esp AUDI Q3 2016 Repair Manual
Page 170 of 252
Care and cleaning
Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, prope r care helps to maintain your vehi
cle's value.
It can a lso be a requirement when
submitting war ranty claims for cor rosion damage
and pa int defects on the body.
The necessary care prod ucts can be obtained
from your authorized Audi dealer o r authorized
Aud i Service Facility. Read and follow the instruc
tions for use on the packaging.
A WARNING
- Using cleaning and care products incorrectly
can be dangero us to your hea lth .
- Always store clean ing and care products out
of reach of children to reduce the r isk of po i
so ning .
@ For the sake of the environment
- Preferab ly use environmentally-friendly
products when buying cleaning agents.
- Do not dispose of leftove r clean ing and care
products wit h household t rash.
Car washes
The longer that deposits remain on the veh icle,
the more the surface may be damaged. High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight
increase the damaging effect.
Before washing, rinse
off heavy deposits with
p lenty of water.
Stubborn deposits s uch as bird droppings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of water and a mic rofibe r cloth.
A lso, wash the underside of yo ur vehicle once
road sa lt stops being used for the season .
Pressure washers
When washing your veh icles with a pressure
washer, always follow t he ope ra ti ng inst ructions
p rovided w ith the pressure washer. This is espe
cially important in regard to the pressure and
spraying distance . Do not a im the spray directly
at seals on side windows, doors, the hood, the
168
rear lid or the sunroo f* or at tires rubber hoses I I
insulating material, sensors* or camera lenses* .
Keep a distance of at least 16 inches (40 cm) .
Do no t remove snow and ice with a pressure
washe r.
Neve r use rota ry no zzles or high pressure noz
z les.
The water temperatu re must not be above 140 °F
(60 °().
Automatic car washes
Spray
off the vehicle before washing.
Make su re that the windows and roof * are closed
and t he windshie ld wipers are
off . Follow instruc
tions from the car wash operato r, especially if
there are accessories attached to your vehicle.
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes.
Washing
by hand
Clean the vehicl e starting from the top and work
in g down using a soft sponge or cleaning br ush .
Use solvent-free cleaning products.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint
by
hand
To avo id damaging the paint w hen washing, fi rst
remove dust and large pa rt icl es from your vehi
cle. Insects, grease spots and fingerprints are
best removed with a special cleane r for matte
finish paint .
Apply the p rodu ct using a microfiber cloth. To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the vehicle thorough ly w ith wate r. Then
clean using a neutra l shampoo and a soft m icr o
fiber cloth .
R inse the ve hicle thorough ly again a nd let it air
dry. Remove any water residue using a leather
cloth.
A WARNING
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is
off and follow the instr uctions from the car
-
Page 172 of 252
Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Paint
Paint damage Refer to the paint number on the vehicle data label, repair
with touch up paint
c::;, page 229
Spilled fuel Rinse with water immediately
Surface rust Rust remover, then protect with hard wax; for questions,
consult an 1 authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv-
ice Facility.
Corrosion Have
it removed by an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility.
Water no longer Protect with hard wax (at least twice per year)
beads on the surface
of clean paint
No shine even though Treat with suitable polish; then apply paint protectant if
paint has been pro -the polish that was used does not contain any protectant
tected/paint looks
poor
Deposits such as in-Dampen with water immediately and remove with a micro-
sects, bird droppings, fib er cloth
tree sap and road salt
Grease-based con- Remove immedia tely with a m ild soap solution al and a
taminants such as soft cloth
cosmetics or sunb lock
Carbon parts Deposits clean the same way as painted parts c::;, page 168 , Car
washes
• > M ild soap so lution: ma xim um tw o tabl espoo ns of n eu tral soap i n 1 quart (1 li ter) of w ater
Internal cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Windows
Deposits Glass
cleane r, then wipe dry
Decorative parts/ Deposits Mild soap solutiona l
Trim
Plastic parts
Deposits Damp cloth
Heavier deposits Mild soap so lution al, detergent-free p lastic cleaning solu-
tion, if necessary
Displays Deposits Soft cloth with LCD cleaner
Controls Deposi ts Soft
brush, then a soft cloth w ith a mild soap solutiona)
Safety belts Deposits Mild
soap so lution a>, allow to dry before letting them re-
tract
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Page 173 of 252
Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
T ex til es
Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner
art ifici al leat her, the surface
A lcan tara Water-based depos- Absorbent cloth and mild soap
solutional
its such as coffee,
tea, blood, etc.
