2008 AUDI S8 Owners Manual

On the road -----------------
Parking
To prevent a parked vehicle from rolling away, there are a
few things you should do.
When you park your vehicle, do the following
- Stop the vehicle using the brake pedal.
- Pull the switch to apply the electromechanical parking
brake.
- Move the selector lever into the
P position => &.
- Switch off the engine and remove the ignition key from
the ignition lock.
When you park your vehicle on hills, do the
following
- Stop the vehicle using the brake pedal.
- Pull the switch to apply the electromechanical parking
brake.
- If you are parking headed
downhill, turn the front wheels
toward the curb.
- If you are parking headed
uphill, turn the front wheels
awayfrom the curb.
- Move the selector lever into the
P position.
- Switch off the engine and remove the ignition key from
the ignition lock.
& WARNING
This is how you can reduce the risk of injury when leaving your
vehicle.
Controls and equip­ ment
&, WARNING (continued)
• Never park the vehicle where it can come in contact with dry
grass, spilled fuel or any other flammable materials.
• When parking on hills, always turn the wheels so that the front
wheels will first roll into the curb, if the vehicle should start to roll.
• Never allow anyone -especially small children -to remain
in the
vehicle when it is locked. Locked doors make it more difficult for
rescuers to access the passenger compartment in the event of an
emergency. Danger to life!
• Never leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. Children
could release the parking brake or move the gearshift lever out of
gear. The vehicle could start to roll away and cause an accident.
• No matter what the season is, the temperature in a parked
vehicle can reach dangerous levels.
0 Note
• Please exercise care when you park your vehicle in parking areas
with parking barriers or curbs . Parking barriers and curbs vary in
height and could damage your bumper and related components as
the front of your vehicle moves over a barrier or curb that is too high, as you park or as you back out of a parking spot. In order to be
sure that no such damage can occur, you may wish to stop short of
having the front tires of your car touch the parking barrier or curb.
• Please also exercise exceptional care when you drive up or down
steep ramps or drive over curbs or other obstacles, for which the
vehicle is not designed , because components of the vehicle close to
the ground, such as bumper covers, spoilers and suspension and
exhaust system components, may become damaged. •

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Starting off with a trailer To prevent rolling back unintentionally on an incline, do
the following:
- Keep the switch pulled and depress the accelerator. The
parking brake stays applied and prevents the vehicle
from rolling backward.
- You can release the switch once you are sure that you are
developing enough forward momentum at the wheels as
you depress the accelerator.
Depending on the weight of the rig (vehicle and trailer) and the
severity of the incline, you may roll backwards as you start. You can
prevent rolling backwards by holding the parking brake switch
pulled out and accelerating -just as you would when starting on a
hill with a conventional hand brake. •
Emergency braking
In the event that the conventional brake system fails or
locks.
- Pull the switch and continue to pull it to slow your vehicle
with the parking brake in an emergency.
- As soon as you release the switch or accelerate, the
braking process stops.
If you pull the switch and hold it above a speed of about 5 mph (8
km/h), the emergency braking function is initiated . The vehicle is
braked at all four wheels by activating the hydraulic brake system.
Brake performance is similar to making an emergency
stop~ &.
So that emergency braking is not activated by mistake, an audible
warning tone (buzzer) sounds when the switch is pulled . As soon as the switch is released
, or the accelerator pedal is depressed, emer­
gency braking stops.
& WARNING
Emergency braking should only be used in an emergency, when
the normal foot brake has failed or the brake pedal is obstructed .
Using the parking brake to perform emergency braking will slow
your vehicle as if you had made a full brake application. The laws
of physics cannot be suspended even with ESP and its associated
components (ABS, ASR, EDS). In corners and when road or
weather conditions are bad, a full brake application can cause the
vehicle to skid or the rear end to break away -risking an
accident. •
Driver messages in the instrument cluster
Caution: Vehicle parked too steep
This message appears when the parking brake is applied on an
incline that exceeds about 30%.
In this case the braking power of the parking brake may
not be
adequate
to prevent the vehicle from rolling unintentionally.
Please release parking brake
This message appears, when a gear is selected and the accel erator
pedal is depressed -release the parking brake.
Press brake pedal to release parking brake
This driver message appears when the switch to release the parking
brake was pressed. The parking brake can only be released if you
press the brake or accelerator pedal and press the switch at the
same time .
~ Parking brake malfunction !
This driver message appears together with the yellow 'Jlf symbol
when there is a parking brake malfunction.
~

