2012 AUDI A5 COUPE warning lights

216 Driving and environment
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
.,. Shut the engine off when you are not driv­
ing the vehicle.
.,. Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the
engine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at rail ­
road crossings, or at traff ic lights that have
l ong wa its on red. Turning the engine off for
just 30-40 seconds saves more fue l than is
burned starting the eng ine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle. However , wear
and noxious emissions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at high rpms while the engine is
still warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter starting . If warning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
wou ld go unheeded. Extended idling also
produces heat, which cou ld result in over­
heating or other damage to the vehicle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel .
... Have your vehicle serviced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
authorized Audi dealer helps to ensure that it runs properly and economically . The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and
ability to hold its value, it also affects
fuel
consumption .
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oi l used is re lated to engine
load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has been driven.
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 m iles
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
This also app lies to fue l consumption and en­
gine output.
(D Note
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet . Lack of proper mainte­
nance as well as improper use of the ve­
hicle will impair the function of the
emission contro l system and cou ld lead
to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such
as heat shields, switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System and other important vehicle compo­
nents.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips .
.,. Try to avoid driv ing short distances with a
cold engine .
The engine and cata lytic converter have to
reach their optimal
operating temperature to
reduce fuel consumpt ion and noxious emis­
s ions effectively .
Just after starting, a co ld engine in a mid-size
car only achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 mi les
per gallon (30-40 l/100 km). After about a
half a mile, fuel economy cl imbs to 12 mpg
(20 l/100 km) . After about
2 .5 miles (4 km), ll>

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 . .,..

Tire pressure
When towing a tra ile r, inflate the t ires of your
vehi cle to the co ld tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located either on the
driver's side B-pillar (visible when the doo r is
open) or inside the f uel f iller flap. Inf late
trailer tires to trailer and tire manufact urers'
specifications .
Lights
The headlight settings should be chec ked w ith
the t railer attached before dr iv ing off. Check
to make sure both vehicle and trai ler lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be s ure trai le r sa fety chains are p roperly con ­
nected from the t railer to the hitch on the ve­
h icle. Leave enough s lack in the chains to per ­
mit turn ing corners . When you install safety
chains, make su re they w ill not drag on the
road when you are driving.
T he chains shou ld cross under the trai ler
tongue to prevent it from droppi ng in case of
separat io n from the hitch .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration.
To obtain the best poss ible handling of vehicle
and trai ler, p lease note the following:
.,. Do no t tow a loa ded tra iler whe n your car i t­
self is no t loaded .
.,. Be especia lly careful when passing other ve ­
hicles.
.,. Observe speed limits.
.,. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.,. Always apply brakes early .
.,. Monito r the t em perature gauge.
Weight distribution
Tow ing a loaded trai ler with an empty car re­
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight . If this ca nnot be avo ided, drive at very
Trailer towin g 219
low speeds on ly to avo id t he ris k of losing
steering cont ro l.
A "b alanced " rig i s ea sier to op erat e and con­
tr ol. T his means t hat t he tow vehi cle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permissi ­
ble, while keep ing the trai ler as light as possi­
ble under the c ircu mstances . Whenever poss i­
ble, transfer some ca rgo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle while obse rvi ng
tongue load requirements and vehicle load ing
cons idera tions .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more d iff icu lt it be­
comes for the driver to contro l the rig. Do not
drive at the maxim um permissib le speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather o r
wind conditions are unfavo rable -pa rticula rly
whe n going downhill .
Red uce ve hicle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slig htest s ign of sway ing .
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating .
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds
for vehicles tow ing tra ile rs are lowe r than for
regular ve hicles .
A lways apply brakes early. When driving
down hill, shift into a lowe r gear to use the en­
gine braking effect to s low the vehicle. Use of
the b rakes alone ca n cause them to overhea t
and fail.
Coo lant temperature
The coo lant temperat ure ga uge ¢ page 10
must be observed carefu lly. If the need le
m oves cl ose to t he upper end of t he scale, re­
duce speed immediately and/or turn off t he
a ir condi tioner .
If the coolant temperature warning light .
in the instrument cluster starts flashing, pull
off the road , stop and let the engine
i dle for
abo ut two minutes to prevent heat build-up .
A WARNING
Anyone no t properly restra ined in a mov­
in g ve hicle i s at a much gre ater r isk in an
a cci dent . N ever le t anyone rid e in yo ur car
-
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•

