2017 AUDI A8 towing

0 co .... N ,..._
N .... 0 0 :c ' Air suspension*
When driv ing with a trailer, activate the trailer
mode of the air suspension. Switch the air sus ­
pension trailer mode on when you are towing a
trailer. This will limit the regulation by the air
suspension while driving. Select in the MMI:
ICARI function button > (Ca r)* systems control
button
> Vehicle settings > Air susp.: towing >
On.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 9 must
be observed carefully . The coolant temperature
can increase if you drive on long inclines in a low
gear at high engine speeds. Reduce your speed
i mmed iately if the LEDs in the top part of the dis­
p lay turn on.
For more information about indicator lights, re­
fer to. ¢
page 20.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci­
de nt. Never let anyone ride in you r car who is
not properly wearing the restraints p rovided
by Audi.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know -
Your veh
icle handles differently when tow ing a
tra iler because of the additional weight and d if ­
ferent weight distr ibut ion. Safety, performance
and economy will greatly depend on how careful­
ly yo u load you r trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopp ing and back ing up in a n area away
from traffic. Keep practicing until you have be­
come completely fami liar with the way your vehi­
cle-trailer comb inat io n behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires pract ice.
Backing up with a trailer gene rally requires steer­
ing action opposite to tha t when backing up your
ve hicl e without a trailer .
Maintain a greater d istance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you . You w ill need more
Trailer mode
room to stop . To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius .
When passing, remember that you cannot accel­
erate as fast as you normally wo uld 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 .
Avo id jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your veh icle.
-If you tow a trailer, your Audi may requ ire
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
tra load ¢
page 336.
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:
" Apply the foot brake .
" Have someone place chocks under both the ve­
hicle and the trailer wheels.
"W ith chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load.
" Tur n the whee ls towards the curb.
" App ly the parking brake.
" Select the P selector lever position.
When restarting after parking:
"App ly the foot brake.
" Start the engine .
"S elect the D selector lever position .
" Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
" Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks.
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automat­
i c transmission to P before applying the park­
in g brake and before blocking the wheels, you
may have to use more force later to move the
lever out of the P posit ion.
91

C) C0 ....
"' " "' .... 0 0 :r The display remains dim in the information stage
so that your view toward the front is not distur ­
bed .
Warning stage
If the d isplay i n a m irror blinks br igh tly when yo u
activate a turn signal, side assist is warning you
about detected vehicles that it has classified as
cr itical. If this happens, check traffic by g lancing
in the exterior mirrors and over your shoulder
c::>
.& in General information on page 106.
Ap plies to vehicles with active lane assist
The display in the mirror can a lso b link if you
have not activated a turn signa l: if you are ap­
proaching a detected lane marker line and it ap ­
pears you w ill be leaving the lane, side assist will
warn you about detected vehicles that it has clas­ sified as critical.
@ Tips
- You can adjust the brightness of the display
i n the exte rior mirror @c::>page
107.
-Please refer to the instructions for towing a
trailer located in
c::>page 105.
General information
Appl ies to: ve hicles with Audi side assist
®
®
©
Fig. 120 D riving s ituations
A ss ist
f1ID
AUD I
Fig. 121 Rea r of the vehicle: pos it io n of the sensors
Side assist funct ions at speeds above approxi­
mately 19 mph (30 km/h) .
@ Vehicles that are approaching
N
N
~
:i: .. co
In certain cases, a vehicle will be classified as
critical for a lane change even if it is still some ­
what far away . The faster a vehicle approaches,
the sooner the display in the exterior m irror will
tu rn o n.
@ Vehicles traveling with you
Vehicles traveling with yo u are indicated in the
exter ior mirror if they are classified as cr itical for
a lane change . A ll vehicles detected by side assist
are ind icated by the t ime they ente r you r "blind
spot", at the lates t.
© Vehicles you are passing
If you s low ly pass a veh icle that s ide ass ist has
detected (the difference in speed between the
vehicle and you r vehicle is less than 9 mph (15
k m/h)), the display in the exte rior m irror turns
o n as soon as t he veh icle enters your b lind spot .
The display w ill not t urn on if you quickly pass a
vehicle that side ass ist has de tected (the differ­
ence in speed is greater than 9 mph (15 km/ h)).
Function al limitat ions
The radar sensors are designed to detect the left
and right ad jacent lanes when the road lanes are
t h e normal width. In some situations, the display
in the exterior m irror may turn on even though
t h e re is no veh icle located in the area tha t is criti­
ca l for a lane change . For ex ample :
- If the lanes are na rrow or if your are drivi ng on
the edge of you r lane. If th is is the case, the ..,.
105

