2012 AUDI A8 warning light

drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind condit ions are unfavorable -part icularly
when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest sign of swaying .
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds
for vehicles towing trailers are lower than for
regular vehicles .
A lways apply brakes early. When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en­
gine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes a lone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge c:> page 10
must be observed carefully. The coo lant tem­
perature can increase if you drive on long in ­
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds. Re­
duce your speed immed iate ly if the L EDs in
the top part of the display turn on.
F or more information about indicator lights,
refer to.
i::> page 15.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone r ide in your car
who is not properly wear ing the restra ints
provided by Aud i.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your veh icle hand les different ly when tow ing
-
a trailer because of the addit ional weight and
d ifferent weight distribution . Safety, perform­
ance and economy will greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your ng .
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopp ing and back ing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
Trailer towing 201
have become completely familiar with the way
your vehicle-trai ler combination behaves and
responds .
Backing up is difficult and requires practice .
Backing up with a t railer generally requires
steering action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a tra iler.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you . You wi ll need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you w ill need a larger than normal
turning rad ius.
When passing, remembe r that you cannot ac­
ce lerate as fast as you norma lly would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your trailer before chang­
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re ­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load
c:> page 280.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it can­
not be avoided, do so only a~er doing the fol­
lowing:
When parking:
.,. App ly the foot brake.
.,. Have someone p lace 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 .
.,. Select the P selector lever posit ion .
When restarting after parking:
.,. Apply the foot brake.
•
•

Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value.
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes , corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after purchase . Regu lar and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
F u rth ermor e, good c are may be a conditi on
for subs tantiati ng a w arrant y claim sho uld
c orrosion d amag e or paint d efects oc cur.
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedic ated veh icle-car e products and can ad ­
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i­
or and interior of your vehicle.
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially available clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor­
rectly .
.&, WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caut ion labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product. Follow the di­
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted .
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail polish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ign it ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, e tc. w ithout pro­
tecting your hands and arms. You may c u t yourself on sharp -edged metal parts .
Cleaning and protec tion 203
- Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing effic iency¢
page 189, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environmentally friend ly clean­
i ng products . Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the household
waste.
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental i n­
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often t his is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the veh icle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasonal and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and indus tria l gr ime, ta r, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle body, the more lasting their destructive ef­
fects wi ll be . High temperatures caused by ex­
posure to intense sun light intens ify the corro­
s ive effect, particularly when humid ity is high
as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekl y washing
may be necessary. Under other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade­
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferab ly in a
professional car wash .
.&, WARNING ,_
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information¢
page 203 .
•
•

-Never w ash your ca r in bri ght sunlight.
Drops of water act as magnifying lenses
and may damage your paint.
- When yo u wash your car in the winter : if
you rinse your vehicle with a hose , be
careful not to aim the stream of water
direct ly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings -they can freeze shut.
- Never use sponges des igned to remove
i nsects, or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products . They can damage
you r paint finish .
- Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean
the headlights . Only use wet cloths or
sponges to prevent scratches . It is best
to use soapy water.
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headligh t lenses on a
regular basis , fo r example when refuel­
i ng yo ur vehicle. Never clean the he ad­
l ights w ith a dry clo th or sponge. Use a
wet cloth or sponge . It is best to use
soapy water.
@ For the sake of the environment
I n the interes t of the envi ronment, the ve­
hicle sho uld only be washed in specia l
wash bays.
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exter ior of your car with a high­
pressure power washer is safe as long as you observe a few simple rules.
~ Befo re using the power washe r, make sure
you have read and understood the WARN­
INGS
c> A in General information on
page 203 .
~ Always follow the operating instructions for
the power washer .
~ Make sure that the jet o n the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spray ".
~ Do not hold the spray no zzle too close to
soft materia ls.
W hen clea ning the vehi cle w it h a powe r wash­
e r
always fo llow the operating instruc tions.
Cleaning and protec tion 205
This applies particu la rly to the operating
pre ssure and the spraying di stance. Keep a
distance from soft materia ls such as rubber
hoses or insulating material as we ll as sensors
and camera lenses.
Do not use a jet which sprays water in a direct
stream or one that has a rotating jet.
Water tempera ture sho uld no t exceed 140 ° F
(60 °().
A WARNING
N eve r wash t ires with a jet that sprays wa­
ter in a direct stream . T hi s could cause in ­
v isib le damage to the t ires and weaken
them, even i f the spray is from a re lative ly
long distance and for a sho rt time. Dam­
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal i njury .
(D Note
To avoid damaging your vehicle, a lways
make sure that the re is suffic ient d istance
between the spray head and soft materials
li ke rubber hoses, plast ic pa rts and sound­
deaden ing ma ter ia ls as well as sensors
and camera lenses. Never a im th e sp ray
head at the same point for a long time .
This also applies to cleaning headlights
and painted bum pers. Remembe r: the
cl oser the nozzle is to the surface of the
mater ia l, the greater the stress on the ma­
terial.
Sensoren und Kameralinsen
- Entfernen S ie Schnee m it einem Handfeger
und Eis bevo rzugt mit einem losungsm ittel­
fre ien Enteisu ngsspray .
- Reinigen Sie die Sensoren (adaptive cruise
cont ro l*, Einparkhi lfe*) mit losungsm itte l­
fre iem Re inigungsmi tte l und einem weiche n
t ro ck enen Tuch .
- Befeuchten Sie die Kameralinse m it handel­
si.iblichem Glasrein ig ungsm ittel a uf Al ko­
holbasis und reinigen Sie die Linse mi t ei­
nem trockenen Tuch . Beim lane assist* wird
de r Bereich vor der Linse im Normalfall .,..
•
•

