AUDI A5 CABRIOLET 2017 Owners Manual

Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­
my and performance.
Trailer towing not only places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from
the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your vehicle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
location . Use only a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ball mount . Always check with the trail­
er hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using the correct hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system . No modifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
From time to time, check that all hitch mounting
bo lts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer,
remove the
tra iler hitch ball mount . This prevents the hitch
from causing damage shou ld your vehicle be
struck from beh ind ¢
,&. .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
gi check to be sure that it conforms to all regula-......
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Trailer towing
The trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system ¢.&. .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the trailer.
Trailer lights
T ra iler lights must meet all regulations . Be sure
to check w ith your author ized Audi dealer for cor­
rect wiring, switches, and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you us­
ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must in­
stall extended mirrors. It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear.
,8. WARNING
-If a tra iler has electr ical brakes please note
that these bra kes are not activated by the
factory-fitted control unit -risk of accident!
- After removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in your vehicle. In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and in­
jure you or your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held sec ure ly in
place to prevent it from shifting forward, back­
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Driving instructions on page 180.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder . It
is important that the cooling system's perform ­
ance is up to the additional load . Make sure that
the cool ing system has enough fluid. .,..
179

Trailer towing
Tire pr essure
When tow ing a tra iler, inflate the tires of yo ur
veh icle to the tire pressure listed under " Fu ll
load" on the label ¢
page 217. Inflate trai ler
tires to trai ler and tire manufacturers' specifica­
tions.
Lights
The headlight settings should be chec ked with
the trailer attached before driving off . Check to
make sure both vehicle and trailer lights are
working properly.
Safety chains
Be s ure t railer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle .
L eave enough slack in the chains to permit turn ­
ing corners. When you install safety chains, make
sure they wi ll not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car res ults
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avo ided, drive at very low speeds on ly
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easie r to operate and cont rol.
This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while keeping the trai ler as light as possib le under the
circumstances . Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow vehicle while observ ing tongue load requ ire­
ments and vehicle loading considerat ions .
Spe ed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to contro l the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permiss ible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or w ind
180
conditions are unfavorab le -particularly when
going downhi ll.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediate ly if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of sway ing.
Do not try
to st op the swaying by accele rating.
Observe speed limits. In some a reas, speeds fo r
vehicles towing tra ilers are lower tha n for regular
vehicles.
A lways apply brakes ear ly . When driving down­
hill, shift into a lower gea r to use the engine
braki ng effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone ca n cause them to overheat and fa il.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 8 must
be observed carefully. If the needle moves close
to the upper end of the scale, reduce speed im­
med iate ly and/or tu rn off the a ir cond itioner .
If the coolant temperatu re warning light . in
the instrument cluster starts flashing, p ull off
the road, stop and let the engine
idle for about
two minu tes to p revent heat build-up .
.&, WARNING
Anyone not properly res trained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci ­
dent . Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wear ing the restraints provided
by Aud i.
Trailer towing
information
Important to know
-
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a
trailer because of the addit iona l weight and dif­
ferent weight distribution. Safety, performance
and economy will greatly depend on how careful­
ly you load your tra iler and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, pract ice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic. Keep pract icing u nti l you have be­
come completely fam iliar w ith the way your vehi-
cle-tra ile r combination behaves and respo nds . .,.

Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer­
ing action oppos ite 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 wi ll need more
room to stop. To compensate for the tra iler, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accel­
erate 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
your trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
@ Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex ­
tra load
~ page 246.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on o slope with o trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only ofter doing the following:
When parking:
" Apply the foot brake.
"Have someone place chocks under both the ve­
hicle 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 selector lever to P .
When restarting after parking:
" Apply the foot brake.
" Start the engine .
" Move the selector lever to D/S.
" Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
a:,
~ " Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
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Trailer towing
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automat­
ic transmission to P before applying the park­
ing brake and before blocking the wheels, you
may have to use more force later to move the
lever out of the P posit ion .
181

