2015 AUDI A5 towing

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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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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 ma ke sure that
your vehicle will not be overload­ ed .
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1 . Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCU­ PANTS AND CARGO SHOULD
NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS"on your vehi cle's pla card
(tire inflation pressure label)
¢ page 215 , fig. 170.
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"
pound s shown on the sticker
¢ page 215 , fig. 170 .
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 lb s. passenger s in
your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capa city is 650 lb s.
(1400-750 (5 X 150) = 650
lb s.)
5. Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle .
That weight may not safely e x­
c eed the available cargo and
luggage load capa city cal culat­
ed in Step 4 .
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your vehi­
cle. Con sult thi s manual to d e­
termine how this redu ce s the
available cargo and luggage load capacity of your vehicle .
.,.Check the tire sidewall
(¢ page 205 , fig. 168) to deter­
mine the designated load rating
for a specific tire.
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
W heel bolts mus t be clean and loose n/tighten
easily .
Rims
Rims with a bo lted r im ring* or with bo lted wheel
cove rs* cons ist of multi ple p ieces . These compo­
nents were bolted together using specia l bolts
and a spec ia l procedu re . You must not repa ir or
disassemb le th em
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Emergency assistance
Vehicle tool kit
The tools ore stored underneath the floor panel
in the luggage comportment.
Fig. 173 Luggage compartme nt: tool kit
When you need access to the veh icle tool kit or
jack*, you will need to take out the spare t ire*
and cover¢
page 225.
The vehicle tool kit includes:
- Hook for removing wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Alignment pin for changing the whee l
- Screwdriver w ith reversible blade
- Tool for chang ing light bulbs
- Reversible bit (reversible Torx bit for changing
light bulbs)
- Rod for jack
- Jack*
- Lug wrench
- Towing eye
Some of the vehicle items listed above are prov id­
ed on certain models only or are optional extras.
Before returning the jack* to its place, retract the
jack arm fu lly.
_& WARNING
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
t ighten whee l bolts, since the bolts cannot
attain the necessary tightening torque if you
use the hex head, potentially causing an ac­
cident.
- The factory-suppl ied jack is intended only
for your vehicle model. Under no c ircum­
stances should it be used to lift heavy
Emergen cy assistance
vehicles or other loads; you risk injuring
yourself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle is
raised, which could cause an accident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appropri­
ate stands if work is to be performed under­
neath the vehicle; otherwise, there is a po­
tential risk for injury.
Space-saving spare tire
(compact spare tire)
Applies to vehicles: with space-saving spare tire
The spore tire/wheel is located in the luggage
comportment under the cargo floor cover. It is
intended for short-term use only.
Fig. 174 Spare tire
Removing the spare tire
.,. Lift the cargo floor by the p lastic handle
¢fig. 174.
.,. Hook the handle into the luggage compart­
ment weather strip.
., Turn the large screw ¢
fig. 174 counter-clock­
wise.
., Take out the spare ti re .
., Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack*, and
the replaced tire in the luggage compartment
¢page 118.
.,. Unhook the cargo floor before closing the rear
lid.
Using the spare tire (compact spare tire)
The compact spare tire is only intended for emer­
gencies until you can reach a repa ir shop. Replace
it as quickly as possible with a standard wheel
and tire. ..,
225

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 w ith a compact
spare tire from another type of vehicle.
Snow chain s
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains on
the compact spare tire is
n ot 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 w ith 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 mounti ng the compact spare tire, the
t ire 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 corneri ng. 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 .
226
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 t ire 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 pa rking brake to prevent your vehi­
cle from ro lling unintent ionally¢ ,&.
~ Shift into 1st gear on veh icles with manual
transm iss ion, or move the
selector lev er to the
P po sition
on vehicles with automatic transmis­
sion .
~ If you are towing a trai le r: unhit ch the trailer
from your ve hicle.
