2016 AUDI S8 brakes

Driving through water on
roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage when
driving through water, for example on flooded
roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the bot­
tom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
A WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush, etc.,
the brakes may be slow to take effect because
of wet brake rotors and pads . Dry the brakes
first by brak ing carefully to restore the full
brak ing effect.
([) Note
-Vehicle components such as the engine,
transm ission, suspension or electrical sys ­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
th rough water.
- Always switch off the Sta rt-Stop-System*
whe n driving through water¢
page 85 .
(D Tips
-Check the depth of the water before driving
through it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, dr ive in reverse or
switch the eng ine off when dr iving through
wa ter .
- Keep in mind that oncoming ve hicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
th rough safely.
- Avo id driving through salt water because it
can cause corrosion.
Driving and the envir onment
Economical and environ­
mentally-friendly driving
General
Your personal style of driving will determine the
economy of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and
nois e levels .
Fuel economy, e nv ir onmental impact, and wear
o n your eng ine, brakes and tires large ly depend
on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operat ing cond itions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your fuel
consumption by 10-15 percent. Th is section will
give you some tips on how you can help the envi­
ronment and your pocketbook .
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published by
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
r oad, which w ill vary depending upon vehicle
l oad and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length , etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­
ating.
.,. Avoid unnecessary accelerat ing and braking .
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­ at ing . If you anticipate what is going to happen
next, you w ill need to brake less and, thus, accel­
erate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possi­
ble - for example when you see that the next traf­
fic lig ht is red.
199

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.

& WARNING
-Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is
off and follow the instructions from the car
wash operator to reduce the risk of acci­
dents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself
from sharp metal components when wash­
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings.
-After washing the vehicle, the braking effect
may be delayed due to moisture on the
brake rotors or ice in the winter . The brakes
must be dried first with a few careful brake
applications.
{[) Note
-If you wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash, you must fold the exterior mirrors in
to reduce the risk of damage to the mirrors.
Power folding exterior mirrors* must only
be folded in and out using the power folding
function.
- To prevent paint damage, do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
-
Care and cleaning
-To reduce the risk of damage to the surface,
do not use insect removing sponges, kitchen
sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle components:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use polishing agents or hard
wax.
- Never use car wash cycles that apply pro­
tective wax. It can destroy the matte fin­
ish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted with matte
finish paint. The paint could be damaged
when the stickers or magnets are re­
moved .
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle in facilities specially de­
signed for that purpose. This will reduce the
risk of dirty water contaminated with oil from
entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When cleaning and caring for individual vehicle
components, refer to the following table. The in­
formation contained there is simply recommen­
dations. For questions or for components that are not
listed, refer to an authorized Audi dealer
or a qualified workshop. Also follow the informa­
tion found in
~ ,&. .
Cleaning exterior
Component Situation Solution
Wiper blades
Dirty ~ page 55, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Headlights/ Dirty Soft sponge with a mild soap solution a>
tail lights
Sensors/
Dirty Sensors: soft cloth with a solvent-free cleaning product
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning sol-
ution
Snow/ice Hand
brush/solvent-free de-icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special cleaning solution
Exhaust tail Road salt
Water, cleaning solution suitable for stainless steel, if nee-
pipes essary
207

Checking and Filling
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig. 202 Eng ine compartment: cove r o n th e brake flu id
r eservoi r
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always re ad a nd hee d all W ARNING S
¢ A in Working in the engine compartment on
page 220.
., Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid
reservoir
<=> fig . 202, ¢page 222. The brake flu ­
id level must be between the "MIN" and "MAX"
mark ings.
The location of the brake fluid reservoir can be seen in the engine compartment illustration
¢ page 222.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time
due to the automatic adjustment of the brake
pads . This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably below
the ' 'MIN" mark, the brake warning/indicator
light
1111 (U.S. models)/ . (Canadian models)
will come on¢
page 14 . Do not continue to oper­
ate the vehicle . The complete brake system
should be thoroughly checked by an authorized
Aud i dealer or other q ualified facili ty and the
cause corrected.
If the brake f luid level is too
low, the brake warning/indicator light will i llumi ­
nate. Contact an authorized Audi dealer
immedi­
at ely.
230
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced
technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high, cor­ rosion in the brake system may result after ape­
riod of time . The boiling po int of the brake fluid
will a lso decrease considerably and decrease
braking performance.
Therefore , the brake fluid must be changed
eve ry
two y ears . Always use new brake fluid which con­
forms to Feder-al Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS 116 DO T 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach ,
therefore, we recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your author ized
Audi
d ea ler . Your dealer has the correct tools, the
right brake fluid and the know -how to do this for
you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is po isonous. It must be stored
only in the closed original container out of
the reach of children!
- Brake fai lure can result from o ld or inappro­
priate brake fluid . Observe these precau­
tions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE speci­ ficat ion
J 1703 and conforms to Federal
Motor Ve hicle Standard 116. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake f luid .
The correct type of brake f luid is also indi­
cated on the brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new . Heavy use of
the brakes can cause a vapor lock if the
brake fluid is left in the system too long .
This can seriously affect the efficiency of
the brakes as well as your safety. This
could result in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehi-
cle .
lilJJ,