Oil-based deposits Apply a mild soap solution al, blot away the dissolved oil or
such as oil, make-up, dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
etc.
Special deposits such Special stain remover, b lot with absorbent material, treat
as ink, nail polish, la-afterward with mild soap solution, if necessary al
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Natu ral le ath er Fresh stains Wool cloth with a mild soap solution al
Water-based depos-Fresh stains: absorbent cloth
its such as coffee, Dried sta ins: stain remover su itable for leathe r
tea, blood, etc.
Oil-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable for
such as oil, make-up, leather
etc . Dried stains : grease dissolving spray
Special deposits such Spot remover suitable for leather
as ink, nail polish, la-
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Ca re Regularrly apply cond itioning cream that p rotects from light
and penetrates into the ma ter ial. Use spec ially-colored con-
ditionirng cream, if necessary.
Carbon p art s Deposits clean the same way as plastic parts
a) Mild soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 q uart (1 liter) of water
.8, WARNING
The windshield may not be trea ted with wa
ter-repelling windshield coating agents. Un
favorable cond itions such as wetness, dark
ness, or low sun can result in increased glare.
Wiper blade chatter is also possible.
@ Note
- Headlight s/tail li ghts
- Never clean headlights or tail lights with a
dry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cleaning product that con
tains alcohol, because they could cause
cracks to form.
- Whe els
-
- Never use a ny pa int polish or other abra
sive materials .
- Damage to the protect ive layer on the
rims such as sto ne ch ips or scratches must
be repaired immediately .
-Sen sor s/camera lenses
-Neve r use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens . This
could ca use the lens to crack .
- Neve r use ab rasive cleaning materials or
a lcohol to clean the camera lens . This
could cause scratches and cracks .
-Door window s
-Remove snow and ice on windows and ex-
terior mirrors w ith a plast ic scraper. To
171
Page 176 of 252
Fuel and Refueling
CJ) Note
-Methanol fuels which do not meet these re
quirements may cause corrosion and dam
age to plastic and rubber components in the
fuel system.
- Do not use fuels that fail to meet the speci
fied criteria in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether or
not a particular fuel blend meets the speci
fications, ask your service station or its fuel
supplier .
- Do not use fuel for which the contents can
not be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance prob
lems resulting from the use of fuels differ
ent from those specified a re not the respon
s ibilit y of Audi and are not covered under
the New Vehicle or the Emission Control
System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy or
driveability and performance prob lems due
to the use of one of these fuel blends, we
recommend that you switch to unblended
fuel.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufactur
ers is carbon deposit build-up caused by the type
of gasoline you use .
Although gasoline grades differ from one manu
facturer to another, they have certain things in
common. All gasoline grades contain substances
that can cause deposits to collect on vita l engine
parts, such as fuel injectors and intake valves. Al
though most gasoline brands include additives to
keep eng ine and fuel systems clean, they are not
equally effective .
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gas
oline . For more information on TOP TIER Deter
gent Gasoline, please go to the official website
(www.toptiergas .com) .
After an extended period of using in adequate
fuels, built -up carbon deposits can rob your en
g ine of peak performance .
174
(D Note
-Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Audi New Vehi
cle Limited Warranty.
- Do not add aftermarket fuel additive prod
ucts to your fuel tank .
Refueling
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
s ide panel behind the fuel filler flap .
If the power locking system should fail , you can
still open the flap manually -for detailed instruc
tions see
Q page 176.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle in
¢ page 230.
The label on the inside of the fuel fi ller flap tells
you the correct fuel for your vehicle. For more in
formation about fuel specifications, see
¢ page 173.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refueling
vapor recovery system. This feature helps to pre
vent fuel vapors from escaping from the tank and polluting the envi ronment while you refuel your
vehicle . In order to fill the tank properly while
protect ing the env ironment, please follow this
refueling procedure carefully.
A WARNING
Under normal operat ing conditions, never ca r
ry additional fu el containers in your car. Gas
canisters and other containers used to trans
port fue l can be dangerous . Such containers,
fu ll or empty, may leak and could cause a fire
in a collision. If you must transport fuel to
use for your lawn mower, snow blower, etc .,
be very careful and always observe local and
state laws regarding the use, transportation
and storage of such fuel containers . Make cer
tai n the container meets industry standards
(ANSI/ASTM F8S2 -86) .
Page 177 of 252
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(D Note
Never d rive your vehicle unti l the fuel tank is
completely empty. The ir regu lar supply of
fue l can ca use misfir ing. Gasoline co uld enter
the ex haust system and damage the catalyt ic
converter.
