2008 AUDI S8 brakes

If the ABS, ESP and brake force distribution fail, the ABS indicator
l ig ht ABS (USA
mod els)/ 0 (Cana da mod els) and t he ESP i nd ica tor
light
f;. come on along with the brake system ma lfunction light
BRAKE (USA m ode ls)/ (@ (C an ada model s). The mes sage Brake fault !
Drive carefully to nearest workshop appears in the instrument
cluster d isp lay and three consec utive wa rning tones
sound =>& .
& WARNING
• USA models: If the BRAKE warning light , the $';. warning light and
the ABS warning light come on together , the rear wheels could
lock up first under hard braking . Rear wheel lock-up can cause loss
of vehicle control and an accident . Ha ve your vehicle repaired
immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified work­
shop. Drive slowly and avoid sudden , hard brake applications.
• Canada model s: If the brake warning light
(CD) , the ~ warning
light and the ABS warning light
8 c ome on together , the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up
can cau se los s of vehicle control and an accident. Have your
vehicle repaired immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop. Drive slowly and avoid sudden , hard brake
applications.
• If the brake warning /indicator light does not go out after a few
seconds and the parking brake released , or lights up while you are
driving , the fluid level in the brake fluid reservoir is too low. If you
believe that it is safe to do so , pro ceed immediately at low speed
to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair facility and have the brake system inspected .
• Always keep in mind that after several brake applications, you
will need greater pressure on the brake pedal to stop your vehicle.
Do not rely on strained brakes to respond with maximum stopping
power in critical situations . You must allow for increased braking
distances . The extra distance used up by fading brakes could lead
to an a ccident . •
Controls and equip­ ment
Instruments and warning /indicator lights

If the symbol illuminates, contact your authorized Audi dea ler to
have the front brake pads inspected (on that occas ion have the rear
brakes inspected as wel l to be
safe!. •
Checking the engine oil level ~
~-Please c hec k oil le vel
When the symbo l illuminates, check the engine oi l leve l as soon as
possible=> page 311 . Add oil if necessary=> page 312 . •
Engine oil sensor defective ~ ....
~ ... Oil le vel ! sen sor defe cti ve
If the symbo l illuminates, contact your authorized Audi dea ler and
have the oi l sensor inspected . Unt il you have this done, check the o il
level each time you refuel just to be on the safe
side => page 311. •
Fuel supply too low Bil
Bu Please refuel
When the symbol i lluminates, th is means there are abou t 2.4
gallons (9 l itres) of fue l left in the fue l tank . Time to refuel.
=> page 302 .
If the symbo l lights up, even when there is ample fuel in the tank,
and the text
Tan k sys tem m alfunct ion ! Conta ct w ork shop appears
in the disp lay, there is a fault in the system. Contact a qual ified work ­
shop to have the fau lt rectified .•
Windshield washer fluid level too low ~
~ Ple ase top up washer fluid
Controls and equip­ ment
Driver information di splay
If the symbo l illuminates, add windshie ld washer fluid to the washer
system and a lso to the headlig ht washer
sys tem => page 323. •
Battery voltage 0
If the battery 's state o f charge is not in the optimal range, the 0
symbo l is shown in the display and the driver message L ow batter y
charge: b attery will be charged while driving
appears .
Whi le this driver not ification is displayed, you have to be prepared
for limited starting capability .
Drive r m essa ge a ppear s a nd go es out ag ain
If th is d rive r message appears after the ign ition is turned on or
wh ile dr iving and it goes out again after a wh ile, the battery has
been adequately recharged.
Dri ver messa ge ap pears a nd does not g o out ag ain
If t his drive r notif ication appea rs after the ignition is t urned o n or
wh ile driving and does not go out again, the battery's state of
charge is not in the opti mal range. Start ing capab ility is restricted.
Have the battery c hecked at a dea lership as soon as possible. •
Applies to vehi cles : with Advanced Key
Key not in vehicle ..?c
.,J. Key not in vehi cle
This message appears toget her with the ..J. symbol when the
remote control key is removed from the vehicle whi le the engine is
run ning. This is to remind you that you s hould not continue your trip
without your key.
I f the remote control key is no longer i n the vehicle, you w ill not be
able to start the engine aga in after you have switched off the igni ­
tion. In addition to this, you will not be able to lock the vehic le from
the outside. •