Care and cleaning
Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, prope r care helps to maintain your vehi ­
cle's value.
It can a lso be a requirement when
submitting war ranty claims for cor rosion damage
and pa int defects on the body.
The necessary care prod ucts can be obtained
from an autho rized Audi deale r or authorized
Aud i Service Facility. Read and follow the instruc­
tions for use on the packaging.
A WARNING
- Using clean ing and care products incorrectly
can be dangero us to your hea lth .
- Always store clean ing and care products out
of reach of children to reduce the r isk of po i­
so ning.
@ For the sake of the environment
- P referab ly purchase env ironmenta lly-friend­
l y cleaning products.
- Do not dispose of leftove r clean ing and care
products wit h household t rash.
Car washes
The longer that deposits remain on the veh icle,
the more the surface may be damaged. High
temperatures such as those caused by sunlight
increase the damaging effect.
Before washing, rinse
off heavy depos its with
p lenty of water.
Stubborn deposits s uch as bird d roppings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of water and a mic rofibe r cloth.
A lso, wash the und erside of yo ur vehicle o nce
road sa lt stops being used for the season .
Pressure washers
When washing your veh icle w ith a pressure wash­
er, always follow the operating instructions pro ­
vided wi th the press ure washer. This is espe cially
impor tant i n rega rd to the pressure and spraying
d istance. Do not direct the stream of water di­
rectly onto seals for the side windows, doors,
182
lu ggage compartment lid or hood or onto the
tires, rubber hoses, insulating material, the pow­
er top, sensors* or camera lenses* . Keep a dis­
tance of at least 16 inches (40 cm).
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer.
Neve r use cone nozzles or high press ure nozzles.
The wate r temperatu re must not be above 140 °F
(60 °() .
Automatic car washes
Spray off the vehicle before washing.
Make sure that the win dows and power top are
closed and the windsh ield wipers are off. Follow
i nst ruct ions from the car wash operator, espe­
c ia lly if there are accessories attached to yo ur ve­
hicle.
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes.
Washing by hand
Clean th e ve hicle star ting from the top and work­
i ng down using a soft sponge or clea ning brus h.
Use solvent -free cleaning products.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
To avo id damaging the paint when washing, fi rst
remove dust and large pa rticles from your vehi­
cle. Insects, grease spots and f ingerprints are
best removed w ith a special cleaner for matte
finish paint.
Apply t he product using a microf iber cloth. To
avo id damaging the paint surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the ve hicle thoroughly with wate r. Then
clean using a neutra l shampoo and a soft micro ­
fiber clot h.
Rinse the vehicl e thorough ly again and le t i t air
d ry. Remove any water residue using a chamois.
A WARNING
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is
off and follow the instr uctions from the car
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wash operator to reduce the risk of acc idents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself
from sharp metal components when wash­
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings .
- After washing the vehicle, the brak ing effect
may be delayed due to mo isture on the
brake rotors or ice in the w inter . This in­
c reases the risk of an acc ident. The bra kes
must be d ried fi rst w ith a few careful b rake
applications.
(D Note
- If you wash t he vehicle in an automatic car
wash, yo u m ust fold the exte rior m irrors in
to reduce the risk of damage. Power fo ld ing
exter ior mir ro rs* m ust only be folded in and
out using t he power folding fu nction .
- To reduce the risk of paint damage, do not
wash the vehicle in d irect sunlig ht.
- To reduce the risk of damage, do not wash
th e power top wit h a press ure washe r.
Ca re and cleaning
- To re duce the risk of damage to the surface,
do not use insect removing sponges, kitchen
sponges or s imilar items .
- Matte finish painted veh icle components:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use po lishing agents or hard
wax.
- Never use protective wax . It can destroy
the matte finish effect .
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted with matte
finish paint . The paint cou ld be damaged
when the stickers or magnets are re­
moved .
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle in facili ties s pec ia lly de­
s igned for that pu rpose. This will reduce the
r isk of dir ty wate r contam ina ted with o il from
en te ring the sewe r sys tem.
Cleaning and care information
When cleaning and caring for individua l vehicle
components, refer to the follow ing tables. The
in fo rmat ion conta ined there is s imp ly recom­
mendations . Fo r q uest ions or for components t
h at are not listed, consult an autho rized Aud i
dealer or authori zed Audi Se rvice Fac il ity. Also
f o llow the information fo und in ~ &, .
Exterior cleaning
Component Situation
Solution
Windshield wiper
Deposi ts ~ page 54, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
blades
Headlights/ Tail
Deposits Soft sponge with a m ild soap solutiona)
lights
Sensors /camera
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth wit h solvent-free cleaning solution
lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth w ith alcohol-free cleaning solu-
tion
Snow/ice Hand br ush/solven t-free de-icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid-free s
pecial clean ing so lu tion
E x haust tail pipe s Road salt Water, cleaning solution su itab le for stainless stee l, if nee -
essary
183

Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Power top
Deposits Clean water, power top cleaning product , if necessary .
C lean with the grain of the fabric using a soft brush and al-
low to air dry.
Wind deflector Deposits Water, mild soap solution,
if necessaryal
Decorative parts/ Deposits Mild soap solution a>, a cleaning solution suitable for stain-
Trim less stee l, if necessary
Carbon parts Deposits clean the same way as
painted parts~ page 182, Car
washes
Paint Paint damage Refer to the paint number on the vehicle data label, repair
with touch up paint~
page 243
Spilled fuel Rinse with water immediately
Surface rust Rust remover, then protect with hard wax; for questions,
consult an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Se rv-
ice Facility .
Corros ion Have it removed by an authorized Aud i dealer or author -
ized Audi Service Fac ility .
Water no longer Protect with hard wax (at least twice per year)
beads on the surface
of clean paint
No shine even though Treat wit h suitable polish; then apply paint protectant if
paint has been pro- the polish that was used does not contain any protectant
tected/paint looks
poor
Deposits such as in- Dampen with water immediately and remove with a micro-
sects, bird droppings, fiber cloth
t ree sap and road salt
Grease-based con- Remove immediately with a mild soap solution a) and a
taminants such as soft cloth
cosmetics or sunb lock
a) M ild soap so lution: maxim um two ta bles poo ns o f neu tral soap in 1 quar t (l liter) of wat er
Interior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Windows
Deposits Glass cleaner, then wipe dry
Decorative parts/ Deposits Mild soap solutiona >
trim
Plastic parts
Deposits Damp cloth
Heavier deposits Mild soap solution a>, detergent-free plastic clean ing solu-
tion, if necessary
Displays Deposits
Soft cloth with LCD cleaner
Controls Deposits Soft brush, then a soft cloth with a mild soap solutiona >
Safety belts Deposits Mild soap so lution a>, allow to dry before letting them re-
tract
184

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Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
T ex til es
Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner
art ifici al leat her, the surface
A lcan tara Water-based deposits Absorbent
cloth and mild soap solutiona>
such as coffee, tea,
b lood, etc.
Oil -based deposits Apply a m ild soap solution
a), blot away the dissolved o il or
such as oil, make-up, dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
etc.
Special deposits such Special stain
remover, blot with absorbent material, treat
as ink, nail polish, la- afterward with mild soap solution, if necessary
a)
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Natu ral le ath er Fresh stains Wool cloth with a mild soap solution a)
Water-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, dried stains: stain
remover suitable for leather
b lood , etc.
Oi [-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain
remover suitable
such as oil, make-up, for leather
etc. dried stains: oil cleaning spray
Special deposits such Spot remove r suitab le for leather
as ink, nail polish, la-
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Care Regularly apply condit ion ing c ream that protects from
lig ht and penet rates into the material. Use specia lly-co l-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary .
Carbon part s Deposits clean the same way as plast ic parts
a) Mi ld soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 q uart (1 liter) of water
.8, WARNING
The windshield may not be trea ted with wa­
ter-repelling windshield coating agents. Un ­
favorable cond itions such as wetness, dark­
ness, or low sun can result in increased glare.
Wiper blade chatter is also possible.
@ Note
- Headlight s/tail li ght s
-Never clean headlights or tail lights with a
dry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cleaning product that con­
tains alcohol, because they could cause
cracks to form.
- Whe els
-
- Never use any pa int polish or other abra­
sive materials .
- Damage to the protect ive layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches must
be repaired immediately .
-Sen sor s/cam era l enses
- Neve r use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens . This
could cause the lens to crack .
- Neve r use ab rasive cleaning materials or
a lcohol to clean the camera lens. This
could cause scratches and cracks .
-Powe r top
- Remove bird droppings immediately .
185

