2009 AUDI S8 instrument cluster

-Airbag s yste m P'll:f _______________ _
Child restraints on the front seat - some
important things to know
-Be sure to read t he important information and heed the
WARNINGS for important details about ch ildren and
Advanced Airbags~
page 245.
Even though your vehic le is equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System, make certain that a ll children, especia lly those 12 years and
younger , always ride in the back seat proper ly restrained for their
age and size . The airbag on the passenger side makes the front seat
a potentia lly dangerous place for a child to ride. The front seat is not
the safest p lace for a child in a forward -facing child seat . It can be a
very dangerous place for an infant or a child in a rearward -facing
seat.
The Advanced Ai rbag System in your vehicle has been certified to
comply with the requirements of United States Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 208 as applicable at the time your vehicle
was manufactured.
The Standard requires the front airbag on the passenger side to be
turned off ("suppressed") if a chi ld up to about one year of age
restrained in one of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant res traints listed in Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 w ith
which the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle was certified has been insta lled on the front passenger seat. For a listing of the child
restraints that were used to certify compliance with the US Safety
Standard =>
page 247.
The PASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the instrument pane l tells you
when the front Advanced Airbag on the passenger side has been
t urned off by the electronic control unit.
Each time you turn on the ignition, the
PASSE NGER AIR BA G OFF
light will come on for a few seconds and:
• will stay on if the front passenger seat is not occupied, •
will stay on if there is a small child or child restraint on the front
passenger seat,
• will go off if the front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registered by the weight-sensing mat=>
page 231, "Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System" .
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on when the control unit
detects a total weight on the front passenger seat that requires the
front airbag to be turned off.
If the total weight on the front passenger seat is more than tha t of
a typica l 1 year -old child but less than the weight of a small adult,
the front airbag on the passenger side can deploy (the
PA SSE NGER
AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on). If the PAS SEN GER AIR BA G
OFF
light does not come on, the front airbag on the passenger s ide
has not been turned off by the electronic control unit and can
deploy if the control unit senses an impact that meets the condi ­
tions stored in its memory.
For e xample , the air b ag ma y dep loy i f:
• a small ch ild that is heavier than a typical 1 year -o ld child is on
the front passenger seat (regardless of whether the child is in one
of the child seats listed
=> page 247), or
• a child who has outgrown chi ld restraints is on the front
passenger seat.
I f the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on in the instrument cluster and stays on.
The fron t airbag on the passenger side may
not deploy (the
PAS SENGER AIR BA G OFF light does not illuminate and stay lit) even
if a small adult or teenager, or a passenger who is no t sitting upright
with their back against a non -reclined backrest with their feet on the
vehic le floor in front of the seat is on the front passenger seat
=> page 202, "Proper seating position for the driver".
If the front passenger airbag deploys, the Federal Standard requires
t he airbag to meet the "low risk" deployment criteria to reduce the
risk of injury through interaction with the airbag. "Low risk" deploy­
ment occu rs in those crashes that take place at lower decelerations .,.

__________________________________________________ A_ i_ r _b _a...; g::- s_ y=--- s_t _e _m __ lll
& W ARNING (continued )
• If you must in stall a rearward facing child seat on the front
passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
immediately install the rear -facing child seat in a rear seating posi ­
tion and have the airbag system inspected by your Audi deale r.
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances , you must install a forward -facing
child restraint on the front passenger' s seat :
• 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 . •
Advanced Airbag System components
T he front passenger seat in your vehicle has a lot of very i mporta nt
parts of the Advanced A irbag System in it . T hese parts inc lude the
we ig ht -sens ing mat, se nso rs, w iring, bra cke ts, and more . The func ­
tion of the system in the front passenger seat is checked by the e lec­
tr onic con trol uni t w hen the ig nit io n i s on. T he co ntro l u nit mo nitors
the Advanced Airbag System and turns the a irbag indicator li ght on
w he n a mal fu ncti on in th e sy ste m com ponen ts is de tec ted . Th e
function of the airba g indicator lig ht is desc ribed in greater detail
below . Because the front passenge r seat contains important parts
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation of the Advanced Airbag System, you must
take care to prevent it
fro m being damaged. Damage to the sea t may prevent t he
Advanced Airbag for the front passenger seat from doing its job in
a cra sh.
