2012 AUDI A8 engine

Warm and cold Climate controls
Description
The climate control system warms, cools and
adds humidity to the a ir in the veh icle inter io r.
It is the most effect ive when the windows and
sunroof* are closed. If the temperature inside
the parked vehicle becomes very warm, open­
ing the window briefly will speed up the cool­
ing process.
I n all heating mode functions except
defrost,
the blower on ly switches to a higher speed
once the engine coolant has r eached a certain
temperature.
Condensation from the cooling system can
drip and form a puddle of water under the ve­hicle. This is normal and does not mean there
is a leak.
Pollut ant filter
The po llutant filte r removes pollutants s uch
as dust and pollen from the air.
The air pollutants filte r must be changed at
the intervals spec ified in you r Wa rra nty
&
Maintenance book let, so that the air condi­
tioner can properly work.
I f you drive you r vehicle in an area with h igh
ai r po llution , the fi lter may need to be
changed more freq uent ly than specified in
your Aud i Warranty
& Ma intenance booklet. If
i n doubt, ask your authorized Audi Service Ad­
visor for advice .
K ey coded settings
The climate con trol settings are a utomat ica lly
stored and assigned to the remote contro l key
that is in use .
& WARNING
Reduced visibility is dangero us and can
cause accidents . -
Warm and cold 75
- For safe driving it is very important that
all windows be free of ice, snow and con­
densat ion.
- Comp letely fam iliarize yourse lf with the
proper use and funct ion of the heat ing
and ve nti lation system and especially
how to defog and defrost the w indows.
- Never use the windshield wiper/washer
system in freez ing weather unt il you
have warmed the w indshield first, using
the heating and ventilation system . The
washer solution may free ze o n the wind­
shie ld and red uce visib ility.
(D Note
- If you suspect that the air conditioner has been damaged, switch the system
off to avoid furt her damage and have it
i n spected by a q ua lified dea lership.
- Repairs to the Audi air conditioner re­
quire specia l techni cal know ledge and
special tools. Contact an autho rized Aud i
dealer fo r ass istance.
@ For the sake of the environment
By reduci ng the amou nt of f uel you use,
you also red uce the amount of pollutan ts
emitted into the air .
(D Tips
- Keep the air intake s lots ( in fro nt of the
w indshield) free from ice, snow and de­
br is in order to maintain the proper f unc ­
tion of the climate control system.
- T he energy management system may
switch the seat heating* or rear window
defroster off temporar i Ly . These systems
are available again as soon as the energy
balance has been restored .
- Air escapes through vents under the rear
window. When placing items of clothing
on the luggage compartment cover, en­
sure that the openings are not covered.

airflow and air distribution are controlled au ­
tomatically.
Adjusting the temperature
Temperatu res between 60 °F (+16 °() and
84 °F (+28 °C) can be set. O uts ide of this
range,
lo or hi will appear in the climate con­
trol system disp lay. At both of these settings,
the climate control system runs continuously
at maximum coo ling or heating power. There
is no temperature regulation.
[!] Adjusting the airflow
You can ad just the airf low manually to suit
your needs . To have the airflow regulated au­
tomatically, press the
! AUTO ! button.
~ Adjusting the air distribution
You can manually se lect the vents where the
air will flow. To have the air distribution regu­
l ated automatically, press the
!AUTOI button.
~ I lil* Adjusting Seat heating/
ventilation*
Pressing the button switches the seat heat­
ing/ventilation on at the highest setting ( level
3). The LEDs indicate the temperature leve l.
To reduce the temperature, press the button
again . To switch the seat heating/ventilation
off, press the button repeatedly until the LED
turns off.
After 10 minutes, the seat heating/ventilation
automatically switches from level 3 to level 2.
I n vehicles without the four zone automat ic
climate contro l*, buttons in the rear center
console control the seat heating for both out­
er rear seats*.
~ Switch the defroster on/off
The windsh ield and sid e windows are defrost­
ed or cleared o f condensation as quickly as
possible. The maximum amount of air flows
mainly from the vents be low the windshield.
Recirculation mode switches off . The tempera­
ture is controlled automatically.
The
IAU TOI button switches the defroster off.
Warm and cold 77
~ Switching rear window heater on/off
The rear window heater only operates when
the engine is running. It switches off auto­
matically after 10 to 20 minutes, depending
on the outside temperature.
