2012 AUDI A8 check engine

26 Instruments and warning /indicator lights
After abo ut 5 seconds the display sw itches
back to normal. The distance and time re­
maining are updated eac h time the ignition is
switched on until the date due for service is
reached .
Service due
When the due date for service is reached , the
message
Serv ice due! appears in the instr u­
ment cluster immediately after you switch the
ignit io n on . Additionally, a warning tone
sounds . After about
5 seconds the display
sw itches back to no rmal.
Calling up the service schedules
If or when an oil change or inspection is due,
can be shown in the MMI d isplay by select ing
the service interva l display in the car menu .
Select the
!CAR ! function button> Car sys­
tems
co ntrol button > Servicing & checks >
Service interval disp lays.
Re setting the service interval display
Your author ized Audi dealer w ill reset the cor­
responding service sched ule after performing
the app rop riate se rv ice on you r vehicle . You
a lso have the possibili ty to reset the o il
change sched ule after having performed an
oil c hange a ccor ding to Audi s pecifications.
Selec t the
I CAR I func tion button > Car sys­
tems
c on trol b utt on > Servicing & checks >
Service interval displays > Reset oil change
inte rval.
{[) Note
If you disconnec t the b attery termi nals, no
calc ulations can be made for the serv ice
interva l display during this t ime and no
service rem inder w ill appea r. Remembe r
that obse rv in g the prope r se rv ice interva ls
is vitally impo rtant to extend ing the life of
your v eh icle, part icu larly the eng ine, and
main taini ng its va lue . Ev en i f th e m ileage
driv en is low, th e maximum per iod o f one
yea r from o ne se rvi ce to the nex t mus t not
be e xcee ded.
(D Tips
- Do not reset the display betwee n oil
c h anges, otherwise the d isp lay w ill be in­
co rrect.
- Th e info rmation in the Se rvice Remin der
remains stored even w hen t he vehicle
battery is disconnected.
Open door /hood /rear lid warning
F ig. 1 1 Display : doors and rea r lid open
Wi th the ig nition sw itched on, t he warn ing il­
lu minates when at least
one doo r or th e hood
or the rear lid is not closed. The sym bo l also
shows you
which d oor(s) or lid is not closed.
In the illustration
r:!> fig. 11 it is the driver's
doo randt he leftrea rdoo ~
On-Board Diagnostic
system (OBD)
Malfunction Ind icator Lamp (MIL )
The Ma lf u nction Indicator Lam p (M IL) f-4 in
t h e instr ume nt cluster is part of t he On -Board
Diagnostic (OBD
II) system .
T he wa rn ing /indic ator lig ht ill uminates when
the ignitio n is switched on and goes ou t after
t h e engine sta rts and t he id le has sta bilized.
This ind icates that the MIL is working proper­
ly.
If the light does not go out afte r the e ngine
is starte d, or illumi nates w hile you are driv­
i ng, a mal function may exist in the engine sys ­
tem . If t he light illum inates, t he catalytic con-
verter could be damaged .
IIJ,-

Removing the mechanical key
Fig. 14 Remote control maste r key : re mov ing the me­
c han ical key
• Press the release button@ ¢ fig. 14.
• Pull the mechanica l key @ out of the mas ­
ter key.
Using the mechan ica l key, you can:
- lock and unlock* the storage compartment
on the passenger's side
<=:> page 71.
-lock and unlock the vehicle manually
c:>page 33 .
-lock the front and rear passenger doors me­
chanically
c:> page 34.
- unlock the rear lid manua lly ¢ page 37 .
Check light and battery in the master
key
Fig. 15 Remote master key : Re mov ing the battery
holder
Check light in the master key
The check light @<=:> fig. 15 in the master key
prov ides information about different cond i­
tions.
• The check light turns on brief ly once when a
button is pressed, and during an "inqu iry"
by the convenience key system .
Opening and closing 29
• If the check light does not come on, the
battery is dead and has to be replaced. In
add ition, when the battery is dead
the m
indicator light appears in the instrument
cluster display as well as the message
Please change the key battery .
Master key battery replacement
We recommend having the battery changed
by an authorized Audi dealer. However, if you
wish to replace the dead battery yourse lf , pro­
ceed as follows:
• Remove the mechanical key
c:> page 29.
.. Press the re lease button ® c:> fig. 15 on the
battery holder and at the same time pull the
battery holder out of the master key in the
direction of the arrow .
.. Install the new battery CR 2032 with the
"+" sign facing down.
• Push the battery holder carefu lly into the
master key.
• Install the mechan ical key.
(® For the sake of the environment
Dispose of dead batteries properly so as
not to poll ute the environment.
(D Tips
The replacement battery must be the
same specification as the original.
Electronic immobilizer
The immobilizer helps to prevent unauthor­
ized use of your vehicle .
A computer chip inside your key automatically
deact ivates the electronic immobilizer when
the key is inside the vehicle . When you remove
the key from the vehicle, the elect ronic immo ­
bilizer is automatically activated once again.
& WARNING
Always take the key with you when you
leave the vehicle. The key can disarm the
e lectronic engine immobilizer and permit
an unauthorized person to start the engine
and enable operation of the vehicle
IIJI,-

