2012 AUDI A8 steering wheel

drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind condit ions are unfavorable -part icularly
when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest sign of swaying .
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds
for vehicles towing trailers are lower than for
regular vehicles .
A lways apply brakes early. When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en­
gine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes a lone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge c:> page 10
must be observed carefully. The coo lant tem­
perature can increase if you drive on long in ­
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds. Re­
duce your speed immed iate ly if the L EDs in
the top part of the display turn on.
F or more information about indicator lights,
refer to.
i::> page 15.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone r ide in your car
who is not properly wear ing the restra ints
provided by Aud i.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your veh icle hand les different ly when tow ing
-
a trailer because of the addit ional weight and
d ifferent weight distribution . Safety, perform­
ance and economy will greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your ng .
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopp ing and back ing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
Trailer towing 201
have become completely familiar with the way
your vehicle-trai ler combination behaves and
responds .
Backing up is difficult and requires practice .
Backing up with a t railer generally requires
steering action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a tra iler.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you . You wi ll need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you w ill need a larger than normal
turning rad ius.
When passing, remembe r that you cannot ac­
ce lerate as fast as you norma lly would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your trailer before chang­
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re ­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load
c:> page 280.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it can­
not be avoided, do so only a~er doing the fol­
lowing:
When parking:
.,. App ly the foot brake.
.,. Have someone p lace chocks under both the
vehicle and the trailer wheels .
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes until the wheel chocks absorb the
load.
.,. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.,. Apply the parking brake .
.,. Select the P selector lever posit ion .
When restarting after parking:
.,. Apply the foot brake.
•
•

236 Tires and wheels
-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined weight (in excess of
those standard items which may be rep laced)
of automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are availab le as factory -installed equip ­
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the he ight to the w idth of
the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower in­
dicate a low sidewall for improved steering re­
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is made of
steel wires, wrapped o r reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer for a tire of a designated size that has not been driven for more than a
couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire pressure
is measured or adjusted. -
If you notice unusual vibration or if the
veh icle pulls to one side when driv ing, a l­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor vehicle w ith
standard equipment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi­
tioning and additional weight of optiona l
equipment.
Extra load tire
means a t ire design to operate at h igher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire. Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or
"R F" on the sidewall .
Gross Axle Weight Rating ( "GAWR ")
means the load-carrying capacity of a s ingle
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in­
terfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR")
means the maximum total loaded weight of
the vehicle.
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs .
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a given inflation pressure. Yo u
may not find this information on all tires be­
cause it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at the maxi­
mum permissib le inflation pressure for that
tire.

Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of
different things including proper installation
and balancing, correct tire pressure and driv­
ing style.
F ig. 185 Tire tread: tread wea r ind ica tors (TWI)
f r-------~
{ \ .___ _____ ___,,
Fi g. 186 Rotat ing t ires fo r m ore even wea r
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The origina l tires on your veh icle have
1/16 in ch (1.6 mm) high "wear ind icators"
c::> fig . 185 run ning across the tread. Depend ­
ing on the make, there will be six to eight of
them evenly p laced around the t ire . Marks on
the t ire s idewall (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear ind icators . Worn t ires must be replaced.
Different fig ures may apply in other countries
c::> & .
Tir e pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premat ure wear
and can cause sudden tire blow-out . For th is
reason, tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
c::> page 241.
Dri ving sty le
Driving fast around curves , heavy acceleration
and hard braking increase tire wear. Tires and wheels 245
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your ve
hicl e to have the
same service life, we recommend that the
front and rear tires are rotated according to
the tire manufacturer 's suggested tire rota­
tion inte rvals. Please remember the follow ­
ing :
- Tire rotation intervals may differ from the
veh icle service inte rva ls o utlined in your
Warranty & Maintenance booklet.
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points ; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufactu rer 's suggested
tire rotation intervals .
- Vehicles w ith front-wheel dr ive exper ience
more tread wear on the front wheels com­
pared to all -wheel d rive (quattro ®).
- Please rotate tires as shown
c::> fig. 186.
-Extra care must be taken when rotat ing di-
rection-specific tires
c::> page 264 .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new veh icles are balanced .
However, various situations during everyday
driving can cause them to become unba l­
anced, resulting in vibrat ions you can usually
feel through the steer ing wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wear on steering, s uspension
and t ires. A whee l must also be reba lanced
when a new tire is insta lled.
Inco rrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause exces­
sive tire wear, impair ing the safety of the vehi­
cle . If tires show excessive wear, have the
whee l alignment checked by an authori zed
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
All Wh eel Driv e
Vehicles wi th quattro ® mus t always have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type. For details see
c::> page 191.

254 Tires and wheels
remain continuously illuminated. This se­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminat­
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea­
sons, including the installation of replace­
ment or alternate tires or wheels on the vehi­
cle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
tellta le after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your veh icle to ensure that the re­
placement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Tire pressure indicator appears
Appl ies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring sys te m
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 188 Display: underinflation warning
Fig. 189 Display: System malfu nction
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring system compares the tire tread circum­
ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
dividual tires. If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, this is indicated in the instru- ment
cluster with a warning symbol
[I] and a
message
r=> fig. 188.
The tire pressure monitoring system must be
reset via MMI each time the pressures are ad­
justed (e.g. when switching between partial
and full load pressure) or after changing or re­
plac ing a tire on your vehicle
r=> page 255. You
can find the recommended tire pressures for
your vehicle on the Label on driver's side 8-pil­ lar
¢ page 239.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the tire has structural damage,
- the tire pressure was changed, wheels rotat -
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
r=> page 255.
Warning symbols
[I] Loss of pressu re in at least one tir e ¢ ,&. .
Check the tire or tires and replace or repa ir if
necessary. The indicator light
[I] in the instru­
ment cluster also illuminates
¢page 11 .
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via MMI.
IIQllfl (Tir e Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure! System malfunction .
If IIQIS, appears after switching the ignition
on or while driving¢
fig. 189 and the indica­
tor light
[I] in the instrument cluster blinks
f or approximately one minute and then stays
on, there is a system malfunction . See your
authorized Audi dealer as soon as possible.
A WARNING
-- If the tire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or more of your tires is significant ly under­
inflated. Reduce you r speed immediately
and avoid any hard steering or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the tires and their pressures. In­
flate the tire pressure to the proper pres-
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire .,..

