2013 AUDI A8 warning

206 Driving and environment
Driving and
environment
The first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the fir st 600 miles (1,000
kilometers ):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
... Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM.
... Avoid hig h engine speeds.
From 600 to 1,000 mile s (1 ,000 to
1,500 kilometers):
... Speeds can gradually be increased to the
max imum pe rm iss ible road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in per iod
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds
when it is cold. Th is app lies whether the
transm ission is i n N (Neutra l) or in gear.
After the break-in period
... Do not exceed maximum engine speed un­
der any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next hig her gear
before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach­
ometer scale
¢ page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the en­
g ine's interna l friction is higher than later
when all the moving parts have been broken
in . How well this break- in p rocess is do ne de­
pends to a conside rable extent on the way the
ve hicl e is driven d uring the first 1,0 00 miles
(1, 500 k ilome ters).
0 Note
E xtremely high engi ne speeds are auto­
mat ica lly reduced. However, these rpm
lim its are progr amme d for an engine well
r u n- in, not a new engine .
{® For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high en­
g ine speeds - upshifting ear ly saves fuel,
reduces no ise and protects the environ­
ment.
, New tires
If your vehicle is runni ng on new tires, drive
part icularly caref ul for the first 350 miles
(500 kilomete rs) afte r fitt ing .
_& WARNING
New tires tend to be sl ippery and mus t al­
so be "broken -in" . Be s ure to remember
this dur ing the fi rst 350 mi les (500 kilo ­
meters) . Brake gently . Avoid fo llow ing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
braking .
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full bra king effect dur ing the fi rst 250 m iles
(400 kilomete rs) afte r they a re insta lled .
New brake pads have to be "broken in" before
they have optima l grab ¢.& . The break-in pe­
r iod can be conside rably longe r for vehicles
with ce ram ic brake rotors *. Yo u can co m pen­
sate for this s light ly red uced b ra ki ng power by
pushing ha rder on the br ake peda l.
During the break- in pe riod, you should avo id
putting seve re loads on the bra kes. Seve re
loads include, f or examp le, sudden ha rd b ra k­
i ng, in particular at very high speeds or, for
example, on mountain passes.
_& WARNING
N ew brake pa ds don 't have the best stop ­
p ing power and must be "broken-i n" dur­
i ng the initia l 100 to 150 miles (150 to
200 kilometers) of norma l city driving. You
ca n compe nsate for this by p ressing the
b rake pedal mo re fi rm ly. This also applies
l ater wh en new pads are i nstalled .

Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission con­trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner .
.. Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 228,
Fuel supply.
.,. Never run the tank down all the way to
empty.
.,. Never put too much motor oil in your en-
gine ¢
page 238, Adding engine oil~-
.,. Never try to push- or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff icient "clean­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle . The catalytic converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be ­
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically
importa nt for the life of the cata lytic convert­
e r and proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
-
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other material which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
man ifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields. During driving, the
substance used for undercoating cou ld
overheat and cause a fire.
0 Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢ page 238.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The eng ine could mis­
fire . U nburned fuel could a lso get i nto
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 207
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat .
- Do not swi tch off the ignit ion while the
vehicle is mov ing.
- Do not continue to ope rate your veh icle
unde r these conditions, as othe rwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
co uld result in overheating o f the con­
verter, requir ing its replacement .
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis ­
sion Control System:
- H ave your vehicle maintained prope rly
and in accordance w ith the se rv ice rec­
ommendat ions in you r Warranty &
M aintenance boo klet.
- L ack of prope r maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the vehi cle w il l impair
the function of the em ission contro l
system and could lead to damage .
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Control System is
operat ing properly, the exha ust gas can
have a sul fur -li ke exhaust gas smell under
some operating states . This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fue l may help,
or filling the tank with lead-free super
grade gasoline .
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are drivi ng on poo r roads, or over
c ur bs, s teep ramps, etc., ma ke certai n that
low -lying parts s uch as spoilers and exhaust
system pa rts do not bottom o ut and get dam­
aged.
T h is is espec ially true for veh icles w ith low­
s lung chassis (spor ts chassis)* and fully load­
ed vehicles. •
•

