AUDI S8 2008 User Guide

Controls and equipment

Instruments and controls
Fig. 1 Some of the equipment or features shown in the general illustration may be standard equipment on your vehicle or may be optional equipment depending on your
model. Always ask your authorized Audi dealer if you have a question about your vehicle .

Instruments and controls
General illustration
G) Power window switches ........................ .
@ Door handle
G) Power locking switches ..... .. .... .... .... ...... .
© Adjuster contro l for ou tside mirrors ...... .... .... .
© Light switch .. ...... .... ... .... .... .... ..... .. .
© Contro l lever for:
- Cruise control .... .... ...... ....... ...... ... .
- Adaptive C ru ise Contro l .... .... .... .... .... .. .
0 Air outlets ... .. .... .... .... .... ... .... .... .... .
@ Contro l lever for:
- Turn signal and high beam ....... ... .. .... ... .
- La ne assist .. ...... ... .... .... .... ... .... ... .
© Multi function steering wheel with :
- Horn
- Driver's a irbag .. ...... ... .... .... .... .... ... .
- Shift buttons ............................... .
Button for steer ing whee l heating ........ ... .. .
@ Instrument c luster .. ... .... .... ....... .... .... . .
@ Switches for
- Windshield wiper/washer ............... ...... .
- Trip computer .... ....... .... .... .... .... ... .
@ Steering lock/ignit ion/starter switch
@ Buttons for:
- Advanced Parking System .. .... .... .... .... .. .
- Side assist ................................. .
- Po wer sunshade
@ MM I Disp lay
Controls and equip­
ment
62
53
84
69
137
139
122
73
15 1
222
168
119 12
80 38
129
170
154
78
Ins trum ents and controls
@ Buttons/Indicator l ight for :
- Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) 268
- PASSE NGER AIR BAG OFF
- Emergency flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
@ Storage tray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
@ Glove compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
@ Front passe nger's airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
@ Shift lever for automatic transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
@ Climate controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
@ Rear window defogger switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
@ Ashtray with cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
@ ISTAR T~~ STOP ~butto n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
@ MMI Terminal
@ Storage with cup holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
@ Electromechanical parking brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
@ Data Link Connector for On Board Diagnostics (OBD Ill 27
@ Engine hood release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
@ Adjustable s teering co lumn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
@ Me mory buttons (driver's seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
@ Switch for
- unlocking the fuel fil ler door
- unlocking t he tr unk l id
[ i ] Tips
303
55
Operation of the Mu lt i M edia In terface (MMI) is described in a sepa ­
rate manual. •

Instruments and warning /indicator lights
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of informa­
tion.
F ig . 2 Overview of the instrume nt cluster
G) Coolant temperature gauge . ................... . .
0 Tachometer with time and date display .. ......... .
® Warning/indicator lights .. ... ..... ... ........ .. .
© Driver information system ............ .... .. .... .
© Speedome ter with odometer ..... .... ..... ..... .
© Fuel gauge . ........ .... .... ..... .. .... ... .... .
G) Reset button for trip odometer ... ... . .. ... .... .. .
12
13, 13
16
24
14
14
14
© I CH ECK] button ..... .. ...... ...... ... .. .. ..... .
® Instrument cluster illumination .. .... .... ... .... . .
[ i ] Tips
15
15
The illumination for the instrument cluster lights up whenever you
switch on the ignition with the
vehicle headlights off. As the
daylight fades, the instrument cluster illumination likewise dims
automatically and wil l go out complete ly when the outside light is
very low . This feature is meant to remind you to switch on the head­
lights when outside light conditions become poor. •
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant gauge=> fig. 2 G) only works when the ignition
is on. To prevent damage to your engine, please note the following
important points:
Engine cold
As long as the needle remains at the left end of the gauge, the
engine still has not reached its operating temperature. Avoid high
engine speeds, heavy engine loads and heavy throttle applications .
Normal temperature
When the engine has reached its operating temperature, the needle
will move into the middle of the gauge and remain there. If the
engine is working hard at high outside temperatures, the needle
may go further to the right. This is no need to worry as long as the
-~-warning light in the instrument cluster does not illuminate.
Warning light in the instrument cluster -L
When the _L warning light starts to flash, this can mean one of two
things: either the coolant temperature is too high, or the coolant
level is too
low=> page 31. _.,

