2013 AUDI A8 airbag

194 Child Safe ty
be suppressed causing ser ious or even
fatal injury to the child .
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
P ASS ENGER AIR BA G OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
med iately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the a irbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer.
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
Fig. 187 Tet her st rap : proper ro uting a nd mountin g
Inst all ing th e teth er strap
.,. Release or deploy the tether strap on the
child restra int according to the child re­
stra int manufac turer's instructions .
.,. Gu ide the upper tether strap
under the rear
head restraint ~
fig. 187 (raise the head re­
straint if necessary).
.,. Center seating position* : Guid e the upper
tether strap over the rear head restraint.
.,. Til t the recess flap up to expose the anchor
br acke t.
.,. Attach the tether strap anchorage hook into
the opening of the tether anchorage .
.,. Pull on the tether strap hook so that the
spring catch of the hoo k engages.
.,. Tighten the tether strap firmly following
the chi ld restraint manufacturer's instr uc­
tions.
Releasing the tether strap
.,. Loosen the tens ion following the c hild re ­
stra int manufacturer 's instructions. .,.
Depress the spring catch on the hook and
re lease it from the anchorag e.
(D Note
If you leave the child restra int w ith the
tether strap firm ly installed for several
days, this could leave a mark on the up­
ho lstery on the seat cushion and backrest
i n the area where the tether strap was in­
stalled . The upholstery would also be per­
manently stretched around the tether
strap. This applies espec ia lly to leather
seats .
Using tether straps on rearward-facing
child restraints
Currently, few rear-facing chi ld restrai nt sys­
tems come with a tether. Please read and heed the child rest raint system manufactur­
er' s in structions carefully to determine how to
properly install the tether .
8.. WARNING
-A child in a rearward-facing ch ild safety
seat installed on the front passenger seat
will be serious ly injured a nd can be killed if
the front airbag inflates -even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- The infla ting airbag will h it the ch ild
safety seat or infant carrie r wi th great
force and will smash the child safe ty seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, or door .
- A t ight tether or other strap on a rear ­
ward-facing child restraint attached to
the front passenger seat can p ut too
much pressure on the weight-mat in the
seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced Airbag System . The heavier
weight registered can make the system work as though an adult we re on the seat
and deploy the Advanced Airbag when it
m ust be suppressed causing ser ious or
even fata l injury to the chi ld .
- If you m ust insta ll a rearward fac ing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptiona l

circumstances and the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
li gh t does not come o n an d
stay on, immediately install the rear-fac­
ing child safety seat in a rear seating po­
sit ion and have the airbag system i n­
spected by your Aud i deale r.
Additional Information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
There are a number of sources of additional
information about ch ild restraint select ion, in ­
stallat io n and use:
NHTSA advises that t he best child safety seat
is the one that fits your child and fits in your
ve hicle, and that you wi ll use correctly and
consisten tly.
Try before you buy!
U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Admin­
i s tration
T e l. : 1 -888-327 -4236 (T TY : 1-800-424-9153)
www.nhtsa .gov
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
Te l.: (202) 662-0600
www.safekids.org
Safety BeltSafe U.S .A
Te l.: (800) 745 -SA FE (English)
Te l.: (800) 747 -SANO (Spanish)
www .carseat.org
Transpo rt Canada Info rm ation Cent re
Te l.: 1- 800 -333 -037 1 or call
1-613-998 -8616 if you are in the Ottawa area
http ://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/
menu .htm
Audi Customer Relations
Te l.: (800) 822 -2834
Child Sa fet y 195
•
•

(D Note
The sensors can be displaced by impacts or damage to the bumper , whee l housing and
underbody. This can affect the function of
the Audi pre sense system. Have your au­
thor ized Audi dealer check to make sure
that the system is working properly .
(D Tips
-Certain Audi pre sense functions are not
available when ASR is sw itched off (sport
mode) or when driving in reverse .
- The Audi pre sense functions may not be
ava ilable if there is a malfunction in the
ESC system or the airbag control mod­
u le.
- The Audi pre sense front/plus functions
are not available if there is a ma lfunction
i n the adapt ive cru ise control* system
¢ page 100.
- The Audi pre sense rear/plus functions
are not available if there is a ma lfunction
i n the Audi side assist* system
¢ page 100 .
Audi pr e sense 197
•
•

