lights AUDI A8 2011 Owner's Manual

Clear vision Lights
Switching the headlights on and off
Fig . 35 Instrument pane l: lig ht sw itc h wit h all -weath­
er ligh ts•
The headlights only wo rk when the ignition is
switched on. Wh ile start ing the eng ine o r
when switching off the ign ition, the head­
lights will go off and on ly the side marker
lights will be on .
If the system is not operating p roperly, a
war ning symbol in the dr iver information dis­
p lay is d isplayed
c::, page 21 .
Light switch ·'ti- -
Tu rn the switch c::> fig . 35 to the correspond ing
position . When the lights are switched on, the
:oo: symbo l tu rns on .
0 · The lig hts are off or the dayt ime runn ing
lights are on:
- USA models: The daytime running lights
will come on automatically when the igni­
t ion is on and the light switch
c::, fig . 35 is in
the
O posit ion or the AUTO position (only in
daylight cond itions). The
Daytime running
light s
function can be turned on and off in
t h e M MI
c::> page44, c::>A .
-Canada model s: The daytime running lig hts
will come on automa tically when the igni­
t ion is on and the light switch
c::> fig . 35 is in
the
O position, the : oo: pos ition or the AUTO
position (only in daylight conditions) c::> A .
AUTO -Automatic headlights swi tch on and
off depend ing o n brightness, for example i n
tw ilight, during rain or in tunnels
c::, &. .
Clear vision 43
:oo: -Parking lig hts
gD -Low beam headlights
~ -All-weather lig hts* (vehicles with LED
headlights *)
c::, fig. 35
@!] -Rear fog lights*. When the rear fog lights
are on, the symbol
0$ on the switch will illu­
minate .
All-weather lights*
In vehicles with all-weather lights, the front
lights are ad justed automatically so that you
are less like ly to see glare from your own
headlights, for example when dr iving on a wet
road.
Automat ic dynamic headlight range
con trol*
Your vehicle is equipped with a headlight
range cont ro l system so that the headlights
do not bl ind oncoming traff ic if the vehicle
load cha nges. The headlight range a lso ad­
justs au toma tic ally when braking and acceler­
at ing .
Light funct ions
The following light funct ions are availab le de­
pend ing on vehicle equipment and on ly func­
tion when the light switch is in the AUTO posi­
t ion. You can dea ctivate these functions i n the
MM I under
Audi adaptive light c::>page 44.
Static corn ering light * (vehicles with LED
headlights o r adaptive light) - the corner ing
ligh t sw itches on automa tically w hen the
stee ring wheel is turned at a ce rtain angle at
speeds up to approximately 4 4 mph (70 km/
h) and when the turn signal is activated at
speeds up to approximate ly 25 mph (40 km/
h). The area to the s ide of the vehicle is illumi­
nated better when turn ing .
Dynamic cu rve light* (vehicles with adaptive
li ght) - the curve light only functions at
speeds between approximately 6 mph (10
km/h) and 110 km/h and adapts itself to the
curves in the road.

44 Clear vision
Highway light function*
(vehicles with LED
headlights) -this function adapts the lighting
for highway driving based on vehicle speed.
.&_ WARNING
- Automatic headlights are only intended
to assist the driver . They do not relieve
the driver of his responsibility to check the headlights and to turn them on man­
ually according to the current light and
visibility conditions . For example, fog
cannot be detected by the light sensors.
So always switch on the headlights §,0
under these weather conditions and
when driving in the dark.
- Crashes can happen when you cannot see the road ahead and when you cannot be seen by other motorists. Always turn on
the headlights so that you can see ahead
and so that others can see your car from
the back .
(D Note
The rear fog lights should only be turned
on in accordance with traffic regulation, as
the lights are bright for following traffic.
(D Tips
- In the event of a light sensor malfunc­
tion, the driver is notified in the instru­
ment cluster display
q page 21 .
-You will hear a warning tone if you open
the driver door when the exterior lights
are switched on.
- Please observe legal regulations when
using the lighting systems described .
Emergency flasher
The emergency flasher makes other motorists
aware that you or your vehicle ore in on emer­
gency situation .
Fig. 36 Ce nte r co nso le: em erg en cy flash er sw itch
.,. Press the switch~ c:> fig. 36 to turn the
emergency flashers on or off.
When the emergency flasher is on, all four
turn signals blink at the same time. The turn
signal indicator lights¢¢ in the instrument
cluster, as well as the light in the emergency
flasher switch
~ blink likewise.
The emergency flashers will turn on automati­
cally if you are in an accident where the airbag
has deployed.
@ Tips
You should turn on the emergency flashers
when:
- you are the last vehicle standing in a traf­
fic jam so that any other vehicles coming
can see you, or when
- your vehicle has broken down or you are
in an emergency situation, or when
-your vehicle is being towed by a tow
truck or if you are towing another vehicle
behind you.
Adjusting the exterior lighting
The settings ore adjusted in the MMI.
"'Select: !CARI function button> Car systems
control button > Vehicle settings > Exterior
lighting. ""

