AUDI A8 2013 Workshop Manual

_& WARNING
High beam assist is only i ntended to assist
the driver . The driver is sti ll responsible for
cont ro lling the h eadlights and switching
the high beams on and off manually de­ pen ding on traffic, ligh ting and visibili ty
condi tions. Failure to interve ne manually
may lead to r isk o f accident . It m ay be nec­
essary to operate the high beams man ual ­
ly in the following sit uat ions, e .g .:
- For adverse wea ther conditions such as
fog, heavy rain, blowing snow or s praying
water .
- On roads where oncoming traffic may be partia lly obsc ured s uch as exp ressways .
-If there are in dividuals on the road wi th
no light ing or poor lightin g, such as cy ­
cli sts .
- In tight c urves and on steep slopes .
- In po orly lit areas.
- With stro ng re flecto rs su ch a s signs.
-If the area of t he wind shie ld nea r th e
sensor is fogg ed over, d irty, icy or cov­
ered w it h a st icker.
(D} Tips
- The high beam ass ist is active above a
speed of approx . 25 mph (40 km/h).
- If afte r activation, you r speed falls below
approx . 15 mph (24 km/h), the hig h
beams w ill automa tica lly be switched
off .
Interior lights
Front and rear interior lighting
Fig. 41 Headl iner: Front in te ri or l ights
Clear vi sion 49
Fig . 4 2 Rea r headliner: Read ing l ig ht
Press the appropriate button r::;, fig . 41:
El-Inte rior light ing on/off
~ -Door contact swi tch. The interio r ligh ting
turns o n automatically when yo u unl ock the
v e hicle, open a door or sw itch the ignition
off .
The inter ior light ing turns off s evera l seconds
after you close the doors, when you lock the
vehicle or when you switch the ignition on .
When a doo r is open, the l ight turns off after
a few minutes.
~ -Read ing lights on/off
@[I -Switching the rear read ing lights on/off
from the cockpit.
I REAR MODE i* -Sw itch ing the rea r reading
li gh ts on/off from the cockpit: press the
I REAR MODE i bu tton and then the appropriate
button ~ in the cockpit.
Ambience lighting
App lies to vehicles : wit h ambience lig hting
You can select a color profile and br ightness
for t he ambie nce lighting in various areas of
the veh icle, called zones .
Turning ambience lighting on
.. Select in the MMI: ICAR lfunction button>
Car systems control button > Vehicle set­
t ings > Interior light ing > On .
Adjusting /turning off the brightne ss
.. Select in the MMI: ICAR lfunction button>
Car systems control b utton > Vehicle set­
tings
> Inte rior lighting > Brightness .

50 Clear vision
• Turn the knob to the desired vehicle area
and press the knob. The bar that appears in­
dicates the selected brightness.
• To increase or reduce the br ightness, turn
the knob and press it.
Selecting a color profile*
• Select in the MMI: ICAR l function button >
Car systems control button > Vehicle set­
tings
> Interior lighting > Color profile .
The ambience lighting turns on when the
function is activated in the MMI and when you
turn the headlights on whi le the ign ition is
switched on.
Adjusting the brightness
You can adjust the brightness for the four
zones
Front top , Front footwell , Rear top and
Rear footwell or for All areas at the same
t ime.
Selecting a color profile
You can select from the Ivory, Polar and Ru­
by/Polar
color profiles.
(D Tips
The settings are automatically stored and
assigned to the remote control key that is
in use .
Instrument illumination
You can adjust the brightness of the instru­
ment and display illumination.
Fig . 43 Instrument illumin ation
• Press the knob to release it.
• Turn the knob toward"-" or"+" to reduce or
increase the brightness . •
Press the knob again to return it to its origi ­
na l position .
(D Tips
The instrument illum ination (for dials and
needles) lights on when the ignition is
switched on and the vehicle lights are
turned off . As the daylight fades, the illu­
mination of the dials likewise dims auto­
matically and will go out completely when
the outside light is very low. This feature is
meant to rem ind you to switch on the
headlights when outside light conditions
become poor.
Vision
Sun visors
E )
Fig. 44 Sun visor
I ± .., m
T he sun visors for the driver and passenger
can be released from their brackets and
turned toward the doors~
fig. 44 (!). They
can a lso be moved back and forth lengthwise
in this position.
T he mirror light swi tches on when the cover
over the vanity m irror @opens .
T he re is a shade between the dr iver's and pas­
senger's s un visors that can be used to cover
the gap above the rearview mirror.

