2020 AUDI Q3 service

Care and cleaning

Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your vehi-
cle's value. It can also be a requirement when
submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage
and paint defects on the body.
The required cleaning and care products can be
obtained from an authorized Audi dealer or au-
thorized Service Facility. Read and follow the in-
structions for use on the packaging.

ZA\ WARNING
— Using cleaning and care products incorrectly
can be dangerous to your health.
— Always store cleaning and care products out
of reach of children to reduce the risk of poi-
soning.

@ For the sake of the environment
— Purchase environmentally-friendly cleaning
products if possible.
— Do not dispose of cleaning and care prod-
ucts with household trash.
Car washes
The longer that deposits such as insects, bird
droppings, tree sap or road salt remain on the ve-
hicle, the more the surface can be damaged. High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight
increase the damaging effect.
Before washing, rinse off heavy deposits with
plenty of water.
Stubborn deposits such as bird droppings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of water and a
microfiber cloth.
Also, wash the underside of your vehicle once
road salt stops being used for the season.
Pressure washers
When washing your vehicle with a pressure wash-
er, always follow the operating instructions pro-
vided with the pressure washer. This is especially
important in regard to the pressure and spraying
distance. Do not aim the spray directly at the
234
seals on the side windows, doors, lids or the sun-
roof* or at tires, rubber hoses, insulating materi-
al, sensors* or 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 nozzles or high pressure nozzles.
The water temperature must not be above 140 °F
(60 °C).
Automatic car wash
Spray off the vehicle before washing.
Make sure that the windows and roof* are closed
and the windshield wipers are off. Follow instruc-
tions from the car wash operator, especially if
there are accessories attached to your vehicle.
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes.
Washing by hand
Clean the vehicle starting from the top and work-
ing downward using a soft sponge or cleaning
brush. Use solvent-free cleaning products.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
To reduce the risk of damaging the paint when
washing, first remove dust and large particles
from your vehicle. Insects, grease spots, and fin-
gerprints are best removed with a special cleaner
for matte finish paint.
Apply the product using a microfiber cloth. To re-
duce the risk of damaging the paint surface, do
not use too much pressure.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water. Then
clean using a neutral shampoo and a soft micro-
fiber cloth.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly again and let it air
dry. Remove any water residue using a chamois.

ZA\ WARNING
—To reduce the risk of accidents, only wash
the vehicle when the ignition is off and fol-
low the instructions from the car wash oper-
ator.

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Care and cleaning



—To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself — To reduce the risk of paint damage, do not
from sharp metal components when wash- wash the vehicle in direct sunlight.
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel ~— To reduce the risk of damage, do not wash
housings. decorative decals* with a pressure washer.
— After washing the vehicle, the braking effect — To reduce the risk of damage to the surface,
may be delayed due to moisture on the do not use insect removing sponges, kitchen
brake
rotors or ice in the winter. This in- sponges, or similar items.
creases the risk of an accident. The brakes — When washing matte finish painted vehicle
must be dried with a few careful brake appli- components:
cations. —To reduce the risk of damage to the sur-

face, do not use polishing agents or hard
@) Note wax.
— If you wash the vehicle in an automatic car — Never use protective wax. It can destroy
wash, you must fold the exterior mirrors in the matte finish effect.
to reduce the risk of damage to the mirrors. — Do not place any stickers or magnetic
Power folding exterior mirrors* must only signs on vehicle components painted with
be folded in and out using the power folding matte finish paint. The paint could be
function. damaged when the stickers or magnets
—To reduce the risk of damage to the rims are removed.
and tires, compare the width between the
wheels on your vehicle with the distance be- @) For the sake of the environment
tween the guide rails in the car wash. Only wash the vehicle in facilities specially de-
—To reduce the risk of damage, compare the signed for that purpose. This will reduce the
height and width of your vehicle with the risk of dirty water contaminated with oil from
height and width of the inside of the car entering the sewer system.
wash.
Cleaning and care information
When cleaning and caring for individual vehicle are not listed, consult an authorized Audi dealer
components, refer to the following tables. The or authorized Audi Service Facility. Also follow
information contained there is simply recommen- __ the information found in > A.
dations. For questions or for components that
Exterior cleaning








Component Situation Solution
Windshield wiper | Deposits Soft cloth with glass cleaner > page 51
blades
Headlights/ Deposits Soft sponge with a mild soap solution®
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/solvent-free de-icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special cleaning solution >

235

Care and cleaning



Component Situation Solution
Exhaust tail pipes | Road salt Water, cleaning solution suitable for stainless steel, if nec-
essary
Decorative parts/ | Deposits Mild soap solution ®), a cleaning solution suitable for stain-
Trim less steel, if necessary

Paint Paint damage Repair with touch-up paint

Spilled fuel Rinse with water immediately

Surface rust Rust remover, then treat with hard wax; for questions, con-
sult an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility.

