
CD
CD
.... N ,-... N ..... 0 0 C<'. 00
Storing cargo correctly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
R epo rting Safety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 0
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Why use safety belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1S2
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag System . 158
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Side curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Ch ild seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
S ecur ing ch ild seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
L ATCH system (lower anchorages and
tethers for chi ldren) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Additional in fo rma tion
185
Driver messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Intelligent Technology . . . . . . . . . . 186
Elect ronic Stabilization Control (ESC) . . . . 186
Notice about data recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and vehicle control
modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
B rak ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
E lect romechanical power assist, Dynamic
steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Dri ving with your quattro . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
En erg y management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Driving and the environment . . . . 194
Br eak ing in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Di ese l particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Avoid damaging the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Economical and environmentally-friendly
driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Table of contents
Offroad driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
198
Driving under difficult conditions and off-
ro ad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Driving with a traile r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Trailer towing information . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Operating instructions . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Care and cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Genera l information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Car washes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Cleaning and care information . . . . . . . . . 205
Plac ing your vehicle out of service . . . . . . 208
Fuel and Refueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Fuel .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. 209
Refueling ... .. .. .. .... .. ... .... .. .. 211
Selective catalytic reduct ion (Ad Blu e/
DEF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Checking and Filling ........... .. 2 17
Hood ..... .. .. .. ................. .. 217
Eng ine compartm ent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Eng ine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Windshield/headlight washer container
229
Wheels ........................... 230
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Tire pressure monitoring system 247
Do It Yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Emergency assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Vehicle jack, vehicle tool kit and
collapsible spare tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
T ire mobility kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Replacing wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Emergency situations . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Starting by pushing or tow ing . . . . . . . . . . 266
3

Driver information system
Lamp (MIL) II will illuminate. If this occurs,
contact the nearest authorized Audi dealer for
assistance.
A WARNING
Always observe the posted speed limits and
adjust your speed to suit prevailing road, traf
fic and weather conditions. Never drive your
vehicle faster than the maximum speed rating
of the tires installed.
Auto Check Control
Introduction
The Auto-Check control monitors the function of
certa in vehicle features and components. It sim
ply makes sure these features and components
are working properly. The Auto-Check control
works as long as the ignition is on, as well as
whenever the veh icle is driven.
-
If a component is malfunctioning or if the need
for an urgent repair has been detected, this will
appear in the instrument cluster display. You will
also hear an audib le warning tone . The displays
are color coded in eit he r red or yellow depending
on their level of priority.
A red symbol means
Danger, a yellow symbol in
d icates
Warning . In certain s ituations, informa
tion message for the driver appea r in addition to
the red and yellow symbols .
Note about automatic transmission
The Auto -Check Control will automatically per
form a test each time you switch on the ignition. W ith the selector lever in P or N, the fo llowing
message appears in the display:
When stationary apply brake pedal while select
ing gear
When you select a different gear (for example: R, D, etc.), the message will disappear and the Au
to-Check function is displayed.
If there is a malfunct ion, then the malfunction
message will appear about 15 seconds after you
start the vehicle. At the same time you will hear a
warn ing tone.
24
Driver information messages
Driver information messages are shown in the in
strument cluster display in addition to symbols.
Fig. 21 Instrument cluste r: SET button
For example, if the transmission selector lever is
not in the P position when the engine is tu rned
off, the following message appears:
Shift to P otherwise vehicle can roll away. Doors
do not lock if lever is not in P.
The ign ition key can only be removed with these
lector in this position. This and other messages
are brought up if a function cannot be carried
out.
Driver messages and red symbols
If a red symbol appears in the disp lay, a driver
message is also displayed automatically.
For example, the symbol for a problem with en
gine o il pressure . appears in the display. The
follow ing message appears:
Turn off engine! Oil pressure too low
The driver message in the display goes out after
about 5 seconds. The driver message can be dis played again by briefly pressing the
I SETI button
r::> fig. 21.
Driver messages and yellow symbols
If a yellow symbol appears in the display, a driver
message is also displayed automatically.
For example, the symbol
a, appears in the dis
play, indicating low windshie ld washer fluid level.
The following message also appears:
Please refill washer fluid II>-

