2016 AUDI A8 instrument panel

The PASSENGER AIR BAG O FF light is located in
the center of the instrument panel
¢ fig. 166 .
The PASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light will come on
and stay on to tell you when the front Advanced
Airbag on the passenger side has been turned off
by the electronic control unit . Each time you
sw itch on the ignition, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OF F
light will flash for a few seconds and :
- will stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied,
- will stay on if the re is a sma ll child or child re­
straint on the front passenger seat,
- wi ll go out if the front passenger seat is occu ­
pied by an adult as registered by the weight­
sensing mat.
The
PA SSENGER AIR BAG O FF light mu st co me
o n and st ay on
if the igni tion is on and
- a car bed has been insta lled on the front seat,
o r
- a rearward-facing child restrai nt has been in­
stalled on the front passenger seat , or
- a forward-facing child restra int has been instal ­
led on the front passenger seat, or
- the weight reg istered on the front passenger
seat is equal to or less than the combined
weight of a typical 1 year-o ld restrained in one
of the rear-facing or forward-fac ing infant re­
straints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208 w ith which the Advanced A irbag
System in your vehicle was certified.
I f the front passenger seat is no t occupied, the
fron t air bag w ill not deploy, and the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light will stay on . Never install a
rearward -fac ing child restraint on the front pas ­
senger seat, the safest p lace for a child in any
kind of child restraint is at one of the seating po­
sitions on the rear seat
¢page 147, Child re­
straints on the front seat -some important
things to know
and ¢ page 168, Child safety .
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
when one of the conditions listed above is met,
be sure to check the light regularly to make cer­
tain that the
PAS SENGER AIR BA G OFF light
stays on cont inuously whenever the ign ition is
on. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
Airb ag sys tem
not appear on and does not stay on a ll the time,
stop as soon as it is safe to do so and
- react ivate the system by sw itch ing the ig nition
off and then switching it on aga in;
- remove and re insta ll the chi ld restraint. Make
sure that the chi ld restraint is properly insta l­
led and that the safety belt for the front pas­
senger seat has bee n correct ly routed through
the child restraint as desc ribed in the c hild re­
straint manufacturer's instruct ions;
- make sure that the convertible locking retrac­
tor on the safety belt for the front passenger
seat has been activated and that the safety belt has been pulled tight. The belt must not be
loose or have loops of slack so that the sensor
below the safety belt latch on the seat can do
its job
¢ page 177 .
-make sure that th ings that may increase the
weight of the child and ch ild seat are not being
transpo rted o n the front passenge r seat;
- make sure that the safety belt tens ion sensor is
not b locked . Shake the safety belt la tch on the
front passenger seatback and fo rth;
- If a strap or tether is being used to tie the child
seat to the front passenger seat, make su re
t ha t it is not so tight that it causes the weight­
sensing mat to measure more weight than is
ac tually on the seat.
If th e PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still doe s
not come on
and does not stay on continuously
(whe n the ignition is switched on),
- take the child restraint off the front passenger
seat and install it p roper ly at one of the rear
seat pos itions . Have the airbag system inspect­
ed by yo ur Audi dealer immed iate ly.
- move the child to a rear seat pos ition and ma ke
sure that t he chi ld is proper ly rest rained in a
child restra int that is appropr iate for its s ize
and age .
T he
PAS SENGER AIR BAG OFF light should NOT
come on when the ignit io n is on and an adu lt is
s itting in a proper seat ing pos ition on the front
passenge r seat. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on or flashes for about
5 seconds whi le dr iv ing, under these c ircumstan-
ces, make sure that :
Ill-
157

Airbag syste m
-the adu lt on the front passenger seat is proper ­
ly seated on the center of the seat cushion with
his or her back up against the backrest and the
backrest is not reclined
c> page 130, Correc t
passenger seating positions,
- the adu lt is not taking weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the fron t passenger door or supporting
their we ight on the armrest,
- the safety bel t is being properly worn and that
there is not a lot of slack in the safety belt web­
bing,
- accessory seat covers or cushions or other
th ings that may cause an incorrect read ing or
impression on the weight-sensing mat under
the upho lstery of the seat have been removed
from the front passenge r seat,
- a safety be lt extender has not been left in the
safety belt latc h for the front passenge r seat.
