lock AUDI A8 2012 Owner's Guide

72 Seats and stor age
Addit ional storage
There are a variety of storage compartments
and fasteners in various places in the vehicle.
- Storage compartments in the doors
- Net in the front passenger footwell
- Eyeglasses compartment in the headliner (near the rearview mirror)
- Storage compartments under the center
armrests
- Compartments* on the back of the front
seat backrests
- Garment hooks over the rear doors
- Compartment in the center console with
pass-through)* (rear)
- Compartment behind the rear center arm­
rest (in vehicles without the pass-through*
or refrigerator*)
- Bag hooks in the luggage compartment
A WARNING
-When driving, do not leave any hard ob­
jects on the rear window shelf or allow
your pet to sit on the shelf. They could
become a hazard for vehicle occupants in
the event of sudden braking or a crash .
- Always remove objects from the instru­
ment panel. Any items not stored could
slide around inside the vehicle while driv­
ing or when accelerating or when apply­
ing the brakes or when driving around a
corner.
- When you are driving make sure that
anything you may have placed in the cen­
ter console or other storage locat ions
cannot fall out into the footwells. In case
of sudden braking you would not be able
to brake or accelerate.
- Any articles of clothing that you have
hung up must not interfere with the driv­
er's view. The coat hooks are designed
only for lightweight clothing. Never hang
any clothing with hard, pointed or heavy
objects in the pockets on the coat hooks.
During sudden braking or in an accident -
especially if the airbag is deployed - these objects could injure any passen­
gers
inside the vehicle.
- To reduce the risk of personal injury in an
accident or sudden stop, always keep the
glove compartment closed while driving.
- Read and follow all WARNINGS
c:> page 161, Important safety instruc­
tions on the side airbag system.
- Hang clothes in such a way that they do
not impair the driver's vision.
- The coat hooks must only be used for
lightweight clothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp edged objects in the pock­
ets which may interfere with the side cur­
tain airbag deployment and can cause personal injury in a crash.
- Do not use coat hangers for hanging clothing on the coat hooks as this can in­
terfere with proper deployment of the
side curta in airbags in an acc ident.
- Do not hang heavy objects on the coat
hooks, as they could cause personal in­
jury in a sudden stop.
@ Note
Objects located on the rear shelf that rub
against the rear window could damage the
heating wires for the rear window defog­
ger .
(D Tips
-A vent slot is located between the shelf
and the rear window. Do not block the
vent with any items you may place on the
rear window she lf.
- Do not place bulky items on the rear win­
dow shelf as they could restrict or block
the driver's vision in the rear view mirror.
Cooler
Introduction
App lies to vehicles: wit h coo ler
Please clean the cooler before using it for the
first time
c:> page 213.
You can only switch on the cooler if ...

76 Warm and cold
Operation
We recommend pressing the IAU TOI button and setting the temperature to 72 °F (22 °C) .
Fig. 77 Cockp it co ntrols
F ig . 78 fou r zone automat ic cl imate co ntrol: rea r con ­
trols
Press the buttons to t urn the f unctions on or
off . Use the d ials to adjust the temperature,
the blower speed and the air distribution . The
LED in a button will light up when the func­
tion is sw itched on. The settings are show n in
the cl imate co ntrol d isplay a nd are also shown
in the MMI display for a few seconds . The driv­
er and front passenger settings ca n be ad just­
ing separately.
You can a lso adjust the rear left and r ight
sides in the fo ur zone automat ic climate co n­
trol* ~
fig. 78.
IO FF ! Switching the clim ate control
system on/off
The IO FFI b utton switches the climate control
system on or off . It a lso switches on when you
turn the dia l or press any b utton . Airf low from outside is blocked when the c
limate control
system is switched off .
You can a ctivate the residual hea t fu nction
when the ignition is off by p ressing and hold­
i ng the ~ button . The residua l heat from the
coolant is used to heat the vehicle interior.
The residua l heat function switches off a uto ­
matically after about 30 minutes.
IACI Switching cooling mode on /off
T he air is not coo led and h umidity is not re­
moved when cooling mode is switched off.
T his can ca use fog on the windows. Cooling
mode switches off automatically when the
outside temperature is below zero.
1 -1 Switching reci rculation mode on /off
In recircu lation mode, the air inside the vehi ­
cle is c irculated and f iltered. This prevents the
u nfiltered air outs ide the vehicle from enter­
ing the vehicle interior . We recommend
switching recircu lation mode on when driving
t h rough a tunne l or when s itting in traff ic
q &_ .
The !AU TO I button or~ button switches reci r­
cu lation mode off.
IAU TOI Switching automatic mode on
A utomat ic mode maintains a cons tant tem ­
perature inside the vehicle. A ir temperature,
IJli>

