2010 AUDI S8 service indicator

Airbag system Ill
----------------=--=---
& WARNING (co ntinued )
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
imm ediately ins tall the rear-facing child seat in a rear seating
position and have the a irbag system inspected by your Audi
dealer .
& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you mu st install a forward-facing
c hild restraint on the front passenger 's seat:
• Always make sure the forward-facing seat has been designed
and cert ified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
pa ssenger front and side airbag .
• Never put the forward-facing child re straint up against or very
near the instrument panel.
• Alway s move the passenger seat into it s rearmost po sition in
the seat's fore and aft adjustment range, as far away from the
airbag as possible , befo re installing the forward-facing child
restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright pos ition.
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on .•
Advanced Airbag System components
The front passenger seat i n your veh icle has a lot of very important
parts o f th e A dva nced A irbag System in it. These parts include t he
we ight-sens ing mat, sensors, wiring, bracke ts, and more . The func­
ti on of the system in the front p assenger seat is chec ke d by the e lec ­
tr on ic contro l u ni t whe n the ig ni tion is on . T he contro l unit monitors
the Advanced Airbag System and turns the airbag indicator light on
when a mal function in the system compone nts is detected. The func­
tion of the a irbag indicator light is described in g reater detail be low.
Be ca u se the fron t passenge r seat con tains import ant parts of the
Advanced Ai rbag System, you must take care to prevent it from being
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
damaged
. Damage to the seat may prevent t he Adva nced A irbag for
t he fro nt pa ssenge r se at from d oin g its jo b in a cra sh.
The front Advanced Airbag System consists of the
following:
• Cras h sensors in the front of the vehicle t hat measure vehicle
acc ele rat ion/d ece le rat ion to prov ide info rma tion t o the Adv anced
Airbag System about t he severity of the crash .
• An e lec tron ic con trol uni t, w ith i ntegr ated cr ash sen sors fo r front
and side impacts. The contro l unit "dec ides" w het her to fire the front
air bag s base d on th e inf ormati on re ceived from t he cr ash sensors.
T he control unit also "decides" whether the saf ety b elt pret ensio ners
sh ould be ac tiva ted.
• An Advanced Airbag with gas generator for the dr ive r inside the
stee ring w hee l hub .
• An Advanced Airbag with gas generator inside the inst rument
p ane l for the fron t passenge r.
• A weig ht-sensing mat under the upholste ry padd ing of the front
passenge r seat cushi on th at m easures the tota l we ig ht on t he seat.
The informat ion registe red is se nt co ntinuo us ly to the electronic
contr ol un it to r egulat e dep lo ym en t of th e fr ont Adv anced A irbag on
the passenger side .
• An a irbag moni to ring system a nd ind icator light in the inst rume nt
cl uster =>
page 217.
• The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on an d stays o n in the
center o f the instr ument panel =>
page 218, fig. 215 an d tells you
whe n the fr ont Ad van ced Air bag on the p assenge r sid e has bee n
t ur ned off.
• A senso r bel ow th e saf ety b elt la tch fo r the front s eat pa ss e ng er
to meas ure the tension on the safety be lt . Th e tens io n on the safety
bel t an d t he we ight regi stered by the we ig ht- se ns ing mat he lp t he
cont rol un it "dec ide" whether the front airbag fo r th e front
pa ssenger se at sh o uld be tur ned o ff o r no t =>
p age 20 8, "Ch ild
restraints on t he front seat -some important thi ngs to know". ...
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

_______________________________________________ A_ ir_ b_ a_,,,g '--- s.:.y _s _t_ e _ m ___ lffll
& WARNING (co nti nued )
• Never recline the front p assenger 's seat to transport objects.
It em s can also move into the area of the side airbag or the front
airbag during braking or in a sudden maneuver. Objects near the
airbag s can become projectiles and cause injury, particularly when
the seat is reclined.
& WARNING
The fine dust created when airbag s deploy can cause breathing
problem s for people with a hi story of asthma or other breathing
conditions .
