2016 AUDI S8 Owners Manual

In extreme cases, EDL automatically switches off
to help keep the brake on the braked wheel from
overheating. EDL w ill switch on aga in a utomati­
cally when conditions have returned to normal.
Ste ering recommendat ion
The ESC helps to stabilize the ve hicle by chang ing
the s teering torque .
I n vehicles with dynamic steering*, ESC also
h e lps to s tabilize the stee ring in critical s itua­
tions.
Selective wh eel torqu e control
Select ive whee l torque control is used when driv­
in g on curves . T he front wheel on the inside of
the cu rve or both wheels o n the inside of the
curve are br aked selec tively as needed . This al ­
l ows more precise driv ing in curves . The applica­
b le system may not activate when driving in wet
or snowy conditions.
Automatic post-collision braking system
The "Automatic post-co llision bra king system"
can help to reduce the ris k of slid ing and of other
coll is ions after an accident. If the airbag contro l
module detects a col lision above a certain vehicle
speed, the vehicle is b raked by t he ESC.
The vehicle does not b rake automatica lly if :
- the driver p resses the accelerator pedal, or
- the braking force generated by the pressed
brake pedal is greate r than the brak ing force
that wou ld be initiated by the system, or
- the ESC, the brake system or the vehicle electri ­
ca l system are not f unction ing .
Sma rt Technology
A WARNING
- The ESC and its integrated systems cannot
overcome the limits posed by natural physi­
cal laws . This is especia lly important on s lip­
pe ry o r we t roads .
If the systems beg in act­
i n g to stab iliz e your ve hicle, yo u should im­
mediately change yo ur speed to ma tch the
road and traffic con dit ions . Do not let the
increased safety provided by these systems
tempt you to take r isks. Do ing so will in­
crease the r isk of a loss of vehicle contro l,
coll is ion and serious pe rsonal in juries.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions. The risk of losing con­
trol of the vehicle increases when driving too fast, especially through curves and on
slippery or wet roads, and when driving too
close to vehi cles up ahead. The ESC and its
i n teg ra ted systems ca nnot alw ays preven t
coll is io ns -the re is s till a risk of accide nts!
- Always accelerate w ith specia l care on even,
smooth s urfaces su ch as those that are wet
or covere d wi th ice and snow. The d rive
whee ls can spin eve n wit h these assistance
systems that cannot always help to reduce
the risk of loss of vehicle contro l.
(D Tips
-ABS a nd ASR only wo rk cor rec tly when all
four wheels a re equipped wi th identi cal
tires. Diffe rent tire s izes can lead to a red uc­
tion i n engine power .
- You may hear noises when the systems de ­
scribed are working .
191

Smart Technology
Switching on and off
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine.
Fig. 186 Center console w it h ESC O FF but ton
ESC level s
Sport mode on
The following situations are exceptions where it
may be useful to switch on sport mode to allow
the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Dr iving with snow chains
Sport mode off
Behavior
The ESC and ASR stabilization functions The full stabilization function of the ESC
are limited ¢
A:,.. and ASR is ava ilable again .
Operation Press the 00 button. Press
the[!] button again.
Indicator II turns on. II turns off .
lights
Driver mes- Stabilization control (ESC): Sport Warn- Stabilization control (ESC): On
sages ing! Reduced stability
A WARNING
You should only switch sport mode on if your
dr iv ing abilities and road condit ions perm it .
- The stabilization function is limited when
sport mode is sw itched on. The driving
wheels cou ld spin and the vehicle could
swerve, espec ially on s lick o r sli ppery road
s urfac es.
Sport mode cannot be sw itched on if t he
cruise cont rol system* or the adaptive cru ise
cont rol* is switched on.
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the first 250 miles (400 km), new brake
pads do not possess the ir full braking effect, they
have to be "broken in" first ¢
.1:,.. The break-in pe­
riod can be considerably longe r fo r vehicles with
192
ceramic brake rotors*. You can compensate for
this slightly reduced braking power by push ing
harder on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy braking
lo ads during the break-in period.