Corrosion Have it removed by an authorized Audi dealer or author-
ized Audi Service Facility.

Water no longer
beads on the surface
of clean paint
Treat with hard wax (at least twice per year)

No shine even though
paint has been pro-
tected/paint looks
poor
Treat with suitable polish; then apply paint protectant if
the polish that was used does not contain any protectant

Deposits such as in-
sects, bird droppings,
tree sap, and road
salt
Dampen with water immediately and remove with a micro-
fiber cloth

Grease-based con-
taminants such as
cosmetics or sunblock
Remove immediately with a mild soap solution ® anda
soft cloth


Carbon compo- Deposits Clean the same way as painted components > page 234
nents
Decorative decals | Deposits Soft sponge with a mild soap solution®

a) Mild soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of
Interior cleaning
neutral soap in 1 quart (1 liter) of water


Component Situation Solution
Window glass Deposits Glass cleaner, then wipe dry
Decorative parts/ | Deposits Mild soap solution®)
Trim
Plastic parts Deposits Damp cloth

Heavier deposits Mild soap solution ®), detergent-free plastic cleaning solu-
tion, if necessary


Displays/instru- | Deposits Soft cloth with LCD cleaner; dust in the lower area of the
ment cluster instrument cluster can be removed using a soft brush.
Controls Deposits Soft brush, then a soft cloth with a mild soap solution®
Safety belts Deposits Mild soap solution ), allow to dry before letting them re-

tract

236

Care and cleaning

— Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens. This
could cause the lens to crack.
— Never use abrasive cleaning materials or
alcohol to clean the camera lens. This
could cause scratches and cracks.
— Door windows
— Remove snow and ice on windows and ex-
terior mirrors with a plastic scraper. To re-
duce the risk of scratches, move the scra-
per only in one direction and not back and
forth.
— Never remove snow or ice from door win-
dows and mirrors using warm or hot water
because this could cause cracks to form.
—To reduce the risk of damage to the rear
window defogger, do not apply any stick-
ers on the heating wires on the inside of
the window.
— Decorative parts and trim
— Never use chrome care or cleaning prod-
ucts.
— Paint
— To reduce the risk of scratches, the vehicle
must be free of dirt and dust before pol-
ishing or waxing.
—To prevent paint damage, do not polish or
wax the vehicle in direct sunlight.
—To reduce the risk of paint damage, do not
polish away rust spots.
— Remove cosmetics and sunscreen immedi-
ately because they could damage the
paint.
— Decorative decals
—To reduce the risk of damage, do not use
any rough powder or abrasive cleaning
products.
—To reduce the risk of damage, do not pol-
ish decorative decals that have a matte or
printed finish.
— Due to the risk of damage, do not use an
ice scraper to remove snow and ice on win-
dows with decorative decals on them.
— Displays and instrument cluster
— Make sure that the display and instrument
cluster are switched off and have cooled
down before cleaning. To switch off the
238
center display, select on the MMI home
screen: SETTINGS > Display & brightness
> MMI > Screen cleaning.
— Displays, the instrument cluster, and the
trim surrounding it must not be cleaned
with dry cleaning methods because they
could become scratched.
— Make sure no fluids enter the spaces be-
tween the instrument cluster and the
trim, because that could cause damage.
— Controls
— Make sure that no fluids enter the con-
trols, because this could cause damage.
— Safety belts
— Do not remove the safety belts to clean
them.
— Never clean safety belts or their compo-
nents with chemicals or with corrosive flu-
ids or solvents and never allow sharp ob-
jects to come into contact with the safety
belts. This could cause damage to the belt
webbing.
—If there is damage to the webbing, the
connections, the retractors, or the buck-
les, have them replaced by an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa-
cility.
— Textiles, artificial leather, and Alcantara
— Never treat artificial leather or Alcantara
with leather care products, solvents, floor
polish, shoe polish, spot remover, or simi-
lar products.
— Have a cleaning specialist remove stub-
born stains to reduce the risk of damage.
— Never use steam cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc. when cleaning.
— Do not turn on the seat heating* to dry
the seat.
— Objects with sharp edges, such as zippers
or rivets on clothing or belts, can cause
damage to the surface.
— Open hook and loop fasteners, for exam-
ple on clothing, can damage seat covers.
Make sure hook and loop fasteners are
closed.
— Natural leather

