service AUDI S8 2008 Owners Manual

Table of contents
Do-it-yourself service ... 347
What do I do now? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Trunk escape handle . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Emergency warning triang le . . . . . 348
Jack, tools and spare wheel . . . . . . 349
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . 358
Bu lbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 362
Em ergency s ituat ions . . . . . . . . . . 36 4
Gener al . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Sta rting by pushing or towing . . . . 364
Start ing with jumper cab les . . . . . . 364
Use of jumper cab les . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Em erge ncy towing with commercia l
t ow truck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Lifting vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Technical data
General information
373
37 4
Expla nation of technical data . . . . 374
Vehic le ident ificat ion . . . . . . . . . . . . 374 Displaying Vehic
le Identifica tion
Number in MMI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Dim ensio ns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 78
350 hp, 8 -cylinder engine, with all
whee l dr ive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
450 hp, 12-cylinder engine , wi th all
whee l drive, long wheel base . . . . 379
Consumer Information . . . . . . . . . 380
Warran ty coverages . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Operating you r veh icle outs ide the
U.S.A. or Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Audi Serv ice Repair Manuals and
Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Ad ditional accessor ies,
mod ificat ions and parts
rep lacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Alphabetical index . . . . . . 385

Vehicle literature
In addition to this Owner's Manual, your Audi comes with the
• MMI Operating Instructions
• Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
If you are missing one of these publications, or if you believe that
the informat ion is not comp lete, contact your author ized Audi
dea ler for assistance .
MMI Operating Instructions
contain detailed description of the Audi Multi Media Interface (MMI)
including the navigation system, the sound system and the hand­
held phone .
The Warranty & Maintenance booklet
explains how you can keep your Audi in top driving condition by
having it serviced regu lar ly and contains detai led information about
the warranties covering your Audi. Always have the booklet with you
when you take your vehicle to an aut horized Aud i dea ler for service.
Your Audi Serv ice Adviser will record each schedu led service and
can answer any questions you may have regarding how to maintain
your vehic le.
In Canada,
the vehicle literature is a lso avai lab le in French. To obtain a copy,
co ntact your dealer or write to :
Au Canada , on peut se procurer un exemplaire en
fran9ais de ce
document
aup res du concessionna ire ou de:
Volkswagen Canada Inc .
Cl ient Assistance
Assistance a la Clientele
777 Bay ly Street, West,
Ajax , Ontario L 1 S 7G7
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
V
ehi cle lite rat ur e
If you sell your Audi
a ll l iterature should be left in the vehic le to make the Warranty terms
as well as all operating, safety and maintenance information avail ­
able to the next owner .
If you change your address or if you bought this
Audi used
be sure to send in a "Notice of Address Change"/ "Notice of Used
Car Purchase" post card. This card can be found in the Warranty
&
Ma intenance booklet or obtained from your authorized Aud i dealer.
It i s in your o wn inte re st th at w e are able to conta ct you should the
need ari se .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Controls and equip­ment Safety first
Vehicle operation Vehicle care
About this Owner's Manual
Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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 . •

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

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

Driver 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. •

Clear vision
To ensure the system works properly in winter, keep the washer jets
free of snow and remove any ice using a de -icing spray. •
Service position
The wiper blades can only be changed in the service posi­
tion.
Windshield wipers
'
• Serv ice posit ion
~ I I

12 :00 AM • ·I , I; J:: Fig . 77 MMI display :
Windshield wipers
-At below freezing outside temperatures, make sure first
that the wiper blades are not frozen to the windshield.
- Press the
I CAR I function button.
Select
Systems in the CAR menu.
Select
Windshield wipers . The Windshield wipers menu
appears~ fig. 77.
- Select
Service position on to turn the service position on
or
off to retu rn the windshield wiper to its original posi­
tion.
You must only attempt to change the wiper blades when the service position is activated. This way, when you are working on the wind­
shield wipers, you can avoid damaging the paint on the engine
hood.
[ i ] Tips
• You can also turn on the service position, for example, if you
want to protect the windshield from icing, using a cover.
• The service position turns itself
off, whenever you use the wind­
shield wiper lever.•
Installing new wiper blades
Wiper blades in good condition help keep the windshield
clear.
g
. = .!i
Fig . 78 Removing the
wiper blades
Fig. 79 Installing
wiper blades

Rem oving a wip er blade
- Bring the windshield wipers to the service pos ition
=> page 82 .
- Lift the wiper arm away from t he windshield.
- Pu sh t he locking piece on the wiper blade in the direction
of the
arrow @=> page 82, fig. 78. Hold the wiper b lade
firmly .
- Remove the wiper b lade @.
Inst allin g wip er bl ad e
- Place the new wiper blade in the retainer on the wiper
arm ©=> page 82, fig. 79.
- Pu sh t he locking piece on the w iper blade in the direction
of the
arrow @ until you feel it click into place on the
wiper arm .
Clean your wiper b lades regularly with a windshield washer solution
to prevent streaking . If the bla des are very dir ty, for example with
insects, carefully clean the b lades with a sponge or a soft brush .
I f the wiper b lades begin to s treak the windshie ld, t his could be
caused by residue left on the windshield by automatic car washes.
Fil l the windshield washer container with a special solution avail ­
able at your authorized Audi dealer to remove the residue .
& WARNING
Be sure t o in spe ct the condition of you r w iper bl ade s regul arly . S ee
your auth orized Audi de aler for repla ceme nt bl ade s.
0 Note
To prevent damage to the wiper system :
Controls and equip­
ment
Clea r vision
• Always loosen blades which are frozen to the windshield before
operating wipers.
• Do not use gaso line, kerosene, paint thinner, or other solvents on
or near t he wiper blades .
• Do not attempt to move the wipers by hand .
[ i] Tip s
Commercial hot waxes app lied by automatic car washes affect the
c leanabi lity of the windshield .•
Mirrors
Rear view mirror
When the ignition is on, the interior m irror w ill darken automatically
depending on the amount of light striking the mirror (suc h as head­
lights shining into the vehic le from the rear!. The mi rror wi ll retu rn
to the origina l state (anti -glare off) when you move the manual gear­
shift/gear selector lever into
Re verse or when you turn on the inte ­
rior lights.
[ i ] Tips
The automa tic an ti-g lare feature on the m irror wil l not operate prop­
e rly if the light shining on the inside mirror is b locked by other
objects. •