2011 AUDI S8 brake fluid

Advanced Parking System . . . . 118
Advanc ed Pa rking System with r ear
view camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Ad justing the display and warning
tones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
E rro r messages
Homelink ® ............ .... .. . .
Universal remote control . .. .. .. .. . . 123
124
124
Safety first
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Driving Safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Prope r occupa nt seating posit ions . . . 128
Driver and passenger side footwell . . . 132
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 2
S towing lugg age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Report ing Safety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Safety belt s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 7
Why safety be lts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Safety belt pretens ioners . . . . . . . . . . 143
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Important th ings to know . . . . . . . . . . 145
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Mo nitoring the Advanced Airbag
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 1
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
S ide curta in a irbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Ch ild Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
I mportant th ings to know .. .. .. .. . .
C hil d safety sea ts ......... .... .. . .
I ns tall ing a chi ld safety seat .. .. .. . .
L A T C H L ower ancho rages and tethers
for chi ldren ..... .. .... ... .. .. .. . .
Addit io n al Information
Audi pre sense ..... ... .. .. .. . .
Preventative passenger protection .. . 169
174
178
18 1
187
188
188
Table of contents 3
Vehicle oper ation . . . . . . . . . . . . .
190
Intelligent technology . . . . . . . . 190
Notice about data recorded by vehicle
control modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
E lectronic stab ilizat ion program (ESP) 190
B rak ing ...... ... .. ............. .
Se rvotronic ® - advanced power
stee ring system .. .. ..... ........ .
D rivi ng with your q uattro ® ...... .. . 192
194
19
4
En ergy m anagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Driving and environment . . . . . 197
T he first 1,000 miles (1,500 km) and
a ft erwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Catalytic conve rter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Avoid damaging the vehicle . . . . . . . . . 198
Driving throug h wate r on roads . . . . . 199
Operate your vehicle economically and
min imi ze pollution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Driv ing with a traile r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Trai le r tow ing t ips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Vehicle care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Cleaning and protection . . . . . . 206
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Care of exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Care of inte rior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Fuel supply and filling your
fuel tank ... .. .... .......... ....
218
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
F uel tan k.. .. .. .. ... ............ . 219
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . 222
E ngine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Engine comp artmen t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Engine cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Windsh ie ld/headlight washer
container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
T ire pressure mo nitoring system . . . . 256
•
•

Instrument s and warnin g/indi cator ligh ts 13
Jj]
Electronic Stabilization Program
!I
Windshield wipers
(ESP)./ ¢page 21
¢ page 18
~
Remote control key
I
Electronic Stabilization Program
¢page 79
(ESP)./
-¢ page 18
m
Remote control key
~
USA m odel s: ¢page 79
Ant i- lock brak ing system (ABS)
!!
Battery in remote control key
defective ¢page30
¢ page 19
•
Canada models:
I:)
Defective light bulb warn ing
Ant i- lock braking system (ABS) ¢
page 21
defective
--
¢ page 19
II
Fog lights*
¢page 21
•
Worn bra ke pads
¢ page 19
Ii
Rear fog lights*
¢page 21
•
Electromechanical parking brake
I
¢page Bl
II
Headlight range control
¢page 21
g
Tire pressure monitoring system
./
•
adaptive light*
¢ page256 ¢
page 21
11111 Tire pressure mon itoring system --
m
Light-/rain sensor faulty
¢page256 ¢page 21
[m
Electronic power contro l
Audi lane assist
¢ page20
•
¢page95
R
Malfunction indicator Lamp (MIL)
./
[i
Transmission
¢ page20 ¢page
115
•
Engine speed limitation
m
Transmission
¢ page20
¢page 115
•
Engine oil level
Im
Electronic steering column lock
¢page17 ¢page 17
--
•
Engine oil sensor
Im
Engine start system
¢ page 20
¢page 17
--
r.
Battery
~~
Dynamic steering*./
¢page 16 ¢page22
~
Tank system
•
Air suspension
¢ page20
¢page 17
Windshield washer fluid level
--
• •
Sport differential *
¢ page 21
¢page22

