2018 AUDI A8 ECU

lL t:0 ....
'"" ......
'"" .... 0 0 :c ' Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General 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.
Trailer towing not only places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from
the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must ac­
tivate the trailer operation mode
c:> page 89, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your vehicle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically
sound
location . Use only a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ball mount. Always check with the trail­
er hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using the correct hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system . No modifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
From time to time, check that all hitch mounting
bolts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the trailer hitch ball mount . This prevents the hitch
from causing damage should your vehicle be
struck from behind
£:=? .&, .
Trailer towing
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
check to be sure that it conforms to all regula­
tions.
T he trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system.
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle and the trailer.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure
to check with your Audi dealer for correct wiring,
switches and relays .
Mirrors
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 .
.,&. WARNING
-After removing the trailer hitch, do not store
it in your vehicle. In case of sudden braking,
the hitch could fly forward and injure you or
your passengers.
Operating instruction s
Fig. 101 MMI display: towing mode o n
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
89

Trailer towing
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
p la ce 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 engine work harder . It
is important that the coo ling system's perform­
ance is up to t he 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 ma nufactu rers' specifica­
tions.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly .
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are proper ly 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 we ight. The vehicle must be in
auto or
comfort driving mode and not ra ised
~ page 111, ~0 .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainment, select:
ICARI function butto n> Lower
control button.
90
If you must drive under poor road conditions, you
can raise the ve hicle
after coupling the trailer or
after adjust ing the tongue we ight ~ page 113.
@ Note
-Changes in temperature or load can aff ect
the height of the vehicle .
-Always select auto or comfort mode. Other­
wise, the tong ue load specified for your ve­
hicle will no longer be applicab le .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results
in a hig hly unstable distribution of we ight. If th is
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid t he risk of losing steering contro l.
A "balanced" rig is eas ier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle s hould be loaded
to
the extent possible and permissib le, w hil e
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 difficu lt 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 whe n
go ing down hill.
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.
A lways 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.
ll-

Ass is tanc e system s
- Keep in mind that braking guard can brake
unexpected ly. Always secure any cargo or
objects that you are transport ing to reduce
the r isk of damage or in jury.
Settings in the Infotainment system
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control
.,. Select : the ICARI function button > Ca r sy stems
control button > Dri ver a ssistan ce > Audi bra k­
ing guard .
Sy stem
-switches the brak ing guard On /Off .
When you switch the ignition on, the message
Braking guard: Off appears if the system is
sw itched off .
Early warning -the distance and approach warn­
ings in the display can be sw itched
On /Off .
(D Tips
- Your settings are automatically stored and
assigned to the remote control key being used.
- If you restrict or sw itch off the ESC, the
braking guard also switches itse lf off
c> page 128.
-Switch braking guard off when you are load­
i ng the veh icle onto a vehicle carr ier, train,
sh ip or other type of transportation . This
can prevent undesired warnings from the braking gua rd system.
Messages
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control
Braking guard : Off
This message appears if the system is sw itc hed
off throug h the Infota inment system . Otherwise ,
if the system is tur ned off, the information ap­
pea rs every time shortly after the start of t he
trip .
The message also appears if the system is not
ava ilable d ue to a ma lfunct ion or if the ESC is
sw itched
off ¢ page 128 . If this is the case, the
system wi ll not provide warnings about a possi ­
b le co llision.
Braking guard : engaged
102
This message appears if a sharp brake pressure
was applied due to an acute warning .
ACC: Unavailable!
ACC and Audi braking guard: Una vailable
The system cannot guarantee that it will detect
objects correctly and is sw itched off. The sensors
have been moved or are faulty . The pre sense
funct ions may also be affected . Drive to an au­
t h orized Aud i dea ler or authorized Audi Se rvice
Fac il ity immed iate ly to have the ma lfunction cor­
r ec ted .
