check engine light AUDI A5 CABRIOLET 2010 Owners Manual

Warning light in the instrument cluster display-1-
If the _L warning light in the i nstrument clus ter display flashes, this
can mean one of two things: either the coo lant
temperature is too
high, or the coolant
level is too low ~ page 29.
If the needle is well in the uppe r area of the gauge, the coo lant
temperature is too high.
Stop the vehicle, switch the engine off, and
allow it to cool.
If th e war ning light comes o n ag ain af ter driv ing a
short distance, contact an author ized Aud i dea ler or othe r qualified
wor ksh o p.
& WARNING
• Alway s observe the warn ing in :::} page 272, "Engine compart·
ment ", before opening the hood and checking the engine coolant
level.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
s ee engin e coolant dripping from the engine compartment. You
could burn yourself . Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant .
0 Note
• Mounting add ition al lights o r accesso ries in fron t of the a ir inlets
reduces the cooling effect of the radiator . At high outside tempera­
tur es o r high engine load, the eng ine could ove rhe at.
• The front spo iler has been designed to properly d istribute the
c oo lin g air when the vehicle is moving. If the sp oi ler is d amaged, this
co uld reduce the cooling eff ect and the eng ine could then overheat .
Ask your au thor ized A udi dealer for assis tance .•
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Instruments and warning /indicator lights
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachomete r in dic ates t he engine RPM (revoluti ons
pe r mi nutes) .
If engine RPM drops below 1,500, you shou ld downsh ift to the next
lower ge ar. T he red area at the end of the s cale i ndi cates max imum
permissible engine RPM after the brea k-in per iod. Before reaching
t his area, move t he selector lever to po sition "D (Dr ive)" or ease yo ur
foot off t he accelerator pedal.
0 Note
T he tachometer needle @~ page 8, fig. 2 should o nly br iefly be in
t he red zone: yo u co uld damage your eng ine! T he beg inning of the red
zone varies depe nd ing o n the eng ine.
~ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel and redu ces engine noise .•
[S ET] button
You c an per form d iffere nt fu nctions with t his but ton.
Fig . 3 SET butto n in
the instrume nt clu ste r
Th e !SE TI bu tto n performs the fo llow ing f unct io ns:
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Canada models: Anti-lock brake sys-=>page 16
tern (ABS) defective
PARK USA models: Parking bra ke =>page 16
BRAKE
(® ) Canada model s:Parking br ake
=> page 16
--
BRAKE
USA models : Brake malfunction :::> page 17

Canada models: Bra ke malfunction
=> page 17
& WARNING
• Failure to heed warning lights and other important vehicle
information may result in serious per sonal injury or vehicle
damage.
• Whenever stalled or stopped for repair , move the vehicle a safe
di stance off the road, stop the engine, and turn on the emergency
flashe r
=> page 66.
• The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a potentially
hazardous area . Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment, stop the engine and let it cool down . Always exercise
extreme caution when working under the hood =>
page 2 72,
" Engine compartment "
(I) Tips
Many funct ions a re mo nitored by the Auto-Check system=> page 26.
Ma lfunctions or faults w ill be identified either with a red symbol
(pr io rit y
1 -Dan ger!) or wi th a ye llow symbo l (priority 2 -War ning). •
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Instruments and warning
/indicator lights
App lies to veh icles : w ith Aud i dr ive select
Dynamic steering
If the ind icator light() illumina te s w hen swi tching on t he ig nition
and goes ou t when the engine starts, dynamic steering is activated.
If the ind icator light
r ill uminates after the engine sta rts, a system
ma lfunct ion has occurred . Yo u can co ntinue to drive caref ully at a
re duced speed to a q ualified workshop. Steering can be more diffic ult
or sensit ive tha n usual. The stee ring w heel may a lso be at an angle
when driving straight.
& WARNING
Have the dynamic steering system malfunction repaired as soon
as possible by an author ized Audi d ealer or any qualified workshop
- risk of accident!
[ i ] Tips
• If the indicator light ~ flashes, dynamic stee ring is being re­
initialized. The d river info rmation system display shows the words
"Dynamic steering : initialization" =>
page 32.
• The dy namic steering stab ility systems a re not availab le in the
event of a system ma lfunction .•
Electronic power control '
This warning/indicator Light monitors t he electronic
pow er control .
The C'., warning/indicator light (E lectronic Powe r Cont rol) illumi ­
nates when you turn o n the ignition as a function check .
Vehicle care Technical data

