cooling AUDI A8 2013 Owners Manual

Adjusting the disp lay and the warning
tones. ..... .. .. .. .. .... ... .. .. .. 131
Er ror messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Trailer hitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Homelink ® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Universal remote control . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Safety fir st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Driving Safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Proper occupa nt seating positions . . . 135
Driver and passenger side footwell . . . 139
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Stowing luggage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Report ing Safety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . 1 42
Safety belt s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Gene ral notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 44
Why s afety be lts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 45
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Safety belt pretens ioners . . . . . . . . . . 150
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
I mportant things to know . . . . . . . . . . 152
F ront airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Side curta in a irbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Ch ild Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Important th ings to know . . . . . . . . . . 176
C hi ld safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
I nstall ing a chi ld safety seat . . . . . . . . 186
L A TC H L owe r ancho rages and tethe rs
for chi ld ren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Addit ional Information
195
Audi pre sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Preventat ive passenger p rotec tion 196
Vehi cle operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Intelligent technology .. .. .. .. 198
Notice about data recorded by vehicle
control modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) . 198
Table of contents 3
Bra ki ng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Servotronic ® -advanced power
stee ring system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Driving with your quattro ® . . . . . . . . . 203
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Driving and environment . . . . . 206
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km) and
afterwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Catalytic co nverter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Avoid damaging the vehicle . . . . . . . . . 207
D riv ing throug h wate r on roads . . . . . 208
Operate yo ur vehicle economi cally and
min imize poll ution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Driving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
T rai le r tow ing tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Vehicle care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 15
Cleaning and protection . . . . . . 215
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Care of exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Care of interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Fuel supply and filling your
fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
228
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Fuel tank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Engine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
E n gine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Engine o il . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Engine cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Br ake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
B attery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Windsh ie ld/hea dligh t washer
container ... .... ... .. .. ..... ... .
247
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
T ires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Tire pressure monitoring system 267
Do-it-yourself service . . . . . . . . . 270
What do I do now? . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Tr unk escape handle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 70
Emergency warning triangle . . . . . . . . 270
•
•

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 11
gauge turn on under normal d riving condi ­
tions . The LEDs higher up may turn on when
the eng ine is under heavy load or the exter ior
temperature is high . This is no need to worry
as long as the. warning light in the instru­
ment cluster does not illuminate . If the LEDs
in the upper area of the display and the ind ica­
tor light . in the instrument cluster d isplay
turn on, the coolant temperature is too high
¢page 16.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warning in
~ page 226, Engine compartment, be­
fore opening the hood and checking the
engine coolant level.
- Never open the engine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coolant
dr ipping from the engine compartment.
You could burn yourself. Let the engine
cool off first so that you cannot hear or
see any steam or engine coolant .
(D Note
- Mounting additional lights or accessories
in front of the a ir inlets reduces the cool­
i ng effect of the rad iator . At h igh outside
temperatures or high eng ine load, the
engine co uld overheat.
- The front spo ile r has been designed to
properly distrib ute the cooling air when
the veh icle is moving. If the spoiler is
damaged, this cou ld red uce the cooling
effect and t he engine co uld then over­
heat . Ask your aut ho rized Audi dea le r for
ass istance.
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM
(revolutions per minutes).
If engine R PM drops be low 1,500, you should
downshift to the next lower gear. The red a rea
at the end of the sca le ind icates maxim um
perm iss ible engine RPM after the break-in pe­
riod. Before reaching this area, move these­
lector lever to position "D (Drive)" or ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal.
@ Note
The tachometer need le should only briefly
be in the red zone: yo u could damage your
engine! The beg inning of the red zone var ­
i es depending on the engine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upsh ifting early saves fuel and reduces en ­
gine noise.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge only works when the ignition is
o n.
If the fue l level drops below 4 gallons (15
l ite rs), the bottom LE D tu rns red and the indi­
cator light~ turns on
c::> page 21. The bot­
tom LED b link s red when the fue l level is very
l ow .
The possible range based on the current fuel
level is shown in tab@~
page 23, fig. 4.
(D Note
Never run the ta nk complet ely dry. An ir­
r egular supply of f uel can cause engine
misfiring and fuel cou ld enter the exha ust
system. The cata lytic converter could t hen
overheat and be damaged.
Warning/indicator lights
Description
T he ind icator lights in the ins trument clus ter
blink or turn on. They indica te f unct ions or
malfunctions
c;;> ,& .
Messages may appea r with some indicato r
li ghts. A warning signal will sound at the
same t ime. The indica tor lights and messages
in the center of the displays may be rep laced
by other disp lays. To show them again, select
the tab for ind icator lights and messages us­
ing the multifunction steering whee l
c;;> page 23. If there are several malfunc­
tions, you can display them one at a time us- ing the thumbwheel. ..,.

