2016 AUDI Q3 brakes

Operating instructions
6" r-2
~·~
1/2"
1·1/2"
ill
Fig. 143 Permitted ball pos ition of the trailer hitch
Trailer towing weights
With a
factory-installed or an aftermarket trailer
hitch, the maximum permissib le trailer weight is
2,200 lbs (1,000 kg). The maximum permiss ible
unbraked trailer weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kg).
These specifications apply when dr iv ing on roads
h av ing an incl ine of less than 12%.
Permissible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these changed
conditions, adjust the trailer load so that the
tongue load is at the maximum allowable or
slightly lower. You can get an approximation of
the tongue load w ith a bathroom scale o r you can
measure the load at a trucking company or
weighing station.
With a
factory-installed or an aftermarket trailer
hit ch, the maximum permissib le load on the ball
hitch may not exceed 220 lbs (100 kg).
It is rec­
ommended to use the maximum permissible
l oad.
Trailer load distribution Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
place to prevent it from s hiftin g forward, back­
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer ¢.&.
in Driving instructions on page 166.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used w ith suitable
ball mount and ball¢
fig. 143. Installation of
the hitch ball must be carr ied out in accordance
with the manufacturer's instructions.
Trailer mode
Engine cooling system
To wing a trailer makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform ­
ance is up to the additional load . Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid .
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to th e cold tire pressure lis ted under "Full
load" on the tire pressure label. The tire pressu re
label is located on the driver's side B-pi llar . In­
flate trailer t ires to trailer and tire manufactur­
ers' specifications.
Lights
T he headlight settings shou ld be checked with
the trai ler attached before driving off. Check to
make s ure both vehicle and trailer lights are
working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle.
Leave enough s lack in the chains to permit turn ­
ing corners . When you install safety chains, make
sure they will not drag on the road when you are
driv ing.
The chains should cross under the trai ler tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with o trailer always requires extra core
and consideration .
To obtain the best possib le handling of vehicle
and trailer, p lease note the following:
.. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not loaded.
.. Be especially care ful when passing other
vehicles .
.. Observe speed limits.
.. Do not drive at the maximum permissib le
speed.
.. Always apply brakes early.
.. Mon itor the temperature gauge .
165

Trailer mod e
Weight d istribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car res ults
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds on ly
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easie r to operate and con trol.
This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while
keeping the trai le r as light as possib le under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow vehicle while observ ing tongue load requ ire­
ments and vehicle loading considerat ions.
Spee d
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to contro l the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permiss ible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or w ind
conditions are unfavorable - part icularly when
goi ng downhill.
Reduce veh icle speed
immediatel y if the tra iler
shows the slightest sign of swaying .
Do not try
to stop the sway ing by acc ele rating .
Observe speed lim its. In some areas, speeds for
veh icles towing trailers are lower than for regular
ve hicles.
A lways app ly brakes early. When driving down­
h ill, shift into a lower gear to use the engine
braking effect to slow the veh icle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temp era ture
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 10 must
be observed carefully. If the needle moves close
to the upper end of the scale, reduce speed im­ mediately and/or turn off the air conditioner.
If the coo lant temperature warning light in the
instr ument cluster starts flashing., pull off
the road, stop and let the engine
idle for about
two minutes to prevent heat bu ild-up.
A WARNING
Anyone not proper ly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci-
166
-
dent . Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wear ing the restraints provided
by Audi.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know
You r vehicle handles differently when towing a
trailer because o f th e additiona l weight and dif­
ferent weight distribution. Safety, performance
and economy will g reatly depend on how carefu l­
l y you load your trai ler and operate your rig.
Before yo u actually tow your trailer, pract ice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic . Keep practicing unti l you have be­
come complete ly familiar w ith the way your vehi­
cle-tra iler combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice .
Backing up with a trailer genera lly requires steer­
ing action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in fro nt 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 accel­ erate as fast as you normally wo uld beca use of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow p lenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
@ Tips
- Do not tow a trailer du ring the break-in peri­
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trai le r, your Au di may requi re
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
t ra load ¢
page 232.

Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only ofter doing the following:
When parking:
.. Apply the foot brake .
.. Have someone place chocks under both the ve­
hicle and the trailer wheels .
.. With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load .
.. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.. Apply the parking brake .
.. Move the selector lever to P.
When restarting after parking:
.. Apply the foot brake .
.. Start the engine .
.. Move the selecto r lever to D/S .
.,. Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks .
.. Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks.
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automat­
ic transmission to P before applying the park­
ing brake and before blocking the wheels, you
may have to use more force later to move the
lever out of the P position.
Trailer mode
167

wash operator to reduce the risk of acc idents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself
from sharp metal components when wash­
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings .
- After washing the vehicle, the brak ing effect
may be delayed due to mo isture on the
brake rotors or ice in the w inter . The brakes
must be dried first w ith a few careful brake
applica tions .
- If you wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash, yo u m ust fold the exterior m irrors i n
to reduce the risk of damage to the mirrors.
Power folding exte rior m irrors* must on ly
be fo lded in a nd out using the power folding
funct ion.
- To p revent paint damage, do not wash the
vehicle i n direct sunlight.
Ca re and cleaning
- To re duce the risk of damage to the surface,
do not use insect removing sponges, kitchen
sponges or s imilar items .
- Matte finish painted veh icle components:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use po lishing agents or hard
wax.
- Never use protective wax. It can destroy
the matte finish effect .
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted with matte
finish paint. The paint cou ld be damaged
when the stickers or magnets are re­
moved .
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle in facili ties s pec ia lly de­
s igned for that pu rpose. This will reduce the
r isk of dir ty wate r contam ina ted with o il from
en te ring the sewe r sys tem.
Cleaning and care information
W hen clea ning and ca ring for individua l vehicle
components, refer to the following tables. The
in fo rmation co ntai ned there is s imp ly recom ­
mend ations. For quest ions or for components that are
not listed, cons ult an autho rized Aud i
dealer or author ized A udi Se rvice Fac il ity. Also
f o llow the information fo und in ~ .&. -
Ext erior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Windshield wiper
Deposits ~ page 46, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
blades
H eadlights /
Deposits Soft sponge with a mild soap solutiona >
Tail light s
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth with solvent-free cleaning solution
Camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth w ith alcoho l-free cleaning solu-
tion
Snow/i ce H
and brus h/solven t-free de-icing spray
Whe els Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid
-free special clean ing solution
Exhaust tail Road salt Water, clean ing solution su itab le for stainless stee l, if nee -
pipes essary
Decorative parts/ Deposits M
ild soap so lution al, a cleaning so lution s uitable for stain-
Trim less stee l, if necessary
169
...

