2015 AUDI A8 Owners Manual

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Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 15
_& WARNING
-Always observe the wa rnings in
¢
page 228, before opening the hood
and checking the brake fluid.
- Driving with low brake fluid is a safety
hazard . Stop the car and get professional
assistance.
- If the . (USA
models) JII (Canada
models) brake system indicator light
turns on together with the ABS and ESC
indicator lights, the ABS/ESC regu lating
function may have failed . Functions that
stabilize the veh icle are no longer availa­
ble . Th is could cause the vehicle to
swerve and increase the risk of sliding.
Drive carefu lly to the neares t authorized
Audi dealer or o ther qualified workshop
and have the mal function cor rected .
- If the br ake warning/indic ator ligh t does
not go out after a few seconds and the
park ing brake is released, or lights up
whi le you are driving, the fluid level in
the brake fluid reservoir is too low . If you
believe that it is safe to do so, proceed
immediately at low speed to the nearest
autho rized Aud i dealer or qualified repair
facility and have the brake system in­
spected.
- Always keep i n m ind that afte r several
brake applicat ions, you w ill need g reater
pressure on the b ra ke peda l to stop your
vehicle. Do not re ly on str ained br akes to
respond w ith maximum s topp ing power
in c ritical situations . You must a llow for
increased braking distances. The extra
distance used up by fad ing brakes could
lead to an acc ident.
PARK /(®) Electromechanical park ing
brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electromechanical parking brake.
If the indicator light . (USA models)/ .
(Canada models) turns on, the park ing brake
was set .
• (USA model s) /. (Canada model s) Cau­
tion: Vehicle parked too steep
If t he indica tor l ight b links and the mess age
appears, there is not enough braking power to
keep the vehicle from roll ing. The b rakes have
overheated . The vehicle cou ld roll away eve n
on a sma ll incl ine.
Pre ss brake pedal t o release parking brake
To re lease the park ing brake, press the brake
pedal and press the button~ or sta rt d rivi ng
with st arting as sis t at the s ame time
~ page 86.
Please r elea se parking brak e
To release the park ing brake manually, press
the brake peda l and press the button~ at the
same t ime. The parking b rake only releases
automat ica lly if the d river 's safety belt is fas­
tened .
lfl Parking brake!
If the lfl indicator light turns on and this
message appears, there is a parking brake
malfunction. Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop immediately to
have the malfunct io n corrected.
_L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling sys tem
must be repaired as soon as possible.
• Switch off engine and check coolant le vel
If the indica tor light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the coolant temperature is too
high or the coolant leve l is too low .
.,. Pull off t he ro ad .
.,. Stop the vehicle.
.,. Tu rn off the engine .
.,. Chec k coolant leve l¢
page 23 7 .
.,. Add coo lant if necessary ¢
page 23 7.
.,. Continue dr iv ing o nly afte r the engine cool­
ant warning/ind icator light goes out .
.,. Contact your authorized Aud i dealer for as-
sistance if necessa ry.
IJll>

16 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
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 s tationary
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, let the engine run at idle for a
few minutes 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
warning 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 coo lant escaping.
- The engine compartment of any veh icle
is a dangerous area. Before you perform
any wor k in the engine compartment,
turn of the eng ine and allow it to cool.
Follow the warning sticke rs
¢page 228.
(D Note
Do not continue driving if the . symbol
illuminates. There is a malfunction in the
engine cooling system -you could damage
your eng ine.
0 Battery
This warning/indicator light detects a mal­
function in the generator or in the vehicle's
electrical system .
The. warni ng/indicator light illuminates
when you switch on the ignition and must go
out after the engine has started .
• Alternator fault: Battery is not being
charged
If the indicator light turns on and the mes ­
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the
generator or vehicle electr ica l system . Drive to
your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop immediate ly. Because the vehi­
cle battery is discharg ing, turn off all unnec ­
essary electrical equipment such as the rad io .
