2016 AUDI A8 ESP

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
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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.

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 .,._
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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.

Care and cleaning
Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your vehi­
cle's value.
It can also be a requirement when
submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage
and paint defects on the body.
The required cleaning and care products can be
obtained from your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop. Read and follow the instruc­
tions for use on the packaging.
A WARNING
-Using cleaning and care products incorrectly
can be dangerous to your health .
- Always store cleaning and care products out
of reach of children to reduce the risk of poi­
soning.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Preferably use environmentally-friendly
products when buying cleaning agents.
- Do not dispose of leftover cleaning and care
products with household trash.
Car washes
The longer deposits remain on the vehicle, the
more the surface can be damaged. High temper­
atures such as those caused by sunlight increase
the damaging effects .
Before washing, wet heavy deposits with plenty
of water.
Stubborn deposits such as bird droppings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of water and a
microfiber cloth.
Also, wash the underside of your vehicle once
road salt stops being used for the season.
Pressure washers
When washing your vehicles with a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instructions
provided with the pressure washer. This is espe­
cially important in regard to the pressure and
spraying distance . Do not aim the spray directly
at seals on side windows, doors, the hood, the
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rear lid or the sunroof* or at tires, rubber hoses,
insulating material, sensors* or camera lenses*.
Keep a distance of at least 16 inches (40 cm) .
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer.
Never use rotary nozzles or high pressure noz­
zles.
The water temperature must not be above 140 °F
(60 °C).
Automatic car washes
Spray off the vehicle before washing.
Make sure that the windows and roof* are closed
and the windshield wipers are
off . Follow instruc­
tions from the car wash operator, especially if
there are accessories attached to your vehicle.
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes.
Only use car washes where the vehicle remains
stationary and the washing equipment moves
around the vehicle when washing and drying. Car
washes that move the vehicle through the car
wash using a chain are not recommended.
Washing by hand
Clean the vehicle starting from the top and work­
ing down using a soft sponge or cleaning brush.
Use solvent-free cleaning products.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
To avoid damaging the paint when washing, first
remove dust and large particles from your vehi­
cle. Insects, grease spots and fingerprints are
best removed with a special cleaner for matte
finish paint.
Apply the product using a microfiber cloth. To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water. Then
clean using a neutral shampoo and a soft micro­
fiber cloth .
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly again and let it air
dry. Remove any water residue using a sham my. ..,..

Care and cleaning Component Situation Solution
Decorative parts/
Dirty Mild soap solutiona>, a cleaning solution suitable for stain-
trim less steel, if necessary
Paint Paint damage Refer to the paint number on the vehicle data label, repair
with touch up paint
¢page 277
Spilled fuel Rinse with water immediately
Rust film Rust film remover, then protect
with hard wax; for ques-
tions, refer to an authorized Audi dealer or a qualified
workshop
Corros ion Have it removed by an authorized Aud i dea ler or a qua lified
wo rkshop
Water no longer Protect with hard wax (at least twice per year)
beads on the surface
of clean pa int
No shine even though Treat with suitable polish; then apply paint protectant if
paint has been pro- the polish that was used does not contain any protectant
tected/paint looks
poor
Deposits such as in-Dampen with water immediately and remove w ith a micro-
sects, bird droppings, fiber cloth
tree sap and road salt
grease-based con- Remove immediately with a m ild soap solutiona> and a soft
taminants such as cloth
cosmetics or sunblock
Carbon parts Dirty Clean the same way as painted parts¢ page 206, Car
washes
a l Mild soap so lution: maxim um two tablespoo ns neu tra l soap in 1 quar t Cl lite r) of water
Cleaning interior
Component Situation Solution
Windows
Dirty Glass cleaner, then wipe dry
Decorative parts/ Dirty Mild soap so lutiona>
trim
Plastic parts
Dirty Damp cloth
Heavily soiled Mild soap solutiona>, solvent-free p lastic clean ing solution,
if necessary
Displays Dirty Soft cloth with LCD cleaner
Controls Dirty Soft brush, then a soft cloth with a m ild soap solutiona >
Safety belts Dirty Mild
soap solutiona>, allow to dry before letting them re-
tract
208
...

