2015 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET trailer

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Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of sk id­
d ing and loss of veh icle control.
It works only
when the engine is runn ing . ESC detects certain
d ifficult driving situations, including when the ve­
h icle is beginn ing to sp in (yaw) out of control and
he lps you to ge t the vehicle back u nder cont rol by
selectively braking the wheels, and/or reducing
engine power and providing steering assistance
to help hold the vehicle on the driver's intended
course. The indicator light
liJ in the instrument
cluster blinks when ESC is taking action to help
you control the veh icle.
ESC has limitations. It is important to remember
that ESC cannot overcome the laws of physics. It
will not always be able to help out under all con­
d itions you may come up against. For example,
ESC may not always be able to help you master
situations where there is a sudden change in the
coefficient of friction of the road surface. Whe n
there is a section of d ry road that is s uddenly cov ­
ered wi th wa ter, s lush or snow, ESC cannot per­
form the same way it wou ld on the d ry surface . If
the vehicle hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of wa ­
ter instead of the road surface), ESC wi ll not be
ab le to he lp you steer the veh icle because contact
with the pavement has been i nterrupted and the
ve hicle cannot be braked or steered. Dur ing fast
cornering, particula rly on w inding roads, ESC
cannot a lways deal as effect ively with d iff icu lt
d riving situat ions than at lower speeds. When
towing a trailer, ESC is not able to he lp yo u regain
con trol as it wou ld if yo u were not towing a trail­
er .
A lways adjust you r speed and dr iving style to
road, traffic and weather conditions. ESC cannot
override the vehicle's physical limi ts, increase the
170
available traction, or keep a vehicle on the road if
road departure is a result of driver inattention .
Instead, ESC improves the possibility of keeping
the ve hicle under control and on the road dur ing
extreme maneuvers by using the dr iver's steering
i nputs to help keep the vehicle going in the in­
tended direction. If you are traveling at a speed
that causes you to run off the road before ESC
can p rov ide any assistance, you may not expe ri­
ence the benefi ts of ESC.
ESC is switched o n all the time. In ce rtain s itua­
tions when you need less traction, you can switch
off ASR by p ress ing the button [!]¢
page 171,
fig. 164 or ¢page 171, fig. 165. Be s ure to
swi tch ASR on again when you no longe r need
l ess traction .
The following system s are integrated in the ESC:
Anti- lock braking s ystem (ABS )
ABS prevents the wheels from locki ng up when
braking. The vehicle ca n still be steered even dur­
i ng hard braki ng . Apply steady pressure to the
brake pedal. Do not pump t he pedal. A pu lsing in
t h e b ra ke peda l ind icates that the system is he lp­
i ng yo u to b ra ke the vehicle.
Brake assist system
The brake ass ist system can decrease brak ing dis ­
ta nce. It increases braking power when the d river
presses the bra ke peda l quickly in emergency sit­
u at ions. You must press and hold t he b ra ke peda l
u nt il t he s ituation is ove r. In vehicles with adap­
tive cru ise contro l*, the bra ke assist system is
more sensitive if the distance detected to the ve ­
hicle ahead is too sma ll.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR )
ASR reduces eng ine power when the d rive wheels
begin to spi n and adap ts the force to the ro ad
cond it ions . This makes it eas ie r to start, acce le r­
ate and drive up hills.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL bra kes whee ls that a re spinn ing and
t ransfers the dr ive power to the othe r drive wheel
o r whee ls if the ve hicle is equippe d wi th a ll-wheel
drive*. T his function is not available at higher
speeds .

