brakes AUDI A5 CABRIOLET 2011 Owner's Manual

Trailer towing
"-------------------------------------------------
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in pla ce to prevent it
from shifting forward, backward or s ideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer => & in "Driving instruc­
tions" on
page 256.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the eng ine work harde r. It is important that
the cooling system's performance 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 cold tire
pressure listed under "Full load" on the label located either on the
dr iver's side B-pillar (visible when the door is open) or inside the fuel
filler flap . Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers' spec­
ifications.
Lights
The headl ight settings should be checked w ith the trailer attached
before driving off. Check to make sure both vehicle and trai ler lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety cha ins are properly connected from the trailer
to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough s lack in the chains to permit
turning corners. When you install safety chains, make sure they will
not drag on the road when you are driving.
T he chains should cross under the trailer tongue to p revent it from
dropping in case of separation from the hitch.
Driving instruct!ons
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care and
consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle and trailer,
please note the following:
- Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself is not
loaded.
- Be especially careful when passing other veh icles .
- Observe speed limits.
- Do not drive at the maximum permissible speed.
- Always apply brakes early.
- Monitor the temperature gauge .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer w ith an empty car results in a highly unstable
distr ibution of weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very low
speeds only to avo id the r isk of losing steer ing control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control. Th is means that the
tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permissible,
wh ile keeping the trailer as light as possible under the c ircumstances.
Whenever possible, trans fer some cargo to the luggage compart ­
ment of the tow vehicle while observing tongue load requirements
and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
Th e higher the speed, the more difficult it becomes for the driver to
control the r ig . Do not drive at the maximum permiss ible speed.
Reduce your speed even more if load, weather or wind conditions are
unfavorable -part icularly when go ing downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately i f the trailer shows the slightest
sign of swaying.
Do not try to stop the swaying by accelerating. _,

Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for vehicles towing
t railers are lowe r than for regular veh icles.
Always apply brakes early. When dr iv ing downh ill, sh ift in to a lower
gear to use the engine braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge~ page 8 must be observed care­
fully. If the needle moves close to the upper end of the scale, reduce
speed immediately and/or turn off the air conditione r.
If the coolant temperature warning light in the instrument cluster
star ts flashing
-t- , pull off the road, stop and let the engine idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat bu ild-up.
& WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving vehicle is at a much
greater risk in an accident. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided by Audi. u
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
------------
Your vehicle handles differently when tow ing a tra iler because of the
additiona l weight and different weight distribution. Safety, perfor ­
mance and economy will greatly depend on how carefu lly you load
your trailer and operate your rig .
Before you actua lly tow your trailer, practice turning, stopping and
backing up in an area away from traffic. Keep pract icing until you have
become completely familiar with the way your vehicle-t railer combi­
nation behaves and responds.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Backing up
is d iff icult and requ ires practice . Backing up with a trailer
generally requires steering 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 fo r the
trailer, you will need a larger than norma l turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accelerate as fast as you
normally would because of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for you r
trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes .
[I) Tips
• Do not tow a trai ler during the break-in per iod of your vehicle.
• If you tow a tra iler, your Audi may requi re more frequent mainte­
nance due to the extra toad~
page 343. •
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:
-Apply the foot brake.
- Have someone place chocks under both the vehicle and the
trailer wheels.
- With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes until the
wheel chocks absorb the load.
- Turn the wheels towards the curb.
- Apply the parking brake .
- Move the se lector lever to
P.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d___. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
Cleaning and protection
General information
Regular care preserves vehicl e val ue.
Any automobile is exposed to industria l fumes, co rrosive road salt,
e tc. A well ca red for Audi c an look lik e new many ye ars after pur cha se.
Regu lar and correct care w ill contribute to mai nta in ing t he bea uty
a nd valu e of your Au di.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition for substantiating a
warranty claim should corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Yo ur au thori zed Audi d eale r h as a var iety of dedicated vehicle-care
products
and can advise w hich ones to use for clea ning the exterior
a n d inter io r of your ve hicle.
W het her you use products recommended by Aud i or other comme r­
cia lly availab le cleaning agents , please make sure yo u appl y them
co rrectly .
& WARNING
• Cleaning agents may be poisonous . Keep them out of the reach
of children.
• Heed all caution labels .
• Always read directions on the container before using any
product. Follow the directions carefully.
• Most chemical cleaners are concentrated and have to be
diluted .
• Use spot removing fluids only in well ventilated areas.
• Do not use gasoline, kero sene , diesel fuel , nail polish remover
or other volatile fluids . They may be toxic, flammable or
hazardous in other ways. Do not wash, wax or dry the vehicle with
the ign ition on or the engine running .
& WARNING (continued )
• Do not clean the under sides of chassi s, fenders , wheel covers,
etc. without protecting your hands and arms. You may cut your­
self on sharp-edged metal parts.
• Moisture and ice on brakes may impair braking efficiency
~ page 243, "General information ". Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle .
'£> For the sake of the environment
Select only envir onmenta lly fr iendly clea ning produc ts . Leftover
cleaning pro ducts sho uld not dis posed of i n the household waste .•
Care of exterior
Washing
F re quent w ashin g protec ts th e vehicle.
T he best protection aga inst env ironmental influences is frequent
w ashi ng and w ax ing. How oft en thi s is requ ired depen ds on :
• How m uch the vehicle is used
• Whe re the ve hicle is parke d (gar age, in the o pen un der tr ees, etc.)
• The seasona l and weather conditions
• Environ mental influences
T he longer bird droppings , insects , tree resin, road and industria l
gr ime, t ar, soo t, road sa lt and o ther ma ter ia ls remain on t he veh icle
body, the more lasti ng their destructive effects w ill be. H igh temper­
atu res cause d by ex pos ure to intense s unlight int ensify the co rrosive
effect, part icu larly when humid ity is high as we ll.
~

