2009 AUDI S8 suspension

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.
_/l
l '-------- ,)
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
Fig. 276 Tire tread:
tread wear indicators
(TWI)
Fig . 277 Rotating tires
for more even wear
The original tires on your vehicle have 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear
indicators":::::, fig. 276 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 replaced. 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 333.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration 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. 277.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
:::::, page 359.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various situa­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unbal ­
anced, resulting 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 wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed. _,,
Vehicle care I I Technical data

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
& WARN ING (continued )
• Never drive fa ster than the speed for which the winter or other
tires in stalled on your vehi cle a re rated.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and t raffic condit ions .
Never let the good acceleration of the winter tires and all -wheel
drive tempt you into tak ing extra risks. Always remember :
• When braking , an all -wheel drive vehicle handles in the same
way as a front drive vehicle .
• Drive carefully and reduce your speed on icy and slippery ro ads ,
even winter tires cannot help under bla ck ice conditions.
c£> For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather conditions permit. They are
quieter, d o not wea r as qu ick ly a nd r educe fuel cons ump tio n.•
Snow chains
Sn ow chains may be fitte d only to th e fron t w hee ls, and o nly t o
certain tire sizes . Ask your authorized Audi dealer on which tire
s iz es snow c hains can be used .
If you are going to use snow cha ins , then you must instal l them on
the front wheels at least.
The snow chains must have low-pro file l inks and mus t n ot be thicker
than 0.53 inch ( 13.5 mm), including the lock.
Remove wheel cen ter c ove rs a nd trim discs be fore putti ng snow
chains on your vehic le~
0 . For safety reasons cover caps must
then be fitted ove r the wheel bo lts . These are avai lable from autho ­
rized Audi dealers.
& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chain s for your vehicle or installing them
incorrectly can in crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury .
• Snow chains are available in different size s. Alway s make sure
to follo w the instructions pro vided by the snow chain manufac ­
turer.
• When dr iving with snow ch ains never drive faster than the
speed permitted for your specific snow chains .
• Always observe local regulations .
0 Note
• Remove snow chains before driving on roads not covered with
snow to av oid da maging t ires a nd weari ng the snow cha ins dow n
unnecessari ly.
• Snow cha ins, wh ic h come into d irect contact wit h the wheel rim ,
can scratch or damage it. Therefore, make sure that the snow chains
a re suitab ly cove red. Check the p osit io n of the snow cha ins a fter
driving a few yards and correct if neccessary. Follow the instructions
from t he s now cha in manufac turer w he n do ing so .
• I f the Adaptive Air Suspension should malfunction , do not
mo unt or us e snow chains becaus e th e veh icle will be extre m ely
l ow . If you do drive with snow chains on while the vehicle is at this
l evel, the s now c hai ns mig ht s ever ely da mag e th e wheel house and
other parts of the vehicle.
[ i ] Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory on certain roads, this norma lly
a lso app lies to veh ic les wi th A ll Wheel Drive .•

1111 What do I do now? ..._ __________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued )
front wheel is lifted off the ground , placing the Automatic Trans­
mission in "P" (Park) will
not prevent the vehicle from moving.
• Before you change a wheel, be sure the ground is level and firm.
If necessary , use a sturdy board under the jack.
• After installing the spare wheel, make sure that you replace the
flat tire/wheel in its storage area properly and tighten the knurled
retaining screw securely.
[ i J Tips
Before changing the wheel, you must activate the jacking mode, so
that the automatic controls for the Adaptive Air Suspension do not
make it more difficult to lift the vehicle with the jack =>
page 791. •
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence described
below step-by-step and in exactly that order.
1. Activate the vehicle jacking mode~ page 191.
2. Remove the decorative wheel cover*. For more details
see also
~ page 355, "Decorative wheel covers" or
~ page 355, "Wheels with wheel bolt caps" .
3. Loosen the
wheel bolts ~ page 356.
4. Locate the proper mounting point for the jack and align
the jack below that point~
page 356.
5. Lift the car with the jack~ page 356.
6. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and then install the
spare
~ page 358 .
7. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly. 8.
Lower the vehicle with the
jack.
9. Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly tighten all wheel
bolts
~ page 356.
10. Replace the decorative wheel cover*.
11. Deactivate the vehicle jacking mode~ page 191.
& WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and information :::::> 6 in
" Raising the vehicle" on
page 356 and => page 359. •
After changing a vvheel
A wheel change is not complete without the doing the
following.
- Store and secure the wheel you replaced in the spare
wheel well.
- Replace the tools and the jack in their proper location.
- Check the
tire pressure on the spare wheel immediately
after mounting it.
- As soon as possible , have the
tightening torques on all
wheel bolts checked with a torque wrench. The correct tightening torque is 90 ft lb (120 Nm) .
- Have the flat tire
replaced as soon as possible.
[ i J Tips
• If you notice that the wheel bolts are corroded and difficult to
turn while changing a tire, they should be replaced before you check
the tightening torque. .,_

