2018 AUDI A8 steering

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" 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

Intellig ent T echn olo gy
- New brake pads do not achieve their full
braking effect during the first 250 mi
(400 km). They must be "broken in" first.
However, you can compensate for the
sl ightly reduced brak ing force by pressing
firmly on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy brak­
i ng dur ing t he break- in per iod.
- Certa in weather and operat ing cond it ions
such as dr iv ing through water, driving in
heavy ra in or driving after washing your ve ­
hicle can impair the effectiveness of the
brakes . In the winter, ice may build up on
the brake pads, rotors and drums . Check
these components by braking carefu lly. Ap­
plying the brakes carefully severa l times
dr ies the brakes and removes ice bu ild-up.
- The effic iency of the brakes can also be im­
paired by driving for long stretches on roads
covered w ith salt w ithout using the brakes.
You can remove salt deposits from the brake rotors and pads by carefully applying
the b rakes severa l t imes .
- If the front spo iler is damaged or you install
another spoiler, make sure the front wheel
bra kes are vent ilated properly. Otherwise,
the brake system could ove rheat, w hich re ­
duces the ir effectiveness.
- Failure of a b rake circuit impa irs b raking
perfo rmance, which inc reases brak ing dis ­
tance . Avoid driving the vehicle and have it
towed it to the nearest authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility .
- If the brake booster is not working, you will
have to press m uch harder on the brake
peda l to compensate for the lack of the
booster.
@ Note
- Never let the brakes " rub" by pressing the
pedal light ly when braking is not actually
necessary. This causes the brakes to over­
heat and increases braking distance and
causes wear.
- Before driving downhill a long distance on a
steep hill, decrease your speed and select a l ower gear. This makes use of the engine
braking effect and relieves the brakes. If
130
you need to brake add itiona lly, brake in in­
terva ls and not continuous ly .
(D Tips
- If the bra ke boos ter is not wor king, you
must press the brake peda l with much more
force than normal.
- If you retrof it your vehicle with a front spoi l­
er, wheel covers or simi lar items, make sure
that the air flow to the front wheels is not interrupted. Otherwise the brake system
can become too hot.
Electromechanical
steering, dynamic
steering
The electromechonicol steering supports the
driver's steering movements.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed .
Indicator lights and messages
• Do not drive vehi cle: S tee rin g defect ive
If this indicator light turns on and stays on and
th is message appears, the power steering may
have failed .
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as pos­
s ible. Do
not conti nue driving. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac il ity for
ass istance.
l;rfl St ee ring: System faul t You ca n cont inue
dr ivi ng
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, the steering wheel may be more diffi­
cu lt to move or more sensitive than usual. The
steering wheel may also be at an angle when driv ing stra ight .
Drive slowly to an authorized Audi dea ler or au­
thori zed Audi Serv ice Facility to have the mal­
funct io n corrected.
'-r-ij Dynamic stee ring: Init ializing
If the indicato r light is blinking and this message
appears, dynamic steering* is being initialized.
IJ>-