On the road
Steering
Adjusting steering wheel position
The steering wheel position can be adjusted
for height and reach .
Fig. 80 Switch for steer ing w heel adjustment
First, adjust the driver's seat correctly.
• To adjust the height, press the switch up/
down . The steering column will continue
moving as long as you are pressing the
switch.
• To move the steering wheel forward or
back, press the switch forward/back. The
steering column will continue moving as long as you are pressing the switch.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween your chest and the center of the steer­ ing wheel. If you cannot sit more than 10 in­
ches (25 cm) from the steering wheel, see if
adaptive equipment is available to help you
reach the pedals and increase the distance
from the steering wheel.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's sea t, see
Q page 55.
In vehicles with the memory function*, the
steering column settings are stored together
with the seat position .
A WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjust­
ment and improper seating position can
cause serious personal injury.
-
On the road 79
-Adjust the steering wheel column only
when the vehicle is not moving to pre­
vent loss of vehicle control.
- Adjust the driver 's seat or steering wheel
so that there is a minimum of 10 inches (25 cm) between your chest and the
steering wheel
~ page 125, fig . 133 . If
you cannot maintain th is m inimum dis­
tance, the airbag system cannot protect
you properly.
- If physical limitations prevent you from
sitt ing 10 inches (25 cm) or more from
the steering wheel, check with your au­
thorized Audi dealer to see if adaptive
equipment is available .
- If the steering wheel is al igned with yo ur
face, the supplementa l driver's airbag
cannot provide as much protection in an
accident. Always make sure that the
steering whee l is aligned with your
chest.
- Always hold the steering whee l with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to reduce the risk of personal injury
if the driver's airbag deploys.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the 12
o'clock position or with your hands inside
the steering wheel rim or on the steering
wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel
the wrong way can cause serious injuries
to the hands, arms and head if the driv­
er's airbag deploys.
Easy entry feature
The easy entry feature makes it easier to en­
ter and exit the vehicle by automatically ad­
justing the steering wheel.
"' Select in the MMI: ICARI function button >
Car systems control button > Vehicle set­
tings > Seats > Driver' s seat > Easy entry >
On.
When the easy entry feature is turned on , the
stee ring wheel moves up to the park position
when you swit ch off the ignition. After you en -
ter the vehicle, the steering wheel moves to ..,..

80 On the road
the stored position as soon as you switch on
the ignition.
Starting and stopping
the engine
Starting the engine
This button switches on the ignition and
starts the engine.
Fig. 81 Center console: S TART ENGINE S TOP b utto n
• Step on the brake pedal¢.&_ .
• Press the
!START E NGIN E STOPI button
¢
fig . 81 -the engine will start .
By pressing the
I START ENGIN E STOP I button
without depress ing the brake pedal, the igni­
tion is on and switched off by pressing it
again.
After a cold engine is started, there may be a
brief period of increased noise because oil
pressure must fi rst bui ld up in the hydraulic
va lve adjusters. This is normal and not a cause
for concern.
If the engine should not start immediately,
the starting process is automatically stopped
after a sho rt time . Repeat sta rting p rocedu re.
Driver message in the instrument cluster
display
Press brake pedal to start engine
This message appears if you press the
I STAR T ENGIN E ST OP ! button to start the en­
g ine and do not depress the brake pedal. The
engine can only be started if the brake pedal
is depressed.
I! Convenience key: Is key not in the vehi­
cle?
T his message appears along with the I! sym­
bol if the master key is removed from the ve­
hicle with the eng ine running.
It is intended
to remind you (e.g . when changing drivers)
not to continue the journey without the mas­
ter key.
If the maste r key is no longer in the vehicle,
you cannot switch on the ignition after stop ­
ping the engine and you also cannot start the
engine again . Moreover, you cannot lock the
vehicle from the outside with the key.
Shift to P, otherwise vehicle can roll away.
Doors do not lock if lever is not in P.
T his message app ears for safety reasons
along with an aud ible warning tone if the P
selector lever position is not engaged when
stopp ing the engine wi th the
I S TART ENGIN E STOP I button. Select the P se ­
lector lever position . Otherwise the vehicle
could roll and it cannot be locked .
Key not recognised. Hold back of key against
marked area. See owner's manual.
If the indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunct ion
¢ page Bl.
Steering lock
The steering locks when you turn the engine
off using the
I STAR T ENGINE ST OP I button
and open the driver 's door. The locked steer­
ing helps prevent vehicle theft.
A WARNING
-
- Never allow the engine to run in conf ined
spaces -danger of asphyxiat ion .
- Never turn off the engine until the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop .
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the engine is running.
If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or brak ing. Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usual­
ly would, this could lead to crashes and
serio us injuries.

