warning light AUDI S8 2008 User Guide

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
M alfun cti on in the ele ctronic differential lo ck (EDL )
The ED L wor ks t oget her wi th the ABS. T he ABS wa rn ing light w ill
come on if there is a ma lfunction in the ED L
system=> page 269. See
you r au thor ized A ud i dea ler as soon as possible.
& WARNING
• If the ABS (USA models )/0 (Canada models) warning light
doe s not go out , or if it comes on while driving , the ABS system is
not working properly. The vehicle can then be stopped only with
the standard brake s (w ithout ABS ). You will not have the protec ­
tion ABS provides . Contact your Audi dealer as soon as po ssible .
• USA model s: If the BRAKE warning light , the~ warning light and
the ABS warning light come on together , the rear wheels could
lock up first under hard braking . Rear wheel lock -up can cause loss
of vehicle control and an accident . Have your vehicle repaired
immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified work ­
shop . Drive slowly and avoid sudden , hard brake applications .
• Canada models : If the brake warning light (CD), the f;. warning
light and the ABS warning light
080 come on together, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard braking. Rear wheel lock -up
can cause loss of vehicle control and an accident . Have your
vehicle repaired immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop . Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake
appli cations .
•
Electromechanical parking brake
tffiE (USA models) /{®) (Canada models)
T he war nin g/in dic ator l ight mon it ors the ele ctro mech an­
ical park ing brake .
With the parking brake applied and the ignition turned on, the
wa rning/ ind icator lig ht illu min a te s. Afte r the ig nition has been
turned off, the warning/indicator light continues to i llum inate for
abo ut 30 seconds. If the parking bra ke is a pplied with the ignition turned off, the warning/indicator light i
lluminates for about 30
seco nds.
T he warnin g/ind icator lig ht wi ll go out w hen the parking brake is
r elea sed .
I f t he war ning/indic ator l ig ht fl ashes con tinuously
after applying the
par king brake, bra king force is not sufficient to p revent the vehicle
fr om rol ling u nint en tional ly . This ca n happen if the br ak es b eco me
too hot . Please note the fol lowing :
• I f the slope of the g rou nd is too steep to pa rk t he ve hicle, the
addi tiona l dr ive message a ppears
Caution: Vehicle parked too
steep.
• I n the event of a parking brake ma lfunction , the yel low ·~ symbol
appea rs in the inst rument c luster display and the driver message
Parking brake malfunction ! is d isplayed . Have t he m alfu ncti on
r epaired as soon as possib le by a q ualified Audi dealership .•
Brake system BRAKE (USA models) /(©) (Canada
models)
T he warn ing/ind icator I i ght flash es if br ake fluid level is
low, if th ere is an A BS sys tem m alfunc tion or a p arki ng
br ake malf u n ct ion.
Th e li ght illu mi nates w hen t he ignit io n i s tur ned o n. It goes out afte r
the e ngine has been started . T his indicates that the bra ke warning
li ght is fu nct ioni ng prope rly.
If the brake warning light does not light up when the engine is
cranking , there may be a malfunction in the electrical system . In this
case , contact your Audi dealer.
If the brake system warning/indicator light flashes, there is a brake
syste m malfu nct ion . B y press ing th e
I CHECK ] butto n, you ca n brin g
up a driver message which exp lains the ma lfunction in more detail
::::> p~e~ ~

If the ABS, ESP and brake force distribution fail, the ABS indicator
l ig ht ABS (USA
mod els)/ 0 (Cana da mod els) and t he ESP i nd ica tor
light
f;. come on along with the brake system ma lfunction light
BRAKE (USA m ode ls)/ (@ (C an ada model s). The mes sage Brake fault !
Drive carefully to nearest workshop appears in the instrument
cluster d isp lay and three consec utive wa rning tones
sound =>& .
& WARNING
• USA models: If the BRAKE warning light , the $';. warning light and
the ABS warning light come on together , the rear wheels could
lock up first under hard braking . Rear wheel lock-up can cause loss
of vehicle control and an accident . Ha ve your vehicle repaired
immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified work­
shop. Drive slowly and avoid sudden , hard brake applications.
• Canada model s: If the brake warning light
(CD) , the ~ warning
light and the ABS warning light
8 c ome on together , the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up
can cau se los s of vehicle control and an accident. Have your
vehicle repaired immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop. Drive slowly and avoid sudden , hard brake
applications.
• If the brake warning /indicator light does not go out after a few
seconds and the parking brake released , or lights up while you are
driving , the fluid level in the brake fluid reservoir is too low. If you
believe that it is safe to do so , pro ceed immediately at low speed
to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair facility and have the brake system inspected .
• Always keep in mind that after several brake applications, you
will need greater pressure on the brake pedal to stop your vehicle.
Do not rely on strained brakes to respond with maximum stopping
power in critical situations . You must allow for increased braking
distances . The extra distance used up by fading brakes could lead
to an a ccident . •
Controls and equip­ ment
Instruments and warning /indicator lights

