2015 AUDI Q5 check engine light

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

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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.
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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

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Checking and Filling Hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehi­
cle .
Fig . 195 Drive r's side footwe ll: e ng ine hood re lease lever
"' Wi th the driver's door open, pu ll the leve r un­
der the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow
c::> fig . 195.
The hood pops up s light ly under spri ng press ure.
Opening the engine hood
Fig. 196 Relea se leve r un der the eng ine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make su re that
the w indshield wipers are flat aga inst the wind­
shield. Otherwise, they could damage the paint
on the hood .
"' Pull up on the release under the hood
c:> fig . 196. This releases the catch.
"' Open the hood all the way
c::> A.
~ _&. WARNING
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:5: Hot engine coo lant can burn you.
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Ch eck in g and Fillin g
-To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coolant escaping from the eng ine compart­
ment. Wait until no steam or coolant can be
seen or heard before carefully opening the hood.
Closing the engine hood
"' Pull the hood down until the pressu re from the
struts is reduced.
"' Le t the hood
drop down and latch in p lace. Do
not try to push it shut;
it may fa il to engage
c::> A .
A WARNING
-
A hood that is not completely latched cou ld
fly up and block your view while driv ing.
-
- When you close the engine hood, check it to
make sure the safety catch has properly en­
gaged . The hood should be flush with the
surrounding vehicle body parts .
- If you notice while driv ing that the hood is
not secured properly, stop at once and close
it .
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the
engine compartment.
Wheneve r you must pe rfo rm an y wo rk in the
eng ine comp artment , for e xample chec king and
fi lling differen t fluids , ther e is a ri sk of i nju ry,
bu rn s and acci den ts. To p re ve nt pe rsonal injur y
al way s ob serve the follo wing WARN INGS . The
e ngi ne compartm ent of an y ve hicle is a haza rd­
ou s area
~ ,&..
A WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check any­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the eng ine.
- Remove the ignition key.
- Apply the parking brake.
-
- Move selector lever of automatic transmis-
sion to P (Park).
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Checking and Filling
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
These are the mos t important item s that you can check .
Fig. 197 Typical layou t fo r container s and e ngine oil filler ca p
(D Jump start point(+) under a cover 23 2, 272
@ Brake fluid reservoir (0) . . . . . . . . 229
@ Engine oil filler cap(~) . . . . . . . . 225
@ Coolant expansion tank (- L) . . . . . 227
® Jump start point(-) w ith hex head
s crew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232, 272
@ Windshield/headlight washer con -
tainer
(Q) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
T he po sit ion of the engine oil filling hole
c:> fig. 197 (item @) can differ depending on the
engine design .
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
c:> &. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 221.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact sp eci­
f ications.
T he service interval disp lay in the instrument
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it is
time for an oi l chang e. We recommend that you
hav e your oil chang ed by an authori zed A udi Serv ­
ic e Advi sor .
If you have to top off the oil between oil changes,
use the Audi oil qua lity standa rd specified in the
tab~ .
~
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Checking and F ill in g
Audi oil quality standard
Gas oline VW 502 00 or
engi ne
vw 504 00
Die sel
vw 50 7 00
e n g in e
Using the proper engine o il is important for the
functionality and serv ice life of the engine. Your
engine was facto ry-filled with a high-qua lity oil
which can usually be used throughout the entire
year.
(D Note
Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not
cover damage or malfunctions due to failure
to follow recommended maintenance and use
requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's Manual and Warranty
& Ma intenance booklet.
- Use only a high qua lity eng ine oil that ex-
pressly complies w ith the Audi o il quality
standard specified for your vehicle's engine.
Using any other oil can cause serious engine
damage.
- Do not mix any lubricants or other additives
into the engine oil. Doing so can cause en­
gine damage.
(D Tips
If you need to add oil and there is none availa­
ble that meets the Audi o il quality standard
your eng ine requires, you may add a total of
no more than 0.5 quart/liter of a h igh-quality
"synthe tic"oil that meets the followi ng speci­
fications.
- Vehicles with gasoli ne engine: AC EA A3 o r
API SM wi th a viscosity g rade of SAE OW-30,
SA E SW-30 or SAE SW-40 .
- Vehicles wi th d iesel engine: AC EA C3 o r
API CF wi th a v iscosi ty grade of SA E OW-30
or SAE SW-30.
- Fo r more information abo ut eng ine oil t hat
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact eithe r your a uthorized Audi dea le r
or A udi Customer Relations at
1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
www.aud iusa.com or www .aud icanada.ca.
224
· Eng ine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of
its moving parts.
In order to prov ide effective lubrication and coo l­
i ng of internal engine components, all internal
combust ion engines consume a certa in amount
of oil. Oil consumpt ion va ries from engine to en­
gine and may change sig nificantly over the life of
the engine. Typically, eng ines wi th a specified
break -in period (see¢
page 198) consume mo re
o il during t he b reak-in period than they co nsume
after oil consumption has stabilized .
Un der normal cond itions, the rate o f oi l con­
sumption depends on the q uality and viscos ity o f
the oil, the RPM (revolutions per min ute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient tem­ perature and road condit ions. Further factors are
the amount of o il dilution from water condensa­
tion or fuel residue and the ox idat ion leve l of the
o il. As any engine is subject to wear as mileage
