2008 AUDI S8 towing

-Tires and wheels Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to calculate the
total weight of the passengers and
luggage or other things that you plan to
transport so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overloaded.
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE COMBINED
WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS"on your vehicle's placard (tire infla­
tion pressure label) => page 328, fig. 272.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds shown on the
sticker=> page 328, fig. 272. 4. The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will
be five 150 lbs. passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5
X 150) = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces the avail­
able cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
- Check the tire sidewall
( => page 336,
fig. 276) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire. •

llffl!I What do I do novv?
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Tools
The vehicle tools are stored in the luggage compartment
lid.
Fig . 281 Trunk lid:
Opening the cover
Fig . 282 Trunk lid:
Vehicle tools
-To open the cover, turn the retainer in the direction of the
arrow and pull the cover down
~ page 350, fig. 281.
The onboard tool kit includes:
• Hook for removing wheel covers *
• Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers
• Whe el bolt wr ench
• Alignment pin for changing wheels
• Screwdr iv e r with reversible blade •
10 x 13 open ended wrench
• Towing loop
[ i] Tips
Some of the on board items listed above are provided on certain
models only or are optional extras .•
Spare wheel
The spare wheel is stored in the wheel well underneath
the floor panel in the luggage compartment.
Fig . 283 Luggage
compartment spare
wheel
Your vehicle is equipped with a regular spare wheel. It is
held in place by plastic retaining knurled screw.
Taking out the spare wheel
- Raise the floor panel at the plastic handle.
- Securely engage the handle in the luggage compartment
seal as illustrated to keep the floor panel up.
- Unscrew the knurled retainer bolt in the wheel center
~ fig. 283. Turn it counter-clockwise .
- Take out the spare wheel.

What do I do now? Ill
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•
-Disengage and lower the floor panel before you close the
luggage compartment lid again.
Storing the replaced wheel
-Place the replaced wheel inside the spare wheel well in
the luggage compartment.
Tighten the knurled retaining screw clockwise to secure
the wheel in place.
-Disengage and lower the floor panel before you close the
luggage compartment lid again.
& WARNING
Loose items in the passenger compartment can cause serious
personal injury during hard braking or in an accident .
• Never store the spare wheel or jack and tools in the passenger
compartment.
• Always store all jacking equipment, tools, and the spare wheel
in the luggage compartment .
• Tighten the knurled retaining screw for the spare wheel
securely.
[ i] Tips
Check the inflation pressure of the spare tire periodically to keep the
tire ready for use. •
Changing a wheel
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own and your
passenger's safety when changing a wheel.
-After you experience a tire failure, pull the car well away
from moving traffic and try to reach level ground before
you stop
~ &,. .
-All passengers should leave the car and move to a safe
location (for instance, behind the
guardrail) ~&,. .
-Engage the parking brake to prevent your vehicle from
rolling
unintentionally ~&,. .
-Move selector lever to position P ~ &,..
-If you are towing a trailer: unhitch the trailer from your
vehicle.
-Take the jack and the spare tire out of the luggage
compartment~ page 349.
& WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured while changing a wheel if
you do not follow these safety precautions:
• If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance off the road. Turn off
the engine, turn the emergency flashers on and use other warning
devices to alert other motorists.
• Make sure that passengers wait in a safe place away from the
vehicle and well away from the road and traffic.
• To help prevent the vehicle from moving suddenly and possibly
slipping off the jack, always fully set the parking brake and block
the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel being changed. When one _..
Do -it -yourself service

