2017 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET light

Intelligent Technology Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road ho lding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of skid­
ding and loss of vehicle control. It works only
when the engine is runn ing . ESC detects certain
d ifficult driving situat ions, including when the
vehicle is beginn ing to spin (yaw) out of control
and helps you to get the veh icle back under con­
tro l by selectively braking the wheels , and/or re­
ducing engine powe r and provid ing steering as­
sistance to help ho ld the veh icle on the driver 's
intended course. The indicator light
bJ in the in­
strument cluster blinks when ESC is taking action
to help you contro l th e vehicl e.
The follow ing systems a re integr ated in the ESC:
Anti -lock braking system (ABS )
ABS preve nts the wheels from lock ing up when
b raking . The ve hicle can still be stee red even dur­
in g ha rd brak ing . Apply steady pressure to the
b rake pedal. Do not p ump the pedal. A pu lsing in
the brake pedal indicates tha t the system is help ­
ing you to brake the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist sys tem can dec rease braking dis­
tance .
It increases brak ing power when the d rive r
pr esses the brake pedal q uickly in eme rge ncy sit ­
uations . You m ust press and hold the b rake pedal
unti l the situation is over . In vehicles with adap ­
tive cruise control* , the brake assist system is
mo re sensitive if the distance det ected to the ve­
h icle ahead is too small.
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, acceler­
ate and dr ive up h ills.
gi Electronic differential lock (EDL ) ...... N
~ The ED L br ak es w heels that a re spi nnin g and
8 trans fers the drive power to the othe r drive LL 00
Intellig ent Technology
whee l or wheels if the vehicle is equ ipped with
all-wheel drive*. This function is not avai lable at
highe r speeds.
In extreme cases , EDL automat ic all y swi tches off
to help keep t he b rake on the braked wheel from
overheating . EDL will switch on again automati­
ca lly when cond itions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
T he ES C helps to s tabilize the vehicle by changing
the s teering torque.
In veh icles with dynamic steer ing*, ESC a lso
helps to stab ilize the steer ing in crit ica l sit ua­
tions.
Electronic interaxle differenti al lock */
selective wheel torque control*
T he elect ronic inte raxle d iffere ntial lo ck (front
whee l dr ive) o r the sele ct ive whee l torque co ntro l
(a ll w heel d rive) operates when driving thro ugh
cu rves. The front wheel on the inside of the curve
o r both wheels on the inside of the curve are
braked selectively as needed. This allows more
precise driving in curves . The applicab le system
may not activate when driving in wet or snowy
condit ions .
A WARNING
--The ESC and i ts integrated systems ca nnot
overcome the laws of physics. This is espe­
cially importa nt on slippery or wet roads. If
the systems begin act ing to sta biliz e your
veh icle, you shou ld immedi ate ly change
your speed to match the road and traffic conditions. Do not let the increased safety
provided by these systems tempt yo u to
take risks. Doing so will increase the risk of
a loss of vehicle control, collision and seri­
ous personal injur ies .
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions . The risk of losing con ­
trol of the vehicle increases when driv ing
too fast, especially through curves and o n
slippe ry o r wet roads , and whe n driving too
close to ve hicl es up ahea d. The ESC and its
integ ra t ed systems cannot always preven t
collis ions -the re is s till a risk o f accidents!
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Intelligent Technology
-Always acce le rate with special care on even,
smoot h surfaces such as those that are wet
o r covered with ice and s now. The dr ive
wheels can s pin even with these ass istance
systems that cannot always h elp to reduce
t h e risk of loss of v ehicle con trol. t
ir es. Diff eren t tire si zes c an lead to a red uc­
t ion in en gine power .
- Y ou may hear noises whe n the sys tem s de­
sc ribe d are working .
{D) Tips
-ABS and ASR on ly work co rrectly whe n all
fo ur whee ls are e quipped w ith ide ntica l
Switching on/off
£SC turns on automatically when you start the engine .
Fig . 163 Versio n A: lower cente r co nso le,~ OFF button Fig. 164 Version B : upper center co nso le, ~ OFF button
T he ESC is des igned to function in leve ls. Depe nd­
i ng on t he level th at i s sele cted, the s tabili zation
f unc tion of the E SC is limited or sw itched off. The
amo unt of stabi liza tio n con trol will d iffer de ­
pendi ng on the level. -
Roc king the ve hicle to free it w hen i t is stuck
- Dr iving in d eep snow or o n loose g ro und
- Dr iving with snow chains
Th e fo llo wing s itu ations are ex cep tion s where i t
may be usef ul to sw itch on s po rt mo de to allow
the wheels to spin:
Sport mode on ESC/ASR off
Behavior
T he ESC and ASR stabiliza -
The sta bilization funct ion is
tion f unct io ns are limite d not available
¢ &
. ES C and
¢ &. . ASR are switched off.
