sport mode AUDI A8 2012 Owners Manual

14 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Air suspension
¢page 18
Sport differential*
¢page22
Other indicator lights
- Turn
signals
¢page22
~ USA models: Cruise control *
~ ¢ page 85
•
Canada models: Cruise control*
¢page 85
-
r!I
Adaptive cruise control*
¢page89
•
Adaptive cruise control*
¢page 89
-
I
Adaptive cruise control*
¢page89
•
Audi lane assist
¢ page 96
-
•
High beam
¢page45
BRAKE /((f)) Brake system
The light illuminates when the ignition is
switched on . It goes out after the engine has
been started . This indicates that the brake
warn ing light is functioning properly.
If the brake warning light does not light up
when the engine is cranking, there may be a
malfunction in the electrical system. In this
case, contact your Audi dealer.
If the brake system warning/ind icator light
turns on, there is a brake system malfunction.
- (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid level
If the indicator light turns on and the mes ­
sage appears, proceed as follows:
"" Pull off the road . ""
Stop the vehicle.
"" Turn off the engine .
"" Check the brake fluid level ¢
page 229.
"" Contact your nearest authori zed repair fa-
cility if necessary.
Warning! Fault in brake system. Contact
dealer
If the ABS indicator light ti] (USA models)/ rl]
(Canada models), the ESC indicator light G]
and the brake system indicator light
- (USA models)/ . (Canada models) turn
on and the message appears, the ABS, ESC
and braking distr ibut ion are not working¢.&..
Carefu lly drive to your authorized Audi dealer
immediately to have the malfunction correct­
ed ¢.&. .
- (USA models) . (Canada models)
Parking brake: system fault! Please contact
dealer
- If the indicator light and the message ap­
pear
when stationary or after switching the
ignition on , check if you can release the
parking brake. After releasing the parking
brake, carefully drive to your authorized Au­
di dealer immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected. If you cannot release the
pa rking brake, seek professiona l assistance.
- If the ind icator light and the message ap­
pear
while driving, the emergency brak ing
function may not be available . It may not be
possible to set the park ing brake or release
it once it has been set. Seek profess ional as­
sistance.
(USA models): If the warn ing light - and
the warn ing l ight
El appear together, imme­
diately contact your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified wo rkshop to have all brake pads in­
spected
¢ page 19.
When the light comes on, an audible warning
s ignal is also given .
Ill-

18 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is a ma lfunction in the en ­
g ine start system.
Drive to your authorized Aud i dealer immedi­
ate ly to have the malfunction cor rected .
0 Air suspension
• Air suspension: system fault. Can contin­
ue slowly with max. 35 mph .
There is a malfunction that can result in re­
stricted driving stability .
Ca refully drive at a maximum speed of 35
mph
(60 km/h) to your authorized Audi dealer
or qualified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected .
• Air suspension: service mode. Vehicle
can only be moved with restrictions
Carefully drive to your authorized Audi dealer
or qualified workshop immediately to have
the service mode deactivated.
Ill Air suspension fault
There is a system ma lfunction that can result
in restr icted driving stability or reduced
ground clearance.
Drive to your authorized Audi dea ler immedi­
ate ly to have the malfunction corrected.
IIJ Air suspension: vehicle too low. Ground
clearance reduced
The ground clea rance is ve ry low due to a sys­
tem malfunct ion. Wait until the air suspen­
sion system has restored normal ground clear­
ance . Otherwise, conditions such as an uneven
road surface can lead to ve hicle damage.
~/ !f Safety systems
The fl (USA models) ;BI (Canada models) in­
d icator light monitors the safety systems e.g.
a ir bags, pretensioners and illum inates for a
few seconds each time you switch the ignition
on .
If the
I (USA models) ;BI (Canada models)
indicator light does not go out, or if it illumi- nates while you are driving, or if it starts to
blink,
then there is a malfunction somewhere
in the system.
If the light does not illuminate
when you switch the ign it ion on, th is also
means there is a malfunct ion.
A WARNING '"--
If you have a ma lfunction in the safety sys-
tems, contact your authorized Audi dea ler
imme diately. Otherwise the safety sys­
tems may not work properly in an acci­
dent.
fJJ [}, Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
This warning/indicator light monitors the
Electronic Stability Control.
When you switch the ignition on, the indicator
light
G1 turns on briefly to check the function.
If the
J.iJ ind icator lamp blinks wh ile driving,
the ESC or ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation) is active­
ly regulating.
If
the DJ ind icator lamp illuminates, the sys·
tern has switched the ESC off.
If the indicator light fi turns on, the ESC was
switched to ESC sport mode with the button
[!] c::, page 187. If this is case, you can reacti­
vate the ESC by switching the ignition off and
then on aga in. The warning/indicator light
should go out to show that the system is fully
functional again .
Stability program and ABS fault! See own­
er 's manual
If the indicator light DJ and the ABS indicator
li ght
m (USA models) ;II] (Canada models)
turn on and the message appears, there is a malfunction in the ABS system or electronic
differential lock. Th is also interrupts the ESC.
The brakes still funct ion wit h their normal
power, but ABS is not active .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
If the battery terminals were disconnected
and re-connected, the vehicle was jump start-
ed or the battery is very weak, the ESC sensor .,,.