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Emergency situations
General
This section is intended for trained emergency crews and per sonnel
who have the necessary tools and equipment to perform these operations.
•
Starting by pushing or towing
0 Note
Yo ur vehicle is equipped wi th an auto matic trans mis sio n. C onse­
quent ly, the engine cannot be started by pushing or tow ing .•
Starting with jumper cables
If n ece ssar y, the eng in e c an b e star ted by connecting it to
the battery of anoth er veh icle .
If th e engin e shou ld fail to start because of a discharged or weak
ba ttery , the bat te ry can be co nnected to the ba ttery of
another
vehic le, usin g a pair of jumper cables to start the engine.
Jumper cables
Use on/yjumper cabl es of sufficient ly lar gecross section to carry the
s tarte r current safe ly . R efe r to th e manu fac tur er's speci fica tions.
Us e on ly jump er cabl es w it h
insulate d terminal clamps w hic h are
distinct ly marked:
plus (+l cable in m ost c ases c olor ed red
minus
(-l cable in most cases co lored black .
& WARNING
Batteries contain electricity , acid , and gas. Any of these can cause
very serious or fatal injury. Follow the instructions below for safe
handling of your vehicle 's battery.
• Always shield your eyes and avoid leaning over the battery
whenever possible .
• A discharged battery can freeze at temperatures just below
32 °F (0 °C l. Before connecting a jumper cable, you must thaw the
frozen battery completely , otherwise it could explode .
• Do not allow battery a cid to contact eyes or skin . Flush any
contacted area with water immediately .
• Improper use of a booster battery to start a vehicle may cause
an explosion.
• Vehicle batteries generate e xplosive gases . Keep sparks, flame
and lighted cigarettes away from batteries.
• Do not try to jump start any vehicle with a low ac id level in the
battery.
• The voltage of the booster battery must also have a 12-Volt
rating . The capacity (Ahl of the booster battery should not be
lower than that of the discharged battery . Use of batteries of
different voltage or substantially different
" Ah " rating may cause
an explosion and personal injury .
• Never charge a frozen battery. Gas trapped in the ice may cause
an explosion .
• Never charge or use a battery that has been frozen . The battery
case may have be weakened.
• Use of batteries of different voltage or substantially different
capacity (Ah) rating may cause an explosion and injury . The
capacity (Ah l of the booster battery should not be lower than that
of the discharged battery .
...,

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4. Connect the other end to the negative ground post of the
battery manager control unit located next to the battery.
Starting the engine
-Start the engine of the vehicle with the booster battery.
Run the engine at a moderate speed.
- Start engine with discharged vehicle battery in the usual
manner .
- If the engine fails to start: do not keep the starter
cranking for longer than 10 seconds. Wait for about 30
seconds and then try again.
- With engine running, remove jumper cables from both vehicles in the exact
reverse order.
The battery is vented to the outside to prevent gases from entering
the vehicle interior . Make sure that the jumper clamps are well
connected with their metal ports in full contact with the battery
terminals.
& WARNING
To avoid serious personal injury and damage to the vehicle, heed all warnings and instructions of the jumper cable manufacturer. If
in doubt, call for road service.
• Jumper cables must be long enough so that the vehicles do not
touch.
• When connecting jumper cables, make sure that they cannot
get caught in any moving parts in the engine compartment.
• Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all
WARNINGS ~ page 299, "Engine compartment".
0 Note
Improper hook -up of jumper cables can ruin the generator. •
Always connect POSITIVE(+) to POSITIVE(+), and NEGATIVE(-) to
NEGATIVE( -) ground post of the battery manager control unit.
• Check that all screw plugs on the battery cells are screwed in
firmly. If not, tighten plugs prior to connecting clamp on negative
battery terminal.
• Please note that the procedure for connecting a jumper cable as
described above applies specifically to the case of your vehicle
being jump started. When you are giving a jump start to another
vehicle, do not connect the negative(-) cable to the negative(-)
terminal on the discharged
battery @~ page 365, fig. 297. Instead,
securely connect the negative(-) cable to either a solid metal
component that is firmly bolted to the engine block or to the engine
block itself. If the battery that is being charged does not vent to the
outside, escaping battery gas could ignite and explode! •
Emergency towing with commercial
tow truck
General hints
Your Audi requires special handling for towing.
The following information is to be used by commercial tow truck
operators who know how to operate their equipment safely.
• Never tow your Audi, towing will cause damage to the engine
and transmission.
• Never wrap the safety chains or winch cables around the brake
lines.
• To prevent unnecessary damage, your Audi must be transported
with a flat bed truck.
• To load the vehicle on to the flat bed, use the towing loop found
in the vehicle tools and attach to the front or rear anchorage
~ page 367 and ~ page 368 . .,,_

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& WARNING
A vehicle being towed is not safe for passengers. Never allow
anyone to ride in a vehicle being towed, for any reason. •
Towing loops
When you screw in the towing loop, be sure to pay atten­
tion to the check markings.
Fig. 298 Check mark­
ings for towing loop
The check markings are there to show you when the towing loop is
completely and correctly screwed into the threaded holes.
When you screw the towing loop into the
front bumper, the check
marking @ must be flush with the
bumper~ fig. 300 .
When you screw the towing loop into the
rear bumper, the check
marking @ must be flush with the bumper
~ page 368, fig. 302. •
Front towing loop
Do not install the front towing loop until it is needed.
Fig. 299 Right front
bumper: Removing the
air intake grill
Fig. 300 Right front
bumper without grill:
Towing loop fully screwed in
On the right front under the bumper there is a threaded hole
to receive the towing loop. The threaded hole is concealed
behind an air intake grill.
- Insert the screwdriver into the slots as shown::::> fig. 299
and press the top tab down and the lower tab up. At the
same time, pull the grill forward and out.
- Remove the towing loop from the vehicle tool kit.
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Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service irechnical data

