2016 AUDI Q5 engine overheat

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Warning light in the instrument cluster
display
If the . warning light in the instrument cluster
display flashes, this can mean one of two things:
either the coolant
temperature is too high, or the
coolant
level is too low~ page 29.
If the needle is well in the upper area of the
gauge, the coolant temperature is too high.
Stop
the vehicle, switch the engine off, and allow it
to cool. If the warning light comes on again after
driving a short distance, contact an authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified workshop .
..&, WARNING
- Always observe the warning in ~ page 220,
before opening the hood and checking the
engine coolant level.
- Never open the engine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coolant
dr ipping from the engine compartment. You
cou ld burn yourself. Let the engine cool off
first so that you cannot hear or see any
steam or engine coo lant.
CD Note
- Mounting additional lights or accessories in
front of the air inlets reduces the cooling ef­
fect of the radiator. At high outside temper­
atures or high engine load, the engine could
overheat.
- The front spoiler has been designed to prop­
erly distribute the cooling air when the vehi­
cle is moving. If the spoiler is damaged, this
could reduce the cooling effect and the en­
gine could then overheat. Ask your author­
iz ed 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 permis­
sible engine RPM after the break-in period . Be-
~ fore reaching this area, move the selector lever U"I
..... \!) .....
Instruments and indicator lights
to posit ion D/S or ease your foot off the accelera­
tor pedal.
CD Note
The tachometer needle@~ page 10, fig. 3
should only briefly be in the red zone: you
could damage your engine! The beginning of
the red zone varies depending on the engine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel and reduces en­
gine noise.
~ button
Fig. 4 SET button in the instrument cluster
The !SET ! button performs the following func­
tions:
Switching on time, date, temperature
display and odometer
The display appears for approximately 30 sec­
onds when you press the
ISETI button ~fig . 4
with the ignition off .
Starting the Auto-Check sequence
The Auto-Check system ~ page 2 7 constantly
monitors certain individual functions and compo­
nents of the vehicle when the ignition is turned
on and when the vehicle is moving.
With the ignit ion turned on, you can start the
"Auto-Check sequence" by press ing the
!SE TI but­
ton. You can pe rform an Auto-Check seq uence
when the vehicle is stationary and the ignition is
turned on or when the vehicle is moving slower
than 3 mph (5 km/h).
IIJ,,,
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,...., -Never leave your vehicle with the engine
running while in gear. If you must leave
your vehicle when the engine is running, ac­ tivate the parking brake and move the selec­
tor lever 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 en­
gine is running and the selector lever is in D/
5 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
[ijJ illuminates
and a driver message appears
c> page 126
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
c> page 220. Otherwise, any increase in en­
gine speed may set the vehicle in motion,
even with the parking brake applied.
(D 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-
Automatic transmission
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 decline s.
Hill descent control is activated when the selec­
to r lever is in D/S and you press the brake pedal.
The transmission automatically selects a gear
tha t 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
c> page 95 , hill descen t control is also ac ti­
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.
125

Automatic transmission
Manual shift program
Using the manual shift program you can man­
ually select gears .
Fig. 137 Center console: shifting the gears man ually
Fig. 138 Stee rin g whee l: S hift paddles •
Gear selection with selector lever
The tiptronic mode can be selected eith er with
the vehicle stationary or on the
move.
• Push the selector lever to the right from D/S.
u, N
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An M appears in the instrument cluster displa y
as soon as the transmission has shifted.
• To upshift, push the selector lever forward to
the plus position
G) ¢ 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
G)
¢fig. 138.
• To downshift, touch the button on the left 0-
• If you do not press a shift paddle within a short
time while in the D/S position, the transmission
will return to automatic mode. To keep shifting
126
using the shift paddles, move the selector lever
to the right out of the D/S position .
The transmissron automatically shifts up or down
before critical engine speed is reached.
The transmission only allows manual shifting
when the engine speed is within the permit ted
range.
(D Tips
- When you shift into the next lower gear, the
t ransm ission will downshift only when there
is no possibili ty 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.
- Tiptr onic is inoperat ive when the transmis­
sion is in the fail-safe mode.
- Hybrid drive*: elect ric driving is not possible
in t iptronic mode .
Kick-down
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration .
When you depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the resistance point, the automat ic transmission
downshifts into a lower gear, depending on vehi­
cle speed and engine speed. T he upsh ift into the
next higher gear takes place once the maximum
specified eng ine speed is reached.
A.::!!. ARNING
-Please note that the drive wheels can spin if
kick-down is used on a smooth slippery road -
there is a risk of skidd ing.
Transmission malfunction
ml Transmission: Press brake pedal and select
gear again.
Press the brake pedal and select the desired se­
lector lever position again. You can then continue
driving.
ml Transmission overheating: Please drive con-
servatively . .,,.

