2015 AUDI A8 brake light

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. .,.

.... N .... N
0 J:
'SI: .... \!) 1.1'1
.... 1.1'1 ,....,
Trailer load distribution Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ .&. in Driving instructions on page 212.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard ­
er . It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load .
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer
lights are working properly.
Safety chains Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle . Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners . When you install safety
chains, make sure they will not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch .
Adjusting the Audi drive select Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface
be­
fore
hitching up the trailer and before adjust ­
ing the tongue weight. The vehicle must be in
auto or comfort driving mode and not raised
¢page 108, ~CD .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info ­
tainment, select:
ICARI function button> low­
er control button .
Trailer towing 211
If you must drive under poor road conditions,
you can raise the vehicle
after coupling the
trailer or
after adjusting the tongue weight
¢ page 110.
@ Note
- Changes in temperature or load can af­
fect the height of the vehicle.
- Always select auto or comfort mode.
Otherwise, the tongue load specified for
your vehicle will no longer be applicable.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
core and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car it­
self is not loaded .
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles.
.,. Observe speed limits.
.,. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.,. Always apply brakes early .
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car re­
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble, while keeping the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the circumstances . Whenever possi­
ble , transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not .,.
•
•

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.

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N
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'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
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
•
•

228 Checking and filling
Checking and filling Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig. 197 Driver foo twell: release lever
Fig. 198 Rocker switch un der the hood
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up
from the windshield. Otherwise the paint
could be damaged.
.,. Pull the lever under the instrument panel in
the direction of the arrow
¢ fig. 197.
.,. Raise the hood slightly¢,&. .
... Press the rocker switch under the hood up­
ward ~
fig. 198. This releases the catch.
• Open the hood.
&_ WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine compartment . Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood .
'Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment.
Whenever you must perform any work in the
engine compartment, for example checking
and filling different fluids, there is a risk of injury, burns and accidents. To prevent per­
sonal injury always observe the following
WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area
¢ ,&. .
A WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check any­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine.
- Switch off the ignition .
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever to "P" (Park) .
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment.
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents . They can cause a fire .
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili­
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly .
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm . The cool­
ant system is pressurized and hot cool­
ant could spray out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
- Do not
remove the engine cover under
any circumstances. This increases the
risk of burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri­
cal system is necessary:

,....,
N ,....,
N
0 J:
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
(!) Windshield/headlight washer
t .
(~ ) con ainer ,..., .. .... ... .. .. . 244
@ Jump start point( -) with hex
h ead screw ............... .. 242, 281
® Jump start point( +) under a cov-
er . ..... .. ... .. ..... ... .. . 242, 281
@ Engine oil filler cap(~) . . . . . 234
® Brake fl uid reservo ir ((0)) . . . . . 239
® Coolant expansion tank (-L) . . . 237
0 O il dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
The engine oil filler neck (item @) may be lo­
cated in a different area depend ing on the ver­
sion of the eng ine .
A WARNING
Before yo u check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARN INGS
Q .&. in Working in the engine
c ompartment on page 228.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the
right kind of oil .
-
The engine in your Audi is a sophisticated
powerp lant that was b uilt to exacting specifi ­
cations . This engine needs the right kind of
engine o il that meets specificat ions regarding
q ua lity and viscos ity so that it can run
smoothly and reliably . Choos ing the right oil
and changing oil within the time and mileage
in terva ls pr inted in your veh icle's War ranty
&
M aintenance book let matters a lot more to­
day than i t did yea rs ago . Audi has developed
a special quality s tanda rd fo r engine oil th at
will he lp assure that your veh icle's eng ine will
get the lubrication it needs for prope r opera ­
tion .
M odern eng ine lubrica tion has taken a qu an­
tum leap in the last few years . Many synthetic
oils ava ilable today provide better engine lu­
brication that can outlast traditional petrole­
um-based o ils, making them a smart choice
for use throughout the life of your A udi.
Checkin g and fillin g 231
Whether you use synthetic o r petro le um­
based engine oil, the oil that you use m ust
conform to Aud i's oi l quality standard
VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or
VW 507 00 (vehicles w it h diesel eng ine) to
help keep your veh icle's engine ru nning
smoot hly and he lp prevent the format io n of
harmful deposits, sometimes ca lled "s ludge, "
t h at over time can lead to expensive repairs.
At the time of printing, engine oils ava ilab le i n
t h e U.S . and Canada that meet the exac ting
specifications of Audi oil standard VW 502 00
(ve hicl es w ith gasoline engine) o r VW 50 7 00
(ve hicl es w ith diese l engi ne) are synthet ic en ­
gine oi ls. Th is does not mean, howeve r, that
every synthetic engine oil will meet A udi oi l
standard VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline
engine) or VW 507 00 (vehicles with d iesel
engine). So always be sure that you use an ap­
proved o il.
To he lp prevent the formation of harmfu l de­
pos its use on ly oil with the following specifi­
cations pr inted on the o il conta iner:
- Audi oil standard VW 502 00 (gasoline en­
gine )
- Audi oil standard VW 507 00 (diesel en-
gine )
Oil containe r labels may car ry the spe cifica­
tion sing ly or in combination wi th other desig­
nations and oil quality s tanda rds .
Viscosity
Engine o ils are graded accord ing to their vis­
cosity . The proper viscos ity grade oil fo r your
engine depends o n climactic or seasona l con­
ditions where you d rive. You ca n use o il wit h a
vis cosity gr ade of SA E SW40 across all tem ­
pera ture ranges for norma l driv ing con ditions.
Howeve r, if engine oil v iscos ity grade SA E
SW40 is not available, you can a lso use v iscos­
i ty grade SA E SW -30 or SA E OW -40 as long as
i t meets Aud i oil q ua lity standard VW 502 00
(ve hicles w ith gasoline engine) o r VW 5 07 00
(ve hicles w ith diese l engine) specifications.
Be cause eng ine o il that mee ts the Audi o il
standard may no t be availab le everywhere
•
•

