2010 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET warning

___________________________________________ C_ h_il _d _ S_a _f _e _t ~ y __ _
Using tether straps on rearward -facing
child restraints
Currently, few rearward-facing child rest raint systems come w ith a
t e ther. Please re ad and heed the c hild restrain t system manu fac­
t u rer 's instructions car efully to determine how to prope rly insta ll the
t ether.
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
c arrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center armrest , or door .
• A tight tether or other strap on a rearward -facing child
restraint attached to the front passenger seat can put too much
pressure on the weight-mat in the seat and register a heavier
weight in the Advanced Airbag System. The heavier weight regi s­
tered can make the system work as though an adult were on the seat and deploy the Advanced A irbag when it must be suppressed
c ausing serious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat becau se of exceptional circum stances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on ,
immediately install the rearward-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer. •
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Additional Information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
There are a number of sou rces of additional informat ion abo ut child
restr aint sele ct io n, inst all ati on and use:
NH TSA adv ises t hat t he best ch ild safety seat is the one that f its your
child and fits in yo ur vehicle, a nd that yo u wi ll use cor rectly and
co nsist en tly .
Try before you buy!
U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
T el. : 1-888 -327 -4236 (T TY : 1-800 -424-9153)
www .nhtsa .gov
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
Te l.: (202) 662-0600
www. safe kids .o rg
Safety BeltSafe U .S.A
T el. : (800) 745 -SAFE ( English)
Te l.: (800) 747-SA NO (Span ish)
www .carseat .org
Transport Canada Information Centre
Te l.: 1 (800) 333-0371 or call 1 (613) 998 -8616 if you are in the
O tt awa area
www .tc .gc.ca/ roadsafety
Audi Customer CARE
Te l.: (800) 822-2834 •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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The system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system. If the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) malfunc­
tions, the ESP will also shut down.
How the system works
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)
and the Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) are integ rated in the elec­
tronic stabilization program . In addition to the data provided by
these functions, the ESP control unit requires additional measure­
ment data provided by high performance sensors . The rotational
speed of the vehicle about its vertical axis, vehicle acceleration in the
fore-and-aft and lateral directions, the brake pressure, and the
steering angle are all measured .
Th e direction in which the driver wishes to travel is determined with
the aid of the steering angle and vehicle speed and is con tinually
compared with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the two do not
match, for example, when the vehicle starts hydroplaning on a wet
road, ESP will automatically brake the appropriate whee l to correct
the problem.
The vehicle is then stabilized by the forces acting on the whee l during
brak ing.
If the vehicle is oversteering (the vehicle turns too sharply
and the rear wheels slide toward the outside of a curve), the brakes
are mainly applied on the wheel that is on the outside of the curve. In
the case of a vehicle that is
understeering (the vehicle does not turn
sharply enough and pushes out of a curve), the brakes are applied as
needed on the wheel that is on the inside of the curve or additionally
on the other wheels. An acoustic signal indicates when ESP brake
application cuts in=> &.
The system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system =>
page 245. If the Anti- Lock Brake System
(ABS) malfunctions, the ESP will be out of action as well.
Activating
When you turn on the engine, ESP will automatically be activated and
w ill perform a self-test. As soon as the test is comp leted, the system
is in normal operating mode.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
You can activate a
deactivated ESP or deactivated ESP/ ASR if required
by pressing the =>
page 240, fig. 214 => page 240, fig. 213 button.
When they are activated, the message
ESP/ ASR on appears briefly
in the display.
Deactivating
The ESP should normally be activated all the time. If necessary, you
can deactivate Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) or the Electron ic Stabiliza ­
tion Program (ESP) by press ing the button =>
page 240, fig. 214 .
• Deactivating ASR: Tap the button . In certain exceptional s itua­
t ions (e.g. driving with tire chains), the Anti-Slip Regu lation (ASR) can
be deact ivated =>
page 242. The message ASR off appears in the
display as we ll.
• Deactivating ESP/ASR Press the button for more than 3 seconds .
With the ESP/ASR deactivated, the ESP check light comes on, see
=>
page 14. The message ESP switched off appea rs in the display as
well.
& WARNING
The Electronic Stabilization Program is nevertheless subject to the
laws of physics. It is particularly important to pay attention to
this fact on wet and slippery roads. It is therefore important that
you always adapt your driving to the condition of the road and
traffic conditions . Do not allow the increased safety provided by
the Electronic Stabilization Program system to lull you into
accepting additional safety risks.
u
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The elec tronic differen tial lock monitors the rotational
speed of the drive wheels.
G en era l not es
The electronic differentia l lock (EDL) helps the ca r to sta rt moving,
accelerate and climb a gradient on surfaces provid ing poor or almost
no grip . W ithout ED L, this would be d iff icu lt, if not impossible.
How the sy stem works
The EDL operates automatically. It mo nitors the rota tional speed of
wheels with the help of the ABS sensors=>
page 245. If a not iceab le
slip is detected at the wheels (e.g. on slippery g round on one side),
the spinn ing wheels are braked and power is transferred to the other
wheels . This is done up to a speed of about 60 mph (100 km/h).
No ises from the brake system signal that wheel sp in is being
controlled.
Driv ing off
When d riving off, always be s ure to keep road conditions in mind as
you accelerate. If one drive wheel spins because it is on a surface with
less grip, apply
plenty of throttle until the car starts to move.
O verheating of bra kes
To prevent the disc b rake of the bra ked wheel from ove rhea ting if
subjected to excessive loads on this wheel, the EDL cuts out tempo­
ra rily. The vehicle remains operat io nal and be haves in the same way
as a veh icle without EDL.
As soon as the brake has coo led down, EDL switches on again auto ­
matically.
Electronic limited slip differential
In vehicles w ith front wheel drive *, an e lectron ic lim ited slip d ifferen­
tial engages when driving on curves . The brakes are applied spec ifi­
cally to the front wheel that is on the inside of the curve. T his m ini­
m izes sliding on the front wheels and enables precise and neutral dr
iv ing t hrouge curves. The electronic lim ited slip differentia l does
no t engage whe n driving in we t cond it io ns or snow.
& WARNING
• Wh en acc elerating on slipp ery s urface s, such a s on ice or snow,
always be careful when depre ssing the accele rator pedal. Even
with the EDL and the electroni c limited slip differential working,
the dr ive wh eels can spin and reduce you r ability to control your
c ar . -Ri sk of cra sh!
• The increased safet y afforded b y EDL and the electronic l imited
slip differ ential d oes not mean th at you can take safety risks .
Alw ay s adapt your d riving st yle to the road c onditions and traffi c
si tuation.
[ i ] Tips
If a fa ult occurs in the ABS, the EDL is also not funct ioning. This is
ind icated by the ABS warn ing light=>
page 16 . •
Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR)
The Anti-Slip Regulation System prevents the driven
wheels from spinning when the car is a ccelerating.
General notes
T he Anti-Slip Regu lation System (ASR) is in tegrated in the electronic
stabilization program (ESP) . When the veh icle starts up and acceler­
a tes, the wheels are preven ted from sp inning by adjust ing the engine
power to match the amount of grip ava ilable from the road surface.
How the system works
ASR performs automatica lly, i.e. without the driver's intervent ion.
With the a id o f the ABS sensors=>
page 245, ASR moni tors the speed
of the driven wheels. If the wheels start to spin, engine torque is
reduced automatically unti l the tires find enough grip to lock onto
the road s urface. The system is active across the entire speed range . .,

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The ASR works in conjunction with the ABS. If a malfunction should
occur in the ABS, the ASR w ill also be out of action.
Activating
The ESP is automatically activated when the engine is started and it
performs a self-test. You can activate a deactivated ASR if required by
pressing the=>
page 240, fig. 214 button. When it is activated, the
message
ESP/ASR on appears briefly in the display .
