battery AUDI A5 CABRIOLET 2011 Owner's Manual

-Airbag system ------=-~-----------------------------------
& WARNING (conti nued)
• Always make sure that the side a irbag can inflate without
interference :
- Never in stall seat covers or replacement uphol stery over the
front seatbacks that have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use addit ional se at cushions that cover the areas
where the side ai rbags inflate.
- Damage to the or iginal seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an author ized Audi dealer.
• The airbag system can be activated only on ce. After an airbag
has inflated, it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the techni cal information, t raining
and special equipment necessary.
• The airbag sy stem can be deploy ed only once. After an airbag
has been dep loyed , it must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved e specially for your Audi model
version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or a irbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops onl y.
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .
• In accidents when an airbag is deployed, the vehicle battery
separates the alternator and the starter from the vehicle electrical
system for safety reason s with a pyrotechnic circuit interrupte r.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an accident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is sc rapped , all appli ­
cable safety precautions must be followed.
W For the sake of the environment
Un deployed ai rbag modu les and p retensione rs might be class ified as
Perch lorate Materia l -special handling may ap ply, see
www.dts c.ca.gov/ha za rdouswas te/pe rchlorate. When the vehicle or
parts of the restraint system includ ing a irbag modu les safety belts
w it h pretensioners are s crapped, all appli cable laws and regula tions
must be observed. Your author ized Aud i dealer is familiar with these
req uiremen ts and we recommen d that you have your dealer perfo rm
this serv ice for you. •
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Chang ing the vehicle's suspension system can change the way that
t h e Advan ced Airbag System pe rforms in a cr ash . For e xamp le, usi ng
tire-rim combinations not app roved by Audi, lowering the vehicle,
c hang ing the stiffness o f th e suspension, incl uding the sp rings,
suspension struts, shock absorbers etc. can change the forces that
are meas ure d by the a irba g sensors and sent to the ele ct ronic contro l
unit . Some suspension changes can, fo r exam ple, increase the force
levels measured by the senso rs and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in which i t would not deploy if the changes had no t been
ma de . Other kinds of changes may reduce the force levels meas ured
by the sensors and p revent the airbag from dep loying when it should.
T he sensors in the safety belt b uckle for the drive r and front
p as senge r se at tell the e lectroni c cont rol mo dule if the sa fe ty belt is
latched or not . If the safety belt is being used, t he front a irbag w ill
dep loy a t a s lightly h igher r ate o f vehicle decele ration t han if t he
safety belt is not be ing used . Therefo re, in a par ticular collis io n, it is
possible that an a irba g w ill not dep loy at a seating position where the
safety belt is being used but w ill inflate at the posit ion where the
safety belt is not be ing use d. It is im portant that nothing interfere
w it h t he safety belt bu ckles so that the sensors can se nd the co rrect
info rmation about safety be lt use to the electronic contro l unit.
~

