2017 AUDI A5 CABRIOLET check engine light

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.
171

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

Trailer towing
Tire pr essure
When tow ing a tra iler, inflate the tires of yo ur
veh icle to the tire pressure listed under " Fu ll
load" on the label ¢
page 217. Inflate trai ler
tires to trai ler and tire manufacturers' specifica­
tions.
Lights
The headlight settings should be chec ked with
the trailer attached before driving off . Check to
make sure both vehicle and trailer lights are
working properly.
Safety chains
Be s ure t railer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle .
L eave enough slack in the chains to permit turn ­
ing corners. When you install safety chains, make
sure they wi ll not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the trailer 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 .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car res ults
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avo ided, drive at very low speeds on ly
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easie r to operate and cont rol.
This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while keeping the trai ler as light as possib le under the
circumstances . Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow vehicle while observ ing tongue load requ ire­
ments and vehicle loading considerat ions .
Spe ed
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 w ind
180
conditions are unfavorab le -particularly when
going downhi ll.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediate ly if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of sway ing.
Do not try
to st op the swaying by accele rating.
Observe speed limits. In some a reas, speeds fo r
vehicles towing tra ilers are lower tha n for regular
vehicles.
A lways apply brakes ear ly . When driving down­
hill, shift into a lower gea r to use the engine
braki ng effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone ca n cause them to overheat and fa il.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 8 must
be observed carefully. If the needle moves close
to the upper end of the scale, reduce speed im­
med iate ly and/or tu rn off the a ir cond itioner .
If the coolant temperatu re warning light . in
the instrument cluster starts flashing, p ull off
the road, stop and let the engine
idle for about
two minu tes to p revent heat build-up .
.&, WARNING
Anyone not properly res trained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci ­
dent . Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wear ing the restraints provided
by Aud i.
Trailer towing
information
Important to know
-
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a
trailer because of the addit iona l weight and dif­
ferent weight distribution. Safety, performance
and economy will greatly depend on how careful­
ly you load your tra iler and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, pract ice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic. Keep pract icing u nti l you have be­
come completely fam iliar w ith the way your vehi-
cle-tra ile r combination behaves and respo nds . .,.

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Checking and Filling Hood
Releasing and opening the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehi­
cle.
Fig. 169 Driver's side footwell: engine hood re lea se lever
Fig. 170 Release lever under the engine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make sure that
the windshield wipers are flat against the wind­
shield. Otherwise, they could damage the paint
on the hood.
.. With the driver's door open, pull the lever un­
der the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow
¢ fig. 169.
.. Raise the hood slightly¢&.
.. Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
¢
fig . 170. This releases the catch.
.. Open the hood.
A WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment. Wait until no steam or coolant can be
Checking and Filling
seen or heard before carefully opening the
hood.
Closing the engine hood
.. Pull the hood down until the pressure from the
struts is reduced.
"' Le t the hood
drop down and latch in place. Do
not try to push it shut;
it may fail to engage
¢&, .
A WARNING
A hood that is not completely latched could
fly up and block your view while driving.
- When you close the engine hood, check it to
make sure the safety catch has properly en­
gaged. The hood should be flush with the
surrounding vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while driving that the hood is
not secured properly, stop at once and close
it.
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the
engine compartment.
-
Whenever you must perform any work in the
engine compartment, for example checking and
filling different fluids, there is a risk of injury, burns and accidents. To prevent personal injury
always observe the following WARNINGS. The
engine compartment of any vehicle is a hazard­
ous area
¢ .&. .
A WARNING
-~
To help avoid injury, before you check any­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine.
- Remove the ignition key .
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever of automatic transmis-
sion to "P" (Park).
-Always let the engine cool down. Hot com­
ponents will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coolant escaping from the engine
193

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Checking and Filling
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 171 Typical layout for containers and e ngin e oil fille r cap
(D Eng ine o il filler cap ( @ Jump start po int(+) under a cover
@ Brake fluid reservoir
((0) ...... .
@ Coolant expansion tank (- L) .... .
® Jump start point( -) with hex head
197
205,239
202
200
screw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205, 239
@ Windshield/headlight* washer con-
tainer
(W) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
The position of the engine oil filling hole
c:> fig. 171 (item@) can differ depending on the
engine design .
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
c:> &. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 193.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci­
fications.
T he serv ice interval display in the instrument
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it is
time for an oi l change . We recommend that you
have your oi l changed by an authorized Audi Serv­
ice Advisor.
If you have to top off the oil between oil changes,
use the Audi oil quality standard specified in the
tab~ .
~
195

