2012 AUDI A8 brakes

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 15
A WARNING ,~
- Always observe the warnings in
c:> page 213, Engine compartment, be­
fore opening the hood and checking the brake fluid.
- Driving with low brake fluid is a safety hazard. Stop the car and get professional
assistance.
-USA models: If the - warning light,
the
Iii warning light and them warn­
ing light come on together, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause
loss of vehicle control and an accident.
Have your vehicle repaired immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer or a quali­
fied workshop . Drive slowly and avoid
sudden, hard brake applications.
- Canada models: If the brake warning
light ., the
Ii] warning light and the
ABS warning light
ll] come on together,
the rear wheels could lock up first under
hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci­ dent . Have your vehicle repaired immedi­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop. Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
- If the brake warning/indicator light does
not go out after a few seconds and the
parking brake released, or lights up while
you are driving, the fluid level in the
brake fluid reservoir is too low. If you be­
lieve that it is safe to do so, proceed im­
mediately at low speed to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair
facility and have the brake system in­ spected.
-Always keep in mind that after several
brake applications, you will need greater
pressure on the brake pedal to stop your
vehicle . Do not rely on strained brakes to
respond with maximum stopping power
in critical situations. You must allow for
increased braking distances. The extra
distance used up by fading brakes could
lead to an accident.
PARK/( ®) Electromechanical parking
brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electromechanical parking brake .
If the indicator light - (USA models)/ .
(Canada models) turns on, the parking brake
was set. If the parking brake is set when the
ignition is off, the indicator light turns off af­
ter about 20 seconds.
The warning/indicator light will go out when
the parking brake is released.
- (USA models) • (Canada models)
Caution: Vehicle parked too steep
If the indicator light blinks and the message
appears, there is not enough braking power to
keep the vehicle from rolling . The brakes have
overheated. The vehicle could roll away even
on a small incline.
Press brake pedal to release parking brake
To release the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press the button~ or start driving
with starting assist at the same time
c:> page 83.
Please release parking brake
To release the parking brake manually, press
the brake pedal and press the button ~ at the
same time. The parking brake only release au­
tomatically if the driver's safety belt is fas­
tened .
IIJ Parking brake!
If the IIJ indicator light turns on and this
message appears, there is a parking brake
malfunction . Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop immediately to
have the malfunction corrected.
- L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible.
• Switch off engine and check coolant level IJ-

18 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is a ma lfunction in the en ­
g ine start system.
Drive to your authorized Aud i dealer immedi­
ate ly to have the malfunction cor rected .
0 Air suspension
• Air suspension: system fault. Can contin­
ue slowly with max. 35 mph .
There is a malfunction that can result in re­
stricted driving stability .
Ca refully drive at a maximum speed of 35
mph
(60 km/h) to your authorized Audi dealer
or qualified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected .
• Air suspension: service mode. Vehicle
can only be moved with restrictions
Carefully drive to your authorized Audi dealer
or qualified workshop immediately to have
the service mode deactivated.
Ill Air suspension fault
There is a system ma lfunction that can result
in restr icted driving stability or reduced
ground clearance.
Drive to your authorized Audi dea ler immedi­
ate ly to have the malfunction corrected.
IIJ Air suspension: vehicle too low. Ground
clearance reduced
The ground clea rance is ve ry low due to a sys­
tem malfunct ion. Wait until the air suspen­
sion system has restored normal ground clear­
ance . Otherwise, conditions such as an uneven
road surface can lead to ve hicle damage.
~/ !f Safety systems
The fl (USA models) ;BI (Canada models) in­
d icator light monitors the safety systems e.g.
a ir bags, pretensioners and illum inates for a
few seconds each time you switch the ignition
on .
If the
I (USA models) ;BI (Canada models)
indicator light does not go out, or if it illumi- nates while you are driving, or if it starts to
blink,
then there is a malfunction somewhere
in the system.
If the light does not illuminate
when you switch the ign it ion on, th is also
means there is a malfunct ion.
A WARNING '"--
If you have a ma lfunction in the safety sys-
tems, contact your authorized Audi dea ler
imme diately. Otherwise the safety sys­
tems may not work properly in an acci­
dent.
fJJ [}, Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
This warning/indicator light monitors the
Electronic Stability Control.
When you switch the ignition on, the indicator
light
G1 turns on briefly to check the function.
If the
J.iJ ind icator lamp blinks wh ile driving,
the ESC or ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation) is active­
ly regulating.
If
the DJ ind icator lamp illuminates, the sys·
tern has switched the ESC off.
If the indicator light fi turns on, the ESC was
switched to ESC sport mode with the button
[!] c::, page 187. If this is case, you can reacti­
vate the ESC by switching the ignition off and
then on aga in. The warning/indicator light
should go out to show that the system is fully
functional again .
Stability program and ABS fault! See own­
er 's manual
If the indicator light DJ and the ABS indicator
li ght
m (USA models) ;II] (Canada models)
turn on and the message appears, there is a malfunction in the ABS system or electronic
differential lock. Th is also interrupts the ESC.
The brakes still funct ion wit h their normal
power, but ABS is not active .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
If the battery terminals were disconnected
and re-connected, the vehicle was jump start-
ed or the battery is very weak, the ESC sensor .,,.

