2016 AUDI A8 ECO mode

(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

Child safet y
the control unit of the Advanced Ai rbag System.
When a chi ld restraint is being used on the front
passenger seat with a typical 1 year-old child, the
Advanced Airbag System compares the we ight
measured by the weight sensing mat with the in­
formation stored in the electronic control unit.
The electronic cont rol un it also registers the ten­
sion on the front passenger safety belt. The ten­
sion on the safety belt for the front passenger
seat will be d ifferent fo r an adult who is properly
using the safety belt as compared to the tension
on the belt when it is used to attach a ch ild re­
stra int to the seat. The senso r below the la tch fo r
the safety belt for the fro nt sea t passe nger
meas ures the tens io n on the belt. The inp ut from
this sensor is then used with the weight to "de­
cide", whether there is a child restraint with a
typical 1 year-old child on the front passenger
seat and whethe r or not the a irbag must be
turned off.
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regardless of the child restra int tha t you use,
make sure that it has been cert ified to meet Safe­
ty Standa rds and has been certified by its manu­
facturer for u se wi th an a irb ag. Always be sure
t ha t th e chi ld res tra in t i s properly insta lled at
one o f th e rear seating posit ions . If i n excep tion ­
a l ci rcumstances yo u must use it on the front
passenger seat, carefully read all of the informa­
tion on child safety and Advanced Airbags and heed a ll of the app licab le WARNINGS. Make cer­
tain that the child restra int is correctly recog­
n ized by the we ight-sens ing mat inside the front
passenger seat, that t he fron t passenger a irbag
is tu rned off and tha t the airbag status is a lways
cor rect ly signa led by the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF ligh t.
M any types and models of c hild rest rai nts have
been available ove r th e yea rs, new models are in­
t roduced regularly incorporat ing new and im ­
p roved designs and o lder mode ls are taken o ut o f
p roduction . Chi ld restraints a re not standardized .
Ch ild rest raints of the same type typica lly have
d ifferent weights and s izes and d ifferent 'foot­
prints, ' the size and shape of the bottom of the
chi ld restraint that s its on the seat, when they
170
are ins talled on a vehicle seat . These d ifferences
make it virtua lly impossib le to certify compliance
with the requirements for advanced a irbags w ith
each and every child restra int that has eve r been
sold in the past or will be so ld over the course of
the usefu l life of your vehicle.
Fo r thi s reason, the United States Nationa l H igh­
way Traffic Safety Administration has published a li st of specific type, makes and mode ls of ch ild
r estra ints that must be used to certify compli­
ance of the Advanced Airbag System in your ve hi­
cle w ith the s uppress ion requirements of Federa l
Motor Ve hicl e Safety Standa rd 208. These child
r es trai nts are:
Subpart A - Car bed child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Angel Guard Angel Septe mber 25, 2 007
R ide AA2 403FO F
Subpart B - Rear-facing child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Cent ury SmartFi t 454 3 Decembe r 1, 1999
Cosco Arriva September 25, 2007
22-013PAW and base
22- 999WHO
Evenf lo Discove ry Ad -December 1, 1999
just R ight 212
E venflo First Choi ce Decembe r 1, 1999
2 04
Graco I nfant 8457 December 1, 1999
Graco Snugr ide September 25, 20 07
Peg Perego Primo Viag- September 25, 2007
g io SIP I MUNOOUS
Subpart C -Forward-facing and convertible
child restraints
Model Manufactured on or
after
B rit a x Roun dabo ut September 25, 200 7
E 9 L02xx
Cosco Touriva 02519 December 1, 1999

