2016 AUDI Q3 Owners Manual

of snow, snow chain s can imp air handling and
damage the t ires, and t he chains will quickly be
destroyed.
A WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains or installing snow
chains incorrect ly can result in loss of vehicle
co ntrol, which increases the risk of an acc i­
dent .
Snow chains can damage the r ims/wheel cov­
ers* if the chains come into d irect contact
w ith them. Remove the wheel covers* first.
Use coated snow chains .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is facto ry-equipped with low aspect ra­
tio ti res. These t ires have been tho rough ly tested
and been se lected specifically for yo ur model fo r
thei r superb per formance, road feel and handling
under a variety of driving conditions. Ask your au­
thorized Audi dealer for more details .
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is indica ted by
a numera l of
55 or les s in the tire's size designa ­
tion. The numeral represents the ratio of the
tire's sidewall height i n relation to its tread width
expressed in percentage. Conventional tires have
a height/w idth ratio of 60 or more.
Th e performance of low-aspect- ratio tire s is par­
ticularly sensit ive to improper inflation pre s·
sure . It is therefore important that low aspect
ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pre ssure is regul arly
ch ecked and ma intained . Tire pre ssure s should
be checked at least once a month and a lways
before a long tr ip
c> page 201.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
L ow aspect rat io tires can be damaged more easi­
ly by impact wi th pot holes, c urbs, gull ies or
r idges on the ro ad, p articul arly if the tire is un­
de rinflated.
I n o rder to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the t ires of your ve hicl e, we recom-
Wh eel s
mend that you observe the following preca u­
tions:
- Always ma in tain recommended inflat io n pres­
sures. Check yo ur tire pressure every 2,0 00
m iles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary .
- Dr ive c arefully on roads w it h potholes, deep
gullies or ridges . The impac t from dr iving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may a lso cause
damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immediate ly inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au ­
thorized Audi dealer. Replace a damaged tire as
soon as possible.
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 m iles (3,000 km)
for damage and wear. Damage is not always
easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of air and
underinflation, wh ich could even tually cause
tire fa ilure. If yo u believe that a tire may have
been damaged, replace the tire as soon as pos­
sib le.
- These tires may wear more quickly tha n others .
- Please also remember that, while these tires
delive r responsive ha nd ling, they may ride less
comfortably a nd make mo re noise than other
choi ces.
Reduced performance in winter /cold se ason
conditions
All t ires are des igned for certai n purposes. The
low aspect ratio, ultra high performance tires
o rigi na lly installed on your veh icle are intended
f or maximum dry and wet road performance and
handling . They are not suitable for co ld, snowy or
icy weather conditions . If you drive under those
c ircumstances, you should equip yo ur vehicle
with all-season or winter tires, which offer better
tract ion under those conditions. We suggest you
u se the recommended snow or all-season tires
spec ified for your veh icle, or their equiva lent .
Refer to
c> page 206 for more detailed informa­
t ion regarding winter tires.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA ABC
- Temperature ABC
207

Wheels
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and maximum section width
¢ page 191, fig. 156.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Tem­
perature
A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov­
ernment test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one half (1 1/2) times as well on the govern­
ment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices and differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the tire 's
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured un­
der controlled conditions on specified govern­ ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
¢&_ .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mate­ rial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure ¢&. .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un­
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109 . Grades Band A represent higher levels
208
of performance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law.
A WARNING -
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor­ nering, hydroplaning or peak traction charac­
teristics .
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is estab­
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla­
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause heat buildup and
possible tire failure.
A WARNING
Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over or underinflat­
ed.
Tire pressure monitoring system
(l) General notes
Appl ies to vehicles: with tire pressure mon itoring system
-
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat­
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la­
bel, you should determine the proper tire infla­
tion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitor ing system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure tell­
tale when one or more of your tires is significant-
ly under-inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure . Driving on a signifi­
cantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over­
heat and can lead to tire failure . Under-inflation ..,.