• To reduce the risk of br eathing problems, those with asthma or
other re spiratory conditions should get fre sh air right away b y
getting out of the vehicle
or opening windows or doors .
• If you are
in a collision in which airbags deploy , wa sh your
hands and face with mild soap and water before eating.
• Be careful not to get the dust into your eyes, or into any cuts or
scratches.
• If the residue should get into your eyes, flush them with
water .•
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System
Airbag monitoring indicator light~~
Two sep arate indic ato rs m onito r the fu nctio n of the
Adva nce d A irbag Syst em: the ai rbag monito ring in di cator
light and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light.
The Advanced A irbag System ( including the elect ronic contro l unit,
senso r cir cuits and syst em wi ring) is monitored co ntinu ously to make
sure that it is f unction ing p roperly w henever the ignition is on. Eac h
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
time you t
urn on the ign ition , the airbag mo nitoring ind icator lig ht ti
w ill come on fo r a few seconds (se lf di agnos tics).
The system must be inspected when the indicator light ~:
• does not come on when t he ignit ion is switched on,
• does not go out a few seconds after you hav e switched on the igni­
tion, or
• comes o n wh ile d riving.
If an a irbag system malfunction is detected, the ind icator light will
fir st s tar t flashing to ca tch t he dr ive r's a tten tion and then st ay on
cont inuous ly to serve as a constant rem inder to have the system
inspec ted immed ia tely .
If a ma lfunct io n occ urs t hat t urns the front a irbag on the passenger
side o ff, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF li ght will come on and stay on
w henever the igni tion is on .
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection in a frontal crash.
• If the airbag ind icator light comes on, it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System. It is
possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to, or
will not inflate when it should .
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your Audi
dealer. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

_______________________________________________ A_ ir_ b_ a_,,,g '--- s.:.y _s _t_ e _ m ___ _
weight-sens ing mat to measure mo re weig ht than is actually on t he
se at.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light still does not come on and
does not stay on cont in uou sly (when the ignition is sw itched on),
• t ake the child re st raint o ff the fr ont pa ssenge r seat and in stall i t
prope rly at one of t he rear seat pos itions. Have t he a irbag system
i n sp ec ted by you r A udi d eal er i mmedi ately.
• move the child to a rear seat posit io n and make sure that the child
is prop erly restra ined in a chi ld restr aint t hat is a ppropr iate f or its
size and age .
Th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light sho uld NOT come on when t he
ign ition is on and an adult is sitt ing in a proper seating pos it io n on the
front passenge r seat. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on or flashes for abou t 5 seco nds w hile driving, under these
circumstances, make sure that:
• t he adult on t he fr on t p asse nger sea t is prope rly se ate d on the
center of the seat cushion with his or her back up against the backrest
and the bac krest is not recline d=> page 188, "Proper occ upant
seating posit ions",
• t he adult is n ot tak ing weig ht off t he se at by h olding on to t he
passenger assist handle above the fro nt passenger doo r or
s u pp orting their weight on the armrest,
• the safety belt is be ing properly worn and t hat there is not a lot of
s la ck in t he safe ty be lt webb ing ,
• accessory seat cove rs or cushions o r othe r th ings that may cause
an in cor rect re adin g or impress io n o n the weight -sen sing m at under
the upholstery of the seat have been removed from the front
pas senge r sea t,
• a safety be lt extender has not been left in the safety belt latch fo r
t he fr ont p asse n ge r se at.
In addition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in t he center of the
instrument pa nel, the message
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF or
PASSENGER AIR BAG ON w ill b riefly appear in th e inst rume nt clus ter
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
display. This
is to inform the dr iver of the current front passenger
a ir bag s tatus. •
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
& WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning properly cannot provide
supplemental protection in a frontal crash.
• If the airbag indicator light comes on, it means that there may
be something wrong with the Advanced Airbag System. It is possible that the airbag will inflate when it is not supposed to, or
will not inflate when it should .
• Have the airbag system inspected immediately by your Audi
dealer.
& WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a child without a child restraint, or in
a rearward-facing child safety seat, or in a forward-facing child
restraint that has not been properly installed will be seriously
injured and can be killed .
