2009 AUDI S8 weight

Booster seats
Properly used booster seats can help protect children
weighing between about 40 lbs. and 80 lbs. (18 kg and 36
kg) who are less than
4 ft. 9 in. tall.
Fig. 244 Rear seat:
child properly
restrained in a booster
seat
The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit most children
until they are at least 4 ft. 9 in. tall and weigh about 80 lbs.
(36 kgl. Booster seats raise these children up so that the
safety belt will pass properly over the stronger parts of their bodies and the safety belt can help protect them in a crash.
- Do not use the convertible locking retractor when using
the vehicle's safety belt to restrain a child on a booster
seat.
- Always position the shoulder portion of the safety belt
midway over the child's shoulder.
- Always make sure that the shoulder portion of the safety
belt never rests against or across the child's neck.
- Always make sure that the child can properly wear the
lap port ion of the belt low across the thighs or pelvis and
never over the stomach or abdomen.
Safety first
Child Safety
Children up to about 40 lbs (18 kg) are best protected in child safety
seats designed for their age and weight. Experts say that the skel ­
etal structure, particularly the pelvis, of these children is not fully
developed, and they should not use the vehicle safety belts
=> page 253, fig. 244.
Children who weigh more than 40 lbs. (18 kg) may generally use the
available three point combination lap and shoulder belts when they
sit on an appropriate booster seat. Be sure the booster seat meets
all applicable safety standards.
Booster seats raise the seating position of the child and reposition
both the lap and shoulder parts of the safety belt so that they pass
across the child's body in the right places. The routing of the belt
over the child's body is very important for the child's protection.
This applies whenever a child uses the vehicle's safety belts, even
when the child is big enough to use them without a booster seat.
Children age 12 and under should always ride in the rear seat .
Children should not ride in the front seat unless no other seating
position is available because crash statistics show that children are
better protected in the rear seat.
In a crash, airbags must inflate within a blink of an eye and with
considerable force . In order to do its job, the airbag needs room to
inflate so that it will be there to protect the occupant as the occu ­
pant moves forward into the airbag.
A vehicle occupant including a child who is out of position and too
close to the airbag gets in the way of an inflating airbag. When an
occupant is too close, he or she will be struck violently and will
receive serious or possibly even fatal injury.
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is important that all
vehicle occupants, especially any children, who must be in the front
seat in exceptional circumstances, be properly restrained and as far
away from the airbag as possible. By keeping room between the
child's or other occupant's body and the front of the passenger
compartment, the airbag can inflate fully and completely and
provide supplemental protection in certain frontal crashes. _.,
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

___ C_h _i_ld _ S_a_ f_e _t .:..y ____________________________________________ _
& WARNING
Not using a booster seat, using the booster seat improperly , incor ­
rectly installing a booster seat or using the vehicle safety belt
improperly increases the risk of serious personal injury and death
in a collision or other emergency situation. To help reduce the risk
of serious personal injury and /or death :
• Always make sure to position the shoulder portion of the three ­
point belt ove r the middle of child's shoulder .
• Never let the shoulder portion of the belt rest against or across
the nec k, face, chin , or throat of the child .
• Alway s make sure the lap belt portion of the three -point belt is
worn snug and passes as low as possible across the child's pelvis.
Never let the belt pass over the soft abdomen.
• Failure to properly route safety belts over a child's body will
c ause severe injuries in an accident or other emergency situation
=> page 211.
• Children on the front seat of any car , even with Advanced
Airbags, can be ser iously injured or even killed when an airbag
inflates . A child in a rearward -facing child safety seat in stalled on
the front passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed
if the front airbag inflates.
• Never let a ch ild stand or kneel on any seat , for example the
front seat.
• Never let a child ride in the cargo area of your vehicle .
• Always remember th at a child leaning forward , sitting side ­
ways or out of position in any way during an accident can be
struck by a deploying airbag . This will result in serious personal
injury or death .
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light must come on and stay on , when ­
ever the ignition is switched on .
& WARNING (continued)
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on , perform the checks descr ibed ::>
page 231 , "Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System ".
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on whenever the ignition is switched
on .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used ::>
page 211, "Safety belts",
=> page 220, "Airbag system " and ::> page 245, "Important things
to know ".•
Safety belts and older chi ldren
Prop erly worn three poin t lap a nd shoulder belt can help
prote ct chi ldren weighing more t han 8 0 lb s. (36 kg) and
w ho ore at leas t 4
ft. 9 in. tall.
F ig . 245 Child taller
than 4
ft . 9 in . properly
re strained on the rear
s e at
Chil dren wh o weig h mo re tha n abou t 80 lbs (36 kg) and are a t leas t
4 ft. 9 in. tal l can generally use the vehicle's three point lap and
shoulder bel ts . Chil dren s houl d use a lap belt only in
ve ry excep ­
t iona l situat io ns and on ly if no chi ld restraint syste m for t he c hild's
size and weight or safer a lternative means of transportation of the ...

