2008 AUDI S8 warning

-Tires and wheels Pft'::I _______________ _
It is important to check the t ire pressur e wh en the tires are cold .
• Read the req uire d tire p re s su re from the tire p re ssur e la bel. On
USA ve hicles, the tir e pressure label is located on the driver's side
8 -pilla r. On Canada vehic les, the ti re p ress ure label is located eit her
o n the driv er's s ide 8-pill ar or ins id e th e fuel fill er flap .
• Tur n the va lve stem cap co unte r-cloc kw ise to re move it fr om t he
tire valv e.
• Place th e a ir p re s sur e ga uge on th e valve .
• T he tire pressures should o nly be checked and ad justed when
th e tir es are col d. The s lig ht ly ra ise d pres sur es of wa rm tir es mu st
not b e re duc ed .
• Adjus t the tire pre ss ure to the l oad y ou are carry ing.
• Reinstal l the valve stem cap on the valve.
When should I check the tire pressure?
The co rrec t tir e pr ess ure is especiall y important a t hi gh spee ds. T he
pressu re should th er efor e b e checked a t le ast once a mo nth an d
a lwa ys be fore s ta rti ng a j ourn ey . D o not for get to chec k the ti re pr es­
sure fo r the sp are wh eel
=> page 350.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust the tire pr essur e to the load you are carrying . After chan gin g
a w hee l or r epl ac ing w hee ls you have to ad just th e tire pr essu re s on
a ll whee ls. I n ad ditio n, yo u must t hen sto re the ne w tire pressu res
in t he t ire pres sure m onit or ing
system => page 40.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinflation can lead sudden tire
failure , loss of control, collision, serious personal injury or even
death .
• When the warning symbol
(l) appears in the instrument
cluster , stop and inspect the tires .
& WARNING (continued)
• Incorrect tire pressure and /or underinflation can cause
increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability .
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing loss of vehicle control .
• The driver is responsible for the correct tire pressures for all
tires on the vehicle. The applicable pressure values are located on
a sticker on the driver's side B-pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap.
• Only when all tires on the vehicle are filled to the correct pres­
sure , the tire pressure monitoring system can work correctly.
• The use of incorrect tire pressure values can lead to accidents
or other damage . Therefore it is essential that the driver observe
the specified tire pressure values for the tires and the correct pres­
sures for the function of the tire pressure monitoring system .
• Always inflate tires to the recommended and correct tire pres ­
sure before driving off .
• Driving with underinflated tires bend more , letting them get
too hot resulting in tread separation , sudden tire failure and loss
of control.
• Excessive speed and /overloading can cause heat build-up ,
sudden tire failure and loss of control.
• If the tire pressure is too low or too high , the tires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle will not handle well.
• If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel
immediately, drive at reduced speed to the nearest service station
to check the tire pressure and add air as required . _..

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

1119...__T_ ir_e _ s_ a_ n
_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e_ls _________________________________________________ _
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause excess ive tire wea r, impairi ng
the safety of the vehic le. If tires show excessive wear, have the
whee l alignment c hecked by an au th o rize d Audi deale r or qualifie d
wo rkshop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro® must always have tires of the same size, construc tion and tread type. F or details see
~ p age 273 .
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to los s of control, a crash and serious
personal injury !
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down
to the wear indi cators .
• Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do not grip well on wet
roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning " and loss of control.
• Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage , such as
grease, oil , gasoline and brake fluid aw ay from tires .
• 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
lower speed s.
• 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 los s of veh icle control. •
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
N ew t ires and wheels h ave t o be broke n in.
Fig . 2 76 T ir e specification code s on the sidewall of a tire
No .
G)
0
©
©
©
©
Description
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nominal width of tire in millimeters
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
Rim diameter code
L o ad in dex and s peed rat ing

