2012 AUDI A5 COUPE warning lights

18 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
BRAKE/ CQ)) Brake system
The warning/indicator light flashes if brake
fluid level is low, if there is an ABS system
malfunction or a parking brake malfunction.
The 1111 (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
light illuminates when the ign ition is turned
on .
It goes out after the engine has been
started. This indicates t hat the brake war ning
light is funct ion ing properly.
If th e br ake w ar ning light d oes not light up
w hen the engin e is c ranking , th ere ma y be a
ma lfun cti on in th e ele ctric al sys tem. In thi s
case, c ontact an auth oriz ed Audi d eale r.
If the brake system warning/ind icator light
flashes, there is a brake system malfunction .
By pressing the
ISE TI button, you can br ing up
a driver message which exp la ins the ma lfunc­
tion in more detail
Q page 30.
If the ABS fails, the ABS warning/ind icator
light
B (USA mode ls)/ 11] (Canada mode ls)
flashes together w it h the brake system warn­
ing/i ndicator light
Q & .
(USA models): If the 1111 warn ing light and
the
El warning light illuminate togethe r, im­
mediately contact your author ized Audi dealer
or qualified workshop to have all bra ke pads
inspected
q page 34 .
When the light comes on, an audib le warni ng
signal is also give n.
A WARNING
- USA models: If the 1111 warning l ight
and
the m warning light come on to ­
gether, the rear wheels could lock up
first under hard braking . Rear wheel lock ­
up can cause loss of vehicle control and
an acc ident. Have your vehicle repaired
immediately by your authorized Audi
dealer or a qualified workshop . Dr ive
slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake ap·
plicat ions.
- Canada models: If the brake warn ing
light . and the ABS warning light
II]
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 vehi­
cle repaired immed iately by your author·
ized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop .
Drive s low ly and avoid sudden, hard
brake applications.
- If the brake warning/ind icator light does
not go ou t after a few seconds and the
pa rking brake released, or lights up wh ile
you are driv ing, the fluid level in the
brake fluid reservoir is too low. If yo u be ­
lieve that it is safe to do so, proceed im­
mediately at low speed to the nearest
author ized Audi dealer or qualif ied repair
facility and have the brake system in·
spected.
- Always keep in mind that after severa l
brake applications, you will need greater
pressure on the brake pedal to stop your
veh icle. Do not rely on strained brakes to
respond with max imum stopping power
in critical s ituations. You must allow fo r
increased braking dis tances. The extra
distance used up by fading brakes could
lead to an accident.

30 Driver in formation d isplay
Canada m odel s:
Bra ke system malfunction
c:>page30
Engine coolant level too low/en­
gine coolant temperature too
high
c:>page 31
Engine oi l pressure too low
c:>page 31
Refill engine oil now
c:>page32
Steering malfunction
c:>page 32
Ignition lock malfunction
c:>page32
0 Alternator malfunction
If the . symbol in the instrument panel dis­
p lay flashes, the n there is a malfunc tion in the
a lt ernator or the vehicle electron ics. A warn­
ing to the driver will appear, too. The driver
warning goes out after about 5 seconds, but it
can be brought up at any time by pressing the
ISETI button again.
Usually, you can still drive to the next dea ler­
ship. T urn off all b ut the most necessary elec­
tr ica l cons umers, since these dra in the veh i­
cle's battery.
(J;) Note
If the . war ning symbol (coolant system
malfunction) also lights up on the instru­
ment panel during the trip
c:> page 31,
then you have to stop immediately and
turn off the eng ine. The coolant pump is
not working anymore--danger of damage
to the eng ine!
BRAKE/ Brake system malfunction
A malfunction in the brake system must be
repaired as soon as possible .
If the warn ing /indicator light-(USA
models)/ . (Canada models) in the instru- me
nt cluster flashes, there is a brake system
malfunction. A driver message appears as
we ll to exp la in the ma lfunction in more de ­
ta il. The dr iver warning goes out after about S
seconds, but it can be brought up at any time by press ing the
ISE TI button again .
Stop the Vehicle and Check the Brake
Fluid
.,. Stop the vehicle .
.,. Check t he brake fluid level
c:> page 246 .
.,. Seek professional assistance if necessary .
Warning ! Fault in br ake system . Contact
workshop
.,. Drive ca refully to the nearest authorized
Aud i dea le r or other q ualified workshop and
have the malfu nction corrected
c:> &_ .
