2018 AUDI Q3 Start

Check ing and F illing
The correct fuel type for your vehicle can be
found on a label located on the inside of the fue l
f ill er door . For addit iona l information on fuel,
see
¢ page 152 .
For the tank capacity in yo ur vehicle, refer to the
Technical Data
¢ page 210.
To reduce the r isk of fuel leak ing out or vapo rs
escaping, make sure that the fuel tank is closed
correct ly. Otherwise th@
¢'41
) indicator light may
turn on.
If the central loc king system malf unc tions, the
f u e l filler door may emergency release
¢ page 155.
A WARNING
An improper fue ling procedure and improper
hand ling of fue l can lead to explosions, f ires,
severe bu rns and other injur ies.
- Do not smoke and keep away from open
flames.
- The ignition must be switched off when re­
fueling .
- Cell phones, radio devices and other radio
equipment should always be switched
off
when refueling. Electromagnet ic rays cou ld
cause sparks and start a fire.
- If you do not insert t he fue l pump nozzle a ll
the way into the filler tube, then f ue l can
leak out. Spilled fuel can ignite and start a
fire .
- Never get into the vehicle when refueling. If
there is an exceptional situation where t he
vehicle must be entered, close the door and
touch a metal surface before touching the
fuel pump nozzle agai n. This will reduce the
r isk of e lectros tat ic discharge t hat can ca use
flying spar ks. Sparks can start a fire when
ref ue ling.
A WARNING
We recommend that you do not t ransport any
fuel containers in the vehicle . Fuel could leak
out of t he container and ignite, especially dur-
l) Market -s pecific
154 ing an accident. Th
is can ca use explos ions,
f ires and injuries.
- If you must transport fuel in a fue l contain­
er, p lease note the following:
- Always place a fue l co nta iner on the
ground befo re fil ling . Neve r fill the fuel
contai ne r with fuel whi le i t is in o r o n the
vehicle. Elect rostatic charge can oc cu r
while refueling and the fuel vapo rs could
ignite.
- Fo r fuel con tai ners made o f me tal, the
fuel p ump nozzle must a lways maintai n
contact with the container to reduce the
risk of stat ic charge.
- Insert the fuel pump nozz le as far as pos­
sible into the f iller opening wh ile refuel­
ing .
- Fo llow lega l req uirements when using,
stor ing and transporting fuel conta iners .
- Make su re t hat the fuel container meets
the i nd ustry standards, for example ANSI
or ASTM F852-86.
(D Note
- Remove fue l tha t has overflowed onto any
vehicle components immediately to reduce
the risk of damage to the vehicle.
- Never drive unt il the fuel tan k is com plete ly
empty . The i rreg ular s upply of fue l that re­
sults from that can cause eng ine misfires .
Uncombusted fuel will ente r the exhaust
system and increase the risk of damage to
the catalytic converter .
(® For the sake of the environment
Do not overfill the fuel tank, otherwise fuel
can leak out when the veh icle is warming up.
(D Tips
The fuel filler door o n your veh icle does not
l ock if you lock the veh icle from the inside us­
i ng the centra l locking switch.

a
co
...... N r--. N .... 0 0 ::, co
Fuel filler door emergency release
If the central locking system is faulty, the fuel filler door can be unlocked manually.
Fi g. 134 Right si de tr im j:>ane l in the luggage compart­
ment: emergen cy release mechani sm
The emergency opening mechanism is located
behind the right side trim panel in the luggage
compa rtme nt.
• Remove the cover in the side panel.
• Loosen the strap from its bracket -arrow- and
pull on it carefully<=:>
fig. 134 c:>(D . The filler
doo r is released .
• Press on the lef t side of the fuel fille r doo r to
open it
<=:> page 153, fig. 132 .
(D Note
Onl y pull o n the loop until you feel resi stance.
You will not he ar it relea se. O therwise yo u
co uld d amage the eme rge ncy re lea se me ch a­
nism .
Catalytic converter
The vehicle may o nly be dr iven with unleaded
gasoline, otherwise the catalyt ic converter will be
destroyed .
N ever d rive until the tank is comp letely e mpty .
