2017 AUDI A8 service indicator

Cockpit overv iew
CD Note
-Auxiliary headlights and other accessories in
front of the cooling-a ir intake impair the
cooling effect of the coolant. This increases
the r isk of the engine overheat ing during
high outside temperatures and heavy en-
gine load.
- The front spoiler also he lps to distr ibute
cooling air correctly wh ile driving. If the
spoiler is damaged, the cooling effect will
be impaired and the risk of the engine over­
hea ting will inc re ase. See an a uthorized
A udi dealer or au thori zed A udi Service Fa­
cility for assistance .
Tachometer
The tachometer display s the engine speed in rev­
olutions per minute
(RPM).
You shou ld shift to the nex t lowest gea r whe n
the speed is below 1,500 R PM. The beginn ing of
the red zone in the t achometer indic ates the
maxim um permissible eng ine speed fo r all gears
once the engine has been broken in an d when it is
warmed up to operating temperature . Before
reaching this zone, you should shift into the next
h ighest gear, select the D selector lever pos ition,
or remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
CD Note
The needle in the tachometer @ <=:> page 9,
fig. 3 may only be in the red area of the gauge
for a short t ime or the re is a risk of engine
damage. The locat ion where the red zone be­
gi ns varies depending on the engine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early helps you to save fuel a nd re­
duce operating noise.
Fuel level
The display ® only works when the ignition is
sw itched on. If the fuel level d rops below 4 gal
(15
L), a red L ED will light up and the ll) ind ica­
tor light will tur n on
<=:> page 24 . The red LED
will blink when the fuel level is very low.
10
The fuel tank capacity of your ve hicl e is listed in
the
Techn ical Data section <=:> page 334 .
CD Note
Never dr ive until t he ta nk is comp letely emp­
ty. The irreg ular su pp ly of fuel t hat res ults
from that can cause engine m isfires . Uncom­
b uste d fue l w ill then enter the exhaust sys ­
tem. This ca n cause overheating and damage
to the catalyt ic converter.
Odometer
Fi g. 4 Instru ment cluster: odometer a nd reset button
Upper odomet er
The trip odometer shows the distance driven
since it was last reset. It can be used to measure
short distances.
The trip odometer can be reset to zero by press ­
ing the ~ reset button.
Lower odometer
The lower odomete r shows the tota l distance
that the vehicle has d riven.
Malfunction indicator
If there is a malfunction in the instr ument clus­
te r,
DEF will appear in the trip odometer display.
Have the malfu nction corrected as soon as possi­
ble.

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
- If the brake system indicator light does not
turn off or it t urns on while driv ing, the
brake fluid level in the reservoir is too low,
and this increases the risk of an acc ident .
Stop the vehicle a nd do not continue dr iv­
ing . See an author ized Audi dealer or au­
t h o rized Aud i Serv ice Facility fo r ass istance.
- If the brake system indicator light turns on
togethe r with the ABS and ESC ind icator
l igh ts, the ABS/ ESC regula ting func tion may
be malfunctioning. Fu nctions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longer ava ilable . This
could cause the vehicle to swerve, whic h in­
creases the risk that the ve hicle wi ll slide.
Do not continue driving. See an author ized
Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service Facili­
ty for assistance.
PARK/( ®) Electromechanical parking brake
If the -(USA models) /. (Canada models)
i n dicator light t urns on, the park ing brake was
set .
- (USA models) /. (Canada models) Cau·
tion : Vehicle parked too st eep
If the indicator light blinks and the message ap­
pears, the re is not enough brak ing power to se­
cure the vehicle . The b rakes have overhea ted. The
ve hicle could roll away eve n on a small incline.
- (USA models) /. (Canada models) P ress
brake pedal to release parking b rake
To re lease the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press the~ button at the same time
or start driv ing with hill start ass ist
¢ page 82 .
Ill Parking brake!
There is a malfunction in the park ing brake . Dr ive
t o a n author ized Audi dealer or au thor ized Audi
Serv ice Facil ity immediately to have t he mal func ­
tion correc ted.