14 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Other indicator lights
R!l!II Turn signals
111111119page22
r:r.mT:r.: USA models: Cruise control *
~ 9 page 84
•
Canada models: Cruise cont ro l*
9 page 84
Adaptive cruise control *
9page88
Adaptive c ruise control*
¢page 88
Adaptive cruise control *
¢page88
Audi la ne assist
¢p age 95
H igh beam
¢page 45
BRAKE /((J)) Brake system
The light illum inates when the ignition is
switched on.
It goes out after the engine has
been started. Thi s ind icates that the bra ke
warn ing light is functioning properly.
If the brake warning light doe s not light up
when the engine is cranking , there may be a
malfunction in the electrical system. In this
case , contact your Audi dealer.
If t he b rake system warning/ind icator light
turns on, there is a bra ke system mal function .
-(USA models)tlll (Canada model s)
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid level
I f t he indicator lig ht t urns on and t he mes­
sage appears, proceed as follow s:
.. Pull off the road .
.,. Stop the vehicle.
.,. Turn off t he engine .
.. Check the br ake fl uid level¢
page 232.
.. Co ntac t you r neares t authori ze d rep air fa ­
c ili ty i f necessary.
Warning! Fault in brake system . Contact
dealer
If t he A BS ind ica tor light (e) (USA models)l iiJ
(C anada mode ls), the ES P ind icator light
G1
and the brake sys tem indicator light
1111 (USA models)/ . (Cana da mo dels) tur n
o n and the message appears, the ABS, ESP
and braking distr ibut ion are not working¢&.
Carefu lly drive to your author ized Audi dealer
immediately to have the malfunct io n correct­
ed ¢& .
1111 (USA models)tlll (Canada models)
Parking brake: sy stem fault! Please contact
dealer
- If the in dicator lig ht and the mess age ap­
pe ar
when stationary or after switching the
ignition on ,
check if yo u can re lease the
parking brake. Afte r releasing the par kin g
bra ke, carefully d rive to y our authorized A u­
di dea ler immediately to have the ma lf u nc­
tion corrected. If you cannot release the
park ing brake, seek professiona l assistance .
- If the ind icator light and the message ap ­
pear
while driving , th e emergency brak ing
fu ncti on may not be availab le. It may not be
possible to set the park ing b rake or re lease
it o nce i t has been set. See k profess io nal as­
sistance.
( U SA mode ls): If the war ning light
1111 and
t h e warn ing light
£1 appea r togethe r, imme­
diately contact your author ized A udi dealer or
qualified wo rkshop to have a ll brake pads in­
spe cted
¢ page 19.
When the ligh t comes on, an a ud ible warn ing
s ignal is also g iven .
A WARNING
--Always obs erv e the warn ings in
¢ page 216, Engine compor tment, be­
f ore open ing the ho od and checkin g the
b ra ke fluid .
- Driving wi th l ow bra ke f lu id is a safe ty
h aza rd. S top th e car an d g et pro fession al
a ssis tance. .,_

Instrument s and warnin g/indi cator ligh ts 15
-USA models: If the -warning light,
the
G] warning light and the B warn­
ing light come on together, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard
braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause
loss of vehicle control and an accident.
Have your vehicle repaired immediately
by you r autho rized Aud i dea le r or a qua li­
fied workshop. Drive slowly and avoid
sudden, hard brake applications .
-Canada models: If the b rake warn ing
light ., the
I] warning light and the
ABS warning light
II] come on together,
the rear wheels could lock up first unde r
hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci­
dent . Have your vehicle repaired immed i­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified wo rkshop . Dr ive slowly and
avo id sudden, hard brake applicat io ns.
- If the brake warning/indicator light does
not go o ut afte r a few seconds and the
par king brake re leased, or lights up while
yo u are d rivi ng, the flu id level in the
brake fluid reservo ir is too low . If you be­
lieve that it is safe to do so, proceed im ­
mediately at low speed to the nea rest
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair
facility and have the brake system in­
spected.
-Always keep in m ind that after several
brake applicat ions, you will need greater
pressure on the brake peda l to stop your
vehicle . Do not re ly on stra ined brakes to
respond w ith maxim um stopp ing power
in c riti cal situatio ns. You mus t allow for
increased bra king dist an ces. The ex tra
dis tance used up by fad ing br akes could
lead to an acc ident .
PARK/ (®) Electromechanical parking
brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electromechanical parking brake .
If th e indicator light - (USA models) ;a
(Canada models) tu rns on, the par king brake
was set. If the parking brake is set when the ignition
is off, the indicator light turns off a f­
ter abo ut 20 seconds .
T he wa rni ng/i ndi cator lig ht w ill go out when
the parking br ake is re leased.
- (USA models) ;a (Canada models )
Caution : V ehicle park ed too steep
If the indicator light bli nks and the message
appears, there is not enough braki ng power to
keep the vehicle from roll ing . T he b ra kes have
ove rheated. The vehicle could roll away eve n
o n a small incl ine.
Pre ss brake pedal to release parking brake
To re lease the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press the button~ or start driving
with starting assist at the same time
~ page 82.
Please release parking b rake
T o re lease the par king brake manually, p ress
the brake peda l and press the button~ at the
same t ime. The parking b rake only re lease a u­
tomat ica lly if the driver's safety belt is fas­
tened.
IIJ Parking brake!
If t he IIJ indica to r li ght tur ns on and this
message appears, the re is a parking b rake
malfunction . Drive to your au thorized A udi
dealer or qualified workshop immediately to
have the malfunct ion corrected .
-L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible.
• Switch off engine and che ck coolant level
If the indicato r light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the coolant temperature is too
high o r the coolan t leve l is too low.
" Pull off the road.
" Stop the vehicle .
" Tu rn off the engi ne.
" Check coolant level~
page 229 .
"Add coolant if necessary ~ page 230.

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 .

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>
•
•

206 Cleaning and protection
Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular care preserves vehicle value.
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes, corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after
purchase . Regular and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition
for substantiating a warranty claim should
corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Your author ized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedicated vehicle-care products and can ad­
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i­
or and interior of your vehicle .
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially available clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor­
rectly .
A WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caution labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product. Follow the di­
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted.
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail pol ish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
hazardous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ignit ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, etc. without pro­
tecting your hands and arms. You may cut yourself on sharp-edged metal parts. -
Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 192 , General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environ mentally friendly clean­
i ng products. Leftover cleaning products
should not disposed of in the household
waste.
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle.
The best p rotection against environmental in­
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing. How
often this is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the vehicle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental influences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and industria l gr ime, tar, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle
body, the more lasting their destructive ef­
fects will be . High temperatures caused by ex­
posure to intense sunlight intensify the corro­
sive effect, particularly when humidity is high as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekly washing
may be necessary. Under other conditions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade­
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferably in a
professional car wash.
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c::> page 206.