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' The steering wheel will be easy to move after
starting the engine. Re-initialization might be
necessary if the steering whee l was moved hard
to the left and right while the vehicle was not
moving . The display turns off if the initia liz ation
was successful.
(D Tips
- If the . or l;:r-ij indicator light only stays on
for a short time, you may continue driving.
-The dynamic steering stability systems
<=>page 127 are not available in the event of
a system malfunction.
-For additional informat ion on dynamic
steering, see
<=> page 111.
ALL wheel drive (quattro)
In all wheel drive, all four wheels are powered .
General information
In all wheel drive, the driving power is divided be­
tween a ll four wheels . This happens automatical ­
ly depending on your driving behavior as well as
the current road conditions. Also see
<=> page 12 7, E lectronic Stabilization Control
(ESC) .
With the sport differential*, power distri­
bution to the rear wheels is variable and can be
adjusted using the drive select
<=>page 111.
The all wheel drive concept is designed for high
engine power . Your vehicle is exceptionally pow­
erful and has excellent driving characterist ics
both under normal driving conditions and on
snow and ice. Always read and follo w safety pre ­
cautions<=>.&. .
Winter tires
By using all wheel drive, your vehicle has good
forward mot ion with standard tires in winter con­
ditions. However, in winter we recommend using
winter or all season tires on all four wheels, be­
cause this will improve the braking effect.
Snow chains
If there are snow cha in laws, snow chains must
a lso be used on vehicles with all wheel drive
<=> page 298, Snow chains .
Intelligent Technology
Replacing tires
For vehicles with all wheel drive, only wheels with
the same rolling circumference should be used.
Avoid using tires with different tread depths
<=> page 2 90, New tires or wheels.
Offroad vehicle?
Your Audi is not an offroad vehicle -there is not
enough ground clearance. For this reason, avoid
difficu lt terrain .
A WARNING ~ -
-Also, in vehicles with all whee l drive, adapt
your driving style to the current road and
traffic cond itions. Do not let the increased
safety prov ided tempt you into taking r isks,
because this increases the risk of an acci ­
dent.
- The braking ability of your vehicle is limited
to the traction of the wheels. In this way, it
is not different from a two wheel drive vehi­
cle. Do not be tempted to accelerate to a
high speed when the road is slipp ery, be­
cause this incr eases the risk of an accident.
- Note that on wet streets, the front wheels
can "hydrop lane" if dr iv in g at speeds that
are too high . Unlike front wheel drive
vehicles, the engine does not rev higher sud­
den ly when the vehicle begins hydroplaning.
For this reason, adapt your speed to the
road conditions to reduce the risk of an acci­
dent.
Energy management
The starting ability is optimized
The energy management system manages the
electrical energy distribution and optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the
engine.
When a vehicle with a conventiona l energy sys­
tem is not driven for a long t ime, the vehicle bat­
te ry is drained by equipment (for example, the
immobilizer). In certain circumstances, there
cou ld may not be enough energy to start the en-
gine.
.,.
131

lL t:0 ....
"" ......
"" .... 0 0 :c ' Multi Media Interface
Traffic safety information
Audi recommend s performing certain Infotain­
ment system fun ctions, such as entering a desti­
nation, only when the vehicle is stationary . Al ­
ways be prepared to stop operating the Infotain­
ment system in the interest of your safety and
the safety of other road users.
_& WARNING
Only use the Infotainment system when traf­
fic conditions permit and always in a way that
allows you to maintain complete control over
your vehicle.
Introduction
T he Multi Media Interface , or MMI for short ,
combines various systems for communication,
naviga tion and entertainmen t in your Audi. You
can operate the MMI using the MMI control pan­
el, the multifunction steering wheel or the voice
recognition system* .
Fig. 153 MMI control pa nel wi th MMI touc h control pad
MMI control panel overview
(D MMI touch control pad . . . . . . . . . 137
@ Buttons for open ing menus
directly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
® On/Off knob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
@ Arrow buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
® Control buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
@ Control knob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
0 IBACKlbutton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Multi Media Inte rface
Switching the MMI on
and off
The MMI switches on and off automatically with
the ignition. It can also be switched on or off
manually .
-Switching on manually: press the On/Off knob
® briefly c::;, page 135, fig. 153 . Or: press the
IM ENU I button or one of the buttons to directly
open the
menus @,:::;, page 136, fig . 154 .
When the system is switched on, the last menu
that was selected is displayed and the last audio
source that was selected begins playing .
-Switching off manually: press and hold the
On/Off
knob ® c::;, page 135, fig. 153 until the
MMI switches off.
If the MMI has been switch­
ed off manually, it does
not switch on again au­
tomatically the next time the ignition is switch­
ed on.
The MMI can still be operated for approximately
ten minutes after switching the ignition
off. If
you do not press any buttons or the control knob
on the MMI control panel with in this time, the
MM I switches
off automatically.
a) Tips
-The MMI switches off automatically if the
engine is not running and the veh icle bat­
tery is low.
-There may be delays when extending or re­
tracting the display.
Adjusting the volume
The volume of an audio source or a system mes­
sage (for example, from the voice recognition
system) con be adjusted directly while the sound
is playing using the On/Off knob.
-Increasing or decreasing the volume: turn the
On/Off
knob ® c::;, page 135, fig. 153 to the
right or left.
- Muting or pausing : press the On/Off knob@
,:::;,page 135, fig. 153 briefly . Or: turn the On/
Off knob to the left . ..,.
135

