2021 AUDI A8 tow

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Storage and convenience

Additional storage
Depending on vehicle equipment, there are a va-
riety of storage areas, compartments, and retain-
ers, such as the glove compartment, for safely
storing and securing objects.

Z\ WARNING
—To reduce the risk of injury, make sure all
storage compartments are always closed
while driving.
— Loose objects can be thrown around the ve-
hicle interior during sudden driving or brak-
ing maneuvers, which increases the risk of
an accident. Store objects securely while
driving.
— Only use the storage compartments in the
door trim panels to store small objects that
will not stick out of the compartment and
impair the function of the side airbags.
— Only lightweight clothing should be hung
from the garment hooks in the vehicle. Do
not use clothes hangers to hang clothing.
The pockets of the clothing must not con-
tain any heavy, breakable, or sharp-edged
objects. This could impair the effectiveness
of the side curtain airbags.
— Make sure your view toward the rear is not
blocked, for example by hanging clothing or
objects in the vehicle.

Luggage compartment
General information
All pieces of luggage or objects must be securely
fastened in the luggage compartment. Note the
following to maintain good vehicle handling:
> Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com-
partment.
> Stow heavy luggage as far forward in the lug-
gage compartment as possible.
> Use non-elastic cords attached to the tie-downs
to secure objects.

ZA WARNING
— Loose objects can be thrown around the ve-
hicle interior during sudden driving or brak-



ing maneuvers, which increases the risk of
an accident. Always stow objects securely in
the luggage compartment and secure them
at the tie-downs. Use straps suitable for
heavy objects.
— If pieces of luggage or objects are secured
to the tie-downs with unsuitable or dam-
aged straps, this can increase the risk of in-
jury during braking maneuvers or accidents.
— When transporting heavy objects, the vehi-
cle characteristics will change due to the
shift in the center of gravity, which increases
the risk of an accident. You may need to
adapt your driving style and speed to the
current conditions.
— The cargo net* is only strong enough to se-
cure light objects. Heavy objects are not ade-
quately secured. Attempting to secure heavy
objects increases the risk of injury.
— Never exceed the permitted axle and load
and vehicle weight > page 344.
— Never secure a child safety seat to the tie-
downs.
— Never leave your vehicle unattended, espe-
cially if the luggage compartment lid is
open. Children could enter the luggage com-
partment and close the luggage compart-
ment lid from the inside. This creates the
risk of fatal injury, since the children would
be locked in and may not be able to escape
by themselves.
— Do not allow children to play in or on the ve-
hicle. Close and lock the luggage compart-
ment lid as well as all other doors when you
leave the vehicle.
— Never transport passengers in the luggage
compartment. Every passenger must be cor-
rectly secured with the safety belts in the
vehicle > page 80.

® Note
— Make sure that the heating grid strips for
the rear window defogger are not damaged
by abrasive objects.
— Plug-in hybrid drive: Never exceed the maxi-
mum cargo weight for the cargo floor that is
specified on the sticker. Otherwise, the
high-voltage battery that is located
97

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Warm and cold

Rear Seat Remote*
Using the Rear Seat Remote, you can also control
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
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 not cooled and humidity is
not reduced when cooling mode is switched off.
This can cause fog on the windows. The cooling
mode switches off automatically at low outside
temperatures.
If you activate the A/C, the cooling mode will be
automatically regulated.
If you activate A/C, the cooling mode will run with
maximum cooling output and maximum blower
speed. To reduce unnecessary energy usage, only
use this function briefly.
+ /- 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.
§8 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 °/<>/%, you can select the vents from
which the air will flow. To have the air distribu-
tion controlled automatically, press the AUTO
101
>

Warm and cold

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: You can press J in the rear control
panel multiple times to adjust the air distribution
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. 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 the
{® button for more than three seconds. It will re-
main on 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 > A\.
Pressing <> switches recirculation mode on or
off manually.
AUTO
When switched on, automatic recirculation <3
controls the recirculation mode automatically.
You must press the & button if fog forms on the
windows.
«? 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 4? again to decrease the temperature
one level at a time. The seat heating is switched
off if the button is not illuminated.
102
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 103.
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 heat level
one level at a time. The seat ventilation is switch-
ed off if the button is not illuminated.
fz Foot heating
Applies to: vehicles with a reclining seat system and foot
heating
Fold out the leg support and select the setting
for the reclining seat in the Rear Seat Remote*
= page 75. 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 again to decrease the heat level 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.
& Child safety lock*
If 8 lights up in the Rear Seat Remote*, the pa-
rental control is active and operation is locked
=> page 51.
“3 Ionizer
Applies to: vehicles with ionizer
Hazardous particles and germs in the air may be
reduced through ionization. This helps to im-
prove the air quality for individuals in the passen-
ger compartment.
&* Fragrance
Applies to: vehicles with fragrance function
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

— 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.
“Pp” (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 (2) 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.
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 112.
110
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 system: Not all plug-in hy-
brid modes are available in the “S” driving pro-
gram. The driving program or plug-in hybrid
mode will be automatically adjusted if it is not
compatible with an operation.

