warning light AUDI A5 CABRIOLET 2010 Owners Manual

Cleaning and protection -
---------------=---------=----
Cleaning spots
- Remove fresh water-based spots (such as coffee, tea,
juices, blood) with a n abso rbe nt cloth or paper towe l.
- Remove fresh
grease or oil-based spots (such as butter,
mayonnaise, chocolate) w ith an absorbent cloth or paper
towel, or use the cleaner from t he leat her care kit if the
spot has not yet penet rated into the s urface of the
leather.
- Use an oil/grease dissolv ing spray, if
oil/grease spots
have dried on .
-Remove specific kinds of spots (ballpo int pe n, fe lt marker,
fingernai l polish , water -based pa int , shoe polish, etc .)
with a spot remover speci fica lly formu lated for leat her .
Leather care
- Ev ery half ye ar us e an a pproved leath er car e product
(avai lab le fro m yo ur authori zed Audi d eale r) to ca re for
the le ather .
- A pply the produc t very spa rin gly .
- Wipe it o ff with a da mp cloth.
If you have any quest ions about cleaning and car ing for the leather in
yo ur vehi cle, it i s be st t o co ntac t you r author ized Aud i dealer, who w ill
be glad to help you and tell you about our fu ll range of leather care
prod ucts, s uch as:
• Leather cleaning and ca re k it
• Creams to ca re for colored leat her
• Spot removers for ballpoint pens, s hoe polish, etc.
• O il/gre ase di sso lv in g sp ray
• N ew and upcoming prod ucts.
Safety first
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
:=> page 260 .
0 Note
• Never use chemical so lvents (e.g. lighter fluid, turpentine), waxes,
shoe po lish or similar products on the leather surfaces in your Audi.
• T o avo id da mage, have st ubbor n sta in s removed by a co mmerci al
clean ing specialist .•
A pp lies to v ehicle s: w it h Alcan ta ra upho lst ery
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
Removing dust and dirt
- Moiste n a c loth, squ eez e out e xce ss wat er and wipe down
th e sea t surfaces .
Removing stains
-Mo iste n a clo th with luk ewarm wa ter or wi th dilut ed ethyl
(rubbing) alcohol.
- Dab at the stai n. Sta rt a t the outside and wor k in wards.
- Once the sta in is no lo nger vis ible , use a soft dry clot h or
t iss ue to soak up t he m oisture .
Do not use leather cleaning products on A lcantara .
Yo u m ay use a suit ab le sh am poo for removing dus t and d irt.
Dust and gr it in the pores and seams ca n scratch a nd damage the
s u rface . If the car is left s tanding in the s un fo r long periods, the
Alcanta ra sho uld b e prot ected aga inst direct su nlight to preve nt it
from fading. Slight co lor var iat ions will deve lop in no rma l use and are
not a n ind icatio n of material deterioration .
~
Vehicle care Technical data

-Cleaning and protection pn, _____________________ _
0 Note
• Never use chemical so lvents (e.g. lig hte r fluid, turpentine), waxes,
shoe po lish or simi lar p roducts on Alca ntara ® surfaces .
• To avo id damage, have stubborn stains removed by a commerc ia l
cleaning specialist .
• Do not use brushes, stiff sponges or sim ila rly abrasive cleaning
aids. •
Safety belts
Only well-maintain ed safety belts work reliably when
needed .
-Keep be lts clea n.
- For cleani ng, use a mi ld soap and wa ter solution. Let be lts
d ry thoroug hly and away fro m dir ect sun light.
- Do not allow in ertia re el s afety b elts to ret ra ct bef ore t hey
are comp le tel y dry .
- C heck the condi tion of y our safety bel ts
regularly .
Heavily soiled safety belts may no t re tract p roper ly .
& WARNING
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash.
• Anything that might damage your safety belts could mean
that you and your passengers would not be adequately protected
in an a ccident.
• Safety belt performance depends on correct installation. Never
remove belts from the vehicle to clean them.
• Do not use chemical cleaning agents , bleach or dyes. They have
corro sive properties which weaken the webbing .
& WARNING (c on tinued )
• When cleaning your safety belts , inspect them for damage. If
you discover damage , see your authorized Audi d ealer .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other info rmation
=:> page 260 . •
Engine compartment
B e especi ally care ful w hen cleaning the engine comp art­
men t.