Parking b ra ke Plea se get to a repair shop
.,. If this symbol appears when the vehicle is
stat ionary or after the ignition is t urned on,
check to see if the par king brake can be re­
leased. Dr ive to a n author ized Audi dealer or
other qualified workshop as soon as possi­
b le and have the malfunc tion cor re ct ed. If
t he par king b rake cannot be opened, t hen
take it to an expe rt at an authorized A udi
dea ler .
.,. If the symbo l appea rs whi le yo u are d riving,
it is possible that the traction contro l or the
emergency brake has malfunctioned. It is
possible that the parking brake cannot be
app lied. It is also possible that the parking
brake cannot be released after it has been
app lied. Drive to an autho rized Aud i deale r
or other qualified workshop to have t he mal­
fu nction corrected.
If the ABS system malfu nctions, the ABS
warning/indicator light illuminates togethe r
with the brake system ma lfunction w arning/
i ndica to r li ght
c:> .&..
A WARNING
-A lways observe t he warn ings in
c:> page 230, Engine compartment, be­
fore open ing the hood and check ing the
brake fluid.

-Driving wi th low brake fluid is a safe ty
haza rd. S to p the car and get professional
assistance.
- USA models: If the - warning light
and
the m warning light come on to­
gether, the rear wheels could lock up
first under hard braking. Rear wheel lock­
up can cause loss of vehicle control and
an acc ident. Have your vehicle repaired
immediately by your authorized Audi
dealer or a qualified workshop. Dr ive
slowly and avoid sudden, ha rd b rake ap­
plications.
- Canada models: If the brake warn ing
ligh t. and the ABS warning light
[i]
come on together, the rear wheels could
lock up first under hard brak ing. Rear
wheel lock- up can cause loss of veh icle
control and an accident. Have your vehi­
cle repaired immediately by your author­
ized Aud i dealer or a qualified workshop .
Drive slowly and avo id sudden, hard
brake applicat io ns.
-L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible .
If the . symbol flashes in the display , e ither
the eng ine coolant
temperature is too h igh or
the eng ine coolant
level is too low. A dr iver
message appears as we ll to explain the mal­
f u nction in more detail. The drive r warning
goes o ut after abo ut S seconds, but it c an be
b rought up at any time by press ing the
!SE Tl
button again.
Sw itch off engin e and check coolant lev el
.,. Pu ll off the road .
... Stop the veh icle .
.,. Turn off the engine .
.,. Check coolant level¢
page 244.
.,. Add coolan t if necessa ry ¢ page 245 .
.,. Contin ue driving only after the eng ine cool ­
ant war ning/indicato r light goes o ut.
... Contact your a uthorized Audi dea ler for as ­
s istance if necessary .
Driver information di spla y 31
If the engine coo lant level is correct, then the
radiator fan may be the ca use of the malfunc­
t ion .
_& WARNING
-If your vehicle should brea k down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
safe distance from moving traffic, turn
off the eng ine and tu rn on the haza rd
warn ing lights
~ page 52, Em ergency
flashers.
-
- Never ope n the hood if you se e or hear
steam or coo la nt escaping from the en­
gine com partmen t -yo u ris k being scald ­
e d . Wai t until yo u ca n no longer see o r
hea r steam o r coolan t escap ing.
- Th e engine compa rtme nt o f any vehicle
is a dangerous area. Be fore you perform
any wo rk in the engine compartmen t,
tur n of the engine and allow it to coo l.
Follow the warn ing stickers ¢
page 230,
Engine compartment .
(D Note
Do not continue driv ing if the . symbo l
ill uminates . There is a malfunction in the
engine cooling system -you could damage
your engine.
"t::7: Engine oil pressure malfunction
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol
requires immediate service or repair. Driving
with a low oil pressure indication is likely to
cause severe engine damage.
If the . symbo l on the d isplay flashes, the
engine oil pressure is too low. A driver mes­
sage appears as well to exp la in the malfunc­
tion in more detail. The driver warning goes
o ut after about 5 seconds, b ut i t can be
brought up at any t ime by pressing the
~ IS- ET~ I
bu tton aga in .
Switch off eng ine ! Oil pr essure too low
... Stop the vehicle .
.,. Turn the engine off.
.,. Check the engine oi l level ¢
page 242.

32 Driver information display
• Co ntac t you r authorized Audi dea ler if nec -
essa ry .
Engine oil level too low
If th e e ngine o il leve l is too l ow, ad d eng ine
oil
<> page 242.
