2016 AUDI Q5 brakes

Intelligent Technology
Hill descent assist
The hill descent assist makes it possible to drive
down an incline at a constant speed .
~~,·~ ('l)ofF ___ P..1 --- fl~ IIL..~
---
Fig. 187 Top of the center conso le: hill descent assist but­
ton
Fig. 188 Display: hill descent assist
.. Press the~ button in the center console
¢ fig . 187 or on the shift gate . The button will
illuminate .
" Press the button again to switch it off. The di-
ode in the button will go out .
Hill descent ass ist brakes all four wheels auto­
matically in order to limit speed when driving ei­
ther forwa rd o r reverse on hills with a grad e up to
approximately 50%.
When the hill descent assist is on, the current
driving speed, when your vehicle entered the in­
cline is maintained.
It is only possible to switch
on the assist when driving slower than 37 mph
(60 km/h). The assist works between app roxi ­
mately 2 and 19 mph (4 and 30 km/h) . The driver
can increase or decrease the vehicle speed within
these limits by depressing the accelerator or
brake pedal In addition, vehicle steerability is in­
creased due to the braking distribution when
driving in reverse .
192
There must be however sufficient ground adhe­
sion . The hill descent assist can
not do its job if
the incline is icy or if the incl ine ground is loose
¢ &.
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 diode in the button
will come on . The system automatically sw itched
off when you drive faster than 37 mph (60 km/ h) . The diode will go out in this case .
Active control at a specific speed up to approxi ­
mately 19 mph (30 km/h) will appear in the in­
strument cluster display
c:> fig. 188 . Two dashes
" •• " w ill appear in the ready mode .
Hill descent assist is automatically activated un­
der the following conditions:
- the diode in the button illuminates,
- veh icle speed is below approximately 19 mph
(30 km/h)
- the incline is 10%.
& WARNING
-Always adapt your speed to the weather,
road and traffic cond itions. Do not let the
increased safety provided tempt you into
taking risks.
-
-The hill descent assist system cannot over­
come the laws of phys ics. 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 cond itions wh ile driving on an incline (for
example if ground under the vehicle is
loose).
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pads
Du ring the first 2 50 miles (400 km), new brake
pads do not possess their full braking effect, they
have to be "broken in" first
c:> &. ..,_

