AUDI A8 2018 Owners Manual

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'"" ......
'"" .... 0 0 :c ' Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­ my and performance.
Trailer towing not only places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from
the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must ac­
tivate the trailer operation mode
c:> page 89, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your vehicle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically
sound
location . Use only a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ball mount. Always check with the trail­
er hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using the correct hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system . No modifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
From time to time, check that all hitch mounting
bolts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the trailer hitch ball mount . This prevents the hitch
from causing damage should your vehicle be
struck from behind
£:=? .&, .
Trailer towing
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
check to be sure that it conforms to all regula­
tions.
T he trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system.
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle and the trailer.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure
to check with your Audi dealer for correct wiring,
switches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you us­
ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must in­
stall extended mirrors . It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear .
.,&. WARNING
-After removing the trailer hitch, do not store
it in your vehicle. In case of sudden braking,
the hitch could fly forward and injure you or
your passengers.
Operating instruction s
Fig. 101 MMI display: towing mode o n
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
89

Trailer towing
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
p la ce to prevent it from shifting forward, back­
ward or sideways .
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer~&.
in Driving instructions on page 91.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder . It
is important that the coo ling system's perform­
ance is up to t he additional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has eno ugh fluid .
Tire pressure
When tow ing a tra iler, inflate the tires of your
veh icle to the tire pressure listed under "Full
load " on the label
~ page 293. Inflate trailer
tires to trailer and tir e ma nufactu rers' specifica­
tions.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly .
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are proper ly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle.
Leave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
ing corners . When you install safety cha ins, make
sure they w ill not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch .
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface before
hitching up the trailer and before adjust ing the
tongue we ight. The vehicle must be in
auto or
comfort driving mode and not ra ised
~ page 111, ~0 .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainment, select:
ICARI function butto n> Lower
control button.
90
If you must drive under poor road conditions, you
can raise the ve hicle
after coupling the trailer or
after adjust ing the tongue we ight ~ page 113.
@ Note
-Changes in temperature or load can aff ect
the height of the vehicle .
-Always select auto or comfort mode. Other­
wise, the tong ue load specified for your ve­
hicle will no longer be applicab le .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results
in a hig hly unstable distribution of we ight. If th is
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid t he risk of losing steering contro l.
A "balanced" rig is eas ier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle s hould be loaded
to
the extent possible and permissib le, w hil e
keeping the trailer as light as possible under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow veh icle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficu lt it be ­
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind cond it ions are unfavorable - particularly whe n
go ing down hill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of sway ing.
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular
vehicles.
A lways apply brakes early. When driving down­
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the engine
braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
ll-

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' Air suspension*
When driv ing with a trailer, activate the trailer
mode of the air suspension. Switch the air sus ­
pension trailer mode on when you are towing a
trailer . This will limit the regulation by the air
suspension while driving. Select in the MMI:
ICARI function button> (Car)* systems control
button >
Vehicle settings > Air susp.: towing >
On.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge ¢ page 9 must
be observed carefully . The coolant temperature
can increase if you dr ive on long inclines in a low
gear at h igh engine speeds . Reduce your speed
i mmed iately if the LEDs in the top part of the dis­
p lay turn on.
For more information about ind icator lights, re­
fer
to . ¢ page 20.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
veh icle is at a much greater risk in an acci­
de nt. Never let anyone ride in you r car who is
not properly wearing the restraints p rovided
by Audi.
Trailer towing
information
Important to know
-
Your ve hicle handles different ly when towing a
tra ile r because of the additiona l we ight and dif­
ferent weight distribution . Safety, performance
and economy wi ll greatly depend on how careful­
l y you load your trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic . Keep practicing until you have be­
come comp letely familiar with the way your vehi­
cle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice .
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer­
ing action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle without a trailer.
Trailer towing
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you . You will need more
room to stop . To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accel­
erate as fast as you normally wou ld because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow p lenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
c h anges.
(D Tips
-Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your ve hicle.
-If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex ­
tra load
¢ page 336 .
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
.,. App ly the foot brake.
.,. Have someone place chocks under both the ve­
hicle and the trailer wheels .
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load .
.,. Tur n the whee ls towards the curb .
.,. Apply the parking brake .
.,. Select the P selector lever posit ion.
When restarting after parking:
.. App ly the foot brake .
.. Start the engine .
.,. Select the D selector lever position.
.,. Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
.,. Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks .
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automat­
i c transmission to P befo re applying the park-
in g brake and before blocking the wheels, you
.,_
91