CD
CD
.... N ,-... N ..... 0 0 c:<: 00
The driver message disappears after a few sec
onds. The driver message can be disp layed again
by briefly pressing the
! SE T! button .
Red symbols
Fig . 22 Display: Danger symbol
With a priority 1 malfunction, a red symbol ap
pears in the upper center area of the display
0 ~
"' 9 a: CX) IX)
c:::> fig. 22 . A driver message appears as well to ex
p la in the ma lfunction in more deta il. When this
symbol appears,
three warning tones sound in
succession. The symbol continues to flash until
the fault has been corrected .
If
several pr iority 1 malfunctions are present, the
symbols appear in succession and remain for
about 2 seconds .
The driver warning goes out after about 5 sec
onds, but it can be brought up again at any time
by pressing the
ISETI button c:> page 24.
Alternator failure
c:::> page 2 5
Electromechanical steering
c:::> page 191
USA models : Brake system
malfunction
c:>page 25
Canada models: Brake system
malfunction
c:> page 25
E ng ine coolant level too low/
engine coolant temperature
too high
c:::> page 2 6
En gin e o il pressure too low
c:::> page 2 7
Driver information system
Refill engine oil now
c:::> page 2 7
Refill Ad B lue*
c:> page 214
AdBlue malfunction*
c:::> page 214
Steering malfunction
c:::> page 2 7
Ignition lock malfunction
c:> page 27
Hybrid dr ive*
c:> page 102, c:> page 107
' 0 Alternator malfunction
If the . symbo l in the instr um ent panel display
flashes, then the re is a malfunction in the alter
nator or the vehicle electronics . A warning to the
driver will appear, too . The driver warning goes
out after about 5 seconds, but it can be brought
up at any t ime by pressing the
!SET ! button aga in.
Usually, you can still drive to the next dea lership .
T urn off all but the most necessary e lectrica l con
sumers, since these drain the vehicle's battery.
(D Note
If the . warning symbo l (coolant system
malfunction) also lights up on the instrument
panel during the trip
c:> page 26, then you
have to stop immediately and turn off the en
gine. The coolant pump is not working any
more -danger of damage to the engine!
BRAKE/C(D) Brake system malfunction
A ma/function in the brake system must be re
paired as soon as possible .
If the warning/indicator light 11111 (USA mod
els) . (Canada models) in the instrument clus
ter flashes, there is a brake system malfunction.
A driver message appears as well to explain the
malfu nction in more detail. The driver wa rning
goes out after about 5 seconds, but it can be
brought up at any time by pressing the
ISETI but-
ton again. ..,.
25

CD
CD
.... N ,-... N .... 0 0 C<'. 00
(D Note
Do not continue d riving if the. sym bol ill u
m inates . There is a mal function in the en gine
coo ling system -you could damage your en
gi ne.
't=?: Engine oil pressure malfunction
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol re
quires immediate service or repair. Driving with a
low oil pressure indication is likely to cause se
vere engine damage .
If the . symbol on the display flashes, the en
g ine oi l pressure is too low. A d river message ap
pears as well to explain t he malfunction in mo re
deta il. Th e d river war ning goes ou t afte r abo ut 5
s econds, but it can be b ro u gh t up at any time by
p ressing the
ISET I button again.
Turn off engine! Oil pressure too low
• Stop t he ve hicle .
• Turn the eng ine
off.
• Check the eng ine oi l level ¢ page 221.
• Co ntact yo ur autho rized Aud i dea le r for assis-
tance if necessary.
Engine oil level too low
If the engine o il level is too low, add eng ine oi l
¢page 221.
Engine oil level correct
If th e sym bol. flashes even thoug h the en gin e
oil leve l is correct, p lease contact your nea rest
author ized Audi Dealer for assistance. Do not
continue dr iv ing .
Do not leave the eng ine running
idle, either .
@ Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is not
an indicator for a low engine oil level. Do
not rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at regular intervals, preferably
each time you refuel, and always before
going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
Ill
requires oil refill or workshop service with
out delay. Do not wait until the red oil
Driver information system
pressure warning. starts to flash before
you respond to the low oil level warning
II. By then, your engine may already have
suffered serious damage .
~ ""' Fill engine oil now
WARNING : Please add oil immediately
If the. sym bo l lights up, then t he oi l has to be
r ep le ni shed right now
¢page 221.
@-Steering malfunction
If there is a malfunction in the electronic steer
ing column lock, the steering cannot be un
locked.
If the . symbo l in the disp lay bli nks, t here is a
malfunction in t he electronic stee ring col umn
l ock. A driver message appears as we ll to exp la in
t h e malfunction i n mo re detail. The dr ive r warn
ing goes out afte r about 5 seconds , but it can be
broug ht up a t any time by press ing the
ISETI but
ton aga in.
Steering defective! Do not drive vehicle!
• Contact your nea rest a uthorized Audi dea ler .
• Do
not tow your ve hicle.
A WARNING
Your ve hicle m ust not be towed in t he event
of a ma lfunction in t he e lectron ic stee ring
col um n loc k becaus e it can not be st ee red due
to the loc ked steering . If i t is towed w ith th e
st eer ing lo cked , the re is the r isk o f an acci
d en t.
©-Ignition lock malfunction
A malfunction in the ignition lock must b e re
paired immediately .
If the . symbo l in the display b links , there is a
malfu nction in t he e lectron ic ignition lock. A d riv
er m essage a ppears as well to expla in the ma l
f unct ion in mo re det ail. The driv er warning go es
out a ft er abou t 5 se cond s, but it can b e broug ht
up at an y ti me by pressing the
!SE T! bu tt o n ag ain .
Ignition lock defective. Contact dealer! .,.
27