Driver information display
The current speed appears on the display. The speed is displayed in
1 mph (US model) or 1 km/h (Canadian model) increments.
You can switch the display from miles to kilometers and vice versa
via the MMI.
•
Open door or trunk lid warning
The pictogram alerts you when doors or the rear lid have
been left open.
Fig. 12 Display: open
door or rear lid
warning
With the ignition switched on, the open door or rear lid warning illu ­
minates when at least
one door or the hood or the trunk lid is not
closed. The symbol also shows you
which door!s) or lid is not
closed .
In the
illustration=:> fig. 12 it is the driver's door, the left rear door
and the rear lid. As soon as al l the doors, the hood, the rear lid and
the fuel filler cap are properly closed, the door and rear lid warning
turns off and the Driver Information System functions selected are
displayed again .•
Defective light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning tells you when a vehicle
light bulb has become defective.
Fig. 13 Display: defec­
tive light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning monitors the function of the light
bulbs. If a defective light bulb is detected, or if a light bulb has
burned out, a yellow symbol appears as well as a pictogram in which
the defective light bulb is
shown =:> fig. 13 In the case of certain bulb
failures (e.g. failure of the rear fog lamp), an additional symbol is
displayed to the left or right of the pictogram of the vehicle.
Defective brake light
(USA models )/
_, (Canada models)
If the symbol illuminates, a brake light has failed. The burned out
light is shown in the pictogram.
Defective bulb
If this symbol illuminates, a turn signa l (front or rear), a headlight,
the backup light, a fog light or a rear fog light has failed . T he burned
out light is shown in the pictogram.
& WARNING
• Light bulbs are pressurized and could explode while they are
being changed causing serious personal injury.
.,_

fl::. WARNING (c o ntinue d)
• Wo rk with d ue care when handl in g th e high -v o lt age secti on of
gas disc harge !xe non) lig ht s. Fa ilur e to d o so c ould re sult i n de ath
or seriou s injur y.
[ i J Tips
Have the bulb replaced or the connection repaired by your autho ­
rized Aud i Service department .•
Service interval display
The service interval display reminds you when your next
service is due.
Fi g. 14 D isplay:
Se rvice i nterval displ ay
The date for service is calculated automa tically. Based on the
average distance driven in previous months, a monthly driving
distance is calculated. As soon as the distance remaining to the next
service drops below the distance driven monthly, the service
reminder is initiated. The maximum period from one service to the
next is one year.
S erv ice reminder
30 days before the next service is due, a service reminder appears
in the display when you turn on the
i gnition => fig. 14.
Contro ls a nd eq uip­
ment
Dr ive r inf ormati on d ispl ay
After about 5 seconds the display switches back to normal. The
distance and time remain ing are updated each time the ignition is
turned on unti l the date due for service is reached.
Servi ce
When the due date for service is reached, the message Serv ice due
! appears in the disp lay immediately after you turn on the ignition.
Additionally, a warning tone sounds. After about 5 seconds the
display switches back to normal.
0 Note
I f you disconnect the battery terminals, no calculations can be
made for the service interval display during this time and no service
reminder will appear. Remember that observing the proper service
intervals is vita lly important to extending the life of you r vehicle,
particularly the engine, and maintaining its value. Even if the
mileage driven is low, the maximum period of one year from one
service to the next must not be exceeded. •
On-Board Diagnostic system (OBD)
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIU in the instrument cluster
=> page 16, fig. 7 is part of the On -Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
The warn ing/indicator light illum inates when the ignition is
switched on and goes out after the engine starts and the idle has
stabilized . This indicates that the MIL is working properly.
If the light d oes not go out after the engine is started, or illuminates
while you are driving, a ma lfunction may exist in the engine system.
If the light starts flashing, the catalytic converter cou ld be damaged.
Continue driving
w ith redu ced po wer (avoiding sustained high
speeds and/or rapid accelerat ions) and have the condition
corrected. Contact your authorized Audi dea ler.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

