2015 AUDI Q5 light

Offroad driving
Off road driving
Driving under difficult
conditions and off-road
General information
The opera tion of the E lectronic Stabilization Con­
trol (ESC) is expanded for operation away from paved roads. In situat ions where s lip or a differ­
ential locking function is required, the offroad mode can be activated
<=> page 191. Your Aud i al­
so has permanent a ll-wheel drive in addition .
However, your Audi is not a pure offroad veh icle.
It was not bu ilt for driving under extreme condi­
tions, e.g. for trips that are in the nature of an ex­
pedit io n.
Dri ve o nly on roads and offro ad sections which
match the des ign of you r vehicle and your abil i­
ties as a dr iver. Neve r take r isks!
B efo re driving offroad
- Check the eng ine oil level, tire p ressure, cool­
ant leve l, and the fluid level i n the windshield
washer reservo ir.
- Stow luggage items and other objects in the
lu ggage compartment, and sec ure them
against slid ing aro und.
After dri ving off road
- After trips offroad, remove any twigs and othe r
f oreign objects from the grill, the unde rbody
and the wheels . Pay special attention to foreign
objects (stones) which have become lodged in
the tire tread.
- Clean the body and the vehicle unders ide, and
inspect the vehicle for poss ible damage.
- Clean dirty windows, headlamp lenses, rear
lights, and license p lates.
- Perform a brake check (particularly after t ravel ­
li ng through water).
A WARNING
- Drive especia lly attentive ly and plan ahead
in diffic ult road cond itions and w hen
off­
road. Excessive speed or incorrect mane u­
vers can cause in ju ries and damage to the
vehicle.
202
- Always adapt your speed and driving sty le to
road, off road, traffic, and weather cond i­
tions. Dr ive espec ially slowly offroad w hen
your view is restricted.
- Please be aware that in offroad mode, par­
ticularly on a smooth and slippery road, the
wheels may have an increased tendency to
spin and the vehicle may break away -dan­
ge r of skidding!
- Stability is limited in the offroad mode .
® For the sake of the environment
Avoid damage to the environment and respect
nature.
(D Tips
Only drive where it is permitte d and stay on
marked roads and paths .
Explanation of some technical terms
The following data refer to ideal cond itions. De­
pend ing on veh icle load a nd gro und cond itions
and the env ironment, the numbe rs may vary.
It is
the d river 's responsibility to decide whethe r ave­
h icle can overcome a specific s ituation
<=> .&, .
Gradient angle
The number of meters in alt itude ga ined over a
distance of 109 .4 yards or 100 meters (grade)
are given as a pe rcentage o r degrees . Info rma­
tion about the gradient the ve hicle can climb un­
der i ts own power (depends in part on the road
s ur fa ce and eng ine power). M axim um permi tted
grade: 31°
Ground clearance
The distanc e between the road s urface and the
l owest poi nt of the veh icle underbody . G round
cl ear ance 7.9 in ( 20 0 mm)
A WARNING
Exceed ing the s tated max imum figur es c an
res ult in seve re injuries or vehicle damage .
- All the info rm ation w as g athered on level,
-
fi rm and non -slip pery road s urfaces, and un-
de r dry weather conditions .
llll>

Trailer mode
Trailer mode
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation.
If you plan to tow a trai ler, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­ my and performance.
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from the driver .
F or this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Tr aile r h itch
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 only a trai ler hitch w ith a re­
movable bal l mount . Always check with the tra il­
er h itch man ufacturer to make sure that you are
using the co rrect hitch.
D o not u se a bump er hit ch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system. No mod ificat ions should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
From time to time, check that all hitch mounting
bolts remain securely fastened .
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the
trailer h itch ball mount. This prevents the hitch
from causing damage should your vehicle be struck from behind ¢ .&, .
Trailer bra kes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
check to be sure that it conforms to all regula­
tions.
204
The trailer hydraulic brake system must not be di­
rect ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic brake
system ¢.&, .
Safet y ch ain s
Always use safety chains betwee n your veh icle
and the trai ler .
Tr aile r lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure
to check w ith your author ized Audi dealer for cor­
rect w iring, sw itches, and relays .
Mirro rs
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you us­
ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must in­
stall extended mirrors .
It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear.
&, WARNING
-If a trailer has electrical brakes p lease note
that these brakes are not activated by the
factory -fitted contro l unit -risk of accident!
- After removing the t railer hitch, do not store
it in your vehicle . In case of sudden braking,
the hitch could fly forward and injure you or
your passengers.
- Never install a "weight distributing" or "load equalizing" trailer hitch on your vehi­
cle. The vehicle was not designed for these
kinds of tra iler hitches. The hitch attach­
ment can fail, causing the tra iler to tear
loose from the veh icle.
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for your ve­
hicle, found on the safety compliance label
on the driver's side B-p illar, must never be
exceeded under any circumstances . Exceed­
ing the Gross Vehicle We ight Rating of your
veh icle is likely to damage your vehicle, and
such damage will not be covered by your Limited New Vehicle Warranty. Exceeding
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating will also
change the performance and handling char­
acteristics of your vehicle, wh ich could cause
a crash resulting in serious injury or death .

