2012 AUDI A8 seats

184 Child Saf ety
in the area whe re the tether strap was in­
stalled. The upholstery would a lso be per­
manently stretched around the tether
strap. This applies especially to leather
seats.
Using tether straps on rearward-facing
child restraints
Currently , few rear-facing child rest rain t sys­
tems come with a tether. P lease read and
heed the child restraint system manufactur­
er's instructions carefully to determine how to
properly install the tether .
A WARNING
A child in a rearward -facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenger seat
w ill be seriously injured and can be k illed if
the front a irbag inflates -even with an Ad ­
vanced Airbag System .
- The inflating a irbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and w ill smash the ch ild safety seat
and child against the backrest, cente r
armrest, or door.
- A tight tet her or ot her st rap on a rear­
wa rd-fa cing child restra int attached to
the front p assenger sea t ca n put too
much pressure on the weight -ma t in the
seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced Airbag System. The heavier
we ight registered can make the system
work as though an adu lt were on the seat
and dep loy the Advanced Airbag when it
must be suppressed ca using se rious 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 circ umstan­
c es and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
ligh t does no t come on and stay on, im­
med iately install the rear -facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the a irbag system inspected by yo ur
Audi dealer.
Additional Information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
T he re a re a number o f sou rces of add itiona l
information abo ut child rest raint se lection, in ­
sta llation and use:
N HT SA advises that the bes t ch ild safety seat
is the one that fits your ch ild an d fits in you r
vehicle, and that yo u will use correct ly and
consistently .
T ry before yo u buy!
U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Admin ­
i s tration
T el.: 1-888-3 27-4 236 (TIY: 1-800- 424-9153)
www.n htsa.gov
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
T el.: (202) 662-0600
www.safe kids.o rg
Safety BeltSaf e U.S .A
Tel.: (800) 745-SAFE (English)
Te l.: (800) 7 47-SANO (Span is h)
www. carseat .org
Transport Canada Information C entre
Tel.: 1-800-333-0371 o r call
1-6 13-998-86 16 if you a re i n the Ottawa area
http://www.tc.gc.ca/e ng/ roadsafe ty/
men u.h tm
Audi Cu stomer R elation s
Tel.: (800) 822-2834

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-
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than is being generated and ensures an opti­mal state of charge for the battery.
@ Tips
- But even energy management cannot
negate the limits o f physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
li mited.
- If starting ab ility is threatened, the indi­
cator light
(•i appears ~ page 16, 0
Battery.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severely taxed in short-dis tance
d riving, in city traffic and during the co ld time
of year . Abundant e lectrica l energy is re­
q ui red, but only a litt le is generated. It is also
cr itical if the engine is not runn ing and electri­
cal components are turned on. In th is in­
stance energy is being consumed but none is
be ing generated .
It is in precisely these situations that you w ill
notice energy management actively regulat­
i ng the distribution of energy.
Vehicle sta nds for an ext ended p eriod
If you do not drive you r vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electrical compo­ nents are grad ually cut back or switched
off .
This reduces energy consumption and main­
tains sta rting capab ility over a longer per iod.
Some of the conven ience f unctions may not
ope rate, such as the inter ior lig hts or the
power sea t adjustment. The conven ien ce
f u nctions w ill be ava ilable again when you
switch on the ignit ion and start the engine .
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with
the engine turned
off or use other MMI func­
tions, the battery is being discharged .
If starting capability is jeopa rdized due to en­
ergy consumpt ion, the fo ll ow ing warning ap­
pears in the MMI display :
Intellig ent technolog y 193
Plea se start the engine soon or the sy stem
will be turned off .
The wa rni ng ind ic ates that the system wi ll be
tu rned
off automatically a fter 3 minu tes. If
you w ish to continue using the funct ions, yo u
have to start the engine.
With the engine running
Althoug h elec trical energy is generated when
t h e ve hicl e is being driven, t he battery can be­
come d ischarged. This happe ns mostly when
little energy is being generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
charge is not opt imal.
T o b ring the energy ba lance back in to equili ­
brium, consumers which require especially
l a rge amounts of energy a re temporari ly cut
back or sw itched
off. Heat ing systems in par­
ticular require a great deal of energy. If you notice, for example, that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they
have been temporarily cut back or switched
off . These systems w ill be available again as
soon as the ene rgy balance has been restored.
