technical data 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

Memories
The trip computer is equipped with two fully automatic
memories.
Fig . 22 Trip computer
display: memory level 1
You can switch between the trip computer 1 and 2 by pressing the
Reset button
@ =>fig. 23.
You can tell which memory level is currently active by the number in
the
display => fig. 22. The data from the single -trip memory
(memory level 1) is being displayed if a
1 appears. If a 2 is shown,
then the data from the total -trip memory is being displayed
(memory level 2).
Single-trip memory (Trip computer 1)
The single-trip memory stores the trip information from the time the
ignition is turned on until it is turned off. If the trip is continued
within 2 hours from the time the ignition was turned off, the new
data will be included in the calculation of the current trip informa ­
tion. If the trip is interrupted for
more than 2 hours the memory is
reset automatically .
Total-trip memory (Trip computer 2)
Unlike the single-trip memory, the total -trip memory is not reset
automatically . This permits you to evaluate your driving data for the
entire period between manual resets .•
Contro ls a nd eq uip­
ment
Driver information display
Operation
The trip computer is controlled by two switches on the
windshield wiper lever.
Fig. 23 Windshield
wiper lever : controls
for the trip computer
Push the function selector switch up or down @
~ fig. 23. This will cause the five distinct trip computer
functions to be displayed one after another.
The trip computer only operates when the ignition is on. When you
turn on the ignition, the function that was in use when you last
turned the ignition off will be displayed.
In addition to the trip computer information (memory level 1 or 2) ,
navigation information and Adaptive Cruise Control * information
can be displayed . To switch the display between the different
systems, tap the Reset button
@ briefly.
Setting values to zero
To delete one current value from the trip computer, select the
desired function and press the Reset button @ for at least one
second. The following values can be set to zero
individually using
the Reset button:
• elapsed time
• average fuel mileage
• average speed
Vehicle care I I Technical data

-Rotate the control knob clockwise to increase the bright­
ness, and
Rotate the control knob
counterclockwise to reduce the
brightness.
When the vehicle is unlocked, the standard lighting turns on auto­
matically and dims after approx. 2 minutes, and when the ignition is
turned on it switches off immediate ly.
A background lighting profile can be switched on manually using
the light profile
switch ~ page 76, fig. 68. This wi ll turn off automat ­
ically after 30 minutes when the ignition is off. To reac tivate , press
the lighting profile switch.
Lighting profiles that were selected while driving remain active
during the course of travel.
The following lighting profiles can be adjusted and
dimmed in the MMI:
Driver's side footwell
Passenger's side foot -
well
Rear footwell
Rear door trim panel
Front interior lighting
Rear interior lighting
[ i J Tips
Highway
X
X
X
X X
X X
X
X
Cockpit Rear
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Lighting profiles are stored on the remote control key being used. •
Controls a nd eq uip­
ment
Clear vision
Vision
Sun visors
Using the sun visors makes driving safer.
] ~
J_~---~..r-:::Jli
WAANINO ..,
f,":a(S) ::-,....= ~ =­
=:.:=-..:GJ
- -, - ~~ ,.. __ ..... _ ... -----__ ..., ______ ---
~
,l,
\,;....l--------:.:r.::Jli
WAANINO ATTENTIOH
-- ---­
_____ ,.. ..
-----··
___ .. _
-·- ------------- ·----·---... -------------·-----
Fig . 69 Sun visor
Fig. 70 Sun visor with
two-part vanity mirror
The sun visors for the driver and front passenger can be removed
from their center mountings and moved toward the door windows
G) ~ fig. 69 to protect against side glare. After you have moved the
sun visors so that they are parallel to the door windows, you can pull
out the extensions.
Between the visors for the driver and the passenger there is a
folding visor which can be used to cover the space above the rear
view mirror.
Vehicle care I I Technical data

