2018 AUDI Q3 ESP

Intelligent Technology Electronic stabilization
control (ESC)
Description
Ele ctronic stabilization control (ESC) supports
driver safety . It reduces the risk of slipping and
improves d riving stability. ESC detects critica l sit ­
uations such as the vehicle oversteering and un­
dersteer ing or the wheels are spinning. The vehi­
cle is stabilized by apply ing the brakes or reduc ­
ing engine torque . When the ESC engages, the
G1 indicator light b links in the instrument clus­
ter.
T he follow ing systems are integrated in the ESC:
Ant i-loc k bra king s ystem (ABS)
ABS prevents the whee ls from locking when brak­
ing. The vehicle can still be steered even during
hard brak ing. Apply steady pressure to the brake
pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A pulsing in the
b rake pedal indicates that the system is act ing to
stabilize the vehicle .
Brak e a ssist s ystem
The brake assist system can decrease braking dis­
tance. It increases brak ing power when the driver
presses the brake pedal quickly in emergency sit­
uations . You must press and hold the brake pedal
unti l the dangerous sit uat io n is ove r.
Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR )
ASR reduces eng ine power when the drive wheels
begin spinning and ad apts the force to the road
conditions . This makes it easier to start, acceler ­
ate and dr ive up hills .
Electronic differential lock (EDL )
The EDL applies the brakes to a whee l that starts
spinning and transfers the drive power to the
other driving wheel or wheels ( if the veh icle is
equ ipped w ith all wheel dr ive*) . This function is
n ot available at higher speeds .
0 ~ In extreme cases, EDL automatically switches off
~ to keep the brake on the braked wheel from over-N
8 heat ing . The vehicle is still work ing correctly . EDL 0
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Intellig ent Technology
will swi tch on again automatically when condi­
tions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
T he ESC he lps to s tabilize the vehicle by cha nging
t h e steer ing torque .
Selective wheel torque control
Se lective wheel torque control is used when driv­
i ng on curves . The front whee l on the ins ide of
t h e curve or both wheels on the i nside of the
c ur ve are braked se lectively as needed. This al­
lows mo re prec ise dr iving in c urves .
Automatic post -collision braking system
The "automat ic post -collis ion braking system"
can help to reduce the risk of sliding and of addi­
tiona l co llisions after an accident.
If the a irbag
contro l modu le detects a collision above a certa in
vehicle speed, the ve hicle is br ake d by the ESC.
The vehicle does not brake automatically if:
- the dr iver presses the acce lerator pedal, or
- the bra king fo rc e generated by the pressed
brake pedal is greater than the braking force
that would be in itiated by the system, or
- the ESC, the brake system or the veh icle electri­
cal system are not functioning.
A WARNING
- The ESC and its integrated systems cannot
overcome the lim its imposed by natura l
phys ica l laws. This is especially impo rtant
on slippery or wet roads. If the systems be­
gi n a cting to s tabilize yo ur vehicle, you
should immedi ately alter your speed to
match the road and traffic conditions. Do
not let the inc reased safety provided tempt
you into taking risks. This could increase
your r isk o f a collis ion.
- Please note the r isk of a coll is ion increases
when dr iv ing fast, especially t hrough curves
and on slippery or wet roads, and when dr iv­
ing too close to objects ahead. The ESC and
its integrated systems cannot always pre ­
vent co llisions - there is st ill a risk of acci­
dents!
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A WARNING
You should only switch offroad mode on or
switch ESC/ ASR off if your driving abilities
and the traffic conditions perm it. There is a
risk of s lid ing .
- The stabilization function is limited when
offroad mode is switched on . The driving
wheels could spin and the vehicle could
swerve, especially on slick or s lippery road
surfaces.
- There is no vehicle stabilization when ESC/
ASR are switched off.
Hill descent assist
Appl ies to: vehicles with hill hold assist
Hill descent assist makes it possible to drive
down a hill at a constant speed.
