2015 AUDI A8 window

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-Occ upants who are unbelted, out of posi­
t ion or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un­
folds with great force in the blink of an
eye
¢ page 153.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child seat i n­
stalled on the front passenger seat will be
ser iously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System .
- The inflati ng a irbag w ill hit the child sea t
or infant carrier w ith great force and w ill
smash the ch ild seat and child against
the backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
- Always install rear -facing child sea ts on
the rear seat .
- If you mus t install a rearward facin g
child seat on the front passenger seat
because of exceptiona l circumstances
and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi ·
ately install the rear-facing chi ld seat in a
rear seating position and have the a irbag
system inspected by your Aud i deale r.
A WARNING
Objects be tween you and the a irbag will
increase the risk of i njury in a crash by i n­
terfering wi th the way the air bag unfolds
or by being pushe d in to yo u as the airbag
inflates.
- Never hold th ing s in your hand s or on
yo ur lap when the vehicle is in use.
- Never tran sport i tems on or in the are a
o f the front passenge r seat. Objects
cou ld move into the area of the front air ­
bags during braking or other s udden ma­
neuvers and become dangerous projec­
t il es that can cause serious persona l in­
jury if the airbags inflate.
- Never place or attach accessories or oth­
er objects (such as cup ho lders, tele­
phone brackets, large, heavy or bu lky ob­
jects) o n the doors, over or near the area
-
-
A irbag system 16 1
marked "AIRBAG" on the steering wheel,
instrument panel, seat bac krests or be­
tween those areas and yo urself . These
objects could cause in ju ry in a crash, es­
pecia lly when the airbags inflate .
- Never recline the front passenger 's seat
to transport objects. Items can a lso
move into the area of the s ide a irbag or
the front a irbag du ring braking or in a
sudden maneuve r. Obje cts near the air­
b ags can become projec tiles and c ause
in jur y, partic ula rly when the sea t is re ­
clined .
& WARNING
-=
The fine dust created when airbags deploy
can cause breathing prob lems fo r people
with a history of asthma or ot her breath­
ing cond itions.
- To reduce the risk of breath ing problems,
those with asthma or other respiratory
conditions shou ld get fresh air r ight
away by getting out of the veh icle or
ope ning windows or doors .
- If you are in a collision in which airbags
deploy , was h your hands a nd face with
mild soap and water before eating .
- Be careful not to get the dust into your
eyes, or into any c uts or sc ratches .
- If the residue should get into your eyes,
f lush them w ith wate r.
Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag
System
tli (USA models)/!f (Canada models)
Airbag monitoring indicator light
Two separate indicators monitor the function
of the Advan ced Airbag System: the airbag
moni toring indicator light and the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light.
T he Adva nced A irbag System ( in cl uding the
electron ic co ntro l u nit, se nsor circu its and sys­
t em wir ing) is mo nitore d con tinuously to
make su re that it is funct ion ing properly
•
•

-Objects between you and the airbag can
increase the risk of injury in an accident
by interfering with the way the airbag
unfolds or by being pushed into you as
the airbag inflates .
- Never place or attach accessories or
other objects (such as cup holders , tel­
ephone brackets, or even large, bulky
objects) on the doors, over or near the
area marked "AIRBAG" on the seat backrests.
- Such objects and accessories can be­
come dangerous projectiles and cause
injury when the supplemental side air­
bag deploys .
- Never carry any objects or pets in the
deployment space between them and
the airbags or allow children or other
passengers to travel in this position .
- Always use the built -in coat hooks only
for lightweight clothing . Never leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the
pockets that may interfere with side air­
bag deployment and can cause personal
injury in an accident.
- Always prevent the side a irbags from be­
ing damaged by heavy objects knocking
against or hitting the sides of the seat­
backs.
- The airbag system can only be trigge red
once.
If the airbag has been triggered,
the system must be replaced by an au­
thorized Audi dealership .
- Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc .) to
the original seat covers or to the seam in
the area of the side airbag module must
always be repaired immediately by an au­
thorized Audi dealer.
- If children are seated improperly, their
risk of injury increases in the case of an
accident ~ page 17 4 , Child Safety .
- Never attempt to modify any compo­
nents of the airbag system in any way .
- In a side collision, side airbags will not
function properly if sensors cannot cor­ rectly measure increasing air pressure in ­
side the doors when air escapes through
Airbag system 1 71
larger, unclosed openings in the door
panel.
- Never drive with interior door trim pan­
els removed .
- Never drive when parts have been re­
moved from the inside door panel and
the open ings they leave have not been
properly closed.
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the
doors have been removed unless the
speaker holes have been p roperly
closed.
- Always make certain that openings are
covered or filled if additiona l speakers
or other equipment is installed in the
inside door panels .
- Always have work on the doors done by
an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop.
Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbag sy stem can provide
supplemental protection to properly restrain ­
ed occupants .
Fig. 173 Side curta in a irbags, driver' s sid e: s ide cur ta in
airb ag loc ation
The side curtain airbags are located on both
sides of the interior above the front and rear
side windows ~ fig . 173 . They are identified
by the word "AIRBAG" on the windshield
frame and the center roof pillar.
T he side curtain airbag system supplements
the safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury for occupants' heads and upper
torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck .,.

