tow AUDI S8 2012 Owner's Manual

To shift from N to D when traveling at speeds
be low S km/h, press the brak e pedal and se­
lect the D se lector lever position
~ .& .
Unde r certain conditions such as driving in the
mountains or when towing a trailer , it may be
helpful to switch to manual mode temporarily
to sh ift
manually to adapt to the driv ing con­
ditions
r:=:> page 112.
S -Sport
The 5 position can be selected fo r sporty driv­
ing. Upshifting at a higher RPM makes full use
of the engine's power.
You can only select the S selector lever posi­
tion when Dis engaged . Move the selector
l ever back to engage the 5 selector lever posi ­
tion. To select the D sel ector lever position
again when 5 is engaged, move the selector
lever back
r:=:> .&.
The 5 selector lever position engages auto­
matica lly when you select the dynamic mode
in Audi drive se lect .
A WARNING
-Never engage R or P wh ile driving. It
could cause a crash.
-
- Power is still transmitted to the whee ls
when the engine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake in all
selector lever positions except P and N
when the eng ine is running. Do not inad­
vertent ly press the accelerator pedal
when the vehicle is stationary . Otherwise
the vehicle will start to move immediate­
ly. This cou ld happen even if the parking
brake is activated .
- Before opening the hood, select the P se­
lector lever position and set the parking
brake. This reduces the risk of a crash . A l­
ways read and follow the applicable
warnings
r:=:> page 213, Engine compart­
ment.
- Never get out of the driver's seat when
the engine is running.
Automatic Transmission 111
-If you must get out of the vehicle , move
the selector lever secure ly into the P po­
sition and apply the parking brake firmly.
@ Tips
- If you unintentionally shift into the N se­
lector lever position while driving, take
your foot off the accelerator pedal and
wa it for the engine to slow down until it
is idling before you sh ift into Dor 5.
Driving tips
The gears shif t automa tically.
Starting from a stop
.. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.. Start the engine
r:=:>page 80.
.. Press the b utton on the s elector lever and
select the D, 5 or R se lector lever position
r:=:> page 109 .
.. Wait a moment until the transmiss ion
shifts . You will notice a slight movement
when the gear engages .
"" Release the brake peda l and press the accel­
erator pedal
r:=:> &, .
Stopping temporarily
.. Press the brake pedal to stop the veh icle,
for example at a traffic light. Do not press
the acce lerator pedal when doing this.
"" To prevent the vehicle from rolling when
you start driving, set the parking brake
when stopp ing on large inclines
r:=:> &, .
.,. Th e parking brake will release automatica lly
and the vehicle will start moving once you
press the acce lerato r pedal.
Parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the driver's door, the vehicle
could roll . The message
Transmission: Car
may roll! Shift to park!
appears .
.. Press and hold the bra ke peda l¢ &, .
"" Set the park ing brake.
.. To engage the P se lector lever position,
press the button on the selector lever and
shift into the P position
r:=:> page 109 .

The transmission temperature has increased
significantly due to the sporty driving manner. Drive in a less sporty manner until the tem­
perature returns to the normal range and the
indicator light switches of.
[O] Gearbox malfunction: you can continue
driving
There is a system ma lfunction in the transmis­
sion. You may continue driving. Drive to your
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair fa­
cility soon to have the malfunction corrected .
[O];lij Gearbox malfunction: you can contin·
ue driving in D only until engine is off
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion . The transmission is switching to emer­
gency mode. If you turn the engine
off, you
will not be able to select any other selector
l ever positions after starting the engine again.
