2018 AUDI Q3 check engine light

Instruments and indicator lights
If your vehicle is stationary or if you are driving at
very low speeds, the temperature displayed may
be slightly higher than the actua l temperature
outside due to the heat radiating from the en­
g ine.
A WARNING
Do not assume the roads are free of ice based
on the outs ide temperat ure display . Be aware
that there may be ice on roads even when the
outside temperature is around 42 °F (+5 °C)
a nd that ice can increase the risk of accidents .
You can set the un its used for temperat ure,
speed and other measurements in the Info­
tainment system.
Indicator lights
Description
The indicator lights in the instrument cluster
blink or turn on . They indicate funct ions or ma l­
functions . With some indicator lights , messages
may appear and war ning signals may sound .
Some indicator lights are shown in multiple col­
ors in the instrument cluster display.
Di splay in Driver informat ion sy st e m
The indicato r lights and messages in the disp lay
can be covered by other displays. Disp laying driv­
er messages again¢ page 18, Operating using
the windshield wiper lever,¢ page 19, Operat­
ing using the multifunction steering wheel.
Overview
Some ind icator lights turn o n briefly as a function
check when you switch the ign ition on. These sys­
tems are mar ked wit h a./ in the following tables .
I f one of these indica to r li gh ts does not turn on,
the re is a ma lfunction in that system.
Red indicator lights
10
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US A mod els:
Brake system ./
¢ page 11
Canada model s:
Brake system ./
¢page 11
USA model s:
E lectromechanical parking brake
¢ page 12
Canada model s:
Elec trome chanical parking b rake
¢ page 12
Cooling system
¢ page 12
Engine oil pressure
¢ page 13
Alternator ¢ page 13
Safety be lt
¢ page 13
T ransmission
¢ page 71
El ectrome chanical stee ring ./
¢ pag e 93
Stee ring lock
¢page 13
Yello w ind icator lights
--------------
El ectron ic Stabil ization Co ntro l
( E SC) ./
¢page 14
E lectron ic Stabilization Control
(ESC) ./
¢ page 14
E lectron ic Stabilization Contro l
(ESC)
¢ page 89
USA models:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS) ./
¢ page 14
Canada model s:
Anti- lock b raking system (ABS) ./
¢ page 14
Safety systems ./
¢ page 14
Brake pads
¢ page 14

Instruments and indicator lights
If the ABS indicato r light LtiiJ (U SA mode ls)/ li]
(Canada models) , the ESC ind icator light
Dl and
the brake system ind icator light
1111 ( U SA mod­
els)/ . (Canada models) all turn on and this
message appears , then the ABS, ESC and braking
d istr ibut io n are malfunctioning ¢,&. .
Do not cont inue driving . See an autho rized Aud i
dealer or authori zed Aud i Serv ice Facility for as­
sistance ¢,&. .
1111 (USA models )/. (Can ada model s) Park­
ing brake: System fault! See owner 's manual
-If the indica tor l ight and the message appear
when the vehicle is stationar y or after sw itch­
ing the ignitio n on ,
check if you can release the
parking b rake.
If you cannot re lease the park­
ing brake, see an authori zed Aud i dea ler or au­
thori zed Audi Serv ice Facility. If you can rele ase
the parking brake and the message still ap ­
pears, see an autho rized Aud i dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility immed iately to have
the malfunction corrected.
- If the indicator l ight and message appea r while
dri vin g ,
the hill start assist or emergency brak­
ing func tion may be malfunctioning. It may not
be possib le to set the parking brake or release
it once it has been set . Do not park your veh icle
on hi lls. See an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility for assistance .
Applies to: USA models
If t he 1111 and EiJ indicator lights turn on a t the
same time, the brake pads are worn out
¢ page 14.
& WARNING
-Read and follow the warn ings in
¢ page 155, Working in the engine com­
partment
before open ing the hood and
check ing the b rake fl uid level.
- If the brake system indicator light does not
turn off or it t urns on while driv ing, the
brake fluid level in the reservoir is too low ,
and this increases the risk of an acc ident .
Stop the vehicle and do not continue dr iv­
ing. See an author ized Audi dealer or au­
tho rized Aud i Serv ice Facility fo r ass ist ance.
12
- If the brake system indicator light t urns on
together w ith the ABS and ESC indicator
lights, the ABS/ESC regu lating function may
be malfunct ion ing . Fu nctions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longer available . This
could cause the vehicle to swerve, which in­
creases the risk that the vehicle will slide.
Do not co nt inu e d rivi ng. See an autho rize d
Aud i dea ler or a uthorized Aud i Serv ice Facili ­
ty for ass istance .
PARK/<®) Electromechanical parking brake
If the -(USA mode ls) I. (Canada models)
i ndicato r light turns on, the parking brake was
set.
- (USA model s) /. (Can ada model s) Pre ss
brake pedal to r ele a se parking brake
To release the parking brake , press the brake
pedal and press the(®) button at the same t ime
or start driving with hill start assist¢
page 65,
Starting from a stop.
f p j Pa rking brake: S ystem faul t! See owner' s
manual.
T here is a ma lfunction in the parking brake. Drive
to an authori zed Aud i dea ler or a uthori zed Audi
Service Facility immediate ly to have the malfunc­
tion corrected.
(D Tips
For additional informat ion on the parking
brake, see
¢ page 63.
-F-Cooling system
• Turn off engine and ch eck coolant level.
The coolant level is too low.
Do not continue driving and switch the engine
off. Check the coolant level ¢
page 162.
-If the coo lant level is too low, add coolant
¢
page 162 . Only continue driving on ce the in­
dica tor ligh t turns off .
• Coolant temperature! Let engine run with
v e hicle stationar y.