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still sub ­
j ect to wear, depending large ly on operating con­
ditions and driving habits¢,& . On vehicles that
are either driven mostly in stop-and-go city traf­
fic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by your authorized Audi dealer more of ­
ten than specified in the
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet .
Failure to have your brake pads
inspected can result in reduced brake perform­
ance.
On steep slopes, you should use the brak ing ef­
fect of the engine. T his way, you prevent unnec­
essary wea r on the brake system. If you mus t use
your brakes, do not hold the brakes down contin-
u ously. Pump th e brakes at intervals. ..,.

Operating noi se
Noises may occur when braki ng depend ing on the
speed, braking force and outside cond itions s uch
as temperature and humidity.
Due to the na ture of t he mate ria ls used in ce ram­
ic bra ke rotors*, noises m ay become mo re appa­
ren t at low speeds.
Effect of wat er and road salt
In ce rtain situat ions, for example after driving
through water, in heavy ra in, afte r ove rnig ht con­
densat ion or after washing your car, the braking
effe ct can be red uced by moisture or ice on the
b rake rotors and brake pads. The brakes must be
dried first w ith a few careful brake applications .
At highe r speeds and with t he windsh ie ld wipers
turned o n, the bra ke pads p ress against the bra ke
rotors for a short amount of time . This occ urs at
regular intervals without the driver noticing and
provides for better bra ke response time under
wet conditions.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt-covered road
and the brakes are not used. L ikewise, you clean
off accumu lated salt coat ing from brake discs
and pads with a few cautious applications of the
brake
c::> ,& .
Due to their sur face characteristics, ceramic
brake rotors* absorb mo isture in such condit ions.
This can cause a temporary reduction in braking
force compared to dry brakes. You can compen­
sate for this by pressing the brake peda l harder.
Cor rosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to b uild up on
the brake pads and corros ion to form on the discs
if the car is not driven regularly or only for short
tr ips with little use of the brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if corro­
sion has formed on the discs, it is adv isable to
clean off the pads and discs by brak ing firmly a
few t imes from a moderately high speed
c::> ,& .
Sma rt Technology
Faults in the brake system
If you s hou ld notice a sudden increase in br ake
peda l travel, then one of the two bra ke circu its
may have fai led
c::> ,& .
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions ca n occu r in the brake system if the
brake fluid level is too low . T he brake flu id leve l
is monitored elect ronically.
Brake boost er
The brake booster works w ith vacuum pressure
wh ich is created only when the engine is runn ing
c::> ,& .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visua l in­
spect ion of the cond ition of the brake pads
t hr ough the openings in the wheel. If necessary,
the wheel may be removed for t his inspection
c::> page 259, Replacing wheels .
.8_ WARNING
-New b rake p ads don't h ave the bes t stop­
p ing power an d must be "broken-in" during
the initial 250 miles (400 km) . The break-in
pe riod can be considerably longer for
veh icles with ceramic brake rotors*. You can
compensate for this by pressing the brake
pedal more firmly. This also applies late r
when new pads are installed.
- You shou ld perform braking maneuvers for
the purpose of cleaning the brake system only i f road co ndit ions pe rmit . Other road
users m ust not be put at r is k -you may
cause an ac cident!
- Before descending a steep g rade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear o r lower dr iving range. Do not r ide the
b ra kes or hold the pe dal down too long or
too often. This cou ld cause the b rakes to ge t
hot and dimin ish b raking effic iency .
- Do not " ride the bra kes" by rest ing you r foot
on the pedal when you do no t intend to
brake. This may cause the brakes to over­
heat, premature wear and increased stop­
p ing distance.
193

Smart Techn olo gy
- Under certain climatic and operating condi­
tions such as passing through water, driving
in heavy rain or after washing the vehicle,
the effectiveness of the brakes can be re­
duced . In w inter, ice can accumulate on the
brake pads, linings, discs and drums . Care­
fully apply brakes fo r a tes t. Brakes w ill dry
and ice coatings wi ll be cleaned off after a
few careful brake applications .
