2008 AUDI S8 suspension

Tires and wheels -
-----------------'
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of different things
including proper installation and balancing, correct tire
pressure and driving style .
Tread Wear Ind icator (TWI)
Fig. 274 Tire tread:
tread wear indicators
(TWII
Fig . 275 Rotating tires
for more even wear
The origina l tires on your vehic le have 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear
indicators"::::, fig. 274 running across the tread. Depending on the
make, there will be six to eight of them evenly placed around the
tire. Marks on the tire sidewall (for example
"TWI" or other symbols)
indicate the positions of the tread wear indicators. Worn tires must
be rep laced. Different figures may apply in other
countries::::, &-
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at least once a
month ::::, page 331.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy accele ration and hard braking
increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rear tires are rotated according to the
tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals. Please
remember the following:
• Tire rotation intervals may differ from the vehicle service inter­
vals outlined in your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, the
more it wears at certain points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer 's suggested tire rotation intervals .
• Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience more tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all -wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Please rotate tires as shown
~ fig. 275.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
::::, page 357.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various situa ­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unbal ­
anced, resu lting in vibrations you can usually feel through the
steering wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tires. A whee l must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is insta lled.
...
Vehic le care I I Technical data

lllftl __ T_ ir_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h
_ e_e_ l_ s _______________________________________________ _
&, WARNING (continued )
• Never drive faster than the speed for which the winter or other
tires in stalled on your vehicle are rated.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and traffic condit ions .
Never let the good acceleration of the winter tires and all -wheel
dri ve tempt you into taking extra risks. Always remember :
• When braking , an all -wheel drive vehicle handles in the same
way as a front drive vehicle .
• Drive carefully and reduce your speed on icy and slippery roads ,
even winter tires cannot help under bla ck ice conditions.
c£> For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather conditions permit. They are
q uiete r, d o not wear as qui ckly a nd r educe fuel cons ump tion.•
Snow chains
Sn ow c hain s may be fitte d only to the fron t w heel s, an d on ly to
certain tire sizes. Ask your authorized Audi dealer on which tire
s iz es snow c hains can be used.
If you are going to use snow cha ins, then you must instal l them on
the front wheels at least.
Th e sn ow c hains mus t h ave low-pro file l inks and mus t n ot be t hic ke r
than 0. 53 inch ( 13. 5 mm), including the lock.
Remove wheel ce nter c ove rs a nd tr im dis cs be fore putti ng sn ow
c h ains on your
veh ic le:::::, 0. For safety reasons cover caps must
then be fitted ove r the wheel bo lts . These are avai lable from autho ­
rized Audi dealers.
& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehicle or installing them
incorrectly can in crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury .
• Snow chains are available in different sizes. Alway s make sure
to follo w the instructions provided by the snow chain manufac ­
turer.
• When driving with snow cha ins never drive faster than the
speed permitted for your specific snow chains .
• Always observe local regulations .
0 Note
• Remove snow chains before driving on roads not covered with
snow to av oid da magi ng t ires a nd weari ng th e snow cha ins dow n
unnecessari ly .
• Snow c hains, w hich
come int o direct co ntact w it h the w heel r im,
can scratch or damage it. Th erefore, make sure that the snow chains
are suitab ly cov ere d.
• I f the Adaptive Air Suspension should malfunction, do not
mo unt or use snow cha ins because t he veh icle w ill be ext re me ly
l ow. If you do drive with snow chains on while the vehicle is at this
l ev el, the s now c hai ns mig ht sev erely da mag e th e wheel house an d
other parts of the vehicle .
[ i ] Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory on certain roads, this norma lly
a lso ap plies t o veh icle s wi th All Wheel D rive .•

