2015 AUDI Q3 wheel

154 Intellig ent technolog y
Anti-slip r egulation (ASR )
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road conditions. This makes it easier to
start, accelerate and drive up hills.
Electronic diffe rential lock (EDL )
The ED L brakes wheels that are spinn ing and
transfers the drive power to the o ther d rive
wheel or whee ls if the vehicle is equipped with
all-wheel drive* . This function is available up
to about 60 mph (100 km/h).
I n extreme cases , ED L automat ica lly switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from overheating . EDL wi ll switch on again au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to normal.
El ectron ic inte ra xle diff ere ntial lock */
se lec tive wheel t orque contr ol*
The electronic interaxle differential lock (front
wheel drive) or the select ive wheel torque
control (all-wheel drive) operates when driv­
ing through curves. The front wheel on the in·
side of the curve or both wheels on the inside
of the curve are braked select ively as needed .
This minimizes s lid ing in the front wheels a nd
allows for more p rec ise driving through
curves. The app licab le system may not acti­
vate when driving in wet or snowy conditions .
A WARNING
-ESC, ABS, ASR, EDL, the electronic inter­
axle differentia l lock* /selective whee l
torque control* and the hill descent as­
sist cannot overcome the laws of physics.
Th is is especially important on slippery
o r wet roads . If the systems begin acting to stabilize your vehicle, you should im­
mediately change your speed to match
the road and traffic conditions. Do not let the increased safety provided by
these systems tempt you to take r isks .
Doing so will increase the risk of a loss of
veh icle cont ro l, collision and ser ious per­
sonal injur ies.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic
and weather conditions. The risk of los­
ing control of the vehicle increases when
driving too fast , espec ially through
curves and on slippery or wet roads, and
when driving too close to vehicles up
ahead. ESC, ABS, the brake ass ist sys­
tem, ASR, EDL and the electronic inter­
axle d ifferential lock*/selective wheel
torque control* cannot prevent colli­
sions .
- Always accelerate with special care on
even, smooth surfaces such as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow .
The drive wheels can spin even w ith
these assistance systems t hat cannot al­
ways he lp to reduce the risk of loss of ve­
hicle control.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR only wo rk correct ly when
all four wheels are equipped with identi­
cal tires. D ifferent tire sizes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems
described are working .
-If the ind icator light DJ or Ell (USA
mode ls)/ lCO)J there may be a malfunction~
page 16.

156 Intellig ent technol ogy
Hill descent assist brakes a ll four wheels auto­
matica lly in order to limit speed when driving
e ither forward or reverse on hills with a grade
up to approximately 50%.
When the hi ll descent assist is on, the current
driving speed, when your vehicle entered the incline is maintained . It is only possib le to
switch on the assist when driving slower than
37 mph (60 km/h). The assist works between
approximately 2 and 19 mph (4 and 30 km/ h) . T he driver can increase or decrease the ve­
h icle speed w ith in these lim its by depressing
the accelerato r o r brake pedal In addition, ve­
h icle steerability is increased d ue to the brak­
ing d istribution when driving in reverse .
There must be however sufficient ground ad­ hes io n. The hill descent assis t can
no t do its
job if the incl ine is icy or if the incline ground
is loose¢ &..
The system does not work at speeds between 19 and 37 mph (30 and 60 km/h) . T he system
i s then in the ready-mode . The diode in the
button will come on. The system automatical­
ly switched off when you drive faster than 37
mph (60 km/h). The diode will go out in this
case.
The flashing indicator lamp
-0-in the instru­
ment cluster indicates whenever the driving
speed is being actively controlled to a certain
speed up to approximate ly 19 mph (30 km/h) .
The indicator lamp lights up continuously
when the system goes into standby mode.
Hill descent assist is automatically activated
under the fo llow ing cond itions:
- the d iode in the button illuminates,
- vehicle speed is be low approximately
19 mph (30 km/h)
- the in cl in e is 10%.
_&, WARNING
- Always adapt your speed to the weather,
road and traffic conditions . Do not let
the increased safety provided tempt you
into taking risks. -
The hill descent assist system cannot
overcome the laws of physics. Your dr iv­
ing style must always be adapted to the
current road and traffic cond itions .
