2013 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET Owners Manual

Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a tra iler, p lease remember
that the addit ional load will affect durab ility,
economy and performance .
T railer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
F or this reason, a lways fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer we ight. The hitch must be suita­
b le for your veh icle and trailer and must be
mounted secure ly on t he veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a t railer
h itch w ith a removab le ball moun t. A lways
check with the tr ailer hitch man ufac tur er to
make sure that you are using the correct
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
T he hitc h must be installed in such a way that
it does not inte rfe re with the impac t-absorb­
i ng b umper syst em. No modifica tions should
be made to the vehicle exhaus t and b rake sys­
tems . From t ime to time, check that a ll hitch
mo unt ing bolt s remain securely fas tened.
W hen you are not tow ing a trailer, remove the
trai le r hi tch ball moun t. T h is prevents the
hi tch from causing damage sho uld your ve hi­
cle be str uck from be hind
¢ &. .
Trailer brakes
If yo ur tra iler is equ ipped w it h a braking sys­
tem, check to be su re that it conforms to a ll
r eg ulat io ns.
Trailer towin g 191
The trailer hyd ra ulic bra ke system must not be
direct ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system
¢ &. .
Safety chains
Alw ays use s afety chains between your ve hicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Tra ile r lights m ust meet all reg ulations . Be
su re to check w ith your authorized Audi dealer
fo r c orrec t w iri ng, sw itches, and relays.
Mirrors
If you a re unable to see the traffic behind you
u sing the regula r outside m irrors, then you
must insta ll ext ended mir ro rs. It is important
t h at you
always have clea r vis io n to the rear .
.8, WARNING
- If a trailer has elec trica l br ake s plea se
no te th at t hese bra kes are not activat ed
by the fa ctory -fit ted control unit -risk of
accident!
- After removing the t railer hi tch, do no t
s to re it in yo ur vehicle . In case of sudden
brak ing, the hitch could fly fo rward and
in ju re you or yo ur passenge rs .
Operating instructions
Maximum traile r we ight
-
A trai ler for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 tra iler.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the lo ad in the traile r is h eld secure ly
i n p lace to p reven t it from shifting fo rward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ &. in Driving instru ctions on page 19 2.
Engine cooling system
Towing a t railer ma kes t he engine wor k hard ­
er . It is impo rta nt that the cooling system's
perfo rman ce is up to the additional load.
Make sure tha t the coo ling sys tem h as enough
f lu id . .,..
•
•

192 Trailer towing
Tire pre ss ure
When towing a trai le r, inflate the t ires of your
vehicle to the co ld tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver 's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufac ­
turers' specifications.
Light s
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before dr iving off. Check
to make sure both vehicle and tra iler lights
are working properly.
Saf ety chains
Be sure tra iler sa fe ty cha ins a re p roperly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve ­
hicle. Leave eno ugh slack in the chains to per ­
mit turning corners. When you install safety
cha ins, make sure they w ill not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the trai ler
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling o f vehicle
and trai ler, p lease note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded tra iler whe n your car it ­
self is no t loaded .
.,. Be especia lly careful when passing other
vehicles .
.,. Observe speed limits .
.,. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.,. Always apply brakes early .
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weigh t di stribution
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty car re­
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight . If this cannot be avo ided, drive at very
low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steer ing control. A "ba
lanced' ' rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble, while keep ing the trai ler as light as possi­
ble under the c ircumstances. Whenever poss i­
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com ­
partment of the tow veh icle while obse rving
tongue load requ irements and vehicle load ing
considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more d iff icu lt it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not
drive at t he maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -pa rtic ularly
whe n going downhill.
Reduce veh icle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest s ign of sway ing.
Do n ot
try to sto p th e swaying by acc elerating .
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds
fo r vehicles tow ing tra ile rs a re lower than for
regular veh icles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving downh ill, shift into a lower gear to use the en ­
gine braking effect to slow the vehicle . U se of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant tempe rature
The coo lant temperature gauge c> page 10
must be observed carefu lly. If the needle
moves close to the upper end of the scale, re­
duce speed immediately and/or turn off the
air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light •
i n t he i nstrument cluster starts flashing, pull
off the road, stop and let the engine
idle for
abo ut two min utes to prevent he at build-up .
_& WARNING
Anyone not proper ly restra ined in a mov ­
i ng vehicle is a t a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone ride in yo ur car
who is not p roperly wea ring the rest raints
prov ided by Audi.
-

Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle hand les different ly when tow ing
a trailer because o f the addit ional weight and
d iffe ren t weight distribution . Safety, perform ­
ance and economy w ill greatly depend on how
caref ully you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
B efore you actua lly tow your trailer, pr actice
turning, stopp ing and bac king up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have become comp lete ly fam iliar with the way
your veh icle-trailer comb ination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is d ifficu lt a nd requires practice .
Backing up with a tra iler genera lly requires
steer ing action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a trailer.
M aintain a g reater distance betwee n your ve­
h icle and the one in front o f you . You will need
mo re room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turning radius .
W hen pass ing, remember that yo u cannot ac ­
celerate as fast as yo u normally wo uld be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
e nough room to pass . After passing , allow
p lenty o f room fo r your tra iler before chang­
in g la nes aga in .
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rap id lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do n ot tow a tra ile r during the break-in
period of you r vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your A udi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
t h e ext ra load
o page 269.
Trailer towin g 193
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 p lace chocks under both the
veh icle and the tra iler wheels .
"' With chocks in place, slowly release t he
bra kes unt il t he whee l chocks absorb the
load .
.. Tur n the whee ls towa rds t he curb .
.,. App ly the parking brake.
.. Move the se lector lever to P.
When restarting after parking:
.. App ly the foot brake .
.,. Sta rt t he engine .
.. Move the se lector lever to D/S .
.. Release the pa rking brake and s low ly pull
out a nd away from the wheel chocks .
.. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
chocks .
(D Tips
If you move the selector leve r of the auto ­
matic transmission to P befo re a pplying
the parking brake and before bloc king the
whee ls, you may have to use more force
l ater to move the l ever out of the P posi­
tion .
•
•

194 Cleaning and protection
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 . Regular and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
Furth erm ore, goo d car e m ay be a c onditi on
for substantiat ing a warrant y claim shou ld
c orrosion dam age or paint d efe ct s occ ur.
Your author ized Audi dealer has a variety of
d ed ica ted vehicl e-ca re product s and can ad ­
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i­
or and inte rior of your vehicle .
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially ava ilable clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor­
rectly .
A 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 pol ish remover or other volati le
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ignit ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, etc. without pro­
tecting your hands and arms. You may
c u t yourself on sharp-edged metal parts . -
Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 181. Test the
brakes carefully each time you wash the
veh icle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environ mentally friendly clean­
i ng products. Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the househo ld
waste .
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental in ­
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often this 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 seasona l 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 destr uctive ef­
fects wi ll be . High temperatures caused by ex­
pos ure 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, preferably in a professional car wash.
Vehicles with matte finish paint
c::> poge 197.
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c::> page 194.

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
sig n of the fac ility, the filtering of the wash
water, the type of wash and care mater ial , etc.
If the paint has a dull appearance afte r go ing
through the car wash or is scratched, bring
this to the attention of the operator immedi­
ately. If necessary, use a different car wash.
The power top does not require special pre­
cautions be fore passing through a car wash.
Howe ver, the c ar mu st not be tre ated with
hot w ax after th e was h cy cle !
The wax could
adversely affect the power top and
even dam­
age the fabric
over a period of time.
The power top does not have to be washed
ev ­
ery time you use a car wash. The power top
can be spared if the car wash facility is equip­
ped with manually adjustable roof brushes or
rollers .
Before going through a car wash, be sure to
take the usual precaut ions such as clos ing the
windows . Remove antenna if applicable .
If yo u have installed additional accessories on
the vehicle -such as spoilers, 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
Q page 194.
(D Note
- Before washing the vehicle in an auto­
matic car wash, please make sure to re­
tract t he exterior m irrors to prevent
them from being damaged.
- Compare the width of your vehicle with
the width of the tunnel at the fac ility.
Cleaning and protec tion 195
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi­
cle by hand .
.,. Before you start washing, make sure you
have read and understood the WARNINGS
Q & ,
.,. First soak all dried d irt unt il it is soft, then
r inse it off.
.,. As you clean your vehicle , start w it h the
roof and work your way down to the bottom,
using a sponge, a sponge g love or a clean
brush.
.,. Rinse the sponge or the sponge g love often,
flushing it clean each time.
.,. Use specia l car shampoo only for
very per­
sistent d irt .
.,. Rinse the car thoroughly w ith water .
.,. Use a chamo is leather to gently w ipe the ex-
ter ior d ry.
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 pa int with coarse particles imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the ca r.
A WARNING ~ -
- Wash your vehicle only when the ignition
is switched off to red uce the risk of a
crash.
-A lways read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
Q page 194.
{(D Note
-Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surface of the veh icle is dry. Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, since this
cou ld scratch your vehicle's paint or win­
dows.
- Never wash your car in bright s unlight .
Drops of water act as magnifying lenses
and may damage yo ur paint .
- When you wash your car in the winter: if
you rinse yo ur 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 . •
•