ACC : Currently unavailable . No sen sor vis ion
AC C and Audi braking gua rd: Curr entl y una vail­
able. No sensor vision
This message appears if the sensor view is ob­
structed, for examp le by leaves, snow, heavy
spray or dirt. Clean the
sensors ¢ page 95,
fig. 104.
ACC : Cu rrently un avail able . G radient too steep
The road exceeds the maxim um poss ible a ngle
fo r safe adaptive cruise co ntro l opera tion. Ada pa
tive cru ise con trol is switched off.
ACC : Only available in D , Sor M
Se lect the D, Sor M selector lever position .
ACC: Cu rrently un available . Parking br ake ap­
plied
The adaptive cru ise con trol system sw itches o ff
automatica lly if the parking brake is set .
ACC: Currently unavailabl e. Stability contr ol
( ES C) inpu t.
This message appears if the electron ic stabiliza­
tion cont rol ( ESC) is tak ing action to stabilize the
vehicle. In t his case, adaptive c ruise cont ro l
swi tches off autom atically.
ACC off: Manual control!
This message appears when adaptive cruise con­
trol cannot set the parking brake. Press the brake
pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling .
... ~

Ass is tanc e system s
In the sporty dynamic mode, the transmission
shifts at higher speed ranges.
Air su spen sion
The adaptive air suspension/adaptive air suspen­
sion spo rt* is an e lectron ica lly contro lled a ir sus ­
pens ion and damping system . The adjustment
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 sett ing is generally used in vehicles
with adap tive a ir suspension sport*.
The vehicle ground clearance depends on the mode se lected and the speed . When you are in
the auto or dynamic mode, the h ighway sett ing is
activated when you dr ive 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 .
Stee ring
The power steer ing adap ts . Indirect steer ing that
moves easily as in comfort mode is especially
suited to long drives on a h ighway . The dynam ic
mode p rovides spo rty , d irect steering.
Applies to: vehicles with dynamic steering
The steering ratio changes based on vehicle
speed in order to ma intain optimum steering ef­
fort for the dr ive r at all times . This sets the steer­
i n g to be less sensit ive at hig he r speeds in o rder
to p rovide imp roved vehicle contro l. At reduced
speeds, steer ing is more direct in order to keep
the steering effort as minima l as possib le when
the driv er is maneuvering the v ehicl e. At low and
average speeds, dynamic steering* addit ionally
provides more responsive steering performance.
Sport diff ere ntial *
As a component of the all wheel drive system (quattro)
¢ page 131, the sport differential dis ­
tributes the driving power to the rear axle de ­
pending on the situation. The distribution of
power va ries from balanced (comfort) to sporty
(dynamic) depending on the selec ted mode . The
goal is a high level of agility and ab il ity to accel ­
erate on curves . The ve hicle is very respons ive to
steer ing .
112 Corn
ering light *
The co rnering ligh t adapts the hig h beams to the
direction of the curve depending on the speed.
The pivoting action and the lighting also adapt to
the mode.
Adaptive cruise cont rol*
The be hav io r whe n accelerat ing ca n 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 cons ervative or sporty manner.
Engine sound *
The eng ine sound adapts to the c urrent mode
and can be subtle to spo rty.
{[» Note
- Make s ure there is enough clearance above
and be low the vehicle when pa rk ing . T he
heig ht of t he ve hicle can change on ce it is
parked d ue to temperature fluctuations,
changes to the load conditions and changes
to the driv ing modes, which can affect clear­
ance .
- When transporting the vehicle on a car car ­
rier, train, ship or by other means, on ly tie
the vehicle down at the runn ing surface of
the tires, which is the outer c ircumference.
Securing the vehicle at the axle compo­
nents, suspens ion struts o r tow ing eyes is
not pe rm itted because the p ressure i n the
air suspe nsion s truts ca n change d uring
t ra nspo rt. The vehi cle may not be secu red
sufficiently i f th i s happens.
(D Tips
- In some mo dels, the max imum ve hicle
speed can only be reached in t he auto and
dynamic modes.
- Th e S se lector lever posi tion a utomat ic all y
engages if the dynami c mode is selected.