Sun Shade
Fig. 45 Cockp it : Sun shade switch
Fig. 46 Rear door: S un shade button
Extending/retracting the rear window
shade*
• To extend or retract the sun shade from the
cockpit ,
press the W button in the center
console
r::;, fig. 45 .
• To extend or retract the sun shade from the
rear of the vehicle ,
press the~ button in
the door
c:::> fig. 46.
Extending the rear door sun shades*
• Close the window in the rear door.
• To extend the sun shade
from the driver's
seat,
pull the left/r ight rear power window
switch
~ in the driver's door.
• To extend the sun shade from the
rear of
the vehicle ,
pull the power window switch
~ in the left/right rear door.
Retracting the rear door sun shades*
• To retract the sun shade from the driver's
seat,
press the left/ right rear power w indow
swit ch~ in the drive r's door.
• To retract the sun shade from the
rear of
the vehicle ,
press the power window switch
~ in the left/right rear door.
Clear vision 51
You can adjust the settings for the rear sun
shade so the shade retracts automatically
when you select the reverse gear. Select:
CAR
funct ion button > Car systems control button
>
Vehicle settings > Automatic rear blind >
On . The settings are automatically sto red and
ass igned to the remote control key. The sun
shade extends aga in as soon as the vehicle be­
gins traveling forward at a speed greater than
9 mph (15 km/ h), as long as the ig nition has
not been sw itched off in the meantime.
& WARNING ~
When lowering or raising the sunshade,
make sure there is nothing in its way and
that it has a free path to travel. This cou ld
cause personal injury.
-
(D Tips
- Pressing the button G&l severa l t imes
consecutively can trigger the overload
protection. The sun shade can only be ex­
tended/retracted again after a brief wait­
ing period.
- The rear window sun shade only func­
tions when the vehicle interior is warmer
than 14°F (-10°C) .
Vanity mirror in the rear
Applies to vehicles: wit h va nity mirrors in th e rear
Fig. 47 Rea r headl iner: van ity mirro r
• Press the button to fold the mirror open.
T he mirror lighting turns on automatically.
• To change the mirror's angle, move it for­
ward/back with your hand.

52 Clear vision
Wiper and washer
system
Switching the windshield wipers on
Fig. 48 Wind shie ld wipe r lever
Move the windshield wiper lever to the corre­
sponding position:
@ - Windshield wipers off
(I) -Rain sensor mode. The windshield wipers
switch on once the vehicle speed exceeds ap­
proximately 2 mph (4 km/h) and it is raining.
The higher the rain sensor sensitivity is se t
(switch @to the right), the earlier the wind­
shield wipers react to moisture on the wind­
shield. You can deactivate rain sensor mode in
the MMI, which will then activate intermittent
mode. Select:
ICARI function button > Car sys­
tems
control button > Driver assist > Rain
sensor
> Off. In intermittent mode, you can
adjust the interval time using the switch @.
@-Slow wiping
@-Fast wiping
© -Single wipe. If you hold the lever in this
posi tion 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 drople ts. 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 headlights
are on . If you move the lever to position ®, the headlights and the night vision system
camera* are washed in intervals.
.&_ 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
safe driving
q page 53, 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 .
(D 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 funct ion . Check your
windshield wiper b lades regularly.
- The washer fluid nozzles of the wind­
sh ield washer system are heated at low
temperatures when the ig nitio n is on .
- When stopping temporarily, e .g. at a
traffic light , the set speed of the wind­
sh ield wipers is automatically red uced by
one speed.
Replacing windshield wiper blades
Wip er blad es in good condition h elp keep the
windshield clear.
Fi g. 49 Rem ov ing wi nds hield w iper bla des
Service pos ition
.. Switc h the windshield wipers off (posit ion
@ ¢
page 52, fig . 48).
.. Se lect in the M MI:: !CAR ! function button>
Car s ystem s control button > Servicing &
che ck s > Wip er servic e po sition > On . The
wi ndshield wipe rs move into the serv ice po­
s ition.
Or
.,. Swi tch the ignition off and move the wind­
shield wipe r lever to posit io n © ¢
page 52 ,
fig . 48.
R emoving the wiper blade
.. Fold the w indshield wipe r arm away from
t h e windshie ld.
.,. Press the locking knob(!)
¢fig. 49 on t he
wiper blade . Hold the wiper blade fi rm ly.
.. Remove the w iper blade in the direction of
the arrow .
Clear vision 5 3
Installing the wiper blade
.. Insert the new w iper blade into the mount
on the wiper arm @unti l you hear it latch
i nto place .
.. Place the wiper arm back on the windshield.
.. Switch the ignit ion on.
.. Select:
I CAR ! function button > Car systems
control button > Servicing & checks > Wiper
serv ice position > Off .
Or
.. Press the windshie ld wiper lever.
.&_ WARNING
- If the windshie ld w ipers smear the w ind­
shie ld , clean the wiper b lades with wind­
shie ld washer fluid. If the w iper blades
are ex tremely dirty, you can a lso clea n
them with a so ft sponge o r clo th.
- For your safety, you should rep lace the
wiper blades once o r twi ce a year. See
your author ized Audi dealer for replace­
ment b lades.
(D Note
- T he windsh ie ld w iper blades m ust only
be folded aw ay whe n in the service pos i­
tion! Otherwise, yo u ris k damaging the
paint on the hood or the windshie ld wip ­
er motor.
- Yo u should not move your vehicle or
press the windshield wiper lever when
the wipe r arms are folded away from the
w indshield. The windsh ield wipers wou ld
move back into their or iginal position
and could damage the hood and wind­
shield .
- To help prevent damage to the w iper sys­
tem , always loosen blades wh ich are fro­
zen to the windshield before operating
w ipers .
- To help p revent damage to wiper blades,
do not use gasoline, kerosen e, paint
thinne r, or other solvents on or near the
w iper blades .
- T o help prevent damage to the w iper
arms or other components, do not at-
t empt to move the wipe rs by hand. .,._