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. ..,

CD
CD
.... N ,-... N .... 0 0 C<'. 00
(D Note
Driving with an insufficient oil leve l is likely to
cause severe damage to the engine .
@ Tips
-The oil pressure warning display. is not
an indicator of the oil level. Do not rely on
it. Instead , check the oil level in your en
gine at regular intervals, preferably each
time you refuel, and always before going
on a long trip.
- If yo u have the impression your engine con
sumes excessive amounts of oil, we recom
men d that you cons ult an autho riz ed Au di
dealer to hav e the ca use of your conce rn
properly diagnosed. Keep in mind that the
a ccu ra te measurement of oil consump tion
r equi re s gre at care and m ay ta ke some
time. An a uthorized Audi de aler has instr uc
tions about how to measure oil consump
tion acc urately.
Checking the engine oil level
Read oil level
"' Park your vehicle so that it is hor izonta lly level.
"' Shu t the engine off when it is at operat ing tem-
perature.
"' Switch only the ignition back on .
"' Wai t approx. two mi nutes .
"' Se lect:
I CARI funct ion button > Oil lev el. Or
"' Se le ct:
ICARI f u n ct ion butto n> Car sy stem s*
contro l button > Servicing & checks > Oil level.
"' Read the oil level in the r adio or M MI* Disp lay.
Add engine oil if the ba r of the o il level indica
tor is near "Min"
¢ page 221.
The o il level needs to be c heck ed at reg ular i nter
va ls. The bes t times to do this are w henever you
refuel and pr io r to long trips .
D epending on t he way t he ve hicle is dr iven and
the operat ing cond itions, o il cons umption can be
up to a 1 /2 q uart per 600 m iles ( O.S li ter per
1,000 km) . Cons umption may be hig he r within
the first 3,000 miles (5,000 km).
Checking and Filling
{!) Tips
The oil leve l indicator in t he radio o r MMI*
D isp lay is only an i nfo rmation disp lay. If the
oi l level is too low, a minimum o il wa rning ap
pears in the instrument cl uster. Add oil
¢ page 221. If the hood has been o pened ,
t he cur rent oi l level is show n in the inst ru
ment clust er the n ext time t he igni tion is
swi tched o n.
Adding engine oil~
Fig. 197 En gin e co mpa rt m ent: cove r o n th e eng ine o il fill
e r neck
Befo re yo u check any thing in the engine compa rt
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢ A in Working in the engine compartment on
page 217.
"' Shu t the eng ine off .
"' Unscrew the cap
9=;1: to the engine oil f illing
hole
¢ fig.197, ¢page 219, fig.196 .
"'Carefully top off with 0.5 quarts (0. 5 liters) of
the appropriate oil¢
page 219.
"' Check the oil level again after two minutes
~ page 221, Checking the engine oil level .
"'Top off th e oil, if nec essary.
"' Scr ew the cap ba ck on the fi lling hole.
_&. WARNING
- Whi le toppin g off , the o il mus t no t come in
con tact w ith ho t en gine parts -fir e hazard !
- Th e oi l filler c ap must b e pr oper ly sec ure d
t o p reve nt o il from being spraye d on t he ho t
e ngine an d exha ust system whe n the engi ne
-
is run ning -fi re hazard ! Ill>-
221

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
-N
" "' IX)
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 . ..,.

Wheels
Model/ Tire designation Tire pressure
Engine Normal load
Maximum load
(up to
3 people)a)
front rear front rear
PSI
235/60 Rl8 103H
29 Q5:
All Season
2.0L 235/55 Rl9 101H
4 cylinders
All Season
30
and
Q5: 235/55 Rl9
101 W 29 High Performance
3.0L
6 cylinders 255/45 R20 101W
29 High Performance
255/45R20101W
39 SQ5:
High Performance
3.0L
6 cylinders 255/40
R21102Y
41 High Performance
a) 2 people in the front, 1 perso n in the r ear
A WARNING
Please note the important safe
ty precautions regarding tire pressure ¢
page 240 and load
limits ¢
page 242.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of
load or weight that any vehicle
and any tire can carry . A vehicle
that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more difficult to stop.
Overloading can not only lead to
loss of vehicle control, but can al
so damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden
tire failure, including a blowout
242
kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI
200 29 2 00 32 220 32
210 30 210 33 230 33
200 29 200 33 230 33
2 00 29 2 00 3 3 230 33
270 39 270 41 280 41
2 80
36 2
50 41
28 0 42
and sudden deflation
that can
cause the vehicle to crash.
kPA
220
230
230
230
280
2 9 0
Your safety and that of your pas
sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex
ceeded. Vehicle load includes ev
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehi
cle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat
ing
("GVWR") .
The "GVWR" includes the weight
of the basic vehicle, all factory in
stalled accessories , a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
plus maximum load. The maxi
mum load includes the number of
11-