2016 AUDI A5 COUPE ABS

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Front airbags
Description of front airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained front seat occu­
pants .
Fig. 131 Loca tion of driver airbag: in steering wheel
Fig. 132 Loca tion of fron t passenger's airbag: i n the in­
st rument panel
Your veh icle is equipped with an "Advanced Air­
bag System" in compliance with United States
Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
(FMVSS) 208, as well as Canada Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard (CMVSS) 208 as app licab le at
the time your vehicle was manufactured . The
safety belts for the seats have "pretensioners"
that help to take slack out of the belt system.
The pretensioners are also activated by the elec­
tronic control unit for the airbag system.
The front safety belts also have load limiters to help reduce the forces applied to the body in a
crash.
The airbag fo r the driver is in the steering whee l
hub ¢
fig. 131 and the airbag for the front pas­
senger is in the instrument panel¢
fig. 132. The
general location of the airbags is marked "AIR­
BAG".
Airb ag sys tem
There is a lot you need to know about the airbags
in your vehicle . We urge you to read the detai led
information about airbags, safety belts and ch ild
safety in this and the other chapters that make
up the owner's literature. Please be sure to heed
the WARNINGS -they are extremely important
for your safety and the safety of your passengers, especially infants and small children .
_&. WARNING
Never rely on a irbags alone fo r protect ion.
- Even when they deploy, airbags provide only supplemental protection.
-Airbag work most effectively when used with proper ly worn safety be lts .
- Therefore, always wear your safety belts and make sure that everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained.
_&. WARNING
--A pe rson on the front passenger seat, espe­
cially infants and small ch ild ren, w ill receive
se rious inj ur ies and can even be k illed by be­
i ng too close to the airbag when it inf lates.
- Although the Advanced Airbag System in
your vehicle is designed to turn off the front passenger airbag if an infant or a small child
is on the front passenger seat, nobody can
absolutely guarantee that deployment un­
der these special conditions is impossib le in
all conceivable situations that may happen
during the useful life of your vehicle .
- The Advanced Airbag System can dep loy in
accordance with the "low risk" opt ion under
the U.S. Federal Standard if a ch ild that is
heavier than the typ ical one-year old ch ild is
on the front passenger seat and the other
conditions for airbag deployment are met.
- Accident statistics have shown that children
are generally safer in the rear sea t area than
in the front sea ting pos ition.
- For their own safety, all c hildren, especially
12 yea rs and younger, should always ride in
the back properly restrained for their age and size .
133