Always switch off the ignition before cleaning the engine=>& .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front of the windsh ield
un der th e eng ine hoo d. This p revents the wate r drain holes from
becom ing b locked, and it prevents debris from entering the ve hicle
inter io r thr ough the heat ing and ventila tion ducts.
Corrosion protection
Th e engine compartment and tran smission have been cor rosion­
protected at the factory.
Goo d an ti- cor ros ion treatmen t is very impo rtan t, pa rtic ula rly in the
w inte r. If the vehicle is frequently driven on sa lt treated roads, t he
entire eng ine compa rtment and plenum pane l sho uld be thoroug hly
cleaned at the end of w inter and retreated to prevent sa lt damage . At
the same time, the underside of the vehicle should be washed as we ll.
If the eng ine co m par tment is clea ned at any time wi th grease
removing solutions
2l, or if you have the engine washed, the anti­
c o rrosion treatment is a lmost always remove d as we ll.
It is the refore
essential to have a long-last ing corrosion protect io n reapplied to all
s u rfaces, seams, joints and components in the engine compartmen t. ~
2
l Use on ly the co rrect clean ing so lut ions . Neve r use gaso line or d iese l fuel.

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Checking and filling
Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehicle.
- Open the driver's door.
Fig. 218 Driver's side
footwell : engine hood
release lever
- Pull the release lever on the left under the instrument
panel ::::, fig . 218 in the direction of the arrow.
The hood pops up slightly under spring pressure. •
Vehicle OP-eration
Opening the engine hood
Fig. 219 Release lever
under the engine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make sure that the wind­
shield wipers are flat against the windshield. Otherwise, they
could damage the paint on the hood.
Pull up on the release under the hood::::, fig. 219 . This
releases the catch.
- Open the hood all the way::::,& .
& WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
• To reduce the risk of being burned, never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment. Wait until no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the hood. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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& WARNING (co ntinued )
-Alway s use extreme caution to prevent clothing , jewelry , or
long hair from getting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts or
other moving parts, or from contacting hot parts. Tie back hair
before start ing , and do not wear clothing that will hang or
d roop into the engine.
• Minimize expo sure to emis sion and chemical hazards~& .
& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
• Engine exhaust, some of it s constituents, and certain vehicle
components contain or emit chemicals known to the State of Cali ­
fornia to cause can cer and birth defects and reproductive harm . In
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and ce rtain products
of component wear contain or emit chemicals known to the State
of California to cause cancer and birth defects or othe r reproduc­
tive harm.
• Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms . Wash hands after
handling.
0 Note
When adding fluids , a lways make sure that they are poured into the
proper co nta iner o r filler opening, otherwise serio us damage to
vehicle systems will occur.
<£> For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle floor pan from underneath
reg ula rly . If yo u see spot s from o il or o ther vehicle fluid s, have your
vehicle inspected by an authorized Aud i dea ler. •
Vehicle OP-eration
Engine compartment
These are the most i mportan t it ems that you can check.
Fig . 220 Typ ical layout for c ontainer s and engine oil filler cap
(D Jump start point( +) under a cover ........ .. .. .. .. . 293, 334
@ Brake fluid reservo ir ( ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
@ Engine oil f iller c ap
('1::r. ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
© Coolant ex pansion ta nk (-L ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 7
© Jump start point( -) w ith he x head screw ..... ... .. . 293 , 33 4
© Winds hield/head light washer container (0 ) . . . . . . . . 295
(j) Power steering reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Th e posi tion of the eng ine o il filling hole ~ fig. 220 (i tem @) can
differ depending on the eng ine des ign . ..,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed according to the mileage
(kilometers) and time intervals specified in your vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed these intervals -harmful
deposits from old engine oil can reduce engine performance and can
lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changing the oil at the recommended intervals is so very important
because the lubricating properties of oil decrease gradually during
normal vehicle use. If you are not sure when you have your oil
changed, ask your authorized Audi Service Advisor .
Under some circumstances the engine oil should even be changed
more frequently. Change oil more often if you drive mostly short
distances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or mostly under stop­
and-go traffic conditions, or when you use your vehicle where temper­
atures stay below freezing point for long periods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil look dark after the
engine has been running for a short time. This is normal and is not a
reason to change the oil more often than recommended.
