2012 AUDI A8 manual transmission

2 Table of contents Vehicle literature .. .. .. .. .. ... .
5
About this Owner's Manual . . . 6
Controls and equipment .. ... .
Instruments and controls .. . .
General illustration ......... .. ... .
Instruments and warning/
indicator lights ........ .. .. .. . .
Instruments ............ ... .. ... .
Warning/indicator lights .......... .
Driver information display .. .. .. ... .
On-Board Diagnostic system (OBD) . . .
Opening and closing .. .. .... . .
Keys .. ...... ........... .. .. ... .
Power locking system ..... .. .. .. . .
Rear lid .. .. ........ ..... .. ..... .
Child safety lock . .......... ... .. . .
Power windows . .......... ... .. . .
Valet park ing . ........... .. .. ... .
Sliding/tilting sun roof ... .. .. .. .. . . 8
8
8
10
10
11
23
26
28
28
30
34
37
38
39
40
Panoramic sunroof. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Clear vision .. ........ .. .. .. .. . .
Lights ... .. ............. .. .. .. . .
I nterior lights .............. .. ... .
V1s1on ..... ... .... ......... .... .
Wiper and washer system ... ... .. . .
Mirrors ................. .. .. ... .
Digital compass .......... .... ... .
Seats and storage ....... .. .. . .
General recommendat ions ..... .. . .
Front seats .............. .... ... .
Rear seats .. ... .. .. ..... ... .. .. . . 43
43
46
47
48
51
52
54
54
55
57
He ad restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Seat memory . ... ..... ... .. .. .. . .
Full-length center console .... .. ... . 62
64
L uggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Pa ss-thro ugh with ski sack . . . . . . . . . 67
Roof rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
12-vo lt sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Cooler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Warm and cold ... .......... .. .
Climate controls . .... .......... .. .
On the road ... ... .......... .. .
Steering .. .... .. ... .. ........ .. .
Starting and stopping the engine ... .
E lectromechanical parking brake ... .
Speed warning system ............ .
Cru ise control .... .... ...... ... .. .
Audi adaptive cruise control
and braking guard ......... .. .
Introduction . .. .. ..... ......... . .
General information ............. .
Audi adaptive cruise control ... .. .. .
Audi braking guard ............ .. .
Messages . .. .. . .............. .. .
Audi lane assist ............ .. .
Lane assist ...... ............. .. .
Audi side assist .............. .
Lane Change Assistant ........ .. .. . 75
75
79
79
80
82
84
85
8 7
87
87
89
93
94
96
96
99
99
Audi drive select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Driving settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Raising/lowering the vehicl e . . . . . . . . 105
Driver messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Night vision assistant . . . . . . . . . 106
Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Pedestrian detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Pedestrian warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Switching on and
off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Settings in the MMI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Driver messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 10 9
t ip tron ic (8 -speed transmission) . . . . . 109

Automatic Transmission
tiptronic (8-speed
transmission)
Introduction
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronically
controlled 8-speed automatic transmission .
Upshifting and downsh ifting take place
auto­
matically .
The driver also has the option to shift the
gears
manually r::;, page 112 .
Dynamic Shift Progr am (DSP)
When a moderate driving style is used, the
transmission selects the most economica l
driving mode. The transmission upshifts at a lower RPM and downshifts at a higher RPM to
improve fuel efficiency.
The transmission switches to a sporty mode after a kick-down or when the driver uses a
sporty driv ing style characterized by quick ac­
celerator pedal movements, heavy accelera­
tion, frequent changes in speed and traveling
at the maximum speed.
Selecting the best driving mode is a continu­
ous process. However, the transmiss ion will
also jump to a sporty driving mode if you
press the acce lerator pedal quick ly . When you
do this, the transmission shifts down into a
lower gear, wh ich makes it possible to acceler­
ate quickly (for examp le, when passing anoth­
er vehicle) without having to press the pedal
down into the k ick -down area. Once the trans ­
miss ion has shifted up again, it returns to the
original driving mode as long as it matches
the current driving style.
When driving in hills and mountains, the gear
selection adapts to the grade. This prevents
constant upshifting and downshifting when
driving uph ill.
Automatic Transmission 109
Indicator in the display
Fig. 115 Disp lay : se lecto r leve r posit ion
@ -The current selector lever position is dis­
played continuously . The gear is a lso dis­
played in manual mode
M .
® -This indicator appears temporarily if you
change the selector lever position or if you
press the button on the selector lever
c:> page 109, fig . 116 . The current selector
lever position is shown w ith a white back­
ground.
Selecting a selector lever position
F ig. 116 Selector lever
---p--- --1
----R--- -
---N--- --1
-D/S--
Fig. 117 Pressing the button o n the selector leve r
M O>
9 :c .. CD
The current selector lever pos ition is displayed
on the sele ctor lever
r::;, fig. 116. llll>