54 Clear vis ion
@ Tips
- Commercial hot waxes applied by auto­
matic car washes affect the cleanability
of the windshield .
- You can also use the service position, for
example, if you want to protect the
winds hield from icing by using a cover .
- You cannot activate the service position
when the hood is open.
Mirrors
Adjusting the exterior mirrors
... g C)
I
~
Fig. S O Fo rw ar d s ecti on of driver's armr est: powe r m ir­
r or con tro ls
T urn the knob to the desired position :
Q/P -In th is position, you can adjust the
driver's and front passenger's exter io r mirrors
by turn ing the knob in t he des ired direction .
®-The m irrors are heated depending on the
outside temperature .
8 -The exte rior m irrors fo ld in. In the MMI,
you c an se lec t if the m irror s fold in automat i­
cally when you lock the vehicle ¢ page
33 .
Tilt funct ion for th e pa ssenger' s mi rro r
To help yo u see the c urb when bac king into a
parking space, the su rface of the mirror tilts
slightly . The knob must be in the P posit ion
for this to happen .
You can ad just the tilted mirror s urface by
turning the knob in the desired direction .
When you move out of reverse and into anoth­
er gear, the new mirror posit ion is stored and
assigned to the key you are using . T
he mi rror goes back into its orig inal position
once you drive forward faster than 9 mph (15
km/h) or switch the ign ition off .
A WARNING
--
-Curved (i .e. conve x) mirror surfaces in­
crease your fie ld of view. Remember that
veh icles o r ot he r objects will appea r
smalle r and farther away than when seen
in a flat mirror . If you use th is m irror to
estimate distances of following ve hicles
when chang ing lanes, yo u co uld estimate
i n correct ly and cause an accide nt.
(D Note
- If the m irror housing is moved uninten­
ti onally (for examp le, w hile parking your
veh icle), then yo u must first fold the mir ­
ror electrically. Do not re adjust the mir­
ror housing man ually . You co uld damage
the motor which controls the mirror .
-If you wash the vehicle in an automatic
car was h, you must fo ld the exter ior mir­
rors in to reduce the risk of damage to
the mirro rs. Never fold power folding ex­
terior mirrors by hand. O nly fold t hem in
and out using the power controls.
{I) Tips
- The exterior m irror settings are stored
w ith the memory function*
¢ page 65 .
-If there is a malfunction in the electrical
system, you can sti ll adjust the exterior
m irrors by pressing the edge of the mir­
ror .
Dimming the mirrors
Fig. 5 1 Auto matic dimming rearview mirro r