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.

72 Seats and stor age
Addit ional storage
There are a variety of storage compartments
and fasteners in various places in the vehicle.
- Storage compartments in the doors
- Net in the front passenger footwell
- Eyeglasses compartment in the headliner (near the rearview mirror)
- Storage compartments under the center
armrests
- Compartments* on the back of the front
seat backrests
- Garment hooks over the rear doors
- Compartment in the center console with
pass-through)* (rear)
- Compartment behind the rear center arm­
rest (in vehicles without the pass-through*
or refrigerator*)
- Bag hooks in the luggage compartment
A WARNING
-When driving, do not leave any hard ob­
jects on the rear window shelf or allow
your pet to sit on the shelf. They could
become a hazard for vehicle occupants in
the event of sudden braking or a crash .
- Always remove objects from the instru­
ment panel. Any items not stored could
slide around inside the vehicle while driv­
ing or when accelerating or when apply­
ing the brakes or when driving around a
corner.
- When you are driving make sure that
anything you may have placed in the cen­
ter console or other storage locat ions
cannot fall out into the footwells. In case
of sudden braking you would not be able
to brake or accelerate.
- Any articles of clothing that you have
hung up must not interfere with the driv­
er's view. The coat hooks are designed
only for lightweight clothing. Never hang
any clothing with hard, pointed or heavy
objects in the pockets on the coat hooks.
During sudden braking or in an accident -
especially if the airbag is deployed - these objects could injure any passen­
gers
inside the vehicle.
- To reduce the risk of personal injury in an
accident or sudden stop, always keep the
glove compartment closed while driving.
- Read and follow all WARNINGS
c:> page 161, Important safety instruc­
tions on the side airbag system.
- Hang clothes in such a way that they do
not impair the driver's vision.
- The coat hooks must only be used for
lightweight clothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp edged objects in the pock­
ets which may interfere with the side cur­
tain airbag deployment and can cause personal injury in a crash.
- Do not use coat hangers for hanging clothing on the coat hooks as this can in­
terfere with proper deployment of the
side curta in airbags in an acc ident.
- Do not hang heavy objects on the coat
hooks, as they could cause personal in­
jury in a sudden stop.
@ Note
Objects located on the rear shelf that rub
against the rear window could damage the
heating wires for the rear window defog­
ger .
(D Tips
-A vent slot is located between the shelf
and the rear window. Do not block the
vent with any items you may place on the
rear window she lf.
- Do not place bulky items on the rear win­
dow shelf as they could restrict or block
the driver's vision in the rear view mirror.
Cooler
Introduction
App lies to vehicles: wit h coo ler
Please clean the cooler before using it for the
first time
c:> page 213.
You can only switch on the cooler if ...

