2010 AUDI S8 brake fluid

_________________________________________ I_ n_ t_ e_ ll_,igent technology ,__E~-
The brake assistant will not be operative if there is a malfunct io n in
t he ABS.
& WARNING
Plea se remember that the accident ri sk a lwa ys increa se s if you
d riv e too fast , especially in corne rs or on a slippery road , or if you
follow the vehi cle ahead of you too closely . In cre ased ri sk of an
accident cannot be compensated for e ven by the brake ass istant,
so always maintain a safe speed. •
Servotronic® - advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems uses th e power of the
running engine to allow precise steering with little effort.
Th e advanced Servotronic ® power steeri ng system senses the road
speed and electronically ad justs power assistance to provide
c omfortable and safe s teer ing response exa ctly matched to the
vehicle speed.
Powe r steering will not work if the engi ne is of f. As a resu lt, the
steer ing wheel will be hard to turn .
The power stee ring fluid level is checked during the sched uled main­
t enance se rvi ces.
0 Note
If the re is an ele ct roni c mal func tion, servotroni c will still f unction
like a conventional power steer ing system, prov iding a constant
steeri ng support force tha t is no lo nger propo rt iona te to the ve hicle
speed. This is most not iceab le when turn ing the steer ing wheel at low
speeds (for example when parking), -more effort will be required
than usual.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
•
Be aware of the d ifferent than usual steering response and adjust
your stee rin g for ce acco rdi ng ly.
• Have the prob lem checked and set r ight by an A udi dea ler as soon
as possib le.
[ i ] Tips
• Whe n the eng ine is runni ng, neve r hold t he steering w hee l turned
all the way to the right or to t he left for longer than 15 seconds. The
powe r stee ring pump wi ll over heat the hydra ulic fluid if yo u keep
holding the steeri ng w heel tur ned all the way. This is likely to damage
the power steering system .
• If the power stee ring system shou ld fa il entire ly, or if the engine
is not r unning (fo r examp le, while being towed), you w ill still be a ble
to steer the vehicle. However,
considerably more effo rt will be
req uired to do so .
• If the power steering system s hou ld have a lea k, or is not func­
tioning properly, contact your authorized Au di dea ler immediate ly .
• The power steering system requ ires a specially formulated
hydra ulic fl uid. The power stee ring re se rvoir is t he one located mos t
forward o n the left side of the eng ine compa rtment=:>
page 290 . The
correct fluid leve l in the reservoir is important fo r proper f unctioning
of t he power steering. •
Dr"ving with your quattro®
With All Whee l Drive, all four wheels are driven .
General information
With All Wheel Drive, power is d istributed to all four wheels. This
happens au tom atically depending on you r d rivi ng style a nd the roa d
conditions at the time. See also=>
page 253, "Electronic different ial
lock (ED L)".
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in place to prevent it
from shifting forward, backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer=>
& in "Driving instruc­
tions".
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder. It is important that
the cooling system's performance is up to the additional load. Make
sure that the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your vehicle to the cold tire
pressure listed under "Full load" on the label located either on the
driver's side B -pillar (visible when the door is open) or inside the fuel
filler flap. Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers' spec­
ifications .
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with the trailer attached
before driving off. Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connected from the trailer
to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to permit
turning corners . When you install safety chains, make sure they will
not drag on the road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue to prevent it from
dropping in case of separation from the hitch .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Trailer
towingL_,1!:::!:·~-
0 Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must activate the trailer opera­
tion mode =>
page 179, "Towing a Trailer". •
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care and
consideration .
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle and trailer,
please note the following:
- Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself is not
loaded.
- Be especially careful when passing other vehicles.
- Observe speed limits.
- Do not drive at the maximum permissible speed.
- Always apply brakes early .
- Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results in a highly unstable
distribution 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 permissible,
while keeping the trailer as light as possible under the circumstances.
Whenever possible, transfer some cargo to the luggage compart­
ment of the tow vehicle while observing tongue load requirements
and vehicle loading considerations.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d___. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
Cleaning and protection
General information
Regular care preserves vehicl e val ue.