22 Instruments and warning /indicator lights
However, you can continue to turn the lights
on and
off using the light switch . You can still
control a ll funct ions that are independent of
the rain sensor through the windshield wiper lever.
Contact your authorized Audi dealer as soon
as possible to have the prob lem corrected.
@! Dynamic steering
1;r.ij Steering: system fault. you can continue
driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the steering may be more diffi­
cult to move or more sensitive than usual. The
steering wheel may also be at an angle when
driving straight .
Drive slow ly to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected.
tT@ Dynamic steering: initialising
If th is driver message appears and the ind ica­
tor light is flashing on the instrument panel,
dynamic steering is being reinitialized. Once
you start the engine after this is finished, the steering wheel w ill be easy to move . Re-initi ­
alization might be necessary if the steering
wheel was moved hard to the left and r ight
while the veh icle was not moving . The display
goes out as soon as init ialization is complete .
A WARNING
-
Have the dynamic steering system mal­
function repaired as soon as possible by an
authorized Audi dealer or any qualified
workshop -risk of accident!
@ Tips
-The dynamic steering stability systems
are not available in the event of a system
malfunction.
- For additional informat ion on dynamic
stee ring, refer to
¢page 103.
I-: Sport differential
II Sport differential: system fault
There is a malfunction with the sport d ifferen ­
t ial.
Drive to your authori zed Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
II Sport differential: overheating
The transmission temperature has increased
s ignificantly 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.
A WARNING
Contact your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop if the sport differential
is faulty or malfunct ioning . The repair
must be performed by trained personnel
using the correct oil in order to ensure
safety.
¢ 9 Turn signals
-
The indicator light blinks when you use either
turn signal .
Whenever you use the left B or the right B
turn signal, the indicator light blinks. When
you use the emergency flashers , both indica­
tor lights flash .
If one of the turn signal light bulbs burn out,
the turn signal will blink twice as fast as nor­ mal. Carefu lly dr ive to your authorized Audi
dealer immed iately to have the malfunction
corrected. The indicator light does not indi­
cate a malfunction if a turn signal on the trail­
er or on the vehicle fails in trailer towing
mode.
@ Tips
For more information on the turn signals,
refer to
¢ page 45.

