2013 AUDI Q5 Owners Manual

and adve rsely affect you r New Vehicle
Wa rrant y.
@) For the sake of the environment
-Un der no ci rc u mstances can the o il come
in contact with the sewage network or
the soil.
- Observe and follow lega l regu lations
when disposing of empty oil containers .
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by
an authorized Audi dealer or a qualified serv­
ice station.
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
a lways rea d and he ed all WARN ­
INGS
~ &. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 233.
The engine oil must be changed according to
the intervals specified in your Warranty
&
Maintenance book let. This is very important
because the lubricating properties of oil di­
minish gradua lly during normal vehicle use.
Under some circumstances the engine oi l
should be changed more frequently. Change
oil more often if you drive most ly short dis­
tances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominantly stop-and-go traff ic con­
d itions, or have your veh icle where tempera­
tures remain below freezing for extended pe ­
riods.
Detergent additives in the o il w ill make fresh
oil look dark after the engine has been run­ n ing for a short time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than recommended.
Because of the problem of proper disposa l,
along w ith the special tools and necessary ex ­
pertise required, we strongly recommend that
you have you r oi l changed by an authorized
Au di de ale r o r a qual ified servi ce station.
If y ou c hoose to c ha ng e y our o il yo urse lf,
please note the following important informa­
tion :
Checkin g and fillin g 239
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you
must change the eng ine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protect ion.
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot en- gine oil, let the engine cool down to the
touch.
- When removing the o il dra in p lug with
your fingers, stay as far away as possible. Always keep your forearm parallel to the
ground to help p revent hot oil from run­
ning down you r arm.
- Dra in the oil into a container designed
for this purpose, one la rge enough to
hold at least the tota l amount of oi l in
your eng ine .
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out
of the reach of children.
- Continuous contact wit h used eng ine o il
is harmful to your s kin. A lways protect
your skin by washing oil off tho ro ughly
with soap and water.
@ Note
Neve r mix oil additives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en­
g ine and adversely affec t you r Aud i Lim it­
ed New Vehicle Warranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Before changing your oil, first make su re
you know where you c an properly dispose
o f the used oil.
- Always dispose of used eng ine oi l proper­
ly. Do not dump it on garden soil, wood­
ed areas, into open streams or down
sewage drains .
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a
used engine oil collect ion facility in your
area, or contact a service station.
•
•

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 ..,.

thoroughly checked by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop and the cause
corrected .
If the brake fluid level is too low ,
the brake warning/indicator light will i llum i­
nate. Con tact an au thori zed Aud i dealer
im ·
mediately .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moist ure from the a ir. If
the water con tent in the brake fluid is too
h igh, corrosion in the brake system may resul t
after a per iod of t ime . The bo iling po int of the
brake fluid w ill also decrease considerably and
decrease b raking performance .
There fore, the brake flu id must be changed
e very two years . Always use new brake fluid
which conforms to Fede ral Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4 ".
The brake flu id reservoir can be difficult to
reac h, therefore , we recommend that you
h ave the brake flu id changed by your author­
iz ed
Audi dealer . Your deale r has the co rrect
too ls, the right b rake fluid and the know-how
to do this fo r you.
_& WARNING ,~
- Brake fluid is po isonous. I t must be s to r­
ed only in the closed orig inal container
o ut o f the reac h of c hildren!
- Brake fa ilure can resu lt from old o r inap ­
propriate b rake fluid. Observe these pre­
cautions :
- Use o nly bra ke fluid t hat meets SAE
specification
J 1703 and confo rms to
Federal Motor Vehicle Sta ndard 116 .
Always check wi th you r auth orized Audi
deale r to make s ure you are using the
correct brake f luid . The co rrec t type of
brake fluid is a lso indicated on the
brake fluid reservoir .
- The brake f lui d m ust be new. Heavy use
of the b rakes can ca use a vapor lock if
the brake fl uid is left in the system too
long . This can ser io usly affect the effi-
Checkin g and fillin g 243
ciency of the brakes as well as your
safety. Th is co uld resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
B ra ke fluid will damage the pa int o f you r
vehicle .
@ For the sake of the environment
Because o f the p rob lem of proper disposal
of bra ke fluid as well as the spec ia l t oo ls
r equire d an d the necessary expe rtise, we
recommend that yo u have the brake f luid
changed by yo ur authorized Aud i dea ler.
Battery
General information
Under n o rmal ope ra ti ng cond itions , the b at­
te ry in yo ur Audi does not need any ma inte­
nance . With
high outside temperat ures or
l ong daily drives we recommend that you have
the e lectrolyte leve l checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop. The elec­
troly te level should also be checked each t ime
the battery is charged
c:> page 245 .
Have the battery checked when yo u take you r
vehicle in for service. You are well advised to
replace a battery that is older than 5 years .
With certain types of airbag deployment, the battery is disconnected from the veh icle elec­
trical system for safety reasons
c:> .&. in Re­
pair, care and disposal of the airbags on
page 171 .
Hybrid drive* : you can find important informa­
tion about the high voltage battery under
c:> page 97.
Di sconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window reg u­
lators, for example) are lost if t he battery te r­
mina ls are disconnected. These f unctions have
to be relearned after the ba ttery termina ls are
con nected aga in . To prevent th is, the battery
shou ld only be d isconnected from the veh icle
electrica l system when abso lutely necessary
fo r repa irs. ..,_
•
•

