2014 AUDI Q5 brake light

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. ..,.
•
•

A WARNING ,~
- Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par­
t icu late filter could start a fire .
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in the exhaust system area or a fire could sta rt.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, o r over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make ce rtain that
l ow -lying parts such as spoi lers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is especially true for vehicles with low ­
slung chassis (sports chassis)* and f ully load ­
ed vehicles.
Shutting down vehicle
I f you wou ld like your veh icle to remain inop­
erative for a longer period of time, contact an
Audi or other specialized dealer. They can ad­
vise you on necessary precautions e.g . corro­
sion prevention, ma intenance and storage.
Pay attention to add itiona l information con ­
cerning the battery. Refer to
c::> page 242 .
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and t ires largely
depend on th ree factors:
- you r persona l dr iving style
- operating conditions
- technica l lim itations
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 207
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, yo u can easily cut yo ur
fuel consumpt ion by 10 -15 percent. T his sec­
tion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook.
Q) Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the road, which will vary depending upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
dit ions, t rip leng th, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac ­
celerating .
.,. Avo id u nnecessary accelerating and b rak ing.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac ­
ce le rat ing . If you ant icipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thu s, acce le rate less. Le t the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for examp le when you see
that the next t raff ic light is re d.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
.,. Try and keep well below your car 's maximum
speed.
Acce le rat ing gently reduces fue l cons ump­
tion, eng ine wear, and does not disturb the
environment.
Fuel consumpt ion, exhaust emiss ions and e n­
gine noise inc rease disproport ionately at high
speeds . If you driv e at app rox imately th ree
quarte rs of top speed, fuel consumption w ill
be reduced by one ha lf. Never d rive fas ter
t han the pos ted speed limi t and weathe r con­
ditions pe rmit.
•
•

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.

~ Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
~ Always apply brakes early.
~ Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded tra iler with an empty ca r re­
sults in a high ly 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 permiss i­
ble, 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 even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -part icularly
when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds
for veh icles towing trailers are lower than for
regular vehicles.
Always apply brakes early . When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en ­
g ine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to ove rheat
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
air cond itioner.
Trailertowin g 215
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
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident. Never let anyone ride in your car
who is not properly wearing the restraints
prov ided by Audi .
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing
-
a trailer because of the additional weight and
different weight distr ibut ion. Safety, perform­
ance and economy will greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
Before you actually tow your tra iler, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
have become completely familiar w ith the way
your vehicle-tra ile r combination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice .
Backing up with a trailer generally requires
steering action opposite to that when backing
u p you r vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain 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
trailer, you w ill 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 yo u have
enough room to pass. After passing, a llow
plenty of room for your trailer before chang­
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts , sharp t urns or rapid lane
changes.
•
•

218 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 r isk of cuts, protect your­
self from sharp meta l components w hen
wash ing the unde rbody or the inside of
the whee l housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef­
fect may be de layed due to mo isture on
the b rake ro to rs or i ce in the winter. The
brakes must be dried first with a few
careful brake applications.
(!;) Note
- If you wash t he vehi cle in an automatic
ca r wash, yo u m ust fold the exterior m ir­
ro rs in to reduce the r is k of damage to
the mirrors. Power folding exte rior m ir ­
ro rs * must only be folded in and out us­
i ng the power folding function.
- Compare the track of your vehicle wit h
the distance between the gui de rails of
the facility - there is a risk of damage to
the wheels and t ires.
- Compare the height and width of your
vehicle with the he ight and width of the
tunnel at the fac ility. -
To p revent paint damage, do not wash
the vehicle in di rect sunlight.
- T o reduce the ris k of damage to the sur­
face, do not use insect removing spong­
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- M atte finish painted veh icle compo ­
nents:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the
surface, do not use polishi ng agents or
hard wax.
- Never use car wash cycles that apply protective wax.
It can destroy the
matte fi nish effect.
- Do not place any stickers o r magnet ic
signs on v ehicle parts painted w ith
ma tte fi nish paint. The paint cou ld be
damaged when the stickers o r mag nets
a re removed .
@ For the sake of the environment
O nly wash the ve hicl e in facili ties spe cially
d esi gned for that p urpose. This will red uce
the r is k of dirty wate r contam ina ted with
o il from entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When cleaning and caring for individua l vehi­
cle components, refer to the fo llowing tab les .
The information contained there is simp ly rec­
ommendat ions . For quest io ns or for compo- nents that are not listed, refer to an author­
ized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop. Also
fo llow the information found in <=> & .
Cleaning exterior Component Situation Solution
Wiper blad es Dirty <=> page 55, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Headlights/ Dirty Soft sponge with a mild soap so
lution al
tail lights
Sen sors / Dirty Sensors : soft clot h w it h a so lvent-free cleaning p roduct
camera l enses Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol -free cleaning
so lution
Snow/ice Hand brush/so lvent -free de-icing spray

Checking and filling 233
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 198 Typical layout for contain ers and engine oil filler cap
(D Jump start point( +) under a cov -
er .. .. .. .. .............. .. 244, 284
@ Brake fluid reservoir ((0)) . . . . . . 241
@ Eng ine oil filler cap ("t=:?1) . . . . . . 236
@ Coolant expansion tank (J-) . . . 239
® Jump start point(-) with hex
head screw ..... .......... ..
244, 284
® Windshield/headlight washer
container
(0) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
The pos ition of the engine o il filling hole
¢ fig. 198 (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 231.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine in your Audi needs the right kind
of oil.
The engine in your Audi is a sophisticated
powerplant that was built 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. .,..

Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance.
N
N
;:;;
" 03
"'
Fi g. 202 Eng ine compartment: cover on the brake flu id
reservoir
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
a lwa ys read and heed all WARN­
ING S c:> .&.. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 231 .
~ Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir
c:> fig. 202, <=> page 233,
fig . 198 .
The brake flu id 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
c::> page 2 33 .
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
models: .) will come on
c> page 18 and
c::> page 29 . Do not continue to operate the ve­
h icle. The complete brake system should be
thoroughly checked by an authorized Aud i
dealer o r qualified workshop and the cause
corrected.
If the brake fluid level is too low,
the brake warning/indicator light will illum i­
nate . Contact an authorized Audi dealer
im­
m ediatel y.
Checkin g and fillin g 241
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by on experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If
the 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 flu id will also dec rease considerably and
decrease braking pe rformance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every two years. Always use new brake flu id
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "F MVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservo ir can be d iff icult to
reach, the refore, we recommend that you
have the brake fluid changed by your author­
i zed
Audi d ealer. Your dealer has t he correct
tools, the right brake fl uid 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 resu lt from o ld or inap­
propriate brake f luid. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE
spe cificat ion
J 1 7 03 and conforms to
Federa l Moto r Ve hicl e Standard 116.
Always check with yo ur authorized Audi
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
correct bra ke fluid. The correct type of
brake f luid is also indicated on the
brake f luid 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
l ong . This can seriously affect the effi­
c iency of the brakes as well as your
safety. Th is cou ld resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle .