2008 AUDI S8 technical data

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Operating instructions
M ax im um tra iler weig ht
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typ ical c lass 1 or class 2
trailer.
T ra ile r l oad d is tributi on
Be sure the load in the trailer is he ld securely in place to prevent it
from shifting forward, backward or s ideways .
Never a llow a pass enger to r ide in a trailer:::::, & in "Driving instruc­
t ions" .
Engin e coo lin g sys te m
Tow ing a trai ler makes the engine work harder. It is important that
the cooling system's performance is up to the additiona l load. Make
sure that the coo ling system has enough fluid .
Tire press ure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your veh icle to t he co ld tire
pressure listed under "Full load" on the labe l located either on the
driver's side B -pil lar (visible when the door is open) or inside the fuel
filler flap . Inflate trailer tires to trai ler and tire manufacturers' spec­
ifications.
L ig ht s
The head light settings should be checked wit h the trai ler attached
before driving off. Check to make sure both vehicle and trai ler lights
are working properly .
Safe ty c ha in s
Be s ure trailer safe ty chains are properly connected from the trailer
to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to
permit turning corners . When yo u insta ll safety chains, make sure
they will not drag on the road when you are driving.
T he chains should cross under the trailer tongue to prevent it from
dropping in case of separat ion from the hitch.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
0 Note
If you are go ing to tow a trai ler, you must activate the tra iler opera­
tion
mode :::::, page 189, "Towing a Trailer". •
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care and
consideration.
To obtain the best possib le handling of ve hicle and trailer,
p lease note t he following :
- Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself is not
loaded.
- Be especia lly careful whe n passing other vehic les .
- Observe speed limits .
- Do not drive at the maximum permiss ible speed .
- Always apply brakes early.
- Monitor t he temperature ga uge .
W eight d istr ibu tion
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results in a highly
unstable d istribution of weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at
very low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control. This means that
t he tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permis ­
sib le, while keeping the trailer as light as possib le under the circum ­
stances . Whenever possible, transfer some cargo to the luggage
compartment of the tow vehicle whi le observing tongue load
requirements and vehicle loading considera tions .
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Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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-Wit h chocks i n place, slowly release the brakes until the
wheel chocks absorb the load .
-Turn the wheels towards the curb.
-Apply the parking brake.
-Move the selector lever to P.
When rest arting after p arking :
-Apply the foot brake.
-Start the engine.
-Move the se lector lever to D.
-Re lease the parking brake and slowly pull out and away
f rom the whee l chocks .
-Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel chocks .
[ i] Tip s
If you move the se lector lever of the automatic transmission to P
b efor e applying th e parking brak e and b efor e blocki ng th e wheels ,
you may have to use more force later to move the lever out of the
P
position .•
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Blend of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol or ethyl alcohol}
• Anti -knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
• Blend must not contain more than 10% ethanol.
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
• Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
• Blend must contain not more than 15% MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform especially well for
winter or summer driving. During seasonal change-over, we suggest
that you fill up at busy gas stations where the seasonal adjustment
is more likely to be made in time.
0 Note
• Methanol fuels which do not meet these requirements may
cause corrosion and damage to plastic and rubber components in
the fuel system.
• Do not use fuels that fail to meet the specified criteria in this
chapter.
• If you are unable to determine whether or not a particular fuel
blend meets the specifications, ask your service station or its fuel
supplier.
• Do not use fuel for which the contents cannot be identified.
• Fuel system damage and performance problems resulting from
the use of fuels different from those specified are not the responsi ­
bility of Audi and are not covered under the New Vehicle or the
Emission Control System Warranties.
• If you experience a loss of fuel economy or driveability and
performance problems due to the use of one of these fuel blends,
we recommend that you switch to unblended fuel. •
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufacturers is carbon
deposit build-up caused by the type of gasoline you use.
Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another,
they have certain things in common. All gasoline grades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect on vital engine parts,
such as fuel injectors and intake valves. Although most gasoline
brands include additives to keep engine and fuel systems clean,
they are not equally effective.
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline. For more
information on TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline, please go to the offi­
cial website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadequate fuels, carbon deposit
build -ups can rob your engine of peak performance.
(D Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel quality is not covered by
the Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty. •
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear side panel behind the
fuel filler flap.
If the power locking system should fail, you can still open the flap
manually - for detailed instructions
see=> page 305.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle in Technical Data
=> page 378. ~