Deactivating
You can deactivate the ASR if required by pressing the button (for less
than 3 seconds) =>
page 240, fig. 214. With the ASR deactivated , the
ESP check light comes on, see=>
page 14 . The message ASR off
appears in the display as well. The ASR can be deactivated at any
speed .
The ASR should normally be activated a ll the time. Only in certain
exceptional situations when some slip is desirable does it make sense
to deactivate the ASR. Examples:
• when driving with tire chains
• when driving in deep snow or on loose ground and
• when rocking the vehicle loose after it has become stuck .
When the abnormal situation is over, you should activate the ASR again.
& WARNING
The increased safety afforded by ASR does not mean that you can
take safety risks. Always adapt your driving style to the road
conditions and traffic situation.
[I] Tips
To ensu re that the ASR works properly, all four whee ls must be fitted
with ident ical t ires. Any differences in rolling radius of the t ires can
cause the system to reduce eng ine power when this is not desired.
See also=>
page 307, "New tires and replacing tires and wheels". •
Safety first
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still subject to wear,
depending la rgely on ope rating conditions and driving habits=>& .
On vehicles that are either driven mostly in stop-and-go city traffic or
are driven hard, the brake pads should be checked by your authorized
Audi dealer more often than specified in the
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet.
Failure to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance .
On steep slopes, you should use the braking effect of the engine. This
way, you prevent unnecessary wear on the brake system. If you must
use your brakes, do not hold the brakes down continuously. Pump the
brakes at intervals.
Noises may occur when brak ing depending on the speed, braking
force and outside cond itions such as temperatu re and humid ity.
Moisture or road salt
If you are driving faster than 31 mph (50 km/h) and the windshield
wipers are on, the brake pads will briefly touch the brake discs in
regula r interva ls so as to improve reaction time when braking on wet
surfaces. You, the driver, will not not ice anything.
Under certain condit ions, for example, when driving through water or
very heavy rai n, or even after washing your vehicle, the braking effect
can be reduced due to moisture (or in free zing conditions ice) on the
bra ke pads. A few careful brake applications should dry off the brake
pads or remove any ice coatings.
Th e effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced when the vehicle is
dr iven on a salt-covered road and the brakes are not used. H ere too,
you should clean off accumu lated salt coating from brake discs and
pads with a few careful applications of the brake=>&,.
Vehicle care Technical data

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Corrosion
T he re may be a te ndency fo r d irt to build u p on the bra ke pads and
co rrosion to form on the d iscs if the car is not dr iven reg ularly o r only
for short trips with litt le use of the bra kes .
If the brakes a re not used freq uen tly, or if co rrosion has formed o n
the discs, it is advisable to clean off the pads and discs by braking
fir mly a few times from a mode rat ely h igh spee d~ & .
Faults in the brake system
If yo u sh ou ld noti ce a sudden increase in b rake peda l trave l, then one
of the two brake circu its may have failed~& .
Low brake fluid level
Ma lfunctions can occ ur in t he brake system if the brake fluid level is
t oo low. The bra ke f lu id level is moni tore d elec tron ically.
Brake lin ing wear status
Brake lin ing wear may be checked by v isua l inspect ion of the condi­
tion of the brake pads throu gh the open ings in the whee l.
If neces­
sary, the whe el may be removed fo r thi s insp ection~
page 320,
"Changing a w hee l".
& WARNING
• You should perform braking maneuvers for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system only if road conditions permit. Other
road users must not be put at risk - you may cau se an accident!
• Before descending a steep grade, reduce speed and shift trans­
mission into a lower gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often . This could
cause the brakes to get hot and diminish braking efficiency.
• Do not "ride the brakes " by resting your foot on the pedal when
you do not intend to brake . This may cause the brakes to overheat ,
premature wear and increased stopping distance.
• Under certain climatic and operating condition s such as
passing through water , driving in heavy rain or after washing the
& WARNING (co ntinued )
vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced . In winter,
ice can ac cumulate on the brake pads, linings, dis cs and drums.
Carefully apply brakes for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coatings
will be cleaned off after a few careful brake appli cations.
