2012 AUDI A5 COUPE ABS

vertical axis, vehicle acceleration in the fore ­
and-aft and lateral directions , the brake pres­
sure, and the steering ang le are all measured .
The direction in which the d river wishes to
travel is determined with the aid of the steer­
ing angle and vehicle speed and is continually
compared with the actual behavior of the ve­
h icle. If the two do not match, for examp le,
when the vehicle starts hydroplaning on a wet
road, ESP will automatically brake the appro­
priate wheel to correct the problem.
The vehicle is then stabili zed by the forces act ­
ing on the wheel dur ing braking. If the vehicle
is
oversteering (the veh icle turns too sharply
and the rear wheels sl ide toward the outs ide
of a curve), the brakes are main ly applied on
the wheel that is on the outside of the curve.
I n the case of a ve hicle that is
understeering
(the vehicle does not turn sha rply enough and
pushes out of a curve) , the brakes are applied
as needed on the whee l that is on the inside of
the curve o r additiona lly on the other wheels.
An acoust ic signal indicates when ESP brake
application cuts in
q .& .
The system operates across the entire speed
range in combination with the ABS system
q page 208. If the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) malfunctions, the ESP will be out of ac­
tion as well.
Acti vating
When you turn on the engine, ESP wi ll auto­
matica lly be activated and will perfo rm a se lf­
test. As soon as the test is completed, the sys­
tem is in normal operating mode .
You can activate a deactivated ESP or deacti ­
vated ESP/ASR if required by pressing the
qfig. 196 q fig . 195 button. When they are
activated, the message
Stabilisation prog ram
on
appears briefly in the d isplay.
D eacti vating
The ESP sho uld normally be activated all the
time. If necessary, you can deactivate Anti ­
Slip Regulation (ASR) or the Electron ic Stabili­
zation Program (ESP) by pressing the button
<:::;, fig. 196 .
Intellig ent technolog y 205
-Dea cti vating ASR: Tap the b utton. In cer ­
tain exceptional situations (e.g . driving with
tire chains), the Anti -Slip Regu lation (ASR)
can be deactivated
q page 206. The mes­
sage
ASR off Caution ! Limited d riv ing sta­
bilit y
appears in the display as we ll.
- Deacti vating ESP /A SR Press the button for
more than 3 seconds. Wi th the ESP/ASR de­
activated, the ind icator light comes on, see
c:::;, page 15 . The message War ning! R estrict­
ed stability
appea rs in the d isp lay as well.
.8, WARNING -
The Electronic Stabi liz a tion Program is
neverthe less subjec t to the laws o f phys­
ics. It is part icu la rly important to pay a t­
tention to this fact on wet and slippery roads. It is therefo re important that you
a lways adapt your driving to the condit ion
of the road and traff ic conditions. Do not
allow the increased safety provided by the Elect ronic Stabilization Program system to
lull you into accepting addit iona l safety
r isks.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The electronic differential lock monitors the
rotational speed of the drive wheels .
General not es
The electronic d ifferential lock ( E0L) he lps the
car to star t moving, acce lerate and climb a
gradient on surfaces providing poor or almos t
no grip . Without EDL, this would be d iff icult,
if not impossible .
How the sy stem works
The EDL operates automatically. It mon itors
the rotational speed of wheels with the he lp
of the ABS sensors
q page 208 . If a noticea­
ble
slip is detected at the wheels (e .g . on s lip ­
pery ground
on one side), the sp inning wheels
are braked and power is t ransferred to the
othe r whee ls. Thi s is done up to a speed of
abo ut 60 mph (100 km/h) . Noises from the
brake system signa l that wheel spin is be ing
controlled .
Ill>
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206 Intelligent technology
Driving off
When driving off, a lways be sure to keep road
conditions in mind as you accelerate. If one
drive wheel spins because it is on a surface
with less grip, apply
plenty of throttle until
the car starts to
move .
Overheating of brakes
To prevent the disc b rake o f the bra ked wheel
from overheating if subjected to excessive l oads on this whee l, the EDL cuts out tempo­
rarily. The vehicle remains operational and be­
haves in the same way as a vehicle without
EDL.
As soon as the brake has coo led down, EDL
switches on again automatically .
A WARNING
-When accelerating on slippery surfaces,
such as on ice or snow, always be careful
when depressing the accelerator pedal. Even with the EDL working, the drive
wheels can spin and reduce your ability
to control your car. Risk of crash!
- The increased safety afforded by EDL
does not mean that you can take safety
risks. Always adapt your dr iving style to
the road conditions and traffic situation.
0) Tips
If a fault occurs in the ABS, the EDL is also
not funct ion ing. Thi s is indicated by the
ABS war ning light ¢
page 16.
Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR)
The Anti-Slip Regulation System prevents the
driven wheels from spinning when the car is
accelerating.
