2013 AUDI A8 four wheel drive

26 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
program. The fuel economy messages turn off
automatically after a certain period of time.
.,. To turn an economy message off immedi-
ately after it appears, press any button on
the multifunction steering wheel.
@ Tips
- Once you have turned a fuel economy
message off, it will only appear again af­
ter you turn the ignition on again.
- The fuel economy messages are not dis­
played in every instance, but rather in in­
tervals over a period of time.
Cylinder on demand System
Applies to vehicles: with 4.0 TFSJ engine
Fig. 10 Instrument duster: fuel consumption
To save fuel, the engine automatically turns
four cylinders on or off, depending on the
amount of power needed. This action is not
felt by the passengers.
Displaying cylinder mode
Requirement: the on-board computer is dis­
played
~ page 24.
.,. Turn the thumbwheel until the current fuel
consumption display is shown in the instru­
ment cluster.
If the green bar is displayed,
you are driving in 4-cylinder mode.
Basic requirements for 4-cylinder mode
4-cylinder drive mode is used automatically if
certain basic requirements are fulfilled. These
include:
- A low power output requirement.
- Driving in third gear or higher.
- Engine speed between 960 and 3,500 RPM. - A warm engine.
Odometer
Fig. 11 Instrument cluster Odometer and
reset button
The odometer shows you how many miles
(kilometers) you have driven. You can switch
the display from miles to kilometers and vice
versa via the MMI.
Upper odometer
The trip odometer shows the distance driven
since it was last reset. It can be used to meas­
ure short distances. The last digit indicates
1/10 of a mile (100 meters).
You can reset the trip odometer to zero by
pressing the Reset button
Efil.
Lower odometer
The lower odometer shows the total number
of miles (kilometers) driven.
Malfunction message
If there is a malfunction in the instrument
cluster,
DEF will appear in the trip odometer
display area. Contact your authorized Audi
dealer to have the problem corrected .
Time and date display
Fig. 12 Center console: analog clock

80 Warm and cold
airflow and air distribution are controlled au­
tomatically.
Adjusting the temperature
Temperatures between 60 °F (+16 °() and
84
°F (+28 °C) can be set. Outside of this
range,
lo or hi will appear in the climate con­
trol system display. At both of these settings,
the climate control system runs continuously
at maximum cooling or heating power. There
is no temperature regulation.
~ Adjusting the airflow
You can adjust the airflow manually to suit
your needs. To have the airflow regulated au­
tomatically, press the
! AUTO ! button.
~ Adjusting the air distribution
You can manually select the vents where the
air will flow. To have the air distribution regu­
lated automatically, press the
IAUTOI button.
~ I lil* Adjusting Seat heating/
ventilation*
Pressing the button switches the seat heat­
ing/ventilation on at the highest setting (level
3). The L EDs indicate the temperature level.
To reduce the temperature, press the button
again. To switch the seat heating/ventilation
off, press the button repeatedly until the LED
turns off.
After 10 minutes, the seat heating/ventilation
automatically switches from level 3 to level 2.
In vehicles without the four zone automatic
climate control*, buttons in the rear center
console control the seat heating for both out­
er rear seats*.
~ Switch the defroster on/off
The windshield and side windows are defrost­
ed or cleared of condensation as quickly as
possible. The maximum amount of air flows
mainly from the vents below the windshield.
Recirculation mode switches off. The tempera­
ture is controlled automatically.
The
IAUTOI button switches the defroster off.
~ Switching rear window heater on/off
The rear window heater only operates when
the engine is running. It switches off auto­
matically after 10 to 20 minutes, depending
on the outside temperature.
To prevent the rear window heater from
switching off automatically , press and hold
the~ button for more than 2 seconds. This
r ema ins stored until the ignition is switched
off.
I SYNC I Synchronization*
When synchronization is switched on, the set­
tings for the driver's side are applied to the
front passenger's side (except for seat heat­
ing/ventilation*). The rear seat is also
synchronized in vehicles with the 4-zone de­
luxe automatic climate control system*. Syn­
chronization switches off if the settings are
adjusted on the front passenger's side or in
the rear*.
You can synchronize the settings in a row by
pressing and holding a knob. For example, to
apply the settings for the front passenger's side to the driver's side, press and hold the
knob on the front passenger's side.
Air vents
You can open or close the center and rear
vents in the cockpit and the vents in the rear
center console and door pillars using the
ridged thumbwheels. The levers adjust the di­
rection of the airflow from the vents.
,&. WARNING
- Do not use the recirculation mode for ex­
tended periods of time. The windows
could fog up since no fresh air can enter
the vehicle. If the windows fog up, press
the air recirculation button again imme­
diately to switch off the air recirculation
function or select defrost.
- Individuals with reduced sensitivity to
pain or temperature could develop burns
when using the seat heating function. To reduce the risk of injury, these individu-
als should not use seat heating . .,..