The front Advanced Airbag System consists of the
following: • C rash sensors in the front of the vehicle that measure vehic le
acce lera tion/dece lera tio n to p rovide i nfo rm ati on to the A dva nce d
Airbag System about the severity of the crash .
• An ele ctro nic c ontrol unit , with integ ra te d crash se nsors f or front
and side impacts. The control unit "decides" whether to fire the
fr ont airbags based on the info rmati on receive d from the cras h
sensors. The control unit also "decides" whethe r th e safety belt
p retens ione rs sh ould be activated .
• An Advanced Airbag with gas generator for the driv er inside th e
stee ring w hee l hub .
• A n Advanced Airbag with gas gene rator inside the instrument
p a nel for the fr ont pa ssen ger.
• A weight -sens ing mat under the upholstery padding of the front
pa ssenge r sea t cush io n th a t m eas ures the tot al w eig ht on the se at .
T he info rmation registered is sent continuously to the e lect ron ic
c on tro l unit t o reg ulate de plo ym en t of th e fr ont A dva nce d Ai rbag on
th e passenger sid e.
• An airbag monito rin g syst em and indicator lig ht in the instru­
ment cluster => page
231 .
• The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF lig ht co mes o n an d stays on in th e
center of the instrument panel=> page
232 , fig. 235 and tells you
w hen th e front A dv anced Air b ag o n the p asseng er s ide h as been
turned off .
• A se nso r be low t he safety belt l atc h for the fro nt sea t pass enger
to measure the tension on the safety be lt . T he tension on the safety
belt and the w eigh t re giste red by the wei ght-s en sing mat h elp t he
control unit "decide" whether the front airbag for the front
p asse nge r seat shou ld be t urned off or not => pag e
222, "Child
restraints on the front seat -some important things to know". _,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental protecti on
to properly rest rained occupants.
Fi g. 238 Si de a ir b ag
lo ca tio n in th e driv er's
seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the front seat backrests
=> fig. 238 and the rear backrest facing the doors . They are identified
by the word "AIRBAG" .
The sid e ai rbag sy stem b asica lly consis ts of :
• t he electronic control module and external side impact sen sors
• the two side airbags located in the sides of the front backrests
• two rear side airbags
• the a irbag warning light in the instrument cluster.
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain that it is functioning properly at all times. Each time you turn on the igni ­
tion, the airbag system indicator light wi ll come on for a few
seconds (self diagnostics).
The side airbag system supplements the safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of injury to the driver's, front and rear passenger's
upper torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side colli ­
sion. The airbag deploys only in side impacts and on ly when the
vehicle acceleration registered by the control unit is high enough . If
Safety first
Airb ag sy ste m
this rate is below the reference value programmed into the control
unit, the side airbags w ill not be triggered, even though the car may
be badly damaged as a result of the col lision. It is not possible to
define an airbag triggering range that wi ll cover every possible
ang le of impact, since the circumstances will vary considerably
between one collision and another. Important factors include, for
examp le, the nature (hard or soft) of the impacting object, the angle
of impact, vehicle speed, etc.=>
page 240, "Important safety instruc ­
tions on the side airbag system".
Aside from their norma l safety function, safety belts work to he lp
keep the driver or front passenger in position in the even t of a side
collision so that the side airbags can provide protection .
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your safety belt. Rathe r, it
is part of the overall occupant restraint system in your vehicle.
Always remember that the side airbag system can only he lp to
pro tect you if you are wearing your safety belt and wear ing it prop­
erly. This is another reason why you should always wear your safety
belts, not just because the law requires you to do so==>
page 211,
"General notes" .
I t is important to remember that while the supplementa l side airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abrasions can
a lso be associated with deployed s ide airbags . Remember too, side
airbags will deploy only once and only in certain kinds of accidents
- your safety belts are always there to offer pro tec tion .
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of vehicle damage are not necessarily an indication of over -sensitive or failed airbag acti ­
vation . In some collisions, both front and side airbags may inflate.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy on ly once and only in
certain kinds of collisions -your safety belts are always there to
offer protection in those acc idents in which airbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have already dep loyed.
The sid e airbag system w ill not deploy :
• when the igni tion is turned of f
•
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

vidual components. It regulates consumption, so that more elec­
trical energy is not being used than is being genera ted and ensures
an optimal state of charge for the battery.
[ i ] Tips
• But even energy management cannot negate the limits of
physics. Consider that the power and life of a battery are limited.
