2012 AUDI A8 ECU

These new performance requirements make a
tethe r necessary on most new chi ld seats.
I ns tal ling a child restraint that req uires a top
tether witho ut one can serio usly impair the
performance of the child restraint and its abil­
ity to protect the child i n a co llision . Installing
a child restraint that requires a top tether
wi thout the top tether may be a vio lation of
state law.
Child restraint manufacturers offer LATCH lower anchorages on the ir ch ild seats with
hook-on or push-on connectors attached to
adjustable straps.
In addition to the LATCH lower anchorages,
these child restraint systems usually require
the use of tether straps to help keep the child
restraint firmly in place.
A WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints
w ill increase the risk of injury and death in
a crash .
- Always follow the instructions prov ided
by the manufacturer of the ch ild re­
st raint you intend to install in your veh i­
cle.
- Never install a child restraint witho ut a
properly attached top tether s trap if the
child restrain t manufacturer's instruc­
t ions requ ire the top tether strap to be
used.
- Improper use of c hild restra int LA TCH
lower anchorage points can lead to injury
in a collision . The LA TCH lower anchorage
points are des igned to w ithstand only
those loads imposed by correct ly fitted
child restraints.
- Never mount two chi ld restraint systems
on one LATCH lower anc horage point.
- Never secure o r attach any l uggage or
other item to the LATCH lower anchorag­
es.
(D Tips
- In Canada, the terms "top tether" with
"lower universa l anchorages" (or "lower
-
Child S afety 1 79
universal anchorage bars") a re used to
describe the system .
- In o ther coun tries, the term " ISOFIX" is
used to describe the lower anchorages .
Location
Fig. 159 Sc hemat ic ove rv iew : LAT CH a nch orag e poin t
l ocat io n s
T he illustration shows the seating locations in
your vehicle which are equipped with the low­
er anchorages system .
Description
The lower anchorage positions are marked
for quick loca ting.
Fig. 160 Rea r seat backs : locato r but tons fo r lowe r an ·
cho ra g es
r
~ I
Fi g. 1 61 Re ar seat s: low er an cho rage bra cket lo cat ion s IJI,-

180 Child Safety
Attachment locator markers for lower
anchorages
Circular locator buttons on the rear seatback
indicate the lower anchorage locations on the
rear seating positions¢
fig. 160 .
Lower anchorages
The lower anchorage attachment points are
located between the rear seatback and rear
seat cushion
¢ fig . 161.
Lower anchorages secure the child restraint in
the seat witho ut using the vehicle 's safety
belts. Anchorages provide a secure and easy­
to-use attachment and minimize the possibili ­
ty of improper chi ld restraint installation.
All chi ld restraints manufact ured after Sep­
tember 1, 2002, must have lower anchorage
attachments for the
LATCH system.
Remember that the lower anchorage points
are only intended for installation and attach­
ment of child restraints specifically certified
for use with
LATCH l ower anchorages. Child
restraints that are not equipped with the low­
er anchorage attachments can still be instal­ led in compliance with the c hild restra int
manufacturer's instructions on using vehicle
safety belts.
,&. WARNING
Improper use of LATCH lower anchorages
can cause serious personal injury in an ac­
cident .
- Always carefully follow the child re­
straints manufacturer's instructions for
proper installation of the child restraint
and proper use of the lower anchorages
or safety belts in your vehicle .
- Never secure or attach any luggage or
other items to the
LATCH lower ancho­
rages.
-Always read and heed the important in­
formation about child restraints in this
chapter and WARNINGS
¢page 166,
Child Safety.
Guidance fixtures for lower anchorages
Special guidance fixtures increase the conven­
ience of the lower anchorages and are availa­
ble from your authorized Audi dealer.
Fig. 1 62 Outer rear seats: inst all ing th e guidanc e fix­
tures
Fig . 163 Close-up: fitting th e g uida nce fixture over t he
lower anchorage bracket
T he lower anchorage attachment points are
located on the rear seats between the seat­
back and the seat cush ion. Special guidance
fixtures increase the convenience of the lower anchorages and help protect the seat material
from possible damage when installing ch ild
restraints.
Installing the guidance fixtures
.,. Push down on the seat cushion so that the
lower anchorages are visible.
.,. Hold the guidance fixture with the part
number facing downward and push it in the
direction of the arrow onto the anchorage
¢fig . 163 .
.,. Make su re that each of the two guidance fix­
tures per seat snaps into place .
Removing the guidance fixtures
.,. Remove the chi ld restraint according the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions. ..,.

