AUDI S8 2008 Owner's Guide

If a component is malfunctioning or if the need for an urgent repair
has been detected, this will appear in the instrument clus ter display .
You will a lso hear an audible warning tone . The displays are co lor
coded in either red or yellow depending on their level of priority.
A red symbol means
D anger , a yellow symbo l ind icates W arning . In
certain situations, information message for the driver appear in
addit ion to the red and yellow symbo ls .
Fun ction t est: au tom atic transmission
The Auto-Check Contro l will automat ically perform a test each time
you switch on the ignition. With the selector lever in
P or N , the
f ollowing message appears in the display:
When stati onar y appl y fo ot brake while selecting gea r.
When you a select a different gear (for example : R, D , etc.l, the
message will disappear and the Auto -Check function is disp layed.
If there is a malfunction , then the malfunction message will appear
about 15 seconds after the you start the vehicle . At the same time
you will hear a warning tone .•
Driver information messages
Driver i nfo rmation messages are shown in the instrument
cluster display in addition to the red and yellow symbols.
Controls and equip­ ment
Fig. 16 CHEC K button
in th e instru ment
c lu ster
Driv er information di splay
For example, if the transmission selector lever is not in the P posi­
ti on when the engine is turned off, the following message appears:
Shift t o P, otherwi se ve hic le can roll away. Doors do not lo ck if
le ver i s not in P .
The igni tion key can only be removed with the selector in this pos i­
tion. This and other messages are brought up if a function cannot
be car ried ou t.
Dri ver messa ges and r ed symbols
If a red symbo l appears in the display, a driver message can be
shown by pressing the [ CH ECK] button.
For example, the symbol f or a problem with engine oi l
pressure~
appears in the disp lay . If you then press the [ CHECK] button , the
fo llowing driver message appears in the d isp lay:
S witch off engine and che ck oil level
The driver message in the display goes out after about 5 seconds .
The dr iver message can be d isplayed aga in by briefly pressing the
[ CHECK] button .
Driver me ssages and yellow symbols
If a yellow symbol appears in the display, a driver message is also
displayed automat ica lly .
For examp le, the symbol
G> appears in the disp lay, indicating low
windshield washer fluid level. The following message also appears :
Please top up wa sher fluid
The driver message disappears after a few seconds . The driver
message can be d isplayed aga in by briefly pressing the [ CHECK]
button. •

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. ~

Dipstick reading checks OK
-If the oil pressure warning symbol "e::7: starts flashing
again even though the engine oil level checks OK on the
dipstick,
do not continue driving and do not let the
engine run in idle.
Instead, contact your authorized Audi
dealer for assistance.
[ i] Tips
• The engine oil pressure symbol ~ is not an indicator for a low
engine oil level. Do not rely on it . Instead, check the oil level in your
engine at regular intervals, preferably each time you refuel, and
always before going on a long trip.
• The yellow oil level warning indication
~ requires oil refill or
workshop service without delay. Do not wait until the red oil pres­
sure warning
~ starts to flash before you respond to the low oil
level warning
~- -By then, your engine may already have suffered
serious damage. •
Steering malfunction i
If there is a malfunction in the electronic steering column
lock, the steering cannot be unlocked.
If the ~ symbol in the display blinks, there is a malfunction
in the electronic steering column lock. An additional driver
message can also be displayed by pressing the [ CHECK]
button :
Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
-Contact your nearest authorized repair facility.
- Do
not tow your vehicle.
Controls and equip­
ment • I I • • I
Driver information display
& WARNING
Your vehicle must not be towed in the event of a malfunction in the
electronic steering column lock because it cannot be steered due
to the locked steering. If it is towed with the steering locked, there
is the risk of an accident. •
Ignition lock malfunction ~
A malfunction in the ignition lock must be repaired imme­
diately.
If the ~ symbol in the display blinks, there is a malfunction
in the electronic ignition lock. An additional driver message
can also be displayed by pressing the [ CHECK] button:
Ignition lock defective. Contact workshop !
-Do not turn the engine off.
- Drive immediately to an authorized Audi dealer to have
the malfunct ion corrected.
If there is a malfunction in the electronic ignition lock, the ignition
cannot be turned off. Drive immediately to an authorized Audi
dealer to have the cause of the malfunction corrected.
I f your vehicle has an Advanced Key *, then you should not use the
I STOPI button to shut off the engine. You will not be able to start the
engine again once the ignition is switched off. •

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 !

