steering wheel AUDI S8 2009 Owner's Guide

until the vehicle has braked to the required speed. The brake assis­
tant switches itself off as soon as you release the brake pedal.
The brake assistant will not be operative if there is a malfunction in
the ABS.
& WARNING
Please remember that the accident risk always increases if you
drive too fast, especially in corners or on a slippery road, or if you
follow the vehicle ahead of you too closely. Increased risk of an
accident cannot be compensated for even by the brake assistant,
so always maintain a safe speed. •
Servotronic® -advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems uses the power of the
running engine to allow precise steering with little effort.
The advanced Servotronic ® power steering system senses the road
speed and electronically adjusts power assistance to provide
comfortable and safe steering response exactly matched to the
vehicle speed.
Power steering will not work if the engine is off. As a result, the
steering whee l wil l be hard to turn.
The power steering fluid level is checked during the scheduled
maintenance services.
0 Note
If there is an electronic malfunction, servotronic will sti ll function
like a conventional power steering system, providing a constant
steering support force that is no longer proportionate to the vehicle
speed. This is most noticeable when turning the steering whee l at
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Intelligent technology
low speeds (for examp
le when parking), -more effort will be
requ ired than usual.
• Be aware of the different than usual steering response and
adjust your steering force accordingly .
• Have the problem checked and set right by an Audi dealer as
soon as possible.
[ i ] Tips
• When the engine is running, never hold the steering whee l
turned all the way to the right or to the left for longer than 15
seconds. The power steering pump will overheat the hydraulic fluid
if you keep holding the steering whee l turned a ll the way. This is
likely to damage the power steering system.
• If the power steering system shou ld fail entire ly, or if the engine
is not running (for examp le, while being towed), you will still be able
to steer the vehicle . However,
considerably more effort will be
required to do so.
• If the power steering system shou ld have a leak, or is not func ­
t ioning properly, contact your authorized Audi dealer immediately.
• The power steering system requires a special ly formulated
hydraulic fluid. The power steering reservoir is the one located most
forward on the left side of the engine compartment=>
page 310. The
correct fluid level in the reservoir is important for proper func­
tioning of the power steering .•
Driving with your q attro®
With All Wheel Drive, all four wheels are driven.
General information
With All Whee l Drive, power is distributed to all four wheels. This
happens automatically depending on your dr iving style and the
road conditions at the time. See also=>
page 271, "Electronic differ ­
entia l lock (EDU".
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ T_ r _a_ il_e _r_ t_ o_ vv_ in__... g,_ __________________________________________________ _
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it becomes for the driver to
control the rig. Do not drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce your speed even more if load, weather or wind conditions
are unfavorable -particularly when going downhi ll.
Reduce vehicle speed
im med ia tel y if the trailer shows the slightest
sign of swaying.
Do not try to s top the swayi ng by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for vehicles towing
trai lers are lower than for regular vehicles .
Always apply brakes ear ly. When driving downhill, shift into a lower
gear to use the engine braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes a lone can cause them to overheat and fail.
C ool ant t emp era tur e
The coolant temperature gauge=> page 12 must be observed care­
fully. If the needle moves close to the upper end of the scale, reduce
speed immed iately and/or turn off the air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light in the instrument cluster
starts flashing
- F- , pull off the road, stop and let the engine idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build-up.
& WARNING
A nyo ne n ot properly re str aine d in a moving vehi cle i s at a mu ch
g re ater ri sk in an accident . Never let any on e r ide in y our car who
is n ot pr operl y wea ring th e re stra ints pr ovided b y Audi . •
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a trailer because of
the additional weight and different weight distribution. Safety, performance and economy will greatly depend on how carefully you
l
oad your trailer and operate your r ig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice turning, stopping and
backing up in an area away from traffic . Keep practicing unti l you
have become comp letely familiar with the way your vehicle-trai ler
combination behaves and responds.
Back ing up is difficult and requires practice. Backing up with a
trailer generally requires steering action opposite to that when backing up your vehic le without a tra iler.
Ma intain a greater distance between your veh ic le and the one in
front of you . You will need more room to stop. To compensate for
the trai ler, you w ill need a larger than norma l turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accelerate as fast as you nor mally wou ld because of the added load . Make su re you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your
trai ler befo re changing lanes again .
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes.
[ i ] T ips
• Do not tow a trailer during the break -in period of your vehicle.
• I f you tow a trailer, your Audi may require more frequent main te­
nance due to the extra load=>
page 382. •
Parking on a slope
Do n ot park on a slope with a trailer. If it cann ot be
avoi ded, do so only after d oing the followi ng:
When p arking :
-Apply the foot brake.
- Have someone p lace chocks under both the vehicle and
the trailer wheels. ._