.. Push down on the seat cushion so that the
lower anchorages are visib le .
.. Pull
off the guidance f ixtures from the low­
er anchorages.
.. Always remove the guidance fixtures and
keep them in a safe place when not in use .
You may find it easier to install child re­
straints equipped with hooks attached to
straps without the guidance f ixtures in place.
If th is is the case, remove the guidance fix ­
tures by pull ing them
off the anchorages .
H owever, the guidance fixtures can help you
to locate the
LATCH anchorages.
& WARNING
Imprope r use of tether anchorages or low­
er anchorages can cause serious persona l
injury in a crash .
- Always carefully fo llow the child re­
straint manufacturer's instruct ions for
proper installation and use of child re­
straint systems .
- Never use the
LATCH or tethe r anchorag­
es to attach safety belts or other kinds of
occupant restraints.
- Child restraint tether attachments and
lower attachments are only designed to
secure a child restraint that has bee n
equipped to use these anchorages.
- Tether anchorages and lower anchorages
are designed to withstand only those
loads imposed by correctly fitted chi ld
res traints. Under no circumstances can
they be used safely for adu lt or ch ild
safety belts o r harnesses.
- Never mount more than one ch ild re­
straint to a sing le te ther or to a lower an­
c ho rage point. A ttaching two child re­
strain ts to a single anchor age point can
cause the anchorage to fail and cause se­
rious persona l injury in a crash .
(D Note
-Remove the guidance fix ture s before
fo ld ing the rea r seatback to p reven t
damag ing t he seat c ushion .
Child S afety 181
- To attach the chi ld restraint sec urely, the
seat must be moved to the farthest rear
position, the seat he ight set to the low ­
est position and the head restraint must
be adjusted to the vertical pos ition
9 page 57.
-If you leave the guidance fixtures instal­
led for several days, they could leave a
mark on the upholstery on the seat cush­
ion and back rest in the area that the
guidance f ixtures were installed. The up­
holste ry would also be permanen tly
st re tched aro und the guidance fixtures.
T his app lies especia lly to leather seats .
Installing a child restraint with LATCH
lower anchorages
Whenever you install a child restraint always
follow the child restraint manufacturer's in­
structions.
F ig. 164 Lowe r anchorages: prope r mount ing
Mounting
.. Make sure the seatback of the rear seat
bench is in the upright pos it ion and securely
latched in place.
.,. Attach both hook-on co nnectors wit h the
spring catch release on the child safety seat
onto the LATCH lower anchorage so that the
connectors lock into place
9 fig. 164.
.. Pull on the connector attachments to make
sure they are proper ly attached to the LATCH
lower anchorage .
.. Pull straps tight following the child re­
straint manufacturer's instructions .

182 Child Safet y
Relea sin g
.,. Loosen the tension on the straps following
the chi ld restraint manufacturer's instruc­
tions.
.,. Depress the spring catches to release the
anchorage hooks from the lower anchorag­
es.
Remember: Use tether straps to help keep the
child restraint firmly in p lace.
A WARNING
Improper use of the LATCH system can in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death in an acc ident.
- These anchors were developed only for
child safety seats us ing the "LATCH" sys­
tem .
- Never attach other child safety seats,
belts or other objects to these anchors .
- Always make sure that you hear a click
when latching the seat in place. If you do
not hear a click the seat is not secure and
could fly forward and h it the interior of
the vehicle, or be ejected from the vehi­
cl e.
&_ WARNING
Imprope r insta llation of chi ld restrai nts
w ill increase the risk of inju ry in an acc i­
dent.
- Always fo llow the child restraint system
man ufa cturer's instr uctions for proper
installation of the child restraint system
and proper use of tether straps as we ll as
the lower anchorages or sa fety belts in
your vehicle .
- Always read and heed the important in­
format ion and WARNINGS about child
safety and the installation of child re­
straint systems
c:> page 166, Child Safe­
ty.
(D Note
On veh icles with p ower adjustable rear
seats* some criteria must be observed when attaching the chi
ld restraint using
the
LATCH system:
- T o attach t he ch ild restraint sec urely, the
seat must be moved to the farthest rear
posit ion, the seat he ight set to the low­
est position and the head restraint must
be adjusted to the vertical position
c:>page 57.
- If a child safety seat is attached to one of
the rear seats, this seat must not be ad­
justed us ing the power controls under
any c ircumstances . T he
Entry as sistanc e
for this seat must also be deactivated in
the MM I
c:> page 60. The child safety seat
a s well as the rear se at can be damaged
by the adj ustment process .
Tether anchors and tether straps
Fig. 1 65 Tet her ancho rs: recess flaps behind th e rea r
seatbacks
T he tether anchors for the two* /three rear
seat ing positions are located in recesses in the
rear w indow shelf
c:> fig . 165. Vehicles with
two rear seating positions* are equipped wit h
two tether anchors .
A tether is a stra ight or V-shaped strap that
attaches the top part of a ch ild restra int to
special anchorage po ints in the vehicle.
T he purpose of the tether is to reduce the for­
ward movement of the child restraint in a crash, in order to help reduce the risk of head
injury that could be caused by strik ing t he ve­
hicle interior .
Forward facing child restraints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, are requ ired by U.S.
federal regulations to comply with new child
head movement performance requirements . .,..