• Even though your vehicle i s equipped with an Advanced Airbag
System, make certain that all children, especially 12 years and
younger , always ride on the back seat properly restrained for their
age and size .
• Always install forward or rear-facing child seats on the rear
seat -even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• If you must install a rearward-facing child seat on the front
passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not appear and stay on,
immediately install the rear-facing child seat in a rear seating
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

should always wear your safety belt, not just because the law requires
you to do so=>
page 197 , "General notes".
The safety belt buckle for the driver and front seat passenger have
switches that tell the airbag control module if the safety be lt is being
used or not.
If the safety belt is being used, the knee airbag will
dep loy at a s lightly higher rate of deceleration than if the be lt is not
being used. Therefore, in a particular collision, it is possible that an
airbag will not deploy at a seating position where the safety be lt is
being used but will inflate at the position where the safety belt is not
being used.
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and only in certain kinds
of accidents -your safety belts are always there to offer protection in
those accidents in which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when
t hey have already deployed, for example when you r vehicle strikes or
is struck by another after the first collision.
Thi s is just one of the reasons why an airbag is not a substitute for the
safety belt . The airbag system works most effectively when used with
the safety belts. Therefore, always wear your safety belts correctly.
It is im portant to remembe r th at while the supplemental airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injur ies, other
injuries, for example, swe lling, bruis ing, and minor abrasions can
also be assoc iated with airbags.
The knee airbag system basically consists of:
• The electronic contro l module
• Two inflatable airbags (airbag and gas gene rator), one for the
driver and one for the front passenger
• The airbag indicator light in the instrument panel
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
• when the ignition is turned off
• in front-end collisions when the deceleration measured by the
control unit is too low
• in s ide collisions
• in rear-end collisions
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
• in rollovers
• in the even t of a system ma lfunction (warning/ indicator lig ht ill u­
minated) =>
page 17.
& WARNING
• Safety belts and the airbag system can only provide protection
when occupants are in the proper seating position =>
page 215.
• If the airbag indicator light comes when the vehicle is being
used, have the system inspected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer. The airbag may not work properly when the vehicle
acceleration in a side collision is high enough to deploy the airbag.
See also =>
page 17. •
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area is reduced by fully
deployed knee airbags.
Fig. 217 Inflated
airbags protecting in a
frontal collision
The knee airbag system has been designed so that the airbags for the
dr iver and front passenger are dep loyed in certa in but not all frontal
collisions.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also deploy in frontal
collisions above a certain sever ity.
jll-
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service Technical data

Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental protection
to properly restrained occupants .
Fig. 218 Side airbag
locat ion in the driver's
seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the front seat backrests
=> fig. 218 and the rear backrest facing the doors. They are identified
by the word "AIRBAG" .
The side airbag system basically consists of:
• the electronic control module and external s ide impact sensors
• the two side airbags located in the sides of the front backrests
• two rear side airbags
• the airbag warning light in the instrument cluster.
Th e airbag system is mo nitored electronically to make certain that it
is funct ion ing properly at all times. Each time you turn on the igni­
tion, the airbag system indicator light wi ll come on for a few seconds
(self diagnostics).
The side airbag system supplements the safety belts and can help to
reduce the risk of injury to the driver's, front and rear passenger's
upper torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a side collision.
The air bag deploys on ly in s ide impacts and only when the vehicle
acceleration registered by the contro l unit is high enough. If this rate
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
is below the reference value programmed into the control unit, the
side airbags will no t be triggered, even though the car may be badly
damaged as a result of the collision . It is not poss ible to define an
airbag triggering range that wi ll cover every possib le angle of impact,
since the circumstances will vary considerably between one collision
and another . Important factors include, for example, the nature
(hard or soft) of the impacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.=>
page 226, "Important safety instructions on the s ide
airbag system".
Aside from their normal safety function, safety belts work to help keep the driver or front passenger in position in the event of a side
co llision so that the side airbags can provide protection .
