2017 AUDI A8 ECU

Driving
During emergency braking, your vehicle will
brake similar to heavy braking. ESC and the
associated components (ABS, ASR, EDL)
cannot overcome the laws of physics. In cor­
ners and when road or weather conditions
are bad, a full brake application can cause
the vehicle to skid or the rear end to swerve,
which increases the risk of an accident.
- If the power supply fails, you cannot set the
parking brake if it is released. In this case,
park the vehicle on level ground and secure
it by placing the selector lever in the P posi­
tion. See an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
- Always take the vehicle key with you when leaving your vehicle, even for a short period
of time. This applies particularly when chil­
dren remain in the vehicle . Otherwise chil­
dren could start the engine, release the
parking brake or operate electrical equip­
ment such as power windows, which in­
creases the risk of an accident.
- No one should remain in the vehicle when it is locked -especially children. Locked doors
make it more difficult for emergency work­
ers to get into the vehicle, which puts lives
at risk.
(D Tips
When stopping at a traffic signal or stopping in city traffic, you can set the parking brake
manually. The vehicle does not have to be
held with the brake pedal. The parking brake
eliminates the tendency to creep when a se­
lector lever position is engaged. As soon as
you press the accelerator pedal, the parking brake releases automatically and your vehicle
starts to move
c> page 82.
(D} Tips
-Occasional noises when the parking brake is
set and released are normal and are not a
cause for concern.
- The parking brake goes through a self-test
cycle at regular intervals when the vehicle is
stopped. Any noises associated with this are normal.
82
- If there is a power failure, the parking brake
will not set if it is released, and it will not release if it is set ¢&. . See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa­ cility for assistance .
Starting from a stop
Various convenience and safety functions may be
available when the vehicle begins driving, de­
pending on vehicle equipment .
Starting on hills with the parking brake set
Requirement: the driver 's door must be closed
and the driver's safety belt must be fastened.
.,. To start driving comfortably when on a hill, set
the parking brake and begin driving as usual.
The braking force of the parking brake does not
release automatically until the wheels build up
enough driving force.
Starting on hills with hill hold assist
Hill hold assist makes it easier to start on hills.
Requirement: the driver's door must be closed
and the engine must be running.
.,. To activate hill hold assist, press and hold the
brake pedal for several seconds. The vehicle
must be in an uphill direction of travel.
After releasing the brake pedal, the braking pow­
er is maintained for a brief moment
c> &. to pre ­
vent the vehicle from rolling back when starting.
During this time, you can easily begin to move
your vehicle.
&_ WARNING
A ppl ies to: ve hicles with hill hold assist
- If you do not begin driving immediately or
the engine stalls after releasing the brake
pedal, your vehicle may begin to roll back­
ward. Press the brake pedal or set the park­
ing brake immediately .
- The intelligen t technology of hill hold assist
cannot overcome the limitations imposed by
natural physical laws. The increased comfort
offered by hill hold assist should not cause
you to take safety risks .

Driving
Parking lock emergency release
The parking lock must be released using the
emergency release before towing the vehicle .
®
Fig . 99 Driver's side footwell: releas ing the parking lock
using the emergency release
Fig . 100 D river 's side footwell: resetting the parking lock
~ N M 0 ± ... a,
The emergency release is located under the floor
mat on the d river's s ide . You operate the eme r­
gency release from the drive r's seat.
Releasing the parking lock using the
emergency release
.,. To prevent the vehicle from rolling unintention­
ally, set the par king brake<®>
q page 81 or
press the b rake peda l.
.,. The re are two s lits o n the cove r. Po sition the
screw driver from the vehicle tool kit in one o f
the slits on t he cover and pry the cover off .
.,. Pu ll the band @ in the direction of the arrow
u nt il the release lever locks in place
qfig. 99 .
.,. Fold the upper section of the release lever
down into the recess.
Resetting the parking lock
.,. Press the b utton @ and the release lever at t he
same time. Yo u can now push the lever back i n­
to its orig inal position. Make su re the lever
locks in p lace
qfig. 100.
