AUDI S8 2008 Owners Manual

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•
• T he batt ery inside of the tire pressure sensor has a l imited
s er vice l ife.
• Al ways drive with the va lve stem ca ps sec ure ly m ounted. We
r ec om mend u sin g fa ctor y in sta lle d v alv e stem caps. Ask your autho­
rized Audi d ealer to replac e lost valve stem caps .
T he in stalla tio n of replacement ti res with steel cord body plies i n
th e tire s id ewal l may cause malfunct ion of the tire pressure moni ­
toring sy ste m, and is not recommended (c ord mate ria l infor mation
i n mo lded on the tire s idewa ll).
Al ways check your tir e pressure monitor ing system indicator after
r eplac ing on e o r m ore tire s on y our vehi cle. If the tire pressu re
monitorin g system indicator flashes, or is on, your system is not
w orki ng pr ope rly. You r rep lace ment tir e mi ght be in co m pati ble w ith
your t ire pr essure monitoring system, or some component of the
t ir e pr ess ure m oni to ring sys te m m ay be damaged .
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and / or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control , collision
and serious personal injury .
• Always use tires , rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica­
tions of original factory -installed tires or other combinations that
have been specifically approved by the vehi cle manufacturer .
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
espe cially at high speeds . Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds .
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history ." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial tires of the same type ,
size (rolling cir cumference ) and the same tread pattern . Driving
&, WARNING (continued )
with different tires reduces vehicle handling and can lead to a loss
of control.
• If the spare tire is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle
-for example with winter tires -only use the spare
tire for a short period of time and drive with extra care . Refit the
normal road wheel as soon as safely possible.
• Never drive faster than the maximum speed for which the tires
on your vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faster than
their rated speed can fail suddenly.
• Overloading tires cause heat build -up , sudden tire failure,
including a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control.
• Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and
not over or underinflated.
• For techni cal reasons it is not always possible to use wheels
from other vehicles -in some cases not even wheels from the
same vehicle model.
• If you install wheel trim discs on the vehicle wheels , make sure
that the air flow to the brakes is not blocked . Reduced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , increasing stopping distances
and causing a collision.
• Run flat tires may only be used on vehicles that were equipped
with them at the factory . The vehicle must have a chassis designed
for run flat tires and a factory-installed tire pressure monitoring
system that indicates a loss of tire pressure. Incorrect use of run
flat tires can lead to vehicle damage or accidents . Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or tire specialist to see if your vehicle can
be equipped with run flat tires . If run flat tires are used , they must
be installed on all four wheels . Mixing tire types is not permitted.
0 Note
• Fo r tec hnica l reaso ns, i t is not gene rally p oss ibl e to use the
whee l rims from other vehicles . T his can hold true for wheels of t he
sa me v ehicl e typ e.
Vehicle care

