2014 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET brake

194 Trailer towing
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle hand les different ly w hen tow ing
a tr ailer because of the addit ional weight and
different weight distribution . Safety, perform­
ance and economy wi ll greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopp ing and backing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have become comp letely familiar with the way
your veh icle-trailer combination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trai ler genera lly requires
steering action opposite to that when backing
up your veh icle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you . You will need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turning radius .
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­
celerate as fast as you normally would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass . After passing, allow
plenty of room for your tra iler before chang­
in g lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
{Dl Tips
- Do not tow a tra iler dur ing the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your A udi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load
q page 264.
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:
.. App ly the foot brake.
.. Have someone place chocks under both the
veh icle and the trailer wheels .
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes until the wheel chocks absorb the
load.
.. Turn the whee ls towards the curb.
.. App ly the parking brake.
.. Move the selector lever to P.
When restarting after parking:
.. App ly the foot brake .
.. Start the engine.
.. Move the selector lever to D/S .
.. Release the parking brake and s lowly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks .
.. Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks .
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the auto ­
matic transmission to P before applying
the parking brake and before blocking the
whee ls, you may have to use more force
later to move the lever out of the P posi­
tion.

196 Vehicle care and cleaning
A WARNING
-Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operator to reduce the risk
of accidents .
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect your­
self from sharp metal components when
washing the underbody or the inside of
the wheel housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef­
fect may be delayed due to moisture on
the brake rotors or ice in the winter. The
brakes must be dried first with a few
careful brake applications.
(!;) Note
- If you wash the vehicle in an automatic
car wash, you must fold the exterior mir­
rors in to reduce the risk of damage to
the mirrors. Power folding exterior mir­
rors* must only be folded in and out us­
ing the power folding function.
- To prevent paint damage, do not wash
the vehicle in direct sunlight.
- To reduce the risk of damage, do not wash the power top with a pressure
washer. -
To reduce the risk of damage to the sur­
face, do not use insect removing spong­
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle compo­
nents:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the
surface, do not use polishing agents or
hard wax.
- Never use car wash cycles that apply
protective wax.
It can destroy the
matte finish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted with matte finish paint. The paint could be
damaged when the stickers or magnets
are removed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle in facilities specially
designed for that purpose. This will reduce
the risk of dirty water contaminated with
oil from entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When cleaning and caring for individual vehi­
cle components, refer to the following tables.
The information contained there is s imply rec­
ommendations . For questions or for compo- nents that are not listed,
refer to an author­
ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop. Also
follow the information found inc:>.& .
Cleaning exterior
Component Situation Solution
Wiper blades
Dirty c:> page 5 7, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Headlights/ Dirty Soft sponge with a mild soap solutiona>
tail lights
Sensors/
Dirty Sensors: soft cloth with a solvent-free cleaning product
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning
solution
Snow/ice Hand brush/solvent-free de-icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special cleaning solution
...

206 Checking and filling
Checking and filling
Engine hood
Releasing and opening the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig . 173 D river' s side footwe ll: e ngin e hood re lease
lever
F ig. 1 74 Re lease lever u nde r the eng ine hood
Before openin g the engine hood, ma ke s ure
that the windshie ld w ipers are flat against the
windshield. Otherwise, they co uld damage the
pa int on the hood .
... Pull the release lever on the left unde r the
inst rument panel in the direction of the ar­
row
c;, fig . 173.
... Raise the hood slightly r::;, .&,
... Press the rocke r swi tch u nder the hood up­
ward
c;, fig . 174 . Th is re leases the catch .
... Ope n t he hood.
A WARNING
Hot engi ne co olan t ca n bur n you.
- T o redu ce the r is k o f being burned, never
op en t he ho od if yo u see or hea r steam
or cool an t esc aping from the engine
c ompartment. Wait unti l no steam or co
olant can be seen or heard before care ­
fu lly opening the hood.
Closing the engine hood
... Pull the hood down until the pressure from
the struts is reduced .
... Le t the hood
drop down and latch in p lace.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage
r::;, .&, .
A WARNING
-
A ho od th at is not co mpletely latched
could fly u p an d block your view while driv­
in g.
- Wh en you close the engi ne ho od, ch ec k it
t o make sure the sa fe ty ca tch has pro pe r­
ly engaged . The hood s hould be flush
wit h the surroun ding vehicle body pa rts .
-If you notice while driv in g that t he hood
is not secured prope rly, sto p at once and
close it.
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially ca reful whenever you work in
the engine compartment.
Whenever you must perform any work in the
engine compartment, for example checking
and filling different fluid s, there is a ri sk of
injury , burns and accidents . To prevent per­
sonal injury always observe the following
WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area
r::;, ,&. .
A WARNING
-To help avo id injury, before yo u check any-
thing unde r the hoo d:
- Turn off the eng ine.
- Remove the ignition key.
- Ap ply the park ing brake .
- Move selector leve r of automatic t rans -
miss io n to "P" (Par k).
- Alway s le t the eng ine cool d own. Ho t
components w ill bur n skin on contact .

