towing AUDI A5 COUPE 2012 Owners Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: AUDI, Model Year: 2012, Model line: A5 COUPE, Model: AUDI A5 COUPE 2012Pages: 316, PDF Size: 78.59 MB
Page 5 of 316

Safet y fir st ..... .... ... .. .. .. . .
Driving Safely .. .... ... .. .. .. . .
General notes ... ...... ... .. .. .. . .
Proper occupant seating posit ions . . .
Driver and passenger side footwell . . .
Pedal area .. .. .............. ... . .
Stowing luggage ... ...... .. .. .. . .
R eport ing Safety Defects . ......... . 1
4 4
144
144
145
149
149 150
152
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Why safety bel ts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 55
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Safety belt p re tens ioners . . . . . . . . . . 160
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 2
I mpor tant th ings to know . . . . . . . . . . 16 2
Fr ont airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
M onitoring the Advanced Airbag
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Side curta in a irbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Ch ild Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Important things to know . . . . . . . . . . 186
C hi ld safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Install ing a chi ld safety seat . . . . . . . . 195
L A TC H L ower ancho rages and tethe r
fo r ch ild ren . ............. .... .. .. 199
Addit io nal Informa tion 20 3
Vehicle operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Intelligent technology . . . . . . . . 204
N ot ice about da ta recorded by vehi cle
control mod ules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 04
Electron ic stabilization Program (ESP) 204
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Servot ronic ® - advanced power
steering system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Driving w ith your quatt ro ® . . . . . . . . . 210
Ene rgy management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 1
Driving and environment . . . . . 213
The first 1,000 m iles (1,500 km) a nd
afterwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 13
Avoid damaging the vehicle. .. .. .. .. 2 14
Dr iving thro ugh w ater o n roads . . . . . 2 14
Table of contents 3
Cata lyt ic converter . .. .. .. ..... ... .
Operate yo ur vehicle economically and
min imize poll ution . .. .. ... .... ... .
Trailer towing .... .. .. ..... ... .
Driving with a trailer . .. ..... ... .. .
Trai ler tow ing tips 214
215
218
218
220
Vehicle care
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Cleaning and protection . . . . . . 221
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Care of exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Care of interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Fuel supply and filling your
fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
232
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . 237
En gine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
E ngine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
E ngine o il . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
E ngine cooling sys tem . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Windsh ie ld/headligh t* was her
container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Tires ..... .. .. .. ............... .
Tire pressure monitoring system 252
270
Do-it-yourself service
. . . . . . . . . 273
What do I do now? . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Vehicle tool kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Space -saving spare tire (compact
spare t ire)* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Chang ing a wheel. .. . .. .. ..... ... . 274
Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Fuses ... .. .. .. .. .. . .. .... .... .. . 280
B ulbs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Emergency situations . . . . . . . . . 284
Genera l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 4
Star ting by p ushing or towing . . . . . . . 28 4
Star ting with jumper cables . . . . . . . . 284
•
•
Page 6 of 316

4 Table of contents
Use of jumper cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Emergency towing with commercial
tow truck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Lift ing vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Techni cal data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
General information . . . . . . . . . . 290
Explanation of technical data . . . . . . . 290
Vehicle ident ificat ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
D imensions. .............. ... .. .. 291
Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
2 11 hp, 2.0 l ite r4-cyl. engine ... .. .. 292
Consumer Information . . . . . . . 293
War ranty coverages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Operating your v ehicle outside the
U.S.A . o r Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Aud i Service Repair M anuals and
Li terature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
M aintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 93
Additional accessories, modifications
and parts replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Declaration of Compliance,
Te lecommunications and E lec tronic
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Inde x ... ... ............ .. .. .. .. 298
Page 23 of 316

