2014 AUDI A8 Owners Manual

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 15
1111 (U SA m odels )/ . (Canada m odel s)
Pa rking br ake: syste m fault! Ple ase c ont act
deale r
-If the indicator ligh t and the message ap­
pear
w hen stationar y or aft er sw itchin g the
ign it io n on ,
check if you can release the
park ing brake . After re leas ing the parking
brake, carefu lly drive to your authori zed
Audi dealer immed iately to have the mal­
function corrected. If you cannot re lease the
parking brake, seek professional assistance .
- If the indicator light and the message ap­
pear
w hile dr ivin g, the emergency braking
function may not be ava ilable . It may not be
poss ible to set the parking brake o r release
it once it has b een set. Seek professional as­
s istance.
(USA models): If the warning light
1111 and
the warning light
EiJ appear together, imme­
d iate ly contact your authorized Aud i dealer or
qua lified workshop to have all b rake pads in­
spected
Q page 20 .
When the light comes on, an audible warning
signal is also give n.
A WARNING
- Always observe the wa rnings in
Q page 231, before opening the hood
and checking the brake fluid .
- Driv ing with low b rake fluid is a safety
haza rd. S top the car and get professional
assista nee .
- If the
1111 (USA models)/ . (Canada
mode ls) b rake system indicator light
turns on together with the ABS and ESC indicator lights, the ABS/ESC regu lating
function may have failed. F unctions that
stabilize the vehicle are no longer availa­
ble. Th is could cause the vehicle to
swerve and increase the risk of sliding .
Drive carefully to the nearest authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified workshop
and have the malfunction cor rected.
- If the brake warning/indicator light does
not go out afte r a few seconds and the
par king brake is released, or ligh ts up while you are driving, the fluid leve
l in
the brake fl uid reservo ir is too low. If you
believe that it is safe to do so, proceed
immed iate ly at low speed to the nearest
author ized Audi dealer or qualified repair
facility and have the brake system in­ spected.
- Always keep in mind that after severa l
brake applications, you will need greater
pressu re on the brake pedal to stop you r
veh icle. Do not rely on st rained bra kes to
respond with maximum stopping powe r
in critical situations . You must allow for
increased braking distances . The extra
distance used up by fading brakes could
lead to an accident.
PARK/( ®) Electromechanical parking
brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electromechanical parking brake .
If the indicator light - (USA models) /.
(Canada models) turns on, th@ parking brake
was set. If the parking brake is set when the
ignition is off, the indicator light turns off af­
ter about 20 seconds.
The warning/indicator light will go out when
the parking brake is re leased.
- (USA model s) ,. (Canada model s)
Caut io n: Vehicle parked too steep
If the indicator light blinks and the message
appears, there is not enough braking power to
keep the vehicle from rolling. The brakes have
overheated. The vehicle could roll away even
on a small incl ine .
Pre ss brak e ped al t o relea se p arking b rake
To re lease the park ing brake, press the brake
peda l and press the button~ or sta rt driv ing
with sta rting assist at the same time
Q page 87.
Plea se r ele as e parking brak e
To release the park ing brake manually, press
the brake pedal and press the button~ at the
same t ime . The parking b rake only releases ..,.

16 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
automatically if the driver's safety be lt is fas­
tened .
Ill Parking brake!
If the II indicator light turns on and this
message appears, there is a parking brake
malfunction. Drive to your authorized Aud i
dealer or qualified wo rkshop immediately to
have the ma lf u nction corrected .
-l Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible.
• Switch off engine and check coolant level
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the coolant temperature is too
high or the coolant level is too low.
• Pull off the road.
• Stop the vehicle.
•Turnoff the engine.
• Check coolant level ¢
page 240.
• Add coolant if necessary ¢ page 240.
• Continue driving only after the eng ine cool­
ant warning/ indicator light goes o ut.
• Contact your authorized Audi deale r for as-
sistance if necessary .
If the engine coolant level is correct, then the
radiator fan may be the cause of the malfunc­
tion.
• Coolant temperature too high! Please let
engine run with vehicle stationary
If the indicator light turns on and the mes ­
sage appears in trailer mode*, let the engine
run at id le for a few m inutes to cool down.
