2007 AUDI R8 change time

Automatic gearbox 92maximum engine speed is reached, unless you have activated the
sport function ⇒page 90.
If you select a lower gear, the R tronic gearbox will not shift down
until there is no risk of overrevving the engine.
You can change over to automatic mode at any time ⇒page 92.
WARNING
•
The driver should never get out of the vehicle when the engine
is running and a gear is engaged. If you have to leave your vehicle
while the engine is running, you must apply the parking brake and
engage neutral gear (N).
•
If the engine is running and a gear is engaged, you will need to
hold the car with the footbrake.
•
Do not press the accelerator while selecting a gear with the
vehicle stationary and the engine running, as this could cause an
accident.
•
To avoid rolling back on gradients always hold the vehicle with
the footbrake if you have to stop. Never attempt to hold the vehicle
with the clutch when stopping on a gradient. The clutch is disen-
gaged automatically if it is overloaded and becomes too hot - acci-
dent risk! Before the clutch is disengaged, the vehicle will jolt and
the driver information system will display a warning that the
clutch is overloaded.
•
Before you drive down a steep gradient, reduce the speed and
use the R tronic to select a lower gear.
•
Never allow the brake to drag and do not use the brake pedal
too often or for long periods. Constant braking will cause the
brakes to overheat and will considerably reduce the effectiveness
of the brakes. It will increase the braking distance and could cause
the brake system to fail.
Applies to vehicles: with R tronicAutomatic modeThe gearbox changes the forward gears up and down
automatically.Driving away from a standstill
– Press and hold the brake pedal.
– Briefly push the selector lever towards position A.
– Release the brake and press the accelerator ⇒ in
“Manual mode” on page 91.In some situations (such as when driving on mountain roads) it can
be advantageous to switch temporarily to the manual shift
programme ⇒page 91, so that the gear ratios can be selected
manually to suit the driving conditions.Applies to vehicles: with R tronicKick-down featureWhen the accelerator pedal is pressed right down past the point of
resistance at full throttle, the R tronic gearbox will shift down to a
lower gear, depending on road speed and engine speed. The upshift
to the next higher gear is delayed until the engine reaches
maximum rpm. This does not apply if you have activated the sport
function.
WARNING
Please note that if the road surface is slippery or wet, the kick-
down feature could cause the driving wheels to spin, which could
result in skidding.
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Safe driving107
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
•
never stand on the seats,
•
never kneel on the seats,
•
never travel with the backrest reclined too far,
•
never lean against the dash panel,
•
never sit on the front edge of a seat,
•
never sit sideways,
•
never lean out of the window,
•
never put your feet out of the window,
•
never put your feet on the dash panel,
•
never put your feet on the seat cushion,
•
never ride in the footwell,
•
never travel on a seat without wearing the seat belt.
WARNING
Sitting out of position increases the risk of severe injuries.•
Sitting out of position exposes the occupants to potentially
fatal injuries: if the airbags inflate they can strike any occupant
who is not in one of the designed seat positions.
•
Before starting a trip, sit in the correct position and stay in this
position as long as the vehicle is moving. Before every trip, make
sure all passengers are sitting in the correct positions and remain
correctly seated at all times ⇒page 67, “Seats and storage”.
Pedal are aPedal s
The pedals must always be free to move and must never
be obstructed by floor mats or any objects in the footwell.– Make sure that the accelerator, brake and clutch pedals
are not obstructed and can be pressed all the way down
to the floor.
– Make sure that all pedals are able to return freely to their
original positions.Only use floor mats which leave the pedal area free and can be
securely fastened in the footwell.
If one of the brake circuits should fail, increased brake pedal travel
will be required to bring the vehicle safely to a stop.
WARNING
Any obstructions that restrict pedal travel can cause loss of
vehicle control and critical situations in traffic.•
Never place objects in the driver's footwell. Such objects could
move under the pedals and interfere with their proper function. In
the event of sudden braking or a change of direction, you would
not be able to use the pedals. This could result in a loss of control
and possibly cause an accident.
Floor mats on the driver's side
Use only floor mats which can be securely fastened in the
footwell and do not obstruct the pedals.– Make sure that floor mats are securely fastened and
cannot interfere with the pedals ⇒.
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Checking and topping up fluids161
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data If a lot of coolant has been lost, wait for the engine to cool down
before putting in cold coolant. Failure to do so could result in
serious engine damage.
