2009 AUDI S8 checking oil

Safety first ........ ... ... .. .
Driving Safely ................. .
General notes ... .............. .
Proper occupant seating positions
Driver and passenger s ide footwell
Peda l area ..... ..... ....... ... .
Stowing luggage .............. .
Reporting Safety Defects ..... .. .
Safety belts .............. ... .. .
Genera l notes ....... .......... .
Why safety be lts? .. ...... ..... .
Safety belts .. .. .. .... ... .. ... .
Safety belt pretensioners ...... .
Airbag system ..... ... ... .. ... .
Important thing s to know .. •....
Front airbags .. ... ..... ..... .. .
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System ..... ... .. ....... .. ... .
Knee airbags ................. .
Side a irbags .... ..... ........ . .
Side curtain airbags ........... . 199
200
200
202
206
206 207
209
211
211
212
215
218
220
220
224
231
236
239
242
Child Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Impor tant things to know . . . . . . . 245
Child safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Insta lling a ch ild safety seat . . . . . 255
Addit ional Information . . . . . . . . . . 258
Lower anchorages and tether for
children (LATCH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Vehicle operation . . . . . . . . 269
Intelligent technology . . . . . . . . . . 270
Notice about data recorded by
vehicle control modules . . . . . . . . .
270
Elect ronic Stabilizat ion Program
(ESP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
270
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Servotronic® -advanced power
steer ing system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Driv ing w it h your quattro® . . . . . . 275
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Driving and environment . . . . . . . 279
The first 1,000 mi les ( 1,500 km) and
afterwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
279
Cata lytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Avoid damaging the vehicle . . . . . 281
Operate your vehicle economically
and minimize pollution . . . . . . . . . .
281
Trai ler towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Driv ing w ith a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Trai ler towing tips . . . . . . . . . • . . . . 286
Table of contents
Vehicle care ....... ... ... ... 289
Cleaning and protection ........ 290
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Care of exte rior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Care of inte rior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Fuel supply and filling your fuel
tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Gasoline . . . . . . . . • . . . . • . . . . . . . . . 303
Fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Engine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 10
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Eng ine cooling system . . . . . . . . . . 3 16
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . 319
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
W indshield/headlight washer
container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Tires ... ... ... .... .. ... ... .... .. 326
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

If the indicator goes all the way to the right side inside the coolant
temperature gauge, then the engine coolant temperature is too
high.
Pull off the road to safe location, turn off the engine and let it
cool down.
If the warning light comes on again after you have driven
a short distance, contact a qualified workshop.
& WARNING
• Always observe the warning in :::::, page 301, "Engine compart­
ment", before opening the hood and checking the engine coolant
level.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
see engine coolant dripping from the engine compartment. You
could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant.
0 Note
• Mounting additional lights or accessories in front of the air inlets
reduces the cooling effect of the radiator. At high outside tempera ­
tures or high engine load, the engine could overheat.
• The front spoiler has been designed to properly distribute the
cooling air when the vehicle is moving . If the spoiler is damaged,
this could reduce the cooling effect and the engine could then over­
heat. Ask your authorized Audi dealer for assistance. •
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM (revolutions per
minutes).
The tachometer 0:::::, page 12, fig . 2 is the left of the two large clock­
type displays.
The engine turns at a speed
1,000 times the single digit in the
display, e.g. if the needle is pointing at the "2" the engine is turning
at 2,000 RPM.
Controls and equip ­
ment
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
If engine RPM drops below 1,500, you should downshift to the next
lower gear. The red area at the end of the scale indicates maximum
permissible engine RPM after the break-in period. Before reaching
this area, move the selector lever to position "D (Drive)" or ease your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
0 Note
The tachometer needle should not move into the red range . If it
does, then only for a very short period of time. You could damage
your engine by driving at high RPM.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel and reduces engine noise .•
Digital clock with date display
Date and time of day can be set in MM/.
Fig . 3 Instrument
cluster with digital
clock
The date, time of day, and time and date format can be set in MMI.
You can find out more in the MMI manual. ..,.
I • •

