2014 AUDI A8 light

-Never let a child ride in the cargo area of
your vehicle.
- Always remember that a chi ld leaning
forward, sitting sideways or out of posi­
t ion in any way during an acc ident can be
struck by a deploying airbag. This will re­
sult in serious personal injury or death.
- If you must install a booster seat on the
front passenger seat because of excep­
t ional circumstances the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light must come on and
stay on, whenever the ignition is switch­
ed on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, perform
the che cks described
¢ page 164, Moni­
toring the Advanced Airbag System.
- Ta ke the child rest rain t off the fron t pas­
senger seat and ins tall it proper ly a t one
of the rear seat posi tions if the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
¢page 145, Safety
belts,¢ page 153, Airbag system
and
¢ page 177, Important things to know.
Installing a child safety
seat
Securing a child safety seat using a
safety belt
Safety belts for the rear seats and the front
passenger can be locked with the convertible
locking retractor to properly secure child
safety seats.
The safety belts emergency lock ing retractors
for the rear seats safety belts and for the
fro nt passenger's seat safety belt have a con­
vertible locking retracto r fo r child restra ints .
The safety belt must be locked so that belt
webbi ng cannot unreel. The retracto r can be
activ ated to lock t he safety be lt and p revent
t he safe ty belt webbing from loosening up
d uring normal driving . A child sa fety seat can
only be properly installed when the safety belt
Child Sa fet y 187
is loc ked so that the chi ld and child sa fety
seat wi ll stay in place.
A lw ays remember: Even tho ugh yo ur vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, all
c hi ldren, especially those 12 years and young ­
er, sho uld always ride in the back seat prope r­
l y restrained for the ir age and size.
A WARNING
Imp roperly installed chi ld safety seats in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death in a co llision.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re­
tracto r is locked when insta lling a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt re­
trac to r cannot hold the child safety seat
in place dur ing norma l dr iving o r in a
crash.
- Always buckle the child saf ety seat firmly
in place even if a ch ild i s not si tt ing in it.
A lo ose child safe ty seat can fly aroun d
du ring a sudden stop or in a collision .
- Always ma ke sure tha t the rear seat
backrest to which the center rear safety
belt is attached is securely latched when ­
eve r the rear center safety belt is being
used to secure a ch ild restra int .
- I f the backrest is not securely la tched,
the child and the child restraint will be
thrown forward togethe r with the bac k­
rest and will strike parts of the vehicle
interior. The child can be seriously in­
jured or killed .
- Never install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant ca rrie rs on the front pas­
senger seat. A child will be serious ly in­
jured and can be killed when the passen­
ge r airbag inflates.
- The infla ting airbag will h it the ch ild
safety seat or infant carrie r with gr eat
for ce an d
will smas h the child safety se a t
a nd child ag ainst the ba ckr est, cen ter
armrest, doo r or roof.
- Always install rear-fac ing ch ild safety
se ats or in fa nt c arrie rs on the rear se at. •
•

188 Child Safety
-Forward-facing child safety seats or in­
fant carriers installed on the front pas­
senger's seat may interfere with the de­ ployment of the airbag and cause serious
injury to the child.
- It is safer to install a forward-facing
child safety seat on the rear seat .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
c::;, page 177 . Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
c::;, page 155, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
.&_ WARNING
-
Always take special precautions if you
must install a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's
seat in exceptional situations:
- Whenever a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint is installed on the front
passenger seat, the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light must come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, perform
the checks described
c:.> page 164, Moni ­
toring the Advanced Airbag System .
-Take the child restraint off the front pas­
senger seat and install it properly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- Improper installation of child restraints
can reduce their effectiveness or even
prevent them from providing any protec­
tion.
- An improperly installed child restraint
can interfere with the airbag as it de­
ploys and seriously injure or even kill the
child.
- Always carefully follow the manufactur­
er's instructions provided with the child
safety seat or carrier.
- Never place additional items on the seat
that can increase the total weight reg is- tered by the weight-sensing mat and can
cause injury in a crash.
.&_ WARNING ,-
Forward-facing child restraints:
- Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
- Never put the forward-facing child re­
straint up, against or very near the in­
strument panel.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible before installing
the forward-facing child restraint. The
backrest must be adjusted to an upright
position.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched
on.
A WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
-A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenger
seat will be seriously injured and can be
killed if the front airbag inflates -even
with an Advanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, door or roof.
- Always be especially careful if you must
install a rearward facing child safety seat
on the front passenger seat in exception ­
al circumstances .
- A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing
child restraint attached to the front pas­
senger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and regis­
ter a heavier weight in the Advanced Air­ bag System. The heavier weight regis­
tered can make the system work as