88
.,. Install the cover .
When the parking lo ck emergen cy release is
u sed, the
l'i1 indi cator light and the N selec to r
l ever posit io n turn on in the instr ument cluster .
The message
Vehicle may roll! Cannot shift to P.
Please appl y parking brake
also appears .
A WARNING
-
If you release the parking lock using the
emergency release, secure yo ur vehicle with
the park ing brake or the brake peda l if the
parking brake is not wo rking. The veh icle can
ro ll away if it is no t secured and cause a cras h.

C) C0 ....
"' " "' .... 0 0 :r Trailer mode Driving with a trailer
Gen eral 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 .
T ra iler towing not only p laces more stress on the
vehicle, it a lso calls for more concentration from
the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instr uctions provided and use common
sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must ac­
tivate the tra iler operation mode
<=> page 89, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Tr ailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross tra iler weight. The h itch must be suitab le
for your vehicle and tra iler and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically
sound
location . Use on ly a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ba ll mount . Always chec k w ith the t rail­
er hitch manufac turer to make sure that you are
using the correct hitch .
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 ifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and b rake systems .
Fr om t ime to t ime, check that al l hitch mo un ting
bol ts rem ain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the tra iler hi tch ba ll mount . This preven ts the hitch
from causing damage shou ld your vehicle be
struck from beh ind
C? _&. .
Tr ailer mod e
Trailer brakes
If your trai ler is equ ipped with a b raking system,
check to be sure that it conforms to a ll regu la ­
tions.
T he trai ler hydra ulic bra ke sys tem must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydra ulic
brake system.
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle and the tra iler .
Tra iler lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure
to check w ith your Audi 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 ile r hitch, do not sto re
i t in you r vehicle. In case of sudden brak ing,
t he hitch could fly fo rward and inju re you or
your passengers.
Operating instruction s
Fig. 10 1 M MI displ ay: towing mode o n
Maximum tra iler weight
A trailer for your vehicle is lim ited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
89

Trailer mode
Trailer load distribution
Be s ure the load in the trailer is held securely in
p lace to prevent it from shifting forward, back­
ward or sideways .
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Driving instructions on page 91.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the eng ine work harder . It
is important that the cooling system's perform­
ance is up to the additional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has eno ugh fluid.
Tire pressure
When tow ing a tra iler, inflate the tires of your
veh icle to the tire pressure listed under "Full
load " on the label ¢
page 293 . Inflate trailer
tires to trailer and tir e manufacturers' specifica­
tions.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly .
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
ing corners . When you install safety cha ins, make
sure they w ill 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 separation
from the hitch.
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface before
hitching up the trailer and before adjust ing the
tongue weight. The vehicle must be in
auto or
comfort driving mode and not raised
o:,;, page 110, o:,;, 0 .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainment, select:
ICARI function button> Lower
control button.
90
If you must drive under poor road conditions, you
can raise the vehicle
after coupling the trailer or
after adjust ing the tongue we ight ¢ page 112.
([) Note
-Changes in temperature or load can affect
the height of the vehicle.
- Always select auto or comfort mode. Other­
wise, the tongue load specified for your ve­
hicle will no longer be app licab le .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results
i n a high ly unstable distribution of we ight . If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid t he risk of losing steering contro l.
A "balanced " rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissib le, wh ile
keeping the trailer as light as possible under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow veh icle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind cond it ions are unfavorable - particularly when
go ing downh ill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of sway ing.
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular
vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driving down­
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the engine
braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail. ..,.

Ass is t
at a high speed and approaching an object that is
moving more slowly. The braking guard does not
react if it cannot detect the s ituation.
The sys tem advises you of various dangerous si t­
uations :
- T he
distan ce warning occurs if you drive too
closely to t he object ahead for a long period of
time . If the ob je ct ahead b rakes strongly, you
would not be able to avoid a collis ion . The .
indicator light appears as an indication for this.
