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 .
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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 .
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Fuel and Refu elin g
Refilling AdBlue with a canister
App lies to veh icles: w ith selective cata lyt ic red uctio n
@
+®
Fig. 194 Canister with hose
"' Remove the cover on the refill canister c:::> A in
Filling Ad Blue on page 219,
c:::> 0 in Filling
AdBlue on page 219 .
"' Secure the end of the hose(!) on the opening in
the canister @ by turning the hose to the r ight.
"' Remove the cap @from the other end of the
hose @.
"' Position the end of the hose @on the fi ller
neck in the vehicle and turn the hose to the
right to tighten it.
"'Lift the canister up and then tip it. Continue
holding the canister in a tipped position until it
is empty or until no more flu id flows into the
tank .
"' Remove the canister and close the filler neck
c:::> page 220, Completing AdBlue refill .
0 Note
Only use refill canisters that are approved for
your vehicle. Us ing other systems can cause
Ad Blue to leak.
@ Tips
- An authorized Audi dealer or author ized
Audi repair facility can tell you w hich refill
can iste rs a re approved for your vehicle.
- A refill canister contains approximate ly 1. 3
gallons (5 liters) of Ad Blue.
220
Completing AdBlue refill
App lies to vehicles: wit h selective cata lyt ic reduction
C losin g the filler neck
"'Turn the cap to the right on the filler neck w ith
the wheel w rench until the cap clicks i nto place.
This tightens the cap to the specification
c:::> A
in Filling AdBlue on page 219, c:::> 0 in Filling
AdBlue on page 219.
"'Then press on the left side of the tank door un-
til you hear it lock.
Aft er filling
The vehicle must be driven. The system may take
up to two m inutes to detect that the Ad Blue has
been filled.
"' If there was no AdBlue left in the tank and a
range of
O mi (0 km ) was shown in the display,
sw itch the ignition on for about 30 seconds be
fore starting the engine.
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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).
221
Checking and F ill in g
- The oi l fi ller cap mus t be pr operly secured to
p re vent oil from being sprayed on the hot
engine and exhaust system when the engine
is running - fire hazard!
- If your skin has come in contact with the en
gine oil, you must subsequently clea nse it
tho roughly .
CD Note
-Check the o il level using the radio or the
MMI*. If the message
Please reduce oil lev
el
appears, contact your authorized Audi
dealer or other qualified wo rkshop to have
excess oil ext racted if necessa ry .
- Audi does not recommend the use of oil
additive s. They may damage the engine
and adversely affect your New Vehicle War
ranty .
@ For the sake of the environment
- Under no circ umstances ca n the o il come in
contact w ith the sewage network o r the soil.
- Observe and fo llow lega l regu lations whe n
dispos ing of empty oil co ntaine rs .
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by an
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service sta
tion .
Before you check any thing in the engine compart
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS c> .&.
in Working in the engine compartment on
page 221 .
The engine oil must be changed according to the i n terva ls specified in your Warranty
& Mainte
nance booklet . This is ve ry impo rtant because the
lubricat ing propert ies of o il diminish gradua lly
du ring normal ve hicl e use.
Unde r some circumstances the eng ine o il should
be changed more frequent ly. Change oil more of
ten if yo u drive most ly short distances, operate
t he vehicle in d usty areas or unde r predom inan tly
s top-and-go traff ic co ndit io ns, o r have you r vehi
cle where tem peratures rema in be low freezing
for extended periods .
226
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil
l ook dark after the engine has been running fo r a
short time. Th is is norma l and is not a reason to
c h ange the oi l more often than recommended.
Beca use o f the p rob lem of p roper disposal, along
with t he specia l too ls and necessary expertise re
quired, we strongly recommend that yo u have
your oi l changed by an authori zed
Audi dealer or
a q ua lified service station.
If you choose to change your oil yourself , please
note the fo llow ing important info rmat ion:
_& WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal inj ur y if you
must change the eng ine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protect ion.
- To reduce t he risk of burns from hot eng ine
oil, let the engine coo l d own to the to uch.
-
- W hen removing the o il dra in p lug with your
fingers, stay as far away as possible. Always
keep you r forearm parallel t o the ground to
he lp prevent hot o il from running down your
arm .
