2015 AUDI A8 warning

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Driving and
environment
The first 1
1000
miles
(11500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1 ,500 km) .
For the first 600 mile s (1,000
kilometers ):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
.,. Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM .
.. Avoid high engine speeds .
From 600 to 1,000 mile s (1 ,000 to
1,500 kilometers):
.. Speeds can gradually be increased to the
maximum pe rm iss ib le road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in per iod
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds
when it is cold. This applies whether the
transmission is i n N (Neutra l) or in gear.
After the break- in peri od
.. Do not exceed maximum engine speed un­
der any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear
before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach­
ometer scale
¢ page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the en­
g ine's interna l friction is higher than later
when all the moving parts have been broken
i n. How well this break-in p rocess is done de­
pends to a considerable extent on the way the
ve hicl e is driven du ring the first 1,000 miles
(1 ,500 ki lome ters).
(D Note
Extremely h igh engine speeds are auto­
mat ica lly reduced. However, t hese rpm
lim its are progr amme d for an eng ine well
r u n- in , not a new engine .
Driving and environment 205
@) For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high en­
g ine speeds -upshifting ear ly saves f uel,
reduces noise and protects the environ­
ment.
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive
particularly caref ul for the first 350 miles
(500 kilomete rs) afte r fitt ing.
.&, WARNING
N ew tires tend to be sl ippery and mus t al­
so be "b roken -in" . Be sure to remember
this dur ing the f irst 350 m iles (500 kilo­
meters) . Brake gently . Avoid fo llowing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
b raking .
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full brak ing effect dur ing the first 250 m iles
(400 ki lomete rs) afte r they are installed.
New brake pads have to be "broken in" before
they have optima l grab ¢,&. .
D uring the brea k-in period, yo u should avo id
putting severe loads on the brakes. Severe
l oads include , for example, sudden hard brak­
i ng, in particular at very h igh speeds or, for
example, on mounta in passes .
.&, WARNING
New b rake pads don 't have the best stop­
p ing power and must be "broken-i n" dur­
ing the initi al 100 to 150 miles (150 to
2 00 kilometers) o f no rma l ci ty driving . You
can compensate for this by pressing the b rake peda l more fi rm ly . This also applies
later when new pads are installed.
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206 Driving and en vir onm ent
Catalytic converter
Appl ies to vehicles: with gasoline e ngin e
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner .
.. Always use lead-free gasoline i=> page 220,
Fuel supply .
.. Never run the tank down all the way to emp-
ty .
.. Never put too much motor oil in your engine
¢ page 234, Adding engine oil .. Never try to push- or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff ic ient "clean­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle. The catalyti c converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be­
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclus ive use of unleaded fuel is cr itically
important for the l ife of the cata lytic convert­
e r and proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
T he temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine .
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once
they have become hot. This could result
in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other material which can
cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
man ifold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields . During driving, the
substance used for undercoating cou ld
overheat and cause a fire.
@) Note
- Be aware that just one tank f illing with
leaded fuel will al ready seriously de­
grade the perfo rmance of the cata lytic
conve rter. -
Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
i=>page 234.
-Do not drive until the fue l tank becomes
completely empty . The engine co uld m is­
fire . Unburned fuel could also get into
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignition while the
vehicle is mov ing .
- Do not continue to ope rate your vehicle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalyt ic converter. Th is
cou ld result in overheating of the con­
verter, requir ing its replacement .
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System:
- Have you r vehicle maintained p roperly
and in accordance w ith the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty & Maintenance book let.
- Lack of prope r maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the vehicle wi ll impair
the function of the em ission contro l
system and could lead to damage.
@) For the sa ke of the en vironment
Even when the Emission Control System is
ope rat ing properly, the exhaust gas can
have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operat ing states. This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Usi ng a different brand of fuel may help,
or f illing the tank with lead-free super
grade gasoline.
Diesel particulate filter
Applies to vehicles: with diese l eng ine
The diesel part icu late filter filters nearly all of
the soot pa rticles out of the exhaust . T he fil­
te r cleans itself automat ica lly unde r no rma l
dr iv ing cond itions . If the filte r cannot clean it­
self (for example, because you are on ly driving
short distances), the filter becomes clogged
with soot and the
Cl symbol for the diese l
particulate filter i lluminates
i=> page 21. ..,.

