2016 AUDI A8 light

@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of
brake fluid as we ll as the special toots re­
quired and the necessary expertise, we rec­
ommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your authorized Audi dealer .
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the battery
in your Audi does not need any maint enance.
With
high outside temperatures or long daily
drives we recommend tha t you have the electro­
lyte level checked by a service facility. The elec­
trolyte level should also be checked each time
the battery is charged ¢
page 233.
Have the battery checked when you take your ve­
hicle in for serv ice. You are well advised to re­
place a battery that is older than 5 years .
With certain types of airbag deployment, the batte ry is disconnected from the vehicle electri­
cal system for safety reasons¢
& in Repair, care
and disposal of the airbags on page 159 .
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window regu la­
tors, for example) are lost if the battery te rmi ­
nals are disconnected. These functions have to be
relearned after the battery terminals are con­
nected again. To prevent th is, the battery should
only be disconnected from the vehicle e lectr ica l
system when abso lutely necessary for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of
several days or weeks, electrical components are
gradually cut back or sw itched off. This reduces
ene rgy consumption and ma inta ins starting ca­
pability over a longer period ¢
page 195. Some
of the convenience functions may not operate,
such as the interior lights or the power seat ad­
justment. The convenience funct ions will be
ava ilable again when you switch on the ignition
and start the engine.
Checking and Filling
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity tends
to decrease as temperatures drop . This is be­
cause more power is also consumed while start­
ing, and the headlights, rear window defogger,
etc., are used more often.
Avo id unnecessary power consumption, particu­
larly in city traffic or when traveling only short
distances . Let your authorized Audi dealer check
the capacity of the vehicle battery before winter
sets in ¢
page 233. A well charged battery will
not only prevent starting problems when the
weather is cold, but will also last longer .
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the ve­
hicle battery should be removed and stored
where it w ill not freeze . This will prevent it
from be ing damaged and having to be re­
placed.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compart­
ment under the floor . Before you check anything
in the luggage compartment,
read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢
&-
Always heed the safety warnings, when working
on the vehicle battery or the veh icle electrical
system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very important
when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM·
BOLS and safety precautions when working on
the battery.
®
Always wear eye protection.
~
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Al-
ways wear gloves and eye protection.
231

Check ing and F illing
@
No
- spark s
- fl ame s
- smokin g.
~
Wh en a b att ery is ch arg ed , it produc es
h yd ro ge n ga s which i s explosive and
could cau se per sonal injury.
®
Always keep the b atter y well out of
r each of child ren.
A WARNING
Whenever work ing on the battery or on the
elect rical system, there is the risk of injury,
accident and
even fire. Read and heed the fol­
lowing WARN INGS :
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let bat­
te ry acid or any lead particles get on your
sk in or cloth ing . Sh ield your eyes. Explosive
gases can cause blindness or other injury .
- Battery acid con tains su lfu ric acid. Sulfur ic
acid can cause blindness and severe b urns.
- Always wear gloves and eye protection. Do
no t tilt the battery because acid could leak
out of the ventilat ion open ings .
- If you get battery ac id in your eyes or on
your skin, immediately rinse with cold wa­
ter for several minutes and get medical at­ tention .
- If you should ingest any battery acid, seek
medical attention immediately .
- Do not expose the battery to an open flame,
electric sparks or an open light .
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and nega-
t ive cables.
- When working on the battery, be sure not to
short-circuit the terminals with tools or oth ­
er metal objects. Th is wou ld cause the bat­
tery to heat up
very quickly, which could
lead to damage or explosion and personal
injury .
- When a battery is charged, it produces hy ­
drogen gas which is explosive and could
ca use personal injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the reach of ch ildre n.
232
-
-Before work is done on the electrical sys­
tem, disconnect the negative gro und cable.
- Before performing any work on the e lectri­
cal system, switch off the engine and ign i­
tion as well as any electrical equ ipment . The
negat ive cab le on the battery must be dis­
connected . If you are just going to replace a
light bulb, then it is enough to switch off
the lights.
- Before d isconnecting the battery, switch off
the anti-theft alarm system! Otherwise you
will set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first dis­
connect the negative cab le and then the
positive cable.
- Before reconnect ing the battery, make sure
all electr ica l consume rs a re switched off .
Reconnect the positive cable first and then
the negative cable . Never in terch ange t he
cables -this could sta rt a fire!
- Never cha rge a frozen or a thawed-out bat­
tery . It cou ld explode ! If a ba ttery has fro­
zen, then it must be replaced. A discharged
battery can freeze over at 32 ° F (0 °C).
- Make sure the
vent hose is always attached
to the opening on the side of the battery .
- Never use batter ies which are damaged.
There is the danger of an exp losion! Always
replace a damaged battery .
A WARNING
Califo rnia Proposition 65 Warning :
- Batte ry posts, te rm inals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State o f Cali fornia
to cause cancer and reproductive problems.
Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery when
the ignition is on or when the engine is run­
ning, otherwise, you w ill damage electronic
components in the electrical system.
- If your veh icle is go ing to stand for a long
period of time w ithout being driven, protect
the battery from "freezing", otherwise it ..,.

