2013 AUDI Q5 engine coolant

214 Trailer towing
• Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
• Always apply brakes early .
• Monitor the temperature gauge.
W eig ht distribution
Towing a loaded tra ile r with an empty car re­
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight . If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con ­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
b le, while keeping the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the circumstances. Whenever possi­
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle wh ile observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed . Re­
duce your speed eve n mo re if load, weathe r or
wind condi tions are unfavorable -part icu larly
when going dow nhill.
Reduce vehicle speed immediately if the t rail­
e r shows the slightest sign of swaying. Do not
tr y to s top the sw ayin g by acce ler atin g.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds
for vehicles towing trailers are lower tha n for
regula r vehicles.
Always apply brakes early . When driv ing
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en ­
g ine b raking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
T he coolant temperature gauge
c:> page 10
must be observed carefully . If the needle
moves close to the upper end of the scale , re­
duce speed immed iate ly and/or turn off the
a ir cond itione r. If the coolant temperature warning light in
the instr ument cluster starts flashing., pull
off the road, stop and let the engine
idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build-up.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
i ng vehicle is at a much greater risk in a n
accident . Never let anyone ride in your ca r
who is not p roperly wea ring the rest raints
p rov ided by Audi.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles d ifferently when towing
-
a trai ler because of the additional weight and
different weight distr ibut ion. Safety, perform­
ance and economy will greatly depend on how ca refully you load your trai ler and ope rate
you r rig.
Befo re you actually tow your tra iler, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area
away from t raffic. Keep pract ic ing unt il you
have become completely familiar wit h the way
yo ur vehicle-tra iler combination behaves and
responds.
Backi ng up is difficult and requ ires practice.
Backi ng up w ith a t railer gene rally requires
stee ring action opposite to tha t when backing
u p you r vehicle witho ut a tr ailer.
Maintai n a greater d ista nce between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you. You w ill need
more room to stop. To compensate fo r the
t railer, you w ill need a larger than normal
tu rning rad ius.
When passing, remembe r that you cannot ac­
ce le rate as fas t as you no rma lly would be­
ca use of the added load. Make sure yo u have
enough room to pass . After passing, a llow
plenty of room for yo ur trailer before cha ng ­
ing lanes again.
Avoid jer ky s tarts, sharp t urns o r rapid lane
changes.

Checking and filling Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig. 19 4 Driver's s ide footwell: engine hood release
lever
"' Open the driver's door .
"' Pull the release lever on the left under the
instrument panel
i=:> fig. 194 in the d irection
of the arrow.
The hood pops up slightly under spring pres­
sure.
Opening the engine hood
F ig . 195 Re lease lever under the engine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make sure
that the windshield wipers are flat against the
windshie ld. Otherwise, they could damage the
paint on the hood.
"' Pull up on the release under the hood
c;, fig. 195 . This releases the catch.
"' Open the hood all the way
c::> &,.
Checkin g and fillin g 233
A WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the eng ine
compartment. Wait unt il no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fu lly opening the hood.
Closing the engine hood
"' Pull the hood down un til the pressure from
the struts is reduced.
"' Let the hood
drop down and latch in p lace.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage
c;, &, .
A WARNING
--
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and block your view while dr iv­
ing.
- When you close the engine hood, check it
to make sure the safety catch has proper­
ly engaged. The hood should be flush
with the surround ing vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while driv ing that the hood
is not secured properly, stop at once and
close it .
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment.
Whenever yo u must pe rform any w ork in the
e n g ine com pa rt ment, for e xample ch e cki ng
and filling differ ent fluids, th ere is a risk of
injury , burn s and accid ent s. T o pr eve nt per­
so nal injury alwa ys obs erve the foll owing
WARNINGS . Th e en gine co mpa rtm ent of an y
v e hicl e is a hazardou s ar ea
c;, Lh, .
A WARNING ~
To help avoid injury, be fo re you check any­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine.
- Remove the ignition key.