Trailer towing
may have to use more force late r to move the
lever out of the P position .
92

lL t:0 ....
"' ......
"' .... 0 0 :c ' Assistance systems Speed warning system
The speed warning system helps you to stay un­
der a specified maximum speed.
The speed warning system warns you if you are
exceeding the maximum speed that you have set.
A warning tone will sound as soon as your speed
exceeds the stored value slightly.
The. (USA models)/ . (Canada models) indi­
cator light and a message appear in the instru­
ment cluster display at the same time. The
•
• indicator light and the message turn off if the
speed falls back below the stored maximum
speed.
Setting a threshold is recommended if you would like to be reminded when you reach a certain
maximum speed. Situations where you may want
to do so include driving in a country with a gener­
al speed limit or if there is a specified maximum
speed for winter tires.
Setting the warning threshold
The warning threshold is set in the Infotainment
system.
.. Select: I CARI function button > Car systems
contro l button > Driver assistance > Speed
warning.
(D Tips
Regardless of the speed warning system, you
should always monitor your speed using the
speedometer and make sure you are following
the legal speed limit.
Assistance systems
Cruise control system
Switching on
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at 20 mph (30
km/h).
0
f
®t
0
Fig. 102 Operating lever: cruise control system
g M 0 :i: ;A
.. To switch the cruise control on, pull the lever
into position
(D ¢ fig. 102.
.. Drive at the speed to be maintained.
.. To store the speed, press the button @.
The stored speed and the
(ij;ji)M~ (USA models) /
l'I (Canada models) indicator light are displayed
in the instrument cluster.
This information is also shown briefly in the
head-up display* .
The speed is maintained by modifying engine
power or through an active brake intervention.
_.&. WARNING
-
-Always pay attention to the traffic around
you when the cruise control system is in op ­
eration. You are always responsible for your
speed and the distance between your vehi­
cle and other vehicles.
-For safety reasons, cruise control should not
be used in the city, in stop-and-go traffic, on
winding roads and when road conditions are poor (such as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and
hydroplaning), because this increases the
risk of an accident.
-Switch the cruise control off temporarily
when driving in turning lanes, highway exits or in construction zones.
~
93

Assistance systems
-Please note that unconsciously "resting"
your foot on the accelerator pedal prevents
the cruise control from braking. This is be­
cause pressing the accelerator pedal over­
rides the cruise control system.
- If a brake system malfunction such as over­
heating occurs when the cruise control sys­
tem is switched on, the braking function in
the system may be switched off. The rest of
the cruise control system funct ions remain
active as long as the
@;\IM~ (USA models) /
l'I (Canada models) indicator light is on.
(D Tips
The brake lights turn on when the brakes are
applied automatically.
Changing the speed
.,. To incr ease or decrease the speed in incre­
ments, tap the lever toward
010 ¢ page 93,
fig . 102.
.. To increase or decrease the speed quickly, hold
the lever in the
0 10 direction until the de­
s ir ed speed is displayed.
You can a lso press the accelerator pedal down to
increase your speed, for example if you want to
pass someone. The speed you set earlier w ill re­
sume as soo n as you release the accelerator ped­
al.
However, if you exceed your saved speed by 5
mph (10 km/h) for longer than 6 minutes, the
cru ise control system turns off temporarily.
The
green@;\1)~1~ (USA mode ls) !l'I (Canada mod ­
els) indicator light in the speedometer turns off
and the stored speed is maintained.
Preselecting a speed
You can pre-select your desired speed when the
vehicle is stationary.
.. Switch the ignition on .
.. Pull the lever into position (D i::> page 93,
fig. 102 .
.. To increase or decrease the speed, push the lev­
er toward
0 10 .
94
.. To store the speed displayed, release the lever.
This function makes it possible , fo r example, to
save the speed you want before driving on the
highway. Once on the highway , activate the
cruise contro l by pulling the lever toward
(D.
Switching off
Deactivating temporarily
.. Press the brake pedal, or
.. Press the lever into position @(not clicked into
place)
¢ page 93, fig. 102, or
.. Dr ive for longer than 5 minutes faster than 5
mph (10 km/h) above the stored speed.
Switching off completely
.. Press the lever into position@(clicked into
place), or
.. Switch the ignition off .
The speed you stored will be maintained if the
cruise contro l has been switched off temporarily .
T o resume the stored speed, release the brake
pedal and pull the lever into position
(D.
Switching the ignition off will erase the stored
speed.
A WARNING
You sho uld only resume the stored speed if it
is not too high for existing traffic conditions.
Otherwise you can increase the risk of an acc i­
dent.

