2016 AUDI S8 towing

Automatic transmissio n
-Power is sti ll transmitted to the w heels
w hen the eng ine is r unning at idle. To pre­
vent the veh icle from "creeping", you must
keep your foot on the brake in all selector
lever positions except P and N when the en­
gine is runn ing . Do not inadvertently press
t h e accelerator pedal when the vehicle is
s tationa ry. Otherwise the vehicle will start
to move immediately. This cou ld happen
even if the parking brake is activated.
- Before opening the hood, se lect the P sele c­
tor leve r pos ition and se t the park ing bra ke .
This reduces the risk of a crash . Always read
and follow the applicab le warnings
<=> page 220.
- Never get out of the driver's seat when the
engine is running.
- If you must get out of the vehicle, move the
selector lever securely into the P position
and apply the parking brake.
(D Tips
- If you un intent ionally shift in to the N selec­
tor lever position whi le driving, ta ke your
foot off the accelerator pedal and wait for
the engine to slow down unt il it is idling be­
fore yo u shift into D or S.
Driving tips
Th e gears shi~ automatically .
Starting from a stop
.. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.. Start the engine<=>
page 81 .
.. Press the button on the selector lever and se ­
l ect the D, 5 or R selector lever position
<=> page 112.
.. Wait a moment unti l the transmission shifts.
You w ill not ice a slight moveme nt when the
gear engages .
"' Release the b rake pedal and press the acce lera­
tor pedal <=>,&. .
Stopping temporarily
.. Press the b rake pedal to stop the vehicle, for
example at a traff ic light. Do not press the ac­
celerator pedal when do ing th is.
114
.. To preven t the vehicle from ro lling when yo u
start driving, set t he parking brake when stop ­
ping on large inclines¢,&. .
.. The parking brake will release a utomat ica lly
and the vehicle will start moving once you press
the acce lerato r pedal.
Parking
If the se lector lever is not in the P position whe n
yo u open the drive r's door, the vehicle cou ld roll.
The message
Transmission: Car may roll! Shift
to park!
appears.
.. Press an d hold the b rake peda l
c::> ,&..
.. Set the park ing brake.
.. To engage the P selector lever position, press
the button on the selector lever and shift into
the P position
c::> page 112 .
Under certain conditions such as driving in the
mountains or when towing a trailer, it may be
helpful to switch to manua l mode temporar ily to
shift
manually to adapt to the driving conditions
c::> page 115.
On slopes, act ivate the park ing brake first and
then move the selector lever to the P position .
This prevents too muc h stress from be ing placed
on the locking mechanism .
A WARNING
Read and fo llow all WAR NING S c::> .&. in Se­
le ct ing a selec tor lever posi tion on p age 113.
- The vehicle can also ro ll when the eng ine is
s t o pped .
- Do no t press the acce le ra t o r pedal when
chang ing t he selec to r lever posit io n while
t he vehicle is s tat ionary and the engine i s
r u nning. This co uld result in a crash.
- Never e ngage R or P while driving.
It co uld
cause a crash.
- P owe r is still transmitted to the wheels
when t he e ngine is runni ng at idle . To pre­
vent the vehicle from "creeping", yo u m ust
keep your foot on the brake in a ll selector
lever positions except P and N when the en ­
gi ne is running. Do not inadvertent ly press
the acce le rator peda l when the veh icle is
stat ionary. Otherwise t he vehicle will start
-

Parking lock emergency release
The parking lock must be released using the
emergency release before towing the vehicle .
®
Fig. 127 Dr iver's s ide footwell: releas ing the par king lock
us ing the eme rge ncy re lease
F ig . 128 D rive r's s ide foo twe ll: rese tt in g th e pa rking lock
The emergency release is located under the floor
ma t on t he d river's side . Yo u opera te the emer­
gency release from the dr iver's seat .
Releasing the parking lock using the
emergency release
... To prevent the vehicle from rolling uni nte ntion­
ally, set the pa rking brak e<®>
r=.> page 83 or
press the brake ped al.
... The re are tw o sli ts on t he cove r. Po sition the
s c rew driver from the vehicle tool kit i n one o f
the slits on the cover and pry the cover off .
... Pull the band@ in the direct ion of t he a rrow
unt il the re lease lever locks in place
r=.> fig . 127 .
... Fold the upper section of the release leve r
down into the recess.
Resetting the parking lock
... Press t he b utton @ and the re lease lever at the
same t ime . Yo u can now push the leve r back in ­
to its or iginal position . Make sure the lever
locks in p lace
<=.> fig. 128 .
Automatic transmission
... Insta ll the cover .
T he in dicator light@] and the N position indica­
tor in the ins trument cluster t urn on when the
parki ng lo ck is re leased usi ng the eme rgency re ­
lease . The message
Risk of rolling! P not possi­
ble. Please set the parking brake
a lso appears .
A WARNING
--
If you release the parking lock using the
emergency release, sec ure yo ur vehicle with
the parking brake or the brake peda l if the
p arking brake is not wo rking. The ve hicle can
r o ll away if i t is no t secured and cause a crash .
117

