2018 AUDI A8 light

Assistance systems
critical, the system will direct your attention to
this :
- Pedestrians or wild animals are highlighted in
red and the corresponding
symbol . or.
turns on c::> fig. 125.
- There is also an audible signal.
The area classified as critical is based on the vehi­
cle speed and the steering wheel angle. Pedes­
trian and wild animal warning encourages you to pay more attention.
If the night vision assist image is replaced by an­
other display (such as the on-board computer),
the
red . or. indicator light c::> fig. 126 will
appear if there is a pedestrian or wild animal
warning.
If the head-up display* is switched on and the
night vision assist content is activated, .
or.
will appear in the head-up display*.
Marking light*
To direct the driver's attention to a pedestrian,
the headlights can flash on the pedestrian three
times in a row when there is a pedestrian warn­
ing.
This occurs at speeds above approximately 35 mph (60 km/h) if you are outside of illuminat­
ed areas and no detected vehicles are shown . The
high beam assistant* controls the marking light*
c::> page 44, High beam assistant .
The marking light is not used for wild animals .
General information
Applies to: vehicles with night vision ass ist
Fig. 127 F ront of th e vehicl e: nigh t visio n as sist c amer a
110
The following situations may affect the function
of the night vision assist system:
- Poor visibility such as snow , rain, fog or heavy
spray
- Dirty lens on the night vision assist camera
Make sure the night vision assist camera
c::> fig . 12 7 is not covered by stickers , deposits or
any other obstructions because that can affect
the camera function . For information on clean­
ing, see
c::> page 306.
The pedestrian and wild animal recognition de­
pends on the temperature difference between
the person/wild animal and the background. Peo­
ple/wild animals may not be detected if the dif­
ference is too small. The pedestrian/wild animal
marking and the marking light* deactivate at
temperatures above approximately 77 °F (25 °C)
and during daylight . If the night vision assist im ­
age is selected in the inst rument cluster display,
then the
II symbol appears a t the top on the
right side .
,& WARNING
,-
Pay attention to traffic and the area around
your vehicle when night vision assist is switch­
ed on. The driver is always responsible for as­
sessing the traffic situation.
- Night vision assist can only warn about peo­
ple and wild animals located within the visu­
al range of the infrared camera. The visual
range corresponds to the image in the in­
strument cluster display .
- Night vision assist may not detect people or
wild animals and mark them if
- they are not in an upright position, for ex­
ample if they are sitting or lying down
and/or
- the silhouette in the display appears in­
complete or interrupted, for example be­
cause the person is partially covered by a
vehicle or an animal by tall grass . This
could increase the risk of an accident.
- Never try to swerve around animals if doing
so will endanger you or other road users, be­
cause this increases the risk of an accident.

lL t:0 ....
"' ......
"' .... 0 0 :c ' (D Tips
-Even though the system evaluates the
shape and heat given off by a ll detected ob·
j ects, there are limits to the system. The re
may be false warn ings.
- For technica l reasons, the image pa uses in
sp lit second intervals.
Switching on/off
Applies to: veh icle s with night vision assist
Fig. 128 A rea aro und th e light sw itc h: n ig h t vis ion ass ist
bu tton
Req uirement: switch the ignition on and turn the
light switch to the
AUTO position .
• Press the~ button q fig. 128. The hea t image
from the night vision camera appears in the in ­
str ument cluster d isplay .
• Press the~ button aga in to switch the night
v ision assist off.
If condit ions are bright enough, night vision as­
sist can be sw itched on without moving the light
sw itch to the
AUTO pos it ion. Pedestr ian and wild
a ni mal highlig hting and warnings are only active
when i t is dar k ou tside and t he headlights are
switched on.
Adjusting the contrast
Applies to: vehicles with night vision assist
• Se lect: the I CAR I function button > Car systems
contro l button > Driver a ssistance > Night vi­
sion assist contrast .
When the night vision assist is switched on and
the image is visible in the instrument cl uster d is­
p lay, you can adjust the contrast in the image
from
Min to Ma x.
Assi st a nce systems
Messages
Applies to: vehicles with night vision assist
Night vi sion as sist : System fault
T he system cannot guarantee correct funct ion
and is switched off . See an authorized Aud i deal­
er or autho rized Aud i Service Fac ility fo r assis­
tance.
Night vision assist: Currently unavailable
The system cannot gua rantee co rrect function at
th is time and is switched off .
Night vision as sist: Only available at night with
lights turned on
N igh t vision assist only works whe n it is da rk out­
s ide and the headlights a re on.
Night visi on a ssist: Pedestrian marking current­
ly unavailable
T he pedestrian and wi ld animal marking was
swi tched off by the sys tem .
Audi drive select (drive
settings)
Introduction
Drive select makes it possib le to exper ience dif ­
ferent types of vehicle sett ings in one veh icle .
T he driver can select
Comfort , Auto and Dynamic
modes in the Infotainment system to sw itch be­
tween, for example, a sporty a nd a comfortab le
driv ing mode .
Yo u can adjust the veh icle sett ings to your per­
so nal preferences in the
Individual mode. This
makes i t possible to combine se ttings such as a
spo rty engine se tt in g with light s teer ing.
Description
T he following systems, among other things, are
influenced by drive se lect:
Engine and transmission
D epend ing on the mode, the engi ne and trans­
mission respon d mo re qu ickl y or in a more bal ­
anced manner to accelerator peda l movements.
ll>
111

