Get Lights and vision Guide for Audi Q5 SUV Third Generation (2024-2026)

Lights and vision

2 All-weather light .

Lights and vision

Exterior lights

Switching lights on and off

The front lights are adjusted automatically so

that you are not dazzled, for instance when driv-

ing on a wet road.

3 Rear fog light 

To avoid dazzling the traffic behind you, the rear

fog light should only be used in accordance with

country-specific regulations.

Information on the exterior lighting

– If the vehicle battery has been losing charge for

a while, the side lights or parking lights may be

switched off automatically. Avoid using the side

lights for long periods (several hours). Switch

the left or right parking lights on where appro-

priate.

Fig. 15 Driver's door: Light switch module

1 Light switch module 

– In cool or damp weather, the inside of the head-

lights, turn signals or rear lights can some-

times mist up, due to the temperature differ-

ence between the interior and exterior of the

car. They should clear again partially or com-

pletely soon after you switch on the headlights.

This has no influence on the life expectancy of

the vehicle lights.

Press 1 repeatedly until the desired lighting

function is selected. The selected function will be

displayed briefly in the instrument cluster. The

AUTO lighting function is selected automatically

when the vehicle is switched on.

– AUTO – The headlights are switched on auto-

matically according to the ambient light condi-

tions. On vehicles for some markets, the day-

time running lights, tail lights and number

plate light are switched on permanently.

–  – You can turn on the dipped headlights as

soon as you have switched the vehicle on.

–  – You can turn on the side lights at speeds

below 10 km/h.

– The driver is responsible for complying with the

relevant country-specific regulations when us-

ing the lights while driving and parking the ve-

hicle.

WARNING

– Please note the safety precautions and sys-

tem limits of the supporting systems, sen-

sors and cameras ðpage 132 to

– OFF – You can switch all of the light functions

off at speeds below 10 km/h.





When the dipped headlights

or side lights

ðpage 134.

are switched on, the corresponding indicator

lamp will light up in the instrument cluster.

– The automatic headlights are only intended

to assist the driver. The driver must always

ensure that the headlights are used when

required, and may have to switch them on or

off manually, e.g. when the light conditions

or visibility are poor. For example, the light

sensors are not able to detect fog. There-

fore, you should always switch on the dip-

ped headlights  in these conditions and

when driving after dark.



When the side lights

are switched on and the

vehicle is switched off, a corresponding indicator

lamp will light up in the light switch module.

When the daytime running lights are activated,

only the front lights are switched on. On vehicles

for some markets, the rear lights are also switch-

ed on.

55

Lights and vision

Using the turn signal and main beam lever

WARNING

The main beams can dazzle other road users.

Risk of accident! Never use the main beam

headlights or the headlight flasher if they

could dazzle other road users.

Switching the main beam assist on/off

The main beam assist automatically switches the

main beam headlights on or off depending on the

surrounding light conditions.

Fig. 16 Turn signal and main beam lever: Switching light

functions on/off

A camera (located in the mounting for the interi-

or mirror) detects light sources from other road

users. The main beams are activated/deactivated

automatically depending on the position of

vehicles on either side of the road, on the road

speed, and on other traffic and ambient condi-

tions.

Turn signals   and parking lights 

The turn signals will flash if you move the turn

signal and main beam lever while the vehicle is

switched on. The corresponding indicator lamp

 or  will flash. If you just tap the turn signal

and main beam lever, the turn signals will flash

three times (one-touch signalling).

On vehicles with matrix LED headlights, individu-

al segments of the main beam are activated or

deactivated. The relevant sector in front of the

vehicle is masked, while the surrounding areas

remain lit. The ambient surroundings are thus il-

luminated optimally without dazzling other road

users.

The parking lights will be switched on if you oper-

ate the lever with the vehicle switched off:

1 Turn signals/parking lights (right side)

2 Turn signals/parking lights (left side)

When the vehicle is switched off, you can switch

on the parking lights on both sides by switching

on the side lights  and locking the vehicle from

outside.

When using the lights, make sure you adhere to

the relevant country-specific regulations, for ex-

ample with regard to dazzling other road users.

As the driver you are always responsible for ad-

hering to the locally applicable laws and regula-

tions.

If one of the indicator lamps flashes twice as fast

as usual, a turn signal bulb has failed. Drive care-

fully to a qualified workshop without delay and

have the fault rectified.

Activating the main beam assist 

Important: The lights must be set to AUTO. The

main beam assist must be switched on in the ex-

terior lighting menu ðpage 57.

