2020 AUDI A8 tow

4N0012721BD
Stowing and using

Make sure that the luggage compartment lid
and the panoramic glass roof* do not come in-
to contact with objects on the roof when they
are open.
Energy usage will increase because of the in-
creased wind resistance. Remove the roof rack
when you are no longer using it.
103

4N0012721BD
Warm and cold

Rear Seat Remote*
Using the Rear Seat Remote*, you can also con-
trol certain climate control system functions
from
the rear.
Control panel in rear
You can operate certain climate control functions
in the rear using the control panel.
Customizing
A climate control function from the upper display
can be assigned to each button to the left and
right of +++ in area @).
> Press and hold the symbol for the desired func-
tion on the upper display for at least three sec-
onds. A menu that consists of two sections ap-
pears.
> If you pull the symbol toward the left section,
the button to the left of «++ will be assigned.
> If you pull the symbol toward the right section,
the button to the right of -*- will be assigned.
Press the buttons to turn the functions on or off.
One bar in the button or the LED in the button
will light up when the function is switched on.
Some buttons can have several functions as-
signed to them. The various functions can be ac-
tivated by pressing the button multiple times.
AUTO Automatic mode
The automatic mode regulates the amount of air
and air distribution automatically, so that the set
temperature is reached is quickly as possible.
REAR Rear climate control system
Applies to: vehicles with climate control in the rear
To enable operation of the climate control sys-
tem from the rear of the vehicle, press REAR.
To exit this mode again, press REAR or
REAR MODE EXIT.
SYNC Synchronization
When synchronization is switched on, the tem-
perature, air distribution, and blower strength on
the
driver's side is applied to all seat positions.
You can also control the synchronization directly
using a gesture. Pull two fingers together on the
lower display > page 18.
OFF Switching off
The climate control system is switched off. Air
supply from the outside is blocked. If you press
OFF in the front, the front and rear climate con-
trol system will switch off. If you press OFF in the
rear, the rear climate control system will switch
off. To switch the climate control system back on,
press on any button in the respective display.
A/C / ME Cooling mode
The cooling mode only functions with the blower
turned on. The air is cooled and dehumidified in
cooling mode. Otherwise the windows can fog
up. Cooling mode switches off automatically
when the outside temperatures are below zero.
If you activate the A/C, the cooling mode will be
automatically regulated.
If you activate 4, the cooling mode will run with
maximum cooling output and maximum blower
speed. To reduce unnecessary energy usage, only
use this function briefly.
If you activate ““C, the climate control system will
operate in energy-saving mode.
+/-Temperature
Temperatures between 60 °F (+16 °C) and 84 °F
(+28 °C) can be set. If outside of this range, LOW
or HIGH will appear in the display. In both set-
tings, the climate control runs constantly at the
maximum cooling or heating level. The tempera-
ture is not regulated.
S$ Blower
With  / A, you can manually adjust the vol-
ume of air generated by the blower to your pref-
erences. The blower should always run at a low
setting to prevent the windows from fogging and
to ensure a continuous exchange of air inside the
vehicle. To have the blower regulated automati-
cally, press AUTO.
2 Air distribution
With “7 /=>/%, you can select the vents where
the air will flow from. To have the air distribution >
105

