towing AUDI Q3 2015 User Guide

166 Trailer towing
Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trai ler, p lease remember
that the additional load will affect durability,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
For this reason, always fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
Technical requirements
Tr aile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suita­
ble for your vehicle and trailer and mu st be
mounted securely on the veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location. Use only a trailer
h itch with a removab le ball mount. A lways
check with the trai ler h itch manufact urer to
make sure that you are using the correct
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hi tch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way that
it does not interfere with the impact-absorb­
ing bumper system . No modifications should
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake sys­
tems . From t ime to time, check that all hitch
mounting bo lts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the
trailer h itch ball mount. This prevents the
h itch from causing damage should your veh i­
cle be struck from behind
¢ A .
Traile r brak es
If your tra iler is equipped w ith a braking sys­
tem, check to be sure that it conforms to a ll
regulat ions . The trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
direct ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system
~ A .
Saf ety ch ain s
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the trai le r.
Trail er light s
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be
sure to check w ith your authorized Audi dealer
for correct wi ring, switches, and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
us ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must install extended mirrors .
It is important
that you always have clea r vis io n to the rear.
,8. WARNING
- I f a trai ler has electrical brakes p lease
note that these brakes are not activated
by the factory -fitted control unit -risk of
accident!
- Afte r removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in your vehicle. In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and
injure you or your passengers.
- Never install a "weight distributing" or
"load equalizing" trailer hitch on your ve­
h icle. The vehicle was not designed for
these kinds of trailer h itches. The h itch
attachment can fail, caus ing the trailer
to tear loose from the veh icle.
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for your
veh icle, found on the safety compliance
label on the driver's s ide B-pillar, must
never be exceeded under any c ircumstan­
ces. Exceeding the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating of yo ur vehicle is likely to damage
your vehicle, and such damage will not
be covered by yo ur Limited New Ve hicle
Warranty . Exceeding the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating will a lso change the per­
formance and handling characteristics of
your veh icle, wh ich could cause a crash
resulting in serious injury or death.
-

M N
M N
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,...., ..,., ,....,
Operating instructions
6"
~ ~
I 1,2 ..
-{ }
l::_
-
2
Fig. 139 Permit ted ball position of the trailer hitch
Trailer towing weights
With a factory-installed or an aftermarket
trailer hitch, the maximum permissible trailer
weight is 2,200 lbs (1,000 kg). The maximum permissible unbraked trailer weight is 1,650
lbs (750 kg) . These specifications apply when
driving on roads having an incline of less than
12%.
Permissible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these
changed conditions, adjust the trailer load so
that the tongue load is at the maximum al­
lowable or slightly lower . You can get an ap­
proximation of the tongue load with a bath­
room scale or you can measure the load at a
trucking company or weighing station.
With a
factory-installed or an aftermarket
trailer hitch, the maximum permissible load
on the ball hitch may not exceed 220 lbs
(100 kg).
It is recommended to use the maxi­
mum permissible load.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢.&. in Driving instructions on page 168.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used with suita­
ble ball mount and ball¢
fig. 139. Installa­
tion of the hitch ball must be carried out in ac-
Trailer towing 167
cordance with the manufacturer's instruc­
tions.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­
er .
It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load.
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the tire pressure label. The tire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B­
pillar. Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire
manufacturers' specifications .
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. Check
to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners. When you install safety
chains, make sure they will not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
core and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the following :
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car it­
self is not loaded.
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles.
.,. Observe speed limits.
•
•

168 Trailer towing
• Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
• Always apply brakes early.
• Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car re­
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble, while keeping the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the circumstances. Whenever possi­
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -particularly
when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds
for vehicles towing trailers are lower than for
regular vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en ­
gine braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge c:> page 10
must be observed carefully . If the needle
moves close to the upper end of the scale, re­
duce speed immediately and/or turn off the
air conditioner. If the coolant temperature warning light in
the instrument cluster starts flashing., pull
off the road, stop and let the engine
idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build-up.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone ride in your car
who is not properly wearing the restraints
provided by Audi.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing
-
a trailer because of the additional weight and
different weight distribution. Safety, perform­
ance and economy will greatly depend on how carefully you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
have become completely familiar with the way
your vehicle-trailer combination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trailer generally requires
steering action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you. You will need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­
celerate as fast as you normally would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow
plenty of room for your trailer before chang­
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.

