instrument panel AUDI A8 2016 Owner's Manual

position in a frontal collision so that the airbags
can provide supplemental protection.
The airbag system is not a s ubst itute for yo ur
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overa ll occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle. Always re­
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wear ing it properly . This is why you should
always wear your safety belt, not just because
the law requires you to do soc::,
page 138, Gener ­
al information.
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain k inds of accidents -your safety
be lts
a re always there to offer protection in those
accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have a lready dep loyed, for
examp le when yo ur vehicle str ikes or is str uck by
anothe r afte r the f irst collis ion.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt. The a irbag
sys tem wo rks most effec tively when used with
the safety belts. Therefore , al ways wear your
safety bel ts cor rect ly .
It is important to remember that while the sup­
p lemental knee a irbag sys tem is designed to re­
d uce the like lihood of serious injur ies, other inju­
ries, fo r example, swell ing, b ruising and minor
abrasions and fr iction burns can also occu r when
an airbag inflates.
The kne e airbag system basically consists of:
- The electronic contro l modu le
- Two inf latab le airbags (airbag and gas genera-
tor), one for the dr ive r and one fo r the front
passenge r
- T he airbag ind icator light in the instrument
pane l
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ignition is switched off
- in frontal collisions when the deceleration
measured by the control unit is too low
- in side collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers
Airb ag sys tem
-in the event of a system malfunction (warning/
indicator light is on)
c::, poge 18.
.&_ WARNING
-
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protect ion when occupants are in
the proper seat ing pos ition
c::,page 154.
-If the airbag indicator light c::, page 18
comes w hen the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or w ill not inflate w hen it should.
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully inflated knee airbags .
Fig . 1 68 Inflated a irbags pro tecting in a frontal co llision
T he knee air bag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger dep loy in certain but not all fronta l co llisions.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee a irbags a lso
deploy in frontal coll is ions when the deployment
t h reshold stored in the control unit is met .
When the system deploys, the a irbags fi ll w ith a
prope llant gas, and infla te between the lower
part of the instrument panel and t he driver and
the lower part of the instrument panel and the
f ront passenger
c::, page 154, fig. 165 .
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact an d in this way they can
help to red uce the risk of inj ury to the lower ex­
tremities.
All o f th is takes place in the blink of an eye, so
f ast that many peop le don't even realize that the .,..
161

Airbag system
the circumstances will vary considerably between
one collision and another. Important factors in­
clude, for example, the nature (hard or soft) of
the impacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
c:;, page 166, How side curtain air­
bags work .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
belts work to help keep the driver or front pas­
senger in position in the event of a collision so
that the side curtain airbags can provide protec ­
tion .
The airbag system is not a substitute for your safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re ­
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you a re wearing your safety belt
and wearing it properly . This is another reason
why you should always wear your safety belts,
not just because the law requires you to do so
c:;, page 138, General information.
It is important to remember that whi le the s ide
curtain airbag system is designed to help reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injuries,
for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abra ­
s ions can a lso be associated with these airbags
upon deployment. Remember too, these a irbags
will deploy only once and only in certa in kinds of
accidents - your safety belts are always there to
offer protect ion .
The side curtain airbag system ba sically
consists of:
-The electronic control module and external side
impact sensors
- The side curtain airbags above the front and
rear side windows
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you switch on the ignition, the
airbag system indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics) .
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
-if the ignition is switched off,
166
- in side collisions when the acceleration meas­
ured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end collisions.
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
c:;, page 58, Gen­
eral information .
-If the airbag ind icator light c:;, page 18
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or wi ll not inflate when it should.
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with side
airbags to help reduce the risk of head and upper
torso injuries for occupants who are properly re­
strained.
Fig. 172 Illus trat io n of princ iple: I nflated s ide c urtain a ir­
bags o n the left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the oc­
cupant and the windows in a side collision
¢ fig. 172.
When the system is triggered, the side curta in
airbag is filled w ith propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above t he front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order
to help provide this additional protection, the
s ide curtain airbag must inflate within the blink
of an eye at very high speed and with g reat fo rce.
The side curtain airbag could injure you if your
seat ing position is not proper or upright or if

