trailer AUDI A8 2013 User Guide

128 Parking systems
Corner view (front/rear)
Applies to vehicles: with top view camera system and cor ­
ner view (front/rear) mode
Fig-142 Infotainment : corner v iew (front) mode
Fig. 143 Infota inment: corner v iew (rear) mode
This v iew can ass ist you for example, when
you are exiting from an a rea with poor v isib ili­
ty . The a rea at the front or rea r sides of the
vehi cles is d isplayed .
"' To see the corner view (front), select the @
symbol with the control knob
<=.> fig . 142 .
"' To see the corner view (rea r), se lect the ®
symbol wi th t he contro l knob
r=.> fig . 143.
Front
Appl ies to vehicles : with top view camera system and
front mode
F ig . 144 In fota inm ent: fr ont mo de
This view assists you for example, in using the
full maneuvering range in front of the vehicle.
The area in front of the vehicle is d isplayed .
The veh icle surroundings are shown in the left
area of the disp lay . You ca n sw itch between
optical display and camera image*
r=.> page 12 7 .
.. Select the © symbo l with the control knob .
The orange colored orientation line* de­ notes the expected direction of travel. Stop
the vehicle at the latest whe n the red orie n­
tation line* bo rders an object~&.
in Gener­
al information on page 126.
Rear
Applies to vehicles : w ith top view camera system and rear
mode
F ig . 14 5 Infota inm ent : re ar mode
Th is view assis ts you for example, in us ing the
full maneuvering range behind the vehicle .
T he area be hind t he vehicle is displayed. The
vehicle surroundings are shown in the left
area of the display. You can sw itch between
optical display and camera image*
¢ page 127 .
.. Select the @symbo l w ith the control knob _
You can c hoose between three d ifferent views
in th is mode .
.. To cross park, para llel park, o r position the
veh icle in front of a trailer, press the ® con ­
trol button on the unit repeatedly unt il the
symbol for the desired mode is selected.

130 Park in g s ystems
vehicle or on the parking space line ¢ A in
General information on page 126, ¢(Din
General information on page 126 .
The blue
area represents an extension of the vehicle's
outline by approximately 16 ft (5 m) to the
rear . The long side of the blue area should
be o n the curb. The e ntire blue area must fit
into the parking space.
,. With the veh icle stopped, turn the steer ing
wheel to the right as far as it w ill go .
.. Back into the par king space until the b lue
curve
¢ page 125, fig . 137touches the curb
¢ A in General information on page 126,
q(D in General information on page 126.
Stop the vehicle.
,. With the vehicle stopped, turn the steering
wheel to the left as far as it will go .
,. Continue to back into the parking space un­
t il the vehicle is pa rked pa ralle l to the curb
9 A in General information on page 126,
q(j) in General information on page 126.
@ marks the rear bumper. Stop the ve hicle,
at the latest, when the red orientation line
@ borders an object. Keep an eye on the
front of your vehicle wh ile doing this.
P arking ne xt to obstacles
When there is an obs tacle (such as a wall)
next to the parking space, choose a space with
more space on the sides. Position the long
side of the blue area so that there is sufficient
space from the curb. The area must not be on
the curb. You will also need to start turning
the steering wheel much earlier . There should
be a suffic ient amount of space between the
curb and the b lue curve, and the blue curve
¢ page 125, fig. 137 must not touch the cu rb.
(D Tips
The left or r ight orientation lin es and sur­
faces will be displayed, depend ing on the
turn signa l being used.
Trailer view
Applies to vehicles: with top view came ra system and
tra iler hitch
This view assists you in positioning the vehicle
in front of a trailer.
Fig . 1 50 Infotainme nt: rear mode
Requirement: the trailer mode is selected
¢ page 128.
.. Now you can posit ion your veh icle in front
of the trai ler
c> A in General information
on page 126, ¢(Din General information
on page 126.
The orange co lored orienta­
tion line denotes the expected path toward
the t railer hitch . Use the b lue lines to help
you estima te the distance to the tra iler
h itch .
Setting the mode
Applies to vehicles: with top view camera system
,. Select: I CAR I func tion button > C ar sy stem s
contro l butto n > Driver a ssist > Parking aid
> Change to front /rear > Auto or Manual.
Auto -
This v iew behind the veh icle ( Rea r
mode) is displayed au toma tica lly when you
shift into reverse. This view in front of the ve­
hicle
( F ront mode) is displayed automatically
whe n you sh ift into the forward gears.
Manual -This view behind the vehicle (Rear
mode) is always displayed when you turn on
the system.

