2015 AUDI Q3 coolant temperature

10 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments and warning/indicator Lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of information.
Fig. 3 Ove rv iew of the instrument cluster
(D ISETI button .... .... .. .... . .
@ Tachometer with ind icator
lights .. ............. .... . .
® Coolant temperature gauge .. .
© Turn signal indicator lights . .. .
® Disp lay
- Driver information system .. .
- Warning/indicator lights . .. .
- Fuel gauge* ....... .. .. .. .
- Odometer ........ .... .. . .
® Speedometer with indicator
lights 23
11
10
41
20
11
11
23
(J) Fu el gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
® Reset button for trip odometer 23
(D Tips
-The illumination for the instrument clus­
ter lights up whenever you switch on the
ignition with the
vehicle headlights off .
As the daylight fades, the instrument
cluster illumination likewise dims auto­
matically a nd will go out completely
when the outside light is very low. This
feature is meant to remind you to switch
on the headlights when outside light
conditions become poor .
Engine coolant temperature gauge
CX) N N 0 :'> CX) IX)
The engine coolant gauge q page 10, fig. 3 ®
only works when the ignition is on. To prevent
damage to your engine, please note the fol ­
lowing important points:
Engine cold
If the needle is at or close to the bottom of
the gauge, the engine has not yet reached its
operating temperature. Avoid high engine
speeds, heavy engine loads, and heavy throt ­
tle app lications.
Normal temperature
When the engine has reached its operating
temperature, the needle will move to the mid­
dle of the gauge and remain there . If the en­
gine is working hard at high outs ide tempera­
tures, the needle may move higher on the
gauge. This is not a cause for concern as long
as the . warn ing light in the instrument
cluster display does not illuminate. If the.
warning light in the instrument cluster dis­
play flashes, the coolant temperature is too
high
¢ page 14. .,.

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 11
M N
M N
0 ::i co ,...., \!) ..,.,
& WARNING
-Always observe the wa rning in
¢
page 179, before opening the hood
and checking the engine coolant level.
- Never open the engine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coolant
dripping from the engine compartment.
You could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot hear or
see any steam or engine coolant.
(D Note
- Mounting additional lights or accessories
in front of the air inlets reduces the cool­
i ng effect of the rad iator. At h igh outside
temperatures or high eng ine load, the
engine could overheat.
- The front spo iler has been designed to
proper ly distr ib ute the cooling air when
the veh icle is moving.
If the spoiler is
damaged, this cou ld redu ce the cooling
effect and the engine co uld then over­
heat. Ask yo ur autho rized Aud i de aler f or
assistance.
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM
(revolutions per minutes).
If engine R PM drops be low 1,500, you should
downshift to the next lower gear. The red area
at the e nd of the sca le ind icates maximum
permissible engine RPM after the break- in pe­
riod. Before reaching this area, move these­
l ector lever to position D/S or ease your foot
off the accelerator peda l.
(D Note
The tachometer needle@¢ page 10,
fig. 3 sho uld only briefly be in the red
zone: you could damage your engine! The
beg inning of the red zone varies depend­
ing on the engine.
@) For the sake of the environment
Upshift ing early saves fue l and reduces en-
~ gine noise. ,....,
Fuel gauge
T he fuel gauge wo rks only when the ignition is
o n.
When the needle reaches the red a rea, the
warning light
Ii] in the instrume nt cluster
will illuminate
¢ page 18. Time to refuel!
The tota l tank capacity of your ve hicle is listed
i n
¢ page 235.
(1) Note
Never run the ta nk completely dry! An ir­
regular supply of f uel can cause engine
misfiring and fuel could enter into the ex­
haust system . The catalytic converter
could t hen ove rheat and be damaged.
Warning/indicator
Lights
Description
T he ind icator lights in the instrument cluster
blink or tur n on. They indica te funct io ns or
malfu nctions ¢
.&,..
Messages may appea r with some indicato r
lights. A warning signal may sound at the
same time. The indicato r lights and messages
in the disp lay can be replaced by othe r d is­
plays. In the dr iver informa tion system, you
can display the messages aga in
¢ page 21 .
Some indica tors lig hts in the d isplay can turn
on i n severa l colors.
& WARNING ~
- Failure to heed warning ligh ts and other
important vehicle information may res ult
in ser ious personal inj ury or vehicle dam­
age.
- Whenever stalled or stoppe d for repair,
move the vehicle a safe d istance off the
road, stop the engine, and turn on the
emergency flasher ¢
page 43.
-The engine compartment o f any motor
ve hicle is a potentially hazardous area.
Before you check anything in the engine