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,...., Operating conditions and dr iving habits
The brakes on today 's au tomobiles a re still s ub­
ject to wea r, depend ing la rgely on ope rating con­
ditions and driving habits¢.&. . On vehicles that
ar e e ither driv en most ly in stop-and -go city traf­
f ic or are driven ha rd, the brake pads should be
checked by your authorized Aud i dealer more of­
ten than specified in the
Warranty & Mainte­
n ance boo klet .
Failure to have your brake pads
inspected can resu lt in reduced brake perform­
ance.
On steep slopes, you should use the braking ef­
fect of the eng ine . This way, you prevent unnec ­
essary wear on the brake system . If you must use
your b rakes , do not ho ld the brakes down con tin­
uously. Pump t he b rakes at intervals.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depend ing on the
speed , braking force and outs ide cond itions such
as tempe rature and humidity .
Effect of water and road sa lt
In certain situations, for example a fter driving
t hrough water, in heavy ra in , after overnight con­
densat ion or after washing your car, the braking
effect can be reduced by moisture or ice on the
b rake rotors and b rake pads . T he brakes must be
d ried first w ith a few careful b rake applica tions.
At highe r speeds and with the windsh ie ld w ipers
turned on, the bra ke pads press aga inst the brake
rotors for a short amount of time . Thi s occ urs at
r egular intervals wit hout the d river noticing and
p rovides for be tter br ak e response time u nder
wet conditions.
The eff ectiv eness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehi cle is dr iven on a salt-covered road
and the brakes are not used. L ikewise, you clean
off acc umu la ted salt coat ing from b rake discs
and pads with a few ca utious applications of the
b rake ¢.&. .
Corrosion
There may be a tende ncy for d irt to b uild up on
the brake pads an d cor ros io n t o fo rm on the discs
if the ca r is not driven regular ly or only fo r sho rt
trips with little use of the brakes .
Intelligent Technology
If
the brakes are not used frequent ly, or i f co rro­
sio n has formed on the discs , it is advisable to
clean off the pads and discs by braking firmly a
few times from a moderately high speed ¢ .&, .
Faults in the brake system
If you shou ld notice a sudden inc rease in brake
peda l travel, t hen one of t he two brake circ uits
may have fai led ¢
&..
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions ca n occur i n the b rake system if the
br ak e fluid level is too low . T he brake f lu id leve l
is moni tored elect ronically .
Brake booster
The brake booster increases the press ure that
yo u generate with the b rake peda l.
It only oper­
ates while the eng ine is r unning or w it h t he igni­
tio n sw itched on (hybr id drive*) ¢.&, .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be chec ked by visual in ­
spect io n of t he condition of the brake pads
t hr ough the openings in the wheel.
If necessary,
t h e wheel may be removed fo r th is i nspe ction
¢ page 259, Replacing wheels .
.&_ WARNING
--
-New brake pads don't have the bes t stop ­
p ing power an d m ust be " broken-in" d uring
the initial 250 miles (400 km). You can compensate for this by pressing the brake
pedal more firmly. This also applies later
when new pads are insta lled.
- You sho uld perform braking maneuvers for
the purpose of cleaning t he brake system
only if road condit io n s pe rmit . O ther road
users m ust not be put at r is k - you may
cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep g rade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gea r or l ower dr iv ing ra nge. Do not r ide the
b rakes or hold the ped al down too long or
too often. This co uld cause t he b rakes to ge t
hot and dimi nish braking eff ic ien cy .
- Do no t "ride the br akes" by res ting you r foot
on the pedal when you do no t intend to ...,
193

Intelligent Technology
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 water, driving
in heavy rain or after washing the vehicle,
the effectiveness of the brakes can be re­ duced . In winter, ice can accumulate on the
brake pads, linings, discs and drums. Care­
fully 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 also affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few carefu l
brake app lications .
-If you damage the front spoiler, or if you in­
stall a different spoiler, 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 entire brake sys­
tem .
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair the
braking capability resulting in an increased
stopping distance. Avoid driving the vehicle and have it towed to the nearest author ized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the
engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed considerably
harder to make up for the lack of booster
assista nee.
Electromechanical power
assist, Dynamic steering
The electromechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Indicator lights and messages
• Steering defective! Do not drive vehicle!
194 If
this indicator light turns on and stays on and
this message appears, the power steering may
have failed.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as pos­
sible. Do
not continue driving . See your author­
ized Audi dealer or other qualified repair facility
for ass istance .
'-r, ij Dynamic steering: System fault! You can
continue driving
If the indicator l ight turns on and the message
appears, the steering may be more difficult to
move or more sensitive than usual. The steering
may also be at an angle when driving straight.
Drive slowly to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have the malfunct ion cor­
rected.
1 :r- ij Dynamic steering: Initializing
Audi drive select* : if the indicator light blinks and
the driver message appears, the dynamic steer­ i ng* is reinitial ized. After start ing the engine, the
steering wheel will move slightly . Re-initial iza­
tion might be necessary if the steering wheel was
moved hard to the left and right while the vehicle
was not moving. The display turns off if the initi­
alization was successful.
(D Tips
- If the . or 1:r- ij in dicato r light only stays on
for a short time, you may continue driving.
- T he dynamic steering* stab ility systems
¢ page 190 are not available in the event of
a system malfunction.
- For additional information on dynamic
steering*
¢page 119.
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
ing on your driving style and the road conditions
at the time. See also
c> page 190. ..,.

