sensor AUDI A8 2012 User Guide

windshield wipers react to moisture on the
windshield. You can deactivate rain sensor
mode in the MMI, which will then activate in­
termittent mode. Select:
ICARI function but­
ton
> Car systems control button > Driver as­
sist > Rain sensor> Off.
In intermitten t
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
function 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
sw itched 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
tion, they can cause the windshield wip­
ers to chatter.
- Properly functioning windshield wiper
blades are required for a clear view and
Clear vision 49
safe driving ¢ page 50, Replacing
windshield wiper blades.
(D 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 @). This helps to prevent un­
intentional 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.
@ 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.

Audi adapt ive crui se c ontrol an d bra kin g guard 8 7
Audi adaptive cruise
control and braking
guard
Introduction
App lies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
The adaptive cruise control system assists the
driver by regu lating vehicle speed and helping
to maintain a set distance to the vehicle
ahead, within the limits of the system . If the
system detects a moving vehicle up ahead,
adaptive cruise control can brake and then ac­
celerate your vehicle . Th is he lps to make driv­
ing more comfortable both on long highway
stretches and in stop-and-go traffic.
The braking guard system can warn you about
an impending collision and initiate braking maneuvers ¢
page 93.
Adaptive cruise control and Audi braking
guard have technica l limitations that you
must know, so p lease read this section care­
fully, understand how the system works and use them properly at all times.
General information
General information
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
Fig. 86 Front of the veh icle: sensors and video came ra
The areas that conta in the radar and ultrason ­
ic sensors and the v ideo camera ¢
fig. 86
must neve r be covered by stickers or other ob­
jects or obstructed w ith dirt, insects, snow or
ice that will interfere w ith the adaptive cruise
control system and Audi braking guard. For in­
formation on cleaning , refer to ¢
page 205.
The same applies for any modifications made
in the front area.
T he function of the Adaptive cruise cont ro l
system and A udi braking guard is limited un­
der some conditions.
- Objects can on ly be detected when they are
w ith in sensor range
¢page 89, fig. 89 .
-The system has a limited ability to detect
objects that are a shor t distance ahead,
off
to the side of your vehicle or moving into
your lane.
- Some kinds of ve hicles are hard to detect;
for examp le motorcycles, vehicles with high
ground clearance or overhanging loads may
be detected when it is too late or they may
not be detected at a ll.
- Stationary objects¢
page 88.
-When driving throug h curves ¢ page 88.
& WARNING
Always pay attent ion to traffic when adap ­
tive cruise contro l is switched on and brak­
ing g uard is active. As the driver, you are
still respons ible for start ing and for ma in­
taining speed and distance to other ob­
jects . Braking guard is used to assist you .
The driver must a lways take action to avo id
a collis ion. The driver is a lways responsible
for braking at the co rrect time.
- Improper use of adaptive cru ise control
can cause collisions, other acc idents and
serio us pe rsonal in jury.
- Never let the comfort and conven ience
that adaptive cruise control and Audi
braking guard offer dist ra ct you from the
need to be a lert to t raff ic condi tions and
the need to remain in full con trol of yo ur
vehicle at a ll times,
- Always remember that the adaptive
cruise contro l and Audi braking guard
have limits -they will not s low the vehi ­
cle down or maintain the set d istance
when you drive towards an obstacle or
something on or near the road that is not
mov ing, such as vehicles stopped in a
traffic jam, a stalled or disabled vehicle .
I f regis tered by the radar sensors,

