AUDI A8 2012 Owners Manual

Automatic Transmission
tiptronic (8-speed
transmission)
Introduction
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronically
controlled 8-speed automatic transmission .
Upshifting and downsh ifting take place
auto­
matically .
The driver also has the option to shift the
gears
manually r::;, page 112 .
Dynamic Shift Progr am (DSP)
When a moderate driving style is used, the
transmission selects the most economica l
driving mode. The transmission upshifts at a lower RPM and downshifts at a higher RPM to
improve fuel efficiency.
The transmission switches to a sporty mode after a kick-down or when the driver uses a
sporty driv ing style characterized by quick ac­
celerator pedal movements, heavy accelera­
tion, frequent changes in speed and traveling
at the maximum speed.
Selecting the best driving mode is a continu­
ous process. However, the transmiss ion will
also jump to a sporty driving mode if you
press the acce lerator pedal quick ly . When you
do this, the transmission shifts down into a
lower gear, wh ich makes it possible to acceler­
ate quickly (for examp le, when passing anoth­
er vehicle) without having to press the pedal
down into the k ick -down area. Once the trans ­
miss ion has shifted up again, it returns to the
original driving mode as long as it matches
the current driving style.
When driving in hills and mountains, the gear
selection adapts to the grade. This prevents
constant upshifting and downshifting when
driving uph ill.
Automatic Transmission 109
Indicator in the display
Fig. 115 Disp lay : se lecto r leve r posit ion
@ -The current selector lever position is dis­
played continuously . The gear is a lso dis­
played in manual mode
M .
® -This indicator appears temporarily if you
change the selector lever position or if you
press the button on the selector lever
c:> page 109, fig . 116 . The current selector
lever position is shown w ith a white back­
ground.
Selecting a selector lever position
F ig. 116 Selector lever
---p--- --1
----R--- -
---N--- --1
-D/S--
Fig. 117 Pressing the button o n the selector leve r
M O>
9 :c .. CD
The current selector lever pos ition is displayed
on the sele ctor lever
r::;, fig. 116. llll>

110 Automatic Tran sm iss ion
• You may need to release the selector lever
l ock depending on which se lector lever posi ­
t ion is selected and which one you would
Like to select ¢
page 110, Selector lever
lock.
• To engage the nearest selector lever posi ­
t ion, move the selector lever forward/back
unti l you feel the first pressure point . The
selector lever will return to its original posi ­
t ion.
• To skip over one (or two) se lector lever posi­
tions, move the selector lever past the first
(and second) pressure point into the desired
pos it ion. The selector lever will return to its
origina l position.
For example, to move directly from the D se­
lector lever position to P when stopping the
vehicle, you can shift past the N and R selector lever positions.
S ele ctor l ever lock
The selector lever lock prevents you from se ­
lecting a position unintentionally, causing the
vehicle to roll. When engaging some selector lever positions, you must press the button on
the selector lever¢
fig. 116 and/or press the
brake pedal.
You must press the brake pedal to engage a
selector lever position when the engine is run­ n ing while the vehicle is stationary. The ar­
rows¢
fig. 117 indicate when you need to
press the button on the selector lever .
The selector lever does not lock if you sh ift
from D to R w ith in one second . Th is allows
you to "rock" the vehicle to free it when it is
stuck .
P- P ark
The whee ls are locked in th is position. Only
shift into park when the vehicle is stationary
¢ & .To engage the P selector lever position,
press the button on the selector lever and
shift into the P position .
You can only shift out of park when the eng ine
is running and you are press ing the brake ped­
al. Press the button on the selector lever to r
elease the parking lock and select the desired
selector lever position.
P engages automa tica lly when you sw itch the
engine off while D, Sor R is engaged o r in
manua l mode .
If you switch the eng ine off when N is engag­
ed, the transmiss ion remains in N for approxi­
mately 30 minutes and then Pis engaged .
You must use the emergency release proce­ dure to release the parking lock before towi ng
the vehicle
¢ page 113.
R- Reverse
The reverse gear is engaged in this posit ion .
Only select reverse when the vehicle is sta­
t ionary and the eng ine is running at id le speed
¢ & -To engage the R selector leve r pos ition,
press the button on the selector lever, press
the b rake pedal and move the selector lever
into the R position.
T he back-up lights turn on when you select
the R selector lever pos it ion wh ile the eng ine
. . 1s ru nning .
N -Neutral
The transm iss ion is in idle in this pos it ion . To
engage the N selector lever posit ion, press
the button on the selector lever and sh ift into
t h e N pos it ion.
If you switch the eng ine off when N is e ngag­
ed, the transmiss ion remains in N for approxi­
mately 30 minutes and then P is engaged .
You cannot se lect the N pos ition when the ig­
nition is sw itched off. When dr iv ing th rough
an automat ic car wash, first select the N posi­
t ion and then switch the engine off
¢page 204.
The veh icle cannot be locked when the selec­
tor lever is in the N position.
D - Dri ve
In this pos ition, the transmission sh ifts up
and down automatically depending on eng ine
load, veh icle speed and the dynamic shift pro -
gram (DSP) .
ll-

