2013 AUDI A8 warning light

Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trai ler, p lease remember
that the addit ional load will affect durab ility,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
F or this reason, a lways fo llow the operating
and d riving instr uctions provided and use
common sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must
activate the trailer operat ion mode
~ page 211, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitc h co nforming to the
gross trailer we ight. The hitch must be suita­
b le for your veh icle and trailer and must be
mounted secure ly on the veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a trailer
hi tch wit h a removab le ball moun t. A lways
check with t he trail er hitch ma nufactur er to
make sure tha t you are using the corre ct
hi tch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitc h must be installed in such a way that
i t does not interfere with the impac t-absorb­
i ng bumpe r sys tem. No mod ifica tio ns should
be made to the vehicle exh aust a nd brake sys­
tems . From time to time, check that a ll hitch
mo unt ing bolts remain securely fastened.
W hen you are not towing a trail er, remove the
traile r hitch ball mount. Th is prevents the
hi tch from causing damage sho uld your ve hi­
cle be str uck from behind ¢& .
Trailer towin g 211
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equippe d wi th a br akin g sys ­
tem, check to be s ure that i t conforms to all
r egulations .
T he trailer hy draul ic brak e sys tem mus t not be
direc tly connec ted to the vehi cle' s h ydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Trai ler lights must meet all regu lations. Be
su re to check with your Audi dealer for cor rect
wir ing, swi tches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
us ing the reg ular o utside mirrors, then you
must insta ll extended mirrors. It is imp ortant
that you
always have clea r v is ion to the rear.
A WARNING ...__ -
Afte r removing the trailer hitch, do not
stor e it i n yo ur v ehicl e. In cas e o f sudden
b ra king, the hitch co uld fly forwar d and in­
ju re you or your p ass en ger s.
Operating instructions
Fi g. 189 MM I dis pl ay: tow ing mode on
Ma ximum trailer weight
A trai ler fo r you r vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 tra iler.
ll>

drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind condit ions are unfavorable -part icularly
when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediatel y if the trail­
er shows the slightest sign of swaying .
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds
for vehicles towing trailers are lower than for
regular vehicles .
A lways app ly brakes early. When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en­
gine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes a lone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge c:> page 10
must be observed carefully. The coo lant tem­
perature can increase if you drive on long in ­
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds. Re­
duce your speed immed iate ly if the L EDs in
the top part of the display turn on.
F or more information about indicator lights,
refer to. ~
page 16.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone r ide in your car
who is not properly wear ing the restra ints
provided by Aud i.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your veh icle hand les different ly when tow ing
-
a trailer because of the addit ional weight and
d ifferent weight distribution . Safety, perform­
ance and economy will greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your ng .
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
Trailer towing 213
have become completely familiar with the way
your vehicle-trai ler combination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice .
Backing up with a t railer generally requires
steering action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a tra iler.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you . You wi ll need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you w ill need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remembe r that you cannot ac­
ce lerate as fast as you norma lly would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your trailer before chang­
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re ­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load
c:> page 296.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it can­
not be avoided, do so only a~er doing the fol­
lowing:
When parking:
.,. App ly the foot brake.
.,. Have someone p lace chocks under both the
vehicle and the trailer wheels .
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes until the wheel chocks absorb the
load.
.,. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.,. Apply the parking brake .
.,. Select the P selector lever posit ion .
When restarting after parking:
.,. Apply the foot brake.
•
•

Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value.
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes , corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after
purchase . Regu lar and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
F u rth ermor e, good c are may be a conditi on
for subs tantiati ng a w arrant y cla im sho uld
c orrosion d amag e or paint d efects oc cur.
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedic ated veh icle-car e products and can ad ­
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i­
or and interior of your vehicle.
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially available clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor­
rectly .
A WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caut ion labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product. Follow the di­
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted .
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail polish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ign it ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, e tc. w ithout pro­
tecting your hands and arms. You may c u t yourself on sharp -edged metal parts .
Cleaning and protec tion 215
- Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing effic iency¢
page 200, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environmentally friend ly clean­
i ng products . Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the household
waste.
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental i n­
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often t his is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the veh icle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasonal and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and indus tria l gr ime, ta r, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle
body, the more lasting their destructive ef­
fects wi ll be . High temperatures caused by ex­
posure to intense sun light intens ify the corro­
s ive effect, particularly when humid ity is high
as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekl y washing
may be necessary. Under other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade­
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferab ly in a
professional car wash .
Vehicles with matte finish paint¢
page 218 .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information¢
page 215.
•
•

