2016 AUDI S8 Owners Manual

or qualified repair facility and have the
brake system inspected.
- Always keep in mind that after several brake
applications, you will need greater pressure
on the brake pedal to stop your vehicle. Do
not rely on strained brakes to respond with
maximum stopping power in critical situa­
tions. You must allow for increased braking
distances . The extra distance used up by
fading brakes could lead to an accident.
PARK/( ®) Electromechanical parking brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the elec­
tromechanical parking brake.
If the indicator light- (USA models)/ .
(Canada models) turns on, the parking brake was
set .
- (USA models) ,. (Canada models) Cau­
tion: Vehicle parked too steep
If the indicator light blinks and the message ap­
pears, there is not enough braking power to keep
the vehicle from rolling. The brakes have over­ heated. The vehicle could roll away even on a
small incline .
Press brake pedal to release parking brake
To release the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press the button~ or start driving
with starting assist at the same time
c:> page84.
Please release parking brake
To release the parking brake manually, press the
brake pedal and press the button ~ at the same
time. The parking brake only releases automati­
cally if the driver's safety belt is fastened.
mJ Parking brake!
If the Iii indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears, there is a parking brake malfunc­
tion . Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop immediately to have the mal-
;:;:: function corrected.
0 J:
'SI: ,...., Instruments and indicator lights
-L Cooling system
• Switch off engine and check coolant level!
The coolant level is too low .
Do not continue driving and switch the engine
off. Check the coolant level
c:> page 22 7.
- If the coolant level is too low, add coolant
c:> page 228. Only continue driving once the in­
dicator light turns off.
• Coolant temperature too high! Let engine
run with vehicle stationary
Let the engine run at idle for a few minutes to
cool off, until the indicator light turns off.
- If the indicator light does not turn off, do not
continue driving the vehicle . See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility
for assistance .
A WARNING
- Never open the hood if you can see or hear
steam or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. This increases the risk of
burns. Wait until you no longer see or hear
steam or coolant escaping.
- The engine compartment in any vehicle can
be a dangerous area. Stop the engine and
allow it to cool before working in the engine
compartment. Always follow the informa­
tion found inc:>
page 220.
(0 Note
Do not continue driving if the . indicator
light turns on - this increases the risk of en­
gine damage.
C:I Battery
This warning/indicator light detects a malfunc­
tion in the generator or in the vehicle's electrical
system .
The. warning/indicator light illuminates when
you switch on the ignition and must go out after
the engine has started .
• Alternator fault: Battery is not being charg-
ed
~
15

Instruments and indicator lights
If the indicator light t urns on and the message
app ears, th ere is a malfunction in the gene rator
or veh icle electrical system .
Drive to yo ur autho rized Aud i dea le r o r q ual ified
workshop immediately . Because the vehicle bat ­
tery is discharging, turn off a ll unnecessary e lec­
tr ica l equipment s uch as the radio. Seek profes ­
sional ass istance if the battery charge level is too
low.
(•) Low b attery charge: b attery w ill be charged
while dri ving
If th e ind icator lig ht tu rns on and the message
appears, there may be lim ited starting ab ility .
I f th is message turns off afte r a litt le while, the
b a ttery charged enough wh ile d riving.
If the message does not turn off, have your a u­
thor ized Audi dealer or qualified wo rkshop cor­
re ct the malfunction .
~ Engine
• Engin e stopp ed: No power steering and
brake support .
There is a malfunction in the eng ine or in the fue l
supp ly system .
A large amount of steering and braking force is required when driving a rolling vehicle with the
e ng ine stopped . Try to stop a rolling vehicle ca re­
fu lly on the side of the road. See your autho riz ed
Aud i deale r or qualified repair facility.
A WARNING
-
If the eng ine stops while dr iving, a la rge
amount of braking force is req uired . This in­
creases the risk of an accident. As long as the
vehicle rolls with the ignition switched on and there is enough battery charge, the powe r
steering will still work . If not, a la rge amount
o f stee ring force is requ ired .
16
~ Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to put
on your safety belt.
The . warn ing/ indicator light illumin ates when
the igni tion is swi tched on to remind th e driver
and any front passenger to put on the safety belt .
Additionally, a n acoust ic wa rning (go ng) w ill also
sou nd.
For more Information
c::> page 138, ~ Safe ty belt
warning light .
"1::::1': Engine oil pressure malfunction
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol re­
quires immediate service or repair . Driving with a
low-oil-pressure indication is likely to inflict se­
vere damage to the engine.
