2013 AUDI S8 oil level

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 11
gauge turn on under normal d riving condi ­
tions . The LEDs higher up may turn on when
the eng ine is under heavy load or the exter ior
temperature is high . This is no need to worry
as long as the. warning light in the instru­
ment cluster does not illuminate . If the LEDs
in the upper area of the display and the ind ica­
tor light . in the instrument cluster d isplay
turn on, the coolant temperature is too high
¢page 16.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warning in
~ page 226, Engine compartment, be­
fore opening the hood and checking the
engine coolant level.
- Never open the engine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coolant
dr ipping from the engine compartment.
You could burn yourself. Let the engine
cool off first so that you cannot hear or
see any steam or engine coolant .
(D Note
- Mounting additional lights or accessories
in front of the a ir inlets reduces the cool­
i ng effect of the rad iator . At h igh outside
temperatures or high eng ine load, the
engine co uld overheat.
- The front spo ile r has been designed to
properly distrib ute the cooling air when
the veh icle is moving. If the spoiler is
damaged, this cou ld red uce the cooling
effect and t he engine co uld then over­
heat . Ask your aut ho rized Audi dea le r for
ass istance.
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM
(revolutions per minutes).
If engine R PM drops be low 1,500, you should
downshift to the next lower gear. The red a rea
at the end of the sca le ind icates maxim um
perm iss ible engine RPM after the break-in pe­
riod. Before reaching this area, move these­
lector lever to position "D (Drive)" or ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal.
@ Note
The tachometer need le should only briefly
be in the red zone: yo u could damage your
engine! The beg inning of the red zone var ­
i es depending on the engine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upsh ifting early saves fuel and reduces en ­
gine noise.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge only works when the ignition is
o n.
If the fue l level drops below 4 gallons (15
l ite rs), the bottom LE D tu rns red and the indi­
cator light~ turns on
c::> page 21. The bot­
tom LED b link s red when the fue l level is very
l ow .
The possible range based on the current fuel
level is shown in tab@~
page 23, fig. 4.
(D Note
Never run the ta nk complet ely dry. An ir­
r egular supply of f uel can cause engine
misfiring and fuel cou ld enter the exha ust
system. The cata lytic converter could t hen
overheat and be damaged.
Warning/indicator lights
Description
T he ind icator lights in the ins trument clus ter
blink or turn on. They indica te f unct ions or
malfunctions
c;;> ,& .
Messages may appea r with some indicato r
li ghts. A warning signal will sound at the
same t ime. The indica tor lights and messages
in the center of the displays may be rep laced
by other disp lays. To show them again, select
the tab for ind icator lights and messages us­
ing the multifunction steering whee l
c;;> page 23. If there are several malfunc­
tions, you can display them one at a time us- ing the thumbwheel. ..,.

12 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
Some indicators lights in the disp lay can turn
on in several colors.
A WARNING
- Failure to heed warning lights and other
important vehicle information may result
in serious personal injury or vehicle dam­
age .
- Whenever stalled or stopped for repair,
move the vehicle a safe distance off the
road, stop the engine, and turn on the
emergency flasher¢ page 46 .
- The engine compartment of any motor
vehicle is a potentially hazardous area .
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, stop the engine and let it
cool down. Always exercise extreme cau­
t ion when work ing under the hood
¢ page 226, Engine compartment
(D Tips
Ma lfun ctions or faults w ill be identified e i­
ther with a red symbo l (pr iority 1 -Dan­
ger!) or with a ye llow symbo l (pr iority 2 -
Warning).
Overview
Some indicator lights turn on briefly to check
the function of that system when yo u switch
the ign ition on. These systems are marked
with an./ in the follow ing tables . If one of
these ind icator lights does not turn on, there
is a malfunction in that system .
Red indic ator light s
Red symbols indicate a priority malfunction -
Danger!
- Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle .
- T urn off the engine.
- Check the malfunct ion ing system. Contact
your autho rized Aud i dea ler o r a qua lified
workshop for assis tance.
USA m odel s:
Brake malfunction ./
¢ page 14
Canada models :
Brake malfunction ./
¢page 14
USA model s:
- Electromechanical parking brake
D
D
¢page 15
Canada models :
Electromechanical parking brake
¢page 15
Engine cooling system
¢ page 16
Engine oil pressure
¢page 17
Engine oil level
¢page 17
Battery
¢page 16
Safety belt
¢page 16
Electronic steering column lock
¢page 17
Engine start system
¢page 17
USA models : Speed warning sys­
tem ¢page90
Canada model s: Speed warning
system
¢ page 90
Adaptive cruise control./ ¢page95
Air suspens ion*
¢page 18
Pedestrian warning *
¢page 112

