2014 AUDI Q5 check engine

Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance .
Fig. 201 Eng ine co mpa rtme nt: cove r on the coola nt
exp ansion tank
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
a lway s re ad and he ed all WARN ­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 231 .
.,. Park your vehicle on a level surface.
.,. Turn off t he ignit ion.
.,. Read the eng ine coolant level from the cool­
ant expansion tank¢ fig . 201, ¢ page 233,
fig. 198 . With a cold eng ine , the coola nt
level should be between the "M IN " and
"MAX" markings . W hen the eng ine is warm,
the leve l may be slightly above the "MAX"
marking.
The location of the coolant expans ion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration ¢page 233.
To obtain an accurate read ing, the eng ine
must be switched off.
The expans ion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an e lectr ic coolant level sensor .
When the coo lant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto -Check System ¢ page 30 will
blink until you add coo lant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is
a n elec tric coolant leve l sensor, we s till rec­
ommend you chec k the coolant leve l from
time to time .
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cool ing
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cool-
Checkin g and fillin g 239
ing system shou ld be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer . It is not
eno ugh merely to add coo lant .
In a
s ealed system, losses can occu r on ly if
the boiling point of the coo lant is exceeded as
a resu lt of overheating.
(D Note
Do not a dd any type o f radiator leak se al­
ant to your veh icle's engine coo lant. Add ­
ing radiator repa ir flui d may adverse ly af­
fect the funct ion and performance of yo ur
cooling system and could result in damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the engine com ­
partment,
always read and heed alt WARN­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 231 .
.,. Turn off the engine .
.,. Let the engine cool down.
.,. Place a thick rag over the coo lant expansion
tank ¢ page 239, fig. 201 and
carefully turn
the cap counter -clockwise ¢
_& .
.,. Add coolant m ixed in the co rrect rat io
¢ page 238, Coolant.
.,. Twis t the cap o n aga in tightly.
Rep lacement engine coo lant must conform to
exact spec ificat ions ¢ page 238, Coolant.
We recommend using only coolant add itive
Gl2 ++, Gl3 or in an emergency Gl2 +. Do not
use a different add itive . In an emergency use
plain water until you can get the correct addi­
tive and can restore t he cor rect ratio . Th is
sho uld be done as soon as possib le.
If you have lost a cons iderab le amount of
coolant, then you sho uld add cold ant ifreeze
and co ld wate r on ly w hen the eng ine is cold.
Always use new engine coo lant when refill ing .
Do not fi ll coo lant above the "MAX" mark. Ex­
cess coolant will be forced o ut through the
•
•

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 .

242 Checking and filling
@ For the sake of the environment
Be cause of the problem of proper disposa l
of brake flu id as we ll as the special tools
req uired and the necessary expert ise, we
recommend that you have the b rake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer.
Battery
General information
Unde r normal operating conditions, the bat ­
tery in your A udi does not need any mainte ­
nance. With
high outside temperatures or
long daily dr ives we recommend that you have
the elect ro lyte level checked by an authorized
Aud i dea ler o r qualified workshop . The elec­
trolyte leve l sho uld a lso be c hecked each t ime
the battery is c harged ¢
page 244.
Have the battery checked when you take your
ve hicle in for service . Yo u are well adv ised to
replace a bat tery that is older tha n 5 yea rs .
W ith certa in types of a irbag deployment, t he
battery is d isconnected from the vehicle elec­
tr ica l system fo r safety reasons ¢
& in Re­
pair, core and disposal of the airbags on
page 171.
Hybr id d rive *: you can find important i nforma­
tion about the high voltage battery under
¢ page 97.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some veh icle functions (power w indow regu­
lators, for example) are lost if the battery ter­
minals a re discon nected. These functions have
to be re learned after the ba tte ry term inals a re
connect ed aga in. To prevent this , the battery
should only be d isconnected from the vehicle
e lec tric al sys te m whe n absolu tely necessa ry
for rep airs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If yo u do not dr ive you r vehicle over a pe riod
of severa l days or w eeks, ele ct rical com po­
n e nt s are gr adually cu t ba ck o r swi tched off .
T his redu ce s energy consu mp tion and mai n- ta
ins s tart ing c apability over a longer pe riod
¢ page 203.
Take i nto consi deratio n that whe n you unl ock
yo ur vehicle, some conven ien ce f un ctions ,
s u ch as the inte rior ligh ts or the powe r sea t
adjustment, may not be availab le. T he con­
venience functions will be avai lab le aga in
when you tu rn on the ign ition and start t he
engine.
Winter operation
Du ring the winte r mon ths, bat tery ca pac ity
tends to dec rease as tem peratures drop . This
is beca use more power is a lso consumed wh ile
starting, and the headlights, rear wi ndow de­
fogger, etc ., are used more often.
Avoid unnecessary powe r consum ption, pa r­
t icu lar ly in city traffic or when traveling only
sho rt distances. Let your authori zed Aud i
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat ­
te ry before winter sets in ¢
page 244. A well
c h arged battery will not on ly preven t starti ng
problems when the wea ther is cold, but w ill
also last lo nger.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the ba ttery.
The battery is located in the luggage compart­
me nt under the floor . B efo re you c hec k any­
t hi ng in the luggage compartmen t,
read and
heed all WARNINGS
¢ & -
Hybrid dr ive* : yo u can find impo rtant informa­
t io n about the h igh vol tage ba tte ry unde r
¢page 97 .
Always heed the safety warnings , when work­
ing on the v ehicle ba tte ry or the vehicle e lec­
t rical sys tem to preven t inju ry .