Operation Press the I.$ OFF I b utton P re ss and hol d the l.$ OF FI
briefly . button longer than 3 sec-
onds .
Indicator II turns on. Iii and lf111•)H turn on.
lights
Driver mes- Stabilization control (ESC ): Stabilization control (ESC ):
sages Sport. Warning! Restricted off . Warning! Restricted
stab ility stability
168
Sport mode off or
ESC /ASR on
T he f ull stabilization func -
tion of the ESC an d ASR is
avai lab le aga in.
Press the I.$ OFF I but ton
a g ai n.
II turns off or II and
lf11ft)H turn off .
Stabilization control
(ESC ): On
N N ><'. 00

Intelligent Technology
These electronic control modules record data
dur ing normal vehicle operation that may be
needed by trained technicians for diagnostic and
repair purposes. The recording capability of these
modules is l imited to data (no sound is record­
ed). Only a small amount of data is actually re ­
corded over a very limited per iod of time, or stor­
ed when a system fau lt is detected by a control
mod ule. Some of the data stored may re late to
ve hicl e speed, dire ct ion, or brak ing, as well as re­
stra int system use and performance in the event
of a crash. Stored data can also only be read and
downloaded with special equipment that is di­ rectly connected to the veh icle.
@ Tips
Your vehicle may be equipped with Audi con­
nect. Your use of certain Audi connect fea­
tures requires wireless services that are pro­
vided by a third party wire less te lecommuni­
cations provider. For detai ls regarding how in­
formation obtained through Audi connect is collected, processed, t ransmitted, used, and
shared, please see your contract with the
w ireless te lecommunica tions p rovider and the
"About Aud i connec t" tab in your vehi cle's
M M I:
!MENUI b utton> Audi connect > About
Audi conne ct.
Braking
What affects broking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the fi rs t 250 miles (400 km), new b rake
pads do not possess the ir full braking effect, they
have to be "broken in" first ¢.& . You can com­
pensate for this s light ly reduced bra king power
by pushing harde r on the brake pedal. Avoid
heavy braking loads during the break-in period .
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles a re st ill s ub­
ject to wea r, depending la rgely on ope rating con ­
ditions and driving habits¢.&, . On vehicles that
are either dr iven most ly in stop-and-go city traf ­
f ic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by your authorized Aud i dea ler more of­
ten than specified in the
War ranty & Mainte-
170
nance booklet . Failure to have your brake pads
inspected can result in reduced brake perform ­
ance.
On steep slopes, you should use the bra king ef ­
fect o f the engine. This way, you prevent unnec­
essary wear on the brake system. If you must use
your brakes, do not ho ld the brakes down contin ­
uously. Pump the brakes at intervals.
Ope rating nois e
Noises may occu r when braking depen ding on the
speed, braking force and outside conditions such
as temperature and h umidity.
Effect of water and road salt
In certain si tuations, for examp le after d riving
t hr ough water, in heavy rain, after over nigh t con­
densa tion or after washing your car, the brak ing
effect can be reduced by moisture or ice on the
brake rotors and brake pads . The brakes must be
dried f irst with a few careful brake app lications.
At higher speeds and w ith the windshield wipe rs
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake rotors for a short amount of time . This occurs at
regu lar intervals without the dr iver not icing and
provides for better brake response t ime under
wet cond itions .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered road
and the brakes are not used. Likewise, you clean
off accumulated salt coating from brake discs
and pads with a few caut ious applications of the
brake ¢.& .
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up on
the brake pads and corrosion to form on the discs
i f 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 ­
s io 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 ¢ .& .

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Fa ults in the brake system
If yo u should notice a sudden increase i n brake
pedal travel, then one of the two brake circuits
may have failed
¢ .&. .
Low brake fluid level
Malf unct ions can occur in the bra ke system if the
b rake fl uid leve l is too low. The brake fluid level
i s monitored e lectronica lly .
Bra ke booste r
The brake booster increases the pressure that
you generate with the brake pedal.
It works on ly
when the engine is run ning
.¢ .&.
Bra ke lining we ar status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the open ings in the wheel. If necessary,
the wheel may be removed for this inspection
¢ page 228, Replacing wheels.
A WARNING
- New bra ke pads don't have the best stop­
ping power and must be "bro ken- in" dur ing
the init ia l 250 m iles (400 kilometers). Yo u
can compensate for th is by press ing the
brake pedal more firmly. This a lso applies
later when new pads are installed.
