2008 AUDI S8 airbag

Table of contents
Safety first . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Vehicle operation . . . . . . . . 267 Vehicle care ................ 287
Driving Safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Intel ligent technology . . . . . . . . . . 268 C leaning and protection ........ 288
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Proper occupant seating positions 200
Driver and passenger s ide footwell 204
Peda l area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Stow ing luggage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . . . . . 207
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Genera l notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Why safety belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 O
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 3
Safety belt pretensioners . . . . . . .
216
A irbag system .. . .. .. . . .. . . . . . . 218
Important thing s to know . . . . . . . 218
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
229
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Side a irbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Side curtain airbags (SIDEGUARD™) 240
Child Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Impor tant things to know . . . . . . . 243
Child safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Instal ling a ch ild safety seat . . . . . 253
Addit ional Information . . . . . . . . . . 256
Lower anchorages and tethe r for
children (LATCH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
258
Not ice about data recorded by
vehicle contro l modules . . . . . . . . .
268
Electron ic Stab ilizat ion Program
(ESP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
268
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Servotronic® -advanced power
steer ing system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
273
Driv ing w it h your quattro® . . . . . . 273
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Driving and environment . . . . . . . 277
The first 1,000 m iles (1,500 km) and
afterwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
277
Cata lytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Avoid damaging the vehicle . . . . . 279
Operate your vehicle economically
and minimize pollution . . . . . . . . . .
279
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Driv ing w ith a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Trai ler towing tips . . . . . . . . . • . . . . 284
Genera l info rmation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Care of exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Care of inte rior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Fuel supply and filling your fuel
tank ............................ 301
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . 301
Fuel tank ....................... 302
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Engine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . 306
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Engin e cooling system . . . . . . . . . . 3 14
Brake fluid .... .... ............. 3 17
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 8
W indshield/headlight washer
container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
323
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . 324
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

Instruments and controls
General illustration
G) Power window switches ........................ .
@ Door handle
G) Power locking switches ..... .. .... .... .... ...... .
© Adjuster contro l for ou tside mirrors ...... .... .... .
© Light switch .. ...... .... ... .... .... .... ..... .. .
© Contro l lever for:
- Cruise control .... .... ...... ....... ...... ... .
- Adaptive C ru ise Contro l .... .... .... .... .... .. .
0 Air outlets ... .. .... .... .... .... ... .... .... .... .
@ Contro l lever for:
- Turn signal and high beam ....... ... .. .... ... .
- La ne assist .. ...... ... .... .... .... ... .... ... .
© Multi function steering wheel with :
- Horn
- Driver's a irbag .. ...... ... .... .... .... .... ... .
- Shift buttons ............................... .
Button for steer ing whee l heating ........ ... .. .
@ Instrument c luster .. ... .... .... ....... .... .... . .
@ Switches for
- Windshield wiper/washer ............... ...... .
- Trip computer .... ....... .... .... .... .... ... .
@ Steering lock/ignit ion/starter switch
@ Buttons for:
- Advanced Parking System .. .... .... .... .... .. .
- Side assist ................................. .
- Po wer sunshade
@ MM I Disp lay
Controls and equip­
ment
62
53
84
69
137
139
122
73
15 1
222
168
119 12
80 38
129
170
154
78
Ins trum ents and controls
@ Buttons/Indicator l ight for :
- Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) 268
- PASSE NGER AIR BAG OFF
- Emergency flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
@ Storage tray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
@ Glove compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
@ Front passe nger's airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
@ Shift lever for automatic transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
@ Climate controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
@ Rear window defogger switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
@ Ashtray with cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
@ ISTAR T~~ STOP ~butto n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
@ MMI Terminal
@ Storage with cup holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
@ Electromechanical parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
@ Data Link Connector for On Board Diagnostics (OBD Ill 27
@ Engine hood release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
@ Adjustable s teering co lumn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
@ Me mory buttons (driver's seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
@ Switch for
- unlocking the fuel fil ler door
- unlocking t he tr unk l id
[ i ] Tips
303
55
Operation of the Mu lt i M edia In terface (MMI) is described in a sepa ­
rate manual. •