- Driving for an extended pe riod of time on
salt-covered roads witho ut using your
brakes can also affect bra king efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few carefu l
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you in­
stall a different spoiler, be sure the air flow
to the front brakes is not obstructed. Other­
wise the brake system could overheat reduc­
ing the effectiveness of the entire brake sys­
tem.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair the
braking capability result ing in an increased
stopp ing distance. Avoid driving the vehicle
and have it towed to the nea rest Aud i dealer
or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the
engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed considerably
harder to make up for the lac k of booster
assistance.
Electromechanical power
assist, dynamic steering
The electromechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Ind icator light s and messages
• Stee ring defective! St op th e ve hicle
If th is ind icator light turns on and stays on and
this message appears, the power steer ing may
have fa iled.
194
Do not continue driving. See your authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified repair facility for
ass istance .
,Ion Steering : System faul t You can c ontinue
dri ving
If the indicato r light turns on and the message
appears, the steeri ng may be more diff icult to
move o r more sensitive than usu a l. T he steer ing
whee l may also be at an angle when driving
straight.
D rive slowly to your a uth orized Aud i dea ler or
qualified wo rkshop to have the malfunct ion cor­
rected.
1;r,ij D ynamic steering : Init ializing
If this driver message appears and the indicator
light is flashing on the instrument panel, dynam­
i c steer ing* is being re initialized . After starting
the engine, t he steering wheel w ill move slightly.
Re- initializa tion might be necessary if the steer­
i ng whee l was moved hard to the left and right
while the vehicle was not moving . The display
goes out as soon as initialization is comp lete .
D rive slowly to your a uth orized Aud i dea ler or
qualified wo rkshop to have the mal func tion cor­
rected.
.&_ WARNING
Have the dynamic steering * system malfunc­
tion repaired as soon as possible by an au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop -
risk of acc ident!
(D Tips
If the . or ,Ion indicator light only stays on
for a short time, you may continue driving.
- The dynamic steering* stabi lity systems are
not ava ilable in the event of a system mal­
function.
- For additiona l information on dynamic
steering *, refer to~
page 106 .

Driving with your
quattro
With All Wh eel Drive , all four wh eels are driven .
General information
With All W heel Drive, power is dis tribute d to all
four wheels . This happens automatically depend­
ing on your dr iving style and the road conditions
at the time . See also¢
page 190 . With the sport
d ifferent ial*, power d istr ibution to the rear
wheels is variable and can be adjusted with Audi
d rive select*
¢ page 106. Always read and fo llow
safety preca utio ns ¢ ,&. .
Winter tires
When drivi ng in the w inter, you r vehicle with All
Wheel Drive has an advantage, even with reg ular
tires. In winter road cond itions it may be adv isa­
b le to mount w inte r tir es (or a ll-season tires) for
i mproved d riveab ility and bra king : these tires
must be mounted on
all four wheels . See also
¢ page 251, W inter tires.
Snow chains
Where snow chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this normally also a pplies to vehicles w it h
All Whee l Dr ive ¢
page 251, Snow chains.
Replacing wheels /tires
Veh icles w ith All Wheel Drive must always have
tires of the same s ize. A lso avo id tires wi th d iffer­
ent tread depths. For detai ls see page
¢ page 243.
Off-Road driving?
Your Aud i does not have e nough g round clear­
a nce to be used as an off-road vehicle . It is there­
fore best to avoid rough tracks and uneve n ter­
r ain as m uch as possible . Also refe r to
¢page 197.
_& WARNING ,~ -
Always adjust you r driv ing to road and t raffic
conditions . Do not let the extra safety affo rd­
ed by All Wheel Drive tempt you into taking
extra risks.
Sma rt Technology
- Although the A ll Whee l Drive is very effec­
tive, always remember that braking capacity
is limited by t ire tract ion. You shou ld there­
fore not dr ive at excessive speeds on icy or
slippe ry road surfaces .
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to dr ive
too fast because the front wheels could be­
g in to slide on top of the water (aquap la n­
ing) . If th is should oc cur, you will have no
warn ing from a sudden increase in engine
speed as with a front-wheel d rive vehicle.
Always d rive at speeds which are suited to
the road conditions -risk of c rash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution of
electrical energy and thus op timizes the availa­
bility of electrical energy for starting the engine .
