2008 AUDI S8 differential

Adaptive Air Suspension c.::i
The c.::i symbol illuminates for a few seconds after you have
switched on the ignition to indicate
redu ced ground clea ranc e when
the dynamic mode is activated and when the ignition is switched on
with a vehicle which was parked in dynamic
mode ~ page 186,
"Chassis Controls" . On vehicles which are equipped with the s port
s u spen sio n
Adapt ive Air Suspension -Spor t*, the check light does
not come on in this instance since ground clearance is general ly
reduced.
This warning/indicator light has the following functions:
• It illuminates for a few seconds after the ignition is turned on as
function check and then goes out .
• If the warning/indicator light flashes in conjunction with the
<::'.p
warning/ indicator l ight, you should not drive the veh icle immedi­
ate ly in order to prevent damage to the underbody . The two
warning/indicator lights flash ing toget her po ints to an extreme Low
level. A very
pronounced lowering of the vehicle (extreme Low level)
can resu lt, for example, from a heavy load. As soon as t he level has
returned to normal, the warning/ind icator lights stop flashing, and
you can drive away .
0 Note
If the warning/indicator light flashes in conjunction with the~
warning/ indicator l ight, you should not drive the veh icle because
low -lying vehicle parts can bottom out as you drive over uneven
ground and be damaged as a resu lt .•
Cruise control
CRUISE (USA models) / pJ' (Canada models)
The warning/indicator light i lluminates when the cruise control is
activated. •
Controls and equip­
ment
Instrum ents and w arnin g/indi cator li ght s
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS (USA models)
/0 (Canada models)
T his warning/indicator light monit ors the ABS and the
electronic differential lock (EDL).
The warning/indicator light wi ll come on for a few seconds when the
ignition is switched on. The light will go out after an automatic
check sequence is comp leted .
The re is a malf un cti on in the ABS wh en:
• The warn ing/ indicator l ight does not i lluminate w hen you switch
on the ignition .
• The warn ing/indicator light does not go out after a few seco nds.
• The warning/indicator light illuminates while driving.
The ESP indicator light also illuminates if there is a ma lfunction in
the ABS. The message
E S P / AB S fau lt ! See ow ner 's manu al also
appears in the inst rument c luster display and a wa rn ing tone
sounds.
The br ake system will still r espond even without the assis ta nce of
the ABS s ystem. See your authori zed Audi dealer a s soon a s
pos sib le t o re stor e full br aking perf orm an ce.
For more information
regard ing the
ABS ~ page 272 .
The ABS warning l ight and the br ake w arning light come on
to geth er. The AB S will not work and you will notic e a ch ange in
br ak ing re spon se and p erf orm ance .
Mal function in the brak e system
If the brake warning light~ page 22 and the ABS warning i lluminate
together t h ere may be a malfunct ion in t he ABS, and t here may a lso
be a malfunction in the brake system
itself~ .&..
In the event of a malfun ctio n i n th e bra ke syst em the warning/indi ­
cator light
BRAKE (USA mode ls)/ (Ci)) (Canada models) in the instru ment
c luster flashes. By pressing the
I CHECK] button, you can bring up a
driver message wh ich expla ins the ma lfunc tion in more detail.
Please note
~ page 30 . .,_

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
M alfun cti on in the ele ctronic differential lo ck (EDL )
The ED L wor ks t oget her wi th the ABS. T he ABS wa rn ing light w ill
come on if there is a ma lfunction in the ED L
system=> page 269. See
you r au thor ized A ud i dea ler as soon as possible.
& WARNING
• If the ABS (USA models )/0 (Canada models) warning light
doe s not go out , or if it comes on while driving , the ABS system is
not working properly. The vehicle can then be stopped only with
the standard brake s (w ithout ABS ). You will not have the protec ­
tion ABS provides . Contact your Audi dealer as soon as po ssible .
• USA model s: If the BRAKE warning light , the~ warning light and
the ABS warning light come on together , the rear wheels could
lock up first under hard braking . Rear wheel lock -up can cause loss
of vehicle control and an accident . Have your vehicle repaired
immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified work ­
shop . Drive slowly and avoid sudden , hard brake applications .
• Canada models : If the brake warning light (CD), the f;. warning
light and the ABS warning light
080 come on together, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard braking. Rear wheel lock -up
can cause loss of vehicle control and an accident . Have your
vehicle repaired immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop . Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake
appli cations .
•
Electromechanical parking brake
tffiE (USA models) /{®) (Canada models)
T he war nin g/in dic ator l ight mon it ors the ele ctro mech an­
ical park ing brake .
With the parking brake applied and the ignition turned on, the
wa rning/ ind icator lig ht illu min a te s. Afte r the ig nition has been
turned off, the warning/indicator light continues to i llum inate for
abo ut 30 seconds. If the parking bra ke is a pplied with the ignition turned off, the warning/indicator light i
lluminates for about 30
seco nds.
T he warnin g/ind icator lig ht wi ll go out w hen the parking brake is
r elea sed .