The irregular supply of f uel th at resul ts from that
can cause engine m isfires. Uncombus ted f uel will
enter the exhaust system, wh ic h can cau se ove r­
heat ing and damage to the catalyt ic converter .
A WARNING
-The temperature in the ex ha ust system is
high, both when dr iving and after stopping
the engine.
-
Checking and Filling
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes o nce they
have become hot . This cou ld resu lt in burns.
- Do not par k your vehicle over flammable
mate ria ls s uch as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the emissions con­
trol system could start a fire.
- Do not app ly unde rbody protectant in the
exhaust system area, because this increases
the risk of fire.
Engine compartment
' Working in the engine compartment
Special care is required if you are working in the
engine compartmen t
For work in the engine compartment, such as
checking and fill ing fluids, there is a risk of in­
jury, scalding, accident s, and burns . For thi s
reason, follow all the warnings and general
s afety pre caution s provided in the following in ­
formation. The engine compartment is a dan­
gerous a rea on the vehicle .
<=:> .&.
A WARNING
-Turn the engine off .
- Sw itch th e ignition off .
- Se t the p arking brak e.
- M ove the selec tor lever i nto the P position.
- Never open the hood whe n th ere is steam o r
coo lant escaping from the engine comp art­
men t, bec ause there is a risk that yo u could
be burned. Wai t until no s te a m o r coolan t is
escaping .
- Le t t he eng ine cool down.
- Keep children away from th e eng in e com-
p ar tme nt.
- N ever sp ill fluid s on a ho t engine . These flu­
i d s (su ch as the free ze p ro te ct ion contained
in the coolant) c an catch fi re.
- Avoid short circui ts in th e electrical system.
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the radiator fan can swi tch
o n even if t he igni tion i s sw itched off, w hich
i n cre a ses the r is k of person al injury.
~
155

Checking and Filling
-Never open the cap on the coolant expan­
sion tank when the engine is warm. The
cooling system is under pressure.
- To protect your face, hands, and arms from
hot steam or coolant, cover the cap with a
large cloth when opening.
- Do not remove the engine cover under any circumstances. This increases the risk of
burns.
- If tests need to be performed with the en­
gine running, there is additional danger due
to moving components (such as the ribbed belt, alternator and radiator fan) and from
the high-voltage ignition system.
- Do not under any circumstances give gas in­
advertently (for example, by hand from the
engine compartment) if the vehicle is sta­
tionary but the engine is running and a gear
is engaged. Otherwise, the vehicle will start
to move immediately and this could result
in an accident.
- Pay attention to the following warnings list­
ed when work on the fuel system or on the
electrical equipment is required.
- Do not smoke .
- Never work near open flames.
- Always have a working fire extinguisher
nearby.
- All work on the battery or electrical system
in your vehicle can result in injuries, chemi­
cal burns, accidents or burns. Because of
this, all work must be performed
only by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility.
- To reduce the risk of electric shock and in­
jury, never touch the following components when the engine is running or is being start­
ed:
- Ignition cable
- Other components in the electronic high-
voltage ignition system
- If you must check or perform work on the
engine while it is running:
- Set the parking brake and place the selec­
tor lever in the P (park) position first .
- Always proceed with extreme caution so
that clothing, jewelry or long hair do not
156
become caught in the radiator fan, fan
belt or other moving components or do
not come into contact with hot compo­
nents. Tie back long hair before beginning
work and do not wear clothing that can
hang down into the engine .
- Limit your exposure to exhaust and chemi­ cals to as short a time as possible
¢ &, .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engi ne exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and
reproductive harm . In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm .
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms.
Wash hands after handling.
@ Note
When filling fluids, be sure not to mix the flu­
ids up. Otherwise severe malfunctions and en­
gine damage will occur .
@ For the sake of the environment
You should regularly check the ground under
your vehicle in order to detect leaks quickly. If there are visible spots from oil or other fluids,
bring your vehicle to an authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Facility to be
checked.

Checking and Filling
Engine compartment overview
The most important check points.