17 2 Airbag system
in a side collision. The side curtain airbag in­
f lates in side impacts and on ly when the vehi­
cle acce lerat ion reg istered by the contro l unit
is high enough. If this rate is below the refer­
ence value programmed into the control unit,
the side airbags will not be triggered, even
though the car may be badly damaged as a re­
sult of the collision .
It is not possible to de­
fine an a irbag tr igger ing range that will cover
every possible angle of impact , since the c ir­
cumstances w ill vary considerably between
one co llision and another . Important factors
include, for examp le, the nat ure (hard or soft)
of the impacting object, the ang le of impact,
vehicle speed, etc.
c:> page 172, How side cur­
tain airbags work.
Aside from their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts work to he lp keep the driver or front
passenger in position in the event of a co lli­
sion so that the side curtain airbags can pro­
vide p rotection .
The airbag system is not a subst itute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall oc­
cupant restraint system in your veh icle. Al­
ways remember that the airbag system can
only help to protect you if you are wea ring
your safety be lt and wear ing it prope rly . T his
i s ano ther reason why you sho uld always wear
your safety be lts, not jus t be ca use the law re­
qu ires you to do soc;,
page 143, General
notes.
It
is impor tant to remember that whi le the
side curta in ai rbag sys tem is designed to he lp
reduce the like lihood o f serious injuries, other
inj uries, for example, swelling, bruising, and
minor abrasions can also be associated wit h
these airbags upon deployment . Remember
too, these airbags w ill deploy only once and
only in certain kinds of accidents - your safety belts are a lways there to offer p rotection .
The side curtain airb ag system basic ally
consists of:
- The electronic control module and externa l
s ide impact senso rs
- The side curtai n airbags above the front and
rear side w indows - The airbag indicator light in the
instrument
panel
T he airbag system is mo nitored e lec tronically
to make certain i t is func tioning properly at all
t imes . Each time yo u sw itch on the ign ition,
t h e ai rbag system indicator light will come on
for a few seconds (self diagnostics).
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
- if the ignition is sw itched off,
- in side co llisions whe n the accele ration
measured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end col lisions.
A WARNING
- Safety belts a nd the airbag system will
only provide pro te ction when occup ant s
are i n the proper seating posi tion
c:> page 58, General recommendations.
- If th e airb ag ind ic a tor light~ page 18
comes when the veh icle is being used,
have the system ins pected immediately
by your authorized A udi dealer. It is pos­
sible that the airbag will inflate when it
is not supposed to, or will not inflate
when it should .
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with
side airbags to help reduce the risk of head
and upper torso injuries for occupants who
are properly restrained .
Fig. 174 Illust rat ion of p rincip le : I n flated side curtai n
airbags o n th e left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the
occupant and the windows in a side co llisi on
u, N g
± .. 03
c:> fig . 174 . ..,_