-To reduce the r isk 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 ca re­
fully opening the hood .
- Keep children away from the engine com ­
partment.
- Never spill flu ids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire .
- Never touch the radiator fan. The aux ili­
ary e lectr ic fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly .
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the eng ine is still warm . The cool­
ant system is pressur ized and hot coo l­
ant could spray out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot eng ine coolant by placing a
thic k rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
- Do not remove the engine cover under
any c ircumstances. Th is increases the
risk of bu rns.
- If wo rk on the fuel system or the electri­
cal sys tem is ne cessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames . Fluids in the engine com­
partment co uld start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately ava ilable.
- To avoid electrical s hock and persona l 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 repa ir
with the engine running:
- Fir st, fully apply the parking brake,
move se lector lever of a utomatic trans­
mission to "P" (Park).
Checkin g and fillin g 207
-Always use extreme caut ion to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-be lts
or other moving parts, or from contact­
i ng hot parts . Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wear clothing that
will hang o r droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to em ission and
chemical hazards
9 .&, .
&_ WARNING
Califo rnia Proposition 65 Wa rni ng:
- Engi ne exhaust, some of its const ituents,
and certa in vehicle components contain
or emit chemi cals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproduc tive harm. In addition,
certain fl uids con tained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemica ls known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories conta in lead and lead com ­
pounds, c hemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc ­
tive harms. Wash hands afte r handling .
(D Note
When adding flu ids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper conta iner
or f iller opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems w ill 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 veh icle flu­
i ds, have you r vehicle inspected by an au­
thori zed Audi dealer. •
•

208 Checking and filling
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig . 17 5 Typical layout for containers and eng ine o il filler cap
(D Eng ine oi l filler cap ("1::::r.) . . . . . 211
@ Jump start point(+) under a cov-
er .. .. .... ... ....... .... ..
219, 256
@ Brake fluid reservo ir (0)) . . . . . 216
@ Coolant expansion tank (-L) . . . 214
® Jump start point(-) with hex
head sc rew ..... .......... ..
219, 256
® Windshield/headlight* washer
. (" ') container o ........ ... .. . 220
The pos ition of the engine o il fi lling hole
¢ fig . 175 (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 206.
-
Engine oil
· Engine oil specifications
The engine in your Audi needs the right kind
of oil.
The eng ine in your Audi is a sophist icated
power plant that was bu ilt to exacting specifi­
cations . Th is engine needs the right k ind of
engine oil that meets specifications regarding
quality and v iscosity so that it can run
smooth ly and reliab ly. Choosing the right o il
and changing oil within the t ime and mileage
i n tervals prin ted in you r vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to ­
day than it did years ago . Aud i has developed
a specia l quality standard for engine oil that
will help assure that your vehicle 's engine wi ll
get the lubr ication it needs for proper opera-
t ion . ..,_

216 Checking and filling
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance .
N N ~ N
" (X) (0
Fig. 179 Engine compartme nt: Cover on the brake flu ·
id reservo ir
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN·
INGS ¢ .&._ in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 206 .
.. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir ¢
fig. 179 , ¢ page 208,
fig. 175.
The brake fluid level must be be ·
tween the "MIN" and
"MAX" markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear
partition of the engine compartment on the
left side ¢
page 208 .
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads . This is not cause for alarm.
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably be­
low the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi­
cator light (U.S. models: ., Canadian mod­
els: .) will come on¢
page 15. Do not con­
tinue to operate the vehicle . The complete
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 illuminate. Contact an au­
thorized Audi dealer
immediately .
@ Tips
The brake fluid reservoir is located under­
neath the cover.
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If
t he water content in the brake fluid is too
high, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time . The boiling point of the
brake fluid will also decrease considerably and
decrease braking performance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every two years . Always use new brake fluid
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach, therefore, we recommend that you
have the brake fluid changed by your author­
ized
Audi dealer. Your dealer has the correct
tools, the right brake fluid and the know-how
to do this for you .
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stor­
ed only in the closed original container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can result from old or inap­
propriate brake fluid. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE
specification
J 1703 and conforms to
Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116.
Always check with your authorized Audi
dealer to make sure you are using the
correct brake fluid. The correct type of
brake fluid is also indicated on the
brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapor lock if
the brake fluid is left in the system too
long . This can seriously affect the effi­
ciency of the brakes as well as your
safety. This could result in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle.

