2013 AUDI Q5 brakes

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.

@ Tips
-Do not tow a traile r during the break-in
period o f your vehicle .
- If you tow a t railer, your A udi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load
¢ page 295.
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:
.,. Apply t he foo t brake .
.,. Have someone place c hocks under bo th the
vehicle and the trai ler whee ls .
.,. With chocks in p lace, s lowly re lease the
brakes unti l th e wheel chocks absorb the
l oad .
.,. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.,. Apply t he pa rking brake .
.,. Mov e the sel ecto r leve r to P .
When restarting after parking:
.,. Apply the foot brake .
.,. Start the eng ine .
.,. Move the selecto r lever to D/S .
.,. Re lease th e par kin g b rake and slowly pull
out and away from the whee l cho cks .
.,. Stop and have someone re tr ieve the w hee l
chocks.
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of t he a uto­
mat ic t ran sm ission to P before app lyi ng
t he p ark in g br ake an d bef ore blocking the
wheels, you may have to use mo re force
later to move the lever out of t he P posi­
tion.
Trailer towin g 215
•
•

216 Cleaning and protection
Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value .
Any automobile is exposed to industr ial
fumes, corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after
p ur chase . Reg ular and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintain ing the beauty and valu e of
your Aud i.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition
for substantiating a warranty claim should
corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Your auth orized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedicated vehicle-care products and can ad ­
v ise wh ich ones to use for cleaning the ext eri­
or a nd inte rior o f you r vehi cle.
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially ava ilable clean ing
agen ts, pleas e make sure you apply t hem cor­
r ectly .
A WARNING
-Cleani ng agen ts m ay be poi sonous. Kee p
them o ut of t he rea ch of childre n.
- H eed a ll ca ution labels.
- Always read directions on th e co ntai ner
b efore using a ny produc t. Follow the di­
rec tions caref ully.
- Most chemical cleaners a re concentrat ed
and have to be diluted.
- Use spot removing flui ds only i n well
ventila ted areas.
- Do not use gasoline, ke rosene, d iesel
fuel, nail pol is h remov er or ot her volati le
fluid s. T hey may be to xic, flammab le or
h azar dou s in other w ays. D o not was h,
w ax or dry the vehicle wi th the ig nit ion
on or the eng ine running .
- D o not cl ean t he under sides of ch assis,
f en ders, wheel cove rs , etc. without pro­
tectin g your hands and a rms. You may
c u t yourself on s harp-ed ged metal parts . -
Moisture and ice on b rakes may impair
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 200 , Broke sys­
tem .
Test the brakes carefully each t ime
you was h the vehicle .
@ For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environ mentally frien dly clean ­
i ng products. Leftover cleaning pr oducts
s hou ld not d isposed of in the househo ld
waste .
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protec ts the vehicle .
The best p rotection against environmen tal i n­
fluences is
frequ ent wash ing and waxing . H ow
often t his is requ ire d d epends o n:
- How much t he ve hicle is used
- W he re the veh icle is parked (garage, i n the
open under trees, etc .)
- The seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird d roppings, inse cts, tree res in,
r oad and indus trial grime, t ar, soo t, ro ad salt
and other mater ials remain on the veh icle
body, the mo re lasting their destr uctive ef­
f ects w ill be . Hig h temperatures ca used by ex ­
pos ure to intense su nlight i ntens ify the c orro­
s ive effect, particular ly when hum id ity is high
as wel l.
U nder certa in circumstances,
weekly washing
may be necessary. Unde r other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxi ng may be ade­
quate .
After the winter, the unders ide of the vehicle
sho uld be thoroughly washed, preferab ly in a
professional ca r wash.
Vehicles with matte finish paint*
¢ page 219.
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other in fo rmation¢
page 216.

222 Cleaning and protec tio n
-To h elp prevent dirt fr om scratch ing the
win dow, always scrape in a f orward di­
rection -pu shing the scraper away from
you -never back and fo rth.
- 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 sect ion of the vehicle.
You can do this by using waterp roof pro­
tection
over the vehi cle's electr ical com­
ponen ts (e.g., when ins tall ing window
tinting) .
- Damage or malf unct ion of electrical
componen ts due to wa ter damage or any
other outside influence is not covered by
the Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty .
See your Warranty
& Maintenance book­
l et for add itiona l details about your war­
ranty.
Cast (light ) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
... Wash the whee ls w ith 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 wa x onto the r ims every
three month . Be sure to reach and treat a ll
parts of the rim .
To preserve the decorat ive appearance of the
cast a lloy whee ls, some specia l care is neces­
sary. In add it io n to road dirt and sa lt, b rake
dust is a lso cor ros ive . If left o n for too long,
b rake dust ca n cause pitting.
Use on ly special
acid-free cleaners formulated
for a lloy rims . Safe products are available at
your author ized Audi dealer. Never leave the
cleane r on the r ims longe r than spec ified o n
the label.
If no t rinsed off p romp tly, the a cid
con tained in some cleaners can attack the
threads on the whee l bolts.
Never use ab ras ive or metal polishing clean­
i ng agen ts.
If the pro te ct ive coa ting has been chipped, e.g
. by kicked up road dirt, to uch it
u p as soon as possible.
A WARNING
--
- Moisture and ice on b rakes may affect
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 200, Brake sys­
tem.
Test the brakes carefully each t ime
you wash the vehicle .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c::> page 216.
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked.
All body cavit ies which could be affected by
corros ion have been thorough ly protected at
the factory.
T his sealing does not require any inspection or
additional treatment. If any wax shou ld seep
o ut of the cavity when the ambient tempera­
ture is high, it can be
removed with a p lastic
scraper and a suitable solvent .
A WARNING
-Solvents can be dangerous.
- Benz ine is flammab le and toxic. If you
use benz ine for removing the wax, keep
sparks , flame and lighted cigarettes
away . Never dump benz ine on the
g round, into open streams or down sew­
age d rains.
- Be s ure to
observe all safety and environ­
men tal regulat ions. Follow all instruc­
tions on the container.
- Always read and heed all WAR NINGS and
other info rmation
c::> page 216.
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time .
The lower body shell of your Aud i is also thor­
oughly protected against corros io n.
Any damage to the undercoat ing ca used by
road hazards should be repaired prompt ly.

