2018 AUDI Q5 ESP

Drivin g
engaged, for examp le when you notice that the
next traffic light is red . This produces an engine
braking effect, which helps to protect the brakes
and tires and reduces the emissions and fuel con­
sumpt ion to zero (fuel shut-off during decelera­
tion) .
Shift effici entl y
Upshifting earlier is an effective way to save fuel.
Staying in a gear too long uses fue l unnecessari­
ly .
Press down on the acce lerator peda l slowly and
avoid "kick -down".
Avoid full acceleration
You shou ld rare ly t ravel at the maximum vehicle
speed. High speeds cause a d isp ropor tionately
high increase in fuel consumption, emissions and
traffic noise . Driving more slowly saves fue l.
Reduce idling time
The Start/Stop system* helps to reduce the idling
time automatically. In vehicles witho ut the Start/
Stop system* , it is
efficient to switch the eng ine
off when stopped at rai lroad crossings and long
red lights . Stopping the engine for
30 -40 sec ­
onds already saves more fu el than the amount of
extra fuel needed to restart the engine.
It t akes a very long time in idle to wa rm the en ­
gine up to operating temperature . Wear and
emissions are especially high in the warm -up
phase. Therefore, you should begin driving im­
mediately after starting the engine. Avoid high
RPMs while do ing th is .
Ha ve mainten anc e performed regularly
By having maintenance performed regu lar ly on
your veh icle, you can he lp to reduc e fuel con­
sumpt ion before you even start to dr ive. The
maintenance condition of your vehicle not only
affects traffic safety and long -term value but al­
so impacts fuel consumption . A poorly main­
tained engine can lead to fuel consumpt ion that
is
1 0% hi gher tha n normal.
74
Avoid short trip s
The engine and exh aust clean ing system mus t
reach their optima l operating temperature to ef­
fective ly reduce consumption and emissions.
A cold engine uses a d isp roportionately high
amoun t of fue l. The eng ine re aches opera ting
temperat ure and cons umption norma lizes on ly
after approximate ly 2.5 mi les (4 km) .
Check the tire pressure
To save fue l, ma ke sure the t ires are always in­
flated to the correct
press ure~ page 335. The
fuel consumpt ion can increase by
5% if the pres ­
sure is on ly
0 .5 bar too low. Due to t he increased
rolling resistance, low tire pressures wi ll also
l ead to greater tire wear and will affect driving
behavior.
Do not drive on winter tires year -round, as this
will consume up to
10% more fue l.
Eliminat e unnecessary weight
Since eve ry po und of ext ra weight increases f uel
consump tion, a quick inspec tion of the luggage
compartment may be worth it to avoid unneces ­
sary weight .
When not be ing used , a roof rack sho uld be re ­
moved to decrease the w ind resis tance of the ve­
hicle . This will save you approx imately
12% fue l
at speeds from
6 2 -75 mph (100 -120 km/h) .
Save energy
The eng ine d rives the generator, which generates
electr ic ity; the f uel consumpt ion also inc reases
wi th the demand for e lec tricity . T he refore, sw itch
electrica l eq uipment o ff when you no longe r
need it . Examples of eq uipment that uses a lot of
energy are air blowers at a high setting, the rear
window defogger and seat heating* .
@ Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting. If warning lights s houl d come on to
i ndicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces
h eat, which could result in overheating or
other damage to the veh icle or othe r proper­
ty .

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~ To prevent the parking brake from releasing au­
tomatica lly, pull and ho ld
the(®) switch and
press the acce lerator pedal. The park ing brake
remains set and prevents the veh icle from ro ll­
ing backward.
~ You can release the(®) switch again once you are sure that you are g iv ing enough dr iv ing
force to the whee ls by pressing the accele rator
pedal.
Emergency braking function
You can use the emergency brak ing funct ion in an
emergency situation, or if the standard brake op ­
erat ion malfunct ions or is disabled .
~ Pull and hold the(®) switch.
~ As soon as you release the (®) switch or acceler-
ate, the brak ing stops .
