2011 AUDI S8 towing

Systems Comfort
Spo rt different ial*
balanced
Belt tensioner Standard
If your vehicle is equipped with Dynam ic
steer ing*, steering settings can also be ad ­
justed under the
Dynamic steering* menu
item.
(D Note
- Make sure there is enough clearance
above and below the vehicle when park­
i ng. The height of the vehicle can change
once it is parked due to temperature
fluctuations, changes to the load condi­
tions and changes to the driving modes,
which can affect clearance .
- When transporting the veh icle on a car
carr ier, train, ship or by other means, on­
ly tie the vehicle down at the running
surface of the tires, which is the outer
circumference . Secur ing the vehicle at
the axle components, suspension struts
or towing eyes is not permit ted because
the pressure in the air suspension struts
can change during transport. The vehicle
may not be secured sufficient ly if this
happens.
- If you a re going to tow a trailer, you
must activate the trailer operation mode
~ page 202.
@ Tips
-Se lecting the dynamic mode results in
sporty sh ifting character istics . The
S
gear position engages automatically .
- In vehicles that have dynamic steering*, operating noise is heard when starting or
stopping the engine. This does not indi­
cate a problem.
- In vehicles with the sport d ifferential*,
the
dynamic mode is deactivated when
tow ing a trailer.
- In some models, the maximum vehicle
speed can only be reached in the
auto
and dynamic modes.
Audi drive select 107
Auto Dynamic
agile sporty
Standard Deployment time
adapted
Selecting the driving mode
You con choose between Comfort, Auto , Dy­
namic and Individual.
Fig. 109 MMI : Dr ive select
.,. To select the mode, select the following in
the MMI:
ICARI function button > Comfort,
Auto , Dynamic or Individual.
You can change the driving mode when the ve­
hicle is stationary or wh ile driving. If traffic
permits, after changing modes, briefly take
your foot off the accelerator pedal so that the
recently selected mode is also activated for
the engine.
Comfort
The Comfort mode prov ides a comfortable ve­
hicle setting . The engine, transmission* and
sport differential* respond in a balanced man­
ner when the accelerator pedal is pressed or
released. The steering moves easily and is less
direct* and the air suspension and cornering
light react comfortably. The setting is ideal
for driv ing on long stretches, such as on free­
ways .
Auto
Auto
provides a comfortable yet dynamic feel.
T he setting is perfect fo r daily use.
Dynamic
Dynamic
gives the vehicle a sporty feeling.
The engine responds quickly to accelerator

~ You may need to release the selector lever
lock depending on which se lector lever posi­
t ion is selected and which one you would
like to select ¢
page 113, Selector lever
lock .
~ To engage the nearest selector lever posi ­
t ion, move the selector lever forward/back
until you feel the first pressure po int. The
selector lever will return to its original posi ­
tion.
~ T o skip over one (or two) se lector lever posi­
tions, move the se lector lever past the first
(and second) pressure point into the desired
pos it ion. The selector lever will return to its
original position.
F or example, to move directly from the
D se­
lector lever position to
P when stopping the
vehicle, you can shift past the
N and R selec­
tor lever positions.
Selector lever lock
The selector lever lock prevents you from se­
lecting a position unintentionally, causing the
vehicle to roll. When engaging some selector
lever positions, you must press the button on
the selector lever¢
fig. 119 and/or press the
brake pedal.
You must press the brake pedal to engage a
selector lever position when the engine is run­
ning while the vehicle is stationary. The ar­
rows ¢
fig. 120 indicate when you need to
press the button on the selector lever.
The selector lever does not lock if you shift from
D to R within one second. This allows
you to "rock" the vehicle to free it when it is
stuck .
P- Park
The whee ls are locked in this position. Only
shift into park when the vehicle is stationary
¢ & .To engage the
P selector lever position,
press the button on the selector lever and
shift into the
P position .
You can only shift out of park when the eng ine
is running and you are pressing the brake ped­
al. Press the button on the selector lever to
Automatic Transmission 113
release the parking lock and select the desired
selector lever position.
P engages automatically when you switch the
engine off while
D, Sor R is engaged or in
manua l mode .
If you switch the eng ine off whe n N is engag­
ed, the transmission remains in
N for approxi­
mately 30 minutes and then Pis engaged.
You must use the emergency release proce­
dure to release the parking lock before towing
the vehi cle ¢
page 116.
R- Reverse
The reverse gear is engaged in this pos it ion .
Only select reverse when the vehicle is sta­
tionary and the engine is running at id le speed
¢ & -To engage the
R selector leve r position,
press the button on the selector lever, press
the brake pedal and move the selector lever
into the
R position.
T he back-up lights turn on when you select
the
R selector lever position while the engine
' ' 1s ru nning .
N -Neutral
The transmission is in idle in this pos it ion. To
engage the
N selector lever position, press
the button on the selector lever and shift int o
the
N posi tion.
If you switch the engine off whe n N is engag­
ed, the transmission remains in
N for approxi­
mately 30 minutes and then Pis engaged.
The vehicle cannot be locked when the selec ­
tor lever is in the
N position .
When dr iving through an automat ic car wash,
first select the
N position and then switch the
engine off¢
page 207.
D - Drive
In this position, the transmission shifts up
and down automatically depending on engine load, veh icle speed and the dynamic shift pro-
gram (DSP) .
IJJ,,