Voice recognition s ystem
Voice recognition system
Operating
A pplies to: ve hicles w ith vo ice recognition system
You con operate many Infotainment functions
conveniently by speaking.
R equirement: the ignition and the MM I must be
switched
on <=> page 135, there must be no phone
call in progress and the parking system m ust not
be active .
~ Switching on : briefly press th e ~ button @
<=> page 11, fig. 7 on the multifunction steering
whee l* and say the desired command after the
Beep .
~ Sw itching off : press and hold the~ button.
Or: press any button on the MMI control panel.
~ Canceling : press the~ button a nd say a new
command.
Or: say the command Cancel.
Input assis tance
The system gu ides you through the input with
visual and audio feedback .
-Vi sual inpu t as sistan ce : after t urning on voice
recognition, a d isp lay with a select ion of possi­
ble commands appears in the Infotainment dis­
play . The command d isplay can be turned on or
off in the ma in menu using the
MMI setup con ­
trol button .
-Audio input a ssistance : to have the poss ible
comma nds read, turn the voice recogn ition sys­
tem on and say
Help.
For the s ystem to understand you:
Speak clearly and dist inct ly at a normal volume.
Speak louder when driving faster.
Emphasize the words in the commands even ly
and do not leave long pauses.
Do not speak a command when t he voice recogni ­
tion system is making an anno uncement.
C lose t he doors, the windows a nd the sunroof* to
reduce bac kg round noise . Make s ure t hat passen ­
gers a re not speaking when yo u are giving a voice
command.
142
Do not d irect the air vents toward the hands -free
microp hone, which is on the roof headliner nea r
t h e front interior lights .
Only use the system from the dr ive r's seat be ­
ca use the hands -free microphone is directed to ­
ward that seat .
Additional settings
Additional settings, s uch as individual speech
training
based on yo ur voice, Display sp eech
command s
or the prompt volume , can be adjust ­
ed in the main menu using the
MMI setup con ­
tro l button
<=> page 206.
A WARNING
- Direct your full attention to dr iv ing. As the
driver, you have complete responsibility for
safety in traff ic. On ly use the functions in
such a way that you a lways maintain com­
p lete co ntro l over your veh icle in all traff ic
situat ions.
- Do not use the voice recognition system in
emergencies beca use your voice may change
in st ressfu l situ at ions.
It may t ake longe r to
d ial t he number or th e sys tem m ay no t be
a bl e to d ial it a t all. Dia l th e emer gen cy
number manually.
© Tips
- Th e dia log pauses w hen the re is a n in com­
ing pho ne call and will con tinue if you ig ­
nore the call. T he dialog en ds if yo u answer
t h e ca ll.
- Yo u ca n sele ct an i tem in the list using ei ­
ther the vo ice recognit ion sys tem o r the
cont ro l knob .
Command overview
information
App lies to: vehicles wit h voice recog nitio n syste m
The following overv iews describe the commands
that can be used to operate the MMI using the
vo ice recog nition system .
A lternative commands are separated by a
" I" , for
example, say:
Telephone I (or) Na vigation I (or)
R adio .

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

Safe ty belts
-Failure to pay attention to the warning light
that come on, could lead to personal injury.
Why use safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for peo­
ple riding in vehicles.
F ig. 220 Unbe lted occupants in a vehicle heading for a wall
Fig . 221 The veh icle crashes into the wall
The physical principles are simple . Both the vehi­
cle and the passengers possess energy which var­
ies with vehicle speed and body weight. Engi­
neers call this energy "kinet ic energy."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the greater the vehicle 's we ight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash.
Vehicle speed is the most significant fac tor. If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to SO
km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
Because the passengers of th is veh icle are not us­
ing safety
belts<=> fig. 220, they will keep mov ing
at the same speed the ve hicle was moving just
before the crash, u nti l something stops them -
here, the wall<=>
fig. 221.
220
The same principles apply to people s itting in a
vehicle that is involved in a fronta l collision. Even
at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50 km/h),
the forces acting on the body can reach one ton
(2,000 lbs, or 1,000 kg) or more. At greater
speeds, these forces are even higher.
People who do not use safety belts are a lso not
attached to their vehicle. In a frontal coll is ion
they will also keep mov ing forward at the speed
their vehicle was travelling just befo re the crash.
Of course, the laws of physics don't just apply to
frontal collisions, they determine what happens
i n a ll kinds of accide nts and co lli sions.
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in­
jured or killed. Always wear your safety belts!
Fig. 222 A driver not wearing a safety belt is violently
thrown forward
F ig. 223 A rear passenger not wearing a safety belt will fly
forwa rd a nd strike the driver
Unbelted occ upants are not ab le to res ist the tre­
mendous forces of impact by holding tight or
braci ng themselves . Without the benefit of safe ­
ty restraint systems, the unrestra ined occupant
will slam violently into the steering wheel,
liJJ,,

