2017 AUDI Q5 brakes

Intelligent Technology
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the firs t 25 0 miles (400 km), new b rake
pads do not possess their full braking effect , they
have to be "broken i n" first ¢& .
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today 's automobiles a re sti ll sub­
ject to wea r, depend ing la rgely on ope rating con­
d itions and dr iv ing habits
c::> .&,. . On veh icles 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 Audi dea ler more of­
ten than spec ified in the
Warr ant y & Ma inte ­
nance booklet .
Failure to have your brake pads
inspected can result in reduced brake perform­
ance .
On steep slopes, you shou ld use the braking ef ­
fect of the eng ine. This way, you prevent unnec­
essary wear on t he brake system . If you must use
your brakes , do not hold the brakes down cont in ­
uously . Pump the brakes at interva ls.
Oper ating noise
Noises may occur when braking depend ing on the
speed, braking force and outs ide cond itions such
as temperature and humidity .
Effect of wat er and road salt
In certain s ituations, for example after driving
through 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 brake rotors and b rake pads . The brakes must be
dried first with a few careful b rake applications.
At higher speeds and with the windshie ld wipers
turned on, the brake pads press aga inst the brake
rotors for a short amount of t ime. Th is occurs at
regular intervals w ithout the driver noticing and
provides fo r bette r brake response time under
wet conditions.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt-covered road
and the brakes a re not used . Likewise , you clean
off acc umu lated salt coat ing from brake d iscs
190
and pads with a few cautious app lications of the
bra ke
c::> & .
Corrosion
There may be a tendency fo r dirt to build up on
the b rake pads and corrosion to form on the discs
if the car is not dr iven regu la rly or only for short
trips wi th little use of the brakes .
If the bra kes are not used frequent ly, o r if cor ro­
s io n has formed on the discs , it is advisable to
clean off the pads and discs by b rak ing firmly a
few times from a moderately high speed
c::> & .
Faults in the brake system
If you s hou ld notice a sudden increase in brake
pedal travel, then one of the two brake circu its
may have fai led ¢
_&.
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the
brake fluid level is too low . The brake fluid level
i s monitored electronically.
Brake booster
The brake booster increases the pressure that
you generate with the brake pedal. It only oper­
ates wh ile the eng ine is r unning or w ith the igni­
tion switched on (hybr id drive *) ¢ & .
Brake lining wear statu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If necessary,
the wheel may be removed for t his inspection
¢page 255, Replacing wheels .
A WARNING
-New brake pads do n't have the best s top­
ping power and m ust be "broken-in" du ring
the initial 250 miles (400 km) . You can
compensate for this by pressing the brake pedal more firmly . This a lso applies later
when new pads are installed.
- You shou ld perform braking maneuvers for
the purpose of cleaning the brake system
only if road condit ions permit. Other road
users must not be put at risk -you may
cause an accident!

CD
CD
.... N ,-... N ..... 0 0 C<'. 00
-Before descending a steep grade , reduce
speed and shift transm iss ion into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or
too often . This could cause the brakes to get
hot and d iminish brak ing efficiency .
- Do not "r ide the brakes" by resting your foot
on the pedal when you do not intend to
bra ke. This may cause the bra kes to over­
heat , premat ure wea r and increased stop­
ping distance.
- Under certa in climat ic and operating condi­
tions su ch as p assing thro ugh w ater, dr iving
in heavy ra in or after washing the vehicle,
the ef fectiveness of the brakes can be re­
duced. In winter, ice can acc umulate on the
brake pads, linings, discs and drums . Care­
fully apply b rakes for a test. Brakes wi ll dry
and ice coatings wi ll be cleaned off after a
few careful brake applications .
- Driv ing for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
bra kes can also affect bra king efficiency .
Clean off accumulated sa lt coating from
bra ke discs and pads with a few caref ul
bra ke appl ic a tion s.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if yo u in­
sta ll a differen t spoi le r, be sure the air flow
to the front br akes is not o bstru cte d. O the r­
wise the br ake system could over heat reduc­
ing the e ffec tiveness of the entire brake sys ­
tem.