___ C_h_ i_ ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_y ____________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
• If the backrest is not securely latched, the child and the child
restraint will be thrown forward together with the backrest and
will strike parts of the vehicle interior . The child can be seriously
injured or killed.
• Never install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the front passenger seat. A child will be seriously injured and can be killed when the passenger airbag inflates .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center arm rest, door or roof.
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the rear seat.
• Forward-facing child safety seats or infant carriers installed on
the front passenger's seat may interfere with the deployment of
the airbag and cause serious injury to the child.
• It is safer to install a forward-facing child safety seat on the rear
seat. • Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used
~ page 245. Special precau ­
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat
~ page 222, "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know ".
L1}. WARNING
Always take special precautions if you must install a forward or
rearward -facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat in
exceptional situations:
• Whenever a forward or rearward -facing child restraint is
installed on the front passenger seat, the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light must come on and stay on whenever the ignition is
switched on .
& WARNING (continued)
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on, perform the checks described~
page 231, "Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System" .
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on whenever the ignition is switched
on .
• Improper installation of child restraints can reduce their effec ­
tiveness or even prevent them from providing any protection.
• An improperly installed child restraint can interfere with the
airbag as it deploys and seriously injure or even kill the child.
• Always carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions
provided with the child safety seat or carrier.
• Never place additional items on the seat that can increase the
total weight registered by the weight-sensing mat and can cause injury in a crash.
L1}. WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
• Always make sure the forward -facing seat has been designed
and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
• Never put the forward-facing child restraint up , against or very
near the instrument panel .
• Always move the passenger seat into its rearmost position in
the seat's fore and aft adjustment range, as far away from the airbag as possible before installing the forward-facing child
restraint . The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position.
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on . _.

Child Safety -
--------------------''---
& WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
• A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the
front passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if
the front airbag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center arm rest, door or roof.
• Always be especially careful if you must install a rearward
facing child safety seat on the front passenger seat in exceptional
circumstances.
• A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing child restraint
attached to the front passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced Airbag System. The heavier weight registered can make
the system work as though an adult were on the seat and deploy
the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed causing serious
or even fatal injury to the child.
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on.
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on, immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer. •
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to secure a child
restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufacturer's instruc ­
tions when installing a child restraint in your vehicle. To
activate the convertible locking retractor:
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
-Place the child restraint on a seat, preferably on the rear
seat.
- Slowly pull the belt
all the way out.
- Route it around or through the child restraint belt path
~& -
- Push the child safety seat down with your full weight to
get the safety belt really tight .
- Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for that seating
position.
- Guide the safety belt back into the retractor until the belt
lies flat and snug on the child safety seat.
- You should hear a "clicking" noise as the belt winds back
into the inertia reel. Test the convertible locking retractor
by pulling on the belt. You should no longer be able to
pull the belt out of the retractor. The convertible locking
retractor is now activated.
- Make sure that the red release button is facing away from
the child restraint so that it can be unbuckled quickly.
- Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt is proper ly
tight and fastened so that the seat cannot move forward
or sideways more than one inch (2.5 cm).
& WARNING
Using the wrong child restraint or an improperly installed child
restraint can cause serious personal injury or death in a crash.
• Always make sure that the safety belt retractor is locked when
installing a child safety seat. An unlocked safety belt retractor
cannot hold the child safety seat in place during normal driving or
in a crash. ..
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

& WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints will increa se the r is k of
injury and death in a crash .
• Improper use of child restraint anchors (tether anchors) could
lead to injury in a colli sion. The anchor s are designed to withstand
only tho se load s impo sed by correctly fitted child restraints .
• Never mount two child restraint systems on one LATCH lower
anchor point .
• Never attach two child restraint sy stems to one tether strap or
tether anchorage .
• Always follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer of
the child restraint you intend to install in your Audi .
• Never use child restraint tether anchorages to secure safety
belts or other kinds of occupant restraint s.
• Never atta ch a tether strap to a tie -down hook in the luggage
compartment.
• Never secure or attach any luggage or other items to the LATCH
lower anchorages or to the tether anchors .
• If a tether or other strap is used to attach a child restraint to the
front passenger seat , make sure that it is not so tight , that it
c auses the weight -sensing mat to measure more weight than is
actually on the seat.
• The heavier weight registered can make the system work as
though an adult were on the seat and deploy the Advanced Airbag
when it must be suppressed causing serious or even fatal injury to
the child. •
Safety first
Child Safety
Tether strap
A tethe r is a straight or V-sh aped s trap t hat at taches the
top part of a chil d re str aint to s peci al anc ho ra ge poin ts in
t h e vehicle.
Fig . 254 Tether strap:
prope r routing and
mounting
The p urpose of the tether is to reduce the forward movement of the
c hi ld r estraint in a crash, in orde r to he lp redu ce th e risk o f head
injury that could be caused by striking the vehicle interior.
F o rw ard facing c hild res train ts manufact ure d after Sep te mb er 1,
1999, are required by U.S . federal re gulations to comply with child
head m ovement performance requ iremen ts . These new pe rfo r­
mance requirements make a tether necessary on most new child
safety seats .
& WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints will increase the risk of
injury in a crash .
• Never attach a child safety seat tether strap to a tie -down hook
in the luggage compartment .
• Never secure or attach any luggage or other items to the LATCH
lower anchorages or to the tether .
• If a tether or other strap is used to attach a child restraint to the
front passenger seat, m ake sure that it is not so tight , that it •
I .
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

___ C_h_ i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t-= y'------------------------------------------------
& W ARNING (continued )
causes the weight-sensing mat to measure more weight than is
actually on the seat.
• The heavier weight registered can make the system work as
though an adult were on the seat and deploy the Advanced Airbag
when it must be suppressed causing serious or even fatal injury to
the child .•
Using tethers on rear-facing child restraint
systems
Currently, few rear -facing child restraint systems come with a tether.
Please read and heed the child rest raint sy stem manufactu rer's
instruct ions ca reful ly to determine how to properly insta ll the
tether .
& WARNING
A child in a rearward -facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be ser iously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest , center arm rest , or door .
• A tight tether or other strap on a rearward -facing child restraint
attached to the front passenger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight -mat in the seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced Airbag System. The heavier weight registered can make
the system work as though an adult were on the seat and deploy
the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed caus ing serious
or even fatal injury to the child .
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight does not come on and stay on,
& WARNING (continued)
immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating po sition and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer . •
Secur ing the upper tether strap to the anchor
bracket
F ig . 255 Tether strap:
proper routing and
mounting
Securing the child restraint tether strap to the
tether anchor
Re lease or dep loy the tether strap o n the chil d restraint
acco rdin g to th e ch ild restraint manufacturer 's usage
inst ructio ns.
Gu ide th e u pper tether stra p
under th e r ear he ad
rest rai nt=> fig. 255 (r ais e t he hea d rest raint if nece ssa ry).
- Tilt th e re cess flap -detail view- => fig . 255 up to exp ose
t he anch or b rack et.
Slide t he tet her strap h ook ove r th e an ch o r br acket .
Pull on the te the r st ra p h ook so that the sp rin g ca tc h of
th e ho o k e ngag es . .,.

