2015 AUDI RS5 COUPE Owners Manual

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-A tight tether or other strap on a rearwa rd­
facing child rest raint attached to the front
passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and reg ister a
heavier weight in the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem . The heavier we ight registered can
make the sys tem wor k as t hough an adult
we re on the sea t and dep loy the Advanced
Air bag when it mus t be supp ressed c ausing
serious o r even fa tal i nju ry to the child.
- If you mus t in sta ll a rearwar d fa cing child
sa fety seat on the front passenge r seat be ­
cause of exceptional c ircumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immediately install
the rearward-fac ing ch ild safety seat in a
rear seating position and have the airbag
system inspected by your author ized Audi
d ealer.
Additional information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
There are a number of sources of additional infor­
mat io n about child restra int selection, i nstalla­
tion and use:
NHTSA advises that the best child safety seat is
the one that fits your ch ild and fits in your vehi­
cle, and that you will use co rrectly and c onsis­
tently .
T ry before you buy!
U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Administra­
tion
T e l.: 1 -888-327 -4236 (TTY : 1-800-424-9153)
www .nhtsa .gov
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
Te l.: (202) 662 -0600
www.safekids.org
Safety BeltSafe U.S .A
Te l.: (800) 745-SA FE (E nglish)
Te l.: (800) 747 -SANO (Spanish)
www.carseat .org
Child sa fety
Transport Canada Information Centre
T el. : 1-800-333-0371 o r ca ll 1 -613-998-86 16 if
yo u are in the Ottawa a rea
http://www .tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/menu .htm
Audi Customer Relations
T el.: (800) 822-2834
167

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-
168
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
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of skid­
ding and loss of vehicle control. It works only
when the engine is running. ESC detects certain
d ifficu lt driving situations, including when the ve­
hicle is beginn ing to spin (yaw) out of control and
helps you to get the vehicle back under control by
selectively braking the whee ls, and/or reducing
engine power and prov iding steer ing ass istance
to help hold the vehicle on the driver's intended
course. The indicator light
Bl in the instrument
cluster blinks when ESC is taking action to help
you control the veh icle.
ESC has limitations.
It is important to remember
that ESC cannot overcome the laws of physics. It
will not always be able to help out under all con­
ditions you may come up against. For example, ESC may not always be able to help you master
situations where there is a sudden change in the
coefficient of frict ion of the road surface . Whe n
there is a section of dry road that is suddenly cov­
ered with water, slush or snow, ESC cannot per­
form the same way it wou ld on the dry surface. If
the vehicle hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of wa­
ter instead of the road surface), ESC will not be
ab le to he lp you steer the vehicle because contact
with the pavement has been interrupted and the
vehicle cannot be braked or steered . During fast
cornering, particularly on winding roads, ESC
cannot always deal as effectively with difficult
driving situations than at lower speeds. Whe n
tow ing a trailer, ESC is not able to help you regain
con trol as it wou ld if you were no t towing a trail­
er .
A lways adjust your speed and dr iving sty le to
road, traffic and weather conditions. ESC cannot
override the vehicle's physical limits, increase the
Smart Technology
available traction, or keep a vehicle on the road i f
road departure is a result of driver inattention.
Instead, ESC improves the possibility of keeping
the vehicle under control and on the road dur ing
extreme maneuvers by using the driver's steering
inputs to help keep the vehicle go ing in the in ­
tended direction. If you are traveling at a speed
that causes you to run off the road before ESC
can prov ide any assistance, you may not expe ri­
ence the benefits of ESC.
ESC is switched on all the time . In certain situa­
t ions when you need less traction, you can switch
off ASR by pressing the button
[ru ~ page 170,
fig. 152 or ~page 170, fig . 153. Be sure to
switch ASR on again when you no longer need
less traction.
T he following systems are integrated in the ESC:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up when braking. The vehicle can still be steered even dur­
i ng hard braki ng. Apply steady pressure to the
brake pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A pulsing in
the brake pedal indicates that the system is he lp­
ing you to brake the vehicle.
Brake assist system
The brake ass ist system can decrease braking dis­
tance . It increases braking power when the driver
presses the brake peda l quickly in emergency sit­
u at ions. You must press and hold the brake pedal
until t he situat ion is over. In vehicles with adap­
tive cruise control*, the brake assist system is
more sensitive if the distance detected to the ve­
hicle ahead is too sma ll.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR red uces eng ine power when the drive wheels
begin to spin and adapts the force to the road
conditions. This makes it easier to start, acce le r­
ate and drive up hills.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
T he EDL brakes whee ls that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other wheels.
