2009 AUDI S8 open hood

If the indicator goes all the way to the right side inside the coolant
temperature gauge, then the engine coolant temperature is too
high.
Pull off the road to safe location, turn off the engine and let it
cool down.
If the warning light comes on again after you have driven
a short distance, contact a qualified workshop.
& WARNING
• Always observe the warning in :::::, page 301, "Engine compart­
ment", before opening the hood and checking the engine coolant
level.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
see engine coolant dripping from the engine compartment. You
could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant.
0 Note
• Mounting additional lights or accessories in front of the air inlets
reduces the cooling effect of the radiator. At high outside tempera ­
tures or high engine load, the engine could overheat.
• The front spoiler has been designed to properly distribute the
cooling air when the vehicle is moving . If the spoiler is damaged,
this could reduce the cooling effect and the engine could then over­
heat. Ask your authorized Audi dealer for assistance. •
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM (revolutions per
minutes).
The tachometer 0:::::, page 12, fig . 2 is the left of the two large clock­
type displays.
The engine turns at a speed
1,000 times the single digit in the
display, e.g. if the needle is pointing at the "2" the engine is turning
at 2,000 RPM.
Controls and equip ­
ment
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
If engine RPM drops below 1,500, you should downshift to the next
lower gear. The red area at the end of the scale indicates maximum
permissible engine RPM after the break-in period. Before reaching
this area, move the selector lever to position "D (Drive)" or ease your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
0 Note
The tachometer needle should not move into the red range . If it
does, then only for a very short period of time. You could damage
your engine by driving at high RPM.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel and reduces engine noise .•
Digital clock with date display
Date and time of day can be set in MM/.
Fig . 3 Instrument
cluster with digital
clock
The date, time of day, and time and date format can be set in MMI.
You can find out more in the MMI manual. ..,.
I • •

Driver information display
The current speed appears on the display. The speed is displayed in
1 mph (US model) or 1 km/h (Canadian model) increments.
You can switch the display from miles to kilometers and vice versa
via the MMI. •
Open door or trunk lid warning
The pictogram alerts you when doors or the rear lid have
been left open.
Fig. 12 Dis play: open
door or rear lid
warning
With the ignition switched on, the open door or rear lid warning illu ­
minates when at least
one door or the hood or the trunk lid is not
closed. The symbol also shows you
which door(s) or lid is not
closed.
In the illustration=:> fig. 12 it is the driver's door, the left rear door
and the rear lid. As soon as al l the doors, the hood, the rear lid and
the fuel filler cap are properly closed, the door and rear lid warning
turns off and the Driver Information System functions selected are
displayed again .•
Defective light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning tells you when a vehicle
light bulb has become defective.
Fig. 13 Display: defec­
t ive l ight bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning monitors the function of the light
bulbs. If a defective light bulb is detected, or if a light bulb has
burned out, a yellow symbol appears as wel l as a pictogram in which
th e defective light bulb is shown =:> fig. 13 In the case of certain bulb
failures (e.g. failure of the rear fog lamp), an additiona l symbol is
displayed to the left or right of the pictogram of the vehicle.
Defective brake light
(USA models) / (Canada models)
If the symbol illuminates, a brake light has failed. The burned out
light is shown in the pictogram.
Defective bulb
If this symbol illuminates, a turn signal (front or rear), a headlight,
the backup light, a fog light or a rear fog light has failed. The burned
out light is shown in the pictogram .
& WARNING
• Light bulbs are pressurized and could explode while they are
being changed causing serious personal injury. .,_

button, you can bring up a driver message which explains
the malfunction in more detail.
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid level
-Pull off the road .
- Stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the engine.
- Check the brake fluid level=>
page 319.
- Contact your nearest authorized repair facility if neces-
sary.
Brake fault ! Drive carefully to nearest workshop
- Drive carefully to the nearest authorized repair facility
and have the malfunction corrected =>
&.
Parking brake ! Please contact workshop
- If the warning/indicator light flashes when the vehicle is
stationary or after the ignition is turned on, check to see
if the parking brake can be released. Drive to an autho­
rized repair facility as soon as possible and have the
malfunction corrected. If the parking brake cannot be
released, contact your nearest authorized repair facility.
- If the warning/indicator light flashes while you are
driving, it is possible that the traction control or the
emergency brake has malfunctioned. It is possible that
the parking brake cannot be applied. It is also possible
that the parking brake cannot be released after it has
been applied. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer to have
the malfunction corrected.
Controls and equip ­
ment
Driver information display
If the ABS, ESP and the brake force distribution fail , the ABS
warning/indicator light and the ESP warning/indicator light come
on along with the brake system malfunction warning/indicator light
=>& .
& WARNING
• Always observe the warnings in=> page 301, "Engine compart­
ment", before opening the hood and checking the brake fluid.
• Driving with low brake fluid is
a safety hazard. Stop the car and
get professional assistance .
• USA models: If the BRAKE warning light, the. warning light and
the "'L') 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 <, the warning
light and the ABS warning light
G 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
applications. •
Engine cooling system malfunction -L
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must be
repaired as soon as possible.
When the -L symbol in the display blinks, then either the
engine coolant
temperature is too high, or the coolant level
is too low. An additional driver message can also be
displayed by pressing the [CHECK] button:
Switch off engine and check coolant level
I • •

