2011 AUDI S8 brakes

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.

18 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
There is a malfunction that can result in re­
stricted driving stability.
Carefully drive at a maximum speed of 35
mph
(60 km/h) to your authorized Audi dealer
or qualified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected.
• Air suspension: service mode. Vehicle
can only be moved with restrictions
Carefully drive to your authorized Audi dealer
or qualified workshop immediately to have
the service mode deactivated.
II Air suspension fault
There is a system malfunction that can result
in restricted driving stability or reduced
ground clearance.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
II Air suspension: vehicle too low. Ground
clearance reduced
The ground clearance is very low due to a sys­
tem malfunction. Wait until the air suspen ­
sion system has restored normal ground clear­
ance. Otherwise, conditions such as an uneven
road surface can lead to vehicle damage.
~/ !f Safety systems
The fl (USA models)!EJ (Canada models) in­
dicator light monitors the safety systems e.g.
airbags, pretensioners and illuminates for a
few seconds each time you switch the ignition
on.
If the
I (USA models);EI (Canada models)
indicator light does not go out, or if it illumi­
nates while you are driving, or if it starts to
blink, then there is a malfunction somewhere
in the system . If the light does not illuminate
when you switch the ignition on, this also
means there is a malfunction.
A WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the safety sys­
tems, contact your authorized Audi dealer
immediately. Otherwise the saftey sys- terns may not work
properly in an acci­
dent.
f;.J [J. Electronic stabilization program
(ESP)
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic stabilization program.
When you switch the ignition on, the indicator light
G] turns on briefly to check the function.
If the
BJ indicator lamp blinks while driving,
the ESP or ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation) is active­
ly regulating.
If the BJ indicator lamp illuminates, the sys­
tem has switched the ESP off.
If the indicator light
I turns on, the ESP was
switched to ESP sport mode with the button
[!] c::> page 190. If this is case , you can reacti­
vate the ESP by switching the ignition off and
then on again. The warning/indicator light
should go out to show that the system is fully
functional again.
ESP/ABS: fault! See owner's manual
If the indicator light DJ and the ABS indicator
light
m (USA models) ;ii] (Canada models)
turn on and the message appears, there is a
malfunction in the ABS system or electronic
differential lock. This also interrupts the ESP.
The brakes still function with their normal
power, but ABS is not active.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
If the battery terminals were disconnected
and re-connected, the vehicle was jump start­
ed or the battery is very weak, the ESP sensor
system goes through a learning process for
the first few yards. The warning/indicator
light illuminates. The warning/indicator light
goes out as soon as the learning process is
complete.
For more information about the ESP
c::> page 190.

Instrument s and warnin g/indi cator ligh ts 19
ABS/( {§) Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS
and the electronic differential lock (EDL) .
The warning/indicator light m (USA mod­
els)
;ti] (Canada models) will come on for a
few seconds when the ignition is switched on .
The light will go out after an automatic check
sequence is completed.
The re i s a m alfunction in the ABS when :
-The warning/indicator light does not illumi­
nate when you switch the ignition on .
- The warning/indicator light does not go out
after a few seconds .
- The warning/indicator light illuminates while driving.
The ESP indicator light a lso illuminates if
there is a malfunction in the ABS. The mes­
sage
E S P/ABS : fault! See owner' s ma nual al­
so appears in the instrument cluster display
and a warning tone sounds.
Th e b rake system will sti ll r esp ond e ven
w ithout th e ass ist ance of the AB S sy stem .
S ee you r authorized Aud i dealer a s soon as
po ssibl e to r estor e full braking p erforman ce.
For more informat ion regarding the ABS
¢ page 190 .
Malf uncti on in the brake system
If the brake warning light¢ page 14 and the
ABS warning illuminate
toge ther there may be
a ma lfunction in the ABS, and there may also
be a malfunction in the brake system itself
¢ /1::i. . Th e ABS w ill not work and you will no­
tic e a chang e in br aking r espo nse and p er­
f o rm ance.
In the event of a malfunct ion in the b rak e
syst em
the warn ing/ indicato r light _
(USA
models) ;III (Canada models) in the in­
strument cluster flashes
C? page 14 .
Malfuncti on in the electronic differential
lock (EDL )
The ED L wor ks toget her with the ABS. The
ABS warning light will come on if the re is a
mal funct ion in the EDL system
<=? page 190.
See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible .
A WARNING
-If the m (USA models)/ fl] (Canada
models) warning light does not go out,
or if it comes on while driving, the ABS
system is not working properly. The vehi ­
cle can then be stopped only w ith the
standard brakes (without ABS) . You w ill
not have the protect ion ABS prov ides.
Contact your Audi dea ler as soon as pos­
sible.
- USA models: If the - warning light,
the
JjJ warning light and the m 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 your authorized Audi dealer or a quali­
f ied workshop . Dr ive slowly and avoid
sudden, hard brake applications .
-Canada models: If the brake warning
light •• the
Iii warn ing light and the
ABS warning light
Ii] come on together,
the rear wheels could lock up first under hard braking . Rear whee l loc k-up can
cause loss of vehicle contro l and an ac ci­
dent. Have your vehicle repaired immedi­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop. Drive s low ly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
0) Worn brake pads
El Brake pads !
If the warning light i lluminates, immediate ly
contact your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop to have all brake pads inspect­
ed. On USA models the warn ing light
El
comes on together with the warning light
- -Both sets of brake pads on an axle
must a lways be rep laced at the same time . ..,.