Ass is tanc e system s
In the sporty dynamic mode, the transmission
shifts at higher speed ranges.
Air su spen sion
The adaptive air suspension/adaptive air suspen­
sion spo rt* is an e lectron ica lly contro lled a ir sus ­
pens ion and damping system . The adjustment
depends on the driving mode selected, steering movements, the driver's braking and accelera­
tion , and as the road surface, vehicle speed and
load . A sporty sett ing is generally used in vehicles
with adap tive a ir suspension sport*.
The vehicle ground clearance depends on the mode se lected and the speed . When you are in
the auto or dynamic mode, the h ighway sett ing is
activated when you dr ive above 75 mph (120 km/
h) for more than 30 seconds . The ground clear­
ance is increased automatically if the speed
drops below 44 mph (70 km/h) for more than 120 seconds .
Stee ring
The power steer ing adap ts . Indirect steer ing that
moves easily as in comfort mode is especially
suited to long drives on a h ighway . The dynam ic
mode p rovides spo rty , d irect steering.
Applies to: vehicles with dynamic steering
The steering ratio changes based on vehicle
speed in order to ma intain optimum steering ef­
fort for the dr ive r at all times . This sets the steer­
i n g to be less sensit ive at hig he r speeds in o rder
to p rovide imp roved vehicle contro l. At reduced
speeds, steer ing is more direct in order to keep
the steering effort as minima l as possib le when
the driv er is maneuvering the v ehicl e. At low and
average speeds, dynamic steering* addit ionally
provides more responsive steering performance.
Sport diff ere ntial *
As a component of the all wheel drive system (quattro)
¢ page 131, the sport differential dis ­
tributes the driving power to the rear axle de ­
pending on the situation. The distribution of
power va ries from balanced (comfort) to sporty
(dynamic) depending on the selec ted mode . The
goal is a high level of agility and ab il ity to accel ­
erate on curves . The ve hicle is very respons ive to
steer ing .
112 Corn
ering light *
The co rnering ligh t adapts the hig h beams to the
direction of the curve depending on the speed.
The pivoting action and the lighting also adapt to
the mode.
Adaptive cruise cont rol*
The be hav io r whe n accelerat ing ca n be adjusted
from comfortable to sporty, depending on the drive select mode. Adaptive cruise control also
responds to the driving behavior of the vehicle
ahead in a more cons ervative or sporty manner.
Engine sound *
The eng ine sound adapts to the c urrent mode
and can be subtle to spo rty.
{[» Note
- Make s ure there is enough clearance above
and be low the vehicle when pa rk ing . T he
heig ht of t he ve hicle can change on ce it is
parked d ue to temperature fluctuations,
changes to the load conditions and changes
to the driv ing modes, which can affect clear­
ance .
- When transporting the vehicle on a car car ­
rier, train, ship or by other means, on ly tie
the vehicle down at the runn ing surface of
the tires, which is the outer c ircumference.
Securing the vehicle at the axle compo­
nents, suspens ion struts o r tow ing eyes is
not pe rm itted because the p ressure i n the
air suspe nsion s truts ca n change d uring
t ra nspo rt. The vehi cle may not be secu red
sufficiently i f th i s happens.
(D Tips
- In some mo dels, the max imum ve hicle
speed can only be reached in t he auto and
dynamic modes.
- Th e S se lector lever posi tion a utomat ic all y
engages if the dynami c mode is selected.
- In ve hicl es tha t h ave dynam ic stee rin g*, op ­
erat ing no ise is he ard when sta rting o r stop ­
ping the engine . This does no t indi ca te a
prob lem.