Fig. 137 Typical location of the rese rvoir and the engine o il fil le r open ing
(D Coolant reservoir ( - L) ¢ page 162
@ Oil dipstick ¢ page 160
® Engine oil filler opening ('t:::r.) ¢page 160
© Eng ine oil label* w ith VW standard
evpage 158
® Brake f luid reservoir ((0)) ¢ page 163
® Vehicle battery(+) ¢ page 164, evpage 203
(?) Jump start point( -) w ith hex head screw
ev page 164, ev page 203
@ Washer fluid reservoir (O) ev page 165
® Fuse housing c:::> page 199
The oil dipstick (item @) and the engine oil fi ller
open ing (item @) can be located in different po­
sitions depend ing on the engine version.
_& WARNING
Read and follow all WARN INGS before check­
ing anything i n the engi ne compa rtment¢ &.
in Working in the engine compartment on
page 155 .
158
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci­
fications.
The serv ice interval d isplay in the inst rumen t
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it is
time for an o il change . We recommend that you
have your oi l changed by a n authorized Audi Se rv­
i ce Advisor.
If you must add oil betwee n oil changes, use an
oi l that matches the Audi oil quality standard
li sted on the sticker. The sticker is located at the
front of the eng ine compartment ¢
page 158,
fig. 137 .
Audi re commend s
~Castrol /fg/j;Sf.g;fg f'r Aud i recomme nds Longlife high performance
eng ine oil from Aud i Genuine Pa rt s
liJI,

Checking and Filling
properly diagnosed. Keep in mind that the
accurate measurement of oil consumption requires great care and may take some
time. An author ized Audi dealer has instruc­
tions about how to measure oil consump­
tion accu rately.
Checking the engine oil level and adding
engine oil
F ig. 138 Oil d ipstick (example): c hecki ng the engine oi l
level
F ig. 139 Engine compartment: eng ine o il filler opening
cove r
Observe the safety precautions c:> page 155,
Working in the engine compartment .
Checking the engine oil level
- Park the vehicle on a level surface.
- Shut the engine
off when it is warm. Wait ap-
0 N
-N ~ a, (D
prox imately two m inutes so that the engine oil
can flow back into the oil pan.
- Open the hood
c:> page 157.
-Remove the oi l dipstick <=> page 158, fig . 137,
wipe it off with a clean cloth and insert it all the
way in again.
- Remove the oil dipstick again and then read the
oil level
c:> table on page 160.
-Add engine oil if necessary.
160
Areas on the o il dipstick c::> fig. 138.
(D If the engine oil leve l is just before the
mark ing
(D , then engine oil must be added .
See
c:> @ .
@ Do no
t add engine oil.
Adding engine oil
- Unscrew the cap
't=:rl c:> fig. 139 for the engi ne
oil fil ling open ing
c:>page 158, fig. 137.
- Carefully add 0 .5 quart (0.5 lite r) of the correct
oil
<=> page 158.
-Check the oil level again after two minutes .
- Add a smaller amount of engine oil if necessa-
ry . The mark ing @ c:>
fig. 138 must not be ex­
ceeded c:>Cl) .
- Screw the eng ine oil filler cap
't=:rl and slide the
dipstick all the way in .
.&, WARNING
-When adding eng ine oi l, do not let o il d rip
on to hot engine components. Th is increases
t he risk of a fire.
- You must sea l the cap on the oi l filler open­
ing correct ly so that oi l does not leak ou t
onto the hot engine and exha ust system
when the engine is running, beca use this is
a fire hazard .
- Always clean skin thoro ughly if it comes into
contact with engine oi l.
(D Note
- The engine o il level mus t not be under the
marking
(D , because this increases the risk
of engine damage .
- After add ing engi ne oil, the oil leve l must
not be above the mar king @, because this
increases the risk of catalytic converte r and/
or engine damage . Do not start the engine.
Contact an authorized A udi dealer or au­
thorized Aud i Service Facility to have excess
engine oil extracted if necessary.
- Do not mix any addit iona l lubr icants into
the engine oil. Damage caused by such addi-
t ives is not covered by the warranty. .,_

Check ing and F illing
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine coo ling system is filled with a mixture
of pur ified wate r and coolan t addit ive at the fa c­
t ory . T his coo la nt must not be not changed .
