2008 AUDI S8 airbag off

Booster seats
Properly used booster seats can help protect children
weighing between about 40 lbs. and 80 lbs. (18 kg and 36
kg) who are less than
4 ft. 9 in. tall.
Fig. 242 Rear seat:
child properly
restrained in a booster
seat
The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit most children
until they are at least 4 ft. 9 in. tall and weigh about 80 lbs.
(36 kgl. Booster seats raise these children up so that the
safety belt will pass properly over the stronger parts of their bodies and the safety belt can help protect them in a crash.
- Do not use the convertible locking retractor when using
the vehicle's safety belt to restrain a child on a booster
seat .
- Always position the shoulder portion of the safety belt
midway over the child's shoulder.
- Always make sure that the shoulder portion of the safety
belt never rests against or across the child's neck.
-Always make sure that the child can properly wear the
lap port ion of the belt low across the thighs or pelvis and
never over the stomach or abdomen.
Child Safety
Children up to about 40 lbs (18 kg) are best protected in child safety
seats designed for their age and weight. Experts say that the skel ­
etal structure, particularly the pelvis, of these children is not fully
developed, and they should not use the vehicle safety belts
=> page 251, fig. 242.
Children who weigh more than 40 lbs. (18 kg) may generally use the
available three point combination lap and shoulder belts when they
sit on an appropriate booster seat. Be sure the booster seat meets
all applicable safety standards.
Booster seats raise the seating position of the child and reposition
both the lap and shoulder parts of the safety belt so that they pass
across the child's body in the right places. The routing of the belt
over the child's body is very important for the child's protection.
This applies whenever a child uses the vehicle's safety belts, even
when the child is big enough to use them without a booster seat.
Children age 12 and under should
always ride in the rear seat .
Children should not ride in the front seat unless no other seating
position is available because crash statistics show that children are
better protected in the rear seat.
In a crash, airbags must inflate within a blink of an eye and with
considerable force . In order to do its job, the airbag needs room to
inflate so that it will be there to protect the occupant as the occu ­
pant moves forward into the airbag.
A vehicle occupant including a child who is out of position and too
close to the airbag gets in the way of an inflating airbag. When an
occupant is too close, he or she will be struck violently and will
receive serious or possibly even fatal injury.
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is important that all
vehicle occupants, especially any children, who must be in the front
seat in exceptional circumstances, be properly restrained and as far
away from the airbag as possible. By keeping room between the
child's or other occupant's body and the front of the passenger
compartment, the airbag can inflate fully and completely and
provide supplemental protection in certain frontal crashes. _.,
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

-
Child Safety ___ :;....____ ____________ _
& WARNING
Not using a booster seat, using the booster seat improperly, incor­
rectly installing a booster seat or using the vehicle safety belt
improperly increases the risk of serious personal injury and death
in a collision or other emergency situation. To help reduce the risk
of serious personal injury and/or death:
• Always make sure to position the shoulder portion of the three­
point belt over the middle of child's shoulder .
• Never let the shoulder portion of the belt rest against or across
the neck, face, chin, or throat of the child.
• Always make sure the lap belt portion of the three-point belt is
worn snug and passes as low as possible across the child's pelvis.
Never let the belt pass over the soft abdomen.
• Failure to properly route safety belts over a child's body will
cause severe injuries in an accident or other emergency situation
=> page 209.
• 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.
• Never let a child stand or kneel on any seat, for example the
front seat.
• Never let a child ride in the cargo area of your vehicle .
• Always remember that a child leaning forward, sitting side­
ways or out of position in any way during an accident can be
struck by a deploying airbag. This will result in serious personal
injury or death.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come on and stay on, when­
ever the ignition is switched on .
& WARNING (continued)
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on, perform the checks described ::> page
229, "Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System" .
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on whenever the ignition is switched
on .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used ::> page
209, "Safety belts",
=> page 218, "Airbag system" and::> page 243, "Important things
to know". •
Safety belts and older children
Properly worn three point lap and shoulder belt can help
protect children weighing more than 80 lbs. (36 kg) and
who are at least 4
ft. 9 in. tall.
Fig . 243 Child taller
than 4
ft . 9 in. properly
restrained on the rear
seat
Children who weigh more than about 80 lbs (36 kg) and are at least
4 ft. 9 in. tall can generally use the vehicle's three point lap and
shoulder belts. Children should use a lap belt only in
very excep­
tional situations and only if no child restraint system for the child's
size and weight or safer alternative means of transportation of the
tll-