To shift from N to D when traveling at speeds
be low S km/h, press the brak e pedal and se­
lect the D se lector lever position
~ .& .
Unde r certain conditions such as driving in the
mountains or when towing a trailer , it may be
helpful to switch to manual mode temporarily
to sh ift
manually to adapt to the driv ing con­
ditions
r:=:> page 112.
S -Sport
The 5 position can be selected fo r sporty driv­
ing. Upshifting at a higher RPM makes full use
of the engine's power.
You can only select the S selector lever posi­
tion when Dis engaged . Move the selector
l ever back to engage the 5 selector lever posi ­
tion. To select the D sel ector lever position
again when 5 is engaged, move the selector
lever back
r:=:> .&.
The 5 selector lever position engages auto­
matica lly when you select the dynamic mode
in Audi drive se lect .
A WARNING
-Never engage R or P wh ile driving. It
could cause a crash.
-
- Power is still transmitted to the whee ls
when the engine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake in all
selector lever positions except P and N
when the eng ine is running. Do not inad­
vertent ly press the accelerator pedal
when the vehicle is stationary . Otherwise
the vehicle will start to move immediate­
ly. This cou ld happen even if the parking
brake is activated .
- Before opening the hood, select the P se­
lector lever position and set the parking
brake. This reduces the risk of a crash . A l­
ways read and follow the applicable
warnings
r:=:> page 213, Engine compart­
ment.
- Never get out of the driver's seat when
the engine is running.
Automatic Transmission 111
-If you must get out of the vehicle , move
the selector lever secure ly into the P po­
sition and apply the parking brake firmly.
@ Tips
- If you unintentionally shift into the N se­
lector lever position while driving, take
your foot off the accelerator pedal and
wa it for the engine to slow down until it
is idling before you sh ift into Dor 5.
Driving tips
The gears shif t automa tically.
Starting from a stop
.. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.. Start the engine
r:=:>page 80.
.. Press the b utton on the s elector lever and
select the D, 5 or R se lector lever position
r:=:> page 109 .
.. Wait a moment until the transmiss ion
shifts . You will notice a slight movement
when the gear engages .
"" Release the brake peda l and press the accel­
erator pedal
r:=:> &, .
Stopping temporarily
.. Press the brake pedal to stop the veh icle,
for example at a traffic light. Do not press
the acce lerator pedal when doing this.
"" To prevent the vehicle from rolling when
you start driving, set the parking brake
when stopp ing on large inclines
r:=:> &, .
.,. Th e parking brake will release automatica lly
and the vehicle will start moving once you
press the acce lerato r pedal.
Parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the driver's door, the vehicle
could roll . The message
Transmission: Car
may roll! Shift to park!
appears .
.. Press and hold the bra ke peda l¢ &, .
"" Set the park ing brake.
.. To engage the P se lector lever position,
press the button on the selector lever and
shift into the P position
r:=:> page 109 .

112 Automatic Transmission
When parking on a level surface, simply place
the selector lever in the P position. On slopes,
activate the parking brake first and then
move
the selector lever to the P position. This pre­
vents too much stress from being placed on
the locking mechanism.
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS Q .&. in Se­
lecting a selector lever position on
page
111.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selector lever position
wh ile the vehicle is stationary and the
engine is ru nn ing. This could result in a
crash .
- Never engage R or P while driving.
It
could cause a crash .
- Power is still transmit ted to the whee ls
when the engine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake in all
selector lever positions except P and N
when the engine is running. Do not inad­
vertently press the accelerator pedal
when the veh icle is stationary . Otherwise
the vehicle will start to move immediate­
ly, even if the parking brake is set. This
could result in a crash.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration .
When you press the accelerator pedal down
beyond the resistance point , the automatic
transmission downshifts into a lower gear, de­ pending on vehicle speed and engine RPM.
It
shifts up into the next h igher gear once the
maximum specified engine RPM is reached .
A WARNING
Please note that the wheels could spin on
slic k or slippery roads when kick-down is
active.
Shifting manually
The shift paddles allow the driver to shift the
gears manually .
Fig. 118 Steering whee l: sh ift in g manually
" To shift to a higher or lower gear temporari ­
ly, tap the
0 or 0 shift paddle Q fig. 118.
" To switch manual mode on, press the~
button. M and the gear that is currently en­
gaged @appears in the instrument cluster
display
Q page 109, fig. 115.
" To shift up one gear, tap the right shift pad­
dle
G) ¢ fig . 118 .
" To shift down one gear, tap the left shift
paddle Q.
" To switch manual mode off, press the~
button again, or
" Move the selector lever back and release it .
When you acce lerate or reduce the speed, the
transmission automatically shifts into the cor­
rect gear shortly before reaching the RPM lim­
it. If you select a lower gear than the one cur­
rently shown in the display, the automatic
transmission will only shift down once there is no danger of exceeding the maximum RPM .
The engine braking effect increases when you
downsh ift when going downhill.
. Transmission malfunction
[O] Transmission: please press the brake ped­
al and select the position again
Press the brake pedal and select the desired
se lector lever position again. You can then
continue driving.
[O] Transmission hot: please modify driving
~le
~

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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