Care and cleaning
Component S ituation Solution
Tex tiles,
Stains adhering to Vacuum cleaner
Vin yl, the surface
A lcan tara Water-based stains Absorbent cloth and mild soap
solutional
such as coffee, tea,
blood, etc.
Oil-based stains such Apply a m ild soap solutional, blot away the d issolved oil or
as o il, make-up, etc. dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
Special stains such as Special stain remover, blot with
absorbent material, treat
ballpoint pen, nail afterward with mild soap solutional, if necessary
polish, latex paint,
shoe polish, etc .
Natural le athe r Fresh stains Cotton cloth
with a mild soap solutiona l
Water -based stains Fresh stains : absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, Dried stains : stain remover suitable for leather
blood, etc.
Oi l-based stains such Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable
as oi l, make-up, etc. for leather
dried stains: Oil cleaning spray
Special stains such as S tain remover suitable fo r leather
ballpoint pen, nail
polish, latex paint,
shoe po lish , etc.
Ca re Regularly apply cond ition ing cream that p rotects from
light and penetrates into the materia l. Use specially-co l-
ored cond itioning cream, if necessary.
Cooler Dust and dirt Clea n the ventilation openings in the luggage com part-
ment
Dirty Lukewarm water, mild soap solutional if necessary, then
dry
Defrosting Empty the refrigerator, switch it off and let it thaw with
the doo r open, t hen dry
Car bon p art s Dirty Clean the same way as plastic parts
a) M ild soap solut io n: max imu m two tablespoons neutral soap in 1 q uart (I liter) of water
A WARNING
The windshie ld may not be treated with wa­
ter-repelling windshield coating agents. Un­
favorable cond itions such as wetness, dar k­
ness, o r low sun can resul t in increased glare.
Wiper blade chatter is also possib le.
- Headlights /tail light s
-
-Never clean headlights or tail lights with a
dry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cleaning product that con­
tains alcoho l, because they could cause
cracks to form.
-Whe els
- Never use any pa int polish or other abra-
sive mate rials.
- Damage to the protect ive layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches must
be repaired immediately. .,..
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fill up at busy gas st ations where the season al
adjustment is more likely to be made in time .
(D Note
-Me thanol f uels which do not mee t these re­
quirements may ca use corros ion and dam­
age to plastic and rubber components in the
fuel system .
- Do not use fuels that fai l to meet the speci­
fied criter ia in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether or not a particular fuel blend meets the speci­
ficat ions, ask your service station or its fuel
supplier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents can­
not be identif ied.
- Fuel system damage and performance prob­
lems resulting from the use of fue ls differ­
ent from those specified are not the respon­
s ibility of Audi and are not covered under
the New Veh icle or the Emiss ion Control
System Wa rrant ies.
- If you experience a loss of fue l economy or
driveability and performance prob lems due
to the use of one of these fuel b lends, we
recommend that you switch to unblended
fuel.
Gasoline additives
Applies to: vehicles with gasol ine engine
A majo r concern among many au to manufactur ­
ers is carbon deposit build- up caused by the type
of gasoline yo u use.
A lthough gasoline grades d iffer from one manu­
f a cturer to ano ther, they have cer tain things in
common . A ll gasoline grades contain substances
that can cause deposits to collect on vita l engine
pa rts, such as fue l injectors and intake valves . Al ­
though most gaso line brands include additives to
keep engine and fuel systems clean, they are not
equally effective.
Aud i recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gas­
oline. For more informat ion on TOP TIER Deter­
gent Gasoline, please go to the official website (www.toptiergas .com) .
Fuel and R efueling
After an extended period o f using inadeq uate
fuels, carbon deposit bui ld-ups can rob your en­
gine o f peak performance.
(D Note
Damage or ma lf u nction due to poo r fue l qual ­
ity is not covered by the A udi New Vehicle
Limited Warranty .
Diesel fuel
Applies to: vehicles with diesel engine
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) No. 2 .
The ULSD No . 2 meets the ASTM 0975.
Diesel f uel w it h concen tratio ns of b iod iesel h igh­
er than 5 % such as Bl 1, B20 or BlOO are strict ly
prohibited .
Se rvice station fuel p umps are labe led with the
correct f uel i nfo rmat ion for e asy recog nition by
the user.
If the d iesel f ue l pump is no t labeled
ask the station operator what fuel is being dis­
pensed before fil ling up your vehicle .
UL SD No . 2 m ay not be available ou tside the USA
and Canada . Be su re to check befo re t raveling to
other countries .
UL SD No . 2 c an become thic ke r i n ve ry cold tem­
peratures, and this can imp air the engine's s tart ­
ing and running. Depend ing on the sea son, gas
stations provide ULSD No . 2 that flows better in
cold temperatures so that you can continue oper ­
at ing your vehicle as usual.
@ Note
- Your vehicle's diese l engine was designed
sole ly for use with ULSD No . 2 . Therefo re,
neve r use gasoline, heating oil, other fuels
or flow improvers. These contain substances
that will severely damage the fuel system
and the engine . Such damage will not be
cove red by your New Vehicle Limited War-
r a nty.
- If you put a ny amo unt of incorrect fuel in
the fuel tank, do not sta rt the eng ine under
any circumstances. Imme diately contact the
II>-
213

