2017 AUDI A8 light

C) C0 ....
"' ,....
"' .... 0 0 :r If the Head-up display* is switched on and the
night vision assist content is activated,. or.
will appear in the Head-up display".
Marking light*
To direct the driver's attention to a pedestrian,
the headlights can flash on the pedestrian three
times in a row when there is a pedestrian warn­
ing.
This occurs at speeds above approximately 35 mph (60 km/h) if you are outside of illuminat­
ed areas and no detected vehicles are shown. The
high beam assistant* controls the marking light*
c::> page 44, High beam assistant .
The marking light is not used for wild animals.
General information
Applies to: vehicles with night vision assist
Fig. 127 Front of the vehicle: night vision ass ist came ra
The following situations may affect the function
of the night vision assist system:
- Poor visibility such as snow, rain, fog or heavy
spray
- Dirty lens on the night vision assist camera
Make sure the night vision assist camera
c::>fig. 127 is not covered by stickers, deposits or
any other obstructions because that can affect
the camera function . For information on clean­
ing , refer to
c::> page 306 .
The pedestrian and wild anima l recogn it ion de­
pends on the temperature difference between
the person/wild anima l and the background . Peo ­
ple/wild animals may not be detected if the dif­
ference is too small. The pedestrian/wild animal marking and the marking light* deactivate at
Assist
temperatures above approximately 77 °F (25 °C)
and during daylight. If the night vision assist im­
age is selected in the instrument cluster display,
then the
II symbol appears at the top on the
right side.
A WARNING
-Pay attention to traffic and the area around
your vehicle when night vision assist is switch­
ed on. The driver is always responsible for as­
sessing the traffic situation.
- Night vision assist can only warn about peo­
ple and wild animals located within the visu­
al range of the infrared camera. The visual
range corresponds to the image in the in­
strument cluster display.
- Night vision assist may not detect people or
wild animals and mark them if
- they are not in an upright position, for ex­
amp le if they are sitting or lying down
and/or
- the silhouette in the display appears in­
complete or interrupted, for example be­
cause the person is partially covered by a
vehicle or an animal by tall grass. This
could increase the risk of an accident.
- Never try to swerve around animals if doing
so will endanger you or other road users, be­
cause this increases the risk of an accident.
(l'} Tips
- Even though the system evaluates the
shape and heat given off by all detected ob­
jects, there are limits to the system . There
may be false warnings.
- For technical reasons, the image pauses in
split second intervals.
-
109

Ass is t
Switching on /off
Applies to: vehicles with night vision assist
Fig. 128 Area aro und th e light sw itc h: n ight v is ion assist
butto n
Requirement: sw itch the ignition on and turn the
light switch to the
AUTO position.
• Press the
[g button 9 fig . 128 . The heat image
from the nig ht vision camera appears in the in ­
s t ru me nt cluster d isplay.
• Press the
(g button again to switch the night
vision assist off .
If condit io ns are b right enough, night vision as­
sis t can be sw itched on withou t mov ing the light
switch to the
AUTO position. Pedestrian and wild
an imal highlighting and warnings are only active
when it is da rk outs ide and the headlights are
sw itched on .
Adjusting the contrast
Applies to: vehicles with night vision assist
• Select : the ICARI function button > Car systems
contro l button > Driver a ssist > Night vision
a ssi st cont rast .
When the night vision assist is switched on and
the image is visible in the instrument cluster d is ­
p lay, you can adjust the contrast in the image
from
Min to Ma x.
Messages
Applies to: vehicles with night vision assist
Ni ght vision assist : System fau lt
The system cannot guarantee correct function
and is switched off . See an author ized Audi deal-
110
er or authori zed Aud i Service Facility for assis ­
tance .
Night vi sion a ssis t: Current ly unavailable
The system cannot guarantee correct funct io n at
th is time and is switched off .
Night vision assist: O nly a vailabl e a t n ight with
lights turned on
N ight vision assist only works whe n it is dark out­
s ide and the headlights are on.
Night vis ion a ssist: Pede stri an marking current­
l y unavailab le
The pedestrian and wi ld animal marki ng was
swi tched off by the system .
Audi drive select (drive
settings)
Introduction
D rive select makes it possib le to exper ience dif­
f erent types of ve hicle settings in one veh icle .
The dr iver can se lect
Comfort , Auto and Dynamic
modes in the Infotainment system to switch be­
tween, for example, a sporty and a comfortab le
driv ing mode .
You can adjust the vehicle settings to your per ­
sona l preferences in the
Ind ividual mode . This
makes it possible to comb ine sett ings su ch as a
sporty engine setting with light steer ing .
Description
The following systems, among ot her things, are
i nfluenced by dr ive select:
Eng ine and tr an smis sion
Depend ing on the mode, th e engine and trans­
mission respond more q uick ly or in a more bal­
a nced manner to accelerator pedal movements.
In the sporty dynamic mode, the transm ission
shifts at higher speed ranges.
Air suspen sion
T he adaptive air suspens ion/adapt ive a ir suspen­
sion sport* is an electronically controlled air sus- pension and damping system . The adjustment ..,