204 Tires and wheels
-Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported -including the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to cal­
culate the total weight of the
passengers and luggage or oth­
er things that you plan to trans­
port so that you can make sure
that your vehicle will not be
overloaded.
Steps for Determining
Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OC­
CUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX
KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehi­
cle's placard (tire inflation pressure label)
¢ page 199,
fig. 152.
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­ sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and pas­ sengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds shown on the sticker
r:=> page 199, fig. 152.
4. The resulting figure equals
the available amount of car­
go and luggage load capaci­
ty. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs.
and there will be five
150
lbs. passengers in your vehi­
cle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load ca­
pacity is
650 lbs. (1400-7 50
(5
X 150) = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step
4.
6.
If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your trail­
er will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual
to determine how this re­ duces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
... Check the tire sidewall
(¢ page 206, fig. 156) to de­
termine the designated load rating for a specific tire.

216 What do I do now?
What do I do now?
General information
.. Park the vehicle as far as possible from mov­
ing traffic in the event of a flat tire. In the
event of a flat tire, park the vehicle on a lev­
el surface . It you are on a steep incline, be
especially careful.
.. Set the parking brake .
.. Switch the emergency flashers on .
.. Put on a reflective vest, if ava ilable .
.. Set up the warning triang le, if available .
.. Have the passengers exit the vehicle. They
should move to a safe place, for example
behind a guard rai l.
A WARNING
Pay attention to the steps above. They are
for your protection and the for the safety
of other drivers.
A WARNING
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause
serious personal injuries.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bolts can­
not attain the necessary tightening tor­
que if you use the hex head, potentially
causing an accident.
- The factory-suppl ied jack is intended on­
ly for your vehicle model. Under no cir­
cumstances should it be used to lift
heavy vehicles or other loads; you risk in­
jur ing yourself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised, which could cause an accident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appro­
priate stands if work is to be performed
underneath the vehicle; otherwise, there
is a potential risk for injury.
- Never use the jack supplied with your
Audi on another vehicle, particularly on a
heavier one . The jack is only suitable for
use on the vehicle it came with .
Vehicle tool kit with
lifting jack
Fig. 158 Under the cargo floo r cover : Too l kit , auxiliary
too l and jack
The veh icle tool kit is stored under the cargo
floor cover behind the seat backrest
Q fig . 158 .
The vehicle tool kit includes :
- Hook for removing wheel covers
- Alig nment pin for changing the wheel
- Screwdriver with reversible blade
- Reversible bit (reversible Torx bit for chang-
ing light bulbs)
- Jack
- Auxil iary tool for selector lever emergency
release
- Lug wrench
-Towing eye
Some of the vehicle items listed above are
provided on certain models only or are option­
al extras.
Before returning the jack to its place , retract
the jack arm fully .
A WARNING
-Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bolts can­
not attain the necessary tighten ing tor­
que if you use the hex head, potentially
causing an accident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on­
ly for your vehicle model. Under no cir­
cumstances should it be used to lift
heavy veh icles or other loads; you risk in-
-
juring yourself. ~

