steering wheel AUDI S8 2008 Owner's Guide

Intellig ent tec hnol ogy -
------------ -=--=-= '-
& WAR NIN G (c onti nued )
acc ident canno t b e co mp ensat ed for even b y th e br ake assis tant,
s o alway s maintain a safe sp eed . •
Servotronic® - advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems uses the power of the
running engine to allow precise s teering with little effor t.
The advanced Servotronic® power steering system senses the road
speed and electronically adjusts power assistance to provide
comfortab le and safe steer ing response exactly matched to the
vehic le speed.
Power s teeri ng will not work if the engine is off . As a result, the
steering whee l wil l be hard to turn .
The power steering fluid level is checked during the scheduled
maintenance serv ices.
0 Note
If there is an electron ic ma lfunction, servotronic will sti ll funct ion
like a conventiona l power steering system, providing a constant
steer ing suppor t force that is no longer proportionate to the vehicle
speed . This is most noticeable when turning the steering wheel at
low speeds (for examp le w hen parking), -more effor t wi ll be
required than usual.
• Be aware of the different than usua l steering response and
adjust your steering force accordingly .
• Have the problem checked and set right by an Aud i dea ler as
soon as possib le.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
[
i ] Tip s
• When the engine is running, never hold the steer ing whee l
turned all the way to the right or to the left for longer than 15
seconds. The power steer ing pu mp wil l overheat the hydraul ic fluid
if you keep ho lding the steering whee l turned a ll the way. This is
like ly to damage the power steering system.
• I f the power steering system shou ld fail entire ly, or if the engine
is not runn ing ( for examp le, wh ile be ing towed), you w ill st ill be able
to steer the vehicle . However, considerably more effort will be
requ ired to do so.
• I f the power steering system shou ld have a leak, or is not func ­
tioning properly, contact your author ized Audi dealer im mediately.
• The power stee ring system requires a special ly formulated
hydrau lic fluid . The power steer ing reservo ir is the one located most
forward on the left side of the engine
compartment => page 308. The
correct flu id level in the reservo ir is important for proper func ­
tioning of the power steering. •
Driving with your quattro®
With All Wheel Drive, all four wheels are driven.
Genera l inf orm ati on
With All Whee l Drive, power is d istributed to all fo ur wheels. This
happens automatically depending on your driving style and the
road condi tions at the time . See
a lso => page 269, "Electronic differ ­
entia l lock ! EDU" .
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with All Wheel Drive has an
advantage, even with regular tires . In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-season tires) for improved
driveabi lity and braking: these ti res must be mounted on all four
wheel s. See
also=> page 341, "Winter tires". ~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

ffl.___T_ r_a _il _e_ r_ t_o _w_ i_ n """g"'- ---------------------------------------------------
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficu lt it becomes for the driver to
control the rig. Do not drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce your speed even more if load, weather or wind conditions
are unfavorable
-particularly when going downhi ll.
Reduce vehicle speed
i mm edia te ly if the trailer shows the slightest
sign of swaying.
Do not try t o stop the sway ing by accelerating.
Observe speed lim its. In some areas, speeds for vehicles towing
trai lers are lower than for regular ve hicles .
Always apply brakes ear ly. When driving down hill, shift into a lower
gear to use the engine braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes a lone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Cool ant temp era tu re
The coolant temperature gauge=> page 12 must be observed care­
ful ly. If the needle moves close to the upper end of the scale, reduce
speed immed iately and/or turn off the air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light in the instrument cluster
starts flas hing
-F- , pul l off the road, stop and let t he engine idle for
about two m inutes to prevent heat build-up.
& WARNING
An yone n ot properl y re str aine d in a mo ving vehi cle is at a mu ch
g re ate r ri sk in an accid ent . N ever let any on e rid e in y our car who
i s not properl y wea rin g th e res tra int s pr ov ided by Audi.
•
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a trailer because of
the additional weight and different weight distribution. Safety, performance and economy wi
ll greatly depend on how carefully you
l oad your trailer and opera te your r ig.
Before you actual ly tow your trailer, practice turn ing, stopping and
backing up in an area away from traffic . Keep practicing unti l you
have become comp letely fam iliar with the way your vehicle-trai ler
combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is di fficult and requires practice. Backing up with a
trai ler generally requires steering action opposite to that when
backing up your veh ic le without a tra iler.
Ma inta in a greater distance between your veh ic le and the one in
front of you . You will need more room to stop. To compensate for
the trai ler, you w ill need a larger than norma l turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accelerate as fast as you n or mally wou ld because of t he added load . Make su re you have
enough room to pass . After passing, al low plenty of room for your
t rai ler befo re changing lanes again .
Avo id jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes.
[ i ] T ips
• Do not tow a tra iler during the break-in period o f your veh ic le.
• I f you tow a trailer, your Audi may require more frequent main te­
nance due to t he extra
load=> page 380. •
Parking on a slope
Do n ot park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot be
avoided, do
so o nly after doing the followi ng:
When p arking :
-Apply the foot b rake.
- Have someone p lace chocks under both the vehicle and
the trailer wheels. _,,,