Engine oil level correct
If th e . symbo l flash es even t houg h the en ­
g ine o il lev el is co rrec t, p lease seek prof essio­
na l assis tan ce. Do not cont inu e dr iv in g. Do
no t leave the eng ine run nin g
idle, either .
{O) Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is
not an indicator for a low engine oil lev­
el. Do not rely on it. Instead, che ck the
oil level in your engine at regular inter ­
vals, preferably each time you refuel,
and always before going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
II requires oil refill or workshop serv­
ice without delay . Do not wait until the
red oil pressure warning. starts to
flash before you respond to the low oil level warning
II. By then, your engine
may already have suffered serious dam­
age .
~ . Fill engine oil now
WARNING: Please add oil immediately
If t he . symbo l lights up, t hen the oil has to
be rep lenished r ight now
c:> page 242 .
Q31-e Steering malfunction
If there is a malfunction in the electronic
steering column lock, th e steering cannot b e
unlocked .
If th e . symbol in the disp lay blinks, there
is a malfunction in the elect ronic steer ing col ­
u m n lock. A dr iver message app ears as well to
explain the malfunc tion in mo re de ta il. The
dr iver war ning goes out after about 5 sec­
on ds, but it can be broug ht up a t any time by
p res sing t he
ISE TI bu tton again .
Stop the vehicle and turn off the engine.
Steering defective
• Obtain profess ional a ssista nc e.
• Do
not tow your ve hicle.
A WARNING
-
Your veh icle must not be towe d in t he
event of a malfunction in the electronic
steering co lumn lock beca use it cannot be
steered due to the locked steering. I f it is
t o we d wit h the steeri ng locked, there is
t h e risk o f an accident.
I
{i) Tips
The symbol's ap pearance might be differ­
ent in some mode ls.
© -e Ignition lock malfunction
A malfunction in the ignition lock must be re ­
paired immediately.
If the . symbol in the display blinks , there
is a ma lf u nction in the e lectronic ignition lock .
A driver message appears as we ll to explain
t h e malfunction in mo re deta il. The dr iver
warning goes out after about 5 seconds, but it can be b rought up a t any time by press ing the
ISE TI bu tton again
Defective ignition switch Get it serviced!
• Do not turn the e ngine off .
• Drive imme diate ly to a n author ized service
facility to have the malfunct io n corrected.
If there is a mal funct ion i n the elect ron ic ign i­
tion loc k, the ignition cannot be t urne d off .
D rive immed iate ly to an autho rized serv ice fa ­
c ili ty to have the cause of the malfunct ion c or­
rected.
On vehicles with conve nience key*, the engi ne
sho uld not be switched off us ing the start/
stop button because the engine cannot be
started again afte r the ignit io n h as been
switched off .

34 Driver in formation d isplay
The speed warnings warning threshold 1
[i and warning threshold 2 HIil are also
yellow symbols in some models. The warn­
ing is always shown as a small symbol in
the upper area of the display
c> page 27 .
~ Dynamic steering
App lies to vehicles: with Audi drive select
&1rJ D ynamic steering: Sy ste m m alfun ctio n
This driver message and the &1r-1 symbol ap­
pear when a system malfunction occurs dur­
ing travel. You can continue to dr ive carefully
at a reduced speed to a qualified workshop .
Steer ing ca n be mo re d iff icult or sensitive
tha n usual. The stee ring wheel can also be at
an angle when dr iv ing str aight.
&1rJ Dynamic steering: initial ization
If th is driver message appears and the &1rJ in­
d icator light is flash ing on the instrument
panel, dynam ic steering is being re initialized .
Once you sta rt the eng ine after this is f inish­
ed, the steering wheel will be easy to move.
Re-initialization might be necessary if the
steer ing whee l was moved ha rd to t he left and
right whi le the vehicle was not moving . The
d isplay goes out as soon as initia lization is
comp lete.
A WARNING
-
Have the dynamic steering system mal­
function repaired as soon as poss ible by an
authorized Audi dealer or any qualified
workshop -risk of accident!
(D Tips
The dynam ic steering stability systems are
not ava ilable in the event of a system mal­
function .
2e Key not in vehicle
Applies to vehicles : wit h co nvenience key
I! Key no t in vehicl e
This rem inder appears along with the I! sym­
bol if the master key is removed from the ve­
hicle with the eng ine runn ing .
It is intended
to rem ind you (e.g . whe n cha nging dr ivers)
not to cont inue t he journey withou t the m as­
te r k ey.
If the master key is no longer in the ve hicle,
you cannot swi tch off the ig nit ion after stop­
ping the engine and you also canno t start the
engine aga in. Yo u also cannot lock the vehicle
from the outside .