Seek professional assistance if the battery
charge level is too low .
r•j Low battery charge: battery will be
charged while driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there may be limited starting
ability.
If this message turns off after a litt le while,
the battery charged enough while driving.
If the message does not turn off, have your
authorized Aud i dealer or qualified workshop
correct the malfunction.
L'h Engine
• Engine stopped: No power steering and
brake support.
The re is a malfunction in the engine or in the
fuel supply system.
A large amount of steering and braking force
is required when driving a rolling vehicle with
the engine stopped. Tr y to stop a rolling vehi­
cle carefu lly on the side of the road. See your
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair fa­
cility.
A WARNING
-If the engine stops while driving, a large
amount of braking force is required. This
in creases the r isk of an accident. As long
as the vehicle rolls with the ignit ion
switched on and there is enough battery
cha rge, the power steering will sti ll work.
If not, a large amount of steering force is
r equired.
-

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Instruments and warning/indicator lights 17
t Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to
put on your safety belt.
The. warning/ind icator light illuminates
when the ignition is switched on to rem ind
the dr iver and any front passenger to put on
the safety belt. Add itionally, an acoustic warn­
ing (gong) will also sound.
For more Information
c:> page 143, ~ Safety
belt warning light .
~ Engine oil pressure malfunction
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol
requires immediate service or repair . Driving
with a low-oil-pressure indication is likely to
inflict severe damage to the engine.
• Switch off engine and check oil level
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the oil pressure is too low.
.. Pull
off the road.
.. Stop the vehicle .
.. Turn
off the engine.
.. Check the engine oil level c:> page 233.
.,. If the engine oil level is too low, add engine
o il
c:> page 234. Make sure that the oil pres­
sure warning symbol. appears no longer
in the display before you start driving again.
.,. If the engine oil level is correct and the indi­
cator light still turns on, turn the engine
off
and do not continue driving. Seek professio­
nal assistance.
(D Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is
not an indicator for a low engine oil lev­
el. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the
oil level in your engine at regular inter­
vals, preferably each time you refuel,
and always before going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
1111 requires oil refill or workshop serv­
ice without delay. Do not wait until the
red oil pressure warning. starts to
flash before you respond to the low oil level warning
Ill. By then,
your engine
may already have suffered serious dam­
age.
~~ Engine oil level
• WARNING: Please add oil immediately
If the indicator light and the driver message
appear, add engine oi l immediate ly
c:> page 231.
1111 Add oil, max. x qt (l). You may continue
driving
When the symbol and the driver message ap­
pear, add the amount of oil appearing in the
display at the next opportunity
c:> page 231.
@I-Steering column lock
• Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is an electronic stee ring
column lock malfunction . You cannot switch
the ignition on .
Do not tow your vehicle because it cannot be
steered. Seek professiona l assistance .
1\1 Steering lock : system fault. Please con­
tact dealer
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is an electronic steering
column lock malfunct ion .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
Your vehicle must not be towed in the
event of a malfunction in the electronic
steering column lock because it cannot be
steered due to the locked steering. If it is
towed with the steering locked, there is
the r isk of an accident.
©-Engine start system
• Engine start system fault . Please contact
dealer ..,.

18 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, do
not switch the ignition off
because you may not be able to switch it on
again.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
Ill Engine start system fault. Please contact
dealer
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the en­
gine start system.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
0 Air suspension
• Air suspension: system fault. Can contin­
ue slowly with max. 35 mph.
There is a malfunction that can result in re­
stricted driving stability.
Carefully drive at a maximum speed of 35
mph (60 km/h) to your authorized Audi dealer
or qualified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected .
• Air suspension: service mode. Vehicle can
only be moved with restrictions
Carefully drive to your authorized Audi dealer
or qualified workshop immediately to have
the service mode deactivated.
