2008 AUDI S8 coolant

Checking and filling -_______________________________ =..:..:..::...::.:..;~:.....:...;_.:..:..,__--=--.J
fl::. WARNING (continued )
• Antifr eez e is po isonous. Always stor e antifreeze in it s origin al
c ontainer and well out of the re ach of ch ildren .
• If you drain the coolant , it must be caught and saf ely stored in
a prop er co ntainer cle arly m arked "poi son ".
0 Note
• Coolant po llutes the environment and cou ld cause an engine
fire. Excess coolant will be forced out through the pressure relief
valve in the cap when the engine becomes hot.
• I f, in an emergency, only wa ter can be added, the correct ratio
between water and
antifreeze => page 314 must be restored as soon
as possib le .
W For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused . A lways dispose of used
coolant while observing all environmental regulations . •
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by i tself .
The radiator fan is driven by the engine via the V-be lt. The viscous
clutch regulates the speed of the fan according to the temperature
of the coo lan t.
An auxiliary electric radiator fan * switches on and off depending on
coolant temperature and other vehic le opera ting condi tions.
After you switch the engine off , the auxiliary fan can continue
running for up to 10 minutes -even with the ignition off. It can even
switch on again later by
itself =>& , if
• the temperature of the engine coo lant rises due to the heat
bu ild -up fro m the engine in the engine c ompar tment , or •
the engine compartment heats up because the vehicle is parked
in intense sunlight .
& WARNING
• To reduce the ri sk of per sonal injury never tou ch the radiator
fan .
• The au xiliary elect ric fan i s te mperature controlled and can
switch on suddenly e ven when the engine is not running .
• The au xiliary radiato r fan switche s on auto matically when th e
eng ine coolant reache s a certain temperature and will continue to
run until the coo lant temperat ure drop s. •
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
T he brake fluid level can be checked with a quick glance.
-w ;:;
Fig . 26 8 Engin e
c o mp artm ent: B ra ke
fluid r eservoir
Before you check anyth ing in the e ngine compartmen t,
always read and heed all WARNINGS ~ & in "Working in
t h e engi ne compartment " on
page 307. _,,,
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

Checking and filling -
----------------=--_;::;;.__,
Windshield/headlight washer
container
Using plain water is not adequate for filling the wind­
shield washer system and the headlight washer system.
Fig . 271 Engine
compartment: Wind·
shield and headlight
washer
fluid container
1-.•,
The washer fluid container is marked with the symbol its cap.
- Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working
in the engine compartment" on
page 307.
- Lift the filler cap tongue to add washer fluid. You can fill
the container to the top.
- Press the cap back onto the filler neck after filling the
container .
You can find the reservoir capacity in the table in=> page 378.
Use winterized windshield washer solvent during the cold season
even though the vehicle is equipped with heated washer jets. It
helps to keep your windshield clean and prevents the fluid from
freezing in the winter.
Follow the directions on the container for the correct amount to be
used.
0 Note
Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze or any other additives to fill up
the windshield washer reservoir. •
Vehic le care
I I irechnical data

Tires and wheels -
----------------
•
& WARNING (continued)
crashes and serious personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
low speed.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats, radio, and heater, to
the extent that these items are available as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio means the ratio of the height to the width of the tire in percent.
Numb ers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewall for improved
steering response and better overall handling on dry pavement.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the tire.
& WARNING (continued)
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their
"previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving, always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage.
•
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been driven for more than
a couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in the three hour period
before the tire pressure is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor vehicle with standard equipment
including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi­
tioning and additional weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads and at higher infla ­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Extra load tires
may be identified as
"XL", "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the side ­
wall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single axle system, measured
at the tire -ground interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
( " GVWR")
means the maximum total loaded weight of the vehicle.
Vehicle care

Tires a nd wh eels -
----------------
•
0 Not e
Driving without valve stem caps can cause damage to the tire
valves. To prevent this, a lways make sure that factory instal led valve
stem caps on a ll whee ls are securely mounted on the va lve .