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. ..,_
•
•

-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
yo u are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when d riving, al­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age .
(D Note
Please note that summe r and wi nte r tires
are designed for the cond itions that are
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight means the comb ined weight (in excess of
those sta ndard items which may be rep laced)
of au toma tic transmission, power steer ing ,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are availab le as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the rat io o f the height to the w idth of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in ­
dicate a low sidewall for improved steering re­
sponse and better overa ll handling on dry
pavement .
Bead
means the part of the t ire t hat is made o f
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead .
Cord means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Tire s an d wheel s 249
typica l in those seasons . Aud i recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
dec rease the e lasticity of summer t ires,
which affects tract ion and brak ing ability.
If summer t ires are used i n very co ld tem ­
peratures, cracks ca n form o n the tread
bars , res ulting in perma nen t tire damage
that can cause loud driving noise and un­
bala nced ti re s. Audi i s not respon sible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the t ire p ress ure recommended by t he
vehicle manufacture r fo r a tire o f a des ignated
s ize t hat has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le o f miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire press ure
is m easured or adjusted.
Curb weight
me ans the we ight of a motor ve hicle with
st andard equipmen t incl ud ing the max imum
capacity of fuel, oi l, and coolant, air condi ­
tioning and additional weig ht of optiona l
equipment.
Extra load tire
means a t ire design to oper ate a t higher load s
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standa rd tire . Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "x l", "EXTRA LOAD", o r
"RF" on the sidewal l.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
me ans the load-ca rry ing capac ity of a single
axle system , measured at the tire -ground in­
te rfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( "GVWR ")
mea ns the maximum total loaded we ight of
the ve hicl e. .,..
•
•

250 Tires and wheels
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs .
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a given inflation pressure. You
may not find this informat ion on all tires be­
cause it is not req uired by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the max i­
mum permissible inflation pressure for that
tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity we ight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation pressure ."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle .
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the overa ll diameter of an inflated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ­
ing elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands o r ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those insta lled
regular production options weighing over 5
lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory we ight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and special tr im .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumat ic tire in which the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
t ia lly 90 degrees to the center line of the
tread .
Recommended inflation pressure
see<=> page 249, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standa rd tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL" "xl" "EXTRA LOAD"
' ' '
or "RF" on the sidewa ll.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal diameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you will have to
purchase new tires to match the new rim di­
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width .
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
t read and bead.

254 Tire s and wheel s
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death .
- Carrying more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­ crease the risk of a loss of veh icle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance .
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con­
trol and a crash .
- Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported -including the we ight of
a tra iler hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the veh i­
cle heav ier than the veh icle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
A WARNING
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can lead to a serious o r fatal acci­
dent.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased tire wea r and can
affect the handling of the vehicle .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can also lead to sudden tire fa il­
ure, including a blowo ut and sudden de­
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
Checking tire pressure
-
The correct tire pressure for the tires originol­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressure label located on driver's side 8-pil­
lar .
The recommended tire pressures are on the
tire pressure labe l and in the tab le
c:::> page 252, Cold tire inflation pressure .This
means that the pressure must be checked and
adjusted when the tire has not been driven for more than a couple of m iles (k ilometers) at
low speeds during the p revious three hours . Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of interna l friction as it flexes in
u se . The tire pressure is h igher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold."
It is the inflation pressure in a "co ld" tire that
counts . Therefore, you should never let air out
of a warm tire to match "Cold t ire inflat ion
pressure" recommendat ions
c:::> page 252 . The
t ires wou ld then be underinflated and could
fail suddenly .
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the recommended co ld tire inflation pressures at
maximum capacity for the new, orig inal
equipment tires that were on your vehicle at
the time it was manufactured . Fo r the loca­
t ion of the labe l
c:::>page 252, fig . 203 .
Most tires lose air naturally over t ime . They
can a lso lose some air if you drive over a pot ­
hole or hit a curb while park ing. It is usually
not possible to see whether the rad ia l tires
used today are underinflated jus t by looki ng
at them.
T he refo re, be sure to check t ire p ressures at
least once a month and always before going
o n a long trip. Ma ke sure to take the numbe r
of peop le and the amou nt o f luggage into ac­
count when adjust ing tire pressu re for a trip -
even one that yo u wo uld not consider to be
" long." See
c:::> page 256, Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information .
Always use an ac curate tire p ress ure ga uge
when checking and adj usting inflation pres­
s u res . Check a ll of the tires and be sure not to
forget the spare tire. If the pressure in any t ire
is too high when the tire is "cold," let air out
of the tire s low ly w ith the edge of the tire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until
you reach the pressure that is co rrect fo r the
load (passengers and luggage) and k ind of
dr iv ing you plan to do.
If the pressure in any tire is too low, note the
difference between the p ressure in the co ld
t ire and the pressure you need and add the air
t h at you need to reach the cor rect pressure for
t h e ve hicl e load (passengers and luggage) for
the tires on your vehicle as listed on the on