2013 AUDI S8 power steering

86 On the road
driving force has been built up at the
wheels.
E mergency brake function
An emergency brake ensures t hat the vehicle
can be slowed down even if the
normal brakes
fail
c::> page 87, Emergency braking .
Indicator lights
-If the parking b rake is closed w ith the igni­
t ion
sw itch ed on the indicator lights come
on - (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
i n the i nstr ument cluster and in the switch .
- If the par king brake is closed w ith the igni­
t ion
s wit ched off the indicato r lights come
on - (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
in the instrument cluster and in the switch
for about 20 seconds.
.&_ WARNING
Do not press the accelerator peda l inadver­
tently if the vehicle is stat ionary but the
eng ine is running and a gear is selected.
Otherw ise the vehicle will start to move
immed iate ly and could result in a crash .
@ Note
If the symbo l. in the display or the ind i­
cator light
1111 (USA models) . (Cana­
da models) in the instrument cluster flash­
es, there is a malfunction in the brake sys­
tem . Please refer to the detai led descrip­
tion of the indicator lights
c::> page 14.
- If the indicato r light - (USA mod-
els) . (Canada mode ls) or
liJ turns
on, there may be a malfunction in the parking b rake
c::> poge 15.
(D Tips
- You can apply the pa rking brake at any
t ime - even w ith the ignition switched
off . T he ignit ion must be on in order to
r elease the parking brake.
- Occ asiona l noises when the par king
brake is applied and re leased are no rma l
and are not a ca use for concern .
- When the vehicle is par ked, the par king
brake goes through a se lf -test cycle at regu
lar interva ls. Any associated noises
are normal.
Parking
Parking
.,. Stop the vehicle with the foot brake .
.,. Pull the switch(®) to apply the parking
brake.
.,. Select the P selector lever position
c::>page 115.
.,. Turn the engine off c::> _&. .
In addit ion on inclin es and g rades
.,. Turn the steering whee l so that your vehicle
w ill roll aga inst the curb in ca se it should
start to move.
.&_ WARNING
- When you leave your vehicle - even if on­
ly br iefly - always take the ignit io n key
wit h you. This applies pa rticularly when
children remain in the vehicle. Otherwise
the children co uld s tart the engine, re­
lease the parking brake or operate elec ­
trica l equipment (e.g . power windows) .
There is the r isk o f an accident.
- When the vehicle is locked, no one - par­
ticularly not children should rema in in
the vehicle. Locked doors make it more
d ifficult for emergency workers to get in­
to the vehicle - putting lives at risk .
· Starting from rest
The starting assist function ensures that the
parking broke is released au tomatically upon
star ting.
Stopping a nd applying parking brak e
.,. Pull the switch(®) to apply the parking
brake.
St arting and automatically releasing the
parking brake
.,. When you start to drive as usual , the park­
ing brake is a utomatically rel eased and your
vehicle beg ins to move. ..,..

@ Tips
When you stop and the start-stop-system
turns the engine off, the ignition remains on. Make sure that the ign ition is switched
off before exiting the vehicle.
General information
App lies to vehicles: with Start-Stop-System
The standard Start-Stop-mode can be cancel·
led for different system-related reasons.
Fig. 89 Instrument cluster : eng ine-Stop temporar ily
u navailable
Engine will not switch off
Before each stop phase, the system checks if
certain cond itions have been met . For exam­
p le, the engine will
not be switched off in the
following situations:
- The engine has not reached the minimum
required temperature for Start -Stop-mode .
- The interio r temperature selected by the A/C
system has not been reached.
- Th e outside temperature is extremely h igh/
low.
- The windshield is being defrosted
9page 81.
- The parking system* is switched on.
- The battery charge level is too low .
- The steering wheel is sharply turned or there is a steer ing movement.
- After engaging the reverse gear.
- On sharp inclines .
The
(jj indicator light appears in the informa­
tion line in the instrument cluster display
9fig. 89.