68 Seats and storage
& WARNING
- The ski sack is intended only for the
transportation of skis and other light ob ­
jects . To reduce the risk of serious per­
sonal in jury, never t ransport heavy or
poin ted objects in the ski sa ck.
- When brak ing rapidly or during an acci­
dent, the load could be displaced and
cause injury to occupants.
- Sharp edges on the load must be cove red
for protect ion. Always fasten the belt
ti gh tly around the sack and its contents
¢ fig. 69.
-For safety reasons, do not t ransport
more than two pairs of skis in the ski
sac k.
- You m ust sec ure the ski sack with t he
strap after loading.
- Make sure a ll objects that you are trans­
porting in the pass-through are secured.
Otherwise they cou ld slide around during
sudden braking maneuvers and cause in ­
jury.
@ Tips
- Never stow the sk i sack away whe n it is
still wet or damp (for examp le, snow
melt ing from sk is) . Allow it to dry com­
plete ly before stowing it away .
- Position skis in the ski sack with the pointed ends facing t he front and ski
po les w ith the pointed ends facing the
rear.
Roof rack
Description and mounting locations
Additional cargo can be carried wi th a roof
luggage rack .
Fig . 70 Roo f ra ck attac hment po ints
.,. Always read and follow the instructions pro ­
vided by the roof rack man ufactu rer when
the roof rack system mus t be install ed .
If luggage or cargo is to be ca rried on the
roof, yo u mus t observe the follow ing:
- To enhance the vehicle 's streamlined design,
ra in gutters have been mo lded i nto t he roof .
I t is not poss ible to use normal roof ra cks.
O nl y install a roof ra ck specific ally designed
for your model AB . Contact the nea re st Audi
dea ler for information on approved modular
roof racks for your v ehicle.
- On ly use roof racks approved for your vehi­
cl e. These approved roof racks are the basis
fo r a complete roof rack system. Addition al
a tta chmen ts or carr ier systems are needed
t o transpor t luggage and spor ts equipment.
We recommend using roof rack s from the
Aud i original accessories program.
- When insta lling the roof rack, make sure it
is o nly mounted on the designated locations
on the roof~
fig. 70.
- We recommend that you keep the i nstalla ­
tion instruct ions for your roof rack system
together w ith your Owner's literature in the
ve hicle.
When should the roof rack be removed?
- Before go ing through an automatic car wash
(it is best to ask the ca r wash operator for
adv ice)
...

90 Audi adaptive cruise control and braking guard
• You must also press the brake pedal when
the vehicle is stopped.
Switching adaptive cruise control off
• Push the lever away from you into position
@ until it clicks into p lace. The message
ACC off appears.
@ Indicator lights
II-Adaptive cruise control is switched on . No
vehicles are detected up ahead. The stored
speed is maintained.
I-A moving vehicle is detected up ahead .
The adaptive cruise control system regulates
the speed and d istance to the moving vehicle
ahead and acce lerates/bra kes automatica lly.
f§ . Adaptive cru ise control is switched on . A
mov ing vehicle up ahead was detected. Your
vehicle remains stopped .
I -When automatic braking is not able to
keep enough distance to a p reviously detected
mov ing vehicle up ahead, you must take con­
trol and brake¢
page 92, Prompt for driver
intervention.
© Display
If adap tive cruise control is not shown in the
d isplay, you can call it up with the multifunc ­
tion steering wheel buttons~
page 23.
Based on the symbols in the display , you can
determ ine if the system is maintaining a dis­
tance to the vehicle ahead and w hat that dis ­
tance is.
No vehicle -No vehicle ahead was detected.
White vehicle -A vehicle ahead was detected .
Red vehicle -Prompt for the driver to take ac­
tion ¢
page 92.
Both
arrows on the scale © indicate the dis­
tance to the vehicle ahead . No arrow appears
when the vehicle is on an open road and there is no object ahead. If an object is detected
ahead, the arrow moves on the scale.
The green zone on the scale shows the stored d istance. For information on changing the stored distance, refer to
¢
page 91. If the
distance se lected is too close or may soon be­
come too close, the arrows move into the red
z one on the sca le.
A WARNING
Improper use of the adaptive cruise con­
trol can cause collisions, other accidents
and serious personal injur ies .
- Pressing the
!SET ! button when driving at
speeds below 20 mph (30 km/h), w ill au­
tomatically accelerate the vehicle to 20
mph (30 km/h), which is the minimum
speed that can be set .
(D Tips
-If you switch the ignit ion or the adaptive
cruise control off, the set speed is erased
from the system memory.
- You cannot switch the Electron ic Stabili­
ty Control (ESC) to the SPORT mode
when adaptive cruise control is switched
on .
Changing the speed
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cru ise control
0
f
• 0
Fig. 92 Selecto r lever : chang ing t he spee d
• To increase or reduce the speed in incre ­
ments,
tap the lever up or down.
-
-a)
N
q :r
~
"' To increase or reduce the speed qu ickly,
hold the lever up or down until the red L ED
@ reaches the desired speed ¢ page 89,
fig . 91.
Following any changes, the new stored speed
will be displayed briefly in the display @
¢page 89, fig. 91.

