brakes AUDI A5 COUPE 2011 User Guide

IIII.___A_ d_ a,.:.p _ t_ i _v _ e_ c_ r _u _ is_ e_ c_o _n_ t_r _o _l _____________________________________________ _
The Audi braking guard is active from a speed of approx. 20 mph
(30 km/h) and works within the system limits=>
page 133 even when
the adaptive cruise control is deactivated.
A radar sensor is built into the front of the vehicle=>
page 122,
fig. 112. The system is intended to measure the distance to reflective
surfaces. If a measurement is not possible, the system does not
respond.
When the measurement has taken place, the system can assess a
hazardous situation, when a vehicle ahead suddenly brakes or when
your own vehicle is dr iving at high speed towards a much slower
vehicle ahead. As soon as the system assumes that a possible colli­
sion w ith the vehicle ahead can only be avoided by immediate all-out
braking or by an avoiding maneuver, a warning appears .
Th e system has a pre-set response time to be able to warn in good
time. This system response time is automatically reduced if you accel­
erate actively, for example to join a highway. Braking, transverse
acceleration and the steering angle can lead to a reduced system
response time. The warning is deactivated if you begin to overtake
with full accelerat ion.
The system draws your attention to two different hazardous situa ­
tions:
Distance
Th e distance wa rning is issued in the event of inadequate distance to
the vehicle ahead a period of more than S seconds. If the distance is
less than 30 feet (9 meters) at SO mph (80 km/h), for example, an
optical display is faded in on the instrument cluster=>
page 135,
fig. 131.
If the vehicle ahead brakes sharply, a collision cannot be avoided,
even in the case of an immediate response. In this case, increase the
distance to the vehicle ahead.
Speed
If there is a much slower vehicle ahead in your lane, or if the vehicle
ahead brakes sha rply, the Audi braking guard calculates the point from which a collision can only be avoided by all-out brak
ing or by an
avoiding maneuver. If a warning does sound, a possible collision with
the vehicle in front can be avoided through an evasive maneuver or by
braking.
Th e warn ing is given in two stages:
• Pre-warning: An optical display appears in the instrument cluster
and a warning tone sounds.
• Acute warning: If you do not respond to the pre-warning, the
second stage, the acute warning, is issued. A brake jolt reminds you
to concentrate on the road again.
Under heavy breaking, brake assist =>
page 241 also helps you obtain
maximum braking effic ien cy.
& WARNING
Always pay attention to traffic, even when the Audi braking guard
is switched on. You are always resp onsible for
your speed and the
distance between your vehicle and other vehicles.
• Always keep the legally stipulated safety distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle ahead -danger of accident!
• The Audi braking guard does not respond outside the system
limits, for example if you approach a stationary obstacle (end of a
traffic jam or breakdown vehicle).
• Please observe that the Audi braking guard is subject to restric­
tions in narrow bends due to the field of vision of the radar sensor.
This may possibly lead to obstacles not being detected.
• The radar sensor's
vision can be reduced by rain, snow and
heavy spray . This can result in vehicles driving ahead being inade­
quately detected or, in some circumstances, not detected at all.
Always watch where you are driving.
• Reflecting objects such as e.g. crash barriers or the entrance to
a tunnel may impair the function of the radar sensor.•

Transmission Ill _______________ ___.
Before you move the selector lever to R, press both the button in the
hand le of the se lec tor lever
and the brake peda l at the same t ime .
When the ignition is on, the backup lights illuminate when the
selector lever is moved into
R .
N -Neutral
The transmission is in neutral in this position. Sh ift to th is position
for standing with the brakes applied~
page 153.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h) ,
you must always apply the footbrake before and wh ile moving the
lever out of
N .
D -Normal po sition for driving forw ard
Posit ion Dis for normal city and highway driving. It ranges from zero
to top speed and al l gears shift automatically, depending on engine
load, driving speed and automatically selected shift programs .