To shift from N to D when traveling at speeds
be low S km/h, press the brak e pedal and se­
lect the D se lector lever position
~ .& .
Unde r certain conditions such as driving in the
mountains or when towing a trailer , it may be
helpful to switch to manual mode temporarily
to sh ift
manually to adapt to the driv ing con­
ditions
r:=:> page 112.
S -Sport
The 5 position can be selected fo r sporty driv­
ing. Upshifting at a higher RPM makes full use
of the engine's power.
You can only select the S selector lever posi­
tion when Dis engaged . Move the selector
l ever back to engage the 5 selector lever posi ­
tion. To select the D sel ector lever position
again when 5 is engaged, move the selector
lever back
r:=:> .&.
The 5 selector lever position engages auto­
matica lly when you select the dynamic mode
in Audi drive se lect .
A WARNING
-Never engage R or P wh ile driving. It
could cause a crash.
-
- Power is still transmitted to the whee ls
when the engine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake in all
selector lever positions except P and N
when the eng ine is running. Do not inad­
vertent ly press the accelerator pedal
when the vehicle is stationary . Otherwise
the vehicle will start to move immediate­
ly. This cou ld happen even if the parking
brake is activated .
- Before opening the hood, select the P se­
lector lever position and set the parking
brake. This reduces the risk of a crash . A l­
ways read and follow the applicable
warnings
r:=:> page 213, Engine compart­
ment.
- Never get out of the driver's seat when
the engine is running.
Automatic Transmission 111
-If you must get out of the vehicle , move
the selector lever secure ly into the P po­
sition and apply the parking brake firmly.
@ Tips
- If you unintentionally shift into the N se­
lector lever position while driving, take
your foot off the accelerator pedal and
wa it for the engine to slow down until it
is idling before you sh ift into Dor 5.
Driving tips
The gears shif t automa tically.
Starting from a stop
.. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.. Start the engine
r:=:>page 80.
.. Press the b utton on the s elector lever and
select the D, 5 or R se lector lever position
r:=:> page 109 .
.. Wait a moment until the transmiss ion
shifts . You will notice a slight movement
when the gear engages .
"" Release the brake peda l and press the accel­
erator pedal
r:=:> &, .
Stopping temporarily
.. Press the brake pedal to stop the veh icle,
for example at a traffic light. Do not press
the acce lerator pedal when doing this.
"" To prevent the vehicle from rolling when
you start driving, set the parking brake
when stopp ing on large inclines
r:=:> &, .
.,. Th e parking brake will release automatica lly
and the vehicle will start moving once you
press the acce lerato r pedal.
Parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the driver's door, the vehicle
could roll . The message
Transmission: Car
may roll! Shift to park!
appears .
.. Press and hold the bra ke peda l¢ &, .
"" Set the park ing brake.
.. To engage the P se lector lever position,
press the button on the selector lever and
shift into the P position
r:=:> page 109 .

