2015 AUDI Q5 warning

Smart Technolog y
Operating c ondit ion s and drivin g hab it s
The brakes on today 's automobi les are st ill sub­
ject to wear, depending largely on operating con­ ditions and driving habits¢.&. . On vehicles that
are either driven mostly in stop-and-go city traf­
f ic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by your authori zed Audi dealer more of­
ten than specified in the
Wa rra nty & Mainte­
n an ce boo kle t .
Fa ilure to have your brake pads
inspected can result in reduced brake perform­
ance.
On steep slopes, you should use the brak ing ef­
fect of the eng ine . Th is way, you prevent unnec ­
essary wear on the brake system. If you must use
your brakes, do not ho ld the brakes down contin­
uously. Pump the brakes at inte rva ls.
Operat ing no ise
Noises may occur when braking depending on the
speed, brak ing force and outside conditions such
as temperature and humid ity .
Effect of w ate r an d r oad sal t
In certain situations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy rain, after overn ight con­
densat ion or after washing your car, the braking
effect can be reduced by mo isture or ice on the
brake rotors and brake pads . The brakes must be
d ried first with a few carefu l brake applications.
At h igher speeds and with the w indshield wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake rotors for a short amount of t ime . This occurs at
regular intervals without the d river noticing and
p rov ides for better brake response t ime unde r
wet conditions .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt-covered road
a nd the brakes are not used . L ikew ise, you clean
off accumulated sa lt coating from brake discs
and pads with a few cautious applications of the brake ¢.&. .
Corros ion
There may be a tendency for dirt to bui ld up on
the brake pads and corros ion to fo rm on the discs
if the car is not driven regularly or on ly for short
trips with litt le use of the brakes.
194
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if corro­
sion has formed on the discs, it is advisable to clean off the pads and d iscs by braking firmly a
few times from a moderate ly high speed¢.&. .
Fault s in the brak e system
If you shou ld notice a sudden increase in bra ke
pedal travel, then one of the two brake circuits
may have failed
¢ .&. .
Lo w b rake fluid l evel
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the
brake flu id leve l is too low. The brake fl uid level is
monitored electronica lly.
Brake boos ter
The brake booster increases the pressure that you
generate w ith the brake pedal. It on ly operates
whi le the engine is runn ing o r with the ig nit ion
switched on (hybrid drive*)
¢ ,& .
Brake lining we ar status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in ­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the open ings in the wheel. If necessary ,
the wheel may be removed for this inspec tion
¢ page 260, Replacing wheels .
& WARNING -
- New brake pads don't have the best stop­
ping power and m ust be "broken-in" during
the initial 250 miles (400 km) . You can com­
pensate for this by pressing the brake pedal
more f irm ly. This also applies later when
new pads are installed.
- You should perform braking maneuvers for
the purpose of cleaning the brake system
only if road conditions permit. Other road
users must not be put at r isk -you may
cause an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gea r or lower dr iving range. Do not ride the
bra kes or ho ld the peda l down too long or
too often . This could cause the bra kes to get
hot and diminish braking efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing your foot
on the pedal when you do not intend to
~

Smart Technolog y
A center differentia l distributes the driving power
variably to the front and rear axle. It works to­
gether with selective wheel torque contro l, which
activates when driving through curves
c:::;,page 191.
The all-wheel drive concept is designed for high
engine power . Your vehicle is exceptionally pow­
erful and has excellent driving characteristics bo th under normal driv ing condit ions and on
snow and ice . Always read and follow safety pre ­
cautions
c:::;, .&. .
Wint er tires
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 winter tires (or all-season tires) for
improved dr iveability and braking: these tires
must be mounted on
a ll four wheels . See a lso
c:::;, page 250, Winter tires.
Tire chain s
Where tire chains are manda tory on certain
roads, this normally also applies to vehicles with
all-wheel drive c:::;, page 250, Snow chains.
Repl acing wheels /tire s
Vehicles with all-whee l drive must always have
tires of the same size. Also avoid tires with differ­
ent tread depths . For deta ils see page
c:::;, page 242, New tires or wheels .
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 ta king
extra r is ks.
- Althoug h the all-whee l dr ive is very effec­
t ive, always remember that brak ing capac ity
is limited by tire traction . You should there­
fore not drive at excessive speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces .
- On wet road su rfaces, be careful not to drive
too fast because the front wheels could be­
gin to slide on top of the water (aquaplan­
ing). If this should occur, you will have no
warning from a sudden increase in engine
speed as with a front -whee l drive vehicle.
196
Always drive at speeds which are suited to
the road cond it ions -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 period of time, the battery
i s d ischarged by idling current consumers (e .g .
i mmob ili zer). I n certain c ircumstances it can re­
s ul t in the re be ing insuffi cient energy available to
start the eng ine.
Intelligent energy management in your vehicle
hand les the d ist ribution of electrical energy.
Start ing ability is ma rkedly improved and the life
of the ba ttery is extended .
Bas ica lly, energy management consists of
bat­
t e ry diagn osi s, idling curr ent man ag ement
and
d ynami c energy management .
Batte ry diag nosi s
Battery diagnosis continuously determines the
state of the battery. Se nsors determine battery
vo ltage, battery current and battery tempera­
tu re. This determines the cu rrent state of cha rge
and the power of the battery .
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy con ­
sumption whi le the vehicle is standing . W it h the
i gnition switched off, it cont ro ls the energy sup­
ply to the various electrical components. Data
from battery d iagnosis is cons idered.
Depend ing on the battery's state of charge , indi­
v idual consumers are gradua lly tu rned off to pre­
vent excessive discharge of the batte ry and thus
maint ain s tarting capability.
Dynamic ener gy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic ene rgy
management distr ibutes the energy gene rated
accord ing to the needs of the individual compo-
nents. It regu lates consumption, so that more
II>