82 On the road Requirem ent : The message
Key not recog­
nized. Hold b ack of key against marked area.
See owner 's manual.
must appear and the in ­
dicator light
m must sw itch on.
• Hold the master key vertica lly in the loca­
tion indicated y>l} q fig .
82.
• Press the brake pedal~ A in Starting the
engine on page 80.
.. Press the !~S _T _A_ R_T_ E_N_ G_ I_ N _E_ S_T_ O_ P~ I button.
The eng ine will start .
• Drive to your author ized Audi dealer imme­
diately to have the malfunct ion corrected .
@ Tips
You can view the message again by press­
ing the !START ENGINE STOP I button.
Electromechanical
parking brake
Operation
The electromechanical parking broke replaces
the hand broke.
Fig . 83 Ce nter console: Parking brake
• Pull on the switch(®) ~ fig. 83 @ to app ly
the parking brake . The indica tor light in the
switch illuminates.
• Step on the brake pedal or the accelerator
pedal and press the switch(®) at the same
t ime to release the parking brake. The indi ­
cator light in the switch goes out .
Your vehicle is equipped wit h an electrome­
cha nica l parking brake. The parking brake is
designed to prevent the vehicle from rol ling
unintentionally and rep laces the hand brake . In
addition to the normal functions of a tradi­
tiona l hand brake, the electromechanical
parking brake provides var io us convenience
and safety functions .
When starting from rest
-The integral start ing ass ist helps you when
driving by automatically releasing the park­
ing brake
~ page 83, Starting from rest .
-When starting on inclines, the starting as­
sist prevents the vehicle from unintentiona l­
ly rolling back. The braking force of the
parking brake is not released until sufficient
driving force has been built up at the
wheels.
Emergency brake function
An emergency brake ensures that the vehicle can be slowed down even if the
normal brakes
fail
q page 84, Emergency broking.
Indicator lights
-If the parking brake is closed with the ign i­
tion
switched on the indicator lights come
on - (U SA mode ls)/ . (Canada models)
in the instrument cluster and in the switch.
- If the parking brake is closed with the igni­
tion
switched off the indicator lights come
on - (USA mode ls)/ . (Canada models}
in the instrument cluster and in the sw itch
for about 20 seconds .
A WARNING
Do not press the acce lerator pedal inadver ­
tently if the vehicle is stationary but the
engine is running and a gear is selected.
Otherwise the vehicle will start to
move
immedia tely and could result in a crash.
(D Note
If the symbol . in the display or the indi­
cator light .. (USA models)/ . (Cana­
da models) in the instrum ent cluster flash­
es, there is a malfunction in the brake sys­
tem. Please refer to the detailed descrip-
tion of the indicator lights
~ page 14. ll-

