2018 AUDI A8 airbag

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' Intelligent Technology Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
The ESC increases driving safety. It reduces the
risk of slipping and improves driving stability.
ESC detects critical situations such as when the
vehicle is oversteering and understeering or the
wheels are spinning. The vehicle is stabilized by
applying the brakes or reducing engine torque .
When the ESC engages,
the G1 indicator light
b links in the instrument cluster.
The following systems are integrated in the ESC:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the whee ls from locking when brak­
ing. The vehicle can still be steered even during
hard braking. Apply steady pressure to the brake
pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A pulsing in the
brake pedal indicates that the system is acting to
stabilize the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking dis­
tance. It increases braking power when the driver
presses the brake pedal quickly in emergency sit­
uations . You must press and hold the brake pedal
until the dangerous situat ion is over . In veh icles
w ith adaptive cruise contro l*, the brake assist
system is more sensitive if the distance detected
to the vehicle dr iv in g ahead is too small. On
ve hicl es w ith activated and functioning night vi­
sion assist*, the brake assist system can respond
more sensitively if there is a warning .
Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the drive wheels
begin spinning and adapts the force to the road
conditions. This makes it easier to start, acceler­
ate and drive up hills.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
EDL applies the brakes to a wheel that starts
sp inn ing and transfers the drive power to the
other driving wheels. This functio n is not availa­
ble at higher speeds.
Intelligent Technology
In extreme cases, EDL automatica lly switches off
to keep the brake on the braked whee l from over ­
heating. The vehicle is still working correct ly. ED L
will switch on again automatically when condi­
tions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
T he ESC he lp s to stabilize the vehicle by changing
the steering torque .
In veh icles with dynamic steer ing*, ESC also
helps to stab ilize the steer ing in crit ica l situa­
tions.
Selective wheel torque control
Selective wheel torque control is used when driv­
in g on curves.
The front wheel on the inside of the curve or both
wheels on the inside of the curve are braked se­
lectively as needed. This allows more precise driv­
in g in curves . The applicable system may not acti­
vate when dr iv in g in wet or snowy conditions .
Automatic post -collision braking system
Th e "automat ic post-collis ion braking system"
can help to reduce the risk of sliding and of addi­
t iona l co llisions after an acc ident. If the airbag
control module detects a co llision above a certa in
vehicle speed, the veh icle is braked by the ESC.
The vehicle does not brake automatically if :
- the dr iver presses the acce lerator pedal, or
- the braking force generated by the pressed
brake pedal is greater than the braking force
that would be initiated by the system, or
- the ESC, the brake system or the vehicle electri ­
cal system are not functioning.
A WARNING
,--
- The ESC and its integrated systems cannot
overcome the lim its imposed by natural
p hys ical laws. This is especially important
on slippery or wet roads. If the systems be­
g in acting to stabilize your vehicle, you
should immediately alter your speed to
match the road and traffic conditions. Do
not let the increased safety provided tempt
127

