2016 AUDI Q3 brake pads

Instruments and indicator lights
-The engine compartment of any motor vehi­
cle is a potentially hazardous area. Before
you check anything in the engine compart­ ment, stop the engine and let it cool down.
Always exercise extreme caution when work­ ing under the hood¢
page 177.
Overview
Some ind icator lights turn o n briefly to chec k the
f u nction of that syste m whe n you switch the ign i­
t ion on. These systems are mar ked with a ./ in
the following tables . If one of these indicator
lights does not turn on, there is a ma lfunction in
that system .
Red indic ator lights
12
USA models:
Brake system ./
¢page 13
Canada mode ls :
Brake system ./
r=.> page 13
USA models :
Electromechanical pa rking brake
r=.> page 14
Can ada mode ls:
Electromechanical parking brake
r=.> page 14
Safety be lts
<=.> page 15
Eng ine cooling system
r=.> page 14
E ng ine o il pressu re
<=.> page 15
Battery
¢page 15
Electromechanical power steering./
<=.>page 156
Transmission
r=.>page86
Steering co lumn lock
<=.> page 16
Yellow indicator l ights
!f
"O~ I I ~ '#
'!IIJ
E lectron ic Stabilization Contro l
(ESC) ./
<=.>page 16
Electron ic Stabiliza tion Cont ro l
( E SC) ./
<=.>page 16
Electron ic Stabiliza tion Control (ESC)
<=.> page 16
USA model s:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS) defec­
tive./
<=.> page 16
Canada model s:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS) defec ­
tive ./
<=.>page 16
Safety systems./
<=.>page 16
Worn brake pads
<=.>page 16
Electromechanical parking brake
r=.> page 14
Tire pressure monitoring system*./
r=.>page208
Tire pressure monitoring system*
r=.>page208
Electron ic power contro l./
<=.>page 17
Malfunction indicator Lamp (MIL) ./
¢page 17
Engine speed limitation
¢ page 17
Engine oil leve l
¢page 17
Engine oil leve l
¢page 17
Engine oil se nsor
¢ page 17
Blll! Battery
·- r=.>page15
r.111 Tank system
... r=.>page17

Instruments and indicator lights
-If the indicator light and the message appear
while d riving , the emergency braking function
may not be ava ilab le . It may not be possib le to
set the parking brake or release it once it has been set. Seek professiona l assistance.
(USA models) : If the warning light
1111 and the
warn ing light
[I] appear together, immed iate ly
contact your authori zed Audi dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pads inspected
,:::;, page 16.
When the light comes on, an audib le wa rning sig­
na l is also given.
A WARNING
- Always observe the warnings in
,:::;, page 177, before opening the hood and
check ing the b rake fl uid .
- Driving with low brake fl uid is a sa fety haz­
ar d. Stop the car and get professional ass is­
tance.
- If the 1111 (USA models) ;III (Canada mod­
els) brake system i ndicator lig ht t urns on to­
ge th er wit h the ABS an d ESC indica to r
l igh ts, the ABS/ ESC regulating functi on may
have failed. Func tions tha t st abilize the ve­
hicle are no longe r available. This cou ld
ca use the vehicle to swerve and increase the
risk of sliding . Stop the car and get profes­
sional assistance .
- If the bra ke warn ing/indicator light does
not go o ut after a few seconds and the park­
ing brake is released, or lights up while you
are driving, t he flu id leve l in the brake fluid
rese rvoir is too low. If you believe that it is
safe to do so, proceed immediately a t low
speed to the nearest au thori zed Audi dealer
o r qualifie d works hop and have the brake
sys tem inspe cte d.
- Always keep in min d that afte r sev era l brake
applica tions, you w ill need greate r pressure
on the brake pedal to stop yo ur vehicle. Do
not rely on straine d brakes to respond w ith
ma ximum stopping power in critical situa ­
t ions . You must allow for increased braking
distances. The extra distance used up by
fading b rakes could lead to an acc ident.
14
PARK!< ®> Electromechanical parking brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the elec­
tromechanical parking brake .
If the indicator light - (USA models) ;Ill
(Canada mode ls) tu rns on, the park ing brake was
set .
- (USA models);lll (Canada models) Press
brake pedal to release parking brake.
To release the parking b rake, press the brake
pedal and press the button(®) at the same time
or start driving with starting assist
c::;, page 72,
Starting from a stop.
Ill Parking brake: System fault! See owner 's
manual.
I f the Ill ind ic a tor light turns on and t his mes ­
sage appea rs, there is a par king bra ke m alfu nc­
tion . Drive to your authorized Audi dea ler or
qualified workshop imme diate ly to have the ma l­
funct ion corrected.
(D Tips
M ore information on the par king brake
c::;, page 71 .
-F-Cooling system
• Turn off engine and check coolant level.
The coo lant level is too low.
Do not con tinue dr iving and swit ch t he engine
off. Che ck the coolan t l evel
c::;, page 183 .
-If the coo lant level is too low, add coolant
c::;, page 183 . Only continue dr iving once the in­
dicato r light turns off.
• Coolant temperature! Let engine run with
vehicle stationary .
Let the engine run at idle fo r a few min utes to
cool off, until the indicator lig ht turns off .
- If the ind icator light does not turn off, do not
cont inue driving the veh icle. See an a uthorized
Audi dea le r or a uthorized Audi Service Facility
for assistance. ..,.