If the indicator goes all the way to the right side inside the coolant
temperature gauge, then the engine coolant temperature is too
high.
Pull off the road to safe location, turn off the engine and let it
cool down.
If the warning light comes on again after you have driven
a short distance, contact a qualified workshop.
& WARNING
• Always observe the warning in :::::, page 299, "Engine compart­
ment", before opening the hood and checking the engine coolant
level.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
see engine coolant dripping from the engine compartment. You
could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant.
0 Note
• Mounting additional lights or accessories in front of the air inlets
reduces the cooling effect of the radiator. At high outside tempera ­
tures or high engine load, the engine could overheat.
• The front spoiler has been designed to properly distribute the
cooling air when the vehicle is moving . If the spoiler is damaged,
this could reduce the cooling effect and the engine could then over­
heat. Ask your authorized Audi dealer for assistance. •
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM (revolutions per
minutes).
The tachometer 0:::::, page 12, fig. 2 is the left of the two large clock­
type displays.
The engine turns at a speed
1,000 times the single digit in the
display, e.g. if the needle is pointing at the "2" the engine is turning
at 2,000 RPM.
Controls and equip­ ment
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
If engine RPM drops below 1,500, you should downshift to the next
lower gear. The red area at the end of the scale indicates maximum
permissible engine RPM after the break-in period . Before reaching
this area, move the selector lever to position "D (Drive)" or ease your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
0 Note
The tachometer needle should not move into the red range . If it
does, then only for a very short period of time. You could damage
your engine by driving at high RPM.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel and reduces engine noise.•
Digital clock with date display
Date and time of day can be set in MM/.
Fig . 3 Instrument
cluster with digital
clock
The date, time of day, and time and date format can be set in MMI.
You can find out more in the MMI manual.
~

Inst rum ents and warning /indi cato r li ghts
[ i J Tip s
• The digital c lock and the odometer are turned on for about 30
seconds when the driver's door is opened.
• When the ignition is turned off, the odometer reading and the
digital clock with date display can be switched on for about
30 seconds by pressing the
I CHECK) button => page 15, fig. 5. •
Speedometer with odometer
The speedometer shows you the vehicle speed, and the
odometer shows you how many miles (kilometers) you
have driven .
Fig. 4 In strume nt
c lu ster Odom ete r an d
rese t butt on
The odometer and trip odometer are located inside the speedom­
eter.
• USA models -Miles
• Canada models -Kilometers
You can swi tch the display from mi les to k ilometers and vice versa
via the MMI.
L ower odom eter
The lower odometer shows the total number of miles (kilometers)
driven.
U pper od om ete r (tr ip odo meter)
The upper odometer shows the total number of mi les (kilometers)
driven since you last reset the odometer to zero. You can use this
odometer when you wan t to keep track of how many mi les (kilome ­
ters) you have driven for a single trip or errand. The last d igit indi­
cates 1/10 of a mile (100 meters).
You can reset the trip odometer to ze ro by pressing the Reset button
(0.0).
M alf un ctio n message
If there is a malfunction somewhere in the instrument cluster, dEF
wi ll appear in the trip odometer and will stay on. Contact your
authorized Audi dealer to have the prob lem corrected.
Imm obilize r
When you switch on the ignition, the data chip inside the key is
"read" by the immobilizer system.
If an unauthorized key is inserted into the ignition lock, the word
S AFE will come on and stay on. You will not be able to start the
vehicle=> page 49.
[ i J Tips
• The digita l clock and the odometer are turned on for about 30
seconds when the driver's door is opened.
• When the ignition is turned off, the odometer reading and the
digital clock with date display can be switched on for about
30 seconds by pressing the
!CHECK) button=> page 15, fig. 5. •
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge only works when the ignition is on.
The fuel tank holds about 23 .8 gallons (90 liters). When the need le
reaches the reserve mark,
the=> page 35 symbol appears in the
instrument cluster display as well as the message
Ple as e refue l. .,_