General notes
The Anti -Slip Regulation System (ASR) is inte­
grated in the electronic stabilization program
( E SP). When the vehicle starts up and acceler­
ates, the wheels are p revented from spinning
by adjusting the engine power to match the amount of grip available
from the road sur­
face.
How the system works
ASR performs automat ically, i .e. w ithout the
driver's intervention. With the aid of the ABS
sensors ¢
page 208, ASR monitors the speed
of the driven whee ls. If the whee ls start to
spin, engine torque is reduced automatica lly
until the tires find enough grip to lock onto
the road surface. The system is active across
the entire speed range.
The ASR works in conjunction with the ABS . If
a malfunction should occur in the ABS, the
ASR will also be out of act ion.
Activating
T he ESP is automatica lly activated when the
engine is started and it performs a se lf-test .
You can activate a deactivated ASR if required by pressing the
¢ page 204, fig. 196 button.
When it is act ivated, 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 204, fig . 196. With the ASR deactivat­
ed, the ESP check light comes on, see
¢
page 15 . The message ASR off appears in
the d isplay as well. The ASR can be deact ivat­
ed at any speed.
The ASR s hould normally be activated all the
time . Only in certain exceptional situations
when some slip is desirable does it make
sense to deact ivate the ASR . Examples :
- when driving with tire cha ins
- 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
shou ld activate the ASR again .

208 Intellig ent technol ogy
,8. WARNING
- You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road condit ions permit .
Other road users must not be put at r isk -
you may cause an acc iden t!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmiss ion into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often . This cou ld 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
stopp ing distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating
condit ions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy ra in or after wash ing
the vehicle, the effect iveness of the
brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumula te on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Carefully apply brakes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coat­
ings will be cleaned off after a few care­
ful brake applications.
- Driv ing fo r an extended period of time on
salt -covered roads w ithout using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads w ith a few careful
brake applicat ions.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­ ed . Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the ent ire brake system.
- Failure of one brake c ircuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in­ creased stopp ing distance. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­ est authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop.
Brake booster
The brake booster adds extra braking power .
The brake booster works with vacuum pres­
sure which is created only when the engine is
runn ing
c> .&. .
,8. 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 bra ke pedal mus t be
pressed considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance.
Functioning of Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up un­ der braking .
-
The ABS contributes effect ively to vehicle con­
trol since it prevents the whee ls from
locking
when the brakes are applied. This means that
the ve hicle remains steerable and is less likely
to skid .
With AB S you do n ot need to pump the
brake . Ju st hold th e bra ke p edal down.
However, do not expect the ABS to s horten
braking distance under
all c ircumstances.
When driving on gravel or on new ly fallen
snow on top of icy surfaces, braking dis tance
may be even longer, therefore, under these
circumstances, it is especia lly important that
you drive s low ly and with great care.
How the ABS syst em work s
An automat ic check is made when a speed o f
about 12 mph (20 km/h) is reached. When
this happens, a pumping noise can be heard.
If an ind iv idual whee l begi ns to rota te too
s lowly in re lation to vehicle speed and tends
to lock, the ABS automatically reduces brake pressure to prevent that whee l from locking . .,..

This automatic adjustment process will cause
a
slight vib ra tion of the brake pedal and some
noises to alert you that vehicle speed must be
adapted to existing road and traffic condi­
tions.
A WARNING
Although the ABS is very effective, always
remember that braking capability is limit­
ed by t ire traction . A lways adjust your dr iv­
ing speed according to the road and t raff ic
conditions. Do not let the extra sa fety af­
forded by the ABS tempt you into taking
extra risks. The ABS cannot overcome the
laws of physics .
(D Tips
-If ABS is not functioning properly, a
warning light will come on . See
~ page 16.
-If a fault occu rs in the ABS, the EDL is al­
so not functioning . This is indicated by
the ABS warning light .
Brake assist
Brake assist is designed to achieve the opti­
mum broking effect.
Brake assist helps to increase the effective
brak ing power and thus to achieve a shorter
stopping distance. If the driver presses the
brake peda l very quick ly, brake assist auto­
mat ica lly boosts the braking force to the max­
imum level, up to the point where the anti­
lock brake function (ABS) intervenes to stop
the wheels from locking . You should then
keep the brake pedal pressed u ntil the vehicle
has braked to the required speed . Brake ass ist
sw itches itself off as soon as you release the
b rake peda l.
A WARNING
Please remembe r that the accident r is k al­
ways increases if yo u drive too fast, espe ­
cially in corners or on a s lippery road, or if
you fo llow the vehicle ahead of you too
close ly. Increased risk of an accident can-
Int ellig ent technolog y 209
not be compensated for even by brake as­
sist, so always maintain a safe speed.
S .
®
ervotron1c
-
advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems uses the power of
the running engine to allow precise steering
with little effort.
