2013 AUDI S8 instrument panel

-a safety be lt extender has not been left in
the safety belt latch for the front passenger
seat .
I n addition to the
P ASS ENGER AIR B AG OFF
light in the center of the instrument panel,
the message
PA SSENGE R AIR BAG OFF or
PASSENGER AI R BAG ON will briefly appear
in the instrument cluster display . Th is is to in­
form the driver of the current front passenger
airbag status .
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning
properly cannot provide supplemental pro­
tection in a frontal crash.
- If the airbag indicator light
c:> page 18
comes when the vehicle is be ing used,
have the system inspected immediately
by your authorized Aud i deale r. It is pos­
sible that the a irbag will inf late when it
is not supposed to, or w ill not inflate
when it sho uld.
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates, a ch ild without
a child restraint, or in a rearward-facing
child safety seat, or in a forward-facing
child restraint that has not been properly
installed will be serio usly injured and can
be killed.
- Even though your vehicle is equipped
with an Advanced Airbag System, make certain that all children, especially 12
years and younger, always ride on the
back seat properly restrained fo r their
age and size .
- Always install forward or rear-facing
child seats on the rea r seat -even w ith
an Advanced Airbag System.
- If you must install a rearward-facing
child seat on the front passenge r seat
because of exceptiona l circumstances
and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l igh t
does not appea r and s tay on, immediate-
A irbag system 165
ly insta ll the rear-facing child seat in a
rear seat ing pos ition and have the airbag
system inspected by your Audi dealer.
- A tight tether or other strap on a rear­
ward-facing child restraint attached to
the front passenger seat can put too
much pressure on the weight-sensing
mat in the seat and reg ister more weight
than is actually on the seat. The heavier
weight registered can make the system
work as tho ugh an adult were on the seat
and deploy the Advanced Airbag when it
m ust be suppressed causing serious or
even fata l injury to the chi ld .
- If, in exceptiona l circumstances, you
m ust install a forward-facing child re­
straint on the front passenger seat, al ­
ways move the seat into its rearmost po­ sition in the seat's fore and aft adjust­
ment range, as fa r away from the a irbag
as poss ible . The backrest must be ad just­
ed to an upright pos ition. Make sure that
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on a ll t he time when­
ever the ignit ion is switched on .
A WARNING
=
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not go out when an ad ult is sitting
on the front passenger seat after taking
the steps described above, make sure the
adu lt is properly seated and restra ined at
one of the rear seat ing pos itions.
- Have the airbag system inspected by
your Aud i dea ler before transporting
anyone on the front passenger seat.
(D Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front pas­
senger seat detects an empty seat, the
front airbag on the passenger side will be
turned off, and the
PASS ENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light will stay on .
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are i nstalled at
many diffe rent p laces o n your Aud i. Insta lling, .,.
•
•

and safety belts with pretensioners are
scrapped, all applicable laws and regula­
tions must be observed. Your authorized
Audi dealer is familiar with these require­
ments and we recommend that you have
your dealer perform this service for you .
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem performs in a crash. For example, using
tire-rim combinations not approved by Audi,
lowering the vehicle, changing the stiffness of
the suspension, including the springs, suspen­
sion struts, shock absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the airbag
sensors and sent to the electronic control
unit. Some suspension changes can, for exam­ ple, increase the force levels measured by the
sensors and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in which it would not deploy if the
changes had not been made. Other kinds of
changes may reduce the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and prevent the airbag
from deploying when it should.
The sensors in the safety belt buckle for the
driver and front passenger seat tell the elec­
tronic control module if the safety belt is
latched or not. If the safety belt is being used,
the front airbag will deploy at a slightly high­
er rate of vehicle deceleration than if the safe­
ty belt is not being used. Therefore, in a par­
ticular collision, it is possible that an airbag
will not deploy at a seating position where the safety belt is being used but will inflate at the
position where the safety belt is not being
used . It is important that nothing interfere
with the safety belt buckles so that the sen­
sors can send the correct information about
safety belt use to the electronic control unit.
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension includ­
ing use of unapproved tire-rim combina­
tions can change Advanced Airbag per-
Airbag system 167
formance and increase the risk of serious
personal injury in a crash.
- Never install suspension components
that do not have the same performance characteristics as the components origi­nally installed on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have not been approved by Audi.
A WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle and the center console can cause
the sensors in the buckle to send the
wrong information to the e lectronic con­
trol module and prevent the Advanced Air­
bag System from working properly.
- Always make sure that nothing can inter­
fere with the safety belt buckles and that
they are not obstructed.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supple­
mental protection to properly restrained
front seat occupants.
Fig . 169 Driver 's knee airbag
The driver knee airbag is in the instrument
panel underneath the steering wheel
¢ fig . 169, the airbag for the passenger is at
about the same height in the instrument pan­
el underneath the glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers additional protection
to the driver 's and passenger's knees and up­
per and lower thigh areas and supplements
the protection provided by the safety belts.
Ill-

