2017 AUDI A8 ABS

Airbag system
Front airbags
Description of front airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained front seat occu­
pants.
Fig. 230 Location of dr iver airbag: in steering whee l
Fig. 231 Location of front passenger's airbag: in th e in­
strument panel
Your veh icle is equipped with an "Advanced Air­
bag System " in compliance with Un ited States
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
(FMVSS) 208, as well as Canada Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard (CMVSS) 208 as applicable at
the time your vehicle was manufactured. he safe­
ty belts for the seats have "pretensioners" that help to take s lack out of the belt system. The pre­
tensioners are also activated by the electronic
control unit for the airbag system.
The front safety be lts also have load limiters to
help reduce the forces applied to the body in a
crash.
The airbag for the driver is in the steering wheel
hub~
fig . 230 and the airbag for the front pas­
senger is in the instrument panel~
fig. 231. The
general location of the airbags is marked "AIR­
BAG".
230
There is a lot you need to know about the airbags
in your vehicle . We urge you to read the detai led
i nformation about airbags, safety belts and ch ild
safety in this and the other chapters that make
up the owner's literature. Please be sure to heed
the WARNINGS -they are extremely important
for your safety and the safety of your passengers,
especially infants and small children .
.&_ WARNING -
Never rely on airbags alone for protection.
- Even when they deploy, airbags provide only
supp lemental protection.
- Airbag work most effectively when used
with properly worn safety belts .
- Therefore, always wear your safety belts and make sure that everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained .
.&_ WARNING
A person on the front passenger seat, espe­
cially infants and small ch ildren, wi ll receive
serious injuries and can even be killed by be­
ing too close to the airbag when it inf lates.
- Although the Advanced Airbag System in
-
your vehicle is designed to turn off the front
passenger airbag if an infant or a small child
is on the front passenger seat, nobody can
absolutely guarantee that deployment un­
der these special conditions is impossible in
all conceivable situations that may happen
during the useful life of your vehicle.
- The Advanced Airbag System can deploy in
accordance with the "low risk" option under
the U.S. Federal Standard if a child that is
heav ier than the typical one-year old ch ild is
on the front passenger seat and the other
conditions fo r airbag deployment are met.
- Accident statistics have shown that children
are generally safer in the rear seat area than
in the front seating pos ition.
- For their own safety, all children, especially
12 years and younger, should always ride in
the back proper ly restrained for their age
and size.

Airbag syste m
-a small adu lt or teenager is on the front pas ­
senger seat
- a passenger who is not sitting upright with
their back against a non -reclined backrest with
their feet on the vehicle floor in front of the
seat is on the front passenger seat.
I f the front passenger airbag dep loys, the Feder ­
al Standard requires the airbag to meet the "low
risk" deployment criteria to help reduce the risk
of injury through interaction with the airbag.
"Low risk" deployment occurs in those crashes
that take place at lower decelerations as def ined
in the electronic control unit¢
page 236.
Alway s remember: Even though your vehicle is
equ ipped w ith Advanced Airbags, the safest place
for children is properly restrained on the back
seat . Please be sure to read the important infor­
mat ion in the sections that follow and be sure to
heed a ll of the WARN INGS.
A WARNING
To red uce the risk of inj ury when an ai rbag in­
fla tes, a lways wear safety bel ts p roperly.
- If you are unrestrained, leaning fo rwa rd, s it­
t ing s ideways or o ut of pos ition in any way,
yo ur risk of in jury is much h igher .
- Yo u will also re ceive serious injur ies and
could even be killed if you are up aga inst the
airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag ¢
page 226.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing chi ld seat insta l­
led on the front passenger seat will be seri­
ously injured and can be k illed if the front air­
bag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag
System.
- Although the Advanced A irbag System in
your vehicle is designed to turn off the front
airbag when a rearward-facing child re­
straint has been installed on the front pas­
senger seat, nobody can absolutely g uaran­
tee that deployment is impossible in all con­
ceivable s ituations that may happen during
the usef ul life of your vehicle .
- The inflating a irbag w il l hit the child seat or
infant carrier w ith great force and will
232
-
smash the child seat and child against the
backrest, center armrest, door, or roof.
- Always install rearward-facing child re ­
straints on the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward facing child
seat on the front passenge r seat because of
except ional circumstances and the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on
and stay on, immed iate ly install the rear­
facing chi ld seat in a rear seating posit ion
and have the airbag system inspected by
your Aud i dea le r.
A WARNING
If, in exceptional ci rcums tances, you must in­
stall a forward-facing child restraint on the
fron t passenger's seat:
- Always make sure the forward-fa cing sea t
has been des igned and certified by its man­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a pas ­
senger front and side airbag.
- Never put the forwa rd-facing child restrain t
up against or very near the instr ument pan ­
el.
-Always move the front passenge r seat to
the highest position in the up and down ad­
justment range and move it back to the
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
ad justment range, as far away from the air­
bag as poss ible, before installing the for­
ward-facing chi ld restraint.
- Always make sure that the safety be lt upper
anchorage is behind the ch ild restraint and
not next to or in fron t of the child restraint
so that the safety be lt will be p roperly posi­
tioned.
- Ma ke sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li ght comes on and stays on a ll the time
wheneve r the ign it ion is swi tched on.
· Advanced Airbag System components
The fro nt passenge r sea t in your veh icle has a lo t
of ve ry important parts o f the Advanced A irbag
System in it. These parts include t he weight­
sensing mat, sensors, wiring, brackets, and
more. The fu nction of the system in the front
passenger seat is checked by the electronic
1111>

