check engine light AUDI A5 COUPE 2011 User Guide

Driver information display
difficult or sensitive than usual. The steering wheel can also be at an
angle when driving straight.
Dynamic steering: initialization
If this driver message appears and the indicator light is flashing on
the instrument panel, dynamic steering is being reinitialized. Once
you start the engine after this is finished, the steering wheel will be
easy to move. Re-initialization might be necessary if the steering
wheel was moved hard to the left and right while the vehicle was not
moving. The display goes out as soon as initialization is complete.
& WARNING
Have the dynamic steering system malfunction repaired as soon
as possible by an authorized Audi dealer or any qualified workshop
- risk of accident!
rn Tips
The dynamic steering stability systems are not available in the event
of a system malfunction. •
Applies to vehic les: with con ven ie nce ke y
Key not in vehicle
Key not in vehicle
This reminder appears along with the 7 symbol if the master key is
removed from the vehicle with the engine running. It is intended to
remind you (e.g. when chang ing drive rs) not to continue the journey
without the master key.
If the master key is no longer in the vehicle, you cannot switch off the
ignition after stopping the engine and you also cannot start the
engine again. You also cannot lock the vehicle from the outside. •
App lies to veh icles : with light/ra in senso r
Light/rain sensor defective )
...i-Automatic headlights/automatic wipers defective
If the symbol illuminates, the light sensor has failed . For safety
reasons the low beams are turned on permanently with the switch in
AUTO. However, you can continue to turn the lights on and off using
the light switch. In the case of a defect in the rain sensor, the wind­
shield wiper lever functions are still available. Have the light/ rain
sensor checked as soon as possible by an authorized Audi dea ler. •
Worn brake pads J
Brake pads!
If the warning light illum inates, immediately contact your authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop to have all brake pads inspected .
On USA models the warning light comes on together with the
warning light
BRAKE . Both sets of brake pads on an axle must always
be replaced at the same time.
& WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a collision and serious personal
injury.
• If the warning light and the warning light
BRAKE1> with the
message Brake pads! comes on in the instrument cluster display,
immediately contact your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pads checked or replaced if
necessary. •
l) BRAK£: USA mode ls only

App lies to veh icles : w ith d efecti ve ligh t bulb w arn in g
Defective light bulb warning t
The defective light bulb warning monitors the function of
the li ght bulbs in the vehicl e.
Th e defect ive light bulb warn ing monitors t he f unct ion of the l igh t
bulbs. If a defective light bu lb is detected, or if a light bu lb has
burned out, a ye llow symbol appears as well as a no tifica tion t hat
shows which light bulb is defective .
Defective bulb
If this symbol I lights up, a turn signal (front or rear), a headlamp, a
bra ke light, t he back -up light, a fog lamp or a re a r fog lamp h as
fa iled.
& WARNING
• Light bulbs are unde r pressure and can explode when bulbs a re
replaced -risk of injury .
• With gas-discharge lamp s* (xenon headlights ), the high­
voltage component mu st be handled appropriately. Doing other ­
wise poses a ri sk of death!
[ i ] Tips
Have an a uth orized A udi dea ler or other qualified workshop perform
t he rep lacement or the repa ir.•
Windshield washer fluid level too low -..>
Please refill washer flu id
If the symbol illuminates, add windshield washer fluid to the washer
system and a lso to the headlig ht washer system* =>
page 290. •
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Driver information display
Fuel supply too low l
When the symbol
illuminates, this means there are about 2.1
gallons (8 liters) of fue l lef t in t he fuel t ank. T ime to refuel!
:::>page 270 .
If the symbol lig hts up, even when there is ample fue l in the tank, and
the text
TANK SYSTEM MALFUNCTION l CONTACT WORKSHOP
appears in the display , the re is a fault in the system. Contact a quali­
fied wo rkshop to have t he fault rectified. •
Applies to v ehicles : w ith batte ry volt age warni ng
Battery voltage
If battery powe r drops into the range w here it can limit the ability of
t he engine to s tart, th is the symbol -appears in t he instr ument
cluster display with the fo llowing d river message
battery charge low:
Indicates charging by being driven .
While this dr iver not ification is displayed, you have to be prepared for
limited sta rting capability .
Driver message appears and goes out aga in
If this dr ive r mess age appe ars af ter the igni tion is t urned on o r w hile
dr iv ing and it goes out again after a wh ile , the battery has been
adequ ate ly rech arged.
Driver message appears and does not go out again
If this dr iver not ificat ion appears a fter the igni tion is turned o n or
wh ile driving and does no t go out again, the battery 's state of cha rge
is no t in t he opt im al range . St art ing capability is restricte d. H ave t he
batte ry checked at an authorized Aud i dealer or other q ualified work ­
s hop as soon as poss ible. •
Vehicle care Technical data