________________________________________________ T_ i
_ r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ l'III
•
• T he batt ery inside of the tire pressure sensor has a l imited
s er vice l ife.
• Al ways drive with the va lve stem ca ps sec ure ly m ounted. We
r ec om mend u sin g fa ctor y in sta lle d v alv e stem caps. Ask your autho­
rized Audi d ealer to replac e lost valve stem caps .
T he in stalla tio n of replacement ti res with steel cord body plies i n
th e tire s id ewal l may cause malfunct ion of the tire pressure moni ­
toring sy ste m, and is not recommended (c ord mate ria l infor mation
i n mo lded on the tire s idewa ll).
Al ways check your tir e pressure monitor ing system indicator after
r eplac ing on e o r m ore tire s on y our vehi cle. If the tire pressu re
monitorin g system indicator flashes, or is on, your system is not
w orki ng pr ope rly. You r rep lace ment tir e mi ght be in co m pati ble w ith
your t ire pr essure monitoring system, or some component of the
t ir e pr ess ure m oni to ring sys te m m ay be damaged .
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and / or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control , collision
and serious personal injury .
• Always use tires , rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica­
tions of original factory -installed tires or other combinations that
have been specifically approved by the vehi cle manufacturer .
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
espe cially 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
lower speeds .
• 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.
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial tires of the same type ,
size (rolling cir cumference ) and the same tread pattern . Driving
&, WARNING (continued )
with different tires reduces vehicle handling and can lead to a loss
of control.
• If the spare tire is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle
-for example with winter tires -only use the spare
tire for a short period of time and drive with extra care . Refit the
normal road wheel as soon as safely possible.
• Never drive faster than the maximum speed for which the tires
on your vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faster than
their rated speed can fail suddenly.
• Overloading tires cause heat build -up , sudden tire failure,
including a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control.
• Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and
not over or underinflated.
• For techni cal reasons it is not always possible to use wheels
from other vehicles -in some cases not even wheels from the
same vehicle model.
• If you install wheel trim discs on the vehicle wheels , make sure
that the air flow to the brakes is not blocked . Reduced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , increasing stopping distances
and causing a collision.
• Run flat tires may only be used on vehicles that were equipped
with them at the factory . The vehicle must have a chassis designed
for run flat tires and a factory-installed tire pressure monitoring
system that indicates a loss of tire pressure. Incorrect use of run
flat tires can lead to vehicle damage or accidents . Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or tire specialist to see if your vehicle can
be equipped with run flat tires . If run flat tires are used , they must
be installed on all four wheels . Mixing tire types is not permitted.
0 Note
• Fo r tec hnica l reaso ns, i t is not gene rally p oss ibl e to use the
whee l rims from other vehicles . T his can hold true for wheels of t he
sa me v ehicl e typ e.
Vehicle care

__________________________________________________ T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ 9II
•
& WARNING
The tr action grade assigned to this tire i s ba sed on straight -ahead
braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
c ornering , hydroplaning or peak tra ction chara cteristic s.
& WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed , underinfla ­
tion , or ex cessive loading , either separately or in combination , can
c ause heat buildup and po ssible tire failure . •
Winter tires
Winter tires c an im prove vehicle handlin g on snow and
i ce. At tem pera tures belo w 4 5 °F (7 °C ) we re commend
changi ng to w inte r tires.
In some heavy snow areas, loca l governments may require true
winter or "s now" tire s, those with very deeply cut tread. These tires
s h ou ld on ly be used in pairs and be i nstalled on all four wheels .
M ake sure you purchase snow tires that a re the same size and
co nstruct io n type as t he othe r tires on your ve hicle.
I f your vehicle is equipped with all -wheel drive *, this will improve
t raction d uring winte r dr iving , eve n wit h th e sta n dar d tir es .
However, we strongly recommend that you always equip a ll four
w hee ls on you r vehic le wi th co rrectl y fi tted w inte r tires or all-season
t ir es, w hen w inter road condi tions are expec ted . T his also improves
the vehicle 's br aking perfo rma nce a nd reduces stopping distances .
Summe r tires p rov ide less gr ip on ice a nd s now.
Wint er tires (snow tires) must a lways be fitted on all four whee ls .
Compatible ti re p ressu re m oni to ring sen so rs must be instal led on
a ll four w inte r tires for t he ti re pr essur e moni tor ing s yste m to fu nc­
tion
proper ly => page 33 8.
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualifi ed workshop for permitted
winter tire sizes. Use only ra di al winter tires .
W inter tires lose their eff ectiveness when the tr ead is worn down to
a depth of 0 .157 inc h (4 mm).
O nly d rive wi th winte r ti res under w inter cond itio ns. S um mer tire s
handle better when there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
te mpera ture i s abov e 45 °F ( 7 °C) .
I f you have a f lat tire, se e notes on spar e whee l
=> page 336.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may have a lower speed
r ati ng t han th e tires orig in ally ins talled o n you r ve hicle at t he time
it was manufactu red . P lease
see => page 338, "Speed rating (letter
co de)" for a l is tin g of th e sp eed ratin g letter code s an d th e
maximum speed at which the tires can b e driven .
The speed ra ti ng le tter
co de( => page 327) is on the side wa ll of the
t ire
=> page 336.
& WARNING
Winter tires have ma ximum speed limits that may be lower than
your vehicle's maximum speed . Always know the maximum speed
before driving off . Never drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific winter tires. This will cause damage to the tires leading to an accident and serious personal injury to you and your
passengers .
& WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed for which the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause tire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation, loss of control , crashes and serious
per sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires replaced immedi­
ately.
• Winter tires have maximum speed rating that may be lower
than your vehicle's maximum speed.
Vehicle care

