2016 AUDI A8 engine

Driving with your
quattro
With All Wh eel Drive , all four wh eels are driven .
General information
With All W heel Drive, power is dis tribute d to all
four wheels . This happens automatically depend­
ing on your dr iving style and the road conditions
at the time . See also¢
page 190 . With the sport
d ifferent ial*, power d istr ibution to the rear
wheels is variable and can be adjusted with Audi
d rive select*
¢ page 106. Always read and fo llow
safety preca utio ns ¢ ,&. .
Winter tires
When drivi ng in the w inter, you r vehicle with All
Wheel Drive has an advantage, even with reg ular
tires. In winter road cond itions it may be adv isa­
b le to mount w inte r tir es (or a ll-season tires) for
i mproved d riveab ility and bra king : these tires
must be mounted on
all four wheels . See also
¢ page 251, W inter tires.
Snow chains
Where snow chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this normally also a pplies to vehicles w it h
All Whee l Dr ive ¢
page 251, Snow chains.
Replacing wheels /tires
Veh icles w ith All Wheel Drive must always have
tires of the same s ize. A lso avo id tires wi th d iffer­
ent tread depths. For detai ls see page
¢ page 243.
Off-Road driving?
Your Aud i does not have e nough g round clear­
a nce to be used as an off-road vehicle . It is there­
fore best to avoid rough tracks and uneve n ter­
r ain as m uch as possible . Also refe r to
¢page 197.
_& WARNING ,~ -
Always adjust you r driv ing to road and t raffic
conditions . Do not let the extra safety affo rd­
ed by All Wheel Drive tempt you into taking
extra risks.
Sma rt Technology
- Although the A ll Whee l Drive is very effec­
tive, always remember that braking capacity
is limited by t ire tract ion. You shou ld there­
fore not dr ive at excessive speeds on icy or
slippe ry road surfaces .
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to dr ive
too fast because the front wheels could be­
g in to slide on top of the water (aquap la n­
ing) . If th is should oc cur, you will have no
warn ing from a sudden increase in engine
speed as with a front-wheel d rive vehicle.
Always d rive at speeds which are suited to
the road conditions -risk of c rash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution of
electrical energy and thus op timizes the availa­
bility of electrical energy for starting the engine .
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system is
not driven for a long pe riod of time, the battery is
discharged by id ling curre nt consumers (e.g. im­
mobilize r) . In certain circumstances i t can resu lt
in t he re being i nsufficien t energy ava ilable to
sta rt the engine.
Intelligent energy manageme nt in you r vehicle
hand les the distribution of electrical energy .
Start ing ability is markedly improved and the life
of the ba ttery is ex tended.
Bas ica lly, energy management cons ists of
bat ­
tery diagnosis , idling current management
and
dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
Battery d iagnosis continuously dete rm ines the
state of the battery. Sensors determine battery
vo ltage, battery current and battery tempera­
tu re. This de termines the current state o f ch arge
and the power of the battery .
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy con­
sumption while the vehicle is standing. With the ..,_
195

Smart Technology
ignition switched off, it controls the energy sup­
p ly to the various electrical components. Data
from battery diagnosis is considered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge, indi­
vidual consumers are gradually turned off to pre ­
vent excessive discharge of the battery and thus maintain starting capability.
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic energy
management distributes the energy generated
according to the needs of the individual compo­
nents.
It regu lates consumption, so that more
electrical energy is not being used than is being
generated and ensures an optimal state of
charge for the battery.
(D Tips
- But even energy management cannot neg­
ate the limits of physics . Cons ider that the
power and life of a battery are limited.
- If starting ability is threatened, the indica­
tor light (•) appears
9 page 15, Cl Battery.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining start­
ing capability .
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the cold time of
year. Abundant electrical energy is required, but
only a little is generated . It is also crit ica l if the
engine is not running and electrical components
are turned on . In this instance energy is be ing
consumed but none is being generated .
It is in precisely these situations that you will no­
tice energy management actively regulat ing the
d istr ibut ion of energy .
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not driv e your vehicle over a period of
several days or weeks, electrical components are
gradually cut back or switched off. This reduces
energy consumption and ma inta ins starting ca­
pability over a longer period . Some of the con­
ven ience funct ions may not operate, such as the
interior l ights or the power seat adjustment. The
196
convenience functions will be availab le again
when you switch on the ignition and start the en­ gine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with the
engine turned off or use other MMI funct ions,
the battery is being d ischarged .
If starting capab ility is jeopardized due to energy
consumption, a message appears in the MMI dis­
play .
The message indicates that the system will be
switched off automat ically in a moment . If you
wish to cont inue using the functions, you have to
start the engine.
With the engine running
Although electrica l energy is generated when the
vehicle is being driven, the battery can become
discharged. This happens mostly when little en­
ergy is being generated and a great deal con ­
sumed and the battery's state of charge is not
opt imal.
To bring the energy balance back into equilibr i­
um, consumers wh ich require espec ially large
amounts of energy are temporarily cut back or
switched off. Heating systems in particular re­
quire a great dea l of energy. If you notice , fo r ex­
amp le, that the heated seats* or the heated rear
window are not heating, they have been tempo­
rarily cut back or switched off. These systems will
be available aga in as soon as the energy balance
has been restored.
You will also notice that engine idle speed has
been increased slig htly. This is norma l and not a
cause for concern . By increasing engine idle
speed the additional energy required is generat­
ed and the battery is charged.