Fig. 97 Center console : hill descent assist butto n
• To switch the hill descent assist on, press the
~ button in the center console c} fig. 97. The
LED in the button turns on.
• Press the button again to switch it off. The LED
in the button turns off .
Hill descent assist brakes all four whee ls auto ­
matically in order to limit speed when driving ei­
ther forward or reverse on hills with a grade up to
approximately 50% .
When hill descent assist is on, the speed your ve­ hicle was traveling when it entered the hill is
maintained . It is only possible to switch on the
assist when driving slower than 37 mph (60 km/
h). The assist begins shortly after you start driv-
e '.:: ing and continues up to approximate ly 19 mph
N r--. (30 km/h) . T he driver can increase or decrease N .... 0 0 ::, (X)
Intelligent Technology
the vehicle speed within these limits by pressing
the accelerator or brake pedal.
However, there must be enough tract ion. Hill de­
scent assist
cannot function as expected, if for
example the hill is icy or if the surface is loose
¢,&. .
A blinking indicato r light. in the instrument
cluster will indicate if the system if actively regu­
lating a specific speed up to approximately
19 mph (30 km/h). The indicator light stays on
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 ready-mode . This is indicated by the LED
in the button turning on. The system automat i­
cally switched off when you drive faster than 37
mph (60 km/h) . The LED will also turn off 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 lowe r 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 .
- Hill descent ass ist may not be able to hold
your vehicle at a constant speed under all
conditions while dr iving on a hill (for exam ­
p le 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
IJ,,
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compensate for the slightly reduced brak ing
force by pressing firmly on the brake peda l. Avoid
heavy b raking during the break -in per iod .
Wear
Brake pad wear depends largely on the way the
veh icle is driven and on operat ing cond it ions.
This is especially t rue if you are driving frequently
in the city and on c urves or with a sporty driving
style.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when br aking depend ing on the
speed, b raking force and outs ide cond itions such
as temperature and humidity.
Effect of water or road salt
I n ce rtain s ituations, fo r example after driving
through water, in heavy ra in, afte r ove rnig ht con­
densat ion or after washing your car, the braking
effe ct can be red uced by moisture or ice on the
b rake rotors and brake pads. The brakes must be
"dr ied" first with a few careful brake applica ­
tions.
At highe r speeds and with the windshie ld 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 ensures a better reaction time for
the brakes in wet weather.
The braking effect can also be reduced if you are
driving on salted roads and you do not apply the brakes for long periods of time. The laye r of salt
on the brake rotors and brake pads must be worn
off first when t he brakes a re applied ¢ ,& .
Corros ion
L eaving the vehicle par ked for long periods of
time, low mi leage and avo id ing heavy brak ing
can contribute to corrosion on the brake rotors
and to d irty b rake pads .
If you usually avoid heavy b raking or if there is
corros ion present, occasional heavy braking at
h igh speeds is recommended to clean the brake
rotors and pads¢,&.
92
Brake system malfunction
if you no tic e th at the b rake peda l t ravel has sud­
denly gotten larger, then a brake ci rc u it may have
failed ¢.&. .
Low brake fluid level
When the b rake fluid level is low, malfunctions in
t h e b rake system may occur. The b rake fl uid leve l
i s e lec tron ically moni to red.
Brake booster
The brake booster amplifies the pressure you ap­
ply to the brake pedal. It only works when the en­
gine is runni ng ¢ ,& .
.8, WARNING
-On ly app ly the bra kes for the p urpose o f
cleaning the brake sys tem w hen road and
t raffic conditions permi t. You mus t not en­
danger other roa d users . This increases the
risk of an accident.
-
- Never let the ve hicl e roll whi le the engine is
stopped because t his increases the risk of an
accident .
(D Note
- Never let the brakes "rub'' by pressing the
peda l lightly when braking is not actually
necessary . This causes t he b rakes to over ­
heat and increases braking distance and
causes wear.
