2011 AUDI S8 Owners Manual

Selecting a color profile
You can select from the Ivory , Polar and Ru­
b y/ Pol ar
color profiles .
(D Tips
The settings are automa tically sto red and
assigned to the remote con tro l key that is
in use.
Instrument illumination
You con adjust the brightness of the instru ­
ment and display illumination .
Fig . 40 In strument ill um ination
• Press the knob to release it.
• Turn the knob toward"-" or"+" to reduce or
increase the brightness .
• Press the knob again to return it to it s or ig i­
nal position .
Q Tips
The instrument illumination (for dials and
needles) lights on when the ig nitio n is
sw itched on and the vehicle lights are
turned off. As the daylight fades, the illu­
m ina tion of the dials likewise dims auto­
mat ically and wi ll go out com plete ly when
t he o utside light is very low . This fea ture is
meant to remind you to switch on the
headlights when o utside light conditions
become poor. Clear vi
sion 4 7
Vision
Sun visors
E J
Fig . 4 1 S un viso r
The sun visors for the driver and passenger
can be re leased from their bracke ts and
turned toward the doors
c:> fig. 41 (D . They
can a lso be moved back and forth lengthwise
in th is position .
The m irror light switches on when the cover
ove r the vanity m irror @opens.
T here is a shade between the dr iver 's and pas­
senger's s un visors that can be used to cover
the gap above the rearview mirror.
. Sun Shade
Fi g. 42 Cock pit: Sun shade swit ch
F ig. 4 3 Rear doo r: S un s had e butto n

48 Clear vis ion
Extending /retracting th e rear window
sh ad e*
• To extend or retract the sun shade fr om the
cockpit ,
press the~ button in the center
console
¢ fig . 42 .
• To extend or retract the sun shade
from th e
r e ar of th e vehicle,
press the liiil button in
the door
¢ fig . 43 .
Extending the rear door sun shade s
• Close the window in the rear door.
• To extend the sun shade
from the d riv er 's
s eat ,
pull the left/right rear power window
switch ~ in the dr iver's door .
• To extend the sun shade from the
rear of
th e v ehi cle,
pull the power window sw itch
~ i n the left/right rear door.
Retr acting the re ar doo r sun shades*
• To retract the sun shade from th e dri ver 's
sea t,
press the left/right rear power window
switch~ in the driver's door.
• To retract the sun shade from the
re ar of the
vehicle ,
press the power window switch~
in the left/right rear door.
You can adj ust the settings for the rear sun
sh ade so the shade ret ra cts automatica lly
when you selec t the reve rse gear. Select:
CAR
function button > Ca r sys tems control button
> Vehicle settings > Automatic rear blind >
On. T he sett ings are automat ica lly stored and
assigned to the remote control key. The sun
shade extends again as soon as the vehicle be­
g ins traveling forward at a speed greater than
9 mph (1S km/h), as long as the ignition has
not been switched off in the meantime .
& WARNING
When lowe ring or raisi ng the sunshade,
make s ure there is no thing in its way a nd
t ha t it has a free path to trave l. This could
cause personal injury.
{D) Tips
- If the sun shade is operated repeatedly
wi thin a sho rt time, the bui lt-in overload
protection circui t may be tr ipped. If this occurs, you will have to wait briefly be
­
fore yo u can operate the shade again.
- Because of the decrease in the f lexibility
of the shade materia l at temperatures
below freezing, the electrica l circuit
which operates the shade shuts off when
the temperature in the vehicle falls be­
low
14 °F ( - 10 °C). The shade cannot be
operated until the passenger compart­
ment warms up above this temperature.
Vanity mirror in the rear
App lies to veh icles: w ith vanity mir rors in th e rea r
Fig. 44 Rear headliner : van ity mirro r
• Press the button to fold the mirror open.
The mirror light ing turns on automatically.
• To change the mirror's ang le, move it for­
ward/back w ith your hand .
Wiper and washer
system
Switching the windshield wipers on
F ig . 4 5 Winds hield w iper lever
Move the windshie ld w iper lever to the corre­
sponding position:
@ -Windshield wipe rs off

