2015 AUDI A5 battery

Automatic transmission
Press the brake pedal a nd se lect the desi red se ­
lector le ver positio n again. You can then continue
driving .
rm Transmi ssion overheating : Please drive con·
s ervatively .
The transmission temperature has increased sig­
n ifi cant ly due to the s porty dr iv ing m anne r. D rive
i n a less sporty manner u ntil t he tempera ture re­
tur ns to the normal range and the indica to r li ght
switches of .
rm Transmission malfunction: You can continue
driving
There is a system ma lfunction in the tra nsmis­
sion . You may continue driving. Drive to your au­
thor ized A udi de aler or qu alified repair f acility
soon to have the ma lfunct io n corrected.
[O] Transmission malfunction: Limited driv ing
functionality
There is a system ma lf u nction in the tra nsmis­
sion . The transmission is sw itch ing to emergency
mo de . T his mode only shifts into certa in gears o r
w ill no longer s hift a t all. The engi ne may stall.
D rive t o your author ized Aud i de aler o r q ualified
re pai r facili ty immedia tely to have the m alfu n c­
tion correcte d.
l'§J l:t Transmission malfunction : No reverse
You c an continue driving
S tron ic tr ansm ission : There is a sys tem ma lf u nc­
tion in the transmiss io n. The transm iss ion is
sw itching to emergency mode . Thi s mode on ly
shi fts i nto ce rtain ge ars or w ill no longer shi ft at
a ll . T he engine may s tal l. You canno t engage the
reve rse gear . Dr ive to your authorized Audi dea ler
or qualified repair faci lity immediately to have
the ma lfunction corrected .
rm Transmission malfunction: Stop vehicle and
s hift to park.
D o not cont inue d riving. Select the P se le ctor lev­
er position and see yo ur auth orize d Aud i de aler
or qualified rep air f acili ty for assist ance.
(D Note
If the trans mission s witc hes to e mergen cy
m od e, y ou s hould ta ke the vehicle to an au-
88
thorized Audi dea lership as soon as possible
to have the condition correcte d.
Selector lever emergency release
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic/tiptro nic
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the sele ctor
lever can be released in an emergency .
Fig. 91 Fro nt ce nte r co nsole : Rem oving t he as htray i nse rt
Fig. 92 Selec to r leve r em erge ncy re lease
.,. To access the emergency re lease mechanism,
remove the ashtray insert @ using the release
sw itch
@ ¢fig. 91.
.,. Loosen a nd remove t he cap in t he as htray
mou nt.
.,. Yo u now have access to a p in. Using a sc rewdriv ­
er or sim ila r o bject, press t he pi n down and
hold it in that position
¢ fig. 92 .
.,. Now press the re lease button and move these -
lector lever to t he N posit ion.
The selector leve r ca n only be moved from the P
pos ition if the key is in the lock and the ignition is
switc hed on . If the power supply fails (for exam­
ple, the battery is discharged) and the veh icle
must be pus hed or towed, move the selector lev­
er to th e N position fi rst usi ng the emerg ency re­
l ease .

Airbag syste m
(D Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front passen­
ger seat detects an empty seat, the front air­
bag on the passenger side will be turned off,
and
PASS ENGE R AIR BAG OFF will stay on.
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the a irbag system are installed at many
d ifferent places on your Audi . Install ing , remov­
ing, servicing or repa iring a part in an area of the
veh icle can damage a part of a n airbag system
and p revent that system from working properly
in a co llision.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effect iveness of the
sys tem w ill not be impaired and that d iscarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environment.
A WARNING
-
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal injury
and death by preventing an airbag from de­
ploying when needed or deploying an airbag
unexpectedly :
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steer­
ing wheel horn pad or a irbag cover or the in ­
strument panel or modify them in any way .
- Never attach any objects such as cupholders
or telephone mountings to the surfaces cov­
ering the airbag units.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one mois­
tened with plain water. So lvents or cleaners
could damage the a irbag cover or change
the stiffness o r strength of the mater ial so
that the airbag cannot dep loy and protect
properly .
- Never repa ir, adjust, or change any parts of
the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, inst rument
panel, front seats or electrical system (in­
cluding the installation of audio equipment,
cellular telephones and CB radios, etc.)
must be performed by a qualified technician
142 who has the training and special equipment
necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that yo u see your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Never modify the front bumper or parts of
the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side airbag can
inflate w ithout interference :
- Never install seat covers or rep lacement
upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
A udi .
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side a irbags in­
flate.
- Damage to the orig inal seat cove rs or to
the seam in the are a of the side ai rbag
module must a lways be repaired immedi­
ate ly by an authorized Aud i dealer.
- The a irb ag sys tem can be activated only
once . After an airbag has inflated, it mus t
be rep laced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualif ied technic ian who has the technical
information, training and specia l equipment
necessary.
- The a irbag system can be deployed only
once . After an airbag has been deployed, it
must be replaced with new replacement parts des igned and approved espec ially for
your Aud i model version. Replacement of
comp lete airbag systems or airbag compo­
nents must be perfo rmed by qualified work­
shops only. Ma ke s ure tha t any airbag serv­
ice action is entered in yo ur Audi Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG RE­
PLACEMENT RECORD.
- In accidents when an airbag is deployed, the
vehicle battery separates the alternator and
the starter from the vehicle electrical sys­
tem for safety reasons with a pyrotechn ic
circuit interrupter .
- Work on the pyrotechnic c ircuit inte rrupt­
er must on ly be performed by a qua lified
dealer -risk of an acc iden t!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interr upter is
scrapped, all app licable safety precautions
must be followed .
~