- Failure of one brake circuit will imp air the
brak ing capability resulting in an increased
stopping distance . Avoid driving the vehicle
and have it towed to the nearest a uthorized
Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the
engine shut off .
- If the brake booster is not wor king, the
brake pedal m ust be pressed considerably
harder to make up for the lack of booster
assistance .
Intelligent Technology
Electromechanical power
assist, Dynamic steering
The electromechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering .
Power steering adap ts elec tronically based on
the vehicle speed .
Indicator lights and message s
• Steering defecti ve! Do not drive vehicle!
If this indi ca to r li ght tur ns on and st ays on and
t hi s message appea rs, the powe r steering may
have failed.
Stop t he vehi cle in a safe location as soon as pos­
s ible. Do
not cont inue drivi ng. See yo ur author ­
ized Audi dea ler or o ther qualif ied repa ir facility
for assistance .
l;rij Dynamic steering : Sy stem fault! You can
continue driving
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appea rs , the steer ing may be more diffic ult to
move o r more sensitive than usu a l. Th e steering
m ay also be at an angle when dr iving st raig ht.
D rive slowly to your a uthorized Aud i dea le r or
qualified wo rksh op to have t he malfunct io n cor­
rec ted .
'Iij Dynamic steering: Initializing
Aud i drive select* : if the indicato r light blinks and
the driver message appears, the dynamic steer­
ing* is re init ia liz ed . After sta rting the engine , the
steering wheel will move slig htly . Re -initializa ­
t io n m ight be necessary if the steer ing whee l was
moved hard to t he left and r ight wh ile the veh icle
was not mov ing. The display turns off if the initi­
aliza tion was successful.
(D Tips
- If the . or l~ij indicato r light only stays on
for a shor t time, you m ay cont inue drivi ng.
- The dynam ic stee ring* sta bility systems
r=;, page 186 are no t ava ilable in the event of
a system mal func tio n.
- For add itiona l information on dy namic
steering*
r=;, page 122 .
191

CD
CD
.... N ,-... N .... 0 0 c:<: 00
-Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or heat shields. During dr iv ing, the substance
used for undercoating could overheat and
cause a fire.
Q) Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already ser iously degrade
t h e pe rformance of the catalytic converter .
- Do not exceed the correct eng ine o il level
c:> page 221.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
complete ly empty. The engine could mis­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into the
exhaust system and this cou ld cause the
catalytic conve rte r to overheat.
- Do not tur n off the ignition whi le the vehicle
i s mov ing.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these cond it ions, as otherwise fuel can
r each the catalytic converte r. This cou ld re­
su lt in ove rheating of the converte r, req uir­
i ng its replacement.
- To assu re 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 co uld lead to damage.
@) For the sake of the environment
Even when the Em ission 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 lfu r
conten t of the fuel being used. Using a differ­
ent brand of fue l may he lp, or filling the tan k
with lead -free s uper grade gasoline.
Driving and the envir onment
Diesel particulate filter
App lies to : veh icles w ith diesel en gine
The diese l particu late filter filters near ly all of
the soot particles out of the exhaust. The filter
cleans itself automatica lly under norma l driving
condit ions. If the filter cannot clean itself (for ex­
amp le, because you are only driving short distan­
ces), the filter becomes clogged with soot and
the m symbol for the d iesel part icu late filter il­
luminates
c:> page 31 .
_&. WARNING
-Do not park your veh icle over flammab le
mate ria ls s uch as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel particu­
late filter cou ld start a fi re.
-
- Do not app ly an underbody pro te ctant in the
exhaust system area or a fire could sta rt .
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that low­
ly ing parts such as spo ilers and exhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damaged .