.. To dim the rearview mirror and both exter i­
or m irrors, press the@ button. The diode
® turns on . The rearview and exterior mir­
rors dim automatically when light shines on
them, for example from headligh ts on ave­
hicle to the rear .
A WARNING
Electrolyte fluid can leak from automatic
dimming mirrors if the glass is broken.
Electrolyte fluid can irritate skin, eyes and
respiratory system.
- Repeated or prolonged exposure to elec­
trolyte can cause irritation to the respira­
tory system, especially among people
with asthma or other respiratory condi­
tions . Get fresh air immediately by leav­
ing the vehicle or, if that is not possible,
open windows and doors all the way.
- If electrolyte gets into the eyes, flush
them thoroughly with large amounts of
clean water for at least 15 minutes;
medical attention is recommended .
- If electrolyte contacts skin, flush affect­
ed area with clean water for at least 15
minutes and then wash affected area
with soap and water; medical attention is recommended . Thoroughly wash af­
fected clothing and shoes before reuse.
-If swallowed and person is conscious,
rinse mouth with water for at least 15
minutes . Do not induce vomiting unless
instructed to do so by medical professio­
nal. Get medical attention immediately.
(D Note
Liquid electrolyte leaking from broken mir­
ror glass will damage any p lastic surfaces
it comes in contact with . Clean up spilled
electrolyte immediately with clean water
and a sponge.
(D Tips
- Switching off the dimming function of
the inside rear view mirror also deacti­
vates the automatic dimming function of
the exterior mirrors.
Clear vision 55
- Automatic dimming for the mirror only
operates properly if the sun shade* for
the rear w indow is not in use or the light
striking the inside mirror is not hindered
by other objects.
- The automatic dimming mirrors do not dim when the interior lighting is turned
on or the reverse gear is selected.
Digital compass
Switching the compass on and off
Applies to vehicles: with digital compass
The compass direction is shown in the rear­
view mirror .
J
Fig. 52 Rearview mirror: Di gital compas s ac tivat ed
.. To switch the compass on or off, press and
hold the button @ until the compass dis­
play in the mirror
c::> fig. 52 appears or disap­
pears.
The digital co .mpass only works when the igni­
tion is on. The di rect ions are indicated with
abbreviations :
N (north), NE (northeast), E
(east), SE (southeast) , S (south), SW (south­
west),
W (west), NW (northwest) .
A WARNING
The digital compass is to be used as a di­
rectional aid only. Even though you may
want to look at it while you are driving, you
must still pay attention to traffic, road and
weather conditions as well as other possi- ble hazards . .,.

56 Clear vision
@ Tips
To prevent inaccurate compass readings,
do not bring any remote controls, electri ­
cal devices or metallic objects near the
m irror.
Adjusting the magnetic zone
App lies to vehicles: with digital compass
The magnetic zone must be adjusted correctly
for the compass to read accurately.
®
Fig . 53 Magnet ic zone map
.. Press and hold the button @ c:> page 55,
fig. 52
until the number of the magnetic
zone appears in the rearview mirror .
.. Press the button @repeatedly to select the
correct magnetic zone. The selection mode
turns off afte r a few seconds.
Calibrating the compass
Appl ies to vehicles: with digital compa ss
You must recalibrate the compass if it does
not display the correct direction .
.. Press and hold the button @until a Cap­
pears in the rearview mirror .
.. Drive in a ci rcle at about 6 mph (10 km/h)
until a direction is displayed in the rearview
mirror .
A WARNING
-To avoid endangering yourself and other
drivers, calibrate the compass in an area
where there is no traffic.

