2014 AUDI A8 ECU

212 Trailertowing
Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trai ler, please remember
that the additional load will affect durability,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not only places more stress on the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must
activate the trailer operation mode
i::> page 212, Operating instructions .
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suita­ ble for your vehicle and trailer and must be
mounted securely on the veh icle 's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a trailer
hitch with a removable ball mount. A lways
check with the trai le r hitch manufacturer to
make sure that you are using the cor rect
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that
it does not interfere with the impact-absorb­
ing bumper system. No modifications should
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake sys­
tems. From time to time, check that all hitch
mounting bo lts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the
trailer hitch ball mount. This prevents the
h itch from causing damage should your veh i­
cle be struck from behind~ &.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brak ing sys­
tem, check to be sure that it conforms to all
regulations.
T he trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
direc tly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the tra iler.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be
sure to check with your Audi dealer for correct
wiring, switches and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
using the regular outside mirrors, then you
must install extended mirrors. It is important
that you
always have clear v is ion to the rear .
A WARNING ,~ -
After removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in your vehicl e. In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and in­
jure you or your passengers.
Operating instructions
Fig. 189 MMI display : tow ing mode on
Maximum traile r weight
A trai ler for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer. .,.

Trailer load distribution Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ .&. in Driving instructions on page 214.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard ­
er . It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load .
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer
lights are working properly.
Safety chains Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle . Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners . When you install safety
chains, make sure they will not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch .
Adjusting the Audi drive select Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface
be­
fore
hitching up the trailer and before adjust ­
ing the tongue weight. The vehicle must be in
auto or comfort driving mode and not raised
¢page 110, ~CD .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info ­
tainment, select:
ICARI function button> low­
er control button .
Trailer towing 213
If you must drive under poor road conditions,
you can raise the vehicle
after coupling the
trailer or
after adjusting the tongue weight
¢ page 112.
@ Note
- Changes in temperature or load can af­
fect the height of the vehicle.
- Always select auto or comfort mode.
Otherwise, the tongue load specified for
your vehicle will no longer be applicable.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
core and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car it­
self is not loaded .
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles.
.,. Observe speed limits.
.,. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.,. Always apply brakes early .
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car re­
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble, while keeping the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the circumstances . Whenever possi­
ble , transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not .,.
•
•

232 Check ing and filling
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames . Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and persona l in ­
jury while the engine is running or being started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repa ir
with the engine running:
- Fi rst, fully apply the parking bra ke,
move se lec to r lever to "P" (Park) .
- Always use extreme caution to preven t
clot hing, jewe lry, or long h air from ge t­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V -belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing hot parts . Tie back hair before
start ing, and do not wear cloth ing that
will hang or droop into the eng ine .
- Min imize exposure to emission and
chemica l hazards¢ ,&..
A WARNING
California Propos ition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certa in veh icle components conta in
or emit chemicals known to the State of
Califor nia to cause cancer and b irth de­
fec ts a nd reproduct ive ha rm. In addition ,
certain fluids conta ined in vehicles and
certa in prod ucts of co mponent wear co n­
ta in o r emi t chemicals known to the
State o f Ca lifornia to cause can cer and
birth defects or ot her reproductive harm . -
Battery posts, terminals and re lated ac­
cessories conta in lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cance r and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling .
(D Note
When adding flu ids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper conta iner
or f iller opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems w ill occur.
® For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other ve hicle flu­
i ds, have yo ur vehicle inspected by a n au­
thori zed Audi dea le r.
Closing the engine hood
.,. Pull the hood down un til the pressure from
t he struts is reduced.
.,. Let the hood
drop down and latch in p lace .
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage ¢&_ .
A WARNING
-
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and b lock your view while dr iv ­
ing .
-When you close the engine hood, check it
to make sure the safety catch has p roper ­
ly engaged. The hood sho uld be flush
with the surrou nding vehicle body pa rts.
- If you notice while driv ing t hat the hood
is not s ecured prope rly, stop at onc e and
close it.

