2014 AUDI A8 tow

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.

vehicle or on the parking space line ¢ & in
General information on page 127,
¢@ in
General information on page 127 .
The blue
area represents an extension of the vehicle's
outline by approx imately 16
ft (5 m) to the
rear . The long side of the blue area should
be o n the curb. The enti re blue area must fit
into the parking space.
~ Wi th the veh icle stopped, turn t he steer ing
whee l to the r ight as far as it w ill go.
~ Back into the park ing space until the b lue
curve¢
page 126, fig . 137 touches the curb
¢ & in General information on page 127,
¢ @ in General information on page 127.
Stop the vehicle.
~ With the vehicle stopped, turn the steering
whee l to the left as far as it will go .
~ Continue to back into the pa rk ing space un­
t il the vehicle is par ked pa ra ll el to th e curb
¢ & in General information on page 12 7,
¢(i) in General information on page 127.
@ marks the rear bumper. Stop the veh icle,
at the latest, when the red orientation line
@ borders an object. Keep an eye on the
front of your vehicle wh ile doing this.
Parking n ext to obstacles
When the re is an obs ta cl e (such as a wall)
nex t to the pa rk ing space, choose a space with
more space on the sides. Position the long
side of the b lue area so that there is sufficient
space from the curb. The area must not be on
the curb. You w ill also need to start turning
the steering wheel much earlier . There should
be a suffic ient amount of space between the
curb and the b lue c urve, and the blue curve
¢ page 126, fig. 137 must not touch the cu rb.
@ Tips
The left or right orientation li nes and sur­
faces w ill be displayed, depend ing o n the
turn signa l bei ng used.
P arking systems 131
Trailer view
App lies to vehicles: wit h top v iew camera system and
t railer hitch
This view assists you in positioning the vehicle
in front of a trailer.
Fi g. 150 Infotainment: rear mode
Requ irement: the trailer mode is selected
¢page 129.
~ Now yo u can position your veh icle in front of
the trailer ¢
& in General information on
page 127,
¢ (i) in General information on
page 127.
The orange colored orientation
line denotes the expected path towa rd the
trailer hitch . Use the blue lines to help you
es timate the distan ce to the trailer hitch.
Setting the mode
A pp lies to vehicles: wi th top v iew came ra sys te m
~ Select: !CAR ! func tion b utton> C ar system s
contro l butto n > Driver a ssis t > Parking aid
> Change to front /rear > Auto or Manual.
Auto -
This view beh ind the vehicle ( Rear
mode) is displayed au tomatica lly when you
shift into reverse. T his view in front of the ve ­
hicle
( Front mode) is displayed automatica lly
when you shift into the forward gears.
Manual -This view behind the vehicle (Rear
mode) is always displayed when you turn on
the system .

132 Parking systems
Adjusting the display and the warning tones
App lies to vehicles: with advanced park ing system wit h
rea r view camera/top v iew camera syste m
The display and warning tones can be adjust­
ed in the Infotainment.
.. Se lect : ICAR !function button> Car systems
control button > Driver assist> Parking aid.
Display
On* -
optical display is shown for the parking
system plus, rear view camera image is shown
for parking system plus with rear view cam ­
era*.
Off -when the park ing system is switched off,
on ly audible signa ls are given.
Warning tones
Front volume -
Volume for the fro nt area
Rear volume -Volume for the rear area
Front frequency -Frequency for the front area
Rear frequency -Frequency for the rear area
Music volume while parking -When the park­
ing system is turned on, the volume of the au­
d io/v ideo source is lowered .
The newly adjusted value is briefly heard from
the signal generator .
(D Tips
-The warning tones can a lso be adjusted
directly from the visual display or the
rear view camera* image . S imply press
the
Settings cont rol button .
- Changed settings are activated when the
parking system is switched on again.
- The settings are automatically stored
and ass igned to the remote control key
that is in use .
Error messages
App lies to vehicles: with advanced park ing system with
rea r view camera/top v iew camera syste m
There is an error in the system if the LED in
the
P •1A b utton is blinking and you hear a con- t
in uous alarm for a few seconds after switch ­
ing on the parking system or when the park­
ing system is already activated. If the error is
not corrected before you switch off the ign i­
t ion, the LED in the
P' "A button will blink the
next t ime you sw itch on the parking system by
shifting into reverse .
If a sensor is faulty, the!¾ symbol will appear
in front of/behind the vehicle in the Infota in­
ment display . If a rear sensor is faulty, only
obstacles that are in the front detection a rea
are shown . If a front sensor is fau lty, on ly ob­
stacles that are in the rear area are shown.
Peripheral cameras*
There is also a system error if:
- the
'(l.Q ,, symbol appears i n the display and
the corresponding display area is shown in
blue. The camera is not work ing in this area.
- all segments around the vehicles are red or
if no segments are displayed.
Drive to your authorized A udi dealer or au­
thorized repair facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected .
Trailer hitch
Applies to vehicles: with adva nced parking sys te m with
rear view camera/top view camera system
For vehicles us ing the trailer socket, the park­
ing system rear sensors do not turn on when
yo u shift into reverse gear or when you press
the
P 1JA button. This results in the following re­
strictions:
T he re is no distance warning for the rear. The
front sensors remain activated. The visua l dis­
play switches to the trailer towing mode . The
rear view camera image will not show the ori ­
entation lines and the blue surfaces.
(D Tips
Trailer hitches that are not installed at the
factory may ca use the parking system to
malfunction or they may restrict its func­
tion.

~ Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
c';> page 59.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breast­
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and
the lower part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per­
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold­
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag in­
flates.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple­
mental driver's airbag to protect you in a
collision .
- Always sit in an upright position and nev­
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air­
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats and head restraints properly and make sure that all passengers are prop­
erly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle
is moving. Your seat may move unexpect-
Driving Safely 137
ed ly and you could lose control of the ve­
hicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion .
- Children must always ride in child seats
c';> page 177. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front passenger seat¢
page 153.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position
is important for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
passenger to the following position :
~ Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position and your back comes
in full contact with it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
~ Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not possible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible¢
page 139.
~ Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat .
~ Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 148.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see ¢
page 58.
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or killed by the air­
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:
•
•

Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely attached to the floor mat fasteners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
.,. Make sure that the floor mats are properly
secured and cannot move and interfere with
the pedals
9 &. -
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area
unobstructed and that are firmly secured so
that they cannot s lip out of position . You can
obtain suitable floor mats from your author­
iz ed A udi Dealer .
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be at­
tached to these fasteners. Properly securing
the floor mats will prevent them from slid ing
i nto pos itions that could inte rfere with the
pedals or impair safe operation of your vehicle
in other ways .
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely ca n resu lt
in a loss of vehicle contro l and increase the
risk of serious personal injury.
- Always make sure that floor mats are
properly secured .
- Never place or insta ll floo r mats or other
floo r coverings in the vehicle that cannot
be properly secured in place to prevent
them from slipping and interfering with
the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle .
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already insta l­
led floor mats. Additional floor mats and
other coverings w ill reduce the size of
the pedal area and interfere with the
peda ls .
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor mats that have been taken out for clean­
ing .
- Always make sure that objects cannot
fall into the driver footwell wh ile the ve­
hicle is moving. Objects can become
Driving S afel y 141
trapped under the brake pedal and acce l­
erator pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop­ erly stowed and secured in the luggage
com­
partment.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing veh icle handling
c h aracteristics. Loose items can also increase
the risk of serious persona l injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuve r or i n a collision.
.,. Distribute the load evenly in the luggage
compartment.
.,. Always place and properly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as far
forward as possible .
... Secure luggage items using the tie-downs
provided
¢ page 70, Luggage compart­
ment.
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly through the veh icle causing ser ious
personal injury in the event of hard brak­
ing or an accident. To help reduce the risk
of serious personal inju ry:
- Always put objects, for example, luggage
or other heavy items in the luggage com­
partment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compartment using the tie-down hooks
and suitable straps.
A WARNING
Heavy loads w ill influence the way yo ur ve­
hicle handles. To help reduce the risk of a
loss of contro l leading to serious personal
injury :
-Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
veh icle handling: •
•

