2008 AUDI S8 ignition

Adaptive Air Suspension c.::i
The c.::i symbol illuminates for a few seconds after you have
switched on the ignition to indicate
redu ced ground clea ranc e when
the dynamic mode is activated and when the ignition is switched on
with a vehicle which was parked in dynamic
mode ~ page 186,
"Chassis Controls" . On vehicles which are equipped with the s port
s u spen sio n
Adapt ive Air Suspension -Spor t*, the check light does
not come on in this instance since ground clearance is general ly
reduced.
This warning/indicator light has the following functions:
• It illuminates for a few seconds after the ignition is turned on as
function check and then goes out .
• If the warning/indicator light flashes in conjunction with the
<::'.p
warning/ indicator l ight, you should not drive the veh icle immedi­
ate ly in order to prevent damage to the underbody . The two
warning/indicator lights flash ing toget her po ints to an extreme Low
level. A very
pronounced lowering of the vehicle (extreme Low level)
can resu lt, for example, from a heavy load. As soon as t he level has
returned to normal, the warning/ind icator lights stop flashing, and
you can drive away .
0 Note
If the warning/indicator light flashes in conjunction with the~
warning/ indicator l ight, you should not drive the veh icle because
low -lying vehicle parts can bottom out as you drive over uneven
ground and be damaged as a resu lt .•
Cruise control
CRUISE (USA models) / pJ' (Canada models)
The warning/indicator light i lluminates when the cruise control is
activated. •
Controls and equip­
ment
Instrum ents and w arnin g/indi cator li ght s
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS (USA models)
/0 (Canada models)
T his warning/indicator light monit ors the ABS and the
electronic differential lock (EDL).
The warning/indicator light wi ll come on for a few seconds when the
ignition is switched on. The light will go out after an automatic
check sequence is comp leted .
The re is a malf un cti on in the ABS wh en:
• The warn ing/ indicator l ight does not i lluminate w hen you switch
on the ignition .
• The warn ing/indicator light does not go out after a few seco nds.
• The warning/indicator light illuminates while driving.
The ESP indicator light also illuminates if there is a ma lfunction in
the ABS. The message
E S P / AB S fau lt ! See ow ner 's manu al also
appears in the inst rument c luster display and a wa rn ing tone
sounds.
The br ake system will still r espond even without the assis ta nce of
the ABS s ystem. See your authori zed Audi dealer a s soon a s
pos sib le t o re stor e full br aking perf orm an ce.
For more information
regard ing the
ABS ~ page 272 .
The ABS warning l ight and the br ake w arning light come on
to geth er. The AB S will not work and you will notic e a ch ange in
br ak ing re spon se and p erf orm ance .
Mal function in the brak e system
If the brake warning light~ page 22 and the ABS warning i lluminate
together t h ere may be a malfunct ion in t he ABS, and t here may a lso
be a malfunction in the brake system
itself~ .&..
In the event of a malfun ctio n i n th e bra ke syst em the warning/indi ­
cator light
BRAKE (USA mode ls)/ (Ci)) (Canada models) in the instru ment
c luster flashes. By pressing the
I CHECK] button, you can bring up a
driver message wh ich expla ins the ma lfunc tion in more detail.
Please note
~ page 30 . .,_

