2008 AUDI S8 roof

Warm and cold -
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energy are temporarily cut back or switched off~ page 274 .
Heating sys tems in par ticular require a great dea l of energy. If yo u
not ice, for example, that the seat *, w indshield * or rear w indow
hea ting is no t heat ing, they have bee n t em por arily c ut b ack or
switched off by
energy management . These systems are availabl e
aga in as soon as the ene rgy ba lance has bee n restor ed.
& WARNING
Reduced visibility is dangerous and can cause accidents .
• For safe driving it is very important that all windows be free of
ice , snow and condensation.
• Completely familiarize yourself with the proper use and func­
tion of the heating and ventilation system and especially how to defog and defrost the windows .
• Never use the windshield wiper /washer system in freezing
weather until you have warmed the windshield first , using the
heating and ventilation system. The washer solution may freeze
on the windshield and reduce visibility .
0 Note
• If you suspect that the air conditioner has been damaged, turn
on ECO N and con tac t an autho riz e d Aud i dea le r t o hav e th e sys te m
inspected .
• Re pairs t o the A udi air co nd it io ner req uire s pecia l tec hni cal
know ledge and special tools . Contact an authorized Audi dealer for
assista nce.
[ i ] Tips
• Kee p th e air in ta ke s lots (in fron t of the w inds hield) free from i ce,
snow and debris in order to maintain the proper function of the
cl im ate c ontro l sy ste m.
Controls and equip­
ment
• Air escapes through vents under the rear window . When p lacing
ite ms of c lothing on the luggage c ompartme nt cover, e nsu re th at
the openings are not covered .
• Climate c ont ro l wor ks mo st effectively if the windows and t he
power roof are c losed . However, if the interior of a parked vehicle is
e xt re mely ho t fro m the sun's rays , briefly open ing the windows ca n
speed up the cooling process .•

Warm and cold -
------------------------------..J
[ i J Tip s
If the climate control system is operating in cool ing mode, air flows
primarily from the outlets in the center console and in the door
pillars . To achieve adequate cooling, you should never close the
out lets completely. •
Using climate controls economically
Using the climate controls prudently can help save fuel.
When you use t he a ir conditioner, engine power is reduced
and fuel consumption increases. To save fuel, you should
use the a ir co nditioner only when necessary. Also please
note the follow ing po ints:
- If you want to save fuel, activate ECON.
If you are going to drive with the windows open, use ECON.
W For the s ake of the environm ent
By reducing the amount of fuel you use, you also reduce the amount
of pollutants emitted into the air. •
Applies to v ehicl es: with so lar slidi ng /tilt ing sunr oof
Solar blower fan /solar roof
With sufficient sunlight, the blower fan continues to
operate with solar energy to bring in fresh air after the
ignition has been switched off.
T he fan motor is operated by solar energy through the solar roof
after the igni tion is turned off. P lease make certa in that
vents ©
and© are open to achieve optimal ventilation ~ page 122, fig. 137 .
Controls a nd eq uip­
ment
The ventilation operates only with the sunroof c losed or in the tilted
position.
If the vehicle was switched off in the recirculation mode, the air
conditioning automatica lly switches to fresh air operation .
Solar operation is not activated at low outside temperatures .•
Windshield defogging/defrosting
Ap plie s to v ehic le s : with windsh ield defogg er/defr oste r
Windshield defogger /defroster ®
The win dshield defogger rem oves humidity from the
windshield.
F ig. 138 Win dsh ield
d efogger sw itc h
- Press the@ button to turn the w indshield defogger on
and
off ~ fig. 138 .
The w indshield defogger works only when the engine is running .
The indicator light in the button illuminates when the windshield defogger is turned on .
With a cold engine at outside temperatures below 41 °F (+5 °C) and in !AU TO
l operation , the windshield defogger turns on automati ­
cally . Depending on outside temperature, the windshie ld is heated .._
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