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Care and cleaning

— Never treat leather with solvents, floor
polish, shoe polish, spot remover or simi-
lar products.
— Objects with sharp edges, such as zippers
or rivets on clothing or belts, can cause
damage to the surface.
— Never use steam cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc. when cleaning.
— Do not turn on the seat heating* to dry
the seat.
—To help prevent the leather from fading,
do not leave the vehicle in direct sunlight
for long periods of time. If leaving the ve-
hicle parked for long periods of time, you
should cover the leather to protect it from
direct sunlight.
G) Tips
— Insects are easier to remove from paint that
has been freshly waxed.
— Regular waxing can prevent rust spots from
forming.
— Decorative decals can age due to environ-
mental conditions, which can result in dam-
age such as brittleness. The color may fade
if exposed to excessive sunlight.
Taking your vehicle out
of service
If you would like to take your vehicle out of serv-
ice for a Long period of time, contact an author-
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili-
ty. They will advise you of important measures,
such as corrosion protection, service, and storage
procedures. Also follow the information about
the vehicle battery > page 210.
239

83A012721BB
Emergency assistance

ON elated ere) od
Applies to: vehicles with anti-theft wheel bolts
i
»
Fig. 154 Anti-theft wheel bolt with cap and adapter


B4H-0470
ie


You need a special adapter in the vehicle tool kit
to remove the anti-theft wheel bolts.
» Remove the cap @).
> Slide the adapter @) all the way onto the anti-
theft wheel bolt @.
> Slide the wheel wrench from the vehicle tool kit
all
the way onto the adapter @).
> Loosen the wheel bolt > page 241.
@ Tips
Note the code number for the wheel bolt
adapter and store it in a safe place separate
from the vehicle. If you need a replacement
adapter, contact an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility and give them
the code number.
Loosening the wheel bolts


B4S-0221

Sh
Fig. 155 Wheel: loosening the wheel bolt


D_ You need the matching adapter in order to loosen and
tighten anti-theft wheel bolts* > page 241.
> Slide the wheel wrench from the vehicle tool kit
all the way onto the wheel bolt).
> Turn the wheel bolt approximately one turn to
the left. To achieve the required torque, hold
the end of the wheel wrench. If the wheel bolt
will not loosen, press carefully on the wheel
wrench with your foot. Hold onto the vehicle se-
curely while doing this and make sure your foot-
ing is stable.

ZA\ WARNING
To reduce the risk of an accident, only loosen
the wheel bolts gently one turn before raising
the
vehicle with the vehicle jack*.
Raising the vehicle
Applies to: vehicles with vehicle jack






Fig. 157 Sill: positioning the vehicle jack
> Place the vehicle jack from the vehicle tool kit
ona firm surface. Use a flat, stable support if
necessary. On a slippery surface such as tile,
you should use a non-slip pad such as a rubber
mat > A\.
241
>

83A012721BB
Emergency assistance

The wheel bolts must be clean and loosen and
tighten easily. Check the contact surfaces for the
wheel and hub. Contaminants on these surfaces
must be removed before installing the wheel.

Z\ WARNING
— Read and follow the important information
and notes under > page 221.
— Never use the hex socket in the screwdriver
handle to tighten the wheel bolts. Using the
hex socket will not achieve the required
tightening torque, which increases the risk
of an accident.
C) Note
When removing or installing the wheel, the
rim
could hit the brake rotor and damage the
rotor. Work carefully and have a second per-
son help you.
Unidirectional tires
A unidirectional tire profile is identified by arrows
on the tire sidewall that point in the running di-
rection. You must always maintain the specified
running direction. This is necessary to ensure the
tire's optimal performance in regard to adhesion,
running noise, and friction, and to reduce the risk
of
hydroplaning.