Driving and th e en vironm ent
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or heat sh ields . During dr iv ing, the substance
used for undercoating could overheat and
cause a fire .
{U) Note
-Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already seriously degrade
the performance of the catalytic co nverter .
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
c:>page224 .
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty . The engine could mis­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into the
exhaust system and this could cause the
catalytic converte r to overheat.
- Do not turn off the ignition while the vehicle
. . 1s moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un ­
der these cond itions, as otherwise fuel can
r each the catalytic converte r. This could re­
su lt in overheating of the converter, requir­
i ng its replacement .
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis ­
s ion Control System:
- Have your vehicle 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 Emission Control System is op­
erat ing properly, the exhaust gas can have a
sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under some op­
erat ing states . This depends on the su lfur
content of the fuel be ing used. Using a differ­
ent brand of fue l may he lp, or filling the tank
with lead-free super grade gasoline.
198
Diesel particulate filter
Applies to vehicles: with diesel engine
The diese l particulate filter filters near ly all of
the soot particles out of th e exhaust. The filter
cleans itself automat ically under normal d riving
conditions. If the filter cannot clean itself (for ex­
ample, because you are only driving shor t distan­
ces), the filter becomes clogged with soot and
the
II symbol for the diesel part iculate filter il­
luminates
c:> page 34 .
&_ WARNING
-Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel particu­
late filter could start a fire.
-
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in the
exhaust system area or a fire could 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 no t bottom out and ge t damaged.
This is espec ially true for vehicles with low-s lung
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, environmental impact, and wear
on your engine, brakes and tires largely depend
on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cu t your fuel

Offroad dri ving
- Ideal conditions do not prevai l offroad . Nev­
er utilize the maximum readings to their
fullest, always leave a safety reserve.
Driving tips
On poor rood ond offroad, there is always only
one motto: Plan ahead and drive slowly!
Pl ease observe the following when driv ing away
from paved roads:
.,. Drive only on roads and off road sections which
ma tch the des ign of your vehicle and yo ur abili ­
ties as a driver . Neve r take risks!
... Drive slowly and p lan ahead!
... Take into consideratio n the
ground clearan ce
of your veh icle.
.,. Activate the
offro ad mode Q page 190 as need­
ed .
.,. Use the
hill desc ent a ssis t Q page 192 when
driv ing down steep sections on hills .
Unpaved roads and offroad
Drive s low ly on unfam iliar roads and unknown
offroad sections, and look out for unexpected ob­
stacles (e .g. potholes, rocks, tree stumps, etc .) .
To prevent the veh icle from bottoming and avoid
damage to the underbody, you should d rive
stra ight across severe bumps in the ground with
only one side of the vehicle so that only two of
your wheels cross the b umps.
Drive briskly through sandy or marshy offroad
sections and do not stop , if at all possible .
Driving through water
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage when
driving throug h water, fo r example on flooded
roads:
- T he wate r must no t be any higher than the bot-
tom of the vehicle body .
- Do no t drive fas ter than wa lking spee d.
Driving on a slope
If you ever find yo urself not able to cl imb a s lope,
do not try to turn around, d rive back down in
re ­
verse .
Otherw ise, you run the risk of tipping over.
202 If the vehicle thre
atens to tip o ver when dr iving
across a slope, you must immediately stee r
downhill in the direction of the slope.
Do no t pa rk you r vehi cle on steep s lopes or
grades .
To reduce the risk of tipping over, drive on slopes
i n the d irect io n of the downwa rd slope (fa ll line) -
not cros swi se .
& WARNING
After driving thro ugh water, mud, slush, etc.,
the brakes may be slow to take effect beca use
of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry the brakes
f irst by braking carefu lly to restore the full
braking effect .
(D Note
- Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be seve rely damaged by driving
throug h water.
-Always switch off the Start-Stop-System *
when driving through water Qpage 93.
(D Tips
-Check the de pth of the water before driving
through it.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the engine of f whe n driving through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncom ing vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep fo r your vehicle to drive
t h roug h safe ly.
-Avoid driv ing through salt water beca use it
can cause corrosion.

