2018 AUDI Q3 lights

Driving
the vehicle and maintains a constant speed as a
result
r=> page 91 .
However, your Audi i s no t an offroad vehi cle.
Only dri ve in terrain th at i s s uit a ble for th e vehi­
cle and your dri ving abilit y. Ne ver tak e an y un­
ne ce ss ary risks!
After driving offroad
- After dr iving offroad, remove branches and
other debr is from the radiator gr ille, unde r­
body, and whee ls. Look espec ially for foreign
objects (such as stones) that may be stuck in
the tire tread.
- Clean the vehicle body and underbody and in ­
spect the vehicle for possib le damage.
- Clean the windows, headlights, tail lig hts and
the license plate if they are dirty.
- Perfo rm a brake test (especially after dr iv ing
through water).
A WARNING
- Be especia lly aware and attent ive when driv­
ing under difficult conditions. Vehicle dam­
age and injuries may occur when driv ing at
excessively high speeds or with incorrect
dr iv ing maneuvers .
- Always adjust your speed and driving style
to the roads, terra in , traffic and weather
condit ions. Drive espec ially slowly if there is
low v is ibility when offroad .
- Please note that the wheels can spin more
and the vehicle can swerve when i n ESC off ­
road mode, especially when the road is slip­
pery or has loose surface mate rial.
- Driving stability is reduced in the ESC Off­
road mode .
@ For the sake of the environment
Avoid harming the environment and show
consideration for nature.
(D Tips
On ly dr ive where it is a llowed and always stay
on the provided roads and paths.
66
Driving information
Applies to: vehicles with offroad mode
T here is only one right way to drive in difficult
conditions: slo wly and with caution!
Observe the following when driving on unpaved
roads :
.,. On ly driv e in terrain that is suitable for the ve­
hicle and your driving ability. Never take any
unnecessary risks!
.,. Dr ive slowly and caut iously!
.,. Pay attent ion to the
g round cl earan ce of your
veh icle . The clearance may va ry depending on
the load, ground compos ition and the environ­
ment. The g round clearance is reduced for spe­
cial suspension systems, such as sport s uspen­
sion. The dr iver is therefore responsible for de ­
ciding whether a vehicle can handle a specif ic
situation .
.,. Activate the
ESC offroad mode as needed
r=>page90 .
.,. Use the hill de sce nt ass ist when driving down
steep hills
r=> page 91 .
Difficult terrain
When driving in unfamiliar areas and offroad,
drive slowly and keep on the watch for unexpect­
ed obstacles (such as potholes, rocks, tree
stumps , etc .) .
T o prevent th e vehicl e from bottoming out and to
reduce the risk of underbody damage, you should
drive across uneven ground on only one side of
the veh icle so that only two of your wheels cross
the uneven area, instead of driving across the cente r of the uneven area with all four wheels .
Drive quickly through sandy or marshy off-ro ad
sections and do not stop, if at all possible.
Driving through wat er on road s
Also read the information found in r=> page 57.
Automatic transmission
Introduction
The automatic transmission is controlled elec­
troni cally. Upshifting a nd downshifting o ccu r au -
tomat ically . ..,.

Trailer towing
If the tongue we ight is too low, this affects the
trai ler's handling. For driving safety, we recom­
mend to always utilize the maximum permitted
tongue we ight, but not exceed it. Yo u can reach
it, for example, by d istributing the cargo in the
tra iler cor rectly .
You can determ ine the tongue we ight, for exam­
p le, with a bathroom scale or a public weigh sta­
tion .
The permitted tongue weight for your vehicle is 220 lbs (100 kg) .
Load distribution
Poor cargo load and dist ribution can negatively
impact veh icle ha ndling. To have the lowest im­
pact as possib le, load the trai ler according to
these criteria :
- Store objec ts p refe rab ly in t he ve hicle lugg age
compartment . The vehicle shou ld always carry
the heaviest possible load and the trai ler
sho uld have the lightest possible load .
- Distribute the load in the tra iler so that the
heavy objects are as close to the axle as possi­
ble .
- Secure objects from sliding out of p lace.
- Utilize the max imum perm itted tongue we ight
i f poss ib le .
Tires Set the tire pressure on your vehicle for a "full load"; see the t ire pressu re sticker
r=:;, page 176 .
If necessa ry, also adjust t he tire p ressure on the
tr ail er according to the manufactu rer's re com­
mendation.
W inte r ti res s hou ld be mounted on the ve hicle
a nd on the trailer dur ing wi nte r temperatures.