II Air suspension fault
There is a system malfunction that can result
in restricted driving stability or reduced
ground clearance.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
II Air suspension: vehicle too low. Ground
clearance reduced
The ground clearance is very low due to a sys­
tem malfunction . Wait until the air suspen ­
sion system has restored normal ground clear­
ance. Otherwise, conditions such as an uneven
road surface can lead to vehicle damage.
AIR/ e;, 5 f BAG -, a ety systems
The II (USA models),fll(Canada models) in­
dicator light monitors the safety systems e.g.
airbags, pretensioners and illuminates for a
few seconds each time you switch the ignition
on.
If the
II (USA models)/E,I (Canada models)
indicator light does not go out, or if it illumi­
nates while you are driving, or if it starts to
blink, then there is a malfunction somewhere
in the system.
If the light does not illuminate
when you switch the ignition on, this also means there is a malfunction.
A WARNING
=
If you have a malfunction in the safety sys-
tems, contact your authorized Audi dealer
immediately. Otherwise the safety sys­
tems may not work properly in an acci­
dent.
~ Brake booster
II Brake servo: limited functionality. You
can continue driving. Contact workshop
There is a brake booster malfunction. The
brake booster is still available, but its function
is limited. Because of this, the vehicle may
brake differently and the brake pedal may vi­
brate.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized repair facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
Y$/ C, Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC)
If the Dl indicator light blinks while driving,
the ESC or ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation) is active­
ly regulating.
If the
Dl indicator light turns on, the system
has switched the ESC off. In this case, you can
switch the ignition off and then on to switch
the ESC on again . The indicator light turns off
when the system is functioning fully . .,,.

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Instruments and warning/indicator lights 19
If the fl indicator light turns on, ESC was re­
stricted using the
[fil button¢ page 197.
Stabilization control (ESC/ABS): Fault! See
owner's manual
If the: G1 indicator light and the ABS indicator
light
tll1 (USA models) I ii] (Canada models)
turn on and the message appears, the ABS or
e lectronic differential lock is ma lf u nction ing.
This a lso causes the ESC to malfunction . The
brakes sti ll function with their normal power,
but ABS is not act ive .
Drive to your authorized Aud i dea ler or quali ­
fied workshop immediately to have the mal ­
function corrected.
A WARNING
If the . (USA models) . (Canada mod­
els) brake system indicator light turns on
together with the ABS and ESC indicator
lights, the ABS/ESC regulating function
may have failed. Functions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longer avai lab le. This
could cause the vehicle to swerve and in­
crease the risk of sliding. Drive carefully to
the nearest authorized Audi dealer or oth­
er qualified workshop and have the mal ­
function corrected .
(D Tips
For additional information on ESC and
ABS, refer to¢
page 197.
ABS!( @)) Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS
and the electronic differential lock (EDL).
The warning/ind icator light tll1 (USA mod-
e ls)
;tlJ (Canada models) 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:
- T he warning/indicator light does not illumi­
nate when you switch the ignition on. -
The warning/indicator light does not go out
after a few seconds .
- The warning/indicator light il luminates
while driving.
T he ESC indicator lig ht also illuminates if
there is a malfunction 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
¢pag e 197.
Malfunction in the brake system
If the brake warning light¢ page 14 and the
ABS warning illuminate
together there may be
a malfunction in the ABS, and there may a lso
be a malfunct ion in the brake system itself
¢.&. .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 . (USA
models) . (Canada models) in the instru­
ment cluster flashes ¢
page 14.
Malfunction in the electronic differential
lock (EDL)
The EDL works together with the ABS. The
ABS warning light will come on if there is a
malfu nction in the EDL system ¢
page 197.
See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as
poss ible.
A WARNING
-
-If the tll1 (USA models) ;tl] (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 protect ion ABS provides. ..,.

20 Instrum ent s a nd w arn in g/i ndic ato r light s
Contact your Audi dealer as soon as pos­
sible.
-USA models: If the . war ning light, the
DJ warn ing light and the fi1 warning
light come on together, the rear wheels
could lock up first under hard braking.
