Audi Q5: Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a trailer because of the additional weight and different weight distribution. Safety, performance and economy will greatly depend on how carefully you load your trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice turning, stopping and backing up in an area away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have become completely familiar with the way your vehicle- trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice. Backing up with a trailer generally requires steering 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 accelerate as fast as you normally would because of the added load. Make sure you have enough room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes.
Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require more frequent maintenance due to the extra load.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot be avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
- Apply the foot brake.
- Have someone place chocks under both the vehicle and the trailer wheels.
- With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes until the wheel chocks absorb the load.
- Turn the wheels towards the curb.
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move the selector lever to P.
When restarting after parking:
- Apply the foot brake.
- Start the engine.
- Move the selector lever to D/S.
- Release the parking brake and slowly pull out and away from the wheel chocks.
- Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel chocks.
Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automatic transmission to P before applying the parking brake and before blocking the wheels, you may have to use more force later to move the lever out of the P position.
