2010 AUDI S8 maintenance

Table of contents
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Add itional accessories,
mod if ications and par ts
replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Alphabetical index . . . . 366

Vehicle literature
In addit io n to this Owner 's Manua l, your Aud i comes w ith the
• MMI Operat ing Instructions
• Warra nty
& Ma intenance booklet .
If yo u are m issing one of these pub lications, or if you believe that the
i n fo rm ation is not complete, co ntact your a uth o rized A udi de aler fo r
assistance.
MMI Operating Instructions
contain detailed desc ription of the A udi Mu lti Media Interface (MMI)
including the nav igat ion system, the sound system and the handheld
phone.
The Warranty & Maintenance booklet
exp la ins how you ca n keep your A udi in top d riving condition by having
it serviced regularly and conta ins deta iled informat io n about the
warran ties covering your Audi. Always have the booklet with you
when you take your veh icle to an author ized Aud i deale r for serv ice.
Your Audi Service Adviser will record each scheduled serv ice and can
answe r any questions yo u may have reg arding how to m ainta in your
vehicle.
In Canada,
the vehicle literature is also ava ilab le in French. To obtain a copy,
contact yo ur dealer or wri te to :
Au Canada, on peut se procurer un exemplaire en frani;:ais de ce docu­
ment aupres du concessionna ire o u de:
Volkswagen Canada Inc. Client Assistance
Assistance a la Clie ntele
7 77 Bayly St reet, West,
Ajax, Ontario LlS 7G7
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Vehicle Literature
If you sell your Audi
all literature should be left in the vehicle to make the Warranty terms
as well as all operating, safety and maintenance information avail­
able to the next owner.
If you change your address or if you bought
this Audi used
be sure to se nd in a "Notice of Address C hange "/ "Notice of Used Car
Purchase" post card. This card can be found in the Warranty
& Ma in­
t enance boo klet o r obta ined from your authorized Audi dealer.
It is in your own int ere st that we are able to contact you should the
need ari se .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

_________________________________________________ W_.;,. a_r _m __ a_n .;,. d:.;__ c::.. o.::..:. ld.:.:..._fflll
Warm and cold
Climate controls
Description
The air conditioner is fully automatic and is designed to
maintain a comfortable and uniform climate inside the
vehicle.
We recommend the following settings:
- Set the temperature to 75
°F (+23 °C).
- Press the
[AUTO] button.
With this setting, you attain maximum comfort in the least amount
of time. Change this setting , as desired , to meet your personal needs.
The climate controls are a combination of heating, ventilation and cooling systems, which automatically reduce humidity and cool the
air inside your vehicle .
The air temperature, air flow and air distribution are automatically regulated to achieve and maintain the desired passenger compart­
ment temperature as quickly as possible.
The system automatically compensates for changes in outside
temperature and for the intensity of the sunlight entering the
vehicle. We recommend you use the
Automatic mode ~ page 106
for year-round comfort .
Please note the following:
Turn on the air conditioner to reduce humidity in the vehicle. This also
prevents the windows from fogging up.
When the outside temperature is high and the air is very humid,
condensation from the evaporator may drip under the vehicle . This is
normal and does not indicate a leak.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
If the outside temperature is
low, the fan normally only switches to a
higher speed once the engine coolant has warmed up sufficiently .
The air conditioner temporarily switches off when you drive off from
a standstill using full throttle to save engine power.
The compressor also switches off if the coolant temperature is too
high, so that the engine can be adequately cooled under extreme
loads.
Air pollutants filter
The air pollutants filter (a combined particle filter and activated char­
coal filter) reduces or prevents outside air pollution (dust, or pollen)
from entering the vehicle.
The air pollutants filter must be changed at the intervals specified in
your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet, so that the air conditioner can
properly work.
If you drive your vehicle in an area with high air pollution , the filter
may need to be changed more frequently than specified in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. If in doubt, ask your authorized
Audi Service Advisor for advice.
Key coded settings
The air conditioner settings selected are automatically stored and
assigned to the key being used. When the vehicle is started, the air
conditioner automatically selects the settings assigned to that key.
This way every driver will maintain his/her own personal settings and
does not have to reset them manually.
If a different driver uses your key and changes the air conditioner
settings, the latest adjustments will erase and replace the settings
you have stored.
Energy management
To prevent the battery from being discharged and to restore the
balance of energy, components which require large amounts of
Vehicle care Technical data