Warm and cold -
----------------
the outside air drops, fresh air is supplied to the vehicle interior
again .
In the event that the windows fog up during automatic air recircula­
tion, you must press
the® button immediately.
Under certa in operat ing cond it ions, automatic a ir rec ircu lation is
switched off automatically . With outside temperatures below about
-8 °C and in the ECON mode, automatic air rec ircula tion is limited to
15 seconds. •
Synchronization
One climate control setting for all seats.
With synchronization active, the driver's or the passenger's settings
are adopted for the other seats . Al l the other set tings that were
made are transferred to the other seats. This includes all the c limate
control settings right down to the heated seats .
If
a d ifferent setting is selected at a "synchron ized seat", synchroni ­
zation is cancelled.
•
Center air vent
The temperature of the air leaving the center vents can be
changed to differ from the temperature setting.
Controls and equip­ ment
Fig. 14 2 MMI di spla y:
Ce nter a ir ve nt
The air flow coming from the center vents can be adjusted to be
colder or warmer t han the selected set temperatu re.
In this way you have the opportunity to have the a ir flow from the
center vents a litt le warmer or coo ler, depending on the time of year .
A litt le cooler in the summer and a little warmer in the winter. •
Applies to vehic les : with rear air condition in g
Rear seat operation
The rear climate con trols can be o perated fr om the
driver's area.
With active rear seat operation, the driver or the passenger can
operate the rear climate control system from
his/her contro ls. •
Ap plies to vehicles : w ith so lar roof
Solar operation
Depending on the solar irradiation in the vehicle, the fan
will run using solar power to keep fresh air circulating
inside the vehicle, even af ter you switch off the ignition.
- Switch the solar operation to on .
After you switch off the ignition, the fan is operated using solar
power from the solar roof. Make sure outlets
G) and © are open for
maximum
ventilation => page 722, fig. 137.
The vent ilation works on ly if t he sunroof is closed or t ilted up.
If you turn off the engine whi le the air rec irculation is on, the air
conditioning automatically switches to fresh air mode.
Solar operation is not activated at low outside temperatures .•

___ D_ r
_ i_v _i_n ..;::g :;_ S_ a_ f_ e_, ly'----------------------------------------------------
& WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can fly through the
vehicle causing serious personal injury in the event of hard braking
or an accident. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
• Always put objects, for example, luggage or other heavy items
in the luggage compartment.
• Always secure objects in the luggage compartment using the
tie-down hooks and suitable straps.
& WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehicle handles. To help
reduce the risk of a loss of control leading to serious personal
injury :
• Always keep in mind when transporting heavy objects, that a
change in the center of gravity can also cause changes in vehicle
handling:
-Always distribute the load as evenly as possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in the luggage compart-
ment as possible.
• Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating or the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating specified on the safety compliance sticker on the left door jamb. Exceeding permissible weight standards
can cause the vehicle to slide and handle differently.
• Please observe information on safe
driving => page 198.
& WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from being drawn into the
vehicle, always keep the rear lid closed while driving.
• Never transport objects larger than those fitting completely
into the luggage area because the rear lid cannot be fully closed.
& WARNING (continued)
• If you absolutely must drive with the rear lid open, observe the
following notes to reduce the risk of poisoning :
- Close all windows,
- Close the power roof,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed.
& WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all windows, the power roof and
the rear lid are securely closed and locked to reduce the risk of injury when the vehicle is not being used.
• After closing the rear lid, always make sure that it is properly
closed and locked.
• Never leave your vehicle unattended especially with the rear lid
left open. A child could crawl into the vehicle through the luggage
compartment and close the rear lid becoming trapped and unable
to get out . Being trapped in a vehicle can lead to serious personal
injury.
• Never let children play in or around the vehicle.
• Never let passengers ride in the luggage compartment. Vehicle
occupants must always be properly restrained in one of the
vehicle's seating positions.
[ i] Tips
Air circulation helps to reduce windowfogging. Stale air escapes to
the outside through vents in the trim panel, on the left side of the
luggage compartment. Be sure to keep these slots free and open. •