- The hill descent ass ist may not be ab le to
hold your vehicle at a constant speed un­
de r all conditions while driv ing on an in­
cline (for example if ground under the
veh icle is loose).
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New br ake p ad s
During the first 250 miles (400 km), new
brake pads do not possess the ir full brak ing
effect, they have to be "broken in" first ¢&. .
You can compensate for this slightly reduced
braking power by pushing harder on the brake
pedal. Avoid heavy b ra ki ng loads dur ing the
break-in pe riod.
Operating conditions and driving h abits
The brakes on today 's automobiles are still
subjec t to wear, depending largely on operat­
i ng condit ions and driving hab its
~ &. -On
vehicles that are either dr iven mos tly in stop­
and -go city t ra ffi c or are dr iven hard, the
brake pads should be chec ked by your author ­
ized Audi dea ler mo re often than specified in
the
Warranty & M aintenan ce booklet. Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can result in reduced brake performance.
On steep slopes, you sho uld use the braking
effect of the eng ine. This way, you prevent un­
necessary wear on the brake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down cont inuous ly . Pump the brakes at inter ­
vals .
Oper ating n ois e
Noises may occur when braking depending on
the speed, braking force and outside condi-
tions such as temperature and humidity. .,,.

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Effect of w ate r and ro ad salt
In certain situa tions, for example after driving
through water, in heavy rain, after overnight
condensation or after washing your car, the braking effect can be reduced by moisture or
ice on the brake rotors and brake pads. The
brakes must be dried first with a few careful
brake applications.
At higher speeds and with the windshield wip ­
ers turned on, the brake pads press against
the brake rotors for a short amount of time.
This occurs at regular intervals w ithout the
driver noticing and provides for better brake response time under wet condit ions.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven o n a salt-covered
road and the brakes are not used . Likewise,
you clean
off accumulated sa lt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few caut ious ap­
p lications of the brake¢.&. -
Cor ro sion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the b rake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regular ly or
only for short t rips with little use of the
brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­ rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean
off the pads and discs by b rak ing
fi rm ly a few times from a modera tely high
speed¢ .&..
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal travel, then one of the two brake
circu its may have failed¢&. -
Low brake fluid le vel
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low. T he brake fluid
level is monitored electronically .
Brake boo ster
The brake booster increases the pressure that
you generate with the brake pedal. It works
only when the engine is running .¢ .&.
Int ellig ent technolog y 157
Brak e lining we ar status
B rake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection o f the condition of the brake pads
thro ugh the openings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for this in­
spection
¢ page 218, Changing a wheel.
A WARNING
-New brake pads don't have the best stop­
ping power and must be "broken-in" dur­
ing the initial 100 to 150 miles (150 to
200 kilometers) of normal c ity dr iving .
You can compensate for this by pressing
the brake pedal more firmly. This also
applies la ter when new pads are instal­
led.
- You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit .
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission into a lower
gea r or lower dr iving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long or too often. This could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake. This may cause the brakes to overheat, p remature wear and increased
s topping distance.
- Unde r ce rtain cl imati c and ope rat ing
conditions such as passing thro ugh wa­
ter, dr iv ing in heavy rain o r after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the
brakes can be reduced. In winte r, ice can
accumu late on the brake pads, lin ings,
discs and drums. Carefully app ly brakes
for a test. Brakes w ill dry and ice coat­
ings w ill be cleaned
off after a few care­
ful brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency.
Clean
off accum ulated salt coating from
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158 Intellig ent technolog y
brake discs and pa ds with a few caref ul
brake a pplicat ions.
- If you damage the front s poiler, or if you
insta ll a different spoiler, be su re the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­ ed. Otherwise the brake system could
ov erhe at r educi ng the eff ect iveness of
t h e enti re brak e system.
- Failure of one brake ci rcuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in­ creased stopp ing distance. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­
est author ized Audi dealer or qualif ied
wor kshop.
- Never let the vehicle rol l to a stop w ith
the engine shu t off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed conside ra­
bly harder to make up for the lac k of
booster assistance.