When the vehicle is stat ionary or at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always apply the foot brake before and while moving the lever to
D out o f N.
In certa in circumstances it may be advantageous to temporarily
switch to the manual shift program to manually select gear rat ios to
match specific driving conditions~
page 155.
S -Sport position *
Select this position for sportie r performance. In this position, the
transm ission will not upsh ift as soon, allowing the vehicle to use the
increased power available at higher eng ine speeds to ach ieve livelier
acceleration .
When the vehicle is stat ionary o r at speeds be low 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always apply the foot brake before and while moving the lever to
S out of N .
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
& WARNING
Read and fo llow all WARNING S~ & in "Dri ving th e a utomatic
tran smi ssion" on
pa ge 151 .
0 Note
Coast ing downh ill with the transmission in N and the engine not
running will result in damage to the automatic transmission and
possibly the cata lytic converter. •
Applies to vehicle s: wi th auto mat ic tra nsmi ss ion
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL)
The Automatic Shift Lock safeguards you against acci­
dentally shifting into a forward or the reverse gear and
causing the vehicle to move unintentionally .
Fig. 14 7 S hift gate:
s e le ctor lever lock pos i­
tio ns and in te rlo ck
bu tton hi ghligh ted
The selector lever lock is released as fo llows:
- Turn the ignit ion on.
- Step on the brake pedal.
At the same time press and hold
the interlock button on the s ide of the gear selector knob
=> fig . 147 with your thumb until you have moved the
selector lever to the desired position. .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Intelligent technology
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The system operates across the entire speed range in combination
w ith the ABS sys tem. If the A nti-L o ck Brak e System (A BS) mal fun c­
tions, the ESP will also shut down.
How the system works
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Elect ronic D ifferential Lock (EDL)
and the Anti-Slip Regul ation System (AS R) are in teg rated in the e lec ­
tronic stab ilizat ion program . In addition to the data prov ided by
th ese fun ctions, the ESP control unit re quires addi tional meas ure ­
ment data provided by hig h pe rformance senso rs . The ro tat ional
speed of the vehicle about its vertical axis, veh icle acceleration in the
fore-and-a ft and lateral d irect ions, the brake pressure , a nd the
steerin g ang le are all measured .
Th e d irec tion in whi ch the driver w ishes to tra ve l is d ete rm ined wi th
the a id of the steering a ngle and ve hicle speed and is con tinually
c omp ared wi th the a ctu al b ehavior o f the ve hicl e. If t he two do no t
match, for example, when the vehicle starts hydroplani ng on a wet
roa d, E SP w ill automatica lly bra ke the approp riate whee l to correct
the problem.
Th e ve hicle is t hen stab ilized by the fo rces acting on the whee l during
bra king .
If the ve hicl e is oversteering (the vehicle tu rns too s harp ly
and the rear whee ls slide toward the outside of a curve), the brakes
a re mainly a pplied on the whee l tha t is o n the o uts ide of t he curve. In
the case of a vehicle that is
understeering (the vehicle does not turn
shar ply enough and push es out o f a curve), the b rakes are ap plied as
needed on the whee l th at is on the inside of the curve or additionally
on the ot her wheels . An acoustic s ignal indicates w hen ESP bra ke
applica tion cuts in=> &.
T he system operates across the entire speed range in combination
w ith the A BS system =>
page 241. If the A nti-Lo ck Br ake Sys tem
(ABS) ma lfunctions, the ESP w ill be o ut of act ion as we ll.
Activating
When you turn on the engine, ESP wi ll automatica lly be activated and
w ill pe rfor m a self- tes t. As soo n as t he tes t is co mplete d, th e sys tem
is in normal operating mo de.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Yo
u can activate a deactivated ESP or deactivated ESP/ ASR if required
b y pressi ng the =>
page 236, fi g. 1 9 8 => page 236, fig . 19 7 bu tton.