- The buttons for the power sun shades* in
the side windows,
- The buttons for the power sun shade* in the
rear window,
- Front passenger power seat adj ustment *
button.
_& WARNING
- When you leave your vehicle -even if on­
ly briefly- always take the ignition key
with you. This applies particularly when
children remain in the veh icle. Otherw ise
the ch ildren could start the engine or op­
erate electrical equ ipment (e.g. power
w indows) . The power windows are func­
t ional until t he driver's door or passeng­
er's door has been opened.
- Be careful when closing the windows.
Check to see that no one is in the way, or
serious injury could result!
- When lo cking the veh icle from outside,
t he ve hicle must be unocc upied s in ce the
w indows can no longer be opened in an
emergency.
(D Tips
- The dr iver can lower or raise the power
sun shades * in the side windows by us ing
swi tches © and
@.
-After the ignition has been switched off,
the windows can still be opened o r
closed for about 10 minutes . The powe r
windows are not switched off until the
driver's door or passenger's door has
been opened.
What to do after a malfunction
The one-touch open and close function must
be reactivated if the battery hos been discon ­
nected.
• Pull and hold the power window switch un­
ti l the window is fully closed.
• Release the switch and then pull it again for
at least one second .
Openin g an d clos ing 39
Valet parking
The valet parking feature protects the lug­
gage comportment from unauthorized ac­
cess.
F ig. 30 Valet par king button
Wi th "valet parking" a ctivated, the rear lid
cannot be opened.
• Remove the mechanical key
c::;, page 29 .
• Open the glove compartment and activate
c::;, fig. 30 the "valet parking" feature by
pressing the
! VALET I b utton. The indicator
light in the swi tch illuminates.
• Close the glove compartment and lock it
w ith the mechanical key.
• Leave the master key with the se rvice per ­
sonnel for park ing and keep the mechanical
key with you.
When the "valet parking" feature is activated:
- the unlocki ng button fo r the rear l id
c:s in
the dr ive r's door is inactive
- the button
c:s on the mas ter key is inac tive
- the opening handle in the rear lid is inact ive .
The vehicle can be driven and locked and un­
locked with the master key. Access to the lug­
gage compartment is blocked.
When the valet parking function is switched
on, the message
Vale t par king acti vated ap­
pears in the instrument cluster display when
you sw itch the ignition on.

64 Seats and storage
Full-length center
console
Overview
Appl ies to vehicles: with full-len gth ce nter console
Fig. 61 Rear: full -length center console
@ · 115 volt socket ¢ page 64
@ · cupholder <=> page 71
© · 12 volt socket c:> page 70
@ · Folding table ¢ page 65
®·center armrest and storage com part ·
ments: to open the deep compartment, press
the right button and fold the center armrest
upward. To open the compartment for the
massage function remote control*
c:> page 60
and for the telephone*, press the left button
and fold the center armrest upward.
115-volt socket
Applies to vehicles: with 115 -vo lt socket
The 115-volt socket can only be used when
the engine is running¢
A. When you push
the connector all the way into the socket, the
child safety mechanism releases and current
flows through the socket .
Equipment that can be connected
Electrical devices can be connected to the 115
volt socket in the vehicle. Power consumption
at the 115-volt socket must not exceed 150
watts (300 watts peak) . Check the power con·
sumption of the equipment on the model
plate .
LED on the socket
-The socket is ready for use when the LED is
green.
- If the LED blinks red, there is a malfunction.
The socket will switch off automatically due
to overcurrent or overheating. The socket
will switch on again automatically after a cool-down period. Any devices that are con­
nected and switched on will activate again
automatically
c:> A .
A WARNING
-
- The sockets and the electrical accessories
connected to them operate only when
the ignition is switched on. Incorrect us­
age can lead to serious injuries or burns.
To reduce the risk of injuries, never leave
children unattended in the vehicle with
the vehicle key.
- Heavy equipment or plugs with integrat­
ed power supply units can damage the
socket and lead to injuries.
- Store a ll connected equipment securely
while the vehicle is moving so that they
cannot be thrown through the vehicle in
the event of a braking maneuver or an
accident.
- Never spill any liquids on the socket. If
any moisture gets into the socket, make
certain that all the moisture has dried up before using the socket again.
- Equipment that is connected to the vehi·
cle socket can heat up more than it does
when connected to the public grid .
- When using adapters and extension
cords, the child safety for the 115-volt
socket is disabled and the socket is live.
- Never insert anything other than the
plug of an appropriate electrical accesso·
ry into the socket, especially things that
conduct electricity, e.g. metal pens, knit­
ting needles, etc. into the contacts of the
115-volt socket.
- Turn the electrical equipment off if the
socket has switched off because of over·
heating.