________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ ,n
•
& W ARNING (continu ed )
crashes and serious personal in jur ies . Have worn or da maged t ires
replaced immediately .
• Tires age even if they are not being u sed and can fail suddenly ,
especially at high speeds. T ires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then w ith special care and at
low speed.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the co mbined we ig ht ( in excess o f those sta nda rd items
which may be rep laced) of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power w indows, powe r seats, rad io, a nd heater, to
the extent that these items are avai lab le as factory-installed equip­
m ent (w hether insta lled or not).
Aspect ratio means t he ratio o f th e height to t he w idt h of the tire in perce nt.
N umbers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewa ll for improved
steer ing respo nse and b ette r overall ha ndl ing on dry pave ment.
Bead
means the part of the tire that is made of stee l wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdow n of the bond be tween co mponents i n the bead.
Cord
m eans the strands fo rmi ng the plies in the ti re.
& W ARNING (continued )
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history. " Old used t ire s may ha ve been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and lo ss of vehicle control.
• If you noti ce unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving , always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage . •
Cold tire inflation pressure
mea ns t he ti re pressure reco mm ended by the ve hicle ma nufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been d riven for more tha n
a cou ple o f miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in t he t hre e ho ur per iod
before the tire pressure is measured or ad justed .
Curb weight
means the weight of a moto r vehic le with standard equipment
i nc lud ing the max imu m capac ity o f fue l, o il, and coola nt, a ir c ond i­
tioning and additiona l weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire des ign to operate at higher loads and at highe r infla ­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Extra load tires
may be identified as "XL", "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the side ­
wa ll.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the load -carrying capacity of a sing le ax le system, measured
at the ti re -ground interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR "l
mea ns the ma ximum tot al l oade d weigh t of the vehicle.
Vehicle care
I t •

Tires and wheels -_______________ _____.
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of different things
including proper installation and balancing, correct tire
pressure and driving style.
_/l
l '-------- ,)
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
Fig. 276 Tire tread:
tread wear indicators
(TWI)
Fig . 277 Rotating tires
for more even wear
The original tires on your vehicle have 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear
indicators":::::, fig. 276 running across the tread. Depending on the
make, there will be six to eight of them evenly placed around the
tire. Marks on the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other symbols)
indicate the positions of the tread wear indicators. Worn tires must
be replaced. Different figures may apply in other countries.:::::,&.
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at least once a month .:::::,
page 333.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration and hard braking
increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rear tires are rotated according to the
tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals. Please
remember the following:
• Tire rotation intervals may differ from the vehicle service inter­
vals outlined in your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, the
more it wears at certain points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer 's suggested tire rotation intervals .
• Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience more tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all-wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Please rotate tires as shown .:::::, fig. 277.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
:::::, page 359.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various situa­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unbal ­
anced, resulting in vibrations you can usually feel through the
steering wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tires. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed. _,,
Vehicle care I I Technical data