Driver information display
Check engine oil .....
:... Add oil , max x qt (l). You may continue driv ing
I f t he • " sym bo l lights up displaying this dr ive r mess age, then ad d a
maximum of
l li te r at you r earliest opportunity=> page 279. •
Engine oil level ~:.
Please check oil level
W hen the symbol i lluminates, check the engine oi l level as soon as
poss ible =>
page 2 79. Top off the oil at yo ur earliest o ppor tunity
:::> page 279. •
Engine oil sensor defective ...
,. Oil level! Sensor defective
If th e sym bol ill uminates , con tact your au thor ized A udi d ealer and
have the o il senso r inspected . Until you have this done, check the oil
level e ach t ime you ref ue l just to be o n the s afe side =>
page 2 79. •
Applies to veh icles: w ith eng ine spee d limitation
Engine speed limitation .7
~ Do not e xceed ma x. eng ine speed of XXXX rpm
Th e /! symbo l illu minat es whe n there is an engine con trol malfunc­
tion . The ind icator light in the i nstr ument cluster also illuminates.
T he eng ine speed is limited to the speed disp layed in the driver infor­
mation system . Keep in mi nd that the e ngine s peed will not exceed
the va lue d isp layed in t he d rive r informat ion system, for example
w hen downshifti ng.
Please go to an authorized Audi dealer or other qualified workshop to
have the malfunc tion rep air ed. •
Headlight range control defective ( >
, Headlight range control defective !
If the sym bol i llumin ates, the dyn am ic he ad lig ht r ange contro l is
no longer working pro perly . Have the system checked and repaired at
your aut horize d Au di dea ler. •
Appli es to veh icles : with ada ptive light
Adaptive light defective .. U
adaptive Light defective
When this symbol.., illuminates, it means that adaptive light is
defe ctive. Go to an a uthor ized Audi de ale r t o have the hea dlight s o r
the contro l unit for the a dapt ive light repaired .•
Ignition lock malfunction
Ignition lock defective
If the symbo l i n the d ispl ay c omes on, t he re is a m alfu nction in the
elect ronic ignit ion lock . Please go to an a uth orized Audi dea ler or
o ther qu alifi ed workshop to h ave t he mal fun ction r epair ed. •
App lies to vehicle s: wit h Au di d rive s elect
Adaptive dampers
Adaptive dampers: system malfunction
If the symbo l in the display comes on, the re is a malfunction in the
adapt ive dampers . Please go to a n au thor ized A udi d eale r or ot her
qualifie d workshop to have t he malfunction repai red. •

Instrument lighting
The basic brightness of the illumination for the instru ­
ments, the center console and the display can be
adjusted.
- Press the knob to release it .
N ~ 0 0
i
"'
Fig. 52 Instrument
lighting
Rotating the knob to the right"+" will increase the basic
brightness when it is dark.
- Rotating the knob to the left"-" will decrease the basic
brightness when it is dark.
- Pressing the knob will prevent unintentional changes.
(I) Tips
The illumination for the instrument cluster lights up whenever you
switch on the ignition with the vehicle headlights off . As the daylight
fades, the instrument cluster illumination likewise dims automati­
cally and will go out completely when the outside light is very low .
This feature is meant to remind you to switch on the headlights when
outside light conditions become poor.•
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Clear vision
App lies to veh icles : wi th xenon h ead lights
Xenon headlights
After starting the engine, the xenon headlights are automatically
adjusted to the load and angle of the vehicle (for example, during
acceleration and braking) . This prevents oncoming traffic from expe­
riencing unnecessary headlight glare from your xenon headlights .
If the system is not operating properly, a warning symbol in the Auto­
Check Control is displayed~
page 40. •
Ap plies to vehicles : wit h adap tive light
Adaptive light
When driving around bends, the relevant area of the road
is better illuminated.
Fig. 53 Adaptive light
when driving
The benefit of adaptive light is that the curve and the edge of the road
are better illuminated ~ fig. 53. Dynamic adaptive light is controlled
automatically, depending on vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.
When driving around bends, the headlights are controlled according
to steering wheel angle . So that there is no black hole ahead of the
vehicle, the two main beams pivot at different angles. ..,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Intelligent technology
--------------------------------------------------' '----'----
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