Wh en they are activated, the message
Stabilisation program on
appears briefly in t he di sp lay .
Deactivating
The ES P shoul d no rma lly be acti va te d a ll the tim e. I f necess ary, y ou
can deact ivate A nti-Slip Reg ulat io n (ASR) or th e Electro nic Sta biliza ­
t ion Progr am ( ES P) by p ress ing the button =>
page 23 6, fig. 198.
• Deactivating ASR: Tap th e button . In cer tain exceptional s itua­
t ions (e.g. driving with tire chains), the Anti -Slip Reg ulation (ASR) can
be dea ct iva te d =>
page 238. The m ess age ASR off Caution! Limited
driving stability
a pp ears in the d isp lay as well.
• Deactivating ESP/ASR Press the but ton for mor e tha n 3 seconds .
With the ESP/ ASR deactivated, the indicator light comes on, see
=>
p age 15. The m ess age Warning! Restri cted stability ap pears in
the display as we ll.
& WARNING
The Electronic Stabilization Program is nevertheless subje ct to the
laws of physics . It is particularly important to pay attention to
this fact on wet and slippery roads. It is therefore important that
you always adapt your driving to the condition of the road and
traffic conditions . Do not allow the increased safety provided by
the Electronic Stabilization Program system to lull you into accepting additional safety risks .
u
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Intelligent technology
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pressing the=> page 236, fig. 198 button. When it is activated, the
message
ESP/ASR on appears briefly in the display.
Deactivating
You can deactivate the ASR if req uired by press ing the button (for less
than 3 seconds) =>
page 236, fig. 198. With the ASR deactivated, the
ESP check light comes on, see=>
page 15. The message ASR off
appears in the display as well. The ASR can be deactivated at any
speed.
The ASR should normally be activated all the time . Only in certain
exceptional situations when some slip is desirable does it make sense
to deactivate the ASR. Examp les:
• when driving with tire chains
• when driving in deep snow or on loose ground and
• when rocking the vehicle loose after it has become stuck .
When the abnormal situation is over, you sho uld activate the ASR
again.
& WARNING
The increased safety afforded by ASR does not mean that you can
take safety risks. Always adapt your driving style to the road
conditions and traffic situation.
(I) Tips
To ensure that the ASR works properly, all four whee ls must be fitted
with ident ical tir es . Any differences in rolling radius of the tir es can
cause the system to reduce eng ine power when this is not desired .
See also =>
page 303, "New tires and replacing tires and wheels".
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Braking
General information
What
affects braking efficiency?
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still subject to wear,
depending la rgely on ope rating conditions and driving habits=>& .
On vehicles that are either driven mostly in stop-and-go city traffic or
are driven hard, the brake pads should be checked by your authorized
Audi dealer more often than specified in the
Warranty & Mainte ­
nance booklet.
Failure to have your b rake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance .
On steep slopes, you should use the braking effect of the engine. This
way, you prevent unnecessary wear on the brake system. If you must
use your brakes, do not hold the brakes down continuously. Pump the
brakes at intervals.
Noises may occur when b rak ing depending on the speed, braking
force and outside cond itions such as temperatu re and humid ity.
Moisture or road salt
If you are driving faster than 31 mph (50 km/h) and the windshield
wipers are on, the brake pads will briefly touch the brake discs in
regula r interva ls so as to improve reaction time when braking on wet
surfaces. You, the driver, will not not ice anything.
Under certain condit ions, for example, when driving through water or
very heavy rai n, or even after washing your vehicle, the braking effect
can be reduced due to moisture (o r in free zing conditions ice) on the
bra ke pads. A few careful brake applications should dry off the brake
pads or remove any ice coatings.
Th e effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced when the vehicle is
dr iven on a salt-covered road and the brakes are not used. H ere too,
you should clean off accumu lated salt coating from brake discs and
pads with a few careful applications of the brake=>&,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Intelligent technology
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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 3 16,
"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. •

Intelligent technology
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Functioning of Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS}
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up under braking.
