2013 AUDI S8 Owners Manual

.. Make sure to use the right child restraint
correct ly to protect children
Q page 176,
Child Safety.
.. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
¢ page S7,
General recommendations .
.. Faste n your safety belt and wear it properly.
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts properly ¢
page 144 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condi­
tion of the vehicle, the driver as well as the
driver 's ability to concentrate on the road
without being distracted.
The driver is respons ible for the safety of the
veh icle and all of its occupants.
If your ability
to drive is impai red, safety r isks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road ¢ _&. .
Therefore:
.. Do not let yourself be dist racted by passen­
gers or by using a cellular telephone.
.. NEVER drive when your driving ability is im ­
paired (by medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
.. Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road
and speed limits and plain common sense .
.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic
and weather conditions .
.,. Take frequent breaks on long trips . Do not
drive for more than two hours at a stretch.
.. Do NOT drive when you are tired, under
pressure or when you are stressed.
A WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death when­
ever a vehicle is being used.
Driving Safely 135
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor­
tant for safe, relaxed driving .
Fig. 153 Correct seat ing pos it ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the driver's seat to the
follow ing pos ition:
.. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi­
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
wh ile keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
¢ _&. .
.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upr ight position so that your back
comes in full contact w ith it when you drive.
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween the steering wheel and yo ur breast
bone
Q fig. 153. If not possible, see your au ­
thorized Audi dealership about adaptive
equipment .
.. Adjust the steer ing wheel so that the steer­
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face.
.,. Grasp the top of the steering whee l with
your elbow(s) slightly bent.
.. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not poss ible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible .
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 147.

136 Driving Safely
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
¢ page 58.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breast­
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and
the lower part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per­
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold­
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag in­
flates.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple­
mental driver's airbag to protect you in a
collision.
- Always sit in an upright position and nev­
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air­
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats and head restraints properly and
make sure that all passengers are prop­
erly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle
is moving. Your seat may move unexpect- edly and you could lose control of the ve­
hicle .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper seating posi ­
tion .
- Children must always ride in child seats
¢
page 176. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front passenger seat¢
page 152.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position
is important for safe, relaxed driving .
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
passenger to the following position :
• Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position and your back comes in full contact with it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
• Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not possibl e, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible¢
page 138.
• Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat .
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 147.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see ¢
page 5 7.
A WARNING
-
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or killed by the air­
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:

-Passengers must always sit in an upright
position and never lean against or place
any part of their body too close to the
area where the airbags are located.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of po­
sition or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un­
folds with great force in the blink of an
eye.
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front
passenger's breastbone and the instru­
ment panel.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front pas­
senger's knees and the lower part of the
instrument panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
passenger seat and head restraint prop­
er ly.
- Always keep your feet on the floor in
front of the seat. Never rest them on the
seat, instrument panel, out of the win­
dow, etc. The airbag system and safety
belt will not be able to protect you prop­
erly and can even increase the risk of in­
jury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion.
- Children must always ride in child seats
¢
page 176. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat ¢
page 152.
Driving Safely 137
Proper seating positions for passengers
in rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with
both feet on the floor consistent with their
physical size and be properly restrained
whenever the vehicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incor­
rect seating position in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas­
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
.,. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not possible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible¢
page 138 .
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front
of the rear seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
¢page 147.
.,. Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro­
priate for their size and age~
page 176.
,& WARNING
..-
Passengers who are improperly seated on
the rear seat can be seriously injured in a
crash.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum protec­
tion when the safety belts are properly
positioned on the body and securely
latched . By not sitting upright, a rear
seat passenger increases the risk of per­
sonal injury from improperly positioned
safety belts!
- Always adjust the head restraint properly
so that it can give maximum protection.
•
•