lllffl __ C_h_ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_, y'-------------------------------------------------
&, WARNING (continued )
• If the backrest is not securely latched , the child and the child
restraint will be thrown forward together with the backrest and
will strike parts of the vehicle interior. The child can be seriously
injured or killed.
• 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 .
• 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 or infant carriers installed on
the front passenger's seat may interfere with the deployment of
the airbag and cause serious injury to the child .
• It is safer to install a forward -facing child safety seat on the rear
seat.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used
=> page 243 . Special precau­
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat
=> page 220 , "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know ".
& WARNING
Always take special precautions if you must install a forward or
rearward-facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat in
exceptional situations:
• Whenever a forward or rearward -facing child restraint is
installed on the front passenger seat , the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light must come on and stay on whenever the ignition is
switched on .
&, WARNING (continued )
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on, perform the checks described
=> page 229, " Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System ".
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on whenever the ignition is switched
on .
• Improper installation of child restraints can reduce their effec­
tiveness or even prevent them from providing any protection .
• An improperly installed child restraint can interfere with the
airbag as it deploys and seriously injure or even kill the child.
• Always carefully follow the manufa cturer's instructions
provided with the child safety seat or carrier .
• Never place additional items on the seat that can increase the
total weight registered by the weight-sensing mat and can cause injury in a crash.
& WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
• Always make sure the forward -fa cing seat has been designed
and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag .
• Never put the forward-facing child restraint up , against or very
near the instrument panel.
• Always move the passenger seat into its rearmost position in
the seat's fore and aft adjustment range , as far away from the
airbag as possible before installing the forward-facing child
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position .
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on.
..,_

Child Safety -
---------------''----
& WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
• 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 -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 be especially careful if you must install a rearward
facing child safety seat on the front passenger seat in exceptional
circumstances.
• A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing child restraint
attached to the front passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced Airbag System. The heavier weight registered can make
the system work as though an adult were on the seat and deploy
the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed causing serious or even fatal injury to the child.
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on .
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on, immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer. •
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to secure a child
restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufacturer's instruc ­
tions when installing a child restraint in your vehicle. To
activate the convertible locking retractor:
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
-Place the child restraint on a seat, preferably on the rear
seat.
-Slowly pull the belt all the way out.
-Route it around or through the child restraint belt path
=>& .
-Push the child safety seat down with your full weight to
get the safety belt really tight.
-Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for that seating
position.
-Guide the safety belt back into the retractor until the belt
lies flat and snug on the child safety seat.
-You should hear a "clicking" noise as the belt winds back
into the inertia reel. Test the convertible locking retractor
by pul ling on the belt. You should no longer be able to
pull the belt out of the retractor. The convertible locking
retractor is now activated.
-Make sure that the red release button is facing away from
the child restraint so that it can be unbuckled quickly.
-Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt is properly
tight and fastened so that the seat cannot move forward
or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
& WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an improperly installed child
restraint can cause serious personal injury or death in a crash.
• 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.
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ C_h_ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t-= y'-------------------------------------------------
& WARNING (continued)
causes the weight-sensing mat to measure more weight than is
actually on the seat.
• The heavier weight registered can make the system work as
though an adult were on the seat and deploy the Advanced Airbag
when it must be suppressed causing serious or even fatal injury to
the child .•
Using tethers on rear-facing child restraint
systems
Currently, few rear-facing child restraint systems come with a tether.
Please read and heed the child restraint system manufacturer's
instructions carefully to determine how to properly install the
tether.
& WARNING
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 -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, or door .
• A tight tether or other strap on a rearward-facing child restraint
attached to the front passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced Airbag System. The heavier weight registered can make
the system work as though an adult were on the seat and deploy
the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed causing serious
or even fatal injury to the child.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
& WARNING (continued)
immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
•
Securing the upper tether strap to the anchor
bracket
Fig . 253 Tether strap:
proper routing and
mounting
Securing the child restraint tether strap to the
tether anchor
- Release or deploy the tether strap on the child restraint
according to the child restraint manufacturer's usage instructions.
- Guide the upper tether strap
under the rear head
restraint => fig. 253 (raise the head restraint if necessary).
- Tilt the recess flap -detail
view-~ fig. 253 up to expose
the anchor bracket.
- Slide the tether strap hook over the anchor bracket.
- Pull on the tether strap hook so that the spring catch of
the hook engages. _.

