2011 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET coolant level

Warning light in the instrument cluster display-1-
If the _L warning light in the i nstrument clus ter display flashes, this
can mean one of two things: either the coo lant
temperature is too
high, or the coolant
level is too low ~ page 31 .
If the needle is well in the uppe r area of the gauge, the coo lant
temperature is too high.
Stop the vehicle, switch the engine off, and
allow it to cool.
If th e war ning light comes o n ag ain af ter driv ing a
short distance, contact an author ized Aud i dea ler or othe r qualified
wor ksh o p.
& WARNING
• Alway s observe the warn ing in :::} page 272, "Engine compart·
ment ", before opening the hood and checking the engine coolant
level.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
s ee engin e coolant dripping from the engine compartment. You
could burn yourself . Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant .
0 Note
• Mounting add ition al lights o r accesso ries in fron t of the a ir inlets
reduces the cooling effect of the radiator . At high outside tempera­
tur es o r high engine load, the eng ine could ove rhe at.
• The front spo iler has been designed to properly d istribute the
c oo lin g air when the vehicle is moving. If the sp oi ler is d amaged, this
co uld reduce the cooling eff ect and the eng ine could then overheat .
Ask your au thor ized A udi dealer for assis tance .•
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Instruments and warning /indicator lights
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachomete r in dic ates t he engine RPM (revoluti ons
pe r mi nutes) .
If engine RPM drops below 1,500, you shou ld downsh ift to the next
lower ge ar. T he red area at the end of the s cale i ndi cates max imum
permissible engine RPM after the brea k-in per iod. Before reaching
t his area, move t he selector lever to po sition "D (Dr ive)" or ease yo ur
foot off t he accelerator pedal.
0 Note
T he tachometer needle @~ page 8, fig. 2 should o nly br iefly be in
t he red zone: yo u co uld damage your eng ine! T he beg inning of the red
zone varies depe nd ing o n the eng ine.
~ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel and redu ces engine noise .•
[S ET] button
You c an per form d iffere nt fu nctions with t his but ton.
Fig . 3 SET butto n in
the instrume nt clu ste r
Th e !SE TI bu tto n performs the fo llow ing f unct io ns:
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Red symbols
A red symbol means DANCER.
0
"'
~ co a,
Fig. 23 Display:
Danger symbol
-Pull off the road.
-Stop the vehicle.
-Turn off the engine .
- Check the malfunctioning system. Contact your autho-
rized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop for assistance.
Red symbols indicate a priority 1 malfunction -Danger!
With a priority 1 malfunction , a red symbo l appea rs in the upper
center area of the display=> fig. 23. A driver message appears as well
t o expla in the malfunction in more detail. When this symbol appears,
three warning tones sound in succession. The symbo l continues to
flash until the fau lt has been corrected.
If
several priority 1 ma lfunctions are prese nt, the symbo ls appear in
succession and remain for about 2 seconds.
Th e driver warning goes out after about S seconds, but it can be
brought up again at any time by pressing the
[SET I button.=> page 28
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Driver information display
D Alternator failure
=> page29
BRAKE
USA models: =:>page 30
Brake system malfunction

Canada models: =:>page 30
Brake system malfunction
.J_ Engine coolant level too
=> page 31
low/engine coolant temperature
too high
I I
~ Engine oil pressure too low => page 31
-=:>page 32 ~,w Refill engine oil now
II
Q!!) -4 Steering ma lfunction =:> page 32
© ... Ignition lock malfunction =:> page 32
Alternator malfunction 0
If the D symbol in the instrument panel disp lay flashes, then there
is a malfunction in the alternator or the vehicle electronics. A warning
to the driver w ill appear, too . The dr iver warning goes out after about
S seconds, but it can be brought up at any time by pressing the
!SET I
button again.
Usually, you can still drive to the next dealership. Turn off a ll but the
most necessary electrical consumers, since these drain the vehicle's
battery.
0 Note
If the the _ f_ warning symbol (coo lant system malfunction) also
•
ligh ts up on the inst rume nt panel during the trip=> page 31, then .,_
Vehicle care Technical data