Adjusting the display and the warning tones
App lies to vehicles: with advanced park ing system wit h
rea r view camera/top v iew camera syste m
The display and warning tones can be adjust­
ed in the Infotainment.
~ Se lect: ICARI f u nct io n button > Car systems
control button > Driver assist > Parking aid .
Display
On * -
opti cal d isplay is shown for the parking
sys tem plus, rea r view came ra image is shown
for parking system plus with rear view cam ­
e ra *.
Off -when t he par king system is sw itched off,
on ly audib le sign als are given.
Warning tones
Front volume -
Volume for the fro nt area
Rear volume -Volume for the rear area
Front frequency -Frequency for the front area
Rear frequency -Frequency for the rear area
Music volume while parking -When the park­
in g system is turned on, the vol ume of t he au­
d io/v ideo source is lower ed.
The new ly adjusted value is briefly heard from
the signa l generator.
@ Tips
- The warning tones ca n also be adjusted
direct ly from the visual display or the
rear view camera* image. S imply press
the
Settings cont ro l but to n.
- Changed settings are activated when the
parking system is switched on aga in.
- The settings are automatically stored
and ass igned to the remote control key
that is in use .
Error messages
Applies to vehicles: with a dvanced park ing system wit h
r ea r view camera/top v iew camera syste m
There is an error in t he system if the LED in
the
?# A button is blinking and you hear a con-
Parking systems 131
tin uous alarm fo r a few seconds after switch ­
ing on the par king system or when the park­
ing system is already activated. If the error is
not corrected before you switc h off the ign i­
tion, the LED in the
P,1 1.A button will blink the
next t ime you sw itch on the parking system by
shifting i nto reverse .
If a sensor is fa ulty, the!¾ symbol will appear
in front of/behind the vehicle in the Infota in­
ment display . If a rear sensor is faulty, only
obstacles that are in the front detec tion a rea
a re shown . If a front sensor is fau lty, on ly ob­
s tacles t hat are in the rear area are shown.
Peripheral cameras*
There is also a system error if:
- the
'(gl ,, symbol appears i n the display and
the corresponding d isp lay area is shown in
blue. The camera is not work ing in this area.
- all segments aro und the vehicles are red or
if no segments are displayed.
D rive to your authorized A udi dealer or au ­
thorized repair facility immed iate ly to have
the malfunction correcte d.
Trailer hitch
Applies to vehicles: wi th adva nced parking syste m with
rear view ca mera/top view ca mera system
Fo r vehicles using the trailer so cket, the pa rk­
i ng sys tem rear sensors do not tu rn on when
you shift i nto reverse gea r or when you press
the
P,#~ button . This res ults in the following re ­
strictions:
T he re is no dist ance warn ing fo r th e rea r. T he
fron t sensors remain act ivated. The visua l dis­
play switches to the t railer towing mode . The
rear view camera image will not show the or i­
entat ion lines and the bl ue surfaces.
(D Tips
Trai ler h itches that are not insta lled at the
factory may ca use the park ing system to
malfunction or they may restr ict its func­
tion.

198 Intellige nt tec hno logy
Intelligent technology
Notice about data
recorded by veh ic le
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facturers fo r the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event . EDR's are sometimes called "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
A lthough your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for example, engine function, emis­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during normal vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded over a very limited period of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as well as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only
be read and downloaded with special equip­
ment.
Electronic Stab ilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidding and loss of vehicle control. It works
only when the engine is running. ESC detects certain difficult driving situations, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw)
out of control and helps you to get the vehicle back under control by selectively braking the
wheels, and/or reducing engine power and
providing steering assistance to help hold the
vehicle on the driver's intended course. The in­
dicator light
G) in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESC is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESC has limitations.
It is important to remem­
ber that ESC cannot overcome the laws of
physics. It will not always be able to help out
under a ll cond itions you may come up against.
For example, ESC may not always be able to
help you master situations where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of friction of
the road surface. When there is a section of
dry road that is suddenly covered with water,
slush or snow, ESC cannot perform the same
way it would on the dry surface . If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of water in­
stead of the road surface), ESC will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because con­
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered.
During fast cornering, particularly on winding
roads, ESC cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult driving situations than at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESC is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not towing a trailer.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic; and weather conditions. ESC can­
not override the vehicle's physical limits, in­
crease the available traction, or keep a vehicle
on the road if road departure is a result of
driver inattent ion. Instead, ESC improves the
possibility of keeping the vehicle under con­
trol and on the road during extreme maneu­
vers by using the driver's steering inputs to
help keep the vehicle going in the intended di­
rection . If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.

Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trai ler, p lease remember
that the addit ional load will affect durab ility,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
F or this reason, a lways fo llow the operating
and d riving instr uctions provided and use
common sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must
activate the trailer operat ion mode
~ page 211, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitc h co nforming to the
gross trailer we ight. The hitch must be suita­
b le for your veh icle and trailer and must be
mounted secure ly on the veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a trailer
hi tch wit h a removab le ball moun t. A lways
check with t he trail er hitch ma nufactur er to
make sure tha t you are using the corre ct
hi tch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitc h must be installed in such a way that
i t does not interfere with the impac t-absorb­
i ng bumpe r sys tem. No mod ifica tio ns should
be made to the vehicle exh aust a nd brake sys­
tems . From time to time, check that a ll hitch
mo unt ing bolts remain securely fastened.
W hen you are not towing a trail er, remove the
traile r hitch ball mount. Th is prevents the
hi tch from causing damage sho uld your ve hi­
cle be str uck from behind ¢& .
Trailer towin g 211
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equippe d wi th a br akin g sys ­
tem, check to be s ure that i t conforms to all
r egulations .
T he trailer hy draul ic brak e sys tem mus t not be
direc tly connec ted to the vehi cle' s h ydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Trai ler lights must meet all regu lations. Be
su re to check with your Audi dealer for cor rect
wir ing, swi tches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
us ing the reg ular o utside mirrors, then you
must insta ll extended mirrors. It is imp ortant
that you
always have clea r v is ion to the rear.
A WARNING ...__ -
Afte r removing the trailer hitch, do not
stor e it i n yo ur v ehicl e. In cas e o f sudden
b ra king, the hitch co uld fly forwar d and in­
ju re you or your p ass en ger s.
Operating instructions
Fi g. 189 MM I dis pl ay: tow ing mode on
Ma ximum trailer weight
A trai ler fo r you r vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 tra iler.
ll>

212 Trailertowing
Trail er load dis tr ibut ion
Be sure the load in the trai ler is held securely
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
N eve r all ow a p assenger to rid e in a trailer
~.&. in Driving instructions on page 213.
Engine cooling sy stem
Towing a tra iler makes the eng ine work hard­
er . It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the addit ional load .
Make sure that the cooling system has eno ugh
flu id.
Tir e pressure
When tow ing a tra iler, inflate the t ires of your
vehicle to the co ld tire pressure listed under
" Full load " on the label loca ted o n the dr iver's
side B-pillar (v is ible when the door is open).
I nflate trailer tires to tra iler and tire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both veh icle and trailer
l ights are wor king p roperly.
Safe ty chain s
Be sure tra iler safety cha ins are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve ­
h icle . Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners . When you install safety
cha ins, make su re they w ill not drag on the
road when yo u are driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the tra iler
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separat ion from the hitch .
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface be­
for e
hitching up the tra iler and b efor e adjust ­
ing the tongue weight . The vehicle must be i n
auto or comfort driving mode and not raised
~ page 109, ~CD .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered . In Info ­
tainment, select:
I CARI function button > Low­
e r
control button . If you must drive under poor road conditions,
you can raise the vehicle
afte r coupling the
trailer or
a fter adjust ing the tongue we ight
~ page 111.
(D Note
-Changes in temperature or load can af­
fect the height of the vehicle .
- Always select auto or comfort mode .
Otherw ise, the tongue load specified for
your vehicle will no longer be applicable.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
core and consideration.
T o obtain the best possible hand ling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the fo llowing:
.. Do not tow a loaded t railer when you r ca r it­
self is not loaded .
.. Be especially carefu l when passing other
vehicles.
.. Observe speed limits.
.. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.. Always apply brakes early .
.. Monitor the temperature gauge .
Weight di stribut ion
T owing a loaded trailer with an empty car re ­
su lts in a highly unstable d istribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
l ow speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble , while keep ing the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the ci rcumstances. Whenever poss i­
ble , transfer some ca rgo to the luggage com ­
partment of the tow vehicle while obse rv ing
tong ue load requi rements and vehicle load ing
considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more d ifficu lt it be­
comes fo r the driver to cont rol the rig. Do not
1111>

drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind condit ions are unfavorable -part icularly
when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediatel y if the trail­
er shows the slightest sign of swaying .
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 app ly brakes early. When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en­
gine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes a lone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge c:> page 10
must be observed carefully. The coo lant tem­
perature can increase if you drive on long in ­
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds. Re­
duce your speed immed iate ly if the L EDs in
the top part of the display turn on.
F or more information about indicator lights,
refer to. ~
page 16.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone r ide in your car
who is not properly wear ing the restra ints
provided by Aud i.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your veh icle hand les different ly when tow ing
-
a trailer because of the addit ional weight and
d ifferent weight distribution . Safety, perform­
ance and economy will greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your ng .
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
Trailer towing 213
have become completely familiar with the way
your vehicle-trai ler combination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice .
Backing up with a t railer generally requires
steering action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a tra iler.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you . You wi ll need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you w ill need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remembe r that you cannot ac­
ce lerate as fast as you norma lly would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your trailer before chang­
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re ­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load
c:> page 296.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it can­
not be avoided, do so only a~er doing the fol­
lowing:
When parking:
.,. App ly the foot brake.
.,. Have someone p lace chocks under both the
vehicle and the trailer wheels .
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes until the wheel chocks absorb the
load.
.,. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.,. Apply the parking brake .
.,. Select the P selector lever posit ion .
When restarting after parking:
.,. Apply the foot brake.
•
•

214 Trailer towing
• Start the engine.
• Se lect the D selector lever position.
• Re lease the park ing 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 auto­ mat ic transm ission to P before app lying
the park ing brake and before blocking the
wheels, you may have to use more force later to move the lever out of the P posi­
tion.

The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is
l ocated on a label on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because tec hnical changes may be made to
veh icle equ ipment dur ing the model yea r, a l­
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure label on your vehicle wit h the
tires on your vehicle . Make s ure that the tire
size information on the veh icle label is the
same as the s ize of the t ires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be ­
longs to someone else or you bought the veh i­
cle with different rims/tires or you boug ht the
ve hicle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on mak ing su re that
l oad l imits are not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
veh icle. These load limits are technically refer­
red to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating ("GVWR") . The Gross Ax le Weight Rat ­
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be app lied at each of the veh icle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle We ight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance st icker label located on the
driver's side B-p illar . The t ire pressure label on
your Aud i lists the maximum combined
weight of a ll of the occupants and luggage or
other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
l ocat ion of the tire pressure labe l
c;, fig. 204.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Car rying more weight than yo ur vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of a loss of veh icle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a veh icle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance .
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con­
t rol and a crash.
Tire s an d wheel s 255
-Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported - includ ing the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue we ight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
A WARNING
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can lead to a ser ious or fatal acci­
dent.
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased tire wear and can
affect the handling of the vehicle.
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de­
flation, caus ing loss of veh icle contro l.
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressvre label located on driver's side 8-pil ­
lar.
T he recommended tire pressures are on the
ti re pressure label and in the table
c;, page 253, Cold tire inflation pressure .This
means that the pressure m ust be checked and
adjusted when the tire has not been dr iven for
more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous three hours.
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of internal frict ion as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is h igher when the tire
has warmed up t han when it is "cold."
It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" t ire that
counts. Therefore, you should never let a ir out
of a warm tire to match "Cold t ire inflat ion
pressure" recommendat io ns
c;, page 253 . The
ti res wo uld then be unde rinfl ated and co uld
fail suddenly.
T he tire pressure label on your Audi lists the
recommended co ld tire inflation pressures at
max imum capacity for the new, or ig inal
equipment tires that were on your vehi cle at
1J1>
•
•

258 Tires and wheels
mean that less weight can be carried as
luggage.
The tire pressure label on your Audi also lists
the maximum combined weight of all of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that
the vehicle can carry. For the location of the
label ¢
page 253, fig. 204.
.&_ WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly, including a blowout
and sudden deflation, causing loss of
control and a crash.
- Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported -including the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to cal­
culate the total weight of the
passengers and luggage or oth­
er things that you plan to trans­
port so that you can make sure
that your vehicle will not be overloaded.
Steps for Determining
Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF QC­
CU PANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS" on your ve­
hicle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)¢
page 253,
fig. 204.
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and pas­
sengers from "XXX" kilo­
grams or "XXX" pounds
shown on the sticker
¢ page 253, fig. 204.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of car­go and luggage load capaci­
ty. For example, if the "XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs.
and there will be five 150 lbs. passengers in your vehi­
cle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load ca­
pacity is 650 lbs. (1400-7 50
(5
X 150) = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo ..,