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When the system is triggered, the side curtain
airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In or­ der to help provide this additional protection,
the side curtain airbag must inflate within the
blink of an eye at very h igh speed and w ith
great force. The side curtain airbag cou ld in­
jure you if you r seat ing position is not proper
or upright o r if items are located in the area
where the supplementa l side curtain airbag
inflates. This applies espec ia lly to children
¢ page 174.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side c ur­
tain airbags can "cushion" the impact and in
this way they can he lp to reduce the risk of in ­
jury to the head and the upper part of the
body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag de ­
p loys . This is q uite normal and does not mean
there is a fire in the vehicle .
Important safety instructions on the
side curtain airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Al­
ways properly wear safety belts and ride in a
proper seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must know and do to help the safety belts and
airbags do the ir job to provide supplementa l
protection .
A WARNING
-
Improperly wear ing safety belts and im­
prope r seating positions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and dea th when­
ever a veh icle is being used.
- Never let occ upants p lace any parts of
their bodies in the a rea from wh ich the
side curt ain airbags infla te.
- Always make sure that the side curta in
airbags can inflate w ithout interference.
Uns uitable accessories fitted inside the
expansion range of a side curta in airbag
can dangerously interfere with its func­
t ion. A deploying head a irbag deve lops
A irbag system 173
enough force to catapu lt any p iece of
add-on component o ut of its path of in­
flation and into the passenger compart­ ment. An occupant h it by such a projec­
tile can suffer serio us in ju ry or death
c:!;> page 293, Technical Modifications.
- Do not swive l the sun visors to the side if
you have any objects clipped onto them (for examp le pens). If the airbag should
deploy , you could be injured by these ob­
jects.
- Use the bu ilt-in coat hooks only for light­
weight clo thing. Never leave any he avy or
sharp-edge d objects in the pockets that
may interfere with ai rbag dep loyment
and can cause personal injury in an acci­
dent .
- Never use hangers to hang cloth ing from
the hooks.
- On ly use factory -installed sun shades or,
in the case of shades installed after the
veh icle leaves the factory, only Audi roll­
up sunscreens may be used
¢ page 292,
Additional accessories and parts re­
placement .
-Always sit in proper seat ing pos ition and
wear safety belts wh ile traveling so that
the side curtain airbags can he lp p rov ide
protection.
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once . If the airbag has been triggered,
the system must be rep laced by an au­
thori zed A udi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
- Always have work involving the side cu r­
tain airbag system, removal and insta lla ­
tion of the air bag components, or other
re pairs per formed by a qualified dealer­
ship. Otherwise the airbag system may not work correct ly .
- Never attempt to mod ify any compo ­
nents of the airbag system in any way.
•
•

-Always read and heed the important in­
formation and WARNINGS about child
safety and the installation of child re­
straint systems
c:> page 174, Child Safe­
ty.
(D Note
On vehicles with power adjustable rear
seats* some criteria must be observed
when attaching the child restraint using the
LATCH system:
- To attach the child restraint securely, the
seat must be moved to the farthest rear
position, the seat height set to the low­
est position and the head restraint must be adjusted to the vertical position
¢ page 61.
-If a child safety seat is attached to one of
the rear seats, this seat must not be ad­
justed using the power controls under
any circumstances. The
Entry assistance
for this seat must also be deactivated in
the MMI ¢
page 64. The child safety seat
as well as the rear seat can be damaged by the adjustment process.
Tether anchors and tether straps
Fig. 186 Tether an cho rs: reces s fl ap s b ehin d th e re ar
seatbacks
The tether anchors for the two* /three rear
seating positions are located in recesses in the
rear window shelf ¢
fig. 186. Vehicles with
two rear seating positions* are equipped with two tether anchors .
A tether is a straight orV-shaped strap that
attaches the top part of a child restraint to
special anchorage points in the vehicle.
Child Safety 191
The purpose of the tether is to reduce the for­
ward movement of the child restraint in a
crash, in order to help reduce the risk of head
injury that could be caused by striking the ve­
hicle interior .
Forward facing child restra ints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, are required by U.S.
federal regulations to comply with new child
head movement performance requirements.
These new performance requirements make a
tether necessary on most new child safety
seats .
.&_ WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints
will increase the risk of injury and death in
a crash.
- Always follow the instructions provided
by the manufacturer of the child re­
straint you intend to install in your Audi.
- Improper use of child restraint anchors
(including tether anchors) can lead to in­
jury in a collision . The anchors are de­
signed to withstand only those loads im­
posed by correctly fitted child restraints .
- Never mount two child restraint systems
on one LATCH lower anchor point.
- Never attach two child restraint systems to one tether strap or tether anchorage.
- Never attach a tether strap to a tie-down
hook in the luggage compartment.
- Never use child restraint tether ancho­
rages to secure safety belts or other
kinds of occupant restraints.
- Never secure or attach any luggage or
other items to the LATCH lower ancho­ rages or to the tether anchors .
- If a tether or other strap is used to at­
tach a child restraint to the front passen­ ger seat, make sure that it is not so
tight, that it causes the weight -sensing
mat to measure more weight than is ac­
tually on the seat .
- The heavier weight registered can make
the Advanced Airbag System work as
though an adult were on the seat and de -
ploy the Advanced Airbag when it must ..,

