towing AUDI S8 2010 User Guide

lillill.a._...:I:..: n~ t .::.e::::..::.: ll~igent technology ,_ _______________________________________ _
Brake booster
The brake booster adds extra braking power.
The brake booster works with vacuum pressure which is created on ly
w hen the eng ine is ru nn ing =>& .
& WARNING
• Nev er let the vehicle roll to a stop w ith the engine shut off.
• If the brake booster is n ot working , for e xample when towing
your vehicle, or because the brake booster has som ehow been
damaged , the brake pedal must be pressed conside rably harder to
make up for the lack of booster assistan ce. •
Functioning of Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS)
A BS prevents the wheels fr om locking up under braking.
The ABS co ntributes effectively to ve hicle contro l s i nee it preve nts the
w heels from
locking when the brakes a re applied. T his means that the
vehicle remains steerable and is less likely to skid .
With ABS you do not need to pump the brake. Just hold the brake
pedal down.
However, do not expect the A BS to shorten brak ing distance under all
circumstances. When driving on grave l o r on newly fa llen snow on top
of icy su rfaces, b raking distance may be even longer, therefore, under
these circumstances, it is especially important that you drive slowly
and w ith great care.
How the ABS system works
An automatic check is made w hen a speed of abo ut 4 mph (6 km/h) is
reached . When this happens, a pumping noise can be heard . If a
n ind iv idua l wheel begins to rotate too slow ly in relat ion to ve hicle
speed and tends to lo ck, the ABS automat ically redu ces bra ke pres ­
su re to p revent t hat wheel from lock ing.
Th is automatic adjustment process wi ll cause a
slight vib ration of
t he bra ke pedal and so me noises to al er t you tha t vehicle s peed mus t
be adapted to existing road and traff ic conditions.
& WARNING
Although the ABS is very effective, always remember that braking
capability is limited by tir e traction. Always adjust your driving
speed acco rding to the road and traffic conditions. Do not let the
extra safety afforded by the ABS tempt you into taking extra ri sks .
The ABS cannot ove rcome the laws of physics.
[I) Tips
• If ABS is not funct ioning properly, a warning light will come on.
See=>
page 19.
• If a fa ult occ urs in the ABS, the ED L is also not functioning . This is
ind icated by the A BS warn ing ligh t.•
Brake assistant
T he brake assistant is designed to achi eve the optimum
b ra king effect.
The b rake ass istant helps to i ncrease the effective brak ing power and
thus to achieve a shorter stopping distance. If the driver p resses the
bra ke pedal
very quickly, the brake assistan t automatically boosts t he
brak ing fo rce to the maximum level, up to the po int where the anti­
lo ck bra ke f un ct ion (ABS) intervenes to stop the whee ls from locking.
You shou ld then keep the brake pedal pressed unt il the ve hicle has
bra ked to t he required s peed . T he bra ke ass ist ant sw itches itse lf off
as soon as you re lease the brake pedal. ._

Trailer towing
"---------------------------------------------------
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger transpor ­
tation .
If you p lan to tow a t railer, p lease remember that the additional load
w ill affect durability, economy and performance.
Tr ailer towing not on ly p laces mo re s tress on the vehicle, it also calls
for more concentration from the driver.
For this reason, a lways follow the operating and dr iv ing inst ructions
prov ided and use common sense .
0 Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must activate the tra iler ope ra­
tion mode =>
page 179, "Towing a Trailer".
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a we igh t-car rying h itch co nform ing to the gross tra iler we ig ht.
The h itch must be suitab le for your vehicle and trailer and must be
mou nted securely o n th e vehi cle's ch assi s at a
techni cally sound loc a­
tion . Use only a trailer hitch with a removab le ball mount. Always
check wit h the t railer h itch manufactu rer to make sure that yo u are
using the correct h itch .
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The h itch mus t be installed in such a way t hat it does not in terfe re
w ith t he impact-absorb ing bumper system. No modifications shou ld be made to t
he veh icle exha ust and bra ke systems. From t ime to
time, check that a ll hitch mounting bo lts rema in securely fastened.
W hen you are no t tow in g a tra ile r, remove the t railer hit ch ball
mount. This prevents the hitc h from caus ing damage should your
vehicle be str uck from behind=>& .
Trailer brakes
If your trail er is e quipped w ith a b raking system, che ck to be s ure t hat
it conforms to all regulations.
T he tra ile r hydrau lic brake system m ust not be directly connected to
t he vehicle's hyd raulic b rake sys tem .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure to check w ith your
Audi de aler fo r corr ec t wir ing , sw itches and re lays.
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see t he t raff ic be hind you using t he regular
outs ide mirrors, then you
must install extended mi rrors. It is impor­
t an t th at yo u
always ha ve clear vi sion to the re ar.
& WARNING
After removing the trailer hitch, do not store it in your vehicle. In
case of sudden braking , the hitch could fly forward and inju re you
or your passengers. •

Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in place to prevent it
from shifting forward, backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer=>
& in "Driving instruc­
tions".
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder. It is important that
the cooling system's performance is up to the additional load. Make
sure that the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your vehicle to the cold tire
pressure listed under "Full load" on the label located either on the
driver's side B -pillar (visible when the door is open) or inside the fuel
filler flap. Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers' spec­
ifications .
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with the trailer attached
before driving off. Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connected from the trailer
to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to permit
turning corners . When you install safety chains, make sure they will
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 separation from the hitch .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Trailer
towingL_,1!:::!:·~-
0 Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must activate the trailer opera­
tion mode =>
page 179, "Towing a Trailer". •
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care and
consideration .
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle and trailer,
please 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 trailer with an empty car results in a highly unstable
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 should be loaded to the extent possible and permissible,
while keeping the trailer as light as possible under the circumstances.
Whenever possible, transfer some cargo to the luggage compart­
ment of the tow vehicle while observing tongue load requirements
and vehicle loading considerations.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Trailer towing
"---------------------------------------------------
Speed
T he higher the speed, the more difficult it becomes for the driver to
control the rig. Do not dr ive at the max imum permiss ible speed.
Reduce your speed even more if load, weather or wind conditions are
unfavorable -part icu larly when go ing downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the tra iler shows the slightest
sign of swaying.
Do not try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for veh icles towing
trailers are lower than for regu lar vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driv ing dow nhill, shift in to a lower
gear to use the eng ine braking effect to slow the veh icle. Use of the
bra kes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
Th e coolant temperature gauge~ page 10 must be observed care­
fully. If the needle moves close to the upper end of the scale, reduce
speed immediately and/or turn off the air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light in the instrument cluster
starts flashing
_f_ , pull off the road, stop and let the engine idle for
about two m inutes to prevent heat build-up.
& WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving vehicle is at a much
greater risk in an accident. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided by Audi.•
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
------------
Your vehicle handles differently when tow ing a trailer because of the
additiona l weight and different weight distribution. Safety, perfor- mance and economy will greatly depend on how carefully you load
your trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice turning, stopp ing and
backing up in an area away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have
become completely familiar with the way your vehicle-t railer comb i­
nation behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice. Backing up with a trailer
generally requires steering action oppos ite to that when backing up
your vehicle without a trai ler.
Maintain a greater distance between your 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 that you cannot accelerate as fast as you normally would because of the added load . Make sure you have
enoug h room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your
trai ler before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky sta rts, sharp tur ns or rapid lane changes.
W Tips
• Do not tow a trailer during the break-in per iod of your veh icle.
• If you tow a trai ler, your Audi may require more frequent mainte­
nance due to the extra load
~ page 361. •
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:
- Apply the foot brake.
- Have someone p lace chocks under both the vehicle and the
trailer wheels . ._

-Tires and wheels
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
l.Locate the statement "THE COMBINED
WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehicle's placard (tire infla­
tion pressure label)::::}
page 310,
fig. 252.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds shown on the
sticker::::}
page 310, fig. 252.
4. The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will
be five 150 lbs. passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400 -750 (5
X 150) = 650 lbs.) 5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load capacity of your
vehicle.
- Check the tire sidewall( ::::}
page 318,
fig. 256) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire.•

-What do I do now? ..._ __________________________________________ _
Tools
The vehicle tools are stored in the luggage compartment
lid.
Fig. 266 Trunk lid:
Opening the cover
Fig. 267 Trunk lid:
Vehicle tools
-To open the cover, turn the retainer in the direction of the
arrow and pull the cover down==>
page 334, fig. 266 .
The onboard tool kit includes:
• Hook for removing wheel covers*
• Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers
• Wheel bolt wrench
• Alignment pin for changing wheels
• Screwdriver with reversible blade •
10 x 13 open ended wrench
• Towing loop
(I) Tips
Some of the on board items listed above are provided on certain
models only or are optional extras. •
Spare wheel
The spare wheel is stored in the wheel well underneath
the floor panel in the luggage compartment.
Fig. 268 Luggage
compartment spare
wheel
Your vehicle is equipped with a regular spare wheel. It is held
in place by plastic retaining knurled screw.
Taking out the spare wheel
-Raise the floor panel at the plastic handle.
- Securely engage the handle in the luggage compartment
seal as illustrated to keep the floor panel up.
- Unscrew the knurled retainer bolt in the wheel center
==> fig. 268. Turn it counter-clockwise.
- Take out the spare wheel.

