2010 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET service indicator

are wearing your safety belt and wear ing it properly . This is why you
should always wear your safety belt, not just because the law requires
you to do so::::>
page 190, "General notes".
The safety belt buckle for the driver and front seat passenger have
switches that tell the airbag control module if the safety belt is being
used or not. If the safety belt is being used, the knee airbag will
dep loy at a slightly higher rate of deceleration than if the belt is not
being used. Therefore, in a particular collision, it is poss ible that an
airbag will not deploy at a seating position where the safety belt is
being used but will inflate at the position whe re the safety be lt is not
being used.
Remember too, airbags w ill deploy only once and only in certa in kinds
of accidents -your safety belts are always there to offer protection in
t hose accidents in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when
they have already deployed, for example when your vehicle strikes or
is struck by another after the first collision.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is not a substitute for the
safety belt. The airbag system wo rks most effective ly when used with
the safety belts. Therefore, always wear your safety belts correctly .
It is important to remember that while the supplemental airbag
system is desig ned to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example, swe lling, bruis ing, and minor abrasions can
also be associated with airbags.
The knee airbag system basically consists of:
• Th e electronic control module
• T wo inflatable airbags (airbag and gas generator), one for the
driver and one for the front passenger
• The airbag indicator light in the instrument panel
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
• when the ignition is turned off
• in front-end collis ions when the decelerat ion measured by the
control unit is too low
• in s ide collisions
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
• in rear-end collisions
• in rollovers
• in the event of a system ma lfunction (warning/indicator light illu­
minated)
=> page 14 .
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system can only provide protection
when occupants are in the proper seating position =>
page 209.
• If the airbag indicator light comes when the vehicle is being
used, have the system inspected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer. The airbag may not work properly when the vehicle
acceleration in a side collision is high enough to deploy the airbag.
See also =>
page 14. •
A pp lies to vehi cles: w ith K nee airb ags
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area is reduced by fully
deployed knee airbags.
Fig . 202 Inflated
airbags protecting
in a
frontal collision
The knee air bag system has been designed so that the airbags for the
dr iver and front passenger are deployed in certa in but not all frontal
co llisions .
ti-
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental protection
to properly restrained occupants.
Fig. 203 Side airbag
location in the driver's
seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the front seat backrests
=>
page 219, fig. 203. They are identified by the word "AIRBAG" .
The side airbag system basically consists of:
• the electronic control module and external side impact sensors
• the two side airbags located in the sides of the front backrests
• the airbag warning light in the instrument cluster.
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain that it
is functioning properly at all times. Each time you turn on the igni­
tion, the airbag system indicator light will come on for a few seconds
(self diagnostics) .
The side airbag system supplements the safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury to the driver's and front passenger's upper
torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side collision. The
airbag deploys only in side impacts and only when the vehicle acceler­
ation registered by the control unit is high enough . If this rate is
below the reference value programmed into the control unit, the side
airbags will not be triggered, even though the car may be badly
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
damaged as a result of the collision. It is not possible to define an
airbag triggering range that will cover every possible angle of impact,
since the circumstances will vary considerably between one collision
and another. Important factors include, for example, the nature
(hard or soft) of the impacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
=> page 220, "Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system" .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety belts work to help keep the driver or front passenger in position in the event of a side
collision so that the side airbags can provide protection.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your safety belt. Rather, it is
part of the overall occupant restraint system in your vehicle. Always
remember that the side airbag system can only help to protect you if
you are wearing your safety belt and wearing it properly. This is
another reason why you should always wear your safety belts, not just
because the law requires you to do so=>
page 190, "General notes".
It is important to remember that while the supplemental side airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abrasions can
also be associated with deployed side airbags. Remember too, side
airbags will deploy only once and only in certain kinds of accidents -
your safety belts are always there to offer protection .
