2016 AUDI Q3 ESP

Driving and th e en vironm ent
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap­ proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such as
heat shie lds, switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Em ission Control System and other
i mportant vehicle components.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high
on shor t trips.
... Try to avoid driving short distances with a cold
engine.
The engine and catalyt ic converter have to reach
their optimal
ope rating temperature to reduce
fue l cons umption and nox ious emissions effec­
tively .
J ust after starting, a co ld eng ine in a m id -s ize ca r
only achieves a f uel economy of 6-8 miles p er
ga llon (30 -40 l/100 km). After about a half a
mile ; fu e l economy cl imbs to 12 mpg (20 l/100
km). After about
2.5 miles (4 km), the engine is
at its prope r operating temperature and fuel
economy has reached a normal level. So you can
see that you sho uld avoid short t rips whenever
possible.
The
outsid e temperature is also critical in this re ­
gard . Your car consumes more fuel in the w in ter
than in the summe r.
Driving offroad
General information
When driving offroad, the f unctions for the elec­
tron ic stabili zation control (ESC) are expanded.
ESC offroad mode can be activated in dr iving sit­
uations in which a whee l lock o r a d ifferent ial
lock fu nction is needed
r=.> page 152.
However, your Audi is not an offroad vehicle.
Never drive the vehicl e in terra in which is not
suitabl e for the vehicle, or which exceeds your
driving skills. Never take any unnecessary ri sks!
162
After driving offroad
- After driving off road, remove branche s and
other deb ris from the rad iator g rille, under ­
body, and w heels . Look especially fo r objects
(stones) that have been caught in the tire
tread.
- Clean the body and the ve hicle unde rbody and
i nspect the ve hicle for possible damages.
- Clean off the dirty windows, headlights, tail
lights and t he license plate.
- Per form a brake test (especia lly after d riving
throug h water) .
A WARNING
-Be especially aware and attentive when d riv ­
ing under diff icu lt cond itions. Damages to
the vehicle and injur ies may occur when
driving at an excess ively high speed o r with
incor rect d riving maneuvers .
- Always ad just yo ur speed and handling to
the roads, terra in, traffic and weathe r con ­
d itions . D rive especially s low if offroad wi th
low visibility.
- Please note that t he wheels can sp in mo re
and the vehicle can swerve when in ESC off­
road mode , espe cially when the road is slip­
pe ry o r has loose surfa ce m aterial.
- Driv ing stability is reduce d in the ESC
Off­
road mode.
@ For the sake of the environment
Avo id harm ing t he env ironmen t and take na­
ture into co nsideration .
(D Tips
Only drive where it is allowed and always stay
on the provided roads and paths .
Driving information
There is only one right way to drive in difficult
conditions: slowly and with caution!
Observe the following when driving on unpaved
r oads :
Ill-

~ Never drive the vehicle in terrain which is not
suitable for the vehicle, or which exceeds your
driv ing skills. Never take any unnecessary risks!
~ Drive slowly and ca utiously!
~ Pay atten tion to the gro und clearance of your
vehicle! The clearance may vary depending on
the load, ground composition and the environ­ ment. The driver is therefore responsib le for
deciding whether a vehicle can handle a specific
s ituation.
~ Activate the E SC off ro ad mode as needed
¢ page 152 .
~ Use the hill de scent a ssis t when driving down
steep slopes
¢ page 153.
Difficult t errain
Never drive in areas that are not familiar to you
and drive slowly when
off road and be prepared
and expect the unexpected (e .g . potholes, bou ld­
ers, tree stumps, etc .)
To prevent the ve hicle from bottoming and avo id
damage to the unde rbody, you should drive
straight across severe bumps in the gro und with
on ly one side of the vehicle so that only two of
you r wheels cross the bumps.
Drive quick ly throug h sandy or marshy off-road
sections and do not stop, if at all possible.
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage whe n
d riving through wa ter, for example on flooded
r oads:
- The wate r must not be any higher tha n the bot­
tom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than walking speed .
A WARNING
After driving through water o r mud, the brak­
ing effect can be reduced due to mo isture on
t he bra ke discs and b rake pads. A few caref ul
brake applications should dry off t he brakes.
Veh icle components such as the engine,
tra nsmission , suspens ion or electr ical system
can be severe ly damaged by dr iv ing t hrough
water.
Driving and the envir onment
{!) Tips
- Determine the depth before driving through
water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the engine off when driving through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safe ly.
- Avoid dr iv ing through salt water (corrosion).
163

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.