206 Cleaning and protec tio n
durch den Scheibenwischer und beim Nacht­
sichtassistent* durch die Scheinwerferreini ­
gungsan lage gereinigt. Bei starker Versch­
mut zung ki::innen Sie den Bere ich mit Glas­
reiniger und einem weichen trockenen Tuch
reinigen .
@ Note
- Wenn Sie Ihr Fahrzeug mit e inem Hoch­
druckrein iger waschen,
- halten Sie geni.igend groBen Abstand
zu den Sensoren, die s ich im vorderen
oder hinte ren StoBfanger befinden.
- rein igen S ie Kameralinsen und den Be­
reich um diese nicht mit dem Hoch­
druckre iniger .
- Entferne n Sie niemals Schnee und Eis
von de r Kameralinse m it warmem oder
heiBem Wasser -Gefahr einer Rissbi l­
dung in der Linse!
- Verwenden S ie bei der Re inigung der Ka­
meralinse niemals Pflegemittel mit
Schleifwirk ung.
Waxing and Polishing
Wa xing
A good wax coating protects t he vehicle paint
to a large extent aga inst the environmental
factors listed under ¢page 203, Washing and
even against slight scratches .
You can use a liquid car wax to protect your
pa int as soon as one week after your veh icle
has been delivered.
Even if you regularly use a
w ax ing process in
automatic car washes, we recommend that
you manua lly app ly a coat of wax to give the
pa int extra protection, particular ly if water no
longer beads o n the clean paint .
Protect p lastic body parts with car wax in the
same way as the vehicle body.
During warm weather dead insects tend to
collect on the front bumper and on the for­
ward area of the hood. They are much easier
to remove from paint that is waxed often.
Polishing
Polish yo ur vehicle only if the paint has lost its
shine and the gloss cannot be brought back
with wax .
If the pol ish used does not conta in p reserva­
t ive compounds, the pain t must be waxed a f­
te rwards.
A WARNING ~
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other info rmation
¢ page 203.
(D Note
Do not use car wax on
- matte o r anodized meta l trim
- rubber or rubber-like t rim.
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care .
For environmental reasons, Audi fabricates
the bright trim strips and trim p ieces from
pure chromium-free aluminum.
Dirt and ma rks on the trim st rips sho uld be
removed with a
pH -balanced cleaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleaner). Audi dealers
carry clea ning products which have been tes t­
ed fo r use on your vehicle and are not harmful
to the environment.
To avoid corrosion on the exter ior trim strips,
only a pH-ba lanced solution should be used
for the windsh ield washer .
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other i nformation
¢ page 203.
Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special care .
U se a clean, damp cloth or sponge to remove
dust and light surface dir t. For other soil, use
a lukewa rm all-purpose cleaning so lution or a
mild saddle soap for v inyl tr im . Remove water
spots and traces of soap with a clean, damp ..,.