In addition to the
PA SSE NGER AIR BAG OFF
light in the center of the instrument panel, the
message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG ON
w ill briefly appear in the inst ru­
ment cluster display . T his is to inform the driver
of the current front passenger airbag status.
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not funct ion ing prop­
er ly cannot p rovide supplemental p rotection
in a frontal crash .
- If the airbag indicato r light
r=>page 18
comes when the vehicle is be ing used, h ave
the system inspected immediate ly by yo ur
authorized Aud i dealer . It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not s up­
posed to, or will not inflate when it should.
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child without a
child restraint, or in a rearward-facing child
safety seat, or in a forward-facing child re­
straint that has not been properly installed
w ill be seriously injured and can be killed .
158
-Even tho ugh your vehicle is equipped with
an Advanced A irbag System, make certain
that a ll children, espec ia lly 12 years and
younger, always ride on the back seat prop­
erly restrained for their age and s ize.
- Always install forward or rear-facing child
seats on the rear seat -even w ith an Ad­
vanced Airbag System .
- If you must install a rearward-facing child
seat o n the front passenge r seat because of
except ional circumstances and the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not appear and
s tay on, immediate ly ins tall the re ar-fa cing
child sea t in a rear seat ing pos ition and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi
dea ler.
- A t ight tether or other s trap on a rearward­
facing chi ld restraint attached to the front
passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-sensing mat in the seat and
register more weight than is actually on the
seat . The heavier weight registered can
make the system work as thoug h an adu lt
were on the seat and deploy the Advanced
Airbag when it must be suppressed causing
serious or even f atal injury to the child .
- If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-fa cing child res traint on
the front p assenge r seat, always move the
seat into i ts rearmost posi tion in the sea t's
fore and aft ad justment range, as far away
from the ai rbag as possible . The back rest
must be adjusted to an upr ight position .
Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght comes on and stays on all the time
wheneve r the ignit ion is switched on.
A WARNING
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not go out when an adult is sitting on the
front passenger seat afte r taking the steps
described above, make s ure the adult is
p roper ly sea ted and restra ined at one o f the
rear sea ting posit ions .
- Have the ai rbag system inspec ted by your
Aud i dea le r before tr anspor ting anyone on
the front passenge r seat .

(D Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front passen­
ger seat detects an empty seat, the front air­
bag on the passenger side will be turned off,
and the
P ASS ENGER AI R BA G OFF light will
stay on.
Repair , care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the a irbag system are installed at many
d ifferent p laces on your Aud i. Installing , remov­
ing, servic ing or repa iring a part in an area of the
vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system
and p revent that system from working properly
in a co llision.
There are some important things you have to
know to make su re that the effectiveness of the
system w ill not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environm ent .
A WARNING
Improper care, serv icing and repa ir proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal injury
and death by preventing an airbag from de­
ploying when needed or deploying an airbag
unexpectedly:
-
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steer ­
ing wheel horn pad or a irbag cover or the in­
strument panel or mod ify them in any way .
- Never attach any objects such as cup holders or telephone mountings to the surfaces cov­
er ing the airbag units.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
pane l, use on ly a soft, dry cloth or one mois­
tened with plain water. Solvents or cleaners cou ld damage the a irbag cover or change
the stiffness or strength of the material so
that the airbag cannot dep loy and protect
properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of
the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, instr ument
pane l, front seats or electrical system (in­
cluding the installation of audio equipment,
cellu lar telephones and CB radios, etc.)
must be performed by a qualified technician
Airb ag sys tem
who has the training and special equ ipment
necessary.
- For any wo rk on the airbag system, we
strong ly recommend that you see your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
- Never modify the front bumper or parts of
the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side a irbag can
inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replacement
upholstery ove r the front seatbacks that
have not been specifica lly approved by
Audi .