Any automobile is exposed to industria l fumes, co rrosive road salt,
m ud dy dog fee t, e tc. A well c ared for Audi can look like new many
years after p urchase . Regular and correct care will contribute to
m aint aining the bea uty and val ue of your Audi.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition for substantiating a
warranty claim should corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Y ou r au thor ized Audi d eale r h as a var iety of dedicated vehicle-care
products
and can advise w hich ones to use for clea ning the exterior
a n d inter io r of your ve hicle.
W het her you use products recommended by Aud i or o ther comme r­
cia lly availab le cleaning agents , please ma ke sure yo u appl y them
co rrectly .
& WARNING
• Cleaning agents may be poisonous . Keep them out of the reach
of children.
• Heed all caution labels .
• Always read directions on the container before using any
product. Follow the directions carefully.
• Most chemical cleaners are concentrated and have to be
diluted .
• Use spot removing fluids only in well ventilated areas.
• Do not use gasoline, kero sene , diesel fuel , nail polish remover
or other volatile fluids . They may be toxic, flammable or
hazardous in other ways. Do not wash, wax or dry the vehicle with
the ignition on or the engine running.
& WARNING (co ntinued)
• Do not clean the under sides of chassi s, fenders , wheel covers,
etc. without protecting your hands and arms. You may cut your­
self on sharp-edged metal parts.
• Moisture and ice on brakes may impair braking efficiency
~ page 254, "General information ". Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle .
'£> For the sake of the environment
Select only envir onmenta lly fr iendly clea ning produc ts . Leftover
cleaning pro ducts sho uld not dis posed of i n the household waste .•
Care of exterior
Washing
F re qu ent w ashin g protec ts th e vehicl e.
T he best protection aga inst env ironmental influences is frequent
w ashi ng and w ax ing. How o ften t his is requ ired depen ds on:
• How m uch the vehicle is use d
• Whe re the ve hicle is parke d (gar age, in the o pen un der tr ees, e tc.)
• The seasona l and weather conditions
• E nviron mental influences
T he longer bi rd droppings , insects , tree resin, road and industria l
gr ime, t ar, soo t, road sa lt and o ther ma ter ia ls remain on the veh icle
body, the more lasti ng their destructive effects w ill be. H igh temper­
atu res cause d by ex pos ure to intense s unlight int ensify the co rrosive
effect, part icu larly when humid ity is high as we ll.
~

___________________________________________ C..:...._ h:....:e :....:c:..:. k.::..: i..:.. n .:..:g:!:....:: a....:. n..:.. d~ f:....:. i.:..ll :.:.i:....:n :.:g !....- __
Closing the engine hood
- Pull the hood down until the pressure from the struts is
reduced.
- Let the hood
drop down and latch in place. Do not try to
push it shut;
it may fail to engage=:> &.
& WARNING
A hood that is not completely latched could fly up and block your
view while driving.
• When you close the engine hood, check it to make sure the
safety catch has properly engaged. The hood should be flush with
the surrounding vehicle body parts.
• If you notice while driving that the hood is not secured prop­
erly, stop at once and close it. •
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the engine
compartment.
Whenever you must perform any work in the engine compartment,
for example checking and filling different fluids, there is a risk of injury, burns and accidents. To prevent personal injury always
observe the following WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area=>& .
& WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check anything under the hood:
• Turn off the engine.
• Remove the ignition key.
• Apply the parking brake.
Safety first
& WARNING (continued)
• Move selector lever to "P" (Park).
• Always let the engine cool down. Hot components will burn
skin on contact.
• To reduce the risk of being burned, never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment. Wait until no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the hood.
• Keep children away from the engine compartment.
• Never spill fluids on hot engine components. They can cause a
fire. • Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary electric fan is
temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly.
• Never open the coolant reservoir cap when the engine is still
warm. The coolant system is pressurized and hot coolant could
spray out.
• Protect your face, hands and arm from steam or hot engine
coolant by placing a thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
• If work on the fuel system or the electrical system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames. Fluids in
the engine compartment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher immediately available.
• To avoid electrical shock and personal injury while the engine is
running or being started, never touch:
-Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage electronic ignition
system.
• If you must perform a check or repair with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake, move selector lever to
"P" (Park). .,
Vehicle care Technical data

___ C_h_ e_c _k _i_n -=g :a,__ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ l _li _n _,g;._ __________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
-Always use extreme caution to prevent clothing, jewelry, or
long hair from getting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts or
other moving parts, or from contacting hot parts. Tie back hair
before starting, and do not wear clothing that will hang or
droop into the engine.