- the temperature in the luggage compart­
ment is below 131 °f (55 °C). The cooler
switches off automatically if the tempera­
ture in the luggage compartment exceeds
131 °f (55 °C) . Once the temperature falls
below 131 °f (55 °C) again, the cooler
switches on aga in automatically .
- the battery is adequately charged . The cool­
er switches off automatically if the vehicle
battery voltage falls below a minimum lev­
el. This prevents the battery from discha rg­
i ng . The cooler switches back on again auto­
matically when the battery voltage increases
again (e.g . after starting the engine).
The cooler cools to 42.8 °f
(+ 6 °C) and the
freezer cools to 21.2 °f (-6 °C) in opt imum
cooling cond itions . Th e cooling performance
is affected by the temperature in the luggage
compartment. The temperature inside the
cooler will be higher if the luggage compart­
ment is hot.
A WARNING
To avoid putting the occupants at any risk,
please observe the following safety rules:
- The maximum capacity is 2.5 kg (5.5
lbs.).
- Never overload the cooler. This could
cause injury in the event of a collision or
sudden braking.
- The coo ler lid must always be kept closed
while you are driving. Make sure the re­
taining catch is securely engaged. The
contents of the coo ler could be thrown
forward into the passenger compart­
ment in the event of a collision or under
sudden braking - risk of injury!
- Inflammable liquids, gas canisters, etc.
must not be stored in the cooler -risk of
exp losion! This also includes any prod­
ucts that might emit volatile or inflam­
mable gases.
- Liquids will freeze at temperatures at or
below 32 °f (0 °C) and may cause glass
bottles to burst!
Seats and storage 73
(D Note
-The venti lation openings for the cooler
are located on the back pane l trim in the
luggage compartment and
must be kept
clear at all t imes.
- If the cooler is not functioning properly,
switch it off to prevent further damage.
Have it checked by a qualified workshop .
Operation
Applies to vehicles: wit h coo ler
Fig. 76 Rea r ce nte r armre st
The cooler is located in the rear cabin behind
the center armrest or behind the sliding cover (depending on the equipment fitted in your
vehicle) . The cooler and freezer only work
when the ignition is on .
Opening / closing the cooler
.,. To open the cooler, pull the release lever@
~ fig. 76.
.,. To close the cooler, push the lid back into its
original position. You should hear the re­
lease lever
(D engage if the lid is properly
closed.
Switching on /off
.,. Press button @ 9 fig. 76 to sw itch the cool­
er on/off. The symbol in the button is lit
when this function is activated .
.,. Press button
@ to switch the freezer on/
off . The symbol in the button is lit when this
function is activated .

