2016 AUDI Q3 engine overheat

& WARNING
-Always observe the warning in ¢ page 177,
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
dr ipping from the engine compartment. You
could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off
firstsothatyoucannothearorseeany
steam or engine coolant .
(D Note
-Auxiliary headlights and other accessories in
front of the cooling-air intake impair the
cooling effect of the coolant. This increases
the risk of the engine overheat ing during
high o utside temperatures and heavy en-
gine load.
- The front spoiler also helps to distr ibute
cooling air correctly wh ile driving .
If the
spo ile r i s damaged, the cooling effect will
be impaired and the risk of the engine over­
heating will increase . See an a uthorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa­
cility for assistance .
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in rev­
olutions per minute (RPM).
You shou ld sh ift to the next lowest gear when
the eng ine speed is be low 1 500 RPM. The beg in­
ning of the red zone in the tachometer indicates
the maximum permissible engine speed for all
gears once the engine has been broken in and
when it is warmed up to operating temperature. Before reaching this zone, you should sh ift into
the next highest gear , select the D selector lever
position, or remove your foot from the accelera­
tor pedal.
CT) Note
The needle in the tachometer@¢ page 10,
fig . 3
may only be in the red area of the gauge
for a short time or the re is a r isk of engine
damage. The locat ion where the red zone be­
gins varies depend ing on the engine.
In strum ents an d ind ic a to r ligh ts
{® For the sa ke of the en vironment
Upshifting ear ly helps you to save fue l and re­
duce operating noise.
Fuel level
The fue l level indicator on ly operates when the
ignition is sw itched on . The
rD ¢ page 17
turns on if the reserve quantity of fuel is reached .
For the tank capacity in your veh icle, refer to the
Techn ica l Data ¢
page 230.
(D Note
Never drive until the tank is comp letely emp­
ty. The irregu lar supply of fuel that res ults
from that can cause the engine to m isf ire.
Non-combusted fuel will then enter the ex­
haust system . This can cause overheat ing and
damage to the catalyt ic converter.
Indicator lights
Description
The indicator lights in the instrument cluster
blink or turn on. They indicate functions or mal­
funct ions¢ .&..
With some indicator lights, messages may ap­ pear and warning signals may sound. The indica­
tor lights and messages in the display can be cov­ ered by other displays . Displaying driver messag­
es again ¢
page 21, Operating using the wind ­
shield wiper Lever,
¢ page 21, Operating using
the multifunction steering wheel.
Some indicator lights are shown in multip le col­
ors in the instrument cluster display.
& WARNING
--
- Fa ilure to heed wa rning lights and other im­
portant vehicle information may resu lt in
serio us pe rsonal inj ur y o r vehicle damage.
- Whenever stalled or stopped for repair,
move the vehicle a safe d ista nce off the
road, stop the engine, and tu rn on the
emergency fl ashe r ¢
page 42 .
11

Automatic transmission
Shifting with the shift paddle s*
You can operate the shift padd les in the D, Sor M
selector lever posit ions.
• To sh ift up one gear, tap the
0 shift paddle
¢fig. 93.
• To shift down one gea r, tap the O sh ift paddle.
• If you do not press a shift button within a short
time whi le in the D/S position, the transmission
will return to automatic mode. To keep shifting
using the shift buttons, move the selector lever
to the right out of the D/S position.
The transmission automatically shifts up or down
before critical engine speed is reached.
The transm ission only a llows manual shift ing
when the engine speed is within the permitted
range.
@ Tips
- When you shift into the next lower gear, the
transmission wi ll downshift only when there
is no possibility of over-revving the engine.
- When the kick-down comes on, the trans ­
mission will shift down to a lower gear, de­
pending on vehicle and engine speeds.
- Tiptronic is inoperative when the transmis­
sion is in the fai l-safe mode .
Kick-down
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
When you press the accelerator peda l down be­
yond the resistance point (called kick-down), the
automatic transmission downshifts into a lower
gear, depending on vehicle speed and engine RPM. It shifts up into the next higher gear once
the maximum specified engine RPM is reached.
A WARNING
Please note that the wheels could spin on
slick or slippery roads when kick-down is ac­
tive.
Transmission malfunction
• Transmission overheating! Please stop the
vehicle!
86
The transmission is too hot and can become dam­
aged. Stop and let the transmission coo l with the
engine running (at idle) in the P se lector lever po­
sition. Then the indicator light and the message
turn off, drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunct ion corrected.
If the indicator light
and the driver message do not turn off, do not
continue driving. See an authorized Audi dea ler
or authorized Audi Service Facility fo r assistance.
Selector lever emergency release
In order to tow a vehicle due to power failure,
the selector lever emergency release must be ac­
tivated .
Fig. 94 Selector lever: remov ing t he cover
Fig. 95 Selector lever: emergency release
The emergency release mechanism is located in
the right area under the selector lever shift gate.
Using the emergency release can be complicated .
We recommend contacting an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for as­
s istance, if necessary.
A maintenance tool from the vehicle tool kit
must be used to release
¢ page 211 .