A WARNING
-If your vehicle should break down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
safe distance from moving traffic, turn
off the engine and turn on the hazard
wa rning lights ¢
page 47, Emergency
flasher.
- Never open the hood if you see or hear
steam or coolant escap ing from the en- gine
compartment -you risk being scald­
ed. Wait until you can no longer see or
hear steam or coolant escaping.
- The engine compartment of any vehicle
is a dangerous area. Before you perform
any work in the engine compartment,
turn of the engine and allow it to cool.
Follow the warn ing stickers ¢
page 231.
([) Note
Do not continue dr iv ing if the . symbol
ill uminates. There is a malfunction in the
engine cooling system -you could damage
your engine .
~ Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to
put on your safety belt.
The . warning/ indicator light illum inates
when the ignition is switched on to remind
the driver and any front passenger to put on
the safety belt. Add itionally, an acoustic warn­
ing (gong) w ill also sound .
For more Informat ion
¢ page 145, 4'-Safety
belt warning light .
· u Battery
This warning/indicator light detects a mal­
function in the generator or in the vehicle's
electrical system .
The. warn ing/ indicator light illuminates
when you switch on the ignition and must go
out after the eng ine has started.
• Alternator fault: Battery is not being
charged
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunct ion in the
generator or veh icle electrical system.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop immediate ly. Because the vehi­
cle battery is discharging, turn off all unnec ­
essary electrical equipment such as the radio . .,.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 17
Seek professional assistance if the battery
charge leve l is too low.
(•) Low battery charge: battery will be
c harged while driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there may be limited start ing
ability.
If th is message turns off after a little wh ile,
the battery charged enough wh ile driving .
If the message does not turn off, have your
author ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop
correct the malfunction.
~ Engine oil pressure malfunction
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol
requires immediate service or repair . Driving
with a low-oil-pressure indication is likely to
inflict severe damage to the engine.
• Switch off engine and check oil level
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the oil pressure is too low.
.. Pull off the road.
.. Stop the vehicle .
.. Turn off the engine.
.,. Check the engine oil level¢ page 236 .
.. If the engine oil level is too low, add engine
o il ¢
page 237 . Make sure that the oil pres­
sure warning symbol. appears no longer
in the d isplay before you start driving again.
.,. If the engine oil level is correct and the indi­
cator light st ill turns on, turn the engine off
and do not continue driving. Seek professio­
nal assistance.
(D Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is
not an indicator for a low engine oil lev­
el. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the
oil level in your engine at regular inter·
vals, preferably each time you refuel,
and always before going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
Ill requires oil refill or workshop serv­
ice without delay. Do not wait until the red oil pressure
warning. starts to
flash before you respond to the low oil
level warning
II. By then, your engine
may already have suffered serious dam­
age.
~"' Engine oil level
• WARNING : Please add oil immediately
If the indicator light and the driver message
appear, add engine o il immed iately
¢ page 234.
II Add oil, max . x qt (l). You may continue
driving
When the symbol and the driver message ap ­
pear, add the amount of oil appearing in the
display at the next opportunity ¢
page 234.
@-Steering column lock
• Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is an e lectronic steering
column lock malfunction. You cannot switch
the ignit ion on .
Do
not tow your vehicle because it cannot be
steered. Seek professiona l assistance .
!'II Steering lock: system fault. Please con­
tact deale r
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is an e lectronic stee ring
column lock malfunction.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ate ly to have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
Your vehicle must not be towed in the
event of a malfunction in the elec tron ic
steering column lock because it cannot be
steered due to the locked steering . If it is
towed with the steering locked, there is
the r isk of an accident.

18 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
©-Engine start system
• Engine start sy stem fault. Please con­
tact dealer
If t h e in dicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, do
not sw itch the ignition off
be cause you may not be able to switch it on
aga in .
D rive to you r autho rized Aud i deale r immedi­
ate ly to hav e th e malfunction corrected.
11111 Engine start system fault. Please con­
tact dealer
If the indicator light t urns on and the mes ­
sage appears, there is a ma lfunction in the en­
g ine start system.
D rive to yo ur autho rize d Au di dea le r immedi­
ate ly to have t he mal function cor rected .
0 Air suspension
• Air suspension: system fault. Can cont in­
ue slowly with max. 35 mph .