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L et the engine run at idle for a few minutes to
cool off, until the indicator light turns off.
- If the indicator light does not turn off, do not
continue driving the vehicle. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility
for assistance .
A WARNING
-Never open the hood if you can see or hear
steam or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. This increases the risk of
burns. Wait until you no longer see or hear
steam or coolant escap ing .
- The engine compartment in any veh icle can
be a dangerous area. Stop the engine and
allow it to cool before working in the engine
compartment. Always follow the informa­
tion found inc::>
page 155, Working in the
engine compartment.
(D Note
Do not continue driving if the. indicator
light turns on as this increases the risk of en­
gine damage.
• Turn off engine! Oil pressure is too low.
Stop the eng ine and do not continue dr iving .
Check the engine oil leve l c::>
page 160.
- If the engine oil level is too low, add engine oil
c::>page 160. Only cont inue driv ing once the in­
dicator light turns off.
- If the engine oil level is correct and the indica ­
tor light st ill turns on, turn the eng ine off and
do not continue driving. See an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for as­
s istance.
(D Tips
The oi l pressure warning is not an o il level in­
dicator. Always check the oil level regularly.
0 Generator/vehicle battery
• Alternator fault: Battery is not being charg­
ed.
Instruments and indicator lights
T he re is a malfunct ion in the a lternator or the ve­
hicle e lectrical system.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately. Because the ve­
hicle battery is discharging, turn off all unneces­
sary electrical equipment such as the radio. See
an authorized Aud i dea ler or authorized Audi
Service Facility if the battery charge level is too low.
[•] Low battery charge: Battery will be charged
while driving.
T he starting ability may be impaired.
If this message turns off after a little while, the
vehicle battery cha rged enough while driving.
If the message does not turn off, have an author­
ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service Facili­
ty repair the malfunction .
,{,_ Safety belt
The . indicator light stays on until the dr iver's
and front passenge r's safety belts are buckled.
Above a certa in speed, there will a lso be a warn­
ing tone .
(D Tips
For additional informat ion on safety belts,
see c::>
page 106.
@-Steering lock
• Steering fault! Do not drive vehicle!
There is a malfunction in the electron ic steering
lock. You cannot turn the ign ition on.
Do
not tow your vehicle because it cannot be
stee red. See an author ized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility for assistance .
!II Steering lock: System fault! Please contact
dealer.
There is a malfunction in the e lectronic steering
lock.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
Ill>
13