Driver information display
-Pull off the road.
- Stop the veh icle.
- Turn off the engine.
- Check coolant level~
page 317.
-Add coolant if necessary ~ page 318.
-Continue dr iving only after the eng ine coolant
warning/ indicator light goes out .
- Contact your authorized Audi dealer for assistance if
necessary .
If the engine coolant le ve l is correct, then the radiator fan may be
the cause of the malfunction.
If the generator warning/indicator light should also illuminate
~ page 18, then the fan belt may be damaged.
& WARNING
• If your vehicle should break down for mechanical or other
reasons, park at a safe distance from moving traffic, turn off the
engine and turn on the hazard warning lights
~ page 73, "Emer­
gency flasher
A".
• Never open the hood if you see or hear steam or coolant
escaping from the engine compartment -you risk being scalded.
Wait until you can no longer see or hear steam or coolant escaping.
• The engine compartment of any vehicle is a dangerous area.
Before you perform any work in the engine compartment, turn of
the engine and allow it to cool. Follow the warning stickers
~ page 301, "Engine compartment".
0 Note
Do not continue driving if the -~- symbol illuminates. There is a
malfunction in the engine cooling system -you could damage your
engine. •
Engine oil pressure malfunction "t=:?:
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol requires
immediate service or repair. Driving with a low -oil -pres ­
sure indication is likely to inflict severe damage to the
engine.
If the ~ symbol appears in the display and blinks, the oil
pressure is too low. An additional driver message can also
be displayed by pressing the
I CHECK] button:
Switch off engine and check oil level
Immediate actions
- Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the eng ine.
- Check the engine oil level
with the dipstick~ page 313.
Dipstick readings checks too low
- Top off oil to the proper level~ page 314.
-Make sure that the oil pressure warning symbol~
appears no longer in the display before you start driving
again. .,,,

How is the anti-theft alarm system switched off?
The anti-theft alarm system is switched off only when you unlock
your vehicle. If you do not open a door within 60 seconds after you have unlocked with the remote control, the vehicle will lock itself
again automatically.
When will the anti-theft alarm system be triggered?
When the vehicle is locked, the alarm system monitors and protects
the follow ing parts of the vehicle:
• engine compartment
• luggage compartment
• doors
• ignition
When the system is activated, the alarm will be triggered if one of
the doors, the engine hood or the rear lid are opened, or if the igni­
tion is turned on. The anti-theft alarm system will also go off when
the battery is disconnected.
Unlocking the rear lid by inser ting and turning the key inside the
rear lid locking cylinder will trigger the optical and acoustic alarm .
You can also trigger the alarm by pressing the PANIC button on your
remote control. This will a lert other people in case of emergency .
Press the
PANIC button again to turn off the alarm.
How is the anti -theft alarm switched off when
triggered?
The alarm system is switched off when you unlock the vehicle or
when the ignition is switched on. The alarm will a lso switch itself off
when it comes to the end of its cycle .
Emergency flasher and horn
The emergency flasher will blink briefly and the horn sounds when
the doors, engine hood and rear lid are properly closed.
If the emergency flashers do not b link , or the horn does not sound,
check the doors, engine hood and rear lid to make sure they are
properly closed . If you close a door, the hood or the rear lid with the
Con tro ls and eq uip­
ment
Opening and closing
anti-theft alarm switched on, the emergency flashers will blink and
the horn will sound only a fter you have closed the door or lid .
[ i ] Tips
For the anti-theft alarm system to function properly, make sure all
vehicle doors and windows are closed before leaving the vehicle .•
Power windows
Controls
Vehicle care I I
Fig. 48 Driver's door:
power window
switches
Fig . 49 Driver's door:
Switches (vehicles
with power child safety
lock ) _,.
irechnical data

___ C_ le_ a _ n_i_n ~g _ a_ n_ d __ p_r _o _t _e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
0 Note
• Never try to remove d irt, mud or dust if the surface of the vehicle
is dry . Never use a dry cloth or sponge, since this cou ld scratch your
vehic le's paint or w indows.
• Never wash your car in bright sunlight. Drops of water act as
magnify ing lenses and may damage your paint.
• When you wash your car in the winter : if you rinse your vehicle
with a hose, be careful not to aim the stream of water directly at
locks, or at door or hatch openings -they can freeze shut.
• Never use sponges designed to remove insects, or any kitchen
scouring sponges or similar products. They can damage your paint
finish .
• Never use a dry cloth or sponge to c lean the head ligh ts. Only use
wet cloths or sponges to prevent scratches . It is best to use soapy
water.
For the sake of the environment
In the interest of the environment, the vehicle should on ly be
washed in specia l wash bays. •
Washing your vehicle with a power washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high -p ressure
power washer is safe as l ong as y ou observe a few simple
rules .
-Before using the power washer, make s ure you have read
and understood the WAR NINGS=::;,
& in "General infor­
mati on" o n
page 290.
-Always follow the operating instructions for the power
washer. - Make sure that the jet o
n the spray hose pro duces a "fan
sha ped sp ray".
D o
not hold the spray nozzle too close to soft materials.
When cleaning the vehicle with a power washer always follow the
operating instructions. This applies particula rly to the
operating
pre ssure
and the spraying di stance . Maintain a sufficient distance
to soft materia ls such as rubber hoses and sound/vibration dead ­
ening materia ls (part icularly on the underside of the engine hood).
Do not use a jet which sprays water in a
direct stream or one that
has a
rotating jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F (60 °Cl.
& WARNING
Never wash tire s with a jet that sp ra ys water in a dir e ct stream .
Thi s could cau se invisible damage to the tire s and we ake n them ,
eve n if th e spra y is from a re lativel y lo ng dis tanc e an d f or a sh o rt
time . Damaged and weakened tire s can f ail and cau se ac cident s
a nd per sona l injur y.
0 Note
To avoid damaging your vehicle, always make sure that there is
suffic ient distance between the spray head and soft materia ls like
rubber hoses, plastic parts and sound -deadening materials . Never
aim the spray head at the same p oint for a long time . This also
applies to cleaning headlights and painted bumpers . Remember :
the c loser the nozzle is to the surface of the material, the greater the
stress on the mater ial. •