2012 AUDI A8 ESP

Clear vision Lights
Switching the headlights on and off
Fig . 34 Instrument pane l: lig ht sw itc h wit h all -weath­
er lights•
The headlights only wo rk when the ignition is
switched on. Wh ile start ing the eng ine o r
when switching off the ign ition, the head­
lights will go off and on ly the side marker
lights will be on .
If the system is not operating p rope rly, a
war ning symbol in the dr iver information dis­
p lay is d isplayed
c::> page 21 .
Light switch ·'t!- -
Tu rn the switch c::> fig . 34 to the correspond ing
position . When the lights a re switched on, the
oD o: symbo l tu rns on .
0 -The lig hts are off or the dayt ime runn ing
lights are on:
- USA models: The day time running ligh ts
will come on automatically when the igni­
t ion is on and the light switch
c::> fig . 34 is in
the
O posit ion or the AUTO position (only in
daylight cond itions). The
Daytime running
light s
function can be turned on and off in
the MMI
c::> page45, c::>A .
-Ca nada model s: The daytime running lig hts
will come on automa tically when the igni­
t ion is on and the light switch
c::> fig . 34 is in
the
O position, the : Do: pos ition or the AUTO
position (only in daylight conditions) c::> A .
AUTO -Automatic headlights swi tch on and
off depend ing o n brightness, for example i n
tw ilight, during rain or in tunnels
c::> &. .
:Do: -Side marke r lights
io -Low beam headlights
Clear vi sion 43
lm -Fog lights* (vehicles with Xenon p lus
headlights *)
~ -All-weather lights * (vehicles with L ED
headligh ts*)
c::> fig. 34
@TI -Rear fog lights* . When the rear fog lights
are on, the symbol
0$ on the switch will illu­
minate .
All-weather lights*
In vehicles wi th all -wea ther lights, the front
lights are adjusted au tomat ically so that you
are less like ly to see glare from your own
headlights, for example when dr iving on a wet
ro ad.
Automatic dynamic headlight rang e
control*
Your vehicle is equipp ed with a headlight
range contro l system so that the headlights
do no t blind oncoming traff ic if the vehicle
load changes. The headlig ht range a lso ad­
justs automatically when braking and acceler­
at ing .
Light function s
The following light funct ions are availab le de­
pend ing on vehicle equipment and on ly func­
t ion when t he light switch is in the AU TO posi ­
tion . You can deactivate these functions i n the
MM I under
Audi adapt ive light c::> page 45 .
Static corner ing light* (vehicles with L ED
headlights or adaptive light) -the cornering
ligh t sw itches on automat ica lly w hen the
stee ring wheel is turned at a ce rtain angle at
speeds up to approxima tely 44 mph (70 km/
h) and when the turn sig nal is act ivate d at
speeds up to approximately 25 mph (40 km/
h) . The area to the side of the veh icle is illumi­
nated bette r when tur ning .
Dynamic curve light * (vehicles with adap tive
light) -the curve ligh t only functions at
speeds betwee n approximately 6 mph (10
km/ h) and 110 km/h and adapts itself to the
curves in the road.
Ill>

44 Clear vision
Highway light function* (vehicles with LED
headlights) -this function adapts the lighting
for highway driving based on vehicle speed.
.&_ WARNING
- Automatic headlights are only intended
to assist the driver. They do not relieve
the driver of his responsibility to check
the headlights and to turn them on man­
ually according to the current light and
visibility conditions. For example, fog
cannot be detected by the light sensors.
So always switch on the headlights §.0
under these weather conditions and
when driving in the dark.
- Crashes can happen when you cannot see the road ahead and when you cannot be
seen by other motorists. Always turn on
the headlights so that you can see ahead
and so that others can see your car from
the back.
- Please observe legal regulations when
using the lighting systems described.
(D Note
The rear fog lights should only be turned
on in accordance with traffic regulation, as
the lights are bright for following traffic.
@ Tips
- The light sensor* for automatic dynamic
headlight range control* is located in the
rear view mirror mount. You should
therefore not apply any stickers to the
windshield in this area in order to pre­
vent malfunctions or failures .