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of vehicle damage are
not necessarily an indication of over-sensitive or failed airbag activa­
tion. In some collisions, both front and side airbags may inflate.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and only in certain
kinds of collisions -your safety belts are always there to offer protec­
tion in those accidents in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or
when they have already deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy:
• when the ignition is turned off
• in side collisions when the acceleration measured by the sensor is
too low
• in front-end collisions
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

___ T_ i_ r _e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e_ l_ s _______________________________________________ _
Check the tire sidewall( => page 307~
fig. 231) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific ti re. •
Tire service Life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of differ ent
things including proper installation and balancing,
corr ect tire pressure and driving style .
(,,-------
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
Fig . 22 9 T ir e t re ad:
t read wea r indi cators
(TW I)
Fig. 2 30 Rota tin g
tire s fo r mo re ev en
w ear
T he original t ires o n your veh icle have 1/ 1 6 inch ( 1.6 mm) h igh "wea r
indicators" => fig . 229 r unning across the tread . Depending on the make, there will be six to eight of them eve
nly placed around the t ire .
Ma rks o n the t ire sidewall (for examp le " TWI" or o ther symbols) indi­
cate the positions of the tread wear indicators . Worn t ires must be
replaced . Different figures may apply in other countries =>& .
Tire pressure
Incorrec t tire pressure causes premature wea r a nd c an cause sudde n
tire blow -o ut. Fo r th is reason, tire press ure must be checked at least
once a mont h =>
page 302.
Driv ing style
Dr iv ing fast aro und curves, he avy ac cele ration and hard braking
increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four t ires on your veh icle to have the same se rvice life, we
recommend that the fron t and rear ti re s are rotated according to the
tire ma nufactu rer's suggested tire rotat ion intervals. Please
remember the fo llow ing :
• Tire ro tat ion intervals may d iffe r from the vehicle serv ice intervals
out lined in your Maintenance and War ranty Booklet .
• The longer one tire is used in one locat ion on the vehicle, the more
it wears a t certain points; therefore, we recommend that you follow
the tire manufacture r's suggested tire rotation interva ls .
• Vehicles with front -whee l drive experien ce more tread wear on the
front wheels compa red to all-whee l dr ive (quattro
® ).
• Please ro ta te tires as shown=> fig . 2 30.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction-specific tires
=>page 326 .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced . Howeve r, various sit uat io ns
dur ing everyday driving can cause them to become unbalanced,
res ulting in vibr ations yo u can us ua lly fee l throug h the s tee rin g
whee l. •

________________________________________________ T_ i_ re _ s_ a_ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l _s _ ....... JIII
Unbalanced wh eels must be rebalanced to avoid e xcessive w ear o n
st eeri ng, sus pens ion and tires. A w heel must a lso be re balan ced
w hen a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect whee l alignm ent can ca use excessive ti re wea r, impairing
th e safe ty o f the vehicle. If tir es show excessive we ar, ha ve the w heel
alignment checked by a n authorized A udi dealer or qualif ied wo rk ­
s hop .
All wheel drive
Vehicle s wi th qu att ro ® mus t alw ay s ha ve tires of the sa m e siz e,
construct ion a nd tread type. For details see~
page 246.
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of control , a crash and serious
personal injury!
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down
to the wear indicators.
• Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do not grip well on wet
roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning " and loss of control.
• Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage, such as
grease, oil, gasoline and brake fluid away from tires.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds.
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history ." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control. •
Vehicle OP-eration
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and w heel s hav e to b e brok en in .
Fig. 231 Tire specificat ion codes on the sidewall of a tire
No.