Check ing and F illing
warm water and baking soda to neutralize
the acid.
CD Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to start
the engine . This will serious ly damage sensi­
tive electronic components, such as control
units, relays, radio, etc., as well as the battery
charger.
Battery replacement
T he new battery must have the same specifica­
t ions and dimensions as the original equipmen t
bat tery.
Int elli g ent en ergy managem ent in your vehicle is
responsible for distributing the electrical energy
throughout your vehicle
r=> page 195. The intelli­
gent energy management system will keep the
engine battery charged better than veh icles w ith­
out this system . To make sure the addit ional
e lectrical energy is avai lab le once again after you
have changed the battery, we recommend that
you install batteries of the same type and manu­ facture on ly (the same as those installed at the
time your vehicle was delivered). Specifications
are listed on the battery housing. Your author­
i z ed dealer must code the battery in the energy
management system to enable you to use the en­
ergy management functions correctly after re ­
placing the battery .
The new battery must have the same capacity,
voltage (12 volts) , amperage, construction and
plug sealing .
When installing the battery, make sure the igni­
tion and all electrical consumers are sw itched
off.
CD Note
- Make sure the ventilation hose on the s ide
of the battery is connected, otherw ise
fumes or battery ac id can leak out.
- Vehicles with the Start-Stop-System* are equipped with a special cycle-proof AGM battery . Installing a d ifferent type of bat­
tery can cause problems in the vehicle elec -
234
trical system. When replacing the vehicle
battery, always install one with the same
specifications as the original battery .
- Battery mounts and clamps m ust always be
secured correctly.
- Read and follow the warnings under
¢ page 231, Working on the battery before
performing any work on the battery .
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the p roblem of proper disposal of
a battery, we recommend your authorized
A udi dealer change the battery for you . Bat­
teries contain sulfur ic acid and lead and must
a lways be disposed of properly in compliance
with all environmental regulations . Disposing
of veh icle batteries improperly is very danger­
ous to the environment .
Windshield washer
system
Fig. 204 En gin e compa rt ment: washer fluid rese rvoir cap
The w indshield washer fluid reservo ir Q conta ins
the cleaning solution for the w indshield and the
headlight washe r system ¢
fig. 204, ¢ page 222.
The reservoir capacity is found in
r=> page 2 78 .
To reduce the risk of lime scale depos its on the
spray nozzles, use clean water with low amounts
of calcium. Always add w indow cleaner to the wa­
ter . When the outside temperat ures are cold , an
anti-freez ing agent shou ld be added to the water
so that it does not freeze. ..,.

Wheels
Wheels
Wheels and Tires
General information
~check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob­
jects from the tire tread.
~ If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap ­
proach the curb at an angle.
~ Have faulty tires or rims re­
placed immediately.
~ Protect your tires from oil,
grease and fuel.
~ Mark tires before removing
them so that the same running direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled .
~ Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as possible.
(i}) Note
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical i n those seasons. Audi recom­
mends using winter tires dur­
i ng the winter months. Low
temperatures significantly de­ crease the elasticity of summ­
er tires, which affects traction
236
and braking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold
temperatures, cracks can form on the tread bars, resulting in
permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be used in winter driving condi­
tions. The surface of the r ims
does not have sufficient corro­
sion protection for th is and
could be permanently dam­
aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
Fig. 205 Tire specifi cation codes on the
sidewall of a tire .,._