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 drive select Driving settings
Introduction
Aud i drive select makes it possible to experi­
ence different types of vehicle settings in one
veh icle. The driver can select th ree
Comfort,
Auto
and Dynamic modes in the MMI to
switch between a sporty and a comfortable
driving mode.
You can also adjust the setting according to
your preferences in the
individual mode. For
examp le, you can combine settings such as a
sporty engine tuning with light steering.
Descript ion
The vehicle setup in each mode depends on
the vehicle's features. The engine, transmis­
sion, steering, reversible safety belt tension ­
ers and adaptive air suspension are always in­
volved .
Engine and transmission
Depending on the mode, the engine and the
transmission respond more quickly or in a
more balanced manner to accelerator pedal
movements. In the sporty dynamic mode, the
transmission sh ifts at higher RPMs.
Air suspension
The adaptive air suspension/adaptive air sus­
pension sport*
( Air suspension in the MMI) is
an electronically cont rolled air suspension and
damping system. They are adjusted depend­ ing on the selected driving mode, the driver's
steering, braking and acceleration input and
the road s urface, veh icle speed and load. A
sporty setting is generally used in vehicles
with adaptive air suspension sport *.
The vehicle clearance va ries depending on the
selected mode and the speed .
The highway setting is activated automatically
when you drive above 75 mph (120 km/h) for
mo re than 30 seconds in the
auto or dynamic
mode. The g round clearance is increased auto-
Audi drive select 103
matically if the speed drops below 44 mph
(70 km/h) for more than 120 seconds.
Steering
The steering adapts in terms of steering effort
and steering ratios. Indirect steering that
moves easily as in comfort mode is especially
s ui ted to long drives on a highway. In con­
trast, dynamic mode provides sporty, direct
steering.
T he following applies to vehicles with dynamic
steering*: the steering ratio changes based on
vehicle speed in order to maintain optimum
steering effort for the driver at all times. This
sets the steering to be less sens itive at higher
speeds in order to provide improved vehicle
control.
Sport diffe rential*
As a component of the all whee l drive system
(quattro
® ) c> page 191, the Sport differen­
tial* distributes the driving power to the rear
axle depending on the situat ion. The dis tribu­
tion of power varies depending on the select­
ed mode, from balanced (comfort) to agile
(dynamic). The goal is a hig h level of agility
and ability to accelerate on curves. Th e vehi cle
is very responsive to steer ing.
Adaptive cruise control*
The behav ior when accelerating can be adjust
from comfortable to sporty, depending on the
drive select mode. Adaptive cruise control al­
so responds to the driving behavior of the ve­
hicle ahead in a more conserva tive or sporty
manner.
(D Note
- Make sure there is enough clearance
above and below the vehicle when park­
ing . The height of the vehicle can change
once it is parked due to temperature
fluctuations, changes to the load condi­
tions and changes to the driving modes,
w hich can affect clearance.
- When transporting the vehicle on a car
carrier, train, ship or by other means, on-
ly tie the vehicle down at the running
IJJ,,

