2011 AUDI S8 light

200 Driving and en vi ro nm ent
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage .
"'Try and keep well below your car 's maximum
speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump­
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
environment. F ue l consumption, exhaust em issions and en ­
gine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fue l consumption will
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
than the posted speed limit and weather con­
d itions permit .
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
"'Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle .
"'Do not warm up the veh icle by letting the
engine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut
off the e ngine in traff ic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at ra il­
road crossings , or at traff ic lights that have
long wa its on red. Turning the engine
off fo r
just
30-40 seconds saves more fue l than is
burned s tarting the eng ine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle . Howeve r, wear
and noxious em issions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at high rpms while the engine is
still warming up .
([) Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af ­
ter starting . If warning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
wou ld go unheeded. Extended idling also
produces heat, which cou ld result in over- heating or other damage to the vehicle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel.
"' Have your ve hicle serviced at reg ular inter -
vals.
By having your veh icle regu larly serviced by an
Audi dealer he lps to ensure that it runs p rop­
erly and economically. The condition of your
vehicle not only affects its sa fety and ability to
hold its value, it also affects
fuel c onsump­
tion .
Check your oil e ach time you fill your t ank .
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 certa in
mileage has been driven.
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 m iles
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
This also app lies to fue l consumption and en­
gine output.
(D Note
- Have your vehicle maintained proper ly
and in accordance with the service rec ­
ommendations in your Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet. Lack of proper ma inte­
nance as well as improper use of the ve­
hicle will impair the function of the
em iss ion contro l system and cou ld lead
to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control Sys tem unless ap­
proved by the manufacture r.
- Do not alte r or remove any device, such
as heat sh ie lds, switches, ign it ion w ires,
valves, which are designed to protec t
your vehicle's Emission Control System
and other impo rtant vehicle compo­
nents .

202 Trailer towing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trai ler, please remember
that the additional load will affect durability,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
For this reason, always fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must
activate the trailer operation mode
i::> page 202, Operating instructions .
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suita­ ble for your vehicle and trailer and must be
mounted securely on the veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location. Use only a trailer
hitch with a removable ball mount. Always
check with the trailer hitch manufacturer to
make sure that you are using the correct
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that
it does not interfere with the impact-absorb­
ing bumper system. No modifications should
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake sys­
tems. From time to time, check that all hitch
mounting bolts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the
trailer hitch ball mount. This prevents the
hitch from causing damage should your vehi­
cle be struck from behind~ &.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brak ing sys­
tem, check to be sure that it conforms to all
regulations.
T he trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
direc tly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the tra iler.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be
sure to check with your Audi dealer for correct
wiring, switches and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
using the regular outside mirrors, then you
must install extended mirrors. It is important
that you
always have clear v is io n to the rear .
A WARNING ,~ -
After removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in your vehicle. In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and in­
jure you or your passengers.
Operating instructions
Fig. 171 MMI display : tow ing mode on
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer. .,.

