2012 AUDI A5 COUPE brake light

the exhaust system and this could cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not turn off the ignition while the ve ­
hicle is moving .
- Do not continue to operate yo ur vehicle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the cata lytic converter. This
could result in overheating of the con­
verter, requ iring its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System:
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in acco rdance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
&
Ma intenance booklet.
- Lac k of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impa ir
t he funct ion of the emission control
system and cou ld lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Contro l System is
operating p roperly, the exhaust gas can
have a s ulfu r- like exhaust gas smell under
some operating states. This depends on
the s ulfur content of the fue l being used.
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w ith lead-free super
grade gasoline .
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise levels .
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and t ires largely
depend on three factors :
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical lim itations
I f you anticipate what you need to do nex t and
d rive economically, you can eas ily cut your
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 215
fuel consumption by 10 -15 percent. Th is sec ­
tion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook .
(D Tips
The cons umption estimates as published
by ENVIRONME NTAL PROTEC TION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the road, which will vary depending upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
dit ions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
.. Avo id unnecessary accelerating and brak ing .
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
ce lerat ing . If you ant icipate what is going to
happe n next, you will need to brake less and,
t hu s, accele rate less . Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for examp le when you see
that the next t raff ic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
.. Try and keep well below your car's maxi -
mum speed .
Accelerat ing gently reduces fuel consump­
tion, eng ine wear, and does not disturb the
environment.
Fuel consumpt ion, exhaust emiss ions and en­
gine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarte rs of top speed, fuel consumption w ill
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
t h an the posted speed limit and weathe r con­
ditions perm it.
•
•

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
-
•
•

Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value.
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes , corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after purchase . Regu lar and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
F u rth ermor e, good c are may be a conditi on
for subs tantiati ng a w arrant y claim sho uld
c orrosion d amag e or paint d efects oc cur.
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedic ated veh icle-car e products and can ad ­
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i­
or and interior of your vehicle.
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially available clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor­
rectly .
.&, WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caut ion labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product. Follow the di­
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted .
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail polish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ign it ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, e tc. w ithout pro­
tecting your hands and arms. You may c u t yourself on sharp -edged metal parts .
Cleaning and protec tion 221
- Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing effic iency¢
page 207, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environmentally friend ly clean­
i ng products . Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the household
waste.
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental i n­
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often t his is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the veh icle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasonal and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and indus tria l gr ime, ta r, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle body, the more lasting their destructive ef­
fects wi ll be . High temperatures caused by ex­
posure to intense sun light intens ify the corro­
s ive effect, particularly when humid ity is high
as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekl y washing
may be necessary. Under other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade­
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferab ly in a
professional car wash .
.&, WARNING ,_
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 221.
•
•

The best way to remove snow from windows
and mirrors is to use a brush. Use a non-abra­
sive
plastic ice scraper -better still, a spray
deicer -to remove
ice from windows and mir­
rors.
The windows must not be cleaned with insect
remover or wax sin ce these can interfere with
the function of the windshield wiper blades
(chatter).
Oil, grease, or silicone residue can be removed
with
glass cleaner or silicone remover. How­
ever, wax residue require s the use of a special­
ly formulated solvent. Please contact your au­
thor ized Audi dealer for advice on safe prod­
ucts for wax removal.
Windows should also be cleaned on the inside
at regular intervals.
Never dry windows with the same chamois
that you use to dry painted surfaces. Wax resi­
due on the chamois can impair vision through
the windows.
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
r::.> page 221.
- The windshield must not be treated with
water-repellent materials. They can in­
crease glare under poor visibility condi­
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the horizon. In addi­
tion, they can cause the windshield wip­
ers to chatter.
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors.
This could cause the glass to crack.
- To prevent damage to the wires of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
stickers on the inside of the rear window
over the wires.
- To help prevent dirt from scratching the
window, always scrape in a forward di­
rection -pushing the scraper away from
you -never back and forth.
Cleaning and protection 225
-Water leaking from the inside of the rear
windows may damage sensitive electrical components located either under the
rear parcel shelf or in the rear trunk area.
Always ensure that water never leaks
through the body section of the vehicle.
You can do this by using waterproof pro­ tection over the vehicle's electrical com­
ponents (e.g. when installing window
tinting) .
- Damage or malfunction of electrical
components due to water damage or any
other outside influence is not covered by
the Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
See your Warranty
& Maintenance book­
let for additional details about your war­
ranty.
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
.,. Wash the wheels with a sponge or hose
brush every other
week .
.,. For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
dedicated
acid-free cast alloy wheel cleaner.
.,. Rub a coat of
liquid wax onto the rims every
three month. Be sure to reach and treat all
parts of the rim.
To preserve the decorative appearance of the
cast alloy wheels, some special care is neces­
sary. In addition to road dirt and salt, brake
dust is also corrosive . If left on for too long,
brake dust can cause pitting.
Use only special
acid-free cleaners formulated
for alloy rims. Safe products are available at
your authorized Audi dealer. Never leave the
cleaner on the rims longer than specified on
the label. If not rinsed
off promptly, the acid
contained in some cleaners can attack the
threads on the wheel bolts.
Never use abrasive or metal polishing clean­
ing agents. If the protective coating has been
chipped, e.g. by kicked up road dirt, touch it up as soon as possible . .,..
•
•