Smart Techn olo gy
- Under certain climatic and operating condi­
tions such as passing through water, driving
in heavy rain or after washing the vehicle,
the effectiveness of the brakes can be re­
duced . In w inter, ice can accumulate on the
brake pads, linings, discs and drums . Care­
fully apply brakes fo r a tes t. Brakes w ill dry
and ice coatings wi ll be cleaned off after a
few careful brake applications .
- Driving for an extended pe riod of time on
salt-covered roads witho ut using your
brakes can also affect bra king efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few carefu l
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you in­
stall a different spoiler, be sure the air flow
to the front brakes is not obstructed. Other­
wise the brake system could overheat reduc­
ing the effectiveness of the entire brake sys­
tem.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair the
braking capability result ing in an increased
stopp ing distance. Avoid driving the vehicle
and have it towed to the nea rest Aud i dealer
or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the
engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed considerably
harder to make up for the lac k of booster
assistance.
Electromechanical power
assist, dynamic steering
The electromechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Ind icator light s and messages
• Stee ring defective! St op th e ve hicle
If th is ind icator light turns on and stays on and
this message appears, the power steer ing may
have fa iled.
194
Do not continue driving. See your authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified repair facility for
ass istance .
,Ion Steering : System faul t You can c ontinue
dri ving
If the indicato r light turns on and the message
appears, the steeri ng may be more diff icult to
move o r more sensitive than usu a l. T he steer ing
whee l may also be at an angle when driving
straight.
D rive slowly to your a uth orized Aud i dea ler or
qualified wo rkshop to have the malfunct ion cor­
rected.
1;r,ij D ynamic steering : Init ializing
If this driver message appears and the indicator
light is flashing on the instrument panel, dynam­
i c steer ing* is being re initialized . After starting
the engine, t he steering wheel w ill move slightly.
Re- initializa tion might be necessary if the steer­
i ng whee l was moved hard to the left and right
while the vehicle was not moving . The display
goes out as soon as initialization is comp lete .
D rive slowly to your a uth orized Aud i dea ler or
qualified wo rkshop to have the mal func tion cor­
rected.
.&_ WARNING
Have the dynamic steering * system malfunc­
tion repaired as soon as possible by an au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop -
risk of acc ident!
(D Tips
If the . or ,Ion indicator light only stays on
for a short time, you may continue driving.
- The dynamic steering* stabi lity systems are
not ava ilable in the event of a system mal­
function.
- For additiona l information on dynamic
steering *, refer to~
page 106 .

Fuel and Refueling
nozzle. A worn or damaged nozzle or a noz ­
zle that is too small may not be ab le to open
the diesel m isfueling protector. If th is is the
case, try turning the nozzle before inserting
i t in the fuel f iller neck, use a different fuel
pump or see your authorized Audi dealer or
authorized repair facility for ass istance.
- The fuel filler flap of your vehicle is not
locked when you lock the veh icle from the
i nside .
Fuel filler flap emergency release
You can open the fuel filler flap by hand if the
power locking system should fail.
F ig . 190 Vehicles w ith se lect ive cata lytic reductio n: Right
side tr im pane l
Fig. 191 Right side trim panel in the lu ggage compart ·
ment: e mergency release mechan is m
...,
"' 9 ::i: ... (D
The emergency release mechanism is located be­
hind the right side trim panel in the luggage
compartment. In vehicles with selective catalytic
reduction*, remove the vent grille first :
.. Press both tabs@¢
fig. 190 and tilt the vent
gri lle downward. You can then remove the
grille upward.
.. Loosen the loop¢
fig. 191 from the retainer
and then pull on the loop carefully ¢(D.
216
.. Press on the left side of the fuel filler door to
open
¢ page 214, fig. 188.
(D Note
Only pull on the loop until you feel resistance .
You wi ll not hea r it re lease . Otherwise you
could damage the emergency release mecha­ nism.
Selective catalytic reduction (Ad Blue)
General information
Applies to: vehicles with selective catalytic reduction (SCR)
In vehicles with selective catalytic reduction, a
urea solution (AdBlue) is injected into the ex­
haust system before a nitrogen oxide catalytic
converter to reduce nitrogen emissions .
The Ad Blue is carried in a separate tank in the ve­
hicle. The AdBlue usage accounts for approxi­
mately 0.5% to 1.2% of the diesel fuel that is
used.
When a message about Ad Blue appears in the in­
strument cluster display, you must refill the
Ad Blue yourself or have it refilled by an author­ ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service Facili­
ty
¢ page 217.
@ Tips
-The instrument cluster display indicates the
distance remaining that can be driven
¢page 216. If the AdBlue tank is com­
pletely empty , the eng ine will not start
again after the ign ition is switched off.
- Ad Blue is required by law to operate th is ve­
hicle.
Messages in the instrument cluster display
Applies to: vehicles with selective catalytic reduction (SCR)
The display indicates if the Ad Blue level is Low or
if there is a system malfunction .
AdBlue level low
You will be informed if the AdBlue in the tank
drops below a certain level.