- In ve hicl es tha t h ave dynam ic stee rin g*, op ­
erat ing no ise is he ard when sta rting o r stop ­
ping the engine . This does no t indi ca te a
prob lem.

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' -Destination setup in your MMI using your
my Audi Account <=> page 168 or on line map
view
<=> page 17 2.
- Traffic information (Sirius): receive informa­
tion about accidents, road construction and other incidents
c;,page 176
Audi connect services on the phone
Applies to: vehicles with Audi connect
The follow ing Audi connect serv ices are currently
ava ilable:
- Storing contacts on yo ur computer using your
myAudi Account and loading the contacts into
the MMI directory
c:;, page 154
Wi-Fi hotspot
Applies to: vehicles with Audi connect
You can use the MMI as a Wi-Fi hotspot to con­
nect up to eight wireless devices to the Internet. While driving , restricted use of non-secured,
light, small wireless devices is only possible from the rear of the vehicle.
.,. Select : the IT EL! button > Settings control but-
ton
> Wi-Fi settings .
The following settings can be modified in the Wi­
Fi settings
menu:
Wi-Fi active
The MMI Wi-Fi hotspot is deactivated at the fac­
tory. Your Wi-Fi hotspot must be activated and
visible to establish a connection between your ve­ hicle and your w ireless device .
-Off : the MMI Wi-Fi hotspot is deactivated. An
Internet connection is not poss ible.
- Visible : th e MMI Wi-Fi hotspot is active and can
be used to connect to the Internet.
-Invisible : the MMI Wi-Fi hotspot is active but
not visib le to other devices. A connection can ­
not be established with a new w ireless device.
The Wi-Fi connection between your vehicle and
your wire less device (laptop, cell phone) is en ­
crypted. To establish a connection, yo u must en ­
ter the following settings when setting up your
wire less device. You can change them if necessa­
ry.
Audi connect
- Network ID (SSID) :
name of the Wi-Fi net­
work .
-Encryption type : WEP , WPA or WPA2
-Password : depending on the encrypt ion type, a
passwo rd may be generated in the MMI that is
used to encrypt the wireless connection. The
password can be changed. Be sure to se lect a
secure password. For t he WEP encryption type,
the password must be exactly 13 characters.
For the WPA or the WPA2 encrypt ion types, the
password must be at least
8 (maximum of 63)
characters.
- Apply settings : the modified settings are ap­
plied to the MMI. You must then update the
changes in your mobile wirel ess device .
A WARNING
-
-As the driver, do not allow usage of the Wi­
Fi hotspot to distract you from driv in g, as
this could increase the risk of an accident.
-It is only safe to use laptops and similar mo­
b ile devices when the vehicl e is stationary
beca use, like all loose objects, they could be
thrown around the inside of the vehicle in a
cras h and cause serious injuries . Store these
types of devices securely while driving.
- Do not use any wireless devices on the front
seats within range of the airbags whi le driv­
ing. Also read the warnings in the chapter
c:;, page 208.
@ Note
-Under some conditions, certain mobile devi­
ces and operating systems may automati ­
cally sw itch from your vehicle's Wi-Fi hot­
spot to the device's mobile data connection.
In that event, standard text and data usage
rates would apply wh ile the device's mobile
data connect ion is in use. Please refer to
documentation provided by your mobile de­
vice's manufacture and your data carrier for
details, rela ted terms and privacy state­
ment .
- You are respons ible for all precautions tak­
en for data protection, anti-virus protection
and protection against loss of data on mo­
bile devices th at are used to access the In­
ternet through the Wi-Fi hotspot.
161

Audi connect
@ Tips
-In vehicles without Audi connect*, the use
of the Wi-Fi hotspot is only possible for the
Wi-Fi audio player*. A data connection to
the Internet cannot be established.
- A separate, paid mobile subscription may be
needed to use the Wi-Fi hotspot. You can
obtain more information from your cell phone service provider .
