ESP AUDI A8 2014 Repair Manual

-Never mount more than one child re­
straint to a sing le tether or to a lower an­
chorage point. Attaching two child re­
straints to a single anchorage point can cause the anchorage to fail and cause se­
rious persona l injury in a crash.
(D Note
- Remove the guidance fixtures before
fo lding the rear seatback to prevent
damag ing the seat cushion .
- To attach the child restraint secure ly, the
seat must be moved to the farthest rear pos ition, the seat height set to the low­
est posit ion and the head restraint must
be adjusted to the vertical position
¢page 61.
-If you leave the guidance fixtu res instal ­
l ed for seve ral days, they could leave a
mark on the upholstery on the seat cush ­
i on and backrest in the area that the
guidance fixtures were insta lled . The up­
ho lstery would also be permanently
stretched around the guidance fixtures.
This applies especially to leather seats.
Installing a child restraint with LATCH
lower anchorages
Whenever you install a child restraint always
follow the child restraint manufacturer's in­
structions.
Fig . 18 5 Lower anchorages: proper mounting
Mounting
.,. Make su re the seatback of the rear seat
bench is in the upright position and sec urely
latched in place.
Child S afety 193
.,. Attach both hook -on connectors with the
spring catch release on the child safety seat
onto the LATCH lower anchorage so that the
connectors lock into place¢
fig. 185.
.,. Pull on the connector attachments to make
sure they are proper ly attached to the LATCH
lower anchorage .
.,. Pull straps tight fo llow ing the child restraint
manufac ture r's instruct ions .
Releasing
.,. Loosen the tension on the straps following
the child restra int manufacturer's inst ruc ­
tions.
.,. Depress the spring catches to release the
anchorage hooks from the lower ancho rag­
es.
Remember: Use tether straps to help keep the
c hi ld restra int firmly in place.
.&, WARNING
I mproper use of the LATCH system can i n­
crease the risk of serious pe rsonal injury
and death in a n accide nt.
- These an chors were deve loped on ly for
child safety seats using the " LA T CH" sys ­
tem .
- Never at tach o ther ch ild safety sea ts,
be lts or o ther objects to these anchors.
- Always ma ke s ure that you hear a click
when latch ing the sea t in place . If you do
not hear a click the seat is not sec ure and
could fly forward and hit the interior of
the vehicle, or be e jected from the vehi­
cle.
A WARNING
Improper installat ion of child restra ints
will increase the risk of injury in an acci­
dent.
- Always follow the child restraint system
manufacturer's instruct ions for proper
installation of the ch ild restra int system
and p roper use of tether straps as well as
the lower anchorages or safety belts in
your veh icle.
~

be su ppressed causing serious o r even
fatal injury to the child.
- If you must i nstall a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PASS ENGER AIR BA G OFF
light does not come on an d stay on, im­
med iately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the a irbag system inspected by you r
Audi dealer.
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
Fig. 187 Tether strap: prope r rout ing and mounting
Installing th e tether strap
• Release or dep loy the tether strap on the
child restra int according to the child re­
stra int manufacturer's inst ruct ions .
• Gui de the upper tether strap
under the rear
head restraint
r=> fig. 187 (raise the head re­
straint if necessary) .
• Center seating position* : Guide the upper
tether strap over the rear head restraint.
• Tilt the recess flap up to expose the anchor
bracket.
• Attach the tether strap anchorage hook into
the open ing of the tether anchorage .
• Pull on the tether strap hook so that the
spri ng catch of the hoo k engages.
• Tighte n the tet her st rap firmly following the
child restraint manufacturer's inst ruct ions .
Releasing the tether strap
• Loosen the tension following the ch ild re­
stra int manufacturer's instructions.
• Depress the sp ring catch on the hook and re­
l ease it from the anchorage.
Child S afety 195
(D Note
If you leave the c hild restraint with the
tether strap firmly installed for several
days, th is could leave a mark on the up­
holstery on the seat cushion and backrest
i n the area where the tether strap was in­
stalled. The upholstery would also be per­ manently stretched around the tether
strap. This app lies especia lly to leather
seats.
Using tether straps on rearward-facing
child restraints
Currently, few rear-facing child restraint sys­
tems come with a tether. Please read and
heed the child restraint system manufactur­
er's instructions carefully to determine how to
properly install the tether .
A WARNING ,.;; -
A child in a rearward-facing ch ild safety
seat installed on the fron t passenger seat
will be ser io usly injured and ca n be killed if
the front airbag inflates -even with an Ad ­
vanced Airbag System.
- The infla ting air bag will h it the ch ild
safety seat or i nfant carrier with great
force a nd will smas h the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, or door.
- A tight tether or other strap on a rear­
ward-facing child restraint attached to
the front passenger seat can put too
muc h pressure on the weight-mat in the
seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced A irbag System. The heavier
weight regis tered can make the system
wo rk as tho ugh an adult we re on the seat
an d deploy the Advanced Airbag when it
m ust be s uppressed causing ser ious or
eve n fata l injury to the chi ld .
- If you must insta ll a rearward fac ing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptiona l circumstan ­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF

200 Intellig ent technol ogy
ESC includes and/or works together with the
anti-lock braking system (ABS), brake assist
system, anti-slip regulat ion (ASR), electronic
d ifferential lock (EDL), dynamic steering* and
electronic interaxle differential lock*. ESC is
switched on all the time. In certain situations
when you need less tract ion, you ca n sw itch
off ASR by pressing the button above
~ page 201, fig. 188 the se lector lever. Be
sure to sw itch ASR on aga in when you no lon­
ger need less traction.
Anti -lock braking system (ABS )
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up
when braking. The vehicle can still be steered
even du ring ha rd b raking . Apply steady pres­
sure to the brake pedal. Do not pump the ped­
a l. A pulsing in the brake peda l indicates that
the system is he lping you to brake the vehicle.
Br ake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease brak ing
d istance. It increases braking power when the
d river p resses the brake pedal q uick ly in emer­
gency situations. You must press and hold the brake peda l until the situation is over. In
vehicles with adaptive cruise control*, the brake assist system is more sensitive if the
d istance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
small.
Anti- slip regulati on (ASR )
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road condit ions. This makes it easier to
start, accelerate and drive up hills.
El ectronic diff erential lo ck (EDL )
The ED L brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other drive
wheel or whee ls if the vehicle is equipped with
all whee l drive*. This funct ion is available up
to about 7S mph (120 km/h).
In extreme cases, EDL a utomatica lly switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from overheating. EDL will switch on again au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to normal.
Dynamic ste ering *
On vehicles with dynamic s teering, ES C helps
stabilize the steering in certain situations.
Electronic interaxle differential lock
function*
T he electronic interaxle differentia l lock f unc­
tion activates when driving thro ugh curves.
Braking is targeted toward the wheels on the
inside of the curve as needed . This he lps to
minimize front whee l skid, improves traction
and allows for more precise driving through
curves .
A WARNING
- ESC, ABS, ASR, EDL, dynamic steering*
and the electronic interaxle differential loc k function* cannot overcome the laws
of physics. This is espec ially impo rtant
on slippery o r we t roads.
If the systems
begin acting to stabilize your vehicle, you
should immediately change yo ur speed
to match the road and traffic conditions .
Do not let the increased safety provided
by these systems tempt you to take risks. Doing so will increase the risk of a loss of
veh icle control, collision and ser ious per­
sonal injur ies.
-Always adapt your speed to road, traffic and weather conditions. The risk of los­ing control of the vehicle increases when
d riving too fast, espec ially through
curves and on slippery or wet roads, and
when driving too close to vehicles up
ahead. ESC, ABS, the brake ass ist sys ­
tem, EDL, ASR, dynamic steering * and
the electron ic interaxle differential lock
function* cannot prevent collisions.
- Always accelerate with special care on
even, smooth s urfaces such as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow.
The drive wheels can spin even w ith
these assistance systems that cannot al­
ways he lp to red uce the risk of loss of ve­
h icle control.
-