- Be fore driving downhill a long d istance on a
steep hill, decrease your speed and select a lower gear. This makes use of the engine
brak ing effect and relieves the brakes . If
you need to bra ke add itiona lly, bra ke in in­
te rvals and not cont inuous ly.
(D Tips
- If the brake booster is not working, you
must press the b rake peda l with much more
forc e than normal.
- If you retrofit your veh icle with a front spo il­
er , wheel covers or sim ila r i tems, make su re
t h at the air flow to the fro nt wheels is not
inter rup ted. O therwise t he b rake system
c an be come too hot.

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Driving safety
Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
The individual safety features of your vehicle can
work together as a system to help protect you
and your passengers in a wide range of accidents.
T hese features cannot work as a system if they
are not always correctly adjusted and correctly
used.
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need to
read and observe for your own safety, the safety
of your passengers and others . We have summar­
ized here what you need to know about safety
belts, airbags, child restraints as well as child
safety. Your safety is for us
priority number 1. Al­
ways observe the information and warnings in
this section -for your own safety as well as that
of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle. Some of the fea­
tures descr ibed in this sections may be standard
equipment on some models, or may be optional
equipment on others. If you are not sure, ask
your authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
structions and heed the WARNINGS in this
Manual. It is in your interest and in the in­
terest of your passengers .
-
-Always keep the complete Owner's Litera­
ture in your Audi when you lend or sell your
vehicle so that this important information
will always be available to the driver and
passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy so
that you can find it easily if you have ques­
tions.
Driving safety
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occupant
safety always depends on the informed and care­
ful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driving always:
.. Make sure that all lights and signals are operat­
ing correctly.
.. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct .
.. Make sure that all windows are clean and afford
good visibility to the outside .
.,. Secure all luggage and other items carefully
¢ page 102, ¢page 45.
.,. Make sure that nothing can interfere with the
pedals.
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height.
.. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints according to their height.
.. Make sure to use the right child restraint cor­
rectly to protect children
¢ page 134, Child
safety.
.,. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same¢
page 42, Front
seats.
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly. Al­
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe­
ty belts properly ¢
page 106 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of
the vehicle , the driver as well as the driver's abili­
ty to concentrate on the road without being dis­
tracted.
The driver is responsible for the safety of the ve­
hicle and all of its occupants. If your ability to
drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody in the
vehicle increase and you also become a hazard to
everyone else on the road
¢ _&. . Therefore:
.. Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular telephone .
.. NEVER drive when your driving ability is im­
paired (by med ications, alcohol, drugs, etc .) .
.. Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and
speed limits and plain common sense . .,.
97

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critical areas of the body . Improper seating posi­
tions also increase the risk of serious injury and
death when an airbag deploys and strikes an oc­
cupant who is not in the proper seating position.
A driver is responsible for the safety of all vehicle
occupants and especially for children . Therefore:
~ Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being used
c> &, .
The following bulletins list only some sample po­
sitions that will increase the risk of serious injury
and death. Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seating positions that
are dangerous .
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving:
-never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride with the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the seats
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit sideways
- never lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cush ion or back
of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death whenever
a vehicle is being used.
-Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
stay in a proper seat ing pos ition and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is
being used.
Driving safety
Pedal area
Pedals
T he pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat or
any other object.
Make sure that all pedals move freely without in­
terference and that nothing prevents them from
returning to their original positions .
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area free
and can be secured with floor mat fasteners .
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake pedal trav­
el is required to bring the vehicle to a full stop.
A WARNING
--Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss
of vehicle control and increase the risk of seri­
ous injury.
- Never place any objects in the driver's foot­
well. An object could get into the pedal area
and interfere with pedal function. In case of
sudden braking or an accident, you would
not be able to brake or acce lerate!
-Always make sure that nothing can fall or
move into the driver's footwell.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely at­ tached to the floor mat fasteners and do not in ­
terfere with the free movement of the pedals.
~ Make sure that the floor mats are properly se­
cured and cannot move and interfere with the pedals
c> &, .