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0 Note
If the warning/indicator light (U.S. models : BRAKE, Canadian models:
) flashes in the instrument cluster, there is a brake system
malfunction. By pressing the
I CHECK] button , you can bring up a
driv er m essage which explains the malfunction in more detail. If the
message
Parking brake! Please contact workshop appears, there is
a parking brake malfunction which you should have r epaired imme­
diately by an authorized
dealership => page 30. •
Cruise control
Switching the system on
The cruise control system makes it possible to drive at a
constant speed starting at 20 mph (30 km/h).
rr- -- ...--,,-~------ -~ ----,-~
Contro ls a nd eq uip­
ment
.... S? w ;f,
Fig . 149 Control lever
with set button Fig
. 150 Display:
Selected speed
Pull the lever © to position G) ~ fig. 149 to switch the
system on.
Drive at the speed you wish to set.
- Press button
® to set that speed.
The display => fig. 150 will show the set speed . The display may vary
depending on the type of display in your vehicle. The indicator light
CRUISE (US model)/ 0 (Canadian model) will also ligh t up in the
instrument cluster .
The speed is kept constant via an engine output adjustment or active brake intervention .
& WARNING
• Always pay attention to traffic even when the cruise control is
switched on. You are always responsible for your speed and the
distance between your vehicle and other vehicles.
• For safety reasons, the cruise control should not be used in the
city, in stop-and-go traffic, on twisting roads and when road condi­
tions are poor (such as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and hydro­
planing) -risk of accident.
• Turn off the cruise control temporarily when entering turn
lanes, highway exit lanes or in construction zones.
Vehicle care
I I irechnical data

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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

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&, 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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S itu ation requiring o verrid e of Ada ptive C ruise C ontrol
In some situations you will have to use the foot brake and slow the
vehicle down to keep a safe distance to vehic le in front of you or to
avoid a rear -end co llision.
Pas sing anot her ve hic le
I f you move into the passing lane and no vehic le is detected ahead,
Adaptive Cruise Contro l accelerates to the speed you have set and
maintains it.
O verr ide
You can increase your speed a t any time by stepping on the acceler­
ator pedal. After you release the accelerator pedal, the system auto­
mat ically adjusts back down to the speed you previously set.
[ i J Tips
Please note that the amount of acceleration the Adaptive Cruise
Control uses depends on the Distance setting selected . DISTANCE 1
gives you acceleration that is dynamic and sporty . D IS TA NCE 4, on
the other hand, gives more moderate acce leration . You can find a
detailed description of the "time
intervals" => page 143, "How is
d istance set?". •
Controls a nd eq uip­
ment
Ap plies to vehicles: with Ad apt ive Cru ise Co nt rol
Swit ching th e syst em on and off
Sw itching the system on
- Pull the lever to pos ition G) .
Switching the system off
Fig . 153 C ontrol le ver :
Swi tc hin g on an d off
- Press the lever to position @ (latc hed). •
Applies to vehic les : with Adaptive Cruise Control
Hovv is the speed stor ed ?
Fig . 15 4 C ontro l l eve r:
S tor ing spe ed
Wit h the sy stem switched on the speed is stored as follows: _,,
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

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-Drive at the speed you want. The speed must be between
20 and 95 mph (30 and 150 km/h).
Press the SET button to store the desired speed .
Release the SET button to store mainta in the current speed . The
instrument cluster display shows the stored speed with a red indi ­
cator ligh t. •
Applies to vehi cles: wit h Ada ptiv e C rui se C ont rol
Changing stored speed
Speed can be changed without touching the accelerator
or brake pedal.
Fig . 155 Control lever:
Changing speed
Increasing speed
Press the lever up briefly toward the G). Speed increases
by about 2.5 mph. Canada models: speed will increase by
one mark on the speedometer scale .
-Press the lever up toward 0 and hold it. Speed increases
as long as you keep pressing the lever up.
Reducing speed
-Press the lever down briefly toward the Q . Speed
decreases by 2.5 mph. Canada models: speed will
decrease by one mark on the speedometer scale.
-Press the lever down toward the O and hold it. Speed
decreases as long as you keep pressing the lever down.
[ i] Tips
You can increase your speed at any time by stepping on the acceler­
a tor pedal. After you release the accelerator pedal, the system auto ­
matically adjusts back down to the speed you previously set . A new
desired speed can be stored at any time by pressing the SET
button. •
App lies to vehicl es : w ith Ada ptive Cru ise Co ntro l
Turning Adaptive Cruise Control off
temporarily
In some situations it makes sense to turn Adaptive Cruise Control off temporarily.
Fig . 156 Control lever:
Turning Adaptive
Cruise Control off
temporarily
Performing the following steps turns Adaptive Cruise
Control off temporarily: