2011 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET service

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Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS=> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 280.
- Unscrew the cap~ to the engine oi l filling hole
=> page 284, fig. 222.
- Carefully top off with the appropriate oil in 0 .5 liter doses.
- Screw the cap back on the filling hole and close the engine
hood.
- Check the oil level again after two minutes=>
page 284.
- Top off the oil again, if necessary.
& WARNING
• While topping off, the oil must not come in contact with hot
engine parts· fire hazard!
• The oil filler cap must be properly secured to prevent oil from
being sprayed on the hot engine and exhaust system when the
engine is running · fire hazard!
• If your skin has come in contact with the engine oil, you must
subsequently cleanse it thoroughly.
0 Note
• Check the oil leve l using the radio or the M MI*. If the message
Please reduce oil level appears, contact your authorized Audi dealer
or other qualified workshop to have excess oil extracted if necessary .
• Audi does not recommend the use of oil additives. They may
damage the engine and adversely affect your New Vehicle
Warranty.
Safety first
<£' For the sake of the environment
• Under no circumstances can the oil come in contact with the
sewage network or the soil.
• Observe and follow legal regulat ions when d ispos ing of empty oil
containers. •
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by an autho­
rized Audi dealer or a qualified service station.
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always read
and heed all WARNINGS=>
& in "Working in the engine compart ­
ment" on
page 280 .
The eng ine oil must be changed accord ing to the intervals specified in
your Warranty
& Maintenance book let. This is very important because
the lubricating properties of oil diminish gradually dur ing normal
vehicle use.
Under some circumstances the engine oil sho uld be changed more
frequently. Change oil more ofte n if you drive mostly short distances,
operate the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominant ly stop-and­
go traffic conditions, or have your ve hicle where temperatures rema in
below freezing for extended periods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil look dark after the
engine has been running for a short time . This is normal and is not a
reason to change the oil mo re often than recommended .
Because of the problem of proper disposal, along with the specia l
too ls and necessary expertise required, we strongly recommend that
you have your oil changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or a qualified
service station.
If you choose to change your oil yourself, please note the following
important information: .,_
Vehicle care Technical data