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 13
Yellow indi cator li ght s
Yellow symbols indica te a priority 2 ma lf u nc­
tion -Warning!
I
I
•
[I]
.,
•
•
U SA models: Safety systems
¢ page 18
Canada model s: Safety systems
¢page 18
Electronic Stabilization Contro l
(ESC) ../
¢ page 18
Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC) ../
¢page18
USA model s:
Ant i- lock b rak ing system (ABS)
defective ¢page 19
Canada model s:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
defective
¢page 19
Worn brake pads ¢page 20
Electromechanical parking brake
¢page BS
Tire pressure mon itoring system
,/
¢ page267
Tire pressure monitoring system ¢page267
Electronic power contro l
¢ page20
Malfunction indicator Lamp (MIL)
,/
¢page20
Engine speed limitation
¢ page 20
Engine oil level
¢page 17
E ngine o il sensor
¢page 21
•
II
-
Ill
•
-Battery
¢page 16
Tank system ¢page 21
Windshield washer fluid level ¢page 21
Windshield wipers ¢page 21
-
Remote control key
¢page83
Remote control key
¢page 83
Battery in remote control key
¢page 31
Defective light bulb warn ing
¢page 21
Fog lights*
¢page 21
-
Rear fog lights*
¢page 21
Headlight range control
¢page 21
-adaptive light*
¢page 21
Light-/rain sensor faulty
¢page22
Audi lane assist *
¢page 102
Transmission ¢page 119
Transmission ¢ page 119
Electronic steering column lock
¢page 17
Engine start system
¢ page 17

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 17
If th is message turns off after a litt le whi le,
the battery charged enough whi le driving.
If the message does not turn
off, have your
authorized Audi dealer or qua lified workshop
correct the malfunction .
'l:::7-: Engine oil pressure malfunction
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol
requires immediat e servic e or repair. Driving
with a Low-oil-pressure indication is Likely to
inflict severe damage to the engine .
• Switch off engine and check oil level
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the oil pressure is too low.
.,. Pull
off the road .
.,. Stop the vehicle .
.. Turn
off the engine .
.,. Check the engine oil level c::> page 23 7.
.,. If the engine oil leve l is too low, add engine
o il
c::> page 238. Make sure that the oil p res ­
s ur e warning symbol. appears no longe r
in the display before you start driving again.
.. If the engine oil leve l is correct and the indi­
cator light st ill turns on, turn the engine
off
and do not continue driving. Seek professio­
nal assistance.
-The engine oil pressure symbol. is
not an indicator for a low engine oil lev­
el. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the
oil level in your engine at regular inter­
vals, preferably each time you refuel,
and always before going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
II requires oil refill or workshop serv­
ice without delay . Do not wait until the
red oil pressure warning. starts to
flash before you respond to the low oil
level warning
II. By then, your engine
may already have suffered serious dam­
age .
~ Engine oil level
• WARNING: Please add oil immediately
When the symbol and the driver message ap ­
pear, the oil has to be replen ished right now
c::> page235.
If the indicator light and the message appear,
add engine oil immediately
c> page 238 .
II Add oil, max. x qt (l). You may continue
driving
When the symbol and the driver message ap ­
pear, add the amount of oil appearing in the
display at the next opportunity
c::>page 235.
@-Steering column lock
• Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is an e lectronic steering
column lock malfunction. You cannot switch
the ignition on.
Do
not tow your vehicle because it cannot be
steered. Seek professiona l assistance .
1!11 Steering lock: system fault. Please con­
tact dealer
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is an electronic stee ring
column lock malfunct ion.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immed i­
ate ly to have the malfunction corrected .
.8, WARNING
-
Your vehicle must not be towed in the
event of a malfunction in the elec tron ic
steering column lock because it cannot be
steered due to the locked steering . If it is
towed with the steering locked, there is
the r isk of an accident.
© -Engine start system
• Engine start system fault. Please con­
tact dealer

