mirror AUDI A8 2011 User Guide

-The radar sensor's vision can be reduced
or entirely blocked by rain, snow, and
heavy spray . This can result in side assist
not adequately detecting vehicles or, in
some cases, not detecting them at all.
Always keep an eye on the d irection you
are traveling and the relevant area
around the vehicle.
- Please note that side assist indicates
there are approaching vehicles, o r vehi­
cles in your blind spot, only after your ve ­
hicle has reached a driving speed of at
least 19 mph (30 km/h).
- Side ass ist signal does not work around
tight corners (turning radius less than
328 feet or 100 m).
- Side assist is no replacement for the driv­
er's full attention . The driver alone is re­
sponsible for lane changes and similar
driving maneuvers. A lways keep an eye
on the direction you are traveling and the
relevant area around the vehicle.
(D Note
- To ensure that you do not adversely af­
fect side assist, do not block the area on
the rear bumper where the radar sensors
are located with foreign objec ts (such as
stickers or bicycle racks).
- Make sure that the signal light on the
outside m irror is not blocked by st ickers
or other items .
@ Tips
-Side assist automatically deactivates if it
detects that the radar sensors are
blocked ~
page 104. The indicator light
on the button goes out .
- The area on the bumper where the radar
senso rs are located must consistently re­
main free of snow, ice, and heavy soiling
so that side assist can function properly.
Follow the additional notes on
.:!>page 104 .
-Additional tinting on the front side win­
dows can make it harder to see and cor­
rectly understand the signa l light on the
outside mirror.
Aud i side assist 99
-For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regula­
tions ¢
page 286.
Sensor detection area
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
t
Fig. 102 Sc hemat ic illu st ration : Sen sor detect io n area
The detection ¢ fig. 102 of the radar sensor
detection area is made up of:
- the approach area (light green area)@,
about 230 feet (70 m) beh ind the veh icle,
and
- the "b lind spot" (dark green area) @.
The radar sensors cover the adjacent left and right lanes. Other lanes are
not covered by the
radar sensors .
(D Tips
Side assist does not measure actual lane
width. The system assumes a fixed lane
width . Detection in the left and right lanes
i s based on this assumed lane width .
When dr iv ing on narrow roads or when
driving to the left or right of the center of
a travel lane, it is possib le that vehicles
will be detected that are
not in the lane
next to the lane you are using
.:!> page 103.
Operation
App lies to vehicles: with side assist
Side assist compares the distance and differ­
ence in speed of detected vehicles with the
speed of your vehicle . Whenever the d iffer­
ence in speed and distance is registered as no­
table if you were to change lanes, a signal
light appears on the respective m irror. ..,.

100 Audi side assist
The signal can light up i f you are passed by a
vehicle or if yo u are passing another vehicle.
If you p ass another vehicle slowly (difference
in speed less than 9 mph, or 15 km/h), the
signal light will come on as soon as the other
ve hicle is in your blind spot and is detected by
side assist . When the difference in speed is
greater, the signa l light will not come on.
Informational and alert stage signals
App lies to vehicles: with side assist
Side assist has two s ignal stages:
- the informationa l stage signal, and
- the a le rt stage signa l.
Side assist helps you by using the appropriate
signal s tage, depending on whether or not
you have activated the turn signal, and thus
have indicated that you are or are not chang­
ing lanes.
Informational stage signal
As long as you have not activated the turn sig­
nal, side assist informs you of detected vehi ­
cles that are registered as being in a notable
l ocat ion if you were to change lanes. Whenev ­
er the detected vehicle's difference in speed
and distance is registered by side assist as no­
table, the signal light on the respective m irror
produces muted illum ination.
The brightness of the informational stage sig­
na l is designed not to be as intense, so that it
does not interfere with your view of the road
when you are driving and have no intention of
changing lanes. When you look in the outside
mirror, you can clearly see the informat ional
stage signa l.