218 What do I do no w?
checked as soon as possible and, if necessary,
replaced by an Audi dea ler or qualified work­
shop.
P lease no te the following restr ictions when
using the spare tire . The spa re tire is designed
specifica lly for this model. For t his reason, do
not use a spare tire from a different type of
vehicle.
Re moving the spare tire
.. Take out the floor pane l.
.. Remove the wing screw ¢
fig. 161 and take
out the retainer underneath .
.. Remove the bass box* ¢
page 217.
.. Take out the spare tire.
Snow cha in s
For technica l reasons, snow chains must not
be used on the spare tire .
Should you have a flat tire on one of the front
wheels when using snow chains, fit the spare
tire in place of one o f the rear whee ls. You can
then attach the snow chains to the whee l tak­
en from the rear and use this wheel to replace
the flat front twheel.
A WARNING
- Never use the spare tire if it is damaged
or if it is worn down to the tread wear in­
dicato rs .
- If the spare tire is more than 6 years o ld,
use it only in an emergency and w ith ex­
t reme caution and careful d riving .
- The spare tire is intended only for tem­
porary and short-term use. It should be
replaced as soon as possib le w ith the
normal wheel and t ire.
- After mounting the compact spare tire,
the tire pressu re must be checke d as
soon as poss ible. The tire pressure of the
c om pac t spa re tire must be 4.2 bar; oth­
erwise, you risk hav ing an accident .
- Do not drive faster than 50 mph (8 0 km/
h). You risk having an acc iden t.
- Avoid full-throttle acce le rat ion, heavy
braking, and fast corner ing . Yo u r isk hav­
ing an ac ciden t. -
Never drive using more than one spare
wheel and tire. You r isk having an acci­
dent.
- Normal summer or winter t ires must not
be mounted on the compact spare wheel
rim.
- For technical reasons, the use of tire
chains on the spare tire is not permitted.
If it is necessary to drive with tire chains,
the spare wheel must be mounted on the
front ax le in the event of a flat in a rear
tire. The new ly available front wheel
m ust then be installed in place of the
rea r whee l w ith the flat tire. Installing
the tire chain be fore mounting the whee l
and tire is recommended.
- Loose items in the passenger compart ­
ment can cause se rious personal injury
during hard braking or in an accident. Never store the spare tire or jack and
too ls in t he passenger compartment.
Changing a wheel
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your
own and your passenger's safety when chang­
ing a wheel.
.. After you experie nce a t ire failure, pull the
car well away from mov ing traffic and try to
reach
level ground before you stop
¢ page 216, ¢,& .
.. All passengers should leave th e car and
move to a safe location ( for ins tance, behind
the guardrail) ¢&, .
.. Engage the
pa rking brake to prevent your
veh icle from rolling unintentionally
c> &, .
.. Move the
selector lever to the P posit ion .
.. If you are towing a trailer : unhitch the trail­
er from your vehicle.
.. Take the
jack ¢ page 216 and the spare tir e
¢page 217 out of the luggage compart-
ment. .,.

M N
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No.
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
23
26
27
28
Consumer
A ir quality/outside air sen-
sor, heated washer jets,
Electronic Stabilization Con-
trol (button), reversing
light, electromechanical
parking brake, o il level sen-
sor, climate control, seat oc-
cup ied recognit ion system,
seat heating, contro ls in
center console, automatic
dimming mirrors
Eng ine control u nit, auto-
matic transmiss ion, bra ke
l ights, electro-mechanical
power steer ing, gateway
control un it, towing bracket
control unit, ESC contro l
unit, light switch, damping
control un it
H eadlight leveling, park ing
brake contro l unit, inst ru-
men t lighting, headlights,
diagnostic connector, adap-
tive light control unit, heat-
er for crankcase, air mass
meter, relay for electr ical
sockets, DC/DC converter
Parking aid
Reversing camera for park-
i ng a id
TV tuner
Eng ine starter cont ro l unit,
DC/DC converter
ESC control unit, air condi-
tioner controls, interface for
spec ial functions
e lectromechanical parking
b rake switch, switches for
interior lighting (front), di-
agnostic connector, light
switch, rain and light sensor,
humidity sensor
Rear window wiper
Starter control un it
Radio/MM I
Amps
5
7,5 10 5
5
5 5
s
10
15
40
15/7,5
Fu ses and bulb s 225
No. Consumer Amps
29
Supply for reversing camera
15 for park ing aid and TV tuner
30 Infot ainment 5
31
Infotainment 5
32
Instr ument cluster 5
33
Automatic dimming rear-
view m irror
10
E lectrica l socket in front
36 cabin, electrical socket in 20
luggage compartment
37 Electr ica l soc ket i n rear cab-
20 in, ciga rette lighter
38 Automatic transmission 15
44
Rear window hea ting 30
45
Parking brake control unit 20
48
Power-operated rear lid 30
so B lower 40
51
Parking brake control unit 20
52
On board supply control unit 20
53
Seat heating, front 30
54
Panoram ic sun roof 20
55
Sun b lind for panorama sun 20
roof
56
Contro l unit fo r suspension
20 cont rol
Engine compartment fuse assignment
The fuse number is given on the plastic be­
neath or above the correspond ing fuse.
No. Electrical equipment
amps
1 Power supply for automatic 5 transmission
2
E lectronic Stabilizat ion Con-
30 t ro l (E SC)
3 Horn 15
4
DC/DC converter 40
5
Onboard supply control unit 5
6
BCM (righ t-side) 30
7
Washer pump 20
8
BCM ( left -side) 30
•
•

