suspension AUDI S8 2011 Owners Manual

12 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
Some indicators lights in the disp lay can turn
on in several colors.
A WARNING
-Failure to heed warning lights and other
important vehicle information may result
in serious personal injury or vehicle dam­
age.
- Whenever stalled or stopped for repair,
move the vehicle a safe distance off the
road, stop the engine, and turn on the
emergency flasher
¢ page 44.
- The engine compartment of any motor
vehicle is a potentially hazardous area.
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, stop the engine and let it
cool down. Always exercise extreme cau­
t ion when work ing under the hood
¢ page 216, Engine compartment
(D Tips
Ma lfun ctions or faults w ill be identified e i­
ther with a red symbo l (pr io rity 1 -Dan­
ger!) or with a ye llow symbo l (pr iority 2 -
Warning).
Overview
Some indicator lights turn on briefly to check
the function of that system when you switch
the ign ition on. These systems are marked
with an./ in the follow ing tables . If one of
these indicator lights does not turn on, there
is a malfunction in that system .
Red indic ator light s
Red symbols indicate a priority malfunction -
Danger!
- Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle .
- T urn off the engine.
- Check the ma lfunct ion ing system. Contact
you r authorized Aud i dea le r o r a qua lified
workshop for assistance.
USA m odels:
Brake malfunction
¢page 14
Canada models :
Brake malfunction
¢page 14
- USA mode ls:
I
Electromechanical parking brake
¢page 15
Canada models :
Electromechanical parking brake
¢page 15
Engine cooling system
¢page 15
Engine oil pressure
¢page 16
Engine oil level
¢page 17
Battery
¢page 16
Safety belt
¢page 16
Electronic steering column lock
¢page 17
Engine start system
¢page 17
Speed warning system
¢page84
Adaptive cru ise control./
¢ page88
Air suspension
¢page 17
Yellow indicator light s
Yellow symbo ls indicate a priority 2 malfunc­
tion -Warning!
m
U!@
m
USA mod els : Safety systems
¢page 18
Canada model s: Safety systems
¢page 18

Instrument s and warnin g/indi cator ligh ts 13
Jj]
Electronic Stabilization Program
!I
Windshield wipers
(ESP)./ ¢page 21
¢ page 18
~
Remote control key
I
Electronic Stabilization Program
¢page 79
(ESP)./
-¢ page 18
m
Remote control key
~
USA m odel s: ¢page 79
Ant i- lock brak ing system (ABS)
!!
Battery in remote control key
defective ¢page30
¢ page 19
•
Canada models:
I:)
Defective light bulb warn ing
Ant i- lock braking system (ABS) ¢
page 21
defective
--
¢ page 19
II
Fog lights*
¢page 21
•
Worn bra ke pads
¢ page 19
Ii
Rear fog lights*
¢page 21
•
Electromechanical parking brake
I
¢page Bl
II
Headlight range control
¢page 21
g
Tire pressure monitoring system
./
•
adaptive light*
¢ page256 ¢
page 21
11111 Tire pressure mon itoring system --
m
Light-/rain sensor faulty
¢page256 ¢page 21
[m
Electronic power contro l
Audi lane assist
¢ page20
•
¢page95
R
Malfunction indicator Lamp (MIL)
./
[i
Transmission
¢ page20 ¢page
115
•
Engine speed limitation
m
Transmission
¢ page20
¢page 115
•
Engine oil level
Im
Electronic steering column lock
¢page17 ¢page 17
--
•
Engine oil sensor
Im
Engine start system
¢ page 20
¢page 17
--
r.
Battery
~~
Dynamic steering*./
¢page 16 ¢page22
~
Tank system
•
Air suspension
¢ page20
¢page 17
Windshield washer fluid level
--
• •
Sport differential *
¢ page 21
¢page22