Automatic headlights
You can adjust the following settings in the
Automatic headlights menu:
Headlights activation time -You can adjust if
the headlights switch on
Early, Med . or Late
according to the sensitivity of the light sensor.
Audi adaptive light* -You can switch adaptive
light
On and Off.
Daytime running lights
USA models:
You can switch the dayt ime run­
n ing lights
on and off .
Canada models :
The function cannot be
turned off . It is activated automatically each
time the ignition is switched on. This menu
item is shown "greyed out".
Coming home, Leaving home
The coming home function illuminates the
area outside the vehicle when you switch the
ignition off and open the driver's door. To turn
the function on, select
Lights when leaving
car > On .
The leaving home function illuminates the
area outside the vehicle when you un lock the
vehicle. To turn the funct ion on, select
Lights
when unlocking car > On .
The coming home and leaving home functions
only operate when it is dark and the light
switch is in the
AUTO pos ition. Clear
vision 45
Turn signal lever
The lever on the left side of the steering col­
umn is used to operate the turn signals and
the high beam as well as the headlight flash­
er.
Fig. 37 Tu rn signal and high beam lever
The turn signa l and high beam lever has the
following funct ions :
Turn signals ¢ 9 ©@
.,. Push the lever up as fa r as it can go to turn
on the right turn signa l or down to turn on
the left tu rn s ignal ¢
fig. 3 7.
... Move the lever briefly unti l you meet resist­
ance and re lease it to flash three times.
.,. Move the lever (up or down) until you meet
resistance and hold it there to determine
the flashing time for the turn signals.
High beam ~D @
... Push the lever forward to switch on the high
beam .
.,. Pull the lever back towards you to switch
off
the high beam.
Headlight flasher ~D ©
... Pull the lever toward the steering wheel to
use the headlight flasher.
Notes on these features
-The turn signals on ly work w ith the ignition
sw itched on. The indica tor l ights
R or II in
the instrument cluster
¢page 11 also blink.
-Aft er you have turned a corner, the turn sig-
nal switches
off automatically.
- The
high beam works only when the head-
lights are on. The indicator light . in the .,.

46 Clear vision
instrument cluster illuminates when the
high beams are on.
- The
headlight flash er works only as long as
you hold the lever - even if there are no
lights turned on. The indicator light. in
the instrument cluster illuminates when you
use the headlight flasher.
(D Note
Do not use the high beam or headlight
flasher if you know that these could blind
oncoming traffic .
Interior lights
Front and rear interior lighting
Fig. 38 Headliner: Front interior l ig hts
Fig. 39 Rear headliner : Reading light
Press the appropriate button ¢ fig. 38:
§} -Interior lighting on/off
I]-Door contact switch. The interior lighting
turns on automatically when you unlock the
vehicle, open a door or switch the ignition off.
The interior lighting turns off several seconds
after you close the doors, when you lock the
vehicle or when you switch the ignition on.
When a door is open, the light turns off after
a few minutes.
L:!l -Reading lights on/off
~ - Switching the rear reading lights on/off
from the cockpit.
IREAR MODEt* - Sw itch ing the rear reading
lights on/off from the cockpit : press the
I REAR MODE i button and then the appropriate
button
L:!l in the cockpit .
Ambience lighting
Applies to vehicles: wi th ambience lig htin g
You can select a color profile and brightness
for the ambience lighting in various areas of
the vehicle, called zones.
Turning ambience lighting on
.,. Select in the MMI: ICARI function button >
Car systems control button > Vehicle set­
tings > Interior lighting > On.
Adjusting/turning off the brightness
.,. Select in the MMI: ICARlfunction button>
Car systems control button > Vehicle set­
tings > Interior lighting
> Brightnes s .
.,. Turn the knob to the desired vehicle area
and press the knob. The bar that appears in­
dicates the selected brightness .
.,. To increase or reduce the brightness, turn
the knob and press it.
Selecting a color profile*
.,. Select in the MMI: ICARlfunction button>
Car systems control button > Vehicle set­
tings > Interior lighting > Color profile.
The ambience lighting turns on when the
function is activated in the MMI and when you
turn the headlights on while the ignition is switched on.
Adjusting the brightness
You can adjust the brightness for the four
zones
Front top, Front footwell, Rear top and
Rear footwell or for All areas at the same
time . ..,.