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.

grease or dye must be patted off using ab­
sorbent material. It may be necessary to re­
treat the areas with detergent paste and wa­
ter.
In the case of general soiling of the uphols­
tery and cover material, we recommend hiring
a specialist that has the equipment to clean
the seat covers and other fabric surfaces by
shampooing and spray extraction.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
Qpage 215.
Open Velcro fasteners on your clothing can
damage the seat cover. Please make sure
that Velcro fasteners are closed.
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear
water to clean these areas. For persistent dirt
use an Audi approved
solvent-free plastic
cleaner/protectant.
A WARNING
Solvents can change the properties of
some plastics and make it harde r for the
airbag to deploy.
- Never clean the instrument panel or the
surface of airbag modules with cleaning
products that contain solvents.
- Products containing solvents will make
the surface of this part porous.
- Serious injuries can result if plastic parts
come loose when the airbag is deployed.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information~
page 215.
(D Note
Cleaning agents containing solvents will
attack the material and can change the
way it behaves.
Cleaning and protection 223
Trim and molding
Trim and molding in the vehicle interior can
be cleaned with a dry microfiber cloth. To pre­
vent scratches, do not use any cleaning solu­
tions.
Natural leather
Appl ies to vehicles: with natural leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior
leather.
General
We offer many different types of leathe r on
our vehicles. Most are different types of nappa l eather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colors.
Th e intensity of the color determines the visu­
al characteristics and appearance. If the sur­
face of the leather has a typical natural look,
then the leather is a nap pa leather that has
been left in a relatively natural condition. This
leather offers particularly good comfort and
breathes well. Fine veins, closed grains, insect
bites, skin folds, and subt le variations in color
remain visible. These characteristics demon­
strate that the material is natural.
Natural nappa leather is not covered by a col­
or finish. It is therefore more sensit ive to soil­
ing and wear, which is something you need to
consider if children, animals or other factors
might prove to be particularly hard on the
leather .
By contrast, leather types that are covered by
a colored finish layer are more durable. This
has a positive effect on the leather 's resist­
ance to wear and soiling in daily use. On the
other hand, the typical characteristics of natu­
ral leather are barely or not apparent. Howev­
er, this does not mean that the leather itself
is of inferior quality. •
•

244 Checking and filling
Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for service. You are well advised to replace a battery that is older than 5 years .
W ith certa in types o f airbag deployment, the
battery is disconnected from the vehicle elec ­
trica l system for safety reasons¢
& in Re­
pair, core and disposal of the airbags on
page 166.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some veh icle functions (power window regu­
lators, for example) are lost if the battery ter­
minals are disconnected. These functions have
to be re learned after the battery terminals are
connected again. To prevent this, the battery
should only be disconnected from the vehicle
electrical system when absolutely necessary
for repairs .
Vehicles not driven for long period s
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electrical compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main ­
tains starting capability over a longer period
¢
page 203. Some of the convenience func­
tions may not operate, such as the inte rior
lights or the power seat adjustment . Th e con­
venience functions will be available again
when you switch on the ignition and start the
engine.
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity
tends to decrease as tempe rat ures drop . This
is because more powe r is also consumed while
starting , and the headlights, rear window de ­
fogger, etc., are used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, par­
ticular ly in city traffic or when traveling on ly
short distances. Let your authorized Audi
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat ­
tery before winter sets in
¢ page 246. A well
charged battery w ill not only prevent starting
prob lems when the weather is cold, but will
also last longer .
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for seve ral
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery sho uld be removed and
stored where it w ill not freeze . This will
prevent it from being damaged and having
to be replaced .
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compart­
ment under the floor. Before you check any­
th ing in the luggage compartment,
read and
heed all WARNINGS
¢ ,& .
Always heed the safety warnings, when work­
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle elec­
trical system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM­BOLS and safety precautions when working
on the battery.
®
Always wear eye protection.
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid.
Always wear gloves and eye protec­
tion.
No
- sparks
- flames
- smoking.
When a battery is charged, it produ­
ces hydrogen gas which is explosive
and could cause personal injury.
Always keep the battery well out of
I
reach of children .
_&. WARNING ~
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the risk of
injury, accident and even fire . Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
-