________________________________________________ S_ e_ a_t _
s _a_ n_d _ s_t _o _ r_ a_ g~ e __ fflll
0 Note
To avoid damaging the socket, only use plugs that fit properly.
[ i] Tips
When the engine is off and accessories are still plugged in and are
on, the vehicle battery can still be drained. •
Storage
General overview
There are numerous places to store items in your vehicle.
Glove compartment
Storage compartment
Pockets in the front seats*
Compartments in the door trim panels
Compartments in the rear doors*
Coat hooks => page 109
=> page 110
=> page 110
=> page 111
=> page 111
Left side storage compartment in the => page 112
trunk
--Right side storage compartment in the => page 113
trunk
Emergency warning triangle
=> page 348
& WARNING
• Always remove objects from the instrument panel. Any items
not stored could slide around inside the vehicle while driving or
Controls and equip­ ment
&, WARNING (continued)
when accelerating or when applying the brakes or when driving
around a corner.
• When you are driving make sure that anything you may have
placed in the center console or other storage locations cannot fall
out into the footwells. In case of sudden braking you would not be
able to brake or accelerate.
• Any articles of clothing that you have hung up must not inter­
fere with the driver's view. The coat hooks are designed only for
lightweight clothing . Never hang any clothing with hard, pointed
or heavy objects in the pockets on the coat hooks. During sudden
braking or in an accident -especially if the airbag is deployed -
these objects could injure any passengers inside the vehicle. •
Glove compartment
Your Owner's Literature and the media player are stored
in the lockable glove compartment.
t------.-,.---------. l
i
Fig. 117 Glove
compartment

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Electromechanical parking brake
Operation
The electromechani ca l parking brake replaces the hand
brake.
F ig. 148 C enter
co nso le: P arki ng b ra ke
Pu ll the switch to app ly the parking brake==> fig. 148. The
indicator light in the sw itch will come on.
Step on t he brake pedal o r th e acce lerator pedal and
press th e switch at the s am e time to rel eas e the parking
brake . The indicator light in t he switch w ill go out .
Your vehicle is equ ipped w ith an electromechanical parking brake
which replaces the handbrake . The parking brake is designed to
prevent the vehicle from rolling unintentionally .
In addition to the norma l functions of a trad itiona l hand brake, the
e lectromechanical parking brake provides various convenience and
safety functions.
Em erg ency brake
An emergency brake ensures that the vehicle can be slowed even if
the
normal brakes fa il=> page 136, "Emergency braking".
Indi cat or light s
• If the pa rking brake is app lied with the ignition turned on , the
indicator light in the instrument cluster (U.S. models:
::i , Canadian
models: ©) and in the switch © will come on .
• If the parking brake is applied with the ignition
tu rn ed off , the
indicator light in the instrument cluster (U .S .
models :~~ . Canadian
models :(®) ) and in the
switch (®) will come on for about 30 seconds
and then go out.
& WARNING
I f the vehicle i s stati onary and the transmis sion i s engaged with
the eng ine runnin g, the engine should n ot b e speeded up (e .g .
manu ally from under the ho od). Otherw ise th e vehi cle w ill start to
mo ve
-you r un the ris k of an ac cident .
0 Note
If the warning/indicator light (U .S . models: BRAKE , Canadian models:
«D>) flashes in the instrument cluster, there is a brake system
malfunction . By pressing the
I CH ECK] button , you can bring up a
driver message which explains the malfunction in more detail. If the
message
Parking brake! Plea se conta ct w ork shop appears, there is
a parking brake malfunction which you should have repaired imme ­
diate ly by an authorized dealership =>
page 30.
[ i] Tips
• You can app ly the parking brake at any time -even with the igni ­
tion turned off . T he ignition must be turned on in order to release
the parking brake.
• Occasional noises when the parking brake is applied and
released are norma l and are not a cause for concern .
• The parking brake goes through a se lf -test cycle at regular inter ­
va ls
-when the vehicle is parked. Any associated no ises are
normal. •

