2015 AUDI Q5 check engine

Driver inform ation system
Ignition lock malfunction
<=>page 34
Adapt ive dampers*
c:> page 34
W indshield wiper defective
c:>page34
Tire pressure monitoring sys­
tem*
Loss of t i re pressure
c:>page253
Tire pressure monitoring sys ­
tem* System not avai lab le
c:>page253
Automatic t ransmission ma l­
function
c:> page 12 7
H ybr id drive*
<=> page 100
The speed warnings warning threshold J IIIIJ
and warning thresho ld 2 llH are also yellow
symbo ls in some models . The warning is al­
ways shown as a small symbo l in the upper
area of the d isplay
c:> page 94.
-?e Key not in vehicle
Applies to veh icles: w ith Convenience key
II Is the key in the vehicle ?
This reminder appears along with the II symbol
if the master key is removed from the vehicle
with the eng ine running. It is intended to remind
you (e .g. when changing drivers) not to continue
the journey without the master key .
If the master key is no longer in the vehicle, you
cannot switch off the ignit ion after stopping the
e ngine and you a lso cannot start the engine
aga in . You also cannot lock the veh icle from the
outsid e.
l ) - : USA models only
32
@ Light/rain sensor defective
£1 Automati c he adlight s/ auto mati c wi per s
defective
If the symbol illum inates, the light sensor has
failed. For safety reasons the low beams are
tu rned on permanently with the sw itch in
AUTO .
However, you can contin ue to turn the lights on
and off using the light sw itch. In the case of a de­
f ect in the rain sensor, the windshie ld wiper lever
functions are still available. Have the light/rain
sensor checked as soon as possib le by an author­
i zed Audi dealer.
(0) Worn brake pads
E+J Brake pad s!
If the warning light i lluminates, immediate ly
contact your author ized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pads inspected. On
USA mode ls the warning light
E+J comes on to­
gether w ith the warning light
1111 . Both sets of
brake pads on an axle must always be replaced at
t h e same time.
.&_ WARNING
Driving w ith bad bra kes can cause a collision
and serious personal injury.
- If the warn ing lig ht E+J and the warn ing
light
llll1l with the message Brake pad s!
comes on in the instrument cluster display,
immed iate ly contact yo ur authorized Aud i
dea le r or q ualified workshop to have all
brake pads checked or rep laced if necessary.
~l}D10$ Defective light bulb warning
S:1 -If the indicator light turns on, a bulb has
failed. The message indicates the location of the
bulb .
Im-If a front fog lamp has fai led, the indicator
li ght turns on to indicate the location on the vehi-
cle.
~

M N
co
a:
co
,...., \!) ..,.,
N ..,., ,....,
IJ-If a rea r fog lamp has failed , the indicator
light turns on to indicate the location on the vehi­
cle.
Vehi cle light s: Sy stem fault!
If the message appea rs, there is a malfunct ion in
the head lights or light switch.
Drive to your authorized Aud i dea le r immediately
to have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
-Light bu lbs are pressurized and could ex­
plode whi le they a re being changed causing
serious persona l injury.
-
- Wor k w ith due care when handling the high­
voltage section of gas discharge (xenon) l igh ts *. Failure to do so could result in death
o r serious injury.
@ Tips
Have the bulb replaced or the connection re­
pa ired by your authorized Audi Serv ice depart­
ment.
<:;::> Windshield washer flu id level too low
llt Plea se refill wa sher fluid
If the symbol illuminates, add windshield washe r
fluid to the washer system and also to the head­
light washer system¢
page 234 .
Bil Fuel supply too low
When the D symbol i llum inates, this means
there are about 2 .6 gallons ( 10 liters) of fue l left
in the fuel tank. Time to refuel!
¢ page 215.
If the symbo l lights up, even when the re is ample
fue l in the tank, and the text
Fuel tank sy stem
malfun ction! Contact dealer
appears in the dis­
p lay, there is a fau lt in the system . Contact an a u­
thor ized Audi dealer to have the fault rectified.
D Battery voltage
If battery power drops into the range where it
can limit the abil ity of the engine to sta rt, th is
the symbo l(•) ::ippears in the instrument cluster
Driver information s ystem
display with the following driver message Lo w
batter y: Batte ry will be charged while d riving.
While t his d river no tification is disp layed, you
have to be prepa red fo r limited star ting capabili ­
ty .
Driver message appears and goes out again
If this drive r message appears after the ign ition
is tur ned on or while d riving a nd it goes ou t again
after a wh ile, the ba ttery has been adequa tely re ­
charged .
Driver message appears and does not go out
again
If this drive r notific ation appea rs after the ign i­
t ion is tu rned on or while dr iv ing and does not go
out again, the battery's state of charge is no t in
the optimal range. Start ing capability is restrict­
ed. Have the battery checked at an authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified workshop as soon as possible.
~ Check engine oil
II Add oil, ma x x qt (l) . You may cont . driv .
When the Ill symbol and dr iver message appear,
add the amount of oil appear ing in the disp lay at
the next opportunity ¢
page 225.
'l:7;,.. Engine oil sensor defective
• Oil le vel! Sen sor defective
If the symbol illuminates, contact yo ur author­
ized Audi dealer and have the oil sensor inspect­
ed . Until you have this done, check the oil level
each time you ref uel just to be on the safe s ide
¢ page 225.
!? Engine speed limitation
Applies to vehicles: with engine speed limitation
II! Do not ex ce ed max . engine speed of XXXX
rpm
T he II! symbol illuminates when there is a n en­
gine co ntro l malfunction . The indicato r light ~
i n t he i nstr ument cluster also illum inates. The
engine speed is limited to the speed displayed in .,,.
33

