2018 AUDI A8 service indicator

Cockpit overv iew
CD Note
- Auxiliary headlights and other accessories in
front of the cooling-air 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 helps 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
heating will inc rease. See an a uthorized
A ud i dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa­
cility for assistance .
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in rev ­
olutions per minute
(RPM).
You should shift to the next lowest gea r when
the speed is below 1,500 RP M. The beginn ing of
the red zone in the tachometer ind icates the
maximum permissible engine speed fo r all gears
once the engine has been broken in and when it is
warmed up to operating temperature . Before
reaching this zone, you should shift into the next
highest gear, select the D selector lever position,
or remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
~ Note
The needle in the tachometer @ c:> page 9,
fig. 3 may only be in the red area of the gauge
for a short time or there 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 and re­
duces operating noise.
Fuel level
The display @ only works when the ignition is
sw itched on. If the fuel level drops below 4 gal
(15
L), a red L ED will light up and the Ill indica­
tor light will turn on
c:> page 24. The red LED
will blink when the fuel level is very low.
10
The fuel tank capacity of your ve hicle is listed in
the
Techn ical Data section c:> page 334.
CD Note
Neve r drive until the tank is comp letely emp­
ty. The irregu lar supply of fuel th at results
from that can cause engine misfires . Uncom­
busted fuel w ill then enter the exhaust sys­
tem. This can cause overheating and damage
to the catalyt ic converter.
Odometer
Fig. 4 Instru ment cluster: odometer and reset button
Upper odometer
The trip odometer shows the distance driven
s ince 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 total distance
that the vehicle has driven.
Malfunction indicator
If there is a malfunction in the instrument clus­
ter,
DEF will appear in the trip odometer display.
Have the malfunction corrected as soon as possi­
ble.

u. 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 130
Air s uspension
¢ page 22
Sport differe ntia l*
¢ page 25
Other indic ator lights
-------------
Tur n signa ls
¢ page 25
USA mod els:
C ruise control system
¢ page 93
Canada models:
Cruise contro l system
¢ page 93
Adaptive c ruise contro l*
¢ page 97
Adaptive c ruise contro l*
¢ page 97
Adaptive c ruise contro l*
¢page 97
Active lane assist*
¢page 104
Start/Stop system*
¢page 78
Start/Stop system*
¢page 78
High beam assistant
¢page44
High beams
¢ page 44, ¢ page 44
BRAKE/( ©) Brake system
If t his ind icator lig ht tu rns on, the re is a ma lfu nc­
tion in the brake system.
Coc kpit o ver view
llll vehicle and check brake fluid le vel
Stop t he veh icle a nd check t he b rake fl uid level.
See a n author ized A udi dealer or author ized A udi
Se rvice Facility for assistance if necessary.
1111 (USA model s) /. (Canad a mod els)
Brake s: malfunction! Stop v ehicl e safely
If the ABS ind icator light llll) (USA models) /
~ (Canada models), the ESC ind icator light DJ .
and the b rake system indicato r light 1111 (USA
models)/ . (Can ada models) all tu rn o n and
t hi s message appea rs, then the ABS, ESC and
braking d istribution are
ma lfunctioning ¢&. .
Do not continue dr iv ing . See a n author ized Audi
dealer or author ized A udi Se rvice Fac il ity for as­
s istance ¢&. .
1111 (USA model s) /. (C anad a model s) Park­
ing brak e system 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 release the
pa rk ing bra ke. If you cannot release t he pa rk­
ing b rake , see a n author ized A udi dealer or au­
t hor ized A udi Se rvi ce Fac ility. If you can release
the parking brake and the message sti ll ap ­
pears, see an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Aud i Service Faci lity immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
- If the indicator lig ht and message appear
while
dri ving ,
the hill start ass ist or emergency brak­
ing function may be ma lfunctioning. It may not
be possible to set the parking brake or release
it once it has been set . Do not park your vehicle
on hills . See an authorized Aud i deale r or au­
thor ized A udi Service Fac ility for assistance.
Applies to: USA models
If the 1111 and rlJ turn on at the same time, the
brake pads are worn out
r=;, page 23 .
A WARNING
-Read and follow the warnings in
¢ page 2 72, Working in the engine com­
partment
befo re opening the hoo d and
checking the brake fluid level.
19