Damage or malfunctions due to lack of maintenance
It is essential that you change your oil at the recommended intervals
using only engine oil that complies with Audi oil standard
VW
502 00 . Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not cover
damage or malfunctions due to failure to follow recommended main­
tenance and use requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's
Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. Your dealer will have
to deny warranty coverage unless you present to the dealer proof in
the form of Service or Repair Orders that all scheduled maintenance
was performed in a timely manner. •
Safety first
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an adequate
amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of its moving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrication and cooling of internal
engine components, all internal combustion engines consume a
certain amount of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to engine
and may change significantly over the life of the engine. Typically,
engines with a specified break-in period (see~
page 250) consume
more oil during the break-in period than they consume after oil
consumption has stabilized.
Under normal conditions, the rate of oil consumption depends on the
quality and viscosity of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient temperature and road
conditions. Further factors are the amount of oil dilution from water
condensation or fuel residue and the oxidation level of the oil. As any
engine is subject to wear as mileage builds up, the oil consumption
may increase over time until replacement of worn components may
become necessary.
With all these variables coming into play, no standard rate of oil
consumption can be established or specified. There is no alternative
to regular and frequent checking of the oil level, see
Note.
If the yellow engine oil level warning symbol in the instrument
cluster _ lights up, you should check the oil level as soon as possible
~ page 284. Top off the oil at your earliest convenience~ page 285.
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS~
& in "Working in the engine
compartment" on page
280.
Vehicle care Technical data

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• -31°F(-35°C)USA
• -40°F ( - 40°() Canada .
You can mix the Gl2+ + coolant additive with other additives (G12+ or
G12). Always check with your authorized Aud i dealer.
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS =>
& in "Work ing in the engine
compartment" on
page 280.
0 Note
• Before winter sets in, have the coolant checked to see if th e
coolant additive in your vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate
conditions . This is especially important if you live in a region where
the winter is extremely cold .
If necessary, increase the proportion of
coola nt additive to 60% .
• When adding coolant additive to your cooling system, remember:
- We recommend using only coolant additive Gl2++ (check the
label) for your vehicle . This coolant additive is available at autho­
r iz ed Audi dealers. Other types of antifreeze can significantly
reduce corrosion protection . The resulting corrosion can cause
a
loss of coolant and serious engine damage.
• Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle's
eng ine coolant . Adding radiator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by yo ur New Vehicle Limited Warranty .•
Vehicle OP-eration
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig. 223 Engine
compartment: Coolant
expansion tank
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS ~ & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 280 .
-Turn off the ignition.
- Let the engine cool down .
- Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion tank
~ fi~ . 223 a nd carefully twist the cap counter-clockwise
~& -
- Read the engine coolant level in the open coolant expan­
sion tank~ fig. 223 . With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "min" and "max" markings. When
the engine is warm, the level may be slightly above the
"max" marking .
The location of the coolant expansion tank can be seen in the engine
compartment illustration=>
page 281.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must be switched off. ~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped with an electric coolant
level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warn ing light in the Auto-Check
System ~
page 29 will blink until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is an electric coolant
level sensor, we still recommend you check the coolant level from
time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling system. In the event of
coo lant loss, the cooling system should be inspected immed iate ly by
your authorized Audi dealer .
It is not enough merely to add coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the boiling point of the
coolant is exceeded as a result of overheating.
& WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot. Reduce
the risk of scalding from hot coolant by following these steps.
• Turn off the engine and allow it to cool down.
• Protect your face, hands and arms from escaping fluid and
steam by covering the cap with a large, thick rag.
• Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a counter-clockwise
direction while applying light, downward pressure on the top of
the cap.
• To avoid being burned, do not spill antifreeze or coolant on the
exhaust system or hot engine parts. Under certain conditions, the
ethylene glycol in engine coolant can catch fire.
0 Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle's engine
coo lant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adverse ly affect the func­
tion and performance of your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty.•
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS::::::> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 280.
-Turn off the engine .
- Let the engine cool down.
- Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion tank
=> page 287, fig. 223 and carefully turn the cap counter­
clockwise ::::,
&.
