2012 AUDI A8 headlights

-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 .,..
•
•

Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for service. Yo u are well advised to
replace a battery that is older than 5 years .
W ith certa in types o f airbag deployment, the
battery is disconnec ted from the vehicle elec ­
trica l system for safety reasons
c::> &. in Re­
pair, care and disposal of the airbags on
page 156.
Disconn ecting the battery terminal s
Some vehicle functions (power w indow regu­
l ators, for example) are lost if the battery ter­
minals are disconnected . These functions have
to be re learned after the battery terminals are
connec ted again. To prevent this, the battery
should only be disconnected from the vehicle
e lectrical system when absolutely necessary
for repairs .
Vehicles not driven for long period s
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electrical compo­
nents are gradually cu t back or switched off .
This reduces energy consumption and main ­
tains starting capability over a longer per iod
c::> page 192. Some of the convenience func­
tions may not operate, s uch as the inte rior
lights o r the power sea t adjustment . T he con­
ve nience fun ct ions wi ll be available again
when yo u switch on the ignition and start the
engine.
Winter operation
During the winter mont hs, ba ttery capaci ty
t ends to decrease as tempe rat ures d rop . Th is
is because more powe r is also consumed while
starting , and the headlights, rear window de ­
fogger, etc., are used more oft en.
Avoid unnecessary power cons umption, par­
ticularly in c ity t ra ff ic or when t raveling on ly
short distances. Let your a uthorized Audi
dealer check the capac ity of the vehicle bat ­
tery before winter sets inc::>
page 233. A well
charged battery w ill not only prevent starting
problems whe n the weather is cold, but will
also last longer .
Checkin g and fillin g 231
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for seve ral
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery shou ld be removed and
stored where it w ill not freeze. This will
prevent it from be ing damaged and having
to be replaced .
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located in the l uggage compart­
ment under the floor. Before you check any­
th ing in the luggage compartment,
read and
h eed all WARNINGS
c::> &_ .
Always heed the safety warnings , when work­
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle e lec­
trical system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Al ways heed the follo wing WARNING SYM­
BOLS and safety precautions when working on the battery.
@
®
Always wear eye protection.
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid.
Always w ear glove s and eye prot ec­
tion .
No
- sparks
-flames
- smoking .
When a battery i s charged, it produ­
ce s hydrogen gas wh ich i s ex plosive
and could cause per sonal injury .
Always keep the battery well out of ]
reach of children .
_& WARNING ~
Whenever working on the battery o r on
the electrical system, there is the risk of injury, accident and even fire . Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
•
•

Fuse panel® (brown)
No. Equipment
= 11 Radio receiver
12 Rearview camera (park
ing
a id), Top view
Bulbs
Replacing light bulbs Amps
' ' 7,5
5
For your safety, we recommend that you have
your authorized Audi dealer replace burned out bulbs for you.
It is becoming increas ingly more and more
d iff icu lt to replace vehicle light bulbs since in
many cases, other parts of the car must first
be removed before you are able to get to the
bu lb. This applies especially to the light bulbs
in the front of your car which you can on ly
reach through the engine compartment.
Sheet metal and bulb ho lders can have sharp
edges that can cause serious cuts, and parts must be correctly taken apart and then prop­
erly put back together to help prevent break­
age of parts and long term damage from wa­
ter that can enter housings that have not been properly resealed.
For your safety, we recommend that you have
your authorized Audi dealer replace any bulbs for you, since your dealer has the proper tools,
the correct bulbs and the expertise.
Gas discharge lamps (Xenon lights):
Due to the high electrical voltage, have the
bulbs replaced by a qualified technician.
Headlights with Xenon light can be identified
by the high voltage sticker.
LED headlights * require no maintenance .
Please contact your authorized Audi dealer if a
bu lb needs to be replaced.
A WARNING
Contact with high-voltage components of
the electrical system and improper re­
placement of gas discharge (Xenon) head-
Fuses and bulbs
light bulbs can cause serious personal in­
jury and death.
- Xenon bulbs are pressurized and can ex­
plode when being changed.
- Changing Xenon lamps requires the spe­
cial tra ining, instructions and equip­
ment.