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Trailer mode Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation.
If you plan to tow a tra iler, p lease remember that
the additiona l load will affect durability, econo­
my and performance .
T railer towing not on ly places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentrat ion from
the driver .
F or this reason, a lways fo llow the operating and
d riving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your vehicle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the veh icle 's chassis at a technically
sound
location . Use on ly a tra iler hitc h with a re­
movable ba ll mou nt. Always chec k w ith the t ra il­
e r hitch m anu fac tur er to make sure that you a re
using the co rrec t hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not in terfere with the impact-absorbi ng
bumper system. No mod ificat ions should b e
mad e to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
Fr om time to t ime, c hec k t hat a ll h itch mou nti ng
bo lts remain sec urely fastened .
When you are no t tow ing a trailer,
remove the
trai ler hitch ball mount . Th is prevents the hitc h
fr om caus ing damage should you r vehicle be
s truck from behind¢,&. .
Trailer brakes
If yo ur tra iler is equipped w it h a braking system,
check to be s ure that it conforms to all regu la­
tions.
Trailer mode
T he trailer hyd raulic brake system must not be di ­
rect ly connected to the ve hicle's hydraulic b rake
system ¢.&. .
Safety chains
Alw ays use s afety ch ains be tween your ve hicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Tra ile r li ghts must meet all regulations. Be sure
to check w it h your author ized Audi deal er for cor­
r e ct w iring, sw itches, and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you us­
i ng the regular o uts ide mirrors, then you
must in ­
sta ll extended mirrors .
It is importa nt that you
always have clea r vision to the rea r.
_&. WARNING
- I f a trai ler has elec trical brake s please note
th at these b ra kes are not acti va ted by the
factory -fitted contro l unit -ris k of acci dent!
- After removing the t railer hi tch, do n ot store
it in your vehicle . In case o f su dden braking,
the hi tch could fly forward and injure you or
your passe ngers.
Operating instructions
Maximum traile r weight
A trai ler for you r vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
B e sure the load in the t ra iler i s held secure ly in
pla ce to prevent it from sh ifting forw ard , back ­
war d or sideways .
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Driving in struc tion s on page 182.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder . It
is important that the cooling system's pe rform­
ance is up to the additional load . Ma ke s ure that
t h e coo ling system has enoug h fluid.
IIJJ,
181

Trailer mode
Tire pressure
When tow ing a trailer, inflate the tires of your ve­
hicle to the cold tire pressure listed under " Full
load" on the label located on the driver's side B ­
pillar (visible when the door is open). Inflate
trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specifications.
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off . Check to
make sure both vehicle and trailer lights are
working properly.
Safety chains
Be su re trailer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle.
Leave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
ing corners. When you install safety chains, make
sure they will not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the trai ler tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trai ler, please note the following:
.. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not loaded .
.. Be especia lly careful when passing other
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 trai ler with an empty car results
in a highly unstable distribution of weight. If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
182
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and contro l.
This means that the tow vehicle shou ld be loaded
to the extent possible and permissib le, wh ile
keep ing the trailer as light as possible under the
c ir cumstances. Whenever poss ible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow veh icle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle load ing considerat ions .
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. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or w ind
cond it ions are unfavorab le - particularly when
go ing downh ill.
Reduce veh icle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing tra ilers are lower than for regular
vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When dr iving down­
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the engine
braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 10 must
be observed carefully. If the needle moves close
to the upper end of the scale, reduce speed im­
med iately and/or turn off the air conditioner .
If the coolant temperature warning light . in
the instrument cluster starts flashing, pull off
the road, stop and let the engine
idle for about
two m inutes to prevent heat build-up .
&_ WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci­
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided
by Audi.
-

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Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle hand les differently when tow ing a
trailer because of the additional weight and dif­
ferent weight distribution. Safety, performance
and economy will greatly depend on how careful­
ly you load your trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic. Keep practicing until you have be­
come completely familiar with the way your vehi­
cle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice. Back­
ing up with a trailer generally requires steering
action opposite to that when backing up your ve­
hicle without a trailer .
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. You wi ll need more
room to stop. To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot acce l­
erate as fast as you normally would because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your A udi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
tra load
¢ page 248 .
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
.. Apply the foot brake.
.. Have someone place chocks under both the ve­
hicle and the trailer wheels.
Trailer mode
.. With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load.
.. Turn the whee ls towards the curb .
.. App ly the parking brake.
.. Move the selector lever to P.
When restarting after parking:
.. App ly the foot brake.
.. Start the engine.
.. Move the selector lever to D/S .
.. Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
.. Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks .
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automat­
ic transmission to P before applying the park­
in g brake and before blocking the wheels, you
may have to use more force later to move the
l ever out of the P position.
183

