2016 AUDI S8 Owners Manual

(D Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front passen­
ger seat detects an empty seat, the front air­
bag on the passenger side will be turned off,
and the
P ASS ENGER AI R BA G OFF light will
stay on.
Repair , care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the a irbag system are installed at many
d ifferent p laces on your Aud i. Installing , remov­
ing, servic ing or repa iring a part in an area of the
vehicle can damage a part of an airbag system
and p revent that system from working properly
in a co llision.
There are some important things you have to
know to make su re that the effectiveness of the
system w ill not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environm ent .
A WARNING
Improper care, serv icing and repa ir proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal injury
and death by preventing an airbag from de­
ploying when needed or deploying an airbag
unexpectedly:
-
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steer ­
ing wheel horn pad or a irbag cover or the in­
strument panel or mod ify them in any way .
- Never attach any objects such as cup holders or telephone mountings to the surfaces cov­
er ing the airbag units.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
pane l, use on ly a soft, dry cloth or one mois­
tened with plain water. Solvents or cleaners cou ld damage the a irbag cover or change
the stiffness or strength of the material so
that the airbag cannot dep loy and protect
properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of
the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, instr ument
pane l, front seats or electrical system (in­
cluding the installation of audio equipment,
cellu lar telephones and CB radios, etc.)
must be performed by a qualified technician
Airb ag sys tem
who has the training and special equ ipment
necessary.
- For any wo rk on the airbag system, we
strong ly recommend that you see your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
- Never modify the front bumper or parts of
the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side a irbag can
inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replacement
upholstery ove r the front seatbacks that
have not been specifica lly approved by
Audi .
- Never use addi tional seat c ushions that
cove r the areas where the side airbags in­
flate.
- Damage to the orig inal seat cove rs or to
the seam in the area of the s ide airbag
module must a lways be repaired immedi­
ate ly by an authorized Aud i dealer.
- The airbag system can be activated only
once . A fter an airbag has inflated, it must
be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technic ian who has the technical
information, t raining and spec ial equ ipment
necessary.
- The airbag system can be deployed only
once . After an airbag has been deployed, it
must be replaced with new rep lacement
parts des igned and approved especially for
your Aud i model version. Replacement of
comp lete airbag systems or airbag compo­
nents must be performed by qualified work­
shops only. Ma ke sure that any airbag serv­
ice act ion is en tered in your Aud i Wa rranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG RE ­
PLACEMENT RECORD.
- For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
alternator and starter are separated from
the vehicle battery with a pyrotechnic circ uit
interrupter.
- Wo rk on the pyrotechnic c ircuit inte rrupt­
er must on ly be performed by a qua lified
dealer -risk of an acc ident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interr upter is
scrapped, all applicable safe ty p recau tions
mus t be followed.
159

Airbag syste m
@ For the sake of the en vironment
Undep loyed airbag modu les and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Materi­
al -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­ rate . When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules and
safety belts w ith pretensioners are scrapped,
all applicable laws and regu lations must be
observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is fa­
m iliar with these requirements and we recom­
mend 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
cha nge the way that the Advanced Airbag System
pe rforms in a crash. For example, using tire-r im
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lower ing the
veh icle, chang ing the stiffness of the suspens ion,
including the spr ings, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
electronic control unit . Some suspens ion changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in wh ich it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other ki nds of
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and preven t the airbag from deploy­
ing when it should .
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced A irbag performance and in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspension components that do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components originally insta l­
led on your veh icle .
- Never use tire-rim comb inations that have
not been approved by Audi.
160
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 electronic contro l module and prevent
the Advanced A irbag System from wo rking
p roperly.
- Always make sure that noth ing can inte rfe re
w ith the safety belt buckles and that they
are not obst ructed.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
Fig. 167 Driver's kn ee ai rbag
The driver knee airbag is in the inst rument panel
u nderneath the s teer ing whee l
~ fig. 16 7, the
airbag fo r the passenger is at about the same
height in the instrument panel underneath the
glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers add itiona l protection to
the d river's and passenge r's knees and uppe r and
l ower thigh areas and supp lements the protec ­
tion prov ided by the safety belts .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags a lso
deploy in frontal coll is ions when the deployment
th reshold stored in the control unit is met
~ page 154, More important things to know
about front airbags.