226 Cleaning and protec tio n
8_ WARNING
- Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency¢
page 207, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the veh icle .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
-
other information ¢ page 221.
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked .
All body cavities wh ich could be affected by
corrosion have been thoroughly protected at
the factory.
This sea ling does not require any inspection or
additional treatment. If any wax should seep
out of the cav ity when the ambient tempera­
ture is high, it can be removed w it h a plastic
scraper and a suitable solvent.
8_ WARNING , ~
Solvents can be dangerous .
- Benzine is flammable and toxic . If you
use benzine for removing the wax, keep
spar ks, flame and lighted c igarettes
away. Never dump benzine on t he
ground, into ope n streams or down sew­
age drains.
- Be sure to observe all safety and env iro n­
me ntal regulations. Follow all instruc­
t ions on the con tainer .
- Always read and hee d all WARN INGS and
other information
¢ page 221 .
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Audi is also thor­
ough ly protected against corrosion .
Any damage to the undercoating caused by road hazards shou ld be repa ired promptly .
8_ WARNING
Too much undercoating in the wrong p la­
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
rustp roofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
ver ter or heat shields. While driv ing, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
- Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other info rmation ¢
page 221.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and o ther co rrosive materials w ill
damage the material in the e xhaus t tail pipes
i f they a re not cleaned regular ly . Do not clean
the tail pipes with w hee l cleaner, paint polish,
chrome polish or other abras ive cleaners .
Clean the tail pipes with car care products
that are suitable for sta inless steel.
Your a uthorized Audi dea ler can provide clean­
ing products that have been tested and ap­
proved for your vehicle .
Care of interior
MMI display
Applies to vehicles: with MMI
.,.. Clean the MM I d isplay with a soft clean
cloth and an LC D cleaner .
T he M MI display can be cleaned wit h a profes­
s io nally available " LCD cleane r". The cloth
sho uld be slightly dampened with the clean­
ing fluid to clean the disp lay.
(J) Note
To avoid sc ratching the M MI disp lay, yo u
shou ld neve r clean it dry.
MMI control console
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h MMI
.,.. First clean the MMI contro l conso le w ith a
brush to remove dust from the housing . .,..

Checking and filling 239
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 203 Typical layout for contain ers and engine oil filler cap
(D Jump start point( +) under a cov -
er .. .. .. .. .............. .. 250, 285
@ Brake fluid reservoir ((0)) . . . . . 246
@ Eng ine oil filler cap ("t=:?1) . . . . . 242
@ Coolant expansion tank (J-) . . . 244
® Jump start point(-) with hex
head screw ..... .......... ..
250, 285
® Windshield/headlight* washer
container
(0) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
(j) Power steering reservoir . . . . . . 209
The position of the engine oil filling hole
¢ fig. 203 (item @) can differ depending on
the eng ine design .
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
¢ .& in Working in the engine
compartment on page 237.
-
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the
right kind of oil .
The engine in your Audi is a sophisticated
power plant that was bu ilt to exacting specifi­
cations . This eng ine needs the right k ind of
engine oil that meets specifications regarding
quality and viscosity so that it can run
smooth ly and reliab ly. Choosing the right oil
and changing oil within the time and mileage
intervals printed in your vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to­
day than it did years ago . Audi has developed
a specia l quality standard for engi ne oil that
will help assure that your vehicle's engine will
get the lubrication it needs for proper opera-
tion. .,..

246 Checking and filling
sca lding from hot coolant by following
these steps .
- Turn off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping flu id and steam by cover ing
the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully
in a counter-clockwise direction while
applying lig ht, downwa rd pressure on
the top of the cap.
- To avo id being burned, do not spill an­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engine parts . Under certain
conditions, the ethylene glyco l in en­
gine coolant can catch f ire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous . Always store an­
tifreeze in its or iginal container and we ll
out of the reach of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a proper con­
tainer clear ly marked "poison".
@ Note
- Coolant pollutes the environment and
could cause an engine fire . Excess coo l­
ant will be forced out through the pres­
sure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, only water can be
added, the correct ratio between water
and antifreeze
c::> page 244 must be re­
stored as soon as possible .
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused. Al­
ways dispose of used coolant while observ­
ing all environmental regulations .
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself
T he radiator fan is driven by the engine via the
V-belt . The viscous clutch regulates the speed
of the fan according to the temperature of the
coolant. An auxiliary electric
radiator fan* switches on
and off depend ing on coolant temperature
and other vehicle operat ing condit ions .
After yo u sw itch the engine off, the auxiliary
f an can continue running for up to 10 minutes
- even with the ignit ion off. It can even switch
on again later by itself
c::> &., if
- the temperature of the engine coolant rises
due to the heat build-up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compa rtment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in i ntense sunlight.
_& WARNING
- To reduce the risk of personal injury nev­
er touch the radiator fan.
- The auxiliary electric fan is temperature
controlled and can sw itch on suddenly
even when the engine is not running.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on au­
tomatically when the engine coo lant
reaches a certain temperature and will
continue to run until the coolant temper­
ature drops .
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance.
Fig. 207 E ngin e compart men t: B rak e fluid rese rvoir
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS c::> A in Working in the engine compart-
ment on p~e 237.
~