How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area con be re­
duced by fully inflated knee airbags.
Fig. 170 Inflated airbags protecting in a fro ntal coll i­
sio n
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front pas­
senger deploy in certain but not all frontal
collisions .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags
also deploy in frontal collisions when the de­
ployment threshold stored in the control unit
is met .
When the system deploys, the airbags fill
with a propellant gas, and inflate between the
lower part of the instrument panel and the
driver and the lower part of the instrument
panel and the front passenger~
page 161,
fig . 167.
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cush ion" the impact and in this way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the lower
extremities.
All of this takes place in the blink of an eye, so
fast that many people don't even realize that
the airbags have deployed . The airbags also
inflate with a great deal of force and it is im­
portant for occupant safety that nothing
should be in their way when they deploy.
Fully inflated airbags in combination with
properly worn safety belts slow down and lim­
it the occupant's forward movement and help
to reduce the risk of injury.
Airbag system 169
Important safety instructions on the
knee airbag system
Airbags ore only supplemental restraints . Al­
ways wear safety belts correctly and ride in a
proper seating position .
There is a lot that you and your passengers
must know and do to help the safety belts and
airbags to provide supplemental protection.
_& WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause serious injury. Wearing safety belts incorrectly and
improper seating positions increase the
risk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- The knee airbag system cannot protect
you properly if you a re seated too close
to any of the airbag locations. When ad­
justing their seat positions, it is impor­
tant that both the driver and the front
passenger keep their upper bodies and
knees at the following minimum safe
distances:
- at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the steering wheel/instru­
ment panel.
- at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the
knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- The risk of personal injury increases if
you lean forward or to the side, or if the
seat is improperly positioned and you are not wearing your safety belt. The risk in­
creases even more should the airbag de­ ploy.
- Always make sure that the knee airbag
can inflate without interference. Objects
between you and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an accident by inter­
fering with the way the airbag deploys or
by being pushed into you as the airbag
deploys.
- Never let anybody, especially children
or animals ride in the footwell in front

17 4 Airbag system
-The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag sys tem is monitored electro nica lly
to make certa in it is funct ion ing properly a t all
times. Each time you switch on the ignition,
the a irbag system ind icator light wi ll come on
for a few seconds (self diagnost ics).
The side curtain airb ag i s not activated :
-if the ignit ion is switched off,
- in s ide collisions when the acceleration
measured by the sensor is too low ,
- in rear-end collisions,
- in rollovers .
A WARNING
-
-Safety belts and the a irbag system will
only p rov ide protection when occ upants
are in t he p roper sea ting posit ion
c>page 57, General recommendations.
- If the airbag indicato r ligh t¢ page 18
comes whe n the vehicle is be ing used,
have the system inspected immediate ly
by your aut horized Aud i dea ler . It is pos­
sible that the airbag will inflate when it is not s upposed to, or w ill not inflate
when it should.
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work tog ether with
sid e airbags to h elp reduc e the risk of head
and upper torso i njurie s for occupants who
are properly res trained.
F ig . 17 4 Illust rat ion of p rin cipl e: In fl ate d side cu rt a in
airba gs on th e left sid e
The side curtain airbags inflate between the
occupant and the windows on the side of the
"' N ;g
:i: .. m
vehicle that is struck in a side collis ion
¢ fig . 174 .
When the system is triggered, the side curta in
airbag is filled w ith prope llant gas and breaks
through a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by th e AIRBAG label. In or·
der to he lp provide this add itiona l protection,
the side curta in a irbag must inflate within the
blink of an eye at very high speed and with
great force . The side curta in a irbag could in ·
jure you if your seating pos it io n is not proper
o r upright or if items are located in the area
whe re the supplemental side curta in a irbag
infla tes. This applies especially to ch ild ren
¢ page 176.
Although they are not a soft pi llow, side cur·
ta in a irbags can "cushion" the impact and i n
th is way they can help to reduce the risk of in­
j u ry to the head and the uppe r part o f the
body.
A fine dust may deve lop w hen the airbag de·
ploys. Th is is qui te no rma l and does not mean
there is a fire in the vehicle .
Important safety instructions on the
side curtain airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Al·
ways properly wear safety belts and rid e in a
proper seating position .
The re is a lot that you and your passengers
must know and do to he lp the safety belts and
airbags do th eir job to provide supp lemental
protection .
A WARNING
-Improperly wearing safety belts and im-
p roper seating posit ions increase the risk
of ser ious personal inju ry and death when·
ever a vehicle is being used.
- Never let occupants place any parts of
their bod ies in the area from which the
side curta in a irbags inflate.
- Always make sure that the s ide curtain
airbags can inflate without interference .
Unsui table ac cessories fitted inside the
-