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0 Note
• Before winter sets in, have the coolant checked to see if the
coolant additive in your vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate
conditions. This is especially important if you live in a region where
the winter is extremely cold. If necessary, increase the proportion of
coo lant additive to 60% .
• When adding coolant additive to your cooling system, remember:
-We recommend using only coolant additive G12++ (check the
label) for your vehicle. This coolant additive is available at autho­
r iz ed Audi dealers. Other types of antifreeze can s ignificantly
reduce corrosion protection. The resulting corrosion can cause a
loss of coolant and serious engine damage.
• Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle 's
eng ine coolant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty. •
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig. 223 Engine
compartment: Coolant
expansion tank
Vehicle OP-eration
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS=:> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 280.
-Turn off the ignition.
- Let the engine cool down .
- Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion tank
=:> fi.9. 223 and carefully twist the cap counter -clockwise
=> & .
- Read the engine coolant level in the open coolant expan­
sion tank=:> fig. 223. With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "min" and "max" markings. When
the engine is warm, the level may be slightly above the
"max" marking.
The location of the coo lant expansion tank can be seen in the engine
compartment illustration =>
page 281.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must be sw itched off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warn ing light in the Auto-Check
System =>
page 31 will blink until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is an electric coolant
level sensor, we st ill recommend you check the coolant leve l from
t ime to time .
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling system . In the event of
coolant loss , the cooling system should be inspected immediately by
your authorized Aud i dealer . It is not enough merely to add coolant .
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the boiling point of the
coo lant is exceeded as a result of overheating . .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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0 Note
• Coolan t poll utes the environment and co uld cause an engine fire.
Excess coolant w ill be forced out throug h the pressure relief valve in
t he cap w hen the eng ine becomes ho t.
• If, i n an emer gency, only water can be adde d, the correct ratio
between wate r an d an tifree ze=>
page 28 6 must be restored as soon
as possib le.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Dra ined coolant should not be reused. A lways dispose of used coolant
w hile observ ing a ll enviro nmental regula tions. •
Radiator fan
The r adia tor fan switc hes on au tomatic ally by its elf .
Th e radiator fan is dr iven by the e ngine vi a the V-bel t. Th e v iscous
clutch regu lates the speed of the fan accord ing to the temperature of
th e co olan t.
An auxiliary e lectr ic rad iator fan* sw itches on a nd off depend ing o n
coo la nt temperat ure and other vehicle ope rating conditions .
After you sw itch t he engi ne off, the a uxiliary f an can con tinue r unning
for up to 10 minutes -even w ith the ignition off . It can even switch on
a g ain lat er by itse lf=> &, if
• the temperature of the e ngine coola nt rises due to the heat build ­
up from the eng ine in the engi ne compa rtment, o r
• the engine compartment heats up because the vehicle is parked in
intense s unlight .
& WARNING
• To reduce the risk of personal injury never touch the radiator
fan.
Vehicle OP-eration
& WARNING (continued )
• The auxiliary ele ctric fan is temperature controlled and can
switch on suddenly even when the engine is not running.
• The auxiliary radiator fan switches on automatically when the
engine coolant reaches a certain temperature and will continue to
run until the coolant temperature drops. •
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake flu id level ca n be chec ked wit h a quick gl an ce.
Fig . 224 Engi ne
c ompartm ent : Brake
fluid re se rvoir
B efo re you check anyth ing i n the e ngine compartment ,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in " Workin g in
t h e e ng in e co mpartme nt" on
p age 280.
- Rea d the b rak e fl uid le ve l f ro m t he brak e fluid re serv oir
~ f ig. 224. The br ak e fl uid le vel mus t be be tw ee n the
" M IN " an d "MAX " m ar kin gs.
Th e br ake fl uid re se rvoir is loca ted at th e rear pa rt iti on of the engine
compartment on the left side=>
page 281. .,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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Have the battery checked when you take your vehicle in for service .
You are well advised to replace a battery that is older than 5 years.
With certain types of a irbag deployment, the battery is disconnected
from the vehicle electrica l system for safety reasons~
& in "Repair,
care and disposal of the airbags" on
page 213.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle funct ions (power window regulators, for example) are
lost if the battery terminals are disconnected. These functions have
to be relearned after the battery termina ls are connected aga in . To
prevent this, the battery should only be disconnected from the
vehicle electr ica l system when absolute ly necessary for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your veh icle over a period of several days or weeks,
electrical components are gradually cut back or switched off. This
reduces energy consumption and maintains starting capability ove r a
longer period
~ page 247.
Take into consideration that when you unlock your vehicle, some
convenience functions, such as the master key remote function or
powe r seat adjustment, may not be available. The convenience func ­
tions will be available again when you turn on the ignition and start
the engine.
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity tends to decrease as
temperatures drop. This is because more power is also consumed
while starting, and the headlights, rear window defogger, etc., are
used more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, particu larly in city traffic or
when travel ing only short distances. Let your authorized Audi dealer
check the capacity of the vehicle battery before winter sets in
~ page 293. A well charged battery will not only p revent start ing
problems when the weather is cold, but will also last longer.
Safety first
(I] Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several weeks at extremely low
temperatures, the vehicle battery shou ld be removed and stored
where it will not freeze. This will prevent it from being damaged and
having to be replaced. •
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near the
battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compartment under the
floor. Before you check anything in the lu~gage compart­
ment,
read and heed all WARNINGS =:,& .
Always heed the safety warnings, when working on the vehicle
battery or the vehicle electrical system to prevent injury .
The following WARNINGS are very important when
working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYMBOLS and safety pre ­
cautions when working on the battery.
Always wear eye protection.
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Always wear
gloves and eye protection. .,_
Vehicle care Technical data