Cockpit overv ie w
- If the brake system indicator light does not
t u rn 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 cont inue dr iv­
ing . See an author ized Audi dealer or au­
t h orized Aud i Serv ice Faci lity fo r ass ista nce.
- If the brake system ind icator light turns on
toget he r with the ABS and ESC ind icator
l ights, the ABS/ ESC regulat ing func tion may
be m alfu nctioning. Fu nctions t hat stabilize
the vehi cle are no longer ava ilable . This
cou ld cause the ve hicle to swerve, whic h in ­
creases the risk that t he ve hicle wi ll slide.
Do not continue driving. See an author ized
Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service Fac ili­
ty for assistance .
PARK/(®) Electromechanical parking brake
If the -(USA models) / . (Canada models)
i n dicator light tu rns on , the park ing brake was
set .
-(USA models ) /. (Canada models ) Cau·
tion : Vehicle parked too stee p
lfthe indicator light blinks and the message ap­
pears, the re is not enough brak ing power to se­
cure the vehicle . The brakes have overhea ted. The
ve hicle could roll away even on a small incline .
-(USA models) / . (Canada models) P ress
b rake 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
c> page 82 .
Ill Parking brake!
There is a malfunction in the park ing brake . Dr ive
to a n author ized Audi dealer or author ized A udi
Serv ice Faci lity immediately to have t he malfunc­
tion corrected.
(D Tips
For add it io na l info rmation on the pa rk ing
brake, seer:!)
page 81.
20
_ L Cooling system
• Turn off engine and ch eck coolant l evel
The coolant level is too low .
Do not continue dr iving and switch t he engine
off. Check the coolant level
c> page 2 77 .
- If the coo lant level is too low, add coolant
r:!) page 2 78. Only continue driving once the in­
dicator light turns off.
• Coolant temperature too high! Ple ase let en­
gine run with vehicle stationar y
Let the engine ru n at idle fo r a few mi nutes to
cool off, until t he ind icator lig ht tur ns off .
-If the ind icator light does not turn off, do not
cont inue driving the veh icle . See an author ized
Aud i dea le r or aut horized Audi Serv ice Facility
for assis tance.
.&_ WARNING
- N ever ope n the hood if you ca n see or he ar
steam or coo la nt escaping from t he 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 i n the engine
compa rtment. Always follow the informa­
tion fo und in
c> page 272.
@ Note
Do not continue driv ing if the . indicator
li ght turns on as this increases the risk of en­
g ine damage.
~ Safety belt
The . indicator light stays on unt il 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 war n­
i ng tone.
© Tips
Fo r additional info rmat ion on safety belts,
see c>page219.

Cockpit overview
A WARNING
Do not tow your veh icle when there is a mal­
function in the electronic steering lock
-this
increases the risk of an accident.
@-Engine start system
-
• Engine start system fault. Please contact
dealer
Do not switch the ignit ion off because you may
not be able to switch it o n aga in .
Drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or authorized
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct io n corrected.
ml Engine start system fault. Please contact
dealer
There is a malfunction in the engine starting sys­
tem .
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea le r or authorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected .
0 Air suspension
• Air suspension: System fault You can contin­
ue driving slowly (max. speed 35 mph)
There is a malfunction that can result in restrict­
ed driving stability .
Drive to an autho rized Aud i dea le r or authorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately at a maximum
speed of 35 mph (60 km/h) to have the ma lf unc­
tion corrected.
• Air suspension: Service mode. Vehicle can
only be moved with restrictions
Carefully drive to an author ized Audi dealer or
author ized Audi Service Facility immed iate ly to
have the serv ice mode deactivated.
rl Air suspension : System fault
There is a system malfunction that can result in
restricted driving stability or reduced ground
clearance.
22
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
rl Air suspension: Vehicle too low Ground
clearance reduced
The ground clearance is very low due to a system
malfunction . Wait u ntil the air su spension sys­
tem has restored normal gro un d clearance. Oth­
erwise, conditions s uch as an uneven road surface
can lead to ve hicle damage.
;;.I C; Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
If the bl indicator light blinks while driving, the
ESC or ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation) is act ively regu­
lating.
If the
Jjj indicator light turns on, the system has
switched the ESC off. In this case, you can switch
the ignit ion off and then on to switch the ESC on
again. The indicator light turns off when the sys­
tem is functioning fully .
If the
II indicator light turns on, the ESC was
switched off using the
Im button Q page 12 7.
Stabilization control (ESC/ ABS): Fault! See
owner's manual
If the bl ind icat or light and the ABS indicato r
li ght
fJ] (U SA mode ls)/ [iJ (Canada models)
turn on and this message appears, there is a mal ­
function in the ABS system or electronic 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 Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
If the la (USA mode ls) . (Canada mod­
els) brake system indicator light turns on to­
gethe r with the ABS and ESC indicator lights,
the ABS and ESC r egulating function may
ha ve malfunctioned. Functions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longer available. This could
cause the vehicle to swerve, which increases

