cooling 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

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

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. ~

___ w_ a
_ r_m _ a_ n_d_ c_ o_ ld __________________________________________________ _
Warm and cold
Climate controls
Description
The air conditioner is fully automatic and is designed to
maintain a comfortable and uniform climate inside the
vehicle.
We recommend the following settings:
- Set the temperature to 75 °F (+23 °C).
- Press the !AUTO
I button.
With this setting, you attain maximum comfort in the least amount
of time. Change this setting, as desired, to meet your personal needs.
The climate controls are a combination of heating, ventilation and cooling systems, which automatically reduce humidity and cool the
air inside your vehicle.
The air temperature, air flow and air distribution are automatically
regulated to achieve and maintain the desired passenger compart­
ment temperature as quickly as possible.
The system automatically compensates for changes in outside
temperature and for the intensity of the sunlight entering the
vehicle. We recommend you use the
Automatic mode=> page 117
for year -round comfort.
Please note the following:
Turn on the air conditioner to reduce humidity in the vehicle. This also prevents the windows from fogging up.
When the outside temperature is high and the air is very humid ,
condensation from the evaporator may drip under the vehicle. This
is normal and does not indicate a leak. If the outside temperature is
low, the fan normally only switches to
a higher speed once the engine coolant has warmed up sufficiently.
The air conditioner temporarily switches off when you drive off from
a standstill using full throttle to save engine power.
The compressor also switches off if the coolant temperature is too high, so that the engine can be adequately cooled under extreme
loads.
Air pollutants filter
The air pollutants filter (a combined particle filter and activated
charcoal filter) reduces or prevents outside air pollution (dust, or pollen) from entering the vehicle.
The air pollutants filter must be changed at the intervals specified
in your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet, so that the air conditioner
can properly work.
If you drive your vehicle in an area with high air pollution, the filter
may need to be changed more frequently than specified in your
Audi Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. If in doubt, ask your autho­
rized Audi Service Advisor for advice.
Key coded settings
The air conditioner settings selected are automatically stored and
assigned to the key being used. When the vehicle is started, the air
conditioner automatically selects the settings assigned to that key.
This way every driver will maintain his/her own personal settings
and does not have to reset them manually.
If a different driver uses your key and changes the air conditioner
settings, the latest adjustments will erase and replace the settings
you have stored.
Energy management
To prevent the battery from being discharged and to restore the
balance of energy, components which require large amounts of

Warm and cold -
----------------
energy are temporarily cut back or switched off~ page 274 .
Heating sys tems in par ticular require a great dea l of energy. If yo u
not ice, for example, that the seat *, w indshield * or rear w indow
hea ting is no t heat ing, they have bee n t em por arily c ut b ack or
switched off by
energy management . These systems are availabl e
aga in as soon as the ene rgy ba lance has bee n restor ed.
& WARNING
Reduced visibility is dangerous and can cause accidents .
• For safe driving it is very important that all windows be free of
ice , snow and condensation.
• Completely familiarize yourself with the proper use and func­
tion of the heating and ventilation system and especially how to defog and defrost the windows .
• Never use the windshield wiper /washer system in freezing
weather until you have warmed the windshield first , using the
heating and ventilation system. The washer solution may freeze
on the windshield and reduce visibility .
0 Note
• If you suspect that the air conditioner has been damaged, turn
on ECO N and con tac t an autho riz e d Aud i dea le r t o hav e th e sys te m
inspected .
• Re pairs t o the A udi air co nd it io ner req uire s pecia l tec hni cal
know ledge and special tools . Contact an authorized Audi dealer for
assista nce.
[ i ] Tips
• Kee p th e air in ta ke s lots (in fron t of the w inds hield) free from i ce,
snow and debris in order to maintain the proper function of the
cl im ate c ontro l sy ste m.
Controls and equip­
ment
• Air escapes through vents under the rear window . When p lacing
ite ms of c lothing on the luggage c ompartme nt cover, e nsu re th at
the openings are not covered .
• Climate c ont ro l wor ks mo st effectively if the windows and t he
power roof are c losed . However, if the interior of a parked vehicle is
e xt re mely ho t fro m the sun's rays , briefly open ing the windows ca n
speed up the cooling process .•

