2014 AUDI A8 steering

110 Audi drive select
Audi drive select
Driving settings
Introduction
Aud i d rive select mak es it possible to expe ri­
ence diffe ren t types of vehi cle se ttin gs i n o ne
ve hicl e. The dr ive r can se lect th ree
Comfort ,
Auto
and Dynamic modes in the M MI to
switch between a sporty and a comforta ble
driving mo de.
You c an a lso a djust the setti ng according to
your p re ferences in the
individual mo de. For
examp le, you ca n combine settings such as a
sporty en gine t uning with comfortab le steer­
ing.
A WARNING
Improper use of the A udi drive select can
cause collisions, ot her acc idents and se ri­
ous pe rsonal injury.
Description
The vehicle setup in each mode depends on
the veh icl e's featu res. The engine, t ransm is­
sion, stee ring, reve rsible sa fe ty belt tension­
e rs a nd adap tive air su spension are alw ays in­
volved.
Engine and transmission
Depending on the mode, the e ng ine and the
tra nsmission respond quic ker or i n a more bal­
an ced manne r to acce le rator pedal move­
men ts. In the sporty dyn ami c mode, the
tra nsmission sh ifts at highe r RP Ms.
Air suspension
The adaptive air suspens ion/adaptive air sus­
pe nsion spor t*
(Air suspension in the MM I) is
an elec tronic ally con trolled air suspensio n and
da mpi ng sys tem. They are adjus ted depend­
ing on the se lected driving mode, the drive r's
steering, braking and acceleration input and
the road s urface, ve hicle speed and load. A
sporty setting is generally used i n ve hicles
with adaptive air suspension sport*. T
he vehicle clea rance varies depending on the
se lected mo de an d the speed .
T he highw ay setting is activate d automatically
whe n you dr ive above 7 5 mph (120 km/ h) for
more than
3 0 seconds in the auto or dynamic
mode. The gro und clea rance is increased a uto ­
matically if the speed drops below
44 mph
(70 km/h) for more than 120 seconds.
Steering
T he s teering adap ts i n t erms of s teer ing effor t
and stee ring ratios . Indirect stee ring that
moves easily, like the steer ing in comfo rt
mode, is best suited to long drives on a high­
way. In contrast, dynamic mode provides
sporty, direct steer ing .
The following app lies to vehi cles with dynamic
stee ring* : the steer ing rat io changes based on
vehicle speed in order to ma inta in optimum
steering effort for the drive r at all times. This
sets the stee ring to be less sens itive at h igher
s p eeds in order to provide improved vehicl e
control. At r educed speeds, howeve r, steer ing
is mo re dir ect i n order to keep the stee ring ef­
f o rt as minima l as po ssible when the drive r is
mane uveri ng the veh icle. At low and average
speeds, dynamic steering ad dit iona lly pro ­
vides more responsive steering pe rformance .
Sport differential*
As a compone nt o f the all whee l dr ive system
(quat tro)
r:!> page 204, the Spor t differen tia l*
dis tributes t he d riving power to the rear ax le
depen ding on the sit uat io n. The distrib ution
of power var ies depending on the se lected
mode, from ba lanced (comfort) to agile (dy­
nam ic). The goal is a high level of agility and
ability to accelerate on curves . The vehicle is
very res pons ive to stee ring .
Curve light*
The curve light adapts to driving on curves.
The pivoting act ion and the lighting are also
adapted to the mode.
Adaptive cruise control*
T he be hav ior when ac celera ting can be adjust­
ed from comforta ble to sporty, de pending on ..,.

