2011 AUDI S8 brake

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>
•
•

194 Intelligent technology
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance.
Servotronic ® -
advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems use the power of
the running engine to allow precise steering
with little effort .
The advanced Servotronic® power steering
system senses the road speed and e lectroni­
cally adjusts power assistance to prov ide com­
fortable and safe steering response exactly
matched to the veh icle speed.
Power steering w ill not work if the eng ine is
off . As a result, the steering whee l wi ll be hard
to turn.
The power steering fluid level is checked dur ­
ing the scheduled maintenance serv ices.
([) Note
If there is an electronic malfun ct ion, ser­
votronic
w ill still f unction like a conven ­
tional power steer ing system, providing a
constant steering support force that is no
longer proportionate to the vehicle speed.
This is most noticeab le when turning the
steer ing whee l at low speeds (for examp le
when parking), - more effo rt will be re­
qui red than usua l.
- Be aware of the different than usual
stee ring response and adjust yo ur stee r­
i ng fo rce accord ingly.
- Have the p roblem checked and set rig ht
by an Aud i deale r as soon as possib le.
(D Tips
- When the engine is runn ing, never hold
t h e steer ing whee l turned all the way to
the right or to the left for longer than 15
se conds. The power steer ing p ump w ill
ove rhe at the hydr aulic flu id if you keep
ho ld ing the steering whee l turned all the way
. This is likely to damage the power
steering system .
- If the powe r steering system sho uld fai l
entirely, o r if the engine is not runn ing
(for examp le, whi le being towed), you
w ill sti ll be able to steer the veh icle.
However,
considerably more effort will
be required to do so.
- If the power steering system sho uld
have a leak, or is not functioning proper­
ly, contact your author ized Audi dealer
immed iately.
- The power steering system requ ires a
specially fo rmu lated hydraulic fluid. The
powe r stee ring fluid reservoir is locat ed
in the engine compartment
Q page 224.
T he corre ct fl uid level i n the reservoir is
impo rta nt fo r proper fu nctioning of the
powe r stee ring .
Driving with your
quattro ®
With All Wheel Drive, all four wheels are driv­
en .
Gen eral information
With A ll W heel Drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels. This happens automatically
depending on your driving style and the road
condit ions at the time. See also
Q page 190.
With the sport different ial*, powe r distribu ­
tion to the rear wheels is variable and can be
adjusted with Audi drive select*
Q page 106 .
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, yo ur vehicle with
All Wheel D rive has an advantage, even w ith
r egular tires . In wi nter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-sea­
son tires) for improved driveability and brak­
i ng : these tires must be mo unted o n
all four
wheel s. See also q page 253, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certa in
roads, this no rma lly also app lies to veh icles
with All Wheel D rive
q page 254, Snow
chains .

Driving and
environment
The first 1
1000
miles
(11500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1 ,500 km) .
For the fir st 600 mile s (1,000
kilometers ):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
.,. Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM .
.. Avoid high engine speeds .
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1 ,000 to
1,500 kilometers):
.. Speeds can gradually be increased to the
maximum pe rm iss ib le road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in per iod
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds
when it is cold. This applies whether the
transmission is i n N (Neutra l) or in gear.
After the break- in peri od
.. Do not exceed maximum engine speed un­
der any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach­
ometer scale c:.>page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the en­
g ine's interna l friction is higher than later
when all the moving parts have been broken
i n. How well this break-in p rocess is done de­
pends to a considerable extent on the way the
ve hicl e is driven du ring the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 ki lome ters).
(D Note
Extremely h igh engine speeds are auto­
mat ica lly reduced. However, t hese rpm
lim its are progr amme d for an eng ine well
r u n- in, not a new engine .
Driving and environment 197
@) For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high en­
g ine speeds -upshifting ear ly saves f uel,
reduces noise and protects the environ­
ment.
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive
particularly caref ul for the first 350 miles
(500 kilomete rs) afte r fitt ing.
.&, WARNING
N ew tires tend to be sl ippery and mus t al­
so be "b roken -in" . Be sure to remember
this dur ing the f irst 350 m iles (500 kilo­
meters) . Brake gently . Avoid fo llowing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
b raking .
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full brak ing effect dur ing the first 250 m iles
(400 ki lomete rs) afte r they a re installed.
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" be­
fore they have optima l grab¢ .&, .
D uring the brea k-in period, yo u should avo id
putting severe loads on the brakes. Severe
l oads include , for example, sudden hard brak­
i ng, in particular at very h igh speeds or, for
example, on mounta in passes .
.&, WARNING
New b rake pads don't have the best stop­
p ing power and mu st be "broke n-i n" dur­
ing the initi al 100 to 150 miles (150 to
2 00 kilometers) o f no rma l ci ty driving . You
can compensate for this by pressing the b rake peda l more fi rm ly . This also applies
later when new pads are installed.
•
•

Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
A WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
store the full b raking effect.
([) Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Check the depth of the water before dr iv­
i ng through it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
through water .
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive th rough safely.
- Avoid dr iving through sa lt water because
i t can cause corrosion.
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 199
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, environmenta l impact, and
wear on your eng ine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal d riving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitat ions
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent . This sec­
tion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the environment and your pocketbook.
@ Tips
The consumption estimates as published by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTEC TION AGENCY
( E PA) and Tra nspo rt Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consump tion on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehi ­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
ditions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
.,. Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most f uel when they are ac­
ce le rating. If you ant icipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, acce lerate less . Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible - for examp le when you see
that the next traff ic light is red.
•
•

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.

Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer. If it can­
not be avoided, do so only ofter doing the fol­
lowing:
When parking:
.. Apply the foot brake .
.,. Have someone place chocks under both the
vehicle and the trailer wheels .
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes until the whee l chocks absorb the
load .
.. Turn the wheels towa rds the curb .
.. Apply the parking brake .
.. Se lect the
P se lector lever position.
When restarting after parking:
.. Apply the foot brake .
.,. Start the engine .
.. Select the
D se lector lever position .
.. Release the parking brake and slowly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks .
.. Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks.
If you move the selector lever of the auto­
matic transmission to
P before applying
the parking brake and before blocking the
wheels, you may have to use more force
later to move the lever out of the
P posi­
tion .
Trailer towing 205
•
•