Wheels
passengers that the vehicle is in­
tended to carry ("seating capaci­
ty") with an assumed weight of 150 lbs. (68 kg) for each passen­
ger at a designated seating posi­
tion and the total weight of any
luggage in the vehicle. If you tow
a trailer, the weight of the trailer
hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer must be includ­
ed as part of the vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles.
The fact that there is an upper limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a trailer hitch and
the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited. The more pas­
sengers in the vehicle or passen­
gers who are heavier than the
standard weights assumed mean
that less weight can be carried as
luggage.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety compli­
ance sticker label located on the
222
driver's side B-pillar ~ page 219,
fig. 181.
~ WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per­
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance.
-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail sud­
denly, including a blowout and
sudden deflation, causing loss
of control and a crash.
-A lways make sure that the to­
tal load being transported -
including the weight of a trail­
er hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer -
does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.

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Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to calcu­
late the total weight of the pas­
sengers and luggage or other
things that you plan to transport
so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overload­ ed.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCU­PANTS AND CARGO SHOULD
NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS"on your vehicle's placard
(tire inflation pressure label)
¢page 219, fig. 181.
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­
sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers
from
"XXX" kilograms or "XXX"
pounds shown on the sticker
¢page 219, fig. 181.
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For ex­
ample, if the
"XXX" amount
equals 1400 lbs. and there will
Wheels
be five 1 SO lbs. passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 X 150) = 650
lbs.)
5. Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely ex­
ceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calculat­
ed in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your vehi­
c le. Consult this manual to de­
termine how this reduces the
available cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle.
.,.Check the tire sidewall
(¢ page 209, fig. 179) to deter­
mine the designated load rating
for a specific tire.
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must be clean and loosen/tighten
easily.
Rims
Rims with a bolted rim ring* or with bolted wheel
cov ers* consist of multiple pieces. These compo­
nents were bolted together using special bolts
and a special procedure . You must not repair or
disassemble them
i::> Li::,.. ..,.
223

Emerg enc y ass is tance
There are some restrictions on the use of the
compact spare tire. The compact spare tire has
been designed specifically for your type of vehi­
cle. It must not be swapped with a compact
spare tire from another type of vehicle.
Snow chains
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains on
the compact spare tire is
not permitted .
If you do have to drive w ith snow cha ins and a
front tire f ails, mount the spare whee l with tire
instead of a rear tire. Install the snow chains on
the rear tire and use it to replace the defective
front tire .
A WARNING
-Never use the spare tire if it is damaged or if
it is worn down to the tread wear ind icators.
- If the spare t ire is more than 6 years o ld,
use it only in an emergency and with ex­
treme caut ion and careful driving.
- The spare tire is intended only for tempora­
ry and short-term use.
It should be replaced
as soon as possible with the norma l wheel
and t ire.
- After mounting the compact spare tire, the
tire pressure must be checked as soon as
poss ible. The tire pressure of the compact
spare t ire must be 4.2 bar; otherwise, you
risk having an a cc ident.
- Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h) .
You r isk having an accident.
- Avoid full-throttle acce lerat ion, heavy brak­
ing, and fast cornering. You r is k having an
a cc ident.
- Never dr ive using more than one spare
wheel and tire. You risk hav ing an accident.
- Norma l summer or winter tires must not be
mounted on the compact spare whee l rim.
- For technical reasons, the use of tire chains
on the spare tire is not permitted. If it is
necessary to drive w ith tire chains, the spare
wheel m ust be mounted on the front axle in
the event of a flat in a rear tire. The new ly
available front wheel must then be installed
in place of the rear wheel with the flat tire .
230
Installing the tire chain before mounting
the wheel and tire is recommended.
- Loose items in the passenger compartment
can cause serious personal injury during
hard braking or in an accident. Never store
the spare tire or jack and tools in the pas­
senger compartment .
Replacing wheels
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own
and your passenger 's safety when changing a
wheel.
~ After you experience a t ire failure, pu ll the ca r
wel l away from mov ing traffic and t ry to reac h
le vel ground before you stop ¢ ,& .
~ All passengers should lea ve the car and move
to a safe location (for instance, behind the
guardrail) ¢,& .
~ Engage the parking brake to prevent your vehi­
cle from ro lling unintent ionally¢ ,&.
~ Move the selecto r lever to the P position .
~ If you are towing a trailer: unhitch the trailer
from your veh icle.
~ Take t he jack c::> page 229 and the s pare tire
<=:> page 229 out of the luggage compa rtment.
,.b WARNING
-You o r your passengers could be injured wh ile
changing a whee l if yo u do not follow these
safety precautions:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe d istance
off the road. T urn off the eng ine, turn the
emergency flashers on and use other warn­
ing devices to alert other motor ists.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well away
from the road and traffic.
- To help prevent the vehicle from moving
suddenly and possibly slipping off the jack,
always fully set the parking brake and block
the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel be­
ing changed with the folding chocks or oth-
er objects. When one front wheel is lifted
liJ,,