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s e nger seat
- a passenger who is not sitting uprigh t w ith
their back against a non-reclined backrest with
their feet on the vehicle floor in front of the
seat is on the front passenger seat.
I f the front passenger airbag dep loys , the Feder ­
al Standard requires the airbag to meet the "low
risk" deployment criteria to help reduce the risk
of injury through interaction with the airbag.
"Low risk" dep loyment occurs in those crashes
t ha t take place at lower decelera tions as defined
in the electronic control unit.¢
page 139
Alway s rem ember: Even though your vehicle is
equipped w ith Advanced Airbags, the safest place
f or children is properly restrained on the back
seat . Please be sure to read the important infor ­
mat ion in the sections that follow and be sure to
heed all of the WARN INGS.
.&, WARNING
To reduce the r isk of inj ury when an a irbag in­
flates, a lways wear safety belts p roperly.
- If you are unrest rained, leaning fo rwa rd, s it­
t ing s ideways or o ut of pos ition in any way,
yo ur risk of in jury is much h igher .
- Yo u will also receive serious injur ies and
cou ld even be killed if you are up aga inst the
airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag¢
page 129.
.&_ WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing chi ld safety seat
installed on the front passenge r seat w ill be
ser iously injured and can be killed if the front
airbag inflates -even with an Advanced A irbag
System .
- Although the Advanced A irbag System in
your vehicle is designed to turn off the front
airbag when a rearward-facing child re ­
straint has been installed on the front pas­ senger seat, nobody can absolu tely g uaran­
tee that deployment is impossible in a ll con­
c eivable s ituations that may happen during
the useful life of your vehicle .
- The inflating a irbag w ill hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier wi th great force and
Airb ag sys tem
will smash the child safety seat and child
aga inst the backrest, center armrest, door,
or roof.
- Always install rearward-facing child re­
stra ints in the back seat.
- If you must install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat be­
cause of exceptional circumstances and the
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on and stay on, immediately install
the rea r-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the a irbag system
inspected by your au thorized Audi dealer.
.&_ WARNING
If, in exceptional c ircumstances , you must in­
stall a forward-facing child res traint on the
front passenger's seat:
- Always make sure the forward-fa cing seat
has bee n des igned and certified by its man­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and side airbag.
- Never p ut the fo rward-facing child restraint
up against or very near the instr ument pan ·
el.
-Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
ad justment range, as far away from the a ir ­
bag as possible, before install ing the for­
ward-facing ch ild restraint. The backrest
m ust be adjusted to an upr ight position .
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR B AG
OFF
li ght comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignit ion is switched on .
Advanced Airbag System components
The front passenger seat in your veh icle has a lot
of ve ry important parts of the Advanced Airbag
System i n it. These parts incl ude the weight ­
sensing mat, senso rs, wir ing , b racke ts, and
more . The f unction o f the system in the front
passenger seat is checked by the electronic con­
tro l unit when the ign ition is on . The control unit
monitors the Advanced Airbag System and turns
the a irbag ind icator light on when a malfunction
in the system components i s detected. The func-
tion of the a irbag ind icator light is described in .,.
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@ For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed airbag modu les and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Materi­
al -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc .ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­
rate . When the veh icle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules safe­
ty belts with pretensioners are scrapped, all
app licable laws and regulations must be ob­
served. Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar
w ith these req uirements and we recommend
that you have your dealer perform this service
for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag System pe rforms in a crash. For examp le, using tire-r im
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lowering the
veh icle, chang ing the stiffness of the suspens ion,
including the springs, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
e lectronic control unit . Some suspension changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in wh ich it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made . Other kinds of
changes may reduce the fo rce levels measured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy­ ing when it should.
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspens ion components that
do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components or iginally instal­
led on your veh icle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Audi.
Airb ag sys tem
A WARNING
-Items stored between the safety belt buckle
and the center console can cause the sensors
i n the buckle to send the w rong information
to the electronic contro l modu le and prevent
the Advanced A irbag System from wo rking
p roperly.
- Always make sure that nothing can interfe re
with the safety belt buckles and that they are not obstructed.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Appl ies to vehicles: with knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
Fig. 13S D river 's knee ai rbag
T he driver knee airbag is in the ins trumen t panel
u nderneath t he steer ing whee l~
fig. 135, the
knee a irbag for the passenger is at abou t the
same height in the instrument pane l underneath
the g love compartment.
T he knee airbag offers add itiona l protec tion to
the driver's and passenger's knees and uppe r and
lower thigh areas and supp lements the protec­
tio n provided by the safety belts .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in fron tal coll is io ns when the deploymen t
th reshold stored in the cont rol un it is met
~ page 13 7, More important things to know
about front airbags.
In add ition to their norma l safety fun ct ion, safe-
ty belts he lp keep the driver or front passenge r in ..,_
143

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BAG OFF light does not stay on whenever
the ignition is switched on .
Booster seats and safety belts
Properly used booster seats can help protect
children weighing between about 40 lbs . and 80
lbs. (18 kg and 36 kg) who are less than 4 ft .
9
in. (57 inches/1.45 meters) tall .
Fig. 145 Rear seat: c hild prope rly rest rai ned in a booste r
sea t
The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit most
children until they are at least 4
ft. 9 in. (5 7 in­
ches/1.45 meters) tall and weigh about 80 lbs.
(36 kg). Booster seats raise these chi ldren up so
that the safety belt will pass properly over the
stronger parts of the ir bodies and the safety belt
can help protec t them in a crash.
.,.. Do not use the convertible locking retractor
when usi ng the vehicle's safety belt to restrain
a ch ild on a booster seat .
.,.. The shoulder belt must lie as close to the cen­
ter of the child 's collar bone as possible and
must lie flat and snug on the upper body. It
must never lie across the throat or neck. The
lap belt must lie across the pelvis and never
across the stomach or abdomen. Make sure the
belt lies flat and snug. Pull on the belt to tight­
en if necessary .
.,.. Secure unused safety belts on the rear seat
<=>page 156.
Children up to about 40 lbs. (18 kg) are best pro­
tected in ch ild safety seats des igned for their age
and weight . Experts say that the skeletal str uc­
ture, pa rticular ly the pe lv is , of these children is
no t fully developed, and they must not use the
Child safety
vehicle safety be lts wi thout a suitable child re­
straint.
It is usually best to put these childr en in appro­
priate booster seats. Be su re the booster seat
meets all applicab le safety standards .
Booster seats raise the seating position of the
child and reposition both the lap and shoulder
parts of the safety belt so that they pass across
the child's body in the right places. The routing o f
the belt over the chi ld's body is very important
for the ch ild's protection, whether or not a boos ­
ter seat is used. Children age 12 and under must
always ride in the rear seat.
Ch ildren who are at least 4
ft. 9 in. (57 inches/
1.45 meters) tall can generally use the vehicle 's
three point lap and shoulder belts . Never use the
lap belt portion of the vehicle 's safety belt alone
to restrain any ch ild, regard less of how big the
ch ild is. Always remember that childr en do not
have the pronounced pelvic structure required for
the proper function of lap belt portion of the ve­
hicle's three point lap and shoulder belts . T he
child's safety absolutely requires that a lap belt
portion of the safety belt be fastened snugly and
as low as possible around the pe lvis. Never let
the lap belt portion of the safety belt pass over
the child 's stomach or abdomen .
In a crash, airbags must inflate within a blink of
an eye and with considerab le force. In order to do
its job, the airbag needs room to inflate so that it
will be there to protect the occupant as the occu­ pant moves forward into the airbag .
A vehicle occ upant who is out of position and too
close to the a irbag gets in the way of an inflating
airbag. When an occupant is too close , he or she
will be struck violently and w ill receive serious or
possibly even fata l injury .
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is
important that all vehicle occupants, especially
any children, who must be in the front seat be­
cause of exceptiona l circumstances, be properly
restrained and as far away from the airbag as
possible. By keeping room between the child's ..,.
159

