brake fluid AUDI S8 2010 Owners Manual

Pedal area ... ........ ......... 192
S towing luggage .............. 193
Reporting Safety Defects ....... 195
Safety be lts ................... 197
General notes ................. 197
Why safety belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Safe ty be lt pretensioners . . . . . . . 204
Airbag system ................ 206
Important th ings to know . . . . . . 206
F ront airbags ......... ........ 210
Mon ito ring the Advanced A irbag
Syst em ...................... 217
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 22
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Side curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Child Safety ................... 231
Important things to know ...... 231
Child safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Ins ta lling a ch ild safety seat . . . . 24 1
LAT CH Lower anchorages and
t ethers for chi ldren . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Add itiona l Informa tion 251
Vehicle operation ...... 252
Intelligent tec hno logy ........ 252
Notice about data recorded by
v e hicl e contro l modu les . . . . . . . . 252
Electronic Stab ili z ati on Program
(ESP) ........................ 252
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Servotronic ® -advanced power
steer ing system ............ ... 257
Dr iving with your quattro® ...... 257
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Driving and environment
..... 261
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km)
and afterwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Avoid damaging the veh icle 263
Dr ivi ng th rough wat er on roads . 263
Operate your veh icle economica lly
and m inimi ze po llution . . . . . . . . 263
Trailer towing ................ 266
Dr iving wi th a traile r . . . . . . . . . . . 266
T railer tow ing tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Vehicle care .............. 270
Clea nin g and pro tect ion ...... 270
General information . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Care of exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Care of interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Fuel supply and filling your fuel
tank .......................... 283
Gasol ine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
F u el tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Eng ine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Eng ine compartment . . . . . . . . . . 290
Engine oil ............... ..... 291
Engine cooling system . . . . . . . . . 296
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Bat tery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
W indshield/head light washer
containe r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Tires and wheels .............. 306
Ti res 306
T ir e pressure monitor ing system 326
Table of contents
Do-it-yourself service
What do I do now? .......... .
Trunk escape handle ......... .
Emergency wa rning tria ngle ... .
Jack, tools and spare wheel ... .
Changing a wheel ........... . .
Fuses and bulbs ............. .
Fuses ...................... .
Bulbs ...................... .
Emergency situations ....... .
General ..................... .
Starting by pushing or towing ..
S tarting with jumper cables ... .
Use of j umper cables ......... .
Emergency towing with
commercial tow truck ........ .
Lifting vehicle ............... .
Technical data
General information
Explanat ion of technical data .. .
Vehicle identification ......... .
We ig hts ... ....... ....... ... .
Dimensions ................. .
Data .......... ......... ...... .
350 hp, 8-cylind er engine, with all
whee l dr ive ................. .
Consumer Information ...... .
Warranty coverages .......... .
Ope rating your vehicle outs ide the
U.S.A. or Canada ............. .
Aud i Se rvice Repair Man uals and
Literature ................... . 332
332
332
332
333
335
342
342
346
348
348
348
3
4 8
349
350
353
356
356
356
356
357
357
360
360
361
361
361
361
Vehicle operation Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Malfunction in the electronic differential lock (EDL)
The ED L works toge ther w ith the ABS. The ABS warn ing lig ht w ill
come on if there is a mal func tion in the EDL system=>
page 253 . See
your authorized A udi dea le r as soon as poss ible .
& WARNING
• If the .. (USA models )/ ...,. (Canada models ) wa rning light
does not go out , or if it comes on while driving, the ABS system is
not working properly. The vehicle can then be stopped only with
the standard brakes (without ABS ). You will not have the p rotec­
tion ABS provide s. Contact you r Audi dealer as soon as pos sible .
• USA models: If the BRAKE warning light , the ., warning light
and the warning light come on together , the rear wheel s
could lock up first under hard braking . Rear wheel lock-up can
c ause loss of vehicle control and an accident. Have you r vehicle
repaired immediate ly by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified
workshop. Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake applica ­
tions .
• Canada models: If the brake warning light «D>, the wa rning
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 los s of vehicle control and an accident . Have your vehicle
repaired immediately by your authorized Aud i dealer or a qualified
workshop . Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake
applic ations. •
Electromechanical parking brake
::E {USA models) / (®) {Canada models)
The warning/indicator light monit ors the electromechan­
ical parking broke .
