towing AUDI Q5 2016 Owners Manual

Table of content s
Use of jumper cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Towing with a tow tr uck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Ra is ing the veh icle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Veh icle identif ication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
We ights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Dimensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Capac it ies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Gasoline engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Diese l eng ine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Consumer information . . . . . . . . . . 280
Wa rranty coverages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Operating your ve hicle outside the U.S.A.
or Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Aud i Service Repair Man ua ls and
Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Accessories and techn ical changes . . . . . . 282
Declarat ion of Compliance,
Telecommun ications and Electro nic
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Inde x ... .. .. .. .. . ... ... .... .. .. .. . 284
4

Instruments and indicator lights
brakes still function with their normal power, but
ABS is not active.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop immediately to have the malfunction
corrected.
A WARNING
If the 1111111 (USA models) ;II (Canada mod­
els) brake system indicator light turns on to­
gether with the ABS and ESC indicator lights,
the ABS/ESC regulating function may have
failed . Functions that stabilize the vehicle are
no longer available . This could cause the vehi­
cle to swerve and increase the risk of sliding.
Drive carefully to the nearest authorized Audi
dealer or other qualified workshop and have
the malfunction corrected.
@ Tips
For add itional information on ESC and ABS,
refer to
¢ page 190.
CJ};/ !f Safety systems
The II (USA models) !E,I (Canada models) indi­
cator light monitors the safety systems (e.g . air­
bags, pretensioners) and illuminates for a few
seconds each time you switch the ignition on.
If the II (USA models) !E,I (Canada models) in­
dicator light does not go out, or if it illuminates
while you are driving, or if it starts to blink, then
there is a malfunction somewhere in the system.
If the light does not illuminate when you switch
the ignition on, this also means there is a mal­
function .
A WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the safety sys­
tems, contact your authorized Audi dealer im­
mediately. Otherwise the safety systems may
not work properly in an accident.
16
ill Tire pressure monitoring system -
telltale indicator lamp
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure mon itoring system
The warning/indicator light appears in the event
of a significant loss of tire pressure or if there is
a malfunction.
The indicator light RI] illuminates to check the
function when you switch on the ignition.
If the
RI] symbol remains on or blinks after you
switch on the ignition, there is a loss of tire pres­
sure or a system malfunction. If there is a system
malfunction, see your author ized Audi dealer as
soon as possible.
Detailed information on the tire pressure moni­
toring system can be found in
¢page 251.
¢¢ Turn signals
The indicator light blinks when you use either
turn signal .
Whenever you use the left Hor the right B
turn signal, the indicator light blinks. When you
use the emergency flashers, both indicator lights
flash .
If one of the turn signal light bulbs burn out, the
turn signal will blink twice as fast as normal.
This does not apply, however, in towing mode.
The indicator light does not flash if a turn signal
is out on the trailer or the towing vehicle. Addi­
tional information on the turn signals
¢page 55.
¢1.~ Trailer turn signal assembly
Applies to vehicles: with towing hitch
The indicator light also blinks if the turn signal is
operated when towing a trailer .
The indicator light. blinks when the turn sig ­
nal is used, if a trailer has been properly connect­
ed to the vehicle .
If one of the turn signal bulbs on the trailer is
burned out or defective, the indicator light will
not blink when you use the turn signals.