Warm and cold

controlled automatically, press the AUTO button
or deactivate all three arrows. With “@, the air
will be directed toward the windshield.
Applies to: vehicles with 4-zone automatic cli-
mate control: In the rear control panel, you can
press J multiple times to adjust the air distribu-
tion based on the direction of the arrow.
® Defrosting
The windshield and side windows are defrosted
or cleared of condensation as quickly as possible.
Align the outer air vents with the side windows.
The maximum amount of air flows mainly from
the vents below the windshield. The windshield
defogger* is also switched on at low outside tem-
peratures. The & button will flash. Recirculation
mode switches off. The temperature should be
set at +72°F (22°C) or higher. Depending on the
outside temperature, the A/C cooling mode may
automatically switch on.
& Rear window defogger
The rear window defogger only operates when
the engine is running. It switches off automati-
cally after 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the
outside temperature.
To prevent the rear window defogger from
switching off automatically, press and hold $Y for
more than three seconds. This is stored until the
ignition
is switched off.
AUTO
/& Recirculation mode
In recirculation mode, the air inside the vehicle is
circulated and filtered. This prevents the unfil-
tered air outside the vehicle from entering the
vehicle interior.
If you activate <8, the air quality sensor will auto-
matically switch recirculation mode on or off de-
pending on the outside temperature.
If you activate <&, recirculation mode will switch
on manually > A\.
«f Seat heating
Applies to: vehicles with heated seats
The seat heating temperature can be set at mul-
tiple levels. Press w) once to switch on the highest
level. Press «/ again to decrease the temperature
106
one level at a time. The seat heating is switched
off if the button is not illuminated.
You can adjust the seat temperature balance® in
the seat settings.
Applies to: surface heating: You can set whether
surfaces are also heated when the seat heating is
switched on > page 107.
2) Seat ventilation
Applies to: vehicles with seat ventilation
The seat ventilation intensity can be set to multi-
ple levels. Press 2) once to switch on the highest
level. Press 2) again to decrease the intensity one
level at a time. The seat ventilation is switched
off if the button is not illuminated.
—/2 Foot heating
Applies to: vehicles with reclining seat system and foot heat-
ing
Fold out the leg support and select the setting
for the reclining seat in the Rear Seat Remote*
=> page 77. You can now switch the foot heating
on or off with .
The foot heating intensity can be set at multiple
levels. Press 2 once to switch on the highest lev-
el. Press 2 again to decrease the intensity one
level at a time. The foot heating is switched off if
the button is not illuminated.
The foot heating switches off automatically when
the leg support is folded in.
8 Child safety lock*
If 8 lights up in the Rear Seat Remote*, the pa-
rental control is active and operation is locked
> page 53.
“9 Ionizer
Applies to: vehicles with ionizer
Hazardous particles and germs in the air may be
reduced through ionization. This will produce
better air quality inside the vehicle.
&" Fragrance
Applies to: vehicles with fragrance system
The fragrance function will dispense a scent in
the vehicle interior. It is dispensed through the
front outer vents. This will produce a pleasant
scent. The fragrance is time-delayed, especially >

Driving

—P (Park)
— R (Reverse)
—N (Neutral)
—D (Drive)
Selecting a gear
Requirement: the ignition must be switched on.
— Bring the vehicle to a full stop and press the
brake pedal.
— Press the release button (@ on the selector lev-
er.
—To select the nearest gear, move the selector
lever forward or back until you feel the first
pressure point.
—To skip a gear (for example, move from “D” to
“R”), move the selector lever past the pressure
point in the desired direction.
— The label next to the selector lever for the se-
lected gear will light up.
“N” (Neutral) gear
In the “N” gear, power is not transmitted to the
driving wheels. Use the “N” gear in a car wash
(with conveyor belts), for example.
If you unintentionally select “N” while driving
(faster than 1 mph (2 km/h)), you can also shift
back to “D” without pressing the brake pedal.
For safety reasons, the vehicle cannot be locked
when the transmission is in the "N” gear.
“p” (Park) gear
Requirement: the ignition must be switched on.
The vehicle is secured from rolling away by the
parking lock when in the “P” gear.
— Bring the vehicle to a full stop and press the
brake pedal.
— Press the “P” button @) on the selector lever.
— The “P” next to the selector lever will light up.
“P” engages automatically if you switch the en-
gine off while the “D” or “R” gear is selected. If
you switch the engine off in “N”, “P” will engage
automatically after approximately 30 minutes.
If you want to switch to another gear from “P”,
the engine must be running.
114
If you cannot shift out of “P”, for example be-
cause the vehicle has no power, you may need to
use the emergency release for the parking lock
=> page 116.
Selecting the driving program
Various driving programs can be selected when in
the “D” gear. The programs influence when the
transmission shifts and how the accelerator ped-
al responds.
The selected driving program is displayed in the
instrument cluster.
— D (Drive): normal driving mode
— S (Sport): sporty driving mode
If you select the Dynamic mode in Audi drive se-
lect*, the “S” driving program will be activated.
When the ignition is switched off, the driving pro-
gram may be reset to “D”.
To switch between the current driving program
and “S”, push the selector lever toward the rear.
Plug-in hybrid drive: if you press the while in “S”, the “D” driving program will be se-
lected.

A WARNING
— Before starting to drive, check if the desired
gear is displayed next to the selector lever.
— Always secure your vehicle from rolling
away. Press the brake pedal or shift to “P”.
When leaving the vehicle, also set the park-
ing brake.
— Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To pre-
vent the vehicle from “creeping”, you must
keep your foot on the brake in all selector
lever positions (except "P" and "N") when
the engine is running.
— To reduce the risk of an accident, do not
press the accelerator pedal when changing
gears if the vehicle is stationary and the en-
gine is running.
— Never select the “R" or "P” gears while driv-
ing. Doing so could cause an accident.
— The vehicle can roll even if the ignition is
switched off.