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0 Note
• Before winter sets in, have the coolant checked to see if the
coolant additive in your vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate
conditions. This is especially important if you live in a region where
the winter is extremely cold. If necessary , increase the proportion of
coolant additive to 60%.
• When adding coolant additive to your cooling system,
remember:
-We recommend using only coolant additive G12+ + (check the
label) for your vehicle. This coolant additive is available at autho­
rized Audi dealers. Other types of antifreeze can significantly
reduce corrosion protection . The resulting corrosion can cause a
loss of coolant and serious engine damage .
• Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle's
engine coolant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and could result
in damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty .•
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig . 267 Engine
compartment : Coolant
expansion tank
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS => & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 307.
Turn off the ignition.
Read the engine coolant level from the coolant expan­
sion
tank => fig. 267 . With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "min" and "max" markings. When
the engine is warm, the level may be slightly above the
"max" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank can be seen in the
engine compartment illustration =>
page 308.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must be switched off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped with an electric
coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning light in the Auto­
Check
System => page 31 will blink until you add coolant and the
level has been restored to normal. Even though there is an electric
coolant level sensor, we still recommend you check the coolant level
from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling system. In the event
of coolant loss, the cooling system should be inspected immedi­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer . It is not enough merely to add
coolant .
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the boiling point of the
coolant is exceeded as a result of overheating.
& WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot. Reduce
the risk of scalding from hot coolant by following these steps.
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Vehic le care I I Technical data

Tires and wheels -
-----------------'
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of different things
including proper installation and balancing, correct tire
pressure and driving style .
Tread Wear Ind icator (TWI)
Fig. 274 Tire tread:
tread wear indicators
(TWII
Fig . 275 Rotating tires
for more even wear
The origina l tires on your vehic le have 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear
indicators"::::, fig. 274 running across the tread. Depending on the
make, there will be six to eight of them evenly placed around the
tire. Marks on the tire sidewall (for example
"TWI" or other symbols)
indicate the positions of the tread wear indicators. Worn tires must
be rep laced. Different figures may apply in other
countries::::, &-
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at least once a
month ::::, page 331.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy accele ration and hard braking
increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rear tires are rotated according to the
tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals. Please
remember the following:
• Tire rotation intervals may differ from the vehicle service inter­
vals outlined in your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, the
more it wears at certain points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer 's suggested tire rotation intervals .
• Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience more tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all -wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Please rotate tires as shown
~ fig. 275.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
::::, page 357.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various situa ­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unbal ­
anced, resu lting in vibrations you can usually feel through the
steering wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tires. A whee l must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is insta lled.
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Vehic le care I I Technical data

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Loading the vehicle onto a flat bed truck
Fron t hook up
Fig. 303 Ve hic le on flat
bed truck
-Align the vehicle with the centerline of the car carrier
ramp .
-Attach the winch hook to the front tow line eye previous ly
installed .
Rea r h ook up
-Align the vehicle with the centerline of the car carrier
ramp .
Attach the winch hook to the rear towline eye previous ly
installed.
[ i ] T ip s
Check carefully to make sure the hook -up is secure before moving
the car up the flatbed truck ramp.
•
Vehicle transport
Whenever you have your vehicle transported, be sure to
note the following:
0 Note
Mount the tie -down chains/cables over the running surface (circum ­
ference) of the tires. Never secure the vehic le by the axle, the
suspension struts or the front or rear towline eye. For technical
reasons, the pressure in the suspension struts may change during
the transport and this wil l adversely affect vehicle handling .•
Lifting vehicle
Lifting vvith workshop hoist and vvith floor
jack
The vehicle may only be lifted at the lifting points illus­
trated .
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'-l.=:==..;;;;===-4 i
Fig. 304 Fro nt l ift ing
point
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Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service irechnical data