With the pa rking bra ke app lied and the ignition t urned on, the
wa rning/ind icator light illuminates. Afte r the ign it ion has been
t u rne d off, the wa rning/indicator light continues to illuminate for about 30 seconds.
If the park
ing brake is applied w ith the ign ition
tur ned off, the w arning/ind ic a tor ligh t illumi nates fo r abo ut 3 0
seconds.
Th e warning/ind icator light will go out when the parking brake is
re lease d.
If the war ning/ indicator lig ht flashes cont inuous ly
after applying the
p ar king bra ke, bra king fo rce is no t sufficien t to prevent the vehicle
from rolling unintentionally . T his can happe n if the brakes become
too hot. P lease note the fo llowi ng:
• If the slope of the ground is too s teep to par k the ve hicl e, th e addi­
tional drive message appea rs
Caution: Vehicle parked too steep .
• In the event of a pa rking brake mal func tion, the yellow • symbol
appea rs in the instrument cluste r display and the driver message
Parking brake malfunction! is d isplayed. Have t he ma lf u n ct io n
re paire d as soon as possib le by a q ualified Audi dealership .•
Brake system BRAKE (USA
models)
/ (CD) {Canada models)
The warning/indicator ligh t flashes if brak e fluid l eve l is
low, if there is an A BS system malfunction or a parking
brake malfunction.
Th e light illum ina tes when the igni tion is t urned o n. It goes out after
the engine has been started . This indicates that t he brake warn ing
light is fu nctioni ng p roperly.
If the brake warning light does not light up when the engine is
cranking , there may be a malfunction in the electrical system. In
this case, contact your Audi dealer.
If the brake system wa rning/indicator light flashes, there is a brake
system malfunc tion . By press ing the
I C H ECK ] button, you can b ring
up a driver message which explains the malfunction in mo re detail
=>
page 28. ~

If the ABS, ESP and brake force distribution fail, the ABS indicator
li ght (U SA mode ls)/ ( Can ad a models) and the ESP indica to r
light come on alo ng w it h the brake system malfu nction light
BRAKE (U SA models) /(Ci) (Ca nada models) . The message Brake fault!
Drive carefully to nearest workshop appears in the inst rument
cl uster disp lay and three consecut ive warning tones sound =>& .
(USA models): If the w arning lig ht
BRAKE and the wa rn in g light illu­
minate together, immediately contact your author ized Audi dealer or
qu alifie d wo rkshop to h ave all bra ke p ads in spec ted =>
page 32.
When the light comes on, an a udible war ning s ignal is also given .
& WARNING
• USA models : If the BRAKE warning light, the.,. warn ing light
and the~ S warning light come on together , the rear wheel s
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 appli ca­
tions.
• Canada models: If the brake warning light ID, the • warning
light and the ABS warning light
"'1 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 applica­
tions.
• If the brake warning /indicator light doe s not go out after
a few
second s and the parking brake released, or l ights up while you are
driving, the fluid level in the brake fluid reservoir i s too low. If you
believe that it is safe to do so, proceed immediately at low speed
to the neare st authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair facility
and have the brake system inspected.
• Always keep in mind that after several brake applications, you
will need greater p ressu re on the brake pedal to stop your vehicle .
Do not rely on strained brakes to re spond with maximum stopping
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Instruments and warning
/indicator lights
& WARNING (co ntinued )
power in critical situations . You must allow fo r increased braking
distan ce s. The extra distance used up by fading brakes could lead
to an accident. •
Vehicle care Technical data

You will also hear an audible warning tone. The displays are color
coded in eith er red or yellow depending on their level of priority.
A red symbol means
Danger , a yellow symbol ind icates Warning . In
certain situations, information message for the driver appear in addi­
tion to the red and yellow symbols.
Function test: automatic transmission
The Auto-Check Control will automat ically perform a test each t ime
you switch on the ignition. With the selector lever in
P or N , the
following message appears in the display:
When stationary apply foot brake while selecting gear.
When you a select a different gear (for example: R, D, etc.) , the
message will disappear and the Auto-Check function is d isplayed.
If there is a malfunction, then the malfunction message will appear
about 15 seconds after the you start the vehicle. At the same time
you will hear a warning tone. •
Driver information messages
Driver information messages are shown in the instru­
ment cluster display in addition to the red and yellow
symbols .
