2015 AUDI A8 brakes

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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>

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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 ...

76 Seats and storage
become a hazard for vehicle occupants in
the event of sudden braking or a crash.
- Always remove objects from the instru­
ment panel. Any items not stored could
slide around inside the vehicle while driv­
ing or when accelerating or when apply­
ing the brakes or when driving around a
corner.
- When you are driving make sure that
anything you may have placed in the cen­
ter console or other storage locations cannot fall out into the footwells. In case
of sudden braking you would not be able
to brake or accelerate.
- Any articles of clothing that you have
hung up must not interfere with the driv­
er's view. The coat hooks are designed
only for lightweight clothing. Never hang
any clothing with hard, pointed or heavy
objects in the pockets on the coat hooks.
During sudden braking or in an accident -
especially if the airbag is deployed -
these objects could injure any passen­ gers inside the vehicle .
- To reduce the risk of personal injury in an
accident or sudden stop, always keep the
glove compartment closed while driving .
- Read and follow all WARNINGS
¢ page 170, Important safety instruc­
tions on the side airbag system.
- Hang clothes in such a way that they do
not impair the driver's vision.
- The coat hooks must only be used for lightweight clothing . Do not leave any
heavy or sharp edged objects in the pock­
ets which may interfere with the side cur­
tain airbag deployment and can cause
personal injury in a crash.
- Do not use coat hangers for hanging
clothing on the coat hooks as this can in­
terfere with proper deployment of the
side curtain airbags in an accident.
- Do not hang heavy objects on the coat
hooks, as they could cause personal in­
jury in a sudden stop.
(D Note
Objects located on the rear shelf that rub
against the rear window could damage the
heating wires for the rear window defog­
ger.
@ Tips
- A vent slot is located between the shelf
and the rear window. Do not block the
vent with any items you may place on the
rear window shelf.
- Do not place bulky items on the rear win­
dow shelf as they could restrict or block
the driver's vision in the rear view mirror.
Cooler
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: wi th coo ler
Please clean the cooler before using it for the
first time ¢
table on page 216.
You can only switch on the cooler if
- the temperature in the luggage compart­
ment is below 131 °F (55 °C). The cooler
switches off automatically if the tempera­
ture in the luggage compartment exceeds
131 °F (55 °C). Once the temperature falls
below 131 °F (55 °C) again, the cooler
switches on again automatically.
- the battery is adequately charged. The cool­
er switches off automatically if the vehicle
battery voltage falls below a minimum lev­
el. This prevents the battery from discharg­ ing. The cooler switches back on again auto­
matically when the battery voltage increases
again (e .g. after starting the engine).
The cooler cools to 42.8 °F
(+ 6 °C) and the
freezer cools to 21.2 °F (-6 °C) in optimum
cooling conditions. The cooling performance
is affected by the temperature in the luggage
compartment . The temperature inside the
cooler will be higher if the luggage compart-
ment is hot. .,.

86 On the road
driving force has been built up at the
wheels.
E mergency brake function
An emergency brake ensures t hat the vehicle
can be slowed down even if the
normal brakes
fail
c::> page 87, Emergency braking .
&_ WARNING
Do not press the accelerator peda l inadver ­
tently if the vehicle is stationary but the
engine is running and a gear is selected.
Otherw ise the vehicle will start to move
immediately and could result in a crash.
- If the parking brake is applied with the
ignition switched off, the indicator lights
in the sw itch and . (USA models) .
(Canada models) in the instrument clus­
ter will go out after a certain per iod of
time.
- Occas iona l noises when the park ing
brake is applied and released are normal
and are not a cause for concern.
- When the vehicle is parked, the parking brake goes through a self-test cycle at
regular intervals. Any assoc iated noises
are no rma l.
Parking
.. Press the bra ke peda l to stop the vehicle .
.. Pull the switch© to set the parking brake .
.. Se lect the P selector lever position
c::> page 114.
.. Turn the eng ine off c::> ,& .
.. When on incl ines or declines, turn the steer­
ing wheel so that your vehicle will roll into
the curb if it begins to move.
&_ WARNING
- When you leave your veh icle - even if on­
ly b riefly - always take the ignition key
with you. This applies par tic u larly when
children remain in the veh icle . Otherw ise
the chi ldren could start the engine, re-
'
lease the parking brake or operate elec­
tr ica l equipment (e.g. power windows).
There is the r isk of an accident.
- When the veh icle is locked, no one - par­
ticularly not children should rema in in
the vehicle. Locked doors make it more difficult for emergency workers to get in­
to the vehicle - putting lives at risk.
Starting from rest
The starting assist function ensures that the
parking brake is released automatically upon
starting.
Stopping and applying par king brake
.. Pull the sw itch<®> to apply the parking
brake.
Sta rting and automaticall y rel easing the
park ing bra ke
.. When you start to drive as usual, the park­
ing brake is automat ically released and your
veh icle beg ins to move.
When stopping at a traffic signal or stopping in city traffic, the parking brake can be ap­
plied . The vehicle does not have to be held
with the footbrake. The parking brake elimi­ nates the tendency to creep w ith a dr ive range
engaged . As soon as you drive off as usual,
t h e pa rking brake is re leased automatically
and the vehicle s tarts to move .
Sta rting on slopes
When starting on inclines, the starting assist
prevents the vehicle from u nintent ionally roll­
i ng back. The braking force of the parki ng
brake is not re leased unti l suffic ient d riving
force has been built up at the w heels.
(D Tips
Fo r safety reasons, the pa rking brake is re­
l eased automatically on ly when the d riv ­
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.