If there is no gearshift recommendation, then
just drive in the appropriate gear for conserv
ing fuel.
@ Tips
-This indicator can help you conserve fuel.
This indicator is not meant to show you
which gear you should a lways be in in all
driving situations. Sometimes, in s itua
tions such as passing, driving through mountains or when towing a trailer,
there won't be any gearsh ift recommen
dat ion.
- The display does not light up when the
clutch pedal is be ing depressed .
Digital speedometer
Fig. 13 Display : Dig ital speedo mete r
Current speed appears in the display . Speed is
shown in 1 mph increments (USA models) or 1
km/h increments (Canada models) .
You can switch the display from miles to kilo meters and vice versa via the MMI*.
Open door or trunk lid warning
The pictogram alerts you when doors or the
trunk lid have been le~ open.
Fig. 14 Display: Open doo r- and trunk lid warning
Driver information display 21
The Open Door/Trunk Lid warning displays if
even
one door, the hood or the trunk lid is
open. Th is symbol also shows
which door or
lid has not been closed
q fig. 14 .
As soon as the door, the hood and the trunk
lid are closed properly, the door and trunk lid
warning turns off and the selected driver in
formation system functions are displayed
again.
Service interval display
The service interval display reminds you when
your next service is due .
Fig. 15 Disp lay : Se rv ice interval d isplay
The schedule for the next oil change or inspec
t ion is calculated automatically and d isp layed
accord ingly. The d isp lay works in two stages:
Service reminder
30 days before the next service is due, a serv
i ce reminder appears in the display when you
turn on the ignition
qfig . 15 .
After about 5 seconds the display switches
back to normal. The distance and time re
main ing are updated each time the ignit ion is
turned on until the date due for serv ice is
reached.
Service due
When the due date for service is reached, the
message
Service due! appears in the instru
ment cluster immed iately after you turn on
the ignition. Addit ionally, a warning tone
sounds. After about 5 seconds the disp lay
switches back to normal.
Page 27 of 316

Enhanced shift indicator
Applies to vehicles: with manua l transmission and trip
computer with efficiency program
Fig. 20 Display: e nhan ce d shi ft ind icato r
.,.. In the eff ic iency p rogram, press the f unc
tion selection switch
r:!;> page 2 3, fig . 18 @
repeated ly until the enhanced shift indicator
appears in the display .
The eff ic iency program also has an enhanced
shift indicator . This enhanced shift indicator
follows the same concept as the "standard" shift indicator
c:> page 20. The selected and
t he recommended gears are highligh ted in
colors like a traffic light.
T he color of the circle indicates if the most
suitable gear is engaged or if you should shift
up or down.
Green circle without
or with a gear No gear or t
he most
suitable gear is en
gaged
Yellow circle
c:> fig. 20 Shift up or down one
gear
Red circle Shift up two gears
(D Note
This enhanced shift ind icator can help you
conserve fuel. It is not des igned to recom
mend the correct gear in all driving situa
tions. Only the driver can decide which
gear is correct in certain dr iving situations
such as when passing another veh icle,
driving on hills or towing a trailer .
Driver inform ation di spl ay 25
@ Tips
-The e nhanced shift indicator disp lay is
different in vehicles with a monochrome
display .
- Th e "standard" shift indicator* d isap
pears when the enhanced shift indicator
is displayed.
Other equipment
Applies to vehicles: with trip computer with efficiency
program
F ig. 21 Disp lay : other eq uipment
.,.. In the efficiency program, p ress the func
t ion se lection swi tch
c:> page 23, fig. 18 @
repeatedly until t he other eq uipment ap
pea rs in the display.
Other equipment t hat is cu rrently affecting
fuel consumpt io n is l isted in the effi ciency
program . The display shows up to three other
items of equ ipment @. The equ ipment us ing
the most fuel is listed first. If more than three
items using fuel are switched on, the equip
ment that is currently us ing the most fuel is
displayed .
A scale @also shows the c urrent tota l con
sumpt ion of all other equipment.
Page 54 of 316