To benefit fully from the advantages of the uni-
directional tire design, you should replace faulty
tires as soon as possible and restore the correct
running direction on all of the tires.
> Reinstall the caps on the wheel bolts if necessa-
ry.
> Store the vehicle tool kit in its designated
place.
> If the removed wheel does not fit in the spare
wheel well, store it securely in the luggage
compartment > page 74.
> Check the tire pressure on the installed wheel
as soon as possible.
> Correct the tire pressure and store it
> page 233.
> The wheel bolt tightening specification must be
100 ft lbs (140 Nm). Have it checked as soon as
possible with a torque wrench. Drive carefully
until then.
> Have the faulty wheel replaced as quickly as
possible.
Spare tire
tute Mae eis
Applies to: vehicles with subwoofer
The subwoofer must be removed before the
spare tire*/temporary spare tire* can be re-
moved.



Fig. 160 Spare tire well: subwoofer
Removing the subwoofer
> Pull out the red connector lock @).
>» Remove the connector (2) and set the discon-
nected cable aside.
> Turn the handwheel counter-clockwise and re-
move it.
> Carefully remove the subwoofer.
Installing the subwoofer
> Carefully place the subwoofer in the rim well.
The word “FRONT” on the subwoofer must face
forward.
> Insert the connector that was removed.
> Secure the subwoofer with the handle.
Byer leet Ue iy re
Applies to: vehicles with space-saving spare tire (compact
spare tire)
The spare tire is intended for short-term use only.
Have the damaged tire checked and replaced if
necessary by an authorized Audi dealer or author-
ized Audi Service Facility as soon as possible.
243
>

Emergency assistance

There are some restrictions on the use of the
compact spare tire. The compact spare tire has
been designed specifically for your type of vehi-
cle. Do not replace it with the spare tire from an-
other type of vehicle.
The compact spare tire is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover
=> page 240.
The tire pressure must be 61 PSI (420 kPA).
Snow chains
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains on
the compact spare tire is not permitted.
If you have to drive with snow chains and a front
tire fails, mount the spare tire in place of a rear
tire. Install the snow chains on the rear tire that
you removed, and install that in place of the
front tire that failed.

ZA WARNING
— After installing a spare tire, the tire pressure
must be checked as soon as possible.
— Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h)
with a compact spare tire. Driving faster
than that increases the risk of an accident.
— To reduce the risk of an accident, avoid hard
acceleration or braking and driving fast
around curves with the compact spare tire.
— To reduce the risk of an accident, never drive
with more than one compact spare tire.
— Normal summer or winter tires must not be
mounted on the compact spare wheel rim.

battery that is giving power must not be less
than the capacity of the drained vehicle battery.
Jump start cable
Only use a jump start cable with a large enough
diameter. Note the manufacturer's specifica-
tions.
Only use a jump start cable with insulated termi-
nal clamps.
Positive cable - usually red.
Negative cable - usually black.

ZA WARNING
— A drained battery can freeze at tempera-
tures around 32 °F (0 °C). If the vehicle bat-
tery is frozen, it must be thawed before con-
necting the jump start cables. If it is not,
the risk of an explosion and chemical burns
increases. After jump starting the vehicle,
drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author-
ized Audi Service Facility immediately to
have the vehicle battery checked.
— Read the warnings when working in the en-
gine compartment > page 201.
— Handling the jump start cables incorrectly
may cause the vehicle battery to explode
and lead to serious injuries.
—To reduce the risk of chemical burns, do not

bend over the vehicle battery.


Jump starting
You should only perform the steps that follow if
you have the necessary tools and technical ex-
pertise.
If the engine does not start because the vehicle
battery is drained, you can jump start your vehi-
cle using another vehicle. Jump start cables are
needed to do this.
Both vehicle batteries must have 12 V nominal
voltage. The voltage capacity (Ah) of the vehicle
244
() Note
Jump start cables can cause considerable
damage to the vehicle electrical system if
they are connected incorrectly.
G) Tips
— There must be no contact between the
vehicles, or else voltage could flow when
connecting the positive terminal and drain
the vehicle battery of the vehicle providing
the jump start.
— The drained vehicle battery must be con-
nected correctly to the electrical system.
— Switch off electrical equipment that is not
needed.