2012 AUDI A8 window

The following bulletins list only some sample positions that will increase the risk of serious
in ju ry and death . Our hope is that these exam­
p les will make you more aware of seating po­
sitions that are dangerous.
The refore, wh en ev er th e vehicl e is
mov ing:
- never stand up in the vehicle
-never stand on the seats
- never knee l on the seats
- never ride with the seatbac k reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit s ideways
- never lean out the window
- never put yo ur feet out the window
- never put yo ur feet on the ins trument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion o r
back of the seat
- never r ide in the footwe ll
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Imprope r seat ing positions increase the
r isk of se rious personal injury and death
whenever a veh icle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu­
pants stay in a p ro per seating pos it ion
and are properly restr ained whenever the
vehicle is be ing used.
Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
A WARNING
Always make sure that the knee a irbag can
inf late without interference. Objects be­
tween yourse lf and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an acc ident by interfer­
ing w it h the way the a irbag deploys or by
being p ushed into you as the airbag de­
ploys.
-
Dr iving S afel y 129
-No persons (children) or animals sho uld
ride in the footwell in front of the pas­
senger seat. If the airbag dep loys, this
can result in ser ious or fatal injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried
in the footwell area in front of the driv­
er 's or passenger's seat. Bulky objects
(shopping bags, fo r example) can ham­
pe r o r prevent proper deployment of the
airbag. Small obje cts can be thrown
through the vehicle if the airbag deploys
an d inju re you or your passenge rs .
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat
or any other object.
Make sure that a ll peda ls move free ly without
interference and that nothing prevents them
from return ing to their orig inal positions.
Only use floor mats t hat leave the pedal area
free and can be secured with floor mat fasten­
ers.
If a brake circ uit fai ls, inc reased brake pedal
trave l is required to b ring the vehicle to a f ull
stop .
A WARNING
-Pedals that cannot move free ly can cause
loss of vehicle control and increase the risk
of ser ious injury.
- Never p lace any objects in the drive r's
footwell. An ob ject cou ld get into the
pedal area and interfere with pedal func­
tion. In case of sudde n brak ing o r an ac­
cident, yo u wou ld not be able to b rake or
accelerate!
- Always ma ke sure that nothing can fall
or move into the driver's footwel l. •
•

-Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat­
ing or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick­
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per­
missible weight standards can cause the
vehicle to slide and handle differently .
- Please observe information on safe driv­
ing
o page 124 .
A WARNING
-
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always
keep the rear lid closed while driving .
- Never transport objects larger than those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
-Close all windows,
- Close the power roof,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­ dows, the power roof and the rear lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used .
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­ pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out . Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious personal injury .
-
Driving Safely 131
-Never let children play in or around the
vehicle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions .
(D Tips
-Air circulation helps to reduce window
fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel, on the
left side of the luggage compartment. Be sure to keep these slots free and
open .
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load . The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom­
mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor­
mal load conditions, please see chapter
opage 239.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartmen t is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and o ther
items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly
o page 130, Loading the luggage com­
partment .
In a collision , the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle posses s en ­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10-lb (4 .5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item . This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be
•
•

Important safety instructions about
safety belts
Safety belts must always be correctly posi­
tioned across the strongest bones of your
body.
~ Always wear safety belts as illustrated and
described in this chapter.
~ Make sure that your safety belts are always
ready for use and are not damaged.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death. Safety belts can
work only when used correctly .
- Always fasten your safety be lts correctly
before driving off and make sure all pas­
sengers are correc tly restrained.
- For maximum protection, safety belts must always be positioned properly on
the body .
- Never strap more than one person, in­
cluding small children, into any belt.
- Never place a safety belt over a child sit ­
ting on your lap.
- Always keep feet in the footwell in front
of the seat while the vehicle is being d riv­
en .
- Never let any person ride with their feet on the instrument panel or sticking out
the window or on the seat.
- Never remove a safety belt while the ve­
hicle is moving. Doing so will increase
your risk of be ing injured or killed.
- Never wear belts twisted.
- Never wear belts over rigid or breakable
objects in or on your clothing, such as
eye glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these may cause injury.
- Never allow safety belts to become dam­
aged by being caught in door or seat
hardware .
- Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt
under your arm or otherwise out of posi ­
tion . Safety belts
13 7
- Several layers of heavy clothing may in­
terfere with correct positioning of belts and reduce the overall effectiveness of
the system .
- Always keep belt buckles free of anything
tha t may prevent the buckle from latch­
ing securely .
- Never use comfort clips or devices that
create slack in the shoulder belt . Howev­
er, special clips may be requ ired for the
proper use of some child restraint sys­
tems .
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and
damaged belt hardware can break in an
accident. Inspect belts regularly.
If web­
bing , bindings, buckles , or retractors are
damaged, have belts replaced by an au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified work­ shop.
- Safety belts that have been worn and
loaded in an accident must be replaced
with the correct replacement safety belt
by an authorized Audi dealer . Replace­
ment may be necessary even if damage
cannot be clearly seen . Anchorages that
were loaded must also be inspected.
- Never remove, modify, disassemble, or
try to repair the safety belts yourself.
- Always keep the bel ts clean. Dirty belts
may not work properly and can impair
the function of the inertia reel
c::> page 212, Safety belts .
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Seat first -everybody buckle up!
Fig. 141 Bel t b uckle and to ngue on the driver's seat