88 Audi adapti ve cruise control and bra king gu ard
vehicles or obstacles that are not moving
can trigger a collision warning and if con­
firmed by the v ideo camera, an acute col­
lis ion warn ing .
- For safety reasons, do not use adaptive
cruise co ntrol when driving on roads with
many curves, when the road surface is in
poor condit ion and/or in bad weather
(such as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and
hydroplan ing) . Using the system under
these cond it ions cou ld result in a co lli ­
sion .
- Swi tch adap tive c ruise control off tempo­
rar ily when driv ing in turning lanes, on
expressway exits or in construction
zones . This prevents the vehicle from ac­
celerat ing to the set speed when in these
situations.
- The adapt ive cruise control system wi ll
not brake by itse lf if you put your foot on
the accelerator pedal. Doing so can over­
ride the speed and d istance regulation .
- When approaching stationary objects such as stopped traff ic, adaptive cruise
co ntrol will not respond and braking
guard w ill have limited function.
- The adapt ive cruise control system and
braking guard do not react to people, an­
imals, objects c rossing the road or on­
coming objects .
- The function of the radar senso rs can be
affected by reflective objects such as
guard rai ls , the entrance to a tunnel,
heavy rain or ice.
- Never follow a ve hicle so closely that you
cannot stop your vehicle safe ly. The
adaptive cruise contro l canno t slow or
brake the vehicle safely when you follow
another vehicle too closely. Always re­
member that the automatic braking
function cannot br ing the vehicle to a
sudden or emergency stop under these condit ions.
- To prevent unintended operation, always switch ACC off when it is not being used. (D Note
The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housing and
underbody. That cou ld affect the adaptive
cruise control system and brak ing guard.
Have your authorized Aud i dea ler or au ­
thorized Audi Service Facility check their
funct ion .
In curves
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cru ise contro l
I
Fig. 87 Ex ampl e: dri ving in to a curve
When d riving into a curve c> fig. 87 and out of
a curve, the ad aptive cruise control may react
to a vehicle in the next lane and apply the
brakes. You can override or prevent the brak­
i ng by pressing the acce lerator pedal b riefly .
' Stationary objects
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
Fig. 88 Exampl e: objec t ch anging l anes and sta tio nar y
object
T he adaptive cru ise control system only reacts
to objects that a re mov ing o r that the system
has already detected as moving . For examp le,
if a vehicle @, which has already been detect-
ed by the adaptive c ruise contro l, tu rns off o r
ch anges lane and ano ther stationary veh icle .,.

Audi adaptive cruise control and braking guard 93
Audi braking guard
Description
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
Fig. 96 Instrument cluster: approach warning
Audi braking guard uses radar sensors and a
video camera. It also functions within the lim­
its of the system when adaptive cruise control
is switched off.
What can Audi braking guard do?
When detected in time, the system can assess
situations when a vehicle ahead brakes sud­
denly or if your own vehicle is traveling at a
high speed and approaching a vehicle up
ahead that is moving more slowly . Audi brak­
ing guard does not react if it cannot detect
the situation.
The system advises you of various situations:
- The
distance warning is given if you are too
close to the vehicle ahead for a long time. If
the vehicle ahead brakes sharply, you will not be able to avoid a collis ion. The indicator
light
I i n the display comes on .
- The
approach warning is given when a de­
tected vehicle up ahead in your lane is mov ­
i ng much more slowly than you are or if it
brakes sharply . When this warning is given,
it may only be possible to avoid a collision
by swerving or braking sharply. The indicator
light
I and indicator in the display will warn
you about the danger
c::> fig . 96. You will a lso
hear an acoustic signal.
If you do not react fast enough or do not react
at all to the situation, Aud i braking guard will
11
This is not ava ilable in som e coun tri es.
intervene by braking and the message braking
guard intervention
will appear.
- If a coll is ion is imminent, the system wi ll
first provide an
acute warning by briefly and
sharply applying the brakes.
- If you do not react to the acute warning,
braking guard can brake with increas ing
force within the limits of the system. This
reduces the vehicle speed in the event of a
collision.
- The system can initiate complete dece lera­
tion shortly before a collision
1>. Full deceler­
ation at high speeds occurs only in vehicles
with adaptive cruise control and side assist
(pre sense plus).
- If the Audi braking guard senses that you
are not braking hard enough when a colli­
sion is immi nent, it can increase the braking
force.
- The pre sense functions also engage when a
collision is imm inent
c::> page 185 .
Which function s can be controlled?
You can switch Audi braking guard and the
distance/approach warning on or off in the
MMI c::> page 94, Settings in the MMI.
A WARNING
Lack of attention can cause collisions, oth­
er accidents and serious personal injuries .
The Audi braking guard is an assist system
and cannot prevent a collision by itself.
The driver must always intervene. The driv­
er is always responsib le for braking at the
correct time.
- Always pay close attention to traffic,
even when the Audi braking guard is
switched on. Be ready to intervene and
be ready to take complete control when ­
ever necessary. Always keep the safe and
legal distance between your veh icle and
veh icles up ahead.
- Audi brak ing guard works within limits
and will not respond outside the system
lim its, for example when approaching a