The ABS contributes effectively to vehicle control since it prevents the
w heels from
locking whe n the brakes are applied . This means t hat t he
vehicle rema ins steerable and is less likely to skid.
With ABS you do not need to pump the brake. Ju st hold the brake
pedal down .
However, do not expect the ABS to shorten braking distance under all
circu mstances. When d riving on gr ave l o r on new ly falle n snow o n top
of icy s urfaces, braking distance may be even longer, therefore, under
t he se c ir cu mstances, i t is especially importa nt that you dr ive slowly
and with great care.
How the ABS system works
An a utomat ic check is made when a speed of about 12 mph (20 km/h)
is reached. When this happens, a pumping noise can be heard.
If an individ ual w heel beg ins to rotate too slow ly in relat ion to vehicle
speed and tends to lock, t he ABS automat ic al ly reduces brake pres­
sure to prevent t hat wheel from locking .
Thi s automatic adjustment process w ill cause a
slight vibrat ion of
t he bra ke ped al and some noises to aler t you th at vehicle s peed mus t
be adapted to existing road and traff ic conditions.
& WARNING
Although the ABS is very effective , always remember that braking
capability i s limited by tire traction . Always adjust your driving
speed acco rding to the road and traffic condition s. Do not let the
extra safety afforded by the ABS tempt you into taking extra risk s.
T he ABS cannot overcome the laws of physics .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
(I] Tips
•
If ABS is no t fun ct io ni ng prope rly, a wa rning light will come on .
See
=> page 17.
• If a fault occurs in the A BS, the EDL is also not functioning . This is
indicated by t he ABS warn ing light .•
Brake assist
Brake assist is designed to achieve the optimum braking
effect.
Bra ke ass ist helps to i ncrease the effe ctive br aking power and thus to
achieve a shorte r stopping distance . If the d river presses the brake
peda l very quickly, brake assist automatically boosts the bra king
force to the max imum level, up to the po int whe re the anti-lock b rake
function (ABS) intervenes to stop t he wheels from locki ng . You
should then keep the br ake peda l pressed unti l the veh icle has braked
to the required speed . Brake ass ist switches itself off as soon as you
re le ase the br ake pedal.
& WARNING
Please remember that the accident risk always increases if you
drive too fast , especially in corners or on a slippery road , or if you
follow the vehicle ahead of you too clo sely. Increased ri sk of an
accident cannot be compensated for even by brake assist , so
alway s maintain a safe speed .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

____________________________________________ D_ r_ i_ v _i_,ng and environment
New brake pads have to be "b urn ished in" before they have opt imal
grab ~& -
Dur ing the break-in period, you sho uld avoid putti ng severe loads on
the brakes. Severe loads include, for example, sud den ha rd brak ing,
i n part icula r a t very high s peed s or, for e xam ple, on moun tain passes.
& WARNING
New brake pads don't have the best stopping power and must be
" broken-in " during the initial 100 to 150 miles (150 to 200 kilo­
meters ) of normal city driving . You can compensate for this by
p ressing the brake pedal more firmly . This also applies later when
new pad s are installed .•
Avoid damaging the vehicle
Whe n yo u are d riving on poor ro ad s, or ove r curbs, steep r amps, etc.,
ma ke ce rtain that low -lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust system
p arts do not bo ttom out and ge t damage d.
Th is is espec ia lly true for veh icles with low-slung chass is (sports
chassis)* and fully loaded vehicles .
a
Driving through water on roads
Note the fo llowing to avoid vehicle damage w hen drivi ng thro ugh
water, fo r examp le on flooded roa ds:
• The wate r must not be any h igher than the bottom of the vehicle
b ody .
• Do not dr ive faster tha n walk ing spee d.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
After driving through water, mud
, slush, etc ., the brakes may be
slow to take effect because of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry the
brakes first by braking carefully to restore the full braking effect .
