2017 AUDI Q5 tow

Child safet y
-Make sure that the PAS SENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- If the
PASS ENGER AIR BAG O FF light does
not come on and stay on, immediately in­
stall the rear-fac ing ch ild safety seat in a
rear seat ing position and have the airbag
system inspected by your Aud i dea le r.
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to secure a
child restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufacturer's
instructions when installing a child restraint in
your veh icle. To activate the convertible locking
retractor:
.. Place the child restraint on a seat, preferab ly
on the rear seat.
.,. Slow ly pull the belt
all the wa y out .
.,. Route it around o r th rough the ch ild restraint
belt path
¢ _& .
.. Push the child safety seat down with your full
weight to get the safety be lt really tight.
.,. Inse rt the bel t tongue into the buckle fo r that
seating position.
.. Guide the safety belt back into the retractor un­
ti l the belt lies flat and snug on the child safety
seat.
.,. You should hear a "clicking" no ise as the belt
winds back into the inertia reel. Test the con­
vertible locking retractor by pulli ng on the belt .
You should no longer be able to pull the belt
out of the retractor. The conve rtible locking re­
tractor is now act ivated .
.,. Make s ure that the red release b utton is fac ing
away from the child restraint so that it can be
u nbuck led quick ly.
.. Pu ll on the be lt to make sure the safety belt is
properly tight and fastened so that the seat
cannot move forward or sideways more than
one inch (2 .5 cm).
A WARNING
Us ing the wrong child restra int or an improp­
erly installed ch ild rest raint can cause ser ious
personal in ju ry o r dea th in a cr ash.
180
- Always make sure that the safety be lt re­
tractor is locked when installing a ch ild
safety seat. An unlocked safety be lt retrac­
tor cannot hold the chi ld safety sea t in place
during normal driving or in a c rash.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in
place even if a ch ild is not sitt ing in it. A
loose child safety seat can fly a round dur ing
a sudden stop or in a c rash.
- Always make sure the seat back rest to which
the child res traint is installed is in an up­
right position and securely latched into
place and canno t fold forw ard . Othe rw ise,
the sea tba ck wit h the child safe ty seat at­
tached to it could fly forwa rd in the event o f
an accident o r othe r emergency situation.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
eve r us ing a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used
¢page 168. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat
¢ page 149, Child
restraints on the front seat -some impor­
tant things to know .
· Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
The convertible locking retractor for child re­
straints will be deactivated automatically when
the bel t is wound all the way back into the re­
tra ctor .
.,. Press the red button on the safety belt buckle.
The belt tongue will pop out of the buc kle.
.,. Guide the safety be lt all the way back into i ts
s towed pos it io n .
A lways let the safe ty be lt retract completely into
i ts stowed pos it io n. T he safety be lt ca n now be
u sed as an ord inary safety bel t w ithout t he con ­
ver tib le locking ret ractor fo r chil d rest raints .
If the conve rtible locking retractor should be ac­
tivated inadverte ntly, the safety belt must be un ­
fastened and guided comp lete ly back i nto its
stowe d position to deac tiva te th is fe ature. If the
convertible locking retractor is no t deactivated,
the safety be lt will gradually become tighter and
u ncomfortab le to wear.

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-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

Driving and th e en vironm ent
Driving and the
environment
Breaking in
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the first 600 miles (1 ,000 kilometer s):
.,. Do not use full throttle .
.,. Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM .
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1 ,000 to 1 ,500
kilometers ):
.,. Speeds ca n gradually be increased to the maxi­
mum perm iss ib le road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in pe riod
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds when it
is cold. This applies whether the transmission is
in N (Neutral) or in gear .
After the break- in period
.,. Do not exceed maximum engine speed under
any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear
before reach­
ing t he red area at the end of the tachometer
sca le
¢page 8.
During the first few hours of driving, the eng ine's
internal friction is higher than later whe n all the
mov ing parts have been broken in. How well this
break- in process is done depends to a considera­
b le exte nt on the way the vehicle is d rive n during
the firs t 1,000 miles (1,500 kilometers).
{[) Note
Extremely high eng ine speeds a re au tomati­
cally reduced . However, these rpm lim its are
progr ammed for an e ng ine well run -in, not a
new engine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not dr ive with u nne cessarily high eng ine
spee ds -upshi fting ea rly saves fuel, reduces
noise and protec ts the enviro nment .
194
· New tires
If your veh icle is runni ng on new tires, d rive very
c ar efu lly fo r the fi rs t 350 miles (500 kilometers)
a fter fi tting.
_& WARNING
New tires tend to be slippe ry and must a lso
be "broken-in". Be sure to remember this dur­
ing the first 350 m iles (500 kilometers) .
Brake gent ly. Avoid following closely behind
other ve hicles or ot her situations that might
require sudden, hard braking.
Catalytic converter
App lies to : vehicles wi th gaso line e ngi ne
-
It is very important that your emission control
system (catalytic converter) is functioning prop­
erly to ensure that your vehicle is running in an
environmen tally sound manner .
.,. Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 209,
Gasoline .
.,. Never r un the tank down all the w ay to emp ty.
.,. Never put too much mo to r o il in yo ur engi ne
¢ page 221, Adding engine oil 9::r..
.,. Never try to push- or tow-start your vehicle .
The cata lyt ic converter is an efficie nt "clea n-up"
device b uilt into the exhaus t sys tem o f the ve hi­
cle . Th e catalytic converter b urns many of the
po llutants in the exhaust gas before they are re ­
l eased into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of un le ad ed fuel is critically im ­
portan t fo r the life o f the cataly tic converte r and
proper functio ning of the engine .
A WARNING
The temperature o f the exhaust system is
h igh, both when driv ing and after stopp ing
the eng ine.
-
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once they
have become hot. This could resu lt in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in a reas
where the hot exhaust system may come in
contact with dry grass, b rush, fuel sp ill or
other mate rial which can cause a fire.