20 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
&_ WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a colli­
sion and serious personal injury.
- If the warning light
II and the warning
light
- ll with the message Brake
pads!
comes on in the instrument cluster
display, immediately contact your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop to have all brake pads checked or
replaced if necessary.
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control .
The~ warning/indicator light (Electronic
Power Control) illuminates when you switch
the ignition on as a function check.
(D Tips
-
If this warning/indicator light illuminates
while you are driving, then there is a mal­
function in the engine electronics. Have
the malfunction corrected as soon as pos­
sible by your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified repair facility.
O Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is part
of the On-Board Diagnostic (080 II) system.
The symbol
f-@j lights up when the ignition is
switched on and will turn off after the engine has started and has settled at a constant idle
speed . This indicates that the MIL is working
properly.
The warning light illuminates when there is a
malfunction in the engine electronic system.
Contact your authorized Audi dealer and have
the malfunction corrected.
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also
cause the MIL light to illuminate
<::> page 220 .
For more information
c::> page 27.
1) - : USA mod els only
!7} Engine speed limitation
Applies to vehicles: with engine speed limitation
lfl Engine speed maximum XXXX RPM
The engine speed is automatically limited to
the speed displayed in the driver information
system. This protects the engine from over­
heating.
The engine speed limitation deactivates once
the engine is no longer in the critical tempera­
ture range and you have released the accelera­
tor pedal once.
If the engine speed limitation was activated
by an engine control malfunction, the indica­
tor light~ also turns on. Make sure that the
speed does not go above the speed displayed.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
~"' Engine oil level
II Add oil, max. x qt (l). You may continue
driving
When the symbol II and driver message ap­
pear, add the amount of oil appearing in the
display at the next opportunity
c::> page 22 7.
'"' Engine oil sensor
II Oil level! Sensor defective
If the symbol illuminates, contact your au­
thorized Audi dealer and have the oil sensor inspected. Until you have this done , check the
oil level each time you refuel just to be on the
safe side
c::> page 22 7.
Bu Fuel level indicator
Ii Please refuel
If the indicator light turns on for the first
time and the message appears, there are about 4 gallons (15 liters) of fuel left in the
tank. Time to refuel
<::> page 219.
Ii Tank system malfunction! Contact dealer llll>

