2014 AUDI A8 ignition

10 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments and warning/indicator Lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of information.
Fig. 3 Overview of th e instr ume nt cluster
(!) Coolan t tempera ture gauge ...
@ Tachometer (engine rev counter)
® Turn signals ............. .. .
© D isp lay with
- Driver information system ...
- Warning/ind icator lights
® Tachom eter
® F uel gauge .... ..... ... ... . .
0 Reset b utton for trip odometer
(D Tips
1 0
11
48
24
11
1 1
27
The instrument illumination (for dia ls and
needles) t urns on when the ignition is on
a nd the vehicle lights are tur ned off. As
the daylight fades, the illumination of t he
dia ls likewise dims automatica lly and w ill
go o ut comple tely when the o utsi de light
i s very low. Th is feature is meant t o rem ind you
to sw itch on the head ligh ts when o ut­
s id e light condi tions become poor .
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant gauge (!) ¢ poge 10, fig. 3
only works when the ignition is on. To prevent
damage to your engine, please note the fol­
lowing important po ints:
Engine cold
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge
turn o n, the engine has not reached operating
temperature yet. Avoid hig h engine speeds,
heavy engine loads and heavy throttle applica­
tions .
Normal temp erature
The eng ine has reached its operating temper-
at ure once the LEDs up to the center of the .,.

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 11
gauge turn on under normal d riving condi ­
tions . The LEDs higher up may turn on when
the eng ine is under heavy load or the exter ior
temperature is high . This is no need to worry
as long as the. warning light in the instru­
ment cluster does not illuminate . If the LEDs
in the upper area of the display and the ind ica­
tor light . in the instrument cluster d isplay
turn on, the coolant temperature is too high
¢ page 16.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warning in
~ page 231, Working in the engine
compartment,
before opening the hood
and checking the engine coolant level.
- Never open the engine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coolant
dr ipping from the engine compartment.
You could burn yourself. Let the engine
cool off first so that you cannot hear or
see any steam or engine coolant .
(D Note
- Mounting additional lights or accessories
in front of the a ir inlets reduces the cool­
i ng effect of the rad iator . At h igh outside
temperatures or high eng ine load, the
engine co uld overheat.
- The front spo ile r has been designed to
properly distrib ute the cooling air when
the veh icle is moving. If the spoiler is
damaged, this cou ld red uce the cooling
effect and t he engine co uld then over­
heat . Ask your aut ho rized Audi dea le r for
ass istance.
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM
(revolutions per minutes).
If engine R PM drops be low 1,500, you should
downshift to the next lower gear. The red a rea
at the end of the sca le ind icates maxim um
perm iss ible engine RPM after the break-in pe­
riod. Before reaching this area, move these­
lector lever to position "D (Drive)" or ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal.
@ Note
The tachometer need le should only briefly
be in the red zone: yo u could damage your
engine! The beg inning of the red zone var ­
i es dependi ng on the engine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upsh ifting early saves fuel and reduces en ­
gine noise.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge only works when the ignition is
o n.
If the fue l level drops below 4 gallons (15
l ite rs), the bottom LE D tu rns red and the indi­
cator light~ turns on
c::> page 21. The bot­
tom LED b link s red when the fue l level is very
l ow .
The possible range based on the current fuel
level is shown in tab@~
page 24, fig. 4.
(D Note
Never run the ta nk complet ely dry. An ir­
regular supply of f uel can cause engine
misfiring and fuel cou ld enter the exha ust
system. The cata lytic converter could t hen
overheat and be damaged .
Warning/indicator
lights
Description
T he ind icator lights in the ins trument clus ter
blink or turn on. They indica te fu nct ions or
malfunctions
c;;> ,& .
Messages may appea r with some indicato r
li ghts. A warning signal will sound at the
same t ime. The indica tor lights an d messages
in the center of the displays may be rep laced
by other disp lays. To show them again, select
the tab for ind icator lights and messages us­
ing the multifunction steering whee l
c;;> page 24. If there are several malfunc­
tions, you can display them one at a time us- ing the thumbwheel. ..,.

14 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
•
a
Ad Bluel;>
Ad Blue../'
Aud i lane assist*
¢ page 103
Transmission ¢page 120
Transmission ¢ page 120
Electronic steering column lock
¢ page 17
Engine start system
¢ page 18
Central indicator light
¢page 18
Dynamic steering*./
¢ page 22
Air suspension* ¢ page 18
Sport differentia l*
¢ page 23
Re fill Ad Blue*
¢ page
227
AdBlue malfunction*
¢page
227
Other indicator lights
CRUISE
•
Iii
•
I
•
Turn s ignals
¢ page 23
USA models: Cruise control*
¢ page 91
Canada models : Cruise control*
¢ page 91
Adaptive cru ise control*
¢ page96
Adaptive cru ise control*
c:> page96
Adaptive cru ise contro l*
c:>page96
Audi lane assist* ¢ page 103
•
•
Start-Stop-System*
¢ page88
Start-Stop-System*
¢page88 High beam
¢ page48
BRAKE /((f) ) Brake system
The light illuminates when the ignition is
switched on .
It goes out afte r the engine has
been started . This indicates that the brake
warning light is functioning properly.
If the brake warning light does not light up
when the engine is cranking, there may be a
malfunction in the electrical system . In this
case, contact your Audi dealer.
If the brake system warn ing/indicator light
turns on, there is a brake system ma lfunction.
1111 ( USA models) /. (Canada models)
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid level
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, proceed as follows:
.. Pull off the road.
.. Stop the vehicle .
.. Turn off the engine .
.. Check the brake fluid level
c::> page 242.
.,. Contact your nearest authorized repair fa-
cility if necessary.
Warning! Fault in brake system. Contact
dealer
If the ABS ind icator light (I] (USA mode ls)/
(I] (Canada models), the ESC ind icator light
Ji! and the brake system indicator light
1111 (USA models)/ . (Canada models) turn
o n and the message appears, the ABS, ESC
and braking distr ibution are not working ¢_& .
Carefully drive to your author ized Audi dealer
immediately to have the malfunct ion correct-
ed ¢_& . .,.

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 . .,.

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 .,.