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

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give you some tips on how you can he lp the envi­
ronment and your pocketbook.
(D Tips
T he consumpt ion estimates as published by
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre ­
spond to your act ual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending 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
b le -for example when you see that the next traf­
fic light is red .
Avoid full throttle
Driving a t moderate speeds saves fuel and im­
proves your mileage .
.. Try and keep well be low your car's max imum
speed.
Accelerating gent ly reduces f uel consumption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ­
ment.
F ue l cons umption, exha ust emissions and engine
noise increase d isproportionately at high speeds.
If yo u drive at approximately three quarters of
top speed, fuel consumpt ion w ill be reduced by
one ha lf. Never drive faster than the posted
speed limit and weather conditions perm it .
Driving and the envir onment
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel .
.. Shut the eng ine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
.. Do not warm up t he vehicle by lett ing 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 engine in veh icles without
the Start-Stop-System* when stopped at ra ilroad
c ross ings and long red lights . T urning the engine
off fo r just 30-40 seconds saves mo re fue l th an is
bur ned by s tarti ng the eng ine again .
It takes a long time for the eng ine to warm up
fully when it is ru nning at id le. However, wea r
and noxious emissions are especially high w hen
t h e engine is war ming up. So yo u should dr ive
aw ay as soon as you star t the eng ine and avoid
runn ing at high rpms w hile the engine is sti ll
warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave eng ine idling unatt ended after
start ing. If wa rning lights sho uld come on to
i ndicate impro per operation, they would go
u nheeded. Extended idling also prod uces
heat, which could result in overheating or
other damage to the vehicle o r othe r proper­
ty .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot
of fuel .
.. Have your vehicle serviced at regular interva ls.
By hav ing your vehicle regular ly serv ice d by an
authorized Aud i dea ler helps to ensure that it
runs properly and economically . T he cond ition o f
yo ur vehicle not on ly affects its safety and ability
to hold its value , it also affects
fuel consump­
tion .
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
T he amou nt o f oil used is related to engine load
and speed. .,,.
199

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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

Checking and Filling
areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a used
engine oil collection facility in your area, or
contact a service station .
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro­ tects the engine from freezing in the winter.
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
qu ires little attention .
The cooling system has been filled at the factory
with a permanent coolant which does not need to
be changed. The coolant consists of
a mixture of
specially conditioned water and the manufactur­
er's g lycol-basedcoo lant additive G 13 antifreeze
w ith anticorrosion addi tives (50% for USA mod­
e ls· 60% for Canadian mode ls). This m ix ture
'
both ass ures the ne cess ary fros t protection and
p rotects metal com ponents in the engi ne's coo l­
ing system from corrosion and scaling .
It also
raises the boiling point of the coolant.
Do not red uce the concent ra tion of the cool ant in
the s ummer by addi ng p la in water.
The propor­
tion of coolant additive must be at lea st 50 %
but not more than 60 %
to maintain antifreeze
protection and cooling efficiency. If the coolant
frost protection is too low, the coo lant could
freeze and damage the vehicle heat ing and en­
g ine cooling system .
For year -round driving, antifreeze is added at the
factory for temperatures down to:
- -3 1 °F
c -3s0c) usA
- -4 0° F ( -40°C) Canad a.
I f you must add coolant, use a m ixt ure of wa ter
and coolant add it ive. M ixing the coolant additive
with d istilled water is recommen ded.
_& WARNING
B efore you che ck anyt hing i n the engine com ­
partmen t, a lways read and heed all WARN -
226
INGS ~ & in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 220.
(D Note
- Be fore w inter sets in, have the coolan t
checked to see if the coo lant additive in your
vehicle is suff ic ient to meet the climate con­
ditions. This is especially important if you
live in a region where the winter is extreme­
ly cold. If necessary, increase the proportion
of coolant addi tive to 60% .
- Whe n adding coolant additive to your cool­
ing system, remember:
- We re commend usin g on ly coo lant addi­
tive G12++ o r G13 fo r yo ur vehicle. This
coolant ad dit ive is availab le at authorized
Audi dealers. Other types of antifreeze can
significantly reduce corrosion protection.
The resulting corrosion can cause a loss of
coolant and serio us engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiato r leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Adding ra­
diator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and perfo rmance of yo ur cooling
system and cou ld resu lt in damage not cov­
ered by your New Ve hicle Li mited War ranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a
quick glance.
Fi g. 20 0 Eng ine compartment: cover on the coo lant expan ­
s io n tank
Befo re yo u check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
~ ,& in Working in the engine compart,nen t on
page 220. ..,.