0 Note
Vehicle components such as the engin e, tra nsmission, sus pension or
elect rical system can be severe ly damaged by driv in g thro ugh water .
[ i ] Tips
• Check the depth of t he wate r before driving throug h it.
• Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or switch the e ng ine off
w hen driving throug h wate r.
• Keep in m ind that o ncoming vehicles may c reate waves that raise
t he water leve l and make it too deep fo r yo ur vehicle to d rive throug h
safely.
• Avo id drivi ng t hroug h sa lt w at er bec ause it can cause cor rosio n.
Catalytic converter
It is very imp ortant that your emission contr ol syst em
(ca ta lytic convert er) is functioning pro p erly to ensur e
t h at your vehic le is runnin g in an environment ally s oun d
man ner .
- Always use lead -f re e gasoli ne~ p age 269 , "Fuel sup ply" .
- Never r un th e t ank down a ll the way to em pt y.
- Neve r pu t too muc h mo to r oil i n y our eng ine ~
page 279,
"Add ing eng ine oil
'l!:r." .
- Never try to p ush- or tow-start your veh icle.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Driving and environment
The catalytic converter is an effic ient ''clean-up" dev ice built into the
ex hau st system of the ve hicle. The c ata ly tic converter bu rns many of
the pollutants in the exhaust gas before they are released into the
atmosphere.
T he exclusive use of unleaded fuel is c rit ical ly import ant for the life of
the cata lytic converter and proper funct ioning of the eng ine.
& WARNING
• Do not park or operate the vehicle in areas where the hot
e xhaust system may come in contact with dry grass, brush, fuel
spill or other material which can cause a fi re.
• Do not apply additional undercoating or rustproofing on or
near the e xhaust man ifold , exhaust pipes , catalytic converte r or
heat shields . During driving, the substance used for undercoating
could overheat and cause a fire.
0 Note
• Be aware that j ust one tank filling with leaded fuel will already
seriously degrade the performance of the ca talytic conve rter.
• Do not exceed the correct engine oil level =>
page 279.
• Do not dr ive until the fuel tan k becomes complete ly empty . The
engine could misfire . Unburned fuel cou ld also get into the exha ust
system and th is cou ld cause the catalyt ic converter to overheat .
• Do not tu rn o ff the igni tion while t he vehi cle is moving.
• Do not contin ue to operate your vehicle under these conditions, as
otherwi se fuel c an reac h the c atal ytic conve rter. This co uld res ult in
overheat ing of the converter, requir ing its replacement.
• T o ass ure eff icient ope ra ti on of the Emiss ion Cont rol System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and in accordance with
the se rvice recommendations in your Wa rranty
& M aintenance
booklet. -
Lack of proper maintenance as well as improper use of the
veh icle w ill impair the f unc tion of the emiss io n con trol sys te m an d
co uld lead to damage.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Control System is operating p roperly, the
exhaust gas can have a s ulfur -like exhaust gas smell under some
operat ing states . This depends on the sulfur content of the fu el being
used. Using a different brand of fuel may help, or filling the tank with
lead -free supe r grade gasoline. •
Operate your vehicle economically
and minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of d riving will det ermine the economy
of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and noise le vels.
Fuel eco nomy, e nvir onmenta l impa ct, and wea r o n your eng ine ,
brakes and tires large ly depend on three factors:
• your persona l driving style
• operat ing cond itions
• t echni cal lim itat io ns
If you anticipate what you need to do next and drive economica lly,
you c an easily cut yo ur fuel consum ptio n by 10- 15 pe rcen t. T his
sect io n w ill give you some tips on how you can he lp the env ironment
and your pocket book.
[ i ] Tips
Th e consumption estimates as pub lished by ENV IRONMENTAL
PROTECTIO N AG ENCY ( EPA) and Transport Ca nada may not co rre­
spond to your act ua l cons umption on the road, which will vary

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 252.
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. _,