I f t he war ning/indic ator l ig ht fl ashes con tinuously
after applying the
par king brake, bra king force is not sufficient to p revent the vehicle
fr om rol ling u nint en tional ly . This ca n happen if the br ak es b eco me
too hot . Please note the fol lowing :
• I f the slope of the g rou nd is too steep to pa rk t he ve hicle, the
addi tiona l dr ive message a ppears
Caution: Vehicle parked too
steep.
• I n the event of a parking brake ma lfunction , the yel low ·~ symbol
appea rs in the inst rument c luster display and the driver message
Parking brake malfunction ! is d isplayed . Have t he m alfu ncti on
r epaired as soon as possib le by a q ualified Audi dealership .•
Brake system BRAKE (USA models) /(©) (Canada
models)
T he warn ing/ind icator I i ght flash es if br ake fluid level is
low, if th ere is an A BS sys tem m alfunc tion or a p arki ng
br ake malf u n ct ion.
Th e li ght illu mi nates w hen t he ignit io n i s tur ned o n. It goes out afte r
the e ngine has been started . T his indicates that the bra ke warning
li ght is fu nct ioni ng prope rly.
If the brake warning light does not light up when the engine is
cranking , there may be a malfunction in the electrical system . In this
case , contact your Audi dealer.
If the brake system warning/indicator light flashes, there is a brake
syste m malfu nct ion . B y press ing th e
I CHECK ] butto n, you ca n brin g
up a driver message which exp lains the ma lfunction in more detail
::::> p~e~ ~

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Intelligent technology
Notice about data recorded by
vehicle control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDRl,
installed by some manufacturers for the express purpose of
capturing data for retrieval after an accident or crash event . EDR's
are sometimes called "crash recorders".
Some state laws restrict the retrieva l or downloading of data stored
by EDR's that were insta lled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or cras h event without the owner's
consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an EDR, it is equipped
with a number of electronic control modules for various vehicle systems such as, for example, engine function, emission contro l, as
we ll
as for the a irbags and safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record vehic le-related data
dur ing norma l ve hicle opera tion for diagnost ic and repair purposes .
The recording capacity of the electronic control modules is limited
t o data (no sound is recorded) and only a small amount of data is
actua lly recorded over a very limited period of time and stored when
a system fault or other condition is sensed by a control unit. Some
of the data then stored may relate to vehic le speed, d irection,
braking as we ll as restraint system use and performance in the
event of a crash o r other condition . Stored data can only be read and
downloaded with special equipment. •
Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP)
General information
The ESP improves the vehicle stability.
I~
" "'
( ~ 1~ IA I 3-)
Fi g. 25 4 Cen ter
co nso le w it h ES P
sw itch
ESP is designed to he lp you maintain vehic le control in situations
where the car approaches the limits of "grip", especia lly when
acce lerating and cornering . ESP reduces the risk of skidding and
improves stabil ity under al l road conditions.
T he system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system. If the Ant i-Lock Brake System (ABS) malfunc­
tions, the ESP wi ll also shut down .
How the syste m w ork s
The Anti -Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Differential Lock (EDU
and the Anti-Sl ip Regulation System (ASR) are integrated in the e lec­
tronic stabi lization program. In addition to the data provided by
t hese functions, the ESP control unit requires additional measure ­
ment data provided by high performance sensors . The rotational
speed of the veh ic le about its vertica l axis, the lateral acce lerat ion
acting on the vehicle, the brake pressure and the steering angle are
a ll measured . _,,,,

____________________________________________ ln_t_ e_ l_ li _,..g "- e_ n
_ t_t_e _ c_ h_ n_o _l_o _....g ,_,y'-_IJIII
T he direction in which the driver wishes to travel is determined with
t he aid of the steering angle and vehicle speed and is con tinua lly
compared with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the two do not
match, for example, when the vehic le starts hydrop laning on a wet
road, ESP will automatically brake the appropriate whee l to correct
the prob lem.
The vehicle is then stabi lized by the forces act ing on the whee l
during braking. If the vehicle is
oversteering (rear tends to skid out
of the turn), the brakes are mainly app lied on the whee l that is on
the outside of the curve. In the case of a vehicle that is
understeering
(tendency to s lide out of the curve), t he brakes are applied a t the
rear wheel that is on the inside of the curve. An acoustic signal indi ­
cates when ESP brake app lication cuts in
=> & .
The system operates across t he entire speed range in comb inat ion
with the ABS system
=> page 272 . If the Anti -Lock Brake System
(ABS) malfunctions, the ESP wi ll be out of act ion as well.
Ac tivation
When you turn on the eng ine, ESP will automatically be activated
and wil l perform a self -test.
The system can be activated or deactivated by pressing the but ton
=> page 268, fig. 254 . The warning light comes on when the system
is switched off
=> page 18.
Normally, the ESP s hould always be on, however, it may be advanta­
geous to turn off the system in certain special cases when some
degree of wheel spin is des ired such as:
• when driving with snow chains
• whe n driving in deep snow or on a loose surface (to allow the
whee ls to dig in to reach firm ground)
• whe n trying to
"rock" the vehicle free whe n it has become stuck.
T he system should be reactivated once you are no longer in such
situations .
