2009 AUDI S8 steering

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

___ 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. ._

________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ ,n
•
& W ARNING (continu ed )
crashes and serious personal in jur ies . Have worn or da maged t ires
replaced immediately .
• Tires age even if they are not being u sed and can fail suddenly ,
especially at high speeds. T ires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then w ith special care and at
low speed.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the co mbined we ig ht ( in excess o f those sta nda rd items
which may be rep laced) of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power w indows, powe r seats, rad io, a nd heater, to
the extent that these items are avai lab le as factory-installed equip­
m ent (w hether insta lled or not).
Aspect ratio means t he ratio o f th e height to t he w idt h of the tire in perce nt.
N umbers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewa ll for improved
steer ing respo nse and b ette r overall ha ndl ing on dry pave ment.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is made of stee l wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdow n of the bond be tween co mponents i n the bead.
Cord
m eans the strands fo rmi ng the plies in the ti re.
& W ARNING (continued )
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history. " Old used t ire s may ha ve been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and lo ss of vehicle control.
• If you noti ce unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving , always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage . •
Cold tire inflation pressure
mea ns t he ti re pressure reco mm ended by the ve hicle ma nufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been d riven for more tha n
a cou ple o f miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in t he t hre e ho ur per iod
before the tire pressure is measured or ad justed .
Curb weight
means the weight of a moto r vehic le with standard equipment
i nc lud ing the max imu m capac ity o f fue l, o il, and coola nt, a ir c ond i­
tioning and additiona l weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire des ign to operate at higher loads and at highe r infla ­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Extra load tires
may be identified as "XL", "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the side ­
wa ll.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the load -carrying capacity of a sing le ax le system, measured
at the ti re -ground interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR "l
mea ns the ma ximum tot al l oade d weigh t of the vehicle.
Vehicle care
I t •