12 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
Some indicators lights in the disp lay can turn
on in several colors.
A WARNING
- Failure to heed warning lights and other
important vehicle information may result
in serious personal injury or vehicle dam­
age .
- Whenever stalled or stopped for repair,
move the vehicle a safe distance off the
road, stop the engine, and turn on the
emergency flasher¢ page 46 .
- The engine compartment of any motor
vehicle is a potentially hazardous area .
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, stop the engine and let it
cool down. Always exercise extreme cau­
t ion when work ing under the hood
¢ page 226, Engine compartment
(D Tips
Ma lfun ctions or faults w ill be identified e i­
ther with a red symbo l (pr iority 1 -Dan­
ger!) or with a ye llow symbo l (pr iority 2 -
Warning).
Overview
Some indicator lights turn on briefly to check
the function of that system when yo u switch
the ign ition on. These systems are marked
with an./ in the follow ing tables . If one of
these ind icator lights does not turn on, there
is a malfunction in that system .
Red indic ator light s
Red symbols indicate a priority malfunction -
Danger!
- Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle .
- T urn off the engine.
- Check the malfunct ion ing system. Contact
your autho rized Aud i dea ler o r a qua lified
workshop for assis tance.
USA m odel s:
Brake malfunction ./
¢ page 14
Canada models :
Brake malfunction ./
¢page 14
USA model s:
- Electromechanical parking brake
D
D
¢page 15
Canada models :
Electromechanical parking brake
¢page 15
Engine cooling system
¢ page 16
Engine oil pressure
¢page 17
Engine oil level
¢page 17
Battery
¢page 16
Safety belt
¢page 16
Electronic steering column lock
¢page 17
Engine start system
¢page 17
USA models : Speed warning sys­
tem ¢page90
Canada model s: Speed warning
system
¢ page 90
Adaptive cruise control./ ¢page95
Air suspens ion*
¢page 18
Pedestrian warning *
¢page 112

16 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
dealer or qualified workshop immediately to
have the ma lfunction corrected.
_ l Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engin e cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible .
• Swit ch off en gine and ch eck c oolan t leve l
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the coo lant temperature is too
h igh or the coo lant level is too low.
.. Pull off the road .
.. Stop the vehicle .
.. Turn off the engine.
.. Check coolant level
¢page 240.
.. Add coolant if necessary ¢ page 241.
.,. Contin ue driving only after the eng ine cool­
ant warning/indicator light goes o ut.
.. Contact your authorized Audi dea ler for as-
sistance if necessary .
I f the engine coolant level is correct, then the
radiator fan may be the cause of the malfunc­
t ion.
• Coo lan t te mpera ture t oo high! Pl ease let
e ngine run with veh icle st a ti on ary
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears in t railer mode*, let the engine
r u n at id le for a few m inutes to cool down.
& WARNING
- If your vehicle should break down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
safe distance from moving traffic, turn
off the engine and turn on the hazard
warning lights ¢
page 46, Emergency
flasher .
-
-Never open the hood if you see or hear
steam or coolant escap ing from the en­
gine compartme nt -you risk being scald­
ed . Wait until you can no longer see or
hear steam or coo lant escaping.
- The engine compartment of any veh icle
is a dangerous area . Before you perform
any wor k in the engine compartment,
t ur n of the eng ine and allow it to cool. Follow the warning stickers
¢
page 226,
Engine compartment .
@ Note
Do not continue driving if the. symbo l
i ll uminates . There is a malfunction in the
engine cooling system -you could damage
your engine.
% Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to
put on your safety belt.
T he . warning/ indicator light illum inates
when the ignition is switched on to remind
the driver and any front passenger to put on
the safety belt. Addit iona lly, an acoustic warn­
ing (gong) w ill also sound .
For more Information ¢
page 144, {t Safety
belt warning light .
0 Battery
This warning/indicator light detects a mal ­
function in the generator or in the vehicle 's
electrical system.
T he . warning/ indicato r light illuminates
when you switch on the ignition and must go
out after the engine has started.
• Alternator fault: Batt ery i s not b ein g
charged
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is a malf unct ion in the
generator or veh icle elect rical system.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop immed iate ly. Be cause the veh i­
cl e battery is discharg ing, tu rn off all unnec­
essary elec trical equipmen t such as the rad io .
Seek professiona l assistance if the battery
c h arge level is too low.
(•) Low battery char ge: battery will be
charg ed while d riving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there may be limited sta rting
ability.