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 .

Intelligent Technology
Intelligent Technology
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
The ESC increases driving safety . It reduces the
risk of s lipping and improves driving stabi lity.
ESC detects critical situations such as when the
veh icle is oversteer ing and understeering or the
wheels are spinning. The vehicle is stabilized by
apply ing the brakes or reducing eng ine torque .
When ESC engages, the
Ji] ind icator light blinks
in the inst rument cluste r.
The fo llow ing systems are integrated in the ESC:
Anti -lock b raking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the whee ls from locking when brak­
i n g . The vehicle can sti ll be steered even d uring
hard brak ing. Apply steady press ure to the brake
pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A puls ing in the
brake pedal indicates that the system is acting to
stabilize the vehicle.
Brake a ssi st sy stem
The brake assist system can dec rease braking dis­
tance. It increases brak ing power when the driver
presses the brake pedal quick ly in emergency sit­
uations . You must press and hold the brake pedal
until the dangerous situat io n is over . In veh icles
w ith adapt ive c ruise control*, the bra ke assis t
system is more sensitive if the distance detected
to the veh icle dr iv ing ahead is too small. On
ve hicles w ith act ivated and functi oni ng night vi­
sion assist*, the brake assist system can respond
more sensit ively if there is a warning .
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
A SR red uces eng ine power when the d rive wheels
begin s pinning and ad apts the force to the road
conditions. This makes it easier to sta rt, acceler ­
ate and dr ive up hi lls.
Electronic differential lock (EDL )
EDL applies the brakes to a wheel that sta rts
sp inning and t ransfe rs t he d rive powe r to t he
o ther d riving w heels. This f unct ion is not av aila ­
b le at higher speeds .
126
In extreme cases, ED L automat ically switches off
to keep the b rake on the braked whee l from over­
heating. The veh icle is still working correct ly. ED L
will switc h on again automatically when condi­
tions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendat ion
The E SC he lps to stabili ze the vehicle by changing
the steering torque.
I n veh icles with dyna mic steer ing*, ESC a lso
helps to sta bilize the s teer ing in cr it ica l situa ­
tions.
Selective wheel torque control
Se lective wheel to rque cont rol is used when d riv­
i ng on curves.
The fro nt wheel on the ins ide of the curve or bo th
whee ls on the inside of the curve are braked se­
l ectively as needed. This allows more pre cise d riv­
i ng in cu rves. The applicab le system may no t ac ti­
vate when dr iv ing in we t or snowy condi tio ns.
Automatic post -collision braking system
The "automat ic post-coll is io n braking system"
can help to reduce the risk of sl iding and of addi­
tiona l co llisions after an acc iden t. If the a irbag
c ontro l modu le detects a collision above a cer tain
vehicle speed, the ve hicle is braked by the ESC.
The veh icle does not b rake automatically if:
- the drive r presses the acce lerator pedal, or
- the bra king force generate d by the pressed
brake pedal is greater than the b raking force
that would be in itiated by the system, or
- the ESC, the bra ke system or the vehicle electri­
cal system are not functioning.
A WARNING
- The ESC and its integ rated systems can not
overcome the lim its imposed by natura l
p hys ica l laws. Th is is es pec ially impor tan t
on s lippery or wet roads. If the system s be­
g in a cting to stabilize yo ur vehicle, you
should immedi ately alte r your speed to
match the road and tra ffi c conditions. Do
not let t he i ncreased safety provi ded tempt