Driving and th e en vironm ent
A WARNING
-The temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine.
- Never touch the exha ust tail pipes once they
have become hot . This could result in burns.
- Do no t park or operate the vehi cle in areas
where the hot exha ust system may come in
contact with dry grass, br ush, fue l spill or
other mater ial which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic converter or
heat sh ields. During dr iv ing, the substance
used for undercoating could ove rheat and
ca use a fire .
(D Note
-Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will a lready ser iously degrade
the performance of the catalytic converter .
- Do not exceed the correct eng ine oi l level
¢ page 181.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
complete ly empty. The engine cou ld mis­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into the
exhaust system and this could cause t he
catalytic converte r to overheat.
- Do not turn off the ignition whi le the vehicle
i s mov ing.
- Do not continue to operate your veh icle un­
der these cond itions, as otherwise fue l can
r each the catalytic converte r. This cou ld re­
su lt in ove rheating of t he converte r, req uir ­
i ng its re placement.
- T o assure efficient operation of the Emis­
s ion Control System:
- Have your ve hicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the se rvice recommen ­
dations in your Wa rranty
& Maintenance
book let .
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as im­
proper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the em ission cont rol system
and co uld lead to damage.
160
-
® For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Control System is op­
e rating properly, the exhaust gas can have a
su lfu r-li ke exhaust gas sme ll under some op­
erating states. T his depends on the sulfur
content of the fuel being used. Us ing a d iffer­
ent brand of fuel may help, or fi lling the tank
with lead-free super g rade gasoline.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle to remain inopera­
tive for a longer pe riod of time, contact an Audi
o r othe r spec ia liz ed dealer. They ca n adv ise you
o n necessa ry p recautions e.g. corros io n preven­
tion, m aintenance and storage . Pay attention to
additional in formation concer ning the battery .
Refer to¢
page 187 .
Economical and environ­
mentally-friendly driving
General
Your personal style of driving will determine the
economy of your vehicle, a s well as exhau st and
noise levels .
Fu el economy, env ironmenta l impact, and wear
o n your e ngine, brakes and tires large ly depend
o n t hree fa ctors:
- your personal d riving style
- operat ing cond itions
- technical limitat ions
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your f uel
consumption by 10-lS percent. Th is sect ion wi ll
give you some tips on how you can help the envi­
ronment and your pocketbook .
{l) Tips
The consumption estimates as published by
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIO N AGENCY
(EPA) and T ransport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consump tion on the
r oad, which wi ll vary depending upon vehicle
l oad and speed, road a nd wea ther conditions,
tri p l engt h, etc.

Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­
ating .
11-Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­ ating . If you anticipate what is going to happen
next, you will need to brake less and, thus, accel­
erate less . Let the vehicle coast whenever possi­
ble - for example when you see that the next traf ­
f ic light is red .
Avoid full throttle
Driving a t modera te speeds saves fuel and im­
proves your mileage .
11-Try and keep well be low your car's max imum
speed.
Accelerating gent ly reduces fuel consumption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ ­
ment.
F ue l cons umption, exha ust emissions and engine
noise increase disproportionately at high speeds.
If you drive at approximately three quarters of
top speed, fuel consumpt ion will be reduced by
one half. Never drive faster than the posted
speed limit and weather conditions permit.
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling i t burns up fuel.
11-S hut the engine off w hen you are not driving
the vehicle.
11-Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the en-
gine ru n at idle .
It makes sense to shut off the eng ine in traffic
jams, when wa iting for trains to pass at rai lroad
crossings, or at traffic lights that have long waits
on red . Turn ing the eng ine off for just 30 -40 sec ­
onds saves more fue l than is bu rned starting the
engine agai n.
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up
fu lly when it is runni ng at idle . However, wear
and noxious emiss ions are especially high when
the eng ine is wa rm ing up . So you should d rive
Driving and the envir onment
away as soon as you start the eng ine and avoid
running at high rpms w hil e the engine is sti ll
warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave eng ine idling una ttended after
starting. If wa rning lights shou ld come on to
i ndicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also prod uces
heat, which could result in overheating or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper ­
ty .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot
of fuel .
11-Have your vehicle serviced at regular interva ls.
By having your vehicle regular ly serv iced by an
authorized Audi dea ler helps to ensure that it
runs properly and economically. The cond ition of
your vehicle not only affects its safety and ability
to hold its value, it also affects
fuel con sump­
tion .
Chec k your oil each t ime you fill your tank.
T he amount o f oi l used is related to engine load
and speed.
It is normal fo r the oil consump tion of a new en­
gine to reach its lowest value after a ce rtain m ile­
age has been dr iven.
You m ust dr ive your ve hicle about 3,000 m iles
(5,000 kilometers) befo re yo u can prope rly as­
sess oil consumpt io n.
T h is also app lies to fuel consumption and eng ine
output.
(D Note
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and in accordance with the se rvice recommenda­
tions i n your Warranty
& M aintenance book-
le t. La ck of prope r maintenan ce as we ll as
imp roper use of the ve hicle will im pair the
function of the em ission cont rol sys tem and
co uld lead to damage . .,.
161

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.

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
quires little attention.
T he cooling system has been filled at the factory
with a permanent coolant which does not need to
be changed . The coolant consists of a mixture of
specially condit ioned water and the manufactur ­
er's glycol-basedcoolant add itive G 13 antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (SO% for USA mod­
e ls; 60% for Canada models) . This mixt ure bot h
assures the necessary frost protec tion and pro­
tects meta l components in the engine's cooling
system from corrosion and scaling . It also raises
the boiling point of the coolant.
D o not red uce the concent ration of the coolant in
the summer by add ing p la in water.
The propor­
tion of coolant addit ive mu st be at least 50 %
but not more than 60 %
to mainta in antifreeze
protection and cooling efficiency. If the coolant
frost protection is too low, the coolant could
freeze and damage the vehicle heating and en­
g ine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifree ze is added at the
factory for temperatures down to :
- -31° F(- 3S°C)USA
- -4 0 ° F ( - 40 °C) Can ada.
If you must add coolant, use a m ixture of water
and coolant addit ive. M ixing the coolant additive
with d istilled water is recommended .
_& WARNING
Before you check anythi ng i n t he engine com­
partment, a lways read and heed a ll WARN ­
INGS
¢ .&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 177 .
(D Note
-Befo re winter se ts in, have the coo lant
checked to see if the coolant additive in you r
vehicle is sufficient to meet the cl imate con -
Check ing and Filling
ditions. This is especially important if you
live in a region where the winter is extreme­
ly cold. If necessary, increase the proportion
of coolant additive to 60%.
- When adding coolant additive to your cool­
ing system, remember :
- We recommend us ing only coolant add i­
tive G12+ + or G13 fo r yo ur vehicle. This
coolant addit ive is avai lab le a t aut horized
A udi dealers . O ther types of antifree ze can
significantly reduce corrosion pro tect ion .
The resulting corrosion can cause a loss of
coolant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Adding ra ­
diator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and cou ld resu lt in damage not cov­
ered by your New Veh icle Limited Warra nty .
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a
quick glance.
Fi g. 1 52 Engin e compar tmen t: Cover o n the coo la n t ex ­
pans ion tank
.. Before you check anything in the eng ine com­
partment,
always r ead and h eed all WARN­
INGS ¢ ,A in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 177 .
.. Par k your veh icle on a leve l sur face.
.. Tur n off t he ignit io n .
.. Read the eng ine coolan t leve l from the coo lant
expansion tank
¢ fig . 15 2, ¢ page 179,
fig. 149 .
With a cold engine, the coo lant level
should be b etween the "MIN" and "MAX" mark­
ings. When the eng ine is warm, the level may
be slightly above the "MAX" marking. .,..
183