_____________________________________________ W_ h_ a_t _d_ o_l _ d_o _ n_o_ w_ ? _ __._
Fig . 290 Close-up :
proper positioning of
jack
- Act iva te the ve hicle ja cking mode before c ha ngin g a
wheel ==>
page 19 1.
- Posi tio n th e jack below th e doo r sill und er t he mounting
point
that is clos est to the w hee l to be cha nged
==>
p age 356 , fig. 289.
- Exten d the
jack und er the li fting po int on the doo r sill
un til it s arm is po sitio ned d irect ly und er t he l if tin g p oint
==> & .
- Align the j ack so th at its a rm
@ en gag es th e plastic
lif ting point on the door si ll and th e mova ble base ® is
flat on the groun d==> fig. 290 .
- Wind th e jack up furt her u ntil the flat tir e co mes off the
gr oun d==> & .
The jack must be installed only at the places indicated~ page 356,
fig. 289 . Th ere is e xactly on e loca tion for e ach w heel. The jack m ust
not b e positioned at any oth er locatio n~ & .
T he jac k should be pos it ioned ap pro xim ately 8 in . (2 0 cm) be hind
the front wh eel or 6 i n. (1 5 c m) in fr ont o f the r ear w heel.
A n unstab le su rface unde r th e jac k can cause the vehicle to slip off
the jack. A lw ay s pro vi de a firm bas e for th e ja ck on the grou nd. If
necessary place a sturdy board or similar s up port under the jack. On ha
rd, sl ippery surfaces (suc h as til es) us e a ru bber mat or similar to
prevent th e ja ck fr om slippin g~ & .
& WARNING
• You or your passengers could be injured while changing a
wheel if you do not follow these safety precautions:
-Positioning the jack under the vehicle at any other place than
those indicated above may damage the vehicle or may result in
personal injuries.
- A soft or unstable surface under the jack may cause the
vehicle to slip off the jack . Always provide a firm base for the
jack on the ground . If necessary , use a sturdy board under the
jack .
- On hard , slippery surface (such as tiles ) use a rubber mat or
similar to prevent the jack from slipping.
• To help prevent injury to yourself and your passengers :
- Do not raise the vehicle until you are sure the jack is securely
engaged .
- Passengers must not remain in the vehicle when it is jacked
up .
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe place away from
the vehicle and well away from the road and traffic .
- Make sure jack position is correct, adjust as necessary and
then continue to raise the jack.
[ i ] Tips
Be for e changi ng th e whee l, yo u m ust ac tiv ate the jac king mode , so
that the automat ic controls for t he Adapt ive Air Suspension do not
make it more diffic ult to lift the vehi cle with the jack~
page 191. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service irechnical data