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
M alfun cti on in the ele ctronic differential lo ck (EDL )
The ED L wor ks t oget her wi th the ABS. T he ABS wa rn ing light w ill
come on if there is a ma lfunction in the ED L
system=> page 269. See
you r au thor ized A ud i dea ler as soon as possible.
& WARNING
• If the ABS (USA models )/0 (Canada models) warning light
doe s not go out , or if it comes on while driving , the ABS system is
not working properly. The vehicle can then be stopped only with
the standard brake s (w ithout ABS ). You will not have the protec ­
tion ABS provides . Contact your Audi dealer as soon as po ssible .
• USA model s: 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 (CD), the f;. warning
light and the ABS warning light
080 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
appli cations .
•
Electromechanical parking brake
tffiE (USA models) /{®) (Canada models)
T he war nin g/in dic ator l ight mon it ors the ele ctro mech an­
ical park ing brake .
With the parking brake applied and the ignition turned on, the
wa rning/ ind icator lig ht illu min a te s. Afte r the ig nition has been
turned off, the warning/indicator light continues to i llum inate for
abo ut 30 seconds. If the parking bra ke is a pplied with the ignition turned off, the warning/indicator light i
lluminates for about 30
seco nds.
T he warnin g/ind icator lig ht wi ll go out w hen the parking brake is
r elea sed .
I f t he war ning/indic ator l ig ht fl ashes con tinuously
after applying the
par king brake, bra king force is not sufficient to p revent the vehicle
fr om rol ling u nint en tional ly . This ca n happen if the br ak es b eco me
too hot . Please note the fol lowing :
• I f the slope of the g rou nd is too steep to pa rk t he ve hicle, the
addi tiona l dr ive message a ppears
Caution: Vehicle parked too
steep.
• I n the event of a parking brake ma lfunction , the yel low ·~ symbol
appea rs in the inst rument c luster display and the driver message
Parking brake malfunction ! is d isplayed . Have t he m alfu ncti on
r epaired as soon as possib le by a q ualified Audi dealership .•
Brake system BRAKE (USA models) /(©) (Canada
models)
T he warn ing/ind icator I i ght flash es if br ake fluid level is
low, if th ere is an A BS sys tem m alfunc tion or a p arki ng
br ake malf u n ct ion.
Th e li ght illu mi nates w hen t he ignit io n i s tur ned o n. It goes out afte r
the e ngine has been started . T his indicates that the bra ke warning
li ght is fu nct ioni ng prope rly.
If the brake warning light does not light up when the engine is
cranking , there may be a malfunction in the electrical system . In this
case , contact your Audi dealer.
If the brake system warning/indicator light flashes, there is a brake
syste m malfu nct ion . B y press ing th e
I CHECK ] butto n, you ca n brin g
up a driver message which exp lains the ma lfunction in more detail
::::> p~e~ ~

Driver inf orma tio n displ ay
Driver information display
Introduction
General notes
The driver information display inside the instrument
cluster provides you, the driver, with much useful infor­
mation.
F ig. 8 Inst rum ent
c luster : center d is pl ay
Information from the Driver Information System is shown in the
display in the center of the instrument cluster.
When you turn on the ignition and while you are driving, some func ­
tions and vehicle components are scanned for their operating status. Malfunctions or required service procedures are signalled
audibly and shown by red and yellow lighted symbols and
reminders to the driver in the display.
The driver is also shown information about radio and CD operation and directions for the navigation system. You can find additional
information on these subjects in the MMI manual.
The Driver Information System provides the fol lowing functions : Sound system display
=> page25
Outside air temperature => page25
Digital speedometer
=> page25
Door open indicator => page26
Defective light bulb
=> page26
Service interval display => page27
Auto Check system
=> page28
Driver information => page29
Speed limiter
=> page28
Trip computer => page38
Tire pressure monitoring
=> page 40
Selector lever position => page 764
[ i ] Tips
In the event of a malfunction either a red or yellow icon appears in
the display. Red symbols indicate
D ang er => page 30. Yellow
symbols indicate a
W arning => page 34 . •