104 Audi dri ve sele ct
surface o f the tires, which is the outer
circumference. Securing the vehicle at
the axle components, s uspension struts
or towing eyes is not perm itted because
the pressure in the air suspension struts
can change during transport. The veh icle
may not be secured suff ic iently if this
happens .
- If you are go ing to tow a trailer, you
must activate the trailer operat ion mode
¢page 199.
@ Tips
- In some models, the maximum vehicle
speed can only be reached in the
auto
and dynamic modes.
- Selecting the
dynamic mode results in
spo rty sh ifting character istics. The S
gear position engages automati cally.
- In vehicles that have dynamic steering*,
operating noise is heard when starting or
stopp ing the eng ine . Th is does not ind i­
cate a problem.
- In vehicles with sport differential*, the
dynam ic mode is deactivated whe n tow­
i ng a traile r.
Selecting the driving mode
You can choose be tween Comfort, Auto, Dy­
namic and Individual.
Fi g. 106 MM!: D rive se lect
.,. To se lect the mode, select the following in
the MMI :
I CARI function button> Comfort ,
Auto , Dynamic or Indi vidu al.
You can change the driving mode when the ve­
hicle is stationary or while driving . If traffic
permits, after changing modes, briefly take
your foot off the accelerator pedal so that the
recently selected mode is also activated for
the engine.
comfort -provides a comfort-oriented vehicle
setup and is suited for long drives on high­
ways.
auto -provides an overall comfortable yet dy­
nam ic driving feel and is suited for every day
use.
d yna mi c -gives the vehicle a sporty driving
feel and is suited to a sporty driving style .
individual -¢ page 105.
A WARNING
Pay attention to traffic when operating Au­
d i drive select to prevent potential risk of
an accide .nt.

Audi drive select 105
Adjusting the Individual mode
You can adjust the vehicle settings to your personal preferences.
~ Select: ICARlf unct ion button> Set individ·
ual
control button. You can now adjust the
individua l systems.
The
individual d riving mode will automatical­
l y be activated when yo u have fin ished config­
uring the settings.
Systems
Engine
a nd Transmission
Air suspension Steer ing Comfort balanced
comfo
rtable
comfortab le The equ
ipment in your vehicle will determ ine
which sett ings you can adjust. The following
tab le prov ides a n overview of the c haracteris­
tics of eac h driving mode.
Dynamic
ba lanced spo
rty
---.. ,
s porty
ba lanced spo
rty
Dynamic steering*
Sport differential *
Cornering light*
Belt tensioner c o mfo rtable/ind ire c t balanced/dire ct sporty/direc t
spo rty
Adaptive cruise control *
balanced
comfortable
Standard
comfo rtable
Yo ur
individual mode se ttings a re auto ­
mat ica lly store d an d assig ned to t he re­
mote control key bein g use d.
Raising/lowering the
vehicle
Raising the vehicle
You ca n ra ise your veh icle temporarily, for ex­
ample to drive over a tall curb.
~ Se lect the following i n the MMI: I CARI f unc­
t ion button >
Raise control button.
~ Wait for the arrows in the d isplay to stop
blinking and the vehicle to reach its fina l po­
s it io n.
Lowe ring the vehicle
~ T o lower the veh icle, select the fo llow ing in
the MMI: ICARlfunction button>
Lower con­
trol button.
~ Wa it for the arrows in the d isplay to stop
blinking and th e vehicle to lower complete­
ly . ag
ile
balanced
Standard
balanced
(D Note
---.. ,
---.. ,
sporty Deployment t ime
adapt ed
sporty
- Remember that your ve hicle is not sui ta ­
ble fo r dr iv ing offroa d even when it is
raised . There is not enough ground clear­
ance.
- If the vehicle is ra ised, it will lower auto ­
matically when driving 62 mph (100 km/
h) or faster.
Driver messages
Air suspension : vehicle currently too low.
Le vel control running
Air suspension: vehicle currently too high. Level control running
T he dr iver mess age swi tches o ff when the lev­
el con tro l process is comp lete.

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>