Pu lling and holding the(®) switch while driv ing
the vehicle activates the emergency braking func­
tion . The vehicle is braked at all four wheels by
activating the hydraulic brake system . The brak ­
i ng effect is s imilar to heavy
braking ~.,&. .
To reduce the r isk of activating the emergency
braking by mistake, a warn ing tone (buzzer)
sounds when
the(®) switch is pulled . Emergency
braking stops as soon as
the(®) switch is released
or the accele rato r peda l is p ressed .
Parking
~ Press the brake pedal to stop the vehicle.
~ Pull the(®) switch to set the parking brake.
~ Select the "P" selector lever posit ion .
~ Turn the eng ine off ~.,&. .
~ Turn the steer ing whee l w hen pa rking on in­
clin es so that the whee ls will roll into the curb
i f t he ve hicle starts moving.
A WARNING
- Do not press the accelerator pedal inadver­
tent ly if a gear is selected when the vehicle
is stationary and the engine is running. Oth­
erwise, the veh icle w ill start to move imme­
diately and th is could result in an acc ident.
- Emergency braking should only be used in an emergency, when the normal brake peda l
has failed or the brake pedal is obstructed .
Driving
During emergency braking, your vehicle will
brake s imilar to heavy braking. ESC and the
associated components (ABS, ASR, EDL)
cannot overcome the laws of physics .
Around curves and when road or weather
conditions are bad, a full brake applicat ion
can cause the veh icle to skid o r the rear end
to swerve, which inc reases the risk of an ac­
cident.
- I f the power supply fails, you cannot set the
p ar king brake if it is released . In this case,
park the veh icle on leve l ground and secu re
it by placing the selector lever in the "P" po­
sition. See an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
- Always set the parking brake when leaving
your veh icle, even if for a sho rt period of
time. Otherwise the vehicle could roll away, increasing the risk of an accident .
- If you leave the vehicle, switch the ignition off and take the veh icle key with you. This
applies particularly when children remain in
the vehicle . Otherwise, ch ildren cou ld start
the engine, release the parking brake or op­
erate e lectr ica l equipment such as power
windows, wh ich increases the r is k of an acci­
dent.
- No one, especially children, should remain
in the vehicle when it is lo cked. Lo cked
doors ma ke it more diffic ult for emergency
workers to get into the vehicle, which puts lives at risk .
(D Tips
When stopp ing at a t raff ic sign al or stopp ing
i n city traffic, yo u can set the park ing brake
manua lly . The vehicle does not have to be
held with the brake pedal. The parking brake
eliminates the tendency to creep when a se­ l ector lever position is engaged. As soon as
you press the accelerator peda l, the parking
brake re leases automatically and your vehicle
starts to move
~page 82 .
(D Tips
- Occasional noises when the parking brake is
set and released are normal and are not a
cause for concern .
.,.
81

Driving
-The parking brake goes through a se lf -test
cycle at regular intervals when the vehicle is
stopped . Any noises associated w ith this are
normal.
- If there is a power failure , the parking brake
will not set if it is re leased, and it will not
release if it is
set¢,&. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa­
cility for ass istance .
Starting to drive
Various convenience and safety functions may be
ava ilable when the vehicle begins driving , de ­
pending on vehicle equipment.
Starting on hills with the parking brake set
Requirement: the doors must be closed and the
driver's safety belt must be fastened .
~ To start driving comfortably when on a hill, set
the parking brake and begin driving as usual.
The braking force of the parking brake does not
release automatically until the wheels build up
enough dr iv ing force .
Starting on hills with hill hold assist
Hill hold assist makes it easier to start on hills .
Requirement: the driver's door must be closed
and the engine must be running.
~ To activate hill hold assist, press and hold the
brake peda l for several seconds. The veh icle
must be in an uph ill direction of travel.
After releasing the brake pedal, the brak ing pow ­
er is ma intained for a brief
moment ¢.& to pre­
ve nt the vehicle from rolling back when starting.
During this time, you can easily beg in to move
your ve hicle.
A WARNING
-If you do not begin driving immediately or
the engine stalls after releasing the brake
pedal, your vehicle may begin to roll back­
ward . Press the brake pedal or set the park­
ing brake immed iate ly.