138 Driving Safel y
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an im­
portant part of your vehicle's occupant re­
straint system and can help to reduce the risk
of injuries in accident situations.
Fig . 15 4 Head restr ain t: vi ewed fro m the front
The head restraints must be correctly adjust­
ed to achieve the best protection.
i,.. For adjustable head restraints: adjust the
head restraint so the upper edge is as even
as possible with the top of your head. If that
is not possible, try to adjust the head re­
stra int so that it is as close to th is position
as possible.
c:> fig . 154.
Ad justing head restraints c:> page 64 .
Crash - activ e head rest raint s
In the even t of a rear-end collision, it is possi ­
b le that the crash-act ive head res traint s on
the driver's seat and front passenger 's seat
1>
are triggered . On head restraints that have
been triggered, the padding protrudes for­
wards by several centimeters. Drive the vehi­ cle to your authori zed Aud i dealer without de­
lay and have the function of the active head
restra ints restored .
A WARNING
-
Driv ing without head rest raints or w ith
head restra ints that are not properly ad­
jus ted in creases the risk of serious o r fatal
neck injury dram atically. To help reduce
the risk of in jury:
1l Vehicle s w ith recl in ing rear seat : Th is f unctio n is not
ava ilab le for t he fro nt pass enge r's seat.
-Always drive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restraint.
- Always make sure each person in the ve­
hicle properly adj usts their head re­
straint. Adjust the head restraint so the
upper edge is as even as possible with
the top of your head. If that is not possi­
ble, t ry to adjust the head rest raint so
that it is as close to this posit ion as pos­
sible.
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint
while driving. If you have driven off and
m ust adjust the driver headrest for any
reason, first stop the vehicle safely be­
fore at tempting to adjust the head re ­
straint .
- Ch ild ren mus t always be properly re­
strained in a child rest rain t that is appro ­
priate for their age and size
c:> page 176.
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only re­
duce the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are
properly seated.
Improper seating posi tions can cause se rious
i njury or death. Safety belts can on ly wo rk
when they are properly positioned on the body. Improper seating positions reduc e the
effectiven ess of safety belts and wi ll even in­
crease the r isk of injury and death by moving
the safety belt to crit ica l areas of t he body.
Improper seating positions a lso increase the
risk of serious in jury and death when an a ir­
bag deploys and str ikes an occupant who is
not in the proper seating position. A dr iver is
responsible fo r the safety of all ve hicle occu­
pants and espec ially for child ren . The re fore :
i,.. Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
s eating position when the vehicle is bei ng
used
c:> & - .,.

The following bulletins list only some sample positions that will increase the risk of serious
in ju ry and death . Our hope is that these exam­
p les will make you more aware of seating po­
sitions that are dangerous.
The refore, wh en ev er th e vehicl e is
mov ing:
- never stand up in the vehicle
-never stand on the seats
- never knee l on the seats
- never ride with the seatbac k reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit s ideways
- never lean out the window
- never put yo ur feet out the window
- never put yo ur feet on the ins trument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion o r
back of the seat
- never r ide in the footwe ll
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Imprope r seat ing positions increase the
r isk of se rious personal injury and death
whenever a veh icle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu­
pants stay in a p ro per seating pos it ion
and are properly restr ained whenever the
vehicle is be ing used.
Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
A WARNING
Always make sure that the knee a irbag can
inf late without interference. Objects be­
tween yourse lf and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an acc ident by interfer­
ing w it h the way the a irbag deploys or by
being p ushed into you as the airbag de­
ploys.
-
Dr iving S afel y 139
-No persons (children) or animals sho uld
ride in the footwell in front of the pas­
senger seat. If the airbag dep loys, this
can result in ser ious or fatal injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried
in the footwell area in front of the driv­
er 's or passenger's seat. Bulky objects
(shopping bags, fo r example) can ham­
pe r o r prevent proper deployment of the
airbag. Small obje cts can be thrown
through the vehicle if the airbag deploys
an d inju re you or your passenge rs .
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat
or any other object.
Make sure that a ll peda ls move free ly without
interference and that nothing prevents them
from return ing to their orig inal positions.
Only use floor mats t hat leave the pedal area
free and can be secured with floor mat fasten­
ers.
If a brake circ uit fai ls, inc reased brake pedal
trave l is required to b ring the vehicle to a f ull
stop .
A WARNING
-Pedals that cannot move free ly can cause
loss of vehicle control and increase the risk
of ser ious injury.
- Never p lace any objects in the drive r's
footwell. An ob ject cou ld get into the
pedal area and interfere with pedal func­
tion. In case of sudde n brak ing o r an ac­
cident, yo u wou ld not be able to b rake or
accelerate!
- Always ma ke sure that nothing can fall
or move into the driver's footwel l. •
•