(j) Tips
For add it io na l information on the park ing
brake, see
c::> page 81.
20
_ L Cooling system
• Swit ch off engine and check coolant level!
T he coolant level is too low .
Do not continue dr iv ing and switch the eng ine
off. Check the coolant level
c::> page 2 77 .
- If the coo lant level is too low , add coolant
c::> page 2 78 . Only continue driving once the in­
dicator light turns off.
• Coolant temperature too high! Please let en­
gine run with vehicle stationary
Let the engine ru n at idle fo r a few min utes to
cool off, until t he ind icator lig ht t urns off .
- If the ind icator light does not turn off , do not
cont inue driving the veh icle. See an authorized
Aud i dea le r or aut horized Audi Serv ice Facility
for assistance.
.&_ WARNING
- Never ope n the hood if you can see or hear
steam or coo lant escaping from the engine
compa rtment. This increases the risk of
burns. Wait until you no longer see o r hear
steam or coolant escaping.
- The engine compartment in any vehicle can
be a dange rous a rea. Stop the engine and
allow it to cool before working in the engine
compa rtment . Always follow the informa­
tion fo und in
c::> page 2 71.
(I) Note
Do not continue driv ing if the . indicator
li ght turns on -this increases the risk of en­
gine damage .
~ Safety belt
The. indicator lig ht stays on unti l the dr iver 's
and front passenge r's safety belts are faste ned .
Above a certa in speed, the re will a lso be a warn­
i ng tone.
@ Tips
Fo r addi tional info rmat ion on saf ety belts,
see
c::> page 218 .

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 ' the risk that the vehicle will slide. Drive care­
fully to the nearest authorized Audi dea ler or
authorized Audi Service Fac il ity and have the
malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
For addit ional information on ESC and ABS,
refer to¢
page 126.
ffl;/ !f Safety systems
The II (USA models)/ m (Canada mode ls) indi­
cator light monitors the safety systems.
If the
II (USA mode ls)/ m (Canada models) in­
d ic ator light turns on or blinks, there is a mal­
function in a safety system such as the airbag or belt tensioner system .
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler or a uthori zed
Aud i Service Facility immedia tely to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
A WARNING
Have the malf unct ion in the safety systems
inspected immediately. Otherwise, the re is a
r is k th at the systems may not activate du ring
a co llision, which increases the risk of serio us
injury or death.
& Brake booste r
II Brake servo : limited functionality . You can
continue driving. Contact workshop
-
There is a malfunction in the brake boos ter. The
b ra ke booster is availab le, bu t its effec tiveness is
r educed. Braking behavior may be diffe rent from
h ow it no rmally functions and t he brake peda l
may vibrate.
D rive to an aut ho rize d Aud i dea le r o r au thorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have t he
malfunct ion corrected.
(0) Brake pads
llJ Brake pads!
T he br ake pads are wo rn. Cockpit o
verview
Drive to an authori zed A udi dealer or au thorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
brake pads checked.
Applies to USA models
T he llJ indica tor light turns on togethe r wi th the
1111 indicator light
EPC Engine control (gasoline engine)
~ Engine start system fault . Please contact
deale r
The re is an eng ine contro l ma lf u nction.
Immed iate ly dr ive s low ly to an author ized A udi
dealer or au thor ized A udi Se rvice Fa cility to have
t h e mal func tion corre cted.
a Malfunction indicator lamp (MIL)
The ma lf u nction indicator lamp ( MIL) is part of
the On Board Diagnostic system (OBD II). The
¢4 c;ymbol turns on when the ignition is sw itched
on and turns off aga in once the engine is started
and ru nning at a steady idle speed . This indicates
t h at the MIL is f unct ion ing cor rectly .
The ind icator light turns on if there is a malfunc­
t ion in the engine electronics . See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized A udi Service Fac ility to
have t he mal funct ion cor rected . Fo r additional
informa tion, see
¢ page 25 .
The ind icator light can a lso turn o n if the fuel fill­
er cap is not closed correctly¢
page 269.
