2012 AUDI A8 roof rack

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

68 Seats and storage
& WARNING
- The ski sack is intended only for the
transportation of skis and other light ob ­
jects . To reduce the risk of serious per­
sonal in jury, never t ransport heavy or
poin ted objects in the ski sa ck.
- When brak ing rapidly or during an acci­
dent, the load could be displaced and
cause injury to occupants.
- Sharp edges on the load must be cove red
for protect ion. Always fasten the belt
ti gh tly around the sack and its contents
¢ fig. 69.
-For safety reasons, do not t ransport
more than two pairs of skis in the ski
sac k.
- You m ust sec ure the ski sack with t he
strap after loading.
- Make sure a ll objects that you are trans­
porting in the pass-through are secured.
Otherwise they cou ld slide around during
sudden braking maneuvers and cause in ­
jury.
@ Tips
- Never stow the sk i sack away whe n it is
still wet or damp (for examp le, snow
melt ing from sk is) . Allow it to dry com­
plete ly before stowing it away .
- Position skis in the ski sack with the pointed ends facing t he front and ski
po les w ith the pointed ends facing the
rear.
Roof rack
Description and mounting locations
Additional cargo can be carried wi th a roof
luggage rack .
Fig . 70 Roo f ra ck attac hment po ints
.,. Always read and follow the instructions pro ­
vided by the roof rack man ufactu rer when
the roof rack system mus t be install ed .
If luggage or cargo is to be ca rried on the
roof, yo u mus t observe the follow ing:
- To enhance the vehicle 's streamlined design,
ra in gutters have been mo lded i nto t he roof .
I t is not poss ible to use normal roof ra cks.
O nl y install a roof ra ck specific ally designed
for your model AB . Contact the nea re st Audi
dea ler for information on approved modular
roof racks for your v ehicle.
- On ly use roof racks approved for your vehi­
cl e. These approved roof racks are the basis
fo r a complete roof rack system. Addition al
a tta chmen ts or carr ier systems are needed
t o transpor t luggage and spor ts equipment.
We recommend using roof rack s from the
Aud i original accessories program.
- When insta lling the roof rack, make sure it
is o nly mounted on the designated locations
on the roof~
fig. 70.
- We recommend that you keep the i nstalla ­
tion instruct ions for your roof rack system
together w ith your Owner's literature in the
ve hicle.
When should the roof rack be removed?
- Before go ing through an automatic car wash
(it is best to ask the ca r wash operator for
adv ice)
...

-When not in use, to reduce fuel consump­
tion, wind noise and to guard against theft.
A WARNING
- Use of an unapproved roof rack or incor­
rect mounting of an approved roof rack
can cause the roof rack or the items at­
tached to it to fall off the roof onto the
road .
- Objects falling from the roof of a veh icle
can cause a crash and personal injury .
- Only mount the roof rack on the desig­
nated locations on the roof
c::> fig . 70 .
-The roof rack system must be installed
exactly according to the instructions pro­
vided.
- When driving w ith a roof rack system,
changes to the center of gravity and wind
resistance can change the veh icle han­
dling and lead to a collision . Always
adapt your driv ing and your speed to the
current conditions.
0 Not e
-Your vehicle warranty does not cover any
damages to the vehicle caused by using
r oof racks or mount ing structures not
approved by Audi for your vehicle. The
same applies to damage resulting from
incorrect roof rack installation.
- Always check the roof rack mountings
and hardware before each trip and dur­
ing a trip to make sure everything is se­
cure ly tightened . If necessary, retighten
the mount ings and check the ent ire sys­
tem from t ime to t ime.
- After mounting a roof rack system, or
when you transport objects on the roof
of your veh icle, the height of the vehicle
i s naturally increased. Be careful when
driv ing under low br idges or in parking
garages for example. This could cause
damage to the load and even the vehicle
i tself.
- Make sure the open rear lid and the sun­
roof* do not come into contac t with the
roof rack .
Seat s an d sto rage 69
Loading the roof rack
Always distribute loads evenly. Make sure
anything on the roof rack is securely tied
down .
.. Always distribute the loads on the roof rack
even ly .
.. Always attach items to the roof rack secure-
ly before you d rive off .
The maximum permissible roof weight is
2 20
lb (100 kg ).
The roof weight is the total of
the weight of the roof rack, the attachments
and the cargo you a re carrying. You must also
not exceed the maximum load we ight for the
roof rack you are using .
When using a roof rack system which has a l ower load ca rrying capaci ty , you must not use
up the tota l maxim um permissible load car ry ­
i ng capacity specified above . Instead, you
sho uld load the roof rack system only to the
maximum capacity specified by the manufac ­
turer of the roof rack system.
A WARNING
---Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to the roof rack can fail
during hard braking or in a collis ion and
cause ser ious personal injury.
- Make sure the roof rack is installed exact­
ly as specified above
c::> page 68.
-Always use su itable mount ing straps for
securing items to the roof rack to help
p revent items from sh ifting or flying for­
ward.
- Items on the roof rack must always be
securely mounted.
- The use of a roof rack can negat ively af­
fect the way a veh icle hand les . Cargo
that is large, heavy, bulky, long or flat
will have a greater negat ive influence on
the vehicle's aerodynamics, center of gravity and overall handling . Always
drive s lowly, avoid sudden braking and
maneuvers when transporting cargo on
the roof of your vehicle .