152 Airbag sys te m
electronic contro l uni t (the PAS SENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on) .
A WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase
the risk of serious injury in crashes.
- To reduce the risk of injury when the air­
bags inflate, the driver and passengers
must always sit in an upright position,
must not lean against or place any part
of the ir body too close to the area where
the a irbags are located .
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of posi ­
t ion or too close to the airbag can be se­
riously injured by an airbag as it unfolds
with great force in the blink of an eye
<=?page 144.
A WARNING
-
A child in a rearward -facing child sea t in­
stalled on the front passenger seat will be
seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates -even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
-The inflating ai rbag will hit the child seat
or infant carrier with great force and will
smash the ch ild seat and child against
the backrest , center armrest, door or
roof .
- Always install rear-facing child seats on
the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward facing child seat on the front passenger seat
because of except iona l circumstances
and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi­
ately i nstall the rea r-facing chi ld seat in a
rear seating position and have the ai rbag
system inspected by your Au di dealer.
A WARNING
Objects be tween you and the a irbag will
increase the risk of in jury in a c rash by in ­
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds
or by being pushed into yo u as the a irbag
inf lates. -
Never hold things in you r hands o r on
your lap when the veh icle is in use.
- Never transpo rt items on or in t he a rea
of the front passenger seat. Objects
could move into the area of the front air­
bags during braking or other sudden ma­
neuvers and become dangero us projec ­
tiles that can cause ser ious personal in­
jury if the a irbags inf late .
- Never p lace or attach accesso ries o r oth ­
er objects (such as cup hold ers, te le­
phone b ra ck ets, large, heavy or bulky ob­
jects) on the doors, ove r o r ne ar the are a
marked "AIRBAG" on the s teer ing whee l,
instr ument panel, sea t bac krests o r be ­
tween those areas and yourself. These
objects could ca use in jury in a crash, es­
pecially when the airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front passenger 's seat
to transport objects. Items can a lso
move into the area of the s ide airbag or
the front a irbag during braki ng or in a
sudden maneuve r. Objects near the air­
bags can become projectiles and cause
in jur y, partic ularly when the seat is re­
clined.
A WARNING
The fine dus t create d when air bags deploy
c a n cause breathing p rob lems fo r people
wi th a history of as thma or other breath ­
i ng cond itions.
- T o reduce the risk of breath ing pro blems,
those with asthma or other respiratory
conditions s hou ld get fresh air right
away by getting o ut o f the veh icle or
open ing windows or doors .
- If you are in a collision in which airbags
deploy, wash your hands and face with
mild soap and water before eating.
- Be careful not to get the dust into your
eyes, or into any c uts or scratches.
- If the res id ue should get into your eyes,
f lush them w ith water.

- in rear-end co llisions
- in ro llovers.
In some types of acc idents the front airbags,
side curta in a irbags and side airbags may be
tr iggered toge ther.
& WARNING
- Safe ty belts and the airbag sys tem will
only prov ide protection when occ upants
are in the p roper seating position
¢page 161.
- If the airbag indicator light comes on
when the vehicle is being used, have the
system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. T he a irbag may
not work p roperly when the vehicle ac­
cele ration in a side co llision is high
enough to activa te the airbag.
How supplemental side airbags work
-
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained.
Fi g. 152 Inflated side airbags on left side of veh icle,
rear side airbag
When the system is triggered, the airbag is
f ill ed w it h propellant gas and breaks through
a seam in the seat surface area marked "AIR­
BAG" .
It expands between the side trim pa nel
and the passenger . In order to help prov ide
t his additional protection, the side a irbag
must inf late withi n a frac tion of a second at
very high speed and with grea t fo rce . The sup­
p lemental side airbag could i nju re you if your
seating position is not proper or upr ight or if
items are located in the area where the sup­
plemental side a irbag expands . Th is applies
A irba g sy stem 161
especially to children ¢ page 166, Child Safe ­
ty . Supplemental side airbags inflate between
the occ upant and the door panel on the side
of the vehicle that is struck in certain side col­
lis ion ¢ fig. 152 .
Although they are not a soft pi llow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper
part of the body.
A fine dust may deve lop when the airbag de­
ploys. T his is normal and does not mean there
is a fire in the vehicle.
Important safety instructions on the
side airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Al­
ways properly wear safety belts and ride in a
proper seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must know and act accord ingly to help the
safety belts and airbags do their job to pro ­
vide s upplementa l protect ion .
& WARNING
An in flat ing side a irbag can cause serious
or fata l injury. Impr oper ly weari ng safety
belts and imp roper seat ing pos it ions in­
crease the risk of serious pe rsonal injury
and death whenever a vehicle is bei ng
used .
- In order to reduce the risk of i njur y when
the supplemental side airbag inflates:
-Always sit in an upright posit ion and
nev er lean aga inst th e area whe re the
suppleme nta l side airbag is located.
- Never let a child or anyone e lse res t
their head aga inst the s ide trim pane l
i n the area where t he supplementa l
s ide a irb ag i nflates.
- Always make sure that safety be lts a re
wor n cor rectly,
- Do not let anyone s itting in th e front
seat put the ir hand or any other parts
of thei r body ou t of the window.

Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbag system can provide
supplemental protection to properly restrain ­
ed occupants .
Fig. 1 53 Side cur ta in airbags, d river 's side: side curta in
ai rb ag location
The s ide curtain airbags are located on both
sides of the interior above the front and rear
side w indows
r=:> fig . 153 . They are identified
by the word "AIRBAG " on the windshie ld
frame and the center roof p illar.
The s ide curtain airbag system supp lements
the safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury for occupants' heads and upper
torso on the side of the vehicle that is struc k
i n a side collision . Th e side curta in a irbag in­
flates in s ide impacts and on ly when the veh i­
cle acce leration reg istered by the cont ro l u nit
is high enough . If th is rate is be low the refer ­
ence va lue programmed into the control unit,
the side airbags will not be triggered, even
though the car may be badly damaged as a re­
sult of the collision .
It is not possible to de­
fine an a irbag trigger ing range that w ill cover
eve ry possible angle of impact , since the ci r­
cumsta nces wi ll vary conside rably between
one co llision and ano ther. Import ant factors
include, for e xamp le, the nat ure ( hard o r soft)
of the impacting object, the ang le of impact ,
ve hicle speed, etc .
r=:> page 164, How side cur­
tain airbags work.
Aside from the ir normal safety function , safe ­
ty belts work to he lp keep the dr iver or front
passenger in position in the event of a co lli-
A irba g sy stem 163
sion so that the side curtain airbags can pro­
v ide protection.
T he airbag system is no t a subs titu te for your
sa fe ty be lt . Rather, it is part of the overa ll oc­
c u pant restra int system in your vehicle . A l­
ways remember that the airbag system can
only he lp to protect you if you are wearing
yo ur safety be lt and wearing it properly. This
is another reason why you should always wear
your safety be lts, not just because the law re ­
quires you to do so
r=:> page 134, General
notes .
It is important to remember that wh ile the
s ide curtain airbag system is designed to help
reduce the likelihood of ser ious injuries, other
injur ies, for examp le, swelling, bru is ing, and
minor abrasions can also be associa ted wi th
these airb ags upon deployment. Remember
too, these airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain kinds of acc idents -your sa fety
belts are always there to offer protection.
The side curtain airbag system basically
con sists of:
-The e lectronic control module and external
side impact sensors
- The side curtain airbags above the fron t and
rea r side windows
- The airbag i ndicator light in t he instr ument
pane l
T he airbag system is mo nitored e lectronically
to make ce rtain i t is func tioning prope rly at all
t imes. Each t ime you sw itch on the ign ition,
the ai rbag system indicator light will come on
for a few seconds (self diagnostics).
The s ide curtain airbag is not activated :
-if the ignition is sw itched off,
- in side co llisions when the accele ration
measu red by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end coll is ions,
- in rollovers.
A WARNING
-,
-Safety belts and the airbag system will
only provide protection when occupants

