2014 AUDI A8 emergency towing

4 Table of contents
Do-it-yourself ser vice . . . . . . . . .
269
What do I do now? . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Trunk escape hand le . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Emergency warning triangle . . . . . . . . 269
Vehicle too l kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Bulbs .. .. .. ... .... .... .. .. .. .. .. 282
Emergency situations . . . . . . . . . 283
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Start ing by push ing or tow ing . . . . . . . 283
Starting with jumpe r cables . . . . . . . . 283
Use of jumper cab les . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
E mergency towing with comme rcial
tow truck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Lifting vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Vehicle identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
D imensions. ............. .. .. .. .. 290
Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Gasoline engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Di esel eng ine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 1
Consumer Information . . . . . . . 292
Warranty coverages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Operating your vehicle outside the U.S.A . o r Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 2
Audi Service Repair M anuals and
Li terature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
M aintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Additional accessories, modifications
and parts replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Declaration of Compliance,
Telecommunication or Electronic
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Inde x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297

Highway light function* (vehicles with LED
headlights) - this function adapts the lighting
for highway driving based on vehicle speed.
.&_ WARNING
-Automatic headlights are only intended
to assist the driver. They do not relieve
the driver of his responsibility to check
the headlights and to turn them on man­ ually according to the current light and
visibility conditions. For example, fog
cannot be detected by the light sensors.
So always switch on the headlights
~D
under these weather conditions and
when driving in the dark.
- Crashes can happen when you cannot see the road ahead and when you cannot be
seen by other motorists. Always turn on
the headlights so that you can see ahead and so that others can see your car from
the back.
- Please observe legal regulations when
using the lighting systems described.
(D Note
The rear fog lights should only be turned
on in accordance with traffic regulation, as
the lights are bright for following traffic.
(D Tips
- The light sensor* for automatic dynamic
headlight range control* is located in the
rear view mirror mount. You should
therefore not apply any stickers to the
windshield in this area in order to pre­
vent malfunctions or failures.
- In the event of a light sensor malfunc­
tion, the driver is notified in the instru­
ment cluster display~
page 22.
- You will hear a warning tone if you open
the driver door when the exterior lights
are switched on.
- In cool or damp weather, the inside of
the headlights, turn signals and tail
lights can fog over due to the tempera­
ture difference between the inside and
outside. They will clear shortly after Clear vision 4
7
switching them on. This does not affect
the service life of the lighting.
Emergency flasher
Th e emergency flasher makes other motorists
oware that you or your vehicle are in on emer­
gency situation.
'1'.r-- ~·
~ ·--~. -~ -..... -._.. l'
1
Fig. 38 Center console: emergency flasher switc h
.,. Press the switch ~ 9 fig. 38 to turn the
emergency flashers on or off .
When the emergency flasher is on, all four
turn signals blink at the same time. The turn
signal indicator lights
H Iii in the instrument
cluster, as well as the light in the emergency
flasher switch~ blink likewise. The emergen­
cy flasher also works when the ignition is
turned
off.
The emergency flashers will turn on automati­
cally if you are in an accident where the airbag
has deployed.
@ Tips
You should turn on the emergency flashers
when:
-you are the last vehicle standing in a traf­
fic jam so that any other vehicles coming
can see you, or when
- your vehicle has broken down or you are
in an emergency situation, or when
-your vehicle is being towed by a tow truck or if you are towing another vehicle behind you.

