2013 AUDI A8 ESP

your outside mirror or a corner of your
vehicle does not collide with any obsta­
cles.
@ Tips
If the 8/cr;sJ/c:::::5, symbol appears in the
disp lay and the respect ive display area is
grayed out, then the power exter ior mir­
rors were fo lded in or the dr iver's door/
front passenger's door/luggage compart­ ment lid was opened .
Switching on or off
Applies to vehicles: with top view camera system
Fig. 139 Center console: P.,.1,_ button
Fig. 14 0 Infotainment : se lect ing t he mode
Switching on
.. Sh ift into reve rse, or
.. Press the P
10A button in t he center console
r::!v fig. 139 . A short confirmat ion tone
sounds and the LED in the button turns on .
Selecting the mode
.. Turn the contro l knob to the symbol for the
desired mode @th ro ugh
© co fig. 140 .
11 The ca mera image is not show n fo r al l versions.
P arking systems 12 7
Switching off
.. Drive fo rward fas ter than 6 mph (10 km/h),
or
.. Press the
PwA button, or
.. Switch the ignit ion off .
You may select from the following modes:
@ -Top view*¢
page 127
® -Corner view (front)*¢ page 128
©-Front* co page 128
@-Rear* ¢ page 128
©-Corner view (rea r)* co page 128
Top view
App lies to veh icles: w ith top v iew camera system and top
v iew mode
Fig . 141 In fotainment: top view mode
T his view is ideal for maneuvering. The ve hicle
s u rroun din gs are shown usi ng the came ra im­
ages . The veh icle im age is shown by the sys­
tem.
Selecting top view
.. Select the @symbo l with the control knob .
Switching between optical view and
camera image
1 )
.. To display the came ra image, press the
camera control button @ .
.. Pres s th e
Graphi c control button to see the
optical d isp lay .

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.

134 Driving Safel y
Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others . We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, a irbags, ch ild restra ints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori­
ty number 1.
Always observe the info rmat ion
and warn ings in th is sect ion -fo r yo ur own
safety as well as that of your passengers .
The information in this se ction app lies to all
model ve rsions of your veh icle . Some of the
feat ures desc ribed in this sec tions may be
standard equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others . If you are
not sure, ask your authorized Aud i dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
struct ions and heed the WARNINGS in
this Manual. It is in your interest and in
the inte rest of you r passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Liter­
ature in your Audi when you lend or sell
yo ur vehicle so that this important info r­
mation will always be ava ilable to the
dr iver and passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find i t eas ily if you have
ques tions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
redu ce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations.
Your safety and the safety of your passenge rs
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a varie ty o f fea tures
avai la bl e to he lp re duce the risk of inj ury in an accident
. The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in your Audi:
- sophis tic ated s afety be lts for d rive r and a ll
passenger sea ting pos it ions,
- s afety belt prete nsio ners ,
- safety belt force lim ite rs fo r the front seats,
- safety belt he ight ad justment systems for
the front seats ,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags for the front seats
- side airbags in the front seats a nd outer rear
seats,
- side c urtai n airbags ,
- specia l LATCH anchorages for child re-
straints,
- he ad restr aints for each sea ting pos ition,
- ad justab le s teer ing colum n.
These ind iv idual safety features, can work to­
ge ther as a system to help protect you and
you r passengers in a wide range of accidents .
T hese features canno t wo rk as a system if
they are not always cor re ct ly adjusted and co r­
rect ly used.
Safety is ev erybody' s responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job! Vehicle and occu ­
pant safety always depends on the informed and careful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen ­
gers,
befor e driv ing always:
.. Make s ure that all lig hts and signa ls are op­
erating correctly.
.. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct .
.. Mak e sur e that all windows are clean and
afford good v is ibility to the outside .
.. Se cu re a ll luggage a nd o ther items carefu lly
<:!) page 69, ¢page 74.
.. Ma ke s ure that noth ing can interfere wi th
the peda ls .
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mir ­
rors correctly for your height.
.. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re-
straints according to the ir height . .,..