• If starting ability is threatened, you are informed by a warning
~ page 277, "Driver notification in the instrument cluster
display". •
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining starting capa ­
bility.
The battery is severely taxed in short -distance driving, in city traffic
and during the cold time of year . Abundant electrical energy is
required, but only a little is generated . It is also critical if the engine
is not running and e lectrical components are turned on. In this
instance energy is being consumed but none is being generated .
It is in precisely these situations that you wi ll notice energy manage ­
ment actively regulating the distribution of energy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of several days or
weeks, electrical components are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and maintains starting capability
over a longer period.
Be aware that when you unlock your vehicle, some of the conve ­
nience functions may not operate, such as the Convenience key, the
remote control or the power seat adjustment. The convenience
functions will be available again when you turn on the ignition and start the engine.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Intelligent technology
With the
engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for examp le, with the engine turned off or
use other MMI functions, the battery is being discharged.
If starting capability is jeopardized due to energy consumption, the
following warning appears in the MMI display:
Please start engine, otherwise system will switch off in 3
minutes .
The warning indicates that the system wi ll be turned off automati­
cal ly after 3 minutes. If you wish to continue using the functions,
you have to start the engine .
With the engine running
Although e lectrica l energy is generated when the vehicle is being
driven, the battery can become discharged. This happens mostly
when little energy is being generated and a great deal consumed
and the battery's state of charge is not optimal.
To bring the energy balance back into equi librium , consumers
which require especia lly large amounts of energy are temporarily
cut back or switched off. Heating systems in particular require a
great deal of energy. If you notice, for example, that the heated
seats* or the heated rear window are not heating, they have been
temporarily cut back or switched off. These systems will be available
again as soon as the energy balance has been restored.
You wil l also notice that engine idle speed has been increased
s lightly . This is norma l and not a cause for concern . By increasing
engine idle speed the additiona l energy required is generated and
the battery is charged. •
Driver notification in the instrument cluster
display
If the battery's state of charge is not in the optimal range, this driver
notification appears in the instrument cluster display:
Low battery charge: battery will be charged while driving ~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ T_ r _a_ il_e _r_ t_ o_ vv_ in__... g,_ __________________________________________________ _
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it becomes for the driver to
control the rig. Do not drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce your speed even more if load, weather or wind conditions
are unfavorable -particularly when going downhi ll.
Reduce vehicle speed
im med ia tel y if the trailer shows the slightest
sign of swaying.
Do not try to s top the swayi ng by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for vehicles towing
trai lers are lower than for regular vehicles .
Always apply brakes ear ly. When driving downhill, shift into a lower
gear to use the engine braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes a lone can cause them to overheat and fail.
C ool ant t emp era tur e
The coolant temperature gauge=> page 12 must be observed care­
fully. If the needle moves close to the upper end of the scale, reduce
speed immed iately and/or turn off the air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light in the instrument cluster
starts flashing
- F- , pull off the road, stop and let the engine idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build-up.
& WARNING
A nyo ne n ot properly re str aine d in a moving vehi cle i s at a mu ch
g re ater ri sk in an accident . Never let any on e r ide in y our car who
is n ot pr operl y wea ring th e re stra ints pr ovided b y Audi . •
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a trailer because of
the additional weight and different weight distribution. Safety, performance and economy will greatly depend on how carefully you
l
oad your trailer and operate your r ig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice turning, stopping and
backing up in an area away from traffic . Keep practicing unti l you
have become comp letely familiar with the way your vehicle-trai ler
combination behaves and responds.
Back ing up is difficult and requires practice. Backing up with a
trailer generally requires steering action opposite to that when backing up your vehic le without a tra iler.
Ma intain a greater distance between your veh ic le and the one in
front of you . You will need more room to stop. To compensate for
the trai ler, you w ill need a larger than norma l turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accelerate as fast as you nor mally wou ld because of the added load . Make su re you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your
trai ler befo re changing lanes again .
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes.
[ i ] T ips
• Do not tow a trailer during the break -in period of your vehicle.
• I f you tow a trailer, your Audi may require more frequent main te­
nance due to the extra load=>
page 382. •
Parking on a slope
Do n ot park on a slope with a trailer. If it cann ot be
avoi ded, do so only after d oing the followi ng:
When p arking :
-Apply the foot brake.
- Have someone p lace chocks under both the vehicle and
the trailer wheels. ._

-Tires and wheels
---------------------------------------------
It is important to ch eck the ti re pressure when the tires are cold .