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' To restore the balance of energy, components
that require large amounts of energy are tempo­
rari ly scaled back or switched
off. Heating sys­
tems in particular require a great deal of energy .
If you notice, for example, that the seat heating*
or rear window defogger is not working, then it
has been temporar ily reduced or switched
off .
These systems are available again as soon as the
e n ergy supp ly has been restored.
In addition, you may notice that the idle speed
has slightly increased. That is normal and no
cause for concern . By increasing the idling speed,
the add itiona l required e ne rgy w ill be generated
and the vehicle battery w ill be charged.
Notice about data
recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and
vehicle control modules
Event Data Recorder
This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data Re­
corde r (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to
record, in certain crash or near crash-like situa ­
tions, such as an airbag deployment or hitting a
road obstacle, data that will assist in understand ­
ing how a vehicle 's systems performed. The EDR
is designed to record data re lated to vehicle dy ­
namics and safety systems for a short period of
time, typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this
vehicle is designed to record such data as :
- How various systems in your vehicle were oper­
ating;
- Whether or not the driver and passenger safety
belts were buckled/fastened;
- How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the
acce lerator and/or brake pedal; and,
- How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can he lp prov ide a better understand­
ing of the circumstances in which crashes and in­
ju ries occur. NOTE: EDR data are recorded by your
vehicle only if a non-trivia l crash situation occurs;
no data are recorded by the EDR under normal
driving conditions and no personal data (e.g.,
name, gender, age, and crash location) are re­
corded. However, other parties, such as law en-
Intelligent Technology
forcement, could combine the EDR data with the
type of personally identifying data routinely ac­
quired during a crash investigation.
T o read data recorded by an EDR, special equip­
ment is required, and access to the vehicle or the
EDR is needed. In addition to the vehicle manu­
facturer, other parties, such as law enforcement,
that have the special equipment, can read the in ­
formation if they have access to the vehicle or the
EDR .
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or down­
loading of data stored by ED Rs installed in a vehi­
cle for the express purpose of retrieving data af­
ter an accident or crash event without the own ­
er's consent .
Audi will not access the EDR and/or simi lar data
or give it to others -
- un less the vehicle owner (or lessee if the vehi ­
cle has been leased) agrees; or
- upon the official request by the police; or
- upon the order of a court of law o r a govern-
ment agency; or
- for the defense of a lawsuit through the judicial
discovery process.
- Aud i may also use the data for resea rch about
veh icle operation and safety performance or
provide the data to a third party for research
purposes without identifying the specific vehi­
cle or information about the identity of its own­
er or lessee and only after the recorded vehicle
data has been accessed.
Vehicle control modules
Your vehicle is also equipped with a number of
electronic control modules for various vehicle
systems, such as engine management, emission
control, airbags, and safety belts .
These electronic control modu les record data
during normal vehicle operation that may be
needed by trained technicians for diagnostic and
repair purposes. The recording capability of these
modules is limited to data (no sound is record­
ed) . Only a small amount of data is actually re­
corded over a very lim ited period of time, or stor­
ed when a system fault is detected by a control
module . Some of the data stored may relate to
.,.
133

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

lL t:0 ....
"' ......
"' .... 0 0 :c ' ~ ALWA YS adjust you r sp eed to road , traffic and
weather conditions.
~ Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive
for more than two hours at a stretch.
~ Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pres­
s ure or when you are stressed .
A WARNING
Impaired driv ing safety increases the risk of
ser ious personal inj ury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used .
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver sea ting po sit ion is impor tan t
for safe, relaxed driving .
Fig. 217 Correc t seat ing posit ion
F or your own s afety and to reduce the risk of in ­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the driver 's seat to the following
position :
~ Adjust the dr iver's seat so tha t you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the f loor wh ile
keeping your knee(s) s light ly bent
c:!;> _& .
~ Adjust the ang le of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contact w ith it when you drive.
~ Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a dis­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
stee ring wheel and you r breast bone
<:!;> fig . 217 .
If no t possib le, see you r autho riz ed Aud i dea l­
ersh ip about adaptive equipment .
Driving safety
~ Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering
wheel and airbag
cover points at your chest and
not at yo ur face.
~ Grasp the top of the steering wheel with you r
elbow(s) slightly bent.
~ Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is
as
even as possible w ith the top of your head . If
that is not possible, t ry to adjust the head re­
s traint so that it is as close to this posit ion as
possible .
~ Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c:!;> page 2 2 2.
~ Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in contro l of the ve hicle at a ll times .
F or detailed information on how to adj ust the
driver's seat,
see r:!;> page 54 .
A WARNING
-
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the airbag can be se riously in­
jured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help re­ duce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always ad just the driver's seat and the
steer ing whee l so that there are at least
10 inc hes (25 cm) between you r breastbone
and the steer ing wheel.
- Always ad just the d river's seat and the
steer ing wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and the
lowe r part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering w heel on the out­
side of the steering wheel r im with yo ur
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to help reduce the risk of personal in­
jury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- N ever hold the stee ring wheel at the
12 o' clock position o r wi th yo ur hands at
other posi tions i nside the steer ing whee l
rim or on the steering wheel hub . Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause
serio us injuries to the hands, arms and head
if the dr iver's airbag inf lates .
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the abi lity of the supplemen­
tal driver's airbag to protect you in a coll i-
sion .
..,
209

