2018 AUDI A8 trailer

Table of contents
About this Owner's Manual. . . . . .
6
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Cockpit overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Controls at a glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Instrument cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
M ultif unction steering wheel . . . . . . . . . . 11
Driver information system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
T ime and date display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
H ead-up display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Indicato r lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
O n-B oard Diagnost ic System (OB D) . . . . . 25
Starting and driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Cent ral lock ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
L ugg age com pa rt ment lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Ch ild safety lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
P ower window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Sunroof. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Panorama glass roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Valet par king function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Garage doo r opener (Home Link) . . . . . . . . 41
Lights and Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Exterior lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Interior lighti ng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
V1s1on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
W indshield w ipe rs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
D ig ita l compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Seats and storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Gene ral information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Fr ont seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 6
Head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
M emory function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S9
12 volt sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
llSvoltsocket . ............. .... .. . 61
Fu ll-length center console. . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
L uggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
P ass-throug h w it h ski bag . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
R efrige rato r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Warm and cold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
D eluxe a utomat ic cli ma te contro l . . . . . . . 69
2
Driving ... .. .. .... .. ... .. ..... ... . .
Genera l information . .... .. ..... ... . .
Steering . ... .. .... .. ... .. ..... ... . .
Start ing and stopping the eng ine ..... . .
Start/Stop system .. .. ............. . .
E lectromechanical parking brake ...... .
Start ing to drive .. .. .. .............. .
A utomat ic transmission
Trailer towing ... .. .............. .
D rivi ng with a tra ile r .. .............. .
T ra ile r towing information .......... . .
Driver assistance .. .............. .
Assistance systems .. .. ..... ... . .
S peed warning system . ............. . .
Cru ise cont rol sys tem . ............. . .
Audi adaptive cruise contro l ...... ... . .
Audi active lane assist (lane departure 73
73
7 5
76
78
81
82
83
89 89
9 1
93
93
93
93
95
assist) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Audi s ide ass ist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
N ight vision assist w ith pedestrian and
wild animal detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Audi drive select (drive setti ngs) ........ 111
Parking systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Parking system plus ... ............... 116
Rearv iew camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Per iphera l came ras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Adjus ting the d isp lay and the wa rn in g
tones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
T raile r hitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Intelligent Technology . . . . . . . . . . 127
E lectronic Stabi lization Contro l (ESC). ... 127
Brakes .... .. .. .. .. .. ............. .. 129
E lectromechanical steering, dynamic
steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
All wheel drive (quattro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Notice about data recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and veh icle co ntro l
modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' Drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or a uth orized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have t he
mal funct ion corrected.
~ D Light/rain sensor
El Automatic headl ights / automatic wipe rs:
System fault
The light/rain sensor is malfunctioning.
The low beams remain swi tched on at all times
for safety reasons when the light switch is in the
AU TO position. You can continue to turn the
lights on and
off using the light switch . You can
still control all functions that are independent of
the ra in sensor through the w indshie ld w iper lev­
er .
Drive to an aut horized Audi dea ler or a uth orized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
!-: Sport differential
Applies to: vehicles with sport differential
(I Sport differential : Sy stem fault
T here is a malfunction with the sport differentia l.
Dri ve to an authorized Aud i dea le r o r a uth orized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have t he
malfunction corrected.
I'll Sport differential : Ov erh eating
The transm iss ion temperature has increased s ig­
ni ficantly due to the sporty driving manne r. D rive
in a less sporty manner until the temperature re­
turns to the normal range and the ind icator ligh t
sw itches of .
A WARNING
Contact an author ized A udi dealer or au tho r­
ized Aud i Serv ice Facility if the sport diffe ren ­
tial is fau lty or mal functioning. The repair
must be performed by tra ined personne l us­
ing the correct oi l in order to ens ure safety .
Cockpit o ver view
¢¢Turn signals
If the B or 1B in d icator light blinks , the tur n
s ignals a re act ivated. If bot h ind icator lights are
blinking, the emergency flashers are activa ted.
If an ind icator light blinks tw ice as fast as usual,
a turn signal b ulb has fai led. Carefully d rive to an
a utho riz ed Aud i dea le r or autho rized Aud i Serv ice
F ac ility immed iate ly to have the ma lfunction co r­
rected . The indicator light does not indicate a
malfunction if a turn signal on the trailer o r on
the vehicle fa ils in trailer towing mode.
(D Tips
F o r more information on the turn signa ls, re ­
fer
to~ page 44.
On-Board Diagnostic
System (OBD)
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Ma lfunction Indicato r Lamp ( MIL) ¢..ijj in the
instrument cluster is part of the On -Board Diag ­
nostic (OBD II) system .
T he warning/indicator lig ht ill uminates w hen the
ignition is switched on and goes out after the en ­
gine starts and the id le has stabilized . This indi ­
cates that the MIL is wor king properly.
If the light doe s not go out after the eng ine is
started, or i lluminates while you are driving, a
malfunction may exist in t he engine system. If
the light ill uminates, the catalytic converter
could be damaged.
Continue driving
w ith reduced powe r (avoiding
s u stained high speeds and/or rapid accelera ­
tions) and have the condit ion corrected. Contact
your authori zed Aud i dea ler .
If the light i lluminates, the electronic speed lim ­
iter may also be malf unctioning. For more infor ­
mation
c> page 26, Electronic speed limiter .
An improperly closed fue l filler cap may also
ca use the M IL light to ill uminate
c> page 2 70.
25