Driving and the
environment
Breaking in
New eng ine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1 ,500 km).
For the first 600 miles (1 ,000 kilometers):
"' Do not use full throttle .
"' Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM .
"' Avoid high eng ine speeds.
From 600 to 1 ,000 miles (1,000 to 1,500
kilometers ):
"' Speeds can gradually be increased to the maxi­
mum pe rm issib le road or e ngine speed.
During and after b reak-in period
"' Do not rev the engine up to high speeds when it
is cold . This applies whether the transmission is
in N (Neutral) or in gear .
After the bre ak-in period
"' Do not exceed maximum engine speed under
any circumstances .
"' Upshift into the nex t higher gear
before reach­
ing the red area at the end of the tachometer
sca le
c:::;, page 10.
During the first few hours of driving , the eng ine's
internal friction is higher than later when all the
mov ing parts have been broke n in. How well this
b reak-in process is done depends to a considera­
b le exte nt o n the way the veh icle is d rive n du ring
the first 1,0 00 miles (1,500 kilome ters).
(D Note
E xtremely high eng ine speeds a re au toma ti­
cally reduced. However, t hese rpm li mits are
p rogr amme d fo r an eng ine well run-in, not a
new engine .
Driving and the envir onment
{® For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high engine
spe eds -upshifting early saves fuel, red uces
no ise and protects the environment.
New tires
If your vehicle is runni ng on new tires, drive par­
t icularly careful for the first 3S0 m iles (500 kilo ­
meters) after fitting .
_&. WARNING
New tires tend to be slippe ry and mus t also
b e "bro ken- in". Be sure to remembe r th is dur­
i ng the first 350 m iles ( 500 k ilome ters).
Brake gent ly . Avoid following closely behin d
other vehicles or other s ituations that might
require sudden, hard braking.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are dr iv ing on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certai n that low ­
ly ing parts such as spo ile rs and exhaust system
parts do not bottom o ut and get damaged .
This is espec ially true for veh icles with low-s lung
chass is (sports c hass is)* and fully loaded
vehicles .
Catalytic converter
Applies to: vehicles with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission control
system (catalytic converter) is functioning prop ­
erly to ensure that y our vehicle is running in an
environmen tally sound manner.
"' Always use lead-free gasoline c:::;, page 212,
F uel supply .
"' Never run t he tank down all the way to emp ty.
"' Never put too much motor o il in yo ur engine
c:::;, page 225, Adding engine oil ce:r..
"' Never try to push- or tow-start your vehicle.
T he ca talytic co nverter is an efficient "cle an-up"
device built into the exhaust sys tem o f th e vehi -
-
cle. The catalytic converter b urns many of the .,.
197

Driving and th e en vironm ent
pollutants in the exha ust gas before they are re ­
leased into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fue l is critica lly im­
portant for the l ife of the catalytic converter and
proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
T he temperature of the exha ust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine.
-
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once they
have become hot. This could result in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in areas
where the hot exha ust system may come in
contact with dry grass, brush, fue l spill or
other mater ial which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic converter or
heat sh ields. During dr iv ing, the substance
used fo r undercoating could overheat and
ca use a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
le aded fuel will already ser iously degrade
the performance of the catalytic co nverter .
- Do not exceed the correct eng ine oil level
<=;> page 225.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
complete ly empty. The engine could mis­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into the
exhaust system and this cou ld cause the
cataly tic converte r to overheat.
- Do not sw itch off the ignition while the veh i­
cle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these cond it ions, as otherwise fue l can
r each the catalyti c converte r. This cou ld re­
su lt in overheating of the conve rter, req uir­
i ng its replacement.
- T o assure efficient oper ation of the Emis­
s ion Control Sys tem:
- Have your veh icle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommen­
dations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
book let .
198
-Lack of proper ma intenance as well as im ­
proper use of the vehicle wi ll impair the
funct ion o f the emission control system
and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Control System is op ­
erating properly, the exhaust gas can have a
su lfu r-li ke exhaust gas sme ll under some op­
erating states. Th is depends on the sulfur
content of the fuel being used. Us ing a d iffer­
ent brand of fuel may help, or fi lling the tank
with lead-free super g rade gasoline.
Diesel particulate filter
App lies to: vehicles with diese l engine
The diesel particulate filter filters nearly all of
the soot part icles out of the exhaus t. The filte r
clea ns itself automat ica lly unde r no rma l dr iv ing
cond it ions. If the fil ter canno t clean i tself (fo r ex­
amp le, because yo u are on ly driving short distan­
ces), the filter becomes clogged with soot and
the
II symbol for the diese l particu late filter il­
l uminates
¢ page 20.
A WARNING
- Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel particu­
la te filte r could sta rt a fi re.
-
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in the
exhaust system area or a fire could start.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle to remain inopera­
tive for a longer period of time, contact an Audi
or other spec ia lized dealer . They can adv ise you
o n necessary p recautions e .g. corros ion preven­
tion, ma intenance and storage . Pay attention to
additional informat ion concer ning t he battery.
Refer to
<::;> page 2 31.