Checking and Filling
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig. 153 Eng ine compartment: Cover on the brake fluid
r eservoir
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢ A in Working in the engine compartment on
page 177.
., Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid
reservoir
<=> fig . 153, ¢page 179, fig . 149 . The
brake fluid level must be between the
" MIN"
and "MAX " markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear
partition of the engine compartment on the left
side ¢
page 179 .
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 below
the ' 'MIN" mark, the brake warning/indicator
light (USA models:
1111 , Canada models:. )
will come on¢
page 13 . Do not continue to oper­
ate the vehicle . The complete brake system
should be thoroughly checked by an authorized
Aud i dealer or qualified workshop and the cause
corrected. If the brake fluid level is too low, the
brake warning/indicator light w ill illuminate.
Contact an author ized Audi dealer
immediately.
(D} Tips
The brake fluid reservoir is located under­
neath the cover.
186
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced
technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high, cor­
rosion in the brake system may result after ape­
riod of time . The boiling po int of the brake fluid
will a lso decrease considerably and decrease
braking performance.
Therefore , the brake fluid must be changed
every
two years .
Always use new brake fluid which con­
forms to Feder-al Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS
116 DOT 4 ".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach ,
therefore, we recommend that you have the
brake fluid changed by your author ized
Audi
dealer .
Your dealer has the correct tools, the
right brake fluid and the know-how to do this for
you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored
only in the closed original container out of
the reach of children!
- Brake fai lure can result from o ld or inappro­
priate brake fluid. Observe these precau­
tions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE speci­
fi cation
J 1703 and conforms to Federal
Motor Veh icle Standard 116. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake fluid .
The correct type of brake f luid is also indi­
cated on the brake fluid 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 long .
This can seriously affect the efficiency of
the brakes as well as your safety. This
could result in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehi-
cle .
lilJJ,

be happy to provide more infor­
mation.
® Mud and snow capability
"M/5" or "M+S" indicates the tire
has character istics that make it
suitable for driving on mud and
snow .
& indicates a winter tire.
@Composition of the tire cord
and materials
The number of plies indicates the
number of rubberized fabric lay­
ers in the tire. In general: the
more layers, the more weight a
tire can carry . Tire manufacturers
must also specify the materials
used in the tire. These inc lude
steel, nylon, polyester and other
materials.
@ Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the max i­
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry.
@ Uniform tire quality grade
standards for tread wear,
traction and temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temper­
ature ranges ¢
page 207.
;:: @ Running direction 0 ::,
~
...
'° V, N
'° ...
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional tires .
Wheels
You must always follow the speci­
fied runn ing d irect ion
¢ page 218 .
@ Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
This number indicates the maxi­
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated unde r normal operat­
ing condit ions.
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined weigh t (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto­
matic transm ission, power steer­
ing , power brakes, power win­
dows, power seats, radio, and
heater, to the extent that these
items are available as facto ry-in­
stalled equipment (whether in­
stalled or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the heigh t to
the width of the tire in percent .
Numbers of 55 or lowe r indicate a
low sidewa ll for improved steer­
ing response and better overall
handling on dry pavement. .,.
193

... N 0 ::,
~
...
'° V, N
'° ...
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weigh t, and
(d) Production options we ight
Ma ximum (permissible)
inflation pressure
means the maximum cold infla­
tion pressure to which a t ire may
be inflated. Also called "maxi­
mum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the number of occupants
seated in the veh icle up to the to­
tal seating capacity of your vehi­ c le.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants
in a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of an
inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance be­
tween the exteriors of the side­
walls of an inflated tire, including
elevations due to labeling, deco­
rations, or protective bands or
ribs .
Wheels
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated
parallel cords .
Production options weight
means the combined weight of
those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
items which they replace, not pre­
viously considered in curb weight
or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers,
roof rack, heavy duty battery, and
special trim .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which
the ply cords that extend to the beads are laid at substantially 90
degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Recommended inflation
pressure
see ~ page 194, Cold tire infla­
tion pressure .
Reinforced tire
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at higher in­
flation pressures than the corre­ sponding standard tire. Rein ­
forced tires may be identified as .,.
195

Wheels
position and the total weight of
any luggage in the vehicle. If you
tow a trailer, the weight of the trailer hitch and the tongue
weight of the loaded trailer must be included as part of the vehicle
load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles.
The fact that there is an upper
limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a trailer hitch and
the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited. The more pas­
sengers in the vehicle or passen­
gers who are heavier than the
standard weights assumed mean
that less weight can be carried as luggage.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety compli­
ance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar
~ page 201,
fig . 158 .
204
_& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per­
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than
your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and
increase the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance.
-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail sud­
denly, including a blowout and
sudden deflation, causing loss of control and a crash.
-Always make sure that the to­
tal load being transported -
including the weight of a trail­
er hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer -
does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.