.... N
c:i :::J CX)
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N I.Cl ......
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re­
sponsibility to maintain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pres­
sure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the sys­
tem is not operating properly. The TPMS mal­
function indicator is combined with the low tire
pressure telltale. When the system detects a
malfunct ion, the telltale will flash for approxi­
mately one minute and then remain continuous ly
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal­
function exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated,
the system may not be ab le to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended . TPM S malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly . Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
Wheels
If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
Applies to vehicles : wi th tire pressure mo nito rin g sys te m
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 160 Instrument cluster : indicator lig ht with message
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor­
ing system compares the tire tread circumfer­
ence and vibration characterist ics of the ind ividu ­
al tires. If the pressure changes in one or more
t ire s, this is indicated in the instrument cluster
display with an indicator light
[I] and a message.
If only one tire is affected, the location of that
ti re will be indicated.
The tire pressures must be stored in the Infotain­
ment system again each time the pressures
change (switching between partial and full load
pressure) or after changing or replacing a tire on
your vehicle ~
page 210. The tire pressure moni­
toring system on ly monitors the tire pressure you
have stored. Refer to the tire pressure label for
the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle
¢ page 201, fig . 159.
Tire tread c ircumference and vibration character­
istics can change and cause a tire pressure warn­
ing if :
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too low.
- the tir e has str uctural damage.
- the tir e was replaced or the tire pressure was
changed and it was not stored¢
page 210.
-the spare tire* is installed .
Indicator lights
[I] Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢,& .
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary . ..,
209

Wheels
Chec k/co rrec t the p ress ures o f all four tires and
sto re the pressure a gain in the Infotainment sys­
tem
¢ page 210.
mm (Ti re Pressure Moni to ring System) Tire
pressure: S ystem malfunction !.
Ifm:im appears
after switc hing the ignition on or whi le driving
and the
RI] i ndicator light in the instrument cl us­
ter blinks for approximate ly one minute and then
stays on, there is system malfunction. Try to
store the correct tire pressures¢
page 210 . If
the ind icator light does tur n off or turns on again
after a short period of t ime, dr ive to you r auth or­
ized A udi dealer o r autho riz ed Aud i Service Faci li­
ty immedia tely to have the malfunct ion corre ct­
ed .
A WARNING
- If the ti re pressu re indicator appears in the
display, reduce your speed immediate ly and
avoid any hard steering or braking maneu­
vers. Stop as soon as possib le and check the
t ires and t heir pressu re.
- The driver is responsib le for maintaining the
correct tire pressure. You must check the
t ire pressure regu larly .
- Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
dr iv ing style, winter cond itions o r unpaved
roads), the tire pressure mo nitoring system
indicator may be delayed.
- Do not use r un-flat tires on your vehicle. Us­
ing them when not permitted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents.
(D Tips
- The t ire pressure monitoring system can al­
so stop work ing when there is an ESC mal­
funct io n.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The t ires with the identification "AO" or
"RO" ¢
page 198 have been matched with
your Audi tire pressure monitoring system .
W e recommend that you use these t ires.
210
· Storing tire pressures
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure mo nitoring system
If the tire pressure changes or a tire is replaced,
it must be confirmed in the Infotainment sys­
tem .
.,. Make sure before stor ing that the t ire pressures
of all four tires mee t the specified values and
are adap ted to the load ¢
page 201 .
.,. Sw itch the ignit io n on .
.,. Sele ct: the
I CARI f u nct ion bu tton > (Car) sys­
tems *
control b utt on > Servicing & c heck s >
Tire pressure monitoring .
(D Tips
Do not s to re t he tire pressures if snow ch ains
a re ins talled .

