2017 AUDI A8 brakes

Table of contents
About this Owner's Manual ... .. .
Cockpit ... .. ............... .... .. .
Cockpit overview ................ .
Controls at a glance ... .......... .. .. .
Instrument cluster .. .......... .. .. .. .
Multifunction steering wheel ... .. .. .. .
Driver information system ............ .
Time and date display ...... ... .. .... .
H ead-up Display .... .. .. ..... ... .. .. .
Indicato r lights . ................ ... .
On Board Diagnostic System (OBD) .... .
Starting and driving ............ .
Opening and closing .. .... .... .. .
Central locking .... ........... .... .. .
L uggage compartment lid ...... .... .. .
Child safety lock ........... ..... .. .. . 6
7
7
7
9
11
12
16
16
17
25
27
27
27
33
36
Power
window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Sunroof. .. ... ... .. .......... .. .. .. . 38
Panorama glass roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Valet parking function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
40
Garage door opener (Homelink) . . . . . . . . 41
L ights and Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Exterior lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Interior lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
V1s1on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Windshield wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SO
Digital compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Seats and storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
58
Memory function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
12 volt sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
llSvoltsocket .............. .... ... 61
Full-length center console. . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Sto rage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Pass-through with ski bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Refrigerator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Warm and cold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Deluxe automatic climate control . . . . . . . 69
2
Driving ..... .. .. .. .. ... .......... . .
General information . .... .......... . .
Steering .......... .. .. . .......... . .
Start ing and stopping the eng ine ..... . .
Start/Stop system .. .. ............. . .
E le ctromechanical parking brake ...... .
Start ing from a stop .. ........ ..... . .
Automat ic transmission
Trailer mode .. .. .. ........ ..... . .
D rivin g with a trailer .. .............. .
T raile r mode notes .. .. ............. . .
Driver assistance .. .............. .
Assist .... .. .. .. .. .. ... .. ... ... .. . .
Speed warning system ... ........... . .
Cruise control system .... .......... . .
Audi adaptive cruise control .......... .
Audi active lane assist (lane departure 73
73
75
76
78
81
82
83
89
89
91
92
92
92
92
94
assist) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Audi side assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
N ight vision assist w ith pedestrian and
wild animal detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
107
Audi drive select (drive settings) . . . . . . . . 110
Parking systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Parking system plus ........ ....... ... 115
Rearv iew camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Peripheral cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Adjus ting the display and the warning
tones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
124
Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
T railer hitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Intelligent Technology . . . . . . . . . . 126
E lectronic Stabilization Control (ESC) . . . . 126
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
E lectromechanical steering, dynamic
steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
129
All wheel drive (quattro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Notice about data recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and vehicle control
modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
132