as defined in the elec tronic control unit~ page 230 , "PA SSENGER
AI R BAG OFF ligh t".
A lways r em ember, a ch ild seat or infant carrier install ed on th e front
seat may be st ruck and knocked out of position by the rap idly
i n fl ating pass enger's airbag in a fr ontal co llisio n. T he airb ag co uld
greatly reduce the effectivenes s of the chi ld restraint and even seri ­
ously inju re t he c hild duri ng i nflatio n .
F or this reason, and because the bac k seat is the safest place for
chi ldr en -w hen pro perly res traine d acc ording to th eir age an d size
- w e stron gly recomm end that c hildren a lways sit in th e bac k seat
~ page 243, "C hil d Safe ty" .
& WARNING
A child in a rearward -facing child 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 seat or infant car rier with
great force and will smash the child seat and child against the
backrest , center arm rest, door or roof .
• Always install rear-facing child seats on the rear seat.
• If you must install a rearward facing child 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 seat in a rear seating posi­
tion and have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer.
• Forward -facing child seats installed on the front passenger's
seat may interfere with the deployment of the airbag and cause
serious personal injury to the child .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must install a forward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's seat:
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
Airbag system
&, WARNING (continued )
• Always make sure the forward-facing 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.
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury, make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light will be displayed whenever a child restraint is
installed on the front passenger seat and the ignition is switched
on.
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not 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 .
• Have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer immedi ­
ately .
• Always carefully follow instructions from child restraint manu­
facturers when installing child restraints .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must install a forward or
rearward -facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat:
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ A_ ir_b _ a_ g=- s-a. y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
When a person is detected on the front passenger seat, weighing
mor e tha n the to ta l w eigh t of a c hild th at is a bout 1 year old
restrain ed in one of th e rear -facing or forward -fac ing infant
r es trai nts (l isted in Fede ra l M oto r Veh icle Safe ty Sta ndard
208 wi th
which the Advanc ed Airba g Syst em in your ve hic le was certified),
the fro nt airbag on the pas se nge r si de may o r may not de ploy .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li g ht com es on when the elec troni c
contro l unit detects a total weight on the front passenger seat that
r e qui res th e front airb ag to b e turned off. If th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li g ht does not com e on, the front airbag on the pass enger side
h as not b een t urn ed off by the c ont rol unit and can d eploy if th e
control unit senses an impact that meets t he conditions stor ed in its
mem ory.
If the t otal weig ht on the fro nt passe nger seat is m ore than that of
a typical
1 y ear -old, but less than the we ight of a small adult, the
fr ont air ba g on th e passen ger side m ay depl oy (the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
li ght does not come on).
For example, the airbag may deploy if:
• a sma ll chil d th at is heav ie r th a n a ty pica l 1 yea r-old chi ld is o n
the front passenge r seat (regardless of w hether the child is in one
o f the chi ld seats lis ted
=> p ag e 24 5),
• a child who h as out grown child r estr ain ts is on th e fron t
passen ger seat.
I f the front passenge r airba g is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
li g ht in the ce nter of t he ins trum ent p anel will com e on and stay
o n.
The fro nt airb ag o n the pa ssenge r sid e may
not de plo y (t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht does not illumi nate a nd sta y li t) if:
• a small adu lt or teenager is on the front passenger seat
• a pass enge r w ho i s no t si tti ng upright wi th their back aga inst a
non -reclined bac krest with their feet on the vehicle f loor in front of
the sea t is o n the front pass enger se at.
I f the front passenger ai rbag deploys, the Fed era l S tanda rd requ ires
th e a irbag to m eet th e "low risk " de ploy ment c rit eri a to he lp reduc e th
e risk of injury throu gh interaction with th e airbag . "Low risk"
dep loyment oc cur s in th ose cras hes tha t take p lace at l ow er decel ­
e rations as defined in t he elect ron ic co ntro l
unit=> page 22 9.
Always remember : Even th ough yo ur veh icle is eq uipped w ith
A dv anced Airbags, the safest plac e for chil dren i s properly
r estra ined on the back seat. Please be su re t o read t he important
i n form atio n in th e sec tions th at f oll ow and be su re to heed all of the
W ARNING S.
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflates, always wear
safety belts properly.
• If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sitting sideways or out
of position in any way, your risk of injury is much higher .
• You will also receive serious injuries and could even be killed if
you are up against the airbag or too close to it when it inflates
-
even with an Advanced Airbag => page 218.
& WARNING
A child in a rearward -facing child 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 .
• Although the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle is
designed to turn off the front airbag when a rearward -facing child
restraint has been installed on the front passenger seat , nobody
can absolutely guarantee that deployment is impossible in all
conceivable situations that may happen during the useful life of
your vehicle.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child seat or infant carrier with
great force and will smash the child seat and child against the
backrest , center arm rest , door , or roof .
• Always install rearward -facing child restraints in the back seat .
~