Drive to your authorized Audi dea ler or quali­
fied repai r facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
[O] Gearbox malfunction: you can continue
driving {limited functionality)
There is a system ma lfunction in the transmis­
sion. The transmission is switching to emer ­
gency mode. This mode only shifts into cer­
tain gears or will not longer shift at all. The
engine may sta ll. Drive to your authorized Au­
di dealer or qualified repa ir facility immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
[o]tlij Gearbox malfunction: no reverse gear
(you can continue driving)
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion. The transmission is switching to emer ­
gency mode. This mode only shifts into cer­
tain gears or will not longer shift at all. You
cannot engage the reverse gear. Drive to your
author ized Audi dealer immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
[O] Vehicle may roll! Cannot shift to P. Please
apply parking brake
- The parking lock was released using the
emergency release
r=:> page 113. Or
Automatic Transmission 113
- The parking brake cannot engage automati ­
cally . Drive to your authorized Audi dea ler or
qualif ied repair facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
[O] Gearbox malfunction: Stop and shift to P
Do not continue dr iving. Select the P selector
lever position and see your authorized Aud i
dealer or qualified repair facility for assis­
tance .
Parking lock emergency release
The parking lock must be released using the
emergency release before towing the vehicle.
Fig. 119 Driver 's side footwell: releas ing the park ing
lock using the emergency release
.------------------ -~
Fig. 120 Dr iver"s side footwel l: resett ing the parking
l ock
8 ±
~
The emergency release is located under the
floor mat on the driver's side. You operate the
emergency release from the driver's seat.
Releasing the parking lock using the
emergency release
.. To prevent the vehicle from rolling uninten­
tionally, set the parking brake©
r=:> page 82
or press the brake pedal.
.,. There are two slits on the cover. Posit ion
the screwdriver from the veh icle tool kit in
Ill-

116 Advanc ed Parking S ystem
Rear vi ew cam era co ve ra ge area
The MM I display shows the area covered by
the rear view camera
c::> fig. 123 @ . Objects
that are not in the area covered @are not
shown on the MMI display.
We recommend that you p ractice park ing with
the rear view camera in a t raffic -free location
or parking lot to become familiar with the sys ­
tem, the orientation lines, and their function.
When doing th is, there sho uld be good light
and weather conditions.
In the MMI disp lay, objects or vehicles appear
closer or further away if:
- you are driving in reverse gear from a level
surface onto an incline, or a downward
s lope,
- you are d riving in reverse gear toward pro ­
truding objects,
- the vehicle is carrying too much load in the
rear.
The accuracy of the orientation lines and blue
surfaces dim inishes if:
- the adaptive air suspension/sport* is faulty, the vehicle is lifted or dynamic mode is se­
lected
c::> page 103,
- the rear view camera does not provide a reli­
able image, for examp le, in poor visibility
cond it ions or if the lens is dirty,
- the image on the screen is not visible due to
sun glare and reflect ion.
Car in g for the rear view came ra lens
The rear view camera is located above the rear
license plate bracket . For the parking system
to operate, the lens
c::> fig . 124 must be kept
clean:
- Dampen the lens with a household alcohol­
based glass cleaner, and then wipe the lens
clean with a dry cloth
c::> CD.
- Remove snow with a hand brush and ice
preferably with a de-icing spray
c::> (D .
A WARNING
,-
- Senso rs have blind spots in which objects
cannot be detected . Pay special attention to small children and animals because
the sensors cannot always detect them.
- The parking system cannot replace the
driver's attention. The driver alone is re­
sponsible for parking and similar driving maneuvers.
- Always keep your eyes on the vehicle 's
surroundings, us ing the rear view mirror
as well.
- Do not allow yourself to be distracted
from traffic by the rear view camera p ic­
tures.
- If the position and the installation angle
of the camera has changed, for example,
after a rear end col lis ion, do not continue
to use the system for safety reasons .
H ave it checked by a qualified dea le rship.
(D Note
- Low obstacles a lready s ignaled by a
warning can disappear from the system's detection range as they are approached
and w ill not cont inue to be signaled. Ob­
jects such as ba rr ier chains, trailer draw
bars, thin painted vert ica l poles or fen­
ces may not be detected by the system,
posing risk of damage .
- N ever use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the rear view camera
lens - this could ca use the lens to crack!
- When cleaning the lens, never use prod ­
ucts that are abrasive.

126 Driving Safely
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
r:::> page 55.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breast­
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and
the lower part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per­
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold­
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag in­
flates.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple­
mental driver's airbag to protect you in a
collision.