W Fo r the sake of the env ironm ent
Underinflated tires wil l a lso increase the fuel consumption. •
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are lim its to t he amount of load or weight that any ve hicle and
any tire can carry . A vehicle that is overload ed wil l not hand le well
and is more difficu lt to stop. Overload ing can not only lead to loss
of vehic le control , but can a lso damage important parts of the
vehic le and ca n lead to sudden t ire fa ilure, inc luding a blowout a nd
sudden deflation that can cause the vehic le to crash.
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on making
sure that load l imits are not exceeded. Vehicle load includes every­
body and everything in and on the vehic le. These load limits are
technica lly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Ve hicle We ig ht R ating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes t he weight of the bas ic ve hicle, al l factory
insta lled accessories, a full tank of fuel , oil , coolant and other fluids
p lus maximum load . The maximum load i ncludes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is intended to carry ("seating capacity")
with an assumed weight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each passenger at a
designated seating position and the total weight of any luggage in
the vehicle . If you tow a trailer, the weight of the trailer h itch and the
tongue we ight of the loaded trai ler must be included as part of the
vehic le load.
The
Gros s Axle We ight Rating ("GAWR") is the maximum load t hat
can be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles. The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety comp liance s ticker label loca ted either on
the driver's side B-pillar or on the inside of the fuel fil ler flap . Your
Audi has 5 seating positions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for total
seating capacity of 5. Vehicles with power individual rear seats*
have 4 seating positions, 2 in the front and 2 in the rear for total
seating capacity of 4. Eac h seating position has a safety be lt
~ page 209, "Safety be lts".
The fact that there is an upper limit to your veh icle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating means that the total weight of whatever is being
carried in the veh ic le ( including t he we ight of a trai ler hitch and the
tongue weight of the loaded trai ler) is limited . The more passengers
in the vehicle or passengers who are heavier than the standa rd
we ights assumed mean that less weight can be carried as luggage .
The tire pressure labe l on your Audi also lists the maximum
combined we ight of a ll of the occupants and luggage or other cargo
that th e vehicle can carry. For the location of the lab el
~ page 328 ,
fig. 272 .
& WARNING
Overloading a v ehicl e can cau se loss of vehicl e control , a cras h or
o ther ac cident , serious p ers on al injur y, and eve n de ath.
• C arrying more weight th an your vehi cle was designed to c arry
will prevent the vehicl e from handling prop erl y and in cre a se the
ri sk of the l oss of vehi cle control.
• The br akes on a vehi cle that has b een overload ed may not be
a bl e to sto p the vehi cle within a safe di sta nce.
• Tir es on a ve hic le th at ha s bee n ov erlo ad ed c an fail sudd enl y,
in clu din g a bl owout and sud den d efl atio n, ca usi ng loss of con trol
and a crash .
• Al ways m ake sur e th at the total lo ad being tr ansp orted -
includin g th e w eight of a tr ailer hitch and th e tong ue weight of a
load ed tr ailer -do es not m ake the vehi cle he avie r than the
vehicle 's Gro ss Vehicl e W eight R ating. •
Vehicle care

___ C_ o_n_ s_ u_m _ e_ r_ ln_ f_o _r_m _ a_ t_ i_o _n ______________________________________________ _
&, WARNING (continued )
• The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a potentially
hazardous area . Never reach into the area around or touch the
radiator fan . It is temperature controlled and can switch on
suddenly -even when the engine is off and the ignition key has
been removed . The radiator fan switches on automatically when
the coolant reaches a certain temperature and will continue to run until the coolant temperature drops .
• Always remove the ignition key before anyone gets under the
vehi cle .
• Always support your vehicle with safety stands if it is neces­
sary to work underneath the vehicle . The jack suppl ied with the
vehicle is not adequate for this purpose and could collapse causing serious personal injury .
• If you must work underneath the vehicle with the wheels on
the ground , always make sure the vehicle is on level ground , that
the wheels are always securely blocked and that the engine
cannot be started .
• Always make sure the transmission selector lever (automatic
transmission) is in
"P " (Park position ) and the park brake is firmly
applied.
W For the sake of the environment
• Cha ng ing the eng in e sett ings will adverse ly aff ect em iss ion
levels . This is detrimenta l to the environment and increases fuel
c o nsu mp tion .
• Always observe environmenta l regu lations when disposing of
o ld eng ine oil, u sed b ra ke flu id, d irty e ng in e coo la nt, spe nt batter ies
or worn out tires.