- Add coolant .
- Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to exact specifications
~ page 286, "Coolant". Even in an emergency, if coolant additive
G12 ++, G12+ or G12 is not available, do not use a different additive.
Use plain water instead until you can get the correct additive and can
restore the correct ratio. This should be done as soon as possible .
If you have lost a considerable amount of coolant, then you should
add cold antifreeze and cold water only when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the ''MAX" mark. Excess coolant will be
forced out through the press ure re lief va lve in the cap when the
eng ine becomes hot .
& WARNING
• The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot.
Reduce the risk of scalding from hot coolant by following these
steps.
-Turn off the engine and allow it to cool down. _.,

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& WARNING (co ntinued )
-Protect your face , hand s and arms from e scaping fluid and
steam by covering the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Tu rn the cap slowl y and very carefully in a counter-clockwi se
direction wh ile applying light, downward pre ssure on the top
of the cap .
- To avoid be ing burned , do not spill antifreeze or coolant on
the exhau st sy stem or hot engine parts . Under certain condi­
tions, the ethylene glycol in eng ine coolant can catch fire .
• Antifreeze i s poi sonou s. Alway s store antifreeze in it s original
container and well out of the reach of children.
• If you drain the coolant, it must be caught and saf ely stored in
a proper container clearly marked "poison ".
0 Note
• Coolant pollutes t he environment and could cause an engine fire.
E xcess coo lan t w ill be forced o ut through the pressure rel ie f va lve in
t he cap when the engine becomes hot .
• If, in an eme rgency, o nly w ate r can be ad ded , the co rrec t rat io
between water and antifreeze::::;,
page 286 must be restored as soon
as possi ble.
~ For the sake of the environment
Dr ained coolant sho uld no t be reused. A lways dispose of used coo lan t
wh ile observ ing all environmental regula tions. •
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on autom atically by itself.
Th e radiator fa n is d rive n by the engine via t he V-bel t. The v iscous
cl utch reg ulates t he spee d of the fan accord ing to the tem perature of
t he coolan t.
Safety first
An auxiliary e lectric rad iator fa n* switches o n and off depending on
co olan t tempe rature and ot her vehicle ope rating condi tions.
After you sw itch the engine off, the aux iliary fan can continue running
for up to 10 m inutes -even with the ignition
off. It can even switch on
again la ter by itself ::::;, & , if
• the temperature of the eng ine coolant rises due to the heat build­
up from the eng ine in the engi ne comp artment, o r
• the engine compartment heats up because the veh icle is parked in
in tense s unlight.
LJ}. WARNING
• To reduc e the risk of personal injury never touch the radiator
fan .
• The auxiliary electric fan is temperature controlled and can
switch on suddenly even when the engine is not running .
• The auxiliary radiator fan sw itches on automat ically when the
engine coolant rea ches a certain temperature and will continue to
run until the coolant temperature drops .•
Vehicle care Technical data

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Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brak e flu id l evel c an be checke d with a quick gl ance.
F ig . 2 24 Engi ne
comp artme nt: Br ak e
fluid re ser voi r
Before you check anythi ng in the eng ine compart ment ,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working i n
the e ngine compar tment" on
page 280 .
- Read the bra ke flu id level from the bra ke fluid reservoir
~ page 29 0, fig . 224. The bra ke fluid level must be
between the "MI N" and " MAX" m ark ings.
T he bra ke fluid reservoir is located at the rear partition of the engine
compartmen t on the left side=> page 281 .
The flu id level may drop slightly after some time due to the auto­
m atic adjus tment o f th e br ake pad s. This is no t ca use for alarm.
If the b ra ke fl uid leve l falls considerably below the "MIN" mark, t he
brake warn ing/i nd icator light ( U.S. models:
BRAKE , Canadia n models:
«D> ) will come on=> page 17 and=> page 28 . Do not continue to
operate t he vehicle. The complete brake system should be thoro ughly
c hec ked by an au thor ized Aud i deale r or q ualified works hop a nd the
cause corrected.
If the b rake fluid level is too low, the brake wa
rning/ind icator light will illum inate. Contact a n author ized Aud i
de aler
immediately .
