2011 AUDI S8 tow

104 Audi side assist
right of your travel lane, depending on wheth­
er you drive in the center of your lane or closer
to the edge.
If you drive in narrow lanes, s ide ass ist's de­
tection a rea may a lso include other lanes -es­
pecia lly if you tend to drive on the edge of
your lane¢
fig. 108. Under these cond it ions ,
vehicles can also be detected that are two lanes away, and side assist then could switch
between the informat ional and warn ing stage
signals .
When driving in very w ide lanes, vehicles in
the adjacent lane may not be detected be­
cause they are not inside the detection area.
Notes
Messages in instrument cluster display
Applies to vehicles: with side assis t
If side assist turns off automatically, the indi­
cator light on the button wi ll go out and you
will see a message in the instrument cluster
d isplay:
Audi side assist: not available. sensors
blocked
The side assist sensors are built into the rear
bumper on the left and right (not visible on
the outside)
¢ page 98, fig. 99 . To ensure that
you do not adversely affect the way side assist
functions, foreign objects (such as stickers or
b icycle racks) should not be attached to the
a rea on the rear bumper where the sensors
are located. If side assist functions are ad­
ve rsely affected, you will see this message in
the instrument cluster display. Remove any ­
thing that may be blocking the sensors .
If no vehicl e is detected for a longer period of
time while driving, side assist will also switc h
off a utomatica lly.
Audi side assist currently not available
If there is a temporary problem (such as the
ve hicl e's battery charge being low), s ide ass ist
cannot be activated tempo rari ly.
Audi side assist: system fault
Have the system checked by an authorized Au­
di dealer or qualified workshop.
Audi side assist: not available when
towing
The radar senso r's view is limited when tow ­
ing a trai le r. F or vehicles with a factory instal­
l ed towing hitch or a trailer hitch that was in­
sta lled later according to factory specifica­
tions, side assist is automatically deactivated as soon as the electrical connection to the
trailer's electrical socket is made, and this sta­
tus message appears in the instrument clus ­
ter display . Deactivation cannot be guaran­
teed when using a retrofitted towing hitch
that was
not installed acco rding to facto ry
specifications.
Safety tips
Appl ies to vehicles : wi th side assist
The side assist detection may be limited when
driv ing aro und narrow street corners, on hilly
streets, and under poor weather cond itions.
It is possible that the radar sensors may also
detect other objects, such as high or stag­
gered guardrails .
Side assist does not measure actual lane
width. The system assumes a fixed lane width.
Detection in the left and right lanes is based
o n this ass umed lane width . When driving on
narrow roads or when driv ing to the left or
right of the center of a trave l lane, it is poss i­
ble that vehicles will be detected that are
not
in the lane next to the lane you are using.
A WARNING
- Improper reliance on the side assist sys­
tem can cause collis ions and serious per­
sonal injury:
- Never rely on ly on side assist when
changing lanes .
- Always check rear view mirrors to make
sure that it is sa fe to change lanes.
- Side assist cannot detect all vehicles un-
der all conditions- danger of accident! ..,.

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,

Rea r vi ew camer a coverag e area
The MM I display shows the area covered by
the rear view camera ¢
fig. 126 (D. Objects
that are not in the area covered @are not
shown on the MMI display.
We recommend that yo u practice parking with
the rear view camera in a traffic -free location
or parking lot to become familiar with the sys ­
tem, the orientation lines, and their function.
When do ing th is, there should be good light
and weather conditions.
I n the MMI disp lay, objects or vehicles appear
closer or further away if:
- you are driving in reverse gear from a level
surface onto an incline, or a downward
s lope,
- yo u are driving in reverse gear toward pro ­
truding objects,
- the vehicle is carrying too much load in the
rear .
The accuracy of the or ientat ion lines and blue
surfaces d imin ishes if:
- the adapt ive air suspension/sport* is faulty,
the vehicle is lifted or dynamic mode is se­
lected
¢page 106,
- the rear view camera does not prov ide a reli­
able image, for examp le, in poor visibility
condit ions or if the lens is dirty,
- the image on the screen is not visible due to
sun g lare and reflect ion.
Car ing for the rear view came ra len s
The rear view camera is located above the rear
license plate bracket . For the parking system
to operate, the lens¢
fig. 12 7 must be kept
clean:
- Dampen the lens with a household alcoho l­
based glass cleaner, and then wipe the lens
clean with a dry cloth ¢CI).
- Remove snow with a hand brush and ice
preferably with a de-icing spray ¢(D.
A WARNING
-Senso rs have blind spots in which objects
cannot be detected . Pay special attention
Ad vanced P arking S ystem 119
to small children and animals because
the sensors cannot always detect them.
- The parking system cannot replace the
driver's attention. The driver alone is re­
sponsible for parking and similar driving maneuvers.
-Always keep your eyes on the vehicle's
surroundings, us ing the rear v iew mirror
as well.
- Do not allow yourself to be distracted
from traffic by the rear view camera p ic­
tures .
- If the position and the installation angle
of the camera has changed, for example,
after a rear end collision, do not continue
to use the system for safety reasons.
Have it checked by a qualified dea le rship.
(D Note
- Low obstacles a lready s ignaled by a
warning can disappear from the system's
detect ion range as they are approached
and w ill not continue to be s ignaled. Ob­
jects such as ba rr ie r chains, trai le r d raw
bars, thin painted vert ica l poles or fen­
ces may not be detected by the system,
posing r isk of damage .
- Never use warm or hot wate r to remove
snow or ice from the rear view camera
lens - this could cause the lens to crack!
- When cleaning the lens, never use prod ­
ucts that are ab rasive.

~ Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
c:> page 55.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breast­
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and
the lower part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per­
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold­
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag in­
flates
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple­
mental driver's airbag to protect you in a
collision .
- Always sit in an upright position and nev­
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air­
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats and head restraints properly and
make sure that all passengers are prop­
erly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle
is moving. Your seat may move unexpect-
Driving Safely 129
ed ly and you could lose control of the ve­
hicle.
- 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 position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position
is important for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
passenger to the following position :
~ Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position and your back comes
in full contact with it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
~ 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
<=:>page 131.
~ Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat .
~ Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
c:> page 140.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
c:> page 54 .
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or killed by the air­
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:
•
•

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 : •
•