2009 AUDI S8 Owners Manual

the shade shuts off when the temperature in the vehicle falls below
23 °F (- 5 °Cl. The shade cannot be operated until the passenger
compartment warms up above this temperature. •
Applies to vehic les: w ith e lectr ic sunshade for the rear side w indows
Electric sunshade for the rear side windows
Each rear s;de w;ndow ;s equipped w;th an electr;c
sunshade.
oo u
t;;:::=:;1
~ Fig. 73 Rooflining in
the rear: electric
sunshade button
You can operate the rear side w indow sunshades either by
using the power window switches in the driver's door, the
power window switches in the rear doors or the button
located in the rooflining in the rear of the vehicle.
Buttons in the rear of the vehicle
- Press the right or left button to lower or raise the
sunshade => fig. 73.
Power window switch in the rear side doors
- Pull the switch to its second position and hold it there
b riefly to lower the sunshade.
- Press the switch to its second position to raise the
sunshade.
Con tro ls and eq uip­
ment
Clear vision
Power window switch in the driver's door
- Pull either of the two switches to its second position and
hold it there brief ly. The sunshade will automatically
lower.
- Press the switch to its second position and the sunshade
automatically raises .
& WARNING
When lowering or raising the sunshade, make sure there is
nothing in its way and that it has a free path to travel. This could
cause personal injury .
[ i] Tips
The sunshade works only if the window is closed. •
Applies to veh icles: with rear van ity mirro rs
Rear vanity mirrors
A pair of m;rrors is mounted overhead w;thin easy reach
of the rear passengers . When not in use, the mirrors are
folded up flush in the rooflining.
Vehicle care I I
Fig. 74 Left rear roof.
lining: Vanity mirror
folded up flush .,,.
irechnical data

Clear vision
Fig. 75 Left rear roof.
lining: Vanity mirror
folded down
- To fold down, tap the rear edge of the mirror as indicated
by arrow~
page 79, fig. 74.
As the mirror folds down, it automatically illuminates. •
Wiper and washer system
Windshield wiper ~
The windshield wiper lever controls both the windshield
wipers and the washer system.
0
"' M
Fig. 76 Windshield
wiper lever
The windshield wiper lever~ fig. 76 has the following posi ­
tions:
Intermittent wiping "91 (activating rain sensor)
Move the lever up to position G).
- Move switch @ up or down, to adjust the sensitivity of
the rain sensor.
Low wiper speed
- Move the lever up to position @.
High wiper speed
- Move the lever up to position G).
One-touch wiping
- Move the lever to pos ition ©, when you want to wipe the
windshield
briefly.
Automatic wiper/washer
- Pull the lever to position© {toward the steering wheel)
and hold.
- Release the lever. The washer stops and the wipers keep
going for about four seconds.
Turning off the wipers
- Move the lever back to position @.
The windshield wipers and washer only work when the ignition is
turned on.
The rain sensor is only activated with the wiper leve r set to position
G) . When it starts to rain, the rain sensor will automatically activate
the intermittent wiping mode.
To reduce the sensitivity of the sensor, move switch
@ down. To
increase the sensitivity, move the switch up. The higher you adjust
the sensitivity, the faster the sensor will react when it senses mois- .,_

