2018 AUDI A8 belt

lL t:0 ....
"' ......
"' .... 0 0 :c ' Electromechanical
parking brake
Fig. 94 Center console: parking brake
Your vehicle is equipped with an electromechani ­
cal parking brake ®
i=)fig. 94. The parking brake
is designed to prevent the vehicle from rolling
unintentionally and replaces the hand brake.
Setting/manually releasing the parking
brake
.. Pull the C®> switch to set the parking brake. The
LED in the switch turns on. The
-(USA mod­
els) . (Canada models) indicator light also
turns on in the instrument cluster display.
.. To release the parking brake manua lly, press
the brake or acce lerator pedal while the igni­
t ion is switched on and press
the(®) switch at
the same time. The LED in the button and the
indicator light in the display turn off.
Releasing the parking brake automatically
Requirement: the driver's door must be closed,
the driver's safety belt must be latched and the parking brake must be set.
.. To start driving and release the parking brake
automatically, press the accelerator pedal as
usual.
In addition to releasing the parking brake auto­
matically, other convenience and safety functions
are available when you start driving
i=)page 82,
Starting to drive.
Preventing the automatic parking brake
release
The vehicle could begin rolling unintentionally,
depending on the hill or if towing a trailer.
Driving
.. To prevent the parking brake from releasing au­
tomatically, pull and hold the<®> switch and press the accelerator pedal. The parking brake
remains set and prevents the vehicle from roll­
ing backward .
.,. You can release the<®> switch again once you
are sure that you are giving enough driving
force to the wheels by pressing the accelerator
pedal.
Emergency braking function
You can use the emergency braking function in an
emergency situation, or if the standard brake op­
eration malfunctions or is disabled.
.. Pull and hold the<®> switch.
.. As soon as you release the <®> switch or acceler-
ate, the braking stops.
Pulling and ho lding
the(®) switch while driving
the vehicle activates the emergency braking func­
tion. The vehicle is braked at all four wheels by activating the hydraulic brake system. The brak­
ing effect is similar to heavy braking
i=) ,& .
To reduce the risk of activating the emergency
braking by mistake, a warning tone (buzzer)
sounds when the
<®l switch is pulled. Emergency
braking stops as soon as
the© switch is released
or the accelerator pedal is pressed.
Parking
.. Press the brake pedal to stop the vehicle.
.. Pull the<®> switch to set the parking brake .
.,. Select the P selector lever position .
.,. Turn the engine off i=) ,&.
.,. Turn the steering wheel when parking on in­
clines so that the wheels w ill roll into the curb
if the vehicle starts moving.
8_ WARNING
-Do not press the acce lerator pedal inadver­
tently if a gear is selected when the vehicle
is stationary and the engine is running. Oth­
erwise, the vehicle will start to move imme­
diately and this could result in an accident.
-Eme rgency braking should only be used in
an emergency, when the normal brake pedal
has failed or the brake pedal is obstructed .
.,.
81

Drivin g
During emergency braking, your vehicle will
brake sim ilar to heavy brak ing. ESC and the
associated components (ABS, ASR, EDL)
cannot overcome the laws of physics . In cor­
ners and when road or weather cond it ions
are bad, a full b rake applicat ion ca n cause
the vehicle to skid o r the rear end to swerve,
wh ic h increases the r is k of an accident.
- If the powe r supply fa ils, you cannot set the
par king b rake if it is re leased. In th is case,
par k the vehicle on level ground and secure
it by placing the selector lever in the P posi­
tion . See an authorized Audi dea ler or a u­
thorized Audi Service Facility for assistance .
- Always take the vehicle key with you when
leaving your vehicle, even fo r a short period
of time . This applies particular ly w hen ch il­
dren rema in in the vehicle. Otherwise ch il­
dren could start the engine, release the
park ing brake or operate electrical eq uip­
ment such as powe r windows, which in­
c reases the risk of an acc ident.
- No one sho uld rema in in the vehicle when it
is locked - especially ch ild ren. Locked doo rs
make it mo re diff icu lt fo r eme rgency wor k­
ers to get into the vehicle, which puts lives
at r is k .
0) Tips
When stopping at a traffic s ignal or stopping
in c ity traffic, you can set the parking b rake
manually. The vehicle does no t have to be
he ld w it h t he br ake peda l. The parking b rake
elim ina tes the tendency to creep when a se ­
lecto r lever position is engaged . As soon as
you p ress t he accelerator pedal, the parking
brake releases automat ica lly and your vehicle
starts to move
c::, page 82.
(D Tips
- Occasiona l noises when the parking brake is
set and re leased a re normal and a re not a
cause for concer n.
- The park ing bra ke goes thro ugh a se lf-test
cycle at regular intervals when the ve hicle is
stopped. Any noises associated w ith this a re
normal.
82
- If there is a powe r fail ure, the par king b rake
wi ll not set if it is released, and it wi ll not
re lease if it is
set ~.&. . See an a uth orized
Audi dealer or author ized Audi Se rvice Fa­
cility for assistance.
Starting to drive
Various convenience and safety f unct ions may be
available when the vehicle begins dr iving, de­
pendi ng on vehicle equipment .
Starting on hills with th e pa rking brake set
Requirement: the driver's door must be closed
and the driver's safety belt must be fastened.
.,. To sta rt driving comfortably when on a h ill, set
the parking brake and begin driving as usu a l.
The braking force of the parking brake does not
release automatically unt il the whee ls build up
enoug h driving force.
Starting on hills with hill hold assist
Hill hold assis t makes it easier to start on hills.
Requireme nt: the d rive r's doo r must be closed
and t he engine must be runn ing.
.,. To activate h ill hold assist, press and hold the
brake pedal for several seco nds . The vehicle
m ust be in an uphill d irect io n of t ravel.
After re leas ing the brake pedal, the brak ing pow­
er is maintained for a brief moment
c::, &. to pre ­
vent the veh icle from rolli ng back w hen starting.
Du ring this t ime, you can easily begin to move
yo ur vehicle.
_8. WARNING
Applies to: vehicles with hill hold assist
-If you do not beg in d riving immed iate ly or
the engine stalls after releasing the bra ke
pedal, your veh icle may beg in to roll back­
ward. Press the brake pedal or set the park­
ing brake immedia tely.
- The inte lligent technology of hill ho ld assist
cannot ove rcome the limitat ions imposed by
natural p hys ica l laws. The increased comfort
offe red by hill ho ld assist should not cause
you to t ake safety r is ks.

