2015 AUDI A5 ignition

Child safet y
adjustment range, as far away from the air­
bag as possib le before installing the for­
ward-fac ing ch ild restraint. The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright posit ion.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the t ime
whenever the ignition is switched on.
A WARNING
Rearward-fac ing ch ild restra ints:
- A ch ild in a rearward-facing child safety seat
installed on the front passenger seat will be
seriously injured and can be k illed if the
front a irbag inflates - even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- The inflating a irbag w ill hit the child safety
seat or infant car rier with great force and
will smash the chi ld safety seat and child
against the bac krest, center armrest, door
or roof .
- Always be espe cially caref ul if you must in­
sta ll a rearward facing chi ld safety seat on
the front passenger seat in exceptiona l cir ­
cumstances .
- A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing
child restraint attached to the front passen­
ger seat can put too much pressure on the
weight-mat in the seat and register a heavi­ er we ight in the Advanced Airbag System.
The heav ier weight reg istered can make the
system work as though an adult were on the
seat and deploy the Advanced Airbag when it m ust be s uppressed causing ser ious o r
even fatal injury to the child.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and s tays on all the t ime
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immed iate ly in­
sta ll the rearward-fac ing ch ild safety sea t in
a rear seating posit ion and have the airbag
system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer .
162
· Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to secure a
child restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufacturer's
i nstruct ions when installing a child restraint in
your vehicle . T o activate the convert ible locking
retractor:
.. Place the child restraint on a seat, preferably on
the rear seat .
.. Slowly pull the belt
all th e wa y out .
.. Route it around or through the child restraint
belt pat h
c::> _&..
.. Push the ch ild safety seat down with your full
weigh t to get the sa fety belt really tight.
.. Insert the belt tongue into the b uckle for that
seating position .
.. Guide the safety be lt back into the retractor un­
til the belt lies flat and snug on the ch ild safety
seat.
.. You should hear a "clicking" noise as the belt
w inds back into the inertia reel. Test the con­
vert ible lock ing retractor by pu lling on the belt .
You should no longer be able to pull the belt
out of the ret ractor. The conve rtible locking re­
tractor is now ac tivated .
.. Make s ure that the red release button is fac ing
away from the child restraint so that it can be
unbuckled quickly .
.. Pull on the belt to make sure the safety be lt is
properly tight and fastened so that the seat
cannot move forward or s ideways more than
one inch (2 .5 cm).
A WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an improp­
e rly installed child restraint can cause serious
personal injury or death in a crash.
- Always ma ke sure that the safe ty be lt re­
tracto r is loc ked when insta lling a child sa fe­
ty seat. An unlocked sa fety belt retractor
cannot ho ld the child safety seat in place
during normal driving or in a crash.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in place even if a chi ld is not sitting in it. A
loose child safety seat can fly around d uring
a sudden stop or in a crash.
.

M N
i? co ,...., \!) ..,.,
N ..,., ,....,
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.

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 .,.

Driving and th e environment
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot
of fuel .
.,. Have your vehicle serviced at regula r intervals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
authorized Audi dealer he lps to ensure that it
runs properly and economically. The condition of
your vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to hold its value, it also affects
f uel c onsump­
tion .
C he ck you r oil e ach t ime you fill you r ta nk .
The amount of oil used is related to engine load
and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new en­
g ine to reach its lowes t va lue after a cer tain mile ­
age has been d riven .
You must d rive you r vehicle about 3,000 miles
(5 ,000 k ilometers) before you can properly as­
sess o il cons umption .
This a lso applies to fuel consumption and engine
output.
(D Note
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance w ith the service recommenda­
tions in you r Warra nty
& M aintenance book­
l et . Lack of p roper m aintenance as well as
i mprope r use of the vehicle will impair the
funct ion of the emission control system and
could lead to damage.
- Do not a lter or remove any component of
the Emission Cont ro l System unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not a lter o r remove any dev ice, such as
heat shie lds, switches, ignition wires,
va lves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emiss ion Control System and other
i mportant veh icle components.
180
· Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high
on short trips .
.,. Try to avoid dr iv ing short distances with a cold
eng ine .
The eng ine and catalytic converter have to reach
their opt imal
oper atin g temperature to reduce
fuel consumpt ion and noxious emissions effec­
tively .
Just after starting, a co ld engine in a mid-s ize car
on ly 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 (20 l/100
km) . After about
2.5 miles (4 km), the eng ine is
at its proper operating temperature and fuel
economy has reached a norma l level. So you can
see that you should avo id short trips whenever
poss ible .
The
out side t emp eratur e is also cr itical in th is re­
gard. Your car consumes more fuel in the winter
than in the summer.