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

_________________________________________________ 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

______________________________________________ A_ l_,_ p _h_ a_ b_e _t_i c_ a _ l _in _ d_e _ x __ _
Weight-sensing mat .... .... . ... .. 246
When must the system be inspected?
231
Aircraft Transporting your vehicle .. .... .... 371
All Wheel Drive .. .... ....... .... .... 275
Alloy wheels ... .... .... .... ... .... .. 295
All -whee l drive
Winter tires .. ..... ... .... ..... .. . 343
A lternator
See Generator .... .... ... ..... ... . 18
Anti-freeze
See Engine coolant . ...... ..... .. . 316
Anti-lock brake system How the ABS system works . .... ... 274
Warning/indicator lights ... ... .... .. 21
Anti -Slip Regulation System (ASR)
How the system works ............ 272
An ti-t heft systems
Anti -theft ala rm system ...... .... .. 60
Electronic immob ilizer ... .. .... .... 49
Ashtray Front ... ...... ...... .... ..... ... 106
Rear .... ... .. .... .... ... .... .... 107
ASR How the Anti-Slip Regulation System works .. .... .... .... ... .... .... 272
Audi Service Repair Manua ls and Literature
382
AUTO mode AC climate con tro l .. .. .... ... .... . 1 17
Auto Safety Hotline . .... ........ .... . 209
Auto -Check Contro l .... ... .. .... .... .. 28
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Automatic belt
retractor ... .. ...... ... 215
Automatic car wash
See Washing ..... .... .... .... .... 291
Au tomatic Shift Lock (ASU .... .... .... 168
Automatic transmission 6-speed automatic transmission .... 166
Automatic Shift Lock (ASU .... ... .. 168
Driving ............. ............ . 166
Dynamic sh ift program .... ........ 169
Emergency release for selector lever 171
Fa il- safe mode . ...... .... .... .... 171
I gnition key safety lock . ...... .... . 130
Kick -d ow n .... .... .... .... ... .... 169
Manual shift program ... .. .... .... 170
Selector lever .... .... .... .... .... 1 67
Shift buttons ... .. .... .... .... ... 1 71
Steering wheel with tiptronic .. .... . 171
Average speed . ...... .... .... .... ... . 38
Avoid damaging the vehicle .. ..... ... . 28 1
B
Background ligh ting . .... ...... ... .... 76
Battery ... .. .... ... .... .... .... .... 320
Battery location inside the luggage compartment ...... .... ... .. .... 32 1
Charging ........................ 323
I mpo rta nt warn ings when work ing o n the
battery . .... .... .... ........ ... 32 1
low ............................. 276
Replacing the battery ....... .... .. 324
State of charge ... .... .... .... .... 276
Winter operation . .... .... .... .... 320
Working on the battery .... .... .... 321 Battery vo
ltage . ... .... .. .... .... .... . 36
Before driving ... .... .... ..... .. .... 201
Blended gasoline . .... .... .... ...... . 303
Body cavity sealing .. .... .... .... ... . 296
Boos ter seat ... .. .... .... ... .... .... 253
How do I properly insta ll a b ooster sea t in
my vehic le? ............... ..... 253
Safety instructions .... .......... .. 253
Brake fluid Changing the brake fluid ... .... .... 320
Checking the brake fluid level .. ... . 319
What is the correct brake fluid level? 319
What should I do if the brake f luid warning
light comes on? ... .. .... .... .... 319
Brake system Ant i-lock brake system . ..... .. .... . 21
Brake assistant .... .... .... ....... 27 4
Brake booster ..... .... ... .... .... 274
Brake fluid .... .... .... ... .... .... 319
Brake f luid specificat ions for re fill and
replacement . .... .... .... ...... . 320
Brake light defective ... ...... ...... 26
Brake pads ....... .... .... .... ... 280
Electromechanica l parking brake .... 134
Fluid reservoir .. ...... ..... .. .... 319
How does m oisture or road salt affec t the
brakes? . .... .... .... ....... .... 272
Malfunction ............ ... .. ..... 30
Warning/indicator lights .... .... .... 22
Worn brake pads symbol ........... 34
Break -in period .. .... .... .... .... ... 279
Brake pads ... .... .... .... ...... . 280
Tires . .... .... .... .... ... .... .... 279
Bu lbs . ... .... .... .... ... .... ...... . 36 4
Vehicle operation Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ A_l.:,. p _h_ a_ b_e _t _ic _ a_l _in _ d_e _x ____________________________________________ _
H
Head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Adjusting ....................... 205
Comfort head restraints ....... .... . 91
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Headlight range control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Headlights ... .... ... .... .... ...... .. 69
Adaptive Light .... .... .... ...... .. 72 Hood
Opening 308
Release lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Horn .. ...... ............ ....... .... 11
How many a irbags does my vehicle have? ..
227
How often should I check my tire pressures?
334
How safety belt pretensioners work .... 218
Hydroplaning ........ .... .... ...... 338 Instrumen
ts and controls
General illustration ................ 11
Illumination ...................... 15
Instrument cluster .. .... ..... .. .... 12
Int erior lights
Background lighting .... ... ........ 76
Front ............................ 74
Rear ...... .... ... ..... .. . .. .. .... 75
Intermittent wiping
Rain sensor ... .... .... ...... .... . 80
Defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Front fog lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
I J
Switching off ..................... 69
Switching on ...... ....... ........ 69
Washer reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Xenon headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Heated Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Windshield ...................... 123
Heated outside mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Heated seats Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119, 125
Heated steering wheel ............... 119
Heated washer jets
Wiper and washer system . . . . . . . . . . 80
Heavy clothing and safety belts ....... 214
High beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69, 73
Warning/indicator lights . .... . ... .. 19
High voltage warning label ... .... .... 376
Homelink® universal remote control .. 194 Ignition key
129 Jack
351
Ignition lock .. .... .... .... .... .... .. 129 Jumper cables .. ...... .... .... .... .. 367
Malfunction .. .... .... ... .... ..... 33 Jump-starting .... .... .... .... ...... 366
Ignition lock posit ions .......... ..... 129
Immobilizer ......................... 14 K
Important things to do before driving .. 201
Improperly worn safety be lts ......... 218
Indicator light
Airbag system ............... 231, 232
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ......... 232
Key ...... .... .... .... ... ....... .... 47
Battery replacement master key ... .. 48
Coded settings ................... 114
Emergency key .................... 47
Key replacement .................. 47
Indicator lights ....... ... ........ .... 16
Master key ....................... 47
Infant seat ........... ........ .... .. 250
Valet key ...... .... ............... 47
How do I properly install an infant seat in Key coded settings
my vehicle? .. ...... ....... .. ... 250
Climate controls .. .......... ..... 114
Safety instructions .............. . 250
Installing a child safety seat Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 Keyless
entry remote control . .......... 48
Kick-down .... ....... .... ... .... ... 169