In add ition to their normal safe ty f unct ion, safe-
ty belts help keep the driver or front passenger in ..,

position in a frontal collision so that the airbags
can provide supplemental protection.
The airbag system is not a s ubst itute for yo ur
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overa ll occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle. Always re­
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wear ing it properly . This is why you should
always wear your safety belt, not just because
the law requires you to do soc::,
page 138, Gener ­
al information.
Remember too, airbags will deploy only once and
only in certain k inds of accidents -your safety
be lts
a re always there to offer protection in those
accidents in which airbags are not supposed to
deploy or when they have a lready dep loyed, for
examp le when yo ur vehicle str ikes or is str uck by
anothe r afte r the f irst collis ion.
This is just one of the reasons why an airbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt. The a irbag
sys tem wo rks most effec tively when used with
the safety belts. Therefore , al ways wear your
safety bel ts cor rect ly .
It is important to remember that while the sup­
p lemental knee a irbag sys tem is designed to re­
d uce the like lihood of serious injur ies, other inju­
ries, fo r example, swell ing, b ruising and minor
abrasions and fr iction burns can also occu r when
an airbag inflates.
The kne e airbag system basically consists of:
- The electronic contro l modu le
- Two inf latab le airbags (airbag and gas genera-
tor), one for the dr ive r and one fo r the front
passenge r
- T he airbag ind icator light in the instrument
pane l
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
-when the ignition is switched off
- in frontal collisions when the deceleration
measured by the control unit is too low
- in side collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers
Airb ag sys tem
-in the event of a system malfunction (warning/
indicator light is on)
c::, poge 18.
.&_ WARNING
-
-Safety belts and the airbag system can only
provide protect ion when occupants are in
the proper seat ing pos ition
c::,page 154.
-If the airbag indicator light c::, page 18
comes w hen the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or w ill not inflate w hen it should.
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area can be reduced
by fully inflated knee airbags .
Fig . 1 68 Inflated a irbags pro tecting in a frontal co llision
T he knee air bag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the driver and front passen­
ger dep loy in certain but not all fronta l co llisions.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee a irbags a lso
deploy in frontal coll is ions when the deployment
t h reshold stored in the control unit is met .
When the system deploys, the a irbags fi ll w ith a
prope llant gas, and infla te between the lower
part of the instrument panel and t he driver and
the lower part of the instrument panel and the
f ront passenger
c::, page 154, fig. 165 .
Although they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact an d in this way they can
help to red uce the risk of inj ury to the lower ex­
tremities.
All o f th is takes place in the blink of an eye, so
f ast that many peop le don't even realize that the .,..
161

Airbag syste m
airbags have dep loyed . The airbags also inflate
with a great deal of force and it is important for
occupant safety that noth ing shou ld be in their
way when they deploy.
F u lly inflated airbags in combination with proper ­
ly worn safety belts slow down and limit the oc­
cupant's forward movement and he lp to reduce
the risk of injury.
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
Airbags ore only supplemental restraints. Always
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 .
A WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause ser ious in­
jury. Wea ring safety belts incor rect ly and im­
proper seating pos it ions increase the r isk of
ser ious persona l injury and dea th whenever a
vehicle is being used.
- T he knee airbag system cannot protec t you
properly if you are seated too close to any o f
the airbag locatio ns. When adjusting their
seat positions, it is important that both the
dr iver and the front passenger keep their
upper bod ies and knees at the following
minimum safe distances:
- at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the s teer ing whee l/instrumen t
panel.
- at least 4 inches (10 cm) between the
knees and the lower part of the i nstru­
ment panel.
- The r isk of persona l injury inc reases if you
lean forward or to the s ide, or if the seat is
imp roperly positioned and yo u are not wear­
ing yo ur safety belt. The risk increases even
more should the a irbag deploy.
