2012 AUDI A8 brake pads

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 13
I
USA mod els: Safety systems
[j
Tank system
¢ page 18 ¢page 21
'
m
Canada models: Safety systems
•
Windshield washer fluid level
¢page 18 ¢page
21
I]
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
!I
Windshield wipe rs
,I ¢ page 21
¢ page 18
- -
I!
Remote control key
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
I
¢page BO
,I
¢page 18
~
Remote control key
USA models: ¢ page BO
rJ}E
Anti-lock brak ing system (ABS)
m
Battery in remote control key
defective ¢page29
¢ page 19
I Canada model s:
l:I
Defective light bu lb warn ing
•
Anti-lock braking system (ABS) ¢page 21
defective
Fog lights*
I ¢page 19
II ¢page 21
Worn brake pads
•
- -
¢page 19
•
Rear fog lights*
¢page 21
•
Electromechanical parking brake
¢page82
II
Headlight range control
¢page 21
•
Tire pressure mon itoring system
,I
mJ
adaptive light*
¢ page253 ¢page
21
1111&1
Tire pressure monitoring system
Light-/rain sensor faulty
m
¢page253
¢page 21
[m
Electronic power contro l - -
¢page20
•
Audi lane assist
¢page 96
g
Malfunction indicator Lamp (MIL)
,I
ti
Transmission
¢page20 ¢page
112
•
Engine speed limitation
Ii]
Transmission
¢ page 20
¢page 112
Ill
Engine oil level
Im
Electronic steering column lock
¢page 17
¢page 17
•
Engine oil sensor
Im
Engine start system
¢ page20
¢page 17
r.
Battery
,100
Dynamic steering *,/
¢ page 16
¢page22
--

14 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Air suspension
¢page 18
Sport differential*
¢page22
Other indicator lights
- Turn
signals
¢page22
~ USA models: Cruise control *
~ ¢ page 85
•
Canada models: Cruise control*
¢page 85
-
r!I
Adaptive cruise control*
¢page89
•
Adaptive cruise control*
¢page 89
-
I
Adaptive cruise control*
¢page89
•
Audi lane assist
¢ page 96
-
•
High beam
¢page45
BRAKE /((f)) Brake system
The light illuminates when the ignition is
switched on . It goes out after the engine has
been started . This indicates that the brake
warn ing light is functioning properly.
If the brake warning light does not light up
when the engine is cranking, there may be a
malfunction in the electrical system. In this
case, contact your Audi dealer.
If the brake system warning/ind icator light
turns on, there is a brake system malfunction.
- (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid level
If the indicator light turns on and the mes ­
sage appears, proceed as follows:
"" Pull off the road . ""
Stop the vehicle.
"" Turn off the engine .
"" Check the brake fluid level ¢
page 229.
"" Contact your nearest authori zed repair fa-
cility if necessary.
Warning! Fault in brake system. Contact
dealer
If the ABS indicator light ti] (USA models)/ rl]
(Canada models), the ESC indicator light G]
and the brake system indicator light
- (USA models)/ . (Canada models) turn
on and the message appears, the ABS, ESC
and braking distr ibut ion are not working¢.&..
Carefu lly drive to your authorized Audi dealer
immediately to have the malfunction correct­
ed ¢.&. .
- (USA models) . (Canada models)
Parking brake: system fault! Please contact
dealer
- If the indicator light and the message ap­
pear
when stationary or after switching the
ignition on , check if you can release the
parking brake. After releasing the parking
brake, carefully drive to your authorized Au­
di dealer immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected. If you cannot release the
pa rking brake, seek professiona l assistance.
- If the ind icator light and the message ap­
pear
while driving, the emergency brak ing
function may not be available . It may not be
possible to set the park ing brake or release
it once it has been set. Seek profess ional as­
sistance.
(USA models): If the warn ing light - and
the warn ing l ight
El appear together, imme­
diately contact your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified wo rkshop to have all brake pads in­
spected
¢ page 19.
When the light comes on, an audible warning
s ignal is also given .
Ill-