7 4 Seats and storage
Storage
(upholder
Fig . 77 Center conso le: front cupholder
Fig. 78 Section of the rear bench seat: rear cupholder
Fr ont cuphold er
., To open the cupholder, tap the cover
¢ fig. 77, ¢ &_ .
Rear cupholder
., To open the cupholder, tap the front strip
¢ fig. 1a, ¢ A .
In vehicles with a full-length center console in
the rear, the cupholder is located at @
¢ page 67, fig. 65.
A WARNING
Spilled hot liquid can cause an accident
and personal inj ury .
- Never car ry any beverage containers wi th
hot liquids, s uch as hot coffee or hot tea,
in the veh icle while it is mov ing. In case
of an accident, sudden braking or other
vehicle movement, hot liqu id could spill,
causing scalding burns. Spi lled hot liquid
can also cause an accident and personal injury. -
Use on ly soft cups in the cupholder. Hard
cups and glasses can cause injury in an
accident.
(D Note
Only drink containers with lids should be
carried in the cupholder. Liquid could spill
out and damage your vehicle's electronic
equipment or stain the upholstery, etc.
Cooled glove compartment
The cooled glove compartment only functions
when the AIC system is switched on.
Fig. 79 Glove compartme nt: sw itching cool ing mode
on/off
., Turn the knob @counterclockwise to
sw itch cooling on . The symbols on the knob
indicate the correct position¢
fig. 79 .
., Turn the knob @clockwise to switch cool·
ing off.
The glove compartment cooling mode only
funct ions when the vehicle A/C system is
switched on. If the heat ing is sw itched on,
switching the glove compa rtment cooling
mode off is recommended.
A WARNING
A lways leave the lid on the glove compa rt­
ment cove r closed while dr iving to reduce
t he r isk o f injury.
(1) Tips
The glove compartment can be Locked us·
i ng the mechanical key
¢page 31.

76 Seats and storage
-the temperature in the luggage compart­
ment is below 131 °f (55 °C). The cooler
switches off automatically if the tempera­
ture in the luggage compartment exceeds 131 °f (55 °C). Once the tempera ture falls
below 131 °f (55 °C) again, the cooler
switches on aga in automatically .
- the battery is adequately charged . The cool­
er switches off automatically if the vehicle
battery voltage falls below a minimum lev­
el. This prevents the battery from discharg­
ing. The cooler switches back on again auto­
matically when the battery voltage increases
again (e.g . after starting the engine).
The cooler cools to 42.8 °f
(+ 6 °C) and the
freezer cools to 21.2 °f (-6 °C) in opt imum
cooling conditions . The cooling performance
is affected by the temperature in the luggage
compartment. The temperature inside the
cooler will be higher if the luggage compart­
ment is hot.
A WARNING
To avoid putting the occupants at any risk, please observe the following safety rules:
- The maximum capacity is 2.5 kg (5.5
lbs.).
- Never overload the cooler. This could
cause injury in the event of a collision or
sudden braking.
- The cooler lid must always be kept closed
while you are driving. Make sure the re­
taining catch is securely engaged. The contents of the coo ler could be thrown
forward into the passenger compart­
ment in the event of a collision or under
sudden braking -risk of injury!
- Inflammable liquids, gas canisters, etc.
must not be stored in the cooler -risk of
explosion! This also includes any prod­
ucts that might emit volatile or inflam­
mable gases.
- Liquids will freeze at temperatures at or
below 32 °f (0 °C) and may cause glass
bottles to burst!
(D Note
- The ventilation openings for the cooler
are located on the back panel trim in the
luggage compartment and
must be kept
clear at all times.
- If the cooler is not functioning properly,
switch it off to prevent further damage.
Have it checked by a qualified workshop.
Operation
App lies to vehicles: wit h cooler
Fig. 80 Rear cen ter armrest
The cooler is located in the rear cabin behind
the center armrest or behind the sliding
cover
(depending on the equipment fitted in your
vehicle) . The cooler and freezer only work
when the ignition is on .
Opening / closing the cooler
.,. To open the cooler, pull the release lever(!)
c!> fig. 80.
.. To close the cooler, push the lid back into its
original position . You should hear the re­
lease lever
(D engage if the lid is properly
closed.
Switching on/off .,. Press button @c::>fig.
80 to switch the cool­
er on/off. The symbol in the button is lit
when this function is a ctivated .
.. Press button
@ to switch the freezer on/
off . The symbol in the button is lit when this
function is activated.