164 Airbag system
are in the proper seating posit ion
c:> page 54, General recommendations.
- If the airbag indicator light comes on
when the vehicle is being used, have the
system inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. The side curta in
airbag may not work prope rly even when
the vehicle acceleration in a side coll is ion
is h igh enough to act ivate the airbag.
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with
side airbags to help reduce the risk of head
and upper torso injuries for occupants who
are properly restrained.
Fig . 154 Illustrat ion of principle: Inflated side curtain
a ir bags on the left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the
occupant and the windows on the side of the
vehicle that is struck in a side co llision
~fig. 154.
When the system is tr iggered, the side curtain
a ir bag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the A IRBAG label. In or­
der to help provide this additional p rotection,
the side c urtain airbag must inflate within the
b link of an eye at very high speed and with
great force. The side c urtain airbag cou ld in­
jure you if your seating position is not proper
or upright or if items are located in the area
where the supplementa l side curtain airbag
inflates . This applies espec ial ly to children
~page 166.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side cur­
tain airbags can "cushion" the impact and in
this way they can he lp to reduce the r isk of in - jury to the head and the upper part of the
body.
A fine dust may deve lop when the airbag de­
ploys. This is qui te normal and does not mean
there is a fire in the vehicle .
Important safety instructions on the
side curtain airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Al ­
ways properly wear safety belts and ride in a
proper seating position .
There is a lot that you and your passengers
must know and do to he lp the safety belts and
airbags do their job to provide supplemental
protection .
A WARNING ........
Improperly wearing safety belts and im­
proper seating posit ions increase the risk
of ser ious personal inju ry and death when­
ever a vehicle is bei ng used.
- Never let occupants place any parts of
their bod ies in the area from which the
side curta in a irbags inflate.
- Always make sure that the s ide curtain
a ir bags can inflate without interference.
Unsuitable accessor ies fitted inside the
exp ansion range of a s ide cur tain airbag
can dangero usly inter fere w ith its f unc ­
tion. A deploying head airbag develops
enough force to catapu lt any piece of
add-on component out of its path of in­
flation and into the passenger compart­
ment. A n occupant h it by suc h a projec­
tile can suffer serio us injury or death
~ page 283, Technical Modifications.
- Do not swivel the sun visors to the side if
you have any objects clipped onto them
(for examp le pens) .
If the airbag should
deploy, you could be injured by these ob­
jects.
- Use the bu ilt -in coat hooks only for light·
weight clothing. Never leave any heavy o r
sha rp-edged objects in the pockets that
-
may interfere with airbag dep loyment ~

Audi pre sense Preventative passenger
protection
App lies to veh icles: with Audi p re se nse
Audi pre sense can initiate steps to help pro­
tect vehicle occupants in certain situations.
The funct ions descr ibed depend on equipment
installed in your vehicle:
Audi pre sense basic
The following functions can be triggered in
certain driving situations:
- Tightening of the safety belts (for example,
during heavy braking) : the front safety belts
have reversible belt pretensioners. If a colli ­
sion does not occur, the safety belts loosen
slightly and are ready to be tightened again.
- Closing the windows and the sunroof*: the
windows and the sunroof" close leaving a
small open gap .
Audi pre sense basic functions can be trig­
gered at speeds above 20 mph (30 km/h).
Vehicles with Audi drive select*: the deploy­
ment time is adapted in dynamic mode.
Audi pre sense front (vehicles with
adaptive cruise control*)
Audi pre sense front includes the functions in
Audi pre sense basic. In addition, within the
limits of the system, the likelihood of a colli­
sion with the vehicle immediately ahead is al­
so calculated . If the system senses an immi­
nent collision the following functions can be
tr iggered:
- Audi braking guard
c> page 93
-Tightening the safety belts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* ( leav-
ing a small open gap)
Audi pre sense rear (vehicles with Audi
side assist*)
Audi pre sense rear includes the functions in
Audi pre sense basic. In addition, the likeli­
hood of a rear-end col lision with the vehicle
coming from behind is also calculated. If the
Audi pre sense 185
risk of a collision is detected, the following
functions can be triggered:
- Tightening the safety belts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* (leav-
ing a small open gap)
- Adjusting the seats: the settings for the
power head restrains, the upper sections of
the backrests and the pneumatic side bol­
sters* are optim ized for the front seats and
the outboard rear seats*. If a collision does
not occur, the previous seat settings are re­
stored.
Audi pre sense plus
Audi pre sense plus includes the funct ions in
Audi pre sense front and Audi pre sense rear.
Error message
Audi pre sense: not available
Preventative passenger protection is not avail­
able. See your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
Audi pre sense cannot overcome the laws
of physics.
It cannot prevent a collision. Do
not let the increased safety provided
tempt you to take risks. This will increase
the risk of a collision and serious personal
injuries.
- The sensors cannot always detect all ob­
jects . This increases the risk of a colli­
sion.
-Audi pre sense does not detect people or
animals or objects that are crossing the
veh icle's path
c> page 87.
- The radar sensor's vision can be reduced
by heavy rain, ice, snow, heavy road spray
and reflections from guard rails, tunnel
entrances, etc. These and similar condi­
tions can prevent vehicles from be ing ac­
curately detected and in some cases they
may not be detected at all.
Ill-
•
•