112 Automatic Transmission
When parking on a level surface, simply place
the selector lever in the P position. On slopes,
activate the parking brake first and then
move
the selector lever to the P position. This pre­
vents too much stress from being placed on
the locking mechanism.
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS Q .&. in Se­
lecting a selector lever position on
page
111.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selector lever position
wh ile the vehicle is stationary and the
engine is ru nn ing. This could result in a
crash .
- Never engage R or P while driving.
It
could cause a crash .
- Power is still transmit ted to the whee ls
when the engine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake in all
selector lever positions except P and N
when the engine is running. Do not inad­
vertently press the accelerator pedal
when the veh icle is stationary . Otherwise
the vehicle will start to move immediate­
ly, even if the parking brake is set. This
could result in a crash.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration .
When you press the accelerator pedal down
beyond the resistance point , the automatic
transmission downshifts into a lower gear, de­ pending on vehicle speed and engine RPM.
It
shifts up into the next h igher gear once the
maximum specified engine RPM is reached .
A WARNING
Please note that the wheels could spin on
slic k or slippery roads when kick-down is
active.
Shifting manually
The shift paddles allow the driver to shift the
gears manually .
Fig. 118 Steering whee l: sh ift in g manually
" To shift to a higher or lower gear temporari ­
ly, tap the
0 or 0 shift paddle Q fig. 118.
" To switch manual mode on, press the~
button. M and the gear that is currently en­
gaged @appears in the instrument cluster
display
Q page 109, fig. 115.
" To shift up one gear, tap the right shift pad­
dle
G) ¢ fig . 118 .
" To shift down one gear, tap the left shift
paddle Q.
" To switch manual mode off, press the~
button again, or
" Move the selector lever back and release it .
When you acce lerate or reduce the speed, the
transmission automatically shifts into the cor­
rect gear shortly before reaching the RPM lim­
it. If you select a lower gear than the one cur­
rently shown in the display, the automatic
transmission will only shift down once there is no danger of exceeding the maximum RPM .
The engine braking effect increases when you
downsh ift when going downhill.
. Transmission malfunction
[O] Transmission: please press the brake ped­
al and select the position again
Press the brake pedal and select the desired
se lector lever position again. You can then
continue driving.
[O] Transmission hot: please modify driving
~le
~

The transmission temperature has increased
significantly due to the sporty driving manner. Drive in a less sporty manner until the tem­
perature returns to the normal range and the
indicator light switches of.
[O] Gearbox malfunction: you can continue
driving
There is a system ma lfunction in the transmis­
sion. You may continue driving. Drive to your
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair fa­
cility soon to have the malfunction corrected .
[O];lij Gearbox malfunction: you can contin·
ue driving in D only until engine is off
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion . The transmission is switching to emer­
gency mode. If you turn the engine
off, you
will not be able to select any other selector
l ever positions after starting the engine again.
Drive to your authorized Audi dea ler or quali­
fied repai r facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
[O] Gearbox malfunction: you can continue
driving {limited functionality)
There is a system ma lfunction in the transmis­
sion. The transmission is switching to emer ­
gency mode. This mode only shifts into cer­
tain gears or will not longer shift at all. The
engine may sta ll. Drive to your authorized Au­
di dealer or qualified repa ir facility immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
[o]tlij Gearbox malfunction: no reverse gear
(you can continue driving)
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion. The transmission is switching to emer ­
gency mode. This mode only shifts into cer­
tain gears or will not longer shift at all. You
cannot engage the reverse gear. Drive to your
author ized Audi dealer immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
[O] Vehicle may roll! Cannot shift to P. Please
apply parking brake
- The parking lock was released using the
emergency release
r=:> page 113. Or
Automatic Transmission 113
- The parking brake cannot engage automati ­
cally . Drive to your authorized Audi dea ler or
qualif ied repair facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
[O] Gearbox malfunction: Stop and shift to P
Do not continue dr iving. Select the P selector
lever position and see your authorized Aud i
dealer or qualified repair facility for assis­
tance .
Parking lock emergency release
The parking lock must be released using the
emergency release before towing the vehicle.
Fig. 119 Driver 's side footwell: releas ing the park ing
lock using the emergency release
.------------------ -~
Fig. 120 Dr iver"s side footwel l: resett ing the parking
l ock
8 ±
~
The emergency release is located under the
floor mat on the driver's side. You operate the
emergency release from the driver's seat.
Releasing the parking lock using the
emergency release
.. To prevent the vehicle from rolling uninten­
tionally, set the parking brake©
r=:> page 82
or press the brake pedal.
.,. There are two slits on the cover. Posit ion
the screwdriver from the veh icle tool kit in
Ill-