246 Checking and filling
-Never charge a frozen battery. It may ex­
plode because of gas trapped in the ice.
Allow a frozen battery to thaw out first.
- Do not reuse batteries which were fro­
zen. The battery housing may have
cracked and weakened when the battery
froze .
- Charge the battery in a well ventilated
area . Keep away from open flame or elec­
trical spark. Do not smoke. Hydrogen gas
generated by the battery is explosive .
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never connect or disconnect charger cables
while the charger is operating.
- Fast charging a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a compe­
tent technician with the proper equip­ ment.
- Battery acid that may spill during charg­
ing should be washed
off with a solution
of warm water and baking soda to neu­
tralize the acid.
(D Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to
start the engine. This will seriously dam­
age sensitive electronic components, such
as control units, relays, radio, etc., as well
as the battery charger.
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifi­
cations and dimensions as the original equip­
ment battery.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle is responsible for distributing the electri­
cal energy throughout your vehicle
¢ page 204. The intelligent energy manage­
ment system will keep the engine battery
charged better than vehicles without this sys­
tem. To make sure the additional elec trical en­
ergy is available once again after you have
changed the battery, we recommend that you install batteries of the same type and manu­
facture only (the same as those installed at
the time your vehicle was delivered). Specifi- cations are listed on the battery housing. Your
authorized dealer must code the battery in
the energy management system to enable you
to use the energy management functions cor­
rectly after replacing the battery.
The new battery must have the same capacity,
voltage (12 volts), amperage, construction and plug sealing .
When installing the battery, make sure the ig­ nition and all electrical consumers are switch­
ed
off.
(D Note
- Make sure the ventilation hose on the
side of the battery is connected, other­
wise fumes or battery acid can leak out.
- Vehicles with the Start-Stop-System* are
equipped with a special cycle-proof AGM
battery. Installing a different type of
battery can cause problems in the vehi­
cle electrical system . When replacing the
vehicle battery, always install one with the same specifications as the original
battery.
- Battery mounts and clamps must always
be secured correctly.
- Read and follow the warnings under
¢ page 243, Working on the battery be­
fore performing any work on the battery .
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recommend your author­
ized Audi dealer change the battery for
you. Batteries contain sulfuric acid and lead and must always be disposed of prop­
erly in compliance with all environmental
regulations. Disposing of vehicle batteries
improperly is very dangerous to the envi­
ronment .

256 Tire s and wheel s
the function of the tire pressure monitor­
ing system*.
- Always inflate tires to the recommended
and correct tire pressure before driving
off.
- Driv ing with under inflated tires bend
more, letting them get too hot resu lting
in tread separation, sudden t ire fail ure
and loss of control.
- Excess ive speed and/overloading can
cause heat bui ld-up, sudden t ire failure
and loss of control.
- If the t ire pressure is too low or too high,
the tires w ill wear prematurely and the
vehicle will not hand le we ll.
- If the t i re is not flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immed iate ly, dr ive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
t ion to check the tire pressure a nd add
air as required.
0 Note
Dr iving without va lve stem caps can cause
damage to the t ire va lves . To prevent this,
always ma ke sure that facto ry installed
valve stem caps on all wheels a re secu re ly
mou nte d on the valve.
@) For the sake of the environment
Unde rinflated tires will a lso inc reas e the
fue l cons umption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amo unt of load or
weight that any vehicle and any t ire can carry .
A vehicle that is overloaded w ill not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overloading
can not only lead to loss of vehicle contro l,
but can also damage import ant parts of the
ve hicle and can lead to sudde n tire failure, in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause t he veh icle to crash .
Your safety and that of your passengers a lso
depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded . Vehicle load includes everybody
and everyth ing in and on the vehicle. These load lim
its are technically referred to as the
vehicle's
Gro ss Vehicle Weight R ating
("GVWR").
T he "GVWR" includes t he weight of the basic
vehicle , a ll f actory installed accessories, a f ull
tank of fuel, oi l, coo lant and other f luids plus
maximum load. The max imum load incl udes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is
intended to carry ("seat ing capac ity ") with an
assumed we ight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each
passenger at a designated seating posit ion
and the total weight of a ny luggage in the ve­
hicle. If you tow a trai le r, the we ight of the
t ra ile r hi tc h and the tongue we ight of the
l oaded tra iler mus t be include d as part of the
vehicle load .
T he
Gro ss Ax le Weight Rating ("GAWR ") is
the max imum load that can be applied a t each
of the veh icle's two axles .
T he Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing and the
G ross Ax le Weig ht Ra ting are listed on the
sa fety comp lian ce s ticke r label located on the
driver's side B-pillar. Yo ur Audi has 5 seat ing
pos itions , 2 in the front and 3 in the rea r fo r
total seati ng capacity of 5. Vehicles with pow ­
er indiv idual rear seats * have 4 seating posi­
tions, 2 in the front and 2 in the rear for total
seat ing capac ity of 4. Each seating position
has a safety belt¢
page 145, Safety belts.
The fact that there is an upper limit to yo ur
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the to tal weight of wha tever is being car­
ried in the vehicle ( includ ing t he weight of a
t ra ile r hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra ile r) is lim ited. The more passe n­
gers in the vehicle or passengers w ho are
he avier th an t he st andard we igh ts assumed
mean that less we igh t can be carried as lug ­
gage.
T he tire pre ssure label o n your Audi also lis ts
t h e max imum combine d weig ht of all of the
occupants and luggage or o ther cargo that
the vehi cle can carry . For the location of the
l abel ¢
page 252, fig . 208. liJJ>