T o p revent the rear window heater from
switching off automatically, press and hold
the ~ button for more than 2 seconds . This
remains stored until the ignition is switched
off .
I SYNC I Synchronization*
When synchronization is switched on, the set­
tings for the driver's side are applied to the
front passenger's side (except for seat heat­
i ng/venti lation*) . The rear seat is also
synchronized in vehicles with the 4-zone de ­
luxe automatic climate control system* . Syn­
chronization switches off if the sett ings are
adjusted on the front passenger's side or in
the rear* .
You can synchronize the settings in a row by
pressing and holding a knob. For example, to
apply the settings for the front passenger's s ide to the driver's side, press and hold the
knob on the front passenger's s ide.
Air vents
You can open or close the center and rear
vents in the cockpit and the vents in the rear
center console and door pillars us ing the
ridged thumbwheels. The levers adjust the di­
rection of the airflow from the vents.
,&. WARNING
-Do not use the recirc ulation mode for ex­
tended periods of time. The windows
could fog up since no fresh air can enter
the vehicle. If the windows fog up, press
the air recircu lation button again imme­
diately to switch off the air recirculation
function or select defrost .
- Individuals w ith reduced sensitivity to
pa in or temperature could deve lop burns
when using the seat heating function . To
reduce the risk of injury, these indiv idu-
als shou ld not use seat heating. ..,.

80 On the road
the stored position as soon as you switch on
the ignition.
Starting and stopping
the engine
Starting the engine
This button switches on the ignition and
starts the engine.
Fig. 81 Center console: S TART ENGINE S TOP b utto n
• Step on the brake pedal¢.&_ .
• Press the
!START E NGIN E STOPI button
¢
fig . 81 -the engine will start .
By pressing the
I START ENGIN E STOP I button
without depress ing the brake pedal, the igni­
tion is on and switched off by pressing it
again.
After a cold engine is started, there may be a
brief period of increased noise because oil
pressure must fi rst bui ld up in the hydraulic
va lve adjusters. This is normal and not a cause
for concern.
If the engine should not start immediately,
the starting process is automatically stopped
after a sho rt time . Repeat sta rting p rocedu re.
Driver message in the instrument cluster
display
Press brake pedal to start engine
This message appears if you press the
I STAR T ENGIN E ST OP ! button to start the en­
g ine and do not depress the brake pedal. The
engine can only be started if the brake pedal
is depressed.
I! Convenience key: Is key not in the vehi­
cle?
T his message appears along with the I! sym­
bol if the master key is removed from the ve­
hicle with the eng ine running.
It is intended
to remind you (e.g . when changing drivers)
not to continue the journey without the mas­
ter key.
If the maste r key is no longer in the vehicle,
you cannot switch on the ignition after stop ­
ping the engine and you also cannot start the
engine again . Moreover, you cannot lock the
vehicle from the outside with the key.
Shift to P, otherwise vehicle can roll away.
Doors do not lock if lever is not in P.
T his message app ears for safety reasons
along with an aud ible warning tone if the P
selector lever position is not engaged when
stopp ing the engine wi th the
I S TART ENGIN E STOP I button. Select the P se ­
lector lever position . Otherwise the vehicle
could roll and it cannot be locked .
Key not recognised. Hold back of key against
marked area. See owner's manual.
If the indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunct ion
¢ page Bl.
Steering lock
The steering locks when you turn the engine
off using the
I STAR T ENGINE ST OP I button
and open the driver 's door. The locked steer­
ing helps prevent vehicle theft.
A WARNING
-
- Never allow the engine to run in conf ined
spaces -danger of asphyxiat ion .
- Never turn off the engine until the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop .
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the engine is running.
If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or brak ing. Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usual­
ly would, this could lead to crashes and
serio us injuries.

CD Note
-Avoid high engine rpm, fu ll throttle and
heavy engine loads unti l the engine has
reached operating temperature -other ­
wise you risk engine damage.
- T he engine cannot be started by pushing
or towing the veh icle.
- If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended period, heat builds up in
the engine compartment after the en­
gine is switched off -there is a risk of
damag ing the engine . Allow the eng ine
to run at idle for about 2 m inutes befo re
swit ching it off.