244 Checking and filling
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive problems. Wash hands after han­
dling.
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery
when the ignition is switched on or when
the engine is running, otherwise, you will
damage electronic components in the
electrical system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a
long period of time without being driven,
protect the battery from "freezing ", oth­
erwise it will be damaged and will then have to be replaced .
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged
battery.
Fig. 203 E ng ine compar tment: Connectors for charger
a nd jumper cab les
Always read and heed all WARNINGS below
¢
.&. and ¢ .&. in Working on the battery on
page 243.
• Hybrid drive*: read the important informa­
tion concerning a dead high voltage battery
under
¢page 105.
•Turnoff the ignition and all electrical con­
sumers.
• Make sure the area is well ventilated when
you charge the battery. •
Open the engin e hood ¢
page 231.
• Remove th e cover (D by pressing on the ar­
row
¢fig. 203.
• Open the cover @on the positive terminal.
• Connect the charger co nnectors according to
the instructions to the
jump start bolts .
(Bolts under the cover = "pos itive", Bolts
with hex head= "negative ").
• Only now plug the mains lead for the charg­
ing equipment into the wall outlet and turn
it on¢ .&_.
• Make sure the charging rate is not over
30 amps/14.8 Volt.
• When the battery is fully charged: T urn the
charg ing equipment off and remove the
mains lead from the wall outlet.
• Now remove the clamps for the charging
equipment.
• Close the cover @on the positive terminal
and re-install the cover
(D.
• Close the hood¢ page 231.
A discharged battery can freeze at tempera­
tures of only 32 °F (0 °C). Allow a frozen bat­
tery to thaw completely before attempting to
charge it¢.&.. However, we recommend not
using a thawed battery again because the bat­
tery casing can be cracked due to ice forma­
tion and can leak battery acid.
Battery charging (Maximum charging rate
of 30 amps/14.8 Volt)
When charging at low voltages (e.g. with a
trickle charger), the battery cables do not
have to be disconnected first. The battery
caps should
not be opened when charging a
battery.
It is not necessary to remove the battery from
the luggage compartment.
Fast charging the battery (charging rate
above 14.8 Volts)
For technical reasons do not use a battery
c h arger that uses voltage greater than 14.8
Volts to charge your vehicle's battery.
A WARNING
--
Charging a battery can be dangerous. ~

-Always follow the operating instructions
provided by the battery charger manu­
facturer when charging your battery.
- Never charge a frozen battery.
It may ex­
plode because of gas trapped in the ice.
Allow a frozen battery to thaw out first.
- Do not reuse batteries which were fro­
zen. The battery housing may have
cracked and weakened when the battery
froze.
- Charge the battery in a well ventilated
area. Keep away from open flame or elec­
trical spark. Do not smoke . Hydrogen gas
generated by the battery is explosive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never
connect or disconnect charger cables
while the charger is operating.
- Fast charging a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a compe­
tent technician with the proper equip­
ment.
- Battery acid that may spill during charg­
ing should be washed off with a solution
of warm water and baking soda to neu­
tralize the acid.
(D Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to
start the engine. This will seriously dam­
age sensitive electronic components, such
as control units, relays, radio, etc., as well
as the battery charger.
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifi­
cations and dimensions as the original equip­
ment battery.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle is responsible for distributing the electri­
cal energy throughout your vehicle
¢ page 203. The intelligent energy manage­
ment system will keep the engine battery
charged better then vehicles without this sys­
tem . To make sure the additional electrical en­
ergy is available once again after you have
changed the battery, we recommend that you
Checking and filling 245
install batteries of the same type and manu­
facture only (the same as those installed at
the time your vehicle was delivered). Specifi­ cations are listed on the battery housing . Your
authorized dealer must code the battery in
the energy management system to enable you
to use the energy management functions cor­
rectly after replacing the battery .
If it is not possible to use a battery of this
type , the new battery must have the same ca ­
pacity, voltage (12 volts), amperage, con­
struction and plug sealing .
When installing the battery, make sure the ig­ nition and all electrical consumers are turned
off .
(D Note
-Make sure the ventilation hose on the
side of the battery is connected, other­
wise fumes or battery acid can leak out .
- Vehicles with the Start-Stop-System* are
equipped with a special cycle-proof AGM
battery. Installing a different type of
battery can cause problems in the vehi­
cle electrical system. When replacing the
vehicle battery, always install one with
the same specifications as the original
battery.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recommend your author­
ized Audi dealer change the battery for
you. Batteries contain sulfuric acid and
lead and must always be disposed of prop­
erly in compliance with all environmental
regulations. Disposing of vehicle batteries
improperly is very dangerous to the envi­
ronment. •
•