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-Screw the towing loop tightly into the threaded hole as
far as it will go. The check mark must be flush with the
bumper=> page 367, fig. 300.
When it is no longer needed, unscrew the towing loop and put it
back into the vehicle toolkit. Be sure to have the towing loop stored
in the vehicle at all times.
When installing the grill for the air duct, be sure that the tabs on the
grill are first inserted into their guides on the vehicle by the
foglamp. Then push the grill into position.
& WARNING
If you do not screw the towing loop completely, it could come out
of the threaded hole while the vehicle is being towed causing
damage to the vehicle and possible serious personal injury. •
Rear towing loop
Do not install the rear towing loop until it is needed.
0
Fig. 301 Rear bumper:
cover
"'
Fig. 302 Rear bumper:
towing loop inserted
On the right side of the rear bumper there is a threaded hole
for the towing loop. The threaded hole is behind a cover.
-Remove the towing loop from the vehicle tool kit.
-Place the screwdriver against the upper edge of the
cover and carefully pry it
out=> fig. 301.
-Screw the towing loop tightly into the threaded hole as
far as it will go. The check marking must be flush with the
bumper=> fig. 302.
When it is no longer needed, unscrew the towing loop and put it
back into the vehicle toolkit. Be sure to have the towing loop stored
in the vehicle at all times.
& WARNING
If you do not screw the towing loop completely, it could come out
of the threaded hole while the vehicle is being towed causing
damage to the vehicle and possible serious personal injury . •

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re liabi lity . For detailed vehicle maintenance consult your Warranty &
Maintenance book le t.
Und er diff icult oper ating conditi ons, for example at extreme ly low
outside temperatures, in very dusty regions, when towing a trailer
very frequently, etc ., some serv ice work shou ld be performed
between the intervals specified. This applies particu lar ly to :
• oil changes, and
• cleaning or replacing the air filter.
c£> For the sake of the environment
By regularly maintaining your vehicle, you help make sure that emis ­
sion s tandards are maintained, thus minimizing adverse e ffec ts on
the environment. •
Important considerations for you and your
vehicle
The increasing use of electronics, sophisticated fue l injection and
emission contro l systems, and the genera lly increasing techn ica l
complexity of today's automobiles, have steadily reduced the scope
of maintenance and repairs which can be carr ied out by veh ic le
owners.
Also , safet y and env ironmental concerns p lace very strict
l im its on the nature of repairs a nd adjustmen ts t o engine and trans ­
mission parts which an owner can perform.
Maintenance, adjustments and repairs usually require special tools,
testing devices and other equipment availab le to spec ia lly trained
workshop personne l in order to assure proper performance, reli ­
abil ity and sa fety of the vehicle a nd its many systems.
I mproper maintenance, adjustments and repairs can impair the
operat ion a nd rel iabil ity of your vehicle and even vo id your vehicle
warranty. Therefore , proof of servicing in accordance with the main ­
t enance sched ule may be a cond ition fo r uphold ing a p ossi ble
warranty claim made within the warranty period.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Above all, operational safety can be adverse
ly affected, creating
unnecessary risks for you a nd yo ur passengers .
If in doubt about any servicing, have it done by your authorized Audi
dea ler or any other properly equipped and qualified workshop. We
strongly urge you to give your authorized Audi dea ler the opportu ­
nity to perform all scheduled maintenance and necessary repairs.
Your dealer has the fac ilities, origina l parts and trained spec ialists
to keep your vehic le running proper ly.
P e rforming limited maintenan ce yourself
The following pages describe a limited number of procedures which
ca n be performed on your vehicle with ord inary tools, should the
need arise and trained personne l be unavailab le. Before performing
any of these procedures, a lways t hor oughly read all o f the app li­
cable text and carefu lly fo llow the instruct ions given. Always rigor ­
ously observe t he
WARNINGS provided .
Before you che ck anything in the engine comp artment , alwa ys re ad
and heed all
WARNING S=> & and => & in "Working in the engine
compartment" on
page 307.
& WARNING
• Serious personal injury may occur a s a result of imprope rly
performed maintenance , adju stments or repair s.
• Always be e xtremely careful when working on the vehi cle .
Always follow commonly accepted safety practice s and general
c ommon sen se . Ne ver risk per sonal injur y.
• Do not attempt any of the maintenance , checks or repairs
de scribed on the following pages if you are not fully familiar with
these or other pro cedures with re spe ct to the vehicle , or are uncer ­
tain how to pro ceed .
• Do not do any work without the proper tools and equipment.
Have the ne ce ssary work done by your authorized Audi dealer or
another properly equipped and qualified workshop .
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Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data