the drive select mode. Adaptive cruise control
also responds to the driving behavior of the
veh icle ahead in a more conservative or sporty
manner.
Engine sound*
The sound of the engine is adapted to the se­
l ected mode and ranges from subtle to sporty.
(D Note
- Make sure there is enough clearance
above and below the vehicle when park­
i ng. The height of the vehicle can change
once it is parked due to temperature
fluctuations, changes to the load cond i­
tions and changes to the dr iv ing modes,
which can affect clearance.
- When transporting the veh icle on a car
carrier, tra in, ship or by other means, on­
ly tie the veh icle down at the running
surface of the tires, which is the outer
circumference. Secur ing the vehicle at
the axle components, s uspension struts
or towing eyes is not permitted because
the pressure in the air suspension struts
can change during transport . The vehicle
may not be sec ured s ufficient ly if this
happens.
- If you are going to tow a trailer, you
must activate the trailer operation mode
C? poge 212.
@ Tips
- In some models, the maximum vehicle
speed can only be reached in the
auto
and dynamic modes.
- Selecting the
dynamic mode results in
sporty shifting characteristics . The S
gear position engages automatically.
- In vehicles that have dynamic steering*,
operating noise is heard when starting or
stopping the engine. Th is does not indi­
cate a problem.
Audi drive select 111
-In vehicles w ith sport differential*, the
dynamic mode is deactivated when tow­
ing a trailer.
Selecting the driving mode
You con choose between Comfort, Auto, Dy­
namic and Individual.
Fig . 1 13 MMI: Drive select
.,. To select the mode, se lect the following in
the MMI:
I CARI f unction button > Comfort,
Auto , Dynamic
or Individual.
You can change the driving mode when the ve­
hicle is stationary or wh ile driving. If traffic
permits, after changing modes, briefly take
your foot off the accelerator pedal so that the
recently selected mode is also activated for
the engine.
comfort -provides a comfort-oriented ve hicle
setup and is suited for long drives on h igh­
ways .
auto -provides an overall comfortable yet dy­
namic dr iving feel and is suited for every day
use.
dynamic -gives the driver a sporty driving fee l
and is suited to a sporty driv ing style.
individual-¢page 112.
A WARNING
Pay attention to traffic when operating
Audi drive select to prevent potential risk
of an accident.

112 Audi drive select
Adjusting the Individual mode
You can adjust the vehicle settings to your personal preferences .
• Se lect : I CAR ! function button > Set individu­
al
control button. You can now adjust the in­
dividual systems.
The
individual driving mode will automatical­
ly be activated when you have finished config­
uring the settings .
Systems Comfort
Engine
and Transmission balanced
Air suspension comfortable
Steering comfortable The equipment
in your vehicle will determine
which settings you can adjust. The following
table provides an overview of the characteris­
tics of each driving mode.
Auto Dynamic
balanced sporty
balanced sporty
balanced sporty
Dynamic steering* comfortable/indirect balanced/direct sporty/direct
Sport differential * balanced agile sporty
Curve light* comfortable balanced sporty
Belt
tensioner Standard Standard Deployment time
adapted
Adaptive cruise control* comfortable
balanced sporty
Engine
sound* subtle subtle/sportya> sporty
a) Subt le in th e d riv ing posi tion D an d sp or ty in the driving pos itio n S
(D Tips
Your individual mode settings are auto­
matically stored and assigned to the re­
mote control key being used.
Raising/lowering the
vehicle
Raising the vehicle
You can raise your vehicle temporarily, for ex­
ample to drive over a tall curb .
• Se lect the following in the MMI:
I CAR I func­
tion button
> Raise control button.
• Wait for the arrows in the display to stop
blinking and the vehicle to reach its final po­
sition .
Lowering the vehicle
• To lower the veh icle, select the following in
the MMI:
ICARI function button > Lower con­
tro l button. •
Wait for the arrows in the display to stop
blinking and the vehicle to lower comp lete­
ly.
0 Note
- Remember that your vehicle is not suita­
ble for driv in g offroad even when it is
raised. There is not enough ground clear­
ance.
- If the vehicle is raised, it will lower auto­
matically when driving 62 mph (100 km/
h) or faster .
Driver messages
Air suspension: vehicle currently too low.
Level control running
Air suspension: vehicle currently too high.
Level control running
The driver message switches off when the lev­
el control process is complete .

Night vision assistant
Description
Appl ies to vehicles: with night v isio n ass istant
Fig. 114 Display: night v ision assistan t
"Night vis ion assistant with pedestrian detec­
tion" uses an infrared camera to mon itor the
area in front of your vehicle at night . Within
the limits of the system, it can display objects
up to about 1000 feet (300 mete rs) away. The
h eat image of a pedestrian detected by the
camera is shown in the instrument cluster dis­
p lay
¢ fig. 114. Warm areas appear lighter
and cold areas appear darker.
Pedestrian detection
Applies to vehicles: with night v isio n ass istant
Fig. 115 D isplay: yellow pedestrian marking
Fig. 116 Display: symbol when in frared image is not
v is ibl e
Night vision assistant 113
Night vision assistant can detect pedestrians
that are between about 50 and 300 feet (15
and 90 meters) in front of the vehicle, under
ideal conditions . If a pedestrian is detected
when it is dark outside and the vehicle head­
light s are switched on, the pedestrian is high ­
lighted in yellow
~ fig. 115, ¢page 114,
General information .
If another display such
as navigat ion replaces the image from the
night vis ion assistant , the symbo l~,, appears
in a tab
¢fig. 116.
(D Tips
If the night v is ion assistant image does
not appear when the system is switched
on, you can access it with the buttons on
the mu ltifunction steering wheel
¢ page 25.
Pedestrian warning
Applies to vehicles: wit h night vision assistan t
Fig.117 D isp lay: pedestr ian wa rning
Fig. 118 Disp lay : pedestrian warnin g wit h anot her dis ­
play
If a pedestr ian is detected in an area in front
of the vehicle that the system considers criti­
cal, the pedestrian is highlighted in red
¢fig . 117 and a warning tone sounds. This
area is based on the vehicle speed and

