2011 AUDI A5 COUPE battery

Intelligent technology
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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 303, "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 247.
& 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

Intelligent technology
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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 245, "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. •

Intelligent technology
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Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery power drops into the range where it can limit the ability of
the engine to start, this is shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
Lo w b attery charge : batt ery will be charged while driving
Th is notification rem inds you that the starting capability of the
engine may be limited . As soon as you start driving again, the batte ry
w ill be recharged and the notification w ill go out.
Dri ver notification appears and goes out again
If th is dr iver notification appears after the ignition is turned o n or
while driving a nd it goes out again afte r a w hile, the battery has been
adequate ly recharged.
Driver no tification appears and does not go out
again
If th is dr iver notifica tion appears afte r the ignition is turned o n or
while driving and does not go out again, the battery 's state of charge
is not in the optimal range . Starting ability is restricted. Have the
battery checked as soon as poss ible by an au thor ized Aud i dea le r o r
qualified workshop. •
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Checking and filling Ill
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Closing the engine hood
- Pull the hood down until the pressure from the struts is
reduced.
- Let the hood
drop down and latch in place. Do not try to
push it shut;
it may fail to engage=:> &.
& WARNING
A hood that is not completely latched could fly up and block your
view while driving.
• When you close the engine hood, check it to make sure the
safety catch has properly engaged. The hood should be flush with
the surrounding vehicle body parts.
• If you notice while driving that the hood is not secured prop­
erly, stop at once and close it. •
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the engine
compartment.
Whenever you must perform any work in the engine compartment,
for example checking and filling different fluids, there is a risk of injury, burns and accidents. To prevent personal injury always
observe the following WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area=>& .
& WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check anything under the hood:
• Turn off the engine.
• Remove the ignition key.
• Apply the parking brake.
Safety first
& WARNING (continued)
• Move selector lever of automatic transmission to "P" (Park);
put manual transmission in Neutral.
• Always let the engine cool down. Hot components will burn
skin on contact.
• To reduce the risk of being burned, never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment. Wait until no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the hood.
• Keep children away from the engine compartment.
• Never spill fluids on hot engine components. They can cause a
fire.
• Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary electric fan is
temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly.
• Never open the coolant reservoir cap when the engine is still
warm. The coolant system is pressurized and hot coolant could
spray out.
• Protect your face, hands and arm from steam or hot engine
coolant by placing a thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
• If work on the fuel system or the electrical system is necessary:
-Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames. Fluids in
the engine compartment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher immediately available.
• To avoid electrical shock and personal injury while the engine is
running or being started, never touch:
-Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage electronic ignition
system.
• If you must perform a check or repair with the engine running: ..,
Vehicle care Technical data

lffll __ C_h_ e_c _k _i_n -=g :a,__ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ l _li _n _,g;._ __________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued )
-First, fully apply the parking brake , move selector lever of
automatic transmission to "P" (Park); put manual transmi s­
sion in Neutral.
- Alway s use extreme caution to prevent clothing, jewelry , or
long hair from getting caught in the radiator fan , V-belts or
other moving part s, or from contacting hot parts. Tie back hair
before starting , and do not wear clothing that will hang or
droop into the engine .
• Minimize expo sure to em is sion and chemical hazards=>& .
& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
• Engine exhaust , some of its constituents, and certain vehicle
c omponents contain or emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and reproductive harm. In
addition , certain fluid s contained in vehicle s and certain products
of component wear contain or emit chemicals known to the State
of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproduc­
tive harm.
• Battery posts, terminals and related acces sories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms. Wash hand s after
handling .
0 Note
When adding fluids, a lways make sure that they are poured into the
proper container or filler opening, otherwise serious damage to
veh icle systems w ill occur.
<£' For the sake of the environment
T o de tect leaks in time, inspect the veh icle floo r pa n from u nder neat h
regu larly. If you see spots from oil or other vehicle fluids, have your
vehicle inspe cted by an au thor ized Aud i dea le r.•
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
These are the most important i tems that y ou can chec k.
Fig. 205 Typ ical layout f or contain ers and engine o il filler cap
(D Jump start poi nt( +) unde r a cover . .... ..... .. .... 288, 3 29
@ Brak e fluid reservo ir ( ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
® Engine oil fill er cap(~) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
© Coolant e xpansion tank (- L ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
® Jump start point( -) with hex head screw ........... 288,329.,.