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>

116 Automatic Transmission
The transmission temperature has increased
significantly due to the sporty driving manner.
Drive in a less sporty manne r until the tem­
perat ure returns to the norma l range and the
indicator light switches of.
[O] Gearbo x malfunction: you can continue
driving
T here is a sys tem m alfu nction in the tr ansmis­
sion. You may continue driving. Drive to your
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair fa­
cility soon to have t he mal function corrected .
[o]tli] Gearbox malfunction: you can contin­
ue driving in D only until engine is off
There is a sy stem ma lf u nction in t he transmis ­
sion . T he tra nsmi ssion i s sw itch ing t o emer­
gency mo de. If yo u t urn t he eng ine off, you
will not be a ble to se lect any other se lector
leve r positions after starting the engine again .
Drive to yo ur autho rized Audi dealer o r quali ­
f ied repair fac ility immediately to have the
malfunction cor rected.
[O] Gearbox malfunction: you can continue
driving (limited fun ction ality )
There is a sys tem m alfu nction in the tr ansmis­
sion. The transmission is sw itching to emer ­
gency mo de. Th is mode only shifts into cer ­
tain gears or will not longer shift at all . The
engine may sta ll. Drive to your authori zed Au­
d i dea ler or qualified repa ir facility immed i­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
[ojtli] Gea rbox malfunction: no reverse gear
(you can continue driving)
There is a sys tem ma lf u nction in t he transmis ­
sion. The transm issi on is sw itchi ng to emer­
gency mode. Th is mode only sh ifts into cer­
tain gea rs or will not longer sh ift at a ll. You
cannot engage the reverse gear . Drive to y our
author ized Audi dealer immed iately to have
the m alfu nct ion co rrected .
[O] Vehicle may roll! Cannot sh ift to P. Please
apply parking brake
- The pa rking lock was released using t he
eme rgency release
c:> page 116. Or -
The parking b rake canno t engage au toma ti­
cally . Drive to yo ur a uth o rize d Audi deale r or
qua lified repair fac ility immediately to have
the ma lfu nction corrected .
[O] Gearbox malfunction: Stop and shift to P
Do not con tinue dr iving . S e lect the P sele ctor
l ever p osition and see your auth o riz ed A udi
de aler or qua lifi ed rep air fac ility for ass is ­
tance .
Parking lock emergency release
The p ark ing lock mu st be relea sed using the
emerge ncy release before towing the vehicle .
@)
Fig. 122 Driver 's s ide footwell: releas ing t he pa rk in g
l ock u sin g the eme rge ncy re lease
Fig . 1 2 3 Drive r's side foo twell: rese tt in g t he park ing
l ock
T he eme rgency release is located under the
floor mat on t he driver's side . You operate the
emergency release from t he d river 's seat.
Releasing the parking lock us ing the
emergency release
.. To prevent the vehicle from ro lling uninten­
tionally, set the parking brake(®)
c:> page 81
or press t he brake pedal.
.. There are two slits on the cover. Posit io n the
scr ewdrive r from the vehicle too l kit i n one
IJI,