Driving and the environment
Driving and the
environment
Breaking in
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the first 600 miles (1,000 kilometers ):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
.,. Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the maximum permitted RPM .
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1,000 to 1,500
kilometers ):
.,. Speeds can gradually be increased to the maxi­
mum perm issib le road or engine speed.
During and after break-in period
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds when it
is cold. This applies whether the transmission is
in N (Neutral) or in gear .
After the break•in period
.,. Do not exceed maximum engine speed under
any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear
before reach­
ing the red area at the end of the tachometer
scale
¢page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the engine's
internal friction is higher than later when all the
moving parts have been broken in. How well this
break-in process is done depends to a cons idera­
b le extent on the way the vehicle is driven dur ing
the first 1,000 miles (1,500 kilometers).
{[) Note
Extremely high engine speeds are automati­
cally reduced. However, these rpm limits are
prog rammed fo r an engine well run-in, not a
new engine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high engine
speeds -upshifting early saves fuel, reduces
noise and protects the environment.
198
· New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive very
ca refully for the first 350 m iles (500 k ilometers)
after fitting.
_& WARNING
New tires tend to be slippery and must a lso
be "broken-in" . Be sure to remember this dur­
ing the first 350 m iles (500 k ilometers).
Brake gently. Avoid following closely behind
other vehicles or other situations that might
require sudden, hard brak ing.
Catalytic converter
App lies to vehicles : wit h gasoli ne e ngi ne
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 213,
Gasoline .
.,. Never run the tank down all the way to empty.
.,. Never put too much motor oil in your engine
¢ page 22 5, Adding engine oil 9::r..
.,. Never try to push- or tow-start your vehicle .
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean-up"
device b uilt into the exhaust system of the vehi­
cle. The cata lytic converter burns many of the
po llutants in the exhaust gas before they are re­
l eased into the atmosphere.
-
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is c ritica lly im­
portant for the life of the catalytic converter and
proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
The temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driv ing and after stopping
the eng ine.
-
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once they
have become hot. This could result in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in areas
where the hot exhaust system may come in
contact with dry grass, brush, fuel spill or
other material which can cause a fire.

M N
co
a:
co
,...., \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 ,....,
-Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust man i­
fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or heat shields. During driving, the substance
used for undercoating could overheat and
cause a fire.
Q) Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with lead­
ed
fuel will already seriously degrade the
performance of the catalytic converter .
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢page 225.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty . The engine could misfire.
Unburned fuel could also get into the ex­
haust system and this could cause the cata­
l ytic converter to overheat.
- Do not turn off the ignit ion while the veh icle
i s mov ing .
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these cond it ions, as otherwise fuel can
reach the catalyt ic converte r. This cou ld re­
su lt in overheating of the converter, requir­
i ng its replacement.
- To assure efficient operat ion of the Emission
Control System:
- Have your veh icle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommen­
dations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as im­
proper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the em ission control system
and could lead to damage.
@) For the sake of the environment
Even when the Em ission Control System is op­
erating properly, the exhaust gas can have a
sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under some op­
erating states. This depends on the sulfu r
content of the fuel being used. Using a differ­
ent brand of fuel may help, or filling the tank
wit h lead-free super grade gasoline.
Dri ving and th e en vir onm ent
Diesel particulate filter
Applies to veh icles: w ith diesel en gine
The diese l particu late filter filters nearly all of
the soot particles out of the exhaust. The filter
cleans itself automatica lly under norma l driving
conditions. If the filter cannot clean itself (for ex­
ample, because you are only driving short distan­
ces), the filter becomes clogged with soot and
the
II symbol for the diese l particulate filter il­
luminates
¢ page 34 .
_&. WARNING
-Do not park your veh icle over flammab le
materia ls such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel particu­
late filter could start a fire .
-
-Do not app ly an underbody protectant in the
exhaust system area or a fire cou ld start.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that low­
lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damaged.
This is especially true for vehicles with low-slung
chassis (sports chassis)* and fully loaded
vehicles.
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.
Fuel economy, environmenta l impact, and wear
on your engine, brakes and tires largely depend
on three factors:
- your pe rsonal d riving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitat ions
If you ant icipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your fuel
199