though an adult were on the seat and de­ploy the Advanced Airbag when it must
be suppressed causing serious or even
fatal injury to the child .
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched
on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi­
ately install the rear-facing child safety
seat in a rear seating position and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer.
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to se­
cure a child restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufactur­
er's instructions when installing a child re­
straint in your vehicle. To activate the conver­
tible locking retractor:
.,. Place the child restraint on a seat, prefera­
bly on the rear seat.
.,. Slowly pull the belt all the way out.
.,. Route it around or through the child re­
straint belt path¢&_ .
.,. Push the child safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt really tight.
.,. Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for
that seating position.
.,. Guide the safety belt back into the retractor
until the belt lies flat and snug on the child
safety seat.
.,. You should hear a "clicking" noise as the
belt winds back into the inertia reel. Test the
convertible locking retractor by pulling on
the belt. You should no longer be able to
pull the belt out of the retractor. The con­
vertible locking retractor is now activated.
.,. Make sure that the red release button is fac ­
ing away from the child restraint so that it
can be unbuckled quickly .
.,. Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt
is properly tight and fastened so that the
Child Safety 189
seat cannot move forward or sideways more
than one inch (2.5 cm).
A WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an im­
properly installed child restraint can cause
serious personal injury or death in a crash.
-Always make sure that the safety belt re- tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt re­
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat in place during normal driving or in a
crash.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not sitting in it.
A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a crash.
- Always make sure the seat backrest to
which the child restraint is installed is in
an upright position and securely latched
into place and cannot fold forward. Oth­
erwise, the seatback with the child safety
seat attached to it could fly forward in
the event of an accident or other emer­
gency situation .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
q page 177. Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
q page 155, Child restraints on the front
seat- some important things to know .
Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
-
The convertible locking retractor for child re­
straints will be deactivated automatically when the belt is wound all the way back into
the retractor.
.,. Press the red button on the safety belt buck­
le. The belt tongue will pop out of the buck­
le .
.,. Guide the safety belt all the way back into
its stowed position.
Always let the safety belt retract completely
into its stowed position. The safety belt can ..,.
•
•

be su ppressed causing serious o r even
fatal injury to the child.
- If you must i nstall a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PASS ENGER AIR BA G OFF
light does not come on an d 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 you r
Audi dealer.
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
Fig. 187 Tether strap: prope r rout ing and mounting
Installing th e tether strap
• Release or dep loy the tether strap on the
child restra int according to the child re­
stra int manufacturer's inst ruct ions .
• Gui de the upper tether strap
under the rear
head restraint
r=> fig. 187 (raise the head re­
straint if necessary) .
• Center seating position* : Guide the upper
tether strap over the rear head restraint.
• Tilt the recess flap up to expose the anchor
bracket.
• Attach the tether strap anchorage hook into
the open ing of the tether anchorage .
• Pull on the tether strap hook so that the
spri ng catch of the hoo k engages.
• Tighte n the tet her st rap firmly following the
child restraint manufacturer's inst ruct ions .
Releasing the tether strap
• Loosen the tension following the ch ild re­
stra int manufacturer's instructions.
• Depress the sp ring catch on the hook and re­
l ease it from the anchorage.
Child S afety 195
(D Note
If you leave the c hild restraint with the
tether strap firmly installed for several
days, th is could leave a mark on the up­
holstery 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 app lies especia lly to leather
seats.
Using tether straps on rearward-facing
child restraints
Currently, few rear-facing child restraint sys­
tems come with a tether. Please read and
heed the child restraint system manufactur­
er's instructions carefully to determine how to
properly install the tether .
A WARNING ,.;; -
A child in a rearward-facing ch ild safety
seat installed on the fron t passenger seat
will be ser io usly injured and ca n be killed if
the front airbag inflates -even with an Ad ­
vanced Airbag System.
- The infla ting air bag will h it the ch ild
safety seat or i nfant carrier with great
force a nd will smas h the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, or door.
- A tight tether or other strap on a rear­
ward-facing child restraint attached to
the front passenger seat can put too
muc h pressure on the weight-mat in the
seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced A irbag System. The heavier
weight regis tered can make the system
wo rk as tho ugh an adult we re on the seat
an d deploy the Advanced Airbag when it
m ust be s uppressed causing ser ious or
eve n fata l injury to the chi ld .
- If you must insta ll a rearward fac ing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptiona l circumstan ­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF

196 Child Safety
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.
Additional Information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
There are a number of sources of additional
information about child restraint selection, in­
stallat ion and use:
NH TSA advises that the best child safety seat
is the one that fits your child and fits in your
vehicle, and that you w ill use correctly and
consistently.
Try before you buy!
U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Admin­
istration
Tel.: 1-888 -327-4236 ( TTY: 1-800-424-9153)
www.nhtsa.gov
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
Tel.: (202) 662-0600
www.safekids.org
Safety BeltSafe U.S.A
Tel.: (800) 745-SAFE (English)
Tel.: (800) 747-SANO (Spanish)
www.carseat .org
Transport Canada Information Centre
Tel.: 1-800-333-0371 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
Tel.: (800) 822-2834

