2014 AUDI Q5 tow

.. Let the belt wind up on the retractor as yo u
gu ide the belt tongue to its stowed position .
A WARNING
Never unfasten safety belt while the vehi­
cle is moving. Doing so will increase your
r isk of being injured or killed .
Adjusting safety belt height
-
With the aid of the safety belt height adjust ­
ment, the three point safety belt strap rout­
ing can be fitted to the shoulder area, accord­
ing to body size.
;g 0 0 C) .., m
Fig. 164 Safety be lt height adjustme nt fo r th e fro nt
seats - loop -a rou nd fitt ings
The shoulder belt should lie as close to the
center of the collar bone as possible and
should fit well on the body¢&.
in Safety belt
position on page 154 .
.. Push
the loop-around fittings up ¢ fig. 164
@, or
.. squeeze together the@button, and push
the loop-around fitt ings down @ .
.. Pull the belt to make sure that the upper at­
tachment is properly engaged.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other impo rtant information ¢
page 152.
@ Tips
With the front seats, the height adjust­
ment of the seat can also be used to adjust
t he posit ion of the safety be lts.
Safety belts 155
Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause
severe injuries .
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause se­
rious injury or death. Safety belts can only
work when they are correctly positioned on
the body . Improper seat ing pos itions reduce
the effectiveness of safety be lts and will even
inc rease the risk of injury and death by mov­
ing the safety be lt to crit ical areas of the
body. Improper seating positions also in ­
crease the risk of serious injury and death
when an airbag dep loys and strikes an occu­
pant who is not in the correct seating posi­
tion. A driver is responsible for the safety of
all vehicle occupants and especially for ch il­
dren . Therefore:
.. Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect
sitt ing position in the vehicle while traveling
¢ &,. .
A WARNING
Improperly worn safety belts increase the
risk of serious persona l injury and death
whenever a ve hicle is being used.
- Always make s ure that all vehicle occu­
pants are co rrectly restrained and stay in
a correct seating position whenever the
veh icle is being used .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
o ther important information
¢page 152.
Safety belt preten­
sioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear -end collisions above a
particular severity and in a rollover, safety
belts are tensioned automatically .
The safety belts are equipped with safety belt
pretensioners . The system is activated by sen­
sors in front, side and rear-end co llisions of
great severity and in a rollover . This tightens
the belt and takes up belt slack¢.&.
in Service Iii>

-Improper repair or disassembly of the
front passenger and driver seat will pre­
vent the Advanced Airbag System from
functioning properly .
- Repairs to the front passenger seat must
be performed by qualified and properly
trained workshop personnel.
- Never remove the front passenger or
driver seat from the vehicle .
- Never remove the upholstery from the
front passenger seat .
- Never disassemble or remove parts from
the seat or disconnect wires from it.
- Never carry sharp objects in your pockets
or place them on the seat. If the weight­
sensing mat in the passenger seat is
punctured it cannot work properly.
- Never carry things on your lap or carry
objects on the passenger seat . Such
items can increase the weight registered
by the weight-sensing mat and send the
wrong information to the airbag control
unit.
- Never store items under the front pas­
senger seat. Parts of the Advanced Air­
bag System under the passenger seat
could be damaged, preventing them and
the airbag system from working proper­
ly.
- Never place seat covers or replacement
upholstery that have not been specifical­
ly approved by Audi on the front seats.
- Seat covers can prevent the Advanced
Airbag System from recognizing child re­
straints or occupants on the front pas­
senger seat and prevent the side airbag in the seat backrest from deploying prop­
erly.
- Never use cushions, pillows, blankets or
similar items on the front passenger
seat . The additional padding will prevent
the weight-sensing mat in the seat from
accurately registering the child restraint
or person on the seat and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from function­
ing properly.
- If you must use a child restraint on the
front passenger seat and the child re-
Airbag system 165
straint manufacturer's instructions re­
quire the use of a towel, foam cushion or
something else to properly position the
child restraint, make certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes
on and stays on whenever the child re­
straint is installed on the front passen­
ger seat.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi­
ately install child restraint in a rear seat­
ing position and have the airbag system
inspected by your authorized Audi dealer .
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the
side airbags supplement the protection of­
fered by the front three-point safety belts
with pretensioners and load limiters and the
adjustable head restraints to help reduce the
risk of injury in a wide range of accident and
crash situations. Be sure to read the impor­
tant information about safety and heed the
WARNINGS in this chapter.
Deployment of the Adv a need Airbag System
and the activation of the safety belt preten­
sioners depend on the deceleration measured
by the crash sensors and registered by the
electronic control unit. The amount of infla­
tion of the front airbags can also be adapted
to the front sea t position, depending on the
distance between the respective front seat
and the steering wheel or instrument panel as registered by sensors in the seats. Crash se­
verity depends on speed and deceleration as
well as the mass and stiffness of the vehicle
or object involved in the crash.
On the passenger side, regardless of safety
belt use, the airbag will be turned off if the
weight on the passenger seat is less than the
amount programmed in the electronic control
unit. The front airbag on the passenger side
will also be turned off if one of the child safe-
ty seats that has been certified under Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 has been
recogni zed on the seat . The
PASSENGER AIR .,,.
•
•

Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
The convertible locking retractor for child re­
straints will be deactivated automatically when the belt is wound all the way back into the retractor.
" Press the red button on the safe ty belt bu ck­
le. The bel t tongue w ill pop out of the buck ­
l e .
" Guide the safety be lt all the way back into
its stowed position .
A lways le t the safety belt retrac t complete ly
into its stowed posit ion . The sa fety belt can
now be used as an ordinary safety belt with ­
out the convertib le locking ret ractor for chi ld
restra ints.
I f the convertible locking retracto r shou ld be
activated inadve rtently, the safety belt m ust
be unfastened and guided comp letely back in ­
to its stowed position to deactivate th is fea­
ture. If the co nvertib le locking retractor is not
deactivated, the safety belt will gradually be­
come tighter and u ncomfo rtable to wea r.
A WARNING
Imprope rly insta lled child saf ety seats in­
c rease the risk of ser ious perso nal inju ry
a n d death in a colli sion.
- Never unf asten the safety belt to deacti­
va te the convert ible lo cking re tr actor for
c hild re st rain ts w hile the veh icle is mov­
ing. You woul d not be rest rained and
cou ld be ser iously injure d in an accident.
- Always read and hee d all WARN INGS
whenever using a child rest rained in ave ­
hicle is being use d
¢page 178. Special
precautions apply when installing a ch ild
safety seat on the front passenger seat
¢ page 158, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
Child Sa fet y 191
LATCH Lower
anchorages and tethers
for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
To p rov ide a simple r and more practicable way
to attach the chil d restra in t on t he vehi cle
seat, Federal regulat ions req uire spec ia l lower
an cho rages in vehicles and devi ces on new
c h ild restraints to at tach to the vehicle ancho ­
rages.
T he combination o f the tether ancho rages and
th e lower ancho rages is now gener ally c alled
the
LATCH system fo r "L owe r Anchorages and
T ethers for Chil d ren."
Fo rw ard- facing ch ild restr ain ts manufa ctured
after September 1, 19 99, are requ ired by U .S .
f edera l reg ulations to comply wi th new child
head movement performance req uir ements .
These new performance requirements make a
tether necessary on most new child seats.
Installing a chi ld restraint that requires a top
tether without one can seriously impair the performance of the c hild restra int and its abil ­
ity to protect the child in a coll is ion. Insta lling
a chi ld restraint that requi res a top tether
without the top tether may be a violat io n of
state law.
Child restraint manufacturers offer LATCH
lower anchorages on their child seats w ith
hook-on or push-on con nectors attached to
adjustable straps.
In add ition to the LATCH lower anchorages,
these chi ld restraint systems usually require
the use of tether straps to he lp keep the chi ld
r est raint fi rmly in place .
A WARNING
Imp roper installat io n of ch ild restra ints
will i ncrease the r is k of inj ury a nd deat h in
a c rash.
-
•
•