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,...., @ Tips
For vehicles with a factory insta lled towing
hitch o r a tra iler hitch that was installed later
according to factory specifications, the trailer
turn signa l assembly is actuated .
~ Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to put
on your safety belt.
The . warning/in dicator lig ht ill uminates when
the ign ition is switc hed on to remin d the driver
and (on USA models only) any front passenger to put on the safety belt. Add it iona lly, an audib le
war ning tone w ill also so und .
For mo re Info rmat ion ¢
page 143, Safety belt
warning light.
o Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Ind icator Lamp (MIL) is part o f
the On -Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system . The
symbo l ¢4 lights up when the ign ition is turned
on an d w ill tur n off aft er the engi ne has st arted
a nd has set tled at a cons tan t idle speed. This in­
d icat es that t he MIL is workin g pro p erl y.
The warning light illuminates when there is a
malfunct io n in the eng ine e lec tron ic system .
Cont act your au thor ized A udi de aler an d have the
mal func tion cor re cted.
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also
cause the MIL light to illuminate (only vehicles
with gasoline engine)
c:> page 215.
For mo re information c:> page 26 .
[D High beam
The. warni ng/indicator lig ht ill uminates when
the hig h beams a re on o r when yo u use the head­
l igh t fl asher. For mor e inform ation a bo ut using
the high beams, see
c:> page 55 .
Instruments and ind icator lights
CRUISE/• (-) Cruise control
The (~jll)~i* (U SA mode ls) tlil (Canada mode ls)
w arni ng/ind icator ligh t illumin ates whe n the
cr uise contro l is activated.
ABS/{ @) Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
This warning/indicator light monitors the AB S
and the elec troni c differen tial lock ( EDL).
T he ~ (USA mode ls) l [iJ (Canada mode ls)
warni ng/indica tor light will come on for a few
se co nd s when t he ig nition i s sw itc hed on. The
lig ht will go o ut a fter an au toma tic check se­
quence is comp lete d.
There is a malfunction in the ABS when:
-The warning/ indica to r li ght does no t illum inate
when y ou switch on the ig nitio n.
- The warn ing/ indica to r li gh t does no t go out af­
t er a few seconds .
- The warning/ indica to r li ght illum ina tes while
driv ing .
The brake system will still respond even w ith ·
out the assistan ce of the ABS system. See your
authorized Audi dealer as soon as possible to re­
store full braking performance .
For more info r­
mation reg arding the ABS
c:> page 190 .
The ABS warning light and the brake warning
light come on together. The ABS will not work
and you will notice a change in braking re­
sponse and performance.
Malfunction in the brake system
If the brake warn ing lig ht ¢page 18 and the
ABS wa rning illum inate
together the re may be a
malfu nction in t he A BS, and th ere may also be a
malfu nction in t he b rake system itself ¢&. .
In the event of a
malfunction in the brake sys­
tem
the warning/ind icator light 1111 (USA mod ­
els) . (Canada models) in the instrument clus­
te r flashes. By pressi ng the
!SET I button, you ca n
bri ng u p a driver message which exp lains the
m alfu nction in more det ail. Please note
¢ page 28.
17

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..... I.Cl U"I
..... I.Cl .....
-your vehicle is being towed by a tow truck or
if you are towing another vehicle behind
you .
Turn signal and high beam lever
The lever on the le~ side of the steering column
is used to operate the turn signals and the high
beam as well as the headlight flasher.
Fig. SO Tu rn signal and high bea m lever
The turn s ignal and high beam lever has the fol·
lowing functions:
Turn signals ¢¢
8 N
0
~ IXI
• Lift the lever up all the way¢ fig. 50 (D to use
t h e right turn s ignals, or push the lever down
all the way @to use the left turn signals .
Auto-blink
• Move the lever (up or down) just to the point of
resistance to use the turn signa ls for as long as
you need them, for example when changing lanes .
• Move the lever (up or down) just to the point of
resistance and then release it right away to
make the turn s ignals blink
three times. You
can use this feature for example when changing
l anes on highways.
High beam ~D
• Push the lever forward@ to switch on the high
beam.
• Pull the lever back towa rds yo u to switch off
the high beam .
Headlight flasher ~D
• Pull the lever toward the steering wheel© to
u se the head light flasher .
Lights and V ision
Notes on these features
-The turn signals only work w ith the ignition
turned on. The indicato r lights
II or II in the
instr ument cluster ¢
page 14 also blink.
- After you have turned a corner, the turn signa l
switches off automatically.
- The
high beam wo rks on ly when the headlights
are on. The indicator light
II in the instrument
cluster illuminates when the high beams are
on.
- The
headlight flasher works only as long as yo u
hold the lever· even if there are no lights
turned on . The indicator light
II in the instru­
ment cluster illuminates when you use the
headlight flasher .
A WARNING
-Do not use the high beam or head light flasher
i f you know that these could blind oncoming
traffic.
Interior lighting
Front /rear interior lights
_. --=:.
I-~~
._ -- v
8 G
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Fig. 51 Front head line r: in ter io r light ing cont rols
Fig. 52 Rear headliner: rear read ing lights
55

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Audi side assist Side assist
Description
App lies to vehicles: with Audi side assist
Fig. 127 Sensor dete ction rang e
Fig. 128 Display o n the exterio r mirror
Side assist helps you monitor your blind spot and
traffic behind your vehicle . Within the limits of
the system , it warns you about vehicles that are
coming closer or that are traveling with you with­
in sensor range ©
c::, fig. 12 7. If a lane change is
classified as critical, the display @ in the exter ior
mirror
c::, fig . 128 turns on .
The display in the left exterior mirror provides as­
sistance when making a lane change to the left,
while the d isp lay in the right exterior mirror pro ­
vides assistance when making a lane change to
the right .
Information stage
As long as you do not activate the turn signal,
side assist
informs you about vehicles that are
detected and class ified as critica l. The disp lay in
the respective mirro r turns on , but is dim .
Aud i side assist
The display remains dim intentionally in the in­
formation stage so that your view toward the
front is not disturbed.
Warning stage
If you activate the turn signal , side assist warns
you about vehicles that are detected and classi­
fied as critical. The display in the respect ive mir­
ror blinks bright ly. If this happens, check traffic
by glancing in the rearview mirror and ove r you r
shoulder c::,
.&. in General informa tion on
page 116.
{!) Tips
- You can adjust the brightness of the display
@ c::,
page 117.
-Please refer to the instructions for towing a
trailer located inc::,
page 116.
115

