towing AUDI A5 CABRIOLET 2011 Owners Manual

Reporting Safety Defects . . . . . . . 185
Active rollover protection system 186
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
General notes ............ ..... 189
Why safety belts? ............. 190
Safety belts ........... ....... 193
Safety be lt pretensioners ....... 197
Airbag system ........ ........ 199
Important things to know ...... 199
F ron t airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Mon itoring the Advanced Airbag
Sys tem .................. ... .
Knee airbags ................. .
S ide airbags . .. .............. .
Child Safety .. .. .......... .... .
Important things to know ..... .
Child safety seats ............ .
Installing a child safety seat ... .
LATCH Lowe r anchorages and
tethers for children ........... .
Additional Information 210
215
218
221
221
227
231
234
238
Vehicle operation
...... 240
Intelligent technology ........ 240
Notice abou t data recorded by
vehicle control modules . . . . . . . . 240
E lectronic Stab ilizat ion Program
(ESP) ................... ..... 240
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 3
Servotronic ® -advanced power
steer ing system .......... ..... 24 6
Driving with your quattro ® . . . . . . 246
En ergy management .......... . 24 7
Driving and environment ...... 250
The first 1,000 miles (1,50 0 km)
and afterwards ............... 250
Avoid damaging the vehicle ..... 251
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Driving through w.ater
on roads . 251
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Operate your vehicle economica lly
a nd minimize pollut ion . . . . . . . . 252
Trailer tow ing 255
Driving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . 255
T railer tow ing t ips ... .......... 257
Vehicle care ...... ........ 260
Cleaning and protect ion ...... 260
General information . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Care of exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Care of interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Fuel supply and filling your fuel
tank ... ... ................ ....
274
Gasoline . ................ .... 274
Fu el tank .............. ....... 275
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . 279
E ngine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Engin e oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Engine cooling system . . . . . . . . . 286
Brake fl uid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Bat tery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Windshield/headl ight washer
conta iner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Tire s and wheels ......... ..... 296
Ti res
296
Ti re pressure monitoring system 314
Do-it-yourself service . 318
What do I do now? 318
T runk escape handle ........... 318
Vehicle tool kit ............. ... 318
Space-saving spare tire (compact
spare tire) .................... 319
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Table of contents
Fuses and bulbs ............ . .
Electrica l fuses .............. .
Bul bs ..................... . .
Emergency situations ....... .
General ............ ......... .
Starting by pushing or towing ..
St arting with jumper cables ... .
Use of jumper cab les ....... .. .
Emergency tow ing w ith
commercial tow truck ........ .
Lift ing vehicle .... ........... .
Technical data
General informat ion
Explanation of technical data .. .
Vehicle identification ......... .
Weights .................... .
Dimensions ................. .
Data .......... ............... .
211 hp, 2.0 lit er 4 -cyl. e ngi ne .. .
Consum er Information ...... .
Warranty coverages .......... .
Operating your vehicle outside the
U.S.A. or Canada .......... ... .
Aud i Service Repair Manua ls and
Literature ......... .......... .
Maintenance ............... . .
Additional accessories ,
modif ications and parts
replacement ............... . .
Declaration of Compliance,
Telecommun ications and
E lectroni c Systems ........... .
Alphabetical index ....
328
328
332
333
333
333
333
334
336
338
340
3 40
3 40
340
341
341
342
342
343
343
343
343
343
345
3 46
3 48
Vehicle operation Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

(]] Tips
The system works above a speed of about 6 mph (10 km/h) .•
Emergency flashers ~
The emergency flashers makes other motorists aware
that you or your vehicle are in an emergency situation.
Fig. 70 Emergency
flasher switch
- Press the switch ~=> fig. 70 to turn the emergency
flashers on or off.
When the emergency flashers are on, all four turn signals blink at the
same time . The turn signal indicator lights¢¢ in the instrument
cluster, as well as the light in the emergency flasher switch~ blink
likewise . The emergency flashers also work when the ignition is
turned off.
The emergency flashers will turn on automatically if you are in an
accident where the airbag has deployed.
(]] Tips
You should turn on the emergency flashers when :
• you are the last vehicle standing in a traffic jam so that any other
vehicles coming can see you, or when
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Clear vision
• your vehicle has broken down or you are in an emergency situa­
tion, or when
• your vehicle is being towed by a tow truck or if you are towing
another vehicle behind you .•
Turn signals -¢ Q and high beam gD lever
The lever on the le~ side of the steering column is used to
operate the turn signals and the high beam as well as the
headlight flasher.
Fig. 71 Turn signal
and high beam lever
The turn signal and high beam lever has the following func­
tions:
Turn signals¢¢ (D@
- Push the lever up as far as it can go to turn on the right
turn signal or down to turn on the left turn signal
=> fig. 71 .
- Move the lever briefly until you meet resistance and
release it to flash three times.
- Move the lever (up or down) until you meet resistance and
hold it there to determine the flashing time for the turn
signals. _.,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