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 .•

Tires and wheels 11111 --------------------------------------------
•
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must al wa ys be tightened to the correc t
tor que .
The design of wheel bo lts is matched to the factory installed rims. If
di fferent r ims a re fitted, t he co rrect w heel bo lts wi th the rig ht len gth
and correct ly shaped bolt heads m ust be used. This ensures that
w he els a re fitt ed se cu rel y and that t he bra ke syste m functi on s
correctly.
In certa in ci rc ums ta nces, yo u may no t use wheel bo lts fr om a
differ ent vehicle - eve n if it is the sa me
model=:> page 382.
& WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel bolts can become loose
causing loss of control, a collision and serious personal injury.
• Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs
clean so the wheel bolts can turn easily and be properly tightened .
• Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel
hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or oiled,
even if tightened to the specified torque .
• Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed .
• Never use different wheels bolts on your vehicle.
• Always maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel
bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel loss .
If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low, they can loosen and come out when the
vehicle is moving . If the tightening torque is too high, the wheel
bolts and threads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose .
0 Note
The specified torque for the wheel bo lts is 9 0 ft lb (12 0 N m) with a
t olerance o f± 7,4 ft lb(± 10 Nm). T orque whee l bolts diago nally.
After changing a whee l, the torque must be checked as soon as possible with a torque wrench
-preferably by an authorized Audi
dea ler o r qua lif ied wo rksho p.•
Low aspect ratio tires
You r Aud i is fact ory- eq uip pe d w it h lo w aspect rati o tire s. T hese tir es
hav e been thorough ly t ested and been se lect ed specifical ly for your
mod el for thei r supe rb pe rf or manc e, r oad f eel an d ha nd ling under
a variety of driving conditions. As k your authorized Audi d ealer for
m or e de tails.
The low aspect rat io o f th ese t ires is indicat ed by a nume ra l of 55 or
less in the tire's size designatio n. The numeral represents the ratio
o f t he tir e's s idewa ll he ig ht in r ela ti on to it s tread w idt h ex pressed
in percentage . Conventiona l tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
more.
The performan ce of low -aspe ct-ratio tires is particularly sensitive to
improper inflation pressure . It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure and that the
inflation pressure is regularly checked and maintained . Tire pres­
sures should be checked at least once a month and alway s before a
long
trip :::::, page 331, "Checking tire pressure" .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage L ow a spect ratio tires can be damaged mo re easily by impact with
pot ho les, cu rbs, gull ies o r ridge s o n th e road, part icular ly if th e tire
is underinf lated .
I n or der to mini mize th e occurren ce of i mpac t da mag e to the tires
of your vehicle, we recommend that you observe the fol lowing
pr ecaut ions :
• Alwa ys m aint ain recom mended inflatio n pressu res . C he ck you r
t ire p res su re eve ry 2,000 mi les (3, 000 k m) and add ai r if neces sary .
• D rive carefully on roads with potho les, deep gullies or ridges .
The impac t from d riving th rough or ove r such o bstacles can
da mage you r tir es . Imp act with a curb may a lso caus e damage to
your tire s. .,_
Vehicle care

1111 What do I do novv?
'---------------------------------------------
What do I do now?
Trunk escape handle
In case of an emergency, the rear lid can be opened from
the inside using the trunk escape handle.
To open rear lid
Fig. 277 Trunk escape
handle: View from
inside the closed trunk
-Pull the handle down towards the bumper ~ fig. 277.
The trunk escape handle inside the rear lid is made of fluorescent
m aterial to glow in th e dark .
& WARNING
The trunk escape handle is to be used only in an emergency.
[ i] Tips
The emergency r elease lever should never be used as a handle for
closing the rea r lid. •
Applie s t o vehic les: with emerge ncy wa rning tr iang le
Emergency warning triangle
The warning triangle is located on the inside of the trunk
lid.
Fig . 278 Trunk lid:
Opening the cover
Fig . 279 Trunk lid:
Warning triangle
-To open the cover, turn the retainer in the d irection of the
arrow and pull the cover down
~ fig. 278. -.,