- Dra in the oil i nto a container designed for
this purpose , one large enough to hold at
l e ast the tota l amount o f oil in you r engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it we ll out of
the reach of ch ildren .
- Continuous contact w it h used eng ine oi l is
ha rmf ul to your skin . Always protect your
skin by washi ng oil off tho roughly wi th soap
a nd wate r.
CD Note
N eve r mix oil additives with you r engine oil.
These add itives can damage your engine and
adverse ly affec t your Aud i Lim ited New Vehi
cle Warranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
-Before changi ng your oil , first make sure
you know wh ere you ca n prope rly dispose of
t h e us ed oil.
- Always disp ose of used eng ine oil properly.
Do not dump it o n garden soi l, wooded
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Emergency assistance
Vehicle jack, vehicle tool kit and collapsible spare
tire
Onboard tool kit and vehicle jack
The vehicle tools ond vehicle jack* are stored in
the luggage compartment under the floor cover.
Fig. 209 Luggage compartme nt: on board tool kit and vehi·
cle jack
The vehicle jack* is stored under the on board tool
ki t¢ fig.
209.
Hybrid drive*: the storage location of the on
board too l kit varies ¢
page 105.
The on board tool kit includes:
- Hook for removing wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Alignment p in for cha nging wheels
- Wheel bolt wrench
- Folding chocks
- Screwdriver w ith reversible blade
- Socket (removable Torx socket)*
- 10 x 13 open ended wrench (for disconnecting
the battery cables)
- Towing eye
Befo re storing the jack*, make sure it is wound
back down as far as it will go.
A WARNING
Improper use of the vehicle jack* can cause
ser ious personal injuries.
- Never use the jack* supplied with your Audi
on another vehicle, particularly on a heav ier
-
Emergen cy assistance
one. The jack * is only suitable for use on the
veh icle it came with.
- Using a bumper jack to raise the vehicle will
damage the bumper system. The jack may
slip, causing injury.
- Never support your vehicle on c inder b locks,
bricks or other objects. These may not be
able to support the load and could cause in·
jury when they fa il.
- Never start or run the engine while the vehi
cle is supported by the jack*.
- If you must work under the vehicle, always
use safety stands specifically designed for
this purpose.
- Never use the hexagonal socket in the han
dle of the screwdriver to loosen or tighten
the wheel bolts.
- Always make sure the inflatable spare tire*
and even a flat tire are secured in place and
not loose, otherwise they could fly forward,
causing personal injury to passengers in the
veh icle in an acc ident or sudden maneuver.
(D Tips
Some of the on board items listed above are
provided on certain models only or are option
al extras.
Folding chocks
The folding chocks are part of the on board tool
kit.
--.. ,..
Fig. 210 Open ing foldi ng chock s
To use the chocks, you first have to rais e the sup ·
port plate r::!,>
fig. 210 (!) and then i nsert the lock
ing plate with the two "tabs" into the e longated
holes in the base pl ate@¢
A. .,.
255
Emergency assistance
_& WARNING
- The chock cannot fulfil its funct io n and may
lose its stability if the "tabs" on the support
plate are not inserted correctly into the
elongated holes in the base plate. If th is
happens, the vehicle may start to
move
wh ile a wheel is being changed .
- Never use the folding chocks if they are
damaged o r if they have not been assem
bled correct ly.
Removing bass box
Applies to veh icles: w ith bass box
Before the inflatable spare tire* can be taken
ou t, the bass box must be removed.
F ig . 211 Spare whee l well: Ba ss box
Removing bass box
" Lift up the cargo floor using the hand le .
" Squ eeze the lock ing tabs
q fig. 211 (D of the
con nector.
" Disconne ct the connector @and place the lead
to one side .
"T urn the large screw co unter -clockwise.
" Carefu lly remove the bass box.
Installing bass box
" Carefully place the b ass box in t he wheel. The
inscription " FRON T" on the bass box mus t face
forward .
" Reconnect the connector that was removed .
" Secure the bass box with the large screw.
" Fo ld the cargo floor back down.