!?' Engine speed limitation
Applies to : vehicles with engine speed limitatio n
~ Maximum engine speed XXXX RPM
The eng ine speed is automatically limited to the
RPM shown in the instrument cluster d isplay.
This protects the engi ne from overheat ing .
The eng ine speed limitation deactivates once the
engine is no longe r in the critical temperatu re
range and you have re leased the accelerator ped­
al once .
If the engine speed limitation was activated by
an engine cont rol malfunction, the~ indicator ..,.
23

Cockpit over view
light also turns on. Make sure t hat the speed
does not go above the speed displayed. Drive to
an author ized Audi dealer or authorized A udi
Serv ice Facility immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected .
_,.,. Engine oil sensor
• Oil l eve l! Se nsor def ectiv e
The sensor to check the engine oil leve l has
fa iled. Drive to an authori zed Aud i dea ler or au­
thor ized Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have
the malfunction corrected .
r Engine warm-up request
n Plea se warm up eng ine
F uel has entered the engine oil, either from low
outside temperatures or frequent short drives .
Drive unt il the engine is warm so that the fuel in
the eng ine oi l will evaporate . Avo id high engine
speeds, full acce le rating and heavy eng ine loads
when doing this.
Bil Tank system
liD Plea se refuel
If the indicator lig ht t urns on for the fi rst time
and the mess age appears, there are abo ut 4 gal ­
lons (15 lite rs) of fue l le ft in the tank.
II] Fuel tank s ystem malfunction! Pl ea se con­
tact dealer
There is a malfunction in the fue l tank system .
Drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or authorized
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
(D Tips
More information on ref ue ling is avai lab le on
page
c:> page 268.
~ Washer fluid level
C Please refill washer flu id
24
Fill the washer fluid fo r the windshie ld washer
system and the headlight washer system when
the ignit ion is switched off
c:> page 281 .
• Windshield wipers
m Windshield wiper defecti ve
There is a ma lf u nction with the winds hield wip­
ers .
D rive to an authori zed A udi dealer or au tho riz ed
Audi Se rvice Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
~ /0~ Bulb failure indicator
If the S:i indicator light turns on, a bulb has
failed . The message indicates the location of the
bulb.
If the
II indicator light also t urns on, then a rear
fog light has failed. The position of the indicator
li ght corresponds with the location on the vehi­
cle.
Vehicle light s: system fault!
There is a m alfu n ction in the headlights o r the
li ght sw itch .
D rive to an author ized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Se rvice Fac ility immediate ly to have the
malfunction correc ted .
_& WARNING
-Light bulbs a re under pressure and can ex­
plode when b ulbs are replaced, whic h in­
creases the risk of inj ury.
- With H ID headlights * (xenon -plus head ­
lights), the high-vo ltage component must
be handled correct ly . Otherwise, there is a
risk of fatal in jury.
~(i) Headlight range control system
II He adlight ra nge cont rol system: system
f a ult!
There is a ma lfunction in the headlight range
contro l system, which may cause glare for other
drivers.
-

0 co .... N ,..._
N .... 0 0 :c ' Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler o r a uthorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
fi. D Light/rain sensor
El Automatic headl ights / automatic wipers :
System fault
The light/ra in sensor is malfunction ing.
The low beams remain switched on at all times
for safety reasons when the light switch is in the
AU TO position. You can continue to turn the
lights on and
off using the light switch . You can
still control all functions that are independent of
the ra in sensor through the windshield w iper lev­
er .
Drive to an authori zed Aud i dea ler or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the malfunct ion corrected.
!-: Sport differential
A ppl ies to: ve hicles with sport differential
Ill Sport differential : System fault
There is a malfunction with the spo rt differentia l.
Dr ive to an authorized Aud i dea le r o r a uthorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
Ill Sport differential : Overheating
The transm ission temperature has increased s ig­
ni ficantly due to the sporty driving manne r. D rive
in a less sporty manner until the temperature re­
turns to the normal range and the indic ator light
switches of .