M N
co
a:
co
,...., \!) Ll"I
N Ll"I ,....,
Operating instructions
6"
~
a
2
. 1/2"
'
-{ I} 1-1/2"
-
Fig. 189 Pe rmi tted ba ll pos it ion of the trailer hitc h
Trailer towing weights
With a factory-installed or an aftermarket trailer
hitch, the maximum permissible trailer weight is
4,400 lbs (2,000 kg) . T he maximum permissible
unbraked trailer weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kg) .
These specifications apply when dr iv ing on roads
having an inclin e of less than 12%.
Permissible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these changed
conditions, adjust the traile r load so that the
tongue load is at the maximum allowable or
slightly lower. You can get an approximat ion of
the tongue load w ith a bathroom scale or you can
measure the load at a trucking company or
weighing station.
With a
factory-installed or an aftermarket trailer
hitch, the maximum permissible load on the ball
hitch may not exceed 440 lbs (200 kg). It is rec­
ommended to use the maximum permissible
l oad.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the tra iler is held securely in
place to prevent it from shifting forward, back­
ward or sideways .
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer c::> .&.
in Driving instructions on page 206.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used with suitable
ball mount and ball
c::> fig. 189 . Installation of
the hitch ball must be carr ied out in accordance
with the manufacturer's instructions .
Trailer mode
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder . It
is important that the cooling system's perform ­
ance is up to the additional load . Make s ure that
the cooling system has enough fluid .
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your ve­
hicle to the cold tire pressure listed under "Full
load" on the tire pressure label. The tire pressure
label is located on the driver's side B·pillar. In·
flate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufactur­
ers' specifications.
Lights
T he headlight settings sho uld be checked with
the trai ler attached before driving off. Check to
make sure both vehicle and trailer lights are
working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure 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 w ill not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with o trailer always requires extra core
and consideration .
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the fo llowing :
.. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itse lf
is not loaded.
.. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles .
.. Observe speed lim its .
.. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.. Always apply brakes early .
.. Mon itor the temperature gauge .
205

Trailer mode
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty car res ults
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight. If this
cannot be avoided , drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering contro l.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while
keeping the trailer as light as possible under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow vehicle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loading considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permiss ible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weathe r or wind
conditions are unfavorable - particularly when
going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the s lightest sign of swaying .
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for
veh icles towing trailers are lower than for regular
ve hicles .
A lways app ly brakes ear ly. When driving down­
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the engine
brak ing effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fa il.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge c::> page 10 must
be observed carefully.
If the need le moves close
to the upper end of the scale, reduce speed im­
mediately and/or turn off the a ir condit ioner.
If the coo lant temperature warning light in the
instr ument cluster starts flashing •• pu ll off
the road, stop and let the engine
idle for about
two minutes to prevent heat build-up.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater r isk in an acc i-
206
-
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 handles differently when towing a
trai ler because of the additiona l weight and dif­
ferent we ight distribution . Safety, performance
and economy will greatly depend on how careful ­
l y you load your trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actua lly tow your trai ler, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic . Keep practicing until you have be ­
come comp lete ly familiar with the way your vehi­
cle-trailer comb inat ion behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice. Back­
ing up with a trai ler generally requires steering
action opposite to that when backing up your ve­
hicle without a tra iler.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. Yo u will need more
room to stop. To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turn ing radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accel­
erate as fast as you norma lly wou ld because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for
your tra iler before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts , sharp t urns or rapid lane
changes.
@ Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may requi re
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
tra load
c::> page 281.