T his function is available up to about 60 mph
(100 km/h).
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Smart Technology
In extreme cases, EDL automatically switches off
to help keep the brake on the braked wheel from
overheating. EDL will switch on again automati­
cally when conditions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
The ESC helps to stabilize the vehicle by changing
the steering torque.
I n vehicles with dynamic steering*, ESC also
he lps to stabilize the steering in critical situa­
tions .
Selective wheel torque control
Select ive wheel torque control is used when driv­
ing on c urves . The front wheel on the inside of
the curve or both whee ls on the inside of the
curve are braked selectively as needed. This al­
lows more precise driving in curves . Th e applica­
b le system may not activate when driving in wet
or snowy conditions .
A WARNING
- The ESC and its integrated systems cannot
overcome the laws of physics. This is espe­
c ially important on slippery or wet roads. If
the systems beg in acting to stabilize your
vehicle, you should immediately change
your speed to match the road and traffic
Switching on/off
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 losing con­
trol of the vehicle increases when dr iving
too fast, especially through curves and on
slippery or wet roads, and when driv ing too
close to vehicles up ahead. The ESC and its
integ rated systems cannot always prevent
collisio ns -there is sti ll a risk of accidents!
- Always accelerate with special care on even,
smooth surfaces such as those that are wet
or covered with ice and snow. The drive
wheels can spin even with these assistance
systems that cannot always help to reduce
the risk of loss of vehicle control.
@ Tips
-ABS and ASR only work correctly when all
four wheels are equ ipped w ith identical
t ires. Different tire s izes can lead to a reduc­
t ion in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems de­ scribed are working.
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine .
Fig. 152 Version A : lower center console,~ OFF button
The ESC is designed to function in levels. Depend­
ing on the level that is selected, the stabilization
function of the ESC is limited or switched off. The
170
Fig. 153 Version B: upper center console,~ OFF butto n
amount of sta bilization control will differ de­
pending on the level.

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The following situations are exceptions where it may be useful to switch on sport mode to allow
the wheels to spin:
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- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Dr iving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Dr iving with snow chains
Sport mode on ESC/ASRoff Sport mode off or
ESC/ASR on
Behavior
The ESC and ASR stabiliza- The stabilization funct ion is The full stabilization func-
t ion funct ions are limited not available
¢ &.. ESC and tion of the ESC and ASR is
¢&_ . ASR are switched off. available again.
Operation Press the I!> OF FI button Press and hold the I.!> OFFI Press the I.$ OF F! button
briefly. button longer than
3 sec- again .
onds .
Indicator II turns on. • and lf'll•U~ turn on . II turns off or. and
lights lf'll•l~~ turn off .
Driver mes- Stabilization control (ESC ): Stabilization control (ESC): Stabilization control
sages Sport. Warning! Restricted off. Warning! Restricted (
ESC) : On
stability stability
A WARNING -
You should only switch sport mode on or
sw itch ESC/ASR off if your driving ab ilities and
road conditions permit.
- The stabilization function is limited when
sport mode is switched on. The dr iving
wheels could spin and the vehicle could
swerve, especially on slick or slippery road
surfaces.
- There is no vehicle stabilization when ESC/
ASR are sw itched off.
(D Tips
- ESC/ASR cannot be switched off or sport
mode cannot be sw itched on when cr uise
control or adaptive cruise control* is switch­
ed on.
- Malfunctions in the rear spoiler may make it
i mpossible to switch the ESC/ASR off or to
switch sport mode on.
Rear spoiler
Applies to vehicles: with retractable rear spoiler
The rear spoiler improves vehicle handling and
enhances driver control.
Fig. 154 Center console: button fo r the rear spo ile r
The rear spo iler deploys and retracts. Spoiler op­
eration can be set for automat ic or manual oper­
ation.
Automatic mode (normal operation)
-Extends automatically: when the vehicle speed
exceeds approx imately 75 mph (120 km/h).
- Retracts automatically: when the vehicle speed
drops below approx imately 50 mph (80 km/h).
Manual mode
- Manual deployment: Tapping briefly on the
switch ~ fig. 154 deploys the rear spoiler.