Audi pre sense Preventative passenger
protection
App lies to veh icles: with Audi p re se nse
Audi pre sen se can ini tiate steps to help pro­
t ect vehicle occupants in certain situations.
The funct ions descr ibed depend on equipment
installed in your vehicle:
Audi pre sense basic
The following functions can be triggered in
cert ain driving situations :
- Tightening of the safety belts (for example,
during heavy braking) : the front safety belts
have reversible belt pretensioners. If a colli ­
sion does not occur, the safety belts loosen
slightly and are ready to be tightened again .
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* : the
windows and the sunroof" close leaving a
small open gap .
Audi pre sense basic functions can be trig­
gered at speeds above 20 mph (30 km/h) .
Vehicles with Audi drive select*: the deploy­
ment time is adapted in dynamic mode.
Audi pre sense front (vehicles with
adaptive cruise control*)
Audi pre sense front includes the functions in
Audi pre sense basic. In addition, within the
limits of the system, the likelihood of a colli­
sion with the vehicle immediately ahead is al­
so calculated . If the system senses an immi­
nent collision the following functions can be
tr iggered:
- Braking guard
¢ page 100
-Tightening the safety belts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* ( leav-
ing a small open gap)
Audi pre sense rear (vehicles with Audi
side assist*)
Audi pre sense rear includes the functions in
Audi pre sense basic. In addition, the likeli­
hood of a rear-end col lision with the vehicle
coming from behind is also calculated. If the
Audi pre sense 197
risk of a collision is detected, the following
functions can be triggered :
- Tightening the safety belts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* (leav-
ing a small open gap)
- Adjusting the seats: the settings for the
power head restrains, the upper sections of
the backrests and the pneumatic side bol­
sters* are optim ized for the front seats and
the outboard rear seats*. If a collision does
not occur, the previous seat settings are re­
stored.
Audi pre sense plus
Audi pre sense plus includes the funct ions in
Audi pre sense front and Audi pre sense rear.
Error message
Audi pre sense: not available
Preventative passenger protection is not avail­
able. See your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
Audi pre sense cannot overcome the laws
of physics.
It cannot prevent a collision. Do
not let the increased safety provided
tempt you to take risks. This will increase
the risk of a collision and serious personal
injuries.
- The sensors cannot always detect all ob­
jects . This increases the risk of a colli­
sion.
-Audi pre sense does not detect people or
animals or objects that are crossing the
veh icle's path ¢
page 94.
- The radar sensor's vision can be reduced
by heavy rain, ice, snow, heavy road spray
and reflections from guard rails, tunnel
entrances, etc. These and similar condi­
tions can prevent vehicles from be ing ac­
curately detected and in some cases they
may not be detected at all.
Ill-
•
•

Intelligent technology Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facturers for 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 retr ieval 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.
Although 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 examp le, engine function, emis­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during norma l 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 we ll 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 Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidding and loss of veh icle control. It works
only when the engine is running. ESC detects
Intelligent technology 199
certain difficult driving situations, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw)
out of control and helps you to get the veh icle
back under control by se lectively braking the
wheels, and/or reducing engine power and
providing steering ass istance to help hold the
vehicle on the driver's intended course. The in­
dicator light
JjJ 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 all conditions 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 tow ing a trailer.
A lways 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 inattention. Instead, ESC improves the
poss ibility of keeping the vehicle under con­
trol and on the road dur ing 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.
•
•

@ Tips
-ABS and AS R on ly wor k co rrectly when
a ll fo ur wheels are eq uipped w ith identi­
ca l tires . Different tire s izes can lead to a
r educt io n in eng ine power.
- You may hear noises when the sys tems
desc ribed are working.
Switching on and off
Intelligent technology 201
- If the ind ica tor li ght DJ o r til1 (U SA
mo dels)/ [!] (Canada models) appea rs,
there may be a malfunc tion
r:::> page 19,
¢page 18.
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine.
Fig . 188 Center co nsole with ESC O FF bu tton
ESC levels
Sport mode on
The following si tua tions are exceptions whe re
it may be usefu l to switch o n sport mo de to
allow the w heels to spi n:
- Rockin g the vehicle to free it when i t is st uck
- Dr iv ing in deep s now o r on loose g ro un d
- Dr iving with snow chains
Sport mode off
Behavior
T he E SC and AS R sta bilization f unct io ns The fu ll sta biliz ati on f uncti on o f the ES C
are limited¢ ,&.
Operation Press the [ru button .
Indicator II turns on .
lights
Driver mes· Stabilization control (ESC): Sport
sages Warning! Reduced stability
A WARNING
Yo u should o nly sw itch sport mo de on i f
your dr iv ing abili ties and road cond itions
permit.
- The stabilization function is limited
when sport mode is sw itched on. The
dr iv ing whee ls co uld spin and the vehicle
cou ld swe rve , especially on slick or slip ­
pery road surfaces.
(D Tips
Sport mode cannot be switched o n when
adapt ive cr uise c ontrol* is sw itched on.
-
and AS R is availab le again .
Press the
[ru button again .
II tur ns off.
Stabilization control (ESC): On
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating conditions and driving habits
The bra ke s on today's au to m obiles a re s till
sub ject t o wear, depe nding la rgely o n ope rat ­
i ng con dit ions and d riving habits¢
A . On
vehicles that are either driven most ly in stop­
and-go city traff ic or are driven hard , the
brake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dealer more often than specif ied in
t h e
Warranty & Maintenance booklet . Failure .,..