On the road 89
Engine automatically restarts
The stop phase is interrupted in the following
situations, for example. The engine restarts
without any action by the driver.
- The interior temperature varies from the
temperature selected in the A/C system.
- The windsh ield is being defrosted
9page 81.
-The brake pedal is pressed severa l times in a
row.
- The battery charge level becomes too low .
- High power consumpt ion.
@ Tips
If you shift into the D, Nor S positions af­
ter sh ifting into
reverse, the vehicle must
be driven faster than 6 mph (10 km/h) in
order for the engine to sw itch off aga in.
Switching the Start-Stop-System on/off
manually
App lies to vehicles: wi th Start-Stop-Sys te m
If you do not wish to use the system, you can
switch it off manually.
Fig. 90 Center console: Start-Stop-System button
.,. To switch the Start-Stop-System off/on
manually, press the
l "'I button. The LED in
the button turns on when the system is
sw itched off.
@ Tips
If you switch the system off during a stop
phase, the engine will start again auto­
matically.

Audi drive select Driving settings
Introduction
Aud i drive select makes it possible to experi­
ence different types of vehicle settings in one
veh icle. The driver can select th ree
Comfort,
Auto
and Dynamic modes in the MMI to
switch between a sporty and a comfortable
driving mode.
You can also adjust the setting according to
your preferences in the
individual mode. For
examp le, you can combine settings such as a
sporty engine tuning with comfortab le steer­
ing.
A WARNING
Improper use of the Audi drive select can
cause collisions, other acc idents and seri­
ous personal injury .
Description
The vehicle setup in each mode depends on
the vehicle's features. The engine, transm is­
sion, steering, reve rsible safety belt tension­
ers and adaptive air suspension are always in­
volved.
Engine and transmission
Depending on the mode, the engine and the
tra nsmission respond quicker or in a more bal­
anced manne r to acce lerator pedal move­
ments. In the sporty dynamic mode, the
transmission shifts at higher RPMs .
Air suspension
The adaptive air suspension/adaptive air sus­
pension sport*
( Air suspension in the MMI) is
an electronically con trolled air suspension and
damping sys tem. They are adjusted depend­
ing on the selected driving mode, the drive r's
steering, braking and acceleration input and
the road s urface, vehicle speed and load. A
sporty setting is generally used in vehicles
with adaptive air suspension sport*.
Audi drive select 109
The vehicle clearance varies depending on the
selected mode and the speed .
T he hig hway setting is activated automatically
when you drive above 75 mph (120 km/h) for
more than 30 seconds in the
auto or dynamic
mode. The ground clearance is increased auto­
matically if the speed drops below 44 mph
(70 km/h) for more than 120 seconds.
Steering
The steering adapts in terms of steering effort
and steering ratios . Indirect stee ring that
moves easily, like the steering in comfort
mode, is best suited to long drives on a high­
way . In contrast, dynamic mode provides
sporty, direct steer ing .
The following applies to vehicles with dynamic steering* : the steering ratio changes based on
vehicle speed in order to ma inta in optimum
steering effort for the driver at all times. This
sets the steering to be less sens itive at higher
speeds in order to provide improved vehicle
control. At reduced speeds, however, steer ing
is mo re direct in order to keep the steering ef­
fort as minimal as possible when the driver is
maneuvering the vehicle. At low and average
speeds, dynamic steering additiona lly pro­
vides more responsive steering performance.
Sport differential*
As a component of the all whee l dr ive system
(quattro ®)
<:!) page 203, the Sport differen­
tia l* distributes the driving power to the rear
axle depending on the situation . The distribu ­
tion of power varies depending on the select ­
ed mode, from balanced (comfort) to agile
(dynamic). The goal is a high level of agility
and ability to accelerate on curves . The vehicle
is very responsive to steering.
Curve light*
The curve light adapts to driving on curves.
The pivoting act ion and the lighting are also
adapted to the mode.
Adaptive cruise control*
The behavior when accelerating can be adjust­
ed from comfortab le to sporty, depending on .,..