If the warning light illuminates, immediate ly contact your autho ­
ri zed Aud i dealer or qualified workshop to have a ll brake pads
inspected . On USA models the warning light
.1 comes on together
with the warni ng light
BRA KE. Both set s of brake pads on an axle must
a lways be replaced at the same time .
& WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cau se a colli sion and serious personal
injury.
• If the warning light and the warning light
BRAKE11 with the
mes sage Brake pads ! come s on in the in strument clu ster display ,
immediately conta ct your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pads checked or replaced if nece ssary .•
Checking the engine oil level ~
.... ,. Plea se check oil le vel
When the symbo l illuminates, chec k the eng ine oi l leve l as so on as
possible=>
page 313 . Add oil if necessary=> page 374 . •
Engine oil sensor defective
~ Oil level ! sen sor defective
If the symbo l il luminates, contact your authorized Audi dea ler and
have the oi l sensor inspecte d. Until you have this done, check the o il
level each time you refuel just to be on the safe side=>
page 373. •
11 BRAK E: USA mode ls on ly
Controls and equip ­
ment
Driv er information display
Ap plies to vehic les: wit h eng ine s peed limita tio n
Engine speed limitation
!-1 Engine speed maximum XXXX RPM
The _-symbo l illuminates when there is an engine control malfunc ­
t io n. The indica to r light "in the instrument clus te r also illumi ­
nates . The engine speed is limited to the speed displayed in the
driver info rmation system . Keep in mind that the engine speed wil l
not e xceed the va lue d isplayed in the dr ive r info rm ation system, fo r
examp le when downshifting.
Please go to an au thorized Audi deale r or other qua lif ied workshop
to have the ma lfunction repaired .•
Fuel supply too low l
A Please refuel
When the symb ol i llu minates, this means there are abo ut 2.4
gallons
(9 l itres) of fuel left in the fuel tank . Time to refuel.
=>
page 304 .
If the symbo l lig hts up, eve n w hen there is ample fuel in th e tank,
and the text
Tank system malfunction ! Conta ct workshop appears
i n the d isp lay, t here is a fault in th e sys tem. C ontac t a q ua lified work ­
shop to have the fault rectified .•
' Windshield washer fluid level too low ~
Plea se top up washe r fluid
If t he symbo l illum inates, add windshie ld washe r fluid to the washe r
system and a lso to the headlight washer system=>
page 325. •
I • •

Checking and filling -
------------- ----=-----= =-----...J
& WARNING
Before y ou che ck an ything in the eng ine comp artment , alw ays
read and heed all WARNING S
~ & in "W orkin g in the engin e
c ompartment " on
page 309. •
App lies to ve hic les : with 1 2-cy lin d er engine
Engine compartment overview : 1 2-cylinder
engine
These are the most important items tha t you can check.
Fig . 264 Typical layo ut fo r c ontain ers, engi ne oil dip st ick a nd e ngine o il filler
ca p
G) Windshield/head light washer container ( Q ) . . . . . . . . 325
@ Brake fluid reservoir ( l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
© Engine oi l dipstick (orange) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
© Engine oil fi ller cap ('t=:11) .. .. ... ... .... .. .. ... .. . .
© Coolan t expansion tank(_}_ ) ... ........ .... ... ... .
& WARNING
Before you check anything in th e engine co mpartment , alw ays
r e a d and heed all WARNIN GS
~ & in " Worki ng i n t he engin e
c ompartm ent " on
page 309.
[ i ] Tip s
The coo lant expansion tank is located under a cover .•
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
314
317
The engine oil us ed in your Audi needs the right kind of
oil.
Th e engin e in your Audi is a soph isticat ed pow erplant that was built
to exacting specifications . This engine needs the right kind of
e ngine o il that meets specifications regarding quality and v iscosity
so that it can run smoothly and re liably. Choosing the righ t oil and
changing o il wi thin the time and mileage interva ls printed in your
vehicle's Warranty
& Ma intenance book let matte rs a lot more today
than it did years ago . Audi has developed a special quality standard
for engine oil that wil l help assure that your vehicle's engine wi ll get
the lub rication it needs for proper operation .
Modern engin e lubrication has taken a quantum leap in the last few
years . Many syn thetic oils ava ilable today provide better engine
lubrica tion that can outlas t traditional petroleum-based oils,
making them a smart choice for use throughout the life of your Audi.
Whether you use synthetic or petroleum -based engine oil , the oil
that you use must conform to Audi's oi l quality standard VW 502 00
ti,,,
Vehic le care I I Technical data

