2013 AUDI Q5 brake

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
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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.

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. .,..

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. ..,_
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