©
®
®
©
©
©
Description
Passenger car tire (where app licable)
Nom inal width of ti re in mil lim eters
Ratio of hei9ht to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
jj Rim diameter code
L oa d index and speed rating
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Tires and wheels Ill _______________ _____.
than the size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure
label , you sho uld determine the proper tire infla tion pressure fo r
those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire pressu re monitoring sys tem (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pres ­
sure telltale when one o r more of your t ires is s ignificantly under­
inflated. Accord ingly, when the low tire pressure tellta le illumi nates,
you should stop and check your tires as soon as possib le, and inflate
them to the proper p ress ure. D riving on a sign ificantly under-inflated
tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire fa ilure . Under­
inflation also reduces f uel efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle's handling and stopping ability .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire mainte­
nance, and it is the d river's responsibility to mainta in correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached the level to trigger
ill umination of the TPMS low tire press ure te lltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped w ith a TPMS malfunction indi­
cato r to indica te when the system is not operating properly . The
TP MS ma lf u nction indicator is combined with the low tire p ress ure
telltale. When the system detects a malfunct ion, the telltale will
fl ash for approximate ly one minute and then rema in continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
sta rt-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the ma lfunction indicator is illum inated, the system may not
be able to de tect or signa l low ti re pressure as intended . TPMS
ma lfunctions may occur fo r a var iety of reaso ns, includ ing the instal­
lation of replacement o r alternate tires or wheels on the vehi cle that
prevent the T PMS from functioning properly . Always check the TPMS
ma lfunction tellta le after replacing one or more tires or whee ls on
yo ur vehicle to ensure that the replacement o r alte rnate t ires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to funct ion proper ly .•
Vehicle OP-eration
App lies to vehicles : wi th t ire p ressu re mon it ori ng system
Tire pressure indicator appears
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument cluster
informs you if the tire pressure is too low or if there is a
system malfunction.
M
"'
j
Fi g. 23 2 Dis pl ay:
un der infl ation
wa rning
Fi g. 23 3 Dis play :
Sys tem malfun ction
Us ing the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor ing system compares
the t ire tread c ircumference and vibration characteristics of the ind i­
vidual tires .
If the pressure decreases in one or more tires, this is indi -
cated in the instrument cl uster with a warning symbol and a
message ~ fig. 232 . The d river message in the display goes o ut after
5 seconds . The driver message can be displayed again by p ressing the
!SET ] button. If only one tire is affected, the display will indicate its
posit ion. ._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

What do I do now? -__________________________________ ____;;...:....;_;..:....:....:....; _____ --J
& WARNING
• Neve r use the s crew dri ver hex head to tighten whe el bolt s,
s in ce the bolt s cannot attain the nece ssary tightening torqu e if
you us e th e hex head, potentially causing an a ccident.
• The factory-supplied jack i s intended only for your vehicle
model. Under no circumstances should it be used to lift heavy
vehicle s or othe r lo ad s; y ou ri sk injuring your self.
• Never start the engine when the vehicle is raised, which could
c au se an accident.
• Support the vehicle securely with appropriate stands if wo rk is
to be performed underneath the v ehicle; otherwi se, there is a
potential risk for inju ry. •
Space-saving spare tire (compact
spare tire)
The sp are tire/wheel is l ocated in the luggage compart ­
ment under the cargo floor cove r. It is intended for short­
term use only .
Fig. 2 36 Sp are t ire
Removing the spare tire
-Lift the cargo floor by the plastic hand le => fig. 236 .
Vehicle OP-eration
-Hook t he hand le in to the lugg age compartm ent weath er
st rip.
- Turn t he large screw => fig. 236 co unter-clockwise.
- Take ou t the spare tire.
- Unhook the cargo floor before closing the rear lid.
Securing the replaced tire
- Place the whee l with tire in the s pare wh eel well and
secur e th e wheel with th e lar ge scr ew.
- U nhook the cargo floor be fore closing the rear lid.
Using the spare tire (compact spare tire)
Th e comp act spare tire is only inte nded for emerge ncies un til you can
reach a repa ir shop . Rep lace it as quickly as possib le with a standard
wheel and tire.
Th ere are some restrictions on the use of the compact spare t ire. Th e
compac t spar e tire has been designed specifically for your typ e of
veh icle . It must no t be swa pped with a compa ct sp are tire from
anothe r type of vehicle.