This is especially true for vehicles with low-s lung
chassis (sports chass is)* 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, env ironmental impact, and wear
o n your engine, brakes and tires large ly depend
on three factors :
- your pe rsonal d riving s tyle
- operat ing cond itions
- technical limitat ions
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your fuel
195

CD
CD
.... N ,-... N ..... 0 0 C<'. 00
-Ideal conditions do not prevail offroad . Nev­
er utilize the maximum readings to their
fullest, always leave a safety reserve.
Driving tips
On poor rood and offrood, there is always only
one motto: Plan ahead and drive slowly!
Please observe the following when driving away
from paved roads:
~ Drive only on roads and offroad sections wh ich
match the design of your veh icle and your abili ­
ties as a driver. Never take risks!
~ Drive slowly and plan ahead!
~ Take into consideration the ground clearance
of your veh icle.
~ Activate the off road mode q page 186 as need­
ed .
~ Use the hill descent assist q page 188 when
driv ing down steep sections on h ills.
Unpaved road s and offroad
Drive s low ly on unfamiliar roads and unknown
offroad sections, and look out for unexpected ob­
stacles (e .g . potholes, rocks, tree stumps, etc .).
T o prevent the vehicle from bottoming and avoid
damage to the underbody, you should drive
stra ight across severe bumps in the ground with
only one side of the vehicle so that only two of
your wheels cross the bumps .
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 through water, for example on flooded
roads:
- Th e wate r must not be any higher than the bot-
tom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than walking speed.
Driving on a slope
If you ever find yourself not able to climb a slope,
do not try to turn around, drive back down in
re­
verse.
Othe rw ise, you run the risk of tipping over.
Offroad driving
If the vehicle threatens to tip over when driving
across a slope, you must immediately steer
downhill in the direction of the slope.
Do not park your vehi cle on steep slopes or
grades .
T o reduce the risk of tipping over, drive on slopes
i n the direction of the downward slope (fall line) -
not crosswise .
& 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 ir st by braking carefu lly to restore the full
braking effect.
(D Note
-Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension or electrical sys ­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water .
- Always switch off the Start-Stop-System*
when driving through water
Q page 90.
(D Tips
-Check the depth of the water before driving
through it.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the engine off when driving through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely.
-Avoid dr iv ing through salt water because it
can cause corros ion.
199

Trailer towing
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, econo­my and performance.
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on the
ve hicle, it also ca lls for more concentration from
the dr iver.
F or 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 tra iler weight. The hitch must be suitab le
for your veh icle and tra iler and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
locat ion . Use on ly a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ba ll mount . Always che ck with the t rail ­
er hitch man ufac tur er to make s ure t hat you are
using the co rrect hi tc h.
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 mod ificat ions should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and b rake systems .
Fr om t ime to t ime, che ck that all hitch mo unti ng
bol ts rem ain securely f aste ned.
W hen you are not tow ing a tra iler, remove the
tra ile r hitc h ba ll mount . This prevents the hit ch
from caus ing damage s hou ld your veh icle be
s truck from be hind ¢
,&..
Trailer brakes
If you r trailer is equipped with a brak ing system,
check to be su re that it conforms to all regula­
tions .
200
The t rai ler hydraulic bra ke system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
bra ke system ¢&. .
Safety chains
Always use s afety chains be tween you r vehi cle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Traile r lights must meet all regula tions . B e s ure
to check w ith your author ized Audi dealer for cor­
r ec t wir ing, swi tches, an d relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see t he traffic behind you us­
i ng t he regular outs ide mirrors, then yo u
must in­
stall ex tended mirro rs . It is impo rtant that you
al ways have clear vision to the rear.
.&_ WARNING
- If a tra ile r has e lectr ical brake s ple ase no te
t h at these b ra kes are not activated by the
factory -fit ted contro l unit -risk of accident!
- After removing the traile r h itch, d o no t
s t o re it in your vehicle. In case of sud den
braking, the hitch co uld fly forwar d and in ­
jure you or yo ur passenge rs.