Airbag syste m
service action is entered in your Audi War­
ranty
& Maintenance book let under AIRBAG
REPLACEMENT RECORD.
- For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
alternator and starter are separated from
the vehicle battery with a pyrotechnic circuit interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupt­
er must only be performed by a qualified
dea ler· risk of an accident!
- If the veh icle or the circuit interrupter is
scrapped, all applicab le safety precautions
must be followed .
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modu les and pretension ­
ers might be classified as Perch lorate Materi­
al -special handling may apply, see
www .dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­
rate. When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules and
safety belts w ith pretensioners are scrapped,
all applicable laws and regulations must be
observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is fa­
m iliar with these requirements and we recom­
mend that you have your dealer perform this
serv ice for you .
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag System
performs in a crash. For example, using t ire-r im
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lower ing the
veh icle, chang ing the st iffness of the suspens ion,
including the springs, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc. can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag senso rs and sent to the
electronic contro l unit. Some suspension changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in which it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other kinds of changes may reduce the force levels meas ured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy­ ing when it should .
240
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim comb inations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in­
crease the r isk of serious personal injury in a
crash.
- Never insta ll suspension components that
do not have the same performance charac­
ter istics as the components origina lly ins tal­
led on you r vehicle.
- N ever use tire-r im combinations that have
no t been approved by Aud i.
A WARNING
It ems stored between the safety belt buckle
and the center conso le can cause the sensors
in the buckle to send the wrong information
to the electronic contro l module and prevent
the Advanced A irbag System from working
proper ly.
- Always make sure that nothing can interfere
with the safety belt buckles and that they
are not obstructed.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
Fig . 234 D river 's knee a irbag
The driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
underneath the steering wheel~
fig. 234, the
airbag for the passenger is at about the same height in the instrument panel underneath the
glove compartment . ..,_