Wheels
_& WARNING
Temperature grades apply to tires that are
properly inflated and not over or underinf lat ­
ed.
Tire pressure monitoring system
U) General notes
Applies to: vehicles with tire pressure monito ring system
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat­
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflat ion pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la­
bel, you should determine the proper tire infla­
tion pressure fo r those tir es) .
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a t ire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure tell­
tale when one or more of your tires is significant­
ly under-inflated . Accord ingly, when the low tire
p ressure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a signifi­
cantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over­
heat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re­
sponsib ility to maintain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pres­
sure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunct ion indicator to indicate when the sys­
tem is not operating properly. The TPMS mal­
function indicator is comb ined w ith the low tire
pressure telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi­
mately one minute and then remain cont inuous ly
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon
254
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal­
function exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illum inated,
the system may not be able to detect or s ignal
low tire pressure as intended . TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
i nstallation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and
whee ls allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
Applies to: vehicles with tire pressure monitoring system
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig . 209 Instrument cl uste r: indicator light with me ssage
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor­
ing system compares the tire tread c ircumfer­
ence and v ibration characteristics of the individu­
al tires.
If the pressure changes in one or more
ti res, this is ind icated in the instrument cluster
display with an indicator light
[I] and a message.
If only one tire is affected, the locat ion of that
tire will be indicated.
The tire pressures must be stored in the Infotain­
ment system again each time the pressures
change (switching between partial and full load
pressure) or after changing or replacing a tire on
your vehicle ¢
page 255. The tire pressure moni­
tor ing system only monitors the tire pressure you
have stored . Refer to the t ire pressure label for ..,.

the recommended tire pressure for you r ve hicle
¢ page 246, fig . 208.
T ire tread circumference and v ibrat ion character­
istics can change and cause a ti re pressure warn­
ing if :
- the tire p ressure in one o r more tires is too low.
- the tire has structura l damage .
- the tire was replaced or the tire pressure was
changed and it was not stored¢
page 255 .
-the spare t ire* is installed.
Ind icat or light s
IE Loss of press ure in at least one tire q &. .
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary.
Check/correct the pressures of a ll four tires and
store the pressure again in the Infotainment sys­
tem ¢
page 255.
ffim (T ire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressu re: Sys tem malfunction !.
Iffflm appears
after switching the ignition on or wh ile driving
and the
IE indicator light in the instrument clus­
ter blinks for approximate ly one minute and then
stays on, there is system malfunction . Try to
store the correct tire pressures¢ page 255 . If
the indicator light does tur n off or t urns on again
a fte r a short period of time, dr ive to you r author­
ized A udi dealer or qualified repair fac ility imme­
diate ly to have the ma lfunction co rrected.
&_ WARNING
- If the tire pressu re indicator appears in the
display, reduce your speed immed iate ly and
avoid any hard steer ing or braking maneu­
vers. Stop as soon as possib le and check the
t ir es and their press ure .
- The driver is responsib le for maintaining the
correct tire pressure. You must check the
t ir e pressu re regu la rly .
- Under certa in conditions (such as a sporty
dr iv ing style, wi nter cond itions or unpaved
roads), the tire p ressure monitoring system
indicator may be de layed.
- Do not use r un-flat tires on your vehicle. Us­
ing them when not permitted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents.
Wh eel s
(D Tips
-The tire p ressure monitoring system can al­
so stop working when there is an ESC mal­
function.
- Using snow c hains may result in a system
ma lf u nction.
- The tires wit h the identification "AO" or
"RO"
q page 243 have been matched wit h
your Audi t ire press ure monitoring system.
We recommend that you use these tires.
Storing tire pressures
If the tire pressure changes or a tire is replaced,
it must be confirmed in the Infotainment sys­ tem.
.,. Ma ke sure befo re storing t hat the t ire pressures
of all four tires meet the specified values and
are adapted to the load ¢
page 244.
.,. Switch the ignit ion on .
.,. Select: the
I CAR ! funct io n button > Car Systems
cont rol button > Serv icing & check s > Tire
pressure monitoring > Store tire pressures >
Ye s, store now .
(j) Tips
Do not sto re the tire pressures if snow chains
are ins talled. Ot he rw ise the system could
malfunc tion.
255