Driving through water on
roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage when
driving through water, for example on flooded
roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the bot­
tom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
A WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush, etc.,
the brakes may be slow to take effect because
of wet brake rotors and pads . Dry the brakes
first by brak ing carefully to restore the full
brak ing effect.
([) Note
-Vehicle components such as the engine,
transm ission, suspension or electrical sys ­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
th rough water.
- Always switch off the Sta rt-Stop-System*
whe n driving through water¢
page 85 .
(D Tips
-Check the depth of the water before driving
through it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, dr ive in reverse or
switch the eng ine off when dr iving through
wa ter .
- Keep in mind that oncoming ve hicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
th rough safely.
- Avo id driving through salt water because it
can cause corrosion.
Driving and the envir onment
Economical and environ­
mentally-friendly driving
General
Your personal style of driving will determine the
economy of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and
nois e levels .
Fuel economy, e nv ir onmental impact, and wear
o n your eng ine, brakes and tires large ly depend
on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operat ing cond itions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your fuel
consumption by 10-15 percent. Th is section will
give you some tips on how you can help the envi­
ronment and your pocketbook .
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published by
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
r oad, which w ill vary depending upon vehicle
l oad and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length , etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­
ating.
.,. Avoid unnecessary accelerat ing and braking .
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­ at ing . If you anticipate what is going to happen
next, you w ill need to brake less and, thus, accel­
erate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possi­
ble - for example when you see that the next traf­
fic lig ht is red.
199

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.

Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high
on short trips.
11-Try to avoid driving short distances with a cold
engine.
The engine and catalyt ic converter have to reach
their optimal
op erating tempe ratur e to reduce
fuel consumption and noxious emissions effec­ tively .
Just after starting, a co ld eng ine in a mid-s ize car
only achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 miles per
gallon (30-40 l/100 km). After about a half a mile, fuel economy cl imbs to 12 mpg (20 l/100
km). After about
2 .5 miles (4 km), the engine is
at its proper operating temperature and fuel
economy has reac hed a norma l level. So you can
see tha t you should avo id short t rips w henever
possib le.
The
outside temperature is also cr itical in this re­
g ar d. Yo ur car consumes mo re fuel in the w in ter
tha n in the s umme r.
Driving and the envir onment
201

Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
p la ce to prevent it from sh ifting forward, back­
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Driving instructions on page 204.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder . It
is important that the cool ing system's perform­
ance is up to the addit ional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
veh icle to the cold tire pressure listed under "Full
load " on the label located on the driver's side B­
pillar (vis ible when the door is open). Inflate
trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specif ications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working proper ly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle.
Leave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
in g corners . When you install safety cha ins, make
sure they wi ll not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separat ion
from the hitch.
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface before
hitching up the trailer and before adjusting the
tongue we ight. The vehicle must be in
auto or
comfort driving mode and not ra ised
¢ page 106, 9Q) .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainment, select:
I CARI function button > lower
control button .
Trailer mode
If you must drive under poor road conditions, you
can raise the vehicle
after coupling the trailer or
after adjusting the tongue weight¢ page 108.
(D Note
-Changes in temperature or load can affect
the height of the vehicle.
- Always select auto or comfort mode. Other­
w ise, the tong ue load specified for your ve­
hicle will no longer be applicable .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration.
T o obtain the best possible handling of veh icle
and trailer, p lease note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not loaded.
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles.
.,. Observe speed limits.
.,. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.,. Always apply brakes early.
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded tra iler with an empty car results
in a highly unstab le distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle shou ld be loaded
to the extent possib le and permissib le, while
keeping the trailer as light as possible under the
cir cumstances . Whenever poss ible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow veh icle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle load ing conside rations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the r ig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind .,._
203