Selecting a color profile
You can select from the Ivory , Polar and Ru­
b y/ Pol ar
color profiles .
(D Tips
The settings are automa tically sto red and
assigned to the remote con tro l key that is
in use.
Instrument illumination
You con adjust the brightness of the instru ­
ment and display illumination .
Fig . 40 In strument ill um ination
• Press the knob to release it.
• Turn the knob toward"-" or"+" to reduce or
increase the brightness .
• Press the knob again to return it to it s or ig i­
nal position .
Q Tips
The instrument illumination (for dials and
needles) lights on when the ig nitio n is
sw itched on and the vehicle lights are
turned off. As the daylight fades, the illu­
m ina tion of the dials likewise dims auto­
mat ically and wi ll go out com plete ly when
t he o utside light is very low . This fea ture is
meant to remind you to switch on the
headlights when o utside light conditions
become poor. Clear vi
sion 4 7
Vision
Sun visors
E J
Fig . 4 1 S un viso r
The sun visors for the driver and passenger
can be re leased from their bracke ts and
turned toward the doors
c:> fig. 41 (D . They
can a lso be moved back and forth lengthwise
in th is position .
The m irror light switches on when the cover
ove r the vanity m irror @opens.
T here is a shade between the dr iver 's and pas­
senger's s un visors that can be used to cover
the gap above the rearview mirror.
. Sun Shade
Fi g. 42 Cock pit: Sun shade swit ch
F ig. 4 3 Rear doo r: S un s had e butto n

(!)-Rain s ensor mode. The windshield wipers
switch on once the vehicle speed exceeds ap­ proximately 2 mph (4 km/h) and it is raining.
The higher the rain sensor sensitivity is set (switch @to the right), the earlier the wind­
shield wipers react to moisture on the wind ­
shield. You can deactivate ra in sensor mode in
the MMI, which will then activate intermittent mode. Select:
ICARI function button> Car sys­
tems
control button > Driver assist > Rain
se nsor
> Off. In intermittent mode, you can
adjust the interval time using the switch @.
@-Slow wiping
®-Fast wiping
@ -Single wipe. If you hold the lever in this
position longer, the wipers switch from slow
wiping to fast wiping.
® -Clean the windshield. The wipers wipe
one time after several seconds of driving to
remove water droplets. You can switch this
f unction
off by moving the lever to position ®
within 10 seconds after the afterwipe . The af ­
terwipe function is reactivated the next time
you switch the ignition on .
Cleaning the headlights. The headlight wash­
er system* only functions when the lights are
switched on. The headlights and the night vi­
sion system camera* are cleaned automatical­ ly the first time the lever is press in position
® and every 8 times it is pressed after that.
They are also cleaned every time you hold the lever in position ® for longer than 8 seconds.
A WARNING
-The rain sensor is only designed to assist
and support the driver. It remains entire­
ly the driver's responsibility to monitor
outside weather conditions and to man­
ually activate the wipers as soon as rain
or drizzle reduces visibility through the
windshield .
- The windshield must not be treated with
water-repellent materials . They can in­
crease glare under poor visibility condi­
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the horizon. In addi-
Clear vision 49
tion, they can cause the windshield wip­
ers to chatter.
- Properly functioning windshield wiper
blades are required for a clear view and
safe driving
c:::> page SO, Replacing
windshield wiper blades.
([) Note
-In the case of frost, check whether the
windshield wiper blades are frozen to
the windshield. Switching on the wind­
shield wipers can damage the wiper
blades!
- Prior to using a car wash, the windshield
wiper system must be switched
off (lever
in position 0) . This helps to prevent unin ­
tentional switching on and damage to
the windshield wiper system.
- Do not use the wipers to clear a frosted
window. Using the wipers as a conven­ ient ice scraper will destroy the wiper
blades .
(D Tips
- The windshield wipers are switched off
when the ignition is off. Activate the
windshield wipers after the ignition is
switched back on by moving the wind­
shield wiper lever to any position.
- Worn or dirty windshield wiper blades
result in streaking. This can affect the
rain sensor function . Check your wind­
shield wiper blades regularly .
- The washer fluid nozzles of the wind ­
shield washer system are heated at low
temperatures when the ignition is on.
- When stopping temporarily, e.g. at a
traffic light, the set speed of the wind­
shield wipers is automatically reduced by
one speed.