Fuse s and bulb s 281
Luggage compartment fuse assignment
Fig. 228 Luggage compartment: fuse pa nel with plastic bracket
Fuse panel @ (black ) Fuse panel @ (b la ck)
No . Equi pment Amps No. Equipment Amps
[ru button, data logger, diag-
11 Dynamic
steering
5
l nostic
connector, BCM -1,
5
Selector lever, BCM-2 5
adaptive light ing system
Audi side assist
5
2 Networking gateway 5
Engine control module 5
3 adaptive air suspension
5
Starter 40
4 Parking system 5
Left headlight/Headlight
16 10/5
5 Steer
ing column lever
5
range control system
6 Suspension control system
5 Fuse panel
@ (red ) sensor
Belt tensioners, airbag con-
No. Equipment Amps
7 trol module 5
l Left
reversible be lt tens ione r 25
Heated washer fluid nozzles, 2
Right reversible belt ten-
25
Homelink (garage door sioner
8 opener), night vision system 5 Starter diagnos
is, DC/DC
control module, sport differ-3 c onverter (Start-Stop-Sys-5
ential, ioni zer tern )
9
Electromechan ica l parking
5 4 DC/DC converter 7,5
brake contro l modu le 5 Image pro cessing 7 ,5 -
10
Rear seat heating, cooler, in-
5
terior rearview mirror

298 Consum er Inf ormation
-Always make sure the transmission se­
lector lever (automatic transmiss ion) is
in "P" (Park position) and the park brake
is applied .
@) For the sake of the environment
-Changing the engine settings wi ll ad­
versely affect em iss ion levels. This is det­
rimental to the environment and increas­
es fuel consumption .
- Always observe env ironmental regula­
tions when dispos ing of old engine oil,
used brake fluid, dirty engine coolant,
spent batteries or worn out tires.
- Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
s ioners might be classified as Perchlo ­
rate Material -spec ial handling may ap­
ply, see www.dtsc.ca .gov/hazardous­
waste/perch lorate . When the veh icle or
parts of the restraint system including
airbag modules safety belts with p reten ­
sioners are scrapped, all applicable laws
and regulations must be observed. Your
authori zed Aud i dea ler is familiar with
these requirements and we recommend
that you have your dealer perform this
serv ice for you .
Additional accessories,
modifications and
parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult an authorized Audi dealer be­
fore purchasing accessories.
Your veh icle incorporates the latest safety de­
sig n featu res ensu ring a high standard of ac­
tive and passive safety .
This safety could be compromised by non-ap­ proved changes to the veh icle. For this reason ,
if pa rts have to be replaced , please observe
the following points when install ing addition­
a l accessories: Approved Audi accessories and genuine Audi
parts are available from authorized A udi deal­
ers.
T hese dea le rs a lso have the necessary facili­
ties, tools and trained specialists to install the parts and acc essories proper ly .
A WARNING
-Using the wrong spare parts or using non-
approved accessories can cause damage to
the veh icle and ser ious persona l injury.
- Use on ly accessories express ly approved
by Audi and gen uine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessories have been
specia lly designed to be used on yo ur ve­
h icle .
- Never install accessor ies such as tele­
phone crad les or beverage ho lders on a ir­
bag covers or within the airbag deploy­
ment zones . Do ing so will increase the
risk of injury if a irbags are triggered in an
accident!
- Before you check anything in the engine
compa rtment, always read and heed a ll
WARNI NGS
9 page 226 .
(D Note
-If items other than genu ine Audi spare
parts, add-on equipment and accessory
items are used or if repair work is not
performed accord ing to specified meth­
ods, this c an resu lt in seve re damage to
your vehicle's eng ine and body (such as
corrosion) and adversely affect yo ur vehi ­
cle's warranty .
- T he i nnovat ive a luminium concept of
your Audi AB means that all servicing, re­
pairs or other work on the vehicle body
must be carr ied out exclusive ly by an
Audi workshop .
- If emergency repairs must be performed
elsewhere, have the veh icle examined by
an authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible .
- The manufacturer cannot be held liable
for damage wh ic h occurs due to failure
to comply with these stipu lations .