Instruments and indicator lights
@-Steering column lock
• Steering fault! Do not driv e vehicle!
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, there is an electro nic steer ing colum n
lock malf unct ion . You cannot switch the ign it ion
on.
Do
not tow your vehicle because it cannot be
steered . Seek profess ional assistance .
m Steering lock: System fault ! Plea se contact
d e aler.
If the indicator lig ht turns on and the message
appears, there is an electronic steer ing column
lock malfunct ion.
D rive to yo ur authorized Aud i dea le r i mmediately
to have the ma lfunction corrected .
A WARNING
Your vehicle must not be towed in the event
of a malfunction in the elect ronic steering
co lumn lock because it cannot be steered due
to the locked steering. If it is towed with the
steering locked, there is the r isk of an acci­
de nt.
;;,I C; Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
If the GI indicato r light b lin ks w hile driving, the
E S C or ASR (Anti-S lip Reg ulat ion) is actively reg u­
lating.
I f the
GI indicato r light turns on, the system has
sw itched the ESC off. In this case, you can switch
the ig nition off and t hen o n to switch the ESC on
aga in. The indica tor ligh t turns off when the sys­
tem is func tioning fully .
I f the
II indicato r light turns on, ESC was re­
s tricted o r swit ched off using the
I .$ OF FI button
~ page 151.
Stabilization control (ESC /ABS): Fault! See
owner 's manual
If the ind icator lig ht I) and the ABS i ndicator
light
D (USA models) ; tlJ (Canada models)
turn on and the message appea rs, the A BS or
e lec tron ic diffe rentia l lock is malfunct io ni ng .
16
This also causes the ESC to malfunc tion. The
bra kes sti ll function with their norma l power, but
ABS is not active .
Drive to your au thor ized A udi d ealer immedi ate ly
to have the mal function cor rected.
A WARNING
If t he 1111 (USA mode ls)/ . (Canada mo d­
e ls) bra ke system indicator light turns on to­
gethe r with the ABS and ESC ind icator lights,
the ABS/ESC regulating function may have
failed. F unctions that stabilize the vehicle a re
n o longer ava ilab le. This could ca use the vehi ­
cle to
swerve and increase the risk of slidi ng.
Dr ive ca refully to the nearest au tho riz e d Au di
deale r and h ave the m alfunction correc ted.
© Tips
Fo r addi tional in format ion on ESC and ABS,
r efe r to ~
page 151 .
!I.: Safety systems
The E,I indi cato r light mon itors the safe ty sys ­
tems (e.g. airbags, pretens io ners) and illumi­
nates for a few seconds each t ime yo u switch the
i gnition on .
I f the
E,i ind ic a tor light does not go ou t, or if it
ill umina tes whi le yo u are driv ing , or if it st arts to
blink, the n there is a malfunction somewhere in
the system . If the light does not i lluminate when
yo u sw itch the ignition on, this a lso means there
i s a ma lfunction.
A WARNING
If you have a ma lfunction in the safety sys­
tems, contact yo ur authorized Aud i dealer im­
mediately. Otherwise the safety sys tems may
not work prope rly in an accident.
(0) Worn brake pads
ll] Brake pads!
If the warning light illuminates, immediately
contact your author ized Audi dealer or qua lified
workshop to have all b rake pads inspected . On
U SA mode ls t he war ning l ight
ll] comes on ..,.

