2008 AUDI S8 service

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& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's su spension includ ing use of un approved
tire -rim combinations can change Advanced Airbag performance
and increase the ris k of serious pe rsonal injury in a crash .
• Never install suspen sion components that do not have the
same performance chara cteristi cs as the components or iginally
installed on your vehicle.
• Never use tire-r im combinations that have not been approved
by Audi.
& WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle and the center
c onsole can cause the sensors in the buc kle to send the wrong
information to the electroni c control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from working properly .
• Always make sure that nothing can interfere with the safety
belt buckles and that they are not obstructed .
W For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and pretensioners might be c lassified
as Pe rchlora te Mat erial -s pecia l handling may a pply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. When the vehicle or
par ts o f the res train t syst em inclu ding airbag mod ules sa fety be lts
with pretensioners are scrapped, all applicable laws and regu la ­
tions must be o bse rved. You r au thor ize d A udi d ealer is fami liar wi th
these requirements and we recommend that you have you r dea ler
perfo rm this service for you. •
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Th e a irba g sys tem ca n prov id e suppl emen tal prot ect ion
t o pro perly res tra ined front s eat occ upa nts.
0
Fig . 2 34 Dri ver' s
airba g
The airbag for the driver is located in the instrument panel under ­
neath the steering
whee l=> fig . 234 , the airbag for the passenger is
at about the same height in th e instrument panel und erneath the
glove compartment.
T he k nee air bag offer s addi tio nal pr otec tion to the driver 's a nd
passenger 's knees and upper and lower thi gh areas as a supple ­
me nt to t he safet y belts.
I f the front airbags deploy , the knee airbags also deploy in frontal
collisions above a certain
se verity => page 227, "M ore important
thi ngs to know about fron t a irba gs" .
B esides their normal safety function, safety be lts wor k to help keep
th e drive r o r fr on t pas seng er in pos itio n in case of a fro ntal co llis io n
so that the airbags can provide protection .
T he airbag system is not a su bstitute for your safety belt . Rathe r, it
i s part o f the overa ll occupa nt res traint system i n yo ur veh icl e.
A lwa ys re member that the airbag system can on ly help to protect
you if you a re weari ng your safe ty belt and wea ring it p roperly . T hi s
liJ,,

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& WARNING (continued)
• In order to reduce the risk of injury when the supplemental side
airbag inflates:
-Always sit in an upright position and never lean against the
area where the supplemental side airbag is located.
- Never let a child or anyone else rest their head against the
side trim panel in the area where the supplemental side airbag
inflates.
- Always make sure that safety belts are worn correctly,
- Do not let anyone sitting in the front seat put their hand or any other parts of their body out of the window.
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter­
ference.
-Never install seat covers or replacement upholstery over the
front seat backs that have not been specifically approved by
Audi.
- Never use additional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags deploy .
- Damage to the original seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer .
• Objects between you and the airbag can increase the risk of
injury in an accident by interfering with the way the airbag unfolds
or by being pushed into you as the airbag inflates .
- Never place or attach accessories or other objects (such as cup holders, telephone brackets, or even large, bulky objects}
on the doors, over or near the area marked "AIRBAG" on the
seat backrests .
- Such objects and accessories can become dangerous projec­
tiles and cause injury when the supplemental side airbag
deploys.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued)
-Never carry any objects or pets in the deployment space
between them and the airbags or allow children or other
passengers to travel in this position .
• Always use the built -in coat hooks only for lightweight
clothing. Never leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the
pockets that may interfere with side airbag deployment and can
cause personal injury in an accident.
• Always prevent the side airbags from being damaged by heavy
objects knocking against or hitting the sides of the seatbacks.
• The airbag system can only be triggered once. If the airbag has
been triggered, the system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealership.
• Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc.} to the original seat covers
or to the seam in the area of the side airbag module must always
be repaired immediately by an authorized Audi dealer.
• If children are seated improperly, their risk of injury increases
in the case of an
accident => page 243, "Child Safety".
• Never attempt to modify any components of the airbag system
in any way.
• In a side collision , side airbags will not function properly if
sensors cannot correctly measure increasing air pressure inside
the doors when air escapes through larger, unclosed openings in
the door panel.
-Never drive with interior door trim panels removed.
- Never drive when parts have been removed from the inside
door panel and the openings they leave have not been properly
closed.
- Never drive when loudspeakers in the doors have been
removed unless the speaker holes have been properly closed .
- Always make certain that openings are covered or filled if
additional speakers or other equipment is installed in the
inside door panels .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Child Safety
Important things to know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a collision.
The physical principles of what happens when your vehicle is in a
crash apply also to children
=> page 211, "What happens to occu­
pants not wearing safety belts?". But unlike adults and teenagers,
their muscles and bones are not fully developed. In many respects
children are at greater risk of serious injury in crashes than adults.