Trailer lo ad di stri bu tion
Be s ure the load in the trai ler is held securely
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
N eve r allow a p assenger to rid e in a tr ailer
,=:, .&. in Driving instructions on page 204.
Engine cooling s ystem
Towing a tra iler makes the eng ine work hard ­
er . It is important that the cooling system's
pe rformance is up to the addit ional load .
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid.
Tire p res sure
When tow ing a trailer, inflate the t ires of your
vehicle to the co ld tire pressure listed under
" Full load " on the label located on the dr iver's
side B-pillar (v is ible when the door is open).
I nflate trailer tires to tra iler and t ire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both veh icle and trailer
lights are working properly .
Safety chain s
Be sure trailer safety cha ins are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve ­
h icle . Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turn ing corners . When you install safety
cha ins, make sure they w ill not drag on the
r oad when yo u are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
sepa rat ion from the hitch .
Adjusting the air su spens ion an d damping
s y stem
Ensure the follow ing b efore coupling the trai l­
e r and
b efo re adjusting the tongue weight on
the trailer:
- For the veh icle to be at the normal level, the
A uto or Comfort driv ing mode must be se­
lected
,=:, page 10 7, Selecting the driving
mode. The vehicle must a lso not be raised
,=:, page 108 .
Trailer to win g 203
-If the trailer was detected automatically, a
trailer hitch wi ll appear on the veh icl e@ in
the
Aud i dr ive se lect menu (MMI > ICARI
function button)
,=:, fig. 171. If this does no t
happen , turn the towing mode on in the
MMI. Select: I CAR I funct ion button>
C ar
sys tem s
control button > Vehicle setting s >
Air su sp en sion: t owing > O n.
- Turn towing mode off if you secure a carrier
system such as a bicycle rack on the trailer
hitch. Se lect in the M MI: ICAR !function but­
ton >
Car syste m s control button > Vehi cle
se tting s
> Air su spen sion : towin g > Off.
If you must drive under poor road conditions,
you can raise the vehicle
aft er coupling the
tra iler or
aft er adjust ing the tongue we ight
,=:, page 108.
(D Note
If you a re going to tow a t railer, you must
activate the tra iler operation mode .
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 follow ing :
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car it­
self is no t loaded.
.,. Be especially careful when passing other ve ­
hicles .
.,. Obse rve speed limits .
.,. Do not dr ive at the max imum permissib le
speed.
.,. Always app ly brakes early .
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded t railer with an empty car re­
s ul ts in a highly unstable distribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, dr ive at very
low speeds on ly to avoid the risk of losing
steering contro l.
A "balanced " rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means tha t the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and
IJI>
•
•

204 Trailer towing
pe rmissible, while keep ing the trailer as light
as possible under the circumstances. Whenev­
er possib le, transfer some cargo to the lug­
gage compartment of the tow veh icle while
observing tongue load requirements and vehi­
cle load ing considerations.
Spee d
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the dr iver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed . Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind condit ions are unfavorable -part icu larly
when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest sig n of swaying.
Do not
try to stop the swaying by acc eler ating .
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds
for vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular vehicles.
A lways apply brakes ear ly . When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en­
g ine braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant t emperatu re
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 10
must be observed carefully. The coo lant tem­
perature can increase if you drive on long in­
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds . Re­
duce your speed immed iate ly if the LEDs in
the top pa rt of the display turn o n.
For more informat ion about indicator lights,
refer to. ¢
page 15.
A WARNING
Anyone not p roperly restrained in a mov­
ing veh icle is at a much greater risk in an
accident. Never let anyone r ide in your car
who is no t prope rly wear ing the restra ints
provided by Aud i.
-
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
You r ve hicle handles d ifferently when towing
a trai le r be cause of the additional weig ht and
differen t weigh t distr ib ution. Sa fety, per fo rm­
ance and economy will great ly depend on how
carefully you load your trai ler and operate
your rig.
Be fore you act ua lly tow yo ur tra iler, p ract ice
tu rning, s topping and backing up in an area
away from t raffic . Keep practicing unti l yo u
have become completely familiar wit h the way
yo ur vehicle-tra ile r combination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is diffic ult and requires practice .
Bac king up w ith a trailer gene rally req uires
stee ring action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a tra iler.
Maintain a greater d istance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you . You wi ll need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you w ill need a larger than normal
turning rad ius .
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­ ce lerate as fast as you norma lly would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, a llow
plen ty of room for your t railer before cha ng­
i ng lanes again .
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns o r rapid lane
changes .
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load ¢
page 283.