Snow chains
Fo r technical reasons, the use of snow chains on the compact spare
tir e is
not permitted .
If you do have to dr ive with snow chains and a front tire fails, mount
t he sp a re wheel wi th tire ins tead of a rear tire. I nst all the s now chains
on the rear t ire and use it to replace the defective front tire .
& WARNING
• Never use the spare tire if it is damaged or if it is worn down to
the tread wear indicators .
• If the spare tire is more than 6 years old , use it only in an emer-
gency and with extreme caution and careful driving .
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service iTechnical data

___ A_ l_. p_ h _ a_b_ e_ t_ic _a_ l_ in_ d_e _ x ____________________________________________ _
A
A/C mode ...................... 93, 100
Accessories ..... .................. . 345
Active rollover protection system ... ... 187
Retracting rollover protection . ..... 188
Adaptive cruise control ............ .. 116
Chang ing speed .................. 119
Dr iver information ............... 122
Driver intervention prompt ........ 126
Driving in traffic ................. 117
Driving program .. .. ............. 127
Error messages . .. ...... .... ..... 125
Open road ...................... 117
Override ................ ...... .. 117
Request for driver to assume control 117
Save speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Setting distance ................. 121
Setting time interval . ............. 121
Sett ings ... ..................... 127
Special driving situations ........ .. 127
Status messages ........ ......... 125
Switching on and off .............. 118
System limits ................ ... 127
T emporarily turning off ........... 120
warning/indicator lights ........... 123
Adaptive light ... ...... .............. 66
defect ive .. .. .. .. .. .............. 35
Adding Engine coolant .................. 288
Engine oil .. ...... ....... ..... ... 285
Windshield washer flu id ........ ... 295 Additional accessories
............... 345 Side airbags .. .. .. .. .. .. ......... 219
Additives We
ight-sensing mat .............. 223
Engine oil ........ .... .. .. .. .. ... 285 When must
the system be inspected? 211
Adjusting All wheel drive
.. .. .. .. .. ...... ... .. 246
Steering column .......... .. .. .. . 105 Winter tires
.. .. ................. 311
Adjusting front seats .......... ...... . 77 Alloy wheels
........... .. .... .... .. 266
Airbag Warning/indicator lights ... .. .. .. .. 14
Airbag system .................. 200, 220 Advanced Airbag System .......... 204
Advanced Airbag System components 207 Care .................... .. .... . 214
Child restraints .................. 224
Children ........................ 223
Components (front airbags) ... .. .. . 207
Danger of fitting a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat ............ 202
Disposal ........ .... ..... .. .... . 214
Front airbags .............. .. 204, 205
How do the front airbags work? ..... 209
How many airbags does my vehicle have? .
207
How the Advanced Airbag System compo- nents work together ........... . 208
Important safety instructions on the knee airbag system ............ ... .. . 218
Important things to know .. .. .. .. . 200
Indicator light ........ .. .. .. .... . 211
Knee airbags .................... 216
Monitoring . .. ............... ... 211
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light ..... 212
Repairs .. ........ ... ... .. .. .. .. . 214
Safety instructions ............. .. 213 Alternator
Malfunct ion .... .. .. .............. 28
Anti-freeze
See Eng ine cooling system ......... 286
Anti-glare inside day-night mirror ..... .. 72
Anti -lock brake system
How the ABS system works . . . . . . . . 245
Wa rning/indicator lights . .......... 16
Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) How the system works ..... ... .. .. 242
Anti-theft systems Electronic immobilizer ............. 40
Ashtray ............................ 85
Asterisk What does it mean when something is
marked with an asterisk? . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Audi brak ing guard .................. 129
Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Settings ........................ 131
Status messages ................. 131
Switching on and off ....... ... .. .. 131
Audi drive select Description ..................... 145
Setting the driving mode .......... 146
Audi Service Repair Manuals and Literature ..