____________________________________________ C_l_e _a_ n_ i n--= g=--- a_n_ d----' p,__ r_o _t_ e_ c_ t_ i _o_ n __ lffll
Use on ly spec ia l acid-free cleane rs form ulated for a lloy rims . Safe
pro duc ts a re availa ble at your auth oriz e d Audi dealer. Neve r leave the
cleaner on t he rims longer than specified on t he label. If not rins ed
off promptly, the acid containe d in some cleaners can attack t he
t hreads on the wheel bo lts .
N ever use abrasiv e or metal polish ing cleaning agents .
If the protec­
ti ve coatin g has bee n ch ipp ed, e.g . by kick ed up road dirt, to uch it up
as soon as possible.
& WARNING
• Moisture and ice on brakes may affect braking efficiency
~ page 243, "General information ". Test the brake s carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 260. •
Body cavity sealing
The bod y cavi ty sealing does not ne ed to be checked.
All body cav ities which cou ld be affected by corrosion have been thor­
oughly pro tected at the factory .
T hi s sealing does not require any inspection or add itiona l treatment .
If any wax shou ld see p ou t of the cavity w hen the ambi ent te mper a­
tu re is high, it can be removed with a plastic scraper and a suitable
s o lve nt.
& WARNING
Solvents can be dangerous.
• Benzine is flammable and toxic . If you use benzine fo r
removing the wax, keep sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away . Never dump benzine on the ground , into open streams or
down sewage drains.
Safety first
& WARNING (cont inued )
• Be sure to observe all safety and environmental regulations.
Follow all instructions on the container .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 260. •
Chassis
Have t he und erc oat ing checke d for dama ge fr om tim e to
t ime.
The lower body shell of you r Aud i is also thoroug hly protected against
c o rrosion.
Any damage to t he un dercoat ing caused by road haza rds s ho ul d be
repa ired promptly .
& WARNING
Too much undercoating in the wrong places can cause a fire.
• Do not apply additional undercoating or rustproofing on or
near the exhaust manifold, exhau st pipes, catalytic converter or
heat shields. While driv ing, the substance used for undercoating
could overheat and cause a fire.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 260 . •
E x haust tail pipes
Road s alt and o ther corrosive m ater ials w ill damage the ma terial i n
the exha ust ta il pipes if they are not cleaned reg ularly. Do not clean
t he t ail pipe s with w heel cleaner, pai nt polish , chr ome polish o r oth er
abras ive cleaners . Clean the ta il pipes w ith car care produc ts that are
s u itable fo r st ainless stee l.
~
Vehicle care Technical 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 . .,_