Cruise control
Switching on
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at 20 mph
(30 km/h).
0
f
~
0
Fig . 84 Control lever with set button
Fig . 85 D isplay: Selected speed
.,. Pull the lever to position (D ~ fig . 84 to
swit ch the system on .
.,. Drive at the speed you wish to set.
.,. Press button @to set that speed.
The stored speed and the ind icator light
[lj;(i)~1ij (US models) 1 11 (Canad ian models) ap­
pear in the instrument cluster display
¢ fig. 85. The display may vary, depending on
the type of disp lay in your vehicle. The indica­
tor light
Ill in the instrument cluster also illu­
minates.
The speed is kept constant via an engine out­
put adjustment or active brake intervention.
A WARNING
-Always pay attention to traffic even when
the cruise control is switched on . You are
always responsible for your speed and
the distance between your vehicle and other vehicles.
On the road 85
-For safety reasons, the cruise control
should not be used in the city, in stop­
and-go traffic, on twisting roads and
when road conditions are poor (such as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and hydro­
plan ing) - risk of accident .
- Turn off the cruise control temporarily
when enter ing turn lanes, highway exit
lanes or in construction zones.
- Please note that inadvertently ''resting"
your foot on the accelerator pedal causes
the cruise control not to brake. This is
because the cruise control is overridden
by the driver's acceleration .
- If a brake system malfunction such as
overheating occurs when the cr uise con­
trol system is switched on, the braking
function in the system may be switched
off . The other cruise contro l functions re­
main active as long as the indicator light
tij;[i)~1ij (US models) 111 (Canadian mod­
els) is on.
(D Tips
The brake lights illuminate as soon as the brakes decelerate automatically.
Changing speed
.,. Press lever in the 0 or 0 direction
¢ page 85, fig . 84 to increase or decrease
your speed .
.,. Release the lever to save that speed.
Change speed in increments of 1 mph (1 km/ h) by lightly press ing the lever. If you keep the
lever pressed down , you will alter your speed
in 5 mph (10 km/h) increments.
You can also press the accelerator pedal down
to increase your speed, e.g. if you want to
pass someone. The speed you saved earlier
will resume as soon as you release the acceler­
ator pedal.
If, however, you exceed your saved speed by
6 mph (10 km/h) for longer than 5 m inutes,
the cruise control wil l turn off temporarily.
The green symbol
[ljlIJll (US models) ill in ..,_

88 Audi adapti ve cruise control and bra king gu ard
vehicles or obstacles that are not moving
can trigger a collision warning and if con­
firmed by the v ideo camera, an acute col­
lis ion warn ing .
- For safety reasons, do not use adaptive
cruise co ntrol when driving on roads with
many curves, when the road surface is in
poor condit ion and/or in bad weather
(such as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and
hydroplan ing) . Using the system under
these cond it ions cou ld result in a co lli ­
sion .
- Swi tch adap tive c ruise control off tempo­
rar ily when driv ing in turning lanes, on
expressway exits or in construction
zones . This prevents the vehicle from ac­
celerat ing to the set speed when in these
situations.
- The adapt ive cruise control system wi ll
not brake by itse lf if you put your foot on
the accelerator pedal. Doing so can over­
ride the speed and d istance regulation .
- When approaching stationary objects such as stopped traff ic, adaptive cruise
co ntrol will not respond and braking
guard w ill have limited function.
- The adapt ive cruise control system and
braking guard do not react to people, an­
imals, objects c rossing the road or on­
coming objects .
- The function of the radar senso rs can be
affected by reflective objects such as
guard rai ls , the entrance to a tunnel,
heavy rain or ice.
- Never follow a ve hicle so closely that you
cannot stop your vehicle safe ly. The
adaptive cruise contro l canno t slow or
brake the vehicle safely when you follow
another vehicle too closely. Always re­
member that the automatic braking
function cannot br ing the vehicle to a
sudden or emergency stop under these condit ions.
- To prevent unintended operation, always switch ACC off when it is not being used. (D Note
The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housing and
underbody. That cou ld affect the adaptive
cruise control system and brak ing guard.
Have your authorized Aud i dea ler or au ­
thorized Audi Service Facility check their
funct ion .
In curves
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cru ise contro l
I
Fig. 87 Ex ampl e: dri ving in to a curve
When d riving into a curve c> fig. 87 and out of
a curve, the ad aptive cruise control may react
to a vehicle in the next lane and apply the
brakes. You can override or prevent the brak­
i ng by pressing the acce lerator pedal b riefly .
' Stationary objects
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
Fig. 88 Exampl e: objec t ch anging l anes and sta tio nar y
object
T he adaptive cru ise control system only reacts
to objects that a re mov ing o r that the system
has already detected as moving . For examp le,
if a vehicle @, which has already been detect-
ed by the adaptive c ruise contro l, tu rns off o r
ch anges lane and ano ther stationary veh icle .,.