builds up, the oil consumption may inc rease over
time unt il rep lacement of worn compone nts may
become necessary.
With a ll these variab les coming into p lay, no
standard rate of oil consumpt ion can be estab­
li shed or spec ified. There is no alte rnative to reg­
u lar and frequent checking of the oil leve l, see
Note .
If the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l in
the i nstrument cluster
II lights up, you should
c h ec k t he o il level as soon as poss ible
cf> page 2 25. Top off the oil at your ear liest con­
venience
r:!> page 225.
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed a ll WARN­
INGS¢ .&.
in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 221.
(D Note
Driving wit h an insufficient oi l level is likely to
cause severe damage to the engine.
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Checking and Filling
"'Park your vehicle on a level surface.
"'Turn off the ignition.
"'Read the engine coolant level from the coolant
expansion tank
c:> fig . 200, <=> page 223,
fig. 197. With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "MIN" and "MAX" mark­
ings . When the engine is warm, the level may
be slightly above the "MAX" marking .
The location of the coolant expansion tank can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
<=> page 223 .
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must
be switched off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System
c::> page 29 will
blink until you add coolant and the level has been
restored to normal. Even though there is an elec­
tric coolant level sensor, we still recommend you
check the coolant level from time to time .
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cooling
system should be inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is not enough merely
to add coolant .
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the
boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as a re­
sult of overheating.
0 Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant . Adding radia­
tor repair fluid may adversely affect the func­
tion and performance of your cooling system
and could result in damage not covered by
your New Vehicle Limited Warranty .
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
228
c::> A in Working in the engine compartment on
page
221.
Requirement: There must be a residual amount
of coolant in the expansion tank
<=>(i) .
"'Turn off the engine.
"' Let the engine cool down.
"' Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank
c::> page 22 7, fig. 200 and carefully turn
the cap counter-clockwise
c::> .&, .
"'Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
c::> page 22 7, Coolant up to the MAX marking.
"'Make sure that the fluid level remains stable.
Add more coolant if necessary .
"'Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to ex­
act specifications
c::> page 22 7, Coolant.
We recommend using only coolant additive Gl2+
+, Gl3
or in an emergency Gl2+. Do not use a
different additive. In an emergency use plain wa­
ter until you can get the correct additive and can
restore the correct ratio. This should be done as
soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of cool­
ant, then you should add cold antifree ze and cold
water only when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Excess
coolant will be forced out through the pressure
relief valve in the cap when the engine becomes
hot.
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scalding
from hot coolant by following these steps.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a
counter-clockwise direction while applying
light, downward pressure on the top of
the cap.
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-To avoid being burned, do not spi ll anti­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or hot engine parts. Under certain condi­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine cool­ ant can catch fire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store anti­
freeze in its original conta iner and well out
of the reach of ch ildren .
-If you drain the coolant, it must be caught
and safely stored in a proper container
clearly marked "poison" .
(D Note
-Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty . Air could enter the cooling system
and damage the eng ine .
If this is the case,
do not continue driving. Seek profess ional
ass istance.
- Coolant pollutes the env ironment and could
cause an eng ine fire . Excess coolant will be
fo rced out through the pressure relief valve
i n the cap when the eng ine becomes hot.
- If, i n an emergency , only water can be add­
ed, the correct ratio between wa ter and an­
tifreeze
~ page 22 7 must be restored as
soon as possib le .
@) For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused. Always
dispose o f used coolant while observ ing all
environmental regulations .
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by it­
self.
The radiator fan is driven by the engine via the V­
be lt . The viscous clu tch regulates the speed of
the fan ac cording to the temperature of the cool ­
ant.
An auxiliary e lectr ic rad iator fan* switches on and
off depend ing on coolant temperat ure and othe r
veh icle operating conditions.
Afte r you switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan
can continue runn ing for up to 10 minutes -even
Ch eck in g and Fillin g
with the ignition off . It can even switch on again
later by itself¢& , if
- the temperatu re of the engine coo lant rises due
to the heat build- up from the engine in the en­
gine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because the
veh icle is parked in intense sun light .
A WARNING
-To reduce the risk of persona l injury never
touch the radiator fan .
- The auxiliary electric fan is temperature con­ trolled and can switch on suddenly even
when the engine is not running.
- The a uxiliary radiator fan sw itches on auto­
matica lly when the engine coolant reaches a
certain temperature and will continue to run
until the coolant temperature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a quick
glance .
Fig. 201 Engine compar tment : cov er on th e bra ke fluid
r e servoir
Before you check anyth ing in the engine compart ­
ment,
al way s read and h eed all WARNIN GS
¢ _.& in Working in the engine compartment on
page 221 .
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the b rake fluid
reservoir ¢
fig. 201, ¢ page 223, fig . 197 . The
brake fluid level must be between the
"MIN "
and "MAX " markings.
229