0 co .... N ,..... N .... 0 0 :c ' Steering lock
¢page 21
Eng ine start system
¢ page22
Brake booster
<=>page23
Electromechanical power steer­
i ng, dynam ic steering*./
<=> page 129
Air suspension
¢ poge22
Sport differe ntia l*
¢ poge 25
Other indi cator lights
-------------
Turn sig na ls
¢ poge25
USA mod els :
Cruise contro l system
<=>page 92
Can ada model s:
Cruise control system
<=>page 92
Adaptive c ruise contro l*
¢ page 96
Adaptive c ruise contro l*
¢ page 96
Adaptive c ruise contro l*
¢page 96
Active lane assist*
¢page 103
Start/Stop system*
¢page 78
Start/Stop system*
<=>page 78
High beam ass istant
<=> poge44
High beams
¢ page 44, <=> page 44
BRAKE /((J)) Brake system
I f th is ind icator light tu rns on, there is a malfunc­
tion in the brake system.
Coc kpit o ve rv iew
llll (USA model s) /. (Canada model s) Stop
v ehicle and che ck brake fl uid le vel
Stop t he veh icle a nd check t he b rake fl uid level.
See an author ized A udi dealer or author ized A udi
Service Facility for assistance if necessary.
1111 (USA mod els) ta (Canada model s)
Brakes : malfunction! Plea se sto p vehi cle safel y
If the ABS ind icator light ll.JJJ (USA models) /
~ (Canada models), the ESC ind icator light Bl ,
and the b rake system indicato r light 1111 (USA
models) /. (Can ada models) all turn o n and
t hi s message appea rs, then the ABS, ESC and
braking d istribution are malfunctioning ¢&. .
Do not continue dr iv ing. See a n author ized Audi
dealer or authori zed A udi Se rvice Fac il ity for as­
s istance ¢&. .
1111 (USA mod els) /. (Canada mod els) Park­
ing brake : S ys tem fault! See owner' s manual
- If the ind icator light and the message appear
when the vehicle is stationary or after switch­
ing the ignition on ,
check if you can re lease the
pa rk ing bra ke. If you cannot release the pa rk­
ing brake , see your author ized Audi dealer or
au thor ized Audi Se rvice Fa cil ity. I f you can re ­
lease the parking brake and the message still
appears, see an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Faci lity immediately to
have the malfunction corrected.
- If the indicator light and message appear
while
dri ving ,
the hill start ass ist or emergency brak­
ing function may be malfunctioning. It may not
be possible to set the parking brake or release
it once it has been set . Do not park you r vehicle
on hills. See an authorized Audi dea le r or a u­
thori zed A udi Service Fac ility for assistance.
App lies to: USA mode ls
If the 1111 and Ei1 tur n on at the same time, the
brake pads are worn out
¢ page 2 3 .
.&, WARNING
-Read and fo llow the warnings in
¢ page 2 71, Working in the engine com­
portment
befo re opening the hood and
checking the brake fluid level.
19

Cockpit over view
& WARNING
Do not tow your veh icle when there is a mal­
function in the electronic steering lock -this
increases the risk of an accide nt.
© -Engine start system
• Engine start sy ste m fault . Plea se contact
dealer
Do not switch the ignit io n off because you may
not be able to switch it o n aga in .
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler or a uthorized
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct io n corrected.
1111 Engine start system fault. Please contact
dealer
There is a mal func tion in the eng ine start ing sys­
tem .
D rive to an a uth o riz e d Aud i de aler or a uth o rized
Au di Serv ice Facility immedi ately to have t he
malfunct ion corre cted .
~ Air suspension
• Air su spension : System fault Driving slowly
at ma ximum 35 mph is possible.
There is a malfunction that can resul t in restrict ­
ed d riving stability .
D rive to an a uth o rized Au di dea le r or a uthorize d
Aud i Serv ice Facility immedi ately at a ma xim um
speed of 3S mph (6 0 km/ h) to have the m alfu nc ­
tion corrected.
• Air suspen sion : Service mode. Vehicle can
onl y be moved with restriction s
Carefully drive to your author ized A udi dealer or
author ized Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to
have the serv ice mode deactivated.
rl Air su spension : System fault
There is a system malfunct ion that can result in
restricted d riving stability or reduced gro und
clearance.
22
Drive to an au thori zed A udi dealer or authori zed
Audi Se rvice Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction cor rected.
rl Air suspension : Vehicle i s too low. Ground
clearance limited
The gro und clea rance is very low due to a system
malfunction . Wai t unti l th e air su sp ension sys ­
tem has restored normal g ro und clear ance. Oth­
erwise, conditions s uch as an uneven road surface
can lead to ve hicle damage.
. ;;.l u Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
If the G) ind icator light blinks while driving, the
ESC or ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation) is act ively regu­
l ating.
If the
G) indicator light turns on, the system has
switched the ESC off. In th is case, you can switch
the ignit ion off and then on to switch the ESC on
again. The i ndicator light tu rns off when the sys­
tem is functioning fully .
If the
II ind icator light turns on, the ESC was
switched off using the
lli] b utton o page 126.
Stabilization cont rol (ESC/ABS) : malfunction!
See owner's manual
I f the If.) ind ic a tor light and t he A BS indica to r
li gh t~ (U SA mode ls)
I [IJ (Canada models)
turn o n an d this message appears, there is a mal­
functio n in the ABS system or electro nic differen­
tia l lock. This also causes the ESC to malfunction.
The brakes still function with their normal power, but ABS is not active .
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Se rvice Fac ility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected .
& WARNING
If the ... (USA models) • (Canada mod ­
e ls) bra ke system indicator light turns on to­
ge the r with the ABS and ESC in dicator ligh ts,
the ABS a nd ESC r egulating fu nction may
ha ve malfunc tioned. Fu n ct io ns t hat stab ilize
t he vehicle are no l onger av aila ble. This co uld
cause t he vehicle to swerve, which increases