208 Clea ning and protec tio n
-Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors.
This could cause the glass to crack.
- To prevent damage to the wires of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
stickers on the inside of the rear window
over the wires.
- To help prevent d irt from scratch ing the
window, always scrape in a forward d i­
rection - pushing the scraper away from
you - never back and forth .
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
• Wash the wheels with a sponge or hose
brush every other week.
• For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
dedicated
acid -free cast alloy wheel cleaner.
• Rub a coat of
liquid wax onto the r ims every
three month . Be sure to reach and treat a ll
parts of the rim.
To preserve the decorat ive appearance of the
cast alloy wheels, some special care is neces­
sary. In addit ion to road dirt and sa lt, b rake
dust is a lso cor ros ive. If left o n for too long,
b rake dust can cause pitting.
Use only special
acid-free cleaners formulated
for a lloy rims. Safe products are available at
your Aud i deale r. Neve r leave the cleaner on
the r ims longer than spec ified on the label.
If
not rinsed off promptly, the acid contained in
some cleaners can attack the threads on the
wheel bolts .
Never use ab ras ive or metal polishing clean ­
ing agents. If the protective coating has been
chipped, e .g. by kicked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as possible .
A WARNING
- Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency¢
page 189, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the veh icle .
-
-Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 203.
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked.
All body cav it ies which could be affected by
cor rosion have been thorough ly protected at
the factory.
T his sealing does not require any inspection or
additional treatment. If any wax shou ld seep
out of the cavity when the ambient tempera­
ture is high, it can be removed with a p lastic
scraper and a suitable solvent.
A WARNING
-Solvents can be dangerous.
- Benzine is flammab le and toxic . If you
use benzine for removing the wax, keep
sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away. Never dump benz ine on the
ground, into open streams or down sew­
age dra ins.
- Be sure to observe all safety and environ­
mental regulat ions . Follow all instruc­
tions on the container .
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information ¢
page 203.
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Aud i is also thor­
oughly protected against corros ion.
Any damage to the undercoating ca used by
road hazards should be repaired prompt ly .
A WARNING
-Too much undercoating in the wrong p la-
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additiona l undercoating or
r u stproofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con-
verter or heat shields. While driving, the
~

substance use d for u ndercoating cou ld
overheat an d cause a fire.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 203.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road sa lt and other corros ive materials will
damage the mater ial in the exhaust tail p ipes
if they are not cleaned regu larly . Do not clean
the ta il p ipes with wheel cleaner, paint polish,
chrome polish or othe r abrasive cleaners .
C lean the tail p ipes with ca r ca re products
that are s uita ble for stain less stee l.
Your authorized Audi dealer can provide clean­ i ng p rod ucts that have been tested and ap­
p roved fo r your vehicle.
Care of interior
Infotainment components
The MMI/RSE* disp lay may be cleaned with a
soft cloth and commercially-ava ilable "LCD
cleaner" . The cloth should be coated light ly
when the clean ing solution when cleani ng the
d isplay.
The MMI/RSE* contro ls must be cleaned first
with a brush so that dirt does not enter the
un it o r enter between the buttons and the
h ousing. Then w iping the controls with a clot h
dampened wi th d ish dete rgent and water is
recommended.
(D Note
To preve nt sc ratches, only clean the dis­
p lay when it is d ry.
- To p reven t damage, ma ke s ure fluids do
not enter the cont rols.
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH produc ts to remove spots
and depos its from alum in um s urfaces.
C hr ome ca re products and alkaline cleaners
will attack alum in um s urfaces and can dam­
age them over time.
Cleaning and protec tion 209
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢page 203.
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabr ics and fabric cover ings (e.g. seats, door
trim pa ne ls, etc.) shou ld be cleaned at regular
i n tervals w it h a vac uum cleaner. This removes
s ur face di rt particles which cou ld become em­
bedded in the fabri c throug h use. Ste am
cleaners sho uld not be used, beca use the
steam tends to p ush the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lock it there .
Normal cleaning
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
o r a lint -free microfibe r clo th to the clean fab­
ric. Br ushes shou ld only be used for carpets
and floor mats, since other fabric surfaces
could be harmed by br ushes.
Norma l su rface s tains c an be cleaned using a
commerc ially availab le foam cleaner . Spread
the foam on the s urface of t he fabric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently. Do not satu­
rate the fabric. T hen pat the foam dry us ing
absorbe nt, dry cloths (e.g. m icrofiber cloth)
and vacuum it after it has dried completely.
Cleaning stains
Stains caused by beverages (e .g. coffee, fr uit
juice, etc.) can be treated with a mild deter­
gent solution. Apply the detergent sol ution
with a spo nge. In the case of stubborn stains,
a detergent paste can be applied directly to
the stain and worked into the fabric. After­
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to
remove the rem aining de terge nt. Apply the
w at er wit h a d am p clot h or sponge a nd pat
the fabric dry with an abso rbent, dry clot h.
Stains from choco late or makeup should have
de terge nt pa ste (e.g. o x-gall soa p) rubbed i n­
to them. Afterwa rds, remove the soap wi th
wa ter (damp sponge) .
Alcohol can be used to treat stains from grease, o il , lipstic k or a ballpoin t pen. M elted ..,_ •
•