0 co .... N ,..... N .... 0 0 :c ' Children up to at least 8 years old (over 40 lbs or
18 kg) are best protected in chi ld safety seats de­
signed for their age and we ight . Experts say that
the skeletal structure, particularly the pelvis, of
these children is not fully developed, and they
must not use the vehicle safety belts without a
suitable child restraint .
It is usually best to put these children in appro­ priate booster seats. Be sure the booster seat
meets all applicable safety standards .
Booster seats ra ise the seat ing pos ition of the
child and repos ition both the lap and shoulder
parts of the safety belt so that they pass across
the child 's body in the right places. The routing of
the belt over the child's body is very important
for the child's protection, whether or not a boos­
ter seat is used. Chi ldren age 12 and unde r must
a lways ride in the rear seat.
Ch ildren who are at least 4 ft . 9 in . (57 inches/
1.45 meters) tall can genera lly use the veh icle's
three po int lap and shoulder be lts. Never use the
lap belt po rtion of the vehicle 's safety belt alone
to restrain any child, regardless of how big the
child is. A lways remember that children do not
have the pronounced pelvic structure required for
the proper function of lap belt portion of the ve­ hicle 's three point lap and shoulder belts. The
child's safety absolutely requires that a lap bel t
portion of the safety belt be fastened snugly and
as low as possible around the pelvis. Never let
the lap belt portion of the safety belt pass over
the child's stomach or abdomen.
In a crash, airbags must inflate within a blink of
an eye and with considerable force . In order to do
its job, the airbag needs room to inflate so that it
will be there to p rotect the occupant as the occu­
pant moves forward into the a irbag.
A vehicle occupant who is out of position and too
close to the airbag gets in the way of an inflating
a ir bag. When an occupant is too close, he o r she
will be st ruck v iolently and will receive ser ious o r
possib ly even fatal injury.
In order for the airbag to offer p rotection, it is
i mportant that all vehicle occupants, espec ia lly
any chi ldren, who must be in the front seat be­
cause of exceptional circumstances, be p roperly
Ch ild safety
restrained and as far away from the airbag as
possible . By keeping room between the chi ld's
body and the front of the passenger compart­
ment, the airbag can inflate completely and pro­
vide supplementa l protection in certain frontal
collisions .
A WARNING
-Not using a booster seat, using the booster
seat imp roperly, incorrect ly installing a boos­
ter seat o r us ing the vehicle safety belt im­
p roperly increases the r is k of serious personal
injury and death in a collision or other emer­
gency situation. To help reduce the risk of se ­
rious personal injury and/or death:
- The shou lder belt m ust lie as close to the
center of the chi ld's collar bone as possible
and must lie flat and snug on the upper
body. It must never lie across the throat or
neck . The lap belt must lie across the pelvis
and never across the stomach or abdomen. Make sure that the belt lies flat and snug .
Pull on the belt to tighten if necessary.
- Fa ilure to properly route safety belts over a
child's body w ill cause severe injuries in an
accident o r othe r emergency situation
¢ page 218.
-The rear side of the ch ild safety seat should
be positioned as close as possible to the
b ackrest on the veh icle seat. Adjust the rear
seat head restrain t if it is diffi cult to install
the child seat with the head restraint in p lace ¢
page 210. Driving with head re­
straints that are not properly adjusted in­
creases the risk of serious or fatal neck in­
jury dramat ically .
- Chi ldren on the front seat of any car, even
with Advanced Airbags, can be seriously in­
jured or even k illed when an airbag inflates.
- Never let a chi ld put the shoulder belt under
the arm or behind the back, because it could
cause severe injuries in a crash.
- Never let a child stand or kneel on any seat,
for example the front seat.
- Never let a child r ide in the cargo area of
your veh icle .
- Always remember that a chi ld leaning for­
ward, sitt ing sideways or out of position in
257

Checking and Filling
-Never fill the fuel container with fuel
while it is in or on the vehicle. Static elec­
tricity is discharged when filling which can
cause the fuel vapors to ignite and in­
creases the risk of an explosion .
- Always place a fuel container on the
ground before filling .
- Always hold the fuel nozzle completely in
the fuel container when filling .
- If the fuel container is made of metal, the
fuel nozzle must always be in contact with
the container when filling it with fuel. This
prevents static electricity from discharg­
ing.
- Never spill fuel in the vehicle or the lug­
gage compartment . Evaporated fuel is ex­
plosive and increases the risk of serious in­
jury or death.
- Follow legal requirements when using,
storing and transporting fuel containers.
- Make sure the fuel container conforms to
industry standards (ANSI/ASTM F852-86).
0 Note
- Remove spilled fuel from vehicle paint im­
mediately, because it can damage paint.
- Never drive until the fuel tank is completely
empty . The irregular supply of fuel that re­
sults from that can cause engine misfires .
Uncombusted fuel will enter the exhaust
system and increase the risk of damage to
the catalytic converter.
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not overfill the fuel tank, otherwise fuel
can leak out when the vehicle is warming up.
(0 Tips
The fuel filler door on your vehicle does not
lock if you lock the vehicle from the inside .
270
Fuel filler door emergency release
If the cen tral locking system is faulty, the fuel
filler door can be unlocked manually .
Fig. 255 Vehicles with selective ca ta ly tic reduc tion•: righ t
s ide trim panel in the l ugg age compartment
Fig. 256 R ig ht s ide t rim pane l in t he luggage com part·
ment : emerg enc y release mechan ism
.., tn
9 :c
"' a,
The emergency release mechanism is located be­
hind the right side trim panel in the luggage
compartment. In vehicles with selective catalytic
reduction*, remove the vent grille first:
.. Press both tabs@¢
fig. 255 and tilt the vent
grille downward. You can then remove the
grille upward .
.. Loosen the loop
q fig . 256 from the retainer
and then pull on the loop carefully
q (I) . The
fuel filler door releases.
.. Press on the left side of the fuel filler door to
open it~
page 269 , fig. 253 .
(D Note
Only pull on the loop until you feel resistance.
You will not hear it release . Otherwise you
could damage the emergency release mecha­
nism.