140 Driving Safely
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely attached to the floor mat fasteners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
~ Make sure that the floor mats are properly
secured and cannot move and interfere with
the pedals ~,&. .
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area
unobstructed and that are firmly secured so
that they cannot slip out of position . You can
obtain suitable floor mats from your author­
ized Audi Dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be at­
tached to these fasteners. Properly securing
the floor mats will prevent them from sliding into positions that could interfere with the
pedals or impair safe operation of your vehicle
in other ways .
_& WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result
in a loss of vehicle control and increase the
risk of serious personal injury.
- Always make sure that floor mats are
properly secured.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot
be properly secured in place to prevent
them from slipping and interfering with
the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already instal­
led floor mats. Additional floor mats and
other coverings will reduce the size of
the pedal area and interfere with the
pedals .
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for clean­
ing .
-Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driverfootwell while the ve­
hicle is moving. Objects can become trapped
under the brake pedal and accel­
erator pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop· erly stowed and secured in the luggage com·
partment.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling
characteristics. Loose items can also increase
the risk of serious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuver or in a collision.
~ Distribute the load evenly in the luggage
compartment.
~ Always place and properly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as far
forward as possible.
~ Secure luggage items using the tie-downs
provided
~ page 69, Luggage comport·
ment.
A WARNING ,_
Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly through the vehicle causing serious
personal injury in the event of hard brak­
ing or an accident. To help reduce the risk
of serious personal injury:
- Always put objects, for example, luggage
or other heavy items in the luggage com­
partment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compartment using the tie-down hooks
and suitable straps.
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your ve­
hicle handles. To help reduce the risk of a
loss of control leading to serious personal
injury:
- Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
vehicle handling:

-Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat­
ing or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick­
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per­
missible weight standards can cause the
vehicle to slide and handle differently .
- Please observe information on safe driv­
ing
o page 134 .
A WARNING
-
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always
keep the rear lid closed while driving .
- Never transport objects larger than those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
-Close all windows,
- Close the power roof,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the power roof and the rear lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used .
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­ pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out . Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious personal injury .
-
Driving Safely 141
-Never let children play in or around the
vehicle.
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions .
(D Tips
-Air circulation helps to reduce window
fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel, on the
left side of the luggage compartment. Be sure to keep these slots free and
open .
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load . The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom­
mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
For recommended tire pressures for nor­
mal load conditions, please see chapter
opage253 .
Tie-downs
The luggage compartmen t is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and o ther
items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly
o page 140, Loading the luggage com­
partment .
In a collision , the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en ­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10-lb (4 .5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item . This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be
•
•

142 Driving Safely
about 20 0 lb s. (9 0 kg ). Y ou can im agine the between you, your dealer, or
inju ries t hat a 200 l bs. (90 kg) item f ly in g
Audi of America, Inc. freely throug h the passenge r com partment
could cause in a collision like th is.
To contact the NHTSA, you may
A WARNING either call:
W eak, damage d or im proper straps us ed
Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: to s ecure i tems to t ie-downs ca n fail du r-
ing h ard b ra ki ng o r in a coll isi on and cause
1-800-424-9153) or
se rio us p erso nal inj ury .
1-800-424-9393 - Always use suitabl e mou nti ng straps and
pr operly s ecur e it e m s to th e t ie -dow ns in
or you may write to: t h e lug gage comp art m en t t o help p re -
v en t it ems from sh ift ing o r flyi ng fo r-
NHTSA war d as dang erous missi les.
U.S. Department of Transporta-- Neve r at tach a c hild safety se at te th er
strap to a tie -do wn.
tion
Reporting Safety 1200 New Jersey Ave., S. E.
West Building
Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
Washington, DC 20590
You can also obtain other infor-
If you believe that your vehicle
mation about motor vehicle
has a defect which could cause
safety from:
a crash or could cause injury or
death, you should immediately http://www.safercar.gov
inform the National Highway
Applicable to Canada
Traffic Safety Admini stration
If you live in Canada and you
(NHTSA) in addition to notify-
believe that your vehicle has a
ing Audi of America, Inc.
defect that could cause a crash,
If NHTSA receives similar com- injury or death, you should im-
plaints, it may open an investi- mediately inform Transport
gation, and if it finds that a Canada, Defect Investigations
safety defects exists in a group and Recalls. You should also no-
of vehic les, it may order a recall
tify Volkswagen Group Canada,
and remedy campaign. Howev- Inc.
....
er, NHTSA cannot become in-
valved in individual problems