Driving and th e environment
consumption by 10-15 percent. This section will
give you some tips on how you can help the envi­ ronment and your pocketbook.
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)
and Transport Canada may not correspond to
your actual consumption on the road, wh ich
w ill vary depend ing 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
erate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possi­
ble -for example when you see that the next traf­
fic light is red .
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and im­
proves your mileage.
"' Try and keep well be low your car's max imum
speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consumption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ ­
ment.
Fue l consumption, exhaust emissions and engine
noise increase disproportionately at high speeds.
If you drive at approximately three quarters of
top speed, fuel consumpt ion w ill be reduced by
one half. Never dr ive faster than the posted
speed lim it and weather conditions permit .
200
· Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel .
"'Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
"' Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the en-
gine run at idle .
The idling phase is automatically reduced for
vehicles with the Start-Stop-System*. It is effi­ c ient to sw itch off the eng ine in vehicles w ithout
the Start-Stop-System* when stopped at railroad
crossings and long red lights. Turn ing the engine
off for just 30-40 seconds saves more fuel than is
burned by start ing the eng ine again.
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up
fully when it is runn ing at id le . However, wear
and noxious emissions are especia lly high when
the engine is warming up. So you sho uld drive
away as soon as you start the eng ine and avoid
running at high rpms whi le the engine is s till
warming up.
Q) Note
Do not leave engine id ling unattended after
starting. If warning lights should come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces
heat, which could result in overheating or oth­
er damage to the veh icle or other property.
· Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot
of fuel.
"' Have your vehicle serviced at regu lar intervals.
By having your veh icle reg ularly serv iced by an
authorized Aud i dea le r helps to ensure that i t
runs proper ly and economica lly. The condition of
your vehicle not on ly affects its safety and ability
to hold its value, it also affects
fuel consump ­
t ion .
Chec k your oil ea ch t ime y ou fill your tank.
The amount of o il used is re lated to engine load
and speed. .,.

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>

M N
co
a:
co
,...., \!) ..,.,
N ..,., ,....,
-Ideal conditions do not prevail offroad . Nev­
er utilize the maximum read ings to their
fullest, always leave a safety reserve.
Driving tips
On poor road and offroad, there is always only
one motto: Plan ahead and drive slowly!
P lease observe the followin g when driving away
from paved roads :
~ Drive only on roads and off road sections which
match the des ign of your veh icle and yo ur abili ­
t ies as a driver . Never take risks!
~ Drive slowly and plan ahead!
~ Take into consideration the gr ou nd cle aran ce of
your vehicle.
~ Activate the offroad mode c> page 191 as need­
ed .
~ Use the hill des cent a ssi st <=:> page 193 when
dr iv ing down steep sections on hi lls.
Unp aved roads and offroad
Drive s low ly on unfami liar roads and unknown
offroad sections, and look out for unexpected ob­
stacles (e.g . potho les, rocks, tree stumps, etc .) .
T o prevent the vehicle from bottoming and avoid
damage to the underbody, you should drive
straight across severe bumps in the ground with
only one side of the vehicle so that only two of
your wheels cross t he bumps.
Drive briskly through sandy or marshy offroad
sections and do not stop, if at all poss ible.
Driving through water
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage when
driving through water, for example on flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the bot-
tom of the vehicle body .
- Do no t d rive fas ter than wa lking speed.
Driving on a slope
If you ever find yourself not ab le to climb a s lope,
do not try to turn around, drive back down in
re­
ver se.
Othe rwise, you ru n the r isk of tipp ing ove r.
O ffro ad dri vin g
If the vehicle th reaten s to tip over when driving
acro ss a slope, you must immediately stee r
downhill in the direction of the slope.
Do not park you r vehi cle on steep s lopes or
grades.
T o reduce the risk of tipp ing ove r, d rive on s lopes
i n the d irection of t he downwa rd s lope (fall li ne) -
not cro sswi se .
& WARNING ~ -
After driving th rough water, mud, s lush, etc.,
the bra kes may be s low to take effect because
of wet bra ke rotors and pads. Dry the brakes
f irst by brak ing carefully to restore the full
braking effect.
(D Note
- Veh icle components s uch as the engine,
transm ission, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Always switch off the Start-Stop-System *
when drivi ng throug h water
r=> page 94.
(D Tips
- Check t he depth of the water before driving
through it.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the engine off when driv ing through
water.
- Keep i n mind that oncoming veh icles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely .
-Avo id driving through salt wate r because it
can cause corrosion .
203

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 .