2008 AUDI S8 Owners Manual

the shade shuts off when the temperature in the vehicle falls below
23 °F (- 5 °C). The shade cannot be operated until the passenger
compartment warms up above this temperature. •
Applies to vehic les: with e lectr ic sunshade for the rear side windows
Electric sunshade for the rear side windows
Each rear s;de w;ndow ;s equ;pped w;th an electr;c
sunshade.
oou
t;;:::=:;1
~ Fig . 73 Rooflining in
the rear: electric
sunshade button
You can operate the rear side window sunshades either by
using the power window switches in the driver's door, the
power window switches in the rear doors or the button
located in the rooflining in the rear of the vehicle.
Buttons in the rear of the vehicle
-Press the right or left button to lower or raise the
sunshade => fig. 73.
Power window switch in the rear side doors
-Pull the switch to its second position and hold it there
briefly to lower the sunshade.
-Press the switch to its second position to raise the
sunshade.
Contro ls a nd eq uip­
ment
Clear vision
Power window switch in the driver's door
-Pull either of the two switches to its second position and
hold it there briefly. The sunshade will automatically
lower.
-Press the switch to its second position and the sunshade
automatically raises .
& WARNING
When lowering or raising the sunshade, make sure there is
nothing in its way and that it has a free path to travel. This could
cause personal injury.
[ i] Tips
The sunshade works only if the window is closed. •
Applies to vehicles: with rear vanity mirrors
Rear vanity mirrors
A pa;r of m;rrors ;s mounted overhead w;th;n easy reach
of the rear passengers. When not
;n use, the mirrors are
folded up flush
;n the rooft;ning.
Vehicle care I I
Fig . 74 Left rear roof­
lining: Vanity mirror
folded up flush
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irechnical data

Clear vision
Fig. 75 Left rear roof­
lining: Vanity mirror
folded down
-To fold down, tap the rear edge of the mirror as indicated
by
arrow~ page 79, fig. 74.
As the mirror folds down, it automatically il lumina tes.•
Wiper and washer system
Windshield wiper ~
The windshield wiper lever controls both the windshield
wipers and the washer system.
Fig. 76 Windshield
wiper lever
The windshield wiper lever~ fig. 76 has the following posi ­
tions:
One-touch wiping
-Move the lever to position G) , when you want to wipe the
windshield
briefly.
Intermittent wiping <:S;)l (activating rain sensor)
-Move the lever up to position ®·
-Move switch © up or down, to adjust the sensitivity of
the rain sensor.
Low wiper speed
-Move the lever up to position G).
High wiper speed
-Move the lever up to position @.
Automatic wiper/washer
-Pull the lever to position© (toward the steering wheel)
and hold.
-Release the lever. The washer stops and the wipers keep
going for about four seconds.
Turning off the wipers
-Move the lever back to position @.
The windshield wipers and washer only work when the ignition is
turned on.
The rain sensor is only activated with the wiper leve r set to position
G) . When it starts to rain, the rain sensor will automatically activate
the intermittent wiping mode.
To reduce the sensitivity of the sensor, move switch
@ down. To
increase the sensitivity, move the switch up. The higher you adjust
the sensitivity, the faster the sensor will react when it senses mois-
.,_