ture on the windshield. The rain sensor wiper intervals depend on
t he sensi tivi ty setting as well as vehic le speed . Dur ing brief s tops,
wiper motion wil l adjust in re lation to the amount of rain on the
windsh ield .
During br ief stops, e.g. at a red ligh t, wiper mot ion wil l automa ti­
cal ly be reduced to the next lower speed . Wipers a lready turning at
low speed. cha nge to i ntermittent w ip ing.
When the ignition is turned on, the washer jets are heated .
With the low beam headlights switched on, p ull the wiper lever
towards you only
briefly t o clean the windshield. Ho lding the wiper
lever wou ld a lso engage the headlight washer system each time you
clean the w indsh ie ld and wou ld dra in the washer fluid reservoir
pr ematurely.
& WARNING
• Wiper blades are crucial for safe driving! Only when they are in
good condition are they able to clear the windows properly to
provide uncompromising visibilit y. Worn or damaged wiper blades
are a safety hazard
=> page 82 , "In stalling new wiper blade s"!
• The rain sensor is only designed to assist and support the
driver . It remains entirely the driver' s respon sibility to monitor
out side weather condit ions and to manually acti vate the wipers as
soon as rain or drizzle reduces visibility through the windshield.
• The windshield must not be treated with water-repellent mate­
rial s. They can increa se glare under poor visibility conditions such
as wetness , darkness , or when the sun is low on the horizon. In
addition , they can cau se the wind shield wipers to chatter.
0 Note
In freezi ng or near freezing conditions:
• Always check that the wiper blades are not frozen to the glass
be fore you turn the w ipe rs on. Loose n a wiper b lade wh ich is fro zen
Controls and equip ­
ment
Cl ea r vision
in place before operating the wipers to prevent damage to the wiper
blade or the wiper motor.
• Do not use the wipers to clear a frosted window. Using the
wipers as a convenient ice scraper will des troy the wiper blades .
• Before you take your vehic le to an automatic car wash, make sure
you have the w indshield w iper system switched o ff (lever in p ositi on
Ol, otherwise the windshield wiper system could get damaged in the
car was h if it should suddenly co me on .
[ i ] Tips
• Make sure th e washer fluid reservoir in the engin e compart men t
is topped off before going on a long trip . Look up=>
page 325 for
check ing and fi lling t he washer conta iner.
• I f you switch off the ignition with the windshield wiper lever still
in the inte rval wi pe positio n and t hen come ba ck a while la ter and
drive off, the rain sensor will reactivate itself after the vehicle speed
has exceeded
4 mph (6 km/h) .
• Worn or dirty windshie ld wiper b lades cause smearing which
can aff ect t he opera tion of the rai n senso r. Check the c ondi tion of
your windshield wiper b lades regu lar ly . •
Headlight washer system
The hea dligh t washer s ys tem cle ans the he adlig hts.
Opera te the win dshi eld w iper/was her sy stem @wit h th e
h eadl igh ts t urned o n by ho ld in g the lev er fo r lo nge r than
one s eco nd
~ page 80, fig. 76 .
The washer je ts extend forward out of the fron t bumper driven by
water pressure to spray the front head lights with water .
You should inspect the head lights regu lar ly (for examp le when refu -
e ling) a nd c lean o ff any solid dirt or insects from the lenses. _,.
I • •

Clear vision
To ensure the system works properly in winter, keep the washer jets
free of snow and remove any ice using a de-icing spray. •
Service position
The wiper blades can only be changed in the service posi­
tion.
Fig . 77 MMI display :
Windshield wipers
-At below freezing outside temperatures, make sure first
that the wiper blades are not frozen to the windshield.
- Press the
I CAR I function button.
Select
Systems in the CAR menu.
Select
Windshield wipers. The Windshield wipers menu
appears~ fig. 77.
- Select
Service position on to turn the service position on
or
off to return the windshield wiper to its original posi­
tion.
You must only attempt to change the wiper blades when the service position is activated. This way, when you are working on the wind­
shield wipers, you can avoid damaging the paint on the engine
hood.
[ i ] Tips
• You can also turn on the service position, for example, if you
want to protect the windshield from icing, using a cover.
• The service position turns itself
off, whenever you use the wind­
shield wiper lever. •
Installing new wiper blades
Wiper blades in good condition help keep the windshield
clear.
Fig . 78 Removing the
wiper blades
Fig. 79 Installing
wiper blades