- Depending on your cell phone plan, rece iv­
i ng data packages through the Wi-Fi hot­
spot may result in additional charges, par­
ticularly w hen in another country. The use
of a flat rate data plan is highly recom­
mended. You can obtain more information
from your cell phone service provider.
Configuring a data
connection
A pp lies to: ve hicles with Aud i co nn ect
To use Audi connect services through a phone in
the vehicle, a data connection must be config­
ured.
F ig. 177 Configu ring the da ta conne ction
~ Se lect : the [fED button > Settings control but-
ton
> Data connection.
Using the Data connection menu , you can set
when an Internet connection should be made .
The Internet connection disconnects automati­
cally once the requested Audi connect service no
longer requires any data packets.
The following options can be selected:
162
Connection setup
- On request :
a data connection is only establish­
ed when confirmed.
- Without request: a data connection is auto­
matically established to use Audi connect serv­
ices.
- Never : a data connection is not established .
Audi connect services cannot be accessed .
When a data connection is established, the sym­
bol for an active data
connection (!) appears in
the status line in the Infotainment system dis­
play
q fig. 177.
An active data connection can be ended manually
by selecting
Never under Connection setup.
Data roaming
Data roaming
is switched off at the factory. To
use a data connection outs ide of the country,
Da­
ta roaming
must be switched on~ -
Connection settings
Your vehicle is configured at the factory. The con­
figuration should not be changed. If you have
questions, contact Audi connect Support at 877-S0S-AUDI (2834) . Aud i connect is designed
for use only with the provided Aud i SIM card.
-APN: the access point depends on the cell
phone service provider and is assigned auto­
mat ically .
-User name: the user name for your on line pro­
file is assigned by the cell phone service provid ­
er.
- Password : the password for your online profile
is ass igned by the cell phone service provider .
-Authentication : depending on your cell phone
service provider, authentication (verify ing iden ­
tity) may be necessary .
If this is the case, select
Secure. If not, select Normal.
The changed settings are saved once you leave
the
Connection settings menu using the I BACK !
button.
SIM PIN entry
The PIN for the Audi S IM card that is currently in
use can be entered.

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' Data usag e info
The numbe r of data packets that are sen t and re ­
ceived through the MMI is displayed. You can re ­
set the data usage information to zero using the
Reset d ata usa ge option .
Start automatic configuration
An online profile is set up and configu red auto­
mat ica lly. The connection settings that you
changed manua lly are reset to the defa ult set­
tings.
Online status overvi ew
An on line status overv iew with information abo ut
your data connect io n (such as the cell phone
service provider) is shown in the Infotainment
disp lay .
Switching the data conn ection module off
The data connection module is sw itched off . An
I nternet connect ion is no longe r poss ible.
Network set ting s
Under Login , select Auto to log into a network
automatically or select
Manu al to select from a
list of networks w ith in range . The available net­
works in the area can be selected in the
Netw ork
se lec tion
list. Th is function is on ly avai lab le when
M anu al Login is set.
Seri al numb er (IMEi )
The serial number for the MMI that is installed is
d isplayed .
A WARNING
-As the dr iver, do not allow usage of the Wi­
Fi hotspot to dist rac t you from d riving, as
th is could inc rease the risk of an ac cident .
-It is only safe to use tab lets and s imilar mo­
bile devices whe n the vehicle is s tat io nary
because, like all loose objects, t hey could be
thrown aro und the inside of the vehicle
when invo lved in an accident and can cause
serious injur ies. Store these types of devices
securely whi le driving.
-Do not use any wire less devices on the front
seats w it hi n range of the a irbags while driv -
Audi conn ect
ing . A lso read the warnings in the chapter
¢page 208.
@ Note
You are responsible fo r all precautions taken
for data protection, anti -virus protection and
protection against loss of data on mobi le de­
v ices that are used to access the Internet
through the W i-F i hotspot.
(D Tips
- When using On line map view, you are
prompted again to allow roam ing before
connect ing to a foreign mob ile network.
