2018 AUDI A8 brake fluid

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' Steering lock
¢ page 21
Eng ine start system
¢ page22
Brake booster
¢page23
Electromechanical power steer­
i ng, dynam ic
steering*../
¢ page 130
Air s uspension
¢ page 22
Sport differe ntia l*
¢ page 25
Other indic ator lights
-------------
Tur n signa ls
¢ page 25
USA mod els:
C ruise control system
¢ page 93
Canada models:
Cruise contro l system
¢ page 93
Adaptive c ruise contro l*
¢ page 97
Adaptive c ruise contro l*
¢ page 97
Adaptive c ruise contro l*
¢page 97
Active lane assist*
¢page 104
Start/Stop system*
¢page 78
Start/Stop system*
¢page 78
High beam assistant
¢page44
High beams
¢ page 44, ¢ page 44
BRAKE/( ©) Brake system
If t his ind icator lig ht tu rns on, the re is a ma lfu nc­
tion in the brake system.
Coc kpit o ver view
llll vehicle and check brake fluid le vel
Stop t he veh icle a nd check t he b rake fl uid level.
See a n author ized A udi dealer or author ized A udi
Se rvice Facility for assistance if necessary.
1111 (USA model s) /. (Canad a mod els)
Brake s: malfunction! Stop v ehicl e safely
If the ABS ind icator light llll) (USA models) /
~ (Canada models), the ESC ind icator light DJ .
and the b rake system indicato r light 1111 (USA
models)/ . (Can ada models) all tu rn o n and
t hi s message appea rs, then the ABS, ESC and
braking d istribution are
ma lfunctioning ¢&. .
Do not continue dr iv ing . See a n author ized Audi
dealer or author ized A udi Se rvice Fac il ity for as­
s istance ¢&. .
1111 (USA model s) /. (C anad a model s) Park­
ing brak e system fault! See owner' s manual
- If the ind icator light and the message appear
when the vehicle is stationary or after switch­
ing the ignition on ,
check if you can release the
pa rk ing bra ke. If you cannot release t he pa rk­
ing b rake , see a n author ized A udi dealer or au­
t hor ized A udi Se rvi ce Fac ility. If you can release
the parking brake and the message sti ll ap ­
pears, see an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Aud i Service Faci lity immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
- If the indicator lig ht and message appear
while
dri ving ,
the hill start ass ist or emergency brak­
ing function may be ma lfunctioning. It may not
be possible to set the parking brake or release
it once it has been set . Do not park your vehicle
on hills . See an authorized Aud i deale r or au­
thor ized A udi Service Fac ility for assistance.
Applies to: USA models
If the 1111 and rlJ turn on at the same time, the
brake pads are worn out
r=;, page 23 .
A WARNING
-Read and follow the warnings in
¢ page 2 72, Working in the engine com­
partment
befo re opening the hoo d and
checking the brake fluid level.
19

Cockpit overv ie w
- If the brake system indicator light does not
t u rn off or it t urns on while driv ing, the
brake fluid level in the reservoir is too low,
and this increases the risk of an acc ident.
Stop the vehicle a nd do not cont inue dr iv­
ing . See an author ized Audi dealer or au­
t h orized Aud i Serv ice Faci lity fo r ass ista nce.
- If the brake system ind icator light turns on
toget he r with the ABS and ESC ind icator
l ights, the ABS/ ESC regulat ing func tion may
be m alfu nctioning. Fu nctions t hat stabilize
the vehi cle are no longer ava ilable . This
cou ld cause the ve hicle to swerve, whic h in ­
creases the risk that t he ve hicle wi ll slide.
Do not continue driving. See an author ized
Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service Fac ili­
ty for assistance .
PARK/(®) Electromechanical parking brake
If the -(USA models) / . (Canada models)
i n dicator light tu rns on , the park ing brake was
set .
-(USA models ) /. (Canada models ) Cau·
tion : Vehicle parked too stee p
lfthe indicator light blinks and the message ap­
pears, the re is not enough brak ing power to se­
cure the vehicle . The brakes have overhea ted. The
ve hicle could roll away even on a small incline .
-(USA models) / . (Canada models) P ress
b rake pedal to release parking b rake
To re lease the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press
the ~ button at the same time
or start driv ing with hill start ass ist
c> page 82 .
Ill Parking brake!
There is a malfunction in the park ing brake . Dr ive
to a n author ized Audi dealer or author ized A udi
Serv ice Faci lity immediately to have t he malfunc­
tion corrected.
(D Tips
For add it io na l info rmation on the pa rk ing
brake, seer:!)
page 81.
20
_ L Cooling system
• Turn off engine and ch eck coolant l evel
The coolant level is too low .
Do not continue dr iving and switch t he engine
off. Check the coolant level
c> page 2 77 .
- If the coo lant level is too low, add coolant
r:!) page 2 78. Only continue driving once the in­
dicator light turns off.
• Coolant temperature too high! Ple ase let en­
gine run with vehicle stationar y
Let the engine ru n at idle fo r a few mi nutes to
cool off, until t he ind icator lig ht tur ns off .
-If the ind icator light does not turn off, do not
cont inue driving the veh icle . See an author ized
Aud i dea le r or aut horized Audi Serv ice Facility
for assis tance.
.&_ WARNING
- N ever ope n the hood if you ca n see or he ar
steam or coo la nt escaping from t he engine
compa rtment. This increases the risk of
burns. Wait until you no longer see o r hear
steam or coolant escaping.
- The engine compartment in any vehicle can
be a dange rous a rea. Stop the engine and
allow it to cool before working i n the engine
compa rtment. Always follow the informa­
tion fo und in
c> page 272.
@ Note
Do not continue driv ing if the . indicator
li ght turns on as this increases the risk of en­
g ine damage.
~ Safety belt
The . indicator light stays on unt il the dr iver 's
and front passenge r's safety belts are faste ned .
Above a certa in speed, the re will a lso be a war n­
i ng tone.
© Tips
Fo r additional info rmat ion on safety belts,
see c>page219.