Intelligent Technology
shared, please see your contract with the
wireless te lecommunications provider and the
"About Aud i connect" tab in your vehicle's
MMI*:
I MENU ! button > Audi connect > About
Audi con nect .
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
E SC helps to imp rove ro a d hold ing and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probab ility of skid­
d ing and loss of veh icle control. It works only
when the engine is runn ing . ESC detects certain
d iffic ult dr iving situat io ns, including when the
ve hicl e is begin ning to spin (yaw) o ut of contro l
a nd h elps you to ge t the veh icle b ack u nder con ­
trol by se lectively braking the wheels, and/or re­
ducing engine powe r and providing steering as­
sistance to help hold the vehicle on the driver's intended course. The indicator light
GI in the in­
strument cluster blinks when ESC is tak ing action
t o he lp you contro l the vehicle.
ESC has lim itations. It is important to remembe r
that ESC cannot overcome the laws of physics. It
will not a lways be able to help out under all con­
d itions you may come up aga inst . For example,
ESC may not always be able to help you master
situations where there is a sudde n change in the
coeff ic ie nt of fr iction of the road surface. W hen
there is a se ction of dry road tha t is sudde nly cov­
e red with w ater, slush o r sn ow , ESC c annot pe r­
form the same way i t wou ld on the dry s urface. If
the vehicle hydrop lanes (rides on a cushion of wa­
ter instead of t he road su rface), ESC wi ll not be
ab le to he lp you stee r the veh icle because contact
with the pavement has been inter rupted and the
ve hicle cannot be b raked or steered . Dur ing fast
cornering, part icu larly on w inding roads, ESC
can not always deal as effect ive ly w it h difficult
d riving situat ions than a t lowe r speeds . When
towi ng a trail er, ES C i s not able to help you re­
g ai n con trol as it would if you we re not towing a
tra ile r.
A lways ad just yo ur speed and driving sty le to
road , tr affic and weathe r cond itions. ESC canno t
override the vehicle's phys ical lim its, incre ase the
170
available tract ion, or keep a vehicle on the road i f
r oad depa rt u re is a res ult of d river inattention .
Instead, ESC improves the poss ib ili ty of keeping
the ve hicle unde r contro l and on the road d uring
extreme maneuvers by using the driver's steer ing
i nputs to help keep the vehicle going in the in ­
tended direction . If you are traveli ng at a speed
t h at causes you to r un off the road before ESC
can p rovide any assista nce, you may not exper i­
ence the benefi ts of ESC.
ESC is switched on all the time. In certa in s itua­
tions when you need less tract ion, yo u can sw itch
off AS R by press ing the button
I!] c:> page 171,
fig. 152 or c> page 171 , fig. 153. Be s ure to
swi tch ASR on again w hen you no longer need
l ess trac tion.
The following systems a re in tegrated in the ESC:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up when
braki ng . The vehicle can st ill be steered even d ur­
i ng hard b raking . Apply steady p ressure to the
brake peda l. Do not pump the pedal. A p uls ing in
t h e b rake pedal indica tes th at th e system is help ­
i ng yo u to b rake t he ve hicle.
Brake assist system
The bra ke assist system can decrease braking dis­
ta nce. It increases b raking powe r whe n the dr iver
presses t he br ake peda l quickly i n emergency sit­
u at io ns. Yo u must pre ss and ho ld the bra ke peda l
u nt il t he s itu at ion is ove r. In vehicles wi th adap ­
tive cr uise con trol *, the brake assist sys tem is
more sensitive if t he di stance detected to the ve­
h icle ahead is too sma ll.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR redu ces engine powe r whe n the dr ive whee ls
begin to spi n and a da pts the fo rce to the road
con ditio ns. Thi s ma kes it easier to s tart, acce le r­
ate and d rive up hills .
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The ED L brakes w heels that are spi nning and
t ra nsfe rs the dr ive power to the ot her dr ive
whee l or w heels if the vehicle is equ ipped with
a ll- wheel drive*. This function is not avai lab le at
h ighe r speeds. .,..

