2009 AUDI S8 warning

Clear vision
Lights
Switching the headlights on and off ·'t!-·
In the "AUTO " position, a light sensor automatically
s w itches t he head- and tailligh ts on and off in response to
l ight con ditio ns.
Fig . 56 Instrument
p an el: light switch
Switching on automatic headlight control
- T urn th e lig ht switch to AUTO => fig. 56 .
Switching on the side marker lights
- T urn the light switch to ~oo~.
Switching on the headlights and high beam
- T urn th e li ght swit ch to fD.
- Pu sh the high beam leve r forw ard towa rds t he instru -
m ent panel
=> page 73 .
Switching off the lights
- T urn t he light switch to 0 .
Con tro ls and eq uip­
ment
Clear vision
The headlights only work when the ignition is switched on . While
starting the engine or when switching off the ignition, the head ­
lights will go off and only the side marker lights will be on.
After starting the engine, the xenon headlights are automa tically
adjus ted to the load and a ngle of the vehic le (for example, during
acceleration , braking) . This prevents oncoming traffic from exper i­
encing unnecessary headl ig ht g la re from your xenon head ligh ts .
If the system is not operating properly, a warning symbol in the
Auto -Check Contro l is displayed => page
36.
With the side marke r lights or head ligh ts switched on, the sym bol
next to the light switch illuminates
:oo:.
Daytime running lights
• USA models : The daytime running lights wi ll come on automati­
ca lly when the ig nition is turned on and the ligh t swi tch => fig. 56 is
in the
O position or the AUTO position (only in daylight conditions).
The
Daytime running lights func tio n can be tur ned on and off in the
MMI menu
E xterior lighting => page 70 => & .
• Canada models: The dayti me ru nn ing lights wi ll come on au to ­
matically when the ignition is turned on and the light switch
=> fig. 56 is i n the
O po sitio n or the AUTO po siti on (only in dayligh t
condi tions) => & .
Automatic headligh t control
In the switch posi tion AUTO the automatic headlight cont ro l is
t urned on . The low beams are turned on automa tica lly through a
light sensor as soon as ambient brightness (e .g . when driving into a
t unnel) fa lls below a value preset at the factory . When ambient
brightness increases again, the low beams are turned off again
aut omatically =>& .
I n the
AUTO posit io n the low beams are switched off automatically
when the ignition is turned off. If the high beams were switched on,
they w ill come o n again the ne xt time the a utomatic head ligh t
~
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

Clear vision
control is activated. The high beam function must first be switched
on in the MMI
=> page 70 .
Light Se nsor M alfu nction
In the event of a ligh t sensor mal funct ion, the driver is notified in the
instrument cluster display:
~ Autom atic headlights /aut om atic wipers defe ctive
For safety reasons the low beams are turned on permanently wit h
the switch in
AUTO . However, you can continue to turn the lights on
and off using the light switch . Have the light sensor checked as soon
as possible at a dealership.
& WARNING
• Never use d aytime running lights to see where you are going .
The y are not bright enough and will not let you see f ar enoug h
ahead for s afet y, espe cially at du sk or when it is dark. Alw ays
switch on the low beams at du sk or when i t is dark .
• Autom ati c he adli ght s are onl y intended to as sist the dr iver .
The y do not relie ve the d riv er of his re spon sib ility to che ck the
he adlights and to turn them on manuall y according to t he current
ligh t and vi sibility conditions . For example , fog and ra in cannot be
dete cted by the light sen sor s. S o alw ays switch on the he adlights
under these weather con dition s and when dr iving in the dark
gD .
• Cras hes ca n happen when you c annot s ee the ro ad ahe ad and
when you cannot be seen by other motor ists .
- Alw ays turn on the headlight s so that you can see ahe ad and
s o that others can se e your c ar from th e ba ck.
[ i J Tips
• With the switch in AUTO front fog lights and rear fog lights
cannot be turned on in addition. • I
f you remove the ignition from the ignition lock while the head­
l ights are s till on, a bu zzer w ill sound as long as the driver's door is
open to remind you to turn off the l ights .
• Always observe the specific local regulations for your area as to
when to use your lights. •
Adjusting exterior lighting
The functions are set in the MM/.
Press the I CAR] function button.
- Select
Systems in the CA R menu.
Fig. 57 MM I dis pla y:
E xt eri or ligh ting
- Sele ct Exterior lighting. The menu Exterior lighting
appears => fig . 57.
C oming h ome
The Coming home function ensures that after tu rni ng off the igni ­
tion and open ing the driv er's d oor
the vehicle periphery is illum i­
nated in the dark . In addition, the front fog lights, the tail lights and
the license plate light are turned on . On -ti me can be set fo r a per iod
from
O (off) to 60 seconds. ~