Offroad dri ving
Offroad driving
Driving under difficult
conditions and off-road
General information
The operation of the Electronic Stabilization Con­
trol (ESC) is expanded for operation away from
paved roads. In situations where slip or a differ­
ential locking function is required, the offroad mode can be activated
<=> page 186. Your Audi al­
so has permanent all-wheel drive in addition .
However, your Audi is not a pure offroad vehicle.
It was not built for driving under extreme condi­
tions, e.g. for trips that are in the nature of an
expedition .
Drive only on roads and offroad sections which
match the design of your vehicle and your abili­
ties as a driver. Never take risks!
Befo re driving offroad
-Check the eng ine oil level, tire pressure, coo l­
ant level, and the fluid leve l in the windshield
washer reservoir.
- Stow luggage items and other objects in the
lu ggage compartment, and secure them
against sliding around.
After driving offroad
-After trips offroad, remove any twigs and other
foreign objects from the grill, the underbody
and the wheels. Pay specia l attention to foreign
objects (stones) which have become lodged in
the tire tread.
- Clean the body and the vehicle underside, and
inspect the vehicle for possible damage.
- Clean dirty windows, headlamp lenses, rear
lights, and license plates.
- Perform a brake check (particularly after travel­
ling through water) .
A WARNING
- Drive especially attentive ly and plan ahead
in difficult road conditions and when off­
road. Excessive speed or incorrect maneu­
vers can cause in juries and damage to the
vehicle.
198
- Always adapt your speed and driving style to
road, offroad, traffic, and weather condi­
tions. Drive especially slowly offroad when
your view is restricted.
- Please be aware that in offroad mode, par­
ticularly on a smooth and slippery road, the
wheels may have an increased tendency to
spin and the vehicle may break away - dan­
ger of skidding!
- Stability is limited in the offroad mode.
® For the sake of the environment
Avoid damage to the environment and re­
spect nature.
(D Tips
Only drive where it is permitted and stay on
marked roads and paths.
Explanation of some technical terms
The following data refer to ideal conditions. De­ pending on vehicle load and ground conditions
and the env ironment, the numbers may vary. It is
the driver's responsibility to decide whether ave­
hicle can overcome a specific s ituation
<=> .&. .
Gradient angle
The number of meters in alt itude gained over a
distance of 109.4 yards or 100 meters (grade)
are given as a percentage or degrees . Informa­
tion about the gradient the vehicle can cl imb un­
der its own power (depends in part on the road
surface and eng ine power). Maximum permitted
grade: 31
°
Ground clearance
The distance between the road surface and the lowest point of the vehicle underbody. Ground
clearance 7.9 in (200 mm)
.&, WARNING
Exceeding the stated maximum figures can
result in severe injuries or vehicle damage.
- All the information was gathered on level,
firm and non-slippery road surfaces, and un-
-
der dry weather conditions. ..,

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.

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Operating instructions
6" r-2
~·~
1/2"
1·1/2"
ill
Fig. 188 Permi tted ba ll pos it io n of the trailer h itch
Trailer towing weights
With a
factory-installed or an aftermarket trailer
hitch, the maximum permissible trailer weight is
4,400 lbs (2,000 kg) . The maximum permissible
unbraked trailer weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kg).
These specifications apply when driving on roads having an incline of less than 12%.
Permissible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these changed
conditions, adjust the trailer load so that the
tongue load is at the maximum allowable or
slightly lower. You can get an approximation of
the tongue load with a bathroom scale or you can
measure the load at a trucking company or
weighing station.
With a
factory-installed or an aftermarket trailer
hitch, the maximum permissible load on the ball
hitch may not exceed 440 lbs (200 kg) .
It is rec­
ommended to use the maximum permissible
load.
Trailer load distribution Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely 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 202.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used with suitable ball mount and ball¢
fig. 188 . Installation of
the hitch ball must be carried out in accordance
with the manufacturer's instructions .
Trailer towing
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 cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the tire pressure listed under "Full
load" on the label¢
page 240. Inflate trailer
tires to trailer and tire manufacturers' specifica­
tions.
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. Check to
make sure both vehicle and trailer lights are
working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle .
Leave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
ing corners. When you install safety chains, make
sure they will not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains should 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 results
in a highly 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 easier 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 observing tongue load require-
ments and vehicle loading considerations. .,.
201

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.

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~ Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the whee l chocks.
~ Stop and have someone retrieve t he whee l
chocks .
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the a utomat­
ic transm ission to P before applying the park­
ing brake and before block ing the wheels, you
may have to use more force later to move the
lever out of the P position .
Trailer towing
203