- T he
app roach wa rning occurs when an object
ahead is traveling more slow ly or brakes
strongly . When this warning occurs, it may on ly
be possib le to avoid a co llision by swerv ing or
braking strong ly. The danger is indicated by the
• indicator light
c> fig. 113. An audio signal
will also sound.
If you do not react early enough or at a ll to a dan­
gerous situation, the braking guard supports you
with a brak ing intervention. The approach warn­
ing indicators and the message
Braking guard :
e n gaged
also appear .
- If a collision is imminent, the system will first
provide an
ac ute wa rni ng by braking sharply.
- If you do not react to the acute warning, the braking guard can increase the braking force
within the limits of the system. This reduces
the vehicle speed in the event of a co llision.
- The system can init iate comp lete deceleration
sho rtly before a collision
ll . Full decele ration at
high speeds occurs only in vehicles with adap­
tive cru ise cont rol and s ide assist (pre sense
pl us).
- If the braking guard determines that you are
not brak ing strongly enough when there is an
impending co llision, it can increase the bra king
f o rce .
- T he pre se nse functions also engage when
the re is an impend ing collision
c:> page 216.
Which functions can be controll ed ?
You can switch the braking guard and the dis ­
tance/approach warn ing on or off in the lnfotain-
l ) Ma rket -spe cific
100
ment system c:> page 101, Settings in the Info­
tainment system.
A WARNING
Lack of attent ion can cause collisions, other
accidents and ser ious personal inju ries. The
braking guard is an assist system and cannot
p revent a collision by itself . The driver must
a lways inte rvene . The driver is always respon­
sib le for braking at the co rrect t ime .
- Always pay close attention to traffic, even when the b raking guard is sw itched on. Be
ready to intervene and be ready to take
comp lete contro l whenever ne cessa ry . Al­
ways keep the sa fe and legal dist ance be­
t ween your vehi cle and veh icles up ahead .
- Br ak ing g uard works w ithin limits and will
no t respond o utside the system limits, for
examp le when approaching a stopped vehi ­
cle or stationary obstacle (en d of a traffic
jam or vehicle that has broken down in traf­
fic).
- Always remember that the radar sensor for
the brak ing g uard works only within def ined
detection and range limits that may prevent
the prope r detection o f other vehicles.
- The radar sensor 's function and range can
be reduced by rain, snow and heavy spray.
Moving vehicles up ahead may not be
promptly detected or may not be detected
at al l.
- Reflective surfaces including crash barr iers
or tunnel entrances may impair the function
of the radar sensor.
(D Tips
- You can cancel the braking with increas ing
force that is initiated by the system by bra k­
ing yourself, by acce le ra ting not iceably or
by swerving.
- Keep in mind that braking gua rd can brake
unexpectedly. Always secure any cargo or
objects tha t you are transpo rting to redu ce
t h e risk of damage or injury.

0 co .... N ,..... N .... 0 0 :c ' depends on the driving mode selected, steering
movements, the driver's braking and accelera­
tion, and as the road surface, vehicle speed and load. A sporty setting is generally used in vehicles
with adaptive air suspension sport*.
The vehicle ground clearance depends on the
mode selected and the speed. When you are in
the auto or dynamic mode, the highway setting is
activated when you drive above 75 mph (120 km/
h) for more than 30 seconds. The ground clear­
ance is increased automatically if the speed
drops below 44 mph (70 km/h) for more than 120 seconds .
Steering
The power steering adapts. Indirect steering that
moves easily as in comfort mode is especially
suited to long drives on a highway. The dynamic
mode provides sporty, direct steering .
Applies to: vehicles with dynamic steering
The steering ratio changes based on vehicle
speed in order to maintain optimum steering ef ­
fort for the driver at all times . This sets the steer­
ing to be less sensitive at higher speeds in order
to provide improved vehicle control. At reduced
speeds, steering is more direct in order to keep
the steering effort as minimal as possible when
the driver is maneuvering the vehicle. At low and
average speeds, dynamic steering* additionally
provides more responsive steering performance.