4N0012721BD
Driving

@ Tips
If you shift between “D” and “R” within one
second, you do not need to press the brake
pedal. This makes it possible to “rock” if it is
stuck, for example.
Manual shifting

RAZ.0411


Fig. 99 Center console: shifting manually with the selector
lever




Fig. 100 Steering wheel: shift paddles*
You can shift the gears manually when in “D”
mode. The transmission must be in tiptronic
mode.
Shifting with the selector lever
You can shift into manual shifting mode while the
vehicle is stationary or while driving.
> To switch to manual shifting mode, tilt the se-
lector lever toward the front passenger's side
=> fig. 99. “M” will be displayed in the instru-
ment cluster.
> Upshifting: push the selector lever forward @).
> Downshifting: push the selector lever toward
the rear (©).
> To switch back to automatic mode, tilt the se-
lector lever toward the driver's side.
Shifting with the shift paddles
Applies to: vehicles with shift paddles
» Upshifting: press the @) shift paddle > fig. 100.
> Downshifting: press the ©) shift paddle.
> To engage the lowest possible gear for maxi-
mum acceleration, press and hold the ©) shift
paddle.
> To switch back to automatic mode, press and
hold the (@) shift paddle or push the selector
lever toward the rear.
If you stop using the shift paddles temporarily,
the transmission will switch back to automatic
mode. To keep shifting manually, tilt the selector
lever toward the front passenger's side.
o Tips
— The transmission only allows manual shift-
ing when the engine speed is within the per-
mitted range.
— The transmission automatically shifts up or
down before critical engine speed is
reached.
Accelerator pedal



Fig. 101 Footwell: accelerator pedal
You can accelerate the vehicle using the accelera-
tor pedal.
Depending on the equipment, you may be able to
adjust the haptic feedback for the accelerator
pedal in the MMI.
— Select on the home screen: VEHICLE > (Charg-
ing & Efficiency) > Efficiency assist > (Interac-
tive accelerator). >
115

Driving

Accelerator pedal feedback / predictive
messages
Haptic feedback in the accelerator pedal indi-
cates when you should take your foot off the ac-
celerator pedal to drive more efficiently.
Combustion engine startup
Applies to: vehicles with plug-in hybrid drive
A haptic pressure point indicates when the com-
bustion engine will be started. The pressure point
is variable and depends on the high-voltage bat-
tery charge level.
Coasting or recuperation
Power by electric motor
Pressure point
Power by combustion engine
©®OCO Maximum acceleration
Maximum acceleration
If you press the accelerator pedal all the way
down, the motor’s full power will be used and
you will reach maximum acceleration, also called
“kick-down”.
Applies to: vehicles with boost function: The elec-
tric motor can switch on for a brief period if the
accelerator pedal is pressed all the way down in
the “D” and “S” driving program. The availability
of this function depends on the charge level of
the high-voltage battery and the temperature of
the drive system components, among other
things.

ZA WARNING
The driving wheels could spin and the vehicle
could swerve on slick or slippery road surfaces
when using kick-down, which increases the
risk of an accident.

116
Parking lock emergency release
@


B4M-0189
@

Fig. 102 Footwell: releasing the parking lock using the
emergency release
The emergency release is located under the floor
mat on the driver's side. Read and follow the im-
portant instructions about towing > page 324.
Releasing the parking lock using the
emergency release
> To prevent your vehicle from rolling away, set
the parking brake ©) > page 124.
> Pry the cover off at one of the openings using
the screwdriver from the vehicle tool kit
> page 316.
> Insert the socket wrench from the vehicle tool
kit into the opening.
> Turn the socket wrench clockwise () until it
stops and press it downward (2) until it locks in-
to place.
> Leave the socket wrench inserted.
Resetting the parking lock
> Grasp the socket wrench with both hands and
carefully pull it upward to remove.
> Install the cover.

ZA WARNING
— The parking lock must be released using the
emergency release before towing the vehi-
cle.
— The parking lock may only be released using
the emergency release if the parking brake
is set. If it is not working, secure the vehicle
from rolling using the brake pedal or other
suitable means, such as blocking a front and
a rear wheel. An unsecured vehicle may roll
away, which increases the risk of an acci-