- Never use addi tional seat c ushions that
cove r the areas where the side airbags in­
flate.
- Damage to the orig inal seat cove rs or to
the seam in the area of the s ide airbag
module must a lways be repaired immedi­
ate ly by an authorized Aud i dealer.
- The airbag system can be activated only
once . A fter an airbag has inflated, it must
be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technic ian who has the technical
information, t raining and spec ial equ ipment
necessary.
- The airbag system can be deployed only
once . After an airbag has been deployed, it
must be replaced with new rep lacement
parts des igned and approved especially for
your Aud i model version. Replacement of
comp lete airbag systems or airbag compo­
nents must be performed by qualified work­
shops only. Ma ke sure that any airbag serv­
ice act ion is en tered in your Aud i Wa rranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG RE ­
PLACEMENT RECORD.
- For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
alternator and starter are separated from
the vehicle battery with a pyrotechnic circ uit
interrupter.
- Wo rk on the pyrotechnic c ircuit inte rrupt­
er must on ly be performed by a qua lified
dealer -risk of an acc ident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interr upter is
scrapped, all applicable safe ty p recau tions
mus t be followed.
159

Airbag syste m
@ For the sake of the en vironment
Undep loyed airbag modu les and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Materi­
al -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­ rate . When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules and
safety belts w ith pretensioners are scrapped,
all applicable laws and regu lations must be
observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is fa­
m iliar with these requirements and we recom­
mend that you have your dealer perform this
service for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
cha nge the way that the Advanced Airbag System
pe rforms in a crash. For example, using tire-r im
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lower ing the
veh icle, chang ing the stiffness of the suspens ion,
including the spr ings, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
electronic control unit . Some suspens ion changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in wh ich it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other ki nds of
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and preven t the airbag from deploy­
ing when it should .
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced A irbag performance and in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspension components that do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components originally insta l­
led on your veh icle .
- Never use tire-rim comb inations that have
not been approved by Audi.
160
A WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle
and the center console can cause the sensors in the buckle to send the wrong information
to the electronic contro l module and prevent
the Advanced A irbag System from wo rking
p roperly.
- Always make sure that noth ing can inte rfe re
w ith the safety belt buckles and that they
are not obst ructed.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
Fig. 167 Driver's kn ee ai rbag
The driver knee airbag is in the inst rument panel
u nderneath the s teer ing whee l
~ fig. 16 7, the
airbag fo r the passenger is at about the same
height in the instrument panel underneath the
glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers add itiona l protection to
the d river's and passenge r's knees and uppe r and
l ower thigh areas and supp lements the protec ­
tion prov ided by the safety belts .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags a lso
deploy in frontal coll is ions when the deployment
th reshold stored in the control unit is met
~ page 154, More important things to know
about front airbags.
In add ition to their normal safe ty f unct ion, safe-
ty belts help keep the driver or front passenger in ..,

position in a frontal collision so that the airbags
can provide supplemental protection.
The airbag system is not a s ubst itute for yo ur
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overa ll occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle. Always re­
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wear ing it properly . This is why you should
always wear your safety belt, not just because
the law requires you to do soc::,
page 138, Gener ­
al information.
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain k inds of accidents -your safety
be lts
a re always there to offer protection in those
accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have a lready dep loyed, for
examp le when yo ur vehicle str ikes or is str uck by
anothe r afte r the f irst collis ion.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt. The a irbag
sys tem wo rks most effec tively when used with
the safety belts. Therefore , al ways wear your
safety bel ts cor rect ly .
It is important to remember that while the sup­
p lemental knee a irbag sys tem is designed to re­
d uce the like lihood of serious injur ies, other inju­
ries, fo r example, swell ing, b ruising and minor
abrasions and fr iction burns can also occu r when
an airbag inflates.
