2016 AUDI A8 warning

@ 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 ..,.

will be damaged and will then have to be re­
placed.
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged bat­
tery.
Fig. 203 Engine co mpa rtment: connectors fo r a c harger
and jump start cables
Always read and heed all WARNINGS below
~ &. and
¢ A in Working on the battery on
page 232.
• Switch off the ignition and all electrical con­
sumers .
• Make sure the area is well ventilated when you
charge the battery.
• Open the engine hood
~ page 220.
• Remove the cover (D by pressing on the arrow
¢ fig . 203.
• Open the cover @on the positive terminal.
• Connect the charger connectors according to
the instructions to the
jump start bolts. (Bolts
under the red cover= "positive" , Bolts with hex
head
= "negat ive").
• Only now plug the mains lead for the charging
equipment into the wall outlet and turn it on
¢&,, .
• Make sure the charging rate is not over
30 amps/14.8 Volt.
• When the battery is fully charged: Turn the
charging equipment off and remove the mains
lead from the wall outlet .
• Now remove the clamps for the charging equip-
ment.
~ • Close the red cover on the positive pole. 0
~ • Close the hood~ page 221.
rl I.Cl U"I
rl I.Cl rl
Checking and Filling
A discharged battery can freeze at temperatures
of only 32 F
0 (0 °C). Allow a frozen battery to
thaw completely before attempting to charge it
¢ &. However , we recommend not using a
thawed battery again because the battery casing can be cracked due to ice formation and can leak
battery acid.
Battery charging (Maximum charging rate of
30 amps/14.8 Volt)
When charging at low voltages (e.g . w ith a trick­
le charger),
the battery cables do not have to be
disconnected first. The battery caps should
not
be opened when charging a battery.
It is not necessary to remove the battery from
the luggage compartment, and it is also not nec­
essary to disconnect the cables .
Fast charging the battery (charging rate
above 14.8 Volts)
For technical reasons do not use a battery charg­
er that uses voltage greater than 14.8 Volts to
charge your vehicle's battery.
.&_ WARNING
Charging a battery can be dangerous.
- Always follow the operating instructions
provided by the battery charger manufactur­
e r when charging your battery.
- Never charge a frozen battery. It may ex­
p lode because of gas trapped in the ice. Al­
low a frozen battery to thaw out first.
- Do not reuse batteries which were frozen.
The battery housing may have cracked and
weakened when the battery froze.
- Charge the battery in a well ventilated area.
Keep away from open flame or electrical
spark. Do not smoke. Hydrogen gas generat­
ed by the battery is explosive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never
connect or disconnect charger cables while
the charger is operating.
- Fast charging a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a competent
technician with the proper equipment.
- Battery acid that may spill during charging
should be washed off with a so lution of
233

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
use a spare tire* that is the same
circumference as the regular
tires .
A WARNING
-Only use tire/rim combina­
tions and suitable wheel bolts
that have been approved by
Audi. Otherwise, damage to
the vehicle and an accident
could result.
-For technical reasons, it is not
possible to use tires from oth­
er vehicles -in some cases,
you cannot even use tires from the same vehicle model.
-Make sure that the tires you select have enough clearance
to the vehicle. Replacement
tires should not be chosen
simply based on the nominal
size, because tires with a dif­
ferent construction can differ
greatly even if they are the
same size. If there is not
enough clearance, the tires or
the vehicle can be damaged and this can reduce driving
safety and increase the risk of an accident.
-Only use tires that are more than 6 years old when abso-
244
lutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
-Do not use run-flat tires on
your vehicle. Using them when not permitted can lead to ve­
hicle damage or accidents.
-If you install wheel covers on
the vehicle, make sure they al­
low enough air circulation to
cool the brake system. If they
do not, this could increase the
risk of an accident.
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 206 Tire profile: treadwear indica­
tor
Tire wear
Check the tires regularly for wear.
-Inflation pressure that is too low or high can increase tire wear
considerably.
-Driving quickly through curves, rapid acceleration and heavy
braking increase tire wear.
-Have an authorized Audi dealer or authorized repair facility
i.

Wheels
check the wheel alignment if have approximately the same
there is unusual wear. length of service life.
-Have the wheels rebalanced if an
For unidirectional tires, make
imbalance is causing noticeable
sure the tires are installed accord-
vibration in the steering wheel. ing to the running direction indi-
If you do not, the tires and other cated on the tire sidewall
vehicle components could wear
¢ page 264.
more quickly.
Hidden damage
Treadwear indicator
Damage to tires and rims can of-
The original tires on your vehicle ten occur in locations that are
have 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high hidden. Unusual vibrations in the
"wear indicators" ¢
fig. 206 run-
vehicle or pulling to one side may
ning across the tread . Marks on
indicate that there is tire damage.
the tire sidewall (for example Reduce your speed immediately.
"TWI" or other symbols) indicate
Check the tires for damage. If no
the positions of the tread wear in- damage is visible from the out-
dicators. side, drive slowly and carefully to
The tires have reached the mini- the nearest authorized Audi deal-
mum tread depth
l) when they er or authorized
repair facility to
have worn down to the treadwear have the vehicle inspected
.
indicators. Replace the tires with
_& WARNING
new ones ¢&. -
Tread that has worn too low or
Wheel rotation different tread depths on the
Rotating the wheels regularly is tires can reduce driving safety.
recommended to ensure the tires This
can especially have a nega-
wear evenly. To rotate wheels, in- tive effect on handling, on the
stall the wheels from the rear risk aquaplaning when driving
axle on the front axle and vice through water, when driving
versa. This will allow the tires to through curves and when
..
.... N ci :c ": .... l) Obey
any applicable regulations in your '° "? .... country. '° ....
245