Driver information display
The current speed appears on the display. The speed is displayed in
1 mph (US model) or 1 km/h (Canadian model) increments.
You can switch the display from miles to kilometers and vice versa
via the MMI.
•
Open door or trunk lid warning
The pictogram alerts you when doors or the rear lid have
been left open.
Fig. 12 Display: open
door or rear lid
warning
With the ignition switched on, the open door or rear lid warning illu ­
minates when at least
one door or the hood or the trunk lid is not
closed. The symbol also shows you
which door!s) or lid is not
closed .
In the
illustration=:> fig. 12 it is the driver's door, the left rear door
and the rear lid. As soon as al l the doors, the hood, the rear lid and
the fuel filler cap are properly closed, the door and rear lid warning
turns off and the Driver Information System functions selected are
displayed again .•
Defective light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning tells you when a vehicle
light bulb has become defective.
Fig. 13 Display: defec­
tive light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning monitors the function of the light
bulbs. If a defective light bulb is detected, or if a light bulb has
burned out, a yellow symbol appears as well as a pictogram in which
the defective light bulb is
shown =:> fig. 13 In the case of certain bulb
failures (e.g. failure of the rear fog lamp), an additional symbol is
displayed to the left or right of the pictogram of the vehicle.
Defective brake light
(USA models )/
_, (Canada models)
If the symbol illuminates, a brake light has failed. The burned out
light is shown in the pictogram.
Defective bulb
If this symbol illuminates, a turn signa l (front or rear), a headlight,
the backup light, a fog light or a rear fog light has failed . T he burned
out light is shown in the pictogram.
& WARNING
• Light bulbs are pressurized and could explode while they are
being changed causing serious personal injury.
.,_

fl::. WARNING (c o ntinue d)
• Wo rk with d ue care when handl in g th e high -v o lt age secti on of
gas disc harge !xe non) lig ht s. Fa ilur e to d o so c ould re sult i n de ath
or seriou s injur y.
[ i J Tips
Have the bulb replaced or the connection repaired by your autho ­
rized Aud i Service department .•
Service interval display
The service interval display reminds you when your next
service is due.
Fi g. 14 D isplay:
Se rvice i nterval displ ay
The date for service is calculated automa tically. Based on the
average distance driven in previous months, a monthly driving
distance is calculated. As soon as the distance remaining to the next
service drops below the distance driven monthly, the service
reminder is initiated. The maximum period from one service to the
next is one year.
S erv ice reminder
30 days before the next service is due, a service reminder appears
in the display when you turn on the
i gnition => fig. 14.
Contro ls a nd eq uip­
ment
Dr ive r inf ormati on d ispl ay
After about 5 seconds the display switches back to normal. The
distance and time remain ing are updated each time the ignition is
turned on unti l the date due for service is reached.
Servi ce
When the due date for service is reached, the message Serv ice due
! appears in the disp lay immediately after you turn on the ignition.
Additionally, a warning tone sounds. After about 5 seconds the
display switches back to normal.
0 Note
I f you disconnect the battery terminals, no calculations can be
made for the service interval display during this time and no service
reminder will appear. Remember that observing the proper service
intervals is vita lly important to extending the life of you r vehicle,
particularly the engine, and maintaining its value. Even if the
mileage driven is low, the maximum period of one year from one
service to the next must not be exceeded. •
On-Board Diagnostic system (OBD)
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIU in the instrument cluster
=> page 16, fig. 7 is part of the On -Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
The warn ing/indicator light illum inates when the ignition is
switched on and goes out after the engine starts and the idle has
stabilized . This indicates that the MIL is working properly.
If the light d oes not go out after the engine is started, or illuminates
while you are driving, a ma lfunction may exist in the engine system.
If the light starts flashing, the catalytic converter cou ld be damaged.
Continue driving
w ith redu ced po wer (avoiding sustained high
speeds and/or rapid accelerat ions) and have the condition
corrected. Contact your authorized Audi dea ler.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

