2013 AUDI A8 towing

108 Audi side assist
- Side assist is not active wh ile you are
making the adjus tment.
- Your settings are automatica lly sto red
and ass igned to the remote control key
being used.
Driver messages
App lies to vehicles: with side assist
If side ass ist switches off by itse lf, t he LED in
the butto n tur ns off a nd a message will ap­
pea r in the instr ume nt cl uster d is p lay:
Audi side assist : Currently unavailable. No
sensor vision
The radar se nsors' vision is affected. Do not
cover the area in front of the senso rs wi th bike
wheels, stickers, dirt or other objects. Clean
the area in front of the sensors, if necessary
c::;, page 106, fig. 111 .
Audi side assist : Currently unavailable
Side assis t ca nno t be swi tched o n tem porar ily
beca use there is a mal function (for exam ple,
the battery cha rge leve l may be too low) .
Audi side assist: System fault!
The system cannot guara ntee that it w ill de­
t e ct ve hicl es co rrec tly a nd it is sw itche d off .
The senso rs have been displaced o r a re faulty.
H ave the sy stem che cke d by an au thor ized
Au di d ealer o r au thoriz e d Au di Service Fac ilit y
s o on.
Audi side assist : Unavailable when towing .
Side assist switches off aut omatically whe n a
factory -insta lled trailer h itch is connected to
the el ectrical connector on the trailer. There is
no guara ntee the system will switc h off whe n
usi ng a retrofi tt ed traile r h itch . Do not use
side assis t when towing a tra iler .

110 Audi drive select
the drive se lect mode. Adaptive cruise control
a lso responds to the driving behavior of the
vehicle ahead in a more conservative or sporty
manner.
Engine sound*
The sound of the engine is adapted to the se­
lected mode and ranges from subtle to sporty .
Q) Note
-Make sure there is enough clearance
above and below the vehicle when park­
ing. The height of the vehicle can change
once it is parked due to temperature
fluctuations, changes to the load cond i­
tions and changes to the dr iv ing modes,
which can affect clearance .
- When transporting the vehicle on a car
carr ier, tra in, ship or by other means, on­
l y tie the veh icle down at the running
surface of the tires, which is the outer
ci rcumfe rence . Securing the vehicle at
the axle components, s uspension str uts
or towing eyes is not pe rmitted because
the press ure in the air suspension s truts
can change during transport. The vehicle
may not be sec ured s ufficient ly if this
happens.
- If you are going to tow a trailer, you must activate the trailer ope ration mode
c:> page211.
(D Tips
-In some mode ls, the maxim um vehicle
speed can on ly be reached in the
auto
and dynamic modes.
- Se lecting the
dynamic mode results in
sporty shifting characteristics. The S
gear position engages automatically.
- In vehicles that have dynamic steering*,
operating noise is heard when starting or
stopping the eng ine. This does not ind i­
cate a problem. -
In vehicles w ith sport different ia l* , the
dynamic mode is deactivated when tow­
ing a tra iler.
Selecting the driving mode
You can choose between Comfort, Auto , Dy­
namic and Individual.
Fig. 11 3 MMI : Drive select
.,. To select the mode, se lect the following in
the M Ml :
I CAR I function button > Comfort ,
Auto , Dynamic
or Individual.
You can change the driving mode when the ve­
hicle is stationary or while driving. If traffic
permits, after changing modes, briefly take
your foot off the accelerator pedal so that the recently selected mode is also activated for
the engine.
comfort -provides a comfort-oriented vehicle
setup and is suited for long drives on h igh ­
ways.
auto -provides an overall comfortable yet dy­
nam ic driving feel and is suited for every day
use.
dynamic -gives the vehicle a sporty driving
feel and is suited to a sporty driving style.
individual-c:> page 111.
A WARNING ,...___ -
Pay attention to traffic when operating
Audi drive select to prevent potential risk
of an acc ident.