Warm and cold -
----------------
Turning on and off [ ON/OFF]
Turning th e air conditioning on
- Press [ON/OF F], or
- Press [AUTO].
Turning th e air conditioning off
- Press [ ON/OF F] to tu rn the air conditioner off and block
outside air f rom entering the vehicle .
The air conditioner turns back on if you press one of the control
buttons or the contro l knob .
[ i] Tip s
Resi du al h eat: With the ignition turned off, you can activate the
residual heat funct ion by press ing the [ ON/OFF] button. The
residual heat from the coo lant can be used to heat the vehic le inte ­
rior . The residua l heat function is turned off automat ical ly after 30
minutes. •
Automatic mode [AU TO]
The aut omatic mode is the standar d setting for all
seasons.
Turning on AUTO
- Select temperature between 60 °F
(+ 16 °C) and 84 °F
(+28 °C).
- Press
[AUTO]~ page 116, fig. 129.
Automatic operation ensures constant temperatures in the interior
and dehumidifies the air inside the vehicle . Air temperature, vo lume
and distr ibut ion are contro lled automat ical ly to reach or main tain
Controls and equip­
ment
the desired interior temperature as quickly as possib le. F luctuations
in exterior temperature and the effects of temperature from the
position of the sun are compensated for automatica lly.
This operating mode works only in the adjustable temperature range, from 60 °F
!+ 16 °Cl to 84 °F ( +28 °Cl. If a temperature below
60 ° F (+ 16 °C) is selected,
LO appears in the disp lay. At temperatures
above 84 °F (+28 °C),
HI is displayed . At both extreme settings,
climate control runs continuous ly at maximum cooling or heating
power . There is no temperature regulation .•
Setting the temperature
Separate temperatures can be selected for the driver's
and fr ont passenger's side.
6
fl
I . 6S rF.
,,

-\,.,/
'I
.· I
3
iii
3
:'*.
I
Fig . 13 0 MMI di spl ay:
Sett ing t he temp era­
t ur e
- Rot ate the cont ro l knob to the left to reduce the temper­
ature, or to the right t o increase t he tempera ture .
[ i ] Tips
• When you press the control knob for choos ing the temperature,
the temperature you choose wi ll a lso appear in the MMI display
~ fig. 130 .
• Synchronizi ng clim ate con trol: By pressing and ho lding the
control knob on the driver's side, t he temperature setting on the

--~W~ a~r~m ~ a~ n
~ d~ c:!:o ~l~d :._ _____________________________________________ _
Air outlets
Air distribution determines the air flow to the individual
vents .
---- P
Fig. 1 37 Ins tru me nt pa nel: a ir o utlet loca tions a nd ai rf low di rectio ns
Air outl ets G) and ©
- Turn the vertical thumbwheel beside the outlet to
increase , reduce or shut down t he airflow from that
outlet .
- To adjust the direct ion of the a irflow from the outlet,
move the tab in t he center of the outlet in the desired
direction . The direct ion of the air delivered from the
vents can be adjusted horizontally and vertically .
The air outlets are actuated either automatically or manual ly
depending on the operating mode selected. Heated or unheated
fresh air, or cooled air flows from the vents.
[ i ] Tip s
• When climate contro l is working, coo led air wi ll flow primarily
from outlets
G) and ©-To assure adequate cooling, outlets G) and
© should never be completely closed.
• The air flow coming from the vents © can be adjusted to be
colder or warmer than the selected set temperature. •
Air outlets in the rear
Outl ets in the c ente r con sol e
- Rotate the thumb wheel located next to the outlet to
open or close it.
- To adjust the direction of the airflow from the outlet,
move the tab in t he center of the outlet in the des ired
direction. The direction of the air delivered from the
vents can be adjusted horizontally and vertically .
Outl ets in th e door pillars
- Rotate the t humb wheel located next to t he out let to
open or close it.
- To adjust the d irection of the a irflow from the outlet,
move the tab in t he center of the outlet in the des ired
direction . The direction o f the air delive red from the
vents can be adjusted hor izontally and vertically .
The air outlets are actuated either automatically or manually
depending on the operating mode selected. Heated or unheated
fresh air, or cooled air flows from the vents .
The air outlets to heat the rear footwel l are located under the front
seats . _,,,

