2013 AUDI Q5 ESP

Operating instructions
6"
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I 1,2 ..
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Fig. 190 Permit ted ball position of the trailer hitch
Trailer towing weights
With a factory-installed or an aftermarket
trailer hitch, the maximum permissible trailer
weight is 4,400 lbs (2,000 kg). The maximum permissible unbraked trailer weight is 1,650
lbs (750 kg) . These specifications apply when
driving on roads having an incline of less than
12%.
Permissible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these
changed conditions, adjust the trailer load so
that the tongue load is at the maximum al­
lowable or slightly lower . You can get an ap­
proximation of the tongue load with a bath­
room scale or you can measure the load at a
trucking company or weighing station.
With a
factory-installed or an aftermarket
trailer hitch, the maximum permissible load
on the ball hitch may not exceed 440 lbs
(200 kg).
It is recommended to use the maxi­
mum permissible load.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢.&. in Driving instructions on page 214.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used with suita­
ble ball mount and ball¢
fig. 190. Installa­
tion of the hitch ball must be carried out in ac-
Trailer towing 213
cordance with the manufacturer's instruc­
tions.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­
er .
It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load.
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the tire pressure label. The tire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B­
pillar. Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire
manufacturers' specifications.
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. Check
to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners. When you install safety
chains, make sure they will not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer
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 of vehicle
and trailer, please note the following :
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car it­
self is not loaded .
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles.
.,. Observe speed limits.
•
•

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.

220 Cleaning and protec tio n
- do not clean the camera lenses and the
area around them with the pressure
washer.
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens. T his
could cause the lens to crack.
- Never clean the camera lens with abra­
sive prod ucts .
Waxing and Polishing
Wa xing
A good wax coating protects the vehicle paint
to a large extent against the environmental
factors listed under
qpage 216, Washing and
even against slight scratches .
You can use a liquid car wax to protect your pa int as soon as one week after your veh icle
has been delivered.
Even if you regularly use a
w axi ng process in
automatic car washes, we recommend that
you manua lly app ly a coat of wax to give the
pa int extra protection, particularly if water no
longer beads on the clean paint .
Protect p lastic body parts with car wax in the
same way as the vehicle body.
During wa rm 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 paint that is waxed
often.
P oli shing
Polish your vehicle on ly if the paint has lost its
shine and the g loss cannot be brought back
with wax .
I f the polish used does not contain preserva ­
tive compounds, the paint must be waxed af­
terwards .
_&. WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
9 page 216.
@ Note
Donotusecarwaxon -
matte o r anodized meta l trim
- rubber or rubber- like t rim.
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care.
For environmental reasons, Audi fabricates
the bright trim strips and trim p ieces from
pure chromium-free aluminum .
Dirt and marks on the trim strips should be
removed with a
pH-b alan ced cleaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleaner) . Authorized
Audi dealers carry cleaning products which have been tested for use on you r vehicle and
are not ha rmfu l to the environment.
To avoid corrosion on the exter ior trim strips ,
only a pH-ba lanced solution shou ld be used
for the windsh ield washer.
_&. WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
q page 216.
Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special care.
Use a clean, damp cloth or sponge to remove
dust and light surface dirt . For othe r soil, use
a lukewa rm all-pu rpose cleaning solution or a
mild saddle soap for v inyl tr im . Remove wate r
spots and traces of soap wi th a clean, damp
cloth or sponge. Use a clean, soft cloth to rub
dry.
G rease , tar or oil sta ins can be removed with a
cle an cloth or sponge soaked wi th a ll-purpose
cleaner or with a solvent designed especia lly
to clean vinyl.
O ccas ional ly app ly a colorless v inyl or leather
preservative to re tain the materia l's luster
and pliability.
_&. WARNING
A lways read and heed all WAR NINGS and
other information
q page 216.