Tires and wheels -
----------------
•
& WARNING (continued)
crashes and serious personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially 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
low speed.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats, radio, and heater, to
the extent that these items are available as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio means the ratio of the height to the width of the tire in percent.
Numb ers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewall for improved
steering response and better overall handling on dry pavement.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the tire.
& WARNING (continued)
• 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.
• If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving, always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage.
•
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been driven for more than
a couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in the three hour period
before the tire pressure is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor vehicle with standard equipment
including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi­
tioning and additional weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads and at higher infla ­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Extra load tires
may be identified as
"XL", "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the side ­
wall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single axle system, measured
at the tire -ground interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
( " GVWR")
means the maximum total loaded weight of the vehicle.
Vehicle care

Tires and wheels -
-----------------'
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of different things
including proper installation and balancing, correct tire
pressure and driving style .
Tread Wear Ind icator (TWI)
Fig. 274 Tire tread:
tread wear indicators
(TWII
Fig . 275 Rotating tires
for more even wear
The origina l tires on your vehic le have 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear
indicators"::::, fig. 274 running across the tread. Depending on the
make, there will be six to eight of them evenly placed around the
tire. Marks on the tire sidewall (for example
"TWI" or other symbols)
indicate the positions of the tread wear indicators. Worn tires must
be rep laced. Different figures may apply in other
countries::::, &-
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at least once a
month ::::, page 331.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy accele ration and hard braking
increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rear tires are rotated according to the
tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals. Please
remember the following:
• Tire rotation intervals may differ from the vehicle service inter­
vals outlined in your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, the
more it wears at certain points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer 's suggested tire rotation intervals .
• Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience more tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all -wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Please rotate tires as shown
~ fig. 275.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
::::, page 357.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various situa ­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unbal ­
anced, resu lting in vibrations you can usually feel through the
steering wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tires. A whee l must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is insta lled.
...
Vehic le care I I Technical data

lll'ft __ A_l-=- p _h_ a_ b_e _t_ic _ a_l _in _ d_e _x ____________________________________________ _
p
Paint
Touch-up 292
Paint No. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Automatic transmission ... .... .... 163
Caution when parking near a parking bar -
rier or curb .. .... ....... .... ... 135
Low bumper cover, spoilers and suspension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Parking brake
See Electromechanica l parking brake 134
P arking on a dec line (downhill) ....... 135
Parking on an incline (uphill) ... .. .... 135
Parts replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t ........ 230
Passenger's seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Passenger's seat memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Passive safety system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Pedals ............................ 204
Physical principles of a frontal collision 210
Pockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Polishing .... ..... .. .... .... ...... . 291
Power locking switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Power locking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Conven ience open feature .......... 64
Locking and unlocking the vehicle from
inside ........... ....... .... .... 53
Opening and closing the windows .. . 64
Rear lid/trunk lid ...... .... .... .... 55
Remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Selective unlock feature . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Settings
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Unlocking and locking vehicle ... .... 51
Power roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Power seat Contro ls .. .... ... .... .... .... .... 87
Massage function ....... ...... .... 89
Seat adjustment ........ ....... ... 88
Upper thigh support .. ...... .... ... 88
Power side door closer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Power steering ..................... 273
Power sunroo f
Emergency c losing ............. 67, 68
Power window switche·s ... .... ....... 62
In the driver's door ................ 63
In the front passenger's door . . . . . . . 64
Reactivating the system ............ 65
Power windows Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Pregnant women Specia l considerations when wearing a
safety belt ..................... 215
Programming the Homelink® universal re-
mote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Prop er occupant seating positions .... 200
Proper safety be lt position .. .... ... .. 214
Proper seating position Front passenger ................. 201
Occupants ...................... 200
Rear passengers 202
a
Quartz clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 quattro®
See All Wheel Drive
............... 273
Question
R
What happens to unbelted occupants? . .
211
Why safety belts? ................ 209
Radiator fan ........................ 317
Rain sensor ......................... 80
Rain sensor defective ... .. .... .... .... 36
Reading lights
Front . .... .... .... .... ....... .... 74
Rear ............................. 75
Rear ashtray ....................... 107
Rear center console ...... .... .... ... 108
Rear c limate controls ................ 125
Air distribution .... ....... .... ... 125
Automatic operation . ...... .... ... 125
Contro ls . ...... ..... .. .... .... .. 125
Heated seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
PASSIVE . ... .. .... .... ...... .... 125
Switching on and off . ...... .... ... 125
Temperature ...... .... .... .... .. 125
Ventilated seats .................. 125
Rear fog lights .. ...... .... ...... .... . 71
Rear lid
Automatic operation ............... 56
Escape handle .... .... .... .... ... 348
Opening and clos ing ... .... .... .... 55
Opening manual ly ...... .... .... ... 56

