22 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
&_ WARNING
-light bulbs are pressurized and could ex
plode while they are being changed caus
ing serious personal injury.
- Work with due care when handling the
high-voltage section of gas discharge
(xenon) lights*. Failure to do so could re
sult in death or serious injury.
(D Tips
Have the bulb replaced or the connection
repaired by your authorized Audi Service
department.
~(D Headlight range control
Appl ies to vehicles: with headlig ht range co ntrol
II Headlight range control defective !
If the symbol II illuminates, the dynamic
headlight range control is no longer working
properly . Have the system checked and re
paired at your authorized Audi dealer.
§0 Adaptive Light
Appl ies to vehicles: with adaptive light
r!l Audi adaptive light: defective
If the indicator light turns on and this mes
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the
adaptive light system. The headlights still
function.
Go to an authorized dealership to have the
headlights or the control unit for the adaptive
light repaired .
@..D light/rain sensor
Applies to vehicles: with light/rain sensor
II Automatic headlights/ automatic wipers
defective
If the indicator light turns on and this mes
sage appears, the light/rain sensor is not
functioning correctly.
For safety reasons the low beams are turned
on permanently with the switch in
AUTO.
However, you can continue to turn the lights on and off
using the light switch . You can still
control all functions that are independent of
the rain sensor through the windshield wiper lever .
Contact your authorized Audi dealer as soon
as possible to have the problem corrected.
Q Adaptive dampers
Applies to vehicles: with Aud i drive select and adaptive
dampers
II Suspension: System fault!
If the II symbol in the display comes on,
there is a malfunction in the adaptive damp
ers. Please go to an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have the malfunction
repaired.
H Sport differential
Appl ies to vehicles: with Aud i drive select and spo rt dif
ferential
Sport differential: System fault!
There is a malfunction with the sport differen
tial.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
Sport differential: Overheating
The transmission temperature has increased
significantly due to the sporty driving manner.
Drive in a less sporty manner until the tem
perature returns to the normal range and the
indicator light switches of.
&_ WARNING
-
Contact your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop if the sport differential is faulty or malfunctioning . The repair
must be performed by trained personnel
using the correct oil in order to ensure
safety.
~ Ignition lock
l3 Ignition lock defective
106 Audi drive select
Audi drive select
Driving settings
Introduction
App lies to vehicles: with Audi drive select
Drive select provides the possib ility to exper i
e nce diffe ren t types of vehi cle sett ings in o ne
ve hicl e. For ins tance, us ing t he three
Com
fort , Auto and Dynamic modes, the driver can
switch from a sporty to a comfortab le drivi ng
mode with the press of a b utton.
A ddit ionally, in veh icles wi th MM I*, the vehi
cle setup for
Individual* mode can be c us
tom ized by you. This makes it possib le to
comb ine settings such as a sporty engine tun
ing with comfortable steering.
A WARNING
Improper use of the A udi drive select can
cause collisions , ot her acc idents and se ri
ous pe rsonal injury.
Description
App lies to vehicles: with Audi drive select
The vehicle setup in each mode depends on
the veh icle's features . However, the engin e,
automa tic t ransmissio n and s teeri ng a re a l
ways involved.
-
Engine and automatic transmission
Depending on the mode , the e ng ine and the
automatic t ransm ission respond quicke r or i n
a more ba la nced manne r to a cce le rator pedal
move ments. In t he sporty dynam ic mode, the
a ut om at ic t ra nsmissio n shifts at h igher R PMs.
Steering
The steering adapts in terms of stee ring effort
and steering ra tios . Ind irect steer ing that
moves easi ly, l ike the stee rin g in comfort
mode, is best su ite d t o long dr ive s on a high
way. In co ntr ast, dynam ic mo de p rov ides
sporty, direct steering .