208 Driving and en vir onm ent
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
A WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
sto re the full braking effect.
@) Note
- Vehicle components such as the eng ine,
transmission, suspension or electr ical
system can be severely damaged by driv­ i ng th rough water.
- Always switc h off the Start-Stop-System
when driving through water~
page 87.
(1) Tips
-Check the depth of the water before dr iv­
i ng through it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, dr ive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
through water .
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive th rough safely.
- Avoid dr iving through salt water because
i t can cause corrosion.
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, environmenta l impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitat ions
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent . This sec­
t ion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook.
@ Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTEC TION AGENCY
( E PA) and Transpo rt Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehi ­
cle load and speed, road and weather con ­
ditions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
.,. Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they a re ac­
ce lerating. If you anticipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
t hu s, acce lerate less . Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for examp le when you see
that the next traff ic light is red.

Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
11-Try and keep well below your car's maxi-
mum speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump­ tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
environment.
F ue l consumption, exhaust emissions and en ­
g ine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption will
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
than the posted speed limit and weather con­
d itions permit .
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
11-Shut the engine off when you are not driv­
ing the vehicle.
"" Do not warm up the veh icle by letting the
engine run at idle .
The idling phase is automat ically reduced for
vehicles w ith the Start/Stop system . It is effi­
cient to switch
off the engine in vehicles with­
out the Start-Stop-System when stopped at ra il road crossings and long red lights. Turning
the eng ine
off for just 30 -40 seconds saves
mo re fuel than is burned by s tarting the en­
gine again.
It takes a long time fo r the engine to wa rm up
fu lly when it is running at idle. Howeve r, wear
and noxious emissions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at h igh rpms while the engine is
still warming up.
CD Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter starting. If warning lights shou ld come
on to indicate improper operation, they
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 209
would go unheeded. Extended idling a lso
produces heat, which could result in over­
heating or other damage to the veh icle or
other property.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
11-Have your vehicle serviced at reg ular inter-
vals .
By having your ve hicle reg ularly se rviced by an
Audi dealer he lps to ensure that it runs prop­
erly and economically . The condition of your
vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to
ho ld its va lue, it also affects
fuel co nsump ­
tion .
Chec k your oil e ach t ime you fill y our t ank.
T he amou nt of o il used is re lated to engine
load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reac h its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has bee n driven.
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 m iles
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
This also applies to fuel consumption and en­ gine output .
CD Note
-Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
& Ma in­
tenance book let . Lack of proper mainte­
nance as well as improper use of the ve­
hicle will impai r the function of the
em ission cont ro l system and cou ld lead
t o damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
t he Emission Control System unless ap­
proved by the manufacture r.
- Do not alter or remove any devi ce, such
as heat shie lds, switches, ign ition w ires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System
•
•

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.
•
•

216 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 115.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
r:::;, page 215.
- Before washing the vehicle in an auto­
matic car wash, p lease make sure to re­
tract the exterior mirrors to prevent
them from being damaged. Power fold­ i ng exter ior mirrors must not be folded
i n or out by hand . Always use the electri­
ca l power control.
- Compare the track of your vehicle with the d istance between the guide rails of the facility - the
re is a risk of damage to
the whee ls and tires .
- Compare the height and width of your
vehicle with the height and width of the tunnel 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 washing, make su re you
have read and understood the WARNINGS
~ A in General information on page 215.
.,. First soak all dried dirt unti l 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 o r the sponge g love often,
flushing it clean each time.
.,. Use spec ial car shampoo only for very per­
sistent dirt .
.,. Rinse the car thoroughly with water.
.,. Use a chamois leather to gently wipe the ex-
ter ior 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
-- Wash your vehicle only when the ign ition
is switched off to reduce the risk of a
crash.
- Do not clean the underside of the chas­ sis, fenders, wheel covers, or other hard
to reach parts without protect ing your
hands and arms . You may cut you rself on
sha rp-edged metal pa rts.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other info rmation
c;, page 215. ~