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A WARNING ,~
- Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par­
t icu late filter cou ld start a fire .
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in the exhaust system area or a fire could start .
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your veh icle to remain inop ­
erat ive for a longer period of time, contact an
Aud i or other specia lized dealer. They can ad­
vise you on necessary precautions e.g . corro­
sion prevention, ma intenance and storage.
Pay attention to additiona l information con­
cerning the battery. Refer to~
page 240.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you a re driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is especially true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis)* and fully load ­
ed vehicles.
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads :
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the veh icle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
A WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry
-
Drivin g and environment 207
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
store the full braking effect.
(D Note
- Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension or electrical
system can be severely damaged by driv­
ing through water.
- Always switch off the Start-Stop-System*
when driving through water
~ page 87.
(D Tips
-Check the depth of the water before driv­
ing through it .
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
through water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive through safely .
- Avoid driving through salt water because
it can cause corrosion.
Operate your vehicle
economically and minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
t he economy of your vehicle , as well as ex­
haus t and noise levels.
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you ant icipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent . This sec­
tion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook. •
•

210 Trailer towing
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 210, 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. .,.

212 Trailertowing
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind condit ions are unfavorable -part icu larly
when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immedi atel y if the trail ­
er shows the slightest sign of swaying .
Do not
tr y to stop th e sway ing by acceler ating .
Observe speed limi ts. In some areas, speeds
for vehicles towing trailers are lower than for
regular vehicles .
A lways apply brakes early. When driv ing
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en­
gine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes a lone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant t emperature
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 10
must be observed carefully. The coolant tem­
perat ure can increase if you drive on long in ­
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds. Re­
duce your speed immediate ly if the L EDs in
the top part of the display turn on.
F or more in formation about indicator lights,
referto .¢page
15 .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing veh icle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone ride in your car
who is not properly wear ing the restra ints
provided by Aud i.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle hand les different ly when towing
-
a trailer because of the addit ional weight and
d ifferent weight distribution . Safety, perform­
ance and economy w ill greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your ng.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopp ing and back ing up in an area
away from traffic . Keep practicing until you have become completely familiar with the way
your vehicle-trailer combination behaves and responds .
Backing up is diffi cult and requ ires practice .
Backing up with a trailer gene rally req uires
steering action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a tra iler.
Maintain a greater d ista nce between you r ve­
hicle and the one in front of you . You wi ll need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you w ill need a larger than normal
turning rad ius.
When passing, remember that you cannot ac ­
ce lerate as fast as you norma lly would be­
ca use of the added load. Make sure yo u have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow
plenty of room for your trailer be fore chang­
ing lanes again .
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in
period of your vehicle .
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re ­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load¢
page 290.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it can­
not b e avoided, do so only after doing th e fol­
lowing:
When par king:
.,. App ly the foot brake.
.,. Have someone p lace chocks under both the
vehicle and the tra iler wheels .
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes unt il the wheel chocks absorb the
load .
.,. Turn the whee ls towards the curb .
.,. Apply the parking brake .
.,. Select the P se lector lever posit ion.
When re starting after parking:
.,. App ly the foot brake.

214 Vehicle care and cleaning
Vehicle care and
cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your
ve hicle 's value. It can also be a requirement
when subm itting warranty claims for corro ­
sion damage and paint defects on the body .
The required cleaning and care prod ucts can
be obtained from your authorized Audi dea ler
or a qualified workshop. Read and follow the
instr uctions for use on th e packaging .
A WARNING
-Us ing cleaning and care products incor­
rec tly can be dange ro us to your hea lth .
- Always store cleaning and care products
o ut of rea ch of children to redu ce the r is k
of po ison ing.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Preferably use environmentally-friendly
products when buying cleaning agents .
- Do not d ispose of leftover cleaning and
ca re p rod ucts with household trash .
Car washes
-
The longer deposits remai n on t he veh icle, the
mo re the surface ca n be damaged. H igh tem­
pe rat ures such as those caused by su nlight in­
crease the d amaging effe cts.
Before washing, wet heavy deposi ts w ith p len ­
ty of wate r.
Stubbor n depos its s uch as bird dropp ings or
tree sap are best removed with plen ty of wa­
ter and a m icrofiber cloth .
A lso, was h the underside of your vehicle once
road salt stop s be ing used for the season.
Pres sure washers
When washing your ve hicles w ith a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instr uc­
tions provided w ith the pressure washe r. T his
is especially important in regard to the pres- s
u re and sp raying dis tance. Do not aim the
s p ray direct ly at sea ls on side windows, doo rs,
t h e hood, the rear lid o r the sunroof* or at
t ires, rubber hoses, insulating material, sen ­
sors" or camera lenses*. Keep a d ista nce of at
least 16 inches (40 cm) .
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer.
Never use rotary nozzles or high pressure noz­
zles .
T he wate r temperature m ust not be above
1 4 0 ° F (6 0 °C ).
Automatic car washes
Sp ray off the ve hicle befo re washing .
Make sure that the w indows and roof * are
closed and the winds hield wipers are off. Fol­
low instructions from the ca r wash operator,
especially if there are accesso ries attached to
you r vehicle .
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes .
Only use car washes where the vehicle re ­
mains stat ionary and the was hing equipment
moves around the ve hicle when washing and
dry ing . Car washes that move the veh icle
t hr ough the car wash us ing a chain are no t
recommend ed .
Wa shing by hand
Clean the ve hicle starting from the top and
worki ng down using a soft sponge or cleaning
brush . Use solvent -free clean ing products .
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint
by hand
To avoid damaging the paint when washing,
first remove dust and large particles from
you r vehicle . Ins ects, grease spots and fi nger­
prints are best removed w ith a spec ial cleane r
f o r matte finish paint .
Apply t he prod uct us ing a mic rofiber cloth . To
avo id damaging the pa int surface, do not use
too much pr essure .