256
Inflatable spare tire
Applies to vehicles: with inflatable spare tire
The inflatable spare tire expands to its full diam
eter when it is inflated .
Fig. 212 In flatable spa re tir e with compressor
Removing inflatable spare tire
" Lift up the cargo floo r using t he h andle .
" Remove the dirt tray .
" Tu rn the large screw
q fig . 212 co unter -clock-
w ise .
" Remove the bass box as required
q page 256 .
"Take out the inflatable spare tire.
" Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack* and
the replaced t ire in the luggage c ompa rtment
q page 140.
Stowing the inflatable spare tire
" Release the air by unscrewing the valve stem.
" Screw the
valve stem back in afterwards.
" Wait a few hours befo re p lacing the wheel in
the spare wheel well
9 & .
"Insta ll the bass box as required qpage 256.
" Sec ure t he wheel with the large screw .
" Place the dirt tray back in.
" Fold the cargo floo r ba ck down .
After using the inflatable spare wheel
The inflatab le spare tire can be re-used as lo ng as
i t is not damaged and is not worn down to the
tread wear indicators
q &, .
When you let the a ir out of the inf latab le spare
t ir e, it does not assume its folded shape aga in for
several hours. Until then, it ca nnot be placed
back in the spare wheel we ll and stowed se cu rely . .,.
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_& WARNING
-Never use the spare tire if it is damaged or if
it is worn down to the tread wear ind icators .
-If the inflatable spare tire is more than 6
years old, use it only in an emergency and
with extreme caution and careful dr iving .
- The inflatable spare tire is intended only for
temporary and short -term use . It should be
replaced as soon as possib le w ith the nor
mal wheel and tire .
- The tire pressure value for the inflatable
spare t ire is Located on the driver's side
B
pillar ¢ page 245, fig. 207 .
-Maximum pe rm issible speed is 50 mph
(80 km/h) .
-Avoid full -throttle acce lerat ion, heavy brak
ing, and fast cornering .
- When the air is let out of the inflatable
spare wheel, it does not assume its folded
shape for severa l hours . Until then, it cannot
be placed back in the spare whee l well and
stowed secu rely.
- Never drive with more than one inflatable
spare t ire.
- For technical reasons, the use of tire chains
on the inf latab le spare tire is not permitted.
If it is necessary to dr ive with tire chains,
the inflatable spare whee l must be moun ted
on the front axle in the event of a flat in a rear tire. The new ly available front wheel
must then be i nstalled in place of the rear
w heel with the flat tire. Insta lling the t ire
chain before mounting the wheel and tire is
recommended .
- Loose items in the passenger compartment
can cause ser ious personal injury during
hard braking or in an accident. Never store
the inflatable spare tire or jack* and too ls in
the passenger compa rtment.
CD Note
- The inf latable spare tire has been developed
spec ifically for this vehicle model.
It must
not be exchanged or used for other veh icle
models. Simi la rly , inflatable tires from oth
er vehicle model s must not be used.
Em erg en cy ass is tan ce
- Norma l summer or w inter t ires m ust not be
installed on the inflatable tire rim .
Inflating inflatable spare tire
Applies to vehicles: w it h in flatable spa re tire
F ig . 2 13 Lu ggage compa rtm en t l eft s ide: co mpre sso r
.,. Remove the left tr im pane l in t he luggage com
pa rtment.
.. Open the Velc ro strap and remove the compres
sor
<=> fig. 213.
.. Unscrew the valve stem from the spare tire.
.. Screw the tire filler hose from the compressor
firmly onto the valve of the spare tire .
.,. Insert the plug from the comp ressor into a
socket of the vehicle
<=> page 77 .
.. Switch the comp resso r o n.
.,. Let the compressor r un unt il the va lue specified
on the tire pressure labe l is reached
c::> page 245, fig . 207 . Switch the compressor
off after running for 12 minutes at th e most -
danger of overheating!
_& WARNING
-
The compressor and the tire f iller hose can
become extremely hot while t hey are running
- danger of bu rns!
CD Note
Switch the compressor off after running for
12 minutes at the most -danger of overheat
i ng ! Allow the compressor to cool down for a
few m inutes before you use it agai n.
-
257