196 Cleaning and protection
-Never use sponges designed to remove
insects, or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products. They can damage
your paint finish .
- 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.
- 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
Only wash the vehicle in facilities specially
designed for that purpose. This will reduce
the risk of dirty water contaminated with
oil from entering the sewer system. In
some areas, washing vehicles outside of
these facilities is prohibited.
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high­
pressure power washer is safe as long as you
observe a few simple rules.
.. Before using the power washer, make sure
you have read and understood the WARN­
INGS¢
A in General information on
page 194 .
• Always follow the operating instructions for
the power washer .
• Make sure that the jet on the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spray".
• Do
not hold the spray nozzle too close to
soft materials.
Never use a power washer to clean the power
top itself.
Keep a distance from soft materials such as
rubber hoses or insulating material as well as
sensors and camera lenses. When cleaning the vehicle with a power wash­
er
always follow the operating instructions.
This applies particularly to the operating pres­
sure and the spraying distance. Do not point
the spr ay directly at the seals around the side
windows, around the doors, on the rear lid or on the power top . Likewise, do not point it di­
rectly at tires, rubber hoses, insulation mate­
rial or sensors
¢page 198. Hold the spray
nozzle at least 1.3 ft (0 .4 m) away from the
vehicle.
Do not use a high-pressure power washer to
remove snow and ice .
Do not use a jet which sprays water in a direct
stream or one that has a rotating jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °().
A WARNING "'--
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays wa -
ter in a direct stream . This could cause in­
visible damage to the tires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a relatively
long distance and for a short time. Dam­
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal injury.
(D Note
- Never use a power washer to clean the
power top itself.
- To avoid damaging your vehicle, always
make sure that there is sufficient dis­
tance between the spray head and soft
materials like rubber hoses, plastic parts
and sound-deadening materials as well
as sensors and camera lenses. Never aim
the spray head at the same point for a
long time . This also applies to cleaning
headlights and painted bumpers. Re­
member: the closer the nozzle is to the
surface of the material , the greater the
stress on the material.