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' the risk that the vehicle will slide. Drive care­
fully to the nearest a uthorized Audi dea ler or
authorized Audi Service Fac ility and have the
ma lf u nction corrected .
(D Tips
For additional information on ESC and ABS,
re fer to
c:> page 12 7.
i i !i.' Safety systems
The II (USA models)/ m (Canada mode ls) indi­
cator l ight monitors the safety systems .
I f the
II (U SA mode ls)/ m (Canada models) in­
d icator light turns on or blinks, the re is a mal­
function in a safety system such as the airbag or belt tensioner system .
Drive to an autho riz ed Aud i dea le r or a uthori zed
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
A WARNING
Have the ma lf u nct ion in the safety systems
inspected immediately . O therwise, the re is a
r is k th at the systems may not activate during
a co llision, which increases the risk of serious
injury or deat h.
Lt Brake booster
II Brake ser vo: limited functionalit y. You can
continue driving . Contact workshop
-
There is a malfunc tion in the brake booster. The
b ra ke booster is availab le, bu t its effec tiveness is
r educed. Braking be havior may be different from
h ow it normally functions and the brake peda l
may vibrate.
Dri ve to an autho rize d Aud i de aler o r a uth o rized
Aud i Service Faci lity immediately to have t he
malfunction corrected.
{ 0 } Brake pads
EiJ Brake pads!
The brak e pads are wo rn.
Coc kpit o ver view
Drive to an authori zed A udi dealer or authori zed
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
bra ke pads checked .
Applies to : USA mode ls
T he EiJ indicator light turns on togethe r wi th the
1111 indicator light.
EPC Engine control (gasoline engine)
~ Engine control: system m
alfunction! Reduce speed. Please contact dealer
T he 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 corrected.
o Malfunction indicator lamp (MIL)
The ma lf u nction indicator lamp ( MIL) is pa rt of
t h e On -Board D iagnost ic System (080 II). The
¢..ij c;ymbo l turns on when the ignition is sw itched
o n and turns off aga in once the engine is started
and run ning at a steady idle speed . This indicates
t h at the MIL is f unction ing cor rectly .
The ind icator light tu rns on if there is a malfunc­
t ion in the engine electronics . See an authorized
Audi dealer or author ized A udi Service Fac ility to
have the malfunct ion cor rected . Fo r additional
i nforma tion, see
c:> page 25 .
The ind icator light can a lso turn o n if the fuel fill­
er cap is not closed correctly
c:> page 2 70 .
!?' Engine speed limitation
App lies to : vehicles wit h engine speed limitatio n
(m 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 over heat 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 ~ indicato r ..,
23

Cockpit overv ie w
lig ht 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 evel! Sen sor d efe ctiv 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 immed iate ly to have
the ma lfunction corrected .
f Engine warm-up request
0 Plea se warm up engine
Fue l has entered the eng ine oil, either from low
outside temperatures or frequent short drives .
Dr ive unt il the engine is warm so that the fuel in
the eng ine oi l will evaporate . Avo id h igh eng ine
speeds, fu ll acce le rating and heavy eng ine loads
when doing this.
jjl Tank system
Ill Plea se refuel
If t he i nd icator lig ht t urns on fo r the fi rst time
a nd the mess age appears, there a re abo ut 4 ga l­
lons (15 lite rs) of fue l le ft in the tank.
D Fuel tank s ystem malfunction! Plea se con­
tact dealer
There is a malfunction in the fue l tank system .
Drive to an a uthorized Audi dea ler or a uth orized
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
(D Tips
For more information on fueling, see
¢page 269 .
~ Washer fluid level
C Please refill washer flu id
24
Fill the washer fluid for the windshie ld washer
system and the head light washer system when
t h e ignit ion is switched
off ¢ page 281 .
• Windshield wipers
m Windshield wiper defective
There is a ma lfunction with the winds hield wip ­
ers .
D rive to an au thor ized 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:$ ind icator 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: Malfunction
There is a m alfu nction in the headlights o r the
li gh t sw itch .
D rive to an author ized Audi dealer or autho rized
Audi Se rvice Fac il ity immed iate ly to have the
malfunction cor rec ted .
_& WARNING
-Light bulbs are under pressure and can ex ­
p lode when b ulbs a re rep laced, w hic h in­
creases the ris k of in jury.
- With H ID headlig hts* (xenon -plus head ­
lights), the high-vo ltage component must
be handled correct ly . Otherwise, there is a
risk o f fatal in jury.
§.0 Headlight range control system
El He adlight range cont rol system: System
fault
There is a ma lfunction in the headlight range
contro l system, which may cause glare for other
drivers.
-

