AUDI S8 2008 Owner's Manual

warning/indicator light should go out to show that the system is
fully functional again.
For more information about the
ESP=> page 268. •
Airbag system C:,
This warning/indicator light monitors the airbag and the
tensioner systems.
The ffi warning light illuminates for a few seconds each time you
switch on the ignition.
If the m warning light does not go out, or if it illuminates while you
are driving, or if it starts to blink, then there is a malfunction some ­
where in the system. If the light does not illuminate when you
switch on the ignition, this also means there is a malfunction.
& WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the airbag system, contact your autho­
rized Audi dealer immediately. Otherwise the airbag or the belt
tensioner may not work properly in an accident. •
Applies to v ehicl es: w it h l ane ass is t
Lane assist (system is ready) /:
The indicator light shows that the system is ready to use . A warning
alerts the driver when the vehicle drives over detected lane
boundary lines.
More information about lane
assist=> page 151. •
Controls and equip­
ment
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Applies to vehi cles : wi th la ne ass is t
Lane assist (system is not ready) /:
The indicator light shows that the system is turned on but unable to
send a warning .
More information about lane
assist=> page 151. •
Turn signals ¢ Q
The indicator light blinks when you use either turn signal.
Whenever you use the left ¢i or the right Q turn signal, the indicator
light blinks . When you use the emergency flashers, both indicator
lights flash.
If one of the turn signal light bulbs burn out, the turn signal will
blink twice as fast as normal. •
High beam ~D
The ~D warning/indicator light illuminates when the high beams are
on or when you use the headlight flasher. For more information
about using the high beams,
see => page 73. •
Fog lights JO
The indicator light !0 illuminates when the fog lights are turned
on. •
Rear fog lights ()$
The indicator light O* illuminates when the rear fog lights are turned
on .•

Instrum ents and warnin g/indi cat or li ghts
Significant loss of air pressure (l)
The warning/indicator light appears in the event of a
significant loss of air pressure .
The(!) warning/indicator light il luminates when you switch on the
ignit ion and must go out a fter the eng ine has started.
If the
U) symbo l appears, pressure is too low in at least one tire .
For more information
=> page 42 . •
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) 0
The Malfunct ion Indicator Lamp (M IU is par t of the On -Board Diag ­
nostic (OBD II) system . The symbol
O lights up when the ignition is
turned on and wi ll turn off after the engine has started and has
sett led at a constant id le speed. This ind icates that the M IL is
working proper ly .
The warning ligh t illum inates when there is a malfunction in the
engine electronic system . Contact your authorized Audi dealer and
have the mal function corrected.
An improperl y clos ed fuel filler c ap m ay als o cau se the MIL light t o
illuminate
=> page 303 .
For more information => page 27. •
Safety belts~
This warning/indica tor light reminds you to put on your
safety belt.
The t warning/indicator light i lluminates when the ignition is
sw itched on to remind the driver and any front passenger to put on
the safety belt . Add it ionally, an acoust ic warning (go ng) wi ll a lso
sound.
For more Information =>
page 209, "Safety belt warn ing light.(,..". •
Adaptive Air Suspension ~
The warning/indicator light ~ illuminates, when the jack ing mode
has been act ivated => page 188 . This warn ing/ indicator light has the
following functions:
• I t illuminates fo r a few seconds after the ignition is turned on as
function check and then goes out .
• I f the war ning/ indicator l ight illuminates steadi ly, there is a
system fau lt in the Adaptive Air Suspension . A system fault can
r esu lt in limited ride comfort and
low ground clearan ce . The fau lt
should be corrected as soon as possib le by an authorized Audi
dea ler.
• If the warning/indicator light flashes, you should not drive the
vehic le . The flas hing warning/indicator light points to an extreme
High level. A very
pronounced lifting of the vehic le (extreme High
l evel) can resu lt, for examp le, when a heavy load is removed from
the veh ic le. As soon as the level has returned to norma l, the
warning/indicato r light stops f lashing, and you can d rive away.
• If the warning/indicator light flashes in con junction with the c;::.:,
warning/indicator light, you shou ld not drive off immediately in
order to prevent damage to the underbody. The two warn ing/ indi­
cator lights flashing together points to an extreme Low level. A very
pronounced lowering of the vehicle (extreme Low level) ca n result,
for example, from a heavy load. As soon as the level has returned to
n ormal, the warning/ind icator lights stop flash ing, and you can
drive away .
0 Note
If the warning/indicator light flashes in conjunction with the c;::.:,
warning/indicator l ight, you shoul d not drive the veh icle because
l ow -lying vehic le parts can bottom out as you drive over uneven
ground and be damaged as a result .•