Trailer towing
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
p la ce to prevent it from shifting forward, back­
ward or sideways .
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer~&.
in Driving instructions on page 91.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder . It
is important that the coo ling system's perform­
ance is up to t he additional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has eno ugh fluid .
Tire pressure
When tow ing a tra iler, inflate the tires of your
veh icle to the tire pressure listed under "Full
load " on the label
~ page 293. Inflate trailer
tires to trailer and tir e ma nufactu rers' specifica­
tions.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly .
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are proper ly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle.
Leave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
ing corners . When you install safety cha ins, make
sure they w ill not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch .
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface before
hitching up the trailer and before adjust ing the
tongue we ight. The vehicle must be in
auto or
comfort driving mode and not ra ised
~ page 111, ~0 .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainment, select:
ICARI function butto n> Lower
control button.
90
If you must drive under poor road conditions, you
can raise the ve hicle
after coupling the trailer or
after adjust ing the tongue we ight ~ page 113.
@ Note
-Changes in temperature or load can aff ect
the height of the vehicle .
-Always select auto or comfort mode. Other­
wise, the tong ue load specified for your ve­
hicle will no longer be applicab le .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results
in a hig hly unstable distribution of we ight. If th is
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid t he risk of losing steering contro l.
A "balanced" rig is eas ier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle s hould be loaded
to
the extent possible and permissib le, w hil e
keeping the trailer as light as possible under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow veh icle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficu lt it be ­
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind cond it ions are unfavorable - particularly whe n
go ing down hill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of sway ing.
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular
vehicles.
A lways apply brakes early. When driving down­
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the engine
braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
ll-

u. co .... N
" 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

Checking and Filling
Cl osing the ho od
~ Push the hood down until you override the
force of the strut .
~ Let the hood fall light ly into the latch. Do not
press it in.
c::> .&_ .
A WARNING
-Never open the hood when there is steam or
coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that you could
be burned. Wait until no steam or coolant is
escaping.
Engine compartment overview
The most important check points .
-For safety reasons, the hood must always be
closed securely while driv ing. Because of
this, always check the hood after closing it
to make sure it is latched correctly . The
hood is latched if the front corners cannot
be lifted.
-If you notice that the hood is not latched
while you are driving, stop immed iate ly and
close
it, because d riving when the hood is
not latched increases the r is k of an accident.
Fig. 258 Typical locatio n of the rese rvoir and the engi ne o il fille r open ing
(D Washer fluid reservoir (Q) c::> page 281
@ J ump start point(-) with hex head screw
c::> page 280, c::> page 32 7
® Jump start point(+) under a cover
c::> page 280, c::> page 32 7
@ Engine oil label * w ith VW standard
c::> page 2 75
274
® Engine oil filler opening ( page 2 76
@ Brake fl uid reservo ir ((0)) c::> page 2 79
(J) Coolant reservoir (-L) c::> page 2 78
The engine oil filling opening (item @) may be
l ocated in a different area depending on the en-
gine version.
.,.