- Yo u should perfo rm braking maneuvers for
the p urpose of clean ing the brake system
only if road conditions permit. Other road
users must not be put at risk -you may
cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift t ransm iss ion into a lower
gear or lowe r driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or
too often. This could ca use the brakes to get
hot and diminish brak ing efficie ncy.
- Do not "r ide t he b rakes" by resting your foot
on the pe dal when yo u do not inten d to
bra ke. This may cause the bra kes to over­
heat, premat ure wear and increased stop ­
ping distance.
- Under certa in climatic and operating condi­
tio ns such as passing thro ugh water, driving
in heavy rain or after washing the vehicle,
Intellig ent Technology
the effectiveness o f the brakes can be re­
duced. In winter, ice can accum ulate on the
brake pads, lin ings, d iscs and drums . Care­
fu lly apply brakes for a test . Brakes will dry
and ice coat ings will be cleaned off after a
few ca refu l brake applications .
- Driving for an extended period of t ime on
salt-covered roads without usi ng your
b rakes can also affect braking eff iciency.
Clea n off acc umul ated salt coat ing from
b rake discs an d pa ds w ith a few careful
b rake appli cat ions .
- I f you d amage the front spoile r, or if you in­
s t all a different spoiler, be s ure the a ir flow
to the front brakes is not obstruc ted. Other­
wise the brake system could overheat reduc­ ing the effectiveness of t he ent ire bra ke sys­
tem.
- Fai lure of one brake circuit w ill impa ir the
braking capability resulting in an increased
stopping distance . Avoid driving the vehicle
and have it towed to the nearest authorized
Aud i 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 cons iderab ly
ha rder to make up fo r the lack of booste r
assis tance .
Electro-mechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The electro-mechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering.
Power steer ing adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Indicator lights and messages
• Steering defe ctive! Do not drive vehicle!
If this indicato r light turns on and stays on and
t hi s message appears, the powe r steering may
have failed.
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Intelligent Technology
Do not contin ue driving . See yo ur authori zed
Aud i dea ler or a qua lified repair facility for assis­
tance.
'I@ Dynamic steering : Sy stem fault! You can
cont inue d riv ing
If the indi cator lig ht t urns on and the message
appears, the steering m ay be more difficul t to
move or mo re sensit ive than usual. The steering
wheel may also be at an angle when dr iving
straight .
Dr ive s low ly to your author ized A udi dealer or
qu alified wor kshop to have the ma lfunction co r­
rected .
l;:r-ij Dynamic steering : initializing
If th is driver message appears and the ind icator
light is flas hing on the instrument panel, dynam­
ic stee ring* is be ing rein itia lized . Afte r start ing
the engine , the steer ing wheel will move s light ly.
Re-i nitializ ation m igh t b e necessa ry if the s teer­
i n g wheel was moved hard to the left and r igh t
while the veh icle was not moving. The disp lay
goes out as soon as initia lization is complete.
A WARNING
Have the dynamic steering* system malfunc­
tion repaired as soon as possible by an au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop -
r isk of accident!
(D Tips
- If the . or l;pij indicator light only stays on
fo r a short time, you may continue driving.
- The dynamic steering* stability systems are
not available in the event of a system mal­
funct ion.
- Fo r additional informat ion on dynamic
steering*, refer to
¢ page 101.
172
-
Driving with your
quattro
App lies to : vehicles wit h all -w hee l drive
With all-wheel drive , all four wheels ore driven .
General information
With a ll-wheel d rive, power is distrib uted to a ll
fo ur wheels. Th is happens automat ica lly depend­
i ng on your driving style and the road conditions
at the t ime . See also
¢ page 167.
A center d ifferential distributes the driving powe r
variably to the front and rear axle. It works to­
gether w ith select ive whee l torque contro l, wh ic h
activates when d rivi ng through curves
¢ page 167. With the spor t different ial*, power
dist ribution to the rear wheels is var iable and can
be adjusted wi th d rive select ¢
page 101 .
The all-whee l dr ive concept is designed for hig h
engine powe r. Your vehicle is except ionally pow­
e rfu l an d has excellent driving cha racteristics
bot h unde r no rmal d riving condi tions and o n
snow and i ce. A lways read and follow safety pre­
ca utions
~ ..&. .