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The all-wheel drive concept is designed for high
engine power . Your vehicle is exceptionally pow­
erful and has excellent driving character istics
both under normal driving conditions and on
snow and ice. Always read and follow safety pre­
cautions <=>
,&.
Winter tire s
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with all­
wheel drive has an advantage, even with regular
tires. In winter road conditions it may be advisa­
ble to mount w inter tires (or all-season tires) for
improved driveability and braking: these tires
must be mounted on
all four wheels. See also
<=> page 220, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this normally also applies to vehicles with
all-wheel drive <=>
page 220, Snow chains.
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles with all-wheel drive must a lways have
tires of the same size. Also avoid tires with differ­
ent tread depths. For details see page
<=>
page 212, New tires or wheels.
Off-Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clear­
ance to be used as an off-road vehicle. It is there­
fore best to avoid rough tracks and uneven ter­
rain as much as possible. Also refer to
<=>page 177.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traffic
conditions. Do not let the extra safety afford­
ed by all-wheel drive tempt you into taking
extra risks.
- Although the all-wheel dr ive is very effec­
t ive, always remember that braking capacity
is limited by tire traction. You should there­
fore not drive at excessive speeds on icy or
slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to dr ive
too fast because the front wheels could be ­
gin to slide on top of the water (aquap lan­
ing). If this shou ld occur, you will have no
Smart Technology
warning from a sudden increase in engine
speed as with a front-wheel drive vehicle.
Always drive at speeds which are suited to the road conditions -risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution of
electrical energy and thus optimizes the availa­
bility of electrical energy for starting the engine.
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system is
not driven for a long pe riod of time, the battery
is discharged by idling current consumers (e.g.
i mmobil izer). In certain circumstances it can re­
su lt in there being insufficient energy available to
start the engine.
Intelligent energy management in your vehicle
hand les the distribution of electrical energy.
Starting ability is markedly improved and the life
of the battery is extended.
Basically, energy management consists of
bat­
tery diagnosis , idling current management
and
dynamic energy management.
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines the
state of the battery . Sensors determine battery
vo lta ge, battery current and battery tempera­
tu re. This determines the current state of charge
and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy con­
sumption whi le the vehicle is standing. With the
ignition switched off, it contro ls the energy sup­
ply to the various electrical components. Data
from battery diagnosis is considered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge, indi­
vidual consumers are gradually turned off to pre­
vent excessive discharge of the battery and thus
maintain starting capability .
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic energy
management distr ibutes the energy generated ..,.
175

Smart Technology
according to the needs of the individual compo­
nents. It regulates consumption, so that more
electrical energy is not being used than is being
generated and ensures an opt imal state of
charge for the battery.
(D Tips
- But even energy management cannot neg­
ate the limits of physics. Consider that the
power and life of a battery are limited.
- If starting ability is threatened, the indica­ tor light (•) appears ¢
page 16.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining start­
ing capability.
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the cold time of
year. Abundant electrica l energy is requ ired, but
only a little is generated. It is also critical if the
engine is not running and electrical components
are turned on. In th is instance energy is being
consumed but none is being generated.
It is in precisely these situations that you will no­
tice energy management actively regulating the
d istr ibut ion of energy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of
several days or weeks, e lectrical components are
gradually cut back or switched
off. This reduces
energy consumption and maintains starting ca­ pability over a longer period . Some of the con­
ven ience funct ions may not operate, such as the
interior lights or the powe r seat adjustment. The
conven ience functions w ill be available again
when yo u sw itch on the ignition and start the en­
gine.
With the engine turned off
I f you listen to the radio, for example, with the
engine turned
off or use other MMI functions,
the battery is being discha rged .
If starting capability is jeopardized due to energy
consumption, a message appears in the MMI dis­
p la y. The message indicates that the system will
176
be switched off automatically in a moment . If
you wish to continue using the functions, you have to start the eng ine.
With the engine running
Althoug h elec trical energy is generated when the
vehicle is being driven, the battery can become
discharged . This happens mostly when litt le en ­
ergy is being generated and a great dea l con­
sumed and the battery's state of charge is not
optimal.
To bring the energy ba lance back into equilibri­
u m, consumers which require especially large
amounts of energy are temporar ily cut back or
switched
off. Heating systems in part icular re­
quire a great deal of energy. If you notice, for ex­
ample, that the heated seats* or the heated rear
window a re not heating, they have been tempo­
rarily cut back or switched
off. These systems w ill
be ava ilable again as soon as the energy ba lance
has been restored.
You will also notice that engine idle speed has
been increased slightly . Thi s is normal and not a
cause for concern. By incr easing eng ine idle
speed the additional energy required is generated
and the battery is cha rged.