Caring for vehicles with matte finish
paint
Applies to vehicles: with matte finish paint
Vehicles with matte finish paint require spe­
cial care due to the characteristics of the
paint.
Washing b y hand
To avo id damag ing the pa int when wash ing ,
first remove dust and large particles from
your veh icle. Insects , g rease spots and finge r­
p rints a re best removed with a
s pecial cleaner
for matt e fini sh paint .
Apply the product using a microfiber cloth . To
avoid damaging the paint su rface, do not use
too muc h press ure.
R inse the vehicle thoroughly w ith water . Clean
the vehicle starting at the top and working to­
ward the bottom using a
neu tral shampoo
and a soft mi cro fiber cloth . Stop freque ntly to
rinse the clot h thorough ly.
Clean the wheels and sill panels last . Use a
clea n
sp o nge on these areas.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly aga in and let it
air dry . If there are any water spots, they can
be removed us ing a
l e ath er cloth .
Clean again with the special cleaner for matte
finish paint
i f nece ssary.
Rem oving stubb orn dirt
B ird d ropping s or tree sap
are best removed
with p lenty of water and a m icrof ib er cloth.
You sho uld r inse off
ga soline r esidue immedi­
ately with plenty of water.
A WARNING
- Wash your vehicle only when the ignition
is switched off to reduce the risk of a
crash .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢page 194.
(D Note
-Do no t treat vehicle parts painted w ith
matte finish paint using polish ing mate -
Cleaning and protec tion 197
ria ls or hard wax. These p rod ucts could
cause damage to the appearance or sur­
face that cannot be repaired .
- Never use protective wax . It can destroy
the matte finish effect.
- Do not place any s tickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle pa rts painted with
matte finish paint. The paint could be
damaged when the stickers or magnets
are removed.
- To prevent paint damage, do not wash
the vehicle i n direct sunlight .
- To prevent damage to the paint surface,
do not use insect remova l sponges,
rough kitchen sponges or sim ilar items.
- Yo u should
remove debris (such as in­
sects) from t he headlight lenses on a
regu lar bas is, for example when refuel­
ing your veh icle. Only clea n the head ­
lights us ing a wet cloth or sponge,
neve r
a dry one. Cleaning with soapy wate r is
recommended.
(D Tips
Fo r more informat ion on special clean ing
products desig ned fo r matte f inish paint ,
see your Aud i dea le r.
Power top care
The power top requires special care .
Keep ing your top looking great and mak ing
certain that it lasts a long time depend to a
great extent on prope r use a nd care. Remove
bird dropp ings as soon as poss ible , since the
cor ros ive chemicals in them wi ll cause the
rubber imp regna tion in you r top to swell and
poss ibly allow the fabr ic to leak.
With normal soiling, all you need to do is
cl ea r th e top wi th a soft br ush and clea r wa­
te r. A lways b ru sh in the di rection of the fabric
from front to rear.
If the top is very dirty and has spotted areas
cl ean it with a brush using a conve rtible top
cl eaner . Always brush in the d irect ion of t he
f abric from front to rea r. R inse wi th p lenty of
clear water, and allow the top to air-dry .
IJI,-
•
•

198 Cleaning and protection
Chamois are not suitable for drying the top .
Neve r use gasoline, spot remover, benzene,
pa int thinner o r so lvents to remove spots. We
recommend that you only use cleaners espe­
cially formu lated for use on convertible tops,
and that you follow the produce use directions
caref ully. Authorized Audi deals can provide
deta iled information.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information on
¢ page 194.
@ Note
Never use a high-pressure power washer to
clean the power top.
Wind deflector
App lies to vehicles: with wind def lector
Clear the wind deflector with water or, if it is
heav ily soiled, a chemically neutral cleaning
solut ion .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
the information on¢
page 194.
Sensors and camera lenses
-Remove snow with a hand brush and remove
ice with a de-icing spray that does not con­
tain solvents .
- Clean the sensors (adapt ive cruise control*,
parking system*) with a cleaning solution
that does not conta in solvents and a soft
cloth .
@ Note
- If you wash you r vehicle with a pressu re
washer,
- make sure there is enough distance to
sensors in the rear bumper .
- do not clean the camera lenses and the
area around them with the pressure
washer . - Never use warm or hot wate
r to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens . This
cou ld cause the lens to crack.
- Never clean the camera lens with abra­
sive products.
Waxing and Polishing
W axin g
A good wax coating protects the vehicle paint
to a large extent against the environmental
factors listed under¢
page 194, Washing and
even against slight scratches.
You can use a liquid car wax to protect your
paint as soon as one week after your vehicle
has been delivered.
Even if you regularly use a
w axin g process in
automatic car washes, we recommend that
you manually apply a coat of wax to give the
paint extra protection, part icularly if water no
longer beads on the clean paint .
Protect plastic body parts with car wax in the
same way as the vehicle
body.
During warm weather dead insects tend to
collect on the front bumper and on the for­
ward area of the hood . They are much easier
to remove from pa int that is waxed
often.
Polishing
Polish yo ur vehicle only if the paint has lost its
shine and the gloss cannot be brought back
with wax .
If the polish used does not conta in preserva­
tive compounds, the paint must be waxed af­
terwards.
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 194.
(D Note
Do not use car wax on
- matte o r anodized meta l trim
- rubber or rubber-like t rim .