Driver information display
you have to stop immediately and turn off the engine. The coolant
pump is not working anymore--danger of damage to the engine! •
Brake system malfunction
A malfunction in the brake system must be repaired as
soon as possible.
If the warning/indicator light BRAKE (USA models)/ ((D)
(Canada models) in the instrument cluster flashes, there is a
brake system malfunction . A driver message appears as well
to explain the malfunction in more detail. The driver warning
goes out after about S seconds, but it can be brought up at
any time by pressing the
!SET] button again.
Stop the Vehicle and Check the Brake Fluid
- Stop the vehicle.
-Check the brake fluid level=>
page 289.
- Seek professional assistance if necessary .
Warning ! Fault in brake system. Contact
workshop
- Drive carefully to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or other qualified workshop and have the malfunction
corrected =>
&.
Parking brake Please get to a repair shop
- If this symbol appears when the vehicle is stationary or
after the ignition is turned on, check to see if the parking brake can be released. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer
or other qualified workshop as soon as possible and have
the malfunction corrected. If the parking brake cannot be
opened, then take it to an expert at an authorized Audi
dealer.
- If the symbol appears while you are driving, it is possible that the traction control or the emergency brake has malfunctioned. It is possible that the parking brake
cannot be applied. It is also possible that the parking
brake cannot be released after it has been applied. Drive
to an authorized Audi dealer or other qualified workshop
to have the malfunction corrected.
If the ABS system malfunctions, the ABS warning/indicator light illu­
minates together with the brake system malfunction warning/indi­
cator light~& .
& WARNING
• Always observe the warnings in~ page 2 72, "Engine compart­
ment", before opening the hood and checking the brake fluid.
• Driving with low brake fluid is a safety hazard. Stop the car and
get professional assistance.
• USA models: If the BRAKE warning light and the i, 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 immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop. Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
• Canada models: If the brake warning light (CD) and the ABS
warning light come on together, the rear wheels could lock up .,_

& WARNING (continued)
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. •
Engine cooling system malfunction -•-
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must be repaired as soon as possible.
If the - t-symbol flashes in the display, either the engine
coolant
temperature is too high or the engine coolant level is
too low. A driver message appears as well to explain the
malfunction in more detail. The driver warning goes out after
about 5 seconds, but it can be brought up at any time by
pressing the
[SET] button again.
Switch off engine and check coolant level
- Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the engine .
- Check coolant level==>
page 287.
- Add coolant if necessary ==> page 288.
- Continue driving only after the engine coolant
warning/indicator light goes out.
- Contact your authorized Audi dealer for assistance if
necessary .
If the engine coolant level is correct, then the radiator fan may be the
cause of the malfunction.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Driver information display
& WARNING
•
If your vehicle should break down for mechanical or other
reasons, park at a safe distance from moving traffic, turn off the
engine and turn on the hazard warning lights=>
page 67, "Emer­
gency flashers
A".
• Never open the hood if you see or hear steam or coolant
escaping from the engine compartment· you risk being scalded.
Wait until you can no longer see or hear steam or coolant
escaping.
• The engine compartment of any vehicle is a dangerous area.
Before you perform any work in the engine compartment, turn of
the engine and allow it to cool. Follow the warning stickers
=> page 2 72, "Engine compartment".
0 Note
Do not continue driving if the-~- symbol illuminates. There is a
malfunction in the engine cooling system -you could damage your
engine. •
Engine oil pressure malfunction The red engine oil pressure warning symbol requires
immediate service or repair. Driving with a low oil pres­
sure indication is likely to cause severe engine damage.
If the 'l=:7: symbol on the display flashes, the engine oil pres­
sure is too low. A driver message appears as well to explain
the malfunction in more detail. The driver warning goes out
after about 5 seconds, but it can be brought up at any time by
pressing the
[SET] button again.
Switch off engine! Oil pressure too low
-Stop the vehicle.
Vehicle care Technical data

Warm and cold
Warm and cold
Deluxe automatic climate control
Applies to vehicles: with deluxe automat ic climate cont ro l
Description
The climate control system can be used to set a comfort­
able temperature inside the vehicle .
The climate control system is a combination of a heating and ventila­
tion system as well a cooling system respons ible for dehumid ifying
and cooling the air inside the vehicle.
Th e automatic climate control system automatically maintains a
temperature once it has been set. The temperature of the air from
the vents, fan speed (air volume) and air distribution are a lso auto­
matically adjusted . The system also takes into account strong
sunlight so that manual adjustment is not necessary . So in almost all
cases, automatic mode offers the best conditions for the comfort of
the occupants at all times of the year=>
page 90.
Please note the following :
The cooling mode lowers the humidity level inside the vehicle. This
prevents fogging up of the windows.
In the case of high outside humidity and temperatures,
condensation
can drip from the air conditioning system evaporator and form a pool
under the veh icle. This is normal and not an indication of leaks!
At low outs ide temperatures, the fan automatically switches to a
higher speed when the coolant reaches a sufficient temperature
except in the defroster position.
When starting with full throttle, the compressor of the automatic
climate control system is temporarily switched off to achieve full
engine power.
T o ensure engine cooling when the engine is under an extreme load,
the compressor is switched off at h igh coolant temperatures.
Pollutant filter
The pollutant filter (particle filter) ensures that impurities in the
outs ide a ir (e.g. dust, pollen) and odors are significantly reduced or
stopped. The air is also filtered in recirculation mode.
Th e pollutant filter e lement must be changed at the intervals speci­
fied in the service plan so that the performance of the automatic
climate control system is not impaired.
If the effect iveness of the filter decreases premat urely due to opera­
tion of the vehicle in areas with significant pollution, the filter
element must be changed between the specified service dates.
Key recognition
The current climate control settings are automatically stored and
assigned to the key being used. The settings assigned to the key are
restored automatically when the vehicle is started. These settings are
different when the power top is open or closed. Each driver can use
his or her preferred settings witho ut having to man ually adjust them
when using their own key.
If another driver changes the settings while using your key, your
prefer red sett ings will be erased.
Energy management
To prevent the battery from be ing discharged and to restore the
balance of energy, components which require large amounts of
energy are temporarily cut back or switched off=>
page 247. Heating
systems in partic ular require a great dea l of energy. If you notice, for
example, that the rear window heater is not heating , the n it has been
temporarily reduced or switched off by
energy management . These
systems are available again as soon as the energy balance has been
restored. .,,_

