2012 AUDI A8 Owners Manual

Selecting a color pr ofile
You can select from the Iv ory , Polar and Ru­
b y/ Pol ar
color profiles .
(D Tips
The settings are automa tically sto red and
assigned to the remote con tro l key that is
in use.
Instrument illumination
You con adjust the brightness of the instru ­
ment and display illumination .
Fig . 39 In strument ill um ination
• Press the knob to release it.
• Turn the knob toward"-" or"+" to reduce or
increase the brigh tness .
• Press the knob again to return it to its or igi ­
nal position .
Q Tips
The instrument illumination (for dials and
needles) lights on when the ig nitio n is
sw itched on and the vehicle lig hts are
turned off. As the daylight fades, the ill u­
m ina tion of the dials likewise dims auto­
mat ica lly and will go out com plete ly when
t he o utside light is very low . This fea ture is
meant to remind you to switch on the
headlights when o utside light conditions
become poor. Clear vi
sion 4 7
Vision
Sun visors
E J
Fig . 4 0 Sun viso r
The sun visors for the driver and passenger
can be re leased from their bracke ts and
turned toward the doors
c:> fig. 40 (D . They
can a lso be moved back and forth lengthwise
in th is position .
The m irror light switches on when the cover
over the vanity m irror @opens.
T here is a shade between the dr iver 's and pas­
senge r's s un visors that can be used to cover
the gap above the rearview mirror.
. Sun Shade
Fi g. 41 Cock pit: Sun shad e swit c h
Fig. 4 2 Rear doo r: S un s had e butto n

48 Clear vis ion
Extending /retracting th e re ar window
s h ad e*
• To extend or retract the sun shade from the
cockpit ,
press the rn button in the center
console
c> fig . 41 .
• To extend or retract the sun shade from the
r e ar of th e vehicle,
press the liiil button in
the door
c> fig . 42 .
Extending the re ar door sun shade s*
• Close the window in the rear door.
• To extend the sun shade
from the d rive r's
s eat ,
pull the left/right rear power window
switch~ in the driver's door .
• To extend the sun shade from the
rear of
th e v ehi cle,
pull the power window sw itch
~ in the left/right rear door.
Re tra cting the re ar doo r sun shades*
• To retract the sun shade from the driv er's
sea t,
press the left/right rear power window
switch~ in the driver's door .
• To retract the sun shade from the
re ar of
th e vehi cle,
press the power window swit ch
~ in the left/ right rear door .
You can adj ust the settings for the rear sun
shade so the shade ret ra cts automa tically
when you selec t the reve rse gear. Select:
CAR
function button > C ar sys tems control button
> Vehicle set tings > Aut omatic rear blind >
On. T he sett ings are automat ica lly stored and
assigned to the remote control key . The sun
shade extends again as soon as the veh icle be­
g ins traveling forward at a speed greater than
9 mph (1S km/h), as long as the ignition has not been switched off in th e mea ntime .
& WARNING
When lowe ring or raisi ng the sunshade,
make s ure there is no thing in its way and
t ha t it has a free path to trave l. This could
cause personal injury.
{D) Tips
- Pressing the b utton rn several times
consecutively can tr igger the overload
protection . The sun shade can only be ex- tended/retracted again after a brief wait­
ing period.
- The rear window sun shade on ly func­
tions when the vehicle interior is warmer
than 14°F (-10°C) .
Vanity mirror in the rear
Applies to vehicles: with vanity mirrors in the rear
Fig. 43 Rear hea dliner: van it y m irror
• Press the b utton to fold the m irror open.
The mir ro r li ght ing turns on automatically.
• To c hange the mir ro r's ang le, move it for ­
ward/back with your hand .
Wiper and washer
system
Switching the windshield wipers on
Fig . 44 Winds hield w iper leve r
Move the windshie ld wiper lever to the corre­
sponding posit ion :
@ -Windshield wipers off
(D -Rain sensor mode. The windshield wipers
switch on once the vehicle speed exceeds ap­
proximate ly 2 mph (4 km/h) and it is raining.
The higher the rain sensor sensit ivity is set
(sw itch @ to the right), the earlier the