W Tips
The b rake fl uid reservo ir is located un derneath the cover .•
Changing brake fluid
Hav e th e b rake fluid chang ed by an experi enc ed techni ­
c ia n.
Br ake flui d ab sorbs mois ture from the air. If the wate r cont en t in the
brake flu id is too hig h, corros ion in the brake system may result after
a period of time. The boil ing po int of the brak e fl uid w ill also de cre as e
considera bly and d ecrease b raking performance .
T herefo re, the brake f lu id m ust be c hanged
every two years . Always
use new br ake fluid w hich confo rm s to Federal Motor Veh icle Sta n­
dard "F MVSS 116 DOT 4".
T he bra ke fl uid r eserv oir ca n be diffi cult t o rea ch, there fore, we
recommend that you have the brake f lu id changed by yo ur autho rized
Audi dealer. Your dealer has the correct tools , the rig ht bra ke fl uid
and the k now -how to do t his for you .
& WARNING
• Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored only in the closed
original container out of the reach of children!
• Brake failure can result from old
or inappropriate brake fluid.
Observe these precautions:
-Use only brake fluid that meets SAE specification
J 1703 and
conform s to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116 . Always che ck
with your authorized Audi dealer to make sure you are using
the correct brake fluid. The correct type of brake fluid is also indicated on the brake
fluid reservoir . ~

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& WARNING (co ntinued )
-The brake fluid mu st be new. Heavy use of the brake s can
cause a vapor lock if the brake fluid i s left in the sy stem too
long. This can seriously affect the efficiency of the brakes as
well as your safety . This could result in an accident.
0 Note
B rake fluid will damage the pain t of your ve hicle.
c£> For the sake of the environment
Because of the p rob lem of proper d isposal of b rake fl uid as we ll as
the spec ia l too ls requ ired and the necessary expert ise , we recom­
mend th at yo u have the brake fl uid ch anged by your authori ze d Audi
dealer. •
Battery
General information
Under normal operating cond itions, t he battery in your Audi does not
need any maintenance. W ith
high o uts ide temperatures or long daily
dr ives we recomme nd that yo u have the electro lyte level ch ecked by
an a utho rized Audi dealer o r q ua lified workshop. The e lectrolyte leve l
sho uld also be che cked ea ch t ime the battery i s ch arge d=>
page 293 .
Have t he battery checked when yo u take you r vehicle in for serv ice .
You a re well a dvised to rep lace a batte ry that is o lde r than 5 years.
With certa in ty pes of a irbag deployment, the ba tte ry is disconnected
from the vehicle e lectr ica l system for safety reasons=>
& in "Repair,
c are and disposal of the air bags " on
page 214.
Safety first
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle f unctions ( power w indow reg ulators, for examp le) are
lost if the batte ry termina ls a re disconnected . These funct ions have
to be re learned after the battery terminals are connected again . To
prevent this, the battery should only be disconnected from the
vehicle electr ica l system when absolute ly necessary for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If yo u do not drive your ve hicle over a period of severa l days o r wee ks,
elect rical compo nents are g radually cut bac k or swi tched off. This
re du ces ene rgy consumption and maintains start ing capability over a
longer period=>
page 2 47.
Take into consideration that when you unlock your vehicle, some
c onvenie nce func tions, such as the master key remote func tion o r
power seat adjustme nt, may not be avai lable. The convenience func­
tions will be available again w he n you t urn on the ign it ion and sta rt
the engine .
Winter operation
During the winter months , battery capacity tends to decrease as
t empe ra tu res drop . This is beca use more power is a lso cons umed
wh ile starting, and the headlights, rear w indow defogger , etc ., are
used more o ften .
Avoid unne cessa ry powe r consum ption, part icu larly in city traffic o r
when traveling only short distances. Let your authori zed Audi dealer
che ck t he capa city of the vehicle b atte ry befo re w inte r sets in
=>
page 293 . A well charged battery will not only prevent start ing
pro blems when t he we ather is co ld, bu t w ill also last l onge r.
[ i ] Tips
If yo ur vehicl e is lef t standi ng fo r seve ral weeks at extremely low
temperatures, the veh icle battery should be removed and stored
whe re it will no t free ze . This will preven t it from being dam aged and
having to be replaced .•
Vehicle care Technical data