Refueling
F ig . 14 4 Rig ht rea r ve hicle side: Open ing the fue l fill er flap
F ig. 1 45 Fu el fil ler fla p w ith attached fuel cap
When activating the central locking, the fuel fill
er flap is automatically un locked or locked . Re
fuel the vehicle with the ignit ion turned
off.
Taking the fuel cap off
• Press t he left side of the fue l filler flap to open
it
¢ fig. 144-arrow-.
• Unscrew fue l cap counter-clockwise and hang it
on the fuel filler flap
¢ fig. 145.
Refueling procedure
• Insert the fuel nozzle from the gasoline pump
into the fuel filler neck as far as it will go .
• Select a medium refueling rate so that the noz
zle switches
off automatically when the tank is
f ull.
Fuel and Refueling
Putting the fuel cap back on
• After fi lling your tank, twis t the fuel c ap cloc k-
w ise as far as i t will go.
• Close the fue l filler flap .
T o avo id f uel spilling or evaporat ing from the fuel
tank always close f ue l cap prope rly and com
pletely . An im properly closed f uel fi ller cap may
also cause the MIL lamp¢
page 25 to come on.
A WARNING
- -
Improper refueling or handling of f ue l can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns .
- Fue l is highly flammable and can cause se
vere burns and other injuries.
- Fa ilure to shut the engine
off while refue l
ing and/or to inse rt the pump nozzle f ully
into the f ue l filler neck cou ld cause fuel to
spray out of fi ller neck or to overflow. Fue l
spray and ove rflowing fuel can cause a f ire.
- Never use a cellular telephone while refue l
i n g . The electromagnetic rad iat io n can
cause sparks t hat can ignite fuel vapors and
cause a fire.
- Never get back into yo ur vehicle whi le refu
eling . If in excep tional circ umstances you
m ust g et ba ck in yo ur vehicle wh ile refuel
i n g, make certa in tha t yo u close the doo r
and touch me tal to di scha rge s ta ti c elec tric
ity before tou ching the fi lle r n ozzle a gain.
Stat ic elect ricity ca n cause s parks that can
ignite fue l vapors released duri ng refuelin g.
- Never smo ke or have an open flame any
where i n or near your vehicle when ref ueling
or fi lling a portab le fuel container.
- For your safety, we strong ly recommend
that you do not trave l w ith a portable fuel
container in your veh icle. The container, full
or empty may leak and co uld cause a fire,
especia.lly in a crash.
- If , under except ional circumstances, you
m ust t ransport a portable fuel contai ner,
p lease observe the following :
- Neve r fill a por table f ue l con tai ner w hile it
i s an ywhe re in or on t he vehicle (f or exam
p le, in the l ugg age compa rtment, o r on
the trun k). Static electricity can build up
~
175
Page 179 of 252
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Checking and Filling Hood
Opening the hood
The hood is released from the interior.
Fig. 147 Driver footwell: release lever
Fig. 14 8 Rocke r switch under t he hood
<0 0 0
0
::,
"' CD
Make sure the w iper arms are not raised up from
the w indshield. O therwise the paint coul d be
damaged .
.,. Wi th the d river's doo r open, p ull th e leve r be
l ow the ins trument panel in the direct io n of the
arrow¢
fig. 1 47.
.,. Raise the hood s lightly . q &.
.,. Press t he roc ker switc h under the hood upward
Q fig. 148. This releases the catch.
.,. Open the hood.
A WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of be ing burned, never
open t he hood if you see or hear steam or
coolant escaping from the eng ine compart
me nt. Wait unt il no steam or coolant can be
seen o r he ard before caref ully opening the
hood.
Checking and Filling
Closing the engine hood
., Pull the hood down until the press ure from the
s tr uts is red uced .
.,. Le t the hood
drop down and lat ch in p lace . Do
not try to push it shut;
it may fail to engage
q &_ .
A WARNING
A hood that is not completely latched co uld
fly up and block your view while driv ing.
- When you close the engine hood, check it to
make sure the safety catch has prope rly en
gaged. The hood should be flush with th e
sur rounding veh icle body parts.
- If you notice while driv ing that the hood is
not secured prope rly, stop at once and close
it .
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the
engine compartment.
-
Whenever you must pe rform any work in the
eng ine compartment , for e xample check ing and
filling diff erent fluids, there is a ris k of injury,
burns and accidents. To prevent personal injury
always ob serv e the following WARNINGS . Th e
engine compartment of any veh icle is a hazard
ou s area
q .&. .