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In extreme cases, EDL automatically switches off
to help keep the brake on the braked wheel from
overheating. EDL w ill switch on aga in automati­
cally when conditions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
The ESC helps to stabilize the vehicle by changing
the steering torque .
In vehicles with dynamic steering*, ESC also
helps to stabilize the steering in critical situa­
tions.
Electronic interaxle differential lock*/
selective wheel torque control*
The electronic interaxle differential lock (front
wheel drive) or the selective wheel torque control
(all wheel drive) operates when driving through
curves . The front wheel on the inside of the curve
or both wheels on the inside of the curve are
braked selectively as needed. This allows more
precise driving in curves. The applicable system
may not activate when driving in wet or snowy
conditions .
_&, WARNING
- The ESC and its integrated systems cannot
overcome the laws of phys ics. Th is is espe ­
cially important on slippery or wet roads.
If
the systems begin acting to stabilize your
Switching on /off
Intelligent Technology
veh icle, 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 seri­
ous personal injuries.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions. The risk of losing 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 always prevent
collisions -there is still 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 equipped with identical
tires. Different tire sizes can lead to a reduc­
tion 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
Fig. 153 Version B: upper center console,~ OFF button
amount of stabilization control will differ de­
pending on the level.
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171

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0 I­co .... .... Trailer mode Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­ my and performance.
T railer towing not only places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from
the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
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 vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
location . Use only a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ball mount . Always check with the trail­
er hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using the correct hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system . No modifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
From time to time, check that all hitch mounting
bo lts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer,
remove the
tra iler hitch ball mount . This prevents the hitch
from causing damage should your vehicle be
struck from beh ind ¢
,&. .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
check to be sure that it conforms to all regula­
tions .
Trailer mode
The trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system ¢.&. .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the trailer.
Trailer lights
T ra iler lights must meet all regulations . Be sure
to check with your author ized Audi dealer for cor­
rect wiring, switches, and relays.
Mirrors
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.
,8. WARNING
-If a trailer has electrical brakes please note
that these brakes are not activated by the
factory-fitted control unit -risk of accident!
- After removing the trailer hitch, do not store it in your vehicle. In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and in­
jure you or your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
place to prevent it from shifting forward, back­
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Driving instructions on page 182.
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 sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid. .,..
181

Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle handles different ly when tow ing a
trailer because of the additional weight and d if­
ferent weight distr ibution. Safety, perfo rmance
and economy will greatly depend on how careful­
ly you load your trailer and operate your rig .
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic. Keep practicing until you have be­
come completely familiar with the way your vehi­
cle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires pract ice.
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer­
ing action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. You will need more
room to stop. To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius.
When pass ing, remember that you cannot accel­
erate as fast as you normally would because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for
your trai ler before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
tra load
c::> page 244.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only ofter doing the following:
When parking:
;::; .. Apply the foot brake.
0 ~ .. Have someone place chocks under both the ve-
~ hicle and the trailer wheels. Lil ,...., v:, ,....,
Trailer mode
.. With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load.
.. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.. Apply the parking brake.
.. Place an automatic transmission* in P, respec­
tively a manual transmission in first or reverse
gear .
When restarting after parking:
.. App ly the foot brake.
.. Start the engine .
.. Move the selector lever to D/S, respectively a
manual transmission in first gear .
.. Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
.. Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks.
(D Tips
If you move the selector leve r of the automat­
ic transmission* to P before applying the
parking brake and before blocking the wheels,
you may have to use more force later to move
the lever out of the P position.
183