-What do I do now? PW-------------------------
&, WARNING (continued)
front wheel is lifted off the ground, placing the Automatic Trans­
mission in
"P" (Park) will not prevent the vehicle from moving.
• Before you change a wheel, be sure the ground is level and firm.
If necessary, use a sturdy board under the jack.
• After installing the spare wheel, make sure that you replace the
flat tire/wheel in its storage area properly and tighten the knurled
retaining screw securely.
[ i] Tips
Before changing the wheel, you must activate the jacking mode, so
that the automatic controls for the Adaptive Air Suspension do not
make it more difficult to lift the vehicle with the
jack ~ page 7 88. •
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence described
below step-by-step and in exactly that order.
1. Activate the vehicle jacking mode => page 188.
2. Remove the decorative wheel cover*. For more details
see also
=> page 353, "Decorative wheel covers" or
=> page 353, "Wheels with wheel bolt caps" .
3. Loosen the wheel bolts => page 354.
4. Locate the proper mounting point for the jack and align
the jack below that
point=> page 354.
5. Lift the car with the jack=> page 354.
6. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and then install the
spare
=> page 356 .
7. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly. 8.
Lower the vehicle with the jack.
9. Use the wheel bolt wrench and firmly tighten all wheel
bolts
=> page 354.
10. Replace the decorative wheel cover*.
11. Deactivate the vehicle jacking mode => page 188 .
& WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and information ~ & in
"Raising the vehicle" on
page 354 and ~ page 357. •
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the doing the
following.
-Store and secure the wheel you replaced in the spare
wheel well.
-Replace the tools and the jack in their proper location.
-Check the tire pressure on the spare wheel immediately
after mounting it.
-As soon as possible , have the tightening torques on all
wheel bolts checked with a torque wrench. The correct
tightening torque is 90 ft lb (120 Nm) .
-Have the flat tire replaced as soon as possible.
[ i] Tips
• If you notice that the wheel bolts are corroded and difficult to
turn while changing a tire, they should be replaced before you check
the tightening torque . .,_

What do I do now? -
-----------------
Fig. 288 Clos e-up :
prope r positioning of
jack
- Activa te the ve hicle ja cking mode before c ha ngin g a
w heel
=> p age 188.
- Posi tio n th e jack bel ow th e doo r sill und er t he mounting
point
th at is c los est to th e w hee l to be cha nged
=> p age 354 , fig. 28 7.
- Exten d the
jack und er the li ftin g po int on the do or sill
un til it s a rm is posi tio ned direct ly und er t he lif tin g p oint
=>& .
- Alig n the j ack so tha t its a rm @ en gag es t he plast ic
lif tin g p oint on the door sill a nd the mova ble base ® is
fl at on the
groun d=> fig . 288.
- Wind t he jack up furt her u ntil the flat t ire co mes off the
gr oun d=> &-
The jack must be installed only at the places indicated ~ page 354,
fig. 287 . There is exa ctly on e loca tion for e ach w heel. The ja ck m ust
not be positioned at any other
l ocation~ &.
The jack sho uld be posit ioned ap pro xima tely 8 in . (2 0 cm) be hind
th e fro nt whe el or 6 i n. (1 5 c m) in fr ont o f the rear w heel.
A n unstab le surfac e under th e jack can cause the vehicl e to s lip off
t h e jack . A lways pro vide a firm base for th e ja ck on the grou nd. If
necessary place a s turdy board or similar support under the ja ck. On ha
rd, s lippery surfaces (such as ti les) us e a rubb er mat or similar to
p revent th e ja ck fro m
slippin g~ & .
& WARNING
• You or your pa ssengers could be injured while changing a
wheel if you do not follow these safety precautions:
-Positioning the jack under the vehicle at any other place than
those indicated above may damage the vehicle or may result in
personal injuries.
- A soft or unstable surfa ce under the ja ck may cause the
vehicle to slip off the jack . Always provide a firm base for the
jack on the ground . If necessary , use a sturdy board under the
jack .
- On hard , slippery surface (such as tiles ) use a rubber mat or
similar to prevent the jack from slipping.
• To help prevent injury to yourself and your passengers :
- Do not raise the vehicle until you are sure the jack is securely
engaged .
- Passengers must not remain in the vehicle when it is jacked
up .
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe place away from
the vehicle and well away from the road and traffic .
- Make sure jack position is correct , adjust as necessary and
then continue to raise the jack.
[ i ] Tips
Befo re c hangi ng th e wheel, yo u must ac tivate the jac king mode, s o
that the automatic controls for the Adapt ive Air Suspension do not
make it more difficult to lift the veh ic le with the
jack ~ page 188. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service irechnical data

_________________________________________________ F_ u_ s_ e_s _ a_n _d_ b_ u
_ lb_ s _ __,_
-
No . II Equipm ent
8 Engine control, auxiliary water pump
9
10 C
limate control front /rear, dash panel buttons
Suspension level control system
(Adaptive Air Suspension)
11 Light and rain sensor
1 2 Display -/control unit
13 Roof electronics control unit
CD/DVD d rive
15 Energy managemen t
16 Vacant
17 Radiator fan e lectronics
18 Airbag front passenger recognition
(weight sensor)
19 Vacant
20 Heated/ventilated seats
21 Engine control module
22 Vacant
23 Parking brake (switch)
24 Vehicle electrical syste m
25
26
27
Automatic transmission Air condi tioning water valves wate r pump,
rea r climate control
Sunroof
28 Engine control module
29 Fuel injectors
30 Ignition coils
Amps
10
5
1 0
5
5
10
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
1 0
15
10
20
5
1 5
30
-
No . Equipm ent
31 Fuel pump , right/fue l pump e lectronics
32 Automatic transmission
33
34
Right rear footwe ll heater
Heated/ventila ted seats, rear
35 Heated/ventilated seats, front
36 Cigarette lighter, front
37 Cigarette lighter, rear/socket, rear
38 Auxil iary cooler fan
39 Door contro l unit, front right
40 Brake booster
41 Door contro l unit, rear right
42 Vacant
43 Headlight washer system
44 A ir co nditioning heater fan
Amps
20/40
5
25
20
20
20
20/25 20
7.5
1 5
7.5
30
30 •
Fuse Location , Luggage Compartment left
0
Fig . 2 95 Fuse pan el
l a you t _.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service irechnical data