The kne e airbag system basically consists of:
- The electronic contro l modu le
- Two inf latab le airbags (airbag and gas genera-
tor), one for the dr ive r and one fo r the front
passenge r
- T he airbag ind icator light in the instrument
pane l
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ignition is switched off
- in frontal collisions when the deceleration
measured by the control unit is too low
- in side collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers
Airb ag sys tem
-in the event of a system malfunction (warning/
indicator light is on)
c::, poge 18.
.&_ WARNING
-
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protect ion when occupants are in
the proper seat ing pos ition
c::,page 154.
-If the airbag indicator light c::, page 18
comes w hen the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or w ill not inflate w hen it should.
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully inflated knee airbags .
Fig . 1 68 Inflated a irbags pro tecting in a frontal co llision
T he knee air bag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger dep loy in certain but not all fronta l co llisions.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee a irbags a lso
deploy in frontal coll is ions when the deployment
t h reshold stored in the control unit is met .
When the system deploys, the a irbags fi ll w ith a
prope llant gas, and infla te between the lower
part of the instrument panel and t he driver and
the lower part of the instrument panel and the
f ront passenger
c::, page 154, fig. 165 .
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact an d in this way they can
help to red uce the risk of inj ury to the lower ex­
tremities.
All o f th is takes place in the blink of an eye, so
f ast that many peop le don't even realize that the .,..
161

Airbag system
the circumstances will vary considerably between
one collision and another. Important factors in­
clude, for example, the nature (hard or soft) of
the impacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
c:;, page 166, How side curtain air­
bags work .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
belts work to help keep the driver or front pas­
senger in position in the event of a collision so
that the side curtain airbags can provide protec ­
tion .
The airbag system is not a substitute for your safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re ­
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you a re wearing your safety belt
and wearing it properly . This is another reason
why you should always wear your safety belts,
not just because the law requires you to do so
c:;, page 138, General information.
It is important to remember that whi le the s ide
curtain airbag system is designed to help reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injuries,
for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abra ­
s ions can a lso be associated with these airbags
upon deployment. Remember too, these a irbags
will deploy only once and only in certa in kinds of
accidents - your safety belts are always there to
offer protect ion .
The side curtain airbag system ba sically
consists of:
-The electronic control module and external side
impact sensors
- The side curtain airbags above the front and
rear side windows
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you switch on the ignition, the
airbag system indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics) .
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
-if the ignition is switched off,
166
- in side collisions when the acceleration meas­
ured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end collisions.
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
c:;, page 58, Gen­
eral information .
-If the airbag ind icator light c:;, page 18
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or wi ll 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 re­
strained.
Fig. 172 Illus trat io n of princ iple: I nflated s ide c urtain a ir­
bags o n the left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the oc­
cupant and the windows in a side collision
¢ fig. 172.
When the system is triggered, the side curta in
airbag is filled w ith propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above t he front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order
to help provide this additional protection, the
s ide curtain airbag must inflate within the blink
of an eye at very high speed and with g reat fo rce.
The side curtain airbag could injure you if your
seat ing position is not proper or upright or if

Smart Techn olo gy
- Under certain climatic and operating condi­
tions such as passing through water, driving
in heavy rain or after washing the vehicle,
the effectiveness of the brakes can be re­
duced . In w inter, ice can accumulate on the
brake pads, linings, discs and drums . Care­
fully apply brakes fo r a tes t. Brakes w ill dry
and ice coatings wi ll be cleaned off after a
few careful brake applications .
- Driving for an extended pe riod of time on
salt-covered roads witho ut using your
brakes can also affect bra king efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few carefu l
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you in­
stall a different spoiler, be sure the air flow
to the front brakes is not obstructed. Other­
wise the brake system could overheat reduc­
ing the effectiveness of the entire brake sys­
tem.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair the
braking capability result ing in an increased
stopp ing distance. Avoid driving the vehicle
and have it towed to the nea rest Aud i dealer
or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the
engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed considerably
harder to make up for the lac k of booster
assistance.
Electromechanical power
assist, dynamic steering
The electromechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Ind icator light s and messages
• Stee ring defective! St op th e ve hicle
If th is ind icator light turns on and stays on and
this message appears, the power steer ing may
have fa iled.