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on necessary precautions e.g. corrosion preven­
tion, maintenance and storage. Pay attention to
addit ional information concern ing the battery.
Refer to
c> page 200.
Economical and environ­
mentally-friendly driving
General
Your personal style of driving will determine the
economy of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and
noise levels.
Fu el economy, environmental impact , and wear
on your engine, brakes and tires largely depend
on three factors:
- your persona l dr iving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your fuel
consumption by 10-15 percen t. This sec tion will
give you some tips on how you can help the envi ­
ronment and your pocketbook .
(!) Tips
The consumpt ion estimates as published by
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)
and Transport Canada may not correspond to
your actual consumption on the road, which
w ill vary depending upon vehicle load and
speed, road and weather conditions, trip
length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­
ating.
" Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler ­
ating . If you anticipate what is going to happen
next, you will need to brake less and, thus, accel­
e rate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possi­
ble - for example when yo u see that the next traf­
fic light is red .
Driving and the environment
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and im­
proves your mileage .
"Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Acce lerat ing gently reduces fue l consumption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ­
ment .
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and engine
noise increase disproportionately at high speeds.
If you drive at approximate ly three quarters of
top speed, fuel consump tion will be reduced by
one half. Never drive faster than the posted
speed l imit and weather cond itions permit .
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is jus t idling it burns up fuel.
" Shut the eng ine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
" Do not warm up the vehicle by lett ing the en-
gine run at idle.
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic
jams, when wa iting for tra ins to pass a t railroad
crossings, or at traffic lights that have long waits
on red . Turning the engine
off for just 30-40 sec ­
onds saves more fue l than is burned starting the
. . engine again.
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle. However, wear
and noxious emissions are especially high when
the engine is warming up. So you should drive
away as soon as you sta rt the engine and avoid
running at high rpms wh ile the engine is st ill
warming up.
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unatt ended afte r
starting .
If warning lights should come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
un heeded . Extended idling also produces
heat, which could result in overheating or oth­
er damage to the vehicle or other property.
179

Checking and Filling
-To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment . Wait until no steam or coolant can be
seen or heard before carefully opening the hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com ­
partment.
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary
electric fan is temperature controlled and
can switch on suddenly .
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap when
the engine is still warm. The coolant system
is pressurized and hot coolant could spray
out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- Do not remove the engine cover under any
circumstances. This increases the risk of
burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electrical
system is necessary :
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open
flames. Fluids in the engine compartment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher imme­
diately available .
- To avoid electrical shock and personal injury
while the engine is running or being started,
never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair with
the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake, move
selector lever of automatic transmission
192
to "P" (Park); put manual transmission in
Neutral.
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from getting
caught in the radiator fan, V-belts or other
moving parts, or from contacting hot
parts . Tie back hair before starting, and do
not wear clothing that will hang or droop
into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and chemi­ cal hazards
~ ,& .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle components contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and
reproductive harm. In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms .
Wash hands after handling .
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container or
filler opening, otherwise serious damage to
vehicle systems will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If you
see spots from oil or other vehicle fluids, have
your vehicle inspected by an authorized Audi
dealer.