Main beams  and headlight flasher

►

Move the turn signal and main beam lever to

the appropriate position:

►

Briefly press the turn signal and main beam lev-

er forwards to activate the main beam assist.

The indicator lamp  will light up in the in-

strument cluster display and the main beams

will be activated/deactivated automatically.

The indicator lamp  is lit when the main

beams are partially or fully on.

3 Main beam headlights on

4 Main beam headlights off or headlight flasher

When the main beam headlights or the headlight

flasher  are switched on, a corresponding indi-

cator lamp lights up in the instrument cluster.



56

Lights and vision

Activating/deactivating the main beams

manually

ture can only be used when the AUTO lighting

function is activated.

If the main beams are not activated/deactivated

as expected, you can do this manually:

Adjusting the settings for the exterior

lighting

►

Briefly press the turn signal and main beam lev-

er forwards to activate the main beams man-

ually. The indicator lamp  will light up.

Pull the turn signal and main beam lever to-

wards you to deactivate the main beams man-

ually. The main beam assist will be deactivated.

You can switch the exterior lighting functions

on/off or adjust the settings in the Car menu

ðpage 25. The available settings depend on the

country and the equipment fitted in the vehicle.

►

Depending on the vehicle’s equipment, various

menu options may be available in the settings

menu .

Flashing the headlights

►

Pull the turn signal and main beam lever to-

wards you to flash the headlights. The main

beam assist function will remain activated if

the headlights were dipped.

Digital light signatures

You can choose between different light signa-

tures. Depending on the equipment fitted in the

vehicle, the light signature is always active in

conjunction with the daytime running lights

and/or the tail lights.

WARNING

– Please note the safety precautions and sys-

tem limits of the supporting systems, sen-

sors and cameras ðpage 132 to

In some countries, when you change the light sig-

nature, the new light signature will not be ap-

plied until shortly after you leave the vehicle.

ðpage 134.

– The main beam assist is only intended to as-

sist the driver. It is always the driver who is

responsible for controlling the lights and

making adjustments according to the light

conditions and visibility.

The signatures displayed in the menu may differ

from those displayed in the lighting settings.

Main beam assist

You can switch the main beam assist on/off.

– The main beams can dazzle other road

users. Risk of accident! Never use the main

beam headlights or the headlight flasher if

they could dazzle other road users.

Entry and exit lights

The entry and exit lights illuminate the area

around the vehicle when the vehicle is unlocked

or when the driver's door is opened with the vehi-

cle switched off. The entry/exit lights are opera-

tional in the dark when the lights are set to AU-

TO. The headlights and tail lights are switched on

automatically every time the vehicle is unlocked,

irrespective of the ambient light conditions.

Information on automatic light functions

Automatic headlight range control

Your vehicle is equipped with automatic head-

light range control. This prevents oncoming traf-

fic from being dazzled when your vehicle is heavi-

ly loaded. The headlight range is adjusted auto-

matically.

Communication lights

Depending on the vehicle’s equipment, the com-

munication lights display light signatures via the

daytime running lights and the tail lights. A light

signature in the front daytime running lights and

the tail lights can indicate the status of automat-

ic parking. A warning signature can be shown in

Adaptive light

The adaptive light provides better visibility in the

dark. The light is adapted according to the road

characteristics, e.g. for motorways, major roads,

intersections and corners. The adaptive light fea-



57

Lights and vision

the tail lights if a hazardous situation is identi-

fied.

when the hazard warning lights are on. The haz-

ard warning lights will be interrupted temporari-

ly.

Dipped headlights - activation time

The hazard warning lights also work when the ve-

hicle is switched off.

You can set when the dipped headlights are acti-

vated. This changes the sensitivity of the light

sensor.

Driver messages about the exterior lighting

Headlight dip settings for driving at home

and abroad

If the indicator lamp  lights up, a bulb has

failed.

If you drive a right-hand drive vehicle in a left-

hand drive country, or vice versa, it is not neces-

sary to adjust the headlights, as they are de-

signed for use when driving on the left or right.

A driver message indicating the cause and possi-

ble remedy may appear for some of the displays.

To display the driver messages again, open the

notification centre on the centre display.

One exception to this is when you are driving on

motorways. In this case you should turn the light

switch to the dipped headlights setting  to

prevent oncoming traffic from being dazzled.

If a fault persists, drive to a qualified workshop

soon and have it rectified.