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 19
system goes through a learning process fo r
the first few yards . The warning/indicator
light ill uminates. The warn ing/indicator light
goes out as soon as the learning process is
complete.
F or more information about the ESC
~page 187.
ABS/(8) Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS
and the electronic differential lock (EDL).
The warning/indicator ligh t m (USA mod­
e ls)
.11] (Canada models) will come on for a
few seconds when the ignition is switched on.
The light will go out after an automatic check
sequence is completed.
There is a malfunction in the ABS wh en :
- T he warning/indicator lig ht does not illumi­
nate when you switch the ignition on.
- T he warning/ indicator lig ht does not go out
after a few seconds.
- T he warning/indicator light ill uminates
whi le driving.
The ESC indicator light a lso illuminates if
there is a malfunction in the ABS. The mes­
sage
S tabilit y prog ram and ABS faul t! S ee
o w ner' s manu al
also appears in the inst ru­
ment cluster display and a warning tone
sounds.
Th e br ake sy ste m will still r espond ev en
with out the a ssis tan ce of the ABS sy ste m .
See your a uth orized Audi deal er as s oon a s
po ssible to re sto re full br akin g perform anc e.
For more information regarding the ABS
¢page 187.
Malfunction in the brake sy stem
If the b rake warning light~ page 14 and the
ABS warning illuminate
together there may be
a ma lfunction in the ABS, and there may also
be a ma lfunction in the brake system itself
¢ &,. The ABS wi ll not work a nd you will no ­
tice a chang e in br aking r espo nse a nd p er­
forman ce.
In the event of a malfunction in the br ake
sys tem
the warning/indicator light _
(USA mode ls)/ . (Canada mode ls) in the in­
strument cluster flashes¢
page 14.
Malfunction in th e electronic d iff erential
l o ck (EDL)
The EDL works together with the ABS. The
ABS warning light will come on if there is a
malfunction in the EDL system
¢page 187.
See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as
poss ible.
A WARNING
- If the m (USA models)/ rl] (Canada
models) warning light does not go out,
or if it comes on while dr iving, t he ABS
system is not working properly. The vehi­
cle can then be stopped only w ith the
standard brakes (without ABS) . You w ill
not have the protect ion ABS prov ides.
Contact your Audi dea ler as soon as pos­
sible.
- USA models: If the - warning light,
the
W warning light and the B warn­
ing light come on together, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard
brak ing. Rear wheel lock-up can ca use
loss of vehicle control and an accident.
Have your vehi cle repaired immediately
by your au thori zed A udi dealer or a quali­
fied workshop . Dr ive slowly and avoid
sudden, hard brake applications.
- Canada models: If the brake warning
light ., the
B'J warning light and the
ABS warning light
II] come on together,
the rear wheels could lock up first under
hard braking. Rear whee l lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle contro l and an acci­
dent. Have your veh icle repa ired immedi­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop. Drive s lowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
(0 ) Worn brake pads
£i Brake pad s!

20 Instruments and warning /indicator lights
If the warning light illuminates, immediately
contact your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop to have all brake pads inspect­
ed. On USA models the warning light
El
comes on together with the warning light
- · Both sets of brake pads on an axle
must always be replaced at the same time .
A WARNING
Driv ing with bad brakes can cause a colli­
sion and serious personal injury.
-If the warning light El and the warn ing
light
- 1) with the message Brake
pads!
comes in in the inst rument cluste r
display, immediately contact your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop to have all brake pads checked or
replaced if necessary.
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control.
The~ warning/indicator light (Electronic
Power Control) illuminates when you switch
the ignition on as a function check.
@ Tips
If this warning/indi cator light ill uminates
while you are driving, then there is a mal­
function in the engine electronics. Have
the malfunction corrected as soon as pos­
sible by your authorized Aud i dea ler or
qualified repair facility.
o Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Ind icator Lamp (MIL) is part
of the On-Board D iagnostic (OBD II) system .
The symbol
¢4ii lights up when the ignition is
switched on and w ill turn off after the engine
has started and has sett led at a constant idle
speed. This ind icates that the MIL is working
properly.
l ) - : USA mod els only
-
The warning light illuminates when there is a
malfunction in the engine electronic system.
Contact your authorized Audi dea ler and have
the malfunction corrected.
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also
cause the MIL light to illuminate
¢page 217.
For more information ~ page 26.
!?'i Engine speed limitation
Applies to vehicles: with engine speed limitatio n
Ill Engine speed maximum XXXX RPM
The eng ine speed is automatically limited to
the speed displayed in the driver information
system . This protects the engine from over ­
heating.
T he eng ine speed limitation deactivates once
the engine is no longer in the critical tempera­
ture range and you have re leased the accelera­
tor pedal once.
If the engine speed limitation was activated
by an engine control malfunction, the indica­
tor light~ also turns on. Make sure that the
speed does not go above the speed displayed .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
~ .. Engine oil level
II Add oil, max. x qt (l). You may continue
driving
When the symbol II and driver message ap­
pear, add the amount of oil appearing in the
display at the next opportunity¢
page 225.
~,.. Engine oil sensor
II Oil level! Sensor defective
If the symbol illuminates, contact your au­
thorized Audi dealer and have the oil sensor inspected . U ntil you have this done, check the
o il level each time you refuel just to be on the
safe side ~
page 224.