___________________________________________ C_ h_e _c _k_ i_n ~g_ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ll _i_n _g __ _
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time due to the auto­
matic adjustment of the brake pads. This is not cause 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:
{(j)) ) will come on=> page 18 and=> page 33. Do not continue to
ope rate the vehicle. The complete brake system should be thorough ly
checked by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop and the
cause corrected. If the brake fluid level is too low, the brake
wa rning/ind icator light will illuminate. Contact an authorized Aud i
dealer
immediately .
[I] Tips
The brake fluid reservoir is located undernea th the cover. •
Changing brake fluid
Hove the broke fluid changed by on experienced techni­
Clon.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If the water content in the
brake fl uid is too high, corrosion in the brake system may result after
a period of time. The boiling point of the brake fluid will also decrease
considerably and decrease braking performance.
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
every two years. Always
use new brake fluid which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Stan­
dard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach, therefore, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authorized
Audi dealer. Your dealer has the correct tools, the right brake fluid
and the know-how to do this for you .
& WARNING
• Brake fluid is poi sonous. It must be stored only in the closed
original container out of the reach of children!
Safety first
& WARNING (continued )
• Brake failure can result from old or inappropriate brake fluid.
Observe these precautions:
-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 reservoir.
- The brake fluid 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
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehicle.
ffi For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of brake fluid as well as
th e special tools required and the necessary expertise, we recom­
mend that you have the brake fluid changed by your author ized Audi
dealer. •
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the battery in your Audi does not
need any maintenance . With high outside temperatures or long daily
drives we recommend that you have the electro lyte level checked by
an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop . The electrolyte leve l
should also be checked each t ime the battery is charged=> page 288.
~
Vehicle care Technical data

___ C_ h_ e_c _k _i _ n _g ~ a_n _d_ f_il _l_in _ g _________________________________________ _
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 e lectrical system for safety reasons=>
& in "Repair,
care and disposal of the airbags" on
page 204.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window regulators, for example) are
lost if the battery terminals are disconnected. These functions have
to be relearned after the battery terminals are connected aga in . To
prevent this, the battery should only be disconnected from the
vehicle electrical system when absolutely necessary for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not dr ive your vehicle 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 over a
longer period=>
page 243.
Take into consideration that when you unlock you r vehicle, some
convenience functions, such as the master key remote function or
power seat adjustment, may not be available. The convenience func­
tions will be available again when you turn on the ign ition and start
the engine.
W inter operation
During the w inte r months, battery capacity tends to decrease as
temperatures drop. This is because more power is also consumed
wh ile starting, and the headlights, rear window defogger, etc., are
used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, particularly in city traffic or
when traveling only short distances. Let your authorized Audi dealer
check the capacity of the vehicle battery before winter sets in
=> page 288. A well charged battery will not only prevent starting
problems when the weather is cold, but will also last longer.
W Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several weeks at extremely low
temperatures, the vehicle battery should 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 anyth ing 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 . .,,_

Checking and filling "" ------------------~::....::..:..._~---=---
No
- sparks
-flames
- smoking .
When a battery is charged, it produces hydrogen
gas which is explosive and could cause personal
injury.
Always keep the battery well out of rea ch of chil- .,,_
dren .
_& WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on the electrical system,
there is the risk of injury, accident and even fire. Read and heed
the following WARNINGS:
• Always wear eye protection. Do not let battery acid or any l~ad
particles get on your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes. Explosive
gases can cause blindness or other injury.
• Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid can cause
blindness and severe burns.
-Always wear gloves and eye protection. Do not tilt the
battery because acid could leak out of the ventilation open­
ings.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or on your skin, imm~di­
ately rinse with cold water for several minutes and get medical
attention.
- If you should ingest any battery acid, seek medical attention
immediately.
• Do not expose the battery to an open flame, electric sparks or
an open light.
• Do not smoke.
• Do not interchange the positive and negative cables.
Safety first
& WARNING (continued)
• When working on the battery, be sure not to short-circuit the
terminals with tools or other metal objects. This would cause the battery to heat up very quickly, which could lead to damage or
explosion and personal injury.
• When a battery is charged, it produces hydrogen gas which is
explosive and could cause personal injury.
• Always keep the battery well out of the reach of children.
• Before work is done on the electrical system, disconnect the
negative ground cable.
• Before performing any work on the electrical system, switch
off the engine and ignition as well as any electrical equipment.
The negative cable on the battery must be disconnected. I! you are
just going to replace a light bulb, then it is enough to switch off
the lights.
• Before disconnecting the battery, switch off the anti-theft
alarm system! Otherwise you will set
off the alarm.
• When disconnecting the battery, first disconnect the negative
cable and then the positive cable.
• Before reconnecting the battery, make sure all electrical
consumers are switched off. Reconnect the positive cable first and
then the negative cable. Never interchange the cables -this could
start a fire!
• Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out battery. It could
explode! If a battery has frozen, then it must be replaced. A
discharged battery can freeze over at 32°F (0°C).
• Make sure the vent hose is always attached to the opening on
the side of the battery.
• Never use batteries which are damaged. There is the danger of
an explosion! Always replace a damaged battery. .,,_
Vehicle care Technical data