@ Tips
-ABS and AS R on ly wor k co rrectly when
a ll fo ur wheels are eq uipped w ith identi­
ca l tires . Different tire s izes can lead to a
r educt io n in eng ine power.
- You may hear noises when the sys tems
desc ribed are working.
Switching on and off
Intelligent technology 201
- If the ind ica tor li ght DJ o r til1 (U SA
mo dels)/ [!] (Canada models) appea rs,
there may be a malfunc tion
r:::> page 19,
¢page 18.
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine.
Fig . 188 Center co nsole with ESC O FF bu tton
ESC levels
Sport mode on
The following si tua tions are exceptions whe re
it may be usefu l to switch o n sport mo de to
allow the w heels to spi n:
- Rockin g the vehicle to free it when i t is st uck
- Dr iv ing in deep s now o r on loose g ro un d
- Dr iving with snow chains
Sport mode off
Behavior
T he E SC and AS R sta bilization f unct io ns The fu ll sta biliz ati on f uncti on o f the ES C
are limited¢ ,&.
Operation Press the [ru button .
Indicator II turns on .
lights
Driver mes· Stabilization control (ESC): Sport
sages Warning! Reduced stability
A WARNING
Yo u should o nly sw itch sport mo de on i f
your dr iv ing abili ties and road cond itions
permit.
- The stabilization function is limited
when sport mode is sw itched on. The
dr iv ing whee ls co uld spin and the vehicle
cou ld swe rve , especially on slick or slip ­
pery road surfaces.
(D Tips
Sport mode cannot be switched o n when
adapt ive cr uise c ontrol* is sw itched on.
-
and AS R is availab le again .
Press the
[ru button again .
II tur ns off.
Stabilization control (ESC): On
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating conditions and driving habits
The bra ke s on today's au to m obiles a re s till
sub ject t o wear, depe nding la rgely o n ope rat ­
i ng con dit ions and d riving habits¢
A . On
vehicles that are either driven most ly in stop­
and-go city traff ic or are driven hard , the
brake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dealer more often than specif ied in
t h e
Warranty & Maintenance booklet . Failure .,..

202 Intellig ent technol ogy
to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance.
On steep slopes, yo u shou ld use the b rak ing
effect of the engine. Th is way, you prevent un­
necessary wear on the brake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down continuously. P ump the brakes at inter ­
vals.
Operating nois e
Noises may occur when braking depending on
the speed, braking force and outside condi­
tions such as temperature and humidity.
E ff ect of water and road salt
In certain situat ions, for example after driving
through water , in heavy ra in , after overn ight
condensation or after washing your car, the braking effect can be reduced by moisture or
ice on the brake rotors and brake pads. The
brakes must be dried first with a few careful
brake applications.
At higher speeds and with the windshield wip­
ers turned on, the brake pads press against
the brake rotors for a short amount of time.
This occurs at regular intervals without the
driver noticing and provides for bet ter brake
response time under wet condit ions .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt-covered
road and the brakes are not used . Likew ise,
you clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few caut ious ap­
plications of the brake
9 .&, .
Cor ro sion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regularly or
only for short t rips with little use of the
b rakes .
If the brakes are not used frequently , or if cor­
rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean off the pads and discs by braking
firm ly a few times from a mode rately high
speed
9 .&, .
Faults in the brake syste m
If you shou ld notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal trave l, then one of the two brake
circuits may have fai led
9 & .
Low bra ke fluid lev el
Malfunctions can occu r in the bra ke system if
the b rake fluid level is too low. The brake flu id
level is monitored electro nica lly.
Brake lining we ar statu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spect ion of the condition of the brake pads
th rough the open ings in the wheel. If neces ­
sary, the wheel may be removed for t his i n­
spect ion
9 page 2 72, Changing a wheel.
A WARNING
- You shou ld perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake system only if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear or lower dr iving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long or too often . This could cause the
b rakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing your
foo t on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Unde r certain cl imatic and operat ing
conditions such as passing thro ugh wa ­
ter, driving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumu late on the brake pads, linings,
d iscs and drums. Carefully app ly brakes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coat­ ings will be cleaned off after a few care­
fu l brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an extended period of t ime on
salt-covered roads without using your brakes can a lso affect bra king efficiency.
~

Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applicat ions .
-If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­ ed . Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the ent ire brake system.
- Failure of one brake c ircuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in­
cr eased stopp ing distance. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­ est Aud i dea ler or q ualified wor kshop .
- Never let the vehicle rol l to a stop w ith
t he engine shu t off.
- If the brake booster is not work ing, the
brake pedal must be pressed conside ra­
bly harder to make up for the lac k of
booster assistance.
Brake booster
The brake booster adds extra braking power.
The brake booster works w ith vacuum pres ­
sure which is created only when the engine is
ru nning
9 ,&. .
,&. WARNING
-Never le t the vehicle ro ll to a stop w ith
t he engine shu t off.
- If the brake booster is not work ing, fo r
ex ample when towing your ve hicl e, or
because the b rake booste r has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed considerab ly harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance.
Servotronic - advanced
power steering system
-
The power steering systems use the power of
the running engine to allow precise steering
with little effort.
The advanced Servotronic power steering sys­
tem senses the road speed and electron ically
ad ju sts powe r ass istance to provide comfor ta-
Int ellig ent technolog y 203
ble and safe steering response exactly match ­
ed to th e vehicle speed .
Power steer ing will not work if the engine is
off . As a result, the steering wheel will be h ard
to tu rn.
T he powe r stee ring fluid level is checked d ur­
i ng t he sched uled maintena nce services.
(D Note
If there is an e lectronic malfunction, ser­
votronic
will s till fu nction like a conven­
tiona l powe r steering system, providing a
constant steering s upport force tha t is no
l onge r proportionate to the vehicle speed.
This is most noticeab le when t urni ng the
steering wheel at low speeds (for example
when parking), -more effort w ill be re­
quired than usual.
- Be aware of the different than usual steering response and adjust your steer­
ing force accordingly.
- Have the problem checked and set right by an Audi dealer as soon as possible.
(D Tips
-When the engine is running, never hold
the steering wheel turned all the way to
the right or to the left for longer than 15
seconds . The power steering pump will
overheat the hydraulic fluid if yo u keep
holding the stee ring wheel turned all the
way. This is likely to damage the power
steering sys tem.
- If the powe r stee ring system should fa il
entire ly, o r if t he engine is not runn ing
(for example, wh ile be ing towed), you
w ill still be able to steer the veh icle .
However,
considerably more effort will
be required to do so .
- If the powe r steering system sho uld
have a leak, or is not functioning proper­
ly, contact your author ized Audi dealer
immediately.
- The power steering system req uires a
specially formu lated hydraulic fluid. The
power steering fluid reservoir is located
in the engine compartment
9 page 233. IJJ,,
•
•

temperature. This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy
consumpt ion while the vehicle is stand ing.
With the ignition switched off, it contro ls the
energy supply to the various e lectrica l compo ­
nents . Data from battery diagnosis is consid­
ered.
D epending on the battery's state of charge,
individua l consumers are gradua lly turned off
to prevent excessive discharge of the battery
and thus maintain starting capability.
Dynamic energy management
While the veh icle is being driven, dynamic en­
ergy management dist ributes the energy gen­
erated according to the needs of the individu­
a l components . It regu lates consumption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
than is being generated and ensures an opti­
mal state of charge for the battery.
- But even energy management cannot negate the limits of physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
limited.
- If starting ab ility is threatened, the indi­
cator light(•) appears
c> page 16, D
Battery.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability .
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the co ld time
of year. Abundant electrical energy is re­
qu ired, but only a little is generated. It is also
cr itica l if the engine is not running and electri­
cal components are turned on. In th is in­
stance energy is being consumed but none is
be ing generated .
Intelligent technology 205
It is in precisely these situations that you will
notice energy management active ly regu lat­
ing the distribution of energy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, e lectrica l compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main­
tains starting capability over a longer period .
Some of the convenience functions may not
operate, such as the interior lights or the
power seat adjustment . The convenience
functions will be available again when you
switch on the ignition and start the eng ine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with
the engine turned off or use other MMI func­
tions, the battery is being discharged.
If starting capability is jeopardi zed due to en­
ergy consumption, the following warning ap­
pears in the MM I display:
Please start the engine soon or the system
will be turned off.
The warning indicates that the system will be
turned off automatically after 3 minutes. If
you w ish to continue using the functions, you
have to start the engine.
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is being driven, the battery can be­
come discharged. This happens mostly when
li ttle energy is being generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
charge is not optimal.
T o b ring the energy ba lance back into equili­
brium, consumers wh ich requ ire espe cially
large amounts of energy are temporarily cut
back or switched off . Heating systems in par­
ticular require a great deal of energy. If you
notice, for examp le, that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they
have been temporarily cut back or switched .,.
•
•