lL
_& WARNING
-The cooling system is under pressure. Do
not open the coolant expansion tank cap
when the engine is hot. This increases the
risk of burns .
- The coolant additive and the coolant can be dangerous to your health. For this reason,
keep the coolant in the original container
and away from children. There is a risk of
poisoning.
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if the ignition is switched off, which
increases the risk of injury.
CD Note
Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty. Air could enter the cooling system and
damage the engine. If this is the case, do not
continue driving. See an authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Facility for assis­
tance.
Brake fluid
N N
-N
" co IX)
Fig. 261 Engine compartment: cap on brake flu id reservoir
Observe the safety precautions ~&. in Working
in the engine compartment on page 2
72.
Checking the brake fluid level
.. Read the brake fluid level on the brake fluid
reservoir
~ page 274, fig. 258. The brake fluid
level must be between the MIN and MAX mark­
ings~&. -
~ The brake fluid level is monitored automatically .
...... N ...... 0 0 :c ' Checking and Filling
Changing the brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed regularly by an au­
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility.
_& WARNING
-
- If the brake fluid level is below the MIN
marking, it can impair the braking effect
and driving safety, which increase the risk of
an accident . Do not continue driving . See an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility for assistance.
- If the brake fluid is old, bubbles may form
in the brake system during heavy braking.
This would impair braking performance and
driving safety, which increases the risk of an
accident.
- To ensure the brake system functions cor­
rectly, only use brake fluids that comply
with VW standard 50114 or FMVSS-116 DOT 4.
CD Note
- If the brake fluid level is above the MAX
marking, brake fluid may leak out over the
edge of the reservoir and result in damage
to the vehicle.
- Do not get any brake fluid on the vehicle
paint, because it will corrode the paint.
Battery
General warnings about batteries
Because of the complex power supply, all work
on batteries such as disconnecting, replacing,
etc., should
only be performed by an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility
~ .&. .
The term "vehicle battery" refers to the 12 Volt
battery in your vehicle.
Detailed warnings for the vehicle battery:
® Wear eye protection.
b. Bat~ery acid is highly corrosive. Wear pro-
~ tect1ve gloves and eye protection. Ill>-
279

Wheels
sure that load limits are not ex­
ceeded. Vehicle load includes ev­
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehi­
cle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat­
ing
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight
of the basic vehicle, all factory in­
stalled accessories, a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids plus maximum load. The maxi­
mum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is in­
tended to carry ("seating capaci­
ty") with an assumed weight of
150 lbs. (68 kg) for each passen­
ger at a designated seating posi­
tion and the total weight of any
l uggage in the vehicle. If you tow
a trailer, the weight of the trailer
hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer must be includ­
ed as part of the vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles.
The fact that there is an upper
limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being
296
carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited. The more pas­
sengers in the vehicle or passen­
gers who are heavier than the
standard weights assumed mean
that less weight can be carried as l uggage .
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety compli­
ance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar
¢ page 293,
fig. 266.
_& WARNING ~
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per­
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than
your vehicle was designed to
carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and increase the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance.

A
A/C (automatic climate control) . . . . . . . . . . 70
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 , 338
Active lane assist (lane departure assist) . . 103
Cleaning the camera area . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Adapter cable (Audi music interface) . . . . . 186
Adaptive air suspension/sport . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Adaptive cruise control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Cleaning the sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Adjusting the sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Adjusting the sound (tone) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Adjusting the temperature (automatic climate
control system) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Adjusting the volume RSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235, 245
Care .. .. .. .. ............... .. .. .. . 240
Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Child restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Components (front a irbags) . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Danger of fitting a child seat on the front
passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
PASSENGER A IR BAG OFF light . . . . . . . . . 237
Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Side curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
We ight-sensing mat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Sl
Aircraft Transporting your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Air distribution (automatic climate control) . 71
Air pressure (Tire Pressure Monitoring Sys-
tem) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Air pressure (tires) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Air suspension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
u. ~ Alignment pin (changing the wheel) . . . . . . 312
N ~ All season tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298 ......
g Alternative route . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
:c ' Index
Anti-freeze
Windshield washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Anti- Lock Braking System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . 127
Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Audi connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Data connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Data protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Services (overview) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Audi music interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Adapter cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Connecting and disconnecting . . . . . . . . . 186
Screen settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Audio player
refer to Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Audio track (DVD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Audi Service R epair Manuals and Literature 336
AUTO Automatic climate control system . . . . . . . 70
Automatic headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Auto Lock (central locking) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Automatic belt retractor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Automat ic climate control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Automatic traffic rerouting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Automatic transmission (tiptronic) . . . . . . . . 83
Emerg ency mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Hill descent control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Overboost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Parking lock emergency release . . . . . . . . . 88
Automatic wipe/wash system . . . . . . . . . . . . SO
Auto Safety Hotline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Average consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Average speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
B
BACK button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Balance (sound) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Belt tensioners . ..... ............. 217,225
Blended gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Blower (automatic climate control) . . . . . . . . 71
Bluetooth Audio player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Connecting a cell phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Booster seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 5 7
Brake fluid Checking the brake fluid level . . . . . . . . . . 279
341