Care and cleaning
- Never use gasoline, spot remover, ben­
zene, paint thinner or other solvents to
remove.
- Door window s
- Remove snow and ice on windows and ex-
terior mirrors with a p lastic scraper . To
avoid sc ratches, move the scrape r only in
one direction and not back and forth.
- Never remove snow or ice from door win­
dows and m irrors using warm or hot water
because this could cause cracks to form.
- To avoid damage to the rear w indow de­
fogge r, do not apply any stickers on the
heating w ires on the inside of the window.
- Decorati ve parts /trim
- Never use chrome care or cleaning prod- ucts.
- Paint
- To reduce the risk of scratches, the vehicle
must be free of dirt and dust before pol­
ishing or waxing.
- To prevent pa int damage, do not polish or
wax the veh icle in direct sunlight.
- To reduce the risk of pa int damage, do not
polish away rust spots .
- Remove cosmetics and sunscreen immedi­
ately- these could damage the paint.
- Displays
- To avoid scratches, do not use dry cleaning
methods on displays.
- Controls
- Make sure tha t no fluids enter the con-
trols, because this could ca use damage .
- Safet y belt s
- Do not remove the safety belts to clean them.
- Never clean safety belts or their compo­ nents chemically or with corrosive fl uids
or so lvents and never allow sharp objects
to come into contact w ith the safety belts .
Th is could cause damage to the belt web­
bing.
- If there is damage to the webbing, the
connect ions, the retractors or the buckles,
have them replaced by an author ized Audi
dealer or author ized Audi Service Facility.
- Textiles /artificial leather / Alcantara
186
- Never treat art ificial leathe r/ A lcantara
with leather ca re products, solvents, f loor
polish, shoe polish, spot remove o r similar
products.
- Have a specialist remove stubborn stains
to prevent damage.
- Never use steam cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc . when cleaning .
- Do not turn on the seat heating* to dry the seat.
- Objects w ith sharp edges, such as zippers
or rivets on clothing or belts, can cause
damage to the surface .
- Open hook and loop fasteners, for exam­ ple on clothing, can damage seat covers.
Make sure hook and loop fasteners are
closed.
- Natural le ather
- Never treat leather with solvents, floor
polish, shoe polish, spot remover or sim i­
lar p roducts.
- Objects w ith sharp edges, such as zippe rs
or rivets on clothing or belts, can cause
damage to the surface .
- Never use steam cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc. when cleaning.
- Do not turn on the seat heating * to dry the
seat .
- To help prevent the leather from fad ing,
do not leave the vehicle in d irect sunlight
for long periods of time.
If leav ing the ve­
h icl e parked fo r long pe riods of time, you
should cover the lea the r to pro te ct it from
d irec t sunlight .
(D Tips
-Insects are easier to remove from paint that
has been freshly waxed.
- Regular waxing can prevent rust spots from
forming.
Placing your vehicle out
of service
If you would like to take your vehicle out of serv­
ice for a longer period of time, contact an author­
i zed Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service Facili-
ty. They will adv ise you of important measures, ..,.

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such as corrosion protection, maintenance and
storage procedures. Also follow the information
about the battery¢
page 203.
Care and cleaning
187

Fuel and Refueling
Fuel and Refueling
Fuel
Fuel supply
Using the right fuel helps keep the environment
clean and prevents engine damage.
Fuel recommendation
The fuel recommended for your vehicle is unlead­
ed premium
grade gasoline. Audi recommends
using TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline with a mini­
mum octane rating of 91 AKI (95 RON). For more
information on TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline,
p lease go to the official website
(www.toptiergas.com).
The recommended gasoline octane rating for
your engine can also be found on a label located
on the ins ide of the fuel filler flap . This rating
may be specified as AKI or RON.
Your vehicle may also be operated using unlead­
ed regular gasoline with a minimum octane rat­
ing of 87 AKl/91 RON . However, using 87 AKI/91
RON octane fuel w ill slightly reduce engine per­
formance.
Use unleaded gasoline only. Unleaded gasoline
is available throughout the USA, Canada, and in
most European countries . We recommend that
you do not take your vehicle to areas or countries
where un leaded gaso line may not be available.
For more information on refueling your vehicle,
see
r::;, page 190.
Octane rating
Octane rating indicates a gasoline's ability to re­
sist engine damaging "knock" caused by prema­
ture ignit ion and detonation . Therefore, buy ing
the correct grade of gasoline is very important to
he lp prevent poss ible engine damage and a loss
of engine performance.
Gasoline most commonly used in the United
States and Canada has the following octane rat­
i n gs that can usually be found on the filler pump:
- Premium Grade: 91 - 96 AKI
- Regular Grade: 87 -90 AKI
188
Explanation of the abbreviations:
AKI= Anti Knock Index= (R+M)/2 = (RON +MON)/
2
RON = Research Octane Number
MON= Motor Octane Number.
CJ) Note
- Do not use any fue l with octane ratings low­
er than 87 AKI or 91 RON otherwise expen­
sive engine damage will occur.
- Do
not use leaded gasoline. The use of lead­
ed gasoline will severely damage your vehi­
cle's catalytic converter and its ability to
control exhaust emissions.
Blended gasoline
Use of gasoline containing alcohol or MTBE
(methyl tertiary butyl ether)
You may use unleaded gasoline blended with al­
cohol or MTBE (commonly referred to as oxygen­
ates) if the blended mixt ure meets the following
criteria:
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
- Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must contain no more than 3% metha-
nol.
- Blend must contain more than 2% co-solvents.
Blend of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol or
ethyl alcohol)
-Anti-knoc k index must be 87 AK I or higher.
- Blend must not contain more than 15% etha-
nol.
- Vehicles with flexib le fue l eng ine: blend must
not contain more than 85% ethanol.
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
-Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must contain not more than 15% MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform es­
pecially well for winter or summer dr iv ing . Dur-
i ng seasonal change-ove r, we suggest that you .,.