Parking systems
Parking systems
General information
Applies to: vehicles with park ing system plus/rear view cam­
era/peripheral cameras
Depending on your vehicle 's equipment , various
parking aids will help you when parking and ma­
neuvering.
The
parking system plus with rear view camera
assists you when parking by audibly and visually
indicating objects detected
in front of and behind
the vehicle . The rear view camera shows the area
behind the vehicle in the Infotainment display.
This display assists you when you are cross or parallel parking
r:!) page 119.
The peripheral cameras assist you with parking
and maneuvering. You are aided by various cam ­
eras depending on the vehicle equipment lev­
el r:!)
page 122. In addition, you are assisted by
the functions from the sensors
c> page 119, Sen­
sors,
¢ page 121, Visual display.
A WARNING
-
- Always look for traffic and check the area
around your vehicle by looking at it directly
as well. The parking system cannot replace
the driver's attention. The driver is always
responsible for safety during parking and
for all other maneuvers.
- Please note that some surfaces, such as
clothing, are not detected by the system.
- Sensors and cameras have b lind spots in
wh ich peop le and objects cannot be detect­
ed . Be especially cautious of children and
animals.
- The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the radiator gr ille, bumper,
wheel housing and the underbody. The park­
ing systems may become impaired as a re­
sult. Have your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop check their function .
- Make sure the sensors are not covered by
stickers, deposits or any other obstructions as it may impair the sensor function. For in­
formation on cleaning, refer to
I:!) page 206.
118
(D Note
- Some objects are not detected by the sys­
tem under certain circumstances:
-Objects such as barrier chains, trailer draw
bars, vertical poles or fences
- Objects above the sensors such as wall ex ­
tensions
- Objects with specific surfaces or struc ­
tures such as chain link fences or powder
snow.
- If you continue driving closer to a low-lying
object, it may disappear from the sensor
range. Note that you will no longer be
warned about this obstacle.
(D Tips
-The system may provide a warning even
though there are no obstacles in the cover­
age area in some situations, such as:
- certain road surfaces or for long grass.
- externa l ultrasonic sources e.g. from
cleaning vehicles .
- heavy rain, snow or thick vehicle exhaust .
- We recommend that you practice parking in
a traffic-free location or parking lot to be­
come familiar with the system . When doing
this, there should be good light and weath­
er conditions.
- You can change the volume and pitch of the
signals as well as the display¢
page 128.
- Please refer to the instructions for towing a
trailer
¢page 128.
-What appears in the infotainment display is
somewhat time-delayed.