Checking and Filling
Checking and Filling
Hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehi­
cle .
Fig. 194 Driver footwell : release leve r
Fig. 195 Ro cker switc h under the hood
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up from
the windshield . Otherwise the paint could be
damaged .
.. With the driver's door open, pu ll the lever un ­
der the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow ¢
fig. 194.
.. Raise the hood slightly Q _A .
.. Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
Q fig. 195. This releases the catch.
.. Open the hood.
A WARNING
Hot engine coo lant can burn you .
- To reduce the risk of be ing burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coolant escaping from the eng ine compart­
ment. Wait unt il no steam or coolant can be
220
seen or heard before carefully open ing the
hood.
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the
engine comportment.
Whenev er yo u mu st perform an y work in the
engin e compartment , for exampl e chec king and
filli ng d iffe rent fl uids , the re is a ri sk of injur y,
bu rn s and accid ent s. T o preven t perso na l injur y
alway s obse rve the foll owing WARNING S. The
en gine compartment o f an y v ehicl e is a haz ard ­
ou s a rea
Q _6 .
A WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check any­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine .
- Switch off the ignit ion.
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever to "P" (Park).
-Always let the eng ine cool down. Hot com-
ponents will burn skin on contact .
-
-To redu ce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coo lant escaping from the engine compart­
ment . Wait until no steam or coolant can be
seen or heard before carefully opening the
hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment .
- Never sp ill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary
electric fan is temperature controlled and
can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap when
the engine is sti ll warm. The coolant system
is pressurized and hot coolant could spray
out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .

Fuses an d bulb s
Fuse p anel @ (red ) Fuse panel@ (black )
3 Starter diagnosis, DC/DC converter (with
Start/Stop system) 8 Rear
seat heating
9 Rear exterio r lighting
4 DC/DC converter (with Start/Stop system)
10 Rear
climate contro l blower
5 Image processing
Rear sun shade, closing aid, luggage com-
6 Right headl
ight (headlights with adaptive
light) 11 partment lid
lock, convenience key, fue l
filler doo r
7 ESC control module 12 Luggage compartment lid control module
8 Sound actuator, AEM control modu le
9 Adapt ive cru ise control
10 Transmission
control module
Fuse panel © (red )
No . Equ ipm en t
1 Rear seat adjustment buttons
1 1 Climate control system sensors
3 Left rear
seat (pneumatic)
Fuse panel © (br own ) 5 Trai
ler hitch control module
No. Equipm ent 6 L
eft rear seat
1 Electromechanical parking
brake
7 Right rear seat
2 Suspension control system sensor
8 Traile r hitc h control module
3 Rear Infotainment system control
panel
9 Trailer hitch control module
4 Smart module (tank) 10 Right rear seat (pneumatic)
5 Front climate contro
l system controls
6 Rear climate control system control panel
7 Networking gateway
8 Refrige rator
Fuse panel ® (brown )
No. Equipm en t
1 Start/Stop
system, radio receiver/sound
amplifier
9 Special functions interface
2 Sound amplifier
10 Cell phone adapter, Bluetooth handset
11 AEM control module 3 Start/Stop
system, Rear Seat Entertain-
ment, radio receiver/sou nd amplifier
12 Selector lever
5 Automatic dimming
rearview mirror
13 Ambient lighting 6 DVD changer (glove compa rtment)
14 Rear
exterior lighting
7 TV tuner
15 Fuel pump
8 Infotainment system control panel/drives
16 Electromechanica l parking brake
9 Instrument cluster, analog clock
Fuse panel @ (bl ack ) 10 Infotainment system d isp lay
N o. Equi pm en t 11 Radio receiver
1 Luggage compartment lid movement-acti-
vated openi ng 12
Rearview camera, pe
ripheral cameras
(parking system)
2 Luggage compartment sockets
3 Rear socket
4 Front cigarette lighter
5 adapt ive a ir suspension
6 115 V
socket
7 Electromechan ica l park ing brake
269