Outside mirrors
If you cannot see the traff ic be hind the tra iler
with the standard exterior mirrors, then you must attach addit ional exte rior m irrors. Adjust
them so you have a s ufficient visibility behind
you .
Exterior lighting
Follow the legal regulat ions regarding the light ­
i n g eq uipment on your trailer. Contact an author-
74
ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service Facili ­
ty for more information .
Befo re st arting to dr ive , check all lighting eq uip­
ment on the hitched trailer.
The head light range cont rol ad justs automat ica l­
l y to the light range of the headlights .
Safety chains Make sure the safety chains are correct ly applied
whe n pu lling a trailer . The cha ins should hang
enough so that the trailer can drive around
curves. Howeve r, they must not touch the
ground.
(D Tips
- Use chocks when park ing on inclines if the
t railer is loaded .
- We recommend also having the vehicle in­ spected between the inspection intervals if
you a re towing a trailer frequently.
- Avoid driv ing with a tra iler dur ing the veh i­
cle b reak-in per iod.
Driving with a trailer
Driving with a trailer requires extra caution .
Speed
Adhere to the legal speed limits. Fo llow the legal
regu lations specific to the country.
As the speed increases, the dr iving stab ility o f
the trai ler decreases . Therefore you should not
exceed the maximum lega l speed limit when
there are unfavorable road, weather and/or wind
cond it ions. T his especially applies when driving
downh ill.
You m ust always reduce your speed as soon as
you notice even the slightest swinging motion of
the tra iler . Never try to "stra ighten out" the trai l­
er by acce lerating.
The weight d istribution is very poor if the vehicle
i s empty and the trai ler is loaded. However if you
must drive under these circumstances, then dr ive
especially slowly . ..,.

Intelligent Technology
-Press the accelerator pedal carefully when
accelerating on even, slippery surfaces such
as ice and snow. The drive wheels can spin
even when these control systems are instal­
led and this can affect driving stability and
increase the risk of a collision.
{D) Tips
-The ABS and ASR only function correctly
when all four wheels have a similar wear
Switching on/off
condition. Different tire sizes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems de­
scribed are working .
£SC turns on automatically when you start the engine .
Fig. 96 Center console : OFF~ button
The following examples are unusual situations
where it may make sense to switch offroad mode
on to allow the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Driv ing on rough terrain when much of the car's
we ight is lifted off the wheels (axle artic ula­
tion)
- Dr iv ing downh ill wh ile braking on loose g round
The ESC is designed to function in levels. Depend­
ing on the level selected, the ESC stabilization
function is limited or switched off . The amount of
stabilization control wi ll differ depending on the
level. For your safety, sw
itch the offroad mode off in
advance.
ESC levels
Offroad mode on ESC/ASR off
Offroad mode off or
ESC/ASR on
Behavior
The ESC and ASR stabiliza-
The stabilization function is The
full stabilization func-
tion functions are limited not
available
¢ .&.. ESC and tion of the ESC and ASR is
¢ .&. . ASR are switched off. availab le again.
Operation Press the C; button briefly. Press and hold the C; button Press the C; button again.
longer than three seconds.
Indicator II turns on. II and lfil•U~ turn on. II turns off or II and
lights lfil•l~i turn off.
Messages Stabilization control (ESC):
Stabilization control (ESC): Stabilization control (ESC):
offroad. Warning! Reduced Off
. Warning! Reduced sta-
On
stability bility
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Electromechanical
steering
The ele ctromechanical steering supports th e
driver's steering movements.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the veh icle speed .
Indicat or lights and me ssages
• Steering fault! Do not dr ive vehi cle!
If th is ind icator lig ht tu rns on and stays o n and
this message appears, the power steer ing may
have failed.
Do
not c ont in u e d riving. See an authorized Aud i
dea ler o r autho rized Aud i Serv ice Facility fo r as ­
sis tance.
If the indicator light turns on, the steering wheel may be more diff icult to move or more sensitive
than usual. The steering wheel may also be at an
angle when dr iving straight .
Drive s low ly to an author ized Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Se rvice Fac ility to have the mal­
function co rrected.
kr-ij Steering lock: System fault ! Please contact
dealer.
There is a malfunction in the electronic steering
l ock.
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler o r aut horized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
-
Have the system malfunction corrected as
soon as possible by an author ized Audi dealer
or authorized Aud i Service Fac ility, as this in­
creases the risk of a n accident .