T he advanced Servotronic ® power steer ing
system senses the road speed and elect ron i­
ca lly adjusts power assistance to provide com­
fortab le and safe ste ering response exact ly
matched to the vehicle speed .
Power steering will not work i f the engine is
off. As a result, the stee ring wheel will be hard
to turn .
T he power steering fluid level is checked d ur­
ing the schedu led maintenance services .
(D Note
If there is an e lectronic malfunction, ser ­
votronic
will s till function like a conven­
tiona l power steering system, providing a
constant steering support force that is no
l onger proportionate to the vehicle speed.
This is most noticeable when turning the
steering wheel at low speeds (for example
when parking), -more effort w ill be re­
q uired than usual.
- Be aware of the different than usual
steering response and adjust your steer ­
ing force acco rdingly .
- Have the problem checked and set right
by an Audi dealer as soon as possible.
(D Tips
-Whe n the engine is running, never hold
the steering w heel turned all the way to
the rig ht or to the left for longer t han 15
seconds. The powe r steering pump will
overheat the hydraulic fluid if you keep
holding the stee ring wheel turned all the
way. This is likely to damage the power
steering system .
IJI>
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218 Trailer towing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, p lease remember
that the additional load will affect durability,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
For this reason, always fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suita­
ble for your vehicle and trailer and must be
mounted securely on the veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location. Use only a trailer
hitch with a removable ball mount. Always
check with the trailer hitch manufacturer to
make sure that you are using the correct
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that
it does not interfere with the impact-absorb­
ing bumper system . No modifications should
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake sys­
tems . From time to time, check that all hitch
mounting bolts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the
trailer hitch ball mount. This prevents the
hitch from causing damage should your vehi­
cle be struck from behind
¢ A.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking sys­
tem, check to be sure that it conforms to all
regulations . The trailer
hydraulic brake system must not be
direct ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system
~ A.
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the trai le r.
Trailer lights
T railer lights must meet all regulations. Be
sure to check w ith your authorized Audi dealer
for correct wiring, switches, and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
using the regular outside mirrors, then you
must install extended mirrors . It is important
that you
always have clear vis ion to the rear.
,8. WARNING
- If a trailer has electrical brakes please
note that these brakes are not activated
by the factory-fitted control unit -risk of
accident!
- Afte r removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in your vehicle. In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and
injure you or your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
-
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 tra iler.
Trailer load distribution Be sure the load in the trailer is held secure ly
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ A in Driving instructions on page 219.
Engine cooling system
T owing a trailer makes the engine work hard ­
er. It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load.
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid . .,..

220 Trailer towing
who is not properly wearing the restraints
provided by Aud i.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle hand les different ly when towing
a trailer because of the additional weight and
different weight distribution. Safety, perform­
ance and economy wi ll greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopp ing and backing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have become completely familiar with the way
your vehicle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trai ler genera lly requires
steering action opposite to that when backing up your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you. You will need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turn ing radius .
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­
celerate as fast as you normally would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass . After passing, allow
plenty of room for your tra iler before chang­
ing lanes aga in.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes .
(D Tips
-Do not tow a tra iler during the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load
q page 293.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer . If it can­
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol­ lowing:
When parking:
.. App ly 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.
.. App ly the parking brake.
.. Place an automatic transmission* in
P, re­
spectively a manual transmission in first or reverse gear.
When restarting after parking:
.. App ly the foot brake.
.. Start the engine.
.. Move the se lector lever to
D , respectively a
manual transmission in first gear .
.. Release the parking brake and slow ly pu ll
out and away from the wheel chocks.
.. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
chocks .
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the auto­
matic transmission* to
P before applying
the parking brake and before blocking the
whee ls, you may have to use more force
lat er to move the lever out of the
P posi­
tion.

~ Then wipe the MMI contro l conso le with a
clean, soft, slightly damp cloth.
The MM I control console shou ld be cleaned
with a brush first so that no dirt is trapped be ­
tween the buttons and the housing . We rec­
ommend giving the MMI contro l console a fi­
na l wipe with a cloth moistened with water
and d ish washing detergent.
(D Note
To prevent damage, make sure that no flu ­
id ever gets into the MMI control console .
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and depos its from alum inum surfaces.
Ch rome care products and alkaline cleaners
will attack alum inum su rfaces and can dam­
age them ove r time.
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 2 2 1.
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabrics and fabric coverings (e .g. seats, door
trim panels, etc.) should be cleaned at reg ular
interva ls with a vacuum cleaner. Th is removes
surface dirt particles which could become em­
bedded in the fabr ic through use. Steam
cleane rs should not be used, because the
steam tends to push the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lock it there.
Norm al cleaning
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
or a lint-free microfiber cloth to the clean fab­
ric. Brushes should o nly be used for carpets
and floor mats, s ince other fab ric su rfaces
could be harmed by b rushes .