Consumer information
Consumer information
Warranty coverages
Your Audi is covered by the following warran­
ties:
- New Vehicle Limited Warranty
- Limited Warranty Against Corrosion Perfora-
tion
- Emissions Control System Warranty
- Emissions Performance Warranty
- California Emissions Control Warranty (USA
vehicles only)
- California Emissions Performance Warranty
(USA vehicles only)
Detailed information regarding your warranties
can be found in your
Warranty & Maintenance
booklet .
Operating your vehicle
outside the U.S.A. or
Canada
Government regulations in the United States and
Canada require that automobiles meet specific
emission regulations and safety standards.
Therefore, vehicles built for the U.S.A. and Cana­
da differ from vehicles sold in other countr ies.
If you plan to take your veh icle outside the conti­
nenta l limits of the United States or Canada,
there is the possibility that:
- unleaded fuels for vehicles with catalytic con­
verter may not be available;
- fuel may have a considerably lower octane rat ­
ing . Improper fuel may cause engine damage;
- serv ice may be inadequate due to lack of proper
serv ice facilities , tools or testing equipment;
- r eplacement parts may not be readily available .
- Nav igat ion systems for vehicles built for the
U.S.A. and Canada will not necessar ily work in
Europe, and may not work in othe r countries
outside of North America.
248
(D Note
Aud i cannot be responsib le for mechanical
damage that could result from inadequate
fuel, service or parts availability.
Audi Service Repair
Manuals and Literature
Audi Offic ial Factory Service Manuals and Litera­
ture are published as soon as possible after mod­
el introduction. Service manuals and literature
are available to order from the Audi Technical Lit ­
erature Ordering Center at:
www.audi.techliterature .com
Maintenance
General '
Your vehicle has been designed to help keep
maintenance requirements to a minimum. How­
ever, a certain amount of regular maintenance is
still necessary to assure your veh icle's safety,
economy and reliability. For deta iled vehicle
maintenance consult your Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet .
Under difficult operating conditions, for exam­
ple at extremely low outs ide temperatures, in
very dusty regions, when towing a trailer very fre­
quently , etc., some service work should be per­
formed between the intervals specified. This ap­
plies particularly to:
- oil changes, and
- cleaning or replacing the air filter .
'
@) For the sake of the environment
By regularly maintaining your vehicle, you
help make sure that emission standards are
maintained, thus minimizing adverse effects
on the environment.
Important considerations for you and your
vehicle
The increasing use of electronics, sophisticated
fuel injection and emission control systems , and
the generally increasing technical comp lexity of
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