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,...., 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.
- Never install a "weight distributing" or
"load equalizing" trailer hitch on your vehi­
cle. The vehicle was not designed for these
kinds of trailer hitches . The hitch attach­
ment can fail, causing the trailer to tear
loose from the vehicle.
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for your
vehicle, found on the safety compliance la­ bel on the driver's side B-pillar, must never
be exceeded under any circumstances. Ex­
ceeding the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of
your vehicle is likely to damage your vehicle,
and such damage will not be covered by
your Limited New Vehicle Warranty. Exceed­
ing the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating will al­
so change the performance and handling
characteristics of your vehicle, which could
cause a crash resulting in serious injury or
death.
203

Trailer mod e
Operating instructions
6"
~ 2

. 1/2 "
.(. '-I} 1-1/2"
-
F ig. 189 Pe rmi tted ball posit io n of the traile r hi tch
Tr aile r to wing weights
With a f ac tor y-inst all ed or an a ft er ma rket trailer
h itch, the maximum permissib le trailer weight is
4,400 lbs (2,000 kg) . The maximum perm iss ible
unb raked trailer weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kg) .
These spec ificat ions apply when dr iv ing on roads
hav ing an incl ine of less tha n 12%.
Perm is sible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these changed
conditions, adjust the trailer load so that the
tongue load is at the maxim um allowable or
slightly lower. You can get an approx imation of
the tongue load w ith a bathroom scale or you can
measure the load at a tr ucking company or
weighing station.
W ith a
fa ctor y-installed or an aftermarket trailer
h itch, t he maximum permissib le load on the ball
h itch may not exceed 440 lbs (200 kg).
It is rec­
ommended to use the maximum permissible
load.
Trailer load di stribution
B e su re the load in the trailer is held securely in
p lace to prevent it from s hift ing fo rwa rd, back ­
ward or sideways.
Nev er allo w a p assenge r to ride in a trail er c::> A
in Driving instructions on page 205.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used w ith suitable
ball mount and ball
c::> fig. 189 . Installat ion of
the hitch ball must be carr ied out in accordance
w ith the manufacturer 's inst ruct ions.
204
Engine cooling system
Towing a tra ile r makes t he 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 .
Tire pressure
When towing a t railer, inflate the ti res of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under "Full
l oad" on the tire press ure label. The tire pressure
l abel is located on the driver 's side B-pillar . In­
flate tra iler tires to trailer and tire manufactur­
ers' specifications.
Lights
The head light settings shou ld be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. Check to
make s ure both vehicle and trailer lights are
working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure tra ile r safety cha ins a re properly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle.
Leave enough slack in the chains to permit tu rn­
i ng corners . When you install safety chains, make
s u re they will not drag on the road when you are
driv ing.
The chains should cross under the trai ler tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of veh icle
and t railer, p lease note the following:
.., Do not tow a loaded trai ler when your car itself
is not loaded.
.., Be especially care ful when passing other
vehicles .
.., Observe speed limits.
.., Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.., Always app ly brakes early.
.., Monitor the temperature gauge.

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,...., Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer 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 control.
A "balanced" rig is eas ier 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 observ ing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loading considerat ions.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to contro l the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permiss ible speed . Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind
conditions are unfavorable - part icularly when
going downhill.
Reduce veh icle speed
immediately if the tra iler
shows the slightest sign of swaying .
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed lim its . In some areas, speeds for
veh icles towing trai lers are lower than for regular
veh icles.
Always apply brakes early. When driving down­
h ill , shift into a lower gear to use the engine
braking effect to slow the veh icle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fa il.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge r=;, page 10 must
be observed carefully . If the needle moves close
to the upper end of the scale, reduce speed im­ mediately and/or turn off the air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light in the
instrument cluster starts flashing., pull 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 risk in an acci-
-
Trailer mode
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wear ing the restraints provided
by Aud i.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a
t railer because o f the additional weight and dif­
ferent weight distribution. Safety, performance
and economy will greatly depend on how carefu l­
ly you load your trai ler and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
tu rning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic. Keep practicing until you have be­
come comp lete ly familiar w ith the way your vehi ­
cle-tra iler combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficu lt and requires practice.
Backing up with a t railer 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 passing, 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 p lenty of room for
your trailer before c hanging 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 veh icle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may requ ire
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
tra load
r=;, page 280.
205