222 Cleaning and protection
Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any
modern automatic car wash.
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle
can normally be washed without problems in
an automatic car wash. However, the effect on
the paint depends to a large extent on the de­
sign of the facility, the filtering of the wash
water, the type of wash and care material, etc. If the paint has a dull appearance after going
through the car wash or is scratched, bring
this to the attention of the operator immedi­
ately. If necessary, use a different car wash.
Before going through a car wash, be sure to
take the usual precautions such as closing the
windows and the roof. Factory installed an­
tennas must not be removed.
If you have installed additional accessories on
the vehicle - such as spoilers, roof rack, etc. -
it is best to ask the car wash operator if these
should be removed.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c;, page 221.
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi­cle by hand.
., Before you start washing, make sure you
have read and understood the WARNINGS
r:::;, A in General information on page 221.
., First soak all dried dirt until it is soft, then
rinse it off.
., As you clean your vehicle, start with the
roof and work your way down to the bottom,
using a sponge, a sponge glove or a clean
brush.
., Rinse the sponge or the sponge glove often,
flushing it clean each time.
., Use special car shampoo only for very per­
sistent dirt.
., Rinse the car thoroughly with water .
., Use a chamois leather to gently wipe the ex­
terior dry. Use
a separate sponge for cleaning the
wheels, door sills and other regions exposed
to road dirt. In this way, you will not scratch
the paint with coarse particles imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the car.
A WARNING
---Do not clean the underside of the chas­
sis, fenders, wheel covers, or other hard
to reach parts without protecting your
hands and arms. You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c;, page 221.
0 Note
- Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surface of the vehicle is dry. Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, since this
could scratch your vehicle's paint or win­
dows.
- Never wash your car in bright sunlight.
Drops of water act as magnifying lenses
and may damage your paint.
-When you wash your car in the winter: if
you rinse your vehicle with a hose, be
careful not to aim the stream of water
directly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings - they can freeze shut.
- Never use sponges designed to remove
insects, or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products. They can damage
your paint finish .
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel­
ing your vehicle. Never use a dry cloth or
sponge to clean the headlights. Only use
wet cloths or sponges to prevent
scratches. It is best to use soapy water.
@ For the sake of the environment
In the interest of the environment, the ve­
hicle should only be washed in special
wash bays .

