weight AUDI Q5 2017 Owner's Guide

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.

CD
CD
.... N ,-... N ..... 0 0 C<'. 00
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.

Wheel s
® Mud and snow capability
"M/5" or "M+S" indicates the tire
is sui table for driving on mud and
snow.
& indicates a winter tire.
@ Composition of the tire cord
and materials
The number of plies indicates the
number of rubberized fabric lay­
ers in the t ire. In general: the
more layers, the more weight a
tire can carry . Tire manufacturers
must also specify the materials
used in the tire. These include
steel, nylon, po lyester and other
materials.
@ Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the maxi­
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry .
@Uniform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature resist ance
Treadwear, traction and tempera­
ture ranges ¢
page 247.
@ Running direction
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional t ires .
You must always follow the speci­
fied running direction
¢page 259.
232
@ Ma ximum permitted
inflation pressure
This number indicates the maxi­
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated under normal operat ­
ing condit ions.
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Acces sory we ight
means the combined weight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto­ matic transmission, power steer­
ing, power brakes, power win­
dows, power seats, radio, and
heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory-in­
stalled equipment (whether in ­
stalled or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the width of the tire in percent .
Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a
low sidewall for improved steer­
ing response and better overall
handling on dry pavement.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is
made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is
shaped to fit the r im . ...

Bead separa tion
means a breakdown of the bond
between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the
plies in the tire .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recom­
mended by the vehicle manufac­
turer for a tire of a designated size that has not been driven for
more than a couple of miles (kilo­
meters) at low speeds in the
three hour period before the tire
pressure is measured or adjusted .
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve­
hicle with standard equipment in­
cluding the maximum capac ity of
fuel, oi l, and coolant, a ir condi­
tioning and add itional weight of
optional equipment.
E xtra load tire
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at h igher in ­
flation pressures than the corre­ sponding standard tire. Extra load
tires may be identified as "XL",
g; "xl", "E XTRA LOAD" , or "RF" on
-~ the sidewal l.
-0 0 0: a:,
Wheels
Gross Axle Weight Rating
(" GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity
of a single axle system, measured
at the tire -ground interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(" GVWR ")
means the max imum total loaded
weight of the vehicle.
Groove
means the space between two ad­
jacent tread ribs .
Load rating (code)
means the maxim um load that a
tire is rated to carry for a given in­
flat ion pressure . You may not f ind
this informat ion on all tires be ­
cause it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at
the maximum permissible infla­
tion pressure for that tire .
Maximum loaded vehicle
weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity we ight , and
(d) Production options we ight
233

Wheel s
Maximum (permissible)
inflation pressure
means the max imum cold infla­
tion pressure to which a t ire may
be inflated . Also called "maxi ­
mum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 k ilograms)
times the number of occupants seated in the vehicle up to the to­
tal seating capacity of your vehi­
cle .
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants
in a vehicle.
Outer d iameter
means the overall diamete r of an
inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance be­
tween the exteriors of the side ­
walls of an inflated tire , including
elevations due to labeling, deco­ rations, or protective bands or
ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated
para llel cords.
234
Production options we ight
means the combined weight of
those installed regular product ion
options weighing over 5 lbs . (2 .3
kg) in excess of those standard
items which they replace, not pre­
viously considered in curb weight or accessory weight , including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers,
roof rack, heavy duty battery, and
special trim.
Radial ply ti re
means a pneumatic tire in which
the ply cords that extend to the beads are la id at substantially 90
degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Recommended inflation
pressure
see ¢ page 233 , Cold tire infla­
tion pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at higher in­
flation pressures than the corre­
sponding standard tire . Rein ­
forced tires may be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF"
on the sidewall. ...

Wheels
comparisons among tires. The
UTQG is not a safety rating and not a guarantee that a tire will
last for a prescribed number of
miles (kilometers) or perform in a
certain way. It simply gives tire
buyers additional information to
combine with other considera ­
tions, such as price, brand loyalty
and dealer recommendations. Un ­
der UTQG, tires are graded by the
tire manufacturers in three areas:
treadwear, traction, and tempera ­
ture resistance. The UTQG i nfor­
mation on the tires, molded into
the sidewalls .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification
Number (TIN)
This is the tire's "serial number".
It begins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets
all federal standards. The nex t
two numbers or letters indicate
the plant where it was manufac­
tured, and the last four numbers represent the week and year of
manufacture. For example,
DOT ... 2216 ...
means that the tire was produced
in the 22nd wee k of 2016. The
other numbers are marketing co­
des that may or may not be used
23 6
by the t ire manufacturer . This in­
formation is used to contact con­
sumers if a tire defect requ ires a
recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and lug­
gage load pl us 150 lbs. (68 k ilo ­
grams) times the vehicle's desig­ na ted seating capacity .
Vehicle maximum load on the
tire
means that load on an individual
tire that is determined by distrib ­
uting to each axle its sha re of the
maximum loaded vehic le we ight
and dividing
by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individual
tire that is determined by d istrib­
ut ing to each axle its share of the
curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupan t weight (dis­
tr ibuted in accordance with ¢
ta­
ble on page 242) and dividing by
two.
Occupant loading and distri­ bution for vehicle normal load
for various designated seating capacities
Refer to the tire inflation p res -
sure label¢
page 2 40, fig. 205 .,.

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-

a,
a,
-N r-­N
-0 0 0: a:,
passengers that the vehicle is in­
tended to carry ("seating capaci­
ty") with an assumed weight of
150 lbs . (68 kg) for each passen­
ger at a designated seating posi­
tion and the total weight of any
luggage in the vehicle. If you tow
a trailer, the weight of the trailer hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer must be includ­
ed as part of the vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles .
The fact that there is an upper limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a trailer hitch and
the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited. The more pas­
sengers in the vehicle or passen­ gers who are heavier than the
standard weights assumed mean
that less weight can be carried as
luggage.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the safety compli­
ance sticker label located on the
Wheels
driver's side B-pillar q page 240,
fig. 204.
&,_ WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per­
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and increase the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance.
-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail sud­
denly, including a blowout and
sudden deflation, causing loss
of control and a crash.
-Always make sure that the to­
tal load being transported -
including the weight of a trail­
er hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer -
does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
243

Wheels
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to calcu­
late the total weight of the pas­
sengers and luggage or other
things that you plan to transport so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overload­ ed .
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1 . Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCU­ PANTS AND CARGO SHOULD
NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS"on your vehicle 's placard
(tire inflation pre ssure label)
c:::> page 240, fig. 204.
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­
sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3 . Subtra ct the combined weight
of the driver and passengers
from
"XXX" kilograms or " XXX"
pounds shown on the sticker
c:::> page 240 , fig. 204 .
4. The re sulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For ex­
ample, if the
"XXX" amount
equals 1400 lbs. and there will
244
be five 150 lbs. passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lb s.
(1400-750 (5 X 150) = 650
lb s.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely ex­
ceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calculat ­
ed in Step 4 .
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your ve­
hicle. Con sult this manual to
determine how this reduces
the available cargo and lug­ gage load capacity of your vehi­
cle .
~check the tire sidewall
(¢ page 230, fig. 202) to deter­
mine the designated load rating
for a specific tire.
· Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
W heel bolts mus t be clean and loose n/tighten
eas ily .
Rims
Rims with a bo lted r im ring * or with bo lted wheel
covers" co nsist of mult ip le p ieces . T h ese compo-
n ents were bolted togethe r usin g s pec ial bolts ..,.