There is a malfunctio n that can res ult in re­
stricted dr iving stability.
Ca re fully d rive a t a maxim um s peed o f 35
mph ( 60 km/h) to your author ized A udi dealer
or qua lified wor kshop to have the malfunction
corrected.
• Air suspension: service mode. Vehicle
can only be moved with restrictions
Ca re fully drive to your au thori zed A udi d ealer
or quali fied wor kshop immedi ate ly to have
the servi ce mode deac tiva ted.
l!IJ Air suspension fault
There is a system ma lfunction that can result
in restr icted dr iving stability or red uced
g ro und cleara nce.
Drive to yo ur authorized Aud i dealer immedi­
ately to have t he malfunction corrected .
l!IJ Air suspension: vehicle too low. Ground
clearance reduced
T he groun d clearance is very low due to a sys ­
tem malfunction. Wa it until the air suspen­
s io n system has resto red no rma l ground clear­
ance. Ot herwise, cond it ions such as an uneven
road surface can lead to vehicle damage.
tli1!.t Safety systems
T he fl (U SA models)/ El(Canada models) indi­
cator lig ht monitors the safety sys tems e .g.
airbags , p retens ione rs and illuminates fo r a
f ew seco nds ea ch time y ou swit ch t he ign ition
o n .
If th e
I (USA mod els)/ EI (Can ada models)
i ndica to r li ght does no t go o ut, or if it illum i­
n at es while yo u are d riving, o r if it start s to
blink, the n t here is a m alf u nctio n somewhe re
in the sys tem . If the ligh t does no t illumina te
whe n you switch the ig nitio n on, t his also
means there is a mal funct ion .
A WARNING ....._
If yo u have a ma lf u nction in t he safety sys­
tems, contact you r auth orized Audi dea le r
immedia tely. Othe rwise t he safety sys­
t ems may not work properly i n an acc i­
d en t.
~ Central indicator light
If th e indicato r light . or D tur ns o n, check
th e m essage in th e i nstru men t cluster.
F!,J [}; Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC)
If the bl indicator light b links w hile d riving,
the ESC or AS R (Anti-Slip Re gulation) is active­
ly reg ulating.
If the
bl indicator light turns on , th e system
has switc hed the ESC off . In t his case, yo u can
switch the ign ition off and then on to switch
the ESC o n aga in. The ind icator lig ht tu rns off
whe n the system is functioni ng fu lly.
If the
fl indicato r light turns on, ESC was re-
stricted using the
[!I button ¢ page 199. ..,.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 19
Stabilization control (ESC/ABS): Fault! See
owner 's manual
If the hJ indic ator lig ht and the ABS indicator
l ight ~ (USA models)
ttl] (Canada models)
turn on and the message appears, the ABS or
e lectronic differential lock is ma lfunctioning.
This a lso ca uses the ESC to malfunct ion . The
brakes st ill function with the ir normal power,
but ABS is not act ive.
Drive to your authorized Audi dea ler or quali­
f ied workshop immediately to have the mal ­
function corrected.
_& WARNING
If the 1111 (USA models)/ . (Canada
models) brake system indicator light turns
on together with the ABS and ESC indica­
tor lights, the ABS/ESC regulating function
may have failed. Functions that stabilize
th e vehicle are no longer available. This
could cause the vehicle to swerve and in­
crease the risk of sliding . Drive carefully to
the nearest a uthorized Audi dea ler or oth­
er qua lified workshop and have the mal­
function corrected.
@ Tips
For additional information on ESC and
ABS, refer to
c::> page 199 .
ABS/(8) Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS
and the electronic differential lock (EDL).
The warning/indicator light rJ}Il (USA mod­
e ls)
t[I] (Canada mode ls) will come on for a
few seconds when the ignition is switched on.
The light will go out after an automatic check
sequence is completed .
There is a malfunction in the ABS when :
- The warn ing/indi cator light does not illumi ­
nate when you switch the ignition on.
- T he warning/indi cator light does not go out
after a few seconds .
- T he warning/ indic ator lig ht illuminates
wh ile driving. T
he ESC indicator light also illuminates if
there is a ma lfunction in the ABS . The mes­
sage
Stabilization control (ESC/ABS) Fault!
