ESP AUDI S8 2008 Owners Manual

Table of contents
Safety first . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Vehicle operation . . . . . . . . 267 Vehicle care ................ 287
Driving Safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 Intel ligent technology . . . . . . . . . . 268 C leaning and protection ........ 288
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Proper occupant seating positions 200
Driver and passenger s ide footwell 204
Peda l area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Stow ing luggage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . . . . . 207
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Genera l notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Why safety belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 O
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 3
Safety belt pretensioners . . . . . . .
216
A irbag system .. . .. .. . . .. . . . . . . 218
Important thing s to know . . . . . . . 218
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
229
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Side a irbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Side curtain airbags (SIDEGUARD™) 240
Child Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Impor tant things to know . . . . . . . 243
Child safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Instal ling a ch ild safety seat . . . . . 253
Addit ional Information . . . . . . . . . . 256
Lower anchorages and tethe r for
children (LATCH) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
258
Not ice about data recorded by
vehicle contro l modules . . . . . . . . .
268
Electron ic Stab ilizat ion Program
(ESP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
268
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Servotronic® -advanced power
steer ing system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
273
Driv ing w it h your quattro® . . . . . . 273
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Driving and environment . . . . . . . 277
The first 1,000 m iles (1,500 km) and
afterwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
277
Cata lytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Avoid damaging the vehicle . . . . . 279
Operate your vehicle economically
and minimize pollution . . . . . . . . . .
279
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Driv ing w ith a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Trai ler towing tips . . . . . . . . . • . . . . 284
Genera l info rmation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Care of exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Care of inte rior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Fuel supply and filling your fuel
tank ............................ 301
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . 301
Fuel tank ....................... 302
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Engine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . 306
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Engin e cooling system . . . . . . . . . . 3 14
Brake fluid .... .... ............. 3 17
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 8
W indshield/headlight washer
container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
323
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . 324
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

About this Owner's Manu al
About this Owner's Manual
This owner's manua l contains important information, tips, sugges­
tions, and warnings for the use of your vehicle.
Make sure that th is owner's manual is always located in the ve hicle.
This is especial ly important if you a llow other people to drive the
ve hicle, or if you sell it.
This owner's manua l describes the
equipment range specified for
t h is model a t the editor ia l deadline date . Some of the equ ipment
described here will on ly be availab le at a later date, or on ly in
specific mar kets.
Some sect ions in th is owner's manual do not apply to all veh icles.
In that case, the
range of appl icability is given at the beginning of
the sect ion, e .g . "Appl ies to ve hicles : wit h Advanced Park ing
System". In addition, optional equipment is indicated by an asterisk
"*"
The details in the illustrations may be different from those in your
vehic le, and are intended to be viewed as a bas ic guide.
You wil l find a
table of content s at the beginning of th is book , wh ic h
displays all topics described in this manua l in order of appearance.
Yo u wil l find an alphabetical
index at the end of th is bo ok.
All
directions , such as "left", "right", "front", "back", are re lative to
the direction of trave l.
* optional equipment
.,. This section continues on the next page.
• Ind icates the end of a section .
® Registered trademarks are identified with a® . If t his symbo l is
missing, it is no guarantee that the terms can be used freely.
~ & Cross-reference to a "WAR NING!" within a section . For indi ­
cation with a page number, the corresponding "WARN ING!" can be
found outs ide of the section.
& WARNING
Te xt w ith thi s symbol conta in s impo rtant inform ation on safety
and how to reduce the risk of per sonal injury or death .
0 Note
Text with this symbol draws your attention to potential sources of
damage to your veh ic le.
<£' For the sake of the environment
Text wit h this sy mbol contai ns in fo rmation about the environment
and how you can he lp protect it.
(I) Tips
T ext with this symbol contains specia l tips and other information
about getting the most out of your vehicle and i ts features .•

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
-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

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
~

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 .•

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 . .,_

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

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

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