A WARNING
To he lp avoid injury, before yo u check any
t hing under the hoo d:
- Turn off the engi ne .
- Remove the ign ition key.
- Apply the park ing brake .
- Move selector lever of automatic transmis-
sion to "P" (Park).
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot com
ponents w ill bur n skin on contact.
-
-To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coo lant escaping from the engine compart
ment. Wa it until no steam o r coolant can be
seen or hea rd before carefully opening the
hood.
177
Page 185 of 252
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro
tects the engine from freezing in the winter .
The cooling system is sealed and generally re
quires little attention.
T he cooling system has been filled at the factory
with a permanent coolant which does not need to
be changed . The coolant consists of a mixture of
specially condit ioned water and the manufactur
er's glycol-basedcoolant add itive G 13 antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (SO% for USA mod
e ls; 60% for Canada models) . This mixt ure bot h
assures the necessary frost protec tion and pro
tects meta l components in the engine's cooling
system from corrosion and scaling . It also raises
the boiling point of the coolant.
D o not red uce the concent ration of the coolant in
the summer by add ing p la in water.
The propor
tion of coolant addit ive mu st be at least 50 %
but not more than 60 %
to mainta in antifreeze
protection and cooling efficiency. If the coolant
frost protection is too low, the coolant could
freeze and damage the vehicle heating and en
g ine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifree ze is added at the
factory for temperatures down to :
- -31° F(- 3S°C)USA
- -4 0 ° F ( - 40 °C) Can ada.
If you must add coolant, use a m ixture of water
and coolant addit ive. M ixing the coolant additive
with d istilled water is recommended .
_& WARNING
Before you check anythi ng i n t he engine com
partment, a lways read and heed a ll WARN
INGS
¢ .&. in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 177 .
(D Note
-Befo re winter se ts in, have the coo lant
checked to see if the coolant additive in you r
vehicle is sufficient to meet the cl imate con -
Check ing and Filling
ditions. This is especially important if you
live in a region where the winter is extreme
ly cold. If necessary, increase the proportion
of coolant additive to 60%.
- When adding coolant additive to your cool
ing system, remember :
- We recommend us ing only coolant add i
tive G12+ + or G13 fo r yo ur vehicle. This
coolant addit ive is avai lab le a t aut horized
A udi dealers . O ther types of antifree ze can
significantly reduce corrosion pro tect ion .
The resulting corrosion can cause a loss of
coolant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Adding ra
diator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and cou ld resu lt in damage not cov
ered by your New Veh icle Limited Warra nty .
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a
quick glance.
Fi g. 1 52 Engin e compar tmen t: Cover o n the coo la n t ex
pans ion tank
.. Before you check anything in the eng ine com
partment,
always r ead and h eed all WARN
INGS ¢ ,A in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 177 .
.. Par k your veh icle on a leve l sur face.
.. Tur n off t he ignit io n .
.. Read the eng ine coolan t leve l from the coo lant
expansion tank
¢ fig . 15 2, ¢ page 179,
fig. 149 .
With a cold engine, the coo lant level
should be b etween the "MIN" and "MAX" mark
ings. When the eng ine is warm, the level may
be slightly above the "MAX" marking. .,..
183
Page 189 of 252
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of
brake fluid as we ll as the special toots re
quired and the necessary expertise, we rec
ommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your authorized Audi dealer .
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the battery
in your Audi does not need any maintenance.
With
high outside temperatures or long daily
drives we recommend that you have the electro
lyte level checked by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop. The electrolyte level should
also be checked each time the battery is charged
c> page 189.
Have the battery checked when you take your ve
hicle in for serv ice. You are well advised to re
place a battery t hat is older than 5 years.
With certain types of airbag deployment, the battery is disconnected from the vehicle electri
cal system for safety reasons
c> & in Repair, care
and disposal of the airbags on page 125 .
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window regula
tors, for example) are lost if the battery termi nals are disconnected. These functions have to be
relearned after the battery terminals are con
nected again. To prevent th is, the battery should
only be disconnected from the vehicle e lectr ica l
system when abso lutely necessary for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of
several days or weeks, electrical components are
gradually cut back or sw itched off. This reduces
energy consumption and maintains starting ca
pability over a longer pe riod
c> page 157.
Some of the conven ience functions may not oper
ate, such as the interior lights or the power seat
adjustment. The convenience functions will be
available again when you turn on the ignition and
start the engine.
