2011 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET brake pads

• If the slope of the ground is too steep to park the ve hicle, the addi­
tional d rive message appears
Caution: Vehicle parked too steep .
• In the event of a parking brake malfunction, the ye llow symbol
appea rs in the ins trument cl uster d isp lay and the driver message
Parking brake malfunction! is displayed . Have the malfunction
repaire d as soon as possible by an au thori zed A udi dealer o r any o ther
qualified workshop .•
Brake system BRAKE (USA
models)
/ (CD) (Canada models)
The warning/indi cat or li ght flas hes if brake fluid le vel is
lo w, if there is an AB S syst em malf unctio n or a parki ng
brak e malfunction.
Th e light illum inates w he n th e ignition is turned on. It goes out after
the engine has been started . This indicates that the brake war ning
light is functioning properly.
If the brake warning light does not light up when the engine is
cranking , there may be a malfunct ion in the electr ical system. In
this ca se, contact an authorized Audi dealer.
If the brake system warning/ind icator light flashes, there is a brake
system malfunction. By press ing the [SET ] button, you can bring up a
dr iver message w hich expl ains the ma lfun ct io n in more deta il
:::>page 30.
If the A BS fails, t he A BS warn ing/ indi cato r light ....
s., (U SA
mode ls)/ (Canada mode ls) flashes together with the brake system
wa rning/indica tor ligh t==> & .
(USA models):
If the wa rning lig ht BRAKE and the warn ing l ight f'l ill u­
minate together, immediate ly contact your author ized Audi dealer or
qualif ied wo rkshop to have all bra ke pads inspected::::>
page 35.
When the light comes on, an audible warn ing signal is also given.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Instruments and warning
/indicator lights
& WARNING
• USA models: If the BRAKE warning light and the I warning
light come on together, the rear wheel s could lock up first under
hard braking . Rear wheel lock-up can cause loss of vehicle control
and an accident. Have your vehicle repai red immediately by you r
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop. Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
• Canada models : If the brake warning light ((j)) and the ABS
warning light
~ come on together , the rear wheels could lock up
first under hard braking . Rear wheel lock-up can cause loss of
vehicle control and an accident. Have your vehicle repaired imme­
diately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop .
Drive slowly and avoid sudden , hard brake applications.
• If the brake warning /indicator light does not go out after a few
second s and the parking brake released , or lights up while you are
driving , the fluid level in the brake fluid reservoir i s too low. If you
believe that it is safe to do so , proceed immediately at low speed
to the neare st authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair facility
and have the brake system inspected .
• Always keep in mind that after several brake applications, you
will need greater pressure on the brake pedal to stop your vehicle.
Do not rely on strained brake s to re spond with maximum stopping
power in critical situations. You must allow fo r increased braking
di stan ce s. The extra distance used up by fading brakes could lead
to an accident. •
Vehicle care Technical data