• Undeployed airba g modul es and pret ensioners might be classi ­
fied as Perchlorate Material -special handling may apply, see
www .dtsc.ca .gov/ haza rdouswast e/p erc hlor ate . W hen the vehicle or
parts of the restraint s ystem including airbag modules safety be lts
w it h p ret en sio ner s are scra p pe d, a ll ap pl icable l aw s and reg ula- tions must be observed
. Your authorized Audi dea ler is familiar with
th ese re q ui re me nts a nd we reco mmend th at you h ave your dea le r
perform this serv ice for you .•
Additional accessories,
modifications and parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult an author ized Audi dealer before
pu rcha sing a ccess ories .
Your vehicle incorporates the latest safety design featu res ensuring
a high sta nd ard of ac tive a nd pass iv e sa fet y.
T his sa fety could be compromised by non -approved chang es to th e
veh ic le . Fo r th is reason, if pa rts have to be replaced, please o bse rve
the followi ng po ints wh en insta lling addi tio na l acc essor ies:
A pprove d Audi accesso ries and genuine A udi parts are avai lable
fr om autho rized Aud i d eale rs.
T hese deale rs also have the necessary fac ilities, tools and tra ined
spec ial is ts to ins tal l the part s and accesso rie s prope rly.
L1}. WARNING
Using the wrong spare parts or using non -approved accessories
can cause serious personal injury.
• Use only accessories expressly approved by Audi and genuine
Audi spare parts
• These parts and accessories have been specially designed to
be used on your vehicle .
• Never install accessories such as telephone cradles or
beverage holders on airbag covers or within the airbag deploy-

___ A_ l-=- p _ h_ a_ b_e _t_ ic _ a_l _in _ d_e_ x ____________________________________________ _
A
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Adaptive Air Suspension ....... .. .... 185
automatic mode .. .... .... .... ... 186
Description ... .... .... .......... 185
dynamic mode ................... 186
Jacking mode when changing a flat tire .
188
lift mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Setting the driving modes .. .... ... 188
Sport Chassis Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
standard mode ... .... .... ...... . 186
Trailer towing mode ... .... .... ... 189
Warning/indicator lights .. ... ... 20, 21
Adaptive Cruise Control .............. 139
Changing speed ...... .... ...... . 142
Driver information ............... 144
Drivingintraffic .. .... .... ...... . 140
Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Open road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Override ........ ... .. ...... .... . 140
Request for driver to assume control 140
Save speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Setting distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Setting time interval . ... .. .... .... 143
Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Specia l driving situations . ....... . 149
Status messages ................. 147
Switching on and off ... .. .... ... . 141
System limits ...... .... .... ... ... 149
T emporarily turning off ....... .... 142
warning/indicator lights ... .... .... 145 Adaptive
Light .......... .... .... .... . 72
defective ......................... 36
Adding Engine coolant ................... 316
Engine oil . .... .... .... ... .... ... 312
Windshield washer fluid .... .... ... 323
Additiona l accessories .......... ..... 382
Additives Engine oil ... .. ...... ....... ..... 312
Adjustable steering co lumn .. .... .... 128
Adjusting Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Instrument cluster i llumination ...... 15
Steering column ................. 128
Advanced Key ....................... 59
Driver's messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Locking the vehicle .. ...... .... .... 60
START button ................... 131
Starting the engine ............... 131
STOP button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Stopp ing the engine ......... ..... 132
Switching on the ignition .......... 131
Unlocking the vehicle . .......... ... 60
Advanced Parking System with rear view
camera
Adjusting the chimes -option 1 .... 180
Adjusting the chimes - option 2 .... 181
front and back with visual display and
r ear-view camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
General information ... .... ....... 170
Not es on distance information ..... 179
Parking next to obstac les . . . . . . . . . . 178
Rear -view camera -parking mode 1 . 175 Rear-view
camera -parking mode 2 . 176
Rear-view camera (Rear View) ...... 173
Rear-view camera coverage area .... 174
Rear-view camera tips ............ 183
Specia l parking situations .. .... ... 178
Switching the rear-view camera on and
off .. .... .... ...... ... .. .... ... 182
switching the visua l display on and off ..