0 co .... N ,..... N .... 0 0 :c ' you into taking risks. This could increase
your risk of a co llision.
- Please note the risk of a co llision increases
when driving fast, especially through curves
and on slippery or wet roads, and when driv­
ing too close to objects ahead. The ESC and
its integrated systems cannot always pre­
vent collisions - there is still a r is k of acci­
dents!
- Press the accelerator pedal carefully whe n
accele rating on even, s lippery surfaces such
as ice and snow. The d rive wheels can spin
Switching on and off
Intellig ent Technology
even when these control systems a re insta l­
led and this can affect driving stability and
increase the risk of a collision.
@ Tips
- The ABS and ASR only function correct ly
when a ll four wheels have a simi la r wear
condition. Different tire sizes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems de­
scribed are working.
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine .
Fig. 1 53 Center co nso le w it h ESC O FF button
ESC le vels
Sport mode on
The following examples are unusua l situations
where it may make sense to switch sport mode
on in order to allow the wheels to spin:
- Rock ing the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driving in deep snow o r on loose g round
- Dr iving with snow chains
Sport mode off
Behavior
The ESC and ASR stabilization functions The full stabilization function of the ESC
are lim ited
¢ .&. . and ASR is ava ilable aga in .
Operation Press the [!I button. Press the [!I button again.
Indicator II tu rns on. II turns off .
lights
Messages Stabilization control (ESC ): Off. Warning! Stabilizat ion control (ESC ): On
Reduced stability
A WARNING
On ly switch spo rt mode on when yo ur driv ing
abilities and the traffic s ituation permit, be­
cause t he re is a r is k of s lid ing .
- T he stabilization func tion is limited when
spo rt mode is sw itched on. The driving
w heels co uld sp in and the veh icle cou ld
swerve, espec ially on s lick o r slip pery roa d
su rf a ces .
(D Tips
Sport mode cannot be switched on if the
cruise control system* or adaptive cruise con­
tro l* is switched on .
127

Intelligent Technology
Brakes
New brake p ads
New b rake pads do no t achieve the ir full b raking
effect during the firs t 250 mi (400 km) . They
m ust be "broken in" first . The b reak -in period can
be considerably longe r for vehicles with ceram ic
brake rotors* . However, you can compensate for
the slightly reduced braking force by pressing
firm ly on the brake pedal. Avo id heavy braking
during the break-in period .
Wear
Brake pad wear depends largely on the way the
veh icle is driven and on operat ing cond itions.
This is especially true if you are driving frequently
in the c ity and on curves or with a sporty driving
style .
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depend ing on the
speed, braking force and outs ide cond itions such
as temperature and humidity.
Noises may become more appare nt at lowe r
speeds due to the nature of the materia ls in the
ceramic brake rotors*.
Effect of water and road salt
I n cer tain s ituations, for example a fter driving
through water, in heavy rain, afte r ove rnig ht con ­
densation or after washing your car, the braking
effect can be red uced by moisture or ice on the
brake rotors and b rake pads . The brakes must be
"dr ied" first w ith a few care ful b rake applica­
tions .
At higher speeds and with the windshie ld wipers
turned on, the brake pads press aga inst the brake
rotors for a short amount of time. T his action,
which is no t felt by the driver, happens at regular
i n tervals a nd ensu res a better react ion time for
the bra kes in wet weather.
The braking effect can also be reduced if you are
driving on salted roads a nd you do not apply the
brakes fo r long pe riods of time. The laye r of salt
o n th e brake roto rs and pads mus t be wo rn off
fi rs t when the brakes are app lied.
128
D ue to its s urface, the ce ram ic brake rotor * ab ­
sorbs moisture in ce rtain situations. The refore,
there will tempora rily be less brak ing fo rce than
whe n the brakes are d ry . You can compensate for
th is by press ing the brake pedal harder.
Corrosion
Leav ing the ve hicl e pa rked for long periods of
time , low mileage and avoiding heavy b raking
can contrib ute to corros ion on the b rake roto rs
and to dirty brake pads.
If you usua lly avoid heavy bra king or if there is
cor rosion p resent, occasiona l heavy brak ing at
high speeds is recommended to clean the brake
rotors and pads
c> ,& .
Brake system malfunction
if you no tic e th at the b rake peda l t ravel has sud­
denly
increase d, then a bra ke circuit in the dua l­
c ir cuit b rake system may have malfunctioned.
D rive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immed iate ly to have the
problem corrected . On the way there, drive w ith
reduced sp eed and keep in m ind that you wilt
need a longe r distance to stop and you will need
to press the b rake peda l ha rder.
Low b rake fluid level
When the brake fluid level is low, malfunctions in
the b rake system may occur . The brake fl uid level
i s e lec tronically moni to red.
Brake booster
The brake booster amp lifies the pressure you ap­
ply to the brake pedal. It only wor ks when the en­
gine is running.
A WARNING
- On ly app ly the brakes for the purpose of
cleani ng the bra ke sys tem w hen road and
t raffic cond itions permit. You must not en­
da nger ot her roa d users . T h is i ncreases the
r isk of an acci den t.
-
- Never le t th e ve hicle roll while t he engi ne is
stop ped bec ause this increa ses the r is k of an
a cciden t. ..,.