lL t:0 ....
'"" ......
'"" .... 0 0 :c ' Audi adaptive cruise control
Description
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control
Fig . 1 03 Detect ion range
The adaptive c ruise co ntro l system is a comb ina­
tion of speed and d ist ance regula tion. It assists
the dr iver by bot h regula ting the speed and
maintaining a distance to the vehicle driving
ahead , within the limits of the system . If the sys­
tem detects and object ahead, adaptiv e cruis e
control can brake and acce lerate your vehicle.
Th is makes driving more comfortable both on
long stretches of highway and in stop-and-go
traffic .
What can adaptive crui se contr ol do?
The adaptive cruise contro l system uses video, ra ­
dar and ultraso und. Objects driving ahead can be
recogni zed up to 650 feet (200 m) away.
On open roads with no traffic , it functions like a
cru ise control system . T he stored speed is ma in­
tained. When approaching an object ahead, the
adapt ive cruise con trol system automatically
brakes to match that object's speed and then
maintains the stored d istance. As soon as the
sys tem does not detect a n object ahead, adaptive
cru ise con trol acce lera tes up to the stored speed .
In stop-and -go traff ic, adaptive cru ise control can
brake unt il the vehicle is s tat io nary and then be­
g in d riving aga in under certain conditions
¢ page 98.
Aud i braking guard can warn you about an im ­
pending col lision and initiate braking maneuve rs
¢ page 100 .
Assi st a nce systems
Which functions can be controlled?
When yo u swi tc h adap tive cr uise control on, you
can set t he current speed as the "contro l speed "
¢page 97, Switching on/off .
When driving, yo u can stop cru ise cont rol
¢ page 99 or ch ange t he speed ¢ page 98 at
any t ime.
Yo u c an also se t the distance to the object mov­
i ng ahead and set the d riving mode of the adap­
tive cr uise
con trol ¢ page 99.
General information
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive c ruise con trol
Fi g. 10 4 Front of t he ve hicle: se nso rs and v ideo came ra
T he areas that co nta in the radar and ult rasonic
senso rs and the video
came ra¢ fig . 104 must
no t be cove red by st ickers, depos its o r othe r ob­
jects because they can inter fere with the function
of the adaptive cru ise control system and braking
guard . For information on clea ning, see
¢ page 306. The same applies for any modifica­
tions made in the front area.
T he function of the adaptive cru ise control sys ­
tem and bra king g uard is limited under some
condit ions.
- Objects can on ly be de tected when they are
w ith in the sensor range
¢ page 95 , fig . 103 .
-The sys tem h as a limited abili ty to detect ob­
jec ts that are a shor t distance ahead, off to the
side of yo ur vehicle or mov ing into your lane.
- Ob jects that are difficult to detect such as mo­
torcycles, vehicles with high g ro und clea rance
or an overhanging load a re detected late or not
detected at all.
- W hen drivi ng through cu rves
¢ page 97 . .,.
95

Assistance systems
-With stationary objects ¢ page 97.
A WARNING
Always pay attention to traffic when adaptive
cruise control is switched on and braking
guard is active. As the driver, you are still re­
sponsible for starting and for maintaining
speed and distance to other objects. Braking
guard is used to assist you . The driver must
always take action to avoid a collision. The
driver is always responsible for braking at the
correct time.
- For safety reasons, do not use adaptive
cruise control when driving on roads with
many curves, when the road surface is in
poor condition and/or in bad weather (such
as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and hydroplan­
ing). Using the system under these condi­
tions increases the risk of an accident.
- Switch adaptive cruise control off tempora­
rily when driving in turning lanes, on ex­
pressway exits or in construction zones. This
prevents the vehicle from accelerating to
the stored speed when in these situations .
- The adaptive cruise control system will not
brake by itself if you put your foot on the ac­
celerator pedal. Doing so can override the
speed and distance regulation.
- When approaching stationary objects such
as stopped traffic, adaptive cruise control
will not respond and braking guard will have limited function.
- The adaptive cruise control system and
braking guard do not react to people, ani­
mals, objects crossing the road or oncoming
objects.
- The function of the radar sensors can be af­
fected by reflective objects such as guard
rails, the entrance to a tunnel, heavy rain or
ice.
A WARNING
- Improper use of adaptive cruise control can
cause collisions, other accidents and serious
personal injury.
- Never let the comfort and convenience that
adaptive cruise control and braking guard
96
offer distract you from the need to be alert
to traffic conditions and the need to remain
in full control of your vehicle at all times,
- Always remember that the adaptive cruise
control and braking guard have limits -they
will not slow the vehicle down or maintain the set distance when you drive towards an
obstacle or something on or near the road
that is not moving, such as vehicles stopped
in a traffic jam, a stalled or disabled vehicle.
If registered by the radar sensors, vehicles
or obstacles that are not moving can trigger
a collision warning and if confirmed by the
video camera, an acute collision warning.
- Never follow a vehicle so closely that you
cannot stop your vehicle safely. The adap­
tive cruise control cannot slow or brake the
vehicle safely when you follow another vehi­ cle too closely. Always remember that the
automatic braking function cannot bring the
vehicle to a sudden or emergency stop un­
der these conditions .
- To prevent unintended operation, always
switch ACC off when it is not being used .
@ Note
The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housing and
underbody. That could affect the adaptive
cruise control system and braking guard .
Have an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility check their function.
© Tips
For an explanation on conformity with the
FCC regulations in the United States and the
Industry Canada regulations, see
¢page 339.

lL t:0 ....
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"' .... 0 0 :c ' In curves
Applies to: ve hicles with Audi adaptive cruise co ntro l
Fig. 105 Examp le: d riving into a curve
When driving into a curve <=> fig. 105 and out of a
curve, the adaptive cru ise control may react to an
object in the ne ighboring lane and apply the
b rakes. You can prevent that by pressing the ac­
celerator pedal b riefly.
Stationary objects
A pp lies to: ve hicles with Audi adaptive cruise contro l
Fig. 1 06 Examp le : object chang ing lanes a nd stat iona ry
object
The adaptive cruise contro l system only reacts to
objects that are mov ing or that t he system has
already detected as moving. For example, it can react when a vehicle that has already been de­
tected @turns or changes lanes, but adapt ive
cru ise control does not react to a stat ionary vehi ­
cle @.
Assi st a nce systems
Switching on/off
App lies to : vehicles wit h Audi ada ptive cr uise control
Fi g. 107 Ope rat ing lever: switch ing on and off
Fig . 108 In strume nt clus te r: adaptive cru ise control
You can set any speed between 20 mph (30 km/
h) and 95 mp h (150 km/h) .
Ind icator lights and messages in the instrument
cluster disp lay inform you about the current sit­
uatio n and setting.
An additional indicator appears in the head-up display*.
Switching adaptive crui se control on
.,. Pull the lever towa rd yo u into pos ition (!)
<=> fig. 107. ACC: standb y appears in the d is ­
p lay.
Storing the speed and activating regulat ion
.,. To store the current speed, press the ISET I but­
ton<=> fig. 107. T he sto red speed is shown in t he
speedome ter in the LED line @and appears
briefly in the info rmation
line @<=> fig. 108 .
... To act ivate the regulation wh ile stationary, also
press the brake pedal.
.,.
97

Ass is tance sy stem s
Switch ing adaptive cruise control off
.,. Push the lever away from you into position @
until it clicks into place . The message
ACC: off
appears.
@ Indicator lights
It -adaptive cruise cont rol is switched on . No
objects a re detected ahead . T he stored speed is
main tained.
• -an object ahead was detected. The adaptive
cru ise control system regulates the speed and
d istance to the object ahead a nd accelerates/
b rakes a utomatically .
(ii-adaptive cruise control is switched on . An
object ahead was detec ted . Your vehicle rema ins
stopped and w ill not start dr iv ing a utomat ically .
•-The automatic braking is no t enough to
maintain a sufficient distance to an object ahead .
You must
i nte rvene ~ page 100, Driver interven­
tion request.
© Instrument cluster display
If adaptive cruise control is not shown in the in ­
strument cluster display, you can call it up usi ng
the multifunction stee ring wheel b uttons
~ page 12.
Based on the graphics in the d isplay, you can de ­
termine if the system is ma inta ining a distance to
the object ahead and what that distance is .
No vehicl e -no object was detected ahead.
White vehicle -an ob ject was detected ahead.
Red vehicle -request for driver intervention
~ page 100 .
Both arrow s on the scale © indicate the distance
to the object ahead. No arrow appea rs when the
ve hicl e is o n an open road and there is no obje ct
ahead. If an object is de tected ahead, the arrow
moves on the scale.
The green zo ne on the scale indicates the sto re
d istance. For information o n chang ing the d is­
tance, refer to
Q page 99 . If the distan ce se­
lected is exceeded or not reached, the a rrow
moves into the red zone on the sca le .
98
A WARNING
If you press the !SET ! button when driving at
speeds below 20 mph (30 km/h), the veh icle
accelerates automatically up to 20 mph (30
km/h), wh ich is the minim um speed that can
be set .
(D Tips
-If you switch the ign it ion or the adaptive
cruise control sys tem off, the set speed is
erased fo r safety reasons .
-The electronic stabilization control (ESC)
and the an ti-slip-regulat ion (ASR) are auto­
matically switc hed on when the adaptive
cruise cont rol is swi tched on.
Changing the speed
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control
0
f
•
0
Fig. 10 9 Operat ing leve r: ch ang ing the speed
.,. To increase or reduce the speed in increments,
ta p the lever up or down .
.,. To increase or decrease t he speed q uickly, hold
t he lever up o r down un til the red LED @ reac h­
es the desired
speed ~ page 97, fig. 108 .
After each change, the new stored speed appea rs
briefly in the information
li ne @ ~ page 97,
fig . 108 .
Driving in stop-and-go traffic
Applies to: vehicles with Audi adaptive cruise control
The adapt ive cru ise control system also assists
you in stop-and-go traffic . If an object ahead
stops, your vehicle will brake and stay at a stop,
within the limits of the system.
..