Driving and environment
------------------------------------------------'
depending upon vehicle load and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length, etc. •
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are accelerating .
-Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are accelerating. If you antici­
pate what is going to happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, accelerate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possible - for
example when you see that the next traffic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and improves your
mileage.
- Try and keep well below your car's maximum speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consumption, engine wear, and does
not disturb the environment .
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and eng ine noise increase
disproportionately at high speeds . If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by one half.
Never drive faster than the posted speed limit and weather condi­
tions permit. •
Reducin~ unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
-Shut the engine off when you are not driving the vehic le .
- Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the engine run at
idle.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic jams, when waiting for
trains to pass at railroad crossings, or at traffic lights that have long
waits on red. Turning the engine off for just 30 -40 seconds saves
more fuel than is burned starting the engine again .
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up fully when it is running
at idle. However, wear and noxious emissions are especia lly high
when the eng ine is warming up. So you should dr ive away as soon as
you start the engine and avoid running at high rpms while the engine
is still warming up.
0 Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after starting . If warning
lights should come on to indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces heat, which could result in
overheat ing or other damage to the vehicle or other property. •
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel .
- Have your vehic le serviced at regular intervals .
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an authorized Audi dealer
helps to ensure that it runs properly and economically . The condit ion
of your vehicle not on ly affects its safety and ability to hold its val ue,
it also affects fuel consumption.
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
Th e amount of oil used is related to engine load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new engine to reach its
lowest value after a certain mileage has been driven.
You must dr ive your veh icle about 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers)
before you can properly assess oi l consumption .
Thi s also applies to fuel consumption and eng ine output.
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. _,

___ C_h_ e_c _k _i_n -=g :a,__ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ l _li _n _,g;._ __________________________________________ _
Checking and filling
Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehicle.
- Open the dr iver's door.
F ig . 20 3 Driver 's sid e
f oo twell : e ng in e ho od
r elease leve r
-Pull the re lease lever on the left under the instrument
panel ~ fig. 203 in the directio n of the arrow.
The hood pops up slightly under spring press ure. •
Opening the engine hood
Fig. 204 Rel ease le ver
unde r th e eng in e hood
Before opening the eng ine hood, make sure that the wi nd­
shield wipers are flat against the win dshiel d. Otherwise, they
cou ld damage the paint on the hood .
Pull up on t he release under the hood~ fig. 20 4. T his
releases the catch.
- Open t he hood all the way~& .
& WARNING
Hot eng ine coolant can burn you.
• To redu ce the r isk o f be ing burned, never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compa rt­
ment. Wait until no ste am or co olant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the hood .•