What do I do now? -____________________ .:..::......:..:...___Wi'.'11
- Disengage and lower the floor panel before you close the
luggage compartment lid again.
Storing the replaced wheel
-Place the replaced wheel inside the spare wheel well in the
luggage compartment.
Tighten the knurled retaining screw clockwise to secure
the wheel in place.
- Disengage and lower the floor panel before you close the luggage compartment lid again.
& WARNING
Loose items in the passenger compartment can cause serious
personal injury during hard braking or in an accident.
• Never store the spare wheel or jack and tools in the passenger
compartment.
• Always store all jacking equipment, tools, and the spare wheel
in the luggage compartment.
• Tighten the knurled retaining screw for the spare wheel
securely.
[I] Tips
Check the inflation pressure of the spare tire periodically to keep the
tire ready for use .•
Safety first
Changing a wheel
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own and your
passenger's safety when changing a wheel.
- After you experience a tire failure, pull the car well away
from moving traffic and try to reach
level ground before
you stop ~& .
- All passengers should
leave the car and move to a safe
location (for instance, behind the guardrail)~& .
- Engage the
parking brake to prevent your vehicle from
rolling unintentionally~ &.
- Move
selector lever to position P ~ & .
- If you are towing a trailer: unhitch the trailer from your
vehicle.
- Take the
jack and the spare tire out of the luggage
compartment~
page 333 .
& WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured while changing a wheel if
you do not follow these safety precautions:
• If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance off the road. Turn
off the engine, turn the emergency flashers on and use other
warning devices to alert other motorists.
• Make sure that passengers wait in a safe place away from the
vehicle and well away from the road and traffic.
• To help prevent the vehicle from moving suddenly and possibly
slipping off the jack, always fully set the parking brake and block
the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel being changed. When
one front wheel is lifted off the ground, placing the Automatic ..,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

111.___E_ m_ e_ r-' g=- e_n_ c=-y _ s_it _ u _ a_t_ i_ o _ n_ s ______________________________________________ _
Emergency situations
General
This section is intended for trained emergency crews and personnel
who have the necessary tools and equipment to perform these
operations. •
Starting by pushing or towing
0 Note
Your vehicle is equipped with an automatic t ransmission . Conse­
quently, the e ngine ca nnot be started by push ing or tow ing .•
Starting with jumper cables
I f necess ary, the engine can be started b y connectin g it to
t he bat tery of another vehicle.
If the e ng ine shou ld fa il to start because of a discharged or weak
battery, the batte ry can be connected to t he battery of
another
veh icle, us ing a pair of jumper cables to start the eng ine .
Jumper cables
Use only jumper cables of suffic iently large cross section to carry the
sta rter cur rent s afely . Refer to the m an ufa ct ur er's specificat ions.
Use only j umpe r cab les with
insulated te rmi nal clamps wh ich are
distinct ly marked :
plu s(+) cable i n most cases colored red
minus (-) cable i n most cases colored black .
& WARNING
Batterie s contain el ectricity, acid, and gas . Any of the se can cause
very serious or fatal injury. Follow the inst ructions below for safe
handling of your vehicle 's battery.
• Always shield your eyes and avoid leaning over the battery
whenev er po ssible .
• A discharged battery can freeze at temperatures just below
32 °F (0 °C ). Before connecting a jumper cable, you must thaw the
frozen battery completely, otherwise it could explode.
• Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes or sk in . Flush any
contacted area with water immedi ately .
• Improper use of a booste r battery to start a vehicle may cause
an explosion .
• Vehicle batteries generate e xplosive gases. Keep sparks, flame
and lighted cigarettes away from batterie s.
• Do not try to jump start any vehicle with a low acid level in the
battery.
• The voltage of the booster battery must also have a 12-Volt
rating. The capacity (Ah) of the booster battery should not be
lower than that of the discharged battery . Use of batteries of
different voltage or substantially different "Ah " rating may cau se
an e xplosion and personal injury.
• Never charge a frozen battery . Gas trapped in the ice may cause
an explosion.
• Never charge or use a battery that has been frozen. The battery
c ase may have be weakened .
• Use of batteries of different voltage or substantially different
capacity (Ah) rating may cause an explosion and injury . The
capacity (Ah) of the booster battery should not be lower than that
of the discharged battery. .,_