Mirrors
Adjusting the exterior mirrors
Fig . 47 Fo rw ar d section of driver's armrest: powe r m ir­
r or co nt rols
Turn the knob to the desi red position :
Q/P -In th is position, you can adjust the
driver's and front passenger's exter ior mir rors
by turn ing the knob in t he des ired direction .
® -The m irrors are heated depending on the
out side temperature .
8 -The exterior mirrors fo ld in. In the MMI,
you c an se lect if the m irro rs fold in automat i­
cally when you lock the vehicle
¢ page 32 .
Driver exter io r mi rro r tilt funct ion
To help yo u see the curb when backing into a
parking space, the surface of the mirror tilts
slightly. The knob must be in the P position
for this to happen .
You can ad just the tilted mirror s urface by
turning the knob in the desired direction.
When you move out of reverse and into anoth ­
er gear, the new mirror position is stored and
assigned to the key you a re using.
The mirror goes back into its origina l posit io n
once yo u dr ive forward faster than 9 mph (15
km/h) or switch the ignition off .
A WARNING
-Curved ( i.e. convex) mirror s urfaces in­
crease your field of view . Remember that
vehicles or other objects will appear
small er and farther away than when seen
in a f lat m irror .
If you use this mirro r to
est imate distances of following vehicles
.
Clear vi sion 51
when changing lanes, you co uld estimate
incor rectly and cause an accident.
(D Note
- If the m irror housing is moved uninten ­
tionally (for examp le, w hile pa rking your
vehicle), then yo u must first fold the mir­
ror electrically. Do not read just the mir­
ror housing man ually. You cou ld damage
the motor which controls the mirror.
(D Tips
- The exterior m irror settings are stored
w ith the memory function*
¢ page 62.
- If there is a malfunction in the electrical
system, you can still adjust the outside
mi rrors by pressing the edge of the m ir­
ror .
Dimming the mirrors
Fig . 48 Automatic dimming rearview mirro r
.. To dim the re arview mirror and both exterior
m irrors, press the@ button . The diode ®
turns on. T he rearv iew and exterior mirrors
dim automatically whe n light shines o n
t hem, for examp le from headlights on ave­
hicle to the rear .
A WARNING
Elect ro lyte fluid can lea k from au to matic
d imm ing mir rors if the g lass is b roken .
E lec tro lyte fluid can irr itate skin, eyes and
respiratory system.
- Repeated or prolonged exposu re to e lec­
trolyte can cause irritation to the respira­
tory system, especially among people
with asthma or other resp iratory
.

Armrest
There is a storage compartment under the
armrest .
Fig. 53 Cockp it: ce nter armrest
Opening the storage compartment
.. Press the button -arrow-and move the arm­
rest up¢
fig. 53.
Adjusting the armrest
.. To move the armrest forward and up, press
the button -arrow- while pulling the armrest
into the desired position .
.. To bring the armrest back into its original
position, press the button -arrow- while
pressing the armrest down.
Please note that the driver's arm movements
may be restricted w ith the armrest folded
down . Fo r this reason, the armrest should not
be folded down when driving in city traffic.
Rear seats
General information
Safe transportation of passengers on the rear
seats requires proper safety precautions.
All passengers on the rear seats must be seat­
ed in compliance with the safety guidelines
explained in
¢page 137 and qpage 145.
The correct seating position is critical for the
safety of front
and rear seat passengers alike
¢page 130.
A WARNING
-Occupants in the front and rear seats
must always be properly restrained.
-
Seats and storage 57
- Do not let anyone ride in the vehicle
without the head restraints provided.
Head restraints help to reduce injuries .
- Loose items inside the passenger com­
partment can fly forward in a crash or
sudden maneuver and injure occupants.
Always store articles in the luggage com­
partment and use the tie-down eyelets.
- Read and heed all WARNINGS
¢ page 130, Proper seating positions
for passengers in rear seats.
Adjusting the rear seats
App lies to vehicles: wit h co mfort seats
Fig. 54 Right re ar seat: seat adjustment buttons
@ -Adjust ing the lumbar support: press the
button to the left/right to adjust the lumbar
support curvature¢ &.. Press the button up/
down to adjust the height of the lumbar sup ­
port ¢&,. .
@ -Moving the upper section of the backrest
forward/back. Press the button forward/back
Q &_ .
©-Massage function* : to select the "pu lsat­
ing" massage function, press the button for­
ward. To select the "wave" massage function,
press the button back.
If three lights in the
button turn on, the massage is at the stron­
gest level. To reduce the massage level, press
the button again. To turn the massage func­
tion
off, press the button again until all of the
lights turn
off .
@ -Moving the seat forward/back: press the
button forward/back ¢ &,. .
@ -Moving the seat up/down: press the but-
ton up/down ¢ &,. . ..,_