If the distance to an obstacle remains con­
stant, the volume of the distance warning
gradually drops after about four seconds (this
does not apply in the continuous tone range).
Rear view camera
The rear view camera is locat ed above the rear
license plate bracket. Make sure that the lens
for the parking system
r::;, fig. 131 is not cov­
ered by deposits or any other obstructions be­
cause this can affect the function of the park­
ing system. For information on clean ing, refer
to
c;, page 218.
The rear view camera coverage area includes
(Dr::;, fig. 130. Only this area is shown in the
Infotainment display. Objects that are outside
of this area @are not displayed.
The accuracy of the orientation lines and the
blue surfaces is reduced if the adaptive air
suspens ion* is faulty, if the veh icle is lifted or
if the
dynamic mode is activated r::;, page 109.
A WARNING
-Always read and follow the applicable
warnings
r::;, &. in General information on
page 121.
- If the position and the installation angle
of the rear view camera was changed, for
example, after a collision, do not contin­
ue to use the system for safety reasons.
Have it checked by your authorized Audi
dealership or authorized repair facility.
- Only use the rear view camera to assist
you if it shows a good, clear picture. For
example, the image may be affected by
the sun shining into the lens, dirt on the
lens or if there is a system fault.
- Use the rear view camera only if the lug­
gage compartment lid is comp letely
closed. Make sure any objects you may
have mounted on the luggage compart­
ment lid do not block the rear view cam­
era .
- The camera lens enlarges and distorts the field of vision. The object appears both altered and inaccurate on the
screen.
Parking systems 123
-In certain situations, people or objects in
the display appear closer or further
away:
- objects that do not touch the ground,
such as the bumper of a parked vehicle,
a trailer hitch or the rear of a truck. Do
not use the help lines in this case.
- If driven from a level surface onto an
inclin e, or a downward slope.
-If driven toward protruding objects.
- If the vehicle is carrying too much load
in the rear.
(D Note
-Always read and follow the applicable
warnings
r::;, (D in General information on
page 121.
- The orange colored orientation lines in
the Infotainment display show the vehi­ cle path depending on the steering
wheel angle. The front of the vehicle
front swings out more than the rear of
the vehicle. Maintain plenty of distance
so that your outside mirror or a corner of
your vehicle does not collide with any ob­ stacles.

200 Intelligent technology
-ABS and ASR on ly work correctly when
all four wheels are equipped w ith ident i­
ca l tires. Different tire s izes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems described are working.
- If the indicator light
DJ or m:11 (USA
models) ;tiJ (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunct ion
c::;, page 19,
c::;, page 18 .
Switching on and off
ESC turns on automatically when you start
the engine.
Fig. 188 Center console w ith ESC OFF button
Switching ASR off (sport mode)
In certain situat io ns, you can switch ASR and
ESC into sport mode by pressing the button
l!l
c::;, fig. 188. The indicator light II comes on
and the mess age Stabilization control (ESC ):
Off warning! Reduced stability appears. ASR
deactivates completely and the assistance provided by the ESC system is limited. Switch
to sport mode on ly when your driving skills,
traffic and weather cond itions permit .
I n some situations, it may be useful to switc h
ASR off to let the wheels slip. Example:
- Rocking the vehicle back and forth when it is
stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Driving with snow cha ins
Switching ASR on Press the button[!] aga in. The message Stabi­
lization control (ESC): On appears.
A WARNING
- Drive whee ls can sp in and you can lose
control of the vehicle more eas ily when
ASR and ESC are in sport mode, especial­
ly when the road is slippery.
- Sw itch to sport mode only when your
driving skills, traff ic and weather condi­
tions permit.
@ Tips
You cannot sw itch sport mode on when
adaptive c ruise control* is working.
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
-
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still
subject to wear, depending largely on operat­
ing condit ions and driving habits
c::;, &. . On
vehicles that are either dr iven mostly in stop­
and-go city traffic or are driven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dea ler more often than specified in
the Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance.
On steep slopes, you should use the braking
effect of the engine. This way, you prevent un­
necessary wear on the brake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down continuously. Pump the brakes at inter­
vals .
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depending on
the speed, braking force and outside condi­
tions such as temperature and humidity.
Due to the nature of the materia ls used in ce­
ramic brake rotors*, noises may become more
apparent at low speeds. .,..