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 17
~ Pull off the road.
~ Stop t he vehicle .
~ Turnoff th e engine.
~ Check the engine oil level¢ page 22 7.
~ If the engine oil leve l is too low, add engine
o il ¢
page 227 . Make sure that the oil p res ­
s ur e warn ing symbol . appears no longe r
i n t he d is pl ay befo re you start d rivi ng aga in .
~ If the engi ne oil leve l is co rrec t and the ind i­
ca tor lig ht st ill turn s on , tur n the eng ine off
and do not conti nue d riving . Seek professio­
na l assista nce .
@ Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is
not an indicator for a low engine oil lev­
el. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the
oil level in your engine at regular inter ­
vals, preferably each time you refuel,
and always before going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
II requires oil refill or workshop serv­
ice without delay. Do not wait until the
red oil p ressure warning. starts to
flash before you respond to the low oil
level warning
Ill. By then, your engine
may already have suffered serious dam­
age.
°'!=: ;. Engine oil level
• WARNING: Please add oil immediately
When t he sy mbo l and the dr ive r m essage ap­
pear, the oil has to be replenishe d righ t now
¢page 224.
If the indicator lig ht and th e message ap pear,
add engine o il im med iate ly
¢ page 227.
II Add oil, max . x qt (l). You may continue
driving
When the symbo l and the dr iver message ap­
pear, add the amo unt of o il appeari ng i n the
d isp lay at the next opportunity ¢
page 224.
@-Steering column lock
• Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
If the indica tor light turns on and the mes ­
sage a ppears, t here is an e lectronic steering
column lock malfunct io n. You cannot sw itch
t h e ignit ion on.
D o
not tow yo ur vehicle because it cannot be
stee red. Seek professiona l assistance .
!m Steering lo ck : system fault . Please con­
tact dealer
If th e i ndica to r light turns on and the mes­
sage appea rs, t here is a n electronic stee ring
column lo ck malfun ction.
D rive to your author ized A udi dealer immed i­
ate ly to have th e ma lfunction corr ected .
_&. WARNING
-
Your ve hicle mus t no t be towed i n the
eve nt o f a ma lfunction in t he elec tronic
s teer ing column loc k bec ause i t ca nno t be
steere d due to the locked steerin g. If it is
towe d wit h the steeri ng locke d, there is
the r is k of an accident.
© -Engine start system
• Engine start system fault. Please con­
tact dealer
If the indicator light turns on and the mes ­
sage a ppears, do
not switch the ig nitio n off
because you may not be ab le to sw itch it on
again.
D rive to your authorized A udi dealer immedi ­
ate ly to have the ma lfunction corrected.
I!! Engine start sy stem fault . Please con ­
tact dealer
I f th e indica to r li ght tur ns on and the mes­
sage a ppea rs, t here is a malf unct io n in the en­
gine st art system.
D rive to your author ized A udi dealer imm ed i­
ate ly to have th e ma lfuncti on corr ected.
0 Air suspension
• Air suspension: system fault. Can contin-
ue slowly with ma x. 35 mph. .,..

18 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
There is a malfunction that can result in re­
stricted driving stability.
Carefully drive at a maximum speed of 35
mph
(60 km/h) to your authorized Audi dealer
or qualified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected.
• Air suspension: service mode. Vehicle
can only be moved with restrictions
Carefully drive to your authorized Audi dealer
or qualified workshop immediately to have
the service mode deactivated.
II Air suspension fault
There is a system malfunction that can result
in restricted driving stability or reduced
ground clearance.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
II Air suspension: vehicle too low. Ground
clearance reduced
The ground clearance is very low due to a sys­
tem malfunction. Wait until the air suspen ­
sion system has restored normal ground clear­
ance. Otherwise, conditions such as an uneven
road surface can lead to vehicle damage.
~/ !f Safety systems
The fl (USA models)!EJ (Canada models) in­
dicator light monitors the safety systems e.g.
airbags, pretensioners and illuminates for a
few seconds each time you switch the ignition
on.
If the
I (USA models);EI (Canada models)
indicator light does not go out, or if it illumi­
nates while you are driving, or if it starts to
blink, then there is a malfunction somewhere
in the system . If the light does not illuminate
when you switch the ignition on, this also
means there is a malfunction.
A WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the safety sys­
tems, contact your authorized Audi dealer
immediately. Otherwise the saftey sys- terns may not work
properly in an acci­
dent.
f;.J [J. Electronic stabilization program
(ESP)
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic stabilization program.
When you switch the ignition on, the indicator light
G] turns on briefly to check the function.
If the
BJ indicator lamp blinks while driving,
the ESP or ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation) is active­
ly regulating.
If the BJ indicator lamp illuminates, the sys­
tem has switched the ESP off.
If the indicator light
I turns on, the ESP was
switched to ESP sport mode with the button
[!] c::> page 190. If this is case , you can reacti­
vate the ESP by switching the ignition off and
then on again. The warning/indicator light
should go out to show that the system is fully
functional again.
ESP/ABS: fault! See owner's manual
If the indicator light DJ and the ABS indicator
light
m (USA models) ;ii] (Canada models)
turn on and the message appears, there is a
malfunction in the ABS system or electronic
differential lock. This also interrupts the ESP.
The brakes still function with their normal
power, but ABS is not active.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
If the battery terminals were disconnected
and re-connected, the vehicle was jump start­
ed or the battery is very weak, the ESP sensor
system goes through a learning process for
the first few yards. The warning/indicator
light illuminates. The warning/indicator light
goes out as soon as the learning process is
complete.
For more information about the ESP
c::> page 190.