150 S afet y belt s
should a lways fit snugly ¢ fig. 162. Pull
on the belt to tighten if necessary.
- A loose-fitting safety be lt can cause seri ­
ous injuries by shifting its position on
your body from the strong bones to more
vulnerab le , soft tissue and cause serious
injury .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important informat ion
¢ page 148.
Pregnant women must also be correctly
restrained
The best way to protect the fetus is to make
sure that expectant mothers always wear
safety belts correctly -throughout the preg­
nancy.
Fig . 163 Safety belt posit ion duri ng pregnancy
To provide maximum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the
wearer's body¢
page 149.
• Adjust the front seat and head restra int cor­
rect ly ¢
page 58, General recommenda­
tions.
• Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it even­
ly across the chest and pelvis
¢ fig. 163,
¢Li). .
• Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hea r it latch securely
¢page 148, fig. 161.
•Pullon the be lt to make su re that it is se­
curely latched in the buckle .
A WARNING ,-
Improperly posit ioned safety be lts can
cause ser ious personal inju ry in an acc i­
dent.
- Expectant mothers must always wear the
lap portion of the safety belt as low as
possible across the pelvis and below the round ing of the abdomen.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information¢
& in Fas­
tening safety belts on page 149.
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release
button only after the vehicle has stopped.
Fig . 164 Releas ing the tongue from the buck le
• Push the red release b utton on the buckle
¢ fig . 164. The be lt tongue will spring out
of the buckle
¢ _& .
0
" N 0 ±
~
• Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you
guide the belt tongue to its stowed position.
A WARNING
Never unfasten safety belt whi le the vehi­
cle is mov ing . Do ing so will increase you r
risk of being inj ured or k illed .
Adjusting safety belt height
You can adjust the height of the driver's and
front passenger's safety belts.
The safety belt height adjusters for the front
seats can be used to adjust the height of the
shoulder portion of the safety belt so that it is
pos itioned correctly .
1J>-

& WARNING
Damage to the front passenger seat can
prevent the front airbag from working
properly.
- Improper repair or disassembly of the
front passenger and driver seat will pre­
vent the Advanced Airbag System from
functioning properly.
- Repairs to the front passenger seat must
be performed by qualified and properly
trained workshop personnel.
- Never remove the front passenger or
driver seat from the vehicle.
- Never remove the upholstery from the
front passenger seat.
- Never disassemble or remove parts from
the seat or disconnect wires from it.
- Never carry sharp objects in your pockets
or place them on the seat. If the weight­
sensing mat in the passenger seat is
punctured it cannot work properly.
- Never carry things on your lap or carry
objects on the passenger seat. Such
items can increase the weight registered
by the weight-sensing mat and send the
wrong information to the airbag control
unit.
- Never store items under the front pas­
senger seat. Parts of the Advanced Air­
bag System under the passenger seat
could be damaged, preventing them and
the airbag system from working proper­
ly.
- Never place seat covers or replacement
upholstery that have not been specifical­
ly approved by Audi on the front seats.
- Seat covers can prevent the Advanced
Airbag System from recognizing child re­
straints or occupants on the front pas­
senger seat and prevent the side airbag
in the seat backrest from deploying prop­
erly.
- Never use cushions, pillows, blankets or
similar items on the front passenger
seat. The additional padding will prevent
the weight-sensing mat in the seat from
accurately registering the child restraint
-
Airbag system 161
or person on the seat and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from function­
ing properly.
- If you must use a child restraint on the
front passenger seat and the child re­
straint manufacturer's instructions re­
quire the use of a towel, foam cushion or
something else to properly position the
child restraint, make certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes
on and stays on whenever the child re­
straint is installed on the front passen­
ger seat.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi­
ately install child restraint in a rear seat­
ing position and have the airbag system
inspected by your Audi dealer.
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the
side airbags supplement the protection of­
fered by the front three-point safety belts
with pretensioners and load limiters and the
adjustable head restraints to help reduce the
risk of injury in a wide range of accident and
crash situations. Be sure to read the impor­
tant information about safety and heed the
WARNINGS in this chapter.
Deployment of the Adv a need Airbag System
and the activation of the safety belt preten­
sioners depend on the deceleration measured by the crash sensors and registered by the
electronic control unit. The amount of infla­
tion of the front airbags can also be adapted
to the front seat position, depending on the
distance between the respective front seat
and the steering wheel or instrument panel as registered by sensors in the seats. Crash se­
verity depends on speed and deceleration as
well as the mass and stiffness of the vehicle
or object involved in the crash.
On the passenger side, regardless of safety
belt use, the airbag will be turned off if the
weight on the passenger seat is less than the
Iii>'
•
•

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 ..,.
•
•