• Switch o ff engine and check oil le vel
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, the oil pressure is too low .
.. Pull off the road .
.. Stop the vehicle.
.. Turn off the engine .
.. Che ck the engine oil le vel c::> page 224.
.. If the eng ine o il level is too low, add engine oil
c::> page 22 5 . Make sure tha t t he o il pressure
warning symbol. appears no longer in the
display before you sta rt d riving again .
.. If the eng ine o il level is co rrect and the indica­
to r li ght still turns on, tu rn t he e ngine off and
do not cont inue d riv ing. Seek professiona l as­
sistance.
(D Tips
- The engine oil pres sure symbol. is not
an indicator for a low engine oil level. Do
not rel y on it . In stead , check the oil level in
your engine at regular inte rvals , preferably
each time you refuel , and always before
go ing on a long trip .
- The yellow oil level warning indication
II
require s oil refill o r workshop servi ce with­
out delay. Do not wait until the red o il
pre ssure wa rning. starts to flash before
you respond to the low oil le vel warning .,.

a. By then, your engine may already have
suffered serious damage.
~ .. Engine oil level
• WARNING : Please add oil immediately
If the indicator lig ht and the drive r message ap ­
pear, add engine oil immediately
¢ page 223 .
II Add oil , max . x qt (l) . You may continue
driving
W hen t he symbol and the dr ive r message appear,
add the amount of o il appea ring in the display at
the next op portun ity
¢ page 223.
@ -Steering column lock
• Do not drive vehicle : Steering defective
If the indicator light turns on and t he message
a ppear s, there is an ele ctron ic steer ing column
l o ck ma lf u nct io n. You c annot sw itch t he ignit ion
on.
D o
not tow your vehicle beca use it ca nnot be
s teered . See k profess io na l assistan ce.
!II Steering lock: system fault . Please contact
dealer
I f the indicator lig ht t urns on and the message
appears, there is an electron ic steer ing column
l ock malfunct ion.
Drive to yo ur autho rize d Aud i dea le r immediately
to have the malfunct ion corrected.
A WARNING
Your vehicle must not be towed in the eve nt
o f a malfunction i n the elect ronic steering
co lu m n lock because it canno t be s teered d ue
t o the lock ed steering. If it is towed wi th the
steer ing loc ked, the re is the r is k of a n ac ci­
de nt.
© -Engine start system
• Engine start system fault . Plea se contact
dealer
Instruments and ind icator lights
If the indicator ligh t turns on and the message
appea rs, do
not sw itch the ignition off beca use
yo u may not be able to switch it on again.
Dr ive to your au thor ized A udi dea ler imme diately
to have the mal func tion cor rected .
11:J Engine start system fault . Please contact
dealer
If the indicato r ligh t turns on and the message
appea rs , the re is a ma lf u nction in t he e ngine
sta rt sys te m .
D rive to your author ized A udi dealer immediate ly
to have the mal func tion cor rec ted .
0 Air suspension
• Air suspension : system fault. Can continue
slowly with max. 35 mph .
There is a ma lf u nct ion that can res ult in restrict ­
ed dr iving stab ility .
Carefu lly drive at a ma ximum speed of 35 mph
(60 km/h) to your a uthori zed Audi dea ler or
qualifi ed works hop to have t he malfunct io n cor ­
r ec ted .
• Air suspension: service mode. Vehicle can
only be moved with restrictions
Caref ully drive to yo ur aut horize d Aud i dea le r or
qualified wo rks hop immediately to have the serv ­
ice mode deact ivated.
II Air suspension fault
T he re is a syste m malfu nction t hat can resul t in
re strict ed dr iv ing st abilit y or re duced g ro und
cl ear ance.
D rive to your author ized A udi deal er imm ediate ly
t o have the m alfunc tion cor rec ted .
II Air suspension: vehicle too low. Ground
clearance reduced
The gro und clearance is ve ry low due to a system
malfunction . Wait u nti l th e a ir s uspension sys­
tem has resto red normal ground clea rance . Oth ­
erwise , cond itions s uch as an uneven road surface
ca n le ad to ve hicle damage.
17

Instruments and indicator lights
~/!f Safety systems
The II (USA models) ;Ei(Canada models) ind ica­
tor ligh t moni to rs the safety systems e.g. a ir­
bags, pretensioners and illum inates for a few
seconds each time you switch the igni tion on.
I f t he
II (US A models)/ EI (Canada models) in­
d ic at or light does no t go ou t, or if i t illumina tes
while you are d riving, or if i t starts to blink , then
there is a ma lfunction somewhere in the system .