Driver inf ormation displ ay
If the light illuminates, the e lectronic speed limiter may also be
malfunction ing. For more
information => page 28, "Electronic speed
limiter".
An impro perl y c los ed fu el fi ller c ap m ay also ca use the MIL light t o
illumina te
=> page 303. •
On-Board Diagnostics
Fig . 15 Locatio n of
D ata Link Connecto r
(DL Cl
On-Board Diagnost ics mon itors the components of your emission
control system. Each monitored component in your engine system
has been assigned a code . In case of a malfunction, the component
wi ll be identified and the fault stored as a code in the control
module memo ry.
The MIL light may a lso illuminate if there is a leak in the on-board
fue l vapor recovery system . If the light ill uminates after a refue lling,
stop the vehicle and make sure the fue l fi ller cap is proper ly closed
=> page 303.
In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the stored data can o nly be
displayed using special diagnostic equipment (generic scan tool for
OBD).
In order to connect the spec ial diagnostic equipment, push the p lug
into the Data Link Connector (DLC). The DLC is located to the right of
the hood re lease
=> fig. 15. Your authorized Audi dealer or a qua
lified service station can inter­
pret the code and perform the necessary repair. •
Electronic speed limiter
Your vehicle may be factory equipped with tires t hat are rated for a
maximum speed of 130 mph (210 km/h). This is less than the
maximum speed of your vehicle. To reduce the risk of sudden t ire
failure and loss of control if the vehicle is operated at excessive
speeds, your vehicle also has an electronic speed limiter. The e lec­
tronic speed limiter prevents your vehic le from going faster than the
tire speed rating . For more
information => page 336.
lf the veh ic le approaches the tire speed rating, the engine control
unit wi ll turn off the fue l injectors. You will notice an immediate loss
of engine power and a drop in road speed.
If the engine contro l unit receives faulty vehic le road speed signals,
the Ma lfunction Indicator Lamp (MIU
C:, wi ll i lluminate . If this
occurs, contact the nearest authorized Audi dealer for ass istance.
& WARNING
Al ways obser ve the po ste d speed limit s and adju st yo ur speed to
s uit prevailing road , traffic and we ath er condition s. N ever driv e
yo ur ve hicle f aster than the m aximum speed rating of the tire s
i nstalled .•
Auto Check Control
Introduction
T he Auto -Check contro l monitors the function of certain vehic le
features and components. I t simply makes sure these features and
components are working properly. The Auto -Check control works as
l ong as t he igni tion is on, as wel l as whenever the vehicle is
driven. ~

Driver inf orma tio n displ ay
Red symbols
A red symbol means DANGER.
Pull off the road.
-Stop the vehicle .
-Turn off the engine.
Fig . 17 Dis play: en gine
co ola nt leve l warnin g
(pr iori ty 1)
-Check the malfunctioning system. Contact your aut ho-
rized Audi dea ler or a qua lified workshop for assistance.
Red symbols indicate a prio rity malfunction -Danger!
With a priority 1 malfunction, a large symbol appears in the center area of the
disp lay => fig. 17. When the symbol appears, three
warning tones sound in succession . The symbol continues to blink
until the malfunction has been repaired .
After a few seconds, the large symbol is replaced by a small symbol shown at the top left of the display. This symbol is displayed until
the fault is corrected.
If there are more than one priority 1 malfunctions, the symbo ls
appear one after the other for about 2 seconds .
An additional driver message can a lso be d isplayed by briefly
pressing the
( CHECK) button .
The red symbols mean:
BRAKE
-
((l))
©
.....
[ i ] Tips
U SA m od els: => page 30
Brake system malfunction
C anad a mod els:
B rake system malfunction
II=> page 30
Engine coolant level too
=> page 31
low/engine coolant temperature
too high
En gine o il p ress ure too lo w
=> page 32
Faulty steering
=> page 33
Fa ult y ig nition s witch
=> page 33
• If the warning/indicator light
BRAKE (USA mode ls)/ <@ (Canada
models) in the instrument cluster flashes, there is a brake system
malfunction. By pressing the [
CHECK) button, you can bring up a
driver message which exp lains the malfunction in more detail.
Please
note=> page 30.
• Speed warnings threshold 1
8 (USA modelsl /8 (Canada
models) and threshold 2
8 . (USA models)/ 0, (Canada models) are
also shown as red symbo ls . The warning is a lways shown as a small
symbol in the upper area of the
display => page 36 . •
Brake system malfunction
A malfunction in the brake system must be repaired as
soon as possible.
If the warning /indi cator light BRAKE (USA models)/ ((D)
(Canada models) in the instr ument cluster flashes, there is
a brake system malfunction . By pressing the [
CHECK] ~