- In the event of a light sensor malfunc­
tion, the driver is notified in the instru­
ment cluster display¢
page 21 .
- You will hear a warning tone if you open
the driver door when the exterior lights
are switched on.
- In cool or damp weather, the inside of
the headlights, turn signals and tail
lights can fog over due to the tempera­
ture difference between the inside and
outside. They will clear shortly after switching them on. This does not affect
the service life of the lighting.
Emergency flasher
The emergency flasher makes other motorists
aware that you or your vehicle ore in an emer ­
gency situation.
,--~
,_'
. ;.' --- --~-.sc-
Fig. 35 Center console: emergency flasher switch
.,. Press the switch 11 ¢ fig. 35 to turn the
emergency flashers on or off .
When the emergency flasher is on, all four
turn signals blink at the same time. The turn
s ignal ind icator lights
ea in the instrument
cluster, as well as the light in the emergency
flasher switch
11 blink likewise. The emergen­
cy flasher also works when the ignition is
turned off.
The emergency flashers will turn on automati­
cally if you are in an accident where the airbag
has deployed.
(D Tips
You should turn on the emergency flashers
when:
- you are the last vehicle standing in a traf­
fic jam so that any other vehicles coming
can see you, or when
- your vehicle has broken down or you are
in an emergency situation, or when
-your vehicle is being towed by a tow
truck or if you are towing another vehicle
behind you.

windshield wipers react to moisture on the
windshield. You can deactivate rain sensor
mode in the MMI, which will then activate in­
termittent mode. Select:
ICARI function but­
ton
> Car systems control button > Driver as­
sist > Rain sensor> Off.
In intermitten t
mode, you can adjust the interval time using
the switch @.
@-Slow wiping
@-Fast wiping
©-Single wipe. If you hold the lever in this
position longer, the wipers switch from slow
wiping to fast wiping.
® -Clean the windshield . The wipers wipe
one time after several seconds of driving to
remove water droplets. You can switch this
function off by moving the lever to position ®
within 10 seconds after the afterwipe. The af­
terwipe function is reactivated the next time
you switch the ignition on.
Cleaning the headlights. The headlight wash­
er system* only functions when the lights are
sw itched on. The headlights and the night vi­
sion system camera* are cleaned automatical­ ly the first time the lever is press in position
® and every 8 times it is pressed after that.
They are also cleaned every time you hold the lever in position @for longer than 8 seconds .
A WARNING
- The rain sensor is only designed to assist
and support the driver.
It remains entire­
ly the driver's responsibility to monitor
outside weather conditions and to man­
ually activate the wipers as soon as rain
or drizzle reduces visibility through the
windshield.
- The windshield must not be treated with
water-repellent materials. They can in­
crease glare under poor visibility condi·
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the horizon. In addi­
tion, they can cause the windshield wip­
ers to chatter.
- Properly functioning windshield wiper
blades are required for a clear view and
Clear vision 49
safe driving ¢ page 50, Replacing
windshield wiper blades.
(D Note
- In the case of frost, check whether the
windshield wiper blades are frozen to the windshield. Switching on the wind­
shield wipers can damage the wiper
blades!
- Prior to using a car wash, the windshield
wiper system must be switched off (lever
in position @). This helps to prevent un­
intentional switching on and damage to
the windshield wiper system.
- Do not use the wipers to clear a frosted
window . Using the wipers as a conven­
ient ice scraper will destroy the wiper
blades.
@ Tips
- The windshield wipers are switched off
when the ignition is off . Activate the
windshield wipers after the ignition is
switched back on by moving the wind­
shield wiper lever to any position.
- Worn or dirty windshield wiper blades
result in streaking. This can affect the
rain sensor function. Check your wind­
shield wiper blades regularly.
- The washer fluid nozzles of the wind­
shield washer system are heated at low
temperatures when the ignition is on.
- When stopping temporarily, e.g. at a
traffic light, the set speed of the wind­
shield wipers is automatically reduced by
one speed.