Selector lever lock
The selector lever lock prevents you from se­l ecting a position unintentionally, causing the
vehicle to roll. When engaging some selector lever positions, you must press the button on
the selector lever
c:> fig. 123 and/or press the
brake pedal.
You must press the brake pedal to engage a
selector lever position when the engine is run­
ning while the vehicle is stationary. The ar­
rows
c:> fig. 124 indicate when you need to
press the button on the selector lever.
The selector lever does not lock if you shift
from D to R within one second. This allows
you to "rock" the vehicle to free it when it is
stuck.
P- Park
The whee ls are locked in this position. Only
shift into park when the vehicle is stationary
c:> &. To engage the P se lector lever position,
press the button on the selector lever and
shift into the P position .
You can only shift out of park when the engine
is running and you are pressing the brake ped­
al. Press the button on the selector lever to
release the parking lock and select the desired
selector lever pos ition .
P engages automatically when you switch the
engine off while D, Sor R is engaged or in
manual mode .
If you switch the engine off when N is engag ­
ed, the transmission remains in N for approxi­
mately 30 minutes and then Pis engaged.
You must use the emergency release proce­
dure to release the parking lock before towing
the vehicle
c:> page 121.
R - Reverse
The reverse gear is engaged in this position .
Only select reverse when the vehicle is sta ­
tionary and the engine is running at idle speed
c:> &. To engage the R selector lever position,
press the button on the selector lever, press
Automatic Transmission 11 7
the brake peda l and move the selector lever
into the R position.
T he back-up lights turn on when you select
the R selector lever position wh ile the engine
is running .
N -Neutral
The transmission is in idle in this pos it ion . To
engage the N selector lever posit ion, press
the button on the selector lever and shift into
the N position.
If you switch the engine off when N is engag­
ed, the transmission remains in N for approxi­
mately 30 minutes and then Pis engaged.
You cannot select the N position when the ig­
nition is switched off. When driv ing through
an automat ic car wash, first select the N posi ­
tion and then switch the engine off
c:> table on
page 218.
The veh icle cannot be locked when the selec­
tor lever is in the N position.
D/S - Posit ion for driv ing forward
In the D/S position, the transmission can be
operated either in the normal mode D or in
the sport mode S . You can only select the S se­
lector lever position when Dis engaged. Move
the selector lever back to engage the S selec­
tor lever position. To select the D selector lev­
er position again when Sis engaged, move the
selector lever back
c:> .&. . To shift from N to D
when traveling at speeds below 1 mph (2km/
h), press the brake peda l and select the D se­
lector lever position
c:> .&. .
In the normal mode D, the transmission auto ­
matically selects the suitable gear ratio.
It de­
pends on engine load, vehicle speed and driv­
ing style.
Se lect the
sport mode S for sporty driving.
The vehicle makes f ull use of the engine's
power. Shift ing may become noticeab le when
accelerat ing.
The S selector lever position engages auto­
matically when you select the dynamic mode
in Audi drive select.

Parking lock emergency release
The parking lock must be released using the
emergency release before towing the vehicle .
®
Fig. 126 Driver's s ide footwell: re lea sing t he park ing
lock us ing the emergency release
Fig. 127 Drive r's s ide footwell: resettin g th e pa rk ing
lock
The emergency release is located under the
f loor mat on the driver's s ide. You operate the
emergency re lease from the driver's seat.
Releasing the parking lock using the
emergency release
.,. To prevent the vehicle from rolling uninten­
tionally, set the parking brake
«e)) q page 86
or press the brake peda l.
.,. There are two slits on the cover. Position the
screwdriver from the vehicle tool kit in one
of the slits on the cover and pry the cover
off .
.,. Pull the band@ in the direction of the ar­
row until the release lever locks in place
qfig . 126 .
.,. Fold the uppe r section of the re lease lever
down into the recess.
Resetting the parking lock
.,. Press the button @ and the release lever at
t h e same time. You can now push the lever
Automatic Transmission 121
back into its original position. Make sure the
lever locks in place ~
fig. 12 7.
.,. Install the cover .
T he indicator light
[O] and the N position indi­
cator in the instrument cluster turn on when
the parking lock is released using the emer­
gency release. The message
Risk of rolling! P
not possible. Please set the parking brake
al­
so appears .
.&_ WARNING
If you release the park ing lock using the
emergency release, secure your vehicle
with the parking brake or the brake pedal
i f the parking brake is not working. The ve­
hicle can roll away if it is not secured and
cause a crash .