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" N .... 0 0 :c ' Parking systems
General information
A pp lies to: ve hicles with pa rk in g system p lus/rearview cam ­
era/peripheral camera
Depending on your vehicle 's equipment, various
pa rking aids wi ll help you when parking and ma­
ne uvering.
The
p arki ng sys tem plu s assists you when park­
ing by aud ibly and visua lly indicating objects de­
tected in front of and behind the vehicle
¢ page 116.
The re arv ie w ca mer a shows the area beh ind the
veh icle in the Infotainment system d isplay. This
d isplay assists you when you are cross or parallel
pa rking
¢ page 117 . The park ing system p lus
functions are also available
¢ page 116.
The periph eral ca mera s give var ious views to
h e lp you whe n pa rking or maneuver ing
¢ page 120. T he pa rking system pl us functions
are also availab le
¢ page 116.
& WARNING
-Always look for traffic and check the area
around your vehicle by looking at it direct ly
as well. The parking system cannot replace
the driver's attent ion. The driver is always
responsible when enter ing or leav ing a park­
ing space and during similar maneuvers.
- Please note that some surfaces, such as
clothing, are not detected by the system .
-
-Sensors and cameras have blind spots in
wh ich people and objects cannot be detect­
ed . Be especially caut ious of small children
and animals .
- The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the radiator gr ille, bumper,
wheel housing and the underbody . The park­
ing system may be impa ired as a result.
Have a n author ized A udi dealer or author­
ized Audi Serv ice Facility check their func ­
tion .
- Make s ure the senso rs a re not obstructed by
stickers, deposits o r other materia ls. If they
are, the sensor function could be impaired.
For additiona l information on cleaning, see
¢ page 306.
Parking syste m s
@ Note
-Some objects are not detected or disp layed
by the system under certain circumstances:
- objects such as barrier cha ins, tra iler draw
bars, vertical po les or fences
- objects above the sensors such as wall ex ­
tensions
- objects with certain surfaces or structures
such as cha in link fences or powder snow
- If you continue driving closer to a low ob­
ject, it may disappear from the sensor range . Note that you will no longer be
wa rned about t his obstacle.
(D Tips
-The system may provide a warning even
tho ugh the re are no obstacles in the cover­
age area in some situations, such as:
- certain road surfaces or when there is tall
grass
- externa l ultrasonic sources such as from
cleaning vehicles
- in heavy rain, snow, or th ick vehicle ex ­
haust
- We recommend tha t you practice par king in
a traffic-free location or parking lot to be ­
come fami liar with the system . W hen doing
this, there sho uld be good light and weath­
er conditions.
- You can change the volume and pitch of the
signa ls as well as the
display ¢ page 125.
-Please refer to the instructions for towing a
trai ler located in
r:!:> page 125 .
-What appears in the infotainment display is
somewhat time-delayed .
- T he sensors m ust be kept clean and free of
snow and ice for the parking aid to operate .
115

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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

Intelligent Technology
you into taking risks. T his could increase
your risk of a co llision.
- Please note the risk of a co llision increases
when driving fast, especially through curves
and on slippery or wet roads, and when driv­
ing too close to objects ahead. The ESC and
its integrated systems cannot always pre­
vent collisions - there is still a risk of acc i­
dents!
- Press the accelerator pedal carefully when
acce lerating on even, slippery surfaces such
as ice and snow. The drive wheels can spin
Switching on and off
even when these control systems are instal­
led and this can affect driving stability and
increase the risk of a collision.
(D Tips
- Th e ABS and ASR only function correct ly
when a ll four wheels have a simi lar wear
condition. Different tire sizes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems de­
scribed are working.
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine .
Fig . 152 Center conso le wit h ESC O FF but ton
ESC levels
Sport mode on
The following examples are unusual situations
where it may make sense to switch sport mode
on in order to allow the wheels to sp in:
- Rocking the ve hicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Dr iv in g with snow chains
Sport mode off
Behavior
The ESC and ASR stabilization functions The full stabilization function of the ESC
are limited
¢ .&. . and ASR is ava ilable aga in .
Operation Press th e @ button. Press the@button again.
Indicator II turns on. II turns off .
lights
Messages Stabilization control (ESC): Off Warning! Stabilization control (ESC): On
Reduced stability
A WARNING
Only switch sport mode on when your driving
abilities and the traffic s ituation permit, be­
cause there is a risk of s liding.
- The stabilization function is l im ited when
sport mode is sw itched on. The driving
whee ls could spin and the veh icle could
swerve , espec ially on slic k or slippery road
s urfac es.
128
0) Tips
Sport mode cannot be switched on if the
cruise control system* or adaptive cruise con­
trol* is switched on .