-Always install rear-facing child safety
seats on the rear seat.
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat in exceptional circumstances and
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, immediately
install the rear-facing child safety seat in
a rear seating position and have the air­
bag system inspected immediately by
your Audi dealer.
_& WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must
install a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger's seat:
- Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
- Always follow the manufacturer's in­
structions provided with the child safety
seat or carrier.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible before installing
the child restraint. The backrest must be
adjusted to an upright position .
- Always make sure that the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays
on all the time whenever the ignition is
switched on.
(D Tips
Always replace child restraints that were
installed in a vehicle during a crash. Dam­
age to a child restraint that is not visible
could cause it to fail in another collision
situation.
Advanced front airbag system and children
Your vehicle is equipped with a front "Ad­
vanced Airbag System" in compliance with United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Child Safety 177
Standard (FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the
time your vehicle was manufactured.
The Advanced Airbag system in your vehicle
has been certified to meet the "low-risk" re­
quirements for 3- and 6-year old children on
the passenger side and small adults on the driver side. The low risk deployment criteria
are intended to reduce the risk of injury
through interaction with the airbag that can
occur, for example, by being too close to the
steering wheel and instrument panel when
the airbag inflates . In addition, the system
has been certified to comply with the "sup­
pression" requirements of the Safety Stand­
ard, to turn off the front airbag for infants up
to 12 months who are restrained on the front
passenger seat in child restraints that are list­
ed in the Standard.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag system, all children, espe­ cially those 12 years and younger, should al­
ways ride in the back seat properly restrained
for their age and size. The airbag on the pas­
senger side makes the front seat a potentially dangerous place for a child to ride . The front
seat is not the safest place for a child in a for­
ward-facing child safety seat. It can be a very
dangerous place for an infant or a larger child
in a rearward-facing seat .
Advanced Airbags and the weight­
sensing mat in the front seat
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
detects the presence of an infant or child in a
child restraint on the front passenger seat us­
ing the weight -sensing mat in the seat cush­
ion and the sensor below the safety belt latch
on the front passenger seat that measures the
tension on the safety belt.
The weight -sensing mat measures total
weight of the child and the child safety seat
and a child blanket on the front passenger seat. The weight on the front passenger seat
is related to the design of the child restraint
and its "footprint", the size and shape of the
bottom of the child restraint as it sits on the ..,.
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grease or dye must be patted off using ab­
sorbent material. It may be necessary to re­
treat the areas with detergent paste and wa­
ter.
In the case of general soiling of the uphols­
tery and cover material, we recommend hiring
a specialist that has the equipment to clean
the seat covers and other fabric surfaces by
shampooing and spray extraction.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
Qpage 215.
Open Velcro fasteners on your clothing can
damage the seat cover. Please make sure
that Velcro fasteners are closed.
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear
water to clean these areas. For persistent dirt
use an Audi approved
solvent-free plastic
cleaner/protectant.
A WARNING
Solvents can change the properties of
some plastics and make it harde r for the
airbag to deploy.
- Never clean the instrument panel or the
surface of airbag modules with cleaning
products that contain solvents.
- Products containing solvents will make
the surface of this part porous.
- Serious injuries can result if plastic parts
come loose when the airbag is deployed.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information~
page 215.
(D Note
Cleaning agents containing solvents will
attack the material and can change the
way it behaves.
Cleaning and protection 223
Trim and molding
Trim and molding in the vehicle interior can
be cleaned with a dry microfiber cloth. To pre­
vent scratches, do not use any cleaning solu­
tions.
Natural leather
Appl ies to vehicles: with natural leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior
leather.
General
We offer many different types of leathe r on
our vehicles. Most are different types of nappa l eather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colors.
Th e intensity of the color determines the visu­
al characteristics and appearance. If the sur­
face of the leather has a typical natural look,
then the leather is a nap pa leather that has
been left in a relatively natural condition. This
leather offers particularly good comfort and
breathes well. Fine veins, closed grains, insect
bites, skin folds, and subt le variations in color
remain visible. These characteristics demon­
strate that the material is natural.
Natural nappa leather is not covered by a col­
or finish. It is therefore more sensit ive to soil­
ing and wear, which is something you need to
consider if children, animals or other factors
might prove to be particularly hard on the
leather .
By contrast, leather types that are covered by
a colored finish layer are more durable. This
has a positive effect on the leather 's resist­
ance to wear and soiling in daily use. On the
other hand, the typical characteristics of natu­
ral leather are barely or not apparent. Howev­
er, this does not mean that the leather itself
is of inferior quality. •
•

