2010 AUDI S8 ESP

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- A lways make sure that the chi ld can properly wear the lap
po rtio n of the belt low across t he th ig hs o r pelvis a nd
never over the stomach o r abdome n.
Ch ild ren up t o at le ast 8 years old (over 40 lbs or 18 kg) are best
protected in child safety seats des igned for their age and we ight.
Expe rts say t hat the ske letal structure, par tic ul arly the pelvis, of
these ch ildren is not fully developed , a nd they must not use the
vehicle safety belts w it h out a suitable c hild rest raint .
It is usually best to pu t these ch ildren in app ropria te booster seats.
Be sure the booster seat meets all appl icable safety standards.
Booste r seats r aise the se ating posi tion of the child and reposi tion
both the lap and sho ulder parts of the safety belt so t hat they pass
across the c hild 's body i n the rig ht places . The ro uting of the be lt ove r
t he c hild 's body is ve ry i mp ort an t fo r th e ch ild's p rot ection, wh eth er
or not a booster seat is used . Children age 1 2 and under m ust a lways
r ide in t he re a r se at.
Chi ldren who are at least 4 ft . 9 in . (57 inc hes/1. 45 meters) tall can
gene rally use t he ve hicl e's th ree poi nt la p and sho uld er bel ts. N ever
use t he lap belt port ion of the vehicle 's safety belt alone to restra in
a ny chi ld , re gar dless o f how big t he ch ild i s. Always remem ber that
childr en do no t have the pronounced pelvic s tru ctur e required for the
pr op er f unc tion of lap belt port io n of the vehi cle's t hree poin t lap and
shoulder b elts. Th e chi ld's saf ety absolu tely r equir es tha t a lap belt
portion of the safety be lt be fastened snugly and as low as possible
arou nd the pelvis . Ne ver l et t he lap bel t port ion of the safety b elt
pass over the child's stomach o r abdome n.
I n a cra sh, air bag s must inflat e withi n a bli nk of an eye a nd wi th
cons iderable fo rce . In o rder to do its job, the airbag needs room to
in flat e so t hat it will b e the re to p rotect th e occupa nt a s th e occu pan t
mov es forward into t he a irbag .
A vehi cle occ upant who is out of position and too close to the a irba g
ge ts in the w ay of an inf latin g air bag . Whe n an o ccup ant is too clos e,
he or s he will be struck violently and will rece ive s erio us or poss ibly
eve n fata l in jury. I
n order for the airbag to offe r protect ion, it is impo rta nt t hat all
ve hicle occupant s, especiall y any childr en , wh o must b e in t he front
sea t beca use of exc eptiona l circu mstances, be pro per ly r estra ined
and as far away from t he a irba g as possib le . By keep ing room
b etween t he child's body and the front o f the passenger co mpart­
ment , th e a irba g can inflate completely an d prov ide sup plemental
pr ote ction in ce rt ain fro ntal coll isions.
& WARNING
Not using a booster seat, using the booster seat improperly, incor­
rectly installing a booster seat or using the vehicle safety belt
improperly increases the risk of serious personal injury and death
in a collision or other emergency situation. To help reduce the risk
of seriou s personal injury and/or death:
• Always make sure to position the shoulder portion of the three­
point belt over the middle of child 's shoulder.
• Never let the shoulder portion of the belt rest against or acros s
the neck, face, chin, or throat of the child.
• Always make sure the lap belt portion of the three-point belt is
worn snug and passes as low as possible across the child's pelvis.
Never let the belt pass over the soft abdomen.
• Failure to properly route safety belts over a child's body will
cause severe injuries in an accident or other emergency situation
~ page 197 .
• Children on the front seat of any car, even with Advanced
Airbags, can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag
inflates.
• Never let a child stand or kneel on any seat, for example the
front seat.
• Never let a child ride in the cargo area of your vehicle .
• Always remember that a child leaning forward, sitting side­
ways or out of position in any way during an accident can be struck
by a deploying airbag. This will result in serious personal injury or
death.
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& WA RNING (c on tinued )
• If you mu st install a booster seat on the front pa ssenger seat
becau se of exceptional circumstance s the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light must come on and stay on , whenever the ignition is
switched on.
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and
stay on, perform the checks described=>
page 217, "Monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System ".
• Take the child re straint off the front pa ssenger seat and install
it p roperly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on whenever the ign ition i s switched
on.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle i s being used=>
page 197, "Safety belts",
=> page 206, "Airbag sy stem " and => page 231, "Important
things to know ".•
Installing a child safety seat
Securing a child safety seat using a safety
belt
S af ety b elts f or the re ar seats and th e fr on t passen ger
can be lock ed wit h the converti ble locking ret ract or to
properly secu re child safety seats.