Putting the fuel c ap back on
"' After filling your tank , tw ist the f uel fi ller cap
clockwise as far as it wi ll go .
"' Close the fuel filler flap.
To avoid fuel spill ing o r evaporating from the f uel
tank always close fuel filler cap properly and
comp let ely. An improperly closed fue l filler cap
may a lso caus e the MIL lamp ¢
page 28 to come
on (only vehicles with gasoline engine).
A WARNING
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns .
- Fuel is highly f lammable and can cause se­
vere burns and other injur ies.
-
- Failure to shut the engine off wh ile refuel ­
ing and/or to insert the pump no zzle fully
into the fuel filler neck could cause fuel to
spray out of filler neck or to overflow . Fuel
spray and overflowing fue l can cause a fire .
- Never use a cellular telephone wh ile refuel­
ing . The electromagnetic radiation can
cause spa rks that can ignite fuel vapors and
cause a fire.
- Never get back into your vehicle while refu­
eling .
If in except io na l circumstances you
must get back in you r vehicle while refue l­
ing, make certain tha t you close the door
and touch meta l to discharge static electric­
ity before touchi ng the filler nozz le again.
Static electricity can ca use spa rks that can
ignite fuel vapors released during refueling .
- Never smoke o r have an open flame any­
where in or near your vehicle when refueling or filling a portable f uel container.
- For yo ur safety , we strongly recommend
that you do not travel with a portable fue l
conta iner in your vehicle. The conta iner, full
or empty may leak and could cause a fire,
especially in a crash .
-If, under exceptional c ircumstances, you
must transport a portable fuel container,
please observe the follow ing :
- Neve r fi ll a portable fuel containe r wh ile i t
is anywhere in or on the vehicle (for exam ­
p le, in the luggage compartment, or on
the trunk) . Static e lectr icity can build up
Fuel and R efueling
whi le filling and can ignite fuel vapors
caus ing a fire .
- Always place a portab le fue l container on
the ground before f illing.
- Always keep the fi ller nozzle comp lete ly
inside the po rtable container before and
during f illing.
- If filling a portable container made of
metal, the filler nozz le m ust always be in
contact with the container. This will he lp
prevent stat ic electricity from discharging
and cause a fire .
- Never spill fue l inside the vehicle or lug­
gage compartment. F uel vapors are highly
flammable .
- Always observe local and state/prov incial
laws regarding the use, storage and trans ­
po rtation of fuel co nta iners.
- Make ce rtain t he f uel container meets in­
dust ry standards (ANSI/ ASTM F852-86) .
(0 Note
If any fuel has sp illed onto the car, it should
be removed immed iately to p revent damage
to the pa int.
@ For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated noz zle
switches off automatically for the first time,
the tank is fu ll. Do not try to add more fuel
because f uel may sp ill out . In add it ion, the
expans ion space in the fuel tank will be fi lled -
causing the fue l to overflow when it becomes
warm and po llute the environment.
(D Tips
- Runn ing your engine while refuelling may
cause vapors to escape or even ca use fue l to
spill out of the tank. This wo uld then shut
off the f uel no zzle befo re t he t ank is f ull.
- Do not ref ue l your veh icle with the ignition
switched on . The fuel gauge m ay o therwise
no t indicate the co rrect fuel leve l after refu­
elling.
- Diesel vehicles* are equ ipped wi th a die sel
m isf ueli ng pro tector . It a llows the vehi cle
to be fuele d only with a d iesel fue l pump .,.
215