-To angle the seat cushion down, push the switch at the
front
only~ ,&.
Alternatively, pull the switch at the rear only~ ,&.
& WARNING
• Never adjust the driver's or front passenger's seat while the
vehicle is moving . If you do this while the vehicle is moving, you
will be out of position . Always adjust the driver's or front
passenger's seat when the vehicle is not moving.
• Be careful when adjusting the seat height . Check to see that no
one is in the way, or serious injury could result!
• Because the seats can be electrically adjusted with the ignition
key removed, never leave children unattended in the vehicle. Unsu­
pervised use of the electric seat adjustments may cause serious
injury. •
Applies t o vehicles: with massage funct ion
Massage function
0 0
.. .. ······-t
Fig . 84 Power seat:
Massage function
-Press the switch to turn on the massage function.
The massage function runs for about 10 minutes. The passenger's
back is massaged by continuous adjustment of the lumbar support.
Contro ls a nd eq uip­
ment
Seats and storage
The curvature of the lumbar support can also be adjusted during the
Massage to make it more or less aggressive. This varies the intensity
of the
Massage to the level desired by the occupant .
Once the massage function stops after about 10 minutes, the
lumbar support automatically returns to the position in which it was
last set.
[ i] Tips
The massage function can be interrupted at any time by pressing
the switch. The lumbar support remains in its current position. •
Adjusting the seatback
-:_____ ·----· ... ___ ..._._ ..
Vehicle care I I
Fig. 85 Power seat:
Switch for seat back
angle
Fig. 86 Power seat:
Switch for adjusting
upper seatback section ...
Technical data

& WARNING
Never adjust the lumbar support while the vehicle is moving. If you
adjust your seat while the vehicle is moving, you are out of posi­
tion. Never adjust the seatback when the vehicle is moving. •
Seat adjustments in MMI
The passenger's seat can be adjusted to various positions
by the driver.
Convenience side view
- Select Systems in the CAR menu.
Select Seat adjustment.
-Select Passenger's seat.
Fig. 88 MMI display :
Passenger's seat
-Select Convenience side view~ fig. 88.
- Continue to press the control knob until the adjustment
process is complete.
Seat symmetry
-Select Systems in the CAR menu.
Controls a nd eq uip­
ment
Seats and storage
-Select Seat adjustment.
-Select Passenger's seat.
-Select Seat symmetry.
-Continue to press the control knob until the adjustment
process is complete.
Using the Convenience side view function, the passenger 's seat is
adjusted so that the d river has the best possible view to the r ight .
When the Convenience side view is set, the specific position of the
drive r's seat is taken into considera tion.
Using the
Seat symmetry function, the passenger's seat can be
moved to the same position as the driver's seat. The settings for the
driver's seat are imported and set automatically. •
Head restraints
Adjusting head restraints, front seats
The head restraints must be adjusted properly to provide
protection.
Vehicle care I I
Fig . 89 Driver's seat
head restraint
adjusting the height
..,
Technical data

__________________________________________________ S_ e_ a_t _s _ a_n _ d_ s_ t
_ o_ r_a ""'g :c.. e _ ___.ffllll
fl::. W ARNING (continued )
• Never exceed the maximum permi ssible load carrying capa city
of the roof of you r vehi cle , the p ermi ssible axle weight s and the
permissible tot al w eig ht of your
vehicle ~ page 375, "Weight s".
• Alwa ys drive slo wly, av oid sudden brak ing and maneuver s
when transporting cargo on th e roof of your vehicle.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Sometimes it may be easier to leave a roof rack insta lled even
though you are not using it. Due to the increased a ir resistance your
veh icle wi ll unnecessarily use more fuel. Remove the roof rack if you
a re no t going to use it .•
Cupholder
Cupholder in center console
The cupholder is located under a cover.
Fi g. 110 Cente r
c on sole : Cuphold er
To o pen t he cup holder, press the forward edge of the
cover.
Two beverages can be carried in the cupholder.
Contro ls a nd eq uip­
ment
& WARNING
Spilled hot l iqui d can c ause a n accident and pe rsona l injur y.
• Never car ry any b everage con tainer s with hot liquid s, such as
hot coffee or hot tea , in the veh icle w hile it i s mov ing . In c ase of an
accident, sudden brakin g or other vehicle movement, h ot liquid
c ould spill , cau sing scald ing bu rn s. Spilled hot liquid can also
cause an ac cident and per sonal injury .
• Use only s oft cups in the cuph older. Hard cups and glasses c an
cause injury in an accid ent.
0 Note
Only drink containers wi th lids should be carried in the cupholder .
Liquid could spi ll out and damage your vehicle's electronic equip­
ment or stain the upho lstery, etc. •
Cupholder in the rear center armrest
The cupholder is located in the center console .
Opening the cupholder
8 . w 1li
Fig. 111 Rea r cen te r
a rm re st : c uph olde r
e xt end ed
Press both spots marked with 'i @ ~ & .The holder
extends
~ fig . 111.
Vehicle care I I Technical data