• Minimize exposure to emission and chemical hazards=:>
/1::..
& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
• Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle
components contain or emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and reproductive harm. In
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and certain products
of component wear contain or emit chemicals known to the State
of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproduc­
tive harm.
• Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms. Wash hands after
handling.
0 Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that they are poured into the
proper container or filler opening, otherwise serious damage to
vehicle systems wi ll occur.
ci> For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle floor pan from underneath
reg ular ly. If yo u see spots from oil or other vehicle fluids, have your
vehicle inspected by an authorized Audi dea ler.•
Engine compartment
Applies to veh icles: w ith 8 -cylinde r engine
Engine compartment overview : a-cylinder
engine
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 241 Typical layout for containers, engine oil dipstick and engine oil filler
cap
© Windshield/headlight washer container (0 ) ....... .
@ Brake fluid reservoir ( ) .................. .. .. . .
® Engine oil filler cap ('l=r.) ............ .. .... .. .. . .
© Engine oil dipstick (orange) .............. .. . ... . .
© Power steering reservoir . .. .. .. .. .. ... .... .. .. . .
© Coolant expansion tank (-L ) ........... .. .. .. .. . .
305
299
294
293
257
297 ..

_____________________________________________ C_h _ e_ c_ k_in --= g'-- a_n _d_ f_i _ll _i_n -=g ::;__ ____..
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment , always
read and heed all WARNINGS=>
& in "Working in the engine
c ompartment " on
page 289 . •
Applies to vehicles : w it h 12-cylin der engine
Engine compartment overv iew: 12-
cylinder engine
These are the most important items that you can check .
Fig. 242 T ypic al la yo ut fo r co nta iner s, engi ne oil dip stick and e ngine o il fill er
cap
(D W indsh ield/ headligh t washer con tainer (Q ) . . . . . . . . 305
@ Brake fluid reservoir(' ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
® Engine oil dipst ick (o range) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
~ehicle OP-eration
© Engine oil filler cap (~) .. . ...... ............. . .
© Coolant expansion tank (-1- ) .................... .
& WARNING
294
297
Before you check anything in the engine compartment , alw ay s
read and heed all WARNINGS=>
& in "Working in the engine
c ompa rtment " on
page 289 .
[ i ] Tips
The coo la nt expansion tank is located under a cover. •
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engi ne oil used in your Audi needs the right k ind of oil .
The eng ine in your Audi is a soph isticated powerplant that was built
to exacting specificat io ns. This engine needs the r ight kind of engine
oil that meets sp ecifications regard ing qua lity and viscosity so that it
can run smoothly and reliably . Choosing the right oil and chang ing oi l
with in the time and mi leage intervals prin ted in your veh icle's
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet matters a lot more today than it did
years ago . Audi has dev eloped a special quality st andard for engine o il
that wi ll help assure that your vehicle's engine will get the l ubrication
i t n eed s fo r proper ope ration .
Modern engine lubrication has taken a quantum leap in the last few
years . Many sy nthet ic oils available today provide bette r engine lubri ­
cat ion that can outlast t raditional petroleum- based oi ls, mak ing
them a smart choice for use throug hout the life of your Audi.
Whethe r you u se syntheti c or pet roleum-b ase d engine o il, the oil that
you use must conform to Aud i's o il quality standard VW 502 00 to
help keep you r ve hicl e's engine run ning smooth ly and help prevent ..,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Checking and filling ------------------------------- ---=.:..:..=.:=~..:::..:.....:..:.;__ ___ _::,______,.J
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Antifreeze is pois onous. Alway s store antifreeze in its original
container and well out of the r each of children.
• If you drain the coolant , it must be caught and safely stored in
a proper container clearly marked "poi son ".
0 Note
• Coolant poll utes the environment and could cause an engine fire .
Excess coolant w ill be forced out throug h the pressure re lief valve in
t he cap when the e ng ine becomes hot .
• If, in an emergency, o nly wate r ca n be adde d, the correct ratio
between water and antifreeze=>
page 296 must be restored as soon
as possib le.