ZA\ WARNING
— Before you start driving, check if the label
for the desired selector lever position next
to the selector lever is lit up.
— Secure the vehicle against rolling before ex:
iting the vehicle > page 108.
— 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.

G) Tips
If you shift between “D” and “R” within one
second, you do not need to press the brake >

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Driving

pedal. This makes it possible to “rock” if it is
stuck, for example.
Manual shifti


RAZ-0411


Fig. 93 Center console: shifting manually with the selector
lever

RAZ-0003|



—
Fig. 94 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. 93. “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. 94.
> 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.

— 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

RAZ-0565

Fig. 95 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).
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.
111
>

Driving

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.
@ Recuperation
@ Power by electric motor
@) Pressure point
@ Power by combustion engine
© 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.

Z\ 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.

Parking lock emergency release

B4mM-0189




@

@

Fig. 96 Footwell: releasing the parking lock using the
emergency release
112
The emergency release is located under the floor
mat on the driver's side. Read and follow the im-
portant instructions about towing > page 325.
Releasing the parking lock using the
emergency release
> Secure the vehicle against rolling > page 108.
> Pry the cover off at one of the openings using
the screwdriver from the vehicle tool kit
=> page 317.
> Insert the socket wrench from the vehicle tool
kit into the opening.
> Turn the socket wrench clockwise () until it
stops and press it downward @) 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.

Z\ WARNING
— The parking lock must be released using the
emergency release before towing the vehi-
cle.
— Only use the parking lock emergency release
if the vehicle is secured against rolling
= page 108. An unsecured vehicle may roll,
which increases the risk of an accident.
— Only activate the emergency release while
on a level surface or a slight slope.
—To reduce the risk of an accident, you must
not drive when the emergency release is ac-

tivated.
i Transmission: malfunction! Safely stop vehi-
cle

Do not continue driving. Stop the vehicle as soon
as possible in a safe location and secure it so it
does not roll > page 108. See an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for as-
sistance.
Bi Transmission: too hot. Please stop vehicle >

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Driving

“= Battery Hold - The vehicle is driven predomi-
nantly with the combustion engine to maintain
the high-voltage battery charge level for as long
as possible.
If &% is 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 <$Y button will be green when EV mode is
switched on. The vehicle can be driven by the
electric motor if the conditions for this have been
met > page 115, 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 vehicle speed must be below approximately
85 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.
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.
tive.
EV mode is switched on, but is tem-
The Battery Hold hybrid mode is ac-


Meaning
The Auto Hybrid hybrid mode is ac-
tive.
The Auto Hybrid hybrid mode is ac-
tive. Navigation data will be consid-
ered.



@) 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.
ane Chua LEN
Applies to: vehicles with plug-in hybrid drive



Fig. 97 MMI: energy flow display
You can display the current energy distribution of
the vehicle.
> Applies to: MMI: Select on the home screen:
VEHICLE > Vehicle data.
> You may need to scroll down to the Energy flow
display.
@ Combustion engine
— Orange: motor on
— Gray: motor off
@ High-voltage battery
— Green: charge level
— Gray: drive system not switched on
@®) Directional arrow
— Green: electric driving
— Orange: driving with combustion engine
— Green-orange: driving with boost function
@) Directional arrow
115

Driving

— The braking force generated by the pressed
brake pedal is greater than the braking force
that
would be initiated by the system
— The ESC, the brake system, or the vehicle elec-
trical system is not functioning

ZA WARNING
— Only apply the brakes for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system when road and
traffic conditions permit. You must not en-
danger other road users and increase the
risk of an accident.
— Due to the risk of injury, only have an au-
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility work on the brake system.
Incorrect repairs could impair the function.
— Never let the vehicle roll while the engine is
stopped because this increases the risk of an
accident.
— During automatic braking maneuvers, the
brake pedal may move downward automati-
cally. To reduce the risk of injury, do not
place your foot under the brake pedal.
@) 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 122. This especially ap-
plies when towing a trailer.
G@) 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.
Messages
GG i @ Brakes: malfunction! Stop vehicle
safely
120
There is a malfunction in the brake system. If
[S/ Bana B also turn on, there is a malfunc-
tion in the ABS, ESC, and braking distribution. If
the brake booster is not working, you have to use
much more force when braking the vehicle.
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\.
fie 7 © 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.
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 against rolling > page 108.
Other indicator lights
When you switch the ignition on, the GG / @®
indicator light turns on briefly to check the func-
tion. If the indicator light does not turn on, there
is a system malfunction.
1f Ba / @ stays on, there is a malfunction in
the brake system.
@- A high load was placed on the brakes from
driving downhill for a long period of time. Follow
the instructions in the message to utilize the en-
gine braking effect and to relieve the brakes.

ZA WARNING
If a malfunction occurs in the ABS, ESC, and
braking distribution, interventions that >