2011 AUDI S8 ECU

114 Automatic Tran sm iss io n
To shift from N to D when traveling at speeds
be low S km/h, press the brake pedal and se­
lect the
D se lector lever posit ion ¢ & .
Under certain condi tions such as driving in the
mountains or when towing a trailer , it may be
he lpful to switch to manual mode temporarily
to sh ift
manually to adapt to the driv ing con­
d itions
¢ page 115.
S · Sport
The S pos it ion can be selected for sporty driv­
ing . Upshifting at a higher RPM makes full use
of the engine's power .
You can on ly select the
S se lector lever posi ­
tion when Dis engaged. Move the selector
l ever back to engage the
S se lector lever posi­
tion . To select the
D selector lever position
again when
S is engaged , move the selector
lever back¢ &.
The
S selector lever position engages auto ­
matica lly when you select the dynamic mode
in Audi drive select .
A WARNING
-Never engage R or P while driving. It
cou ld cause a crash.
-
- Power is st ill transmitted to the whee ls
when the eng ine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the b rake in all
selector lever positions except
P and N
when the eng ine is running. Do not inad­
vertent ly press the accelerator pedal
when the veh icle is stationary . Otherwise
the vehicle will start to move immediate­
ly . T his cou ld happen even if the parking
brake is activated.
- Before opening the hood, select the
P se­
lector lever position and set the parking
brake. Th is reduces the risk of a crash . Al­
ways read and follow the applicable
warnings¢
page 216, Engine compart­
ment .
-Never get out of the driver's seat when
the engine is runn ing . -
If you must get out of the vehicle, move
the selector lever secure ly into the P po­
sition and apply the parking brake firmly.
@ Tips
- If you unintentionally shift into the N se­
lector lever position whi le driving, take
your foot off the accelerator pedal and
wa it for the engine to slow down until it
is idling before you sh ift into Dor
S.
Driving tips
The gears shif t au toma tically.
Sta rting from a stop
.. Press and hold the brake peda l.
.. Start the engine ¢
page 79.
.. Press the b utton on the selector lever and
select the
D , Sor R selector lever position
¢page 112.
.. Wait a moment until the transmission
shifts . You will notice a slight movement
when the gear engages .
.. Release t he b rake peda l and press the acce l­
erator pedal ¢,& .
Stopping temporarily
.. Press the brake pedal to stop the veh icle, for
example at a traffic l ight . Do not press the
accelerator peda l when do ing th is .
.. To prevent the vehicle from ro lling when you
s tart dr iving, set the par kin g b rake when
s topping on la rge incl ines ¢
A_.
.. The parking brake will release automatica lly
and the vehicle will start moving once you
press the acce lerator pedal.
Parking
.. Press and hold the bra ke peda l¢ ,& .
.. Set the parking brake .
.. To engage the
P selector leve r position,
press the button on the selector leve r and
shift into the
P position ¢ page 112.
When park ing on a level su rface, simp ly place
the se lector lever in the
P position. On slopes,
activate the par king brake first and then move
Iii>

of the slits on the cover and pry the cover
off.
~ Pull the band @ in the direction of the ar­
row until the release lever locks in place
¢fig . 122.
~ Fold the upper section of the release lever
down into the recess .
Resetting the parking lock
~ Press the button @ and the release lever at
the same time. You can now push the lever
back into its original position . Make sure the
lever locks in place
¢fig. 123 .
~ Install the cover .
The indicator light
[O] and the N position indi­
cator in the instrument cluster turn on when
the park ing lock is released using the emer­
gency re lease . The message
Risk of rolling! P
not possible. Please set the parking brake
al­
so appears.
_& WARNING
If you release the parking lock using the
emergency release, secure your vehicle
with the parking brake or the brake pedal
if the parking brake is not working. The ve­
hicle can roll away if it is not secured and
cause a crash.
-
Automatic Transmission 11 7

Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others . We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, airbags, ch ild restra ints as
well as child safety. You r safety is for us
priori­
ty number 1.
Always observe t he information
a nd warn ings in th is sect ion - for yo ur own
safety as well as that of your passengers .
The information in this se ction applies to all
model ve rsions of your veh icle . Some of the
feat ures descr ibed in this sec tions may be
standa rd equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others. If you are
not sure, ask yo ur authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
st ruct ions and heed the WARNINGS i n
this Manual. It is in your interest and in
the inte rest of you r passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Liter­
at ure in your Audi when you lend or sell
yo ur vehicle so that this important info r­
mation will always be ava ilable to the
dr iver and passenge rs.
- Always keep the Owner's lit erature handy
so that you can find i t eas ily if you have
ques tion s.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
redu ce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations .
Your safety and the safety of your passenge rs
should not be left to chance. Advances in
t echnology have made a var iety of fea tures
avai lable to he lp red uce the risk of in jury in an
Dr iving Safel y 127
accident . The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in yo ur Audi :
- sophis ticated s afety be lts fo r drive r and a ll
passenger sea ting posit ions,
- s afety bel t prete nsio ners ,
- safety belt force lim ite rs fo r the front seats,
- safety belt he ight adjustment systems for
the front seats ,
- head restra ints
- front airbags,
- knee airbags for th e front seats
- side airbags in the front seats and outer rear
seats,
- side c urtain ai rbags,
- s pecia l LATCH an cho rages for child re-
s t raints,
- head restra ints for each sea ting pos it ion,
- adj ustab le steer ing colum n.
These ind iv idual safety features, can work to­
gether as a system to help protect you and
your passengers in a wide range of accide nts .
These features cannot work as a system if
they are not always correctly adjusted and cor­
r e ct ly u sed .
Safety is everybody's r esponsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occu­
pant safety always depends on the informed and careful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driv ing always:
.,. Ma ke su re that all lig hts and signa ls a re op­
erating correctly .
.,. Make su re that the tire pressure is correct.
.,. Make sure that all windows are clean and af­
ford good vis ibility to the outs ide .
.,. Secur e all luggage and other items caref ully
~ page 65, ~ page 70 .
.,. Ma ke s ure that nothing can in te rfere wi th
t he ped als .
.,. Adj ust front seat, head res traint and mirrors
correctly for your height.
.,. Inst ruct passengers to adjust the head re -
straints according to their height. ..,. •
•

130 Driving Safely
-Passengers must always sit in an upright
position and never lean against or place
any part of their body too close to the
area where the airbags are located.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of po­
sition or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un­
folds with great force in the blink of an eye.
-Always make sure that there are at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the front
passenger's breastbone and the instru­
ment panel.
-Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front pas­
senger's knees and the lower part of the
instrument panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
passenger seat and head restraint prop­
erly.
- Always keep your feet on the floor in front of the seat. Never rest them on the seat, instrument panel, out of the win­
dow, etc. The airbag system and safety
belt will not be able to protect you prop­
erly and can even increase the risk of in­
jury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion.
- Children must always ride in child seats
c::> page 169. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
c::> page 145.
Proper seating positions for passengers
in rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with
both feet on the floor consistent with their
physical size and be properly restrained
whenever the vehicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incor­
rect seating position in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas­
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
.,. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not possible , try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible
c::> page 131 .
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
<:::> page 140.
.,. Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro­
priate for their size and age~
page 169.
.&, WARNING ,.__
Passengers who are improperly seated on
the rear seat can be seriously injured in a
crash.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that seat .
- Safety belts only
offer maximum protec­
tion when the safety belts are properly positioned on the body and securely
latched . By not sitting upright, a rear
seat passenger increases the risk of per­
sonal injury from improperly positioned
safety belts!
- Always adjust the head restraint properly
so that it can give maximum protection.

132 Driving Safel y
The following bulletins list only some sample positions that wi ll increase the risk of serious
in jury and death . Our hope is that these exam­
ples w ill make you more aware of seating po­
sitions that are dangerous.
Th erefore, whenever th e vehicl e is
mov ing:
- never stand up in the vehicle
-never stand on the seats
- never knee l on the seats
- never ride with the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up aga inst the instrument panel
- never sit o n the edge of t he seat
- never sit s ideways
- never lean out the window
- never put yo ur feet out the window
- never put yo ur feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion o r
back of the seat
- never ride in the footwe ll
- never ride in the cargo area
.&, WARNING
Imprope r seat ing positions increase the
r isk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a veh icle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu-
pants stay in a p roper seating pos it ion
and are properly restra ined whenever the
vehicle is be ing used.
Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
.&, WARNING
Always make sure that the knee a irbag can
inf late w ithout interference. Objects be­
tween yourself and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an acc ident by interfer­
ing w ith the way the a irbag deploys or by
being pushed into you as the airbag de­
ploys.
-
- No persons (children) or animals shou ld
ride in the footwell in front of the pas­
senger seat. If the airbag dep loys, this
can result in ser ious or fatal injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried
in the footwell area in front of the driv­
er's or passenger's seat. Bulky objects
(shopping bags, fo r example) can ham­
pe r o r prevent proper deployment of the
ai rbag. Small obje cts can be thrown
throug h the vehicle if the airbag deploys
and in jure you or yo ur passenge rs .
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mot
or any other object.
Make sure that a ll peda ls move free ly without
interference and that nothing prevents them
from return ing to their orig inal positions.
Only use floor mats t hat leave t he pedal area
free and can be secu red with floor mat fasten­
ers.
If a brake circ uit fa ils, increased brake pedal
travel is required to bring the vehicle to a f ull
stop .
.&, WARNING ,-
Pedals that cannot move free ly can cause
l oss of vehicle control and increase the risk
of ser ious injury.
- Never p lace any objects in the drive r's
footwell. An object cou ld get into the
pedal area and interfere with pedal func­
tion . In case of sudden b rak ing o r an ac­
cident, yo u wou ld not be able to b rake or
accelerate!
- Always make sure that nothing can fall
or move into the driver's footwel l.

Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely
attached to the floor mat fasteners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
"' Make sure that the floor mats are properly
secured and cannot move and interfere with
the pedals
9 &. -
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area
unobstructed and that are firmly secured so
that they cannot slip out of position . You can
obtain suitable floor mats from your author­
ized Audi Dealer .
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
Floor mats u sed in your vehicle must be at­
t ached to these fasteners. Properly securing
the floor mats will prevent them from sliding into positions that could interfere with the
pedals or impair safe operation of your vehicle
in other ways .
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result
in a loss of vehicle control and increase the
risk of serious personal injury.
- Always make sure that floor mats are
properly secured.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot
be properly secured in place to prevent
them from slipping and interfering with
the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle .
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already instal­
led floor mats . Additional floor mats and
other coverings will reduce the size of
the pedal area and interfere with the
pedals .
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor mats that have been taken out for clean­
ing .
- Always make sure that objects cannot
fall into the driver footwell while the ve­
hicle is moving. Objects can become
Driving Safely 133
trapped under the brake pedal and accel­
erator pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop­
erly stowed and secured in the luggage
com­
partment.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling
characteristics. Loose items can also increase
the risk of serious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuver or in a collision.
"' Distribute the load evenly in the luggage
compartment.
"'Always place and properly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as far
forward as possible .
"'Secure luggage using th e tie-downs provid­
ed
9 pag e 65, Luggag e compartment.
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly through the vehicle causing serious
personal injury in the event of hard brak ­
ing or an accident. To help reduce the risk
of serious personal injury:
- Always put objects, for example, luggage
or other heavy items in the luggage com­
partment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compartment using the tie-down hooks
and suitable straps.
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your ve­
hicle handles. To help reduce the risk of a
loss of control leading to serious personal
injury:
-Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
vehicle handling : •
•

134 Driving Safely
-Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat­
ing or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick­
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per­
missible weight standards can cause the
vehicle to slide and handle differently.
- Please observe information on safe driv­
ing
r:::> page 12 7.
A WARNING
-
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the rear lid closed while driving.
- Never transport objects larger than those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open , observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power roof,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the power roof and the rear lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­ pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out . Being trapped in a vehicle can
Lead to serious personal injury .
-
-Never let children play in or around the
vehicle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions .
(D Tips
-Air circulation helps to reduce window
fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel, on the
Left side of the Luggage compartment.
Be sure to keep these slots free and
open .
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load . The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure Label lists the recom­
mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor­
mal Load conditions, please see chapter
r:> page 242.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartmen t is equipped wi th
four tie-downs to secure luggage and o ther
items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo p rop­
erly
c> page 133, Loading the luggage com­
partment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en ­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb (4 .5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be

about 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the
injuries that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying
freely through the passenger compartment
could cause in a collision like this.
_&. WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
- Always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help pre­
vent items from shifting or flying for­
ward as dangerous missiles .
- Never attach a child safety seat tether
strap to a tie-down.
Reporting Safety
Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you believe that your vehicle
has a defect which could cause
a crash or could cause injury or
death, you should immediately
inform the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notify­
ing Audi of America, Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar com­
plaints, it may open an investi­
gation, and if it finds that a
safety defects exists in a group
of vehicles, it may order a recall
and remedy campaign. Howev­
er, NHTSA cannot become in­
volved in individual problems
Driving Safely 135
between you, your dealer, or
Audi of America, Inc.
To contact NHTSA, you may call
the Vehicle Safety Hotline toll­
free at:
Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY:
1-800-424-9153)
or write to:
Administrator NHTSA
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
You can also obtain other infor­
mation about motor vehicle
safety from:
http://www.safercar.gov
Applicable to Canada
Canadian customers who wish
to report a safety-related de­
fect to Transport Canada, De­
fect Investigations and Recalls,
may telephone the toll free hot­
line:
Tel.: 1-800-333-0371 or
Tel.: 1-613-998-8616 if you are
in the Ottawa area
TTY for hearing impaired: 1-888-67 5-6863
email comments/questions to: [email protected]
111-
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