2010 AUDI S8 warning lights

Trailer towing
"---------------------------------------------------
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger transpor ­
tation .
If you p lan to tow a t railer, p lease remember that the additional load
w ill affect durability, economy and performance.
Tr ailer towing not on ly p laces mo re s tress on the vehicle, it also calls
for more concentration from the driver.
For this reason, a lways follow the operating and dr iv ing inst ructions
prov ided and use common sense .
0 Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must activate the tra iler ope ra­
tion mode =>
page 179, "Towing a Trailer".
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a we igh t-car rying h itch co nform ing to the gross tra iler we ig ht.
The h itch must be suitab le for your vehicle and trailer and must be
mou nted securely o n th e vehi cle's ch assi s at a
techni cally sound loc a­
tion . Use only a trailer hitch with a removab le ball mount. Always
check wit h the t railer h itch manufactu rer to make sure that yo u are
using the correct h itch .
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The h itch mus t be installed in such a way t hat it does not in terfe re
w ith t he impact-absorb ing bumper system. No modifications shou ld be made to t
he veh icle exha ust and bra ke systems. From t ime to
time, check that a ll hitch mounting bo lts rema in securely fastened.
W hen you are no t tow in g a tra ile r, remove the t railer hit ch ball
mount. This prevents the hitc h from caus ing damage should your
vehicle be str uck from behind=>& .
Trailer brakes
If your trail er is e quipped w ith a b raking system, che ck to be s ure t hat
it conforms to all regulations.
T he tra ile r hydrau lic brake system m ust not be directly connected to
t he vehicle's hyd raulic b rake sys tem .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure to check w ith your
Audi de aler fo r corr ec t wir ing , sw itches and re lays.
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see t he t raff ic be hind you using t he regular
outs ide mirrors, then you
must install extended mi rrors. It is impor­
t an t th at yo u
always ha ve clear vi sion to the re ar.
& WARNING
After removing the trailer hitch, do not store it in your vehicle. In
case of sudden braking , the hitch could fly forward and inju re you
or your passengers. •

-Cleaning and protection pn,,._____ _ __,____ ____________ _
0 Note
• Never try to remove dirt, mud o r d ust if the s urface of the vehicle
is dry. Never use a dry cloth or sponge, s ince this could scratch your
veh icle's pai nt o r win dows.
• Never was h your car in bright sunlight . D rops of water act as
magnifyi ng lenses and may damage your p aint.
• When you was h yo ur car in the winter: if you rinse your vehicle w ith
a hose , be careful not to a im the stream of wate r d irect ly at locks, or
at doo r or hatch openings -they can freeze s hut.
• N ever use sponges des igned to remove insects, o r any kitchen
sco uring sponges or s imilar pro ducts. They can damage yo ur paint
fi ni sh.
• N ever use a dry cl oth o r sp on ge to clean t he he adlig hts. Only use
wet cloths or sponges to prevent scratches . It is best to use soapy
water .
• You shou ld remove debr is (s uch as insects) from the head light
lenses o n a regu lar b asis, for examp le w hen re fue ling your veh icle.
N ever clean the headlights w ith a dry clot h or sponge . Use a wet cloth
or sponge. It is best to use soapy water.
c£> For the sake of the environment
In the interest of the environment, the ve hicl e should on ly be washed
in spe cial wash bays .•
Washing your vehicle with a power washer
C le aning the exterior of y our car wit h a hi gh-pressur e
p ower washe r is s afe as long as you observe a few simple
r ul es .
- Before using t he power washer, make su re yo u have read
and und ers tood th e WARNI NGS =:::>
& in "General in for­
mation" o n
page 270. -
Always fo llow t he operat ing inst ructio ns for the power
washer .
- Make su re that t he jet o n th e sp ray hose produces a "fan
s ha ped spr ay".
- Do
not hold the spray nozz le too close to soft ma terials.
W hen cleaning the vehicle with a power washer always fo llow the
operat ing in str uctio ns. T his appli es p art icu larly to t he
operating
pressure
and the spraying distance . Maintain a suffic ient distance to
so ft ma ter ia ls s uch as rubbe r hoses an d so und/v ibration deaden ing
materials (part icular ly on the unde rside o f the engine hood) . Do not
use a jet wh ich sprays water in a
direct stream o r o ne that has a
rotating jet .
Water temperature sho uld not exceed 140
°F (60 °().
& WARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays water in a direct stream .
This could cau se invisible damage to the tires and weaken them,
even if the spray i s from a relatively long distance and for a short
time . Damaged and weakened tires can fail and cause accidents
and personal injury.
0 Note
To avoid damaging your vehicle, always ma ke su re that there is suffi­
cien t dista nce between the spr ay head and sof t mate ria ls like r ubber
hoses, p lastic parts and sound-deadening mater ials. Never aim the
spr ay he ad at the s ame po int for a long t ime . This also ap plies to
cleaning headlights and pai nted b umpe rs. Remember : the close r the
noz zle is to the surfa ce of the mate rial, t he greate r the stress on the
material. •

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the form of Serv ice or Repair O rde rs that all scheduled ma inte nance
w as perfo rm ed in a t im ely mann er.•
Engine oil consumption
Th e e ngin e in your v ehi cle dep ends on an ad equate
amount of oil to lubricate and cool a ll of its movin g parts.
In order to p rovide e ffect ive lubric ation and cooling of inter na l
eng ine components, all internal combust ion eng ines consume a
c ert ain a mo unt o f oil. Oil co nsump tion va ries from e ngine to eng ine
and may change sign ifican tly over the li fe of the engine . Typically,
eng ines w ith a sp ecifie d brea k-in period (s ee =>
page 261) co nsum e
more o il dur ing the break -in period t han they cons ume a fter oil
cons umption has stabilize d.
Under norm al cond itions, th e ra t e of oil con su mp tio n depe nds on t he
quality and v iscosi ty of the oil, the RPM ( revolutions pe r minute) at
w hich the engi ne i s op erate d, the ambie nt te m pe ratu re and r oad
conditions. Further factors are the amount of oi l di lution from water
co ndens ation or f uel re sidue and th e oxid ation level of the oil. As any
eng ine is s ubject to wear as mileage builds up, the oil consumption
may increase over time until replacemen t of wo rn components may
become necessa ry .
With all these varia bles comin g into play, no stan dar d rate of oil
co nsum ption can be establis hed o r spe cified. Th ere is no alte rnative
to regular and frequent chec kin g of the o il level, see
Note .
If the yellow e ngine oil leve l w arning symbol in the ins trumen t
cl uster · .. lights up, yo u should chec k the o il lev el as soon as possible
with the oil dipstick=> page 293 . Top off the oil at yo ur earliest
conveni ence=>
pag e 294 .
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment , always
read and heed all WARNINGS=>
& in "Working in the engine
compartment " on
page 289.
Safety first
0 Note
Driv ing with an in sufficie nt o il level is like ly to c ause severe d amage
to the engine .
[ i ] Tips
• The oil pressure warn ing display 'e.::1; is not an indicator of the oil
level. Do not rely on it . Instead, check the oil level in your engine at
regular intervals, preferably each time you refuel, and always
before going on a long trip .
• If you have the impression your eng ine consumes excessive
am ounts of o il, we recom mend that you cons ult your Audi dea le r to
have the cause of your concern properly d iagnosed. Keep i n m ind that
t he accurate meas urement of oil co nsum ption re quires great care
and may take some t ime. Your Audi dealer has instruct io ns about how
t o meas ure o il cons umption a ccu ra tely .•
Checking the engine oil Level
Vehicle care
Fig . 24 3 Illustration
o f principle 1 : M arker s
on oil dipstick ...
Technical data

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& WARNING (co ntinued )
just going to replace a light bulb , then it is enough to switch off
the lights .
• Before disconnecting the battery , switch off the anti-theft
alarm system! Otherwise you will set off the alarm.
• When disconne cting the battery, first disconnect the negat ive
cable and then the po sitive cable.
• Before reconnecting the b attery, make sure all electrical
consumer s are sw itched off. Reconnect the positiv e cable fir st and
then the negative cable . Never inte rchange the cables -this could
start a fire!
• Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out battery.
It could
explode! If a battery has frozen, then it must be replaced . A
di scharged batter y can freeze over at 32 °F (0 °C ).
• Make sure the vent hose is always attached to the opening on
the side of the battery .
• Never use batteries which are damaged. There is the danger of
an explosion! Alway s replace a damaged battery.
& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
• Battery posts , terminal s and related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive problems. Wash hands after
handling.
0 Note
• Do not disconnec t the vehicle batte ry when t he ignit ion is
switched on o r when the engine is running, otherwise, you will
d amage e le ctro nic c ompone nts in t he ele ctrica l sys tem.