272 What do I do now ?
Spare wheel
App lies to vehicles: with spare wheel
The spare wheel is stored in the wheel well
underneath the floor panel in the luggage
compartment.
Fig. 220 L uggage compartment: spare wheel
Taking out the spare wheel
.,. Lift the cargo floor by the plastic handle
¢fig. 220.
.. Hook the hand le into the luggage compart­
ment weather strip .
.. Turn the large screw¢
fig. 220 counter­
clockwise.
.. Take out the spare tire.
.. Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack*
and the replaced tire in the luggage com­
partment ¢
page 141.
.,. Unhook the cargo floor before closing the
rear lid.
&_ WARNING
-
Loose items in the passenger compart ­
ment can cause serious personal injury
during hard braking or in an accident.
- Never store the spare wheel or jack and
tools in the passenger compartment.
(D Tips
Check the inflat ion pressure of the spare
tire periodically to keep the tire ready for
use.
Changing a wheel
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your
own and your passenger's safety when chang­
ing a wheel.
.. After you experience a tire failure, pull the
car well away from moving traffic and try to
reach
level ground before you stop ¢ .&_ .
.. All passengers should leave the car and
move to a safe location (for instance, behind
the guardra il)¢ .&_ .
.. Engage the
parking brake to prevent your
vehicle from rolling unintentionally¢ .&_.
.. Move
selector lever to position P ¢ A .
.. If you are towing a trailer, unhitch the trailer
from your vehicle .
.,. Take the
jack and the spare tire out of the
luggage compartment¢
page 270,
¢page 271.
&_ WARNING
You or you r passengers could be injured
while changing a wheel if you do not fol­
l ow these safety precautions:
-If you have a flat tire, move a safe dis­
tance off the road. Turn off the engine,
turn the emergency flashers on and use
other warning devices to alert other mo­
torists .
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
p lace away from the vehicle and well
away from the road and traffic.
- To help prevent the vehicle from moving
suddenly and possib ly slipping off the
jack, always fully set the parking brake
and block the wheel d iagonally opposite
the wheel be ing changed. When one
front wheel is lifted off the ground, plac­ ing the Automatic Transmission in "P"
(Par k) will
not prevent the vehicle from
mov ing.
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the
g rou nd is level and firm. If necessary,
use a sturdy board under the jack.
-

Emergency situations
General
This chapter i s intended for trained emer­
gency crews and working personnel who have the necessary tools and equipment to
perform these operations.
Starting by pushing or
towing
(D Note
Ve hicles w ith an au tomatic tra nsmission
cannot be started by pus hing o r tow ing.
Starting with jumper
cables
If necessary, the engine can be started by
connecting it to the battery of another vehi­
cle.
If the engine shou ld fail to start because of a
discha rged o r wea k battery, the battery can be
connected to the battery o f
another vehicle,
using a
pair of jumper cables to start the en­
g ine.
Jumper cables
Use only jumper cables of sufficiently la rge
c ross section to carry the starter c urrent safe­
l y. Refer to the man ufacturer's specifications.
Use only jumper cables with
insulated te rm i­
na l clamps wh ic h are d istinctly marked:
plus(+) cable i n mos t cases co lore d red
minu s(-) cable
in most cases colored black .
A WARNING
Batterie s contain e lec tricity, ac id, an d gas.
A ny of these can cause ve ry ser io us or fatal
inju ry. Follow the instructions below f or
safe han dling of your veh icle's b attery .
- Alway s shield you r eyes and avoid lean­
ing over the bat te ry whenever possib le.
- A dis ch arged battery c an free ze at tem­
peratures ju st be low 32 °F ( 0 °C ). Befo re
Emergency situations 283
connecting a jumpe r cab le, you must
thaw the frozen battery c omp lete ly, ot h­
erwise it could explode.
- Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes
or skin. Fl ush any contacted area with
wate r immediately.
- Improper use of a booster battery to start a vehicle may cause an explosion.
- Vehicle batter ies genera te exp losive gas­
es. Keep spar ks, flame and lighted c iga ­
rettes away from batte ries.
- Do not try to jump start any ve hicle w ith
a low ac id leve l in the battery.
- The vo ltage of the booste r batte ry m ust
a lso have a 12-Vol t rating. T he capacity
(Ah) of the booster battery sho uld not be
lowe r tha n that of the discharged bat­
tery . Use of batte rie s of d iffe ren t voltage
or substantially diffe rent "Ah" rat ing
may c au se an exp losion and persona l in­
JU ry.
- N ever cha rge a fro zen battery. Gas trap­
pe d in the ice may cause a n ex plosion.
- Never cha rge or use a batte ry tha t h as
been fr ozen. T he battery case may have
be weakened.
- Us e of b atter ies of differe nt voltage or
sub stant ia lly diffe ren t ca pa city (Ah) ra t­
i ng may c ause an ex plosion an d injury .
Th e capac ity (Ah) of the booster bat tery
should not be lower than that of the dis ­
charged batte ry .
- Before you chec k any thing in the engine
compa rtment, always read and hee d all
WARNINGS
¢page 231.
(D Note
-App lyin g a higher vo ltage booster ba t­
t ery w ill cause expens ive damage to se n­
sit ive e lectronic com ponents, such as
cont ro l units, relays, rad io, etc.
- The re must be no electrical contact be­
tween the vehicles as ot herwise c urrent
co uld a lready start to f low as soon as the
p o sit ive(+) term inals a re connected. ..,. •
•