Warm and cold -
------------------------------..J
[ i J Tip s
If the climate control system is operating in cool ing mode, air flows
primarily from the outlets in the center console and in the door
pillars . To achieve adequate cooling, you should never close the
out lets completely. •
Using climate controls economically
Using the climate controls prudently can help save fuel.
When you use t he a ir conditioner, engine power is reduced
and fuel consumption increases. To save fuel, you should
use the a ir co nditioner only when necessary. Also please
note the follow ing po ints:
- If you want to save fuel, activate ECON.
If you are going to drive with the windows open, use ECON.
W For the s ake of the environm ent
By reducing the amount of fuel you use, you also reduce the amount
of pollutants emitted into the air. •
Applies to v ehicl es: with so lar slidi ng /tilt ing sunr oof
Solar blower fan /solar roof
With sufficient sunlight, the blower fan continues to
operate with solar energy to bring in fresh air after the
ignition has been switched off.
T he fan motor is operated by solar energy through the solar roof
after the igni tion is turned off. P lease make certa in that
vents ©
and© are open to achieve optimal ventilation ~ page 122, fig. 137 .
Controls a nd eq uip­
ment
The ventilation operates only with the sunroof c losed or in the tilted
position.
If the vehicle was switched off in the recirculation mode, the air
conditioning automatica lly switches to fresh air operation .
Solar operation is not activated at low outside temperatures .•
Windshield defogging/defrosting
Ap plie s to v ehic le s : with windsh ield defogg er/defr oste r
Windshield defogger /defroster ®
The win dshield defogger rem oves humidity from the
windshield.
F ig. 138 Win dsh ield
d efogger sw itc h
- Press the@ button to turn the w indshield defogger on
and
off ~ fig. 138 .
The w indshield defogger works only when the engine is running .
The indicator light in the button illuminates when the windshield defogger is turned on .
With a cold engine at outside temperatures below 41 °F (+5 °C) and in !AU TO
l operation , the windshield defogger turns on automati ­
cally . Depending on outside temperature, the windshie ld is heated .._
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

____________________________________________________ T_r_a _i_l e_ r_t_ o _ w_ i
_ n...; g=- -•
Operating instructions
M ax im um tra iler weig ht
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typ ical c lass 1 or class 2
trailer.
T ra ile r l oad d is tributi on
Be sure the load in the trailer is he ld securely in place to prevent it
from shifting forward, backward or s ideways .
Never a llow a pass enger to r ide in a trailer:::::, & in "Driving instruc­
t ions" .
Engin e coo lin g sys te m
Tow ing a trai ler makes the engine work harder. It is important that
the cooling system's performance is up to the additiona l load. Make
sure that the coo ling system has enough fluid .
Tire press ure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your veh icle to t he co ld tire
pressure listed under "Full load" on the labe l located either on the
driver's side B -pil lar (visible when the door is open) or inside the fuel
filler flap . Inflate trailer tires to trai ler and tire manufacturers' spec­
ifications.
L ig ht s
The head light settings should be checked wit h the trai ler attached
before driving off. Check to make sure both vehicle and trai ler lights
are working properly .
Safe ty c ha in s
Be s ure trailer safe ty chains are properly connected from the trailer
to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to
permit turning corners . When yo u insta ll safety chains, make sure
they will not drag on the road when you are driving.
T he chains should cross under the trailer tongue to prevent it from
dropping in case of separat ion from the hitch.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
0 Note
If you are go ing to tow a trai ler, you must activate the tra iler opera­
tion
mode :::::, page 189, "Towing a Trailer". •
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care and
consideration.
To obtain the best possib le handling of ve hicle and trailer,
p lease note t he following :
- Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself is not
loaded.
- Be especia lly careful whe n passing other vehic les .
- Observe speed limits .
- Do not drive at the maximum permiss ible speed .
- Always apply brakes early.
- Monitor t he temperature ga uge .
W eight d istr ibu tion
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results in a highly
unstable d istribution of weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at
very low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control. This means that
t he tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permis ­
sib le, while keeping the trailer as light as possib le under the circum ­
stances . Whenever possible, transfer some cargo to the luggage
compartment of the tow vehicle whi le observing tongue load
requirements and vehicle loading considera tions .
.,,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data