chains because the vehicle will be ex­
tremely low. If you do drive with snow
chains on while the vehicle is at this lev­
el, the snow chains might severe ly dam­
age the wheelhouse and other parts of
the veh icle .
@ Tips
Where snow cha ins are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to
veh icles with All Wheel Drive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts mu st always be tigh tened to the
correc t torque .
The design of whee l bolts is matched to the
factory in sta lled r ims. If different rims are fit ­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right
length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used . This ensures that wheels are f itted
secure ly and that the brake system f unctions
correctly .
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a d iffe rent vehicle -even if it
i s the same mode l
¢page 294.
A WARNING
Imprope rly tig hte ned or maintained whee l
bolts can be come loose causin g loss of
contro l, a co llision and serious persona l in­
jury .
- Alw ays keep the w heel bolts and the
th reads in the wheel hubs clea n so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop­
er ly tightened .
- Never grease or oil the wheel bo lts and
the threads in the w heel h ubs. They can
become loose while driving if greased or
o iled, even if tightened to the specif ied
torque.
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed.
- Never use different whee ls bolts on your
vehicle .
- Always maintain the co rrect tightening
torq ue for the wheel bo lts to reduce the
Tire s an d wheel s 265
risk of a wheel loss. If the tighte ning tor­
que of t he wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi­
cle is mov ing . If the tighte ning torque is
too h igh, the wheel bol ts and threads
can be damaged and the whee l can be­
come loose.
(I) Note
The specified torque for the whee l bolts is
90 ft lb ( 120 Nm) with a tole ranc e of± 7,4
ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torq ue whee l bolts diago­
nally. Afte r cha nging a whee l, the torq ue
must be checked as soon as possible wi th a
torque w rench -prefe rably by an au thor­
i z ed Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is facto ry-eq uipped with low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoro ughly
tested and been se lected specifically for your
model for their superb performance , road fee l
and handling under a variety of driving cond i­
tions . Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
more details.
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is ind icated
by a numeral of
55 or less in the tire's size
designation . The numera l rep resents the ratio
of the t ire's sidewall height in relation to its
t read width ex pressed in perce ntage. Conven ­
tion al tires have a he igh t/w idth ratio of 60 or
more.
The performance of low-aspe ct-ratio tire s is
particularly sensitiv e to improper infla tion
pres sure. It is therefore important that l ow
a spect ratio tires are inflated to the specified
pre ssure and that the inflation pressure is
regularly checked and maintained. Tire pres·
sures should be checked at least once a
month and always before a long trip
¢ page 254 , Checking tire pressure .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more
easily by impact w it h potholes , curbs, gul lies ..,.
•
•