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the distance between your vehicle and
other vehicles.
- For safety reasons, the cruise control
should not be used in the city, in stop­
and-go traffic, on twisting roads and
when road conditions are poor (such as
ice, fog, grave l, heavy rain and hydro­
planing) -risk of acc ident .
- Turn off the cruise control temporari ly
when entering turn lanes, highway exit lanes or in construction zones .
- Please note that inadvertent ly "rest ing"
yo ur foot on the accelerator peda l causes
the cruise control not to brake. This is
because t he cr uise con trol is overr idden
by the driver's acce le rat ion.
- If a brake system malfunction such as
overheat ing occurs when the cruise con­
t ro l system is sw itched on, the braking
f unction in the system may be switched
off. The other cr uise control f unctions re­
main active as long as the indicator light
II (US models) !Iii (Canadian mode ls)
is on.
The brake lights illuminate as soon as the brakes decelerate automat ica lly.
Changing speed
.,. To increase/decrease the speed in incre­
ments, tap the lever in the
010 d irection
i=> page 90, fig . 94 .
... To increase/dec rease the speed qu ickly, hold
the leve r in the
G) /0 direction unt il the de­
s ired speed is d isplayed.
You can also press the accelerato r pedal down
to increase your speed, e .g . if you want to
pass someone. The speed yo u saved earlier
will resume as soon as yo u release the acceler­
ator peda l.
I f, however, you exceed your saved speed by
6 mp h (1 0 km/h) fo r longe r th an 5 mi nutes,
the cruise cont ro l will tu rn off tempor arily.
The green symbo l
II (US models) !Iii i n the
On th e ro ad 91
display is rep laced w ith a wh ite symbo l. The
saved speed remains the same .
' Presetting your speed
You can preset your desired speed while the
vehicle is not moving .
.,. Switch o n the ign ition.
.,. Pull lever into posi tion
(D c:> page 90,
fig. 94 .
... Press the leve r in the 0 or 0 direction to
increase or decrease your speed.
.,. Release the lever to save that speed.
This function makes it possib le, for examp le,
to save the speed you want before driving on
the h ighway. Once on the highway, activate
the cru ise control by pulling the lever toward
(D.
' Switching the system off
Temporary deactivation
.,. Press the brake pedal, or
... Press the leve r in to position @(not clicked
into place)
~ page 90, fig . 94, or
.,. Dr ive fo r longe r than 5 mi nutes at mo re
t han 5 mph (10 km/h) above the stored
speed.
Switching off completely
.,. Press lever into position @(clicked into
place), or
.,. Switch t he ignit ion off.
T he system retains the saved speed if you de ­
activate the c ruise control temporar ily. To re­
sume t he saved speed, re lease the brake ped ­
al and p ull the leve r to po sition
(D .
Swi tch ing the ignit ion off e rases the saved
speed.
A WARNING
You sho uld only ret urn to the saved speed
if it is not too fast for the cur rent traffic
conditions -ris k of an accident!

