2012 AUDI A8 engine

14 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Air suspension
¢page 18
Sport differential*
¢page22
Other indicator lights
- Turn
signals
¢page22
~ USA models: Cruise control *
~ ¢ page 85
•
Canada models: Cruise control*
¢page 85
-
r!I
Adaptive cruise control*
¢page89
•
Adaptive cruise control*
¢page 89
-
I
Adaptive cruise control*
¢page89
•
Audi lane assist
¢ page 96
-
•
High beam
¢page45
BRAKE /((f)) Brake system
The light illuminates when the ignition is
switched on . It goes out after the engine has
been started . This indicates that the brake
warn ing light is functioning properly.
If the brake warning light does not light up
when the engine is cranking, there may be a
malfunction in the electrical system. In this
case, contact your Audi dealer.
If the brake system warning/ind icator light
turns on, there is a brake system malfunction.
- (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid level
If the indicator light turns on and the mes ­
sage appears, proceed as follows:
"" Pull off the road . ""
Stop the vehicle.
"" Turn off the engine .
"" Check the brake fluid level ¢
page 229.
"" Contact your nearest authori zed repair fa-
cility if necessary.
Warning! Fault in brake system. Contact
dealer
If the ABS indicator light ti] (USA models)/ rl]
(Canada models), the ESC indicator light G]
and the brake system indicator light
- (USA models)/ . (Canada models) turn
on and the message appears, the ABS, ESC
and braking distr ibut ion are not working¢.&..
Carefu lly drive to your authorized Audi dealer
immediately to have the malfunction correct­
ed ¢.&. .
- (USA models) . (Canada models)
Parking brake: system fault! Please contact
dealer
- If the indicator light and the message ap­
pear
when stationary or after switching the
ignition on , check if you can release the
parking brake. After releasing the parking
brake, carefully drive to your authorized Au­
di dealer immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected. If you cannot release the
pa rking brake, seek professiona l assistance.
- If the ind icator light and the message ap­
pear
while driving, the emergency brak ing
function may not be available . It may not be
possible to set the park ing brake or release
it once it has been set. Seek profess ional as­
sistance.
(USA models): If the warn ing light - and
the warn ing l ight
El appear together, imme­
diately contact your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified wo rkshop to have all brake pads in­
spected
¢ page 19.
When the light comes on, an audible warning
s ignal is also given .
Ill-

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 15
A WARNING ,~
- Always observe the warnings in
c:> page 213, Engine compartment, be­
fore opening the hood and checking the brake fluid.
- Driving with low brake fluid is a safety hazard. Stop the car and get professional
assistance.
-USA models: If the - warning light,
the
Iii warning light and them warn­
ing light come on together, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause
loss of vehicle control and an accident.
Have your vehicle repaired immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer or a quali­
fied workshop . Drive slowly and avoid
sudden, hard brake applications.
- Canada models: If the brake warning
light ., the
Ii] warning light and the
ABS warning light
ll] come on together,
the rear wheels could lock up first under
hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci­ dent . Have your vehicle repaired immedi­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop. Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
- If the brake warning/indicator light does
not go out after a few seconds and the
parking brake released, or lights up while
you are driving, the fluid level in the
brake fluid reservoir is too low. If you be­
lieve that it is safe to do so, proceed im­
mediately at low speed to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair
facility and have the brake system in­ spected.
-Always keep in mind that after several
brake applications, you will need greater
pressure on the brake pedal to stop your
vehicle . Do not rely on strained brakes to
respond with maximum stopping power
in critical situations. You must allow for
increased braking distances. The extra
distance used up by fading brakes could
lead to an accident.
PARK/( ®) Electromechanical parking
brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electromechanical parking brake .
If the indicator light - (USA models)/ .
(Canada models) turns on, the parking brake
was set. If the parking brake is set when the
ignition is off, the indicator light turns off af­
ter about 20 seconds.
The warning/indicator light will go out when
the parking brake is released.
- (USA models) • (Canada models)
Caution: Vehicle parked too steep
If the indicator light blinks and the message
appears, there is not enough braking power to
keep the vehicle from rolling . The brakes have
overheated. The vehicle could roll away even
on a small incline.
Press brake pedal to release parking brake
To release the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press the button~ or start driving
with starting assist at the same time
c:> page 83.
Please release parking brake
To release the parking brake manually, press
the brake pedal and press the button ~ at the
same time. The parking brake only release au­
tomatically if the driver's safety belt is fas­
tened .
IIJ Parking brake!
If the IIJ indicator light turns on and this
message appears, there is a parking brake
malfunction . Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop immediately to
have the malfunction corrected.
- L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible.
• Switch off engine and check coolant level IJ-