116 Automatic Transmission
Selector lever lock
The selector lever lock prevents you from se­
l ecting a position unintentionally, causing the
vehicle to roll. When engaging some selector lever positions, you must press the button on
the selector lever<=>
fig. 123 and/or press the
brake pedal.
You must press the brake pedal to engage a
selector lever position when the engine is run­
n ing while the vehicle is stationary. The ar­
rows¢
fig. 124 indicate when you need to
press the button on the selector lever.
The selector lever does not lock if you shift
from D to R within one second . This allows
you to "rock" the vehicle to free it when it is
stuck.
P - Park
The whee ls are locked in this position. Only
shift into park when the vehicle is stationary
¢ & .To engage the P selector lever position,
press the button on the selector lever and
shift into the P position.
You can only shift out of park when the eng ine
is running and you are pressing the brake ped­
al. Press the button on the selector lever to
release the park ing lock and select the des ired
selector lever posit ion.
P engages automatically when you switch the
engine off while D, Sor R is engaged or in
manual mode.
If you switch the engine off when N is engag ­
ed, the transmission remains in N for approxi­
mately 30 minutes and then Pis engaged.
You must use the emergency release proce­
dure to release the parking lock before towing
the vehicle
¢ page 120.
R - Reverse
The reverse gear is engaged in this position.
Only select reverse when the vehicle is sta ­
tionary and the engine is running at idle speed
¢ & .To engage the R se lector lever position,
press the button on the selector lever, press the
brake pedal and move the selector lever
into the R position.
T he back-up lights turn on when you select
the R selector lever position while the engine
is running .
N -Neutral
The transmission is in idle in this position. To
engage the N selector lever position , press
the button on the selector lever and shift int o
the N position.
If you switch the engine off when N is engag­
ed, the transmission remains in N for approxi­
mately 30 min utes and then Pis engaged.
You cannot select the N position when the ig­
nition is switched off . When driving through
an automat ic car was h, first select the N posi­
tion and then switch the engine off
¢page 216.
The vehicle cannot be locked when the selec­
tor leve r is in the
N position.
D/S - Position for driving forward
In the D/S pos ition, the transmission can be
operated either in the normal mode Dor in
the sport mode S. You can only select the S se­
lector lever position when Dis engaged. Move
the selecto r lever back to engage the S selec­
tor lever position. To select the D selector lev­
er position again when S is engaged, move the
selector lever back¢& . To shift from
N to D
when traveling at speeds below 1 mph (2km/
h), press the brake pedal and select the D se­
lector lever position ¢
&.
In the normal mode D, the transmission auto­
matically selects the suitable gear ratio.
It de­
pends on engine load, vehicle speed and driv­
ing style.
Select the
sport mode S for sporty driving.
T he vehicle makes full use of the engine's
power. Shift ing may become noticeab le when
acce lerat ing.
The S selector lever position engages auto­
matically when yo u select the dynamic mode
in Audi drive select.
...

& WARNING
-Never engage R or P wh ile driving. It
cou ld cause a crash .
-
-Power is sti ll 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 engine is running. Do not inad­
vertent ly press the accelerator pedal
when the veh icle 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 par king
brake. This reduces the risk of a crash. A l­
ways read and follow the applicable
warnings
¢page 226, Engine comport­
ment.
- Never get out of the driver's seat when
the engine is running.
- If you must get out of the vehicle, move
the se lector lever securely into the P po­
sit ion and apply the park ing brake .
@ Tips
-If you un intentionally shift into the N se­
l ector lever position while dr iving, take
your foot off the accelerator pedal and
wait for the engine to slow down until it is idling before you shift into Dor S.
Driving tips
The gears shift outomoticolly .
Starting from a stop
"' Press and ho ld the brake pedal.
.,. Start the eng ine
q page 83.
"' Press the button on the se lector lever and
select the D, S or R selector lever position
¢ page 115.
"' Wait a moment until the transmission
shifts. You w ill not ice a slight movement
when the gear engages .
"' Re lease the brake pedal and press the accel ­
erato r peda l¢ _& .
Aut omat ic Tr ans missio n 11 7
Stopping temporarily
"' Press the b rake pedal to stop the veh icle,
for examp le 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¢_& .
"' The parking brake will release automat ically
and the vehicle will start mov ing once you
press the acce lerator pedal.
Parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the driver's door, the veh icle
could roll. The message
Transmission: Car
may roll! Shift to park !
appears.
"' Press and hold the brake pedal¢ _& .
"' 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 posit ion ¢
page 115 .
Under certa in conditions such as dr iv ing in the
mountains or when towing a trailer, it may be
helpful to switch to manual mode temporarily
to shift
manually to adapt to the dr iving con­
ditions
¢ page 118.
On slopes, activate the parki ng brake first and
then move the selecto r leve r to the P position .
T his prevents too much st ress from be ing
placed on the locking mechanism.
& WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS ¢ .&. in Se­
lecting o selector lever position on
page 117.
- The vehicle can also roll when the engine
is stopped.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selec tor lever position
while the vehicle is stationary and the engine is running . This could result in a
crash.
- Never engage R or P while driving . It
could cause a crash.
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To ..,.