~ Take the jack ¢ page 225 and the spare tire
¢ page 225 out of the luggage compartment .
A WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured wh ile
changing a whee l if you do not follow these
safety precautions:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe d ista nee
off the road. Turn off the eng ine, turn the
emergency flashers on and use other warn­ ing dev ices 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 preve nt the vehicle from moving
suddenly and possibly slipping off the jack,
always fully set the parking b rake and block
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Emerg enc y s it uat ion s
Emergency situations
General
T his c hapt er is inte nded fo r tra ined e merg ency
c rews a nd worki ng p ers onn el w ho h ave the nec­
e ssa ry tool s and equipm ent t o perf orm the se
op era tion s.
Starting by pushing or
towing
CD Note
Vehicl es with an automa tic tra nsmission
c annot be st arted by pushing or towing .
Starting with jumper
cables
If necessary, the engine con be started by con­
necting it to the battery of another vehicle .
If the engine should fail to start because of a d is­
charged or weak battery, the battery can be con­
nected to the battery of
another vehicle, us ing a
p air of j umpe r cables to start the engine.
Jump er c abl es
Use only jumper cab les of sufficiently largec ross
sec tion
to carry the starter current safely. Refer
to the manufacturer's specifications.
Use on ly jumper cables with
insulated term inal
clamps which are d istinctly mar ked:
plus (+ ) cabl e in most cases co lored re d
minu s(-) cable
in most cases colored black .
A WARNING
Batteries contain electricity, ac id, and gas.
Any of these can cause very ser ious or fatal in­
jury . Fo llow the inst ruct ions be low for safe
hand Ling of your veh icle's battery.
- Always shield your eyes and avoid leaning
over the battery whenever possible.
- A discharged battery can freeze at tempera­
tures just below 32 °F (0 °C). Before con­
nect ing a jumper cab le, you must thaw the
236
frozen battery completely, otherwise it
could explode.
- Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes or
skin. Flush any contacted area with water immed iately.
- Improper use of a booster battery to start a
veh icle may cause an explosion.
- Vehicle batteries generate explosive gases .
Keep sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away from batteries.
- Do not try to jump start any vehicle with a
low acid level in the battery.
- The voltage of the booster battery must al­
so have a 12-Volt rat ing . The capacity (Ah)
of the booster battery should not be lower
than that of the discharged battery. Use of batter ies of different voltage or substantial­
ly different "Ah" rating may cause an explo­
sion and personal injury .
- Never charge a frozen battery . Gas trapped
in the ice may cause an explosion .
- Never charge or use a battery that has been
frozen . The battery case may have be weak­
ened .
- Use of batter ies of different voltage or sub­
stantially d ifferent capacity (Ah) rating may
cause an explosion and injury. The capacity
(Ah) of the booster battery sho uld not be
lowe r than that of the discharged battery.
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed a ll
WARNINGS
qpoge 191.
CD Note
-App lying a higher voltage booster battery
wi ll cause expensive damage to sensitive
elec tronic components, such as control
units, re lays, radio, etc.
- T here must be no electrical contact between
the vehicles as otherwise cu rrent cou ld al­
ready start to flow as soon as the positive
(+) termina ls are connected.
@ Tips
The discharged battery must be properly con-
nected to the vehicle's electrical system. .,.

Emergency situation s
-The ba ttery ce ll lockin g screws must be
t ightened securely .
- Before you check anyt hing in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
c> page 191.
(D Note
Improper hook -u p of jumper cables can r uin
the generator .
- A lways connect POS ITIV E(+ ) to POS ITIV E
( + ), and NEGATIVE( -) to NEGATIVE( -)
gro und post of the battery manager control
unit .
- Check that a ll screw plugs o n the batte ry
ce lls are screwed in firmly . If not, tighten
pl ugs prior to connect ing clamp on negat ive
battery te rminal.