Normal surface sta ins can be cleaned using a
commercially available foam cleaner . Spread
the foam on the surface of the fab ric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently. Do not satu­
r ate the fabric. Then pat the foam d ry using
Cleaning and protec tion 22 7
absorbent, dry cloths (e .g . m icrofiber cloth)
and vac uum it after it has dried completely .
Cleaning stains
Stains caused by beverages (e.g. coffee, fr uit
j u ic e, etc.) ca n be treated w ith a mild de ter­
gen t solu tion. Apply the detergent sol ution
with a sponge. In the case o f stubborn stains,
a detergent paste can be applied directly to
the stain and worked into the fabric . After­
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to remove the rema ining detergent. Apply the
water wit h a damp cloth or sponge and pat
the fabr ic dry with an absorbent, dry clot h.
Stains from choco late or makeup should have
detergent paste rubbed into them . After­
wards, remove the soap with water (damp
sponge) .
Alcohol can be used to treat stains from grease, o il, lipstick or a ballpoint pen. Melted
grease or dye must be patted off using ab ­
sorbent mater ial. It may be necessary to re­
treat the areas with detergent paste and wa­
te r.
In the case of general soiling of the up hols ­
te ry and cover material, we recommend hir ing
a spec ia list t hat has the equipment to clean
the seat cove rs and othe r fabr ic surfa ces by
shampooing a nd spray extraction.
A WARNING ~ -
Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
the information
~ page 221 .
(D Tips
Open Ve lcro fas teners on yo ur clothing can
d am age the sea t cover. Please m ake su re
that Ve lcro fasteners are closed .
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear
water to clean these areas. For persistent d irt
use an Aud i approved
sol vent -free p lastic
cleaner/protectant. ..,. •
•

preservative cream that contains UV­
blockers and that works into the leather .
This cream w ill nourish and mo istur ize
the leather, he lp ing it to breathe and
stay supple. It also helps to build up a
protective coating on the surface.
- Clean the leather every 2 - 3 months,
and clean any areas that get soiled.
- Remove fresh marks made by ballpoint pens, ink, lipst ick, shoe polish, etc. as
soon as possib le.
- Preserve the color of the leather as need­
ed by using a special colored leather care
cream to touch up areas of uneven color.
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
Applies to vehicles: with natural leather
Natural leather requires special care and at­
tention.
Norm al cleaning
.,. Clean soiled areas w ith a slightly mo istened
cotton or woolen cloth.
Mor e stub born dir t
.,. More stubborn dirt can be removed using a
cloth saturated with a m ild soap so lution (2
tablespoons m ild liquid soap) .
.,. Never allow the soap solution to saturate
the leather, and make certa in that no water
soaks into the seams .
.,. Wipe off the soap solut ion with a soft, dry
cl oth.
Cleaning spots
.,. Remove fresh water -b ased spots (such as
coffee, tea, ju ices, blood) w ith an absorbent
cloth or paper towel.
.,. Remove fresh
gr eas e or oil -ba sed spot s
(such as b utter, mayon naise , chocolate) wi th
an absorbent cloth or paper towe l, or use
the cleaner from the leat her ca re kit i f the
spot has not yet penetrated into the s urface
of the leather .
.,. Use an oil/grease disso lv ing spray, if
oil /
grease spots h ave d ried on.
Cleaning and protec tion 229
.,. Remove specific k inds of spots (ba llpoint
pe n, fe lt marker, fingernai l polish, water­
based pa int, shoe po lish, etc .) with a spot
remover specifically formu lated for leather.
L e ather care
.,. Every half year use an approved leather care
product (available from your authorized Au ­
di dea ler) to care for the leather .
.,. App ly the product very sparingly.
.,. Wipe it off with a damp cloth.
If you have any q uestions about cleaning and
caring for the leather in yo ur vehicle, it is best
to contact your a uthorized Audi dea ler, who
will be g lad to help you and tell you about our
full range of leather care products, such as :
- Leather cleaning and care kit
- Creams to ca re fo r colored leather
- Spot removers for ballpoin t pens, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
- Oil/grease d issolving spray
- New and upcom ing products .
.&_ WARNING
Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other in formation
r::!) page 221 .
(D Note
- N ever use chem ica l so lvents (e .g . lighte r
fluid, tu rpe nti ne), waxes, s hoe polish o r
simi la r prod ucts on the lea ther surfaces
i n yo ur Audi .
- To avoid damage, have stubbo rn sta ins
remove d by a comme rcial clean ing spe­
c ialist .
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
Applies to vehicles: with Alcantara® upholste ry
R emoving du st and dirt
.,. Mois ten a cloth, squeeze out excess water
and wipe down the seat surfaces .
Removing stains
.,. Moisten a cloth with lukewa rm wate r o r
w ith di luted
ethyl (rubbing ) alc ohol.
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