trailer AUDI A5 CABRIOLET 2014 User Guide

194 Trailer towing
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle hand les different ly w hen tow ing
a tr ailer because of the addit ional weight and
different weight distribution . Safety, perform­
ance and economy wi ll greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopp ing and backing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have become comp letely familiar with the way
your veh icle-trailer combination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trai ler genera lly requires
steering action opposite to that when backing
up your veh icle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you . You will need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turning radius .
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­
celerate as fast as you normally would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass . After passing, allow
plenty of room for your tra iler before chang­
in g lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
{Dl Tips
- Do not tow a tra iler dur ing the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your A udi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load
q page 264.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer . If it can­
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol­ lowing :
When parking:
.. App ly the foot brake.
.. Have someone place chocks under both the
veh icle and the trailer wheels .
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes until the wheel chocks absorb the
load.
.. Turn the whee ls towards the curb.
.. App ly the parking brake.
.. Move the selector lever to P.
When restarting after parking:
.. App ly the foot brake .
.. Start the engine.
.. Move the selector lever to D/S .
.. Release the parking brake and s lowly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks .
.. Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks .
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the auto ­
matic transmission to P before applying
the parking brake and before blocking the
whee ls, you may have to use more force
later to move the lever out of the P posi­
tion.

228 Tire s and wheel s
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance sticker labe l located on the
driver's side B-p illar. The tire pressure label on
your Audi lists the maximum combined weight of all of the occupants and luggage or
other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For t he
locat io n of the tire pressure label
r:::;, fig. 182.
A WARNING
Overl oading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a cras h or other accident, se­
r ious personal inju ry, and even death.
- Carry ing more weight than yo ur vehicle
was designed to ca rry will p reven t the
vehicle from hand ling properly and in­
crease the risk of a loss of veh icle con­
t ro l.
- T he brakes on a veh icle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance .
- T ires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con­
tro l and a crash.
- Always make sure that the tota l load be ­
ing transported -including the weight of
a tra iler hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the veh i­
cle heav ier than the veh icle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
A WARNING
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­ flation can lead to a serious o r fatal acci­
dent.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased tire wea r and can
affect the handling of the vehicle.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation ca n also lead to sudden tire fa il­
ure, including a blowo ut and sudden de­
fla tion, causing loss of vehicle con trol.
-
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressure label located on driver's side 8-pil­
lar.
The recommended tire pressures are on the
t ir e p ressu re label a nd in the table
r::::;, page 226, Cold tire inflation pressure. This
means tha t the pressu re must be che cked and
adjus ted whe n the t ire has not been dr iven fo r
more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at
l ow speeds d uring the previous t hree ho urs.
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up as a result of interna l frict ion as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold."
It is the inflation pressure in a "co ld" t ire that
counts. Therefore, you should never let a ir o ut
of a warm tire to match "Cold t ire inflat ion
pressure" recommendat io ns
r:::;, page 226 . The
t ires wou ld then be unde rinflated and could
fail suddenly .
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the recommended co ld tire inflation pressures at
maximum capacity for the new, or ig inal
equipment tires that were on your vehicle at
t h e time it was ma nufactu red. Fo r the loca­
t ion of the labe l
r:::;, page 226, fig. 182.
Most t ires lose air naturally over t ime . They
can a lso lose some air if you d rive over a pot­
hole or hit a curb while par king. It is usually
not poss ible to see whethe r the rad ial tires
u sed today are underinfla ted just by loo king
at them .
T he refore, be sure to check t ire p ressu res at
l east on ce a mo nth and a lways befo re going
o n a long trip. M ake s ure to ta ke the n umbe r
of peop le and the amount of luggage into ac ­
count when adjusting tire pressure for a trip -
even one that yo u wo uld not consider to be
"long." Seer:::;,
page 230, Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information.
Always use an accurate tire press ure ga uge
when checking and ad justing inflat ion pres­
s u res. Check all of the tires and be sure not to ..,.