206 Cleaning and protection
Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular care preserves vehicle value.
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes, corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after
purchase . Regular and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition
for substantiating a warranty claim should
corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Your author ized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedicated vehicle-care products and can ad­
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i­
or and interior of your vehicle .
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially available clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor­
rectly .
A 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 di­
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted.
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail pol ish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
hazardous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ignit ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, etc. without pro­
tecting your hands and arms. You may cut yourself on sharp-edged metal parts. -
Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 192 , General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environ mentally friendly clean­
i ng products. Leftover cleaning products
should not disposed of in the household
waste.
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle.
The best p rotection against environmental in­
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing. How
often this is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the vehicle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental influences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and industria l gr ime, tar, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle
body, the more lasting their destructive ef­
fects will be . High temperatures caused by ex­
posure to intense sunlight intensify the corro­
sive effect, particularly when humidity is high as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekly washing
may be necessary. Under other conditions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade­
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferably in a
professional car wash.
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c::> page 206.

208 Cleaning and protection
-Never wash your car in bright sunlight.
Drops of water act as magnifying lenses
and may damage your paint.
- When you wash your car in the winter: if
you rinse your vehicle with a hose, be
careful not to aim the stream of water
directly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings - they can freeze shut.
- Never use sponges des igned to remove
i nsects, or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products . They can damage
your paint finish .
- Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean
the headlights. Only use wet cloths or
sponges to prevent scratches .
It is best
to use soapy water.
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, fo r example when refuel­
ing your vehicle. Never clean the head­
lig hts w ith a dry cloth or sponge. Use a
wet cloth or sponge . It is best to use
soapy water.
@ For the sake of the environment
I n the interest of the environment, the ve­
hicle should only be washed in special
wash bays.
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high­
pressure power washer is safe as long as you observe a few simple rules.
• Before using the power washer, make sure
you have read and understood the WARN­
INGS
c:> A in General information on
page 206 .
• Always follow the operating instructions for
the power washer .
• Make sure that the jet on the spray hose pro­
duces a "fan shaped spray".
• Do
not hold the spray nozzle too close to
soft materia ls.
When cleaning the vehicle wit h a power wash­
er
always follow the operating instructions. T
his applies particu larly to the
operating
pressure
and the spraying distance. Keep a
distance from soft materials such as rubber
hoses or insulating material as well as sensors
and camera lenses.
Do not use a jet which sprays water in a
di rect
stream
or one that has a rotating jet .
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °().
A WARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays wa­
ter in a direct stream . This could cause in­
v is ible damage to the t ires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from
a relatively
long distance and for a short time. Dam­
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal injury .
(D Note
To avoid damaging your vehicle, always
make sure that there is suffic ient d istance
between the spray head and soft materials
like rubber hoses, plast ic parts and sound­
deadening materials as well as sensors
and camera lenses. Never aim the sp ray
head at the same point for a long time.
This also applies to cleaning headlights
and painted bumpers. Remember: the
closer the nozzle is to the surface of the
mater ia l, the greater the stress on the ma­
terial.
Sensors and camera lenses
- Remove snow with a hand brush and remove
ice with a de-icing spray that does not con­
tain solvents .
- Clean the sensors (adaptive cruise control*,
pa rking system*) w ith a cleaning so lution
that does not contain so lvents and a soft
cloth.
- The camera lens or the area in front of the
camera lens is normally cleaned by the
w indshie ld w ipers (Audi lane assist*) or
headlight wipers (night vision system*) . If
the lens or the area is exceptionally dirty,
111-