.. Make sure to use the right child restraint
correct ly to protect children
Q page 176,
Child Safety.
.. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
¢ page S7,
General recommendations .
.. Faste n your safety belt and wear it properly.
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts properly ¢
page 144 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condi­
tion of the vehicle, the driver as well as the
driver 's ability to concentrate on the road
without being distracted.
The driver is respons ible for the safety of the
veh icle and all of its occupants.
If your ability
to drive is impai red, safety r isks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road ¢ _&. .
Therefore:
.. Do not let yourself be dist racted by passen­
gers or by using a cellular telephone.
.. NEVER drive when your driving ability is im ­
paired (by medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
.. Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road
and speed limits and plain common sense .
.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic
and weather conditions .
.,. Take frequent breaks on long trips . Do not
drive for more than two hours at a stretch.
.. Do NOT drive when you are tired, under
pressure or when you are stressed.
A WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death when­
ever a vehicle is being used.
Driving Safely 135
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor­
tant for safe, relaxed driving .
Fig. 153 Correct seat ing pos it ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the driver's seat to the
follow ing pos ition:
.. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi­
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
wh ile keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
¢ _&. .
.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upr ight position so that your back
comes in full contact w ith it when you drive.
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween the steering wheel and yo ur breast
bone
Q fig. 153. If not possible, see your au ­
thorized Audi dealership about adaptive
equipment .
.. Adjust the steer ing wheel so that the steer­
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face.
.,. Grasp the top of the steering whee l with
your elbow(s) slightly bent.
.. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not poss ible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible .
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 147.

138 Driving Safel y
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an im­
portant part of your vehicle's occupant re­
straint system and can help to reduce the risk
of injuries in accident situations.
Fig . 15 4 Head restr ain t: vi ewed fro m the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjust­
ed to achieve the best protection.
i,.. For adjustable head restraints: adjust the
head restraint so the upper edge is as even
as possible with the top of your head. If that
is not possible, try to adjust the head re­
stra int so that it is as close to th is position
as possible.
c:> fig . 154.
Ad justing head restraints c:> page 64 .
Crash - activ e head rest raint s
In the even t of a rear-end collision, it is possi ­
b le that the crash-act ive head res traint s on
the driver's seat and front passenger 's seat
1>
are triggered . On head restraints that have
been triggered, the padding protrudes for­
wards by several centimeters. Drive the vehi­ cle to your authori zed Aud i dealer without de­
lay and have the function of the active head
restra ints restored .
A WARNING
-
Driv ing without head rest raints or w ith
head restra ints that are not properly ad­
jus ted in creases the risk of serious o r fatal
neck injury dram atically. To help reduce
the risk of in jury:
1l Vehicle s w ith recl in ing rear seat : Th is f unctio n is not
ava ilab le for t he fro nt pass enge r's seat.
-Always drive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restraint.
- Always make sure each person in the ve­
hicle properly adj usts their head re­
straint. Adjust the head restraint so the
upper edge is as even as possible with
the top of your head. If that is not possi­
ble, t ry to adjust the head rest raint so
that it is as close to this posit ion as pos­
sible.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
while driving. If you have driven off and
m ust adjust the driver headrest for any
reason, first stop the vehicle safely be­
fore at tempting to adjust the head re ­
straint .
- Ch ild ren mus t always be properly re­
strained in a child rest rain t that is appro ­
priate for their age and size
c:> page 176.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only re­
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are
properly seated.
Improper seating posi tions can cause se rious
i njury or death. Safety belts can on ly wo rk
when they are properly positioned on the body. Improper seating positions reduc e the
effectiven ess of safety belts and wi ll even in­
crease the r isk of injury and death by moving
the safety belt to crit ica l areas of t he body.
Improper seating positions a lso increase the
risk of serious in jury and death when an a ir­
bag deploys and str ikes an occupant who is
not in the proper seating position. A dr iver is
responsible fo r the safety of all ve hicle occu­
pants and espec ially for child ren . The re fore :
i,.. Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
s eating position when the vehicle is bei ng
used
c:> & - .,.

-Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat­
ing or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick­
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per­
missible weight standards can cause the
vehicle to slide and handle differently .
- Please observe information on safe driv­
ing
o page 134 .
A WARNING
-
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always
keep the rear lid closed while driving .
- Never transport objects larger than those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
-Close all windows,
- Close the power roof,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the power roof and the rear lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used .
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­ pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out . Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious personal injury .
-
Driving Safely 141
-Never let children play in or around the
vehicle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions .
(D Tips
-Air circulation helps to reduce window
fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel, on the
left side of the luggage compartment. Be sure to keep these slots free and
open .
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load . The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom­
mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor­
mal load conditions, please see chapter
opage253 .
Tie-downs
The luggage compartmen t is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and o ther
items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly
o page 140, Loading the luggage com­
partment .
In a collision , the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en ­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10-lb (4 .5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item . This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be
•
•

