2007–2016 Audi S5 B8 (8T, 8F) Service and Repair Manual PDF

Description

Audi S5 (Typ 8T, B8) Service and Repair Manual — 2007 to 2016

The B8 S5 is really two different cars wearing one badge, and knowing which one you have is the first and most important thing about owning it. Early cars have a naturally aspirated 4.2 V8 — a high-revving, glorious-sounding engine with a timing chain at the back. Facelift cars swapped it for a 3.0 supercharged V6 — lighter, torquier, and completely different to service. Order parts or diagnose a fault on the assumption that they are the same engine, and you will get nowhere.

What the S5 B8 is

Built from 2007 to 2016 on the MLB platform, the S5 is the performance version of the A5, sharing its longitudinal-engine layout. It was sold in three body styles:

• Coupé (8T3) — the original, from 2007
• Sportback (8TA) — five-door, from 2009
• Cabriolet (8F7) — from 2009, with the supercharged V6 from the start

The 2012 facelift (B8.5) is the dividing line — it brought the engine change on the Coupé and Sportback, along with revised lighting and interior updates.

The S5’s quattro is mechanical — a Torsen or, later, crown-gear centre differential — not a Haldex. There is no Haldex pump or filter service on this car.

The engine split — read this before anything else

Years	Engine	Code	Notes
2007–2012 (Coupé/Sportback)	4.2 FSI V8	CAUA	Naturally aspirated, 354 PS, chain at rear
2009–2016 (Cabriolet)	3.0 TFSI supercharged V6	CAKA	Roots blower in the V, 333 PS
2012–2016 (Coupé/Sportback)	3.0 TFSI supercharged V6	CGXC, CTUA	Roots blower, 333 PS

The 4.2 V8 (CAUA) — early Coupé and Sportback

A naturally aspirated, high-revving V8 with the timing chains driven from the rear of the engine, against the bulkhead. There is no front access — reaching them means the engine comes out. A cold-start rattle is the warning, and the chains, guides and tensioners are the known wear item. This is the single most important thing to understand about an early S5.

The 3.0 supercharged V6 (CAKA/CGXC) — facelift and Cabriolet

Not a turbo — a Roots-type supercharger sits in the engine V, belt-driven, with its own intercoolers and its own failure modes. Diagnosing it as a turbo engine wastes your time. The blower, its coupling, the intercooling and the thermostat and water pump behind it are all documented.

Transmission and drivetrain

Six-speed manual — clutch, dual-mass flywheel, linkage and fluid specification.

DL501 seven-speed S tronic (0B5) — the longitudinal wet-clutch dual-clutch box. Mechatronic diagnosis, clutch pack condition, and the oil and filter service that is non-negotiable on this unit. Neglect is the most common cause of DL501 failure.

Seven-speed tiptronic / six-speed tiptronic — the torque converter automatics across the run. Fluid procedure, solenoid diagnosis and adaptation.

quattro centre differential — mechanical, self-locking; Torsen on earlier cars, crown-gear with a 40:60 rear bias later, and the optional sport differential. Inspection, fluid and the rear final drive. No Haldex.

Cabriolet roof (8F7)

The Cabriolet’s electro-hydraulic fabric roof is its own system: hydraulic pump and cylinders, microswitches and position sensors, the roof basic settings and calibration required after any repair, emergency manual operation, and the drainage channels that flood the electrics when they block. All documented.

Chassis, brakes and electrical

The S5 runs its own lowered, firmer setup with larger brakes and specific alignment data, plus the optional adaptive dampers and, on some cars, the sport differential — all covered distinctly from the A5.

Full wiring diagrams by body style and model year, connector views and pinouts, CAN and LIN topology, the gateway module, comfort systems, immobiliser and key adaptation, the MMI infotainment generations, and fault code tables with measuring block references.

Known S5 B8 issues you will be looking up

• 4.2 V8 timing chain wear (early cars) — cold-start rattle, chains at the rear of the engine, engine-out access. The defining early-S5 concern.
• 4.2 V8 carbon buildup — inherent to FSI direct injection. Symptoms, inspection and walnut-blasting.
• 3.0 supercharged intercooler and coolant — the blower’s charge-air cooling, boost loss, and the thermostat and water pump behind it.
• DL501 S tronic mechatronic and clutch pack — juddering, gear refusal, limp mode. The oil and filter service that prevents most of it.
• Timing service access — the reality of the front service position and engine-out work.
• PCV / crankcase breather — rough idle, oil in the intake and whistling on both engines.
• Cabriolet roof and drainage — a roof stuck halfway, or water in the electrics.
• Electronic parking brake — service-mode retraction before rear pad replacement.
• Front control arm bushes — clunking, wandering steering and tyre wear.
• Supercharger coupling wear — noise and boost issues on the V6 cars.

What’s inside this manual set

• Engine — the 4.2 V8 and 3.0 supercharged V6, removal, overhaul, timing, torque
• Supercharger and charge cooling (V6)
• Fuel, ignition and induction
• Cooling and lubrication
• Transmission — manual, S tronic, tiptronic and the quattro centre differential
• Clutch, driveshafts and final drives
• Brakes, including ABS, ESP and the electronic parking brake
• Suspension and steering — the S5 setup, adaptive dampers, sport differential
• Body — panel repair, body dimensions, the Cabriolet roof, trim removal
• Heating, ventilation and air conditioning
• Electrical — full wiring diagrams, connector views, pinouts
• Diagnostics — fault codes, measuring blocks, adaptation, coding
• Maintenance schedules and service reset procedures

Format and delivery

Supplied as a set of searchable PDF files covering the S5 across the full B8 run — Coupé (8T3), Sportback (8TA) and Cabriolet (8F7), both the V8 and supercharged V6 cars, pre-facelift and the 2012 facelift. Readable and printable on any device: laptop, tablet, phone, or the workshop PC. No software to install, and no internet connection needed once the files are saved.

Select your year at checkout. After payment, your download link is sent within 24 hours.

Frequently asked questions

Does my S5 have the V8 or the supercharged V6?

A 2007–2012 Coupé or Sportback has the naturally aspirated 4.2 V8 (CAUA). A 2012-onward Coupé or Sportback, and every Cabriolet, has the 3.0 supercharged V6. They are completely different engines with different service, and the documentation keeps them separate throughout.

My V8 rattles on cold start. Is that serious?

Yes — it is the classic symptom of worn timing chains on the 4.2, and they sit at the rear of the engine, so the engine has to come out. The chains, guides, tensioners and wear limits are all documented so you can judge how far gone it is.

Is the 3.0 a turbo?

No — it is supercharged, with a Roots blower in the engine V. It fails in different ways from a turbo engine, and it is documented as the supercharged unit it is.

Does the S5 quattro need a Haldex service?

No. The B8 S5 is a longitudinal-engine car with a mechanical centre differential — Torsen or crown-gear depending on year. There is no Haldex pump, controller or filter.

Is the Cabriolet roof covered?

Yes — the hydraulic pump and cylinders, control module, microswitches, the calibration after any repair, emergency manual operation, and the drain channels that flood the electrics when blocked.

Does it cover the Coupé, Sportback and Cabriolet?

All three — 8T3 Coupé, 8TA Sportback and 8F7 Cabriolet, pre-facelift and the 2012 facelift.

Will this work with VCDS or ODIS?

Yes. Fault codes, measuring blocks and adaptation channels map directly to both.

Related manuals

• Audi A5 B8 (standard models, 2007–2016)