2010 AUDI S8 steering

_________________________________________ 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

_________________________________________ 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

Trailer towing
"---------------------------------------------------
Speed
T he higher the speed, the more difficult it becomes for the driver to
control the rig. Do not dr ive at the max imum permiss ible speed.
Reduce your speed even more if load, weather or wind conditions are
unfavorable -part icu larly when go ing downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the tra iler shows the slightest
sign of swaying.
Do not try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for veh icles towing
trailers are lower than for regu lar vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driv ing dow nhill, shift in to a lower
gear to use the eng ine braking effect to slow the veh icle. Use of the
bra kes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
Th e coolant temperature gauge~ page 10 must be observed care­
fully. If the needle moves close to the upper end of the scale, reduce
speed immediately and/or turn off the air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light in the instrument cluster
starts flashing
_f_ , pull off the road, stop and let the engine idle for
about two m inutes to prevent heat build-up.
& WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving vehicle is at a much
greater risk in an accident. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided by Audi.•
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
------------
Your vehicle handles differently when tow ing a trailer because of the
additiona l weight and different weight distribution. Safety, perfor- mance and economy will greatly depend on how carefully you load
your trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice turning, stopp ing and
backing up in an area away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have
become completely familiar with the way your vehicle-t railer comb i­
nation behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice. Backing up with a trailer
generally requires steering action oppos ite to that when backing up
your vehicle without a trai ler.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle and the one in front
of you. You will need more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal turning radius .
When passing, remember that you cannot accelerate as fast as you normally would because of the added load . Make sure you have
enoug h room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your
trai ler before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky sta rts, sharp tur ns or rapid lane changes.
W Tips
• Do not tow a trailer during the break-in per iod of your veh icle.
• If you tow a trai ler, your Audi may require more frequent mainte­
nance due to the extra load
~ page 361. •
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot be
avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
- Apply the foot brake.
- Have someone p lace chocks under both the vehicle and the
trailer wheels . ._

___ 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 ..

________________________________________________ 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

________________________________________________ F_ u_s _e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ b_u_ lb_ s _ __.1111
(]] Tips
You a re well adv ised to keep a supply of spare fuses in your veh icle .
Fuses with the proper ampere ratings are avai lab le at your Audi
dealer. •
Fuse Location, Instrument Panel left
Fig. 2 78 Fuse pa nel
la you t
Some of the equ ipment items listed a re opt io na l o r only availab le on
certain model configurations.
Note that the following table i s accu rate at the time of going to
pre ss and is subject to change . In the event of di scr epancie s, th e
label on the in side of the cover always takes precedence.
T he power wi ndows and the power seats are p rotected by cir cuit
breakers ,
which automatically reset after a few seconds after the
overlo ad -for e xamp le if a window is fro zen - has bee n remed ie d.
Equipment Amps
1 Garage door opener (Homelink) 5
Parking assist system 5
3
Pa rking assist sy stem 5
4
Headlight range control/light control devic e 10
Vehicle OP-eration
No.
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
1 2
13
14
1 5
16
17
1 8
19
20
2 1
22
23
24
25
26
27
28 29
Equipment Amps
Instrument cluster 5
Steering column electronics system control 10
Diagnostic co nnector 5
Diagnostic connector/oil level sensor 5
ES P contro l uni t/steer ing angle se nsor 5
Instrum ent cluster 5
Au di lane ass ist 10
B ra ke ligh t switch 5
Telephone/ cell phone 10
Vacant
Acces s/ st art cont rol m odul e
5
RSE system 10
Adaptive C ruise Control 5
Hea ted w asher je ts 5
Vacant
Tire pressure monitoring system *
5
Vacant
Bra ke light switch
5
Ce ll phone preparation 5
Horn 15
Wi ndshie ld wipe r system 4 0
Vacant
E le ctronic Stabilizati on Pro gram (E SP)
2 5
Vacant
Sw itch illumination
1
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service iTechnical data

___ A_ l_,, p_ h _ a_b_ e_ t_ic _a_ l_ in_ d_e _ x ____________________________________________ _
A
Accessories ..... ...... ............. 363
Adaptive Air Suspension ............. 176
automatic mode ................. 177
Description .. ................... 176
dynamic mode ............ .... ... 1 77
Jacking mode when changing a flat tire . ..
179
lift mode ....................... 177
Setting the driving modes ......... 179
Sport Chassis Controls . ........ ... 178
standard mode ................ .. 177
Tr ailer towing mode ...... ...... .. 17 9
Warning/ind icator lights . .......... 18
Adaptive Cruise Control ............ .. 128
Changing speed ......... ......... 131
Driver information ............... 135
Dr iving in traff ic .......... ....... 129
Error messages ... .. .. .. .. ... .... 137
Open road ..... .. .... .. ... ...... 129
Override ................ .. .... .. 129
Request for driver to assume control 129
Save speed ... .. .. .. ............. 131
Setting distance . ... .......... ... 133
Sett ing time interval .............. 133
Settings ..................... ... 138
Special driving situations .......... 139
Status messages ................. 137
Switching on and off .............. 130
System limitations ........ ....... 139
Temporarily turning off ........... 132
warning/ind icator lights ........... 135 Adaptive Light .
.. ...... ....... .. .. .. 63
defect ive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Adding Engine coolant ................ .. 298
Engine oil ........... ... ......... 294
W indshield washer flu id ........... 305
Additiona l accessories ............... 363
Additives Engine oil ........ .... .... .. ..... 294
Adjustable steering col1Umn ........... 117
Adjusting Front seats .................... .. 76
Instrument cluster illum ination ..... 13
Steering column ................. 117
Advanced Parking System with rear view cam-
era
Adjusting the ch imes -option 1 ..... 171
Adjusting the ch imes -option 2 ..... 172
front and back with visual disp lay and rear-
view camera ................... 161
General information .............. 161
No tes on distance iniformation ..... 170
Parking next to obstacles .......... 169
Rear-v iew camera -parking mode 1 .. 166
Rear-v iew camera -parking mode 2 .. 167
Rear-v iew camera (Rear View) ...... 164
Rear-v iew camera coverage area .... 165
Rear-v iew camera tips ............ 17 4
Special parking sit ua tions .. .. ..... 169
Switching the rear-view camera on and off
173
switching the visual disp lay on and off
173 System error message
. . . . . . . . . . . . 173
T owing hitch ... .. .. ............. 171
Air conditioning
See Climate controls .............. 103
Airbag system ... .. .......... ... 206, 226
Advanced Airbag System .......... 210
Advanced Airbag System components 213 Care .. .. ................. ...... 220
Child restraints .................. 233
Children ..... ...... .. . .. .. .. .. .. 232
Components (front a irbags) ........ 213
Danger of fitting a child seat on the front passenger seat .... ............. 208
Disposal ................. ... .. .. 220
Front airbags ................ 210,211
How do the front airbags work? ..... 215
How many airbags does my vehicle have? .
213
How the Advanced Airbag System compo -
nents work together ............ 214
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system ................ .. 224
Important things to know ....... .. 206
Indicator light ................... 217
Knee airbags ....... ............. 222
Monitoring .. .. ................. 217
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light ..... 218
Repa irs ... ........ .. . .. .. .. .. .. 220
Safety instructions ............... 219
Side airbags .. .. .... ............. 225
Side cu rtain airbags . ............. 228
Wa rning/indicator lights ... ........ 17