_________________________________________________ F_ u_ s_ e_s _ a_n _d_ b_ u _ lb_ s _ __.11111
No. II Equipment
8 Engine control, auxiliary water pump
9
10
11
12
13
Climate control front /rear, dash panel buttons
Suspension leve l control system
(Adaptive Air Suspension)
Light and rain sensor
Display-/control unit
Roof electronics control unit
CD/DVD drive
15 Energy managemen t
16 Vacant
17 Radiator fan electronics
18 Airbag front passenger recognition
(weight sensor)
19 Vacant
20 Heated/ventilated seats
21 Engine control module
22 Vacant
23 Parking brake (switch)
24 Vehicle electrical system
25
26
27
Automatic transmission Air conditioning water valves water pump, rear climate control
Sunroof
28 Engine control module
29 Fuel injectors
30 Ignition coils Amps
10
5
10
5
5
10
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
10
15
10
20
5
15
30 No. Equipment
31 Fuel pump, right/fuel pump electronics
32 Automatic transmission
33 Right rear footwell heater
34 Heated/ventilated seats, rear
35 Heated/ventilated seats, front
36 Cigarette l ighter, front
37 Cigarette lighte r, rear/socket, rear
38 Auxiliary cooler fan
39 Door control unit, front right
40 Brake booster
41 Door control unit, rear right
42 Vacant
43 Headlight washer system
44 Air conditioning heater fan Amps
20/40
5
25
20
20
20
20/25 20
7.5
15
7.5
30
30
•
Fuse Location , Luggage Compa rtment left
0
Fig . 297 Fuse panel
layout _.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service irechnical data

Emerge ncy situ ation s -
----------------=-~----
Loading the vehicle onto a flat bed truck
Front hook up
"' .... N
Fig. 305 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 towline eye previous ly
installed .
Rea r hook up
- Align the vehicle with the centerline of the car carrier
ramp .
- Attach the winch hook to the rear towline eye previously
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 Not e
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 with workshop hoist and with floor
jack
The vehicle may only be lifted at the lifting points illus­
trated .
--1------------- ~
'-l.=c==;;;;;;;;;;= ==-cl i
Fig. 30 6 Fron t lift ing
poi nt
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service irechnical data

-Emergency situations PV:f...__---=---=---------------
-Read and hee d W ARNI NG =:> & .
Fig. 30 7 Re ar lifting
point
Ac tiv ate t he vehicle jackin g mode if a pp licable
=:>
p age 19 1.
-Locat e lifting po in ts =:> page 371, fig. 3 06 =:> fig . 3 07 .
Ad ju st li ftin g a rms of works hop hoi st or floor jack t o
m atch v ehicle li ftin g poi nts.
In sert a r ub be r pad between the floor jack /wo rk sh op
h o ist and t he li ftin g poin ts.
The vehicle jac kin g m ode m ust be ac tiva ted so that the a utomatic
adjustment of the Adaptive Air Suspension does not make it more
d iffic ult to ra ise the vehic le w ith the ( floor jack) => page 19 1.
If you must lift your vehicle with a floor jack to work underneath , be
sure the vehicle is safely supported on stands intended for this
purpose.
Front lifting point
Th e lif ti ng po int is locat ed o n th e floo r pan re inf orc emen t abou t at
the same leve l as t he jack mounting point => page 371, fig. 306 . Do
not lift the vehicle at the vertical sill reinforcement. Rear lifting point
Th e lif tin g po int is loc ated on t he ver tical re infor ce ment o f the lo wer
s ill for t he on -boa rd jack=> fig . 3 07 .
Lifting with vehicle jack
R efer to => page
356 .
& WARNING
• To reduce the risk of serious injury and vehicle damage .
- Always lift the vehicle only at the special workshop hoist and
floor jack lift points illustrated
=> page 371 , fig . 306 and
=> fig. 307.
- Failure to lift the vehicle at these points could cause the
vehicle to tilt or fall from a lift if there is a change in vehicle
weight distribution and balance. This might happen , for
example, when heavy components such as the engine block or
transmission are removed .
• When removing heavy components like these, anchor vehicle
to hoist or add corresponding weights to maintain the center of gravity. Otherwise , the vehicle might tilt or slip off the hoist,
causing serious personal injury .
0 Note
• Be awar e of the following points be fore liftin g the vehicle :
- The vehicle should never be lifted or jacked up from under­
neath the engine oil pan , the transmission housing , the front or
rear axle or the body side members . This could lead to serious
damage .
- To avoid damage to the underbody or chassis frame, a rubber
pad must be inserted between the floor jack and the lift points .
- Before driving over a workshop hoist, check that the vehicle
weight does not exceed the permissible lifting capacity of the hoist . _..