Drivin g saf ety
- Always sit in an upright position and never
lean against or p lace any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are located.
- Before dr iving, always adjust the front seats
and head restraints properly and make sure
that all passengers are properly restrained .
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is
moving . Your seat may move unexpectedly
and you could lose control of the vehicle.
- Never dr ive with the backrest reclined or
t ilted far back! The farther the backrests are
t ilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and imp roper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child seats
¢ page 249. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenge r
seat¢ page 22 7.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is
important for safe, relaxed driving.
F or your own safety and to reduce t he risk of in­
ju ry in the event of an accide nt, we recomme nd
that you adjust the seat for the front passenger
to the following position:
.,. Adjust the ang le of t he seatback so that it is i n
an upright posit ion and you r back comes in f ull
contact wi th it w henever the vehicle is mov ing.
.,. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is
as even as possible with the top of your head . If
that is not possible, try to ad just the head re­
straint so that it is as close to this position as
poss ible
¢ page 211.
.,. Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat .
.,. Fasten and wear safety be lts cor rect ly
¢ page 222.
For deta iled i nformation on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
¢ page 54.
210
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out
of position or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured or k illed by the airbag as it
unfo lds. To help red uce the risk of serio us
personal injury:
- Passengers must a lways sit in an upright po­
sition and never lean aga inst or place any
p art of their body too close to the are a
where the air bags a re loc ated.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of posi­
tion or too close to the airb ag can be se ri­
ously in jured by an airbag as it unfolds wi th
great fo rce in the blink of an eye .
- Always make sure th at there are at least
10 inches (2 5 cm) between the fron t pas ­
senger's breastbone an d the instrument
panel.
- Always make sure that there are at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the front passen­
ge r's knees and the lower pa rt of the inst ru­
ment panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the
safety belt belonging to that seat .
- Before d riving, always ad just the front pas­
senger seat and head restraint properly.
- Always keep your feet on the floor in front
of the seat. Never rest them on the seat, in­
strument panel, out of the window, etc . The
airbag system and safety belt w ill not be
ab le to protect you properly and can even in­
crease the r isk of injury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest recl ined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted bac k, the greater the r is k of injury due
to incor rec t positioning of the safety be lt
a nd imprope r seat ing pos ition .
- Ch ild ren must always ride in child seats
¢ page 249 . Special pre caut ions apply
when install ing a child sea t on the front
passenger
sea t¢ page 22 7 .

Drivin g saf ety
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restra int.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restra int so the upper edge is as
even as possib le w ith the top of your head.
If that is not possible, try to adjust the head
restra int so that it is as close to th is position
as possib le.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint wh ile driving.
If you have dr iven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any rea­
son, fi rst s top the vehicle safely before at­
tempting to ad just the head restra int.
- Children must always be p roperly restrained
in a chi ld restrain t that is appropria te fo r
their age and size
q page 249.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system con only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants ore properly
sea ted.
I mp roper seating posit ions can cause se rious in­
ju ry or deat h. Safety belts can only wo rk when
t hey are p roper ly posit ioned o n the body . Im ­
p roper seating posi tions reduce t he effect iveness
of safety belts and wi ll even increase the risk of
inj ury and death by moving the safety be lt to crit­
ical areas of the body. Improper seating posit ions
also increase the risk of ser ious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and str ikes an occupant
who is not in the proper seat ing position . A driver
is responsible for the safety of a ll vehicle occu­
pants and especially fo r ch ildre n. Therefo re :
"' Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seat ing pos ition w hen the ve hicle is being used
q& .
The fo llow ing bulletins list only some sample po­
sitions that wi ll increase the risk of ser ious injury
a nd death . Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seat ing pos it ions that
are dangero us.
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving:
- never stand up in the ve hicle
- never stand on the seats
212 -
neve r kneel on the seats
- neve r ride w it h the sea tback re clined
- neve r lie down on the seats
- never lean up aga inst the instrument panel
- never s it on the edge of the seat
- never s it sideways
- never lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- neve r put your feet on the instr ument panel
- neve r rest you r feet on the seat c ushion or bac k
of t he se at
- neve r ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Imp roper seating posi tions inc rease the risk
of ser ious personal inju ry and death whenever
a veh icle is being used.
- Always make sure that all veh icle occupants
s tay in a proper sea ting posit ion and a re
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is
be ing used .
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
Important safety instructions
A WARNING
A lways make su re that the knee airbag can in­
flate w ithout interference. Objects between
yourself and the airbag can inc rease the risk
of injury in an accident by interfering with the
way the airbag dep loys o r by being pushed in­
to you as the airbag dep loys .
- No persons (ch ild ren) or animals should ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat . If the airbag deploys, this can res ult in
serious or fatal injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried in
the footwell area in front of the dr iver's or
passenger's se at. Bu lky objects (shopping
bags, for examp le) can ham per or prevent
proper dep loymen t of the airbag . Sma ll ob ­
jects can be thrown thro ugh the vehicle if
the air bag deploys and in jure you or your
passengers.