Audi adapt ive crui se c ontrol an d bra kin g guard 9 3
vehicles or obstacles that are not moving
can trigger a collision warning and if con­
firmed by the video camera, an acute col­ lis ion warn ing.
- For safety reasons, do not use adaptive
cruise control when driving on roads with
many curves, when the road surface is in
poor condit ion and/or in bad weather
(such as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and
hydroplan ing). Using the system under
these cond itions cou ld result in a co lli ­
sion .
- Switch adaptive c ruise control off tempo­
rar ily when driv ing in turning lanes, on
expressway exits or in construction
zones . This prevents the vehicle from ac­
celerating to the set speed when in these
situations .
- The adapt ive cru ise control system w ill
not brake by itse lf if you put your foot on
the accelerator pedal. Doing so can over­ ride the speed and distance regulation .
- When approaching stationary objects such as stopped traffic, adaptive cruise
control will not respond and braking
guard w ill have limited function.
- The adapt ive cruise control system and
braking guard do not react to people , an­
ima ls, objects crossing the road o r on­
coming objects .
- The function of the radar sensors can be
affected by reflective objects such as
guard ra ils, the entra nce to a tunnel,
heavy rain or i ce.
- Never follow a veh icle so closely that you
cannot stop your vehicle safe ly. The
adaptive cruise cont ro l c anno t slow or
brake the veh icle safely when you follow
another vehicle too closely. Always re­
member that the automatic braking
funct ion cannot bring the veh icle to a
sudden or emergency stop under these
conditions .
- To prevent unintended operation, always
switch ACC off when it is not being used. (D Note
The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housing and underbody. That cou ld affect the adaptive
cruise control system and brak ing guard .
Have your authorized Aud i dea ler or a u­
thorized Audi Serv ice Facility check their
funct ion.
In curves
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
I
F ig. 9 7 Exampl e: dri vin g in to a curve
When dr iving into a curve c:> fig. 97 and out of
a cu rve, the ad aptive cruise con trol m ay react
to a vehicle in the next lane and apply the
brakes . You can override or prevent the brak­
i ng by pressing the accelerator pedal b riefly.
Stationary objects
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
Fig. 98 Ex ampl e: object chang ing l anes and s ta tio nar y
objec t
The adaptive cru ise con tro l system only reacts
to objects that a re mov ing o r th at the system
has a lready detected as moving . For examp le,
if a vehicle @, which has a lready been detect-
ed by the adaptive c ruise contro l, tu rns o r
changes lane s and another stationary vehicle .,._

Audi adaptive cruise control and braking guard 95
tachometer @and is also shown briefly in
thedisplay @c::>fig.101.
.. You must also press the brake pedal when
the vehicle is stopped.
Switching adaptive cruise control off
.. Push the lever away from you into position
@ until it clicks into place. The message
ACC off appears.
@ Indicator lights
II-Adaptive cru ise contro l is switched on.
No vehicles are detec ted up ahead. The stored
speed is ma intained.
• -A moving vehicle is detected up ahead.
The adaptive cruise control system regulates
the speed and distance to the moving vehicle
ahead and acce lerates/brakes automatical ly.
fit -Adaptive cruise contro l is switched on. A
mov ing vehicle up ahead was detected. Your
vehicle remains stopped.
• -When automatic brak ing is not able to
keep enough distance to a previously detected
moving vehicle up ahead, you must take con­
trol and brake
c::> page 97, Prompt for driver
intervention.
© Display
If adaptive cruise control is not shown in the
d isp lay, you can call it up with the multifunc­
tion steering wheel buttons c::>
page 23.
Based on the symbols in the d isplay, you can
determine if the system is maintaining a dis­
tance to the vehicle ahead and what that d is­
tance is.
No vehicle · No veh icle ahead was detected .
White vehicle -A vehicle ahead was detected.
Red vehicle -Prompt for the driver to take ac­
tion
<=:> page 97.
Both
arrow s on the scale© indicate the dis­
tance to the vehicle ahead. No arrow appears
when the vehicle is on an open road and there
is no object ahead . If an object is detected
:;, ahead , the arrow moves on the scale .
"' ,....,
"' ,....,
The green zone on the scale shows the stored
distance. For information on changing the
stored distance, refer to
c::> page 96. If the
distance selected is too close or may soon be­
come too close, the arrows move into the red
zone on the sca le .
A WARNING
Improper use of the adaptive cruise con­
trol can cause collisions, other accidents
and serious personal injur ies .
- Pressing the
!SET ! button when driv ing at
speeds below 20 mph (30 km/h), will au­
tomatically accelerate the vehicle to 20
mph (30 km/h), which is the minimum
speed that can be set.
(D Tips
-If you switch the ignit ion or the adaptive
cruise control off, the set speed is erased
from the system memory.
- You cannot switch the Electronic Stabili­
zation Control (ESC) to the SPORT mode
when adaptive cruise control is switched
on.
Changing the speed
Applies to vehicles: with Aud i adapt ive crui se control
0
f
• 0
Fig. 102 Selector lever: ch ang ing the speed
.. To increase or reduce the speed in incre­
ments,
tap the lever up or down.
-0:, N 0 ± ... a)
.. To increase or reduce the speed quickly, hold
the lever up or down until the red LED @
reaches the desired speed
c::> page 94,
fig.101. ~