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' Drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or a uth orized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have t he
mal funct ion corrected.
~ D Light/rain sensor
El Automatic headl ights / automatic wipe rs:
System fault
The light/rain sensor is malfunctioning.
The low beams remain swi tched 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 w indshie ld w iper lev­
er .
Drive to an aut horized Audi dea ler or a uth orized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
!-: Sport differential
Applies to: vehicles with sport differential
(I Sport differential : Sy stem fault
T here is a malfunction with the sport differentia l.
Dri ve to an authorized Aud i dea le r o r a uth orized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have t he
malfunction corrected.
I'll Sport differential : Ov erh eating
The transm iss ion 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 ind icator ligh t
sw itches of .
A WARNING
Contact an author ized A udi dealer or au tho r­
ized Aud i Serv ice Facility if the sport diffe ren ­
tial is fau lty or mal functioning. The repair
must be performed by tra ined personne l us­
ing the correct oi l in order to ens ure safety .
Cockpit o ver view
¢¢Turn signals
If the B or 1B in d icator light blinks , the tur n
s ignals a re act ivated. If bot h ind icator lights are
blinking, the emergency flashers are activa ted.
If an ind icator light blinks tw ice as fast as usual,
a turn signal b ulb has fai led. Carefully d rive to an
a utho riz ed Aud i dea le r or autho rized Aud i Serv ice
F ac ility 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 o r on
the vehicle fa ils in trailer towing mode.
(D Tips
F o 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 Indicato r Lamp ( MIL) ¢..ijj in the
instrument cluster is part of the On -Board Diag ­
nostic (OBD II) system .
T he warning/indicator lig ht ill uminates w hen the
ignition is switched on and goes out after the en ­
gine starts and the id le has stabilized . This indi ­
cates that the MIL is wor king properly.
If the light doe s not go out after the eng ine is
started, or i lluminates while you are driving, a
malfunction may exist in t he engine system. If
the light ill uminates, the catalytic converter
could be damaged.
Continue driving
w ith reduced powe r (avoiding
s u stained high speeds and/or rapid accelera ­
tions) and have the condit ion corrected. Contact
your authori zed Aud i dea ler .
If the light i lluminates, the electronic speed lim ­
iter may also be malf unctioning. For more infor ­
mation
c> page 26, Electronic speed limiter .
An improperly closed fue l filler cap may also
ca use the M IL light to ill uminate
c> page 2 70.
25

Cockpit overv ie w
On -Board Diagnostics
F ig. 19 Loc ation of D ata Link Connec tor (DLC)
On-Board Diagnostics moni tors the components
of your emission control system . Each monitored
component in your eng ine system has bee n as­
signed a code . In case of a ma lfunction, the com­
ponent w ill be identified and the fa ult stored as a
code in t he control module memo ry.
The MI L light may also illuminate if there is a
leak in the on-board fuel vapor recovery system .
I f t he lig ht ill uminates af ter a ref uel ing, stop the
ve hicle and ma ke sure the fue l filler cap is p rop ­
erly closed
c> page 2 70 .
In order to make an accurate d iagnosis, the stor­
ed data can on ly be disp layed using specia l diag­
nos tic eq uipment (gene ric sc an tool for OBD).
In order to connect t he specia l diagnostic equip­
ment , push the plug into the Data Link Connector
(D LC). The D LC is located to the rig ht of t he hood
release
c> fig. 19.
Your author ized Audi dealer or a qualified service
s tat ion can interpret the code and perform the
necessa ry repa ir.
A WARNING
Do not use t he di agno stic con nector for pe r­
sonal use . Incorrect usag e c an cause ma lfu nc­
tions, which can increase the ris k of a colli­
sion !
Electronic speed limiter
-
Your veh icle may be factory equipped with ti res
that are rated for a maxim um speed of 130 mph
(210 km/h) . This is less than the maximum speed
of your vehicle . To reduce t he risk of sudden tire
26
failure and loss of contro l if the vehicle is operat ­
ed at excessive speeds, your vehicle also has an
e lectronic speed limite r. The elect ronic speed
li miter prevents your ve hicle from go ing faster
th an the tire speed rat ing . For more information
c> page 290 .
If the engine cont rol un it rece ives fa ulty vehicle
speed s ignals, the Ma lf u nction Indicator Lamp
( M IL)
¢..ift will illuminate. If this occurs, contact
the nea rest authorized Aud i dea ler for ass is ­
tance .
58
Your vehicle's top speed is electronically lim ited
to 155 mph (250 km/h).
If the engine control unit receives fa ulty vehicle
speed signals, the Ma lf u nction Indicato r Lamp
(MIL)
¢..ift w ill illuminate. If this occurs, contact
the nea rest authori zed Audi dea ler for ass is­
tance.
A WARNING
A lways obse rve t he posted speed limits and
adjust yo ur speed to sui t prevailing road, tra f­
fic and weather condit ions. Never d rive your
ve hicl e faster t han the ma ximu m speed rating
of the t i res inst alled .
-