@ Tips
- If you open the dr iver's door w ith the ig­
nit ion on, a buzzer sounds and the mes­
sage
Igniti on i s on appears in the instru­
ment cluster disp lay. Switch the ign it ion
off .
-If you leave the vehicle with the ignit ion
swi tched on, the ignition will switch off
after a certain period of time. Please
note that e lectrica l equipment such as
exter ior lights wi ll switch off as well
when that happens .
Stopping the engine
... Bring your vehicle to a comple te stop .
... Move the selector lever to the P or N posi ­
t ion .
... Press the !START E NGIN E STOPI button
Q page 80, fig. 81 .
Emergen cy off
If necessary, the engine can be swi tched off
with the selector lever in the R, Dor S posi ­
tions . The eng ine stops if you press the
I START E NGIN E STOP I button at speeds be low
6 mph (10 km/h).
_& WARNING
- Never turn off the eng ine unt il the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop.
On th e road 81
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the engine is running. If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or braking . Because
you cannot s teer and brake as you usual­
ly would, th is could lead to crashes and
serious injuries.
- For safety reasons , you sho uld a lways
park your vehicle with the selector lever
in P . Otherwise, the vehicle could inad­
vertently roll away.
- After the eng ine has been switched off,
the radiator fan can cont in ue to run for
up to 10 minutes -even with the igni tion
switched off .
It can also switch on again
after some time if the coolant tempera­
ture rises as the result of a heat b uildup
or if the engine is hot and the engine
compartment is additionally heated by
the sun's rays .
~
CD Note
Do not stop the eng ine immediately after
hard or extended driving. Keep the engine
running for approximate ly two minutes to
prevent excess ive heat bu ild -up .
Starting the engine if there is a
malfunction
It may not be possible to start the engine un­
der certain circumstances , for example if the
battery in the vehicle key is drained, if inter ­
ference is affected the key or if there is a sys­
tem malfunction.
ij
:c
---- -~
Fig . 82 Center co nsole/m aste r key : star ting the engine
I
if th ere is a malfun ction Ill>

82 On the road Requirem ent : The message
Key not recog­
nized. Hold b ack of key against marked area.
See owner 's manual.
must appear and the in ­
dicator light
m must sw itch on.
• Hold the master key vertica lly in the loca­
tion indicated y>l} q fig .
82.
• Press the brake pedal~ A in Starting the
engine on page 80.
.. Press the !~S _T _A_ R_T_ E_N_ G_ I_ N _E_ S_T_ O_ P~ I button.
The eng ine will start .
• Drive to your author ized Audi dealer imme­
diately to have the malfunct ion corrected .
@ Tips
You can view the message again by press­
ing the !START ENGINE STOP I button.
Electromechanical
parking brake
Operation
The electromechanical parking broke replaces
the hand broke.
Fig . 83 Ce nter console: Parking brake
• Pull on the switch(®) ~ fig. 83 @ to app ly
the parking brake . The indica tor light in the
switch illuminates.
• Step on the brake pedal or the accelerator
pedal and press the switch(®) at the same
t ime to release the parking brake. The indi ­
cator light in the switch goes out .
Your vehicle is equipped wit h an electrome­
cha nica l parking brake. The parking brake is
designed to prevent the vehicle from rol ling
unintentionally and rep laces the hand brake . In
addition to the normal functions of a tradi­
tiona l hand brake, the electromechanical
parking brake provides var io us convenience
and safety functions .
When starting from rest
-The integral start ing ass ist helps you when
driving by automatically releasing the park­
ing brake
~ page 83, Starting from rest .
-When starting on inclines, the starting as­
sist prevents the vehicle from unintentiona l­
ly rolling back. The braking force of the
parking brake is not released until sufficient
driving force has been built up at the
wheels.
Emergency brake function
An emergency brake ensures that the vehicle can be slowed down even if the
normal brakes
fail
q page 84, Emergency broking.
Indicator lights
-If the parking brake is closed with the ign i­
tion
switched on the indicator lights come
on - (U SA mode ls)/ . (Canada models)
in the instrument cluster and in the switch.
- If the parking brake is closed with the igni­
tion
switched off the indicator lights come
on - (USA mode ls)/ . (Canada models}
in the instrument cluster and in the sw itch
for about 20 seconds .