Care and cleaning
Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care he lps to maintain your vehi ­
cle's value.
It can also be a requirement when
submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage
and paint defects on the body.
The necessary care products can be obtained
from your authorized Audi dealer . Read and fol­
low the instructions for use on the packaging.
A WARNING
-Using cleaning and care products incorrectly
can be dangerous to your health.
- Always store cleaning and care products out of reach of children to reduce the risk of poi­
soning .
@ For the sake of the environment
-Preferably use environmentally-friendly
products when buying cleaning agents.
- Do not dispose of leftover cleaning and care
products with household trash .
Car washes
The longer that deposits remain on the vehicle,
the more the surface may be damaged. High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight
increase the damaging effect.
Before washing, rinse
off heavy deposits with
p lenty of water.
Stubborn deposits such as bird dropp ings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of water and a
microfiber cloth .
A ls o, wash the underside of your veh icle once
road salt stops be ing used for the season .
Pressure washers
When washing your veh icles with a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instructions
provided with the pressure washer. This is espe­
cially important in regard to the p ressure and
spray ing distance. Do not aim the spray directly
at seals on side windows, doors, the hood, the
rear lid or the sunroof* or at tires, rubber hoses,
184 insulating
material, sensors* or camera lenses*.
Keep a distance of at least 16 inches (40 cm).
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washe r.
Never use rotary nozzles or high pressure noz­
zles.
The water temperature must not be above 140 °F
(60 °() .
Automatic car washes
Spray off the vehicle before washing.
Make sure that the w indows and roof* are closed
and the windshie ld wipers are off. Follow instruc­
tions 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 veh icle starting from the top and work­
i ng down using a soft sponge or cleaning b rush .
Use solvent-free cleaning p roducts.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
To avoid damaging the paint when washing, first
remove dust and large particles from your vehi­
cle. Insects, grease spots and fingerprints are
best removed with a special cleaner for matte
finish paint.
Apply the p roduct using a microfiber cloth. To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the ve hicle thoroughly with water. Then
clean using a neutra l shampoo and a soft micro­
fiber cloth .
Rinse the veh icle thoroughly again and let it air
dry. Remove any water residue using a shammy.
A WARNING
-On ly wash the vehicle when the ignition is
off and follow the instructions from the car
wash operator to reduce the risk of acc i­
dents.
-

Fuel and Refueling
Fuel and Refueling
Fuel
Fuel supply
Using the right fuel helps keep the environment
clean and prevents engine damage.
Fuel recommendation
The fuel recommended for your vehicle is unlead­
ed premium
grade gasoline. Audi recommends
using TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline with a mini­ mum octane rating of 91 AKI (95 RON). For more
information on TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline,
please go to the official website
(www.toptiergas.com).
The recommended gasoline octane rating for
your eng ine can also be found on a label located
on the ins ide of the fuel filler flap. This rating
may be specified as AKI or RON.
Your vehicle may also be operated using unlead­
ed regular gasoline with a minimum octane rat­ ing of 87 AKl/91 RON . However, using 87 AKl/91
RON octane fue l will s lightly reduce eng ine per­
formance.
Use unleaded gasoline only. Unleaded gasoline
is available throughout the USA, Canada, and in
most European countries. We recommend that
you do not take your vehicle to areas or countries
where unleaded gasoline may not be available.
For more informat ion on refueling your vehicle,
see
~page 188.
Octane rating
Octane rating ind icates a gasoline's ability to re­
sist engine damaging "knock" caused by prema­
ture ignition and detonation. Therefore, buying
the correct grade of gasoline is very important to
he lp prevent possible eng ine damage and a loss
of engine performance.
Gasoline most commonly used in the United
States and Canada has the following octane rat­
i n gs that can usually be found on the filler pump:
- Premium Grade : 91 - 96 AKI
- Regular Grade: 87 -90 AKI
186
Explanation of the abbreviations:
AKI= Anti Knock Index= (R+M)/2 = (RON+MON)/
2
RON = Re search Octane Number
MON= Motor Octane Number.
CJ) Note
- Do not use any fuel with octane ratings low­
er than 87 AKI or 91 RON otherwise expen­
sive engine damage will occur.
- Do
not use leaded gasoline. The use of lead­
ed gasoline will severely damage your vehi­
cle's catalytic converter and its ability to
control exhaust emissions.
Blended gasoline
Use of gasoline containing alcohol or MTBE
( methyl tertiary butyl ether)
You may use unleaded gasoline blended with a l­
cohol or MTBE (commonly referred to as oxygen­
ates) if the blended mixture mee ts the following
criteria:
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
- Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or h igher .
- Blend must contain no more than 3% metha-
nol.
- Blend must contain more than 2% co-solvents.
Blend of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol or
ethyl alcohol)
-Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or h igher.
- Blend must not contain more than 1S% etha-
nol.
- Veh icles with flex ible fuel engine: blend must
not contain more than 85% ethanol.
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
-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 es­
pecially well for winter or summer dr iv ing . Dur-
i ng seasonal change-over, we suggest that you ""

Fuel and Refueling
the tank is full. Do not try to add more fuel
because fuel may spill out. In addition, the
expansion space in the fuel tank will be filled -
causing the fuel to overflow when it becomes
warm and pollute the environment.
(D Tips
- Running your engine while refuelling may
cause vapors to escape or even cause fuel to
spill out of the tank. This would then shut
off the fuel nozzle before the tank is full.
- Do not refuel your vehicle with the ignition
turned on. The fuel gauge may otherwise
not indicate the correct fuel level after refu­
elling.
- The fuel filler flap of your vehicle is not
locked when you lock the vehicle from the
inside .
Unlocking the fuel filler flap by hand
You can open the fuel filler flap by hand if the
power locking system should fail.
F ig. 157 Luggag e compartment: open ing the sid e trim
Fig. 158 Luggag e compart ment: Emergency open ing of
fuel filler flap
The emergency opening mechanism is located
behind the right side trim panel in the luggage
compartment.
190
"' a, st
-
" co
"'
Opening the side trim
.. Insert a tool such as a screwdrive r c:> page 225
or the emergency key into the right side of the
upper gap
¢fig. 157.
.. Pry upward to release the trim .
Fuel filler door emergency release
.. Loosen the strap from its bracket and pu ll on it
¢ fig. 158. You can now open the fu el filler flap
as usual
¢page 188.