52 Clear vision
& WARNING
Electrolyte fluid can leak from automatic
dimming mirrors if the glass is broken.
Electrolyte fluid can irritate skin, eyes and
respiratory system .
- Repeated or prolonged exposure to elec­
trolyte can cause irritation to the respira­
tory system, especially among people
with asthma or other respiratory condi­ tions. Get fresh air immediately by leav­
ing the vehicle or, if that is not possible,
open windows and doors all the way.
- If electrolyte gets into the eyes, flush
them thoroughly with large amounts of
clean water for at least 15 minutes;
medical attention is recommended.
- If electrolyte contacts skin, flush affect­
ed area with clean water for at least 15
minutes and then wash affected area
with soap and water; medical attention
is recommended . Thoroughly wash af­
fected clothing and shoes before reuse.
- If swallowed and person is conscious,
rinse mouth with water for at least 15
minutes . Do not induce vomiting unless
instructed to do so by medical professio­
nal. Get medical attention immediately.
(D Note
Liquid electrolyte leaking from broken mir­
ror glass will damage any plastic surfaces
it comes in contact with. Clean up spilled
electrolyte immediately with clean water
and a sponge.
@ Tips
-Switching off the dimming function of
the inside rear view mirror also deacti­
vates the automatic dimming function of
the exterior mirrors.
- Automatic dimming for the mirror only
operates properly if the sun shade* for
the rear window is not in use or the light
striking the inside mirror is not hindered
by other objects. -
The automatic dimming mirrors do not
dim when the interior lighting is turned
on or the reverse gear is selected.
Digital compass
Switching the compass on and off
Applies to vehicles: with digita l compass
The compass direction is shown in the rear­
view mirror .
J
Fig. 48 Rearview mirr or: Digi tal compass activated
.,. To switch the compass on or off, press and
hold the button @until the compass dis­
play in the mirror
c::> fig. 48 appears or disap­
pears.
The digital compass only works when the igni­
tion is on. The directions are indicated with
abbrev iations:
N (north), NE (northeast), E
(east), SE (southeast), S (south), SW (south­
west),
W (west), NW (northwest).
A WARNING -
The digital compass is to be used as a di­
rectional aid only . Even though you may
want to look at it while you are driving, you
must still pay attention to traffic, road and
weather conditions as well as other possi­
ble hazards.
(D Tips
To prevent inaccurate compass readings,
do not bring any remote controls, electri­
cal devices or metallic objects near the
mirror.

54 Seat s a nd s tor ag e
Seats and storage
General recommen­
dations
Why is your seat adjustment so
important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide maximum protection if the front
seats are correctly adjusted.
There are various ways of adjust ing the front
seats to provide safe and comfortable support
for the driver and the front passenger . Adjust
you r seat prope rly so that :
- you can easily and quick ly reach all the
switches and controls in the instrument
panel
-your body is prope rly supported thus reduc­
ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety be lts and airbag system can offer
maximum protection
¢ page 142 .
In the following sec tions, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust you r seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for insta lling a child seat on the front pas­
senger's seat. Always fo llow the information
regarding child safety provided in
q page 166, Child Safety.
A WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal in jury.
- Always keep your feet on the floor when
the vehicle is in motion -never p ut your
feet on top of the instrument panel, out
of the w indow or on top of the seat cush­
ion . Th is app lies especially to the passen­
gers .
If your seating position is incorrect,
yo u increase the r isk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an acc ident.
If the
airbag infla tes and the seating position
is incorrect, this could result in personal
injury or even death.
- It is import ant for bo th the driver and
front passenger to keep a distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between them­
selves and the steering wheel and/or in­
strument panel. If you're s itting any
closer than th is, the a irbag system can­
not protect you properly . In addition, the
front seats and head restraints must be
adjusted to your body height so that they
can give you max imum protect ion.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible between yourself and the steer­
ing wheel o r inst rument panel.