& WARNING
-
Contact your authori zed A udi dealer or a
qualified workshop if the sport differentia l is
faulty or malfunctioning. The repair must be
performed by trained personnel using the cor­
rect o il in order to ensure safety.
Coc kpit o ve rv iew
¢ Q Turn signals
If the . or B indicator light blinks , the turn
s ignals a re act ivated. If bot h ind icator lights are
blinking, the emergency flashers are activated.
If an ind icator light blinks tw ice as fast as usual,
a turn signal bu lb has fai led. Carefully d rive to an
autho riz e d Aud i dea le r or authorized Aud i Serv ice
F acility immed iate ly to have the ma lfunction co r­
rected . The indicator light does not indicate a
malfunction if a turn signal on the trailer or on
the vehicle fa ils in trailer towing mode.
(D Tips
Fo r more information on the turn signa ls, re­
fer to<=>
page 44.
On Board Diagnostic
System (OBD)
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Ma lfunction Indicator Lamp (MI L) ¢,ij in the
inst rument cluster is part of the On-Boa rd Diag­
nostic (OBD II) system .
T he wa rning/indicator light ill uminates when the
ignition is sw itched on and goes out after the en­
gine starts and the idle has stabilized. This indi­
cates that the MIL is working properly.
If the li ght do es not go out after the eng ine is
sta rted, or i lluminates while you are driving, a
malfunction may exist in the engine system. If
the lig ht illuminates, the catalytic converter
could be damaged.
Cont inue driving
with reduced power (avoiding
s ustained high speeds and/o r rapid accelera­
tions) and have the condit ion corrected. Contact
your authori zed Aud i dea ler .
If the light i llum inates, the elect ronic speed lim­
iter may also be malf unct ion ing. For more infor­
mation
c> page 26, Electronic speed limiter .
An improperly closed fue l filler cap may also
ca use the MIL light to illuminate ¢
page 269.
25

Cockpit overview
On-Board Diagnostics
Fig. 19 Location of Data Link Connector (DLC)
On-Board Diagnostics monitors the components
of your emission control system. Each monitored
component in your engine system has been as­
signed a code . In case of a malfunction, the com­
ponent will be identified and the fault stored as a
code in the control module memory.
The MIL light may also illuminate if there is a
leak in the on-board fuel vapor recovery system.
If the light illuminates after a refueling, stop the
vehicle and make sure the fuel filler cap is prop­
erly closed
¢ page 269.
In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the stor­
ed data can only be displayed using special diag­
nostic equipment (generic scan tool for OBD).
In order to connect the special diagnostic equip­ ment, push the plug into the Data Link Connector
(DLC). The DLC is located to the right of the hood
release
¢ fig. 19.
Your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service
station can interpret the code and perform the
necessary repair.
A WARNING
Do not use the diagnostic connector for per­
sonal use. Incorrect usage can cause malfunc­
tions, which can increase the risk of a colli­
sion!
Electronic speed limiter
-
Your vehicle may be factory equipped with tires
that are rated for a maximum speed of 130 mph (210 km/h). This is less than the maximum speed
of your vehicle . To reduce the risk of sudden tire
26
failure and loss of control if the vehicle is operat­
ed at excessive speeds, your vehicle also has an
electronic speed limiter. The electronic speed
limiter prevents your vehicle from going faster
than the tire speed rating. For more information
¢ page 290.
If the engine control unit receives faulty vehicle
road speed signals, the Malfunction Indicator
Lamp (MIL)
¢'4 will illuminate. If this occurs,
contact the nearest authorized Audi dealer for
ass istance.
58
Your vehicle's top speed is electronically limited
to 155 mph (250 km/h).
If the engine control unit receives faulty vehicle
roadspeed signals, the Malfunction Indicator
Lamp (MIL)
¢'4 will illuminate. If this occurs,
contact the nearest authorized Audi dealer for
assistance.
A WARNING
Always observe the posted speed limits and
adjust your speed to suit prevailing road, traf­
fic and weather conditions. Never drive your vehicle faster than the maximum speed rating
of the ti res installed.
-