Smart Technology
shared, please see your contract with the
wireless te lecommunications provider and the
"About Audi connect" tab in your vehicle's
MMI:
! MENUI button> Audi connect> About
Audi connect.
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of skid­
ding and loss of vehicle control. It works only
when the engine is running. ESC detects certain
difficult dr iving situations, including when the
veh icle is beginn ing to spin (yaw) out of contro l
and helps you to get the vehicle back under con­
trol by se lectively braking the wheels, and/or re­
ducing engine power and providing steering as­
sistance to help hold the vehicle on the driver's
intended course. The indicator light
GI in the in­
strument cluster blinks when ESC is taking action
to help you control the vehicle.
ESC has limitations. It is important to remember
that ESC cannot overcome the laws of physics. It
will not always be able to help out under all con­
ditions 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 cov­
ered with water, slush o r snow , ESC cannot per­
form the same way it wou ld on the dry surface. If
the vehicle hydrop lanes (rides on a cushion of wa­
ter instead of the road surface), ESC wi ll not be
able to he lp you steer the vehicle because contact
with the pavement has been interrupted and the
vehicle cannot be braked or steered. During fast cornering, part icularly on w inding roads, ESC
cannot always deal as effective ly w ith difficult
driving situat ions than at lower speeds . When
towing a trailer, ESC is not able to help you re­
ga in control as it would if you were not towing a
trai ler.
Always adjust your speed and driving sty le to
road, traffic and weather conditions. ESC cannot
override the vehicle's physical limits, increase the
190
available traction, or keep a vehicle on the road if
road departure is a result of driver inattention.
Instead, ESC improves the possib ility of keeping
the vehicle under control and on the road during extreme maneuvers by using the driver's steering
inputs to help keep the vehicle going in the in­
tended direction . If you are traveling at a speed
that causes you to run off the road before ESC
can provide any assistance, you may not exper i­
ence the benefits of ESC.
ESC is switched on all the time. In certa in s itua­
tions when you need less traction, you can sw itch
off ASR by press ing the button above
~ page 192, fig. 186 the selector lever. Be sure
to switch ASR on again when you no longer need
l ess traction.
The following systems are integrated in the ESC:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up when
braking. The vehicle can still be steered even dur ­
i ng hard braking . Apply steady pressure to the
brake pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A pulsing in
the brake pedal indicates that the system is help ­
i ng you to brake the vehicle.
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking dis­
tance. It increases braking power when the dr iver
presses the brake pedal quickly in emergency sit­
uations. You must press and hold the brake pedal
u nt il the situation is over. In vehicles with adap ­
tive cruise control*, the brake assist system is
more sensitive if the d ista nee detected to the ve­
hicle ahead is too sma ll.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine powe r when the dr ive wheels
begin to spin and adapts the force to the road
cond itions. This makes it easier to start, acceler­
ate and drive up hills.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other wheels.
This function is not available at higher speeds .

Trail er mode
Trailer mode
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation.
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­
my and performance.
Trailer towing not only places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must ac­
tivate the trai ler operation mode
¢ page 202, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Tr ailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your veh icle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically
sound
location . Use only a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ball mount . Always check w ith the t rail­
er h itch man ufact urer to make sure that you are
using the co rrect hitc h.
Do not u se a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact-absorbing
bumper system . No mod ificat ions should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
F rom t ime to t ime, check that a ll hitch mo unt ing
bolts rema in securely fastened.
When you are not tow ing a traile r, remove the
tra iler hitch ball mount. This prevents the hitch
from caus ing damage should your vehicle be
struck from behind
¢ ,&. .
202
Trailer b rakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
check to be sure that it co nforms to all regu la­
tions.
The tra iler hydrau lic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydrau lic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the tra iler.
Trailer light s
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure
to check with your Aud i dealer for correct wir ing,
switches and relays .
Mirror s
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you us­
ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must in­
stall extended mirrors . It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear.
A WARNING
Afte r remov ing the tra iler hitch, do not sto re
i t in you r vehicle. In case of s udden braking,
the hitch could fly fo rwa rd and injure you or
your passengers.
Operating instructions
Fig. 1 87 MMI d ispl ay: tow ing mode o n
Maximum traile r weight
A tra iler for your vehicle is lim ited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.

Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
p la ce to prevent it from sh ifting forward, back­
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Driving instructions on page 204.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder . It
is important that the cool ing system's perform­
ance is up to the addit ional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
veh icle to the cold tire pressure listed under "Full
load " on the label located on the driver's side B­
pillar (vis ible when the door is open). Inflate
trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specif ications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working proper ly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle.
Leave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
in g corners . When you install safety cha ins, make
sure they wi ll not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separat ion
from the hitch.
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface before
hitching up the trailer and before adjusting the
tongue we ight. The vehicle must be in
auto or
comfort driving mode and not ra ised
¢ page 106, 9Q) .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainment, select:
I CARI function button > lower
control button .
Trailer mode
If you must drive under poor road conditions, you
can raise the vehicle
after coupling the trailer or
after adjusting the tongue weight¢ page 108.
(D Note
-Changes in temperature or load can affect
the height of the vehicle.
- Always select auto or comfort mode. Other­
w ise, the tong ue load specified for your ve­
hicle will no longer be applicable .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration.
T o obtain the best possible handling of veh icle
and trailer, p lease note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not loaded.
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles.
.,. Observe speed limits.
.,. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.,. Always apply brakes early.
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded tra iler with an empty car results
in a highly unstab le distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle shou ld be loaded
to the extent possib le and permissib le, while
keeping the trailer as light as possible under the
cir cumstances . Whenever poss ible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow veh icle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle load ing conside rations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the r ig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind .,._
203

