2012 AUDI A8 brake

20 Instruments and warning /indicator lights
If the warning light illuminates, immediately
contact your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop to have all brake pads inspect­
ed. On USA models the warning light
El
comes on together with the warning light
- · Both sets of brake pads on an axle
must always be replaced at the same time .
A WARNING
Driv ing with bad brakes can cause a colli­
sion and serious personal injury.
-If the warning light El and the warn ing
light
- 1) with the message Brake
pads!
comes in in the inst rument cluste r
display, immediately contact your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop to have all brake pads checked or
replaced if necessary.
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control.
The~ warning/indicator light (Electronic
Power Control) illuminates when you switch
the ignition on as a function check.
@ Tips
If this warning/indi cator light ill uminates
while you are driving, then there is a mal­
function in the engine electronics. Have
the malfunction corrected as soon as pos­
sible by your authorized Aud i dea ler or
qualified repair facility.
o Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Ind icator Lamp (MIL) is part
of the On-Board D iagnostic (OBD II) system .
The symbol
¢4ii lights up when the ignition is
switched on and w ill turn off after the engine
has started and has sett led at a constant idle
speed. This ind icates that the MIL is working
properly.
l ) - : USA mod els only
-
The warning light illuminates when there is a
malfunction in the engine electronic system.
Contact your authorized Audi dea ler and have
the malfunction corrected.
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also
cause the MIL light to illuminate
¢page 217.
For more information ~ page 26.
!?'i Engine speed limitation
Applies to vehicles: with engine speed limitatio n
Ill Engine speed maximum XXXX RPM
The eng ine speed is automatically limited to
the speed displayed in the driver information
system . This protects the engine from over ­
heating.
T he eng ine speed limitation deactivates once
the engine is no longer in the critical tempera­
ture range and you have re leased the accelera­
tor pedal once.
If the engine speed limitation was activated
by an engine control malfunction, the indica­
tor light~ also turns on. Make sure that the
speed does not go above the speed displayed .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
~ .. Engine oil level
II Add oil, max. x qt (l). You may continue
driving
When the symbol II and driver message ap­
pear, add the amount of oil appearing in the
display at the next opportunity¢
page 225.
~,.. Engine oil sensor
II Oil level! Sensor defective
If the symbol illuminates, contact your au­
thorized Audi dealer and have the oil sensor inspected . U ntil you have this done, check the
o il level each time you refuel just to be on the
safe side ~
page 224.

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 .

72 Seats and stor age
Addit ional storage
There are a variety of storage compartments
and fasteners in various places in the vehicle.
- Storage compartments in the doors
- Net in the front passenger footwell
- Eyeglasses compartment in the headliner (near the rearview mirror)
- Storage compartments under the center
armrests
- Compartments* on the back of the front
seat backrests
- Garment hooks over the rear doors
- Compartment in the center console with
pass-through)* (rear)
- Compartment behind the rear center arm­
rest (in vehicles without the pass-through*
or refrigerator*)
- Bag hooks in the luggage compartment
A WARNING
-When driving, do not leave any hard ob­
jects on the rear window shelf or allow
your pet to sit on the shelf. They could
become a hazard for vehicle occupants in
the event of sudden braking or a crash .
- Always remove objects from the instru­
ment panel. Any items not stored could
slide around inside the vehicle while driv­
ing or when accelerating or when apply­
ing the brakes or when driving around a
corner.
- When you are driving make sure that
anything you may have placed in the cen­
ter console or other storage locat ions
cannot fall out into the footwells. In case
of sudden braking you would not be able
to brake or accelerate.
- Any articles of clothing that you have
hung up must not interfere with the driv­
er's view. The coat hooks are designed
only for lightweight clothing. Never hang
any clothing with hard, pointed or heavy
objects in the pockets on the coat hooks.
During sudden braking or in an accident -
especially if the airbag is deployed - these objects could injure any passen­
gers
inside the vehicle.
- To reduce the risk of personal injury in an
accident or sudden stop, always keep the
glove compartment closed while driving.
- Read and follow all WARNINGS
c:> page 161, Important safety instruc­
tions on the side airbag system.
- Hang clothes in such a way that they do
not impair the driver's vision.
- The coat hooks must only be used for
lightweight clothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp edged objects in the pock­
ets which may interfere with the side cur­
tain airbag deployment and can cause personal injury in a crash.
- Do not use coat hangers for hanging clothing on the coat hooks as this can in­
terfere with proper deployment of the
side curta in airbags in an acc ident.
- Do not hang heavy objects on the coat
hooks, as they could cause personal in­
jury in a sudden stop.
@ Note
Objects located on the rear shelf that rub
against the rear window could damage the
heating wires for the rear window defog­
ger .
(D Tips
-A vent slot is located between the shelf
and the rear window. Do not block the
vent with any items you may place on the
rear window she lf.
- Do not place bulky items on the rear win­
dow shelf as they could restrict or block
the driver's vision in the rear view mirror.
Cooler
Introduction
App lies to vehicles: wit h coo ler
Please clean the cooler before using it for the
first time
c:> page 213.
You can only switch on the cooler if ...