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& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without
interference:
-Never install se at covers or replacement upholstery over the
front seatbacks that have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use additional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags inflate .
- Damage to the original seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer.
• The airbag sy stem can be activated only once. After an airbag
has inflated, it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the technical information , training
and special equipment necessary.
• The airbag sy stem can be deployed only onc e. After an airbag
has been deployed, it must be replaced w ith new replacement
parts de signed and approved es pecially for your Audi model
version . Replacement of complete airbag systems or airbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops only.
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD.
• For safety reasons in severe accidents, the alternator and
starter are separated from the vehicle battery with a pyrotechni c
circuit interrupter .
- Work on the pyrotechnic circu it interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an a ccident!
- If the vehicle or the circu it interrupter is scrapped, all appli­
cable safety precautions must be followed .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
<£' For the sake of the environment
U
ndeployed airbag modules and pretens io ners mig ht be classified as
Perch lorate Material -sp ec ial handling may a pply, see
www.d ts c. ca.gov/ha za rdouswaste/pe rchlorate . W he n t he vehicle or
parts of the restraint system including airbag modules and safety
bel ts wi th prete nsio ners are scra pped, all applica ble laws an d regula­
tions m ust be observed. Your authorized Aud i dea ler is familiar with
t hese requireme nts and we recommend tha t you have you r dealer
perform this service for you. •
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Chang ing the ve hicle's suspension system can change the way that
t he Adv anced Airbag System pe rforms in a crash . For example, using
tire-r im combinations not approved by Aud i, lower ing t he veh icle,
c hang ing the st iffness o f the suspe nsio n, incl uding the s prings,
s u spension str uts, shoc k absorbe rs etc. can change the forces that
are meas ured by the airb ag sensors and sen t to the ele ctron ic con trol
uni t. Some suspension changes ca n, for examp le, increase the force
levels measu red by t he sensors and ma ke the airbag sys tem dep loy in
crashes in which it wou ld not deploy if the changes had not bee n
made . Other kin ds of c hanges may re duce the force levels meas ured
by the senso rs and p revent the airbag from dep loyi ng when it should .
The sensors in the safety belt buckle for the d river and front
p assenger se at tell the e le ct ro nic co ntro l mo dule if the sa fe ty belt is
latc hed or not . If the safety be lt is be ing used, the fron t airbag w ill
dep loy at a s ligh tly hig her ra te o f ve hicl e decelerat io n t han if the
safety belt is not be ing us ed. T he refo re, in a part icular collis io n, it is
poss ible that an a irbag wi ll not deploy at a seating posit ion where the
safety belt is being used but wi ll inflate at the posi tion whe re the
safety belt is not bei ng used. It is important that not hing interfere
w ith the s afe ty be lt bu ckles so t hat th e sensor s can sen d the correct
information about safety belt use to the electronic contro l unit. ..
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Driving and environment
------------------------------------------------'
The amount of oil used is related to engine load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new engine to reach its
lowest value after a certain mileage has been driven .
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers)
before you can properly assess oil consumption.
This also applies to fuel consumption and engine output .
0 Note
• Have your vehicle maintained properly and in accordance with the
service recommendations in your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
Lack of proper maintenance as well as improper use of the vehicle w ill
impair the function of the emission control system and cou ld lead to
damage.
• Do not alter or remove any component of the Emission Control
System un less approved by the manufacturer.
• Do not a lter or remove any device, such as heat shie lds, switches,
ignition wires, valves, which are designed to protect your vehicle's Emission Contro l System and other important vehicle components. •
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high on short
trips .
-Try to avoid driving short distances with a cold engine.
The eng ine and catalytic converter have to reach thei r optima l oper­
ating temperature
to reduce fuel consumption and noxio us em is­
sions effectively.
Just after starting, a cold engine in a mid -size car only achieves a fuel
economy of 6-8 miles per gallon (30-40 l/100 km) . After about a half
a mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg (20 l/100 km). After about
2.5 miles (4 km), the engine is at its proper operating temperature
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
and fuel economy has
reached a normal level. So you can see that you
should avoid short trips whenever possible.
The
outside temperature is also cr it ical in th is regard . Your car
consumes more fuel in the winter than in the summer. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& 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