The following driver messages may appear, de-

pending on the equipment installed in your vehi-

cle:

Switching the hazard warning lights on/off

 Adaptive light: fault. See owner's manual

The adaptive light feature is not working. The

dipped headlights will still be working normally.

Drive to a qualified workshop soon and have the

fault rectified.

 Headlight range control: fault. See owner's

manual

There is a malfunction in the headlight range

control which may cause other road users to be

dazzled. Drive to a qualified workshop without

delay and have the fault rectified.

Fig. 17 Centre console: Hazard warning lights

The hazard warning lights make other road users

aware of your vehicle in hazardous situations.

 Main beam assist: fault. See owner's manual

►

Press the  button 1 to switch the hazard

You can still switch the main beam headlights on

and off manually. Drive to a qualified workshop

soon and have the fault rectified.

warning lights on/off.

When the hazard warning lights are on, the indi-

cator lamps  and  both flash simultaneous-

 Main beam assist: currently unavailable.

Camera view restricted due to surroundings.

See owner's manual

ly.

If you brake hard at high speed, the brake lights

will flash and the hazard warning lights will come

on automatically

This message will appear if the camera view is

obstructed. The system will switch itself off. Try

switching the system on again later.

1)

.

You can use the turn signal and main beam levers

to indicate a change of direction (or lane) even



1)

This function is not available in all countries.

58

Lights and vision

Reading lights



Automatic headlights: fault. See owner's

manual

►

Briefly touch the surface 1 to turn the appro-

priate reading light on/off.

To dim the reading light, touch the surface

when the light is switched off, and hold your

finger on the surface until the desired bright-

ness level is reached.

The light sensor/rain sensor is out of action. For

safety reasons, the dipped headlights will then

be switched on permanently when the lights are

set to AUTO. Drive to a qualified workshop soon

and have the fault rectified.

►

1

On some versions, the reading lights are on the

side.

Interior lights

Switching the front interior lights on/off

Background lighting settings

The background lighting turns on when the vehi-

cle is switched on. The background lighting is de-

activated when the light function is OFF.

You can change the settings for the background

lighting in the Car menu ðpage 25.

Available settings:

– You can adjust the brightness and colour of the

background lighting individually for the linear

and surface lighting.

Fig. 18 Headliner: Interior lights

Buttons for interior lights

1  – Interior lights on/off

2  – Rear interior lights on/off

– You can also select from several defined colour

settings.

– You can set the linear and surface lighting to

change according to the Audi drive select

mode.

Touch-sensitive reading lights

►

Briefly touch the surface 3 to turn the appro-

Functional background lighting settings

priate reading light on/off.

►

To dim the reading light, touch the surface

3

The functional background lighting uses the line-

ar and surface lighting to indicate when certain

functions are activated and to provide warnings

about hazards. For example, it can show an acti-

vated turn signal or provide a warning if one of

the doors is open. The main component of this

lighting is a light strip at the bottom edge of the

windscreen.

when the light is switched off, and hold your

finger on the surface until the desired bright-

ness level is reached.

Switching the rear interior lights on/off

You can switch the functional background light-

ing on/off for certain functions and change the

brightness in the Car menu ðpage 25.

The functional background lighting is always

switched on for certain functions.

Fig. 19 Headliner: Rear reading lights

59

Lights and vision

►

Adjust the mirror position using the control

panel if necessary.

Adjusting the display brightness

You can adjust the brightness of the instrument

cluster and the displays in the Car menu

ðpage 25.

The vehicle stores the user’s last settings. When

you select reverse gear, an LED next to the sym-

bol for the mirror on the control panel will flash

to indicate that the function is activated.

Clear vision

The mirror returns to its original position:

Adjusting the exterior mirrors

– If you switch the vehicle off.

– If you drive forwards faster than 15 km/h.

– If you switch the kerb function off by selecting

it again.

WARNING

Convex or wide-angle exterior mirrors give a

larger field of vision. However, they make ob-

jects look smaller and further away than they

really are. If you use these mirrors to estimate

the distance to vehicles behind you when

changing lane, you could misjudge the dis-

tance. Risk of accident!

Fig. 20 Driver's door: Control panel for exterior mirrors

The buttons for adjusting the exterior mirrors are

on the control panel in the driver's door.

/ – To select the exterior mirror (left or right

side). To adjust the mirror, press on the control

panel 1 in the desired direction.