WARNING
The coolant and coolant additive can be a health hazard. Store the
coolant additive in the original container in a safe place out of
reach of children – risk of poisoning.
For the sake of the environment
Drained off coolant should not be used again. Drain off the used
coolant into a suitable container and dispose of it in the proper
manner (observe environmental regulations).Radiator fan
The radiator fan can start running spontaneously.The radiator fan is powered electrically. The speed of the fan is
varied according to the temperature registered by a thermostat.
The radiator fan or auxiliary fan can continue to run for as long as
10 minutes after stopping the engine – even after the ignition is
switched off. It may also start running suddenly after a while if•
residual heat raises the coolant temperature, or
•
the hot engine compartment is additionally heated up by the
sun.
Brake fluidNote
When required, the brake fluid should be changed by a
competent mechanic with the proper equipment.Brake fluid gradually absorbs moisture from the atmosphere. If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high, this may cause corrosion
in the brake system over time. In addition, the boiling point of the
brake fluid will be considerably reduced. This could adversely affect
the braking ability in certain circumstances.
For this reason the brake fluid must be changed periodically.
Your vehicle's Service Schedule will tell you when the brake fluid has
to be changed.
The brake fluid is replaced by your Audi R8 dealer as part of the
Inspection Service. They are familiar with the procedure and have
the necessary special tools and spare parts as well as the proper
facilities for disposing of the old fluid.
Use only the genuine brake fluid specified by the factory Qualified
workshops know that the brake fluid “DOT 4” is approved by Audi.
The brake fluid must be fresh and unused.
WARNING
Heavy use of the brakes may cause a vapour lock if the brake fluid
is left in the system for too long. This would seriously affect the
efficiency of the brakes and the safety of the car – risk of
accident.
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Checking and topping up fluids 162BatteryGeneral notes
All work on batteries requires specialist knowledge.The battery is located behind the cover in the luggage compart-
ment. To remove the cover, slide it to the left and lift it out.
The battery is virtually maintenance-free and is checked in the
Inspection Services.
We recommend that you replace a battery once it is older than 5
years.
Disconnecting the battery
If the battery is disconnected, some of the vehicle's functions will
become inoperative (e.g. electric windows). These functions will
require resetting after the battery is reconnected. For this reason,
the battery should only be disconnected from the vehicle's electrical
system when absolutely necessary.
If the vehicle is not used for long periods
The battery will gradually lose its charge because certain electrical
equipment continues to draw current even when the ignition is off.
If you park the vehicle for long periods of time in winter you should
have your Audi R8 dealer take the battery out of the vehicle and keep
it in a frost-proof room. This ensures that it cannot “freeze up” and
be damaged. At warm outside temperatures it is sufficient to
disconnect the negative terminal of the battery. Even when the
battery is not connected you should charge it from time to time.
Winter conditions
The battery is drained more in cold weather, which means that the
starting power is reduced. For this reason, have the battery checked
and charged if necessary before the start of winter.Replacing the battery
A replacement battery must have the same capacity, voltage and
current rating. It must also have the same dimensions as the orig-
inal, factory-fitted battery and have sealed caps. The Audi batteries
which have been specially developed fulfil the maintenance,
performance and safety specifications for your vehicle.
We recommend to use only maintenance-free batteries or deep-
cycle resistant and leakproof batteries which comply with the
standards TL 825 06 (dated December 1997 or later) and VW 7 50 73
(August 2001 or later).
Since the battery is difficult to access, we recommend having it
replaced by an Audi R8 dealer or qualified workshop.
WARNING
•
All work on batteries requires specialist knowledge. For queries
regarding the vehicle battery please contact an Audi R8 dealership
or other qualified workshop (risk of chemical burns / risk of explo-
sion).
•
The battery must not be opened. Do not attempt to make any
changes to the electrolyte level of the battery. Otherwise, there is
a risk that a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen gas can accumulate
and cause an explosion.Caution
•
The battery holder and clamps must always be correctly secured.
•
Before starting any work on the battery, always observe the
warnings listed under ⇒ in “Important safety warnings for
handling a car battery” on page 163.For the sake of the environment
 Batteries contain toxic substances including sulphuric acid and
lead. They must be disposed of appropriately and must not be put
together with ordinary household waste. Make sure the battery
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Wheels and tyres167
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
Tyre service life
Correct inflation pressures and sensible driving habits
will increase the service life of your tyres.– Check the tyre pressures at least once a month.