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 such as insects, bird
droppings, tree sap or road sa lt remain on the ve­
hicle, the more the surface can be damaged. High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight
increase the damaging effect .
Before washing, rinse off heavy deposits with
plenty of water.
Stubborn deposits such as bird droppings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of water and a
microfiber cloth .
Also, wash the underside of your vehicle once
road salt stops being used for the season.
Pressure washers
When washing your veh icles with a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instructions
p rovided with the pressure washer. This is espe­
cially important in regard to the pressure and
spraying distance. Do not aim the spray direct ly
at seals on side windows, doors, the hood, the
208
rear lid or the sunroof* or at tires, rubber hoses,
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
washer.
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 windows 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 products.
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 product using a microfiber cloth . To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water. Then
clean using a neutra l shampoo and a soft micro­
fiber cloth .
Rinse the vehicl e thoroughly again and let it air
dry. Remove any water residue using a shammy.
A WARNING
-
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is
off and fo llow the instruct ions from the car

M N
co
a:
co
,...., \!) ..,.,
N ..,., ,....,
wash operator to reduce the risk of acci­
dents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself
from sharp metal components when wash­
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking effect
may be delayed due to moisture on the
brake rotors or ice in the w inter. The brakes
must be dried first w ith a few careful brake
applications.
- If you wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash, you must fold the exterior m irrors in
to reduce the risk of damage to the mirrors.
Power folding exterior mirrors* must only
be fo lded in and out us ing the power folding
funct ion.
- To reduce the risk of damage to the rims
and tires, compare the width between the
whee ls on your vehicle w ith the distance be­
tween the g uide rails in the car wash .
- To red uce the risk of damage, compare the
height and width of yo ur vehicle with the
Care and cleaning
height and w idth of the inside of the car
was h.
- T o prevent paint damage, do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
- To reduce the ris k of damage to the sur face,
do not use insect remov ing sponges, kitchen
sponges o r similar items.
- Matte finish painted veh icle components:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use polishing agents or hard
wax.
- Never use protective wax. It can destroy
the matte finish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted w ith matte
finish paint. The paint could be damaged
when the stickers or magnets are re­ moved.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle in facilities spec ially de­
s igned for that purpose. Th is w ill reduce the
r isk of dirty water contaminated w ith oil from
entering the sewe r system.
Cleaning and care information
When clea ning and caring for individual vehicle
components, refer to the following tables. The
information conta ined there is simply recommen -dations. For questions or for components that
are not listed, refer to an authorized A
udi dealer.
Also follow the information found in
¢ A.
Ext erior cl eaning
Component Situation Solution
Wind shi eld wiper
Deposits ¢ page 58, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
blades
H eadlight s/
Deposits Soft sponge with a mild soap solutional
tail light s
S ensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth with solvent-free cleaning solution
camera le nses Camera lenses: soft cloth with alcohol-free clean ing solu-
tion
Snow/ice Hand brush/solvent-free de -ic ing spray
Whe els Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special cleaning
solution
Exhau st tail p ipe s Road salt Water, cleaning solution suitable for stainless steel, if nee-
essary
209