Audi pre sense
(D Tips
-Certain pre sense front functions switch off
when sport mode is swi tc h ed off or when
driving in reverse .
- The pre sense functions may not be availa­
b le if there is a malfuncti on in the ESC sys­
tem or the airbag contro l module.
- The pre sense front/plus funct ions are not
available if the re is a ma lf u nction in t he
adaptive c ruise contro l" system
c::;, page 102.
-The pre sense rear/plus f unctions are no t
available if the re is a ma lf u nction in the s ide
assist " system
c::;, pag e 102.
218

lL t:0 ....
"" ......
"" .... 0 0 :c ' instrument pane l, windshield , or whatever e lse is
in the way ¢
fig. 222. This impact w ith the vehi­
cle interior has all the energy they had just be­
fore the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone fo r protection . Even
when they deploy, airbags provide on ly additiona l
protection. Airbags are not supposed to dep loy in
all kinds of accidents. A lthough your Audi is
equ ipped w ith airbags, all vehicle occupants, in­
cluding the dr iver , must wear safety belts cor ­
rectly in order to minimize the risk of severe in­
jury or death in a crash .
Remember too, tha t airbags will deploy only
once and that your safety belts are always there
to offer protec tion in those acc idents in w hich
airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they
have a lready deployed. Unbel ted occupants can
also be thrown o ut of the vehi cle where even
more severe or fatal injur ies can occur .
It is also important for the rear passenge rs to
wear s afety bel ts corre ctly . U nbel ted passengers
in the re ar seats endanger no t onl y themse lves
but also the driver and ot her passengers
¢ fig . 223. In a fronta l collision they will be
thrown forward violently, where they can hit and
in jure the driver and/or front seat passenger .
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to
brac e the body in a minor collision . It 's simply
not true!
F ig . 2 24 Drive r is correctly rest ra ined in a sudde n brak ing
m aneuver
Safety belts used properly can make a big d iffer­
ence. Safety belts he lp to keep passengers in
their seats, gradually reduce energy leve ls ap-
Safet y bel ts
plied to the bo dy i n an accident, and help prevent
t h e uncontrolled movement that can cause seri­
ous injuries. In addition, safety belts reduce the
danger of be ing th rown out of the vehicle.
Safety be lts attach passengers to the car and g ive
them the benefit of be ing s lowed down more
gently or "soft ly" th rough the "give" in the safety
belts, crush zones and other safety features engi­
neered into today's vehicles. By "absorbing" the
k inetic ene rgy over a longer period of t ime, the
sa fe ty belts make the fo rces on the body more
"tolerab le " and less likely to ca use in jury.
Although these examples are based on a frontal collision, safety be lts can also substa ntia lly re ­
duce the r is k of injury in ot her k inds of crashes .
So, whethe r you're on a long tr ip or just go ing to
t h e cor ner store , a lways b uck le up and make sure
othe rs do, too. A cciden t st atis tic s show tha t ve hi­
cl e occupan ts properly wea ring safety bel ts have
a lower risk of be ing injured and a muc h better
chance of surviving an acci dent . Properly using
sa fety belts also great ly increases the ability of
the supp lemental airbags to do their job in a col­
lis ion. For this reason, wearing a safety belt is le­
gally required in most count ries includ ing much
of the United States and Canada .
Although your Aud i is equipped with airb ags, you
still have to wear the safety belts provided. Front airbags, for example, are activated only in some
frontal collisions. The front airbags a re not ac ti­
vated in a ll frontal collisions , in side and rear co l­
li sio ns, in roll overs or i n cases where the re is not
eno ugh deceleration throug h impact to the front
of the veh icle. The same goes for the other a irbag
systems in your Audi . So, always wear your safety
belt and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly rest rained !
Important safety instructions about safety
belts
Safe ty belts must always be correctly posi tioned
across the strongest bones of your body.
.. Always wear safety belts as illustrated and de­
scribed in this chapter .
.. Make sure that your safety be lts are always
ready for use and are not damaged.
221