2018 AUDI A8 snow chains

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 ' 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

Wheels
the available cargo and lug­gage load capacity of your vehi­
cle.
.,.Check the tire sidewall
(¢ page 283, fig. 264) to deter­
mine the designated load rating
for a specific tire.
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must be clean and loosen/tighten
easily .
Rims
Rims with a bolted rim ring* or with bolted wheel
covers* consist of multiple pieces . These compo­
nents were bolted together using special bolts
and a special procedure. You must not repair or
disassemble
them £:=?.&. .
A WARNING
Wheel bolts that are tightened or repaired in­
correctly can become loose and result in loss
of vehicle control, which increases the risk of
an accident. For the correct tightening specifi­
cation, see
¢page 314.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hub clean and free of grease.
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim.
- Always have damaged rims repaired by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility. Never repair or disassemble
rims yourself, because this increases the risk
of an accident .
Winter tires
Winter tires significantly improve the vehicle's
handling when driving in winter conditions. Be­
cause of their construction (width, compound,
tread pattern) , summer tires provide less trac­
tion on ice and snow.
298
.. Use winter tires on all four wheels .
.. Only use winter tires that are approved for your
vehicle.
.. Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter
tires¢ _&.. An
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv ­
ice Facility can inform you about the maximum
permitted speed for your tires .
.,. Check the tire pressure after installing wheels
¢page 293 .
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great­
ly when the tread is worn down to a depth of
0.157 in (4 mm). The characteristics of winter
tires also decrease greatly as the tire ages , re­
gardless of the remaining tread.
A WARNING
- Never drive faster than the maximum per­
mitted speed for your tires. This could cause
the tires to heat up too much. This increases
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the tire to burst .
- Always adapt your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Drive carefully and reduce
your speed on icy or slippery roads. Even
winter tires can lose traction on black ice .
® For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the appropriate
time, because they provide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fuel
consumption.
(D Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
winter tires. Please note that in some coun­
tries where winter tires are required, only
winter tires with the
& symbol may be per­
mitted.
Snow chains
-
Snow chains not only improve the driving in win­
ter road conditions, but also the braking.
.,. Only install snow chains on the front wheels. .,.

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" N .... 0 0 :c ' ~ Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains after driving a few feet, if necessary. Fol­
low the instructions from the manufacturer.
~ Note the maximum speed of 30 mph (SO km/
h). Note the loc al regulations.
Use of snow chains is only permitted with certain
rim/tire combinations due to technical reasons.
Check with an authori zed Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility to see if you may use
snow chains .
You must remove the snow chains on roads with­
out snow. Otherwise, you could impair driving
ability and damage the tires.
A WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains or installing snow
chains incorrectly can result in loss of vehicle
control, which increases the risk of an acci­
dent.
0 Note
-Snow chains can damage the rims/wheel
covers* if the chains come into direct con·
tact with them . Remove the wheel covers*
first. Use coated snow chains.
-Using snow chains that add more than 0.4
inch (10.5 mm) of height can severely dam­
age the wheel housings and other vehicle
components.
-Do not install and use snow chains if there is
a malfunction in the adaptive air suspen­
sion, because the vehicle height will be very
low. If you drive with snow chains anyway,
the wheel housings and other vehicle com­ ponents can be severely damaged.
@ Tips
When using snow chains, it may be useful to
switch on sport mode
¢ page 128.
Low-profile tires
Appl ies to: ve hicles w ith low-profile tires
Your vehicle is equipped with low-profile tires* at
the factory . Compared to other tire/rim combina­
tions, low-profile tires offer a wider tread surface
and a larger rim diameter with shorter tire side-
Wheels
walls. This results in an agile driving style. How­
ever, it may reduce the level of comfort and in­
crease road noise when driving on roads in poor
condition.
Low-profile tires can become damaged more
quickly than standard tires when driving over
large bumps, potholes, manhole covers, speed
bumps and curbs. Therefore, it is particularly im­
portan t to maintain the correct tire pressure
¢ page 293.
To reduce the risk of damage to the tires and
rims, drive very carefully on poor roads.
Check your wheels regularly every 2,000 mi
(3,000 km) for damage. For example, check for
bulges/cracks on the tires or deformations/
cracks on the rims.
After a heavy impact or damage, have the tires
and rims inspected or replaced immediately by
an authorized Audi dealer or authori zed Audi
Service Facility.
Low-profile tires can wear out faster than stand­
ard tires.
Summer tires are not suitable for cold weather,
snow or black ice. If you are driving in these con­
ditions, use winter or all season tires
¢ page 298.
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
-Traction AA AB C
-Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and
maximum section width
¢ page 283, fig. 264.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Tem­
perature
A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
299