0 co .... N ,..._
N .... 0 0 :c ' -New brake pads do not achieve their fu ll
brak ing effect during the first 250 mi
(400 km). They must be "broken in" first.
However, you can compensate for the
sl ightly reduced braking force by pressing
firmly on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy brak­
ing dur ing the b reak-in per iod.
- Certa in weather and operat ing cond it ions
such as dr iving t hrough water, d riving in
heavy ra in or d riving after washing your ve­
hicle ca n impair the effectiveness of the
bra kes . In the w inter, ice may b uild up on
the brake pads, rotors and drums . Check
these components by braking carefu lly. Ap­
plying the brakes carefu lly several times
dr ies the brakes and removes ice bu ild-up.
- The effic iency of the brakes can also be im­
paired by driving for long st retches on roads
cove red w ith salt without using the b rakes.
Yo u can remove sa lt deposits from the
bra ke rotors and pads by caref ully applyi ng
the brakes severa l t imes .
- If the front spoiler is damaged or you install
another spoiler, ma ke sure the front wheel
bra kes are vent ilated prope rly. O therwise,
the br ake system could overheat, wh ic h re­
duces the ir effectiveness.
- Failure of a brake circui t impai rs b raking
perfo rmance, whi ch incre ases bra king dis­
tance . Avoi d driving the vehicle and have it
towed it to the nearest author ized Audi
dealer or authorized A udi Se rvice Facility .
- If the bra ke booster is not wor king, you will
have to press m uch ha rder on the bra ke
peda l to compensate for the lack of the
booster.
(D Note
- Never let the brakes "rub" by pressing the
pedal lightly when braking is not actually
necessary. This causes the brakes to over­
heat and inc reases braking d istance and
causes wear.
- Before driving downh ill a long distance on a
steep h ill, decrease your speed and select a
l ower gear. This makes use of the engine
braking effect and relieves the brakes . If Intellig
ent Technology
you need to bra ke ad ditiona lly, bra ke in in­
terva ls and not continuous ly .
(D Tips
- If the brake boos ter is not wor king, you
must press the brake peda l with much more
force than normal.
- If you retrof it your vehicle with a front spo il­
er, wheel covers or simi lar items, make su re
that the air f low to the front wheels is not
inter rupted. Otherwise the b rake system
can become too hot.
Electromechanical
steering., dynamic
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements.
Power s teer ing adapts electronically based on
the ve hicle speed .
Indicator lights and messages
• Do not dr ive vehicle: Steering defective
If this indicator light turns on and stays on and
t hi s message appears, the power steering may
have failed.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as pos­ s ible. Do
not cont inue drivi ng. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac il ity for
ass ista nce.
l;rj Steering: System fault You can continue
driving
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, the steering wheel may be more d iffi ­
cu lt to move or m ore sensitive than usual. The
steering wheel may also be at an angle when
driv ing stra ight .
Drive slowly to an a uthorized Audi dea ler or au­
thori zed Audi Serv ice Facility to have the mal­
funct ion corrected .
'T-ij Dynamic stee ring: Initializing
If the indicato r ligh t is blinking and this mess age
appe ars, dynamic steering* is be ing ini tialized. .,.
129