114 Automatic Transmission
one of the sli ts on the cover and pry the cov­
er
off .
.. Pu ll the band @ in the direction of the ar­
row until the release lever locks in place
<=>fig . 119.
• Fold the upper section of the release lever
down into the recess .
Resetting the parking lock
.. Press the button @ and the release lever at
the same time. You can now push the lever
back into its orig inal position . Make sure the
lever locks in place <=>
fig. 120 .
• Install the cover .
The indicator light
[O] and the N position indi­
cator in the instrument cluster turn on when
the park ing lock is released using the emer­
gency re lease . The message
Risk of rolling! P
not possible . Please set the parking brake
al­
so appears .
.&_ WARNING
If you release the parking lock using the
emergency release, secure your vehicle
with the parking brake or the brake pedal
if the parking brake is not working. The ve­
hicle can roll away if it is not secured and
cause a crash.
-

Advanced Parking System
Advanced Parking System with rear view
camera
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with park ing system (rear, with rear
view ca mera)
Fig . 121 Parking mode 1: reverse park ing
F ig . 122 Parking mode 2: parallel park ing
"' s ±
" m
Vehicles w ith the parking system advanced
are equipped with a rear view camera in addi­
tion to the acoustic and visua l parking system .
You can choose between two modes to assist
you with park ing. For example, you can use
"parking mode 1" when parking in a parking
space or garage
c::!;> fig . 121. When you want to
park parallel to the edge of the street, select
"parking mode 2"
¢fig. 122 .
Advanced Parking System 115
General Information
Applies to vehicles: wit h parking system advanced
Fig. 123 Area covered @and area not covered @by
the rear view camera.
AUDl
Fig. 124 Rear lid: Locat ion of the rear v iew camera
Sensors in the bumper
Sensors are located in the front and rear
bumpe rs . If these detect an obstacle, audible
and visual signals warn you. The range at
which the sensors begin to meas ure is approx­
imately :
side 3 ft (0.90 m)
front 4 ft (1.20 m)
side 2 ft (0.60 m)
rear center 5.2 ft
(1.60 m)
The close r you get to the obstacle, the shorter
the interval between the audible signals. A
continuous tone sounds when the obstacle is
less than approximately 1 foot (0 .30 meters)
away. Do not continue driving farther!
If the distance to an obstacle remains con­
stant, the volume of the distance warning
gradually drops after about four seconds (this
does not apply in the continuous tone range) . ..,.

116 Advanc ed Parking S ystem
Rear vi ew cam era co ve ra ge area
The MM I display shows the area covered by
the rear view camera
c::> fig. 123 @ . Objects
that are not in the area covered @are not
shown on the MMI display.
We recommend that you p ractice park ing with
the rear view camera in a t raffic -free location
or parking lot to become familiar with the sys ­
tem, the orientation lines, and their function.
When doing th is, there sho uld be good light
and weather conditions.
In 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,
- you are d riving in reverse gear toward pro ­
truding objects,
- the vehicle is carrying too much load in the
rear.
The accuracy of the orientation lines and blue
surfaces dim inishes if:
- the adaptive air suspension/sport* is faulty, the vehicle is lifted or dynamic mode is se­
lected
c::> page 103,
- the rear view camera does not provide a reli­
able image, for examp le, in poor visibility
cond it ions or if the lens is dirty,
- the image on the screen is not visible due to
sun glare and reflect ion.
Car in g for the rear view came ra lens
The rear view camera is located above the rear
license plate bracket . For the parking system
to operate, the lens
c::> fig . 124 must be kept
clean:
- Dampen the lens with a household alcohol­
based glass cleaner, and then wipe the lens
clean with a dry cloth
c::> CD.
- Remove snow with a hand brush and ice
preferably with a de-icing spray
c::> (D .
A WARNING
,-
- Senso rs have blind spots in which objects
cannot be detected . Pay special attention 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 view 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 col lis ion, do not continue
to use the system for safety reasons .
H ave 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 detection range as they are approached
and w ill not cont inue to be signaled. Ob­
jects such as ba rr ier chains, trailer draw
bars, thin painted vert ica l poles or fen­
ces may not be detected by the system,
posing risk of damage .
- N ever use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the rear view camera
lens - this could ca use the lens to crack!
- When cleaning the lens, never use prod ­
ucts that are abrasive.