Fa u lts in th e brake sy stem
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake peda l travel, then one of the two brake
circuits may have failed~.&..
Low brak e flu id level
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake syste m if
the brake fl uid leve l is too low. The b rake fluid
l eve l is monito red electronically.
Brake boost er
The brake booster increases the pressure that
you generate w ith the brake pedal.
It only op­
e rates while the eng ine is running or with the
i gnit ion sw itched on (hybr id dr ive*)~ .&,.
Brake lining wear statu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces­
sa ry, the wheel may be removed for this in­
spection
~ page 2 73, Changing a wheel.
.&_ WARNING
=
- You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of clean ing the brake
system on ly if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an acc ident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce speed and shift transmiss ion into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often. This could cause the
brakes to get hot and dimin ish b raking
efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake. Th is may cause the b rakes to
overheat, premat ure wear and increased
stopp ing distance .
- Under certain climat ic and operating
c ondit ions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy rain or after wash ing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Carefully apply brakes
Int ellig ent technolog y 201
for a test . Brakes will dry and ice coat­
ings w ill be cleaned
off after a few care­
ful brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency.
Clean
off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few ca reful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you install a different spoiler, be sure the ai r
f low to the front brakes is not obst ruct­
ed. Otherw ise the bra ke system could
overhea t reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system .
- Failure of one b rake circuit will impair
the braking capab ility result ing in an in­
creased stopping distance. Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­
est a uthorized Audi dea ler or q ualified
workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with
the eng ine shut off .
- If the b rake booster is not working, the
brake peda l must be pressed considera­
bly harder to make up for the lack of
booster assistance.
Electromechanical
power assist, Dynamic
steering
The electromechonical power assist helps the
driver when steering.
Power s teer ing adap ts electronically based on
the ve hicle speed .
Indicator lights and messages
• Stee ring d efec tiv e! Do not d rive vehi cle!
If this indicator light turns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steer ing
may have failed .
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as
poss ible. Do
not continue driving. See your
authorized Aud i dea ler or other qualified re-
pair facility fo r ass istance. ..,.
•
•

206 Driving and en vir onm ent
Catalytic converter
Appl ies to vehicles: with gasoline e ngin e
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner .
.. Always use lead-free gasoline i=> page 222,
Gasoline .
.. Never run the tank down all the way to emp-
ty .
.. Never put too much motor oil in your engine
¢ page 236, Adding engine oil 'l=r. .
.. Never try to push- or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff ic ient "clean­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle. The catalyti c converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be­
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclus ive use of unleaded fuel is cr itically
important for the l ife of the cata lytic convert­
e r and proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
T he temperature o f the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine .
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once
they have become hot. This could result
in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other material which can
cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
man ifold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat sh ields . During driving, the
substance used for u ndercoating cou ld
overheat and cause a fire.
@) Note
- Be aware that just one tank f illing with
leaded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the perfo rmance of the cata lytic
conve rter. -
Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
i=>page 236.
-Do not drive until the fue l tank becomes
completely empty . The engine co uld m is­
fire . Unburned fuel could also get into
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not turn off the ignition while the ve­
hicle is mov ing .
- Do not continue to ope rate your vehicle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalyt ic converter. Th is
cou ld result in overheating of the con­
verter, requir ing its replacement .
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System:
- Have you r vehicle maintained p roperly
and in accordance w ith the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty & Maintenance book let.
- Lack of prope r maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the vehicle wi ll impair
the function of the em ission contro l
system and could lead to damage.
@) For the sa ke of the en vironment
Even when the Emission Control System is
ope rat ing properly, the exhaust gas can
have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operat ing states. This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Usi ng a different brand of fuel may help,
or f illing the tank with lead-free super
grade gasoline.
Diesel particulate filter
Applies to vehicles: with diese l eng ine
The diesel part icu late filter filters nearly all of
the soot pa rticles out of the exhaust . T he fil­
te r cleans itself automat ica lly unde r no rma l
dr iv ing cond itions . If the filte r cannot clean it­
self (for example, because you are on ly driving
short distances), the filter becomes clogged
with soot and the
II symbol for the diesel
particulate filter i lluminates
i=> page 34. ..,.