warning goes out after about S seconds, but it can be brought up at any time by pressing the !SETI button again
Defective ignition switch Get it serviced!
-Do not turn the engine off.
- Drive immed iately to an authorized service facility to have
the malfunction corrected.
If there is a malfunction in the electron ic ignition lock, the ignition
cannot be turned off . Drive immediately to an authorized service
facility to have the cause of the malfunction corrected.
On vehicles w ith convenience key *, the e ng ine should not be switched
off using the start/stop button because the engine cannot be started
again after the ignit ion has been switched off.
[ i ] Tips
The symbol's appearance might be d ifferent in some models. •
Yellow symbols
Ayellow symbol means WARNING.
Fig. 24 Display:
Yellow warning
symbol
Yellow symbols indicate a priority 2 malfunction -Warning!
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Driver information display
When a yellow warning symbol appears, one warning tone sounds. A
dr iver message appears as well to expla in the malfunction in more
detail. The driver warn ing goes out after about 5 seconds, but it can
be brought up at any time by pressing the
! SET] button again.
Check the function displayed as soon as possible . The yellow symbol
will not go out again until the reason for the malfunction has been
corrected.
If several priority 2 malfunctions are present, the symbols appear in
succession and remain for about 2 seconds.
Dynamic steering*
~ page34
-Worn brake pads ~poge35
Battery voltage ~poge36
Defective light bulb* ~poge35
Check engine oil level => page 36 or
~page36
Engine oil sensor malfunction ~page36
-
Low fuel level =:>page 36
- -Windshield
washer fluid ~poge35
level low
Convenience key*
~poge34
Key not in vehicle
Light/rain sensor* defective
::::>poge35
--
Dynamic headlight range => page37
control defective ...
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Light/rain sensor defective ~c.,
Automatic headlights/automatic wipers defective
If the symbo l illumina tes, the ligh t senso r has fa iled. For s afe ty
reasons the low beams are turned on permanently with the sw itch in
AUTO . However, you can continue to t urn the lights on and off usi ng
the light sw itch . In the case of a defect in the ra in sensor, the wi nd­
shield wiper lever functions are still avai lab le . Have the light/rain
senso r chec ked as soo n as poss ible by an a utho riz ed Aud i dea le r.•
Worn brake pads u
Brake pads!
If the warn ing light illum inates, immediately contact your autho rized
Audi dea ler or qu alified wor kshop to h ave all b rake pad s in sp ecte d.
On USA mode ls the warn ing light comes on together w it h the
w ar ning light
BRAKE . Both se ts of b rake pads on an axle mus t always
be rep laced at the same time.
& WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a collision and serious personal
injury .
• If the warning light J and the warning light BRAKE1> with the
message Brake pads! comes on in the instrument cluster di splay,
immediately contact your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pads checked or replaced if
necessary. •
ll BRAKE: USA mode ls on ly
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Driver information display
A
pp lies to veh icles : wit h defective ligh t bulb wa rning
Defective Light bulb warning t
Th e def ective light bul b warning monitors the function of
the li ght bulbs in the vehicle.
Th e defe ct ive light bulb war ning moni tor s the functio n of the lig ht
bulbs. If a de fective light bu lb is detected, or if a light bu lb has
bur ned out, a ye llow symbol appears as well as a n otifi cat io n that
shows w hich light bu lb is defective.
Defective bulb
~ If this symbol lights up, a t urn signa l (front or rear), a headlamp, a
br ak e light, t he b ack- up ligh t, a fog lamp o r a rear f og l am p has
fai led.
& WARNING
• Light bulbs are under pressure and can explode when bulbs are
replaced -risk of injury .
• With gas-discharge lamps* (xenon headlights ), the high­
voltage component must be handled appropriately . Doing other­
wise poses a risk of death!
[ i ] Tips
Have an a uth orized Audi dea ler o r other qualified workshop pe rform
t he rep lacemen t or t he repai r.•
Windshield washer fluid level too low >
< . .., Please refill washer fluid
If the symbo l illum inates, add windsh ield washer f luid to the washer
sy ste m a nd also to the he adlig ht w ashe r system* =>
page 295. •
Vehicle care Technical data

Intelligent technology
--------------------------------------------------' "---.L==--
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. 213 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. 213. 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

Intelligent technology
'-------------------------------------------------
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. •