temperatures stay below freezing point for l ong periods.
Detergent add itives in the o il w il l make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run ­
ning fo r a short time . This is norma l and is not
a reason to change the oi l more often than
recommended.
D am ag e or m alfun ction s due to lack of
ma intenanc e
It is essential that you change your oil at the
r ecommended inte rva ls using only engine o il
t hat complies wi th A udi oi l standard
VW 502 00. Yo ur Limited New Vehicle War­
ranty does not cover damage or malfunctions
d ue to fa ilure to fo llow recommended mainte­
nance and use requ irements as set forth in
the Audi Owner's Manua l and Warranty
&
Maintenance book let . Your dea ler will have to
deny warranty coverage u nless you present to
the dea ler p roof in the fo rm of Serv ice or Re­
pa ir Orde rs that all s chedu led maintenance
wa s pe rformed in a t imely manner .
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle dep ends on an ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving parts.
In o rder to provide effective l ubrication and
cool ing of i nternal engine components, a ll in­
ternal comb ustion eng ines consume a cert ain
amo unt of o il. Oil cons umption varies from
engine to engine and may change significantly
over the life of the engine. Typ ica lly, engines
with a specified break-in per iod (see
c::;, page 213) consume more oil during the
break-in per iod than they consume after oil
consumption has stabilized .
Under norma l conditions, the rate of oil con ­
sumpt ion depends on the quality and viscosity
of the oil, the RPM (revo lutions per m inute) at
which the engine is operated, the amb ient
temperature and road condit ions. Furthe r fac­
tors ar e the amount of o il d ilution from wate r
condensation or fuel residue and the ox ida­
tion level of the oi l. As any engine is s ubje ct to
Checkin g and fillin g 241
wear as m ileage builds up, the oil consump ­
tion may increase over time until replacement
of worn components may become necessary.
Wi th a ll these variab les coming into p lay, no
standard rate of oil consumpt ion can be es ­
tablished or specified. There is no alternative
to regular and frequent check ing of the o il lev ­
el, see
Note .
If the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l
Ill in the instrument cluster lights up, yo u
sho uld check the oil leve l as soon as possib le
c::;, page 242. Top off the oil at your earliest
convenience
c::;, page 242.
A WARNING
Before you check anythi ng i n the engi ne
compartment, always read a nd heed all
WARNINGS
c::;, .&. in Working in th e engine
c ompartment on page 23
7.
(D Note
D riving w ith a n insufficient o il level is like­
ly to cause sever e damage to the engine .
(D Tips
- The oil pressure warning display. is
not an indicator of the oil level. Do not
rely on it . Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at regu lar intervals , pref­
erably each time you refuel, and alway s
before going on a long trip .
-If you have the impression yo ur engi ne
c ons umes ex ce ssive amoun ts of o il, we
recommend that you consul t an a uthor­
ized Aud i dea ler to have the cause of
your concern properly d iagnosed. Keep in
mind that the accurate measu rement of
oil consumption requ ires great care and
may take some t ime. An authorized Aud i
dealer has instructions about how to
measu re oil co nsumption accurately.
-
•
•

248 Checking and filling
Have the battery checked when you take your
ve hicle in for service. Yo u are well advised to
replace a battery that is older than 5 years .
W ith certa in types o f airbag deployment, the
battery is d isconnected from the vehicle elec ­
trica l system for safety reasons ¢
& in Re­
pair, core and disposal of the airbags on
page 176.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some veh icle func tions (power w indow regu­
l a tors, for example) are los t if the bat tery ter ­
minals a re disconnected . These functions have
to be re learned after the battery terminals a re
connected agai n. To prevent this, the battery
should only be disconnected from the vehicle
e lectrical system whe n absolutely necessary
for repairs .
Vehicles not driven for long period s
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electrical compo­ n ents are gradually cut back o r switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main ­
tains starting capab il ity over a longer period
¢ pag e 211.
Some of the conven ience functions may not
operate, such as the inter ior lights or the
power seat adjustm ent. The conven ience
f u nctions w ill be ava ilable again when you
turn on the igni tion and st art the eng ine.
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity
tends to decrease as tempe rat ures d rop . This
i s becaus e more powe r is also consumed while
start ing , a nd the headligh ts, rea r window de­
f o gger, etc., are used more o ften .
Avoid unnec essary power consumption, par­
ticular ly in c ity traffic or w hen t rave ling o nly
short d istances. Let you r auth o riz ed Audi
d ea le r che ck t he cap acity of the ve hicl e bat­
tery be fore w inte r se ts in
¢ page 250. A we ll
cha rged batte ry w ill not only prevent sta rting
p ro bl ems when the weathe r is cold, but wi ll
a ls o l ast longer.
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left stan ding for seve ral
weeks at e xtremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery sho uld be removed and
st ored w here it w ill n ot freeze . This will
p revent it from be ing damaged and having
to be replace d.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compart ­
ment under the floo r. Befo re you check any­
t hi ng in the luggage compartment,
read and
heed all WARNINGS
¢ ,& .
Always heed t he safety warnings , when work­
i ng on the veh icle battery or the vehicle e lec­
t rical system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM­BOLS and safety precautions when working on the battery .
@) Always wear eye protection .
b.. Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Al­
~ ways wear gloves and eye protection .
~ No
\!!51 -sparks
-flames
-smoking.
A. When a battery is charged, it produces
&£:,. hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
~ Always keep the battery well out of
V:!JI reach of children.
_& WARNING
Wh eneve r workin g on th e ba ttery o r o n
the elec trical system, there is t he ris k of
in jury, accident and even fi re . Read and
h eed the followin g WAR NINGS:
-