Safety first
• If your ve hicle is go ing to sta nd for a long per iod of time w it h out
bein g driven, protec t th e battery fro m "freezi ng", o therw ise i t wi ll be
damaged and will then have to be replaced .•
Battery charging
Sta rting t he e ng in e req uires a well c harged battery.
Always read and heed all WARNINGS b elo w =:> & and=:> &
i n "W orki ng on t he batt ery" o n
page 3 01.
- Turn off th e igni tio n and all electr ica l co nsum ers.
- Make su re the area is well vent ilated w hen you charge the
batte ry .
- Attach the red (posi tive
(B) c la m p of the charging equip­
me nt to the posit ive te rmin al o f th e bat tery and t he b lac k
( n eg at ive(:)) clam p to t he jumper term inal.
- Only now plug t he m ain s lead for the c harg ing e quip ment
i n to t he wa ll outlet a nd tu rn it on=:> &.
- Make sure the charging rate is not over 30 amps/14.8
Volt.
- When the b attery is fully c harg ed: Turn t he ch arging
equ ip m ent off and remo ve t he mains l ead fr om the wall
ou tlet.
- Now remove the clamp s for the cha rging eq uipment .
A discharged ba ttery can freeze a t temperat ures of on ly O 0C. Allow a
frozen batte ry to thaw comp letely before attempting to charge it
=> & . However, we recomme nd not usin g a thawed battery aga in
because the battery casing can be cracke d due to ice formation and
c a n l eak battery a cid. .,._
Vehicle care Technical data

_______________________________________________ F_u _s_ e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ b_u _ l_ b _ s __ lllll
erly put back together to he lp prevent breakage of parts and long
t erm d am ag e fro m wat er th at can enter housin gs th at h ave not been
properly resealed.
For your safety, we recommend that you have your a uthorized Audi
de aler repla ce a ny bu lbs for you, s ince your deale r has the prope r
too ls, t he correct bu lbs and t he expertise.
Ga s discharge lamp s (Xenon lights) :
Due to the high electrical voltage, have the bulbs replaced by a qual­
ifie d technician. Headlig hts with Xe non light can be identified by the
hig h volt age sticker.
& WARNING
Contact with high-voltage components of the electrical system
and improper replacement of gas discharge (Xenon ) headlight
bulbs can cause serious personal injury and death .
• Xenon bulb s are pres surized and can explode when being
changed.
• Changing Xenon lamp s requires the special training, instruc ­
tions and equipment .
• Only an authorized Audi dealer or other qualified workshop
should change the bulbs in gas discharge lamps .
& WARNING
There are parts with sharp edges on the openings and on the bulb
holders that can cause serious cuts .
• If you are uncertain about what to do , have the work
performed by an authorized Audi dealer or other qualified work­
shop. Serious personal injury may result from improperly
performed work.
Safety first
(I] Tips
• If you mus t repl ace the light bulbs yourse lf , a lways remember
that the eng ine compartme nt of any vehicle is a hazar do us area to
work in. Always read and hee d all WA RNING S=>
page 281, "E ngi ne
compartment" =>& .
• It is bes t to ask yo ur author ized Audi dealer wheneve r yo u need to
change a bulb.•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& WARN ING (conti nued)
• Before you check anything in the engine compartment , always
read and heed all WARNINGS~
page 281, "Engine compart­
ment ".
0 Note
• App lying a higher vo ltage booster battery will cause expensive
damage to sens itive e lectron ic components, such as contro l units,
relays, radio, etc.
• There must be no electrical contact between the vehicles as other­
wise current could already start to flow as soon as the positive(+)
terminals are connected.
[I] Tips
• The discharged battery must be properly connected to the
vehicle's electrical system . When jump starting or charging the
battery, never connect the negative ground cable to the battery nega­
tive post because the battery manager system must be able to detect
the battery's state of charge . Always connect the negative ground
cable to the negative ground post of the battery manager control
unit. •
Vehicle OP-eration
Use of jumper cables
Make sure to connect the jumper cable clamps in exactly
the order described below!
Fig. 282 Jump
starting with the
battery of another
vehicle: A -discharged
vehicle battery, B -
booster battery
The procedure described below for connecting jumper cables
is intended to provide a jump start for your vehicle.