16 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the coo lant temperature is too
h igh or the coo lant level is too low.
.,. Pull off the road.
.,. Stop the vehicle .
.,. Turn off the engine.
.,. Check coolant level¢
page 22 7.
.,. Add coolant if necessary¢
page 228 .
.,. Continue driving only after the eng ine cool­
ant warn ing/indicator light goes out.
.,. Co ntact your authorized Audi dealer for as-
s istance if necessary .
If the engine coolant level is correct, then the radiator fan may be the cause of the malfunc ­
tion .
• Coolant temperature too high! Please let
engine run with vehicle stationary
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears in trailer mode*, let the engine
run at idle for a few m inutes to cool down.
A WARNING ,_
- If your veh icle should break down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
safe distance from moving traffic, turn
off the engine and turn on the hazard
warning lights¢
page 44, Emergency
flasher.
-
- Never open the hood if you see or hear
steam or coolant escaping from the en­
gine compartment -you risk being scald­
ed. Wait until you can no longer see or
hear steam or coo lant escaping .
- Th e engine compartment of any vehicle
is a dangerous area. Before you perform
any work in the engine compartment,
turn of the eng ine and allow it to cool.
Follow the warning stickers¢
page 213,
Engine compartment.
0 Note
Do not continue driving if the . symbol
illuminates. There is a malfunct ion in the
engine cooling system -you could damage
your eng ine .
4'-Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to
put on your safety belt.
The . warning/indicator light illuminates
when the ignition is switched on to remind
the driver and any front passenger to put on
the safety belt. Addit ionally, an acoustic warn­
ing (gong) wi ll also sound .
For more Information¢
page 134, ~ Safety
belt warning light .
f::I Battery
This warning/indicator light detects a mal­
function in the generator or in the vehicle 's
electrical system.
The. warning/indicator light illum inates
when you switch on the ignition and must go
out after the eng ine has started .
• Alternator fault: Battery is not being
charged
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is a ma lfunction in the
generator or vehicle electrical system.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop immediate ly . Because the veh i­
cle battery is discharging, turn off all unnec­
essary electrical equipment such as the radio.
Seek professiona l assistance if the battery
charge level is too low.
(•i Low battery charge: battery will be
charged while driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there may be limited starting
ability.
If this message turns off after a little while,
the battery charged enough while driving.
If the message does not turn off, have your
autho rized Aud i dealer or qualified workshop
correct the malfunction.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 17
9::;r: Engine oil pressure malfunction
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol
requires immediate service or repair . Driving
with a Low-oil-pressure indication is Likely to
inflict severe damage to the engine .
• Switch off engine and check oil level
If the indicator light t urns on the message ap­
pears, the oil press ure is too low.
~ P ull off the road.
~ Stop t he ve hicle .
~ Turn off the engine.
~ Check the engine oil level¢ page 224 .
~ If the engi ne oil leve l is too low, add engine
o il ¢
page 225. M ake sure that the oil p res­
s ur e warning symbol. appears no longer
in t he d is pl ay befo re y ou start driving aga in.
~ If the engine oil leve l is cor re ct an d the ind i­
c a tor lig ht still tur ns o n, tur n t he eng ine
off
and do not contin ue d riving . Seek professio ­
nal assistance.
(D Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is
not an indicator for a low engine oil lev­
el. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the
oil level in your engine at regular inter­
vals, preferably each time you refuel,
and always before going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
II requires oil refill or workshop serv­
ice without delay. Do not wait until the
red oil pressure warning. starts to
flash before you respond to the low oil level warning
l!I. By then, your engine
may already have suffered seriou s dam­
age .
~ . Engine oil level
• WARNING: Please add oil immediately
When t he sy mbo l and the dr iver message a p­
pea r, the oil has to be reple nished r ight now
¢page 222.
If the indicator lig ht and th e message ap pear,
a d d engine o il i mm edi ate ly
¢page 225.
II Add oil , max . x qt (l). You may continue
driving
Whe n the symbol and the d river message ap­
pear, add the amoun t of oil appear ing in the
display at the nex t oppo rtuni ty ¢
page 222.
® -Steering column lock
• Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
If th e indic ator li ght turns on and the mes ­
sa ge appe ars, there is an e lectroni c steering
column lock malf unct ion . You cannot switch
the ignit ion on.
D o
not tow yo ur vehicle beca us e it cann ot b e
s tee red. See k profession al assistance .
!'J!I Steering lock : system fault . Please con­
tact dealer
If the indicato r light turns on and the mes­
sage appea rs , t here is an e lectronic stee ring
column lock malfunct io n .
Drive to your auth orized A udi dealer immedi­
ately to hav e th e m alfunction corr ect ed .
A WARNING -
Your vehicle m ust not b e tow ed in t he
eve nt of a ma lfunction in the elec tronic
st eer ing col umn lo ck b eca use i t cann ot be
s teere d du e to the lock ed s tee ring. If it is
towe d wit h the steer ing lo cke d, there is
the r isk o f an acci dent.
© -Engine start system
• Engine start system fault. Please con­
tact dealer
If the indica to r li ght tur ns on and the mes­
sage a ppea rs, do
not switch the ignition off
because you may not be ab le to sw itch it on
again.
D rive to your autho rized A udi de aler imme di­
ate ly to have the ma lfunction corrected.
• Engine start system fault . Plea se con­
tact dealer

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.