(!)-Rain s ensor mode. The windshield wipers
switch on once the vehicle speed exceeds ap­ proximately 2 mph (4 km/h) and it is raining.
The higher the rain sensor sensitivity is set (switch @to the right), the earlier the wind­
shield wipers react to moisture on the wind ­
shield. You can deactivate ra in sensor mode in
the MMI, which will then activate intermittent mode. Select:
ICARI function button> Car sys­
tems
control button > Driver assist > Rain
se nsor
> Off. In intermittent mode, you can
adjust the interval time using the switch @.
@-Slow wiping
®-Fast wiping
@ -Single wipe. If you hold the lever in this
position longer, the wipers switch from slow
wiping to fast wiping.
® -Clean the windshield. The wipers wipe
one time after several seconds of driving to
remove water droplets. You can switch this
f unction
off by moving the lever to position ®
within 10 seconds after the afterwipe . The af ­
terwipe function is reactivated the next time
you switch the ignition on .
Cleaning the headlights. The headlight wash­
er system* only functions when the lights are
switched on. The headlights and the night vi­
sion system camera* are cleaned automatical­ ly the first time the lever is press in position
® and every 8 times it is pressed after that.
They are also cleaned every time you hold the lever in position ® for longer than 8 seconds.
A WARNING
-The rain sensor is only designed to assist
and support the driver. It remains entire­
ly the driver's responsibility to monitor
outside weather conditions and to man­
ually activate the wipers as soon as rain
or drizzle reduces visibility through the
windshield .
- The windshield must not be treated with
water-repellent materials . They can in­
crease glare under poor visibility condi­
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the horizon. In addi-
Clear vision 49
tion, they can cause the windshield wip­
ers to chatter.
- Properly functioning windshield wiper
blades are required for a clear view and
safe driving
c:::> page SO, Replacing
windshield wiper blades.
([) Note
-In the case of frost, check whether the
windshield wiper blades are frozen to
the windshield. Switching on the wind­
shield wipers can damage the wiper
blades!
- Prior to using a car wash, the windshield
wiper system must be switched
off (lever
in position 0) . This helps to prevent unin ­
tentional switching on and damage to
the windshield wiper system.
- Do not use the wipers to clear a frosted
window. Using the wipers as a conven­ ient ice scraper will destroy the wiper
blades .
(D Tips
- The windshield wipers are switched off
when the ignition is off. Activate the
windshield wipers after the ignition is
switched back on by moving the wind­
shield wiper lever to any position.
- Worn or dirty windshield wiper blades
result in streaking. This can affect the
rain sensor function . Check your wind­
shield wiper blades regularly .
- The washer fluid nozzles of the wind ­
shield washer system are heated at low
temperatures when the ignition is on.
- When stopping temporarily, e.g. at a
traffic light, the set speed of the wind­
shield wipers is automatically reduced by
one speed.

50 Clear vision
Replacing windshield wiper blades
Wiper blades in good condition help keep the
windshield clear .
Fig. 46 Remov ing wi nds hield w ipe r blade s
Serv ice p osition
""Switch the windshield wipers off (posit io n
@ ~ page 48, fig . 45).
""Select in the MMI:: !CAR !function button>
Car system s control button > Servici ng &
checks > Wip er se rv ice po sition > On . The
windshield wipers move into the service po­
s it ion.
O r
"" Switch the ignition off and move the wind­
shield wiper lever to position ©~
page 48,
fig. 45.
R emoving the wip er blad e
""Fold the windshield wiper arm away from
the windshie ld .
"" Press the locking knob
@ ~fig. 46 on the
wiper blade . Hold the wiper blade firm ly.
"" Remove the wiper blade in the direction of
the arrow.
In sta ll ing th e wip er blad e
""Insert the new wiper blade into the mount
on the wiper arm @until you hear it latch
into place .
"" Place the wiper arm back on the windshield.
"" Switch the ignition on .
""Select : ICAR !funct ion button>
Car sy stem s
control button > Servicing & ch eck s > W iper
se rvic e po sition
> Off .
Or
""Press the windshield w iper lever .
A WARNING
-If the windshie ld w ipers smear the wind­
sh ie ld, clean the wiper b lades with wind­
shie ld washer fluid .
If the wiper blades
are extremely dirty, you can a lso clean
them with a soft sponge o r cloth.
- For your safety, you should replace the
wiper blades once o r twice a year. See
your author ized Audi dealer for replace­
men t bla des.
([) Note
-The windshield wiper blades must only
be folded away when in the service posi­
tion! Otherwise, you ris k damaging the
paint on the hood o r the windshie ld w ip­
er motor.
- Yo u should not move your veh icle or
press the windsh ie ld wiper lever when
t he wipe r arms are folded away from the
w indshield. The windshield wipers wou ld
move back into their or iginal position
and could damage the hood and wind­
shield.
- To help prevent damage to the w iper sys­
tem, always loosen blades wh ich are fro­
zen to the windshield before operating
w ipers .
- To help prevent damage to wiper blades,
do not use gasoline, kerosene, paint
thinne r, or other solvents on o r near the
w iper blades .
- To help prevent damage to the w iper
arms or other components, do not at­
tempt to move the wipe rs by hand .
(j) Tips
- Comme rcial hot waxes appl ied by auto­
matic ca r washes affect the cleanability
of t he windshie ld.
- You can also use the service position, for
example, if you want to p rotect the
w indshield from icing by using a cover.
- You cannot activate the se rv ice position
when the hood is ope n.