114 Night visi on assis tant
steering angle. The pedestrian warning
prompts you to pay even closer attention to
the area in front of the vehicle and to watch
out for pedestrians.
I f another display such as the tr ip computer
replaces the image from the night vision as­
sistant , the ind icator light turns red when
there is a pedestrian warning .
¢fig. 118 .
@ Tips
The pedestrian marking and warning tone
can be adjusted in the MMI r::!)poge
115.
General information
Applies to vehicles: with night vision assistant
Fig. 119 Front of the vehi cle: n ig ht v ision ass istant
camera
The following s ituations may affect the func­
tion of the night vision assistant system:
- poor vis ibility such as snow, ra in , fog or
heavy road sp ray
- dirty lens on the night vision ass istant cam -
era
M ake sure the night v ision assistant camera
¢ fig. 119 is not cove red by stickers, deposits
or any other obstruc tions because that can
p revent the camera from working p roperly.
F or information on cleaning the lens, refer to
r::!) page
216.
Pedestrian de tect ion depends on the differ­
ence in temperat ure between the person and
the background. Pedestrians may not be de­
tected if the temperature difference is too
smal l. The pedestrian highlighting feature is
deactivated at temperatures above 77 °F (25
0 () and when it is light outside.
A WARNING
--
Night vision ass istant has l imits and can­
not always detect pedestrians . Always pay
close attention to traffic and the area
a round your vehicle even when night vision
assis tant is sw itched on.
- Night vision assistant can only warn
about people located within the v isual
range of the infrared camera. The vis ual
ra nge corresponds to the image in the in­
strument cluster display.
- Night vision assistant may not detec t
peop le and highlight them if
- they are not in an upright posit ion, for
example if they are sitt ing, crouching
o r lying down and/or
- if the outline in the disp lay is incom­
plete or interrupted, for example be­
cause the perso n is part ial ly hidden by
a parked vehicle.
@ Tips
- Pedestrian detection and the pedestrian
warm ing are limited to objects that are
detected as pedest rians. The system
does not detect an imals. Even though
the shape and warmth radiated by each objec t detected is eval uated, the system
does have limitat io ns and it can g ive in­
correct warnings .
- For technical reasons, the image pauses
in split second in tervals.
Switching on and off
Applies to vehicles: with night vision assistant
Fig. 120 Area aro und the light switc h: ni ght v is ion as -
s ista nt button
Ill>

124 Parking systems
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 located above the rear
license plate bracket. Make sure that the lens
for the parking system¢
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 cleaning, refer
to
¢ page 216.
The rear view camera coverage area includes
(D ¢ 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
suspension" is faulty, if the vehicle is lifted or
if the
dynamic mode is activated¢ page 110.
A WARNING
-Always read and follow the applicable
warnings¢ .&.
in General information on
page 122.
- 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 completely
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. -
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
incline, or a downward slope.
- If driven toward protruding objects.
-If the vehicle is carrying too much load
in the rear.
{[) Note
-Always read and follow the applicable
warnings
c::> (D in General information on
page 122.
- 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.