52 Clear vis ion
Adaptive light
App lies to vehicles: with adaptive lig ht
When driving around bends, the relevant area
of the road is better illuminated .
Fig. S1 Adaptive light whe n dr iving
The benefit of adaptive l ight is that the c urve
and the edge of the road are better illuminat
ed
c:::> fig . 51. Dynamic adaptive light is con
trolled a utomatica lly, depending on vehicle
speed and steering wheel angle.
When driving around bends, the headlights
are contro lled according to steering wheel an
g le. So that there is no black hole ahead of the
vehicle, the two main beams pivot at different
angles.
(D Tips
The system works above a speed of about
6 mph (10 km/h).
Emergency flashers
The emergency flashers makes other moto
rists aware that you or your vehicle ore in an
emergency situation.
F ig. S2 Eme rgency flasher switc h
.. Press the switch J}. c:::> fig . 52 to turn the
eme rgency flashers on or
off.
When the emergency flashers are on, all four
turn signals blink at the same time. The turn
s ignal indicator lights
RII in the instrument
cluster, as well as the light in the emergency
flasher sw itch
J}. blink likewise. The emergen
cy flashers a lso work when the ignition is
tu rned
off.
The emergency flashers will turn on automat i
cally if you are in an accident where the airbag
has deployed .
@ Tips
You should turn on the emergency f lashers
when:
- you are the last vehicle standing in a traf
fic jam so that any other vehicles coming
can see you, or when
- your vehicle has broken down or you are
in an emergency situation, or when
- your vehicle is be ing towed by a tow
truck or if you are towing another vehicle beh ind you.
Turn signals and high beam lever
The lever on the left side of the steering col
umn is used to operate the turn signals and
the high beam as well as the headlight flash
er .
t
'
Fi g. S3 Tu rn signal and high bea m lever
The turn signa l and hig h beam lever has the
f o llow ing funct ions:
Turn signals ¢ ¢
.. Lift the leve r up a ll the way c:::> fig . 53 (D to
use t he right turn s ignals, or push the lever
down a ll th e way @to use the left tur n sig-
na ls. ..,
Page 97 of 316

If the engine does not start immediately, stop
trying after 10 seconds and then try to restart
the eng ine about 30 seconds later .
After a cold engine is star ted, there may be a
brief period of increased noise because oil
pressure must first bui ld up in the hydraulic
va lve adjusters. This is normal and not a cause
for concern.
Driv er m essa ge in th e in strument clu ster
disp lay
No ke y ident ified
This message appears when the
I S TAR T ENGINE STOP ! button is pressed if
there is no master key inside the vehicle or if
the system does no t recogni ze it. For exam
ple, the master key cannot be recognized if it
is covered by an object (e .g . aluminum brief
case) which
screens the radio signal. Electron
i c devices such as ce ll phones can also inter
fere wi th the radio signal.
Press brake ped al to start engine
This message appears if you press the
I STAR T ENGIN E ST OP ! button to start the en
g ine and do not depress the b rake pedal. The
engine can on ly be sta rted if the brake pedal
is depressed.
Press clutch ped al to start engin e
This message appears with a manual trans
miss ion when you press the
I S TAR T ENGIN E ST OP ! button to start the en
g ine and do not depress the clu tch pedal. The
engine can on ly be started when the clutch
pedal is dep ressed .
Engage Nor P to st art engine
This message appears when attempting to
start the engine if the selector lever fo r the
automatic t ransmission is not in the
P or N
position . Th e engine can on ly be started w ith
the selector in these posit ions.
!II Key not in vehicle
This message appears along with the II! sym
bo l if t he maste r key is removed from the ve
h icle w ith the engine r unning. It is intended
On th e ro ad 95
to remind you (e .g. when changing dr ive rs)
not to continue the journey without the mas
ter key.
If t he mas ter key is no longer in the ve hicle,
you cannot switch on the ignition after stop
ping the engine and you also cannot start the
engine aga in. Moreover, you cannot lock the
vehicle from the outside with the key.
Shift to P, oth erwise vehicle can roll away.
D oors do not lock if le ver i s not in P .
This message app ears for safety reasons
a long with a warn ing signal. It appears if the
selector leve r for the automa tic transmission
is not in the
P position when sw itching off the
ignition with the
I STAR T ENGIN E ST OP ! but
ton . Move the se lector lever to the
P position,
othe rwise the veh icle is not se cured against
ro lling away. You also cannot lock the veh icle
u sing the lock ing b utton on the door hand le
or using the remote key.
Convenience key defective ! Use ignition
lock
T his message appears if the vehicle has to be
started not w ith the
I S T AR T ENGINE ST OPI
button but with the ig nition key.
A WARNING
- Never a llow the engine to run in confined
spaces - danger of asphyx iation.
- Never turn off t he engine until the vehi
cle has come to a complete stop.
- The brake booster and servotron ic only
work when the engine is runn ing . With
the ignition turned off, you have to apply
more force when steering or brak ing.
Since you can not steer and stop normal
ly, th is can lead to acc idents and serious
in ju ries .
(D Note
-Avo id h igh engine rpm, full thrott le and
heavy engine loads until the eng ine has
reached operating temperature - other-
w ise you risk engine damag e.
- T he engine cannot be started by pushing
o r towing the vehicle.
Ill-
Page 152 of 316