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&, WARNING (continued)
• Please note that inadvertently "resting" your foot on the accel­
erator pedal causes the cruise control not to brake . This is because
the cruise control is overridden by the driver's acceleration.
[ i] Tips
The brake lights illumin ate as soon as the brakes decelerate
automatically. •
Changing speed
-Press lever@in the 0 or Q direction=> page 137,
fig. 149 to increase or decrease your speed.
-Release the lever to save that speed.
Change speed in increments of 1 mph (1 km/h) by lightly pressing
the lever . If you keep the lever pressed down, you will alter your
speed in 5 mph (10 km/h) increments.
You can also press the accelerator pedal down to increase your
speed, e.g. if you want to pass someone. The speed you saved
earlier will resume as soon as you release the accelerator pedal.
If, however, you exceed your saved speed by 5 mph (10 km/h) for
longer than 5 minutes, the cruise control will turn off temporarily.
The green symbol in the
display=> page 137, fig . 150 is replaced
with a white symbol. The saved speed remains the same. •
Presetting your speed
You can preset your desired speed while the vehicle is not
moving.
-Turn on the ignition .
-Pull lever@ into position G) => page 137, fig. 149 .
-Press the lever in the 0 or Q direction to increase or
decrease your speed.
-Release the lever to save that speed.
This function makes it possible, for 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
G). •
Switching the system off
Temporary deactivation
-Press the brake pedal, or
-Press the lever @into position ® (not clicked into place)
=> page 137, fig. 149, or
-Drive for longer than 5 minutes at more than 5 mph
(10 km/h) above the stored speed.
Switching off completely
-Press lever@ into position ® (clicked into place), or
-Switch the ignition off.
The system retains the saved speed if you deactivate the cruise
control temporarily . To resume the saved speed , release the brake
pedal and pull the lever to position
G) .
Switching the ignition off erases the saved speed.
& WARNING
You should only return to the saved speed if it is not too fast for
the current traffic conditions -risk of an accident!
•

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Adaptive Cruise Control
Speed and distance control system
Applies to vehicles : with Adaptive C ruise Cont rol
Description
The Adaptive Cruise Control driver assistance program is
a combined speed and distance control system .
Fig. 151 Front
bumper: Position of
radar sensor
Any speed between about 20 mph (30 km/h) and about 95 mph (150
km/h) can be set and held with the Adaptive Cruise Control. The
system also helps keep a distance you previously selected to vehi ­
cles ahead of you.
Adaptive Cruise Control can help reduce driving stress and fatigue
by maintaining a preset speed with automatic braking and acce ler ­
ation. Driving can be more relaxed, particularly on long trips on
interstates or on other highways that are genera lly straight.
How does it work?
A lever on the steering wheel column operates the Adaptive Cruise
Control)=> page 141, "How is the speed stored?" and=> page 143,
"How is distance set?".
Contro ls a nd eq uip­
ment
Driver information
Important information is brought up in the speedometer and in the
instrument cluster display as the vehicle is being driven
=> page 144, "Driver information".
What is important for you to know
There are limits to what Adaptive Cruise Control can do as the
vehicle is being
driven => page 149, "Special driving situations" .
LJ}. WARNING
Improper use of the Adaptive Cruise Control can cause collisions,
other accidents and serious personal injury.
• Never drive at speeds that are too high for traffic, road and
weather conditions.
• Never follow the vehicle in front so closely that you cannot stop
your vehicle safely. The Adaptive Cruise Control cannot brake the
vehicle safely when you follow another vehicle too closely. Always
remember that the Adaptive Cruise Control has a braking power
that is only about 25% of the vehicle's maximum braking ability,
the automatic braking function cannot bring the vehicle to a stop.
• Never use Adaptive Cruise Control on roads where you cannot
drive safely at a steady speed, including city or stop-and -go or
heavy traffic, on winding roads or when road conditions are poor
(for example , on ice, gravel , in fog , heavy rain or on wet roads that
increase the risk of hydroplaning).
• Always turn off Adaptive Cruise Control when entering turn
lanes , highway exit lanes and construction zones or similar situa­
tions because the vehicle will automatically accelerate to the
stored speed
• Never rest your foot on the accelerator pedal, especially when
the Adaptive Cruise Control is being used because doing so will
override the braking function and prevent the brakes from being _.,
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