A WARNING
Do not press the acce lerator pedal inadver ­
tently if the vehicle is stationary but the
engine is running and a gear is selected.
Otherwise the vehicle will start to
move
immedia tely and could result in a crash.
(D Note
If the symbol . in the display or the indi­
cator light .. (USA models)/ . (Cana­
da models) in the instrum ent cluster flash­
es, there is a malfunction in the brake sys­
tem. Please refer to the detailed descrip-
tion of the indicator lights
~ page 14. ll-

-If the indicato r light - (USA mod ­
els)
,111 (Canada models) or I.I turns
on, there may be a malfunction in the
parking brake
¢page 15.
@ Tips
-You can apply the parking brake at any
time - even w ith the ignition switched
off. The ignit ion must be on in order to
release the parking brake.
- Occasiona l noises when the park ing
brake is applied and released are norma l
and are not a cause for concern.
- When the vehicle is parked, the parking
brake goes through a self-test cycle at
regular intervals. Any assoc iated noises
are norma l.
Parking
Various rules apply to prevent the parked ve­
hicle from rolling away accidentally.
P a rking
~ Stop the vehicle w ith the foot brake.
~ Pu ll the switch© to apply the parking
brake.
~ Se lect the P selector lever position
¢page 109.
~ Turn the eng ine off ¢,& .
In addition on incline s and grade s
~ Turn the steering wheel so that your vehicle
will roll against the curb in case it should
start to move.
A WARNING
-When you leave your veh icle - even if on­
ly b riefly - always take the ignition key
with you. This applies particu la rly when
children remain in the veh icle. Otherw ise
the ch ild ren could sta rt the engine, re­
lease the parking brake or operate elec­
trical equipment (e .g. power windows).
There is the risk of an accident.
- When the vehicle is locked, no one - par­
t icu larly not ch ildren should remain in
the vehicle. Locked doors make it more
On th e ro ad 83
difficult for emergency workers to get in­
to the vehicle - putting lives at risk.
Starting from rest
The starting assist function ensures that the
parking broke is released automatically upon
starting.
Stopping and appl ying p arking brake
~ Pull the switch(®) to apply the pa rking
brake.
Sta rting and automaticall y releasing the
parking brak e
~ When you start to drive as us ual, the pa rk­
ing brake is automatically released and your
veh icle begins to move .
When stopp ing at a traffic signal or stopping
in city t raff ic, the parking b rake can be ap­
plied. The vehicle does not have to be held
with the footbrake. The parking brake elimi­
nates the tendency to creep w ith a dr ive range
engaged. As soon as you drive off as usua l,
the parking brake is released automatically
and the vehicle starts to move.
St arting on slope s
When starting on inclines, the sta rting assist
prevents the vehicle from unintentionally roll­
ing back. The braking force of the parking
brake is not re leased until suff ic ient driving
force has been built up at the wheels.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
l eased automatically on ly when the driv­
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Starting off with a trailer
To prevent rolling back unintentionally on an
incline, do the following:
~ Keep the switch(®) pulled and depress the
accelerator. The parking brake stays applied
and prevents the vehicle from roll ing back-
ward . ..,.

Cruise control
Switching on
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at 20 mph
(30 km/h).
0
f
~
0
Fig . 84 Control lever with set button
Fig . 85 D isplay: Selected speed
.,. Pull the lever to position (D ~ fig . 84 to
swit ch the system on .
.,. Drive at the speed you wish to set.
.,. Press button @to set that speed.
The stored speed and the ind icator light
[lj;(i)~1ij (US models) 1 11 (Canad ian models) ap­
pear in the instrument cluster display
¢ fig. 85. The display may vary, depending on
the type of disp lay in your vehicle. The indica­
tor light
Ill in the instrument cluster also illu­
minates.
The speed is kept constant via an engine out­
put adjustment or active brake intervention.
A WARNING
-Always pay attention to traffic even when
the cruise control is switched on . You are
always responsible for your speed and
the distance between your vehicle and other vehicles.
On the road 85
-For safety reasons, the cruise control
should not be used in the city, in stop­
and-go traffic, on twisting roads and
when road conditions are poor (such as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and hydro­
plan ing) - risk of accident .
- Turn off the cruise control temporarily
when enter ing turn lanes, highway exit
lanes or in construction zones.