230 Tire s and wheel s
the function of the tire pressure monitor­
ing system*.
- Always inflate tires to the recommended
and correct tire pressure before driving
off.
- Driv ing with under inflated tires bend
more, letting them get too hot resu lting
in tread separation, sudden t ire fail ure
and loss of control.
- Excess ive speed and/overloading can
cause heat bui ld-up, sudden t ire failure
and loss of control.
- If the t ire pressure is too low or too high,
the tires w ill wear prematurely and the
vehicle will not hand le we ll.
- If the t i re is not flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immed iate ly, dr ive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
t ion to check the tire pressure a nd add
air as required.
0 Note
Dr iving without va lve stem caps can cause
damage to the t ire va lves . To prevent this,
always ma ke sure that facto ry installed
valve stem caps on all wheels a re secu re ly
mou nte d on the valve.
@) For the sake of the environment
Unde rinflated tires will a lso inc reas e the
fue l cons umption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amo unt of load or
weight that any vehicle and any t ire can carry .
A vehicle that is overloaded w ill not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overloading
can not only lead to loss of vehicle contro l,
but c an also damage import ant parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudde n tire failure, in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause t he veh icle to crash .
Your safety and that of your passengers a lso
depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded . Vehicle load includes everybody
and everyth ing in and on the vehicle. These load lim
its are technically referred to as the
vehicle's
Gro ss Vehicle Weight R ating
("GVWR").
T he "GVWR" includes t he weight of the basic
vehicle , a ll f actory installed accessories, a f ull
tank of fuel, oi l, coo lant and other f luids plus
maximum load. The max imum load incl udes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is
intended to carry ("seat ing capac ity ") wi th an
assumed we ight of 150 lbs . (68 kg) for each
passenger at a designated seating posit ion
and the total weight of a ny luggage in the ve­
hicle. If you tow a trai le r, the we ight of the
t ra ile r hi tc h and the tongue we ight of the
l oaded tra iler mus t be include d as part of the
vehicle load .
T he
Gro ss Ax le Weight Rating ("GAWR ") is
the max imum load that can be applied a t each
of the veh icle's two axles .
T he Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing and the
G ross Ax le Weig ht Ra ting are listed on the
sa fety comp lian ce s ticke r label loca ted on the
driver's side B-pillar. Yo ur Audi has 4 seat ing
pos itions , 2 in the front and 2 in the rea r fo r
total seati ng capacity of 4. Each seating posi­
t ion has a seat belt c:>
page 132, Safety belts.
T he fact that there is an upper limit to yo ur
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
t h at the total weight of whatever is being car­
ried in the vehicle ( includ ing the weight of a
trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra iler) is lim ited. The more passen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier tha n the sta ndard we igh ts assumed
mean that less we ight can be carried as lug­
gage.
The tire pressure label o n your Aud i also lists
the max imum combi ned weig ht of all of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that
t h e vehi cle can carry . Fo r th e lo ca tion of the
l a bel c:>page 226,
fig.182.
8_ WARNING
<=
Over loading a vehicle can cause loss o f ve -
hicl e co ntro l, a c rash or other accident, se-
rious personal injury, and even death. .,.

-Carrying more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly, including a blowout
and sudden deflation, causing loss of
control and a crash.
- Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported -including the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer - does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to cal­
culate the total weight of the
passengers and luggage or oth­
er things that you plan to trans­
port 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 OC­
CUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehi­
cle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)
c::> page 226,
fig. 182.
Tires and wheels 231
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and pas­sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and pas­sengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds
shown on the sticker
c::>page 226, fig. 182.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of car­
go and luggage load capaci­
ty. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs.
and there will be five 150
lbs. passengers in your vehi­
cle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load ca­ pacity is 650 lbs. (1400-7 50
(5
X 150) = 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 trail­
er will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual ..,.
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264 Consumer Information
Consumer Information
Warranty coverages
You r Audi i s covered by the following war­
ranties:
- New Vehicle Limited Warranty
- Limited Warranty Against Corrosion Perfo-
ration
- Emissions Control System Warranty
- Emissions Performance Warranty
- California Emissions Control Warranty (USA
vehicles only)
- California Emissions Performance Warranty
(USA vehicles only)
Detailed information regarding your warran­
ties can be found in your
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet .
Operating your vehicle
outside the U.S.A. or
Canada
Government regu lations in the United States
and Canada require that automobiles meet
specific emission regulations and safety
standards. Therefore, veh icles built for the
U.S.A . and Canada differ from vehicles sold in
other countries .
If you p lan to take your vehicle outside the
continental limits of the United States or Can­
ada, there is the possibility that:
- unleaded fuels for vehicles with cata lytic
converter may not be available;
- fuel may have a considerably lowe r octane
rating. Improper fuel may cause engine
damage ;
- service may be inadequate due to lack of
proper service facilities, tools or testing
equipment ;
- replacement pa rts may not be readily availa­
ble.
- Navigation systems for vehicles built for the
U.S.A. and Canada will not necessar ily work
in Europe, and may not work in other coun­
tries outside of North America.
(D Note
Audi cannot be responsible for mechanical
damage that could result from inadequate
fuel, service or parts availability.
Audi Service Repair Manuals and Literature
Audi Official Factory Service Manuals and Lit ­
erature are published as soon as possible after
model introduction. Service manuals and lit­
erature are available to order from the Audi
T echnical Literature Ordering Center at:
www.audi.techliterature.com
Maintenance
General
Your vehicle has been designed to help keep
maintenance requirements to a minimum.
However, a certain amount of regular mainte­
nance is still necessary to assure your vehicle's
s afety, economy and rel iability. For detailed
vehicle maintenance consult your Warranty &
Maintenance booklet.
Under difficult operating conditions, for ex­
ample at extremely low outside temperatures,
i n very dusty regions , when towing a trailer
very frequently, etc., some service work
should be performed between the intervals
specified. This applies particularly to:
- oil changes, and
- cleaning or replacing the air filter .
(® For the sake of the environment
By regularly maintaining your vehicle, you
help make sure that emission standards
are maintained, thus minimizing adverse
effects on the environment.
Important considerations for you and
your vehicle
The increasing use of electronics, sophisticat­
ed fuel injection and emission contro l sys-
tems, and the genera lly increasing technical
liJJ,

