AUDI Q3 2016 Owners Manual

wash operator to reduce the risk of acc idents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself
from sharp metal components when wash­
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings .
- After washing the vehicle, the brak ing effect
may be delayed due to mo isture on the
brake rotors or ice in the w inter . The brakes
must be dried first w ith a few careful brake
applica tions .
- If you wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash, yo u m ust fold the exterior m irrors i n
to reduce the risk of damage to the mirrors.
Power folding exte rior m irrors* must on ly
be fo lded in a nd out using the power folding
funct ion.
- To p revent paint damage, do not wash the
vehicle i n direct sunlight.
Ca re and cleaning
- To re duce the risk of damage to the surface,
do not use insect removing sponges, kitchen
sponges or s imilar items .
- Matte finish painted veh icle components:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use po lishing agents or hard
wax.
- Never use protective wax. It can destroy
the matte finish effect .
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted with matte
finish paint. The paint cou ld be damaged
when the stickers or magnets are re­
moved .
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle in facili ties s pec ia lly de­
s igned for that pu rpose. This will reduce the
r isk of dir ty wate r contam ina ted with o il from
en te ring the sewe r sys tem.
Cleaning and care information
W hen clea ning and ca ring for individua l vehicle
components, refer to the following tables. The
in fo rmation co ntai ned there is s imp ly recom ­
mend ations. For quest ions or for components that are
not listed, cons ult an autho rized Aud i
dealer or author ized A udi Se rvice Fac il ity. Also
f o llow the information fo und in ~ .&. -
Ext erior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Windshield wiper
Deposits ~ page 46, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
blades
H eadlights /
Deposits Soft sponge with a mild soap solutiona >
Tail light s
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth with solvent-free cleaning solution
Camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth w ith alcoho l-free cleaning solu-
tion
Snow/i ce H
and brus h/solven t-free de-icing spray
Whe els Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid
-free special clean ing solution
Exhaust tail Road salt Water, clean ing solution su itab le for stainless stee l, if nee -
pipes essary
Decorative parts/ Deposits M
ild soap so lution al, a cleaning so lution s uitable for stain-
Trim less stee l, if necessary
169
...

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
170

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

Care and cleaning
avoid scratches, move the scraper on ly 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 avoid damage to the rear w indow de ­
fogger, do not apply any stickers on the
heating wires on the inside of the window .
- Decorati ve parts /trim
- Never use chrome care or cleaning prod-
ucts.
- Paint
- To red uce the risk of scratches, the vehicle
must be free of dirt and dust before pol­
ishing or waxing .
- T o prevent pa int damage, do not polish or
wax the veh icle in direct sunlight.
- To red uce the risk of pa int damage, do not
polish away rust spots.
- Remove cosmetics and sunscreen immedi­
ately -these could damage the paint.
- Di spla ys
- To avoid scratches, do not use dry cleaning
methods on displays .
-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 o r th eir compo­
nents chemically or with cor rosive fl uids
or so lvents and neve r al low sha rp objects
t o come into con ta ct w ith the safe ty belts.
T his could cause damage to the belt web ­
bing .
-If there is damage to the webbing, the
connections, the retractors or the buckles,
have them replaced by an author ized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility.
- Textiles /art ificial leather/ Alcantara
- Never treat artificia l leather/ Alcantara
w ith leather care products, so lvents, floor
polish, shoe polish, spot remove or similar
prod uct s.
- Have a specialist remove st ubborn stains
to prevent damage.
172
- Never use steam cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc . when cleaning .
- D o not turn on the seat heating* to dry the
seat.
- Objects w ith sharp edges s uch as zippe rs,
rivets on clothing or be lts can cause dam ­
age to the surface .
- Open hook and loop fasteners, fo r exam­
p le on clothing, can damage seat covers.
Make sure hook and loop fastene rs are
closed.
- Natu ral leathe r
- Never treat leather with solvents, floor
polish, shoe polish, spot remover or sim i­
lar p roducts .
- Objects w ith sharp edges such as zippe rs,
rivets on clothing or belts can cause dam­
age 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 he lp prevent the leather from fad ing,
do not leave the vehicle in d irect sunlight
for long periods of time . If leav ing the ve­
h icl e parked fo r long pe riods of time, you
should cove r the leathe r to pro te ct it from
d irec t sunlight.
{D Tips
- Insects are easier to remove from paint that
has been freshly waxed.
- Regular waxing can prevent rust spots from
forming.