Driver inform ation system
the dr iver information system . Keep in mind that
the engine speed will not exceed the va lue dis­
p layed in the driver information system, for ex­
ample when downshifting.
P lease go to an autho rized Audi dea le r or other
qualified workshop to have the malfunction re­ paired.
,m.. Diesel particulate filter clogged
Ap plies to veh icles: w ith diesel e ngi ne and d iesel pa rticu late
f ilt e r
II Particul ate filter Se e owne r's manu al
When the II symbol illum inates, you can alte r
your driving style to assist the fi lter self-clean ing
process . Drive for approximately 15 minu tes wi th
the selector lever in the S position at a minimum
speed of 37 mph (60 km/h) and an engine speed
of approximately 2,000 RPM. The temperature
increase that will result from this can burn off
the soot in the fi lter. The symbol will sw itch off
when the clean ing is successful. After a success­
ful cleaning, there is no need to b ring the car to
an author ized deal er or qualified wo rkshop be­
cause this is part of normal ve hicle operation.
If the symbo l
II does not switch off, see your
author ized dealer or other qualif ied wo rkshop to
have the problem corrected.
For more information on the d iesel particulate
fi lter, refer to
<=> page 199 .
A WARNING
Always adapt yo ur speed to the current
weather, road and traffic condit ions. You
should never disobey traffic laws in order to
follow driving recommendat ions.
~()) Headlight range control defective
II Headlight range contr ol d efec tiv e!
If the symbol II ill um inates, the dynam ic head­
light range con trol is no longe r working prope rly .
H ave the system checked and repaired a t your au­
thor ized Audi dealer.
34
~O Adaptive light defective
App lies to vehicles: wit h adaptive light
mil Audi adaptiv e light : defe ctiv e
When this symbol mil illuminates, it means that
adaptive light is defective. Go to an author ized
Audi dealer to have the headlig hts o r the control
unit for the adaptive light repa ired.
@ -Steering malfunction
El! Steering lock: Contact deal er!
If the El! symbol in the d isplay comes on, there
i s a n elect ronic steering co lumn lock malfunc­
tion.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immed iately
to have the malfunct ion corrected.
A WARNING
Your veh icle must not be towed in the event
of a malfunction in the elec tronic steering co l­
umn lock be ca u se it canno t be s teered due to
the locked steering . If it is towed with the
steering locked, there is the risk of an acci­
dent .
~ Ignition lock malfunction
m Ignition lock defective
If the l3 symbo l in the d isplay comes on, there is
a malfunction i n the electronic ignition lock.
Please go to an authorized A udi dealer or other
qualified workshop to have the ma lf u nction re­
paired.
; Adaptive dampers
App lies to vehicles: with Aud i drive se lect
R Suspension : Sy stem fault!
If the R symbo l in the disp lay comes on, there is
a mal function in the adaptive dampers. Please go
to an authorized Aud i dea ler or other qualified
workshop to have the malfunction repaired .
· ~ Windshield wipers faulty
El Windshield wipers d efective

Driving
Driving
Steering
Manually adjustable steering wheel
The height and reach of the steering wheel can
be adjusted .
Fig. 98 Lever under the steering column
Firs t, adjust the driver 's seat cor rectly .
• Pull the lever ¢
fig. 98 -Arrow-¢ &_.
• Move the steer ing whee l to the desired posi­
t ion.
• Push the lever agains t the steering col umn un-
ti l it locks.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­ tween your chest and the cente r of the steering
wheel.
If you cannot sit mo re than 10 i nch es (25
cm) from the steering wheel, see if adaptive
equipment is available to help you reach the ped­
als and increase the distance from the steering
wheel.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver 's seat, see ¢
page 64.
A WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjustment
and improper seating position can cause seri­
ous pe rsonal injury .
- Adjust the steering wheel column on ly when
the vehicle is not moving to prevent loss of
vehicle control.
- Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel so
that there is a minimum of 10 inches (25
cm) between your chest and the steering
wheel
¢page 136, fig. 151 . If you cannot
84
maintain this minimum distance, the airbag
system cannot p rotect you properly.
- If physical limitations prevent you from sit­
ting 10 inches (25 cm) or more from the
steer ing whee l, check with your authorized
Audi dea ler to see if adaptive equipment is
availab le.
- If the steer ing whee l is aligned with your
face, the supplementa l driver 's airbag can­
not prov ide as much p rotection in a n acci­
dent. Always make su re that the steering
wheel is alig ned with your chest.
- Always hold the steer ing wheel w ith your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to reduce the ris k of persona l injury if
the dr iver's air bag dep loys.
- Never hold the stee ring wheel at the 12
o'cloc k position o r with your hands inside
the steering wheel rim or on t he steering
wheel hub . Holding the steeri ng whee l the
wrong way can cause serious injuries to the
hands, arms and head if the driver's airbag
deploys.
Ignition lock
Starting engine with the key
The ignition is switched on and the engine start ­
ed with the ignition key.
Fig . 99 Ign iti on key
Starting the engine
• Insert the key in to the ign ition lock.
• Hybrid drive *: refe r to the informat ion fo r start­
i ng the veh icle under ¢
page 99 .
• Step on the brake pedal and move the selector
lever to the P or N position.
• Press the key¢
fig. 99 -the engine will start. IIJ,