- Always make sure that the knee airbag can
inflate without interference. Objects be­
tween you and the airbag can increase the risk of injury in an accident by interfering
162
w it h the way the airbag deploys or by being
pushed into yo u as the a irbag deploys.
- Neve r let anybody, especia lly childre n or
anima ls ride in the footwell in front of the
passenger seat.
If the airbag de ploys, this
can result in serious or fa tal in juries.
- Never ca rry objects of any kind in the foot­
well a rea in front of the driver's or pas­
senger's seat . Bul ky objects (shopp ing
bags, for example) can interfere with or
prevent proper dep loyment of the airbag .
Small objects can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag deploys a nd injure you
or your passengers.
- Make sure there are no cracks, deep scratch­
es or other damage in the area of the instru­
ment panel where the knee airbags are lo­
cated .
- If ch ildren are i ncorrectly seated, their risk
of injury increases in a col lision
c::> page 168, Child safety .
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system con provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants .
Fig. 169 S id e airbag location in the driver's seat
The side airbags are located in the s ides of the
front seat backrests<=>
fig. 169 and the rear back­
rest facing the doors . They are identified by the
word "AIRBAG" .
The side airbag sy stem bas ically consi st s of:
- the electronic control module and external side
impact sensors

-the two side airbags located in the sides of the
front backrests
- two rear side airbags
- the a irbag warning light in the inst rument clus-
te r.
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain that it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you sw itch on the ign it ion, the
a ir bag sys tem indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics).
The s ide a irbag system supp lements the safety
be lts and can he lp to reduce the risk of injury to
the dr iver's, front and rear p assenger's upper to r­
so on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a
side col lision . The airbag dep loys only in side im­
pacts and on ly when the vehicle acceleration reg­
istered by the control un it is h igh enough. If this
rate is below the reference value programmed in­
to the control un it, the s ide curta in a irbag w ill
not be triggered, even though the car may be
badly damaged as a result of the collision.
It is
n ot possib le to define an airbag triggering range
that will cover eve ry poss ible angle of impa ct,
since the c ircums tances will vary considerab ly be­
tween one collision and a nother. Impo rtant fac­
tors incl ude, fo r example, the nature (hard or
soft) of the impacting object, the ang le of im­
pact, vehicle speed, etc .
c> page 164, Important
safety instructions on the side airbag system.
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
be lts work to he lp keep the driver or front pas­
senger in position in the event of a side collision
so that the s ide a irbags can provide protection.
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overa ll occu ­
pant restraint system in your veh icle. Always re­
member that the s ide airbag system can only
help to protect you if you are wearing your safety
belt and wea ring it properly . This is another rea­
son why you shou ld always wear your safety
be lts, not just because the law requ ires yo u to do
so
c> page 138, General information.
It is important to remember that wh ile the sup­
p lemental side a irbag system is designed to re­
duce the likeli hood of serious injur ies, other inju­
ries, fo r example, swell ing, b ruising, and m inor
Airb ag sys tem
abras ions can also be assoc iated wit h deployed
side airbags . Remember too, side airbags will de­
ploy only once and only in ce rtain k inds of acci­
dents - yo ur safety belts are always there to offer
protect ion.
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of
vehicle damage are not necessar ily an ind ication
of over-sens it ive or fa iled a irbag activation. In
some collisions, both front and side airbags may
i nflate . Remember too, that a irbags w il l deploy
only once and only i n certai n kinds of collisions -
you r safety belts are always there to offer protec­
t io n in those accide nts in wh ich airbags are no t
s u pposed to deploy o r when they h ave al re ady
deployed.
The side airbag system will not deploy:
- when t he ignit io n is switched off
- in side co llisions whe n the acceleration meas-
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front-end collis ions
- in rear -end co llisions
- in rollovers.
In some types of accidents t he front a irbags, s ide
c urt ain airbags and side airbags may be triggered
togethe r.