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General information
Explanation of technical data
Some of the technical data listed in this manual requires
further explanation .
The technical data for your vehicle is listed in the charts starting on
=> page 378. This section provides general information, notes and
restrictions which app ly to this data. •
Vehicle identification
The key data is given on the vehicle identification number
(VIN) pla te and the vehicle data st icker.
F ig. 306 V ehicle Iden ti­
f ic ation Numb er (VIN )
p la te: locatio n on
dri ver's s ide das h
p anel Fig
. 307 The vehi cle
i d e ntifi cat ion la bel -
i n side the lugga ge
com partme nt
The Vehicle Ident ification Numb er (V IN)
is located on the driver's side so that it is visible from the outside
through the
windshie ld => fig . 306 .
The veh icle i de ntifi cation l ab el
is located in the luggage compartment in the spare whee l well.
The
l abel=> fig . 307 shows the following vehic le data :
0 Production contro l No.
G) Vehicle identification No.
G) Type code number
© Type designation/engine output in Ki lowatts
© Engine and transmission code letter
© Paint No./lnterior
0 Optiona l equipment No.'s
Vehicle data 2 to 7 are also found in your Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet.
Th e s afety c ompliance sticker
is your assurance that your new vehicle complies with all app licable
Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Standards which were in effect at the
time the vehicle was manu factured. You can find this sticker on the
left door jamb . It shows the month and year of production and the .,_

General information -
----------------
vehicle identification number of your vehic le (perforation) as well as
th e G ross Veh icle Weight Ra ting (GVWR) an d the Gross A xle We ig ht
R ating (GAWRl .
The high voltage warning label is located on the lock carrier.
The spark ignition system complies with the Canadian
standard ICES-002 . •
Displaying Vehicle Identification
Number in MMI
Fig . 308 MMI di spl ay:
Vehicle ID number
!V IN}
You can also displa y th e Vehi cle Id ent ifi cati on Numbe r of
yo ur vehi cle in MM I.
- Press th e
( CARI fun ctio n bu tton.
- Selec t
Systems in the CA R me nu.
- Selec t
Vehicle ID number (VIN) . The Vehicle ID number
(VIN)
menu appea rs => fig. 3 08 . •
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Weights
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
The G ross Ve hicle W eig ht Rat ing (GVWR), a nd the Gross A xle W eight
Rating (GAWR) for front and rear are listed on a stic ker on the left
doo r jamb .
T he G ross Ve hicle We ig ht Rat ing includes t he weig ht o f the bas ic
vehic le plus full fue l tank, oil and coo lant, p lus maximum load,
w hi ch includes passe nge r we ight (1 50 lbs/68 kg per des ig nated
seat ing position) and luggage weight .
Gross Axle Weight Rating
The Gross Axle Weight Rating is the maximum load that can be ap plied at eac h axle o f th e
ve hicle~ &.
Vehicle capacity weight
The ve hicle capacity weig ht (m ax. load) is listed either on the
d river's side B -pillar or inside the fuel fi ller flap .
Roof weight
The max im um p erm issib le roo f weight i s 220 lb (100 kg ). The ro of
we ight is made up o f the we ight of the roof rack system and th e
we igh t of the o bjec t being
tr anspo rted ~ page 10 4, "Lo ad in g the
roo f rac k".
& WARNING
• The actual Gross Axle Weight Rating at the front and rear axles
should not exceed the permissible weights , and their combination
must not e xceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating .
• Exceeding permissible weight ratings can result in vehicle
damage , accidents and personal injury .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data