(D Note
-Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surface of the vehicle is dry. Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, since this
could scratch your vehicle's pa int or w in­
dows .
- Never wash your car in bright sunlight.
Drops of water act as magnifying lenses
and may damage your paint.
- When you wash your car in the w inter : if
you r inse your vehicle w ith a hose, be
careful not to aim the stream of water
direct ly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings - they can free ze shut.
- Never use sponges des igned to remove
i nsects, or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products. They can damage
you r paint finish .
- Never use a dry cloth o r sponge to clean
the headligh ts. On ly use we t cloths or
sponges to prevent scratches .
It is best
to use soapy wate r.
- You sho uld remove debris (su ch as in­
sects) from the head ligh t lenses on a
r egular basis, for example when refuel ­
ing your vehicle . Never clean the head­
li ghts w ith a dry cloth or sponge. Use a
wet cloth or sponge. It is best to use
soapy water.
@ For the sake of the environment
On ly wash the vehicle in facilit ies specially
designed for that purpose. Th is w ill reduce
the risk of d irty water contaminated with
oil from entering the sewer system . In
some areas, wash ing vehicles outs ide of
these facilit ies is prohib ited.
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high ­
pressure power washer is safe as long as you observe a few simple rules .
~ Before usi ng the power washe r, make sure
yo u have re ad an d u nderstood the WARN-
Cleaning and protec tion 217
INGS ¢ A in General information on
page 215 .
~ Always follow the operating instr uctions for
the power washer.
~ Make sure that the jet on the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spray" .
~ Do not hold the spray nozzle too close to
soft mater ials .
Keep a distance from soft materia ls suc h as
rubbe r hoses or insulating material as well as
senso rs and camera lenses .
When cleaning the vehicle with a power was h­
er
always follow the operating instructions .
This applies part icu larly to the operati ng pres ­
su re and the spraying d istance . Do not point
the spray d irectly at the seals around the side
windows, around the doo rs, on t he rear lid or
o n the sunroo f*. L ikewise, do no t poi nt i t di­
re ct ly a t tires, rubbe r hoses, insula tion mate ­
ria l or senso rs ~
page 218 . Hold the spray
nozzle at least 1.3 ft (0.4 m) away from the
vehicle.
Do no t use a high-pressure power was her to
remove snow and ice.
Do not use a jet which sprays wate r in a d irect
stream o r one that has a ro ta ti ng jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °().
&_ WARNING
N eve r wash tires wi th a jet that sprays w a­
ter in a direc t stream . T his co uld ca use in­
v isi ble damage to the t ires and weaken
them, even i f the spray is from a re lative ly
l ong distance and for a sho rt time. Dam ­
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal in jury.
Q) Note
To avoid damaging yo ur vehicle, a lways
make sure that there is suffic ient d istance
between the spray head and soft materia ls
lik e rubber hoses, plast ic parts a nd sound­
deaden ing mater ia ls as well as sensors
and camera lenses . Never a im t he spray
head at the same point fo r a long time .
•
•

218 Cleaning and protection
This also applies to cleaning headlights
and painted bumpers. Remember: the
closer the nozzle is to the surface of the
material, the greater the stress on the ma­
terial.
Caring for vehicles with matte finish
paint
Ap plies to vehicles: with matte fi nish pa in t
Vehicles with matte finish paint require spe­
cial care due to the characteristics of the
paint.
Washing by hand
To avoid damaging the paint when washing,
first remove dust and large particles from
your vehicle. Insects, grease spots and finger ­
prints are best removed with a
special cleaner
for matte finish paint.
Apply the product using a microfiber cloth . To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use
too much pressure .
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water . Clean
the vehicle starting at the top and working to­
ward the bottom using a
neutral shampoo
and a soft microfiber cloth . Stop frequently to
rinse the cloth thoroughly .
Clean the wheels and sill panels last. Use a
clean
sponge on these areas.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly again and let it
air dry. If there are any water spots, they can
be removed using a
leather cloth.
Clean again with the special cleaner for matte
finish paint
if necessary.
Removing stubborn dirt
Bird droppings or tree sap
are best removed
with plenty of water and a microfiber cloth.
You should rinse off
gasoline residue immedi­
ately with plenty of water.
_& WARNING
- Wash your vehicle only when the ignition
is switched off to reduce the risk of a
crash. -
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 215.
@ Note
-Do not treat vehicle parts painted with
matte finish paint using polishing mate­
rials or hard wax. These products could
cause damage to the appearance or sur­
face that cannot be repaired.
- Never use protective wax. It can destroy
the matte finish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted with
matte finish paint. The paint could be
damaged when the stickers or magnets
are removed .
- To prevent paint damage, do not wash
the vehicle in direct sunlight.
- To prevent damage to the paint surface,
do not use insect removal sponges,
rough kitchen sponges or similar items.
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel­
ing your vehicle . Only clean the head­
lights using a wet cloth or sponge, never
a dry one. Cleaning with soapy water is
recommended.
(D Tips
For more information on special cleaning
products designed for matte finish paint,
seeyourAudidea~~
' Sensors and camera lenses
- Remove snow with a hand brush and remove
ice with a de-icing spray that does not con­
tain solvents.
- Clean the sensors (adaptive cruise control*,
parking system*) with a cleaning solution
that does not contain solvents and a soft
cloth.
- Dampen the camera lens with a household alcohol-based glass cleaner, and then wipe
the lens clean with a dry cloth . The area in
front of the camera lens is normally cleaned
by the windshield wipers (lane assist*) or .,.