0 co .... N ,..... N .... 0 0 :c ' Driving
General information
Breaking in
A new vehicle must be broken in, and the break­
in distance should be 1,000 mi les ( 1,500 km). Do
not drive at speeds that w ill exceed
2/3 of the
maximum permitted engine speed
(RPM) for the
first 600 miles (1,000 km) , and avoid full accel­
eration during this period . You may gradually
start increasing the
RPM and the speed between
600 miles (1,000 km) and 1,000 miles (1,500
km).
During the first hours of use, the engine has a
higher internal friction than later on when all
moving parts have settled into place with each
other.
How the vehicle is driven during the first 1,000
miles (1,500 km) also affects the engine quality.
Drive at moderate engine speeds after the initial
break-in per iod, part icularly when running a cold
engine . This will reduce engine wear and improve
the mileage .
Do not drive at too low of an engine speed (rpm).
Shift down if the engine stops running "smooth­
ly" . Extremely high eng ine speeds are automati ­
cally reduced .
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive pa r­
ticularly careful for the first 350 miles (500 kilo­
meters) after fitting .
.&_ WARNING
-
New tires tend to be slippery and must also
be "broken-in". Be sure to remember this dur­
ing the first 350 miles (500 kilometers).
Brake gently . Avo id following closely behind
other vehicles or other situations that might
require sudden, hard brak ing.
Avoid damaging the vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that low-
Driving
lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damaged .
T h is is espec ially true for veh icles with low-s lung
chass is (sports chassis)* and fully loaded
vehicles .
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to reduce the risk of vehicle
damage when driving through water, for example
on flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the bot­
tom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faste r than walk ing speed.
.&_ WARNING
=
After driving through water or m ud, the effec-
tiveness of the brakes may be reduced due to moisture on the brake rotors and brake pads.
A few careful brake applications should dry
off the brakes .
(D Note
-Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Always switch off the Start/Stop system
when driving through water r::;,page
78.
{i) Tips
- Determine the depth before driving through
water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the engine off when driving through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncom ing vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely.
- Avoid dr iving through salt water, because
this can cause corrosion .
73