Wheels
braking, which increases the
risk of an accident.
Tire pressure
pressure to the maximum speci­
fied pressure
c:::> ,&. .
Checking/correcting tire
pressure
f •Check the tire pressure at least
:r
..; once per month and also check it
Fig. 207 Driver's side B-pillar : tire pres­
sure label
:;;
-(~. -----~ ,~
( :=~ ~~:: I ~ I :. I)( ::-) n.,_.....,__.o1___.. .. -vo.._.......... • ... _ ... le~---~--.....,,_.,-'"-,............ ....,, .
lllf """ PNW 07:0lifla.l
-KPA. a PSI
- KPA.
a PSl
- KPA.
a PSl
Fig. 208 Tire pressure label
SEE OWNEJll"S MAMJAI.FOR
AODmOHAI.
INIFOAMATlON
VOOIUMANUEl.
DUNIOl'N:iTA.IRE POUR
P'l. US DE HTS J
The correct tire pressure for tires
mounted in the factory and for
the spare tire* is indicated on a la­
bel. The label is located on the B­
pillar
c:> fig. 207, c> fig. 208.
When the vehicle is partially load­
ed (up to 3 people), use the tire
pressure specified for normal
loads
c:> table on page 248. If
driving the vehicle when fully loaded, you must increase the tire
246
before every long drive.
•Always check the tire pressure
when the tires are
cold. Do not
reduce the pressure if it increas­
es when the tires are warm.
•Check the label
c:> fig. 208 for
the correct tire pressure based
on vehicle load.
•Correct the tire pressure if nec­
essary.
•Vehicles with Tire Pressure Mon­
itoring System*: store the modi­
fied tire pressure in the Infotain­ ment system
c:> page 255.
•Check the pressure in the emer­
gency tire*/spare tire*. Always
maintain the maximum temper­
ature that is specified for the
tire.
A WARNING ~
Always adapt the tire pressure
to your driving style and vehicle load.
-Overloading can lead to loss of
vehicle control and increase

Wheels
Tire pressure
Model/ Tire designation Normal load Maximum load
Engine (up
to
2*/3 people)a>
front rear front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
A8/A8 L : 235/55 Rl8 104H
35 240 32 220 36 250 38 260
3.0L
255/45 Rl9 104H 35 2
4 0
32 22 0 36 25 0 38 2 60
6 cylinders 265/40 R20 104H 35 24 0 32 220 36 250 38 260
265/40 R20 104V 33 2
30 32 22 0
33 2
30
35 240
275/35 R21 103Y
XL 35 240 32 220 36 250 35 240
A8/A8 L: 235/55 Rl8 104H 35 240 32 22
0
38 26
0
38 26
0
4.0L
255/45 Rl9 104H 35 240 32 220 38 260 38 260
8 cylinders 265/40 R20 104H 35 240
32 220
38 260
38 2
60
265/40 R20 104Y 33 230 32 220 35 240
35 240
275/35 R21 103V XL 35 240 32 2 20 38 260
38 260
AB L: 265/40 R20 104Y 35 240 32 220 36 250 35 240
6.3L
255/45 Rl9 104H 36 25 0 32 2 20
39 270 38 260
12 cylin-265/40 R20 104H 36 25
0 32 220 39 270 38 260
ders
275/35 R21 103Y XL 35 24 0 32 220 36 250 35 240
58: 265/40 R20 104Y 36 250 32 22 0 39 27
0
38 260
4.0L 265/35 R21 101 Y 39 270 35 240 44 300 42 290
8 cylinders 275/35 R21 103V XL 39 27
0
35 2
4 0 4 4
300 42
290
a) Vehicles with 4 seating positions: two people in the front, Vehicles with S seating
positions:
two people in the front , one person in the rear
A WARNING
Please note the important safe­
ty precautions regarding tire
pressure ¢
page 246 and load
limits¢
page 248.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of
load or weight that any vehicle
and any tire can carry. A vehicle
that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more difficult to stop.
248
Overloading can not only lead to
loss of vehicle control, but can al­
so damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden
tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation that can
cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex­
ceeded . Vehicle load includes ev ­
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are ..,.