Wheels
-The driver is responsible for maintaining the
correct tire pressure. You must check the
tire pressure regularly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
driving style, winter conditions or unpaved
roads), the tire pressure monitoring system
indicator may be delayed .
- Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle. Us­
ing them when not permitted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents .
(D Tips
- The tire pressure monitoring system can al­
so stop working when there is an ESC mal­
function .
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The tires with the identification
"AO" or
"RO" ¢ page 290 have been matched with
your Audi tire pressure monitoring system.
Using these tires is recommended.
Storing tire pressures
Applies to: AB, S8
If the tire pressure changes or a tire is replaced,
it must be confirmed in the Infotainment sys­
tem .
.,. Make sure before storing that the tire pressures
of all four tir es meet the specified values and
are adapted to the
load ¢ page 291 .
.,. Switch the ignition on .
.,. Select : the ICARI function button > Car Systems
control button > Service & control > Tire pres­
sure monitor> Store tire pressure > Yes, store
now.
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressures if snow chains
are installed. Otherwise the system could
malfunction.
302
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (SB plus)
ill General notes
Applies to: S8 plus
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
shou ld be checked monthly when cold and inflat­
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size ind icated on
the veh icle placard or tire inflat ion pressure la­
bel, you should determine the proper tire infla­
tion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure mon itor ing system
(TPMS) t hat illuminates a low tire pressure tell­
ta le when o ne or more of your tires is significant­
l y under-inflated. According ly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure . Driving on a signifi ­
cant ly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over­
heat and can lead to tire failure . Under-inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and stop ­
ping ability .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re­
spons ibility to maintain correct t ire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigge r illumination of the TPM S low t ire pres­
su re te lltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to ind icate when the sys­
tem is not operating prope rly . The TPM S mal­
function indicator is combined with the low t ire
pressure telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi­
mately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence wi ll continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal­
function exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated,
the system may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions ..,_

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" N ..... 0 0 :c ' also blinks for approximately one minutes each
time the ignition is switched on . The tire pressure
monitoring system cannot be selected in the In­
fotainment system. The following are examples
of situations that could cause a malfunction:
- If the message appears at the end of the adap­
tation phase, the system cannot detect the
wheels installed on the vehicle . This may result
from one or more wheels being installed with­ out wheel sensors or with incompatible wheel
sensors .
- A wheel sensor or another component has
failed .
- Using snow chains can affect the function of
the system because of the shielding effect of
the chains .
- The tire pressure monitoring system is not
available due to a malfunction .
- Transmitters with the same frequency, such as
headphones or remote-controlled devices, may
cause a temporary system malfunction due to
the strong e lectromagnetic field .
The
@m indicator light turns off once the Tire
Pressure Monitoring System is available again . If
you cannot correct the malfunction and the
mm
indicator light stays on, drive immediately to an
author ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service
F acility to have the malfunction repaired.
Wheels
305