The safety be lts emergency lo ck ing re trac tors for the rear seats
safety belts and for the front passenge r's seat safety belt have a
convertib le locking retractor for child rest raints . The safety be lt must
be locked so that belt webbing canno t un reel. The retractor can be
activated to lock the safety be lt and prevent the safety belt webbing
from loose ning up during normal dr iv ing. A child saf ety sea t can only
be properly insta lled when the safety belt is locked so that t he chi ld
and child s afety seat will stay in pla ce.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Always remember:
Even though yo ur vehicle is equipped w ith a n
Adv anced Air bag system, all ch ild ren, espe cially those 12 ye ars and
younger, should always ride in the back seat properly restra ined for
their age and size.
& WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seats increase the risk of seriou s
personal injury and death in a collis ion.
• Alway s make sure that the safety belt retractor is locked when
installing a child safety seat . An unlocked safety belt retractor
c annot hold the child safety seat in place during normal driving or
in a crash .
• Always bu ckle the child safety seat firmly in pla ce even if a
child is not sitting in it. A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a colli sion .
• Always make sure that the rear seat backrest to which the
center rear safety belt is attached is securely latched whenever the
rear cente r safety belt is being used to secure a child restraint.
• If the backrest is not securely latched, the child and the child
restraint will be thrown forward together w ith the backrest and
will strike part s of the vehicle interior. The child can be seriou sly
injured or killed .
• Never install rear-facing child safety seat s or infant carriers on
the front passenger seat . A child w ill be seriously injured and can
be killed when the pa ssenger airbag inflates.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers
on the rear seat .
• Forward-facing child safety seats or infant carriers installed on
the front pas senger' s seat may interfere with the deployment of
the airbag and cause ser iou s injury to the child. .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-Child Safety ------ ~---------------------------------
& WARNING (cont inued)
• It is safer to install a forward-facing child safety seat on the
rear seat.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used=>
page 231. Special precau­
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat=>
page 208, "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know".
& WARNING
Always take special precautions if you must install a forward or rearward-facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat in
exceptional situations:
• Whenever a forward or rearward-facing child restraint is installed on the front passenger seat, the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light must come on and stay on whenever the ignition is
switched on .
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and
stay on, perform the checks described=>
page 217, "Monitoring
the Advanced Airbag System".
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on whenever the ignition is switched
on.
• Improper installation of child restraints can reduce their effec­
tiveness or even prevent them from providing any protection .
• An improperly installed child restraint can interfere with the
airbag as it deploys and seriously injure or even kill the child.
• Always carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions
provided with the child safety seat or carrier.
• Never place additional items on the seat that can increase the
total weight registered by the weight-sensing mat and can cause
injury in a crash .
& WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
• Always make sure the forward -facing seat ha s 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.
& WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
• A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the
front passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if
the front airbag inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center armrest, door or roof.
• Always be especially careful if you must install a rearward
facing child safety seat on the front passenger seat in exceptional
circumstances.
• A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing child restraint
attached to the front passenger seat can put too much pressure on
the weight-mat in the seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced Airbag System. The heavier weight registered can make
the system work as though an adult were on the seat and deploy
the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed causing serious
or even fatal injury to the child.
Ill-

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in the area that the guidance fixtures were installed . The upholstery
would also be permanently stretched around the guidance fixtures.
This applies especially to leather seats .•
Installing a child restraint with LATCH
lower anchorages
Whenever you install a child restraint always follow the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions.
Mounting
Fig. 231 Lower
anchorages: proper
mounting
- Make sure the seat back of the rear seat bench is in the
upright position and securely latched in place.
- Attach both hook-on connectors with the spring catch
release on the child safety seat onto the LATCH lower
anchorage so that the connectors lock into place
~ fig. 231.
- Pull on the connector attachments to make sure they are
properly attached to the LATCH lower anchorage.
- Pull straps tight following the child restraint manufac­
turer's instructions.
Releasing
- Loosen the tension on the straps following the child
restraint manufacturer's instructions.
- Depress the spring catches to release the anchorage hooks
from the lower anchorages.
Remember: Use tether straps to help keep the child restraint firmly
in place.
& WARNING
Improper use of the LATCH system can increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death in an accident.
• These anchors were developed only for child safety seats using
the "LATCH" system.
• Never attach other child safety seats, belts or other objects to
these anchors.