A WARNING ,~ ~
When driving, do not leave any hard ob­
jects on the rear w indow shel f or allow
your pet to s it on the shelf. They could be­
come a hazard for veh icle occupants in the
event of sudden braking or a crash.
([) Note
Make sure abrasive objects do not damage
the heating w ires for the rear window de­
fogger.
{1) Tips
- A vent slot is located between the shelf
and the rear window. Do not b lock the
vent with any items you may place on the
rear w indow shelf.
- Do not place bulky items on the rear w in­
dow shelf as they could restrict o r block
the driver's vis ion in the rear view mirro r.
Additional storage
There are a variety of storage compartments
and fasteners in various places in the vehicle.
- Storage compartments in the doors
- Net in the front passenger footwell
- Eyeglasses compartment in the headliner
(near the rearview m irror)
- Storage compartments under the center
armrests
- Compartments* on the back of the front
seat backrests
- Garment hooks over the rear doors
- Compartment in the center console with
pass-through)* (rear)
- Compartment behind the rear center arm ­
rest (in vehicles without the pass-through*
or refr igerator*)
- Bag hooks in the luggage compartment
A WARNING
-
- Always remove objects from the instru­
ment panel. Any items not stored could
slide arou nd inside the vehicle while driv­
ing or when accelerating or when apply-
S eat s an d sto rage 71
ing the brakes or when driving around a
corner.
- When you are driving make sure that
anyth ing you may have placed in the cen­
ter conso le or other storage locations
cannot fall out into the footwells. In case
of sudden braking you would not be able
to b ra ke or accelerate .
- Any art icles of clothing that you have
hung up must not inte rfere wit h the dr iv­
er's view. The coat hooks are des ign ed
only fo r ligh twe ight clot hing. Neve r hang
any cloth ing wi th hard, po in ted o r heavy
objects in the po ckets on the coat hoo ks .
During s udden braking or in an accident -
especia lly if the airbag is deployed -
these objects co uld inj ure any passen­
gers inside the vehicle.
- To reduce the risk of perso nal inju ry in an
accident or s udden stop, always keep the
glove compartment closed wh ile driving.
- Read and follow a ll WARNINGS
c::> page 165 , Important safety instruc­
tions on the side airbag system.
- Hang clothes in such a way that they do
not impair the driver's vision.
- The coat hooks must only be used for
lightweight clothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp edged objects in the pock­
ets which may interfere with the s ide cur­
tain airbag deployment and can ca use
pe rsonal injury in a crash .
- Do not use coat hangers for hanging cloth ing on the coat hooks as th is can in­
terfere with prope r deployment of the
side curta in a irbags in an acc ident.
- Do not hang heavy objects on the coat
hooks, as they co uld cause perso nal i n­
ju ry in a sudden stop.
(D Note
Objects located on the rear shelf that rub
against the rea r window could damage the
heating wires for the rear window defog­
ger.

.. Press the !START ENGINE STOPI button. The
engine will start.
.. Drive to your author ized Audi dealer imme­
diately to have the malfunction corrected .
@ Tips
You can view the message again by press­
ing the
! START ENGINE STOPI button.
Electromechanical
parking brake
Operation
The electromechanical parking brake replaces
the hand brake.
Fig. 82 Center console: Park ing brake
.. Pull on the switch<®> c> fig . 82 @to apply
the parking brake. The indicator light in the
switch illuminates.
.. Step on the brake pedal or the accelerator
pedal and press the switch <®> at the same
t ime to release the parking brake. The indi­
cator light in the switch goes out.
Your vehicle is equipped with an electrome­
chan ical parking brake. The parking brake is
designed to prevent the vehicle from roll ing
un intent ionally and replaces the hand brake.
In addition to the normal functions of a tradi­
tional hand brake, the electromechanical parking brake provides various convenience
and safety functions.
When starting from rest
-The integral starting assist helps you when
driving by automatically releasing the park­
i ng brake
c> page 82, Starting from rest.
On the road 81
- When start ing on inclines, the starting as­
sist prevents the vehicle from unintentional­
ly rolling back. The braking force of the
parking brake is not released until sufficient
driving force has been built up at the
wheels.
Emergency brake function
An emergency brake ensures that the vehicle
can be slowed down even if the
normal brakes
fail
c> page 83, Emergency braking.
Indicator lights
-If the parking brake is closed with the igni­
tion
switched on the indicator lights come
on - (USA mode ls)/ . (Canada models)
in the instrument cluster and the switch.
- If the parking brake is closed with the igni­
tion
switched off the indicator lights come
on - (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
in the instrument cluster and the switch for
about 20 seconds .
A WARNING
Do not press the accelerator pedal inadver­
tently if the veh icle is stationary but the
engine is running and a gear is selected .
Otherwise the vehi cle w ill start to move
immediately and could result in a crash.
(D Note
If the symbol . in the display or the indi­
cator light
11111 (USA models)/ . (Cana­
da models) in the instrument cluster flash­
es, there is a malfunction in the brake sys­
tem. Please refer to the detailed descrip­
tion of the indicator lights
c>page 14.
- If the indicator light -(USA mod-
els)/ . (Canada models) or
Im turns
on, there may be a malfunction in the
parking brake
c> page 15.
{I) Tips
-Yo u can app ly the parking brake at any
time -even with the ignition switched
off. The ignition must be on in order to
release the parking brake.