246 Checking and filling
Windshield/headlight
washer container
M N
Fi g. 204 Engine compartme nt: cover on the w inds hield
and headlight * washer fluid rese rvoir
The washer flu id container is marked with t he
symbol Won its cap
Q fig. 204, ¢ page 233,
fig . 198 .
.. Before you check anyt hing in the engine
compartment,
always read and heed all
WARNINGS
¢ & in Working in the engine
compartment on page 2 31 .
.. Lift the filler cap tongue to add washe r flu­
id . Yo u can fill the container to the top .
.. Press the cap back onto the fi ller neck after
fill ing t he containe r.
You can find the rese rvoi r
capacity in the tab le
in
Q page 290.
Clean water should be used when fill ing up . If
possib le, use soft wate r to prevent scal ing on
the washe r jets. Always add a glass cleaner
solu tion (w ith fros t protection in the w inte r) .
(D Note
D o not mix engine coo la nt an tifreeze or
a ny ot her ad ditives to fi ll u p t he wind­
shie ld washer rese rv o ir.

& WARNING
To avoid serious personal injury and dam ­
age to the vehicle, heed all warnings and
instructions of the jumper cable manufac­
turer. If in doubt, call for road serv ice.
- Jumper cables must be long enough so
that the vehicles do not touch.
- When connecting jumper cables, make
sure that they cannot get caught in any
moving parts in the engine compart­
ment.
- Do not bend over the batteries -danger
of chemical burns!
- The battery ce ll locking screws must be
t ightened securely .
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
~ page 231.
{[) Note
Improper hook-up of jumper cables can ru­
in the generator.
- Always connect POSITIVE(+) to POSI­
TIVE(+), and NEGATIVE(-) to NEGATIVE
(-) ground post of the battery manager
control unit.
- Check that all screw plugs on the battery
ce lls are screwed in firmly .
If not, tighten
plugs prior to connecting clamp on nega­
tive battery terminal.
- Please note that the procedure for con­
necting a jumper cable as described
above applies spec ifically to the case of
your vehicle be ing jump started. When
you are giving a jump start to another ve­
hicle, do
not connect the negative(-) ca­
ble to the negative(-) terminal on the
discharged battery©
c::> fig. 230. In­
stead, securely connect the negative(-)
cable to either a solid metal component
that is firmly bolted to the engine block
or to the engine block itself. If the bat­
tery that is being charged does not vent
to the outside, escaping battery gas
could ignite and explode!
-
Emergency situations 285
Emergency towing
with commercial tow
truck
General hints
Your Audi requires special handling for tow­
ing.
T he following information is to be used by
commercial tow truck operators who know
how to operate their equipment safely.
- Never tow your Audi, towing will cause
damage to the engine and transmission.
- Never wrap the safety chains or winch ca­
ble s around the brake lines .
- To prevent unnecessary damage, your Audi
must be transported with a flat bed truck.
- To load the vehicle on to the flat bed , use
the towing loop found in the vehicle tools
and attach to the front or rear anchorage
i::>page 286 and ~page 286.
A WARNING
A vehicle being towed is not safe for pas­
sengers. Never allow anyone to ride in a
vehicle be ing towed, for any reason.
-
•
•

288 Emergency situations
jack mounting point¢ fig. 236 . Do not lift
the vehicle at the vertical sill reinforcement.
Rear lifting point
T he lifting point is lo cate d on t he ve rtical rein­
fo rceme nt of the lower s ill fo r th e on bo ard
j ack *¢
fig . 23 7.
Lifting with vehicle jack*
Refe r to ¢ page 2 75 .
..&, WARNING
- T o redu ce t he r is k of se rious injury and
vehicle dam ag e.
- Always lift the vehicle on ly at the spe­
cial wor kshop h oist and floor jack lift
points illustrated
¢ fig. 236 and
¢ fig. 237 .
-Fa ilure to lift the vehicle at these
points cou ld cause the veh icle to tilt or
fa ll from a lift if the re is a change in ve­
h icle we igh t di stribu tion a nd ba lance .
This might happen, for exa mple, w hen
h eavy co mpo ne nts su ch as the engi ne
bl oc k or tra ns mis sion ar e removed .
- W hen re mov ing heavy co mpo nents like
t h ese , a nch or vehicle to hoist or add cor­
res pond ing weig hts to maintain t he cen ­
te r of gravity . Othe rwise, the vehicle
mi gh t tilt o r slip off t he hoist , ca usi ng
serious persona l injury .
CJ) Note
- Be aw ar e of t he fo llow ing poin ts be fo re
lift ing t he vehicle:
- The vehicle should never be lifted or
jacked up from underneath the engine oil pan, the transmission housing, the
front or rear axle or the body side members. Thi s could lead to serious
damage.
- To avoid damage to the underbody or
chassis frame , a rubber pad must be
inserted between the floor jack and
the lift points.
- Before driving over a workshop hoist,
check that the vehicle weight does not
-
exceed the permissible lifting capacity
of the hoist .
- Before driving over a workshop hoist,
ensure that there is sufficient clear­
ance between the hoist and low parts
of the vehicle.