Checking and Filling
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity tends
to decrease as temperatures drop . This is be
cause more power is also consumed while start
ing, and the headlights, rear window defogger,
etc., are used more often.
Avo id unnecessary power consumption, particu
larly in city traffic or when traveling only short
distances . Let your authorized Audi dealer check
the capacity of the vehicle battery before winter
sets in
c> page 189. A well charged battery will
not only prevent starting problems when the
weather is cold, but will also last longer .
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the ve
hicle battery should be removed and stored
where it w ill not freeze. This will prevent it
from be ing damaged and having to be re
placed.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located in the engine compart
ment . Before you check anything in the engine
compartment ,
read and heed all WARNINGS
c>,& ,
Always heed the safety warnings, when working
on the vehicle battery or the veh icle electrical
system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very important
when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM·
BOLS and safety precautions when working on
the battery.
®
Always wear eye protection.
A
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Al-
ways wear gloves and eye protection .
187
Page 192 of 252
Check ing and F illing
CJ) Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to start
the engine . This will serious ly damage sensi
tive electronic components, such as control
units, relays, radio, etc., as well as the battery
charger.
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifica
tions and dimensions as the original equipment
battery .
Intelligent energy management in your vehicle is
responsible for distributing the electrical energy
throughout your vehicle
¢ page 157. The intelli
gent energy management system wi ll keep the
engine battery charged better then veh icles w ith
out this system. To make sure the addit ional
e lectrica l energy is available once again after you
have changed the battery, we recommend that
you install batteries of the same type and manu
facture only (the same as those installed at the
time your veh icle was delivered). Specifications
are listed on the battery housing. Your author
ized Audi dealer must code the battery in the en
ergy management system to enable you to use
the energy manageme nt functions correctly after
replacing the battery.
If it is not possible to use a battery of this type,
the new battery must have the same capacity,
voltage (12-volts), amperage, construction and p lug sealing.
When installing the battery, make sure the igni
tion and all electrical consumers are turned off.
@ Note
Make sure the ventilation hose on the side of
the battery is connected, otherw ise fumes or
battery acid can leak out.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of
a battery, we recommend your authorized
Audi dea ler change the battery for you. Bat
teries contain sulfuric ac id and lead and must
always be disposed of properly in compliance
190
with all environmenta l regulations. Disposing
of vehicle batteries improperly is very danger
ous to the environment.
Windshield washer system
Fig. 155 Eng ine compartment: washe r fluid reservoir cap
M N
-N ,.:
"' m
The washer fluid reservoir O contains the wind
shield washer flui d¢
page 179, fig. 149. The res
ervoir capacity is found in
¢ page 230.
To reduce the risk of lime scale depos its on the
spray nozzles, use clean water with low amounts
of calcium . Always add window cleaner to the wa
ter. When the outside temperatures are cold, an
anti-freez ing agent shou ld be added to t he water
so that it does not freeze .
(D Note
-The concentration of anti-freezing agent
must be adjusted to the vehicle operating
conditions in the respective climate. A con
centration that is too high can lead to vehi
cle damage.
- Never add radiator anti-freeze or other addi
t ives to the washer fluid.
- Do not use a glass cleaner that contains
paint solvents, because th is could damage
the paint.
Page 195 of 252
be happy to provide more infor
mation.
® Mud and snow capability
"M/5" or "M+S" indicates the tire
has character istics that make it
suitable for driving on mud and
snow .
& indicates a winter tire.
@Composition of the tire cord
and materials
The number of plies indicates the
number of rubberized fabric lay
ers in the tire. In general: the
more layers, the more weight a
tire can carry . Tire manufacturers
must also specify the materials
used in the tire. These inc lude
steel, nylon, polyester and other
materials.
@ Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the max i
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry.
@ Uniform tire quality grade
standards for tread wear,
traction and temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temper
ature ranges ¢
page 207.
;:: @ Running direction 0 ::,
~
...
'° V, N
'° ...
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional tires .
Wheels
You must always follow the speci
fied runn ing d irect ion
¢ page 218 .
@ Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
This number indicates the maxi
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated unde r normal operat
ing condit ions.
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined weigh t (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto
matic transm ission, power steer
ing , power brakes, power win
dows, power seats, radio, and
heater, to the extent that these
items are available as facto ry-in
stalled equipment (whether in
stalled or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the heigh t to
the width of the tire in percent .
Numbers of 55 or lowe r indicate a
low sidewa ll for improved steer
ing response and better overall
handling on dry pavement. .,.
193