lffl) __ C_ h_ e_c _k _i _ n _g ~ a_n _d_ f_i l_ l_i n_ g _________________________________________ _
the formation of harmful deposits, sometimes ca lled "sludge," that
over time can lead to expensive re pairs.
At the time of pr int ing, engine o ils available in the U .S . and Canada
that meet the exacting s pecifications of Audi oil standard VW 502 00
are synthetic engine oils. This does not mean, however, that every
synthetic engine oil will meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00. So a lways
be s ure that you use an approved o il.
To help prevent the format ion of harmful deposits use only oil with
the following specifications printed on the oil container:
Audi oi l stand ard VW 502 00
Oil container labels may carry the specification singly or in comb ina­
tion with other designations and o il quality standards.
Vi sco sit y
Engine oils are graded according to their viscosity . The proper
viscos ity grade oil for your eng ine depends on climactic or seasonal
conditions where you drive. You can use oi l with a v iscosity grade of
SAE SW40 across all tempera ture ranges for norma l driving cond i­
tions.
However, if engine o il viscosity grade SAE SW40 is not avai lable, you
can a lso use viscos ity grade SAE SW-30 or SAE OW-40 as long as it
meets Audi oil quality standard VW 502 00 specifications .
Be cause eng ine oil that meets the A udi oil standard may not be avail­
able everywhere when you need it, we strongly recommend that you
always carry w ith you an extra quart (liter) o f oi l that expressly
conforms to the VW 502 00 specif ication, in case you have to top off
the oi l while on the road.
On ly if the level of the o il is at or be low the min imum mark on the oil
dipstick - and no oil that expressly conforms to Audi oi l standard
VW 502 00 spec ificat ions is ava ilable - may you top off with a high
quality engine oil, preferably synthetic-based, that meets ACEA A3,
ACEA AS or ACEA BS or AP I SL spec ifications, but even then, on ly in
viscos ity grades SAE SW-40, SAE SW-30, or SAE OW-40. However,
dur ing t he entire time between oil change intervals, neve r top off w
ith more tha n a total of 0 .5 qt/liter eng ine o il that does not
con form to Audi o il specification VW 502 00.
For more information abo ut eng ine oil that has been approved for
your vehicle, p lease contact either your authorized Audi dealer or
Audi Customer Relat ions at 1 (800) 822-2834 or v isit our web site at
www.audiusa.com or www .audicanada.ca. Here you will also find a
cur rent list of oils (manufacture rs, brand names e tc.) t hat co nform to
Audi oil standard VW 502 00.
Chan ging the e ngine oil
T he eng ine oil and oil fi lter must be changed according to the mileage
(kilometers) and time interva ls specified in your vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenan ce boo klet. Do no t exceed these interva ls - harmful
deposits from old eng ine oil can reduce engine performance and can
lead to expensive engine repairs.
Chang ing t he oil at the recommended intervals is so very important
because the lubricating properties of oil decrease gradually d uring
normal veh icle use. If you are not sure when you have your o il
changed, ask your authorized A udi Service Advisor.
Under some circumsta nces the engine oil should even be changed
more frequently. Change oil more often if you drive most ly short
dis tances, ope rate the vehicle in dusty areas or mostly under stop­
and-go traffic conditions, or when you use your vehicle where temper­
a tures stay below freezi ng point for long periods .
Detergent add itives in the oil will make fres h oil look dark after the
engine has been running for a short t ime . This is normal and is not a
reaso n to cha nge the oil mo re often than recommended.
Damage or malfunctions due to lack of maintenance
It is essentia l that you change your o il at the recommended intervals
using only engine o il that comp lies w it h Aud i oil standard
VW 502 00 . Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not cover
damage or ma lfunctions due to fa ilure to follow recommended main­
tenance and use requirements as set forth in the Aud i Owner's
Ma nual and W arra nty
& M ai ntenance book let. Your deale r will have
to deny warranty coverage unless you present to the dealer proof in ._

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Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS==> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 289.
- Turn off the engine.
- Unscrew the oil filler cap from the cylinder head cover
==>
page 294, fig. 245 or==> page 294, fig. 246.
- Carefully top off with the appropriate oil in 0.5 liter doses.
- Check the oil level again after two minutes==>
page 293.
- Top off the oil again, if necessary.
- Screw the cap back on the filling hole and slide the oil
dipstick in as far as it will go.
& WARNING
• While topping off, the oil must not come in contact with hot
engine parts - fire hazard!
• The oil filler cap must be properly secured to prevent oil from
being sprayed on the hot engine and exhaust system when the
engine is running - fire hazard!
• If your skin has come in contact with the engine oil, you must
subsequently cleanse it thoroughly.
0 Note
• The oil leve l must not be above range@- danger of converter or
eng ine damage! Contact an authorized dealership to draw off oil, if
necessary.
• Audi does not recommend the use of oil additives. They may
damage the engine and adversely affect your New Vehicle
Warranty.
Safety first
<£' For the sake of the environment
• Under no circumstances can the oil come in contact with the
sewage network or the soil.
• Observe and follow legal regulations when disposing of empty oil
containers. •
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by an autho­
rized Audi dealer or a qualified service station.
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always read
and heed all WARNINGS=>
& in "Working in the engine compart ­
ment" on
page 289.
The engine oil must be changed according to the intervals specified in
your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. This is very important because
the lubricating properties of oil diminish gradually during normal
vehicle use.
Under some circumstances the engine oil sho uld be changed more
frequently. Change oil more often if you drive mostly short distances,
operate the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominant ly stop-and­
go traffic conditions, or have your vehicle where temperatures remain
below freezing for extended periods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil look dark after the
engine has been running for a short time . This is normal and is not a
reason to change the oil more often than recommended .
Because of the problem of proper disposal, along with the special
tools and necessary expertise required, we strongly recommend that
you have your oil changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or a qualified
serv ice station.
If you choose to change your oil yourself, please note the following
important information: .,_
Vehicle care Technical data