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system is
not driven for a long pe riod of time, the battery is
discharged by id ling curre nt consumers (e.g. im­
mobilize r) . In certain circumstances i t can resu lt
in t he re being i nsufficien t energy ava ilable to
sta rt the engine.
Intelligent energy manageme nt in you r vehicle
hand les the distribution of electrical energy .
Start ing ability is markedly improved and the life
of the ba ttery is ex tended.
Bas ica lly, energy management cons ists of
bat ­
tery diagnosis , idling current management
and
dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
Battery d iagnosis continuously dete rm ines the
state of the battery. Sensors determine battery
vo ltage, battery current and battery tempera­
tu re. This de termines the current state o f ch arge
and the power of the battery .
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy con­
sumption while the vehicle is standing. With the ..,_
195

Smart Technology
ignition switched off, it controls the energy sup­
p ly to the various electrical components. Data
from battery diagnosis is considered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge, indi­
vidual consumers are gradually turned off to pre ­
vent excessive discharge of the battery and thus maintain starting capability.
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic energy
management distributes the energy generated
according to the needs of the individual compo­
nents.
It regu lates consumption, so that more
electrical energy is not being used than is being
generated and ensures an optimal state of
charge for the battery.
(D Tips
- But even energy management cannot neg­
ate the limits of physics . Cons ider that the
power and life of a battery are limited.
- If starting ability is threatened, the indica­
tor light (•) appears
9 page 15, Cl Battery.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining start­
ing capability .
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the cold time of
year. Abundant electrical energy is required, but
only a little is generated . It is also crit ica l if the
engine is not running and electrical components
are turned on . In this instance energy is be ing
consumed but none is being generated .
It is in precisely these situations that you will no­
tice energy management actively regulat ing the
d istr ibut ion of energy .
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not driv e your vehicle over a period of
several days or weeks, electrical components are
gradually cut back or switched off. This reduces
energy consumption and ma inta ins starting ca­
pability over a longer period . Some of the con­
ven ience funct ions may not operate, such as the
interior l ights or the power seat adjustment. The
196
convenience functions will be availab le again
when you switch on the ignition and start the en­ gine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with the
engine turned off or use other MMI funct ions,
the battery is being d ischarged .
If starting capab ility is jeopardized due to energy
consumption, a message appears in the MMI dis­
play .
The message indicates that the system will be
switched off automat ically in a moment . If you
wish to cont inue using the functions, you have to
start the engine.
With the engine running
Although electrica l energy is generated when the
vehicle is being driven, the battery can become
discharged. This happens mostly when little en­
ergy is being generated and a great deal con ­
sumed and the battery's state of charge is not
opt imal.
To bring the energy balance back into equilibr i­
um, consumers wh ich require espec ially large
amounts of energy are temporarily cut back or
switched off. Heating systems in particular re­
quire a great dea l of energy. If you notice , fo r ex­
amp le, that the heated seats* or the heated rear
window are not heating, they have been tempo­
rarily cut back or switched off. These systems will
be available aga in as soon as the energy balance
has been restored.
You will also notice that engine idle speed has
been increased slig htly. This is norma l and not a
cause for concern . By increasing engine idle
speed the additional energy required is generat­
ed and the battery is charged.

Driving and the
environment
Breaking in
New eng ine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1 ,500 km).
For the first 600 miles (1 ,000 kilometers):
"' Do not use full throttle .
"' Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM .
"' Avoid high eng ine speeds.
From 600 to 1 ,000 miles (1,000 to 1,500
kilometers ):
"' Speeds can gradually be increased to the maxi­
mum pe rm issib le road or e ngine speed.
During and after b reak-in period
"' Do not rev the engine up to high speeds when it
is cold . This applies whether the transmission is
in N (Neutral) or in gear .
After the bre ak-in period
"' Do not exceed maximum engine speed under
any circumstances .
"' Upshift into the nex t higher gear
before reach­
ing the red area at the end of the tachometer
sca le
c:::;, page 10.
During the first few hours of driving , the eng ine's
internal friction is higher than later when all the
mov ing parts have been broke n in. How well this
b reak-in process is done depends to a considera­
b le exte nt o n the way the veh icle is d rive n du ring
the first 1,0 00 miles (1,500 kilome ters).