Driving
Shift to P, otherwise vehicle can roll away.
Doors do not lock if lever is not in
P.
This driver message appears fo r safety reasons if
the transmission has not been shifted to the P
position when you switch the ignition off. Move
the selector lever to the P position . Otherwise the
veh icle is not protected from ro lling and it cannot
be locked.
(I Key is not recognized. Hold back of key
against marked area. See owner's manual
If the i ndicator light turns on and this message
appears, there is a
malfunction ~ page 78.
Turn off ignition before leaving car
This message appears if the driver's door is
ope ned while the ignition is switched on . Always
sw itch off the ignition if you are leavi ng the vehi­
cle .
Shift to P and turn off ignition before leav ing
car, otherwise vehicle can roll away
This message appears if the driver's door is
opened while the ignition is switched on and the
transmission has not been shifted to the P posi­
tion . Shift the transm iss ion into the P posit ion
and turn off the ign ition if you are leaving the ve­
h icle . Otherwise the vehicle could roll.
Starting the engine when there is a
malfunction
It may not be possible to start the engine under
certain circumstances, for example if the battery
in the vehicle key is drained, if interference is af­
fected the key or if there is a system malfunc­
tion .
c:====== ~
~ _____ ___ ci5
Fig . 91 Cente r console/remote cont ro l key : sta rt ing the
eng ine
if t here is a malfunc tion
78
Requirement: the message Key is not recog­
nized. Hold back of key against marked area .
See owner's manual
must appear and the (I i n ­
dicator light must turn on.
.,. Hold the remote control key vertically in the lo ­
cation indicated
y >l) ~ fig. 91 .
.,. Press the brake peda l.
.,. Press the I START ENGINE STOPI button. The
engine will start.
.,. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author ­
ized Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected .
(0 Tips
You can v iew the message aga in by pressing
the
I S TAR T ENGINE STOP I button.
Start/Stop system
Description
Applies to: vehicles with Start/Stop syste m
The Start/Stop system can help increase fuel
economy and reduce CO2 emissions.
In Start/Stop mode, the eng ine s hut s off auto­
matically when the vehicle is stopped, such as at
a traffic light . The ignition remains switched on
during this stop phase. The engine w ill restart
automat ically w hen needed.
The last Start/Stop system setting is restored
when the ignition is switched on.
Basic requirements for Start/Stop mode
- Th e driver's door must be closed.
- The driver's seat belt much be fastened.
- The hood must be closed .
- The vehicle must have dr iven faster than
2.5 mph (4 km/h) since the last t ime it stop ­
ped .
- A trailer must not be hitched to the vehicle .
A WARNING
-Never turn off the eng ine before the vehicle
has come to a complete stop . The full func­
tion of the brake booster and the power
steering is not guaranteed. You must use
more force to turn or brake. Because you