Rem oving a wip er blad e
-Bring the windshield wipers to the service position
~ page 82.
-Lift the wiper arm away from t he windshield.
- Pu sh t he locking piece on the wip er blade in the direction
of the arrow @~ page
82, fig. 78. Hold the wiper blade
firmly.
- Remove the wiper b lade @.
Inst alling wiper bl ad e
- Place the new wiper blade in the retainer on the wiper
arm ©~ page
82, fig. 79.
- Pu sh t he locking piece on the wiper blade in the direction
of the arrow@ until you feel it click into place on the
wiper arm .
Clean your wiper blades regularly with a windshield washer solution
to prevent streaking . If the bla des are very dirty, for example with
insects, carefully clean the b lades with a sponge or a soft brush.
I f the wiper b lades begin to s treak the windshie ld, this could be
caused by residue left on the windshield by automatic car washes.
Fill the windshield washer container with a special solution avail ­
able at your authorized Audi deale r to remove the residue .
& WARNING
Be sure to in spect the cond itio n of your wiper blade s regula rly . See
y our authori zed Audi de aler f or repla ceme nt bl ade s.
0 Note
To prevent damage to the wiper system:
Controls and equip ­
ment
Cl ea r vision
• Always loosen blades which are frozen to the windshield before
operat ing wipers.
• Do not use gaso line, kerosene, paint thinner, or other solvents on
or near the wiper blades .
• Do not attempt to move the wipers by hand.
[ i ] Tip s
Commercial hot waxes applied by automatic car washes affect the
c leanabi lity of the windshield .•
Mirrors
Rear view mirror
When the ignition is on, the interior mirror will darken automatically
depending on the amount of light striking the mirror (such as head­
lights shining into the vehic le from the rearl. The mirror will retu rn
to the origina l state (anti -glare off) when you move the manual gear­
shift/gear selector lever into
Reverse or when you turn on the inte ­
rior lights.
[ i ] Tips
The automatic anti-g lare feature on the mirror will not operate prop­
erly if the light shining on the inside mirror is b locked by other
objects. •
I • •

Clear vision
Outside mirrors
The ou tside mirrors are electrically adjusted.
Adjusting the outside mirrors
Fig . 8 0 F orw ard
s ect ion of drive r's
a rmre st: powe r m irror
c ontr ols
Turn the adjusting knob to position ©=:> fig. 80 to adjust
t h e ou ts ide mir ror on t he dr iver's side .
Turn the knob to posi tion
@ to adjust th e outs ide m irror
on the passenger side.
Press th e kno b in the appropr iate direct io n to move the
m irror surface so t hat you have a good view to the rear.
Folding both outside mirrors in flush
- Tur n t he knob to @ .
The mirror surfaces a re heated whenever you switch on the rear
window defogger in response to the outside temperature.
We recommend folding the outside mirro rs flat to help when
parking your vehicle or when maneuvering in very tight spaces.
Tilting the pas senger's side out side mirr or
When you move the selector lever into R (Reverse), the mirror on the
front passenger's doo r (knob turned to@ => fig. 80) will til t slight ly downward
. This make is easier for you to see the curb when you are
b acking in to a parking space.
The mirror returns to its initial pos ition as soon as reverse gear is
disengaged and vehicle speed is above about 9 mph (15 km/hl. The
m irror also returns to its ini tia l p osition if the switch is move d to the
driver's outside mirror
(0 or Neutral @.
Memory setting for the outside mirrors
When the seat position is saved in memory, the posit ion of t he
outside mirrors is saved at the same t ime =>
page 94.
Automatic anti -glare for the outside mirror s
The outside mirrors dim at the same time as the inside mirror . When
the ignition is switched on, the mirrors automatical ly dim
depending on the amount of light str ik ing the mirrors (such as head­
lights shining into the vehicle from the rearl.
When you turn on th e interior l ight, or when y ou m ove the se lect or
lever into
R (Reverse), the anti -g lare function stops and the mirrors
r eturn to their original c ondi tion (n ot dar ken ed).
0 Note
• Curve d (i. e . convex) mirror sur faces increase your field o f view.
Remember that vehic les or other objects wil l appear smaller and
farther away than when seen in a flat mi rror . If you use this mirror to
estimate distances of fol lowing vehic les when changing lanes, you
cou ld estimate incorrectly and cause an accident .
• I f the mirror housing is moved unintentional ly (for example,
while park ing your vehicle), then you must fi rst fo ld the mirror elec ­
trically . Do not readjust the mirror housing manually. You could
damage the motor which controls the mirror .
[ i ] Tip s
• I f there shou ld be a malfunction in the elect rical system, you can
st ill adjust the outsid e m irrors by pressing the edge of t he m irror .
~

• The automatic anti-g lare feature on the mirror will not operate
proper ly if the light shining on the i nside mirror is blocked by other
objects .•
Controls and equip ­
ment I •
Cl ea r vision
•

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 220.
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 245, "Child Safety".
L1}. 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 cm) 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. _..