windshield wipers react to moisture on the
windshield. You can deactivate rain sensor
mode in the MMI, which will then activate in­
termittent mode. Select:
ICARI function but­
ton
> Car systems control button > Driver as­
sist > Rain sensor> Off.
In intermitten t
mode, you can adjust the interval time using
the switch @.
@-Slow wiping
@-Fast wiping
©-Single wipe. If you hold the lever in this
position longer, the wipers switch from slow
wiping to fast wiping.
® -Clean the windshield . The wipers wipe
one time after several seconds of driving to
remove water droplets. You can switch this
function off by moving the lever to position ®
within 10 seconds after the afterwipe. The af­
terwipe function is reactivated the next time
you switch the ignition on.
Cleaning the headlights. The headlight wash­
er system* only functions when the lights are
sw itched on. The headlights and the night vi­
sion system camera* are cleaned automatical­ ly the first time the lever is press in position
® and every 8 times it is pressed after that.
They are also cleaned every time you hold the lever in position @for longer than 8 seconds .
A WARNING
- The rain sensor is only designed to assist
and support the driver.
It remains entire­
ly the driver's responsibility to monitor
outside weather conditions and to man­
ually activate the wipers as soon as rain
or drizzle reduces visibility through the
windshield.
- The windshield must not be treated with
water-repellent materials. They can in­
crease glare under poor visibility condi·
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the horizon. In addi­
tion, they can cause the windshield wip­
ers to chatter.
- Properly functioning windshield wiper
blades are required for a clear view and
Clear vision 49
safe driving ¢ page 50, Replacing
windshield wiper blades.
(D Note
- In the case of frost, check whether the
windshield wiper blades are frozen to the windshield. Switching on the wind­
shield wipers can damage the wiper
blades!
- Prior to using a car wash, the windshield
wiper system must be switched off (lever
in position @). This helps to prevent un­
intentional switching on and damage to
the windshield wiper system.
- Do not use the wipers to clear a frosted
window . Using the wipers as a conven­
ient ice scraper will destroy the wiper
blades.
@ Tips
- The windshield wipers are switched off
when the ignition is off . Activate the
windshield wipers after the ignition is
switched back on by moving the wind­
shield wiper lever to any position.
- Worn or dirty windshield wiper blades
result in streaking. This can affect the
rain sensor function. Check your wind­
shield wiper blades regularly.
- The washer fluid nozzles of the wind­
shield washer system are heated at low
temperatures when the ignition is on.
- When stopping temporarily, e.g. at a
traffic light, the set speed of the wind­
shield wipers is automatically reduced by
one speed.

50 Clear vis ion
Replacing windshield wiper blades
Wiper blades in good condition help keep the
windshield clear .
Fig. 45 Remov ing wi nds hield w ipe r blade s
Service p osition
"" Switch the w indshield wipe rs off (posit io n
@ ¢ page 48, fig . 44).
"" Se lect in the M MI:: !CAR !f unc tion button>
Car system s contro l button > Se rvicing &
checks > Wip er service position > On . The
windshield wipers move into the serv ice po­
s it ion.
O r
"" Switc h the ignition off and move the wind­
shield wiper lever to posit ion © ¢ page 48,
fig.
44.
Removing the wiper blade
"" Fold the windshield wiper arm away from
the windshie ld .
"" Press the locking knob
(D ¢ fig . 45 on the
wiper blade . Hold the wiper b lade firm ly.
"" Remove the w iper blade in the direction of
the arrow.
Installing th e wiper blade
"" Inse rt the new wiper b lade into the mount
on the wiper arm @until you hea r it latch
into place .
"" Place the wiper arm back on the windshie ld.
"" Switc h the ignition on .
"" Se lect : ICARI funct ion button >
Car sy stem s
control button > Servicing & checks > Wiper
servic e po sition
> Off .
Or
"" Press the w indshield wiper lever .
A WARNING
-If the windshie ld w ipers smear the wind­
sh ie ld, clean the wiper b lades w ith wind­
shie ld washer fluid .
If the wiper blades
are ext reme ly dirty, you can a lso clea n
them wi th a s oft sponge o r clo th.
- For your safety, you should replace the
wiper blades once o r twice a yea r. See
your author ized A udi de aler for re place­
men t blad es.
([) Note
-The windshield wip er b lades must only
be folded away when in the service pos i­
ti on! Ot herwise, you ris k damaging the
p aint on the hood o r th e windshie ld w ip­
er motor.
- Yo u should no t move your veh icle or
press the windsh ie ld wiper lever when
t he wipe r arms are folded away from the
w indshield. The windshie ld wipers wou ld
move back into their or iginal position
and co uld damage the hood and wind­
shield.
- To help prevent damage to the w iper sys­
tem, always loosen blades wh ich are fro­
zen to the windshield before operating
w ipers .
- To help prevent damage t o wiper blades,
do not use gasoline, kerosene, paint
thinne r, or o ther solven ts on o r near the
w iper blades .
- To help prevent damage to the w iper
arms or other components, do not at­
tempt to move the wipe rs by hand .
(j) Tips
- Comme rcial hot waxes appl ied by a uto­
matic ca r washes affect the cleanability
of t he windshie ld.
- Yo u can also use the se rv ice posi tion, for
example, if yo u want to p rotec t the
w indshield from icing by using a cover.
- Yo u cannot activate the se rv ice position
w hen the hood is ope n.