Operating the reclining rear seat
App lies to v ehicles: with reclining rea r seat
Fig. 56 Rear cente r co nso le : seat adjustment bu tto ns
Reclining position on/off
@-Adjusting the reclining position: press
and hold the button@c:::>
page 58, fig. 55 un­
til your seat and the front passenger's seat
reach their end positions
c:::> page 58, fig. 55.
Depending on the last setting, the leg support
may fold out at the same time. The front pas­
senger seat's can no longer be used in the re­
clining position c:::>
&,.
@ -Adjusting the standard position: press
and hold the button @until the front pas­
senger's seat reaches its end position and its
head restraint is upright. The leg support
folds in at the same time c:::>
&,.
You can adjust the leg support or fold the dis­
play forward in the reclining position:
Adjusting the leg support
®-Folding the leg support out/in: press and
hold the left/right button ®
c:::>fig . 56 until
the leg support reaches the des ired posit ion .
@ -Leg support steeper/flatter: active front
passenger's seat adjustment with the button
(J) . To adjust the front passenger's seat back­
rest and the leg support, press the button ®
forward/back.
© -Leg support forward/back: active front
passenger 's seat adjustment with the button
(J) . To adjust the front passenger's seat and
l eg support forward/back, press the button@
forward/back.
Seats and storage 59
Adjusting the display
©-Tilt ing the display forward/back: press
and hold the left/right b utton @ until the dis­
play reaches the desired position.
You can fold the display forward so that you
have a clear view of the roadway. With the
seat in the reclining position, press and hold
the right button@ unti l the display is folded
forward. Make sure the driver has a clear view
of the exterior mirrors. If so, confirm the
question in the MMI with Yes. If you answer
No or do not respond to the question, the dis­
play will return to the upright pos ition .
A WARNING
Do not use the front passenger's seat for
seating when it is in the reclin ing position.
This increases the risk of serious injury or
death.
- Never adjust the reclining position when
the front passenger's seat is occupied.
This increases the risk of injury.
- Do not t ilt the display if the driver's view
of the right exterior mirror will be ob­
structed.
- Make sure the area between the leg sup­
port and the front passenger's seat back­
rest is clear before fo lding the leg sup­
port in so that you are not pinched.
(!) Tips
If yo u cannot move the seat into the re­
clining position, it may be because
- th e front passenger's seat memory func­
tion is switched off c:::>
page 62 or
- the child safety lock is switched on (the
~ button c:::> page 39 or the rig ht t but­
ton c:::>
page 39 lights up in the driver's
door).

60 Seats and storage
Massage function remote control
Applies to vehicles: with reclining rear seat and massage
f u nct ion
Fig. 57 Remote contro l: recli nin g seat massage func·
tions
The remote controls are located in the rear
center console
q page 63 , fig . 62. The mas­
sage function is only available when the ign i­
tion is switched on.
"To open the remote control compartment,
press the left button and fold the center
armrest upward .
"To adjust the massage type, press the ap­
propriate button@-@ . The LED in the but­
ton will turn on.
"T o adj ust the speed/intensity, turn the
t hu mbwheel @I® . Th e LEDs indicate the
speed/intensity.
" Press the selected massage type again to
switch the massage function off.
Massage types
@-Wave
@ -Pulse
© -St retch
@ -Lumbar
(D} Tips
- The massage function switches off auto­
matically after approximately 10 mi·
nutes.
- If you activate a massage type again, the
last selected intensity and speed wi ll be
se lected.
Comfort settings
Applies to vehicles: wit h comfort seats in the rear
You can adjust settings for the rear seat from
the cockpit using the MMI.
" Select !CAR I function button> Car systems
contro l button > Vehicle settings > Seats >
Rear seats.
Factory settings position -
This function
moves the outer rear seats and the front pas­
senger seatback into the factory settings posi­
t ion .
Entry assistance -Entry assistance makes it
easier to enter and exit the rear seat more
comfortably. When the function is activated,
the rear seat moves all the way back automat­
i ca lly when the corresponding door opens .
Front passenger seat adjustment* -If the
function is act ivated in the MMI, the fro nt
passenger seat can be adjusted from the rear
seat
q page 57, fig . 54 .
The front passenger seat cannot be ad justed
if:
- the front passenger seat memory function is
turned off
q page 62.
- the button
I:@ in the driver's door lights up
q page39.
-the right button[!] lights up in vehicles with
an electronic child safety lock*
q page 39.