Switching on and off
Applies to vehicles: with parking system advanced
The rear view camera switches on automati­
cally together with the acoustic and visual
park assist when you put the vehicle in re­
verse .
Fig. 125 Cen ter con sol e: Pa rking syst em swi tc h
Fig. 126 MMI display: visual distan ce di splay
Switching on
• Switch the MMI on
• Activate
comfort or auto mode in Audi drive
select
¢ page 103.
• Shift into reverse or
• Press the switch
Pw.!l. in the center console
¢
f ig. 125. A short confirmation tone
sounds and the ind icator light in the sw itch
light s up .
Switching between the rear view camera
and visual display
• Press the Graphic control button
¢
page 118 , fig . 127 @to see the visual
display .
• Press the
Rearview control button to see
the rear view camera image¢
fig. 126 .
Switching off
• Dr ive faste r than 6 mph (10 km/h), or
Advanced Parking System 11 7
• press the switch P1#.!l. or
• switch off the ignit ion .
Segments in the visual display
The red segments in front of and behind the
vehicle
¢ fig. 126 help you to determine the
distance between yo u and an obstacle. As
your vehicle comes closer to the obstacle, the
segments move closer to the veh icle. The co l­
lision area has been reached when the next to
las t segmen t is displayed . Do not continue
driving farther ¢.&
in General Information
on page 116!
A WARNING
- The MMI display cannot show, or cannot
adequately show, certain objects (such as
small posts or grating), recesses in the
g ro und and protruding parts on another
car.
- Only use the rear view camera to assist
you if it shows a good, clear picture . For
examp le, the image may be affected by
the sun s hining into the lens, dirt on the
lens or if there is a defect.
- Use the rear view camera on ly with the
rear lid comp lete ly closed . Make sure any
objects you may have mounted on the
rear lid do not block the rear v iew cam­
era.
(D Tips
- The sensors must be kept clean and free
of snow and ice for the park assist to op­
erate.
- If your ve hicle is near an obstacle, an ad­
ditional v isual ind icator appears in the
rearview camera image. Th is superim­
posed image is there to help you to de­
termined which area of the vehicle is af­
fected .
- You can change the volume and pitch of the signals as well as the display
r:!;; page 119.
-What appears in the display is time-de­
layed .

118 Advanced Parking System
Reverse Parking
Applies to vehicles: with park ing system advanced
Parking mode 1 con be used when parking in
a garage or into a parking space.
Fig. 127 MMI display: aiming at a parking spot
Fig. 128 MMI display : al igning the vehicl e
• Turn the steering wheel until the orange
orientation lines
(D appear in the parking
spot
c::> fig . 12 7 . Use the markings @to help
you estimate the distance from an obstacle. Each marking represents 3
ft (1 meter). The
blue area represents an extension of the ve­
hicle's outline by approximately 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
¢(D. @ marks the rear bumper. Stop the
vehicle when the red orientation line © bor­
ders an object
c::> ,& !
_& WARNING
-The rear view camera does not show the
entire area behind the vehicle
¢page 115, fig. 123. Watch out espe­
cially for small children and animals. The 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 rear of a truck). In this case,
you should not use the help lines to help
with parking, which poses danger of an accident!
(D Note
In the M MI dis play , 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
rear. Maintain plenty of distance so that
your outside mirror or a corner of your ve­
hicle does not collide with any obstacles.
This can damage to your vehicle.
Parallel Parking
Applies to vehicles: with parking system adva nced
Use parking mode 2 to help you parallel pork
along the side of a street.
Fig. 129 MMI display: blue surface in the park ing spot
Fig. 130 MMI disp lay: Blu e curve on the curb