2011 AUDI S8 service indicator

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.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 21
If the indicator light turns on and th is mes ­
sage appears, there is a ma lfunction in the
tank system.
Drive to your authorized Aud i dea ler immedi­
ately to have the mal function cor rected .
Ci:> Windshield washer flu id level
fl! Please refill washer fluid
If the symbol illuminates, add windshield
washer fluid to the washer system/headlight
washer system* ~
page 236.
~ Windshield wipers
!I Windshield wiper defective
There is a malfunct ion with the windshield
wipers.
D rive to you r autho rized Aud i deale r immedi­
ately to have the mal function cor rected.
~/}D /0$ Defective light bulb warning
I-If the indicator light turns on, a bulb has
failed. The message indicates the location of
the bulb .
ffil-if a fog lamp* has failed, the indicator
light turns on to indicate the location on the
vehicle .
rm-if a rea r fog lamp has failed, the indicator
light turns on to indicate the location on the
vehicle.
Vehicle lights: malfunction
If the message appears, there is a malfunc­
tion in the headlights or light switch .
Drive to your authorized Audi dea ler immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
- light bulbs are pressurized and could ex­
plode while they are being changed caus­
ing serious personal injury.
- Work with due care when handling the
high-voltage section of gas discharge (xenon)
lights. Failure to do so cou ld re­
sult in death or serious injury .
(D Tips
Have the b ulb replaced or the connection
repaired by your authorized Audi Service
department.
~(D Headlight range control
II Headlight range control: defective!
If the symbol illuminates, the head light range
control is no longer working properly. Have
the system checked and repaired at your Audi
dealer.
§0 Adaptive Light
App lies to vehicles: wit h Adaptive Lig ht
rJI Audi adaptive light: system fault
If the indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunct ion in the
adaptive light system. The headlights still
funct ion.
Go to an authorized dealership to have the
headlights or the control unit for the Adaptive
light repaired.
@> Light/rain sensor
fl Automatic headlights/automatic wipers:
system fault
If the indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears, the light/rain sensor is not
funct io ni ng correctly .
For safety reasons the low beams are turned
on permanently with the switch in
AUTO.
However, you can continue to turn the lights
o n and off using the light switch . You can st ill
control all functions that are independent of
the rain sensor through the w indshield wiper
l ever.
Contact your authorized Audi dealer as soon
as possible to have the problem corrected .

Instrument s and warning /indicator lights 23
Driver information
display
Overview
Fig. 4 Driver information system in the in strum ent
cluster
Fig . 5 Display: example of the informat ion line
The driver information system contains infor­
mation
@ that is displayed on tabs@
¢ fig. 4 . The following content is possible de­
pending on vehicle equipment:
@
Tab
1
®
Content
Vehicle functions :
On-board computer <=;>page 24
Digital speedometer
Efficiency program *
r::!;> page 25
Cruise control* ¢ page 84
Adaptive cruise control and Audi
braking guard*¢
page 86
Audi lane assist* <=> page 95
Display darkened
--~~-
@ ®
Tab Content
2 Indicator lights and messages
Warning when a door, the hood or
the rear lid is not closed
¢page27
3
4
5
6
Service interval display¢ page 26
Speed warning system <=;>page 84
Night vision ass istant* ¢ page 109
Audio/video
Telephone*
Navigation *
Th e second and third tabs are only visible if at
least one indicator light or message is shown
or if that system is sw itched on.
The status line © is located in the bottom
part of the disp lay
¢ fig. 4. It displays the ex­
terior temperature, time, selector lever posi­
tion, trip odometer and odometer.
For some vehicle functions, you can access the
trip information from the temporary memory
r::!;> page 24 in the line (D ¢ fig . 5 .
&_ WARNING
--
- Never rely exclusively on the outside
temperature display to determine if a
road surface is icy or not. Keep in mind
that road surfaces, especially bridges
and overpasses, could be ice cove red and
slippery even at an outside temperatu re
above 41 °F
(+5 °().
-Always remember, even if the "snow­
f la ke" symbo l (ice warning) does not ap­
pear in the disp lay, black ice could be on
the road.
-Always reduce your speed and d rive with
special care in cold weather cond itions
when the chance of encountering icy road surfaces increases.
(j) Tips
- At temperatures below 14 °F (+ 5 °C) a
snowflake symbol appears ahead of the
temperature display.
It is intended to re-
mind the driver to pay special attention
~