20 Instruments and warning /indicator lights
the rear wheels could lock up first under
hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci­
dent . Have your vehicle repaired immedi­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop . Dr ive slowly and
avo id sudden, hard brake applicat ions.
(0) Wo rn b rake pad s
liJ Brake pads!
If the warn ing l ight illuminates, immediately
contact your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop to have all brake pads inspect­ ed. On USA models the warni ng light
liJ
comes on together with the warning light
1111 -Both sets of brake pads on an axle
must always be replaced at the same time .
A WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a colli­
sion and serious personal injury .
- If the warning light
liJ and the warning
light
11111 ) with the message Brake
pads!
comes on in the instrument cluster
display, immediately contact your au­
thorized Aud i dealer or qualified work­
shop to have all brake pads checked or
replaced if necessary.
EPC Electronic powe r cont rol
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control .
The~ warn ing/ indicator light (Electronic
Power Control) illuminates when you switch
the ignition on as a function check .
(D Tips
If this warning/indicator light illuminates
while you are dr iving, then there is a mal­
function in the engine electron ics. Have
the malfunction corrected as soon as pos­
sible by your authorized Aud i dealer or
qualified repair facility.
l) - : USA mod els only
-
o Malfunction Ind icator Lamp (MIL )
The Ma lfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is pa rt
of the On-Board Dia gnostic (OBD II) system.
The symbo l
¢-ff lights up when the ignition is
switched on and will turn off after the engine
has started and has settled at a constant idle
speed. This indicates that the MIL is work ing
proper ly.
The warning light illuminates when there is a
malfunction in the engine electronic system.
Contact your authori zed Audi dea ler and have
the malfunction corrected.
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also
cause the MIL light to illuminate
c:> page 230.
For more information c:> page 28.
!?) Engine speed lim itation
Applies to vehicles: wit h engine speed li mitatio n
lfl Engine speed maximum XXXX RPM
The eng ine speed is automatically limited to
the speed displayed in the driver information
system . This protects the engine from over ­
heating.
T he eng ine speed limitation deactivates once
the engine is no longer in the critical tempera­
ture range and you have re leased the accele ra­
tor pedal once.
If the engine speed limitation was activated
by an engine control malfunction, the indica ­
tor light~ also turns on . Make sure that the
speed does not go above the speed displayed .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
· ~ Engine oil level
Ill Add oil, max. x qt (l). You may cont inue
driving
When the symbol Ill and driver message ap­
pear, add the amount of oil appearing in the
display at the next opportunity
c:> page 238.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 21
't'::1".., Engine oil sensor
II Oil level! Sensor defective
If the symbol illuminates, contact your au ­
thor ized Audi dealer and have the oil sensor
in spected. Until you have th is done, check the
oil level each time you refuel just to be on the
safe side¢
page 23 7.
Bil Fuel level indicator
ID] Please refuel
If the indicator light turns on for the first
time and the message appears, there are
about 4 gallons (15 liters) of fuel left in the
tank. Time to refue l
¢page 229.
1B] Tank system malfunction! Contact dealer
If the indicator light turns on and th is mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the
tank system .
Drive to your authori zed Aud i dea ler immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
<;;> Windshield washer flu id level
- Please refill washer fluid
If the symbol illuminates, add windshield
washer fluid to the washer system/headlight
washer system* ¢
page 247.
'1:> Windshield wipers
E•$ vVindshield wiper defective
There is a malfunct ion with the w indshield
wipers .
Drive to your authorized Audi dea ler immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
~ l}D 10$ Defective light bulb warning
i -If the indicator light turns on, a bulb has
fa iled . The message indicates the location of
the bulb.
El-if a fog lamp* has failed, the indicator
light turns on to indicate the location on the
vehicle.
au-if a rear fog lamp has failed, the indicator
light turns on to indicate the location on the
vehicle.
Vehicle lights : malfun ction
If the message appears, there is a malfunc­
tion in the headlights or light sw itch .
Drive to your au thorized Audi dealer immedi­
ate ly to have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
-Light bulbs are pressurized and could ex­
plode wh ile they are being changed caus­
ing serious personal injury.
- Work with due care when hand ling the
h igh-vo ltage sect ion of gas discharge
(xenon) lights . Failure to do so could re­
sult in death or serious injury.
(D Tips
Have the bu lb replaced or the connect ion
repaired by your authorized Audi Service
department .
~0 Headlight range control
II Headlight range control: defective!
If the symbol illum inates, the headlight range
control is no longer working properly. Have
the system checked and repaired at your A udi
dealer.
§0 Adapt ive Light
Applies to vehicles: with Adaptive Light
mfJ Audi adaptive light: system fault
If the indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunct ion in the
adaptive light system . The headlights sti ll
functio n.
Go to an authorized dealership to have the
headlights or the control unit for the Adaptive
Light repaired.

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 .

Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission con­trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner .
.. Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 228,
Fuel supply.
.,. Never run the tank down all the way to
empty.
.,. Never put too much motor oil in your en-
gine ¢
page 238, Adding engine oil~-
.,. Never try to push- or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff icient "clean­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle . The catalytic converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be ­
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically
importa nt for the life of the cata lytic convert­
e r and proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
-
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other material which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
man ifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields. During driving, the
substance used for undercoating cou ld
overheat and cause a fire.
0 Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢ page 238.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The eng ine could mis­
fire . U nburned fuel could a lso get i nto
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 207
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat .
- Do not swi tch off the ignit ion while the
vehicle is mov ing.
- Do not continue to ope rate your veh icle
unde r these conditions, as othe rwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
co uld result in overheating o f the con­
verter, requir ing its replacement .
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis ­
sion Control System:
- H ave your vehicle maintained prope rly
and in accordance w ith the se rv ice rec­
ommendat ions in you r Warranty &
M aintenance boo klet.
- L ack of prope r maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the vehi cle w il l impair
the function of the em ission contro l
system and could lead to damage .
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Control System is
operat ing properly, the exha ust gas can
have a sul fur -li ke exhaust gas smell under
some operating states . This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fue l may help,
or filling the tank with lead-free super
grade gasoline .
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are drivi ng on poo r roads, or over
c ur bs, s teep ramps, etc., ma ke certai n that
low -lying parts s uch as spoilers and exhaust
system pa rts do not bottom o ut and get dam­
aged.
T h is is espec ially true for veh icles w ith low­
s lung chassis (spor ts chassis)* and fully load­
ed vehicles. •
•