2021 AUDI A8 ground clearance

Driving dynamic

Driving dynamic
Audi drive select
Introduction
Applies to: vehicles with Audi drive select
Drive select makes it possible to experience dif-
ferent types of vehicle characteristics in one vehi-
cle. With different driving modes, the driver can
switch the setting, for example from sporty to
comfortable. This allows you to adjust the set-
tings to your personal preferences. This makes it
possible to combine settings such as a sporty
drivetrain setting with comfortable steering.
Selecting an Audi drive select mode
Applies to: vehicles with Audi drive select
The sie button is located above the selector lever
in the center console.
> Press the left or right arrow key until the de-
sired mode appears in the MMI. Or:
» Applies to MMI: Select on the home screen: VE-
HICLE > Audi drive select.
You can change the driving mode when the vehi-
cle is stationary or while driving. If traffic per-
mits, briefly remove your foot from the accelera-
tor pedal after changing modes so that the mode
you have selected will be activated for the drive
system.
The following modes may be available depending
on the equipment:
comfort - Provides a comfort-oriented vehicle
setup and is suited for long drives on highways.
comfort+ - Provides a comfort-oriented vehicle
setup and switches on the curve tilting function
in the active suspension system. This mode is
suitable for long trips on highways and smooth
driving around curves, for example.
auto - Provides an overall comfortable yet dy-
namic driving feel and is suited for everyday use.
dynamic - Gives the driver a sporty driving feel
and is suited to a sporty driving style. The “S”
driving program is selected.
124
Individual - Provides the option for personalized
vehicle settings. Press &% to configure the mode
= page 124, Individual settings.
G) Tips
When the ignition is being switched on, indi-
vidual systems, such as the drive system, will
be reset to a balanced setting. Select the cur-
rent mode again to attain its full configura-
tion.
Individual settings
Applies to: vehicles with Audi drive select
The equipment in your vehicle will determine
which settings you can adjust.
Drive
The drive system will react to accelerator pedal
moves more quickly or in a more balanced man-
ner. The shift points are placed in higher or lower
speed ranges.
Depending on the setting, the drive power at the
rear axle will be distributed with the sport differ-
ential* to be more sporty or moderate
=> page 128.
Steering
The power steering will adapt. Light steering is
suitable for long trips on highways or smooth
driving around curves, for example.
Suspension
The suspension adjusts to be tighter or more
comfort-oriented when it comes to compensat-
ing for uneven spots on the road.
Based on the selected setting, the air suspen-
sion* will adjust the ground clearance and the ac-
tive suspension* will provide various degrees of
compensation for vehicle movements.
Engine sound
The engine sound adapts and can be subtle to
sporty. In the automatic setting, the engine
sound depends on the selected driving program.

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Driving dynamic

Suspension
Air suspension
Applies to: vehicles with air suspension
The air suspension is an electronically-controlled
suspension and leveling system. The firmness of
the suspension will adapt to the driving condi-
tions and the driving situation. The system balan-
ces out changes in load. The vehicle level will also
adapt gradually to the vehicle speed in order to
reduce the wind resistance at high speeds and in-
crease the ground clearance at low speeds. The
settings depend on the selected Audi drive se-
lect* mode.
Displaying the vehicle level
» Applies to MMI: Select on the home screen: VE-
HICLE > Audi drive select.
The filled-in boxes represent the current vehicle
level. The more boxes that are filled in, the high-
er the ground clearance. The box that corre-
sponds with the current vehicle level will flash
while the vehicle is lifting or lowering. The target
level is highlighted in color.
Raising the vehicle
> Applies to MMI: Select on the home screen: VE-
HICLE > Audi drive select.
> Press Raise to reach the highest vehicle level
and thus the maximum ground clearance.
>» Press Lower to lower the vehicle down again.
The vehicle will lower at speeds of approximately
22 mph (35 km/h) and below. This function may
only be used temporarily when increased ground
clearance is necessary. It is not intended for long
drives.
@) Note
— Also refer to the information about ground
clearance > page 126.
— When transporting the vehicle on a road
carrier, rail carrier, ship carrier, or other car-
rier, it may only be secured at the running
surfaces of the tires (circumference). Secur-
ing the vehicle at the axle components, sus-
pension struts, or towing eyes is not permit-
ted because the pressure in the air suspen-
sion struts can change during transport. The
vehicle might not be secured sufficiently if
this happens.
Active suspension
Applies to: vehicles with active suspension
The active suspension enhances the air suspen-
sion with an electromechanically-controlled sus-
pension system. It selectively influences rolling
movements when driving around curves and
pitching movements, for example when braking
and accelerating. It also reduces lifting move-
ments when driving over bumps. The settings de-
pend on the selected Audi drive select* mode.
The curve tilting function is also switched on in
the comfort+ Audi drive select* mode. This func-
tion reduces the force on the vehicle passengers
when driving around curves by tilting the vehicle
toward the inside of the curve.
Display
You can display the principal functions of the ac-
tive suspension.
> Applies to: MMI: Select on the home screen:
VEHICLE > Vehicle data.
> You may need to scroll down to the Active sus-
pension display.
It will display how the vehicle body movements
are compensated at each wheel. The more the
cylinder is filled in, the more the system is inter-
vening. Please note that the display here is not to
scale.
Settings
> Open the active suspension display and select
@.
With Predictive scanning: unevenness detec-
tion, you can adjust how much the vehicle will
compensate for bumps in the road. For this pur-
pose, there is a camera behind the windshield
that detects the road conditions and activates
the active suspension when bumps are predicted.
A colored cone in the display indicates when this
function is activated. This function may only have
limited availability under certain conditions, for
example, when it is dark > page 151. >
125