W For the sake of the environment
Dra ined coolant shou ld not be reused. A lways dispose of used coo lant
w hile observ ing a ll enviro nment al regul ations . •
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by itself
T he radi ator fa n is d riven by the engine via th e V-bel t. The v iscous
clutch regu lates the speed of the fan accord ing to the temperature of
t he coolant.
An auxiliary e lectr ic rad iator fan* sw itches on and off depend ing o n
coo la nt tempe rat ur e and othe r vehicle ope ra ting condi tions .
After you switch the engi ne off, the auxilia ry fa n can cont inue r unning
for up to 10 minutes - even w ith the ignition off . It can even switch on
agai n lat er by itse lf => & , if
• the tempe rature of the e ngine coolant rises due to the heat build ­
up from the eng ine in t he engi ne comp art ment, or
Vehicle OP-eration
• the engine compartment heats up because the veh icle is parked in
in tense s unlight.
& WARNING
• To reduce the ri sk of personal injury never touch the radiator
fan.
• The auxiliary electri c fan is temperature controlled and can
switch on suddenly even when the engine is not running .
• The auxiliary radiator fan switches on automatically when the
engine coolant reaches a certain temperature and will cont inue to
run until the coolant temperature drops .•
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
T h e b rake fluid l evel can be ch ecked with a quick glance.
-w ;:;
Fig. 24 8 En gine
compa rtme nt: Brak e
f luid re se rv oi r
Be fore you chec k anyt hin g in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
t h e engine compartm ent" on
page 289 . .,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

___ C_ h_e _c_ k_ i_ n ~ g~ a_ n _ d_ f_il _l _in _ g ____________________________________________ _
- Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid reservoir
=> fig. 248 . T he brake fluid level mus t be between the
" M IN" and "MAX" markings.
The br ake fl uid re se rvoir is loc ated at the rear pa rt iti on of the engine
compartment on the left side~ page 290.
T he f lu id level may drop slightly after some time due to the auto­
matic adjus tment of t he b rake pads. This is not caus e for alarm.
If the brake flu id leve l falls considerably below the "MIN" mark, t he
br ak e wa rning/ind ic ator lig ht ( U.S . model s:
BRAKE , Can adi an mod els:
«D> ) will come on~ page 20 and~ page 28. Do not continue to
operate the vehicle . The comple te brake system sho uld be thoro ughly
checked by an author ized A udi dealer or ot her qualified facility and
t he ca use correcte d. If the b rake fl uid leve l is too low, the bra ke
wa rning/in dicator light will illu mi nate . Con tact an au thorized Aud i
dealer
immediately .•
Changing brake fluid
H ave the brake flui d changed by an ex perienc ed techni­
cian.
Brake flui d abso rbs mois ture from t he a ir . If t he wa ter con ten t in the
brake fl uid is too hig h, corros io n in the b rake system may res ult afte r
a period of time . The boiling po int o f the bra ke fl uid will also decrease
cons iderab ly and decrease brak ing perfo rmance.
The refore, the brake fl uid m ust be changed
every two years . Always
use new bra ke fluid w hich conforms to Fede ral Motor Veh icle St an­
dard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4" .
Th e b rake fl uid reservoi r ca n be diffi cult to rea ch, there fore, we
recommend that you have the bra ke fluid c hanged by your author ized
Audi dealer. Your dea ler has the correct tools, the right b rake fl uid
and the know-how to do t his for you .
& WARNING
• Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored only in the closed
original container out of the reach of children!
• Brake failure can result from old or inappropriate brake flu id.
Observe these pre cautions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE specification
J 1703 and
conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Always che ck
with your authorized Audi dealer to make sure you are us ing
the correct brake fluid. The correct type of brake fluid i s also
indicated on the brake fluid reservoir .
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of the brakes can
cause a vapor lock if the brake fluid is left in the system too
long . Thi s can seriously affect the efficiency of the brakes as
well as your safety . This could result in an accident.
0 Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your ve hicle .
~ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of brake fl uid as we ll as
the spec ia l too ls req uired and the necessary expe rtise, we recom ­
m en d that you have t he brake fl uid changed by your autho rized Audi
dea ler .•
Battery
General information
Under normal operat ing condit ions, the battery in your Aud i does not
nee d any m ain ten ance. Wi th high outs ide temper atures o r long d aily
dr ives we recommend that yo u have the elect rolyte level checked by .,_