dent. >

4N0012721BD
Driving

Operating mode
Applies to: vehicles with plug-in hybrid drive
Switching operating modes
The <¥ button is located in the function bar on
the lower display.
> Press driving.
Hybrid driving
If the ing in hybrid mode. The vehicle can be driven
with the combustion engine or with the electric
motor if the conditions for it have been met
= page 119, Conditions for electric driving.
You can switch between hybrid modes:
> Applies to: MMI: Select on the home screen:
VEHICLE > Charging & Efficiency > e-tron
mode.
© AUTO - The electric motor and combustion
engine work efficiently together. This mode is
particularly effective for long trips.
“HOLD - The vehicle is driven predominantly
with the combustion engine to maintain the
high-voltage battery charge level for as long as
possible.
If Kis displayed, the navigation route guidance
is active and the vehicle is taking the route data
into account for selecting the drive mode. The ve-
hicle will calculate what sections of the route
should be driven on using electric power in order
to achieve the most efficient driving style that is
possible. Electric driving is preferred for sections
of the route predicted to have lower speeds, such
as in towns or traffic jams.
Electric driving
The switched on. The vehicle can be driven by the
electric motor if the conditions for this have been
met > page 119, Conditions for electric driving.
Conditions for electric driving
— The high-voltage battery charge level and tem-
perature must be sufficient.
— Driving program “S” must not be selected.
— The driving speed is under approximately 86
mph (140 km/h).
— The accelerator pedal must not be pressed too
hard.
Indicator lights


Symbol | Meaning

EV mode is switched on and active.
You are driving only with electric
power.
EV mode is switched on, but is tem-
porarily in standby mode. Once the
conditions are met again, electric
driving will resume.
EV mode is not available, because
the conditions for electric driving
have not been met.
The combustion engine is running.
The HOLD hybrid mode is active.
The AUTO hybrid mode is active.
[The AUTO hybrid mode is active. |

Navigation data will be considered.
(i) Tips
— Depending on the driving style, the high-
voltage battery charge level may still go
down when in HOLD mode.
— When map data is outdated, no navigation
data will be considered.
— If you select a destination in the navigation
that is outside of the electric range, the ve-
hicle may exit EV mode.
Energy flow display
Applies to: vehicles with plug-in hybrid drive



Fig. 103 MMI: energy flow display
You can display the current energy distribution of
the vehicle.
119
>

Driving

@) Note
— Never let the brakes “rub” by pressing the
pedal lightly when braking is not actually
necessary. This can cause the brakes to over-
heat and increases braking distance and
causes wear.
— Observe the important information for driv-
ing downhill > page 126. This especially ap-
plies when towing a trailer.
@ Tips
— If you retrofit your vehicle with a front spoil-
er, wheel covers or similar items, make sure
that the air flow to the brakes is not ob-
structed. Otherwise the brake system can
overheat.
— Also refer to the information about brake
fluid > page 283.
WEEE Tel
GG 7 @ Brakes: malfunction! Safely stop ve-
hicle
There is a malfunction in the brake system. If
fs) and also turn on, there is a malfunc-
tion in the ABS, ESC, and braking distribution.
Do not continue driving. See an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for as-
sistance. Read and follow the other safety pre-
cautions > A.
Gia / © Brake pads: wear limit reached. You
can continue driving. Please contact Service
The brake pads are worn. Drive to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility as
soon as possible to have the malfunction correct-
ed.
Brake booster: limited functionality.You can
continue driving. Please contact Service
There is a brake booster malfunction. The brake
booster is available, but its effectiveness is re-
duced. The braking performance may be different
compared to the usual performance. Drive to an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility immediately to have the malfunction cor-
rected.
124
Brake booster: deactivated. See owner's manual
The brake booster remains active for a brief peri-
od of time after switching off the ignition. Secure
the vehicle from rolling by setting the parking
brake and select the “P” gear.
Other indicator lights
if is displayed when there is a malfunction,
the brakes were under heavy load. Follow the in-
structions in the message to utilize the engine
braking effect and to relieve the brakes.

Z\ WARNING
If a malfunction occurs in the ABS, ESC, and
braking distribution, interventions that stabi-
lize the vehicle will no longer be available.
This could cause the vehicle to swerve, which
increases the risk that the vehicle will slide.
Do not continue driving. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility
for assistance.

Electromechanical
parking brake
Operating the parking brake
The electromechanical parking brake is used to
secure the vehicle from rolling away unintention-
ally.
The @) switch is located under the selector lever
in the center console. It turns on when the park-
ing brake is set. You can release the parking brake
manually or automatically when you start to
drive.
Setting and releasing the parking brake
> Closing: Pull the © switch.
> 1* ©) appears, the parking brake is hold-
ing the vehicle. You can remove your foot from
the brake pedal.
> Releasing: when the ignition is switched on,
press and hold the brake pedal and press the
button.
If the red indicator light flashes, the braking
force has not built up enough or it has decreased.
You can also secure the vehicle by selecting the >