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

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

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

Seats and storage
Seats and storage
General recommendations
Why is your seat adjustment so important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can only provide
maximum protection if the front seats are correctly
adjusted.
There are various ways of adjusting the front seats to provide safe
and comfortable support for the driver and the front passenger.
Adjust your seat properly so that :
• you can easily and quickly reach all the switches and controls in
the instrument panel
• your body is properly supported thus reducing physical stress
and fatigue
• the safety belts and airbag system can offer maximum protec ­
tion =>
page 220.
In the following sections , you will see exactly how you can best
adjust your seats.
There are special regulations and instructions for installing a child seat on the front passenger's seat. Always follow the information
regarding child safety provided in=>
page 245, "Child Safety".
L1}. WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and all other passengers
can result in serious personal injury.
• Always keep your feet on the floor when the vehicle is in motion
- never put your feet on top of the instrument panel, out of the
window or on top of the seat cushion. This applies especially to
the passengers. If your seating position is incorrect, you increase
the risk of injury in the case of sudden braking or an accident. If
& WARNING (continued)
the airbag inflates and the seating position is incorrect, this could
result in personal injury or even death.
• It is important for both the driver and front passenger to keep
a distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between themselves and
the steering wheel and/or instrument panel. If you're sitting any closer than this, the airbag system cannot protect you properly. In
addition, the front seats and head restraints must be adjusted to
your body height so that they can give you maximum protection.
• Always try to keep as much distance as possible between your­
self and the steering wheel or instrument panel.
• Do not adjust the driver's or front passenger's seat while the
vehicle is moving. Your seat may move unexpectedly, causing
sudden loss of vehicle control and personal injury.
If you adjust
your seat while the vehicle is moving, you are out of position. •
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe and relaxed
driving.
We recommend that you adjust the driver's seat in the
following manner:
- Adjust the seat in fore and aft direction so that you can
easily push the pedals to the floor while keeping your
knees slightly bent=>
& in "Why is your seat adjustment
so important?".
Adjust the seatback so that when you sit with your back
against the seatback, you can still grasp the top of the
steering wheel. _..

- Position the head restraint according to the occupant's height=>
page 91. For maximum protection, the top of
the head restraint should be at least at eye level, prefer­
ably higher and ideally level with the top of the head
=>
page 205, fig. 220.
& WARNING
Never place any objects in the driver's footwell. An object could
get into the pedal area and interfere with pedal function. In case
of sudden braking or an accident, you would not be able to brake
or accelerate. •
Front passenger's seat
Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost
position.
To avoid contact with the airbag while it is deploying, do not
sit any closer to the instrument panel than necessary and
always wear the three-point safety belt provided adjusted
correctly. We recommend that you adjust the passenger's
seat in the following manner:
- Move the front passenger seat into the rearmost position
of the fore and aft adjustment range=>
& in "Why is
your seat adjustment so important?" on
page 86.
-Bring the backrest up to an (almost) upright position. Do
not ride with the seat reclined.
- The ideal position for the head restraint is with the upper
edge of the restraint level with the top of your head
=>
page 91. You should not lower the top of the restraint
below the level of your eyes.
Con tro ls and eq uip­
ment
Seats and storage
- Place your feet on the floor in front of the passenger's
seat. •
Power seat
Controls
The operating logic for the switches corresponds to the
construction and function of the seat.
Fig . 81 Power seat:
Controls for seat
adjustment
The switches to adjust the seats correspond to the layout, the
design and the function of the seat. The seats are adjusted by
moving the switches following this logic.
© Upper thigh support=> page 88
@ Seat adjustment=> page 88
© Massage function* => page 89
@ Seatback angle=> page 89 and head restraint=> page 91 adjust -
ment
© Separate adjustment of upper seatback section ::;, page 89
© Adjusting the lumbar support ::;, page 90
@ Safety belt height adjustment=> page 218
Vehicle care
I I irechnical data

Seats and storage
& WARNING
• Never adjust the driver's or front passenger's seat while the
vehicle is moving. If you do this while the vehicle is moving, you
will be out of position . Always adjust the driver's or front
passenger's seat when the vehicle is not moving .
• Be careful when adjusting the seat height . Check to see that no
one is in the way, or serious injury could result!
• Because the seats can be electrically adjusted with the ignition
key removed, never leave children unattended in the vehicle. Unsu­
pervised use of the electric seat adjustments may cause serious
injury. •
Upper thigh support
The adjustable upper thigh support provides optimal
support for the upper thigh when driving .
___ .. _:_·_-_.-_--·-·------·---.... _-_---.. ·-:.-_
Fig . 82 Power seat :
Switch for upper thigh
support
- To extend the upper thigh support, push the switch
forward.
- To make the upper thigh support shorter, push the switch
to the rear.
& WARNING
Never adjust the seat cushion while the vehicle is moving . If you
adjust your seat while the vehicle is moving, you are out of posi­
tion. Always adjust the seat cushion when the vehicle is not
moving. •
Seat adjustment
Fig. 83 Power seat:
Switch for seat adjust­
ment
Moving the seat forward and backward (D
- Press the switch forward or backward horizontally=>& .
Adjusting the seat height
0 and G) together
- Pull the switch evenly at both ends to raise the seat=> &.
-Push the switch evenly at both ends to lower the seat
=> & .
Angling the seat cushion up and down
0 or G)
- To angle the seat cushion up, pull the switch at the front
only=> &.
-Alternatively, push the switch at the rear only =>& . .,_