182
System error message ............ 183
Towing hitch ...... .... ...... .... 180
Air conditioning
See Cl imate controls .... ... .... ... 114
Airbag system .... .... .... ...... 218, 238
Advanced Airbag System ...... .... 222
Advanced Airbag System components ...
225
Care ............................ 232
Child restraints ................ .. 245
Children ... .... .... ... ........ .. 244
Components (front airbags) . ...... . 225
Dang er of fitting a child seat on the front
passenger seat .. ....... .. .... .. 220
Disposal . ...... ..... .. .... .... .. 232
Fron t airbags ...... .... .... .. 222, 223
How do the front airbags work? . ... 227
How many airbags does my vehicle have?
225
How the Advanced Airbag System compo -
nents work together ... .... ...... 226
Impor tant safety instructions on the knee
airbag system .................. 236
Impor tant things to know .. .... .... 218
Indicat or light ........ ........... 229

___ A_ l-=- p _ h_ a_ b_e _t_ ic _ a_l _in _ d_e_ x ____________________________________________ _
Electromechanical parking brake ... 134
Fluid reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
How does moisture or road sal t affect the
brakes? ....................... 270
Malfunction ..... ... ... .. .... .... . 30
Warning/indicator lights ... .... .... 22
Worn brak e pads symbol ..... .. .... 34
Break -in period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
B rake pads .. ...... .... ......... . 278
Tires ..... .. .. .... .... ......... . 277
Bu lbs ... .... .... .... ....... .... ... 362
Bumper cover Caution when parking near a parking bar -
rier or curb ...... ... .... .... ... 135
C
Ca lifornia Proposition 65 Warning 308
Battery specific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Capacit ies .. .... .... .... .... ... .... 378
Car care . .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 288
Int erior .. .... .... .... .... ...... . 295
P lastic and vinyl .. .... .... ... .... 292
Weatherstrips ...... ... .. ...... .. 293
Car carrier Transporting your vehicle ........ . 369
Care of exterior . .... .... .... .... .... 288
Cargo area
See Loading the luggage compartment ..
205
Cargo net .... .... .... .... ... .... ... 101
Catalyt ic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 Central locking
Emergency locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Changing a flat tire ...... .... ... .. .... 45
Changing a wheel .... ..... .. .... .... 351
Changing engine oi l .. .... .... .... ... 313
Chassis Undercoating ... .. .... .... .... ... 294
See also Adaptive Aur Suspension . .. 185
CHECK button .... .... .... ..... .. .... 15
Checking Engine coolant level ... .... ..... .. 315
Checking tire pressure ... .. .... .... .. 331
Child restraints Danger of using child restraints in the front seat ... ....... ...... .... .. 220
What types o f child restraint anchors are
avai lable? ... ....... ...... .... .. 256
Where can I get additional information
about child r estraints? ...... ... .. 257
Child safety ...... .. . ... .... ... . 243, 248
Additiona l information ............ 262
Booster seat ... .... ... .... .... ... 251
Convertible child safety seat .... ... 249
Conv ert ible locking r etractor ... .... 253
Guidance fixtures for lower anchorages
259
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats ..... .. .... .... 246
Important things to know when driving with children . .... .... .... ...... 243
Infant seat .... .... .... .... ... ... 248
Installing a child restrain t using the
LATCH system ...... ...... ..... . 261 Mounting and releasing the anchorage
hook .......................... 262
Older children and safety belts ..... 252
Safety belts and older children .... . 252
Tether anchors .. ...... .... ... .. . 262
Tether strap ........... .... .... .. 263
Which restraint system should my older chi ld wear? .................. .. 252
Child safety lock
Rear doors (mechanical! ...... .... .. 58
Rear doors (power) .... .... .... .... 58
Child safety seat .. .... .... ...... .... 248
Convertible locking r etractor .... ... 253
How do I properly insta ll a chi ld safety
seat in my vehicle? .. ........ .... 246
Installing .. .. .. .... .... ..... .. ... 253
LATCH system ................... 261
Safety instructions .. ...... .... ... 246
Cigarette I ig hter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Cleaning Alcantara (synthetic suede) .... .... 298
Engine compartment ...... .... ... 299
Fab rics and fabric coverings ... .... 295