- the temperature of the engine coolant rises
due to th e heat bui ld-up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
.&_ WARNING
- To reduce the r isk of personal injury nev­
er touch the radiator fan.
- The auxiliary electr ic fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on sudden ly
even when the engine is not runn ing.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on au­ tomat ically when the engine coolant
reaches a certain temperature and will
continue to run until the coolant temper ­
at ure drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance.
N N
-N
i
F ig . 2 05 Eng ine co mpartmen t: cove r on the b rake f lui d
r eservo ir
Before you check anything in th e engine com­
partment,
alwa ys read and he ed all WARN­
INGS c::> .&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 2 28.
~ Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fl uid reservo ir ~
fig . 205, c::> page 230. The
brake f luid leve l must be betwee n the "M IN"
and "M AX" marki ngs.
The location of the brake fl uid reservo ir can be
see n in t he engi ne comp artment illus trati on
c::> page 230.
Checkin g and fillin g 239
The fluid level may d rop slightly afte r some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads . T his is not cause for alarm .
If the brake flu id leve l falls considerably be­
low the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi­
cator light . (U.S. models) . (Canadian
models) w ill come on
~ page 14 . Do not con­
tin ue to operate the vehicle . The complete
brake sys tem should be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dea ler or other quali ­
fied facility and the cause corrected.
If the
brake f lu id leve l is too low, the brake warning/
indica tor ligh t will illumi nate. Conta ct an au­
thorized Aud i de aler
immediately .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
en ced technician.
B rake fluid absorbs moisture from the air . If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
high, co rrosion in the brake system may resu lt
after a pe riod of time. The boiling point of the
brake f lu id will also dec rease conside rably and
decrease brak ing performance.
T herefo re , the bra ke fluid must be changed
every tw o year s. Always use new br ake f lu id
which con forms to Federal Mo tor Veh icle
Standard " FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
T he bra ke fluid reservo ir can be d iff icu lt to
reach, the refore, we recommend that you
have the bra ke fluid changed by your author­
ized
Audi dealer. Your dealer has the cor rect
tools, the right brake fluid and the know -how
to do this for you.
A WARNING
---- Brake flu id is poisonous. It must be stor­
ed only in the closed or iginal container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can resu lt from old or inap­
prop riate brake f lu id. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- U se only brake fluid tha t meets SAE
specificat ion
J 1703 and conforms to
Federa l Motor Vehicle Standard 116.

24 0 Ch eck ing and filling
Always check wi th your a uthorized Audi
dealer to make s ure you are using the
correct brake flu id. The correct type of
brake fluid is also indicated on the
brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapor lock if
the brake fluid is left in the system too
long. This can ser ious ly affect the effi­
ciency of the b ra kes as well as yo ur
safety. This could result in an acc ident.
(D Note
Brake flu id will damage the paint of your
veh icle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper d isposa l
of brake flu id as wel l as the special tools
requ ired and the necessary expert ise, we
recommend that you have the b rake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer.
Battery
General information
Under
normal operating conditions, the bat­
tery in your Audi does not need any mainte­
n ance . With
high outside temperatures or
l ong daily dr ives we recommend that you have
the elec trolyte level checked by a service fa­
cili ty. The e lec trolyte level sho uld a lso be
checked each time the battery is charged
¢ page 242.
Have the b attery checked when you ta ke yo ur
ve hicl e in for service. Yo u are well adv ise d to
replace a battery that is older than S years .
W ith certa in types of airbag deployment, the
battery is d isconnected from the vehicle ele c­
tr ica l system for sa fety reasons¢
& in Re­
pair, care and disposal of the airbags on
page 165.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some veh icle func tions (power w indow regu­
l ato rs, for example) a re los t if the b attery ter- mina
ls are disconnected. These functions have
to be relearned after the battery termina ls are
connected aga in. To prevent th is, the battery
sho uld only be disconnected from the ve hicle
electrical system when abso lutely necessary
for repairs.
Vehicle s not driven for long peri ods
If you do not d rive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, e lectr ica l compo ­
nents are gradually cut back or sw itched off.
This reduces energy consumption and ma in­
ta ins start ing capability over a longer period
¢
page 202. Some of the convenience func­
t ions may not ope rate, such as the inter ior
li gh ts or the power seat adjus tment. The con­
venience func tions will be ava ilable ag ain
when you switch on the ignition and start the
engine .
Winter operation D uring the winte r months, battery capac ity
tends to de crease as temperatures drop. This
is beca use more power is also consumed wh ile
sta rting, and the headlights, rear window de ­
fogger, etc ., are used more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumpt ion, p ar­
t icu lar ly in city traffic or whe n traveling only
short distances. Let yo ur au thorized Aud i
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat ­
tery before winter sets in ¢
page 242. A well
charged battery will not on ly prevent starting
problems when the weather is cold, but will
also last longer.
(!) Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery sho uld be removed and
stored where it w ill not freeze. This will
prevent it from be ing damaged and having
to be repla ced.