These new performance requirements make a
tether necessary on most new chi ld safety
seats.
.&_ WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints
will increase the risk of injury and death in a crash.
- Always follow the instructions provided
by the manufacturer of the ch ild re­
straint you intend to install in your Audi.
- Improper use of c hild restraint anchors
(including tether anchors) can lead to in­
jury in a collision. The anchors are de­
signed to withstand only those loads im­
posed by correctly fitted ch ild restraints.
- Never mount two chi ld restraint systems
on one LATCH lower anc hor po int.
- Never attach two child restraint systems
to one tethe r strap or tether anchorage.
- Never attach a tether strap to a tie-down
hook in the luggage compartment .
- Never use child restraint tether ancho­
rages to secure safety belts or other
k inds of occ upant restra ints.
- Never secure or attach any luggage or other items to the LATCH lowe r ancho­
rages or to th e tethe r ancho rs.
- If a tether or other strap is used to at­ tach a child restraint to the front passen­
ger seat, make sure that it is not so
t ight, that it causes the weight -sensi ng
mat to measu re mo re weight than is ac­
t u a lly on the seat.
- T he he avier weig ht reg iste red ca n make
the Advanced Airbag Sys tem work as
tho ugh an adult were on the seat and de ­
ploy the Advanced Airbag w hen it must
be s uppressed causing serious or
even
fatal injury to the child .
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PASS ENG ER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
med iate ly install the rear-facing chi ld
safety seat in a rear seating posit ion a nd
-
Child S afety 183
have the airbag system inspected by your
Aud i dealer.
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
F ig . 1 66 Tet her st rap: proper ro uting and mounting
Installing the t eth er strap
.. Release or deploy the tether strap on the
child restraint according to the child re­
straint manufacturer's instructions.
.. Guide the upper tether strap
unde r the rear
head restra int
qfig. 166 (ra ise the head re­
straint if necessa ry) .
.. Center seating position*: Guide the upper
tether strap over the rear head restra int .
.. Til t the recess flap up to expose the an chor
bra cket.
.. Attach the tether strap anchorage hook into
the opening of the tether ancho rage .
.. Pull on the tether strap hook so that the
spring catch of the hook engages .
.. Tighten the tether strap firmly follow ing
the child restraint manufacturer's instruc­
tions .
Relea sing the tether strap
.. Loosen the tension following the child re­
straint manufacturer's instructions.
.. Depress the spring catch on the hook and
release it from the anchorage .
Q) Note
If you leave the child restraint w ith the
tether strap firmly installed for several
days, t his could leave a mark on the up­
ho lstery o n the seat cushion and backrest

Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trai ler, p lease remember
that the addit ional load will affect durab ility,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
F or this reason, a lways fo llow the operating
and d riving instr uctions provided and use
common sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must
activate the trailer operat ion mode
~ page 199, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitc h co nforming to the
gross trailer we ight. The hitch must be suita­
b le for your veh icle and trailer and must be
mounted secure ly on the veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a trailer
hi tch wit h a removab le ball moun t. A lways
check with t he trail er hitch ma nufactur er to
make sure tha t you are using the corre ct
hi tch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitc h must be installed in such a way that
i t does not interfere with the impac t-absorb­
i ng bumpe r sys tem. No mod ifica tio ns should
be made to the vehicle exh aust a nd brake sys­
tems . From time to time, check that a ll hitch
mo unt ing bolts remain securely fastened.
W hen you are not towing a trail er, remove the
traile r hitch ball mount. Th is prevents the
hi tch from causing damage sho uld your ve hi­
cle be str uck from behind ¢& .
Trailer towin g 199
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equippe d wi th a br akin g sys ­
tem, check to be s ure that i t conforms to all
r egulations .
T he trailer hy draul ic brak e sys tem mus t not be
direc tly connec ted to the vehi cle' s h ydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Trai ler lights must meet all regu lations. Be
su re to check with your Audi dealer for cor rect
wir ing, swi tches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
us ing the reg ular o utside mirrors, then you
must insta ll extended mirrors. It is imp ortant
that you
always have clea r v is ion to the rear.
A WARNING ...__ -
Afte r removing the trailer hitch, do not
stor e it i n yo ur v ehicl e. In cas e o f sudden
b ra king, the hitch co uld fly forwar d and in­
ju re you or your p ass en ger s.
Operating instructions
Fi g. 168 MM I dis pl ay: tow ing mode on
Ma ximum trailer weight
A trai ler fo r you r vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 tra iler.
ll>