266 Fuses and bulbs
Fuse panel @ (brown)
No. Equipment
1 Headlight control switch
2 Emergency start coil (key
identification)
3 Rear door
control module
(driver's side)
5 Horn
6 Interior lights
(headliner)
Steering column lever, mul-
8
tifunction steering wheel
controls, steering wheel
I heating
10 Power steering column ad-
justment
11 Driver door control module
12 Diagnost
ic connector, light/
rain sensor
14 Power steering column ad-
justment
15 Power
steering, AC compres-
sor
16 Brake booster
Fuse panel © (black)
No. Equipment
1 Front seat heating
2 Windshield wiper
3 Front exterior lighting
4 Sun roof
5 Driver power window
6 Driver seat (pneumatic)
7 Panoramic
sunroof
8 Dynamic steering
9 Front exterior lighting
10 Windshield/headlight
wash-
er system
11 Rear power window (driver's
side)
Panoramic sunroof
Amps
5
5
7,5 15
7,5
10/5
5
7,5 10
25
20 15
Amps
30
30
30 20
30 15
20
35
30
35
30
40
Front passenger side cockpit fuse
assignment
Fig. 206 Front passe nger side cockpit: fuse pane l with
plastic bracket
Fuse panel ® (black)
No. Equipment Amps
1 Anti-theft alarm system
5
2 T
ransmission control mod-
15
ule
3 Front climate control fan 40
4 Engine supply 35
6 Engine
control module
5
7 Front passenger door con-
7,5
trol module
8 Front passenger
power win-
30
dow
9 ESC control module 10
10 E5C control modu le 25
11 Right rear power window
30
12 Front
passenger seat (pneu -
15
matics)

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
•
•

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

294 Index
Seats Comfort seat side view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Seat symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Seats (number) .......... .. .. .. .. .. . 134
Selective unlock feature ........... .. .. 31
Selector lever .............. ... .... . 109
Service and disposal Saf ety belt pretens ioner ... .. .. .... . 141
Service interval display ................ 25
Servotronic (power steering system) ... . 191
Shift paddles . .............. ... .. ... 112
Ship (transporting your vehicle) . .. .... . 274
Side airbags Description ............... ... .... . 160
How they work ............ ... .... . 161
side assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Adjust ing the brightness . .. .. .. .. .. . 101
Sensor range . ........... .. .. .... . 100
Side assist Activating and deactivating ... .. .. .. . 10 1
Sensoren reinigen ............ .. ... 205
Side curtain airbags ........ .. .. .. .. . 163
Description ................ .. .... . 163
How they work ............ .... ... . 164
Safety instructions ............. ... . 164
Side marker lights .......... ... .... .. 43
Ski sack
refer to Pass-through with ski sack . .... 67
Sliding/tilting sunroof
E l . mergency c osing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
E t· mergency opera ,on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Opening and clos ing ................ 40
Panoramic sunroof ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. 41
Snow chains ................ .. .. ... 251
Sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64, 70
Solar operation (automatic climate con-
trol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Sources of information about c hild re-
straints and their use ........... .. ... 184
Space-saving spare tire ....... .... ... . 2S8
Spare wheel ... ........... .... .... . 259
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Speed rating letter code ....... ... ... . 247
Speed warn ing system ........... ..... 84
Sport differential ............ .. .... . 103
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 START ENGINE S
TOP button ...... .. .. . 80
Starting from rest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Starting off with a trailer .............. 83
Starting the engine ............. .... . 80
Steering wheel Adjusting steering column ........... 79
Easy entry feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 22
Shift paddles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Steering wheel heating .......... ... . 78
Steps for determining correct load limit . 243
Stopping the engine . ................. 81
Storage .. .. .... .. ............. .... . 71
Sunroof ............................ 40
Sun shades Emergency closing (roof) ............. 42
Panoramic sunroof ............... .. . 42
Rear doors .... .. ............. .... . 47
Rear window . .. .. ... .......... .. .. . 47
Sun visors . ..... .. ............. ..... 47
Symbols
refer to Warn ing/Ind icator lights . .... . 11
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 23
T h . l d'f ' .
ec nrca mo , ,cations .......... .... 283
T emperature display ............. .. .. . 23
Tether anchors ... . ... ... .... ... .. .. 182
T ether strap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
T he first 1,000 miles (1,500 km) and after-
wards ............................. 194
Tie-downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66, 131
T ips for th e environment
Sav ing fuel . ..... ................ .. 69
t iptron ic (automat ic transmission) . .... 109
Tire pressure .... .. ............. .... 241
T ire pressure monitoring system ....... 253
Loss of air pressure ................ 254
Malfunction ..... ............. .... 254
Resetting tire pressures ............. 255
T ires .............................. 235
Service life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
speed rating letter code ............ 247
Ti re manufacturing date ............ 247
r ·f · ·
rre spec, 1cat1ons ............. .... 247
Tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245