Fuel and Refueling
Gasoline
Fuel supply
Using the right fuel helps keep the environment
clean and prevents engine damage .
Fuel recommendation
The fuel recommended for your vehicle is unlead­
ed premium
grade gasoline. Audi recommends
using TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline with a mini­
mum octane rating of 91 AKI (95 RON). For more
in formation on TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline,
p lease go to the offic ial website
(www.toptiergas.com).
The recommended gasoline octane rating for
your engine can also be found on a label located
on the inside of the fuel filler flap. This rating
may be specified as AKI or RON.
Your vehicle may also be operated using unlead­
ed regular gasoline with a minimum octane rat­
ing of 87 AKI/91 RON. However, using 87 AKI/91
RON octane fuel w ill slightly reduce engine pe r­
formance.
Use unleaded gasoline only. Unleaded gasoline
is available throughout the USA, Canada, and in
most European countries . We recommend that
you do not take your vehicle to areas or countries
where un leaded gasoline may not be available.
For more information on refueling your vehicle,
see
r=;, page 17 4.
Octane rating
Octane rating indicates a gasoline's ability to re­
sist engine damaging "knock" caused by prema­
ture ignit ion and detonation . Therefore, buy ing
the correct grade of gasoline is very important to
help prevent poss ible engine damage and a loss
of eng ine performance.
Gasoline most commonly used in the United
States and Canada has the following octane rat­
ings that can usually be found on the filler pump:
- Premium Grade: 91 - 96 AKI
- Regular Grade: 87 - 90 AKI
Fuel and Refueling
Explanation of the abbreviations :
AKI=
Ant i Knock Index= (R+M)/2 = (RON +MON)/
2
RON = Re search Octane Number
MON= Motor Octane Number.
(D Note
- Do not use any fuel with octane ratings low­
er than 87 AKI or 91 RON otherwise expen­
sive engine damage w ill occur.
- Do
not use leaded gasoline. The use of lead­
ed gasoline will severely damage your vehi­
cle's catalytic converter and its ability to
control exhaust emissions.
Blended gasoline
Use of gasoline containing alcohol or MTBE
(methyl tertiary butyl ether)
You may use unleaded gasoline b lended with al­
cohol or MTBE (commonly referred to as oxygen­
ates) if the blended mixt ure meets the follo wing
criteria:
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
- Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must contain no more than 3% metha-
nol.
- Blend must contain more than 2% co-solvents.
Blend of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol or
ethyl alcohol)
- Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must not conta in more than 15% etha-
nol.
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
- Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must contain not more than 15% MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform es­
pecially well for winter or summer dr iving . Dur­
ing seasonal change-ove r, we suggest that you
fill up at busy gas stations where the seasonal
adjustment is more likely to be made in time. ..,.
173

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) .

.... N
c:i ::J CX)
.... I.Cl U"I
N I.Cl ......
(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

Fuel and Refueling
while filling and can ignite fuel vapors
causing a fire.
- Always p lace a portable fuel container on
the ground before filling.
- Always keep the filler nozzle completely
inside the portable container before and
during filling.
- If filling a portable container made of
metal, the filler nozzle must a lways be in
contact with the container . This will help
prevent static electricity from discharging
and cause a fire .
- Never spill fuel inside the vehicle or lug­
gage compartment. Fuel vapors are highly
flammable .
- Always observe local and state/provincial
laws regarding t he use, storage and trans­
portation of fuel containers .
- Make certa in the fuel container meets in­
dustry standards (ANSI/ ASTM
F852-86) .
CD Note
If any fuel has spilled onto the car, it should
be removed immediately to prevent damage
to the paint.
@ For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated nozz le
switches off automatically for the first time ,
the tank is full. Do not try to add more fuel
because fuel may spill out . In addition, the
expansion space in the fuel tank will be filled -
causing the fuel to overflow when it becomes
wa rm and pollute the environment.
(0 Tips
- Running your engine while refueling may
cause vapors to escape or even cause fuel to
sp ill out of the tank. This would then shut
off the fuel nozzle before the tank is full.
- Do not refuel your vehicle with the ignition
turned on. The fuel gauge may otherwise
not indicate the correct fue l level after refu­
eling.
- The fuel filler flap of your vehicle is not
l ocked when you lock the veh icle from the
inside.
176
Fuel filler door emergency release
I f the cen tral locking system is faulty, the fuel
filler door can be unlocked manually .
Fig. 146 Side tr im pane l in t he lug gage compar tmen t:
emergency release mechanism
The emergency release mechanism is located be­
hind the right side trim panel in the luggage
compartment .
.,. Loosen the loop from the retainer and then pull
on the loop carefully
<=> (D . The fuel filler door is
released .
.,. To open the fuel filler door, press on the left
side
Q page 175, fig. 144 .
CD Note
Only pull on the loop until you feel res istance .
You will not hea r it re lease. Othe rw ise you
could damage the emergency release mecha­
nism.

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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

Checking and Filling
-Keep children away from the engine com­
partment.
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary
electric fan is temperature controlled and
can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap when
the engine is still warm. The coolant system
is pressurized and hot coolant could spray
out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- Do not remove the engine cover under any
circumstances. This increases the risk of
burns .
- If work on the fuel system or the electrical
system is necessary:
-Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open
flames. Fluids in the engine compartment
could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher imme­
diately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal injury
while the engine is running or being started,
never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair with
the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake, move
selector lever of automatic transmission
to "P" (Park).
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get-
178
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts or
other moving parts, or from contacting
hot parts. Tie back hair before starting,
and do not wear clothing that will hang or
droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and chemi­
cal hazards
c::> & .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and
reproductive harm. In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm .
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms.
Wash hands after handling.
([) Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container or
filler opening, otherwise serious damage to
vehicle systems will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If you
see spots from oil or other vehicle fluids, have
your vehicle inspected by an authorized Audi dealer .