___ C_ le_ a_n _i_n ~g _ a_ n_ d
__ p_r _o _t _e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to remove the
rema ining detergen t. App ly the water with a damp cloth or sponge
and pat the fabric dry with an absorbent, dry c loth .
Stains from chocolate or makeup should have detergent paste (e.g .
ox -ga ll soap) rubbed into them. A fterwards, remove the soap w ith
water (damp sponge).
A lcohol can be used to treat stains from grease, o il, lipstick or a ba ll­
point pen . Melted grease or dye must be patted off using absorbent
mater ial. It may be necessary to retreat the areas w ith de tergent
paste and water .
In the case of genera l soiling of the upho lstery and cover material,
we recommend h iring a spec ialist that has the equ ip m ent to c lean
the seat covers and other fabric surfaces by shampooing and spray
extraction .
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNING S and the information
=> page 288 .
[ i] Tip s
Open Ve lcro fasteners on your clothing can damage the seat cover.
Please make sure that Velcro fasteners a re c losed .•
Plastic parts and instrument panel
A lways use a c lean cloth mo istened in clear water to clean these
areas . For persistent dirt use an Audi approved solvent-free plastic
cleaner/protectant .
& WARNING
Solvents can ch ange the propertie s of some plasti cs and make it
harder for the airbag to deploy.
& W AR NING (continued )
• Never clean the instrument panel or the surface of airbag
module s with cle aning pr oduct s that contain sol vent s.
• Product s containing solvent s will make the surface of this part
porou s.
• Seriou s injurie s can result if plastic parts come loo se when the
a irbag i s deployed .
• Alway s re ad and heed all WARNING S and other information
=> page 288.
0 Note
Cleaning agents containing solvents wil l attack the material and can
change the way it behaves .•
Ap plies to vehicles : w ith natu ra l l eathe r
Natural leather
Audi makes great eff orts to maintai n the properti es,
n at ural look and feel of interior leather.
General
We offer many different types of leat her on our veh icles . M ost are
different types of nappa leather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in va rious co lors .
T he intens ity of the color determines the visua l c h aracteristics and
appearance. If the surface of the leather has a typica l natural look,
then t he leat her is a nappa leather that has been left in a re lative ly
natural condition. This leather offers particu lar ly good comfort and
breathes well. F ine ve ins, closed gra ins, insect bites, skin folds, and
subt le variations in color remain visib le. These characterist ics
dem onstra te that the material is natura l.
Natura l nappa leather is not covered by a color fin ish . It is therefore
more sensitive to soiling and wea r, which is something you need to
.,.

_____________________________________________ C_h_ e_ c
_ k_in -= g_a
_ n_d _ f_il _li _n ..;::g ;;.___.IIIII
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

___ C_ o_n_ s_ u_m _ e_ r_ ln_ f_o _r_m _ a_ t_ i_o _n ______________________________________________ _
&, WARNING (continued )
• The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a potentially
hazardous area . Never reach into the area around or touch the
radiator fan . It is temperature controlled and can switch on
suddenly -even when the engine is off and the ignition key has
been removed . The radiator fan switches on automatically when
the coolant reaches a certain temperature and will continue to run until the coolant temperature drops .
• Always remove the ignition key before anyone gets under the
vehi cle .
• Always support your vehicle with safety stands if it is neces­
sary to work underneath the vehicle . The jack suppl ied with the
vehicle is not adequate for this purpose and could collapse causing serious personal injury .
• If you must work underneath the vehicle with the wheels on
the ground , always make sure the vehicle is on level ground , that
the wheels are always securely blocked and that the engine
cannot be started .
• Always make sure the transmission selector lever (automatic
transmission) is in
"P " (Park position ) and the park brake is firmly
applied.
W For the sake of the environment
• Cha ng ing the eng in e sett ings will adverse ly aff ect em iss ion
levels . This is detrimenta l to the environment and increases fuel
c o nsu mp tion .
• Always observe environmenta l regu lations when disposing of
o ld eng ine oil, u sed b ra ke flu id, d irty e ng in e coo la nt, spe nt batter ies
or worn out tires.
• Undeployed airba g modul es and pret ensioners might be classi ­
fied as Perchlorate Material -special handling may apply, see
www .dtsc.ca .gov/ haza rdouswast e/p erc hlor ate . W hen the vehicle or
parts of the restraint s ystem including airbag modules safety be lts
w it h p ret en sio ner s are scra p pe d, a ll ap pl icable l aw s and reg ula- tions must be observed
. Your authorized Audi dea ler is familiar with
th ese re q ui re me nts a nd we reco mmend th at you h ave your dea le r
perform this serv ice for you .•
Additional accessories,
modifications and parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult an author ized Audi dealer before
pu rcha sing a ccess ories .
Your vehicle incorporates the latest safety design featu res ensuring
a high sta nd ard of ac tive a nd pass iv e sa fet y.
T his sa fety could be compromised by non -approved chang es to th e
veh ic le . Fo r th is reason, if pa rts have to be replaced, please o bse rve
the followi ng po ints wh en insta lling addi tio na l acc essor ies:
A pprove d Audi accesso ries and genuine A udi parts are avai lable
fr om autho rized Aud i d eale rs.
T hese deale rs also have the necessary fac ilities, tools and tra ined
spec ial is ts to ins tal l the part s and accesso rie s prope rly.
L1}. WARNING
Using the wrong spare parts or using non -approved accessories
can cause serious personal injury.
• Use only accessories expressly approved by Audi and genuine
Audi spare parts
• These parts and accessories have been specially designed to
be used on your vehicle .
• Never install accessories such as telephone cradles or
beverage holders on airbag covers or within the airbag deploy-