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Smart Technolog y
-Manua l retraction: At speeds up to about
10 mph (20 km/h) , retract the rear spoiler by
pressing and holding the switch. At speeds be­
tween 10 mph (20 km/h) and 75 mph (120 km/h), retract the rear spoiler by tapping
on the switch
Ind icat or light
- Rear sp oile r: sy st em m alfu ncti on
The rear spoiler may not have extended due to a
malfunct ion . This cou ld change the vehicle's driv­
ing characteristics at high speeds . Do not drive at
speeds above 85 mph (140 km/h) . Drive to the
nearest authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair
facility to have the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
Dr iv ing at higher speeds w ithout the rear
spoiler deployed can impa ir handling charac­
teristics, mak ing the veh icle harder to co ntrol.
- Always make sure that the spoiler is de-
ployed when driving at speeds over 85 mph
(140 km/h) . If the rear spoiler warn ing/ indi­
c ator light in t he instrument cluster comes
on, the rear spoi ler may not have deployed .
- Never dr ive at speeds highe r than 85 mph
(140 km/ h) if the spoiler is not deployed.
Have the spo iler inspected as soon as possi­
ble by an author ized Audi dealer or qualif ied
workshop.
- Always obey speed limi ts and o ther traffic
laws .
A WARNING ,.__.__
Improper ope ration of the rear spoiler can
cause crushing injuries .
- Always make sure that nobody, espec ia lly
children, is in the way when the rear spo iler
is deployed or retracted .
(D Note
Never push the vehicle or apply fo rce to the
rea r spo ile r - i t cou ld be damaged.
(D Tips
Clean the spo ile r compartment every 2 to 3
months. The spoiler compartment m ust al-
172
-
ways be free of ice, snow, leaves or other de­ bris .
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the first 250 miles (400 km), new brake
pads do not possess their full braking e ffect, they
have to be "broken in" first¢.&. . The break -in pe ­
riod can be considerably longe r for vehicles with
ceramic brake rotors*. You can compensate for
th is slightly reduced braking power by pushing
harder on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy braking
loads during the b reak-in period.
Op era ting condition s and dri ving h abit s
The brakes on today's automobiles are still sub­
j ect to wear, depending largely on operating con­
dit ions and driving habits ¢.&, . On vehicles that
are either dr iven most ly in stop-and-go city traf­
fic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by yo ur autho rized Aud i dealer more of­
ten than specified in the
Warranty & Mainte·
nan ce bookl et.
Fail ure to have you r brake pads
i nspected c an resu lt in red uced b rake pe rform ­
ance.
On steep slopes, you shou ld use the braking ef­
fect of the engine. This way, you prevent unnec ­
essary wear on the bra ke system. If yo u must use
you r brakes, do not hold the brakes down contin ­
u ously. Pump the brakes at intervals .
Operating noise
Noises may occur when brakin g depending on the
speed, braking force and ou ts ide cond itions su ch
as tempera ture and hum idity.
Due to the nature of the materials used in ceram­
i c bra ke roto rs*, noises may become mo re appa­
r ent at low speeds.
Effect of water and road salt
In certa in situations, for examp le after driv ing
through water, in heavy rain, after overnight con­
densation or after washing your car , the braking
effect can be redu ced by moistu re or ice on the
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brake rotors and brake pads. The brakes must be
dried first with a few carefu l brake applications .
At h igher speeds and with the w indshield w ipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake rotors for a sho rt amount of time. This occurs at
regular intervals without the driver noticing and
prov ides for better brake response time under
wet conditions.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered road
and the brakes are not used. Likew ise, you clean
off accumulated salt coating from brake discs
and pads with a few cautious applications of the
brake ¢,&. .
Due to their surface characteristics, ceram ic
brake rotors* absorb moisture in such conditions.
This can cause a temporary reduction in braking
force compared to dry brakes . You can compen ­
sate for this by press ing the brake pedal harder .
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to bui ld up on
the brake pads and corrosion to form on the discs
if the car is not driven regularly or only for short
trips with little use of the brakes .
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 discs by brak ing firmly a
few t imes from a moderately high speed¢& .
Fa ul ts i n the brake sys te m
If you should notice a sudden increase in brake
pedal travel, then one of the two brake circuits
may have failed¢&.
Low brak e flu id l eve l
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the
brake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid leve l is
monitored e lectronically.
Brake boo ste r
The brake booster increases the pressure that you
genera te with the brake pedal.