Electromechanical
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver 's steering movements .
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Ind icator light s and messages
• Steering fault! Do not drive vehicle !
If this indicator light tu rns on and stays on
and this message appears, t he power steering
may have fa iled.
Stop the vehicle in a safe locat ion as soon as
possib le . Do
not continue driving . See your
author ized Audi dealer or other qua lified re­
pa ir facility for assistance .
If the indicator light turns on, the steer ing
may be more d ifficu lt to move or more sensi­
tive than usual. The steer ing may also be at an
angle when dr iving st raight . Drive slowly to you
r authorized Audi dea ler or
qualified workshop to have the ma lf u nction
corrected.
l ;:!" ij Steering lock : S ys tem fault! Please con­
tact de aler.
The re is an elect ron ic steering column lo ck
malfunction .
Drive to an author ized Audi dealer or qualified
r epair fac il ity immediate ly to have the mal­
funct ion corrected.
(D Tips
If the . or ,To n ind icator light only stays
on for a short t ime, yo u may continue dr iv­
i ng.
Driving with your
quattro
Applies to veh icles: w ith all-w hee l d ri ve
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv­
en.
General information
Wi th a ll-w heel d rive, power is dis trib ute d to
all four wheels . This happens automatically
depending on your driving style and the road
conditions at the time . See a lso
¢ page 153.
The all -whee l dr ive concept is des igned for
high eng ine power. Your veh icle is except ion ­
ally powerfu l and has excellent d riving charac­
terist ics both under normal driving conditions
and on snow and ice. Always read and follow
safety precaut ions¢ .&..
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, yo ur vehicle with
all-wheel drive has an advantage, eve n wit h
regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-sea­
son tires) for improved driveability and brak­
ing: these tires must be mounted on
all four
wheel s.
See also ¢ page 210, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this norma lly also app lies to ve hicles

with all-wheel drive¢ page 211, Snow
chains .
Replacing wheels /tire s
Vehicles w ith all-wheel drive mus t always
h ave tires o f the same size. Also avoid t ires
with different tread depths. For details see
page
c::> page 206, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traf­
fic condit ions. Do not let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel drive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
- Although the all-wheel dr ive is very ef­
fective, always remember that braking capacity is limited by t ire traction . You
should therefore not dr ive at excess ive
speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
dr ive too fast because the front wheels
c ou ld beg in to s lide on top of the water
(aquaplaning). If this sho uld oc cur, you
will have no warning from a sudden in­ crease in engine speed as with a front­
wheel drive vehicle. A lways drive at
speeds which are suited to the road con ­
ditions -risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting
the engine .
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system
is not driven for a long period of time , the bat­
tery is discharged by idling cu rrent consumers
(e.g. immobilizer). In ce rtain c ircumstances it
can result in there being insufficient energy
M avai lab le to start the engine . N
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Intelligent energy management in your veh i­
cle handles the d istribution of elec trical ener­
gy . Starting abi lity is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended .
Intellig ent technolog y 159
Basica lly, energy management consists of
b att ery diag nosis , id lin g cur rent man age­
ment
and dyn amic en ergy m anag ement.
Batte ry diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines
the state of the battery . Sensors determine
battery voltage, battery current and battery
temperature . This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the batte ry .
Idlin g current manag ement
Id ling current management reduces energy
consumption while the vehicle is standing.
With the ig nition switched off, it controls the
energy supply to the various electrical compo­ nents. Data from battery diagnosis is cons id­
ered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge ,
individual consumers are gradually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge of the batte ry
and thus maintain starting capability .
Dynamic energy manag ement
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic en­
ergy management distributes the energy gen ­
erated according to the needs of the individ u­
al components . It regulates consumption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
than is being generated and ensures an opti­
mal state of charge for the battery .
(D Tips
-But even energy management cannot
negate the limits of physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
limited.
- If start ing ability is threatened, the indi­
cator light (•) ;ippears
c::> page 15.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability .
The battery is severe ly taxed in short-distance
driving , in ci ty traff ic and during the cold time
of year . Abundant electrical energy is .,.
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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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@ 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
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