212 Cleaning and protec tio n
• Apply the p roduct very sparing ly.
• Wipe it off with a damp cloth.
I f yo u have any questions about cleaning and
caring for the leather in your vehicle, it is best
to contact your authorized Audi dealer, who
will be glad to he lp you and te ll you about our
fu ll range of leather care products, such as:
- Leathe r cleaning and care kit
- Creams to care for colo red leather
- Spot removers for ballpo int pens, shoe po l-
ish, etc.
- Oil/grease dissolving spray
- New and upcoming products .
A WARNING ,_
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
~ page 203.
0 Note
- Never use chemical solvents (e.g. lighter
fluid, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
s imilar products on the leather surfaces
i n your Audi.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stai ns
r emoved by a commerc ial cleaning spe­
cia list.
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
Applies to vehicles: with Alcantara upholstery
Removing dust and dirt
• Moisten a cloth, squeeze out excess water
and wipe down the seat su rfaces.
Removing stains
• Moisten a cloth w ith lukewarm water or
with diluted
ethyl (rubbing) alcoho l.
• Dab at the stain. Start at the outside and
work inwards.
• Once the stain is no longer visib le, use a
soft d ry cloth or tissue to soak up the mois­
ture .
Do not use leather cleaning products on Al­
cantara.
You may use a suitable shampoo for removing
dust and dirt. D
ust and grit in the po res and seams can
scratch and damage the surface. If the car is
l eft standing in the sun for long per iods, the
Alcantara covers should be protected aga inst
direct sunlight to prevent it from fad ing.
Slight co lor variations will develop in normal
use and are not an indication of material dete­
rioration .
(D Note
-Never use chemical so lvents (e.g. lighter
fluid, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
simi la r products on A lca ntara® surfaces.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn sta ins
removed by a commercial clean ing spe­
cialist.
- Do not use brushes, stiff sponges or sim­
ilarly abrasive cleaning a ids.
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia­
bly when needed .
.,. Keep belts clean.
• For cleaning, use a mild soap a nd water so l­
ution. Let belts dry thoroug hly and away
from d irect sunlight .
• Do not allow inertia ree l safety belts to re­
t ract before they are completely dry.
• Check the condition of you r safety be lts
reg ­
ularly .
Heavi ly so iled safety be lts may not ret ra ct
properly.
A WARNING ~
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash .
- Anyth ing th at might damage yo ur sa fety
be lts could mean that you and your pas ­
sengers would not be adeq uate ly pro­
tected in an accident.
- Safety belt performance depends on co r­
rect insta llation. Never remove be lts
from the vehicle to clean them.
- Do not use chemical cleaning agents, bleach or dyes. They have corrosive prop­
erties which weaken the webb ing.

Checking and filling Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig. 172 Dr iver footwell: release lever
AUD I
Fig. 173 Rocker switch under the hood
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up
from the w indshield. Otherw ise the paint
could be damaged.
.. Pull the lever under the instrument panel in
the d irect ion of the arrow
<=> fig. 172.
.. Raise the hood slightly<=> _&.
.. Press the rocke r switc h under the hood up­
ward
<=> fig. 173. This re leases the catch .
.. Open the hood .
A WARNING
Hot engine coo lant can burn you.
- To reduce the r isk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment . Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood.
Checkin g and fillin g 219
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment.
Wh ene ve r y ou must perform an y wo rk in the
eng ine com pa rtm ent , for e xample checking
a nd filling diff ere nt fluids, th ere is a risk of
inju ry, burn s and accid ent s. To pr event per­
so nal injury alwa ys observe the foll owing
WARNING S. The engin e compartment of an y
v e hicle i s a h az a rdou s are a
<=> ,&.
_&. WARNING
To help avoid injury, be fore yo u check any ­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine .
- Sw itch off the ignition.
- Apply the parki ng brake.
- Move selector leve r to "P" (Park).
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components w ill burn skin on contact .
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coo la nt escaping from the engine
compa rtment. Wait unt il no steam or
coolant can be seen o r heard before care­
fu lly opening the hood.
- Keep ch ildren away from the engine com­
pa rtment.
- Never sp ill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents . They can cause a fire .
- Never touch the rad iator fan. The auxili­
ary electric fan is temperat ure controlled
a nd can sw itch on suddenly .
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool­
a nt system is p ressu rized and hot cool­
a nt cou ld spray o ut.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by plac ing a
thick rag ove r the cap when you open the
coo lant rese rvoir.
- If work on the fue l system o r the elec tri­
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.