Driving dynamic

Applies to: vehicles with elevated entry
With the Elevated entry function, you can select
if the vehicle should be raised when a door is
opened in order to enter and exit the vehicle
more comfortably. The vehicle will lower again
slowly in the following situations:
— When starting from a stop
— When locking the vehicle
— When changing the Audi drive select* mode
— Approximately 10 seconds after all doors have
been closed
— After a certain period of time when the engine
is stopped and a door is open, in order to main-
tain the battery charge level.
This function may not be available under certain
conditions, for example if the ground is not level
or when the battery charge level is low. The func-
tion may also be deactivated temporarily after
the vehicle is serviced using diagnostic equip-
ment, and it will only be available again once the
vehicle is driven a certain distance.
@ Note
When the elevated entry function is activated,
make sure there is sufficient space above and
below the vehicle. This particularly applies to
space under open doors and above roof struc-
tures. If you are unsure about the amount of
space, deactivate the elevated entry function
before exiting the vehicle to reduce the risk of
damage.
@) Tips
— If an open door touches the ground or be-
comes stuck, use the Raise > page 125
function in the MMI to raise the vehicle us-
ing the air suspension.
— When the curve tilting function is switched
on, the vehicle passengers will experience
less turning force when driving around
curves. This may influence the perception of
speed. Always adjust the speed to the driv-
ing situation.
126
Ground clearance
The vehicle height and clearance can be influ-
enced by the following factors:
— Change in temperature
— Change in load
— Change to the Audi drive select* mode
— Lifting and lowering via the air suspension*
— Automatic lifting and lowering using the Ele-
vated entry* function

ZA\ WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury, make sure no one
gets pinched when the vehicle level is chang-
ing, for example when cleaning the under-
body or the wheel housings.
@) Note
Always make sure there is enough clearance
above and below the vehicle. This is especially
important for entrances with height restric-
tions, for example, before driving into under-
ground garages. You could also scrape the
ground when driving over the edges of curbs
or on steep ramps, which could damage your
vehicle.
B Air suspension: malfunction! You may con-
tinue driving slowly at max. XX mph (km/h)

There is a malfunction. Driving stability may be
limited. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au-
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately. Do not
drive faster than the speed given in the message.
B Air suspension: malfunction! Safely stop ve-
hicle. Steering and ground clearance limited
There is a malfunction. Do not continue driving.
Secure the vehicle against rolling before exiting
the vehicle > page 108. Avoid turning the steer-
ing wheel, because the vehicle ground clearance
may be so low that turning the steering wheel
could result in damage to the wheels and wheel
housings.
B Active suspension: unavailable. Limited sta-
bility. You can continue driving with caution >

