2015 AUDI Q5 brake

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.

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Manual shift program
Using the manual shift program you can man­
ually select gears.
Fig. 137 Center console: shift ing t he g ears manually
Fig. 138 Stee ring whee l: Shi ft paddles•
Gear selection with selector lever
The tiptronic mode can be selected either with
the vehicle stationary or on the move.
• Push the selector lever to the right from D/S.
"' N N N :,:,
18
An M appears in the instrument cluster display
as soon as the transm ission has shifted.
• To upshift, push the selector lever forward to
the plus position
0 ~fig. 137.
• To downshift, push the lever to the minus posi-
tion
0 .
Gear selection with shift paddles*
The shift paddles are activated when the selector
lever is in D/S or the tiptronic manual shift pro­
gram.
• To upshift , touch the button on the right
0
~fig. 138.
• To downshift, touch the button on the left 0-
• If you do not press a shift paddle within a short
t ime whi le in the D/S position, the transmission
will return to automatic mode. To keep shifting
Automatic transmission
using the shift padd les, move the selector lever
to the right out of the D/S position.
T he transmission automatically shifts up or dow n
before critical engine speed is reached.
T he transmission only allows manual shifting
when the engine speed is withi n the permitted
range.
@ Tips
- When you shift into the next lower gear, the
transmission will downshift only when there
is no possibility of over-revving the engine.
- When the kick-down comes on, the trans­
mission will shift down to a lower gear, de­
pending on vehicle and engine speeds.
- Tiptronic is ino perative when the transmis­
sion is in the fail-safe mode .
- Hybrid drive*: electric d riving is not possible
in tiptronic mode.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration .
When you depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the resistance point, the automatic transmission
downsh ifts into a lower gear, depending on vehi­
cle speed and engine speed . The upshift into the
next higher gear takes pla ce once the maximum
specified eng ine speed is reached .
A WARNING
-Please note that the drive wheels can spin if
kick-down is used on a smooth slippery road -
there is a risk of skidding.
Transmission malfunction
rm Transmission: Press brake pedal and select
gear again.
Press the brake pedal and select the desired se ­
lector lever position again. You can then cont inue
driving .
rm Transmission overheating: Please drive con-
servatively. ..,.
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-Always drive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly ad justed head restraint.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restraints so the upper edge is as even as possib le w ith the top of your head.
If that is not possib le, try to adjust the head
restraint so that it is as close to this position
as possib le.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
wh ile driving. If you have driven off and
must adjust the dr iver headrest for any rea­
son, fi rst stop the veh icle safely before at­
tempting to ad just the head restraint.
- Children must always be properly restrai ned
in a ch ild restraint that is appropria te fo r
their age and si ze
qpoge 172.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system con only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants ore properly
seated.
I mproper seat ing posit ions can ca use serious in­
jury o r death . Safety be lts ca n only work when
they are prope rly positioned on t he body. Im­
proper sea ting pos it ions reduce the effect iveness
of safety belts and wi ll even increase the risk of
in ju ry and death by moving the safety belt to cr it­
i cal areas of the body. Improper seating positions
also increase the risk of serious injury and death
when an airbag deploys a nd strikes an occupant
who is not i n the proper seating position . A driver
i s responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants and especia lly for children . Therefo re :
.. Never allow anyone to ass ume an incorrect
seat ing pos ition when the veh icle is being used
¢ ,&. .
The follow ing bulletins list only some sample po­
sitions that will increase the risk of ser ious injury
and death. Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seat ing pos itions that
are dangerous.
Dr ivin g s afet y
Therefore , whenever the vehicle is moving :
-never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride w ith the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- neve r sit sideways
- neve r lean out t he window
- neve r put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cush ion or back
of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the ca rgo a rea
A WARNING
Imp roper seating posit ions increase the risk
of ser ious personal in jury and death whenever
a veh icle is being used.
-Always make sure that all vehicle occupants stay in a proper seating position and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is
be ing used.
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mot or
any other object .
Make sure that a ll peda ls move free ly without in­
te rfe ren ce and t hat no thing prevents them from
re tu rning to t he ir o riginal posi tions.
Only use floor mats t hat leave the pedal a rea free
and can be secured with floor mat fastene rs.
If a brake circuit fa ils, increased brake pedal trav­
el is required to bring the veh icle to a full stop .
A WARNING
-
Pedals that cannot move free ly can cause loss
of vehicle co ntrol and increase the risk of ser i-
ous injury.
~
1 39