Mirrors
Adjusting the exterior mirrors
Fig . 46 Fo rwa rd section of d river's a rmrest: power m ir­
ror co nt rols
Turn the knob to the desi red position :
Q/P -In th is position, you can adjust the
driver's and front passenger's exter ior mir rors
by turn ing the knob in t he des ired direction .
® -The m irrors are heated depending on the
outside temperature .
8 -The exterior mirrors fo ld in. In the MMI,
you can select if the m irrors fold in automat i­
cally when you lock the vehicle
9 page 31.
Tilt function fo r th e pa sseng er' s mi rror
To help yo u see the curb when backing into a
parking space, the surface of the mirror tilts
slightly. The knob must be in the P position
for this to happen .
You can ad just the tilted mirror s urface by
turning the knob in the desired direction.
When you move out of reverse and into anoth ­
er gear, the new mirror posit ion is stored and
assigned to the key you are using.
The mirror goes back into its origina l posit io n
once you drive forward faster than 9 mph (15 km/h) or switch the ignition off .
A WARNING
-Curved ( i.e. convex) mirror s urfaces in­
crease your field of view . Remember that
vehicles or other objects will appear
small er and farther away than when seen
in a flat m irror.
If you use this mirro r to
est imate distances of following vehicles
Clear vi sion 51
when changing lanes, you co uld estimate
incorrectly and cause an accident.
(D Note
- If the m irror housing is moved uninten ­
tionally (for examp le, w hile pa rking your
vehicle), then yo u must first fold the mir­
ror electrically. Do not read just the mir­
ror housing man ually. You cou ld damage
the motor which controls the mirror.
- If you wash the vehicle in an automatic
car was h, you must fold the exter ior mir­
rors in to reduce the risk of damage to
the mirrors. Never fold power fold ing ex­
terior mirrors by hand. O nly fold t hem in
and out using the power controls.
(D Tips
- T he exterior m irror set tings are stored
w ith the m emory function*
9 page 62 .
- If there is a malfunction in the elect rical
system, you can st ill adjust the exterio r
mi rrors by pressing the edge of the m ir­
ror.
Dimming the mirrors
Fi g. 47 Auto m atic d immin g rearv iew mirr or
.. To dim the rearview m irror and both exteri ­
or m irrors, press the@ button . The diode
@ tu rns on. The rearview and exterior mir­
rors dim automatically whe n light shines on
t hem, for examp le from headl ights on ave-
hicle to the rear . ..,.

52 Clear vision
& WARNING
Electrolyte fluid can leak from automatic
dimming mirrors if the glass is broken.
Electrolyte fluid can irritate skin, eyes and
respiratory system .
- Repeated or prolonged exposure to elec­
trolyte can cause irritation to the respira­
tory system, especially among people
with asthma or other respiratory condi­ tions. Get fresh air immediately by leav­
ing the vehicle or, if that is not possible,
open windows and doors all the way.
- If electrolyte gets into the eyes, flush
them thoroughly with large amounts of
clean water for at least 15 minutes;
medical attention is recommended.
- If electrolyte contacts skin, flush affect­
ed area with clean water for at least 15
minutes and then wash affected area
with soap and water; medical attention
is recommended . Thoroughly wash af­
fected clothing and shoes before reuse.
- If swallowed and person is conscious,
rinse mouth with water for at least 15
minutes . Do not induce vomiting unless
instructed to do so by medical professio­
nal. Get medical attention immediately.
(D Note
Liquid electrolyte leaking from broken mir­
ror glass will damage any plastic surfaces
it comes in contact with. Clean up spilled
electrolyte immediately with clean water
and a sponge.
@ Tips
-Switching off the dimming function of
the inside rear view mirror also deacti­
vates the automatic dimming function of
the exterior mirrors.
- Automatic dimming for the mirror only
operates properly if the sun shade* for
the rear window is not in use or the light
striking the inside mirror is not hindered
by other objects. -
The automatic dimming mirrors do not
dim when the interior lighting is turned
on or the reverse gear is selected.
Digital compass
Switching the compass on and off
Applies to vehicles: with digita l compass
The compass direction is shown in the rear­
view mirror .
J
Fig. 48 Rearview mirr or: Digi tal compass activated
.,. To switch the compass on or off, press and
hold the button @until the compass dis­
play in the mirror
c::> fig. 48 appears or disap­
pears.
The digital compass only works when the igni­
tion is on. The directions are indicated with
abbrev iations:
N (north), NE (northeast), E
(east), SE (southeast), S (south), SW (south­
west),
W (west), NW (northwest).
A WARNING -
The digital compass is to be used as a di­
rectional aid only . Even though you may
want to look at it while you are driving, you
must still pay attention to traffic, road and
weather conditions as well as other possi­
ble hazards.
(D Tips
To prevent inaccurate compass readings,
do not bring any remote controls, electri­
cal devices or metallic objects near the
mirror.