• Driving for an extended period of time on salt-covered roads
without u sing your brakes can also affect braking efficiency . Clean
off accumulated salt coating from b rake discs and pads with a few
careful brake applic ations.
• If you damage the front spoiler, or if you install a different
spoiler, be sure the air flow to the front brakes i s not obstructed .
Otherwise the brake system could overheat reducing the effective­
ness of the entire brake system.
• Failure of one brake circuit will impair the braking capability
resulting in an increased stopping di stance. Avoid driving the
vehicle and have it towed to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop.
n
Brake booster
The b roke boost er odds extra broking po wer.
The bra ke boos ter wor ks wi th v acuum pressure whi ch is crea ted o nly
when the eng ine is ru nning~ &.
& WARNING
• Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the engine shut off.
• If the brake booster is not working, for example when towing
your vehicle , or because the brake booster has somehow been
damaged, the brake pedal mu st be pressed considerably harder to
make up for the lack of booster assistance. •

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Functioning of Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS}
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up under braking.
The ABS contributes effectively to vehicle control since it prevents the
w heels from
locking whe n the brakes are applied . This means t hat t he
vehicle rema ins steerable and is less likely to skid.
With ABS you do not need to pump the brake. Ju st hold the brake
pedal down .
However, do not expect the ABS to shorten braking distance under all
circu mstances. When d riving on gr ave l o r on new ly falle n snow o n top
of icy s urfaces, braking distance may be even longer, therefore, under
t he se c ir cu mstances, i t is especially importa nt that you dr ive slowly
and with great care.
How the ABS system works
An a utomat ic check is made when a speed of about 12 mph (20 km/h)
is reached. When this happens, a pumping noise can be heard.
If an individ ual w heel beg ins to rotate too slow ly in relat ion to vehicle
speed and tends to lock, t he ABS automat ic al ly reduces brake pres­
sure to prevent t hat wheel from locking .
Thi s automatic adjustment process w ill cause a
slight vibrat ion of
t he bra ke ped al and some noises to aler t you th at vehicle s peed mus t
be adapted to existing road and traff ic conditions.
& WARNING
Although the ABS is very effective , always remember that braking
capability i s limited by tire traction . Always adjust your driving
speed acco rding to the road and traffic condition s. Do not let the
extra safety afforded by the ABS tempt you into taking extra risk s.
T he ABS cannot overcome the laws of physics .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
(I] Tips
•
If ABS is no t fun ct io ni ng prope rly, a wa rning light will come on .
See =>
page 16.
• If a fault occurs in the A BS, the EDL is also not functioning . This is
indicated by t he ABS warn ing light .•
Brake assist
Brake assist is designed to achieve the optimum braking
effect.
Bra ke ass ist helps to i ncrease the effe ctive br aking power and thus to
achieve a shorte r stopping distance . If the d river presses the brake
peda l very quickly, brake assist automatically boosts the bra king
force to the max imum level, up to the po int whe re the anti-lock b rake
function (ABS) intervenes to stop t he wheels from locki ng . You
should then keep the br ake peda l pressed unti l the ve hicle has braked
to the required speed . Brake ass ist switches itself off as soon as you
re le ase the br ake pedal.
& WARNING
Please remember that the accident risk always increases if you
drive too fast , especially in corners or on a slippery road , or if you
follow the vehicle ahead of you too clo sely. Increased ri sk of an
accident cannot be compensated for even by brake assist , so
alway s maintain a safe speed. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Repl acing wheel s/tires
Vehicles wi th all wheel drive must a lways have tires of t he same size.
Also avoid tires with different tread depths. For details see page
=> page 307, "New tires and rep lacing tires and wheels".
Off -Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clearance to be used as an
off-road veh icle . It is therefore best to avo id ro ugh tracks and uneven
terrain as m uch as possible . Also refer to=>
page 251.
