tires 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

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 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.
~

Driver inf ormation displ ay
In addit ion, a ll the values in the single-trip or the total -trip memory
can be de leted s imu ltaneously.
[ i ] Tips
All stored values will be lost if the vehicle battery is disconnected. •
MMI settings
Basic settings for the trip computer can be made in the
MM/.
Fig . 2 4 M MI di splay :
Trip com put er
S ett ing v alu es to ze ro
- Pressthe!CAR)function button.
- Select
S ystems in the CAR menu .
- Selec t
Instrum ent cluster.
- Selec t Trip compute r 1 or Trip comput er 2.
- Select Reset to delete all the values in the memory
=> fig. 24 .
Displaying and hiding dri ver inform ation
- Press the
I CAR) f unct ion butto n. - Selec
t
Syste m s in the CA R me nu.
- Select
Instrument clu ster .
- Select Trip computer 1 or Trip computer 2 .
-Select, for example, Fu el range On to tu rn on t he display
or
Off t o turn the display o ff.
All values in the s ingle -tr ip or the total -trip memory can be reset to
zero simultaneously in MMI. In addition you can de termine what
driving information from the trip computer shou ld be shown in the
ins trument cluster display. If one of the pieces of dr iver information
is turned
off, that driver information will not be shown in the display .
The informat ion wi ll continue to be calcu lated by the trip computer
and can be turned back
on at any time. •
Tire pressure monitoring system
General notes (l)
Each tire, including the spare {if provided), should be checked
monthly when co ld and in flated to the inflation pressure recom ­
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle p lacard or tire
inf lation pressure labe l. (If your vehicle has tires of a different size
than the size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pres­
sure labe l, you should determine the proper tire inf lation pressure
for those
tires.!
As an added safety feature , your vehicle has been equipped with a
t ire pressure monitoring system {TPMS) that illuminates a low t ire
pressure telltale when one or more of your tires is significantly
under -inf lated. Accordingly, when the low t ire pressure te lltale i llu­
minates , you should stop and check your tires as soon as possible,
and inf late them to the proper pressure . Driving on a significantly
under-inf lated tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
~

failure. Under-inflation also reduces fue l efficiency and tire tread
life, and may affect the veh ic le's handling and stopping abi lity.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire mainte­
nance, and it is the driver's responsibi lity to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not reached the leve l to tr igger
illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure tellta le.
Your veh icle has a lso been equipped with a TPMS malfu nction indi­
cator to indicate when the system is not operating properly . The
TPMS malfunction indicator is combined w ith the low tire press ure
telltale . When the system detects a ma lfunction , the telltale wi ll
fl ash for approximately one minute and then remain continuously
illum inated . This sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start -ups as long as the ma lfunction exists.
When the ma lfunctio n indicator is i llum inated, the system may not
be ab le to detect or signa l low tire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunctions may occ ur for a var iety of reasons, i nclud ing the
installation of replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the
vehic le that prevent the TPMS from f unctioning proper ly . Always
check the TPMS malfunction tellta le after replac ing one or more
t ires or whee ls on yo ur ve hicle to ens ure t hat the replacement or
a lternate tires and wheels allow the T PMS to continue to function
proper ly. •
Introduction
The tire pressure monit oring system m onitors air pressure
in all four road wheels and the spare tire* while the
vehicle is movin g.
As soon as the tire pressure moni toring system se nses a signi ficant
loss of air pressure in one or severa l tires, text messages and yellow
symbo ls appear in the inst rume nt cluster d isplay to aler t t he driver .
T he
(l) warning light in the instrument c luster comes on when the
t ire is sig nificant ly underinflated
=> page 20 .
Controls and equip­
ment
Driver information di splay
The warning light U) also i lluminates in the case of a system
mal fu ncti on.
The system continuous ly receives rad io signa ls from sensors
located inside each tire .
Be aware that t ire p ressu re is also dependen t on the tempera ture of
the tire . For every
18 °F (1 O °C) increase in tire temperature, tire pres­
sure increases by about 1 .5 psi (0 .1 bar). The tire warms up wh ile the
vehicle is moving and t ire pressure rises . So you should adjust tire
pressure only when the t ires are
cold, when the temperature of the
tires is roughly the same as the ambient air temperature .
I n order to keep the tire pressure monitoring system properly cali ­
brated, tire pressure on all four tires and on the spare tire* should
be checked at regular intervals, adjusted if n ecessary and saved in
the proper setti ng (recommended
pressure) => page 44.
The tire pressure is shown on the tire pressure label. On USA vehi ­
cles, the tire pressure labe l is located on the drive r's s ide B -p ill ar. On
Canada vehicles, the tire pressure labe l is located either on the
driver's side B -pillar o r inside the fuel fi ller flap. The t ire press ure
label l ists t he recommended cold tire inflat io n pressures for t he
vehic le at its maximum capacity weight and the tires that were on
your ve hicle at the time it was manufactured . For recommended tire
pressures for normal load condit ions, please see chapter
=> page 328 .
The current temperatures and pressure of your tires can be viewed
in the M MI
=> page 43 .
& WARNING
• When the tire pre ssure monitoring system warning light i s lit ,
one or more of your tires is signifi cantly under -infl ated . You should
stop and check your tires a s soon a s po ssible , and inflate them to
the proper pre ssure a s indi cated on the vehi cle' s tire pre ssure
label
=> page 328 . Driving on a significantly under -inflated tire
ca use s the tire to o verheat and can lead to tire failure. Under -infla -
~

