2012 AUDI A8 belt

Intelligent technology Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facturers for the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event. EDR's are sometimes called "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for examp le, engine function, emis­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during norma l vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded over a very limited period of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and downloaded with special equip­
ment.
Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidding and loss of veh icle control. It works
only when the engine is running. ESC detects
Intelligent technology 187
certain difficult driving situations, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw)
out of control and helps you to get the veh icle
back under control by se lectively braking the
wheels, and/or reducing engine power and
providing steering ass istance to help hold the
vehicle on the driver's intended course. The in­
dicator light
Ip.] in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESC is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESC has limitations .
It is important to remem­
ber that ESC cannot overcome the laws of
physics.
It will not always be able to help out
under all conditions you may come up against.
For example, ESC may not always be able to
help you master situations where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of friction of
the road surface. When there is a section of
dry road that is suddenly covered with water,
slush or snow, ESC cannot perform the same
way it would on the dry surface . If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of water in­
stead of the road surface), ESC will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because con­
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered .
During fast cornering, particularly on winding
roads, ESC cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult driving situations than at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESC is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not tow ing a trailer.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffi<; and weather conditions. ESC can­
not override the vehicle's physical limits, in­
crease the available traction, or keep a veh icle
on the road if road departure is a result of
driver inattention. Instead, ESC improves the
poss ibility of keeping the vehicle under con­
trol and on the road dur ing extreme maneu­
vers by using the driver's steering inputs to
help keep the vehicle going in the intended di­
rection. If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.
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212 Cleaning and protec tio n
• Apply the p roduct very sparing ly.
• Wipe it off with a damp cloth.
I f yo u have any questions about cleaning and
caring for the leather in your vehicle, it is best
to contact your authorized Audi dealer, who
will be glad to he lp you and te ll you about our
fu ll range of leather care products, such as:
- Leathe r cleaning and care kit
- Creams to care for colo red leather
- Spot removers for ballpo int pens, shoe po l-
ish, etc.
- Oil/grease dissolving spray
- New and upcoming products .
A WARNING ,_
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
~ page 203.
0 Note
- Never use chemical solvents (e.g. lighter
fluid, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
s imilar products on the leather surfaces
i n your Audi.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stai ns
r emoved by a commerc ial cleaning spe­
cia list.
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
Applies to vehicles: with Alcantara upholstery
Removing dust and dirt
• Moisten a cloth, squeeze out excess water
and wipe down the seat su rfaces.
Removing stains
• Moisten a cloth w ith lukewarm water or
with diluted
ethyl (rubbing) alcoho l.
• Dab at the stain. Start at the outside and
work inwards.
• Once the stain is no longer visib le, use a
soft d ry cloth or tissue to soak up the mois­
ture .
Do not use leather cleaning products on Al­
cantara.
You may use a suitable shampoo for removing
dust and dirt. D
ust and grit in the po res and seams can
scratch and damage the surface. If the car is
l eft standing in the sun for long per iods, the
Alcantara covers should be protected aga inst
direct sunlight to prevent it from fad ing.
Slight co lor variations will develop in normal
use and are not an indication of material dete­
rioration .
(D Note
-Never use chemical so lvents (e.g. lighter
fluid, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
simi la r products on A lca ntara® surfaces.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn sta ins
removed by a commercial clean ing spe­
cialist.
- Do not use brushes, stiff sponges or sim­
ilarly abrasive cleaning a ids.
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia­
bly when needed .
.,. Keep belts clean.
• For cleaning, use a mild soap a nd water so l­
ution. Let belts dry thoroug hly and away
from d irect sunlight .
• Do not allow inertia ree l safety belts to re­
t ract before they are completely dry.
• Check the condition of you r safety be lts
reg ­
ularly .
Heavi ly so iled safety be lts may not ret ra ct
properly.
A WARNING ~
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash .
- Anyth ing th at might damage yo ur sa fety
be lts could mean that you and your pas ­
sengers would not be adeq uate ly pro­
tected in an accident.
- Safety belt performance depends on co r­
rect insta llation. Never remove be lts
from the vehicle to clean them.
- Do not use chemical cleaning agents, bleach or dyes. They have corrosive prop­
erties which weaken the webb ing.

-Wh en cl eaning your safety belts, inspect
them for damage. If you discover dam ­
age, see your Audi dealer .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 203.
Cooler
Applies to veh icles: with coole r
A layer of ic e or frost in th e cool er interfer es
with its cooling performanc e.
Cleaning
The refr igerator sho uld be cleaned reg ula rly .
.,. Wash the cooler w ith lukewarm water a nd a
mild cleaning so lution, if necessary .
.,. The n w ipe the coole r dry.
.. Dust and dir t will acc umu late near the ven ­
t il ation openings in the luggage compar t­
me nt due to normal coole r usage. This
sho uld be cleaned reg ularly.
Defrosting
.,. Switc h the coo ler off ¢ page 72.
.. Remove any food or beverages and al low
the coole r to defrost with the door open .
.. Wipe the inside of the coo ler dry and clean
the cooler , if necessary .
D efrost the cooler if yo u will no t be using it
for ex tended periods of time .
Q) Note
-Do no t try to speed up the defrosting
p rocess by applying heat.
- To red uce the risk of pe rsonal injury or
dam age to the refrige rator,
- do not use any abrasive cleaners, sol­
vents, wax, aggressive cleaning solu­
tions , so lutions with strong fragrances,
etc.,
- do not clean the coo ler with cleaning
tools such as stee l wool.
l ) U se o nly the co rr ec t cl ean in g so lu tio ns. Ne ve r use ga s­
o line or d ie sel fuel.
Cleaning and protec tion 213
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine compartment.
Always switch off the ignit ion before clean ­
ing the engine
¢ .& .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front
of the windshield under the engin e compart­
ment . This prevents the water drain holes
from becoming b locked , and it preve nts de­
bris from entering the vehicle interio r through
the heat ing and ventilat ion ducts .
Corrosion protection
The eng in e compartm ent and transmission
have been corrosion-protected at the facto ry .
Good anti -corrosion treatment is very impor ­
tant , partic ularly in the w inte r.
If the vehicle
is frequently d riven on salt treated roads, th e
entire engine compartment and p lenum panel
shou ld be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter a nd retreated to p revent salt damage .
At the same time, the unde rside of the vehicle
shou ld be washed as well.
If the engine compar tment is cleaned at any
time with grease remov ing solutions
1> , or if
you have the engine washed, the ant i-corro­
s io n treatment is almost always removed as
well.
It i s therefo re essentia l to have a long­
lasti ng cor rosion pro tect ion rea pplied to all
s u rfaces , seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment .
A WARNING
Be aware: The engine com partment of any
motor veh icle is a potentially hazardous
area.
- Before work ing in the engine compart­
ment, be sure to read the information
¢ page 219 .
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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.