Wheel s
® Mud and snow capability
"M/5" or "M+S" indicates the tire
has characteristics that make it
suitab le for driving on mud and
snow. ~ indicates a winter tire.
@ Composition of the tire cord
and materials
The number of plies indicates the
number of rubberized fabric lay­
ers in the tire . In general : the
more layers, the more weight a
tire can carry. Tire manufacturers
must also specify the materials
used in the tire. These include
steel, nylon, polyester and other materials.
@ Ma ximum permitted load
This number indicates the maxi­
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry.
@ Uniform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature resistance
T readwear, traction and tempera­
ture ranges ~
page 253.
@ Running direction
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional t ires.
You must always follow the speci-
238
fied running direction
~ page 264 .
(8) Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
This number indicates the maxi­
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated under normal operat­
ing condit ions.
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory we ight
means the combined weight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto­ matic transmission, power steer­
ing, power brakes, power win­
dows, power seats, radio, and
heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory -in ­
stalled equipment (whether in­
stalled or not).
Aspect rat io
means the rat io of the height to
the width of the tire in percent.
Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a
low sidewall for improved steer­
ing response and better overa ll
handling on dry pavement.

Wheels
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible )
inflation pressure
means the maximum cold infla­
tion pressure to which a tire may be inflated. Also called "maxi­
mum inflation pressure ."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs . (68 kilograms)
times the number of occupants
seated in the vehicle up to the to­
ta l seating capacity of your vehi­
c le .
Occupant distribution
means distribut ion of occupan ts
in a vehic le .
Outer diameter
means the overall diamete r of an
inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the l inear distance be ­
tween the exter iors of the side­
walls of an infla ted tire , including
elevations due to labeling , deco­
rations, or protective bands or
r ibs.
2 4 0
Ply
means a layer of rubber -coated
pa rallel cords.
Production options weight
means t he comb ined we ight of
those insta lled regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs . (2 .3
kg) in excess of those standard
items which they replace , not pre­
viously considered in curb weight or accessory weight, inc luding
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers,
roof rack, heavy duty battery, and
special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which
the ply co rds that extend to the
beads are laid at subs tantially 90
deg rees to the centerline o f the
tread .
Recommended inflation
pressure
see~ page 239, Cold tire infla­
tion pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a tire designed to operate
at highe r loads and at h igher in­
flat ion pressures than t he corre­
spond ing standa rd tire . R ein ­
forced tires may be identified as .,.

Wheels
technically referred to as the vehi- sengers in the vehicle or passen-cle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat-gers who are heavier than the
ing ("GVWR"). standard weights assumed mean
The "GVWR" includes the weight that less weight can be carried as
of the basic vehicle, all factory in-luggage.
stalled accessories, a full tank of The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
plus maximum load. The maxi- are listed on the safety compli-
mum load includes the number of ance sticker label located on the
passengers that the vehicle is in- driver's side B-pillar
c::::> page 246,
tended to carry ("seating capaci-fig. 207.
ty") with an assumed weight of
.&_ WARNING
150 lbs . (68 kg) for each passen-
Overloading a vehicle can cause
ger at a designated seating posi-
loss of vehicle control, a crash
tion and the total weight of any
or other accident, serious per-
luggage in the vehicle. If you tow
sonal injury, and even death.
a trailer, the weight of the trailer
-Carrying more weight than
hitch and the tongue weight of
your vehicle was designed to
the loaded trailer must be includ-
carry will prevent the vehicle
ed as part of the vehicle load.
from handling properly and
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating increase the risk of the loss of
("GAWR") is the maximum load vehicle control.
that can be applied at each of the -The brakes on a vehicle that
vehicle's two axles. has been overloaded may not
The fact that there is an upper be able to stop
the vehicle
limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi- within a safe distance.
cle Weight Rating means that the -Tires
on a vehicle that has
total weight of whatever is being been overloaded can fail sud-
carried in the vehicle (including denly, including a blowout and
.... the weight of a trailer hitch and sudden deflation, causing loss
N the tongue weight of the loaded of control and a crash. ci ... :c ": trailer) is limited. The more pas-....
'° "? ....
'° ....
249