__ _!_A~ l~p~ h~ a~ b~e~ t:!:ic~a~ l _!:i n~ d~e~ x~ --------------------------------------------
A
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Adaptive Air Suspension .... ... .. .... 188
automatic mode ...... .... ....... 189
Description ... ... ... ..... .... ... 188
dynamic mode ................... 189
Jacking mode when changing a flat tire .
191
lift mode ...... ..... .... .... .... . 189
Setting the driving modes .. .... ... 191
Sport Chassis Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
standard mode ... .... .... .... ... 189
Trailer towing mode ... .... .... ... 192
Warning/indicator lights ........ 20, 21
Adaptive Cruise Control . ... .. .... ... .
Changing speed .... .... .... .... .
Driver information .............. .
Driving in traffic .. .... .... ..... . .
Error messages ................. .
Open road ......... ............ .
Override ........ ............... .
Request for driver to assume control
Save speed ..................... .
Setting distance .. .... .... .... .. .
Setting time interval . ... .. .... ... .
Settings . ... .... .... .... ....... .
Specia l driving situations . ....... . 139
142
146
140
148
140
140
140
142
144
144
150
150
Status messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Switching on and off ... .. .... ... . 141
System limitations .... ....... ... .
Temporarily turning off ....... ... .
warning/indicator lights ... .... ... . 150
143
146 Adaptive Light
.......... .... .... .... . 72 System error message . ...... .... . 186
defective .. .... .... .... ..... .. .... 36 Towing hitch .. .... .... ...... .... 183
Adding Air conditioning
Engine coolant ... ....... .... .... .
318
See Climate controls 114
Engine oil . .... .... .... ... .... .. .
314 Airbag system .... .... .... ..... . 220, 240
Windshield washer fluid .... .... .. .
325 Advanced Airbag System ...... .... 224
Additional accessories .......... .. ... 384
Additives Engine oil . .... ...... ... .. .... ... 314
Adjustable steering col lumn .. ..... ... 128
Adjusting Front seats .... ...... .... .... .... . 86
Instrument cluster i llumination . .... . 15
Steering column . ........... .... .
128
Advanced Parking System with rear view camera
Adjusting the chimes -option 1 . ... 183
Adjusting the chimes -option 2 ... . 184
front and back with visual display and
rear -view camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
General information ......... ..... 173
Notes on distance irnformation ... .. 182
Parking next to obstacles . . . . . . . . . . 181
Rear -view camera -parking mode 1 . 178
Rear -view camera -parking mode 2 . 179
Rear -view camera (Rear View) ...... 176
Rear -view camera coverage area . . . . 177
Rear -view camera tips . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Special parking situations .. .... ... 181
Switching the rear-view camera on and off ............................ 185
sw itching the visual display on and off
185 Advanced Airbag System components .
..
227
Care .. .... .... .... .... ... .... ... 234
Child restraints 247
Children ... .... .... ... .......... 246
Components (front airbags) . .... ... 227
Danger of fitting a child seat on the front passenger seat ............... .. 222
Disposal ............ .. ...... .... 234
Front airbags .. ............ .. 224, 225
How do the front airbags work? . ... 229
How many airbags does my vehicle have? 227
How the Advanced Airbag System compo ­
nents work together . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system .................. 238
Important things to know .......... 220
Indicator light .... ......... ...... 231
Knee airbags 236
Monitoring .. .... .... .... .... .... 231
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light ... .. 232
Repairs ..... .... .... .. .. . ... ... .
Safety instructions .. .... .... .... .
Side airbags . .... .... .... .... ... . 234
233
239
Side curtain airbags .... ... .... ... 242
Warning/indicator lights ........... . 19