Because children's bodies are not fully developed, they require
restraint systems especially designed for their size, weight, and
body structure. Many countries and all states of the United States
and provinces of Canada have laws requiring the use of approved
child restraint systems for infants and small children.
In a frontal crash at a speed of 20-35 mph (30-56 km/h) the forces
acting on a 13-pound (6 kg) infant will be more than 20 times the
weight of the child. This means the weight of the child would
suddenly be more than 260 pounds (120 kg). Under these condi ­
tions , only an appropriate child restraint properly used can reduce
the risk of serious injury. Child restraints, like adult safety belts,
must be used properly to be effective. Used improperly, they can
increase the risk of serious injury in an accident.
Consult the child safety seat manufacturer's instructions to be sure
the seat is right for your child's
size=> page 246, " Important safety
instructions for using child safety seats". Please be sure to read and
heed all of the important information and WARNINGS about child
safety, Advanced Airbags, and the installation of child restraints in
this chapter.
There is a lot you need to know about the Advanced Airbags in your
vehicle and how they work when infants and children in child
restraints are on the front passenger seat. Because of the large
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
amount of
important information, we cannot repeat it all here. We
urg e you to read the detailed information in this owner's manual
about airbags and the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle and
the very important information about transporting children on the
front passenger seat. Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they
are extreme ly important for your safety and the safety of your
passengers, especially infants and small children.
& WARNING
• Accident statistics have shown that children are generally safer
in the rear seat area than in the front seating position. Always
restrain any child age 12 and under in the rear.
• All vehicle occupants and especially children must be
restrained properly whenever riding in a vehicle. An unrestrained
or improperly restrained child could be injured by striking the inte­
rior or by being ejected from the vehicle during a sudden
maneuver or impact . An unrestrained or improperly restrained
child is also at greater risk of injury or death through contact with
an inflating airbag.
• A suitable child restraint properly installed and used at one of
the rear seating positions provides the highest degree of protec­
tion for infants and small children in most accident situations.
& WARNING
Children on the front seat of any car even with Advanced Airbags
can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates . A
child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center arm rest, or door. ..,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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restraints and for the different models of the same kind of child
restraint offered by child restraint manufacturers .
The weight ranges for the individual types , makes and mode ls of
child restraints that the NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard
together with the weight ranges of typ ical infants and typica l 1 year­
old child have been stored in the control unit of the Advanced
Airbag System. When a ch ild restra int is being used on the front
passenger sea t wi th a typical 1 y ear-old child, the Advanced Airbag
System compares the weight measured by the weight sensing mat
with the information stored in the e lectronic control unit .
The electronic contro l unit also registers the tension on the front
passenger safety be lt . The tens ion on the safety belt for the front
passenger seat will be different for an adult who is properly using
the safety belt as compared to the tension on the belt when it is used to attach a chi ld restraint to the seat. The sensor below the
latch for the safety belt for the front seat passenger measures the
t e nsion on th e be lt . The input from this sensor is then used with the
weight to "decide" , w hether there is a child restraint with a typical 1
year-o ld child on the front passenger seat and whether or not the
airbag must be turned off .•
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regard less of the child restraint that you use, make sure that i t has
been certified to meet United States Federa l Motor Vehic le Safety
Standards and has been certified by its manufacturer for use with
an airbag . Always be sure that the chi ld restraint is properly
insta lled at one of the rear seating positions . If in exceptiona l
circumstances you must use it on the front passenger seat, carefully
read all of the information on child safety and Advanced Airbags
and heed a ll of the app licable WARNINGS. Make certain that the
child restraint is correct ly recognized by the weight -sensing mat
inside the front passenger seat, that the front passenger airbag is
turned off and that the airbag status is always correct ly signa led by
t he
P ASS ENGER AIR B AG OFF light .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Many types and mode
ls of chi ld restraints have been available over
t he years, new mode ls are introduced regular ly incorpora ting new
and improved designs and older models are taken out of produc­
tion. Child rest raints are not standardized . Child restraints of the
same type typically have different weights and sizes and different
'footprints,' the size and shape of the bottom of the chi ld restra int
that sits on the seat, when they are insta lled on a veh ic le seat. These
differences make it virtua lly impossible to certify comp liance with
the requirements for advanced airbags with each and every child restraint that has ever b een sold in th e past or will b e sold over the
course of the usefu l life of your veh ic le .
For this reason, the Uni ted S tates National Highway Traffic Safety
Admin istration has pub lished a lis t of spec ific type, makes and
models of child restra ints that must be used to cert ify compl iance
of the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle with the suppression
requ irements of Federa l Motor Veh ic le Safety Standard 208. These
child restraints are:
A. Ca r beds, man ufac tured on or afte r Sept ember 1 ,
20 0 4:
• Cosco Dream R ide 02-719
B . Rea r fa cin g c hild re straint syste ms, manu factured
o n or aft er Se ptemb er 1 , 20 04:
(When the restraint system comes equipped with a removab le base,
compliance has to be certified with or without the base) .