80 On the road
the stored position as soon as you switch on
the ignition.
Starting and stopping
the engine
Starting the engine
This button switches on the ignition and
starts the engine.
Fig. 81 Center console: S TART ENGINE S TOP b utto n
• Step on the brake pedal¢.&_ .
• Press the
!START E NGIN E STOPI button
¢
fig . 81 -the engine will start .
By pressing the
I START ENGIN E STOP I button
without depress ing the brake pedal, the igni­
tion is on and switched off by pressing it
again.
After a cold engine is started, there may be a
brief period of increased noise because oil
pressure must fi rst bui ld up in the hydraulic
va lve adjusters. This is normal and not a cause
for concern.
If the engine should not start immediately,
the starting process is automatically stopped
after a sho rt time . Repeat sta rting p rocedu re.
Driver message in the instrument cluster
display
Press brake pedal to start engine
This message appears if you press the
I STAR T ENGIN E ST OP ! button to start the en­
g ine and do not depress the brake pedal. The
engine can only be started if the brake pedal
is depressed.
I! Convenience key: Is key not in the vehi­
cle?
T his message appears along with the I! sym­
bol if the master key is removed from the ve­
hicle with the eng ine running.
It is intended
to remind you (e.g . when changing drivers)
not to continue the journey without the mas­
ter key.
If the maste r key is no longer in the vehicle,
you cannot switch on the ignition after stop ­
ping the engine and you also cannot start the
engine again . Moreover, you cannot lock the
vehicle from the outside with the key.
Shift to P, otherwise vehicle can roll away.
Doors do not lock if lever is not in P.
T his message app ears for safety reasons
along with an aud ible warning tone if the P
selector lever position is not engaged when
stopp ing the engine wi th the
I S TART ENGIN E STOP I button. Select the P se ­
lector lever position . Otherwise the vehicle
could roll and it cannot be locked .
Key not recognised. Hold back of key against
marked area. See owner's manual.
If the indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunct ion
¢ page Bl.
Steering lock
The steering locks when you turn the engine
off using the
I STAR T ENGINE ST OP I button
and open the driver 's door. The locked steer­
ing helps prevent vehicle theft.
A WARNING
-
- Never allow the engine to run in conf ined
spaces -danger of asphyxiat ion .
- Never turn off the engine until the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop .
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the engine is running.
If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or brak ing. Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usual­
ly would, this could lead to crashes and
serio us injuries.

CD Note
-Avoid high engine rpm, fu ll throttle and
heavy engine loads unti l the engine has
reached operating temperature -other ­
wise you risk engine damage.
- T he engine cannot be started by pushing
or towing the veh icle.
- If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended period, heat builds up in
the engine compartment after the en­
gine is switched off -there is a risk of
damag ing the engine . Allow the eng ine
to run at idle for about 2 m inutes befo re
swit ching it off.
@ Tips
- If you open the dr iver's door w ith the ig­
nit ion on, a buzzer sounds and the mes­
sage
Igniti on i s on appears in the instru­
ment cluster disp lay. Switch the ign it ion
off .
-If you leave the vehicle with the ignit ion
swi tched on, the ignition will switch off
after a certain period of time. Please
note that e lectrica l equipment such as
exter ior lights wi ll switch off as well
when that happens .
Stopping the engine
... Bring your vehicle to a comple te stop .
... Move the selector lever to the P or N posi ­
t ion .
... Press the !START E NGIN E STOPI button
Q page 80, fig. 81 .
Emergen cy off
If necessary, the engine can be swi tched off
with the selector lever in the R, Dor S posi ­
tions . The eng ine stops if you press the
I START E NGIN E STOP I button at speeds be low
6 mph (10 km/h).
_& WARNING
- Never turn off the eng ine unt il the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop.
On th e road 81
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the engine is running. If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or braking . Because
you cannot s teer and brake as you usual­
ly would, th is could lead to crashes and
serious injuries.
- For safety reasons , you sho uld a lways
park your vehicle with the selector lever
in P . Otherwise, the vehicle could inad­
vertently roll away.
- After the eng ine has been switched off,
the radiator fan can cont in ue to run for
up to 10 minutes -even with the igni tion
switched off .
It can also switch on again
after some time if the coolant tempera­
ture rises as the result of a heat b uildup
or if the engine is hot and the engine
compartment is additionally heated by
the sun's rays .
~
CD Note
Do not stop the eng ine immediately after
hard or extended driving. Keep the engine
running for approximate ly two minutes to
prevent excess ive heat bu ild -up .
Starting the engine if there is a
malfunction
It may not be possible to start the engine un­
der certain circumstances , for example if the
battery in the vehicle key is drained, if inter ­
ference is affected the key or if there is a sys­
tem malfunction.
ij
:c
---- -~
Fig . 82 Center co nsole/m aste r key : star ting the engine
I
if th ere is a malfun ction Ill>