See owner's manual
also appears in the in­
strument cluster display and a warning tone
sounds .
The brake system will still respond even
without the assistance of the ABS system.
See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible to restore full braking performance.
For more information regarding the ABS
c::>page 199.
Malfunction in the brake system
If the brake warning light c::> page 14 and the
ABS warning illum inate
together there may be
a malfunction in the ABS, and there may also
be a malfunction in the brake system itself
c::> ,&.. The ABS will not work and you will no­
tice a change in braking response and per­
formance.
In the event of a malfunction in the brake
system
the warning/indicator light 1111
(USA mode ls)/ . (Canada models) in the in­
strument cluster flashes
c::> page 14.
Malfunction in the electronic differential
lock (EDL)
The EDL works together with the ABS. The
ABS wa rning light will come on if there is a
malfunction in the EDL system
c::> page 199.
See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possib le .
_& WARNING
- If the~ (USA mode ls)l [i] (Canada
models) warning light does not go out,
or if it comes on while dr iving, the ABS
system is not working properly. The vehi­
cle can then be stopped only w ith the
standard brakes (without ABS). You w ill
not have the protection ABS provides.
Con tact your Audi dealer as soon as pos­
sib le.
- USA models: If the 1111 warning light,
the
hJ wa rning light and the rJ}Il wa rn­
ing light come on together, the rear

20 Instrum ent s a nd w arn in g/i ndic ato r light s
wheels co uld lock up first under hard
braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause
loss of vehicle control and an accident.
Have your vehicle repaired immediately
by your authorized Aud i dealer or a quali­
fied workshop. Drive slowly and avoid
sudden, hard brake applications.
- Canada models: If the brake warn ing
light ., the
DJ warning light and the
ABS warning light
[iJ come on togethe r,
the rear wheels could lock up fi rst under
hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci­
dent. Have your vehicle repaired immedi­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop. Dr ive slowly and
avo id sudden, hard brake applicat ions.
(0) Worn brake pads
EtJ Bra ke pads!
If the warn ing light illuminates, immediately
contact your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
f ied workshop to have all brake pads inspect·
ed. On USA models the warning light EtJ
comes on together with the warn ing light
1111 -Both sets of brake pads on an axle
must always be replaced at the same time.
_& WARNING
Dr iv ing with bad brakes can cause a colli­
sion and serious personal injury.
- If the wa rning light
EtJ and the wa rning
light
11111> with the message B ra ke
p ads!
comes on in the instr ument cluster
display, immediately contact your au­
thorized Aud i dealer or qualified work­
shop to have a ll brake pads checked or
replaced if necessary.
l ) - : USA models only
-
EPC Electronic power control
Applies to veh icles: w ith gasoline engine
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control .
The~ warning/indicator light (Electronic
Power Control) illuminates when you switch
the ignition on as a function check.
(D Tips
If this warning/indicator light illuminates
while you are driving, then there is a mal­
funct ion in the engine electronics. Have
the malfunct ion corrected as soon as pos­
s ible by your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop.
W Glow plug system
Applies to veh icles: w ith diesel engine
The control light illuminates when the glow
plug system is active.
If the Im i ndicator light illuminates, the glow
plug system is act ive. You should start the en­
gine immediately after the ind icator light
switches off. The ind icator light only i llum i­
na tes for approximate ly 1 second if the en­
gine is warm or if the outside temperature is
above 46 QF (8 QC).
(D Tips
-If the glow plug indicator light i llum i­
nates while driving, there is an engine
contro l ma lfunction. The engine should
be checked immed iate ly .
- If the indicator light does not illuminate at a ll when switch ing the ignition on,
there may be a malfunction in the glow
plug system. The engine should be
checked.
' o Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is part
of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
T he symbo l
¢1111ij lights up when the ignition is .,.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 21
switched on and will turn off after the engine
has started and has sett led at a constant idle
speed . This ind icates that the MIL is working
properly .
The warning light illuminates when there is a
malfunction in the engine e lectronic system .
Contact your author ized Audi dealer and have
the malfunction corrected .
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also
cause the MIL light to illuminate
¢page 225.
For mo re in format ion ¢ page 29.