(D Tips
If the . or i1:.ij indicator light only stays on
for a short time, you may continue dr iv ing.
Intellig ent Technology
All wheel drive (quattro)
Applies to: vehicles with all wheel drive
In all wheel drive, all four wheels are powered.
General information
In all whee l drive, the dr iving power is div ided be­
tween all fou r wheels . This happens automatical­
ly depending on yo ur driving behavior as we ll as
the cur rent road conditions . A lso see ¢
page 89 .
The all whee l dr ive concept is des igned for high
engine power. Yo ur vehicle is except iona lly pow­
erfu l and has excellent driving characteristics
both under normal driving conditions and on
snow and ice. Always read and follow safety pre­ cautions
q .&, .
Winter ti res
By using all whee l drive, your veh icle has good
forward motion w ith standard tires in winter con­
ditions . However, using winter or all season tires
on
all four wheels in the winter is recommended,
because th is w ill improve the
braking effect.
Snow chains
If there a re snow chain laws, snow cha ins m ust
also be used on ve hicles with all wheel drive
¢ page 181, Snow chains .
Replacing tires
For vehicle s wi th a ll wheel d rive, o nly wheels wi th
the same roll ing ci rcumfe rence sho uld be used.
Avoid using tires with di fferen t tread depths
¢ page 173, New tires or wheels.
A WARNING
- Also, in vehicles with all whee l drive, adapt
your driving style to the current road and traffic cond itions. Do not let the increased
safety prov ided tempt you into taking r isks,
because this increases the risk of an acc i­
dent.
- The braking ab ility of your vehicle is limited
to the trac tion of the wheels. I n this way, it
is not different from a two w heel d rive vehi ­
cle. Do no t be tempte d to accelerate to a
h igh speed when the ro ad is s lippery, be -
cause t his increases t he risk of an acci den t. ...,
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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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Using the prope r engine oil is important for the
functionality and s ervice life of the engine. Your
engine was factory-filled with a high -quality oil
which can usually be used throughout the entire
year .
Note
Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not
cover damage or malfunctions due to failure
to follow recommended maintenance and use
requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's Manual and Warranty & Maintenance booklet .
- Use only a high quality engine oil that ex-
pressly complies with the Aud i oil quality
standard specified for your vehicle's engine.
Using any o ther oil can cause serious engine
damage.
- Do not mix any lubricants o r other additives
into the engine oil. Doing so can cause en­
gine damage.
@ Tips
If you need to add oil and there is none availa­
ble that meets the Audi o il quality standard
your eng ine requ ires, you may add a total of
no more than 0 .5 quart/li ter of a h igh-quality
"synthet ic"oil that meets the following speci ­
fications.
- ACEA A3 or API SM with a v iscosity grade o f
SAE OW-30, SAE SW -30 or SAE SW-40.
- Fo r more information abou t engine o il t ha t
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact either your authorized Audi dea ler
or Audi Custome r Relat ions at
1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
www .audiusa.com or www .aud icanada .ca.
Engine oil consumption
T he engine in your vehicle depends on an ade­
qua te amoun t of oil to lubricate and cool all of
i t s moving par ts.
In order to provide effective lub rication and coo l­
ing of in te rnal engine components, a ll internal
combustion engines consume a cer tain amount
of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to en ­
g ine and may change sign ificantly over the life of
the eng ine . Typically, eng ines with a spec ified
Ch eck ing and Filling
break-in period (see ¢ page 57) consume more
oi l during th e break-in period than they consume
after oil consumption has stabilized.
Under normal cond itions, the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on the q uality and viscos ity o f
the oil , the RPM (revolutions per minut e) at
which the engine is operated, the amb ient tem­
perature and road condit ions. Further factors are
the amount of oil dilution from w ater condensa­
tion or fuel resid ue and the oxidation level of the
o il. As any engine is subject to wear as mileage
builds up, the oi l consumption may increase ove r
t ime unt il repla cement of worn components may
become necessary.
With al l these variables coming into play, no
standard rate of o il consumption can be estab­
l ished or spec ified . T he re is no alte rnative to reg­
u la r and fre quent chec king of the o il level , see
Note .
If the yellow engine oil level warning symbo l II
in the instrument cluster lights up , you sho uld
check the o il level as soon as possible
¢ page 160. Top off the o il at your earliest con­
venience.
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN ­
INGS¢ .&.
in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 155.
(D Note
D riving wit h an insufficient oil level is likely to
cause severe damage to the engine .
