2008 AUDI S8 warning light

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& WARNING (continued)
-Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost
position of the passenger seat's fore and aft adjustment range,
and as far away from the airbag as possible before installing
the child restraint.
- Always make sure that nothing prevents the front
passenger's seat from being moved to the rearmost position in
its fore and aft adjustment range .
- Always make sure that the backrest is
in the upright posi­
tion.
• Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in place even if a
child is not sitting in it. A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a collision.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being
used => page 209, "Safety belts",
=> page 218, "Airbag system" and=> page 243, "Child Safety".
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on whenever a child
restraint is installed on the front passenger seat and the ignition
is switched on.
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your authorized Audi
dealer immediately. •
Child safety seats
Infant seats
Babies and infants up to about one year old and 22 lbs or
10 kg need special rearward-facing child restraints that
support the back, neck and head in a crash.
Fig . 240 Rearward­
facing infant seat,
properly installed on
the rear seat
-When using the vehicle safety belt to install a child safety
seat, you must first activate the convertible locking
retractor on the safety belt to prevent the child safety
seat from
moving~ page 253 or install the seat using
the LATCH attachments.
- Push the child safety seat down with your full weight to
get the safety belt really tight so that the seat cannot
move forward or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
Infants up to about one year (22 lbs. or 10 kg) are best protected in
special infant carriers and child safety seats designed for their age
group. Many experts believe that infants and small children should
ride only in special restraints in which the child faces the back of the
vehicle. These infant seats support the baby's back, neck and head
in a crash . These child safety seats must never be used in the front
seat because of the risk of serious injury or death should the airbag
deploy in a
crash => fig. 240. liJ,

& WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong child safety seat or
improperly installing a child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a crash.
• Never install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the front passenger seat
-even with an Advanced Airbag System.
A child will be seriously injured and can be killed when the
inflating airbag hits the child safety seat or infant carrier with
great force and smashes the child safety seat and child against the
backrest, center arm rest, or
door=> page 220, "Child restraints on
the front seat
-some important things to know".
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the rear seat.
• Never install a rear-facing child restraint in the forward-facing
direction. Such restraints are designed for the special needs of
infants and very small children and cannot protect them properly
if the seat is forward-facing.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on, immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used => page 209, "Safety belts",
=> page 218, "Airbag system" and=> page 243, "Important things
to know". •
Child Safety
Convertible child safety seats
Properly used convertible child safety seats can help
protect toddlers and children over age one who weigh
between 20 and 40 lbs. (10 and 20 kg) in a crash.
Fig. 241 Rear seat:
smalle r child in a prop ­
er ly installed forward­
facing convertible child
safety seat
-When using the vehicle safety belt to install a child safety
seat, you must first activate the convertible locking
feature on the safety belt to prevent the child safety seat
from moving :=>
page 253 or install the seat using the
LATCH attachment .
-Push the child safety seat down with your full weight to
get the safety belt really tight so that the seat cannot
move forward or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm)
=> page 253.
-If the child safety seat is equipped with a tether strap,
attach it to the tether anchors :=>
page 262.
A toddler or child is usually too large for an infant restraint if it is
more than one year old and weighs more than 22 lbs. (10 kgl.
Toddlers and children who are older than one year up to about 4
years old and weigh more than 22 lbs (10 kg) up to 40 lbs. (18 kg)
should be properly restrained in a child safety seat certified for their
size and
weight=> fig . 241. tJ,
••
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

___ C_h_ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_, y'-------------------------------------------------
The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat a potentially
dangerous place for a child to ride. The front seat is not the safest
place for a child in a forward-facing child safety seat. It is a very
dangerous place for an infant or a larger child in a rearward -facing
seat.
& WARNING
Not using a child safety seat, using the wrong child safety seat or
improperly installing a child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a collision or other emergency situa­
tion.
• Children on the front seat of any car, even with Advanced
Airbags, can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates . A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on
the front passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the front airbag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center arm rest, or door.
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats on the rear seat .
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light does not come on and stay on,
immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used
=:> page 209, "Safety belts",
=> page 218, "Airbag system" and =:> page 243, "Important things
to know".
& WARNING
If exceptional circumstances require the use of a forward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's seat, the child's safety and
well-being require that the following special precautions be taken:
• Make sure the forward-facing seat has been designed and certi­
fied by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a passenger
front and side airbag.
• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions provided with
the child safety seat or carrier.
• Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost posi­
tion of the passenger seat's fore and aft adjustment range, and as
far away from the airbag as possible before installing the child
restraint.
• Always make sure that nothing prevents the front passenger's
seat from being moved to the rearmost position in its fore and aft
adjustment range.
• Always make sure the backrest is in an upright position.
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on.
• If the light does not stay on, perform the checks
=> page 229,
"Monitoring the Advanced Airbag System".
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG
OFF light does not stay on whenever the ignition is switched
on. •