Driver information display
& WARNING (continued)
tion also is likely to impair the vehicle's handling and stopping
ability.
• Do not adjust tire pressure when tire temperature is excessive .
This could lead to serious tire damage and even cause the tire to
burst, with the additional danger of an accident.
W For the sake of the environment
Driving with under -inflated tires reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life.
[ i) Tips
• Each tire, including the spare*, should be checked monthly when
cold and set to the recommended inflation pressure as specified on
the tire pressure label
=> page 328.
• The tire pressure monitoring system helps the driver to keep an
eye on tire pressures. But the driver still has the responsibility for
maintaining the correct tire pressure .
• Tire pressure must only be adjusted when the temperature of the
tires is about the same as ambient air temperature.
• When tires are replaced, the sensors and valves should not be
detached or exchanged. Only the valve core needs to be replaced
and, if necessary, the valve and the wheel electronics replaced.
• If you should put different wheels and tires on your vehicle (e .g.
winter wheels and tires), you must be certain that the wheels and
tires are compatible with the tire pressure monitoring system .
Otherwise the system will register a malfunction and a fault
message will be displayed. For more information, contact your
authorized Audi dealer.
• Adjust the tire pressure and store the pressure in the tire pres ­
sure monitoring system to the load you are
carrying => page 328. •
Significant loss of air pressure ( )
The yellow symbol appears in the event of a significant
loss of air pressure.
Fig . 25 Display: yellow
symbol with message
Fig . 26 Display: yellow
symbol without
message
If the warning light in the instrument cluster:::::, page 20
illuminates and then the ( symbol appears in the display
:::::, fig. 25 or:::::, fig. 26, this means the tire pressure is too low
in one or several tires (including spare tire* with sensor).
Stop driving as soon as possible without endangering
yourself or other drivers on the road.
- Inspect the tire or tires.
Change the tire if
necessary:::::, page 351.