-If the indicato r light - (USA mod ­
els)
,111 (Canada models) or I.I turns
on, there may be a malfunction in the
parking brake
¢page 15.
@ Tips
-You can apply the parking brake at any
time - even w ith the ignition switched
off. The ignit ion must be on in order to
release the parking brake.
- Occasiona l noises when the park ing
brake is applied and released are norma l
and are not a cause for concern.
- When the vehicle is parked, the parking
brake goes through a self-test cycle at
regular intervals. Any assoc iated noises
are norma l.
Parking
Various rules apply to prevent the parked ve­
hicle from rolling away accidentally.
P a rking
~ Stop the vehicle w ith the foot brake.
~ Pu ll the switch© to apply the parking
brake.
~ Se lect the P selector lever position
¢page 109.
~ Turn the eng ine off ¢,& .
In addition on incline s and grade s
~ Turn the steering wheel so that your vehicle
will roll against the curb in case it should
start to move.
A WARNING
-When you leave your veh icle - even if on­
ly b riefly - always take the ignition key
with you. This applies particu la rly when
children remain in the veh icle. Otherw ise
the ch ild ren could sta rt the engine, re­
lease the parking brake or operate elec­
trical equipment (e .g. power windows).
There is the risk of an accident.
- When the vehicle is locked, no one - par­
t icu larly not ch ildren should remain in
the vehicle. Locked doors make it more
On th e ro ad 83
difficult for emergency workers to get in­
to the vehicle - putting lives at risk.
Starting from rest
The starting assist function ensures that the
parking broke is released automatically upon
starting.
Stopping and appl ying p arking brake
~ Pull the switch(®) to apply the pa rking
brake.
Sta rting and automaticall y releasing the
parking brak e
~ When you start to drive as us ual, the pa rk­
ing brake is automatically released and your
veh icle begins to move .
When stopp ing at a traffic signal or stopping
in city t raff ic, the parking b rake can be ap­
plied. The vehicle does not have to be held
with the footbrake. The parking brake elimi­
nates the tendency to creep w ith a dr ive range
engaged. As soon as you drive off as usua l,
the parking brake is released automatically
and the vehicle starts to move.
St arting on slope s
When starting on inclines, the sta rting assist
prevents the vehicle from unintentionally roll­
ing back. The braking force of the parking
brake is not re leased until suff ic ient driving
force has been built up at the wheels.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
l eased automatically on ly when the driv­
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Starting off with a trailer
To prevent rolling back unintentionally on an
incline, do the following:
~ Keep the switch(®) pulled and depress the
accelerator. The parking brake stays applied
and prevents the vehicle from roll ing back-
ward . ..,.

84 On th e road
• You can release the switch (®) once you are
sure that you are developing enough for­
ward momentum at the wheels as you de­
press the accelerator .
Depending on the weight of the rig (vehicle
and trai ler) and the severity of the incline, you
may roll backwards as you start . You can pre­
vent roll ing backwards by holding the parking
brake switch(®) pulled out and accelerating -
just as you would when starting on a hill with
a conventional hand brake .
Emergency braking
In the event that the conventional brake sys­
tem fails or locks .
• In an emergency, pull the switch(®) and
continue to pull it to slow your vehicle down
with the parking brake .
• As soon as you release the sw itch
C®> or ac-
cele rate , the braking p rocess stops.
If you pull the switch(®) and hold it above a
speed of about 5 mph (8 km/h), the emergen ­
cy braking function is in it iated. The veh icle is
b raked at all four wheels by activa ting the hy­
d raul ic br ake system. The b rake performance
is simi lar to making an emergency stop
c::> & .
In order not to activate the emergency brak­
i ng by m ista ke, an audible wa rning tone (bu z­
z er) sounds when the swi tc h
C®> is pulled. As
soon as the switch(®) is released, or the accel­
erator pedal is depressed, emergency braking
stops .
.&_ WARNING
Emergency braking should only be used in
an emergency, when the normal foot brake
has failed or the brake pedal is obstructed.
Using the parking bra ke to perform emer­
gency braking will slow yo ur vehicle down
as if you had made a fu ll brake applicat ion.
T he laws of physics cannot be s uspended
even w ith ESC and its associate d compo­
nents (ABS, ASR, EDL). In corners and
when road or weather conditions are bad, a full brake application can cause the vehi- cle to sk
id or the rear end to break away -
risking an accident.
Speed warning system
, Introduction
The speed warning system helps you to stay
under a specified maximum speed .
The speed warning system warns you if you
are exceeding the maximum speed that you
have set . You will hear a warning tone when
your speed exceeds the stored value by ap­ proximate ly 3 mph (3 km/h). An ind icator
l ight . (USA
models) ;a (Canada mode ls) in
the instr ument cluster d isp lay also tur ns on at
the same time. The indicator light.,.
turns off when the speed decreases be low the
stored maxim um speed.
Setting a th reshold is recommended if you
would like to be rem inded when you reach a
certain maxim um speed. Situations whe re you
may want to do so include driving in a co untry
with a genera l speed limit or if there is a
specified maximum speed for winter tires.
(D Tips
Even though your vehicle is equipped w ith
a speed warn ing system, you should still
watch the speedometer to make sure you
are not dr iv ing faster than the speed limit.
Setting the threshold
You can set, change and delete the threshold
in the MMI.
• Select: !CAR ! function b utton > Car systems
contro l button > Dri ver ass ist > Speed warn ­
ing .
You can set any threshold between 20 mph
(30 km/h) and 150 mph (240 km/h). Sett ings
can each be adj usted in increments of 5 mph
(10 km/h).

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-

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.
-