0 a, .... N ,.... N .... g :r ..
use a spare tire* that is the same
circumference as the regular
tires.
&_ WARNING -
-Only use tire/rim combina­ tions and suitable wheel bolts
that have been approved by
Audi. Otherwise, damage to
the vehicle and an accident
could result.
-For technical reasons, it is not
possible to use tires from oth­
er vehicles -in some cases,
you cannot even use tires from
the same vehicle model.
-Make sure that the tires you
select have enough clearance
to the vehicle. Replacement
tires should not be chosen
simply based on the nominal
size, because tires with a dif­
ferent construction can differ greatly even if they are the
same size. If there is not
enough clearance, the tires or
the vehicle can be damaged
and this can reduce driving
safety and increase the risk of
an accident .
-Only use tires that are more
than six years old when abso-
Wheels
lutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so .
-Do not use run-flat tires on
your vehicle . Using them when
not permitted can lead to ve­
hicle damage or accidents.
-If you install wheel covers on
the vehicle, make sure they al­ low enough air circulation to
cool the brake system. If they
do not, this could increase the
risk of an accident.
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 266 T ire profile: treadwear indica­
tor
Tire wear
Check the tires regularly for wear.
-Inflation pressure that is too low
or high can increase tire wear
considerably.
-Driving quickly through curves, rapid acceleration and heavy
braking increase tire wear.
291

C) C0 ....
"' " "' .... 0 0 :r _& WARNING
Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over or underinflat­
ed .
Tire Pressure Monitoring
System (AS, S8)
(D General notes
A ppl ies to: AS, 58
Each t ire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat­
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
veh icle manufact urer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la­
be l, you should determine the proper tire infla­
tion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your veh icle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure te ll­
tale when one or more of your tires is significant­
ly under-inflated . Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure . Driving on a signifi ­
cantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over­
heat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ability .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
p roper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re­
sponsib ility to ma intain correc t tire p ressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pres­
sure telltale.
Your veh icle has also bee n eq uipp ed w ith a TPM S
mal function indicator to indicate when the sys­
tem is not operat ing properly. The TPMS mal­
function indicator is combined with the low tire
pressure telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi­
mately one mi nute and then remain cont inuously
illuminated . This sequence will continue upon
Wheels
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal ­
function exists .
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated ,
the sys tem may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended . TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
i nsta llation of replacement or alternate tires or
whee ls on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replac ing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or a lternate tires and
whee ls allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
Applies to: A8, 58
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 269 I n strument cluste r: indicator light with messa ge
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor­
ing system compares the tire tread c ircumfer­
ence and vibration characteristics of the individu­
al tires.
If the press ure changes in one or more
tires, this is indicated in the instrument cluster
display with an indicator light
[I] and a message.
If only one tire is affected, the location of that
tire will be indicated.
T he tire press ures must be stored in the Infotain­
ment system again each time the pressures
change (switching between partial and full load
pressure) or after changing or replacing a tire on
your vehicle
c:> page 302. The tire pressure moni­
toring system only monitors the tire pressure you have stored . Refer to the t ire pressure label for ..,.
301

0 co .... N ,..... N .... 0 0 :c ' Care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
T ex til es
Deposits adhering to Vacuum cleaner
art ifici al leat her, the surface
A lcan tara Water-based deposits Absorbent
cloth and mild soap solutiona>
such as coffee, tea,
b lood, etc.
Oil -based deposits Apply a m ild soap solution
a), blot away the dissolved o il or
such as oil, make-up, dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
etc.
Special deposits such Special stain
remover, blot with absorbent material, treat
as ink, nail polish, la- afterward with mild soap solution, if necessary
a)
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Natu ral le ath er Fresh stains Wool cloth with a mild soap solution a)
Water-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, dried stains: stain
remover suitable for leather
b lood , etc.
Oi [-based deposits Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain
remover suitable
such as oil, make-up, for leather
etc. dried stains: oil cleaning spray
Special deposits such Spot remove r suitab le for leather
as ink, nail polish, la-
tex paint, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
Care Regularly apply condit ion ing c ream that protects from
lig ht and penet rates into the material. Use specia lly-co l-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary .
Refrig erator Dust and d irt Clean the ventilation openings in the luggage com part-
ment
Deposits Lukewarm water, mild
soap solution if necessarya>, then
dry
Defrosting Empty the refrigera to r, switch it off and let it thaw with
the door open, then dry
Carb on part s Deposits clean the same way as plast ic parts
a) Mi ld soap solution: maximum two tablespoons of neutral soap in 1 quar t (1 liter) of water
_&. WARNING
The windshie ld may not be treated with wa­
ter-repelling windshield coating agents. Un­
favorable cond itions such as wetness, dark­
ness, or low sun can result in increased glare .
Wipe r blade chatter is also possible.
(D Note
- He adlight s/tail li ghts
-
- Never clean headlights or tail lights w ith a
dry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cleaning product that con­
tains alcohol, because they could cause
cracks to form .
-W heels
- Neve r use any pa int polish o r other abra-
sive mate rials.
309