- On ly an authorized Audi dealer or other
qualified workshop should change the bulbs in gas discharge lamps .
A WARNING
There are parts with sharp edges on the
openings and on the bulb holders that can
cause serious cuts.
- If you are uncertain about what to do,
have the work performed by an author­
ized Audi dealer or other qualified work­
shop . Ser ious personal injury may result
from imprope rly performed wo rk.
Q) Tips
-If you must replace the light bulbs your­
self, always remember that the eng ine
compartment of any vehicle is a hazard­
ous area to work in. A lways read and
heed all WARNINGS
~page 213, Engine
compartment
Q & .
-It is best to ask your authorized Audi
dealer whenever yo u need to change a
bulb .
-
269
•
•

A
Accessories .................. ... ... 282
AC (automatic climate control) ... .. .. .. 76
Adaptive air suspension/sport ......... 103
adaptive cruise control Stop-and-go traffic ................. 91
Adaptive cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Request for driver intervention . . . . . . . . 92
Sensoren/Kamera reinigen .......... 205
Adaptive Light (defective) ... .......... 21
Adding Engine coolant .............. ... ... 228
Eng ine oil ........................ 225
Windshield washer fluid ............ 234
Additives Engine oil .. ................. .. ... 225
Adjustable steering column ............ 79
Adjusting Air distribution (automatic climate con-
trol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Instrument illumination ............. 47
Steer ing column .............. ...... 79
Temperature (automatic climate control) 77
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142, 161
Advanced Airbag System ............ 146
Advanced Airbag System components . 149
Care ........................ ..... 155
Ch ildren ......................... 167
Ch ild restra ints ............... ..... 168
Components (front airbags) . ... .. .. . 149
Danger of fitting a child seat on the front
passenger seat .................... 144
Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146, 147
How do the front airbags work? ... .. . 151
How many airbags does my vehicle
have? ... ..... ........... ...... .. 149
H ow the Advanced Airbag System com-
ponents work together ............. 150
I mportant safety instructions on the
knee airbag system .......... ... .. . 159
Important things to know ... ... .. .. . 142
Knee airbags ...................... 157
Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light ...... . 153
Index 285
Repairs .......................... 155
Safety instructions .. .............. . 155
Side a irbags ... .. .. ............... 160
Side curtain airbags ................ 163
Warning/indicator lights ............. 18
Warning/Indicator lights .......... . 153
Weight-sensing mat ... .. ..... ..... 167
When must the system be inspected? 153
Aircraft Transporting your vehicle ........... 274
Alloy wheels .. .... .. ............... 208
All Wheel Drive ..................... 191
Winter tires ...................... 250
Ambience lighting ................... 46
Anti-freeze
refer to Engine coolant ............ . 227
Anti-lock braking system ............. 187
Warning/ind icator lights ............. 19
Anti-slip regulation ................. 187
Anti-theft systems Electronic immobilizer ............... 29
Audi braking guard
refer to b rak ing guard ............... 87
Audi drive select
refer to drive select 103
Audi Service Repair Manuals and Litera-
ture .............................. 280
AUTO Automat ic climat e control ............ 76
Automatic headlights ............... 43
Auto Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Automatic belt retractor ............. 137
Automat ic car wash ................. 204
Automatic climate control Air vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Automatic recirculation .............. 78
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Setup ............................ 78
Automatic climate control system
synchronizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Automat ic transmission (t iptronic) ..... 109
Emergency mode .................. 112
Kick-down ... ..................... 112
Manual shifting .. .. . .. .. ..... ..... 112
Parking lock emergency release ...... 113
Se lector lever positions ............. 109
Automatic wipers .................... 48
•
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29 0 Index
Glove compartment (cooled) ... .. .... . . 71
Gross Veh icle Weight Rating (GVWR) ... 276
H
Headlights
Clean ing system ....... ..... .. .. .. .. 48
Defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
H ead light range control . . . . . . . . . 21, 43
Washer reservoir .................. 234