If the symbol illuminates, contact your authorized Audi dea ler to
have the front brake pads inspected (on that occas ion have the rear
brakes inspected as wel l to be
safe!. •
Checking the engine oil level ~
~-Please c hec k oil le vel
When the symbo l illuminates, check the engine oi l leve l as soon as
possible=> page 311 . Add oil if necessary=> page 312 . •
Engine oil sensor defective ~ ....
~ ... Oil le vel ! sen sor defe cti ve
If the symbo l illuminates, contact your authorized Audi dea ler and
have the oi l sensor inspected . Unt il you have this done, check the o il
level each time you refuel just to be on the safe
side => page 311. •
Fuel supply too low Bil
Bu Please refuel
When the symbol i lluminates, th is means there are abou t 2.4
gallons (9 l itres) of fue l left in the fue l tank . Time to refuel.
=> page 302 .
If the symbo l lights up, even when there is ample fuel in the tank,
and the text
Tan k sys tem m alfunct ion ! Conta ct w ork shop appears
in the disp lay, there is a fault in the system. Contact a qual ified work ­
shop to have the fau lt rectified .•
Windshield washer fluid level too low ~
~ Ple ase top up washer fluid
Controls and equip­ ment
Driver information di splay
If the symbo l illuminates, add windshie ld washer fluid to the washer
system and a lso to the headlig ht washer
sys tem => page 323. •
Battery voltage 0
If the battery 's state o f charge is not in the optimal range, the 0
symbo l is shown in the display and the driver message L ow batter y
charge: b attery will be charged while driving
appears .
Whi le this driver not ification is displayed, you have to be prepared
for limited starting capability .
Drive r m essa ge a ppear s a nd go es out ag ain
If th is d rive r message appears after the ign ition is turned on or
wh ile dr iving and it goes out again after a wh ile, the battery has
been adequately recharged.
Dri ver messa ge ap pears a nd does not g o out ag ain
If t his drive r notif ication appea rs after the ignition is t urned o n or
wh ile driving and does not go out again, the battery's state of
charge is not in the opti mal range. Start ing capab ility is restricted.
Have the battery c hecked at a dea lership as soon as possible. •
Applies to vehi cles : with Advanced Key
Key not in vehicle ..?c
.,J. Key not in vehi cle
This message appears toget her with the ..J. symbol when the
remote control key is removed from the vehicle whi le the engine is
run ning. This is to remind you that you s hould not continue your trip
without your key.
I f the remote control key is no longer i n the vehicle, you w ill not be
able to start the engine aga in after you have switched off the igni ­
tion. In addition to this, you will not be able to lock the vehic le from
the outside. •

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.
~

The speed warning 2 symbol, 8, (USA models)/ 8, (Canada models)
appears in the disp lay when you exceed the stored speed limit.
Un like warning 1, it wil l not go out unti l the vehicle speed drops
below the stored speed limit .
Setting speed warning 2
=> page 37.
[ i J T ips
Even though your vehicle is equipped with a speed warning system,
you should still watch the speedometer to make sure you are not
driving faster than the speed limit. •
Speed warning 1: setting a speed limit
Warning threshold 1 is set by the I CHECK) button.
(CHECK • fo.o'
Storing the maximum speed
- Drive at the desired maximum speed.
Fig . 19 C HEC K but ton
in th e inst ru m ent
c lu st er
- B riefly press the I CHECK) b utto n ~ fig. 19.
Rese tting the m aximum speed
- Drive the vehicle at a speed of at least 3 mph (5 km/h)
- Press the
I CHECK] button for more t han 1 second .
Controls and eq uip­
ment
Dr ive r inf ormati on d ispl ay
The speed warning symbol 8 (USA models)/ 8 (Canada mode ls) will
appear briefly in the display when you release the button to indicate
that the maximum speed has been stored successfully.
The maximum speed remains stored unti l it is changed by pressing
the button again briefly or unti l it is deleted by a lengthy push on the
button. •
Speed warning 2 : setting a speed limit
Warning threshold 2 is set, changed and deleted in MM/.
Fig. 20 MMI d isp lay :
Se t w arni ng thr esho ld
2
Switching spe ed warning on and off
- Press the
I CAR) function button.
- Select
System s in the CAR menu.
- Select
Instrume nt clus ter . The Instrument cluster menu
appea rs~ fig. 20.
- Select Speed warning
On to switch on the warn ing
threshold or
Off to turn off the warning threshold.
Setting and adju sting th e warning threshold
- Press the
I CAR I fu nction button.
Select
Systems in the CAR menu.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

Driver information display
-Select Instrument cluster. The In strument cluster menu
appears .
Select the second item in the
Speed warning menu. The
submenu
Speed threshold appears ~ page 37, fig. 20.
Set the warning threshold you want .
Warning threshold 2 can only be set in a speed range from 20 to
150 mph (30 to 240 km/h). •
Trip computer
Introduction
The trip computer gives you information on current and
average fuel mileage, average speed, fuel range and
driving time.
Fig. 21 Trip comput er
di sp lay : Average fuel
mil eage
The following driving information is continuously evaluated by the
trip computer and can be displayed sequential ly in the instrument
cluster display.
Fuel range
The estimated cruising range in miles (km) appears in the display.
This tells you how far your vehicle will be able to travel on the current tank of fuel and with the same driving style. The display
changes in increments of 6 miles (10 kml.
The cruising range is calculated based on the fuel consumption for
the last 18 miles (30 km). If you drive conservative ly, the cruising
range will increase.
Average fuel mileage
The average fuel economy in MPG (1/100 km) since you last cleared
the memory appears in this display . You can use this disp lay to
adjust your driving technique to achieve a desired mileage .
Current fuel mileage
The instantaneous fuel consumption in miles per gallon (1/100 km)
is shown in this display. You can use this display to adjust your
driving technique to achieve a desired mileage.
Fuel consumption is recalculated at interva ls of 33 yards (30
metres). When the vehic le is stationary, the most recent fuel
consumption is displayed.
Average speed
The average speed in mph (km/h) since the last time the display was
reset appears in the display.
Elapsed time
The length of time that you have been driving since you last reset
the memory appears in this display .
[ i] Tips
• Fuel consumptions (average and current), range and speed are
displayed in metr ic units on Canadian models.
• All stored values will be lost if the vehicle battery is
disconnected .•