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 : •
•

190 Intelligent technology
Intelligent technology Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your veh icle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facture rs for the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event . EDR's are sometimes ca lled "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
A lthough your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for example, eng ine function, em is­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic contro l modules also record
vehicle-re lated data during normal vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded over a ve ry limited pe riod of
time and stored when a system fault or other
cond ition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may re late to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only
be read and downloaded with special equip­
ment.
Electronic stabilization
program (ESP)
Description
ESP helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidd ing and loss of veh icle control. It works
only when the engine is running. ESP detects certain difficult driving situat
ions, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw) out of control and helps you to get the veh icle
back under control by se lectively braking the
wheels, and/or reducing engine power and
providing steer ing assistance to help hold the
vehicle on the driver's intended course. The in­
dicator light
liJ in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESP is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESP has limitations.
It is important to remem­
ber that ESP cannot overcome the laws of
physics. It will not always be able to help out
under all conditions you may come up against.
For example, ESP may not always be able to
help you master situations where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of friction of
the road surface. When there is a section of dry road that is suddenly covered w ith water,
slush or snow, ESP cannot perform the same
way it wou ld on the dry surface . If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of water in­
stead of the road surface), ESP will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because con­
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered.
During fast cornering, particularly on winding
roads, ESP cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult driving situations than at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESP is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not tow ing a trailer.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic; and weather condit ions. ESP can­
not override the vehicle's physical limits, in­
crease the available traction, or keep a ve hicle
on the road if road departure is a result of
driver inattention. Instead, ESP improves the
poss ibility of keeping the vehicle unde r con­
trol and on the road during extreme maneu­
vers by using the driver's steering inputs to
help keep the vehicle going in the intended di­
rection . If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESP can
provide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESP .

road and the brakes are not used. Here too,
you shou ld clean off accumu lated salt coating
from brake discs and pads with a few carefu l
applications of the brake
c> ,&. .
Cor rosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not driven regularly or
only for short trips with little use of the brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­ rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean off the pads and discs by brak ing
f irmly a few times from a moderately high
speed
c> &, .
Fau lts in th e bra ke s ystem
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake peda l travel, then one of the two brake
ci rcu its may have failed
c> ,&. .
Low brak e fluid l evel
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid
leve l is monitored electronically.
Brake lining w ear statu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for this in­
spection
c> page 262, Changing a wheel .
8_ WARNING
-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of clean ing the brake
system on ly if road condit ions permit.
Other road users must not be put at r isk -
you may cause an acc ident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmiss ion into a lower
gear or lower driving range . Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too lo ng or too often. This cou ld cause the
brakes to get hot and dimin ish b raking
effi ciency.
Int ellig ent technolog y 193
-Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance .
- Under certain cl imatic and operat ing
conditions such as passing through wa­
ter, dr iv ing in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the
b rakes can be reduced. In winte r, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads , lin ings,
discs and drums . Carefu lly app ly brakes
for a test . Brakes will dry and ice coat­
ings wi ll be cleaned off after a few care­
fu l brake applications.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumu lated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications .
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
f low to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherw ise the brake system could
overheat reduc ing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one b rake circuit will impai r
the braking capab ility result ing in an in­
creased stopping distance. Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­
est A udi dealer or qualified workshop .
Brake booster
The brake booster adds extra braking power.
The brake booster works with vacuum pres­
su re which is created only whe n the engine is
runn ing
c> &, .
A WARNING
-Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off.
-
- If the b rake booster is no t working, for
examp le when towing you r vehicle, or
because the brake booster has somehow
Ill>
•
•

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. .,.