• Always make sure that you hear a click when latching the seat
in place. If you do not hear a click the seat is not secure and could
fly forward and hit the interior of the vehicle, or be ejected from
the vehicle.
& WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints will increase the risk of
injury in an accident.
• Always follow the child restraint system manufacturer's
instructions for proper installation of the child restraint system
and proper use of tether straps as well as the lower anchorages or
safety belts in your vehicle.
• Always read and heed the important information and WARN­
INGS about child safety and the installation of child restraint
systems ~
page 231, "Child Safety". _,

...,. Child Safety Pfl'I ____ _,.__ __________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer. •
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
Installing the tether strap
Fig. 233 Tether strap:
proper routing and
mounting
- Release or deploy the tether strap on the child restraint
according to the child restraint manufacturer's instruc­
tions.
- Guide the upper tether strap
under the rear head restraint
=> fig. 233 (raise the head restraint if necessary).
- Tilt the recess flap up to expose the anchor bracket.
- Attach the tether strap anchorage hook into the opening
of the tether anchorage. -
Pull on the tether strap hook so that the spring catch of
the hook is engaged.
- Tighten the tether strap firmly following the child
restraint manufacturer's instructions.
Releasing the tether strap
-Loosen the tension following the child restraint manufac­
turer's instructions.
- Depress the spring catch on the hook and release it from
the anchorage.
0 Note
If you leave the child restraint with the tether strap firmly installed
for several days, this could leave a mark on the upholstery on the seat
cushion and backrest in the area where the tether strap was installed.
The upholstery would also be permanently stretched around the
tether strap. This applies especially to leather seats.•
Using tether straps on rearward-facing
child restraints
Currently, few rear-facing child restraint systems come with a tether.
Please read and heed the child restraint system manufacturer's
instructions carefully to determine how to properly install the tether.
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center armrest, or door.
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Intelligent technology
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Intelligent technology
Notice about data recorded by
vehicle control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR),
installed by some manufacturers for the express purpose of
capturing data for retrieva l after an accident or crash event. ED R's are
sometimes called "crash recorders".
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or downloading of data stored
by ED R's that were installed in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash event without the owner's
consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an EDR, it is equipped w ith
a number of electronic control modu les for various vehicle systems
such as, for example, engine function, emission control, as well as for
the airbags and safety belts.
T hese electronic contro l modules also record vehicle-re lated data
during normal vehicle operation for diagnostic and repair purposes .
Th e recording capacity of the e lectronic control modu les is limited to
data (no sound is recorded) and only a sma ll amount of data is actu­
ally recorded over a very limited period of time and stored when a
system fault or other condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle speed, direction, braking
as well as restraint system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and down­
loaded with special equipment.
Electronic Stabilization Program
(ESP)
General information
The ESP improves the vehicle stability.
N
-. ...
~
I ' I A I ~ )
--
Fig. 234 Center
console with ESP
switch
ESP is des igned to help you maintain vehicle control in s ituations
where the car approaches the limits of "grip", especia lly when accel­
erat ing and cornering. ESP reduces the risk of skidd ing and imp roves
stability under all road conditions.
Th e system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system. If the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) malfunc­
tions, the ESP will also shut down.
How the system works
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)
and the Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) are integrated in the elec­
tronic stabilizatio n pro gram. In addition to the data provided by
these funct ions, the ESP control unit requires additional measure­
ment data provided by high performance sensors. The rotational
speed of the vehicle about its vertical axis, the lateral acceleration ...

_________________________________________ I_ n_ t_ e_ ll_,igent technology ,__E~-
acting on the vehicle, the brake pressure and the steering angle are
all meas ured.
The direction in which the driver wishes to travel is determined with
the aid of the steering angle and vehicle speed and is continually
compared with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the two do not
match, for example , when the vehicle starts hydroplaning on a wet
road, ESP will automatically brake the appropriate wheel to correct
the problem.
The vehicle is then stabi lized by the forces acting on the whee l during
braking. If the vehicle is
oversteering (rear tends to skid out of the
turn), the brakes are main ly applied on the wheel that is on the
outs ide of the curve. In the case of a vehicle that is
understeering
(tendency to slide out of the curve), the brakes are applied at the rear
wheel that is on the inside of the curve. An acoustic signal ind icates
when ESP brake application cuts in =>
&.
Th e system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system=>
page 256. If the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) malfunctions, the ESP will be out of action as we ll.
Activation
When you turn on the engine, ESP will automatically be activated and
will perform a self-test .
The system can be activated or deactivated by pressing the button
=>
page 252, fig. 234 . The warning light comes on when the system
is switched off=>
page 16.