84 On the road
Cruise control
Switching on
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at 20 mph
(30 km/h).
0
f
®t
0
Fig. 83 Control lever w it h set butt on
Fig . 84 D is pl ay: Selected speed
"' Pull the lever to position (D c::> fig. 83 to
switch the system on.
"' Drive at the speed you wish to set.
"'Press button@to set that speed .
I :i:. ... a,
The stored speed and the ind icator light
[ij;W~1~ (US models) / 0 (Canadian models) ap ­
pear in the instrument cluster display
c:;, fig. 84 . The display may vary, depending on
the type of display in your vehicle . The indic a­
tor light . in the instrument cluster also illu­
minates.
The speed is kept constant
via an engine out­
put adjustment or active brake intervention .
8_ WARNING
-Always pay attention to traffic even when
the cruise control is switched on . You are
always responsible for your speed and
the distance between your vehicle and
other vehicles. -
For safety reasons, the cruise contro l
should not be used in the city, in stop­
and-go traffic, on twisting roads and
when road conditions are poor (such as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and hydro­
plan ing) - risk of accident.
- Turn off the cruise control temporarily when enter ing turn lanes, highway exit
lanes or in construction zones .
- Please note that inadvertently "resting" your foot on the accelerator pedal causes
the cruise control not to brake. This is
because the cruise control is overridden
by the drive r's acceleration.
- If a brake system malfunction such as
overheating occurs when the cruise con­
trol system is switched on, the braking
function in the system may be switched
off . The other cruise control functions re­
main active as long as the indicator light
m:lmi (US models)/ . (Canadian mod­
els) is on.
(D Tips
The brake lights illuminate as soon as th e
brakes decelerate automatically.
Changing speed
"' Press lever in the 0 or O direction
c::>page 84, fig. 83 to increase or decrease
your speed.
"' Release the lever to save that speed .
Change speed in increments of 1 mph (1 km/
h) by lightly press ing the lever. If you keep the
lever pressed down , you will alter your speed
in 5 mph (10 km/h) increments .
You can also press the accelerator pedal down
to increase your speed, e .g. if you want to
pass someone . The speed you saved earlier
will resume as soon as you release the acceler­
ator pedal.
If, however, you exceed your saved speed by
6 mph (10 km/h) for longer than 5 minutes,
the cruise control will turn off temporari ly.
The green symbol in the display
c> page 84, .,..

86 Adaptive cruise control and braking guard
Adaptive cruise control
and braking guard
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with adaptive cruise co ntrol
The adaptive cruise control system assists the
driver by regulating vehicle speed and helping
to maintain a set distance to the vehicle
ahead, within the limits of the system . If the
system detects a moving vehicle up ahead,
adaptive cruise control can brake and then ac­
celerate your vehicle. This helps to make driv ­
ing more comfortable both on long highway
stretches and in stop -and-go traffic.
Audi braking guard can warn you about an im­ pending collision with a vehicle up ahead that
is slower or has slowed down and start slow­
ing your vehicle down with the brakes
<::> page 92.
Adaptive cruise control and Audi Braking
Guard have technical limitations that you
must know, so please read this section care­
fully, understand how the system works and
use them properly at all times.
General information
General information
Applies to vehicles: with Adapt ive cruise contro l
Fig. 85 Front of th e ve hicle : senso rs a nd video camera
The areas that contain the radar and ultrason­
ic sensors and the video camera
c::> fig . 85
must never be covered by stickers, or other
things or coated with dirt, insects, snow or ice
that will interfere with the Adaptive cruise
control system and Audi braking guard . Re­
move snow with a hand brush and remove ice with a de-icing spray that does not contain
solvents.
The function of the Adaptive cruise control
system and Audi braking guard is limited un­
der some conditions.
- Objects can only be detected when they are
within sensor range
c::> page 88, fig. 88 .
-The system has a limited ability to detect
objects that are a short distance ahead, off
to the side of your vehicle or moving into
your lane from the front or moves into your
lane from the side.
- When driving through curves
r=;> page 87.
-Some kinds of vehicles are hard to detect;
for examp le motorcycles, vehicles with high
ground clearance or overhanging loads mab
be detected when it is too late or they may
not be detected at all.
- Stationary objects
c::> page 87.
A WARNING
Improper use of the adaptive cruise con­
trol can cause collisions, other accidents
and serious personal injury. -
-Never let the comfort and convenience
that adaptive cruise control and Audi
braking guard offer distract you from the
need to be alert to traffic conditions and
the need to remain in full control of your
vehicle at all times,
- Always remember that the adaptive
cru ise control and Audi braking guard
have lim its -they will not slow the vehi­
cle down or maintain the set distance
when you drive towards an obstacle or
something on or near the road that is not
moving, such as vehicles stopped in a
traffic jam, a stalled or disabled vehicle.
If registered by the radar sensors, vehi­
cles or obstacles that are not moving can
trigger a collision warning and if con­
firmed by the video camera, an acute col­ lision warning.
- Always remember that the adaptive
cruise control cannot detect a vehicle
that is driving towards you in your traffic
lane and that it cannot detect narrow
~