T he fo llow ing applies to vehicles with dynam ic
steer ing*: the stee ring ratio changes based on
ve hicl e spee d in order to maint ain op timum steering effort
for the drive r at all times . This
sets the stee ring to be less sens itive at higher
speeds in order to provide improved vehicle
control. At reduced speeds, however, steer ing
is more d irect in order to keep the steering ef
fort as minima l as poss ible when the driver is
mane uveri ng the veh icle. At low and ave rage
speeds, dynamic steering addit iona lly pro
vides more respon sive stee rin g pe rforma nce.
Adaptive dampers*
The adaptive dampers* use se nsors to record
informa tion regard ing steer ing movemen ts,
braking and acceleration o perations by the
drive r, road surfac e, d riv in g speed, and load.
T his makes it poss ible to adapt damp ing to
the driving si tua tion v irtu ally in real t ime.
Dr ive sele ct also makes i t possib le to sa tisfy
t h e desire fo r spo rty suspension ( Dynamic)
and comfortab le suspension (Comfort) with
o ut giving up ba lanced tuning (Auto) .
Sport differential*
As a component o f the all whee l dr ive sys tem
(quat tro)
~ page 184, t he spo rt differential *
dist ributes t he driving power to the rear ax le
depen ding on the sit uat io n. The distrib ution
of power var ies depending on the mode se
lected. The goal is a high level of agility and
ability to accelerate on curves. T he ve hicle is
very res pons ive to stee ring .
Audi adaptive crui se control*
The behav ior when accelerating can be adjust
ed from comf ortab le to sporty, depending on
t h e drive select mode. Adaptive cr uise control
also responds to the driv ing behavior of the
vehicle ahead in a mo re conservative o r spo rty
manner .
Engine sound*
The sound of the eng ine is adapted to these
lected mode and ranges from subtle to sporty.
(!) Tips
- In s ome models, the maximum vehicle
spee d can only be reached in the
Auto
and Dynamic modes.
154 Airbag system
-Never attach any objects such as cu
pholders or telephone mountings to the
surfaces covering the airbag units.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one
moistened with plain water. Solvents or
cleaners could damage the airbag cover
or change the stiffness or strength of the
material so that the airbag cannot de
ploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the airbag system .
- All work on the steering wheel, instru
ment panel, front seats or electrical sys
tem (including the installation of audio
equipment, cellular telephones and CB
radios, etc.) must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training
and special equipment necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that you see your
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work
shop.
- Never modify the front bumper or parts
of the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side airbag
can inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replace
ment upholstery over the front seat
backs that have not been specifically
approved by Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags
inflate.
- Damage to the original seat covers or
to the seam in the area of the side air
bag module must always be repaired
immediately by an authorized Audi
dealer.
- The airbag system can be activated only
once. After an airbag has inflated, it
must be replaced by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified technician who has
the technical information, training and
special equipment necessary.
- The airbag system can be deployed only once. After an airbag has been deployed,
it must be replaced with new replace- ment parts designed and approved espe
cially for your Audi model version . Re
placement of complete airbag systems
or airbag components must be per
formed by qualified workshops only. Make sure that any airbag service action
is entered in your Audi Warranty
& Main
tenance booklet under
AIRBAG REPLACE
MENT RECORD.
- In accidents when an airbag is deployed,
the vehicle battery separates the alterna
tor and the starter from the vehicle elec
trical system for safety reasons with a pyrotechnic circuit interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit inter rupter must only be performed by a
qualified dealer -risk of an accident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter
is scrapped, all applicable safety pre
cautions must be followed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and preten
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate
Material -special handling may apply, see
www .dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/per
chlorate. When the vehicle or parts of the restraint system including airbag modules
safety belts with pretensioners are scrap
ped, all applicable laws and regulations
must be observed. Your authorized Audi
dealer is familiar with these requirements
and we recommend that you have your
dealer perform this service for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag Sys
tem performs in a crash. For example, using
tire-rim combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the vehicle, changing the stiffness of
the suspension, including the springs, suspen
sion struts, shock absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the electronic control
unit. Some suspension changes can, for
example, increase the force levels measured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in which it would not deploy if the changes had not been made. Other
kinds of changes may reduce the force levels
measured by the sensors and prevent the air
bag from deploying when it should.
