2013 AUDI S8 ABS

200 Intelligent technology
-ABS and ASR on ly work correctly when
all four wheels are equipped w ith ident i­
ca l tires. Different tire s izes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems described are working.
- If the indicator light
DJ or m:11 (USA
models) ;tiJ (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunct ion
c::;, page 19,
c::;, page 18 .
Switching on and off
ESC turns on automatically when you start
the engine.
Fig. 188 Center console w ith ESC OFF button
Switching ASR off (sport mode)
In certain situat io ns, you can switch ASR and
ESC into sport mode by pressing the button
l!l
c::;, fig. 188. The indicator light II comes on
and the mess age Stabilization control (ESC ):
Off warning! Reduced stability appears. ASR
deactivates completely and the assistance provided by the ESC system is limited. Switch
to sport mode on ly when your driving skills,
traffic and weather cond itions permit .
I n some situations, it may be useful to switc h
ASR off to let the wheels slip. Example:
- Rocking the vehicle back and forth when it is
stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Driving with snow cha ins
Switching ASR on Press the button[!] aga in. The message Stabi­
lization control (ESC): On appears.
A WARNING
- Drive whee ls can sp in and you can lose
control of the vehicle more eas ily when
ASR and ESC are in sport mode, especial­
ly when the road is slippery.
- Sw itch to sport mode only when your
driving skills, traff ic and weather condi­
tions permit.
@ Tips
You cannot sw itch sport mode on when
adaptive c ruise control* is working.
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
-
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still
subject to wear, depending largely on operat­
ing condit ions and driving habits
c::;, &. . On
vehicles that are either dr iven mostly in stop­
and-go city traffic or are driven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dea ler more often than specified in
the Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance.
On steep slopes, you should use the braking
effect of the engine. This way, you prevent un­
necessary wear on the brake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down continuously. Pump the brakes at inter­
vals .
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depending on
the speed, braking force and outside condi­
tions such as temperature and humidity.
Due to the nature of the materia ls used in ce­
ramic brake rotors*, noises may become more
apparent at low speeds. .,..

Effect of w ate r and ro ad sa lt
In certain situa tions, for example after driving
through water, in heavy rain, after overnight
condensation or after washing your car, the
braking effect can be reduced by moisture or
ice on the brake rotors and brake pads. The
brakes must be dried first wit h a few careful
brake applications.
At higher speeds and with the windshield wip ­
ers turned on, the brake pads press against
the brake rotors for a short amount of time.
This occurs at regular intervals w ithout the
driver noticing and provides for better brake response time under wet condit ions.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven o n a salt-covered
road and the brakes are not used . Likewise,
you clean
off accumulated sa lt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few caut ious ap­
p lications of the brake¢&. -
Due to their surface characteristics, ceram ic
brake roto rs* absorb mo isture in such condi­
tions. This can cause a temporary reduction in
b rak ing fo rce compared to d ry brakes. You can
compensate for this by pressing the brake pedal harder .
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regularly or
on ly for short t rips with little use of the
brakes.
I f t he b rakes are not used frequently, or if co r­
rosion has formed on the dis cs, it is advisable
to clean
off the pads and discs by brak ing
firm ly a few times from a moderately high
speed ¢.&. .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in
b rake peda l travel, then o ne of the two bra ke
circuits may have failed~ .&..
Int ellig ent technolog y 201
Low br ake fluid level
Malfunctions can occu r in the bra ke system if
the b rake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid
level is monitored electronica lly.
Brake lining wear status
B rake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spe ct ion of the condition of the brake pads
through the open ings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the whee l may be removed for this in­
spection
r=;, page 2 7 3, Changing a wheel.
_& WARNING
-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear or lower dr iving range . Do not ride
the brakes or hold t he pedal down too
long o r too often. Th is could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing you r
foo t on the pedal when you do not intend
to b rake . This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating
conditions such as passing thro ugh wa­
ter, dr iv ing in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumu late on the brake pads, lin ings,
discs and drums . Carefully app ly brakes
for a test. Brakes w ill dry and ice coat­
ings w ill be cleaned
off after a few care­
fu l brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt- cove red roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency .
Clean
off accum ulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
•
•

Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trai ler, p lease remember
that the addit ional load will affect durab ility,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
F or this reason, a lways fo llow the operating
and d riving instr uctions provided and use
common sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must
activate the trailer operat ion mode
~ page 211, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitc h co nforming to the
gross trailer we ight. The hitch must be suita­
b le for your veh icle and trailer and must be
mounted secure ly on the veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a trailer
hi tch wit h a removab le ball moun t. A lways
check with t he trail er hitch ma nufactur er to
make sure tha t you are using the corre ct
hi tch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitc h must be installed in such a way that
i t does not interfere with the impac t-absorb­
i ng bumpe r sys tem. No mod ifica tio ns should
be made to the vehicle exh aust a nd brake sys­
tems . From time to time, check that a ll hitch
mo unt ing bolts remain securely fastened.
W hen you are not towing a trail er, remove the
traile r hitch ball mount. Th is prevents the
hi tch from causing damage sho uld your ve hi­
cle be str uck from behind ¢& .
Trailer towin g 211
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equippe d wi th a br akin g sys ­
tem, check to be s ure that i t conforms to all
r egulations .
T he trailer hy draul ic brak e sys tem mus t not be
direc tly connec ted to the vehi cle' s h ydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Trai ler lights must meet all regu lations. Be
su re to check with your Audi dealer for cor rect
wir ing, swi tches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
us ing the reg ular o utside mirrors, then you
must insta ll extended mirrors. It is imp ortant
that you
always have clea r v is ion to the rear.
A WARNING ...__ -
Afte r removing the trailer hitch, do not
stor e it i n yo ur v ehicl e. In cas e o f sudden
b ra king, the hitch co uld fly forwar d and in­
ju re you or your p ass en ger s.
Operating instructions
Fi g. 189 MM I dis pl ay: tow ing mode on
Ma ximum trailer weight
A trai ler fo r you r vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 tra iler.
ll>

drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind condit ions are unfavorable -part icularly
when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediatel y if the trail­
er shows the slightest sign of swaying .
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds
for vehicles towing trailers are lower than for
regular vehicles .
A lways app ly brakes early. When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en­
gine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes a lone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge c:> page 10
must be observed carefully. The coo lant tem­
perature can increase if you drive on long in ­
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds. Re­
duce your speed immed iate ly if the L EDs in
the top part of the display turn on.
F or more information about indicator lights,
refer to. ~
page 16.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone r ide in your car
who is not properly wear ing the restra ints
provided by Aud i.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your veh icle hand les different ly when tow ing
-
a trailer because of the addit ional weight and
d ifferent weight distribution . Safety, perform­
ance and economy will greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your ng .
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
Trailer towing 213
have become completely familiar with the way
your vehicle-trai ler combination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice .
Backing up with a t railer generally requires
steering action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a tra iler.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you . You wi ll need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you w ill need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remembe r that you cannot ac­
ce lerate as fast as you norma lly would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your trailer before chang­
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re ­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load
c:> page 296.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it can­
not be avoided, do so only a~er doing the fol­
lowing:
When parking:
.,. App ly the foot brake.
.,. Have someone p lace chocks under both the
vehicle and the trailer wheels .
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes until the wheel chocks absorb the
load.
.,. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.,. Apply the parking brake .
.,. Select the P selector lever posit ion .
When restarting after parking:
.,. Apply the foot brake.
•
•

222 Cleaning and protec tio n
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 215.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and other corrosive materials will
damage the material in the exhaust tail pipes
if they are not cleaned regularly . Do not clean
the tail p ipes with wheel cleaner, paint pol ish,
chrome po lish or other abrasive cleaners.
C lean the tail p ipes with car ca re p roducts
that are su itable for stain less stee l.
Your author ized Audi dealer can provide clean­
ing p roducts that have been tested and ap­
p roved fo r you r vehicle.
Care of interior
Infotainment components
The MMI/RSE* display may be cleaned with a
soft cloth and commercially-ava ilable "LCD
cleaner" . The cloth should be coated lightly
when the clean ing solution when cleaning the
d isplay.
The MMI/RSE* contro ls must be cleaned first
with a brush so t hat dirt does not ente r the
un it or enter between the buttons and the
housing. Then wiping the controls with a cloth
dampened with dish detergent and water is recommended.
CJ) Note
To prevent sc ratches, only clean the dis­
play when it is d ry.
- To prevent damage, ma ke sure fluids do
not enter the controls.
Aluminum trim
Use only n eutral-pH products to remove spots
and deposits from aluminum surfaces.
Chrome ca re products and alkaline cleaners
will attack aluminum s urfaces and can dam­
age them over time.
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information¢
page 215.
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabrics and fabric cover ings (e .g. seats, door
trim panels, etc.) should be cleaned at regular i ntervals w ith a vacuum cleaner. This removes
su rface di rt particles which could become em ­
bedded in the fabric through use. Steam
cleaners should not be used, because the
steam tends to p ush the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lock it there.
Normal clean ing
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
o r a lint-free microfiber cloth to the clean fab­
ric. Brushes shou ld only be used for carpets
and floor mats, since other fabric surfaces
could be harmed by brushes.
Norma l su rface stains can be cleaned using a
commercially available foam cleaner . Spread
the foam on the s urface of the fabric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently. Do not satu­
rate the fabric. Then pat the foam dry using
absorbent, dry cloths (e.g. m icrof iber cloth)
and vacuum it after it has dried completely.
Cle anin g sta ins
Stains caused by beverages (e .g. coffee, fruit
juice, etc.) can be treated with a mild deter­
gent solution. Apply the detergent solution
with a sponge. In the case of stubborn stains, a detergent paste can be applied directly to
the stain and worked into the fabric. After­
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to
remove the rema in ing deterge nt. Apply the
water wit h a damp clo th or sponge and pat
the fabric dry with an abso rbent, dry cloth .
Stains from choco late or makeup should have
detergent paste (e.g. ox-gall soap) rubbed in­
to them. Afterwa rds, remove the soap with
water (damp sponge) .
Alcohol can be used to treat stains from grease, o il, lipstick or a ballpoin t pen . Melted ..,.