- The intelligent techno logy of hill hold assist
cannot overcome the limitations imposed by
82
-
natural physica l laws. The increased comfort
offered by hill hold assist should not cause
you to take safety risks .
- Hill hold assist cannot hold the vehicle in
place on all hills (for examp le, if the ground
is s lippery or icy).
- To reduce the r isk of an accident, always
make sure the veh icle is situated safely
while stationary .
Off road driving
General information
The Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) func­
tions were enhanced for driving offroad. Offroad
mode can be activated when driving in situations
where slippage or a differential lock function is
necessary ¢ page 141. The hill descent assist is
also available, wh ich automatically brakes the ve­
hicle to maintain a constant speed
¢ page 142 .
In add it ion, your Audi provides cont inuous all
whee l drive .
However, your Audi is not a purely offroad vehi­
cle . Your vehicle was not designed to dr ive under
extreme operating conditions such as driving in
an expedition style.
Only drive on terrain that is suitable for the ve­
hicle and your driving ability. Never take any
unnecessary risks!
Before driving offroad
- Check the engine oil level, the tire pressure, the coo lant level and the fluid level in the washer
fluid reservoir.
- Store pieces of luggage and other objects in the
luggage compartment and secure them from
sliding out of place .
After driving offroad
-After driving offroad, remove branches and
other debris from the radiator grille, under­
body, and wheels. Look especially for foreign
objects (such as s tones) that may be stuck in
the t ire tread .
- Clean the vehicle body and underbody and in-
spect the vehicle for possible damage .
.,,.

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-Clean the windows, headlights, tail lights and
the license plate if they are dirty.
-Perfo rm a brake test (especially a fter dr iving
t h rough water) .
A WARNING
-Be especia lly caut io us and aware when driv ­
ing under difficult conditions and when off­
road. Vehicle damage and injur ies may occ ur
whe n drivi ng at excessively high speeds o r
w ith incorrect dr iv ing ma neuvers .
-Always adjust your speed and driv ing style
to the roads, te rra in, traffic and weather
co ndi tions. Dr ive espec ially slowly if the re is
low v is ibi lity when offroad .
-Please note that the wheels can spin more
and the vehicle can swe rve w hen in off road
mode, especially whe n the road is s lip pery
o r has loose su rface m ater ial.
- Driv ing stab ility is reduced w hen in off road
mode.
@ For the sake of the environment
Avoid harmi ng the enviro nment and show
considera tion for nature .
(D Tips
Only dr ive where it is permitted a nd a lways
stay on the provided roads a nd paths.
Explanation of technical terms
The follow ing data is based on ideal cond it io ns.
The val ues may d iffe r depend ing o n the vehicle
l oad, road character ist ics, and the a rea. The d riv­
e r i s therefo re res ponsible for dec iding w hethe r a
ve hicl e can hand le a spe cific
s ituation ¢.&. .
Pitch angle
The amount of ver tica l elevation c hange (grade)
in a dis tances of 109 yards (100 mete rs) is speci ­
fied as a percentage o r in degrees. Spe cifica tion
of how s teep of a grade t he ve hicle can dr ive up
usi ng its own power (de pends on the road sur ­
face and the eng ine power, among other things) .
M axim um permitted pitch ang le : 3 1
°.
Driving
Ground clearance
T he dis ta n ce be tween the road surface and the
l owest point of the vehicle underbody. Gro und
clearance : 8 .1 in (205 mm)
A WARNING
= -
Exceeding the max imum specified va lues can
l ead to serious injuries or vehicle damage.
-A ll sp ec ificat ions were determine d base d on
a level, f irm, an d non -slippe ry road s urface
in dry weather conditions.
-The ideal cond itions do not apply in offroad
d riving. Do not always go a ll the way up to
the maximum val ues . Stay slightly below
them for safety .
Messages
There is only one motto when driving in difficult
condi tions and off road: drive slowly and with
caution!
Observe the following when driv ing on unpaved
roads :
.. Only dr ive in ter ra in tha t is sui table fo r the ve ­
hicle and yo ur dr iv ing ability . Never take any
unnecessa ry risks!