Adaptive Air Suspension c.::i
The c.::i symbol illuminates for a few seconds after you have
switched on the ignition to indicate
redu ced ground clea ranc e when
the dynamic mode is activated and when the ignition is switched on
with a vehicle which was parked in dynamic
mode ~ page 186,
"Chassis Controls" . On vehicles which are equipped with the s port
s u spen sio n
Adapt ive Air Suspension -Spor t*, the check light does
not come on in this instance since ground clearance is general ly
reduced.
This warning/indicator light has the following functions:
• It illuminates for a few seconds after the ignition is turned on as
function check and then goes out .
• If the warning/indicator light flashes in conjunction with the
<::'.p
warning/ indicator l ight, you should not drive the veh icle immedi­
ate ly in order to prevent damage to the underbody . The two
warning/indicator lights flash ing toget her po ints to an extreme Low
level. A very
pronounced lowering of the vehicle (extreme Low level)
can resu lt, for example, from a heavy load. As soon as t he level has
returned to normal, the warning/ind icator lights stop flashing, and
you can drive away .
0 Note
If the warning/indicator light flashes in conjunction with the~
warning/ indicator l ight, you should not drive the veh icle because
low -lying vehicle parts can bottom out as you drive over uneven
ground and be damaged as a resu lt .•
Cruise control
CRUISE (USA models) / pJ' (Canada models)
The warning/indicator light i lluminates when the cruise control is
activated. •
Controls and equip­
ment
Instrum ents and w arnin g/indi cator li ght s
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS (USA models)
/0 (Canada models)
T his warning/indicator light monit ors the ABS and the
electronic differential lock (EDL).
The warning/indicator light wi ll come on for a few seconds when the
ignition is switched on. The light will go out after an automatic
check sequence is comp leted .
The re is a malf un cti on in the ABS wh en:
• The warn ing/ indicator l ight does not i lluminate w hen you switch
on the ignition .
• The warn ing/indicator light does not go out after a few seco nds.
• The warning/indicator light illuminates while driving.
The ESP indicator light also illuminates if there is a ma lfunction in
the ABS. The message
E S P / AB S fau lt ! See ow ner 's manu al also
appears in the inst rument c luster display and a wa rn ing tone
sounds.
The br ake system will still r espond even without the assis ta nce of
the ABS s ystem. See your authori zed Audi dealer a s soon a s
pos sib le t o re stor e full br aking perf orm an ce.
For more information
regard ing the
ABS ~ page 272 .
The ABS warning l ight and the br ake w arning light come on
to geth er. The AB S will not work and you will notic e a ch ange in
br ak ing re spon se and p erf orm ance .
Mal function in the brak e system
If the brake warning light~ page 22 and the ABS warning i lluminate
together t h ere may be a malfunct ion in t he ABS, and t here may a lso
be a malfunction in the brake system
itself~ .&..
In the event of a malfun ctio n i n th e bra ke syst em the warning/indi ­
cator light
BRAKE (USA mode ls)/ (Ci)) (Canada models) in the instru ment
c luster flashes. By pressing the
I CHECK] button, you can bring up a
driver message wh ich expla ins the ma lfunc tion in more detail.
Please note
~ page 30 . .,_

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 inf orma tio n displ ay
Driver information display
Introduction
General notes
The driver information display inside the instrument
cluster provides you, the driver, with much useful infor­
mation.
F ig. 8 Inst rum ent
c luster : center d is pl ay
Information from the Driver Information System is shown in the
display in the center of the instrument cluster.
When you turn on the ignition and while you are driving, some func ­
tions and vehicle components are scanned for their operating status. Malfunctions or required service procedures are signalled
audibly and shown by red and yellow lighted symbols and
reminders to the driver in the display.
The driver is also shown information about radio and CD operation and directions for the navigation system. You can find additional
information on these subjects in the MMI manual.
The Driver Information System provides the fol lowing functions : Sound system display
=> page25
Outside air temperature => page25
Digital speedometer
=> page25
Door open indicator => page26
Defective light bulb
=> page26
Service interval display => page27
Auto Check system
=> page28
Driver information => page29
Speed limiter
=> page28
Trip computer => page38
Tire pressure monitoring
=> page 40
Selector lever position => page 764
[ i ] Tips
In the event of a malfunction either a red or yellow icon appears in
the display. Red symbols indicate
D ang er => page 30. Yellow
symbols indicate a
W arning => page 34 . •

Sound system display
Fig. 9 Display : sound
system
T he name of the radio station you are tuned to o r its frequency and
r ece ptio n ra n ge are s hown i n the upper area o f the di sp la y.
W hen the C D is i n us e, th e t itl e of the track being played is s hown .
T he nu mber of the CD (CD 1 to CD6) currently being played is al so
sho wn. •
Outside temperature display
Fig . 1 O Display:
outside temperature
At t emp eratu re s below 41 °F ( +5 °C l a s nowfl ake s ymb ol a ppea rs
ahead of the temperature display . It is inte nde d to remind the driver
t o pay sp ecial a tten tio n to
ice on the road.
Contro ls a nd eq uip­
ment
Driver information display
I f th e ve hic le is stationary, or if you a re driving at a v ery low spe ed,
t he te mper atu re sho wn i n the d isplay m ig ht be sli ght ly hig her th an
th e actua l outside t emperature . T h is is caused by the heat be ing
r ad ia ted from the e ngi ne.
If yo u h av e se lect ed the °C ( deg ree s Celsiu s) u nit fo r t em pe ratur e in
the MM I, the outs ide tempe rat ure display also appears automati ­
cally in °C .
& WARNING
• Never rely exclusively on the outside temperature display to
determine if a road surface is icy or not. Keep in mind that road
surfaces , especially bridges and overpasses , could be ice covered
and slippery even at an outside temperature above 41 °F (+5
°Cl.
• Always remember , even if the "snowflake " symbol (ice
warning) does not appear in the display , black ice could be on the
road .
• Always reduce your speed and drive with special care in cold
weather conditions when the chance of encountering icy road
surfaces increases .•
Digital speedometer
Vehicle care I I
Fig . 1 1 Display : Digital
speedometer
irechnical data

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. ~