- Always sit in an upright position and nev­
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air­
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats and head restraints properly and
make sure that all passengers are prop­
erly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle
is moving. Your seat may move unexpect- edly and you could lose control of the ve­
hicle .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper seating posi ­
tion .
- Children must always ride in child seats
r:::> page 166. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front passenger seat¢
page 142.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position
is important for safe, relaxed driving .
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
passenger to the following position :
• Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position and your back comes in full contact with it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
• Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not possibl e, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible¢
page 128.
• Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat .
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
r:::> page 13 7.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
r:::> page 54 .
A WARNING
-
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or killed by the air­
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:

130 Driving Saf ely
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely
attached to the floor mat fasteners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
~ Make sure that the floor mats are properly
secured and cannot move and interfere with
the pedals¢ ,&..
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area
u nobstructed and that are firmly secured so
that they cannot s lip out of position . You can
obtain sui table floor mats from your author­
ized A udi Dea ler.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
F loor mats used in your vehicle must be at­
tached to these fasteners. Properly secur ing
the floor mats will prevent them from sliding into pos itions that could interfere with the
pedals or impair safe operation of your vehicle
in other ways .
_& WARNING
Pedals that canno t move freely can resu lt
in a loss of vehicle contro l and increase the
risk of se rious personal injury.
- Always make su re that floor mats are
properly secured .
- Never place o r insta ll floo r ma ts or other
floo r coverings in the vehicle tha t cannot
be properly secured in place to prevent
them from slipping and interfering with
the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle.
- Never place or insta ll floo r mats or other
floor coverings on top of a lready insta l­
led floor mats. Additional floor mats and
other coverings w ill reduce the size of
the pedal area and interfere with the
peda ls.
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor mats that have been taken out for clean­
ing.
-Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driverfootwe ll wh ile the ve­
hicle is moving. Objects can become trapped under the brake pedal and acce
l­
erator pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop· erly stowed and secured in the luggage com·
partment.
Loose items in the luggage compa rtment can
shift suddenly, chang ing vehicle handling
c h aracteristics. Loose items can a lso increase
the risk of ser ious persona l inju ry in a sudden
vehicle maneuver o r in a co llision.
~ Distribute the load eve nly in the luggage
compa rtment.
~ Always pla ce and properly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as far
forwa rd as possible.
~ Secure luggage using the tie-downs provid·
ed
¢ page 66, Luggage compartment .
A WARNING
-Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly through the vehicle causing ser ious
personal injury in the event of hard brak·
i ng or an accident. To help reduce the risk
of ser ious perso nal in ju ry:
- Always put objects, for example, luggage
or other heavy items in the luggage com­
pa rtment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compa rtment using the t ie-down hooks
and suitable st raps.
A WARNING
H eavy loads w ill inf luen ce the way yo ur ve­
hicl e ha ndles. To help reduce t he risk of a
l oss of contro l leading to serious pe rsonal
i nj ury :
- Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen ­
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
veh icle handling:

should a lways fit snugly¢ fig. 142. Pull
on the belt to tighten if necessary.
- A loose-fitting safety be lt ca n cause seri­
o us injuries by s hifting its position on
your body from the strong bones to more vulnerab le , soft tissue and cause serious
injury .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other impo rtant information
¢ page 137.
Pregnant women must also be correctly
restrained
The best way to protect the fetus is to make
sure that expectant mothers always wear
safety belts correctly -throughout the preg­
nancy.
F ig . 14 3 Safety belt pos it io n during p regna ncy
To provide maxim um protection, safety belts
must always be posit ioned correctly on the
wearer's body
c> page 138.
.,. Adjust the front seat and head restra int cor­
rect ly ¢
page 54, General recommenda­
tions.
.,. Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it
evenly ac ross the chest and pelvis
¢ fig . 143, ¢ &_ .
.,. Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hea r it latch securely
¢page 137, fig. 141.
.,. Pull on the be lt to make sure that it is se­
c u rely latched in the buckle.
Safety belts 139
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety be lts can
cause ser ious perso nal inju ry in an acc i­
dent.