Driving with your
quattro ®
With All Wheel Drive, all four wheels are driv­
en .
Gene ral inform ation
W ith All Whee l Drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels . This happens automatically
depending on your driving style and the road
conditions at the t ime. See also
t::;> page 198.
W ith the spo rt differential*, power d istribu­
tion to the rear wheels is variable and can be
adj usted with Aud i drive select*
t::;> page 109.
Always read and fo llow safety precautions
c:> .&. .
Winter t ires
When driving in the winter , your vehicle with
All Wheel Dr ive has an advantage, even with
regular t ires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-sea­
son tires) for improved driveability and brak­ ing: these tires must be mounted on
a ll four
w he els .
See also c:> page 264, Winter tires.
Sn ow cha ins
Where snow cha ins a re mandatory on certa in
roads, th is normally a lso applies to vehicles
with A ll Wheel Drive
c:> page 265, Snow
chains .
Replacing whe els/ tires
Vehicles w ith All Whee l Dr ive must always
have tires of the same size. Also avoid t ires
with different tread depths. For details see
page
c:> page 260, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels .
Off-Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clear­
ance to be used as an off-road vehicle.
It is
therefore best to avoid rough tracks and un ­
even terrain as much as possible. Also refer to
c:> page207.
Int ellig ent technolog y 203
A WARNING
Always adjust your driv ing to road and traf­
fic conditions. Do not let the extra safety
afforded by All Wheel Dr ive tempt you into
taking extra risks .
- Although the All Wheel Drive is very ef­
fective, always remember that braking capacity is lim ited by tire t raction. You
should therefore not d rive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the fron t wheels
could begin to slide on top of the water (aquaplaning) . If this should occur, yo u
will have no warning from a s udden in­
crease in engine speed as w ith a front­
wheel drive veh icle. Always drive at
speeds which are su ited to the road con­
ditions - risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting
the engine .
If a vehicle with a conve ntiona l energy system
is not drive n for a long per iod of t ime, the bat­
tery is discharged by idling current consume rs
(e.g . immobilizer). In certain circumstances it
can resu lt in the re being insuff icient energy
available to start the engine.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle handles the distribution of e lectrica l ener­
gy. Starting ability is marked ly improved and
the life of the battery is extended.
Basica lly, energy management consists of
b atte ry diagno sis, i dling current man age­
ment
and d y namic ene rg y management .
Battery diagno sis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines
the sta te of the battery. Sensors determine
battery voltage, battery current and battery
Ii),,
•
•

252 Tires and wheels
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at wh ic h a tir e is des igned to
be d riven for extended per io d s of t ime. The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ page 262 . You may
not find this in format ion on all tires because
it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, w here a pplica­
b le, is molded on the tire s idewa ll and indi­
cates the maxim um permissible road speeds
¢ &. in Winter tires on page 265.
Tire pressure monitoring sy stem*
means a system tha t d etects when one or
mo re of a vehicle's t ires are under inflated and
i llum ina tes a low t ire p ress ure warn ing te ll­
tale.
Tread
means t hat port ion of a tire tha t comes into
con tact w it h t he road.
Tread separation
means pull ing away of the t read from the t ire
car cass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means t he projections withi n the pr inc ipal
g rooves designed to give a v isua l ind ication of
the deg rees of wea r of the tre ad . See
¢
pag e 259, Tread W ear Indicator (TWI) for
mo re inf ormat io n on measu ring tire we ar.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire i nfo rmation system developed by the
United States Nat io nal Highway Traffic Safety
Admin istration (N HTSA) that is designed to
h e lp buye rs make re lative compa risons among
tires. The UT QG i s no t a safety r ating and no t a
g uar antee that a t ire will las t fo r a presc ribed
n umber of m iles (kilome ters) or pe rform in a
certain way. It s imply gives ti re bu ye rs addi­
tional information to combine with other con -s
iderations, such as p rice , brand loya lty and
dealer recommendations. Un der UTQ G, tires
are grade d by the t ire manufacturers in three
areas : treadwea r, traction, and temperature
resistance. The UTQG informat ion on the tires,
molded into the sidewalls .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN )
This is the tire's "se ria l numbe r" It begins
with the letters "DOT" and ind icates that the
t ire meets all federa l standards . The next two
numbers or letters ind icate the plant where it
was ma nufactu red, and the last four numbe rs
r eprese nt the week and year of ma nufact ure.
Fo r exampl e,
DOT ... 2212 ...
means that the tire was produced in t he 22nd
wee k of 2012. The ot her numbers are market­
ing codes that may or may not be used by the
t ire manufacturer. This information is used to
contact consumers i f a tire defect requires a
r ecall .
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus
150 lbs. (68 k ilograms) times the vehicle's to­
ta l seating capacity as listed on the label lo­
cated on the driver's side B-pilla r.
Vehicle maximum lo ad on the tire
means that load on an individua l tire that is
determined by distributing to eac h axle its
share of the maxim um loaded vehicle weight
and divid ing by two .
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individua l t ir e that is
determined by distributing to eac h ax le its
share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occ upant weig ht (d istr ibuted in
accorda nce wit h tab le below ¢
page 253)
and divid ing by two .

-Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- All four wheels must be fitted with radial
tires of the same type, size (rolling cir­
cumference) and the same tread pattern.
Driving with different tires reduces vehi­
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
tires that are mounted on the vehicle -
for example with winter tires - only use
the spare tire for a short period of time and drive with extra care. Refit the nor­
mal road wheel as soon as safely possi­
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
suddenly.
- Overloading tires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- Temperature grades apply to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un­
derinflated .
- For technical reasons it is not always
possible to use wheels from other
vehicles - in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve­
hicle wheels, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced air­
flow to the brakes can them to overheat,
increasing stopping distances and caus­
ing a collision.
- Run flat tires may only be used on
vehicles that were equipped with them
at the factory. The vehicle must have a
chassis designed for run flat tires. Incor­
rect use of run flat tires can lead to vehi­
cle damage or accidents. Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or tire specialist
to see if your vehicle can be equipped
Tires and wheels 263
with run flat tires. If run flat tires are
used, they must be installed on all four
wheels. Mixing tire types is not permit­
ted.
@ Note
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth­
er vehicles. This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is different from the
tires that you have mounted on your ve­
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profile tires), then use the spare tire for a
short period of time only and drive with
extra care. Replace the flat tire with the
tire matching the others on your vehicle
as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap .
The valves could get damaged.
(® For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the
local requirements.
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
~ page 260,
fig. 208 .
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
unde r contro lled conditions on a specified
government test course. •
•

264 Tire s and wheel s
For example, a tire graded 150 wou ld wear
one and one half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded
100.
The relat ive perfo rmance of t ires depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how ­
ever, and may depart significantly from the norm due to var iat ions in dr iving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character­
istics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled cond it ions on
specif ied government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked
C may have poor
traction performance
q ,& .
Temp eratu re
The temperature grades are A (the h ighest),
B, and
C, representing the t ire 's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its ability to dissi­
pate heat when tested under controlled cond i­
tions on a specified i ndoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained hig h temperature can cause the
materia l of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive tempe rature can lead
to sudden ti re failu re
q ,& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which a ll passenger car tires must meet
u nder the Federa l Moto r Ve hicle Safety Stand­
a rd No.
1 09. G rades Band A represent higher
l eve ls of pe rformance on the labo ratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law.
A WARNING
T he traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on straight-ahead b raking traction
tests, and does not incl ude acceleration,
cornering, hydrop lan ing or peak traction
character istics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is es­
tablished for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excess ive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive load ing, either
separa tely or in comb inat ion, can ca u se
h eat bui ld up a nd possib le tire failure.
-
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice . At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas , local gove rnments
may requi re true w in te r or "snow" tires, those
wi th very deeply cut t read . T hese tires sho uld
o n ly be used in pairs and be installed on a ll
fo ur whee ls. Make sure you purchase snow
ti res that are the same size and construction
type as the other tires on your vehicle.
If your vehicle is e quipped w it h all-whee l
drive*, this wi ll improve traction during winter
driving, even with the standa rd tires . Howev ­
er, we strongly recommend that you always
equip all four wheels o n your veh icle w ith cor­
rect ly fitted winter tires or all-season t ires,
when winter road condit ions are expected .
Th is also improves the veh icle's brak ing per­
fo rmance and reduces stoppi ng d ista nces .
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow .
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all four wheels .
Ask your authorized A udi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
winter ti re size s. Use
on ly rad ial winter tires.
Win ter tires lose their effec tiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0. 157 inch
(4 mm) .
Only drive w ith w in te r tir es under w inte r con­
di tions. S umme r tires handle bette r when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45
°F (7 °() .