Sport differential*
As a component of the all wheel drive system
(quattro)
~ page 130, the sport differential dis­
tributes the driving power to the rear axle de­
pending on the situation. The distribution of
power varies from balanced (comfort) to sporty
(dynamic) depending on the selected mode. The
goal is a high level of agility and ability to accel ­
erate on curves. The vehicle is very responsive to
steering .
Cornering light*
The cornering light adapts the high beams to the
direction of the curve depending on the speed.
The pivoting action and the lighting also adapt to
the mode .
Assist
Adaptive cruise control*
The behavior when accelerating can be adjusted
from comfortable to sporty, depending on the
drive select mode. Adaptive cruise control also
responds to the driving behavior of the vehicle
ahead in a more conservative or sporty manner.
Engine sound*
The engine sound adapts to the current mode
and can be subtle to sporty.
(D Note
- Make sure there is enough clearance above
and below the vehicle when parking. The
height of the vehicle can change once it is
parked due to temperature fluctuations,
changes to the load conditions and changes
to the driving modes, which can affect clear­
ance.
- When transporting the vehicle on a car car­
rier, train, ship or by other means, only tie
the vehicle down at the running surface of
the tires, which is the outer circumference.
Securing the vehicle at the axle compo­
nents, suspension struts or towing eyes is
not permitted because the pressure in the
air suspension struts can change during
transport. The vehicle may not be secured
sufficiently if this happens.
@ Tips
- In some models, the maximum vehicle
speed can only be reached in the auto and
dynamic modes.
- The S selector lever position automatically
engages if the dynamic mode is selected.
- In vehicles that have dynamic steering*, op­
erating noise is heard when starting or stop­
ping the engine. This does not indicate a
problem.
111

Audi connect
- Destination setup in your MMI using your
myAudi A cco unt ¢ page 167 or online map
v iew
¢ page 171.
-Traffic inf orm ation (Sir ius ): rece ive informa ­
tion about accidents, road construction and
other incidents
¢ page 175
Audi connect services on the phone
App lies to: ve hicles w ith Audi co nnect
The fo llow ing Audi connect services are currently
ava ilable :
- Storing contacts on your computer using your
m yAudi Acco unt and loading the contacts into
the MMI directory
¢ page 153
Wi-Fi hotspot
Appl ies to: ve hicles w ith Audi co nnect
You can use the MMI as a Wi-Fi hotspot to con­
nect up to eight wireless devices to the Internet. While driving, restricted use of non-secured,
light, small wireless devices is only possible from the rear of the vehicle.
.,. Select: the (fa) button > Setting s control but-
ton
> W i-Fi setting s.
The follow ing settings can be modified in the Wi­
Fi setting s
menu:
Wi-Fi acti ve
The MMI Wi -Fi hotspot is deactivated at the fac­
tory. Your Wi-Fi hotspot must be activated and
visible to establish a connection between your ve­ h icle and your wireless device.
- Off : the MMI Wi-Fi hotspot is deactivated. An
Internet connection is not possib le.
- Vis ible : the MMI Wi-Fi hotspot is active and can
be used to connect to the Internet.
- In visi ble: the MMI Wi -Fi hotspot is active but
not visible to other devices. A connection can­
not be established with a new w ireless device.
The Wi -Fi connection between your vehicle and
your wireless device ( laptop, cell phone) is en ­
crypted . To establish a connection, you must en­
ter the following settings when setting up your
wire less device. You can change them if necessa­
ry.
1 6 0 -
Netwo rk ID (SSID ):
name o f the Wi -Fi net ­
work .
-Enc ryption t ype : WEP, WPA or WPA2
- Pa ssword : depending on the encryp tion type, a
passwo rd may be generated in the MMI that is
used to encrypt the wireless connection. The
password can be changed . Be sure to se lect a
secure password. For the WEP encrypt ion type,
the password must be exactly 13 characters.