________________________________________________ E_ m_ e_r .;;:g c...e_ n
_ c..::yc.-- s_ i_t _u _a_ t_ i_o _n_ s _ ___,IJIIII
Loading the vehicle onto a flat bed truck
Fron t hook up
Fig. 303 Ve hic le on flat
bed truck
-Align the vehicle with the centerline of the car carrier
ramp .
-Attach the winch hook to the front tow line eye previous ly
installed .
Rea r h ook up
-Align the vehicle with the centerline of the car carrier
ramp .
Attach the winch hook to the rear towline eye previous ly
installed.
[ i ] T ip s
Check carefully to make sure the hook -up is secure before moving
the car up the flatbed truck ramp.
•
Vehicle transport
Whenever you have your vehicle transported, be sure to
note the following:
0 Note
Mount the tie -down chains/cables over the running surface (circum ­
ference) of the tires. Never secure the vehic le by the axle, the
suspension struts or the front or rear towline eye. For technical
reasons, the pressure in the suspension struts may change during
the transport and this wil l adversely affect vehicle handling .•
Lifting vehicle
Lifting vvith workshop hoist and vvith floor
jack
The vehicle may only be lifted at the lifting points illus­
trated .
--1----------~ ~
'-l.=:==..;;;;===-4 i
Fig. 304 Fro nt l ift ing
point
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service irechnical data

lffll....__E_ m_ e_r -=g :....e_ n
_ c-=y _ s_ i_t _u _a _t_ i_o _n_ s _______________________________________________ _
-Read and hee d WARNI NG =:> & .
Fig. 305 Re ar lifting
point
Ac tivate t he vehicle jackin g mode if a pp licable
=:> p age 188 .
-Loc ate lift ing po in ts=:> page 369 , fig. 3 04 =:> fig. 3 05.
Ad just lift in g a rms of works hop hoi st or floor jack t o
match ve hicle li ftin g points.
Ins ert a ru b be r pad betwe en the floor jack/work shop
h o ist and t he li ftin g poin ts.
The vehicle jacki ng m ode mus t be ac tiva ted so that the au tomatic
adjustment of the Adaptive Air Suspension does not make it more
d ifficu lt to ra ise the vehic le w ith the (floor
jac k) => page 188 .
If you must lift your vehicle with a floor jack to work underneath , be
sure the vehicle is safely supported on stands intended for this
purpo se.
Front lifting point
T he lif ti ng po int is locat ed o n th e floor pan re inforc ement abou t at
the same level as the jack mounting
point => page 3 69, fig. 304. Do
not lift the vehicle at the vertical sill reinforcement. Rear lifting point
Th
e lif tin g po int is loca ted o n the vertical re info rce ment of the l ower
s ill for t he o n-board
jack=> fig . 305.
Lifting with vehicle jack
Refer to => page 354.
& WARNING
• To reduce the risk of serious injury and vehicle damage.
-Always lift the vehicle only at the special workshop hoist and
floor ja ck lift points illustrated
=> page 369 , fig. 304 and
=> fig . 305.
- Failure to lift the vehicle at these points could cause the
vehicle to tilt or fall from a lift if there is a change in vehicle
weight distribution and balance. This might happen , for
example , when heavy components such as the engine block or
transmission are removed .
• When removing heavy components like these, anchor vehicle
to hoist or add corresponding weights to maintain the center of gravity. Otherwise , the vehicle might tilt or slip off the hoist,
c ausing serious personal injury .
0 Note
• Be awar e of the following points before lifting the vehicle :
-The vehicle should never be lifted or jacked up from under­
neath the engine oil pan , the transmission housing , the front or
rear axle or the body side members . This could lead to serious
damage .
-To avoid damage to the underbody or chassis frame , a rubber
pad must be inserted between the floor jack and the lift point s.
- Before driving over a workshop hoist, check that the vehicle
weight does not exceed the permissible lifting capacity of the
hoid . ~