Ass is t
system may have detected a vehicle in another
lane that is not adjacent to your current lane.
- If you are driving through a curve. Side assist may react to a vehicle that is one lane over
from th e adjacent lane .
- If s ide assist reacts to other objects (such as
high or d isplaced guard ra ils).
- In poor weather condit ions. The side assist
functions are limited.
Do not cover the radar sensors <=>
fig. 121 with
stickers, deposits, bicycle wheels o r othe r ob ­
jects, beca use they wi ll impair the function. Do
not use side ass ist when towing a trailer. For in­
formation on cleaning, see <=>
page 306.
A WARNING
-Always pay attention to traffic and to the
area around your vehicle. Side assist cannot
rep lace a driver's attention. The driver alone
is a lways responsible for lane changes and
similar d riving maneuvers .
- In some situat ions, the system may not
func tion or its funct ion may be limited . For
example :
- if vehicles are approaching or being left
behind very quickly. The display may not
turn on in t ime .
- In poor weather conditions such as heavy
rain, snow or heavy mist .
- On very wide lanes, in tight curves, or i f
there is a rise in the road surface. Vehicles
in the adjacent lane may not be detected
because they are outs ide of the sensor
range.
- Audi side ass ist cannot detect a ll vehicles
under a ll condit ions, which can increase the
risk of accidents.
- Please note that side assist only displays ap­ proaching vehicles or vehicles in your blind
spot if your vehicle is traveling at least
19 mph (30 km/h) .
- In certain situations, the system may not
work or its function may be limited. For ex ­
amp le:
- The display may not turn on at the rig ht
time if veh ides are approaching or passing
very q uick ly .
106
-
- In poor weather conditions, such as heavy
rain, snow or fog .
- In very wide lanes , in tight c urves or when
there are slopes in the roadway, vehicles
i n the ne ighboring lanes may not be de­
tected because they a re outside of the
sensor range .
(D Note
The sensors can be d isplaced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housing and underbody. This can impair the system. Have
an authorized Audi dealer or author ized Audi
Service Fac ility check their f unct io n.
@ Tips
- If the w indow glass in the dr iver's door or
front passenge r's door has been tinted, the
display in t he exterior mirror may be incor­
rect .
- For an explanat ion on co nfo rm ity w ith the
FCC regulations in the Un ited States and the
Indust ry Canada regulatio ns, see
~page 339.
Switching on/off
Applies to: vehicles wi th A ud i side assist
F ig . 122 D river 's doo r: side as sist but ton
.,. Press the button to sw itch the system on and
off <=>.&
in General information on page 106 .
The LED in the button tur ns on when side assis t
is swi tched on.

