2014 AUDI Q5 ESP

208 Driving and environment
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
.,. Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
.,. Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the
engine run at idle .
The idling phase is automatically reduced for
vehicles with the Start-Stop -System* . It is ef­
fic ient to sw itch
off the eng ine in vehicles
without the Start-Stop-System* when stopped
at railroad crossings and long red lights. Turn­
ing the eng ine
off for just 30-40 seconds
saves more fuel than is burned by sta rting the
engine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to wa rm up
fu lly when it is running at idle. However , wear
and nox ious emissions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at high rpms while the engine is
still warming up.
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter starting. If warning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
would go unheeded. Extended idling also
produces heat, which could resu lt in over­
heat ing or other damage to the vehicle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel .
.,. Have your vehicle serviced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
author ized Audi dealer helps to ensure that it
runs properly and economically . The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and
ab ility to hold its value, it also affects
fuel
consumption. Check
your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oi l used is re lated to engine
load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has been driven .
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 mi les
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
This also app lies to fuel consumption and en­
gine output .
(0 Note
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
& Ma in­
tenance booklet. Lack of proper ma inte­
nance as well as improper use of the ve­
hicle will impair the function of the
em iss ion control system and could lead
t o damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such
as heat shie lds , switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System
and other important vehicle compo­
nents.
' Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips.
... Try to avoid driving sho rt distances w it h a
cold engine .
T he eng ine and catalytic converter have to
reach their optimal
operating temperature to
reduce fuel consumpt ion and nox ious emis­
sions effectively.
Jus t after starting, a cold engine in a mid-s ize
car only achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 mi les
per gallon (30 -40 l/100 km). After about a
half a mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg .,..

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-

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.
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Vehicle care and clean ing
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your
vehicle 's value. It can also be a requirement
when submitting warranty claims for corro ­
sion damage and paint defects on the body .
The required cleaning and care products can
be obtained from your authorized Audi dealer
or a qualified workshop . Read and follow the
instructions for use on the packaging.
A WARNING
-Us ing clean ing and care products incor­
rectly can be dangerous to your hea lth.
- Always store cleaning and care products
out of reach of children to reduce the risk
of poisoning.
@) For the sake of the environment
-Preferably use environmentally-friendly
products when buying cleaning agents.
- Do not d ispose of leftover cleaning and
care products with household trash .
Car washes
-
The longer that deposits such as insects, bird
droppings, tree sap or road salt remain on the
vehicle, the more the surface can be dam­ aged. High temperatures such as those
caused by sunlight increase the corrosive ef­
fect.
Before washing, wet heavy deposits w ith plen­
ty of water.
Also, wash the underside of your vehicle once road salt stops be ing used for the season.
Pressure washers
When washing your vehicles with a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instruc­
tions provided w ith the pressure washer . Th is
is especially important in regard to the pres ­
sure and spraying distance. Do not aim the
spray directly at seals on side w indows, doors,
Vehicle care and cleaning 217
the hood, the rear lid or the sunroof* or at
tires, rubber hoses, insulating material, sen­ sors* or camera lenses* . Keep a distance of at
least 16 inches (40 cm).
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer.
Never use rotary nozzles or high pressure noz­
zles.
The water temperature must not be above
140 °F (60 °C) .
Automatic car washes
Spray off the vehicle before washing.
Make sure that the windows and roof* are
closed and the windshield wipers are
off. Fol­
low instructions from the car wash operator,
especially if there are accessories attached to
your vehicle.
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes .
Washing by hand
Clean the vehicle starting from the top and
working down using a soft sponge or cleaning
brush. Use solvent-free cleaning products.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint
by hand
To avoid damaging the paint when washing,
first remove dust and large particles from
your vehicle. Insects, grease spots and finger­ prints are best removed with a special cleaner
for matte finish paint.
Apply the product using a microfiber cloth. To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use
too much pressure .
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water. Then
clean using a neutral shampoo and a soft mi­
crof iber cloth.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly again and let it
air dry . Remove any water residue using a
shammy.
Stubborn deposits such as bi rd droppings or
tree sap are best removed with plenty of wa-
ter and a microfiber cloth.
Ill-
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Vehicle care and cleaning 219
Component Situation Solution
Wheels
Road sa lt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special cleaning solution
Exhaust tail Road salt Water, cleaning solut ion suitable for stainless steel, if
pipes necessary
Decorative Dirty Mild soap
solutional, a cleaning solution suitab le for
parts/ stainless steel, if necessary
trim
Paint
Paint damage Refer to the paint number on the veh icle data label, re-
pair with touch up paint~
page 289
Spilled fuel R inse with water immediately
Rust fi lm Rust film1 remover, then protect with hard wax; for ques-
tions, refer to an authorized Audi dealer or a qualified
workshop
Corrosion Have it removed by an aut horized Audi dealer or a quali-
fied workshop
Water no longer Protect with hard wax (at least twice per year)
beads on th e surface
of clean paint
No shine even Treat
with suitable polish; then apply paint protectant if
though paint has the polish that was used does not contain any protec-
been protected/
tant
paint looks poor
Carbon parts Dirty Clean the same way as pa inted parts ~ page 217, Car
wash es
al Mild soap sol utio n: maximum two tablespoons neutral soap in a lite r of water
Cleaning interior
Component Situation Solution
Windows
D irty Glass
cleaner, then wipe dry
Decorative Dirty Mild soap solutional
parts/
trim
Plastic parts
Dirty Damp cloth
H eavily soiled Mild soap solutional, solvent-free plast ic cleaning solu-
tion, if neces sary
Displays Dirty Soft cloth with LCD cleaner
Controls Dirty Soft
bru5,h, then a soft cloth with a mild soap solut ional
Safety belts Dirty Mild soap solutional, allow to dry befo re letting them re-
tract
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220 Vehicle care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
T ex tile s,
Stains adhering to Vacuum cleaner
Vin yl, the surface
Alcan ta ra Water -based stains Absorbent cloth and mild soap solutiona>
such as coffee, tea,
blood, etc.
O il-based stains Apply a mild soap solutiona>, blot away the d issolved oil
such as oil, make- or dye, treat afte rward w ith water, if necessary
up, etc.
Special stains such Special stain remover, b lot with absorbent material,
as ballpoint pen, treat afterward with mild soap solutiona>, if necessary
na il polish, latex
pa int, shoe po lish,
etc.
Natu ral leather Fresh stains Cotton cloth with a mild soap solutiona>
Wate r-based stains Fresh s tains: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, Dr ied stains: sta in remover sui table for leather
blood, etc.
Oi l-based stains Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and sta in remover suitable
such as oil, make- for leather
up, etc. dried stains: Oil cleaning spray
Special stains such Stain remover suitable for leather
as ballpo int pen,
na il polish, latex
pa int, shoe polish,
etc.
Care Regular
ly apply condit ion ing c ream that protec ts from
light a nd penetrates into the materia l. Use specially-col-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carbon part s Dirty Clean tlhe same way as plastic parts
a) Mi ld soap solut ion : maximum two tablespoons neut ra l soap in a lite r of wate r
& WARNING
The windshie ld may not be treated with
water -repe lling windshield coating agents .
Unfavorab le conditions such as wetness,
darkness, or low sun can result in in­
creased glare. W iper blade chatter is a lso
possible .
(V Note
-Headlights /tail lights
- Never clean headlights or tail lights
w it h a dry cloth or sponge. -
Do not us e any cleaning product that
contains alcohol, because they could
cause cracks to form.
-Wheels
- Never use any paint polish or other
abrasive mater ials.
- Damage to the protective layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratc hes
must be repa ired immediately.
- Sensor s/camera lenses
- Never use warm or hot water to re-
move snow or ice from the camera
le ns. Th is could cause th e lens to crack . ""

-Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must contain not more than 15%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
especially well for winter or summer driving. During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the sea­
sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time.
(D Note
- Fuels containing a high percentage of
ethanol such as ESO and E85 may only
be used in veh icles with flex ible fuel* en­
gines. Using high ethano l fuel in vehicles
not equipped with flexib le fue l* engines
can cause severe engine damage .
- Methanol fuels which do not meet these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo­
nents in the fuel system.
- Do not use fuels that fail to meet the
specified criteria in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fuel blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supplier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents
cannot be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are not
the respons ibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Veh icle or the
Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy
or driveability and performance prob­
l ems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 223
Ethanol fuel (Bio-ethanol)
Applies to veh icles: w it h flex ible fue l en gin e
You can recognize vehicles with a flexible fuel
engine by looking at the label on the inside of
the fuel filler flap .
Vehicles with flexible fuel engines may be op­
erated with bio -ethanol fuels such as E85
(85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) or with un­
leaded gasoline (91 AKI/ROZ 95) . T he vehicle
may also be operated with a mixture of these
fuels.
Your fuel consumption will increase when us­
ing bio-ethanol fue ls due to the lower amount
of energy contained per unit volume in etha­
nol.
Warming up the flexible fuel engine in
low temperatures
Due to the chemical composition of b io-etha ­
nol, a certain amount of fuel ends up in the
engine oil when driving short distances in ve ry
low temperatures. This fuel evaporates again
when the engine is warmed up.
D Please warm up engine.
If the driver message appears in the instru­
ment cluster disp lay, drive with a warm en­
gine to reduce the oil level.
(D Note
- Never fill with methanol or with a higher
percentage of b io-ethanol than 85%
(E85). A h igher percentage of bio-etha­
nol in the fuel can cause damage to the
engine or to the fue l system.
- If you use only E85, it is recommended
to fill the fue l tank complete ly w ith un­
leaded premium grade gaso line every
5,000 miles.
- If you experience starting, rough id le or
hesitation driveability problems, fill the
fuel tank comp letely with unleaded pre­
mium grade gasoline and dr ive it nor­
mally until the gasoline is used. See your
authorized Audi dealer if the problem
pers ists.
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