78 Warm and cold
Warm and cold Climate controls
Description
The climate control system warms, cools and
adds humidity to the air in the vehicle interior.
It is the most effect ive when the windows and
sunroof* are closed . If the temperature inside
the parked vehicle becomes very warm, open­ ing the window briefly will speed up the cool­
ing process.
I n all heating mode functions except
defrost,
the blower on ly switches to a higher speed
once the engine coolant has reached a certain
temperature.
Condensation from the cooling system can
drip and form a puddle of water under the ve­
hicle. This is normal and does not mean there
is a leak.
Pollutant filter
The pol lutant filter removes pollutants such
as dust and pollen from the air.
The air pollutants filter must be changed at
the intervals spec ified in you r Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet, so that the air condi­
tioner can properly work.
I f you drive your vehicle in an a rea with high
a ir po llution, the fi lter may need to be
changed more frequent ly than specified in
your Aud i Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. If
in doubt, ask your authorized Audi Service Ad­
visor for advice .
Key coded settings
The climate control settings are a utomat ically
stored and assigned to the remote control key
that is in use.
A WARNING
Reduced visibility is dangerous and can
cause accidents. -
- For safe driving it is very important that
all windows be free of ice, snow and con­
densation.
- Comp letely familiarize yourself with the
proper use and funct ion of the heat ing
and ventilation system and especially how to defog and defrost the windows.
- Never use the windshield wiper/washer
system in freez ing weather unt il you
have warmed the windshield first, using
the heating and ventilation system. The
washer solution may freeze on the wind­ sh ie ld and reduce visib ility.
(D Note
- If you suspect that the air conditioner has been damaged, switch the system
off to avoid further damage and have it
inspected by a qualified dealership.
- Repairs to the Audi air conditioner re­
quire special technical know ledge and
special tools. Contact an authorized Aud i
dea ler fo r assistance.
@ For the sake of the environment
By reducing the amount of fuel you use,
you also reduce the amount of pollutants
emitted into the air.
(D Tips
- Keep the air intake s lots (in fro nt of the
w indshield) free from ice, snow and de ­
bris in order to maintain the proper func­
tion of the climate control system.
- T he energy management system may
switch the seat heating* or rear window
defroster off temporari Ly . These systems
are available again as soon as the energy
balance has been restored.
- Air escapes through vents under the rear
window. When placing items of clothing
on the luggage compartment cover, en­
sure that the openings are not covered.

Warm and cold 79
Operation
We recommend pressing the
I AUTO I button and setting the temperature to 72 °F (22 °C) .
Fig. 81 Cockpit controls
Fig. 82 fou r zone auto matic cli mate control: rear con­
trols
Press the buttons to turn the functions on or
off . Use the dials to adj ust the temperature,
the blower speed and the a ir distribution. The
LED in a button w ill light up when the func­
tion is sw itched on. The settings are shown in
the climate control display and are a lso shown
in the MMI display for a few seconds . The driv­
e r and front passenger sett ings can be adj ust­
in g separately.
You can also adjust the rear left and right
sides in the four zone automat ic climate con­
trol*
~ fig . 82 .
IOFF I Switching the climate control
system on/off
The IOFFI button switches the climate control
system on or off .
It also switches on when you
turn the dial or press any button . Airflow from outside is
blocked when the climate control
system is switched off.
You can acti vate the residual heat functi on
whe n the ignition is off by pressing and hold­
ing the ~ button . The residual heat from the
coolant is used to heat the vehicle i nterior.
The residua l heat function switches off auto­
matically after about 30 minutes.
IAIC ! Switching cooling mode on/off
The air is not coo led and hum idity is not re­
moved when cooling mode is switched off.
This can cause fog on the windows. Cooling
mode switches off automatically when the
outside temperature is be low zero.
1- 1 Switching recirculation mode on/off
In recircu lation mode, the air inside the vehi­
cle is circulated and filtered. This prevents the
unfiltered air outside the vehicle from enter­
ing the vehicle interior. We recommend
switching recirculation mode on when driving
through a tunnel or when sitting in traffic
¢ ,&. .
The !AUTO I button or~ button switches reci r­
cu lation mode off.
IAUTO! Switching automatic mode on
Automatic mode maintains a cons tant tem­
perature inside the vehicle. Air temperature,
~