Switching on/off
Applies to vehicles: with advanced park ing system wit h
rear view camera
Fig. 132 Center console: Park ing system switc h
Fig. 133 Infotainment: visual distance display
Switching on
.,. Sh ift into reverse or
.,. press the
P,#! button in the center console
Q fig. 132. A short confirmat io n tone
sounds and the L ED in the b utton tu rns on.
Switching betwe en the rear view camera
and opt ical displ ay
.,. Press the Gr aph ic control button ®
¢page 125, fig . 134 to see the opt ica l dis­
play .
.,. Press the
Rear view control button to see the
rear view camera image.
Switching off
.,. Drive forward faster than 6 mph (10 km/h),
or
.,. Press the
P,#! button, o r
.,. Switch the ignition
off.
Visual display
Using the segme nts, you can estimate the d is­
tance to an object in front of or beh ind the ve ­
hi cle
Q fig . 133. T he red lines mark the ex -
Parking sys tems 125
pected direction of travel according to the
steering angle . A white segment indicates an
identified obstacle that is outside of the vehi ­
cle's path. Red segments show identif ied ob­
stacles that are in your vehicle's path. As your
vehicle comes closer to the obstacle, the seg ­
ments move closer to the veh icle . At the lat­
est th e collision area has been reached when
the next to last segme nt is displayed . Obs ta­
cl es in the collision a rea, includ ing those o ut­
s ide of the vehicle's path, are shown in red. Do
not continue driving farthe r forward or in re­
verse
¢ .&. in General information on
page 122,
¢ 0 in General information on
page 122.
{!) Tips
The visual display in the left part of the
display should help you detect the critical
vehicle areas.
Cross parking
App lies to vehicles: wit h advanced parking system w ith
rear view ca mera
This view may be used when parking in a ga­
rage or in a parking space .
Fi g. 13 4 Infota inment: aiming at a parking space
Fig. 135 In fotainment: a lig nin g the ve hicle

126 Parking systems
• Turn the Infotainment on and shift into re­
verse gear.
• The orange colored orientation lines @
show the direction of travel of the vehicle.
Turn the steering wheel until the orange ori­
entat io n lines appear in the parking space
Q fig . 134. Use t he markings @to help you
est ima te the d istance from an obstacle .
E ac h marking represents about 3 ft ( 1 m).
T he blue area rep resents an extension of the
vehicle 's outline by ap proximately 16 ft
(S m) to the rear.
• While driving in reverse gear, adj ust the
steering wheel angle to fit the park ing space
with the a id of the orange orientation lines
Q .&, in General information on page 124,
Q Q) in General information on page 124 .
@ marks the rear bumper. Stop the ve hicle
when the red orientation line@ borders an
obje ct.
Parallel parking
Applies to vehicles: with advanced park ing system with
rear view camera
This view may be used when parallel parking
along the side of a stree t.
Fig. 136 Infota inment: bl ue s urface aligne d in the
park ing sp ac e
Fig . 137 In fota inm ent: c on ta ct of t he blue curved line
wit h the c urb
Parking on the right is described here. It is
identical when parking on the left.
If there is an obstacle next to the parking
space (such as a wall), refer to i nformat ion for
" P ark ing next to obstacles"
Q page 126.
• Activa te the turn signa l.
• Posi tion your veh icle next to a parked veh i­
cle in front of the des ired parki ng space. The
distance to this vehicle should be approxi­
mate ly 3 ft (1 m) .
• Turn the Infotainment on and shift into re ­
verse gear . The parking system is tu rned on
and the
cross parking indicator is displayed .
• Press the control button o n the Infota in ­
ment unit @ c::,
fig. 136. The parallel park­
ing
indicator is displayed .
• Ba ck up and align your veh icle so the blue
area @borders on the rear end o f th e veh i­
cle behind you or on the parki ng space line
Q .&, in General information on page 124,
c::, Q) in General information on page 124 .
The blue area represents an extension of the
veh icle 's outline by approximate ly 16 ft
(S m) to the rear. The long side of the blue
area should be o n the curb . The entire blue
area m ust fit into the parking space .
• With the vehicle stopped, t urn the stee ring
wheel to t he right as fa r as it will go.
• Back i nto the p arking space unt il t he blue
curve
c::, fig. 137 touches the c urb c::, _&, in
General information on page 124,
c::, Q) in
General information on page 124.
Stop the
veh icle.
• With the vehicle stopped, turn the steering
wheel to the left as far as it w ill go.
• Cont inue to back into the parking space un ­
til the veh icle is parked parallel to the curb
i:::> .&, in G en eral information on pag e 124,
c::, Q) in General information on page 124.
@ marks the rear bumper. S top the vehicle,
at the latest, when the red orien tati on line
@ borders an object . Keep an eye on the
front of your vehicle while doing this.
Parking next to obstacles
If there is an obstacle (such as a w all) next to
the parking space, pos ition the vehicle so
there is mo re space on that side. Position the .,..