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• If the spare tire is different from the tires that you have mounted
on your vehicle (for example winter tires or wide profile tires), then
use the spare tire for a short period of time only and drive with extra
care . Replace the flat tire with the tire matching the others on your
vehicle as soon as possible.
• If you should put different wheels and tires on your vehicle (e.g.
winter wheels and tires), you must be certain that the wheels and
tires are compatib le with the tire pressure monitoring system.
Otherwise the system will register a malfunction and a fault message will be displayed. For more information, contact your Audi
dea ler.
0 Note
• When installing new tires, be careful not to damage the valves or
tire pressure monitoring system sensors.
• Never drive without the va lve stem cap. The valves could get
damaged.
• If the sensors must be replaced, then the valve must also be
replaced at the same time.
<i> For the sake of the environment
Dispose of o ld tires in accordance with the loca l requirements. •
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tread wear
• Traction AA A B C
• Temperature A B C
Qua lity grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wal l
between tread shoulder and maximum section width
=> page 336,
fig. 276.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal Safety Require­
ments in addit ion to these grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating based on the wea r rate
of the tire when tested under contro lled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 wou ld wear one and one half (1 1/2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actua l condi­
tions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the
n orm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differ­
ences in road characteristics and climate .
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, Band C.
T hose grades represent the tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under contro lled conditions on specified government
t est surfaces o f asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have
poor traction performance
=:> & .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing
t he tire's resistance to the genera tion of heat and its abi lity to dissi ­
pate heat when tested under control led conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mater ial of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire
failure=> &.
The grade C corresponds to a leve l of performance which a ll
passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test whee l than the minimum
required by law.
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& WARNING
The tr action grade assigned to this tire i s ba sed on straight -ahead
braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
c ornering , hydroplaning or peak tra ction chara cteristic s.
& WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed , underinfla ­
tion , or ex cessive loading , either separately or in combination , can
c ause heat buildup and po ssible tire failure . •
Winter tires
Winter tires c an im prove vehicle handlin g on snow and
i ce. At tem pera tures belo w 4 5 °F (7 °C ) we re commend
changi ng to w inte r tires.
In some heavy snow areas, loca l governments may require true
winter or "s now" tire s, those with very deeply cut tread. These tires
s h ou ld on ly be used in pairs and be i nstalled on all four wheels .
M ake sure you purchase snow tires that a re the same size and
co nstruct io n type as t he othe r tires on your ve hicle.
I f your vehicle is equipped with all -wheel drive *, this will improve
t raction d uring winte r dr iving , eve n wit h th e sta n dar d tir es .
However, we strongly recommend that you always equip a ll four
w hee ls on you r vehic le wi th co rrectl y fi tted w inte r tires or all-season
t ir es, w hen w inter road condi tions are expec ted . T his also improves
the vehicle 's br aking perfo rma nce a nd reduces stopping distances .
Summe r tires p rov ide less gr ip on ice a nd s now.
Wint er tires (snow tires) must a lways be fitted on all four whee ls .
Compatible ti re p ressu re m oni to ring sen so rs must be instal led on
a ll four w inte r tires for t he ti re pr essur e moni tor ing s yste m to fu nc­
tion
proper ly => page 33 8.
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualifi ed workshop for permitted
winter tire sizes. Use only ra di al winter tires .
W inter tires lose their eff ectiveness when the tr ead is worn down to
a depth of 0 .157 inc h (4 mm).
O nly d rive wi th winte r ti res under w inter cond itio ns. S um mer tire s
handle better when there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
te mpera ture i s abov e 45 °F ( 7 °C) .
I f you have a f lat tire, se e notes on spar e whee l
=> page 336.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may have a lower speed
r ati ng t han th e tires orig in ally ins talled o n you r ve hicle at t he time
it was manufactu red . P lease
see => page 338, "Speed rating (letter
co de)" for a l is tin g of th e sp eed ratin g letter code s an d th e
maximum speed at which the tires can b e driven .
The speed ra ti ng le tter
co de( => page 327) is on the side wa ll of the
t ire
=> page 336.
& WARNING
Winter tires have ma ximum speed limits that may be lower than
your vehicle's maximum speed . Always know the maximum speed
before driving off . Never drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific winter tires. This will cause damage to the tires leading to an accident and serious personal injury to you and your
passengers .
& WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed for which the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause tire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation, loss of control , crashes and serious
per sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires replaced immedi­
ately.
• Winter tires have maximum speed rating that may be lower
than your vehicle's maximum speed.
Vehicle care

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&, WARNING (continued )
• Never drive faster than the speed for which the winter or other
tires in stalled on your vehicle are rated.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and traffic condit ions .
Never let the good acceleration of the winter tires and all -wheel
dri ve tempt you into taking extra risks. Always remember :
• When braking , an all -wheel drive vehicle handles in the same
way as a front drive vehicle .
• Drive carefully and reduce your speed on icy and slippery roads ,
even winter tires cannot help under bla ck ice conditions.
c£> For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather conditions permit. They are
q uiete r, d o not wear as qui ckly a nd r educe fuel cons ump tion.•
Snow chains
Sn ow c hain s may be fitte d only to the fron t w heel s, an d on ly to
certain tire sizes. Ask your authorized Audi dealer on which tire
s iz es snow c hains can be used.
If you are going to use snow cha ins, then you must instal l them on
the front wheels at least.
Th e sn ow c hains mus t h ave low-pro file l inks and mus t n ot be t hic ke r
than 0. 53 inch ( 13. 5 mm), including the lock.
Remove wheel ce nter c ove rs a nd tr im dis cs be fore putti ng sn ow
c h ains on your
veh ic le:::::, 0. For safety reasons cover caps must
then be fitted ove r the wheel bo lts . These are avai lable from autho ­
rized Audi dealers.
& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehicle or installing them
incorrectly can in crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury .
• Snow chains are available in different sizes. Alway s make sure
to follo w the instructions provided by the snow chain manufac ­
turer.
• When driving with snow cha ins never drive faster than the
speed permitted for your specific snow chains .
• Always observe local regulations .
0 Note
• Remove snow chains before driving on roads not covered with
snow to av oid da magi ng t ires a nd weari ng th e snow cha ins dow n
unnecessari ly .
• Snow c hains, w hich
come int o direct co ntact w it h the w heel r im,
can scratch or damage it. Th erefore, make sure that the snow chains
are suitab ly cov ere d.
• I f the Adaptive Air Suspension should malfunction, do not
mo unt or use snow cha ins because t he veh icle w ill be ext re me ly
l ow. If you do drive with snow chains on while the vehicle is at this
l ev el, the s now c hai ns mig ht sev erely da mag e th e wheel house an d
other parts of the vehicle .
[ i ] Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory on certain roads, this norma lly
a lso ap plies t o veh icle s wi th All Wheel D rive .•