tl~ Airbag system
--
/: Lane assist (system is ready)
Lane assist (system is not ready)
¢ Left turn signal
--D High beam
}D Fog lights
Rear fog lights
Tire pressure monitoring sys tem
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIU
Safety belt
Adaptive Air Suspension
<+:) Adaptive Air Suspension Right turn signal
--
CRUISE
--
USA models:
Cruise control activated
Canada models:
Cruise control activated
USA models:
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) defec­
tive
Controls and equip­ ment
=> page 19
-
=> page 19
=> page 19
=> page 79
-=> page 19
=> page 79
=> page 19
=> page 20
=> page 20
=> page 20
=> page20
=> page 21
=> page 79
-
=> page 27
=> page 27
-
=> page 21
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
PARK BRAKE
(®)
----
Canada models:
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) defec­
tive
USA models :
Electromechanical parking brake
Canada models: Electromechanical parking brake
-
BRAKE
USA models:
Brake malfunct ion
--((D) Canada models:
Brake malfunction
=> page 27
=> page 22
=> page 22
-
=> page 22
-
=> page22
V ehicl es wi th th e Adaptive Cruis e Control * have the follow ing addi ­
tional check lamps:
Open road
~ 1111 ~ Driving in traffic
~ 1111 ~ Request for driver to
assume control
& WARNING
=> page 145
=> page 145
=> page 145
• Failure to heed warning lights and other important vehicle
information may result in serious personal injury or vehicle
damage.
• Whenever stalled or stopped for repair, move the vehicle a safe
distance off the road, stop the engine, and turn on the emergency
flasher
=> page 73.
• The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a potentially
hazardous area. Before you check anything in the engine compart-
ment, stop the engine and let it cool down. Always exercise
~

warning/indicator light should go out to show that the system is
fully functional again.
For more information about the
ESP=> page 268. •
Airbag system C:,
This warning/indicator light monitors the airbag and the
tensioner systems.
The ffi warning light illuminates for a few seconds each time you
switch on the ignition.
If the m warning light does not go out, or if it illuminates while you
are driving, or if it starts to blink, then there is a malfunction some ­
where in the system. If the light does not illuminate when you
switch on the ignition, this also means there is a malfunction.
& WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the airbag system, contact your autho­
rized Audi dealer immediately. Otherwise the airbag or the belt
tensioner may not work properly in an accident. •
Applies to v ehicl es: w it h l ane ass is t
Lane assist (system is ready) /:
The indicator light shows that the system is ready to use . A warning
alerts the driver when the vehicle drives over detected lane
boundary lines.
More information about lane
assist=> page 151. •
Controls and equip­
ment
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Applies to vehi cles : wi th la ne ass is t
Lane assist (system is not ready) /:
The indicator light shows that the system is turned on but unable to
send a warning .
More information about lane
assist=> page 151. •
Turn signals ¢ Q
The indicator light blinks when you use either turn signal.
Whenever you use the left ¢i or the right Q turn signal, the indicator
light blinks . When you use the emergency flashers, both indicator
lights flash.
If one of the turn signal light bulbs burn out, the turn signal will
blink twice as fast as normal. •
High beam ~D
The ~D warning/indicator light illuminates when the high beams are
on or when you use the headlight flasher. For more information
about using the high beams,
see => page 73. •
Fog lights JO
The indicator light !0 illuminates when the fog lights are turned
on. •
Rear fog lights ()$
The indicator light O* illuminates when the rear fog lights are turned
on .•