94 Audi adap tive cruise control and br aking guard
stopped vehicle or stationary obstacle
(end of a traffic jam or veh icle that has
broken down in traffic).
- Always remember that the radar sensor
for the Audi braking guard works only
within defined detection and range limits
that may prevent the proper detection of
other vehicles .
- The radar sensor's function and range
can be reduced by rain, snow and heavy
spray. Moving vehicles up ahead may not
be promptly detected or may not be de­
tected at al l.
- Reflective surfaces includ ing crash barri­
ers or tunnel entrances may impair the
func tion of the radar sensor.
{D) Tips
- You can cancel the braking w ith increas­
i ng force that is initiated by the system
by braking yo urself, by accelerating no­
ticeab ly or by swerving.
- Audi braking guard error messages
¢page 94.
- Keep in mind that braking gua rd can
brake u nexpectedly. Always secure any
ca rgo or objec ts th at yo u are transport­
i ng to reduce the risk of damage or in­
ju ry.
Settings in the MMI
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise co ntrol
.. Se lect: I CARI function button > Ca r sys tem s
control button > Drive r assist > Audi b rak­
ing guard .
System -
Switch Audi braking g uard On and
Off . When you switch the ignition on, the
message
Aud i braking gua rd off appears if
the system is switched off.
Ea rly warnin g -The distance and approach
warn ings in the display can be switched
On /
Off .
(D Tips
- Your settings are automatically stored
and ass igned to the remote control key being used at the times the settings are
made.
- If you switch the ESC to sport mode, A u­
di braking gua rd switc hes off a utomat i­
cally r=:>page
189.
- Switch A udi braking guard off when you
are loading the vehicle onto a vehicle car­
rier, train, ship or other type of transpor­
tat ion. This can prevent undesired warn­
ings from the braking guard system.
Messages
Applies to vehicles: with Aud i adaptive cru ise contro l
ACC unavailable
ACC and b raking gua rd: unavailable
T he system cannot detect moving vehicles up
ahead correctly and is switched off. The sen­
sors have been displaced or a re not working
proper ly . The Audi pre sense functions may a l­
so be affected. Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or authorized A udi service facility im­
med iate ly to have the malfunction corrected.
ACC: unavaila ble at thi s time. No sen sor vi­
sion
ACC and braking guide: un ava ilabl e at thi s
time . No s ensor vi sion
Th is message appears if the sensor v iew is ob­
structed, for examp le by leaves, snow, heavy
spray o r d irt. Clean the sensors
r=;, page 87,
fig. 86 .
ACC: unavailabl e at this time. Inclin e too
s teep
The road exceeds the max imum possible an­
gle for proper adaptive cru ise control opera­
t ion. Adaptive cru ise cont rol is switched off.
ACC: only selector lever pos itions D , S or M
available
Se lect the D, Sor M selector lever position .
ACC: un available at thi s time . Parking brake
s et
T he adapt ive cru ise control system switches
off au tomatically if the par king b rake is set. .,.