__ ....!:,A~i'.!. r !::b :!a ~g:L.: s~ y~ s:!: t::.:: e~ m'..!.!.. ______________________________________________ _
or the low er parts of the body . Front airbags only supplement th e
th re e po int safe ty b elts in som e front al c ollis ions in which the
vehic le dece lerat ion is h igh enou gh to deploy the a irba gs.
Front airbags will not deploy:
• if the ignition is switched off when a crash occurs,
• i n sid e coll is io ns,
• in r ear- e nd collisi ons ,
• in ro llovers,
• when th e cras h de cele ration meas ured b y th e a irba g sys tem is
less than the mini mum threshold needed for a irbag deployme nt as
r egi stere d by th e ele ctr on ic con trol uni t.
The front passenger airbag will also not deploy :
• when th e front p asseng er seat is not occ upi ed ,
• when the weight on the front pas senge r seat a s sensed by the
A dvance d Airb ag Syste m indicates t hat th e fr on t airb ag on the
passenger side has to be t urned off b y the e lectronic control unit
(the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li g ht come s on and s tays o nl.
& WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase the risk of serious injury
in crashes .
• To reduce the risk of injury when the airbags inflate , the driver
and passengers must always sit in an upright position , must not
lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
• Oc cupants who are unbelted , out of position or too close to the
airbag can be seriously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye
=> page 220.
& WARNING
A child in a rearward -facing child 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 seat or infant carrier with
great force and will smash the child seat and child against the
backrest , center arm rest , door or roof .
• Always install rear-facing child seats on the rear seat.
• If you must install a rearward facing child 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 seat in a rear seating posi­
tion and have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer.
& WARNING
Objects between you and the a irbag will increase the risk of injury
in a crash by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds or by
being pushed into you as the airbag inflates.
• Never hold things in your hands or on your lap when the vehicle
is in use.
• Never transport items on or in the area of the front passenger
seat. Objects could move into the area of the front airbags during
braking or other sudden maneuver and become dangerous projec­
tiles that can cause serious personal injury if the airbags inflate.
• Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as cup
holders, telephone brackets, large , heavy or bulky objects) on the
doors , over or near the area marked
"AIRBAG " on the steering
wheel , instrument panel , seat backrests or between those areas
and yourself . These objects could cause injury in a crash, espe­
cially when the airbags inflate .
• Never recline the front passenger's seat to transport objects .
Items can also move into the area of the side airbag or the front
airbag during braking or in a sudden maneuver. Objects near the .,_

___ A_ ir_b _a_ g;::;_ s-=-- y_s _t _e _m _________________________________________________ _
& WARN ING (c ontinued)
- Alwa ys hav e w ork on the do ors done by an auth ori zed Audi
de ale r or qualified work shop . •
Side curtain airbags (SIDEGUARD™)
Description of SIDEGUARD™ airbags
The SIDEGUARD™ airbag system can provide supple­
mental protection t o properly restrained occupants.
Fig . 23 8 SIDEG UARD ™
s y st em , dri ve r's si de:
s id e c urt a in airb ag
l oca tio n
The side curtain airbags are located on both sides of the interior
above the front and rear side
windows=> fig. 238 . They are identi ­
fied by the word "AIRBAG" on the windshield frame and the center
roof pillar .
The side curtain airbag system supplements the safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury for occupan ts' heads and upper
torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a s ide collision. The
side curtain airbag inflates only in side impacts and on ly when the
vehic le acceleration registered by the control unit is high enough . If
this rate is below the reference value programmed into the con trol
unit, the side airbags wi ll not be triggered , even though the car may
be badly damaged as a result of the collision . It is not possib le to
define an airbag triggering range that will cover every possible angle of impact, since the circumstances will vary considerab
ly
be tween one collision and another . Important factors include, for
example, the nature (hard or soft) of the impacting object, the ang le
of impact, vehicle speed,
etc .=> page 241 , "How side curtain airbags
work" .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety belts work to help keep the dr iver or front passenger in position in the event of a colli ­
sion so tha t the side curtain airbags can provide protection .
The airbag system is not a substitute for you r safety belt. Rathe r, it
is part of the overa ll occupant restrain t system in your vehicle .
A lways remember that the airbag system can only help to protect
you if you are wearing your safety belt and wearing it properly. This
is another reason why you should always wear your safety belts, not
just because the law requires you to do
so => page 209, "General
notes".
I t is important to remember that while the side curtain airbag
system is designed to he lp reduce the like lihood of serious injuries,
other injuries, for examp le, swelling, bruising, and minor abrasions
can a lso be associated with these airbags. Remember too, these
airbags will deploy only once and only in certain kinds of accidents
-your safety belts are a lways there to offer protection.
The side curta in airbag system ba sically con sist s of:
• The electronic control module and externa l side impact sensors
• The side curtain airbags above the front and rear side windows
• T he airbag indicator light in the instrument panel
The airbag system is mo nitored elec tronica lly to make certain it is
functioning proper ly at all times . Each time you turn on the ignition,
the airbag system indicator light wi ll come on for a few seconds
(self diagnostics).
T he sid e curtain airbag i s not act ivated:
• if the ignition is turned off,
• in side collisions when the acce leration measured by the sensor
is too low ,
.,_