• Britax Handle with Care 191
• Century Assura 4553
• Century Smart F it 4543
• Cosco Arriva 02727
• E venflo Discovery Adjust R ig ht 212
• Evenflo First Choice 204
• Graco lnfant8457
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& WARNING
Not using a child safety seat , using the wrong child safety seat or
improperly installing a child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death .
• All vehicle occupants and especially children must always be
restrained properly whenever riding in a vehicle .
- An unrestrained or improperly restrained child can be injured or killed by being thrown against the inside of the vehicle or by
being ejected from it during a sudden maneuver or impact.
- An unrestrained or improperly restrained child is at much
greater risk of injury or death by being struck by an inflating
airbag.
• Commercially available child safety seats are required to
comply with U .S . Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS l
213 (in Canada CMVSS 2131.
-When buying a child restraint , select one that fits your child
and the vehicle .
- Only use child restraint systems that fully contact the flat
portion of the seat cushion. The child restraint must not tip or
lean to either side . Audi does not recommend using child safety
seats that rest on legs or tube -like frames. They do not provide
adequate contact with the seat .
- Always heed all legal requirements pertaining to the installa ­
tion and use of child safety seats and carefully follow the
instructions provided by the manufacturer of the seat you are
using.
• Never allow children under 57 inches (1 .5 meters) to wear a
normal safety belt. They must always be restrained by a proper
child restraint system. Otherwise, they could sustain injuries to
the abdomen and neck areas during sudden braking maneuvers or
accidents.
• Never let more than one child occupy a child safety seat .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
&, WARNING (continued)
• Never let babies or older children ride in a vehicle while sitting
on the lap of another passenger .
- Holding a child in your arms is never a substitute for a child
restraint system .
- The strongest person could not hold the child with the forces
that exist in an accident. The child will strike the interior of the
vehicle and can also be struck by the passenger .
- The child and the passenger can also injure each another in
an accident.
• Never install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the front passenger seat . A child will be seriously injured and can
be killed when the passenger airbag inflates - even with an
Advanced Airbag System .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest , center arm rest , door or roof .
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the rear seat .
• Forward-facing child safety seats installed on the front
passenger's seat can interfere with the airbag when it inflates and
cause serious injury to the child. Always install forward -facing
child safety seats on the rear seat .
• If exceptional circumstances require the use of a forward ­
facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat , the child's
safety and well -being require that the following special precau­
tions be taken:
- 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.
- Always carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions
provided with the child safety seat or carrier.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Child Safety -
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child is available . In these exceptional situations, the use of a lap
belt is better than permitting the child to remain totally unre ­
strained . But remember: a lap belt cannot provide the same level of
protection as a proper child restraint or a three -point lap and
shoulder belt if the child is big enough. Also, using a lap belt for
younger children, who should be using a child restraint, may violate
laws in your state or Province .
Never use a lap belt alone to restrain a child that weighs less than
about 80 lbs (36 kg) and who is less than 4'9" tall. Always remember
that children do not have the pronounced pelvic structure required
for the proper function of lap belts. If a lap belt is only restraint
system available, then the child's safety absolutely requires that the
lap belt be fastened snugly and as low as possible around the pelvis
let a lap belt pass over the child's stomach or abdomen .
& WARNING
Using wrong child restraints or improperly installed child
restraints can cause serious personal injury or death in a crash.
• Failure to properly route safety belts over a child's body will
cause severe injuries in a crash. The lap belt portion of the three
point belt as well as any lap belt alone must always pass as low as
possible across the pelvis, never over the stomach or abdomen.
• An improperly worn safety belt will not provide the best protec­
tion in a crash and may cause serious personal injury. Always make sure that children and other vehicle occupants properly
wear available restraint systems. Carefully follow the instructions provided by the manufacturers of child restraints. •
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
Installing a child safety seat
Securing a child safety seat using a safety
belt
Safety belts for the rear seats and the front passenger can
be locked with the convertible locking retractor to prop­
erly secure child safety seats.
The safety belts emergency locking retractors for the rear seats
safety belts and for the front passenger's seat safety belt have a
convertible locking retractor for child restraints. The safety belt
must be locked so that belt webbing cannot unreel. The retractor
can be activated to lock the safety belt and prevent the safety belt
webbing from loosening up during normal driving. A child safety
seat can only be properly installed when the safety belt is locked so
that the child and child safety seat will stay in place.
Always remember: Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, all children, especially those 12 years and
younger, should always ride in the back seat properly restrained for
their age and size.
& WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seats increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a collision.
• Always make sure that the safety belt retractor is locked when
installing a child safety seat. An unlocked safety belt retractor
cannot hold the child safety seat in place during normal driving or
in a crash.
• Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in place even if a
child is not sitting in it. A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a collision
• Always make sure that the rear seat backrest to which the
center rear safety belt is attached is securely latched whenever
the rear center safety belt is being used to secure a child restraint.
_,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data