232 Checking and filling
Checking and filling Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig. 193 Driver foo twell: release lever
AUD I
Fig. 194 Rocker switch un der the hood
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up
from the windshield. Otherwise the paint
could be damaged .
.,. Pull the lever under the instrument panel in
the direction of the arrow
~ fig. 193.
.,. Raise the hood slightly~,&. .
... Press the rocker switch under the hood up­
ward
~ fig. 194. This releases th e catch.
... Open the hood.
&_ WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine compartment . Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood .
' Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment.
Whenever you must perform any work in the
engine compartment, for example checking
and filling different fluids, there is a risk of injury, burns and accidents. To prevent per­
sonal injury always observe the following
WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area
~ ,&. .
A WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check any­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine.
- Switch off the ignition .
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever to "P" (Park) .
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment.
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents . They can cause a fire .
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili­
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly .
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm . The cool­
ant system is pressurized and hot cool­
ant could spray out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
- Do not remove the engine cover under
any circumstances. This increases the
risk of burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri­
cal system is necessary:

Fuse panel® (brown)
No. Equipment Amps
= ' =
7 TV tuner 5
8 Infotainment unit/drives 7,5
9
Instrument cluster, analog
5 clock
10 MMI Display 5
11 Radio receiver 7,5
12
Rearview camera (park ing
5 a id) , Top v iew
Bulbs
Replacing light bulbs
For your safety, we recommend that you hav e
your authorized Audi dealer replace burned out bulbs for you.
It is becoming increasingly more and more
difficu lt to replace vehicle light bulbs since in
many cases, other parts of the car must first
be removed before you are able to get to the
bulb . This applies especially to the light bulbs
in the front of your car which you can only
reach through the engine compartment.
Sheet metal and bulb ho lders can have sharp
edges that can cause serious cuts, and parts must be correctly taken apart and then prop­
erly put back together to help prevent break­
age of parts and long term damage from wa­
ter that can enter housings that have not been
properly resealed .
For your safety, we recommend that you have
your author ized Audi dealer replace any bulbs
for you, since your dealer has the proper tools,
the correct bulbs and the expertise.
Gas discharge lamps (Xenon lights):
Due to the high electrical voltage, have the
bulbs replaced by a qualified technician.
Headlights with Xenon light can be identified
by the high voltage sticker .
LED headlights* requ ire no ma intenance .
Please contact your authori zed Audi dealer if a
bulb needs to be replaced.
Fuses and bulbs
A WARNING
Contact with high-voltage components of
the electrical system and improper re­
placement of gas discharge (Xenon) head­
light bulbs can cause ser ious personal in­
jury and death.
- Xenon bulbs are pressur ized and can ex­
plode when being changed.
- Changing Xenon lamps requ ires the spe­
cial tra ining, instructions and equip­
ment.
- Only an authorized Audi dealer or other
qua lified workshop should change the
bu lbs in gas discharge lamps .
A WARNING
There are parts with sharp edges on the
openings and on the bulb holders that can
cause serious cuts.
- If you are uncertain about what to do,
have the work performed by an author­
ized Audi dealer or other qualified work­
shop . Serious personal inj ury may result
from improperly performed work.
(D Tips
-If you must replace the light bulbs your­
sel f, a lways remember that the engine
compartment of any vehicle is a hazard­
ous area to work in. A lways read and
heed all WARNINGS
<=> page 226, Engine
compartment<=> ,&..
- It is best to ask your authorized Audi
dealer whenever you need to change a
bulb.
-
283
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