80 Warm and cold
airflow and air distribution are controlled au­
tomatically.
Adjusting the temperature
Temperatures between 60 °F (+16 °() and
84
°F (+28 °C) can be set. Outside of this
range,
lo or hi will appear in the climate con­
trol system display. At both of these settings,
the climate control system runs continuously
at maximum cooling or heating power. There
is no temperature regulation.
~ Adjusting the airflow
You can adjust the airflow manually to suit
your needs. To have the airflow regulated au­
tomatically, press the
! AUTO ! button.
~ Adjusting the air distribution
You can manually select the vents where the
air will flow. To have the air distribution regu­
lated automatically, press the
IAUTOI button.
~ I lil* Adjusting Seat heating/
ventilation*
Pressing the button switches the seat heat­
ing/ventilation on at the highest setting (level
3). The L EDs indicate the temperature level.
To reduce the temperature, press the button
again. To switch the seat heating/ventilation
off, press the button repeatedly until the LED
turns off.
After 10 minutes, the seat heating/ventilation
automatically switches from level 3 to level 2.
In vehicles without the four zone automatic
climate control*, buttons in the rear center
console control the seat heating for both out­
er rear seats*.
~ Switch the defroster on/off
The windshield and side windows are defrost­
ed or cleared of condensation as quickly as
possible. The maximum amount of air flows
mainly from the vents below the windshield.
Recirculation mode switches off. The tempera­
ture is controlled automatically.
The
IAUTOI button switches the defroster off.
~ Switching rear window heater on/off
The rear window heater only operates when
the engine is running. It switches off auto­
matically after 10 to 20 minutes, depending
on the outside temperature.
To prevent the rear window heater from
switching off automatically , press and hold
the~ button for more than 2 seconds. This
r ema ins stored until the ignition is switched
off.
I SYNC I Synchronization*
When synchronization is switched on, the set­
tings for the driver's side are applied to the
front passenger's side (except for seat heat­
ing/ventilation*). The rear seat is also
synchronized in vehicles with the 4-zone de­
luxe automatic climate control system*. Syn­
chronization switches off if the settings are
adjusted on the front passenger's side or in
the rear*.
You can synchronize the settings in a row by
pressing and holding a knob. For example, to
apply the settings for the front passenger's side to the driver's side, press and hold the
knob on the front passenger's side.
Air vents
You can open or close the center and rear
vents in the cockpit and the vents in the rear
center console and door pillars using the
ridged thumbwheels. The levers adjust the di­
rection of the airflow from the vents.
,&. WARNING
- Do not use the recirculation mode for ex­
tended periods of time. The windows
could fog up since no fresh air can enter
the vehicle. If the windows fog up, press
the air recirculation button again imme­
diately to switch off the air recirculation
function or select defrost.
- Individuals with reduced sensitivity to
pain or temperature could develop burns
when using the seat heating function. To reduce the risk of injury, these individu-
als should not use seat heating . .,..

212 Trailertowing
Trail er load dis tr ibut ion
Be sure the load in the trai ler is held securely
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
N eve r all ow a p assenger to rid e in a trailer
~.&. in Driving instructions on page 213.
Engine cooling sy stem
Towing a tra iler makes the eng ine work hard­
er . It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the addit ional load .
Make sure that the cooling system has eno ugh
flu id.
Tir e pressure
When tow ing a tra iler, inflate the t ires of your
vehicle to the co ld tire pressure listed under
" Full load " on the label loca ted o n the dr iver's
side B-pillar (v is ible when the door is open).
I nflate trailer tires to tra iler and tire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both veh icle and trailer
l ights are wor king p roperly.
Safe ty chain s
Be sure tra iler safety cha ins are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve ­
h icle . Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners . When you install safety
cha ins, make su re they w ill not drag on the
road when yo u are driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the tra iler
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separat ion from the hitch .
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface be­
for e
hitching up the tra iler and b efor e adjust ­
ing the tongue weight . The vehicle must be i n
auto or comfort driving mode and not raised
~ page 109, ~CD .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered . In Info ­
tainment, select:
I CARI function button > Low­
e r
control button . If you must drive under poor road conditions,
you can raise the vehicle
afte r coupling the
trailer or
a fter adjust ing the tongue we ight
~ page 111.
(D Note
-Changes in temperature or load can af­
fect the height of the vehicle .
- Always select auto or comfort mode .
Otherw ise, the tongue load specified for
your vehicle will no longer be applicable.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
core and consideration.
T o obtain the best possible hand ling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the fo llowing:
.. Do not tow a loaded t railer when you r ca r it­
self is not loaded .
.. Be especially carefu l when passing other
vehicles.
.. Observe speed limits.
.. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.. Always apply brakes early .
.. Monitor the temperature gauge .
Weight di stribut ion
T owing a loaded trailer with an empty car re ­
su lts in a highly unstable d istribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
l ow speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble , while keep ing the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the ci rcumstances. Whenever poss i­
ble , transfer some ca rgo to the luggage com ­
partment of the tow vehicle while obse rv ing
tong ue load requi rements and vehicle load ing
considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more d ifficu lt it be­
comes fo r the driver to cont rol the rig. Do not
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