210 Driving o ff road
Driving off road
Driving in difficult road
conditions and offroad
General information
The operation of the E lectronic Stabilization
Control (ESC) is expanded for operation away
from paved roads. In situations where slip or a
d ifferential locking function is required, the
offroad mode can be activated
c::;, page 197.
Your Audi also has permanent all -wheel drive
in addit ion.
However, your Aud i is not a pure offroad vehi­
cle . It was not built for driving under extreme
conditions , e.g . for trips that are in the nature
of an expedition .
D riv e only on roads and off road sections
which match the design of your vehicle and
your abil ities a s a driver . Never take ri sks!
Before driving offro ad
- Check the engine oi l level, tire press ure,
coolant leve l, and the fluid level in the w ind­
shield washer reservo ir.
- Stow luggage items and other objects in the
l uggage compartment, and secure them
against slid ing around .
After driving offroad
- After trips offroad, remove any twigs and other foreign objects from the grill, the un­
derbody and the wheels. Pay specia l atten ­
t ion to fore ign ob jects (stones) which have
become lodged in the tire tread.
- Clean the body and the vehicle unders ide,
and inspect the veh icle for possible damage.
- Clean dirty w indows, headlamp lenses, rear
li ghts, and license plates .
- Perform a brake check (part icu larly after
trave lling through water) .
A WARNING
- Drive especially attentively and plan
ahead in difficult road conditions and
w hen offroad . Excess ive speed or incor-
-
rect mane uvers can cause injuries and
damage to the vehicle.
- Always adapt your speed and driving
style to road, offroad, traff ic, and weath­
er cond itions. Drive especially slowly off­
road when your v iew is restricted.
- Please be aware that in offroad mode,
particularly on a smooth and slippery
road , the whee ls may have an increased
tendency to sp in and the vehicle may
b reak away- dange r of skiddi ng!
- Stability is limited in the offroad mode .
® For the sake of the environment
Avoid damage to the environment and re­
spect nature.
(D Tips
Only drive w here it is permitte d and stay
on marked roads and paths.
Explanation of some technical terms
The following data refer to ideal cond it ions .
Depend ing on veh icle load and ground condi­
t ions and the environment, the numbers may
vary. It is the d river 's responsib ility to d ecide
whethe r a ve hicl e can overcome a spe cific s it­
u ati on
c::;, ,&. .
Gradient angle
The number of meters in alt itude ga ined over
a di sta nce of 109 .4 yards or 100 mete rs
(grade) a re given as a pe rcentage o r degrees .
Info rmation abou t the gra dien t the veh icle
c an climb under i ts own power (depends in
part on t he road surfa ce and engine power).
Maximum pe rm itted gra de : 3 1
°
Lateral angle (slope of vehicle)
Ind icates the angle up to which the vehicle
can be d riven diagona lly or a cross the fall line
o n a s lope wi tho ut the vehicle tip ping over
s ideways (depends on center of gravity) . Maxi -
mum pe rmitted lateral angle: 25°
Ill-

Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember
that the additional load will affect durability,
economy and performance .
T railer towing not only places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
For this reason, always follow 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 vehicle'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.
T he 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
¢ &. .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking sys­
tem, check to be sure that it conforms to all
regulations .
Trailer towing 213
The trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system
¢ &. .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the trailer.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations . Be
sure to check with your authorized Audi dealer
for correct wiring, switches, 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 vision 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!
- After 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 your passengers.
- Never install a "weight distributing" or
"load equalizing" trailer hitch on your ve­
hicle. The vehicle was not designed for
these kinds of trailer hitches . The hitch
attachment can fail, causing the trailer
to tear loose from the vehicle .
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for your
vehicle, found on the safety compliance
label on the driver's side B-pillar, must
never be exceeded under any circumstan­
ces. Exceeding the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating of your vehicle is likely to damage
your vehicle, and such damage will not
be covered by your Limited New Vehicle
Warranty. Exceeding the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating will also change the per­
formance and handling characteristics of
your vehicle, which could cause a crash resulting in serious injury or death.
-
•
•

214 Trailer towing
Operating instructions
6"
i ~
I 1,2 ..
{ ~
~
,,
-
2
Fig. 189 Pe rmi tted ball posit ion of the tra iler h itch
T ra ile r tow ing weight s
With a factor y-insta lled or an afte rm arket
trailer h itch, the max imum permissib le trailer
weight is 4,400 lbs (2,000 kg). The maximum perm iss ible unbraked trailer weight is 1,650
lbs (750 kg). These spec ifications apply when
driving on roads hav ing an incl ine of less than
12%.
P erm is s ible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these
changed condit ions, adjust the trailer load so
that the tongue load is at the maximum al­
l owable or slightly lower . You can get an ap­
p rox imation of the tongue load w ith a bath­
room scale or you can measure the load at a
tr ucking company or weighing sta tion.
W ith a
fact ory -in stall ed or an aftermarket
trailer h itch, the max imum pe rm issible load
on the ball hitch may not exceed 440 lbs (200 kg).
It is recommended to use the maxi­
mum permissible load .
Trailer lo ad distribut ion
Be sure the load in the trai ler is held securely
in place to prevent it from shifting fo rward,
backward or s ideways.
N eve r allow a p assenger to rid e in a trail er
¢ .&. in Driving instructions on page 215.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used with su ita­
ble ball mount and ball¢
fig. 189. Installa­
tion of the hitch ball must be carr ied out in ac- cordance with the manufacturer's instruc­
tions.
Eng ine cooling system
T owing a t railer 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 pressur e
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressu re listed under
" F u ll 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' spec ificat ions.
Lights
T he headlight settings shou ld be checked wi th
the trai ler 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 tra iler 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.
T he 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
core and consideration.
T o obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and t railer, please note the fo llowing :
.,. Do not tow a loaded t railer when you r ca r it­
self is not loaded .
.. Be especially caref ul when passing ot her
vehicles.
.. Observe speed limits.