CAUTION

– Applies to vehicles with electrically retracta-

ble exterior mirrors: If one of the mirror

housings is knocked out of position (e.g.

when parking), the mirrors must be fully re-

tracted with the electric control. You will

hear a loud noise when the mirrors snap

back into place. Do not readjust the mirror

housing by hand, as this will interfere with

the mirror adjuster function.

 – To fold in the exterior mirrors. To fold the

mirrors back out, press  again. One of the cen-

tre display settings allows you to control whether

or not the mirrors are folded in automatically

when you lock the vehicle.

 – To select the kerb function.

The mirror heating is activated via the rear win-

dow heating. If you deactivate the rear window

heating, the exterior mirror heating will remain

activated until the vehicle is switched off.

– Applies to vehicles without electrically re-

tractable exterior mirrors: If one of the mir-

ror housings is knocked out of position (e.g.

when parking), it must be returned to its

proper position by hand.

If the electrical adjustment should fail to oper-

ate, both of the mirrors can be adjusted by hand

by lightly pressing the edge of the mirror glass.

– Before washing the vehicle in an automatic

car wash, please make sure to retract the

exterior mirrors to prevent them from being

damaged. Do not fold electrically retracta-

ble exterior mirrors in or out by hand! Al-

ways use the electrical power control.

Kerb function

Select this function to obtain a better view of the

kerb, such as when reversing into a parking

space. The kerb function can only be activated

when the vehicle is in reverse gear.

►

Press  to activate the kerb function.

►

Select the left and/or right exterior mirror.

60

Lights and vision

Sun visors

Anti-dazzle setting

The sun visors can be pulled out of their mount-

ings 1 and turned towards the doors.

Manual anti-dazzle interior mirror

►

Pull the lever at the bottom of the mirror to-

Make-up mirrors

wards you.

►

Slide the make-up mirror cover 2 to the side.

The mirror light will be switched on.

Automatic anti-dazzle mirrors

►

The interior and exterior mirrors will darken

when bright light (e.g. from the headlights of a

following vehicle) shines on the surface of the

interior mirror.

Using the side blinds

The automatic anti-dazzle mirrors may not func-

tion as intended if the light falling on the surface

of the interior mirror is obstructed.

The automatic anti-dazzle mirrors do not darken

if the interior lighting is on or the car is in reverse

gear.

WARNING

Fig. 22 Rear door: Side blind

Electrolyte fluid can leak from a broken auto-

matic anti-dazzle mirror. This fluid can cause

irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory or-

gans. Wash thoroughly with clean water

should you come into contact with this fluid.

Seek medical assistance if necessary.

►

Pull out the side blind on the rear door and

hook it into the retainer at the top of the door

frame.

CAUTION

Electrolyte fluid can leak from a broken auto-

matic anti-dazzle mirror. This fluid can dam-

age plastic surfaces and paintwork. Use a wet

sponge or similar to remove the fluid as soon

as possible.

Information on the sun visors

Fig. 21 Headliner: Sun visor

61

Lights and vision

while. Single wipe also works when the vehicle is

switched off.

Wipers

Using the windscreen wipers

5 Wash/wipe . The number of wipe and extra-

wipe cycles depends on how long you hold the

wiper lever in position 5 .

The windscreen is given an extra wipe a few sec-

onds later to remove any dribbles of water (if the

vehicle is moving). You can deactivate this func-

tion by moving the wiper lever to position

5

again within 10 seconds after the extra wipe. The

extra-wipe function is activated again the next

time you switch the vehicle on.

Fig. 23 Wiper lever: Windscreen wipers

The headlight washer system only operates when

the dipped headlights are switched on. The head-

lights are also automatically washed intermit-

tently when you move the wiper lever to position

5 .

7 Rear wipe . The frequency of the rear wiper

depends on the frequency of the windscreen wip-

ers.

If the windscreen wipers are on and in operation,

the rear window wiper will also be switched on

automatically when you engage reverse gear.

Fig. 24 Wiper lever: Rear window wiper

►

Move the windscreen wiper lever  to the ap-

8 Rear wash/wipe . The number of wiper cy-

cles depends on how long you hold the wiper lev-

er in position 8 . The reversing camera is also

washed (depends on the vehicle’s equipment).

propriate position:

0 Wipers off

1 Rain sensor/intermittent wipe. As long as the

vehicle has been moving faster than approx.

4 km/h at least once, the windscreen wipers will

be activated automatically in the rain. The higher

the sensitivity level for the rain sensor (i.e. the

further switch 6 is moved to the right), the

sooner the windscreen wipers react to moisture

on the windscreen. You can deactivate the rain

sensor mode in the Car menu ðpage 25 (this will

activate the intermittent wipe mode). In inter-

mittent wipe mode, you can adjust the interval

with switch 6 .