Seats and storage
General recommen­
dations
Why is your seat adjustment so important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide maximum protection if the front
seats are correctly adjusted.
There are various ways of adjusting the front
seats to provide safe and comfortable support
for the driver and the front passenger. Adjust
your seat properly so that :
- you can easily and quick ly reach all the
switches and controls in the instrument
panel
- your body is properly supported thus reduc­ ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety belts and airbag system can offe r
maximum protection
¢ page 152.
In the following sections, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust your seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for installing a child seat on the front pas­
senger's seat. Always fo llow the information
regarding chi ld safety provided in
¢ page 176, Child Safety.
A WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal injury.
- Always keep your feet on the f loor when
the vehicle is in motion -never p ut your
feet on top of the instrument panel, out
of the window or on top of the seat cush­
ion. Th is applies especially to the passen­
gers . If your seating position is incorrect,
you increase the r isk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an acc ident. If the
airbag inflates and the seating position
is incorrect, this could result in persona l
injury or even death.
- It is important for both the driver and
front passenger to keep a distance of a t
Seat s an d sto rage 57
least 10 inches (25 cm) between them­
selves and the steering wheel and/or in­
strument panel. If you're s itting any
closer than th is, the airbag system can­
not protect you properly. In addition, the
front seats and head restraints must be
adjusted to your body height so that t hey
can give you maximum protect ion.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible between yourself and the s teer­
ing wheel o r instrument pane l.
- Do not adjust the driver's or front pas­
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
Your sea t may move unexpected ly, caus­
ing sudden loss of vehicle cont rol and
personal injury . If you adjust yo ur seat
while the veh icle is moving, yo u are out
of posit ion.
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving.
We recommend that you adjus t the dr iver's
seat in the fo llowing manner:
.,. Adjust t he seat in fore and aft direction so
that you can easily push the peda ls to the
floor wh ile keeping your knees s lightly bent
i:::> A in Why is your seat adjustment so im­
portant? on page 57.
.,. Adjust the backrest so that when you sit
w ith your back against the backrest, you can
still grasp the top of the steering wheel.
.,. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your head . If that is not poss ible , try to adjust
the head res traint so that it is as close to
this pos ition as possib le
i:::> page 64.
A WARNING
Never place any objects in the dr iver's foot­
well. An object could get into the pedal
area and interfere with pedal funct ion . In
case of sudden braking or an acc ident, you
wo uld not be able to brake or accelerate.

58 Seats and storage
Front passenger's seat
Always move the front passenger seat into
the rearmost position.
To avoid contact with the airbag while it is de­
ploying, do not sit any closer to the instru­
ment panel than necessa ry and always wear
the three-point safety belt provided adjusted
correctly. We recommend that you adjust the
passenger's seat i n the fol low ing ma nner:
~ Bring the backrest up to an (almost) upright
posit ion.
D o not ride with the seat reclined .
~ Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
i s as even a s poss ible with the top of your
head.
If that is not possible, try to a dju st
the head rest raint so that it is as close to
this position as possible ¢
page 64.
~ Place your feet on the floor in front of the
passenger's seat .
Front seats
Controls
Moving the seat forward or back and adjust­
ing the height, backrest angle and seat an­
gle.
F ig. 54 Front seat: adju sting t he se at
@ -Moving the seat forward/back: press the
b utton forward/back ¢ .&. .
@ -Mov ing the se at up/down : press the but­
ton up/down ¢,&. . To ad just the fron t sec tion
of the seat, press the front button up/down
¢ .&. .To adjust the rear section of the seat,
press the rear button up/down ¢,&. .
@ -Turn the massage f unction on/off. You
can select the type of massage using the mul­
tifunction button
r:!> page 59.
© -Backrest forward/back: press the button
forward/back ¢ .&. .
©-Com fort head restraints ¢ page 64,
¢ .&. .
@ -Multif unction button ¢.&. ,¢ page 59 .
_&. WARNING -
- Never adjust the drive r's or front pas­
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
If you do th is while the veh icle is moving,
you will be out of posi tion. A lways adjust
the dr iver's or front passenger's seat
when the vehicle is not mov ing.
- Be ca reful when ad justing the seat
height. Check to see that no one is in the
way, or ser ious injury could resu lt!
- Because the seats can be e lectrically ad­
justed with the ignition off, never leave
children unattended in the veh icle. Uns u­
perv ised use of t he electric seat ad just­
ments may cause serious injury .
- To reduce the risk of injury in the case of
sudden b raking or accident, front pas­
sengers must never r ide in a moving ve­
h icle with the backrest reclined . Safety
be lts and the airbag system only offer
maximum pro tection when the backrest
is upr igh t and the safety belts are prop­
erly positioned on the body . The more
the backrest is reclined, the greater the risk of persona l injury from an incorrect
seating position and improperly posi­
tioned safety belts.