106 Audi drive select
Audi drive select
Driving settings
Introduction
Aud i d rive select mak es it possible to expe ri­
e nce diffe ren t types of vehi cle se ttings in o ne
ve hicl e. The dr ive r can se lect th ree
C o mfort ,
Description
The vehicle setup in each mode depends on
the vehicle's features. The engine, t ransm is­
sion, steering and adapt ive a ir s uspension/
sport* are always involved. The dynamic steer­
ing*, sport differential* and cornering lig ht"
can also be ad justed . The revers ible safety
belt tensioners ¢ page
188 are adap ted to
the dynamic mode.
Depending on the mode, the
Engine /Trans ­
mission
respond more quickly or i n a more
balanced manne r to acce le rator pedal move­
men ts.
The power
Steer ing (servotronic) ¢ page 194
can also be adapted to driving situations .
The adaptive air suspension/adaptive air sus ­
pension sport *
(Air suspension in the MMI) is
an electronically contro lled air suspension and
dampi ng system . They are adjusted depend ­
ing on the selected dr iving mode , the dr ive r's
ste ering, braking and acceleration input and
the r oad s urfa ce, ve hicle speed and load . A
spor ty se tti ng i s generally use d in vehicl es
with a dap tive air s usp ension spo rt *. T he vehi­
cle clea rance varies depending on the selected
mode and the speed .
Th e highway set ting is activ ated au to ma tically
when yo u drive above 75 mph (120 km/h) for
Systems Comfort
Engine /
bala nced
Transmission
Air suspension
comfortabl e
Steering comfortable
Auto and Dynamic modes in the MMI to
switch between a spo rty and a comfo rtable
driv ing mode.
You can also adjus t the se tt ing accord ing to
yo ur prefe rences in the
ind ividual mode. For
example , you can combine settings such as a
spo rty engine tuning w it h light stee ring .
more than 30 seconds in the
auto or dynamic
mode. The gro und clea rance is increased a uto ­
matically if the speed drops below 44 mph
(70 km/h) f or more than 120 seco nds.
Dynamic steering* changes the stee ring ratio
as a function of the dr iving speed in o rder to
optimize the driver's req uired steering effort.
This sets the steering to be less sensit ive at
highe r speeds in order to provide improved ve­
hicle control. At reduced speeds, steer ing is
more direct in or der to keep the s teer ing ef­
fo rt as minima l as poss ible wh en th e drive r is
maneuveri ng the vehicle . At low and average
speeds, dynam ic stee rin g* addition ally pro­
vides more responsive steering performance .
T he driver can set the basic steering ratio
c h aracteristics i n the Audi dr ive se lect .
A s a c ompone nt o f the all whee l dr ive sys te m
(quat tro ®) ¢ page
19 4, th e Sport differen·
tial*
di stributes the driving powe r to t he rear
axle depending on the situation . The distri bu­
tion o f power varies depending on the mode
selected. The goal is a high level of agi lity and
ability t o accelerate on curves . The ve hicle is
very respons ive to steering .
The following table provides an ove rv iew of
the characterist ics of each d riving mode.
Auto Dynamic
balance d sp orty
bala nced sporty
ba lanced sp orty
Dynamic steering* comfor table/indirec t balanced/direc t sporty/direct