Audi side assist Lane Change Assistant
Description
App lies to vehicles: with si de assist
Fig . 10 1 Sensor detection range
Fig. 102 Disp lay on the exterior mirror
Side assist he lps you monitor yo ur blind spot
and traffic behind your veh icle. W ith in the
limits of the system, it warns you about vehi­
cles that are coming closer or that are travel­
i n g with you with in sensor range
(D
c::, fig . 101: if a lane change is class ified as crit­
ical, the display @ in the exterior mirror
c::> fig. 102 turns on.
The display in the left exterior mirror provides
assistance when making a lane cha nge to t he
l eft, while the display in the right exter ior mir­
r or p rov ides assistance when making a lane
change to t he right.
Information stage
As long as you do not activate the turn signal,
side assist
informs you about vehicles that are
detected and class ified as crit ica l. The display
i n the respec tive mirro r turns o n, but is d im .
Aud i side assist 99
The display remains d im intentionally in the
information stage so that your view toward
the front is not disturbed .
Warning st age
If you activate the turn signal, s ide assist
warns you about veh icles that are detected
and classified as critical. The display in the re ­
spective mirror blinks brightly . If this hap­
pens, check traff ic by glancing in the rearview
mirror and over your shoulder¢
A in General
information on page 100.
@ Tips
- You can adjust the brightness of the dis­
play @¢
page 101.
-Please refer to the instructions fo r tow­
ing a trailer located in¢
page 100.

100 Audi side assist
General information
App lies to vehicles: with side assist
®
©
Fig. 103 Driving s it u at ions
A U D I
• 0
Fig . 104 Rear of th e ve hicle: pos it io n of t he se nso rs
Side assis t fu nctions at speeds above ap prox i­
ma tely 19 mph (30 km/h).
(D V ehicles that are approaching
In certain cases, a vehicle will be classified as
cr itical for a lane change
even if it is still
somewhat far away. The fas ter a vehicle ap­
p ro aches, the sooner the disp lay in the exteri­
or m irror will t urn on.
@ Vehicles traveling with you
Vehicles traveling w ith you are indicated in the
exterior m irror if they are classified as cr it ical
for a lane change. All vehicles detec ted by
side assis t are in dicated by the time they en­
ter your "blind spot", at the latest.
@ Vehicles left behind
If you s low ly pass a ve hicl e tha t sid e ass ist has
dete cted ( the difference in s peed between the
vehicle and you r vehicle is less than 9 mph or
15 km/ h), the display in the exterio r mirror
turns on as soon as the vehicle enters your blind spot.
The disp lay wi ll not t urn on if you quickly pass
a vehicle that s ide assist has detected (t he d if ­
f erence in speed between the ve hicle and your
vehicle is greater than 9 mph or 15 km/h).
Functional limitations
T he radar senso rs are designed to detect the
left and right adjacent lanes when the road
l anes a re the normal width. In certain situa­
t ions, the d isp lay in the exterior mirror may
turn on even though there is no ve hicle locat­
ed in the area that is cr itical fo r a la ne cha nge.
Fo r example:
- if the lanes are narrow or if your are driving on the edge of your lane. If this is the case ,
the system may have detected the vehicle in
another lane that is
not adjacent to you r
cur rent lane .
- if you a re driving through a c urve . Side assis t
may react to a vehicle that is one lane ove r
from the adjacent lane .
- if side assist reacts to other objects (such as
high or d isp laced gua rd rails) .
- In poor weather conditions. The side assist
fu nctions are limited .
Do not cover the radar sensors
c::> fig. 104 with
stickers, depos its, bicycle wheels or other ob­
jects, because this wi ll affect the funct io n. Do
not use s ide ass ist when towing a trailer . For
information on cleaning, refe r to
c::> page 205 .
&_ WARNING
-Always pay a tten tion t o traffic and to the
a rea around your ve hicl e. Side a ssist can ­
no t repla ce a driver's atte ntion. The driv ­
er a lone is always respons ible fo r lane
cha nges a nd similar driving mane uvers.