Replacing wheels
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own
and your passenger's safety when changing a
wheel.
.,. After you experience a tire failure, pull the car
well away from moving traffic and try to reach
level ground before you stop¢.,&. .
.. All passengers should
leave the car and move
to a safe location (for instance, beh ind the
guardrail) ¢.,&. .
.,. Engage the
parking brake to prevent your vehi­
cle from rolling unintentionally ¢.,&. .
.. Move
selector lever to position P ¢ .,&. .
1> lfyou are towing a trailer, unhitch the trailer
from your vehicle.
.,. Take the
jack and the spare tire out of the lug­
gage compartment,
¢page 257.
..&, WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured wh ile
changing a wheel if you do not follow these
safety precautions:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance
off the road. Turn off the engine, turn the
emergency flashers on and use other warn­
ing devices to alert other motorists.
- Make sure that passengers wa it in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well away
from the road and traffic.
- T o help prevent the vehicle from moving
sudden ly and possibly slipping off the jack,
always fully set the parking brake and block
the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel be­
ing changed. When one front wheel is lifted
off the ground, plac ing the Automatic
Transmission in "P" (Park) will
not prevent
the vehicle from moving.
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the
ground is level and firm . If necessary, use a
sturdy board under the jack .
- Always store the vehicle tool k it, the jack
and the replaced tire in the luggage com­
partment ¢
page 135.
Emergency assistance
{!) Tips
Before changing the wheel, you must activate
the jacking mode, so that the automat ic con­
tro ls for the Adaptive Air Suspension do not
make it more difficult to lift the vehicle with
the jack ¢
page 261 .
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel , follow the sequence
described below step-by-s tep and in exactly tha t
order .
l. Activate the vehicle jack mode ¢ page 261 .
2. Remove the decorative wheel cover*. For
more details see also¢
page 260, Decora ­
tive wheel covers
or¢ page 260, Wheels
with wheel bolt caps .
3. Loosen the wheel bolts¢ page 260.
4. Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack and align the jack below that point
¢ page 261 or¢ page 262.
5. Raise the car with the jack¢ page 261 or
¢page 262.
6. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and then
install
the spare ¢ page 263.
7. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly .
8.
Lower the vehicle with the jack .
9. Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly tighten
all wheel bolts<=>
page 260.
10. Replace the decorative wheel cover*.
11. Deactivate the vehicle jack mode in the MMI :
I CAR! function button > Car systems contro l
button
> Servicing & checks > Air susp.: jack
mode > Off.
The vehicle jack mode switches off automatically
at speeds above 10 km/h .
..&, WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and in­
formation
¢ .&. in AB: Raising the vehicle on
page 262
and ¢ page 264.
259

Emergency assistance
After you have loosened all wheel bolts and raised the vehicle off the ground, remove and re­
place the wheel as follows:
Removing the wheel
.,. Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver
handle
to completely remove the topmost
wheel bolt and set it aside on a
clean surface
.::!> fig. 223.
.,. Screw the threaded end of the alignment pin
from the tool kit hand-tight into the empty bolt
hole¢
fig. 224 1> .
.,. Then remove the other wheel bolts as described
above.
.,. Take off the wheel leaving the alignment pin in
the bolt hole ¢0 .
Putting on the spare wheel
.,. Lift the spare wheel and carefully slide it over
the alignment pin to guide it in place ¢0 .
.,. Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver
handle to screw in and tighten all wheel bolts
slightly .
.,. Remove the alignment pin and insert and tight­
en the remaining wheel bolt slightly like the
rest.
.,. Turn the jack handle counter-clockwise to lower
the vehicle until the jack is fully released.
.,. Use the wheel bolt wrench to tighten all wheel
bolts firmly ¢
page 260 . Tighten them cross­
wise,
from one bolt to the (approximately) op­
posite one, to keep the wheel centered.
0 Note
When removing or installing the wheel, the
rim could hit the brake rotor/ceramic brake
rotor* and damage the rotor . Work carefully
and have a second person help you.
Never use the hexagonal socket in the handle
of the screwdriver to loosen or tighten the
wheel bolts.
1
> A pp lies to vehicles with cer amic brake rotors*: Use a sec­
o n d alignment p in* (sto re d in th e s pare w hee l well mold ­
in g) fo r the lower hole , fol low ing the descrip tion for the
fir st a lig nme nt pin .
264
-Pull the reversible blade from the screwdriv­
er before you use the hexagonal socket in
the handle to turn the wheel bolts.
- When mounting tires with
unidirectional
tread design
make sure the tread pattern is
pointed the right way¢
page 264.
-The wheel bolts should be clean and easy to
turn. Check for dirt and corrosion on the
mating surfaces of both the wheel and the
hub. Remove all dirt from these surfaces be­
fore remounting the wheel.
Tires with unidirectional tread design
Tires with unidirectional tread design mus t be
mounted with their tread pattern pointed in the
right direction .
Using a spare tire with a tread pattern
intended for use in a specific direction
When using a spare tire with a tread pattern in­
tended for use in a specific direction, please note
the following:
- The direction of rotation is marked by an arrow
on the side of the tire.
- If the spare tire has to be installed in the incor­
rect direction, use the spare tire only tempora­
rily since the tire will not be able to achieve its
optimum performance characteristics with re­
gard to aquaplaning, noise and wear.
- We recommend that you pay particular atten ­
tion to this fact during wet weather and that
you adjust your speed to match road condi­ tions.
- Replace the flat tire with a new one and have it
installed on your vehicle as soon as possible to
restore the handling advantages of a unidirec­
tional tire.
Notes on wheel changing
Please read the information¢ page 243 if you
are going to use a spare tire which is different
from the tires on your vehicle.