment ,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS <=>
A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 179 .
Requirement: There must be a residual
amount of coolant in the expansion tank
<=> (D.
.,. Turn off the engine.
.,. Let the engine cool down.
.,. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank
<=> page 186, fig . 148 and carefully turn
the cap counter-clockwise
<=> .&_ .
.,. Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
<=> page 186, Coolant up to the MAX mark­
ing.
.,. Make sure that the fluid level remains sta-
ble. Add more coolant if necessary.
.,. Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specifications
<=> page 186, Coolant.
We recommend using only coolant additive
G12 ++, G13 or in an emergency G12 +. Do
not
use a different additive. In an emergency use
plain water until you can get the correct addi­
tive and can restore the correct ratio. This
should be done as soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of
coolant , then you should add cold antifreeze
and cold water only when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coolant when refilling . .,.
•
•

188 Checking and filling
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex­
cess coolant will be forced out through the pressure re lief valve in the cap when the en ­
g ine becomes hot.
A WARNING
- The coo ling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
scalding from hot coolant by following
these steps.
- Turn
off the eng ine and a llow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering
the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very ca refully
i n a co unte r-clockwise d irection while
apply ing light, downward press ure on
the top of the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spi ll an ­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engine parts. Under certa in
conditions, the ethylene glyco l in en­
g ine coolant can ca tch f ire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an­
t ifreeze in its original container and we ll
o ut of the reac h of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a p roper con­
ta iner clear ly ma rked "poison".
(D Note
- Do not add coolant if the expansion tan k
i s empty. A ir could enter the cooling sys­
tem and damage the eng ine. If this is
the case, do not continue driving. Seek
professional assistance.
- Coolant po llutes the e nv ironment and
could cause an engine fire. Excess coo l­
ant will be forced ou t through the pres ­
su re re lief v alve in the ca p when the en­
gine becomes hot .
- If, in an emergen cy, only water can be
added, the corre ct ratio be twee n wa te r
and antifr eeze¢
page 186 must be re ­
stored as soon as possib le .
{® For the sake of the environment
D rained coo lant should not be reused . A l­
ways d ispose of used coolant whi le observ­
i ng a ll environmental regulations.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself
T he rad iator fan is driven by the engine v ia the
V-belt. The viscous clutch regulates the spee d
of the fan acco rding to the temperature of the
coolant.
An a uxiliary electric radiator fan* sw itches on
and
off depending on coolant temperature
and othe r vehicle ope rat ing condit ions .
A ft er yo u sw itc h t he eng ine
off, the aux iliary
f an can continue running for up to 10 m inutes
- even wit h the ignition
off. It can even switc h
on again later by itself¢.&. , if
- t he tempe rature of the engine coo lant rises
due to the heat build -up from the engine in
the engine compa rtment, or
- the engine compa rtment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in i ntense sunlig ht.
A WARNING ~
- To reduce the risk of perso na l inj ury nev -
er touch the radiator fan.
- The a uxiliary electric fan is tempe rat ure
contro lled and can sw itch on sud denly
even when the engine is not running.
- The a uxiliary radiator fan sw itches on a u­
tomatically when the engine coo lant
reac hes a certa in temperature and will
continue to ru n until the coolant temper­
ature drops.