M N
co ~ co
rl I.O
"' N
"' rl
General information
Applies to vehicles: with Start-Stop-System
The standard Start-Stop-mode can be cancelled
for different system-related reasons.
Fig . 105 Instrument cluster: E ngin e-Stop tempo rarily un­
available
Engine will not switch off
.... M
9 cc IX) ID
Before each stop phase, the system checks if cer­
tain conditions have been met. For example, the
engine will
not be switched off in the following
situations:
- The engine has not reached the minimum re­
quired temperature for Start-Stop-mode.
- The interior temperature selected by the A/C system has not been reached.
- The outside temperature is extremely high/low.
- The windshield is being defrosted ~
page 82.
-The park ing system* is switched on .
- The battery cha rge level is too low.
- The steer ing whee l is sharply turned or there is
a steering movement.
- After engaging the reverse gear.
Engine automatically restarts
The stop phase is interrupted in the following sit­
uations, for example. The engine restarts without
any action by the driver.
- The interior temperature varies from the tem­
perature selected in the A/C system.
- The windshield is beeing defrosted
~ page 82.
-The brake pedal is pressed several times in a
row.
Driving
- The battery charge level becomes too low.
Switching the ignition off automatically
To prevent the battery from draining, the ignition
will switch off
automatically when all of the fol­
lowing condit ions have been met:
- The vehicle has already been driven.
- The engine has been turned off by the Start-
Stop-System.
- The driver's door is opened.
- The driver's seat belt is removed .
- The brake pedal is not pressed down.
- The vehicle is stationary .
In this case, the activated low beam will be re­
placed by the side marker lights. The side marker
lights will switch off after approximately 30 mi ­
nutes or when you lock the vehicle .
If the Start-Stop-System has
not turned off the
engine or if you have switched the Start-Stop­
System off manually, the ignition will
not be au­
tomatically switched off and the engine will con­
tinue to run~,&. .
A WARNING
Never allow the engine to run in confined
spaces - danger of asphyxiation.
(D Tips
-
If you shift into the D/S or N positions after
sh ifting into reverse, the vehicle must be driv­
en faster than 6 mph (10 km/h) in orde r for
the engine to switch off again.
93

Automatic transmission
-Never leave your vehicle with the engine
running while in gear. If you must leave your
vehicle when the engine is running, activate
the parking brake and move the selector lev­ er to P.
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To pre­
vent the vehicle from "creeping", you must keep your foot on the brake when the engine
is running and the selector lever is in D/S or
R or "tiptronic" mode is selected.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selector lever position while
the vehicle is stationary and the engine is
running.
- Never shift into R or P while driving.
- Before driving down a steep slope, reduce
your speed and shift into a lower gear with
"tiptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re­
duces braking performance, increases brak­
ing distance or causes complete failure of
the brake system.
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it in
place with the brake pedal or parking brake.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipping clutch. The clutch opens automati­
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload. An indicator lamp[!] illuminates
and a driver message appears
<=> page 127
when the clutch is overloaded .
-If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure these­
lector lever has securely engaged and is
locked in P with the parking brake set
<=>page 221. Otherwise, any increase in en­
gine speed may set the vehicle in motion,
even with the parking brake applied.
0 Note
- When stopping on an incline, do not try to
hold the vehicle in place by pressing the ac­
celerator pedal while a driving gear is se-
126
lected. This can cause the transmission to
overheat and can damage it. Activate the
parking brake or press the brake pedal to
prevent the vehicle from rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the engine
is stopped and the selector lever is in N will
damage the transmission because it is not
lubricated under those circumstances.
{!) Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when the driver's
safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down declines.
Hill descent control is activated when the selec­
tor lever is in D/S and you press the brake pedal.
The transmission automatically selects a gear
that is suitable for the incline. Hill descent con­
trol tries to maintain the speed achieved at the
time of braking, within physical and technical limitations.
It may still be necessary to adjust the
speed with the brakes.
Hill descent control switches off once the decline
levels out or you press the accelerator pedal.
When the speed is set in the cruise control sys­
tem <=>
page 95, hill descent control is also acti­
vated .
A WARNING
Hill descent control cannot overcome physical
limitations, so it may not be able to maintain
a constant speed under all conditions. Always
be ready to apply the brakes.

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
~

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