Instrument panel ...... ....... .... 296
Interior ... .... .... .... .... .... .. 295
Leather ... .... .... .... ..... .. ... 297
MMI display .............. .... ... 295
MMI terminal ...... .... ..... .. ... 295
Plastic and viny l ... .... .... ....... 292
P lastic parts ..................... 296
Safety belts ... .... .... ... .... ... 299
Trim strips . ....... .... ... .... ... 291
trim strips . ....... .... ....... .... 292
Lower anchorages ........... ..... 258 Cleaning and protection ............. 288

lll'ffll_....:..A..:.;l~ p :..;h..:.; a= b..:e :..;t:.:..i c::..:: a.:..l .,;. in :..:..:. d:..;e :..;x..:..,_ ___________________________________________ _
Driver's seat memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Activating remote contro l key .. ... .. 95
Recalling a seat position ...... .... . 94
Storing a seat position ............. 94
Driving messages .................... 29
Dr ivingsafely .... .... .... ...... .... 198
Driving time .... ... .. .... .... ...... .. 38
Dup licate key ......... ............... 47
DVD p layer for navigation system . . . . . 112
E
Easy entry feature 129
Electromechanica l parking brake
Emergency braking ............... 136
Malfunction ........ .... .... .... . 136
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Re leasing and app lying .... .... ... 134
Starting
off with a trailer . ...... ... 136
Warning/indicator lights ........... 22
Electronic differential lock (EDU
How the system works . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Warning/indicator lights ........... 21
Electronic immobilizer .. ...... ..... 14, 49
Electron ic power contro l
(EPC) warning/indicator light .. .... .. 18
Electronic speed limiter .. .. .. .... ..... 28
Electronic stabi lization program (ESP)
How the system works . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Warning/indicator lights ........... 18
Emergency braking .. ....... .. ...... 136 Emergency
closing
Power sunroof ................. 67, 68
Emergency flasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Warning/indicator lights ..... ...... 19
Emergency locking ....... .... .... .... 54
Emergency locking of doors ........... 54
Emergency starting ........ .... ... .. 364
Emergency towing ..... .. .... .... ... 366
Emergency warning triangle ... ....... 348
Energy management .... .... ... .. ... 274
Battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Driver notification ................ 275
Engine 4.2 I, 8-cylinder (350 hp) .... .... ... 308
6 .0 I, 12-cylinder (450 hp) .......... 309
Compartment . .... .... .... .. 308, 309
Coolant ......................... 314
Hood ... .. .... .... .... .... .... .. 306
Starting ...... .............. 129, 130
Starting with jumper cables .. ... .. 364
Stopping ........................ 131
Engine compartment ... .. .... .... ... 308
Safety instructions .......... ..... 307
Working the engine compartment .. 307
Engine coolant ..................... 314
Adding coolant ............. ..... 316
Checking the engine coo lant level .. 315
Expansion tank .................. 315
Malfunction symbo l ...... .... .... . 31
Radiator fan ...... .... .... .... ... 317
Temperature gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Engine data ........................ 378 Engine hood
Closing ..... .. .... .... ...... ... . 307
How to release the hood . . . . . . . . . . 306
Engine oi l ..... ... .... .... .... ...... 309
Adding ......................... 312
Additives ........................ 312
Changing .. .... .... ..... .. .... .. 313
Checking the engine oil level ....... 311
Indica tions and conditions requiring extra
checking .. ...... .... ...... .... 311
Oil consumption ................. 311
Oil grades .. .... .... ... .... .... .. 309
Oil level symbol .... .... ...... ... .. 35
Pressure ma lfunction ... ... .... .... 32
Recommended oil check intervals .. 311
Sensor defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Specification and viscosity ......... 309
Environment Break -in period .................. 277
Catalytic converter .... .... .... ... 278
Disposing of your vehicle battery ... 322
Driving at high speeds ....... ... .. 279
Driving to minimize pollution and noise .
279
Fuel ...... .... ........... .... ... 303
Fuel economy .......... .... .... .. 279
L eaks under your vehicle .......... 307
Le tting the vehicle stand and warm up ..
280
Proper disposal of drained brake fluid
318
Proper disposal of drained engine coolant . .... .... .... .... ....... 316