Audi side assist
General information
Applies to vehicles: with Audi side assist
F ig . 129 Driving s it ua tion s
Fig. 130 Rear of the veh icle: Posit ion of the se nsor s
Side assist functions at speeds above approxi­
mately 19 mph (30 km/h).
(D Vehicles that are appro aching
M
! OJ CD
In certain cases, a vehicle will be classified as
cr itical for a la ne change even if it is still some­
what far away. The faster a veh icle approaches ,
the soo ner the d isplay in the exterior mirror w il l
turn on.
@ Vehicles tra veling with you
Veh icles traveling with you are ind icated in the
exterior m irror if they are classified as critical for
a lane change. All ve hicl es detected by side assist
116
are indicated by the time they enter your "blind
spot", at th e latest .
@ Vehicle s left behind
If you slow ly pass a vehicle that s ide assist has
de tected (the diffe rence in speed between the
vehicle and your vehicle is less than 9 mph or
15 km/h), the display in the exterior mirror turns
on as soon as the vehicle enters your blind spot.
The display w ill not turn on if you quickly pass a
vehicle that side ass ist has detected (the differ­
ence in speed between the vehicle and your vehi­
cle is greater than 9 mph or 15 km/h).
Functional limitation s
The radar sensors are designed to detect the lef t
and rig ht adjacent lanes whe n the road lanes are
the normal width . In certa in situations, the dis­
play in the exterior mirror may turn on even
t hough there is no vehicle located in the area
that is crit ica l for a lane change. For example :
- if the lanes a re narrow o r if your are driving on
the edge of your lane . If this is the case, the
system may have detect ed the vehicle in anoth­
e r lane that is
not adjacent to your current lane.
- if yo u are driving through a curve. Side assist
may r eact to a vehicle that is on e lane over
from the ad jacent lane.
- if side assist reacts to other objects (such as
high or disp laced guard rai ls) .
- In poor weather condit ions. The side assist
functions are limited .
Do no t cover the radar sensors ¢
fig. 130 wit h
stickers, deposits, bicycl e wheels or other ob­
jects, because this wi ll affect the function. Do not
u se side assist when towing a trailer . For infor­
mation on cleaning, refer to ¢
page 207.
A WARNING
-Always pay attention to traffic and to the
area around your veh icle . S ide assist cannot
replace a driver's attention . The driver alone
is always responsib le for lane changes and
sim ila r driv ing mane uve rs .

Audi side assist
(D Tips
-Si de assist is not active w hile you are mak­
i ng t he a dju stment .
- You r settings are automatic ally store d an d
assi gned to t he remote co ntrol key being
u sed.
Driver messages
A ppl ies to ve hicles: w ith Audi side assis t
If side ass ist switches off by itself, the LED in the
button turns off a nd a message will appear in the
i n str ument cluster d isp lay :
Audi side assist unavailable: Sensors blocked
The rada r senso rs ' vision is affected. Do not cove r
the area in front of the sensors with b ike wheels,
stickers , dirt or other objects. Clean the area in
front of the sensors, if necessary
c> page 116 ,
fig. 130.
Audi side assist: Currently unavailable
Side assist cannot be switched on tempo rar ily be­
cause there is a malfunction (for example, the
battery charge level may be t oo low).
Audi side assist: System fault!
The system cannot guarantee that it wi ll detect
ve hicl es co rrectly and it is switc hed off. The sen­
sors have been d isp laced or are fa ulty. Have the
system checked by an a uthorized Audi dealer or
author ized Audi Se rvice Facility soon.
Audi side assist: Unavailable when towing
Side assist sw itches off automati ca lly w hen a fac ­
to ry -installed trailer hitch is connected to t he
electrical connector on the trailer. The re is no
gua rantee the system w ill sw itch off whe n using
a retrofitted tra ile r hitc h. Do not use side assist
when towing a trailer.
118