Alert stage signal
When you activate the turn signal, and side
assist has detected a vehicle in a notable loca­
tion on that part icular side, the signal light on
this side mirror flashes bright ly. The repeated
brief and bright flashing of the alert stage
signal reminds you to carefully check traffic to
the rea r in the outs ide mir ror and over you r shou
lder, so that you can safely comp lete the
lane change ¢.&.
in Safety tips on page 104.
(D Tips
The brightness of the s ignal light on the
outside mirrors can be adjusted with the
MMI ¢page 103.
Driving situation: Fast approaching
vehicles
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
Fig . 103 Side assist: Fast approac hing veh icles
(!) Signal on outside mirror does not light
up
No vehicle was dete cted by the sensors. The
signal on the outside mirror does not light up
¢ .&. in Safety tips on page 104.
@ Informational stage signal lights up
A fast approach ing vehicle - in the left-hand
l ane fo r example - was detected by the sen­
sors. Although th is vehicle is still fa r away, it
shou ld be taken into account if you were to
change lanes, due to the considerable differ­
ence in speed. The informationa l stage signal
on the outside mirror lights up
¢ page 100. ..,.

@ Alert stage signal flashes
If you activate your turn signal in driving sit­
uation @, the signa l briefly f lashes repeated­
ly. Side assist is a lerting you to a vehicle that
you may not have noticed.
@ Tips
- The faster a vehicle approaches from the
rear, the sooner the signa l on the outside
mirror lights up. Side assist will signa l,
at the latest, when a detected vehicle en­
ters your "blind spot".
- When vehicles approach very quickly,
changing lanes can be dangerous even if
the signal on the outside mirror does not
light up.
Driving situation: Slowly approaching
vehicles
Appl ies to vehicles : wit h side ass ist
®
Fig. 104 Side assist: Slowly approaching veh icles and
veh icles in you r b lin d spot
@ Signal on outside mirror does not light
up
A vehicle approaching slowly -in the left-hand
lane for examp le -was detected by the sen­
sors. Because of the small difference in speed
and the considerab le distance from your vehi-
Audi side assist 101
cle, the signal on the outside mirror will not
light up¢.&
in Safety tips on page 104.
@ Informational stage signal lights up
The distance between your veh icle and that of
the slowly approaching vehicle has narrowed.
T he informational stage signal on the outside
mirror lights up.
As soon as the difference in speed and dis­
tance is registered as notable if you were to
change lanes, a signal on the m irror lights up.
Side assist will signal at the latest when a de­
tected vehicle enters your "blind spot".
@ Alert stage signal flashes
If you activate your turn signal in driving sit­
uation @, the signal light briefly flashes re­
peatedly. Side assist is alert ing you of a vehi­
cle that you may not have noticed.
(D Tips
- Th e faster a vehicle approaches from the
rear, the sooner the signal on the outside
mirror lights up. Side assist will signal,
at the latest, when a detected vehicle en­
ters your "blind spot".
- When vehicles approach very quickly,
changing lanes can be dangerous even if
the signal on the outside mirror does not
light up.

102 Audi side assist
Driving situation: Vehicles dropping
back slowly
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
i:i N 9 J:
--- ----::~
®
Fig. 105 Side assist: Veh icles dropp ing back s low ly
CD Signal on outside mirror does not light
up
The vehicle that you passed has not yet been
detected by side assist . The signal on the out­
side mirror does not light up¢
A in Safety
tips on page 104 .
@ Informational stage signal lights up
A vehicle dropping back slowly on the right
(difference in speed of less than 9 mph, or 15
km/h) has been detected by side assist. The
informational stage signal on the outside mir ­
ror lights up.
@ Alert stage signal flashes
If you activate your turn signal in driving sit­
uation@, the signal briefly flashes repeated­
ly. Side assist is alerting you of a vehicle that
you may not have noticed .
Driving situation: Vehicles dropping
back quickly
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
®
Fig. 106 Side assist: Ve hicles dropp ing back quickly
CD Signal on outside mirror does not light
up
The vehicle just passed has not yet been de­
tected by side assist. The signal on the out­
s ide mirror does not light up
Q A in Safety
tips on page 104.