- Please note that inadvertently ''resting"
your foot on the accelerator pedal causes
the cruise control not to brake. This is
because the cruise control is overridden
by the driver's acceleration .
- If a brake system malfunction such as
overheating occurs when the cr uise con­
trol system is switched on, the braking
function in the system may be switched
off . The other cruise contro l functions re­
main active as long as the indicator light
tij;[i)~1ij (US models) 111 (Canadian mod­
els) is on.
(D Tips
The brake lights illuminate as soon as the brakes decelerate automatically.
Changing speed
.,. Press lever in the 0 or 0 direction
¢ page 85, fig . 84 to increase or decrease
your speed .
.,. Release the lever to save that speed.
Change speed in increments of 1 mph (1 km/ h) by lightly press ing the lever. If you keep the
lever pressed down , you will alter your speed
in 5 mph (10 km/h) increments.
You can also press the accelerator pedal down
to increase your speed, e.g. if you want to
pass someone. The speed you saved earlier
will resume as soon as you release the acceler­
ator pedal.
If, however, you exceed your saved speed by
6 mph (10 km/h) for longer than 5 m inutes,
the cruise control wil l turn off temporarily.
The green symbol
[ljlIJll (US models) ill in ..,_

Audi drive select Driving settings
Introduction
Aud i drive select makes it possible to experi­
ence different types of vehicle settings in one
veh icle. The driver can select th ree
Comfort,
Auto
and Dynamic modes in the MMI to
switch between a sporty and a comfortable
driving mode.
You can also adjust the setting according to
your preferences in the
individual mode. For
examp le, you can combine settings such as a
sporty engine tuning with light steering.
Descript ion
The vehicle setup in each mode depends on
the vehicle's features. The engine, transmis­
sion, steering, reversible safety belt tension ­
ers and adaptive air suspension are always in­
volved .
Engine and transmission
Depending on the mode, the engine and the
transmission respond more quickly or in a
more balanced manner to accelerator pedal
movements. In the sporty dynamic mode, the
transmission sh ifts at higher RPMs.
Air suspension
The adaptive air suspension/adaptive air sus­
pension sport*
( Air suspension in the MMI) is
an electronically cont rolled air suspension and
damping system. They are adjusted depend­ ing on the selected driving mode, the driver's
steering, braking and acceleration input and
the road s urface, veh icle speed and load. A
sporty setting is generally used in vehicles
with adaptive air suspension sport *.
The vehicle clearance va ries depending on the
selected mode and the speed .
The highway setting is activated automatically
when you drive above 75 mph (120 km/h) for
mo re than 30 seconds in the
auto or dynamic
mode. The g round clearance is increased auto-
Audi drive select 103
matically if the speed drops below 44 mph
(70 km/h) for more than 120 seconds.
Steering
The steering adapts in terms of steering effort
and steering ratios. Indirect steering that
moves easily as in comfort mode is especially
s ui ted to long drives on a highway. In con­
trast, dynamic mode provides sporty, direct
steering.
T he following applies to vehicles with dynamic
steering*: the steering ratio changes based on
vehicle speed in order to maintain optimum
steering effort for the driver at all times. This
sets the steering to be less sens itive at higher
speeds in order to provide improved vehicle
control.
Sport diffe rential*
As a component of the all whee l drive system
(quattro
® ) c> page 191, the Sport differen­
tial* distributes the driving power to the rear
axle depending on the situat ion. The dis tribu­
tion of power varies depending on the select­
ed mode, from balanced (comfort) to agile
(dynamic). The goal is a hig h level of agility
and ability to accelerate on curves. Th e vehi cle
is very responsive to steer ing.
Adaptive cruise control*
The behav ior when accelerating can be adjust
from comfortable to sporty, depending on the
drive select mode. Adaptive cruise control al­
so responds to the driving behavior of the ve­
hicle ahead in a more conserva tive or sporty
manner.
(D Note
- Make sure there is enough clearance
above and below the vehicle when park­
ing . The height of the vehicle can change
once it is parked due to temperature
fluctuations, changes to the load condi­
tions and changes to the driving modes,
w hich can affect clearance.
- When transporting the vehicle on a car
carrier, train, ship or by other means, on-
ly tie the vehicle down at the running
IJJ,,