Instruments and warning /indicator lights
(I] Tip s
If this warning/indicator light illuminates while you are driving, then
there is a malfunction in the engine e lectronics. Have the ma lfunction
co rrected as soon as possib le by you r authorized Audi dealer or qua l­
ified workshop .•
Electronic stabilization program (ESP) . />
If the <• indicator lamp b links whi le driving, the ESP or ASR (Anti -Slip
Regu lation) is actively regula ting.
If the
> indicator lamp illuminates, the system has switched the ESP
off. In this case, yo u can switch the ignition off and then on to switch
the ESP on again . The system is functioning completely when the
indicator lamp sw itches off.
If the ind icator lamp illuminates, the ESP was switched off with the
[ESP
OFF ] button .
ESP/ ABS f ault ! See owner 's manu al
If the indicator lamp and the )ABS indicator lamp illuminate and
the driver message appears, the ABS or e lectronic differentia l lock is
ma lfunction ing. This also interrupts the ESP. The brakes still function
with their normal power, but ABS is not act ive.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immediately to have the
ma lfunction corrected.
For more information abo ut the ESP::::>
page 240. •
Airbag system
ffl (USA models) l!lr (Canada models)
This warning/indicator light monitors the airbag and the
pretensioner systems .
The I (USA models)/ !.!r (Canada mode ls) warning light illuminates
for a few seconds each time you switch on the ignition.
If the
I (USA models) I !_~ -(Canada models) warn ing light does not go
out, or if it illumina tes while you are d riving, o r if it s tarts to blink,
then there is a malfunction somewhere in the system. If the l ight
does not illuminate when you swi tch on the igni tion, this a lso means
there is a malfunction .
& WARNING
If you ha ve a malfun ction in the airbag system , contact your
a uthoriz ed Audi de aler immediat ely. Otherwi se the airbag or the
belt pr etens ioner m ay not work properly in an accident. •
Appli es to vehicles: with t ire p ress ure mon itor ing system
Tire pressure monitoring system -telltale
indicator lamp )
The warning/indicator light appears in the event of a
significant loss of tire pressure or if there is a malfunc­
tion .
The indicator light _) illuminates to check the function when you
sw itch on the ignition.
If the 'symbo l remains on or blinks after you switch on the ign ition,
there is a loss of tire pressure or a system malfunction . If t here is a
system malfunction, see your author ized Audi dealer as soon as
possible.
Detailed information on the t ire pressu re monitoring system can be
found in::::>
page 314. •

Driver information display
0 Alternator failure => page 28
BRAKE
USA models: ::::>page28
Brake system malfunction

Canada models: ::::>page28
Brake system malfunction
4.
Engine coolant level too ::::>page29
low/engine coolant temperature
too high
II
~ Engine oil pressure too low =:>page 30
~,. Refill engine oil now =:> page 30
@-e Steering malfunction => page 31
©-1 Ignition lock malfunction II=> page 31
Alternator malfunction D
If the O symbol in the instrument panel display flashes, then there
is a malfunction in the alt ernator or the vehicle electronics. A warning
to the driver will appear, too. The driver warning goes out after about
5 seconds, b ut it can be brought up at any time by pressing the
!SET I
button again.
Usually, you can still drive to the next dealership. T urn off all but the
most necessary e lectr ica l consumers, s ince these dra in the vehicle's
battery.
0 Note
If the the _ i,_ warning symbo l (coo lant system malfunction) a lso
lights up on the instrument panel during the trip::::>
page 29, then
•
you have to stop immediately and turn off the engine . The coolant
pump is not work ing anymore- -danger of damage to the engine! •
Brake system malfunction
A malfunction in the brake system must be repaired as
soon as possible .
If the warning/indicator light BRAKE (USA models)/ ((D)
(Canada models) in the instrument cluster flashes, there is a
brake system malfunction. A driver message appears as well
to explain the malfunction in more detail. The driver warning
goes out after about 5 seconds, but it can be brought up at
any time by pressing the
[SET ] button again.
Stop the Vehicle and Check the Brake Fluid
-Stop the vehicle.
- Check the brake fluid level=>
page 290.
-Seek professional assistance if necessary .
Warning ! Fault in brake system. Contact
workshop
- Drive carefully to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or
other qualified workshop and have the malfunction
corrected =>,& .