@ Tips
-ABS and ASR on ly work correctly when
all four wheels are equ ipped with identi­
cal t ires. Different tire s iz es can lead to a
reduct ion in eng ine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems
described are working.
- If the indicator light
D] or m (USA
models) ;£1 (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunction¢
page 19,
c> page
18 .
Switching on and off
ESC
turn s on au tomatically when you s tart
the engine .
Fig. 167 Cen te r con sol e wit h ES C OF F but ton
Switching ASR off (sport mode )
In certain sit uat ions, you can switch ASR and
ESC in to sport mode by pressing the bu tton
[ru
c> fig. 167 . The indicator light I comes o n
and the message
Cauti on! R edu ced t ra cti on
appears. ASR deactivates completely and the
assistance provided by the ESC system is lim it­
ed . Switch to sport mode only when your driv ­
ing skills, traffic and weathe r conditions per­
mi t.
I n some s ituations, it may be useful to switc h
ASR off to let the wheels slip. Example:
- Rocking the vehicle back and forth when it is
stuck
- Driv ing in deep snow or on loose ground
- Driving with snow cha ins
Switching ASR on
Press the button [fil again. The message Sta­
bility program on
appears.
Intelligen t technolog y 189
A WARNING
-Drive whee ls can sp in and you can lose
control of the vehicle more eas ily when
ASR and ESC are in sport mode, especial­
ly whe n the road is slippe ry .
- Sw itch to sport mode only when your
driving skills, traff ic and weather condi­
tions permit.
(D Tips
You cannot sw itch sport mode on whe n
adaptive cruise control* is working .
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating cond itions and driving h abits
The brakes o n today's automobiles are still
subject to wear, depend ing largely on operat­
i ng condit ions and driving habits ¢&, . On ve­
hicles that a re either dr iven most ly in stop­
and-go c ity t raff ic or are dr iven hard, the
brake pad s should be checked by yo ur author ­
i zed Audi dealer more often than specified in
the
Warranty & Maintenance booklet. Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can result in reduced brake performance.
On steep slopes, you sho uld use the braking
effect of the eng ine . T his way, you prevent un­
necessary wear on the brake system . If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the br akes
down cont inuous ly . Pump the brakes a t in ter­
vals .
Moisture o r ro ad sa lt
Under certa in conditions, for example, when
driv ing through water or very heavy ra in, or
even after washing your veh icle, the braking
effec t can be reduced due to moisture (or in
freez ing cond itions ice) on the brake pads . A
few carefu l brake applications should dry off
the b ra ke pads or remove a ny ice coatings.
When you are driving a t higher speeds with
the windsh ie ld w ipers on , the brake pads will
IJJJ,