144 Safety belts
Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter exp lains why safety be lts are nec ­
essary, how they work and how to adjust and
wear them correctly .
.. Read a ll the information that fo llows and
heed all of the instructions and WARNINGS.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death .
- Safety belts are the sing le most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se­
rious injury and death in automob ile acci­
dents . For your protection and that of
your passenge rs, always co rrectly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving .
- Pregnant women, injured, or physically
impaired persons must also use safety
belts. Like all veh icle occupants, they are
more like ly to be seriously injured if they
do not wear safety be lts . The best way to
protect a fetus is to protect the mother -
throughout the entire pregnancy.
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating positions: two in the front and three in the rear. In some
vehicles, there are four seat ing pos itions: two
in the front and two in the rear. Each seating
position has a safety belt.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them
improperly increases the risk of ser ious
personal injury and death .
- Never strap more than one person, in­
cluding small ch ildren, into any belt.
It is
especially dangerous to place a safety
belt over a child sitting on your lap. -
Never let more people ride in the vehicle
than there are safety belts available.
- Be s ure everyone riding in the vehicle is
properly restrained with a separate safe­
ty belt or child restra int.
~ Safety belt warning light
Your vehicle has a warning system for the
driver and front seat passenger to remind you
about the importance of buckling-up.
F ig. 155 Safety bel t warni ng light in the instr ument
cl uster -en larged
Befor e dr ivi ng o ff, alway s:
.. Fasten your safety belt and make sure you
are wearing it properly .
.. Make sure that your passengers a lso buck le
up and properly wear their safety be lts.
.. Protect children with a child restraint sys-
tem appropriate for the s ize and age .
The warning light . in the instrument cluster
lights up when the ignition is on as a reminder
to fasten the safety belts. In addit ion, you will
hear a warning tone for a certain per iod of
t ime .
Fasten your sa fet y belt and m ake s ure th at
y ou r passenge rs also prope rly put on the ir
s afe ty belt s.
A WARNING
--Safety belts are the s ingle most effective
means available to reduce the risk of se­
rious inju ry and death in automobile acci­
dents. Fo r you r protection and that of
your passengers, a lways cor rectly wear
safety belts when the vehicle is moving .

150 Safety belts
The s hou lder belt should lie as close to the
center of the collar bone as possib le and
should fit well on the body¢
A in Safety belt
position on page 148.
P ower saf ety belt h eight adju stment *
You can ad just the height of the safety belts
using the mu ltifunction button on the driver
or front passenge r seat ¢
page 59.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important informat ion¢
page 147.
You can also adjust the height of the front
seats to change the position of the safety
be lts.
Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause
severe injuries.
Wear ing safety be lts imprope rly can cause se ­
rio us inj ury or death. Safety be lts can on ly
wo rk when they are correct ly positioned on
the body. Improper seating positions reduce
the effect iveness of safety belts and will even
increase the r isk of injury and death by mov­
ing the safety belt to cr itical areas of the
body. Imprope r seat ing pos it ions also in­
crease the risk of serious in jury and death
when an air bag deploys and str ikes a n occu­
pant who is not in the correct seating posi­
tion . A driver is responsib le for the sa fety of
all vehicle occupants and especially for chi l­
dren. Therefore:
~ Never permit anyone to ass ume an incorrect
sitting position in the vehicle w hile traveling
¢&_ .
A WARNING
Imprope rly worn safety belts increase the
r isk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a veh icle is being used. -
Always make sure that all vehicle occu­
pants are correctly restrained and stay in
a correct seating position whenever the
veh icle is being used .
- Always read and heed all WAR NINGS and
other important information
¢ page 147.
Safety belt preten­
sioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear -end collisions above a
particular severity and in a rollover , safety
belts are tensioned automatically.
Reversible safety belt tensioners
T he safety belts on the fro nt sea ts ar e e qui p­
ped with powe r reversib le tensioners . The fo l­
lowing functions a re ava ilab le when the driv ­
er's/front passenger's safety belts are fas­
tened :
- Automatic tens ioners : at the start of a drive,
the safety belts automat ica lly adjust to the
passenger after a certain time period or ve ­
hicle speed. To switch the automatic ten­
sioners off, select the following in the MMI:
! CARI function button> Car systems > Vehi­
cle settings > Seats > Driver's seat or Pas­
s enger's seat
> Automatic belt t ensioner >
Off .
-In certain dr iv ing s ituations, the safety belts
may tighten w ith a revers ible tens ion ing
fu nction
¢ page 196.
-The safety be lts may a lso t ighten with th is
reve rsible tensioning function in minor co lli­
sion s.
Pyrotechnic safety belt pretensioners
The safety belts are equ ipped with safety belt
pretensioners . The system is act ivated by se n­
sors i n front, s ide and rear-end co llisions of
great severity and in a rollover. This tig htens
t h e belt and t akes up belt slack¢.&.
in Service
and disposal of safety belt pretensi oner on
page 151.
Taking up the slack helps to reduce 1111>