clean the area with glass cleaner and a soft,
dry cloth.
(D Note
- If you wash your vehicle wi th a pressure
washer,
- make sure there is enough d istance to
sensors in the rear bumper,
- do not clean the camera lenses and the
area around them with the pressure
washer .
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens. Th is
could cause the lens to c rack.
- Never clean the camera lens w ith abra­
s ive products .
Waxing
Wax protects the vehicle's paint.
~ Use a manually app lied car wax occasiona lly
to protect the paint.
A good wax coating protects the vehicle paint
to a large extent against the environmental
factors listed under ¢ page 206, Washing and
even against slight scratches.
You can use a liquid car wax to p rotect your
paint as soon as one week after your ve hicle
has been de livered.
E ven if yo u regularly use a
waxing process in
automatic ca r washes, we recommend that
you man ua lly app ly a coat of wax to give the
pa int extra protection, particularly if water no
l onger beads on the clean paint.
Protect p lastic body pa rts with car wax in the
same way as the vehicle body.
D uring wa rm weat her dead insec ts tend to
collect on the front bumper and on the for­
ward area o f the hood. They are much easier
to remove from paint that is waxed o~en.
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
c> page 206.
Cleaning and protec tion 209
@ Note
Do not use car wax on
- matte o r anodized meta l trim
- rubber or ru bber- lik e t rim.
Polishing
Polishing restores the gloss to the paint.
Polish your vehicle o nly if the paint has lost its
sh ine and the gloss cannot be brought back
with wax.
If the polis h used does not conta in preserva­
tive compounds, the paint must be waxed af­
te rwards ¢page 209, Waxing .
_&. WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNI NGS and
other info rmation
c> page 206.
(D Note
Do not treat matte anodized metal trim,
plastic o r rubbe r parts with polish or wax.
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care.
For environmental reasons, Audi fabricates
the bright trim strips and trim p ieces from
pure chromium-free aluminum.
Dirt and ma rks on the trim strips sho uld be
removed with a
pH -balan ced cleaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleaner). A udi dealers
carry clea ning products w hich have been test­
ed for use on your vehicle and are not harmf ul
to the environment.
To avoid corrosion on the exter ior trim st rips,
only a pH-ba lanced solution should be used
for the windsh ield washer .
_&. WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNI NGS and
other info rmat ion
c> page 206.
•
•

210 Cleaning and protection
Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special care .
Use a clean, damp cloth or sponge to remove
dust and light surface dirt. For other soil, use
a lukewarm all-purpose clean ing solution or a
mild saddle soap for vinyl trim. Remove water
spots and traces of soap w ith a clean, damp
clot h or sponge. Use a clean, soft clot h to rub
dry.
Grease, tar or o il stains can be removed w ith a
clean cloth or sponge soaked w ith all-purpose
cleane r or with a solvent designed especially
to clea n viny l.
Occasionally apply a colorless vinyl or leather preservat ive to retain the material's luster
and pliability.
.&_ WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢ page 206.
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH produc ts to remove spots
and deposits from aluminum surfaces.
C hr ome care products and alkaline cleaners
will attack aluminum surfaces and can dam­
age them over time.
.&_ WARNING
, -
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢ page 206.
Touch-up paint
Minor paint damages should be touched up
immediately.
.. Use either a touch-up paint stick or spray
paint to cover minor scratches and nicks .
Your Audi dea ler has touch-up paint for minor
scratches and stone chips. Scratches s hou ld
be touched up soon after they occur to pre­
vent corrosion.
If a spot starts to rust, however, a simple
touch-up job will not be enough. The affected
surface must be sanded smooth and coated
with an anti-rust primer before the painted
finish can be restored.
The number for the original vehicle paint can
be fo und on the vehicle identification label
¢ page
279.
.&_ WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information¢ page 206.
Windows '
Clear vision to all sides .
Clean all windows regularly to remove road
film and car wash wax buildup .
.. Remove snow from w indows using a brush.
.. Use a plastic ice scraper to remove ice from
windows and mirrors .
.. Remove other residue on the windows with
a spray •on glass cleaner.
.. Wipe the w indows dry with a clean piece of
cloth or kitchen paper towel.
T he best way to remove snow from windows
and mirrors is to use a brush. Use a non-abra­
sive
plastic ice scraper -better still, a spray
deicer - to remove
ice from windows and mir­
rors.
Oil, grease or s ilicone residue can be removed
with
glass cleaner or silicone remover . How­
ever, wax res idue requires the use of a spec ial­
ly formulated solvent. Please contact your Au­
di dealer for adv ice on safe products for wax
removal.
Windows should also be cleaned on the inside at regular intervals .
Never dry windows with the same chamo is
that you use to dry painted surfaces. Wax resi­
due on the chamois can impair vis ion through
the windows . ..,_