(D Tips
- The oil pressure warn ing display. i s not
an indicato r of the o il le vel. Do not rely on
it . Instead, check the oil level in your en ­
gine at regular intervals , pre fe rabl y each
time you refuel, and alw ays befo re go ing
on a long trip .
-If you have the impression your engine con­
sumes excessive amounts of oi l, we recom­
mend that you consult an author ized Audi
dea ler to have the cause of your concern
159

Wheels
The tire pressures must be stored in the Infotain­
ment system again each time the pressures
change (switch ing between partial and full load
pressure) or after changing or replacing a tire on
your vehicle
c:::> page 184. The tire pressure moni­
toring system only monitors the tire pressure you have stored . Refer to the tire pressure label for
the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle
c:::> page 176, fig. 147.
Tire tread circumference and vibration character­ istics can change and cause a t ire pressure warn­
ing if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too low
- the tire has structural damage
- the tire was replaced or the tire pressure was
changed and it was not stored
c:::> page 184
- the spare tire* is installed
Indicator lights
ti] -Loss of pressure in at least one tire c:::> & .
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary.
Check/correct the p ressures of all four tires and
store the pressure again in the menu display
c:::> page 184.
@m (Ti re Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure : System malfunction!. If@m
appears
after switching the ignit ion on or whi le driving
and the
ti] indicator light in the instrument clus­
ter blinks for approximately one minute and then
stays on, there is system malfunction. Try to
store the correct tire pressures
c:::> page 184. If
the indicator light does turn off or turns on again
after a short period of time, dr ive to an author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Aud i Service Facili­
ty immediately to have th e malfunct ion correct­
ed.
_& WARNING
- If the tire pressure indicator appea rs in the
display, reduce your speed immediate ly and
avoid any hard steering or braking maneu­
vers. Stop as soon as possib le and check the
t ir es and their pressure.
- The driver is responsible for maintaining the
correct tire pressure. You must check the
tire pressure regularly.
184
'
-Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
driving style, w inter conditions or unpaved
roads), the tire pressure monitoring system
ind icator may be delayed .
- Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle. Us­
ing them when not permitted can lead to
veh icle damage or accidents.
(D Tips
- The tire pressure monitor ing system can al­
so stop working when there is an ESC mal­
function.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The tire pressure monitor ing system in your
Audi was calibrated with "Audi Or iginal
Tires"
c:::> page 173. Using these tires is rec­
ommended.
Storing tire pressures
App lies to: vehicles wit h Tire Pressure Monito rin g Syste m in­
dic ator
.. Make sure before storing that the tire pressures
of all four tires meet the specified values and
are adapted to the load <=:>page
175 .
.. Switch the ignition on.
.. Select: the
I CARI funct ion button > (Car) Sys­
tems *
control button > Servicing & checks >
Tire pressure monitoring > Store tire pressures
> Yes, store now.
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressures if snow chains
are installed.

Care and cleaning
wash operator to reduce the risk of acci­
dents.
- 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 braking effect
may be delayed due to moisture on the
brake rotors or ice in the winter. This in­
creases the risk of an accident. The brakes
must be dried first with a few careful brake
applications.
(D Note
- If you wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash, you must fold the exterior mirrors in
to reduce the risk of damage to the mirrors.
Power folding exterior mirrors* must only
be folded in and out using the power folding
function.
- To reduce the risk of paint damage, do not
wash the vehicle in direct sunlight. -
To reduce the risk of damage to the surface,
do not use insect removing sponges, kitchen
sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle components:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use polishing 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 could be damaged
when the stickers or magnets are re­
moved.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the veh icle in facilities spec ially de­
signed for that purpose. This will reduce the
risk of dirty water contaminated with oil from
entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When clean ing and caring for individual vehicle
components, refer to the following tables. The
information contained there is simply recom­
mendations. For quest ions or for components that are
not listed, consult an authorized Aud i
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility. Also
follow the information found in¢&..
Exterior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Windshield wiper
Deposits ¢ page 39, Cleaning the wiper blades
blades
Headlights/
Deposits Soft sponge with a mi ld soap solutiona >
Tail lights
Sensors/
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth with solvent-free cleaning solution
Camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth with alcohol-free cleaning solu-
tion
Snow/ice Hand brush/so
lvent-free de -icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special cleaning solution
Exhaust tail pipes Road salt Water, cleaning solution suitable for stainless steel, if
necessary
Decorative parts/ Deposits Mild soap solution al, a cleaning solution suitable for
Trim stainless steel, if necessary
186