2014 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET brake fluid

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 15
Adaptive dampers*
¢page 22
Sport d ifferential*
¢ page 22
Ignit ion lock
¢ page 22
Steering co lumn lock
¢page 18
Electromechanical steering,
dynamic steering*./¢
page 184
Transmission
- mu ltitronic, tiptronic
¢ page 91
-S tronic ¢ page 91
Transmission
- S tronic
¢p age 91
Other indicator lights
Turn signals
¢page 23
USA models: Cruise control
¢page 83
Canada models: Cruise control
¢page 83
Adaptive cruise control*
¢page 95
Adaptive cruise control*
¢pag e 95
High beam
¢page 52
BRAKE /((J)) Brake system
The light illuminates when the ignition is
switched on.
It goes out after the engine has
been started. Th is ind icates that the brake
warn ing light is functioning properly.
If the brake warning light does not light up
when the engine is cranking, there may be a
malfunction in the electrical system. In this
case, contact your authorized Audi dealer.
If the brake system warning/indicator light
turns on, there is a brake system malfunction.
• (USA models)/ . (Canada models) Stop
vehicle and check brake fluid level
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appea rs, proceed as fo llows:
"' Pull off the road.
"' Stop the vehicle.
"' Turn off the engine .
"' Check the brake fluid level
¢page 216.
"' Contact your nearest authorized repair fa-
cility if necessary.
Warning! Fault in brake system. Contact
dealer
If the ABS indicator light m) (USA models)/
IIJ (Canada models), the ESC indicator light
GJ and the brake system ind icator light
• (USA models)/ . (Canada models) turn
on and the message appears, the ABS, ESC
and braking distribution are not working ¢& .
Carefu lly drive to your author ized Audi dealer
immediately to have the malfunction correct­
ed
¢ ,6 .
• (USA models)/ . (Canada models) Park­
ing brake system fault! See owner's manual
-If the ind icator light and the message ap-
pear
when stationary or after switching the
ignition on ,
check if you can release the
park ing brake . After releasing the parking
bra ke, carefully drive to your authorized
Audi dealer immediately to have the mal­
function corrected. If yo u cannot release the
parking brake, seek professiona l assistance .
- If the indicator light and the message ap­
pea r
while driving , the emergency brak ing
function may not be available. It may not be
possible to set the parking brake or release
it once it has been set. Seek professiona l as­
sistance.
(USA mode ls) : If the warning light. and the
warning light
Ei] appear together, immedi­
ate ly contact your authorized Audi dea ler or
qualified workshop to have a ll brake pads in-
spected
¢ page 20. .,.

16 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
When the light comes on, an audib le warning
signal is also given .
A WARNING
-Always observe the warnings in
9 page 206, before opening the hood
and checking the brake fluid.
- Driving with low brake fluid is a safety
hazard. Stop the car and get professional
assista nee.
- If the. (USA models)/ . (Canada
models) brake system indicator light
turns on together with the ABS and ESC indicator lights, the ABS/ESC regulating
function may have failed. F unctions that
stabilize the vehicle are no longer availa­
ble. Th is could cause the vehicle to
swerve and increase the risk of sliding .
Drive carefu lly to the nearest a uthorized
Audi dealer or other qualified workshop and have the malfunction corrected.
- If the brake warning/indicator light does
not go o ut afte r a few seconds and the
park ing brake is released, or lights up
wh ile you are driving, the fluid level in
the brake fluid reservoir is too low. If you believe that it is safe to do so, proceed
immediately at low speed to th e nearest
authorized Aud i dealer o r qualified wo rk­
shop and have the bra ke system inspect­
ed.
- Always keep in m ind that afte r several
brake applicat ions, yo u w ill need g reater
pressure on the brake peda l to s top your
vehicle. Do not re ly on strained brakes to
respond with maxim um stopp ing power
in critical situations. You must a llow for
increased brak ing distances. The extra
distance used up by fad ing brakes could
lead to an acc ident .
1:11.I(®) Electromechanical parking brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electromechanical parking brake.
If the indicator light. (USA models)/ .
(Canada models) turns on, the park ing brake
was set . If the parking brake is set when the ignition
is off, the indicator light turns off a f­
ter abo ut 20 seconds .
T he wa rn in g/i ndic ator light wi ll go ou t when
the parking bra ke is re leased.
• (USA models ) /. (Canada mod els) Cau­
tion: Vehi cle parked too ste ep
If the indicator light b links and the message
appears, there is not enough braking power to
k eep the vehicle from roll ing . Th e b rakes have
overheated. The veh icle cou ld roll away eve n
o n a sm all incline .
Pre ss brake pedal to release parking brake
To re lease the park ing brake, press the brake
pedal and press the button(®) or start driving
with starting assist at the same time 9 page 80.
Please release park ing brake
T o re lease the park ing brake manually , p ress
the brake peda l and press the button<®> at
the same time. The pa rking brake o nly re leas­
es automatically if the driver's safety be lt is
fastened.
Ill Pa rking brake!
If the Ill ind ic a tor light tu rns on a nd this
message appears, the re is a par king b rake
malfu nction . D rive to your au thorized A udi
dealer or qualified workshop immediately to
have the malfunct ion corrected .
~ Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to
put on your safety belt.
T he . war ning/ indica to r li gh t illum inates
when the ignition is switched on to remind
t h e driver and (on USA models on ly) any front
passenger to put on the safety be lt . Addit ion­
ally, an acoustic warning (gong) will also
sound.
Fo r more I nformat ion ¢ page 132 , Safety
belt warning light .