fl::. WARNING (c o ntinue d)
• Do not le av e children in side th e vehicle un supervis ed. In an
emergen cy it would be i mpo ssi ble to op en the do ors fr om th e
out side without the ke y.
[ i J Tips
• In the event of a crash with airbag deployment all locked doors
will be automat ically unlocked to give access to the vehicle occu ­
pants from the outside.
• If the power locking system should malfunction , you can lock
each door individually using the vehicle
key => page 54.
• If the power locking system shou ld fail, you can still open the
fue l tank flap in an
emergency => page 305.
• You are we ll advised not to keep valuables inside an unattended
vehic le, visible or not. Even a properly locked vehic le cannot provide
the security of a safe .•
Unlocking and locking the vehicle with the
remote control
How the remote control works.
Contro ls a nd eq uip­
ment
Fig . 33 Remote
co ntr ol: fu nction
bu tto ns
Op ening and clo sing
Whether only the driver's door or the entire vehicle is
unlocked when the ope ning button © is pressed once,
depends on the settings in the MMI
Central locking menu
~ page 52.
To unlo ck the vehi cle 0
-Press button @ .
-Press button © two times within two seconds to unlock
all doors and the rear lid.
To lock th e vehi cle 6
-Press button @ ~ & i n "Gene ral descrip tion" on
page 49.
-Wa tch that all turn signal lights flash once.
To unlo ck rear lid only ,;;::::J
-Press button @ for approx imate ly one second.
PANIC Button
-P ush the red butto n@ to ac tivate the panic f unction. The
horn sounds and the t urn signals flash .
-Push the button @ aga in to deactivate the panic func ­
t ion.
On vehicles equipped with the Advanced Key * features, the selector
lever must be in the P position, otherwise the vehicle will not lock .
& WARNING
Read and follo w all WARNINGS => & in "General de scription " on
page 49 . .,,_
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

Opening and clo sing
How to unlo ck ea ch door s eparat ely using th e
door handle
-Pull the handle to open the door.
You wil l find a power locking switch in ea ch door. You can lo ck and
u nlock
the vehicle using the switches in the driver's or passenger 's
door=> page 53, fig . 36. You can only lock the vehicle using the
switches in the rear
doors => page 53, fig. 37. If you lock the vehicle
using the
po wer l ock ing sw it c h, please note the following:
• You cannot open the doors or the rear lid from the
outside
(increased security, for exam ple when you are stopped at a red
light).
• The diodes in t he power locking switch illum inate when all the
doors and the rear lid are c losed and locked.
• All diodes turn dark as soon as one of the doors has been
unlocked .
• You can unlock and open the doors from the inside by pulling on
the door handle.
• If the driver 's doo r is opened (after you have locked the vehicle
from the inside using the power locking switch), the door wi ll
remain un locked to prevent you from locking yourself out of your
vehic le . After you c lose the door , you have to lock the drive r's door
again.
• If you have a crash and the airbag is activated, the doors auto ­
matical ly un lock.
& WARNING
• If you u se the power lo ck ing switch with the door s closed ,
r e member that all the vehicle doors will lock .
• Lo cki ng door s from the in side can help prevent in advertent
door op ening during an accident and can also prevent unw anted
e ntry from the out side . Lo cked doors can , how ever , d ela y as sis ­
t a nce to vehicle occupants and hold up rescue effort s from the
o uts ide in an acc ident or othe r em erge ncy. •
Emergency locking
If the central locking system foils (power s upply), each
door h os to be loc ked separ ately .
Fig. 38 E mergency
l oc k l oca tion on the
front pa ssenger 's do or
An eme rgency locking mec hani sm is integra ted in t he edge
of the passe nger's door and in the rear doors (o nly visible
when the door is o pen).
Ope n the door .
- Remove the plastic cap using your vehic le
key => fig. 38.
- Position the key at an angle of 90° to th e door trim pa nel
and push it in the d irection shown by t he arrow.
After you close the door, you wil l no longer be able to open it from
the outside.
T he door can be opened from the inside by pu lling twic e on the door
handle. If the chi ld safety lock is engaged in one of the rear doors,
the door has to be opened from the outside after pulling on the
ha ndle once from the inside. •