________________________________________________ D_ r_ i_ v _i_n ""'g "-- S_a_ f_ e_ l _,,y'-- __
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area unobstructed and that
are firmly secured so that they cannot slip out of position . You can
obtain suitable floor mats from your authorized Audi dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached to these fasteners.
Properly securing the floor mats will prevent them from sliding into
positions that could interfere with the pedals or impair safe opera­
tion of your vehicle in other ways .
& WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result in a loss of vehicle
control and increase the risk of serious personal injury.
• Always make sure that floor mats are properly secured.
• Never place or install floor mats or other floor coverings in the
vehicle that cannot be properly secured in place to prevent them
from slipping and interfering with the pedals or the ability to
control the vehicle.
• Never place or install floor mats or other floor coverings on top
of already installed floor mats. Additional floor mats and other
coverings will reduce the size of the pedal area and interfere with
the pedals.
• Always properly reinstall and secure floor mats that have been
taken out for cleaning.
• Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driver foot­
well while the vehicle is moving. Objects can become trapped under the brake pedal and accelerator pedal causing a loss of
vehicle control. •
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All
luggage and other objects must be properly stowed
and secured in the luggage compartment.
Fig . 180 Safe load
positioning: place
heavy objects as low
and as far forward as
possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can shift suddenly,
changing vehicle handling characteristics. Loose items can
also increase the risk of serious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuver or in a collision.
- Distribute the load evenly in the luggage compartment.
- Always place and properly secure heavy items in the
luggage compartment as low and as far forward as
possible => fig. 180.
- Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided=>
page 84.
-Make sure that the rear seatback is securely latched in
place .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Intelligent technology
'-------------------------------------------------
Corrosion
T he re may be a te ndency fo r d irt to build u p on the bra ke pads and
co rrosion to form on the d iscs if the car is not dr iven reg ularly o r only
for short trips with litt le use of the bra kes .
If the brakes a re not used freq uen tly, or if co rrosion has formed o n
the discs, it is advisable to clean off the pads and discs by braking
fir mly a few times from a mode rat ely h igh spee d~ & .
Faults in the brake system
If yo u sh ou ld noti ce a sudden increase in b rake peda l trave l, then one
of the two brake circu its may have failed~& .
Low brake fluid level
Ma lfunctions can occ ur in t he brake system if the brake fluid level is
t oo low. The bra ke f lu id level is moni tore d elec tron ically.
Brake lin ing wear status
Brake lin ing wear may be checked by v isua l inspect ion of the condi­
tion of the brake pads throu gh the open ings in the whee l.
If neces­
sary, the whe el may be removed fo r thi s insp ection~
page 320,
"Changing a w hee l".
& WARNING
• You should perform braking maneuvers for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system only if road conditions permit. Other
road users must not be put at risk - you may cau se an accident!
• Before descending a steep grade, reduce speed and shift trans­
mission into a lower gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often . This could
cause the brakes to get hot and diminish braking efficiency.
• Do not "ride the brakes " by resting your foot on the pedal when
you do not intend to brake . This may cause the brakes to overheat ,
premature wear and increased stopping distance.
• Under certain climatic and operating condition s such as
passing through water , driving in heavy rain or after washing the
& WARNING (co ntinued )
vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced . In winter,
ice can ac cumulate on the brake pads, linings, dis cs and drums.
Carefully apply brakes for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coatings
will be cleaned off after a few careful brake appli cations.
• Driving for an extended period of time on salt-covered roads
without u sing your brakes can also affect braking efficiency . Clean
off accumulated salt coating from b rake discs and pads with a few
careful brake applic ations.
• If you damage the front spoiler, or if you install a different
spoiler, be sure the air flow to the front brakes i s not obstructed .
Otherwise the brake system could overheat reducing the effective­
ness of the entire brake system.
• Failure of one brake circuit will impair the braking capability
resulting in an increased stopping di stance. Avoid driving the
vehicle and have it towed to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop.
n
Brake booster
The b roke boost er odds extra broking po wer.
The bra ke boos ter wor ks wi th v acuum pressure whi ch is crea ted o nly
when the eng ine is ru nning~ &.
& WARNING
• Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the engine shut off.
• If the brake booster is not working, for example when towing
your vehicle , or because the brake booster has somehow been
damaged, the brake pedal mu st be pressed considerably harder to
make up for the lack of booster assistance. •

Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger transpor ­
tation.
If yo u plan to tow a t rai ler, p lease rem emb er that the add itiona l load
wi ll affect durab ility, economy and performance.
T railer tow ing not on ly p laces mo re s tress on the vehicle, it a lso calls
for more concentrat ion from the driver.
For this reason, a lways follow the ope rating and dr iv ing instr uctions
prov ided and use common sense .
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the gross trailer weig ht.
Th e hitch mus t be suitable for yo ur vehicle a nd tra ile r and mus t be
mounted secure ly on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically sound l oca­
t ion. Use only a trailer hitch wi th a remov ab le b all m ount. Alw ays
check w ith the tra iler hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using t he cor re ct hi tch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The h itch must be installed in such a way t hat it does not interfere
w ith the impa ct-absorbing b umper system. No mod ifi cat ions sho uld
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems. From time to
ti me, chec k tha t all hitc h mou ntin g bol ts rem ain secure ly f aste n ed.
When you a re not tow ing a tra iler, remove the tra iler hitch ba ll
mount. This prevents the hitc h from caus ing damage should yo ur
vehicle be struck from behind=> &.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is eq
uipped with a braking system, check to be s ure that
i t confo rm s to all regula tions.
The tra iler hydraulic brake system must not be directly connected to
the vehicle's hydraulic brake system=>& .
Safety chains
Alw ays use safety chains be twee n your vehicle and the trai ler.
Trailer lights
Tr ailer l ights m ust meet all reg ulat io ns. Be su re to check with your
author ized Audi deale r for correct wir ing, switches, and re lays.
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see the traffic behind you us ing the regular
outside m irro rs, then you
must install extended m irro rs. It is impor­
tant that yo u
always have clear vision to the rear.
& WARNING
• If a trailer has electrical b rake s please note that these brakes
are not activated by the factory-fitted control unit -ri sk of acci­
dent!
• After removing the trailer hitch , do not store it in your vehicle.
In case of sudden braking, the hitch could fly fo rward and injure
you or your passengers. •
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer we ight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical class 1 or class 2 trailer . .,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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

Trailer towing
"-------------------------------------------------
When rest arting afte r parking:
- Apply the foot brake.
- Start the engine.
- Move the selector lever to
D.
- Release the parking brake and slowly pull out and away
from the wheel chocks .
- Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel chocks.
(I] Tip s
If you move the se lector lever of the automat ic transm ission* to P
before applying the parking brake and before blocking the wheels,
you may have to use mo re force late r to move the lever out of the
P
position.

& WARNING (continued)
loaded trailer -does not make the vehicle heavier than the
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. •
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to calculate the
total weight of the passengers and luggage
or other things that you plan to transport so
that you can make sure that your vehicle
will not be overloaded.
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1.Locate the statement "THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehicle's placard (tire infla­
tion pressure label) =>
page 300,
fig. 227.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
Safety first
Tires and wheels -
3. Subtract the combined weight of the
driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or "XXX" pounds shown on the
sticker =>
page 300, fig. 22 7.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will
be five 150 lbs. passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs. (1400- 7
SO (5 x 1 SO) = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity of your
vehicle. .,_
Vehicle care Technical data

ffll.,___W_ h_ a_t _ d_ o_ I_d_ o_ n_o _w_ ? ___________________________________________ _
What do I do now?
Trunk escape handle
In case of an emergency, the rear lid can be opened from
the inside using the trunk escape handle.
To open rear Lid
F ig . 234 Trunk esca pe
ha ndle : vie w from
i n side th e clo se d trun k
- Pull the hand le down towards the bumper~ fig. 234.
The trunk escape handle inside the rear lid is made of fl uorescent
m aterial to glow in the dark.
& WARNING
The trunk e scape handle is to be u sed only in an emergency.
(I) Tips
T he emerge ncy re lease lever should never be used as a handle for
closing the rear lid. •
Vehicle tool kit
The tools are sto red undern eath the floor panel in the
luggage compartment.
Fi g. 2 35 Luggag e
c omp art me nt: to ol kit
When you need access to the vehicle tool kit or jack* , yo u will need to
t ake out the spare ti re * and cover =>
page 319.
The ve hicle too l kit includes:
• Hook for removing whee l covers*
• Plast ic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
• Alignmen t pin fo r ch anging the whee l
• Screwdriver with reversib le blade
• T ool for changing lig ht bulbs
• Revers ible bit (reversible Torx bit for changing lig ht bulbs)
• Rod for jack
• Jack
• Lug wrench
• Towing eye
Some of the vehicle items listed above are prov ided on certain models
only or a re opt io nal ext ras.
~