150 Driving Safely
the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already instal
led floor mats. Additional floor mats and
other coverings will reduce the size of
the pedal area and interfere with the pedals.
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for clean
ing.
- Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driver footwell while the ve
hicle is moving. Objects can become
trapped under the brake pedal and accel
erator pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop
erly stowed and secured in the luggage com
portment.
Fig. 164 Safe load pos ition ing: place heavy objects as
low an d as far forward as possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling
characteristics . Loose items can also increase
the risk of serious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuver or in a collision .
.,. Distribute the load evenly in the luggage
compartment.
.,. Always place and properly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as low
and as far forward as possible
cc> fig . 164 . .,.
Secure luggage using the tie-downs provid
ed
c:>poge 69.
.. Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place.
A WARNING ,..__
Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly through the vehicle causing serious
personal injury in the event of hard brak
ing or an accident. To help reduce the risk
of serious personal injury:
-Always put objects, for example, luggage
or other heavy items in the luggage com
partment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compartment using the tie-down eyelets
and suitable straps.
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your ve
hicle handles. To help reduce the risk of a
loss of control leading to serious personal
injury:
-Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
vehicle handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat
ing or the Gross Vehicle We ight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per
missible weight standards can cause the
vehicle to slide and handle differently .
- Please observe information on safe driv
ing
~ page 144.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the rear lid closed while driving.
- Never transport objects larger than
those fitting completely into the luggage
~
Page 210 of 316

208 Intellig ent technol ogy
,8. WARNING
- You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road condit ions permit .
Other road users must not be put at r isk -
you may cause an acc iden t!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmiss ion into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often . This cou ld 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
stopp ing distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating
condit ions such as passing through wa
ter, driving in heavy ra in or after wash ing
the vehicle, the effect iveness of the
brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumula te on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Carefully apply brakes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coat
ings will be cleaned off after a few care
ful brake applications.
- Driv ing fo r an extended period of time on
salt -covered roads w ithout using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads w ith a few careful
brake applicat ions.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct ed . Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the ent ire brake system.
- Failure of one brake c ircuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in creased stopp ing distance. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to the near est authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop.
Brake booster
The brake booster adds extra braking power .
The brake booster works with vacuum pres
sure which is created only when the engine is
runn ing
c> .&. .
,8. 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 bra ke pedal mus t be
pressed considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance.
Functioning of Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up un der braking .
-
The ABS contributes effect ively to vehicle con
trol since it prevents the whee ls from
locking
when the brakes are applied. This means that
the ve hicle remains steerable and is less likely
to skid .
With AB S you do n ot need to pump the
brake . Ju st hold th e bra ke p edal down.
However, do not expect the ABS to s horten
braking distance under
all c ircumstances.
When driving on gravel or on new ly fallen
snow on top of icy surfaces, braking dis tance
may be even longer, therefore, under these
circumstances, it is especia lly important that
you drive s low ly and with great care.
How the ABS syst em work s
An automat ic check is made when a speed o f
about 12 mph (20 km/h) is reached. When
this happens, a pumping noise can be heard.
If an ind iv idual whee l begi ns to rota te too
s lowly in re lation to vehicle speed and tends
to lock, the ABS automatically reduces brake pressure to prevent that whee l from locking . .,..
Page 220 of 316