- Do not adjust the driver's o r front pas­
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
Your sea t may move unexpected ly, caus­
ing sudden loss of vehicle control and
personal injury . If you adjust yo ur seat
while the veh icle is moving, yo u are out
of posit ion.
Driver's seat '
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving.
We recommend tha t you adjus t the dr iver's
seat in the fo llowing manner :
.,. Adjust t he seat in fo re and aft direction so
t ha t you can eas ily push the peda ls to the
floor wh ile keeping your knees sl igh tly bent
q A in Why is your seat adjustment so im­
portant? on page 54.
.. Adjust the back rest so that when you sit
w ith your back agains t th e backrest, you can
still g rasp the top of the steering wheel.
.. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as poss ible with the top of your
head . If that is not poss ible , try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
t his pos it ion as possib le
q page 61.
A WARNING
Neve r place any objects in the dr iver's foot ­
well. An object could get into the pedal
a rea and interfere with pedal function . In
case of sudden braking or an acc ident, you
would not be able to brake or accelerate .

56 Seats and storage
Multifunction button
App lies to vehicles: wit h memory fu nctio n
You can adjust the massage function, upper
section of the backrest, lumbar support, side
bolsters, seating surface and safety belt
height using the multifunction button.
F ig. 51 MMI display : seat settings
Operating
• The M MI displays the possible seat settings
@ when yo u turn the mu ltifunction button
page 55, fig. 50 to the left or right
c:> fig. 51, c:> .&_.
• To select a seat setting, turn the multifunc­
tion button
is h ighlighted with a red border.
• The arrows @ indicate the possible adjust­
ments . For example, to move the lumbar
support down, press the multifunct ion but­
ton
l ights up .
The following seat settings @are possible:
Mas sage funct ion * -Massage type Wave,
K nock in g, Stretch, Lumbar , Sho ulder or Off .
You can set the massage strength level from 1
to 5 . You can turn the selected massage on/
off us ing the button @
c:> page 55, fig. 50 .
Safety belt h eight adju stment * -Moving the
safety belt up/down
c:> page 139, c:> .&..
Upper backre st -Moving the ang le of the up­
per section of the backrest forward/back
c:> &.
Lu mb ar support -Moving the lumbar support
up/down and making it firme r/softer
c:> .&. .
Side bol ster s* -Increasing/reducing the side
support in the seat using the side bolsters on
the seating surface and backrest
c:> &.
Seat ing surfa ce -Making the seat ing s urface
longer/shorter
c:> A .
A WARNING
-
-Never ad just the driver's or front pas­
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
If you do this while the vehicle is moving,
you will be out of position. A lways adjust
the dr iver's or front passenge r's seat
when the vehicle is not mov ing.
- Be careful when adjusting the seat
he ight . Check to see that no one is in the
way, or serious injury cou ld result!
- Because the seats can be electrically ad­
justed with the ignition off, never leave
children unattended in the veh icle. Unsu­
perv ised use of the e lectr ic sea t adj ust­
men ts may cause serious injury.
- To reduce the risk of injury in the case of
sudden b raking or acc iden t, front pas­
sengers mus t
never ride in a movi ng ve­
hicle with the backrest reclined . Safety
be lts and the airbag system only offer
maximum protection when the backrest
is upright and the safety belts are prop­
erly positioned on the body . The more
the backrest is reclined, the greater the risk of personal injury from an incorrect
seating position and improperly pos i­
tioned safety belts .
@ Tips
-The massage function switches off auto­
matically after approximately 10 mi­
nutes.
- In vehicles w ith the reclining rear seat,
only the safety belt he ight and the seat­
ing surface can be adjusted on the front
passenge r sea t using the mul tifunc tion
butto n.

©-Leg support forward/back
@ -Adjusting the display
Operating the reclining rear seat
Ap plies to vehicles : wit h recl in ing rea r seat
Fig. 55 Rear ce nter console : seat adjustment buttons
R eclining po sition on /off
@ -Adjusting the reclining position: press
and hold the button@c:>
page 58, fig . 54 un­
til your seat and the front passenger's seat
reach their end pos itions ¢
page 58, fig. 54.