2 70 What do I do now ?
Vehicle tool kit
Vehicle tool kit and jack
The vehicle tool kit is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover .
Fig. 217 Luggage compartment: cargo floor cove r
folded upward
Fig . 218 Trunk lid: Vehicle tool k it
... Lift the cargo floor by the plastic handle.
... Hook the handle into the luggage compart­
ment weather strip
c> fig. 217.
... Remove the spare wheel to reach the vehicle
tool kit .
.,. Remove the foam p iece.
The onboard tool kit includes:
- Hooks to
remove the wheel covers* or wheel
hub covers
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Wheel bolt wrench
- Alignment p in for changing wheels
- Screwdriver with reversible blade
- Towing loop
- Jack
Before storing the jack, make sure it is wound
back down as far as it will go.
A WARNING
-Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause
serious personal injuries.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bolts can­
not attain the necessary tighten ing tor­
que if you use the hex head, potentially
causing an accident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on­
ly for your vehicle model. Under no cir­
cumstances should it be used to lift
heavy vehicles or other loads; you risk in­
juring yo urself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised, wh ich could cause an acc ident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appro­
priate stands if work is to be performed
underneath the vehicle; otherwise, there
is a potential risk for injury.
- Never use the jack supplied with your
Audi on another vehicle, particularly on a
heavier one. The jack is only suitable for
use on the vehicle it came with.
(D Tips
- Some of the onboard items listed above
are provided on certain models only or
are optional extras .
- Before you can raise your vehicle using
the jack, you must activate the jacking
mode
c> page 275 .

hold on to the car to keep your ba lance
and take care not to slip.
Raising the vehicle
Th e ve hicl e must be li~ed with the jack first
before the wheel can be removed.
F ig. 224 Sill p anels : m arkin gs
Fig. 225 Sill: posi tioning th e vehicle jack
.. Activate the vehicle jack mode in the MMI:
I CAR I function button > Car sy stem s control
button
> Se rvicing & ch ecks > Air susp .:
jack mod e
> On.
.. Engage the par kin g brake to prevent your
vehicle from roll ing un intentionally.
.,. Move the
se lector lev er to p osition P .
.. Find the marking (imprin t) on the sill that is
nearest the wheel that w ill be changed
c::> fig. 224 . Behind the marking, there is a
lifting point on the si ll for the vehicle jack.
.. Turn the
veh icle jack located under the lift­
ing point on the sill to raise the jack until its
arm @i:>
fig. 225 is located under the des ­
ignated plast ic mount
c::> _&.. c::>(D .
.. Align the jack so that its arm @ c::> fig. 225
engages in the designated lifting point in
the door sill and the movable base @ lies
flat on the ground. The base @ must be
ver­
tical
under the lifting point @.
What do I d o now ? 275
.. Wind the jack up fu rther unti l the flat tire
comes off the ground
c::> _A .
Position the veh icle jack o nly under the desig­
nated lifting points on the si ll
¢fig. 224.
There is exactly one locat ion for eac h wheel.
The jack must not be positioned at any other location
c::, .&, i:>0 .
An un stable surface under the jack can cause
the ve hicle to slip off the jack . Always provide
a firm base for the jack on the ground . If nec­
essary place a sturdy board or simi lar s upport
under the jack. On
hard , sl ipper y su rf a ces
(such as tiles) use a rubber mat or similar to
prevent the jack from slipping
c::> .&, .
A WARNING
-You or your passengers co uld be in jured
while changing a wheel if you do not fo l­
low these safety pre cautions:
- Position the vehicle jack on ly at the
designated lifting points and align the
jack. Otherwise, the vehicle jack could s lip a nd cause an injury if it does not
have sufficient hold o n the vehicle.
- A soft or unstable surface under the
jack may cause the ve hicle to slip off
the jack . Always provide a firm base for
the jack on the ground. If necessa ry,
use a stu rdy board under the jack.
- On hard, slippery su rface (such as t iles)
use a rubber mat or simi la r to prevent
the jack from slipping.
- To help prevent injury to yo urself and
your passengers:
- Do not raise the vehicle until you are
sure the jack is securely engaged.
- Passengers must not remain in the ve­
hicle when it is jacked up.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a
safe place away from the veh icle and
well away from the road and traffic .
- Make sure jack position is correct, ad­
j ust as necessary and then cont inue to
raise the jack .
- Changes in temperature or load can af­
fect the height of the vehicle.