-Improper reliance on the side assist sys­
tem can cause collisions and serious
personal injury:
- Never rely only on side assist when
changing lanes.
- Always check rear view mirrors to make
sure that it is safe to change lanes.
- Side assist cannot detect all vehicles un­
der all conditions- danger of accident!
- Please note that side assist indicates
there are approaching vehicles, or vehi­ cles in your blind spot, only after your ve­
hicle has reached a driving speed of at
least 19 mph (30 km/h).
- In certain situations, the system may not
function or its function may be limited.
For example:
- if vehicles are approaching or being left
behind very quickly. The display may
not turn on in time.
- in poor weather conditions such as
heavy rain, snow or heavy mist .
- on very wide lanes, in tight curves or if
there is a rise in the road surface . Vehi­
cles in the adjacent lane may not be de­
tected because they are outside of the
sensor range.
(D Note
The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housing and
underbody. This can affect the system .
Have your authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility check their
function.
(D Tips
- If the window glass in the driver's door
or front passenger's door has been tint­
ed, the display in the exterior mirror may be misinterpreted.
- For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regula­
tions
c::>page 283.
Audi side assist 101
Activating and deactivating
Applies to vehicles: m it s ide ass ist
Fig. 105 Driver 's doo r: Side ass ist button
.,. Press the c::> A in General information on
page 100
button to switch the system on/
off . The LED in the button turns on when
side assist is switched on.
Adjusting the display brightness
App lies to vehicles: wit h side assist
The brightness setting can be adjusted via the
MMI.
.,. Select: I CAR I function button > Car systems
control button
> Driver assist > Audi side
assist .
The display brightness adjusts automatically
to the brightness of the surroundings, both in
the information and in the warning stage . In
very dark or very bright surroundings, the dis­
play is already set to the minimum or maxi­
mum level by the automatic adjustment. In
such cases, you may notice no change when
adjusting the brightness, or the change may
only be noticeable once the surroundings
change.
Adjust the brightness to a level where the dis­
play in the information stage will not disrupt
your view forward.
If you change the bright­
ness, the display in the exterior mirror will
briefly show the brightness leve l in the infor­
mation stage. The brightness of the warning
stage is linked to the brightness in the infor­
mation stage and is adjusted along with the
information stage adjustment .

102 Audi side assist
- Side assist is not active wh ile you are
making the adjus tment.
- Your settings are automatica lly sto red
and ass igned to the remote control key
being used.
Driver messages
App lies to vehicles: with side assist
If side ass ist switches off by itse lf, t he LED in
the butto n tur ns off a nd a message will ap­
pea r in the instr ume nt cl uster d is p lay:
Audi side assist : Currently unavailable. No
sensor vision
The radar se nsors' vision is affected. Do not
cover the area in front of the senso rs wi th bike
wheels, stickers, dirt or other objects. Clean
the area in front of the sensors, if necessary
c::;, page 100, fig. 104 .
Audi side assist : Currently unavailable
Side assis t ca nno t be swi tched o n tem porar ily
beca use there is a mal function (for exam ple,
the battery cha rge leve l may be too low) .
Audi side assist: System fault!
The system cannot guara ntee that it w ill de­
t e ct ve hicl es co rrec tly a nd it is sw itche d off .
The senso rs have been displaced o r a re faulty.
H ave the sy stem che cke d by an au thor ized A u­
di d eal er o r aut horiz ed Au di Servi ce Fa cili ty
s o on.
Audi side assist : Unavailable when towing .
Side assist switches off aut omatically whe n a
factory -insta lled trailer h itch is connected to
the el ectrical connector on the trailer. There is
no guara ntee the system will switc h off whe n
usi ng a retrofi tt ed traile r h itch . Do not use
side assis t when towing a tra iler .

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) . ..,.