It works only M
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Smart T echno log y
Brake lining wear statu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
thro ugh the openings in the wheel. If necessary,
the wheel may be removed for this inspection
¢ page 218, Replacing wheels .
A WARNING ...__
-New brake pads don't have the best stop­
ping power and must be "broken-in" during
the initial 250 miles (400 kilometers) . The
break-in per iod can be cons iderably longer
for vehi cles w ith ceramic b rake rotors*. You
can compensate for this by p ress ing the
b rake peda l more fi rmly. This a lso applies
later when new pads are installed.
- You shou ld perform braking maneuvers for
the purpose of cleaning the brake system
only if road conditions permit. Other road
users must not be put at risk -you may
cause an accident!
-
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear or lower dr iving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or
too often . This could cause the brakes to get
hot and dimin ish braking effic iency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing your foot
on the pedal when you do not intend to
brake. This may cause the brakes to over­
heat, premature wear and increased stop­
p ing distance.
- Under certain cl imatic and operat ing condi­
tions such as passing t hrough water, dr iv ing
in heavy rain or after washing the veh icle,
the effect iveness of the brakes can be re­
duced . In winter, ice can accumulate on the
brake pads, linings, discs and drums . Care­
fu lly apply brakes for a test. Brakes will dry
and ice coatings will be cleaned off after a
few careful brake applications.
- Driving for an extended period of time on salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
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Smart Technolog y
-If y ou dama ge the front spo iler, or if you in ­
sta ll a di fferent spoile r, be sure the air flow
to the front brakes is not obstructed . Other ­
wise the brake system co uld overheat reduc­
ing the effectiveness o f the enti re brake sys­
tem .
- Failure of one brake c ircuit will impair the
braking capab ility r esult ing in a n increased
stopp ing distance. Avoid driving the veh icle
and have it towed to the nearest au thorized
Audi de aler or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle ro ll to a stop with the
engine shut off .
-If the brake booster is not work ing, the
brake pedal must be pressed considerably
harder to make up for the lack of booste r as­
sistance .
Electro-mechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The electro-mechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering .
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed .
Indicator lights and me ss a ges
• Steering defe cti ve! Do not dri ve vehicle!
If th is indicator light tu rns on and stays on and
this message appears, the power steering may
have fa iled .
D o
n ot co ntinue driving. See yo ur authorized
Audi dealer or a qua lified repair fac ility for assis ­
tance.
l;r-ij Dynamic steering : System fault! You can
c on tinu e drivin g
If the indicator light tu rns on and the message
appears, the steer ing may be more difficult to
move or mo re sensitive than usual. The steer ing
wheel may a lso be at an ang le when dr iv ing
straight.
Drive s low ly to your author ized Audi dealer or
qua lified wor kshop to have the malfunction cor­
rected.
174
':r-ij Dynamic stee ring: initializing
If this drive r message appears and the indicator
li gh t is flashing on the instr ument pane l, dynam­
i c s teer ing* is being rein itia lized. After sta rting
the engine, the steering wheel w ill move slightly.
Re-initialization might be necessary if the steer­
i ng whee l was moved hard to the left and right
while the vehicle was not moving. The display goes out as soon as initialization is comp lete.
A WARNING
H ave the dynamic steering* system malfunc­
tion repaired as soon as possible by an author­ ized A udi dealer or qualified wo rkshop -risk
of accident!
@ Tips
- If the . or ':rfl indicator light only stays on
for a sho rt time, you may cont inue driving.
- The dynamic steering* stab ility systems are
not availab le in the event of a system mal­
function.
- For add itiona l information on dynamic
steering*, refer to~ page 101.
Driving with your quattro
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driven .
General information
With all-wheel drive, power is distributed to all
four wheels . This happens automatically depend­
i ng on your driving style and the road conditions
at the t ime . See also ~ page 169.
A center d ifferential distributes the driving power
variably to the front and rear axle. It works to­
gether w ith select ive whee l torque control, which
activates w hen d rivi ng throug h curves
~ page 170 . With the spo rt diffe rential*, power
dist ribution to the rear wheels is variab le and can
be adjusted with drive select~ page 101.
The all-whee l dr ive concept is des igned for hig h
engine power . Yo ur vehicle is exceptiona lly pow­
e rfu l and has excellen t drivi ng cha racte rist ics
both unde r normal d riving condi tions and o n
snow and ice . Always read and follow sa fe ty pre-
ca utions ~& .
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