~. Diesel particulate filter clogged
Appl ies to vehicles: with d iesel e ngine and diese l pa rticu ­
late fi lte r
II Particulate filter : System fault See own­
er's manual
When the Ill symbol illuminates, you can al­
ter your driving style to assist the filter self­
cleaning process. Drive for approximately 15
minutes with the selector lever in the 5 posi­
tion at a minimum speed of 37 mph (60 km/
h) and an engine speed of approximately
2,000 RPM. The temperature increase that
will resu lt from this can burn off the soot in
the filter . The symbol will switch off when the
cleaning is successful. After a successful
cleaning , there is no need to bring the car to
an author ized dealer or qualified workshop
because this is part of normal vehicle ope ra­
tion .
If the symbol
&I does not switch off, see
your author ized dealer or other qualified
workshop to have the prob lem corrected.
For more informat ion on the d iesel particu­
late filter , refer to¢
page 208.
A WARNING
Always adapt your speed to the current
weather, road and traffic conditions. You
should never disobey traffic laws in order
to follow driving recommendations.
-
!'1 Engine speed limitation
App lies to veh icles: w it h e ngine speed lim itat io n
(II Engine speed maximum XXXX RPM
The engine speed is automatically limited to
the speed d isplayed in the driver information
system. This protects the engine from over·
heating.
The engine speed limitation deactivates once
the engine is no longer in the critical tempera­
ture range and you have re leased the accelera­
tor pedal once.
If the engine speed limitation was activated
by an engine control malfunction, the indica­
tor light
lli also turns on. Make sure that the
speed does not go above the speed disp layed.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ate ly to have the malfunction corrected.
~v, Engine oil sensor
Ill Oil level! Sensor defective
If the symbol illum inates, contact your au­
thorized Audi dea le r and have the oil sensor
inspected. Until you have this done, check the
oi l level each time you refue l just to be on the
safe side¢
page 236.
Bu Fuel level indicator
Ii') Please refuel
If the indicator light turns on for the first
time and the message appears, there are
about 4 gallons (15 liters) of fuel left in the
tank. Time to refuel
q page 224.
Ii] Tank system malfunction! Contact dealer
If th e indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the
tank system.
D rive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ate ly to have the malfunction corrected.
II Please refill washer fluid

22 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
If the symbol illuminates, add windshield
washer fluid to the washer system/headlight
washer system* ¢
page 247.
~ Windshield wipers
g,.5 Windshield wiper defective
There is a malfunction with the windshield
wipers.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
i§i l}D 10 $ Defective light bulb warning
I-If the indicator light turns on, a bulb has
failed. The message indicates the location of
the bulb.
II-if a fog lamp* has failed, the indicator
light turns on to indicate the location on the
vehicle.
a-if a rear fog lamp has failed, the indicator
light turns on to indicate the location on the
vehicle.
Vehicle lights: malfunction
If the message appears, there is a malfunc­
tion in the headlights or light switch .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
, -
- Light bulbs are pressurized and could ex-
plode while they are being changed caus­
ing serious personal injury.
- Work with due care when handling the
high-voltage section of gas discharge
(xenon) lights. Failure to do so could re­
sult in death or serious injury.
Have the bulb replaced or the connection
repaired by your authorized Audi Service
department.
~(D Headlight range control
II Headlight range control: defective!
If the symbol illuminates, the headlight range
control is no longer working properly. Have
the system checked and repaired at your Audi
dealer.
§0 Adaptive Light
Applies to veh icles: w ith Adapt ive light
m;J Audi adaptive light: system fault
If the indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the
adaptive light system. The headlights still
function.
Go to an authorized dealership to have the
headlights or the control unit for the Adaptive
Light repaired.
@.D Light /rain sen sor
l;I Automatic headlights/automatic wipers:
system fault
If the indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears, the light/rain sensor is not
functioning correctly.
For safety reasons the low beams are turned
on permanently with the switch in
AUTO.
However, you can continue to turn the lights
on and off using the light switch. You can still
control all functions that are independent of
the rain sensor through the windshield wiper
lever .
Contact your authorized Audi dealer as soon
as possible to have the problem corrected.
@! Dynamic steering
l:rj Steering: system fault. you can continue
driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the steering may be more diffi­
cult to move or more sensitive than usual. The
steering wheel may also be at an angle when driving straight. .,..