-Checking and filling ------=-------------------
to help keep your vehicle's engine running smoothly and help
prevent the formation of harmful deposits, sometimes called
"sludge," that over time can lead to expensive repairs.
At the time of printing, engine oils available in the U.S. and Canada
that meet the exacting specificat ions of Audi oil standard VW 502 00
are synthetic engine oils. This does not mean, however, that every
synthetic engine oil will meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00. So
always be sure that you use an approved oil.
To help prevent the formation of harmful deposits use only oi l with
the following specifications printed on the oil container:
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
Oil container labels may carry the specification singly or in combi­
nation with other designations and oil quality standards.
Viscosity
Engine oi ls are graded according to their viscosity . The proper
viscosity grade oil for your engine depends on climactic or seasonal
conditions where you drive. You can use oil with a v iscosity grade of
SAE 5W40 across all temperature ranges for normal driving condi­
tions.
However, if engine oil viscosity grade SAE 5W40 is not available, you
can also use viscosity grade SAE 5W-30 or SAE 0W -40 as long as it
meets Audi oil quality standard VW 502 00 specifications.
Because engine oil that meets the Audi oil standard may not be
available everywhere when you need it, we strongly recommend
that you always carry with you an extra quart Oiterl of oil that express ly conforms to the VW 502 00 specification, in case you have
to top off the oil while on the road.
Only if the level of the oil is at or below the minimum mark on the
oil dipstick -and no oil that expressly conforms to Audi oi l standard
VW 502 00 specifications is available -may you top off with a high
quality engine oi l, preferably synthetic-based, that meets ACEA A3,
ACEA A5 or ACEA B5, API SL or ILSAC GF-3 specifications, but even
then, only in viscosity grades SAE 5W -40, SAE 5W -30, or SAE 0W -40 .
However, during the entire time between oil change intervals, never top
off with more than a total of 0 .5 qt/liter engine oil that does not
conform to Audi oil specification VW 502 00.
For more information about engine oil that has been approved for
your vehicle, please contact either your authorized Audi dealer or
Audi Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web s ite at
www.audiusa.com or www.audicanada.ca. Here you will also find a
current list of oils (manufacturers, brand names etc .) that conform
to Audi oil standard VW 502 00.
Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed according to the
mileage (kilometers) and time intervals specified in your vehicle 's
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed these intervals -
harmful deposits from old engine oil can reduce engine perfor­
mance and can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changing the oil at the recommended intervals is so very important
because the lubricating properties of oi l decrease gradua lly during
normal vehicle use. If you are not sure when you have your oil
changed, ask your authorized Audi Service Advisor .
Under some circumstances the eng ine oil should even be changed
more frequently . Change oil more often if you drive mostly short
distances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or mostly under stop­
and -go traffic conditions, or when you use your vehicle where
temperatures stay below freezing point for long periods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil look dark after the
engine has been running for a short time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than recommended .
Damage or malfunctions due to lack of maintenance
It is essential that you change your oil at the recommended interva ls
using only engine oil that complies with Audi oil standard
VW 502 00. Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not cover
damage or malfunctions due to failure to follow recommended
maintenance and use requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's
Manual and Warranty & Maintenance booklet. Your dea ler wi ll have
to deny warranty coverage unless you present to the dealer proof in
~

Checkin g and fillin g -
--------------~-
•
the form of Service or Repair Orders that all schedu led maintenance
was performed in a time ly manner .•
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an adequate
amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of its moving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrication and cool ing of internal
engine components, all internal combustion engines consume a
certain amount of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to engine
and may change significantly over the life of the engine. Typically,
engines with a specified break -in period (see~
page 279) consume
more oil during the break-in period than they consume after oi l
consumption has stabi lized .
Unde r normal conditions, the rate of oil consumption depends on
the quality and viscosity of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute)
at which the engine is operated, the ambient temperature and road
conditions . Further factors are the amount of oil dilution from water
condensation or fuel residue and the oxidation level of the o il. As
any engine is subject to wear as mileage builds up, the oil consump ­
tio n may increase over time unt il rep lacement of worn components
may become necessary.
With all these variables coming into play, no standard rate of oil
consu mption can be estab lished or specified. There is no a lternative
to regular and frequent checking of the oil level, see Note .
If the yellow engi ne oil level warning symbol in the instrume nt
cluster lights up, you should check the oil level as soon as
poss ible
with the oil dipstick~ page 313 . Top off the oil at your
earliest convenience~
page 314.
& WARNING
Before you che ck anything in the eng ine comp artment , alw ay s
read and heed all WARNINGS
~ & in "Working in the engine
c ompartment " on
page 309 .
0 Note
Driving with an insufficie nt o il level is l ikely to cause severe damage
to the engine.
[ i ] Tip s
• The oil pressure warning displ ay ce,. is not an indi cat or of the oil
level . Do not rely on it. Instead , check the oil level in your engine at
regular interv als , prefe rably ea ch time you refuel , and always before
going on a long trip.
• If you have the impression your engine consumes excessive
amoun ts of oi l, we recommend tha t you consult your Audi dealer to
have the cause of your concern properly diagnosed . Keep in mind
that the accurate measureme nt of oil consumption requires great
care and may take some time. Your Audi dealer has instructions
about how to measure oil consumption accurately. •
Checking the engine oil level
Vehicle care I t •
Fig. 2 65 Illu stra tion of
pri nciple 1 : Mar ker s on
oi l d ips tick ...