headlight washer system (night vis ion as ­
sist*) .
If the area is heavily soi led, you can
clean it with glass clean ing agent and a soft,
dry cloth.
(D Note
- If you wash your vehicle with a pressure
washer,
- make sure there is enough d istance to
sensors in the rear bumper .
- do not clean the camera lenses and the area around them with the pressure
washer.
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens . Th is
could cause the lens to c rac k.
- Neve r clean the came ra lens w it h abra­
s ive p roducts.
Waxing and Polishing
Waxing
A good wax coat ing protects the ve hicle pa int
to a large extent aga inst the environmen tal
factors listed under
r::o page 215, Washing and
even against slight scratches .
You can use a liquid ca r wax to p rotect your
pa int as soo n as o ne week after your veh icle
h as been de livered .
Even if you regular ly use a
waxing process in
automatic ca r washes, we recommend t hat
you ma nually app ly a coat of wax to give the
pa int extra protec tion , particula rly if wate r no
l onge r beads on the clean paint .
P rotect p lastic body pa rts with ca r wax i n the
same way as the vehicle body.
During warm weather dead insects tend to
collect on the front bumper and on the for­
ward area of the hood . They a re much easier
to remove from pai nt tha t is waxed
often.
Polishing
Poli sh your vehicle only if the pa int has lost its
shine and the gloss cannot be brought back
with wax .
Cleaning and protec tion 219
If the po lish used does not contain p reserva­
tive compounds, the paint must be waxed af­
terwards.
_& WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
r::opage 215 .
([) Note
Do not use car wax on
- matte or anodized meta l trim
- ru bber or ru bber- lik e t rim.
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care.
For environmental reasons, Audi fabric ates
the bright t rim strips and trim p ieces from
pure chromium-free al uminum .
Dirt and marks on the trim strips shou ld be
removed w ith a
pH-balanced cleaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleane r) . Aud i dealers
carry clean ing produc ts which have been test­
ed fo r use on your vehicle and are not ha rmfu l
to the environment.
T o avoid co rrosion on the exter ior trim st rips,
o nly a pH-ba lanced solu tion should be used
for the windsh ield washer.
_& WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARN INGS and
o ther in formation
r::o page 215 .
Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special care.
Use a clean , damp cloth or sponge to remove
dust and light s urface di rt . For other soil, use
a lukewa rm all-p urpose cleaning so lution or a
mild saddle soap for v inyl tr im . Remove wate r
spots and traces of soa p wi th a cle an, d amp
clo th or sponge. Use a clean, so ft cloth to rub
dry .
G rease , ta r or oil stains can be removed w it h a
cl ea n clot h or sponge soake d wit h all- purpose .,.
•
•