Systems Comfort
Spo rt different ial*
balanced
Belt tensioner Standard
If your vehicle is equipped with Dynam ic
steer ing*, steering settings can also be ad ­
justed under the
Dynamic steering* menu
item.
(D Note
- Make sure there is enough clearance
above and below the vehicle when park­
i ng. The height of the vehicle can change
once it is parked due to temperature
fluctuations, changes to the load condi­
tions and changes to the driving modes,
which can affect clearance .
- When transporting the veh icle on a car
carr ier, train, ship or by other means, on­
ly tie the vehicle down at the running
surface of the tires, which is the outer
circumference . Secur ing the vehicle at
the axle components, suspension struts
or towing eyes is not permit ted because
the pressure in the air suspension struts
can change during transport. The vehicle
may not be secured sufficient ly if this
happens.
- If you a re going to tow a trailer, you
must activate the trailer operation mode
~ page 202.
@ Tips
-Se lecting the dynamic mode results in
sporty sh ifting character istics . The
S
gear position engages automatically .
- In vehicles that have dynamic steering*, operating noise is heard when starting or
stopping the engine. This does not indi­
cate a problem.
- In vehicles with the sport d ifferential*,
the
dynamic mode is deactivated when
tow ing a trailer.
- In some models, the maximum vehicle
speed can only be reached in the
auto
and dynamic modes.
Audi drive select 107
Auto Dynamic
agile sporty
Standard Deployment time
adapted
Selecting the driving mode
You con choose between Comfort, Auto , Dy­
namic and Individual.
Fig. 109 MMI : Dr ive select
.,. To select the mode, select the following in
the MMI:
ICARI function button > Comfort,
Auto , Dynamic or Individual.
You can change the driving mode when the ve­
hicle is stationary or wh ile driving. If traffic
permits, after changing modes, briefly take
your foot off the accelerator pedal so that the
recently selected mode is also activated for
the engine.
Comfort
The Comfort mode prov ides a comfortable ve­
hicle setting . The engine, transmission* and
sport differential* respond in a balanced man­
ner when the accelerator pedal is pressed or
released. The steering moves easily and is less
direct* and the air suspension and cornering
light react comfortably. The setting is ideal
for driv ing on long stretches, such as on free­
ways .
Auto
Auto
provides a comfortable yet dynamic feel.
T he setting is perfect fo r daily use.
Dynamic
Dynamic
gives the vehicle a sporty feeling.
The engine responds quickly to accelerator

108 Audi drive select
pedal movements, and steering is sporty and
more direct*. The sport differentia l* provides
mo re agility, the air suspension is tighter and
the transm ission shifts at a higher RPM. The
cornering light also reac ts in a sporty way. The
setting is ideal for sporty driving.
Individual
You can adapt this mode to your personal
needs in the MMI
¢page 108.
A WARNING
Pay attention to traff ic when operating Au­
di dr ive se lect to prevent potent ial risk of
an accident .
Adjusting the Individual mode
You can adjust the vehicle settings to your
personal preference s.
.. Se lect : I CAR ! function button > Set individu-
al
control button.
The
individual driving mode will automatical­
l y be activated when yo u have finished config­
uring the settings.
The equipmen t in your veh icle w ill de termine
which settings you can adj ust.
(D Tips
Your individual mode settings are auto­
mat ica lly stored and assigned to the re­
mote control key being used.
Raising/lowering the
vehicle
Raising the vehicle
You can raise your ve hicle temporarily, for ex­
ample to drive over a tall curb .
.. Select the following in the MMI: ICAR!func­
t ion button >
Raise cont ro l button .
.. Wait for the arrows in the display to stop
blinking and the vehicle to reach its final po­
s it ion.
Lowering the vehicle
.. To lower the vehicle, se lect the following in
the MMI : ICAR ! f u nct ion button>
Lower con ­
trol button.
.. Wait for the arrows in the display to stop
blinking and the veh icle to lower comp lete­
ly .
Q) Note
- Remember that your vehicle is not suita­
ble for dr iv ing offroad even when it is
raised. There is not enough ground clear­
ance .
- If the vehicle is raised, it will lower auto­
matically when driving 62 mph (100 km/
h) or faster.
Driver messages
Air suspension : vehicle currently too low .
Level control running
Air suspension : vehicle currently too high.
Level control running
T he driver message switches off when the lev­
el control process is complete.