Checking and F ill in g
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear
partition of the engine compartment on t he left
side
c!,> page 193.
The fl uid level may drop slightly after some time
due to the automatic adjustment of the brake
pads. This is not cause for alarm.
If the b ra ke fluid level fal ls considerably below
the "MIN" mark, the brake warn ing/indicator
light (U.S. models:
1111 , Canadian models: . )
will come on
c!,> page 15 . Do not contin ue to oper­
ate the vehicle . The complete brake system
should be thoroughly checked by an author iz ed
Aud i dealer or qualified workshop and the cause
corrected . If the brake fluid level is too low, the
brake warning/ind icator light w ill illuminate .
Contact an authorized Audi dealer
i mmed iately .
{D) Tips
The brake fluid reservoir is located under­
neath the cove r.
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced
technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moist ure from the a ir. If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high, cor­ rosion in the brake system may result after a peri­
od of time . The boiling point of the brake flu id
w ill also decrease conside rably and dec rease
b rak ing perfo rmance.
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
e ve ry
two year s.
Always use new brake fluid w hich con­
forms to Fede ral Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS
1 16 DOT 4".
The brake fluid rese rvoir can be difficult to reach,
therefo re , we recommend that you have the
b rake fluid changed by your author ized
Audi
dealer .
Your dealer has the correct too ls , the
right brake fluid and the know-how to do t his for
you.
A WARNING
- B rake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored
on ly in the closed original container out of
the reach of children!
200
- Brake fail ure can resu lt from o ld or inappro­
priate brake fluid. Observe these precau ­
tions:
- Use only b rake fluid that meets SAE spec i­
f ica tion
J 170 3 and conform s to Federa l
Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Always check
with yo ur autho rized Audi dea le r to make
su re you are using the correct brake fl uid.
The correct type of brake flu id is also ind i­
cated on the brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fl uid must be new. Heavy use of
the brakes can cause a vapor lock if the
brake f luid is left in the system too long.
This can seriously affect the efficiency of
the brakes as well as your safety. This
could result in an acc ident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehi­
cle.
@ For the sake of the env ironment
Because of the prob lem of prope r disposal of
brake fluid as well as the special tools re­
qu ired and the necessary expert ise, we rec­
omme nd that you have the brake flu id
changed by you r autho rized Aud i dea le r.
Battery
, General information
U nder normal operating conditions, the battery
i n your Audi does not need any maintenance.
Wi th
high outside temperatures or long daily
drives we recommend that you have the e lectro ­
lyte level checked by an a uth orized Aud i deale r o r
qualified workshop . The electrolyte leve l should
a lso be checked each time the batte ry is c ha rged
c:!,> page 202.
Have the battery checked when yo u take your ve­
hicle in for service . You a re well adv ised to re­
pla ce a battery that is older tha n 5 years.
With certain types of airbag deployment, the bat ­
te ry is disconnected from the veh icle elect rical
system for safety reasons
c:!,> & in Repair, care
and disposal of the airbags on page 1 42.

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Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window regula­
tors , for example) are lost if the battery termi­
nals are disconnected. These functions have to be
re learned after th e battery terminals are con­
nected again. To prevent this, the batte ry should
only be disconnected from the ve hicle electrical
system when absolutely necessary for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of
several days or weeks, e lectrica l components are
gradually cut back or switched off. This reduces
energy consumption and maintains starting ca­ pability over a longer period
c:> page 175 .
Some of the conven ience functions may not oper­
ate, such as the interior lights or the power seat
adjustment. The convenience functions will be
available aga in when you turn on the ignition and
start the engine.
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity tends
to decrease as temperatures drop. This is because
more power is also consumed while s tart ing, and
the headlights, rear window defogger, etc ., are
used more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, part icu­
larly in city traffic or when traveling only short
d istances . Let your authorized Aud i dealer check
the capacity of the vehicle battery before w inter
sets in ¢
page 202 . A well charged battery will
not only prevent starting problems when the
weather is cold, but will also last longer.
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for severa l
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the ve­
hicle battery should be removed and stored
where it will not freeze. This will prevent it
from being damaged and having to be re­ placed.
Checking and Filling
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compart­
men t under the floor. Before you check anything
in the luggage compartment ,
read and heed all
WARNINGS
c:> .&_ .
Always heed the safety warnings, when working
on the vehicle battery or the vehicle electr ical
system to prevent injury .
The following WARNINGS are very important
when working on the battery :
Always heed the following WARNING SYM-
BOLS and safety precautions when working on
the battery.
®
Always wear eye protection.
A
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Al-
ways wear gloves and eye protection.
@
No
- sparks
- flames
- smoking.
~
When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
®
Always keep the battery well out of reach
of children.
A WARNING
= -
Whenever working on the battery or on the
e lectr ical system, there is the risk of injury,
accident and even f ire. Read and heed the fol ­
lowing WARNINGS:
- Always wear eye protection . Do not let bat­
tery ac id or any lead particles get on your
skin or clothing. Shield your eyes. Exp losive
gases can cause blindness or other in jury.
- Battery acid conta ins sulfuric acid . Sulfuric
acid can cause blindness and severe burns.
- Always wear g loves and eye protection. Do
not tilt the battery because acid could leak
out of the ventilation openings. ...,
201