Care and cleaning
Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, prope r care helps to maintain your vehi ­
cle's value.
It can a lso be a requirement when
submitting war ranty claims for cor rosion damage
and pa int defects on the body.
The necessary care prod ucts can be obtained
from your authorized Audi dealer o r authorized
Aud i Service Facility. Read and follow the instruc­
tions for use on the packaging.
A WARNING
- Using cleaning and care products incorrectly
can be dangero us to your hea lth .
- Always store clean ing and care products out
of reach of children to reduce the r isk of po i­
so ning .
@ For the sake of the environment
- Preferab ly use environmentally-friendly
products when buying cleaning agents.
- Do not dispose of leftove r clean ing and care
products wit h household t rash.
Car washes
The longer that deposits remain on the veh icle,
the more the surface may be damaged. High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight
increase the damaging effect.
Before washing, rinse
off heavy deposits with
p lenty of water.
Stubborn deposits s uch as bird droppings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of water and a mic rofibe r cloth.
A lso, wash the underside of yo ur vehicle once
road sa lt stops being used for the season .
Pressure washers
When washing your veh icles with a pressure
washer, always follow t he ope ra ti ng inst ructions
p rovided w ith the pressure washer. This is espe­
cially important in regard to the pressure and
spraying distance . Do not a im the spray directly
at seals on side windows, doors, the hood, the
168
rear lid or the sunroo f* or at tires rubber hoses I I
insulating material, sensors* or camera lenses* .
Keep a distance of at least 16 inches (40 cm) .
Do no t remove snow and ice with a pressure
washe r.
Neve r use rota ry no zzles or high pressure noz­
z les.
The water temperatu re must not be above 140 °F
(60 °().
Automatic car washes
Spray
off the vehicle before washing.
Make su re that the windows and roof * are closed
and t he windshie ld wipers are
off . Follow instruc ­
tions from the car wash operato r, especially if
there are accessories attached to your vehicle.
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes.
Washing
by hand
Clean the vehicl e starting from the top and work­
in g down using a soft sponge or cleaning br ush .
Use solvent-free cleaning products.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint
by
hand
To avo id damaging the paint w hen washing, fi rst
remove dust and large pa rt icl es from your vehi­
cle. Insects, grease spots and fingerprints are
best removed with a special cleane r for matte
finish paint .
Apply the p rodu ct using a microfiber cloth. To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the vehicle thorough ly w ith wate r. Then
clean using a neutra l shampoo and a soft m icr o­
fiber cloth .
R inse the ve hicle thorough ly again a nd let it air
dry. Remove any water residue using a leather
cloth.
A WARNING
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is
off and follow the instr uctions from the car
-

Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Paint
Paint damage Refer to the paint number on the vehicle data label, repair
with touch up paint
c::;, page 229
Spilled fuel Rinse with water immediately
Surface rust Rust remover, then protect with hard wax; for questions,
consult an 1 authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv-
ice Facility.
Corrosion Have
it removed by an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility.
Water no longer Protect with hard wax (at least twice per year)
beads on the surface
of clean paint
No shine even though Treat with suitable polish; then apply paint protectant if
paint has been pro -the polish that was used does not contain any protectant
tected/paint looks
poor
Deposits such as in-Dampen with water immediately and remove with a micro-
sects, bird droppings, fib er cloth
tree sap and road salt
Grease-based con- Remove immedia tely with a m ild soap solution al and a
taminants such as soft cloth
cosmetics or sunb lock
Carbon parts Deposits clean the same way as painted parts c::;, page 168 , Car
washes
• > M ild soap so lution: ma xim um tw o tabl espoo ns of n eu tral soap i n 1 quart (1 li ter) of w ater
Internal cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Windows
Deposits Glass
cleane r, then wipe dry
Decorative parts/ Deposits Mild soap solutiona l
Trim
Plastic parts
Deposits Damp cloth
Heavier deposits Mild soap so lution al, detergent-free p lastic cleaning solu-
tion, if necessary
Displays Deposits Soft cloth with LCD cleaner
Controls Deposi ts Soft
brush, then a soft cloth w ith a mild soap solutiona)
Safety belts Deposits Mild
soap so lution a>, allow to dry before letting them re-
tract
170

Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
T ex til es
Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner
art ifici al leat her, the surface
A lcan tara Water-based depos- Absorbent cloth and mild soap
solutional
its such as coffee,
tea, blood, etc.
Oil-based deposits Apply a mild soap solution al, blot away the dissolved oil or
such as oil, make-up, dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
etc.
Special deposits such Special stain remover, b lot with absorbent material, treat
as ink, nail polish, la-afterward with mild soap solution, if necessary al
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Natu ral le ath er Fresh stains Wool cloth with a mild soap solution al
Water-based depos-Fresh stains: absorbent cloth
its such as coffee, Dried sta ins: stain remover su itable for leathe r
tea, blood, etc.
Oil-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable for
such as oil, make-up, leather
etc . Dried stains : grease dissolving spray
Special deposits such Spot remover suitable for leather
as ink, nail polish, la-
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Ca re Regularrly apply cond itioning cream that p rotects from light
and penetrates into the ma ter ial. Use spec ially-colored con-
ditionirng cream, if necessary.
Carbon p art s Deposits clean the same way as plastic parts
a) Mild soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 q uart (1 liter) of water
.8, WARNING
The windshield may not be trea ted with wa­
ter-repelling windshield coating agents. Un ­
favorable cond itions such as wetness, dark­
ness, or low sun can result in increased glare.
Wiper blade chatter is also possible.
@ Note
- Headlight s/tail li ghts
- Never clean headlights or tail lights with a
dry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cleaning product that con­
tains alcohol, because they could cause
cracks to form.
- Whe els
-
- Never use a ny pa int polish or other abra­
sive materials .
- Damage to the protect ive layer on the
rims such as sto ne ch ips or scratches must
be repaired immediately .
-Sen sor s/camera lenses
-Neve r use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens . This
could ca use the lens to crack .
- Neve r use ab rasive cleaning materials or
a lcohol to clean the camera lens . This
could cause scratches and cracks .
-Door window s
-Remove snow and ice on windows and ex-
terior mirrors w ith a plast ic scraper. To
171

Fuel and Refueling
CJ) Note
-Methanol fuels which do not meet these re­
quirements may cause corrosion and dam­
age to plastic and rubber components in the
fuel system.
- Do not use fuels that fail to meet the speci­
fied criteria in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether or
not a particular fuel blend meets the speci­
fications, ask your service station or its fuel
supplier .
- Do not use fuel for which the contents can­
not be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance prob­
lems resulting from the use of fuels differ­
ent from those specified a re not the respon­
s ibilit y of Audi and are not covered under
the New Vehicle or the Emission Control
System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy or
driveability and performance prob lems due
to the use of one of these fuel blends, we
recommend that you switch to unblended
fuel.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufactur­
ers is carbon deposit build-up caused by the type
of gasoline you use .
Although gasoline grades differ from one manu­
facturer to another, they have certain things in
common. All gasoline grades contain substances
that can cause deposits to collect on vita l engine
parts, such as fuel injectors and intake valves. Al­
though most gasoline brands include additives to
keep eng ine and fuel systems clean, they are not
equally effective .
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gas­
oline . For more information on TOP TIER Deter ­
gent Gasoline, please go to the official website
(www.toptiergas .com) .
After an extended period of using in adequate
fuels, built -up carbon deposits can rob your en­
g ine of peak performance .
174
(D Note
-Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Audi New Vehi­
cle Limited Warranty.
- Do not add aftermarket fuel additive prod­
ucts to your fuel tank .
Refueling
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
s ide panel behind the fuel filler flap .
If the power locking system should fail , you can
still open the flap manually -for detailed instruc ­
tions see
Q page 176.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle in
¢ page 230.
The label on the inside of the fuel fi ller flap tells
you the correct fuel for your vehicle. For more in­
formation about fuel specifications, see
¢ page 173.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refueling
vapor recovery system. This feature helps to pre­
vent fuel vapors from escaping from the tank and polluting the envi ronment while you refuel your
vehicle . In order to fill the tank properly while
protect ing the env ironment, please follow this
refueling procedure carefully.
A WARNING
Under normal operat ing conditions, never ca r­
ry additional fu el containers in your car. Gas
canisters and other containers used to trans­
port fue l can be dangerous . Such containers,
fu ll or empty, may leak and could cause a fire
in a collision. If you must transport fuel to
use for your lawn mower, snow blower, etc .,
be very careful and always observe local and
state laws regarding the use, transportation
and storage of such fuel containers . Make cer­
tai n the container meets industry standards
(ANSI/ASTM F8S2 -86) .