• Read the req uire d tire p re s su re from the tire press ure la b el. On
USA vehicles, the tire p ressure label is located on the driver's side
8 -p illar. On Canada vehic les, the tire p ressure label is located either
on the driv er's sid e 8-pill ar or ins ide t he fuel fill er flap.
• Tur n the va lve stem cap c ounte r-cl ockwise to rem ove it fr om t he
tire valv e.
• Place th e a ir p re s sur e ga uge on th e valve .
• Th e tire pressures should only be checked and adjusted when
th e tires are col d. The s lig htly raise d pres sures of wa rm tires m ust
not be r educ ed .
• Adjus t the tire pre ssu re to the l oad you are carrying.
• Reinstal l the valve stem cap on the valve.
When should
I check the tire pressure?
The correc t tir e pr ess ure is especiall y important a t hi gh speeds . The
pressu re should the re fore be checked at l east once a mont h an d
a lways bef ore sta rting a j ourn ey . D o not for get to chec k the ti re pr es­
su re for the s pare wh eel
::::> page 352.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust the tire pr essure to the load you are carrying . After changing
a whee l or re plac ing w hee ls you have to adj ust th e tire pre ssu res on
a ll whee ls. I n ad ditio n, you must t hen stor e the ne w tire pr essu res
in t he tire pres sure mon it o ring system *=> page
41.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinflation can lead sudden tire
failure, loss of control, collision , serious personal injury or even
death .
• When the warning symbol appears in the instrument
cluster, stop and inspect the tires .
& WARNING (continued)
• Incorrect tire pressure and /or underinflation can cause
increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability .
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure , including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing loss of vehicle control .
• The driver is responsible for the correct tire pressures for all
tires on the vehicle. The applicable pressure values are located on
a sticker on the driver's side B-pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap.
• Only when all tires on the vehicle are filled to the correct pres­
sure , the tire pressure monitoring system* can work corre ctly.
• The use of incorrect tire pressure values can lead to accidents
or other damage . Therefore it is essential that the driver observe
the specified tire pressure values for the tires and the correct pres­
sures for the function of the tire pressure mon itoring system* .
• Always inflate tires to the recommended and correct tire pres ­
s ure before driving off .
• Driving with underinflated tires bend more , letting them get
too hot resulting in tread separation , sudden tire failure and loss
of control.
• Excessive speed and /overloading can cause heat build-up ,
s udden tire failure and loss of control.
• If the tire pressure is too low or too high, the tires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle will not handle well.
• If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel
immediately , drive at reduced speed to the nearest service station
to check the tire pressure and add air as required. _..

_________________________________________________ F_ u_ s_ e_s _ a_n _d_ b_ u _ lb_ s _ __._
[ i J Tip s
You are wel l advised to keep a supply of spare fuses in your vehic le.
Fuses with the proper ampere ratings are available at your Audi
dealer. •
Fuse Location , Instrument Panel left
F ig. 295 Fuse pan el
l ayout
Some of the equipment items listed are optiona l or only available on
certain model configurations.
No te t hat th e fo llow ing t able is acc urate a t the time o f goin g to
p re ss an d is s ubject to c hang e. In the e vent of di screpancies, the
lab el on the insi de of th e cover alwa ys ta kes prece dence .
The power windows and the power seats are protected by cir cui t
bre akers,
which automatically reset after a few seconds after the
over load -for example if a window is frozen -has been remedied .
N o. Equipm ent
1 Garage door opener (HomeLinkl 5
Parking assist system 5
3
Parking assist system 5
4
Headlight range control/light control device 10
No .
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
Equipm ent Amps
Instrument c luster
5
Steering column electronics system control 1 0
Diagnostic connector 5
Diagnostic connector/oil level sensor 5
ESP contro l unit/steering angle sensor 5
Instrument cluster 5
Audi lane assist 10
Brake light switch 5
Telephone/cell phone 10
Vacant
Access/start control module
5
RSE system 10
Adaptive Cruise Control 5
Heate d washer jets 5
Vacant
Tire pressure monitoring system*
5
Vacant
Brake light switch
5
Ce ll phone preparation 5
Horn 1 5
Windshield wiper system 40
Vacant
E lectronic Stabilization Program (ESP)
25
Vacant
Switch illumination
1
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service irechnical data

__ _!_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