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& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
• Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive problems. Wash hands after
handling.
0 Note
• Do not disconnect the vehicle battery when the ignition is
sw itched on or wh en the eng ine is running, otherw ise , you will
damage electronic components in the electrical system.
• If your vehicle is going to stand for a long period of time without
being driven , protect the battery from "freezing" , otherwise it will be
damaged and will then have to be replaced. •
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged battery.
Fig. 225 Engine
compartment: Connec·
tors for charger and
jumper cables
Always read and heed all WARNINGS below=:> & and =:> &
in "Working on the battery " on
page 291.
- Turn off the ignition and all electrical consumers.
Vehicle OP-eration
-Make sure the area is well ventilated when you charge the
battery.
- Open the engine hood=:>
page 279.
- Remove the cover over the positive terminal in the plenum
chamber.
- Open the red cover on the positive pole=:> fig. 225.
- Connect the charger connectors according to the instruc-
tions to the
jump start bolts. (Bolts under the red cover =
"positive", Bolts with hex head
= "negative").
- Only now plug the mains lead for the charging equipment
into the wall outlet and turn it on =>& .
-Make sure the charging rate is not over 30 amps/14.8
Volt.
- When the battery is fully charged: Turn the charging
equipment off and remove the mains lead from the wall
outlet.
- Now remove the clamps for the charging equipment .
- Close the red cover on the positive pole.
- Close the hood=:>
page 280.
A discharged battery can freeze at temperatures of only 32 °F (0 °C) .
Allow a fro zen battery to thaw completely before attempting to
charge it=>&. However , we recommend not using a thawed battery
aga in because the battery casing can be cracked due to i ce formation
and can leak battery acid. .,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Checking and filling IJl!II
--------------------------------------------=------- =------
<£> For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of a battery, we recom­
mend your authorized Audi dealer change the battery for you.
Batte ries contain sulfuric acid and lead and must always be disposed
of properly in compliance with all environmental regulations.
Disposing of vehicle batter ies improperly is very dangerous to the
environment. •
Windshield/headlight washer
container
Fig. 226 Engine
co mp artmen t: Wind­
sh ield and headlight*
washer fluid container
The washer fluid container is marked with the symbol Q on
its cap.
- Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS => & in "Working
in the engine compartme nt" on
page 280 .
-Lift the filler cap tongue to add washer fluid. You can fill
the container to the top.
- Press the cap back onto the filler neck after filling the
container.
Vehicle OP-eration
You can find the reservoir capacity in the table in::::, page 342.
Clean water should be used when filling up. If possible, use soft water
to prevent scaling on the washer jets. Always add a glass cleaner solu­
tion (with frost protection in the winter).
0 Note
Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze or any other additives to fill up
the windshie ld washer reservoir .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

-~_T_ i_ re _ s_ a_n _ d_ w_ h _e_ e_ ls _________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• If the tire i s not flat and you do not ha ve to change a wheel
immediately, drive at reduced speed to the nearest service station
to check the tire pressure and add air as required.
0 Note
Driv ing without valve stem caps can cause damage to the tire valves.
T o preven t this, a lways make sure that fac tory ins talle d valve stem
caps on all wheels are securely mo unted on the valve.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Under inflated t ires will also increase the fuel consumption .•
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amo unt of load or weig ht that any vehicle and
any t ire ca n carry. A veh icle th at is overlo ade d w ill n ot handle well and
is more difficult to stop . Overload ing can not on ly lead to loss of
vehicle co ntro l, bu t can also d amage important pa rts of the vehi cle
and can lead to sudden t ire failure, including a b lowo ut and sudden
deflation that can ca use the vehicle to c rash.
Yo ur safety and t hat of your passengers also depends o n mak ing s ure
that load limits are not e xceeded. Vehicle load incl udes eve rybody
and everyth ing in and on the ve hicle. These load limits are tech nically
refer red to as the veh icle's
Gross Vehicle We ight Rating ("GVWR").
T he "GVWR" includes t he weight of the basic vehi cle, all factory
installed accessories, a fu ll tank of fue l, o il, coo la nt and other fluids
plus maxim um load . The maxim um load includes the number of
passenge rs that the vehi cle is intended to car ry ("seating capacity ")
w ith an ass umed we ight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each pa ssenger at a
designat ed seating position and the tota l w eight of any l uggage in
the vehicle. If you tow a trai le r, the weight o f the t railer hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra ile r must be included as part of the
veh icle lo ad .
T he
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR ") is the max imum load t hat
can be a pplied at each of the ve hicle's two axles .
Th e Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing and the Gro ss Axle Weight Ra ting
are listed on the safety compliance s ticker label located on the
dr iver 's s ide B-pillar. Audi h as 4 seat ing pos it ions, 2 in t he fro nt and
2 in the rear for total seating capacity of 4 . Each seating pos it io n has
a seat belt =>
page 189, "Safety belts" .
Th e fa ct t hat there is an upper lim it to your veh icle 's Gross Vehicle
We ight Rating means that the total weight of whatever is being
c arrie d in t he ve hicle (incl uding t he weight o f a trail er hi tch and the
tongue weig ht of the loaded tra iler) is limited . The more passengers
in the veh icle or p assenge rs who are he avier than the st anda rd
we ights assumed mean that less we ight can be carried as luggage.
Th e tire pressure labe l o n yo ur Audi a lso lists the max imum combine d
we ight of alt of the o ccupants and l uggage or o ther cargo that the
vehicle ca n carry . For t he locat ion of the label=>
page 300, fig. 22 7.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury, and even death.
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle was de signed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the
risk of the loss of vehicle control.
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe di stan ce.
• Tires on a vehicle that has been o verloaded can fail suddenly ,
including a blowout and sudden deflation, causing loss of control
and a crash .
• Always make sure that the total load being transported -
i ncluding the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a .,_

___ 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. •