@ Tips
-ABS and ASR on ly work correctly when
all four wheels are equ ipped with identi­
cal t ires. Different tire s iz es can lead to a
reduct ion in eng ine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems
described are working.
- If the indicator light
D] or m (USA
models) ;£1 (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunction¢
page 19,
c> page
18 .
Switching on and off
ESC
turn s on au tomatically when you s tart
the engine .
Fig. 167 Cen te r con sol e wit h ES C OF F but ton
Switching ASR off (sport mode )
In certain sit uat ions, you can switch ASR and
ESC in to sport mode by pressing the bu tton
[ru
c> fig. 167 . The indicator light I comes o n
and the message
Cauti on! R edu ced t ra cti on
appears. ASR deactivates completely and the
assistance provided by the ESC system is lim it­
ed . Switch to sport mode only when your driv ­
ing skills, traffic and weathe r conditions per­
mi t.
I n some s ituations, it may be useful to switc h
ASR off to let the wheels slip. Example:
- Rocking the vehicle back and forth when it is
stuck
- Driv ing in deep snow or on loose ground
- Driving with snow cha ins
Switching ASR on
Press the button [fil again. The message Sta­
bility program on
appears.
Intelligen t technolog y 189
A WARNING
-Drive whee ls can sp in and you can lose
control of the vehicle more eas ily when
ASR and ESC are in sport mode, especial­
ly whe n the road is slippe ry .
- Sw itch to sport mode only when your
driving skills, traff ic and weather condi­
tions permit.
(D Tips
You cannot sw itch sport mode on whe n
adaptive cruise control* is working .
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating cond itions and driving h abits
The brakes o n today's automobiles are still
subject to wear, depend ing largely on operat­
i ng condit ions and driving habits ¢&, . On ve­
hicles that a re either dr iven most ly in stop­
and-go c ity t raff ic or are dr iven hard, the
brake pad s should be checked by yo ur author ­
i zed Audi dealer more often than specified in
the
Warranty & Maintenance booklet. Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can result in reduced brake performance.
On steep slopes, you sho uld use the braking
effect of the eng ine . T his way, you prevent un­
necessary wear on the brake system . If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the br akes
down cont inuous ly . Pump the brakes a t in ter­
vals .
Moisture o r ro ad sa lt
Under certa in conditions, for example, when
driv ing through water or very heavy ra in, or
even after washing your veh icle, the braking
effec t can be reduced due to moisture (or in
freez ing cond itions ice) on the brake pads . A
few carefu l brake applications should dry off
the b ra ke pads or remove a ny ice coatings.
When you are driving a t higher speeds with
the windsh ie ld w ipers on , the brake pads will
IJJJ,

& WARNING
-Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut
off.
- If the brake booster is not working, for
example when towing your vehicle, or
because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance.
Servotronic ® -
advanced power
steering system
-
The power steering systems use the power of
the running engine to allow precise steering
with little effort.
The advanced Servotronic ® power steering
system senses the road speed and e lectroni­
cally adjusts power ass istance to provide com­
fortable and safe steering response exactly matched to the veh icle speed.
Power steering wi ll not work if the engine is
off. As a resu lt, the steering whee l wi ll be hard
to turn.
The power steering fluid level is checked dur­ ing the scheduled maintenance services.
(D Note
I f there is an electronic malfunct ion, ser­
votronic
will sti ll function like a conven­
tional power steering system, providing a
constant steering support force that is no
longer proportionate to the vehicle speed.
This is most noticeable when turning the steer ing whee l at low speeds (for examp le
when parking), -more effo rt will be re­
qui red than usual.
- Be awa re of the different than usual
steering response and adjust your stee r­
i ng fo rce accord ingly.
- Have the p roblem checked and set right
by an Aud i dealer as soon as possib le .
Int ellig ent technolog y 191
(D Tips
-When the engine is running, never ho ld
the steering wheel turned all the way to
the right or to the left for longer than 15
seconds. The power steering pump will
overheat the hydrau lic fluid if you keep
holding the stee ring wheel turned all the
way. This is likely to damage the power
steering system.
- If the powe r stee ring system should fa il
entire ly, o r if the e ngine is not run ning
(for example, wh ile be ing towed), you
w ill still be able to stee r the veh icle.
However,
considerably more effor t will
be required to do so .
- If the power stee ring system sho uld
have a lea k, or is not functioning proper ­
ly, contact your authorized A udi dealer
immediately.
- The power steering system req uires a
specially formu lated hydra ulic fluid. The
power steering fluid reservoir is located
in the engine compartment
Q page 221.
The correct fluid level in the reservoir is
important for proper functioning of the
powe r stee ring.
Driving with your
quattro ®
With All Wheel Drive, all four wheels ore driv­
en.
General information
Wi th A ll Wheel Drive, power is dis tributed to
all four w heels. This happens automatically
depend ing on your driving style and the road
conditions at the time . See a lso
Q page 187.
With the sport different ia l*, power distribu­
tion to the rear wheels is variable and can be
adjusted with Audi drive select*
Qpage 103.
Always read and follow safety precautions
Q&_ ,
Winter tires
When dr iving in the winter, yo ur vehicle with
A ll Wheel Drive has an advantage, even w ith
regular tires. In winter road conditions it may ..,. •
•

196 Driving and en vironm ent
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
A WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
sto re the full braking effect.
@) Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Check the depth of the water before dr iv­
i ng through it.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
through water .
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive through safely.
- Avoid dr iving through salt water because
i t can cause corrosion.
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, environmenta l impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent . This sec­
t ion will give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook.
@ Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con ­
ditions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
.,. Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
ce lerating. If you anticipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, acce lerate less . Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible - for example when you see
that the next traffic light is red.