194
Do not continue driving. See your authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified repair facility for
ass istance .
,Ion Steering : System faul t You can c ontinue
dri ving
If the indicato r light turns on and the message
appears, the steeri ng may be more diff icult to
move o r more sensitive than usu a l. T he steer ing
whee l may also be at an angle when driving
straight.
D rive slowly to your a uth orized Aud i dea ler or
qualified wo rkshop to have the malfunct ion cor­
rected.
1;r,ij D ynamic steering : Init ializing
If this driver message appears and the indicator
light is flashing on the instrument panel, dynam­
i c steer ing* is being re initialized . After starting
the engine, t he steering wheel w ill move slightly.
Re- initializa tion might be necessary if the steer­
i ng whee l was moved hard to the left and right
while the vehicle was not moving . The display
goes out as soon as initialization is comp lete .
D rive slowly to your a uth orized Aud i dea ler or
qualified wo rkshop to have the mal func tion cor­
rected.
.&_ WARNING
Have the dynamic steering * system malfunc­
tion repaired as soon as possible by an au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop -
risk of acc ident!
(D Tips
If the . or ,Ion indicator light only stays on
for a short time, you may continue driving.
- The dynamic steering* stabi lity systems are
not ava ilable in the event of a system mal­
function.
- For additiona l information on dynamic
steering *, refer to~
page 106 .

Fuel and Refueling
nozzle. A worn or damaged nozzle or a noz ­
zle that is too small may not be ab le to open
the diesel m isfueling protector. If th is is the
case, try turning the nozzle before inserting
i t in the fuel f iller neck, use a different fuel
pump or see your authorized Audi dealer or
authorized repair facility for ass istance.
- The fuel filler flap of your vehicle is not
locked when you lock the veh icle from the
i nside .
Fuel filler flap emergency release
You can open the fuel filler flap by hand if the
power locking system should fail.
F ig . 190 Vehicles w ith se lect ive cata lytic reductio n: Right
side tr im pane l
Fig. 191 Right side trim panel in the lu ggage compart ·
ment: e mergency release mechan is m
...,
"' 9 ::i: ... (D
The emergency release mechanism is located be­
hind the right side trim panel in the luggage
compartment. In vehicles with selective catalytic
reduction*, remove the vent grille first :
.. Press both tabs@¢
fig. 190 and tilt the vent
gri lle downward. You can then remove the
grille upward.
.. Loosen the loop¢
fig. 191 from the retainer
and then pull on the loop carefully ¢(D.
216
.. Press on the left side of the fuel filler door to
open
¢ page 214, fig. 188.
(D Note
Only pull on the loop until you feel resistance .
You wi ll not hea r it re lease . Otherwise you
could damage the emergency release mecha­ nism.
Selective catalytic reduction (Ad Blue)
General information
Applies to: vehicles with selective catalytic reduction (SCR)
In vehicles with selective catalytic reduction, a
urea solution (AdBlue) is injected into the ex­
haust system before a nitrogen oxide catalytic
converter to reduce nitrogen emissions .
The Ad Blue is carried in a separate tank in the ve­
hicle. The AdBlue usage accounts for approxi­
mately 0.5% to 1.2% of the diesel fuel that is
used.
When a message about Ad Blue appears in the in­
strument cluster display, you must refill the
Ad Blue yourself or have it refilled by an author­ ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service Facili­
ty
¢ page 217.
@ Tips
-The instrument cluster display indicates the
distance remaining that can be driven
¢page 216. If the AdBlue tank is com­
pletely empty , the eng ine will not start
again after the ign ition is switched off.
- Ad Blue is required by law to operate th is ve­
hicle.
Messages in the instrument cluster display
Applies to: vehicles with selective catalytic reduction (SCR)
The display indicates if the Ad Blue level is Low or
if there is a system malfunction .
AdBlue level low
You will be informed if the AdBlue in the tank
drops below a certain level.