WARNING

– The rain sensor is only intended to assist the

driver. The driver is still obliged to manually

operate the windscreen wipers as required

depending on visibility.

– Do not use water-repellent coatings on the

windscreen. In bad visibility conditions such

as light rain, low sun or when driving at

night these coatings can cause increased

dazzle, which is a serious safety hazard.

Such coatings can also cause the wiper

blades to judder.

2 Slow wipe

3 Fast wipe

CAUTION

4 Single wipe. If you hold the wiper lever in this

position, the wipers will switch from slow contin-

uous wiping to fast continuous wiping after a

– In icy conditions, check that the wiper

blades are not frozen to the windscreen. If

the wiper blades are frozen to the



62

Lights and vision

Changing wiper blades

windscreen when you switch on the wind-

screen wipers, this could damage the wiper

blades.

Important: The wipers must be in the wiper

change position.

– Switch the wipers off (wiper lever in position

0 ) before you use an automatic car wash.

This will avoid inadvertent triggering of the

wipers and possible damage to the wiper

system.

►

Lift the wiper arm away from the glass.

Keep hold of the wiper blade.

Press the release button 1 on the wiper blade.

Pull the wiper blade out of the mounting on the

►

wiper arm 2 .

►

Fit the new wiper blade into the mounting on

Cleaning/changing the windscreen wiper

blades

the wiper arm. You should hear it engage.

Fold the wiper arm back down onto the wind-

►

screen.

►

Switch off the wiper change function.

WARNING

Old or dirty wiper blades can impair the driv-

er's view – risk of accident! Clean the wiper

blades if they become dirty. Change the wiper

blades once or twice a year. You should also

change the wiper blades if they are no longer

able to provide a clear view that is safe for

driving, e.g. if the wiper blades become dam-

aged.

Fig. 25 Windscreen wipers: Changing wiper blades

Activating the wiper change position

Important: The bonnet must be closed.

CAUTION

►

Switch the vehicle off, move the windscreen

– The wipers must be in the wiper change po-

sition before they are lifted off the wind-

screen! Otherwise the wiper motor or the

paintwork on the bonnet may be damaged.

– Never move your vehicle or operate the

windscreen wiper lever while the wiper arms

are off the glass in a raised position. The

wipers will otherwise automatically return

to their park position and may damage the

bonnet and windscreen.

wiper lever to position 4 ðpage 62, Fig. 23

and hold it there until the wipers move into the

wiper change position.

To move the windscreen wipers back to their

original position, switch the vehicle on and hold

the windscreen wiper lever in position 4 until

the wipers have returned to their original posi-

tion, or drive faster than 12 km/h.

►

You can also switch the wiper change position

on/off on the centre display:

►

Switch the windscreen wipers off (position

ðpage 62, Fig. 23).

0

►

Select:  > Car > More > Wiper change posi-

tion.

Cleaning wiper blades

Important: The wipers must be in the wiper

change position.

►

Lift the wiper arm away from the glass.

►

Notes on cleaning ðtable on page 261.

63

Lights and vision

If a fault persists, drive to a qualified workshop

soon and have it rectified.

Cleaning/changing the rear wiper blade

Fig. 26 Rear window wiper: Attaching the wiper blade

Cleaning the wiper blade

►

Lift the rear wiper arm away from the glass.

►

Notes on cleaning ðtable on page 261.

Taking off the wiper blade

►

Lift the rear wiper arm away from the glass.

►

Pull the wiper blade out of the retainer.

Fitting the wiper blade

►

Press the mounting on the wiper blade into the

retainer.

►

Fold the wiper arm back down onto the rear

window.

WARNING

Old or dirty wiper blades can impair the driv-

er's view – risk of accident! Clean the wiper

blades if they become dirty. Change the wiper

blades once or twice a year. You should also

change the wiper blades if they are no longer

able to provide a clear view that is safe for

driving, e.g. if the wiper blades become dam-

aged.

Driver messages about the wipers



If

is displayed in the event of a fault, the wip-

er functions are unavailable or restricted.

A driver message indicating the cause and possi-

ble remedy may appear for some of the displays.

To display the driver messages again, open the

notification centre on the centre display. Try

switching the wipers on later or after the vehicle

is next switched on.

64

Lights and vision for Your Audi Q5 SUV Third Generation (2024-2026)

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