– The tyre pressures should only be checked when the
tyres are cold. The slightly raised pressures of warm tyres
must not be reduced.
– The pressures must be altered to suit major changes in
the load being carried.
– Avoid fast cornering and hard acceleration.
– Inspect the tyres for irregular wear from time to time.The service life of your tyres depends on the following factors:
Tyre pressure
Under-inflation or over-inflation will reduce the life of the tyres
considerably and also impair the car's handling. The inflation pres-
sures are listed on a sticker on the driver's door pillar.
Correct inflation pressures are very important, especially at high
speeds. The pressures should therefore be checked at least once a
month and before starting a journey.
Driving habits
Fast cornering, heavy acceleration and hard braking (squealing
tyres) all increase tyre wear.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various factors
encountered in normal driving can cause them to become unbal-
anced, which results in steering vibration.Unbalanced wheels should be rebalanced, as they otherwise cause
excessive wear on steering, suspension and tyres. A wheel must
also be rebalanced when a new tyre is fitted or if a tyre is repaired.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment causes excessive tyre wear, impairing the
safety of the vehicle. If you notice excessive tyre wear, contact your
Audi R8 dealer.
WARNING
•
Always adapt the tyre pressure accordingly when the vehicle
load changes.
•
Under-inflated tyres flex more and can overheat at continuous
high speeds. This can cause tread separation and tyre blow-out,
which could result in an accident. Always observe the recom-
mended tyre pressures.For the sake of the environment
Under-inflated tyres will increase the fuel consumption.
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Wheels and tyres 172Remove wheel covers (if fitted) and trim rings before attaching
snow chains. For safety reasons cover caps must then be fitted over
the wheel bolts. These are available from Audi R8 dealers.
Remove the chains when roads are free of snow. Otherwise they will
impair handling, damage the tyres and wear out very quickly.
Four-wheel drive: Where snow chains are compulsory on certain
roads, this normally also applies to cars with four-wheel drive. Snow
chains may only be fitted to the rear wheels (also on vehicles with
four-wheel drive).Tyre pressure monitoring systemApplies to vehicles: with tyre pressure monitoring systemIntroduction
The tyre pressure monitoring system keeps a check on the
inflation pressures of the four road wheels while you are
driving.The system warns the driver in the event of a loss of pressure by
means of symbols and messages in the instrument cluster display.
The system employs sensors on the wheels. The radio signals from
these sensors are transmitted to the tyre pressure monitoring
system.
Please bear in mind that the tyre inflation pressure is also influ-
enced by the temperature of the tyre. For every 10°C increase in the
tyre temperature the pressure will normally increase by about
0.1 bar. The tyre heats up while the vehicle is being driven and the
tyre pressure will rise accordingly. For this reason, you should only
adjust the tyre pressures when they are cold (i.e. approximately at
ambient temperature).
To ensure that the tyre pressure monitoring system works reliably,
you should check and, if necessary, adjust the tyre pressures at
regular intervals.The tyre pressures recommended for your vehicle are given on the
sticker attached to the driver's door pillar.
Initialising the tyre pressure monitoring system
The inflation pressures for two sets of wheels (e.g. with winter and
summer tyres) are stored on your vehicle. You can change between
these two sets of wheels any number of times without re-initialising
the system.
The tyre pressure monitoring system must be re-initialised by your
Audi R8 dealer if a new set of wheels is used or the electronic
sensors are renewed.
Warning lamp
 lit
If the tyre pressure is more than 0.5 bar below the reference value,
the display will show the tyre symbol
 with a corresponding
message, such as Tyre pressures too low ⇒.
WARNING
•
If the warning lamp
 lights up you must slow down immedi-
ately and avoid any severe braking or steering manoeuvres. As
soon as you can do so safely, stop and check the tyres and the tyre
pressures.
•
Never re-adjust the tyre inflation pressure when the tyre is hot.
This can cause serious damage to the tyre or even a blow-out,
which could result in an accident.
•
Under-inflated tyres flex more and can overheat at continuous
high speeds. This can cause tread separation and tyre blow-out,
which could result in an accident.For the sake of the environment
Under-inflated tyres lead to increased fuel consumption and tyre
wear.
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