------------------------------~I~ n~ d~ e~x~ 279
START ENGINE STOP button (Convenience
key) ...... .. .. ................ ..... 77
Starting from rest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Starting off with a trailer .... .. .. .. .. .. 81
Starting the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74, 77
Steer ing
Lacking the steer ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 4
also refer to Electro-mechanical power
assist . .. .. .... ............. .. .. . 184
Steering wheel Adjust ing steering column . .. .. .. .. .. 74
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18, 184
Steps for determining correct load limit . 231
Stopping the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76, 78
Storage . .. ... ...... ............. ... 65
S tronic ..... .. ................ ..... 85
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
S tronic transmission
Emergency release .................. 91
L aunch Contro l Program ............. 90
Sun visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Symbols
refer to Warning/indicator lights .. .. .. 13
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Ta il lights
C leaning ... .... ........... .. .. .. .
Technical mod ifications
Textiles 196
267
C leaning ... .. ............. .. .. ... 198
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km) and after-
wards ..... .. .. ................ .... 187
Tie-downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67, 128
tiptronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL) . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Driving ... . .... ............. .. .. .. 87
Emergency mode ... ...... .. .. .. .. .. 91
Manual shift program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Tire pressure .............. .... .. ... 228
T ire pressure monitoring system
L oss of air pressu re ................ 241
Malfunction ................ ... ... 241
Resetting tire pressures ....... ... .. . 242 T
ires .............................. 222
Low aspect ratio tires .............. . 239
Serv ice life . ... .. .. ............... 232
Speed rating letter code ............ 234
Tire manufacturing date ............ 234
Tire pressure monitoring system ..... 240
Tire specifications .. . .... .. .... .... 234
Tread depth ...... ...... .......... 232
Uniform tire quality grading ..... .. .. 236
Winter tires . .. .. .... ........... .. 237
Tires and vehicle load limits ........... 230
Tires and wheels Checking tire pressure ............. .
Cold tire inflation pressure ...... .. . .
Dimensions
. . .. .. .................
General notes .. .. .. ... ....... .... .
Glossary of tire and loading terminolo-
gy .......... ... .. .............. .
New tires and wheels ........... .. . .
Replacing ..... ...... ............ .
Snow cha ins . .. .. .. . ............. .
Tires and vehicle load limits ........ .
Wheel bolts
Winter tires
T ire service life
Tool kit
..... .. ...............
Torn or frayed safety belts
Towing 228
226
233
222
223
233
234
238
230
239
237
232
243
135
Front eyelet ... .. .... ............. 258
Rear eyelet .. .. .. ................. 258
Tow truck procedures .............. . 257
TPMS Tire pressure monitoring system ..... 241
Trailer towing ... .. ................. 192
Operating instructions .......... .... 192
Technical requirements . . . . . . . . 192, 193
Tips ......... ... .. ..... .......... 194
Transmission . ... .. .. ................ 85
Transmission malfunction (in dicato r light) 91
Transport Canada .. ................. 129
Travel mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI) ........... 232
Trip computer Fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Mileage ... .. .. .. .. . .. .... ........ . 25
Single-trip memory ................. 25
Total-trip memory ..... ....... .... .. 25
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