Instruments and indicator lights
A WARNING
Do not tow your vehicle when there is a mal ­
function in the electronic steering lock - this
increases the risk of an accident.
f;,.1 [.} Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
-
lfthc bl indicator light blinks wh ile driving, the
ESC or ASR (Anti-Slip Regu lation) is actively regu­
lating.
If the
bl indicator light turns on, the system has
sw itched the ESC off. In this case, you can switch
the ignition off and then on to switch the ESC on
again. The indicator light turns off when the sys­
tem is function ing fully.
If the
II i ndicator light turns on, ESC was
sw itched off using the~ OFF button
¢page
89.
Stabilization control (ESC/ABS): Fault! See
owner 's manual
If the bl indica to r li ght and the ABS indicator
light
fJ1m (USA models)/ [i] (Canada mode ls) turn
on and this message appea rs, the re is a ma lfunc­
tion in the ABS system or electronic differential
lock. T his also causes the ESC to ma lfunction.
The brakes st ill function with their normal power,
but ABS is not act ive .
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler or a uthorized
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct io n corrected.
A WARNING
If the 11111 (USA models) /. (Canada mod­
els) brake system indicator light turns on to­
gether with the ABS and ESC indicator l igh ts,
the ABS and ESC regulat ing function may
have malfunctioned. Functions that stab ilize
the vehicle are no longe r available. This could
cause the vehicle to swerve, which increases
the risk that the vehicle will slide. Drive care­
fully to the nearest a uthorized Audi dea ler or
authorized Audi Service Fac ility and have the
ma lfunction corrected.
14
(D Tips
Fo r additional information on ESC and ABS,
r efe r to ¢ page
89.
!f Safety systems
The E,I indicator light mon itors the safety sys­
tems.
If the
E,I indicator light turns on or blinks, the re
i s a ma lfunction in a safety system.
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction cor rected.
A WARNING
Have the malfunction in the safety systems
inspected immed iately. Otherwise, there is a
risk that the systems may not activate during
a collision, wh ich increases the ris k of serious
injury or death .
(0) Brake pads
E+J Brake pads!
-
The brake pads are worn.
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
brake pads checked .
Applies to: USA mode ls
The E+J indicator lig ht turns on together with the
11111 indicator light.
EPC Engine control (gasoline engine)
App lies to: vehicles wit h gaso line e ngi nes
If the ~ indicator light turns on while driv ing,
there is an engine control malfunct ion.
Immediate ly drive slow ly to an authorized A udi
dealer or authorized A udi Service Fac ility to have
the malfunct ion corrected.
o Malfunction indicator lamp (MIL)
The ma lfunction ind icator lamp (MIL) is part of
the On-Board D iagnostic System (OBD II) . The .,.

¢4 symbol turns on when the ignit ion is swi tched
on and t urns off again once the engine is starte d
and running at a steady id le spee d. This i ndicates
that the MIL is functioning co rrectly.
The in dica to r lig ht turns on i f th ere is a mal func ­
tion in the en gine electronics . See an aut ho rize d
Au di dea le r or aut ho rize d Aud i Serv ice Facility to
have the ma lf u nction co rrected . For add it iona l
i nfo rmation, see ¢ page
17.
The indicato r light can also tur n on if t he f uel fi ll­
e r cap is not close d correct ly ¢ page
153.
!?) Engine speed limitation
App lies to: ve hicles with eng ine speed limitat ion
Ill Don't e xceed ma x. engine speed of XXXX
rpm
The engine spee d is automatically lim ite d to the
speed d isplayed in the driver info rmation system .
This protects the engine from ove rheatin g.
The engine spee d limitation deactivates once the
en gine is no longer in the c ritical tem perature
range and you have released the acce le rato r ped ­
al once.
I f the engine speed limitation was activate d by
an engine contro l ma lfunction , th e ~ indi cator
light also turns on . M ake su re that the speed
does not go above the speed d isplayed . D rive to
a n author ized Audi dealer or authorized A udi
Service Faci lity immediately to have the mal func­
tion cor rec ted.
'l=cr,. Engine oil level
• Check oil level.
Refill eng ine oi l as soon as possib le ¢ page 158 .
~ ..... Engine oil sensor
• Oil level sensor: System fault!
The senso r to c heck the engine oil level has
fa iled. Drive to an autho rized Aud i dea le r o r a u-
a thor ized Audi Se rvice Fac ility immed iate ly to have co
~ the ma lf u nct ion co rrected . ,....
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Instruments and ind icator lights
iu Tank system
ta 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 .S lite rs) of fuel lef t in t he
tank .
ta Fuel tank system malfunction! Contact deal ­
er
Dr ive to an au thor ized A udi dealer or au thori ze d
Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to h ave the
malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
F o r m ore i nfor mat ion on fu el ing, see
¢ pag e
153 .
o Washer fluid level
Appl ies to : vehicles wit h washer fluid level indicator
fl'I Please refill washer fluid.
Fill the w asher f lu id wi th t he ign iti on swit ched
o ff ¢page
165.
~ Engine start system
@-j i-:ngine start system: Malfunction! Please
contact dealer .
Do not switch the ignition o ff because you m ay
not be able to switch it on again.
Dr ive to an author ized A udi dealer or au thoriz e d
A udi Se rvice Facility immed ia te ly to h ave the
m alfu nct ion co rre ct ed .
Engine start system: Malfunction . Please con­
tact dealer.
The re is a ma lf u nct ion in t he engine sta rting sys­
tem .
D rive to an authorized A udi dealer or autho rized
Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have the
malfunction corrected .
15