M N
co
a:
co
,...., \!) 1.1"1
N 1.1"1 ,....,
Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Te xtile s
Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner
artificial leather, the surface
Alcantara Water-based depos its Absorbent
cloth and mild soap solutiona)
such as coffee, tea,
b lood, etc.
Oil-based deposits Apply a m ild soap solutiona>, blot away the dissolved oil or
such as oil, make-up, dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
etc.
Special deposits such Specia l sta in remover, blot with absorbent material, treat
as ink, na il polish, la- afterward with mild soap solution, if necessarya>
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Natural leather Fresh stains Woo
l cloth with a mild soap solutiona>
Water-based deposits fresh stains : absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, dried stains: stain remover suitable for leather
blood, etc.
Oil-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain remover sui tab le
such as oil, make-up, for leathe r
etc. dried stains: Oil cleaning spray
Special deposits such Spot remover suitable for leather
as ink, nai l polish, la-
t ex paint, shoe po l-
ish, etc.
Ca re Regularly apply conditioning cream that protects from
light and penetrates into the mate rial. Use specially-col-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carbon parts Deposits clean the same way as plastic parts
a) Mild soap sol ution : maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 quart (1 liter) of water
.8, WARNING
The windshield may not be treated with wa­
ter-repelling windshield coating agents . Un­
favorab le conditions such as wetness, dark­
ness, or low sun can resu lt in increased glare.
Wiper blade chatter is also possible.
@ Note
- Headlights/tail lights
- Never clean headlights or tail lights with a
dry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cleaning product that con­
tains alcohol, because they could cause
cracks to form.
- Wheels
-
- Never use any paint polish or other abra­
sive materials.
- Damage to the protective layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches must
be repaired immediately.
- Sensors/camera lenses
-Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens. This
could ca use the lens to crack.
- Never use abrasive cleaning materials or
alcohol to clean the camera lens. This
could cause scratches and cracks.
- Door windows
-Remove snow and ice on windows and ex-
terior mirrors with a plastic scraper. To
211

Care and cleaning
avoid scratches, move the scraper on ly in
one direction and not back and forth.
- Never remove snow or ice from door win­
dows and mirrors using warm or hot water
because this could cause cracks to form.
- To avoid damage to the rear window de­ fogger, do not apply any stickers on the
heating wires on the inside of the window .
- Decorati ve p art s/ trim
- Never use chrome care or clean ing prod-
ucts .
- Paint
- To reduce the ris k of sc ratches, the veh icle
must be free of d irt and dust befo re po l­
ishing or waxing .
- T o prevent paint damage, do not polish o r
wax the veh icle in direct sun light.
- To reduce the ris k of paint damage, do not
polish away rust spots.
- Remove cosmet ics and sunscreen immedi­
ately -these could damage the paint.
- Di spla ys
- To avoid scratches, do not use dry cleaning
methods on displays.
- Control s
- Make sure that no flu ids enter the con-
tro ls, because this cou ld cause damage.
- Safety belt s
- Do not remove the safety be lts to clean
them.
- Never clean safety belts or the ir compo­
nents chemically or wi th cor rosive f luids
or so lvents and never al low sha rp objects
t o come into con ta ct w ith the safe ty belts.
T his could cause damage to the belt web ­
bing .
-If there is damage to the webbing, the
connections, the retractors or the b uckles,
have them replaced by an autho rized deal­
er.
- Textiles /artificial le athe r/Alcantara
- Never treat artificia l leather/Alcantara
w ith leather care products, solvents, floor
polish, shoe polish, spot remove or simi lar
products.
- Have a specialist remove stubborn stains
to prevent damage.
212
- Neve r use steam cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc . when cleaning .
- D o not turn on the seat heating* to dry
the seat.
- Objects w ith sharp edges s uch as zippe rs,
rivets on clothing or be lts can cause dam ­
age to the surface.
- Open hook and loop fasteners, for exam­
p le on clothing, can damage seat covers .
Make sure hook and loop fasteners are
closed.
- Natu ral leathe r
- Never treat leather w ith solvents, floor
polish, shoe polish, spot remover or simi­
lar p roducts .
- Objects w ith sharp edges such as zippers,
rivets on clothing or be lts can cause dam­
age to the surface .
- Neve r use steam cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc. when cleaning .
- Do not turn on the seat heating * to dry
the seat.
- To help prevent the leather from fad ing,
do not leave the vehicle in d irect sunlight
for long periods of time . If leaving the ve­
h icle parked for long periods of t ime, you
should cove r the leathe r to protect it from
d irect sunlight.
{D Tips
- Insects are easier to remove from paint that
has been fresh ly waxed.
- Regular waxing can prevent rust spots from
forming.
Placing your vehicle out
of service
If you would like to take your vehicle out of serv ­
ice for a longer time, contact your authorized
A udi dealer or qualified repair facility. They will
advise you of important measures, such as corro­
s ion protection, maintenance and storage proce­
dures. Also follow the information about the bat­
tery~
page 230 .