There is still approximately 2.4 gallons (9 liters) of fuel left. This message is meant to remind you to
re fuel .
(D Note
Never run the tank completely dry . An irregular supp ly of fuel can
cause engine misfiring and fuel could enter the exhaust system . T he
cata lytic converter could then overheat and be damaged .•
[ C HECK] button
You can perform different functions with this button .
Fig . 5 CHECK butto n in
th e instr um ent clu ste r
The [ CHECK ] button performs the fo llowing functions:
Swi tch ing on th e clock and odom ete r
With the ignition turned off, the odometer reading and the digital
clock with date display can be sw itched on for about 30 seconds by
pressing the
I C HE CK I but ton ~ fig. 5 .
Sta rtin g the Au to-C heck se quen ce
The Auto -Check system ~ page 28 constantly monitors certain indi ­
vidual functions and components of the vehicle when the ignition is
turned on and when the vehicle is moving.
W ith the ignition turned on, you can start the "Auto -Check
sequ ence" by pr essing the !CH ECK ] bu tton . You can p erform an
Controls and equip­
ment
Inst rum ents and warning /indi cator light s
Auto-Che ck sequence when the vehicle is stationary and the ignition
is turned on or when the vehicle is moving no t faster than 3 mph
(5 km/h).
C alling up the dri ver inf ormatio n
A yellow or red symbol appears in the instrument cluster display ,
usually with a driver message. The driver message display disap ­
pears after about 5 seconds . The driver message can be displayed
again by briefly pressing the
I CHECK ] button .
Setting th e sp eed w arni ng
By pressing the [ CHECK! but ton briefly, you can set threshold 1 of
the speed warning while you are
driving ~ page 37. By maintaining
pressure on the [CHECK ! button, you delete the warning
threshold. •
Instrument cluster illumination
The basic brightness of the illuminati on f or the instru­
ments, the center console and the display can be
adjusted .
Ir ,-i:,.-.. I+ ,- i:,.--•/, ,,,,
Fig. 6 Instr ume nt
c lus te r ill umi nation
Press the"+" button to increase the brightness d uring
the hours of dar kness.
~
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

Instruments and warning /indicator lights
-Press the"-" button to decrease the brightness during
the hours of darkness.
A light sensor in the instrument cluster controls the illumination for
the instrument clust er, the center console and the displays . In a
bright environment , using the buttons to change the brightness has
no effect .
[ i] Tips
The illumination for the instrument cluster lights up whenever you
switch on the ignition with the
vehicle headlights off. As the
daylight fades, the instrument cluster illumination likewise dims
automatically and will go out completely when the outside light is
very low. This feature is meant to remind you to switch on the head­
lights when outside light conditions become poor. •
Warning/indicator lights
Overview
The warning/indicator lights indicate different functions
or a possible malfunction.
iWiii i ·i l· i hii
Fig. 7 Instrument cluster with warning/indicator lights
Your vehicle is equipped with several important warning and indi ­
cator lights to help you monitor the continued reliab le operation of
your
vehicle => &-
0
Electronic power control
Generator => page 18
=> page 18
Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) => page 18