llffl.___E_ m_ e_r-= g=- e_ n_c-= y'-- s_ i_t _u _a_ t_ i_ o _ n_ s ____________________________________________ _
4. C onn ect the ot her end to the negative ground post of the
battery manager control unit located nex t to the battery .
Starting the engine
-Start the engine o f th e vehicle with the booster battery .
Ru n the engine at a mode rate speed.
- Start engine with discharged vehic le battery in the usua l
manner.
- If the e ngine fai ls to star t: do no t keep the s tarter
crank ing for longer than 10 seconds . Wait for about 30
seconds a nd then try aga in.
- With eng ine runni ng, remove jumper cables from bot h
veh icles in t he exact
reverse order.
T he b att ery is ven ted to the outside to p reve nt gases from en ter ing
the vehicle interior. Make sure that the jumper clamps are well connected wi th their
metal parts in full contact with the battery
terminals.
& WARNING
To avoid serious personal injury and damage to the vehicle, heed
all warnings and in stru ction s of the jumper cable manufa cturer . If
in doubt , call for road service.
• Jumper cable s mu st be long enough so that the vehicle s do not
touch.
• Wh en connecting jumper cables, make sure that they cannot
get caught in any moving part s in the engine compa rtment.
• Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS~
page 281, "Engine compart­
ment ".
0 Note
Improper hook-up of jumpe r cables can ruin the generator.
• Always connect POS ITIVE(+) to POS ITIVE(+), and NEGA TIVE(-)
to NEGATIVE (-) ground post of the battery manager co ntrol unit .
• Check t hat all s crew p lugs on t he b attery cells are screwed in
firm ly . If not, tighten plugs pr ior to co nnecting clamp on negative
battery terminal.
• Please note that the procedure for connecting a jumper cable as
descr ibed above appli es specifically to the case o f yo ur vehi cle be in g
jump started. W hen you are giving a jump sta rt to another vehicle, do
not connect the negative (-) cab le to t he negative ( -) termina l on the
discharged battery©~
page 349, fig. 282 . Instead, securely
connect the negative(-) cable to either a solid metal component that
is firmly bolted to t he eng ine b lock o r to the eng ine b lock itself. If the
battery that is being charged does not vent to the outside, escap ing
b attery gas could ignite and exp lode! •
Emergency towing with
commercial tow truck
General hints
Your Audi requires special handling for towing.
Th e fo llow ing in forma tion is to be used by commerci al tow tru ck
operators who know how to operate their equ ipment safely .
• Never to w your Aud i, towing will cause damage to the eng ine
and tran smi ssion .
• Neve r wrap the safety chains or winch cable s around the b rake
lines.
• To prevent unnece ssary damage, your Audi must be transported
with a flat bed truck . _.,

_____________________________________________ E_ m __ e_r-=g ~ e_ n_c _,,y ;._ s_i_ t _u _a _ t_ i_ o _ n_ s_--J_
• To load the vehicle on to the flat bed, use the towing loop found
in the vehicle tools and attach to the front or rear anchorage
=> page 351 and=> page 352.
& WARNING
A vehicle being towed is not safe for passengers. Never allow
anyone to ride in a vehicle being towed, for any reason. •
Towing loops
When you screw in the towing loop, be sure to pay atten­
tion to the check markings.
Fig. 283 Check mark­
ings for towing loop
The check markings are there to show you when the towing loop is
completely and correctly screwed into the threaded holes.
When you screw the towing loop into the
front bumper, the check
marking@ must be flush with the bumper=> fig. 285.
When you screw the towing loop into the
rear bumper, the check
marking@ must be flush with the bumper =>
page 352, fig. 287 . •
Vehicle OP-eration
Front towing loop
Do not install the front towing loop until it is needed.
Fig. 284 Right front
bumper: Removing the
air intake grill
Fig. 285 Right front
bumper without grill:
Towing loop fully screwed in
On the right front under the bumper there is a threaded hole
to receive the towing loop. The threaded hole is concealed
behind an air intake grill.
- Insert the screwdriver into the slots as shown==> fig. 284
and press the top tab down and the lower tab up. At the
same time, pull the grill forward and out.
- Remove the towing loop from the vehicle tool kit.
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service iTechnical data