14 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
(USA models): If the warning light . and the
warning light
ll] appear together, immedi­
ately contact your authorized Audi dealer or
qua lified workshop to have all brake pads in­
spected
¢ page 17.
When the light comes on, an audib le warning
signal is also given .
.&_ WARNING
- Always observe the warnings in
¢ page 179, before opening the hood
and checking the brake fluid.
- Driv ing with low brake fluid is a safety
hazard. Stop the car and get professional
assistance.
- If the . (USA models) . (Canada
models) brake system indicator light
turns on together with the ABS and ESC
indicator lights, the ABS/ESC regu lating
function may have failed. Functions that
stabilize the vehicle are no longer availa­
ble. Th is could cause the vehicle to
swerve and increase the risk of sliding .
Drive carefully to the nearest a uthorized
Audi dealer or other qualified workshop
and have the malfunction corrected.
- If the brake warning/indicator light does
not go out after a few seconds and the
park ing brake is released, or lights up
wh ile you are driving, the fluid level in
the brake fluid reservoir is too low .
If you
believe that it is safe to do so, proceed
immediately at low speed to the nearest
authori zed Audi dealer o r qualified wo rk­
shop and have the bra ke system inspect­
ed.
- Always keep in m ind that after several
brake applicat ions, yo u will need greater
pressure on the brake peda l to stop your
vehicle. Do not re ly on strained brakes to
respond with maxim um stopping power
in critical situations. You must allow for
increased brak ing distances. The extra
distance used up by fad ing brakes could
lead to an acc ident.
PARK !<®> Electromechanical parking brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electromechanical parking brake .
If the indicator light. (USA models) •
(Canada models) turns on, the parking brake
was set.
• (USA model s)/. (Canada models ) Press
brake pedal to release parking b ra ke.
To re lease the park ing brake, press the brake
peda l and press the button(®) at the same
t ime or start driving with starting assist
¢ page 71, Starting from rest.
Ill Pa rking br ake : S ys tem f ault! See owne r's
manual.
If the I.II ind ic a tor light tu rns o n and this
message appears, there is a parking b rake
malfunction. Drive to your authorized A udi
dealer or qualified workshop immediately to
have the malfunct ion corrected.
@ Tips
More informat ion on the parking brake
¢page 70 .
-L Engine cooling system
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible.
• Turn off engine and ch eck coolant level
T he coolant level is too low .
Do not continue dr iving and turn
off the en­
gine. Check the coo lant level
¢ page 186.
-If the coo lant level is too low, add coo lant
¢ page 186. Only continue driving if the in­
dicator light turns off.
- If the coo lant level is correct, then the ma l­
function may be ca used by fa ilure of the
coolant fan. Do not continue driving. See
your authorized Audi dealer or qualified re­ pa ir fac ility .
• Coolant temperature! Let engine run
w ith vehicle stationar y.

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.

180 Checking and filling
coolant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment.
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili­ ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool­
ant system is pressurized and hot cool­
ant could spray out .
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- Do not remove the engine cover under
any circumstances. This increases the
risk of burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri­
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery .
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in­
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever of automatic trans­
mission to "P" (Park) .
-Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get- ting caught in the
radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­
ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine .
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards
c> A .
A WARNING
-California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu­
ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dealer.

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>-

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.

196 Tire s and wheel s
-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
yo u are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden t ire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when driving, al­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
(D Note
- Please note that summer and winter
tires are designed for the cond itions that
a re typ ica l in those seasons. Aud i recom-
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means t he comb ined we ight (in excess of
those sta ndard items wh ich may be rep lace d)
of automa tic transmission, power s teering ,
power brakes, power wi ndows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that thes e
items are availab le as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether ins talled or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the ratio o f the height to the width of
the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower in ­
d icate a low sidewall for improved steer ing re ­
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement.
Bead
means t he pa rt of the tire that is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the rim .
Bead separat ion
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire. mends using winter tires during the w
in ­
ter months. Low temperatures signifi­
cantly decrease the elastic ity o f summe r
tires, which affects traction and braking ability . If summer tires are used in very
co ld temperatures, cracks ca n form o n
the tread bars, resu lting in permanent
tire damage that can cause lo ud driving
noise and unbalanced tires. Aud i is no t
responsib le for this type of d amage .
- Burn ished , polished or chromed rims
must not be used in winter road condi ­
tions. The s urface of the rims does not
have s uff ic ient corrosion protection for
this and could be permanently damaged
by road sa lt o r similar substances .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the t ire p ress ure recommended by the
vehicle m anufacture r fo r a tire o f a des ign ated
s ize that has not been d riven for more than a
coup le of miles (ki lometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire p ress ure
is measured or adjusted .
Curb weight
means the we ight of a motor ve hicl e w ith
standard equipment including the maximum
capac ity of fuel, oi l, and coolant, air condi­
tion ing and additional weig ht o f optiona l
equipment.
E x tra load tire
means a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor ­
responding standa rd tire . Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "x l" , "E X TRA LOAD", or
"RF" on the sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the load-carrying capa city of a s ingle
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in-
terfaces.
liJJ>