At higher speeds and with the windshield wip ­
ers turned on, the brake pads press against
the brake rotors for a short amount of time.
This occurs at regular intervals without the
driver noticing and provides for better brake
response time under wet conditions.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt-covered
road and the brakes are not used . Likewise,
you clean
off accumulated sa lt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few cautious ap­
plications of the brake~&. .
Cor ro sion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regularly or
only for short trips with little use of the
brakes .
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­
rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean
off the pads and discs by brak ing
firm ly a few times from a moderately h igh
speed
¢ .Li). .
Fa ults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal travel, then one of the two brake
circu its may have failed~&,. .
Low brake flu id le vel
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low . T he brake fluid
level is monitored electronically .
Brake boo ste r
The brake booster increases the pressure th at
you generate w ith the bra ke pedal. It works
only when the engine is running
. ¢ &.
Brake lining w ear statu s
Brake lining wea r may be c hecked by vis ual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces ­
sary, the whee l may be removed for this in­
spection
¢ page 244, Changing a wheel.
Int ellig ent technolog y 183
A WARNING
-New brake pads don't have the best stop­
ping power and must be "b roken-in" dur­
ing the initial 100 to 150 miles (150 to
200 kilometers) of normal c ity dr iving .
You can compensate for this by pressing the brake pedal more firmly. This also
applies la ter when new pads are instal­
led.
- You should perform braking m aneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit .
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may ca use an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gea r or lower dr iving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long or too often . Th is could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to b rake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, p remature wear and increased
s topping distance.
- Unde r ce rtain cl imatic and ope rat ing
conditions such as passing thro ugh wa ­
ter, dr iv ing in heavy rain o r after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the
brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumu late on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Carefully app ly brakes
for a test. Brakes w ill dry and ice coat­
ings w ill be cleaned
off after a few care­
fu l brake applicat ions .
- Driving for an extended period of time o n
salt-cove red roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency.
C lean
off accum ulated salt coa ting from
bra ke disc s and pad s wi th a few ca reful
bra ke applica tions.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a diffe rent spoiler, be sure the air
f low to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed . Otherw ise the bra ke system could
•
•

192 Trailer towing
Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trai ler, p lease remember
that the additional load will affect durability,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
For this reason, always fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suita­
ble for your vehicle and trailer and must be
mounted securely on the veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location. Use only a trailer
hitch with a removable ball mount. Always
check with the trailer hitch manufacturer to
make sure that you are using the correct
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that
it does not interfere with the impact-absorb­
ing bumper system . No modifications should
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake sys­
tems . From time to time, check that all hitch
mounting bolts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the
trailer hitch ball mount. This prevents the
hitch from causing damage should your vehi­
cle be struck from behind
¢ A.
Trailer brakes
If your tra iler is equipped with a braking sys­
tem, check to be sure that it conforms to a ll
regulations . The trailer
hydraulic brake system must not be
direct ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system
~ A.
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the tra ile r.
Trailer lights
T railer lights must meet all regulations. Be
sure to check w ith your authorized Audi dealer
for correct wiring, sw itches, and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
using the regular outside mirrors, then you
must install extended mirrors . It is important
that you
always have clear vis io n to the rear.
,8. WARNING
- If a trailer has electrical brakes please
note that these brakes are not activated
by the factory-fitted control unit -risk of
accident!
- Afte r removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in your vehicle. In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and
injure you or yo ur passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
-
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 tra iler.
Trailer load distribution Be sure the load in the trailer is held secure ly
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ A in Driving instructions on page 193.
Engine cooling system
T owing 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 . .,..

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.