Emergency flasher ~
The emergency flasher makes other motorists aware that
you or your vehicle are in an emergency situation.
I
Fig . 61 Center
console : emergency
flasher switch
- Press the switch ~=>fig. 61 to turn the emergency
flashers on or off.
When the emergency flasher is on, all four turn signals blink at the
same time . Th e turn signal indi cator
ligh ts ¢¢ in th e instrum en t
cluster, as well as the light in the emergency flasher
switch~ blink
likewise .
The emergency flashers will turn on automatically if you are in an
accident where the airbag has deployed.
[ i] Tips
You should turn on the emergency flashers when:
• you are the last vehicle standing in a traffic jam so that any other
vehicles coming can see you , or when
• your vehicle has broken down or you are in an emergency situa ­
tion , or when
• your vehicle is being towed by a tow truck or if you are towing
another vehicle behind you .•
Contro ls a nd eq uip­
ment
Clear vision
Turn signal
¢ ¢ and high beam [D lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column is used to
operate the turn signals and the high beam as well as the
headlight flasher.
Fig . 62 Turn signal and
high beam lever
The turn s ignal and high beam lever has the following func­
tions:
Turn signals ¢ ¢
- Lift the lever up all the way=> fig. 62 to use the right turn
signals, or push the lever down all the way to use the left
turn signals .
Auto-blink
-Move the lever (up or down) just to the point of resis­
tance to use the turn signals for as long as you need
them, for example when chang ing lanes.
- Move the lever (up or down) just to the point of resis­
tance and then release it right away to make the turn
signals blink
three times. You can use this feature for
example when changing lanes on highways.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

Seats and storage
Seats and storage
General recommendations
Why is your seat adjustment so important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can only provide
maximum protection if the front seats are correctly
adjusted.
There are various ways of adjusting the front seats to provide safe and comfortable support for the driver and the front passenger.
Adjust your seat properly so that:
• you can easily and quickly reach all the switches and controls in
the instrument panel
• your body is properly supported thus reducing physical stress
and fatigue
• the safety belts and airbag system can offer maximum protec ­
tion=> page 218.
In the following sections, you will see exactly how you can best
adjust your seats.
There are special regulations and instructions for installing a child seat on the front passenger's seat. Always follow the information
regarding child safety provided
in=> page 243, "Child Safety".
& WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and all other passengers
can result in serious personal injury.
• Always keep your feet on the floor when the vehicle is in motion
- never put your feet on top of the instrument panel, out of the
window or on top of the seat cushion. This applies especially to
the passengers. If your seating position is incorrect, you increase
the risk of injury in the case of sudden braking or an accident. If
& WARNING (continued)
the airbag inflates and the seating position is incorrect, this could
result in personal injury or even death.
• It is important for both the driver and front passenger to keep
a distance of at least 10 inches (25 cml between themselves and
the steering wheel and/or instrument panel. If you're sitting any
closer than this, the airbag system cannot protect you properly. In
addition, the front seats and head restraints must be adjusted to
your body height so that they can give you maximum protection.
• Always try to keep as much distance as possible between your­
self and the steering wheel or instrument panel.
• Do not adjust the driver's or front passenger's seat while the
vehicle is moving. Your seat may move unexpectedly, causing
sudden loss of vehicle control and personal injury. If you adjust
your seat while the vehicle is moving, you are out of position. •
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe and relaxed
driving.
We recommend that you adjust the driver's seat in the
following manner:
- Adjust the seat in fore and aft direction so that you can
easily push the pedals to the floor while keeping your knees slightly
bent => & in "Why is your seat adjustment
so important?".
- Adjust the seatback so that when you sit with your back
against the seatback, you can still grasp the top of the
steering wheel.
~