70 Seats and storage
-Never exceed the maximum permissible
load carrying capacity of the roof of your
vehicle, the permissible axle weights and
the permissible total weight of your vehi­ cle
c::, page 276, Weights .
@ For the sake of the environment
As a result of the increased wind resist­
ance created by a roof rack, your vehicle is
using fuel unnecessarily. So remove the
roof rack after using it.
12-volt sockets
Applies to vehicles: 12-volt soc kets
Electrical accessories can be connected to ev­
ery 12-volt socket.
Fig. 71 Sect io n of the trim panel of th e lu ggage com­
part ment: 12 -vol t soc ket
Fig. 72 Rear center conso le: 12-vo lt soc ket
... Open the socket cover c::, fig. 71 or c::, fig. 72 .
... Insert the plug of the electrical device into
the socket.
There is an additional 12 volt socket in the
front center console~
page 71, fig. 73.
The 12 volt sockets may be used for 12-volt
appliances with maximum consumption of up
to 100 watts . Before you purchase any accessories, always
read and follow
the information in
c::, page 282, Additional accessories and parts
replacemen t.
A WARNING
The sockets and the electrical accessories
connected to them operate only when the ignition is switched on . Incorrect usage
can lead to serious injuries or burns. To re­
duce the risk of injuries , never leave chil­
dren unattended in the vehicle with the ve­
hicle key.
(D Note
To avoid damaging the socket, only use plugs that fit properly.
- Never connect equipment that generates
electrical current, such as a solar panel
or battery charger, to the 12 volt socket .
This could damage the vehicle 's electri­
cal system.
- The 12 volt socket should only be used
for a short period of ti me as a power
source for electrical equipment. Please
use the electrical sockets in the vehicle
when connecting equipment for longer periods.
@ Tips
When the engine is off and accessories are
still plugged in and are on, the vehicle bat­
tery can still be drained.

204 Cleaning and protec tio n
Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any
modern automatic car wash .
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle
can normally be washed without problems in
an automatic car wash. However, the effect on
the paint depends to a large extent on the de­
sign of the facility, the filte ring of the wash
water, the type of wash and care mater ial , etc.
I f the pa int has a dull appearance afte r going
through the car wash or is scratched, bring
this to the attention of the operator immedi­
ately. If necessary, use a different car wash.
Before going through a car wash, be sure to
take the usual precautions such as closing the
windows and power roof . Factory installed an­
tennas must not be removed.
I f you have installed additional accessor ies on
the vehicle - such as spoilers, roof rack, etc. -
it is best to ask the car wash operator if these
should be removed .
When driving through an automatic car wash,
fi rst se lect the N position and then switch the
engine off. If you switch the engine off when N is engaged, the transmission remains in N
for approximately 30 m inutes and then Pis
engaged.
Further information for automatic gearboxes
~ page 109.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
r:::;, page 203.
- Fo ld the exterior mirrors - flat there is a
risk of damaging the exterior mirrors .
Power folding exterior m irrors must not
be folded in or out by hand. Use the pow­
er function!
- Compare the track of your vehicle with
the d istance between the guide rails of
the facility - there is a risk of damage to
the wheels and tires . - Compa
re the height and width of your
vehicle with the height and width of the t u nnel at the facility .
· Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi­
cle by hand.
.,. Before yo u start wash ing, make su re you
have read and understood the WARNINGS
r:::;, A in General information on page 203.
.,. First soak a ll dried dirt unt il it is soft , then
rinse it off.
.,. As you clean your vehicle, start with the
roof and work your way down to the bottom,
using a sponge, a sponge glove or a clean brush .
.,. Rinse the sponge or the sponge g love often,
flushing it clean eac h time.
.,. Use spec ial car shampoo only for very per­
sistent di rt.
.,. Rinse the car thoroughly w ith water.
.,. Use a chamois leather to gently w ipe the ex-
terior dry.
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the
whee ls , door si lls and other regions exposed
to road dirt. In this way, you will not scratch
the pa int with coarse particles imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the car.
A WARNING
- Do not clean the underside of the chas­
sis, fenders, wheel covers, or other hard
to reach parts without protect ing you r
hands and arms. You may cut yourself on
sha rp-edged metal parts .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other info rmation
c;, page 203.
(D Note
- Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surface of the veh icle is dry. Never
use a d ry cloth or sponge, s in ce this
co uld scratch your vehicle's paint or win -
-
dows. .,.