Controls and equip ­
ment
(C HECK ·Fo
Safety first
Fig. 16 CHECK button
in the inst rument
clu ster
Driver information display
For example, if the transmission selector lever is not in the P position
when the engine is turned off, the following message appears :
Shift to P, otherwise vehicle can roll away. Doors do not lock if
lever is not in P.
Th e ignition key can only be removed w ith the selector in this posi­
tion . This and other messages are brought up if a function cannot be
carried out .
Driver messages and red symbols
If a red symbol appears in the display, a driver message can be shown
by pressing the (
CHECK) button.
For example, the symbo l for a prob lem with engine oil pressu re
appears in the display . If you then press the (CHECK) button, the
following driver message appears in the display :
Switch off engine and check oil level
The dr iver message in the display goes out after about 5 seconds . The
dr ive r message can be disp lay ed again by briefly pressing the
(CHECK) button .
Driver messages and yellow symbols
If a yellow symbol appears in the display, a driver message is also
displayed automatically.
For example, the symbol
-> appears in the display, indicating low
windshield washer fluid level. The following message also appears:
Please top up washer fluid
The driver message disappears after a few seconds . The driver
message can be displayed again by briefly pressing the
I CHECK)
button.•
Vehicle care Technical data

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 299.
-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 authorized
repair facility as soon as possible and have the malfunc­
tion 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 emer­
gency 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 Safety first
Driver information display
I
f the ABS , ESP and the brake for ce 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 281, "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 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
workshop. Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake applica­
tions.
• Canada models: If the brake warning light(())), the r-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
workshop. Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake
applications. •
Engine cooling system malfunction -1-
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 ~
Vehicle care Technical data

Driver information displ ay
Yellow symbols
A yellow symbol means WARNING.
Fig . 18 Display: low
f ue l level warn ing
(priority 2)
Yellow symbols ind icate a prior ity 2 malfunction -Warning!
When a yellow warning symbo l appears,
one warning tone sounds. A
dr iver message appears as well to explain the ma lfunction in more
detail. The driver warning goes out after about 5 seconds, but it can
be brought up again at any time by pressing the
I CHECK] button .
Check the displayed function as soon as possible.
If more than one
priority 2 malfunction is detected, all symbols will appear one after
the other for about 2 seconds .
Yellow symbols mean:
Worn brake pads
=> page 32
Electromechanical => page 125
parking brake
Check engine oil level
=> page 33
=> page 293
Engine oil sensor malfunction => page 33
-
Low fuel level =>page33
Windshield washer fluid =>page33
level low ~
Bat tery voltage =>page34
-
II Battery in remote control key =>page40
Convenience key * =>page 122
Key not in veh icle
USA models: => page24
Defective brake light
Can ad a mod els : =>page24
Defect ive brake light
Defective light bulb
=>page24
E ng ine speed limitat ion* => page33
-
IIAdaptive Light* defective =>page34
Dynamic headlight range => page 34
contro l defective
Defective light-/rain sensor
=> page34
Tire pressure monitoring sys-=>page328
tern *
Loss of air p ressure
-Tire pressure monitoring sys-=> page331
tern*
11System not available •
Worn brake pads •
Brake pa ds!

If the warning light illum inates, immediately contact your authorized
Audi dea ler or qu alified wor kshop to h ave all b rake pads insp ecte d.
On USA mode ls the warn ing light comes on together w it h the
warning light
BRAKE . Both sets of brake pads on an axle must a lways
be rep laced at the same time.
& WARNING
Driving w ith bad brakes can cause a collision and serious personal
injury .
• If the w arning light
ii and the warning light BRAKE1> with the
me ssage Brake pads! com es on in the in strument clu ster di splay,
immediately contact your author ized Aud i dealer or qualified
workshop t o have all brake pads che cked or replaced if
necessary. •
Checking the engine oil level ~
.... ,. Pleas e check oil level
W hen the symbol i lluminates, check the engine oi l level as soon as
poss ible=>
page 293. Add oil if necessary=> page 294. •
Engine oil sensor defective
~ Oil level ! sensor d efective
If the symbo l illuminates, contact your authorized Audi dealer and
have t he o il senso r in spec ted . U ntil yo u have this do ne, check the oil
level each time you refue l just to be on the safe side=>
page 293. •
ll BRAKE: USA mode ls on ly
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Driver information display
A
pp lies to vehi cles : w ith engine s peed lim it a tion
Engine speed limitation
!.-• Engine speed maximum XXXX RPM
The symbol illuminates whe n there is an engine co ntrol malfunc ­
tion. The in dicator light in the instrument cluste r a lso i lluminates .
