2017 AUDI Q5 brake light

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. .,.
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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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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

Checking and Filling Hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehi­
cle .
Fig. 194 Drive r's side footwell: e ng ine hood re lease lever
"' Wi th the driver's door open, pu ll th e leve r un­
der the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow ¢fig.194 .
The hood pops up s light ly unde r spri ng p ressure.
Opening the engine hood
Fi g. 19 5 Release lever under t he eng ine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make sure tha t
the w indshield wipe rs are fla t against the w ind­
shie ld. Otherwise, they could d amage t he paint
on the hood .
"' Pull up on the release under the hood
~fig . 195. Th is releases the cat ch.
"' Open the hood all the way¢&,, .
a,
~ ,&. WARNING
r--
~ Hot engine coo lant can burn you. 0 0
0:
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Checking and Filling
- To reduce the r isk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coo lant escaping from the engine compart­
ment. Wa it until no steam or coolant can be
seen or hea rd before carefully ope ning t he
hood.
Closing the engine hood
"' Pull the hood down until the press ure from the
s truts is red uced.
"' Le t the hood
drop down and latch in p lace. Do
not try to push it shut ;
it may fail to engage
¢ &,, .
A WARNING
- -
A hood that is not completely latched co uld
f ly up and block your view while dr iv ing.
- When you close the engine hood, c heck it to
make sure the safety catch has prope rly en­
gaged . The hood should be flush with the
sur rounding vehicle body parts .
- If you notice while driv ing that the hood is
not secured prope rly , stop at once and close
it .
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the
engine compartment.
Whenever you must pe rfo rm any work in the
eng ine compa rtment , for e xample check ing and
fill ing diffe rent fluids, the re is a ris k of injury,
burns and acciden ts. To pre vent personal injur y
always ob serve the fo llowing WARNINGS . The
eng ine compartment of any vehicle is a hazard ­
ou s area
~ .&, .
A WARNING
To he lp avoid injury, befo re yo u check any­
t h ing u nder the hood:
- Tur n off the engine.
- Remove the ig nitio n key .
- Apply the parking brake.
-
- Move selector lever of automatic t ransm is-
sion to P (Park).
217

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Checking and Filling
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 196 Typical layout for containers and e ngin e oil fille r cap
(D Jump start po int(+) under a cover 227,267
@ Brake fluid reservoir (CO)) . . . . . . . 224
@ Engine oil filler cap(~) . . . . . . . 221
@ Coolant expansion tank (- L) . . . . . 223
® Jump start point( -) with hex head
screw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227, 267
@ Windshield/headlight washer con -
tainer
(W) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
The position of the engine oil filling hole
c:> fig. 196 (item@) can differ depending on the
engine design .
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed a ll WARN­
INGS
c:> &. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 217.
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~ .
~
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Checking and Filling
cooling system is not leakin g, a loss can come
from t he coolant boiling through overheat ing
an d be ing pushed out o f the coo ling system .
A WARNING
-
-The cooling system is under pressure. Do
not open t he coolant expansion tank ca p
when the eng ine is hot. This inc reases the
risk of bu rns .
- The coolant add itive and the coolant can be
dangerous to your health. For this reason,
keep the coolant in the o rigina l container
and away from children. There is a risk of
po isoning .
- When working in the eng ine compartmen t,
r emembe r that the rad iator fan ca n switch
on even if the ign ition is swi tc h ed off, which
in creases the risk of in jury.
(D Note
Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty. Air could enter the cooling system and
damage the engine. If this is the case , do no t
cont inue driv ing. See an authorized Audi deal­
er or author ized Audi Se rvice Facility for assis­
tance .
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a quick
glance.
F ig. 19 9 En gi ne co mpa rtme nt: cove r on the brak e fluid
r ese rvoi r
N N
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Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine compart­
ment,
a lways read and h eed all WARNING S
224
¢.&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page 217.
.,. Read the bra ke fluid level from the brake f lu id
reservoir ¢
fig. 199, ~ page 219, fig. 196. The
brake fluid leve l must be between the "M IN"
and "MAX" markings.
The brake flu id reservoir is located a t the rear
partition of the engine compartment on the left
side
¢ page 219.
The fluid level may drop slightly afte r some t ime
due to t he automatic adjustme nt of the brake
pads. This is not ca use for a larm.
If the brake fluid level falls considerably below
the
" M IN " mark, the bra ke warn ing/ indica tor
li gh t (U.S. models:
11111 . Canadian models: .
will come on ¢
page 15 and¢ page 25. Do not
continue to ope rate the veh icle. The comp lete
brake system shou ld be thoroughly checked by an
a uthor ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop and
the cause corrected. If the brake fluid level is too l ow, the brake warn ing/ indicator light w ill illumi­
nate. Contact a n author ized Audi dealer
immedi­
ately .
Chang ing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced
technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high, cor­
rosion in the brake system may result after ape ­
riod of time . The boiling po int of the brake fluid
will a lso decrease considerably and decrease
bra king pe rformance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every
two years .
Always use new brake f lu id which con­
fo rms to Federa l Moto r Vehicle S tandard " FMVSS
116 DO T 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be diff icult to reach,
therefore, we recommend that you have the
brake fluid changed by your author ized
Audi
dealer .
Your dealer has the correct tools, the
right brake fluid a nd the know -how to do t his for
you . ..,.

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& 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