- Expectant mothers must always wear the
lap portion of the safety belt as low as
possible across the pelvis and below the
round ing of the abdomen.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information¢
& in Fas­
tening safety belts on page 138.
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release
button only a~er the vehicle has stopped .
Fig . 144 Re leas ing the tong ue fro m the bu ckle
.,. Push the red release b utton on the buckle
o:::> fig. 144. T he be lt tongue will spring out
of the buckle
¢ .&_ .
0 .... N 9 I ;&
.,. Let the belt w ind up on the retractor as you
guide the belt tongue to its stowed position .
A WARNING
=
Never unfasten safety belt while the vehi-
cle is mov ing . Doing so will increase your
risk of being inj ured o r killed.
Adjusting safety belt height
You can adjust the height of the driver's and
front passenger 's safety belts.
The safety belt height adjustors for the front
seats can be used to adjust the height of the
shou lder portion of the safety belt so that it is
pos itioned correctly . .,,..

150 Airbag sys te m
_& WARNING
Damage to the front passenger seat can
prevent the front airbag from working
properly.
- Improper repair or disassembly of the
front passenger and driver seat wi ll pre­
vent the Advanced A irbag System from
functioning properly.
- Repairs to the front passenger seat must
be performed by q ualified and properly
trained workshop personnel.
- Never remove the front passenger or
dr iver seat from the veh icle.
- Never remove the upholstery from the
front passenger seat.
- Never disassemble or remove parts from
the seat or disconnect wires from it.
- Never carry sharp objects in your pockets
or place them on the seat . If the weight­
sensing mat in the passenger seat is
punctured it cannot work properly.
- Never carry things on your lap or carry
objects on the passenger seat. Such
items can increase the weight registered
by the weight-se nsing mat and send the
wrong info rmation to the airbag control
unit.
- Never store items under the front pas­ senger seat. Parts of the Advanced Ai r­
bag System under the passenge r seat
c ou ld be damaged, prevent ing them and
the a irbag sys tem from working proper ­
ly .
- N ever place sea t covers or replacement
upholstery that have not been specifical­
ly approved by A udi on the fron t seats.
- Seat covers can preven t th e Advanced
Airbag System from recognizing child re ­
st raints or occupants on the front pas­
senger seat and prevent the side airbag
in the seat backrest from deploy ing prop­
er ly.
- Never use cushions, pillows, blankets or
similar items on the front passenger seat. The add itiona l padd ing will prevent
the weight-sensing mat in the seat from
accu rately reg iste ring the c hild restra int
-
or person on the seat and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from function­
ing p roperly.
- If you must use a child restraint on the
front passenger seat and the child re­
straint manufacturer's instructions re­
qu ire the use of a towel, foam cushion or
something e lse to prope rly pos ition the
child restraint, make certain t hat the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht comes
on and stays on whenever the ch ild re­
straint is installed on the front passen ­
ge r seat .
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi ­
ately insta ll child restraint in a rear seat­
ing position and have the ai rbag system
inspected by your Audi dea ler.
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
T he front Advanced Airbag System and the
s ide a irbags supp lem ent the p rotection of­
fered by the front three-po int safety belts
with pre tensione rs and load lim iters and the
adjustable head res train ts to help redu ce the
risk of in jury in a wide ra nge of accident and
crash situations . Be s ure to read the impor­
tant information about safety and heed the
WARNINGS in th is chapter.
Deployment of the Adv a need Airbag System
and t he activation of the safety belt preten ­
s ioners depend on the deceleration measured
by the crash sensors and registered by the
electron ic co ntrol unit. The amount of infla­
t ion of t he front airbags can a lso be adapted
to the front seat pos ition, depending on the
distance between the respective front seat
and t he steer ing w heel or instrument panel as
regis tered by sensors in the seats. C rash se ­
verity depends on speed and dece leration as
well as the mass and st iffness of t he vehicle
or object involved in the crash .
On t he passenger side, rega rdless of sa fe ty
belt use, the airbag w ill be turned off if the
weight on the passenger seat is less than the ..,.