-Always wear eye protection. Do not let
battery acid or any lead particles get on
your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes .
Explosive gases can cause blindness or
other injury.
- Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Sulfu­
ric 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, immediately 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 neg-
ative cables .
= 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 sys­
tem, disconnect the negative ground ca­ ble .
- Before performing any work on the elec­
trical system, switch off the engine and
ignition as well as any electrical equip ­
ment. The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected . If you are just go­
ing 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! Other­
wise you will set off the alarm.
Checking and filling 249
-When disconnecting the battery, first
disconnect the negative cable and then
the positive cable.
- Before reconnecting the battery, make
sure all electrical consumers are switch­
ed off. Reconnect the positive cable first
and then the negative cable . Never inter ­
change 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 dis­
charged battery can freeze over at 32°F
(QOC),
-Make sure the vent hose is always attach­
ed to the opening on the side of the bat­
tery .
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an explosion! Al­
ways replace a damaged battery.
&_ WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive problems. Wash hands after han­ dling.
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery
when the ignition is switched on or when the engine is running, otherwise, you will
damage electronic components in the
electrical system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a
long period of time without being driven,
protect the battery from "freezing", oth­
erwise it will be damaged and will then
have to be replaced.
•
•

Bulbs
Replacing bulbs
For your safety, we recommend that you have
your authorized Audi dealer replace any bulbs
for you .
It is becoming increasingly more and more
difficult to replace vehicle light bulbs since in
many cases, other parts of the car must first
be removed before you are able to get to the
bu lb . T his appl ies especially to the light bu lbs
in the front of your car which you can on ly
reach through the engine compartment .
Sheet metal and bulb ho lders can have sharp
edges that can cause ser ious cuts, parts must
be correctly taken apart and then p roperly put
back together to help prevent breakage of
parts and long term damage from water that
can enter housings that have not been proper­
l y resealed.
F or your safety, we recommend that you have
your authorized Audi dealer replace any bulbs
for you, since your dealer has the proper tools,
the correct bu lbs and the expertise.
G as disch arge la mp s (Xe no n li ght s)*:
Due to the high electrical vo ltage, have the
bu lbs rep laced by a qualified technician.
H eadlights with Xenon l ight a re identified by
the high voltage sticker.
& WARNING
Changing Xenon lamps without the neces ­
sary equipment can cause serious personal
injury.
- Bul bs are pressurized and can exp lode
when being changed . Potential risk of in­
jury!
- On vehicles equipped with gas discharge
bulbs (Xenon light) * life-threatening in­
jur ies can result from improper handling
of the high-voltage portions of such
lamps!
- Only your authorized Aud i dea ler or a
qualified workshop should change the
bulbs in gas discharge lamps. There a re
Fu ses and bulb s 28 3
parts with sharp edges on the open ings
and on the bulb holders that can cause
serious cuts. If you are uncertain about
what to do, have the work performed by
an author ized Audi dealer or other quali­
fied workshop . Ser ious personal injury
may result from improperly perfo rmed
wo rk.
(j) Tips
- If you still prefer to replace the light
bulbs yourself , be aware that the engine
compartment is a hazardous area to
work in
c::> page 230, Engine compart­
ment
o=:> ,& .
-It is best to ask your authorized Audi
dealer whenever yo u want to change a
bulb .
•
•