- The speed of the data connection may vary
depending on the veh icle location, the cov­
erage area of your cell phone serv ice prov id­
er and if the recommended provider is used
o r not.
- A data connection cannot be established if
incorrect data is entered in the
Conn ect ion
s ett ing s.
-The W i-F i hotspot recept io n quality depends
on the sig nal st rengt h and the availab ility of
the mobile network. You can obtain more
information from your cell phone se rvice
prov ider.
About Audi connect
Audi connect services
Applies to: vehicles with Aud i connect
(D Tips
- You can only use serv ices supported by Aud i
connect if you have t he optional MMI Nav i­
gation pl us eq uipment and Aud i connect.
- Audi connect is designed for use only with
the provided Aud i SIM ca rd . Receiving data
packets from the Internet w ill quickly in­
cr ease the vo lume of data used. Fo r more
information, contac t A udi connect cus tome r
support at 87 7-505 -AU DI (2834) .
-The Aud i connect se rvices a re availab le in
t he USA. Audi connect serv ices are currently
not avai lab le in Canada or in Mexico .
163
...

Audi connect
-Availability, scope, providers, screen display
and costs of services may vary depending on
the country, model, model year, end device
and rates. Additional information can be
found under
www.audiusa.com/audicon­
nect .
-An initial registration/activation on the
myAudi platform at www.audiusa.com/
myaudi is necessary to use individual serv­
ices . You can contact an authorized Audi
dealer or Audi connect Support at 877-S0S­
AUDI (2834) to receive information on op­
tions for expanding your usage and any
costs that may result.
-It is only possible to use Audi connect serv­
ices with a valid Audi SIM card.
-To ensure all of the Audi connect features
work correctly, Audi recommends setting up
a data service and Wi-Fi package with your
cell phone service provider. Your cell phone service provider can be authorized by law,
through a judicial order or other lawful in­
structions, to disclose the position of your
vehicle. Additional information on your cell
phone service provider's privacy policies can
be found in their Terms of Use .
-The availability of Audi connect services,
such as weather information, depends on
the cell phone service provider .
-You can specify when the MMI establishes
an online connection
~ page 162. The Inter­
net connection ends automatically when the
Audi connect service in use no longer re­
quires any data packets.
-The Audi connect services are a Wi-Fi/Inter­
net-based system. If the system does not
function correctly even though all of the re­
quirements are met, please try again later
or contact Audi connect Support at 877-505-AUDI (2834).
-For detailed information on Audi connect
and the Terms of Use, visit
www.audiusa.com/audiconnect.
164
Privacy protection
App lies to: vehicles with A udi connect
(D Tips
-Your privacy is important to us.
-AUDI AG collects, processes, shares and
transmits your personal information in ac­ cordance with legal regulations in order to
ensure proper function and availability of
the individual Audi connect services. You
can view the complete, current and valid
Audi connect data protection policy in your MMI. The myAudi website is available for to
you to activate additional Audi connect serv­ ices and to transfer data with your vehicle,
among other services. A one-time registra­
tion is required to establish a connection to
your vehicle. For this purpose, AUDI AG col­
lects, processes, transmits and uses your re­
quired personal information as required for
you to use the services provided by AUDI
AG. Your information is not distributed to
third parties. Using your cell phone with the help of your myAudi platform, you can
transfer information for Audi connect serv­ ices functions to your vehicle and allow spe­
cific information to be transmitted from
your vehicle.
- By activating special information services
that are part of your Audi connect portfolio,
you can use these functions directly in your
vehicle by entering data to confirm your
identity (to use social networks, for exam­
ple). To do this, the identification informa­
tion you provided is forwarded with the re­
quest to the respective service provider.
Then you can access your personal content
using a secure connection. This content is
displayed in the vehicle for your use. Your
personal content is not stored within Audi
AG. The necessary connection information is
processed and used for providing services
and the proper function of the services in
accordance with applicable legal guidelines.
- By providing Audi connect services, Audi of
America is authorized to collect, process,
transmit and transfer information about
..,_