______________________________________________ A_ l_,_ p _h_ a_ b_e _t_i c_ a _ l _in _ d_e _ x __ _
Weight-sensing mat .... .... . ... .. 246
When must the system be inspected?
231
Aircraft Transporting your vehicle .. .... .... 371
All Wheel Drive .. .... ....... .... .... 275
Alloy wheels ... .... .... .... ... .... .. 295
All -whee l drive
Winter tires .. ..... ... .... ..... .. . 343
A lternator
See Generator .... .... ... ..... ... . 18
Anti-freeze
See Engine coolant . ...... ..... .. . 316
Anti-lock brake system How the ABS system works . .... ... 274
Warning/indicator lights ... ... .... .. 21
Anti -Slip Regulation System (ASR)
How the system works ............ 272
An ti-t heft systems
Anti -theft ala rm system ...... .... .. 60
Electronic immob ilizer ... .. .... .... 49
Ashtray Front ... ...... ...... .... ..... ... 106
Rear .... ... .. .... .... ... .... .... 107
ASR How the Anti-Slip Regulation System works .. .... .... .... ... .... .... 272
Audi Service Repair Manua ls and Literature
382
AUTO mode AC climate con tro l .. .. .... ... .... . 1 17
Auto Safety Hotline . .... ........ .... . 209
Auto -Check Contro l .... ... .. .... .... .. 28
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Automatic belt
retractor ... .. ...... ... 215
Automatic car wash
See Washing ..... .... .... .... .... 291
Au tomatic Shift Lock (ASU .... .... .... 168
Automatic transmission 6-speed automatic transmission .... 166
Automatic Shift Lock (ASU .... ... .. 168
Driving ............. ............ . 166
Dynamic sh ift program .... ........ 169
Emergency release for selector lever 171
Fa il- safe mode . ...... .... .... .... 171
I gnition key safety lock . ...... .... . 130
Kick -d ow n .... .... .... .... ... .... 169
Manual shift program ... .. .... .... 170
Selector lever .... .... .... .... .... 1 67
Shift buttons ... .. .... .... .... ... 1 71
Steering wheel with tiptronic .. .... . 171
Average speed . ...... .... .... .... ... . 38
Avoid damaging the vehicle .. ..... ... . 28 1
B
Background ligh ting . .... ...... ... .... 76
Battery ... .. .... ... .... .... .... .... 320
Battery location inside the luggage compartment ...... .... ... .. .... 32 1
Charging ........................ 323
I mpo rta nt warn ings when work ing o n the
battery . .... .... .... ........ ... 32 1
low ............................. 276
Replacing the battery ....... .... .. 324
State of charge ... .... .... .... .... 276
Winter operation . .... .... .... .... 320
Working on the battery .... .... .... 321 Battery vo
ltage . ... .... .. .... .... .... . 36
Before driving ... .... .... ..... .. .... 201
Blended gasoline . .... .... .... ...... . 303
Body cavity sealing .. .... .... .... ... . 296
Boos ter seat ... .. .... .... ... .... .... 253
How do I properly insta ll a b ooster sea t in
my vehic le? ............... ..... 253
Safety instructions .... .......... .. 253
Brake fluid Changing the brake fluid ... .... .... 320
Checking the brake fluid level .. ... . 319
What is the correct brake fluid level? 319
What should I do if the brake f luid warning
light comes on? ... .. .... .... .... 319
Brake system Ant i-lock brake system . ..... .. .... . 21
Brake assistant .... .... .... ....... 27 4
Brake booster ..... .... ... .... .... 274
Brake fluid .... .... .... ... .... .... 319
Brake f luid specificat ions for re fill and
replacement . .... .... .... ...... . 320
Brake light defective ... ...... ...... 26
Brake pads ....... .... .... .... ... 280
Electromechanica l parking brake .... 134
Fluid reservoir .. ...... ..... .. .... 319
How does m oisture or road salt affec t the
brakes? . .... .... .... ....... .... 272
Malfunction ............ ... .. ..... 30
Warning/indicator lights .... .... .... 22
Worn brake pads symbol ........... 34
Break -in period .. .... .... .... .... ... 279
Brake pads ... .... .... .... ...... . 280
Tires . .... .... .... .... ... .... .... 279
Bu lbs . ... .... .... .... ... .... ...... . 36 4
Vehicle operation Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

___ A_l.:,. p _h_ a_ b_e _t _ic _ a_l _in _ d_e _x ____________________________________________ _
H
Head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Adjusting ....................... 205
Comfort head restraints ....... .... . 91
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Headlight range control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Headlights ... .... ... .... .... ...... .. 69
Adaptive Light .... .... .... ...... .. 72 Hood
Opening 308
Release lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Horn .. ...... ............ ....... .... 11
How many a irbags does my vehicle have? ..
227
How often should I check my tire pressures?
334
How safety belt pretensioners work .... 218
Hydroplaning ........ .... .... ...... 338 Instrumen
ts and controls
General illustration ................ 11
Illumination ...................... 15
Instrument cluster .. .... ..... .. .... 12
Int erior lights
Background lighting .... ... ........ 76
Front ............................ 74
Rear ...... .... ... ..... .. . .. .. .... 75
Intermittent wiping
Rain sensor ... .... .... ...... .... . 80
Defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Front fog lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
I J
Switching off ..................... 69
Switching on ...... ....... ........ 69
Washer reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Xenon headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Heated Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Windshield ...................... 123
Heated outside mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Heated seats Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119, 125
Heated steering wheel ............... 119
Heated washer jets
Wiper and washer system . . . . . . . . . . 80
Heavy clothing and safety belts ....... 214
High beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69, 73
Warning/indicator lights . .... . ... .. 19
High voltage warning label ... .... .... 376
Homelink® universal remote control .. 194 Ignition key
129 Jack
351
Ignition lock .. .... .... .... .... .... .. 129 Jumper cables .. ...... .... .... .... .. 367
Malfunction .. .... .... ... .... ..... 33 Jump-starting .... .... .... .... ...... 366
Ignition lock posit ions .......... ..... 129
Immobilizer ......................... 14 K
Important things to do before driving .. 201
Improperly worn safety be lts ......... 218
Indicator light
Airbag system ............... 231, 232
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ......... 232
Key ...... .... .... .... ... ....... .... 47
Battery replacement master key ... .. 48
Coded settings ................... 114
Emergency key .................... 47
Key replacement .................. 47
Indicator lights ....... ... ........ .... 16
Master key ....................... 47
Infant seat ........... ........ .... .. 250
Valet key ...... .... ............... 47
How do I properly install an infant seat in Key coded settings
my vehicle? .. ...... ....... .. ... 250
Climate controls .. .......... ..... 114
Safety instructions .............. . 250
Installing a child safety seat Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 Keyless
entry remote control . .......... 48
Kick-down .... ....... .... ... .... ... 169