___________________________________________ C_ h_e _c _k_ i_n ~g_ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ll _i_n _g __ ,n
© Windshield/headlight* washer container (W ) . . . . . . . 290
(J) Power steering reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
The position of the engine oil filling hole=:> fig. 205 (item@) can
differ depending on the engine design .
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS=:>
& in "Working in the engine
compartment" on
page 275. •
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the right kind of oil.
The engine in your Audi is a sophisticated power plant that was built
to exacting specifications. This engine needs the right kind of engine
oil that meets specifications regarding quality and viscosity so that it
can run smoothly and reliably. Choosing the right oil and changing oil
within the time and mileage intervals printed in your vehicle's
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet matters a lot more today than it did
years ago. Audi has developed a special quality standard for engine oil
that will help assure that your vehicle's engine will get the lubrication
it needs for proper operation.
Modern engine lubrication has taken a quantum leap in the last few
years. Many synthetic oils available today provide better engine lubri­
cation that can outlast traditional petroleum-based oils, making
them a smart choice for use throughout the life of your Audi.
Whether you use synthetic or petroleum-based engine oil, the oil that
you use must conform to Audi's oil quality standard VW 502 00 to help keep your vehicle's engine running smoothly and help prevent
the formation of harmful deposits, sometimes called "sludge", that
over time can lead to expensive repairs.
Safety first
At the time of printing, engine oils available in the U.S. and Canada
that meet the exacting specifications of Audi oil standard VW 502 00
are synthetic engine oils. This does not mean, however, that every
synthetic engine oil will meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00. So always
be sure that you use an approved oil.
To help prevent the formation of harmful deposits use only oil with
the following specifications printed on the oil container:
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
Oil container labels may carry the specification singly or in combina­
tion with other designations and oil quality standards.
Viscosity
Engine oils are graded according to their viscosity. The proper
viscosity grade oil for your engine depends on climactic or seasonal conditions where you drive. You can use oil with a viscosity grade of
SAE SW40 across all temperature ranges for normal driving condi­
tions.
However, if engine oil viscosity grade SAE SW40 is not available, you
can also use viscosity grade SAE SW-30 or SAE OW-40 as long as it
meets Audi oil quality standard VW 502 00 specifications.
Because engine oil that meets the Audi oil standard may not be avail­
able everywhere when you need it, we strongly recommend that you
always carry with you an extra quart (liter) of oil that expressly
conforms to the VW 502 00 specification, in case you have to top off
the oil while on the road.
Only if the level of the oil is at or below the minimum mark - and no
oil that expressly conforms to Audi oil standard VW 502 00 specifica­
tions is available -may you top off with a high quality engine oil, pref­
erably synthetic-based, that meets ACEA A3, ACEA AS or ACEA BS or
API SL specifications, but even then, only in viscosity grades SAE SW-
40, SAE SW-30, or SAE OW-40. However, during the entire time
between oil change intervals, never top off with more than a total of
0.5 qt/liter engine oil that does not conform to Audi oil specification
vw 502 00. ..
Vehicle care Technical data

-Checking and filling
-------=----- -=-----------------------------------------
For more information about engine oil that has been approved for
your veh icle, please contact either your authorized Audi dealer or
Audi Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
www.audiusa .com or www.audicanada.ca . Here you will also find a
current list of oils (manufacturers, brand names etc.) that conform to
Audi oil standard VW 502 00 .
Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed according to the mileage
(kilometers) and time intervals specified in your vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet . Do not exceed these intervals - harmful
deposits from o ld engine oil can reduce engine performance and can
lead to expensive engine repa irs.
Changing the oil at the recommended intervals is so very important
because the lubricating properties of oil decrease gradually during
normal vehicle use. If you are not sure when you have your oil
changed, ask your authorized Audi Service Adviso r.
Under some circumstances the engine o il should even be changed
more frequent ly. Change oil more often if you drive mostly short
distances, operate the veh icle in dusty areas or mostly under stop­
and-go traffic conditions, or when you use your vehicle where temper­
atures stay below freez ing po int for long periods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil look dark after the
engine has been running for a short time. This is normal and is not a
reason to change the oil more often than recommended .
Damage or malfunctions due to lack of maintenance
It is essentia l that you change yo ur oil at the recommended intervals
using only engine oil that complies with Audi oil standard
VW 502 00. Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not cover
damage or malfunctions due to fa ilure to follow recommended main­
tenance and use requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's
Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. Your dealer will have
to deny warranty coverage unless you present to the dealer proof in
the form of Service or Repair Orders that all scheduled maintenance
was performed in a timely manner. •
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an adequate
amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of its moving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrication and cooling of internal
eng ine components, all inte rnal comb ustion eng ines consume a
certain amount of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to engine
and may change sign ifican tly over the life of the engine. Typically,
engines with a specified break-in period (see~
page 246) consume
more oil dur ing the break- in period than they consume after oil
consumption has stab ilized.
Under normal conditions, the rate of oil consumption depends on the
quality and viscosity of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient temperature and road
conditions. Further factors are the amount of oil dilution from water
condensation or fuel residue and the oxidation level of the oil. As any
eng ine is subject to wear as mileage builds up, the oil consumption
may increase over time until replacement of worn components may
become necessary.
With all these variab les coming into play, no standard rate of oil
consumption can be established or specified . There is no alternative
to regular and frequent checking of the oil level, see
Note .
If the yellow engine oil level warning symbol in the instrument
cluster lights up, you should check the oil level as soon as possible
~ page 279. Top off the oil at your earliest convenience~ page 279.
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment , always
read and heed all WARNINGS ~
& in "Working in the engine
compartment" on page
275.