· fi.. D Light/rain sensor defective
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h ligh t/rain sensor
B Automatic headlights /automati c wipers
defective
If the symbol illumina tes, the ligh t sensor has
failed. For safety reasons the low beams are
turned on permanently with t he switch in AU­
TO . However, yo u can cont inue to turn the
lights on and off using the light switch. In the
case of a defect i n the rain sensor, the wind­
shield wipe r lever functions are still ava ilab le.
Have the light/ rain senso r checked as soon as
poss ible by an authori zed Audi dealer.
(0) Worn brake pads
EiJ Brake pad s!
If the warning light illuminates, immed iately
co ntact your authorized Audi dea ler or qua li­
fied workshop to have all brake pads i nspect­
ed. On USA mode ls t he
EiJ w arni ng lig ht
comes on together with the - warning
light . Both sets of brake pads on an ax le must
always be replaced at the same time.
A WARNING
'-
Driving w ith bad brakes can cause a colli-
sion and ser ious personal injury.

-If the El war ning light and the -
warning light
l ) w ith the message Br ake
pads !
comes on in the instrument cluster
display, immediately contact your au­
thorized Aud i dealer o r qualified work­
shop to have a ll brake pads checked or
replaced if necessary.
~ Defective light bulb warning
Applies to vehicles: with defective light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning monitors the
function of the light bulbs in the vehicle.
The defective l ight bulb warning monitors the
function of the light bulbs . If a defect ive lig ht
bu lb is detected, or if a light bulb has burned
out, the
I symbol appears as well as a notifi­
cation that shows wh ic h light bulb is defe c­
tive.
A WARNING
- Ligh t bul bs are under pressure and can
exp lode when bulbs a re replaced -risk o f
injury.
- W it h gas -discharge lamps* (xenon head ­
lights), the high-voltage component
must be handled approp riately. Doing
otherwise poses a risk of death!
(D Tips
Have an author ized Audi dealer or other
qua lified workshop perform the rep lace­
ment or the repai r.
c:> Windshield washer fluid level too
low
f-4 "lease refill washer fluid
-
If the symbo l illuminates, add windshield
washer fluid to the washer system and also to
the head light washer system*
c::> page 251 .
1) - : USA mod els on ly
Dri ver information di spla y 35
Ehl Fuel supply too low
When the 11)1 symbol illum inates, t his means
th ere are abo ut 2.1 gallons (8 lite rs) of fuel
l eft in the fue l tank . Time to re fuel!
<=:> page 233.
If the symbol lights up, even when there is
amp le fue l in the t ank, and the text
TANK
SYSTEM MALFUNCTION
! CONTACT WORK­
SHOP
appears in the disp lay, there is a fa ult in
the system . Contact a qualified works hop to
have the fa ult rectif ied .
0 Battery voltage
App lies to vehicles : with battery voltage warn ing
If battery power drops into the range where it
can limit the ability of the engi ne to start, this
thP
(•i symbol appears i n the instrumen t
cluster d isp lay with the fo llow ing drive r mes­
sage
batter y charge low : Indicates charging
by being driven .
While this d river notification is d isp layed, you
have to be prepa red fo r limited starting capa­
bility.
Driver message appears and goes out
again
If this drive r message appea rs after the ign i­
t ion is tu rned on or while dr iv in g and it goes
o ut again afte r a while, t he battery has been
adequate ly re charged.
Driver message appears and does not go
out again
If this d rive r notifi cation appea rs after the ig ­
ni tion is t urne d on o r wh ile dr iving and does
not go out again, the ba tte ry's state of charge
is not in the optima l range . Starting capab ility
is restricted . Have the battery checked at an
authorized Aud i dea ler or other q ualified
wor kshop as soon as possib le.

Clear vision Lights
· r/.· Switching the lights on and off
Fig . 48 Instr ument pane l: Head light control switch
Switching on AUTO - Automatic headlight
control*
• Turn the light switch to AUTO ¢ fig. 48.
Tu rning on th e side ma rker light s
• Turn the head light contro l switch to :oo~.
Switching on low beams
• Turn the head light control sw itch to gD .
Swi tching off the lights
• Turn the head light control switch to 0.
The low beams only illuminate with the igni­
tion turned on.
With the s ide marker lights or headlights
switched on, the symbol next to the light
switch illuminates
:oo:.