___ A---" lp_h_ a_b_ e_ t_ i_ c _ a_ l_ in_d_ e_x ______________________________________________ _
Safety guidelines
Seat adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Safety instructions Engine compartment ..... .... .... 309
for a booster seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
for side curtain airbags .... ....... 243
for using a conver tible child safety sea t .
251
for using an infant seat .. ......... 250
for using child safety seats ........ 248
forusingsafetybe lts ... ... .... ... 214
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag System 233
Safety lock Ignition key, automatic transmission 130
Seat adjustment Adjusting the seatback ............. 89
Driver 's seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Driver's seat memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Fron t passenger's seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Head restraints ............. .. 91,205
Lumbar support .. ............... . 90
Power seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Safety guidelines .. ... .... ..... ... 86
Seat belts Why YOU MUST wear them ..... ... 211
Seat memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Seat position Incorrect seat position . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Seating capacity . .... .... .... ... .... 211 Seating position
Driver . ... .... ...... ...... ...... 202
Front passenger .. .... .... .... ... 203
How to adjust the front seats .. .... 203
Occupants .... .... .... ... ....... 202
Rear passengers
Seats Number of seats 204
211
Selective unlock feature .... ....... ... 52
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Service and disposal Safety b elt pret ensioner . ... .... ... 219
Service interval display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Service position Windshield wipers . .... .... ....... 82
Servotronic Power steering ...... ...... .... ..
2 7 5
Shift buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Ship Transporting your vehicle . ........ 371
Side airbags Description .... .... .... .... .... .. 239
How they work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Side assist Activating and deactivating ........ 156
Description .......... ...... .... .. 156
Informationa l and alert stage signals 158
Messages in instrument cluster display .. 163
MMI settings ............ .. .. .... 162
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Safety tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Sensor detection area . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Side curtain airbags .
... .. .... .... .. . 242
Description ..... ... .... .... .... .. 242
How they work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Safety instructions . ... .... .... ... 243
Side marker lights .. ....... .... .... ... 69
Sk i sack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Snow chains ....... .... ....... .. ... 344
Sockets ........................ 107, 108
Solar blower fan/solar roof . .... ..... . 123
Sound system display Driver information disp lay . .... .... . 25
Spare wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Speed control sys tem
See Adaptive Cruise Control ...... .. 139
Speed rating letter code .. .... .... ... 340
Speed warning system ........ .... .. . . 37
Speedometer .. .... .... ... ...... ..... 14
Sport Suspension
See Adaptive Air Suspension . .... .. 188
Starting off with a trailer ... ... .... ... 136
Starting the engine .... .... ... ... 129,130
What should I do if the engine does not
start? ... .... .... .... ...... ... . 130
Steering . .... .... .... .... ... .... ... 128
Adjusting s teering column .. .... ... 128
Easy entry feature . .... .... .... ... 129
Locking the steering ....... ....... 129
Malfunction .. .. .. .... .... .... .. . . 33
Steering wheel heating .... .... ... ... 119
Steps for determining correct load limit 336
Stopping the engine .... ... .... .... .. 131

______________________________________________ A_ l_,_ p _h_ a_ b_e _t_i c_ a _ l _in _ d_e _ x __ lllll
When must the airbag system be inspected? Wiper blades
231
See Windsh ield wipers ............ . 82
When should I adjust the tire pressures? ...
334
X
When should I check the t ire pressures? 334
Where can I find the tire pressures for my Xenon-Lights · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · . 364
car? ... ... .. .... .... .... ....... 333
Why safety belts? ... .... ...... .. 211, 212
Y
Windows
I • Yellow symbols ..
..... .. .... .... .... . 34
C eaning ... .. ...... ............. 294
Convenience open feature ... .. .... . 64
Defogging ....................... 120
Defrosting ....................... 120
Rapid defrosting/defogging ........ 122
Windshield defogger/defroster . ....... 123
Windshield washer fluid Low level ......... ....... ..... ... . 35
Windshield wipers Installing new wiper blades ... ... ... 82
Intermittent wiping .. .............. 80
One -tap wiping ................ ... 80
Rain sensor ....................... 80
Service position .. .... .... ... .... .. 82
Washer reservoir ................. 325
Winter driving Windows ........................ 294
Winter operation Battery . .... ... .. .... .... ...... .. 320
Cooling system ... ....... ........ 316
Steering wheel heating .... ...... .. 119
Tir es .... .... ... ..... .......... . 275
Winter tires ... .. .... .... ..... ... ... 343
All -wheel drive . ...... .... ...... .. 343
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data