The j warning light in the instrument cluster comes on when the
tire is significantly underinflated.
In addition, the tire symbo l
) appears in the display together with
the message
Please check tire pressure => page 42, fig. 25.
Af ter a few seconds, the message disappears again:::>
page 42,
fig. 26. If you would like to show the message again, press the
!CHECK] button.
[ i] Tips
• In the case of an intentional loss of air pressure, for example,
when re-adjusting tire pressure, this has to be stored again after­
wards =>
page 44.
• Current information about tire pressures and temperatures can
be scanned in MMI =>
page 43.
• Tire pressure must only be adjusted when the temperature of the
tires is about the same as ambient a ir temperature .
• The yellow symbol disappears, when the tire pressure is
corrected and the new pressure is stored in the system=>
page 44.
• After changing a wheel you have to adjust the tire pressures on
all whee ls . In addition, you must then initialize the new tire pres­
sures in the tire pressure monitoring system =>
page 45.
• If your vehicle is equipped with a spare tire* with a wheel sensor,
the tire will be monitored and the display
symbols => page 42, fig. 25
or=>
page 42, fig. 26 will appear if the pressure is too low.•
Controls and eq uip­
ment
Driver information display
Displaying tire pressures and temperatures
The current status of the tires can be displayed in MM/.
'
!
Tire pressure monitoring
• Disp lay tire pressures ...
I
Fig . 27 MMI display :
T ire pres sure moni­
toring system
12 :QQ AM
Turn on the ignition.
Press the
I CAR I function button.
Select
Systems in the CAR menu.
Select
Tire pressure monitoring .
,. •I
Fig. 28 MMI display:
Displaying the tire
pressure
Select Display tire pressures . The tire pressures and
temperatures are displayed
~ fig. 28.
Current tire pressures are shown in green and yellow numbers. The
meaning of the colors is as follows:
~
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

Driver inf ormation displ ay
• Green: If current tire pressure and the spec ified pressure are
approximate ly the same, t he tire pressure is shown in green.
• Yellow : If current tire pressure is too low with respect to specified
pressure, the tire pressure is shown in yellow.
[ i ] Tips
• During the learn ing period, t ire pressure and t ire temperature
are not displayed . Horizontal lines--,-- are displayed for pressure
and temperature.
• The tire pressure is shown on the label located either on the
driver's side B-pi llar (visible when the door is open) or ins ide the fuel
filler flap .
• The tire pressure monitor ing system he lps the driver to keep an
eye on tire pressures . But the driver stil l has the responsibility for
maintaining the correct t ire pressu re .•
Storing tire pressures
Correct storage of specified pressure is the basic require­
ment for reli able tire pressure moni toring .
In order for the tire pressure monitor ing system to o perate
appropr iately, you have to re-save the specified p ressures
whenever you adjust tire pressure, for example when the load condition of your vehicle changes . Proceed as fo llows :
Correcting tire pressure
-Check t he pressure in the tires ( includin g the spare tire*).
-Ad just air pressure as needed in accordance with the
informat io n on the label loca ted either on the d river 's
side B- pillar (visible whe n the do or is ope n), ins ide the
f u el fill er flap a nd a ddit ionally in the manua l.
Saving tire pressur es
-Tur n on the ignition .
-Press the I CAR] fu nct ion button .
-Select Systems in the CAR me nu.
-Selec t Tire pressure monitoring .
-Select Store curr. tire pressures=> page 43, fig. 27.
A ll pressure warning indicators in the display wi ll be cance led .
Following each intentional cha nge in speci fied pressures, tire pres ­
sures must be resaved.
Afte r the pressures are saved, the tire pressure monitoring system
measures the current t ire pressures and saves them as the new
specified pressures .
[ i] Tip s
• T he tire pressure is shown on the tire pressure label. On USA
veh ic les, the tire pressure label is loca ted on the driver's side B­
pillar . On Canada vehicles, the tire pressure labe l is located either on
t he dr iver's side B -p illar or i nside the fuel filler flap . The t ire pressure
label lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures for the
vehic le at its maximum capacity weight and the tires tha t were on
your vehicle at the time it was manufactured . For recommended tire
pressures for normal load conditions, please see chapter
=> page 328.
• The tire pressure monitoring system he lps the driver to keep an
eye on tire pressures. But the driver still has the responsibility for
maintaining the correct tire pressure.
• If your vehic le is equipped with a standard spare tire *, it must be
inflated to the maximum pressure spec ified for the vehicle. •