0 co .... N ,..... N .... 0 0 :c ' Setting the display brightness
Appl ies to: ve hicles with Audi side assist
The display brightness can be adjusted in the In­
fotainment system.
.. Se lect : the I CAR I function button > Car systems
contro l button > Driver ass ist > Audi side as­
sist .
The display brightness ad justs automat ica lly to
the br ightness of the surroundings, both in the
i n formation and in the warning stage . In very
dark or very bright sur roundings, the automatic
ad ju stment will set t he d isp lay to the m inimum
or maxim um level. In such cases, you may no tice
no change when adjus ting the b rightness, o r the
change may only be no tic eable once the s ur­
r o undings change .
Ad just the b rig ht ness to a level where the d isp lay
in t he inform ation stage wi ll no t dis rup t your
view ahead. If you change the bright ness, the dis­
p lay in the ex terior mirror will brief ly show the
b rightness level in the information stage . The
brightness of the warning stage is linked to the
brightness in the informat ion stage and is ad just­
ed along w ith the information stage.
(D Tips
- Side assist is not active wh ile you are ma k­
i ng the ad justment.
- Your settings are automatically store d and
ass igned to the remote control key being
used.
Messages
A ppl ies to: ve hicles with Audi side assist
If s ide ass ist switches off by itself, the LED in the
button turns off and a message will appear in the
i nstr ument cluster d is pl ay :
Audi side assist: Currently unavailable . No
sensor vision
The rada r senso rs' vision is affected . Do not cover
the area in front of the senso rs with bike wheels ,
sticke rs, dirt o r othe r objects . Clean t he a rea in
fr on t of the senso rs , if necess ary
c> page 105,
fig. 1 21 .
Assist
Audi side assist: currently unavailable
S id e assist c annot be sw itched on at this time be­
ca use there is a ma lfunction ( for example, the
battery c harge leve l may be too low).
Audi side assist: System fault!
T he system canno t gua rantee that it will detect
vehicle s cor rec tly and it has switc hed off. The
senso rs have been moved or are f aulty. H ave the
system checked by an au thorized Audi dealer o r
autho rized Audi Serv ice Facility soon.
Audi side assist: Unavailable when towing
S ide ass ist swit ches off automatically when a fac­
tory -inst alled tra ile r hi tch is con necte d to the
electrical connec tor on the t rai ler . There is no
guarantee the system will switch off when using
a retrofitted trailer hitch. Do not use side assist
when towing a trai ler.
Night vision assist with
pedestrian and wild
animal detection
Description
App lies to : vehicles wit h night vision assist
The night vision assist can detect, highlight and,
if necessary, warn about pedestrians and large wild animals.
N ight v ision assist w ith pedestrian and w ild ani ­
mal detection assists you at nig ht by using an in­
frared camera to monitor the a rea in front of
your vehicle, within the limits of the system. It can d isplay objects up to a distance of approxi ­
mately 1000 feet (300 m) . The thermal image
de te cted by the camera is show n in the inst ru­
ment cluster d is pla y. Warm areas appear lighter
and co ld areas appear d arker.
107

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

Parking systems
Parking systems
General information
Applies to: vehicles with parking system plus/rearview cam­
era/peripheral camera
Depending on your vehicle's equipment , various
parking aids will help you when parking and ma­
neuvering.
The
parking system plus assists you when park­
ing by audibly and visually indicating objects de­
tected in front of and behind the vehicle
¢page 115.
The rearview camera shows the area behind the
vehicle in the Infotainment system display. This
display assists you when you are cross or parallel parking
¢ page 116. The parking system plus
functions are also available
¢ page 115.
The peripheral cameras give various views to
help you when parking or maneuvering
¢ page 119. The parking system plus functions
are also available
¢page 115.
& WARNING
-Always look for traffic and check the area
around your vehicle by looking at it directly
as well. The parking system cannot replace
the driver's attention. The driver is always
responsible when entering or leaving a park­
ing space and during similar maneuvers .
- Please note that some surfaces , such as
clothing, are not detected by the system .
- Sensors and cameras have blind spots in
which people and objects cannot be detect­
ed . Be especially cautious of small children
and animals .
- The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the radiator gr ille, bumper,
wheel housing and the underbody . The park­
ing system may be impaired as a result.
Have an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility check their func­
tion .
- Make sure the sensors are not obstructed by
stickers, deposits or other materials. If they
are, the sensor function could be impaired.
For additional information on cleaning, see
c:> page 306.
114
(D Note
-Some objects are not detected or displayed
by the system under certain circumstances:
- Objects such as barrier chains, trailer draw
bars, vertical poles or fences
- Objects above the sensors such as wall ex ­
tensions
- Objects with certain surfaces or structures
such as chain link fences or powder snow
- If you continue driving closer to a low ob­
ject, it may disappear from the sensor range. Note that you will no longer be
warned about th is obstacle.
(D Tips
- The system may provide a warning even
though there are no obstacles in the cover­
age area in some situations, such as:
- certain road surfaces or when there is tall
grass.
- external ultrasonic sources such as from cleaning vehicles .
- in heavy rain, snow, or thick vehicle ex­
haust.
- We recommend that you practice parking in
a traffic -free location or parking lot to be­
come familiar with the system . When doing
this, there should be good light and weath­
er conditions.
- You can change the volume and pitch of the
signals as well as the display¢
page 124.
-Please refer to the instructions for towing a
trailer located in
¢page 124.
-What appears in the infotainment display is
somewhat time-delayed.
- The sensors must be kept clean and free of
snow and ice for park aid to operate .