Rear wheel lock-up can cause loss of ve­
hicle control and an accident. Have your
vehicle repaired immediately by your au­
thorized Aud i deale r or a qua lified wor k­
shop. Drive slowly and avo id sudden,
hard brake applications .
-Canada models: If the brake warn ing
light ., the
Ji) warning light and the
ABS warning light
[ill come on together,
the rear wheels could lock up first unde r
hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci­
dent. Have your vehicle repaired immed i­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified wo rkshop. Dr ive slowly and
avo id sudden, hard brake applicat ions.
(0) Worn brake pads
Ei'I Brak e pa ds!
If the warn ing light illum inates, immediately
contact your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop to have all brake pads inspect­
ed. O n USA models the wa rning light
Ei'I
comes on together with t he warn ing light •.
Both sets of b ra ke pads on an axle must a l­
ways be rep laced at the same time.
A WARNING
Dr iv ing with bad brakes can cause a colli­
sion and serious personal injury.
- If the wa rning light
Ei'I and the warning
light
. ll with the message Brake pads!
comes on in the instrument cluster dis­
play, immediately contact your author­
ized Audi dea ler or qualified workshop to
have all brake pads checked or rep laced if
necessary.
l ) . : USA mode ls on ly
EPC Electronic power control
Applies to veh icles: w ith gasoline engine
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control .
The Di warning/ indicator light (Electron ic
Power Control) illuminates when you sw itch
the ignit ion on as a function check.
(D Tips
If this warning/ indicator light illum inates
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 II ind icator light illuminates, the glow
plug system is act ive. You should start the en­
gine immediately after the ind icator light
swi tches off. The ind icator lig ht only illum i­
na tes for approximate ly 1 second if the en­
gine is warm or if the outs ide temperature is
above 46 QF (8 QC).
(D Tips
-If the glow plug indicator l ight i llum i­
nates while dr iving, there is an eng ine
cont ro l ma lfunction. The engine should
be checked immed iate ly .
- If the ind icator light does not illuminate
at a ll when switch ing the ignit ion on,
there may be a malfunction in the glow
plug system. The engine should be
checked.
' o Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Ma lfunction Indicator Lamp ( MIL) is part
of the On-Board Diagnost ic (080 II) system.
T he symbo l¢..,, lights up whe n the ignition is ...

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Instruments and warning/indicator lights 21
switched on and will turn off after the engine
has started and has sett led at a constant idle
speed . This ind icates that the MIL is working
properly .
The warning light illuminates when there is a
malfunction in the engine e lectronic system .
Contact your author ized Audi dealer and have
the malfunction corrected .
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also
cause the MIL light to illuminate
¢page 223.
For mo re in format ion ¢ page 29.
~. Diesel particulate filter clogged
Appl ies to vehicles: with d iesel e ngine and diese l pa rticu ­
late fi lte r
II Particulate filter: System fault See own­
er's manual
When the II symbol illum inates, you can al­
ter your driving style to assist the filter self­
cleaning process. Drive for approximately 15
minutes with the selector lever in the 5 posi­
tion at a minimum speed of 37 mph (60 km/
h) and an engine speed of approximately
2,000 RPM. The temperature increase that
will resu lt from this can burn off the soot in
the filter . The symbol will switch off when the
cleaning is successful. After a successful
cleaning , there is no need to bring the car to
an author ized dealer or qualified workshop
because this is part of normal vehicle ope ra­
tion .
If the symbol
II does not switch off, see your
author ized dealer or other qualif ied workshop
to have the problem corrected.
For more information on the diesel particu­
late filter , refer to¢
page 206 .
.,&. WARNING
Always adapt your speed to the current
weather, road and traffic conditions. You
should never disobey traffic laws in order
to follow driving recommendations.
-
!'1 Engine speed limitation
App lies to veh icles: w it h e ngine speed lim itat io n
II! Engine speed maximum XXXX RPM
The engine speed is automatically limited to
the speed d isplayed in the driver information
system. This protects the engine from over·
heating.