You w ill also notice that engine id le speed has
been increased slightly . Thi s is normal and not
a cause for concern. By inc reasing engi ne id le
speed the additional e nergy requi red is gene r­
ated and the b attery is charged.
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substance use d for u ndercoating cou ld
overheat an d cause a fire.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 203.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road sa lt and other corros ive materials will
damage the mater ial in the exhaust tail p ipes
if they are not cleaned regu larly . Do not clean
the ta il p ipes with wheel cleaner, paint polish,
chrome polish or othe r abrasive cleaners .
C lean the tail p ipes with ca r ca re products
that are s uita ble for stain less stee l.
Your authorized Audi dealer can provide clean­ i ng p rod ucts that have been tested and ap­
p roved fo r your vehicle.
Care of interior
Infotainment components
The MMI/RSE* disp lay may be cleaned with a
soft cloth and commercially-ava ilable "LCD
cleaner" . The cloth should be coated light ly
when the clean ing solution when cleani ng the
d isplay.
The MMI/RSE* contro ls must be cleaned first
with a brush so that dirt does not enter the
un it o r enter between the buttons and the
h ousing. Then w iping the controls with a clot h
dampened wi th d ish dete rgent and water is
recommended.
(D Note
To preve nt sc ratches, only clean the dis­
p lay when it is d ry.
- To p reven t damage, ma ke s ure fluids do
not enter the cont rols.
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH produc ts to remove spots
and depos its from alum in um s urfaces.
C hr ome ca re products and alkaline cleaners
will attack alum in um s urfaces and can dam­
age them over time.
Cleaning and protec tion 209
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢page 203.
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabr ics and fabric cover ings (e.g. seats, door
trim pa ne ls, etc.) shou ld be cleaned at regular
i n tervals w it h a vac uum cleaner. This removes
s ur face di rt particles which cou ld become em­
bedded in the fabri c throug h use. Ste am
cleaners sho uld not be used, beca use the
steam tends to p ush the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lock it there .
Normal cleaning
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
o r a lint -free microfibe r clo th to the clean fab­
ric. Br ushes shou ld only be used for carpets
and floor mats, since other fabric surfaces
could be harmed by br ushes.
Norma l su rface s tains c an be cleaned using a
commerc ially availab le foam cleaner . Spread
the foam on the s urface of t he fabric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently. Do not satu­
rate the fabric. T hen pat the foam dry us ing
absorbe nt, dry cloths (e.g. m icrofiber cloth)
and vacuum it after it has dried completely.
Cleaning stains
Stains caused by beverages (e .g. coffee, fr uit
juice, etc.) can be treated with a mild deter­
gent solution. Apply the detergent sol ution
with a spo nge. In the case of stubborn stains,
a detergent paste can be applied directly to
the stain and worked into the fabric. After­
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to
remove the rem aining de terge nt. Apply the
w at er wit h a d am p clot h or sponge a nd pat
the fabric dry with an abso rbent, dry clot h.
Stains from choco late or makeup should have
de terge nt pa ste (e.g. o x-gall soa p) rubbed i n­
to them. Afterwa rds, remove the soap wi th
wa ter (damp sponge) .
Alcohol can be used to treat stains from grease, o il , lipstic k or a ballpoin t pen. M elted ..,_ •
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Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Audi uses and their unique prop ­
erties (such as sensitivity to oils, grease, soi l­
ing, etc.), you will need to be somewhat care­
fu l with these leathers, and a certain type of
care is required. For examp le, dark cloth ing
materials can d iscolor leather seats (especial­
ly if such cloth ing is damp and was not dyed
correctly) . Dust and d irt part icles in pores,
fo lds, and seams can have a n ab ras ive effect
and can damage the leathe r sur face as well as
weaken seams.
The leather should be cleaned regularly as
n eeded . After having been used for a re lative ly
long t ime, yo ur leather seats will acqui re a
rich aged finish. This is a characteristic of nat­
ura l leather and a sign o f true quality .
I n o rder to maintain the va lue of th is natura l
p rod uct over the life of yo ur vehicle, you
should follow the recommendations below :
(D Note
-To keep you r leather from bleach ing out,
do not a llow i t to be exposed to bright
s unli ght for long periods of time. If you
have to leave the vehicle parked o utside
for long periods, cover the leather to protect it from d irect exposure to sun­
li ght.