0
"' -N .... N
-0
0
:c ...
-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail sud­
denly, including a blowout and
sudden deflation, causing loss
of control and a crash.
-Always make sure that the to­ tal load being transported -
including the weight of a trail­
er hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer - does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to calcu­
late the total weight of the pas­
sengers and luggage or other
things that you plan to transport so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overload­
ed.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCU ­
PANTS AND CARGO SHOULD
NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS "on your vehicle's placard
(tire inflation pressure label)
c::> page 293, fig. 267 .
Wheels
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­ sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers
from "XXX" kilograms or "XXX"
pounds shown on the sticker
c::> page 293, fig . 267 .
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For ex­
ample, if the "XXX " amount
equals
1400 lbs. and there will
be five
150 lbs . passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 X 150) = 650
lbs .)
5. Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely ex­ ceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calculat­
ed in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your ve­
hicle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces .,..
297

0 co .... N ,..._
N .... 0 0 :c ' use the hex head, potentially causing an ac­
cident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended only
for your vehicle model. Under no circum­
stances should it be used to lift heavy
vehicles or other loads; you r isk injuring
yourself .
- Never start the engine when the vehicle is
ra ised, which could cause an accident.
- Support the veh icle secure ly with appropri­
ate stands if work is to be performed under­
neath the vehicle; otherwise, there is a po ­
tent ial risk for injury .
- Never use the jack supplied with your Audi
on anothe r vehicle, particularly on a heav ier
one . The jack is only suitable for use on the
vehicle it came w ith.
(D Tips
The vehicle jack* in your vehicle is mainte­
na nee-free.
Replacing wheels
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own
and your passenger's safety when changing a
wheel .
.,. After you experience a tire fail ure, pull the car
well away from moving t raff ic and try to reach
le vel ground before you stop¢,&. .
.,. All passengers should
lea ve the ca r and move
to a safe location (for instance, behind the
guardrail) ¢,&. .
.,. Engage the
parking brake to prevent your vehi­
cle from rolling unintentionally¢,&. .
.,. Move
sel ecto r le ve r to pos it ion P ¢ ,&. .
.,. If you a re towing a trailer, unh itch the trailer
from your veh icle.
.,. Take the
jack and the s pare tir e out of the lug ­
gage compartment
¢ page 312.
WARNING
You or your passengers co uld be injured while
chang ing a wheel if you do not follow these
safety precautions:
Em ergenc y ass is tanc e
-If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance
off the road. Turn off the eng ine, turn the
emergency flashers on and use other warn­ ing dev ices to alert other motorists .
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
p lace away from the vehicle and well away
from the road and traff ic .
- To help prevent the veh icle from moving
suddenly and possib ly slipping off the jack,
always fully set the park ing brake and block
the wheel d iagonally opposi te the wheel be­
ing changed. When one front whee l is lifted
off the groun d, p lacing the Automatic
Transmission in "P" (Park) w ill
not prevent
the vehicle from mov ing.
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the
g round is leve l and firm. If necessary, use a
sturdy board under the jack .
- Always s tore the vehicle tool kit, the jack
and the replaced tire in the luggage com­
partment
r::> page 213 .
(D Tips
Befo re c hanging the w heel, you must activate
t he jacking mode, so that the a utomat ic co n ­
tro ls for the Adaptive Air Suspension do not
make it more difficult to lift the vehicle with
the jack
¢ page 315.
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence
described below step-by-step and in exactly that
order .
1. Activate the vehicle jack mode ¢ page 315 .
2. Remove the decorative wheel cover *. For
more detai ls see also
r:::> page 314, Decora­
tive wheel covers
or ¢ page 314, Wheels
with wheel bolt caps.
3. Loosen the wheel bolts r:=> page 315 .
4. Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack a nd align the jack below that point
r:::> page 315 or ¢page 316.
5. Raise the ca r wi th the jack ¢ page 315 or
r:::> page 316 .
6. Remove the whee l with the flat tire and then
insta ll
the spare r:::>page 318 . IJII>
313