.. Dr ive slow ly and caref ully.
.. Pay attent ion to the ground clearance of your
veh icle .
.. Activa te the offroad mode as needed
¢ page 141 .
.. Use the hill de scent assist when d riving down
s teep
hills ¢ page 142 .
Difficult terrain and off-road
When driving in unfam iliar areas and off road,
dr ive slowly and keep o n the watch for unexpect­
ed obstacles (such as pot ho les, rocks, tree
stumps , etc.).
To p reve nt the vehicle from bottom ing o ut and to
reduce the risk of underbody damage, you should
dr ive across uneven gro und o n only o ne si de of
t h e ve hicle so that on ly two of you r whee ls c ross
t h e u neven a re a, ins tead of drivin g ac ross the
cente r of the u neven area wit h all four wheels.
..,
83

Driving
Drive quick ly through sandy or marshy off-road
sections and do not stop , if at all poss ibl e.
Driving through water
Also read the information found in ¢ page 73.
Driving on a slope
If you a re ever unable to dr ive up a hill , do not try
to turn around . Drive back down in
re verse in ­
stead. Otherwise you r un the r isk o f tipping over .
If the vehicle threatens to tip over when dr iving
across a slope , you mu st immediately stee r
downhill in the direction of the slope.
Do not park your vehicle on steep hills.
To reduce the r isk of t ipping over, dr ive on hills in
the direction of the downward s lope (fa ll line)
-
never crosswise .
Tilt angle display
Description
Applies to: vehicles with a ti lt angle display
F ig. 89 I nfo ta in me nt syste m: tilt ang le d ispla y
You c an see the vehicle pos ition in re lation to a
leve l plane us ing the tilt angle display in the In­
fotainment system . Bot h the sideways angle @
and the lengthwise angle @ of the vehicle are
disp layed. The accuracy depends on the driving
situation and is normally a round 1
°. The side­
ways angle of your vehicle should no t exceed the
ye llow range in the gauge . If it reaches the red
range, there is a risk that the ve hicle m ight tip
¢ ,&. .
Displaying the tilt angle display
~ Select in the Infotainment system : IME NUI but­
ton
> Vehicle > Lift / Offroad or Allroad *.
84
Showing the additional display
To ch ange the con ten ts shown in the r igh t ar ea of
t h e screen, se lect in the In fo ta inment system :
r ight contro l button
> Additional display.
Angle :
this displays t he cur rent stee ring wheel
angle and t he max imum ang le th at was re ached
dur ing a drive . These values are reset when the
i gnition is switche d off .
Position : displays the he ig ht, di re ct io n a nd geo ­
coor din at es of the cur rent veh icle posit io n.
Off : only the air suspe nsio n disp lay remains on .
A WARNING
- Do not excee d the yellow range in the
g au ge. Your ve hicle can t ip, whi ch in cre as es
t he risk of an accident.
- Unde r some ci rcumstan ce s, the vehicle can
t ip ove r or til t sid eways eve n if the s ideways
angle is low. The angle display does not re ­
p lace the driver's attent io n. To re duce the
risk of an accident, make sure the vehicle
does not tip, especially when yo u are driving
at high speeds.
Automatic transmission
Introduction
The au tom atic transmission is con trolled ele c­
tronically. The transmission shifts up or down au­
tomat ica lly depending on which dr ive p rogram is
selected .
When a
moderate driving style i s used, t he
transm iss ion selec ts the most economica l driv ing
mode. The transmission upshifts at a lower RPM
and downshifts at a higher RPM to improve fue l
e fficiency.
The tra nsmission switches to a sporty mode after
a kick-down or when the driver uses a
sporty
driving style
characterized by quick accelerator
pedal movements, heavy acceleration, frequent
changes in speed and t raveling at the max imum
speed .
If desired, th e driver can also select the gears
manually (tiptronic mode ) ¢ page 88.

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Launch control program
App lies to: ve hicles with S tro nic tra nsm issio n
The launch control program provides the best
possible acceleration when starting from a stop.
Requirement: the eng ine must be at operating
temperature and the steer ing whee l must not be
turned .
~ Deactivate the Start/Stop system* c:> page 80.