Driving
braking effec t, which he lps to protect the brakes
and tires and reduces the emissions and fuel con­
sumpt ion to zero (fuel shut-off during dece lera­
tion) .
Shift effici en tly
Upshift ing earlier is an effective way to save fuel.
Staying in a gear too long uses fue l unnecessari ­
ly.
P ress down o n the acce le ra tor peda l slowly and
avoid " kick -down ".
Avoid full acceleration
You should rare ly trave l at the maximum vehicle
speed. High speeds cause a d isproportionately
h igh inc rease in fuel consump tion, emissions and
tr affic no ise. Slower driving saves fuel.
Reduce idling time
There are benefits to stopp ing the engine, for ex ­
ample when at railroad crossings or traffic lights
with longer red lights. Stopping the engi ne for
30 -40 seconds already saves mo re fuel than the
amount of extra fuel needed to restart the en­
gine.
It takes a very long time in idle to wa rm the en­
g ine up to ope ra ting tempe ra tu re. Wea r and
emissions are especially high in the wa rm -up
phase . Therefore, yo u should begi n driving im ­
mediately after starting the engine. Avoid high
RP Ms while doing t his .
Have maintenance performed r egularly
By having m ainten ance perfo rmed regu larly on
your ve hicle, yo u can he lp to reduce f uel con­
sumpt ion befo re yo u even start to dr ive. The
maintenance condition of your vehicle not only
affects traffic safety and long-te rm value but a l­
so impacts
fuel consumpt ion . A poorly main­
tained engine can lead to fuel consumption that
is 10% higher than normal.
Also check th e
oil level when refueling . T he oil
consumption
depends large ly on the engine load
and speed. It is normal for the oil consumpt ion
of a new eng ine to reach its lowest point only af ­
ter a certain amount of use. Therefo re, the oil
consumpt ion can o nly be properly judged after
58
approximately 3,0 00 miles (S,000 km) have been
driven .
Avoid short trips
The eng ine and exhaust clean ing system mus t
r each their optima l
operating temperature to ef­
fe ct ively reduce consump tion and emissions.
A cold engine uses a d isp roportionately high
amount of fue l. The engine reac hes operat ing
temperat ure and cons umption no rmal izes on ly
a fter approximate ly 2.5 m iles (4 km) .
Check the tire pressure
To save fuel, make sure the t ires are always in­
flated to the correct pressure ~
page 175. The
fuel consumpt ion can increase by 5% if the p res ­
s ur e is on ly 0.5 bar too low. Due to the i ncreased
rol ling resis tance, low tire p ressures w ill also
l ead to greater tire
wear and will affect driving
behavior .
Do no t drive on
winter tir es ye ar-r ound, as this
will consume up to 10% more f uel.
Eliminate unnecessary weight
S ince every po und of ext ra weight increases fuel
consump tion , a quick inspect io n of the luggage
compartmen t may be wo rth it to avoid unneces ­
s ar y we ight.
When not be ing used, a roof rack shou ld be re­
moved to decrease the w ind resistance of the ve­
hi cle. This will save yo u ap prox imately 1 2% fue l
at speeds from 62 -75 mph (100 -12 0 km/h).
Save energy
The eng ine drives the generator, which generates
e lectric ity; the fuel consumpt io n also increases
with t he demand for e lectricity . T he refore, sw itch
electrica l eq uipm ent off whe n you no longe r
need i t. Exa mples of eq uipme nt tha t uses a lo t of
energy a re air blowe rs at a high setting, the rea r
window defogger and seat heating* .
([) Note
-Do not leave engine idling un attended afte r
sta rting. If warn ing li ghts should come on
to ind icate improper ope ration, they wou ld
go unheeded . Extended idling also pro duces .,.

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Opening/closing the hood
The hood is released from inside the vehicle.
Fig. 135 Driver footwell: release lever
Fig. 136 Rocker switch under the hood
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~
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up from
the windshield. Otherwise the paint could be
damaged.
Opening the hood
.. With the driver's door open, pull the lever be­
low the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow¢fig.135.
Checking and Filling
.. Raise the hood slightly¢,& .
.. Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
¢fig. 136. This releases the catch .
.. Open the hood.
Closing the hood
.. Push the hood down until you override the
force of the strut .
.. Let the hood fall lightly into the latch.
Do not
press it in.
c> ,&.
A WARNING
-
-Never open the hood when there is steam or
coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that you could
be burned. Wait until no steam or coolant is
escaping.
- If the hood is not latched completely, it
could fly up while you are driving and ob­
struct your vision.
- For safety reasons, the hood must always be
closed securely while driving. Because of
this, always check the hood after closing it
to make sure it is latched correctly. The
hood is latched if the front corners cannot
be lifted.
- If you notice that the hood is not latched
while you are driving, stop immediately and
close it, because dr iving when the hood is
not latched increases the risk of an accident .
157

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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