AUTO -Automatic headlight control*
With the switch in the AUTO position, the low
beams are swi tched on automatically depend­
ing on the ambient light, for example in a tun­
ne l, at dusk and when it is raining or snowing.
When the low beams are switched on, the
:oo:
symbol comes on. The low beams remain
switched on regardless of the ambient light
when you turn on the fog lights .
When you turn
off the ignition, the low beams
are automatically switched
off.
On vehicles w ith a rain sensor* the headlights
switch on automatica lly after a few wind-
Clear vi sion 49
shield wiper passes. However, the instrument
lighting will not be switched on.
Wi th a utomatic head light cont ro l, you also
have the high-beam function available. How­
ever, if you have not switched high beams
back to low beams while driving with auto­
matic headlight control, only the low beams
come on the next time yo u turn on automatic
headlight control. In order to return to high
beams aga in, you first have to pull the high
beam lever back to the normal position and
then push the lever forward .
Light sensor* malfunction
In the event of a light sensor* ma lfunction,
the driver is not ified in the instrument cluster
display:
l;I Automat ic d rivi ng light s/automati c wip­
ers defect ive
For safety reasons, the low beams are turned
on permanently with the switch in
AUTO.
However, you can continue to turn the lights
on and
off using the light switch . Have the
light sensor checked as soon as possible at an
authorized Aud i dealer or other qualified
workshop.
A WARNING
Automatic h eadlights are only intended to
assist the d river. They do not relieve the
driver of his responsib ility to che ck the
headlights and to turn them on manually
according to the current light and visibility
conditions. For example, fog cannot be de­
tected by the light sensors. So a lways
switch on the headlights gD under these
weather conditions and when driving in
the dark.
(D Tips
- The light sensor* for headlight control is
located in the rear view mirror mount.
You should therefore not apply any stick­
ers to the windshield in th is area in order
to prevent malfunct ions or fai lures .
- The sensitivity level for the light sensor*
set at t he factory can be changed in the ..,_

Daytime running lights
When you turn on the ignition the daytime
ru nning lights will com e on automatically.
USA mode ls
The daytime runni ng lights are activated when
the light switch
c:> page 49, fig. 48 is in the 0
position or the AUTO pos ition (only in daylight
conditions). The daytime running lights func ­
tion can be turned on and off in the rad io or
M MI* menu
Exterior light ing c:> page 50 .
Canada model s
The daytime run ning lights are activated when
the light switch
c:> page 49, fig. 48 is in the 0
position, oooc position or the AUTO posit io n
(o nly in daylight cond it ions) . T he daytime run­
ni ng lig hts fu nction cannot be tu rned off.
_& WARNING
N ever u se day time ru nning ligh ts to see
w here y ou are goin g. They are no t bright
e n oug h an d wi ll not l et yo u see far enou gh
ahead for safety, especia lly at dusk o r
w hen it is dark. Be aware of cha nges in
outs ide light conditions when you are driv­
ing and respond by sw itching on your low
beams
jD.
(D Note
Always be aware of changes in outside light conditions while you are driving. Re­
spond in time to fading daylight by turn­
ing the light switch to position
jD (or
"AUTO")
to turn on your headlights .
-
Clear vision 51
Instrument lighting
The basic brightness of the illumination for
the instruments, the center console and the
display can be adjusted.
Fi g. S O Instrument light ing
.,. Press t he knob to re lease i t.
.. Rotating the kno b to the r ight"+" w ill in­
crease t he basic brightness when it is da rk .
.. Rotating the knob to the left"-" will de­
crease the basic brightness when it is dark.
.,. Pressing the knob will prevent u nintention­
al c hanges .
(D Tips
The ill umination for the instrument cluste r
li ghts up whenever you switc h on the igni­
tion w ith th e vehicle headlights off. As the
d ay ligh t fad es, th e inst ru m ent cluste r illu­
mina tio n lik ewise dims a utomatic a lly a nd
will g o out comp le tely whe n the o utsi de
ligh t is very low . This feature is me ant to
r emi nd you to switch o n the hea dlights
whe n outs ide lig ht conditions beco me
p oor .
Xenon headlights
App lies to vehicles : wit h xe non head lig hts
After starting the eng ine, the xenon head­
li ghts are automatically adjusted to the load
and angle of the veh icle (for example, dur ing
acce lerat io n an d bra ki ng) . Th is prevents on­
com ing t raff ic fro m experiencing un necess ary
he ad light glare from y our xe non headli ghts.
If the system is not ope rat ing properly, a
warning symbol in the Auto-Ch eck Control is
displayed
c:> page 36.