ForewordThank you for choosing the Audi R8.
The new Audi R8 combines the latest technology with numerous features for your comfort and
convenience. To help you get the best out of these features in everyday use, we recommend that
you read this Manual carefully.
As well as information on how to use the controls and equipment, the Owner's Manual contains
important notes on care and maintenance. These are relevant to your safety and will help preserve
your car's value.
In addition to this Owner's Manual, the Service Wallet also includes the Operating Manual for your
infotainment system and the Service Schedule. The Service Schedule contains important informa-
tion on Audi service requirements and lists the vehicle's fuel consumption figures. We recommend
that you keep the Service Wallet in the car at all times.
Our Audi R8 dealers are comprehensively trained and qualified to ensure that you receive the
highest level of quality, comfort and convenience. Should you have any further questions
regarding your car or if you suspect that your owner's literature is not complete, please contact
your Audi R8 dealer or importer. They are always glad to answer your queries and note any sugges-
tions you may have.
We wish you safe and enjoyable motoring with your Audi R8.
AUDI AG
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Heating and cooling 76The compressor also switches off if the coolant temperature is
excessively high, to ensure adequate engine cooling under extreme
loads.
The functions can be set by turning the rotary control and are
switched on and off by briefly pressing the buttons. The LEDs in the
buttons light up when the function is switched on.
Pollution filter
The pollution filter (a particle filter) serves as a barrier against impu-
rities in the outside air, including dust and pollen. The air is also
filtered when the air recirculation mode is activated.
For the air conditioner to work with maximum efficiency, the pollu-
tion filter element must be replaced at the intervals specified in the
Service Schedule.
If the vehicle is driven in areas with a high level of air pollution and
the filter is no longer fully effective, it may be necessary to change
the filter element more frequently.
WARNING
For safety reasons it is important that all the windows are kept
free of ice, snow and condensation. These can cause poor visibility
and lead to an accident. Please familiarise yourself with the oper-
ating controls for the air conditioner, including the demist/defrost
functions for the windows.
Caution
•
If you suspect that the air conditioner is damaged, switch it off
to prevent further damage and have the system checked by a quali-
fied workshop.
•
Repairs to the air conditioning system require specialist knowl-
edge and special tools. For this reason, please contact a qualified
workshop if the system is not working properly.Note
•
Keep the air intake slots in front of the windscreen clear of snow,
ice and leaves to ensure unimpaired heating and cooling, and to
prevent the windows misting over.
•
The air conditioner operates most effectively with the windows
closed. However, if the vehicle has heated up after standing in the
sun for some time, the air inside can be cooled more quickly by
opening the windows for a short time.
Te m p e r a t u r e s e l e c t i o n– Turn the rotary control ⇒page 75, fig. 69 to the
required temperature setting.Turn the rotary control to the left to reduce the temperature. Turn
the rotary control to the right to increase the temperature. There are
several intermediate positions, allowing you to adjust the tempera-
ture as required.
Buttons
Function
Page
Rotary control
Temperature selection
⇒page 76
Rotary control
Switches air conditioner
on/off
Blower
⇒page 77
Rotary control
Air distribution
⇒page 77
Defrosting windows
⇒page 78
Heated rear window
⇒page 79
Seat heating* (driver's
side/front passenger's
side)
⇒page 80
Air recirculation mode
⇒page 78
Switching the air condi-
tioner on
⇒page 79
A1A2
A3
- +AC
A1
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Airbag system115
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
Airbag systemDescription of airbag systemGeneral notes on airbag system
The airbag is an integral part of the car's passive safety
system.In conjunction with the three-point seat belts, the airbag system
gives the front occupants additional protection for the head and
chest in the event of a severe frontal collision.
In a side collision the side airbags reduce the risk of injury to the
areas of the body facing the impact ⇒.
In addition to their normal function of protecting the occupants in a
collision, the seat belts also hold them in a position where the
airbags can inflate properly and provide maximum protection.
The airbag system will only work with the ignition on. The airbag
system is monitored electronically; the airbag warning lamp indi-
cates whether the system is functioning properly.
The main parts of the airbag system are:•
the electronic monitoring system (control unit and sensors),
•
the two front airbags,
•
The two side airbags,
•
The airbag warning lamp in the instrument cluster.
There is a fault in the airbag system if the warning
lamp
•
does not come on when the ignition is switched on,
•
does not go out about 3 seconds after the ignition is switched
on,
•
goes out and then comes on again after the ignition is switched
on,
•
comes on or flickers while the car is moving.
WARNING
•
The airbags are not a substitute for the seat belts; they are an
integral part of the car's overall passive safety system. The airbags
can only offer effective protection if the occupants are wearing
their seat belts. For this reason it is very important to wear the
seat belts at all times ⇒page 109, “Why is it so important to use
seat belts?”.