By contrast, leather types that are covered by
a co lored finish layer are more durable. This
has a posit ive effect on the leather's resist­
ance to wear and soiling in daily use. On the
other hand, the typical characterist ics of natu­
ral leather are barely or not apparent . Howev­
er, this does not mean that the leather itself
i s of infer ior quality.
C ar e and h and ling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Audi uses and the ir unique prop­
erties (such as sensitivity to o ils, grease, so il­
ing, etc.), you will need to be somewhat care­
fu l w ith these leathers, and a certain type of
care is required. For examp le, da rk clot hing
materia ls can d iscolor leather seats (especial­
l y i f such clothing is damp and was not dyed
correctly) . Dust and dirt particles in pores,
fo lds, and seams can have an abrasive effect
and can damage the leather surface as we ll as
weaken seams.
The leather sho uld be cleaned regularly as
needed. After having been used for a re lative ly
long time, your leather seats will acquire a
rich aged finish. This is a characteristic of nat­
ura l leather and a sign of true quality.
In order to maintain the va lue of this natura l
product over the life of your vehicle, you
should follow the recommendations below:
(D Note
- To keep your leather from bleaching out,
do not a llow it to be exposed to bright
sunlight for long periods of time. If you
have to leave the vehicle parked outside
for long periods, cover the leather to
protect it from d irect exposure to su n­
light.
- Sharp objects on clothing, such as zip­
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on be lts can
l eave pe rmanent scratches o r sc rape
mar ks on the surface of the lea ther.
{O) Tips
-After each time you clean the leathe r and
at regu la r i nte rva ls, use a leather prese r-
Cleaning and protec tion 225
vative c ream that contains UV -b locke rs
and that works into the leather. This
cream wi ll nour ish and mo isturize the
leather, helping it to breathe and stay
supple. It also helps to build up a protec­
t ive coating on the surface.
- Clean the leather every 2 - 3 months,
and clean any areas that get soiled.
- Remove fresh marks made by ballpo int
pens, ink, lipstick, shoe polish, etc. as
soon as poss ible.
- Preserve the color of the leather as need­
ed by us ing a specia l co lored leather care
cream to touch up areas of uneve n color .
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
Applies to vehicles: wi th natural leather
Natural leather requires special care and at­
tention .
Normal cleaning
.. Clean soiled areas with a slightly moistened
cotton or woolen cloth.
More stubborn dirt
.. More st ubborn dirt can be removed using a
cloth saturated with a mild soap solut ion
(2
tablespoons mild liquid soap).
.. Never allow the soap solution to saturate
the leather, and make certain that no water
soaks into the seams .
.. Wipe off the soap so lution with a soft, dry
cloth.
Cleaning spo ts
.. Remove fresh water-based spots (such as
coffee, tea, juices, blood) with an absorbent
cloth or pape r towel.
.. Remove fresh
grease or oil -based spots
(suc h as bu tte r, mayonnaise, chocolate) with
an absorben t cloth or paper towel, o r use
t he cleaner from the leather care kit if the
spot has not yet penetrated into t he surface
of the leathe r.
.. Use an oil/grease dissolving spray, if
oil /
grease spots ha ve dried on.
•
•

226 Cleaning and protec tio n
• Remove specific kinds of spots (ballpoint
pen, felt marker, fingernai l polish, water­
based paint, shoe polish, etc .) with a spot
remover specifically formulated for leather .
Leath er care
• Every ha lf year use an approved leather care
product (available from your authorized
Audi dealer) to care for the leather.
• Apply the product very sparing ly.
• Wipe it off with a damp cloth.
If you have any questions about cleaning and
caring for the leather in your vehicle, it is best
to contact your author ized Audi dealer, who
will be glad to help you and tell you about our
full range of leather care products, such as:
- Leather cleaning and care
kit
- Creams to care for colored leather
- Spot removers fo r ballpo int pens, shoe po l-
ish , etc.
- Oil/grease dissolving spray
- New and upcoming products.
_& WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
r::!v page 216.
(D Note
- Neve r use chemical solvents (e.g . lighter
fluid, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
s imilar products on the leather surfaces
i n you r A ud i.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains
r emoved by a commer cial cleani ng spe­
cia list .
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia­
bly when needed.
• Keep be lts clean .
• Fo r cl eaning, use a m ild soap and wate r sol­
u tio n. Let be lts dry thoro ughly and away
from direct sunlight .
• Do not a llow inertia reel safety be lts to re ­
tract before they are completely dry . •
Check the condition of your safety be lts
reg ­
ularly .
Heavi ly so iled s afety bel ts may not ret ract
proper ly .
A WARNING
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash .
- Anyth ing that might damage your sa fety
be lts could mean that you and your pas ­
sengers would not be adequate ly pro­
tected in an accident.
- Safety belt performance depends on cor­
rect insta llation. Never remove be lts
from the veh icle to clean them.
- Do not use chemical cleaning agents,
bleach or dyes. They have corrosive prop­
erties which weaken the webb ing.
- When cleaning you r safety be lts, inspect
them for damage. If you discover dam­
age, see your authorized Audi dealer .
- Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
r::!v page 216.
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine compartment.
Alway s swit ch off th e ignition before cle an­
ing the engine
r::!v .&. .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front
of the w indshield under the eng ine hood. This
preve nts the wa ter dr ain holes from becomi ng
blocked, and it prevents debris from entering
the ve hicle interior t hrough the heating and
ventilat ion ducts .
Corrosion protection
T he eng ine compartmen t and transmission
have been co rrosion-protected a t the f actory.
Good anti-corrosion treatment is very impor­
tant, particu larly in the w inte r.
If the vehicle
is frequently d riven on salt t rea ted roads, the
en tire engine compar tment and p lenum panel
shou ld be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage. ...

-Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must contain not more than 15%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
especially well for winter or summer driving. During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the sea­
sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time.
(D Note
- Fuels containing a high percentage of
ethanol such as ESO and E85 may only
be used in veh icles with flex ible fuel* en­
gines. Using high ethano l fuel in vehicles
not equipped with flexib le fue l* engines
can cause severe engine damage .
- Methanol fuels which do not meet these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo­
nents in the fuel system.
- Do not use fuels that fail to meet the
specified criteria in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fuel blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supplier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents
cannot be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are not
the respons ibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Veh icle or the
Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy
or driveability and performance prob­
l ems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 229
Ethanol fuel (Bio-ethanol)
Applies to veh icles: w it h flex ible fue l en gin e
You can recognize vehicles with a flexible fuel
engine by looking at the label on the inside of
the fuel filler flap .
Vehicles with flexible fuel engines may be op­
erated with bio -ethanol fuels such as E85
(85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) or with un­
leaded gasoline (91 AKI/ROZ 95) . T he vehicle
may also be operated with a mixture of these
fuels.
Your fuel consumption will increase when us­
ing bio-ethanol fue ls due to the lower amount
of energy contained per unit volume in etha­
nol.
Warming up the flexible fuel engine in
low temperatures
Due to the chemical composition of b io-etha ­
nol, a certain amount of fuel ends up in the
engine oil when driving short distances in ve ry
low temperatures. This fuel evaporates again
when the engine is warmed up.
D Please warm up engine.
If the driver message appears in the instru­
ment cluster disp lay, drive with a warm en­
gine to reduce the oil level.
(D Note
- Never fill with methanol or with a higher
percentage of b io-ethanol than 85%
(E85). A h igher percentage of bio-etha­
nol in the fuel can cause damage to the
engine or to the fue l system.
- If you use only E85, it is recommended
to fill the fue l tank complete ly w ith un­
leaded premium grade gaso line every
5,000 miles.
- If you experience starting, rough id le or
hesitation driveability problems, fill the
fuel tank comp letely with unleaded pre­
mium grade gasoline and dr ive it nor­
mally until the gasoline is used. See your
authorized Audi dealer if the problem
pers ists.
•
•

Refuelling
Fig. 191 Right rear vehicle sid e: Opening t he fuel filler
flap
Fig. 192 Fu el filler flap with attached fuel cap
When activating the central locking, the fuel
filler flap is automatically unlocked or locked.
Refuel the vehicle with the ignition turned
off.
Taking the fuel cap off
.. Press the left side of the fuel filler flap to
open it
c:> fig. 191 -arrow- .
.. Unscrew fuel cap counter-clockwise and
hang it on the fuel filler flap
c:> fig. 192.
Refuelling procedure
.. Insert the fuel nozzle from the gasoline
pump into the fuel filler neck as far as it will
go .
.. Select a medium refuelling rate so that the
nozzle switches off automatically when the
tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
.. After filling your tank, twist the fuel cap
clockwise as far as it will go.
.. Close the fuel filler flap.
To avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the
fuel tank always close fuel cap properly and completely. An improperly closed fuel filler
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 231
cap may also cause the MIL lamp c:> page 26
to come on.
A WARNING
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fuel is highly flammable and can cause
severe burns and other injuries.
- Failure to shut the engine off while refu­
eling and/or to insert the pump nozzle
fully into the fuel filler neck could cause
fuel to spray out of filler neck or to over­
flow. Fuel spray and overflowing fuel can
cause a fire .
- Never use a cellular telephone while re­
fueling. The electromagnetic radiation
can cause sparks that can ignite fuel va­
pors and cause a fire .
- Never get back into your vehicle while re­
fueling. If in exceptional circumstances
you must get back in your vehicle while
refueling, make certain that you close
the door and touch metal to discharge static electricity before touching the fill­
er nozzle again. Static electricity can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors
released during refueling .
- Never smoke or have an open flame any­
where in or near your vehicle when refu­
eling or filling a portable fuel container .
- For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you do not travel with a portable
fuel container in your vehicle . The con­
tainer, full or empty may leak and could
cause a fire, especially in a crash .
- If, under exceptional circumstances, you
must transport a portable fuel container,
please observe the following:
- Never fill a portable fuel container
while it is anywhere in or on the vehicle
(for example, in the luggage compart­
ment, or on the trunk). Static electrici­
ty can build up while filling and can ig­
nite fuel vapors causing a fire .
- Always place a portable fuel container
on the ground before filling.

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.