If the light does not ill uminate when you switch
the ignition on, this also means there is a ma l­
function .
A WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the safety sys­
tems, contact your authorized Audi dealer im ­
media tely . Othe rw is e t he safe ty systems may
not wo rk p roperly i n an accident .
& Brake booster
U Brake servo: limited functionality. You can
c ontinue driving . Contact workshop
There is a brake booster malfunc tion . The brake
booste r is still ava ilable , but its fu nction is lim it­
ed. Because of this, t he ve hicle may b rake d iffe r­
e ntly and the b rake ped al may vib ra te.
Dr ive to an a utho rized Aud i dea ler or aut horized
repair fac ility immediately to have the malfunc­
tion correc ted .
~/~ Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
If the fij indica to r li ght blink s while driving, the
E S C or ASR (An ti- S lip Reg ulation) is active ly re gu­
lating.
If the
DJ indica to r li ght tur ns on, the sys tem has
sw itche d the ES C off. In this case, you c an switc h
the ignition o ff and then on to switch the ESC on
again. The indicator light turns
off when the sys ­
tem is functioning fully .
If th e
fl indica to r li ght t urns on, ESC w as re­
s tricted using the
I]] bu tton ¢ page 190.
Stabilization control (ESC /ABS) : Fau lt! See
owner 's manual
18 I
f the
fij ind icator light and the A BS indicato r
li ght ~ (U SA mode ls)
1 [1] (Canada mode ls)
turn o n and the message appears, the ABS or
electronic different ial lock is malfunctioning.
This also causes the ESC to malfunction. The
brakes st ill function with the ir no rmal power, but
ABS is not act ive.
D rive to your authori zed A udi dealer or qualified
workshop immediately to have the malfunction
cor rected .
A WARNING
If the 1111 (USA models)/ . (Canada mod­
e ls) bra ke system indicator light turns on to­
ge ther with the A BS and ESC ind ic a tor ligh ts,
t he ABS/ES C regulating fu nction m ay have
f a iled. Functions that s tabili ze the vehicle are
no longer ava ila bl e. This could cause the vehi ­
cle to swerve and increase the risk of sliding .
Drive carefully to the nearest autho rized Au di
dealer o r othe r qualified workshop and have
the ma lf u nction co rrected.
(D Tips
F o r additional informat ion on ESC and ABS,
r efer to
c::> page 190.
ABS /(@) Anti-lock braking system (ABS )
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS
and the electronic differential lock (EDL) .
The warning/i ndicator lig ht D (USA models)/
tlJ (Canada models) wi ll come on for a few sec ­
onds when the ignition is switched on . The light
will go out after an a utomatic check sequence is
completed.
There is a malfunction in the ABS when :
-The war ning/ indica to r li gh t does not illum inate
when yo u switch the ignition on .
- The war ning/ indic ator li gh t does not go o ut af­
t er a few seconds.
- The war ning/ indica to r ligh t illu mi nates while
driving.
The ESC i nd icator lig ht also illum inates if there is
a malfunc tion in the ABS. The message
Stabiliza -
tion control (ESC/ ABS ) Fault! See owner's
ll-

.... N
0 J:
'SI:
manual also appears in the instrument cluster
display and a warning tone sounds.
The brake system will still respond even with­
out the assistance of the ABS system. See your
authorized Audi dealer as soon as possible to re­
store full braking performance.
For more infor­
mation regarding the ABS ¢
page 190.
Malfunction in the brake system
If the brake warning light¢ page 14 and the ABS
warning illuminate
together there may be a mal­
function in the ABS, and there may also be a mal­
function in the brake system itself¢.&. .
The ABS
will not work and you will notice a change in
braking response and performance.
In the event of a malfunction in the brake sys­
tem
the warning/indicator light 1111 (USA mod­
els)/ . (Canada models) in the instrument clus­
ter flashes¢
page 14.
Malfunction in the electronic differential
lock (EDL)
The EDL works together with the ABS . The ABS
warning light will come on if there is a malfunc­
tion in the EDL system¢ page 190. See your au­
thorized Audi dealer as soon as possible.
A WARNING
- If the 9 (USA models)/ll] (Canada mod­
els) warning light does not go out, or if it
comes on while driving, the ABS system is
not working properly. The vehicle can then
be stopped only with the standard brakes
(without ABS). You will not have the protec­
tion ABS provides. Contact your Audi dealer
as soon as possible.