•
The seat belts and airbags can only provide maximum protec-
tion if the occupants are seated correctly ⇒page 67, “Seats and
storage”.
•
If you do not wear a seat belt, if you lean forward, or are not
seated correctly while the vehicle is in motion, you are at greater
risk of injury should the airbag system be triggered in an accident.
•
Components of the airbag system are located in various parts
of the vehicle. If repairs to other vehicle components make it
necessary to perform work on the airbag system or to remove or
install parts of the airbag system, this may cause damage to the
airbag system. As a result, the airbags may not inflate correctly or
may not be triggered at all in an accident situation.
•
If a fault should occur in the airbag system, have the system
checked immediately by a qualified workshop. Otherwise the
system may fail to trigger in an accident.
•
Do not attempt to modify components of the airbag system in
any way.
•
Never make any alterations to the front bumper or the body.
•
The airbag system can only be activated once; if the airbag has
been triggered, the system must be replaced. Should the airbag
system or airbag modules have to be replaced, the qualified work-
shop carrying out the replacement will document all details in the
appropriate section of the Service Schedule.
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Checking and topping up fluids157
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
Engine oilGeneral notesWe recommend that you have the oil change carried out by an
Audi R8 dealership or qualified workshop according to the intervals
stated in the Service Schedule or according to the service interval
display in the instrument cluster.
Whether your vehicle is serviced at flexible service intervals or fixed
service intervals is shown in the Service Schedule.
The correct oil specifications for your engine are listed in the Te c h -
nical data section ⇒page 198, “Performance, weights and dimen-
sions”.
Check that the specifications quoted (VW standards) appear on the
container either singly or in combination with other specifications.
Flexible service intervals (LongLife Service*)
Special engine oils ⇒page 198, “Performance, weights and dimen-
sions” have been developed as part of the Audi LongLife Service
(⇒“Service Schedule”).
This type of oil must be used if you intend to take advantage of the
extended maintenance intervals allowed by Audi's LongLife Service.•
Do not mix the LongLife oil with oil intended for fixed service
intervals, as the requirements for the extended service intervals are
then no longer guaranteed.
•
In exceptional circumstances, if the engine oil level is too low
⇒page 157 and you cannot obtain the specified LongLife oil, you
can put in a small quantity of oil for fixed service intervals -
⇒page 198, “Performance, weights and dimensions”. This should
not be done more than once and no more than 0.5 litres should be
used.Fixed service intervals (Inspection Service*)
If you do not take advantage of the LongLife service for your car, you
can use the oils for fixed service intervals - ⇒page 198, “Perform-
ance, weights and dimensions”. In this case, your car must be serv-
iced after a fixed interval of 1 year / 15,000 km (10,000 miles) – see
Service Schedule.
•
In exceptional circumstances, if the engine oil level is too low
⇒page 157 and you cannot obtain the oil specified for your vehicle,
you can put in a small quantity of oil conforming to the specification
ACEA A2 or ACEA A3. This should not be done more than once and
no more than 0.5 litres should be used.
Checking the oil level
Fig. 117 Instrument
cluster: Engine oil
temperature displayFig. 118 Markings on
oil dipstick
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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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General notes197
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data Vehicle identification number
6)
The vehicle identification number (chassis number) can be found
behind the windscreen (bottom left).
Vehicle data sticker
The vehicle data sticker ⇒page 196, fig. 135 is located together with
the fuses in the passenger's footwell ⇒page 190. One section of the
vehicle data sticker is attached to the inside cover of the Service
Schedule before the vehicle is handed over.
The sticker lists the following data:
Vehicle identification number (chassis number)
Vehicle type / engine power / gearbox type
Engine and gearbox code letters
Paint No. / Interior equipment No.
Optional equipment codes
Fuel consumption and emissions
Fuel consumption and emissions
Information on the vehicle's fuel consumption and emissions is
given at the bottom of the vehicle data sticker :
Urban cycle consumption (ltr./100 km)
Extra-urban cycle consumption (ltr./100 km)
Combined cycle consumption (ltr./100 km)
Combined CO
2 emissions (g/km)
The specified values were determined in accordance with the test
procedure prescribed by the currently applicable version of
Directive 80/1268/EEC. The specifications do not refer to an indi-
vidual vehicle. Other consumption figures may be achieved during
normal driving, depending on special equipment fitted, vehicle
loading, personal driving style, road and traffic conditions, environ-
mental factors and the condition of the car.
6)On some models you can also call up the vehicle identification number on
the menu display.A1A2A3A4A5A6
A6
AAABACAD
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