Rea r vi ew camer a coverag e area
The MM I display shows the area covered by
the rear view camera ¢
fig. 126 (D. Objects
that are not in the area covered @are not
shown on the MMI display.
We recommend that yo u practice parking with
the rear view camera in a traffic -free location
or parking lot to become familiar with the sys ­
tem, the orientation lines, and their function.
When do ing th is, there should be good light
and weather conditions.
I n the MMI disp lay, objects or vehicles appear
closer or further away if:
- you are driving in reverse gear from a level
surface onto an incline, or a downward
s lope,
- yo u are driving in reverse gear toward pro ­
truding objects,
- the vehicle is carrying too much load in the
rear .
The accuracy of the or ientat ion lines and blue
surfaces d imin ishes if:
- the adapt ive air suspension/sport* is faulty,
the vehicle is lifted or dynamic mode is se­
lected
¢page 106,
- the rear view camera does not prov ide a reli­
able image, for examp le, in poor visibility
condit ions or if the lens is dirty,
- the image on the screen is not visible due to
sun g lare and reflect ion.
Car ing for the rear view came ra len s
The rear view camera is located above the rear
license plate bracket . For the parking system
to operate, the lens¢
fig. 12 7 must be kept
clean:
- Dampen the lens with a household alcoho l­
based glass cleaner, and then wipe the lens
clean with a dry cloth ¢CI).
- Remove snow with a hand brush and ice
preferably with a de-icing spray ¢(D.
A WARNING
-Senso rs have blind spots in which objects
cannot be detected . Pay special attention
Ad vanced P arking S ystem 119
to small children and animals because
the sensors cannot always detect them.
- The parking system cannot replace the
driver's attention. The driver alone is re­
sponsible for parking and similar driving maneuvers.
-Always keep your eyes on the vehicle's
surroundings, us ing the rear v iew mirror
as well.
- Do not allow yourself to be distracted
from traffic by the rear view camera p ic­
tures .
- If the position and the installation angle
of the camera has changed, for example,
after a rear end collision, do not continue
to use the system for safety reasons.
Have it checked by a qualified dea le rship.
(D Note
- Low obstacles a lready s ignaled by a
warning can disappear from the system's
detect ion range as they are approached
and w ill not continue to be s ignaled. Ob­
jects such as ba rr ie r chains, trai le r d raw
bars, thin painted vert ica l poles or fen­
ces may not be detected by the system,
posing r isk of damage .
- Never use warm or hot wate r to remove
snow or ice from the rear view camera
lens - this could cause the lens to crack!
- When cleaning the lens, never use prod ­
ucts that are ab rasive.

160 Airbag sys te m
regulations must be obse rved . Your au ­
thorized A udi dealer is familiar with these
req uirements and we recommend that you
have your dea ler perform this service for
you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem performs in a crash. For example, using
tire-rim combinations not approved by Audi,
lowering the vehicle, changing the stiffness of
the suspension, including the springs, suspen­
sion struts, shock absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the a irbag
sensors and sent to the electronic control un it . Some suspension changes can, for exam­
p le, increase the force levels measured by the
sensors and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in w hich it would not dep loy i f the
changes had not been made. Other kinds of
changes may reduce the force levels meas ­
ured by the sensors and prevent the airbag
from deploying when it should.
The sensors in the safety belt buckle fo r the
driver and front passenger seat tell the elec­
tronic control module if the safety belt is
latched or not. If the safety belt is being used,
the front airbag will deploy at a slightly high­
er rate of vehicle deceleration than if the safe­
ty belt is not being used. Therefore, in a par­
ticular co llision, it is poss ible that an a irbag
will not deploy at a seating position whe re the
safety be lt is being used but will inflate at the
position whe re the safety belt is not being
used . It is importan t that nothing interfe re
with the safety belt buckles so that the sen ­
sors can send the correct information abo ut
safety be lt use to the electron ic contro l unit.
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle 's suspension includ­
ing use of unapproved tire-r im combina­
tions can change Advanced Airbag pe r­
formance and increase the risk of ser ious
personal in jury in a crash. -
Never install suspension components
that do not have the same performance
characteristics as the components origi­
nally installed on your vehicle .
- Never use tire-rim combinations that
have not been approved by Audi.
A WARNING .....__ -
Items stored between the safety be lt
b uckle and the ce nter console can cause
the sensors in the buckle to send the
wrong information to the e lectronic con­
trol module and prevent the Advanced Air­
b ag System from working prope rly.
- Always ma ke sure that nothing can inter­
fe re with the safety belt buckles and that
they are not obs truc ted.
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and p reten­
s ione rs might be classified as Per chlorate
Materia l - specia l hand ling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/ha zardouswaste/per­
ch lorate. When the vehicle or parts of the
rest raint system including airbag modu les
and safety belts with pretensioners are
scrapped, all applicab le laws and regu la­
tions must be observed. Your authorized
Audi dealer is familiar with these require­ ments and we recommend that you have
your dealer perform this service for you.

Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
A WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
store the full b raking effect.
([) Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Check the depth of the water before dr iv­
i ng through it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
through water .
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive th rough safely.
- Avoid dr iving through sa lt water because
i t can cause corrosion.
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 199
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, environmenta l impact, and
wear on your eng ine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal d riving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitat ions
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent . This sec­
tion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the environment and your pocketbook.
@ Tips
The consumption estimates as published by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTEC TION AGENCY
( E PA) and Tra nspo rt Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consump tion on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehi ­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
ditions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
.,. Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most f uel when they are ac­
ce le rating. If you ant icipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, acce lerate less . Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible - for examp le when you see
that the next traff ic light is red.
•
•