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,...., Trailer mode 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.
T railer 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 should your vehicle be
struck from beh ind ¢
,&. .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
check to be sure that it conforms to all regula­
tions .
Trailer mode
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 with 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 trailer has electrical brakes please note
that these brakes 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.
- Never install a "weight distributing" or
"load equalizing" trailer hitch on your vehi­
cle. The vehicle was not designed for these
kinds of trailer hitches . The hitch attach­
ment can fail, causing the trailer to tear
loose from the vehicle.
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for your
vehicle, found on the safety compliance la­ bel on the driver's side B-pillar, must never
be exceeded under any circumstances. Ex­
ceeding the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of
your vehicle is likely to damage your vehicle,
and such damage will not be covered by
your Limited New Vehicle Warranty. Exceed­
ing the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating will al­
so change the performance and handling
characteristics of your vehicle, which could
cause a crash resulting in serious injury or
death.
203

Trailer mod e
Operating instructions
6"
~ 2

. 1/2 "
.(. '-I} 1-1/2"
-
F ig. 189 Pe rmi tted ball posit io n of the traile r hi tch
Tr aile r to wing weights
With a f ac tor y-inst all ed or an a ft er ma rket trailer
h itch, the maximum permissib le trailer weight is
4,400 lbs (2,000 kg) . The maximum perm iss ible
unb raked trailer weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kg) .
These spec ificat ions apply when dr iv ing on roads
hav ing an incl ine of less tha n 12%.
Perm is sible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these changed
conditions, adjust the trailer load so that the
tongue load is at the maxim um allowable or
slightly lower. You can get an approx imation of
the tongue load w ith a bathroom scale or you can
measure the load at a tr ucking company or
weighing station.
W ith a
fa ctor y-installed or an aftermarket trailer
h itch, t he maximum permissib le load on the ball
h itch may not exceed 440 lbs (200 kg).
It is rec­
ommended to use the maximum permissible
load.
Trailer load di stribution
B e su re the load in the trailer is held securely in
p lace to prevent it from s hift ing fo rwa rd, back ­
ward or sideways.
Nev er allo w a p assenge r to ride in a trail er c::> A
in Driving instructions on page 205.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used w ith suitable
ball mount and ball
c::> fig. 189 . Installat ion of
the hitch ball must be carr ied out in accordance
w ith the manufacturer 's inst ruct ions.
204
Engine cooling system
Towing a tra ile r makes t he engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform­
ance is up to the additional load . Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid .
Tire pressure
When towing a t railer, inflate the ti res of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under "Full
l oad" on the tire press ure label. The tire pressure
l abel is located on the driver 's side B-pillar . In­
flate tra iler tires to trailer and tire manufactur­
ers' specifications.
Lights
The head light settings shou ld be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. Check to
make s ure both vehicle and trailer lights are
working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure tra ile r safety cha ins a re properly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle.
Leave enough slack in the chains to permit tu rn­
i ng corners . When you install safety chains, make
s u re they will not drag on the road when you are
driv ing.
The chains should cross under the trai ler 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.
To obtain the best possible handling of veh icle
and t railer, p lease note the following:
.., Do not tow a loaded trai ler when your car itself
is not loaded.
.., Be especially care ful when passing other
vehicles .
.., Observe speed limits.
.., Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.., Always app ly brakes early.
.., Monitor the temperature gauge.

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,...., Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car res ults
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight. If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is eas ier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while
keeping the trailer as light as possible under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow vehicle while observ ing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loading considerat ions.
Speed
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 wind
conditions are unfavorable - part icularly when
going downhill.
Reduce veh icle speed
immediately if the tra iler
shows the slightest sign of swaying .
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed lim its . In some areas, speeds for
veh icles towing trai lers are lower than for regular
veh icles.
Always apply brakes early. When driving down­
h ill , shift into a lower gear to use the engine
braking effect to slow the veh icle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fa il.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge r=;, page 10 must
be observed carefully . If the needle moves close
to the upper end of the scale, reduce speed im­ mediately and/or turn off the air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light in the
instrument cluster starts flashing., pull off
the road, stop and let the engine
idle for about
two minutes to prevent heat build-up.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci-
-
Trailer mode
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wear ing the restraints provided
by Aud i.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a
t railer because o f the additional weight and dif­
ferent weight distribution. Safety, performance
and economy will greatly depend on how carefu l­
ly you load your trai ler and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
tu rning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic. Keep practicing until you have be­
come comp lete ly familiar w ith the way your vehi ­
cle-tra iler combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficu lt and requires practice.
Backing up with a t railer generally requires steer­
ing action opposite 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 will need more
room to stop. To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accel­
erate as fast as you normally would because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow p lenty of room for
your trailer before c hanging lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your veh icle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may requ ire
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
tra load
r=;, page 280.
205