Head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61, 128
Adjusting .. .......... .... .... .... 128
Heated exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
rear window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
seats .. .. .... ........ ...... ... .. .. 77
windshield washer spray nozzles .. .... 48
Heating ..... ................ ..... .. 75
H eavy clothing and safety belts ... .. ... 137
High beam . .. ..................... .. 45
High voltage warning label ... ... .. ... 276
H omelink ® universal remote control . . . 121
Hood (release lever) ................. 219
H orn . .. .. .. .. . .......... .. .. .. .. .. . 8
How are child restraint system anchors re­
lated to child safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
How many airbags does my vehicle have? 149
H ow often should I check my t ire pres-
sures? ............................ 242
H ow safety belt pretensioners work . ... 140
Hydroplaning . .. . ...... ... .. .. .... . 246
I
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Important things to do before driving . . 124
Improperly worn safety belts . .... .... . 140
I ndicator lights
refer to Warning/ind icator lights .... . . 11
Infant seats . ................ ... ... 171
Installing chi ld safety seats
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 5
I nstall ing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage ... ... .. ..... ... .. .. .... . 183
Instruments Ad justing the lighting . ........ ...... 47 Instruments and controls
Genera l illustration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Instrument cluster .......... ... .. .. . 10
Interior l ighting
Amb ience light ing ................. . 46
Front and rear ... ... .. ..... ... .. .. . 46
Intermittent (w indshield w ipers) ....... 48
J
Jack 257
Jump-starting ..... ... .. ..... ... .. .. 270
Jumper cables . .. .. .......... ...... . 271
K
Key ........... ... .. ................ 28
Battery replacement master key . . . . . . . 29
E mergency key . .. ............. .. .. . 28
K ey replacemen t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Mas ter key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Mechan ica l key ... ... .. ..... .... . .. . 29
Valet key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
K ick-down (automatic transmission) .... 112
Knee a irbags .... .. ... .......... .... 157
Description .... ................... 157
How they work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Important safety instructions .. .. .. .. 159
L
Lane assist
Activat ing and deactivating ........... 96
Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Instrument cluster ind icator lig ht .. .. . 96
Kamerabereich rein igen ......... .... 205
Messages . ...... ............. .... . 97
Notes on instrument cluster disp lay ... . 96
Setting the steering wheel vibration ... . 98
Setting the warning point .... ... .. .. . 98
Lane Change Assistant
refer to side assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
LATCH .... ... .. .. .. ... ....... ... .. 178
Description .. .. ............ ....... 179
Gu idance fixtures for lower ancho rages 180
Installing a c hild restra int ........... 181
Loca tion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Mounting and releasing the anchorage
hook ... .. .... .. .. ... .. ... ... .. .. 181

292 Index .:..:..:..::....::..
...:..._ ___________________________ _
p
Paint
Touch-up ... .. ........ ..... .. .... . 207
Paint No. 276
Pano ramic sunroof .. ....... .. .. .. .. .. 41
Sun shade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Parking ..... ................ ..... .. 83
Valet parking ............. ... .... .. 39
Parking brake .. .... ... .... .. .. .. .. .. 82
also refer to Electromechan ica l park ing
brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Park ing system advanced
Adjusting the display ....... ..... .. . 119
Adjusting the warn ing tones .. .. .. .. . 119
Rear view camera -parking mode 1 .. . 118
Rear view camera -parking mode 2 ... 118
Safety precautions ............ .... . 115
Switching on and
off ...... .. .... .. . 117
Parts replacement ......... .. .. .. .. . 282
Pass-through with ski sack . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light ..... .. . 153
Passenger protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Passive safety system ........ ... .... . 124
Pedals .. .. .. ...... ..... .. .. .. .. .. . 129
Physical principles of a frontal collision . 135
Polishing .... ................ ..... . 206
Pollutant filter (automatic AC system) . . . 7 5
Power locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Locking/unlocking the vehicle from in-
side ... .. .. ... ... ... .... .. .. .. .. .. 33