@ Signal on outside mirror does not light
up
The vehicle dropping back quickly on the right
( d ifference in speed of more than 9 mph, or
15 km/h) has been detected by s ide assist ,
but is not considered notable in the event of a
lane change, because it is dropping back so
quick ly. The signal on the outs ide mirro r does
not light up¢
A in Safety tips on page 104 .
@ Signal on outside mirror does not light
up
If you activate your turn signal in driving sit­
uation @, the signal still does not light up on
the outside mirror
Q A in Safety tips on
page 104.

MMI settings
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
The basic brightness setting of the signal on
the outside mirror can be adjusted via the
MMI.
~ Select: ICARI function button> Car systems
control button > Driver assist > Audi side
assist.
The brightness of the signal light for both the informational and alert stages is automatical­
ly adjusted to ambient light conditions. In ad­
dition, you can adjust the
basic brightness
separately, via the brightness function .
While making the adjustment, the new brightness setting is displayed briefly . The
brightness displayed is that of the informa­
tional stage signal. The alert stage signal
brightness is linked to the informational stage
signal brightness.
The informational stage signal brightness
should be adjusted so that you notice the sig­
nal illumination when you look in the outside
mirror, but not when you look forward
through the windshield .
In very dark or light surroundings, the auto­
matic brightness setting adjusts signal light
brightness to maximum or minimum intensi­
ty, as needed. In circumstances such as these,
you may not notice any change in the bright­
ness on the outside mirror when adjusting the
basic brightness. You may not notice the
change until lighting conditions are normal
again.
(D Tips
- Side assist is not active when the basic
brightness is adjusted. The signal light
comes on briefly to help you make the
adjustment .
- Your settings are automatically stored
and assigned to the remote control key
being used.
Audi side assist 103
General information
Applies to vehicles: wit h side assist
Side assist has limits and cannot detect vehi­
cles under all road and weather conditions.
Please remember system limitations and nev­
er rely on the system, especially when :
- driving through curves
~page 103,
-lanes are of different widths ¢ page 103.
When driving through curves
Applies to vehicles: wit h side assist
Side assist cannot detect vehicles in curves
with a turning radius of less than 328 feet
(100 m).
When driving through a curve, it is possible
that side assist may register a vehicle two
lanes over, and the signal on the outside mir­
ror will light up.
Lane width
Applies to vehicles: wit h side assist
Fig. 107 Lanes of a normal width are in detectio n area
Fig. 108 Narrow lanes: Sid e assist may detect vehicles
two lanes away
Side assist's detection area is designed to cov-
er lanes of standard width to the left and ..,.

104 Audi side assist
right of your travel lane, depending on wheth­
er you drive in the center of your lane or closer
to the edge.
If you drive in narrow lanes, s ide ass ist's de­
tection a rea may a lso include other lanes -es­
pecia lly if you tend to drive on the edge of
your lane¢
fig. 108. Under these cond it ions ,
vehicles can also be detected that are two lanes away, and side assist then could switch
between the informat ional and warn ing stage
signals .
When driving in very w ide lanes, vehicles in
the adjacent lane may not be detected be­
cause they are not inside the detection area.
Notes
Messages in instrument cluster display
Applies to vehicles: with side assis t
If side assist turns off automatically, the indi­
cator light on the button wi ll go out and you
will see a message in the instrument cluster
d isplay:
Audi side assist: not available. sensors
blocked
The side assist sensors are built into the rear
bumper on the left and right (not visible on
the outside)
¢ page 98, fig. 99 . To ensure that
you do not adversely affect the way side assist
functions, foreign objects (such as stickers or
b icycle racks) should not be attached to the
a rea on the rear bumper where the sensors
are located. If side assist functions are ad­
ve rsely affected, you will see this message in
the instrument cluster display. Remove any ­
thing that may be blocking the sensors .
