2008 AUDI S8 battery

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-Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid reservoir
=> fig. 268. The brake fluid level must be between the
"MIN" and "MAX" markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear partition of the engine
compartment on the left
side~ page 308.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time due to the auto­
matic adjustment of the brake pads. This is not cause for alarm.
If the brake fluid level falls considerably below the "MIN" mark, the
brake warning/indicator light (U.S. models:
BRAKE , Canadian models:
«D>l will come on~ page 22 and~ page 30. Do not continue to
operate the vehicle. The complete brake system should be thor­
oughly checked by an authorized Audi dealer or other qualified
facility and the cause corrected. If the brake fluid level is too low, the
brake warning/indicator light will illuminate. Contact an authorized
Audi dealer
immediately. •
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced techni­
cian.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If the water content in the
brake fluid is too high, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time. The boiling point of the brake fluid will also
decrease considerably and decrease braking performance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every two years. Always
use new brake fluid which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Stan­
dard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach, therefore, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your autho­
rized
Audi dealer. Your dealer has the correct tools, the right brake
fluid and the know-how to do this for you.
& WARNING
• Brake fluid is poisonous . It must be stored only in the closed
original container out of the reach of children!
• Brake failure can result from old or inappropriate brake fluid .
Observe these precautions:
-Use only brake fluid that meets SAE specification J 1703 and
conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make sure you are using
the correct brake fluid. The correct type of brake fluid is also indicated on the brake fluid reservoir .
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of the brakes can
cause a vapor lock if the brake fluid is left in the system too
long. This can seriously affect the efficiency of the brakes as
well as your safety . This could result in an accident .
0 Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehicle .
<£> For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of brake fluid as well as
the special tools required and the necessary expertise, we recom ­
mend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authorized Audi
dealer. •
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the battery in your Audi does
not need any maintenance. With high outside temperatures or long
daily drives we recommend that you have the electrolyte level .,,_

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checked by a service facility. The e lectrolyte level should also be
checked each time the battery is charged =>
page 321.
Have the battery checked when you take your vehicle in for service.
You are well advised to replace a battery that is older than 5 years.
With ce rtain types of airbag deployment, the battery is discon­
nected from the vehicle electrical system for safety reasons=>
& in
"Repair, care and disposal of the airbags" on
page 232.
Di sconn ecting the b atte ry terminal s
Some veh ic le functions (power window regulators, for example) are
lost if the battery terminals are disconnected. These functions have
to be relearned after the battery terminals are connected again. To
prevent this, the battery should only be disconnected from the
veh icle electrical sys tem when absolu tely necessary for repairs.
Veh icl es not driv en for lo ng p eriods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of several days or
weeks, electrical components are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumpt ion and maintains starting capability
over a longer period
=> page 274 .
Be aware that when you unlock your vehicle, some of the conve ­
nience functions may not operate, such as the Advanced Key*, the
remote control or the power seat adjustment. The convenience
functions will be ava ilable again when you turn on the ignition and
start the engine.
W int er operati on
During the winter months, battery capacity tends to decrease as
temperatures drop. This is because more power is also consumed
while starting, and the headlights, rear window defogger, etc. , are
used more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, particularly in city traffic or
when trave ling only short distances . Let your authorized Audi dea ler
check the capacity of the vehicle battery before winter sets in
=> page 321. A well charged battery will n ot only prevent starting
problems when the weather is cold, but wi ll also last longer.
[ i ] Tips
If your vehic le is left standing for severa l weeks at extreme ly low
temperatures, the vehicle battery should be removed and stored
where it will not freeze. Th is wil l prevent it from be ing damaged and
having to be replaced.•
Working on the battery
Be espe cially careful when w orking on or near the battery.
Fig . 2 69 Lugg age
co mpartment : R ight ­
si de sto ra ge c omp art­
m ent
F ig. 2 70 Lugg age
co mp artment : B atte ry
T h e ba tter y is lo ca te d in t he luggage compartm ent on the
r ight side b ehind a c ove r. Before you check a nything in the
luggag e co m partment,
read and heed all WARNINGS =>& . .,.
Vehic le care I I irechnical data

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-To open the side storage compartment, turn the two pins
©~fig. 269 to the vertical position.
The positive (+l battery terminal is protected by a plastic cover . This
cover must be removed to access the positive (+l terminal when
connecting jumper cables to start the engine.
Always heed the safety warnings, when working on the vehicle
battery or the vehicle electrical system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very important when
working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYMBOLS and safety pre­
cautions when working on the battery.
-
@
®
-Always wear eye protection.
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Always wear
gloves and eye protection.
No
-sparks
-flames
-smoking.
When a battery is charged, it produces hydrogen
gas which is explosive and could cause personal
injury.
Always keep the battery well out of reach of chil­
dren.
& WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on the electrical system,
there is the risk of injury, accident and even fire. Read and heed the
following WARNINGS:
& WARNING (continued)
• Always wear eye protection. Do not let battery acid or any lead
particles get on your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes. Explosive
gases can cause blindness or other injury.
• Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid can cause
blindness and severe burns.
-Always wear gloves and eye protection. Do not tilt the
battery because acid could leak out of the ventilation openings.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or on your skin, immedi­
ately rinse with cold water for several minutes and get medical
attention.
- If you should ingest any battery acid, seek medical attention
immediately.
• Do not expose the battery to an open flame, electric sparks or
an open light.
• Do not smoke.
• Do not interchange the positive and negative cables.
• When working on the battery, be sure not to short-circuit the
terminals with tools or other metal objects. This would cause the battery to heat up very quickly, which could lead to damage or
explosion and personal injury.
• When a battery is charged, it produces hydrogen gas which is
explosive and could cause personal injury.
• Always keep the battery well out of the reach of children .
• Before work is done on the electrical system, disconnect the
negative ground cable.
• Before performing any work on the electrical system, switch off
the engine and ignition as well as any electrical equipment. The
negative cable on the battery must be disconnected. If you are just
going to replace a light bulb, then it is enough to switch off the
lights.
• Before disconnecting the battery, switch off the anti-theft
alarm system! Otherwise you will set off the alarm.