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area un­
obstructed and that are firmly secured so that
they cannot slip out of position . You can obtain
suitable floor mats from your author ized Audi
dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi .
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached
to these fasteners . Properly securing the floor
101

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- Please observe information on safe driving
~page 97.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from
being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the
rear lid closed while driving .
- Never transport objects larger than those
fitting completely into the luggage area be­
cause the rear lid cannot be fully closed .
-If you absolutely must drive with the rear lid
open, observe the following notes to reduce
the risk of poisoning:
- Close all w indows,
- Close the Panoramic sliding sunroof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument pan-
el,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed .
A WARNING
-
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the Panoramic sliding sunroof* and the
rear lid are securely closed and locked to re­
duce the risk of injury when the vehicle is not
being used.
- After closing the rear lid, a lways make sure
that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended espe­
cially with the rear lid left open. A chi ld
could crawl into the vehicle through the lug­
gage compartment and close the rear lid be­
coming trapped and unable to get out. Be­
ing trapped in a vehicle can lead to serious
personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the vehi­
cle .
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must al­
ways be properly restrained in one of the ve­
hicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- Air circulation helps to reduce window fog­
ging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure to
keep these slots free and open.
Driving safety
-The tire pressure must co rrespond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure label is lo­
cated on the driver's side B-pillar . The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the vehicle at its
maximum capac ity weight and the tires that
were on your vehicle at the time it was man­ ufactured. For recommended tire pressures
for normal load conditions, p lease see chap­
ter ~
page 176.
' Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with four
tie-downs to secure luggage and other items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo properly
~ page 102, Loading the luggage compartment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that even
smaller items that are loose in the veh icle w ill
become heavy m issiles that can cause serious in­
jury. Items in the vehicle possess energy which
vary w ith vehicle speed and the weight of the
item. Vehicle speed is the most significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed of
30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10- lb
(4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the normal
weight of the item. This means that the weight
of the item would sudden ly be about
200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the injuries
that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying freely through
the passenger compartment could cause in a col­
lision like th is.
A WARNING
-Weak, damaged or improper straps used to
secure items to tie-downs can fail dur ing hard
braking or in a collision and cause serious per­
sona l injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shifting or flying forward as dan­
gerous missiles .
- When the rear seat backrest is folded down,
always use suitable mounting straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
103

Safety belt s
Safety belts
General information
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safe ty belts correctly saves lives!
This chapte r explains why safety be lts a re neces­
sary, how they work and how to adjust and wear
them correct ly.
.. Read all the information that follows and heed
all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
&_ WARNING
Not wea ring safety belts or wearing them im­
properly increases the risk of ser ious personal
injury and dea th .
- Safety belts are the s ingle most effective
mea ns ava ilab le to reduce the risk of serious
injury and dea th in automob ile accidents .
For yo ur protect ion and that of your passe n­
gers, alw ays co rre ctly wea r sa fety be lt s
when the veh icle is moving .
- Pregnant wom en, in ju re d, o r physically i m­
paired persons mus t also use s afety be lts.
L ik e all vehi cle o ccu pants, they are mo re
li kely to be serio usly injure d if th ey do no t
wea r safety be lts. The best way to protect a
fetus is to protect the mothe r -th roughout
the ent ire pregnancy .
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating positions:
two in the front and three in the rear. Each seat­
i n g position has a safety belt.
&_ WARNING
N ot wea ring safety bel ts or weari ng them im­
properly increases th e r isk of ser ious personal
inju ry and dea th.
- N ever st rap more tha n one perso n, includ­
ing small ch ildren, into a ny be lt .
It is espe­
ci ally dan gerous to pla ce a sa fety bel t over a
c hild s itting on you r lap.
- N ever le t mo re people ride in t he vehicle
t h an t he re are saf ety bel ts availab le.
106
-Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safety
be lt or ch ild restraint.
Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the driver
and front seat passenger to remind you about the importance of buckling-up.