button, you can bring up a driver message which explains
the malfunction in more detail.
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid level
- Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the engine.
- Check the brake fluid level ::::>
page 317.
-Contact your nearest authorized repair facility if neces-
sary.
Brake fault ! Drive carefully to nearest workshop
- Drive carefully to the nearest authorized repair facility
and have the malfunction corrected
=> &.
Parking brake ! Please contact workshop
- If the warning/indicator light flashes when the vehicle is
stationary or after the ignition is turned on, check to see
if the parking brake can be released. Drive to an autho­
rized repair facility as soon as possible and have the
malfunction corrected. If the parking brake cannot be
released, contact your nearest authorized repair facility.
- If the warning/indicator light flashes while you are
driving, it is possible that the traction control or the
emergency brake has malfunctioned. It is possible that
the parking brake cannot be applied. It is also possible
that the parking brake cannot be released after it has
been applied. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer to have
the malfunction corrected.
Controls and equip­
ment
Driver information display
If the ABS, ESP and the brake force distribution fail , the ABS
warning/indicator light and the ESP warning/indicator light come
on along with the brake system malfunction warning/indicator light
=>& .
& WARNING
• Always observe the warnings in => page 299, "Engine compart­
ment", before opening the hood and checking the brake fluid.
• Driving with low brake fluid is a safety hazard. Stop the car and
get professional assistance .
• USA models: If the BRAKE warning light, the !';. warning light and
the ABS warning light come on together, the rear wheels could
lock up first under hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause loss
of vehicle control and an accident. Have your vehicle repaired
immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified work­
shop. Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
• Canada models: If the brake warning light ((D), the 1$ warning
light and the ABS warning light
0 come on together, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause loss of vehicle control and an accident . Have your
vehicle repaired immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop . Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake
applications. •
Engine cooling system malfunction -L
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must be
repaired as soon as possible.
When the -L symbol in the display blinks, then either the
engine coolant
temperature is too high, or the coolant level
is too low. An additional driver message can also be
displayed by pressing the
[CHECK] button:
Switch off engine and check coolant level

Driver information display
-Pull off the road.
-Stop the vehicle.
-Turn off the engine .
-Check coolant level ~ page 315.
-Add coolant if necessary~ page 316.
-Continue dr iv ing only after the eng ine coolant
warning/indicator light goes out.
-Contact your authorized Audi dealer for assistance if
necessary .
If the engine coolant le ve l is correct, then the radiato r fan may be
the cause of the malfunction.
I f the generator warning/indicator light should also illuminate
~ page 18, then the fan belt may be damaged.
& WARNING
• If your vehicle should break down for mechanical or other
reasons, park at a safe distance from moving traffic, turn off the
engine and turn on the hazard warning lights
~ page 73, "Emer­
gency flasher
A".
• Never open the hood if you see or hear steam or coolant
escaping from the engine compartment
-you risk being scalded.
Wait until you can no longer see or hear steam or coolant
escaping.
• The engine compartment of any vehicle is a dangerous area.
Before you perform any work in the engine compartment, turn of
the engine and allow it to cool. Follow the warning stickers
~ page 299, "Engine compartment".
0 Note
Do not continue driving if the-~-symbol illuminates. There is a
malfunction in the engine cooling sys tem -you could damage your
engine. •
Engine oil pressure malfunction ~
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol requires
immediate service or repair. Driving with a low -oil -pres ­
sure indication is likely to inflict severe damage to the engine.
If the ~ symbol appears in the display and blinks, the oil
pressure is too low. An additional driver message can also
be displayed by pressing the !CHECK] button:
Switch off engine and check oil level
Immediate actions
-Pull off the road.
-Stop the vehicle.
-Turn off the engine.
-Check the engine oil level with the dipstick ~ page 311.
Dipstick readings checks too low
-Top off oil to the proper level~ page 312.
-Make sure that the oil pressure warning symbol ~
appears no longer in the display before you start driving
again. ~