ture on the windshield. The rain sensor wiper intervals depend on
t he sensitivi ty setting as well as vehic le speed . Dur ing brief s tops,
wiper motion wil l adjust in re lation to the amount of rain on the
windshield .
During br ief stops, e.g. at a red light, wiper mot ion wil l auto mati ­
ca lly be reduced to the next lower speed . Wipers a lready turning at
low speed. change to i nterm ittent w ip ing.
When the ignition is turned on, the washer jets are heated .
With the low beam headlights switched on, p ull the wiper lever
towards you only briefly to clean the windshield. Ho ld ing the w iper
lever wou ld a lso engage the headlight washer system each time you
clean the w inds hie ld and wou ld dra in t he washer flu id reservoir
pr ematurely .
& WARNING
• Wiper bl ade s are cruc ial for safe driving! Only when they are in
good condition are they able to clear the window s properly to
provide uncompromising visibilit y. Worn or damaged wiper blades
are a safety hazard
::::> page 82 , "In stalling new wiper blade s"!
• The rain sensor is only designed to a ssist and support the
driver . It r em ains entirely th e driver' s respon sibility to monitor
outside weather condit ions and to manually activate the wipers as
s oon a s rain or drizzle reduces visibility through the windshield.
• The windshield mu st not be treated with water-repellent mate ­
rials . They c an in crea se gl are under poor visibility condition s such
as wetness , darkness , or when the sun is low on the horizon. In
addition , they can cau se the wind shield wipers to chatter.
0 Note
In free zing or near freezing conditions:
• Always check that the wiper b lades are not frozen to the glass
be fore you turn the w ipe rs on. Loosen a wiper b lade w hich is frozen
Controls and equip­ ment
Clea r vision
in place before operating the wipers to prevent damage to the wiper
bl ade or the wiper motor.
• Do not use the wipers to clear a frosted window. Using the
wipers as a conve nien t ice scraper will des troy the wiper blades .
• Before you take your vehic le to an automatic car wash, make sure
you have the w inds hield w iper system switched o ff (lever in p osition
O), otherwise the windshield wiper system could get damaged in the
car was h if it should suddenly come o n.
[ i ] Tips
• Make sure the washer flu id reservo ir in the engine compartmen t
is topped off before going on a long trip . Look
up:::> page 323 for
check ing and f illing the washer conta iner.
• I f you sw itch off the ignition with the windshield wiper lever st ill
in the inte rval wi pe pos ition and t hen com e back a wh ile la ter a nd
drive off, the rain sensor wil l reactivate itself after the vehicle speed
has e xceeded 4 mph (6 km/h) .
• Worn or dirty windshie ld wiper b lades cause smearing which
ca n affect t he opera tion of the ra in senso r. Check the condi tion of
your windshield wiper b lades regu lar ly . •
Headlight washer system
The he adlight washer sy stem cle ans the he adlig h ts.
-Oper ate the win dshiel d w ip er/was her sy stem G) wit h th e
hea dlights t urned o n by ho ld ing th e l ever fo r lo nge r than
on e seco nd ::::.,
page 80, fig. 76.
The washe r jets extend f orward out of the fron t bumper dr iven by
water pressure to spray the front head lights with water .
You should inspect the head lights regu lar ly (for examp le when refu -
e ling) a nd c lean o ff any sol id dirt or i nsects from the lenses.
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Clear vision
To ensure the system works properly in winter, keep the washer jets
free of snow and remove any ice using a de -icing spray. •
Service position
The wiper blades can only be changed in the service posi­
tion.
Windshield wipers
'
• Serv ice posit ion
~ I I

12 :00 AM • ·I , I; J:: Fig . 77 MMI display :
Windshield wipers
-At below freezing outside temperatures, make sure first
that the wiper blades are not frozen to the windshield.
- Press the
I CAR I function button.
Select
Systems in the CAR menu.
Select
Windshield wipers . The Windshield wipers menu
appears~ fig. 77.
- Select
Service position on to turn the service position on
or
off to retu rn the windshield wiper to its original posi­
tion.
You must only attempt to change the wiper blades when the service position is activated. This way, when you are working on the wind­
shield wipers, you can avoid damaging the paint on the engine
hood.
[ i ] Tips
• You can also turn on the service position, for example, if you
want to protect the windshield from icing, using a cover.
• The service position turns itself
off, whenever you use the wind­
shield wiper lever.•
Installing new wiper blades
Wiper blades in good condition help keep the windshield
clear.
g
. = .!i
Fig . 78 Removing the
wiper blades
Fig. 79 Installing
wiper blades

Rem oving a wip er blade
- Bring the windshield wipers to the service pos ition
=> page 82 .
- Lift the wiper arm away from t he windshield.
- Pu sh t he locking piece on the wiper blade in the direction
of the
arrow @=> page 82, fig. 78. Hold the wiper b lade
firmly .
- Remove the wiper b lade @.
Inst allin g wip er bl ad e
- Place the new wiper blade in the retainer on the wiper
arm ©=> page 82, fig. 79.
- Pu sh t he locking piece on the w iper blade in the direction
of the
arrow @ until you feel it click into place on the
wiper arm .
Clean your wiper b lades regularly with a windshield washer solution
to prevent streaking . If the bla des are very dir ty, for example with
insects, carefully clean the b lades with a sponge or a soft brush .
I f the wiper b lades begin to s treak the windshie ld, t his could be
caused by residue left on the windshield by automatic car washes.
Fil l the windshield washer container with a special solution avail ­
able at your authorized Audi dealer to remove the residue .
& WARNING
Be sure t o in spe ct the condition of you r w iper bl ade s regul arly . S ee
your auth orized Audi de aler for repla ceme nt bl ade s.
0 Note
To prevent damage to the wiper system :
Controls and equip­
ment
Clea r vision
• Always loosen blades which are frozen to the windshield before
operating wipers.
• Do not use gaso line, kerosene, paint thinner, or other solvents on
or near t he wiper blades .
• Do not attempt to move the wipers by hand .
[ i] Tip s
Commercial hot waxes app lied by automatic car washes affect the
c leanabi lity of the windshield .•
Mirrors
Rear view mirror
When the ignition is on, the interior m irror w ill darken automatically
depending on the amount of light striking the mirror (suc h as head­
lights shining into the vehic le from the rear!. The mi rror wi ll retu rn
to the origina l state (anti -glare off) when you move the manual gear­
shift/gear selector lever into
Re verse or when you turn on the inte ­
rior lights.
[ i ] Tips
The automa tic an ti-g lare feature on the m irror wil l not operate prop­
e rly if the light shining on the inside mirror is b locked by other
objects. •