- Never install a "we igh t distribu tin g" or
"loa d eq ualizing" trailer hitch on your veh i­
cle . The vehicle was not designed fo r these
kinds o f trailer hitches. The hitch attach­
ment can fail, ca us ing the tra ile r to tear
loose from the vehicle .
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for your
veh icle, found on the safety compliance la­
be l on the driver's s ide B-pillar, must never
be exceeded under any circ umstances . Ex­
ceed ing the Gross Vehicle We ight Rat ing of
your veh icle is likely to damage yo ur vehicle,
a nd such d amage will no t be covered by
your Limi ted New Vehicle W arra nty . Exceed­
ing the Gross Ve hicl e We ight Rating will al ­
so change the pe rformance and han dling
characte ristics o f yo ur vehicle, which could
cause a crash result ing in se rious injury or
death.

Trailer towing
Sp eed
The higher the speed, the more d ifficult it be­
comes for the driver to contro l the rig. Do not
dr ive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, w eather or wind
conditions are unfavorable -particularly when
going downhill.
Red uce vehicle speed
immediatel y if the trai le r
shows the s lightest sign of swaying .
Do not try
to stop the swayin g by ac cele rating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for reg ular
ve hicles.
A lways apply b rakes early . When dr iving down­
hi ll, shi ft into a lower gear to use the engine
braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes a lone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperatu re gauge ¢ page 8 must
be observed ca refully . If the needle moves close
to the upper end of the scale, reduce speed im ­
mediately and/or turn off the air conditioner .
I f t he coolan t temperature warn ing light i n the
instr ument cluster s tarts flashing ., pull off
the road, stop and let the engine
idle for about
two minutes to prevent heat bu ild-up .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained 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 wearing the restraints provided
by Audi .
Trailer towing
information
Important to know
Your veh icle hand les different ly when tow ing a
tra iler because of the additional weight and dif ­
fe rent weight d istr ibut ion . Safety, performance
and economy w ill great ly depend on how careful­
ly you load you r trailer and operate your rig .
202
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic . Keep pract icing unt il yo u h ave be ­
come comp lete ly familiar w ith the way your vehi­
cle-tra iler combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice .
Backing up w ith a trailer generally req uires steer ­
i ng 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 wou ld because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow p lenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again.
Avo id 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 trai ler, your Audi may requi re
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
tra load ¢
page 2 76.
' Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
.,. App ly the foot bra ke .
.,. Have someone place cho cks under bot h the ve­
hicle and the trailer wheels .
.,. With choc ks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load.
.,. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.,. App ly the parking brake .
.,. Move the selector lever to P .
When restarting after parking :
.,. App ly the foot brake .
.,. Start the eng ine .
.,. Move the se lector lever to D/S.

CD
CD
.... N ,-... N ..... 0 0 C<'. 00
wash operator to reduce the risk of acci­dents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself
from sharp metal components when wash­
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings .
- After washing the vehicle, the brak ing effect
may be delayed due to mo isture on the
brake rotors or ice in the w inter . This in­
creases the risk of an acc ident. The brakes
must be d ried fi rst w ith a few careful b rake
applications.
(D Note
- If you wash t he vehicle in an automatic car
wash, yo u m ust fold the exte rior m irrors in
to reduce the risk of damage. Power fo ld ing
exter ior mir ro rs* m ust only be folded in and
out using t he power folding fu nction .
- To reduce the risk of damage to the rims
a nd ti res, compare the width between the
whee ls on your vehi cle w it h the dis tance be­
tween the guide rai ls in the car wash.
- To reduce t he risk of damage, compare the
height and width o f yo ur vehicle wi th the
Ca re and cleaning
height and w idth of the inside of the car
was h.
- T o red uce the risk of pa int damage, do not
was h the vehicle in d irect sun light .
- T o red uce the risk of d am age to the s urf ace,
do not use insect removing sponges, k itche n
sponges or similar items .
- Mat te finish painted veh icle components:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use polishing agents or hard
wax .
- Never use protective wax. It can destroy
the matte finish effect .