.&, WARNING ~
- Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protect ion when occupants are in
the proper seat ing pos ition
c> page 164.
- If the ai rbag ind icator light c> page 18
comes when the veh icle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possib le that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or w ill not inflate w hen it should.
163

Airbag syste m
How supplemental side airbags work
Side airbags deploy instantly and can help re­
duce the risk of upper torso injuries for occu­
pants who are properly restrained .
Fig . 1 70 In fla ted side airbags o n lef t s ide of vehicle , rear
side a irbag
When the system is triggered, the a irbag is filled
with propellant gas and breaks through a seam in
the seat surface area ma rked "AIRBAG". It ex ­
pands between the side trim pane l and the pas­
senger. In order to help provide th is additiona l
protection, the side ai rbag must inflate within a
fraction of a second at very h igh speed and with
great force . The supplementa l side airbag could
injure you if your seating position is not proper or
upright or if items are located in the area where
the supplemental side airbag expands . This ap ­
plies especially to children
~ page 168, Child
safety .
Supplemental side a irbags inflate be­
tween the occupant and the door pane l on the
side of the vehicle that is struck in certa in side
coll is ion
~ fig. 170.
A lthough they are not a soft pillow, they can
"cushion" the impact and in th is way they can
help to reduce the risk of injury to the uppe r part
of the body .
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys .
This is normal and does not mean there is a fire
in the vehicle .
164
Important safety instructions on the side
airbag system
Airbags are only supplemental restraints . Always
properly wear safety belts and ride in a proper
seating position .
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
k now and act according ly to help the safety belts
and airbags do their job to prov ide supplemental
protect ion .
_& WARNING
An inflating side airbag can cause serious or
fatal injury. Improperly wearing safety be lts
and improper seating posit ions increase the
risk of serious persona l injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- In order to reduce the risk of injury when
the supplemental side airbag inflates:
- Always s it in an upr ight position and never
l ean agains t the area where the supple­
mental s ide airbag is located .
- Never let a child or anyo ne e lse rest their
head against the side tr im panel in the
area where the s upplementa l side airbag
inflates .
- Always make s ure t hat safety belts are
worn correctly,
- Do no t let anyone s itting in the front seat
p ut their hand or any other parts of their
body out of the window.
- Always make sure that the side a irbag can
inflate w ithout interference.
- Never install seat covers or replacement
upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not bee n specifical ly approved by
A udi .
- Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags de­ ploy.
- Damage to the orig inal seat cove rs or to
the seam in the area of the s ide airbag
module must a lways be repaired immedi­
ate ly by an autho rized Aud i dealer .
-
-Objects between you and the a irbag can in­
crease the r isk of injury in an acc iden t by in­
t erfering wi th the way the airbag unfolds or
~

by being pushed into you as the airbag in­
flates.
- Neve r place or attach accessories o r other
objects (such as cup holders, telephone
b rackets, or even large, bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked
"AIRBAG" on the seat backrests.
- Such ob jects and accessories can become
dangerous projectiles and cause i njury
when the supplementa l side airbag de­
p loys.
- Never carry any objects or pets in the de ­
p loyment space between them and the
airbags or allow chi ldren or other passen­
gers to travel in this position.
- Always use the bui lt-in coat hooks only for
lightweight cloth ing. Never leave any heavy
or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that
may interfere with side airbag dep loyment
and can cause pe rsonal injury in an accident .
- Always prevent the side airbags from be ing
damaged by heavy objects knocking against
o r hitt ing the sides of the seatbacks.
- The airbag system can only be triggered
once . If the a irbag has been triggered, the
system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealership .
- Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc.) to the
original seat cove rs orto the seam in the
area of the s ide a irbag mod ule m ust always
be repaired immed iate ly by an autho rized
Audi dealer .
- If children are sea ted imp roperly, their ris k
of inj ury increases in the case of an ac ciden t
c;, page 168, Child safety.
-Never attempt to modify any components o f
t h e a irbag sys tem in any way.