190 Intelligent technology
briefly touch the brake discs in regular inter ­
va ls so as to improve reaction time when brak­
ing on wet surfaces. You the driver wi ll not no­
tice anything.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered road and the brakes are not used. Here too,
you sho uld clean off accumu lated salt coat ing
from brake d iscs and pads with a few careful
applicat ions of the brake¢,& .
Cor ro sion
There may be a tendency fo r dirt to bui ld up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regularly or
only for short trips with little use of the
brakes .
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­ rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisab le
to clean off the pads and discs by brak ing
firm ly a few times from a moderately high
speed <=>,& .
Fault s in the brake sy stem
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake peda l travel, then one of the two brake
circu its may have failed¢,& .
Low brake flu id le vel
M alfunctions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fl uid level is too low. The brake fluid
leve l is monitored electronically .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lin ing wea r may be chec ked by v is u al in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces ­
sary, the whee l may be removed for this in­
spection ¢ page 2 59, Changing a wheel.
A WARNING
-You should perform brak ing maneuvers
for the purpose of clean ing the brake
system on ly if road con ditio ns pe rmit.
Oth er road users must not be put at r isk -
yo u may cause an ac ciden t! -
Before descend ing a steep grade, red uce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear or lower dr iving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long o r too often . This could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficie ncy.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing you r
foot on th e pedal whe n you do not intend
to b rake. This may c ause the brake s to
overhea t, prem ature wear and incre ased
stopping distance.
- Unde r cert ain cl im atic and ope rat ing
conditions s uch as passing thro ugh wa ­
ter, driving in heavy rain o r after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced. In winte r, ice can
accumu late on the brake pads, lin ings,
d iscs and drums. Carefully app ly brakes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coat­ i n gs w ill be cleaned off after a few care­
fu l brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an extended period of t ime on
salt-covered roads without using your
b rakes can a lso affect bra kin g efficiency .
Clea n off accum ulate d sal t coa ting from
b rake discs and pads wi th a few c areful
b rake applications .
- If you d am age t he fron t spoiler, or i f yo u
install a diffe rent spoiler, be s ure the a ir
f low to the front brakes is not obstruc t­
e d. Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness o f
the entire brake system.
- Fa ilure of one brake circuit will impa ir
the braking capab ility result ing in an in­
creased stopping distance. Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­
est A udi dealer or qualified workshop .
Brake booster
The brake booster adds extra braking power.
T he brake booster wo rks with vacuum pres­
s ur e which is created only when the engine is
runn ing
c> ,& . ..,.

194 Driving and environment
Driving and
environment
The first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the fir st 600 miles (1,000
kilometers ):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
... Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM.
... Avoid hig h engine speeds.
From 600 to 1,000 mile s (1 ,000 to
1,500 kilometers):
... Speeds can gradually be increased to the
max imum pe rm iss ible road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in per iod
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds
when it is cold. Th is app lies whether the
transm ission is i n N (Neutra l) or in gear.
After the break-in period
... Do not exceed maximum engine speed un­
der any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next hig her gear
before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach­
ometer scale
c:> page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the en­
g ine's interna l friction is higher than later
when all the moving parts have been broken
in . How well this break- in p rocess is do ne de­
pends to a conside rable extent on th e way the
ve hicl e is driven d uring the first 1,0 00 miles
(1, 500 k ilome ters).
0 Note
E xtremely high engi ne speeds are auto­
mat ica lly reduced. However, these rpm
lim its are progr amme d for an engine well
r u n- in, not a new engine .
{® For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high en­
g ine speeds - upshifting ear ly saves fuel,
reduces no ise and protects the environ­
ment.
, New tires
If your vehicle is runni ng on new tires, drive
part icularly caref ul for the first 350 miles
(500 kilomete rs) afte r fitt ing .
A WARNING
New tires tend to be sl ippery and mus t al­
so be "broken -in" . Be s ure to remember
this dur ing the fi rst 350 mi les ( 500 kilo ­
meters) . Brake gently . Avoid fo llow ing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
braking .
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full bra king effect dur ing the fi rst 250 m iles
(400 kilomete rs) afte r they a re insta lled .
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" be­
fo re t hey have optima l grab
c:> A .
During the break- in period, you should avoid
putting severe loads on the brakes. Severe
l oads include, for example, sudden hard brak­
i ng, in particular at very high speeds or, for
example, on mounta in passes .
A WARNING
New b rake pa ds don't have t he bes t stop­
pi ng power and mus t be "broke n-in " dur­
i ng the in iti al 1 00 to 150 mi les (150 to
20 0 k ilometers) of no rma l city driving . You
can compensate for this by pressing the
br ake peda l mo re f irm ly . This also applies
l ater when new pads are installed.

196 Driving and en vironm ent
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
A WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
sto re the full braking effect.
@) Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Check the depth of the water before dr iv­
i ng through it.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
through water .
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive through safely.
- Avoid dr iving through salt water because
i t can cause corrosion.
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, environmenta l impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent . This sec­
t ion will give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook.
@ Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con ­
ditions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
.,. Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
ce lerating. If you anticipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, acce lerate less . Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible - for example when you see
that the next traffic light is red.