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Emergency assistance
General information
.. Park the vehicle as far as poss ible from moving
traffic in the event of a flat tire. In the event of
a flat tire, park the vehicle on a level surface. It
you are on a steep incline, be especially careful.
.. Set the parking brake .
.. Switch the emergency flashe rs on .
.. Put on a reflective vest, if available .
.. Set up the warn ing triang le, if available .
.. Have the passengers exi t the veh icle. They
sho uld move to a safe place, for example be­
hind a guard rail.
_& WARNING
Pay attention to the steps above . They are for
your protection and the for the safety of other drivers.
_& WARNING
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause se ­
rious personal injuries.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
t ighten whee l bolts, since the bolts cannot
attain the necessary tighten ing torque if you
use the hex head, potentially causing an ac­
c ident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended only
for your vehicle model. Under no circum­
stances should it be used to lift heavy
vehicles o r other loads; yo u ris k inju ring
yo urself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle is
ra ised, which could cause a n accident.
- Support the veh icle secure ly with app ropr i­
a te s tan ds if wor k is to be performed under­
neath t he vehicle; otherwise, the re is a po­
tent ial ris k for i njur y.
- Never use the jack s upplied with yo ur Audi
on another vehicle, pa rtic ularly o n a heav ie r
one. The jack is only suitable for u se on the
vehicle it came wit h.
Emergen cy a ssis tanc e
Vehicle tool kit
Fig. 161 Lu ggage compa rtment: cargo floor cover fo lded
u pwa rd
The vehicle tool kit is stored under the cargo
floor cover behind the seat backrest
q fig. 161.
The veh icle tool k it includes :
- Hook for remov ing wheel covers
- Alig nment pin for changing the w heel
- Screwdr iver with reversible blade
- Reversible bit
- Jack
- Auxiliary tool for selector lever emergency re -
lease
- Lug wrench
- Towing eye
Some of the vehicle items listed above are pro­
vided on certa in models on ly or are optional ex­
t ras.
Befo re returning the jack to its place, retract the
jack arm fully .
_& WARNING
---= -
-Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bo lts, since the bolts cannot
at tain t he necess ary tightening to rque if yo u
use the hex head, po ten tially causing an ac­
cident.
- T he factory-su pplied jac k is in tended only
for your ve hicle mode l. Under no circum ­
stances shou ld it be used to lift heavy
ve hicles or othe r loads; you risk injuring
yourse lf .
- Never start the engine when the ve hicle is
raised, which cou ld cause an accident .
211

Emergency assistance
-Support the vehicle securely with appropri­
ate stands if work is to be performed under­
neath the vehicle; otherwise, there is a po­
tential risk for injury .
(D Tips
The vehicle jack* in your vehicle is mainte­
nance-free.
Folding chocks
Applies to veh icles: with folding chocks
The folding chocks ore part of the on board tool
kit.
---
Fig. 162 Open the folding c hocks.
• To use the folding chocks, lift up the support
plate (!) and insert them using both "tabs" into
the slotted holes on the base plate@¢.&_ .
8_ WARNING
-The folding chock will not work and can lose
its stability if the support plate "tabs" are
not securely fitted in the slots on the base
plate. If th is is the case, the vehicle could
start moving when changing a tire.
- Never use fold ing chocks that are damaged
or that were not assembled correctly.
212
Removing the subwoofer
Appl ies to vehicles: with subwoofer
The subwoofer must be removed before the
spare tire can be removed.
Fig. 163 Spare wheel well: subwoofe r
Removing the subwoofer
• Remove the cargo floor .
• Press the tabs on the connector(!) together.
• Remove the connector @and set the removed
cable aside .
• Remove the wing bolt and then remove the re-
tainer underneath it.
• Carefully remove the subwoofer.
Installing the subwoofer
• Carefully place the subwoofer in the rim well.
The word "FRON T" on the subwoofer must face
forward.
• Insert the connector that was removed.
• Secure the subwoofer with the wing bolt.
• Reinsert the cargo floor .
Space-saving spare tire
(compact spare tire)
Applies to vehicles: with space-saving spare tire (compact
spare tire)
Fig. 164 Luggage compartment: space -sav ing spare t ire
(compact spare tire)