82 On the road Requirem ent : The message
Key not recog­
nized. Hold b ack of key against marked area.
See owner 's manual.
must appear and the in ­
dicator light
m must sw itch on.
• Hold the master key vertica lly in the loca­
tion indicated y>l} q fig .
82.
• Press the brake pedal~ A in Starting the
engine on page 80.
.. Press the !~S _T _A_ R_T_ E_N_ G_ I_ N _E_ S_T_ O_ P~ I button.
The eng ine will start .
• Drive to your author ized Audi dealer imme­
diately to have the malfunct ion corrected .
@ Tips
You can view the message again by press­
ing the !START ENGINE STOP I button.
Electromechanical
parking brake
Operation
The electromechanical parking broke replaces
the hand broke.
Fig . 83 Ce nter console: Parking brake
• Pull on the switch(®) ~ fig. 83 @ to app ly
the parking brake . The indica tor light in the
switch illuminates.
• Step on the brake pedal or the accelerator
pedal and press the switch(®) at the same
t ime to release the parking brake. The indi ­
cator light in the switch goes out .
Your vehicle is equipped wit h an electrome­
cha nica l parking brake. The parking brake is
designed to prevent the vehicle from rol ling
unintentionally and rep laces the hand brake . In
addition to the normal functions of a tradi­
tiona l hand brake, the electromechanical
parking brake provides var io us convenience
and safety functions .
When starting from rest
-The integral start ing ass ist helps you when
driving by automatically releasing the park­
ing brake
~ page 83, Starting from rest .
-When starting on inclines, the starting as­
sist prevents the vehicle from unintentiona l­
ly rolling back. The braking force of the
parking brake is not released until sufficient
driving force has been built up at the
wheels.
Emergency brake function
An emergency brake ensures that the vehicle can be slowed down even if the
normal brakes
fail
q page 84, Emergency broking.
Indicator lights
-If the parking brake is closed with the ign i­
tion
switched on the indicator lights come
on - (U SA mode ls)/ . (Canada models)
in the instrument cluster and in the switch.
- If the parking brake is closed with the igni­
tion
switched off the indicator lights come
on - (USA mode ls)/ . (Canada models}
in the instrument cluster and in the sw itch
for about 20 seconds .
A WARNING
Do not press the acce lerator pedal inadver ­
tently if the vehicle is stationary but the
engine is running and a gear is selected.
Otherwise the vehicle will start to
move
immedia tely and could result in a crash.
(D Note
If the symbol . in the display or the indi­
cator light .. (USA models)/ . (Cana­
da models) in the instrum ent cluster flash­
es, there is a malfunction in the brake sys­
tem. Please refer to the detailed descrip-
tion of the indicator lights
~ page 14. ll-