The sensors in the safety belt buckle for the
driver and front passenger seat tell the elec
tronic control module if the safety belt is
latched or not. If the safety belt is being used,
the front airbag will deploy at a slightly high
er rate of vehicle deceleration than if the safe
ty belt is not being used. Therefore, in a par
ticular collision, it is possible that an airbag
will not deploy at a seating position where the
safety belt is being used but will inflate at the position where the safety belt is not being
used.
It is important that nothing interfere
with the safety belt buckles so that the sen
sors can send the correct information about
safety belt use to the electronic control unit .
& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension includ
ing use of unapproved tire-rim combina
tions can change Advanced Airbag per
formance and increase the risk of serious personal injury in a crash.
- Never install suspens ion components
that do not have the same performance characteristics as the components origi
nally installed on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that
have not been approved by Audi.
A WARNING 1= -
Items stored between the safety belt
buckle and the center console can cause
the sensors in the buckle to send the
wrong information to the electronic con
trol module and prevent the Advanced Air
bag System from working properly.
- Always make sure that nothing can inter-
fere with the safety belt buckles and that
they are not obstructed.
Airbag system 155
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Applies to vehicles: with knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supple
mental protection to properly restrained
front seat occupants .
Fig. 154 Driver 's knee airbag
The dr iver knee airbag is in the instrument
panel underneath the steering wheel
¢ fig. 154, the knee airbag for the passenger
is at about the same height in the instrument
panel underneath the glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers additional protection
to the driver's and passenger's knees and up
per and lower thigh areas and supplements
the protection provided by the safety belts.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags
also dep loy in frontal collisions when the de
ployment threshold stored in the control unit
is met
¢ page 149, More impor tant things to
know abou t front airbags .
In addition to their normal safety function,
safety belts help keep the driver or front pas
senger in position in a frontal collision so that
the airbags can provide supplemental pro tec
tion.
The airbag system is not a substitute for your
safety belt . Rather, it is part of the overall oc
cupant restraint system in your vehicle. Al
ways remember that the airbag system can
only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety be lt and wearing it properly. This
is why you should always wear your safety
belt, not just because the law requires you to
do so
¢ page 132, General notes. ..,_
188 Driving and en vironm ent
8_ WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc ., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads . Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re
store the full braking effect.
(D Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through wate r.
@ Tips
- Check the depth of the water before dr iv
i ng through it .
- Do not stop the veh icle, dr ive in reverse
or switc h the engine off when driving
t hr ough water .
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may c reate waves that raise the water
l evel and make it too deep fo r you r vehi
cle to dr ive through safely.
-
- Avoid dr iving thro ugh salt water because
i t can ca use corrosion.
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission con
trol system (catalytic conv ert er) is function
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run
ning in on env ironm entally sound manner.
,,. Always use lead-free gaso line Q page 201,
Fuel supply .
,,. Never run the tank down a ll th e way to emp
ty.
,,. Never put too much moto r oil in your engine
Q page 211 , ~ Adding engine oil .
,,. Never try to push -or tow -start your ve hicle .
T he cata lytic converter is an eff ic ient "clean
up" device built in to the exhaust system of
the vehicle . The catalytic converter burns
many of the polluta nts in the exhaust gas be
fore they are released into the atmosphe re . The exclus
ive use of unleaded f uel is critica lly
important for the life of the catalytic conv ert
er and p roper funct ion ing of the eng ine .
A WARNING
=
-The temperature of the exhaust system
is high, both when driving and after stop
p ing the eng ine .
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once
they have become hot. This could result
in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle i n
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in co ntact with dry grass, brush,
fue l spill or other material wh ich can
cause a fire .
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
r u stp roofing on or nea r the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, cataly tic con
ver ter or he at s hields. Dur ing driv ing, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
CI) Note
- Be aware tha t just o ne tank filling with
leaded fu el w ill alre ady ser io usly de
grade the performance of the cata lytic
converter .