_________________________________________________ A_ u_t_ o_ m_ a_t _i _c _ t
_ ra_ n_s_ m __ is_s_ io_ n _ ___.1111
Select R only when the vehicle is at a full stop and the engine is
running at idle
speed => & in "Driving the automatic transmission"
on
page 763 .
Before you move the selector lever to R, press both the button in the
handle of the selector lever
and the brake peda l at the same time .
When the ignition is on, the backup lights illuminate when the selector lever is moved into
R.
N -Neutral
The transmission is in neutral in this position. Shift to this position
for standing with the brakes applied =>
page 165.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always apply the footbrake before and while moving the lever out of
N.
D -Normal position for driving forward
Position Dis for normal city and highway driving. It ranges from zero
to top speed and all six gears shift automatically, depending on
engine load, driving speed and automatically selected shift
programs.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always apply the foot brake before and while moving the
lever to
D out of N .
In certain circumstances it may be advantageous to temporarily
switch to the manual shift program to manually select gear ratios to
match specific driving
conditions => page 167.
S -Sport position
Select this position for sportier performance. In this position, the
transmission will not upshift as soon, allowing the vehicle to use the increased power available at higher engine speeds to achieve live ­
lier acceleration.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds below 3 mph (5 km/h),
you must always apply the foot brake before and while moving the
lever to
S out of N.
Contro ls a nd eq uip­
ment
& WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS => & in "Driving the automatic
transmission " on
page 163.
0 Note
Coasting downhill with the transmission in N and the engine not
running will result in damage to the automatic transmission and
possibly the catalytic converter. •
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL)
Automatic shift lock prevents you from accidentally
shifting into a forward gear or into reverse, thus causing
the vehicle to move unintentionally.
Fig . 185 Shift gate
selector lever lock
positions and interlock
button highlighted
The selector lever lock is released as follows :
Turn the ignition on.
Step on the brake pedal.
At the same time press and hold
the lock button on the side of the gear selector knob
=:> fig. 185 with your thumb until you have moved the
selector lever to the desired position.
~
Vehicle care I I Technical data

________________________________________________ D_r_iv _ i
_ n..; g::;_ S_ a_ fe---' ly'---_JIII
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occupant safety
always depends on the informed and careful driver.
For your safety and the safety of your passengers, before
driving always:
- Make sure that all lights and signals are operat ing
correctly.
- Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
- Make sure that all windows are clean and afford good
visibility to the outside.
- Secure all luggage and other items
carefully => page 109.
-Make sure that nothing can interfere with the pedals.
- Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors correctly for your height .
- Instruct passengers to adjust the head restraints
according to their height.
- Make sure to use the right child restraint correctly to
protect
children => page 243, "Child Safety".
- Sit properly in your seat and make sure that your passen ­
gers do the
same => page 86, "General recommenda ­
tions".
- Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly. Also instruct
your passengers to fasten their safety belts properly
=> page 209. •
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of the
vehicle, the driver as well as the driver's ability to concen­
trate on the road without being distracted.
The driver is responsible for the safety of the vehicle and all
of its occupants. If your ability to drive is impaired, safety
risks for everybody in the vehicle increase and you also
become a hazard to everyone else on the road
=>& .There ­
fore:
Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers or by
using a cellular telephone .
NEVER drive when your driving ability is impaired (by
medications, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
- Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and speed limits
and plain common sense .
- ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and weather
conditions.
- Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive for more
than two hours at a stretch.
- Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pressure or when
you are stressed .
& WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk of serious personal
injury and death whenever a vehicle is being used. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data