Driving and environment
----------------------------------------------'
New brake pads
- -
Remem ber th at new brake pads do not have a full braking
e ffe ct du ring the first 250 mi les (400 ki lo mete rs) afte r they
are in sta lle d .
N ew br ake pads have to be " burnishe d in" before they have op tim al
grab~ &-
Dur ing the break-in period, you sho uld avoid putting severe loads on
the brakes . Severe loads include, for example, sudden ha rd bra king,
in part icu lar at very high s peeds o r, for example, on mountain passes .
& WARNING
New brake pads don't have the best stopping power and must be
" broken-in " during the in itial 100 to 150 miles (150 to 200 kilo ­
meters) of normal city driving. You can compensate for this by
pressing the brake pedal mor e firmly . This also applies later when
new pads are installed. n
Avoid damaging the vehicle
When yo u are driving on poor roads, or over c urbs, steep ramps, etc.,
ma ke ce rtain that low-lying pa rts su ch as spoilers and exhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damaged .
This is es peciall y tr ue for veh icle s wi th low-slung chass is (sports
chassis)" and fully loaded vehicles. •
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage w hen drivi ng through
water, fo r examp le on floode d roa ds:
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
•
The wate r must not be any higher than the bottom of the vehicle
body .
• Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
& WARNING
After driving through water , mud , slush , etc ., the brakes may be
slow to take effect because of wet brake rotors and pads . Dry the
brakes first by braking carefully to resto re the full braking effect.
0 Note
Vehicle components such as the engine, transmiss ion, suspension or
ele ct ric al sy stem can be severe ly d amaged by driv ing thro ugh wa ter.
[ i ] Tips
• C heck the de pth o f th e wate r before driving thr oug h it.
• Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or switch the engine off
w he n dr iving throug h wate r.
• Keep in m ind that oncoming vehicles may c reate waves t hat raise
t he water leve l and make it too deep fo r yo ur vehicle t o drive thr oug h
safely.
• Avoid drivi ng through sal t wa ter because it can cause corros io n.
Catalytic converter
It is very important th at your emission control s ystem
( c a ta lytic co n verter) is functionin g proper ly to e nsure
th at y our ve hicl e is ru nn in g in an en vir onm entally sound
m ann er.
- Alwa ys use lead- free g asoline=> p ag e 274, "Fuel sup ply".
- Never ru n the tan k down a ll the way to empty . .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ C_ h_ e_c _k _i _ n _g ~ a_n _d_ f_il _l_in _ g _________________________________________ _
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time d ue to the auto­
m atic adjus tment o f th e b rake pads. This is no t ca use for alarm.
If the brake flu id level falls considerably below the "MIN" mark, the
brake warning/indicator light ( U.S. models:
BRAKE , Canadian mode ls:
ID ) will come on=> page 17 and=> page 30. Do not contin ue to
operate the vehicle. The complete brake system should be thoro ughly
c he cked by an au thor ized Aud i deale r or q ualified works hop and t he
cause corrected. If the brake fluid level is too low, the brake
w ar ning/ind ic a tor ligh t will illum ina te. Con ta ct a n au thori ze d Audi
dealer
immediately .
rn Tips
The brake fluid reservoir is located underneath t he cover. •
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid cha nged b y an experienced tech ni­
c ia n.
Brake fluid absorbs mo isture from the a ir . If the water content in the
bra ke fl uid i s too hig h, cor ros io n in th e bra ke system may res ult afte r
a period of time. The boiling po int of the brake fluid will also decrease
cons iderab ly and decrease brak ing perfo rmance .
Th erefo re, th e brake fl uid must be changed
every two years . Always
use new bra ke fluid w hich conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Stan ­
dard "F MVSS 1 16 DO T 4".
The brake flu id reservoir can be diffic ult to reac h, therefore, we
recommend that you have the bra ke fluid c hanged by your author ized
Audi dealer . Your dealer has the correct tools, the right brake flu id
and the know -how to do t his for you .
LJ}. WARNING
• Brake fluid is poisonou s. It mu st be stored only in the closed
original containe r out of the reach of children!
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Brake failure can result from old or inappropriate brake fluid.
Observe these precaution s:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE specification
J 1703 and
conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116 . Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make sure you are using
the correct brake fluid. The correct type of brake fluid is also indicated on the brake fluid reservo ir.
- The brake flu id must be new . Heavy use of the brakes can
cause a vapor lock if the brake fluid is left in the system too
long. This can seriously affect the efficiency of the brakes as
well as your safety. This could result in an accident.
0 Note
Bra ke fluid will damage the paint of your veh icle.
For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of brake fl uid as well as
t he s pecial tool s required a nd the nece ssary ex pert ise, we recom ­
mend that you have t he brake f lu id changed by your authorized Audi
de aler. •
Battery
General information
Under normal operat ing con dit ions, the battery in your Aud i does not
need any main tenance . Wit h high outs ide temperatures o r long daily
dr ives we recommend that yo u have the electrolyte level checked by
an a uth orized Audi dealer o r q ua lified wor kshop. The electro lyte lev el
should also be checked each time the battery is charged=> page 293 . .,_