.... N
ci ::, co .... together with the warning light 1111 . Both se ts
of brake pads on an axle must a lways be replaced
at the same time.
A WARNING
Dr iv ing with bad brakes can ca use a co llision
and ser ious personal in jury.
- If the warning light
EiJ and the wa rning
light
11111> w it h the message Brake pads!
comes o n in the inst rument cluste r display,
immediately contact your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop to have all
bra ke p ads checke d or rep lace d if necessary.
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the elec ­
tronic power control .
-
The [m warning/ indicator light (Electronic Power
Control) ill uminates when you switch the ig nition
on as a function check.
I f th is wa rn ing/indicator light illuminates w hile
you are driving, then there is a malfunct io n in the
engine electronics . Have t he malfunct io n correct­
ed as soo n as poss ible by your authorized A udi
deale r or a qua lified re pair facili ty.
o Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfu nction Ind icator Lamp (M IL) i s part of
t he On-Boar d Diag nostic (O BD II) syste m. T he
symbo l¢• lights up when the ign ition is swi tc h ­
ed on and wi ll tu rn off afte r the engine has sta rt ­
ed an d has sett le d at a constant idle speed. This
ind icates that the MIL is work ing properly.
The warning ligh t illuminates when there is a
malfunct ion in the eng ine e lectron ic system.
Contact your author ized Audi dealer an d have the
mal funct ion corrected.
An imprope rly closed fuel fille r cap may a lso
cause the MIL li ght to illum inate
c:; page 175 .
For mo re informa tio n ¢ page 25.
N
:=: 1) - : USA mode ls onl y
Instruments and ind icator lights
!'? , Engine speed lim itation
Applies to vehicles: with engine speed limitation
II! Do not exceed max. engine speed of XXXX
rpm
The II! symbol illumi nates when t here is an en­
gine co ntro l ma lf u nct io n. Th e
[m indicator light
i n th e i nstr ument clus ter also illumi nates. The
engi ne speed is l imited to the speed displ aye d in
t h e d river informat ion sy stem . K eep in min d that
t h e engine speed w ill not exceed the va lue dis ­
played in the d river info rmation system, for ex­
amp le when downshifting.
Dr ive to your authori zed A udi dea ler imme diate ly
to have t he mal func tion cor rec ted.
~ -Engine oil level
1!1;111 Check oil level.
If the indic ator ligh t an d the message appea r,
add engi ne oil immedi ately
c:; page 17 9.
~e, Engine oil sensor
•• Oil level sensor: System fault!
If the symbol illumi nat es, c onta ct yo ur au th or­
ized Audi de aler a nd h ave the oil sensor ins pect­
ed. Unti l yo u have this done, check the oi l leve l
each time you ref uel j ust to be on the safe side
c:; page 181.
~ Tank system
ti Please refuel
If the indicato r light turns on for the first time
and t he message appea rs, the re are about
1.8 - 2.2 gallons (7.0 -8.5 liters) of fuel left in
the tan k. Time to refue l
c:;page 174.
ti Fuel tank system malfunction! Contact deal­
er.
If t he indic ator ligh t turns on and this message
appea rs, there is a ma lf u nction in the tan k sys ­
tem .
17

Intelligent Technology
When the hill descent assist is on, the current
driving speed, when your vehicle entered the in­
cline is maintained. It is only possible to switch
on the assist when driving slower than 37 mph (60 km/h). The assist works between approxi­
mately 2 and 19 mph (4 and 30 km/h). The driver
can increase or decrease the vehicle speed within
these limits by depressing the accelerator or brake pedal.
There must be however sufficient ground adhe ­
sion . The hill descent assist
cannot do its job if
the incline is icy or if the incline ground is loose
¢ ,&.
Active assistance at a specific speed up to about 19 mph (30 km/h) is shown in the instrument
cluster through a blinking indicator light •. The
indicator light shines continuously when in the
ready mode.
The system does not work at speeds between 19
and 37 mph (30 and 60 km/h) . The system is
then in the ready-mode. This is shown through
the LED turned on in the button . The system au­
tomatically switched off when you drive faster
than 37 mph (60 km/h). The LED will also go out
in this scenario.
Hill descent assist is automatically activated un­
der the following conditions:
- The LED in the button turns on ,
- the vehicle speed is lower than 19 mph (30 km/
h) ,
-the incline angle is at least around 10% .
A WARNING
-Always adapt your speed to the weather ,
road and traffic conditions . Do not let the
increased safety provided tempt you into
taking risks, because this increases the risk
of an accident.
- The hill descent assist system cannot over­
come the laws of physics. Your driving style
must always be adapted to the current road
and traffic conditions.
- The hill descent assist may not be able to
hold your vehicle at a constant speed under
all conditions while driving on an incline (for
154
example if ground under the vehicle is
loose).
Brakes
New brake pads
New brake pads do not achieve their full braking
effect during the first
250 mi (400 km). They
must be "broken in" first¢& . However, you can
compensate for the slightly reduced braking
force by pressing firmly on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy braking during the break-in period.
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still sub­
ject to wear, depending largely on operating con­
ditions and driving habits¢,& . On vehicles that
are either driven mostly in stop-and-go city traf­
fic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be checked by your authorized Audi dealer more of ­
ten than specified in the
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet.
Failure to have your brake pads
inspected can result in reduced brake perform­
ance.
On steep slopes, you should use the braking ef­
fect of the engine. This way, you prevent unnec­
essary wear on the brake system. If you must use
your brakes, do not hold the brakes down contin­
uously. Pump the brakes at intervals.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depending on the
speed, braking force and outside conditions such
as temperature and humidity.
Effect of water or road salt
In certain situations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy rain, after overnight con­ densation 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 applica­
tions.
At higher speeds and with the windshield wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake
rotors for a short amount of time. This action
which is not felt by the driver happens at regular .,.