218 Trailer towing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, p lease remember
that the additional load will affect durability,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra
tion from the driver.
For this reason, always fo llow 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 suita
ble for your vehicle and trailer and must be
mounted securely on the veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location. Use only a trailer
hitch with a removable ball mount. Always
check with the trailer 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-absorb
ing bumper system . No modifications should
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake sys
tems . From time to time, check that all hitch
mounting bolts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the
trailer hitch ball mount. This prevents the
hitch from causing damage should your vehi
cle be struck from behind
¢ A.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking sys
tem, check to be sure that it conforms to all
regulations . The trailer
hydraulic brake system must not be
direct ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system
~ A.
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the trai le r.
Trailer lights
T railer lights must meet all regulations. Be
sure to check w ith your authorized Audi dealer
for correct wiring, switches, and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
using the regular outside mirrors, then you
must install extended mirrors . It is important
that you
always have clear vis ion to the rear.
,8. WARNING
- If a trailer has electrical brakes please
note that these brakes are not activated
by the factory-fitted control unit -risk of
accident!
- Afte r removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in your vehicle. In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and
injure you or your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
-
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 tra iler.
Trailer load distribution Be sure the load in the trailer is held secure ly
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ A in Driving instructions on page 219.
Engine cooling system
T owing a trailer makes the engine work hard
er. It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load.
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid . .,..
Page 221 of 316

Tire pressure
When towing a tra ile r, inflate the t ires of your
vehi cle to the co ld tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located either on the
driver's side B-pillar (visible when the doo r is
open) or inside the f uel f iller flap. Inf late
trailer tires to trailer and tire manufact urers'
specifications .
Lights
The headlight settings should be chec ked w ith
the t railer attached before dr iv ing off. Check
to make sure both vehicle and trai ler lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be s ure trai le r sa fety chains are p roperly con
nected from the t railer to the hitch on the ve
h icle. Leave enough s lack in the chains to per
mit turn ing corners . When you install safety
chains, make su re they w ill not drag on the
road when you are driving.
T he chains shou ld cross under the trai ler
tongue to prevent it from droppi ng in case of
separat io n from the hitch .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration.
To obtain the best poss ible handling of vehicle
and trai ler, p lease note the following:
.,. Do no t tow a loa ded tra iler whe n your car i t
self is no t loaded .
.,. Be especia lly careful when passing other ve
hicles.
.,. Observe speed limits.
.,. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.,. Always apply brakes early .
.,. Monito r the t em perature gauge.
Weight distribution
Tow ing a loaded trai ler with an empty car re
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight . If this ca nnot be avo ided, drive at very
Trailer towin g 219
low speeds on ly to avo id t he ris k of losing
steering cont ro l.
A "b alanced " rig i s ea sier to op erat e and con
tr ol. T his means t hat t he tow vehi cle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permissi
ble, while keep ing the trai ler as light as possi
ble under the c ircu mstances . Whenever poss i
ble, transfer some ca rgo to the luggage com
partment of the tow vehicle while obse rvi ng
tongue load requirements and vehicle load ing
cons idera tions .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more d iff icu lt it be
comes for the driver to contro l the rig. Do not
drive at the maxim um permissib le speed. Re
duce your speed even more if load, weather o r
wind conditions are unfavo rable -pa rticula rly
whe n going downhill .
Red uce ve hicle speed
immediately if the trail
er shows the slig htest s ign of sway ing .
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating .
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds
for vehicles tow ing tra ile rs are lowe r than for
regular ve hicles .
A lways apply brakes early. When driving
down hill, shift into a lowe r gear to use the en
gine braking effect to s low the vehicle. Use of
the b rakes alone ca n cause them to overhea t
and fail.
Coo lant temperature
The coo lant temperat ure ga uge ¢ page 10
must be observed carefu lly. If the need le
m oves cl ose to t he upper end of t he scale, re
duce speed immediately and/or turn off t he
a ir condi tioner .
If the coolant temperature warning light .
in the instrument cluster starts flashing, pull
off the road , stop and let the engine
i dle for
abo ut two minutes to prevent heat build-up .
A WARNING
Anyone no t properly restra ined in a mov
in g ve hicle i s at a much gre ater r isk in an
a cci dent . N ever le t anyone rid e in yo ur car
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