Driving safety
-Never place any objects in the driver's foot­
well. An object could get into the pedal area
and interfere with pedal function . In case of
sudden braking or an accident, you would not be able to brake or accelerate!
- Always make sure that nothing can fall or
move into the driver 's footwell.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mots that con be securely at­
t ached to the floor mo t fas teners and do no t in­
terfere with the free movement of the pedals .
• Make su re that the floor mats are properly se­
cured and cannot move and interfere with the pedals
c> _&. .
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area un­
obstructed and that are firmly secured so that
they cannot slip out of position. You can obtain
suitable floor mats from your authorized Audi
dealer .
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached
to these fasteners. Properly securing the floor mats will prevent them from sliding into posi­
tions that could interfere with the pedals or im­
pair safe operation of your vehicle in other ways.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result in a
loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of
serious personal injury.
- Always make sure that floor mats are prop ­
erly secured .
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot be
properly secured in place to prevent them
from slipping and inte rfering w ith the ped­
als or the ability to control the vehicle .
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already installed
floor mats. Additional floor mats and other
coverings will reduce the size of the pedal
area and interfere with the pedals .
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for cleaning.
140
-Always make sure that objects cannot fall
into the driver footwell while the vehicle is
moving. Objects can become trapped under
the brake pedal and accelerator pedal caus­
ing a loss of vehicle control.
Storing cargo correctly
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be properly stowed and secured in the luggage comport­
ment.
Fig. 153 Safe loa d positioning : place heavy o bjects as low
and as far fo rwa rd as poss ib le.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling charac­
teristics . Loose items can also increase the risk of
serious personal injury in a sudden vehicle ma­ neuver or in a collision .
• Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com­
partment.
• Always place and properly secure heavy items in
the luggage compartment as low and as far for­
ward as possible
c> fig . 153.
• Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided
c>poge 70.
• Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place.
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can
fly through the vehicle causing serious per­
sonal injury in the event of hard braking or an
accident. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury: ..,.

Smart Technology
Smart Technology Notice about data
recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and
vehicle control modules
Event Data Recorder
This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data Re­
corder (EDR) . The main purpose of an EDR is to
record, in certain crash or near crash-like situa­
tions, such as an airbag deployment or hitting a
road obstacle, data that will assist in understand ­
ing how a vehicle 's systems performed . The EDR
is designed to record data related to vehicle dy­
namics and safety systems for a short period of
time, typically 30 seconds or less . The EDR in this
veh icle is designed to record such data as:
- How various systems in your vehicle were oper­
at ing;
- Whe ther or not the driver and passenger safety
belts were buckled/fastened;
- How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
- How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better understand­
ing of the circumstances in which crashes and in­
juries occur. NOT E: EDR data are recorded by your
vehicle only if a non-trivial crash situation occurs;
no data are recorded by the EDR under normal
driving conditions and no personal data (e.g .,
name, gender , age, and crash location) are re­
corded. However, other part ies, such as law en­
forcement, could combine the EDR data with the
type of personally identify ing data routinely ac­
qui red during a crash investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special equip­
ment is requ ired, and access to the vehicle or the
E DR is needed. In addition to the vehicle manu­
facturer, other parties, such as law enforcement,
that have the specia l equipment , can read the in­
formation if they have access to the vehicle or the E DR.
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDRs installed in a vehi­
cle for the express purpose of retrieving data af-
190
ter an accident or crash event without the own ­
er's consent.
Audi will not access the EDR and/or similar data
o r g ive it to others -
- unless the veh icle owner (or lessee if the veh i­
cle has been leased) agrees; or
- upon the official request by the police; or
- upon the order of a court of law or a govern-
ment agency; or
- for the defense of a lawsuit through the judicial
discovery process .
- Audi may also use the data for research about
veh icle operation and safety performance or
provide the data to a third party for research
purposes without identifying the spec ific vehi­
cle or information about the ident ity of its own­
er or lessee and only after the recorded vehicle
data has been accessed.
Vehicle control modules
Your vehicle is also equipped with a number of
electronic control modules for var ious vehicle
systems, such as engine management, emission
control, airbags, and safety belts .
These electronic control modules record data dur ing norma l vehicle operation that may be
needed by trained technicians for diagnostic and
repair purposes. The recording capabil ity of these
modules is lim ited to data (no sound is recorded).
Only a small amount of data is actua lly recorded
over a very limited period of time, or stored when
a system fau lt is detected by a contro l modu le.
Some of the data stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, or braking, as well as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a crash. Stored data can also only be read and
down loaded w ith specia l equipment that is di­
rectly connected to the vehicle.
(D Tips
Your vehicle may be equipped with Audi con­
nect . Your use of certain Audi connect fea­
tures requires wireless serv ices that are p ro­
v ided by a third party wireless telecommuni­
cations provider . For details regarding how in­
formation obtained through Audi connect is
collected, processed, transmitted, used, and ..,..