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted with matte
finish paint . The paint cou ld be damaged
when the stickers or magne ts are re­
moved .
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash t he vehicle in facilities s pec ially de­
s igned for that pu rpose . This will reduce the
r isk of dirty wate r contaminated with oil from
ente ring the sewe r sys tem.
Cleaning and care information
When clea ning and caring for individua l vehicle
components, refer to the following tables. The
i nformation contained there is simply recom ­
mendations. For quest ions or for components t
h at are not listed, cons ult an autho rized Aud i
de aler or au thori zed Audi Se rvice Fac ility. Also
f o llow the information fo und in ~ .&. -
Exterior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Windshield wiper
Deposits ~ page 55, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
blades
Headlights /
Deposits Soft spo nge with a m ild soap solution3>
Tail lights
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth wit h solvent-free cleaning solut ion
camera lens es Camera le nses: soft cloth w ith a lcohol -free cleaning solu-
tion
Snow/ice Hand br
ush/solvent-free de-icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special cleaning so
lution
E xhaust tail pipes Road salt Water, clean ing so lution su itab le for stainless stee l, if nee-
essary
205

CD
CD
.... N ,-... N ..... 0 0 C<'. 00
& WARNING
-Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored
only in the closed original container out of
the reach of children!
- Brake failure can resu lt from old or inappro­
priate brake fluid. Observe these precau­
t ions:
- Use only brake flu id that meets SAE speci­
fication
J 1 703 and confo rms to Fede ral
Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Always check
with your author ized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake fluid.
The correct type of brake fluid is a lso indi­
cated on the brake flu id reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use o f
the brakes can cause a vapor lock if the
brake fl uid is left in the system too long.
This can serious ly affect the efficiency of
the brakes as well as your safety. This
could result in an acc ident.
Brake fluid w ill damage the pa int of yo ur vehi­
cle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of
brake flu id as we ll as the special tools re­
qui red and the necessary expertise, we rec­
ommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer.
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the battery
in your Audi does not need any maintenance.
W ith
high outside temperatures or long da ily
drives we recommend that you have the electro­ lyte level checked by an authorized Audi dea ler or
qua lified workshop. The e lectrolyte level should
a lso be checked each t ime the batte ry is charged
¢ page 22 7.
H ave the battery checked when you take your ve­
hi cle in for serv ice. You a re well advised to re­
p lace a batte ry that is o lde r than 5 years .
Check ing and Filling
Hybrid dr ive *: you can find important in format ion
about the high voltage battery under
¢ page 100.
Disconnecting the battery te rminals
Some vehi cle functions (power window regula ­
tors, for examp le) are lost if the batte ry te rm i­
nals a re disconnected . These functions have to be
re learned after the battery terminals a re con­
nected again. To prevent this, the battery should
only be disconnected from the vehicle electrical
system when absolutely necessary for repa irs.
Vehicles not dr iven for long p eriod s
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of
severa l days or weeks, electrical compone nts are
gradually cut back or switched off. This reduces
energy consumpt ion and maintains starting ca­
pability over a longer per iod
¢ page 192.
T ake into consideratio n that when you unlock
your vehicle, some convenience functions, suc h
as the inter ior lights or the power seat adjust­
ment, may not be ava ilab le. The conve nience
funct ions will be available again when you turn
on the ignition and sta rt the eng ine.
Winter operation
D uring the winter months, battery capacity tends
to decrease as temperatures drop. This is be­
cause more power is also consumed while start­
i ng, and the headlights, rear w indow defogger,
etc., are used more ofte n.
Avo id unnecessary power consumption, pa rtic u­
larly in city traff ic or when traveling only short
distances . Let your author ized Audi dealer check
the capacity of the veh icle batte ry before winter
sets in
¢ page 22 7. A we ll charged batte ry will
not only p reve nt start ing prob lems when the
wea the r is co ld, but will also last longer.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
T he battery is loca ted in t he luggage compart­
ment unde r the floo r. B efo re yo u check any thing .,..
225