Check ing and F illing
Audi oil quality standard
Gas olin e
VW 502 00 or
engi ne vw 50400
A udi reco mmend s
~Castrol I jgl[J,'fE{g ?r,w.:..~J ri, '.IA!,
Audi rec ommends Longlif e high perform ance
engi ne oil from Au di Genuin e Parts
Using the proper engine oil is important for the
functionality and service life of the engine. Your
engine was factory-filled with a h igh-quality oil
which can usually be used throughout the entire
yea r.
(D Note
Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not
cover damage or malfunctions due to failure
to follow recommended maintenance and use
requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's
Manual and Warranty & Maintenance booklet .
- Use only a high qual ity eng ine oil that ex-
pressly complies with the Audi oil quality
standard specified for your vehicle's engine .
Using any other oil can cause serious engine
damage.
- Do not mix any lubricants or other additives into the engine oil. Doing so can cause en­
gine damage.
@ Tips
If you need to add oil and there is none availa ­
ble that meets the Audi oil quality standard
your engine requires, you may add a total of
no more than 0.5 quart/liter of a h igh-quality
"synthet ic"oil that meets the following speci­
fications.
- Vehicles w ith gasoline eng ine: ACEA A3 or
API SM with a viscosity grade of SAE OW-30,
SAE 5W-30 or SAE 5W-40.
- For more information about engine o il that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact either your authorized Audi dea ler
or Aud i Custome r Relat ions at
1 (800) 822- 2834 or visit ou r web site at
www.audiusa.com or www .aud icanada.ca.
196
· Eng ine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of
its moving parts.
In order to provide effect ive lubricat ion and cool­
i ng of internal engine components, all internal
combust ion eng ines consume a certa in amount
of oil. Oil consumption var ies from engine to en­
gine and may change sign ificantly over the life of
the engine . T ypically, engines w ith a specified
break -in period (see¢
page 175) consume more
oi l during the break-in period than they consume
after oil consumption has stabilized.
U nder normal cond itions, the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on the quality and viscosity o f
the oil , the RPM (revo lutions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient tem­ perature and road conditions. Further factors are
the amount of o il dilution from water condensa­
tion or fuel residue and the oxidation level of the
o il. As any engine is subject to wear as mileage
builds up, the o il consumption may increase over
ti me unt il replacement of wo rn compo nents may
become necessary.
With all these variables coming into play, no standard rate of o il consumption can be estab­
li shed or spec ified . T he re is no alte rnative to reg­
u la r and freq uent checki ng of the oi l level, see
Note.
If the yellow engine oil level warning symbo l II
in the instrument cluster lights up, you sho uld
chec k the o il level as soon as possible
¢
page 197. Top off the o il at your earlies t con­
venience
¢ page 197.
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
¢ .&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 193.
(D Note
D riving with an insuffic ient oil level is likely to
cause severe damage to the eng ine.

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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
quires little attention.
T he 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 condit ioned water and the manufactur ­
er's glycol-basedcoolant add itive G 13 antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (SO% for USA mod­
e ls; 60% for Canadian mode ls). This m ixture
both ass ures the necessa ry frost protection and
protects metal components in the engine's coo l­
ing system from corrosion and scaling .
It also
raises the boiling point of the coolant.
Do not red uce the concent ration of the coolant in
the summer by adding p lain water.
The propor­
tion of coolant addit ive mu st be at least 50 %
but not more than 60 %
to mainta in antifreeze
protection and cooling efficiency. If the coolant
frost protection is too low, the coolant could
freeze and damage the vehicle heating and en­
g ine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifree ze is added at the
factory for temperatures down to :
- -31° F(- 3S°C)USA
- - 40 ° F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
If you must add coolant, use a m ixture of water
and coolant addit ive. M ixing the coolant additive
with d istilled water is recommended .
_& WARNING
Before you check anythi ng i n t he engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN ­
INGS
¢ .&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 193 .
(D Note
-Befo re winter se ts in, have the coo lant
checked to see if the coolant additive in your
vehicle is sufficient to meet the cl imate con -
Check ing and Filling
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 additive to 60%.
- When adding coolant additive to your cool­
ing system, remember :
- We recommend us ing only coolant add i­
tive G12+ + or G13 for yo ur vehicle. This
coolant addit ive is avai lab le at aut horized
A udi dealers . O ther types of antifree ze can
significantly reduce corrosion pro tect ion .
The resulting corrosion can cause a loss of
coolant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Adding ra ­
diator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and cou ld resu lt in damage not cov­
ered by your New Veh icle Limited Warra nty .
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a
quick glance.
Fi g. 1 74 Engin e compar tmen t: Cover o n the coo la n t ex ­
pansion tank
.. Before you check anything in the eng ine com­
partment,
always r ead and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢ ,A in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 193 .
.. Par k your veh icle on a leve l sur face.
.. Tur n off t he ignit io n .
.. Read the eng ine coolan t leve l from the coo lant
expansion tank
¢ fig . 174, ¢page 195,
fig. 171 .
With a cold engine, the coo lant level
should be b etween the "MIN" and "MAX" mark­
ings. When the eng ine is warm, the level may
be slightly above the "MAX" marking. .,..
199