- Sharp objects on clothing, such as zip­
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on be lts can
l eave permanent scratches or scrape
marks on the surface of the leather.
(D} Tips
- After each time you clean the leather and
at regular interva ls, use a leather preser­
vat ive creme that conta ins UV-blockers
and that works into the leather . This
creme w ill nou rish and moistur ize the
l eather, helping it to b reath e and stay
supple. It al so helps to b uild up a pro tec­
tive coat ing o n the s urface.
- Clean the leathe r every 2 -3 months,
and clean a ny a reas that get soiled .
Cleaning and protec tion 21 1
- Remove fresh ma rks made by ballpo int
pens, ink, lipstick, shoe po lish, etc. as
soon as poss ible .
- Preserve the color of the leather as need­
ed by using a specia l co lored leather care
creme to touch up areas of uneven color.
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
App lies to vehicles: with natural leather
Natural leather requires special care and a t­
tention .
Normal clean ing
.. Clean soiled areas with a slightly moistened
cotton or woolen cloth .
More stubborn dirt
.,. More s tubborn di rt ca n be removed using a
cloth sa turated wi th a mild soap sol ution (2
tablespoons mild liq ui d soap) .
.. Never a llow the soap so lution to saturate
the leather, and make certain that no water
s oak s in to the seam s.
.,. Wipe off the soap so lu tion with a soft, d ry
cloth .
Cleaning spots
.. Remove fresh wate r-based spots (such as
coffee, tea, juices, blood) with an absorbent
cloth or paper towel.
.,. Remove fresh
grease or oil -based spots
(such as butter , mayonnaise, chocolate) with
an absorbent clot h or paper towel, or use
the cleaner from the leather care kit if the
spot has no t yet penetrated into t he surface
of the leather .
.,. Use an oil/grease dissolving spray, i f
oil/
grease spot s have d ried on.
.. Remove specific kinds of spots (ballpoint
pen, fe lt marker, fingerna il polish, water ­
based pa int, shoe po lish, etc.) with a spot
remover specifically formu lated for lea ther.
Leather care
.. Every half yea r use an approved leather care
product (available from your Audi dea ler) to
care for the leather . .,.
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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.

@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will a lso increase the
fue l consumption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any vehicle and any t ire can carry.
A vehicle that is overloaded w ill not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overload ing
can not only lead to loss of vehicle control, but can a lso damage importan t pa rts of the
ve hicle and can lead to s udden tire failure, in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the veh icle to crash.
Your safety and that of yo ur passenge rs a lso
depends on making s ure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the vehicle. These
load limits are technica lly referred to as the
vehicle's
Gros s Vehicle We ight R ating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, all factory insta lled accessories, a full
tank of fue l, oil, coolant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The maximum load includes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is intended to carry ("seating capacity") with an
assumed weight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each
passenger at a des ignated seat ing pos ition
and the total we ight of any l uggage in the ve­
hi cle. If you tow a trailer, the weight of the
trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the loaded trailer must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
The
Gro ss Axl e W eight R ating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be app lied at each
of the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating a re listed on the
safety compliance sticker labe l located on the
driver's side B -pillar . Your Audi has 5 seating
positions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for
total seating capacity of 5. Vehicles with pow­
er individual rear seats* have 4 seating posi­
tions, 2 in the front and 2 in the rear for total
Tire s an d wheel s 243
seating capacity o f 4 . Each seating position
has a safety belt~ page 134, Safety belts .
T he fact th at there is a n upper limit to yo ur
vehicle's G ross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weight of whatever is being car­
ried in the vehicle (including the weight of a
tra iler hitch and the tongue weight of the
l oaded tra iler) is lim ited. The more passen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard we ights assumed
mea n that less we ight can be carried as lug­
gage .
The tire pressure label on your Audi also lists
the maximum combined weight of all of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that
the vehicle can carry . For the locat ion of the
label ~page239, fig.183.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle contro l, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Ca rrying more we igh t than your veh icle
was des igned to carry wi ll prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in ­
crease the risk of the loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
veh icle w ith in a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been over load­
ed can fail suddenly, incl uding a blowout
and sudden deflation, causing loss of
control and a crash .
- Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported -includ ing the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue we ight of a
loaded trailer -does not make t he vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load limit
U se the exa mple be lo w t o cal­
c ulat e th e t otal weight of the
pa sse ngers a nd lu gg age or
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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
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