234 Checking and filling
-Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever of automatic trans- mission to P (Park).
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com­ partment.
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili­
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool­
ant system is pressurized and hot cool­ ant could spray out .
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- Do not remove the engine cover under
any circumstances. This increases the
risk of burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri­
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in­
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running: -
First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever of automatic trans­
mission to P (Park).
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards
c:> &, .
&_ WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- 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 harms. Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu­
ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dealer.

Checking and filling 235
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 196 Typical layout for contain ers and engine oil filler cap
(D Jump start point( +) under a cov -
er .. .. .. .. .............. .. 245, 285
@ Brake fluid reservoir ((0)) . . . . . . 242
@ Eng ine oil filler cap
("t=:?1) . . . . . . 238
@ Coolant expansion tank (J-) . . . 240
® Jump start point(-) with hex
head screw ........... .... .. 245, 285
® Windshield/headlight washer
container
(0) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
The pos ition of the engine o il filling hole
¢ fig. 196 (item@) can differ depending on
the engine 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 233.
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 engine oil that
will help assure that your vehicle's engine will
get the lubrication it needs for proper opera-
tion. .,..

240 Checking and filling
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro­
tects the engine from freezing in the winter .
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
quires little attention.
The cooling system has been filled at the fac­
tory with a permanent coolant which does not need to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture of water and the manufacturer's gly­
col-based coolant additive Gl3 ant ifreeze
with anticorros ion add itives (SO% for USA
models; 60% for Canadian models). This mix­
ture both assures the necessary frost protec­
tion and protects metal components in the
engine's cooling system from corrosion and
scaling. It also raises the boiling point of the
coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the coo l­
ant in the summer by adding plain water .
The
proportion of coolant additive must be at
least 50% but not more than 60%
to main­
tain antifreeze protection and cooling efficien­
cy. If the coolant frost protection is too low,
the coolant could freeze and damage the veh i­
cle heating and engine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
- - 31 °F ( - 35°() USA
- - 40°F ( - 40°() Canada .
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
c:> &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 233.
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant addit ive in
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­
mate cond itions. This is especially impor­
tant if you live in a region where the w in- ter
is extreme ly cold . If necessary, in­
crease the proportion of coolant additive
to 60%.
- When adding coolant additive to your
cooling system, remember:
- We recommend using only coolant ad­
ditive Gl2++ or Gl3 for your vehicle.
This coolant additive is available at au­
thorized Audi dealers. Other types of
antifreeze can significantly reduce cor­
rosion protection. The resulting corro ­
sion can ca use a loss of coolant and se­
rious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak seal ­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant .
Add ing radiator repair fluid may adverse­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance .
Fig. 199 Engine compartment : cover on t he coolant
expansion tank
Before you check anyth ing in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS c:> &. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 233 .
.. Park your vehicle on a level surface .
.. Turn off the ignition .
.. Read the engine coolant level from the
coolant expansion tank
c:> fig. 199,
c:> page 235, fig. 196 . With a cold engine,
the coolant level should be between the
"MIN" and "MAX" markings. When the

engine is warm, the level may be slightly
above the "MAX" marking .
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration ¢
page 235.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine
must be switched
off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System¢
page 30 will
blink until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is
an electric coolant level sensor, we still rec­
ommend you check the coolant level from
time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cool­
ing system should be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer.
It is not
enough merely to add coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheating.
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak seal­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add­
ing radiator repair fluid may adversely af­
fect the function and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage
not covered by your New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 233.
... Turn off the engine .
... Let the engine cool down.
Checking and filling 241
... Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank ¢
page 240, fig. 199 and carefully turn
the cap counter-clockwise ¢
A.
... Add coolant.
... Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specifications ¢
page 240, Coolant. We
recommend using only coolant additive
Gl2+
+, Gl3
or in an emergency Gl2 +. Do not use a
different additive . In an emergency use plain
water until you can get the correct additive and can restore the correct ratio. This should
be done as soon as possible .
If you have lost a considerable amount of
coolant, then you should add cold antifreeze
and cold water only when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex­
cess coolant will be forced out through the
pressure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
scalding 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 fluid and steam by covering
the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully
in a counter-clockwise direction while
applying light, downward pressure on
the top of the cap .
- To avoid being burned, do not spill an­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engine parts. Under certain
conditions, the ethylene glycol in en­
gine coolant can catch fire.
-Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an­
tifreeze in its original container and well
out of the reach of children.
~
•
•