Driving
keep your foot on the brake in all selector
lever positions (except P and N) when the
engine is running.
- Do not inadvertently press the accelerator
pedal when the vehicle is stationary. Other­
wise the vehicle will start to move immedi­
ately, even if the parking brake is set. This
could result in a crash.
~ Note
-When stopping on an incline, do not try to
hold the vehicle in place by pressing the ac­
celerator pedal while a driving gear is se­ lected . This can cause the transmission to
overheat and can damage it . Set the parking
brake or press the brake pedal to prevent
the vehicle from rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the engine
is stopped will damage the transmission be­
cause it is not lubricated.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when the driver's
safety belt is fastened.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down hills .
Hill descent control activates when the transmis­
sion is in the Dor S position and you press the
brake pedal. The transmission automatically se­
lects a gear that is suitable for the hill. Hill de­
scent control tries to maintain the speed ach­
ieved at the time of braking, within physical and
technical limitations. If may still be necessary to
adjust the speed with the brake pedal.
Hill descent control switches off once the hill lev­
els out or you press the accelerator pedal.
When operating the cruise control system
c::> page 93, hill descent control is also activated
when the speed is set.
86
A WARNING
, -
Hill descent control cannot overcome physical
limitations, so it may not be able to maintain
a constant speed under all conditions. Always
be ready to apply the brakes .
Manual shifting
The shi~ paddles allow the driver to shift the
gears manually.
Fig. 98 Steering whee l: shi fting manually
.. To shift to a higher or lower gear temporarily,
tap the
0 or 0 shift paddle <=:>fig. 98.
.. To switch manual mode on, press the ~ but­
ton. Mand the gear that is currently engaged
@ appear in the instrument cluster display
c::> page 83, fig. 95 .
.,. To shift up one gear, tap the right shift paddle
G) c::>fig . 98.
.,. To shift down one gear, tap the left shift pad­
dle
0 .
.,. To switch manual mode off, press the ['.fl but-
ton again, or
.. Move the selector lever back and release it.
When you accelerate or reduce the speed, the
transmission automatically shifts into the correct
gear shortly before reaching the RPM limit. If you
select a lower gear than the one currently shown
in the display, the automatic transmission will
only shift down once there is no danger of ex­
ceeding the maximum RPM.
The engine braking effect increases when you
downshift when going downhill.