194 Audi pre sense
Audi pre sense
Preventative passenger
protection
A pp lies to veh icles: with Audi pre se nse
Audi pre sense can initiate steps to help pro­
tect vehicle occupants in certain situations.
The functions described depend on equ ipment
installed in your vehicle:
Audi pre sense basic
The following functions can be triggered in
certain driving situations:
- Tightening of the safety belts (for example,
during heavy braking) : the front safety belts
have reversible belt pretensioners. If a colli­
sion does not occur, the safety belts loosen
slightly and are ready to be tightened again.
- Closing the windows and the sunroof*: the
windows and the sunroof* close leaving a
small open gap.
Audi pre sense basic functions can be trig­
gered at speeds above 20 mph (30 km/h). The
deployment time is adapted in the drive select
mode dynamic.
Audi pre sense front (vehicles with
adaptive cruise control*)
Audi pre sense front includes the functions in
Audi pre sense basic. In addition, within the
limits of the system, the likelihood of a colli­
sion with the vehicle immediately ahead is al­
so calculated .
If the system senses an immi­
nent collis io n the following functions can be
triggered:
- Braking guard
~page 98
-Tightening the safety belts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* (leav-
ing a small open gap)
Audi pre sense rear (vehicles with Audi
side assist*)
Audi pre sense rear includes the functions in
Audi pre sense basic. In addition, the likeli­
hood of a rear-end coll ision with the veh icle
coming from behind is also calculated. If the risk
of a co llision is detected, the following
functions can be triggered:
- Tig htening the safety belts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* (leav-
ing a small open gap)
- Adjusting the seats: the settings for the
power head restrains, the upper sections of
the backrests and the pneumatic side bol­
sters* are optimized for the front seats and
the outboa rd rear seats*. If a collision does
not occur, the previous seat settings are re­
stored.
Audi pre sense plus
Audi pre sense plus includes the funct ions in
Audi pre sense front and Audi pre sense rea r.
Error message
Audi pre sense: not available
Preventative passenger protection is not avail­
able. See your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
-Audi pre sense cannot overcome the laws
of physics.
It cannot prevent a collision. Do
not let the increased safety provided
tempt you to take risks. This will increase
the risk of a collision and serious personal
injuries.
- The sensors cannot always detect all ob­
jects . This increases the risk of a colli­
sion.
- Audi pre sense does not detect people or
animals or objects that are crossing the
vehicle's path~
page 92.
-The radar sensor's vision can be reduced
by heavy rain, ice, snow, heavy road spray
and reflections from guard rails, tunnel
entrances, etc. These and similar condi­
tions can prevent vehicles from being ac­
curately detected and in some cases they
may not be detected at all.
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temperature. This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy
consumpt ion while the vehicle is stand ing.
With the ignition switched off, it contro ls the
energy supply to the various e lectrica l compo ­
nents . Data from battery diagnosis is consid­
ered.
D epending on the battery's state of charge,
individua l consumers are gradua lly turned off
to prevent excessive discharge of the battery
and thus maintain starting capability.
Dynamic energy management
While the veh icle is being driven, dynamic en­
ergy management dist ributes the energy gen­
erated according to the needs of the individu­
a l components . It reg ulates consumption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
than is being generated and ensures an opti­
mal state of charge for the battery.
- But even energy management cannot
negate the limits of physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
limited.
- If starting ab ility is threatened, the indi­
cator light (•) appears
c> page 16, Cl
Battery .
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability .
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the cold time
of year. Abundant electrical energy is re­
qu ired, but only a little is generated. It is also
cr itica l if the engine is not running and electri­
cal components are turned on. In th is in­
stance energy is being consumed but none is
be ing generated .
Intelligent technology 203
It is in precisely these situations that you will
notice energy management active ly regu lat­
ing the distribution of energy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, e lectrica l compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main­
tains starting capability over a longer period.
Some of the convenience functions may not
operate, such as the interior lights or the
power seat adjustment. The convenience
functions will be available again when you
switch on the ignition and start the eng ine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with
the engine turned off or use other MMI func­
tions, the battery is being discharged.
If starting capability is jeopardi zed due to en­
ergy consumption , the following warning ap­
pears in the MM I display:
Please start the engine soon or the system
will be turned off.
The warning indicates that the system will be
turned off automatically after 3 minutes. If
you w ish to continue using the functions, you
have to start the engine.
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is being driven, the battery can be­
come discharged . This happens mostly when
li ttle energy is being generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
charge is not optimal.
T o b ring the energy ba lance back into equili­
brium , consumers wh ich requ ire espe cially
large amounts of energy are temporarily cut
back or switched off . Heating systems in par­
ticular require a great deal of energy. If you
notice, for examp le, that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they
have been temporarily cut back or switched .,.
•
•

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 .