-If the indicato r light - (USA mod ­
els)
,111 (Canada models) or I.I turns
on, there may be a malfunction in the
parking brake
¢page 15.
@ Tips
-You can apply the parking brake at any
time - even w ith the ignition switched
off. The ignit ion must be on in order to
release the parking brake.
- Occasiona l noises when the park ing
brake is applied and released are norma l
and are not a cause for concern.
- When the vehicle is parked, the parking
brake goes through a self-test cycle at
regular intervals. Any assoc iated noises
are norma l.
Parking
Various rules apply to prevent the parked ve­
hicle from rolling away accidentally.
P a rking
~ Stop the vehicle w ith the foot brake.
~ Pu ll the switch© to apply the parking
brake.
~ Se lect the P selector lever position
¢page 109.
~ Turn the eng ine off ¢,& .
In addition on incline s and grade s
~ Turn the steering wheel so that your vehicle
will roll against the curb in case it should
start to move.
A WARNING
-When you leave your veh icle - even if on­
ly b riefly - always take the ignition key
with you. This applies particu la rly when
children remain in the veh icle. Otherw ise
the ch ild ren could sta rt the engine, re­
lease the parking brake or operate elec­
trical equipment (e .g. power windows).
There is the risk of an accident.
- When the vehicle is locked, no one - par­
t icu larly not ch ildren should remain in
the vehicle. Locked doors make it more
On th e ro ad 83
difficult for emergency workers to get in­
to the vehicle - putting lives at risk.
Starting from rest
The starting assist function ensures that the
parking broke is released automatically upon
starting.
Stopping and appl ying p arking brake
~ Pull the switch(®) to apply the pa rking
brake.
Sta rting and automaticall y releasing the
parking brak e
~ When you start to drive as us ual, the pa rk­
ing brake is automatically released and your
veh icle begins to move .
When stopp ing at a traffic signal or stopping
in city t raff ic, the parking b rake can be ap­
plied. The vehicle does not have to be held
with the footbrake. The parking brake elimi­
nates the tendency to creep w ith a dr ive range
engaged. As soon as you drive off as usua l,
the parking brake is released automatically
and the vehicle starts to move.
St arting on slope s
When starting on inclines, the sta rting assist
prevents the vehicle from unintentionally roll­
ing back. The braking force of the parking
brake is not re leased until suff ic ient driving
force has been built up at the wheels.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
l eased automatically on ly when the driv­
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Starting off with a trailer
To prevent rolling back unintentionally on an
incline, do the following:
~ Keep the switch(®) pulled and depress the
accelerator. The parking brake stays applied
and prevents the vehicle from roll ing back-
ward . ..,.

84 On th e road
• You can release the switch (®) once you are
sure that you are developing enough for­
ward momentum at the wheels as you de­
press the accelerator .
Depending on the weight of the rig (vehicle
and trai ler) and the severity of the incline, you
may roll backwards as you start . You can pre­
vent roll ing backwards by holding the parking
brake switch(®) pulled out and accelerating -
just as you would when starting on a hill with
a conventional hand brake .
Emergency braking
In the event that the conventional brake sys­
tem fails or locks .
• In an emergency, pull the switch(®) and
continue to pull it to slow your vehicle down
with the parking brake .
• As soon as you release the sw itch
C®> or ac-
cele rate , the braking p rocess stops.
If you pull the switch(®) and hold it above a
speed of about 5 mph (8 km/h), the emergen ­
cy braking function is in it iated. The veh icle is
b raked at all four wheels by activa ting the hy­
d raul ic br ake system. The b rake performance
is simi lar to making an emergency stop
c::> & .
In order not to activate the emergency brak­
i ng by m ista ke, an audible wa rning tone (bu z­
z er) sounds when the swi tc h
C®> is pulled. As
soon as the switch(®) is released, or the accel­
erator pedal is depressed, emergency braking
stops .
.&_ WARNING
Emergency braking should only be used in
an emergency, when the normal foot brake
has failed or the brake pedal is obstructed.
Using the parking bra ke to perform emer­
gency braking will slow yo ur vehicle down
as if you had made a fu ll brake applicat ion.
T he laws of physics cannot be s uspended
even w ith ESC and its associate d compo­
nents (ABS, ASR, EDL). In corners and
when road or weather conditions are bad, a full brake application can cause the vehi- cle to sk
id or the rear end to break away -
risking an accident.
Speed warning system
, Introduction
The speed warning system helps you to stay
under a specified maximum speed .
The speed warning system warns you if you
are exceeding the maximum speed that you
have set . You will hear a warning tone when
your speed exceeds the stored value by ap­ proximate ly 3 mph (3 km/h). An ind icator
l ight . (USA
models) ;a (Canada mode ls) in
the instr ument cluster d isp lay also tur ns on at
the same time. The indicator light.,.
turns off when the speed decreases be low the
stored maxim um speed.
Setting a th reshold is recommended if you
would like to be rem inded when you reach a
certain maxim um speed. Situations whe re you
may want to do so include driving in a co untry
with a genera l speed limit or if there is a
specified maximum speed for winter tires.
(D Tips
Even though your vehicle is equipped w ith
a speed warn ing system, you should still
watch the speedometer to make sure you
are not dr iv ing faster than the speed limit.
Setting the threshold
You can set, change and delete the threshold
in the MMI.
• Select: !CAR ! function b utton > Car systems
contro l button > Dri ver ass ist > Speed warn ­
ing .
You can set any threshold between 20 mph
(30 km/h) and 150 mph (240 km/h). Sett ings
can each be adj usted in increments of 5 mph
(10 km/h).