- Do not exceed the cor rect engine oil level
Q poge 211.
-Do not drive until the fuel t ank becomes
comple tely empty . The engine cou ld mis
fire . Unburned fuel could also get into
the exhaust system and th is co uld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not turn off the ignition while the ve
hicle is mov ing.
- Do not contin ue to ope rate your veh icle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalyt ic converter. Th is
co uld result in overheating of the con
verter, requir ing its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis -
sion Control System: .,..
232 Tires and wheels
to determine how this reduces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
.,.Check the tire sidewall
(¢ page 233, fig. 186) to de
termine the designated load rating for a specific tire.
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of
different things including proper installation
and balancing, correct tire pressure and driv·
ing style.
Fig. 184 Tire tread: tread wear indicators (TWI)
_____ ___,.J)
Fig. 185 Rotating tires for more even wear
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The original tires on your vehicle have
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear indicators"
c:> fig. 184 running across the tread. Depend·
ing on the make , there will be six to eight of
them evenly placed around the tire. M ar ks on
the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear indicators. Worn tires must be replaced. Different
figures may apply in other countries
c:>& .
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear
and can cause sudden tire blow-out. For this
reason, tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
c:> page 228.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration
and hard braking increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the
same service life, we recommend that the
front and rear tires are rotated according to
the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rota
tion intervals. Please remember the follow
ing :
- Tire rotation intervals may differ from the
vehicle service intervals outlined in your
Maintenance and Warranty Booklet .
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer's suggested
tire rotation intervals.
- Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience
more tread wear on the front wheels com
pa red to all wheel drive (quattro).
- Please rotate tires as shown
c:>fig. 185.
- Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rection-specific tires
c:> page 249 .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced .
However, various situations during everyday
driving can cause them to become unbal
anced, resulting in vibrations you can usually
feel through the steering wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wear on steering, suspension
and tires. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed. .,.
26 2 Techni cal Dat a
Gross Ax le Weight R atin g
The Gross Axle Weight Rating is the maximum
l oad that can be applied at each axle of the
vehicle
c::> &. .
Vehicle capacity weight
The vehicle capac ity we ight (max. load) is list
ed on the driver 's side 8-p illar.
_& WARNING
-
- T he actual Gross Axle Weight Rat ing at
the front and rear axles shou ld not ex
ceed the permissible weights, and their
combination must not exceed the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rat ing.
Dimensions
Length in (mm)
Width in (mm)
Width (across mir rors) in (mm)
He ight (unloaded)a) in (mm)
T urning circle diameter
ft (m) -
Exceeding permissible weight ratings can
result in veh icle damage, acc idents and
personal injury.
(D Note
- The vehicle capacity weight figures apply
when the load is distributed evenly in the
vehicle (passengers and luggage). When
transport ing a heavy load in the luggage
compartment, carry the load as near to
the rear axle as poss ible so that the vehi
cle's handling is not impaired.
- Do not exceed the maximum permissible axle loads or the maximum gross vehicle
we ight. Always remember that the vehi
cle's handling w il l be affected by the ex
tra load. Therefo re, adj ust your speed ac
cordingly.
- Always observe local regulat ions.
AS Cabriolet S5 Cabriolet
182.1 (4626) 182.7 (4640)
73.0 (1854) 73 .0 (1854)
79.5 (2020) 79.5 (2020)
54 .4 (1383) 54 .3 (1380)
37.4 (1 1.4) 37.4 ( 11.4)
a) The he ight of the vehicle depends on the tires and the suspension.
When driving up steep ramps, on rough roads,
over curbs, etc . it is important to remember
that some parts of your ve hicle, such as spoil-
Capacities
Fuel tank: total capacity
Windsh ield and headlight* washer fluid container ers
or exhaust system components, may be
close to the ground. Be carefu l not to damage
them.
gal ( liters) 16.1 (61.0)
quarts (liters) 4.8 (4.5)