2018 AUDI A8 service

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 .
-

Opening and clo sin g
@ Tips
- Do not leave valuables unattended in t he ve­
hicle . A locked vehicle is not a safe!
- The LED in the driver 's door rail blinks when
you lock the vehicle . If the LED lights up for
approximately 30 seconds after locking,
there is a ma lfunction in the central locking
system. Have the problem corrected by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Fac ility.
Key set
F ig. 20 You r veh icle key set
@ Remote control ke y with integr ated
mechanica l key
You can unlock and lock your vehicle w ith the re ­
mote control key . A mechanical key is integrated
in the remote control key
Q page 29 .
@ Separate mechanical ke y
This key is not intended for constant use. It
should only be used in an emergency . Do not car­
ry it on your key ring and do not store it in the ve­
h icle.
Rep lacing a ke y
If a key is lost, see an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility. Have this key de­
activated . It is important to bring all keys with
you .
If a key is lost, you should report it to your
insurance company .
Number of keys
You can check the number of keys ass igned to
your veh icle in the Infotainment system. Select:
the
I CAR I function button > Car sy st e m s control
button
> Ser vice & cont rol > Pr ogrammed ke ys.
28
This way, you can make sure that you have all the
keys when purchasing a used vehicle.
Electronic immobilizer
The immobilizer p revents unauthorized use of
the ve hicle.
Under certain circumstances, the vehicle may not
be able to start if there is a key from a d ifferent
vehicle manufacturer on the key chain .
Data in the master ke y
When driving, service and maintenance-relevant
data is cont inuous ly stored in your remote con ­
trol key . Your A udi se rvice advisor can read out
th is data and tell you abo ut the work yo ur vehicle
needs . T his applies also to veh icles w ith a con­
venience key *.
Personal convenience sett ings
If two people use one vehicle, it is recommended
that each person always uses their own remote contro l key. When the ignit io n is tu rned off or
whe n the vehicle is lo cked, pe rsonal convenience
settings for the following systems a re stored and
ass igned to the remote master key .
- Climate cont rol system
- Central lock ing system
- Window and rear shade*
- Interior lighting*
- Memory function
- Park ing aid*
- Adaptive cr uise control *
- Ac tive lane assist*
- Side ass ist*
- Dr ive select
- Night vision assist*
- Steeri ng wheel heating*
The stored settings are automat ica lly recalled
when you unlock the vehi cle, open the doors or
turn on the ignition.
A WARNING
A lways take the vehicle key with you when
leaving the vehicle, even for a short period of
time. This applies particularly when child ren
rema in in the vehicle . Otherwise the children
-

Lights a nd Vis ion
detected by the light sensors. So a lways
switch on the headlights
§.D under these
weather conditions and when driving in the
dark .
- Crashes can happen when you cannot see
the road ahead and when you cannot be
seen by other motorists . Always turn on the
headlights so that you can see ahead and so
that others can see your
car from the back.
- The rear fog lights should only be turned on in accordance with traffic regulat ion, as the
lights are bright for following traffic.
- Please observe legal regulations when using
the light ing systems described .
@ Tips
-The light sensor* for automatic dynam ic
headlight range control* is located in the
rear view mirror mount . You should there­
fore not apply any st ickers to the w indshield
i n this area in order to prevent malfunctions
or fail ures .
- In the event of a ligh t sensor malfunct ion,
the driver is not ified in the instrument clus­
ter
d isplay~ page 25.
- You w ill hear a wa rning tone if you open the
driver door when the exter ior lights are
switched on .
- In cool or damp weather, the inside of the
headlights, turn s ignals and tail lights can
fog over due to the temperature difference between the inside and outside . They will
clear short ly after switching them on . This
does not affect the service life of the light­
i ng .
44
Turn signal and high beam lever
The turn signal lever operates the turn signals,
the high beams and the headlight flasher .
Fig. 45 T urn signa l an d high beam leve r
Turn signa ls¢ Q
N 0 .... 0 :i:
"' m
The t urn signa ls act ivate when you move the lev­
er into a turn signa l position when the ignit ion is
switched on.
(D -Right turn signal
@ -Left turn signal
The turn signa l blinks three times if you just tap
the lever.
H igh be ams and h eadlight fla sh er ~D
Move the lever to the corresponding position:
@ -High beams on (vehicles with High beam as­
sistant* ~ page 44)
@-High beams off or headl ight flasher
T he
El indicator light in the instrument cluster
turns on.
A WARNING
High beams can cause glare for other drivers,
which increases the risk of an accident . For
this reason, only use the high beams or the
headlight flasher when they will not create
g la re for othe r drive rs .
High beam assistant
App lies to: vehicles with high beam ass istant
A camera on the rearv iew mirror mount can de-
tect light sources from other road use rs. The high
beams switch on or off automatically depending
IJI>

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' on the position of vehicles driving ahead and on­
coming vehicles, the vehicle speed and other en­
vironmenta l and traffic conditions.
Activating high beam assistant
Requirement: the light switch must be set to the
AUTO position and the high beam assistant must
be switched on in the Infotainment system
~ page 45 .
.,. To activate the high beam assistant , tap the
l ever forward @. T he
II ind icator light ap­
pears in the instrument cluster display and the
high beam headlights are switched on/off auto­
matically. The
ii indicator light also turns on if
the high beams are switched on.
Switching the high beams on/off manually
If the high beams did not switch on/off automat­
ica lly as expected, you may switch them on or off
manually instead:
.,. To switch the high beams on manually, tap the
lever forward @. T he
ii indicator light turns
on .
.,. To switch the hig h beams off manua lly, pull the
lever
back @. The high beam assistant is deac­
t ivated.
Operating the headlight flasher
.,. T o operate the headlight flasher when the high
beam assistant is activated and high beams are
switched off, pull the lever
back @. The high
beam assistant rema ins active.
Messages in the instrument cluster display
Headlight assist: System fault
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler or authorized
Audi Service Fac ility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected. You can still switch the
high beams on or off manually.
Headlight assist: Unavailable No camera view
The camera view is blocked, for example by a
sticker or debris .
The sensor is located between the interior rear­
view mirror and the windshield. Do not place any
stickers in this area on the windshield.
Lights and Vision
A WARNING
--
High beam assistant is only intended to assist
the driver. The driver is still respons ible for
controlling the headlights and switching
them manually depend ing on light and visibil­
it y conditions. It may be necessary to operate
them manually in situations such as:
- I n adverse weather conditions such as fog,
heavy rain, blowing snow or spraying water.
- On roads where oncom ing traffic may be
pa rtiall y obscured, such as expressways.
- When there are road users that do not have
sufficient lighting, such as b icyclers or
vehicles with dirty tail lamps.
- I n tight curves and on steep hills.
- In poorly lit areas.
- With strong reflectors, such as signs.
- If the area of the w indshield near the sensor
is fogged over, dirty, icy or covered with a
sticker .
Adjusting the exterior lighting
The functions are adjusted in the Infotainment
system.
.,. Select: I CAR ! function button > Car systems
control button > Vehicle settings > Exterior
lighting .
Automatic headlights
You can adjust the following sett ings in the Au­
tomatic headlights
menu:
Headlights activation time -you can adjust if the
headlights switch on
Early, Medium or Late ac­
cording to the sensitivity of the light sensor.
Auto-dimming high beams* -you can switch the
high beam assistant*
On and Off .
Daytime running lights*
USA models :
the daytime running lights can be
switched on/off. Select
On or Off.
Canada models:
this function cannot be switched
off. They activate automatically each time the ig -
nition is switched on .
IIJ>-
45