The coolant leve l is monito red throug h the . in­
d icator light
¢ page 12. Howeve r, we do recom­
mend occasionally chec king the coo la nt level
manually.
If you must add coolant, use a m ixt ure of wa ter
a nd coo lant add it ive. Mixing the coolant additive
with d istilled water is recommended.
Coolant additive
The coolant additive is made of ant i-freezing and
corros ion protection agents. Only use the fo llow­
ing coolant add it ives. These addit ives may be
m ixed w it h each other.
Coolant additive Specification
G13
TL 774 J
G12++ TL 774 G
The amount of coo lant add itive that needs to be
mixed wit h water depends on the climate where
the vehicle will be operated . If the coolant addi ­
tive percentage is too low, the coolant can free ze
and damage the engine.
Coolant Freeze protec-
additive tion
Warm min . 40% m in. -13 °F
reg ions max . 45% (
- 25 °C)
Co ld min. 50% max. -40 °F
reg ions max. 55% (-40 °C)
CJ) Note
- Befo re the start of winter, have an author­
i zed Audi dealer or authorized A udi Service
Fac ility check if the coolant additive in yo ur
vehicle matc hes the percentage approp riate
for the climate . Th is is especially important
whe n driving in co lde r clima tes.
- If the approp riate coolant additive is not
available in an emergency, do no t add any
other addi tive . You cou ld damage the en-
162
gine . If this h appens, on ly use wa ter and re ­
store the correct m ixt ure ratio with t he
specified coo lant ad ditive as soon as poss i­
ble.
- Only refill w ith new coolant .
- Radiator sealant mus t not be mixed wi th
the coolant .
Adding coolant
Fig. 140 En gine co mpar tm ent: coo la nt expans io n ta nk
cove r
Observe the safety precautions¢ page 155,
Working in the engine compartment .
Checking the eng ine c oolant level
.,. Park the vehicle on a level surface .
.,. Sw itch the ignit ion off.
-"' -"' •
"" co a,
.,. Read the coolant level on the coolant expansion
tank ¢
page 158 , fig. 137. T he coolant leve l
must be betwee n the markings when the en­
gi ne i n cold . When t he e ng ine is warm it can be
slightly above the uppe r mar king .
Adding coolant
Requirement: there must be a residual amount of
coolant in the expansion ta nk
¢ (D .
.,. Let the engine coo l down.
.,. Place a clot h over the coolant expansion tan k
cap and unscrew the cap counterclockw ise
¢ .&._ .
.,. Add coo lant m ixed in the cor rect rat io
c;, page 162 up to t he up per ma rk ing .
.,. Make sure that the fluid level remains stab le.
Add mo re coolan t if necess ary.
.,. Close the cap sec urely .
Coo lant loss usually ind icates there is a lea k. Im-
med iate ly dr ive you r ve hicl e to a n author ized .,.

Checking and Filling
Detailed warning s for the vehicle b atter y:
®
Wear eye protection .
A
Battery acid is high ly corrosive . Wear pro-
tective gloves and eye pro tect ion.
@
F ire, spark s, open flame an d smok ing are
forb idden .
~
A highly explosive mix ture of gases can
form when charging batteries.
®
Keep c hildren away from battery acid and
ba tteries .
A WARNING
All work on the battery or electrical system in
your vehicle can result in injuries, chemical
burns, accidents or burns. Because of this, all
work must be performed
onl y by an author­
i z ed Aud i dealer or authorized Audi Serv ice
Facility.
A WARNING
California Proposit ion 65 Warning :
- Battery posts, termina ls and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chem icals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive problems .
Wash hands after handling .
(D Note
Protect the vehicle battery against freezing if
the vehicle wilt be parked for long periods of
time so that it is not destroyed by "freezing"
9 page 164, Charging the vehicle battery .
Charging the vehicle battery
Fig . 14 2 Eng ine co mpartment: con nect ors fo r a c har ger
and jump start cab les
164
Observe the safety precautions 9 pag e 155,
Working in the eng ine compartm ent.