intervals and fac ilitat es a better reaction time for
the brak es in wet weather.
The braki ng effect can also be red uced if you are
driving on salted roads and you do not apply the b rakes for long periods of time . The layer of salt
on th e brake rotors and brake pads must be worn
off first when the brakes are applied~&, .
Cor ro sion
Leaving the vehicle par ked for long periods of
time, low m ileage and avo iding heavy brak ing
can contribute to corros ion on the brake rotors
and dirty brake pads.
If you usually avo id heavy b raking or if there is
cor ros io n present , occasional heavy braking at
high speeds is recommended to clean the brake
rotors and pads~&, .
Brake system malfunct ion
if you notice that the bra ke pedal travel has sud­
denly
go tten larger , the n a brake circu it may have
failed ~&. .
Low brake fluid level
When the brake flu id level is low , malfunct ions in
the brake system may occ ur. The brake flu id leve l
i s elect ronically mo nitored .
Brake booster
The brake booster amplifies the pressure you ap­
p ly to the brake pedal.
It only works when the en ­
g ine is running ~&, .
Brak e lining we ar status
Brake lining wea r may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the open ings in the wheel. If necessary,
the wheel may be removed for this inspection
~ page 213, Replacing wheels .
.8, WARNING
-New bra ke pads don 't have the best stop­
ping power and must be "bro ken- in" dur ing
the init ial 250 m iles ( 400 km). Yo u can
compensate for this by p ressing the brake
peda l more firm ly . T his also applies later
when new pads are installed .
Intelligent Technology
- You shou ld pe rform braking maneuvers for
the purpose of cleaning the brake system
only if road condit ions permit . Other road
users must not be put at r isk -you may
cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift tra nsmission in to a lower
gea r or lower dr iving range . Do not r ide the
b rakes or hold the pedal down too long or
too often. Th is co uld cause t he b rakes to ge t
hot and dim inish b raking effic ien cy.
- D o not " ride the bra kes " by rest ing you r foot
on the ped al when you do no t intend to
brake . T his may ca use the brakes to ove r­
heat, premature wear and increased stop ­
ping distance .
- Under cer tain clima tic and ope rating condi­
tions such as passing t hrough water, driving
in heavy rain o r after washing the vehicle,
the effectiveness of the brakes can be re­
duced. In winter, ice can accumu late on the
brake pads, lin ings, discs and drums . Care­
fully apply brakes for a test . Brakes will d ry
and ice coat ings will be cleaned off after a
few ca refu l bra ke applications .
- Driving for an extended period of t ime on
salt-covered roads without using your b rakes can also affect braking eff icien cy.
Clea n off acc umulated salt coat ing fr om
b rake discs an d pads w ith a few careful
brake applicat ions .
- If you damage the front s poile r, or if you in­
s t all a different spoiler, be s ure the a ir flow
to the front brakes is not obstructed. Other­
wise the brake system could overheat reduc­
ing the effectiveness of the ent ire brake sys­
tem.
- Fai lu re of one brake circ uit w ill impa ir the
braking capability resulting in an increased
stopping distance . Avoid driving the vehicle
and have it towed to the nearest authorized
Aud i deale r or qualified worksho p.
- Never let the ve hicle roll to a stop with the
e ngine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed cons iderab ly
harder to make up for the lack of booster
assis tance .
155

~ 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

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,