Depending on the last setting, the leg support
may fold out at the same time. The front pas­
senger seat 's can no longer be used in the re­
clining position
¢ & .
@ -Adjusting the standard position: press
and hold the button @ unt il the front pas­
senger's seat reaches its end position and its
head restra int is upr ight . The leg s upport
folds in at the same time
¢ .&, .
You can adjust the leg support or fold the dis­
p lay forward in the reclining position:
Adju sting th e leg support
@ -Folding the leg support out/in: press and
hold the left/right button@¢
fig. 55 unt il
the leg support reaches the des ired posit ion .
@ -Leg support steeper/flatter: Activate
front passenger's seat adjustment with the
button
(Z) . To adjust the front passenger's
seat backrest and the leg support, press the button ®forwa rd/back.
© -Leg support forward/back: Activate front
passenger's seat adjustment w ith the button
. To adjust the front passenger's seat and
Sea ts a nd s to rage 59
leg support fo rward/back, p ress the button @
forward/back.
Adju sting the d ispl ay
@ -Tilting the display forward/back: press
and hold the left/right b utton @ unti l the d is­
play reaches the desired position.
You can fold the display forward so that you have a clear view of the roadway. With the
seat in the recl ining posit ion, press and hold
the right button @ unti l the display is folded
forward . Make sure the driver has a clear view
of the exterior mirrors. If so, confirm the
question in the MMI with Yes. If you answer
No or do not respond to the question, the dis­
play will return to the upright position.
.&_ WARNING
Do not use the front passenger 's seat for
seating when it is in the reclin ing pos ition .
This increases the risk of serious injury or
death.
- Never adjust the recl ining posit ion when
the front passenger's seat is occupied.
This inc reases the r isk of injury.
- Do not t ilt the display if the driver's view
of the right exter io r mirro r will be ob­
s truc ted .
- Ma ke sure the a rea between the leg sup­
port and the front passenger's seat back­
rest is clear before fo lding the leg sup­
port in so that you are not pinched.
(D Tips
If you cannot move the seat into the re­
clin ing position, it may be because
- the front passenger's seat memory func­
tion is switched off c:>
page 63 or
- the ch ild safety lock is switched on (the
~ button c:> page 38 or the right t but­
t on¢
page 38 lights up in the dr iver's
door), o r
- t he front passe nger seat adjustment is
switched off in the MM I c:>
page 60.

60 Seats and storage
Massage function remote control
Applies to vehicles: with reclining rear seat and massage
f u nct ion
Fig. 56 Remote contro l: recli nin g seat massage func·
tions
The remote controls are located in the rear
center console
Q page 64 , fig . 61. Th e mas­
sage function is only available when the ign i­
tion is switched on.
" To open the remote control compartment,
press the left button and fold the center
armrest upward .
" To adjust the massage type, press the ap­
propriate button@-@ . The LED in the but­
ton will turn on.
" To adjust the speed/ intensity, turn the
t hu mbwheel @I® . Th e LEDs indicate the
speed/intensity.
" Press the selected massage type again to
switch the massage function off.
Massage types
@-Wave
@ -Pulse
© -St retch
@ -Lumbar
(D} Tips
- The massage function switches off auto­
matically after approximately 10 mi·
nutes.
- If you activate a massage type again, the
l ast selected intensity and speed wi ll be
se lected.
Comfort settings
Applies to vehicles: wit h comfort seats in the rear
You can adjust settings for the rear seat from
the cockpit using the MMI.
" Selec t! CAR I function button > Car systems
contro l button > Vehicle settings > Seats >
Rear seats.
Factory settings position -
This function
moves the outer rear seats and the front pas­
senger seatback into the factory settings posi­
t ion .
Entry assistance -Entry assistance makes it
easier to enter and exit the rear seat more
comfortably. When the function is activated,
the rear seat moves all the way back automat­
i ca lly when the corresponding door opens .
Front passenger seat adjustment* -If the
function is act ivated in the MMI, the front
passenger seat can be adjusted from the rear
seat
Q page 57, fig . 53 .