@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the pr oblem of proper d isposa l
of brake flu id as we ll as the special tools
requ ired and the necessary expert ise, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer .
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the bat­
tery in your Audi does not need any mainte ­
nance. With
high outside temperatures or
long daily dr ives we recommend that you have
the electro lyte level checked by an authorized
Aud i dealer or qualified workshop . The elec­
trolyte leve l should also be checked each time
the battery is charged ¢
page 219.
Have the battery checked when you take your
ve hicle in for service . Yo u are well adv ised to
replace a battery that is older than 5 yea rs .
W ith certa in types of a irbag deployment, t he
b attery is d isconnected from the vehicle elec­
tr ica l system for safety reasons¢.&.
in Re ­
pair, care and disposal of the airbags on
page 1 53.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power w indow regu­
lators , for example) are lost if the battery ter­
m inals a re d isconnected. These func tions have
to be re lea rned after the batte ry term inals a re
connected agai n. T o prevent this , the bat tery
should only be d isconnec ted from the vehicle
e lec tric al system when absolu tely necessa ry
for repairs .
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive you r vehicle over a period
of severa l days or weeks, elec trical compo­
nen ts are gr adually cut b ack o r swi tched off .
This redu ces energy cons umption and main­
tains starting capab ility over a longer per io d
¢ page 185.
Some o f the conven ience f unctions m ay not
ope rate, su ch as the in ter ior lig hts or t he
Checkin g and fillin g 217
power seat adjus tment. The convenience
funct io ns w ill be available again when yo u
turn o n the ign ition and start the engine.
Winter operation
D ur ing the w inte r mon ths, bat tery capa city
tends to dec rease as tempera tures drop . This
is beca use more power is a lso consumed wh ile
starting, and the headlights, rear window de­
fogge r, etc., are used more often.
Avoid unnecessary powe r consumpt ion, pa r­
ticular ly in city traffic or when traveling only
sho rt distances. Let yo ur autho rized A udi
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat ­
tery before w inter sets in
¢ page 219. A well
charged battery will no t on ly prevent star tin g
problems w hen the weather is cold, but w ill
also last longer .
@ Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for seve ral
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery s hou ld be removed and
stored where it will not freeze . This will
p revent it from be ing damaged and having
to be repla ced .
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the bat tery.
The battery is located in the luggage compar t­
ment under the floor . B efo re you che ck any­
thi ng in the luggage compartment,
read and
heed all WARNINGS
¢ ,&. .
Always heed the safety warnings , when work­
i ng on the veh icle batte ry or t he vehicle e lec­
t rical sys tem to p reven t inju ry.
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM· BO LS and safety precautions when working
on the battery .
®
Always wear eye protection.
•
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-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 summer and winter
tires are designed for the cond itions that
are typ ic al in those seasons. Aud i recom­
mends using w inter t ires du ring the win-
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined weight (in excess of
those standard items which may be replaced)
of automatic tra nsmission, power steering,
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 ratio of the height to the width of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in­
d icate a low sidewall for improved steering re­
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement .
Bead
means the pa rt of the ti re that is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead s eparation
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 223
ter months . Low temperatu res signifi­
cantly decrease the elastic ity of summer
t ires, which affects traction and braking
ability. If summer tires are used in very
co ld temperatures, cracks can form on
the tread bars, res ulting in permanent
ti re damage that can cause loud drivi ng
noise and unbalanced tires. Aud i is not
responsib le for this type of damage.
- Burn ished, polished or chromed rims
must not be used in winter weather. Th e
surfa ce of the rims does not have suffi­
c ien t cor rosion pro te cti on for this and
c o ul d be pe rmanen tly damaged by road
salt or similar substances. This damage
is not covered by warranty.
Cold tir e inflation pressure
me ans the t ire press ure re commended by the
vehicle manufacturer fo r a tire o f a des igna ted
size that has not bee n driven for more than a
couple of miles (k ilomete rs) at low speeds in
the three hour pe riod before the tire p ress ure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight o f a motor vehicle with
standard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, o il, and coolant, air cond i­
tion ing and additional weight of optiona l
equipment.
E xtra load tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire. Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or
"RF" on the sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in-
ter~ces .
~
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