Checking and filling Ill
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•
& WARNING (continued )
• When disconnecting the battery, first disconnect the negative
cable and then the positive cable.
• Before reconnecting the battery, make sure all electrical
consumers are switched off. Reconnect the positive cable first and
then the negative cable . Never interchange the cables -this could
start a fire!
• Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out battery . It could
explode! If a battery has frozen, then it must be replaced . A
discharged battery can freeze over at 32 °F (0
°CI.
• Make sure the vent hose is always attached to the opening on
the side of the battery.
• Never use batteries which are damaged. There is the danger of
an explosion
I Always replace a damaged battery .
& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning :
• Battery posts , terminals and related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive problems . Wash hands after
handling.
0 Note
• Do not disconnect the vehicle battery when the ignition is
switched on or when the engine is running, otherwise, you will
damage electronic components in the electrical system.
• I f your vehicle is going to stand for a long period of time without
being driven, protect the battery from "freezing", otherwise it will
be damaged and will then have to be replaced .•
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged battery.
Always read and heed all WARNINGS below ~ & and~ &
in "Working on the battery" on page 319.
-Turn off the ignition and all electrical consumers.
- Make sure the area is well ventilated when you charge
the battery.
- Attach the red (positive
8) clamp of the charging equip­
ment to the positive terminal of the battery and the black
(negative(:)) clamp to the jumper terminal.
- Only now plug the mains lead for the charging equip­
ment into the wall outlet and turn it
on~ &.
-Make sure the charging rate is not over 30 amps/14.8
Volt.
-When the battery is fully charged: Turn the charging
equipment off and remove the mains lead from the wall
outlet.
- Now remove the clamps for the charging equipm ent.
A discharged battery can freeze at temperatures of only O °C . Allow
a frozen battery to thaw completely before attempting to charge it
=> ,&. . However, we recommend not using a thawed battery again
because the battery casing can be cracked due to ice formation and
can leak battery acid.
Battery charging (Maximum charging rate of 30
amps/14.8 Volt)
When charging at low voltages (e.g . with a trickle charger ), the
battery cab les do not have to be disconnected first. The battery caps
should
not be opened when charging a battery. ~
Vehicle care

-Checking and filling PW~---=---=----------------
It is not necessary to remove the battery from the luggage compart ­
ment, and it is also not necessa ry t o disco nnec t the cab les.
F a st ch arging th e batt ery ( charging rate above 14 .8
V olts )
For technical reasons do not use a battery charger that uses voltage
greater tha n 14.8 Vo lts to charge your veh ic le's battery.
& WARNING
C harging a b attery can be dangerou s.
• Always follow the operating in structions provided by the
battery charger manufacturer when ch arging your b attery .
• Never charge a frozen battery . It may expl ode because of ga s
t rapped in the ice . Allow a frozen batter y to tha w out fir st .
• Do not reu se batteries which were fro zen. The battery hou sing
m ay have cracked and weakened when the battery froze.
• Charge the battery in a well ventilated are a. Keep aw ay from
open flame or electric al spar k. Do not smoke . Hydr ogen gas gener ­
ated by the battery i s explosive.
• To reduc e the danger of e xplosion , never conne ct or dis conn ect
charger cable s while the charger i s oper ating.
• Fa st charging a batter y is dangerous and should only be
a ttempted by a competent technician with the proper equipment .
• Battery ac id that may spill during charging should be washed
off with a solution of warm water and b aking soda to neutralize
the a cid .
0 Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to start the engine. This wil l
ser iously damage sens it ive elect ronic compo nents, such as control
units, r elays, radio , etc ., as wel l as the battery charger. •
Battery replacement
The new batte ry mus t have t he s ame s pecificati ons and
dimensions as the original equipment battery.
I ntel ligent energy management in your vehicle is responsible for
distr ibut ing the e lectr ica l energy throughout your veh icle
~ page 274. The inte lligent energy management system will keep
t he engine ba ttery charged be tter than vehicles without t his sys tem.
T o make sure the add it ional electr ical energy is avai lab le once aga in
after you have changed t he battery, we recommend that you ins tall
batteries of the same type and manufacture only (the same as those
insta lled at the time your vehicle was delivered). Specifications are
listed on the battery housing . Your authorized Audi dea ler wi ll then
code the battery management contro l unit .
The new battery must have the same capacity, voltage (12 volts), amperage, construction and p lug sea ling.
When instal ling the battery, make sure the ign ition and all elect rica l
consumers are turned off .
0 Note
Make sure the ventilation hose on the side of the battery is
connected, otherwise fumes or battery acid can leak out.
'£> For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of a battery, we recom ­
mend your authorized Audi dealer change the battery for you.
Batteries contain sulfur ic acid and lead and must always be
disposed of proper ly i n compliance with all environmental regula­
tions . Disposing of vehicle batteries improper ly is very dangerous to
t he environment .•

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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 .
...,