2015 AUDI Q5 engine overheat

Warning light in th e instrument clus ter
di splay
If the . warning light in the instrument cluster
display flashes , this can mean one of two th ings:
either the coolant
t emperature is too high, or the
coolan t
level is too low 9 page 29.
If the needle is well in the upper area of the
gauge, the coo lant temperature is too high.
S top
the veh icle , switc h the engin e off, and allo w i t
to coo l.
If the warning light comes on again after
driving a short distance , contact an authorized
Aud i dealer or other q ualified workshop .
..&, WARNING
-Always observe the warni ng i n 9 page 221,
before opening the hood and chec king the
engine coolan t level.
- Never open the engine hood if you see o r
hear steam, or if you see engine coolant
dr ipping from the engine compartmen t. You
cou ld burn yourself . Let the engine cool off
first so that you cannot hear o r see any
steam or engine coo lant.
CD Note
- M ount ing additional lights or accesso ries in
front of the air inlets red uces the cooling ef ­
fect of the radiator . At high outside temper ­
atures or high engine load, the eng ine could
overheat .
- The front spoiler has been designed to prop­
erly distribute the cooling air when the veh i­
cle is moving . If the spoiler is damaged, this
could reduce the cooling effect and the en­
gine could then overheat. Ask your author ­
i zed Audi dealer for assistance .
Tachometer (engine rev counter )
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM (revo ­
lutions per minutes) .
If engine RPM drops below 1,500 , you should
downshift to the next lower gear. The red area at
~ the end of the scale indicates max imum perm is -co
~ sible eng ine RPM after the break- in period . Be-
:;, fore reach ing th is area, move the selector lever to
"' N
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Ins trument s and indi cator ligh ts
position D/S or ease your foot off the acce le rator
pedal.
CD Note
The tachome ter needle @~ page 10, fig. 3
shou ld only brief ly be in the red zone: you
could damage your engine! The beginning of
the red zone varies depend ing on the engine .
@ For the sake of the envi ronment
Upshifting early saves fuel and reduces engine
noise .
~ button
Fig . 4 SET but ton in th e ins trume nt cluster
The !SE T! button pe rforms the following func­
tio ns:
Switching on time, date, temperature
displ ay and odomet er
The display appea rs fo r approximate ly 30 sec­
onds when yo u press the
!SE T! button ~ fig. 4
with the ignition off .
Starting the Auto-Check sequence
T he Auto-Chec k system ~ page 2 7 constantly
monitors ce rtain ind iv idual f unct ions and compo­
nents of the vehicle when the ignition is turned
on and when the vehicle is moving .
With the ignition turned on, you can start the "Auto-Check seq uence" by pressing the
!S ET ! bu t­
ton. You can perform an Auto-Check sequence
when the vehicle is stationary and the ign ition is
turned on or when the vehicle is moving slower
than 3 mph (5 km/h). ..,.
11

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. ..,.
127

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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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brake. This may cause the brakes to over­
heat, premature wear and increased stop­
ping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating condi­
tions such as passing through wate r, driving
in heavy rain o r after washing the vehicle,
the effectiveness of the brakes can be re­ duced. In w inter, ice can accumulate on the
brake pads, linings, discs and drums . Care­
fully apply b rakes for a test. B rakes wi ll dry
and ice coatings wi ll be cleaned off after a
f ew caref ul bra ke applications .
- Dr iv ing for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads w ithout using you r
brakes can also affect braking efficiency .
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads w ith a few caref ul
brake applicat ions.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you in­
stall a different spoi ler, be sure the air flow
to the front brakes is not obstructed. Other­
wise the brake system could overheat reduc­ ing the effectiveness of the ent ire brake sys­
tem .
- Failure of one brake c ircuit will impair the
braking capab ility result ing in an increased
stopp ing distance. Avoid driv ing the veh icle
and have it towed to the nearest authori zed
Audi dealer or qu alified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop w ith the
eng ine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not work ing, the
brake pedal must be pressed conside rably
harder to make up fo r the lack of booste r as­
sist ance.
Electromechanical power
assist, Dynamic steering
The electromechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering.
Power stee ring adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Indicator light s and mess age s
• Stee ring def ective! Do not drive vehicle!
Smart T echno log y
If this indicato r light turns on and stays on and
t h is message appears, the power steering may
have failed.
Stop the vehi cle in a sa fe location as soo n as pos­
s ible . Do
not cont inue driving . See yo ur author­
ized Audi dea ler or other qualified repair facility
for assistance .
'Iij Dynamic steering: Sy stem fault! You c an
continue dri ving
If the indicato r light turns on and the message
appea rs, the stee ring may be more d ifficult to
move o r more sensit ive th an usua l. The steering
may also be at an angle when driving straight .
Drive slowly to you r authorized Audi dea le r o r
qualified wo rkshop to have the ma lf u nct ion co r­
re cted.
,~n D ynamic steering: Initializing
Audi drive select*: if the indicator light blinks and
the driver message appears, the dynamic steer­
i ng* is reinitialized. After starting the engine, the
stee ring wheel will move slightly . Re-in itia liza­
t ion m ight be necessa ry if the stee ring wheel was
moved h ard to the left and r ight while the veh icle
was not moving. The disp lay t urns off if the ini ti­
alization was success ful.
(D Tips
- If the . or
(~fl indica tor light only stays on
for a sho rt time, you may cont inue driving.
- T he dynamic s teering* stab ility systems
<:!> page 191 are no t available in the event of
a system mal func tion .
- For add ition al information on dynamic
steer ing*
<:!> page 120.
Driving with your quattro
With all -wheel drive, all four wheels are driven.
General information
With a ll-wheel d rive, power is distr ibuted to a ll
fo ur wheels. This happens automati ca lly depend­
i ng on your d riving s tyle and the road condi tions
a t t he t ime . See a lso <:!>
page 191. .,.
195

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

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

Trailer mode
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty car res ults
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight. If this
cannot be avoided , drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering contro l.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while
keeping the trailer as light as possible under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow vehicle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loading considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permiss ible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weathe r or wind
conditions are unfavorable - particularly when
going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the s lightest sign of swaying .
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for
veh icles towing trailers are lower than for regular
ve hicles .
A lways app ly brakes ear ly. When driving down­
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the engine
brak ing effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fa il.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge c::> page 10 must
be observed carefully.
If the need le moves close
to the upper end of the scale, reduce speed im­
mediately and/or turn off the a ir condit ioner.
If the coo lant temperature warning light in the
instr ument cluster starts flashing •• pu ll off
the road, stop and let the engine
idle for about
two minutes to prevent heat build-up.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater r isk in an acc i-
206
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dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided
by Audi.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a
trai ler because of the additiona l weight and dif­
ferent we ight distribution . Safety, performance
and economy will greatly depend on how careful ­
l y you load your trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actua lly tow your trai ler, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic . Keep practicing until you have be ­
come comp lete ly familiar with the way your vehi­
cle-trailer comb inat ion behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice. Back­
ing up with a trai ler generally requires steering
action opposite to that when backing up your ve­
hicle without a tra iler.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. Yo u will need more
room to stop. To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turn ing radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accel­
erate as fast as you norma lly wou ld because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for
your tra iler before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts , sharp t urns or rapid lane
changes.
@ Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may requi re
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
tra load
c::> page 281.