Airbag syste m
also not inflate in side or rear co llisions, or in
ro ll- overs.
Alwa ys rem ember : Airbags will deploy only once,
and on ly in ce rtain k inds of coll is ions. Yo ur safety
be lts are always there to offer protection in those
situations in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy, or when they have already deployed; for
examp le, when your vehicle str ikes or is struck by
another vehicle after the first collision.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is a
supplementary restraint and is not a substitute
for a safety belt. The a irbag system works most
effect ively when used with the safety belts.
Therefore, always properly wear your safety belts
r;:;, page 219 .
A WARNING
Sitting too close to the steering wheel o r in­
st rument panel will decrease the effective­
ness of the airbags and will inc rease the risk
of personal injury in a co llision.
- Never sit closer than 1 0 inches ( 25 cm) to
the steering wheel or instrument panel.
- If you cannot sit mo re than 10 inches
( 2 5 cm) from the steering wheel, invest i­
gate whether adap tive equipment may be
available to help yo u reach the pedals and
increase your seating distance from the
steering wheel.
- If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sit­
ting sideways or out of position in any way,
your risk of in jury is much h igher.
- Yo u will also receive serious injuries and
could even be killed if you are up aga inst the
airbag or too close to it when it inflates
-
even with an Advanced Airbag.
- To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflates, a lways wear safety belts properly
c> page 222, Safety belts .
- Always make certain that chi ldren age 12 or
younger always ride in the rear seat. If chil­ dren are not properly restra ined, they may
be severe ly injured or k illed when an airbag
inflates.
- Never let children ride unrestrained or im­ prope rly restrained in the vehicle . Adjust the
front seats properly.
228
-
- Never ride with the back rest recl ined .
-Always sit as far as possible from the steer -
ing wheel or the instrument panel
c>page209.
- Always sit upright with your back against
the backrest of your seat.
- Never p lace your feet on the instrument
panel or on the seat. Always keep both feet
on the floor in front of the seat to help pre­
vent serious injur ies to the legs and hips if
the airbag inflates.
- Never recl ine the front passenger's seat to
transport objects. Items can also move into
the area of the s ide a irbag or the front air­
bag during brak ing or in a sudden maneu­
ver. Objects nea r the airbags can become
pro jecti les and cause injury when an airbag
inflates.
A WARNING
A irbags tha t have deployed in a cr ash m ust be
replaced.
- Use on ly orig inal equipment airbags ap­
proved by Audi and insta lled by
a trained
technician who has the necessary tools and
diagnostic equipment to prope rly replace
any airbag in yo ur vehicle and assure system
effectiveness in a crash.
- Never permit salvaged or recycled airbags to
be installed in your vehicle .
Child restraints on the front seat - some
important things to know
"' Be sure to read the important informat ion and
heed the WARNINGS fo r important deta ils
about ch ild ren and Advanced A irbags
r;:;, page 249 .
Even thoug h your veh icle is equ ipped w it h an Ad ­
vanced Airbag Sys tem, make certa in that a ll chil­
dre n, espec ia lly those 12 yea rs and younger, al­
ways ride i n the b ack seat prope rly res train ed fo r
t h eir age and size. The ai rbag on the passenger
s ide makes t he front seat a potentia lly dange rous
place for a child to ride . The front seat is not the
safest p lace for a c hild in a forward-fac ing c hild
.,.