For the WPA or the WPA2 encrypt ion types, the
password must be at least
8 (maximum of 63)
characters .
-Apply sett ings : the modified settings are ap­
plied to the MMI. You must then update the
changes in your mob ile w ireless device .
A WARNING
-As the d river, do not allow usage of the Wi­
Fi hotspot to distract yo u from driv ing , as
this could increase the r isk of an accide nt.
- It is o nly safe to use laptops and similar mo­
bi le devices when the veh icle is stationary
because, like a ll loose objects, they cou ld be
thrown around the inside of the vehicle in a
crash and cause serious injuries . Store these
types of devices securely while driving.
- Do not use any wire less devices on the front
seats within range of the airbags while dr iv­
ing. Also read the warnings in the chapter
¢page 207.
(D Note
-Under some conditions, certain mobile devi­
ces and ope rating systems may automati­
cally sw itch from your vehicle's Wi-Fi hot­
spot to the device's mobile data connection.
I n that event, standard text and data usage
rates would apply while the device's mobile
data connection is in use. Please refer to
doc umentation provided by your mobile de­
vice's manufacture and your data car rier for
d etails, related te rms and pr iva cy sta te­
ment .
- Yo u ar e responsib le for all precautions ta k­
en for data pro te ct ion, anti-virus protection
and protection against loss of data on mo ­
bile devices that are used to access the In-
ternet through the Wi-Fi hotspot. ..,.

C) C0 ....
"' " "' .... 0 0 :r @ Tips
-In vehicles without Audi connect*, the use
of the Wi-Fi hotspot is only possible for the
Wi-Fi audio p layer*. A data connection to
the Internet cannot be established.
- A separate, paid mobile subscription may be
needed to use the Wi-Fi hotspot. You can
obtain more information from your cell
phone service provider .
- Depending on your cell phone plan, receiv­
ing data packages through the Wi-Fi hot­
spot may result in additional charges, par­
ticularly when in another country. The use
of a flat rate data plan is highly recom­
mended. You can obtain more information
from your cell pho ne service provider.
Configuring a data
connection
Applies to: vehicles with Audi connect
To use Audi connect services through a phone in
the vehicle, a data connection must be config­
ured .
Fig. 178 Configu ring th e da ta conne ction
.,. Select : the [fa] button > Settings control but -
ton
> Data connection.
Using the Data connection menu, you can set
when an Internet connection should be made.
The Internet connection disconn ects automati­
cally once the requested Audi connect service no longer requires any data packets .
The following options can be selected:
Audi connect
Connection setup
- On request :
a data connection is only establish­
ed when confirmed.
- Without request: a data connection is auto­
matically established to use Audi connect se rv ­
ices .
-Never : a data connection is not established .
Audi connect services cannot be accessed .
When a data connection is established, the sym­
bol for an active data connection
(D appears in
the status line in the Infotainment system dis­
play
<=> fig. 178.
An active data connect ion can be ended manually
by selecting
Never under Connection setup.
Data roaming
Data roaming
is switched off at the factory. To
use a data connection outs ide of the country,
Da­
ta roaming
must be switched on~-
Connection settings
Your vehicle is configured at the factory. The con­
figuration should not be changed. If you have quest ions, contact Audi connect Support at
877-505-AUDI (2834). Aud i connect is designed
for use only with the provided Audi SIM card .
-APN: the access point depends on the cell
phone service provider and is assigned auto­
mat ically .
-User name : the user name for your on line pro­
file is assigned by the cell phone service provid ­
er .
- Password : the password for your on line profile
is ass igned by the cell phone service provider .
-Authentication: depending on your cell phone
service provider, authentication (verifying iden­
tity) may be necessary . If this is the case, select
Secure. If not, se lect Normal.
The changed settings are saved once you leave
the
Connection settings menu using the I BACK I
button.
SIM PIN entry
The PIN for the Audi SIM card that is cu rrently in
use can be entered . ..,.
161