200 Trailer towing
Trail er load dis tr ibut ion
Be sure the load in the trai ler is held securely
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
N eve r all ow a p assenger to rid e in a trailer
~ .&. in Driving instructions on page 201.
Engine cooling sy stem
Towing a tra iler makes the eng ine work hard­
er . It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the addit ional load .
Make sure that the cooling system has eno ugh
flu id.
Tir e pressure
When tow ing a tra iler, inflate the t ires of your
vehicle to the co ld tire pressure listed under
" Full load" on the label loca ted o n the dr iver's
side B-pillar (v is ible when the door is open).
I nflate trailer tires to tra iler and tire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both veh icle and trailer
l ights are wor king p roperly.
Safe ty chain s
Be sure tra iler safety cha ins are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve ­
h icle . Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners. When you install safety
cha ins, make sure they w ill not drag on the
road when yo u are driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the tra iler
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separat ion from the hitch .
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface be­
for e
hitching up the tra iler and b efor e adjust ­
ing the tongue weight . The vehicle must be i n
auto or comfort driving mode and not raised
~ page 103, ~CD .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered . In Info ­
tainment, select:
I CARI function button> Lo w­
e r
control button . If you must drive under poor road conditions,
you can raise the vehicle
afte r coupling the
trailer or
a fter adjust ing the tongue we ight
~ page 105.
(D Note
-Changes in temperature or load can af­
fect the height of the vehicle .
- Always select auto or comfort mode .
Otherwise, the tongue load specified for
your vehicle will no longer be applicable.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
core and consideration.
T o obtain the best possible hand ling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the fo llowing:
.. Do not tow a loaded t railer when you r ca r it­
self is not loaded .
.. Be especially carefu l when passing other ve ­
hicles .
.. Observe speed limits.
.. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.. Always apply brakes early .
.. Monitor the temperature gauge .
Weight distribut ion
T owing a loaded trailer with an empty car re ­
s ul ts in a highly unstable distribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble , while keep ing the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the ci rcumstances. Whenever poss i­
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle while obse rv ing
tong ue load requi rements and vehicle load ing
considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more d ifficu lt it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not
1111>

220 Check ing and filling
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and persona l in­
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repa ir
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever to "P" (Park) .
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clot hing, jewe lry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
start ing, and do not wear cloth ing that
will hang or d roop into the eng ine.
- Min imize exposure to emission and
chem ica l hazards c:> &. .
A WARNING
California Propos ition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certa in veh icle compone nts co nta in
o r emit chemicals known to the State of
Californ ia to cause cancer and b irth de­
fects a nd rep roduct ive ha rm. In addition,
c ertain f luids con ta ine d in vehicles and
c ertain pro ducts of component wear co n­
tain or emi t chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and re lated ac ­
cessories contain lead and lead com- pounds, chemica
ls known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When adding f luids, always make su re that
they are poured into the proper conta iner
or f iller opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems w ill occur.
® For the sake of the environment
To detect lea ks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other veh icle flu­
i ds, have you r vehicle inspected by a n au­
thorized Audi dealer.
Closing the engine hood
.. Pull the hood down until the pressure from
the struts is reduced.
.. Let the hood
drop down an d latc h in place.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage 9 /]}. .
A WARNING ,_ -
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and b lock your view while dr iv­
i ng.
- When you close the engine hood, check it to make sure the safety catch has proper­ly engaged. The hood shou ld be flush
wit h the surrou nding vehicle body pa rts .
- If you notice while driv ing that the hood
is not secured properly, stop at once and
close it.