Clear vision
Outside mirrors
The ou tside mirrors are electrically adjusted.
Adjusting the outside mirrors
Fig . 8 0 F orw ard
s e ction of drive r's
a rmre st: powe r m irror
c ontr ols
Turn the adjusti ng knob to position ©~ fig. 80 to adjust
t h e ou ts ide mir ror on t he d river's side .
- Tu rn the knob to posi tion
@ to adjust the outs ide m irror
on the passenger side.
- Press th e kno b in the appropr iate direct io n to move the
m irror surface so t hat you have a good view to the rear.
Folding both outside mirrors in flush
- T urn t he knob
to @ .
The mirror surfaces a re heated whenever you switch on the rear
window defogger in response to the outside temperature .
We recommend folding the outside mirro rs flat t o help when
parking your vehicle or when maneuvering in very tight spaces .
Tilting the passenger's side out side mirror
When you move the se lector lever into R (Reverse), the mirror on the
front passenge r's doo r (knob turned
to @ => fig. 80) w ill til t slight ly downward
. This make is easier for you to see the curb when you are
b acking in to a parking space.
T he mirror returns to its ini tial position as soon as reverse gear is
disengaged and vehicle speed is above about 9 mph (15 km/h). The
m irror also returns to its initia l position if the switch is moved to the
driver's outside mirror
(0 or Neutral @.
Memory setting for the outside mirrors
When the seat posi tion is saved in memory, the position of the
outside mirrors is saved at the same time
=> page 94 .
Automatic anti -glare for the outside mirrors
T he outside mi rrors dim at the same time as the inside mirror . When
t h e ignition is switched on, the mir rors au tomatical ly dim
depending on the amount of light strik ing the mirrors (such as head­
l ights shining into the vehicle from the rear).
When you turn on the interior l ight, or when y ou mo ve the se lect or
l ever into
R (Reverse), the anti -g lare function stops and the mirrors
r eturn to their original condi tion (n ot dar ken ed).
0 Note
• Curve d (i. e . convex) mirror sur faces increase your field of view.
Remember that vehic les or other objects w il l appear smaller and
farther away than when seen in a fla t mi rror . If you use this mirror to
estimate distances of fol lowing vehicles when changing lanes, you
cou ld estimate incorrectly and cause an accident .
• I f the mirror housing is moved unintentional ly (for example,
while park ing your vehicle), then you must fi rst fo ld the mirror elec ­
trically . Do not readjust the mirror housing manually. You could
damage the motor which controls the mirro r.
[ i ] Tips
• I f there should be a malfunction in the elect rical system, you can
st ill adjust the outside m irrors by pressing the edge of t he mirror .
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• The automatic anti-g lare feature on the mirror wi ll not operate
proper ly if the light shining on the inside mirror is blocked by other
objects .•
Controls and equip­
ment
Clea r vision

Seats and storage
Seats and storage
General recommendations
Why is your seat adjustment so important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can only provide
maximum protection if the front seats are correctly
adjusted.
There are various ways of adjusting the front seats to provide safe and comfortable support for the driver and the front passenger.
Adjust your seat properly so that:
• you can easily and quickly reach all the switches and controls in
the instrument panel
• your body is properly supported thus reducing physical stress
and fatigue
• the safety belts and airbag system can offer maximum protec ­
tion=> page 218.
In the following sections, you will see exactly how you can best
adjust your seats.
There are special regulations and instructions for installing a child seat on the front passenger's seat. Always follow the information
regarding child safety provided
in=> page 243, "Child Safety".
& WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and all other passengers
can result in serious personal injury.
• Always keep your feet on the floor when the vehicle is in motion
- never put your feet on top of the instrument panel, out of the
window or on top of the seat cushion. This applies especially to
the passengers. If your seating position is incorrect, you increase
the risk of injury in the case of sudden braking or an accident. If
& WARNING (continued)
the airbag inflates and the seating position is incorrect, this could
result in personal injury or even death.
• It is important for both the driver and front passenger to keep
a distance of at least 10 inches (25 cml between themselves and
the steering wheel and/or instrument panel. If you're sitting any
closer than this, the airbag system cannot protect you properly. In
addition, the front seats and head restraints must be adjusted to
your body height so that they can give you maximum protection.
• Always try to keep as much distance as possible between your­
self and the steering wheel or instrument panel.
• Do not adjust the driver's or front passenger's seat while the
vehicle is moving. Your seat may move unexpectedly, causing
sudden loss of vehicle control and personal injury. If you adjust
your seat while the vehicle is moving, you are out of position. •
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe and relaxed
driving.
We recommend that you adjust the driver's seat in the
following manner:
- Adjust the seat in fore and aft direction so that you can
easily push the pedals to the floor while keeping your knees slightly
bent => & in "Why is your seat adjustment
so important?".
- Adjust the seatback so that when you sit with your back
against the seatback, you can still grasp the top of the
steering wheel.
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