T he engi ne speed is limited to the speed d isp layed in the driver infor­
mation system . Keep in mind that t he engine speed will not exceed
t he va lue disp layed in the d rive r in format ion sys tem, for example
when downshifting .
P lease go to an a uthor ized A udi deale r o r ot her qualifie d wo rk shop to
have the malfunction repa ired .•
Fuel supply too low w
A Please refuel
When the symbol illuminates, th is means there are about 2.4 ga llons
(9 litres) of fuel left in the fuel tank . Time to refuel.=>
page 284.
If
the symbol lig hts up, even when there is ample fue l in the tank, and
t he text
Tank sy stem m alfunction! Contact workshop appears in t he
display, there is a fa ult in the system. Con tact a qual ified workshop to
h ave the fault re ctified. •
Windshield washer fluid level too low ;>
Please top up washer fluid
If the symbo l illuminates, add windshield washe r fluid to the washer
system and a lso to the headlig ht washe r system =>
page 305. •
Vehicle care Technical data

________________________________________ __;I:..: n~ t -=-e .=.:.: ll:.:.;igent technology .__==-
On steep s lopes , you shou ld use the brak ing effect of t he e ngine. This
w ay, y ou p revent unne ce ss ary we ar o n t he bra ke sys te m . If you mus t
use your brakes , do not ho ld the brakes down conti nuously . Pump the
bra kes at intervals.
Moisture or road salt
Under cer ta in c on di tions, for ex ample, when drivin g thr ough w at er or
very heavy rain, or e ve n after was hing your veh icle, the braking effect
c an be re duced due to moi st ur e (o r in freezi ng condi tio ns ice) o n the
bra ke pads . A few care ful b rake app lica tions should dry off the bra ke
pads or
remove any ice coatings .
Th e effec tiveness of the bra ke s ca n be re d uced whe n the vehicle is
driven on a salt-covered road and the brakes are not used . He re too,
yo u sh ould clean off a ccumula ted sa lt c oat ing from brake disc s and
pads with a few caref ul app lications of the brake::::;,&.
Corrosion
The re may be a tendency fo r dirt to build up on the bra ke pads and
cor ro si on t o fo rm on the di scs if t he c ar is not driven re gularly or o nly
for short t rips w ith litt le use of the bra kes.
If the bra kes are not used fre quent ly, o r if corrosion ha s fo rme d on
t he d iscs, i t is advisable to clean off t he pads and d is cs by bra king
fi rm ly a few t imes from a mo derately high speed ::::;,& .
Faults in the brake system
If yo u shou ld no tice a sudden in cre ase in b rake ped al t ravel, t hen one
o f t he two brake circ uits may have failed::::;,&.
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occ ur in the brake system if the brake fluid level is
t o o low. The bra ke f lui d level is mon itored e lectroni cally.
Brake lining wear status
Brak e lining we ar may be checked by v isual inspec tio n o f the condi­
tion of the brake pads throug h the openings in the wheel. If neces­
sa ry, t he wheel m ay be re m oved f or this in spection ::::;,
page 335,
"C hanging a w hee l" .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
•
You should perform braking maneuvers for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system only if road condition s permit. Other
road users must not be put at risk -you may cause an accident!
• Before descending a steep grade, reduce speed and shift trans ­
mission into a lower gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often. This could
cause the brakes to get hot and diminish braking efficiency.
• Do not "ride the brakes " by resting your foot on the pedal when
you do not intend to brake. This may cause the brakes to overheat,
premature wear and increased stopping di stan ce.
• Under certain climatic and operating conditions such as
passing through water, driving in heavy rain or after washing the
vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced. In winter,
ice can accumulate on the brake pads , linings, discs and drums .
Carefully apply brakes for a test . Brakes will dry and ice coatings
will be cleaned off after a few careful brake applications.
• Driving for an extended period of time on salt-covered roads
without using your brakes can also affect braking efficiency. Clean
off accumulated salt coating from brake discs and pads with a few
careful brake applications.