Rear lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Selective unlock feature . ........ .... 31
Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Unlock ing and locking veh icle . .. .... .. 32
Power seat adjustment Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Rear seats .. ... ... .... ..... .. .. .. .. 57
Power steering (servot ronic) . .. .. .. .. . 191
Power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Pregnant women Specia l cons iderations when wearing a
safety belt ... .... .... ... .. .. .. .. . 139
pre sense .. .... ........... .. .. .. .. . 185
Preventative passenger protection .. .. . 185 Programming
the Homelink ® un iversal re-
mote control . ..... ................. 121
Proper occupant seating positions . .... 125
Proper safety bel t position . ....... .... 138
Proper seating position
Front passenger . ................. . 126
Occupants ..... .. .. .............. . 125
Rear passengers .. ....... ...... .... 12 7
Q
quattro ®
refer to All Whe el Driv e .......... ... 191
Question What happens to unbelted occupants? 135
Why safety belts? ................ . 134
R
Radiator fan .. .. .. ...... ....... .... 229
Radio clock . .. .. .. ....... ...... .... . 25
Rain/light sensor
Headlights .... .. ................ .. 43
I ntermittent (windshield wipers) . .. .. . 48
Sensor defective .. ... .... ...... .. .. . 21
Range (fuel level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Reading lights . .. .. .......... ...... .. 46
Rear fog lights .... ................ .. 43
Rear lid Automatic operation .... .... ..... .. . 35
Emergency release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7
Escape handle ... ............. .... 256
Mov ement -activated opening ..... ... . 37
Opening and closing .... ....... .... . 34
Rear light
Defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Rear seats Adjusting individual seats ....... .. .. . 57
Entry assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Front passenger seat adjustment . . . . . . 60
Reclining rear seat ................ .. 59
Rear view camera Reverse Parking .. ................ . 118
Rear view mirror . ... ........ ... ... .. . 51
Rear window heat ing . .... .... ..... .. . 77
Recirculat ion mode (automat ic cl imate
control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Reclining rear seat . ............. .... . 59

296 Index
Weights ...... .. .......... .. .. .... . 276
What happens if you wear your safety belt
too loose? ........................ . 138
What happens to unbelted occupants? .. 135
What impairs driving safety? ... ... ... . 125
What should I do after changing a
wheel? .. .... .. .. ...... .... ... .. .. . 242
What should
I do after rep lacing wheels? 242
Wheel bolts Torqu e ..... ... .......... .. .. .... . 252
Wheels ... .. ............ ... .. .. ... 235
Cast alloy ... .............. .. .. .. . 208
Checking tire pressure ......... .... . 241
Cold tire inflat ion pressu re ..... .. .. . 239
General notes .. .......... .. .. .... . 235
Glossary of tire and loading termino lo-
gy .. . ... ... .. .......... .. .. .... . 236
New tires and wheels ...... .. .. .... . 246
Tires and vehicle load lim its .. .. ..... 243
When must a safety belt be replaced? .. 137
When must the airbag system be inspect-
ed? ... .. .. .. .. .. .... ... .. .. .. .. .. . 153
When should I ad just the tire pressures? 242
When should I check the tire pressures? . 242
Where are lower anchorages located? .. . 179
Wh ere can I find the tire pressu res for my
car? .... .......................... 241
Why safety belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134, 135
Windows Cleani ng ... ... .. .. ... ... ... ... .. . 207
defrosting ...... ...... ..... .. .. .. .. 77
Windshield Cleaning ... ....................... 48
defrosting .. .. .. ........ .... ... .. .. 77
Windshield washer system . ... .... .. . . 48
Washer fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Washer reservoir ........... .. .. .. . 234
Windsh ield wipers
Folding up .... ........ .. .. .. .... .. 50
Indicator light ......... .. .. .. .... .. 21
Replacing windshie ld w iper blades ... .. 50
Switching on/off ............. ...... 48
Winter operation Batt ery ..... .. .......... .. .. .... . 230
Cooling system . ........ .. .. .. .... . 227
Defrosting windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Seat heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Steering
wheel heating ......... .. .. . 78
Tires ... .. .... .. .. ... ........ .. .. 191
Windows ..... .. .. ... ........ .. .. 207
W inter t ires ... .. .. ............. .. .. 250
All-wheel drive .................... 250
X
Xenon-Lights .... ............... .... 269
Xenon plus headlights ................ 43