- USA models: If the 1111 warning light, the
DJ warning light and the 9warning light
come on together, the rear wheels could
lock up first under hard braking. Rear wheel
lock-up can cause loss of vehicle control and
an accident. Have your vehicle repaired im­
mediately by your authorized Audi dealer or
a qualified workshop. Drive slowly and avoid
sudden, hard brake applications.
-
.... ....
:=: 1) - : USA model s only
Instruments and indicator lights
- Canada models: If the brake warning light
. , the
Bl warning light and the ABS warn­
ing light
riJ come on together, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard brak­
ing. Rear wheel lock-up can cause loss of ve­
hicle control and an accident . Have your ve­
hicle repaired immediately by your author­
ized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop.
Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake
applications.
(0} Worn brake pads
111 Brake pads!
If the warning light illuminates, immediately
contact your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pads inspected. On
USA models the warning light
111 comes on to­
gether 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 collision
and serious personal injury.
- If the warning light
111 and the warning
light
llll1l with the message Brake pads!
comes on in the instrument cluster display,
immediately contact your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop to have all
brake pads checked or replaced if necessary.
EPC Electronic power control
Applies to: veh icles w ith gasoline engine
This warning/indicator light monitors the elec­
tronic power control.
The~ warning/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 driving, then there is a malfunc-
tion in the engine electronics. Have the .,,.
19

Instruments and indicator lights
malfunct ion corrected as soon as poss ible by
your authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­ shop.
W Glow plug system
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith diesel e ngi ne
The control light illuminates when the glow plug
system is active.
If t h e II indica tor light illum inates, the glow
p lug system is active. Yo u should sta rt the engine
immediate ly after the ind icator light switches
off . The indicator light only illuminates for ap­
proximate ly 1 second if the engine is warm or if
the outside temperature is above 46 QF (8 QC).
('D Tips
-If the glow p lug indicator light illuminates
while dr iv ing, there is an engine contro l
malfunction. The engine should be checked
i mmediately.
- If the indicator light does not illum inate at
a ll when switch ing the ignit ion on, there
may be a malfunction in the glow plug sys­
tem. The engine should be checked .
o Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Ind ica tor Lamp (M IL) is part of
the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system. The
symbo l
¢'41.ights up whe n the ignition is switch­
ed on and wi ll turn off a fter the engine has sta rt ­
ed and has sett led at a constant idle speed . This
indicates that the MIL is working proper ly.
The warning light illumina tes when there is a
mal function in the engine e lectronic system.
Contact your authorized Audi dealer and have the malfunct ion corrected.
An improperly clo sed fuel fill er cap may also
cause the MIL light to illuminate¢
page 214.
For mo re informa tion ¢ page 28.
20
· ~ Diesel particulate filter clogged
App lies to: vehicles wit h diese l eng ine a nd diese l particulate
filter
• Parti culate filter : System fau lt See owner's
manual
When the II symbol illuminates, you can alter
your driving style to assist the filter self-clean ing
process. Drive for approximate ly 15 m inutes w ith
the selector lever in the S pos it io n at a minimum
speed of 37 mph (60 km/h) and an engine speed
of approx imately 2,000 RPM. The temperatu re
i n crease th at will res ult from this can b urn off
t h e soot in the filte r. The symbo l will swi tch off
when the cleaning is successful. A fter a success ­
ful cleaning, there is no need to bring the car to
an a uthorized dea le r or q ualified workshop be­
cause this is part of normal vehicle operation.
If the symbol
El does not switch off, see your
autho rized dea ler or other q ual ified workshop to
have t he p roblem co rrected .
Fo r more info rm ation on the d iese l p a rt icu late
filter, refe r to ¢
page 198 .
A WARNING
Always adapt your speed to the current
weather, road and traffic cond itions. Yo u
should never d isobey traffic laws in order to
follow dr iving recommendations.
! ?i Engine speed limitation
App lies to : vehicles wi th engine speed limitatio n
(m Engine spe ed ma ximum X XXX RPM
The engine speed is automatically limited to the
speed displayed in the driver information system.
This protects the engine from overheat ing.
The engine speed limitation deactivates once the
engine is no longe r in the critical temperature
range and you have re leased the accelerator ped­
al once.
If the engine speed limitation was activated by
an engine control malfunction, the indicator light
~ also turns on. Make sure that the speed does
not go above the speed disp layed. Drive to your ..,.