Mirrors
Adjusting the exterior mirrors
Fig . 47 Fo rw ar d section of driver's armrest: powe r m ir­
r or co nt rols
Turn the knob to the desi red position :
Q/P -In th is position, you can adjust the
driver's and front passenger's exter ior mir rors
by turn ing the knob in t he des ired direction .
® -The m irrors are heated depending on the
out side temperature .
8 -The exterior mirrors fo ld in. In the MMI,
you c an se lect if the m irro rs fold in automat i­
cally when you lock the vehicle
¢ page 32 .
Driver exter io r mi rro r tilt funct ion
To help yo u see the curb when backing into a
parking space, the surface of the mirror tilts
slightly. The knob must be in the P position
for this to happen .
You can ad just the tilted mirror s urface by
turning the knob in the desired direction.
When you move out of reverse and into anoth ­
er gear, the new mirror position is stored and
assigned to the key you a re using.
The mirror goes back into its origina l posit io n
once yo u dr ive forward faster than 9 mph (15
km/h) or switch the ignition off .
A WARNING
-Curved ( i.e. convex) mirror s urfaces in­
crease your field of view . Remember that
vehicles or other objects will appear
small er and farther away than when seen
in a f lat m irror .
If you use this mirro r to
est imate distances of following vehicles
.
Clear vi sion 51
when changing lanes, you co uld estimate
incor rectly and cause an accident.
(D Note
- If the m irror housing is moved uninten ­
tionally (for examp le, w hile pa rking your
vehicle), then yo u must first fold the mir­
ror electrically. Do not read just the mir­
ror housing man ually. You cou ld damage
the motor which controls the mirror.
(D Tips
- The exterior m irror settings are stored
w ith the memory function*
¢ page 62.
- If there is a malfunction in the electrical
system, you can still adjust the outside
mi rrors by pressing the edge of the m ir­
ror .
Dimming the mirrors
Fig . 48 Automatic dimming rearview mirro r
.. To dim the re arview mirror and both exterior
m irrors, press the@ button . The diode ®
turns on. T he rearv iew and exterior mirrors
dim automatically whe n light shines o n
t hem, for examp le from headlights on ave­
hicle to the rear .
A WARNING
Elect ro lyte fluid can lea k from au to matic
d imm ing mir rors if the g lass is b roken .
E lec tro lyte fluid can irr itate skin, eyes and
respiratory system.
- Repeated or prolonged exposu re to e lec­
trolyte can cause irritation to the respira­
tory system, especially among people
with asthma or other resp iratory
.

52 Clear vis ion
condit ions. Get fresh a ir immediately by
leaving the vehicle or, if that is not possi­
ble, open windows and doors all the way.
- If electrolyte gets into the eyes, flush
them thoroughly with large am ounts of
clean water for at least 15 m in utes;
med ica l attent ion is recommended .
- If electrolyte contacts sk in, flush affect ­
ed area with clean water for at least 15
m in utes and then was h affec ted area
with soap and wat er; medical atten tion
is re commen ded . Th oroug hly wash af ­
fec ted clot hing and sh oes bef ore reu se .
- If swa llowed and person is conscious,
r in se mouth w it h wate r fo r at le ast 15
min utes . Do no t induc e vom itin g un less
ins truc ted to do so by medica l professio ­
nal. Get medical attention immediately.
(D Note
Liquid ele ct ro lyte leaking from broken mir­
ror g la ss will dam age a ny p lastic surf aces
it comes in contact w ith . C lean up s pille d
e lectro lyte immediately with clean water
and a sponge.
(D Tips
- Switching off the dimming function of
the inside rear view mirror also deacti­
vates the automatic dimming function
of the e xterior mirrors .
-Automatic dimmi ng for the m irror only
ope rates properly i f th e sun shade * fo r
the rea r window is not in use or the light
strik ing the ins ide mirro r is not hindered
by other objects . - T
he automatic dimming mi rrors do not
dim when the inte rior lighting is turned
on or the reve rse gear is selected .
Digital compass
Switching the compass on and off
Applies to vehicles: wit h digital compass
T he compass direction is shown in the rear­
view mirror .
J
Fig . 49 Rearv iew mirr or: Digi tal compass act ivated
.,. To swi tch the comp ass o n or off, p ress an d
hold the b utt on @ until the compass dis ­
p lay in the mirror
c::> fig . 49 appears o r disap­
pea rs .
T he dig ita l compass o nly works when the igni ­
tion is o n. The directions are indica ted with
abbrev iat ions:
N ( n orth) , NE (northeast), E
(east), SE (southeast), S (so uth), SW (south ­
west) ,
W (west), NW (northwest).
@ Tips
To prevent inaccurate compass readings,
do not bring any remote cont ro ls, e lectr i­
ca l devices or metallic objects near t he
mir ro r.