Vehicle with discharged battery:
- Turn off lights and accessories, move lever of automatic
transmission to
N (Neutral) or P (Park) and set parking
brake.
Connect POSITIVE(+) to POSITIVE(+) (red)
1. Connect one end to the positive terminal~ fig. 282 © of
your battery @.
2 . Connect the other end to the positive terminal @ of the
booster battery®·
Connect NEGATIVE(-) to NEGATIVE(-)
(black)
3. Connect one end to the negative terminal® of the
booster battery@.
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

___________________________________________ A_ l::.. p _h _a_ b_ e_t _ic _a_ l_ in_ d _ e_x __ nn
We ight-sensing mat .... .. .. .. . ... 232
When must the system be inspected? 217
Aircraft Transporting your vehicle .......... 353
All Wheel Drive ............ .. ...... . 257
Alloy wheels . .... .. .. .. .. .. .. ... ... 275
All-wheel drive
Winter tires ....... .. ............ 323
Alternator See Generator .................... 16
Anti-freeze See Engine coolant ...... .. .. .. ... 296
Anti -lock brake system
How the ABS system works ......... 256
Warning/indicator lights ... .. ..... . 19
Anti-Sl ip Regulation System (ASR)
How the system works . .. .. .. .. .. . 254
Anti-theft systems Anti-theft alarm system ....... ... .. 52
Electronic immobilizer ............. 41
Ashtray Front .............. ...... ........ 96
Rear ........ .. .... .. ... . .. .... .. 96
ASR How the Anti-Slip Regulation System
works ..... .. ... .. ... ... ....... 254
Audi Service Repair Manuals and Literature
361
AUTO mode AC climate control ....... .... .. .. . 106
Auto Safety Hotline ... ... ... . .. ..... 195
Auto-Check Contro l .............. .... . 26 Automatic car wash
See Washing ............... ... .. 271
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL) ... .. .. .. ... 156
Automatic transmission 6-speed automatic transm iss ion .. .. 154
Automatic Sh ift Lock (ASL) ....... .. 156
Dr iv ing ................. ...... .. 154
Dynamic shift program ......... ... 157
Emergency release for selector lever . 159
Fail-safe mode ................ ... 159
lg nition key safety lock .... ..... ... 119
Kick-down . ............ .. ....... 157
Manual shift program .. .. .. .. .. .. . 158
Selector lever ............ ........ 155
Shift buttons ... ...... .. .. .. ..... 159
Steering wheel with tiptronic ...... . 159
Average speed ........... .. .......... 36
Avoid damaging the vehicle .. ....... .. 263
B
Background lighting ... . .. .. .......... 67
Battery . .. .. .. .. .... ............... 300
Battery location inside the luggage
compartment .................. 301
Charging ........................ 303
Important warnings when working on the battery ..... ........... ...... .. 301
low . .. .. .. .. .. ...... .. ......... 258
Rep lacing the battery . ... ......... 304
State of charge ..... .. ........... 258
Winter operation . .... ... ..... .... 300
Working on the battery .... ... .. .. . 301 Before driving
.. .. ... ... ... .... ... .. 187
Blended gasoline ................. .. 283
Body cavity sealing .............. . ... 276
Booster seats ......... ............ . 239
Brake fluid
Changing the brake fluid .......... . 300
Checking the brake fluid level ....... 299
What is the correct brake fluid level?. 299
What should I do if the brake fluid warning
light comes on? . .. .. .. .......... 299
Brake system Anti-lock brake system .. ........... 19
Brake assistant .. .. .. .. .. ...... .. 256
Brake booster ........... ... ..... 256
Brake fluid .. .. .. ................ 299
Brake fluid specificat ions for refill and
repla cemen t .................. . 300
Brake light defective . .... .. .. .. .. .. 24
Brake pads ..................... . 262
Electromechanical parking brake .... 123
Fluid reservoir . .......... ... .. ... 299
How does moisture or road salt affect the
brakes? ... .. ................ .. 254
Malfunction ...................... 28
Warning/indicator lights ... .... .. .. 20
Worn brake pads symbol ........... 32
Break-in period .... . .. .............. 261
Brake pads . ... ................ .. 262
Tires ..... .................... .. 261
Bulbs ............ .... .. .... .... .. . 346
Bumper cover Caution when parking near a parking barri-er or curb . ... ................ .. 124
Automatic belt retractor .......... .. . 201 Battery voltage .. ........... ........ . 34
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data