The LED in the 10~ ·1 button turns on.
~ With the engine runn ing, press the ~
l fl - O~FF =I but­
ton briefly
c> page 141 . The Ill indicator light
tu rns o n and the message
Stabil ization control
( ESC ): offroad . Warning! Reduc ed stabilit y
ap­
pears in the inst rumen t cluste r display.
~ Pull the selector lever back o ut of t he "D/S" po­
s it ion briefly to select the "S " position or se lect
the
D ynamic driving mode in drive se -
lect* ¢ page 12 7.
~ Press the brake pedal firmly with your left foot
and hold it all the way down for at least one
second.
~ At the same t ime, press the gas pedal all the
way dow n with your right foot unt il the engi ne
reaches and stays at a h igh RPM level.
~ Remove yo ur foot from t he b rake pedal within
five seconds
c:> ,&. .
A WARNING
-Always adapt yo ur driving to the traffic flow.
- O nly use the La unch contro l prog ram when
road and traffic conditions allow it and ot h­
er drivers wi ll not be endangered or both ­
ered by your driving and the vehicle's accel ­
eration.
- Please note that the drive whee ls can spin
and the vehicle can break away when off­
road mode is switched on, espec ia lly when
the road is slippery.
- Once the vehicle has started moving, press the
I~ OF F! button briefly to turn the offroad
mode off .
(D Tips
-The transmiss ion temperature may increase
s ignificantly after using the launc h control
program. If that happens, the program may
Driving
not be ava ilab le for a few minutes. It will be
avai lab le agai n after a coo l-down period.
- Whe n accelerati ng usi ng the launch cont ro l
program, all vehicle parts are s ubject to
heavy loads. This can lead to increased
wear.
Transmission malfunction
• Tran smiss ion: too hot. Please stop vehicle
Do not continue driving. Se lect the "P" selector
l ever posit ion and contact an authorized A udi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac ility for as­
s istance.
• Tran smiss ion: malfunction! Plea se stop ve­
hicle and shift to P
Do not continue dr iv ing . Se lect t he "P" selec to r
l ever posit ion and contact an authori zed A udi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for as­
s istance.
[O] Selector lever : malfunction ! You can con tin­
ue d riving. Please contact Se rvice
The re is a system malfu nction in t he transmis­
s io n. Dr ive to an a uth orized Aud i de aler o r au­
tho rized Aud i Serv ice Facili ty immedia tely to have
the mal function corrected.
[i'J P button : malfun ction! Auto P when engine
off . Pl ea se conta ct Servi ce
T here is a malfunct ion in the "P" button on the
selector lever . The transm ission automatically
engages "P " when you sw itch off t he engine.
D rive to an author ized A udi dealer or autho riz ed
Audi Se rvice Faci lity immed iate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
[i'J Select or lever : malfun ction! Gear change on ­
l y pos sibl e using both paddl e le ver s. Plea se con ­
ta ct Service
T here is a system malfunction in the transmis­
s io n. You can con tinue dr iv ing with restr icted
funct ion. The se lector lever is not wo rk ing . Gea rs
can on ly be selected by tapping bo th shift pad­
dles at the same time when the vehicle is station ­
ary
c> page 88 , fig . 92 . Pay attention to these-
l ected transmission position in the instrument
.,.
89

Trail er to wing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your veh icle is primari ly intended for transport­
ing peop le and luggage. Howeve r, if you dr ive
with a tra iler , follow the techn ica l requirements ,
the operation and driving tips, and the lega l reg ­
ulations.
Dr iving w ith a trailer affects the vehicle 's fuel
consumpt ion, performance and wear. It a lso re­
quires higher concentration from the driver .
A WARNING
Do not transport any people in a trailer due to
the risk of fatal injury .
Technical requirements
Certain requirements must be met when towing
a trailer.
Trailer hitch
Only use a trailer hitch with a removab le ball
h itch mount and ball h itch. The tra ile r hitc h must
be pe rm it t ed for the vehicle, the tra iler and the
permitted tota l weight of the trailer being
pu lled . Above all, it must be secure ly and safe ly
attached to the vehicle trailer.