Parking brake Please get to a repair shop
- If this symbol appears when the vehicle is stationary or
after the ignition is turned on, check to see if the parking brake can be released. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer
or other qualified workshop as soon as possible and have
the malfunction corrected. If the parking brake cannot be
opened, then take it to an expert at an authorized Audi
dealer.
- If the symbol appears while you are driving, it is possible
that the traction control or the emergency brake has
malfunctioned . It is possible that the parking brake
cannot be applied. It is also possible that the parking brake cannot be released after it has been applied. Drive
to an authorized Audi dealer or other qualified workshop
to have the malfunction corrected.
If the ABS system malfunctions, the ABS warning/indicator light illu­
minates together with the brake system malfunction warning/indi­
cator light=>&, .
& WARNING
• Always observe the warnings in=> page 2 72, "Engine compart­
ment", before opening the hood and checking the brake fluid.
• Driving with low brake fluid is a safety hazard. Stop the car and
get professional assistance.
• USA models: If the BRAKE warning light and the P warning
light come on together, the rear wheels could lock up first under
hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause loss of vehicle control
and an accident. Have your vehicle repaired immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop. Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
• Canada models: If the brake warning light (Ci)) and the ABS
warning light come on together, the rear wheels could lock up
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Driver information display
&, WARNING (continued)
first under hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause loss of
vehicle control and an accident. Have your vehicle repaired imme­
diately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop.
Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake applications. •
Engine cooling system malfunction _t_
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must be
repaired as soon as possible .
If the -~- symbol flashes in the display, either the engine
coolant
temperature is too high or the engine coolant level is
too low. A driver message appears as well to explain the
malfunction in more detail. The driver warning goes out after
about 5 seconds , but it can be brought up at any time by
pressing the
(SET] button again.
Switch off engine and check coolant level
- Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the engine .
- Check coolant level==>
page 287.
-Add coolant if necessary==> page 288.
- Continue driving only after the engine coolant
warning/indicator light goes out .
- Contact your authorized Audi dealer for assistance if
necessary .
If t he engine coolant level is correct, then the radiator fan may be the
cause of the malfunction .
~
Vehicle care Technical data

Driver information display
in. WARNING
• If your vehicle should break down for mechanical or other
rea son s, park at a safe di stan ce from movin g traffic , turn off the
e ngine and turn on th e hazard warning lights =>
page 66, "Emer ­
gency fl ashe rs A ".
• Never open th e hood if you see or hear steam or coo lant
es caping from the engine compartment -you ri sk being scalded.
Wait until you can no longer see or hear steam or coo lant
escaping.
• The engine compartment of any vehicle is a dangerous area .
Before you perform any work in the engine compartment, turn of
the engine and allow it to cool. Follow the warning stickers
=> page 2 72 , "Engine compartment" .
(D Note
Do not continue d riving if the _f_ symbol illuminates . There is a
ma lf u nction in the e ngine cooling system -you co uld damage you r
engine .•
Engine oil pressure malfunction "t::7:
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol r equires
imm ediat e service or repair . Driving with a low oil pres ­
sure indication is likely to cause severe engine damage.
If the ~ symbo l on the display flashes , th e eng ine o il pres ­
sure is too low . A driver message appea rs as well to exp lain
t h e malfunc tion in more detail. The driver warning goes ou t
a ft er a bout 5 seco nds, but it can be b roug ht up at a ny time by
p ressin g th e
(SET ] butto n again .
Switch off engine ! Oil pressure too low
-Sto p the veh icl e. - Tur
n the eng ine off.
- Chec k the engi ne oil level=>
page 284 .
-Contact your a uthor ized Audi dealer for assistance if
necessary .
Engine o il level too low
If the eng ine o il level is too low, add engine oil=> page 285 .
Engine oil level correct
If the symbo l~ flashes ev en though the eng ine oil leve l is cor rect,
please seek pro fessional assistance . Do not continue dr iv ing. Do not
leave t he e ngine runn ing
idle, either .
(I] Tips
• The engine oil pre ssure symbol ~ is not an indi cator 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 "" requires oil refill or
workshop service without delay. Do not wait until the red oil pre s­
sure warning ~ starts to flash before you respond to the low oil
level warning ~ . By then, your engine may already h ave suffered
serious damage. •
Fill engine oil now~
~-Please repleni sh oil now
If the ~-symbo l ligh ts up, then t he oil has to be replen is hed right
now =>
page 285. •

Driver information display
When a yellow warning symbol appears, one warning tone sounds. A
dr iver message appears as well to explain the ma lfunction in more
detail. The driver warning goes out after about 5 seconds, but it can
be brought up at any time by pressing the !SET] button again.
Check the function displayed as soon as possible. The yellow symbol
will not go out again until the reason for the malfunction has been
corrected.
If several priority 2 malfunctions are present, the symbols appear in
succession and remain for about 2 seconds .
Dynamic steer ing*
=:>page 32
'O' I I , Worn brake pads =:>page33
Battery vo ltage => page34
Defective light bulb* =>page34
Check engine oil level => page 35 or
=>page 35
Engine oil sensor malfunction =:>page35
--
Low fuel leve l =>page34
Windshield washer fluid =>page34
level low
Convenience key*
=>page 33
Key not in vehicle
Light/rain sensor defective
=:>page33
--
Dynamic headlight range => page 35
control defective
[{] Tips
Battery in remote control key
Electromechanical
parking brake
Engine speed limitation*
adaptive light defective
Ignition lock malfunction
Adaptive dampers*
Windshield wiper defective
T ire pressure monitoring sys­
tem*
Loss of tire pressure
Tire pressure monitoring sys­
tem* System not available
=>page 38
-
=> page 112
-
=>page 35
=> page 35
=> page 35
=>page 35
=>page 36
-
=> page 315
=> page 315
The speed warnings warning threshold 1 and warning threshold 2
are also yellow symbols in some models. The warning is a lways
shown as a small symbol in the uppe r area of the display
=>page 25. •
Appli es to vehicles : wit h Au di dr iv e se lec t
Dynamic steering r
Dynamic steering: System malfunction

This driver message and the symbol,;;:;,. appear when a system
malfunction occurs during travel. You can continue to drive carefully
at a reduced speed to a qualified workshop. Steering can be more
difficult or sensitive than usual. The steering whee l can also be at an
angle when driving straight .
Dynamic steering: initialization
If this driver message appears and the indicator lightl, is flash ing on
the instrument panel, dynamic steering is being reinitialized . Once
you start the engine after this is finished, the steering wheel wi ll be
easy to move. Re -initializat ion might be necessary if the steering
wheel was moved hard to the left and right while the vehicle was not
moving. The display goes out as soon as initial izat io n is complete.
& WARNING
Have the dynamic steering system malfunction repaired as soon
as possible by an authorized Audi dealer or any qualified workshop
- risk of accident!
[I) Tips
The dynamic steer ing stability systems are not ava ilab le in the event
of a system ma lfunct ion .•
Ap plies to ve hicles : w it h c onven ien ce key
Key not in vehicle
Key not in vehicle
This reminder appears along with the symbol if the master key is
removed from the vehicle with the engine running. It is int ended to
remind you (e.g. when chang ing drivers) not to continue the journey
without the master key.
If the master key is no longer in the veh icle, you cannot sw itch off the
ignition after stopping the engine and you a lso cannot start the
engine again. You also cannot lock the veh icle from the outs ide .•
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Driver information display
Light/rain sensor defective
·)
Automatic headlights/automatic wipers defective
If the symbol ill um inates , the light sensor has failed. For safety
reasons the low beams are turned o n permanently with the switch in
AUTO . However, you can continue to turn the lights on and off using
the light switch . In the case of a defect in the ra in sensor, the wind ­
shield wiper lever functions are still avai lable . Have the light/rain
sensor checked as soon as possib le by an autho rized Audi dealer. •
Worn brake pads ~
Brake pads!
If the warning light illuminates, immediately contact your authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop to have all brake pads inspected .
On USA mode ls the warning light comes on together with the
war ning light BRAKE . Both sets of b rake pads on an axle must always
be replaced at the same time.
& WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a collision and serious personal
injury .
• If the warning light and the warning light
BRAKE1> with the
message Brake pads! comes on in the instrument cluster display,
immediately contact your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pads checked or replaced if necessary. •
ll BRAKE : USA mode ls on ly
Vehicle care Technical data

Check engine oil 1o
Please top off with ma x. ll of o il. You can keep dri ving.
If the ~ symbo l lights up displaying t his drive r message, t hen ad d a
maximum of
1 liter at your earliest opportunity~ page 285. •
Engine oil level i!:r..,
Please check oil level
When the symbol i lluminates, check the engine oi l level as soo n as
poss ible ~
page 284. Top off the oil at your earliest o pportunity
~ page 285. •
Engine oil sensor defective
" Oil level! Sensor defective
If the symbo l illumina tes, contact your author ized A udi dealer and
have the o il sensor inspected. Until you have this done, check the oil
level each tim e yo u refue l ju st to be on the s afe side ~
page 28 4. •
A pplies t o veh icl es: with eng ine s peed lim itat io n
Engine speed limitation 71
Do not e xceed ma x. engine speed of XXXX rpm
Th e ~ symbo l ill uminates whe n there is an engi ne con trol malfunc­
t ion . The ind icator light
Er"" in the instr ument cluster also i llum inates .
Th e engine speed is limited to the s peed disp laye d in the driver info r­
mation system . Keep in m ind that the engine speed will not exceed
the value disp layed in the driver information system, for examp le
w hen downshifti ng.
Please go to a n author ized Audi dealer or other qualified workshop to
h ave the mal func tion rep aired .•
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Driver information display
• Headlight range control defective
)
Headlight range control defective !
If the sym bo l ~ ill um ina tes, the dynam ic he adl ight range con tro l is
no lo nger work ing properly . H ave t he system checked and repa ired at
your authorize d Aud i dea ler. •
App lies to ve hicle s: wit h ad apti ve light
Adaptive light defective f:.J
adaptive light defective
When this symbol Ji.., ill uminates, it means that adaptive light is
defective. Go to an author ized Audi dealer to h ave the headlig hts o r
the contro l unit for the adaptive lig ht repa ire d.•
Ignition lock malfunction ..c,
~ Ignit ion lock defective
If the sym bol i n the displ ay comes on, t here is a mal func tion in t he
elect ronic ignit ion lock . Please go to an authorized Audi dealer or
o th er qu alified w orkshop to have the mal func tio n re pa ir ed .•
A pp lies to ve hicl es: w it h Aud i d ri ve sele ct
Adaptive dampers~
Adaptive dampers: system malfunction
If the symbol in the dis pl ay comes on , there is a malfunction in the
adaptive dampers . P lease go to an au thorized Aud i dea le r or other
qualifie d wo rks hop to have t he malfunct io n repaire d.•
Vehicle care Technical data

Clear vision
when outside light is very low . This is to r emind you , the driver , to
s witch on the headlight s before it get s too dark.
• Canada models : inst rument p anel illumin ation will stay br ight
regardles s of the inten sity of ambient light. Alw ay s be aware of
changes in outs ide light conditions wh ile you are driving. Respond
in time to fading daylight by turning the light switch to po sition
io
(or "AUTO" if your car is equipped with this feat ure) to turn on your
headlights .•
A ppli es to ve hicles : wit h xe non h eadlights
Xenon headlights
After starting the engine, the xenon head lights are automat ically
adjusted to the load and ang le of t he vehicle (for e xamp le, dur ing
acce leration and brak ing) . This prevents oncom ing traffic from expe ­
r ienc ing unnecessary headlight glare from yo ur xenon head lights.
If the sy ste m is not opera ting p roperly, a warning symbol in t he Auto ­
Check Control is displayed~
page 35. •
App lies to vehicles : w ith adapti ve lig ht
Adaptive Light
Wh en driving around bends, the relevant ar ea of the road
is better illuminated .
Fig . 68 Adaptive lig ht
w hen driving
The benefit of adaptive light is that the curve and the edge of the road
are better illum inate d~ fig. 68. Dyn am ic a daptive light is con trolled
automatically, depend ing on ve hicle speed and steering whee l angle .
When driving around bends, the headlights are contro lled accord ing
t o s teer ing whee l angle . So t hat there is no bla ck ho le ahea d of the
vehicle , the two ma in beams pivot at d ifferent angles.
[I] Tips
The system works above a speed of about 6 mph (10 km/h) .•
Emergency flashers A
T h e eme rgency flash ers m akes ot her mot ori st s a ware
that you or y our vehicle a re in an eme rgency situation.
Fig. 69 Eme rgenc y
fla she r sw itch
Pr ess the swi tch~ => fig. 69 to tu rn the eme rgenc y
flash ers on or of f.
When the e merge ncy flashers are on, all fou r turn sig nals blink at the
same t ime. The turn signal indicator lights¢¢ in the i nstr ument
cl uste r, as well as the ligh t in the eme rge ncy flasher switch ~ blink
likewise . The emergency flashers also wo rk when the ignition is
t urned off. .,_