If no vehicl e is detected for a longer period of
time while driving, side assist will also switc h
off a utomatica lly.
Audi side assist currently not available
If there is a temporary problem (such as the
ve hicl e's battery charge being low), s ide ass ist
cannot be activated tempo rari ly.
Audi side assist: system fault
Have the system checked by an authorized Au­
di dealer or qualified workshop.
Audi side assist: not available when
towing
The radar senso r's view is limited when tow ­
ing a trai le r. F or vehicles with a factory instal­
l ed towing hitch or a trailer hitch that was in­
sta lled later according to factory specifica­
tions, side assist is automatically deactivated as soon as the electrical connection to the
trailer's electrical socket is made, and this sta­
tus message appears in the instrument clus ­
ter display . Deactivation cannot be guaran­
teed when using a retrofitted towing hitch
that was
not installed acco rding to facto ry
specifications.
Safety tips
Appl ies to vehicles : wi th side assist
The side assist detection may be limited when
driv ing aro und narrow street corners, on hilly
streets, and under poor weather cond itions.
It is possible that the radar sensors may also
detect other objects, such as high or stag­
gered guardrails .
Side assist does not measure actual lane
width. The system assumes a fixed lane width.
Detection in the left and right lanes is based
o n this ass umed lane width . When driving on
narrow roads or when driv ing to the left or
right of the center of a trave l lane, it is poss i­
ble that vehicles will be detected that are
not
in the lane next to the lane you are using.
A WARNING
- Improper reliance on the side assist sys­
tem can cause collis ions and serious per­
sonal injury:
- Never rely on ly on side assist when
changing lanes .
- Always check rear view mirrors to make
sure that it is sa fe to change lanes.
- Side assist cannot detect all vehicles un-
der all conditions- danger of accident! ..,.

Rea r vi ew camer a coverag e area
The MM I display shows the area covered by
the rear view camera ¢
fig. 126 (D. Objects
that are not in the area covered @are not
shown on the MMI display.
We recommend that yo u practice parking with
the rear view camera in a traffic -free location
or parking lot to become familiar with the sys ­
tem, the orientation lines, and their function.
When do ing th is, there should be good light
and weather conditions.
I n the MMI disp lay, objects or vehicles appear
closer or further away if:
- you are driving in reverse gear from a level
surface onto an incline, or a downward
s lope,
- yo u are driving in reverse gear toward pro ­
truding objects,
- the vehicle is carrying too much load in the
rear .
The accuracy of the or ientat ion lines and blue
surfaces d imin ishes if:
- the adapt ive air suspension/sport* is faulty,
the vehicle is lifted or dynamic mode is se­
lected
¢page 106,
- the rear view camera does not prov ide a reli­
able image, for examp le, in poor visibility
condit ions or if the lens is dirty,
- the image on the screen is not visible due to
sun g lare and reflect ion.
Car ing for the rear view came ra len s
The rear view camera is located above the rear
license plate bracket . For the parking system
to operate, the lens¢
fig. 12 7 must be kept
clean:
- Dampen the lens with a household alcoho l­
based glass cleaner, and then wipe the lens
clean with a dry cloth ¢CI).
- Remove snow with a hand brush and ice
preferably with a de-icing spray ¢(D.
A WARNING
-Senso rs have blind spots in which objects
cannot be detected . Pay special attention
Ad vanced P arking S ystem 119
to small children and animals because
the sensors cannot always detect them.
- The parking system cannot replace the
driver's attention. The driver alone is re­
sponsible for parking and similar driving maneuvers.
-Always keep your eyes on the vehicle's
surroundings, us ing the rear v iew mirror
as well.
- Do not allow yourself to be distracted
from traffic by the rear view camera p ic­
tures .
- If the position and the installation angle
of the camera has changed, for example,
after a rear end collision, do not continue
to use the system for safety reasons.
Have it checked by a qualified dea le rship.