Driving
Economical and environmentally-friendly
driving
The amount of fue l consumption, the environ ­
mental impact and the wear to the engine,
brak es and tir es d epends mostly on your driving
style. W ith an anticipatory and economic driv ing
style, fuel consumption can be reduced by ap­ proximately 10-15% . The following tips will help
you conserve the environment and your money at the same time .
Anticip atory d riving
A vehicle uses the most fuel when acce lerating.
When you drive with ant ic ipat ion , you do not
need to brake as often and so you accelerate less .
When possible, let your ve hicle coast w ith a
g ear
e ngag ed ,
for example , when you notice that the
next traffic light is red. This produ ces a n eng ine
b raking effect, which helps to protect the brakes
and tires and reduces the emissions and fuel con­
sumption to zero (f uel shut-off during decelera ­
tion).
Shift effici ently
An effective way to save f uel is to upshift earlie r.
Staying in a gear too long uses fue l unnecessari ­
ly. Press down on the accelerator pedal slowly
and avoid "k ick-down".
Avoid full acceleration
You sho uld rare ly t ravel at the maximum vehicle
speed. High speeds cause a disp roportiona tely
h igh increase in fuel consumption, emissions and
traffic noise . Slower driving saves fuel.
Reduce idling time
The Start-Stop system * helps to reduce the id ling
time automatically . In vehicles witho ut the Start­
S top sys tem* , it is efficient to switch the eng ine
off when stopped at ra ilroad cross ings a nd long
red lights . Stopping t he engine for 30 -40 sec ­
onds already saves more fuel than the amount of
extra fuel needed to restart the eng ine .
It takes a very long time in idle to wa rm the en­
gine up to operating temperature . Wea r and
emissions are especially high in the warm -up
phase. Therefore, yo u should begin driving im-
74
mediate ly after s tarting the engine . Avoid high
RPMs whi le doing this.
Have maintenance performed regularly
By having maintenance pe rformed regu la rly on
you r vehicle, you can help to reduce fuel con ­
s u mption before you even sta rt to drive. The
maintenance condition of your vehicle not on ly
affects traffic safety and long-term value but al ­
so impacts fuel consumption. A poorly main­
ta ined engine can lead to fuel consumption that
i s 10% higher than normal.
Avo id short trip s
The engine and exha ust cleaning system must
reach their optima l operating temperature to ef­
fect ive ly reduce consumpt ion and emissions.
A cold engine uses a d isproportionately high
amount of fue l. The engine reaches operating
temperat ure and cons umption no rmalizes on ly
after approximate ly four kilometers.
Check the tire pre ssure
To save fuel, ma ke sure the tires are always in­
flated to t he corre ct pressure
¢ page 291 . The
fuel consumption can increase by 5% if the pres­
sure is only 0 .5 bar too low. Due to the increased
roll ing resistance, low tire pressures w ill also
lead to greater tire wear and will affect driving
behavior.
D rive with summer tires when possib le because
th is can increase fue l economy by up to 10%.
Eliminate unnecessary we ight
Since eve ry po und of extra weight increases f uel
consump tion, it pays to remove any unnecessa ry
weight .
A roof rac k increases the w ind resis tan ce on the
vehicle and shou ld be removed when it is not
needed . You will save approximately 12% o f you r
fuel when at speeds from 62-75 mph (100-120 km/h) .
Save energy
The eng ine d rives the genera tor , which gene rates
e lectric ity; the fuel consumpt ion also increases
with t he demand for e lec tricity . T he refore, switch ..,_

Driving
-Do not inadvertent ly press the acce lerator
pedal when the vehicle is stationary. Other­
wise the vehicle will start to move immedi­
ately, eve n if the parking brake is set. This
cou ld resu lt in a crash .
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when the dr iver's
safety belt is engaged in the buckle .
Hill descent control
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down hills .
Hill descent control activates when the transmis­
sion is in the Dor S pos ition and you press the
brake pedal. The transmiss ion automatically se­
lects a gear that is suitable for the hill . H ill de­
scent control tries to mainta in the speed ach­
ieved at the time of braking, within phys ical and
technical limi tations. If may sti ll be necessary to
adj ust the speed with the b rake pedal.
H ill descent contro l switches off o nce the hill lev­
e ls out o r you press the accelerator peda l.
When operating the cruise contro l system
i::> page 92, hill descent control is also activated
when the speed is set.
A WARNING
H ill descent control cannot overcome phys ica l
lim itations, so it may not be able to maintain
a constant speed under all condit ions. Always
be ready to apply the brakes .
86
Manual shifting
The shi~ paddles allow the driver to shift the
gears manually .
Fig. 98 Steer ing whee l: s hifting man ually
.., To shift to a higher or lowe r gear temporari ly,
tap the
0 or 0 shift padd le i::> fig . 98 .
.., To switch manua l mode on , press the~ but­
ton. Mand the gear that is currently engaged
@ appear in the instrument cluster display
i::>page 83, fig. 95.
I :i: .. m
.., To shift up one gear, tap the right shift paddle
G) c::>fig . 98.
.., To shift down one gear, tap the left shift pad­
dle
Q .
.., To switch manua l mode off, press the ~ but-
ton again, or
.., Move the se lector lever back and re lease it.
When yo u accelerate or reduce the speed, the
transmission au tomatically shifts into the correct
gear shortly before reaching the RPM limit. If yo u
select a lower gear than the one currently shown
in the disp lay, the automatic transmission will
only shift down once there is no dang .er of ex­
ceeding the maximum RPM.
The eng ine braking effect increases when you
downshift when going downh ill.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
When yo u press the accelerator pedal down be­
yond the res istance point, the automatic trans­
mission downshifts into a lower gear and the en­
gine ut ilizes its full power, depending on vehicle
speed and engine RPM. It shifts up into the next .,,_

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. ..,.