224 Cleaning and protection
Car e and handling
Because of the exclusive nat ure of the types of
l eather that Audi uses and their unique prop ­
erties (such as sensitivity to oils, grease, soi l­
ing, etc.), you will need to be somewhat care­
fu l w ith these leathers, and a certain type of
care is required. For examp le, dark clot hing
materials can d iscolor leather seats (especial­
ly if such cloth ing is damp and was not dyed
correctly). Dust and dirt part icles in pores,
fo lds, and seams can have an ab ras ive effect
and can damage the leather s urface as well as
weaken seams.
The leather should be cleaned regularly as
n eeded. After having been used for a re latively
l ong t ime, yo ur leather sea ts will acqui re a
rich aged finish. This is a charac teris tic of nat ­
ura l leather and a sign o f true quality .
I n o rder to maintain t he va lue of t his natura l
p rod uct over the life of yo ur vehicle, you
should follow the recommendations below :
(D Note
-To keep you r leather from bleaching out,
do not a llow it to be exposed to br ight
sunl igh t for long periods of time. If you
have to leave the vehicle parked o utside
for long periods, cover the leather to
protect it from d irect exposure to sun­
li ght.
- Sharp objects on clothing, such as zip­
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on be lts can
l eave permanent scratches or scrape
marks on the surface of the leather.
- After each t ime you clean the leather and
at regu lar intervals, use a leather preser­
vat ive creme that conta ins UV-blockers
and that works into the leather. This
creme wi ll nourish and moistur ize the
l eathe r, helping it to b reath e and stay
supple.
It also helps to b uild up a prote c­
tive coat ing on the s urfa ce.
- Clean t he leather every 2 -3 mont hs,
and clean any areas that ge t soiled. - Remove
fresh marks made by ballpo int
pens, ink, lipstick, shoe polish, etc. as
soon as poss ible.
- Preserve the color of the leather as need­
ed by using a specia l co lored leather care
creme to touch up areas of uneven color.
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
Applies to vehicles: with natural leather
Natural leather requires special care and a t­
tention .
Normal cleaning
.. Clean soiled areas with a slightly moistened
cotton or woo len cloth .
More stubborn dirt
.. More s tubbor n dirt can be removed using a
clo th sa turated wi th a mild so ap solut ion (2
tablespoons mild liquid soap).
.. Never allow the soap sol ution to saturate
the leather, and make certain that no water
s oak s into the seam s.
.. Wipe off the soap so lution with a soft, dry
cloth .
Cleanin g spot s
.. Remove fresh water-based spots (s uch as
coffee, tea, juices, blood) with an absorbent
cloth or paper towel.
.. Remove fresh
grease or oil -based spots
(such as butte r, mayonnaise, chocolate) with
an absorbent clot h or paper towel, or use
the cleaner from the leather care kit if the
s po t h as no t yet penet rated i nto t he surface
of the leathe r .
.. Use an oil/grease d issolving spray, i f
oil/
grease spot s ha ve dr ied on.
.. Remove specific k inds of spots (ballpoint
pen, fe lt marker, fingerna il polish, water­
based pa int, shoe po lish, etc.) with a spot
remover specifically formu lated for lea ther.
L e ather care
.. Every half year use an approved leather care
product (available from your Audi dealer) to
care for the leather . .,.

~ Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir ¢
fig. 201, ¢ page 234. The
brake f luid leve l must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings.
The location of the brake fl uid reservoir can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
¢page 234.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the brake pads . This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls considerably be­
l ow the " MIN" mark, the bra ke wa rning/indi ­
cator light
1111 (U .S . models)/ . (Canadian
models) will come on
¢ page 14. Do not con­
tinue to operate the vehicle. The comp lete
brake system shou ld be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dealer or other quali­
f ied fac ility and the cause corrected. If the
b rake fluid level is too low, the brake warn ing/
i ndicator light w ill illuminate . Co ntact an au­
thor ized Audi dealer
immediately .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid abso rbs moistu re from the a ir . If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
h igh, cor ros ion in the b rake system may result
after a per iod of t ime . The bo iling po int of t he
b ra ke fluid w ill also decrease considerab ly and
decrease braking performance.
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
e very two year s. Always use new b rake fluid
which confo rms to Fede ral Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 1 16 DOT 4".
The brake flu id rese rvoi r ca n be difficult to
r eac h, therefo re , we re commend that yo u
h ave the brake fl uid changed by you r autho r­
i zed
Audi dealer . Your deale r has the correct
too ls, the right brake fluid and the know-how
to do this fo r you .
Checkin g and fillin g 243
A WARNING
-Brake flu id is poisonous. It must be stor­
ed only in the closed original co ntainer
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can resu lt from o ld or inap­
prop riate brake f lu id . Observe these pre ­
cau tions:
- Use only brake fluid tha t meets SA E
s p ecification
J 1703 an d conforms to
Federa l Moto r Ve hicle Standard 116.
Always check with your authorized Audi
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
correct brake fluid. The cor rect type of
brake f lu id is also ind icated on the
brake flu id rese rvoir .
- The brake fluid must be new . Heavy use
of the brakes ca n cause a vapo r lock if
the b ra ke fluid is left i n the system too
l ong. This can se riou sly affect the effi ­
c ien cy of the brakes as well as your
safe ty. This co uld resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
Bra ke fluid will damage the paint of you r
vehicle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of t he p rob lem of prope r disposal
of b ra ke fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
r equired and the necessary exper tise, we
r e comme nd th at yo u have the brake fl u id
changed by yo ur autho rized Aud i dea le r.
Battery
General information
U nder normal operating cond itions, the bat­
te ry in your Audi does not need any ma inte­
nance . With
high outside tempe rat ures o r
l ong da ily drives we re commend t hat yo u h ave
the e lec trolyte leve l chec ked by a serv ice f a­
ci lity. The electrolyte leve l should also be
c h ecked each t ime the battery is charged
¢ page 246. IJ,,
•
•

244 Checking and filling
Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for service. You are well advised to replace a battery that is older than 5 years .
W ith certa in types o f airbag deployment, the
battery is disconnected from the vehicle elec ­
trica l system for safety reasons¢
& in Re­
pair, core and disposal of the airbags on
page 166.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some veh icle functions (power window regu­
lators, for example) are lost if the battery ter­
minals are disconnected. These functions have
to be re learned after the battery terminals are
connected again. To prevent this, the battery
should only be disconnected from the vehicle
electrical system when absolutely necessary
for repairs .
Vehicles not driven for long period s
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electrical compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main ­
tains starting capability over a longer period
¢
page 203. Some of the convenience func­
tions may not operate, such as the inte rior
lights or the power seat adjustment . Th e con­
venience functions will be available again
when you switch on the ignition and start the
engine.
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity
tends to decrease as tempe rat ures drop . This
is because more powe r is also consumed while
starting , and the headlights, rear window de ­
fogger, etc., are used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, par­
ticular ly in city traffic or when traveling on ly
short distances. Let your authorized Audi
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat ­
tery before winter sets in
¢ page 246. A well
charged battery w ill not only prevent starting
prob lems when the weather is cold, but will
also last longer .
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for seve ral
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery sho uld be removed and
stored where it w ill not freeze . This will
prevent it from being damaged and having
to be replaced .
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compart­
ment under the floor. Before you check any­
th ing in the luggage compartment,
read and
heed all WARNINGS
¢ ,& .
Always heed the safety warnings, when work­
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle elec­
trical system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM­BOLS and safety precautions when working
on the battery.
®
Always wear eye protection.
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid.
Always wear gloves and eye protec­
tion.
No
- sparks
- flames
- smoking.
When a battery is charged, it produ­
ces hydrogen gas which is explosive
and could cause personal injury.
Always keep the battery well out of
I
reach of children .
_&. WARNING ~
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the risk of
injury, accident and even fire . Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
-