228 Emergency situations
Emergency situations
General
This chapter is intended for trained emer­
gency crews and working personnel who
have the necessary tools and equipment to
perform these ope rations.
Starting by pushing or
towing
Q;) Note
Vehicles with an automati c transmission
cannot be started by pushing or towing .
Starting with jumper
cables
If necessary, the engine can be started by
connecting it to the battery of another vehi­
cle.
If the engine should fail to start because of a
discharged or weak battery, the battery can be
connected to the battery of
another veh icle,
using a
pair of jumper cables to start the en­
g ine .
Jumper cables
Use only jumper cables of sufficiently large
cross section to carry the starter current safe­
ly. Refer to the manufacturer's specifications.
Use only jumper cables with
insulated termi­
na l clamps which are distinctly marked:
plus(+) cable in most cases colored red
minu s(-) cable
in most cases colored black .
A WARNING
Batteries contain electricity, ac id, and gas .
Any of these can cause very serious or fatal
inju ry. Follow the instructions below for
safe handling of your veh icle's battery.
- Always shield you r eyes and avoid lean­
ing over the battery whenever possible.
- A discharged battery can freeze at tem­
peratures just be low 32 °F (0 °C). Before connecting a
jumper cable, you must
thaw the frozen battery complete ly, oth­
erwise it could explode.
- Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes
or skin . Flush any contacted area with
water immediately .
- Improper use of a booster battery to start a vehicle may cause an explosion.
- Vehicle batteries generate explosive gas­
es. Keep sparks, flame and lighted ciga­
rettes away from batteries.
- Do not try to jump start any vehicle with a low ac id level in the battery.
- The vo ltage of the booster battery must
also have a 12-Volt rating . The capacity
(Ah) of the booster battery should not be
lower than that of the discharged bat­
tery . Use of batteries of d ifferent voltage
or substantially different "Ah" rating
may cause an exp losion and personal in­
jury.
- Never charge a frozen batte ry. Gas trap­
ped in the ice may cause an explosion.
- Never charge or use a battery that has
been frozen. The battery case may have
be weakened.
- Use of batter ies of different voltage or
substantially different capacity (Ah) rat­
ing may cause an exp losion and injury.
The capacity (Ah) of the booster battery
should not be lower than that of the dis ­
charged battery.
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed a ll
WARNINGS ¢
page 179.
(D Note
-App lying a higher voltage booster bat­
tery will cause expensive damage to sen­
sitive electronic components, such as
control units, relays, radio, etc .
- Th ere must be no electrical contact be­
tween the vehicles as otherwise current cou ld already start to f low as soon as the
positive(+) terminals are connected. .,.

