2011 AUDI S8 ignition

10 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments and warning/indicator Lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of information.
Fig. 3 Overv iew of th e ins tru me nt cluster
(!) Coolan t tempera ture gauge .. .
@ Tachometer (engine rev counter)
® Turn signa ls .. .... ... .. ... . .
© D isp lay with
- Driver information system ...
- Warning/ind icator lights
® Tac hom eter
® F uel gauge ... .. .... ... ... . .
0 Reset b utton for t rip odometer
(D Tips
1 0
11
45
23
11
1 1
26
The instrument illumination (for dia ls and
needles) t urns on when the ignition is on
a nd the vehicle lights are tur ned off . A s
the daylight fades, the illumination of the
dia ls likewise dims automa tica lly and w ill
go out co m ple tely when the o utside light
i s
very lo w. Th is feature is me ant t o rem ind you
to sw itch on the hea dlights when o ut­
s id e lig ht condi tions be come poor .
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant gauge (!) ¢ poge 10, fig. 3
only works when the ignition is on . To prevent
damage to your engine, please note the fol­
lowing important po ints:
Engine cold
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge
turn o n, the eng ine has not reached operating
temperature yet. Avoid hig h engine speeds,
heavy engine loads and heavy throttle applica­
tions .
Normal temperature
The eng ine has reached its operating temper-
at ure once the LEDs up to the center of the .,.

Instrument s and warnin g/indi cator ligh ts 11
gauge turn on under normal d riving condi ­
tions . The LEDs higher up may turn on when
the eng ine is under heavy load or the exter ior
temperature is high . This is no need to worry
as long as the. warning light in the instru­
ment cluster does not illuminate . If the LEDs
in the upper area of the display and the ind ica­
tor light . in the instrument cluster display
turn on, the coolant temperature is too high
¢page 15.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warning in
page 216, Engine compartment, be­
fore opening the hood and checking the
engine coolant level.
- Never open the engine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coolant
dr ipping from the engine compartment.
You could burn yourself. Let the engine
cool off first so that you cannot hear or
see any steam or engine coolant.
(D Note
- Mount ing additional lights or accessories
in front of the a ir inlets reduces the cool­
i ng effect of the rad iator . At h igh outside
temperatures or high eng ine load, the
engine co uld overheat.
- The front spo ile r has been designed to
properly distrib ute the cooling air when
the veh icle is moving. If the spoiler is
damaged, this cou ld red uce the cooling
effect and t he engine co uld then over­
heat . Ask your authorized Audi dea le r for
ass istance.
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM
(revolutions per minutes).
If engine RP M drops be low 1,500, you should
downshift to the next lower gear. The red a rea
at the e nd of the sca le indicates maximum
permiss ible engine RPM after the break-in pe­
riod. Before reaching this area, move these­
l ector lever to position "D (Drive)" or ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal.
@ Note
The tachometer need le should on ly briefly
be in the red zone: yo u could damage your
engine! The beg inning of the red zone var ­
i es depending on the engine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upsh ifting early saves fuel and reduces en ­
gine noise.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge only works when the ignition is
o n.
If the fue l level drops below 4 gallons (15
l ite rs), the bottom LED tu rns red and the indi­
cator light
Ill tu rns on ¢ page 20. The bot­
tom LED b link s red when the fue l level is very
l ow .
The possible range based on the current fuel
level is shown in tab@
page 23, fig. 4.
(D Note
Never run the ta nk complet ely dry. An ir­
regular supply of f uel can cause engine
misfiring and fuel cou ld enter the exha ust
system. The cata lytic converter could then
overheat and be damaged.
Warning/indicator lights
Description
T he ind icator lights in the instrument clus ter
blink or turn on. They indica te f unct ions or
malfunctions ¢
,&.
Messages may appea r with some indicato r
li ghts. A warning signal will sound at the
same t ime. The indica tor lights and messages
in the center of the displays may be rep laced
by other disp lays. To show them again, select
the tab for ind icator lights and messages us­
ing the multifunction steering whee l
¢
page 23. If there are several malfunc­
tions, you can display them one at a time us- ing the thumbwheel. ..,.

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.

16 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
• Continue driving only after the engine cool­
ant warning/indicator light goes out.
• Contact your authorized Audi dea ler for as-
sistance if necessary .
I f the engine coolant level is correct, then the
radiator fan may be the cause of the malfunc­
tion .
• Coolant temperature too high! Please let
engine run with vehicle stationary
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears in trailer mode*, let the engine
run at id le for a few minutes to cool down.
A WARNING
-If your veh icle should break down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
safe distance from moving traffic, turn
off the engine and turn on the hazard
warning lights
c> page 44, Emergency
flasher .
-
-Never open the hood if you see or hear
steam or coolant escap ing from the en­
gine compartment - you risk being scald­
ed . Wait until you can no longer see or
hear steam or coo lant escaping.
- The engine compartment of any vehicle
is a dangerous area. Before you perform
any work in the engine compartment,
turn of the engine and allow it to cool.
Follow the warning stickers
<=>page 216,
Engine comportment .
(D Note
Do not continu e driving if the . symbol
illuminates. There is a malfunction in the
engine cooling system -you could damage
your engine.
,f,. Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to
put on your safety belt.
The . warn ing/ indicato r light illum inates
when the ignition is sw itched on to remind
the driver and any front passenger to put on the safety be
lt. Additionally, an acoustic warn­
ing (gong) wi ll also sound.
For more Information
q page 137, ,f,. Safety
belt warning light .
0 Battery
This warning/indicator Light detects a mal­
function in the generator or in the vehicle's
electrical system.
T he . warn ing/indicator light i llum inates
whe n you switch on the ignition and must go
out after the engine has started .
• Alternator fault: Battery is not being
charged
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunct ion in the
generator or veh icle electrical system.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop immed iately. Because the veh i­
cle battery is discharg ing, turn off all unnec­
essary electrical equipment such as the rad io .
Seek professiona l assistance if the battery
charge level is too low.
(•i low battery charge: battery will be
charged while driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there may be limited starting
ability .
If this message turns off after a little while,
the battery charged enough while driving.
If the message does not turn off, have your
authorized Aud i dea ler or qualified workshop
correct the malfunction.
~ Engine oil pressure malfunction
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol
requires immediate service or repair. Driving with a low-oil-pressure indication is likely to
inflict severe damage to the engine .
• Switch off engine and check oil level
If the indicator light turns on the message ap-
pears, the oil pressure is too low.
IJI>

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>