___ A_ d_a_ p_ ti_v _ e_ C_ ru_ is_ e_ C_ o_n_ t_ r_ o _ l ___________________________________________ _
&, WARNING (continued )
appl ied b y the s ystem when it det ects a situation when the brakes
mu st be applied.
• Alway s remember th at Ad aptive Cru ise Control has limits - it
doe s not rea ct when you dri ve toward s an ob stac le or something
e lse on or near the road th at is not mov ing , such as ve hic le s
s topped in a traffic jam , a sta lled or di sabled vehicle.
• Alway s remember th at the Ad aptive Cru ise Control cannot
detect a vehicle that i s driving to wards you in your tr affi c la ne and
that it cannot det ect narrow veh icles su ch a s motor cycles and
bicycle s.
[ i] Tips
• For sa fety reasons, the stored speed is deleted when the ign it ion
is turned off .
• When Adaptive Cru ise Control is switched on, the Electronic
Stabilization Program (ESP) is also automatically activated.
• Damage caused by accidents (e.g . if the vehic le is damaged
when parking) can affect the radar sensor settings. This can cause
the system to malfunct ion or switch off completely.
• In winter conditions, you should check the radar sensor cover
before driving to make sure it is free of ice and snow. If necessary ,
clean the area near the radar sensor
carefully => page 139, fig. 151.
• To ensure that the radar sensor is not blocked, foreign objects
(e.g. stickers, larger license plate mounts, add -on parts) must not
cover the area near the radar
sensor=> page 139, fig . 151. The area
near the radar sensor must not be painted, either .•
Ap plies to vehicles: with Ad aptive Crui se Co nt rol
How does Adaptive Cruise Control work?
Vehicles traveling ahead are detected with the aid of the
radar sensor.
Fi g. 152 Ra dar sens or
me asuremen t range
A forward -look ing radar sens or in the fro nt b umper monitors the
traffic situation ahead . Vehicles moving in your direction can be
de tec ted up to a distance of a bout 140 yards ( 130 meters) but the
Adaptive Cruise Contro l cannot detect vehicles that are stopped or
stal led, obstac les that do not move or narrow vehic les like motorcy ­
cles and
bicycles.=> fig. 152 .
Open road
When the road is clear, Adaptive Cruise Contro l works like cruise
co ntrol. The stored speed requested is main tained .
Driving in tr affi c
If you start to catch up with a vehic le in front of you, Adap tive Cruise
Control automatically slows your vehic le to a speed that will he lp
you stay a safe distance back .
If the vehicle in front acce lerates, Adaptive Cruise Control a lso accel -
erates up to the speed that you have set . .,_

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This information is always displayed. Display area © is therefore
called the
primary di sp la y .
© S upple men tary displ ay
In display area @ information from the navigation system and the
trip computer is disp layed in addition to information about Adaptive
Cruise Control.
You can select among the different information by repeated brief taps on the RESET button on the windshield wiper
lever => page 39,
"Operation ".
Particularly on your first trips with Adaptive Cruise Control, the
s uppl em en ta ry di spla y should be turned on.
@ Message
The information in area © is not displayed permanently. Informa­
tion is displayed on ly if you change the time interval , if there is a
malfunction or if the Adaptive Cruise Control is turned off. •
Applies to vehicles : with Ada ptive C ruise Cont rol
Primary display in the speedometer
De sire d sp eed
Fig . 159 Prim ary
di spl ay
in the s pee d­
o m ete r
The desired speed set by the driver is displayed with a red LED.
Contro ls a nd eq uip­
ment
The system al lows only speeds from 20 to 95 mph (30 to 150 km/h)
to be set. This speed range is faintly illuminated in the speedometer.
W arn ing lights (symbols )
• ""c:::, Open road: The warning light ,,.,c:::, shows that Adaptive
Cruise Control is active and that no object is ahead of the vehicle . A
stored speed requested is maintained .
• c::::,11 .. c:::, Driving i n tr aff ic: The warning light c:::,11«c:::, indicates that
an object has been detected travel ing in front . Speed is adjus ted
according to the distance set. Adaptive Cruise Control accelerates
and brakes automatica lly.
• c:::,,, ,,c:::, Re quest f or driver t o assume control : The red flashing
warning light
c::::,11 .. c:::, means Reque st for driver to assume control .
You as the driver must slow the vehicle with the foot brake . The
symbo l
c::::,11,,c:::, tells you that the Adaptive Cruise Control is not able
to s low the vehic le down enough to keep a enough distance to the
vehicle in front o f you . A warning tone signal wi ll also sound when
the symbol appears.
[ i ] Tip s
• If the Adaptive Cruise Control initiates braking, the hydraulic
brake system is under pressure. Therefore, the brake pedal distance
is shorter and the peda l feels "harder" .
• I f you use the accelerator to go faster than the speed being main ­
tained by the Adaptive Cruise Control, the system will not warn of
situations that require override of the Adaptive Cruise Control. No
warning light will appear in the instrument cluster display and no gong wil l sound .•
Vehicle care I I irechnical data