• If you damage the front spoiler, or if you install a different
spoiler, be sure the air flow to the front brakes is not obstructed.
Otherwise the brake system could overheat reducing the effective­
ness of the entire brake system .
• Failure of one brake circuit will impair the braking capability
resulting in an increased stopping di stance . Avoid driving the
vehicle and have it towed to the nearest Audi dealer or qualified
workshop .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

_________________________________________ I_ n_ t_ e_ ll_,igent technology ,__E~-
The brake assistant will not be operative if there is a malfunct io n in
t he ABS.
& WARNING
Plea se remember that the accident ri sk a lwa ys increa se s if you
d riv e too fast , especially in corne rs or on a slippery road , or if you
follow the vehi cle ahead of you too closely . In cre ased ri sk of an
accident cannot be compensated for e ven by the brake ass istant,
so always maintain a safe speed. •
Servotronic® - advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems uses th e power of the
running engine to allow precise steering with little effort.
Th e advanced Servotronic ® power steeri ng system senses the road
speed and electronically ad justs power assistance to provide
c omfortable and safe s teer ing response exa ctly matched to the
vehicle speed.
Powe r steering will not work if the engi ne is of f. As a resu lt, the
steer ing wheel will be hard to turn .
The power stee ring fluid level is checked during the sched uled main­
t enance se rvi ces.
0 Note
If the re is an ele ct roni c mal func tion, servotroni c will still f unction
like a conventional power steer ing system, prov iding a constant
steeri ng support force tha t is no lo nger propo rt iona te to the ve hicle
speed. This is most not iceab le when turn ing the steer ing wheel at low
speeds (for example when parking), -more effort will be required
than usual.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
•
Be aware of the d ifferent than usual steering response and adjust
your stee rin g for ce acco rdi ng ly.
• Have the prob lem checked and set r ight by an A udi dea ler as soon
as possib le.
[ i ] Tips
• Whe n the eng ine is runni ng, neve r hold t he steering w hee l turned
all the way to the right or to t he left for longer than 15 seconds. The
powe r stee ring pump wi ll over heat the hydra ulic fluid if yo u keep
holding the steeri ng w heel tur ned all the way. This is likely to damage
the power steering system .
• If the power stee ring system shou ld fa il entire ly, or if the engine
is not r unning (fo r examp le, while being towed), you w ill still be a ble
to steer the vehicle. However,
considerably more effo rt will be
req uired to do so .
• If the power steering system s hou ld have a lea k, or is not func­
tioning properly, contact your authorized Au di dea ler immediate ly .
• The power steering system requ ires a specially formulated
hydra ulic fl uid. The power stee ring re se rvoir is t he one located mos t
forward o n the left side of the eng ine compa rtment=:>
page 290 . The
correct fluid leve l in the reservoir is important fo r proper f unctioning
of t he power steering. •
Dr"ving with your quattro®
With All Whee l Drive, all four wheels are driven .
General information
With All Wheel Drive, power is d istributed to all four wheels. This
happens au tom atically depending on you r d rivi ng style a nd the roa d
conditions at the time. See also=>
page 253, "Electronic different ial
lock (ED L)".
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in place to prevent it
from shifting forward, backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer=>
& in "Driving instruc­
tions".
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder. It is important that
the cooling system's performance is up to the additional load. Make
sure that the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your vehicle to the cold tire
pressure listed under "Full load" on the label located either on the
driver's side B -pillar (visible when the door is open) or inside the fuel
filler flap. Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers' spec­
ifications .
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with the trailer attached
before driving off. Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connected from the trailer
to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to permit
turning corners . When you install safety chains, make sure they will
not drag on the road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue to prevent it from
dropping in case of separation from the hitch .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Trailer
towingL_,1!:::!:·~-
0 Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must activate the trailer opera­
tion mode =>
page 179, "Towing a Trailer". •
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care and
consideration .
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle and trailer,
please note the following:
- Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself is not
loaded.
- Be especially careful when passing other vehicles.
- Observe speed limits.
- Do not drive at the maximum permissible speed.
- Always apply brakes early .
- Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results in a highly unstable
distribution 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 the
tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permissible,
while keeping the trailer as light as possible under the circumstances.
Whenever possible, transfer some cargo to the luggage compart­
ment of the tow vehicle while observing tongue load requirements
and vehicle loading considerations.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data