(D Note
- Low obstacles a lready s ignaled by a
warning can disappear from the system's
detect ion range as they are approached
and w ill not continue to be s ignaled. Ob­
jects such as ba rr ie r chains, trai le r d raw
bars, thin painted vert ica l poles or fen­
ces may not be detected by the system,
posing r isk of damage .
- Never use warm or hot wate r to remove
snow or ice from the rear view camera
lens - this could cause the lens to crack!
- When cleaning the lens, never use prod ­
ucts that are ab rasive.

Reverse Parking
Applies to vehicles: with parking system advanced
Parking mode 1 can be used when parking in
a garage or into a parking space.
Fig. 130 MMI display: a im ing at a park ing spot
Fig. 131 MMI display : al ign ing the veh icle
... Turn the steer ing wheel until the orange ori­
entat ion lines
(D appear in the park ing spot
Q fig . 130. Use the markings @to help you
est imate the distance from an obstacle.
E ach marking rep resents 3
ft (1 meter). The
blue area represents an ex tension of the ve­
hicle 's outline by approx imately 16
ft (5 me­
ters) to the rear .
... While driving in reverse gear, adjust the
steering wheel angle to fit the parking space
with the aid of the orange orientation lines
c>(D. @ marks the rear bumper. Stop the
vehicle when the red orientation line © bor­
ders an object
c::> _& !
..&, WARNING
- The rear view came ra does not show the
entire area beh ind the veh icle
c::>page 118, fig. 126 . Watch out espe­
cially for small children and animals . The
Ad vanced Parking S yste m 12 1
rear view camera cannot always detect
them, posing risk of an accident!
- Please note that objects not touching the
ground can appear to be further away
than they really are (for example, the
bumper of a parked vehicle, a trailer
hitch, or the rea r ofa truck). In this case,
you shou ld not use the help lines to help
with parking, wh ich pose s danger of an
accident!
(D Note
In the MMI d isplay, the direction of travel
of the vehicle rear is represented depend­ ing on the steering wheel angle. The vehi­
cle front swings out more than the vehicle
r ear. Maintai n plenty of d istance so that
your outside mirror or a corner o f your ve ­
hicle does not co llide with any obstacles.
This can damage to your vehicle .
Parallel Parking
Applies to vehicles: with parking system advanced
Use parking mode 2 to help you parallel park
along the side of a street .
F ig . 1 32 MMI display: blue surface in the park ing spot
F ig . 1 33 MMI disp lay: Blue curve on the curb

122 Advanc ed Parking S ystem
The following steps app ly only when there is
no obstacle such as a wall near the parking
spot. Otherwise, please read the information
prov ided in the "P arking Next to Obs tacles"
section
<=> page 122.
.. Activate the turn signal.
.. Position your vehicle parallel to the edge of
the street, approximately 3 ft (1 meter)
from a parked vehicle.
.. Switch the MMI on and se lect reverse gear .
The parking aid turns on and parking mode
1 appears on the disp lay .
.. Press the cont rol button (!)
<=>fig . 132 on
the MMI control conso le. Parki ng mode 2
appears .
.. Back up and align yo ur vehicle so the blue
area @ borders on the rear end of the vehi­
cle or on the parking spot line. The bl ue area
represents an extension of the veh icle's out­
line by approximately 16 ft (5 meters) to the
rear . The long side of the blue area should
be o n the curb. The entire blue area must fit
into the parking spot .
.. With the veh icle stopped, turn the s teer ing
wheel to the right as far as it w ill go.
.. Back into the par king spot until the blue
c ur ve touches the curb<=>
fig. 133. 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 spot un til
the veh icle is parked parallel to the curb. @
marks the rear bumper . Stop the vehicle
when the red orientation line@ borders an
obje ct ¢
& -Keep an eye on the front of
yo ur vehicle while doing this ¢0 .
Parking n ext to obstacles
When t here is an obstacle (such as a wall)
next to the pa rk ing spot, choose a spot w ith
more space on t he sides. Pos ition the long
side of the blue area so that there is sufficie nt
space from the curb. The area m ust no t be on
the c urb. You wi ll also need to start turning
the steering wheel much earlier. There should
be a suffic ient amo unt of space between the
curb and the blue curve, and the blue c urve
c;> fig. 133 mus t not touch the curb.