Never mo unt a t rai ler hitch on the bumper. The
trai ler hitc h must be mounted in a way that does
not impair the function of the bumper. Do not
make any changes to the exhaust system and the
brake system.
Check regu larly if the trai ler hitc h is securely
mounted . A lways follow the instructions given by
the trai ler hitch manufacturer .
Trailer brakes
If t he tra ile r has its own bra ke system, then fol­
low the manufacturer specifica tions. Howeve r,
the brake system on the trai ler must never be
connected to the vehicle brake system.
92
Engine cooling system
D riving w ith a tra ile r means a higher load on t he
engine and the cooling sys tem. The coo ling sys­
tem must be designed for additiona l load and
contain enoug h
coolant ~@ .
A WARNING -
- Never mount a "weight -distributing" or
"load-balancing" trailer coupler as the trail­
er hitch. The ve hicle was not des igned for
these types of tra iler h itches. The tra iler
h itch can malfunction and t he tra ile r can
b reak off from the vehicle.
- If t he tra ile r i s equ ipped w ith elect ronic
brakes, these brakes can not be activated by
a facto ry-installed control system, whi ch in­
creases the r isk of an accide nt.
- To red uce the r is k of injury, always remove
the ball hitch mount if no tra ile r is mo unt ­
ed.
@ Note
L onge r incl ines cannot be dr iven without a
su itab le cooli ng system, especially if the out­
s ide temperatu res a re high. ot herwise, this
i nc reases the risk of eng ine da mage.
Operating instructions
Several things must be noted when towing a
trailer.
Towing capacity
The permitted towing capacity must not be ex ­
ceeded under any
circumstances ~ page 370.
You can dr ive up larger inclines if you are not us­
i ng the maximum towing capacity.
The towing capacities given only apply to e leva ­
tions up to 3,200 ft (1,000 m) above sea level. As
the e levation increases, the engine power de­
creases due to the decreasing air pressures. T his
reduces the hill climb ing ability and towing ca­
pac ity . For every additional 3,200
ft (1,000 m),
t h e maximum permitted tow ing weight must be
r educed by app roximately 10% . T he pe rm itted
tow ing weight is t he comb ined we igh t of the
( loaded) vehicle and the (loaded) trailer .

Trail er to wing
- Set the a ir suspension to the standard vehi ­
cle height, otherwise the applicab le tongue
weight no longer applies to your vehicle.
(D Tips
- Use chocks when parking on incl ines if the
trailer is loaded .
- We recommend also having the vehicle in­
spected between the inspection intervals if
you are towing a trai ler frequent ly .
- Avo id driving with a trailer d uring the vehi ­
cle break-in period .
Driving with a trailer
Driving with a trailer requires extra caution .
Speed
Adhere to the legal speed limits. Follow the legal
regulat ions spec ific to the country.
As the speed increases, the driving stability of
the trailer decreases . Therefore you should not
exceed the maximum legal speed l imit whe n
there a re unfavorabl e road, weathe r and/or wind
conditions. This especially appl ies when dr iv ing
downhill.
You must always reduce you r speed as soon as
you not ice even the s lightest sw inging motion of
the t railer. Neve r try to "straighte n ou t" the t rail­
e r by accelera ting.
The weight distribution is very poor if t he veh icle
is empty and the t railer is loaded . H oweve r if you
m ust dr ive under these c ircumstances, t hen d rive
espec ially slowly.
Brakes
Brake in a t imely manner . Downshift before driv­
i n g downhill so that the engine can assist w ith
b raking
¢ ,&. .
When us ing a tra iler with overrun brakes, first
brake gently then qu ickly . This reduces the risk of
je rk ing w hile brak ing if the tra ile r w heels lock up .
Engine coolant temperature
Pay attention specif ica lly to the coolant tempera­
ture display when there are h igh outside tempe r­
atures, and when dr iv ing o n long inclines
94
¢ page 11. Shift to a higher gear in a timely man­
ner .
A WARNING
Constant braking causes the brakes to over­
heat and substantially reduces braking per­
formance, increases braking distance or caus­
es complete failure of the brake system.
-