Fig. 101 Safety belt wa rning lig ht in th e in st ru ment clu s·
ter · enl arged
Before driving off , always:
.. Fasten yo ur safety belt and make sure you are
wearing it properly.
"' 0 ,;, .. m
.. Ma ke sure that your passengers also b uck le up
and properly wear t heir safety belts.
.. Protect your chi ldren with a ch ild restraint sys ­
tem app ropr iate for the size and age of the chil­
dren .
The wa rning lig ht . in the inst rument cluste r
li ghts up w hen the ig nition is switched on as a re­
minde r to fas ten the safety be lts . In addition,
you w ill hear a wa rn in g tone for a ce rtain per iod
of time .
Fasten your safety belt now and make sure that
your passenger s also properly put on their safe­
ty belt s.
&_ WARNING -
- Safety bel ts are the sing le mos t eff ec tive
means available to re du ce the risk of serio us
in jur y and dea th in a utomobile accidents.
F or your protection and t hat of yo ur passen­
ge rs, a lways cor rect ly wear safety belts
when the vehicle is movin g.

Safe ty belts
Autom ati c s afet y belt retr actors
Every safety belt is equ ipped with an automa tic
be lt retractor on the shoulder belt. This feature
locks the belt when the belt is pulled out fast,
during hard braking and in a n accident . The belt
may a lso lock when you drive up or down a steep
hill or through a sharp curve. Dur ing normal driv­
ing the belt lets you
move freely .
Safety belt p ret en sion ers
Safety belts w ith pretensioners he lp to tighten
the safety belt and remove s lack when the pre­
tensioners are activated ¢
page 112. The func­
tion of the pretensioner is monitored by a warn­ ing light
¢ page 14.
Con vertib le loc king retract or
Every safety belt except the one on the driver
seat is equipped with a convertible locking retrac­
tor that
m ust be used when the safety belt is
used to attach a child safety seat. Be sure to read
the impo rtant information about this feature
¢ page 144.
.&_ WARNING
Improperly pos itioned safety be lts can cause
ser ious injury in an accident
¢page 110,
Safety belt position.
- Safety belts offer optimum protection only
when the seatback is upright and belts are
properly positioned on the body.
- Always make sure that the rear seat bac k­
rest to which the center rea r safety belt is
attached is secure ly latched whenever the
rear center safety belt is being used. If the
backrest is not securely latched, the passen­
ger will move forward with the backrest dur­
ing sudden braking, in a sudden maneuver
and especially in a crash.
- Never attach the safety belt to the buckle for another seat. Attaching the belt to the
wrong buckle wi ll reduce safety belt effec­
t iveness and can cause serious persona l in­
jury.
- A passenger who is not properly restrained can be seriously in ju red by the safety be lt it­
self when it moves from the stronger parts
110
of the body into critical areas like the abdo­ men.
- Always lock the convertible locking retractor
when you are securing a child safety seat in
the vehicle ¢
page 146.
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting maxi­
mum protection from safety belts .
Fig. 108 Safety belt pos it ion
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Standard features on your vehicle help you adjust
the position of the safety belt to match your body
s ize.
- belt height adjustment for the front seats,
- height-adjustab le front seats .
.&_ WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause
serious personal injury in an acc ident .
- The shoulder belt should lie as close to the
center of the collar bone as possib le and
should fit well on the body. Hold the belt
above the latch tongue and pull it evenly
across the chest so that it s its as low as pos­
sib le on the pe lvis and there is no p ressure
on the a bdomen . The belt sho uld a lways f it
snug ly ¢
fig. 108. Pull on the belt to tig hten
if necessary .
- The lap be lt portion of the safety belt must
be positioned as low as possible across pel­
vis and never
over the abdomen. Make sure
the belt lies flat and snug ¢
fig. 108. Pull on
the belt to tighten if necessary.
- A loose-fitting safety belt can ca use serious
injuries by sh ifting its position on your body ..,_