Clear vision 5 3
Adjusting the magnetic zone
Applies to vehicles: with digital compass
The magnetic zone must be adjusted correctly for the compass to read accurately.
Fig. SO Magnet ic zone map
~ Press and ho ld the button @ ¢page 52,
fig . 49
until the number of the magnetic
zone appears in the rearview mirror .
~ Press the button@repeated ly to select the
correct magnetic zone. The select ion mode
turns off after a few seconds .
Calibrating the compass
Applies to vehicles: with digital compass
You must recalibrate the compass if it does
not display the correct direction .
~ Press and hold the button @unti l a C ap­
pears in the rearview mirror.
~ Drive in a c ircle at about 6 mph (10 km/h)
until a direction is disp layed in the rearview
mirror .
A WARNING
-
To avoid endangering yourself and other
drivers, calibrate the compass in an area
where there is no traffic.
0 co
co
0 ' I ~ co
-

54 Seat s a nd s tor ag e
Seats and storage
General recommen­
dations
Why is your seat adjustment so
important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide maximum protection if the front
seats are correctly adjusted.
There are various ways of adjust ing the front
seats to provide safe and comfortable support
for the driver and the front passenger. Adjust
you r seat prope rly so that :
- you can easily and quick ly reach all the
switches and controls in the instrument
panel
-your body is prope rly supported thus reduc­
ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety be lts and airbag system can offe r
maximum protection
¢ page 145 .
In the following sec tions, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust you r seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for insta lling a child seat on the front pas­
senger's seat. Always fo llow the information
regarding child safety provided in
q page 169, Child Safety .
A WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal injury.
- Always keep your feet on the floor when
the vehicle is in motion -never p ut your
feet on top of the instrument panel, out
of the w indow or on top of the seat cush­
ion . Th is app lies especially to the passen­
gers .
If your seating position is incorrect,
you increase the r isk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an acc ident.
If the
airbag infla tes and the seating position
is incorrect, this could resul t in personal
injury or even death.
- It is important for bo th the driver and
front passenger to keep a distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between them­
selves and the steering wheel and/or in­
strument panel. If you're s itting any
closer than th is, the a irbag system can­
not protect you properly . In addition, the
front seats and head restraints must be
adjusted to your body height so that they
can give you max imum protect ion.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
pos sible between yourself and the steer­
ing wheel o r instrument panel.
- Do not adjust the driver's o r front pas­
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
Your sea t may move unexpected ly, caus­
ing sudden loss of vehicle control and
personal injury . If you adjust yo ur seat
while the veh icle is moving, yo u are out
of posit ion.
Driver's seat '
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving.
We recommend tha t you adjus t the dr iver's
seat in the fo llowing manner :
"' Adjust th e seat in fore and aft direction so
t ha t you can eas ily push the peda ls to the
floor wh ile keeping your knees sl igh tly bent
q A in Why is your seat adjustment so im­
portant? on page 54.
"' Adjust the backrest so that when you sit
w ith your back agains t th e backrest, you can
still g rasp the top of the steering wheel.
"' Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as poss ible with the top of your
head . If that is not poss ible , try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
t his pos it ion as possib le
q page 61.
A WARNING
Neve r place any objects in the dr iver's foot ­
well. An object could get into the pedal
area and interfere with pedal function . In
case of sudden braking or an acc ident, you
would not be able to brake or accelerate .