2015 AUDI A5 tow

Smart Technolog y
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads w ith a few carefu l
brake applications .
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you in­
stall a d ifferent spoiler, be sure the air flow
to the front brakes is not obstructed. Other­
wise the brake system could overheat reduc ­
ing the effectiveness of the entire brake sys­
tem.
- Failure of one brake c ircuit will impair the
braking capab ility result ing in an increased
stopp ing distance. Avoid driving the veh icle
and have it towed to the nearest autho rized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle ro ll to a stop with the
engine shut off .
- If the brake booster is not work ing, the
brake pedal must be pressed considerably
harder to make up for the lack of booste r as­
sistance .
Electro-mechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The electro-mechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed .
Indicator lights and me ssages
• Stee ring defe cti ve! D o not dr ive vehicle!
If this indicator light tu rns on and stays on and
this message appears, the power steering may
have fai led .
Do
not contin ue driving. See yo ur authorized
Aud i dealer o r a qua lified repair facility for assis­
tance.
l ;r- ij Dynami c steering : S ys te m fault! You can
c on tinu e dr iving
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, the steer ing may be more difficult to
move or mo re sensitive than us ual. The steer ing
wheel may also be at an ang le when dr iv ing
straight.
174
Drive slowly to your authorized Audi dea ler or
qualified workshop to have the ma lf u nction cor­
rected.
' -r, ij Dynamic ste ering: i nitializing
If this driver message appears and the indicator
li ght is flashing on the i nstrume nt pane l, dynam­
i c steer ing* is being rein it ia lized . After sta rting
the engine, the steer ing whee l w ill move sligh tly.
Re-initialization might be necessary if the steer ­
ing whee l was moved hard to th e left and right
whi le the vehicle was not moving . The display
goe s out as soon as initiali zation is comp lete.
A WARNING
,-
H ave the dynamic steering* system malfunc-
tion repaired as soon as possible by an author ­
ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop - r isk
of accid ent!
@ Tips
- If the . or 'T fl indicator light only stays on
for a short time, you may cont inue driving.
- The dynamic steering* stab ility system s are
not availab le in the event of a system mal­
function .
- For add itional information on dynamic
steering*, refer to<=> page 102 .
Driving with your quattro
Applies to vehicles : wit h all -w hee l drive
With all-wheel drive , all four wheels are driven .
General information
With a ll-wheel drive, power is distrib uted to a ll
fo ur wheels . This happens automatica lly depend­
i ng on your driving style and the road conditions
at the t ime . See also <=> page 1 70 .
A center d ifferential distributes the driving power
variab ly to the front and rear ax le. It works to­
gether w ith select ive whee l torque control , which
activates when drivi ng throug h curves
¢ page 171 . W ith the sport diffe rential*, power
distribution to the rear wheels is var iable and can
be ad justed with d rive select ¢ page 102 .
1111-

Driving and th e environment
(D Tips
- Check the depth of the water before driving
through it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, drive in reverse or
switch the engine
off when driving through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to dr ive
through safely.
- Avoid driving through sa lt water because it
can cause corrosion.
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission control
system (catalytic converter) is functioning prop­ erly to ensure that your vehicle is running in an
environmentally sound manner .
~ Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 186,
Fuel supply .
~ Never run the tank down a ll the way to empty .
~ Never put too much motor oil in your engine
¢ page 195, 9::?1 Adding engine oil .
~ Never try to push- or tow -start your veh icle.
The cata lytic conve rter is an eff icient "clean-up"
dev ice bu ilt into the exhaust system of the vehi­
cle. The cataly tic converter burns many of the
pollutants in the exhaust gas before they are re ­
leased into the atmosphere.
The ex clusive use of u nleaded fuel is critically im­
por tant for the life of the catalyt ic converte r and
p roper functioning o f the engine.
A WARNING ,..___ -
- The temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine.
- Never touch the exha ust tail pipes once they
have become hot. This could result in burns.
- Do not park o r operate the vehicle in areas
whe re the hot exhaust system may come in
contact with dry grass, brush, fue l spill or
other mater ial which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exha ust man i-
178
fold, exha ust pipes, catalytic converter or
heat shields. During driv ing, the substance
used for undercoat ing could overheat and
cause a f ire.
Cl) Note
- Be aware that just one tank fill ing with
le ad·
ed
fue l w ill already ser iously degrade the
performance of the catalytic converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢page 195.
-Do not drive until the fue l tank becomes
completely empty. The engine co uld m isfire.
Unburned fuel could also get into the ex­
haust system and this could cause the cata­
lyt ic converter to overheat.
- Do not turn
off the ignition while the vehicle
is moving .
- Do not continue to operate your veh icle un­
der these conditions, as otherwise fuel can
reach the catalytic converter . This could re­
sult in overheating of the conve rter, requ ir­
ing its replacement.
- T o assure efficient operation of the Emission
Cont ro l System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the se rvice recommen­
dations in yo ur Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as we ll as im­
proper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system
and could lead to damage.
(® For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion C ontrol System is op­
e rat ing proper ly, the exhaust gas can have a
sulfur-like exhaust gas sme ll under some op­
erat ing states. This depends on the sulfur
content of the fuel being used. Us ing a d iffe r­
ent brand of fue l may he lp, or fi llin g the tank
wi th lead-free s uper grade gaso line.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like you r vehicle to remai n inope ra­
tive for a longer period of time, con tact an Audi
o r other spec ia liz ed dealer. They can adv ise you .,.

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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.
-

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 244 .
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-
~ hide and the trailer wheels . ..,.,
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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.
.. Place an automatic transmission* in P, respec­
tively a manual transmission in first or reverse
gear .
When restarting after parking:
.. App ly the foot brake.
.. Start the engine.
.. Move the selector lever to D/S, respectively a
manual transmission in first gear .
.. Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
.. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
chocks .
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automat­
ic transmission* to P before applying the
parking brak e and before blocking the wheels,
you may have to use more force later to move
the lever out of the P position.
183

Wheels
plus maximum load. The maxi­
mum load includes the number of
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
218
are listed on the safety compli­
ance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar
¢ page 215,
fig . 170.
.&_ 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.
-Always 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 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
i::> Li::,. . ..,.
219

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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