Driver inf orma tio n displ ay
Yellow symbols
A yellow symbol means WARNING.
Fig . 18 Display: low
fu el l eve l warn in g
(pr iori ty 2)
Yellow symbols indicate a priority 2 malfunction - Warning!
When a yellow warning symbol appears,
one warning tone sounds.
A driver message appears as well to explain the malfunction in more detail . The driver warning goes out after about 5 seconds, but it can
be brought up again at any time by pressing the [ CHECK
I button.
Check the displayed function as soon as possible . If
more than one
priority 2 malfunction is detected, all symbols will appear one after
the other for about 2 seconds .
Yellow symbols mean:
Worn brake pads
Electromechanical
parking brake
Check engine oi l level
=> page 311
= page 34
=> page 136
=> page 35
Engine oil sensor malfunction => page 35
Low fue l level => page 35
-
Windshield washer fluid = page35
level low ~
Battery voltage => page35
-
II Battery in remote control key = page48
Advanced Key* = page 133
Key not in vehicle
USA mod els: = page26
Defective brake light
Canad a m od els: => page26
Defective brake light
Defective light bulb
=> page26
Adaptive Light* defective => page36
-
Dynamic headlight range => page36
ll contro l defective
Defective light -/rain sensor
= page36
--Tire pressure monitoring sys-= page42
tern
II Loss of air pressure
Tire pressure monitoring sys -
= poge45
tern
System not available
•
Worn brake pads
l"J Br ake pad s !

Driver inf ormation displ ay
Ap plies to vehi cles : wi th Ad aptive Li ght
Adaptive Light defective ~O
g(J Adaptiv e lig ht def ecti ve
When this symbol go illuminates, it means that Adaptive Light is
defective. Go to an authorized dealership to have the head lights or
the control unit for the Adaptive Light repaired. •
Headlight range control defective {G>
(0 Headli ght range co ntr ol d efe ct ive !
If the symbol illuminates, the dynamic headlight range contro l is no
longer working properly . Have the system checked and repaired at
your Audi dealer.
•
Defective light /rain sensor @)
~o Autom atic he adlight s/aut om ati c wi pers defe ctive
If the symbol il luminates, the light/rain sensor has fai led. For sa fety
reasons the low beams are turned on permanently with the switch
in
AUTO. H owever, you can continue to tur n the lights on and off
using the light switch . If the rain sensor fails, the functions of the
windshield wiper lever wil l stil l work . Contact your authorized Audi
dea ler as soon as possible to have the problem corrected .•
Speed warning system
Overview
The speed warning syste m hel ps you to keep your driving
speed below a set speed limit.
T he speed warning system warns the driver if he exceeds a previ ­
ous ly stored maximum speed . A warn ing tone will sound as soon as
the vehicle speed exceeds the set speed by about 3 mph (3 km/hl. At
the same time, a warning symbol appears in the disp lay.
The speed warn ing system has
two w arning thre shold s that func ­
tion independent ly of each other and that have somewhat d ifferent
purposes :
Speed warning 1 8 {USA mod els l/8 {Canad a m odels)
You can use speed warning 1 to set the maximum speed whi le you
are driving . This setting will remain in effect until you turn off the
ign it ion,
assu ming that you have not changed or reset the setting .
T he speed warning symbol
8 (USA modelsl/ 8 (Canada models) in
t he warn ing 1 disp lay appears when you exceed the maximum
speed . It goes out when the speed falls below the stored maximum
speed.
T he speed warn ing symbol wi ll also go out if the speed
exceeds th e
stored maximum speed by more than about 25 mph ( 40 km/h) for at
l east 10 seconds. However, t his does not reset the stored maximum
speed .
Setting speed warning 1
~ page 37 .
S pe ed wa rning 2
6 {USA m odels l/ 8 {Ca na d a models )
Storing warning 2 is recom mended if you always want to be
reminded of a certain speed, for example when you are traveling in
a co untry that has a general maximum speed l imit, or if you do n ot
want to exceed a specified speed for winter tires.
~