Audi Q5 FAQs

Check out real-world situations relating to the Audi Q5 here, particularly what our experts have to say about them.

• Is it dangerous if the reductant heater in my 2013 Audi Q5 is broken?

  The reductant heater on this car is a heating element that stops the AdBlue from freezing. According to most sources, the heater is only called into operate at ambient temperatures of minus-11 Celsius or lower. So, unless you're a regular at Australia's snowfields, your car will probably never need this function. But while the car may work perfectly without a functioning reductant heater, you might find that it's technically unroadworthy on the basis of its emissions systems (of which the AdBlue is a part) are not all working properly.

  Most times, failures of this heater revolve around the electronics that control it, but when that happens, the computer will usually flash up a check-engine light to let you know there's something wrong. Without this light, I'm unsure why your mechanic would think there's a problem with the heater system.

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• Can I put engine oil 5W40 in a 2016 Audi Q5?

  The recommended engine oil for your car is actually a 5W30 fully-synthetic. That goes for either the petrol or diesel-engined version of the Q5.

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• Audi Q5 Engine Oil: What Type & How to Change

  The recommended Audi Q5 engine oil is a fully synthetic oil with a viscosity rating of 5W30. Regardless of what engine is fitted to your Audi Q5 oil type and grade remains the same from 2017 onwards, regardless of whether the car in question is fitted with the two-litre turbo-petrol, two-litre turbo-diesel or the three-litre V6 engine.

  In older, simpler cars than the Q5, an oil change is as simple as opening the drain plug to remove the old oil, spinning on a replacement oil filter, replacing the plug and refilling the engine with oil.

  But the complex specifications of the modern Audi line-up mean that there’s often a bit more to this critical maintenance job. For instance, some of the fasteners Audi uses in the engine bay might require specialised tools. There are also sometimes complicated engine covers above and below the engine that need to be removed for a service to take place. Even turning off the service reminder light after the oil change can be confusing if you don’t have the knowledge or the gear to do it. Suddenly, a DIY job has just become a much bigger size task and “how to change oil on a Audi Q5” has become a very complex question.

  For many Q5 owners, then, an oil change is a good job for an accredited service centre with a trained mechanic who can also advise on how often to change oil and the correct service interval for other important jobs.

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