M N M N
0 ::i co
rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance.
N
N
;:;;
" 03
"'
Fi g. 149 Eng ine compartment: Cover on the brake flu ­
id reservoir
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
a lwa ys read and heed all WARN­
ING S c:> .&.. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 179 .
~ Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir
c:> fig. 149, <=> page 181,
fig . 145.
The brake flu id level must be be­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear
partition of the engine compartment on the
left side <::;>
page 181 .
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads . This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably be­
low the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi­
cator light (USA models: ., Canada models:
• will come on
<::;> page 13. Do not continue
to operate the vehicle . The complete brake
system should be thorough ly checked by an
author ized Audi dealer or qua lified workshop
and the cause corrected.
If the brake fluid lev­
e l is too low, the brake warning/indicator ligh t
will illuminate . Contact an authorized A ud i
dealer
immediately.
@ Tips
The brake f luid reservoir is located under­
neath the cover .
Checking and fillin g 189
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by on experi­
enced technician.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
high, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time . The boiling point of the
brake flu id will also dec rease considerably and
decrease braking pe rformance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
ev ery two years. Always use new brake flu id
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "F MVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservo ir can be d iff icult to
reach, the refore, we recommend that you
have the brake fluid changed by your author­
i zed
Audi d ealer. Your dealer has t he correct
tools, the right brake fl uid and t he know-how
to do this for you .
A WARNING -.
-Brake fluid is poisonous . It must be stor­
ed only in the closed original container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can resu lt from o ld or inap­
propriate brake f luid. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE
spe cificat ion
J 1 7 03 and conforms to
Federa l Moto r Ve hicl e Standard 116.
Always check with yo ur authorized Audi
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
correct bra ke fluid. The correct type of
brake f luid is also indicated on the
brake f luid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapor lock if
the brake fluid is left in the system too
l ong . This can seriously affect the effi­
c iency of the brakes as well as your
safety. This cou ld resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle .

190 Checking and filling
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposa l
of brake flu id as we ll as the special tools
req uired and the necessary expert ise, we
recommend that you have the b rake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer.
Battery
General information
Unde r normal operating conditions, the bat ­
tery in your A udi does not need any mainte ­
nance. With
high outside temperatures or
long daily dr ives we recommend that you have
the elect ro lyte level checked by an authorized
Aud i dea ler o r qualified workshop . The elec­
trolyte leve l sho uld a lso be c hecked each t ime
the battery is c harged
c::> page 192.
H ave the battery checked when you take your
ve hicle in for service . Yo u are well adv ised to
replace a bat tery that is older tha n 5 yea rs .
W ith certa in types of a irbag deployment, t he
battery is d isconnected from the vehicle elec­
tr ica l system fo r safety reasons
c::> & in Re ­
pair, core and disposal of the airbags on
page 126.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some veh icle functions (power w indow regu­
lato rs, for example) are lost if the battery ter­
m inals a re discon nected. These functions have
to be re lea rned after the batte ry terminals a re
c onnec ted agai n. T o prevent this, the battery
should o nly be di sconnec ted from the vehicle
e lec trica l syste m when absolu tely necess ary
for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
I f yo u do not dr ive you r vehicle over a pe riod
of severa l days or weeks, elec trical co m po­
n en ts are gr adually cu t back o r swi tched off .
T his reduces energy cons ump tion and main ­
tains sta rting capab ility over a lon ger perio d
c::> page 159 .
Some o f the conven ien ce f unct ions m ay no t
ope rate, su ch as the in ter ior lights o r the power seat adjus
tment . The convenience
funct ions wi ll be available again when yo u
tu rn on the ign ition and sta rt t he engine .
Winter operation
During the w inte r mon th s, batt ery c apac ity
tends to dec rease as tempera tures drop . This
is beca use more power is a lso consumed w hile
starting, and the headlights, rear win dow de­
f ogger, etc., are used more often.
Avoid unnecessa ry powe r consumpt ion, pa r­
ticu lar ly in ci ty traffic o r when traveling only
sho rt distances . Let yo ur autho rized A udi
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat ­
tery before w inter sets in
<=:> page 192. A well
charged battery will not on ly prevent starting
problems when the weather is cold, but w ill
also last longer .
@ Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for seve ral
w eeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery s hou ld be removed and
s tored w her e it w ill not freeze. This will
preve nt i t fr om be ing d amaged and having
t o be repla ced .
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
T he battery is loc ated in the luggage compar t­
ment under the floo r. B efo re you che ck any­
t hi ng in the luggage co mpartmen t,
read and
heed all WARNINGS
c::> .&_ .
Always heed t he safety warnings , when work­
i ng on the veh icle ba tte ry or the vehicle e le c­
t ric al sys tem to p reven t inju ry.
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM ·
BOLS and safety precautions when working
on the battery .
®
Always wear eye protection .