Audi Q3 2017 Owner's Manual page 97

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compensate for the slightly reduced bra king
force by pressing firmly on the brake peda l. Avoid
heavy braking during the break -in period .
Operating condit ions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles a re sti ll sub-
ject to wear, depend ing largely on ope rating con-
ditions and driving habits ¢ & . On vehicles that
are either driven most ly in stop-and -go city traf -
fic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by your authorized Audi dealer more of-
ten than specified in the Warranty & Mainte-
nance booklet . Failure to have your brake pads
inspected can resu lt in reduced brake perform-
ance.
On steep slopes, you should use the braking ef-
fect of the eng ine. This way, you prevent unnec-
essary wear on the brake system . If you must use
your brakes, do not hold the brakes down cont in-
uously. Pump t he brakes at intervals.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depend ing on the
speed, braking force and outside conditions such
as tempe rature and humidity .
Effect of water or road salt
In certain situations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy ra in, after overnight con-
densat ion or after washing your car, the braking
effect can be reduced by mo isture or ice on the
brake rotors and brake pads . The brakes must be
"dr ied" first w it h a few careful brake applica-
tions .
At highe r speeds and with the windsh ield w ipers
turned on, the brake pads press aga inst the brake
rotors for a short amount of time. This action,
which is not felt by the d river, happens at regular
inte rvals and ens ures a better reaction time fo r
the brakes in wet weather.
The bra king effect can also be redu ced if you are
d riving on salted roads and you do not apply t he
bra kes fo r long pe riods of time. The layer of sa lt
on the brake rotors and brake pads m ust be worn
off first when the brakes are applied ¢ & .
Intellig e nt Technology
Corrosion
Leaving t he vehicle pa rked fo r lo ng periods of
t ime, low mileage and avoiding heavy braking
can contrib ute to corrosion on the brake rotors
and to dirty brake pads .
If you usua lly avoid heavy bra king or if t here is
corrosion present, occasiona l heavy braking at
high speeds is recommended to clean the brake
rotors and pads ¢ & .
Brake system malfunction
if you no t ice that the brake peda l t ravel has
sud -
denly gotten larger, then a brake circuit may have
failed ¢ & .
Low brake fluid level
When the brake fluid level is low, malfu nctions in
the brake system may occur. The brake fl uid level
is e lect ron ically moni t ored.
Brake booster
The brake booster amplifies the pressure you ap-
ply to the brake pedal.
It
only works when the en-
gine is running~ & .
Brake lining wear statu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in-
spect ion of the condition of the brake pads
t hrough the openings in the wheel. If necessary,
the wheel may be removed for this inspection
¢
page 198, Replacing wheels .
,&.
WARNING
- New brake pads don't have the bes t st op-
ping power and m ust be "broken-in" dur ing
the initial 250 mi (400 km) . You
can
com -
pensate for this by pressing the brake pedal
more firmly . This a lso applies later when
new pads are installed.
- You shou ld perform braking maneuvers for
the purpose of cleaning the brake system
only if road condit ions permit. Other road
users must not be put at risk - you may
cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed a nd sh ift transmission into a lower
95