A WARNING ,~
- Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par­
t icu late filter cou ld start a fire .
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in the exhaust system area or a fire could start .
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your veh icle to remain inop ­
erat ive for a longer period of time, contact an
Aud i or other specia lized dealer. They can ad­
vise you on necessary precautions e.g . corro­
sion prevention, ma intenance and storage.
Pay attention to additiona l information con­
cerning the battery. Refer to~
page 243.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you a re driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is especially true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis)* and fully load ­
ed vehicles.
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads :
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the veh icle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
A WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry
-
Drivin g and environment 209
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
store the full braking effect.
(D Note
- Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension or electrical
system can be severely damaged by driv­
ing through water.
- Always switch off the Start-Stop-System
when driving through water~
page 88.
(D Tips
-Check the depth of the water before driv­
ing through it .
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
through water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive through safely .
- Avoid driving through salt water because
it can cause corrosion.
Operate your vehicle
economically and minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
t he economy of your vehicle , as well as ex­
haus t and noise levels.
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you ant icipate what you need to do next and
drive econom ically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent . Th is sec­
tion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook. •
•

210 Driving and environment
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehi ­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
ditions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
• Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the mo st fuel when they are ac­
celerating. If you anticipate what is going to happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus , accelerate less. Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for example when you see
that the next traffic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
• Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed .
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump­
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
environment .
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and en­
gine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption will
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
than the posted speed limit and weather con­
ditions permit.
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
• Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle. •
Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the
engine run at idle.
The idling phase is automatically reduced for
vehicles with the Start/Stop system. It is effi­
cient to switch off the engine in vehicles with­
out the Start-Stop-System when stopped at
railroad crossings and long red lights. Turning
the engine off for jus t 30-40 seconds saves
more fuel than is burned by starting the en-
. . gme again.
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle. However, wear
and noxious emissions are especially high
when the engine is warming up . So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at high rpms while the engine is
still warming up.
W Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter starting . If warning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
would go unheeded. Extended idling also
produces heat, which could result in over­
heating or other damage to the vehicle or
other property.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
• Have your vehicle serviced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
Audi dealer helps to ensure that it runs prop­
erly and economically. The condition of your
vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to
hold its value, it also affects
fuel consump­
tion.
Check your oil each time you
fill your tank.
The amount of oil used is related to engine
load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certain
mileage has been driven . ..,.

Trailer load distribution Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ .&. in Driving instructions on page 214.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard ­
er . It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load .
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer
lights are working properly.
Safety chains Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle . Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners . When you install safety
chains, make sure they will 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
be­
fore
hitching up the trailer and before adjust ­
ing the tongue weight. The vehicle must be in
auto or comfort driving mode and not raised
¢page 110, ~CD .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info ­
tainment, select:
ICARI function button> low­
er control button .
Trailer towing 213
If you must drive under poor road conditions,
you can raise the vehicle
after coupling the
trailer or
after adjusting the tongue weight
¢ page 112.
@ Note
- Changes in temperature or load can af­
fect the height of the vehicle.
- Always select auto or comfort mode.
Otherwise, the tongue load specified for
your vehicle will no longer be applicable.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
core and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car it­
self is not loaded .
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles.
.,. Observe speed limits.
.,. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.,. Always apply brakes early .
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car re­
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
low 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 keeping the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the circumstances . Whenever possi­
ble , transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not .,.
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