___ T_ r _a_ il_e _r_ t_ o_ vv_ in__... g,_ __________________________________________________ _
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger transpor­
tation.
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that the additional load
wi ll affect durability, economy and performance.
Trai ler towing not on ly p laces more stress on the vehicle, it a lso ca lls
for more concentration from the driver.
For this reason, always fol low the operating and driving instructions
provided and use common sense.
0 Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must activate the trailer opera­
tion mode =>
page 192, "Towing a Trailer".
Technical requirements
Tra iler hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the gross trailer weight .
The hitch must be suitable for your vehicle and trailer and must be
mounted secure ly on the ve hicle's chass is at a
technically sound
location. Use only a trailer hitch with a removable ball mount.
Always check with the trai ler hitch manufacturer to make sure that
you are using the correct hitch .
Do not use a bump er hit ch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way tha t it does not interfere
with the impact-absorbing bumper system. No modifications should be made to the vehic le exhaust and brake systems. From time to time, check that all hitch mounting bolts remain securely
fastened.
When you are no
t towing a trailer, remove the traile r hitch ball
mount. This prevents the hitch from causing damage shou ld your
vehic le be struck from behind=>& .
Traile r br akes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system, check to be sure
that it conforms to al l regu lations .
The trai ler hydraulic brake system must no t be direct ly connected to
the vehicle's hydraulic brake system.
S afet y c hains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle and the trailer.
Trailer light s
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure to check with your
Audi dealer for correc t wiring, swi tches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traf fic behind you using the regu lar
outside mirrors, then you
must install extended mirrors. It is impor­
tant that you
always have c lear vision to the rear.
& WARNING
After rem oving the tr aile r hitch , do not store it in your vehi cle. In
ca se of sudde n braking , the hit ch co uld fl y for ward and injure you
or your p asseng ers. a

Operating instructions
Max im um tra iler weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical class 1 or class 2
trailer.
T ra ile r l oa d di stributio n
Be sure the load in the trailer is he ld securely in place to prevent it
from shifting forward, backward or sideways .
Never allo w a passe nger to r ide in a tr aile r~ & in "Driving instruc­
tions" .
Engin e c oolin g sys te m
Towing a trailer makes the eng ine work harder. It is important that
the cooling system's performance is up to the additiona l load. Make
sure that the coo ling system has enough fluid .
Tire pr ess ure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your vehicle to the co ld tire
pressure listed under "Full load" on the labe l located either on the
driver's side B -pil lar (visible when the door is open) or inside the fuel
filler flap . Inflate trai ler tires to trai ler and tire manufacturers' spec­
ifications.
L ig ht s
The head light settings should be checked wit h the trai ler attached
before driving off. Check to make sure both vehicle and trai ler lights
are working properly .
Safe ty c ha in s
Be sure traile r safety chains are properly connected from the trailer
to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to
perm it turning corners . When you i nsta ll safety chains, make sure
they will not drag on the road when you are driving.
T he chains should cross under the trailer tongue to prevent it from
dropping in case of separat ion from the hitch.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Tr
aile r t owing
0 Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must activate the trailer opera­
tion mode ~
page 192, "Towing a Trailer". •
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care and
consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of veh icle and trailer,
please note t he following :
- Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself is not
loaded.
Be espec ia lly careful whe n passing other vehicles.
- Observe s peed limits .
Do not drive at the maximum permiss ible speed .
Always apply brakes ear ly.
Moni tor t he temperature ga uge.
Weight distr ibution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results in a highly
unstable distr ibution of weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at
very low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control. This means that
the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and perm is ­
s ib le, while keeping the trailer as light as possib le under the circum ­
stances . Whenever possible, transfe r so me cargo to t he luggage
compartment of the tow vehicle whi le observing tongue load
requirements and vehicle loading considera tions . .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data