-Alphabetical index _-!.. ____ ...::.:..:... ___________________________ _
Power seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Safety guidelines .. ....... .... .... 86
Seat belts Why YOU MUST wear them .. ...... 209
Seat memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Seat position Incorrect seat position . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Seating capacity .................... 209
Seating position Driver .......................... 200
Front passenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
How to adjust the front seats . . . . . . 201
Occupants . ...... .... .... ...... . 200
Rear passengers
Seats 202
Number of seats ... ....... ....... 209
Selective unlock feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Service and disposal Safety belt pretensioner . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Service interval display ............... 27
Service position Windshield wipers ................ 82
Servotronic Power steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Shift buttons . .... .... .... ........ .. 168
Ship Transporting your vehicle
Side airbags 369
Description ... .... .... .......... 237
How they work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 Side assist
Activating and deactivating ........ 154
Description .......... ...... .... .. 154
Informationa l and alert stage signa ls 156
Messages in instrument cluster display ..
161
MM I settings .................... 159
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Safety tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Sensor detection area . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Side curtain airbags Description .......... ...... .... .. 240
How they work ................... 241
Safety instructions ............... 241
Side curtain airbags (SIDEGUARD) ..... 240
Side marker lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Ski sack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Snow chains ... .. ...... ....... ..... 342
Sockets ....................... 107, 108
So lar blower fan/solar roof . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Sound system display Driver information display . .... .... . 25
Spare wheel ... ....... .... .... ...... 350
Speed contro l system
See Adaptive Cruise Control .. ..... 139
Speed rating letter code ............. 338
Speed warning system ......... ...... 36
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Sport Suspension
See Adaptive Air Suspension .... ... 185
Starting off with a trailer .... .... .... . 136 Starting the engine
...... .... .... 129, 130
What should I do if the engine does not
start? ..... ...... .... ...... ... . 130
Steering .. .... ... .... .... ..... .. ... 128
Adjusting steer ing column ...... ... 128
Easy entry feature ... .. .... .... ... 129
Locking the steering ... .... .... ... 129
Malfunction .. .. .. .... .... .... .... 33
Steering wheel heating .............. 119
Steps for determining correct load limit 334
Stopping the engine .. ....... .. .... .. 131
Storage .. .... ........... .... ...... 109
Compartments in the door trim pane ls ..
111
Compartments in the rear doors .. .. 111
Cupholder ... .. .... .... ...... .... 105
Cupholder rear center armrest ..... 105
Glove compartment ....... .... ... 109
Luggage compartment .. .... ... ... 112
Ski sack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Small objects .......... .... .... .. 110
Sun shade ..... ...... .... ...... ..... 78
Sun visors .... ........... .... .... ... 77
Switches Emergency flashers ...... .... .... .. 73
Power sunroof .................... 65
Rear window defogger ..... .... ... 124
Symbols Red .......... ............... .... 30
Y ellow ........................... 34

______________________________________________ A_ l_,_ p _h_ a_ b_e _t_i c_ a_l _in _ d_e _ x __ lfflll
Rain sensor ........ .... .... .... ... 80
Service position . ....... .... .... ... 82
Washer reservoir ...... .. .... .... . 323
Winter driving Windows . .... .... .... ... .... .... 292
Winter operation Battery . ... .. .... .... .... .. . .. .. . 318
Cooling system ...... .... .... ... . 314
Steering wheel heating .. .... . .... . 1 19
Tires .. ......... .... .... ... .... . 273
W. t t
' in er ires . .. .. .... .... ... .... ... .
Al l-whee l drive . ...... .... ... .... .
Wiper blades 341
341
See Windshield wipers ............. 82
X
Xenon-Lights ...... .... .... ......... 362
y
Yellow symbols ... .... .... .... .... ... 34
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data