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your safety belt. Rather, it is
part of the overall occupant restraint system in your veh icle. Always
remember that the side airbag system can only help to protect you if
you are wearing yo ur safety belt and wearing it properly. This is
another reason why you should always wear your safety belts, not just
because the law requires you to do so=>
page 197, "Genera l notes".
It is important to remember that while the supp lemental side airbag
system is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
injuries, for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abrasions can
also be associated with deployed side airbags. Remember too, side
airbags will dep loy only once and only in certain kinds of accidents -
your safety belts are always there to offer protection.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of vehicle damage are
not necessarily an indication of over-sensitive or failed a irbag activa­
tion. In some collisions, both front and side airbags may inflate .
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and on ly in certain
kinds of collisions -your safety belts are always there to offer protec­
tion in those accidents in wh ich airbags are not supposed to deploy o r
when they have already deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy:
• when the ignition is turned off
• in side collisions when the acceleration measured by the sensor is
toolow
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

& WARNING
• Safety be lts and the airbag system will only provide protection
when o ccupant s are in the proper seating position =>
page 76,
" G eneral re commendations ".
• If the airbag indicator light comes on when the vehicle i s being
used , have th e system inspected immediately by your authorized
Audi dealer . The side curt ain airbag may not work properly even
when the vehicle acce leration in a side collision is high enough to
activate the airbag. •
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with sid e airbags
to help r educe the risk of head and upper torso injuries for
occupants who are properly restra ined.
F ig . 2 21 Illu stratio n
o f pr incip le : In fla ted
s ide curt ain airb ag s on
the left s ide
Th e side c urta in airbag s inflate between the oc cup ant and t he
w indows on the side of the veh icle that is struck in a side coll is ion
=> fi g. 2 21.
When the system is tr iggered, the side curta in a irbag is filled with
pro pellant gas and breaks through a seam above the front and rear
side w indows identifie d by t he A IRBAG label. In o rder to he lp prov ide
this additional protection, the s ide curtain airbag must inflate within
t he blink of an eye at very high spee d and with g re at force. The side
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
cu rtain a irbag co uld injure you if your seating posit io n is not proper or
upr igh t or if items are located in the area where the s uppleme ntal
side cu rtain airbag inflates . T hi s app lies especially to ch ild ren
=> page 2 3 1.
Altho ugh they a re not a so ft pill ow, side curt ain airbags can "cushion"
the impact and in this way they can help to reduce the risk of injury to
t he head and t he upper part of t he b ody.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys. This is quite norma l
and does not mean there is a fire in the vehicle .•
Important safety instructions on the side
curta in airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental r estraints. Always prop ­
erly wear safe ty belts and ride in a proper s eat ing posi­
tion.
T he re is a lot that yo u and your passenge rs must know and do to help
the safety belts a nd airba gs do their job to provide supplemental
protec tion.
& WARNING
Improperly wearing safety belts and improper seating pos itions
increa se the risk of serious personal injury and death whene ver a
vehicle is be ing used .
• Never let oc cupants place any parts of their bodie s in the area
from which the side curtain airbags inflate.
• Always make sure that the side curtain airbags can inflate
without interference . Unsu itable accessories fitted inside the
expansion range of a side curtain airbag can dangerously interfere
with its funct ion. A deploy ing head airbag develops enough force
to catapult any pie ce of add-on component out of its path of infla-
tion and into the passenger compa rtment . An occupant hit by •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

________________________________________________ T_ i_ re _ s_ a_ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l _s _ ....... JIII
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 Indic ator (TWI )
Fig. 2 54 T ir e t read :
t rea d we ar i ndicators
( T WI)
Fig . 255 Rotati ng
t ir e s fo r mo re e ve n
w ea r
Th e or iginal t ires on your veh icle have 1/16 inch ( 1.6 mm) high "wear
ind icators"=> fig . 254 running across the tread . Depending on the
make, there w ill be six to e ight of them evenly placed around the tire.
Marks on the t ire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other symbols) indi­
cate the posit ions of the tread wear indicators . Worn tires must be
replaced. Different fig ures may apply i n other countr ies => ,& .