Normally, the ESP should always be on, however, it may be advanta­
geous to turn off the sys tem in certain special cases when some
degree of whee l spin is desired such as:
• when driving with snow chains
• when driving in deep snow or on a loose surface (to allow the
wheels to dig in to reach firm ground)
• when trying to "roc k" the vehicle free when it has become stuck.
The system should be reactivated once you are no longer in such situ­
ations.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Both the ABS and
EDS systems are still functioning even if the ESP is
switched off.
& WARNING
The Electroni c Stabilization Program is nevertheless subject to the
laws of physics. It is particularly important to pay attention to
this fact on wet and slippery roads. It is therefore important that
you always adapt your driving to the condition of the road and
traffic conditions. Do not allow the increased safety provided by
the Electronic Stabilization Program system to lull you into
accepting additional safety risks. •
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The electronic differential lock monitors the rotational
speed of the drive wheels.
General notes
The electronic differential lock (EDL) helps the car to start moving,
acce lerate and climb a gradient on surfaces providing poor or almost
no grip . Without EDL, this would be difficult, if not impossible .
How the system works
The EDL operates automatically. It monitors the rotational speed of
the drive wheels on an axle with the he lp of the ABS sensors
=>
page 256 . If a noticeable difference in rotational speed between
the drive wheels on one axle is detected (e .g . on slippery ground
on
one side),
the spinning wheel is braked, thereby transferring power to
the other drive whee l or wheels (all -wheel drive). This is done up to a
speed of about 60 mph (100 km/h) . Noises from the brake system
signal that wheel spin is being contro lled.
Driving off
When driving off, always be sure to keep road conditions in mind as
you accelerate. If one drive wheel spins because it is on a surface with
less grip , gradually increase the pressure on the accelerator peda l
Iii>
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Intelligent technology
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until the car starts to move . The whee l less ab le to transfer power
spins .
Overheating of brakes
To prevent the disc b rake of the bra ked wheel from ove rhea ting if
subjected to excessive loads, the EDL cuts out temporarily . The
veh icle remains operat ional and beh aves in the same way as a vehicle
without EDL .
As soon as the brake has coo led down, EDL switches on again auto­
matically .
& WARNING
• When a ccelerating on slippery surfaces, such as on ice or snow,
alw ay s be careful when depre ssing the a ccelerator pedal. E ven
with the EDL working, the drive wheel s can spin and reduce your
ability to control your car . Risk of crash !
• The in creased safety afforded by EDL does not mean that you
can take safety ri sks. Always adapt your driving st yle to the road
condition s and traffic situation .
fi Tips
If a fault occurs i n the ABS, the EDL is also no t fu nct ion ing . This is
indicated by the ABS warning light~
page 19. •
Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR)
The Anti-Slip Regulati on System prevents the driven
wheels from spinning when the car is a ccel erating.
General notes
T he Anti-S lip Regulation System (ASR) is integrated in the electronic
stabilization program (ESP). When the veh icle starts up and acceler­
ates , the wheels are p reve nted from sp inning by adjust ing the eng ine
powe r to match t he amo unt of grip avai lab le from the road s urface.
How the system works
ASR perfo rms au toma tica lly, i .e . witho ut the drive r's in tervent ion .
With the aid of the A BS sensors~
page 256, ASR monitors the speed
of the driven wheels . If the wheels start to spin, the engine powe r is
reduced automat ically u nti l the t ires find enough gr ip to lock onto
the road s urface. The system is active across the entire speed range.
Th e ASR wor ks in con ju nction with the A BS .
If a m alfu nction sho uld
occur in the ABS, the ASR w ill also be out of action.
& WARNING
The increased safety afforded by ASR does not mean that you can
take safety ri sks . Always adapt your driving style to the road
condit ions and traffic situation.
[ i ] Tips
To ensure that the ASR works prope rly, all four wheels must be fitted
w ith ident ic a l ti res Any differences in rollin g radius of the tires can
cause the system to reduce engine power when t his is not desired .
See also ~
page 318, "N ew t ires and replacing tires and whee ls" .•
Braking
General Information
What affects b raking efficiency ?
Operating cond itions and driving habits
Th e bra kes on t oday's automo biles are still subjec t to we ar,
depending large ly on operating conditions a nd driving habits~ &.
O n ve hicles tha t are eithe r driven mostly in stop- and-go city t raff ic or
are drive n hard, the brake pads should be checked by your author ized
Audi de aler more o ften than specified in the
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet .
Failure to have your brake pads i nspected can result
in re duced brake pe rformance. .,