198 Intellige nt tec hno logy
Intelligent technology
Notice about data
recorded by veh ic le
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facturers fo r the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event . EDR's are sometimes called "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
A lthough your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for example, engine function, emis­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during normal vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded over a very limited period of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as well as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only
be read and downloaded with special equip­
ment.
Electronic Stab ilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidding and loss of vehicle control. It works
only when the engine is running. ESC detects certain difficult driving situations, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw)
out of control and helps you to get the vehicle back under control by selectively braking the
wheels, and/or reducing engine power and
providing steering assistance to help hold the
vehicle on the driver's intended course. The in­
dicator light
G) in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESC is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESC has limitations.
It is important to remem­
ber that ESC cannot overcome the laws of
physics. It will not always be able to help out
under a ll cond itions you may come up against.
For example, ESC may not always be able to
help you master situations where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of friction of
the road surface. When there is a section of
dry road that is suddenly covered with water,
slush or snow, ESC cannot perform the same
way it would on the dry surface . If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of water in­
stead of the road surface), ESC will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because con­
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered.
During fast cornering, particularly on winding
roads, ESC cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult driving situations than at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESC is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not towing a trailer.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic; and weather conditions. ESC can­
not override the vehicle's physical limits, in­
crease the available traction, or keep a vehicle
on the road if road departure is a result of
driver inattent ion. Instead, ESC improves the
possibility of keeping the vehicle under con­
trol and on the road during extreme maneu­
vers by using the driver's steering inputs to
help keep the vehicle going in the intended di­
rection . If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.

ESC includes and/or works together with the
anti-lock braking system (ABS), brake assist
system, anti-s lip regulat ion (ASR), electronic
d ifferential lock (EDL), dynamic steering* and
electronic interaxle differential lock*. ESC is
sw itched on all the time . In certain s ituations
when you need less tract ion, you can sw itch
off ASR by pressing the button above
~ page 200, fig. 188 the se lector lever. Be
sure to sw itch ASR o n aga in when yo u no lon­
ger need less traction.
Anti -lock braking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up
when braking. The veh icle can still be steered
even du ring ha rd b raking . Apply steady p res­
sure to the brake pedal. Do not p ump the ped­
a l. A pulsing in the brake peda l indicates that
the system is he lping you to brake the vehicle .
Brake as sist system
The brake assist system can decrease bra king
d istance.
It increases braking power when the
driver presses the brake pedal qu ick ly in eme r­
gency situations . You must p ress and ho ld the
brake peda l until the situation is over. In
vehicles with adaptive cruise control*, the
brake assist system is more sensit ive if the
d istance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
small.
Anti- slip regulati on (A SR )
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to the road condit ions. This makes it eas ier to
start, accelerate and drive up hills.
Electronic diff erential lo ck (EDL )
The ED L brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other drive
wheel or whee ls if the vehicle is equipped with
all whee l drive*. This funct ion is available up
to about 75 mph (120 km/h).
In extreme cases, EDL automatica lly switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from overheating. EDL w ill switch on again au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to normal.
Int ellig ent technolog y 199
Dynamic ste ering *
On vehicles with dynam ic steering, ESC helps
stabilize the steering in certain situations.
Electronic intera xle differential l ock
function*
T he electron ic i nteraxle differential lock f unc ­
tion activa tes when dr iving th ro ugh curves.
Braking is targeted toward the wheels on the
inside of the curve as needed. This he lps to
minimize front whee l skid, improves traction
and allows for more precise driving through curves .
A WARNING
- ESC, ABS, ASR, EDL, dynamic steering*
and the elect ronic interaxle differential
loc k function* cannot ove rcome the laws
of physics. This is espec ially important
on slippery or we t roads.
If the systems
begin acting to stabilize your veh icle, you
should immediately change yo ur speed
to match the road and traffic conditions .
Do not let the increased safety provided
by these systems tempt you to take risks.