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shared, please see your contract with the
wireless telecommunications provider and the
"About Aud i connect" tab in your vehicle's
MMI*:
IMENU I button> Audi connect > About
Audi connect .
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
The Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) reinfor­
ces driver safety. It reduces the risk of slipping
and improves driving stability. ESC detects criti­
cal s ituations such as the vehicle oversteering
and understeering or the wheels sp inning. The
veh icle is stab ilized by applying the brakes or re­
ducing engine torque. Once the ESC is act ive, the
indicator light
m blinks in the instrument clus­
ter.
The fol low ing systems a re integrated in the ESC:
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up when
brak ing . The vehicle can still be steered even dur­
ing hard braking. Apply steady pressure to the
brake pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A pulsing in
the brake pedal indicates that the system is help­
ing you to brake the vehicle.
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking d is­
tance . It increases braking power when the dr iver
presses the brake pedal quick ly in emergency s it­
uations. You must press and hold the brake pedal
unti l the situation is over. In vehicles w ith adap ­
tive cruise control*, the brake assist system is
more sensitive if the distance detected to the ve­
hicle ahead is too small.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the drive whee ls
begin to spin and adapts the force to the road
conditions. This makes it easier to start, acceler­
ate and drive up hills.
Smart Technology
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes whee ls that are spinning and
trans fers the drive power to the other whee ls.
This function is not avai lable at higher speeds .
In extreme cases, EDL automatically sw itches off
to help keep the brake on the braked wheel from
overheating. EDL will switch on again automati­
ca lly when conditions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
The ESC helps to stabilize the vehicle by changing
the steering torque.
On vehicles with dynam ic steering*, ESC helps
stab ilize the steer ing in crit ical situat ions .
Selective wheel torque control
Selective wheel torque control is used when driv­
ing on curves. The front wheel on the inside of
the curve or both wheels on the inside of the
curve are braked select ively as needed. This al­
lows more precise driving in curves. The applica­
ble system may not activate when driving in wet
o r snowy conditions .
A WARNING
-
-The ESC and its integrated systems cannot
overcome the laws of physics. This is espe­
cially important on slippery or wet roads. If
the systems begin acting to stabilize your
vehicle, you should immediately change
your speed to match the road and traffic conditions . Do not let the increased safety
provided by these systems tempt you to
take risks. Doing so will increase the risk of a
loss of vehicle control, collision and serious
personal injuries.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions. The risk of los ing con­
trol of the vehicle increases when driving
too fast, especially through curves and on
slippery or wet roads, and when driving too
close to vehicles up ahead . The ESC and its
integrated systems cannot a lways prevent
coll isions - there is st ill a risk of acc idents!
- Always accelerate with special care on even,
smooth surfaces such as those that are wet
or covered with ice and snow. The drive
191

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Hill descent assist
The hill descent assist makes it possible to drive
down on incline at a constant speed .
~!:t'::t Cl)Of~ ........ - -~ -fi31.. ..,_e..,,. --
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Fig. 187 Top of t he ce nte r con so le: h ill descen t ass ist bu t­
to n
Fig. 188 D isplay: hill descent assist
~ Press the~ button in the center console
~ 1/) 9 a:
~
¢ fig. 187 or on the shift gate. The button w ill
illuminate .
~ Press the button again to switch it off. The di-
ode in the butto n w ill go out.
H ill descent assist brakes all four wheels auto­
mat ica lly in o rder to lim it speed when driv ing ei­
ther fo rward or reverse on hills with a grade up to
approximately 50%.
When the h ill descent assist is on, the current
d riving speed, when your vehicle entered the in­
cline is maintained.
It is only possible to switch
on the ass ist when d riving slower than 37 mph
(60 km/h). The assist works between app rox i­
mately 2 and 19 mp h (4 and 30 km/h). The driver
can increase or decrease the vehicle speed within
these limits by depressing the acce lerator or
brake pedal In addition , vehicle steerability is in­
creased due to the braking distribution when
:0 driving in reverse .
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Smart Technology
There must be however suffic ient ground adhe­
sion . The hill descent assist can
n ot do its job if
the incline is icy or if the incline ground is loose
¢ Ll:). .
The system does not work at speeds between 19
and 37 mph (30 and 60 km/h) . The system is
then in the ready-mode. The d iode in the button
will come on . The system automatically switched
off when you drive faster than 37 mph (60 km/
h) . The diode will go out in this case .
Active control at a specif ic speed up to approx i­
mately 19 mph (30 km/h) will appear in the in­
strument cluster display¢
fig. 188. Two das hes
"--" will appear in the ready mode.
Hill descent assist is automatically activated un­
der the fo llowing conditions:
- the diode in the button i lluminates,
- veh icle speed is below approximately 19 mph
(30 km/h)
- the incline is 10% .
A WARNING
-
-Always adapt your speed to the weather,
road and traffic conditions. Do not let the in ­
creased safety provided tempt you into tak­ ing risks.
- The hill descent assist system cannot over­
come the laws of physics . Your driving style
must always be adapted to the current road
and traffic conditions.
- The hill descent assist may not be ab le to
hold your vehicle at a constant speed under
all conditions w hile driving on an incl ine (for
example if ground under the vehicle is loose) .
Braking
What affects broking efficiency?
New brake p ad s
During the first 250 miles (400 km), new brake
pads do not possess their full braking effect, they
have to be "broken in" first¢ &. .,,.
193

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
~