Winter tires
When dr iving in the winter, yo ur vehicle with all­
whee l dr ive has a n advantage, even with regu la r
t ir es. In w inte r road cond it ions i t may be advisa­
ble to mo unt win ter tires (o r all-se ason tires) for
i mproved driveability an d braking: these ti res
must be mo unted on
all four whee ls. See also
¢ page 2 22, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire ch ains are mandatory on certain
r oads, t his normally also applies to vehicles wi th
a ll- wheel drive ¢
page 222, Snow chains .
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles with all-w heel d rive mus t always have
ti res of the same size. Also avoid tires with diffe r­
en t tread dep ths. Fo r d eta ils see page
¢ page 21 4, New tires or wheels. liJJ>

Intelligent Technology
It is in precisely these situations that yo u will no ­
tice energy management active ly regulating the
d istr ibut ion of energy.
Vehicle stands for an e xtended period
If you do not drive you r ve hicle over a period of
seve ral days or weeks, elec trical components are
g radually cut back or switched off . This reduces
energy cons umption and ma intains starting ca­
pability over a longer period. Some of the con­
ven ience funct ions may not operate, such as the
interior lights or the power seat adjustment. T he
conven ience functions will be available again
when yo u switch on t he ign it io n and start the en­
g ine .
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with the
engine turned off o r use other MMI fu nctions,
the battery is being discharged .
If start ing capability is jeopardized due to energy
consumption, a message appears in the M MI dis­
p lay. The message indicates that the system will
be sw itched off automatically in a moment. If
you wish to cont inue using t he functions, you
have to start the engine.
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when the
veh icle is being driven, t he battery can become
d ischa rged. This happens most ly when l ittle en ­
ergy is be ing generated and a g reat deal con­
sumed and t he battery's state of cha rge is not
opti mal.
To br ing the energy ba lance back into equ ilibri­
um, consume rs which req uire especially la rge
amo unts of energy a re tempora rily cut bac k or
sw itche d off. Hea ting systems i n par tic ul ar r e­
qu ire a gre at deal of energy. If you not ice, for ex ­
ample , that the heated seats* or the heated rear
window are not heating, they have been tempo ­
rari ly cu t back or switched off . These systems will
be ava ilab le aga in as soon as the energy balance
has been restored .
You will a lso notice that engine idle speed has
been inc reased slightly. This is normal and not a
cause for conce rn. By increasing eng ine idle
174
speed the a ddi tional energy required is genera t­
ed and the battery is charged.

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on necessary precautions e.g. co rrosion preven­
tion, maintenance and storage . Pay attention to
addit ional information concerning the battery .
Refer to
¢ page 203 .
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.
F ue l economy, environmenta l impact, and we ar
on your engine, brakes and tires la rgely depend
on three factors :
- you r persona l dr iving sty le
- operating conditions
- technical lim itations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can eas ily cut your fue l
consumption by
10-15 percen t. This section will
g ive you some tips on how you can help the envi ­
ronment and yo ur pocketbook .
(!) Tips
The consumpt ion estimates as published by
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may not cor re­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will va ry depending upon vehicle
load and speed, road and wea ther condi tions,
t rip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­
ating.
" Avoid unnecessary accelerating a nd braking .
Veh icles 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
e rate less . let the vehicle coast wheneve r possi ­
b le -fo r example when yo u see that the next traf­
fic light is red.
Driving and the envir onment
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and im­
proves your mileage .
"Try and keep well below your car 's maximum
speed.
Acce lerating gently reduces fuel consumption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ­
ment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and engine
noise increase disproport ionately at high speeds.
If you drive at approximately three quarters of
top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by
one half. Never drive faster than the posted
speed limit and weather cond itions permit .
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is jus t idling it burns up fuel.
" Shut the eng ine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
" Do not warm up the vehicle by lett ing the en-
gine run at idle.
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at railroad cross ings, or at traff ic lights that have long waits
on red . Turning the engine off for just
30 -40 sec ­
onds saves more f uel than is burned starting the
. . engine again.
It takes a long time for the eng ine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle . However, wear
and noxious emissions are especially h igh when
the engine is warming up . So yo u should dr ive
away as soon as you start the eng ine and avoid
runn ing at high rpms w hile the engine is st ill
warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave eng ine idling unattended after
s tart ing. If wa rning lights sho uld come on to
i ndicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded . Extended idling also prod uces
heat, which could resu lt in overheating or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper­
ty .
177

Trailer towing 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.
Trailer 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 shou ld your vehicle be
struck from beh ind ¢
,&. .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
gi check to be sure that it conforms to all regula-......
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Trailer towing
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 w ith 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 tra iler has electr ical brakes please note
that these bra kes 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 sec ure ly 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 180.
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 cool ing system has enough fluid. .,..
179