(D Note
E xtremely high eng ine speeds a re au toma ti­
cally reduced. However, t hese rpm li mits are
p rogr amme d fo r an eng ine well run-in, not a
new engine .
Driving and the envir onment
{® For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high engine
spe eds -upshifting early saves fuel, red uces
no ise and protects the environment.
New tires
If your vehicle is runni ng on new tires, drive par­
t icularly careful for the first 3S0 m iles (500 kilo ­
meters) after fitting .
_&. WARNING
New tires tend to be slippe ry and mus t also
b e "bro ken- in". Be sure to remembe r th is dur­
i ng the first 350 m iles ( 500 k ilome ters).
Brake gent ly . Avoid following closely behin d
other vehicles or other s ituations that might
require sudden, hard braking.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are dr iv ing on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certai n that low ­
ly ing parts such as spo ile rs and exhaust system
parts do not bottom o ut and get damaged .
This is espec ially true for veh icles with low-s lung
chass is (sports c hass is)* and fully loaded
vehicles .
Catalytic converter
Applies to: vehicles with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission control
system (catalytic converter) is functioning prop ­
erly to ensure that y our vehicle is running in an
environmen tally sound manner.
"' Always use lead-free gasoline c:::;, page 212,
F uel supply .
"' Never run t he tank down all the way to emp ty.
"' Never put too much motor o il in yo ur engine
c:::;, page 225, Adding engine oil ce:r..
"' Never try to push- or tow-start your vehicle.
T he ca talytic co nverter is an efficient "cle an-up"
device built into the exhaust sys tem o f th e vehi -
-
cle. The catalytic converter b urns many of the .,.
197

Driving and th e en vironm ent
pollutants in the exha ust gas before they are re ­
leased into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fue l is critica lly im­
portant for the l ife of the catalytic converter and
proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
T he temperature of the exha ust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine.
-
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once they
have become hot. This could result in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in areas
where the hot exha ust system may come in
contact with dry grass, brush, fue l spill or
other mater ial which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic converter or
heat sh ields. During dr iv ing, the substance
used fo r undercoating could overheat and
ca use a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
le aded fuel will already ser iously degrade
the performance of the catalytic co nverter .
- Do not exceed the correct eng ine oil level
<=;> page 225.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
complete ly empty. The engine could mis­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into the
exhaust system and this cou ld cause the
cataly tic converte r to overheat.
- Do not sw itch off the ignition while the veh i­
cle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these cond it ions, as otherwise fue l can
r each the catalyti c converte r. This cou ld re­
su lt in overheating of the conve rter, req uir­
i ng its replacement.
- T o assure efficient oper ation of the Emis­
s ion Control Sys tem:
- Have your veh icle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommen­
dations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
book let .
198
-Lack of proper ma intenance as well as im ­
proper use of the vehicle wi ll impair the
funct ion o f the emission control system
and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Control System is op ­
erating properly, the exhaust gas can have a
su lfu r-li ke exhaust gas sme ll under some op­
erating states. Th is depends on the sulfur
content of the fuel being used. Us ing a d iffer­
ent brand of fuel may help, or fi lling the tank
with lead-free super g rade gasoline.
Diesel particulate filter
App lies to: vehicles with diese l engine
The diesel particulate filter filters nearly all of
the soot part icles out of the exhaus t. The filte r
clea ns itself automat ica lly unde r no rma l dr iv ing
cond it ions. If the fil ter canno t clean i tself (fo r ex­
amp le, because yo u are on ly driving short distan­
ces), the filter becomes clogged with soot and
the
II symbol for the diese l particu late filter il­
l uminates
¢ page 20.
A WARNING
- Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel particu­
la te filte r could sta rt a fi re.
-
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in the
exhaust system area or a fire could start.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle to remain inopera­
tive for a longer period of time, contact an Audi
or other spec ia lized dealer . They can adv ise you
o n necessary p recautions e .g. corros ion preven­
tion, ma intenance and storage . Pay attention to
additional informat ion concer ning t he battery.
Refer to
<::;> page 2 31.