- In a side collision, s ide a irb ags wi ll no t func­
t io n proper ly if sensors cannot co rrect ly
measure increasing air pressure inside the
doors when air escapes through larger, un­
closed openings in the door panel.
- Never drive w ith inter ior door trim pane ls
removed.
- Never drive when parts have been re­
moved from the inside doo r panel and the
open ings they leave have not been prope r­
ly closed.
Airb ag sys tem
-Never dr ive when lo udspeakers in the
doors have been removed unless the
speaker holes have been properly closed.
- Always make certain that open ings are
covered or filled if additional speakers or
other equipment is installed in the inside
door panels.
- Always have work on the doors done by an
authorized Audi dea ler or qualified work­
shop.
Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbag system can provide sup­
plemental protec tion to properly restrained oc­
cupants.
F ig . 1 71 S id e cur tain airbags, driver's side: s ide curtai n air ­
bag locat io n
The side c urt ain airbags are located on bot h sides
of the inter ior above the front and rear side win­
dows
c;, fig. 171 . They are identified by the word
"AIRBAG" on the windshie ld frame and the cen­
ter roof pillar .
T he side curtain airbag system supp leme nts the
safety belts and can help to reduce the risk of in­
jury for occupants' heads and upper torso on the
side of the vehicle that is str uck in a side colli­
sion. The s ide curta in a irbag inflates in side im­
pacts and only when the vehicle acce leration reg­
istered by the control unit is high enough . If this
rate is below the reference va lue programmed in­
to the control unit, the side airbags will not be
triggered, even tho ugh the car may be badly
damaged as a res ult of the collision.
It is not pos­
s ible to define an airbag triggering range that
will cover every possible angle of impact, since ..,.
165

Airbag system
the circumstances will vary considerably between
one collision and another. Important factors in­
clude, for example, the nature (hard or soft) of
the impacting object, the angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
c:;, page 166, How side curtain air­
bags work .
Aside from their normal safety function, safety
belts work to help keep the driver or front pas­
senger in position in the event of a collision so
that the side curtain airbags can provide protec ­
tion .
The airbag system is not a substitute for your safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle . Always re ­
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you a re wearing your safety belt
and wearing it properly . This is another reason
why you should always wear your safety belts,
not just because the law requires you to do so
c:;, page 138, General information.
It is important to remember that whi le the s ide
curtain airbag system is designed to help reduce
the likelihood of serious injuries, other injuries,
for example, swelling, bruising, and minor abra ­
s ions can a lso be associated with these airbags
upon deployment. Remember too, these a irbags
will deploy only once and only in certa in kinds of
accidents - your safety belts are always there to
offer protect ion .
The side curtain airbag system ba sically
consists of:
-The electronic control module and external side
impact sensors
- The side curtain airbags above the front and
rear side windows
- The airbag indicator light in the instrument
panel
The airbag system is monitored electronically to make certain it is functioning properly at all
times. Each time you switch on the ignition, the
airbag system indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics) .
The side curtain airbag is not activated:
-if the ignition is switched off,
166
- in side collisions when the acceleration meas­
ured by the sensor is too low,
- in rear-end collisions.
A WARNING
-Safety belts and the airbag system will only
provide protection when occupants are in
the proper seating position
c:;, page 58, Gen­
eral information .
-If the airbag ind icator light c:;, page 18
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is possible that
the airbag will inflate when it is not sup­
posed to, or wi ll not inflate when it should.
How side curtain airbags work
Side curtain airbags can work together with side
airbags to help reduce the risk of head and upper
torso injuries for occupants who are properly re­
strained.
Fig. 172 Illus trat io n of princ iple: I nflated s ide c urtain a ir­
bags o n the left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the oc­
cupant and the windows in a side collision
¢ fig. 172.
When the system is triggered, the side curta in
airbag is filled w ith propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above t he front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order
to help provide this additional protection, the
s ide curtain airbag must inflate within the blink
of an eye at very high speed and with g reat fo rce.
The side curtain airbag could injure you if your
seat ing position is not proper or upright or if