Operating noi se
Noises may occur when braki ng depend ing on the
speed, braking force and outside cond itions s uch
as temperature and humidity.
Due to the na ture of t he mate ria ls used in ce ram­
ic bra ke rotors*, noises m ay become mo re appa­
ren t at low speeds.
Effect of wat er and road salt
In ce rtain situat ions, for example after driving
through water, in heavy ra in, afte r ove rnig ht con­
densat ion or after washing your car, the braking
effe ct can be red uced by moisture or ice on the
b rake rotors and brake pads. The brakes must be
dried first w ith a few careful brake applications .
At highe r speeds and with t he windsh ie ld wipers
turned o n, the bra ke pads p ress against the bra ke
rotors for a short amount of time . This occ urs at
regular intervals without the driver noticing and
provides for better bra ke response time under
wet conditions.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt-covered road
and the brakes are not used. L ikewise, you clean
off accumu lated salt coat ing from brake discs
and pads with a few cautious applications of the
brake
c::> ,& .
Due to their sur face characteristics, ceramic
brake rotors* absorb mo isture in such condit ions.
This can cause a temporary reduction in braking
force compared to dry brakes. You can compen­
sate for this by pressing the brake peda l harder.
Cor rosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to b uild up on
the brake pads and corros ion to form on the discs
if the car is not driven regularly or only for short
tr ips with little use of the brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if corro­
sion has formed on the discs, it is adv isable to
clean off the pads and discs by brak ing firmly a
few t imes from a moderately high speed
c::> ,& .
Sma rt Technology
Faults in the brake system
If you s hou ld notice a sudden increase in br ake
peda l travel, then one of the two bra ke circu its
may have fai led
c::> ,& .
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions ca n occu r in the brake system if the
brake fluid level is too low . T he brake flu id leve l
is monitored elect ronically.
Brake boost er
The brake booster works w ith vacuum pressure
wh ich is created only when the engine is runn ing
c::> ,& .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visua l in­
spect ion of the cond ition of the brake pads
t hr ough the openings in the wheel. If necessary,
the wheel may be removed for t his inspection
c::> page 259, Replacing wheels .
.8_ WARNING
-New b rake p ads don't h ave the bes t stop­
p ing power an d must be "broken-in" during
the initial 250 miles (400 km) . The break-in
pe riod can be considerably longer for
veh icles with ceramic brake rotors*. You can
compensate for this by pressing the brake
pedal more firmly. This also applies late r
when new pads are installed.
- You shou ld perform braking maneuvers for
the purpose of cleaning the brake system only i f road co ndit ions pe rmit . Other road
users m ust not be put at r is k -you may
cause an ac cident!
- Before descending a steep g rade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear o r lower dr iving range. Do not r ide the
b ra kes or hold the pe dal down too long or
too often. This cou ld cause the b rakes to ge t
hot and dimin ish b raking effic iency .
- Do not " ride the bra kes" by rest ing you r foot
on the pedal when you do no t intend to
brake. This may cause the brakes to over­
heat, premature wear and increased stop­
p ing distance.
193

Driving and th e en vironm ent
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and im­
proves your mileage .
.,. Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed .
Accelerating gent ly reduces fue l consumption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ­ ment.
Fue l consumption, exhaust emissions and engine
noise increase d isproportionately at high speeds.
If you drive at approximately three quarters of
top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by
one half. Never drive faster than the posted
speed limit and weather conditions permit.
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
.,. Shut the engine off when you are not driv ing
the vehicle.
.,. Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the en-
gine run at idle .
The idling phase is automatically reduced for
veh icles with the Start-Stop-System*. It is effi­
cient to switch off the eng ine in vehicles without
the Start -Stop -System when stopped at ra ilroad
crossings and long red lights . Turning the engine
off for just 30-40 seconds saves more fuel than is bu rned by starting the engine aga in.
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up
fu lly when it is running at idle . However, wear
and noxio us em iss ions are espec ially high when
the engine is wa rm ing up. So you sho uld drive
away as soon as you start the engine a nd avoid
running at high rpms while the engine is still
warming up.
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended a fter
starting . If warn ing lights should come on to
indicate improper operation, they wou ld go
unheeded. Extended idling a lso produces
heat, wh ich co uld result in overheat ing or
200
other damage to the vehicle or othe r proper ­
ty.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
.,. Have you r veh icle serviced at regula r interva ls.
By hav ing your veh icle regularly serv iced by an
Audi dealer he lps to ensure that it runs p roperly
and e conomi cally. The cond ition of you r vehicle
not only affects its safety and ab ility to hold its
val ue, it also affects
fuel con sumption .
Check your oil each t ime you fill your tank .
The amount of oi l used is related to engine load
and speed .
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new en­
gine to reach its lowest value after a certain mile­
age has been driven .
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 mi les
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly as­
sess oil consumpt ion.
This also app lies to fue l consumption and engine
output .
(D Note
-Have your ve hicle ma intained properly and
in accordance with the se rvice recommenda ­
tions in your Warranty
& M aintenance book­
let. Lack of proper maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the veh icle w ill impair the
function of the em ission control system and
cou ld lead to damage .
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Contro l System u nless ap­
proved by the man ufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such as
heat shields, switches, ign ition w ires,
valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emission Contro l System and other
impo rtant ve hicle compone nts.