& WARNING
Alway s adju st your driving to road and traffi c conditi ons. Do not
let the ex tra safety afforded by all wheel dr ive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
• Although the all wheel dri ve is ve ry effecti ve, always
remember that braking capacity is limited by tire traction. You
should therefore not dri ve at ex cessive speeds on icy or slippery
road surfaces .
• On wet road surfaces , be careful not to drive too fast because
the front wheel s could begin to slide on top of the water (aqua­
planing ). If th is should occur, you will have no warning from a
sudden increase in engine speed as with a front-wheel drive
vehicle. Always drive at speeds which are suited to the road cond i­
tions -ris k of crash.
n
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
E
nergy management contr ols th e distributi on of elec­
tri cal energy and thus optimizes the availabili ty of elec­
tri cal energ y for star ting the engin e.
If a vehicle with a conventiona l energy system is not dr iven for a long
per io d of time, t he battery is di sch arged by idling cur rent consume rs
(e .g. immob il izer) . In certain c ircumstances it can result in there
being insuffic ien t energy av a ilab le to start t he eng ine .
Inte lligent energy management in your ve hicle hand les the d istribu ­
tion of e lectrical energy . Starting ability is ma rkedly improved and
the l if e of the battery is extended.
Bas ically, energy management consists of
battery d iagnos is, idling
current management
a nd dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
Battery d iagnosis con tinuously dete rmines the st ate o f the batte ry.
Sensors determ ine battery vo ltage, battery current and battery
t empe ra ture. This de termine s the cur rent sta te of cha rge and the
power of the battery.
Idling current management
I d ling current management reduces energy consumption wh ile the
vehicle is s tanding. W ith t he igni tion swi tched off, it con trols the
energy supply to the var io us electrical components. Data from
b att ery diag nosis is considered .
Depend ing on the battery 's state of charge, individual consumers a re
gradually t urned off to p revent excessive discha rge of the battery and
thus main tain start ing capab ility.
Dynamic energy management
Whi le the vehicle is being dr iven , dynamic energy management
dis tributes the energy generated a cco rding to the needs o f th e in di-
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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vi dual components. It regulates consumption, so that more electrical
energy is not being used than is being generated and ensures an
optimal state of charge for the battery .
[I] Tips
• But even energy management cannot negate the limits of physics.
Consider that the power and life of a battery are limited.
• If starting ability is threatened, you are informed by a warning
~ page 249, "Driver notification in the instrument cluster display" .•
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining starting capa ­
bility.
Th e battery is severe ly taxed in short-distance driving, in city traffic
and during the cold time of year. Abundant electrical energy is
required, but only a little is generated.
It is also critical if the engine
is not running and electrical components are turned on. In this
instance energy is being consumed but none is being generated.
It is in prec ise ly these sit uations that you will notice energy manage­
ment actively regulating the distribution of energy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
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 capability over a
longer period.
Take into consideration that when you unlock your vehicle, some
convenience functions, such as the remo te key or power seat adjust­
ment, may not be available. The convenience functions will be avail­
able again when you turn on the ignition and start the engine.
W ith the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with the engine turned off or
use other MMI functions, the battery is being discharged .
If starting capability is jeopardized due to energy consumption, the
following warning appears in the MMI display:
Please start engine, otherwise system will switch off in
3 minutes.
Th e warn ing indicates that the system will be turned off automati­
cally after 3 m inutes. If you wish to continue using the functions, you
have to start the engine.
With the engine running
Although electrica l energy is generated when the vehicle is being
driven, the battery can become discharged. This happens most ly
when little energy is being generated and a great deal consumed and
the battery's state of charge is not optimal.
T o br ing the ene rgy balance back into equilibrium, consumers which
require especially large amounts of energy are temporarily cut back
or switched off. Heating systems in particular require a great deal of
energy .
If you notice, for example, that the heated seats* or the
heated rear window are not heating, they have been temporarily cut
back or switched off. These systems will be ava ilable again as soon as
the energy ba lance has been restored.
You will also notice that engine idle speed has been increased
slightly. This is normal and not a cause for concern. By increasing
eng ine id le speed the additional energy required is generated and the
battery is charged. •