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Repl acing wheel s/tires
Vehicles wi th all wheel drive must a lways have tires of t he same size.
Also avoid tires with different tread depths. For details see page
=> page 307, "New tires and rep lacing tires and wheels".
Off -Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clearance to be used as an
off-road veh icle . It is therefore best to avo id ro ugh tracks and uneven
terrain as m uch as possible . Also refer to=>
page 251.
& WARNING
Alway s adju st your driving to road and traffi c conditi ons. Do not
let the ex tra safety afforded by all wheel dr ive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
• Although the all wheel dri ve is ve ry effecti ve, always
remember that braking capacity is limited by tire traction. You
should therefore not dri ve at ex cessive speeds on icy or slippery
road surfaces .
• On wet road surfaces , be careful not to drive too fast because
the front wheel s could begin to slide on top of the water (aqua­
planing ). If th is should occur, you will have no warning from a
sudden increase in engine speed as with a front-wheel drive
vehicle. Always drive at speeds which are suited to the road cond i­
tions -ris k of crash.
n
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
E
nergy management contr ols th e distributi on of elec­
tri cal energy and thus optimizes the availabili ty of elec­
tri cal energ y for star ting the engin e.
If a vehicle with a conventiona l energy system is not dr iven for a long
per io d of time, t he battery is di sch arged by idling cur rent consume rs
(e .g. immob il izer) . In certain c ircumstances it can result in there
being insuffic ien t energy av a ilab le to start t he eng ine .
Inte lligent energy management in your ve hicle hand les the d istribu ­
tion of e lectrical energy . Starting ability is ma rkedly improved and
the l if e of the battery is extended.
Bas ically, energy management consists of
battery d iagnos is, idling
current management
a nd dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
Battery d iagnosis con tinuously dete rmines the st ate o f the batte ry.
Sensors determ ine battery vo ltage, battery current and battery
t empe ra ture. This de termine s the cur rent sta te of cha rge and the
power of the battery.
Idling current management
I d ling current management reduces energy consumption wh ile the
vehicle is s tanding. W ith t he igni tion swi tched off, it con trols the
energy supply to the var io us electrical components. Data from
b att ery diag nosis is considered .
Depend ing on the battery 's state of charge, individual consumers a re
gradually t urned off to p revent excessive discha rge of the battery and
thus main tain start ing capab ility.
Dynamic energy management
Whi le the vehicle is being dr iven , dynamic energy management
dis tributes the energy generated a cco rding to the needs o f th e in di-
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Intelligent technology
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vi dual components. It regulates consumption, so that more electrical
energy is not being used than is being generated and ensures an
optimal state of charge for the battery .
[I] Tips
• But even energy management cannot negate the limits of physics.
Consider that the power and life of a battery are limited.
• If starting ability is threatened, you are informed by a warning
~ page 249, "Driver notification in the instrument cluster display" .•
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining starting capa ­
bility.
Th e battery is severe ly taxed in short-distance driving, in city traffic
and during the cold time of year. Abundant electrical energy is
required, but only a little is generated.
It is also critical if the engine
is not running and electrical components are turned on. In this
instance energy is being consumed but none is being generated.
It is in prec ise ly these sit uations that you will notice energy manage­
ment actively regulating the distribution of energy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of several days or weeks,
electrical components are gradually cut back or sw itched off. This
reduces energy consumption and maintains starting capability over a
longer period.
Take into consideration that when you unlock your vehicle, some
convenience functions, such as the remo te key or power seat adjust­
ment, may not be available. The convenience functions will be avail­
able again when you turn on the ignition and start the engine.
W ith the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with the engine turned off or
use other MMI functions, the battery is being discharged .
If starting capability is jeopardized due to energy consumption, the
following warning appears in the MMI display:
Please start engine, otherwise system will switch off in
3 minutes.
Th e warn ing indicates that the system will be turned off automati­
cally after 3 m inutes. If you wish to continue using the functions, you
have to start the engine.
With the engine running
Although electrica l energy is generated when the vehicle is being
driven, the battery can become discharged. This happens most ly
when little energy is being generated and a great deal consumed and
the battery's state of charge is not optimal.
T o br ing the ene rgy balance back into equilibrium, consumers which
require especially large amounts of energy are temporarily cut back
or switched off. Heating systems in particular require a great deal of
energy .
If you notice, for example, that the heated seats* or the
heated rear window are not heating, they have been temporarily cut
back or switched off. These systems will be ava ilable again as soon as
the energy ba lance has been restored.
You will also notice that engine idle speed has been increased
slightly. This is normal and not a cause for concern. By increasing
eng ine id le speed the additional energy required is generated and the
battery is charged. •