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Vehicl e ca re a nd cl eanin g 215
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water. Then
clean using a neutral shampoo and a soft mi­
crofiber cloth.
Rinse the vehicle tho roughly again and let it
air dry. Remove any water residue using a
shammy .
A WARNING
-Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operator to reduce the risk
of accidents .
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect your­
self from sharp metal components when
wash ing the underbody or the inside of
the wheel housings .
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef­
fect may be delayed due to mo isture on
the brake rotors or ice in the winter. The
brakes must be dried first with a few
careful brake applicat ions.
- If you wash the vehicle in an automatic car wash, you must fold the exterior m ir­
rors in to reduce the r is k of damage to
the mirrors. Power folding exterior m ir- rors* must only be fo
lded in and out us­
ing the power folding fu nction .
- T o prevent paint damage, do not wash
the vehicle in direct sunlight.
- T o reduce the r is k of damage to the sur­
face, do not use insect removing spong ­
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle compo­
nents:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the
surface, do not use polishing agents or hard wax.
- Never use car wash cycles that apply
protective wax. It can destroy the
matte fin ish effect .
- Do not place any stickers or magnet ic
signs on vehicle parts painted w ith
matte fin ish paint. The paint cou ld be
damaged when the stickers o r magnets
a re removed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle in facilities spec ially
designed for that p urpose . This will red uce
the r is k of dirty wate r contam inated with
oil from entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When clea ning and caring for individual vehi­
cle components, refer to the fo llow ing tab le.
The information contained there is simp ly rec ­
ommendations. For questions or for compo -nents that are not listed
, refer to a n author­
ized Audi dea ler or a qualified workshop. Also
follow the information found in ¢ .&. .
Cle an ing exte rior
Component Situation Solution
Wipe r blades
Dirty ~ page 54, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Headlight s/ Dirty Soft sponge with a mild soap solutiona>
tail ligh ts
S en sor s/
Dirty Sensors: soft cloth with a so lvent-free cleaning product
camera le nse s Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning
so lution
Snow/ice Hand brush/so
lvent-free de-icing spray
Wheel s Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special cleaning
solution
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Vehicle care and cleaning 217
Component Situation Solution
Safety belts
Dirty Mild soap solutional, allow to dry before letting them re-
tract
Textiles, Stains adhering to Vacuum cleaner
Vinyl, the surface
Alcantara Water-based stains Absorbent cloth and mild soap solutiona>
such as coffee, tea,
blood, etc.
Oi l-based stains Apply a mild soap solutional, blot away the dissolved oil
such as oil, make- or dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
up, etc .
Special stains such Special stain remover, blot with absorbent material,
as ballpoint pen, treat afterward with mild soap solutiona>, if necessary
nail polish, latex
paint, shoe polish,
etc.
Natural leather Fresh stains Cotton cloth with a mild soap solutiona >
Water-based stains Fresh stains: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, Dried stains: stain remover suitable for leather
blood, etc.
Oil-based stains Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable
such as oil, make- for leather
up, etc. dried stains: Oil cleaning spray
Special stains such Stain remover suitable for leather
as ballpoint pen ,
nail polish, latex
paint, shoe polish,
etc.
Care Regularly apply condit ion ing cream that protects from
light and penetrates into the material. Use specially-col-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Cooler Dust and dirt Clean the ventilation openings in the luggage compart-
ment
Dirty Lukewarm
water, mild soap solutional if necessary, then
dry
Defrosting Empty the refrigerator, switch it off and let it thaw with
the door open, then dry
Carbon parts Dirty Clean the same way as p lastic parts
a) Mild soap so lu tion : maxim um two ta bl es poons neutr al soa p in 1 q uar t (l lit e r) of water
A WARNING
The windshield may not be treated with
water-repelling windshield coating agents.
Unfavorable conditions such as wetness,
darkness, or low sun can result in in- creased
glare. Wiper blade chatter is also
possible.
([) Note
-Headlights/tail lights
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