-
Child Safety ___ :;....____ ____________ _
& WARNING
Not using a booster seat, using the booster seat improperly, incor­
rectly installing a booster seat or using the vehicle safety belt
improperly increases the risk of serious personal injury and death
in a collision or other emergency situation. To help reduce the risk
of serious personal injury and/or death:
• Always make sure to position the shoulder portion of the three­
point belt over the middle of child's shoulder .
• Never let the shoulder portion of the belt rest against or across
the neck, face, chin, or throat of the child.
• Always make sure the lap belt portion of the three-point belt is
worn snug and passes as low as possible across the child's pelvis.
Never let the belt pass over the soft abdomen.
• Failure to properly route safety belts over a child's body will
cause severe injuries in an accident or other emergency situation
=> page 209.
• Children on the front seat of any car, even with Advanced
Airbags, can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag
inflates. A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on
the front passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed
if the front airbag inflates.
• Never let a child stand or kneel on any seat, for example the
front seat.
• Never let a child ride in the cargo area of your vehicle .
• Always remember that a child leaning forward, sitting side­
ways or out of position in any way during an accident can be
struck by a deploying airbag. This will result in serious personal
injury or death.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come on and stay on, when­
ever the ignition is switched on .
& WARNING (continued)
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on, perform the checks described ::> page
229, "Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System" .
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on whenever the ignition is switched
on .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used ::> page
209, "Safety belts",
=> page 218, "Airbag system" and::> page 243, "Important things
to know". •
Safety belts and older children
Properly worn three point lap and shoulder belt can help
protect children weighing more than 80 lbs. (36 kg) and
who are at least 4
ft. 9 in. tall.
Fig . 243 Child taller
than 4
ft . 9 in. properly
restrained on the rear
seat
Children who weigh more than about 80 lbs (36 kg) and are at least
4 ft. 9 in. tall can generally use the vehicle's three point lap and
shoulder belts. Children should use a lap belt only in
very excep­
tional situations and only if no child restraint system for the child's
size and weight or safer alternative means of transportation of the
tll-

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&, WARNING (continued )
• If the backrest is not securely latched , the child and the child
restraint will be thrown forward together with the backrest and
will strike parts of the vehicle interior. The child can be seriously
injured or killed.
• Never install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the front passenger seat . A child will be seriously injured and can
be killed when the passenger airbag inflates .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center arm rest, door or roof .
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the rear seat.
• Forward-facing child safety seats or infant carriers installed on
the front passenger's seat may interfere with the deployment of
the airbag and cause serious injury to the child .
• It is safer to install a forward -facing child safety seat on the rear
seat.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used
=> page 243 . Special precau­
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat
=> page 220 , "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know ".
& WARNING
Always take special precautions if you must install a forward or
rearward-facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat in
exceptional situations:
• Whenever a forward or rearward -facing child restraint is
installed on the front passenger seat , the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light must come on and stay on whenever the ignition is
switched on .
&, WARNING (continued )
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on, perform the checks described
=> page 229, " Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System ".
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on whenever the ignition is switched
on .
• Improper installation of child restraints can reduce their effec­
tiveness or even prevent them from providing any protection .
• An improperly installed child restraint can interfere with the
airbag as it deploys and seriously injure or even kill the child.
• Always carefully follow the manufa cturer's instructions
provided with the child safety seat or carrier .
• Never place additional items on the seat that can increase the
total weight registered by the weight-sensing mat and can cause injury in a crash.
& WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
• Always make sure the forward -fa cing seat has been designed
and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag .
• Never put the forward-facing child restraint up , against or very
near the instrument panel.
• Always move the passenger seat into its rearmost position in
the seat's fore and aft adjustment range , as far away from the
airbag as possible before installing the forward-facing child
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position .
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on.
..,_