Adjusting the magnetic zone
Applies to vehicles: with digital compass
The magnetic zone must be adjusted correctly
for the compass to read accurately .
Fig. 49 Magnet ic zo ne map
.,.. Press and ho ld the button @ ¢page 52,
fig. 48
until the number of the magnetic
zone appears in the rearview mirror .
.,.. Press the but to n @ repeated ly to select the
correc t magnetic zone. The selectio n mode
turns off after a few seconds .
Calibrating the compass
Applies to vehicles: with digital compass
You must recalibrate the compass if i t does
not display the correct direction .
.,.. Press and ho ld the button @unti l a C ap·
pears in the rearview mi rror .
.,.. Drive in a circle at abou t 6 mph (1 0 km/h)
u ntil a direction is disp layed in the rearview
mir ror.
A WARNING
To avoid endangering yourself and other
drivers, calibrate the compass in an area
w here there is no traff ic.
Clear vi sion 5 3

54 Seat s a nd s tor ag e
Seats and storage
General recommen­
dations
Why is your seat adjustment so
important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide maximum protection if the front
seats are correctly adjusted.
There are various ways of adjust ing the front
seats to provide safe and comfortable support
for the driver and the front passenger . Adjust
you r seat prope rly so that :
- you can easily and quick ly reach all the
switches and controls in the instrument
panel
-your body is prope rly supported thus reduc­
ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety be lts and airbag system can offer
maximum protection
¢ page 142 .
In the following sec tions, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust you r seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for insta lling a child seat on the front pas­
senger's seat. Always fo llow the information
regarding child safety provided in
q page 166, Child Safety.
A WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal in jury.
- Always keep your feet on the floor when
the vehicle is in motion -never p ut your
feet on top of the instrument panel, out
of the w indow or on top of the seat cush­
ion . Th is app lies especially to the passen­
gers .
If your seating position is incorrect,
yo u increase the r isk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an acc ident.
If the
airbag infla tes and the seating position
is incorrect, this could result in personal
injury or even death.
- It is import ant for bo th the driver and
front passenger to keep a distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between them­
selves and the steering wheel and/or in­
strument panel. If you're s itting any
closer than th is, the a irbag system can­
not protect you properly . In addition, the
front seats and head restraints must be
adjusted to your body height so that they
can give you max imum protect ion.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible between yourself and the steer­
ing wheel o r inst rument panel.
- Do not adjust the driver's o r front pas­
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
Your sea t may move unexpected ly, caus­
ing sudden loss of vehicle control and
personal injury . If you adjust yo ur seat
while the veh icle is moving, yo u are out
of posit ion.
Driver's seat '
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving.
We recommend tha t you adjus t the dr iver's
seat in the fo llowing manner :
.,. Adjust t he seat in fo re and aft direction so
t ha t you can eas ily push the peda ls to the
floor wh ile keeping your knees sl igh tly bent
q A in Why is your seat adjustment so im­
portant? on page 54.
.. Adjust the back rest so that when you sit
w ith your back agains t th e backrest, you can
still g rasp the top of the steering wheel.
.. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as poss ible with the top of your
head . If that is not poss ible , try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
t his pos it ion as possib le
q page 61.
A WARNING
Neve r place any objects in the dr iver's foot ­
well. An object could get into the pedal
a rea and interfere with pedal function . In
case of sudden braking or an acc ident, you
would not be able to brake or accelerate .