22 Instruments and warning /indicator lights
However, you can continue to turn the lights
on and
off using the light switch . You can still
control a ll funct ions that are independent of
the rain sensor through the windshield wiper lever.
Contact your authorized Audi dealer as soon
as possible to have the prob lem corrected.
@! Dynamic steering
1;r.ij Steering: system fault. you can continue
driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the steering may be more diffi­
cult to move or more sensitive than usual. The
steering wheel may also be at an angle when
driving straight .
Drive slow ly to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected.
tT@ Dynamic steering: initialising
If th is driver message appears and the ind ica­
tor light is flashing on the instrument panel,
dynamic steering is being reinitialized. Once
you start the engine after this is finished, the steering wheel w ill be easy to move . Re-initi ­
alization might be necessary if the steering
wheel was moved hard to the left and r ight
while the veh icle was not moving . The display
goes out as soon as init ialization is complete .
A WARNING
-
Have the dynamic steering system mal­
function repaired as soon as possible by an
authorized Audi dealer or any qualified
workshop -risk of accident!
@ Tips
-The dynamic steering stability systems
are not available in the event of a system
malfunction.
- For additional informat ion on dynamic
stee ring, refer to
¢page 103.
I-: Sport differential
II Sport differential: system fault
There is a malfunction with the sport d ifferen ­
t ial.
Drive to your authori zed Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
II Sport differential: overheating
The transmission temperature has increased
s ignificantly due to the sporty driving manner.
Drive in a less sporty manner until the tem­
perature returns to the normal range and the
indicator light switches of.
A WARNING
Contact your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop if the sport differential
is faulty or malfunct ioning . The repair
must be performed by trained personnel
using the correct oil in order to ensure
safety.
¢ 9 Turn signals
-
The indicator light blinks when you use either
turn signal .
Whenever you use the left B or the right B
turn signal, the indicator light blinks. When
you use the emergency flashers , both indica­
tor lights flash .
If one of the turn signal light bulbs burn out,
the turn signal will blink twice as fast as nor­ mal. Carefu lly dr ive to your authorized Audi
dealer immed iately to have the malfunction
corrected. The indicator light does not indi­
cate a malfunction if a turn signal on the trail­
er or on the vehicle fails in trailer towing
mode.
@ Tips
For more information on the turn signals,
refer to
¢ page 45.

24 Instruments and warning /indicator lights
ca used by the he at being radiated from
t h e engine.
- Y ou can se lect the units used for temper­
atu re, speed and other measurements i n
the MMI.
- Fo r i nforma tion on the a udio/video and
navigation* functions, refer to the se pa­
r ate MMI owner's manual.
Operation
The driver information system is operated us ­
ing the buttons on the multifunction steering
wheel.
en
~------,~
;;i,
Fig . 6 Mult ifunct io n steer in g whee l: ope rat ing t he d riv ­
er informa tion sys tem
Fi g. 7 Driver info rm ation system : open ing t he ve hicle
f unct io ns m en u
Operating concept
.. Switch the ignition on.
.. To sw itch between the tabs, press the rock­
er switch @to the left or right¢
fig. 6.
.. To access addi tional info rmat ion be low or
above, rotate the thumbw heel @ dow n or
u p.
.. To confi rm a se lecti on, press the thum b­
w hee l@ .
Accessing Vehicle functions
.. Sele ct the first t ab with the ro cker swi tch
@ .
.. Press the button ~-Th e Vehicle funct ions
menu appears ¢ fig. 7.
.. To se lect a menu item, turn and press t he
thumbwheel @.
Resetting values to ze ro
.. Select the on-board computer / Efficiency
program
menu item in the Vehicle func­
tions
menu .
.. Yo u can now select between the long-term
memory and s hort-term memory .
.. To reset the values in a memory, p ress a nd
hold the thumbwheel @ for one second .
The last function selected d isp lays when you
switch the ignition on .
On-board computer
You can call up the fo llowing info rmation in
the on -board computer:
- Dat e
- Dr iving t ime ( h) from the short-term memo-
ry
- Average cons umption in MPG ( l/100 km)
from the short-te rm memory
- Average speed i n mph (km/h) from the
short-te rm memory
- Dis tance driven in miles (km) from the
short-t erm memory
- Cur ren t fu e l consumption in MPG ( l/100
km)
- Short -te rm memory overview
- Long-term memory overview
T he short-te rm memory collects dr iv ing infor ­
mation from the time the ig nition is switched
on until it is switched off. If you continue driv­
i ng within two ho urs after switch ing the ig ni­
tion off, the new values are included when cal­
cu lating the c urrent t rip information .
U nli ke the short-term memory , the long-term
memory is not erased automatically . You can
select the time period for evaluating trip in-
format io n yourself . ..,.

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,-