Child Safety -
---------------''----
& WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
• A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the
front passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if
the front airbag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center arm rest, door or roof.
• Always be especially careful if you must install a rearward
facing child safety seat on the front passenger seat in exceptional
circumstances.
• A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing child restraint
attached to the front passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced Airbag System. The heavier weight registered can make
the system work as though an adult were on the seat and deploy
the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed causing serious or even fatal injury to the child.
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on .
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on, immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer. •
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to secure a child
restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufacturer's instruc ­
tions when installing a child restraint in your vehicle. To
activate the convertible locking retractor:
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
-Place the child restraint on a seat, preferably on the rear
seat.
-Slowly pull the belt all the way out.
-Route it around or through the child restraint belt path
=>& .
-Push the child safety seat down with your full weight to
get the safety belt really tight.
-Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for that seating
position.
-Guide the safety belt back into the retractor until the belt
lies flat and snug on the child safety seat.
-You should hear a "clicking" noise as the belt winds back
into the inertia reel. Test the convertible locking retractor
by pul ling on the belt. You should no longer be able to
pull the belt out of the retractor. The convertible locking
retractor is now activated.
-Make sure that the red release button is facing away from
the child restraint so that it can be unbuckled quickly.
-Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt is properly
tight and fastened so that the seat cannot move forward
or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
& WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an improperly installed child
restraint can cause serious personal injury or death in a crash.
• Always make sure that the safety belt retractor is locked when
installing a child safety seat. An unlocked safety belt retractor
cannot hold the child safety seat in place during normal driving or
in a crash.
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ C_h_ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t-= y'-------------------------------------------------
& WARNING (continued)
causes the weight-sensing mat to measure more weight than is
actually on the seat.
• The heavier weight registered can make the system work as
though an adult were on the seat and deploy the Advanced Airbag
when it must be suppressed causing serious or even fatal injury to
the child .•
Using tethers on rear-facing child restraint
systems
Currently, few rear-facing child restraint systems come with a tether.
Please read and heed the child restraint system manufacturer's
instructions carefully to determine how to properly install the
tether.
& WARNING
A child in a rearward -facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center arm rest, or door .
• A tight tether or other strap on a rearward-facing child restraint
attached to the front passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced Airbag System. The heavier weight registered can make
the system work as though an adult were on the seat and deploy
the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed causing serious
or even fatal injury to the child.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
& WARNING (continued)
immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
•
Securing the upper tether strap to the anchor
bracket
Fig . 253 Tether strap:
proper routing and
mounting
Securing the child restraint tether strap to the
tether anchor
- Release or deploy the tether strap on the child restraint
according to the child restraint manufacturer's usage instructions.
- Guide the upper tether strap
under the rear head
restraint => fig. 253 (raise the head restraint if necessary).
- Tilt the recess flap -detail
view-~ fig. 253 up to expose
the anchor bracket.
- Slide the tether strap hook over the anchor bracket.
- Pull on the tether strap hook so that the spring catch of
the hook engages. _.

____________________________________________ ln_t_ e_ l_ li _,..g "- e_ n
_ t_t_e _ c_ h_ n_o _l_o _....g ,_,y'-_IJIII
T he direction in which the driver wishes to travel is determined with
t he aid of the steering angle and vehicle speed and is con tinua lly
compared with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the two do not
match, for example, when the vehic le starts hydrop laning on a wet
road, ESP will automatically brake the appropriate whee l to correct
the prob lem.
The vehicle is then stabi lized by the forces act ing on the whee l
during braking. If the vehicle is
oversteering (rear tends to skid out
of the turn), the brakes are mainly app lied on the whee l that is on
the outside of the curve. In the case of a vehicle that is
understeering
(tendency to s lide out of the curve), t he brakes are applied a t the
rear wheel that is on the inside of the curve. An acoustic signal indi ­
cates when ESP brake app lication cuts in
=> & .
The system operates across t he entire speed range in comb inat ion
with the ABS system
=> page 272 . If the Anti -Lock Brake System
(ABS) malfunctions, the ESP wi ll be out of act ion as well.
Ac tivation
When you turn on the eng ine, ESP will automatically be activated
and wil l perform a self -test.
The system can be activated or deactivated by pressing the but ton
=> page 268, fig. 254 . The warning light comes on when the system
is switched off
=> page 18.
Normally, the ESP s hould always be on, however, it may be advanta­
geous to turn off the system in certain special cases when some
degree of wheel spin is des ired such as:
• when driving with snow chains
• whe n driving in deep snow or on a loose surface (to allow the
whee ls to dig in to reach firm ground)
• whe n trying to
"rock" the vehicle free whe n it has become stuck.
T he system should be reactivated once you are no longer in such
situations .
Both the ABS and EDS systems are still functioning even if the ESP
is switched off .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
The Ele
ctron ic Stabiliz ation Pr ogram i s ne verthele ss subje ct to the
laws of phy sic s. It is p articularl y important to pay attention to this
fa ct on wet and slipper y ro ad s. It i s therefore important th at you
alway s adapt your dr iving to the condit ion of the road and traffic
c ondition s. Do not allo w the in crea sed safety pro vided by the Ele c­
tronic Stabilization Program system to lull you into a ccepting
a ddition al safety ri sk s.
•
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The elec tronic d ifferen tial lock moni tors the rotation al
s p eed of the drive wheels.
G en era l not es
The elect ronic d ifferential lock (EDU helps the ca r to start mov ing,
accelerate and c limb a grad ient on surfaces providing poor or
a lmost no grip . Without EDL, this would be difficult, if not impos ­
s ib le.
How the syst em works
The EDL operates automatical ly. It monitors the rotationa l speed of
t he drive wheels on an ax le with the he lp of the ABS senso rs
=> page 272. If a not iceable difference in rotational speed between
the drive wheels on one axle is detected (e.g. on slippery ground
on
one side),
the spinning w heel is bra ked, thereby transferring power
to the other drive wheel or wheels (a ll -whee l drive) . This is done up
t o a speed of ab out 60 mph (100 km/h). N oises from the brake
system signal that wheel spin is being control led .
Dri ving off
When driving off, always be sure to keep road conditions in mind as
you accelerate. I f one drive wheel spins because it is on a sur face
with less grip, gradual ly increase the pressure on the accelerator
pedal unt il the car star ts to move . The whee l less able to t ra nsfer
power spins.
.,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data