230 Emergency sit uat ions
-When connecting jumper cables, make
sure that they cannot get caught in any
moving parts in the eng ine compart­
ment.
- Do not bend over the batteries - danger
of chemical burns!
- The battery cell locking screws must be tightened securely.
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
r=>page 179.
Improper hook-up of jumper cables can r u­
in the generator.
- Always connect POSITIVE( +) to POS I­
TIVE(+), and NEGATIVE( -) to NEGATIVE
(-) ground post of the battery manager
control unit.
- Check that a ll screw plugs on the battery
cells are screwed in firmly. If not, tighten
plugs prior to connecting clamp on nega­
tive battery terminal.
- Please note that the procedure for con­
nect ing a jumper cable as described
above applies spec ifically to the case of
you r vehicle being jump started. When
you are givi ng a jump start to a nothe r ve­
hicle, do
not connect the negat ive (-) ca ­
ble to the negat ive (-) term inal on the
discharged battery @r=>
fig. 172. In ­
stea d, securely connect the negative( -)
cable to e ithe r a solid metal component
that is firm ly bolted to the engine block
or to the engine block itse lf. If the bat­
tery that is being charged does not vent
to the outside, escaping battery gas
could ignite and exp lode!
Emergency towing
with commercial tow
truck
General hints
Your Audi requires special handling for tow­
ing.
T he following information is to be used by
commercial tow truck operators who know
how to operate their equipment safely.
- Ne ver tow your Audi , towing will cau se
damage to the engine and transmi ssion .
- Ne ver wrap th e safet y chains or winch ca­
ble s around the brak e lines.
- To prevent unne cessar y damage, your Audi
must be tr an sp o rted with a flat bed tru ck.
- To load th e vehi cle on to the fl at bed, use
the towing l oop found in the ve hicle to ols
and atta ch to th e front or rea r anchorage
r=> page 231 and Qpage 231 .
& WARNING
= -
A vehicle being towed is not safe for pas-
sengers. Never allow anyone to ride in a
vehicle being towed, for any reason.

M N M N
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Front towing loop
Do not install the front towing loop until it is
needed.
Fig. 1 73 Fro nt bumper : Remov ing th e cover
Fi g.17 4 Fron t bumper: S crew ing in the tow ing loo p
The screw connection for the towing loop is
l ocated behind a cove r on the right side of the
front bumper.
"' Take the towing loop and the hook out of
the vehi cle too l kit
c:::> page 216 .
"'Inse rt the hook into the ho le in the cover
and carefully pu ll the cove r off in the direc­
tion ind icated
<=:> fig . 173.
"' Screw the towi ng loop tight ly into the
threaded hole as far as it will go
c:::> fig. 174
and t ighten it w ith the wheel wrench .
When it is no longer needed, unscrew the
towing loop and put it back into the veh icle
too lkit . Be sure to have the tow ing loop stored
in the vehicle at all times.
When re-insta lling the cover be s ure to first
insert the tabs on the cover into the retainers
near the radiator gri lle . Then insta ll the other
side of the cover and push it into the retainers
¢ fig . 173 .
The appearance of the cover varies from the il­
l ustration for some model versions.
Emergenc y situ ation s 231
A WARNING
If t he tow ing loop is not screwed in as far
as it will go, the thread can pull out when
the vehicle is towed -potent ia l risk of an
accide nt.
(D Note
The cover is attached to the bumper with
several hooks . Do not use excess ive force
when remov ing t he cover to avoid damag­
i ng it.
Rear towing loop
On vehicles without a factory -installed trailer
hitch*, the threaded hole for the towing loop
is on the right side of the rear bumper.
0
Fi g. 17S Rear bumper: Cov er cap
0
F ig . 1 76 Rea r bumper: Sc rew ing in tow ing loop
V ehicles with a towing loop
"' Take the towi ng loop out of the vehicle tool
ki t
c:::> page 216.
"' Press the cover in by app lying short strong
pressure to the bottom part to release it
from the bumper
c:::> fig. 175.
"' Screw the towing loop t ightly into the
threaded ho le as far as it w ill go
¢ fig. 176
and tighten it with the wheel wrench. Ill>