120 Automatic Transmission
Parking lock emergency release
The parking lock must be released using the
emergency release before towing the vehicle .
@
Fig. 126 Dr iver's side footwell: releasing t he park ing
lock us ing t he emergency release
Fig. 127 Drive r's s ide footwe ll: resetting th e pa rking
l ock
The emergency release is located under the
floor mat on the driver's side. You operate the
emergency re lease from the dr iver's seat.
Releasing the parking lock using the
emergency release
• To prevent the vehicle from rolling uninten­
tionally, set the park ing brake© ¢
page 85
or press the brake peda l.
.. There are two slits on the cover. Position
the screwdriver from the vehicle tool kit in
one of the s lits on the cover and pry the cov­
er off.
• Pull the band@ in the direction of the ar­
row until the release lever locks in place
¢ fig . 126.
• Fold the uppe r section of the release lever
down into the recess.
Resetting the parking lock
• Press the button @ and the release lever at
the same time . You can now push the lever back into its original pos
ition . Make sure the
lever locks in place
¢fig. 127.
.. Install the cover .
T he indicator light
[O] and the N position indi­
cator in the instrument cluster turn on when
the parking lock is released using the emer­
gency release . The message
Risk of rolling! P
not possible . Please set the park ing brake
a l­
so appears.
A WARNING
If you release the park ing lock using the
emergency release, secure your vehicle
with the pa rking brake or the brake pedal
i f the parking brake is not working. The ve­
hicle can roll away if it is not secured and
cause a crash.

Adjusting the display and the warning tones
App lies to vehicles: with advanced park ing system wit h
rea r view camera/top v iew camera syste m
The display and warning tones can be adjust­
ed in the Infotainment.
~ Se lect: ICARI f u nct io n button > Car systems
control button > Driver assist > Parking aid .
Display
On * -
opti cal d isplay is shown for the parking
sys tem plus, rea r view came ra image is shown
for parking system plus with rear view cam ­
e ra *.
Off -when t he par king system is sw itched off,
on ly audib le sign als are given.
Warning tones
Front volume -
Volume for the fro nt area
Rear volume -Volume for the rear area
Front frequency -Frequency for the front area
Rear frequency -Frequency for the rear area
Music volume while parking -When the park­
in g system is turned on, the vol ume of t he au­
d io/v ideo source is lower ed.
The new ly adjusted value is briefly heard from
the signa l generator.
@ Tips
- The warning tones ca n also be adjusted
direct ly from the visual display or the
rear view camera* image. S imply press
the
Settings cont ro l but to n.
- Changed settings are activated when the
parking system is switched on aga in.
- The settings are automatically stored
and ass igned to the remote control key
that is in use .
Error messages
Applies to vehicles: with a dvanced park ing system wit h
r ea r view camera/top v iew camera syste m
There is an error in t he system if the LED in
the
?# A button is blinking and you hear a con-
Parking systems 131
tin uous alarm fo r a few seconds after switch ­
ing on the par king system or when the park­
ing system is already activated. If the error is
not corrected before you switc h off the ign i­
tion, the LED in the
P,1 1.A button will blink the
next t ime you sw itch on the parking system by
shifting i nto reverse .
If a sensor is fa ulty, the!¾ symbol will appear
in front of/behind the vehicle in the Infota in­
ment display . If a rear sensor is faulty, only
obstacles that are in the front detec tion a rea
a re shown . If a front sensor is fau lty, on ly ob­
s tacles t hat are in the rear area are shown.
Peripheral cameras*
There is also a system error if:
- the
'(gl ,, symbol appears i n the display and
the corresponding d isp lay area is shown in
blue. The camera is not work ing in this area.
- all segments aro und the vehicles are red or
if no segments are displayed.
D rive to your authorized A udi dealer or au ­
thorized repair facility immed iate ly to have
the malfunction correcte d.
Trailer hitch
Applies to vehicles: wi th adva nced parking syste m with
rear view ca mera/top view ca mera system
Fo r vehicles using the trailer so cket, the pa rk­
i ng sys tem rear sensors do not tu rn on when
you shift i nto reverse gea r or when you press
the
P,#~ button . This res ults in the following re ­
strictions:
T he re is no dist ance warn ing fo r th e rea r. T he
fron t sensors remain act ivated. The visua l dis­
play switches to the t railer towing mode . The
rear view camera image will not show the or i­
entat ion lines and the bl ue surfaces.
(D Tips
Trai ler h itches that are not insta lled at the
factory may ca use the park ing system to
malfunction or they may restr ict its func­
tion.