24 2 Ch ecking and filling
-If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a p roper
conta iner clearly marked "poison".
(D Note
- Coolant pollutes the env ironment 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¢
page 240 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
The radiator fan is driven by the engine via the
V-be lt . The viscous clutch regulates the speed
of the fan accord ing to t he temperature of the
coolant.
An auxiliary electric radiator fan* switches on
a nd off depending on coolant temperature
and other ve hicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary
fan can cont inue running for up to 10 minutes
- even with the ignition off. It can even switch
on again later by itself¢&. , if
- the temperature of the engine coolant rises
due to the heat build-up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because
the veh icle is parked in intense sunlight.
_&. WARNING
- To reduce the r isk of personal injury nev­
er to uch the radiator fa n. -
The a uxiliary electric fan is temperat ure
controlled and can switch on suddenly
even when the engine is not running.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on a u­
tomatically when the engine coolant reaches a certai n temperature and will
continue to ru n until the coolant temper­
ature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance.
F ig. 2 00 Engine compart men t: cover on t he brake fluid
reservoir
Befo re you check anyth ing in the engine com­
partment,
alway s read and he ed all WARN­
INGS c::> ,&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 233.
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the b rake
fluid reservoir
c::> fig. 200, c::> page 235,
fig. 196.
The brake fl uid level m ust be be­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings.
T he bra ke fluid reservo ir is located at the rear
part ition o f the e ngine compartment on the
left s ide
c::> page 235.
The fluid level may drop slightly afte r some
t ime due to the a utomatic adjustment of the
brake pads. This is not cause for a larm .
If the brake fl uid level falls
considerably be­
low the
"MIN" mar k, the brake war ning/ indi­
cator light ( U.S. models:
1111 , Canadian
models :. will come on
c::> page 18 and
c::>page 29. Do not con tinue to operate the ve-
hicle . The comp lete brake system should be ..,.

install batteries of the same type and manu­
facture only (the same as those installed at
the t ime your vehicle was delivered) . Specifi ­
cations are listed on the battery housing. Your
authorized dealer must code the battery in
the energy management system to enable you
to use the energy management functions cor­ rectly after replacing the battery .
If it is not possible to use a battery of this
type, the new battery must have the same ca ­
pacity, voltage (12 volts), amperage, con­
struction and plug sea ling .
When installing the battery, make sure the ig­
nition and all electr ica l consumers are turned
off.
(D Note
- Make sure the ventilation hose on the
s ide of the batte ry is connected, other­
wise fumes or battery acid can leak out .
- Vehicles with the Start-Stop-System* are
equipped with a special cycle-proof AGM
battery . Installing a different type of
battery can cause problems in the vehi­
cle elec trical system. When replacing the
vehicle battery, always insta ll one with
the same specifications as the original
battery.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recommend your author ­
ized Audi dealer change the battery for
you. Batteries contain su lfuric acid and
lead and must always be disposed of prop­
erly in compliance with all environmental
regu lations . D isposing of vehicle batteries
improperly is very dangerous to the envi­
ronment .
Checkin g and fillin g 247
Windshield/headlight
washer container
Fig. 202 Eng in e compar tment: cov er on the w inds hield
and headl ight* washe r fl uid reservoir
The washer fluid container is marked with the
symbol
Q on its cap c::> fig. 202, c::> page 235,
fig . 196 .
.., Before you check anything in the engine
compartment,
always read and heed all
WARNINGS c::> &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 233 .
.., Lift the filler cap tongue to add washer flu­
id . You can fill the container to the top.
.., Press the cap back onto the filler neck after
f illing the container.
You can find the reservoir
capacity in the table
in
c::> page 292.
Clean water should be used when filling up. If
possible, use soft water to prevent scaling on
the washer jets. A lways add a glass cleaner
solution (with frost protection in the winter).
(D Note
Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze o r
any other additives to fill up the wind­
sh ield washer reservoir.