Doing so will increase the risk of a loss of
veh icle contro l, collision and ser ious per­
sonal injur ies.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic and weather conditions. The risk of los­ing con trol of the vehicle increases when
driving too fast, espe cially through
curves a nd on slippe ry or wet roads, and
when dr iving too close to vehicles up
ahead. ESC, ABS, the brake assist sys­
tem, EDL, ASR, dynam ic steering* and
the electron ic interaxle d ifferential lock
function" cannot prevent co llisions.
- Always accelerate with spec ial care on
even, smooth surfaces such as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow.
The drive wheels can spin even w ith
these assistance systems that cannot al­
ways he lp to red uce the risk of loss of ve­
hicle control.
-
•
•

202 Intellig ent technol ogy
- If you damage the fro nt spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­ ed . Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the ent ire brake system .
- Failure of one brake c ircuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in­ creased stopp ing distance. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­ est Aud i dea ler or qualified workshop .
Brake booster
The brake booster adds extra braking power .
The brake booster works with vacuum pres­
sure which is created only when the engine is
running ¢& .
& WARNING
-Never let the vehicle ro ll to a stop w ith
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not work ing, for
example when towing your vehicle, or
because the b rake booste r has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed considerab ly harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance .
Servotronic® -
advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems use the power of
the running engine to allow precise steering
with little effort.
The advanced Servotronic ® power steering
system senses the road speed and e lectroni­
cally adjusts powe r ass istance to p rov ide com ­
fortable and sa fe stee ring response exactly
matc hed to the ve hicle speed .
Power steering w il l not work if the eng ine is
off . As a result, the steering whee l w ill be hard
to turn.
The power steering fluid level is chec ked dur­
ing the scheduled ma intenance serv ices.
(D Note
If there is an e lectronic malfunction, ser­
votronic
will still function like a conven­
tiona l power steering system, providing a
constant steering support force that is no
l onger proportionate to the vehicle speed.
This is most not iceable when t urning the
steering wheel at low speeds (for example
when pa rking), - more effort w ill be re­
q uired than us ual.
- Be aware of the diffe rent than usual
steering response and adjust your steer­
ing force acco rding ly.
- Have the problem checked and set right
by an A udi dealer as soon as poss ible.
(D Tips
- When the eng ine is running, never ho ld
the stee ring wheel turned all the way to
the rig ht or to the left fo r longer than 15
seconds. The powe r stee ring pump will
overheat the hydraulic fluid i f yo u keep
holding the stee ring wheel turned all the
way. This is likely to damage the power steering system.
- If the powe r steering system sho uld fai l
entire ly, or if the engine is not runn ing
(for example, wh ile be ing towed), you
w ill still be able to stee r the veh icle.
However,
considerably more effort will
be requi red to do so.
- If the power steering system should
have a leak, or is not functioning proper­
ly, contact your author ized Audi dealer
immed iately.
- The power steer ing system req uires a
specially fo rmu lated hyd raulic fluid. The
powe r stee ring fluid reservoir is located
in the engine comp art ment¢
page 234.
T he cor rect fluid level in the reservoir is
impo rtant fo r proper functioning of the
powe r stee ring .

(!) Windshield/headlight washer
t .
(~ ) con ainer ,..., .. .... ... ... . . 247
@ Jump start point( -) with hex
h ead screw ............... .. 246, 284
® Jump start point( +) under a cov-
er . ..... .. ... .. ..... ... .. . 246, 284
@ Engine oil filler cap(~) . . . . . 238
® Brake fl uid reservo ir ((0)) . . . . . 242
® Coolant expansion tank (-L) . . . 240
0 Power steering reservoir . . . . . . 202
@ Oil dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
The engine oil fille r nec k (item @) may be lo­
cated in a d ifferent a rea depend ing o n the ver ­
sion of the eng ine .
A WARNING
Before yo u check any thing in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
~ &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 232.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the
right kind of oil.