.... N
0 J:
'SI: .... .... authorized Audi dealer immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
~ .... Engine oil sensor
• Oil level! Sensor defective
If the symbol illuminates, contact your author­
ized Audi dealer and have the oil sensor inspect­
ed . Until you have this done, check the oil level
each time you refuel just to be on the safe s ide
¢page 224.
f Request to warm engine by driving
0 Please warm up engine
Fuel has entered the engine oil because of low
outside temperatures or frequent short drives. Drive until the engine is warm so that the fuel in
the engine oil will vaporize. Avoid high engine
speeds, full acceleration and heavy engine load
when doing this.
.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 gal­
l ons (15 liters) of fuel left in the tank. Time to re­
fuel
¢ page 214 .
ID] Tank system malfunction! Contact dealer
If the indicator light turns on and this message
appears, there is a malfunction in the tank sys­
tem .
Drive to your authorized Audi dea ler immediately
to have the malfunction corrected.
~ Windsh ield washer fluid level
~ Please refill washer fluid
If the symbol illuminates, add windshield washer
f luid to the washer system/headlight washer sys­
tem*
¢ page 234 .
<$• Windshield wipers
m Windshield wiper defective
Instruments and indicator lights
T he re is a malfunct ion with the windshield wip­
ers .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immed iate ly
to have the malfunction corrected .
i§il}0/0$ Defective light bulb warning
1:1-If the indicator light turns on, a bu lb has
failed. The message indicates the location of the
bulb.
fm-if a fog lamp* has failed, the indicator light
turns on to indicate the location on the vehicle.
II-if a rea r fog lamp has failed, the indicator
light turns on to indicate the location on the vehi­
cle.
Vehicle lights: malfunction
If the message appears, there is a malfunction in
the headlights or light switch .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immediate ly
to have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
-Light bulbs are pressurized and could ex­
plode wh ile they are be ing changed causing
serious personal injury.
- Work w ith due care when handling the high­
voltage section of gas d ischarge (xenon)
lights . Failure to do so could result in death
. . . or serious inJury.
(D Tips
Have the bulb replaced or the connection re­
paired by your author ized Audi Service depart­
ment.
~{D Headlight range control
II Headlight range control: defective!
If the symbol illuminates, the headlight range
control is no longer working properly . Have the
system checked and repaired at your Audi dealer.
21

Instruments and indicator lights
§0 Adaptive Light
Applies to: vehicles with Adaptive Light
m;J Audi adaptive light : system fault
If the indicator light turns on and th is message
appears, there is a malfunction in the adaptive
light system . The head lights st ill function .
Go to an authorized dea lership to have the head­
lights or the control unit for the Adaptive Light
repaired .
~D Light /rain sensor
!;I Automatic headlights /automatic wipers:
s y stem fault
If the ind icator lig ht t urns on and th is message
appears, the light/ra in sensor is no t funct ioning
correct ly.
For safety reasons the low beams are turned on
permanently with the switch in
AUTO . However,
you can continue to turn the lights on and off us­
i n g the light swi tch. You can still con trol a ll func­
tions th at are in dependen t of t he rain senso r
through t he w indshie ld w iper lever.
Contact your author ized Audi dealer as soo n as
possible to have the prob le m corrected.
I-: Sport differential
1,11 Sport differential : sy stem fault
There is a malfunc tion wi th t he sport differential.
Drive to yo ur authori zed Aud i dea le r i mmediately
to have the malfunct ion corrected.
1,11 Sport differential: overheating
T he t ransm iss ion tempe rature h as increased s ig­
n ificant ly due to the spor ty driv in g manne r. Dr ive
in a less sporty ma nner un til the tem perature re ­
turns to the normal range and the indicator light
sw itches o f.
A WARNING
Contact your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop if the sport differentia l is
faulty or malfunctioning . The repair m ust be
22
performed by t rained personnel using the cor­
rect oil in order to ensure safety .
¢ Q Turn signals
The indicator light blinks when you use either
turn signal.
Wheneve r yo u use the left II or the r ight B
turn s ignal, the indicator light blinks . When you
u se the emergency flashers, both indicator lights
flash.
I f one of the turn sign al light bulb s bu rn o ut, the
turn s ignal will b link twice as fast as no rma l.
Caref ully drive to yo ur authorized Aud i dea le r im ­
med iate ly to have the malfunction corrected. The
i ndicato r light does not indicate a ma lfunction if
a turn signal on the trailer or on the vehicle fails i n trailer towing mode.
(D Tips
Fo r more informati on on the t urn signa ls, re­
fer to
¢ page 48.