-When connecting jumper cables, make
sure that they cannot get caught in any
moving parts in the eng ine compart­
ment .
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
¢ page 231.
(D Note
Improper hook-up of jumper cables can r u­
in the generator.
- Always connect POSITIVE( +) to POSI­
TIVE(+), and NEGATIVE(-) to NEGATIVE
( - ) gro und post of the battery manager
control unit .
- Check that all screw plugs on the battery
cells a re screwed in firmly . If not, tighten
pl ugs p rior to connecting clamp on nega ­
tive battery term inal.
- Please note that the procedure f or con­
nect ing a jump er cable as desc ribed
above appl ies spec ifically to the case of
you r vehi cle be ing jump started. When
you are giv ing a jump star t to an othe r ve­
hi cle, do
not connec t the negat ive (-) ca­
ble to the negat ive (-) terminal on the
discharged battery @¢
fig. 234. In ­
stead, securely connect the negative( -)
cable to e ithe r a solid metal component
that is firmly bolted to the engine block
or to the e ng ine block itse lf. If the bat­
te ry tha t is being charged does not vent
to the outside, escaping batte ry gas
could igni te and exp lode!
Emergency towing
with commercial tow truck
General hints
Your Audi requires special handling for tow ­
tng.
The follow ing information is to be used by
commercia l tow tr uck operators who know
h ow to ope rate thei r equipme nt safe ly.
Emergenc y situ ation s 285
-Ne ver tow your Audi. Towing will cause
damage to the engine and tran smission.
- Never wrap the safety chain s or w inch ca­
ble s around the brake lines.
- To prevent unnece ssary damage , your Audi
must be transported with a flat bed tru ck.
- To load the vehicle on to the fl at bed , use
the towing loop found in the vehicle tools
a nd attach to the front or rear anchora ge
¢ page 285 and ¢ page 286 .
_& WARNING
A vehicle being towed is not safe for pas ­
sengers. Never allow anyo ne to ride in a
vehicle be ing towed, for any reason.
Front towing loop
Only install the front towing loop when it is
needed.
Fig. 23 5 Front bu mpe r: cove r
Fig. 236 Fr ont bu mpe r: sc rew ing in t he tow ing loop
-
The towing loop f its into the threaded hole lo ­
cated on the right s ide of the front bumpe r
and cove red by a sma ll cove r when not in use .
.. Remove the tow ing loop from the vehicle
too l kit .

286 Emergency situations
• Press inward strongly on the left side of the
cap to remove it from the bumper
¢ fig . 235 .
• Screw the towing loop in the threaded open-
ing and tighten it until it stops¢
fig. 236 .
Remove the towing loop when you are done
using it and place it back in the vehicle tool
kit. Install the cover in the bumper. Always
keep the tow ing loop in the vehicle.
A WARNING
If you do not screw the towing loop com­
pletely, it could come out of the threaded
hole while the vehicle is being towed caus­
ing damage to the vehicle and possible se­
r iou s personal injury.
Rear towing loop
Only install the rear towing loop when it is
needed.
0 0
Fig. 237 Rear bumpe r: cover
0
Fig. 238 R e ar b umper: screw ing in tow ing loop
There are threads located behind the right
side of the rear bumper where a towing loop
can be installed. The threads are located be­
hind a cover. •
Remove the towing loop from the vehicle
tool kit.
• Press inward strong ly on the left side (A8)/
upper side (58) of the cap to remove it from
the bumper
¢ fig . 237.
• Screw the towing loop in the threaded open ­
ing and tighten it until it stops . The indica­
tor mark ing must be flush w ith the bumper
¢ fig. 238 .
Remove the towing loop when you are done
using it and place it back in the veh icle tool
kit. Always keep the towing loop in the vehi­
cle.
A WARNING
If you do not screw the towing loop com­
pletely, it could come out of the threaded
hole while the vehicle is being towed caus­
ing damage to the vehicle and possible se­
rious personal injury.
Loading the vehicle onto a flat bed truck
Fig. 239 Vehicle on flat bed tr uck
Front hook up
"" Align the vehicle with the centerl ine of the
car carrier ramp.
"" Attach the winch hook to the front towline
eye previously installed.
Rear hook up
"" Align the vehicle with the centerline of the
car earner ramp.
• Attach the winch hook to the rea r tow line
eye previous ly installed .
-