The spare tire is intended for short-term use on­
ly. Have the damaged tire checked and replaced,
if necessary, by an author ized Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Service Facility as soon as possib le.
There are some restrictions on the use of the
compact spare tire . The compact spare tire has
been designed specif ically for your type of veh i­
cle . Do not replace it with the spare tire from an­
other type of vehicle.
R emo ving th e spar e tire
... Remove the cargo floor .
... Remove the wing bolt and then remove the re-
tainer underneath it.
... Remove the subwoofer*
¢ page 212.
... Remove the spare tire.
Snow cha in s
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains on
the compact spare tire is not permitted.
If you have to drive with snow chains and a front
tire fails, mount the spare wheel in place of a
rear tire. Install the snow chains on the rear tire
that you removed, and install that in p lace of the
front tire that failed.
A WARNING
- Never use the spare t ire if it is damaged or if
it is worn down to the tread wear indicators.
- If the spare tire is more than 6 years o ld,
use it only in an emergency and with ex­
treme caution and carefu l dr iving.
- The spare tire is intended on ly for tempora­
ry and short-term use. It shou ld be replaced
as soon as possible with the normal wheel
and t ire.
- After mounting the compact spare t ire, the
t ire pressure must be checked as soon as
poss ible. The t ire pressure of the compact
spare tire must be 4.2 bar; otherwise, yo u
risk having an accident.
- Do not d rive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h).
Yo u risk hav ing an accident.
- Avoid full-throttle accelerat ion, heavy b rak­
ing, and fast cornering. You risk having an
acc ident.
Em ergenc y ass is tanc e
-Never drive using more than one spare
wheel and tire. You r isk having an accident.
- Normal summer or winter tires must not be
mounted on the compact spare wheel rim.
- For technical reasons, the use of tire chains
on the spare tire is not permitted. If it is
necessary to drive w ith tire chains, the spare
wheel must be mounted on the front axle in
the event of a flat in a rear t ire. The newly
ava ilable front wheel must then be installed
in place of the rear wheel with the flat tire.
I nstalling the tire chain befo re mounting
the wheel and tire is recommended .
- Loose items in the passenger compartment
can cause se rious personal injury during
ha rd bra king or i n an accident. Never store
the spare tire or jack and tools in the pas­
senger compartment.
Replacing wheels
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own
and your passenger's safety when changing a
wheel.
... After you experience a tire failure, pull the car
well away from moving traffic and try to reach
lev el ground before you stop¢ page 211,
¢ .&_.
... All passengers should le av e the car and move
to a safe location (for instance, behind the
gua rdrail)
c:::> .lll ·
... Engage the parking brake to prevent your veh i­
cle from rolling unintentiona lly
c:::> .&_ .
... Move the selector le ver to the P po sit ion .
... If you are towing a trai ler: unhitch the trailer
from your vehicle.
... Take the
jack ¢ page 211 and the spa re ti re
¢page 212 out of the luggage compartment.
A WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured while
changing a whee l if you do not follow these
safety pre caut ions:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance
off the road. Turn off the eng ine, turn the
213

Emerg enc y assis ta nc e
emergency flashers on and use other
warning dev ices to alert other motorists.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well away
from the road and traffic.
- To help prevent the vehicle from moving
sudden ly and possibly slipp ing off the jack,
always fully set the parking brake and block
the wheel diagonally oppos ite the wheel be­
ing changed with the folding chocks or oth­
er objects. When one front wheel is lifted
off t he g ro u nd, plac ing the Automatic
T ransmission in "P" (Park) will
not prevent
the vehicle from moving.
- Before you change a wheel, be su re the
ground is level and firm. If necessary, use a
stu rdy board under the jack.
- Always store the veh icle tool k it, the jack
and the replaced tire in the luggage com ­
partment
r=> page 100.
(D Note
If you are cha nging the wheel on a steep in­
cline, use the folding choc k
r=> page 212 to
block the oppos ite wheel to preven t the vehi­
cle from moving .
(D Tips
Obey all laws.
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence
described below step-by-step and in exactly that
order.
1. Remove the dec orati ve w heel co ver* or the
wh eel bolt cap s*. For more deta ils see also
r=> page 215.
2. Loosen the wh eel b olt s r=> page 215 .
3. Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack and align the jack below that point
r=> page 216.
4. Lift the car with the jack r=> page 216.
S. Remove the wheel with th e fla t ti re and then
i nstall the
s p are t ire r=> page 217.
6. Tighten all wheel bo lts lightly .
7 .
Lower the veh icle w ith the jack.
214
8 . Use the whee l bolt wrench and firml y tighten
all wheel bo lts in a crisscross pattern
r=> page 215.
9. Replace the deco rative whee l co ver* or the
wheel bolt c aps* .
A WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and in ­
formation
r=> .&. in Raising the vehicle on
page 216
and r=> page 218.
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the do ­
ing the following .
.,. Always store the vehicle too l kit, the jack* and
the replaced tire in the luggage compartment
¢ page 100 .
.,. Check the tire pres su re of the spare t ire as soon
as poss ible .
.,. As soon as possib le, have the
tigh tening tor ­
que s
on a ll wheel bolts checked with a torque
wrench. The correct tightening torque is
105 ft
lbs.
(140 Nm) .
.,. Have the flat tire
re pl ac ed as soon as poss ib le .
(D Tips
- If you notice that the wheel bo lts a re cor­
roded and difficult to turn while changing a
t ire, they shou ld be replaced before you
check the t ightening torque.
- Drive at reduced speed until you have the
t ightening torques checked .