Tires and wheels 11111 --------------------------------------------
•
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must al wa ys be tightened to the correc t
tor que .
The design of wheel bo lts is matched to the factory installed rims. If
di fferent r ims a re fitted, t he co rrect w heel bo lts wi th the rig ht len gth
and correct ly shaped bolt heads m ust be used. This ensures that
w he els a re fitt ed se cu rel y and that t he bra ke syste m functi on s
correctly.
In certa in ci rc ums ta nces, yo u may no t use wheel bo lts fr om a
differ ent vehicle - eve n if it is the sa me
model=:> page 382.
& WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel bolts can become loose
causing loss of control, a collision and serious personal injury.
• Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs
clean so the wheel bolts can turn easily and be properly tightened .
• Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel
hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or oiled,
even if tightened to the specified torque .
• Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed .
• Never use different wheels bolts on your vehicle.
• Always maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel
bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel loss .
If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low, they can loosen and come out when the
vehicle is moving . If the tightening torque is too high, the wheel
bolts and threads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose .
0 Note
The specified torque for the wheel bo lts is 9 0 ft lb (12 0 N m) with a
t olerance o f± 7,4 ft lb(± 10 Nm). T orque whee l bolts diago nally.
After changing a whee l, the torque must be checked as soon as possible with a torque wrench
-preferably by an authorized Audi
dea ler o r qua lif ied wo rksho p.•
Low aspect ratio tires
You r Aud i is fact ory- eq uip pe d w it h lo w aspect rati o tire s. T hese tir es
hav e been thorough ly t ested and been se lect ed specifical ly for your
mod el for thei r supe rb pe rf or manc e, r oad f eel an d ha nd ling under
a variety of driving conditions. As k your authorized Audi d ealer for
m or e de tails.
The low aspect rat io o f th ese t ires is indicat ed by a nume ra l of 55 or
less in the tire's size designatio n. The numeral represents the ratio
o f t he tir e's s idewa ll he ig ht in r ela ti on to it s tread w idt h ex pressed
in percentage . Conventiona l tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
more.
The performan ce of low -aspe ct-ratio tires is particularly sensitive to
improper inflation pressure . It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure and that the
inflation pressure is regularly checked and maintained . Tire pres­
sures should be checked at least once a month and alway s before a
long
trip :::::, page 331, "Checking tire pressure" .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage L ow a spect ratio tires can be damaged mo re easily by impact with
pot ho les, cu rbs, gull ies o r ridge s o n th e road, part icular ly if th e tire
is underinf lated .
I n or der to mini mize th e occurren ce of i mpac t da mag e to the tires
of your vehicle, we recommend that you observe the fol lowing
pr ecaut ions :
• Alwa ys m aint ain recom mended inflatio n pressu res . C he ck you r
t ire p res su re eve ry 2,000 mi les (3, 000 k m) and add ai r if neces sary .
• D rive carefully on roads with potho les, deep gullies or ridges .
The impac t from d riving th rough or ove r such o bstacles can
da mage you r tir es . Imp act with a curb may a lso caus e damage to
your tire s. .,_
Vehicle care

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• After any impact, immediately inspect your tires or have them
inspected by the nearest authorized Audi dealer. Replace a
damaged tire as soon as possible .
• Inspect your tires every 2,000 miles (3,000 km) for damage and
wear . Damage is not always easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, which could eventua lly cause tire fai lure. If
you be lieve that a tire may have been damaged, replace the tire as
soon as possib le .
• These tires may wear more quickly than others .
• Please a lso remember that, whi le t hese tires deliver responsive
handling, they may ride less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices.
R ed uce d p erform an ce in win ter/co ld s eason
c ondi tion s
All tires are designed for certain purposes. The low aspect ratio,
u ltra hig h performance t ires orig inally instal led o n your vehic le are
intended for maximum dry and wet road performance and hand ling.
They are no t suitable for cold, snowy or icy weather condit ions . If
you drive under those circumstances, you should equip your vehicle
with al l- season or winter tires, which offer better traction under
those conditions . We suggest you use the recommended snow or
a ll-season tires specified for your vehicle, or their equiva lent.
Refer
to~ page 341 for more detai led informat ion regarding w inter
tires. •

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• Vehicle care

1111 What do I do novv?
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What do I do now?
Trunk escape handle
In case of an emergency, the rear lid can be opened from
the inside using the trunk escape handle.
To open rear lid
Fig. 277 Trunk escape
handle: View from
inside the closed trunk
-Pull the handle down towards the bumper ~ fig. 277.
The trunk escape handle inside the rear lid is made of fluorescent
m aterial to glow in th e dark .
& WARNING
The trunk escape handle is to be used only in an emergency.
[ i] Tips
The emergency r elease lever should never be used as a handle for
closing the rea r lid. •
Applie s t o vehic les: with emerge ncy wa rning tr iang le
Emergency warning triangle
The warning triangle is located on the inside of the trunk
lid.
Fig . 278 Trunk lid:
Opening the cover
Fig . 279 Trunk lid:
Warning triangle
-To open the cover, turn the retainer in the d irection of the
arrow and pull the cover down
~ fig. 278. -.,