tl~ Airbag system
--
/: Lane assist (system is ready)
Lane assist (system is not ready)
¢ Left turn signal
--D High beam
}D Fog lights
Rear fog lights
Tire pressure monitoring sys tem
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIU
Safety belt
Adaptive Air Suspension
<+:) Adaptive Air Suspension Right turn signal
--
CRUISE
--
USA models:
Cruise control activated
Canada models:
Cruise control activated
USA models:
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) defec­
tive
Controls and equip­ ment
=> page 19
-
=> page 19
=> page 19
=> page 79
-=> page 19
=> page 79
=> page 19
=> page 20
=> page 20
=> page 20
=> page20
=> page 21
=> page 79
-
=> page 27
=> page 27
-
=> page 21
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
PARK BRAKE
(®)
----
Canada models:
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) defec­
tive
USA models :
Electromechanical parking brake
Canada models: Electromechanical parking brake
-
BRAKE
USA models:
Brake malfunct ion
--((D) Canada models:
Brake malfunction
=> page 27
=> page 22
=> page 22
-
=> page 22
-
=> page22
V ehicl es wi th th e Adaptive Cruis e Control * have the follow ing addi ­
tional check lamps:
Open road
~ 1111 ~ Driving in traffic
~ 1111 ~ Request for driver to
assume control
& WARNING
=> page 145
=> page 145
=> page 145
• Failure to heed warning lights and other important vehicle
information may result in serious personal injury or vehicle
damage.
• Whenever stalled or stopped for repair, move the vehicle a safe
distance off the road, stop the engine, and turn on the emergency
flasher
=> page 73.
• The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a potentially
hazardous area. Before you check anything in the engine compart-
ment, stop the engine and let it cool down. Always exercise
~

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
&, WARNING (continued )
extreme caution when working under the hood => page 299,
''Engine compartment "
[ i] Tips
Many functions are monitored by the Auto -Check system
=> page 28 . Ma lfunctions or faults wil l be identified either with a red
symbo l (pr iority 1
-Danger!) or with a yel low symbol (priority 2 -
Warning) .•
Electronic power control EPC
This warning/indicator light monitors the electronic
power control.
The EPC warning/indicator light (Electronic Power Control) i llumi ­
nates when you turn on the ignition as a function chec k.
[ i ] Tips
If this warning/indicator l ight i lluminates whi le you are driving, then
there is a malfunction in the engine electronics . Have the malfunc­
t ion corrected as soon as possible by your authorized Audi dea ler or
qualified repair facility .•
Generator D
This warning/indicator light detects a malfunction in the
generator or in the vehicle's electrical system.
The D warning/indicator light illuminates when you switch on the
igni tion and must go out a fter the engine has started.
If the
D warning/indicator light illuminates while you are driving,
you shou ld contact your authorized Audi dealer. Since the vehic le battery is discharging, you should switch off any unnecessary elec
­
t rical consumers (for example, the air conditioner).
0 Note
If the _f_ warning/indicator light (ma lfunction in the engine coo ling
system) in the instrument cluster shou ld
illuminate=> page 31, stop
the vehicle and turn off the engine . The water pump is not working
-this can cause engine damage. •
Electronic stabilization program (ESP) f1.
This warning/indicator light monitors the electronic stabi ­
lization program.
Th e warning/indicator light has the following functions:
• I t blinks while you are driving when the ESP is working .
• It illuminates when you switch on the ignition for approximate ly
2 seconds as a function check.
• It illuminates when there is a malfunction in the ESP. The
message
ESP fault! See owner's manual also appears in the instru­
ment cluster display and a warning tone sounds .
• It illuminates continuously when the ESP is switched off.
• It illuminates if there is a malfunction in the ABS, since the ESP
is part of the ABS sys tem.
If the battery terminals were disconnected and re-connected , the
vehic le was jump sta rted or the battery is very weak, the ESP sensor
system goes through a learning process for the first few yards. The
warning/indicator light illuminates. The warning/indicator light
goes out as soon as the learning process is complete.
If the ESP warning/indicator light illuminates and stays on after you
have started the engine, this may mean that the control system has
temporarily switched off the ESP . If this is case, you can reactivate
th e ESP by turning the ignition off and then on again . The
~