Vehicle OP-eration
Tire pres sur e
Incorrect tire pressure ca uses premature wear and can cause sudden
tire blow-out . For this reason, tire pressure m ust be checked at least
once a mo nth =>
page 313.
Driv ing 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 fron t and rear tires a re rotated accord ing to the
t ire manufact urer's suggested tire rotation intervals . Please
remember the follow ing:
• T ire ro tat ion interva ls may differ from the ve hicle service in tervals
outlined in your Warranty
& Maintenance book let.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the veh icle, the more
i t wears at certain points; therefore, we recommend that you follow
the t ire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals.
• Vehicles with front-whee l drive experience more tread wear on the
front wheels compared to all-wheel dr ive (quattro
® ).
• Please rotate tires as sh own => fig. 255.
• Extra care must be taken when rotat ing d irection-spec ific tires
=:> page 341.
Wheel balancing
The w heels on new vehicles are balanced . H oweve r, various sit uat ions
dur ing everyday dr iving can cause them to become unbalanced,
resulting in vibrations yo u can usu a lly fee l through the s teering
wheel.
Unbalanced whee ls must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and t ires . A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed. _,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Tires and wheels Ill
----------------
If you install rims, which do not have the sensors, or have sensors
w hich are not compa tible, then the tire pressure moni toring sys tem *
w ill not wo rk p roperly. I n this case, t he tire pressure monitor ing
system * wo uld not be ab le to monitor the tire pressure or warn yo u if
it is necessary .
• The battery inside of the tire pressure sensor has a limited service
l ife.
• Always dr ive wit h the
valve stem caps securely mo unted. We
recommend using factory ins ta lled
valve stem caps. As k your autho ­
r ized Audi dea ler to rep lace lost
valve stem caps .
Th e insta llation of repl acement tir es w ith s teel co rd bo dy plies in the
t ire sidewa ll may ca use ma lfunctio n of the tire pressure mo nitoring
system *, and is not recommende d (cord material informat io n i n
molded on the ti re s idewall).
Always check your tire pressure monito ring system* indicator afte r
re plac ing one or mo re tires on your vehicle. If the tire press ure m oni­
to ring system* indicator flashes, or is on, your system is not working
pro perl y. Yo ur repla ceme nt tire might be incomp atible with your t ire
pressure monitoring system*, or some component of the tire pres­
sure mon itor ing system * may be damaged.
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and / or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of cont rol, collision
and seriou s per sonal injury .
• Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica­
tions of original fa ctory-in stalled tires or other combination s that
have been specifically appro ved by the vehicle manufacturer.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly ,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be u sed in an emergen cy and then with special care and at
lowe r speeds.
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
Safety first
& WARNING (co ntinued )
eventhoughthedamagecannotbeseenthatcanleadtosudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial tires of the same
type, size (rolling circumference ) and the same tr ead pattern.
Driving with different t ires reduces vehicle handling and can lead
to a lo ss of control.
• If the spare ti re is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle - for example with w inter tires - only use the spare
tire fo r a sho rt pe riod of t ime and drive with extra care. Refit the
normal road wheel as soon as safely possible.
• Never drive faster than the ma ximum speed for which the tires
on your vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faster than
their rated speed can fail suddenly .
• Overloading tire s cause heat build-up, sudden tire failure,
including a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control.
• Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated
and not over or underinflated.
• For technical reasons it is not always possible to use wheels
from other vehicles - in some c ases not even wheel s from the same
vehicle model.
• If you install wheel trim discs on the vehicle wheels , make sure
that the air flow to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , increasing stopping distance s
and causing a collision.
• Run flat tires may only be u sed on vehicles th at were equipped
with them at the factory. The vehicle must have a chassis designed
fo r run flat tires and a factor y-in stalled tire pres sure monitoring
system* that indicates a loss of tire pre ssure. Incorrect use of run
flat tires can lead to vehicle damage or accident s. Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or tire specialist to see if your vehicle can
be equipped with run flat tires . If run flat tires are used , they must
be installed on all four wheels. Mixing tire types is not permitted . ..,_
Vehicle care Technical data