Changing a wheel When you change a wheel, the new tire must be initial­
ized.
Turn on the ignition.
Press the
I CAR I function button.
- Select
Systems in the CAR menu .
- Selec t
Tire pressure monitoring .
-Select Initialize wheels ~ page 43, fig. 27.
Programming is necessary:
• After the tires have been rotated on the vehicle (including use of
the spare tire*),
• If tires with new wheel sensors are used.
All pressure warning and system malfunction indicators in the
display will be canceled.
If a wheel change has been made, it is necessary to complete the
Initialize wheels function.
Th e tire pressure monitoring system is not available dur ing the
programming process and no pressure and temperature values are
displayed on the MMI display.
After you have selected the funct ion, the new wheels are
programmed and the actual pressures are stored. This learning
phase can take up to 20 minutes driving time.•
Contro ls a nd eq uip­
ment
Driver information display
Malfunctions
A malfunction can have various causes.
Fig. 29 Display:
Syste m malfunction
If the ...., warning light in the instrument cluster flashes for approxi­
mately one minute and then remain continuously illuminated and
additional ly the
=> fig. 29 symbol appears in the display, the
tire pressure monitoring system is not available. This can have
various causes.
• If the message appears at the end of the learning process, the
system cannot recognize the wheels installed on the vehicle. This
can be because one or more wheels without a wheel sensor were
insta lled .
• A wheel sensor or other component may have failed.
• The system has detected more than 5 wheels with wheel sensors
in the vehicle, for example when carrying snow tires.
• A tire was changed but the
Initialize wheels function was not
activated
=> page 45.
• Audi replacement parts were not used.
• If snow chains are being used, system function can be compro­
mised due to the shielding properties of the chains.
• The tire pressure monitoring system may not be available
because of a radio malfunction.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

On the road -----------------
Parking
To prevent a parked vehicle from rolling away, there are a
few things you should do.
When you park your vehicle, do the following
- Stop the vehicle using the brake pedal.
- Pull the switch to apply the electromechanical parking
brake.
- Move the selector lever into the
P position => &.
- Switch off the engine and remove the ignition key from
the ignition lock.
When you park your vehicle on hills, do the
following
- Stop the vehicle using the brake pedal.
- Pull the switch to apply the electromechanical parking
brake.
- If you are parking headed
downhill, turn the front wheels
toward the curb.
- If you are parking headed
uphill, turn the front wheels
awayfrom the curb.
- Move the selector lever into the
P position.
- Switch off the engine and remove the ignition key from
the ignition lock.
& WARNING
This is how you can reduce the risk of injury when leaving your
vehicle.
Controls and equip­ ment
&, WARNING (continued)
• Never park the vehicle where it can come in contact with dry
grass, spilled fuel or any other flammable materials.
• When parking on hills, always turn the wheels so that the front
wheels will first roll into the curb, if the vehicle should start to roll.
• Never allow anyone -especially small children -to remain
in the
vehicle when it is locked. Locked doors make it more difficult for
rescuers to access the passenger compartment in the event of an
emergency. Danger to life!
• Never leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. Children
could release the parking brake or move the gearshift lever out of
gear. The vehicle could start to roll away and cause an accident.
• No matter what the season is, the temperature in a parked
vehicle can reach dangerous levels.
0 Note
• Please exercise care when you park your vehicle in parking areas
with parking barriers or curbs . Parking barriers and curbs vary in
height and could damage your bumper and related components as
the front of your vehicle moves over a barrier or curb that is too high, as you park or as you back out of a parking spot. In order to be
sure that no such damage can occur, you may wish to stop short of
having the front tires of your car touch the parking barrier or curb.
• Please also exercise exceptional care when you drive up or down
steep ramps or drive over curbs or other obstacles, for which the
vehicle is not designed , because components of the vehicle close to
the ground, such as bumper covers, spoilers and suspension and
exhaust system components, may become damaged. •