-To prevent damage to the wi res of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
stickers on the inside of the rear window
over the wires.
- To he lp prevent dirt from scratching the
window, always scrape in a forward di­
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 cle aning afterwa rds, use only a
dedica ted
acid -free cast alloy wheel cleaner.
~ Rub a coa t of liquid wax on to the r ims every
three month . Be sure to reach and treat all
parts of the rim .
To preserve the decorat ive appearance of the
cast alloy wheels , some special care is neces ­
sary . In add it ion to road dirt and salt , brake
dust is also corros ive. If left on for too long,
b rake dust can cause pi tting.
Use only specia l
acid-free cleaners formulated
for alloy rims. Safe products are available at
your Aud i deale r. Never leave the cleaner on
the r ims longe r than spec ified on the label. If
n o t rinsed off promptly , the acid co nta ined in
some cleaners can attack the th reads on the
wheel bo lts .
Never use abras ive or metal polishing clean­
in g agents. If the prote ctive coat ing has been
chipped, e .g. by k icked up road d irt, touch it
up as soon as possib le .
A WARNING
- Moist ure and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency
i:> page 200, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
c> page 215.
Cleaning and protec tion 221
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked .
All body cav ities which could be affected by
corros io n have been thoroughly protected at
the factory .
This sealing does not require any inspection or additional treatmen t. If any wax should seep
out of the cavi ty when the ambie nt tempera­
ture is high, it can be removed with a p lastic
scraper and a su itable solvent .
A WARNING
Solvents can be dangero us.
- Benz ine is flammab le and toxic. If you
use benz ine fo r removing the wax , keep
sparks, flame and lig hted cigarettes
away. Never d ump ben zine on the
grou nd, into open streams or down sew­
age drains .
- Be s ure to obse rve a ll safe ty and environ­
men tal reg ulations. Fo llow all instruc­
tions on the container.
- Always read and heed a ll WAR NIN GS and
o ther information ¢
page 215.
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Aud i is also thor­
oughly p rotec ted against cor ros io n.
Any damage to the undercoat ing caused by
road hazards should be repaired promptly .
A WARNING
Too much undercoating in the wrong pla­
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustp roofing on or nea r the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalyti c con­
ver ter or he at shields. While driving, the
substance used fo r undercoating co uld
overheat and cause a fire.
•
•

222 Cleaning and protec tio n
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 215.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and other corrosive materials will
damage the material in the exhaust tail pipes
if they are not cleaned regularly . Do not clean
the tail p ipes with wheel cleaner, paint pol ish,
chrome po lish or other abrasive cleaners.
C lean the tail p ipes with car ca re p roducts
that are su itable for stain less stee l.
Your author ized Audi dealer can provide clean­
ing p roducts that have been tested and ap­
p roved fo r you r vehicle.
Care of interior
Infotainment components
The MMI/RSE* display may be cleaned with a
soft cloth and commercially-ava ilable "LCD
cleaner" . The cloth should be coated lightly
when the clean ing solution when cleaning the
d isplay.
The MMI/RSE* contro ls must be cleaned first
with a brush so t hat dirt does not ente r the
un it or enter between the buttons and the
housing. Then wiping the controls with a cloth
dampened with dish detergent and water is recommended.
CJ) Note
To prevent sc ratches, only clean the dis­
play when it is d ry.
- To prevent damage, ma ke sure fluids do
not enter the controls.
Aluminum trim
Use only n eutral-pH products to remove spots
and deposits from aluminum surfaces.
Chrome ca re products and alkaline cleaners
will attack aluminum s urfaces and can dam­
age them over time.
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information¢
page 215.
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabrics and fabric cover ings (e .g. seats, door
trim panels, etc.) should be cleaned at regular i ntervals w ith a vacuum cleaner. This removes
su rface di rt particles which could become em ­
bedded in the fabric through use. Steam
cleaners should not be used, because the
steam tends to p ush the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lock it there.
Normal clean ing
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
o r a lint-free microfiber cloth to the clean fab­
ric. Brushes shou ld only be used for carpets
and floor mats, since other fabric surfaces
could be harmed by brushes.
Norma l su rface stains can be cleaned using a
commercially available foam cleaner . Spread
the foam on the s urface of the fabric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently. Do not satu­
rate the fabric. Then pat the foam dry using
absorbent, dry cloths (e.g. m icrof iber cloth)
and vacuum it after it has dried completely.
Cle anin g sta ins
Stains caused by beverages (e .g. coffee, fruit
juice, etc.) can be treated with a mild deter­
gent solution. Apply the detergent solution
with a sponge. In the case of stubborn stains, a detergent paste can be applied directly to
the stain and worked into the fabric. After­
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to
remove the rema in ing deterge nt. Apply the
water wit h a damp clo th or sponge and pat
the fabric dry with an abso rbent, dry cloth .
Stains from choco late or makeup should have
detergent paste (e.g. ox-gall soap) rubbed in­
to them. Afterwa rds, remove the soap with
water (damp sponge) .
Alcohol can be used to treat stains from grease, o il, lipstick or a ballpoin t pen . Melted ..,.