26 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Odometer
Fig . 10 In str ument cl uster Odo mete r an d reset b utto n
The odometer shows yo u how many mi les
(kilometers) you have driven . Y o u can sw itch
the display from mi les to kilometers and vice
ve rsa v ia the M MI.
Upper odometer
The trip odometer shows the distance driven
since it was last reset. It can be used to meas­
ure short distances. The last d igit ind icates
1/10 ofa m ile (100 mete rs) .
You can reset the trip odometer to zero by press ing the Reset button ~-
Lower odometer
The lower odometer shows the total n umber
of mi les (k ilometers) d rive n.
Malfunction message
If th ere is a ma lfunction in the instrume nt
clu ster,
DEF will appear in the t rip o dome te r
di sp lay are a. Con ta ct yo ur au tho riz e d Audi
dealer to have the prob lem correc ted.
Time and date display
F ig . 11 Cente r console: analog clock
T he date and time are shown in the inst ru­
ment cluster display ~
page 23, fig . 4 . The re
is a lso an analog cloc k in t he center console
¢ fig . 11.
W hen yo u open the driver's door, the da te and
time appear in the instrument cluster disp lay
f or 30 seconds . When t he ignition is sw itched
on, the t ime is a lways d isp layed i n the status
line © regardless of the current display .
You can set the time o n both clocks and the
date d isplay in the MMI. Refer to the MMI
owner 's manua l for i nstructions.
Service interval display
The service interval display reminds you when
your next service is due.
Fi g. 12 Instrument cl uste r: Se rvice inte rva l d is pl ay
The schedule for the next o il change or inspec­
t io n is ca lculat ed au toma tica lly an d disp layed
a cc ord ingly. The d isp lay wor ks in two stages:
Service reminder
30 days before the next serv ice is due, a serv­
ice reminde r appea rs in the display whe n you
switch the ig nition on
¢ fig . 12.
After about 5 seconds the display switches
back to normal. The distance and time re­
main ing a re updated each t ime the ignit ion is
swi tched on u ntil the date due for service is
r e ach ed.
Service due
When the due date for service is reached, t he
message
Service due! appears in the instru­
ment cluster immed iate ly afte r yo u sw itch the
ignition on . Add it io na lly, a warning to ne .,.

Instrument s and warning /indicator lights 2 7
sounds. After about S seconds the display
switches back to normal.
Calling up th e service schedules
If or when an oil change or inspe ct io n is due,
can be shown in the MM I disp lay by select ing
the servi ce inte rva l disp lay in the car menu .
Select the
I CA R I function button > Car s ys­
tems
contro l button > Servicing & chec ks >
Service interval d isplays.
Resetting the service interval display
Your au thori zed A udi dealer w ill reset the cor­
responding service sched ule after per forming
the approp riate service on yo ur vehicle. You
also have the possib ility to reset the o il
change sched ule after having performed an
oil change accord ing to Audi specifications.
Select the
I CAR I function button > Car sys­
tems
control bu tton > Servicing & checks >
Service interval display s > Reset oil change
interval.
CJ) Note
If you disconnect the battery termina ls , no
calc ulations can be made for the service
interval display d uring this tim e and no
service remi nder w ill appea r. Remembe r
t h at observ ing the prope r serv ice intervals
is v ita lly impo rtant to ex tend ing the life o f
your veh icle , particu larly the engine, a nd
maintaining its va lue . Even if t he mileage
driven is low, the maximum period of one
year from one service to the next must not
be exceeded.
{!) Tips
- Do not reset the display between o il
changes, otherw ise the display will be i n­
cor rect.
- The information in the Service Reminder
r ema ins stored even when the vehicle
battery is discon nected .
Open door /hood /rear lid warning
Fi g. 13 Display : doo rs a nd re ar lid open
With the ign ition switched on, the warn ing il­
luminates when at least
one door or the hood
or the rear lid is not closed . The symbo l also
shows you
which door(s) or lid is not closed .
In the illustrati on
i:> fig . 13 it is the driver's
door and the left rear door.
On-Board Diagnostic
system (OBD)
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL )
The Ma lfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) fllllij in
the instrument cluster is part of t he On-Board
Diagnost ic (OBD II) system.
The warning/indicator light ill uminates when
the ignitio n is switched on and goes out after
the engine starts and the id le has stabilized.
This indicates that the MIL is working proper­
ly .
If the light does not go out after the engine
is started, or illuminates while you are driv­
i ng, a malfunction may exis t in the engi ne sys­
tem . If the light illumi nates, the catalyt ic con­
verter could be damaged .
Contin ue d riving
with reduced power (avoid­
i ng s ustai ned h igh speeds and/or rapid accel ­
erations) and have the cond ition co rrected .
Contact your aut horized Aud i dea le r.
If the light illum inates, the electronic speed
li miter may also be malfunct io ni ng . For more
i nformation
~ pag e 28, Electronic speed
limiter. ...,