- Please note that the procedure for connect­
i ng a jumper cable as desc ribed above ap ­
plies specifica lly to the case of yo ur vehicle
being jump started . W hen you a re g iving a
j u mp sta rt to another vehicl e, do
not co n­
ne ct the negative ( -) cab le to the negative
( -) t erminal o n the di scharged battery @
c> fig. 187. In stea d, secure ly co nn ect the
nega tive ( -) cab le to either a solid me tal
com ponent that is f irm ly bolted to the en ­
gine block o r to t he engine bloc k itself. I f
the battery that is being charged does not
vent to the outside , escap ing battery gas
could ignite and exp lode!
Towing with a tow truck
General hints
Y o ur Audi requires special handling for towing.
The fo llow ing information is to be used by com ­
mercia l tow truck operato rs who know how to op­
erate their eq uipment safe ly .
- Never tow your Audi, towing will cause dam­
age to the engine and transmiss ion.
- Never wrap the safety chains or winch cables
around the brake lines .
- To pre vent unnecessary damage, your Audi
must be transported with a flat bed truck.
238
- To load the vehicle on to the flat bed , use the
towing loop found in the vehicle tools and at·
tach to the front or rear anchorage
c> page 238 and c:>page 239.
A WARNING
A veh icle being towed is not safe f or passe n­
gers . Never a llow anyone to ride in a ve hicle
be ing towed, fo r any reason .
Front towing loop
Do not install the front towing loop until it is
needed .
Fig. 188 Fro nt b um per: remov ing t he cove r cap
Fig. 18 9 Front b umper: sc rew ing in t he tow ing loop
The towing loo p fits in to the threade d hole locat­
ed on the right side o f the front bum per and cov ­
e red by a small cover when not in use .
.,. Remove the tow ing loop fr om the vehicle tool­
ki t
c> page 225 .
... Press the cover i n by app lyi ng shor t strong
pressure to the bottom part to release it from
the bumper
¢ fig. 188.
... Sc rew the tow ing loop tightly into the th readed
hole as far as it will go
c> fig. 189 and tighten it
w it h the wheel w rench . ..,.

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When it is no longer needed, unscrew the towing
loop and put it back into the vehicle toolkit. Be
sure to have the towing loop stored in the vehicle
at all times .
A WARNING
If the towing loop is not screwed in as far as it
w ill go, the thread can pull out when the vehi­
cle is towed -potential risk of an accident .
Rear towing loop
Do not install the rear towing loop until it is
needed.
Fig. 190 Rear bumper: cover
Fig. 191 Rear bumpe r: Screw ing in towing loop
ID
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On the r ight side of the rear bumper there is a
threaded hole for the towing loop. The threaded
hole is protected by a cover.
• Remove the towing loop from the vehicle too l­
kit
r::!;>page 225.
• Press the cover in by applying short strong
pressure to the bottom part to re lease it from
the bumper r::!;>fig .190.
• Screw the towing loop tight ly into the threaded
hole as far as it will go
r::!;> fig. 191 and tighten it
with the wheel wrench .
Emergency situations
Unscrew the towing loop again afte r use and in ­
stall the cover in the bumper. Install the cover in
the bumper . Return the tow ing loop to the tool­
k it. Be sure to have the towing loop stored in the
vehicle at all times.
A WARNING
-If the tow ing loo p is not screwed in as far as it
will go, the thread can pull out when the vehi­
cle is towed - potential risk of an accident.
Loading the vehicle onto a flat bed truck
Fig . 192 Vehicle on flat bed t ruck
Front hook up
• Align the vehicle with the centerline of the car
carrier ramp.
"' Attach the winch hook to the front towline eye
prev ious ly installed .
Rear hook up
"'Align the vehicle with the centerline of the car
carrier ramp.
"' Attach the winch hook to the rear towline eye
previously installed .
@ Tips
Check carefully to make sure the hook-up is
secure before moving the car up the flatbed
truck ramp.
239