@ 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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Fuse s and bulb s 267
Luggage compartment fuse assignment
Fig. 207 Luggage compartment: fuse pa nel with plastic bracket
Fuse panel @ (black ) Fuse panel @ (b la ck)
No . Equi pment Amps No. Equipment Amps
[ru button, data logger, diag-
11 Dynamic
steering
5
l nostic connector, BCM -1,
5
Selector lever, BCM-2 5
adaptive light ing system
Audi side assist
5
2 Networking gateway 5
Engine control module 5
3 adaptive air suspension
5
Starter 40
4 Parking system 5
Left headlight/Headlight
16 10/5
5 Steer
ing column lever
5
range control system
Suspension control system
6 5 Fuse panel @ (red ) sensor
Belt tensioners, airbag con-
No. Equipment Amps
7
trol module 5 1 Left
reversible be lt tens ione r
25
Heated washer fluid nozzles, 2 Right reversible belt ten-
25
Homelink (garage door sioner
8 opener), night vision system
5 3 Starter diagnosis 5
control module, sport differ- 4 DC/DC converter
7,5
ential, ioni zer
5 Adaptive cruise contro l 7,5
9
Electromechan ica l parking
5 Right headlight (headlight
brake contro l modu le
6 with adaptive light) 10 -
10 Rear seat heating, cooler, in-
5 7 ESC co ntrol modu le 5 ... terior rearview mirror

28 2 Con sum er Inf ormation
-Always make sure the transmission se­
lector lever (automatic transmiss ion) is
in "P" (Park position) and the park brake
is f irmly app lied .
@) For the sake of the environment
-Changing the engine settings wi ll ad­
versely affect em iss ion levels. This is det­
rimental to the environment and increas­
es fuel consumption .
- Always observe env ironmental regula­
tions when dispos ing of old engine oil,
used brake fluid, dirty engine coolant,
spent batteries or worn out tires.
- Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
s ioners might be classified as Perchlo ­
rate Material -spec ial handling may ap­
ply, see www.dtsc.ca .gov/hazardous­
was te/perch lorate . When the veh icle or
parts of the res traint system including
airbag modules safety belts wit h preten ­
sioners are scrapped, all applicable laws
and regulations must be observed. Your
authori zed Aud i dea ler is familiar with
these requirements and we recommend
that you have your dealer perform this
serv ice for you .
Additional accessories,
modifications and
parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult an authorized Audi dealer be­
fore purchasing accessories.
Your veh icle incorporates the latest safety de­
sig n featu res ensu ring a high standard of a c­
tive and passive safety .
This safety could be comp romised by non-ap­
proved changes to the ve hicle. For this reason ,
if pa rts have to be replaced , please obse rve
the following points when install ing addition­
a l accessories: Approved Audi accessories and genuine Aud
i
parts are available from authorized A udi deal­
ers.
T hese dea le rs a lso have the necessary facili­
ties, tools and tra ined specialists to install the
parts and acc essories proper ly .
A WARNING
-Using the wrong spare parts or using non-
approved accessories can cause damage to
the veh icle and ser ious persona l injury.
- Use on ly accessories express ly approved
by Audi and ge nuine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessories have been
specia lly designed to be used on yo ur ve­
h icle .
- Never install accessor ies such as tele­
phone crad les or beverage ho lders on a ir­
bag covers or within the airbag deploy­
ment zones . Do ing so will increase the
risk of injury if a irbags are triggered in an
accident!
- Before you check anything in the engine
compa rtment, always read and heed a ll
WARNI NGS
9 page 213 .
(D Note
-If items other than genu ine Audi spare
parts, add-on equipment and accessory
items are used or if repair work is not
performed accord ing to specified meth­
ods, this c an resu lt in seve re damage to
your vehicle's eng ine and body (such as
corrosion) and adversely affect yo ur vehi ­
cle's warranty .
- T he innovative a luminium concept of
your Audi AB means that all servicing, re­
pairs or other work on the vehicle body
must be carr ied out exclusive ly by an Au­
di workshop .
- If emergency repairs must be performed
elsewhere, have the veh icle examined by
an authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible .
- The manufacturer cannot be held liable
for damage wh ic h occurs due to failure
to comply with these stipulations .

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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