Emergency assistance
There are some restrictions on the use of the
spare tire. The spare tire has been designed spe­
cifically for your type of vehicle. Do not replace it
with the spare tire from another type of vehicle.
There are different types of spare tires available
depending on the equipment
c::> page 320.
Removing the spare tire
• Lift the cargo floor by the plast ic ha ndle
c::> fig. 282.
• Hook the hand le into the luggage compartment
weathe r strip.
• Turn the handwheel counter-clockwise and re-
move it.
• Remove the spare tire.
Snow chains
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains on
the compact spare tire is not permitted.
If you have to drive w ith snow chains and a front
tire fails , mount the spare t ire in place of a rear
tire . Install the snow chains on the rear tire that
you removed, and install that in place of the
front tire that failed.
A WARNING
-After installing a spare tire, the tire pres­ sure must be checked as quickly as possible.
- Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h)
with a compact spare tire. Driving faster
than that increases the risk of an accident.
- To reduce the risk of an accident, avoid full­
throttle acceleration, heavy braking, and
fast cornering with the compact spare t ire.
- To reduce the risk of an accident, never drive
with more than one compact spare tire.
- Norma l summer or winter tires must not be
mounted on the compact spare wheel rim.
A WARNING
- Never use the spare tire if it is damaged or if
it is worn down to the tread wear indicators.
- If the spare tire is more than 6 years old, use it only in an emergency and with ex­
treme caution and careful dr iving .
- The spare tire is intended only for tempora­
ry and short-term use.
It should be replaced
320
as soon as possible with the normal whee l
and tire.
- For technical reasons, the use of tire chains
on the spare tire is not permitted. If it is
necessary to drive with tire chains, the spare
wheel must be mounted on the front axle in
the event of a flat in a rear tire . The newly
ava ilable front wheel must then be installed
in place of the rear wheel w ith the flat tire.
Installing the tire chain before mounting
the wheel and tire is recommended.
- Loose items in the passenger compartment
can cause serious personal injury during
hard braking or in an accident. Never store
the inflatable spare tire or jack and tools in
the passenger compartment .
Spare tire types
Fig. 283 Luggage compartment: space -saving spa re t ire
(compact spare tire)
(D Spare tire*
If you have to mount a spare tire oppos ite the
running direction because of a flat tire , drive
ca refully and restore the correc t running direc­
tion as soon as possible
<=:>page 319.

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" N .... 0 0 :c ' Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Convenience side view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Correct seating position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Massage function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Seat symmetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Seats (number) ................. ..... . 219
Selecting a source MMI control panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Selector lever
Selector lever position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Serial number (radio) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Service and disposal
Safety belt pretensioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Service interval display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Settings Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
System (MMI). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Voice recognition system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Setting the frequency band . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Setting the language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Shades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40, 49
Shift paddles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Ship (transporting your vehicle) . . . . . . . . . 330
Shuffle (media) ................. ..... . 191
Side airbags Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Side assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Cleaning the sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
also refer to Side assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Side curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Side marker lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
SIM card reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Sirius (satellite radio) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Ski bag............................... 66
Sliding/tilting sunroof Emergency closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Emergency operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Snow chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Socket 115 volt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
12 volt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Index
Software update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
also refer to System update (MMI) . . . . . . 206
Software version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Software (MMI) Update ... .. .. .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. 207
Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Solar operation (automatic climate control
system) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Sources of information about child restraints
and their use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Spare tires...... .. .. ................ . 319
Spare tire (compact spare tire) . . . . . . . . . . 319
Speed-dependent volume increase . . . . . . . 205
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Speed warning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Speller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Sport differential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
111
Start/Stop system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Starting/stopping the engine . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Switching off/on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Starting to drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Sta tion list . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Shift paddles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Steering wheel heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
also refer to Multifunction steering wheel. 11
Steps for determining correct load limit . . . 297
Stopover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Storage compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Subwoofer (sound) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Panorama glass roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Sunshade Emergency operation (panorama glass roof) .40
Panorama glass roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Rear window, rear doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Sun visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Swapping (telephone) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Switching the audio output off (RSE) . . . . . 196
Symbols
refer to Indicator lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
SYNC (Automatic climate control) . . . . . . . . . 71
System settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
System update (MMI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
349