Trailer mod e
conditions are unfavorable - particularly when
going downhill.
Red uce veh icle speed
imm ediatel y if the tra ile r
shows the s lightest sign of swaying.
Do not try
to stop the sway in g b y accele rating .
Observe speed lim its . In some areas, speeds for
ve hicl es towing tra ilers are lower than for reg ula r
veh icles.
A lways apply brakes early . When dr iving down­
h ill , sh ift into a lower gear to use the engine
b raking effect to slow the veh icle. Use of the
brakes a lone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Air suspension*
When driving with a tra iler, activate the trailer
mode of the air suspension . Switch the air sus­
pens ion tra iler mode on when you a re towing a
tra ile r. This will limit the regulat ion by the air
suspens ion while driving . Select in the MM I:
ICARI function button > (Car )* sys tem s control
button >
Vehicle setting s > Air su sp .: to wi ng >
On .
Coolant temperature
The coolan t temperature gauge¢ page 10 must
be observed carefully. The coo lant temperature
can increase if you drive on long inclines in a low
gear at high engine speeds. Reduce your speed
immed iate ly if the LEDs in the top part of the dis­
p lay turn on.
For more information about indicator lights, re­
fer to.
¢page 15.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci­
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided
by Audi.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle hand les different ly when towing a
trai ler because of the additiona l weight and dif­
ferent weight distr ibut ion. Safety, performance
204
-
and economy will g reatly depend on how carefu l­
l y you load your trai ler and operate your rig .
Befo re yo u actually tow yo ur t railer, pract ice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic. Keep practicing unti l you have be ­
come complete ly familiar with the way your vehi­
cle-tra iler combination behaves and responds .
Backing up is diff icult and requ ires practice.
Backing up with a trailer genera lly req uires steer ­
ing action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle witho ut a trailer .
Maintain a greater distance between yo ur vehicle
and the one in front of you. You will need more
room to stop . To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius .
When passing, remember tha t you canno t accel­
erate as fast as you normally wou ld because of
the added load . Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow p lenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer du ring the break-i n pe ri­
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a tr aile r, your A udi may requi re
more frequent ma intenance due to the ex­
tra load ¢
page 281.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer . If it cannot
be avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
.,. App ly the foot brake.
.,. Have someone p lace chocks unde r both the ve­
hicle and the trailer wheels .
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks abso rb the load .
.,. Turn the whee ls towards the curb.
.,. App ly the parking brake .
.,. Select the P selector lever posit ion.

Wheels
-Always make sure that the to­tal load being transported -
including the weight of a trail ­
er hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer -
does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to calcu­ late the total weight of the pas­
sengers and luggage or other
things that you plan to transport
so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overload­ ed .
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1 . Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT O F OCCU ­
PANTS AND CARGO SHO ULD
NEV ER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS"on your vehicle's placard
(tire inflation pressure label)
¢ page 246, fig . 207 .
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle .
250
3. Subtract the combined weight
of the driver and passengers
from
"XXX" kilograms or "XXX"
pounds shown on the sticker
¢ page 246, fig . 207 .
4. The resu lting fig ure equals the
available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity . For ex­
ample, if the "XXX" amount
equals
1400 lbs. and there will
be five
150 l bs . passengers in
your vehic le, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capac ity is
650 lbs .
(1400-750 (S x 150) = 650
lbs.)
5. Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle .
That weight may not safely ex­
ceed the available cargo and luggage load capacity calcu lat­
ed in Step 4.
6 . If your vehicle will be towing a
trailer, load from your trailer
w ill be transferred to your ve­
hic le. Consu lt th is manua l to
determine how this reduces
the available cargo and lug­
gage load capacity of yo ur vehi-
cle.
~