244 Checking and filling
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive you r vehicle over a pe riod
of severa l days or weeks, electrical compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main­
tains starting capability over a longer period
¢page 203.
Take into consideration that when yo u un lock
your vehicle, some convenience functions, such as the interior lights or the power seat
adjustment, may not be available. The con­
venience funct ions w ill be available again
when you turn on the ignition and start the
engine .
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity
tends to decrease as temperatures drop . This
is because more power is also consumed while
start ing, and the headl ights, rear window de­
fogger, etc., are used more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, par­
ticularly in city traffic or when traveling only
short distances . Let your authorized Audi
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat­
tery before winter sets in¢
page 245. A well
cha rged battery w ill not only prevent starting
prob lems when the weather is cold , but will
a lso last longer .
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 floor. Before you check any­
thing in the luggage compartment,
read and
heed all WARNINGS
¢ _&..
Hybr id drive*: you can find impo rtant informa­
tion about the high voltage battery under
¢page 97 .
Always heed the safety warnings , when work­
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle elec ­
trical system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM­ BOLS and safety precaution s when working
on the battery.
@) Always wear eye protection .
I>. 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.
/G Always keep the battery well out of
V!!JI reach of children.
A WARNING "--
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the risk of
in jury, accident and even fi re. Read and
heed the following WARNINGS :
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let
battery ac id or any lead particles get on
your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes .
Exp losive gases can cause blindness or
other injury .
- Ba ttery acid contains sulfuric acid. Sulfu­
ric acid can ca use blindness and severe
burns .
- Always wear gloves and eye protection .
Do not tilt the battery because acid
could leak out of the ventilat ion open­
i ngs.
- If you get battery ac id in your eyes or
on your skin, immediately rinse with
cold water fo r several minutes and get
med ical attention .
-If you should ingest any battery acid,
seek medical attention immediately.
- Do not expose the battery to an open
flame, electr ic sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
-
1
I

-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.
- 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 fro zen 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
(OOC) .
-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.
Checking and filling 245
A 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.
Q) 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.
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged
battery.
Fig. 201 Engin e compart ment: Co nn ectors for charger
and j umper cab les
Always read and heed all WARNINGS below
¢ .&. and ¢,&. in Working on the battery on
page 244.
~ Hybrid drive*: read the important informa­
tion concerning a dead high voltage battery
under
¢ page 105.
~ Turn off the ignition and all electrical con­
sumers.
~ Make sur e the area is well ventilated when
you charge the battery . ..,.

246 Checking and filling
• Open the engine hood ¢ page 233.
• Remov e the cover (!) by pressing on the ar­
row ¢
fig. 201.
• Open the cover @on the positive term inal.
• Connect the charger connectors according
to the instruct ions to the
jump start bolts.
(Bolts under the cover = "positive ", Bolts
with hex head= "negative").
• Only now plug the mains lead for the charg­
i ng equipment into the wall outlet and turn
iton ¢,&. .
• Make sure the charging rate is not over
30 amps/14.8 Volt.
• When the battery is fully charged: Turn the
charging equ ipment off and remove the
mains lead from the wall outlet.
• Now remove the clamps for the charging
equipment.
• Close the cover @on the positive term inal
and re-install the cover (!).
• Close the hood ¢
page 233.
A discharged battery can freeze at tempera­
tures of on ly 32 °F (0 °C). A llow a frozen bat­
tery to thaw completely befo re attempt ing to
cha rge it~ &. . H owever, we recommend not
using a thawed battery again because the bat­
tery casing can be cracked due to ice forma ­
tion and can leak battery acid.
Battery charging (Maximum charging rate
of
30 amps/14.8 Volt)
When charging at low voltages (e.g . with a
trickle charger ), the battery cables do not
have to be d isconnected first. The battery
caps should
not be opened when charging a
battery .
It is not necessary to remove the battery from
the luggage compartment.
Fast charging the battery (charging rate
above 14.8 Volts )
For technical reasons do not use a battery
charger that uses voltage greater than 14.8
Volts to charge your vehicle's battery.
.&_ WARNING
Charging a battery can be dangerous. -
Always follow the operating instructions
provided by the battery charger manu­
facturer when charging your battery.
- Never charge a frozen battery. It may ex­
plode because of gas trapped in the ice.
Allow a frozen battery to thaw out first.
- Do not reuse batteries wh ich were fro­
zen. The battery housing may have
cracked and weakened when the battery
froze.
- Charge the battery in a well ventilated
area. Keep away from open flame or elec­
tr ica l spark. Do not smoke. Hydrogen gas
generated by the battery is explosive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never
connect or disconnect charger cab les
while the charger is ope rat ing.
- Fast charging a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a compe­
tent technician with the proper equip­
ment.
- Battery acid that may spill dur ing charg­
ing should be washed off with a solution
of warm wat er and baking soda to neu­
tralize the acid.
(I) Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to
start the engine. This will seriously dam­
age sensitive electronic components, such
as contro l units, re lays, radio, etc., as well
as the battery charger.
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifi ­
cations and dimensions as the original equip ­
ment battery.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle is responsible for distributing the electri­
ca l energy throughout your vehicle
¢
page 203 . The intelligent energy manage­
ment system will keep the engine battery
charged better then vehicles without this sys­
tem . To make sure the additional electrical en­
ergy is ava ilable once again after you have
changed the battery, we recommend that you ..,.