2011 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET engine overheat

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

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. •

Intelligent t echnology
'-----------------------------------------------
Servotronic® - advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems uses the power of the
running engine to allow precise steering with little effort .
The advanced Servotronic® power steering system senses the road
speed and ele ct ronically adjusts power assistance to provide
comfortable and safe steering response exactly matched to the
veh icle speed.
Power steering will not work if the engine is off. As a resu lt, the
steeri ng wheel will be hard to turn.
T he power steeri ng fluid level is checked du ring the sched uled main ­
tenance services .
0 Note
If there is an electronic malfunction, servotronic will still function
like a conventional power s teer ing system, provid ing a cons tant
steering support force that is no longer proportionate to the vehicle
speed. This is most noticeable when t urning the s teer ing wheel at low
speeds (for example when park ing), -more effort will be required
than us ua l.
• Be aware of the d ifferent than usual steering response and adjust
your stee ring force accord ingly .
• Have the prob lem checked and set right by an Audi dealer as soon
as possib le.
[ i ] Tips
• When the e ngine is running, neve r hold the stee ring whee l turned
all the way to the right or to the left for longer than 15 seconds. The
powe r steering pump wi ll overheat the hydra ulic fluid if yo u keep
holding the steering wheel turned all the way . This is likely to damage
t he power s teer ing system . •
If the power steering system s hou ld fa il entirely, or if the engine
is no t ru nning (fo r examp le, while be ing towed), you will st ill be able
to steer the vehicle. However,
considerably more effort will be
req uired to do so .
• If the power steering system should have a leak, or is not func­
tioning prope rly, con tact your au thor ized A udi dealer immedia tely.
• The power steer ing system requires a specia lly formulated
hyd raulic fluid. The power steer ing rese rvoir is the one loc ated
farthest to the rear on the left s ide of the eng ine compartme nt
=>
page 281. The correct fluid leve l in the reservo ir is im port an t fo r
proper functioning of the power steeri ng .•
Applies to veh icles: with A ll Whee l D rive
Driving with your quattro ®
With all wheel drive, all four wheels are driven.
CieneraL information
Wi th all wheel drive, power is d istribu ted to all fou r whee ls. This
happens automatically depending on your dr iv ing style and the road
condi tions a t the t ime. See also=>
page 242, "Ele ct ronic differen tial
lock (EDL)".
W inter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with a ll whee l dr ive has an
adv anta ge, eve n w it h regula r tir es. In w inte r road co nditio ns i t may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-season tires) for improved
dr iveabili ty and b raking: t hese tires m ust be moun ted on all four
wheels . See also=> page 311, "Winter t ires".
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certa in roads, th is normally also
app lies to veh icles with a ll w heel d rive =>
page 312, "Snow chains". ~

Driving and environm ent
------------------------------------------------'
[I) Tip s
The consumption estimates as published by ENV IRONMEN TA L
PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the road, wh ich w ill vary
depending upon vehicle load and speed, road and weather conditions ,
trip length, etc. •
Drive smoothly :1nd keep a Lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are accelerating .
-Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they a re accelerating. If you antici­
pate what is going to happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, accelerate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possible -for
example when you see that the next traffic l ight is red. •
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and improves your
mileage.
- Try and keep well below your car's maximum speed .
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consumption, engine wear, and does
not disturb the environment .
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and engine noise increase
disproportionately at high speeds . If you drive at approx imately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by one half.
Never dr ive faster t han the posted speed limit and weather condi­
tions permit. •
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
-
Shut the engine off when you are not driving the vehicle .
- Do not warm up the veh icle by letting the engine run at
idle.
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic jams, when wa iting for
trains to pass at railroad crossings, or at traffic lights that have long
wa its on red . Turn ing the engine off for just 30-40 seco nds saves
mor e fuel than is burned starting the engine again .
It takes a long t ime for the engine to wa rm up fully when it is run ning
at idle. However, wear and noxious emissions are espec ia lly high
when the eng ine is wa rming up. So you should dr ive away as soon as
you start the engine and avoid running at hig h rpms while the engine
is still warm ing up.
0 Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after starting . If warning
lights should come on to indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces heat, which could result in
overheat ing or other damage to the vehicle or othe r property.
Regular mai n _t_ e_ n_a_ n_ c_e ___________ _
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
-Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals .
By having you r vehicle regularly serviced by an authorized Audi dealer
helps to ensure that it runs properly and economically . The condit ion
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to ho ld its val ue,
it also affects
fu el con sumpt ion.
C hec k your oil ea ch tim e you fill you r ta nk .
"1>
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for vehicles towing
t railers are lowe r than for regular veh icles.
Always apply brakes early. When dr iv ing downh ill, sh ift in to a lower
gear to use the engine braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge~ page 8 must be observed care­
fully. If the needle moves close to the upper end of the scale, reduce
speed immediately and/or turn off the air conditione r.
If the coolant temperature warning light in the instrument cluster
star ts flashing
-t- , pull off the road, stop and let the engine idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat bu ild-up.
& WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving vehicle is at a much
greater risk in an accident. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided by Audi. u
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
------------
Your vehicle handles differently when tow ing a tra iler because of the
additiona l weight and different weight distribution. Safety, perfor ­
mance and economy will greatly depend on how carefu lly you load
your trailer and operate your rig .
Before you actua lly tow your trailer, practice turning, stopping and
backing up in an area away from traffic. Keep pract icing until you have
become completely familiar with the way your vehicle-t railer combi­
nation behaves and responds.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Backing up
is d iff icult and requ ires practice . Backing up with a trailer
generally requires steering action opposite to that when backing up
your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle and the one in front
of you. You will need more room to stop . To compensate fo r the
trailer, you will need a larger than norma l turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accelerate as fast as you
normally would because of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for you r
trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes .
[I) Tips
• Do not tow a trai ler during the break-in per iod of your vehicle.
• If you tow a tra iler, your Audi may requi re more frequent mainte­
nance due to the extra toad~
page 343. •
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot be
avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
-Apply the foot brake.
- Have someone place chocks under both the vehicle and the
trailer wheels.
- With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes until the
wheel chocks absorb the load.
- Turn the wheels towards the curb.
- Apply the parking brake .
- Move the se lector lever to
P.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___________________________________________ 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