If a component is malfunctioning or if the need for an urgent repair
has been detected, this will appear in the instrument clus ter display .
You will a lso hear an audible warning tone . The displays are co lor
coded in either red or yellow depending on their level of priority.
A red symbol means
D anger , a yellow symbo l ind icates W arning . In
certain situations, information message for the driver appear in
addit ion to the red and yellow symbo ls .
Fun ction t est: au tom atic transmission
The Auto-Check Contro l will automat ically perform a test each time
you switch on the ignition. With the selector lever in
P or N , the
f ollowing message appears in the display:
When stati onar y appl y fo ot brake while selecting gea r.
When you a select a different gear (for example : R, D , etc.l, the
message will disappear and the Auto -Check function is disp layed.
If there is a malfunction , then the malfunction message will appear
about 15 seconds after the you start the vehicle . At the same time
you will hear a warning tone .•
Driver information messages
Driver i nfo rmation messages are shown in the instrument
cluster display in addition to the red and yellow symbols.
Controls and equip­ ment
Fig. 16 CHEC K button
in th e instru ment
c lu ster
Driv er information di splay
For example, if the transmission selector lever is not in the P posi­
ti on when the engine is turned off, the following message appears:
Shift t o P, otherwi se ve hic le can roll away. Doors do not lo ck if
le ver i s not in P .
The igni tion key can only be removed with the selector in this pos i­
tion. This and other messages are brought up if a function cannot
be car ried ou t.
Dri ver messa ges and r ed symbols
If a red symbo l appears in the display, a driver message can be
shown by pressing the [ CH ECK] button.
For example, the symbol f or a problem with engine oi l
pressure~
appears in the disp lay . If you then press the [ CHECK] button , the
fo llowing driver message appears in the d isp lay:
S witch off engine and che ck oil level
The driver message in the display goes out after about 5 seconds .
The dr iver message can be d isplayed aga in by briefly pressing the
[ CHECK] button .
Driver me ssages and yellow symbols
If a yellow symbol appears in the display, a driver message is also
displayed automat ica lly .
For examp le, the symbol
G> appears in the disp lay, indicating low
windshield washer fluid level. The following message also appears :
Please top up wa sher fluid
The driver message disappears after a few seconds . The driver
message can be d isplayed aga in by briefly pressing the [ CHECK]
button. •

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

Dipstick reading checks OK
-If the oil pressure warning symbol "e::7: starts flashing
again even though the engine oil level checks OK on the
dipstick,
do not continue driving and do not let the
engine run in idle.
Instead, contact your authorized Audi
dealer for assistance.
[ i] Tips
• The engine oil pressure symbol ~ is not an indicator for a low
engine oil level. Do not rely on it . Instead, check the oil level in your
engine at regular intervals, preferably each time you refuel, and
always before going on a long trip.
• The yellow oil level warning indication
~ requires oil refill or
workshop service without delay. Do not wait until the red oil pres­
sure warning
~ starts to flash before you respond to the low oil
level warning
~- -By then, your engine may already have suffered
serious damage. •
Steering malfunction i
If there is a malfunction in the electronic steering column
lock, the steering cannot be unlocked.
If the ~ symbol in the display blinks, there is a malfunction
in the electronic steering column lock. An additional driver
message can also be displayed by pressing the [ CHECK]
button :
Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
-Contact your nearest authorized repair facility.
- Do
not tow your vehicle.
Controls and equip­
ment • I I • • I
Driver information display
& WARNING
Your vehicle must not be towed in the event of a malfunction in the
electronic steering column lock because it cannot be steered due
to the locked steering. If it is towed with the steering locked, there
is the risk of an accident. •
Ignition lock malfunction ~
A malfunction in the ignition lock must be repaired imme­
diately.
If the ~ symbol in the display blinks, there is a malfunction
in the electronic ignition lock. An additional driver message
can also be displayed by pressing the [ CHECK] button:
Ignition lock defective. Contact workshop !
-Do not turn the engine off.
- Drive immediately to an authorized Audi dealer to have
the malfunct ion corrected.
If there is a malfunction in the electronic ignition lock, the ignition
cannot be turned off. Drive immediately to an authorized Audi
dealer to have the cause of the malfunction corrected.
I f your vehicle has an Advanced Key *, then you should not use the
I STOPI button to shut off the engine. You will not be able to start the
engine again once the ignition is switched off. •