178 Child Saf ety
8_ WARNING ,~
Using th e wrong child restraint or an im­
prope rly insta lled child rest raint can cause
ser ious perso nal in jury or death in a cras h.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re-
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unloc ked safety belt re ­
t ractor ca nnot ho ld the child safety seat
in pla ce d uring norm al driv ing or i n a
c rash.
- Alway s bu ckl e the child safety seat firmly
in pla ce even if a child is not s itting in i t.
A loose ch ild safety sea t ca n fly around
dur ing a sud den s top or in a crash .
- Alw ays m ake su re the se at backrest to
wh ich the child restrain t is ins talled is in
an upr ight position and sec urely latched
into p lace and cannot fo ld forward. Oth­
erwise, the seatback w ith the chi ld safety
seat attached to it could fly forward in
the event of an acc ident or other emer­
gency situation.
- Always read and heed all WARNI NGS
w henever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is bei ng used
r::;, page 166 . Special
precautions apply whe n installing a c hild
safety seat on t he fro nt pas senge r seat
r::;, page 1 44, Child restrain ts on the fron t
seat -some imp ortant things to know.
Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
T he convertible locking retractor for child re­
straints will be deactivated automatically
when the belt is wound all the way back into the retractor.
• Press the red button on the safety be lt
buck le . The belt tongue wi ll pop out of the
buck le .
.. Gui de the safety belt a ll the way back into
its stowed posit io n.
A lways let the safety belt retract comp lete ly
into its stowed posit ion. The safety belt can
now be used as an ordinary safety belt with­
out the convert ib le lock ing retractor for chi ld
restra ints .
-
If the conve rtib le locking retractor sho uld be
activated inadvertent ly, the safety be lt must
be unfastened and gu ided comp lete ly back in­
to its stowed posit ion to deactivate this fea­
tu re. If the convert ible locking retractor is not
deact ivated, the safety belt w ill gradua lly be­
come tig hte r and uncomfortable to wear .
8_ WARNING
=
Im properly installed ch ild safety seats in-
crease the r is k of serious pe rson al injury
a nd dea th in a co llision.
- Neve r unfasten the safety belt to deacti­
vate the conve rtible locking retrac to r f or
child res traints whi le the vehi cle is mov ­
ing . You would not be restrained and
could be se rious ly in jured in an accide nt.
- Always rea d and heed all WARNIN GS
wheneve r using a chi ld res traine d in ave ­
h icle is being used
r::;, page 166. Special
preca utions app ly when insta lling a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
r::;, page 144, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know .
LATCH Lower
anchorages and tethers
for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
T o p rov ide a simple r and more pr acticable w ay
to attach the child restraint on the vehi cle
seat, Federal regulat ions req uire spec ia l lowe r
anchorages in vehicles and devices on new
ch ild restra ints to attach t o the ve hicle ancho­
rages.
T he combi nation of t he tether anchorages and
the lowe r anchorages is now generally ca lled
t h e
LATCH system for " Lower Anchorages and
T ethers for Children ."
Forward-facing chi ld restraints man ufactured
after September 1, 1999, are requ ired by U.S.
federa l reg ulations to comply with new child
head movement performance req uirements . .,._

Intelligent technology Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facturers for the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event. EDR's are sometimes called "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for examp le, engine function, emis­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during norma l vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded over a very limited period of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and downloaded with special equip­
ment.
Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidding and loss of veh icle control. It works
only when the engine is running. ESC detects
Intelligent technology 187
certain difficult driving situations, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw)
out of control and helps you to get the veh icle
back under control by se lectively braking the
wheels, and/or reducing engine power and
providing steering ass istance to help hold the
vehicle on the driver's intended course. The in­
dicator light
Ip.] in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESC is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESC has limitations .
It is important to remem­
ber that ESC cannot overcome the laws of
physics.
It will not always be able to help out
under all conditions you may come up against.
For example, ESC may not always be able to
help you master situations where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of friction of
the road surface. When there is a section of
dry road that is suddenly covered with water,
slush or snow, ESC cannot perform the same
way it would on the dry surface . If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of water in­
stead of the road surface), ESC will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because con­
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered .
During fast cornering, particularly on winding
roads, ESC cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult driving situations than at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESC is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not tow ing a trailer.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffi<; and weather conditions. ESC can­
not override the vehicle's physical limits, in­
crease the available traction, or keep a veh icle
on the road if road departure is a result of
driver inattention. Instead, ESC improves the
poss ibility of keeping the vehicle under con­
trol and on the road dur ing extreme maneu­
vers by using the driver's steering inputs to
help keep the vehicle going in the intended di­
rection. If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.
•
•

188 Intelligent technology
ESC includes and/or works together with the
anti-lock braking system (ABS), brake assist
system, anti-s lip regulat ion (ASR), e lectronic
d ifferential lock ( EDL), dynamic steering* and
e lectronic interaxle differentia l lock*. ESC is
switched on all the time. I n certa in s ituations
when you need less tract io n, you ca n sw itch
off ASR by pressi ng the button above
~ page 189, fig. 167 the se lector lever. Be
sure to sw itch ASR on ag ain when you no lon­
ger need less trac tion.
Anti -lock braking system (ABS)
ABS prevents t he wheels from locking up
when braking. The veh icle can still be st eered
even d uring ha rd b rak ing . Apply steady p res­
sure to the br ake ped al. Do no t pu mp the ped­
a l. A puls ing in t he bra ke peda l ind icates that
the system is he lping yo u to b rake the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease b ra kin g
d ista nce. It increases braking powe r w hen the
d river p resses the brake pedal quickl y in eme r­
gency situa tions . You mus t press and ho ld the
b rake peda l until the situation is over. In vehi­
cles with adaptive cruise control*, the brake
assist system is more sensitive i f the d istance
detected to the vehicle ahead is t oo smal l.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power w hen the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the fo rce to
the road condit ions. This makes it eas ier to
start, accelerate and drive up hills.
Electronic differential lock (EDL )
The E DL brakes wheels that are spinn ing and
transfers the drive powe r to the o ther d rive
wheel o r whee ls if the vehic le is equipped with
a ll whee l drive*. This funct ion is available up
to about 7S mph (120 km/h).
I n extreme cases , EDL automatica lly swit ches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from overheating. ED L wi ll switch on again au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to normal.
Dynamic steering*
On vehicles wi th dynam ic s teeri ng, ES C helps
stab ilize the steer ing in cer tain sit uations.
Electronic interaxle differential lock
function*
T he ele ctronic i nte raxle di fferentia l lock f unc ­
tion ac tiva tes when dr iving t hrough curves.
B ra king is targeted towar d the whee ls on the
inside of the curve as needed . This helps to
min imi ze front whee l skid, improves traction
and allows for more precise driving throug h
cu rves .
A WARNING
- ESC, ABS, ASR , EDL, dynamic steering*
and the elect ronic interaxle differential
loc k function* cannot ove rcome t he laws
of physics . This is espe cially im po rtant
on slippery o r we t road s.
If the sys tems
begin actin g to stabilize your veh icle, you
should immediately change yo ur speed
to match the road and t raffic conditions .
Do not let the increased safety provided
by these systems tempt you to take risks. Doing so will increase the risk of a loss of
veh icle cont ro l, collision and ser io us per­
sonal injur ies .
-Always ada pt your speed to road , traffic
and wea ther conditions. The risk of los­
ing contr ol of the vehicle i ncreases wh en
d riving too fast, espe cially through
curve s and on slippe ry or wet roads, and
when dr iv ing too close to vehicles up
ahead. ESC, ABS, the brake ass ist sys ­
tem, EDL, ASR, dynam ic steering * and
the elect ron ic interaxle differential lock
function * cannot prevent co llisions.
- Always accelerate with s pecial care on
even, smooth s urfaces such as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow.
The drive wheels can spin even w ith
these assistance sys tems that cannot al­
ways he lp to red uce the risk of loss of ve ­
h icle co nt ro l.
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