343

___________________________________________ A_ l::.. p _h _a_ b_ e_t _ic _a_ l_ in_ d _ e_x __ _
Auto Lock .. .. ... ..... ... ... ... .. .. .. 41
Auto Safety Hotline ... ... ... . .. ..... 185
Auto-Check Control .. ..... ... .... ... .. 26
Automatic belt retractor .......... ... 195
Automatic car wash See Washing ......... .... .. .... . 261
Automatic climate control . . . . . . . . . 88, 9S
Automatic driving light control ......... 62
Automatic power top ..... .. .. .. .... .. SO
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL) ... .. .. 150, 158
Automatic transmission 6-speed automatic transmission ... . 148
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL) .... 150, 158
Driving ...... ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. . 148
Dynamic shift program ... .... .. ... 151
Emergency release ............. .. . 154
Emergency release for selector lever
(mu ltitron ic®) ............... .. . 161
Fail-safe mode .............. 153, 161
Kick-down ...................... 151
Manual shift program ............. 152
multitronic ® ..................... 155
Selector lever ........... .. .. 149, 157
Shift buttons ....... .. .. .... 153, 160
Steering wheel with tiptronic ® . 153, 160
Automatic wipe/wash system .......... 69
Average speed .. ....... .... .. .. .. .. .. 22
Avoid damaging the vehicle .. .. .. .. .. . 251
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
B
Battery
... .. ... ... ................. 291
Charging . .. .. .. .... .. .. ... ... .. . 293
Important warnings when work ing on the
battery ..... ........... ...... .. 292
Jump starting . ........... ........ 333
Low ... .. .. .. .... .... .. ......... 247
Replacing the battery .. .. .. .... ... 294
State of charge ..... .. ... ...... .. 247
Winter operation ..... ..... ....... 291
Working on the battery .... .... .... 292
Battery voltage .. ........... ...... .. . 34
Before driving .. ... .... .. .. .. .. ..... 177
Belt positioner .. .. .... .. ... ... ..... 194
Blended gasoline ................ ... 27 4
Body cavity sealing . ................. 267
Booster seats ... .. ...... .. ......... 230
Brake assist ..................... ... 245
Brake booster . ........ ... .......... 244
Brake fluid
Changing the brake fluid ........... 290
Checking the brake fluid level ..... .. 290
Reservoir .. .. .. .... .... ......... 290
What is the correct brake fluid level? . 290
What should I do if the brake fluid warning light comes on? . ... ... .......... 290
Brake system .. .. .. ..... .... ........ 290
Anti-lock brake system . .. .......... 16
Brake fluid ... .... ............... 290
Brake fluid specifications for refill and
replacement ................... 290
Brake light defective ....... .... ... . 34 Brake pads
.. .. .... ..... .... .... . 251
Electromechanical parking brake .... 110
General information .............. 243
How does moisture or road salt affect the
brakes? ... .... .............. .. 243
Malfunction .............. .... .. .. 28
Warning/indicator lights ....... .. .. 17
Worn brake pads symbol ........... 33
Braking guard
See Audi braking guard ............ 129
Break-in period ... .. .. .............. 250
Brake pads .. ...... ........... .. . 251
Tir es ... .. .. ................. .. . 250
Bulbs ................ .. .... .... .. . 331
C
California Proposition 65 Warning .. ... 281
Battery specific .................. 293
Capacities ......................... 342
Car care .. .... .............. ...... . 260
Interior ............ .. .. .. .. .. .. . 268
Plastic and vinyl .... ............. . 264
Weatherstrips ............ .. .. .. . 266
Care of exterior ... .... .. . .. .. .. .. .. . 260
Cargo area
See Loading the luggage compartment ..
183
Catalytic converter .. ..... ........... 251
Certification ......... .............. 346
Changing a flat tire .. ................ 320
Changing a wheel ...... ...... .... .. . 320
Changing engine oil ... .. .. ......... . 285
Vehicle operation Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data