___________________________________________ C_ h _ e_c _k _ i_n -=g .._ a_n _ d_ f_i _ll _i _ n -=g '--- ........ 11'1
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

___________________________________________ C_;_ h _.:. e_c _k _ i_n -=g ~ a_n _ d_ f_i _ll _i _ n -=g '--.......J-
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

___ A_l_,_ p _ h_ a _ b_e _ t_ i_c __ a _l _i_n :...::d __ e::..: x:...::...,_ _________________________________________ _
Emergency locking of the doors .. .. ....
47
Emergency operation
Luggage compartment lid .... ... .. .
48
Power top ... .. .. .. ... ... .... .... 57
Emergency release
Sele ctor lever ...................
154
Emergency starting .. .. ............. 333
Emergency towing ..... .. .. ..... .... 336
Emergency u nlocking
Ignition key .. ................. ...
40
Energy management .............. .. 247
Battery power ................ ... 249
Dr iver not ification ......... .... ... 249
Engine
Compartment .. .. ... . .. ... ... . ..
281
Coolant ................ .. .... .. 286
Hood .................. ...... .. 279
Starting ... ............. ...... ..
106
Starting w ith jumper cables ........ 333
Stopping .. .. ... .... ........ .... 1 07
Engine compartment
Safety instructions .. ... ... .... . ..
280
Work ing the eng ine compartment 280
Engine coo lant system
Ma lf u nct ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31
Radiator fan ... .... .. . ... ... .. .. 289
Engine coo lant tempe rature
T empera ture gauge ............ .. .. 8
Engine cooling system ...............
286
Adding coolant ... .. .. .. ... ...... 288
Checking coo lant level . ........... 287
Checking the engine coolant level ... 287
Engine data ....... .. ... . .. ... ... ... 342
Engine hood
Closing ............... ... .......
280
How to re lease the hood ........... 279
Engine oil .... ..... ... ... ... .. .. .. . 282
Add ing ......................... 284
Add itives ....................... 284
Changing ............ .... .. ..... 285
Check o il level ....... ... .. .. .. .. . 284
Consumption ............. ....... 284
Oi l co nsumption ............... .. 283
Oi l grades ...................... 282
Specification and viscosity .. .. .. .. . 2 82
Engine oil leve l .. . .. ............... .. 36
Engine oil p ressure
Ma lf u nction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
31
Engine oil se nsor defec tive . .. .. ... .... 36
Engine speed limitatio n ............... 36
Environmen t
B reak -in period .. .... .. .. ... .... .
250
Catalytic converter .... ... ... .. .. . 251
Disposing of your vehicle battery ... . 29 4
Driv ing at high speeds ............ 253
Driv ing to minimi ze po llution and noise ..
252
Fuel ... ............... .. .. .. .. . 27 6
Fuel e co nomy ............ .. .... . 252
Leaks unde r yo ur vehicle .. ... ..... . 280
Letting the vehicle stand and wa rm up . ..
253
Prope r disposa l of dra ined bra ke fluid 290
Pro per disposal of dra ined engine coo la nt
288
Proper disposal of dra ined engine oil 284,
2 85
Recycl ing used eng ine o il ... .. .... . 284
Unleaded fue l ................... 274
What should I do w it h an old battery?
294
Environmental note
Rear window defogger ........ .
92, 100
EPC
See Electronic power contro l . . . . . . . . 13
ES P
See Electronic stabilization program (ESP)
240
Event Data Recorder ( EDR) 240
Exhaust ta il pipes
Cleaning ... .... .... .. .. ...... ..
267
Expans ion tank ..... ................ 28 7
F
Fan ..................... .... ... 9 1, 98
Rad iator ................. ... .... 289
Fastening
Booster seats ...................
229
Convertible child safety seats ...... 228
Infant seats ...... ............... 227
Flat tire
Changing ................. .... ..
320
Floo r mats ............ .. .. .. .. .. .. 182
Fog lights .. ... ........ ...... .. . ... . 64
Folding the rear seat backrests . ... .. .. . 8 4
Foot pedals ................... ... .. 182