140 Driving Safely
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely attached to the floor mat fasteners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
~ Make sure that the floor mats are properly
secured and cannot move and interfere with
the pedals ~,&. .
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area
unobstructed and that are firmly secured so
that they cannot slip out of position . You can
obtain suitable floor mats from your author­
ized Audi Dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be at­
tached to these fasteners. Properly securing
the floor mats will prevent them from sliding into positions that could interfere with the
pedals or impair safe operation of your vehicle
in other ways .
_& WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result
in a loss of vehicle control and increase the
risk of serious personal injury.
- Always make sure that floor mats are
properly secured.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot
be properly secured in place to prevent
them from slipping and interfering with
the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already instal­
led floor mats. Additional floor mats and
other coverings will reduce the size of
the pedal area and interfere with the
pedals .
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for clean­
ing .
-Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driverfootwell while the ve­
hicle is moving. Objects can become trapped
under the brake pedal and accel­
erator pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop· erly stowed and secured in the luggage com·
partment.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling
characteristics. Loose items can also increase
the risk of serious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuver or in a collision.
~ Distribute the load evenly in the luggage
compartment.
~ Always place and properly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as far
forward as possible.
~ Secure luggage items using the tie-downs
provided
~ page 69, Luggage comport·
ment.
A WARNING ,_
Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly through the vehicle causing serious
personal injury in the event of hard brak­
ing or an accident. To help reduce the risk
of serious personal injury:
- Always put objects, for example, luggage
or other heavy items in the luggage com­
partment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compartment using the tie-down hooks
and suitable straps.
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your ve­
hicle handles. To help reduce the risk of a
loss of control leading to serious personal
injury:
- Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
vehicle handling:

198 Intellige nt tec hno logy
Intelligent technology
Notice about data
recorded by veh ic le
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facturers fo r the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event . EDR's are sometimes called "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
A lthough your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for example, engine function, emis­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during normal vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded over a very limited period of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as well as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only
be read and downloaded with special equip­
ment.
Electronic Stab ilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidding and loss of vehicle control. It works
only when the engine is running. ESC detects certain difficult driving situations, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw)
out of control and helps you to get the vehicle back under control by selectively braking the
wheels, and/or reducing engine power and
providing steering assistance to help hold the
vehicle on the driver's intended course. The in­
dicator light
G) in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESC is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESC has limitations.
It is important to remem­
ber that ESC cannot overcome the laws of
physics. It will not always be able to help out
under a ll cond itions you may come up against.
For example, ESC may not always be able to
help you master situations where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of friction of
the road surface. When there is a section of
dry road that is suddenly covered with water,
slush or snow, ESC cannot perform the same
way it would on the dry surface . If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of water in­
stead of the road surface), ESC will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because con­
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered.
During fast cornering, particularly on winding
roads, ESC cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult driving situations than at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESC is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not towing a trailer.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic; and weather conditions. ESC can­
not override the vehicle's physical limits, in­
crease the available traction, or keep a vehicle
on the road if road departure is a result of
driver inattent ion. Instead, ESC improves the
possibility of keeping the vehicle under con­
trol and on the road during extreme maneu­
vers by using the driver's steering inputs to
help keep the vehicle going in the intended di­
rection . If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.