226 Check ing and filling
temperatures stay below freezing point for
long periods.
Detergent add it ives in the o il w il l make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run­
ning for a short time . This is norma l and is not
a reason to change the oi l more often than
recommended.
Dam age or ma lf u ncti ons du e to lack of
m ainten ance
It
is essential that you change your oil at the
recommended in tervals using only engine o il
that complies with Audi oi l standard
VW 502 00. You r Limited New Vehicle War­
ranty does not cover damage or malfunctions
due to fail ure to fo llow recommended mainte­
nance and use requ irements as set forth in
the Audi Owner's Manual and Warranty&
Maintenance book let . Your dealer will have to
deny warranty coverage unless you present to
the dea ler proof in the form of Service or Re­
pa ir Orders that all scheduled maintenance
was performed in a t imely manner.
Eng ine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrication and
cool ing of internal engine components, a ll in­
ternal comb ustion eng ines consume a certa in
amount of oil. O il consumption varies from
engine to engine and may change significantly
over the life of the engine. Typica lly, engines
with a specif ied break-in period (see
¢
page 197) consume more oil during the
break-in period than they consume after oil
consumption has stabilized.
Under norma l conditions, the rate of oil con­
sumpt ion depends on the quality and viscosity
of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per m inute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient
temperature and road condit ions . Further fac­
tors are the amount of oil d ilution from water
condensat ion or fuel residue and the ox ida­
tion level of the oi l. As any engine is subject to wear as mi
leage builds up, the oil consump­
tion may increase over time until replacement
of worn components may become necessary.
With a ll these variab les coming into play, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be es­
tablished or specified. There is no alternative
to regu lar and frequent check ing of the o il lev ­
el, see
Note .
If
the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l
in the instrument cluster
m lights up, yo u
shou ld check the oil leve l as soon as possib le
¢
page 22 7. Top off the oil at your earliest
convenience ¢
page 22 7.
A WARNING '"---
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS¢
A in Working in the engine
comportment on page 222.
(D Note
Driving w ith an insufficient o il level is like­
ly to cause severe damage to the engine .
(D Tips
-The oil pressu re warn ing display. is
not an indicator of the oil le vel. Do not
r el y on it . In ste ad, ch eck the oil lev el in
y our engin e at regular inter vals , pref ­
erably ea ch time you r efu el, and alway s
before going on a long trip .
-If you have t he impression yo ur engine
cons umes ex cessive amoun ts of o il, we
recommend that you consu lt your Aud i
dea ler to have the cause of your concern
properly diagnosed. Keep in mind that
the accurate meas urement of oi l con­
sumption requ ires great care and may
take some t ime. Your Audi dea ler has in­
structions about how to measure oil con­
sumption accurately.
-

248 Tires and wheels
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of
different things including proper installation
and balancing, correct tire pressure and driv·
ing style.
F ig. 1 86 Tire tread: tread wea r ind icators (TWI)
( r------ ,1
\ ...__ _____ ____,.
F ig. 1 87 Rotat ing t ires for more ev en wea r
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The origi na l t ires on your veh icle have
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear indicators"
c::> fig . 186 running across the tread. Depend ·
i ng on the make, there will be six to eight of
them evenly p laced around the t ire. Marks on
the tire sidewa ll (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear ind icators . Worn t ires must be replaced .
Different fig ures may apply in o ther countries
c::> & .
Tire p ressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear
a nd can cause sudden t ire blow-out. For th is
reason, tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
c::> page 244 .
Driving style
Driving fast aro und curves, heavy acce leration
and hard braking increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
F o r all four tires on your ve hicl e to h ave the
same service life, we recommen d that the
front and rear t ires are rotated according to
the tire manufact urer's suggested tire rota·
tion intervals. Please remember the follow­
ing :
- Tire rotation intervals may differ from the
vehicle service inte rva ls o utlined in your
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet .
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points; therefore, we recommend that y ou
follow the tire manufacturer's suggested
tire rotation intervals .
- Veh icles w ith front-wheel dr ive experience
more tread wear on the fro nt w heels com·
pa red to all-wheel drive (quattro ®).
- Please rotate tires as shown
c::> fig. 187.
-Extra care must be taken when rotating di·
rection-specific tires
c::> page 267 .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new ve hicles are balanced .
However, various situations during eve ryday
driving can cause them to become unba l·
anced, resulting in vibrat ions you can usually
feel t hrough the steer ing wheel.
Un balanced whee ls must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wear on steering, suspension
and t ires. A whee l m ust also be reba lanced
when a new tire is insta lled.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incor rect wheel alig nment can cause exces­
sive tire wear, impai ring the safety of the veh i·
de . If tires show excessive wear, have the
whee l alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop .
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with q uattro ® mus t always have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type .
For details see
c::> page 194 . ..,.