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" N .... 0 0 :c ' Brakes
New brake pads
New brake pads do no t ac hieve t heir f ull b raking
effect during the firs t 25 0 mi (4 00 km). They
must be "b roken
in" fi rst . The b rea k-in per io d can
be considerably longe r for vehicles with ce ram ic
brake roto rs*. However, yo u can compensate for
the slightly reduced br aking fo rce by p ressing
firm ly on the brake pedal. Avo id heavy braking
d uring the brea k-in period .
Wear
Brake pad wear depends largely on the way the
ve hicle is driven and on operat ing cond itions.
This is especially true if you are driving frequently
i n the c ity and on curves o r with a sporty driving
style .
Operating noise
Noises may occur when bra king depend ing on the
speed, braking force and outs ide cond itions s uch
as temperature and humidity .
Noises may become more appare nt at lowe r
speeds d ue to the nature of the mater ia ls in the
ceramic brake rotors*.
Effect of water and road salt
I n ce rtain s it u at ions, for ex ample a fter dr iving
throu gh water, in heavy ra in, afte r overnig ht con ­
densat io n or after washing your car, the bra king
effect can be red uced by moisture or ice on the
brake rotors and b ra ke pads. The brakes must be
"dr ied" fi rst w it h a few careful brake applica­
tions .
At highe r speeds and with the windsh ie ld w ipers
turned on, the brake pads press aga inst the brake
rotors for a sho rt amount of time. T his action,
which is not felt by the d rive r, happens a t regular
in te rvals a nd ens ures a bette r reac tion time fo r
the bra kes in wet weat her.
The braking ef fect can also be reduced if you are
d riving on salted roads and you do not apply t he
b rakes fo r long pe riods of time . The laye r of sa lt
on the br ake ro to rs and pads must be wo rn off
fi rs t when the br akes are app lied.
Intelligent Technology
Du e to its s urface, the ceram ic b rake rotor * ab ­
sorbs moistu re in ce rtain s ituations. The refore,
t h ere w ill tempora rily be less brak ing fo rce t han
whe n the brakes are d ry . Yo u can compensate for
t hi s by press ing t he b rake pedal harder.
Corrosion
L eaving t he vehi cle pa rked fo r lo ng p eriods o f
time, low mileage and avoidin g heavy b raking
can contrib ute to corros ion on the b rake roto rs
and to dirty brake pads.
If you usu a lly avoid heavy bra king or if the re is
cor rosion prese nt, occasiona l heavy bra king at
high speeds is recommended to clean the b ra ke
r oto rs and pads
c:> ,& .
Brake system malfunction
If
you notice that the br ake pe dal trave l has sud ­
denly in crease d, then a brake circuit in the dua l­
c ir cuit b rake system may have malfu nctioned .
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or autho rized
Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have the
prob lem cor rected . On the way there, drive w ith
red uced speed and kee p in mind that you will
need a longer dis tance to stop an d you will need
to press the bra ke pe dal harder.
Low brake fluid level
When the bra ke fluid level is low, malfu nctions in
the b rake system may occur . T he b rake fl uid level
i s e lec tron ically moni to red .
Brake booster
The brake booster ampli fies t he p ress ure you ap ­
ply to the brake pedal. It on ly works w hen the en­
gine is runn ing.
A WARNING
-
- Onl y app ly the brakes for the purpos e of
cleani ng the bra ke sys tem when road and
t raffic cond ition s permi t. You mu st not en ­
dan ger oth er r oad users . T hi s incr ea ses the
r isk of a n accid ent.
- N eve r let t he ve hicle roll wh ile th e e ngi ne is
st opp ed bec au se this incr eas es th e risk o f an
a ccide nt.
ll),
129

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>-