Requirement: only use chargers with a maximum
ch arg ing curr ent of 30 amps /14 .8 V olt s.
The ve­
hicle battery cables remain connected .
The battery is located in the engine compart­
ment . T he ground po int
0 i s always located on
the veh icle body .
.,. Read the wa rnings
9 .&. in General warnings
about batteries on page 164
and 9 ,&. .
.,. Switch off the ig nitio n and all electrica l equ ip-
men t.
.,. Open the hood
9 page 157 .
.,. Fold th e battery cover upward 9 fig. 142.
.,. Clamp the terminal clamps on the charger cor­
rectly onto the ground point
O and the pos it ive
termin al(v .
.,. Now insert the power cable for the charging de ­
vice into the socket and switch the device on .
.,. At the end of the charging p rocess, switch the
charger off and pull the power cable ou t of the
socket.
.,. Now remove the charging device term inal
clamps.
.,. Close the batt ery cov er.
.,. Close the hood
¢ page 15 7.
A WARNING
- A high ly explosive mixture of gases can form
when charg ing batteries . Only charge the
veh icle battery in we ll-ventilated areas .
- A drained vehicle battery can freeze at tem­
peratures around 32 QF (0 QC). A frozen or
thawed vehicle battery must not be charged
and must not be used anymo re . T he battery
housing can crack and batte ry a cid can leak
out if ice forms, which increases the risk of
an explosion and chemical burns. Contact an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility for more information.
- Do not connect or disconnect the charging
cable wh ile charging because this increases
the risk of an explosion .

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Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your vehi ­
cle's value. It can a lso be a requirement when
submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage
and paint defects on the body.
The necessary care products can be obtained
from an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility . Read and follow the instruc­
tions for use on the packaging.
A WARNING
- Us ing clean ing and care products incorrectly
can be dangerous to your health.
- Always store clean ing and care products out
of reach of children to reduce the r isk of po i­
son ing .
@ For the sake of the environment
- Preferably purchase env ironmenta lly-friend­
l y cleaning products.
- Do not d ispose of leftover cleaning and care
products with household trash.
Car washes
T he longer that deposits remain on the vehicle,
the more the surface may be damaged. High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight increase the damag ing effect.
Befor e washing, rinse
off heavy depos its with
p lenty of water.
S tubborn depos its such as bird droppings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of water and a
microfiber cloth.
A lso, wash t he un derside of yo ur vehicle once
road sa lt stops being used for the season .
Pressure washers
When washing your ve hicle w ith a pressure wash­
e r, a lways fo llow the operating instructions pro­
vided wi th the p ressure washer. This is especially
i mportant in rega rd to the pressure and sp raying
d istance . Do not aim the spray directly at seals on
side windows, doors, the hood, the luggage com-
Ca re and cleaning
partment lid or the panorama glass roof* or at
tires, rubber hoses, insulating material, sensors *
o r camera lenses* . Keep a distance of at least 16
in
(40 cm).
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer.
Never use cone nozz les o r high press ure nozzles .
T he water temperatu re must not be above
140 °F
(60 °().
Automatic car washes
Spray off the vehicle before washing.
Make s ure that the windows and roo f* are closed
and the windshie ld wipers are
off . Follow instruc ­
tions from the car wash ope rator, especially if
there are accessories attached to your vehicle.
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes .
Washing by hand
Clean the ve hicl e starting from the top and wor k­
i ng down using a soft sponge o r cleaning br ush.
U se solven t-free cleaning produ cts.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
T o avo id damag ing the pa int w hen washi ng, fi rst
remove dust and large pa rticl es from you r vehi­
cle . Insects, grease spots and fingerprints are
best removed w ith a special cleaner for matte
finish paint.
Apply t he product using a microf iber cloth . To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the ve hicl e thoroug hly w ith wate r. Then
cl ean usi ng a neutral shampoo and a soft micro­
fiber cloth .
Rinse the ve hicl e thorough ly aga in and let it air
dry. Remove any wate r residue using a chamois.
WARNING
-On ly wash the vehicle when the ign ition is
off and follow the instr uctions from the car
185