Both the ABS and EDS systems are still functioning even if the ESP
is switched off .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
The Ele
ctron ic Stabiliz ation Pr ogram i s ne verthele ss subje ct to the
laws of phy sic s. It is p articularl y important to pay attention to this
fa ct on wet and slipper y ro ad s. It i s therefore important th at you
alway s adapt your dr iving to the condit ion of the road and traffic
c ondition s. Do not allo w the in crea sed safety pro vided by the Ele c­
tronic Stabilization Program system to lull you into a ccepting
a ddition al safety ri sk s.
•
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The elec tronic d ifferen tial lock moni tors the rotation al
s p eed of the drive wheels.
G en era l not es
The elect ronic d ifferential lock (EDU helps the ca r to start mov ing,
accelerate and c limb a grad ient on surfaces providing poor or
a lmost no grip . Without EDL, this would be difficult, if not impos ­
s ib le.
How the syst em works
The EDL operates automatical ly. It monitors the rotationa l speed of
t he drive wheels on an ax le with the he lp of the ABS senso rs
=> page 272. If a not iceable difference in rotational speed between
the drive wheels on one axle is detected (e.g. on slippery ground
on
one side),
the spinning w heel is bra ked, thereby transferring power
to the other drive wheel or wheels (a ll -whee l drive) . This is done up
t o a speed of ab out 60 mph (100 km/h). N oises from the brake
system signal that wheel spin is being control led .
Dri ving off
When driving off, always be sure to keep road conditions in mind as
you accelerate. I f one drive wheel spins because it is on a sur face
with less grip, gradual ly increase the pressure on the accelerator
pedal unt il the car star ts to move . The whee l less able to t ra nsfer
power spins.
.,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Driver's seat memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Activating remote contro l key .. ... .. 95
Recalling a seat position ...... .... . 94
Storing a seat position ............. 94
Driving messages .................... 29
Dr ivingsafely .... .... .... ...... .... 198
Driving time .... ... .. .... .... ...... .. 38
Dup licate key ......... ............... 47
DVD p layer for navigation system . . . . . 112
E
Easy entry feature 129
Electromechanica l parking brake
Emergency braking ............... 136
Malfunction ........ .... .... .... . 136
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Re leasing and app lying .... .... ... 134
Starting
off with a trailer . ...... ... 136
Warning/indicator lights ........... 22
Electronic differential lock (EDU
How the system works . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Warning/indicator lights ........... 21
Electronic immobilizer .. ...... ..... 14, 49
Electron ic power contro l
(EPC) warning/indicator light .. .... .. 18
Electronic speed limiter .. .. .. .... ..... 28
Electronic stabi lization program (ESP)
How the system works . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Warning/indicator lights ........... 18
Emergency braking .. ....... .. ...... 136 Emergency
closing
Power sunroof ................. 67, 68
Emergency flasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Warning/indicator lights ..... ...... 19
Emergency locking ....... .... .... .... 54
Emergency locking of doors ........... 54
Emergency starting ........ .... ... .. 364
Emergency towing ..... .. .... .... ... 366
Emergency warning triangle ... ....... 348
Energy management .... .... ... .. ... 274
Battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Driver notification ................ 275
Engine 4.2 I, 8-cylinder (350 hp) .... .... ... 308
6 .0 I, 12-cylinder (450 hp) .......... 309
Compartment . .... .... .... .. 308, 309
Coolant ......................... 314
Hood ... .. .... .... .... .... .... .. 306
Starting ...... .............. 129, 130
Starting with jumper cables .. ... .. 364
Stopping ........................ 131
Engine compartment ... .. .... .... ... 308
Safety instructions .......... ..... 307
Working the engine compartment .. 307
Engine coolant ..................... 314
Adding coolant ............. ..... 316
Checking the engine coo lant level .. 315
Expansion tank .................. 315
Malfunction symbo l ...... .... .... . 31
Radiator fan ...... .... .... .... ... 317
Temperature gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Engine data ........................ 378 Engine hood
Closing ..... .. .... .... ...... ... . 307
How to release the hood . . . . . . . . . . 306
Engine oi l ..... ... .... .... .... ...... 309
Adding ......................... 312
Additives ........................ 312
Changing .. .... .... ..... .. .... .. 313
Checking the engine oil level ....... 311
Indica tions and conditions requiring extra
checking .. ...... .... ...... .... 311
Oil consumption ................. 311
Oil grades .. .... .... ... .... .... .. 309
Oil level symbol .... .... ...... ... .. 35
Pressure ma lfunction ... ... .... .... 32
Recommended oil check intervals .. 311
Sensor defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Specification and viscosity ......... 309
Environment Break -in period .................. 277
Catalytic converter .... .... .... ... 278
Disposing of your vehicle battery ... 322
Driving at high speeds ....... ... .. 279
Driving to minimize pollution and noise .
279
Fuel ...... .... ........... .... ... 303
Fuel economy .......... .... .... .. 279
L eaks under your vehicle .......... 307
Le tting the vehicle stand and warm up ..
280
Proper disposal of drained brake fluid
318
Proper disposal of drained engine coolant . .... .... .... .... ....... 316