A WARNING
- The rear view camera does not show the
entire area behind the vehicle
c::;, page 118, fig . 126 . Watch out espe­
cially fo r small chi ldren and anima ls . The
rea r view came ra ca nnot always dete ct
them, posing ris k of an accident!
- Please note that objects not touching the
ground can appear to be further away
t han they really a re (for examp le, the
bumper of a parked vehicle, a trailer
hitch, or the rea r of a truck) . In this case,
you shou ld not use the help lines to help
with parking, which poses danger of an accident!
(D Note
In the MMI display, the direction of travel
of the vehicle rear is represented depend­
i ng on the steering wheel angle . The vehi­
cle front swings out more than the vehicle rear . Maintain plenty of distance so that
your outside mirror or a corner of you r ve ­
hicle does not collide with any obstacles.
This ca n damage to your ve hicle .
(D Tips
The left o r right orientation lines and su r­
faces will be disp layed, depending on t he
tu rn s ignal being used .
Adjusting the display
and warning tones
Applies to vehicles: wi th parking system advanced
The display and warning tones can be adjust­
ed in the MMI.
.. Select: !CAR I function button> Car sy stem s
cont ro l button > Driver a ssist > Parking aid
> Setting s control b utton.
Display
On -when the parking system is switched on,
either the vis ual d isp lay or the picture from
the rear view camera is disp layed .
II>-

Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others . We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, airbags, ch ild restra ints as
well as child safety. You r safety is for us
priori­
ty number 1.
Always observe t he information
a nd warn ings in th is sect ion - for yo ur own
safety as well as that of your passengers .
The information in this se ction applies to all
model ve rsions of your veh icle . Some of the
feat ures descr ibed in this sec tions may be
standa rd equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others. If you are
not sure, ask yo ur authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
st ruct ions and heed the WARNINGS i n
this Manual. It is in your interest and in
the inte rest of you r passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Liter­
at ure in your Audi when you lend or sell
yo ur vehicle so that this important info r­
mation will always be ava ilable to the
dr iver and passenge rs.
- Always keep the Owner's lit erature handy
so that you can find i t eas ily if you have
ques tion s.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
redu ce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations .
Your safety and the safety of your passenge rs
should not be left to chance. Advances in
t echnology have made a var iety of fea tures
avai lable to he lp red uce the risk of in jury in an
Dr iving Safel y 127
accident . The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in yo ur Audi :
- sophis ticated s afety be lts fo r drive r and a ll
passenger sea ting posit ions,
- s afety bel t prete nsio ners ,
- safety belt force lim ite rs fo r the front seats,
- safety belt he ight adjustment systems for
the front seats ,
- head restra ints
- front airbags,
- knee airbags for th e front seats
- side airbags in the front seats and outer rear
seats,
- side c urtain ai rbags,
- s pecia l LATCH an cho rages for child re-
s t raints,
- head restra ints for each sea ting pos it ion,
- adj ustab le steer ing colum n.
These ind iv idual safety features, can work to­
gether as a system to help protect you and
your passengers in a wide range of accide nts .
These features cannot work as a system if
they are not always correctly adjusted and cor­
r e ct ly u sed .
Safety is everybody's r esponsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occu­
pant safety always depends on the informed and careful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driv ing always:
.,. Ma ke su re that all lig hts and signa ls a re op­
erating correctly .
.,. Make su re that the tire pressure is correct.
.,. Make sure that all windows are clean and af­
ford good vis ibility to the outs ide .
.,. Secur e all luggage and other items caref ully
~ page 65, ~ page 70 .
.,. Ma ke s ure that nothing can in te rfere wi th
t he ped als .
.,. Adj ust front seat, head res traint and mirrors
correctly for your height.
.,. Inst ruct passengers to adjust the head re -
straints according to their height. ..,. •
•