Checking and filling -
------------------------------------------- -=----- =------
0 Note
• Before winter sets in, have the coolant checked to see if the
coolant additive in your vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate
conditions. This is especially important if you live in a region where
the winter is extremely cold. If necessary, increase the proportion of
coolant additive to 60%.
• When adding coolant additive to your cooling system,
remember:
-We recommend using only coolant additive G12+ + (check the
label) for your vehicle. This coolant additive is available at autho­
rized Audi dealers. Other types of antifreeze can significantly
reduce corrosion protection . The resulting corrosion can cause a
loss of coolant and serious engine damage .
• Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle's
engine coolant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and cou ld result
in damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty .•
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig . 269 Engine
compartment : Coolant
expansion tank
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS==> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 309.
Turn off the ignition .
Read the engine coolant level from the coolant expan­
sion tank==> fig. 269. With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "min" and "max" markings. When
the engine is warm, the level may be slightly above the
" max" marking .
The location of the coolant expansion tank can be seen in the
engine compartment illustration=>
page 310.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must be switched off .
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped with an electric
coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning light in the Auto­
Check System =>
page 31 will blink until you add coolant and the
level has been restored to normal. Even though there is an electric
coolant level sensor, we still recommend you check the coolant level
from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling system. In the event
of coolant loss, the cooling system should be inspected immedi­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer. It is not enough merely to add
coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the boiling point of the
coolant is exceeded as a result of overheating.
& WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot. Reduce
the risk of scalding from hot coolant
by following these steps. ~
Vehic le care I I Technical data

Tires and wheels 1111111 ________________________________ ::..:..:....::.=.....::.:..:..:..::..:___:__ _ ___:,___
•
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts mus t alwa ys be tighte ned to t he correct
to rq ue .
The design of wheel bo lts is matched to the factory installed rims. If
di fferent r ims are fitted , th e cor rect whe el bo lts wi th the rig ht l ength
and c orrec tly shaped bolt heads must be used . This ens ures that
w he els a re fitted se cur ely and th at the bra ke syste m functi ons
correctl y.
In cer ta in c ircums tances, yo u ma y not use w hee l bolts fr om a
differ ent vehicle - even if it is the same model~
page 384 .
& WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel bolts can become loose
causing loss of control, a collision and serious personal injury.
• Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs
clean so the wheel bolts can turn easily and be properly tightened .
• Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel
hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or oiled,
even if tightened to the specified torque .
• Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed .
• Never use different wheels bolts on your vehicle.
• Always maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel
bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel loss .
If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low, they can loosen and come out when the
vehicle is moving . If the tightening torque is too high, the wheel
bolts and threads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose .
0 Note
The s pecified torque for the wheel bolts is 90 ft lb ( 120 N m) with a
to lerance o f± 7,4 ft lb(± 1 0 Nm). Torque whee l bolt s diago nally.
After chang ing a whee l, the torque must be checked as soon as possible with a torque wrench
-preferably by an authorized Audi
d e aler o r qua lifi ed wo rksho p.•
Low aspect ratio tires
You r A ud i is fac tory-eq uippe d w ith low aspect ra tio tire s. T hese tire s
have been thorough ly t ested and b een se lected specifica lly for your
mod el for thei r su p erb pe rf or manc e, r oad f eel an d ha nd ling under
a variety of driving con ditions . As k your authorized Audi d ealer for
m ore de ta ils.
The low aspect rat io o f th ese t ires is indicated by a numer al of 55 or
less in the t ire's size designation. The numeral rep resents the ratio
o f t he t ire's s idewa ll he ig ht in rel ati on to it s tread w idt h ex pressed
in percentage . Conventiona l tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
mo re.
The performan ce of low -aspe ct-ratio tires is particularly sensitive to
improper inflation pressure . It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure and that the
inflat ion pressure is regularly checked and ma intained. Tire pres­
sures should be checked at least once a month and always before a
long trip~
page 333, "Checking tire pressure" .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage L ow aspect ratio tires can be damaged mo re easily by impact with
po tho les, cu rbs, gull ies o r rid ges o n th e road, particular ly if the t ire
is underinf lated .
I n or der to mini mize th e occurrence of i mpac t da mag e to t he tires
of your vehicle, we recommend that you observe the fol lowing
pr ecaut ions :
• Always ma intain recom mended inflatio n pr essu res . C heck you r
ti re p ressu re eve ry 2,000 mi les (3,000 k m) and add a ir if neces sary .
• D rive carefully on roads with potho les, deep gullies or ridges.
T he impact from d riving th rough or ove r such obstac les can
da mage y our tires. I mpact with a cu rb m ay a lso cause damage to
your tire s. ..,
Vehicle care
I t •