Trail er mode
Trailer mode
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation.
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­
my and performance.
Trailer towing not only places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must ac­
tivate the trai ler operation mode
¢ page 202, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Tr ailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your veh icle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically
sound
location . Use only a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ball mount . Always check w ith the t rail­
er h itch man ufact urer to make sure that you are
using the co rrect hitc h.
Do not u se a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact-absorbing
bumper system . No mod ificat ions should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
F rom t ime to t ime, check that a ll hitch mo unt ing
bolts rema in securely fastened.
When you are not tow ing a traile r, remove the
tra iler hitch ball mount. This prevents the hitch
from caus ing damage should your vehicle be
struck from behind
¢ ,&. .
202
Trailer b rakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
check to be sure that it co nforms to all regu la­
tions.
The tra iler hydrau lic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydrau lic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the tra iler.
Trailer light s
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure
to check with your Aud i dealer for correct wir ing,
switches and relays .
Mirror s
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you us­
ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must in­
stall extended mirrors . It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear.
A WARNING
Afte r remov ing the tra iler hitch, do not sto re
i t in you r vehicle. In case of s udden braking,
the hitch could fly fo rwa rd and injure you or
your passengers.
Operating instructions
Fig. 1 87 MMI d ispl ay: tow ing mode o n
Maximum traile r weight
A tra iler for your vehicle is lim ited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.

Trailer mod e
conditions are unfavorable - particularly when
going downhill.
Red uce veh icle speed
imm ediatel y if the tra ile r
shows the s lightest sign of swaying.
Do not try
to stop the sway in g b y accele rating .
Observe speed lim its . In some areas, speeds for
ve hicl es towing tra ilers are lower than for reg ula r
veh icles.
A lways apply brakes early . When dr iving down­
h ill , sh ift into a lower gear to use the engine
b raking effect to slow the veh icle. Use of the
brakes a lone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Air suspension*
When driving with a tra iler, activate the trailer
mode of the air suspension . Switch the air sus­
pens ion tra iler mode on when you a re towing a
tra ile r. This will limit the regulat ion by the air
suspens ion while driving . Select in the MM I:
ICARI function button > (Car )* sys tem s control
button >
Vehicle setting s > Air su sp .: to wi ng >
On .
Coolant temperature
The coolan t temperature gauge¢ page 10 must
be observed carefully. The coo lant temperature
can increase if you drive on long inclines in a low
gear at high engine speeds. Reduce your speed
immed iate ly if the LEDs in the top part of the dis­
p lay turn on.
For more information about indicator lights, re­
fer to.
¢page 15.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci­
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided
by Audi.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle hand les different ly when towing a
trai ler because of the additiona l weight and dif­
ferent weight distr ibut ion. Safety, performance
204
-
and economy will g reatly depend on how carefu l­
l y you load your trai ler and operate your rig .
Befo re yo u actually tow yo ur t railer, pract ice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic. Keep practicing unti l you have be ­
come complete ly familiar with the way your vehi­
cle-tra iler combination behaves and responds .
Backing up is diff icult and requ ires practice.
Backing up with a trailer genera lly req uires steer ­
ing action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle witho ut a trailer .
Maintain a greater distance between yo ur vehicle
and the one in front of you. You will need more
room to stop . To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius .
When passing, remember tha t you canno t accel­
erate as fast as you normally wou ld because of
the added load . Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow p lenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer du ring the break-i n pe ri­
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a tr aile r, your A udi may requi re
more frequent ma intenance due to the ex­
tra load ¢
page 281.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer . If it cannot
be avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
.,. App ly the foot brake.
.,. Have someone p lace chocks unde r both the ve­
hicle and the trailer wheels .
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks abso rb the load .
.,. Turn the whee ls towards the curb.
.,. App ly the parking brake .
.,. Select the P selector lever posit ion.

Cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro ­
tects the engine from freezing in the winter .
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
quires little attention.
T he cooling system has been filled at the factory
with a permanent coolant which does not need to
be changed . The coolant consists of a mixture of
specially condit ioned water and the manufactur ­
er's glycol-based coolant additive Gl3 antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (SO% for USA mod­
e ls; 60% for Canadian mode ls). This m ixture
both ass ures the necessa ry frost protection and
protects metal components in the engine's coo l­
ing system from corrosion and scaling .
It also
raises the boiling point of the coolant.
Do not red uce the concent ration of the coolant in
the summer by adding p lain water.
The propor­
tion of coolant addit ive mu st be at least 50 %
but not more than 60 %
to mainta in antifreeze
protection and cooling efficiency. If the coolant
frost protection is too low, the coolant could
freeze and damage the vehicle heating and en­
g ine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifree ze is added at the
factory for temperatures down to :
- -31° F(- 3S°C)USA
- - 40 ° F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
If you must add coolant, use a m ixture of water
and coolant addit ive. M ixing the coolant additive
with d istilled water is recommended .
_& WARNING
Before you check anythi ng i n t he engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN ­
INGS
¢ .&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 220 .
(D Note
-Befo re winter se ts in, have the coo lant
checked to see if the coolant additive in your
vehicle is sufficient to meet the cl imate con -
Check ing and Filling
ditions. This is especially important if you
live in a region where the winter is extreme­
ly cold. If necessary, increase the proportion
of coolant additive to 60%.
- When adding coolant additive to your cool­
ing system, remember :
- We recommend us ing only coolant add i­
tive Gl2+ + or Gl3 for yo ur vehicle. This
coolant addit ive is avai lab le at aut horized
A udi dealers . O ther types of antifree ze can
significantly reduce corrosion pro tect ion .
The resulting corrosion can cause a loss of
coolant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Adding ra ­
diator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and cou ld resu lt in damage not cov­
ered by your New Veh icle Limited Warra nty .
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a
quick glance.
Fi g. 2 01 Engin e compar tmen t: cover o n th e coo lant expan ­
sion t ank
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢ A in Working in the engine compartment on
page 220 .
Park your vehicle on a level surface .
.,. Switch off the ignition .
.,. Read the engine coolant level from the coo lant
expansion tank
¢ fig . 201, ¢page 222. With a
cold engine, the coolant level should be be-
tween the "min" and "max" markings. When .,.
227

Checking and Filling
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig. 202 Eng ine compartment: cove r o n th e brake flu id
r eservoi r
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always re ad a nd hee d all W ARNING S
¢ A in Working in the engine compartment on
page 220.
., Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid
reservoir
<=> fig . 202, ¢page 222. The brake flu ­
id level must be between the "MIN" and "MAX"
mark ings.
The location of the brake fluid reservoir can be seen in the engine compartment illustration
¢ page 222.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time
due to the automatic adjustment of the brake
pads . This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably below
the ' 'MIN" mark, the brake warning/indicator
light
1111 (U.S. models)/ . (Canadian models)
will come on¢
page 14 . Do not continue to oper­
ate the vehicle . The complete brake system
should be thoroughly checked by an authorized
Aud i dealer or other q ualified facili ty and the
cause corrected.
If the brake f luid level is too
low, the brake warning/indicator light will i llumi ­
nate. Contact an authorized Audi dealer
immedi­
at ely.
230
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced
technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high, cor­ rosion in the brake system may result after ape­
riod of time . The boiling po int of the brake fluid
will a lso decrease considerably and decrease
braking performance.
Therefore , the brake fluid must be changed
eve ry
two y ears . Always use new brake fluid which con­
forms to Feder-al Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS 116 DO T 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach ,
therefore, we recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your author ized
Audi
d ea ler . Your dealer has the correct tools, the
right brake fluid and the know -how to do this for
you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is po isonous. It must be stored
only in the closed original container out of
the reach of children!
- Brake fai lure can result from o ld or inappro­
priate brake fluid . Observe these precau­
tions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE speci­ ficat ion
J 1703 and conforms to Federal
Motor Ve hicle Standard 116. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake f luid .
The correct type of brake f luid is also indi­
cated on the brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new . Heavy use of
the brakes can cause a vapor lock if the
brake fluid is left in the system too long .
This can seriously affect the efficiency of
the brakes as well as your safety. This
could result in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehi-
cle .
lilJJ,