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Driving dynamic

There is a heavy load on the vehicle electrical sys-
tem or the active suspension. Therefore, the ac-
tive suspension functions will be temporarily
switched off. Driving stability is reduced. Contin-
ue driving with caution.
EZ Active suspension: malfunction! Limited sta-
bility. You can continue driving with caution
There is a malfunction. Driving stability is re-
duced. See an authorized Audi dealer or author-
ized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
B Air suspension: vehicle too low. Limited
ground clearance
The vehicle ground clearance is very low. Wait un-
til the air suspension system has restored normal
ground clearance. Have an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility repair the mal-
function immediately if the indicator light does
not turn off after a significant period of time.
Bair suspension: malfunction! Please contact
Service
There is a malfunction. The driving stability may
be limited and the ground clearance may be low.
See an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility for assistance.
Active suspension: currently limited. See
owner's manual
There is a heavy load on the vehicle electrical sys-
tem or the active suspension. Therefore, the ac-
tive suspension functions are temporarily limit-
ed.
Active suspension: predictive scanning un-
available. See owner's manual
There is a malfunction. The camera’s visual field
may be blocked. Clean the windshield. If the mal-
function continues, drive to an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility immedi-
ately.
Audi drive select: automatic suspension low-
ering. See owner's manual
The vehicle level is adjusted to the setting stored
for the active personal profile > page 38.
Audi drive select: automatic suspension lift.
See owner's manual
The vehicle level is adjusted to the setting stored
for the active personal profile > page 38.
Steering
Electromechanical steering supports the driver's
steering movements by electronically adapting
the power steering depending on the vehicle
speed. The settings depend on the selected Audi
drive select* mode.
Dynamic all-wheel steering
Applies to: vehicles with dynamic all-wheel steering
Active corrective steering at the front and rear
axles increases the driving dynamic and driving
stability. At low speeds, the rear wheels are
steered in the opposite direction from the front
wheels to reduce the steering effort needed by
the driver and to reduce the turning radius. Vehi-
cle handling improves. At high speeds, steering
the rear wheels in the same direction as the front
wheels improves the vehicle response and driving
stability. The vehicle reacts quickly and precisely
to the driver's steering movements.
Ba Steering: malfunction! Please stop vehicle
The power steering may have failed. Adapt your
driving style immediately to compensate for the
fact that it may be more difficult to turn the
steering wheel, and stop your vehicle in a safe lo-
cation as soon as possible. Do not continue driv-
ing. See an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility for assistance.
a Steering: malfunction! Please stop vehicle.
Pay attention to distance at side
The rear axle steering may have failed. More
space on the road may be needed at the side of
the vehicle, and the turning radius may be much
larger. Slow down immediately, and stop your ve-
hicle as soon as possible in a safe location with
enough space at the sides of the vehicle. Do not
continue driving. See an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
& Steering: malfunction! Please stop vehicle >
127

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Driver assistance

— The system cannot react to stationary objects,
such as vehicles at the end of a traffic jam, es-
pecially when traveling at high speeds.
— The system has a limited ability to detect
vehicles that are a short distance ahead, off to
the side of your vehicle, or moving into your
lane.
— Objects that are difficult to detect, such as mo-
torcycles, vehicles with high ground clearance,
or vehicles with an overhanging load, may be
detected late or not detected at all.
— The system does not respond to people, ani-
mals, or objects that are crossing or approach-
ing from the opposite direction.

ZA\ WARNING
Observe the safety precautions and note the
limits of the assist systems, sensors, and
cameras > page 150.


Display overview
Applies to: vehicles with adaptive cruise assist
RAZ-0205,

Fig. 119 Instrument cluster: driver assistance display
Indicator lights and messages in the speedome-
ter @ - @ inform you about the driving situation
and the settings. In the Driver assistance display
@ - @, you can find more detailed information
about the system. The displays depend on the
country and equipment.
Display in the speedometer
The display in the speedometer is not available in
all layouts*.
@ Marking for the set speed
@ Current vehicle speed
@® Available speed range for adaptive cruise as-
sist (example)
Image in the Driver assistance display
The display only appears when the Driver assis-
tance display is open in the on-board computer
=> page 16.
Messages and settings
Your vehicle
Detected vehicle driving ahead
Messages and settings
Set target distance
If you fall below the set distance, the dis-
tance bars turn red from the bottom upward.
Lane departure warning availability
O®
©O©QOOO®
Availability of lane guidance for adaptive
cruise assist
Indicator lights
Ba - The speed/distance control is active. No
vehicles were detected ahead. The stored speed
is maintained.
aA - The speed/distance control is active. A vehi-
cle was detected ahead. The system controls the
speed and distance from the vehicle driving
ahead, and accelerates and brakes automatically.
A - The speed/distance control is active but the
vehicle is not ready to drive. A vehicle was de-
tected ahead. Your vehicle is stationary and will
not start driving automatically.
B - The speed/distance control is active but the
vehicle is not ready to drive. No vehicles were de-
tected ahead. Your vehicle is stationary and will
not start driving automatically.
B.- The automatic braking is not enough to
maintain a sufficient distance from a vehicle driv-
ing ahead. You must intervene > page 174, Driv-
er intervention request.
w- Lane guidance is active.
167