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' Three white dots appear if a se tting cannot be se ­
l ected with the operating lever. For examp le, this
h appens if adaptive cruise contro l cannot start
driving automatically in stop-and-go traffic be­
cause the driver has not fastened their safety belt .
Door open
The adap tive c ruise co ntro l system cannot sw itch
on w hen a door is open.
Stationary object ah ead
This message appears if you would like to switc h
adapt ive cruise control on and there is a station­
ary object o r obstacle directly ahead of you r vehi­
cle .
Audi active lane assist
(lane departure assist)
Description
Applies to: vehicles with Audi active lane assist
Active lane ass ist detects lane marker lines with­
in the limits of the system us ing a came ra in t he
w indsh ie ld. If you are app roaching a de tected
l ane marker line and it appea rs likely t hat you
will leave the lane, the system wi ll warn you with
corrective steering. Yo u can override t his steering
at any time . If you pass over a line, the steer ing
wheel will v ibrate lightly. In order for this warn­
i n g vibration to occur, it must f irst be sw itched
on in the Infotainment system . Active lane assist
i s ready for operation whe n the lane marke r line
i s detected on at least one s ide of the vehicle .
The system is designed for driv ing on express­
ways and highways and therefore only activates
at speeds above approximate ly 40 mph (65 km/
h).
Applies to vehicles with side assist
If you activate a tur n signa l when active lane as­
sist is ready and it class ifies a la ne cha nge as cr it­
i cal because of ve hicles t raveli ng a longs ide you o r
approaching you, the re w ill be not iceab le correc­
tive stee rin g short ly before you leave t he lane.
This will attempt to keep yo ur vehicle in t he lane.
A ss istance systems
Applies to vehicles w it h out side assist
T he system wi ll not warn yo u before c ross ing a
l ane marker line if you have activated the t urn
s ignal. In this case, it assumes that you are
changing lanes intentionally.
Appl ies to: vehicles with adaptive c ruise control
The co rrective steer ing is targeted based o n the
dr iv ing s itu ation . In add it ion to the lane mar ker
li nes, the system can al so t ake into accoun t other
objects s uch as gua rd rai ls. If they a re detected in
close proximity to t he vehicle, active lane assist
helps p reve nt the vehicle from driving too close
to them. The re is a lso pass ing ass istance. The
system does not provide any corrective steering if it detects that you are pass ing anot her vehicle .
A WARNING
-
-The system warns the drive r that the vehicle
is leaving the lane using corrective steering.
T he drive r is always responsible fo r keeping
the vehicle within the lane.
- T he system can assist the dr iver in keeping
the vehicle in the l ane, but it does not dr ive
by i tsel f. Always keep your hands on the
s teer ing whee l.
- Cor rec tive stee ring may not occur in cert ain
situa tions, such as during he avy b raking .
- T here may be cases whe re t he came ra does
not recogni ze all lane mar ker lines . Cor re c­
tive steering can only take pla ce on the s ide
of the vehicle where lane marker lines are
detected.
- Other road structu res or objects could poss i­
b ly be identified un intentionally as lane
marker lines. As a result, co rrective steering
may be unexpected or may not occ ur.
- The camera view can be rest ricted, for ex­
ample by vehicles driving ahead or by ra in,
snow, heavy spray or light shining into the
camera. Th is can result in active lane ass ist
not detecting the lane marker lines o r de­
tect ing them inco rrectly .
- Unde r ce rtain condit ions such as r uts in the
road, a ban ked roadway or crosswinds, the
correct ive steer ing alone may not be enough
to keep the vehicle in the middle of the lane.
~
103

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

Drivin g saf ety
Driving safety
Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
The individua l safety features of your vehicle can
work together as a system to help protect you
and your passengers in a wide range of accidents.
These features cannot work as a system if they
are not always correctly adjusted and correctly
used .
This chapter contains important informat ion,
tips, instruct ions and warn ings that you need to
read and observe for your own safety, the safety
of you r passengers and others . We have summar­
ized here w hat you need to know about safety
be lts, a irbags, child restra ints as well as child
safety. Yo ur safety is for us
priority number 1. Al ­
ways observe the information and warnings in
this section -for your own safety as we ll as that
of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle . Some of the fea­
tures described in this sections may be standard
equipment on some models, or may be optional
equ ipment on others. If you are not sure, ask
your author ized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
structions and heed the WARNINGS in th is
Manua l.
It is in your interest and in the in­
te rest of your passengers .
-
-Always keep the complete Owner's Litera­
tu re in you r A udi when you lend or se ll you r
vehicle so that this import ant information
will always be available to the d river and
passengers.
- Always keep the Owner 's lite rature h andy so
that you can find it easily if you have ques­
tions .
208
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occupant
safety always depends on the informed and care­
ful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
bef ore dri ving alw ays:
.. Make sure that a ll lights and signals are operat­
ing correctly .
.. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
.. Make sure that all windows are clean and afford
good vis ibility to the outs ide .
.. Sec ure all luggage and othe r items ca refully
¢ page 65, ¢page 63 .
.. Make sure tha t noth ing ca n interfere wi th the
peda ls .
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height.
.. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints according to their he ight.
.. Make sure to use the right child restraint cor­
rectly to protect
children ¢ page 249, Child
safety .
• Sit proper ly in yo ur seat a nd make sure t hat
your passenge rs do the same
¢ page 54, Seats
and storage.
.. Fasten your sa fety belt and wear it p roperly . Al ­
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe­
ty be lts properly
¢ page 219 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of
the vehicle, the driver as well as the driver's abili­
ty to concentrate on the road without being dis­
tracted.
The driver is responsib le for the safety of the ve ­
hicle and a ll of its occupants. If your ability to
drive is impa ired, safety risks for everybody in the
vehicle increase and you a lso become a hazard to
everyone else on the road
¢ _&. . Therefore:
.. Do not let yourse lf be distracted by passenge rs
or by using a cellular telephone .
.. NEVER drive when your driving ability is im­
paired (by med ications, alcohol, drugs, etc .) .
.. Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and
speed lim its and plain common sense .
.,.

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 .