
Driver inf orma tio n displ ay
Red symbols
A red symbol means DANGER.
Pull off the road.
-Stop the vehicle .
-Turn off the engine.
Fig . 17 Dis play: en gine
co ola nt leve l warnin g
(pr iori ty 1)
-Check the malfunctioning system. Contact your aut ho-
rized Audi dea ler or a qua lified workshop for assistance.
Red symbols indicate a prio rity malfunction -Danger!
With a priority 1 malfunction, a large symbol appears in the center area of the
disp lay => fig. 17. When the symbol appears, three
warning tones sound in succession . The symbol continues to blink
until the malfunction has been repaired .
After a few seconds, the large symbol is replaced by a small symbol shown at the top left of the display. This symbol is displayed until
the fault is corrected.
If there are more than one priority 1 malfunctions, the symbo ls
appear one after the other for about 2 seconds .
An additional driver message can a lso be d isplayed by briefly
pressing the
( CHECK) button .
The red symbols mean:
BRAKE
-
((l))
©
.....
[ i ] Tips
U SA m od els: => page 30
Brake system malfunction
C anad a mod els:
B rake system malfunction
II=> page 30
Engine coolant level too
=> page 31
low/engine coolant temperature
too high
En gine o il p ress ure too lo w
=> page 32
Faulty steering
=> page 33
Fa ult y ig nition s witch
=> page 33
• If the warning/indicator light
BRAKE (USA mode ls)/ <@ (Canada
models) in the instrument cluster flashes, there is a brake system
malfunction. By pressing the [
CHECK) button, you can bring up a
driver message which exp lains the malfunction in more detail.
Please
note=> page 30.
• Speed warnings threshold 1
8 (USA modelsl /8 (Canada
models) and threshold 2
8 . (USA models)/ 0, (Canada models) are
also shown as red symbo ls . The warning is a lways shown as a small
symbol in the upper area of the
display => page 36 . •
Brake system malfunction
A malfunction in the brake system must be repaired as
soon as possible.
If the warning /indi cator light BRAKE (USA models)/ ((D)
(Canada models) in the instr ument cluster flashes, there is
a brake system malfunction . By pressing the [
CHECK] ~

button, you can bring up a driver message which explains
the malfunction in more detail.
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid level
- Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the engine.
- Check the brake fluid level ::::>
page 317.
-Contact your nearest authorized repair facility if neces-
sary.
Brake fault ! Drive carefully to nearest workshop
- Drive carefully to the nearest authorized repair facility
and have the malfunction corrected
=> &.
Parking brake ! Please contact workshop
- If the warning/indicator light flashes when the vehicle is
stationary or after the ignition is turned on, check to see
if the parking brake can be released. Drive to an autho
rized repair facility as soon as possible and have the
malfunction corrected. If the parking brake cannot be
released, contact your nearest authorized repair facility.
- If the warning/indicator light flashes while you are
driving, it is possible that the traction control or the
emergency brake has malfunctioned. It is possible that
the parking brake cannot be applied. It is also possible
that the parking brake cannot be released after it has
been applied. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer to have
the malfunction corrected.
Controls and equip
ment
Driver information display
If the ABS, ESP and the brake force distribution fail , the ABS
warning/indicator light and the ESP warning/indicator light come
on along with the brake system malfunction warning/indicator light
=>& .
& WARNING
• Always observe the warnings in => page 299, "Engine compart
ment", before opening the hood and checking the brake fluid.
• Driving with low brake fluid is a safety hazard. Stop the car and
get professional assistance .
• 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. Have your vehicle repaired
immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified work
shop. Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
• Canada models: If the brake warning light ((D), the 1$ warning
light and the ABS warning light
0 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 . Have your
vehicle repaired immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop . Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake
applications. •
Engine cooling system malfunction -L
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must be
repaired as soon as possible.
When the -L symbol in the display blinks, then either the
engine coolant
temperature is too high, or the coolant level
is too low. An additional driver message can also be
displayed by pressing the
[CHECK] button:
Switch off engine and check coolant level

Driver inf orma tio n displ ay
Yellow symbols
A yellow symbol means WARNING.
Fig . 18 Display: low
fu el l eve l warn in g
(pr iori ty 2)
Yellow symbols indicate a priority 2 malfunction - Warning!
When a yellow warning symbol appears,
one warning tone sounds.
A driver message appears as well to explain the malfunction in more detail . The driver warning goes out after about 5 seconds, but it can
be brought up again at any time by pressing the [ CHECK
I button.
Check the displayed function as soon as possible . If
more than one
priority 2 malfunction is detected, all symbols will appear one after
the other for about 2 seconds .
Yellow symbols mean:
Worn brake pads
Electromechanical
parking brake
Check engine oi l level
=> page 311
= page 34
=> page 136
=> page 35
Engine oil sensor malfunction => page 35
Low fue l level => page 35
-
Windshield washer fluid = page35
level low ~
Battery voltage => page35
-
II Battery in remote control key = page48
Advanced Key* = page 133
Key not in vehicle
USA mod els: = page26
Defective brake light
Canad a m od els: => page26
Defective brake light
Defective light bulb
=> page26
Adaptive Light* defective => page36
-
Dynamic headlight range => page36
ll contro l defective
Defective light -/rain sensor
= page36
--Tire pressure monitoring sys-= page42
tern
II Loss of air pressure
Tire pressure monitoring sys -
= poge45
tern
System not available
•
Worn brake pads
l"J Br ake pad s !

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. •
![AUDI S8 2008 Owners Manual ________________________________________________ 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
Wh AUDI S8 2008 Owners Manual ________________________________________________ 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
Wh](/manual-img/6/57619/w960_57619-110.png)
________________________________________________ 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

On the road -
-----------------'
Stopping the engine
-Turn the ignition key to position®~ page 130, fig. 145.
& WARNING
• Never turn off the engine until the vehicle has come to a
complete stop.
• The brake booster and servotronic only work when the engine
is running. With the ignition turned off, you have to apply more
force when steering or braking. Since you cannot steer and stop normally, this can lead to accidents and serious injuries .
• The radiator fan can continue to run for up to 10 minutes even
after you have turned off the engine and removed the ignition key.
The radiator fan can also turn on again if the engine coolant heats
up because of intense sunlight or heat build-up in the engine
compartment.
0 Note
Do not stop the engine immediately after hard or extended driving.
Keep the engine running for approximately two minutes to prevent
excessive heat build-up.•
Contro ls a nd eq uip
ment
Starting and stopping the engine
using the Advanced Key
A pp lies to veh ic les: with Advanced Key
Starting the engine using the [ START] button
Using this button, you can switch on the ignition and start
the engine.
0
0
Fig . 146 Advanced
Key: START button
The [ START] button has a two position feature. ~ fig. 146.
Switching on the ignition
-Press the [START] button to the first position. Only the
ig nition switches on .
Starting the engine
-Depress the foot brake.
- Move the selector lever into the P or N position
~ &.
- Press the [ START] button to the second position. The
engine starts.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

___ O_ n_t_ h_ e_ ro_ a_d __________________________________________________ _
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. •

_________________________________________________ O_ n_ t_h _e _ ro_ a_d _ ___._
0 Note
If the warning/indicator light (U.S. models : BRAKE, Canadian models:
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