Intelligent technology
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Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery power drops into the range where it can limit the ability of
the engine to start, this is shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
Lo w b attery charge : batt ery will be charged while driving
Th is notification rem inds you that the starting capability of the
engine may be limited . As soon as you start driving again, the batte ry
w ill be recharged and the notification w ill go out.
Dri ver notification appears and goes out again
If th is dr iver notification appears after the ignition is turned o n or
while driving a nd it goes out again afte r a w hile, the battery has been
adequate ly recharged.
Driver no tification appears and does not go out
again
If th is dr iver notifica tion appears afte r the ignition is turned o n or
while driving and does not go out again, the battery 's state of charge
is not in the optimal range . Starting ability is restricted. Have the
battery checked as soon as poss ible by an au thor ized Aud i dea le r o r
qualified workshop. •
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Checking and filling
-------=------=---------------------------------------------------
Closing the engine hood
-Pull the hood down until the pressure from the struts is
reduced.
- Let the hood
drop down and latch in place . Do not try to
push it shut;
it may fail to engage=> &.
& WARNING
A hood that is not completely latched could fly up and block your
view while driving.
• When you close the engine hood, check it to make sure the
safety catch has properly engaged. The hood should be flush with
the surrounding vehicle body parts.
• If you notice while driving that the hood is not secured prop­
erly, stop at once and close it. •
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the engine
compartment.
Whenever you must perform any work in the engine compartment,
for example checking and filling different fluids, there is a risk of
injury, burns and accidents. To prevent personal injury always
observe the following WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area
=> & .
& WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check anything under the hood :
• Turn off the engine.
• Remove the ignition key.
• Apply the parking brake.
& WARNING (continued)
• Move selector lever of automatic transmission to "P" (Park).
• Always let the engine cool down. Hot components will burn
skin on contact.
• 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.
• Keep children away from the engine compartment.
• Never spill fluids on hot engine components. They can cause a
fire.
• Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary electric fan is
temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly.
• Never open the coolant reservoir cap when the engine is still
warm. The coolant system is pressurized and hot coolant could
spray out.
• Protect your face, hands and arm from steam or hot engine
coolant by placing a thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
• If work on the fuel system or the electrical system is necessary:
-Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames. Fluids in
the engine compartment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher immediately available.
• To avoid electrical shock and personal injury while the engine is
running or being started, never touch: -Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage electronic ignition system.
• If you must perform a check or repair with the engine running: -First, fully apply the parking brake, move selector lever of
automatic transmission to "P" (Park). ..,

_____________________________________________ C_h _ e_ c_ k_in --= g'-- a_n _d_ f_i _ll _i_n -=g ::;__ ____.1111
& 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 ( ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
@ Engine oil f iller c ap
('1::r. ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 4
© 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

___ C_ h_ e_c _k _i _ n _g ~ a_n _d_ f_il _l_in _ g _________________________________________ _
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time d ue to the auto­
m atic adjus tment o f th e b rake pads. This is no t ca use for alarm.
If the brake flu id level falls considerably below the "MIN" mark, the
brake warning/indicator light ( U.S. models:
BRAKE , Canadian mode ls:
ID ) will come on=> page 17 and=> page 30. Do not contin ue to
operate the vehicle. The complete brake system should be thoro ughly
c he cked by an au thor ized Aud i deale r or q ualified works hop and t he
cause corrected. If the brake fluid level is too low, the brake
w ar ning/ind ic a tor ligh t will illum ina te. Con ta ct a n au thori ze d Audi
dealer
immediately .
rn Tips
The brake fluid reservoir is located underneath t he cover. •
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid cha nged b y an experienced tech ni­
c ia n.
Brake fluid absorbs mo isture from the a ir . If the water content in the
bra ke fl uid i s too hig h, cor ros io n in th e bra ke system may res ult afte r
a period of time. The boiling po int of the brake fluid will also decrease
cons iderab ly and decrease brak ing perfo rmance .
Th erefo re, th e brake fl uid must be changed
every two years . Always
use new bra ke fluid w hich conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Stan ­
dard "F MVSS 1 16 DO T 4".
The brake flu id reservoir can be diffic ult to reac h, therefore, we
recommend that you have the bra ke fluid c hanged by your author ized
Audi dealer . Your dealer has the correct tools, the right brake flu id
and the know -how to do t his for you .
LJ}. WARNING
• Brake fluid is poisonou s. It mu st be stored only in the closed
original containe r out of the reach of children!
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Brake failure can result from old or inappropriate brake fluid.
Observe these precaution s:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE specification
J 1703 and
conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116 . Always check
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 reservo ir.
- The brake flu id must be new . Heavy use of the brakes can
cause a vapor lock if the brake fluid is left in the system too
long. This can seriously affect the efficiency of the brakes as
well as your safety. This could result in an accident.
0 Note
Bra ke fluid will damage the paint of your veh icle.
For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of brake fl uid as well as
t he s pecial tool s required a nd the nece ssary ex pert ise, we recom ­
mend that you have t he brake f lu id changed by your authorized Audi
de aler. •
Battery
General information
Under normal operat ing con dit ions, the battery in your Aud i does not
need any main tenance . Wit h high outs ide temperatures o r long daily
dr ives we recommend that yo u have the electrolyte level checked by
an a uth orized Audi dealer o r q ua lified wor kshop. The electro lyte lev el
should also be checked each time the battery is charged=> page 293 . .,_