lL t:0 ....
"' ......
"' .... 0 0 :c ' Electromechanical
parking brake
Fig. 94 Center console: parking brake
Your vehicle is equipped with an electromechani ­
cal parking brake ®
i=)fig. 94. The parking brake
is designed to prevent the vehicle from rolling
unintentionally and replaces the hand brake.
Setting/manually releasing the parking
brake
.. Pull the C®> switch to set the parking brake. The
LED in the switch turns on. The
-(USA mod­
els) . (Canada models) indicator light also
turns on in the instrument cluster display.
.. To release the parking brake manua lly, press
the brake or acce lerator pedal while the igni­
t ion is switched on and press
the(®) switch at
the same time. The LED in the button and the
indicator light in the display turn off.
Releasing the parking brake automatically
Requirement: the driver's door must be closed,
the driver's safety belt must be latched and the parking brake must be set.
.. To start driving and release the parking brake
automatically, press the accelerator pedal as
usual.
In addition to releasing the parking brake auto­
matically, other convenience and safety functions
are available when you start driving
i=)page 82,
Starting to drive.
Preventing the automatic parking brake
release
The vehicle could begin rolling unintentionally,
depending on the hill or if towing a trailer.
Driving
.. To prevent the parking brake from releasing au­
tomatically, pull and hold the<®> switch and press the accelerator pedal. The parking brake
remains set and prevents the vehicle from roll­
ing backward .
.,. You can release the<®> switch again once you
are sure that you are giving enough driving
force to the wheels by pressing the accelerator
pedal.
Emergency braking function
You can use the emergency braking function in an
emergency situation, or if the standard brake op­
eration malfunctions or is disabled.
.. Pull and hold the<®> switch.
.. As soon as you release the <®> switch or acceler-
ate, the braking stops.
Pulling and ho lding
the(®) switch while driving
the vehicle activates the emergency braking func­
tion. The vehicle is braked at all four wheels by activating the hydraulic brake system. The brak­
ing effect is similar to heavy braking
i=) ,& .
To reduce the risk of activating the emergency
braking by mistake, a warning tone (buzzer)
sounds when the
<®l switch is pulled. Emergency
braking stops as soon as
the© switch is released
or the accelerator pedal is pressed.
Parking
.. Press the brake pedal to stop the vehicle.
.. Pull the<®> switch to set the parking brake .
.,. Select the P selector lever position .
.,. Turn the engine off i=) ,&.
.,. Turn the steering wheel when parking on in­
clines so that the wheels w ill roll into the curb
if the vehicle starts moving.
8_ WARNING
-Do not press the acce lerator pedal inadver­
tently if a gear is selected when the vehicle
is stationary and the engine is running. Oth­
erwise, the vehicle will start to move imme­
diately and this could result in an accident.
-Eme rgency braking should only be used in
an emergency, when the normal brake pedal
has failed or the brake pedal is obstructed .
.,.
81

lL t:0 ....
'"" ......
'"" .... 0 0 :c ' Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­ my and performance.
Trailer towing not only places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from
the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must ac­
tivate the trailer operation mode
c:> page 89, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your vehicle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically
sound
location . Use only a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ball mount. Always check with the trail­
er hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using the correct hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system . No modifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
From time to time, check that all hitch mounting
bolts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the trailer hitch ball mount . This prevents the hitch
from causing damage should your vehicle be
struck from behind
£:=? .&, .
Trailer towing
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
check to be sure that it conforms to all regula­
tions.
T he trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system.
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle and the trailer.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure
to check with your Audi dealer for correct wiring,
switches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you us­
ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must in­
stall extended mirrors . It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear .
.,&. WARNING
-After removing the trailer hitch, do not store
it in your vehicle. In case of sudden braking,
the hitch could fly forward and injure you or
your passengers.
Operating instruction s
Fig. 101 MMI display: towing mode o n
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
89

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 ' Air suspension*
When driv ing with a trailer, activate the trailer
mode of the air suspension. Switch the air sus ­
pension trailer mode on when you are towing a
trailer . This will limit the regulation by the air
suspension while driving. Select in the MMI:
ICARI function button> (Car)* systems control
button >
Vehicle settings > Air susp.: towing >
On.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge ¢ page 9 must
be observed carefully . The coolant temperature
can increase if you dr ive on long inclines in a low
gear at h igh engine speeds . Reduce your speed
i mmed iately if the LEDs in the top part of the dis­
p lay turn on.
For more information about ind icator lights, re­
fer
to . ¢ page 20.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
veh icle is at a much greater risk in an acci­
de nt. Never let anyone ride in you r car who is
not properly wearing the restraints p rovided
by Audi.
Trailer towing
information
Important to know
-
Your ve hicle handles different ly when towing a
tra ile r because of the additiona l we ight and dif­
ferent weight distribution . Safety, performance
and economy wi ll greatly depend on how careful­
l y you load your trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic . Keep practicing until you have be­
come comp letely familiar with the way your vehi­
cle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice .
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer­
ing action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle without a trailer.
Trailer towing
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you . You will need more
room to stop . To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accel­
erate as fast as you normally wou ld because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow p lenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
c h anges.
(D Tips
-Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your ve hicle.
-If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex ­
tra load
¢ page 336 .
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
.,. App ly the foot brake.
.,. Have someone place chocks under both the ve­
hicle and the trailer wheels .
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load .
.,. Tur n the whee ls towards the curb .
.,. Apply the parking brake .
.,. Select the P selector lever posit ion.
When restarting after parking:
.. App ly the foot brake .
.. Start the engine .
.,. Select the D selector lever position.
.,. Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
.,. Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks .
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automat­
i c transmission to P befo re applying the park-
in g brake and before blocking the wheels, you
.,_
91

Trailer towing
may have to use more force late r to move the
lever out of the P position .
92