208 Clea ning and protec tio n
-Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors.
This could cause the glass to crack.
- To prevent damage to the wires of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
stickers on the inside of the rear window
over the wires.
- To help prevent d irt from scratch ing the
window, always scrape in a forward d i­
rection - pushing the scraper away from
you - never back and forth .
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
• Wash the wheels with a sponge or hose
brush every other week.
• For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
dedicated
acid -free cast alloy wheel cleaner.
• Rub a coat of
liquid wax onto the r ims every
three month . Be sure to reach and treat a ll
parts of the rim.
To preserve the decorat ive appearance of the
cast alloy wheels, some special care is neces­
sary. In addit ion to road dirt and sa lt, b rake
dust is a lso cor ros ive. If left o n for too long,
b rake dust can cause pitting.
Use only special
acid-free cleaners formulated
for a lloy rims. Safe products are available at
your Aud i deale r. Neve r leave the cleaner on
the r ims longer than spec ified on the label.
If
not rinsed off promptly, the acid contained in
some cleaners can attack the threads on the
wheel bolts .
Never use ab ras ive or metal polishing clean ­
ing agents. If the protective coating has been
chipped, e .g. by kicked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as possible .
A WARNING
- Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency¢
page 189, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the veh icle .
-
-Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 203.
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked.
All body cav it ies which could be affected by
cor rosion have been thorough ly protected at
the factory.
T his sealing does not require any inspection or
additional treatment. If any wax shou ld seep
out of the cavity when the ambient tempera­
ture is high, it can be removed with a p lastic
scraper and a suitable solvent.
A WARNING
-Solvents can be dangerous.
- Benzine is flammab le and toxic . If you
use benzine for removing the wax, keep
sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away. Never dump benz ine on the
ground, into open streams or down sew­
age dra ins.
- Be sure to observe all safety and environ­
mental regulat ions . Follow all instruc­
tions on the container .
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information ¢
page 203.
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Aud i is also thor­
oughly protected against corros ion.
Any damage to the undercoating ca used by
road hazards should be repaired prompt ly .
A WARNING
-Too much undercoating in the wrong p la-
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additiona l undercoating or
r u stproofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con-
verter or heat shields. While driving, the
~

Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation pressu re."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 k ilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter means the overall diameter of an inflated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ­
ing e levations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated para llel cords.
Production options weight
means the comb ined weight of those installed
regular production options weighing over 5
lbs . (2 .3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, r ide leve lers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and specia l trim .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic t ire in which the p ly cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Tires and wheels 237
Recommended inflation pressure
see~
page 236, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL ", "x l", "E XTRA LOAD",
o r "R F" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a t ire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal d iameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you w ill have to
purchase new tires to match the new r im di­
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width.
Rim width
means nom inal distance between rim fla nges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is designed to
be driven for extended periods of time. The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
~ page 247 . You may
not find this information on all tires because
it is not requ ired by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applica­
ble, is molded on the tire sidewall and indi­
cates the max imum pe rm issib le road speeds
~ .&. in Winter tires on page 251.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects when one or
more of a veh icle's tires are underinflated and
illuminates a low tire pressure warning tell­
tale.
•
•

266 Fuses and bulbs
Fuse panel @ (brown)
No. Equipment
1 Headlight control switch
2 Emergency start coil (key
identification)
3 Rear door
control module
(driver's side)
5 Horn
6 Interior lights
(headliner)
Steering column lever, mul-
8
tifunction steering wheel
controls, steering wheel
I heating
10 Power steering column ad-
justment
11 Driver door control module
12 Diagnost
ic connector, light/
rain sensor
14 Power steering column ad-
justment
15 Power
steering, AC compres-
sor
16 Brake booster
Fuse panel © (black)
No. Equipment
1 Front seat heating
2 Windshield wiper
3 Front exterior lighting
4 Sun roof
5 Driver power window
6 Driver seat (pneumatic)
7 Panoramic
sunroof
8 Dynamic steering
9 Front exterior lighting
10 Windshield/headlight
wash-
er system
11 Rear power window (driver's
side)
Panoramic sunroof
Amps
5
5
7,5 15
7,5
10/5
5
7,5 10
25
20 15
Amps
30
30
30 20
30 15
20
35
30
35
30
40
Front passenger side cockpit fuse
assignment
Fig. 206 Front passe nger side cockpit: fuse pane l with
plastic bracket
Fuse panel ® (black)
No. Equipment Amps
1 Anti-theft alarm system
5
2 T
ransmission control mod-
15
ule
3 Front climate control fan 40
4 Engine supply 35
6 Engine
control module
5
7 Front passenger door con-
7,5
trol module
8 Front passenger
power win-
30
dow
9 ESC control module 10
10 E5C control modu le 25
11 Right rear power window
30
12 Front
passenger seat (pneu -
15
matics)