-
The engine in your Audi is a sophisticated
powerp lant that was bu ilt to exacting specifi­
cations. This engine needs the r ight kind of
engine o il that meets specificat ions rega rding
qua lity and viscos ity so that it can run
smoothly and reliably . Choos ing the righ t oi l
and ch anging oil with in t he time and mileage
inte rva ls printed in your veh icle's Warranty
&
M aintenance book let matters a lot more to­
day than it d id years ago. A udi has developed
a special quality standard for engine oil that
will he lp assure that your veh icle's eng ine will
get the lubrication it needs for prope r opera­
tion .
M odern eng ine lubrication has taken a quan­
tum leap in the last few years. Many synthetic
oils ava ilable today provide better engine lu­
brication that can outlast traditional pet role -
Checkin g and fillin g 235
um -based oils, ma king them a smart cho ice
for use throughout the life of your Audi.
Whether you use sy nthetic o r pe trole um­
based eng ine oil, the oil tha t you use m ust
confo rm to Aud i's oi l quality standard
VW 502 00 to help keep your vehicle's engine runn ing smooth ly and he lp prevent the for­
mation of harmful deposits, sometimes called
"sludge," that over time can lead to expensive
repairs .
At the time of printing, engine oils ava ilab le in
the U.S. and Canada that meet the exact ing
specifications of Audi oi l standard VW 502 00
are synthet ic eng ine o ils . Th is does not mean,
howeve r, that every sy nthetic engi ne oil will
meet A udi o il standard VW 502 00 . So always
be s ure that yo u use an approved oil.
To he lp prevent the formation of harmfu l de­
pos its use on ly o il wi th the following specifi­
cat ions pr inted on th e oil conta iner:
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
Oil container labe ls may car ry the specifica­
tion sing ly or in combination with othe r desig ­
nations and oil quality standards.
Viscosity
E ngine o ils are graded a ccord ing to the ir vis­
cosi ty . T he p roper viscos ity grade oil fo r yo ur
engine depends on climactic o r seasona l con­
ditions where yo u drive. You can use oi l wit h a
viscosity grade of SAE 5W40 across all tem­
perature ranges for norma l driv ing cond itions.
However, if engine oil viscosity g rade SA E
5W40 is not available, you can also use viscos ­
ity grade SAE 5W -30 or SAE OW -40 as long as
it meets Audi oil q ua lity standard VW 502 00
specifications.
Because eng ine o il tha t meets the Audi oi l
standard may not be availab le everywhere
when you need it, we strong ly recommend
that you a lways carry wit h you an extra quart
( li ter) of oil that express ly conforms to the
VW 502 00 spec if icat ion, in case you have to
top off the o il while o n the road . .,..
•
•

250 Tire s and wheel s
-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden t ire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when driving, al­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
(D Note
Please note that summer and wi nte r tires
are designed for the cond itions that are
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means t he comb ined we ight (in excess of
those sta ndard items which may be rep laced)
of au toma tic tra nsmission, power steer ing,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that th ese
items are availab le as factory -installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means t he ratio of the he ight to the w idth of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in ­
dicate a low sidewall for improved steering re­
sponse and better overall handling on dry pavement .
Bead
means the part of the ti re that is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire . typ
ica l in those seasons . Aud i recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
decrease the e lasticity of summer tires,
which affects tract ion and brak ing ability.
If summer tires are used in very co ld tem­
peratures, cracks ca n form on the tread
bars, res ulting in permanent tire damage
that can cause loud driving no ise and un­
balan ced t ires. Audi is not responsible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire p ressu re recommended by t he
vehicle manufacturer fo r a tire of a des igna ted
s iz e that has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le of miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in
t h e three hour period before the tire pressure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
mea ns the we ight of a motor ve hicle with
standard equipment in cl uding the max imum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi ­
tioning and additional weight of optiona l
equipment.
Extra load tire
me ans a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire . Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "x l" , "EXTRA LOAD", or
"RF" on the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the lo ad -c a rry ing c apac ity of a s ingle
axle system , measured a t the tire-ground in­
terfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR ")
mea ns the maximum total loaded we ight of
t h e ve hicl e. .,.