The engine speed limitation deactivates once
the engine is no longer in the critical tempera­
ture range and you have released the accelera­
tor pedal once.
If the engine speed limitation was activated
by an engine control malfunction, the indica­
tor light
13:a also turns on . Make sure that the
speed does not go above the speed disp layed.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ate ly to have the malfunction corrected.
~v, Engine oil sensor
• Oil level! Sensor defective
If the symbol illum ina tes, contact your au­
thorized Audi dea le r and have the oil sensor
inspected. Until you have this done, check the
oi l level each time you refue l just to be on the
safe side
¢ page 233.
f Request to warm engine by driving
0 Please warm up engine
Fuel has entered the engine o il because of low
outside temperat ures or frequent short
drives . Drive until the engine is warm so that
the fuel in the engine oil will vapori ze. Avoid
high eng ine speeds, full acceleration and
heavy engine load when doing this .
Bu Fuel level indicator
liD Please refuel
If the indicator light turns on for the firs t
time and the message appears, there are
about 4 gallons ( 15 liters) of fuel left in the
tank. Time to refuel
¢page 222 .
Ill Tank system malfunction! Contact dealer IJIJ,

22 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
If the indicator light t urns on and th is mes ­
sage ap pears, the re is a ma lfunction in the
tan k system.
D rive to yo ur aut hori zed Au di dealer i mmedi­
ate ly to have the mal func tion cor rected .
¢,- $ Please refill washer fluid
If th e sym bol illum inates, add w indshield
washer fluid to the was her system/ headlight
washer system* ~
page 244 .
6 Windshield wipers
m Windshield wiper defective
There is a mal func tion with the w indshield
wipers.
D rive to yo ur authorized Aud i dea le r i mmedi­
a te ly to h ave the mal fu ncti on cor re ct ed .
~ /}D /0$ Defective light bulb warning
J:J-I f the ind icator light tu rns on, a bulb has
failed. The message indicates the location of
the bulb .
Im-if a fog lamp* h as f ailed , the indic ator
lig ht tu rns on to indica te the location on t he
ve hicl e.
IJ -if a rear fog lam p has fai led , the indic ator
li g ht tu rn s o n to in dicat e the locat ion on t he
ve hicl e.
Vehicle lights: malfunction
If the message appea rs, there is a malfunc­
tion in the headlights or light switch .
Drive to yo ur authorized Aud i dea ler immedi ­
ately to have t he malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
- light bu lbs are pressurized and co uld ex ­
plode while they a re being changed caus­
ing ser ious p erso na l in ju ry.
- Work w it h due care when handling the
hig h-voltage section of gas discha rge (
x enon) lights . Failure to do so cou ld re­
sult in death o r serious injury .
(D Tips
Have the b ulb replaced or the conne ct io n
r epaire d by your authorized A udi Se rvice
department.
~0 Headlight range control
1\1 Headlight range control: defective!
If the symbol illuminates, the headlig ht ran ge
control is no lo nger work ing pro per ly . Have
the system checked and repaired at yo ur A udi
dealer.
§0 Adaptive Light
Applies to vehicles: with Adaptive light
FJl Audi adaptive light: system fault
If the indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunct ion in the
adaptive light system. The headlights still
funct ion .
Go to an authorized dealersh ip to have the
headlights o r the co ntrol un it for the Adaptive
Light repa ired.
@:> Light/rain sensor
£1 Automatic headlights /automatic wipers :
system fault
If the indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears , the light/ rain senso r is not
f unct ion ing corr ect ly .
For sa fety reasons the low beams are t urned
o n permanently wit h the sw itch in
AUTO .
However, you can continue to turn the lights
on and off us ing the light switch . Yo u can st ill
co ntrol all func tions that a re independent of
t h e ra in sensor th roug h the w indshi eld wipe r
l ever .
Co ntact your aut horized Aud i dea ler as soon
as possible to have the problem co rrec ted .